Blind Detective

{{Infobox film

| name = Blind Detective

| image = BlindDetective.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Film poster

| native_name = {{Infobox Chinese/Chinese|child=yes|hide=no|header=none

| t = 盲探

| s = 盲探

| p = Máng Tàn

| j = Mang4 Taam3

| poj = }}

| director = Johnnie To

| producer = Johnnie To
Wai Ka-fai

| writer =

| screenplay = {{plainlist|

Wai Ka-fai
Yau Nai-hoi
Ryker Chan
Yu Xi

}}

| starring = {{plainlist|

| music = Hal Foxton Beckett

| cinematography = Cheng Siu-Keung

| editing = Allen Leung

| studio = {{plainlist|

Media Asia Film Production
Emperor Film Production
Sil-Metropole Organization
Milkyway Image
Beijing Rosat Film and TV Production
Media Asia Film Distribution (Beijing)}}

| distributor = Media Asia Distributions

| released = {{film date|df=y|2013|5|19|Cannes Film Festival|ref1=|2013|7|4|Hong Kong and China}}

| runtime = 129 minutes

| country = Hong Kong
China{{cite web|url=http://www.filmbiz.asia/reviews/blind-detective|work=Film Business Asia|title=Blind Detective|author=Elley, Derek|access-date=June 27, 2013|date=May 22, 2013|archive-date=June 9, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609014504/http://www.filmbiz.asia/reviews/blind-detective|url-status=dead}}

| language = Cantonese

| budget = HK$85,000,000 (US$10.9 Million){{cite web|url=http://news.eastday.com/gd2008/e/2012/0319/594979832.html|script-title=zh:寰亚发布2012五大新片刘德华郑秀文再聚首|author=Lu Shu|access-date=June 27, 2013|language=zh|date=March 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524084739/http://news.eastday.com/gd2008/e/2012/0319/594979832.html|archive-date=May 24, 2013|url-status=dead}}

| gross = US$36,417,038{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/intl/?page=&country=SG&id=_fBLINDDETECTIVE01|title=Blind Detective at Box Office Mojo|access-date=2024-05-27|archive-date=2024-05-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240527033332/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl115049473/weekend/|url-status=live}}

}}

Blind Detective is a 2013 Cantonese-language action crime romantic comedy film directed by Johnnie To and starring Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng.{{cite web|url=http://twitchfilm.com/2013/06/review-blind-detective-lacks-vision-or-clear-direction.html|title=Review: BLIND DETECTIVE Lacks Vision Or Clear Direction|author=Marsh, James|access-date=June 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130626060008/http://twitchfilm.com/2013/06/review-blind-detective-lacks-vision-or-clear-direction.html|archive-date=June 26, 2013|url-status=dead}}

The film was shown as part of the Shanghai International Film Festival.{{cite web|url= http://thehkneo.com/blog/?p=4086|title= Blind Detective Review|date= 2013-07-04|access-date= 2013-07-04|work= HK Neo Reviews|archive-date= 2021-04-10|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210410110805/http://thehkneo.com/blog/?p=4086|url-status= live}}

Plot

Forced to leave service after turning blind, former detective Johnston Chong See-tun (Andy Lau) ekes out his living by solving cold cases for police rewards. During a case involving the search for the culprit who throws acid off roofs, he meets an attractive hit team inspector Goldie Ho Ka-tung (Sammi Cheng). When Ho notices Johnston's impressive investigative mind despite lack of vision, she enlists his help in a personal case she is unable to solve on her own. The two work together to solve the case as well as other cold cases.

Cast

Andy Lau as Johnston Chong See-tun (莊士敦), blind detective, a former inspector of the Regional Crime Unit known as "The God of Cracking Cases"
Sammi Cheng as Goldie Ho Ka-tung (何家彤), a police inspector
Guo Tao as Szeto Fat-bo (司徒法寶), chief inspector of the Organised Crime & Triad Bureau (OCTB)
Gao Yuanyuan as Tingting (丁丁), a dance instructor who is Johnston's dream lover.
Zi Yi as Joe (祖), Goldie's old neighbor
Lang Yueting as Minnie Lee (李小敏), Goldie's childhood friend that have gone missing during their teenage years
Cheng Ho-lam as Teenage Minnie
Lam Suet as Lee Tak-shing (李得勝)
Philip Keung as Chan Kwong (陳廣)
Chung Wong as Fat Guy (肥漢)
Lo Hoi-pang as Pang (鵬)
Bonnie Wong as Minnie's grandmother
Stephanie Che as Pang's daughter
Mimi Chu as Pang's wife
Eileen Yeow as Pang's daughter-in-law
Li Shing-cheong as Pang's son
Raymond Tsang as Pang's son-in-law
Hedi He as Joe's partner
Yan Ni as Joe's partner's wife{{Cite web |url=http://hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=15527&display_set=eng |title=Blind Detective at HKMDB |access-date=2024-05-27 |archive-date=2023-11-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129221806/https://www.hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=15527&display_set=eng |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=http://chinesemov.com/2013/Blind-Detective.html |title=Blind Detective at chinesemov.com |access-date=2024-05-27 |archive-date=2014-12-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223192809/http://chinesemov.com/2013/Blind-Detective.html |url-status=live }}

