Overheard (2009)

[Milkyway]

To & Lau in '09

Hong Kong film fans don't just get to salivate over the release of VENGEANCE, the Johnnie To/Johnny Hallyday movie coming out in Hong Kong in Summer '09. Now there's news that there's a major Lau Ching-wan movie, EAVESDROPPING SITUATION, coming out in Summer '09 as well. Directed by Alan Mak (co-director of INFERNAL AFFAIRS 1 - 3) and Felix Chong (writer of INFERNAL AFFAIRS 1 - 3 as well as writer and co-director with Mak of the upcoming LADY COP AND PAPA CROOK), it's produced by Derek Yee (ONE NITE IN MONGKOK, SHINJUKU INCIDENT) and it stars Daniel Wu, Louis Koo, Lau Ching-wan, good old Alex Fong and Mainland acting superstar Zhang Jingchu (PEACOCK, SEVEN SWORDS). The plot synopsis I've seen reads:

"The Hong Kong police's elite surveillance unit starts an investigation into the (possible) stock market manipulation."

Expect more details (and a new title?) as shooting gets underway.

http://varietyasiaonline.com/kaijushakedown/TO-LAU-IN-2009

[Milkyway]

Distribution Workshop picks up Snowfall, Overheard

Liz Shackleton in Berlin

05 Feb 2009 06:00

Distribution Workshop, the new Hong Kong-based sales outfit founded by Nansun Shi and Jeffrey Chan, has picked up two new titles – Alan Mak and Felix Chong's Overheard and Snowfall In Taipei from Chinese director Huo Jianqi.

Produced by Derek Yee, whose credits as director include Protégé and One Nite In Mongkok, Overheard is a thriller about three cops conducting surveillance on a listed company. Lau Ching-wan, Louis Koo and Daniel Wu head the cast of the film which is currently in production

Mak and Chong were respectively co-director and scriptwriter of the Infernal Affairs trilogy.

Romantic drama Snowfall In Taipei, also in production, stars Chen Bolin (Kung Fu Dunk), Tong Yao and Tony Yang.

The two titles join previously-announced Tokyo-set action title Rain Fall, directed by Max Mannix and starring Gary Oldman and Kippei Shiina, and Chinese sleeper hit Almost Perfect, on the company's slate.

Distribution Workshop is a joint venture between Shi and Chan and Beijing-based Bona International Film Group, which is China's biggest independent distributor. Former Mandarin Films executive Virginia Leung heads up sales.

http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=43060&Category=

[Milkyway]

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Just by the cast and director, this is gonna be a must see for me!

[Milkyway]

Just as long as they don't go the same road as Lady Cop & Papa Crook.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Missed that one, but caught the trailer.... and that was enough!

[Bravery]

Just by the cast and director, this is gonna be a must see for me!

Top to bottom, this movie is stacked. If it is anything less than great, it will be a disappointment, though.

[ToothbrushFu]

Is that Lau Ching-wan's ear on the poster? Nice to see it get a featured role in the film after its scenes in Mad Detective got chopped.

[Milkyway]

HAHA!

[Milkyway]

Overheard Update- Plot Outline

A major stock exchange in the world, Hong Kong attracts not only money but any who try to manipulate the market. At the Hong Kong Police Force Commercial Crime Bureau, an operation is underway to infiltrate a trading company, Feng Hua International where a man, nicknamed “Boss” is the chief suspect.

The team, led by Inspector Leung (Lau Ching Wan) together with Yeung (Louis Koo) and Lam (Daniel Wu) install interception devices to monitor the company’s communications. When a crucial information on a surging share were intercepted, a moment of greed led the team in a cross fire between the Bureau and the boss.

Overheard is due for July 30th Release.

http://www.kfccinema.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1243100188&archive=

[Milkyway]

Trailer: http://www.fliqz.com/aspx/permalinkblank.aspx?vid=d539442b7bd848c4acbad255cb6b16d9

[Milkyway]

http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2009-07-03/09512594219.shtml

[Fightingfist]

Wow seen the trailer, must say this looks good

[Milkyway]

http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/2009-07-10/ba2604348.shtml

[Milkyway]

Trailer 2: http://www.mtime.com/movie/93243/trailer/20295.html

[Fightingfist]

thxs 4 the second trailer

[mark187]

awesome, this one had some better footage in it than the 1st one. It's great to have an HK crime film to look forward to between Shinjuku Incident and Vengeance!

[Fightingfist]

Yh looks great film.

[Milkyway]

awesome, this one had some better footage in it than the 1st one. It's great to have an HK crime film to look forward to between Shinjuku Incident and Vengeance!

And, not to forget, Soi Cheang's Accident. Still awaiting trailers of that.

[mark187]

definitely. I heard that it's supposed to be at Venice in September, hopefully that's true. if so, we'll probably see the trailer before then. it was mentioned on Twitch back around the time of HK Filmart that the trailer had been shown and looked really good, but it was never posted online.

