Duk sit dai jong

"Adrian Lam" (Dayo Wong) is a magistrate who doesn't really care about his job. He gets a bit of a shock, though, when his new boss sends him back to the benches where he must, again, actually practice law. It's here, after a night on the booze, that he turns up to defend a woman charged with the negligent homicide of her young son. A combination of his laziness, incompetence and his hangover leaves this woman hung out to dry when one of the witnesses - from whom he didn't get a written deposition - changes his story. Off to jail she goes and into a maelstrom of despair goes he before the guilt starts to kick in, and he decides to get his act together. His co-defending counsel "Evelyn" from the original trial (Renci Yeung) and he decide to try and convince the convicted "Jolene" (Louise Wong) to let them work on an appeal and the remainder of this rather flat courtroom drama follows their efforts. It starts off quite entertainingly, with a bit of a tetchy dynamic between the lawyers and to be fair, Dayo Wong is quite proficient as the bored and rather indolent lawyer. Sadly, though, once the ship is all upright again, the story becomes one of rather predicable family intrigue and power-broking that exposes us to many from a supporting cast that are as unremarkable as the dialogue. The photography has something of a television feature to it and the denouement, though quite lively paced - well you can see that coming from space. At 2¼ hours it is also far too long with just not enough meat on the story to sustain it. Perhaps a more judiciously cut edit and a few fewer side-stories might have made it more of a watchable "Perry Mason" style drama, but as it is - I was a bit bored by the end.

Duk Sit Dak Jong / A Guilty Conscience (2023) is an engrossing story that envelopes the viewer through its highly involved characters and the resulting courtroom dramas that unfold due to the attitude an behaviour of a rather lazes fere Hong Kong Lawyer, who simply takes the job with ease and an over comfortable laziness in his approach to the law cases that cross his desk.

This particular lawyer and his colleagues try to save an innocent woman after his carelessness causes her lose the case ending up with a very unfair conviction, which creates the guilty conscience within himself, thereby pushing him to make some big changes not only within his life and approach to his legal position but to the larger scope of things where he can see how his action or inaction directly affect others negatively no thanks to his unscrupulous work ethic and lackluster approach to justice, instead of being astute, we see him basically just phoning-in a half-assed attempt at putting any real effort into following up his cases.

He learns to drop the arrogance and take on a more empathetic approach, once he is shaken up through a variety of details that come to the surface.

Brilliantly acted and not just another run of the mill, tyical Hong Kong movie ~ this film begs to be watched by all who love a solid courtroom drama that verges on being a thriller.

Definitely see it, and watch it with an open mind. Having lived in GuangDong Province for 8 years of my life, surrounded by Cantonese culture, this film greatly appealed to me from a Cultural viewpoint, with the wonderfully familiar accents, personas, characters, situations, scenery, locations, language and local cultural aspects at the fore of the film throughout, which i found very pleasing and enjoyable indeed.

However, whether you are familiar or unfamiliar with Hong Kong, Macau, GuangDong Province or Cantonese Culture in general, THIS is still a highly recommendable movie and a must-see film for court-room drama/thriller fans. No matter what culture you are from, this film is essentially about finding humanity, compassion and empathy within ourselves!

It's a Happy Chinese New Year movie and seems to be meant for fun. The 2.5hrs passed quickly and I didn't nap in the middle which is a mark of a good movie for me.

There are gags and chuckles and a chance to see the rich get eaten by us "normal" people. A fight against the ills we suspect the "other side" does, and gives you enough fuel and reason to keep fighting the good fight in this coming new year.

Dayo Wong carries the story believably but then when you leave, you wonder, could that really happen?

Just take it as fun. The plot has many things that don't make sense but don't worry, you're on the right side!

A Guilty Conscience has some of the most absurd, implausible courtroom scenes I have ever seen. The climax is so dramatic that it makes soap operas look grounded. It looks like the most exhausting trial ever. Lawyers shout at each other as if they are in a heated debate contest.

Our protagonist is the lawyer version of Doctor House: A bitter, talky person that solves cases in his own way. He is played by Dayo Wong, who used to be an infamous box office poison. Here he is better than ever (This doesn't mean he is great). The start of the plot is standard legal drama material (Think a Law and Order episode). Wong fails a big case involving a child's death, causing harm to an innocent person. Two years later the case returns... Yes, a Guilty Conscience recycles an ancient "redemption arc" story, yet it is done in a gloriously entertaining way.

None of the story is believable. They exist in an overwritten screenplay. Despite looking like and sounding like one, this is not a screwball comedy. Although when you think about it, certain parts are funny for the wrong reasons. The sudden rise of absurdity leaves me with a mixed feeling, but I sure am entertained.

NOTE: If you're planning to see this in theaters, be aware that the audio mixing is obnoxiously terrible. The dialogue is so loud, and gets covered by the even more deafening music. I felt like the lawyers were shouting beside my ears during the trial.

Obviously this movie has an alternative motive. It's a complaint to the system but over the top, almost as if in sulking anger and disenchantment. Maybe disillusioned as well.

Supposedly based on a real life case but this court room drama takes a life on its own. I like the acting of the crown lawyer much better as he's a bit more restrained. But then that's the counter to the defending lawyer.

The case is about a cover-up really. Of rich family blaming the poor or underprivileged. It's not bad, but probably picks up what the sentiment of the general population. So kind of court room Rocky. A feel good movie. So don't expect any logic in the arguments , or any legal sense or the court proceedings to be accurate in any stretch. It's all for dramatic effect.