From beginning to end just brilliantly executed...

Rating: 9/10 (4 March 2007)

A movie I first saw upon its release early last year, but one I've managed to once again view thanks to the brilliance that is the DVD. If you've yet to see this little gem I suggest you do, immediately, as it was certainly one of the most enjoyable films I had the pleasure of watching in 2006.
Super performances (particularly Hartnett, Lui and Kingsly), great and initially slow burning plot and intriguing character interaction (the Hartnett Lui chemistry was palpable, surprising and came across, most importantly, as completely natural and 100% genuine) are the glue that hold this movie together, as well as being one of the many strong magnetic forces behind a film I just couldn't take my eyes off.
The driving force of the film, however, is it's superb script. Funny, witty and as sharp as a razor blade. Every single word and phrase is strategically placed for maximum effect, whether that be with its habitual dry and sardonic mutterings throughout or the moments in which it harks back to archetypes and or conventions of crime capers from yesteryear. The script and its dialogue provide nothing particularly groundbreaking, but it does an exceptional job of developing characters, tear away any feeling of apathy one may initially have toward the primary protagonists, creating the plot's undercurrents and providing the dark comedic aspect that the movie is built upon.
I could delve deeper into my analysis of the flick and hark on relentlessly about cinematography, editing, music, specific performances and so forth, but time is currently at a premium and life, I'm told, is very short. So, if you really care to find out, be sure to pick up a copy of this now. You will not be disappointed.