With their flawless hair and makeup, it's hard to tell that Zhao Wei, Karen Mok, and Shu Qi are deadly killers. Courtesy of lovehkfilm.com

Cory Yuen is So Close to breaking gender stereotypes

By Chau Nguyen

The hypnotic melody of the Carpenter's song "So Close" plays in the background as Lynn (Shu Qi of "The Transporter") effortlessly makes her way through the tight security system crippling all those who get in her way. She does all this without getting so much as a spot on her white outfit or a strand of hair out of place.

Cory Yuen's "So Close," an action flick about the cat-and-mouse chase between two sister assassins and a cop, opens today in selected theaters. Courtesy of kfccinema.com

With Sue (Zhao Wei of "Shaolin Soccer) manning the World Panorama, a high-tech surveillance program capable of controlling any closed-circuit security system, and Lynn carrying out the killings, these two sisters are a team of trained assassins. They have just accomplished their latest mission--- the murder of Chow Lui (Shek Sau), boss of a giant computer company. Now Kong Yat Hung (Karen Mok of "Fallen Angels") and her assistant Mark (Michael Wai), the cops sent in to investigate the case, are fast on their tracks. But in a tragic turn of events, Sue and Hung, who have been fighting on opposing sides, find out they need to team up to avenge Lynn's death as well as clear Hung's name.

"So Close" has been dubbed by many as Hong Kong's version of "Charlie's Angels" and the two do share some important similarities. For example, both feature a trio of independent, sexy young women who kick a*s. However the gender role-breaking movie "So Close" goes even further with this theme to suggest that women have equal status as men and can be just as demanding in relationships.

Sue (Zhao Wei) holds her cool while aiming a gun at Hung's assistant, Mark (Michael Wai). Courtesy of so-close.com

Lynn, the cold and quiet older sister, manages to reunite with Yen (Korean actor Song Seung Hun), a person she shared an unspoken love with in the past. Even though he makes the first move, it seems as though she is the one to call the shots. She is the one who ultimately keeps the relationship going.

Sue, the naïve younger sister who is better at operating the World Panorama than a gun, isn't too keen on getting involved in a romantic relationship like her sister. In a heated argument where she finds out Lynn wants to quit the job to get married, she adamantly yells out "Not everyone needs a man to protect her like you do!" In a restaurant scene where Yen is waiting for Lynn to show up, Sue has to deliver the news of her sister's murder to him because the "most painful thing for a man is to be stood up."

Lynn (Shu Qi) gets ready to make her move in a one-to-one battle against Hung (Karen Mok). Courtesy of so-close.com

Then there is Hung, who with her intelligence and cigarette smoking, seems to encompass all the qualities of the typical male cop seen in many of the cop vs. robber type movies. When asked if Mark is her boyfriend, she contemplates a bit but then says that "He's too passive" and that "I like my men to be a bit more aggressive."

Hung contemplates about who the killers are after being sent in to investigate the murder of Chow Lui (Shek Sau). Courtesy of so-close.com

Hung, along with Sue, share more than just a mutual fascination with each other. In fact, their relationship teeters on the verge of lesbianism. This is clear after an onscreen kiss following the final battle which makes audiences wonder if this relationship would have gone anywhere, if not for the fact that the two stand on opposite ends of the legal spectrum. In the end, it is still just a "friendship between soldier and bandit."

The film, which many may shrug off as just another Hong Kong action flick with rail-thin plots still has its merits with its fabulously choreographed action scenes that seem much more real than its alleged American counterpart. After all, the director of the movie is Cory Yuen ("Fong Say Yuk," "Once Upon a Time In China"), a master of action choreography hailed for his kung-fu wire techniques. The movie's attempt to break gender stereotypes and the ambiguous lesbian theme make it a worthwhile watch.

Sue struggles to fight off one of Chow Nunn's men as the two take part in a fight-to-the-death match. Courtesy of so-close.com

The official release is today in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. The movie will be released in other key cities on September 19th. For more information, please visit www.so-close.com.

September 12, 2003