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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Call MeThe residents of a typical major modern city interact with and effect each other's lives in many ways every day without ever realizing it. This is shown to dramatic affect in Call Me. A young man who has had to sell blood to make ends meet realizes that he has HIV and desperately attempts to track down the man who sold that blood to someone else. Meanwhile, another man who delivers flowers faces troubles in his work and professional life, as does an employee of an answering service, and numerous others. Ironically, the people whose stories these are meet in person and change the course of each others' lives throughout the film without ever breaking out of their isolation, while they attempt to connect to others at a distance, electronically... through the answering service, through computers, even through watching the incoming messages on someone else's lost text pager and imagining their life. Their failure to connect face to face says a lot about the way we live today, and it probably wouldn't be reading too much symbolism into the film to point out that the dramatic and often tragic changes in the lives of the characters are brought about by a whole string of strangers they'll never know... much like the HIV the aforementioned young man has contracted. If you enjoy having a lot to talk and think about for some time after a movie is over, this is definitely the film for you. Casino Raiders"Crab" Chan, a master gambler who has been in prison for several years as the result of a few of his escapades, has no sooner walked out of the prison gate after his release than he is met by a mysterious woman who drives him to a secret location to meet her boss, "Lon." Lon runs a number of casinos around the world, and is especially concerned about the huge losses at one in the U.S., at Lake Tahoe. He wants "Crab" to investigate for him (who would be better able to spot and stop a cheater?), so he and his pal Sam head to the U.S. to look into the situation. The title might lead you to expect another remake of Ocean's Eleven and the setting might make the film seem like a take-off on the God Of Gamblers series, but it's neither... what you have here is more of a variation on the old "cops out to bust a ring of criminals" tale, with Andy Lau in a competent but not especially spectacular performance as "Crab." The story takes an interesting turn when an injury "Crab" sustains while fighting one of his foes results in his possibly never again being able to gamble with the same skills he had before, and he's faced with the question of just how important gambling is to him, and whether he has any real life apart from it. For the most part, however, Casino Raiders occupies that broad middle ground... well-done enough to HOLD your interest, but not really original or unique enough to DEEPLY ENGAGE it. (This tape contains sub-titles, but no english-language credits.) (Review written: 5/31/02) The Castle of CagliostroReally early (pre-Studio Ghibli) Hayao Miyazaki, and kind of like an animated equivalent of Hitchcock's To Catch A Thief. Michael (aka "The Wolf") is a likable, affable character who also happens to be a professional thief, and travels about with his friend Jiggan in their amazing car (James Bond might get jealous at all its "extras"), just one step ahead of the always-in-pursuit Inspector Zanagata, who seems to have a grudging respect and admiration for The Wolf that he is reluctant to admit. In this story, a robbery the pair has just pulled off turns out to have netted them only counterfeit cash, but the Wolf is amazed at the high quality of the money and determines to trace it back to its source... which turns out to be the castle of the evil Count Cagliostro (whose counterfeiting operation seems to be responsible for most of the wars and assassinations of the past century). Our "heroic" pair head there to get in on the action, little realizing there's more going on than they suspected: Cagliostro has kidnapped Princess Clarice to force her into a marriage that will mean her death and Cagliostro's even greater wealth (the Wolf decides to prevent it)... AND Fujiko, another thief, is operating inside the castle... and there's always Zanagata right behind. As you may have imagined, this is a film that begins with a chase scene and virtually never stops moving until the very last scene (and not really even then). It would be nearly impossible to think of a single aspect of this movie that's done wrong... the characters are great, much more fully drawn that you usually see in animation, and you really believe they relate to each other in the ways the script says they do. The dialogue is sharp and witty, and even fans of the classic adventure serials or the Indiana Jones films will be breathless in astonishment