The Butterfly

"Devotion to art is like a religious belief"

Hu Mei’s passion project about the nascent Beijing Opera took six years to come to fruition. Not even the studio burning down could thwart her. Enter the Forbidden City was a beautifully shot film that took time to find its footing but once the two singers began to share the spotlight, the “fascination” began.

Singer Yue Jiu is betrayed by jealous rivals and banned from the capital for life. In the same city where he is in exile, Run Sheng is facing discrimination because he is an entertainer. Back in the capital, the emperor wants to invite 100 theatrical troupes to The Forbidden City for his 80th birthday but the cost is too prohibitive (17,800 taels of silver per troupe!). If they can pay their own way, the entertainers are welcome to come. Princess Feng attends Run Sheng’s shows and has taken an interest in him as a patron and as a woman. The troupe’s travel plans run into a financial snag until they are offered what they need to appear before the emperor, but for a dangerous tradeoff.

Hu Mei’s movie was lush and color saturated. The costumes were elegant and she often filmed on location which added a realism to the setting. Emotional music swelled in the background, a nice break from the actors’ singing performances. All of these things contributed to a well-made film which was pleasing to soak in. Where the film lapsed for me was the first third of the film. Jiu was the initial character shown so he imprinted on me. After he was quickly kicked out of the capital, the film focused on Run Sheng and the abuse the troupe members took from the locals. This left me wondering what happened to Jiu and where the film was going. Run Sheng’s elopement gobbled up much of the running time and had very little to do with the overall story development except to give him more depth and appear unstable. I also have a complaint that was completely out of Hu Mei’s hands---the official subtitles were white and miniscule. They were difficult, sometimes impossible, to read and a real eyestrain.

The strength of this film lay in showing how the actors worked and practiced. Ma Yi Li as Princess Feng added a feminine element even when she was dressed as a man. She wasn’t strictly fangirling, she had precious tips for the overconfident Run Sheng. Jiu’s complete commitment to his craft bordered on obsession and inspired Run Sheng. Fu Da Long was exceptional as Yue Jiu, whose every movement was graceful and specifically designed. Ma Yi Li is fast becoming a favorite with her striking screen presence, she balanced the princess’ strength and vulnerability with ease.

Enter the Forbidden City was inspired by real stories and events and a treat for the eyes. Though not my culture or history, I enjoyed learning about some of the history of early Beijing Opera. It was also one of the rare times an emperor wasn’t portrayed as a monster or a complete idiot which was refreshing. Please don’t tell me if he was a monster and/or idiot in real life. ^^

27 August 2024
7.25

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"Do you have a warranty?"

If you are in the mood for something super quirky that looks like it was made on a shoestring budget, search no further, Haruko’s Paranormal Laboratory is here to serve your quirky needs. It felt like writer/director Lisa Takeba brainstormed as many strange things as she could and then strung them all together in a surreal story.

Haruko is an odd little duck who has always desperately wanted to have a paranormal adventure. She’s been begging for a UFO to visit her for years especially after her brother was taken up in one. She complains about every show on her 1953 television set. Unseen to her a counter flips over a number for every complaint and curse word she utters. When it hits 10,000 her television turns into a man with a tv on his head and a super dong for other activities. They quickly become sex buddies. After a while he tires of being a house boyfriend doing all the domestic activities and goes out to find a job. Fortunately for him, he speaks 12 languages and lands a couple of teaching jobs on TV and the radio. Haruko works with a sex crazed woman turned “artistic” arsonist. Her next-door neighbor makes sex art out of veggies. The most dedicated TV licenser on the planet makes sure she pays her fees whether the television works like a normal one or becomes a man. There’s an “artistic” masked coin bandit and a Friday the 13th Jason cosplayer who follows her around. She also finds out some kinky news about her father and mother.

I’m sure there was some deeper message and social commentary on feeling socially alienated, the boredom of working a meaningless job, being unable to make your real passion make money (tea stain art?), and only being able to find true love with a television set, but it was a little hard to strain out with all the bizarre paranormal and abnormal people wandering around. If you ever wondered what an R rated Pee Wee Herman’s Playhouse made in Japan might be like, this would come close. Where else could you see a drugged-up television set have a dance-off with a camera?

