늑대의 유혹; Temptation of Wolves: Tear-Jerker...Maybe a little too much?

Director Kim Tae Goon's 2004 novel adaptation Temptation of Wolves (starring hotshot Jo Han Seon) is a witty jumble of different types of love and violence in modern South Korea. This movie is what I would call a pretty pretty love story.

Jung Han-kyeong is a country girl, and after her father's death, she comes to Seoul to live with her mother. However, her life in Seoul is a series of mental and physical shocks. Seeing Han-kyeong's pitiable and adorable nature, Hae-Won, the most popular guy in school, falls for her.
The leader of Sung-Kwon High is named Jung Tae-sung (Kang Dong-won), and he, too, has feelings for Han-kyeong. Despite his adorable face, Tae-sung has strong fists. Tae-sung has a secret, one that forces him to love Han-kyeong in spite of himself, and Han-kyeong, ignorant of this, tries to do her best to be gentle with both of them. Eventually, Han-kyeong and Hae-won learn of Tae-sung's secret. (summary adapted from Wikipedia)

I think that if the director meant for this to be a simple, old-fashioned Korean romance, than he has done his job. The male leads are absolute heartthrobs with a cool, gangster attitude, and Han-kyeong is innocent and charming. The slightly complex issues of romance, family-love, and even tough bromance makes this film different from other romance films. It makes the movie watcher reflect and make connections to their own lives. Wolves is fundamentally a tragedy, and there was a lot of crying. But after a while, the tears drowned me in a state of boredom...the crying is supposed to make the movie watcher feel sadder. Somehow, the way Tae Goon's arrangement of the sad scenes weren't as tear-jerking as I liked it. Also, the portrayal of the female 'protagonist' really annoyed me -- she as pure white skin, is really short, leans physically and emotionally on the two men, cries a lot, and always looks down at the ground as if ashamed -- how more sexist and extremely feminine can you make her, Tae Goon?! Of course, the males are violent, frowning, remote, and really tall. Therefore, although the film did make me emotional, I give it a just-above-average 3.8/5 stars, because it is one feeling when one is watching the film, but it is a whole other feeling when one is reflecting a while after the film ended.

Here is a critic's comments:

 It’s refreshing to see Han Kyeong resemble a normal Korean girl, one the audience can relate too. While Hae Won reflects the modern day “Prince Charming” minus the aura of coolness, stubbornness, and ignorant distinctiveness. Making girls swoon once again is Tae-song, adding more complication to the plot and the movie falls directly under the category of audience knowing the answers before the protagonist does. The Love triangle between Tae Song, Hae-won and Han Kyung would have classified it as a teenage romance flick, but the complications between the characters gives the story more depth. (http://kmovieaddictsreviews.blogspot.com/2006/10/temptation-of-wolves.html)

A generally great love story, minus the hints of sexism and partial unoriginality (but no one has a completely 'original' romance out yet. Do watch!!!

Next week, an educational, inspirational Japanese movie.

停车, Parking; An In Depth View of a Problematic Social Structure

Did I mention awesome cover...and great soundtrack music??

Parking (2008), a thought provoking movie by director Chung Mong-Hong and starred by the renowned Chang Chen, is the first movie that deserves my five out of five stars rating. It is a beautiful story that perfectly mixes simple emotions/characteristics like love, kindness, humor, and sympathy with the complicated darkness of Chinese/Taiwanese social and government structures. Very creepy, yet heartwarming.

On Mother’s Day, Chen-Mo (Chang Chen) a kind yet niave man, plans a dinner date with his wife (Kwai Lun-mei), trying to improve their near-disastrous relationship. As he buys a gorgeous cake, a car blocks his parking space. Up until midnight, Chen-Mo searches for the owner of the car, encountering a wierd events and eccentric people: an old couple who lost their only son; a one-armed barbershop owner with an interesting past; a mainland Chinese prostitute trying to escape her pimp’s cruel clutches; and a plump Hong-Kong tailor beaten by underground loan sharks. This is the kind of story where different segments of different characters' lives come together to create a big picture for Chen-Mo, one that he learns a lesson from.

