The Stool Pigeon (2010) Sin yan (original title)

Director:

Dante Lam

Writers:

Dante Lam (story)
Wai Lun Ng (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 August 2010 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Policeman Don Lee often works with informants but numerous too-close calls and failed missions cause him to see the world as one betrayal after another - then he meets Guy, and is given a new chance to change his views.

Plot:

Policeman Don Lee often works with informants but numerous too-close calls and failed missions cause him to see the world as one betrayal after another - then he meets Guy, and is given a new chance to change his views. |

Awards:

2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Nicholas Tse	...	Ghost Jr.
Gwei Lun-Mei	...	Dee
Nick Cheung	...	Don Lee
Shing-Cheung Lee	...	Don's superior
Yi Lu	...	Barbarian
Tony Ho	...	Pimp Wing
Kai Chi Liu	...	Jabber
Pu Miao	...	Cher
Lawrence Cheng	...	Cher's brother
Deep Ng	...	Fairing
Yeung Ming Wan
Mo-Chan Chik
Roderick Lam
Siu-Ming Lui
Siu-bing Leung	...	Social worker
Philip Keung	...	Tai Ping
So-Fun Wong
Kong Lau	...	Cher's father
Sherman Chung	...	Ghost's sister
Jing-hung Kwok
Rob Lok	...	Undercover CID Agent
Lap-Fung Cheung
Jane Wong	...	Santa's Helper
Ho-Kwun Wong

Directed by
Dante Lam

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dante Lam		story
Wai Lun Ng		screenplay

Produced by
Candy Leung	....	producer
Dai Song	....	executive producer
Zhongjun Wang	....	executive producer
Albert Yeung	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Henry Lai

Cinematography by
Kenny Tse		(director of photography) (as Chung-to Tse)

Film Editing by
Ki-hop Chan
Matthew Hui

Art Department
Wai-Ming Wong	....	property master

Camera and Electrical Department
Hoi Yan Chan	....	gaffer
Samuel Fu	....	assistant camera: first unit
Sze-cheung Hon	....	camera operator: second unit
Ming-Chuen Lo	....	first assistant camera: second unit

Music Department
Kwok-Jim Lo	....	lyrics (as Jimmy Lo)
Petr Pololanik	....	conductor
Petr Pololanik	....	orchestral contractor

Other crew
Lin Bingkun	....	planner
Yat Ping Wong	....	planner
Dingkai Yang	....	planner

Production Companies

• Emperor Motion Pictures
• Huayi Brothers
• Sil-Metropole Organisation
• Visual Capture

Distributors

• Emperor Motion Pictures (2010) (worldwide) (all media)
• Well Go (2011) (USA) (all media)
• Broadmedia Studios (2011) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Golden Village Pictures (2010) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Lark Films Distribution (2010) (Hong Kong) (theatrical) (as UA Films)
• Scorpio East (2010) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Waylen Group (2012) (Canada) (TV)

Special Effects

• Co&Co Design Strategy (opening title sequence)
• Free-D Workshop Company (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Cine Art Laboratory  film processing and prints
• Cinerent  camera and lighting equipment supplied by
• Kantana Laboratories Co.  digital intermediate lab services
• Mandarin Laboratory (International) Ltd.  subtitles
• Media Business Service Limited  post-production sound services
• Oriental Post Co. Ltd.  digital intermediate
• Postique  digital intermediate
• Tai Fung (Tsu's) Co. Ltd.  film stock supplied by
• Visual Capture  editing facility

Also Known As:

"Sin yan" - Hong Kong (original title)

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | Japan:PG12 | Malaysia:18 (edited version)

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Emperor Motion Pictures

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "America's Next Top Model: Nicholas Tse (#18.10)" (2012)

HK Neo Reviews: The Stool Pigeon

This is more like Beast Stalker… Beast Stalker was a great film, filled with tension, fine acting and incredible tension. Similarly, the latest venture from Dante Lam in Stool Pigeon is a lot like the aforementioned film. The good news is the tension is there, the acting is good and the film is well directed. The bad news is that Stool Pigeon does not reach the heights of Beast Stalker. Nick Cheung reverses role with Nicholas Tse this time around. Cheung is the cop and Nicholas Tse is the stool pigeon. Cheung is now an established actor and earns his paycheck here with a gritty and emotionally complex character. Tse on the other hand is excellent and almost carries the film on his shoulders. The best thing of the lot, is once again veteran Liu Kai Chi. Liu steals the show and the effect is seen in the opening scene when he screams for help.

Stool Pigeon is a good film, but not a great film. The reason is simple, it lacks the same amount of intensive tension of its predecessor and relies much on the acting of Tse and Cheung to take the film to the end. In say that, this is by a far a much superior effort to Fire of Conscience. Dante Lam is a capable director and he is at his best, when the characters in his films are allowed to express their truest potential or perhaps when they go crazy. Think Anthony Wong in Beast Cop and Nick Cheung in Beast Stalker. While both Tse and Cheung does fine turns, but neither are memorable. The film itself is not too memorable either. Instead what we got delivered to us is a film that entertains, some interesting chases, fine acting and positive direction. Easily a good film, but not great…(Neo 2010)

I rate it 7/10

- www.thehkneo.com