Jing yi wui long

Based on a rather shocking true story from Hong Kong, this is quite an intriguing depiction of the arrest and trial of Henry Chung (Yeung Wai Lun) for the brutal murder and dismemberment of his parents. He is pretty up-front about his guilt and the trial seems a bit of a fait-accompli. The gist of the film, though, centres on the involvement of his accomplice Angus Tong (Man Pui-tung). Now here is a character that has the IQ of a teabag, is overweight and generally comes across as infantile and incapable of taking responsibility for himself. Was he involved at all, and if so - in what capacity? That capacity issue is what makes this courtroom drama stand out. The performance from Man Pui-tung is superb. The depiction (illustrated via flashback) of his rather psychologically brutal interrogation; his constant incoherent mumbling and bumbling; the conflicting medical and psychological reports of his competencies - and all under the gaze of a jury made up of nine ordinary citizens with the prejudices and priorities of nine normal folks is well worked by Cheuk Tin Ho to create a genuine sense of our involvement in the future of this young man. Was he guilty or not? What might I have decided based on the evidence? Is there even any real evidence against him or is he just an easy target for the pursuing constabulary? It is too long, and takes a while to build up steam, but once it gets going it is an interesting character study - not just of the two accused, but of the jury, the police and of the judicial system that provides the framework for this maelstrom of advice, expertise, procedure and the genuine evil emanating from the effective Yeung Wai-lun. The imagery, especially amidst the wig-wearing scenario of the only recently reintegrated Chinese courtroom where the judge is still referred to as "my Lord" is suitably anachronistic too, and invites us to make or own assessments of the people and the process in quite a sophisticated fashion. There is a great deal of dialogue which is difficult for the subtitlers to do justice to, but it is photographed in an intimate and intense fashion and is thought-provoking to watch.

The Sparring Partner is a thought-provoking courtroom thriller that perpetually spins the table with shifting perspectives. It starts as a murder trial story and expands into a rich compelling cross-sectional look at Hong Kong society.

Based on a 2013 Hong Kong murder trial, Henry Cheung and Angus Tong, are taken to trial for the murder of the former's parents, Cheung Kuen Kwai and Shiu Suet Yee.

Yeung Wai Lun and Mak Pui Tung give tremendous debut performances. Yeung plays Henry as a fact like a normal person living and breathing before you and is never theatrically scary like a movie psychopath. What's brilliant is how Yeung blurs the lines of what a psychopath is. Is Henry Cheung a psychopath with zero empathy or is he just trying to be?

The cast all bring a stark realism. Mak Pui Tung was mesmerizing as the mentally-disabled Angus, always mentally lagging and overwhelmed without overdoing it. Jan Lamb's apathetic matter-of-fact lawyer is the complete 180 from the typical movie lawyer who believes in their client. It's funny in a cheeky way when you think of how often lawyers are romanticized.

The Sparring Partner stylistically combines cinema verité, documentary reenactment, and a courtroom drama all in one. The story is meticulously layered, effortlessly weaving between killer Henry Cheung's subconscious mind, alternating viewpoints of his family members, and the jury judging his actions on society's behalf.

Using this kaleidoscopic structure, director Ho Cheuk-Tin extends the film from a true crime account to a societal look at traditional parenting, generational clash, and social class. Through the 9 jury members, the discussion between the old and new generations, male and female, and young and elderly, the case becomes a reflective commentary on Hong Kong itself.

Henry Cheung blames his parents for his misery and lack of life skills. They forced him to learn the piano despite his lack of interest and sent him to school in Australia where he was subjected to racial bullying. Henry's gambling debts led his parents to purchase a real estate property for his brother, which instigated his plan to murder them.

Was this tragedy caused by one man's psychosis, his unfortunate upbringing by his parents or society itself?

The cinematography shows its budgetary restraints but makes up for it twofold with creative visuals. The jury discussions are visualized as the 9 members witnessing the crime happen before them. Also, the portions when we glimpse into Henry's twisted imagination, which I won't spoil here, are darkly spectacular.

