TAIPEI – THE cream of Asian cinema is set to gather in Taipei on Saturday for the Golden Horse Film Awards, considered the Chinese-language ‘Oscars’.

Famed Taiwan directors Ang Lee and Hou Hsiao-hsien will join Hong Kong peers Johnnie To and Stanley Kwan to present the best director award at tonight’s gala ceremony.

However, another top Hong Hong film-maker, John Woo, reportedly will shun the event after his blockbuster war epic ‘Red Cliff II’ was snubbed by the Golden Horse nomination committee.

‘It’s disappointing and regrettable. The actors and the crew did very well and worked really hard… I didn’t understand what standard the judges used,’ he told reporters in Taipei earlier this week.

Chinese actor Zhang Hanyu and last year’s best actor winner also voiced bewilderment at the judges’ decisions. ‘I was hoping for a best actor nomination for ‘The Message’. I didn’t know what happened,’ said Zhang, who is instead up for the best supporting actor for the lesser known ‘The Equation of Love and Death’.

Hit espionage thriller ‘The Message’ received five nods, including a surprise double nomination in the best leading actress category for Zhou Xun and Li Bingbing of China. Other nominees including Li, director Clara Law and heart-throb actor Daniel Wu of Hong Kong, as well as Taiwanese director Leon Dai, are expected to walk down the red carpet in a suburban Taipei auditorium. — AFP

Source: Straits Times, 2009

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david thomson:

No one has done more to uphold, extend, and enrich the film noir genre in recent years than Michael Mann…[but] I think Mann the director needs better writing than he has been getting.

which is why johnnie tos election is infinitely more enjoyable than heat or miami vice.

[4 netflix stars]

Election 2 is the sequel to Johnnie To’s hot triad drama, Election, from 2005. Election 2 sees Lok in the wake of having usurped power his way in the Wo Shing Triad Society. Two years have passed and it’s time for another election of a new chairman. Jimmy, the young upstart of Election who helped Lok rise to power, returns in the sequel as a businessman first-and-foremost, interested in Mainland opportunities, and a gang-member second. But the Chinese Security Bureau surprisingly blackmails Jimmy into running for Chairman, promising him interference-free business opportunities in exchange for the win. Election 2 asks some pretty big questions: What do you want out of life? What are you willing to do to achieve? Why do you want what it is that you want?

What makes Election 1 and 2 so strong is that they are smart films. Instead of seeing who can get a higher body count and strike the meanest pose, both films play out like chess games. The film could almost be silent, its narrative, thematic, and character developments being expressed so methodically, so purely on a visual level. If you loved the first film, there’s little doubt you’ll enjoy this one as well. What really draws me in to these movies is the way that the characters are expanded upon, especially in the second movie. Triads are usually so generic and cliched that tend to be the same in movie after movie. But in these movies, we see characters that could almost exist in the same reality as ours.

It’s also surprisingly critical of the corruption in the Chinese government, implying that its collusion with Triad gangsters goes way beyond mere backhanders but is actually a deliberate part of government policy as a means of exerting social control in Hong Kong through close ties with organized crime. Triads are usually so generic and cliched that tend to be the same in movie after movie. But in these movies, we see characters that could almost exist in the same reality as ours. I was sad to see Lam Suet being utilized very little in this film but his character briefly brings up the very central point of the triad lifestyle being an endless cycle and a one-way ticket.

There’s even time to examine the effect our behaviour has on the children born into this world, main focus on that coming through Yam’s character. It ends with the possibility of hope for one son but the certainty of damnation for another that hasn’t even been born. Johnnie To closes the Election saga in fine fashion. Conclusion is downbeat, corresponding to real life concerns of the Hong Kong people. Performances, style, story, emotion–it has it all. Anyone who loves a good gangster drama will love these movies. Johnnie To once again proves why he is one of my favorite filmmakers. Make sure you go see this one.

Seguimos con otra del tío Johnnie, Breaking News(2004), la película que le lanzó a la fama en España y que creó  ese pequeño-gran, pero fiel, círculo de fans.

Estamos en Hong Kong (como no), y en la escena que abre la película , un grupo de detectives de la policía, comandado por Nick Cheung, está vigilando a unos atracadores escondidos en un piso. Cuando se disponen a salir para cometer un nuevo delito, se organiza una ensalada de tiros. Buen comienzo. Promete.

En la escapada, un cámara de televisión graba el ridículo de la policía al ser incapaces de atraparles. A partir de ese momento, la población deja de confiar en las fuerzas de la ley, y la comandante Rebecca Fong (Kelly Cheng) se pone al mando de la operación, con un despliegue de efectivos sin precedentes, y con medios propios de televisión para devolver la confianza de la gente en las Fuerzas de Seguridad.

A partir de aquí veremos la manipulación de la televisión, a unos atracadores parapetados en un bloque de edificios, y la tensión que se crea entre los mandos policiales y el grupo de detectives  que tienen sus propios medios para resolver la situación.

Acción, apuntes de comedia, y un intento de escapada rodado con mucho arte y sorpresa final.

En Election 2(2007) la acción sucede dos años después de la primera parte, es decir, el mandato de Lok (Simon Yam) está a punto de concluir y hay que convocar nuevas elecciones para elegir presidente de la triada Wo Shing. De nuevo surgen las tensiones por el liderazgo, y el candidato más destacado es Jimmy (Louis Koo), un gangster triunfador en sus negocios, que quiere convertir a la triada en un negocio próspero y legítimo. No tendrá fácil desbancar al actual presidente, pero es el preferido por gran parte de los Tios (capos) y veremos cómo el Gobierno le ayuda para conseguir su propósito, porque es una pieza muy importante para eliminar tensiones entre la mafia hongkonesa y el poder central.