22 August 2024

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"You didn't capture me, I came looking for you!"

Directed by Kao Pao Shu and written by prolific writer Ni Kuang, The Jade Fox had non-stop action and all sorts of crisscross double cross action. There was also a female villain with a tricked-out war chair. And it wouldn’t be an old school kung fu flick without a secret map!

(I’m just going to use the actors’ names for most characters as there are different names floating around). Kao Pao Shu is plotting to take over the kingdom with the help of a secret map. Her main bodyguard is Lo Lieh. Tien “Roc” Peng/The Jade Fox steals the map from her courier. Kao has Lo Lieh deliver an “invitation” at the end of a sword for Nick Cheung Lik to come to Fairy Land. Doris Lung is Lik’s fiancée and she tears up the Jade Fox’s House of Pleasure looking for his pal Lik. In the process of cleaning out the place with her kung fu, she meets the Jade Fox’s other friend, Iron Hand/Eddy Ko and a young prostitute’s son called “Come Again” who was trained in martial arts by a monkey! Whew! Oh, and the Jade Fox’s ex-lover who works for Kao is ordered to bring him to the villainess.

The story bounces around and bodies begin dropping by the dozens as the Jade Fox attempts to track down the head villainess with the aid of Come Again, Doris Lung, and Eddy Ko. Jacky Chen who played an ill-fated hero who unfortunately discovered the deadly traps hidden in Kao Pao Shu’s chair and livery was one of the martial arts directors. He and Chen Mu Chuan had their hands full designing fight choreography for several actors who were not accomplished martial artists. For the most part they succeeded, keeping in mind this was before all the CGI, slow-mo wizardry done now. One of the best and most brutal fights was at the end between two “good” characters. I enjoyed Doris Lung and Eddy Ko’s performances and fight scenes more than I thought I would. Roc Tien wasn’t too wooden and the child character wasn’t overly annoying. Solid wins in this genre.

The story bordered on convoluted but the cast mostly pulled it off when compared to other low budget Taiwanese kung fu films from the time. The biggest detriment to this film was that it needs to be restored. It was quite blurry and zoomed in too much. The only copies I could find were dubbed and the sound wasn’t always great. There were also advertisements showing it was for sale in South Africa during two different scenes in the movie. These later issues were not the fault of the filmmaker so I had to strain all of the distracting later problems out as best I could. My score is probably a little high, even when grading on a curve, but I really enjoyed the bonkers fights at the end as all of the hidden identities and schemes were revealed. As usual, this is only for people who enjoy old kung fu movies, they are definitely a niche genre.

20 August 2024

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Electric Shadows was a love letter to Chinese cinema as the main characters built their lives around movies. The film jumped around in time showing how two people’s lives intertwined and were destined to meet just like in the movies.

Mao Da Bing is a water delivery boy and in a rush on his bike to make a movie’s showing. He accidentally knocks over some bricks and a young woman clocks him upside the head with a brick and then destroys his bike. At the police station she hands him her keys and tells him to feed her fish by writing on a piece of paper. When he enters her apartment, he sees that it is an ode to film and especially Street Angel with actress Xiao Xuan. He finds her diary and begins to read about her life and how she ended up where she is. As he reads her story, Da Bing also discovers they share a childhood connection.

The flashbacks to Ling Ling and Da Bing’s childhood were sweet and an innocent exploration of friendship and films. Before and after this segment was not as entertaining and contained one too many melodramatic and coincidental moments for me. As a cinephile I can understand the children’s love of film and the role it played before television took over. What I didn’t understand were some of the mom’s inconsistent decisions later in the story. Another mystery for me is what kind of job did Ling Ling have to be able to outfit her apartment like a mini-cinema? Da Bing could barely afford to go to the movies as an adult. They suffered similar situations and Ling Ling’s was compounded by hearing loss.

