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Eye in the Sky (film)
Encyclopedia
Eye in the Sky is a 2007
Hong Kong
crime film
starring Simon Yam
, Tony Leung Ka-Fai
and Miss Hong Kong pageant winner Kate Tsui
in her film debut. Yam and Tsui play surveillance operatives on the trail of a gang of professional robbers led by Chan Chong-Shan (Tony Leung Ka-Fai
). The title of the film is derived from the casino
surveillance tech "eye in the sky". The film marks the directorial debut of Yau Nai-Hoi
, a long-time screenwriter for films directed by Johnnie To
, who co-produced the film with his production company Milkyway Image. Eye in the Sky premiered as an Official Selection at the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival
, and as an Opening Film at the Hong Kong International Film Festival
. It was released in Hong Kong on June 21, 2007.
), who is plunged at the deep end in her first surveillance assignment working alongside her mentor, Sergeant Wong (Simon Yam
). Both of them work for the Hong Kong Police Force
's Criminal Intelligence Bureau. After reviewing the jewelry store surveillance videos recordings, the Force attempt to track down one of the robbers by staking out the neighborhood they think he lives in.
Fatman (Lam Suet
) is identified and tracked without his knowledge through a combination of tails, surveillance footage, and data-mining, including accessing his octopus card
. The Force ambush is established at the scene of the next robbery, but the elusive Hollow Man (Tony Leung Ka-Fai
) notices the police. As the robbers flee, some are killed by a Police Tactical Unit
, but the rest escape. Chan kills an uniformed police officer as he flees, and Piggy stops to give first aid rather than continue the pursuit.
The surveillance unit is then called to another case; a kidnapping. Piggy is staking out a phone booth where the kidnapper may make a call, when she sees Hollow Man go by. She recognises the kidnapper from Fatman's apartment building and allows the police to rescue the kidnap victim, while she pursues Hollow Man. After a tense confrontation in a cafe, where Hollow Man confronts her, she escapes suspicion, but Hollow Man notices Sergent Wong and stabs him in the neck with a pair of scissors. Wong convinces Piggy to continue to follow Hollow Man as he slowly bleeds to death.
Piggy follows Wong to his hideout and calls for the Police Tactical Unit again. Meanwhile, Wong survives his injury and gets medical attention. In the raid on the hideout, Hollow Man flees down a dock and wounds himself mortally in the neck running past a hanging hook, and the other robbers were captured.
Perry Lam of Muse
magazine writes, 'If the ending of the movie is more than a little contrived and predictable, there are enough surprises along the way for us to savor before we get there.'
.
2nd Asian Film Awards
Golden Horse Film Awards
Hong Kong films of 2007
A list of films produced in Hong Kong in 2007:.-2007:-External links:* * Hong Kong films of 2007 at...
Hong Kong
Cinema of Hong Kong
The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan...
crime film
Crime film
Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
starring Simon Yam
Simon Yam
Simon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....
, Tony Leung Ka-Fai
Tony Leung Ka-Fai
Tony Leung Ka-fai is a three-time Hong Kong Film Award-winning Chinese film actor.Because he is often confused with actor Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Tony Leung Ka-fai is known as "Big Tony", while Tony Leung Chiu-Wai is known as "Little Tony", nicknames which correspond to the actors' respective...
and Miss Hong Kong pageant winner Kate Tsui
Kate Tsui
Kate Tsui Tsz-shan is the 2004 Miss Hong Kong pageant winner and currently a TVB actress.-Education:Tsui graduated from the University of California, Davis, majoring in Japanese. She is skilled in different interests such as acting, dancing, learning languages, and snowboarding...
in her film debut. Yam and Tsui play surveillance operatives on the trail of a gang of professional robbers led by Chan Chong-Shan (Tony Leung Ka-Fai
Tony Leung Ka-Fai
Tony Leung Ka-fai is a three-time Hong Kong Film Award-winning Chinese film actor.Because he is often confused with actor Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Tony Leung Ka-fai is known as "Big Tony", while Tony Leung Chiu-Wai is known as "Little Tony", nicknames which correspond to the actors' respective...
). The title of the film is derived from the casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
surveillance tech "eye in the sky". The film marks the directorial debut of Yau Nai-Hoi
Yau Nai-Hoi
Yau Nai-Hoi is a Hong Kong filmmaker and screenwriter. He has been known as a popular writer for films directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai of Milkyway Image. He often collaborates with fellow Milkyway Image writers Wai Ka-Fai, Szeto Kam-Yuen, Au Kin-Yee and Yip Tin-Shing...
, a long-time screenwriter for films directed by Johnnie To
Johnnie To
Johnnie To Kei-Fung, born 22 April 1955, is a Hong Kong film director and producer. Popular in his native Hong Kong, To has also found acclaim overseas...
