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[review] The CIB Files

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发表于 2006-10-30 13:30:54 | 显示全部楼层 |阅读模式

I n d e x :

1. Reviewer : Pink Ink @ spcnet --- p.1

2. Reviewer : purplerose @ spcnet --- p.1

Your Review is highly welcome !

More CIB here:

http://www.maggieshiu.net/bbs/viewthread.php?tid=3365   (chinese)

[此贴子已经被作者于2007-3-12 7:28:23编辑过]
 楼主| 发表于 2006-10-30 13:32:45 | 显示全部楼层

http://www.spcnet.tv/reviews/review.php?rID=1316

The CIB Files

by Pink Ink

Chinese Title: 刑事情報科
Cantonese Name: Ying See Ching Bo Fo
Number of Episodes: 20

Main Cast:
   
Bowie Lam Bo Yee – Tony (Chung Shun)
Wong He – Mark (Chung Jing)
Maggie Shiu Mei Kei – Samantha (Hui Sum Yin)
Christine Ng Wing Mei – Emily (Ching Mei Lai)

Supporting Cast:
   
Wai Ka Hung – Daniel (Kwok Ming Wah)
Kenny Wong Dak Bun – William (Hung Hou Cheung)
Chan Hung Lit – Albert (Chung Gam Yuen)
Catherine Chow Ka Yi – May (Ching Mei Mei)
Rachel Kan Muk Wah - Joey
Joey Chan Jou Yee – Michael Chung
Joe Junior – Mo Sir
Yue Yeung – Jim (Jim Yan Keung)
Queenie Chu Wai Man – Rachel Yu

Summary: (I'll use actor/actress names to avoid confusion - may contain spoilers)

Bowie and Wong He are brothers who are both policemen. At the start of the series, Bowie is already working in the CIB (Criminal Intelligence Bureau). Wong He has just finished his undercover assignment and is transferred over to work in CIB. Bowie is married to Christine, and they have a teenage son, Joey.

Christine works at a magazine company, along with her sister Catherine Chow. Maggie has just changed jobs, along with her assistants Rachel Kan and Ken, and they start to work at the same company as Christine. Both Maggie and Christine pretend to get along at the start, but in actual fact they are constantly trying to undermine each other.

In the first few episodes, you discover that Maggie's mum has alzheimers/dementia, but throughout the series, you also see that there are two other women who she calls 'mum'. Catherine discovers the real reason and spreads it through the company. This increases the warring between Christine and Maggie, and they stop pretending to get along at all.

Bowie and Wong He's father, Chan Hung Lit, returns to Hong Kong and we find that his sons do not have a good relationship with him. He feigns illness, and Wong He takes him in.

There are also many minor storylines evolving around the supporting cast, and there are also many more supporting cast members than what I've listed above – as well as numerous recurring characters (like the OCTB). The co-workers at the CIB headquarters have large roles, as well as the boss of the magazine company and his wife (played by Belle Lau Hiu Tung).

There are various CIB cases throughout the series, not many of them lasting more than an episode. Despite the series being called 'CIB Files', the main focus of the series seems to be the relationships and communication of the characters, as opposed to the police cases.

Acting / Characters

Tony (Chung Shun)
Tony is happily married to Emily, and they live in a nice apartment with their son Michael. He is relatively high ranked in his department, and it seems as if he has it all set out for him in terms of his career and family. He doesn't get along with his father because he blames his father for leaving his mother (and the family) when he was younger. His work at CIB clashes with Emily's work at the magazine, because his police cases are supposed to be very much confidential. For the years that they have been married, Emily knows to step out of the room when Tony is talking about his cases, or else he will leave the room. This system seems to work for them, but it may also have affected their communication – resulting in problems further down the track.

