Fulltime Killer (2001)

Despite what its title may have prospective viewers thinking, Fulltime Killer follows not one hitman, but two. Tok (Andy Lau) is a flashy showman with his guns and grenades, new to the Asian assassination scene and working on the cheap. Making his way up the hitman hierarchy, Tok's top rival is a reclusive Japanese expat living in Hong Kong named O (Takashi Sorimachi). The pair lock sights on each other and come together while Interpol gets busy on their tail.

Fulltime Killer's plot is for the most part straightforward and offered an enjoyable 103 minutes of screen time, though a single viewing left some confusion afterwards. Interesting background is thrown in for the Tok character and the two leads are distinctive. A shift in the storytelling well into the film adds a different angle, but its key narration changes the pace of the otherwise tight scenario and distracts from the confrontation between the two distinctive leads. The narration is also shifted with more than one voice. On the upside, humour is integrated smoothly alongside Fulltime Killer's action to create a feel far more fresh and lively than I entered the cinema expecting. Some mild comedy even pares down key scenes for some pleasantly effective pacing, especially when Andy Lau proves himself as an assassin with a quick n' easy four-man kill. Lau is granted a particularly good role throughout the film, with a cheerful outlook with some pleasantly oddball techniques in both work and getting to know O.

Production work looks good on the big screen with some engaging action bursts among the ongoing drama. Locations in Hong Kong are nicely used, with good action work achieved at the former police quarters on Hollywood Road and on a Wanchai street, with the latter scene throwing in a style reminiscent of one in Too Many Way's To Be Number 1. The use of languages other than Cantonese in Hong Kong, however, does not gel with the setting. With Hong Kong as the backdrop for much of the film, Fulltime Killer lacks a strong anchor to its environs. More Cantonese dialogue would have helped here, just as including local police officers on the chase would have too. While an interesting development in filmmaking for a wider audience, the choices of languages spoken between the characters also make little sense at times, though the concept of a killer learning his rival's language for five years just for a chat provided an amusing and brief sideline.

Fulltime Killer's strongest impressions come from co-producer and lead actor Andy Lau, whose presence is superb throughout the film. Takashi Sorimachi isn't as uplifting to watch as his co-lead, but his quieter role ably offsets the flamboyant rival. Sorimachi is granted relatively few lines on screen, and the reduced dialogue strengthens the impression of him being someone choosing to cut himself off from others. Kelly Lam figures into the script with a key role between the two killers and has a warm presence. Unfortunately, Simon Yam looks great on screen but his character and language suggests a missed opportunity when cast as an Interpol staffer and not as part of the Hong Kong police force.

Top of page: Fulltime Killer poster at Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station
Above: The Sunbeam Theatre's Fulltime Killer painted billboard.

Credits:

Directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-fai
Based on a book by Edmond Pang
Sreenplay by Wai Ka-fai and Joey O'Bryan
Starring Andy Lau Tak-wah, Takashi Sorimachi, Kelly Lam Hei-lui, Simon Yam and Lam Suet