Summary
Sometimes an odd blend of tones, but ultimately the core performances and the slick action carries this ‘grandpa assassin with a heart of gold’ through to the end.
Hong Kong actor Patrick Tse is something of a local legend. Known in equal parts for his impressive career as a matinee idol as much as his off-screen liaisons, his career as an actor, producer, screenwriter and director has spanned over 60 years. TIME (殺出個黃昏) plays on that longevity, mixing some commentary on ageism in with this nod to classic Hong Kong cinema.
The premise may sound somewhat familiar, but here’s a film that still walks to the beat of its own drum. Tse plays Chau, a killer for hire who now takes on euthanasia cases. Despite no longer being a classic assassin, his services prove to be quite popular and earn him the nickname of ‘guardian angel.’
Completing the ageing professional assassin trope is the introduction of teenager Tsz-Ying (Suet-Ying Chung), who becomes something of an apprentice to Chau while dealing with her own fixation on death. This takes the film into a surprisingly tender set of scenes, where the problems of Chau’s de facto family becomes a focus. Chau is ably (sort of) assisted by Mrs. Fung (Bo-Bo Fung), who is going through her own struggles with her demanding and unappreciative children, and his unhealthy driver Chung (Suet Lam) looks for fulfillment with a sex worker.
The resulting mix means there’s a sometimes jarring tonal transition between the respective scenes, but unexpectedly allows for an exploration of euthanasia, ageism, loneliness and even abortion before the relatively brisk running time is done. With the drama of the main plot being relatively low-key, the viewer spends a bit more time contemplating some of these issues than the genre would typically allow.
TIME is ultimately a film that is designed as a bit of a throwback to a bygone era, complete with the occasionally cringey bit of humour and an almost excessive amount of singing (especially as the credits roll). Nevertheless, as Tse reaches the twilight of his career this is a nice coda for the screen icon.
2020 | Hong Kong | DIRECTOR: Ricky Ko | WRITERS: Ho Ching-yi, Lam Ka-tung | CAST: Patrick Tse, Petrina Fung, Lam Suet, Chung Suet-ying | DISTRIBUTOR: Lam Ka-tung, International Film Festival Rotterdam | RUNNING TIME: 99 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 2-6 June 2021 (IFFR)
