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Kenichi
is a half-Chinese half-Japanese ex-member of the Taiwanese
Mafia. He is both ostracised and held responsible for the
killing of the Shanghai Don's right-hand-man, who was actually
assassinated by Kenichi's old partner, Wu Fu-chun. Threatened
on all sides by organised gangs from Taiwan, Shanghai and
Beijing, Kenichi agrees to trace Fu-chun and hand him over.
However, the situation is further complicated by the arrival
of a young woman who says she can get him Fu-chun at a price.
She appears to fall for Kenichi, but should she be trusted?
The word is out that she's Fu-chun's woman and he wants her
back...
Actually
there's a lot more to this film than that, and that's undoubtedly
its major downfall. I've got to admit I'm not a great lover
of gangster movies. Sleepless Town is probably considerably
more involved than most. There are some nice revelations and
twists, but there's far too many players, making the plot
confusing at times. That's not to say I didn't appreciate
the look and feel of the movie, for which the director and
cinematographer should feel proud.
Takeshi
Kaneshiro (who was in House of Flying Daggers) plays
the anti-hero part of Kenichi as a calm, somewhat cold fish
that nevertheless you can't help liking. It's nice to see
that occasional slip of the emotions which make him much more
believable as a character.
The
strangest thing about this film is the music. There's a repetitive
theme reminiscent of what you might hear at a cheap French
carnival. It is so far removed from the style of the movie
that it simply doesn't fit at all. Likewise, the old song
Unforgettable is played three times to montages of
images which could easily have been cut entirely with no serious
loss of plot progression. A rock-style Japanese song, used
on the DVD's menus and the film's closing credits, would have
suited as incidental music much better.
A
lot of great films have emerged from East Asia during the
last few years. I'm a big fan of Japanese horror (nobody does
it better these days), and it's made me more open to sampling
other genres from that part of the world. However, as I've
already intimated, Mafia and gangs leave me somewhat cold.
So, Sleepless Town gets a lower rating, but that's
almost certainly down to the genre.
Ty
Power
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