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Trivisa

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This article is about 2016 Hong Kong film. For the Buddhism concept known as triviṣa in Sanskrit, see Three poisons.

Trivisa
Official film poster
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese樹大招風
Simplified Chinese树大招风
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinShù Dà Zhāo Fēng
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingSyu6 Daai6 Ziu1 Fung1
Directed byFrank Hui
Jevons Au
Vicky Wong
Screenplay byLoong Man-hong
Thomas Ng
Mak Tin-shu
Produced byJohnnie To
Yau Nai-hoi
StarringGordon Lam
Richie Jen
Jordan Chan
CinematographyZhang Ying
Ray Cheung
Rex Chan
Edited byAllen Leung
David Richardson
Music byNigel Chan
Production
companies
Distributed byMedia Asia Distributions
Release dates
  • 12 February 2016 (2016-02-12) (BIFF)
  • 7 April 2016 (2016-04-07) (Hong Kong)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguageCantonese
BudgetHK$5 million[1]
Box officeHK$9.2 million[2]

Trivisa is a 2016 Hong Kong action crime thriller film produced by Johnnie To and Yau Nai-hoi, featuring the directorial debuts of newcomers Frank Hui, Jevons Au and Vicky Wong. The film is a fictionalized story about three real-life notorious Hong Kong mobsters, Kwai Ping-hung [zh], Yip Kai Foon and Cheung Tze-keung, who are portrayed in the film by Gordon Lam, Richie Jen and Jordan Chan respectively.[3][4] The film had its world premiere at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival's Forum section.[3] The film also opened the 40th Hong Kong International Film Festival[5] on 21 March 2016 and was theatrically released in Hong Kong on 7 April 2016.[6][better source needed]

In Buddhist teaching, Trivisa is the Sanskrit term for the three poisons (or the three unwholesome roots)—greed, anger and delusion—that give rise to suffering.[7]

Plot

[edit]

In early 1997, mobsters Kwai Ching-hung, Yip Kwok-foon and Cheuk Tze-keung, who have never met one another, are all in Hong Kong. Thereafter, rumour has it that Hong Kong's three most notorious mobsters, known in the underworld as the "Three Kings of Thieves", are plotting together to score a final hit before the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong. However, none are initially aware of the rumour.

The flamboyant Cheuk is a successful kidnapper who extorts money from the rich, despite the police surveilling him. Upon hearing of the rumour, Cheuk decides to seek out Yip and Kwai to fulfil his need for a greater thrill. Cheuk sets up a hotline and offers money for those who can help him find Yip and Kwai.

In the past, Yip was a powerful and prestigious robber, but a gunfight with the Royal Hong Kong Police prompts him to flee to China, where he changes his trade to smuggling counterfeit electronics. Although successful in his business, he becomes increasingly angry due to the need to grovel to corrupt Chinese officials. Upon hearing of the rumour, Yip considers abandoning his business and picking up his gun again. After a series of humiliations, Yip decides to call Cheuk.

The cautious Kwai uses several pseudonyms to hide his identity. His expertise is in small-scale robberies, which pose minimal risk but also bring little profits. He previously killed three Hong Kong police officers when they identified him, then hid overseas for some time. He returns to Hong Kong with two mainland Chinese gangsters to rob a jewelry store. To scope out the jewelry store, Kwai goes to stay at the nearby apartment of Fai, a friend and former gang member who, with a wife and young daughter, has since gone straight. Kwai tells Fai that he sells phones, but then uses Fai's daughter to avoid suspicion while obtaining guns. Kwai hears of the rumour, but initially restrains himself from contacting Cheuk. When Kwai abandons the heist at the last minute, the gangsters do not want to return to China empty-handed, and volunteer to join Kwai in grander exploits. Kwai pretends to pay off the pair, then stabs them to death. When Fai discovers Kwai's true motives, he begs Kwai to stop endangering his family. Kwai replies that he will leave the next day, and decides to call Cheuk.

Ultimately, all three come to a sticky end. When Yip calls Cheuk at night, a local resident is disturbed and calls the Hong Kong police. Yip's fellow smugglers pose as confused mainland Chinese tourists, successfully fooling the police into letting them go. When one policeman off-handedly insults the smugglers, Yip snaps. He follows the policemen and shoots them with his AK-47, in full view of other police at a cafe. Those officers shoot Yip, who tries to crawl towards his AK-47 but soon loses his mobility because the injury is to paralyze him for life.