, who co-produced the film with his production company Milkyway Image. Eye in the Sky premiered as an Official Selection at the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
, and as an Opening Film at the Hong Kong International Film Festival
Hong Kong International Film Festival
The Hong Kong International Film Festival is a platform for filmmakers, film professionals and filmgoers from all over the world to launch and experience new film work. There are seminars, conferences, exhibitions, and parties celebrating the festival community...
. It was released in Hong Kong on June 21, 2007.
Plot
Eye in the Sky takes place around the darker side of Hong Kong society, where the story begins with a group of organised burglars successfully robbing a jewelry store. The plot begins with the wet-behind-the-ears new recruit Piggy (Kate TsuiKate Tsui
Kate Tsui Tsz-shan is the 2004 Miss Hong Kong pageant winner and currently a TVB actress.-Education:Tsui graduated from the University of California, Davis, majoring in Japanese. She is skilled in different interests such as acting, dancing, learning languages, and snowboarding...
), who is plunged at the deep end in her first surveillance assignment working alongside her mentor, Sergeant Wong (Simon Yam
Simon Yam
Simon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....
). Both of them work for the Hong Kong Police Force
Hong Kong Police Force
The Hong Kong Police Force is the largest disciplined service under the Security Bureau of Hong Kong. It is the world's second, and Asia's first, police agency to operate with a modern policing system. It was formed on 1 May 1844, with a strength of 32 officers...
's Criminal Intelligence Bureau. After reviewing the jewelry store surveillance videos recordings, the Force attempt to track down one of the robbers by staking out the neighborhood they think he lives in.
Fatman (Lam Suet
Lam Suet
Lam Suet is a Hong Kong actor.-Biography:Lam was born in Tianjin, and came to Hong Kong as a youth in 1979 to receive inheritance money left by his grandfather. Soon after all the money had been squandered and Lam had to work various odd jobs to make a living.In the mid-eighties he got employment...
) is identified and tracked without his knowledge through a combination of tails, surveillance footage, and data-mining, including accessing his octopus card
Octopus card
The Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong...
. The Force ambush is established at the scene of the next robbery, but the elusive Hollow Man (Tony Leung Ka-Fai
Tony Leung Ka-Fai
Tony Leung Ka-fai is a three-time Hong Kong Film Award-winning Chinese film actor.Because he is often confused with actor Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Tony Leung Ka-fai is known as "Big Tony", while Tony Leung Chiu-Wai is known as "Little Tony", nicknames which correspond to the actors' respective...
) notices the police. As the robbers flee, some are killed by a Police Tactical Unit
Police Tactical Unit (Hong Kong)
The Police Tactical Unit is a paramilitary riot control unit of the Hong Kong Police Force. The Police Tactical Unit provides an immediate manpower reserve for use in any emergency, Unit companies are attached to all land Regions and are available for internal security, crowd control, anti-crime...
, but the rest escape. Chan kills an uniformed police officer as he flees, and Piggy stops to give first aid rather than continue the pursuit.
The surveillance unit is then called to another case; a kidnapping. Piggy is staking out a phone booth where the kidnapper may make a call, when she sees Hollow Man go by. She recognises the kidnapper from Fatman's apartment building and allows the police to rescue the kidnap victim, while she pursues Hollow Man. After a tense confrontation in a cafe, where Hollow Man confronts her, she escapes suspicion, but Hollow Man notices Sergent Wong and stabs him in the neck with a pair of scissors. Wong convinces Piggy to continue to follow Hollow Man as he slowly bleeds to death.
Piggy follows Wong to his hideout and calls for the Police Tactical Unit again. Meanwhile, Wong survives his injury and gets medical attention. In the raid on the hideout, Hollow Man flees down a dock and wounds himself mortally in the neck running past a hanging hook, and the other robbers were captured.
Cast
- Simon YamSimon YamSimon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....
- Sergeant Wong Man-Chin ('Dog Head') - Tony Leung Ka-FaiTony Leung Ka-FaiTony Leung Ka-fai is a three-time Hong Kong Film Award-winning Chinese film actor.Because he is often confused with actor Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Tony Leung Ka-fai is known as "Big Tony", while Tony Leung Chiu-Wai is known as "Little Tony", nicknames which correspond to the actors' respective...
- Chan Chong-Shan - Kate TsuiKate TsuiKate Tsui Tsz-shan is the 2004 Miss Hong Kong pageant winner and currently a TVB actress.-Education:Tsui graduated from the University of California, Davis, majoring in Japanese. She is skilled in different interests such as acting, dancing, learning languages, and snowboarding...
