Overheard 2 (2011)

A stockbroker working with a crime syndicate is hurt in a car accident while attempting to evade a surveillance operative.

Directors:

Felix Chong, Alan Mak

Writers:

Felix Chong, Alan Mak

Stars:

Louis Koo, Ching Wan Lau, Daniel Wu

2 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Louis Koo	...	Jack Ho
Ching Wan Lau	...	Manson Law
Daniel Wu	...	Joe Szema
Michelle Ye	...	Ho Yuen Ching
Yi Huang	...	Emily
Kenneth Tsang	...	Tony Wong
Fung Woo	...	Szema Cheung
Ying Kwan Lok	...	Jim Chan
Wilfred Lau	...	Hoyt
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hin-Wai Au	...	Forensic pathologist
Joman Chiang	...	Fanny
Chiao Chiao	...	Mrs. Szema
Matt Chow	...	Tinker
Alex Fong	...	Hotel Security Director
Chi-Kui Fong

Storyline

A stockbroker working with a crime syndicate is hurt in a car accident while attempting to evade a surveillance operative.

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Plot Keywords:

cover up | gps | secret society | alzheimer's disease | lone wolf | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Details

Country:

Hong Kong China

Language:

Cantonese

Release Date:

18 August 2011 (Hong Kong)

Also Known As:

Overheard 2

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bona Entertainment, Pop Movies, Sil-Metropole Organisation

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Follows Overheard (2009)

User Reviews

Same Places & Faces with a plot that shouts "THAT'S NOT MY NAME"

The only things in common between OVERHEARD 2 and OVERHEARD (2009) are having 3 of the same male leads, a plot relating to phone-tapping & blackmail of the evil criminal few who have the ability to control the stock market.

Working with DP Anthony Pun to deliver a new tone & texture to the picture, some scenes integrate a gritty look similar to heist films like Ben Affleck's THE TOWN, and the editing by Curran Pang delivers an overall tighter pace to bring OVERHEARD 2 a couple of notches up in having a narrative that moves along nicely - leading up to a finale that actually works without dishing out the fantasy - as in the first film - that calls for the audience to suspend their disbelief (just so Mak & Chong could pay homage to Korean VENGEANCE films). The topic of inside trading hits timely with the audience, and the film attempts to remind yet again the facts about the ills to the stock market - numbers are fixed by the few in power, and that the sub-prime fallout owes much to the policies of the US government. What's interesting is that unlike other films about inside trading, Mak & Chong injects a sense of patriotism by highlighting the battles won by these now evil men in the early days of Hong Kong's stock market - the powers they earned by having fought off foreign investors in attacks to crash the HK stock market turned these patriots into monsters. This plot point connects much more strongly to the audience than all the convoluted trade jargon and scam tactics we see in similar films, and reinforces the trade-mark "Heroes gone bad" character development Mak & Chong have used repeatedly since INFERNAL AFFAIRS.

With OVERHEARD 2, actor Daniel Wu delivers one of his most solid and mature performances to date. It is also refreshing to see veteran actors Kenneth Tseng and Kong Ngai in their come-back with scene-stealing performances. The casting of almost-forgotten veteran actors is an on-going trend in HK films right now which began with Leung Siu Lung and Yuen Qiu in Stephen CHow's KUNG FU HUSTLE (2004), then later with Teddy Robin and Chan Kwoon-Tai in GALLANTS (2010), and more recently Jimmy Wong Yu in director Peter Chan's WUXIA (2011).

As with just about all Mak & Chong scripts, unfortunately, the female leads are again given only roles of being speaking vases. MIchelle Ye's scenes with Louis Koo could have been so much more engaging, and Huang Yi's pillow talk with Lau Ching Wan could have been much more touching. It seems the two writer/directors still have problems connecting with the female mind beyond just displaying tears and sad faces. The dialoque given to these two actresses were so disconnected and removed from the right emotions that I was left to wonder how the male leads could have even responded to what was said to carry such cryptic conversations that make these on-screen couples come across as people who barely even know each other.

All in all, OVERHEARD 2 is the best we have seen from the mainstream HK film industry in 2011 so far, and I can't help but to think that there's a good chance we will end up seeing this and the previous OVERHEARD becoming Hollywood remakes in the coming years.