Production

Filming of Blind Detective began in the second half of 2011 in Hong Kong. In June 2012, filming halted after Sammi Cheng was diagnosed with Ménière's disease before resuming filming in August 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.jaynestars.com/news/sammi-cheng-back-to-work-with-andy-lau-in-blind-detective/|title=Sammi Cheng Back to Work with Andy Lau in "Blind Detective|access-date=2013-04-21|archive-date=2013-04-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401042559/http://www.jaynestars.com/news/sammi-cheng-back-to-work-with-andy-lau-in-blind-detective/|url-status=live}} The film held a worship ceremony on 3 September 2012.{{cite web|url=http://ent.163.com/12/0904/08/8AHVL2BL000300B1.html|title=《盲探》在港举办开机仪式郭涛刘德华首度合作|date=September 4, 2013|access-date=June 27, 2013|archive-date=September 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120907073206/http://ent.163.com/12/0904/08/8AHVL2BL000300B1.html|url-status=live}} The music in the film was provided by Canadian television music composer Hal Foxton Beckett.

Release

The film was selected to play as part of the Midnight selection at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival,{{cite web|url=http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/article/59652.html|title=2013 Official Selection|date=21 April 2013|access-date=21 April 2013|work=Cannes|archive-date=29 April 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130429232521/http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/article/59652.html|url-status=live}} while it was theatrically released on 4 July 2013 in Hong Kong and China.

Reception

Derek Elley of Film Business Asia gave the film a score of two out of ten, noting a poor script and describing it as "A rare example of a Johnnie To movie in which nothing seems to work, and even at a basic craft level is below the prolific Hong Kong director's usual standards." Neil Young The Hollywood Reporter also gave the film a negative review, calling it a "punishingly overlong, overcooked confection. Stir in frequent helpings of larkish blind-man slapstick and what results is a misshapen and unsatisfying stew of different genres."{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/blind-detective-cannes-review-525557|title=Blind Detective: Cannes Review|author=Young, Neil|date=May 20, 2013|access-date=June 27, 2013|work=The Hollywood Reporter|archive-date=December 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203205457/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/blind-detective-cannes-review-525557|url-status=live}} Lee Marshall of Screen Daily also gave the film a negative review, stating that "Blind Detective is a decidedly minor offering from the director of The Mission and last year’s impressive mainland-set Drug Wars."{{cite web|url=http://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-latest/blind-detective/5056567.article|work=Screen Daily|title=Blind Detective|date=May 20, 2013|author=Marshall, Lee|access-date=June 27, 2013|archive-date=June 9, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609210255/http://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-latest/blind-detective/5056567.article?|url-status=live}}

Andrew Chan of the Film Critics Circle of Australia wrote, "As a love story, it works, but the film falls flat on the ground with a padded up detective story that will take more than a gallon of gold to convince."{{cite web|last=Chan|first=Andrew|date=1 August 2013|title=BLIND DETECTIVE 盲探 (2013) – HONG KONG|url=http://thehkneo.com/blog/?p=4086|website=HK Neo Reviews|access-date=8 July 2013|archive-date=10 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410110805/http://thehkneo.com/blog/?p=4086|url-status=live}}

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" ;

style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"

! colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;" | Awards and nominations

style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"

! style="background:#ccc| Ceremony

! style="background:#ccc| Category

! style="background:#ccc| Recipient

! style="background:#ccc| Outcome

43rd Sitges Film Festival{{cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/71498/sitges-2013-award-winners-include-borgman-big-bad-wolves-escape-tomorrow-colony-100-blood#axzz2iJGCZS4z|title=Sitges 2013 Award Winners Include Borgman, Big Bad Wolves, Escape from Tomorrow, The Colony, 100 Bloody Acres, and Many More}}

|Best Actor

|Andy Lau

|{{Won}}

50th Golden Horse Film Awards

|Best Actress

|Sammi Cheng

|{{Nom}}

rowspan=3|33rd Hong Kong Film Awards

|Best Screenplay

|Wai Ka-fai, Yau Nai-hoi, Ryker Chan, Yu Xi

|{{Nom}}

Best Actress