
Watches
May 28, 2011
Hong Kong cinema struggled for relevance during the late 90s, it's people like Johnnie To and Andrew Lau who made a real difference. Not that Running Out of Time is the savior of an entire nation, but it is a clear predecessor of the crime cinema that would make To one of the prime Hong Kong directors of the 00s. Good fun, in other words.
When a professional criminal learns he is mortally ill and only has a couple more months to live, he comes up with a plan to spend the remainder of his life usefully. He plans a heist on a jewelry store, of which the owner allegedly killed his father. The closer he gets to his goal, the more he begins to doubt the info he was given.
The two Laus are in excellent form, the setup of the plot is pretty entertaining and there are some nice visual touches spread throughout the film. It's all a bit simple and not as stylish or refined as To's best work, but he was clearly having fun playing around with genre elements. For those wondering about the films leading up to To's best period, this one is a must-see.
More by the director
Johnnie To

Sparrow

Exiled

Mad Detective

Flying Butterfly

Turn Left Turn Right

Election 2

Vengeance

PTU

Throw Down

Triangle

Drug War

Fulltime Killer

Blind Detective

A Hero Never Dies

Breaking News

Chasing Dream

Don't Go Breaking My Heart

Help!!!

High Altitude of Love II

Justice, My Foot

Life without Principle

Loving You

Office

The Longest Nite

The Mad Monk

Three

Where a Good Man Goes

Yesterday Once More

1:99 Shorts

Casino Raiders II

Election

Fat Choi Spirit

Heroic Trio 2: Executioners

Love on a Diet

Lucky Encounter

My Left Eye Sees Ghosts

Needing You

Running on Karma

Running Out of Time 2

The Barefoot Kid

The Mission

Wu Yen

A Moment of Romance III

Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2

The Fun, the Luck & the Tycoon

The Heroic Trio

The Royal Scoundrel

All about Ah-Long

Love for All Seasons

The Enigmatic Case

The Story of My Son

Fireline

Happy Ghost III

The Eighth Happiness

Seven Years Itch
