This week's Movie review......

[ben]

although I'm not too keen on sad movies lately so it'll have to wait. ~Ginny

Neither do I.

[rahau]

I saw "Experiment in Terror" at a film festival that featured films either shot in, or about, San Francisco. One of the other featured films was "The Joy Luck Club." I had the privilege of meeting Amy Tan that night. She autographed my copy of her book. As we chatted, she asked, "So, did you like the film?"

I told her I loved the film, but admitted it compromises my Guy Credentials. I start sobbing the moment I hear Rachel Portman's music over the opening credits. Ms. Tan laughed, and told me, "It's all right ... you're just sensitive."

Afterwards, I thought, "Now THAT is a pickup line to lay on female writers. 'Did I mention ... Amy Tan thinks I'm sensitive...?' "

[ben]

@rahau, how could I forgot The Joy Luck Club. It had been a favorite of mine for quite some time. And Rachel Portman's music was a favorite for several years. Heck I remember that I didn't let a day go by without listening to at least one track from that OST album. That "good quality heart" really struck me, and this is probably the only sad movie that I have and would repeat watching. I highly recommend this movie too.

[rahau]

Ben, it's one of my favorites, too.

That evening was a real treat. Amy Tan introduced the film, and told a few hair-raising stories about the production difficulties.

She also introduced a few people in the audience who had cameo roles. One was her niece, who played Ming-Na's niece. The other was her uncle. Remember the scene where Tamlyn Tomita's boyfriend Rich "improved" the meal by adding soy sauce, and an older man gasped in horror? The older man is Tan's uncle.

As the scene played out, the audience eagerly awaited The Gasp. When it happened, the crowd burst into applause and cheers. Great moment.

[ben]

Wow, I first saw The Joy Luck Club back in the early 90's. The CD's was still scarce here in the Philippines and I had to ask a friend to get me a copy of the OST and movie in Taiwan. And if I remember correctly, June's (Ming Na-Wen) niece would have to be shown almost at the end of the movie when she meets the twins. Another good thing about this movie (aside from the 8 great short stories) was Ming Na-Wen and Tomita Tamlyn, one is beautiful and innocent, while the other is beautiful and sophisticated. I loved the book too but I love the movie ending better.

[Ang Mo]

Went to see Balzac and the little Chinese Seamstress which is a fantastic movie. It takes place around 1971 during Chairman Mao's cultural revolution which he took educated students and banished them to the mountain communities to have them "re-educated" by peasants. Beautifully shot in a mountain village in China it focuses on these two young men who vie for the affections of a tailors daughter. They steal some classical books which are forbidden to read and of course read them to the young woman. She is particularly fond of Balzac and this love for literature helps her eventually leave her village and seek her education. The two young men of course finally leave their exile and become successful in their two fields. One becomes a professional musician (violin) and the other a doctor. My favorite scene is where they are caught by the leader of the village reading the books and he threatens to have them arrested and imprisoned unless they can fix his bad tooth. The young men end up having to tie him to a post (no pain killer) and then using a crude drill powered by the tailor's foot pedal sewing machine and melting a piece of tin for the filling. It is hilarious, but a successful operation none the less. A great movie which focuses on the freedom of individuals and how important it is to have that. I am sure this film must have been banned in China.

[Nummie]

Ow I didn't know there was a movie thing here...

It is my hobby so I see lotsa movies, I try at least one a day :

Wednesday - Underground (by Kusturica - 2nd time)
Thursday - Faust (1926)
Friday - The Constant Gardener, CastingX (Dutch movie), Oliver Twist and L'Enfant
Saturday - Spring, summer, fall, winter... and spring (2nd time)
Sunday - What the bleep do we know
Monday - probably: The boy who copied

[ben]

@Nummie, the titles of your last 3 days are really wierd... in a good way. I've never heard about any of those, can you give some more information about them?


@Ang Mo, I believe I have seen Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress several years back. But unfortunately, I've only seen some part of it and at that time I wasn't really that interested with it.

Over the weekend, I just watched the Korean-Chinese movie Musa. And true to what Ang Mo said earlier, it was indeed so much better than Warriors of Heaven and Earth. I actually watched it twice last weekend. The only quirk I had with the movie was the subtitles, sad to say, the grammar were thrown out of the window, and they were flashed to fast for one to read. I found myself fiddling with the pause-play button for the first run. That's why I watched it again.

Aside from Musa, I've also watched another Asian movie. A Hong-Kong movie called The Seven Swords directed by Tsui-Hark, one of the more notable Chinese action-movie director. Set in one of China's old chaotic dynasty, it's just simply a mindless action movie. With absurd sword actions riddled by unexplained super human abilities. You're better off watching Tsui-Hark's previous release, Time and Tide.

