PTU

Even though Johnnie To started out as a director in the 1980s, it was not until the turn of the millennium that he had developed his distinctive signature style and became Hong Kong’s leading directorial star. PTU: Police Tactical Unit shows the master in top form with all of the typical attributes that not only brought him acclaim at home, but also made him a darling of the biggest international festivals. The loss of a service pistol kicks off a fiendishly unpredictable narrative in which, over the course of a single night, officers from various departments – ranging from beat cops to internal affairs investigators – repeatedly toe the thin blue line separating enforcers of the law from criminals. With the darkly humorous and brilliantly paced screenplay by the masters of vicious coincidence, Yau Nai-hoi and Au Kin-yee, Johnnie To made an ultra-stylish spectacle that is captivating due to the inventive staging of the individual scenes. (Filmasia 2017) (07/03/2021)