(China/Hong Kong) Directed by Su Chao-pin, John Woo. Starring Michelle Yeoh, Jung Woo-sung, Wang Xueqi, Barbie Hsu, Kelly Lin, Shawn Yue. Category IIA.
Category IIA. Much ink has been spilled over Johnnie To’s taking three years to complete this film. But the director doesn’t care. He’s said he would have taken even longer if he could have. Such insouciance can be found in every nook and cranny of “Sparrow,” and it’s what makes this lighthearted labor of love well worth the wait.
After a 17-year hiatus, Patrick Tam, pioneer of the New Wave of Hong Kong films, comes back with a vengeance to bag the title of Best Feature Film at the 43rd Golden Horse Ceremony. While the Chinese title, “Father and Son,” over-simplifies the movie, the English title successfully illustrates the sense of isolation and loneliness that is prevalent throughout.
