Change Your Image
nonon99_99
Reviews
Petition (2009)
God's will that human tragedy documented and shown
Without this documentary knowledge of today's China won't be complete. Any kind of fiction is powerless in front of the complex and dramatic real life stories it preserves.
I watched the 2010 five hours-long director's cut of Petition with a full house of some two hundred audiences. We were all captivated deeply by the drama, the humour, and above all, the tragedy in this groundbreaking documentary. In China people who seek intervention from higher authority to correct the injustice they suffered have been existing for more than half of a century, but it waits until today when there is DV camera and more importantly a brave film maker we are able to learn their life stories directly, with our safety hold in hand. This is a shocking experience, few people expect the surge of emotion they felt during watching. Some parts of the film are so heart-wrenching that I think the majority of the audiences burst into tears during those moments. I myself cried more than I had in several years. But there is no sentimentality here, the situations are too harsh to react irrationally. You are struck to ask questions, why is the Chinese justice system failed, what can we do for these suffering people, can we sit well and enjoy one more single day of wealth when these members of our own race are deprived of basic decency of human being?
Xi yan (1993)
Funny, moving and significant, one of Ang Lee's wonderful starts.
Now it is nearly thirteen years since my first viewing of Wedding Banquet. Its emotion impact, its humanistic beauty never diminish. As I am growing adult, I am able to understand it more.
The Wedding Banquet is a film of significance in several contexts.
First it belongs to Ang Lee's so called Father Trilogy, a series of films examining the situation traditional Chinese Father figure faces in today's society. It is also the most striking one within the three, as the portrayal of gays is still somehow then and today a taboo both in American and Taiwanese societies. The gay kiss in this film is the first ever kiss between two men in Taiwanese cinema.
Second, Ang Lee's miraculous artistic language is already there, although not quite polished. The way he deals with sense and sensibility contrast, the use of departing scene to express the core message, the use of tiny details to portray the dynamic relationships between characters and many more, are all fascinating to explored. Viewers who are familiar with Ang Lee's latter success will find out many secrets in this film.
Third, Wedding Banquet has a huge impact in the Chinese gay communities. It tells something so many people would never find chance to tell their parents.
Why does Father finally make acceptance? The film has suggested several answers, one of them not everyone could capture, is his love to his son. Because of his love, the Father survives today. An impossible question is finally answered.
Mùa hè chieu thang dung (2000)
Visually Stunning Inner Drama
Different stories of three sisters juxtaposing together, consist a unique image of love. How does director Tran achieve his philosophical depth and aesthetic revelation is almost a myth. Its interpretation of relationship, its visual beauty, its sound, are totally unique -- very Asian, very Vietnames, and all has its content, nothing arty, nothing nihilistic. You can the live in the characters' lives, smell their food, feel the heat of their room, sense the the mystery of their inner world yet after all, appreciate the beauty of the humanity revealed. This the film no one but Tran can make.
Because of Tran's three Vietnamese subject films, I drew a beautiful picture of Vietnam in my heart. It became a dream place. Many people might do the same. The reality will be different, but now we know a beautiful dream exists. This is the power of movie and what we are looking for in cinema.
Ride with the Devil (1999)
One of the the best war drama.
Ride with the Devil, like Ang Lee's later Brokeback Mountain, is a film of aesthetic and historical importance. Film lovers ought to see it at minimum twice as its artistic nuance is worthy to be over comprehended.
A perfect piece of art, surprising depth of humanity. I really don't recall another war film, will so capture you, will change your existing conception of history and politics, will restore your belief in humanity. After seeing so many killings, so many sufferings , you don't feel yourself numb, instead you treasure the bond between human beings more. The actors' performances haunt your heart, the music drives your mind. Some shoots, are not just some pictures, they transcend themselves, becoming the seeing of soul. Such is the true sense of film being a genre of art.
A film like this doesn't need long comments or reviews, everything it says by itself. Ovation to the cast which includes Tobey Maguire, Jeffrey Wright and Jewel Kilcher, the cinematographer and the composer of the beautiful and lyrical music, what an achievement!
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
A film for a whole life.
No words can convey my feel, because it is of the silence, of the untold this film tells an important fragment of human experience. A deep part of myself has changed. Some meanings of this life have been revealed. I phoned my parents and emailed a friend after viewing immediately. From this moment I don't want to lose my love ones and I will grasp all the chances in life as I can.
To many people this will be a film for a whole life. Let prejudice rest for a moment. I hope all people go to watch it. Yes this is a gay film, in an even stark way, but it is also more than that. We as human beings have the need to reflect some of our living experience. This film provides the opportunity.
