Right, well I stumbled upon "Mad Detective" (aka "San taam") in 2019, blissfully unaware of its existence prior to finding it. But given my love and admiration for the Hong Kong cinema, I needed no persuasion in sitting down to watch it.

While the storyline in "Mad Detective" sure was unconventional and rather avantgarde in terms of the usual movies that you see from the Hong Kong cinema and also by director Johnnie To himself, then this wasn't exactly the finest moment in Hong Kong cinema, nor in Johnnie To's directorial track record.

The storyline was somewhat befuddled and somewhat difficult to really keep up with, because directors Johnnie To and Ka-Fai Wai were setting out to accomplish a little bit too much in terms of what they managed to deliver. Which was essentially a shame, because the movie suffered from this. It could otherwise have been a truly outstanding and remarkable movie, but the end result, sadly, turned out to be mediocre at best.

Actors Ching Wan Lau and Andy On carried the movie quite well. And of course with the likes of Ching Wan Lau, then you know you are getting a top notch performance. And it was interesting to see him in a movie such as this, and this role shows what kind of a diverse actor he really is. Just a shame that the storyline was working like an anchor around the actors legs.

Aside from Ching Wan Lau and Andy On, then the movie also boasts some other interesting names and familiar faces to the cast list, especially for a long time fan of the Hong Kong cinema like myself.

Sure "Mad Detective" was entertaining enough, but something of the enjoyment was smoldering away because of the rampart storyline and the fact that the two directors seemed to work in opposites of one another. I got through the entire movie, but felt my attention span start to falter throughout the course of the movie. And despite of my love for the Hong Kong cinema, then "Mad Detective" is not a movie that I will be watching a second time around.

Johnnie To and Ka-Fai Wai have reinvented the detective genre and things will probably never be the same.

Inspector Ho is stumped by the disappearance of a detective 18 months earlier.Desperate for a break he looks to Bun, a genius profiler with whom he briefly worked years before...when Bun went crazy and was thrown off the force. A funny, tense un-nerving cop drama where nothing is certain. Is Bun a genius or crazy? Has Ho lost his mind? Where will it all end? Its a trip. I'd tell you more but I'm still trying to process what I saw since things shift from our reality to Bun's, often so its not clear. Its a trip and then some. Actually I'd be very surprised if this film doesn't end up with a cult following, an American remake and lots of articles written about it. Its just a nifty little thriller.

Definitely worth a viewing or two.

It's been a while since To and Wai's last collaboration, but apparently the time apart did them a whole lot of good. Mad Detective (or Sun Taam, if you wish) is another shining star on To's ever-growing list of first class titles. Stylishly executed, cleverly scripted and dare I say quite original. HK genre cinema doesn't get any better than this.

To's been on a winning streak these last couple of years and with Mad Detective he's really at the top of his game. The film is filled with typical To elements, but also benefits a lot from Wai's creative writing. Mad Detective is one of these rare films that makes you feel like you're watching something novel and original.

Ching Wan Lau, a To regular, is taking on one of the best roles of his career. Lau plays Bun, a detective who's equally brilliant as he is insane. While his methods of investigation are irregular, his behavior is condoned as he's able to solve case upon case. The key to Bun's success is his ability to see behind people's masks. He sees every aspects of a single person as a separate individual. All goes well until Bun's retirement, when his genius is quickly degraded to simple madness.

In Mad Detective, we see Bun chasing after a guy with no less than 7 personalities (though only three of them are dominant). The film is often changing perspectives which keeps the viewer well on its toes. One character is actually played by 8 different actors and To doesn't give too many warnings. But looking back, the film isn't that hard to follow or figure out and the concept never sits in the way of the basic storyline.

Visually To only seems to improve. There are plenty of awesomely framed shots, neatly lit and even though the film has an overall dark overtone, colors really jump of the screen. And while To keeps on making films at a staggering rate, it's impressive to see how visually accomplished each and every one of his later films are.

Another definite plus is the soundtrack. Though often light in tone it doesn't hurt the atmosphere one bit, but only underlines the sad but dark overtones of Bun's madness. Strange sounds are brought together to form music, sometimes quirky melodies are used, but the music never feels out of place. More so, it does an excellent job at defining To's style and helps to shape his films. Not as in your face as the soundtrack of Sparrow, but once you start listing you'll notice how weird it really is.

It would've been quite easy to push the film into one direction, but To manages to keep a healthy balance. One moment Bun's actions can be rather amusing, a couple of minutes later there's a definite sadness to his character. And even though it's actually a dark and personal tale of a sick individual, the film is also able to keep its soft and creative edge, never choosing sides between being a character portrait or purely story-driven film making.

Mad Detective is a film where everything works out. Excellent cast, creative and original perspective, a solid storyline, stylishly visualized and magnificently scored. The film has no weak points, unless you prefer film making to stay in more familiar territory. if so, I suggest you wait for one of the big Hollywood directors to turn it into a lifeless, soulless and old-fashioned crime/drama. If that doesn't sound too appealing, be sure to check out To's Mad Detective. If anything, it's one of the best recent examples there's still plenty of life and creativity left in sculpting stories.

Together with Sparrow, To proves himself to be one of the most interesting directors in cinema today. His genre films are strong, original and seamlessly executed and seem to lack any weak points. Mad Detective is a definite recommend. 4.5*/5.0*