In the center of the movie Chen's performance as the hitman turned cook may have many role models ranging from Jean Reno's Leon to the gangsters in the works of Jean-Pierre Melville. Indeed his character arc will likely unfold in at times rather predictable ways from a man who has come to accept passivity as integral part of his life, a man more comfortable with his hands deeply buried in the pockets of his trousers or folded. The opening scene showing him killing a number of thugs using only his knife not only sets the tone for the character but also the kind of comparisons SABU may have had in mind for the scene's choreography could have easily been used in any movie of John Woo or Johnnie To. However, using mere genre conventions does