The Sparring Partner is one of the best films of 2022 and undoubtedly the best Hong Kong film of 2022. I expect acting, writing and directing nominations come awards season.

The film examines in great detail not only the gruesome double murder but also the trial and the judicial process. The film asks the question whether or not the legal system can truly deliver justice under extenuating circumstances and how regular people fill in the gaps.

Almost all actors play their parts perfectly. The defendants are portrayed as a cold blooded mastermind and a bumbling clueless accomplice respectively and both actors become their roles. Yeung Wai Lun's cold stare never changes through the whole movie while Mak Pui Tung always seems to be on the verge of mental collapse without it seeming fake or over the top.

The lawyers all sound and act like the real deal, special mention goes to Lam Hoi Fung who delivers a humorous performance as an amoral and apathetic criminal lawyer who couldn't care less about his client.

The family members of the defendants all carry great emotional weight and provoke strong feelings of sympathy and despair from the audience. Xiena Chong and Chu Pak Him do quite a bit for two small roles and give it their all, ending with brief but memorable appearances. Harriet Yeung gives an absolutely heartbreaking performance as the sister of the second defendant, making one believe that she was genuinely breaking down on the stand.

The jury scenes are terribly hard to sit through, it appears the director/screenwriter decided the audience to be intellectual children and so decided to turn every juror into a walking stereotype who slowly explains every little political implication out loud. The main exception to this is Kiki Cheung whose character is rather well rounded and relatable as a person at the same time.

The two defendants are disturbing not only because of their gruesome acts but also what they represent as gross exaggerations of everyday people.

Overall a very well made and intricate courtroom drama which prevails despite the mind numbingly patronizing and condescending jury scenes. Hope to see more of this amazing cast and crew do more work in the future.

This film tells the story of a trial on Hong Kong, where two men are accused of murder of the parents of one of the accused.

"The Sparring Partner" maintains intensity throughout the film. It makes you want to see what will happen in the end. It keeps you guessing whether the accused are innocent or guilty. I'm impressed by the level of data collection in this film. They even know the names of the relevant psychiatrists in real life in Hong Kong. The psychiatrist names are very similar to the real life psychiatrists who they have referred to, so they really did their research. Overall, I think this is a good court thriller.

The Sparring Partner (2022)

Ambitious HK courtroom drama about a real life murder case. Back in 2013, skillful manipulator Henry Cheung murdered and dismembered his parents with the help of a dim-witted accomplice named Angus Tong.

The film's main source of intrigue stems from Cheung and Tong's relationship, and from Tong's involvement in the crime. In what capacity was he responsible for the murders, and was he simply a victim of Cheung's manipulation or more than that? All this and more is discussed throughout the film. We're presented facts through courtroom scenes and jury meetings, but there are numerous flashbacks and fantasy scenes as well, mostly based around Cheung. As the film progresses, questions start to arise around Tong and his presence becomes more prominent. New details are revealed and perspectives presented.

However, all this wasn't quite as involving as I was hoping it would be. I felt rather disconnected from everything onscreen, perhaps as it was intended, but I felt it was detrimental to the film's quality. I believe the runtime was too long (2 hrs and 17 mins) and, while the opening was gripping, the rest wasn't that great. Don't get me wrong, the story is sufficiently thought-provoking and I wasn't bored in any sense of that word. The constant jumping through different perspectives, along with a few false notes (like the aforementioned fantasy scenes, or gory mutilations that felt a bit out of place) prevented me from totally immersing myself into the story. As a result, I couldn't appreciate everything the film does right, and there's quite a lot of that.

I would recommend the film to people who appreciate courtroom dramas, as it definitely checks all the boxes in the genre while being more ambitious than an average entry. However, be prepared for its imposing length and don't be surprised if it starts feeling stretched too thin.