User Reviews

Although it is by no way, near To's best work, it is still a lot better than the best many other directors have ever achieved. And just because To tries something lighter (story-wise, violence-wise, although the latter isn't really happening), it doesn't mean it has to be bad.

Of course the To fan, might expect something else. But this is more a love story, even in the more important moments, it goes a completely different route, than one might expect. One particular action scene is more or less choreographed like a musical number (kind of "Singin in the rain" literally ;o) ). Talking about/of music, there are a few people who might be put off by the music. But I felt it suited the movie very good!

Johnny To is quite a veteran, Sparrow being his 49th film already. But even though he has made quite a few films in the 80s and 90s, it's only recently that he got his international break. Before mostly known to Hong Kong action die-hards, both his Election films elevated him above his peers. And even after all that time, he still has quite a few surprises left in him.

I've been tracking To for some time now and even though he's made some fun films in the past, he really raised the bar after making the Election twins (and Exiled in between). Since then, he's been making films that are more than just simple genre works. With Sparrow, he goes beyond and delivers what might well be his best work to date.

It's difficult to explain the flow and feel of Sparrow. In some ways it feels a lot like classic cinema, but made with a classy smirk. The tone is light, the setting and characters elegant, the humor never feels out of place though it usually is. And beneath all that is a pretty smart play of cat and mouse, adding another layer or wit to the film.

Simon Yam is perfect in his role of elegant gang leader. He's an actor that's been around and really cut out for a job like this. His character is always in control, stylish and elegant. Behind him is a team of trainee pickpockets, learning the trade from the master. All is well until they are played in return by a lady, drawing them into a neat little showdown with a senior pickpocket artisan.

Visually the film is remarkably neat and clean. Every shot shows detail and consideration, the use of color is spot on and the film features some awesome shots of Hong Kong (showing quite a few sites reminiscent of the Ghost In The Shell cityscapes). In between To even finds time for several playful tricks reminiscent of Kar-Wai's In The Mood For Love. To shows himself a master of visual storytelling, which is needed as the film itself features little dialog.

Even more remarkable is the soundtrack. A combination of classic Chinese music and jazz, quite upbeat and always playfully out of place. It gives the film its flow and gives many scenes and extra quirky dimension. Even though the story itself could allow for some tense scenes, the soundtrack never allows this to happen. Not a soundtrack that'd work outside the film (at least for me), but crucial to the fun and pleasantly different.

It takes about 5 minutes to get into the film, it takes about 70 to get hooked. But its those 5 final minutes, bringing a climax that will make this film remembered by all those who've seen it. The finale of the film is really out there, showing nothing but visual poetry and umbrella action. It's an amazing scene drawing a lot from classic western stand-offs, but given a whole new dimension. I've watched the scene a couple of times over since, and just about everything is perfect (it's even said To hired dance choreographers to get the whole flow of the scene right).

Hardcore To fans might find themselves on shaky grounds with Sparrow when they are expecting another gritty action adventure, but all those with a love for cinema should at least try this film. To's passion for the job shows in every scene, in every choice and in every detail. The film has its very own, unique flow and knows to charm from the first minute. And to top it all, it boasts one of the most stunning finales ever seen in film. Sparrow's getting a well-deserved 4.5*/5.0* and I can only hope To's box of tricks isn't emptied yet.

Taking almost 3 years to make, and finally making its way to our shores, Sparrow is worth every moment of waiting, and again cements Johnnie To's reputation as a living maestro who conjures up magical cinematic moments from the tired Hong Kong crime genre. This time though it's totally sans violence and elaborate gunplay, and what came across was a short film idea that's brimming with class, injected with well placed humour, postcard picturesque framing and the unflappable Simon Yam who can do no wrong as the lead.

Clearly this movie plays up on the sparrow motif, of a bird trapped in a cage, and one from the avian family associated with, as this story goes, ill fortune that will soon befall. The figural bird here refers to Kelly Lin's Chung Chun Lei, a mysterious, statuesque beauty who baits our gang into unlocking the cage that's trapping her in a life of misery. The first act plays out like a little mystery, weaving in a deeper introduction of our gang of pickpockets, played by Lam Ka Tung, Kenneth Cheung, Law Wing-cheong and led by their leader Kei (Simon Yam). Thinking they got lucky individually when they each encounter Chun Lei, they soon realize the hard way about who they're dealing with, and realize that they stand a better chance as a group, with unity in strength rather than playing individual lone wolf.

