It kind of lays bare the three directors, exposing them to scrutiny, because connecting their three disparate styles can only make each more pronounced next to the other. I'm not that clear on the exact genesis of the project, nor how the three worked together and what their modus operandi was. The extras on the two-disc Hong Kong DVD set don't reveal much in those terms. But the challenge for them must have been to try and create a cohesive film as much as possible and not end up with three ill-fitted pieces of filmmaking. In that respect, Tsui, Lam and To succeed, as the transitions are seamless where one left off and another picked up.

Funnily enough, much of what goes on in the film reflects what went on in real life. Three very different directors come together to attempt to tell a story about three individuals from very different backgrounds who come together to attempt a seemingly impossible alleviation of their downtrodden, desperate situation. This almost preposterous film project lands squarely on a really preposterous story idea, that of a hidden treasure in the women's restroom of the Legislative Council building. No explanation is given as to how the treasure got there, as unknowable as the element of mystery in the story - the old man who gives the three men a gold coin and clues to the treasure.

From there, the directors take off running and never stop. Tsui has a penchant for removing men out of their comfort zones and adding enough urban intrigue to situations that brings them to the brink of boiling over, while Lam brings things to a more psychological level, often blurring the lines between the real and the unreal. The stage is nicely set by Tsui with a number of other characters and subplots surrounding the main action involving the three treasure hunters. Lam then streamlines the story and gives it a more solid path. But it's To who gives a whole new lease of life to the story just as things threaten to turn mundane. He clearly has more fun with the material, freely flitting between action and black comedy, even using the comedy trick of the old switcheroo in the dark. There's tension, then bursts of comic relief, then chaos. It's clear where To intends to take the material the moment Lam Suet appears as a hilariously over-the-top Ecstasy-junkie. By the time To's done with the material, it resembles little of what had gone on before, but still somehow feels like a fitting close.

I could never understand all the complaints about the film being too eclectic, or having too many characters and subplots, and being confusing. There's clearly no other way of watching Triangle other than with a conscious view of this being sort of a "game." In that respect, the more subplots and elements thrown in in the beginning, the more fun it is to see how each director would resolve his segment of the story. And in this respect too, it seems To had the toughest job of the three. So, all in, Triangle begins as an urgent urban thriller, then becomes a dark, psychological play, which then culminates in a thrilling, comedic end.

The Extras

The Hong Kong two-disc edition of Triangle, available from YesAsia, has a second disc of extras, including a very short making-of (which is really a quick overview with various quotes from the directors and main cast), behind-the-scenes with all three directors, deleted scenes, a TV spot and trailer. There are no English subtitles for the extras, but the behind-the-scenes don't really need any translation. You get to see the director's meticulous approach, where the act of putting a hairpin into Kelly Lin's hair becomes an elaborate performance. During Tsui's shoot on the streets in the wee hours, public vehicles can be seen passing by even while they're hard at work shooting a car stunt! And of course, I kept a lookout for a glimpse of Todd on To's nighttime set, but alas, he must be camera-shy (Todd visited the set early last year).

The deleted scenes are probably those missing minutes that were in the Cannes cut, and they mostly further establish some of the characters.

But it would have been a real bonus if they had included detailed interviews with the directors on how exactly they worked on this "puzzle film," whether they had watched each other's rushes before starting, or had pre-production meetings to establish the technical basics of the film.