On The Edge (2006)

Director Herman Yau has a point to make in On The Edge, an interesting look into the life of the undercover cop. Extending the topic where other movies may have scratched the surface, viewers follow young officer Harry Sin (Nick Cheung) as he returns to regular policing after a four-year stint as an undercover agent. Sin had been sent to infiltrate a gang led by don Dark (Francis Ng) and, once his target is finally nabbed, he's handed a bravery certificate, given a paltry $5,000 bonus, rehoused and put straight onto the beat.

But it's no mean feat for Sin to adapt to everyday law enforcement, having been plucked direct from the training academy for the spying gig. Four years is a long time undercover: Are his bonds to the underworld stronger than those to the regular force? His nightclub hostess girlfriend of two years, Cat (Rain Li), isn't in a rush to rekindle the flames of their relationship. It doesn't help that his first partner back on the force is Lung (Anthony Wong) -- an officer not known for a gentle hand with gangsters -- and that internal affairs' investigators are duty bound to treat him with suspicion.

On The Edge marks a return to more political filmmaking for Herman Yau, but the director changes tack here. Unlike the ambitious campaigning of From The Queen To The Chief Executive and or the fun blend of social issues and comedy in Shark Busters, Yau's latest is more concerned with driving home a single issue: that life is harsh on the ex-undercover cop, and the police system isn't making things any easier. As a character study, On The Edge is absorbing stuff. Building into an intriguing supplement to other local films on infiltrators as it crosscuts between the two phases of Sin's career, the picture is not a pretty one. The young cop seems even more hapless for having no family to turn to, and everything is set up to offer few surprises. Yet Yau is careful to add measures of light to the affairs, whether developing gang boss Dark into a likable rogue or throwing in a highlight smashemup with police vehicles.

Actor Nick Cheung adds another commendable dramatic role to his filmography after his recent Election runs with his difficult Harry Sin part, and Anthony Wong is another quality draw as his rough partner. Francis Ng takes on an offbeat, relaxed gangster role with characteristic style, Rain Li is fine as the gangland girl unlucky enough to fall for a mole and Derek Tsang ably takes on the part of Sin's troubled friend. The high standard of the lead cast lifts the production, offsetting On The Edge's otherwise overcast and sometimes low-budget appearance, and extending the appeal of Yau's small-scale, focused drama.

Credits:

Written and directed by Herman Yau
Starring Nick Cheung Ka-fai, Anthony Wong Chau-sang, Francis Ng Chun-yu, Rain Li Choi-wah and Derek Tsang Kwok-cheung