The Corruptor (1999)

Spoilers Ahead:

Yes, I know critics, it has Wahlberg but Foley has him on a leash here. If you notice, unlike The Departed, where he went wild and ran the movie over, here he has limited dialog which is a good thing. Everyone says Replacement Killers is better, I disagree, Fat gives a much more complex, multi-layered performance here. He portrays his mixed loyalties to Uncle Benny, the police department and his growing father like affection for Danny very well. The script itself is much more complex than Fuqua's action fest. I own that movie also but this one follows Danny into the ambivalencies of going undercover to check out Fat which is complicated by his growing friendship with him and his father's gambling debts which suck him into the grasp of the Tongs and Henry Lee, well played by Ric Young. This is a very intense well written piece of work that bombed frankly because Wahlberg has a bit of a negative reputation. Please, The Happening? where he tried to play a scientist? Whose idea was that? Here, he is very much subdued and under control; Foley wisely limits his dialog there are no long spiels where he displays the limitations of his acting range. The loyalties get all mixed up as Danny gets deeper and deeper plus Lee starts manipulating him by using his wish to help people as a oar to steer him into trouble with.

Fat will shock you with how well he does here. I am one of the few people who loved his performance in Anna And The King. My favorite scene is after this cop flips him crap, he pops his mouth with his finger and displays it in a circle with a sneering smile. The man is such a gifted actor. Imagine the Curse Of The Golden Flower without him? The characters are drawn well full of dichotomous feelings, light and dark, like all human beings. As corrupt as Fat is, he still is helping a prostitute that Henry Lee has slaving for him. These are not all good or all bad cartoon characters like many action movies. I really cannot understand the low IMDb rating except for people who detest Wahlberg. It certainly cannot be Fat's performance which I consider to be his best in an American film. The film's intensity begins from the first frame with Bobby Vu, the leader of the Fuchinese Dragons, blowing up a store and shooting the poor burning guy coming out.

As we discover as the movie progresses, Lee is doing a behind the scenes mission to usurp control over the Tong from aged Uncle Benny. Fat feeds him information hoping to keep him away from Danny but good luck, Lee wants a white cop inside the precinct. The movie builds to the showdown where Fat has to decide whether to kill Danny when Lee discovers he is internal affairs. I admired the lack of a clichéd story with the stupid, happy ending. Foley makes a very different film even Danny's father is corrupt. There are no pure good or evil characters only the complex people you find in real life. Do not believe the above rating, this is an excellent movie. I own some of Fat's Chinese performances but this was his best role in English. A Hidden Treasure.