[Milkyway]

'Overheard' the best Chinese film this summer

Starring Lau Ching-Wan (hero of "My Name Is Fame"), Louis Koo (hero of "Election") and Daniel Wu (hero of "Bishonen"), Overheard is a crime thriller in which three police officers are tempted by secrets they overhear while conducting surveillance on a listed company, not knowing that these secrets will lead them down the path of no return.

The film is directed and written by Alan Mak and Felix Chong, former co-creators of Hong Kong box office wonders Infernal Affairs trilogy with Wai Keung Lau (director of "Initial D").

According to the film's producer Derek Yee (director of "One Night in Mongkok"), who is also a renowned director, "Overheard" is truly an ensemble film.

Yee told the Global Times that it was extremely difficult to get the three top actors to work on the same film as they all had many projects and committments.

Lau indisputably has the best acting skills of the three, with Koo and Wu admitting that he was one of the reasons why they had agreed to star in the film.

"I immediately said yes when I saw Lau on the cast," said Wu, who is a self-proclaimed fan of Lau, enjoying his acting style and previous work.

However, Lau does not put himself on such a pedestal. "I do not think of myself as a great actor with fascinating skills. I always feel there is room for improvement."

Following the film's media preview Monday in Beijing, Lau told the Global Times that his character was very different from his previous roles. "The Inspector Leung I played is strong on the outside but actually weak and vacillating on the inside." Lau said that unlike the other two characters, Leung's tragedy was not caused by greed, but loyalty to his friends.

"He knew what they were doing was wrong and would lead to disaster, but failed to persuade and stop his two colleagues. To protect them by covering their secrets, he was forced to commit crimes." Lau explained that the character's cowardice was most attractive and challenging for him.

He said that if the same situation occurred in real life, he would not know how to choose between justice and friendship. "It is hard to betray your friends, but committing crime is also out of the question. So I would be caught in between."

Lau added that he hoped the audience would pity the bad cop after watching the film, which would be a success of his acting.

Playing a 40-something father of four, Louis Koo piled on more than 10 kilograms for his role. Koo remarked that it would now take him more than six months to lose the extra weight. He jokingly complained that Yee always made him look ugly every time they cooperated, as was the case in Protégé, but that this time he had made the decision to push his physical boundaries himself.

He explained that he had not intentionally planned to look unattractive; putting on so much weight was simply better for the role. Koo added that his inspiration came from his wife in the film, who was a plain and frumpy housewife. "When I saw her before shooting, I suddenly realized that my looks were not exactly convincing to be a father of four children. Then I spoke with the directors about gaining weight and having my make-up done to look older."

When researching his role, Koo said that he spent time talking to and learning from people who used to work for the Hong Kong police force's surveillance team. "We could not talk too much about their work because of secrecy regulations, but I learned a great deal about their daily life and their thoughts on the job."

Koo revealed that his biggest finding was that they all talked very fast, which he later replicated in his role. "This is because their job has great tension and danger. They have to meet and follow a lot of people every day, while trying to cover their identity." He explained that the fast talking speed was probably also caused by the pressure that cannot be released by communicating with friends due to reasons of security.

Influenced by his psychologist mother, Daniel Wu has always held a penchant for characters with a dark side. His role in "Overheard," a young and ambitious policeman, is the darkest of the three men.

"His wealthy father-in-law asked him to quit his police job which was insulting to him, so when there came a chance to make a fortune, he went all out and dragged his two friends into tragedy," Wu explained.

Wu said that he tries to deliver a message in every film that he works on. "The message in 'Overheard' is that money is just an extra bonus of life. We cannot sacrifice everything for it."

Wu likened acting to playing tennis. "If your opponent is strong, you will be able to learn a lot."

He admitted that he often chooses a project for its cast. "Working with Lau and Koo was a memorable and benefiting experience."

"Overheard" will premiere on the mainland tomorrow, one week ahead of Hong Kong.

http://www.china.org.cn/culture/2009-07/23/content_18189828.htm

[Milkyway]

Tapping into the craze for stocks

BEIJING, July 24 -- Written and directed by Alan Mak and Felix Chong, writers behind the Infernal Affairs (Wu Jian Dao) trilogy, Overheard (Qieting Fengyun) sets itself apart from the usual Hong Kong police-gangster film, without car crashes, bloodshed and gunshots.

The film focuses on three wiretappers at Hong Kong commercial crime investigation bureau, who find out about a listed company that is trying to manipulate the stock market. With the crucial information in hand and facing the giant temptation of getting rich overnight, they trap themselves in fatal dilemmas.

The topic of insider trading has rarely been touched on in Hong Kong films before Mak and Chong found the inspiration to elaborate further in a restaurant, in 2007.