at the feats of daring our heroes are constantly performing. The plot often surprises you with its various twists and turns, and the end effect is that of one 95-minute adrenaline rush. The Castle Of Cagliostro is very highly recommended to all ages... you don't have to be a kid or even have one to enjoy this delightful, action-packed adventure. (Review written: 12/23/02) The CatThe character of "Wisely" is not only the hero of a series of popular novels but has appeared, played by various actors, in a number of films such as The Legend Of Wisely (in which he'd depicted as more of an Indiana Jones type adventurer) and the more recent Wesley's Mysterious File (where he's shown as a supernatural investigator, though still plenty adventureous). This film leans much more towards the latter style. Phillip Kwok stars as Wisely, who uses his many real-life adventures as the source material for his best selling novels. His friend Li Tung has just put him onto a very strange and interesting case: an old man and his daughter (along with their mysterious cat) who've just moved out of his building strike him as downright unearthly, and they leave behind evidence that they might not be entirely human. Wisely of course investigates, and, you guessed it: they're all from another planet (including the cat), and want to return home: but first they have to fight and defeat a powerful villain from their own world before they can go home. A movie that is incredibly cheesy and KNOWS IT can be wonderful fun, but The Cat is in that unfortunate category of movies that are cheesy but take themselves way too seriously... so it's bad, but not quite bad enough to be "so bad it's good." Though there are individual scenes that are exceptions: the fight between the incredibly brilliant cat and an earthly dog is positively hysterical as you watch what is obviously one puppet thrown by someone off screen towards another puppet on screen, as camera movements try to give the impression of an intense, bloody battle. And when the aforementioned unearhtly villain so often manifests itself as what looks like a gigantic, and very hairy, slice of lasagna, it's hard not to laugh (one of those manifestations also gives us the classic line of dialogue "Wisely, the killer from outer space is here!", which is all to the good). But, ahh... if only there were more moments like those. As it is, the movie stops just short of being entertainingly stupid and settles for merely silly... but seems to be thinking (especially with all the ominous music) that it's a science-fiction/suspense classic. There's nothing wrong with watching a bad movie for the sheer fun of it... indeed, it can result in some very entertaining movie-going experiences (just ask the folks at MST3K). But if that's what you're after, you should look elsewhere. In fact, whatever kind of movie you're after, look elsewhere. Also starring Gloria Yip, Waise Lee Chin-Hung, and Christine Ng. Directed by Laam Naai Choi, produced by Chua Lam. 1992. (Review written: 12/27/02) CatnappedA charming anime that combines elements familiar from other films and stories and yet always manages to seem original and never imitative. Brother and sister Toriyasu and Miko have just had their dog Papadoll kidnapped as the story opens, and Miko irritates Toriyasu with her theories of aliens from the "cat star" who have taken him. She turns out to be very close to the truth, though, as cat-like beings from another world arrive to take them to their world and save both their civilization and Papadoll. It seems Princess Bubulina, who has turned evil and greedy after a lifetime of never being told "no," has stolen Papadoll for her own sinister purposes. He's been growing to the point of becoming a giant in his new world, and soon Bubulina will be ready to use him for her evil scheme. Parts of Catnapped will remind you of the work of Hayao Miyazaki, others of Peter Pan and the Beatles' film Yellow Submarine... but the film is filled to overflowing with the imaginative qualities that make those stories classics, and while not quite a classic itself will certainly keep children and many adults involved. It also has that rare element of actually looking at the world not so much the way it really is, but the way that many children see it - with magic and hidden secrets hiding around every corner. Cliche though it is, Catnapped really IS fun for all ages. (Review written: 5/31/02) Centre Stage (aka. The Actress)More than sixty years ago, Ruan Ling-Yu was THE leading lady of Chinese film. Initially thought of as only suited to playing "noble" characters, she proved herself versatile enought o handle virtually any kind of role. But after becoming a kind of legend in her own time, a scandal resulting from her being romantically involved with a mrried man threatened to bring her career to a halt (the Japanese invaders didn't