Here's a great Chinese movie that I've watched several years ago. It's a true story, the story about the women behind great Chinese leaders: Gen. Chang Kai-Shek and Dr. Sun Yat-Sen. It's about the 3 daughters of Charlie Soong, one married to Dr. Sun and the other married to Gen. Chang. It stars Maggie Cheung, Michelle Yeoh (James Bond:Tomorrow Never Dies and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Vivian Wu. It's a very powerful movie about the politics that took place in China, the Chinese civil war fought between Gen. Chang Kai-Shek and Chairman Mao Ze-Dong (Mao Tse-Tung). Plus the compounding invasion of the Japanese forces. Kitaro, a Japanese musician also did a wonderful job on the musical score.

Edit: Ooops, I forgot the title... The Soong Sisters. Thanks rahau.

[rahau]

It's called "The Soong Sisters," right? I've been meaning to rent it. Quite a time, and quite a story.

[The_Man_in_Blue]

Saturday - Spring, summer, fall, winter... and spring (2nd time)

I also have seen that one a couple of times when it played at a theater in Louisville. I recomend it to anyone who likes Asian films.
Paul

[Ang Mo]

I would also like to recommend Travellers and Magicians which is filmed in Bhutan. A story of a man who yearns to go to America and leave his native country far behind. On his journey to get to the town where he will fly from, he is joined by a buddhist monk, an elderly man who sells apples, a rice paper maker and his beautiful daughter. The monk who constantly irritates the young man, tells him a story that parallels the young man's desire for adventure and new places. It has quite a bit of humor in this film and it is very strange and different. The monk is pretty smart and I think he convinces the young man in the end that it is not always greener on the other side.

[rahau]

I saw the new film "Good Night, and Good Luck" recently. If I tried to tell you how much it meant to me ... well, I'd need another web site.

Without going overboard, a few thoughts:

If you think a film about broadcast news in the fifties "doesn't relate" to you, think again. Fifty years later, the story of Murrow vs. McCarthy is as relevant as ever. I wish everyone would see this film.

I couldn't help but compare the era of McCarthyism with today. The saddest fact is, most of today's Joe McCarthys are in the media, rather than in politics. (And most work for Fox News.)

The film reminded me of all the reasons why I went into broadcast news. And of all the reasons why I got out.

David Straithairn was born to play Murrow. Early Oscar buzz says he's neck and neck with Philip Seymour Hoffman's portrayal of Truman Capote. No doubt, Hoffman is brilliant. But I'm pulling for Straithairn.

GNGL is one of the tightest films I've seen in years. It runs just over an hour and a half. But it feels as if it's barely twenty minutes long. There's hardly an ounce of fat in this film.

Speaking of the McCarthy mindset: I rented the DVD of "Fahrenheit 451" this week. The ORIGINAL, Truffaut's film of Ray Bradbury's novel. When it came out, back in the sixties, audiences and critics were not very kind. And they weren't completely wrong. The script and the performances were a bit heavy-handed, and Truffaut was trying WAY too hard to be Hitchcock.

But on the other hand ... compared to most of the crap that's being released today, "Fahrenheit" is a masterpiece. The final scene, with the Book People gathered in their secret hideaway, is still so damn moving.

[Ang Mo]

I plan on watching that film Rahau. I saw the previews and it looked good.

Watched "The Accidental Tourist" with William Hurt. It was a pretty good movie, weird, but good.

[ben]

Just saw Tony Leung and Andy Lau's Internal Affairs. What a great movie. Spy counter spy. The police send a mole inside the Triad and the Triad had their mole in the police. I especially loved Yan, Tony Leung's character. Great acting by Tony, you can really feel his pain and misery... and his great dedication. While the ending was a bit sad... oh well, a tear did fell down my eye, I'd still wouldn't change a thing. Will be watching Internal Affairs 2 this evening.

Highly recommended and there's rumor that Hollywood is going to have their own version of this.

[Ang Mo]

I watched Infernal Affairs a few months back. I hated the typical depressing ending. It should have been the other way around. If you look at the extra's on the DVD it is kind of funny watching Andy Lau and Tony Leung sing the music to the movie. Unlike Hollywood actors, most of the Chinese actors also sing and cut records as well.

Brad Pitt is signed on to do the Hollywood version of Infernal Affairs with Jack Nicholson in it also. I doubt the Hollywood version will be very good since they will trash it up.