Breaking News

You've all heard the story: news outlets are bad, reporters screw up police work with their meddling, the media does no good for anyone. Hong Kong director Johnnie To apparently doesn't watch CSI or Law and Order, because he heard a different story, and a more accurate and fair one, too.

Breaking News (2004) begins as a standard action/ police procedural, but when a bust gone wrong is caught on tape and splashed across Hong Kong news broadcasts, the public becomes concerned that the police are not doing their job, and are unable to protect said public. What started out as a cops and robbers cat-and-mouse morphs into a PR war cat-and-mouse, as both sides must act quickly to achieve their goals while controlling how they look doing it. The police are the ones who have something to lose in this regard, as they're the ones who really need publicity that confirms their competance, behaviour, and control of the crisis, so most of their PR is damage control. Losing and saving face is a bigger deal in this culture than most, but on top of that, there's the plain fact that the public must be convinced of the abilities of their police for in order to prevent panicked anarchy. That being said, this publicity war doesn't stop or supercede the action, and the end result is a nicely made, well-balanced film.

It's well-balanced in more ways than one. For starters, the Hong Kong police are very good at their job, professionals across the board. At the head of the PR crisis is Commissioner Rebecca Fong (Kelly Chen), who's quickly tied in my book with Life 's Dani Reese for Best Dramatic Portrayal of a Female Cop. The fact that she's a woman and a high-ranking cop isn't on the radar; there's no dramatic controversy and her subordinates and peers respect her highly - and they respect her because she's excellent at what he does. Director To refuses to create drama by sacrificing realism or integrity in his characters, and this is especially notable in Rebecca's first conversation with the lead hostage taker. When he starts making sexually charged comments to try to get her riled up, she isn't shocked, she doesn't react with disgust, she doesn't get uncomfortable - because dealing with irritating people is what she's trained for, and her competence is shown in all aspects of her character. This is a refreshing change from what I'm used to seeing on screen in these situations. As well - and most notably, because it's the heart of the film - To's portrayal of the media is something to write home about. He and his characters see the media not as an evil, or "necessary evil", but a resource and a tool that we must learn to use properly. The reporters of Breaking News may be obsessed with getting a story (perhaps because it's their job?), but they're not a brainless bunch whose only concern is making the biggest splash.

On top of all that, it's just a good film, and probably a good introduction for anyone who hasn't seen - or who's had a bad experience with - Hong Kong film. To uses some classic, standard HK film tropes like slo-mo gunfights set to mournful piano music, and fart jokes, but they're...upgraded. Refined. Nothing's over the top in Breaking News, which I suppose, considering that it's a HK action film, may be a bit strange. But it works, and it works very well. Good action, good humour, good ol' insane HK stuntment doing insane stuntmen things, and it's beautifully photographed, too. All in all, if you can track down Breaking News, it's a good way to spend an entertaining yet mentally engaged evening.