| Eye in the Sky | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Yau Nai-hoi |
| Written by | Yau Nai-hoi Au Kin-yee |
| Produced by | Johnnie To Tsui Siu-Ming |
| Starring | Simon Yam Tony Leung Ka-fai Kate Tsui |
| Cinematography | Tony Cheung |
| Edited by | David M. Richardson |
| Music by | Guy Zerafa Dave Klotz |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Edko Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Languages | Cantonese English |
| Box office | US$1,792,872[1] |
Eye in the Sky (traditional Chinese:跟蹤;simplified Chinese:跟踪, Literally:Tracing) is a 2007 Hong Kongaction thriller film[2] starringSimon Yam,Tony Leung Ka-fai andMiss Hong Kong pageant winnerKate Tsui in her film debut. Yam and Tsui play surveillance operatives on the trail of a gang of professional robbers led by Chan Chong-Shan (Leung). The title is derived from thecasino surveillance tech "eye in the sky". It marks the directorial debut ofYau Nai-hoi, a long-time screenwriter for films directed byJohnnie To, who co-produced the film with his production companyMilkyway Image.Eye in the Sky premiered as an Official Selection at the 2007Berlin International Film Festival, and as an Opening Film at theHong Kong International Film Festival. It was released byEdko Films in Hong Kong on 21 June 2007.
Eye in the Sky begins with a group of organised burglars successfully robbing a jewelry store. Wet-behind-the-ears new recruit Piggy (Kate Tsui) is plunged at the deep end in her first surveillance assignment working alongside her mentor, Sergeant Wong (Simon Yam). They work for theHong Kong Police Force's Criminal Intelligence Bureau. After reviewing the jewelry store surveillance videos recordings, the force attempts to track down one of the robbers by staking out the neighborhood they think he lives in.
Fatman (Lam Suet) is identified and tracked without his knowledge through a combination of tails, surveillance footage, and data-mining, including accessing hisOctopus card. The force ambush is established at the scene of the next robbery, but the elusive Hollow Man (Tony Leung Ka-fai) notices the police. As the robbers flee, some are killed by aPolice Tactical Unit, but the rest escape. Chan kills a uniformed police officer as he flees, and Piggy stops to give first aid rather than continue the pursuit.
The surveillance unit is then called to another case; a kidnapping. Piggy is staking out a phone booth where the kidnapper may make a call, when she sees Hollow Man go by. She recognises the kidnapper from Fatman's apartment building and allows the police to rescue the kidnap victim, while she pursues Hollow Man. After a tense confrontation in a cafe, where Hollow Man confronts her, she escapes suspicion, but Hollow Man notices Sergeant Wong and stabs him in the neck with a pair of scissors. Wong convinces Piggy to continue to follow Hollow Man as he slowly bleeds to death.
Piggy follows Hollow Man to his hideout and calls for the Police Tactical Unit again. Meanwhile, Wong survives his injury and gets medical attention. In the raid on the hideout, Hollow Man flees down a dock and wounds himself mortally in the neck running past a hanging hook, and the other robbers are captured.
The film received generally favourable reception and was hailed for the plot's authentic and dark atmosphere, and realistic use of surveillance tech to make the story believable. One criticism was that the film was too short and therefore not enough for those looking for something more.[3]
Perry Lam ofMuse magazine writes, 'If the ending of the movie is more than a little contrived and predictable, there are enough surprises along the way for us to savor before we get there.'[4]
Eye in the Sky premiered as an Official Selection atThe 2007 Berlin Film Festival and as an Opening Film atThe Hong Kong International Film Festival.
| Awards and nominations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceremony | Category | Recipient | Outcome |
| 27th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Film | Eye in the Sky | Nominated |
| Best Director | Yau Nai-hoi | Nominated | |
| Best Screenplay | Yau Nai-hoi,Au Kin-yee | Nominated | |
| Best Actor | Simon Yam | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Maggie Shiu | Nominated | |
| Best New Performer | Kate Tsui | Won | |
| Best New Director | Yau Nai-hoi | Won | |
| Best Film Editing | David M. Richardson | Nominated | |
| 2nd Asian Film Awards | Best Film Editing | David M. Richardson | Nominated |
| Golden Horse Film Awards | Best Director | Yau Nai-hoi | Nominated |
| Best Supporting Actress | Maggie Shiu | Nominated | |
| Best Original Film Score | Guy Zerafa | Nominated | |
| Best Film Editing | David M. Richardson | Nominated | |
| 14thHong Kong Film Critics Society Awards | Best Actor | Tony Leung Ka-fai | Won |
| Film of Merit | Eye in the Sky | Won | |
A South Koreanremake titledCold Eyes starringSul Kyung-gu,Jung Woo-sung andHan Hyo-joo was released in 2013.[5]
Another remake,The Shadow's Edge, featuringJackie Chan andTony Leung Ka-fai who also original starred, was released in 2025.[6]