Light up!
22/10/2006
Another lazy weekend. Managed to catch a few movies, though.
The Departed
I’m definitely disappointed with this remake. I’ve thought about it, and taken into account that the cultural references in the original Hong Kong version won’t translate well, but still the Hollywood version doesn’t cut it. Very disapppointing for a Martin Scorsese film.
Comparing the two films, you can kinda draw your own cultural conclusions – like how in the US division of labour is so intense that you have two American actors filling the role of one Hong Kong character = the Marky Mark + Martin Sheen combination that was Anthony Wong.
My biggest peeve is the exaggeration. How Jack Nicholson has to be the biggest baddest baddie on earth, while Martin Sheen would be the pristine cop, ad nauseum. Just like how everything in the world is black or white, nothing in between. Perhaps them Americans can’t handle nuances.
Well, looks to me if you’ve watched the Hong Kong version of the movie and really liked it, then you don’t want to watch The Departed. But if you’ve not and you’re a big fan of the whole “the long arm of justice is going to get you anyway” and the whole American special formula feel-good movies – you’ll like this.
The Banquet
I kinda liked it a lot better than all the other recent Chinese Colour fests – Hero or House of Flying Daggers. It’s quite complex, and I like how the action is paced like the movie. Floating, floating, floating.
Apart from the fact that Zhang Ziyi and Daniel Wu were in it, it was a pretty good movie. Even ZZY didn’t really annoy so much. It was Daniel Wu who was sticking out like a sore thumb, with his wooden melancholy, and just one expression.
Curse of the Golden Flower might be hotly anticipated by some, but I’m holding my breath since it’s another Zhang Yimou movie. It’s bound to be beautiful, but his last couple of beautiful movies weren’t anything more than that.
Was looking forward to The Prestige – Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman, what’s not to like? – but Andy kinda panned it, so I guess I can shelve that till they show it on tv.
Next up: Casino Royale, then!
Departing
12/09/2006
There aren’t too many Asia-to-Hollywood cover movies, and even fewer I know of or have seen. I skipped out on The Lake House, The Ring was rubbish, I don’t like westerns as much as my dad so I wasn’t a big fan of The Magnificent Seven.
Thus, I was kind of looking forward to The Departed, the Hollywood remake of Infernal Affairs.
Oh by the way, I hate the American Infernal Affairs trailer. First of all, Chan Wing Yan (Tony Leung) and Lau Kin Ming (Andy Lau) weren’t friends. They also spliced in totally overly complicated, unnecessary footage. It’s almost as if they wanted to make the movie out to be something it wasn’t.
Well, after watching the trailer for The Departed again, I don’t think it’s really going to blow my socks off. After all, all the cultural references and social commentary would be lost. And I don’t feel the same about the Chicago/Boston Mob. And although they tried to keep the scenes similar, I don’t think they really got the entirety of the Hong Kong version of the film. Infernal Affairs was deliberately prettified gritty, subtle in its way. I can’t imagine a subtle Hollywood film. They always have to overdo it.
I think it’s fair to say the tastes of the country – with regard to life, including movies – is largely represented by their food. Quantity, tastes, presentation, the whole hog sandwich (as opposed to chicken slivers in noodles).
I guess casting would be tough too, but really. It didn’t translate well.
- Leonardo Dicaprio plays Tony Leung’s Chan Wing Yan. That’s messed up. Should have used Matt Damon
- Matt Damon plays Andy Lau’s Lau Kin Ming. Wrong. Should have used Mark Wahlberg.
- Martin Sheen plays Anthony Wong’s character or something. A little distant in my view. Could have done better with Billy Crystal (ha ha) or Kevin Bacon.
- Jack Nicholson plays Eric Tsang’s mob boss. A little too much larger than life going on there. Maybe Robert De Niro.
I guess it’s a little unfair to subject The Departed to such close comparison. But Infernal Affairs was a really really good movie.
I hope they don’t try to do Infernal Affairs 2 and 3. It will be a little tough trying to get Jack Nicholson and Martin Sheen to look younger.
Korean Movie: Musa
26/08/2006
For the longest I refused to watch Musa, because I thought I couldn’t stomach another zhang-ziyi-period-drama piece. Why the rest of the world chooses to glorify some of the lianest specimens of our race I fail to comprehend.