- Constable Ho Ka-Po ('Piggy'/'Bobo') - Lam SuetLam SuetLam Suet is a Hong Kong actor.-Biography:Lam was born in Tianjin, and came to Hong Kong as a youth in 1979 to receive inheritance money left by his grandfather. Soon after all the money had been squandered and Lam had to work various odd jobs to make a living.In the mid-eighties he got employment...
- Ng Tung ('Fatman') - Maggie Shiu - Madam
- Cheung Siu-FaiCheung Siu-FaiEddie Cheung Siu-fai is a Hong Kong actor best known for his many supporting or everyman roles similar to Liu Kai-chi.-Filmography:-TV series:-External links:* on Sina Weibo* at the Hong Kong Cinemagic* on LoveHKFilm.com...
- Chief Inspector Chan
Reception
Critics and fans hailed the plot's dark atmosphere and realistic use of surveillance tech to make the story believable. But the film, however, has been criticized for having not enough creativity for those looking for something more. It has also been criticized for being too short.Perry Lam of Muse
Muse (Hong Kong Magazine)
Muse is a bilingual Hong Kong-based multimedia publisher specializing in content related to Hong Kong's art and culture scene.. Until December 2010, Muse published an award-winning monthly arts and culture magazine...
magazine writes, 'If the ending of the movie is more than a little contrived and predictable, there are enough surprises along the way for us to savor before we get there.'
Festivals and Awards
Eye in the Sky premiered as an Official Selection at The 2007 Berlin Film Festival, and as an Opening Film at The Hong Kong International Film FestivalHong Kong International Film Festival
The Hong Kong International Film Festival is a platform for filmmakers, film professionals and filmgoers from all over the world to launch and experience new film work. There are seminars, conferences, exhibitions, and parties celebrating the festival community...
.
Awards
27th Hong Kong Film Awards27th Hong Kong Film Awards
Ceremony for the 27th Hong Kong Film Awards was held on 14 April 2008 in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and hosted by Sandra Ng, Carol Cheng and Sammi Cheng. Winners in nineteen categories were unveiled, with film The Warlords being the year's biggest winner.The nominees were announced on 2 February...
- Best New Actress (Kate TsuiKate TsuiKate Tsui Tsz-shan is the 2004 Miss Hong Kong pageant winner and currently a TVB actress.-Education:Tsui graduated from the University of California, Davis, majoring in Japanese. She is skilled in different interests such as acting, dancing, learning languages, and snowboarding...
) - Best New Director (Yau Nai-HoiYau Nai-HoiYau Nai-Hoi is a Hong Kong filmmaker and screenwriter. He has been known as a popular writer for films directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai of Milkyway Image. He often collaborates with fellow Milkyway Image writers Wai Ka-Fai, Szeto Kam-Yuen, Au Kin-Yee and Yip Tin-Shing...
)
2nd Asian Film Awards
2nd Asian Film Awards
The 2nd Asian Film Awards were given in a ceremony on 17 March 2008 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre as part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival....
- Best Film Editing (David M. Richardson)
Nominations
27th Hong Kong Film Awards27th Hong Kong Film Awards
Ceremony for the 27th Hong Kong Film Awards was held on 14 April 2008 in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and hosted by Sandra Ng, Carol Cheng and Sammi Cheng. Winners in nineteen categories were unveiled, with film The Warlords being the year's biggest winner.The nominees were announced on 2 February...
- Best Picture
- Best Director (Yau Nai-HoiYau Nai-HoiYau Nai-Hoi is a Hong Kong filmmaker and screenwriter. He has been known as a popular writer for films directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai of Milkyway Image. He often collaborates with fellow Milkyway Image writers Wai Ka-Fai, Szeto Kam-Yuen, Au Kin-Yee and Yip Tin-Shing...
) - Best Screenplay (Yau Nai-Hoi, Au Kin-YeeAu Kin-YeeAu Kin-Yee is a Hong Kong screenwriter.She is a long-time screenwriter for films directed by Johnnie To and/or Wai Ka-Fai of Milkyway Image and frequently works alongside writers Wai Ka-Fai, Yau Nai-Hoi and Yip Tin-Shing.-Filmography:...
) - Best Actor (Simon YamSimon YamSimon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....
) - Best Supporting Actress (Maggie SiuMaggie SiuMaggie Shiu Mei-kei , sometimes credited as Maggie Shaw, is a prominent Hong Kong actress.-Career:Her career began in 1985 when she joined Hong Kong TVB. As her career developed, she took on variety of roles in TV series and movies...
) - Best Film Editing (David M. Richardson)
Golden Horse Film Awards
Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962, by Government Information Office, Republic of China...
- Best Director (Yau Nai-Hoi)
- Best Supporting Actress (Maggie Siu)
- Best Original Film Score (Guy Zerafa)
- Best Film Editing (David M. Richardson)