SPARROW Three Disc Limited Edition DVD Review

Terracotta Distribution:

Daily proceedings of a band of pick-pockets are disrupted by the sudden appearance of a beautiful and mysterious lady, who turns the tables on them. Following her trail, the pick-pockets are led to a face-off on the streets of Hong Kong with a rival pick-pocket gang, with both gangs vying for the possession of this enigmatic lady. A comedy caper with comparisons to French New Wave work such as 'Umbrellas of Cherbourg', SPARROW has the stylish trademarks of a Johnnie To film, with a wonderful jazz-tinged soundtrack and a photographic blend of the nostalgic old Hong Kong and the modern sky-scraper city.

Sparrow is a wonderfully lyrical and breezy little film from a director whom we are not used to seeing make breezy little films.  Johnnie To's ode to the French New Wave and caper films is a labor of love.  Filmed over the course of three years with his favored leading man, Simon Yam, Sparrow is very much a To film, but a lot quieter and more contemplative.  There have been a few reviews out there saying that the film isn't quite focused enough to sit among the upper echelon of To's work, but I think that anything you do in spurts over the course of three years is probably bound to be a little bit scattered.  That never bothered me, I was too busy allowing myself to be carried away by the zest for life of these pickpockets, their marks, and the crime boss who doesn't take kindly to crooks horning in on his business.

One thing that cannot be faulted about Sparrow is the acting.  Yam is perfect as the dashing criminal, always dressed for success, even as he is driving a shitty getaway car from a day of picking those unsuspecting pockets.  His unrequited love interest is the lovely, yet disaffected Kelly Lin, who is torn between her affection for Yam and his band of ruffians, and her boss.  Either way, she's the one who loses, but who will she choose?

Most of the ScreenAnarchy writers also fell in love with Sparrow.  The only review I can find in our archive right now it Todd's, in which he says:

It is a film as light and effortless as Exiled is kinetic, a film that balances Mad Detective's delusions with a sort of grace. Fans who only want to see To shoot the hell out of stuff - which he does as well or better than anyone else on the planet - may well be disappointed with Sparrow but for those willing to go where To wants to take them this is proof that he is a hugely talented director with simply enormous range.

I couldn't agree more.  For me, Sparrow fits more in the vein of To's concluding section of the three director experiment, Triangle.  His sense of humor is on full display in both, and both and very strong.  From his early comedies like Stephen Chow's Justice, My Foot and The Mad Monk, through to his more recent hardboiled gangster epics like the Election films and Exiled, To has been evolving into one of the world's premiere filmmakers in any genre.  It is a shame that he hasn't become more well known in the west outside of cinephile circles.  Sparrow is a beautiful film that just warms the heart, it isn't romantic in a traditional sense, but it makes you fall in love with the movies all over again.

The Disc:

Terracotta Distribution have given Sparrow a handsome transfer, with a very good image and solid sound, which is essential, given the amazing soundtrack of this film.  There aren't really any nits to pick about the A/V of this DVD.  It is solid, however there is treasure once you move beyond the film.

Terracotta have really outdone themselves with this 3 disc edition of Sparrow.  In addition to the film, there is a second DVD case which houses one disc of extras, and a second CD of the soundtrack of Sparrow, which is absolutely magical.  I've been playing it in my car for days and days on repeat.  One of very few musical scores I have any desire to own, and here it is!  On the bonus DVD is a great hour-long documentary titled "Johnnie Get Your Gun", made by French documentarian, Yves Montmayeur.  The film is a fascinating look behind the scenes of several of To's films from 2006 forward (Breaking News, Exiled, Election, Sparrow) as well as behind the scenes of To's Milkyway Studio. There is a lot of interview footage from several different settings, and a lot of behind the scenes material that is really interesting.  The documentary also features a fun section following Simon Yam around Milkyway and into the set of the final shootout of Exiled which was built on the building's roof (!).  This isn't a terribly probing documentary, but more of an extended behind the scenes feature, however, it is a lot of fun to peek behind the curtain when To is working.  Rounding out the extras are several interviews with Cast and Crew that are, I believe, exclusive to this DVD set.  A wonderful set for a fantastic film. 

Terracotta Distribution have really gone the extra mile to make this a definitive edition of Sparrow.  My only regret is that it is on DVD rather than Blu, but Terracotta haven't yet made the leap, hopefully they will soon, they've got a great catalog to start with.  Even so, with the amazing soundtrack CD included and Johnnie Got His Gun on the bonus disc, I'll definitely cherish this edition and I heartily recommend it without hesitation!