I am not usually a fan of Taiwanese films, because they are too slow, too superficial, and too 'cute' for my liking, but wow this one is a mind-blower. This film gives me a whole new sense of being. Worth a watch, but not for the really light-hearted movie-goer.

Here are some reviews:

As with most Taiwanese productions, Parking is never in any great hurry to tell its story, and lets events unfurl at a leisurely pace, however first-time writer-director-cinematographer Chung Mong-Hong remains in careful control throughout. The script is darkly comic, with the audience guiltily sucked in by the escalating schadenfreude that drives the narrative forward. Those familiar with this type of narrative, essentially Orpheus with bubble tea, will realize that only the dawn can hope to bring salvation for Chen Mo, and until then he may very well be taken to hell and back and forced to face demons long buried beneath a routine of mundane complacency. Chung’s cinematography effectively simulates Chen Mo’s mounting sleep deprivation, slowly creating a soft-focused, dream-like atmosphere as events become increasingly other-worldly.  -- http://www.bcmagazine.net/

Swinging delicately between offbeat comedy, gangster thriller and arthouse melodrama, Parking is a kaleidoscopic little film that never ceases to fascinate with its inspired originality – not to mention its enchanting score, crisp editing and dazzling cinematography. -- http://www.timeout.com.hk/


Wonderful, out-of-expectation production. Best I have seen of Chang Chen yet. This Weds, get ready for a Korean romantic movie!

李小龙, 我的兄弟, Bruce Lee, My Brother: A Twist on Chinese Superhero -- A Good Twist or Bad?

Bruce Lee, My Brother is an interesting new film released on Thanksgiving 2010 in Hong Kong by directors
Manfred Wong, and Wai Man Yip. The main actor is Aarif Rahman (Wang Lee Hom look alike!! *sigh*).




Okay, a little background on Bruce Lee for anyone out there who is curious:



Born Lee Jun Fan, on November 27, 1940, in San Francisco, California. His father, a Hong Kong opera singer, moved with his wife and three children to the United States in 1939; his fourth child, a son, was born while he was on tour in San Francisco. Bruce studied dance, once winning a cha-cha competition. As a teenager, he became a member of a Hong Kong street gang, and in 1953 began studying kung-fu to sharpen his fighting skills. In 1959, after Lee got into trouble with the police for fighting, his mother sent him back to the U.S. to live with family friends outside Seattle, Washington.
He got a job teaching the Wing Chun style of martial arts that he had learned in Hong Kong to his fellow students and others. Through his teaching, Lee met Linda Emery, whom he married in 1964. By that time, Lee had opened his own martial arts school in Seattle.
Lee gained a measure of celebrity with his role in the television series The Green Hornet, which aired from 1966 to 1967, while his most notable role came in the 1969 film Marlowe, starring James Garner. Confronted with the dearth of meaty roles and the prevalence of stereotypes regarding actors of Asian heritage, Lee left Los Angeles for Hong Kong in 1971, with his wife and two children (Brandon, born in 1965, and Shannon, born in 1967).


End of history lesson. Onto the film!

Bruce Lee, My Brother is an 'eh' sort of film. The positive side to this film is the quirky, cute humour that Rahman depicts very well and the bittersweet inspiration near the end of the film. This movie is less action (like I expected) and more to do with Lee's family and younger life in Hong Kong, so the point of view from which Wong and Yip directed it is relatively original. As BeyondHollywood.com says, "What 'Bruce Lee, My Brother' lacks in the action department, it somewhat makes up for it in other areas...“My Brother” is more palatable as an easy-going coming-of-age drama, at least when it’s not masquerading as the true story of a famous person. The film boasts some impressive production values, and there is a very real sense of adoration for the film’s ’60s setting by the filmmakers." However, Bruce Lee is a martial arts actor, yet the film doesn't have a decent martial arts/ karate choreography? What is this? Also, the film is shot in choppy time intervals -- you haven't gotten a gist of the scene yet, and bam, it is ten years later, little Bruce is already 20 years old. It is interesting how quite a few Asian historical films (Great Revival, anyone?) has this weird problem. At many times in My Brother, I got lost with where the film was roughly going. That was a bit annoying. JapanCinema.com says, "The casting is great, and although the pace and the story telling is uneven in many parts, it tends to inhibit a pretty big, strong wave of positive momentum. Sadly, the fight scenes weren’t up to par. The main reason for my beef with the fighting is it is all visually appealing, yet, it never really shows the techniques of the famous wing chun system. I felt this is important to elaborate upon when dealing with a Bruce Lee biopic. Yes, this is the same wing chun at Ip Man’s school, and it’s during this section of the film where events portrayed can seem too dramatic to have been true. That aside, no effort was spared in the attention to detail in sets and costumes. Bruce Lee, My Brother is a movie with great packaging but contains nothing of real, lasting substance on the inside." I guess it is up to the viewer, and what you want to get out of the film...if it is good action, then maybe switch to Ip Man and Ip Man II.

