Sparrow (文雀). 2008. Hong Kong. Directed by Johnnie To. With Simon Yam, Kelly Lin, Gordon Lam Ka-tung, Lam Suet, Lo Hoi-pang. Digital. Courtesy iQIYI. In Cantonese; English subtitles. 87 min.
Johnnie To has long been captivated by the world of professionals, observing their operations and codes of conduct whether they are gangsters, cops, or firefighters. In Sparrow, he uncovers the enigmatic enterprise of Hong Kong pickpockets, the most elusive and old-fashioned of crooks, who work quietly in groups and conceal razor blades in their mouths. The infinitely dapper Simon Yam (Election, PTU) stars as the leader of a small pickpocket cohort who becomes infatuated with a woman dangerously linked to a fearsome criminal kingpin, leading to a dramatic faceoff on a rainy night between two rival pickpocket gangs. To distills cinema to its basics, presenting an intermix of bodies, objects, sound, light, movement, and time at their purest in this meticulously choreographed sequence, which is itself a sensational dancin’ in the rain performance.