The Butterfly

"Like a velvet chair in a dusty saloon...square peg, round hole, a runaway with nowhere to go"

Every once in a while, you come across a hidden gem. Yellow Rose was just such a gem, a little independent film directed by Diane Paragas and starring theater actress Eva Noblezada. This film was a story of coming of age, social commentary, young love, heartache, familial love, and resiliency all rolled up in a song. Noblezada’s acting and singing were a revelation.

Rose Garcia and her mom live in the rundown Texas motel where her mom works. Rose’s room is dedicated to the worship of country music right down to her Dolly Parton candle. Strumming her deceased dad’s guitar she creates and sings songs, a vital inner sanctuary where she can pour out her feelings. What Rose doesn’t know is that her mom has not been able to resolve their legal status and they are on ICE’s radar (Immigration & Customs Enforcement). After going to a Texas dancehall with a friend to hear aged country singer Dale Watson perform, Rose returns home, only to be devastated as she watches her mother being arrested by ICE. Her friend Elliott helps her flee which sets Rose on the path to seeking a safe place to stay.

Yellow Rose alternated between heartbreaking scenes and uplifting heartfelt scenes. Noblezada had true screen presence. I found her performance captivating as she displayed Rose’s vulnerability and resiliency. She sang several poignant songs with a clear and ethereal voice. Dale Watson played himself as a hard drinking faded singer who still had a fire in his soul for music---even if it was at a chicken bingo event. Filipina actress Princess Punzalan had the integral role of Rose’s mother, Priscilla. Lea Salonga who starred in Miss Saigon and was the singing voice for at least two Disney princesses played Rose’s Aunt Gail who had made painful compromises on her road to assimilation.

Rose was dubbed Yellow Rose at a school talent show by the other kids when she sang a country song. The name was a play on the state song of Texas and undoubtedly with racist undertones. This seventeen-year-old braved loving a music genre often associated with whiteness. People of color are not always welcomed into the club even though their contributions have been around for decades. (Thank you, Beyoncé, for helping to also set the record straight!) Despite the struggles she and her mother dealt with and a possible future without her mother by her side, Texas was the only home she knew. Rose was willing to stay and fight for her dream regardless of having to walk the path alone.

This film didn’t only focus on immigration concerns, though Priscilla’s time in detention was dehumanizing. Dale helped Rose to trust herself and use her experiences to energize her creativity. There was also the push-pull of Rose seeking more independence from her conservative mother. Little did she know she’d be thrown into the deep end of the pool when her mother was arrested.

Paragas found a way to balance Rose’s love of country music and the dangers of living as an undocumented worker. While she showed the heartache of a family being split up, she never chose to go full melodrama. In the same way that the people living without citizenship in the country were humanized, so were the citizens who sheltered Rose. The latter must have been difficult to write as dangerous as the rhetoric is and the political climate in some areas for illegal immigrants. Paragas managed to avoid the white savior trope as well. Even with assistance from newly made friends, Rose’s persistence, talent, and capableness were what propelled her to keep moving forward whatever the future might hold. The writing for Yellow Rose may have been oversimplified in places, but what this film wasn't lacking was heart.

“I won’t go quietly into the night,
And I’ll sing till the light of day”

27 July 2024

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"Life is so hard"

The Old Town Girls was a film that wasn’t sure what it wanted to be or maybe it wasn’t what I wanted it to be. The film was inspired by a true story, though I don’t know which of the unsavory real events made it to the screen. Three girls with absentee parents, living in a dying town, had their lives turned upside-down when Shui Qing’s mother came back into her life after seventeen years. Darkness lurked beneath the shining yellow façade Qu Ting hid behind which would affect everyone adversely.

Shu Qing’s dad spends much of his time working at the local factory. Her stepmom resents her presence which leaves Shu Qing alone much of the time. One day Qu Ting returns to Shu Qing’s life in a flash, driving a yellow car, wearing yellow clothes, and bright red lipstick in contrast to the drab world her daughter inhabits. Shu Qing is so desperate for a parent’s love and attention that she quickly forges a bond between them, willing to do anything her mother asks. Shu Qing’s friend Jin Xi is well to do, but lives alone most of the time while her parents travel for work. The third friend, Ma YueYue, has lived with a wealthy couple for years while her father worked elsewhere. When he returns, he dominates her life and physically abuses her. Qu Ting brings a great deal of energy and controversy to the friends as well as death when her past catches up with her.

Director Shen Wu started the film at the end and then went back a few days to show the actions leading up to the tragic consequences. I wish she hadn’t as it took much of the suspense out of the ripped from the headlines events. The criminal part of the story felt heavy-handed and clumsy. The strength of the story centered around the three girls desperate for attention and love. I would like to have seen their backgrounds more fully developed, including the mother’s. The economy had a direct effect on the parental absences which created insecurities in the teenagers. All three girls felt trapped in their unhappy homes. The flamboyant mother’s arrival shook them up and took a toll on the friendships. This could have been an engaging coming of age and friendship film, but it disintegrated into a tragic crime committed by a desperate daughter compelled to save her mother and keep her in her life. The mother’s life was the sum total of her repeated mistakes and bad decisions which came to define her daughter’s life as well. The Girls of Old Town was an entertaining watch although the ending felt out of touch with the rest of the film. If you are in the mood for a dark, melancholy film designed to make you feel uneasy, this might be the ticket.

