Director Dante Lam has been called the Michael Mann of Hong Kong cinema, and Movieline's exclusive clip from his latest pic, Fire of Conscience, demonstrates why: In the span of just over a minute, watch as a nighttime foot chase in a busy metropolitan street turns deadly as a portentous rain falls, all captured in gloriously saturated hues with menacing finesse. Watch the clip and get more details after the jump.
In Movieline's exclusive clip, maybe-shady cop Inspector Kee (Richie Ren) is hunting down a cell phone containing very important information when all hell breaks loose...
From Indomina Releasing:
In the tradition of Hard Boiled, Infernal Affairs and Reservoir Dogs comes this hard-hitting action-thriller from director Dante Lam. Esteemed investigator Captain Manfred (Leon Lai, Bodyguards and Assassins) is at a crossroads in life when he's assigned to the case of a lethal car accident and the death of a prostitute. Working with him is aggressive Inspector Kee, who is determined to rise in the fast-paced world of Hong Kong law enforcement. Opposites in every way, Manfred finds himself in the unexpected position of defending his partner when he's linked to the crimes, and he's soon swept up into a shadowy world of dirty politics, graphic murders and dangerous secrets. Co-starring Vivian Hsu and Michelle Ye, it's a daring and explosive entry into the "Asia noirs" genre with a no-holds-barred fight to the finish that will take your breath away.
The Fire of Conscience DVD release hits shelves next Tuesday, October 25, with five featurettes and an international trailer; Lam's stylized action and visual imagery would look stunning on Blu-ray, I'd bet, but it seems only a Chinese import Blu-ray with no English subtitles is currently available. Still, if you're a fan of Hong Kong action -- and its well-worn subgenre of cops 'n' criminal thrillers -- put this on your must-see list.