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| DENI'S REPORT ON THE
BRISBANE FESTIVAL: The first film I saw at the Hong Kong Film Festival in Brisbane was Beast Cops. With apologies to my long suffering friend on whose birthday bash I bailed in order to make it in time, I raced to the cinema and was settling myself into a seat in one of the darkened theatres in Hoyts Regent about five minutes into the film. Now I really hate missing even the opening credits of a movie but somehow it didn’t seem to matter. I don’t mean that in a bad way, on the contrary. The characterisation in the film, and the excellent performances particularly from Hong Kong legend Anthony Wong, were thorough and thrilling enough that the missed moments didn’t detract from my enjoyment at all. So I won’t go into the storyline, I’m sure if you’re reading this then you already know it (and if not you’d better get your butt over to Mark’s reviews!). What I will say is that the crowd that night were completely into this film. They were all enjoying the movie immensely and were not afraid to make noises to the fact. And for the most part it was Anthony Wong they were making noises for. It’s easy to see why the man’s just quietly a megastar. The next film I caught (that wild horses weren’t going to keep me from) was Moonlight Express. Now I have to admit there were two things drawing me to this film. One was the fact that I had never seen anything by Daniel Lee and if they were calling him a blend of Wong Kar-wai and John Woo then I was definitely there. The other was of course Leslie Cheung (apparently I wasn’t the only one with this particular motivation, as the PFTC speaker who introduced the film took pains to point out). The realities of these draw cards were for me just slightly disappointing. Just let me explain. In terms of Daniel Lee’s direction, I did (and I knew I shouldn’t) go there expecting to see the lush camera surrealism so indicative of Wong Kar-wai’s work. Unfortunately it is sometimes hard to ignore media comparisons (What did an American reporter call Chow Yun Fat once? An Asian Cary Grant? Good grief.) and I think that personally I need another viewing of this film in order to grasp the individuality of Lee’s direction. In all fairness Lee’s work needs to be judged upon it’s own merits and upon the Director’s own distinctive style. As well, Cheung’s performance did not, to my mind, require any real reaching on his part. He’s played variations on this theme enough times before, and while he is quite good at it (I’m such a sucker for that hero stance thing he’s got going...) he has in the past demonstrated he is much, much better (Farewell My Concubine, Ashes of Time). Sometimes I got the feeling that some of this film was a bit of a stroll in the park for him and he was I think at his best when reaching the subtlety of expression required to sympathise with Takako Tokiwa’s character Hitomi. In that way it was Tokiwa’s ability to emote with subtlety the co-existence of emotion and reserve in the Japanese psyche which in places provided Cheung the opportunity for finer moments. But Tokiwa shone on her own, and that was I think some of the point of the film, that Hitomi was searching not for someone to fill the space the loss of her fiancé had left but that she was searching for herself, her own independence and personal strength. The conclusion of the film, with all the signs of the symbolic ‘fresh start’ between Hitomi and Bo, was done so under equal terms without the ghost of her fiancé or the monkey of Bo’s undercover life between them. Michelle Yeoh’s performance in the short cameo of course also deserves a mention. Does that woman suck at anything she does? Obviously not, for her performance was as subtle and expressive as either Cheung’s or Tokiwa’s in nowhere near the same amount of screen time. Inarguably her screen presence, her magnetism and beauty, nearly dominated the scenes she appeared in and her character was strong enough and Yeoh fine enough an actor to carry the weight of both Hitomi and Bo’s individual demons. She was a strange, graceful combination of Bo’s police force practicality and Hitomi’s lost, denied longing and it is rather interesting to note that it was at this point that the relationship between the Hitomi and Bo reached the stage where it could go no further until they had faced their respective pasts. Talking then of pasts leads us to Tempting Heart. It was the last film out of the five offered to Brisbane audiences and it was indeed a beautiful conclusion to the screenings. There weren’t too many dry eyes in the theatre when the end credits started to roll and understandably so. Sylvia Chang’s delicate grasp on emotional need and experience versus the expectations and limitations of everyday life wove a finely crafted tale that was touching and real. What I found to be outstanding about this film was not the tale of the young lovers triangle (although the performances were undeniably superb) but the slightly more subtle journey of understanding embarked upon by Cheryl (Sylvia Chang herself) as she commits the bittersweet memories of an obviously personal story to paper and film and, less obviously, goes through the process of letting go. I think that one of the most subtle and poignant moments of the film was when she realised that she had never considered what it was that her teen sweetheart had gone through. Her admission seemed to be the point at which the real focus of the film switched from the past to the present and where true release from old hurts began. I have to mention though that the audience response to the final scene was quite strange and I’m find myself wondering why exactly. As the camera zooms back from Kaneshiro and Leung standing on a hillside under a tree, taking in the panorama surrounding and framing them the audience starts to laugh. The scene is quite obviously constructed and in such a way as to evoke a bizarre combination of the final scene of Gone With the Wind and the Wizard of Oz (American film symbols I know but they’re the only things I can think to describe it). Metaphorical? Well obviously, but why did people laugh? Perhaps it was because of its contrast to the previous heart-rending scene with Cheryl on the plane, opening the gift from her lost love? Laughter is often a natural human response to extreme emotions. Perhaps it was because finally, for all the film’s courage it was incapable of finishing on such a painful note as true love denied and fell back on a schmalzy pseudo ‘happily-ever-after’ after all? I even suspected for a while that it might have been more of an esoteric, post-modern criticism on film style itself and we just weren’t quite getting the point. Still, despite the slightly surreal final scene, I could not say enough about this film even if I tried. I thought it was brilliant in so many subtle ways, excellently cast, beautifully shot and touchingly written. It wielded its evocative power without judgement or bias, made me remember fondly things that I had forgotten about the past without the filter of old, associated hurts - something no other film has done for me to date, western or otherwise. A heartbreaking film because it had the courage to show how things don’t always work out, how there’s not always a Hollywood style happy ending and how that in itself can be both valuable and beautiful. I definitely look forward to more work by Sylvia Chang and, after the overall fine level of work on show at the Hong Kong Film Festival, I eagerly await its return next year. I especially look forward receiving the full screening schedule here in Brisbane where the resources are sometimes a little low but where the enthusiasm is high.
SARAH'S REPORT ON THE BRISBANE FESTIVAL: At last I've had the opportunity to see some Hong Kong movies on the big screen although I am somewhat disappointed at the selection (take note AFI, if you're reading this and grow some taste). Beast Cops: What a great movie! Gordon Chan's direction can be a bit directionless. But this movie had so many other things going for it that it really didn't matter about the midway plot sag. Firstly, the setting, Mongkok, is one of my favourite places in the world and I really did enjoy being taken back there. Secondly, the stars...Wong Chow San...what a consummate performance...hardly a beast, more of a sensitive, caring motherhen type who cant help loving his Triad 'brother' Roy Cheung. Who can blame him? Cheung is one of the most charismatic and underused HK actors. Its nice to see him playing a good guy for a change even if he is so good at being bad. Even Michael Chow, usually such a dull himbo, is used rather well as a straight guy for Wong Chow San to horrify. I noticed the Cantonese in the audience all laughed everytime he said anything, presumably at his language skills. Finally we have Sam Lee, who is so much like a real Mongkok denizen that he adds authenticity if not one of his finest performances. Judging by the attendance (full house) we'll be getting the full monty next year. Let's hope so! I guess it's a bit harsh judging it by the Brisbane line up [only five films], but we are so starved up here a bit of desperation is inevitable. I'd just like to see some movies that really would benefit from the big screen. A spectacular visual feast type of movie with lots of weird costumes and mental action of which there are no shortage in HK cinema. I guess you'd have to go back a couple of years to find a truly eccentric example as I do think the movies coming out of HK have homogenised a bit but hell they could have made me happy with a Young & Dangerous or two. And if they are going to put on a Jet Li, what about classic costumer instead of a modern one which he has never suited. I don't mind watching Leslie Cheung make puppy eyes but it doesn't have to be twenty foot high unless he is a flying swordsman as well.
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| BRISBANE Deni had a blast. Sarah wanted more. |
MELBOURNE Coming soon! |
SYDNEY Joyleen enjoyed it. Eugene had issues. |
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