18 June 2024

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"I had no regrets until I met you"

Happy Together was a haunting, gut-wrenching look at love and loneliness with stellar performances by the main cast. Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Leslie Cheung played an on again, off again couple who were often lonelier when they were together than when they were apart.

Ho Po Wing and Lai Yiu Fai have traveled from Hong Kong to Argentina. On a trip to see the Iguazu Falls they become hopelessly lost and Ho breaks up with Lai and not for the first time. Lai finds work as a club doorman while Ho starts turning tricks to make a living. As Lai watches Ho with other men, a deep sorrow and homesickness overtakes him. He doesn’t want to inevitably “start over” as they usually do, he wants to go home to Hong Kong. He needs to make enough money first. When Ho is beaten by one of his clients, Lai lets him in and takes care of him, but refuses to sleep with him. At a new job, Lai makes friends with Chang, a young man from Taipei, which causes friction between the two lovers.

Ho and Lai were in a “can’t live with him, can’t live without him” dynamic. Ho had a reckless streak that Lai tried to tame, but would cause Ho to chafe at the constraints. Every scene was filled with raw emotions-longing, agony, passion, and despair. While Leslie Cheung gave a wonderful performance as the erratic Ho, it was Tony Leung who captivated me with his. I’ve seen Tony in numerous films, but this was the best performance of his I’ve seen so far. He has never had a problem with the too cool for school vibe, but in this film, he tore through emotions left and right without going over the top. It was impossible to not empathize with Lai when the heartache and misery were visibly eating away at him. In a scene where Ho taught him how to dance, the desire not just for this man, but also a longing for something more, something unattainable was quite moving.

A young Chang Chen as Chang Wan brought a breath of soothing air into Lai’s life. The friendship was easy and a reminder of home. Chang had a tender scene as he tucked a sorrowful, intoxicated Lai into bed. Their friendship was a lifeline for the floundering Lai. When Chang left Buenos Aires, Lai was truly adrift and found that “lonely people are all the same.” Lai became more convinced he did not want to ever “start again” with Ho, regardless of his deep feelings for him. Ho was like the prodigal son who had to occasionally self-destruct knowing that Lai would always be there for him in some capacity.

This film had Wong Kar Wai’s trademark palette of greens, yellows, and reds along with scenes in black and white. There is no denying his aesthetic gift, but sometimes I don’t connect with the story he’s telling. Happy Together connected everything for me. The plot was thin, almost non-existent, as these men struggled to make a living and struggled to alleviate their desire to return home and to somehow survive their complex disparities. I thoroughly enjoyed the varied music, which ranged from Tango Apasionado to fittingly enough, Happy Together originally by The Turtles. The songs flowed naturally through the film as stark emotions ebbed and rose.

Happy Together’s unflinching exploration of a tempestuous relationship was hard to watch at times, but impossible to look away from. Tony Leung peeled back his stunning façade and poured out an impressive array of emotions both nuanced and heartbreakingly real. Much like the Iguazu Falls, Ho and Lai’s bond was powerful, chaotic, captivating, murky, and completely unforgettable.

8 May 2024

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"There are times when the right choice is not always the moral choice"

Tokyo Vice Season 2 started off where S1 ended with characters’ lives in jeopardy or completely snuffed out. With Tozawa in the wind, the drama took the time to explore other crimes in Tokyo and the private lives of the journalists. When the Dark Lord of the Underworld returned with a diabolical strategy to own Japan, the heroes would be put to the test. While not as taut as the previous season, S2 was still engaging.

Due to serious threats against them, Jake and Katagiri are forced to lie low. Ishida draws Sato closer into his confidence after the attacks from S1 even as he makes a returning yakuza his second in command. When Sato’s brother is courted by the new Oyabun it leads a reluctant Sato on the path he had never wanted but cannot seem to escape. Samantha mourns the loss of her friend as she opens her new club. Having the yakuza for a business partner begins to take its toll. Things at the newspaper are going smoothly until Tozawa returns and our intrepid gang of journalists and police officers discover that neither the newspaper nor the police department are willing to take on the Dark Lord of the Underworld. When all seems lost an unexpected ally arises to bring help when they need it. The good guys will have to dirty their hands and cross lines that can’t be uncrossed if they want to bring Tozawa down.

