Writer: Cammy Zulkifli

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Watch this if you liked: "The Eye"

This film is genius!

I dreaded the idea of seeing a Chinese film directed by Asian horror maestro Oxide Pang - this time sans his brother Danny - after the failed 'college experiment' that was "The Messengers" they did together earlier this year. But joy oh joy, "The Detective" was a glorious slap to my face and I'd be proud to show off the handprint on my cheek if it were really there.

Written by Oxide and yet another Pang brother, Thomas, this film is a crossbreed between mystery and horror, with a tinge of comedy and the supernatural, but the story never falls apart under the weight of the genres. The storyline is nicely bound and Oxide's visionary take on it made the film disturbingly gorgeous to look at.

Oxide seems to have put forth a 'theme' for this movie - the 1980s - although it is based on the present with the use of the latest gadgets, most notable being the titular detective Tam's (Aaron Kwok) handy Sony cameraphone. Even Tam's gaudy shirts are exclusively 80s and the art direction that contemplates a lot on the filthy back alleys of Thailand (non-derogatory comment here) and Tam's impoverished living situation was actually, well, simply beautiful.

Tam himself is a whole lot of character so kudos to Aaron Kwok who did this smart-alec-but-extremely-intelligent guy justice. As the story is generated, the viewer will understand Tam's motivation and the scriptwriters have done the smart thing by giving him a background and a past to further complement him. Kwok adds a measure of depth to the character that makes him witty as well as dignified when he should be and dominates the film without losing grasp. The film is aptly titled after the character without being misleading.

In "The Detective", Tam is a private detective who is visited by a man only known as Lung. The deranged man tells Tam that a woman is following him with the intention of killing him. The man shows Tam a picture of the woman and offers him a large amount of money before disappearing without offering any other details except that the woman's name is Sum.

Sparked by the large payment, Tam begins his investigation anyway.

What started out as a seemingly odd visit from a crazy guy, slowly turns into a full-fledged mystery involving the deaths of several friendly mahjong players. Tam picks up clues from one scene to another and uses little clever 'contraptions' (read: toothpicks) to help him with his investigation. The story moves quickly enough without being bland but is also slow enough for the viewer to catch up and comprehend the intricately woven mystery.

The director manages to capture the sense of suspense and urgency in particular scenes by filming like a stalker - peeping out of windows, from behind walls and using flimsy camera movements that denotes the hero being followed but you never quite know who. In my personal opinion, Oxide Pang has the makings of an art film director. The scare tactics were also a breath of fresh air, if not creative. The ending will shock you and give you goosebumps so the build-up was efficient. Add a little of Oxide Pang's trademark supernatural element to the concoction and you get a very good and entertaining watch.

It surprised me; it could surprise you too.

Cinema Online, 23 September 2008