 |
Web Of Deception (1989) |
 |
 |
 Businesswoman Brigitte Lin is blackmailed in this thriller à la Hitchcock.
 It's very rare in Hong-Kong to have such thriller with very little action. In Web Of Deception, there is a great deal of suspense but the direction is unfortunately far too common. Characters are not very deep either. A fantastic cast (Brigitte Lin, Pauline Wong, and two Joey Wong for the price of one) doesn't make you forget the movie defaults but still keeps you in suspense until the end.
|
|
 |
Laurent Henry - top |
 |
|
Shanghai Blues (1984) |
|
|
In 1937, during the war, a man (Kenny Bee) and a woman (Sylvia Chang) met under a brigde, and without seeing themselves in the darkness, they promise to meet again after the war.
This is a tribute to old Chinese and Hollywood comedies from the 30's and the 40's. Tsui Hark mastered the abrupt changes in tones from fast paced and burlesque comedy to touching emotions. He displayed as well a mix of love stories, parodies and misunderstandings. Tsui Hark considers this movie as his favourite one and we consider it as the best example of what the Tsui Hark cinema can offer.
|
|
|
Laurent Henry - top |
|
|
Chinese Odyssey 2002 (2002) |
|
|
The emperor (Chang Chen) and the princess (Faye Wong) are bored of palace life, they plan to sneak out of the palace themselves, but before they leave. The emperor is caught and unable to go, while the princess dresses up as a man and sneaks out successfully.
One day, the princess bumps into a brother (Tony Leung) and a sister (Zhao Wei), and falls in love with the brother at first sight. However as she is dressed up as a man, both the brother and the sister treat her as a handsome young man. The brother is attracted by the princess, but fears that he will become a gay, so he tries to match-make the princess with his sister, who is also attracted by the princess. Just as things become more and more complicated, the princess is caught by the spy sent from the palace and takes her back to the palace.
After the emperor finds out what has happened to the princess, he helps her to escape from the palace. Upon the meeting with the brother and the sister, the emperor falls in love with the sister at first sight, this adds to the complexity of the love triangle. Eventually, everything turns out fine, the emperor and the sister; the princess and the brother love happily ever after.
It is a Wong Kar-wai production and it is quite obvious. The mannerism, the slow-paced story, the production design, the wonderful music and a great cast (Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Faye Wong, Vicky Zhao Wei, Chan Chen…) prove that Wong Kar-wai is behind all this. But not only. Jeff Lau is the director here. Together, they are like enfants terribles of the HK cinema. The two filmmakers, good friend in life, make a lot of private jokes about Wong Kar-wai successes (Chungking Express, Happy Together, Ashes Of Time, Fallen Angels…) or Jeff Lau's tale of the Monkey King A Chinese Odyssey with Stephen Chow Sing-chi. In Chinese Odyssey 2002 there is this particular sense of non-sensical humour you'll get as well from Eagle Shooting Heroes (Dong Cheng Xi Jiu) also made by this team. It is a fine example of the Wong Kar-wai system: a day-to-day written script constituted of a succession of scenes, sometimes self-sufficient. The scenario eventually lands on its feet. The result isn't always hilarious but the beauty and the entertainment of the whole thing make it an enjoyable show. It's worth mentioning that the movie is much less intellectualised than the usual Wong Kar-wai movies and thus it's maybe a bit more accessible… But I still prefer my Wong Kar-wai art-house movie though…
|
|
|
Laurent Henry 5/8/2002 - top |
|
|
Longest Nite (1998) |
|
|
The heads of the major gangs, Kei and George fights for control of Macau's casino empire. Both gangs are weakened by the 8 month war. As their positions are being threatened, Kei and George begins to seek peace. At this time, underworld rumors surfaced about a hidden reward of $5 Million on George's head, which attracts undesirables from everywhere. Kei knows the hidden reward is a plot devised by big casino owner Mr. Hung to have him killed, thus he sends his trusted guard Sum to protect George, hoping both sides can successfully come to peace. Meanwhile, a tattooed bald stranger appears......
This is a real Hong-Kong thrilling thriller, short but condensed, without any "John Woo Touch", but finally cool, effective and entertaining. Director Patrick Yau takes us for a nite through gangster insane and calculating brains, who mess up the Macao streets. Here, you'd better not be a hitman in the gang playground. Everything is tricked, everyone is trapped, even the audience…
|
|
|
Thomas Podvin 1/3/2000 - top |
|
|
Gorgeous (1999) |
|
|
What do you look for in a Hong Kong movie? Typically, the first answer most would say is action! Well, with that in mind, a wonderful movie that came out in 1999 was overlooked by too many. Not only did it have action, it also had loads of comedy. Gorgeous, starring Jackie Chan is slick. Chan stars as a Hong Kong millionaire who meets and falls in love with a young country girl while trying to outwit his best friend and rival. Shu Qi is a wee bit young for Chan, but their chemistry and her charm can almost make you forget that and it should definitely not keep you from seeing this fun film. Tony Leung stars as your stereotypical gay guy, but he keeps the character from becoming just a joke. Of course, I mustn’t leave out the fight scenes. Chan may be getting a little long in the tooth, but he can still definitely pull it off. He’s fast, he’s exciting and he provides enough comic relief to make your "I don’t like action movies" friend see what she’s been missing out on.