The first few episodes took some readjustments in expectations after the powerful ending of S1. Having been credibly threatened by Tozawa, both Jake and Katagiri had to keep their investigations under the radar and focus on pursuing other stories and cases. The drama became more episodic procedural until Tozawa returned and upended everyone’s lives. The private lives of the journalists were explored which will be hit or miss determined by your interest in that angle. Even though little time had passed Jake was less titchy and agitated yet still arrogant enough to believe he was always right. His position at the paper seemed well established. Sam’s behavior was more empathetic for a girl on the hustle. Unchanged, Katagiri was a rock and the guy you wanted in your corner and not as your enemy. After the break in trust from the last season, Jake earned it back, with Katagiri stepping into a sensei or surrogate father role to the brash journalist. The two adrenaline junkies were dogged in their desire to expose Tozawa’s sinister plot. Emi came into her full power as she defied her supervisor in pursuing the risky stories. Her love life seemed to suspiciously follow Sarah's from Love Actually. Most of the sexism and racism from the first season were gone in the second. The rigid system of invisible rules and alliances stayed in place. Katagiri, Jake, and Emi would all make decisions to bring about justice that would have consequences.

Like Jake and Katagiri, I was impatient for Tozawa’s return. The malevolent yakuza drove the action in season 1 and in season 2 as well. When he was off-screen the characters were treading water unaware that the great white shark was biding his time, lulling them into a false sense of security before striking again. I enjoyed the growth in different characters as they were all propelled toward the culmination of deeds and revenge. There were lapses in continuity and logic when the heroes were in deep water swimming with the sharks. Despite those lapses, Tokyo Vice served up a deliciously satisfying ending.

4 April 2024

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"There's always a cause that results in consequence"

An Ancient Love Song may have been a low budget, shorter Cdrama, but longer, more expensive Cdramas could learn a lesson or two from it. The story was written well and the writers believed in the old adage, “Give them what they need, not what they want.”

Shen Bu Yan is on a book tour touting his most recent title which covers the Demon Queen during the Nine Kingdom era. After an argument with his editor, he encounters an old woman selling trinkets to tie to an ancient wishing tree. He spots a broken jade pendant he’d seen in a dream the night before. Back at home his editor tells him he’s required to write a trilogy despite not having any more research for such books. A drop of blood touches the pendant from a nosebleed and he finds himself at the Great Sheng Palace in ye olden times. The Demon Queen is expecting him and the game is on.

I don’t know how this drama passed the censors and the “no time travel” edict, maybe Shen Bu Yan’s jade pendant dazzled them or there was enough standard warfare propaganda to appease them. Whatever the reason, I’m grateful. I’ve never seen Zhang Ya Qin in a lead role before and thought she played Lu Yuan well regardless of the character’s age. She brought Lu Yuan's patient love for Shen Bu Yan to life as well as Lu's determination to do the right thing. And a definite plus, she was no shrinking violet in a fight. Guo Jia Nan as Shen went from hapless fish out of water to strategist just as believably. The two had a nice chemistry despite the characters’ brief interludes throughout the story as each was traveling in different directions. I admire the writers for bringing the drama to a logical end, as logical as time travel dramas can be. Although no one seemed to be concerned about the Butterfly Effect.

Though not a big budget drama An Ancient Love Song was impossible for me to stop watching once I started. It took only the first episode to realize, one’s life and heart was set in “drive” and the other’s was in “reverse”. Forever in each other’s minds yet never quite together, it was a heart wrenching ride as they attempted to save each other and the kingdom, always hoping the next glimpse of the other would be forever.

3 April 2024

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"Eat, drink, man, woman, food and sex-basic human desires"

Eat Drink Man Woman is a film by Ang Lee that I’ve watched before and wanted to revisit. I liked it even better this time than I did the first, maybe it is an acquired taste. Food, family, love, loss, and secrets made for a tasty feast to sit down to.

Mr. Chu is a widowed chef who has lost his sense of taste. He has three daughters who live with him. Each lives their lives separately except for when they sit down to the elaborate Sunday meals he prepares. One by one they face challenges, and find new love or new paths to take.

The food preparation was sumptuous. Chicken, pork, fish, a variety of seafood, hot pot, all made not only to taste with the mouth but with the eyes as well. No one would have to cook for a week with the Sunday dinners the father served. The daughters didn’t eat that much and there were enormous quantities of food leftover. Much of the food was also shared with the eldest daughter’s divorced friend and child. Mr. Chu would also pack culinary delights for the child to take to school for her lunches making her very popular with her classmates. The middle daughter loved to cook like her father, but had been banished from the restaurant kitchen so that she would find a proper job. While she excelled at her position with an airline, her passion was making the dishes she’d seen her father so thoughtfully prepare.

Everyone cared about the other yet had lost the capacity to communicate freely. Only when things began to be shaken up and the status quo was flipped over and scattered did father and daughters begin to reach out again. Sometimes a pot can be simmering quietly on the stove and is only noticed when it boils over. The dish isn’t ruined if someone attends to it lovingly. Everyone in the Chu family had to discover what made them happy, what helped them be who they wanted to be. Sometimes that exploration led to loss before it led to gain. If you enjoy watching elaborate meals being prepared as well as father-daughter, and sisterly relationships being explored, this quirky family drama is seasoned to near perfection.

