Review of Punished (2011) by Amy H — 08 Nov 2011

Amazing Hong Kong crime thriller. Law Wing-Cheong has always been a capable and proficient director, and he brings that professional worksmanship to Punished. The film's few action scenes are well-staged if a bit flat, and Law gets solid performances from his cast.

As the ruthless businessman and tyrannical father, Wong walks a thin line between protagonist and villain. And with his years of experience in such roles, Anthony Wong manages to play the tyrant and get our sympathy too. For me the surprise here is Richie Jen who imbues Chor with the sense of unfailing loyalty and calm menace requisite of his role as the punisher. Janice Man is nicely high-strung as the spoil brat daughter while Maggie Cheung Ho-yee is impressive as the loving wife and tolerant stepmother.

I had expected a few wild twists in the movie but the fact that the screen-writers resisted the temptation to hype up the plot is a credit to them. There are some minor flaws in the plot but on the whole, it is an engaging study of an individual's brand of crime and punishment.