Blind Detective

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

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. The film held a worship ceremony on 3 September 2012. 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, 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 negative review 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." 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."

Andrew Chan of the Film Critics Circle of Australia writes, "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. "