PRISON ON FIRE

The Hong Kong prison movie against which all others are measured. Ringo Lam's near-plotless portrait of brotherhood and political chicanery behind bars is terrific storytelling, and more than adequate justification for his celebrated career. PRISON ON FIRE features a sensational performance from Chow Yun-Fat, who plays seasoned inmate Mad Dog. His carefree attitude towards prison life belies a deep understanding of the dangers of politics. He shows the ropes to new inmate Lo Ka-Yia (Tony Leung), in for involuntary manslaughter. It isn't until Mad Dog steps in that Lo learns how he's going to survive his sentence.