41. A Guilty Conscience; movie review

 

A GUILTY CONSCIENCE

Cert 15

133 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong bloody images, domestic abuse, suicide references

Oh, this was an unexpected cracker.

A Guilty Conscience is a twisting Hong Kong courtroom drama which has the audience guessing until its final moments.

At its centre is a riveting performance by Dayo Wong as a cynical lawyer who is marking time before retirement.

He goes through the motions in what he believes is the comfortable defence of a young mother (Jolene Tsang) on domestic abuse charges.

However, he is caught out by a prosecution swerve and his innocent client is jailed for a long stretch.

Shamed by his own conduct, he lives with guilt until the chance comes for redemption.

Wong excels as the washed-up lawyer who unexpectedly finds his old spark, Kai-Wa Ho is his hilarious assistant and Renci Yeung plays his ambitious colleague who is initially dismayed by her senior's behaviour.

A Guilty Conscience is a smart detective story which also makes heavy points about corruption and manipulation in Hong Kong.

Indeed, the misuse of power by the rich is one of the biggest takeaways.

Jack Ng's movie works so well because of its smart, often amusing narrative and a hero who is deeply flawed.

I was surprised at how much it gripped me and pleased to see a decent-sized audience lapping it up at Birmingham's New Street Odeon.

However, it seemed that everyone but me was of Asian descent and A Guilty Conscience deserves wider appreciation. Indeed, it is a shame I don't see more cross-over among cinema-goers generally. 

So, if you get a chance to see it, do.

Reasons to watch: Riveting drama

Reasons to avoid: A tad drawn-out

Laughs: Three

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8.5/10

Did you know? Despite Britain's withdrawal from Hong Kong in 1997, the common law system continues to be practised as constitutionally guaranteed, making the city the only common law jurisdiction within China,

The final word. Jack Ng: “I feel most, or some, of these issues can be resolved. A lot depends on whether there are kind-hearted people willing to sacrifice their time and efforts to help the poor. I sincerely hope that in the future, there will be more stepping up to help.” The Straits Times

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