Bowie Lam as Tony
Bowie wasn't bad as Tony, but he wasn't fantastic in any way either. I don't think it was Bowie's fault, because the character is hardly very in-depth for any kind of breakthrough performance. It's similar to many of his previous roles – an amicable professional, who has underlying communication issues with those around him. His rapport with the other actors and actresses was pretty good though, especially considering his character came into contact with so many others.

Mark (Chung Jing)
Mark has worked undercover for a couple of years, and when the series starts, he goes to testify in court – but not before you see him leaving the house…ironing his tie, making sure the taps are off, windows are shut, lights are off, stove is off, etc. He is an extremely cautious individual, but towards the end of the series, you stop noticing it – either because they stopped emphasizing it or because you get used to it (I thought it was the former). He is stubborn and professional, but a tiny bit naïve at the same time. He starts off with a girlfriend, but he only started going out with her because he wanted his undercover to seem truly believable. He starts a relationship with Bonnie, but she actually has several guys who she has stringing along.

Wong He as Mark
I'll start by saying I never liked Wong He. I have seen several of his older series, and I've since tried to avoid his series altogether. The fact that he was in this series almost made me not watch it, but the rest of the cast and the story encouraged me to. I can't say that I really really like him after this, but he has certainly risen in my impression of him. He suited the character fantastically, and he added so many subtle expressions and motions that made his character just that little bit more special and in-depth. He had the advantage of playing a really nice character, but either way, he did a great job. He managed to make you see, but overlook all of Mark's annoying traits by covering it with his good ones.

Samantha (Hui Sum Yin)
Samantha is headstrong and smart. She has had a string of failed relationships, for one reason or another, and made a decision to concentrate on being a strong professional female. She treats her three mothers very well, and has a great heart – but is wary of others to begin with, and quite suspicious as well. When it comes to people who she truly cares about, she is unwavering in her loyalty to them, but sometimes she jumps to conclusions about people without hearing them out.

Maggie Shiu as Samantha
Maggie has often played headstrong characters but they're usually more 'cool' than Samantha. Maggie perhaps overdid some of the fake nice-ness in the early parts of the series, but that was probably the point. Anyway, she was fabulous as it went on. She delivered her lines naturally and really made the character of Samantha into a three-dimensional person. She was suitably cool and direct if she needed to be, but also very deep and thoughtful in other situations. Despite some comments about her new hairstyle, I thought it was very cute and fashionable.

Emily (Ching Mei Lai)
Emily was always a smart, career orientated woman. She put down her career to raise Michael, and only resumed working after Michael was going to school and relatively grown up. She always wanted to be what she thought was the perfect housewife – the ones who would have dinner on the table for her family when they arrived home. However, because of her high position in her job, she never had time to cook – therefore she would buy take-out and put it in dishes, pretending that she had cooked it. She is quite stubborn as well as suspicious and towards the end of the series, it really shows…but at the very end, she redeems herself.

Christine Ng as Emily
I didn't like the character of Emily towards the middle-end, and Christine did a really good job to make me so passionate in my dislike. The superficial niceness at the beginning was perfect, she captured it so well. It's nice to see her playing a smart character too, instead of the ditzy characters that she seems to have been playing a bit of lately.

Supporting Cast

Wai Ka Hung – Daniel (Kwok Ming Wah)
I'll start by saying I saw him in the opening credits, and already disliked him. I remember the actor from "Healing Hands III" and the character was so irritating that it put me off the actor completely. He is equally as annoying in "CIB", but as the series went on, you realize that it just wouldn't be the same without him. He added a bit of a comical element, and as annoying as it was, you had to laugh.

Kenny Wong Dak Bun – William (Hung Hou Cheung)
It was a relatively small role. He didn't really seem necessary at all, and it was such a small character that there wasn't much characterization. You saw that he was trying to get promoted by doing all the wrong things, and his superior disliked him for a pointless reason which you discover in the last episode. Nothing wrong with Kenny, just the character was a little pointless. And he's also called William Hung, which is no doubt a send-up of a certain other William Hung.

