Running Out of Time (1999 film)
| Running Out of Time | |
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| Traditional | 暗戰 |
| Simplified | 暗战 |
| Mandarin | Àn Zhàn |
| Cantonese | Am3 Zin3 |
| Directed by | Johnnie To |
| Produced by | Johnnie To |
| Written by |
Yau Nai-hoi Laurent Courtiaud Julien Carbon |
| Starring |
Andy Lau Lau Ching-wan |
| Music by | Raymond Wong |
| Cinematography | Cheng Siu-Keung |
| Edited by | Andy Chan |
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Production
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| Distributed by | China Star Entertainment Group |
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Release date
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Running time
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93 minutes |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Cantonese |
| Box office | HK$14,651,824 |
Running Out of Time (Chinese: 暗戰; literal title: Hidden War) is a 1999 Hong Kong action thriller film produced and directed by Johnnie To and starring Andy Lau as a cancer-ridden criminal who challenges a police negotiator, played by Lau Ching-wan, to a 72-hour battle of wits and courage. Andy Lau won his first Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor in 2000 for his performance in the film. The film was followed by a sequel, Running Out of Time 2, which was released in 2001.
Cheung (Andy Lau) is given four weeks to live. As he eats at a diner, Inspector Ho Sheung-sang (Lau Ching-wan), a police negotiator, has been called to the scene of a bank robbery standoff that's being bungled by his inept boss, Wong Kai-fat (Benz Hui). Listening to a negotiation between Wong and the robbers, Ho feels that the robbers are professionals and goes in the negotiate with the robbers. After goading the robbers, a man amongst the hostages stands up and shoots the robbers dead. Inspector Ho recognizes his sniffling as the robber talking to Wong before he went in. As the police rush in, Inspector Ho leaves the crime scene to grab some breakfast.
Cheung has taken an interest in Ho, who he discovers was a former member SDU. He then stages his own robbery to get in contact with him. He scares away the personnel of a finance company and takes the manager hostage. Cheung is met with another negotiator and Wong. When Ho finally appears, Cheung proposes to play a three-day long game. Cheung shoots the manager and Ho and the police give chase until Cheung stalls them enough to make an escape with a bomb, which turns out to be fake.
Cheung makes his escape by posing as SDU and a cop. Ho meets with Cheung after posing as a taxi driver. Amazed at Ho's ploy, he'll admit defeat at the game if Ho can take him to the police station before three days are over. Cheung then pulls a gun a starts shooting out the window to test Ho's reaction. When Ho slams the brakes, Cheung flees and jumps aboard to mini-bus. When stopped at a police road block, Cheung avoids them. Having seen his gun, she cooperates. Leaving the road block, he gets off.
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