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If not for excessive melodrama in a largely unnecessary subplot, director Dante Lam's intriguing examination of the complicated detective-informant relationship would stand toe-to-toe with films like "Infernal Affairs" and its remake "The Departed."
The Stool Pigeon
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Studio: Well Go USA Entertainment
Packaging/Materials: Two-disc Blu-ray case
Year: 2010
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1:52:09
MSRP: $29.98
THE FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURES
Video
1080p high definition 2.35:1
Standard and high definition
Audio
DTS-HD Master Audio: Cantonese 5.1, English 5.1 / Dolby Digital: Cantonese 2.0, English 2.0
Stereo
Subtitles
English
English
The Feature: 3.5/5
While lecturing a group of junior detectives, Senior Inspector Don Lee (Nick Cheung) explains they must treat their confidential informants as friends, but not actually consider them as such. The delicate balance of exploitation is summed up in keeping the leash "70% tight and 30% loose."
Lee should know. His current position in the Hong Kong Criminal Intelligence Bureau (CIB) was awarded thanks to a major drug bust set up through his informant Jabber (Kai Chi Liu), though it ultimately led to Jabber being brutally attacked by gang members looking for revenge. A year later and the former stoolie is living on the streets, driven mad by fear and paranoia. The inspector's personal life has also been up-ended since the bust, proving that success doesn't come without a price.
Though Lee isn't looking to destroy another informant (nor revisit his personal losses), he understands the critical role stool pigeons must play in his work. His latest case, a joint venture with Taiwan Police, is to capture a thug named Barbarian (Yi Lu). They know he's in the city, and is putting together a crew for a heist, but without someone working from the inside, who has a legitimate record and criminal history, there's little chance the police will be able to make an arrest. So Lee recruits Sai-Fu "Ghost Jr." Ho (Nicholas Tse), a street racer and small time thief fresh out of prison. Though Ho initially declines, his sister is getting pimped out by a local crime lord as payment on their late father's debts. With Lee promising to free the sister, and the CIB payment being enough to settle the debt, Ho essentially has an offer he can't refuse.
Showing up at a local street race, Ho is quickly picked out by a past associate now working with Barbarian, who is looking for a getaway driver. The plan is to take down a jewelry store, but since Barbarian is too easily recognized, Ghost Jr. and Barbarian's girlfriend Dee (Lun-mei Kwai) are sent to scout locations. Though Ghost Jr.'s responsibilities amount to little more than playing chauffeur at first - and his level of risk would be low if the crew is ultimately arrested - Barbarian got his nickname for good reason, and soon Ghost Jr. is deeper into the operation than either he or Lee anticipated. With the mistakes of the past weighing on his conscience, Lee ultimately feels trapped, trying to do what's right by both his informant and his bureau, but knowing only one side will come out ahead in the arrangement.
Director Dante Lam's gritty crime thriller has all the makings of your typical Hong Kong potboiler, but its exploration of the police use of and relationship with confidential informants makes it more than the usual action-heavy shoot-em-up. Reminiscent of movies like "The Departed" and "The Town," the film pays as much attention to developing character and motivation as to nail-biting action sequences, though unfortunately the former also involves heavy doses of melodrama (a Hong Kong movie staple that I admit I've never understood). In fact, the whole subplot involving Inspector Lee's personal life could stand to be trimmed, if not jettisoned, as it adds little to the most intriguing part of the story - Lee's complicated relationship with past and present stoolies. As far as I can tell, there's been no western film to explore such a topic in so detailed a way, as it looks at not just the emotional impact of the mutually exploitative arrangement, but also the institutional infrastructure established to support it. There's something strangely unsettling about having "stool pigeons" exist as a budgetary line item, though divorced from sentiment, it also makes perfect sense. If not for the excessive melodramatic subplot (and it's kind of horrible, translated title) "The Stool Pigeon" would easily stand toe-to-toe with films like "Infernal Affairs" and its American remake, "The Departed." However it mostly comes out as a fascinating, but noticeably flawed, entry in the cops-and-robbers genre.