|
|
|
Sarah 5/2/2003 - top |
|
|
In The Mood For Love (2000) |
|
|
Chow Mo Wan and his wife move into a building at around the same time as Su Li Zhen and her husband do. With the prolonged absence of their respective partners, they get to meet each other during mahjong sessions at their landlord's place. Not long later, they discover the love affair between their other halves, and are confused with the growing passion between themselves. (Mei-Ah)
If I could sum up In the Mood for Love in one word, I’d say "stylistic". The cinematography is so lush you feel like it was painted with every brush imaginable and then let to dry in the warm afternoon sun of Tuscany. Maggie Cheung's (as Mrs. Chan) silk costumes are so beautiful even they look painted on. Cheung and Tony Leung (as Mr. Chow) are wonderful together.
Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow, not knowing one another, move themselves and their respective spouses into apartments that are right next to each other. They often pass on their way in and out. Both are loners as their spouses are out of town on business quite often. They are neighborly to one another but not overly so until one day Mr. Chow hears that his wife has been seen with another man. Chow then invites Mrs. Chan out to dinner and they discover that their spouses have been seeing one another. How this happens is one of the twists in the movie. After that they decide to figure out what drew their spouses to one another and how it all started. You find yourself wanting them to fall in-love even as they try "not to be like them." The movie is like an old dance, slow but beautiful. It requires patience for those used to faster paced movies but is well worth it and the second time around you can see the nuances and appreciate the beauty even more. Enjoy.
|
|
|
Sarah 5/2/2002 - top |
|
|
Lost And Found (1996) |
|
|
23 year-old woman Chai Lam has been diagnosed with leukaemia and is given only a 30% chance of recovery. One day she sees a man fishing a wallet out of a garbage can. He turns out to be a Mongolia-born "lost and found" expert whose name translates into Cantonese as "That Worm." A gregarious sort, Worm (who knows nothing about Lam's condition) tackles the woman's request that he find Eurasian sailor Ted, whom she last saw four days ago. She has become interested in Ted and his home, the Scottish island of St. Kilda, which consists mostly of graveyards. When her rather cold and distant father refuses to allow her to continue working, Lam throws away her medication and decides that she would like to visit the island, which is known as "The Edge of the World." She and Worm are eventually able to track Ted down just as he is about to fly back home and take over running the family inn. Before she accepts Ted's invitation to visit him on St. Kilda, Lam helps Worm to try and grant the wish of a young girl, whose mother is in the hospital and on the verge of death.
Singer-actress Kelly Chan Wai-Lam portrays honourably a young woman suffering from a lethal disease. And, it's nice to watch Takeshi Kaneshiro acting pretty seriously, after his adventures with Mister Wong Kar-Wai. The message of the movie is to spend the remaining time of your life doing as much good as possible. A simple, clear and efficient way to direct actors makes the audience easily feel the characters and understand their desires and their motivations.
When it came out, Lost & Found was run down by critics, because of its obvious references to 1997, and to HK people mass departure abroad. However, this partial view of things is to oppose with the deep introspection of the main character, and with her example for struggle against unavoidable things of life and for her devotion to others and for ultimate hope.
|
|
|
Thomas Podvin - top |
|
|
King Of Beggars (1992) |
|
|
KungFu/comedy in which a son of a important official cheat in order to pass his exam. He and his father must beg for all their life. Many years later, being the king of beggars, he will save the emperor.
A good kungfu comedy in which we can see the technic of the sleeper (like the drunken stance in Drunken Master)
|
|
|
Jean-Louis Ogé - top |
|
|
Legend Of The Dragon (1990) |
|
|
An excellent kungfu master becomes the king of the snooker.
It is the same receipt as All for the winner, a mix of non-sensical humour, gambling, kungfu but it is less good even if it is a decent entertainment.
|
|
|
Laurent Henry - top |
|
|
Dreadnaught (1981) |
|
|
Yuen Biao is a launderer, humiliated by his friends. He has to fight a killer, insane since his wife has been killed. Fortunately, Wong Fei Hung is here.
It is the last appearance of veteran Kwan Tak Hing in the role of Wong Fei Hung, that he played for several years. The fights choreographed by Yuen Woo Ping are great as always.
|
|
|
Jean-Louis Ogé - top |
|
|
|
