Like many Chinese-language films distributed on home video by Tai Seng, A Day Without Policeman features some hilariously mis-translated and grammatically incorrect English subtitles. If you rely on the subtitles to keep track of the story, you'll be baffled--but if you just watch the visuals and ignore the story, you'll probably be able to figure things out. Well--maybe. Simon Yam stars as police Sergeant Chan Wai, whose unfortunate encounter with an AK-47 has left him unable to work without the help of both Budweiser and bud. The film is suffused with flashbacks rendered all the more confusing thanks to the almost Lynchian efforts of director Johnny Lee, who blends shots of scantily clad, curvaceous women with a dissonant, Butthole Surfers style score. Of course, the film ALSO features extended use of disco classic A Fifth of Beethoven, so it's hardly an art-house flick. Warning: though the film is quite beautifully shot (the burial scene is a standout) there are some very unpleasant rape scenes that are not for the faint of heart.
Review of A Day Without Policeman
