"In his undercover persona Chow is cool and clownish, but he also effectively conveys the toll and turmoil of his double identity. Chow's work in John Woo's operatically flashy action movies such as A Better Tomorrow, The Killer and Hard Boiled put this era of late-80s and early-90s Hong Kong cinema on the global map, but this is a more brutal and realistic kind of movie, full of grubby locations, tough choices and sudden deaths as well as some thrilling foot chases and shootouts."
"You also get Chow Yun-fat in his prime, as an undercover police officer charged with infiltrating a gang of jewel thieves. Unlike Reservoir Dogs, though, we know he's a cop from the outset, and the story contrasts his own force's infighting and inhumanity with the relative honour and camaraderie he finds among the criminals that even includes the one who killed his colleague (Danny Lee)."
Quentin Tarantino admitted he'd borrowed heavily from City on Fire's plot for Reservoir Dogs, though similarities largely stop at the bare bones and the Mexican standoff. The film delivers gritty, often bloody violence across Hong Kong's streets and night markets, beautifully restored. Chow Yun-fat stars as an undercover police officer infiltrating a gang of jewel thieves, conveying both a cool, clownish persona and the toll of double identity. The story contrasts police infighting and inhumanity with the criminals' honour and camaraderie, including the man who killed Chow's colleague. The movie favors brutal realism, grubby locations, sudden deaths, thrilling foot chases and shootouts. UK release: cinemas 14 November; UHD/Blu-ray/digital 1 December.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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