Chan Hung Lit – Albert (Chung Gam Yuen)
A role that's different from most others that I've seen him in. More flirtatious, more fun-loving, but I must admit that sometimes I still struggle to understand what he's saying if I don't look at the subtitles. He wasn't bad, and he had good chemistry with the other characters.

Catherine Chow Ka Yi – May (Ching Mei Mei)
Catherine Chow was good. She really made me dislike May. May is Emily's sister, and constantly tries to do little things to mess around with Samantha. She strays from doing horrible pranks on a professional level, to personal attacks. She doesn't really get any better in the end, but she cools down a little and has her redeeming moments.

Rachel Kan Muk Wah – Joey
Joey is Samantha's faithful assistant, and is similar to May in that purpose. She isn't quite as scheming as May is, except for the one time when she framed May for putting a virus on the computer network – but at that stage, I hated May so much that I figured it was her comeuppance. Rachel looks quite pretty in this series, and Joey does a good job in providing Samantha with a confidante of sorts.

Joey Chan Jou Yee – Michael Chung
He really impressed me as a teenage actor. He delivered his lines quite naturally, and had great chemistry with the actors/actresses who he had scenes with. The character of Michael was quite nice; he is overall a good boy. And the young actor really was great.

Joe Junior – Mo Sir –
Not too much to say other than his hair. His comb-over to be exact. It really stood out. Apparently it's a send-up of a real high ranked policeman, which is great, because I'd hate to think that they did that to Joe Junior's hair because they thought it looked good.

Queenie Chu Wai Man – Rachel Yu
For her first series, she wasn't bad. Quite unnatural when saying her lines, but at least she did have a little expression. She definitely has room for improvement, but for a first series, I thought it was acceptable. The character seemed naïve and young, and I don't think it really suited Queenie – she looks a little older and a little classier.

(...continue on post#4 by charmed)
[此贴子已经被作者于2006-10-31 4:50:36编辑过]
发表于 2006-10-31 01:56:07 | 显示全部楼层

I love the comment on Maggie...nice...

Sam is a funny woman, she is determined, headstrong but a little bit stubborn, sometimes very considerate and thoughtful but sometimes reckless and emotional, a fascinating combo

发表于 2006-10-31 03:58:37 | 显示全部楼层

Thanks for posting shaw

I think the person who wrote it is biased - most of it is very positive!

I'm a huge fan of the character of Sam. Her personality was multifaceted and quite realistic, there are so many smart and headstrong women out there who are so much softer than they seem. I probably wouldn't get along with somebody so fake, but as a viewer, you can certainly understand why she does the things that she does.

Emily's character sometimes bothered me because of that - her motives don't seem serious enough to be generating the kind of cruelness that she later displays. You couldn't really relate to why she did some of things that she did.

Anyway there is actually more to the review, I don't know if you missed it shaw, or if you just haven't posted it yet, but I'll add the rest on.

-----------------

Chemistry

Tony and Mark (Bowie and Wong He)
Physically, they really do look like brothers. And their chemistry was good too – you really did believe that they had known each other for years and years, and were family and familiar. Tony and Mark have similar personalities, whilst being different enough to lead the different lives that they ended up with.

Tony and Emily (Bowie and Christine)
They sometimes look like they're really comfortable with each other, and at times they look like they're being terribly superficial. However, that was the point of the characters – they had a communication problem. I thought Bowie and Christine had much more chemistry in this than they did in "Misleading Track", but it's hard to create any sparks when you're playing a long-married couple.

Mark and Samantha (Wong He and Maggie)
There was SO much chemistry here. Maggie and Wong He aren't two people who I would have picked as a suitable couple, but once you saw them together on screen, it just worked so well. They really created sparks, and they seemed so comfortable with each other the whole time. As friends, they were nice and chatty, when Samantha was angry at him, it was hilarious, and as a couple, they were just so cute. This is the second time that they've co-operated, and I really wouldn't mind at all if they went for a third.

