Paul Sze, Kenneth Lai and Lau Wing Tai’s debut feature (under the guiding hand of producer Derek Yee), Guilt by Design follows Xu Lisheng (Nick Cheung), a former master of hypnotherapy who is selected for jury duty with six other people (Kent Cheng, Elaine Jin, Jolane Koo, Cecilia So, Babyjohn Choi and Lee Sheung Ching) in the highly-publicized trial of the heir of a major corporation, accused of murdering her uncle for his inheritance. There’s ample evidence that the defendant is innocent, but minutes before jury deliberation is set to start, Xu is contacted by a dirty cop (Eddie Cheung), who has kidnapped his daughter: if he wants to get her back in one piece, he must hypnotize the jury into finding the defendant guilty. From this rather fresh concept, the three writers-directors extract an enjoyable little thriller, refreshingly streamlined and un-convoluted contrary to many Hong Kong film of its ilk, bracingly concise at 90 minutes, and relentlessly preposterous: more than suspended, disbelief should be shredded, burnt and then its ashes scattered at sea. This is a film where a juror can have a covert conversation with another juror, under the very table where the jury is deliberating at the same time, with only one person in the whole room noticing it; and this is the rare courtroom drama that ends with a little girl dangling from a helicopter, itself dangling from the top of a skyscraper. Yet it all goes down a treat, thanks to the aforementioned brisk pace, some strikingly inventive visuals for the hypnosis scenes, and a fine cast bringing life to barely-sketched out roles: Nick Cheung coasts efficiently on his enigmatic charisma, while old pros Kent Cheng and Eddie Cheung, and token Mainland cast-member Han Zhang are all game for the ridiculousness at hand. ***
Asian Film Strike 