UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Cooktopi The acting in this movie is really good.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Yaaatoob Set on the island of Macau in 1998 'Exiled' tells the story of five friends who grew up together in the gangs of Hong Kong. One of these five, Wo (Nick Cheung), has been in exile for many years after attempting to assassinate the crime boss of Hong Kong, Boss Fay (Simon Yam), but now Wo has a family and is tired of running, so he moves to Macau to make a new life for himself. Unfourtunatly, Boss Fay has not forgotten Wo's transgressions and sends another of the five friends, Blaze (Anthony Wong), to see Wo dead. However, while Blaze and his partner Fat (Suet Lam) must follow orders and kill their friend Wo, the remaining two friends Tai (Francis Ng) & Cat (Roy Cheung) are intent on protecting him, even if it means going against Boss Fay and becoming exiles themselves. This predicament and the decisions than the five friends must make provide the films intrinsic themes; brotherhood, honour, loyalty and friendship, themes not at all uncommon in the HK action genre.Likewise, there's a great sense of familiarity across the board here. Actors such as Anthony Wong, Simon Yam and Francis Ng are all veterans of HK action films, and Johnnie To's direction itself recalls the hey- day of HK action with numerous nods to Tsui Hark and John Woo. But despite this film evoking a sense of deja-vu at almost every turn, it's a fantastically paced movie that's all the more better when regarding the sum of it's parts. Anthony Wong & Francis Ng provide stalwart performances as the films two leads and they are supported by a fantastic cast; Suet Lam and Roy Cheung as their stoic partners in crime, Simon Yam as the crazed, bat-crap insane mob boss, Richie Ren as a sharpshooting police sergeant and Eddie Cheung as bizarre deal-broker and pimp. Meanwhile, the setting, cinematography and soundtrack all conspire to create a wonderful backdrop for the convoluted plot. Also, Macau is presented as an idyllic sort of place, always in the shadow of Hong Kong, and the cinematography and setting only help further this idea with many outdoor shots and vibrant yellows and oranges and greens employed throughout. Macau was a Portugese colony for much of it's history, which I believe To alludes to through the films soundtrack which at times sounds almost like a spaghetti western and serves to immediately set 'Exiled' apart from To's previous films and those of his peers, many of which star the same actors.Overall Johnnie To's 'Exiled' is a film at odds with itself. On one hand it's a stylish, over the top Hong Kong gangster film, on the other it's a melancholy movie about friendship and the past, but for the most part these two sections perfectly compliment each other. Some may find the plot somewhat confusing, but it's brilliantly presented with a veteran cast, some amazing action set-pieces and a few moments of inspired direction. Also, 'Exiled' left me with a good number of things to consider afterwards (for instance; what appeared to be a continuity error actually ended up providing another facet to one of the characters that I had not previously considered) which is more than I can say for most action films.

marymorrissey and ... it was very very good overall nice tensions building up everywhich way, nice performances, gunfights that were more or less cyphers - it was completely unclear what was happening in em until the dust settled and you saw finally who'd survived the big brouhahas and who hadn't done.I liked it very much for its timing and phrasing however illogical a lot of it was it was very effective and the audience was beautifully manipulated through the various stages in the progress of the narrative.I have to say the big bad guy was awfully forgiving for someone who had his testicalia blown off, of course it wasn't really so, he was a backstabbing type and even if all hell had not broken loose he would certainly have wreaked havoc over his new boy soprano spot in the choir!

lastliberal Johnnie To has 50 films under his belt and is becoming a peer of John Woo with his stylized flicks that contain smoking action and great choreography with magnificent sound.On has to wonder how these people ever got jobs as hit men. They couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. It's just as well, because with all the shooting, it would be over far too quickly.It is amazing how they manage to have a gun fight and then sit down to dinner like nothing happened, and then say that they have to kill Wo (Nick Cheung), but agree to do it at his convenience. Well, they are childhood friends, but orders have to be obeyed, they just don't have to be obeyed right at the moment.What a finale!

fongyellowsandyfield Exiled (a.k.a. Fong Juk) makes me feel as if the memorable French gangster/Italian Spaghetti Western genre is being revisited.Director Johnny To has the wisdom to reunite the same 4 out of the 5 main actors in The Mission, his 1999 gangster classic. For some unknown reason one actor was left out and substituted by Nick Cheung (playing Wo in this movie). It seems a pity to me because, not saying Nick Cheung is no good, the original cast of five could have made it possible for making Exiled a genuine sequel to The Mission.As it stands, Exiled tells a self-contained story (not exactly well-written but reasonable enough as a vehicle for the excellent gunfights it stages): When a Hong Kong mob boss Fay sends two killers, Blaze and Fat, after a renegade ex-gangster Wo found hiding out in Macau, another two hard men, Tai and Cat, turn up to intervene. The five actually know each other. In the face of Wo's wife Jin and baby son, Blaze and his sidekick Fat unwittingly agree to change plan, inadvertently setting things into a violent downward spiral. The final confrontation inside a hotel captured in slow motion is expertly crafted. After the dust is settled the viewers are abruptly reminded that what has just happened only takes as much time for a can of Red Bull drink being tossed up in the air and drops back down on the floor.There are evidences to prove that Director Johnny To did not dwell in past success of The Mission, because Exile has adopted new techniques not seen before. Being made on location in Macau, Exiled smartly uses a lot of Look-down shots in overcoming the lack of open space provided by this former Portugese enclave some 40 miles west of Hong Kong. The exotic background scenery chosen gives people a surreal sensation, especially for those who know Macau, much more akin to what I'd get from those French and Italian movies of years gone by. The gun play action in Exile is yet another level above that seen in The Mission.Although overall speaking Exiled did not surpass The Mission, mainly due to its storyline is even weaker than that of the already flimsy Mission, fans of Johnny To would still find it very enjoyable for the directing, acting, editing, music and of course, explosive action.