A courier and a cab driver become mixed up with the Taiwanese mob in Godspeed. Na Dow (Na Dow) is a man who takes a job as courier, with his first job turning out to be a drug smuggling operation for the Taiwanese mob. Veteran taxi driver Old Xu (Michael Hui) insists being hired by Na Dow and the two go to make the delivery. However, things quickly turn sour and Na Dow and Old Xu find themselves on the run.
From Taiwanese director Chung Mong-Hong comes the darkly humorous crime thriller Godspeed. The film follows multiple characters, though the bulk of the screen time is spent with Na Dow and Old Xu, which often includes lengthy monologues of the two giving their backstories, particularly Old Xu, who is an immigrant from Hong Kong, which has been driving a cab for 25 years. In fact, the mob plot almost comes off as secondary to the banter these two protagonists have in the cab.
The biggest problem with Godspeed is that it can’t seem to decide whether it wants to be a comedy or a thriller. While there are many darkly humorous moments throughout the film, there is one scene in particular, which is quite sadistic and violent, marking a huge tonal shift from the rest of the film. The dialogue-heavy film also moves at a snails pace and was frankly a big of a chore to watch.
WATCHABLE
Screenings:
- Thursday, September 15, 10:30 PM – Scotiabank Theatre 1
- Sunday, September 18, 9:00 AM – Scotiabank Theatre 14