Near the beginning of “Project Gutenberg,” the film’s protagonist, a forger, artist and counterfeiter named Lee Man, describes his new artwork, an original piece drawing on the styles of four different Chinese masters.
As the new film from “Infernal Affairs” screenwriter Felix Chong unfolds, it becomes apparent that Lee’s artwork is a metaphor for “Project Gutenberg” itself.
With influences as varied as “A Better Tomorrow,” “Fight Club,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and “The Usual Suspects,” “Project Gutenberg” follows Lee Man, played by Aaron Kwok, as he recounts the story of his involvement with a shadowy underworld figure known only as Painter, played by international superstar Chow Yun-fat, to Hong Kong police.
The film makes heavy use of Chow’s still-shining star and public persona, casting him as an uber-cool forger, thief and counterfeiter with ice in his veins. Chow plays all the hits here, with the charismatic monologues and the spinning, slow-motion, balletic shootouts that made him and frequent collaborator John Woo household names.
This is not to say that the film merely coasts on Chow’s stardom. In fact, it uses him as a metatextual reference for the film’s, whose Chinese title is roughly translated as “Irreplaceable," examination of the nature of counterfeits, doubles and copies, and how characters use them to replace and fill holes and gaps in their lives.
Sure, some of the style might be cribbed from masters such as John Woo and David Fincher, but this film is a work all on its own, just like Lee Man’s painting.
The nonlinear narrative spans the width of several years, bouncing back and forth between Hong Kong and Vancouver’s Chinatown, as an ever-changing web of criminal activities and deception is spun. Especial plaudits are reserved for writer and director Chong and editor Curran Pang for keeping the crime epic narrative so easy to understand while ensuring that the breakneck pace never breaks stride.
Mileage might vary for audiences regarding the twists and turns of the third act, but this is filmmaking done by those who have made a career out of doing it well, and two different close-ups on actresses Zhang Jingchu and Joyce Feng in the film’s final moments will take up residence in this viewer’s mind for a while.
“Project Gutenberg” is currently playing a limited engagement at AMC Classic Auburn 14 on University Avenue from Friday, Nov. 30 until Wednesday, Dec. 12.
The Chinese Student Organization brought the film to Auburn in an effort to immerse Auburn students and residents in a part of their culture. The dialogue is simultaneously subtitled in Chinese and English, and tickets are available at the theater.
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