Si te gustó la primera parte no puedes dejar de ver la conclusión de este díptico sobre los entresijos de la mafia en Hong Kong. El final es tan crudo como el de la primera parte: violencia seca, sin artificios. Por algo será que el Gobierno hizo eliminar ciertas escenas, para que no quedara tan patente la connivencia del poder con la mafia.

The hot streak continues for Johnnie To. This director’s movies have probably shown up the most on my site than any other, and for good reason. A missing police pistol is connected to a series of recent heists and murders. Mad Detective is about cops and the investigation of crimes, but the complexity of its plot is just who these people are and what they are about to do. The missing officer’s partner is the obvious suspect but nobody has been able to turn up any sort of clue.

Direction lacks the strong hand of To’s solo efforts, and pic shows some signs of rush, with abrupt transitions and lack of flow in the editing. And to that effect, I would warrant a guess that some in the audience will be left perplexed and confused, but my advice is not to give up on it. Mad Detective may be a bit different from the other films I’m used to by Johnnie To but one thing that still held his signature is its great storytelling.

There are times when the pace flags just a little but by and large it achieves a fine balance between police drama and psychological thriller. What makes this film great is that it starts where most other films end. It gives you the big Shyamalan twist up front and then spends the next hour and a half trying to figure out what to do with it. What I admire about the movie, is how a simple idea can be branched into something complex, but yet within grasp, so hats off to the writing-directing team of To and Wai Ka Fai.

The story takes a number of clever twists, yet remains low-key in its overall tone, despite two or three well-executed action sequences that raise the adrenaline level. Mad Detective really is a fresh take on the Crime/Murder/Mystery genre. But while fresh is good, it’s not everything. This film succeeds in being smart and entertaining at the same time. After so many confident films from Johnnie To, it’s always refreshing to see one of his collaborations tackle the lighter side of cinema.

Aquí tenéis lo que algunos consideran la versión asíatica de “EL Padrino”: Election(2005) de Johnnie To.

Election

La película narra, con maestría y sobriedad, las luchas internas en una facción hongkonesa de las Triadas, la sociedad Wo Shing ,para elegir al que será su presidente durante los próximos dos años.

Simon Yam (Lok) y Tony Leung Ka Fai (Big D), representan a los dos candidatos: el primero, chapado a la antigua y respetuoso con las tradiciones; el segundo, un joven rebelde que quiere imponer nuevas formas, incluida la violencia entre sus miembros, para regir la sociedad.

Durante la primera parte vemos como cada candidato busca las maneras para conseguir el apoyo de los Tíos(capos) de cada facción, y después de la elección del presidente, en la segunda parte, la trama  se centra en conseguir que el bastón, símbolo de poder para el elegido, llegue a su destino sin que la otra parte consiga interceptarlo.

Los apoyos y las traiciones entre los diferentes miembros, hacen que a cada segundo no sepamos que va a pasar realmente.

Recomendable película para quien no conozca el mundo de la mafia hongkonesa, en la que podemos ver el ritual de iniciación para entrar en las Triadas, y  del que la Cosa Nostra ha cogido ciertos elementos.

Hay una segunda parte que ya os resumiré.

Entra en nuestra honorable sociedad.

La sección Orient Express nos trae como cada año lo más destacado del cine asiático. No podía faltar nuestro querido Johnnie To, que cuenta con un buen número de seguidores en el Festival. En Vengeance, producción entre Hong Kong y Francia, nos cuentan la venganza de un padre (el famoso cantante y actor Johnny Hallyday) ante el asesinato de su yerno y nietos.

Demasiado tiempo de inactividad para alguien que se pretenda llamar periodista. Pidiendo disculpas vuelvo a donde debo. Retorno para hablar de cine, de donde no debería salir (aunque no pueda evitarlo). Hoy, voy a hablar de “Election”. Y es que, en una semana en la que el festival de Sitges ocupa portadas, he querido referirme a una de las galardonadas en el 2005. Este film, con el que Johnnie To consiguió el galardón al mejor director, además de estar nominado en Cannes, es uno de los mejores ejemplos de cine y mafia. Se vende como la respuesta oriental a “El Padrino”. Al igual que la mítica historia de Coppola, “Election” tiene continuación, aunque sólo una. Todo amante del cine debe ver este trabajo. El esplendor con el que Johnnie To resuelve escenas con un gran número de personajes es digno de mención. Las coreografías de las escenas de acción (sin olvidarnos del ya legendario plano secuencia de “Breaking News”) rinden a un alísimo nivel. Encuentro en el cine oriental algo que me cuesta percibir en el cine americano en los últimos tiempos. Y curiosamente, lo digo haciendo referencia a uno de los autores asiáticos que más se aproxima al cine estadounidense en su estilo. No se la descarguen y véanla en un televisor grande, porque al cine llegan tarde.