As much as I wanted to love this film about loving films, outside of the children’s story, the film suffered from too many coincidences and underdeveloped character elements. However, if you can overlook some of those flaws there is still much to be enjoyed in this film about childhood friendship, family, and reconciliation aided by the numerous clips of old Chinese films.

19 August 2024

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"Once you join a family, you have to pitch in, right?"

Voice of Silence was an amalgam of different genres with results as mixed as the narrative moods. Shots of bucolic farm land and cornflower blue skies camouflaged empty buildings hiding dark, deadly secrets. The acting and cinematography were excellent, I just can’t say that I thoroughly enjoyed what was supposed to be a heartwarming story of a child in jeopardy.

Chang Bok and Kim Tae In both have physical disabilities. Chang Bok walks with a significant limp and Tae In is mute. They live amongst beautiful farmland in peasant shacks selling chicken eggs at the market. In their spare time they clean up crime scenes for a gang. They know where all the bodies are buried because they buried them. Things go sidewise when their boss tells them to take care of a little girl who has been kidnapped. Because the kidnappers accidentally grabbed Cho Hee instead of her brother, the father has been haggling with them, unwilling to pay much for her. Tae In takes her home to his small squalid place he shares with his little sister. Cho Hee befriends Moon Ju and helps to civilize the almost feral girl. Chang Bok takes Cho Hee on their jobs and the child scarcely bats an eye at the bloody business. The more her father holds out the more danger the little girl is in even from her well-meaning caretakers.

It felt like I was supposed to become invested in Tae In and Cho Hee’s relationship as the two seemed to bond. In truth, the only characters I cared about were Cho Hee and Moon Ju. Chang Bok and Tae In may have cared about her to a degree but were also willing to hand her over to child/organ traffickers. Unlike church going Chang Bok, Tae In’s moral compass began to point toward protecting Cho Hee. Yet Tae In was still a criminal. When a police officer investigated Tae In’s property, I was hoping she would find the girl, she certainly didn’t deserve what happened to her.

The most fascinating character to me was Cho Hee. What kind of family did she come from that burying a body and bloody scenes didn’t affect her? The film never told us. At every crisis she processed the information and pinned a placid expression on her face. Regardless of any sympathy she felt toward Tae In she was smart enough to realize how precarious her situation was with the two inept criminals surrounded by sharks. Her family might have been reluctant to have her returned but her fate was a terrible end the longer she stayed where she was.

I’m quite sensitive to child in jeopardy films and despite Tae In having a good heart working at a bad job, Cho Hee was in danger. "Once you join a family, you have to pitch in, right?" Just because they made the child an honorary family member while she was a prisoner didn’t mean that what was planned for her was any less heinous. It didn’t help that the film ended as if the writers ran out of paper when typing out the script and decided they’d gone far enough. Open endings are my least favorite and always feel lazy to me like the writer didn’t want to commit to an ending for fear of angering some part of the audience.

Voice of Silence did not fit neatly into any category. Was it a crime drama? There were plenty of bodies. A comedy? Maybe, I laughed once. Social Commentary? The two inept criminals did seem to be forced to work for the gang due to financial hardships in the rural area. Strange Criminal Slice of Life Buddy film? Probably the closest fit. Mostly, the message that came across was that one day you’re hanging someone on a meat hook, the next day it might be you.

16 August 2024

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"In front of your eyes"

Director Naomi Kawase reflected on different women who were True Mothers in this sensitively told story about adoptive and birth mothers. She also showed how some mothers are mothers in name only while others who have no children of their own nurture those in their care with compassion.

Satoko and Kiyokazu find they are unable to conceive a child. When they see a service that connects mothers who can’t raise their child with mothers who want to raise a child, they contact Baby Baton. Hikari is a 14-year-old girl who becomes pregnant and discovers the fact one week too late to have an abortion. Her embarrassed and enraged mother sends her to Baby Baton to keep the news secret. Satoko and Hikari are destined to be connected in the past and future as their decisions change their lives.