21 February 2024

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"You helped me find my ladder"

From birth to death, we all have the need for food in common. Tampopo put a weird twist on the food genre by combining it with a Western, with the emphasis on weird. The film’s main course was the search for the perfect bowl of ramen. The side dishes ran the gamut from heartwarming to sexual food fetishes. When the character in the opening scene breaks the fourth wall, hold onto your popcorn because you are in for a wild ride.

On a dark and stormy night, two truck drivers ride into town looking for a place to eat. Goro wears a cowboy hat and his trusty young sidekick loves ramen so they stop at small shop. Tampopo is a widow with no experience cooking ramen and it showed. Goro and Gun give her advice on her ramen and before long are helping her to improve. Team Ramen begins to expand to include a homeless ob/gyn, a chauffeur, and a drunken contractor. And this is the most normal story in the film.

Just when you think it couldn’t get any weirder, director Itami Juzo says, “Hold my Heineken.” Like tag team wrestling, a passerby will be tagged in and their story of food begins. Professional and international dinner etiquette, con artists, fetishes, first times, and last times all pop in and out with circle wipes. Tampopo delves into the connections we have with food and dining. How much do we savor and pay attention to what we eat? How memories and food are tied together in a family. There were some scenes with the 18+ food fetish couple that I would rather not have seen but for the most part the vignettes were PG, kooky, and entertaining. When the last breaths of a character were for a wild boar intestines recipe you know the director is hard core about food. While I found myself invested in one of the romances, the true love of the film was for food.

Tampopo will not be for everyone, nor will all the stories in it. I enjoyed Team Ramen as they explored the world of ramen, experimenting, failing, improving, and building a comradery. Some of the vignettes were more humorous than others, but overall, I found it quirky and entertaining. As someone who grew up watching westerns with my dad, I fully expected one character to shout out, “Come back Shane!” at the end of the film. If you are in the mood for something different, grab a snack, and settle in for a film dedicated to food in the many ways we celebrate it.

7 February 2024

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Bleak look at dating and love in Hong Kong

Everyone in Hong Kong West Side Stories was looking for love or to get an itch scratched and they didn’t care if they had to lie, cheat, or kill to make it happen. Six vignettes over 12 short episodes focused on different characters though there was some overlapping. These stories were from a decidedly male point of view filtered through the Black Mirror.

The first 3 episodes featured two unlikeable men. Both received exactly what they deserved. Episode 4 was my favorite and even though it took a rather bleak, monetary look at dating, at least the couple was engaging. Episode 5 was about perception and sex in a public place. Warning--this drama has several scenes with people having sex or talking about it graphically. Episodes 6 and 7 caught me by surprise, falling under “be careful what you wish for.” Episode 8 focused on scams and a young man who was willing to work(out) for the possibility of love. 9 had a trippy twist to it. A virgin in episode 10 misconstrued messages and missent one as well. 11 and 12 gave new meaning to sibling rivalry with utterly vile behavior.

Women tended to be shown in a mercenary light or as bright as a 10-watt bulb. There were a couple of intelligent women but they were anomalies. There weren’t many episodes where a woman’s role extended beyond being in a man’s sexual crosshairs. The men couldn’t understand why they were alone or the good women didn’t want them. Um, cheating, lying, being obsessed with porn, strange or obsessive behavior or not being able to look a woman in her eyes because their gaze traveled further down. There was a “comedic” twist in one vignette that crossed the line where a woman’s consent is concerned. Despite being well made, too often instead of hoping for a happy ending for these characters I was completely revolted by them. Nearly everyone was screwing, being screwed over or screwing someone else over.

Many of the characters faced the problems of not making enough money to either pay rent or buy an apartment, much less a car. They often worked long hours with little reward. Lonely and desperate they sought out companionship in one form or another whether it was looking for love or looking to score. Friendships were as rare as healthy romantic relationships.

Hong Kong West Side Stories offered a few intriguing stories with disquieting twists. If you are in need of a feel good drama, this is not it. I found the majority of stories to be dark and depressing with people constantly self-sabotaging themselves. Though described as a dark comedy there wasn’t much to laugh about.

28 January 2024

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Worth the trip

Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong was a short, sweet romantic stroll through scenic Hong Kong. If Before Sunrise (1995) was made by the Hong Kong Board of Tourism this is what you might get.

Ruby is a Chinese American visiting Hong Kong on business who needs help finding her friends one evening in the bustling city. Josh, an American ex-pat, overhears her problem and offers to show her the way. He’s in finance but wants to be a novelist and she designs popular talking toys but wants to own a boutique for designer clothes. The two click as they walk and talk, the only problem being he has a girlfriend. A year later, they unexpectedly meet again on a ferry. Once again, they spend an evening walking and talking. This time she’s attached to someone else as well.