Johnnie To’s gritty take on triad warfare is full of really cool villians and cinematic storytelling. The general story of Election is nothing to write home about. Basically, the Wo Sing Society needs a new chairperson. Fierce rivalries emerge between the two eligible candidates. Lok, respected by the Uncles, is the favorite to win. But his rival Big D will stop at nothing to change this, including going against hundreds of years of Triad tradition and influencing the vote with money and violence. This movie received the coveted NC-17 rating equivalent overseas and it really raised the bar for how a gangster movie should be made.

Election laughs in the face of such restrictions. An initial poster for the film showed a group photo of many gangsters, all using a hand-sign to indicate each individual’s position in the gang. Hong Kong film censors are notoriously stingy in permitting films to portray lifelike details of Triad rituals and customs, so this was a big deal. You have scenarios in this film such as having multiple factions go after the baton leads, which leads to the expected run-ins. The results end up as being humorous as they are ironic and absurd. Basically, two guys go at it with their lives possibly at stake, but the bottom line is they’re working for the same side. The cinematography is good. Story was well written. Cast was great!

Despite a tight narrative, Johnnie To’s Election feels at times like it was once a longer picture, with many characters and plot strands abandoned or ultimately unresolved. Nevertheless, To skillfully paints a picture of characters warring within traps largely of their own making. This simple contrast provides enough ammunition to keep the film rolling as the hunt ensues for the Dragon’s Head Baton. As with most Johnnie To movies, it is not peppered with violence or excessive gun play, but rather plenty of posturing and tension. The more psychological than paint-the-screen-red literal, will dig under your skin and leave a lasting impression far after the movie is over.

Election is the first film of two in Johnny To’s world of the Triad gang’s electorial process. Japan Cinema will have the review of the second movie in the coming weeks. In the meantime, what this movie does painfully correct, is it doesn’t let you forget that, no matter how likeable, none of these guys are good men. So you shouldn’t root for any of them. This is a return to form for Johnnie To after his last film ‘Breaking News‘ didn’t live up to his reputation. As in many To movies, there’s a slight dip in the rhythm at the 70-minute mark as the script cranks up again for the final act. I found this movie extremely entertaining and found myself enthralled by seeing a soceity I am not usually familiar with. These are cruel, deadly men whose one goal is not the brotherhood that they continually expose, but rather profit. Election illustrates that fact to a tee in a mature, entertaining manner.

PROVE PER UNA TRAGEDIA SICILIANA ***

Il documentario di John Turturro nella Palermo di Camilleri, dimostra, se ancora ce ne fosse bisogno, che la forza del cinema non è nei budget imponenti e nelle comparsate prestigiose, ma risiede nelle storie, nelle immagini, nella forza drammatica del racconto.

Turturro ritorna a Palermo dopo esserci stato per le riprese de Il Siciliano, alla ricerca delle proprie origini e con il progetto per un film su un maestro di marionette.

Incontra Mimmo Cuticchio ed i suoi allievi, poi un gruppo di ragazzine, che mettono in scena la storia immortale di Orlando e Rinaldo.

Il suo viaggio in Sicilia è pieno di momenti magici, dagli ossari della festa del 2 novembre, sino alla frutta martorana, dalle tonnare sino ai conventi di suore.

Si alternano ricordi personali a racconti lontani, rappresentazioni teatrali ad immagini di repertorio, lungo il filo rosso, tracciato dalle parole di Camilleri sulla necessità di conservare il senso del proprio stare al mondo.

MY SON MY SON, WHAT HAVE YA DONE **

Secondo film di Herzog in concorso, prodotto da David Lynch e tratto da una storia vera, appare un altro tentativo del regista tedesco di esplorare il poliziesco di genere, questa volta ibridandolo più profondamente con divagazioni e deviazioni surreali.

Il film segue un poliziotto, interpretato da Willem Dafoe, nel tentativo di ricostruire i fatti che hanno portato il giovane attore (Michael Shannon) ad uccidere con un colpo di spada l’anziana madre, barricandosi poi in casa con due ostaggi.

La storia è raccontata dalla fidanzata e dagli amici del protagonista, attraverso una serie di flashback, che illustrano il suo rapporto morboso con la madre, la caduta nella depressione ed il delirio finale, in cui realtà e rappresentazione si sovrappongono tragicamente.

Alcuni momenti di nonsense lynchano ed un breve ritorno nel Perù di Aguirre non bastano per dire che questo divertissement sia completamente riuscito.

PERSECUTION ***

Presentato in concorso ed accolto da applausi sempre più convinti, il film di Chéreau sembra essere il primo serio candidato al Leone d’oro, grazie alla forza di una regia che sta sui volti dei suoi personaggi ed alle interpretazioni superbe di Roman Duris e Charlotte Ginsbourg.

Daniel vive negli immobili che ristruttura, assieme ad un amico contabile che ha perso la propria famiglia ed si è attaccato a lui in maniera morbosa.

Una mattina in metropolitana incrocia un altro uomo, che immediatamente di innamora di lui, lo segue, entra nell’appartamento in cui vive e lavora, dorme nel suo letto, lo spia e fotografa.

Al contrario, la sua ragazza, Sonia, è distante: spesso lontana, per motivi di lavoro, anche quando ritorna a Parigi è incapace di lasciarsi coinvolgere da un rapporto che Daniel vorrebbe più complice.

Chèreau usa il cinemascope in modo antiretorico, stando vicinissimo ai suoi attori, lavorando sugli spazi desolati della casa, del bar, del metro, delle strade dove vivono i suoi personaggi tormentati ed incapaci di vivere coraggiosamente i propri sentimenti.

