饮食男女

饮食男女

This film is set in Taipei, and is spoken in Mandarin. The opening scene of this movie shows Master Chef Chu at work in his own kitchen at home in preparation for "the Sunday dinner." It's a ritual in the Chu family for the [widowed] father to get together with his three daughters for this weekly meal no matter how tight the schedules of or how unwilling the daughters are to come. The eldest daughter is a devout Christian and high school chemistry teacher. The second daughter is an airline executive and the youngest daughter is a fast food chain cashier.
All three daughters aren't married and aren't in any serious relationships at the beginning of the story. But as the movie progresses and each of them find love under the strangest of circumstances, each has an "announcement" to make around the dinner table come Sunday. The audience can't help but feel bad for the father who's getting old and seems to be at odds with her daughters for every small matter.
Each daughter's relationship reflects the uniqueness of individuals.

The important theme to this story is hinted at when the father repeats to his daughters that he has lost his taste a long time ago. The audience later knows that he was referring more to his taste for life rather than his physical inability to distinguish flavors. This lack of appreciation for life comes with age as well as his loneliness from accepting the inevitable -- that his daughters are going to leave him alone someday.
There are so many subtleties this film is able to capture about not only the Chinese culture but living with women in general.

I highly, highly recommend this film. As an added incentive, I intentionally left out the surprise ending hinted at on the back cover, as well as other minor details. Feast your eyes and mouth on this exquisite film!

摇啊摇摇到外婆桥

摇啊摇摇到外婆桥

"Shanghai Triad" still is somewhat of an ambiguous film to me - I found it to be a very good entertainment piece, and visually stunning - yet there were some elements of plot, construction, etc that left me with a sense of dissatisfaction. Certainly not the best of Gong Li's work, yet a wonderful addition to her extraordinary repertoire. Gong Li is truly in a class by herself, and this movie as I said before rounds out her resume of characters which she has embodied. Her performance is the main attration to this film, and I think that the remorse which she expresses in the final sequences are heartbreakingly beautiful. Her defiant humor and cavalier attitude at the same point in time makes one admire her ability all the more. Lush and exciting, yet ultimately unfulfilling.

I still highly recommend this film to anyone who wishes to see Li in a departure from many of her other films - and I would have to say I enjoyed it very much. I think Yimou made the mistake of relying on decoration in this film far too much, thereby undermining the expressive force of his actors. A sense that much was contrived, and clumsiness abounds - certainly not up to par with his earlier, more subtle works. A movie worth every cent just for the entertainment value - with the added attraction of one of the most talented actresses the world shall probably ever know - intersting and enjoyable.

三更

三更

This film literally leaves a bad taste in one's mouth, but not because it's badly made - it's the subject matter that is rather, err, unpalatable. Director Fruit Chan certainly captures the theme of eternal youth in a manner that leaves a memorable impression, for after watching this film, you'll not soon forget it. I watched this years ago when it was first distributed and revisited it this afternoon. It remains as compelling as ever.

Chinese actress Bai Ling plays a dumpling maker whose services are in high demand because her dumplings are special. There is one unique ingredient that helps restore youth to the one who consumes the dumpling. A former TV star who was once in high demand desperately turns to Aunt Mei the dumpling maker, hoping to restore her fading beauty and save her crumbling marriage.

Despite the rather unsavory nature of this film, there is much to appreciate here: the sense of menace belying Aunt Mei's outwardly affable demeanor (she entertains her clients by singing Chinese songs of yesteryear), Mei's sinister visits to a local hospital known for its high abortion rate, and more. A couple of minutes into the film, the viewer gets clued in as to what the special ingredient for the dumplings are, and it is truly stomach churning. Beware: there are graphic images in this film, including one of an abortion.

Once you get past this, the story itself is riveting. Growing up in South East Asia, I used to hear about the atrocities committed in the name of beauty such as the practice of wearing special metal like objects under one's skin called "susuk" using black magic, and so this particular story is not really unusual in parts of Asia, despite its repugnant nature. It certainly is a thought-provoking film begging that perennial question, "What price beauty?"

逆光飞翔

逆光飞翔

“Touch of the Light” (“Ni guang fei xiang”) is a 2012 Taiwanese drama based on the life of a blind piano prodigy Huang Yu-Siang (played by himself). Leaving his home behind, he enters a Taipei university to learn music, where he befriends slightly eccentric but musically talented students to form a band “Super Music.” But it seems there is some sad memory that haunts him.

In the meanwhile, Huang meets Xiao Jie, an aspiring dancer working in a drink shop, whose life is not going well. She is almost giving up her dream, but Huang’s personality inspires her to pursue it once more.

