Running Out of Time (1999)
Reviewed by: cal42 on 2008-10-11
RUNNING OUT OF TIME is, on the face of it, a pretty routine cat-and-mouse thriller and occasionally threatens to descend into another of Milkyway’s dry police procedure movies. However, this is not the case largely thanks to great casting and a taut, understated script.

I’m often criticising Andy Lau (well, we all need a hobby), but to be honest he’s excellent in this, and quite different from his usual light and fluffy, PR-friendly kind of character. He plays Cheung, a man with just four weeks left to live and who decides to spend his remaining time robbing a finance company. Lau Ching-Wan plays Ho, the man trying to bring him to justice, gives an equally strong performance. More importantly, there is a tangible chemistry between the two performers.

Despite being primarily a thriller in the style of Melville, there are flashes of humour, but the sight of Andy Lau in drag might give some viewers nightmares. There are trademark To touches all over the place, and it’s hard to imagine a fan not liking the film. The only criticism, and it’s such a common criticism of Hong Kong films in general these days and not really the film’s fault, is a scene with some nastily blatant product placement for a certain brand of trendy eye apparel.

RUNNING OUT OF TIME may surprise a lot of viewers not familiar with Johnnie To as it’s rather more subtle than your typical Hong Kong thriller. A lot of the drama is derived from the thought processes of the two central characters (with Ho desperately trying to work out Cheung’s motives) rather than flashy explosions and action setpieces. If for no other reason, this film is to be recommended, but for To fans it’s a must.
Reviewer Score: 8