IMDB rates this movie 6.6/10 stars -- I am with IMDB this time with 3.5/5 stars, aka 'average'. Nevertheless, worth a watch. Pretty inspiring.

This weekend, let's review a Taiwanese black comedy!

마이 블랙 미니드레스; My Black Mini Dress: Beautiful and Extremely Fun

Korean film My Black Mini Dress was directed by Heo In-moo (허인무) on March 23, 2011. It is a film about the lives of four friends coming right out of college to 'real' life; through 24 years old characters, this movie presents the real stories of young women in South Korea.

In the beginning of the movie, I thought it was another superficial Korean drama about love, cute couples, and physical fun with alot of pretty teenage girls partying their lives away. However, after one scene with a depressed protagonist crying without out her makeup, I was greatly sobered and I immediately started getting into the story. I love the unconventional plot! Such modern uniqueness, such wonderful creativity. For once this year, I was moved in several scenes. And the newest actress I have fallen in love with is Cha Ye-ryeon (차예련). She looks smart and sophisticated, captivating me at first sight. Her character is all that I personally wish to be.

Here is what a critic said:
 'MBMD' is so humorous and fun, that it would be almost impossible for young women to keep their eyes away from the screen, and they will at least nod once in agreement to the concerns that the four women face.
But it also has some lacking areas for men to sympathize with. It makes you wonder if the rich man Suk Woo (Lee Yong Woo), who's life mission is simply to hunt women and Soo Hwan (Lee Chun Hee), a loser who has just entered the society, are too dichotomized.
And it may also lose some sympathy from men because the movie doesn't allow the clubbing and brand name crazed women to be labeled as 'Dwen Jang Nyus (brand name items/expensive lifestyle crazed girls)'.

http://yooneunhye.net/forums/topic/my-black-mini-dress-movie-review

There you go, 4 out of 5 stars. Everything is perfect except for the strong hints of Sex and the City (*shivers*). Give it a try; maybe you'll find your first fave Korean star too. Great for watching with girlfriends and the family (maybe, maybe not the kids). The film is a wonderful mix of the sad and the happy, the funny and the serious.

Okay, see you on Wednesday for a review on a Chinese martial arts movie.

借りぐらしのアリエッティ, Arrietty the Borrower: A Magical, Inspirational Experience



Best way for foreigner's the watch an Asian film: ORIGINAL language and subtitles!



Arrietty The Borrower is a film based on Mary Norton’s fantasy novel The Borrowers,  by Hiromasa Yonebayashi. It was released in July 2010, and after it made Animation of the Year, has become a classic in Japan.

The story is a simple one, a romance between a sick, lonely boy (Sho) from the city with a ‘miniature’ girl (Arrietty) living with her family, the Borrowers, who borrow things from giant ‘human beans’, underneath his grandmother’s grandiloquent home (maybe the Borrower’s are all just the lonely boy’s desperate fantasy?). The plot is full of action and emotion, enough to get me hovering on the edge of my seat. Beyond the twisting plot, Yonebayashi’s art was also simply breathtaking. The two most lovely artistic things are the girl’s intricate little house decorated with little trinkets the family ‘borrowed’ and also – strange as this may seem – the weird way Yonebayashi creates tears: instead of creating to translucent lines as most manga drawers do, he makes them almost bubbly, as if containing all the sadness inside each drop…

At the end, it gave me inspiration to be as courageous and caring as the main protagonist, Arrietty. Also, the way the miniature family treated such a small thing like a leaf or a cube of sugar so preciously (“This could last us a whole year!” says Arrietty’s fretty mother) makes me think, “Wow, I should appreciate these small things!” Of course, their home gave me a big urge to redecorate my own shabby room.

