The Detective (2007 film)

The Detective is a 2007 Hong Kong neo-noir mystery thriller film directed by Oxide Pang, and starring Aaron Kwok as a private investigator hired to track down a missing young woman who may be linked to a series of murders in Thailand. The film was followed by a sequel, The Detective 2, which was released in 2011.

The Detective
Promotional poster
Traditional ChineseC+偵探
Simplified ChineseC+侦探
Hanyu PinyinC Jiā Zhēn Tàn
JyutpingC gaa1 zing1 taam3
Directed byOxide Pang
Written byOxide Pang
Thomas Pang
Produced byThe Pang Brothers
StarringAaron Kwok
Liu Kai-chi
Wayne Lai
Shing Fui-On
CinematographyDecha Srimantra
Edited byCurran Pang
Music byJadet Chawang
Payont Permsith
Production
companies
Universe Entertainment
Sil-Metropole Organisation
Magic Head Film Production Co. Ltd.
Distributed byUniverse Films Distribution Company
Release date
  • 25 September 2007 (2007-09-25)
Running time
109 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguagesCantonese
Thai
Box officeUS$2,151,820[1]

Plot

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Tam (Aaron Kwok) is an impoverished private detective. One day, a guy nicknamed Fatty asks Tam to find a lady who wants to kill him. He leaves Tam a portrait and a large amount of cash without giving any other details. Tam cannot resist the offer and so his investigation starts.

Knowing that Sum, the lady in the picture, is a frequent visitor of a store where the picture was shot, Tam tries to get hints of her whereabouts from the storekeepers. He is told to find her through her mahjong playmates. Tam starts with Ming, but when he arrives at Ming's home, he finds Ming hanged in the living room.

As Tam continues to search for other mahjong playmates of Sum, he is shocked to find each of them murdered every time he is about to contact with them. He discovers a half-burned photo at one of the scenes. Tam realizes the suspicions behind the deaths and decides to protect the next target of the invisible murderer. The photo is the only clue for Tam to solve the case.

Cast

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Reception

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Awards and nominations
Ceremony Category Recipient Outcome
27th Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actor Aaron Kwok Nominated
Best Film Editing Oxide Pang, Curran Pang Nominated
Best Art Direction Anuson Pinyopotjanee Nominated
Best Costume and Makeup Design Surasak Warakitcharoen Nominated
Best Original Film Score Payont Permsith, Jadet Chawang Nominated
Best Sound Design Wachira Wongsaroj Nominated
Best Visual Effects Suchada Somasavachai Nominated
44th Golden Horse Awards Best Actor Aaron Kwok Nominated
Best Art Direction Anuson Pinyopotjanee Won
14th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards Film of Merit The Detective Won

References

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  1. ^ "The Detective".
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