Josh’s girlfriend doesn’t understand his American pop culture comments while Ruby’s sassy comments go right over her boyfriend’s head. Free spirit Ruby is in a highly structured relationship while Josh’s girlfriend is too afraid to tell her parents that she’s been dating a white guy for two years. The evening walks cause each to reevaluate their current relationships. Josh and Ruby are attracted to each other on physical and intellectual levels. This doesn’t mean they are perfectly made for each other. He loves Hong Kong, exploring and learning about his surroundings and the people while Ruby tolerates it and can’t wait to go home.

Bryan Greenberg was perfect as laidback Josh who enjoyed the beauty and entertainment of Hong Kong. Jamie Chung radiated energy as Ruby cut through the subterfuge with her lightning wit. I did not envy her walking around the city in her high heels though. Richard Ng made a brief appearance as a fortune teller whose bird did most of the work. The real star of the film was Hong Kong’s nightlife with colorful lights and streets filled with people. The couple traveled on foot, by bus, cab, ferry, and escalator. The two were drenched in the hues of golden lamplight and the technicolor of neon lights, spurred on by the verve of the city and their burgeoning feelings for each other.

"When are you ever 100% sure about anything?"
Unlike Before Sunrise, I enjoyed the casual conversations Josh and Ruby engaged in. Flirty and honest (ultimately), they sounded like two people getting to know each other and finding the familiar rhythm of a kindred soul. They weren’t callous adulterers, they were two people walking and talking who over the course of two evenings, set a year apart, began to understand that their conversations were leading to deeper feelings for each other. More importantly, their time together shed light on serious issues in their current relationships. What did they want to do?

For people unfamiliar with Hong Kong, like myself, the strength of this movie was the gorgeous tour of the city. Josh and Ruby may have decided to be together tomorrow in Hong Kong or for her to return to yesterday in Los Angeles. Either way we’ll have the memory of two beautiful nights in a fascinating place.

19 January 2024

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"The evening sun shined on us like a freshly picked orange in the sky"

Orange Days brought out the sweet and sour times for five students in their final year at university. This coming-of-age drama explored friendships, hardships, romance, and finding their place in the world. I watched Orange Days during its 20th anniversary year and its stories of life and love still hold up even if the technology and styles were dated.

Kai, Shohei, and Keita are friends at university. Kai and Shohei are still trying to figure out what they want to do when they graduate while Keita knows his future is in his family’s wedding business. One day Kai comes across a young woman, Sae, playing the violin and his world is turned upside down. Sae and her friend Akane are slowly integrated into the group, eventually called the Orange Group which has its own spiral notebook in the lounge for the members to write down their thoughts for each other.

I was pleasantly surprised that the male lead, Kai, was a nice guy. Too often in older dramas, the MLs were cold alphas. Sae was the cold and volatile character in this story. A musical prodigy and on her way to fame and fortune she lost her hearing which caused her to close her heart off. Shohei was the player of the group, but Akane quickly sussed out that he had a heart of gold under his sarcastic exterior. Poor Keita ended up being the fifth wheel, unlucky in love but still supporting the others.

True to life at university, the characters were struggling to figure out who they were and where they were going. Having a degree and knowing exactly what to do with it are often two different things. And much like in real life, the lovers often made mistakes, sometimes stupid ones as they discovered what made each other tick and what ticked each other off. The group began to learn sign language so that Sae would not feel left out. If there was anything that didn’t feel realistic it was that a lot of people became fluent in sign language quickly when it would be like learning a foreign spoken language. Sae's desire to cling to her gift of music provided for numerous violin and piano solos along with the classical background music which I greatly enjoyed. The drama didn’t shy away from showing how her disability affected her skill sets.

Tsumabuki Satoshi gave a gentle performance as Kai with the porcupine hair who wanted to be a handrail for people to help them up and be their best selves. Shibasaki Ko had the more difficult role of Sae, conveying all of her complex emotions without saying a word. I tried to not give up on Sae. She could occasionally come across as a temperamental toddler, her volatile moods swaying back and forth. Her character growth was slow and as often happens she took a dramatic step backward in the last episode which was nearly the breaking point for me. For the most part, Kai would call her on her selfish actions and cruel words.

Orange Days highlighted the time in life when the bonds of friendship were vibrant and love could be elusive, rapturous, and excruciating. The group attempted to squeeze all of the joy and meaning they could out of their days, knowing that they were on the cusp of adulthood. If I could change anything it would have been Sae’s impulsive and self-protective decisions in the last episodes. But as in real life, change is hard and takes time and most people will slide back into old behaviors before making lasting transformations. Watching these young people face their unknown futures with hope and enthusiasm was addictive and comforting, well worth trying out.

9 January 2024

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"At the Louvre I saw the Black"

Kishibe Rohan takes his supernatural ability to read people like a book on the road to Paris. At the Louvre he will confront a relentless evil residing in a hidden painting. The story jumps back and forth in time with much of the story told in the past. Fair warning: If you have arachnophobia you will want to avoid this film at all costs.

