TIME AND TIDE
Shunliu Niliu
Two men abseil down the side of a highnse firing machine guns at one another like Banshnikovs possessed by the spirit of Clint Eastwood. No one but no one does action cinema like Tsui Hark. Returning to Hong Kong after an obligatory stint in Hollywood, Hark has exceeded expectations with Time and Tide. Young bartender Tyler impregnates a lesbian undercover cop after a drinking spree. He takes a job with a very shady body-guard firm to make extra cash for his future progeny but the mother of the child wants nothing to do with him. From here, you're on your own. Hark doesn't insult audiences with oversimphstic plots so you're required to hold on through every twist, constantly barraged by thunderous sound, lurid battles, and an editing technique at the forefront of cinema. Split screens, jump cuts, extreme points of view, ballistic martial arts and ferocious gunplay—Time and Tide scores in every department.