GAU NGAO GAU

Pang is a trained, brutalized Cambodian killer brought over to Hong Kong to carry out an assassination. Over the course of a long night, the killer picks up two pieces of baggage in the form of Wai, a disgraced ferret of a policeman played by lanky Sam Lee, and a retarded girl whom he accidentally rescues from her abusive father. As Wai and his fellow officers track Pang, they resort to increasing levels of violence, blurring the lines between themselves and their prey. Escalating violence leads to a final showdown. The action is swift, brutal and final. In this dog-eat-dog world, only the meanest can survive. Pang moves quickly and without mercy – the team of cops trailing him are no match for his amoral cunning, even when they adopt his methods. Only the singleminded Wai can even keep up. To illustrate this point, Soi Cheang frequently loops the sounds of snarling dogs over his writhing fighters. (David Austin)