Writer: Nurliana Kamaruddin

Writer Ratings:
Overall:
Cast: NA
Plot: NA
Effects: NA
Cinematography: NA

Watch this if you liked: NA

I have often wondered, how is it anyone can love someone so fanatically? How do you hang on to a person who is no longer there for ten years? How do you live with such obsession - waking up each day with no other thought than to find that one person whose face haunts you day and night?

No, that's not the main gist of the story, but it did contribute to a major part of it. The thing about "Divergence" is that it's not really as mysterious as it is made out to be, and if anything, the storyline sank like a two tonne stone chucked into a lake. There was no real beginning or ending to the story with characters merely inter-crossing one another throughout the movie.

But where it loses in that sense, it wins in the form of solid and powerful performances by the three main leads, namely Aaron Kwok, Ekin Cheng and Daniel Wu. In essence actually, all three men are the same be it Suen (Aaron Kwok), Coke (Daniel Wu) or To (Ekin Cheng). All of them are strong-willed, extremely stubborn and by a long shot, obsessive. It's perhaps this similarity that draws their fate together throughout the movie.

"Divergence" saved itself from being a bad movie because the actors conveyed emotions almost to perfection. First, you have Suen. Stubborn Suen thinks his superiors in the police force are not doing all they can to solve the case of the money launderer. Not only did he have to suffer the ordeal of watching his prime witness snuffed out right in front of him, he was also dealing with the anguish caused by his girlfriend's disappearance ten years ago, a love that he just could NOT let go of.

This movie relied a lot on the main actor delivering the fact that Suen is a man standing at the very edge of sanity, still frantically hanging on. His anger and his strength to face up to his superiors as well as take out criminals is a must, but at the same time he must be believably vulnerable and utterly human as well. Aaron Kwok filled those shoes to perfection. His distress and desperation were simply haunting and I have nothing but praises for this man for his matured, polished performance.

For To, Ekin Cheng conveyed the right amount of coolness as the highflying lawyer who's the best at what he does, even if he doesn't believe in what he's doing. His sense of detachment from his work is the key and when he snaps at the end, you feel nothing but pity for this cold-blooded man who is confused with his own sense of righteousness. Ekin pulled of the charismatic lawyer well, and you can go ahead and sue me, but I think he looks hot in glasses.

Daniel Wu as the rebellious Coke is another brownie point for this movie. There's a quirkiness about this man that you cannot help but like. His job as an assassin calls for him to be cold and ruthless. To me, he is ruthless, yes, but Coke is anything but cold. He's zealous to be the best of what he is and he acts on whims. Like his attraction to his agent Ting, like the guilt he carries concerning his knowledge of what happened to Fong and like his never-ending curiosity to know more than what's good for him.

When it comes to the cinematography and action though, this movie is top-notch even if the storyline isn't. There's a comic book feel to the movie that I can't actually describe. Subtle humour and in-your-face action did the movie good as well. The showdown between Suen and Coke at the market, then the last showdown between Suen and To were cleanly executed. No funny wire actions, just well choreographed fight sequences. I do wonder how many cars they crashed when they shot this film though.

Cinema Online, 23 September 2008