Video Quality: 4.5/5
The 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer features inky blacks, strong contrast, and excellent detail and sharpness. The cinematography is often stylized - going from steely blues to incandescent yellows depending on the lighting conditions - but colors are deep and stable throughout. The picture is also free of artifacts from excessive digital processing.
Audio Quality: 4/5
The release includes two 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks in Cantonese and English; I chose the former as it's the film's original language. Dialogue in the track is crisp, clear and intelligible. Surround effects are used strategically for the action sequences and are nicely balanced and enveloping. Low frequency effects are minimal, but the track exhibits solid depth and fullness.
Special Features: 3/5
The extras offer a respectable look behind the scenes while also including some promotional elements. The inclusion of the DVD release provides a few more options for playback.
Behind the Scenes (46:38, SD): Video footage from the set is presented with minimal editing or structure, but provides a flavor of production conditions and atmosphere.
Deleted Scenes (11:10, SD): About a half dozen scenes excised from the final cut, including Jabber and Lee's pre-sting meeting.
Making Of (15:13, SD): The writer and director talk about the inspiration for the story and the actors discuss their characters, in this electronic press kit style piece.
International Trailer A (1:12, HD)
International Trailer B (1:47, HD)
Previews precede the main menu loading and include "Shaolin" (2:12, HD, Dolby Digital Stereo), "Little Big Soldier" (2:03, HD, Dolby Digital Stereo), "The King of Fighters" (1:28, HD, Dolby Digital Stereo), and "Ip Man 2" (2:16, HD, Dolby Digital Stereo).
DVD Version: The feature is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic with Cantonese and English Dolby Digital 5.1 and Cantonese and English Dolby Digital Stereo audio tracks. The release also has the same set of extras.
Recap
The Feature: 3.5/5
Video Quality: 4.5/5
Audio Quality: 4/5
Special Features: 3/5
Overall Score (not an average): 3.5/5
Well Go USA turns in a great presentation for an intriguing, but ultimately flawed, Hong Kong crime thriller. There aren't any surprises in the special features, but the mix of both promotional and behind-the-scenes material makes for a solid overall package.
The Stool Pigeon
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Studio: Well Go USA Entertainment
Packaging/Materials: Two-disc Blu-ray case
Year: 2010
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1:52:09
MSRP: $29.98
THE FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURES
Video
1080p high definition 2.35:1
Standard and high definition
Audio
DTS-HD Master Audio: Cantonese 5.1, English 5.1 / Dolby Digital: Cantonese 2.0, English 2.0
Stereo
Subtitles
English
English
The Feature: 3.5/5
While lecturing a group of junior detectives, Senior Inspector Don Lee (Nick Cheung) explains they must treat their confidential informants as friends, but not actually consider them as such. The delicate balance of exploitation is summed up in keeping the leash "70% tight and 30% loose."
Lee should know. His current position in the Hong Kong Criminal Intelligence Bureau (CIB) was awarded thanks to a major drug bust set up through his informant Jabber (Kai Chi Liu), though it ultimately led to Jabber being brutally attacked by gang members looking for revenge. A year later and the former stoolie is living on the streets, driven mad by fear and paranoia. The inspector's personal life has also been up-ended since the bust, proving that success doesn't come without a price.
Though Lee isn't looking to destroy another informant (nor revisit his personal losses), he understands the critical role stool pigeons must play in his work. His latest case, a joint venture with Taiwan Police, is to capture a thug named Barbarian (Yi Lu). They know he's in the city, and is putting together a crew for a heist, but without someone working from the inside, who has a legitimate record and criminal history, there's little chance the police will be able to make an arrest. So Lee recruits Sai-Fu "Ghost Jr." Ho (Nicholas Tse), a street racer and small time thief fresh out of prison. Though Ho initially declines, his sister is getting pimped out by a local crime lord as payment on their late father's debts. With Lee promising to free the sister, and the CIB payment being enough to settle the debt, Ho essentially has an offer he can't refuse.
