Breaking News (2004) Dai si gin (original title)

Director:

Johnnie To

Writers:

Hing-Ka Chan (written by) &
Tin-Shing Yip (written by)

Release Date:

10 June 2004 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama

Plot:

When an ambulatory TV news unit live broadcasts the embarrassing defeat of a police battalion by five bank robbers in a ballistic showdown...

Plot Keywords:

Police | TV | Police Officer Killed | Cell Phone | Police Officer

Awards:

5 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Richie Ren	...	Yuen (as Richie Jen)
Kelly Chen	...	Commissioner Rebecca Fong
Nick Cheung	...	Inspector Cheung
Siu-Fai Cheung	...	Eric Yeung (as Cheung Siu Fai)
Shiu Hung Hui	...	Hoi (as Hui Siu Hung)
Suet Lam	...	Yip (as Lam Suet)
Yong You	...	Chun (as You Yong)
Haifeng Ding	...	Long (as Ding Hai Feng)
Haitao Li	...	Chung (as Li Hai Tao)
Simon Yam	...	Asst. Commissioner C.K. Wong
Maggie Siu	...	Grace Chow (as Maggie Shiu)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yuk-Keung Kwok	...	Policeman
Chi Wai Wong	...	Wong
Wah Wo Wong	...	White Hair

Directed by
Johnnie To

Writing credits
Hing-Ka Chan		(written by) (as Chan Hing Kai) &
Tin-Shing Yip		(written by) (as Ip Tin Shing)

Produced by
Biao Cao	....	producer
Catherine Chan	....	associate producer
John Chong	....	executive producer
Elos Gallo	....	consultant producer
Sanping Han	....	associate executive producer (as Han Sanping)
Tao Jiang	....	administrative producer (as Jiang Tao)
Shirley Lau	....	associate producer
Johnnie To	....	producer
Buting Yang	....	executive producer (as Yang Bu Ting)

Original Music by
Ben Cheung
Chi Wing Chung		(as Ching Chi Wing)

Cinematography by
Siu-keung Cheng		(director of photography) (as Cheng Siu Keung)

Film Editing by
David M. Richardson		(as David Richardson)

Production Design by
Bruce Yu

Art Direction by
Raymond Chan

Costume Design by
Steven Tsang

Makeup Department
Kit Ling Chan	....	on-set dresser (as Chan Kit Ling)
Miko Chu	....	makeup artist (as Mico Chu)
Rachel Kong	....	hair stylist (as Rachel Kwong)

Production Management
Elaine Chu	....	project manager
Jackson Ha	....	production manager
Eric Huen	....	assistant production manager
Dong-ming Shi	....	production in charge (as Shi Dong Ming)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wai Chu Chan	....	second assistant director (as Chan Wai Chu)
Wai Hung Chan	....	first assistant director (as Chan Wai Hung)
Derick Lau	....	second assistant director
Wing-cheong Law	....	associate director (as Law Wing Cheong)

Art Department
Joey Chan	....	assistant art director
Wai Kin Lam	....	property master (as Lam Wai Kin)

Sound Department
Chun Wang Au	....	foley artist (as Au Chun Wang)
King Fai Choy	....	foley artist (as Choy King Fai)
Wing Hong Fung	....	foley artist (as Fung Wing Hung)
Shek Key Kwong	....	foley artist (as Kwong Shek Key)
Hon Chiu Lam	....	foley artist (as Lam Hon Chiu)
Wai Lun Lam	....	dialogue recordist (as Lam Wai Lun)
Sin-kwok Lee	....	sound recordist (as Lee Sin Kwok)
Charlie Lo	....	sound editor
Charlie Lo	....	sound
May Mok	....	dialogue recordist
May Mok	....	sound mixer
May Mok	....	sound
Kwok Fai Ng	....	boom operator (as Ng Kwok Fai)
Kwong Heung Yam	....	foley artist (as Yam Kwong Heung)
Chi Man Yu	....	foley artist (as Yu Chi Man)
Tomy Yu	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
Peony Lam	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Ping Hin Kong	....	CGI animator (as Kong Ping Hin)
Pak Chung Kwan	....	CGI animator (as Kwan Pak Chung)
Sui Lun Leung	....	CGI animator (as Leung Siu Lun)
Stephen Ma	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Bun Yuen	....	stunt coordinator (as Yuen Bun)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ting Fung Kwong	....	best boy (as Kwong Ting Fong)
Hirotake Okazaki	....	still photographer
Hung Mo To	....	cinematographer: second unit (as To Hung Mo)
Kwok Chiu Wu	....	gaffer (as Wu Kwok Chiu)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kitty Chau	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Christy Chan	....	post-production coordinator
Simon Fung	....	assistant editor
Aaron Lau	....	assistant editor
Calmen Lui	....	post-production executive

