The writing/directing team of Alan Mak and Felix Chong have produced a fine police thriller with Overheard. Even though it doesn't do anything revolutionary, all of the technical elements are handled well, and the performances from the leads make this a film well worth watching -- especially if you are already a fan of Hong Kong cop pictures and are jonesing for your next fix during this dry spell of quality releases from the region.

And, yes, kids, Overheard marks the return of a certain Michael Fitzgerald Wong to Hong Kong screens after a nearly four year long absence. He plays Willie Ma, a corrupt businessman under scrutiny by the cops for insider trading. During their investigation, a surveillance team (Lau Ching-Wan, Louis Koo, and Daniel Lam) find out about a great deal and decide to invest all of their money. The gamble pays off, but it isn't long before both their superiors and Willie's "associates" begin investigations of their own.

As you might guess, things don't end well for the trio. But even though the story is fairly transparent and doesn't hold any real twists and turns more experienced viewers won't be able to spot, it's still interesting viewing, due to the economy in the story, which makes things never seem bloated or slow-moving. While Overheard is really in no way a deep or thought-provoking film, at least it doesn't insult the viewer's intelligence, either. This is a "popcorn" movie that should please both film aficionados and casual viewers alike.

Sure, you'll have to put up with a "classic" Michael Wong performance, complete with him saying half of his lines in English. But I do have to admit that Mikey has kind of dumb charm to him, and he certainly doesn't drag the film down. Combined with solid work from the other actors (which also include Alex Fong, Waise Lee, and Henry Fong Ping) Overheard ends up being one of the better cop dramas from anywhere in the world released in 2009.

RATING: 7