When Kwai calls Cheuk at night, Kwai is led to brag about his exploits to confirm his identity. Fai, who was unaware of how successful Kwai's robberies were, awakens and overhears this. When Kwai suspects that Fai overheard, Kwai opens the family's bedroom door with knife in hand, while Fai pretends to sleep. Kwai ultimately does not act against Fai and his family. When Kwai awakens, he finds that a police SWAT team is converging on the apartment, while Fai and his family have already fled.

Cheuk is tricked into meeting Yip's former associate, now an arms dealer, having been told Yip would be present. At the meeting, Cheuk is contacted by both Yip and Kwai. The arms dealer attempts to kidnap Cheuk for a ransom, but Cheuk dispatches him and escapes with a truck full of dynamite to use in a grand scheme with Yip and Kwai. However, Cheuk hits a motorcyclist, crashing the truck. As Cheuk is piling the spilt dynamite back onto the truck, the police arrive and Cheuk surrenders.

The movie finally reveals, in flashback, that Cheuk, Yip and Kwai once came across each other at the same restaurant in 1997, unaware of each others' identities. This is where the rumour stems from. The film closes on footage of the 1997 Hong Kong handover ceremony.

Cast

[edit]
  • Gordon Lam as Kwai Ching-hung (季正雄, based on Kwai Ping-hung [zh])
  • Richie Jen as Yip Kwok-foon (葉國歡, based on Yip Kai-foon)
  • Jordan Chan as Cheuk Tze-keung (卓子強, based on Cheung Tze-keung)
  • Tommy Wong as The Fence (銷贓佬)
  • Elliot Ngok as Ho Yu-kei (何裕基)
  • Stephen Au as Inspector Wu (胡警官)
  • Lam Suet as Boss Fong (方老闆)
  • Wan Yeung-ming as Old Dog (老狗)
  • Philip Keung as Fai (大輝)
  • Frankie Ng as Ting (鼎爺)
  • Lau Ka-yung as Master Sai (師傅細)
  • Hung Yan-yan as Kwan-sai (昆西)
  • To Yin-gor as Commander (連長)
  • Zhang Kai as Hong Qi (紅旗)
  • Le Zi-long as Wong Lei (王磊)
  • Thimjapo Chattida as Noon
  • Aoi Ma as Bo (寶兒)
  • Kam Loi-kwan as Kam (阿金)
  • Huang Kai-sen as Chung (阿忠)
  • Jimmy Wong as Fisherman
  • Ben Yuen as Chief Chen (陳科)
  • Yan Zi-fei as Chief Chen's mistress
  • Law Chi-sing as Gui (阿貴)
  • Ho Ka-wah as Guang (阿廣)
  • Hui Ping-hang as Chief Long (龍科)
  • Li Ying-to as Chief Song (宋局)
  • Leung Kin-ping as Manager Fok (霍經理)
  • Chiu Chi-shing as Condor (秃鷹)
  • Lee Man-piu as Lung (速龍)
  • Keung Kam-shan as Policewoman
  • Keung Kam-kui as Policeman
  • Wong Wai-tong as Policeman
  • Law Tsin-wong as News reporter
  • Yu Tat-chi as Cheng Kin-kuen (鄭建權)
  • Yang Yu-fei as Customs officer
  • Hu Bin-hui as Comrade
  • Flora Cheung as Informer
  • Lam Ka-shing as Customers officer
  • Wong Gar-ling as Informer
  • Jamie Lee as Informer
  • Chow Pok-fu as Informer
  • Yan Ngai-to as Informer
  • Wong Che-keuong as Informer
  • Ng Kwok-ming as Informer
  • Cheung Pet-wu as Informer
  • Yeung Sai-ho as Policeman
  • Ursula Lin as Waitress
  • Kwok Yuk-keung as Policeman
  • Ho Ka-fai as Informer
  • Daniel Kwok
  • Skyline Leung

Reception

[edit]

Box office

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The film grossed HK$3,392,095 during its first three days of release in Hong Kong and opening at No. 3 during its debut weekend.[8] By the end of its fifth week, the film has grossed about HK$9,180,000.[2]

