Following the enjoyable street-level One Night In Mongkok, Yee’s Protégé is a more ambitious story of international drug trafficking from the poppy fields of Thailand to the streets of Hong Kong and into the West.
Nick (Wu) has been deep undercover for seven years, graduating to the inner circle of high-level dope peddler Kwan (Lau), who sees the young turk as his heir apparent.
Kwan is slowly dying of kidney disease and wants his empire in the hands of someone trustworthy, and to seal the deal attempts to partner Nick up with his sister-in-law.
Wearied because of his affection for Kwan, who argues himself a businessman, and his duty to nail the drug lord, Nick wants out but is forced to remain undercover to bust a wider ring.
Nick also discovers himself guardian to smack addict Fan (Zhang) and her young daughter, and when a customs bust threatens the entire operation, Kwan smells a rat and the cop realizes his cover is one slip away from being blown.
Gripping, violent and surprisingly emotional, Protégé deserves to repeat its Eastern success in the West.
The anti-drugs message allows no shades of grey, but contains nightmarish images guaranteed to make you just say no, including Fan's kid slipping a needle out of her mum’s arm, and an OD victim covered in rats. But the script scores bitter points with UN leaflet drops providing dealers with invaluable info.
Where Protégé works best is in Nick and Kwan’s relationship, with both Lau and Wu offering committed performances, and the brief, but ferocious bursts of violence, a stand-out being the bloody customs bust on par with Michael Mann at the top of his game.
When Derek Yee finally gets the recognition he deserves, remember you read it here first.
Rob Daniel
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