Written By: Jeffrey Lau and Wong Kar Wai Cinematography: Andrew Lau
Editor: Bei-Dak Cheong and Kit Wai Kai
Cast: Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung, Jacky Cheung, Alex Man, Ronald Wong
Mid-level gangster Wah falls in love with his beautiful cousin, but must also continue to protect his volatile partner-in-crime and friend, Fly.
Melodramatic as it has a bit of the story of the movie MEAN STREETS mixed with a crime thriller. MEAN STREETS Also dealt with a coming-of-age story and a romance that seemed clandestine yet forbidden. While also being involved in a crime syndicate of sorts with a hot-headed friend who seems to always get them both into hot water.
Just like Martin Scorsese, you can see director Wong Kar Wai’s Style breaking out. Yet a little stuck with a mainstream Story to get more of an audience to watch. The crime thriller elements will be exciting but the heart of the film Is more in the romance and it allows the lead to be tough and sensitive.
Watching this film is like watching an artist trying his skills in a more conventional Mainstream Movie. He certainly Raises the material higher than it deserves.
The film is definitely of its time period. The 1980’s represented mainly on the soundtrack as usual.
Wai Chooses a familiar American song TAKE MY BREATH AWAY and gives it new depth in a Cantonese version.
Like his later Films there is a love story thrown in that ends up being the film’s heart. Not to mention ensures an emotional investment. As after all within most stories, there is that element instead of focusing on the more violent side of life. Instead, he is interested in showing relationships and what drives them. To show where strength and honor lie.
The film is a cautionary tale on one end and nihilistic. It takes both main characters’ relationships seriously and gives them the same depth. Only one is physically intimate. The other one is loving but troublesome.
As he is more successful in romance and moves further. On the other end That is how deep into Trouble he And his little brother get into until It gets to the point of no return the third act has to do with proving oneself and machismo That is Almost like a reminder. This is supposed to be a gangster film
Directed By: Stephen Chow & Lik-Chi Lee Written By: Stephen Chow, Erica Lee, Kan-Cheung Tsang, Man-Fai Cheng and Min-Hang Fung Cinematography: Wing-Hang Wong Editor: Kit-Wai Kai and Chi-Wai Yau
Cast: Stephen Chow, Karen Mok, Cecilia Cheung, Man-Tat Ng, Kai-Man Tin, Chi-Sing Lam, Po Chun Chan, Joe Cheng
A bar girl hires a struggling actor to give her acting lessons so that she can feign a greater interest in her customers. The longer they work together, the more they find they have in common.
This film from writer/director/star Stephen Chow is Still a Little Silly but more sophisticated than his usual films. Unfortunately, this is one of his more disappointing works. as it’s not as madcap it off the wall as the others and is more at the beginning of his writing and directing career
The film has its moments but altogether doesn’t feel as strong or as funny as his usual Work. Maybe as this is a little more conventional and while he usually plays the jerk here his character seems more simple and innocent. Rather than Intentionally Difficult.
Most of the more comedic scenes he leaves to his co-stars with him just more supporting in the scenes. Though he does let the jokes build more than Usual.
The comedic scenes that do involve him Are fun but less taxing on him.
The film seems to start off well with a cameo from a worldwide action superstar. Which seemed smart then starts to go downhill slowly from there.
The scenes of an action film seem to be spoofing the work of director John Woo works, but when it comes to physical gags after it seems more fake and cause for obvious Special Effects.
In the middle of all this there is a romance and then a strange unconsummated love triangle that once it seems relieved ends up with him losing it all after finally seeming to be on the road to being successful. In a plot like that it is hard to swallow.
Then the third act totally comes out of nowhere like it was made in a last-minute decision to stretch the film and make it all worth it. As well as add some overall thrills.
The film Seems a little lost In Translation. In the end, the film seems To go all over the place and not in a necessarily cohesive way always. as even the ending seems strange and a little out of place.
Written & Directed By: Wong Kar Wai Based On The Book “The Eagle Shooting Heores” By: Louis Cha Cinematography By: Christopher Doyle & Pung-Leung Kwan Editor: Patrick Tam & Kit-Wai Kai Cast: Brigitte Lin, Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung,
Ou-yang Feng lives in the middle of a desert, where he acts as a middleman to various swordsmen in ancient China. One of those swordsmen is Huang Yao-shi, who has found some magic wine that causes one to forget the past. At another time, Huang met Mu-rong Yin and under the influence of drink, promised to marry Mu-rong’s sister Mu-rong Yang. Huang jilts her, and Mu-rong Yin hires Ou-yang to kill Huang. But then Mu-rong Yang hires Ou-yang to protect Huang. This is awkward, because Mu-rong Yang and Mu-rong Yin are in reality the same person. Other unrelated plot lines careen about. Among them is Ou-yang’s continuing efforts to destroy a band of horse thieves. Oy-yang recruits another swordsman, a man who is going blind and wants to get home to see his wife before his sight goes completely. The swordsman is killed. Ou-yang then meets another swordsman who doesn’t like wearing shoes. Oy-yang sends this man after the horse thieves, with better results. We then find out what a man must give…
The original cut was released in 1994 I am reviewing the re-edited version of 2008
I will admit that I haven’t watched the original cut yet. This is the same film only re-edited to put emphasis on different things and look at the film in a different way. Sort of like what was attempted when the Mel Gibson film PAYBACK was put out on DVD and re-edited more to the director’s original vision before the production was taken outbid his hands and re-shot and re-edited it’s also similar to the APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX putting back in cut scenes to supposedly make the film richer in content and context.
This is a great movie… To have on in the background of a party continuously playing, but sitting through it is a challenge. I love Wong Kar Wai’s work but I couldn’t wait for it to end. It was like sitting through a music video with its camera work and rapid editing. Though a music video with a thin plot seems a simple reason to link scenes of action together.
This film feels moody as you have to be in a certain type of mood to watch, more open and accepting of the story it presents. I believe the reason I didn’t enjoy it as much as Wai’s other films are that one saw the masterpieces first and came back to watch this film which doesn’t match the greatness of his other films though you can see the seeds. It almost feels unfocused half of the time as to where it is going or what it wishes to convey.
While the film is visually arresting. The story begins to get confusing and boring. When the film is on the verge of getting too boring it redeems itself with an action scene.
Director, Wong Kar wai shows that he is capable of stunning action sequences, which are rather rare in his films, but then he messes them up in this film by making the. In slow motion. Almost like a delayed slow-motion capture. This messes up the fluidity of the choreographed action, but when the scenes run at regular speed they are a sight to behold. This film had an exhausting effect on Wong Kar Wai. While on hiatus during the editing process, he wrote CHUNGKING EXPRESS to “clear his head”.
This is a visually beautiful movie, low budget with a few too many close-ups for no reason it seems. I will prefer and enjoy the first cut just like APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX.
What is interesting about Wong kar wai when it comes to most of his films is that he is a visual stylist as a director, but not, in the same way, directors like Tim Burton works most of the time in his movies. The camera stays still and he lets the sort be about the characters as they reveal relationships and the big story. Now when this is happening the lighting and colors are usually immaculate and use the landscapes to their fullest. And when the camera moves the angles he uses in the scenes are strange, but breathtaking that you feel the movie so much more because at the heart of most of his films are relationships.
It’s like Woody Allen films with less dialogue, no comedy, and no archetypes yet more open and visual. More seems to be at stake and the characters are usually young with more modest incomes plus more sensual than sexual.
It hurts to give this film such a low grade. He has made strides since this film it is an early work that hints at his future vision and genius. Still one of the better and More Interesting filmmakers still working today
Cut To The Chase 