Newsmakers
Directed by: Anders BankeStarring: Mariya Mashkova, Andrey Merzlikin, Yevgeni Tsyganov, Sergey Garmash Synopsis: When a tv news-crew finds itself in the middle of a gun-battle between police and a gang of highly-equipped bank-robbers, the ineptness of the out-gunned police force’s ability to control the streets is broadcast for all to see. Confidence and trust of the police is at an all-time low. Katya, an ambitious PR director, comes up with the strategy of turning the eventual capture of the gang into a huge media event, allowing news crews unprecedented coverage of a live operation. The gang have holed up in a huge tenement building, making the police operation a huge headache. Unbeknownst to them also, is that another group of criminals, two assassins, are making preparations to undertake a hit when the police arrive. Soon the battle isn’t just being waged in the tenement’s corridors, but in the media, as the tech-savvy crooks release footage onto the internet... ReviewOther than the change of setting, there isn’t much different between Newsmakers and the Hong Kong original, Johnny Tos “Breaking News”. In fact, it’s almost a shot-for-shot remake. The main difference between the two films is the sprawling tenement building, which is simply huge. It certainly puts the UK’s inner-city Hi-Rises into perspective, and is a believable location for a war being waged indoors. 
The action in Newsmakers is well-shot. The initial confrontation, a running battle between under-cover cops and the bank robbers is well staged. Inside the tenement building, the robbers are harried by armoured SWAT teams and the hard-headed cops who were trying to bust them at the start, disobeying orders by continuing their investigation. Outside, Katya directs the battle via camera uplinks with the SWAT teams – except of course the quartet of original cops, who weren’t so kitted out (and would have probably dumped the cameras even if they had got them). The character of Katya is played in a much more “girly” fashion than in Breaking News, where she was more stern and dour. Every other character is a mirror image of the original though. 
VerdictAlthough Newsmakers is a well-acted, well shot and entertaining thriller, it is a carbon copy of the original movie and has nothing new to say about the media’s role in public opinion and how that can be manipulated by both sides. If you have already seen Johnny To’s Breaking News, there is little point in seeing Newsmakers unless you’re curious as to how the story plays out in a different city. 7 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)
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