Mr. Long

Story: Long (Chang Chen) is a professional hitman. Immediately after successfully completing his last assignment, he gets another job. This time, he has to go to Japan to eliminate a high-ranking member of the Yakuza. However, he makes a mistake and is captured by the gangsters. Through a series of lucky circumstances, he manages to escape. Unfortunately, the gangsters have destroyed his passport and taken all his belongings. Long has also been grazed by a bullet and is injured. He finds shelter in an abandoned settlement with numerous empty houses. There, a young boy named Jun (Bai Run-yin) helps him by bringing him clothes, bandages and food. Jun even understands his language because his mother is from Taiwan. Eventually, Long also meets Jun's mother, Lily (Yao Yiti), who is a drug addict and neglects her son. Long puts her through cold turkey. Meanwhile, while cooking outdoors, Long happens to meet an old man. The man tries the simple meal and is impressed by Long's cooking skills. As a result, he ends up cooking for some locals during a get-together, who pay him and help him settle into his apartment. They also find a way for him to support himself as an undocumented immigrant. Long drifts aimlessly due to the language barrier, but hopes to return to Taiwan on the next ship. But there's still the unfinished job ...

Review: Oftentimes, it's convenience that drives my decision of what movie to watch. This was also the case with "Mr. Long", which is available on Amazon Prime. Since I hadn't seen Chang Chen in a film for quite some time, and Sabu, whose last film I watched was probably "The Blessing Bell", sat in the director's chair, I opted for this gangster drama. While it doesn't present a groundbreaking story at its core, it manages to create its own unique world through its characters and atmosphere. Due to the language barrier, there isn't much traditional communication — though the characters aren't mute, as is sometimes the case with art-house films — but somehow, understanding is achieved through actions and the prevailing circumstances. "Mr. Long" is essentially about a professional hitman stranded in Japan, more or less just killing time until he can catch the next ship home. In doing so, he touches the lives of others, and these people, in turn, slowly but surely change his view of the world. The big question, of course, is whether Long can find a new perspective on life.

It's just as likely, however, that the hitman will be haunted by his past and forced to return onto his path of killing. These two possibilities create a certain tension that carries us through the slower scenes. And there are quite a few of those, which shouldn't go unmentioned as a point of criticism. We constantly linger on seemingly unimportant scenes; there's even a traditional play performed by amateurs (more or less the "neighbors" who adopted Mr. Long). So, one has to accept that Sabu repeatedly uses these scenes to create atmosphere. You might not suspect it at first, but it definitely pays off in the end, because the film can become surprisingly emotional and poignant. In fact, you never quite know what's going to happen next. The opening scene, with the extremely violent use of a knife as an assassination tool, leaves no doubt that we'll see something similar again at some point, and this stands in stark contrast to the drama that has unfolded on screen up to that point.

Chang Chen, who appeared in "Brotherhood of Blades 2" that same year, brings the necessary intensity to his character. He isn't cruel and seems primarily to only ever kill gangsters, but it remains a fact that he's a contract killer. He even punches Lily in the face — and yet he's more likable than the drug-addicted mother. Especially since he hits her precisely because she thinks only about drugs and neglects her son. For quite a while, we wonder whether a love story is meant to grow from all this, but Sabu doesn't take such a simplistic approach in his screenplay. Rather, a peculiar bond develops between the two and the son Jun, leading one to wonder if a family could form without romance between Lily and Long playing a role. In fact, Jun is the common thread. A child who, despite the harsh conditions under which he grows up, is helpful and responsible. Not only does he help Mr. Long in his greatest hour of need, but he even lends a hand when Long is forced to open a food stall. Our professional killer doesn't show his gratitude or any other emotion, but the little boy clearly grows on him.

After almost an hour, the story shifts its focus to Lily, showing us how she became a drug addict. A tragic backstory lies behind her decisions, as we would expect, but it all feels very natural, and you do indeed develop a different perspective on the mother, no longer judging her so harshly. Without giving too much away, there are ultimately one or two decisions that, to put it mildly, simply don't make us sympathize with her, even though she is able to express her love for her son at times, which makes us feel at least somewhat closer to her. In contrast to Lily and Mr. Long's grim reality, there are the elderly neighbors, who are almost obtrusively helpful and offer the killer a life away from bloody knife fights. Long is aware of what path he has chosen in life, though, and that he won't easily escape it. Furthermore, there is his target, whom he couldn't eliminate and who might be able to track him down. If he did, he would endanger his innocent neighbors as well.

"Mr. Long" sprinkles in some very dry humor here and there, which lightens the melancholic, almost hopeless mood. This is a good thing, because the dilapidated houses, inhabited by no one but the occasional junkie, create an almost post-apocalyptic atmosphere. Furthermore, a warmth can be felt beneath the harsh surface. The ending underscores this and also shows that with this gangster drama, you never know what to expect next. As I said, you have to be able to tolerate a few drawn-out scenes, but new impulses like Lily's story can rekindle interest. For much of the film, I wasn't sure whether "Mr. Long" was worth recommending, but the ending really puts things in perspective, and that was only possible because of the excellent groundwork laid. So, if you can appreciate a quiet drama that erupts into a bloody massacre at two points, you'll find it worthwhile. The film even managed to bring a smile to my face in the end. Something I hadn't expected at first, given the gloomy overall tone.

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