help either). And she died a suicide at the tragically young age of 25. Now, obviously there's a movie bio in all of this, but the mind boggles at the thought of what kind of movie bio it COULD have been... overly sentimental, covering too much of her life for a two hour film, and somehow twisting the facts so that her ultimate fate became uplifting and inspiring. But not in the hands of Stanley Kwan, one of the most dependable and non exploitative directors in Hong Kong (not to mention perhaps the VERY best at creating substantial roles for women). Ruan's life story is told in a rather unorthodox way... or several ways, actually. Scenes depicting Ruan's actual life are interspersed with scenes of the film's cast recreating moments from her films, and from time to time we see ACTUAL clips FROM those films. Then there are the purely documentary moments when Kwan interviews his cast members about their thoughts of Ruan and how they'd want to be remembered by future generations. All of this might sound like pure chaos, but it blends perfectly into a totally coherent whole, and you might not even remember until someone reminds you that it was told in so many different styles. The spot-on performance by Maggie Cheung as Ruan is, of course, an immeasureable help in this regard... this is perhaps one of the two best performances of her career (along with Comrades), and Ruan Ling-Yu comes totally to life in all her glamour, talent, pain, etc. Supporting cast members Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Cecilia Yip, Paul Chang and Chin Han are nearly as good, and the film is one of those rarities: a stylish, atmospheric production that goes JUST far enough with the style but not TOO far. The result is a film that makes the world of film-making and film-makers of the past completely real, and one you'll long remember. Produced by Willie Chan, executive producer: Jackie Chan. (Review written: 12/6/02) China DollsChina Dolls is a 28-minute documentary written and directed by Tony Ayres, about life among the gay Chinese population of Australia (though, to be accurate, there's not very much that's SPECIFICALLY Australian here... it's all pretty universal). There have been few if any stories of gay life, even specifically Chinese gay life, that examine the racial aspects as thoroughly as this film does. Racism within gay culture is dealt with as Ayres talks with various interviewees about the difficulties of finding a partner because of their race, and "Potato Queens" (gay Chinese men who are almost exclusively attracted to white men) tell about why they seek partners from outside their own race. There's virtually nothing in the film about homophobia among the general "straight" populace... the film is concerned with elements of gay life that other films either ignore or choose not to deal with. Indeed, China Dolls accomplishes so much so thoroughly in its brief 28 minutes that you can't help but wonder what an interesting feature it would make. (Review written: 5/31/02) China Gold RushA one-hour television documentary by director Joanne Cheng. As 1999 began to close in on 2000, and so many people around the world THOUGHT the new millenium was about to begin, Cheng's thoughts turned to the country in which she was born and brought up but left as a youth for life in the United States. How had the country changed? What she found, at least as she presents it here, is a country that in the past decade or so has been brought so much closer to the rest of the world that it almost seems like a province of one big global village. Representatives of British and American businesses with brances in China talk about how little difference there is in doing business in China compared with other nations (other than it being more localized), Beijing youths tell about how the Internet and E-mail has made them part of the WORLD youth culture, and punk bands with names like Anarchy Jerks and Brain Failure perform in a style that could make you think you were in London in 1978. Interestingly, a number of interviewees, including some of the westerners, bemoan the lack of a sense of history among much of the youth culture and express concern for the loss of some of the great Chinese traditions. The film's brief length prevents it from going into some areas in as much depth as it might have, and issues of politics are largely ignored. Still, China Gold Rush is a fairly balanced portrait of China today that should help to shatter a lot of preconceptions and mistaken ideas. (Review written: 6/4/02) A Chinese Ghost Story: The Tsui Hark AnimationTsui Hark produces this animated take on the famous Chinese Ghost Story trilogy and provides the "voice" of a new character, the hero's pet dog. Those who've seen any of the three live-action movies will know the story of the young travelling debt collector in love with a woman who happens to