Plot: Kei is an experienced “sparrow” (Hong Kong slang for pickpocket) who spends his free time taking photos. One day, his lens captures the beautiful Chun Lei and Kei is mesmerized. However, Chun Lei has a mysterious past, and soon reveals her true intentions.
Sparrow has been selected in competition at the 58th Berlin Film Festival, premiering worldwide during the festival in february 2008.
Director Johnnie To shot the film in Hong Kong over a three-year period (2005-2008).
«Gorgeous, clever cinema that never surpasses its style to say much more. The locations, music, and playful atmosphere are enough to please Johnnie To's fans - though perhaps not the group that want Exiled each and every time. It's Johnnie To, so it's worth watching.»
Twitch, by Todd Brownsource:
http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/nyaff-report-sparrow-review/
«Beautifully shot and remarkably light on dialogue, Sparrow is a film that relies heavily on rhythm and flow. ... It is a film as light and effortless as Exiled is kinetic, a film that balances Mad Detective’s delusions with a sort of grace.»
«Sparrow is a simple story that ultimately relies on the story teller, the soundtracks and cinematic angles to create atmospheric medium to fall in love with. ... Captivatingly Bohemian-ish with a tinge of noir, Sparrow might just steal your heart.»
Variety, by Derek Elleysource:
http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=review&id=2478&~~~64&cs=1
«Yam’s easy charm holds the pic together, and supports are are all solid, with Lam standing out among the sparrows and the Mandarin-speaking Lin fine as the skittish but crafty Chun-lei. »
«"Sparrow" is steeped in nostalgia for a world of honor and gallantry like in John Woo's "Once a Thief" or Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief." Most of all, it is a homage to the most colorful film-set in Hong Kong cinema -- Hong Kong itself.»
«As befits a movie that was shot in pieces over time, "Sparrow" is often more impressive in pieces than as a whole, but many of those pieces are exquisite. It makes me curious to see what To would do with a musical, and (long-term) what his recent talk of shooting a movie in pieces over ten years might lead to.»
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Sparrow![Sparrow [Blu-ray]](http://asiacue.com//images/vendors/amazon/A/B001JTU5GA.jpg)
Sparrow [Blu-ray]
