Midweek Mention... PTU

Produced and directed by prolific Hong Kong auteur Johnnie To, PTU: POLICE TACTICAL UNIT (2003) spawned a multi film franchise about which none of us knew a thing. When Sergeant Lo (Lam Suet) has his service weapon stolen during an altercation with local gangsters putting his dreams of promotion at risk, uncompromising Sergeant Mike Ho (Simon Yam) of the PTU gives him until dawn to recover it, but their situation starts to become more complicated when a local gang leader is murdered.Set in a Hong Kong where the cops are little better than the crooks, this is a moody and sometimes demanding crime thriller. Even allowing for the films 88 minute run time the pacing can be challenging (a sequence of stair climbing surely extends to parody) but its lack of conventional structure, minimalist dialogue and unsentimental ending in which various facets of Law Enforcement conspire to uphold the reputation of the authorities, whatever the human or moral cost may be, makes this well worth catching up on. Features probably the best 'power dynamic between police and criminals represented by virtue of a seating plan in a café' scene I've ever watched.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads