Stephen C. Lam Movies

A North Henan landlord in China embarks on a pilgrimage to Shaanxi province during the 1942 famine, struggling to survive as war with Japan looms on the horizon. His house beset by starving villagers, Landlord Fan (Zhang Guoli) endeavors to calm the crowd by preparing a feast. But his house is burned down in the chaos, prompting Fan, his teenage daughter Xingxing (Fiona Wang), his servant Shuanzhu (Zhang Mo), and his tenant Huazhi (Xu Fan) to embark on a treacherous journey south. Along the way, encounters with an American journalist (Adrien Brody), and a priest (Zhang Hanyu) who has lost his faith reveal the true depth of the despair that grips the country. All of these hardships prompt Fan to make some devastating sacrifices that leave him a broken man. Meanwhile, the Japanese government attempts to turn the Chinese people away from their government by offering them sustenance, while the Chinese government finds themselves forced to choose between feeding their troops or the masses. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

This Cantonese-language police procedural from director Dante Lam blends moralistic drama and tense action sequences, to startling effect. Distinguished detective Don Lee (Nick Cheung) takes a misstep with some grave consequences following a local drug bust, by issuing an arrest order that unveils the identity of cartel informant Jabber (Liu Kai-chi). Now at the mercy of local gangs, Jabber must live on the streets to protect his loved ones, which riddles Lee with guilt. The story then jumps forward one year, as history begins to repeat itself: Lee hires a new "snitch," Ghost (Nicolas Tse), who has been incarcerated while trying to work off his father's mob debt and free his sister from prostitution. As part of his undercover assignment for the Hong Kong Police Department, Ghost signs on as the driver for a gang of jewel thieves, and feeds Lee inside information about the cadre's next robbery. At the same time, however, he realizes that his decision to inform may ruin his potential for a romantic relationship with Dee (Guey Lun-mei), the girlfriend of local kingpin Barbarian (Lu Yi). The situation involving Jabber then rears its head once again, with unexpected long-term aftershocks. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

This crime saga stars Louis Koo as Ken Kwan, a professional competitive marksman who swings into action when he stumbles onto an armored van robbery, where five robbers are holding a policeman hostage. He shoots and slays four of the robbers (a fifth one escapes) and saves the policeman. Events take an interesting turn when anew officer assumes responsibility for the case - Officer Jerry Chong (Daniel Wu). Although he and Ken were initially in fierce competition during a competitive shooting match, they subsequently became friends. The situation involving the armored van stirs up a great deal of controversy surrounding Ken; the courts declare him not guilty and the media deems him a hero. Not long after, however, Ken gets attacked by the fifth robber, Pang Tao - which sets into motion a complicated series of events and pits Ken and Jerry against one another once again, in a fearless battle of wits. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