Kawase had a solid story to tell, but it oftentimes drifted off into side stories or came across almost like a documentary told in non-linear style. The viewer followed Satoko and Kiyokazu as they traversed the emotionally and physically demanding road of infertility treatments and then through the arduous path to adoption. Teenaged Hikari went from being in love to being pregnant and emotionally abandoned by everyone she cared about. Kawase’s attention to detail was her strength and weakness. While gaining insight into the different people involved was important, I didn’t need to know everything that happened to every character in order to feel emotionally connected to them. At nearly 2 ½ hours, some of the more disparate stories could have been more judiciously edited.

The primary actors did a fine job. Iura Arata as the loving husband conveyed Kiyokazu’s grief at being unable to father a child. Kiyokazu’s raw drunken confession to a shocked friend revealed the depth of his despair. He was the lone male in this melodrama aside from Hiraki’s boyfriend who walked away without any consequences. But this film truly belonged to the women. Nagasaku Hiromi brought Satoko’s desire to have a child, protective maternal instincts, and generosity to life. Mikita Aju had the difficult task of playing Hikari from innocent teenager in love, to bearing the consequences alone not only before childbirth but afterwards as well. Her performance felt honest as the girl who wore the “In front of your eyes” T-shirt and feared being erased. I would have liked her story even more if Hiraki would have verbally shared how she felt about the pain of giving up the child she wanted as she aged and her feelings of desertion when her own mother so easily gave her up. Lastly, Asada Miyoko shined as the childless director of Baby Baton who nurtured the girls from different walks of life at her idyllic facility. Her compassion made a perfect contrast to Hikari’s cold mother demonstrating that being a mother doesn’t require a common DNA.

I wasn’t a fan of the overly blown out photography Kawase used. The continued bright gauzy effect began to strain my eyes. Normally, shots of architecture or natural scenery appeal to me, but many of her transition shots looked awkward and disconnected from the story instead of symbolic. I enjoyed the film's concept and acting, but the almost documentary style for much of the film sterilized the feelings it might have evoked otherwise. Despite my reservations this was a thoughtful meditation on the different expressions of motherhood. The topics and characters were broached in a respectful and empathetic manner that highlighted the sacrifices and dedication parenthood entails.

15 August 2024

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"We're just like everybody else"

37 Seconds was billed as a sexual liberation story for a young woman with cerebral palsy. While the film acknowledged that Yuma had desires like any other woman, for a film often set in the red-light district it was surprisingly chaste. This was a coming of age film as Yuma sought to break free from her mother's control and explore the world that couldn't see her as a real woman.

Twenty-three-year-old Yuma leads an insular and highly controlled life. She works as a manga artist for her friend, Sayaka. What the world doesn’t know is that Sayaka can’t draw or write stories, Yuma does it all. Sayaka merely plays the part on YouTube and keeps Yuma a well-guarded secret. At home, her mother cares for and treats her like a child refusing to let her have long hair, use makeup, or wear dresses. When Yuma attempts to sell a manga idea she’s told to stop copying Sayaka’s work and be unique. She ends up at an erotica manga publication. The editor likes her work but tells her she needs some sexual experience to understand what they want. Yuma starts breaking free from her mother and Sayaka when she meets sex worker Mai and her assistant Toshi on a trip to the red-light district. Her new friends encourage her to explore what she likes and not be afraid to try new experiences. Advice her mother will absolutely not agree with.

This film was decidedly aided by hiring Kayama Mei, a woman who has cerebral palsy, instead of an actress mimicking what she thinks CP looks like. Kayama with her delicate voice showed Yuma's resolve as she fought to live her life for herself. Yuma wanted to be seen and heard, something her mother was afraid of. A gifted artist she was closeted away by her “friend.” The film bestowed Yuma with enormously helpful new friends which may not have been realistic but they provided her a gateway to independence. There were a couple of adult moments if you are sensitive to such subjects, when Yuma attempted to hire a sex worker and later when she and Mai visited a sex toy shop. Films about people with handicaps can be condescending and patronizing. 37 Seconds managed to avoid those pitfalls. Soft spoken Yuma demonstrated to herself and others that she was strong and despite her physical limitations, she was just like everyone else. Her transformation as she gained confidence was beautiful to watch. I loved Mai’s words to her, “You’ve taken a big step. Better not f*ck it up.” Of course, most of do on occasion whatever our life circumstances.