I rapporti umani sono fonte di continui conflitti, di incomprensioni, di infelicità ed il protagonista, anche grazie al confronto con il misterioso persecutore, finirà per fare i conti con l’inadeguatezza ed il fallimento.

Il suo rapporto con Sonia finisce per andare in pezzi, proprio quando i rapporti tra i due sembravano essersi chiariti. Non c’è perdono e non c’è consolazione possibile: negli spazi vuoti degli appartamenti di Daniel, rimane posto solo per una dolorosa solitudine.

ACCIDENT **1/2

Prodotto dalla Milkyway di Johnnie To e Wai Ka-Fai, Accident di Soi Cheang è un thriller complesso che racconta di un gruppo, specializzato nell’occultare omicidi su commissione, sotto l’apparenza di letali incidenti.

Il film si apre con un’esecuzione magistralmente eseguita dai quattro.

Eppure qualche cosa sfugge al controllo e comincia ad aprire una crepa in un gioco di squadra, che richiede la perfezione.

L’incarico successivo, più volte rimandato per la complessità delle condizioni da simulare, si risolverà in un successo effimero, nel quale il gruppo finirà per sciogliersi.

Il capo “The brain” è convinto di essere stato a sua volta oggetto di una messa in scena, ma finirà per accorgersi che la realtà è molto più complessa ed imprevedibile di ogni tentativo di piegarla alla propria volontà.

Il film di Cheang, dopo un inizio pirotecnico, perfettamente in linea con lo stile Milkyway, ha qualche passaggio a vuoto nella seconda parte, dove la sceneggiatura sembra attorcigliarsi su se stessa.

Luis Koo è perfetto nella parte del protagonista, beffato dal destino, nonostante tenti di tenere tutto sotto controllo; tra i quattro della banda, fa piacere ritrovare, ancora una volta, il simpatico Lam Suet.

TETSUO THE BULLET MAN *

La fama che accompagna Tsukamoto e la sua creatura, arrivata alla terza incarnazione, appare del tutto ingiustificata e pretestuosa.

Questo The bullet man è un pasticcio senza capo né coda, di banalità imbarazzante e pieno di interpretazioni involontariamente comiche.

La regia di Tsukamoto è raffazzonata e priva di una qualsiasi idea originale.

Dire di più sarebbe inutile: cada l’oblio su questo orrore.

Fem un repàs de les pel·lícules de la Secció Oficial que competiran per endur-se els premis del 42è Festival de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya. Entre les que opten a premi, trobem produccions espanyoles, com la pel·lícula que inaugurarà el festival, l’esperada REC 2, i Ingrid, de les quals ja vàrem parlar a BCNCultura, i Hierro, òpera prima de Gabe Ibañez protagonitzada per Elena Anaya. A més de les ja citades, destaquen altres propostes amb un marcat to hiperrealista que buscaran tant el patiment i l’angoixa com l’admiració i els aplaudiments. Enter the Void, Kinatay i The Children són algunes de les pel·lícules faran les delícies d’espectadors i de membres del jurat, impacients per passar-ho meravellosament malament gaudint de cinema de qualitat terrorífica.

Gaspar Noé (Irreversible, Solo contra todos), presentarà Enter the Void; la pel·lícula, estrenada a Cannes i com sempre passa amb les seves pel·lis, no va passar desapercebuda gràcies a la cruesa narrativa i temàtica, com és habitual en el cineasta argentí. Enter the Void, història rodada a Tokio, narra les viviències d’ un jove inestable que es fa càrrec de la seva germana petita després de la brutal mort de llurs pares. La contundència de Gaspar Noé és sempre un bon reclam per veure les seves pel·lis, contrastant amb una fotografia preciosista de la capital nipona. Nathaniel Brown, Marina Stone, Sara Stockbridge, Paz de la Huerta i Olly Alexander són els protagonistes.

Kinatay de Brillante Mendoza, padrí del nou cinema filipí representat per directors joves com Raya Martín o Máximo Oliveros. La trama no s’està per romanços, i l’estil narratiu per menys: consisteix en un brutal segrest amb final infeliç, rodat amb primers plans desbordats de tensió i terror. Brillante Mendoza va endur-se el premi de millor director al darrer Festival de Cannes. La pel·lícula té una posada en escena demolidora i un ritme narratiu vertiginós, accentuant la duríssima trama. Coco Martín, actor habitual de Mendoza, és el protagonista; interpreta a un jove que necessitat de diners es veu implicat en un salvatge segrest. Mercedes Cabral i Maria Isabel López encapçalen el repartiment d’aquest thriller ultrarrealista habitat per prostitutes, drogues, negocis clandestins i sang.

Entre les altres noms que competiran en la Secció Oficial trobem el de Vincenzo Natali. El director de Cube torna a Sitges amb Splice, interpretada per Adrian Brody i Sarah Polley. El debat sobre els límits de la ciència i les friccions morals que provoca està servit: interpreten a dos investigadors que busquen donar un salt en l’evolució genètica. L’anglesa The Children, dirigida per Tom Shankland, proposa una trama, al més pur estil de Los chicos del maíz i de ¿Quién puede matar a un niño?, on els adorables nens es veuen contagiats per un virus que els converteix en assassins d’adults. Pels més morbosos trobem Ne te retourne pas, de Marina de Van, amb Monica Belluci i Sophie Marceau, on una escriptora pateix una série de canvis físics que la trastornen de tal manera que no sap ni qui és.

