re:mote voices

Title: Island Of Greed [Hak Gam]
Cast: Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Lichun Lee, Annie Wu, Ka Fai, Paulyn Sun
Director: Michael Mak

The island of the title is Taiwan, this Hong Kong film pitting two of it’s most well known actors against each other. Tony Leung as a triad gangster versus Andy Lau as a police man trying to stem the rising corruption caused by the triads. In fact I think the two are playing pretty similar roles in the film Infernal Affairs, which is due in UK cinemas in the next couple of weeks. However this is an older film, which I picked up cheap on DVD. The triads have so many representatives on the local government body, which allows them a certain amount of cover/protection for their activities. Leung is young and ambitious, and not afraid of stepping on toes, and with his monopoly on the islands electronic gambling he is also rich. However the triad bosses refuse to provide him with the nomination that he desires, stitching him up, so that he puts money forward, but not following up. Gambling as a serious endeavour is illegal in Taiwan, with Lau being the head of the team investigating to what degree Leung’s arcades are being used as cover. So when Leung decides to become an independent candidate, doing things his own way, even if it means Taipei erupting in chaos. Which puts Lau as prime candidate to try and bring him down, although that isn’t necessarily easy, as those within the police department who are in triad pay try and put him out of commission. With the result that Island Of Greed is about the dynamics of these two men, charismatic, and forceful within their own fields, but on a crash course of confrontation with each other.