not only be a ghost, but a member of a ghostly family who provides her family with nourishment by bringing them human souls on which to feast, but they will be unfamiliar with a lot of the new story elements introduced in this version, which isn't so much a remake as a different approach to the original premise. It's often surprisingly scary for a film aimed at younger audiences, but obviously the story has to be toned down somewhat, even to the point of getting a little too "cute" at times (the dog might not actually SPEAK, but still...). There are also some scenes clearly lifted from the work of Hayao Miyazaki (especially from My Neighbor Totoro) which offset the more imaginative elements of the film. Most children will certainly not be ready for the pure, unadulterated original films, and this is an excellent place for them to get introduced to the characters. Adults will certainly enjoy a lot of it, too, but they might also find themselves making comparisons and thinking that this animated version falls just a bit short. A Chinese Odessey I: Pandora's BoxThis is part one of Stephen Chow's Monkey King saga, and while it is actually not a separate film so much as the first part of ONE story, the differences are quite surprising. The surrealism of part two, in which the story unfolds on several different levels of "reality," is missing altogether in this installment, which is told in a much more straightforward style. After a brief opener of Monkey King in his original supernatural element, we shift to our hero in human form as the leader of a group of bandits (with absolutely no idea of how he got into this situation). Their lives of casual thievery interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious woman who is not entirely human, and who has come there to await the arrival of Monkey King's master, the Longevity Monk, who is to meet his protegée there soon (she's unaware, of course, that he's already there in human guise). Fans of Chow's more traditional roles in slapstick comic films might find part one a little more to their tastes than part two: certainly, scenes in which Chow's pants catch fire in... let's just say, a very sensitive area... and his righthand men put out the fire by stomping on it... VERY HARD... only to have them catch fire again as the process repeats itself... will be familiar stuff to fans of movies like Love On Delivery. Part one not only has very little of Monkey King AS Monkey King, but hardly any of Longevity Monk and nothing at all of Pigsy, so as wide of the mark as Part Two veers from the classic Journey To The West, this installment seems to be part of another story entirely. This is not to say it has nothing to offer... it's a very entertaining film in its own right, not merely funny but filled with plenty of spooky supernatural special effects, particularly the giant semi-human spider that attempts to snare Chow in its web. And in the later stages of the film (the last 20 minutes or so), it becomes the wonderfully strange movie that those who have seen Part Two know and love. So Chinese Odessey, Part I: Pandora's Box is still recommended for anyone looking for a good, funny fantasy film, with perhaps two provisos: (1) that it's not the same kind of film as Cinderella, and (2) in spite of this, it's most definitely only the first half of the story, so if you watch only this film and not the other, you'll really be left hanging at the conclusion (though you at least have the option of watching both parts back to back, unlike, say, Lord Of The Rings). And Chinese Odessey, Part I is still a movie unlike any that Hollywood has ever made... which is plenty good enough reason to see it. (Review written: 11/20/02) A Chinese Odessey II: CinderellaStephen Chow returns as the legendary Monkey King in part two of this film. Picking up exactly where part one left off, we find the monkey king in human form with no recollection of his former identity, falling for a human woman and gradually getting clues as to his true self and destiny. Chow is remarkably capable in what is for the most part a straight dramatic role, showing all sides of his character, including the tenderness and fierce rage, not just the whacky side you might expect (though the film-makers couldn't QUITE resist... there's a sequence of Chow attempting to say a password that will let him enter a cave, which could have fit into any earlier Chow comedy). The most amazing aspect of the film, though, is its incredible dream-like style... this movie is one of the best ever made at giving you the feeling of living an actual dream, and characters, places and situations change completely in the middle of a scene, like they only do in dreams, and you can never be quite sure what is real or what is not... or if that even matters, everything perhaps being just as real as everything else. This film does not make for