Another highly stylish, satisfying film from director Johnnie To. When Andy Lau finds out he only has two weeks left to live, he throws caution to the wind and robs a diamond trading company, as part of a plan to get revenge against the gangster who murdered his father. Lau Ching-wan is the police negotiator on his case, who strikes up an uneasy friendship with the man he is supposed to bring in to jail. The cat-and-mouse games between them continue until the end, leaving you guessing all the time what these characters will do.
It's an engaging story and the performances are top-notch (I believe Andy won a Best Actor nod for his role here.) It's slashy, not in an overstated way, but in Lau Ching-wan's building fascination with his quarry (think Danny Lee and Chow Yun-Fat in "The Killer"). There's also a fabulous scene toward the end with Andy in drag prompting Ching-wan for a kiss to keep up appearances (hee!)
Definitely recommended if you're in the mood for something different.
