FadedBlue_net

Title: Accident (Yi Ngoi)
Director: Pou-Soi Cheang
Year: 2009
Genre: Thriller
Format Reviewed: Film (@CIFF 34)

Last year, at CIFF 33, I saw a film by Johnny To called Sparrow.  I was a bit disappointed in the pacing and overall lack of anything very interesting besides nice set pieces and a few ‘action-y’ moves.  The same goes for the Johnny To produced (but not directed) Accident, which ultimately takes an interesting premise and disappoints on the execution.

Several things you probably expect from Accident are there, though.  For one, the style of Accident feels like a well-produced, modern Hong Kong flick.  There is an undeniable mark of an HK actor who is suave, resourceful, and especially in this case: clever.  Brain, the lead character, is the mastermind of an assassination squad that works without directly killing their targets.  They plot and engage seemingly realistic events which lead to an “accidental” death, or one which is undetectable as a homicide by police investigations.  The second thing you would expect from this interesting premise are elaborate, well-shot scenes or the camera panning through the situation in either slow-mo or rapid fire.  Got it.

If the above paragraph is all you knew about the film, it probably sounds pretty good!  Which is why Accident is so disappointing.  An interesting premise and good camera work doesn’t save the excruciatingly slow pacing during parts of the movie.  For the longest time, we are watching Brain try to figure out how to go after his last target, so obsessed it feels a bit like A Beautiful Mind at times.  There is only slight tension which ultimately leads to an anti-climactic ending.  There is a final twist that I admit I still don’t think I fully get yet, so I will give it the benefit of the doubt.

The accidents themselves are too few and far between.  There are really only two elaborate accidents, and a couple more small ones.  They aren’t ridiculous in size enough to be really fun, but then again you wouldn’t want to them to be too wild and crazy.  These scenes range from intense to not even knowing it’s happening.  The latter is an interesting concept, since the audience is put in the shoes of the victim.  The thriller aspect of Accident is definitely present in a few set-ups, and are genuinely good.  There are just too many lulls in between.

In the end, Accident is an ok movie that may put some to sleep in the middle or last half.  Coming in with expectations only hurts what is otherwise an interesting idea, but it is showing when short, non-explicit sex scenes are the most engaging parts of the middle third of the movie.

Rating – 3 /5

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