Da Zhi Lao

Former monk, now bodybuilder/male stripper Andy Lau possesses the ability to see a person’s karma, the fate that they have earned in this life for their deeds in a past incarnation. His attempts to protect young cop Cheung from her predestined horrible fate through a series of visually exultant surreal action set pieces, are doomed. The film starts as dazzling fantasy action (a shape-shifting Indian contortionist, a Human Fly), then moves through semi-romantic suspense thriller until it finally blossoms into an entirely original, structurally complex Buddhist philosophical treatise. This unexpected Buddhist turn launches the world of the film beyond typical To tragedy into an entirely new and uncanny realm. (S. Kraicer)