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Awards
at the Hong Kong Film Awards 1998:
Best Editing (Wong Wing-Mung)
Best Sound Effects
Nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards 1998:
Best Picture
Best Director (Johnnie To)
Best New Artist (Ruby Wong)
Bets Action Design (Yuen Bun)
Lazy
man's way to describe Lifeline? Hong Kong Backdraft
(remember that one?). This production under the directorial
guidance of Johnnie To is, to the best of my knowledge, the
only, or one of the few, Hong Kong movies to depict the hard
work done by fire fighters. Starring many of Milkyway's reoccurring
actors, Lifeline is also notable for introducing Patrick
Yau to the Hong Kong movie world. His assistant directing
on this project lead to solo directing gigs such as The
Longest Nite and Expect The Unexpected. Works that
ranks as some of the most memorable, outside of the movies
of Johnnie To, from Milkyway. This is however is a Cosmopolitan
Film production
After
the terrorist attacks on New York almost two years ago, the
firemen received many accolades, deservedly so, than ever
before. It really is a profession that the ordinary man takes
for granted. We expect them to be there when we need them
and before 9/11 people tended not to think from their perspective.
They risk their lives, like people in other lines of work
do, and Lifeline portrays this in a successful manner.
Despite coming from one of Hong Kong's best directors working
now, there are definite flaws in the framework. Basically
no real plot exists (something I was more than ok with) and
for the well-paced 100 minutes, To concentrates on the lives
of a select few fire fighters. To's instinct is very much
correct because we want to see the men and women behind the
mask.
Director
To have been criticized for being not so subtle when it comes
to melodrama, in particular All About Ah Long has been
singled out. While I understand the criticism, I personally
thought it all came together nicely in that film. In Lifeline
To aims at scoring a perfect 3 out of 3 in the main characterdevelopment
but only succeeds in making one of the stories work, the Lau
Ching Wan part of it. Screenwriter Yau Nai-Hoi (also co-wrote
Running Out Of Time) strikes a good balance between
grounded humanity and loose cannon aspects of Lau's character
while the subsequent romance scores points by being a small
romance. Lau's Yau-Shui connects with a doctor (Carman Lee
from Wicked City), that he has run into during the
course of several missions, who is at a point in her life
where she's vulnerable and is dying to connect with someone
again. The scenes of the two meeting up outside of their respective
jobs are memorable acting moments. Both are, in a way, shy
and unsure of how to be with each other when they're distanced
from the worklife they live but they have clearly made a connection.
Yes, this is corny to an extent but looking at the other ongoing
character subplots, this one finds the better flow. Full focus
on the main star, Mr To?
The other
two with more focus on are Ruby Wong and Alex Fong's characters.
She, pregnant and having marriage problems, he in a chief
position and possibly having to resume care for his very grown
up daughter. All well-meant but drama is at times completely
off in scenes involving Ruby and Alex. To wants slightly more
hysterical drama which almost comes as a shock when we are
in calmer moods prior. It doesn't help that parts of the dialogue
is as cringeworthy as it can get and the score completely
fails to enhance for this part of the film. We do care because
it's these actors portraying the two but To didn't nail much
of anything here in actuality. In the end, he makes sure the
audiences does walk away with a good, basic message, even
if all intent with characters weren't fully realized.
Am not
trying to, with the following paragraphs, to make it sound
like Lifeline's only saving grace is the fire sequences
but technically they are a home run for Johnnie To and company.
Being Hong Kong, the movie feels a bit low budget but that
helps conveying the feeling of real reality, not glossy, polished
movie reality. There are a few minor sequences scattered throughout
that shows the firemen at work, best of them in terms of tension
and editing being the rain scene.
The strongest
memory anyone will have from watching Johnnie To's Lifeline
will be the fireclimax, lasting a good 30+ minutes. Facing
obstacle upon obstacle, the cast has to fight their way through
an intricate web of fire set pieces, each more intense than
the other. It's hard to tell if a lot of the action was CGI
enhanced but, again, being Hong Kong fairly early in the CGI
creating stages, I'm willing to bet a majority of this gigantic
set piece was done physically on set. If To and action director
Yuen Bun didn't use storyboards for this, then this movie
is the one where we can truly say Hong Kong filmmakers officially
went insane. It's amazing that it doesn't get boring for one
minute even though you do feel that these fire fighters really
are the subject of unbelievable punishment. Terrifically shot,
staged and edited, this LONG sequence is absolutely jaw dropping.
I hate that term but I have to admit that it suitably describes
what you will see. Certainly the biggest excitement of all
this is the fact that it's pulled off by Hong Kong cinema.
Lifeline
isn't a showcase for the best acting around but Lau Ching
Wan, adding more to his versatility playing an authority figure
who is not a cop for once, doesn't disappoint. Alex Fong (Portland
Street Blues and Till Death Do Us Part), hopefully
one of Hong Kong's rising acting stars, may not look like
he can express very much with his face. The opposite is true
however. Without doing much other than subtly change expressions
and the look of his eyes, he conveys much more than other
actors can when talking or being silent. This asset I think
is one that Tony Leung Chiu-Wai is blessed with as well. Carman
Lee surprises in a sweet supporting turn, the ever watchable
Damian Lau also appears as well.
Make
no mistake about it, Johnnie To's Lifeline is a big
advertisement for Hong Kong fire fighters. What he makes sure
to do is properly showing the negative and positive aspects
of the line of work they do, interspersed with minor doses
of flawed character drama. Lifeline represents a big
achievement technically for Hong Kong cinema and the climax
I can only describe as the Hard Boiled of firefighter
movies.
The
DVD:
Framed
at 1.85:1, this Universe transfer is free of damage but quite
soft throughout. Being a film heavily relying on smoke, a
lot of digital artifacts sadly is apparent as well as grain.
The Cantonese
5.1 Dolby Digital track does lack that power you expect from
a movie like this but generally does the job. Music spreads
out nicely and the effects envelop the viewer to a decent
degree. A Mandarin 5.1 track is also included.
No problems
in the English subtitles besides a few spelling errors and
the fact that dialogue sometimes is very fast, resulting in
the subs appearing very briefly at times. Traditional and
simplified Chinese subtitles are also included.
Universe
has loaded up with more extras than usual starting with the
15 minute Making Of (no subtitles). Shot entirely on
film and letterboxed, we're treated to enough behind the scenes
footage for the viewing to be rewarding.
Next
up are short Star's Interviews (English subtitles)
with director Johnnie To, actors Ruby Wong and Raymond Wong.
Following the usual Universe dvd interview pattern, the viewer
click a question and is then taken to a 30-60 answer clip.
To manages to hand out decent info in the brief time, most
interesting the talk about the challenges of making fire sequences
(not done this extensively before in a Hong Kong movies).
The actors add small notes about their research and the grueling,
long shoot. Welcome extra but you wish Universe would produce
longer segments like this.
Star's
Files for Lau Ching Wan, Alex Fong, Carman Lee, Ruby Wong
and Johnnie To are next and only briefly go over the careers
the people choosen. The theatrical trailer for Lifeline
appears plus trailers for Expect The Unexpected, The
Longest Nite and A Hero Never Dies.
reviewed
by Kenneth Brorsson
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