good CASUAL watching... you need to pay VERY close attention... but it more than repays the effort with one of the most stylistically accomplished films to come out of Hong Kong. Word of warning, though: A Chinese Odessey is really one film in two parts, not a stand-alone film and its sequel. The recap of part one doesn't really help if you haven't seen it, so be SURE to see part one first. You won't be sorry. Also starring Ng Man Tat, Athena Chu Yun, Law Kar-Ying, Karen Mok and Jeff Lau. Directed by Jeff Lau. (Review written: 7/8/02) Christ of NanjingA tragic love story that ought to have a big emotional pay-off, but somehow comes off a bit short. It stars Tony Leung as a Japanese author assigned to write a piece about the "pleasure quarter" of Nanjing. While touring the area with his Chinese friend Nongian Tan, he meets a prostitute named Jinhuan, and the two quickly fall in love and have a passionate affair. But there are a number of problems, not the least of which being the fact that Okagawa (the author) is married, and Jinhuan has an intense devotion to Christ and the Christian faith (yes, yes, that IS difficult considering her profession). Leung as Okagawa and Tomita Yam as Jinhuan shine in their under-written roles, and make you wish the script had gotten another round or two through the old re-write mill. The material is definitely there. Unfortunately, the film too often leaves the viewer wondering about such questions as: since Okagawa’s being married is such an important aspect of the relationship between him and Jinhuan, what's the point in keeping it a secret from the audience until Jinhuan herself finds out about it? And why is someone so out of touch with reality that she's convinced a foreign customer who happens to have long hair and a beard must be Christ himself come to cure her of her venereal disease not getting the serious therapy she so obviously needs? And does a film in which a number of the characters are prostitutes necessarily HAVE TO contain such frequent nudity (women only, of course... gender equality here, you bet...)? You won't have to wonder what Okagawa's constant headaches signify... anyone who's seen more than a couple of movies in their lives will be able to see that one coming a mile off. The Christ Of Nanjing (a title which will guarantee BIG surprises to anyone who picks it up thinking they're in for a Biblical type movie) is very well directed and acted, but far too predictable and melodramatic for its own good (practically the first words you hear are Leung's "Is there no-one who will strangle me in my sleep?"). You can still admire aspects of the film, but this is a story that ought to pack an intense emotional punch, and it's more like a light emotional slap. Directed by Tony Au. (Review written: 12/30/02) Circus KidsDuring World War II, a Shanghai circus has one of its performances interrupted by a Japanese bombing raid. The crowd scatters, the circus members regroup, and have to face the question of what to do next. Unfortunately, whatever they decide, it looks like it's going to have to involve facing up to the Japanese invaders. Circus Kids does contain a number of scenes that give what seem to be a rather accurate idea of what life in Shanghai under the Japanese was like... but essentially, it's an action movie, not a serious drama. And as an action movie, it certainly satisfies... plenty of Kung Fu action, shoot-outs, and circus acrobatics (in fact, a number of scenes in which circus acrobatics are used in combat to help overcome the enemy are very entertainingly done) fill the screen, and the scene in which the circus tent begins to catch on fire and collapse while several acrobats are right in the middle of a trapeze act is very memorable. Granted, there are action films that leave you truly breathless in a way this one doesn't quite do, but if you spend 95 minutes following the fates of its characters you definitely won't be sorry. Starring Yuen Biao, Wong Big Har, Yin Sze Dan, Lily Lee, Lam Wai, Lo Wai Kwong and Wu Ma. produced by Martin Lam, directed by Wu Ma. (Review written: 6/4/02) Chungking ExpressQuite possibly the best film ever made about loneliness, Chung King Express is probably the masterwork of Wong Kar-Wai, one of the truly great directors of Hong Kong Cinema. A brooding, haunting atmosphere fills this moody story of two policemen in love. No. 223 has broken up with his great love May, but still hopes to reunite with her. Living only for the relationship he can no longer have, his life is drastically changed when he encounters a mysterious lady smuggler. At the same time, no. 663 is also pining for his lost love, a stewardess. As he does, he frequents the Midnight Express lunch stand, where a female employee gradually grows more intrigued by him... but, mired in his obsession, will he even be able to notice? Love and romance are presented