SO CLOSE (DVD/WS 1.85/DSS/ENG-FR-BOTH/SP-PO-CH-KO-TH-SUB) DVD

So Close
A high tech corporation is sent into turmoil when hackers demanding ransom break into their internal computer system with a powerful and apparently unstoppable virus. A mysterious, beautiful young woman who calls herself "Computer Angel" quickly saves the business. But when she requests a meeting with the company's shady CEO, he gets more than he bargained for. Lynn (Shu Qi of The Transporter) turns out to be a highly skilled assassin, who knocks off the CEO with the help of her rambunctious younger sister Sue (Zhao Wei of Shaolin Soccer). Sue uses a powerful computer program developed by the girls' murdered father, which uses satellites to tap into closed-circuit security cameras, enabling her to see where all the cannon fodder/guards are and direct Lynn's escape, while taking over the security team's audio system to pipe in a cover of the Carpenters' "(They Long to Be) Close to You." But things soon get dicey for Lynn and Sue. A brilliant, sexy forensics expert, Hong (Karen Mok, who also sings the film's theme song), is hot on their trail, and the creeps who hired the girls decide to cover their tracks by killing them. Complicating matters further, Lynn reunites with an old flame and contemplates giving up the business and settling down, much to Sue's chagrin. So Close was filmed in Mandarin, necessitating (reportedly poor) dubbing into Cantonese for the Hong Kong release. The film was directed by Corey Yuen, who made his Hollywood debut with The Transporter. Before that, he was best known for his fight choreography on many of Jet Li's films. So Close was shown at the Subway Cinema's 2003 New York Asian Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Cast Shu Qi as Lynn Zhao Wei as Sue Karen Mok as Detective Hong Yat Hong Song Seung-heon as Yan Michael Wei as Mark Yasuaki Kurata as Master Derek Wan as Shek Sau as Ricardo Manood as Pierre

Crew Yee Chung-man - Consultant/advisor Jessie Dai - Costume Designer Lai Lai-keung - First Assistant Director Corey Yuen - Director Cheung Ka-Fai - Editor Corey Yuen - Fights Choreographer Sam Kao - Composer (Music Score) Kenji Tan - Composer (Music Score) Wesley Tan - Musical Arrangement Eddie Wong - Production Designer Venus Keung - Cinematographer Chui Pu-chu - Producer Chui Po-chu - Producer Paul Pirola - Sound/Sound Designer Leung Chung-wai - Sound/Sound Designer Gao Jianyong - Stunts Coordinator Jeffrey Lau - Screenwriter

So Close
So Close to Charlie's Angels, and yet so unique. In the world of cinema, turnabout is fair play. McG borrowed heavily from Hong Kong cinema to give Charlie's Angels added panache, and So Close comes off as a high-flying, energetic, candy-colored rip-off of McG's film. But the movie is so much fun to watch that one can simply ignore the lifted musical cues and excessive use of the word "angel" and enjoy it for its own pleasures. The plot is disposable, as these things go, but the three lead actresses succeed in creating distinctive and sympathetic characters. They're more than just eye candy. Karen Mok is particularly good as Hong, the maverick cop who develops a surprisingly flirtatious relationship with Sue (Zhao Wei), one of her targets. Mok has the perfect take-no-prisoners demeanor in the role. You can almost believe she could take out an elevator full of baddies between floors, and that brilliantly staged throwaway sequence is just one of the film's spectacular fight scenes. As his work with Jet Li attests, director Corey Yuen has skills only hinted at by his major studio debut, The Transporter. He brings these to bear in a big way with So Close. In the opening scene, Lynn (Shu Qi) uses her specially designed high-heeled boots to take on a whole building full of thugs. This elaborate set piece sets the film's tone of ludicrous, glossy, high-tech mayhem. And it just gets better, with an exciting car chase, which Lynn directs via satellite while fighting off an army of assassins, and the phenomenally choreographed climactic sword fight, which has Mok and Zhao teaming up to fight Yasuaki Kurata. The drama and romance aren't quite as interesting, but these action sequences alone make So Close worth watching. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
 

(no awards)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, Cantonese, Mandarin, French Subtitle Options: English, French, Spanish, KO, Por, TH Sound Processing: DDS: Dolby Digital Surround DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel Additional Features: cc Theatrical trailers Interactive menus Scene selections DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: R DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 110 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. Start [3:04] 2. The Computer Angel [2:18] 3. Target Destroyed [3:34] 4. Angel Flight [6:28] 5. Kong Yat Hung [2:02] 6. "Close to You" [1:50] 7. Yen [1:35] 8. Water Sports [1:51] 9. Elevator Fight [4:24] 10. Lai Kai Joes Says No [3:37] 11. The Secret King [2:28] 12. Onto Something [3:47] 13. At the Record Store [2:01] 14. Rainy Day Woman [8:35] 15. Magic Ocean Disco Contract [3:23] 16. Hung vs. Lynn [4:45] 17. Parking Garage Shootout [2:47] 18. Family History [2:59] 19. Eluding Pursuit [:10] 20. Lynn Vs the Hit Team [9:20] 21. "You've Been Framed" [3:18] 22. Sue Gives Them the Shaft [7:56] 23. Taking Out Floor 87 [8:07] 24. Going From A to B to C [1:40] 25. Stairwell Shootout [1:09] 26. First Cut's the Deepest [2:22] 27. Hung Gets the Drop [2:53] 28. Ciao, Chow [:40]