The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Oceanic Mansion, Quarry Bay

I know this large block is actually several discrete smaller blocks (Oceanic & Montane Mansions + Fook Cheong, Yik Cheong & Yik Fat Buildings) but I referred to it as Oceanic Mansions when it first came to prominance following a starring role in Transformers: Age of Extinction, so for consistency I will stick to that.convention for the title.

In this film it is the location of the hostel where the gang set up their HQ and the main location shots are of the podium level located between Montane Mansion and the Yick Cheong Building.

This isn't the only way that this film copied Transformers: Age of Extinction and it makes me think that the Japanese film makers may have been reading this blog at some point...

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei

The gang convene to eat food and discuss the background of their target at a dai pai dong on Temple Street.

This last shot, with its elevated view, was almost certainly shot from the Yau Ma Tei Multi-storey carpark that has only just been demolished. The Govt is building another highway through the area and the carpark was in the way, so...goodbye carpark.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Nathan Road, Yau Ma Tei

Despite pointing to an overhanging sign on Shanghai Street, when the group ducks the sign they are back on Nathan Road, this time in Yau Ma Tei just next to the junction with Ning Po Street.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Shanghai Street, Yau Ma Tei

Despite being a very quick sequence, the scene was obviously shot over a much longer period as the view point switches between Nathan Road and Shanghai Street in quick succession. Below is looking south along Shanghai Street from the junction with Saigon Street. The sign for the Tak Sang pawnshop can be seen on the left.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Next scene is of the group as they ride an open top tour bus along the TST section of Nathan Road. You can see iSquare on the right.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - View over North Point

Another part of the montage that supposedly shows all the buildings with "Sagitarius Group" signage all over them is this shot. This particular view is at the Quarry Bay-end of North Point with the buildings around the junction of King's Road and Java Road. In the top image on the far right (with some weird structure on the flat roof) is the Java Road Government Offices where Infernal Affairs was filmed. And in the lower image the Kerry Centre is the building that has loomed into view from the left. The oval of the signage neatly covers the real symbol for the Kuok Group emblem (as in Robert Kuok, chairman of Shangri-La Hotel and Kerry Holdings groups).

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Various Buildings, Central

Next up is a montage of various buildings around Hong Kong as the story of the elusive "Lau Lam" - aka the "Ice Princess" chair of the Sagitarius Group conglomerate is established. So we are shown a bunch of buildings with the company logo emblazoned (using CGI, of course) across them all in bright pink LED.

First up in the AIA Tower and CCB Tower. You can also see the spires on the top of the Bank of China Tower poking out from behind CCB Tower. So this shot was taken from the open area in front of the City Hall complex. 

AIA Tower (L) and CCB Tower (R)

The next image shows mainly (L-R) the Conrad Hotel, the Swire office building above Pacific Place,The Shangri-La Hotel and the CITIC building on the far right.This looks to have been taken from Lung Wo Road, close to the turn off to Expo Drive.

This last image below obviously shows the HSBC building with the Cheung Kong Centre on the left. The building on the right is the Mandarin Oriental Hotel which means the image was taken from the north side of Connaught Road.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Aberdeen Harbour, Aberdeen

Given the recent unfortunate destruction of the Jumbo restaurant, this may just be the last time it was ever captured on film for an international movie (or any movie for that matter) before the pandemic hit, it closed, and then met its watery fate several hundred miles southwest of Hong Kong.

The first proper location is Aberdeen as the gang, all dressed in yellow/black Bruce Lee Game of Death onesies, celebrate their arrival with a trip over the harbour as they imitate their hero.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - View over Wanchai

Straight into the next film. This time a deep dive into the Hong Kong locations of The Confidence Man JP: The Movie (or コンフィデンスマンJP if you want the original Japanese title). I believe it is a movie continuation of a popular TV show and follows Dako (Masami Nagasawa) and her swindling cohorts as they try to extort a Hong Kong billionaire business woman. There are twists galore so I won't spoil them too much here other than what you might infer from some of the screen caps. Anyway, it's an entertaining film and sadly the last one involving Yûko Takeuchi before her death the following year. The story starts in Japan as the gang decide on their next target and it's not long before everything moves to Hong Kong. There are some familiar locations here but they still benefit from colourful, full HD cinematography. First up is the initial establishing shot taken above the skyscrapers in Wanchai.