as incredibly complicated things that take people through the whole range of feelings, including emptiness and despair, while loneliness is shown to be just as important a factor in making people who they are. And yet, as characters from one storyline collide and interact with characters from the other, we see that, as one of Wong's characters tells us, every day we meet and are changed by total strangers who have the potential to become our closest friends... hope is always there behind the loneliness. Long time Wong Kar-Wai fans will be aware that he is one of the very few directors in the world capable of using pop music in a way that actually adds to the effect of the story and isn't simply there to fill the audience in on something the writer couldn't figure out how to do in the script, and his use of The Mamas & The Papas' "California DreaminÕ" in this film is positively haunting. Hong Kong action movies can be great, but anyone who thinks that's ALL Hong Kong has to offer will really have their eyes opened by seeing this modern day classic. Starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Faye Wong, Takeshi Kanishiro, Bridgette Lin and Maggie Cheung. 1994 City HunterJackie Chan stars in this Wong Jing production as womanizing private detective Ryu Saeba, also known as City Hunter. The daughter of a prominent businessman has dissappeared, and he hires Jackie to find her. A simple assignment, no? That's DEFINITELY a no, as she escapes onto a cruise ship, and Jackie, thinkging he's simply going to wind up taking a little longer on this job than he'd planned, runs afoul of a band of thieves intending to loot the ship and kill anyone who gets in their way. Wong Jing's low comedy style and Jackie's personal brand of humor make for an unusual mix that doesn't always go down smoothly, but contains so many highlights you eventually wind up going with the flow and enjoying the silliness. This film contains two of the funniest fight scenes in Chan's history: one in which he and his opponent are transformed into various characters out of the "Streetfighter II" video game, and another where Jackie is fighting in front of a movie screen showing Bruce Lee's Game Of Death and takes fighting hints from Lee by continually glancing up at the screen. City Hunter is not to be missed just on the basis of these two sequences alone, but Chan's frequent speeches directly to the audience, the very ridiculous introduction to the Ryu Saeba character, and the general atmosphere of amiable goofyness should also be reason enough. This is a Jackie Chan movie not quite like any other, and it would be a shame for Chan fans to miss it. 1993 City ParadiseDasheng is a man from a small Chinese village who has moved... temporarily, he thinks... to Beijing, in order to take a job as a window washer in a major hotel, and earn money to send back to his mother and wife back home. But while his mother begins to fall victim to what seems to be Alzheimer's disease, dictating hateful letters to the son she calls thoughtless and unfilial, and imagining he has actually returned... in Beijing, Dasheng has come to imagine that the city truly is paradise, with a new set of (foster) parents he's closer to than his mother, a new girlfriend (whom he does NOT tell about his wife), and a life he suddenly does not want to leave. News about the developments back home, however, force him to make a choice... and whichever one he makes, tragedy will follow and many people will suffer. City Paradise is a film that will tug at your heart strings, but there's not a bit of phony sentiment in it. A film for anyone who's grown tired of Hollywood tearjerkers... this is how it should be done. City War"Ted" is an extremely nasty criminal just released from prison and obsessed by the thought that his girlfriend hasn't "waited for him" (she hasn't, and is beginning a romance with a cop named Dick). Meanwhile, Dick's close friend Ken (whose son is Dick's Godson) is obsessed with Ted, whose brother Ken was killed during the capture of Ted years earlier, sparking a thirst for revenge against Ken... and his family, if need be. If you get the idea that all of this is going to lead to a lot of people meeting tragic ends and a lot of blood being shed, you're absolutely right. Viewers with a low tolerance for intense violence would be well-advised to avoid City War, but there's an undeniable fascination in this grim story... the characters are surprisingly well rounded and real, and the script gives some very good actors some substantial material to work with. Speaking of very good actors, Dick is played by none other than Chow Yun-Fat at both his coolest AND most intense. That in itself makes this film worth a look. Just don't expect a happy ending. Also starring Lung-Lo Yien. Produced by Sam Hui, Directed by Sun Chun. (Review written: 6/5/02) Citizen Hong KongCitizen