Here's where you'll find the quintessential To movie dripping with camaraderie and brotherhood, written by Chan Kin Chung and Fung Chi Keung. The story unfolds in a rather unconventional manner that leaves you guessing, before it even keels into a mid-section, all the while avoiding big sets and big action sequences. They allow for Yam to play up on his well known photography hobby by working it into the story, and Yam delivers what audiences and fans would have expected, that of a charismatic leader.

Unlike To's previous movies like Exiled and the Election series which were rather heavy in nature and tone, Sparrow, like the bird, is very much light and breezy. It doesn't try to cram too many subplots into its close to 90 minute running time, and provides you a main thread to focus your thoughts on. As mentioned, it is like a short film idea extrapolated effectively into a feature film length, allowing moments of To's signature style of stand-offs to enter the fray, building much needed anticipation, with good natured humour. Some however, might want to draw parallels with Feng Xiaogang's World Without Thieves given its subject matter and its core one-upmanship challenge.

There are two gems in Sparrow that makes its ticket price more than worthwhile. First, the wonderful original music and score by Fred Avril and Xavier Jamaux, whose theme for Sparrow will definitely linger in your mind for quite a while after the end credits roll. With a jazzy feel and a combination of western and eastern musical instruments, the score has a life of its own, and elevates Sparrow to a higher plateau with something memorable to take away, emphasizing the lightness the general tone of the movie takes.

The other gem, will be its fantastically designed major action piece that occurs in the last act. Probably the only "action" you'll see in the movie, it decompresses normal time into slow- motion, in order to exaggerate the lightning quick reflexes all the operatives in the movie possess. The rain, the umbrellas, action designed around them and all done at a single traffic light crossing, remains a cinematic marvel which deserves a second, third helping, and more. Just thinking how it's done technically will already send you into a frenzy, and this likely served undoubtedly as a showpiece for Sparrow.

Sparrow is an elegant movie, which reminds us that while To might have his off-days with movies like Linger, he's back at the top of his game again delivering a movie with deftness in skill, and adding to his already glowing repertoire of movies defining the new wave of crime genre stories that speak volumes of his signature style.

Thives with razors on their tongue, seemingly interesting characters. No credibility. I was reminded at all times that I was watching a movie. The lack of presence in characters and looseness between the scenes made me awfully aware about the acting. This is some times the case when a director makes something for himself and comes blind to his own work. He forgets to tell the audience the stories of the characters. Maybe he forgot the stories in his head. One is left to wander from image to image, carefully chosen pieces of Hong Kong city scape. Clever tricks and beautiful images though aren't enough to make the movie complete. Three years in making and it shows. Where is the focus? Scenes are loose and connection between feels like shorts put together without adding up or building anything. Johnnie To achieved a cool style but forgot the characters. I like fun light movies but with no connection to the characters and story, the movie left me numb. The Finale comes out of nowhere. The build is a joke.

There are many facets to the brilliantly diverse career of director Johnnie To, but within these aspects there are many similarities that adhere to auteur sensibilities. He does not direct the same film over and over again but he has many thematic overtures and plot devices that will consistently turn up -- not always in the same film though. Sparrow is no different in that respect though it feels unique in To's oeuvre. Like PTU it was a personal project that took over three years to make. He would film a scene whenever he had the money and/or whenever he could get the principal actors to work when they were not busy with other projects. Its closest equivalent would be Yesterday Once More which deals with thieves and has a few similar characters and situations. While Yesterday Once More was influenced by the American crime caper especially the original The Thomas Crown Affair, this film was created to invoke a feeling of French New Wave cinema (in interviews To states specifically Umbrellas of Cherbourg as an influence). It is one of To's most lighthearted movies (not counting some of the silly romantic comedies he has co-directed) and one of his better directed efforts.