Rohan is working on a new manga and after remembering a story about the blackest of blacks, so black it doesn’t reflect light and is in essence invisible, decides to hunt a painting down that uses the rare pigment. Death and spiders follow the path that takes him to an auction for a painting and then to the Louvre in search of the original.

The cinematography ranged from gauzy and ethereal, to elegant, to dark and foreboding. Discordant notes and chords accompanied the creepier facets of the film. The supernatural elements of Rohan’s gift and the cursed painting were well done, especially for someone who has neither read the manga nor watched the drama.

Takahashi Issei can always be counted on to give a layered performance even when wearing a headband designed for a manga character. He actually played two characters, giving them both separate personalities ranging from light to absolute darkness. Marie Iitoyo as Rohan’s editor seemed out of place with her childlike acting. Kimura Fumino matched the mood of the film as the haunted Nanase. The Louvre could almost be counted as a cast member with its lovely exhibits, own complex history, and gloomy, forgotten vaults.

The film felt like it might have been better served as a two-episode drama due to all of the backstories which took up a substantial amount of time. Both of the trips to the past felt overly long. Not having the compelling Issei on the screen also took away from the forward momentum of the story. Overall, it was a strange, creepy (crawly!) movie that did manage to integrate the past and the present connections to the sinister painting lurking in the shadowy corners of the Louvre.

10/25/23

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"The deliveryman has become takeout!"

Sandra Ng directed and starred in the silly ghost story Goldbuster. It’s rare for a woman to have the chance to direct and Sandra acquitted herself nicely with this film about an eclectic group of tenants being forced out of their homes so that the apartments could be demolished by an immoral land developer.

The rundown Prestige Garden Apartments are down to its last seven tenants-two fugitive gangsters, a widower and his son, two bankrupt inventors, and an erotic web cam girl. When they grow tired of being haunted by a ghost, they call in a ghostbuster. With the arrival of bargain basement Ling, the ghostly comedic antics begin in earnest.

The tenants were a mixed bag of odd characters. One of the gangsters, Ming, played by Francis Ng, believed he was a cop and often postured himself like Crockett from Miami Vice. The other gangster, Ren, had a girlfriend who required a bike pump to stay inflated. Wang Bao Jian, an acupuncturist, suffered from the guilt of being unable to save his wife. His son hadn’t spoken since his mother died. Wang didn’t want to leave the building hoping her spirit would come to visit. Ping, the erotic webcam girl, enjoyed living in the nearly empty complex. The ghostly visitations had the added benefit of increasing the visitors to her site. No one in the building knew if the inventors Jin San and Ju Hua were working on their next invention or were in actuality drug dealers. Two of Boss Xu’s men were under orders to dress like ghosts and scare the tenants out of the building. When the brassy swindler Ling walked in she made more objects disappear into her pockets than exorcising ghosts.

Things I learned: 1-People who cheat small money are swindlers, and those who make it big are businessmen. 2. You can go to hell for photoshopping. 3. There’s always room for one more needle in acupuncture.

Sandra Ng created an elaborate swindle comedy involving ghosts, zombies and a hellish underworld. She even threw in a Thriller re-enactment. The comedy in this was over-the-top at times but never devolved into the overt mugging cross-eyed at the camera some comedies relied on. I’m not a huge fan of Hong Kong comedies but I laughed out loud in several places. The glue that held this story together were the tenants and the family they had created from a diverse group of good-hearted weirdos. Goldbuster could be obvious and erratic and lacking in subtlety, but it could also be warm and funny at the same time. Sandra Ng could be proud of her directorial debut, it may not have been eek-tastic but I really hope it wasn’t a dead end for her directorial career.

10/17/23

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Who knew Yetis love sashimi?

If you ever thought, “What would a movie be like if you moved King Kong from a tropical island to a frozen mountain top?”, Snow Monster attempts to answer that question. The movie felt like an old Toho monster movie only with slightly better CGI and monster costumes.

In 2045 a van carrying scientists travels through the mountains on the North Pole. I really hope that was a translation error or else there had been some cataclysmic tectonic shifts. Lead scientist Xiao Qin’s instruments showed high magnetic readings and a geothermal hot spot under the van. The scientists believed that high magnetism could result in strange genetic mutations. As if to prove them right, a gigantic hand erupted from the snow causing the van to plummet over a cliff.

Professor Lin asks Xiao’s ex-boyfriend, Ren Yi Fei, to help them find her and he joins the team made up of mostly soldiers. Inside an ancient set of ruins in what looks like a jungle, the team discovers a tunnel filled with centuries old artifacts, skeletons…and deadly prehistoric birds. The men avoid becoming human bird food when they find the exit while being chased by the creepy birds and land outside, in the same location where the lost crew disappeared. The “rescue” crew is confronted with a snow shark (Jaws 5: Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back Skiing), the Yeti, an avalanche, and a tribe of snow elves. Lucky for Ren, the snow elves are friends with the gentle, humorous Yeti. The real danger is a friend who isn’t what he seems to be and his betrayals lead to multiple deaths.