De Grace, Thirst, Yatterman i The Countess vàrem parlar fa uns dies. De Mr. Nobody, Cold Soul, Accident i Dorian Gray, ho fem ara. Aquest última és l’adaptació del clàssic a càrrec d’ Oliver Parker (Otelo). Ben Barnes (Crónicas de Narnia) és Dorian Gray, Colin Firth és Lord Henry Wotton, amb Rebecca Hall com a Emily Wotton completant l’atractiu repartiment. Mr. Nobody, de Jaco Van Dormael i protagonitzat per Diane Kruger, Jared Leto i Sarah Polley, explica la història d’un home de 120 anys; la dita xinesa sobre l’ anomenat efecte mariposa és el rerefons de la pel·li. De Cold Souls sabem que està protagonitzada pel sempre efectiu Paul Giamatti; d’Accident, que és un thriller urbà dirigit pel director de Hong Kong Soi Cheang i produït per Johnnie To i que va passar força desapercebuda dissabte a la Mostra de Venècia.

Només manquen 24 dies per l’inici del festival. És el moment de fer-se la llista de pel·lícules que un vol veure. Nosaltres de moment apuntem Thirst, Kinatay, Enter The Void i The Children, de la que us ofreim el tràiler a continuació.

Johnnie To ja Ka-Fai Wai on koos kokamütsid pähe pannud ja keetnud suurepärase supi, mida võib helpida mitu päeva. Ei ole vist mõtet heast keedisest end eemal hoida, kuid ometi õnnestus aasta aega selle vaatamist edasi lükata. Seda enam maitses täna ja maitseb homme. Kiidusõnad Johnnie To aadressil on jõudnud ka varem minuni ja nüüd tuleb need edasi anda. 1 + 1 = 2, nalja teete? 1+1 = 8, kui te kuulute nende hulka, kes näevad teiste inimeste sisemisi persoone ja ühte autosse mahub neid oluliselt rohkem, kui on auto ametlik täituvus.

Näha omaette kellegi erinevaid karaktereid poleks erilist mainimist väärt ja mahuks pesuehtsa skisofreenia alla, aga tuua need karakterid ekraanile kõigile nähtavaks on hoopis omaette kunst ja see oli tõsiselt nauditav. Isegi kui lugu mehest, kes leiab lahendused kuriteo situatsioone metsikult tänaval ning poes jäljendades ning nii asja tuumani jõuab, on veidi koomiline. Sellegipoolest on koostöö veidrate ideede looja ja hoogsa HK märuli tootja vahel praktiliselt veatu ning tulemus järjekordne HK pärl. Filmi lõpus tehakse veel ka kummardus Bruce Lee viimaseks näitlejatööks jäänud Enter the Dragon lõpu võitlusstseenile peeglitega (kuigi analoogset asja tehti ka juba varem). Oot! aga väikese vimkaga, nimelt kõnnib üks mees ringi 7 erineva persoonina ja seal on veel kolmaski tegelane. Beat this!

IMDB

May has just become a newlywed and a widower in the same week. Her rich husband drowns during their honeymoon and coincidentely enough, wrote her into his will. Now with his passing she is now the heir to his millions and millions of dollars. As she is out partying and enjoying her rich new-foud lifestyle, May has a slight brush with death and is given the so called “sixth sense.” She can now see ghosts with her left eye open.

This movie starts out making you laugh and giggle and you’d be sure you are watching a comedy. It changes, however, in an instance without you even knowing it. Seeing a non-American chick flick is a revelation of sorts, and one wishes the American directors of movies like this would all be sat down in a theater to watch My Left Eye Sees Ghosts. None of the manipulation; it’s all storyline, character chemistry, and pacing. While the screenplay slacks too often, it’s quite forgivable, really. My Left Eye may be corny, it may be over-the-top, but it’s also oh-so-pleasant. Deeply profound and moving, this could just be brushed off as being a “chick flick” if it weren’t for the moments of outright hilarity in it as well. It asks of the viewer to believe in love, and if you’re capable of doing that, I promise that this will not disappoint.

My Left Eye is very done, there’s great direction, humour and heart-warming romance but then it provides no surprises from his last few outings. I can detect that it was really trying very hard to do something different but it ended up treading the comfortable ground constructed so well by To and Wai Ka Fai. Although I admit at first I didn’t like the character of May, I grew to enjoy her quirky eccentricities. Aside the technical mumbo jumbo, Hong Kong does classify this as a horror movie which is absurd. Don’t let the horror labeling put you off. If you set the horror elements of this movie aside, what’s left at the core is a touching story of two people who must learn to let go in spite of the fact that they love each other very much.

To say more gives away too much of a good plot, but this film manages to be lighthearted without being trivial. Director Johnny To has made several excellent films, but nothing like this that I’ve seen. He’s generally a Hong Kong action director, but this is a ghostly tale of human loss & the rediscovery of life. Fortunately, for this movie, the progression of the movie does get better and the movie ends with you content of what has happened. Overall, the film was enjoyable with a strong, effective storyline and extremely likeable characters. Yet another girly movie, but one to leave you with a warm, tingly feeling inside! Yay! That should counter the feelings of all the violent, bloody movies I usually review.

