Blind Detective marks the sixth time Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng have played an on screen couple. Three of them, Needing You, Love on a Diet and Yesterday Once More were all Milkyway productions. Their first collaboration in the office romantic comedy Needing You is the original blueprint of their coupling, establishing the lovable quirks of Sammi Cheng, the catchy pop theme song sung by Cheng and her charming chemistry with Andy Lau. When Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng are next to each other in a movie, it's so dripping in charm you feel like anything can happen. They can be pigging out at a restaurant, do crazy borderline illegal things or scream at each other. No wrong can be done.
In a way, that is the guide to enjoying Blind Detective. Lau and Cheng completely drive the film, not the plot or the mystery. It's a combination of Johnnie To's 2007 Mad Detective and the fourth sequel-in-spirit of Lau and Cheng Milkyway romantic comedies. In fact, having that preexisting knowledge is a requirement to understanding the film's meandering tone.
At 130 minutes, Wai Ka-Fai's script takes on more subplots than necessary. The mystery plot had me most engaged, and I liked how the crime-solving plot sprouted in multiple cases. The final reveal seemed rushed and a bit far-fetched to be truly believable. And there were details that should have been caught. The subplot with Andy Lau trying to woo a dance instructor played by Gao Yuan Yuan is cute but extraneous. It's like the filmmakers brainstormed every possible thing for Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng's characters to do, filmed all of them, and couldn't decide what to take out.
In the end, Blind Detective is a weird animal. It won't translate to overseas audiences and probably shouldn't have premiered at Cannes. It's biggest achievement is it knows its stars are the main attraction and does everything it can with them. Andy Lau seems to be relishing in this role and it's adorable how his character is a major foodie. I laughed throughout it's entirety, never really questioning where the plot was going because I knew the context. And for that, people who are familiar with Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng's coupling in Milkyway productions will have a better time.
For more reviews, please subscribe to my film blog at http://hkauteur.wordpress.com/
