TSPDT

Key Production Countries: Hong Kong, China
Key Genres: Crime Thriller, Action, Crime, Action Thriller, Crime Drama, Drama, Martial Arts, Thriller, Gangster Film
Key Collaborators: Cheng Siu-Keung (Cinematographer), Lam Suet (Leading Character Actor), David M. Richardson (Editor), Yau Nai-Hoi (Screenwriter), Cheung Siu-Fai (Leading Character Actor), Simon Yam (Leading Character Actor), Louis Koo (Leading Actor), Lo Hoi-Pang (Character Actor), Yip Tin-Shing (Screenwriter), Lam Ka Tung (Leading Character Actor), Wai Ka-Fai (Director/Producer/Screenwriter), Tony Yu (Production Designer)

"No contemporary Hong Kong director is as consistent and distinguished as Johnnie To. While he may not have the same international cachet as Wong Kar-wai, To is far more prolific and, unlike Wong, he has lost none of his edge, despite working in the film industry for nearly 40 years. From goofy Chinese New Year comedies to bleak triad flicks, To has a long and varied filmography that’s the envy of his peers." - Douglas Parkes (Time Out, 2018)

"Johnnie To is the tortoise to John Woo's hare. While Woo brought a new wave of Hong Kong cinema to the eyes of the outside world and blazed brilliantly in Hollywood, his contemporary To remained loyal to the local film industry, and is only now getting recognition in the West. Part of the reason is that while Woo has mostly stuck to his guns with action movies and 'heroic bloodshed', To has mixed and matched his genres throughout his career." - Lloyd Hughes (The Rough Guide to Film, 2007)

"Hong Kong film director and producer Johnnie To is a master of the contemporary crime film, fusing elements of minimalist French noir (especially the films of Jean-Pierre Melville), the complex narrative structure of Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather trilogy, and the B-movie panache of Seijun Suzuki. Restless and prolific, he has made more than seventy films and has applied his signature style to other genres, including a musical (Johnnie To’s Office). He has shown six films at the Cannes Film Festival and received countless other nominations and awards. His films embody the sociopolitical life, criminal codes, and law enforcement conduct of Hong Kong (and now mainland China), while simultaneously resonating with the greatest films in the genre." - San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2017

"What makes To’s work fascinating is its diversity, including aspects often overlooked in favour of his formalist bravado. One of which is his iconic use of actors (which, ironically, has much to do with the elegance of his mise en scène), such as the Lorre-like doggedness of Lam Suet, be it as one of the stoic hitmen in The Mission (1999), silently kicking a ball of paper to kill time, or as the battered carrier in Election (2005), tirelessly repeating the triad vows while being bludgeoned with a piece of wood or—in a rare leading part—his even unluckier, sweaty, bandaged cop in search of his gun in PTU (2003)." - Christoph Huber (Cinema Scope, 2007)

"To may be one of the most important Hong Kong filmmakers, but he's also one of the last people upholding the tradition of classical Hollywood filmmaking. In 1996 he cofounded the production company Milkyway Image; the studio has developed a stable of talented writers, actors, and technicians committed to ensuring a high level of quality across a variety of output. The pleasures of a Milkyway production are comparable to those of an MGM film of the 1940s or '50s—even when the story isn't great, one can still get lost in the richness of the craftsmanship and creative collaborations. The work of To and company is a testament to the joys of moviegoing." - Ben Sachs (Chicago Reader, 2018)