Needing You
(Goo naam gwa neui)
Johnnie To & Wa Ka Fai, Hong Kong, 2000
Viewed on DVD, Aug. 14

In the US, most film buffs without any particular ties to Asia tend to know only what gets distributed here (which means either a brief theatrical release or none at all, and then a slightly-more prominent video release). When comes to movies from Hong Kong (and, increasingly, the mainland of China), we get martial arts flicks.

I started at the same place, of course, but I was occasionally showed random VCDs (by friends in UC Davis, which led to me, after leaving for grad school, to start searching the Internet for recommendations in other genres. You can’t find most of these films in Blockbuster, but somehow many of them have made their way onto Netflix.

I first read about this film on this website and was intrigued. Like most guys I hate romantic comedies, but unlike most guys, I find myself wishing that Hollywood could make one or two good ones every now and then. After all, most action films are garbage (I have in mind two of this year’s toy tie-in films in particular), but there are always a few impressive ones (Star Trek this year, The Dark Knight and some others last year).

The co-director of this effort, Johnnie To, actually has some significant cred with film buffs and fanboys for his action films (I’ve seen two, but only one (LINK) impressed me), but somehow, To and Wa Ka Fai also managed to create an undeniably-formulaic, but genuinely charming movie with a good balance between sentiment and humor. It’s not so much groundbreaking in style as it is groundbreaking in its success in such a frequently-botched style. And finally, I do think they manage to keep it from getting too sappy, which is an important factor for the menfolk (and the more-cynical womenfolk).

Of course, the film hinges on engaging performances by Andy Lau, perhaps familiar to fanboys from Infernal Affairs or House of Flying Daggers, and Sammi Cheng, who is apparently quite big in Hong Kong, but largely unknown to me. Lau plays a bit of a sleaze while Cheng plays a bit of a wacko, which perhaps works if only because, at least in American film, we are too often subjected to the spectacle of an objectively worthless man successfully pursuing an almost-flawless woman; here, both are flawed yet appealing, and genuinely complement each other’s rough edges.

The workplace setting is also quite effective, as To and Wa do a great job of conveying the pernicious nature of gossip, while also using the setting as a natural way to bring the principle characters closer together (rather than resorting to too many outlandish coincidences. The complications than ensue do seem a bit extraneous at times (as always, the viewer wonders, “what took them so long?” but most set-pieces, such as an interesting twist on the old Cyrano plot, are by themselves surprisingly entertaining).

For those Hong Kong film buffs, there’s also a bit of pretty hillarious meta here, as Needing You gets a handful of jokes from Andy Lau’s depiction, in the 1990 classic A Moment of Romance, of a gangster in love with a naive rich girl  I watched this film due to a recommendation from the same website and was not at all impressed, but at least it was put to some good sue here.

That said, I don’t consider A Moment of Romance to be a perquisite for Needing You (especially because it sucked, and because you won’t miss that many jokes). Rather, if you’re looking for romance that doesn’t suck, pop this one onto your Netflix queue. Yes, you’ll need to read subtitles (if like me, you don’t speak Cantonese, and appreciate that the subtitles contained very few errors). You’ll live!

見た。

ジョニー・トーの映画は初見でしたが、彼こそジョン・ウー後の

男たちの挽歌イズムの継承者でしょう。

香港ノワールのいいとこを全部詰め込んだような作風で、9ヶ月脚本無しで

撮影したっていうのも、監督の中に蓄積された映像世界があってこそなんだろう。

三池監督に似てる感じがしました。職業監督らしく多作だし。

ジョニー・トーの方が色々計算して作ってそうな感じはするけど。

映画としては所謂お約束が多いわけだけど、やっぱり好きですよ。お約束は。

カンフー映画とか見てる感じに近いのかなぁ。

★★★★☆

Nei cinema dal 7 agosto 2009

Sicuri:

• Voci dal buio - di Giuseppe Carrisi
• Flash of Genius – di Marc Abraham

In forse:

• Exiled - di Johnnie To

Nei Warner Village dal 7 agosto 2009

Voci dal buio

Regia: Giuseppe Carrisi
Co-sceneggiatura e collaborazione alla realizzazione del progetto: Franscesco Niccolini
Genere: Documentario
Durata: 41′
Data di uscita: 7 agosto 2009
Distributori: VID production

L’Africa e la Campania che non conosciamo

Da Barra a Goma.

Dalla periferia di Napoli alla Repubblica Democratica del Congo.

Il documentario di Giuseppe Carrisi, “Voci dal buio”, racconta, incrociandole, storie di ragazzi della camorra e di bambini congolesi che vivono nella guerra, nella povertà, nella violenza.

Anche se geograficamente lontane, queste due realtà hanno un comune denominatore: i bambini sono vittime designate di una logica perversa che nega e calpesta sistematicamente i loro diritti. Da una parte la Repubblica Democratica del Congo, con il suo “esercito” di bambini soldato, di piccoli sfruttati nei lavori pesanti, abbandonati, vittime della fame e delle malattie; di bambine abusate, di minori accusati di atti di “stregoneria” o rinchiusi nelle carceri; dall’altra, un quartiere del capoluogo campano dove esiste un “esercito” simile, composto di piccoli soldati, anche se non è ugualmente visibile: quello delle giovani “leve” delle cosche criminali che dettano legge in tutta la zona.

