Within the thriller genre, it is quite difficult to present the audience with a subject matter or story which is original as much has already been told. Even though that is the case few of its stories, as a film or as a novel, unfold in a way that manifests a true feeling of suspense without revealing its true motives and twists too early. Undeniably, considering its critical and commercial success, Japanese writer Yusuke Kishi has achieved such a rare accomplishment with his 1997 novel “The Black House”, which has been adapted into a movie three times already. The latest adaptation, directed by Hong Kong director Yuen Kim-wai, has been quite a commercial success in its own right given its success as the Chinese box office.
“Legally Declared Dead” is screening at Fantasia Festival
At the center of the story, we find insurance agent Yip Wing-shun (Carlos Chan), a salesman who is not bothered by the shady nature of some of this clients and who seems to be the right man to deal with the case of Chu Chung-tak (Anthony Wong), a mentally handicapped man. Under the impression he just wants to talk about his insurance packet, Yip is shocked to find Chu in his dark, decrepit house with the body of his stepson, who, as Chu claims to Yip and the police, has committed suicide. However, Yip becomes increasingly suspicious of Chu's claims, especially when he and his wife Shum Chi-ling (Karena Lam) do not waste any time demanding the insurance payout from Yip's company.
While his superiors and his girlfriend (Kathy Yuen) try to convince him to let the case go, Yip decides to investigate further into the life of Chu, who he thinks had not only murdered his stepson, but is also after the insurance payout of his wife. With the police not interested in continuing their investigation, Yip manages to uncover quite disturbing facts about his client, shedding new light unto the death of Chu's stepson as well as putting himself in harm's way.
Perhaps one of the most noteworthy aspects of the story is the choice of protagonist and antagonist. Unlike many common thrillers with their characters being cops, detectives and psychopaths, the characters played by Carlos Chan and Anthony Wong feel like a breath of fresh air. For the most part, Yip is a morally ambivalent person, an opportunist at heart, willing to sit at the table with gangsters and other lowlives if it means advancing in his company. It is an attitude highly praised by his boss who seems to think of his employee as some kind of of “secret weapon” in tough cases. The idea this man would suspect a mentally disabled man and his equally handicapped wife of committing insurance fraud is quite fitting given the impression we receive of him.
Opposite him we find characters who are equally ambivalent, though for different reasons. Both, Anthony Wong and Karena Lam play outsiders to the glossy world Yip belongs to, not just by their outer appearance and behavior, but also through their living conditions and their need for money. Especially Chu, as played by Wong, is a truly menacing character, an enigma for Yip (as well as the audience), whose silent, patient nature does not fail to make him an unpredictable character. Without giving away too much of the plot and its development, any viewer able to read the signs carefully included within the plot will soon see through the surface of these characters.
Overall, Yuen Kim-wai manages to tell a story strongly reminiscent of the tradition of the Hong Kong thriller as well as the works of film noir. Especially the latter is due to the stylized cinematography and lighting, but most of all the moody score by Yusuke Hatano and Timo Jaeger, highlighting the ambivalence and dark undertones of the characters and their world.
In the end, “Legally Declared Dead” is a solid blend of thriller and horror elements. Due to its cast and the noir-aesthetics, the movie will surely find its audience among genre aficionados and those looking for a suspenseful thriller.
