Sisters Lynn (Shu) and Sue (Zhao) are high-tech
killers-for-hire. Lynn does the actual killing
while Sue offers technical backup with her arsenal
of computers and satellite hookups. Lynn asks
for instructs and Sue provides them. They have
access to a network of satellite images though
their father he invented some fancy system and
was killed for it. The sisters have been using
the network for dubious purposes ever since.
On their trail is a cop, Hong (Mok), whom both
sisters play cat and mouse with on various occasions.

Lynn's boyfriend proposes to her and she decides
to get out of the business; she's tired of having
blood on her hands and tells Sue to cancel their
latest contract. Sue has no boyfriend (or girlfriend
as the case may be) and is inwardly distraught
at being both the more passive of the duo and
being told (not asked) to close up shop.
Thus, Sue decides to take matters into her own
hands.

As Lynn, Shu is calm and cool as any assassin
should be, but her character is the least interesting
of the three leads. Of course there is the mandatory
mushy romance subplot with Lynn's boyfriend (Song
Seung Hun) but luckily that story is cut short
about halfway through the film. Mok is good as
the cop, cool under pressure and packs a lot
of energy into her seemingly mousy appearance.
The one who really shines here though is Zhao.
As Sue, Zhao is both understated and menacing;
shy and playful. Sue bites her lip when she is
scared or being scolded by her sister and glares
at Hong with a I win stare when she escapes
capture. Sue is the strongest character here
and Zhao the most fun to watch, though Mok does
well too.

Reminiscent of Tony Scott's Enemy of the
State, So Close's technology is a bit dodgy,
but who really pays attention to that kind
of stuff in an action movie anyway? And speaking
of action, Yeun throws in some pretty interesting
stuff; lots of slow-mo and computer-generated
shtick but its fairly entertaining. Nothing
ground breaking but fun none-the-less. The
middle of film gets bogged down with all that
plot and romance stuff, but after a key plot-point
(I ain't saying nothing), the pace picks up
and its action all the rest of the way.
One note: the music here is horrible! Just god-awful.
And I'm not even referring to the title song
here (a cover of the famous Carpenter's song) that's
a freaking gem compared to the rest of
the soundtrack. At one particularly mushy moment,
some soft-jazz shit starts playing the kind
one hears on AM radio at 4am in the morning.
Why?? Ick. But beyond that, the
movie wasn't half-bad. Zhao even makes it worth
it.
|