After the terrorist attacks on New York almost two years ago, the firemen received many accolades, deservedly so, than ever before. It really is a profession that the ordinary man takes for granted. We expect them to be there when we need them and before 9/11 people tended not to think from their perspective. They risk their lives, like people in other lines of work do, and Lifeline portrays this in a successful manner. Despite coming from one of Hong Kong's best directors working now, there are definite flaws in the framework. Basically no real plot exists (something I was more than ok with) and for the well-paced 100 minutes, To concentrates on the lives of a select few fire fighters. To's instinct is very much correct because we want to see the men and women behind the mask.

Director To have been criticized for being not so subtle when it comes to melodrama, in particular All About Ah Long has been singled out. While I understand the criticism, I personally thought it all came together nicely in that film. In Lifeline To aims at scoring a perfect 3 out of 3 in the main characterdevelopment but only succeeds in making one of the stories work, the Lau Ching Wan part of it. Screenwriter Yau Nai-Hoi (also co-wrote Running Out Of Time) strikes a good balance between grounded humanity and loose cannon aspects of Lau's character while the subsequent romance scores points by being a small romance. Lau's Yau-Shui connects with a doctor (Carman Lee from Wicked City), that he has run into during the course of several missions, who is at a point in her life where she's vulnerable and is dying to connect with someone again. The scenes of the two meeting up outside of their respective jobs are memorable acting moments. Both are, in a way, shy and unsure of how to be with each other when they're distanced from the worklife they live but they have clearly made a connection. Yes, this is corny to an extent but looking at the other ongoing character subplots, this one finds the better flow. Full focus on the main star, Mr To?

The other two with more focus on are Ruby Wong and Alex Fong's characters. She, pregnant and having marriage problems, he in a chief position and possibly having to resume care for his very grown up daughter. All well-meant but drama is at times completely off in scenes involving Ruby and Alex. To wants slightly more hysterical drama which almost comes as a shock when we are in calmer moods prior. It doesn't help that parts of the dialogue is as cringeworthy as it can get and the score completely fails to enhance for this part of the film. We do care because it's these actors portraying the two but To didn't nail much of anything here in actuality. In the end, he makes sure the audiences does walk away with a good, basic message, even if all intent with characters weren't fully realized.

Am not trying to, with the following paragraphs, to make it sound like Lifeline's only saving grace is the fire sequences but technically they are a home run for Johnnie To and company. Being Hong Kong, the movie feels a bit low budget but that helps conveying the feeling of real reality, not glossy, polished movie reality. There are a few minor sequences scattered throughout that shows the firemen at work, best of them in terms of tension and editing being the rain scene.

The strongest memory anyone will have from watching Johnnie To's Lifeline will be the fireclimax, lasting a good 30+ minutes. Facing obstacle upon obstacle, the cast has to fight their way through an intricate web of fire set pieces, each more intense than the other. It's hard to tell if a lot of the action was CGI enhanced but, again, being Hong Kong fairly early in the CGI creating stages, I'm willing to bet a majority of this gigantic set piece was done physically on set. If To and action director Yuen Bun didn't use storyboards for this, then this movie is the one where we can truly say Hong Kong filmmakers officially went insane. It's amazing that it doesn't get boring for one minute even though you do feel that these fire fighters really are the subject of unbelievable punishment. Terrifically shot, staged and edited, this LONG sequence is absolutely jaw dropping. I hate that term but I have to admit that it suitably describes what you will see. Certainly the biggest excitement of all this is the fact that it's pulled off by Hong Kong cinema.

Lifeline isn't a showcase for the best acting around but Lau Ching Wan, adding more to his versatility playing an authority figure who is not a cop for once, doesn't disappoint. Alex Fong (Portland Street Blues and Till Death Do Us Part), hopefully one of Hong Kong's rising acting stars, may not look like he can express very much with his face. The opposite is true however. Without doing much other than subtly change expressions and the look of his eyes, he conveys much more than other actors can when talking or being silent. This asset I think is one that Tony Leung Chiu-Wai is blessed with as well. Carman Lee surprises in a sweet supporting turn, the ever watchable Damian Lau also appears as well.

Make no mistake about it, Johnnie To's Lifeline is a big advertisement for Hong Kong fire fighters. What he makes sure to do is properly showing the negative and positive aspects of the line of work they do, interspersed with minor doses of flawed character drama. Lifeline represents a big achievement technically for Hong Kong cinema and the climax I can only describe as the Hard Boiled of firefighter movies.

The plot focuses on a squad of firefighters, of which Lau Ching-Wan is the old veteran, having been passed up many times for promotion for his unwillingness to work "by the numbers." The movie revolves around the squad going to calls, which often take on a documentary-like look and are quite realistic, and the downtime between calls, which seems to be more trying than the job itself. All of the members of the squad seem to have some kind of complication going on (Lau's relationship with doctor Carman Lee, for instance).

It's during these points that the movie stumbles a bit, delving a bit into melodrama (and introducing one of the most annyoing and untalented kid actors I have ever had the displeasure of seeing). However, even though the roles are mostly stock caricatures, all the actors do an excellent job of giving their characters dimensionality, especially Ruby Wong, who plays the squad's lone female member. She makes her character tough without being bitchy or overly macho and is a joy to watch throughout the movie.

And ultimately, that's what made Lifeline work so well for me. Even though I knew where the plot was headed (in this case, a big finale inside a burning factory), I wanted to see how the characters dealt with their particular situations. The usual Hong Kong "down" ending looming genuinely generated some suspense, unlike Hollywood movies like Backdraft, where you couldn't give a rip about what happens in the end because all of the people are cookie-cutter clones. When you combine this with some stunning action sequences (which put the actors into some very dangerous situations with real fire), you have the makings of a great movie, which Lifeline definitely is.

Interestingly, by the time the climax of the film is underway, you get so wrapped up in what's going on that you totally forget that there was even a story going on beforehand. And then you realize that there actually isn't a conventional story taking place at all. There are no bad guys, no unsolved mysteries, no psychotic arsonists on the loose, no extreme character conflicts, no heroics, and nothing to prove - it's just a team of firefighters doing their job. Director Johnnie To has cleverly manipulated you into caring for these people solely so he can put them in an extreme life threatening situation and make his audience squirm. The tension he creates is superb, and you find yourself constantly agonizing over their safety. Johnnie To has really pulled off something special with this film, and I never thought I would find an action film without guns, car chases, and kung fu to be so exciting.