Hong Kong makes an interesting companion piece to China Gold Rush. Like Joanne Cheng, Ruby Yang (director of Citizen Hong Kong is still a very informative tour/modern history lesson. (Review written: 6/5/02.) ComeuppanceThere are a lot of urban cop movies that are famous without really deserving to be, and then there are films like Comeuppance. Comeuppance wasn't a box-office flop, but it deserves to have much more of a reputation than it has. It's the highly suspenseful story of three characters. One, a vigilante (yeah, you've seen vigilantes before... not like this one, though) who has been eliminating crime bosses by means of poison (which he has obtained through his work in a photo lab). Two, a cop tracking him down. And three (and perhaps most interesting), a man who writes a mystery serial novel for a Hong Kong newspaper. Stuck for ideas, he begins copying the news stories of the vigilante, but when he starts throwing in original ideas of his own, the actual crimes start to seem remarkably like the fiction. There's nothing wrong with a lot of gunplay and car crashes done well, but it's a really refreshing change of pace to see a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat by means of an intelligent script, unusual story-telling styles, and top-notch acting, without an explosion in sight... and in which a vigilante character never even holds a gun, much less shoots one. It's also fascinating how the three characters paralell and reflect each other, and keep turning up throughout the film in the same place at ALMOST the same time. With all the Kung Fu films and police dramas from Hong Kong that have been picked up for a wide U.S. distribution over the past few years, it would be nice if Comeuppance join their ranks. It may not be very likely, but we can always dream. Starring Jordan Chan, Patrick Tam and Wo Kuo Chiu. Produced by Johnny To and directed by Derek Chiu. (Review written: 6/5/02) Comrades: Almost a Love StoryRarely does any film work so well on several different levels as this one. The story of a young man (Leon Lai) who comes from the mainland to Hong Kong and meets a native Hong Kong resident with whom he forms a friendship that rapidly blossoms into romance (in spite of the fact that he has a girlfriend back home whom he writes longing, nostalgic letters to) is obviously first and foremost a love story, but it's impossible to ignore the political allegory about the tentative, anxious relationship between Hong Kong and China and how it was developing at the time this film was released... barely a year before the handover (no coincidence). As a portrait of a country (or TWO countries) is works wonderfully, but if you prefer to ignore that aspect and concentrate on the romance, it happens to be quite possibly the single best romance ever made. Marvelously touching performances by Lai and Maggie Cheung (in probably her best performance, which is saying something) are aided by an excellent script and very creative direction by Peter Chan. And you're not likely to see another film in which the final scene is such an utterly perfect parallel to the first, as the film circles back to end where it began. "Perfect," in fact, while a word that can't really ever be applied to any movie, is not too far off from an accurate description of Comrades: Almost A Love Story. A Confucian ConfusionThe story of a contemporary writer who fancies himself a modern-day Confucius, but who doesn't seem to have mastered many of the Confucian virtues, and a number of fans and friends who are both fascinated and frustrated by him. Written & directed by Edward Yang. Conman in TokyoAnother entry in the ever-popular gambling movie genre. In this rather familiar tale, a young man who fancies himself the lord of Hong Kong gamblers goes to Tokyo with his girlfriend to find out what happened to "Cool," the former undisputed holder of that title, who had moved there and then vanished. It seems that "Cool" is working at a Chinese cafe and has given up gambling, in spite of the wishes of Kwon, a local gangster married to Cool's former girlfriend... who happens to be in a long, deep coma and whom Kwon often abuses for the sheer fun of it. Cool isn't interested in Kwon's ideas of their teaming up and winning millions, and with the aid of his new friend from Hong Kong, plans to steal away his old love and stop Kwon for good. Cool's amazing abilities with cards in areas other than just gambling... that is, using them as lethal weapons... is something that's been seen often enough before, and when he tosses a card at an opponent and it ALMOST strikes their unprotected neck, then actually hovers around it a bit... well, that's the sort of thing that might work in a flat-out Stephen Chau spoof, but in a film that's largely straight drama such as this, it's a bit over the top. The film is produced, but not directed, by Wong Jing, and