Exiled (放·逐). 2006. Hong Kong. Directed by Johnnie To. With Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, Nick Cheung, Simon Yam, Lam Suet, Richie Jen, Roy Cheung, Josie Ho. 35mm courtesy Magnolia Pictures. Courtesy of Media Asia Film Distribution (HK) Limited. In Cantonese; English subtitles. 110 min.
Set in an eerily depopulated colonial Macau shortly before the Chinese handover in 1999, Johnnie To’s Exiled is at once a political allegory, a buddy comedy, and a philosophical action film in the tradition of Jean-Pierre Melville, with imaginative action sequences that oddly recall Sergio Leone. The unshakably cool Anthony Wong leads a group of triad assassins assigned to eliminate an old associate (Nick Cheung), but their mission shifts when an unhinged Hong Kong boss (Simon Yam) tries to use them as pawns in his bid to take over the island territory. To’s mastery of the widescreen format shows in several brilliantly staged shoot-outs set in close, dark quarters. Calling back to The Mission (1999), Exiled showcases To at the height of his powers, seamlessly blending genres to create a work that is at once a thrilling action film and a poignant reflection on the end of an era.