Film Review – The Goldfinger (2023)

Tony Leung and Andy Lau and 2 of the best actors of all time and Infernal Affairs is debatably one of my favourite films of all time. I love Hong Kong melodrama more than anyone so when I heard about The Goldfinger my excitement skyrocketed through the roof. I knew nothing about this film either. I watched the very first trailer which revealed nothing. I didn’t know a single plot point or anything and when the film ended, I was pleasantly surprised.
Inspired by true events The Goldfinger follows Andy Lau. The film switches between the story of the ICAC investigating the company and seeing how the company rose to be a multi-billion-dollar company. The film has been compared to The Wolf of Wall Street and to be honest, when the film feels identical to that film in tone and presentation I feel is when the film loses me. There is one scene where dancers come into the office, and I just felt out of nowhere and artificial. The film is more of a classic Hong Kong drama that you know and love. But at the same time, I felt that the film does lose a lot of steam as we approach the end of the film. When The Goldfinger ended, I audibly said is that it? I just feel the film ends and yes, the conclusion is tied up into a nice bow I just felt it lacked something to bring it home.
But the cast brought it. Tony Leung and Andy Lau are perfection and every scene they are in is just an acting masterclass unfolding in front of your eyes. But 2 performances surprised me Tai Bo and Simon Yam are great and add a ton of depth to their characters. I feel the performances are so great because of the direction. Felix Chong simply brings flair and style to this film and while he is inspired by the likes of Martin Scorsese it still feels fresh enough to be interesting. One montage scene is filled with so many clever transitions that I just was invested. I just wish the film stuck the landing for 80% of the film it is nothing short of great with clever twists, but I just cannot get over with how disappointed I was with the ending. It was a really good time that I wanted to be great.
★★★1/2
Crime, Drama | UK cinemas from 5 January 2024 | Trinity CineAsia | Certificate: 15 | Dir: Felix Chong | Tony Leung, Andy Lau, Simon Yam, Charlene Choi
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.