In Cantonese-slang the term Sparrow means a pickpocket. It is also a bird that one day decides to show up in Kei's (Simon Yam: The Mission, PTU) apartment while he was sewing. The pickpocket is Kei who is in charge of three other semi-competent thieves (this is the most common aspect of To's movies – the team and its dynamics). As soon as the sparrow enters his life and he debates the meaning of this with his partners a women enters their life. Chung Chun Lei (Kelly Lin: Fulltime Killer, Mad Detective) a mainland expatriate (whom is similar to Mona in Throw Down) bewitches all four separately and indirectly gets them beat up by associates of her old rich patron who controls her life and has every moment of her monitored. Mr. Fu Kim Tong (Lo Hoi-pan: PTU, Throw Down) is a cigar-smoking leader of a nefarious business and was once a great pickpocket himself. He has Chung's passport and even though he offers his fortune after he dies she does not want to be caged and wants her freedom.

It is eventually their pity on Chung and not her initial coquettishness that wins three of the four to help her get her freedom. Kei is the odd man out until a specific encounter with Mr. Fu threatens his manhood, livelihood and sense-of-honor.

While this film may be a bit laconic for some I found Sparrow to be one of my favorite films of 2008. It is beautifully shot, has an interesting characterization for Simon Yam and there are several sagacious scenes. One of these moments is where all four men ride the same bike (you have to see this, it is filmed quite beautifully) which symbolizes not only the team effort for this film (one of the most common themes in all of Johnnie To's oeuvre) but the actors themselves who destroyed several bikes while making this scene and spent so much time learning to balance while riding. Pickpocketing works better as a team effort (and you can certainly rake in more money), but you have to be in sync as well as completely trust your companions. Another great scene shows them put there skills together much like a similar scene in Robert Bresson's Pickpocket. One would expect there would be much more in common between these two films because of the subject matter but the underlying themes (with the exception of redemption) are quite different.

The funniest scene involves all four pickpockets trying to corner Chun Lei so they can get a better explanation on why they got beat-up because of her. They get stuck in an elevator (well three of them do; how they lose one of them is part of the hilarity) with two movers who are carrying a large glass case. The two movers make the mistake of interfering with three much more dangerous characters.

The best scene in the movie is the edifying ending involving a pickpocket duel amongst the rain and umbrellas. It is filmed (the filming alone on this scene took over two weeks) with such beautiful editing and splendorous slow-motion grandeur that you realize this Hong Kong and French hybrid works astoundingly well. There are several subtle moments to it so it helps to view it a few times.

While the film is not perfect and portrays several of the characters as more ornamental then full-bodied humans, I found Sparrow to be a fun film. It is full of jaunty experiences with superficial references to various French film auteurs from Jean-Pierre Melville (of course the birdcages in this film also make you think of John Woo who is also a Melville fan) to Francis Truffaut. But To does this with a mixture of themes and situations that are important to him from team spirit, rooftop encounters, wayward souls and Lam Suet. Johnnie To uses the splendid older Hong Kong locations to great effect (one of the main reasons he made this film was to document a lot of the city) – this helps with the feeling of timelessness in the movie. This is especially evident when much of the stills through the credits show the buildings. Plus the music which is another hybrid of Eastern and Western influences by Xavier Jamaux and Fred Avril (whom To worked with in Mad Detective) which evokes a feeling of quirky nostalgia for a time and place that has never existed. That is one of the many reasons I love this film.

"Sparrow" was a fairly mediocre movie by the usual Johnnie To standards. While that is said, then the movie is interesting enough, but just didn't manage to rise beyond mediocrity.

With Simon Lam and Lam Ka Tung on the billed cast list, it was hard not to be thrilled about this Johnnie To movie. And while they performed quite well, they were severely limited by the storyline and script.

The story is about a gang of pickpockets prowling the busy streets of Hong Kong, whom are all trailing after a mysterious and alluring woman.

I will say that the storyline was fairly shallow and limiting to the entire movie. But there were some nice moments and turns in the story along the way. But the overall result wasn't particularly impressive.

Visually then "Sparrow" does offer some nice things and the camera-work in the movie was quite good and interesting.

"Sparrow" is quite a different movie compared to the many others coming out of Hong Kong cinema, and I do enjoy Asian cinema quite a lot. And, of course, director Johnnie To can't be hitting gold every time he directs a movie, and "Sparrow" was, in my opinion, a swing and a miss.

A band of pickpockets all fall for the same woman - who targeted them secretly because she has a job for them .. To rob a wealthy man who once aswell was a famous pickpocket, and save her from his entrapment