Snow Monster's script was all over the place and most of it did not make sense. I guess they figured if people would watch a movie about a skyscraper tall snow monster, it didn’t matter if the rest was nigh on incomprehensible. There seemed to be a message about leaving endangered people and animals alone, but it was pretty thin. The snow elves’ costumes revealed too much skin for people who lived in eternal winter. Maybe the magnetic field had mutated them in such a way that they were impervious to frostbite and hypothermia. The “science” in this movie was ludicrous and I have no idea what kind of geographical map the writers used, but it wasn’t for this planet. The acting and CGI were serviceable, nothing special. Norman Chui was the only actor I recognized and I’m always happy to see him even for the brief minutes he was on screen.

In order to enjoy this movie on any level you have to have developed a high tolerance for men in monster suits and be able to laugh at the absurdity of giant snow sharks. As is often the case, the humans were the biggest monsters in the movie. The Snow Monster was a sweet fluffy Bumble, as long as you didn’t interrupt him while he was eating his sashimi dinner.

10/7/23

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"The time to decide was looming"

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs showcased Takamine Hideko's acting range as Yashiro Keiko, a bar hostess who had come to a crossroads in her life. Elegant with a backbone of steel, Keiko struggled endlessly to do the right thing when doing the morally gray thing could deliver her dream of buying her own bar far quicker. Director Naruse never took it easy on his characters and Keiko was no exception, watching her courageously face setbacks with a concentrated determination was highly compelling.

"I hated climbing those stairs more than anything."

Keiko worked upstairs in a bar that catered to businessman entertaining their clients. The men liked having a pretty woman or two around as they made their deals. Because she was a widow in her 30's the younger hostesses and even the patrons called her Mama. Keiko and the bar manager (charismatic Nakadai Tatsuya) also dealt with the business side of collecting from the companies and businessmen who owed on their tabs. Keiko hated her job, but needed the money as she also provided for her mother and adult brother and young nephew. She had three choices to better her life—get married, buy her own bar, or find a patron to help supplement her lifestyle. At her age, she didn't think the first one was a possibility. Buying a bar required more cash than she had. The third one was a form a prostitution she wasn't ready to submit to.

"The best go by cab, the second-rate take the train, and the worst go off with their customers."

One of the younger women had left and started her own bar, but she found herself swimming in debt with creditors hounding her every move. Another hostess married and moved away. A third young woman had no problem exchanging sex for money. Wealthy customer Goda offered Keiko the capital to start a bar if she would be his mistress. A likeable customer proposed to Keiko and for a moment she was happy until she realized he had not been truthful with her. The man she had fallen in love with was also living a double-life. Every time it looked like she might have found happiness or an answer to her problems, fate was waiting around the corner to trample her. Despite always seeking to do the right thing she was seldom rewarded for it. This was Naruse, not Ozu, so not surprisingly the characters fought to survive and make a living, let alone find love. He preferred a more pessimistic worldview where obstacles confronted or crushed his characters at every opportunity. Whether it was more realistic is up for debate, but the conflicts and character growth did make for an entertaining film.

"Women working in the Ginza fought desperately for survival…it was a battle she couldn't afford to lose."

Keiko strove to get ahead financially only to have her family continually siphoning off her savings. She didn't enjoy drinking but did so to make money. She despised drunks pawing at her, but she tolerated them to make money. What she wasn't willing to do was to sell herself. During one particularly poignant moment near the end of the film, she revealed her character's strength and resolve in a captivating way that left her integrity intact.

"There are limits, even in business."

Beautiful Takamine Hideko brought an elegant grace and strength to Keiko. I thought she did a wonderful job of conveying a wide gamut of emotions, subtly and effectively. When she emoted more forcefully with anger or sorrow, it was believable and organic to the scenes. Mama was a complex character who wasn't perfect, she made mistakes but she also took care of the people around her. She knew when to draw the line with problematic behavior and when to walk away. She didn't rail at the patriarchal society that limited her options or the widening division of the classes. Keiko took her blows, dusted off her kimono, got back up and kept moving forward even when life refused to offer her something better. As the people around her encouraged her to loosen her grip on her integrity, Keiko stayed true to who she was. After weathering numerous personal storms and losses she refused to buckle. Whether it was acceptance or resignation, she continued to walk up the stairs she dreaded, paste on a fake welcoming smile, and somewhere deep inside hope that her efforts would grant her the future she dreamed of someday.

"…the trees that line the streets can sprout new buds no matter how cold the wind. I too must be just as strong as the winds that gust around me."

