Likewise, Samuel L. Jackson and Christopher Walken wish they had Anthony Wong's agent. Anthony Wong is as prolific in his acting and Wong Jing is in producing films. Anthony Wong juggles several projects at a time, from supporting roles, to cameos, to starring roles. He'll appear in any kind of role and any kind of film. If he's in a schlockfest as a b-grade villain, so be it. If he's in a serious award worthy drama, hey, that's fine too. Again, for Anthony Wong, it just about the work and any artistic achievement is just the gravy on top of the paycheck.

By the time I finish this review, Anthony Wong and Wong Jing will probably have completed five or ten projects between them.

Essentially, Color of Truth (2003) is another film riding the wave of the crime genre wave that Infernal Affairs sparked. Color me surprised. Despite his dismal half-assed enterprises in the past decade or so, Wong Jing, who wrote the script and co-directed with Marko Mak (Cop on a Mission), actually pulls off a decent little crime film. While it is completely derivative, the film still bustles along at a steady pace, with some good attempts at mystery and action, and middling/decent performances.

The story concerns a shady veteran cop, Officer Huang (Anthony Wong). He was involved in a strange rooftop shootout that left a gangster and a fellow cop dead. Huang came out of the incident as the only survivor, without a scratch on him, leading to both inner precinct whispers and rampant rumors on the gangland streets that Haung was up to no good. The sons of the cop, Cola (Raymond Wong), and gangster, Ray (Jordan Chan), grow up wanting vengeance for their father's (perceived) murder.

In the years since the shootout, Huang has risen to command a drug/gang vice squad. Cola goes through different stepfathers and last names, so he enters the police force without anyone connecting him to his father. Ray has overseen control of his fathers criminal empire and more or less legitimized it into a profitable business. Ray has also always been a guardian angel of sorts for Cola, not actually making his intentions or identity known until Cola get assigned to serve on Huang's task force. While Ray is pushing for revenge, Cola sees a far different man in Huang than the villain he long imagined and begins to have doubts about his lifelong obsession.

Essentially, much of the film rides on the whole, "What is the twist?" or "What is the truth?", plot point. Is Huang really responsible for both deaths, maybe just one, maybe both, and do Cola and Ray deserve some kind of justice? Obviously there are lots of red herrings and details that pop up along the way to steer the viewer in many directions; the biggest being how Huang becomes a father figure to Cola. There is a hit-and-miss subplot in the film involving a gangster in the midst of a war and a stolen cache of drugs which ties into the big finale, the big final reveal. Just for good measure the film throws in a potential love interest, cute girl character and a lame comedic relief character... you know, just to keep all the commercial entertainment bases covered.

The film has some stuttering points but is mostly workmanlike. The real selling point is Anthony Wong's performance. He adds the subtle layers of grey and dollops of charm that keep you never quite sure if Huang is a reformed bad guy or a misunderstood good guy. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for co-star, pretty boy, not ready for a leading role Raymond Wong. He seems only to be capable of one emotion per scene/shot and not the subterfuge the character of Cola needs since he is hiding his true feelings and intentions for most of the film. Agian, it is no Infernal Affairs or One Nite in Mongkok, but Color of the Truth vaults over the low expectations one has for what should be a c-level carbon copy, modern HK crime film.

The DVD: Tai Seng

Picture: Anamorphic Widescreen. The film has a subdued color palate, leaning towards those urban blues and grays, as well as a fairly high grain level, again, keeping to its urban veneer. I felt the print was a tad soft and general details seemed lacking or compromised. But, having double checked reviews of its HK and UK releases, the same complaints pop up, suggesting that this may be part of the films intended look or a general source issue.

Sound:English 5.1, Cantonese 5.1 or DTS, or Mandarin 2.0 tracks with optional English or Chinese subtitles. Cantonese, being the actual true language track, has some weak dialogue levels, faults in the actual recording. Other than that the tracks are solid, with good use of the fx and music in the surround channels. The score is pretty interesting and relies on some heavy percussion and Middle Eastern flavored beats. Subs are nice, good translation, and well-timed.

Extras: 3 Trailers for the film, plus trailers for other Tai Seng releases.— Text Bio/Filmographies— "Making Of" Featurette (7:53). This is a brief one, mainly just a quick promo/commercial piece.

Conclusion: One of the painful points of being a cinema freak is watching films by a director or star in the midst of a bad patch. You find yourself watching movies just so you can say confidently that they are still on (or not on) a sour run. So, I was happy to find this film was an exception to Wong Jing's recent slate, and I was entertained throughout. I wouldn't say Color of the Truth is a must own, but it is certainly worth a casual look if you are an HK crime cinema fan.