Starring Jaycee Chan, Tony Leung Ka Fai. Written and directed by
Kenneth Bi. 117 min. At the Toronto Reel Asian International Film
Festival. Nov 12, 7pm. Bloor Cinema, 506 Bloor W. For more on Real
Asian see the Nov 13 issue of EYE WEEKLY.
The son of Jackie Chan holds his own against an elder of Hong Kong cinema in The Drummer, which makes its Toronto premiere on Nov. 12 as Reel Asian’s opening night selection. (The fest actually gets an unofficial start on Nov. 11 with an Innis Town Hall screening of the Japanese comedy Monday — look for more fest coverage in next week’s issue.)
Jaycee Chan, Jackie’s 25-year-old, California-born offspring, and Tony Leung Ka Fai (a Hong Kong movie vet who can be seen in his younger days in the current Wong Kar Wai re-release Ashes of Time Redux) star in Kenneth Bi’s second feature, an unconventional hybrid of gangster flick and modern spiritual parable. Chan plays Sid, a young tough who’s sent to hide out in Taiwan after he causes big trouble for his Triad dad Kwan (Leung). There, Sid grows interested in the Zen Drummers, a group of performers who pursue a monk-like existence on a picturesque mountainside.
Thus does Bi’s film toggle between the familiar tale of a troubled young man who learns self-discipline via adherence to ancient tradition and an equally familiar one about power struggles in Hong Kong’s underworld. But the central father-son dynamic has considerable force thanks to the strength of both lead performances. The actors’ efforts also ensure that The Drummer is one of the most distinctive Hong Kong dramas in recent years, even if the presence of the Chan brand promises a level of chopsocky action that Bi does not deliver. Instead, it’s the drums that take the real pounding here.