So finally, because of Jung Woo Sung, I decided to watch Musa once and for all. Zhang Ziyi notwithstanding, it was really a good movie.
You can probably read the synopsis somewhere else, so I’ll be brief. A small Korean delegation – diplomats and a small army – are sent to China to establish ties with the Ming dynasty King. Thwarted, on the way home to Korea they run into a Mongolian army which has kidnapped a Ming princess. They decide to rescue her and send her back to Nanjing to the King to complete their mission. Needless to say, when you piss off the Mongolian army by stealing their prize, lots of blood ensues.
What I like about this movie is that it isn’t a superficial, vacuous visual treat. It’s not a lush, complicated narrative. It’s an honest account. It’s no-frills, but full of human emotion.
My Korean favourites are changing week to week, and Jang Woo Sung is hunk du-jour. He plays Yeo-sol, a slave in the contingent, who is freed, albeit in the middle of nowhere. He hardly says two lines in the movie, but he doesn’t really have to. His loyalty and simple devotion was contrasted with Ju Jin Mo’s arrogant General Choi, who slowly loses his grip on the delegation. Ahn Sung Kee is the experienced advisor of the support delegation, and he was like a Gandalf in the movie. The voice of reason, the voice of security.
You can tell where the lines are drawn, the Korean cast seemed have a camraderie that showed up on screen. Even though their characters were fighting among themselves, they seemed to hold it together internally, like it was them against the world. It was awesome.
The other thing I liked about the movie was that there was no one super shining star of the movie. The characters were flawed, real and still believeable. The ensemble made the movie work. The theme of duty and brotherhood are not the most popular with Hollywood movies, but it pretty much underpins most Asian movies. And true to that, they didn’t glorify any one person. Every one of the characters made the movie the rich, compelling story it was.
The other thing I liked about the movie, was the honesty they accorded the opposition. Mr Iron Monkey, Yu Rongguang played the Mongolian general who was hell-bent on capturing the Princess and bringing her back to Mongolia to fulfil the legacy of his predecessor and bring hope and honour to his people back home. You don’t hate the men in the film, you just end up wishing life wasn’t so complicated.
So in all, I really liked this movie. In my books, it’s right up there with Joint Security Area. I’m a little disappointed that the Zhang Yimou’s Hero and House of Flying Daggers, and Chen Kaige’s The Promise fall short compared to Musa, not because their technology was inferior, but mostly because they felt it necessary to overcompensate for Crouching Tiger and take the visual appeal highway, resulting in a bunch of flight attendant movies.
I’m still waiting for that one iconic Chinese movie. I’m hoping it won’t take too long.
Manga Boy!
22/08/2006
The King and The Clown
Is based loosely, I think, on sorta historical accounts of some Korean king and his reign. It’s pretty amazing how familiar period Korean dramas are to period Chinese dramas. But I suppose them ancient Chinese folk did travel a little. In this story, the King is a tyrant, psychologically scarred by childhood events and spends more time with his concubine than attending to the needs of his people.
In come the minstrels, roving around the country and countryside. In particular, a pair long-time companions – Jang Sang (Kam Woo Seong) and Gong-gil (Lee Jun Gi, my Manga boy) – an established act, are forced to move to Seoul after an accident. At this point you should know that Gong gil is the gentle, sensitive pretty one who plays the lady (or whore) in their acts.
So anyway, through a series of events the King meets these two minstrels, and appoints them as court jesters. In the meantime, the King develops a crush on pretty Gong-gil, while the Jang Sang is arrested and tortured for trying to protect Gong-gil.
Anyway. I kinda thought this would be an action drama. I didn’t really expect it to be Korean Farewell To My Concubine. In any case, my Manga boy is a little too masculine to do the excellent job Leslie Cheung did in his role as Cheng Die Yi. He tries, but little little details spoil it for him. The way he walks, the way he smiles, well. Testosteroney is good.
I am still undecided about what I think of the movie. In true Asian cinema tradition, the sets and costumes are lavish. The cinematography is superb. It’s a pretty pretty movie. That said, like the other post-Crouching Tiger Asian movies like House of Flying Daggers, and Hero, they lack a little something that makes you fall in love with the movie.