Samantha and Emily (Maggie and Christine)
Emily and Samantha are similar in many ways. The both of them are smart, suspicious, and cautious. They often predict the moves and motives of the other, and are both just as direct and cold, or suitably fake when needed. They worked really well together when they were feuding, and seemed natural enough when they were almost friends. I suppose it seemed very rushed that they were fighting and then suddenly seemed close, but it didn't seem too out of place – women are fickle, and if the both of them have good hearts, usually you can learn to be civil. And if there are common interests, which there are in this case, then a friendship isn't out of the question.

Overall
I thought this series was unique. Not so much on the storyline, but the way that it was presented. The first episode was a little confusing because it kept skipping around locations and times, but it reveals things part by part and by the end of the episode, you understand what just happened and you've also found out most of the character's relationships.

There are many inside jokes in this as well – the comb-over of Joe Junior, the fact that Kenny's character is 'William Hung', an imitation PTU scene, two imitation "Infernal Affairs" scenes, the fact that OCTB were terribly intense, and more. It does seem a little lame, but it makes you laugh, even if only for a second or two.

I also like how the previews are always misleading – you watch it and think that you've been completely spoilt because you know what's going to happen, but then when you watch the episode, you find out that it's not like that at all. The series in general is quite misleading, they try to make you think that somebody did something or that something will happen, and then you find that it was all wrong. I think this would have something to do with Chik Kei Yi and his atypical filming styles – although the ending was a little typical. The very ending was nice, but unexciting.

I definitely recommend it, but probably only if you're watching it in Cantonese – it is rather colloquial. I really enjoyed it, and it is a modern series so you feel like you can relate. I wanted to give it 5/5, but I can't say it was perfect, but it was close. And the clothes and accessories worn by the ladies were just gorgeous.
 

Rating: 4.5/5

[此贴子已经被作者于2006-10-31 4:38:10编辑过]
 楼主| 发表于 2006-10-31 04:51:47 | 显示全部楼层

Thx, charmed.

Seems like my earlier post  was cut shorter due to max characters limit.

发表于 2006-10-31 05:01:16 | 显示全部楼层

haha the writer thinks Sam is a fake lady? nonono...Emily definitely is a fake one~~~

but I love her comment on Sam and Mark, they are born for each other, I mean, Sam and Mark only.... don't get me wrong

发表于 2006-11-1 19:00:32 | 显示全部楼层

Not a Wong He fan then?

I would agree that Emily is fake, but really, they both are. Although Sam is usually only fake when it comes to office politics - she's quite direct elsewhere, whereas Emily even lied to her family about cooking...

发表于 2006-11-2 01:11:46 | 显示全部楼层
QUOTE:
以下是引用charmed在2006-11-1 19:00:32的发言:

Not a Wong He fan then?

I would agree that Emily is fake, but really, they both are. Although Sam is usually only fake when it comes to office politics - she's quite direct elsewhere, whereas Emily even lied to her family about cooking...

No, not Wong He fan at all...I do not like him personally but I love Mark...

whereas Emily even lied to her family about cooking...----yes, I do not understand Emily, why make such a fuss over cooking? It is hard to believe she and Bowie were married for decades and were not able to talk to each other frankly, what kind of husband and wife they were? Mark and Sam are much much cuter....

发表于 2006-11-4 19:53:45 | 显示全部楼层

I don't like the characters of Emily and Tony too much. They weren't realistic in many ways.

