A retired colonial-era soldier tied up with the triad risks crossing his violent bosses to help a young South Asian drug runner in this confident Hong Kong crime noir from debut director Kin Long Chan.
The film has a pleasingly old school Hong Kong feel throughout… making atmospheric use of neon and shadows with an approach that’s part Johnnie To and part Wong Kar-wai.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2021
Hand Rolled Cigarette 2020
Sau gyun yin
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Chiu (Gordon Lam), an ex-soldier that served in the Hong Kong Military Services Corp, was left behind when Britain failed to provide him a way out before the colony was returned to China. Now working for a triad, he arranges a smuggling deal for boss Tai (Ben Yuen) and runs cons for extra cash. When Hong Kong-born South Asian drug runner Mani (Bipin Karma) suddenly appears in his apartment to hide from the same triad boss, along with a stolen bag of dope, Chiu cuts a deal with him in return for letting him stay. The two men, despite their cultural differences, see their similarities as remnants of the city’s colonial past, forging a close friendship as their lives become increasingly under threat.
Kin Long Chan’s stylish directorial debut confidently tackles character drama, crime thriller and suspense – the staples of Hong Kong crime cinema. Karma, in a prominent role rarely bestowed to South Asian actors, gives a moving performance that provides Hand Rolled Cigarette with an extra dimension by examining Hong Kong’s postcolonial cultural identity. The ever-versatile Lam is tremendous as a desperate man whose actions hide a deeper tragedy he is trying to amend. — Vicci Ho