Yuma made friends, carved out a professional path for herself, gained independence, and even had an adventure to Thailand. She learned that sometimes you need to know where you’ve been in order to figure out where you want to go. 37 Seconds can be gone in an instant or its effects can last a lifetime. The memory of this tender, unique coming of age film will linger far longer than the title.

13 August 2024

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"They'll tire of it, they're just women"

Cart was loosely based on the 2007 E-Land strike that went on for 510 days. Workers were striking against the corporation abusing irregular workers, not promoting them to regular work, not paying for overtime and most egregiously, a whole sale firing of workers for cheaper alternatives and to avoid promoting workers under the Irregular Employment Protection Act of 2006. Most of the irregular workers were women over the age of 30. Cart focused on women fighting not only for their jobs but their dignity and fair pay.

Han Sun Hee was close to being promoted to regular employee at the store after five long years. With a husband who traveled to find construction work, a teenage son and young daughter, her income was vital to the family. Lee Hye Mi was a single mother of a little boy and needed the job but refused to work unpaid overtime. One day everyone received a text message stating their contracts would no longer be honored. Hye Mi and older cleaner Kang Sun Rye gathered everyone to form a union and asked Sun Hee to help them lead it. Management refused to meet with the women, viewing them as “whining” and that there was nothing to worry about because, “They’ll tire of it. They’re just women.” Upper management couldn’t see what the problem was because the low pay was considered “pocket change” to them. The women were viewed as disposable and less than human. When the workers went on strike, the company played hardball utilizing brutal enforcers and police riot squads.

Cart had a strong cast. Yeom Jung Ah and Moon Jung Hee as cashiers, labor leaders, and Unnies gave heartfelt performances. Kim Kang Woo as assistant manager and labor leader Dong Jun added the one positive male portrayal. The story seemed unfocused at times and when an older lady told a speaker to put what he was saying in simple language, I repeated, “What she said!” Because I wasn’t familiar with the abusive working conditions and E-Land strike I ended up hitting Wikipedia to fill in the gaps. There were also events the writer failed to explain exactly what happened and it could feel like pieces of story were taped together with no connective material.

In my own country I’ve seen how people fighting to be seen, to be treated fairly, and paid fairly can run up against the wall of political or corporate bureaucracy. Goliath has the money and resources for long, drawn out fights. In the film, the women not only had to face a huge corporation, they failed to garner public support even after jackbooted enforcers pummeled them and tore down their encampments. Large corporations often have an easier time gaining the ear of reporters than disgruntled ahjummas. But when the chips are down, my money will always be on the fierceness of ahjummas, especially ahjummas willing to battle for 510 days to secure better and more fair employment.

7 August 2024

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The price of loneliness

Aloners is a film written and directed by Hong Sung Eun, the only full-length film she’s done thus far. Which is disappointing because I quite liked her take on the price of loneliness and would love to see what else she has to offer. This film followed a young woman unable to reach past her own defenses to connect with anyone around her, further pushing her deeper inside herself.

Jin Ah works at a credit card call center where she has to daily deal with rude customers and a frustrated time traveler. She lives alone. Eats alone. Smokes alone. Rides the bus alone. At a job where the employees have been zombified by the mind-numbing monotony, she works alone. Her relentless routine is challenged when she’s ordered to train Su Jin, the bubbly new employee. Su Jin has moved from her hometown to work in the bigger city and has no friends or family, leaving her alone. The only family Jin Ah has is her estranged father who had abandoned their family and swindled her as well. Jin Ah’s equally reclusive neighbor is found a week after he died buried under a fallen wall of magazines in his apartment. Suddenly and achingly, Jin Ah is forced to face her solitary existence.

