Big Mama (2001)

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Posted on August 28, 2003 by Alison

Big Mama is an unashamed melodrama that is surprisingly gentle. There is no great tragedy, no milking of unpleasant situations for their emotive effect, and no villainous characters. That makes it rather more difficult to pluck on the heartstrings, but this film manages, using ordinary moments to show the strength of the family bonds. Okatsu, on seeing the intruder in her house, first abjures him to be quiet so as not to wake her sons, then serves him a bowl … (read more)

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July Rhapsody (2001)

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Posted on August 26, 2003 by Deni

Ann Hui’s July Rhapsody, translated literally as Man 40 from Cantonese, is not so much a film about a mid life crisis as it is about life itself. This film, through the strength and believability of the characters and the value the director places in narrative pace, speaks most strongly about matters of the heart and the choices we make for good or ill, and the things seemingly beyond our control. But it also manages to illuminate value within … (read more)

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Viva Erotica (1996)

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Posted on August 25, 2003 by Alison

This film starts with a bang. Literally. It’s the most enthusiastic bonking scene I’ve ever witnessed: Leslie Cheung and Karen Mok going at it with a fervour that, let’s say, is more suited to a sprint than a marathon. And a fine couple they make too: Karen Mok, she of the endless legs, with Leslie Cheung, who’s so entirely delectable that he’s probably a sex-poppet for all creatures chordate (that is, possessing a spinal cord, basically. I draw the line … (read more)

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Nang Nak (1999)

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Posted on August 25, 2003 by Alison

There’s not many movies that tell you straight up what’s going to happen. And you’d think that, if they did, you’d be pretty let down by the movie, right? “What a cheap trick”, you’d think. “They must be desperate to find a way to make the point: what must the film be like if they can’t do it in the story?!?”

Well, this film does just that, and it works. We’re told in a voice-over that Nak, a young wife, … (read more)

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Betelnut Beauty (2000)

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Posted on August 25, 2003 by Alison

This film falls squarely into the arthouse genre box, for those who like to pigeonhole their movies. For those who like to pigeonhole further, it could be categorised as “troubled urban youth meander through their lives at a gentle pace”.

It might be clear to some of you that I feel rather equivocal about this one. And it’s true: while I’ve heard many good things about this film, I couldn’t really throw myself into it. It began fairly well, with … (read more)

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PTU (2003)

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Posted on August 24, 2003 by Alison

Johnnie To Kei Fung has been working on PTU for around two years, in between other projects, and so the film has gained a degree of notoriety purely for that reason. As a result, To was a trifle anxious as to how this pet project would be received: speaking briefly before the opening night screening, he expressed a hope that the audience would forget The Mission, and give PTU its own chance.

Well, it’s not The Mission. It … (read more)

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Running Out Of Time (1999)

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Posted on August 23, 2003 by Alison

Johnnie To is the coolest director in the known universe, bar none. He has a gift for making great movies, and this is one of his strongest. It doesn’t hurt that he’s assembled a solid cast, including Andy Lau, owner of the sharpest cheekbones in the business, and Lau Ching Wan, one of the best actors in Hong Kong. There are even credible female characters too, in the form of the lovely Yoyo Mung, and the redoubtable Ruby Wong.

But … (read more)

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Just One Look (2002)

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Posted on August 23, 2003 by Mark Morrison

This hidden gem is easily one of the best Hong Kong releases for 2002. Get over that appalling bright blue poster that screams “Twins on summer holiday!”, and you’ll be well rewarded.

Just One Look is about love, movies, and love of movies. It’s set in the 1970s, and the two main characters spend all their days out the front of the local theatre. Behind them a succession of wonderful hand-painted boards advertise the movies of the day, from blazing … (read more)

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