Eye in the Sky (2007 film)

Eye in the Sky
Directed by Yau Nai-hoi
Produced by Johnnie To
Tsui Siu-Ming
Written by Yau Nai-hoi
Au Kin-yee
Starring Simon Yam
Tony Leung Ka-fai
Kate Tsui
Music by Guy Zerafa
Dave Klotz
Cinematography Tony Cheung
Edited by David M. Richardson
Production
company
Distributed by Sundream Motion Pictures
Release dates
  • 21 June 2007 (2007-06-21)
Running time
 90 minutes
Country Hong Kong
Language Cantonese
English
Box office US$1,792,872[1]

Eye in the Sky (simplified Chinese: 跟踪; traditional Chinese: 跟蹤, Literally: Tracing) is a 2007 Hong Kong crime film starring Simon Yam, Tony Leung Ka-fai and Miss Hong Kong pageant winner Kate Tsui in her film debut. Yam and Tsui play surveillance operatives on the trail of a gang of professional robbers led by Chan Chong-Shan (Leung). The title is derived from the casino surveillance tech "eye in the sky". It marks the directorial debut of Yau Nai-hoi, a long-time screenwriter for films directed by Johnnie To, who co-produced the film with his production company Milkyway Image. Eye in the Sky premiered as an Official Selection at the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival, and as an Opening Film at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. It was released in Hong Kong on 21 June 2007.

Plot

Eye in the Sky takes place around the darker side of Hong Kong society. The story begins with a group of organised burglars successfully robbing a jewelry store. Wet-behind-the-ears new recruit Piggy (Kate Tsui) is plunged at the deep end in her first surveillance assignment working alongside her mentor, Sergeant Wong (Simon Yam). They work for the Hong Kong Police Force's Criminal Intelligence Bureau. After reviewing the jewelry store surveillance videos recordings, the force attempts to track down one of the robbers by staking out the neighborhood they think he lives in.

Fatman (Lam Suet) is identified and tracked without his knowledge through a combination of tails, surveillance footage, and data-mining, including accessing his Octopus card. The force ambush is established at the scene of the next robbery, but the elusive Hollow Man (Tony Leung Ka-fai) notices the police. As the robbers flee, some are killed by a Police Tactical Unit, but the rest escape. Chan kills an uniformed police officer as he flees, and Piggy stops to give first aid rather than continue the pursuit.

The surveillance unit is then called to another case; a kidnapping. Piggy is staking out a phone booth where the kidnapper may make a call, when she sees Hollow Man go by. She recognises the kidnapper from Fatman's apartment building and allows the police to rescue the kidnap victim, while she pursues Hollow Man. After a tense confrontation in a cafe, where Hollow Man confronts her, she escapes suspicion, but Hollow Man notices Sergeant Wong and stabs him in the neck with a pair of scissors. Wong convinces Piggy to continue to follow Hollow Man as he slowly bleeds to death.

Piggy follows Hollow Man to his hideout and calls for the Police Tactical Unit again. Meanwhile, Wong survives his injury and gets medical attention. In the raid on the hideout, Hollow Man flees down a dock and wounds himself mortally in the neck running past a hanging hook, and the other robbers are captured.

Cast

Reception

Critics and fans hailed the plot's dark atmosphere and realistic use of surveillance tech to make the story believable. But the film, however, has been criticized for having not enough creativity for those looking for something more. It has also been criticized for being too short.[2]

Perry Lam of Muse magazine writes, 'If the ending of the movie is more than a little contrived and predictable, there are enough surprises along the way for us to savor before we get there.'[3]

Festivals and Awards

Eye in the Sky premiered as an Official Selection at The 2007 Berlin Film Festival and as an Opening Film at The Hong Kong International Film Festival.

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations
Ceremony Category Recipient Outcome
27th Hong Kong Film Awards Best Film Eye in the Sky Nominated
Best Director Yau Nai-hoi Nominated
Best Screenplay Yau Nai-hoi, Au Kin-yee Nominated
Best Actor Simon Yam Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Maggie Shiu Nominated
Best New Performer Kate Tsui Won
Best New Director Yau Nai-hoi Won
Best Film Editing David M. Richardson Nominated
2nd Asian Film Awards Best Film Editing David M. Richardson Nominated
Golden Horse Film Awards Best Director Yau Nai-hoi Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Maggie Shiu Nominated
Best Original Film Score Guy Zerafa Nominated
Best Film Editing David M. Richardson Nominated
14th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards Best Actor Tony Leung Ka-fai Won
Film of Merit Eye in the Sky Won

Remake

A South Korean remake titled Cold Eyes starring Sol Kyung-gu, Jung Woo-sung and Han Hyo-joo was released in 2013.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Box office by Country: Eye In The Sky Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-06-04
  2. ↑ hkcinemagic quick review
  3. ↑ Lam, Perry (June 2007). "Eye in the Sky". Muse Magazine (5): 75.
  4. ↑ Ji, Yong-jin (8 February 2013). "Police Are Hot in Pursuit of a Kingpin in COLD EYES". Korean Film Council. Retrieved 2013-02-11.

External links

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