Showing up at a local street race, Ho is quickly picked out by a past associate now working with Barbarian, who is looking for a getaway driver. The plan is to take down a jewelry store, but since Barbarian is too easily recognized, Ghost Jr. and Barbarian's girlfriend Dee (Lun-mei Kwai) are sent to scout locations. Though Ghost Jr.'s responsibilities amount to little more than playing chauffeur at first - and his level of risk would be low if the crew is ultimately arrested - Barbarian got his nickname for good reason, and soon Ghost Jr. is deeper into the operation than either he or Lee anticipated. With the mistakes of the past weighing on his conscience, Lee ultimately feels trapped, trying to do what's right by both his informant and his bureau, but knowing only one side will come out ahead in the arrangement.
Director Dante Lam's gritty crime thriller has all the makings of your typical Hong Kong potboiler, but its exploration of the police use of and relationship with confidential informants makes it more than the usual action-heavy shoot-em-up. Reminiscent of movies like "The Departed" and "The Town," the film pays as much attention to developing character and motivation as to nail-biting action sequences, though unfortunately the former also involves heavy doses of melodrama (a Hong Kong movie staple that I admit I've never understood). In fact, the whole subplot involving Inspector Lee's personal life could stand to be trimmed, if not jettisoned, as it adds little to the most intriguing part of the story - Lee's complicated relationship with past and present stoolies. As far as I can tell, there's been no western film to explore such a topic in so detailed a way, as it looks at not just the emotional impact of the mutually exploitative arrangement, but also the institutional infrastructure established to support it. There's something strangely unsettling about having "stool pigeons" exist as a budgetary line item, though divorced from sentiment, it also makes perfect sense. If not for the excessive melodramatic subplot (and it's kind of horrible, translated title) "The Stool Pigeon" would easily stand toe-to-toe with films like "Infernal Affairs" and its American remake, "The Departed." However it mostly comes out as a fascinating, but noticeably flawed, entry in the cops-and-robbers genre.
Video Quality: 4.5/5
The 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer features inky blacks, strong contrast, and excellent detail and sharpness. The cinematography is often stylized - going from steely blues to incandescent yellows depending on the lighting conditions - but colors are deep and stable throughout. The picture is also free of artifacts from excessive digital processing.
Audio Quality: 4/5
The release includes two 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks in Cantonese and English; I chose the former as it's the film's original language. Dialogue in the track is crisp, clear and intelligible. Surround effects are used strategically for the action sequences and are nicely balanced and enveloping. Low frequency effects are minimal, but the track exhibits solid depth and fullness.
Special Features: 3/5
The extras offer a respectable look behind the scenes while also including some promotional elements. The inclusion of the DVD release provides a few more options for playback.
Behind the Scenes (46:38, SD): Video footage from the set is presented with minimal editing or structure, but provides a flavor of production conditions and atmosphere.
Deleted Scenes (11:10, SD): About a half dozen scenes excised from the final cut, including Jabber and Lee's pre-sting meeting.
Making Of (15:13, SD): The writer and director talk about the inspiration for the story and the actors discuss their characters, in this electronic press kit style piece.
International Trailer A (1:12, HD)
International Trailer B (1:47, HD)
Previews precede the main menu loading and include "Shaolin" (2:12, HD, Dolby Digital Stereo), "Little Big Soldier" (2:03, HD, Dolby Digital Stereo), "The King of Fighters" (1:28, HD, Dolby Digital Stereo), and "Ip Man 2" (2:16, HD, Dolby Digital Stereo).
DVD Version: The feature is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic with Cantonese and English Dolby Digital 5.1 and Cantonese and English Dolby Digital Stereo audio tracks. The release also has the same set of extras.
Recap
The Feature: 3.5/5
Video Quality: 4.5/5
Audio Quality: 4/5
Special Features: 3/5
Overall Score (not an average): 3.5/5
Well Go USA turns in a great presentation for an intriguing, but ultimately flawed, Hong Kong crime thriller. There aren't any surprises in the special features, but the mix of both promotional and behind-the-scenes material makes for a solid overall package.
