'SO CLOSE' SO SATISFYING.

Byline: Bob Strauss Film Critic

STYLE IS a word that gets tossed around too much when discussing movies these days. Everyone who's backlit a rock video or drenched a car commercial in rain, once they get their inevitable feature shot, is noted for their style.

But real cinematic style - the knowledge of just how to deploy movement through space in and among frames, and the skill to stage and shoot it - is a much rarer and more valuable gift. Along with many other sublime talents, Hong Kong filmmaker Cory Yuen displays that special kind of style. It's polished to a high formal and kinetic elegance in his girl-power martial arts extravaganza ``So Close.''

Described by fools as a Chinese ``Charlie's Angels,'' ``So Close'' does feature three mentally and physically formidable beauties caught up in an adventure packed with eye-popping stunts and high-tech flourishes. But every shot in ``So Close'' is a compositional masterpiece. The characters, despite their impossible prowess, come off as emotionally true creatures. And the action is always inventive, expertly choreographed and thrilling to the core.

See? Nothing really in common with a ``Charlie's Angels'' movie at all.

``So Close'' is somewhat ridiculous in its own way, but what Hong Kong action film isn't? The story involves a sister team of enhanced assassins. Gorgeous Lynn (Shu Qi) is a cool killer who can take out a whole skyscraper full of gangsters and then virtually fly away scot free. She could not be so effective, however, without the assistance of her cyberpunk little sister Sue (Zhao Wei). Operating the super-satellite electronic eavesdropping system that their daddy invented (and was killed over), Sue can see into anywhere where there's a camera and instantly transmit instructions to Lynn about which door not to open or what window to jump through.

Investigating the killings of ruthless computer company fat cats, unorthodox inspector Kong Yat-hung (Karen Mok) gradually zeros in on the sister act. But with her incomparable spy devices, Sue gets an eyeful of the detective, too - and being somewhat Sapphic, likes what she sees. Matters become much more serious when the crooked computer execs send their own assassins after all three women.

Director Yuen stages some doozies here. There's everything from a John Woo pistol-pointing standoff, double-dutched and morphed into a wild cat fight with hair and handcuffs, to a climactic sword fight. And whenever anyone gets into an elevator, expect trouble.

But Yuen does not overlook the importance of bubble baths and short shorts in a project such this, either. And the overall production design boasts a clean, geometric aesthetic that proves unexpectedly conducive to violent, erotic and emotional expressiveness.

``So Close'' comes very close to getting everything right.

Bob Strauss, [phone]

bob.strauss(at)dailynews.com

SO CLOSE - Three and one half stars

(R: violence, language)

Starring: Shu Qi, Zhao Wei, Karen Mok, Seoung-Heon Song, Michael Wei.

Director: Cory Yuen.

Running time: 1 hr. 47 min.

Playing: Landmark's Nuart, West L.A.; Edwards University 6, Irvine.

In a nutshell: Elegantly shot and choreographed Hong Kong martial-arts thriller pits a high-tech sister assassin team against a smart and unconventional lady cop.