Gong Seung Yeon perfectly captured Jin Ah’s tightly wound personality walking through her life where every day was just the same. Jin Ah was a prisoner in a castle, surrounded by a crocodile infested moat, a prison she had created herself. Earphones ever present to ward off any potential human contact, her only companions were her phone and television. A new neighbor asked, “Do you make a habit of being pissed off all the time?” And that was the key to Jin Ah, she wasn’t just an introvert, she was a tight ball of repressed anger and pain. Each new hit cracked away at her immaculately structured defenses

Being alone is something everyone faces at one time or another, chronic loneliness is a silent destructive force and the pain of it was palpable with the characters in this film. Director Hong slowly and subtly showed varying viewpoints on how people deal with loss and grief and the importance of human connection to help heal those wounds. If you are a fan of slow, slice of life films this might be one to try.

1 Aug 2024

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"I like cleanliness, and I have a strong sense of duty"

Magistrate of the Floating World aka The Magistrate Who Dresses Informally was an entertaining made for TV movie with an overly complicated plot. The best thing about it? Nakadai Tatsuya and his beautiful crazy eyes having a good time in a more comedic role for a change.

After three magistrates break down and quit or attempt seppuku in one year, the powers that be in Edo decide that they have run out of options and must send the eccentric Mochizuki Koheita to clean a town up. Mochizuki sends a spy ahead to tell people that he is better at “having fun” than his skills as a samurai are. In reality, he actually is a remorseless womanizer, but also a master with the sword. He never checks in with the magistrate’s office, much to the consternation of the official and scribe working there. Instead, he makes himself at home in Horisoto, the den of iniquity openly run by “samurai losers” and clandestinely by high-ranking officials who make a tidy profit on the illegal activities. The spies, corruption, traitors, and temptations make Mochizuki’s job challenging, but the laid-back magistrate takes it all in stride.

The story was based on a book which might explain the large number of characters and intrigues. Ninety minutes was scarcely time to do many of the stories and characters justice. Nakadai was the focal point as he sauntered about unarmed for most of the movie, making friends as he drank, gambled, and slept his way to discovering who was the power behind the criminal enterprise. The office duo’s continued annoyance at his unexplained absence also provided some levity as they cluelessly complained while Mochizuki quietly cleaned up the deeply imbedded criminal element.

Magistrate of the Floating World was directed by Okamoto Kihachi, who directed many big screen films. With the star power of Nakadai Tatsuya it did feel at times like something grander than a TV special though something from the 1960’s. The large number of characters briefly introduced and used even when integral to the story could make it hard to keep up with who was important and who was irrelevant. Having said all that, I did enjoy it as a Nakadai fan. If you like old samurai movies or Nakadai Tatsuya in particular, this is something to give a try.

17 July 2024

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"A tiger's daughter is no kitten indeed"

Lady Detective Shadow was a low budget Dragon Gate Inn adjacent movie. The fights, story, and sets were the equivalent of a mediocre Cdrama. What it did have going for it was a competent female lead, a former royal constable, ousted by an evil, powerful eunuch during the chaotic times of the Ming Dynasty.

Sima Fei Yan and her sidekick Yezi head to Shacheng in search of the bandit Lu Jiang. Lu Jiang and numerous sects and bandits are headed there in search of the mysterious treasure that reveals itself every 49 years in the desert. Everyone converges on a rundown inn where death is a familiar guest. Official Song and his servants wind up in pieces out in the woods giving Fei Yan another case to solve. Helping her is the local official, Wu Ping, a friend of her late father.

This film had an adequate story and acting though the logic during the final quarter of the film fell apart. The fights were shot for people with no kung fu skills with lots of obvious cuts, sped up and slowed down action, and wire work. The bare minimum was put into the sets and CGI. Shang Rong did her best with the Sherlockian, unemotional role of the brilliant detective.

If you have nothing else to watch except for this film, it’s not an awful way to spend 90 minutes if you keep your expectations as low as a buried city in the desert.