A Hong Kong detective searches frantically for the evidence that will prove his innocence after he is framed for a series of grisly murders. 40-year-old Ling Kwong worked hard to become Chief Inspector of Police. Respected by his colleagues and admired by his superiors, his penchant for cracking even the most difficult cases soon gets him promoted to Superintendent of Police. Meanwhile, just as Kwong begins settling in to his new position, a serial killer murders his old friend while carving a swath of terror through the streets of Hong Kong. And when all evidence points to Kwong as the killer, the new Superintendent realizes that he will have to solve the case quickly in order to restore his reputation and save his career. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A hotheaded cop seeks repentance for a mistake from the past by rescuing the kidnapped daughter of a high profile lawyer. Police sergeant Tong (Nicholas Tse) is dressing down his crew following a botched stakeout when he spots the fugitive attempting a daring escape. Hastily speeding to catch the fleeing triad boss, Tong inadvertently kills one of lawyer Ann Gao (Zhang Jingchu)'s twin daughters. Ann is the lawyer preparing to try the boss' case, and she's resisting pressure to fix the trial. When Ann's other daughter is kidnapped by volatile hit man Hung (Nick Cheung), Tong vows to control his impulsive temper long enough to rescue the frightened young girl. But in order to save Ann's daughter Tong will need some serious help from the same colleagues he once so callously abused. Getting the girl back will be a serious gamble, but as Tong and Hung engage one another in a treacherous game of cat and mouse, the trial looms closer and the stakes get higher. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A homicide detective, a botanist with some unconventional theories, and his tabloid TV reporter girlfriend attempt to solve a gruesome murder in this high-concept thriller from The Eye and Bangkok Dangerous director Danny Pang. Botany student Steven is convinced that plants are sentient. He's recently written a doctorate paper on the theory, and spends much of his spare time attempting to prove that plants have a language all their own. Steven's girlfriend Mary works for a major television station, and thanks to a series of sensationalistic reports her career is on the upswing. When the Prime Minister's daughter is abducted, raped, and murdered, the police quickly arrest the prime suspect, a man named Eric. But is Eric really guilty of this heinous crime? In order to find out the truth, Steven conducts a series of tests in hopes that the forest itself may provide an eyewitness account of the brutal crime. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Three best friends who are barely getting by as fishermen in the small village of Zhujiajiao depart to seek their fate in Shanghai in director Alexi Tan's reworking of the John Woo action classic Bullet in the Head. Feeling trapped by circumstance in the only place they have ever known, Kang, his brother Hu, and their best friend Fung decide to take their fate into their own hands by moving to Shanghai. Upon arriving in the bustling city, the naïve trio gradually finds their innocence corrupted as they fall into the deepest depths of the criminal underworld. The starting point for their harrowing descent is the infamous Paradise Club: the most popular - and dangerous - nightclub in all of Shanghai. In the Paradise Club, Lulu is the songbird that every man wants to capture, yet she remains locked securely in the cage of owner and underworld crime kingpin Boss Hong - or so he thinks. Because when the stage lights go down and the big guy isn't around, his right hand man Mark starts making the moves on Lulu. Of course Lulu is no innocent either, and as this pair conduct their dangerous affair both enemies and allies alike begin plotting a way to wrestle control of the city from the ruthless Boss Hong. As the tense situation between Boss Hong and his many conspirators begins to boil over, Kang, Hu, and Fung make a desperate grab for power that quickly pays off. But success in Shanghai doesn't come cheap. With their power nearly cemented in the land of plenty, Fung will be forced to choose between love and a life of crime while wrestling with his troublesome conscience, Hu will enter into a monumental struggle against his own inner weakness, and power-hungry Kang will allow nothing to prevent him from realizing his own ambitions. Now, as lives hang in the balance and blood begins to flow, the chance for redemption fades with each passing day. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Hero and Infernal Affairs star Tony Leung takes the led in cinematographer-turned-director Jingle Ma's action thriller about a Japanese National Security agent and a thief who find their plans for splitting a lucrative reward complicated by the appearance of an unanticipated adversary. Japanese National Security agent Lam (Tony Leung) and skilled thief JJ (Qi Shu) may operate on opposing sides of the law, though their mutual love is all the excuse they need to enter into a tenuous, and dangerous, alliance. It seems that counterfeiters are making a mint by forging U.S. currency. The powers that be are not pleased, and now they're offering a $30,000,000 reward for anyone who turns in the plates used to produce the funny money. Lam and JJ are confident that they can recover the plates and retire on the reward money, though they didn't anticipate the appearance of scheming Embassy staffer Owen (Richie Jen). When Owen steals the plates and runs away to Korea, it's up to Lam and JJ to ensure that he doesn't profit from all of their hard work. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Magic Kitchen stars Sammi Cheng as Yau, a female chef who has built a very successful professional life, but at the expense of a rewarding personal life. While making an appearance on the popular television program Iron Chef, she comes into contact with an old lover who she discovers is planning on marrying one of her close friends. She becomes jealous and starts using her chef's skills to get even. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Benny Chan's Heroic Duo features an unlikely duo working together to crack a very mysterious case. Officer Ken Li (Ekin Cheng) learns that a fellow officer has committed a horrible crime. However, the perpetrator has no recollection of having done it. Ken Li seeks help from a former psychiatrist and current prisoner Jack Lai (Leon Lai). The pair soon learns that a master hypnotist might be behind this and several other disturbing events. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi