Soi Cheang has the audience in the palm of his hand with gorgeous production design and impressive fight choreography on display throughout his latest film Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, making it one you need to watch.
In 1980s Hong Kong, Chinese-Wietnamese man Chan Lok-kwan (Richard Lam) is trying to make an honest life for himself. Conned from his life savings for a passport by the powerful Mr. Big, he flees to the infamous Kowloon Walled City for safety and soon finds himself rising through the ranks of “security” for its leader, Cyclone. As revelations of Lok’s past surface, a showdown in the Walled City is due to commence.
Packed to the brim with a great cast, Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In gives the audience everything they could ask for, from over-the-top villains to heroes you can’t help but want to root for. It packs a lot in its breakneck two-hour runtime. Yet, it is a film that gets a lot right, so when we encounter the occasional misstep, it ends up being nothing more than a bump in the road.
There is just something so wonderfully satisfying in watching a film that has been shot with such depth and not lit to death. Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In immerses us in its world with its richness on the screen, making a mockery of most Western films as of late. Cinematographer Cheng Siu-Keung has done some magnificent work here, and he gives production designer Kwok-Keung Mak’s gorgeous recreation of the Walled City its moments to shine, drawing us further into the narrative.
In fact, the production design that Cheang has allowed to be unleashed in his film almost makes itself the star of Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In itself. You could easily spend countless hours looking at what Mak’s team have created; such is the richness and intricacies of the work. Add in the narrowness and cramped nature that is (or was) the Walled City, it makes what stunt co-ordinator Kenji Tanigaki achieves here with the cast all the more impressive. Each sequence is a heart-pounding thrill ride, as thrilling as the next and even then, not many from any other films this year will top the opening chase sequence.
Both of those aspects are so strong that you forgive the Cheang for not having a beefier narrative to play with, for the actual story of Walled In is possibly the weakest part of the film. What starts off as a strong story loses its way as we get to the second half due to how convoluted the story becomes in linking Lok with the history of the city and these characters. When it was more like a fish out of water, and how that character adapts to his new life and allegiance to the man who gave him a chance at life, it worked incredibly well. When we get into Lok’s history, we begin to get a touch lost. While there is little to be done about that since this is an adaptation, you wish for a bit more to the story. Luckily, the performances from the cast and that choreography are on such a high level that you forgive it just for how enjoyable it is.
Cheang also opts for a faster pace for the editing of the action scenes, with editor Cheung Ka-Fei being a touch too trigger happy with the cuts, especially considering the surroundings. Letting the action breathe a little more would be far more enjoyable. Still, he can keep the intensity going and allows for those calmer moments when delving deeper into the world of the Walled City, bringing us a thankful breather from the action.
No matter what, Soi Cheang has ensured that his audience will be in for a great time, even an exhilarating one, once the action starts. This is one not to miss out on.
★★★★
Trinity CineAsia presents Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In releasing in UK and Irish cinemas from 24 May
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