The Bodyguard

Hong Kong action legend Sammo Hung directs and stars as Ding, a retired Central Security Bureau officer now living a quiet life in a small town near the Russian and North Korean borders. Suffering from the early stages of dementia, he keeps to himself—his former professional life quite literally fading away. Into his life comes a young neighbor girl, Cherry, who reminds him of his own lost granddaughter. Together the pair strike up an unlikely friendship, fishing and playing board games. However, Cherry's father, Li (Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau) suffers from a gambling problem, endangering himself as well as his daughter by stealing a bag of jewels from the Russian mob to repay his debt to local gangster Choi. When both father and daughter disappear, Ding must call upon his long-buried skills to save his young friend's life and maybe in the process redeem his own tragic past. Featuring tantalizing cameo performances from Tsui Hark, Yuen Wah, and Hu Jun among other Hong Kong action-cinema mainstays, The Bodyguard culminates in a frenetic climax of nail-biting intensity. (Seattle International Film Festival)