Making it look like an 'Accident'

Every year the film criticism magazine Film Comment creates a miniature film festival of sorts, showcasing 10 repertory programs and 16 feature films, which the magazine affectionately calls "Film Comment Selects." Needless to say, these are quality films: They're the best of the best from the Cannes, Toronto and Venice film festivals.

Though you might expect most of the magazine's choices to be art films of a similar species, this year the mix was quite eclectic, featuring films from several different genres. One film, however, has been catching all the buzz, and it's all about assassins.

"Accident," directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Pou-Soi Cheang, is an intricately executed and cerebrally challenging thriller that follows a band of assassins as they meticulously stage their murders to look like everyday mishaps. The assassins choreograph their moves so well that everything appears to be simple chance. For instance, during one murder, a balloon just happens to block a security camera.

What sets this film apart is that Cheang doesn't hit you in the face with heart-pounding action. Rather, the calculated plot unravels slowly, interweaving certain ambiguities and at times leaving viewers in the dark. The film is a thriller that makes the viewer think and theorize rather than just going for the adrenaline-rush jugular.

The film, written by Kam-Yuen Szeto and Lik-Kei Tang, also adds a nice personal touch by revealing the individual stories of each assassin, which helps the audience to invest in them emotionally. But it can't be argued that sentimentality dominates this film — or, for that matter, morality and ethics. They are in the background, supporting the plot. "Accident" is definitely an action thriller first and foremost.

The film's narrative is composed of detail, irony and paradox, elements also evident in the film's technical aspects. Like the assassinations themselves, it's so meticulously well executed that it looks almost spontaneous.

"Accident" and other films will be playing at the Film Comments Selects series at Lincoln Center through Mar. 4.