Vengeance (Fuk sau) (2009)

91% of critics liked it
(22 reviews)
57% of users liked it
(1,370 ratings)

A French chef and former assassin wrestles with his failing memory while fighting to avenge the murder of his daughter's family in Hong Kong in director Johnny To's stylish, action-packed meditation on the true nature of revenge. Her Chinese husband and their two young children brutally gunned down… More A French chef and former assassin wrestles with his failing memory while fighting to avenge the murder of his daughter's family in Hong Kong in director Johnny To's stylish, action-packed meditation on the true nature of revenge. Her Chinese husband and their two young children brutally gunned down during a gangland hit, a mortally wounded French woman clings to life in a Hong Kong hospital. Upon arriving at his daughter's bedside, the shooting victim's father, Costello (Johnny Hallyday), vows to put the triggermen in the ground despite the vehement objections of police investigating the case. Before Costello became a cook, he too was a killer, but these days his past is just a distant blur. However, when Costello happens across a trio of hitmen (Anthony Wong, Lam Ka-tung, and Lam Suet) with the resources to strike back at his daughter's attackers, his killer instinct returns, and he begs their arrogant boss, Fung (Simon Yam), to help him seek revenge. As the operation gets under way, Fung and his men discover that Costello was once much more than a humble cook, but that his rapidly fading memory now makes him a vulnerable target to anyone who knows the secret to his treacherous past. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 48 min.
Directed By: Johnnie To
Written By: Wai Ka-fai
Genres: Action & Adventure, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Aug 4, 2010 Wide
On DVD: Nov 16, 2010
Studio: IFC Films

Critic Reviews

V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Few directors make ac tion movies with the pizazz of Hong Kong's Johnnie To...
Manohla Dargis, New York Times
Both newcomers to Mr. To and longtime admirers should be prepared for a master class in directing.
J. Hoberman, Village Voice
Vengeance tempers tough-guy sentimentality with schoolyard existentialism.
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle
To's smooth, balletic style, noirish lighting schemes and compositions are made for the big screen...
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
A formula thriller done as an elegant genre exercise.
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice
More than once does To's grandiose imagism miraculously grant this rote thriller a gleam of the sublime.
Ryan Cracknell, Movie Views
To does a fantastic job of providing a good sense of style and structure to the numerous action scenes, but they're not over the top or cartoonish.
Glenn Heath Jr., Slant Magazine
Resting firmly on this relentless pacing, Vengeance becomes obsessed with the lasting effect of vengeance on the traditional machinations of plot and character.
Daniel Eagan, Film Journal International
Grieving father hires three hit men to avenge his daughter's family. Accomplished thriller marks Hong Kong director Johnnie To's first European co-production.
David Fear, Time Out New York
You need to be one helluva director to pull off using kids' stickers as a climactic plot point; this auteur makes it look like child's play.
Chuck Bowen, Slant Magazine
Johnnie To isn't a good action director, he's a good director period-and Vengeance is one of his best.
Sean Axmaker, Parallax View
Gaunt and weathered, Hallyday is superb casting... and slips right in to [Johnnie] To's brand of taciturn camaraderie and silent communication...
Corey Hall, Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Johnny Hallyday and Johnnie To's glorious throwback to bitter bullets and bloody revenge
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix
Veteran Hong Kong filmmaker To mixes the grand gestures of John Woo with the tactics of Christopher Nolan's Memento; the result ranges from the silly to the sublime.
Prairie Miller, Purple Revolver
To's focus is less about gunning down the bad guys - although there's plenty of that - than crystallizing with precision the visceral sensations surrounding violence, and the many metaphysical looming silences in between, as if lyrical canvases in motion.
Prairie Miller, NewsBlaze
To's focus is less about gunning down the bad guys - although there's plenty of that - than crystallizing with precision the visceral sensations surrounding violence, and the many metaphysical looming silences in between, as if lyrical canvases in motion.
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
To derives from maestro John Woo and there is much influence by the older filmmaker in the spirit of the film. This is not necessarily a bad thing but more originality would have helped.
Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews
Director Johnnie To...delivers a terrific Asian noir featuring stunning cinematography, balletic gunplay...and a better than average story that harkens back to the 2003 Dutch/Belgian "The Memory of a Killer"
Anton Bitel, Eye for Film
much as To inverted the policier with a Mad Detective, here he presents us with the genre-subverting paradox of a forgetful avenger, determined to find satisfaction, but unable to remember for what or from whom.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...the movie doesn't entirely go off the rails until the first major shoot-out rolls around...