I don't like Wong He much. Neither does the reviewer! Everybody loves Mark

 楼主| 发表于 2007-3-12 07:20:43 | 显示全部楼层

http://www.spcnet.tv/reviews/review.php?rID=1443

CIB Files
*Reviewed by purpleprose
  

Cast:
   
Bowie Lam as Tony Chung
Christine Ng as Emily Cheng Chung
Wong Hei as Mark Chung
Maggie Shiu as Samantha Hui
Wai Ka Hung as Daniel Kwok
Kenny Wong as William Hung
Chan Hung Lit as Albert Chung
Kayee Chow as May
Lok Ying Kwan as Yip Sir
Yu Yeung as Jimmy Chan

Synopsis (Spoiler Warning):
   
Tony and Mark Chung are two effective police officers employed in the Criminal Intelligence Bureau. Contrary to their respectable public images, the two brothers actually cope with broken childhoods caused by their father Albert’s desertion more than twenty years ago. In order to earn the forgiveness and reacceptance of his sons, Albert claims to have stomach cancer. The soft-hearted Mark accordingly lets Albert move in with him, but Tony still refuses to acknowledge any concern for his father. When the deception is brought to light, the brothers are overcome by both displeasure and relief. This relief, however, coupled with Tony’s frustration over his own domestic woes, leads him to identify more with Albert, and the family reunites.

Tony Chung, with his beautiful wife Emily, rising career, and dutiful son Michael, seems to have the best of life. His dedication to his work is widely appreciated, and his relationship with Emily largely admired. Yet in the course of time, the hours he and Emily spend upon their work take a toll on family relations. The lack of communication launches one misunderstanding after another, and Michael’s departure to England opens the needed opportunity for their separation. Though their love for each other remain, Tony’s hesitancy and Emily’s temporal self-obsession keep them from reunion. Only after the separation papers are signed do the two face their own feelings and decide to rekindle their romance and restore their marriage.

As a housewife who had to begin her career late, Emily Chung is keenly competitive in her position as chief editor of a popular magazine. When her boss Jimmy employs the highly paid Samantha Hui from a rival company, Emily becomes obsessed to rise victorious in the feminine feud. Emily and Samantha, with the aid of their respective assistants, launch plot after plot against each other, both determined to triumph. When Samantha softens from romantic ties, Emily is left to wonder at the vanity of her victory. As the two slowly build a friendship, Emily observes the true feelings that mold the lives of everyone around her. She learns to value people beyond their practical purposes and is challenged to pursue her own happiness once more.

Samantha Hui, after experiencing three deaths of three fiancés, is wary of beginning another relationship. As she absorbs herself in her career, however, fate brings her to become closely acquainted with Mark Chung, an eccentric but caring man. Their relationship flourishes, only until Mark suffers an almost fatal assault. Convinced that her innate bad luck caused Mark’s misfortune, Samantha insists on breaking up. Mark spends time and effort to seek out Samantha’s past, finally proving that her past fiancés were either still alive or dead by natural causes. With the misunderstanding dissolved, the two lovers come together with the goodwill of all their family and friends.

Script:
   
In spite of the name of the series, 'CIB' is little more than a definition of Tony and Mark’s jobs. The cases are interesting, but their impact on the personal lives of the characters are not as strong as their counterparts in other serials (e.g. “Take My Word For It”). The focus of the script is on the trite characters and their trite interactions, and the wordings are unremarkable. The script is plainly written altogether, and only the veteran cast saves the story.

Cast Analysis:

Bowie Lam is good as always in his portrayal of Tony Chung. Though the down-to-earth role as an introvert police officer and family man may not offer the chance for him to exhibit a particularly special area of acting (e.g. a deaf man in “The Dance of Passion”), Bowie successfully presents the tangible quality of the character. Tony’s hesitancy to share his feelings with those he truly loves makes room for Bowie’s ability to touch audiences with simple, wordless, but genuine expressions. His acting turns a seemingly everyday character into a live person on screen. Wonderful job, as always.

Christine Ng offers a satisfactory performance as the career-oriented Emily Cheng Chung. The selfishness and even heartlessness of her character for the first half of the series will keep her from winning audience regard, though Christine actually does a nice job for those episodes. Christine’s portrayal of Emily’s gradual change into a more considerate and affectionate woman is touching, and the performance ends on a high note. Nothing excessively remarkable, yet perfectly in line with a high-caliber cast.

