Fei chang tu ran

The title Expected the Unexpected says it all and on multiple levels. Mainly, the viewer should not underestimate this film. It not only provides numerous unexpected twists, but it also works perfectly as a drama, an action film and a romance, while the brilliant combination of all of these elements makes for a captivating work. The title secondarily indicates that it is not advisable to underestimate Hong Kong commercial films and to see them only as escapist entertainment. The context of the time is surprisingly conspicuous in the overwhelming majority of the directions taken in Hong Kong cinema, at least since the 1970s. The script by the outstanding screenwriter Yau Nai Hoi resulted in one of the most depressing reflections of the pessimistic mood in Hong Kong in the period before the handover to China. (24.02.2013)