Un destino segnato dalla necessità di sopravvivere in un paese marchiato da atroci conflitti, guerre, e dalla quotidiana lotta per la sopravvivenza dove i bambini sono costretti a combattere ogni giorno, da un lato, e, dall’altro un destino ugualmente marcato a fuoco dalla nascita, ma dove la scelta di “combattere” è molto diversa: si sceglie un “ideale“, uno “stile di vita” per raggiungere un potere ben preciso e stabilito dalla camorra: il miraggio della ricchezza, dei soldi facili. In Congo non c’è scelta, perché si viene arruolati e basta, si finisce in miniera, per strada, si è costretti a lottare per sopravvivere.

A Barra il contesto di disagio sociale e di disoccupazione strutturale presenta ai bambini un solo modello vincente: quello del camorrista. Un modello che li porta in una cella del carcere di Nisida – l’ahimè notissimo penitenziario minorile napoletano, cui già Nanni Loy, con il suo musical “Scugnizzi“, aveva dedicato sequenze memorabili – se non all’autodistruzione. In molti casi, i giovani di Barra non sanno di “appartenere” al sistema, credono di viverne i privilegi, i lussi, gli abiti firmati, i telefonini, la droga facile.

In Congo i fucili sono vere e proprie “armi da guerra“, a Barra una pistola può diventare un simbolo di potere per comandare, guadagnare, ed offrire una possibilità di affermarsi nel mondo del consumismo sfrenato.

Insomma a Barra come a Goma, le vite dei bambini vengono buttate via come se non avessero alcun valore.

Qui la mia analisi al film.

Per approfondire ulteriormente leggi anche il mio post su tutta l’opera di Giuseppe Carrisi di là.

Visita il sito di Warner Village.

4 stars.

Flash of Genius

titolo originale: Flash of Genius
nazione: U.S.A.
anno: 2008
regia: Marc Abraham
genere: Drammatico
durata: 119 min.
distribuzione: Universal Pictures
cast: G. Kinnear (Bob Kearns) • L. Graham (Phyllis Kearns) • T. Kelleher (Charlie Defao)
sceneggiatura: P. Railsback
musiche: A. Zigman
fotografia: D. Spinotti
montaggio: J. Savitt

Trama: “Colpo di genio” è la storia di Robert Kearns, l’inventore del tergicristallo ad intermittenza che pulisce il vetro della macchina: l’uomo spese tutta la sua vita cercando di difendersi da chi lo accusò di avere rubato l’idea.

Di questo film dirvi non so.

Diciamo che dalle ricerche effettuate su fonti accreditate il film dovrebbe essere una sorta di docufilm sulla storia vera che è descritta nella trama.

Ora la riflessione è la seguente.

E’ vero che stiamo in agosto e che fa caldo.

E’ vero che pensare alla pioggia ed ai tergicirstalli ad intermittenza (ma perché ci sono anche tergicristalli fissi ???) è alqualnto refrigerante.

Ed ‘ è vero che ad esempio su IMDB il voto del pubblico è circa 7 (ne ho visti di assai più bassi, credetemi).

Ma a parte queste cose chi di voi andrà a spendere 7 euro virgola 50 centesimi, per un film che forse non daranno nemmeno tra 2 anni su SKY Cinema?

Io non credo ecco.

3 stars.

Exiled

titolo originale: Fong juk
nazione: Hong Kong
anno: 2006
regia: Johnnie To
genere: Azione
durata: 110 min.
distribuzione: Ripley’s film
cast: A. Wong (Blaze) • F. Ng (Tai) • S. Yam (Boss Fay)
sceneggiatura: S. Kam Yuen • Y. Tin Shing
musiche: D. Klotz • G. Zerafa
fotografia: C. Siu Keung
montaggio: D. Richardson

Trama:  Due gangster di Hong Kong vengono chiamati dal loro capo. Hanno il compito di trovare un componente della banda che si è macchiato di tradimento e di giustiziarlo. Il fuggitivo si è nascosto a Macau e i due lo rintracciano con facilità. Una volta sul posto, però, si trovano davanti a un dilemma perché compaiono dal nulla due vecchi loro compagni, decisi ad ostacolare la loro missione. Mentre i quattro tentano di negoziare e di risolvere la questione, compare un quinto uono. In più, tra di loro c’è un altro traditore.

La pellicola uscì al concorso Festival di Venezia del 2006.

Pare che sia un vero e proprio capolavoro.

Ha vinto 5 awards e circa 9 nominations.

Ma non siamo in alcun modo sicuri della sua uscita.

Mah …

Certo con tra anni di ritardo recuperarla ad agosto non è che sarebbe il massimo … ma meglio di niente si.

Indagheremo.

Update del post

Confermo, Exiled è uscito all’Arcadia di Bellinzago.

La prova è qui.

La cosa ha del buffo e del divertente. Forse.

A cura di cinemavistodame.com

Kelly Lin In “Gasp”, and a few secrets with huge actors such as “Ge You
August 4,2009
source: http://news.xinmin.cn
(No posting to other website without permission)

According to netease entertainment news, sexy Kelly Lin has always been hot in the eyes of people. She has not only worked with directors Wong Jing, Johnnie To, Andrew Lau, Tsui Hark, and many other well-known directors, but has also cooperated with many other big named movie actors, which created sparks on or maybe off screen.

Kelly Lin and Ge You.