Wong Hei plays an eccentrically meticulous Mark Chung just adorably. Even though this role may still be on his ever-lengthening list of public hero characters, the subtlety and nervousness of Mark defines this role differently from the others. In stark contrast to his other loud, playful characters, Wong hints at bashful smiles and carries small, kind actions in this series. Not what audiences would expect, but charming nonetheless.

Maggie Shiu, though far from a fresh face in TVB, presents a quite refreshing performance as Samantha Hui. Just like in Christine’s case, her character’s competitive and scheming persona will ward off audiences at the beginning. Yet Maggie’s successful depiction of a patient and dutiful daughter to the mothers of her past fiancés rightly softens Samantha to a lovable character. The performance is capped by the oddly engaging couple she makes with Wong Hei. Nice chemistry, nice work, nice job.

Wai Ka Hung finally manages to land a considerably positive and major role as Daniel Kwok, Mark’s talkative subordinate. Wai is an experienced actor, and his performance justifies his being cast for the role. Though the sweet-talking Daniel is quite a two-dimensional character, Wai molds him well. Daniel’s rashness also offers diversion from the dramatic main characters. Good job that reflects Wai’s solid acting talent.

Kenny Wong is almost comical as William Hung. The name of the character itself may already arouse laughs from overseas audiences, and the plain tough luck of the diligent cop creates some light irony for the series. It is the character that captivates, however, not the actor. Kenny does not do anything wrong in his portrayal, but he does not enhance William well enough. Credible but simple performance.

Chan Hung Lit’s portrayal of a socializing old man is considerably fair. His emotional scenes are not poor, though the same scenes might fare better with other actors. Kayee Chow is not captivating as Emily Chung’s sister sidekick, though she does her job. Lok Ying Kwan is actually quite amiable in his role as Tony’s closest friend and mentor. The unconcluded romance with his true love also gives a deeper quality to his role. Yu Yeung, playing the boss of Emily and Samantha, does poorly. Yet altogether, the extensive cast — policemen, office people, criminals, families, police fighters — is impressive and powerful.

Plus Points:
   
1) Well-matched looks within the main cast (e.g. brothers look like brothers, children like their parents).
2) The bits of office satire, courtesy of Daniel.
3) An interesting pop and jazz soundtrack.
4) Strong camera work.
5) A climax rightly saved until the very end.
6) A grand production.

Minus Points:
   
1) A first half that sorely fails to engage audience emotion.
2) A terribly confusing format for the first episode.
3) The seriously disturbing intensity of Emily and Samantha’s initial rivalry.

Conclusion:
   
This series is just one addition to the recent rage over legal hero stories. It is catchy entertainment, but there is nothing to mourn over if missed. The series is a commendable watch for fans of the main cast. Any other audiences would be taking a chance with its combination of a poor script, superb production, and concrete cast.

purpleprose's Rating: (Scale of 5)

[此贴子已经被作者于2007-3-12 7:38:01编辑过]
发表于 2007-3-13 23:57:33 | 显示全部楼层

Thanks shaw. What a lovely review, and it's so nice what is said about Maggie

I've been wanting to write something, but it sucks to think that the next Maggie series won't be out until at least the end of the year. Maybe I'll need to go back and review some older ones...like Conscience. Problem is, I watched it over a period of about 5 months and I've forgotten half of what happens at the beginning

 楼主| 发表于 2007-3-14 02:47:49 | 显示全部楼层

Come on, charmed, Conscience is only 30 eps. You need no 5 months to finished it. The most will take  only 3 weeks; 10 eps per weekend.ha...ha...

No kidding, take your time. But I really appreciate your reviews, especially your effort in writing M's TV series, or movies.

The other reviewer, purplerose, s/he likes Daniel of CIB... ha...ha...

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