Purely Joyful Movie!

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

best movie i've ever seen.

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

The material isn't anything new, however the plot combines two age-old Hollywood stories to create a hybrid drama which gives it the fresh feel. On one end of the plot we have our central protagonist Daniel Wu dealing with the isolation of being an undercover cop and his past trauma with drug abuse. On the other end of the plot is his infiltration into Andy Lau's heroin ring, and his attempts to become the successor to the operation in order to solidify his case. Unfortunately the story on its own is fairly stale, although what polishes the movie greatly is the excellent cinematography and standout performances from Wu and Lau. There are some fantastic visuals which capture the mood of the characters and run down environments around them. In addition the audience can tell Wu and Lau are really passionate about their roles and they react to their dialogue and environments genuinely to where you understand what each is thinking without a word needing to be said. The execution of the crime-drama material here is superb and feels on par with that of Johnnie To. The various DVD covers of this movie are deceptive however, and in no way is this an action feature. This is a slowly paced drama about one cop's different confrontations with heroin and it's many users. In that sense the film is flawless, and does what a good drama should, but at the same time the conclusion doesn't offer any surprises. -8/10

For some reason I always put off watching "Protégé", which turned out to be a mistake on my end. This movie was nothing short of spectacular, and it is among the top five of Hong Kong movies that I have seen.The story is about Nick (played by Daniel Wu) who is an undercover cop in the heart of the lucrative Hong Kong drug trade, working closely with Banker (played by Andy Lau). Nick becomes close to Banker and his family, and becomes Banker's protégé, set up to overtake the business as Banker plans to retire, as his health is failing and his age is catching up with him. At the same time, Nick sees the effects of drugs as his neighbor Jane (played by Jingchu Zhang) asks for help. She is alone with her daughter, having left her abusive husband (played by Louis Koo).Of course it is a story about drug dealing and the underworld, but it is also the story of loyalties, friendships, and corruption.I must admit that this is one of the more riveting and well-told stories that I have seen in a Hong Kong movie. It is a nice step away from the usual non-stop action or silly romantic comedies that Hong Kong cinema pumps out by the dozens. The story in "Protégé" is raw, harsh and direct. It is the type of movie that burrows deep and sticks with you.Of course Andy Lau put on a great performance in this movie, as he always delivers. But I will say this as well, Daniel Wu really did a phenomenal performance in this movie, and normally I don't care much for his cocky acting. It was really nice to see his talent have flourished beyond his usual generic acting. And despite having only a minor supporting role, then Louis Koo really did deliver as well in the role of the abusive drug addict husband.If you enjoy Hong Kong cinema, and haven't already made your acquaintance with "Protégé", then get to it, because it is a major milestone in Hong Kong cinema. Even if you are not particularly a fan of Hong Kong or Asian cinema, you can still enjoy this movie, because it is a great story told in the world of drugs."Protégé" is a worthy addition to any DVD collection, and a MUST to any collection of fans of Hong Kong or Asian cinema.

On the internet you always learn new things ... even about the English language. Drugs in general or the use of them can be a catch 22 situation. It can, but it doesn't have to be. It all depends on oneself and how you strong you are and how much fight you have in you to get out of that problem.What that has to do with this movie? Well since it's a movie about drugs (as the summary line suggests) it has to do everything with the movie. Andy Lau starring here plays exceptional. But he's also supported by a great cast. And while you watch this (slow evolving) drama, you feel the pain of the characters. Maybe you even think about "What would I have done in that situation?". If you will like the end or not, will probably either give this movie your thumbs up or down voting ... Still watch it, it's worth it!

Andy Lau stars in another cop undercover tale. Daniel Wu plays Nick who is working for the cops and is also close to the top of a drug dealing gang(Lau). The movie begins as we watch the police try to make a drug bust only to see it go to pieces. We then are introduced to the young drug addicted mother and her daughter living near Nick and to his cronies and the cops, and 45 minutes in I shut off the movie and put on the news. Well acted and great to look at this is as uninvolving a movie as I've seen in a long time. Its not bad as such its just you really don't care. I mean I really didn't care at all. I actually started to do something else completely forgetting I had on a subtitled movie on, thats how much I didn't care. I wish I could have hated the film but the film is such a nonentity that it made almost no impression on me (its not even something I could sleep to its just something to ignore). Come on the box called it the Chinese Scarface,what after he was dead? This is one to avoid.