"The Hong Kong stock market was extremely prosperous then, but we could not find investment for our screenplays," recalls Chong. "One day we were talking about some script in a restaurant, in a low and anxious manner, while people around us talked enthusiastically about stocks. The contrast inspired me to create a story about commercial crime. When we talk about Hong Kong police-gangster films, we always have bank-robberies or drug deals, this time I wanted to make something different."

Stocks have been a big issue in the mainland, too, since the market hit a record 6,000 points in 2007, attracting millions of investors, ranging from tycoons to school kids.

As such, four noted mainland film critics Wei Junzi, Zhang Jiangnan, Da Daochang and Song Ziwen reckon Overheard could be the hottest film of the summer.

Chong and Mak finished the script in just 10 days. Mak calls it the best story he has written in recent years.

Mak's father and brother are policemen. With their help he talked with many former staff at the Hong Kong commercial crime bureau, which investigates commercial fraud, computer crime and the counterfeiting or forgery of commercial instruments. He also asked for help from actress Anita Yuen, who has 10 family members working in the Hong Kong police force.

To create a convincing team of professional inspectors, three leading actors of the ensemble cast, including Lau Ching-wan, Daniel Wu and Louis Koo, talked to former staff working for the bureau. And Koo creates a special talking style for his character.

"I found the real inspectors talk extremely fast," he says. "Sometime I could not catch what they said. They live under great pressure and anxiety, because they have few friends. They cannot tell their friends their profession."

The film premieres Friday.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/24/content_11764052.htm

[Milkyway]

Review: OVERHEARD

One thing is made abundantly clear from Alan Mak and Felix Chong’s new film, OVERHEARD – being a cop sucks. Sure you get to carry a gun but you work long hours in a high stress environment within an almost militaristic chain of command. Living your job and sacrificing relationships for a lousy salary in the hope of chasing down scumbags living the good life on dirty money can be demoralising for even the most optimistic of coppers and takes all the fun out of crime-fighting.

It’s hardly surprising that when the opportunity comes along for surveillance operatives Johnnie (Lau Ching Wan), Max (Daniel Wu) and Gene (Louis Koo) to make a few bucks on the stock market, they only momentarily baulk at the fact that their information was gleaned from eavesdropping the insider traders they are out to bust. Max has an over-protective father-in-law to appease, Gene has a wife and three kids to support, one of whom has leukaemia, and while Johnnie may live on his own, he’s been banging his partner’s wife (Zhang Jingchu) for some time now and is thinking seriously about making a commitment. All of this is going to cost our three protagonists far more than their paltry cop’s paychecks can stretch to.

OVERHEARD opens well as the trio set about their target, E&T’s offices, installing bugs and hidden cameras. It is taut and suspenseful and promises much for the rest of the movie. And at times the film does deliver, it is occasionally tense, exciting, and even funny, proving that the directors do have the talent and know-how for exactly this kind of project. However the story never really gets out of first gear.

The setup is good and the characters are at least interesting. Admittedly Daniel Wu pretty much evaporates in the second half but Louis Koo has a meaty if typically melodramatic role, while Lau Ching Wan is the classic down at heel cop, committed to the job at the expense of everything else, except for an affair he definitely should not be having. Alex Fong puts in a decent turn as Johnnie’s partner, Kelvin and we see the welcome return of Michael Wong, camping it up as the villainous CEO of E&T.

That said, the characters don’t get much time to pause and consider the ramifications of their actions, nor does the film pull any surprises along the way. Quite simply, the crime committed is not nearly daring, dastardly or even interesting enough to demand such lofty dramatic pretensions, while the ramifications are predictable and underwhelming. Blame has to lie with Mak and Chong for going ahead with what is clearly an under-developed screenplay. There were so many interesting directions the writer/director pair could have taken this tale, but instead play it straight down the line, as quickly, economically and unadventurously as possible.

Any set piece passing itself off as intelligent moviemaking where a speech by one character on the importance of good communication to ensure the success of shared goals, is inter-cut with an actual sequence where characters’ phones stop working and their partners are put into danger because of it is clumsy, lazy high school story-telling and plain embarrassing for such a high-profile production.

Some blame Andrew Lau’s departure from this creative team as the end of the good times, but the rot set in when he was very much still on board. Derek Yee is involved this time out, but even he can’t help matters, save for securing a heavyweight A-list cast who should be demanding better material. After INFERNAL AFFAIRS III, CONFESSION OF PAIN, LADY COP & PAPA CROOK and now this, one has to start asking whether Alan Mak and Felix Chong were ever really all that good to begin with or were the first two INFERNAL AFFAIRS films just happy accidents rather than the jubilant salutation of a new creative force in Hong Kong Cinema that we all had hoped they were.

http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/review-overheard#extended

[Fightingfist]

Thanks for the review.

[mark187]

http://moviexclusive.com/review/overheard/overheard.html

here's a much more positive review. that reviewer above gave Shinjuku Incident a pretty negative review too, but I thought it was really good. regardless, Overheard is a must-see for me, glad to see it getting a good review at Moviexclusive.