Writer: Erny Suzira

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Watch this if you liked: “Internal Affairs” and “Sherlock Holmes”

The Good, the Bad and the Story Behind the Murder:

Have you ever wondered what's going on in the mind of murderers, what makes them wants to commit the act, and if they do it with or without a reason - what is the story behind them that leads them to the action?

Director Philip Yung takes audience on a journey behind one of Hong Kong's most gruesome murder case where a young prostitute was murdered and her body was dismembered back in 2008.

"Port of Call" provides an insight on how your past and upbringing can actually affect your life, thoughts and actions. Here in this film, we understand the story behind the killer and the victim who live in the stressful contemporary Hong Kong city and what they are both facing every day.

Aaron Kwok plays an eccentric police officer who tries to get to the bottom of the murder case despite having enough evidence to charge the murderer. With his solid and natural performance, Kwok manages to deliver a rather serious character in a convincing way.

Though we've seen the actor cum singer play the role of a police officer several times in other movies before, nothing compares to the one in this film as the handsome and cool actor completely throws away his good looks in order to play a typically common veteran Chinese cop in his 50s who has a bit of a peculiar side.

Newcomer Jessie Li who plays the young prostitute did a fantastic job on her first ever feature-length film. She portrayed her role beautifully where her loneliness and desperation for a better lifestyle and her fragile emotions and moments in the film, makes the audience symphatise with her role and somehow relate to what she is going through.

The plot of the film eerily reflects the real-life situation that many troublesome youngsters all over the world are facing like; having discontentment in life, craving for fame and fortune, and at the end of the day these can lead to committing crimes.

The film has extremely realistic cinematography and effects, as the gruesome and disgusting scenes as well as the dark sound effects seem a bit too realistic to handle, and just enough to make your stomach churn.

However, the film has a lot of flashbacks which at times can be confusing, and some are not even necessary because even if they were omitted, it wouldn't have affected the main plot.


Trivia:

• Aaron Kwok spends just half an hour every day for his make-up and hair.


Cinema Online, 01 December 2015