NO. 1 Ge You

Ge You is Kelly Lin’s partner in the new movie “Gasp” , which is about to be released in the country on August 21. Kelly Lin has turned into a “good girl”, playing Ge You’s secretary, and is molded into a terrific comedy star. While working, Leilei praises Ge You , who doesnt have an exaggerated body language,and only uses his facial expressions in acting, which is his way of making people laugh. Ge You on the other hand, boasts highly of her talent . Ge willingly protects her like a gentleman does. Comedy actor + sexy goddess, the combination is fresh, and exciting!

NO. 2 Sun Honglei

Following the “iron triangle”, Kelly Lin and Sun Honglei stars together in “Dirt Rich In Shanghai”. Kelly Lin was praised for her vicious efforts by Sun Honglei,and he describes her like a book with many pleasant surprises! Also, the impressions of both towards each other was instanly warm, the director even said at the time when Sun Honglei had alot of NGs, to ease the tension, he jokingly said ” Can I touch Kelly Lin’s bottom,” which attracted an uproar. Kelly Lin higly praises Sun Honglei to be a gentleman and revealed ” He is currently my favorite. “

NO. 3 Sean Lau

Award winner Sean Lau is Kelly Lin’s childhood idol. When she filmed “Running out of Time 2″ , it allowed her to cooperate with her idol, which gave her a feeling of both excitement and nervousness. Kelly Lin highly respects Lau , and he is like her ideal man, dark,really ruggedly-looking man.But on the film, her only regret is not having the chance to act as a couple. When the two worked once again for “Mad Detective,” Leilei’s wish finally came true. The two played as husband and wife in the said movie.

NO. 4 Simon Yam

Simon Yam has been in Chinese entertainment for 30 years. Simon Yam and Kelly Lin worked together in “Sparrow,” he laughed upon learning Kelly Lin plays con artist. Having worked with her in six films, he has grown to be fond of her. In the face of Simon Yam and around her other co-stars,Kelly Lin answered in all seriousness: “He has charms playing a bad guy”. In “Iron triangle”, the two worked together again, and he was playing as her husband, however he felt bad that in the movie, they didnt have close contact. Because of this, Simon Yam jokingly said, he wished he had a precious kissing scene with Kelly Lin.

NO. 5 Aaron Kwok

Kelly Lin, in “After This Our Exile” plays Aaron Kwoks lover. This is the first cooperation between the two , and there were a few intimate scenes. To make it appear real, the trick was to shoot the two in multiple places and angles. Aaron Kwok praised Leilei to be professional, while she said , he was very gentlemanly and artistic, so that they became at ease, gradually dissolving embarrassment with each other. Their filming went very smoothly. Ultimately, the film won for Aaron Kwok for best Actor , likewise , the film also won the Best Picture for Golden Horse Awards .

NO. 6 Zhu Xiao Tian

As for Zhu Xiao Tian, the former member of idol group F4 , Kelly Lin in 2005 cooperated with him in “Tokyo Trial”. In the film the two played as lovers. But the supposed reel lovers’ romance scandal was exposed. They were photographed many times to be happily living together. However, both sides have always refused to recognize, so that this love is even more complicated and confusing. Early in July this year, Lin finally open up in recognition about the beautiful romance, and also threatened to want to get married in two years. However, she also exposed that Zhu Xiao Tian has not yet asked her to marry him. During the filming of “Gasp”, Kelly Lin also made a special trip to Japan to celebrate Zhu xiao Tian’s birthday. We do not know yet wether this will have further developments.

NO. 7 Chi Lam Cheung

In 2001, working with Chi Lam and Shu Qi in 2001 as one of the 7 beauties in “Martial Angels”, Kelly Lin played a “super thief” . Kelly Lin at this time is a rookie, having been in the movie industry for more than a year since her debut, Now she is more experienced, her “situation has changed”, and has broken up with David Wu. Chi Lam is in the business for 10 years, received numerous awards in music, film and television works , among others. His long-distance love at that time came to an end to marry Anita Yuen. In this movie, Kelly Lin has to wear an outfit which exposes her narrow waist, not losing to sexy actress Shu Qi, which causes people to envy Chi Lam’s luck on the film, and not with his real partner.

NO. 8 Louis Koo

In 2001, Kelly Lin played the “evil fairy” in director Tsui Hark’s “The Legend of Zu”, and with a hot body, she lures the ancient leader Louis Koo to fall under her spell . Working with him also in the “iron triangle”, Kelly Lin always mistook Louis Koo’s affection for a brotherly love . He laughingly said, because he has not had the courage to invite her for dinner, so he asked for the director , for the three of them to have dinner. Nevertheless, the two still remains to have implicit understanding, but absolutely not the same as being romantically involved.

NO. 9 Ekin Cheng

Working with Ekin Cheng in “The Legend of Speed” , as Kelly Lin’s third Hong Kong film, ,the two had an intimate scene in the car, despite the fact that the story requires for her to do it non-hesitanly, but for her it was an unusually hard process to shoot , as they had NG for a number of times. For a long period, Kelly has to kneel on her side, causing her bruises in her knees and other parts of her body. Furthermore, the two also collaborated in the “Running out of Time 2″ and so on.

NO. 10 Andy Lau

Andy Lau has made more than 100 movies, Kelly Lin was fortunate that her first film directed by Wong Jing , her shooting partner was idol Andy Lau, in “The Conmen In Vegas”. This film is where she had her very first on-screen kiss , and – with Andy Lau. In 2001, Andy Lau starred in the film “Fulltime Killer”, once again together with Kelly Lin, the two had a passionate scene, to which director Johnnie To even exclaimed while watching the scene: “very awesome!”