Here are some things critics have said:

1. Studio Glibi has done it again. Arietty, inspired by the Borrowers novels of Mary Norton, is an incomparably beautiful story which effortlessly draws the viewer into a rarified world where a bay leaf makes a decent raincoat and cockroaches are the size of Shetland ponies. Delicate, thoughtful and visually unmatched by almost anything we can think of. (IMBD.com)

2. From the opening shot we are treated to the warmth, vibrancy and detail which has made many people across the world and of all ages fall in love with Studio Ghibli’s releases. (http://www.frontrowreviews.co.uk/)

Oh, another plus: the gorgeous music!!

I shall give this manga movie 4 out of 5 stars. The star taken off is for the (somewhat) unoriginality of the plot – prince and princess, classic love story – although the details were pretty imaginative. Followers, please watch, please watch! It’ll be a great experience, especially with the whole family. 

Alright! Time for a new Chinese comedy this Saturday; don't wanna miss that!

建党伟业，Beginning of the Great Revival：Too many stars, too little history



now why isn't Wang Li Hong on the cover?! *outraged*

 Beginning of the Great Revival is a movie by Sanping Han/Jianxing Huang celebrating the 90th anniversary of the great revival of the communist party in China, and it came out June 11, 2011 in Hangzhou, China. In order to fully understand and review this film, we must try to let go the conceptions most of us hold on the idea of communism and just look at the film as objectively as we can.

It sucked.

I mean, I actually am not against the 'propanganda' purposes of this film -- I think one should judge a film from a clean slate -- just the lense of whether the director did a good job on portraying the emotions that he/she wanted to portray.

Many pro-communism Chinese people hate the movie too:

“一个极为严肃，令人动容，影响几乎百年历史发展轨迹的题材，居然能被演绎成明星化、娱乐化，、时尚化的流行影剧..."
【多维新闻】本文网址：http://blog.dwnews.com/post-140396.html

Roughly translated as: "Such a serious, moving history that have for a hundred years affected China's progress and people, was actually downplayed to a star-oriented, entertainment-oriented, pop (culture)-oriented blockbuster film..."

：“导演黄建新完全是电影剪辑的小学生，此片故事之庞大，人物线索之多，完全就是一部五十集电视剧的容量，将一部五十集的电视剧压缩成一百三十分钟，可见其人物、故事被挖得有多空。”

【多维新闻】本文网址：http://blog.dwnews.com/post-140396.html

Roughly translated as: "Director Jianxing Huang is totally like a simple student; the history this movie talks about is enormous, and should be covered through a 50 series TV series. This movie shrinks that to a 130 minute fastfoward; you can imagine how empty the content has been shrunken to."

Every three minutes, a star appears, and everyone points and gasps. All Chinese stars have been squeezed into this film, including Liuye as Chairman Mao (who acted horribly), Aloys as Enlai Zhou, pop-singer-that-I-don't-know Han Geng as Xiaoping Deng, and pop-singer-and-my-only-pop-idol-in-this-world Leehom Wang as Jialun Luo (he appeared for a total of 2 minutes as the rebel student...T.T). In total there are more than 20 internationally renowned actors. This overflow of famous actors of course downplays the depth of historical understanding people can learn from the film, and after a while, the constant 'oh my gosh its fill-in-the-blank from blah-blah-movie!' gets old. It was after that where I started asking, "why am I watching this?" At the end, I felt like there was no 收获 -- anything that I got out of the film that inspired me or even informed me about the history.

All in all, I officially on this blog give this Chinese film 2 out of 5 stars. The 2 stars are for the great performances of some of the actors during some of the 130 minutes (aka not a lot of boredom). Despite the huge paragraphs of criticism above, this movie was somewhat ok (not great failure).

I do encourage my followers to watch it though; it is not worth missing out on, especially for non-Chinese followers. It is a great way to understand basics of Chinese history.

Thanks for reading, make some comments, and give me suggestions @ wanghui138138@gmail.com!

This Thursday, we'll be having a post on an exciting Japanese manga classic from the Glibi Collections. G'nite!