Read all 20 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Tsubaki S

To does it again, and again, and again. Clever play of cultural exchanges, the right ammount of dialogues, the right ammount of action. To could direct a commercial about tea and make it the most badass thing ever. There should also be a national day to celebrate the greatness of… More
To does it again, and again, and again. Clever play of cultural exchanges, the right ammount of dialogues, the right ammount of action. To could direct a commercial about tea and make it the most badass thing ever. There should also be a national day to celebrate the greatness of Simon Yam all over the world.
Justin Y

Johnnie To's Vengeance is nothing out of the ordinary for a Hong Kong crime thriller. Nothing out of the ordinary in Johnnie To's universe to be more specific.The 1 hour and 50 minutes isn't exactly a walk through the park, despite… More
Johnnie To's Vengeance is nothing out of the ordinary for a Hong Kong crime thriller. Nothing out of the ordinary in Johnnie To's universe to be more specific.The 1 hour and 50 minutes isn't exactly a walk through the park, despite it's simple plot. The pacing is considerably slow, but Johnnie To's cinematography keeps the film afloat. While the characters lack background, the story successfully builds up the comradery between the protagonists, which is necessary since much of the film spends time with them as they carry out their mission.The bullet ballet action sequences are a mixed bag and it is the final 30 minutes that disappoints the most. Nonetheless, they are still a good watch.It is nice to see a combination of French, Cantonese, and English dialogue; however, this also hurts the film. The dialogue does get plain and it comes across blandly as the actors deliver some of their lines. The film centers around Johnny Hallyday, but the trio of Anthony Wong, Ka Tung Lam, and Lam Suet are the more interesting characters to watch.There is no question that Vengeance does have its flaws. Fortunately, To's style is enough to overcome them.
Donnie D

When it comes to Johnnie To I usually enjoy his action movies and the way he tell a story with the camera. Though this is similar to his other work and lack any surprise, I still found myself being amazed by it. Vengeance is about a French chef (with a memory problem) who swears… More
When it comes to Johnnie To I usually enjoy his action movies and the way he tell a story with the camera. Though this is similar to his other work and lack any surprise, I still found myself being amazed by it. Vengeance is about a French chef (with a memory problem) who swears revenge after a violent attack on his daughter's family in Hong Kong. To help him find the killers, he hires three local hit-men working for the mafia. Now since I've seen Johnnie To other movies I knew what to expect from pacing, but it story really didn't standout from his other work. Now this is about a French chef who loses his memory while trying to revenge and these type of characters have been done better. What we do get is the usual well told story, though at points our protagonist isn't always realistic as a character. It's a fascinating revenge story with interesting characters, but you won't be surprised if you seen Johnnie To other movies. What also stays the same is the cast, now I don't have a problem with this because they have yet to give a bad performance. The same with the always spectacular cinematography which is always a high point in Johnnie To movies. The locations in this movie are filmed so breathtakingly well that I actually wanted to jump through my T.V. screen and go to that location. As for the action sequences they have purpose and meaning with the story and I always enjoy it when Johnnie To films a action scene because it's done so well. Vengeance is a movie that won't surprise any Johnnie To fan, but it will provide the entertainment you expect from him. While the main character may come out uninteresting and unrealistic at times, he is a fascinating protagonist that stands out from other in these genre.
Walter M

In "Vengeance," Irene(Sylvie Testud) has just barely survived a brutal attack that claims the lives of her husband(Vincent Sze) and two young children. In the hospital, she asks her father, Francis(No relation to Suzie or Elvis) Costello(Johnny Hallyday) to avenge her. The… More
In "Vengeance," Irene(Sylvie Testud) has just barely survived a brutal attack that claims the lives of her husband(Vincent Sze) and two young children. In the hospital, she asks her father, Francis(No relation to Suzie or Elvis) Costello(Johnny Hallyday) to avenge her. The problem is he does not know his way around the neon lit streets of Macao well enough to dodge the questions of Inspector Wong(Maggie Siu), much less put together any kind of plan. So, he hires local help in the persons of three hitmen, Kwai(Anthony Wong Chau-Sang), Chu(Ka Tung Lam) and Fat Lok(Suet Lam), that he encounters after they complete a job for their boss, George Fung(Simon Yam). "Vengeance" is a stylish, violent, yet derivative, movie that has little new to say on the subjects of violence and revenge. However, it does have some great set pieces and Johnny Hallyday who is adept at playing both imposing and soulful, proving that a hat definitely makes one look more like a badass. On the emotional side of the equation, Costello and Irene have a close relationship as he was the one who showed her how to protect herself when she was younger while his backstory is not exactly the one I was expecting. The men that Costello hires may not win any humanitarian awards any time soon but they live by a code that is broken by the gang in the opening moments. So, with all the blood shed, it might also be surprising to hear how much food brings people together here.
Ryan M

