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When talking about the 2007 Derek Yee film, Protégé, most reviewers draw comparisons to Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic. Considering that both films examine the drug trade from the point of view of dealers, junkies, and cops, it’s a comparison that’s not entirely without merit. However, the film that came to my mind when watching it was 1997’s Donnie Brasco, or even the more recent The Departed.
In Protégé, Danny Wu stars as Nick, an undercover detective who’s spent seven years working for Hong Kong’s chief heroin distributor, Quin, played by veteran star Andy Lau. Suffering from kidney failure and wishing to spend more time with his family, Quin is looking to retire, so he considers taking Nick on as an eventual replacement. As Nick learns the ins and outs of the heroin trade, his relationship with Quin becomes more and more brotherly. Simultaneously, he finds himself becoming involved with Fan (Zhang Jin Chu), a young single mother who lives next door with a three-year-old daughter, a possessive and thoroughly despicable estranged husband, and a heroin habit.
While the film explicitly deals with the dangers and destruction wrought by the illegal drug trade, what stands out the most is the vicious emotional tug-of-war that envelopes Nick. Danny Wu, an American-born actor, plays Nick with a stoicism that could almost be seen as a kind of emotional catatonia. His matter-of-factness and deliberate intelligence cement his appeal to both Quin and Fan, but it all begin to break down the closer he gets to both of them. The situation locks him in a three-way vice between his duty to the police, his friendship with Quin, and his burgeoning relationship with Fan. He must continue to work effectively, distributing drugs for Quin (the same drugs that are destroying Fan), until he’s collected enough information to send Quin to prison for life—which, combined with his ill health and the nature of the drug trade, will likely end his life sooner rather than later. Nick has no options that won’t end in the destruction of at least one of them or himself.
What evokes the comparisons to Traffic is the breadth of knowledge conveyed about the drug trade. The film follows Quin and Nick from the basics of drug distribution, back through the processing labs, and even to the poppy fields of Thailand. Derek Yee takes this wealth of information and keeps it fascinating through assured direction and some truly gorgeous visuals. The foray into Thailand especially is stunning, complete with the leads riding elephants through a field of poppy blossoms.
Each of the lead actors delivers a compelling performance, ranging from Nick’s emotional reserve to Fan’s desperation. Andy Lau, who’s typically cast as the hero, plays Quin as a sympathetic monster, a man who loves his wife and family but simply passes over the misery that his work spreads. Only Louis Koo, playing Fan’s abusive junkie husband, seems out of place. In a film that succeeds best when it tamps down on surface emotion, his over-the-top antics frequently break the effect.
As is usual with Dragon Dynasty releases, Protégé includes an informational commentary by Bey Logan and interviews with Danny Wu, Zhang Jin Chu, and producer Peter Chan. Each is worth watching, both for information on the film and the better understanding of Hong Kong cinema in general that each brings.
It’s an old story in the movies: the travails of the undercover cop in the drug trade. Protégé doesn’t innovate in the genre, but everyone involved brings their best to the work, and the effort shows. As such, it stands with the best of them, not merely their protégé but a fully-realized partner.
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