15 July 2024

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"No one can beat me"

Dorian “Flash Legs” Tan and Don Wong teamed up to take on an evil counterfeiter in Hot, Cool, and Vicious. This Taiwanese kung fu flick surpassed my expectations, albeit they were very low to begin with. Not gifted with the budget of a Shaw Brothers production, director Lee Tso Nam and martial arts director Gam Ming made the most of what they had, namely Dorian Tan’s excellent kicks.

Capt. (Northern Leg) Lu takes care of the law and order in a village run by Mayor Yuen. When Yuen’s son commits a murder the two men clash. Southern Fist Pai Yu Ching, a known killer, arrives in town with his buddy Tieh and begins working for Yuen. Newly arrived Miss Lee and her uncle bear a grudge against Lu. Before long everyone seems to be trying to hire Pai to kill Lu.

There were no secret lists or manuals, but there were plenty of hidden identities and subterfuge. The plot led to the fights nicely. Gam Ming’s choreography utilized the cast’s abilities and those with lesser abilities well. Speaking of Gam Ming (aka Tommy Lee), he showed up in the final act as the dangerous golden haired albino fighter. Dorian’s kicks are always a joy to watch and the choreography showed them off splendidly. There was a modicum of wire-fu when characters did some high jumping but it was kept to a minimum. Sun Chia Lin even got in on the fighting. Most of the action was fairly fast though there were some glaring misses. The final fight was worth the price of admission.

Dorian Tan and Don Wong made for a fun dynamic duo as they took on Gam Ming and a host of minions led by Phillip Ko Fei, Li Chiang, and Lung Fong. If you enjoy old kung fu movies, especially the low budget Taiwanese flicks, this is one to try.

10 July 2024

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"Your kung fu is good but you can't stop bullets"

Deadly Confrontation was a below average Taiwanese kung fu flick with low wattage star power. Chia Ling, Lo Lieh, and Yueh Hua had top billing but the actual leads in the movie were Liang Hsiu Shen and Pai Ying.

Mah returns home after three years in jail. He had been framed by his enemy Sung Teng Wai, the local warlord. While he was away his girl married Sung’s son. Hot headed Mah has nothing but revenge on his mind. Sung has no intention of letting Mah live long enough to reach that goal. Chow Sun arrives in town looking for a job and after beating most of Sung’s men is put in charge of the casino. Mah and his friends find themselves up against formidable forces, especially when it turns out Sung is also processing opium on the side!

Everything about this film was below average with a less than charismatic cast. Liang and Pai were adequate but didn’t command attention. Chia Ling had very little to do and was finally rewarded with one fight. Lo Lieh popped in to fight with Pai Ying. Finally, Yueh Hua showed up near the end of the film as another bad guy. The fights were okay. Guns were also used, something I don’t care for in martial arts films. The editing was abysmal. People who were about to be killed showed up later without a scratch on them. I don’t count off for cropped edges and wear and tear on the film, but it could be distracting. Typical of Taiwanese films from this era, much of the fighting took place out in nature.

This kind of film is the hardest to write a review on because it was so bland and poorly put together. Deadly Confrontations was far from the worst old kung fu film I’ve watched but far from the best as well.

27 June 2024

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Who's your daddy? Or brother? Or lover?

One Fine Day boasted a fine cast and one of the messiest plots I’ve seen. Starring Gong Yoo, Namkoong Min, Lee Yun Hee, and Sung Yoo Ri, the writers didn’t have to do much to develop a story interesting enough to showcase their young cast’s talents but decided instead to make the story as ridiculous and melodramatic as possible.

I usually give a brief synopsis of the drama so that my review makes some sense but this story will give you emotional whiplash with the way it starts and drops story threads and then completely changes them. Geon and Ha Neul are stepsiblings-no blood relation-who have been separated for 15 years. Tae Won and Ha Neul/Hye Won are siblings via adoption. Geon just wants to be her brother or so he says. Tae Won is a creepy incestuous molester. Gang Dong Ha is Ha Neul’s boss at the aquarium where she works and he is also in love with her. Hyo Ju is the girl Geon grew up with after his parents died and his dad’s driver took him to live in Australia. Hyo has a heart condition and is cuckoo, obsessively in love with Geon. Geon may or may not be reconnecting with Ha Neul because her adoptive family has money and Hyo Ju needs an expensive surgery. Ha Neul’s adoptive father may hold the key to what happened to Geon’s father.

