Movie review: "Confession Of Pain" (2006)

I'll say one thing for this Hong Kong crime flick: it’s unusual. Rather than a cops vs gangs power struggle, we get an implausible murder and enough emotional trauma for a year’s worth of daytime soap – which would be hard to endure if "Confession Of Pain" wasn’t so elegantly crafted.

When the girlfriend of policeman Bong (Takeshi Kaneshiro) commits suicide, he sinks into whisky worship, quits the force, begins dating a club hostess who charges him "rent", and becomes a cheapo private detective.

His ex-partner Hei (Tony Leung) and Hei’s wife Susan (Jing Lei Xu) stay in contact with their troubled friend and after her wealthy father’s beaten to death in a well-secured home, they employ Bong to investigate.

As he stumbles drunkenly toward the solution, Bong can’t help uncovering secrets about all of the characters, including his dead lover – deceptions, connections, long-hidden hurts and an elaborate quest for vengeance.

Final word: Suffering in silence begets ultraviolence.

[Australian DVD release date: May 16]