It is a fortune for us to envisage the birth of a cinematic miracle, the moment of earthquake in human psyche. Ovation to the film makers.
The Producers (2005)
Just relax and have good laughs.
It is true that a number of problems exist in this film, as: very slow pacing - three hours long without sufficient plots or scenario; big structure gap - the arrival of Ulla has almost demarcated one film into two quite different ones; and the ever unconvincing appearance of Mr Bloom.
Yet it is the entertainment I would like to have alone in a cold and long holiday. I smiled through out the watching. If there are too much sexiness and luxuries, I just accept and enjoy it for a moment without seriousness. During the final song I didn't want to leave too soon. A companionship I would miss.
Though the songs in whole just have delivered the words quite clearly, and no more. I don't really know musical as a genre, but I find this treatment of lyric not satisfied.
Dong ci bian wei (2001)
No more sympathy.
Chinese people will tell you this film is about Fourth June, with mysterious facial expression and seducing voice. Made in an abnormal country where people live abnormally, this not-so-abnormal film, which is certainly forbidden in China, has become a legend.
Several years ago I watched this film in Hong Kong. I was touched, indeed I assumed myself touched. Should you not? It is about 1989 Tianmen, and in the following one and a half decade this is the only filmic drama to say something about an event deeply shaped Chinese psyche.
Now let the politics pass away. I can see this maiden film, though adorable, is quite basic, provides little artistic excitement. Why it attracts attentions tell us more about its circumstance than itself. I only feel what an idiotic, pathetic country China it is and this film is somehow less coward but no more. The film as well that country, knowing it more, you have lesser sympathy, finally you see all the tragedies rather comic.
Match Point (2005)
Another Wonderful Woody Allen!
I was misled by the trailer of Match Point, which overemphasises commercial elements, so that initially I decided not to see this film.
Then I feel lucky that I have watched this film. It is actually essential Woody Allen: the protagonist driven by the surroundings, the absurd existing, the mismatch and the black humour. The interesting things are in the languages, a typical Woody's way to make the the unreasonable reality explainable. The originality is satisfying.
The cast do their roles precisely, sometimes they look like incarnations of Woody himself. The music and the colour of the film place the story in a nostalgic atmosphere, yet coupled with the reference to a stark urban realities. These bring me a few broadened thoughts which I quite enjoy.
In short, a rewarding watching.
Serenity (2005)
banal and strange
I do not understand how those funny dialogues relate to the plot or the characters. They are rather something without functionality, make this film a bit disorganised in total. The story basically has nothing new, finally I see it is again about conspiracy. But if the story is old, there are still new ways to tell it, sadly here it is still that banal. The opening minutes, in which the reality shifts, give me some expectation, but just like those verbal tricks, these end up by nothing. The military official's cruelty and trickiness end up by an illogic action scene. In the debauched pub, the sexy doctor and the luscious woman have nothing happened in between. Later he shows his hunky body to us, that is fine but a bit too late. The film simply picks up what are already there, changes a little bit, then makes a staled mixture. I quite understand the excitement of its fans, it is perhaps like seeing a long term mate but I cannot enjoy it.
Ren gui qing (1987)
A master Chinese film not so known.
Ren Gui Qing (roughly translated as Human, Ghost and love) is called the first Chinese feminism film. Why so, there are many reasons, such as its protagonist being a woman and its autobiographic style which feminism writings always have. More importantly this film depicts a soul, dislocated in a rigorously classified society, can only find sympathy and comfort in her projected self on the stage. It happens that this soul is a woman and perhaps not so surprising, her self-projection is Zhong Kui, a masculine spirit of low rank in Chinese mythology.
The film is basic on a true story. The actress acts her real life. Being a little girl,she was bred as a boy to survive in a local traditional opera company. When she grew up, she was compelled to have a marriage without love and her once true love led to betrayal and suffering. She found no position in that male dominated society. In dream, she encountered Zhong Kui, the ghost hunter whom she famously acts in theatre, they had a bitter dialogue.
What fascinating about this film is its allegoric aspect, it could be about a woman, a precious art tradition, or any individual. They are all situated in a peculiar society and have problematic existence. Its abundant images of traditional arts, vivid portrayal of Chinese lives and depiction of inner world, make itself a valuable document of Chinese thoughts in 1980s.
The music is quite interesting, it is really surprising to hear tunes from traditional opera played on piano, surrounded by texture of orchestra. The profound association with old Chinese operatic art is a major feature here. Saying Chinese films as such, people usually think about those by Zhang Yi-mou and Chen Kai-ge. Yet this film surpass theirs. Without pretence, it touches you in a comfortable way. I hope this film not forgotten, and reaches more audiences.