Steph got it right when she said afterwards that this, running as part of the Johnnie To retrospective at acmi, was a cheeky film - it has an insouciance and a wit which is legible in its dialogue, cinematography, music and general tone. Interestingly, that cheekiness is less apparent in the plot, which is admirably economical: a close-knit quartet of pickpockets find themselves targeted after stealing from the wrong person, and then become entangled with a beautiful woman who is herself enmeshed with a very powerful and none too scrupulous man, leading to the marvellous set piece climax in which the two groups stalk through the dark, rainy city, umbrellas and concealed razor blades in hand, engaged in a high stakes pickpocketing contest. It moves quickly and lightly, with a bit of a Hitchcockian flavour, and gives us a happy ending - much fun.
(w/ Steph (and her friend Allen), Kai and Michelle)
