A1 tou tiao (2004)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Directors:

Gordon Chan
Kai Cheung Chung

Writers:

Gordon Chan (written by) &
Kai Cheung Chung (written by)

Release Date:

9 September 2004 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot Keywords:

Number In Title

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Anthony Wong Chau-Sang	...	Lam Hei Fei (as Anthony Wong)
Angelica Lee	...	Elaine Tse (as Sinje Lee)
Edison Chen	...	Kevin
Tony Leung Ka Fai	...	Chief Editor Terrence Tsang Tat-si
Eric Kot	...	Ma
Ka Tung Lam	...	Tong
Wai-Luk Lo		(as Lo Wai Luk)
Joel Chan
Siu-Yin Wong		(as Sophie Wong)
Chang Jun Miao		(as Miao Chang Jun)
Cara Chan
Dante Lam	...	Ken
Tat Chi Chan	...	Boss of Newspaper (as Chan Tat Chi)
Kwai Sam Chui	...	Cheung Hwa Lam (as Chui Kwai Sam)
Wing Kit Kam	...	Policeman (as Kam Wing Kit)

Also Known As:

A-1 Headline (International: English title)

Runtime:

Hong Kong:95 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese | English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Hong Kong:IIA | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Go Film Distribution

Angelica Lee shines

Angelica Lee plays Elaine, a fashion reporter for a popular newspaper, Citizen's Daily. Things aren't going well in her relationship with Peter, a colleague, and she decides to break up with him over the phone. Later that day, she hears he has been killed in a car crash, one that the police believe it was a drink-drive accident, although there's more than meets the eye. Fei (Anthony Wong), a former cop turned debt collector thinks something sinister has happened, with a possible link to the recent death of a model, a story that Peter was covering. Elaine, her colleague Kevin (Edison Chen) and Fei go in search for some clues.

The plot of this movie isn't really novel, but its execution is fairly good for the bulk of the film. A few twists and turns, particularly the motives of individual characters, are included and add to some suspense felt in this movie. However, not everything about the story is coherent and for me, holes appear here and there, and without giving the game away, I felt not all of them well filled in by the end.

However, despite that, there were some very credible performances from several of the actors. Angelica Lee has once again proved to me that she is a shining talent. Anthony Wong is great as ever and Tony Leung Ka-Fai has some very good short pieces as the Chief Editor. Edison Chen, much that I do think he is also a talent in the HK movie scene, has taken a massive step backwards here in a peripheral role that really befits a new actor rather than a superstar.

Nonetheless, this is a fair film and I do think it is one that's worth a watch, if only to see Angelica Lee.