I hate to say it, but most Asian movies are like air stewardesses. Sorry. Flight attendants. They’re all manicured, and pretty, and they say and do the right things. They smell good. But you can’t have a meaningful conversation with them. Mostly because you’re only there for like 16 hours, and you don’t really want to talk to them, and they’re going through the motions. They’re not there to make you feel at home. They’re there to get paid.
So yeah. I’m a little disappointed with the movie. I think Manga boy could’ve done better, but still it was a good attempt. He probably had to have his ears pinned back for the movie, poor thing. So that should account for something.
His counterpart Kam Woo Seong did a commendable job, playing his over-protective, probably in love with Manga boy companion, but I saw little chemistry between them both. Neither as a lover, nor as a brother.
The psycho king was played by Kang Seong Yeon, and the only thing I can say about him is, damn I didn’t know he was my age. He looks old! But then again, that’s what a fake moustache does to a guy.
Final rating: 3/5 stars. Flight Attendant. Not something go nuts over.
VVV
20/08/2006
Why do they call it double U
When it looks more like 2 V’s? Seems that the earliest form of the letter was really 2 Vs.
I think I need to sleep earlier in general. Because I wake up late, I feel like I’m getting less of a day, even though we sleep at about 3am. Bad, I know.
We went to Funan yesterday, not for a hot pinkDS Lite, but for a haircut. While KF got his $10 EC House cut, I raided Laser Flair and ended up with more Korean DVDs. Not the serials this time, just a couple of movies.
Pistal Opera
So last night I decided to start on my loot. Put in Pistol Opera, not Korean, it was Japanese, but I liked the chick who acts in it. She’s the tall chick in Power Office Girls, the funny Japanese serial about these women working in a department store.
Back to the movie. I don’t even need to write a Haiku for it, I can sum it up in one word: weird!
It’s like watching a David Lynch movie (without the rich cinematography). It read normally enough in the synopsis at the back. She’s a professional killer, ranked #3 in the Guild. She’s tasked to off #1, a mysterious killer called Hundred Eyes to take his place.
What follows is a weird, crazy mix of violence, strange metaphorical storytelling, and seemingly inconsequential scenes. It’s like someone who couldn’t tell a straight story wrote the script.
So I can’t tell you if it’s a good movie. I couldn’t comprehend more than half of it. I didn’t know if it was funny!
Anyway. The chick, Makiko Esumi turns 40 this year. She looks good for a 40-year old.
Weird!
Can you read my mind?
29/06/2006
I had no idea Margot Kidder sang that
All I remember about Margot Kidder was how she had that on-the-edge crazed look, and that she eventually did succumb to manic depression – which she’s managed to get over with some help.
She sang that Superman song. Amazing.
What I really liked about the movie, was the movie experience. There’s really nothing like being in a theatre, when the lights are out, and the curtains gently peep open, and the words are on screen, and John Williams’s Superman theme booms through the sound system. Very Star Wars. Very very movie. Really sets the mood.
I enjoyed the movie, on the whole. I mean, it’s a flaky franchise anyway, Superman. Of all the comics-turned-movies, this is probably the second boringest. I mean, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the worst. But Superman is just too 1978. The costume, the styling, the themes, the villian – all reek of a bygone era.
You can take the superhero out of 1978, but you can’t take the 1978 out of the hero. Christopher Reeve used to wear high waisted red briefs on top of his blue bodysuit. Brandon Routh wears a hipster. The daily planet used to be a smoky, hectic and disorganised place. Now it’s a smoke free, smart suit place complete with mounted LCDs. The villians used to be one sided and boring. Oh wait. That’s still the same.
I’m not sure if Bryan Singer was trying to keep the movie morally correct for the times, but there seemed to be a neat little anti-smoking theme. Bad things happened when cigerettes or cigars, for that matter, were lit. But that’s so lame.
Brandon Routh had his hands full with filling the shoes Christopher Reeve left behind, so it was a terrible injustice to him to have him sound and look like Christopher Reeve. It was just not going to happen. He just isn’t charismatic enough to be goofy yet adorable. He just panned out pretty idiotic most of the time.
