Running Out of Time

A genre film written for two great stars. Andy Lau plays the appealing gentleman crook Cheung who confronts police inspector Ho, played by Lau Ching Wan. Ho is a police negotiator and Cheung seems to enjoy playing a game with him. When it becomes apparent that Cheung is severely ill - he has cancer - his motive for robbing a high building in Hong Kong is not clear. Apparently he didn’t only do it for the money. It becomes apparent that he is using the last few days of his life to avenge his father.
Cheung has a broad range of unusual actions in store and the film maker takes obvious enjoyment in showing them stylishly and often entertainingly. The film is obviously a commercial Hong Kong action film, but one with the highest possible cinematographic quality. To’s hand is primarily seen in the meticulous and detailed style, the untiring rhythms, the natural acting and the subtle directing in general. With To’s touch, an ordinarily entertaining genre film changes into an irresistible spectacle. (GjZ)