Film review: Anti-heroes rise above in Doomsday Party

Doomsday Party
Starring: Paul Wong Koon-chung, Kay Tse On-kei, Kelvin Kwan Chor-yiu, Teddy Robin Kwan Wai-pang, Wilfred Lau Ho-lung
Director: Ho Hong
Category: IIB (Cantonese)
Rating: 3/5

So many characters and subplots are introduced in the first 10 minutes of Doomsday Party that there is a worry that debut director Ho Hong's fast-paced drama will leave viewers confused and befuddled.

There is a lot of switching back and forth between different people and their stories throughout this film about several troubled souls whose paths fatefully cross in a bank where an attempted heist takes place. Still, some personalities are fleshed out enough to become distinct enough to evoke sympathy or empathy.

In a more conventional movie, Paul Wong Koon-chung's character would have the most screen time. A good cop and decent man, he discovers that he's suffering from glaucoma as he pines for his pretty bank clerk ex-girlfriend Wan Yee (Kay Tse On-kei), who now lives with smooth-talking English language tutor Victor Lo (Wilfred Lau Ho-lung).

But this is a film that identifies more with those who are dissatisfied and angry at society. So it's Lang (Kelvin Kwan Chor-yiu), a college dropout who has taken to making home-made bombs, and a young woman (Fish Liew Ziyu) he first sees being roughly treated by a gang of parallel traders, who become the film's main anti-heroes.

And it's not just the youth who are disaffected. Impoverished ex-teacher Mr Yue (Teddy Robin Kwan Wai-pang) looks to be the most unhappy with his lot in life, while councillor Ho (Cheung Kwok-keung) has an extramarital affair with a wealthy widow (Maggie Chan Mei-kei), but ends it because he fears it could affect his re-election bid.