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"People can't be worse than wolves"
A World Without Thieves starring Andy Lau, Rene Liu, and Ge You had packs of thieves on a train all stalking a naïve young temple carpenter unwisely carrying his life savings. The cast alone made this film worth watching for me.
Wang Bo and Wang Li are thieves looking to fence a BMW in the Gansu province. Li is ready to retire and live a normal life, something Bo has no interest in. When they stop at a temple for Li to pray, Bo makes use of the time pickpocketing the other worshippers. The two agree to part ways when Li insists she’s turning over a new leaf. At the train station, Li befriends a young man who doesn’t believe there are any thieves and announces to the crowd that he is carrying 60,000 yuan ($8000 USD). Li is determined to protect him and his funds while Bo strategizes how to steal them, all while fending off the other thieves he has identified. Before long, it appears that there are more wolves than people on the train all seeking to fleece the innocent lamb.
Lau and Liu had great chemistry as the bickering couple. Lau’s job of being taken seriously was undermined by one of filmdom’s worst wigs ever. Spoiler alert, the wig was murdered later in the movie which all but made me stand up and cheer! Ge You wasn’t outshone as the leader of a gang of thieves. A master of disguise that didn’t fool many people he was the perfect foil for the lovers. An egg peeling duel between Bo and Uncle Li was fascinating. Li Bing Bing played Uncle Li’s very limber #1.
The cinematography, especially in the first part of the movie was stunning. The open vistas and mountains tried to steal focus from the photogenic actors. Once on the train, the feeling became more claustrophobic with thieves circling each other and the hapless and clueless carpenter. There were several fights in tight spaces that were shot super close and more balletic than realistic. And apparently, several of the characters had ride on top of a train in their bucket list.
A World Without Thieves was a comedic thriller for much of the running time. This being a Chinese film, don’t put too much trust in the almost campy thief competitions of one-upmanship. It’s all fun and games until the blood starts flowing. The story of redemption and just deserts was wobbly in places, but like gifted pickpockets, the strong cast were successful in drawing attention away from the film’s weaknesses…most of the time.
“Even ghosts will work for money.”
19 February 2025
Wang Bo and Wang Li are thieves looking to fence a BMW in the Gansu province. Li is ready to retire and live a normal life, something Bo has no interest in. When they stop at a temple for Li to pray, Bo makes use of the time pickpocketing the other worshippers. The two agree to part ways when Li insists she’s turning over a new leaf. At the train station, Li befriends a young man who doesn’t believe there are any thieves and announces to the crowd that he is carrying 60,000 yuan ($8000 USD). Li is determined to protect him and his funds while Bo strategizes how to steal them, all while fending off the other thieves he has identified. Before long, it appears that there are more wolves than people on the train all seeking to fleece the innocent lamb.
Lau and Liu had great chemistry as the bickering couple. Lau’s job of being taken seriously was undermined by one of filmdom’s worst wigs ever. Spoiler alert, the wig was murdered later in the movie which all but made me stand up and cheer! Ge You wasn’t outshone as the leader of a gang of thieves. A master of disguise that didn’t fool many people he was the perfect foil for the lovers. An egg peeling duel between Bo and Uncle Li was fascinating. Li Bing Bing played Uncle Li’s very limber #1.
The cinematography, especially in the first part of the movie was stunning. The open vistas and mountains tried to steal focus from the photogenic actors. Once on the train, the feeling became more claustrophobic with thieves circling each other and the hapless and clueless carpenter. There were several fights in tight spaces that were shot super close and more balletic than realistic. And apparently, several of the characters had ride on top of a train in their bucket list.
A World Without Thieves was a comedic thriller for much of the running time. This being a Chinese film, don’t put too much trust in the almost campy thief competitions of one-upmanship. It’s all fun and games until the blood starts flowing. The story of redemption and just deserts was wobbly in places, but like gifted pickpockets, the strong cast were successful in drawing attention away from the film’s weaknesses…most of the time.
“Even ghosts will work for money.”
19 February 2025
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