carries the usual trademarks of the films he DOES direct... such as slapstick humor at odd, innappropriate times, awkward transitions from humor to drama, and characters who could just as well be referred to by their stereotype rather than their name. Cool, though, is really an intriguing character, and if this film had been made by someone other than Wong Jing, and featured Cool as the principal character right from the first scene, it might really have been something. As is, it's still often interesting to watch (Wong Jing does know how to stage a good fight scene), but it certainly won't make you forget Chow Yun-Fat in God Of Gamblers... or, for that matter, Stephen Chau in All For The Winner. Starring Nick Cheung, Hoo Tin Lok Louis, Chu Yan and Christy Cheung. Directed by Tony Ching. (Review written: 6/7/02) Cop on a MissionA title that sounds as generic as they come turns out to be attached to one of the more involving, at times even engrossing, cop dramas of recent years. Daniel Wu plays a cop who is not exactly the best on the Hong Kong force, but whose superior has enough faith in him to give him an undercover assignment, infiltrating the triad "family" of Tin (Eric Tsang). Tin hires "Mike" as his bodyguard and he rapidly begins rising in the ranks, but he begins losing sight of just who he really is and what he's supposed to be doing as he begins an affair with his boss' wife (after all, the boss was rendered impotent in an accident a few years ago, so how could he mind?) and taking his "enforcer" duties very, VERY seriously. Watching Mike's descent from dedicated if not very competent cop to ruthless criminal is genuinely compelling stuff as played by Wu and directed by Marco Mak, but the real stand-out in the film is Eric Tsang, who makes Tin a genuinely sympathetic character you can't help but feel sorry for, giving perhaps his best performance in a role a little reminiscent of Al Pacino in Donnie Brasco. The script is also first-rate, and gives the film a credit you'll remember for a long time... it actually reads "Screenplay by: Not A Woman." There are many little details that are done in an unusual but just right manner, but special mention should be made of the film's music... aside from being very catchy, the toe-tapping jazzy vocal-and-banjo songs heard throughout make a surprisingly effective counterpoint to the grimness of the action going on on the screen. If you've seen a lot of undercover cop movies and feel tempted to skip this one thinking it will be more of the same, you'd be well advised not to. Also starring Suki Kwan as Tin's wife. (Review written: 6/7/02) The Cyprus TigersYour basic, generic cops versus criminals story (in this case, counterfeiters) with a few elements of difference, primarily the scenery. Dick (Simon Yam), Kid (Cheung Chi Tak) and Climax (Conan Lee) are three Chinese cops who are on the police force of Cyprus, in Greece (who knows how they got there). The film opens with a wacky, unconventional hostage situation which the trio resolves in their patented unorthodox style so that we can see what "wild and crazy guys" they are... then the band of counterfeiters come into play, and of naturally only our heroes can stop them. But they don't seem to be in all that much of a HURRY to stop them... the story is able to spare plenty of time for them to hang out at the beach ogling the women, play practical jokes on their boss in a fancy restaurant, and so on... then every now and then they remember that they're cops on assignment and spend about five minutes doing police work. Then back to the hijinks. The Cyprus Tigers gives the impression of being a movie in which the film-makers, once they got on the set and started shooting, realized the police plot could only account for about a half hour of film, so they just kept improvising comedy bits on the spot until they'd filled 90 minutes. And none of the comedy is all that funny (well, the restaurant scene is MILDLY amusing, but that's about it). And the action scenes aren't all that impressive, either... just your standard kung fu kicks performed, this time, by actors who aren't very good at it. Then, inexplicably, at the very end of the film when the big traditional final good guy/bad guy confrontation begins, they finally crank it up and deliver the eye-popping action you were hoping to get all along, and you wonder why they couldn't have done this earlier. If you pick up a copy of The Cyprus Tigers a good idea would be to fast-forward to the final fifteen minutes and just watch that. If you resist the temptation to actually watch the rest of the movie after (or before) that, you won't be disappointed. Also starring Joey Wong (or wasting Joey Wong, more like). Directed by Phillip Ko Fei and Luk Chuen. (Review written: 12/30/02) You can to discuss the reviews. |
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