8.4/10 Interesting color schemes. Nice usage of lighting. Truly kick-ass action sequences. I like Johnnie To's "Vengeance" because it contains all three. I almost loved the film; none the less, it's quite great. I'm not sure if one would call it a… More
8.4/10 Interesting color schemes. Nice usage of lighting. Truly kick-ass action sequences. I like Johnnie To's "Vengeance" because it contains all three. I almost loved the film; none the less, it's quite great. I'm not sure if one would call it a masterpiece, but all I can really conclude from it after finishing it is: man, that was AWESOME! And yes, AWESOME, with the big, radical capital letters. I enjoy a traditionally and skillfully made revenge flick, especially one from Hong Kong...and France. I'm always in the mood for these films; I'm always in the mood to smile at masterfully crafted, bloody, relentlessly violent action scenes. When the fools of Hollywood can't impress me, I turn to foreign countries for worthwhile films, and I'm almost always glad to do this. The film is sort of a cross-breed between "Memento", "Unforgiven", and "Oldboy". Whether it is intended as some kind of sly, slick homage to all three of those films, I'm not certain; and I don't need to be. The story involves a former-chef named Francis Costello (Johnny Hallyday) who hungers for vengeance after his daughter and her family is assaulted in their home by three mysterious men. The woman's husband is killed; although she survives, although is suffering injuries in the hospital. This is where Costello meets up with her, and promises that he will find her assailants, and kill them. Now, this is where things get interesting. Costello hires a trio of high-class hitmen, who he first meets whilst incidentally overhearing one of their very own hits (which is, if you must know, one which involves killing their bosses unfaithful lover). After gearing up with fire-arms and with the other men at his side, Costello is ready to delve deep into the world of violence once again, as it was hinted that he had a past of guns and blood, but was hoping to leave it all behind him. Fat chance, given the sticky situation he is in now. As can be expected, Costello hunts down the home-invaders, tries to kill them and only succeeds after a few failed attempts. But at least I can say that each "failed attempt" was a beautifully shot, energetically staged one. There's one shootout during the nighttime, and it takes place in the woods. Great scene. There's another fantastic moment in which the enemy assassins hide behind...I didn't know what the hell they were, but from memory, I believe they looked like hay barrels. Another great scene. Basically, the gun-fights are some of the best I've seen in a long time; which is good. It's a good, nice feeling to experience something new and particularly exciting. "Vengeance" gave me a certain kind of rush that cannot be often found in most films, so in that sense, it's a treat not only stylistically, but also as an experience all-together. It's pretty damn cool. But can a film be "cool" and also "great"? I suppose so. There are plenty of films that I have seen and loved that could also be called "great". For instance, "The Social Network" is hip, accessible, and indeed, "cool". But it's also compelling, flawlessly crafted, and unforgettable; much like "Vengeance", but just a wee bit different and just a wee better. Anyways, I can't truly compare them. Johnnie To is, quite possibly, very good at making films such as this one. I wouldn't know (yet), given that I haven't seen any of his previous pictures. But honestly, I'd like to; this one was pretty darn good. The direction is pitch-perfect. The filmmaker, To, focuses a lot on cinematography, but is also able to weave an impressively old-fashion revenge tale. It's not a perfect or entirely original one, but it's all that I needed for an entertaining and passionately made night at the movies. Another thing I strongly admired was the performance of the film's star, Johnny Hallyday, a popular French singer. I'm sure he wouldn't be everyone's first-choice when it comes to a revenge-seeking father, but I tell you; he does so well here, that you lose the ability to care. He's really in to his character, and his performance...and the intensity that he gives off, on an atmospheric level. "Vengeance", as an all-around film, is half-style, half-substance, and 100% bad-ass. And that's probably all the reasons why you should see it.
Brett W

The French Al Pacino gets his revenge... his boring, boring revenge.
Ed Fucking H

Very solid Hong Kong revenge flick. This ones a slow burner for sure, which builds great tension and gives the movie a lot of atmosphere. When it does boil over into a barrage of violence the shoot outs are nothing short of stunning. The shoot outs themselves bring to mind several… More
Very solid Hong Kong revenge flick. This ones a slow burner for sure, which builds great tension and gives the movie a lot of atmosphere. When it does boil over into a barrage of violence the shoot outs are nothing short of stunning. The shoot outs themselves bring to mind several classic Spaghetti Western films. The whole film is shot very stylishly and is great to look at. The themes of honour and revenge are very poignant but never heavy handed, making this a lot more intresting than it would have been in another filmmakers hands. This was my first run in with Johnny To's work but I think I'll definently seek out some of his other work in the near future.