The Killer - Chow Yun Fat (1989) - Villa Costa, Tai Po Kau

For the final post from this film, I've left the best until last. Possibly one of the best-remembered scenes from The Killer is when Ah Jong and Danny Lee's policeman end up sprawled on the floor with their guns pointing at each others faces. This takes place in the home of Ah Jong's double-crossing agent, Sidney, where Ah Jong and Jennie have gone into hiding. Yet another example of John Woo's favourite pastime: finding a building about to be demolished and then blowing the sh*t out of it.

Yes, as you may have guessed the house is no longer around. It was located in Tai Po Kau, just off Lookout Link. It and its neighbour were both demolished not long after this film was made and the whole site was replaced into a townhouse development called Villa Costa at #18 Lookout Link. The part of this development that corresponds where the old house and its garden were located, coincides with today's house numbers 10, 11, 12 and 15 (there's no #13 or #14 because...superstitious claptrap). I have no idea if this house had a name, nor who the owners were (although I am sure someone can pay for the land deeds if they are really interested) but given that a variety of Colonial Administration employees used to live around this area, it wouldn't surprise me if this was also given over to a senior officer in the then Govt.

I did notice that whoever wrote the wikipage for the film has stated this property was located in Stanley, but that's patently wrong. So, another falsehood busted.

Please feel free to comment if you have any information you can share about the place. I already posted an image on Gwulo and so far the only comment was to tell me it was the house from The Killer (yes, this despite me already mentioning it in my post there). On an aside, the house next door (whose garden/front hedgerow can be seen in image 1) which also succumbed under the same development project, was called "Hei Yuen" on the 1970 Govt maps. Villa Costa was completed and occupied in 1994, so I imagine the house was demolished within a couple of years of the film being made there.

Looking out across Tolo Harbour

Back garden and terrace

They'll never get the stains off the rug, but I guess they didn't have to

The Killer - Chow Yun Fat (1989) - Sha Wan Drive, Sandy Bay

Sergeant Tsang (Kenneth Tsang) is convalescing in, what appears to be, the Maclehouse Medical Rehabilitation Centre in Sandy Bay, because when Inspector Lee leaves the place, he is on Sha Wan Drive with said institution in the background. He then drives his motorbike south along the road as he goes to find Ah Jong. The last shot is at the far end of Sha Wan Drive as it switches back to the north and joins with Victoria Road.

The Killer - Chow Yun Fat (1989) - Lookout Link, Tai Po Kau

After pursuing the bad guys, Sgt Tsang, badly wounded, crashes into the side of the road. In the film it's called Horizon Drive, but in actual fact it's the junction between Lookout Link and Yau King Lane in Tai Po Kau.

The Killer - Chow Yun Fat (1989) - Shui Chuen O, Shatin

Following the shootout in the parking garage, the subsequent car chase takes place around some deserted land. This was filmed in an area in the hills on the east side of the Shatin valley. At the time it was empty land, however, more recently the Shui Chuen O Estate has been constructed and completely fills this area now.

Prince of Wales Hospital on the right

The Killer - Chow Yun Fat (1989) - Sir Cecil's Ride, Tai Hang

The narrow hillside road where Ah Jong and Sidney go to following the shootout in the parking garage is Sir Cecil's Ride. The view has changed extensively, but more so from the fact that the side of the road is now completely filled with large bushes blocking the view.

The Killer - Chow Yun Fat (1989) - Happy Mansion, Mid-levels

Props to Dan Thomas for nailing this location originally, many years ago. This is the location of Jennie's apartment and where the cops catch up with the assassin for the first time. The tall white building in the background of some of the rooftop shots is nearby "Visalia Garden". It looks like the area hasn't changed much except for some of the surrounding buildings to have been given a bit of a spruce up.