With a half-documentary-like photography “Touch of the Light” avoids being overly sentimental, opting for more realism. There is a romantic aspect to the story, but emotions are always subdued. Chang Jung-Chi’s direction works to some extent, with some inspired use of camera capturing how Huang feels things around him.

But I was not impressed with the film, especially the overused shaky camera that gets annoying. Another problem is that the story of Xiao Jie is far less interesting than that of Huang Yu-Siang. After all the latter is inspired by the real events, and played out by the very person who experienced them.

Perhaps my complaint has something to do with the fact that the film originally started as a 2008 short documentary “The End of the Tunnel” about Huang Yu-Siang. Considering the potential of the subject matter, Chang Jung-Chi’s feature debut is promising but a bit disappointing.

蓝宇

蓝宇

The story of the film is rather melodramatic. What makes this movie special is the acting. The director does a wonderful job getting first class performances out of the two leading men. If the role of the poor young student was replaced by an actress, the film would have worked. LIU Ye, who plays the student LAN Yu, gives an understated, subtle performance. It just fits the character so well. The young student is supposed to be shy, reserved, innocent and loyal. As for the older business man, he is sophisticated, aggressive, ruthless, yet, loving in his way. HU Jun gives a memorable performance of this complicated man with such wide range of emotions. The audience gets to know him as a real person with flesh and blood. The relationship between these two men is just so natural. Some of the scenes and lines are quite awkward, but both of them manage to pull all these off in a very natural and convincing way. I have not seen a man portrayed in such a masculine way even when he is in love with another man for a long time. The casting is just brilliant. The masculine presence of CHEN Hang Dong makes the movie different from all the other movies featuring two men together. The only other movie in which both men look so good and so manly together is "Maurice". Believe me, we girls know a manly man when we see one. The film also has a great supporting cast. The wife is almost too perfect. She is beautiful and smart, has a great sense of humor. Oh she even speaks Russian. The loyalty of Hangdong's friend is worthy of Marquis of Posa. If "Ah! Je meurs" was used at the end of the movie instead of the corny song, it would be marvelously effective. After all, Verdi wrote this most beautiful song for a man to sing to another man. Last note, it is not surprising that the original internet novel is written by a female writer. The movie is about human relationship. It should appeal to a much broader audience.

花样年华

花样年华

For all of you who are mystified with sensual, sensitive, delicate yet stunning beauty of Asian movies, this movie is all that you have been waiting for. Unknown to many, this movie came out at the same time as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and it was MUCH more appreaciated than CTHD in majority in Asia, in term of acting, cinematography and story. The actors are well recognized by their work, Tony Leung won the Cannes Best Actor award for this piece, Maggie Cheung, who holds a large collection of european and asian awards for extradinary acting skills, was crowned the queen of Hong Kong Film Festive for the 5th time this year for her role. A word for those of you who enjoyed action movies, this movie does not have any flying fists or alike. Yet, it is a movie which emits a deep feeling of nolstagia, and it will remind you of the bits and pieces of the "lost sentiments" in your life. The cinematography is so stunning and every little detail is so delicately brushed up, you feel as if you can even smell the scent from the redwood furnitures. The movie is visually breathetaking, in fact, the Chinese dresses wore by Maggie Cheung so beautifully blended into the dim-lit scenes, it started a new fashion movement in Asia! The plot is deeply moving. The two people who are next door neighbors both knew their spouses were having an affair and left them behind. Confused and eager to know what happened, they came to each other. Slowly, the attraction grows between them, yet bound by their morals and impacted by their spouses' betrayal, they silently denied and resisted the growing affection. Slowly, the confined living space and the tight dresses wore by the actress and the dim light transformed into symbols of the social boundaries, confined emotions, suppressed desires, and diminishing hope, and Tony Leung reveals it all in his deep, sorrowful gazes, accompanied with Nat King Cole singing in Spanish " Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps"... I am not a person who loves the indulgence in the past or the blues, yet I willingly fell for the magically reminiscent scenes. I was captivated completely. However, you must see it to believe it.

好莱坞华人

好莱坞华人

With Arthur Dong's books and documentaries, the lives of Chinese performers are being revealed. At the Forbidden City and other "Chinese-Themed" nightclubs of the time there were also Japanese performers, who pretended they were Chinese because of the anti-Japanese feelings during world war II. Other than Anna May Wong, few Asians were working in films - the subject of this excellent documentary. Hearing Nancy Kwan talk about her eventual career is fascinating.She tells the story with heart and humor. Hopefully, one day a TV series like "Boardwalk Empire" might be produced that can combine history,drama and song-and-dance and give focus to our Asian American population. Therefore, highly recommended!