Critical reception

[edit]

Clarence Tsui of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive praising the performances of Richie Jen and Gordon Lam, the editing by Allen Leung and David Richardson and calls it "an impressive calling card signalling brighter cinematic futures."[3] Fionnuala Halligan of Screen Daily praised the film's set design and editing and believes the film will "clearly attract festival interest.".[9] Edmond Lee of the South China Morning Post rated film a score of 4/5 stars and praises the film's bold vision and how newcomer directors Frank Hui, Jevons Au and Vicky Wong "couldn't have made a stronger start to their fledgling careers."[10]

Controversy

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Trivisa was banned in mainland China. When it won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film in 2017, the broadcast was blacked out on Mainland TVs.[11]

In late 2015, Cheung Wai-chuen, owner of a film properties company, and Law Yun-lam, a logistics firm employee, were arrested for possession of counterfeit money that was used in Trivisa without the proper permits for storage and transportation, which the film's producers were responsible for securing.[12] Despite being marked as props, the judge felt that the fake money looked too real: saying "Nobody could rule out the risk of people stealing these fakes and using them as real money." Cheung and Law were sentenced to four months in prison by a Hong Kong district court in May 2018, a sentence that was suspended for two years. The Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers condemned the case stating "This is against the industry's dedication to professionalism in filmmaking. The authorities' took on a case that case was unjust. Members of the Hong Kong film industry are not only disappointed and furious, it also sends shivers down our spines." Some film industry members suspected the case was influenced by Mainland China.[11]

Awards and nominations

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Awards and nominations
Ceremony Category Recipient Outcome
53rd Golden Horse Awards[13] Best Feature Film Trivisa Nominated
Best New Director Frank Hui, Jevons Au, Vicky Wong Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Loong Man-hong, Thomas Ng, Mak Tin-shu Won
Best Makeup & Costume Design Suki Yip Nominated
Best Film Editing Allen Leung, David Richardson Won
11th Asian Film Awards Best Actor Richie Jen Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Lam Suet Won
Best Screenplay Mak Tin-shu, Loong Man-hong, Thomas Ng Nominated
Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award[14] Best Film Trivisa Won
Best Actor Gordon Lam Won
36th Hong Kong Film Awards[15] Best Film Trivisa Won
Best Director Frank Hui, Jevons Au, Vicky Wong Won
Best Screenplay Loong Man Hong, Thomas Ng, Mak Tin Shu Won
Best Actor Richie Jen Nominated
Gordan Lam Won
Best Supporting Actor Philip Keung Nominated
Best Film Editing Allen Leung, David Richardson Won

See also

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References

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  1. ^ 杜琪峰監製新片柏林亮相 《樹大招風》告訴我們香港何為香港 (in Chinese).
  2. ^ a b 樹大招風 - 偶像劇場 (in Chinese). dorama.info. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Tsui, Clarence (16 February 2016). "'Trivisa' ('Shu Dai Jiu Fung'): Berlin Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  4. ^ 【樹大招風】杜琪峰監製 香港三大賊王被搬上螢幕. Orange News (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 17 February 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  5. ^ Marsh, James (24 February 2016). "CHONGQING HOT POT, TRIVISA To Open 40th Hong Kong International Film Festival - Full Line-Up Announced". TwitchFilm. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  6. ^ "Trivisa - The Metroplex". www.metroplex.com.hk. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  7. ^ Seto, Kit Yan. "Hong Kong/Taiwan stars appear in Trivisa for (almost) free". Star2.com. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  8. ^ "Hong Kong Box Office April 7–10, 2016".
  9. ^ Halligan, Fionnuala (25 February 2016). "'Trivisa': Berlin Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  10. ^ "Film review: Trivisa – Hong Kong criminals at crossroads in 1997-set drama".
  11. ^ a b "Hong Kong Court Convicts Props Master for Possession of Fake Cash". The Variety. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  12. ^ "A Crackdown on Film Props Angers Hong Kong's Cinephiles". The New York Times. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  13. ^ 2016 台北金馬影展 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Golden Horse Film Festival.
  14. ^ Chow, Vivienne (16 January 2017). "'Trivisa' Named Best Film by Hong Kong Critics". Variety. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  15. ^ "Nomination and Awardees list of The 36th Hong Kong Film Awards".
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