Other crew
Kenneth Cheung	....	continuity
Chi-Shing Chiu	....	location manager (as Chiu Chi Shing)
Yuin Shan Ding	....	film coordinator (as Ding Yuin Shan)
Yuin Shan Ding	....	translation consultant: English subtitles (as Ding Yuin Shan)
Ching Ting Law	....	set runner (as Lu Ching Ting)
Wing-cheong Law	....	associate director (as Law Wing Cheong)
Maggie Lee	....	translator: English subtitles

Production Companies

• Media Asia Films
• China Film Group
• Milky Way Image Company

Distributors

• Media Asia Distribution (2004) (worldwide) (all media) (world sales)
• Media Asia Films (2004) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Bright Angel Distribution (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Magic Hour (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Palm Pictures (2006) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Pathé (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Time Code (2005) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Alberto Bitelli Intl. Films (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Another World Entertainment (2007) (Denmark) (DVD)
• Film1 (2012) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• MTV Netherlands (2006) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Palisades-Tartan Acquisitions (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• Palm Pictures (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Solar Entertainment (2006) (Philippines) (all media)
• Tartan Video (2007) (UK) (DVD)
• Total Film Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Total Film Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Visionary Thinking (2004) (Serbia and Montenegro) (all media)

Other Companies

• China Star Production Services Limited  post-production facilities
• Milkyway Creative Team  written by
• Brilliant Genesis Limited  cgi animation
• Cubists  cgi animation
• Showreel Film Facilities  studio
• Milky Way Image Company  studio
• Milky Way Image Company  camera and lighting equipment
• Cinerent  camera and lighting equipment
• Tai Fung (Tsu's) Co. Ltd.  film stock
• Shaw Brothers  laboratory
• Mandarin Laboratory (International) Ltd.  subtitles
• William F. White International  grip and lighting equipment
• i Zone Sound Design  foley design

Also Known As:

"Dai si gin" - Hong Kong (original title)

Runtime:

Hong Kong:90 min | Argentina:90 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival) | Philippines:88 min (cut)

Country:

Hong Kong | China

Language:

Cantonese | Mandarin | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Argentina:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Germany:12 | Australia:M | Malaysia:18SG | Hungary:14 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Hong Kong:IIB | South Korea:15 | France:U (with warning) | Portugal:M/12 | UK:15

Company:

Media Asia Films

Goofs:

Continuity: When Cheung and his team approach the abandoned police van, the magazine of Cheung's MP5 disappears and then reappears.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Battle for Haditha (2007)

Action and the media make for an odd mix

After a shoot out goes wrong and the police are made to look like fools the brass resolve to catch the bandits while using the media to fix their busted reputation. However things don't go quite as expected for anyone and what was a simple manhunt becomes a hostage situation with all of Hong Kong watching.

This is an odd film. The plot is a bit too complex for its 90 minute running time, with gunfire exploding often when you least expect it. It starts off with a huge shoot out and then changes feels and tones several times as it goes. And there are a couple of moments where I swear I missed some plot point or other, but found I was simply carried along with the momentum and didn't care for long..

It clearly wants to make a commentary on the use of media by organizations to look good, and it mostly succeeds. (I'm also certain that the parallels to how the US Government is doing a similar thing in Iraq was probably unintentional even if it does make you think.)

This is a very good, and very off beat film that moves to its own beat. Definitely worth seeing, especially if you like action.

8 out of 10