Can we not admit that certain skilled men, gifted with intelligence, talent or even genius, and thus indispensable to society, rather than stagnate, should be free to disobey laws in certain cases?

Great little film and one of the best advertisements for Hong Kong you will ever seen. Worth seeing for the umbrella scene alone

I am not always in tune with To's sensibility. Wasn't a huge fan of neither THROWDOWN nor EXILED. But he is working on a different level with SPARROW. With the exception of one scene late in the movie, the film is pretty much flawless. This playful thriller feels like a ballet at times with its infusion of jazz music. No guns, very little violence, but a joy to watch. The finale is as stylish a sequence as I can remember, and it's one of the great moments in a movie filled with many of them. Very highly recommended.

I challenge anyone to watch this movie and not want to go to Hong Kong. Johnnie To does an amazing job of bringing HK to life in a film that is a lot lighter than most of his previous.
The whole film is a nod to classic cinema from jazzy soundtrack to the superbly choreographed pickpocket "battle".

Mostly quite light on its feet. Eminently enjoyable. Poetically shot, as is To's wont, with a wonderful 60's reminiscent breezy score.

anything goes

I am not always in tune with To's sensibility. Wasn't a huge fan of neither THROWDOWN nor EXILED. But he is working on a different level with SPARROW. With the exception of one scene late in the movie, the film is pretty much flawless. This playful thriller feels like a ballet at times with its infusion of jazz music. No guns, very little violence, but a joy to watch. The finale is as stylish a sequence as I can remember, and it's one of the great moments in a movie filled with many of them. Very highly recommended.

Can we not admit that certain skilled men, gifted with intelligence, talent or even genius, and thus indispensable to society, rather than stagnate, should be free to disobey laws in certain cases?

Playful thriller from the great Johnnie To starring Simon Yam as the charming leader of a group of pickpockets. Beautiful score by Xavier Jamaux & Fred Avril, dreamily shot, feels like a waltz, the performers move like they are in a musical. Stunning sequences. Like Hitchcock meets Stanley Donen.

Pirmais, kas ienāca prātā – ka tik šī nav Honkongas versija par Edītes Pjafas dzīvi. Ar kādu tā gala aktrisi galvenajā lomā. Varētu būt diezgan smieklīgi... Bet nē, izrādās, ka Honkongā par Zvirbuļiem sauc kabatzagļus un tieši par šiem tad ir šis stāsts. Četri tādi malači dzīvo un „strādā” Honkongas ielās, līdz parādās nezināma svešiniece, kurai vajadzīga izmanīgo džeku palīdzība. Un zvirbuļi piekrīt, nemaz nenojaušot, ka ieberzīsies ar īstu mafiju, kurā zināmas saistības ir arī svešiniecei... Šis Kventīna Tarantīno kumira Johnnie To izstrādājums var lepoties ar ļoti jauku skaņas celiņu ļoti foršu operatora darbu par ko arī filma saņēma Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2008 balvu un ar neticami skaistiem kadriem kur katrs no tiem kā fotogrāfija. Honkonga šeit izskatās kolorīti.

Something of a spiritual sequel to To’s wonderful PTU. Another travelogue through Hong Kong architecture (and another one shot in fits and starts through years) as joyful as the earlier film was seedy. It’s Jacques Demy bittersweet inflections hides a serious inquiry into a city in constant movement.

The end is one of the great ballets in cinema. And it might only be the second best part of this light-footed, glib pickpocket opus.

Flawless. The greatest jazz ballet since The Black Saint & Sinner Lady.