We’ll just leave Kate Bosworth out of this conversation. It’s going to be the same conclusion all around the world.
But I enjoyed the movie. There was lots of flying, action, great theme song, nice sequences, some bits that were a bit of a cop out, but hey, it was entertainment. And for a good 2 hours or so, even with a really full bladder, I enjoyed it.
So yeah. Superman. Not great. But fun. Watch Batman and drool over Christian Bale instead.
scoop 2
28/06/2006
More sneaky phrases
But this is more Scratchy’s hang up than it is mine, since I use it from time to time. Apparently, lately Scratchy developed a hang up for at the end of the day, which I don’t think is a big deal. I think the one’s that’s more annoying than that is a piece of it is this.
Tomorrow we get to watch Superman – courtesy of the kind Movies folks. I’m really glad that Movies has taken off the way it has, and the hard work of the folks who laboured over it is coming along so nicely. So yay, Superman, with the unknown Brandon Routh and the thief of Orlando Bloom’s heart, Kate Bosworth.
I hate to say it’s going to be hard for another Superhero to top the job Christopher Nolan did with Batman Begins. A dark, troubled and fallible Batman played to perfection by the perfect Christian Bale was such a relief from the 90s Clooney versions. I guess it takes a Brit to straighten things out.
So up, up and away….!
Hello Ralph Fiennes
21/06/2006
The brother who truly looks fine
Not like that scruffy Joseph. He’s on Inside the Actor’s Studio right now, and he needs a haircut, but he’s ok.
I had a bad day today, I feel like the product launches are less organised, and more conveyor belt. It’s ending up like the crap you get at Sucky Sushi. $1.99 per plate, but you might as well be eating styrofoam. I’ll be happy when we get to Sushi Tei quality, so at least I know I can count on them for a good Sashimi Salad and Steak Sushi.
In which movie did Ralph Fiennes say – Is this the face of a rat? Are these the eyes of a rat?
Ok clue: the next line is – Has not a Jew eyes?
That was a good movie. I just saw it, yeah, about ten years later. But it’s not one of those things that will make you come back from the grave if you didn’t do it before you died. In fact, few things are.
It’s so soothing to hear Ralph Fiennes talk. I think Christian Bale sounds better, but Christian Bale didn’t star in The End of The Affair. That was such a good movie. Julianne Moore is so charming too. Almost doesn’t make you feel jealous she’s frolicking around with Ralph Fiennes.
I first saw Ralph Fiennes in Quiz Show. Admittedly at that time I was preoccupied with the Northern Exposure guy instead, the dumbass I was. The thing I love about actors like Ralph Fiennes and Christian Bale, and to a lessor extent Clive Owen is that they’re not afraid of playing the bad guy. And even when they do it, they still manage to show a three dimensional character, a person who’s not completely bad, or completely good. I suppose it shows somehow, a lack of insecurity. A real person. Who is willing to be seen flawed, like he really is.
That’s beautiful, in the most honest way.
Hot, hot, hot!!!
17/06/2006
Christian Bale is so hot
He looks hot, he probably smells hot, and he sure sounds as hot as he looks. I’d be willing to let him off on the British accent rule since he’s technically British though he won’t shake off that American accent.
The only person who sounds better than Christian Bale is Clive Owen, but then again, on the looks factor there’s not contest there. hehe.
It’s just a pity the voice of Sophie in Howl’s Moving Castle is Emily Mortimer, who just sounds too much like her whiney character in Match Point to be likeable, unfortunately. And the only other movies Christian Bale is in are things like Batman with eewww Katie Cruise, and American Psycho, where he hacks women to bits. Not very savoury.
A sure sign you’re in a next demographic box is when your favourite actors start settling down and having kids. Matt Damon just had a baby girl, Christian Bale’s got a kid, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise too. Next thing I know – Michael Chang will have gotten married and had a couple of kids too.
Drat.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
17/06/2006
Is hilarious. Really.
What is it about Robert Downey Jr? It’s almost like he’s a good looking Woody Allen.
But Val Kilmer is even funnier in this one. It is indeed a good movie. Thanks Sharks.
I had a long week. I got a Hepatitis A and B jab, which is making my arm ache, and I’ve still got that irritating ear infection.