Gong Yoo, when he wasn’t having to play the yelling possessive brother, gave a strong performance. Namkoong Min was entertaining as the charming boss with a past. I couldn’t help but root for him. Both men sported their BoF style haircuts before BoF came out. Sung Yoo Ri only had to display three emotions-surprised, sad, and “where did I leave my wallet?” Nothing any deeper as Ha Neul had no lasting emotional trauma from being molested. This was prime time for wrist grabbing in dramas. This girl was yanked from pillar to post throughout the drama. They even pulled off the complex double wrist grab. In one scene I saw bruises on her arms, no surprise where those came from. I’m not a fan of the wrist grab, I find it a dominant move that is degrading.

Hyo Ju will go down as one of the most selfish, manipulative characters in drama history. Lee Yun Hee did a good job of making me loathe her character. Yoo Ha Joon was excellent as the creepy, incestuous brother who had a scene with his dad that the drama The Heirs lifted straight from. And Jung Dong Hwan who would later play the wealthy lemon sucking dad in The Heirs played the wealthy lemon sucking dad here. The drama couldn’t decide whether to make him a villain or sympathetic. No sympathy from me, he knew his son was creeping on Ha Neul/Hye Won and did nothing about it.

The biggest problem with this drama was that it had no commitment and follow-through. The plot was overly complex and never fully explained. I kept waiting for the big flashback to show exactly what happened from the guilty party’s viewpoint, but it never happened. Geon prepaid for Hyo Ju’s surgery in Australia but she refused to have it when he left to find his sister. That money was still available, so why the proposed scam on Ha Neul’s family? Geon made some inexplicable decisions near the end of the drama, that truly made no sense. Even his motives toward Ha Neul took most of the drama to come to the surface. He and his found family brother went to work for Ha Neul’s adoptive father, but were never at work. Ha Neul worked at the aquarium but was hardly ever there except to mope in front of the fish so that Gang could comfort her. Her adoptive family was seriously twisted but she kept going back to them to act like a good daughter.

There’s a lot to unload with this drama, mainly because people’s motivations changed from minute to minute. Also, the secrets they knew changed which completely overrode their prior actions. There were plot holes big enough for a fleet of Mack trucks to drive through. One Fine Day was like a rollercoaster ride with no seatbelts. I was able to hang with the story and get some enjoyment out of it for most of the drama until the last few episodes when they completely ran that ride off the rails. If you like to watch pretty people and/or pretty fish, have a very flexible neck for when the ride changes directions, you could try this drama, but I suggest giving the Tilt-a-Whirl a chance instead.

26 June 2024

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"Oh how lovely, oh how sweet"

Pieces of Memories was a whimsical and touching look at how memories shape our perception of life. Ku Hye Sun perhaps best known for playing Jan Di in Boys Over Flowers wrote and directed this short film. I read she also wrote the music for the haunting song that played throughout the film.

The film begins with an older man lamenting that his future is uncertain. He has tried to conduct his life, but found that not everything could be controlled. As he sits down at the piano, a portrait comes to life to direct the music and memories displayed. Time rewinds and his life is shown through his years at the keyboard.

What comforts us in difficult times and as our life draws to a close are the cherished memories of loved ones. While we cannot control much of what happens in life, we can control how we frame those thoughts. Love lives on and the sweetness of it enriches the moments that pass and heals the losses we suffer.

Ku’s music was both melancholy and uplifting, much like this short film. It reminded us that even when we haven’t visited our memories for some time, they are still waiting on us like old friends. This short film was an inspiration to live life to the fullest and to take every opportunity to make sweet memories.

“Our moments together
Days we share together
Now melt down in my teary eyes
Hurting, dampening, distancing
O how lovely, O how sweet
My immortal love that you are”

19 June 2024

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