I was previously unfamiliar with the work of Chinese director Johnnie To, but it seems he's a man at home in the gangster genre, churning out quirky production after quirky production during a lengthy career. From what I understand, EXILED is a typical example of the director's style. It's a film with a so-so story happy to repeat the gangster clichés without adding anything new by way of plot or interest, one that benefits from the director's assured hand, which adds style to the infrequent action sequences. These are of the 'violent shootout' perfected by John Woo and, even if they do pay homage to gangster flicks of old, they're still fun, with only the minimum of unbelievable moments (what WAS it with that spinning flying door, anyway?).EXILED is a subtle, slow paced drama for the most part, with interchangeable characters questioning their roles in life. In this respect, I found it similar to a Beat Takeshi film like SONATINE. Most of the actors are good, but they don't get a chance to register, with the exception of the two centrally opposed gangster: we have Anthony Wong as a sunglasses-wearing hit-man and Simon Yam as his vindictive mob boss. Wong, who previously I've known for playing bad guys in the likes of HARD-BOILED, shines as he gets the chance to play a good guy for once, while Yam has fun hamming it up in an outrageous villainous turn.For the most part, this is watchable rather than entertaining; I spend some parts waiting for something to happen, and other segments finding myself pretty impressed (the late-on raid on a gold shipment is a very well handled moment as is the TRUE ROMANCE-inspired climax). It's not a film I'd watch again, and it doesn't inspire me to seek out more of the director's work, but it isn't bad for what it is.

My first thought after watching the movie was that I had seen a new Tarantino movie about gangster life in Hong Kong. So if you like Tarantino movies I think you will like this also, although it is not good as best Tarantino movies.The best things in this movie are the believable characters and the sudden surprises in the plot. There is also nice humour found here and there to cheer up the viewer. The plot worked nicely but after the movie I had the feeling that the script could have been also better to make this a real classic. However, the movie is entertaining and has something in the atmosphere that Hollywood action movies do not have. Worth to watch.

If "Exiled" could at first appears as a cold style exercise that focuses itself on the mathematical numbers of five and two, the movie is at the end one (if not the) best Johnny To's movie, and carries within a incredible felling of freedom and melancholia. I think that with this movie, Johnny To archive to reach the level of the best of his older masters, like John Woo or Tsui Hark.FIVE : That's around this number that the all movie seems to be build. "Exiled" tells the story of five men against the world, in five parts (that means five gigantic gunfights). But the logical of the number five is broken by one of the member of this gang of five : Wo, who left them years ago. The movie stars when he comes back to Macao, where his four old friends, his wife and his baby, are waiting for him. But the unity is already lost : when they met again, two wants to kill him, and two wants to protect him. There's no wonder why this breaker of symmetry rapidly died, when he refuses to bend over the mathematical beauty of the movie. The former gang will indeed try to find a fifth member (it will be a moral mercenary), but they'll be only four to finish their road. Anyway, the movie isn't rationally build on the number five, but rapidly chooses errancy and coincidences to makes its way. That's the way the gang also fallows when he lets a coin game chooses its path. It's then in in number two, like the two faces of a coin, that the movie will find its unity. TWO : With the use of that coin, the exiled of the movie takes the face of the duality. The gunfights, if you watch them carefully, are also duels (even with multiple characters and combinations). The number two is indeed at the beginning of Johnny To's project, witch is to combine the codes of a classical Hongkongue polar (with it's killers with sunglasses and ethical from another time, its alway on the move camera, that shoots the killings like musical ballets, etc.) with the ones of 60's European westerns (...Per Qualche Dollari in piu is directly quoted, the atmosphere of the movie reminds the Peckinpah's ones, the OST is a pastiche of Moricone, etc.). It's like the movie itself is a cultural translation of Macao, the Chinese island where the movie occurs, and that has been a Portuguese colony for years. In that original mixture, the movie reminds me of "Cowboy Bebop" (an anime that also mixes Asian culture and occidental western in order to creates feeling of nostalgia and freedom) or of a reverse "Kill Bill".But this cultural duality is like an echo of the personal style of Johnny To, that always breaks his beautiful gunfights with lighter and melancholic scenes. This fusion and complementarity of the style with its subject creates a great movie, full of freedom, that becomes magnificent in its last killing, beautifully seen through the eyes of a can of Red Bull.

With this tile Johnny To has succeeded in having an original perspective on the action / crime genre. He seems to be playing around with his gangsters in his movies. Have them act slightly different from what you expect. Perhaps making a little fun of them with their code and ethics. Or he genuinely thinks the world of them.Anyway the gangsters in this movie are on a mission to kill an ex member who was exiled. After a intense shootout they clean up the place, cook and eat dinner. As they were all friends once they offer "Wo" the exiled one a favour. He wants do a last job in order to provide enough income for his wife and baby. The way things play out is a bit abstract and not much is said. Through the dynamics of the main characters it is obvious though that they share a bond. And that is all you need to know. Of course matters don't go like they planned which makes events rather compelling. All of the main characters are marvelous but in particular Anthony Wong. (Come to think of it, I don't think I ever seen him do poorly.) They show emotion without having much of a expression. As always Simon Yam is wonderful as the bad guy. Something about his look and charm that makes his characters even more evil than they already are. It is like second nature to him. Let's face it if it weren't for these actors this movie wouldn't work. It would have been average, dull even. The pace of the movie on the whole is moderate but when the action begins the pace is real fast. The action scenes are beautiful as they are stylish and intense. The finale is short but a real treat. Heroic bloodshed with a lot of blood.(Only this blood isn't fluid but some sort of red powder. Very nice effect nonetheless. Clearly CGI, but not bothersome.) Overall Exiled is an excellent crime drama with high tense action that I can truly recommend.