Screenwriter Lau debuted as a director in 2015 with a heist film “Two Thumbs Up” starring Francis Ng and Simon Yam. Based on true events, “Caught in Time” is his follow up and it concerns the story of a ruthless mainland Chinese criminal Zhang Jun (Daniel Wu) and his Eagle gang who rob and kill as they commit robberies throughout different provinces of China during the 1990s.
“Caught in Time” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival
On his first day of work after being transferred to Chongqing, Police Captain Zhong Cheng (Wang Qian Yuan) gets involved in a jewelry store heist in progress, run by Zhang who holds him hostage. Fortunately for him, as a distraction, they throw him off their getaway van instead of killing him while they escape. Consequently, this leads to the obsession of catching these criminals for Zhong and his Provincial Criminal Bureau team from that moment on.
However, since Zhang is always one step ahead of the police, it takes almost a decade before Captain Zhong is able to catch him. During this time, Zhang's notorious crime spree goes on in which twenty eight people, both police and civilians are reported killed and at least twenty three people are also wounded. Eventually, Zhang's luck runs out and after being arrested in Chongqing, he's executed on May 2021.
Lau has crafted a fine movie here which is also visually stunning and full of local color, with the help of using real mainland locations. The heists and street shootouts set-pieces are exciting, stylish and gripping with lots of explosions and gunfire which also further underlines that the Eagle gang members have no regards for any human life. At one point, leader Zhang gives a little boy a hand grenade to play with on the street. Tracing shots and split screens are also put into good use to create dramatic atmospheres. Interestingly, John Woo's “The Killer” is the source of reference here right down to the use of actual footage from it on a TV screen in a VHS store.
The highlight is certainly the impressive final confrontation between the good Captain Zhong and the evil Zhang set in a bathhouse. The fistfight that follows is more like a brawl, very physical, full of rage and brutality. However, it's interesting or even bewildering that both men are able to keep those towels wrapped around their waists intact during their furious fight.
As the leader of the Eagle gangsters, Daniel Wu is absolutely brilliant and charismatic, displaying a great amount of coolness and ruthlessness at ease. He even shows some tenderness and humanity when required during those scenes with his girlfriend Wen Juan (Jessie Li) and his mother, who's wonderfully played by veteran Nina Pau Hee Ching in a brief but touching cameo. On the other hand, Wang Qian Yuan's performance is always good value especially paying a righteous cop. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of backstory regarding his character, but he handles his role well as the determined policeman who will stop at nothing to bring a criminal in. Both he and Daniel do spot some wild funky haircut of that era, especially Danial's mullet. The supporting characters though decent, they're not written with much depth.
Since “Caught in Time” is a mainland China and Hong Kong co-production, there are certain guidelines that Lau is obliged to follow the strict censorship restrictions. Like the policemen are represented as righteous individuals who seem to be doing honorable things. At times, they're shown removing advertising materials posted on huge propaganda posters. Even more so, during the end of the movie, a place card even states that because of harsh gun control, China has become one of the safest countries in the world since the 1990s.
Even so, this is a slick production which looks good visually and a crime thriller with a serious theme which includes some exciting and gripping action set-pieces. Undeniably, this is one on the best action movies to come out of China recently and besides, Lau is certainly a screenwriter and director to watch out for.
