Sordid details aside, there's a great deal of juicy ethical and moral meat to chew on in The Sparring Partner, and some strong performances to be transfixed by, particularly Harriet Yeung as Tong's agonized sister. Her testimony is the film's single most gut-wrenching sequence, and it goes a long way to casting doubt on Tong's role in the crime. Or was it a tremendous act by a family member? This is the complex narrative Ho is trying to weave. The director clearly has an ambitious sense of storytelling, and it will be interesting to see what comes next, but he may have bitten off more than he can chew. At least for now.