8/1/23

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"In a mad world, only the mad are sane"

One of the meanings for Ran in Japanese is "chaos". You know when you are about to watch a film by Kurosawa based on Shakespeare's "King Lear" you are going to experience a theatrical marvel, chaos, and a boat load of pain. Kurosawa used all of his skills to bring to life the story of a king driven mad by his traitorous children. At 75, his directorial skills were far from obsolete. He made a stunningly beautiful and heartbreaking tragic epic in a manner only he could do.

Hidetora who had unified his region through fire and the sword and an utter lack of mercy announces that he is ready to retire. Taro, his eldest son, flatters him feigning humility when Hidetora bequeaths the title to him. He gives the two other sons, Jiro and Saburo their own castles, confident that his actions will bring lasting peace to the valley. Far from a sycophantic speech to his father, Saburo, the only son who loves him, tells him the plan will never work as does the court jester. Saburo and Hidetora's loyal retainer, Tango, are both banished for speaking the truth. It doesn't take long for Hidetora to realize his youngest son was right. Taro, at the bequest of his wife, Lady Kaede, humiliates his father by forcing him to sign a pledge of loyalty and into handing over the title Hidetora had sought to retain. Hidetora travels to Jiro's castle but finds no welcome from his middle son. Upon hearing the third castle is empty he and his entourage seek shelter there only to fall into a trap. Taro and Jiro join hands to destroy their father. After every last man and woman loyal to Hidetora is killed trying to protect their lord, Taro is "accidentally" killed, and his father is allowed to walk out of the burning keep, his mind completely broken. For all of the victories in his life, he could not see the evil his sons had harbored in their hearts and that evil would bring all he'd fought for and attained to naught.

***Warning! 417 year old spoiler ahead in the next paragraph!!!***

As Hidetora wanders aimlessly, his jester and Tango find him and care for him. Lady Kaede seduces Jiro and orders him to have his gentle wife, Sue, murdered. When Saburo comes to find his father, Lady Kaede incites Jiro to attack Saburo's men after agreeing to a truce. Saburo finds his disturbed father in a rocky "grave". Saburo's forgiveness clears Hidetora's mind and they dream of telling tales and living together. Jiro's man kills Saburo and Hidetora loses all hope and dies next to him. Like in King Lear, the family was extinguished. Saburo's men and allies triumphantly kill Jiro and his men laying waste to the last of Hidetora's family.

Much like King Lear, Ran ended with the tragic and inevitable loss of life based on a father's bloody past, pride, and blindness to the truth. Hidetora was haunted by all those he'd killed, including the families of his daughters-in-law. Unable to escape the ghosts of his cruel actions, Hidetora and his jester were forced to take refuge among the rubble of the keep he'd burned, at one time spending the night in the hut of a man he'd blinded. His jester ever speaking the truth and folly of his actions. There were no heroes in this film. Hidetora had blood on his hands. Jiro and Taro were murderous and duplicitous. Although Lady Kaede was widely hated, her vengeful actions, with the exception of her hatred of the Lady Sue, were understandable. Only Saburo who spoke the truth perhaps had a vision for a better tomorrow and he ended up paying for his father's sins.

At times, Kurosawa showed the chaos of battle in a beautiful manner with soldiers racing across fields and in castle keeps, silently except for the haunting music. Just as quickly the exquisitely orchestrated military dances devolved into the brutality of war with bodies filled with arrows, severed limbs, and crimson blood dripping ceilings. Fire and smoke choked out all sanity and peace. At one point, Hidetora wondered if he was in hell. He was in hell, a hell of his own making carved out by the carnage he had wrought during his life, the example his sons had learned from, pitting them against him and each other.

The opening scenery was gorgeous, vibrantly alive with verdant green hills. Kurosawa was truly a master of filling the screen with interesting movement and use of color. After the dye was set and the father gave his sons their inheritance, the windblown landscapes became dry and vast. As always, Kurosawa's fateful wind blew across the screen, tinged with either dust or smoke. Emi Wada won an Oscar for best costume design and it showed. The lifeless beige and gray backgrounds were the perfect contrast for her intricately and brilliantly hued costumes. The only detractor in this film for me was Nakadai's makeup. Much like the aging makeup on Mifune Toshiro in "I Want to Live", it was overly theatrical. The white and purple makeup obscured Nakadai's face and thus his unhinged performance.

Whether order was restored out of the familial chaos, is unknown. The film showed that confusion and disorder are always at the ready when truth is abandoned for what people pridefully want to hear. Children learn from what their parents do, not what they say, especially when their parent has been burning villages and castles to the ground in his desire to gain more. Hidetora made the classic mistake of thinking upon his retirement he had any say over what the next generation would do. Their desire for power was just as ravenous as his own had been-maybe more.

The message is timeless, whether in Shakespeare's day, Kurosawa's, or our own. As long as chaos bids us take what is not ours, view others as less than and disposable, we are bound to repeat the actions that bring sorrow instead of joy. The last character standing, blind atop a precipice, his painting of the Amida Buddha fallen and out of reach, reflected much of the mood of the film. The lust for power blinds men, their only hope for peace lost, ultimately leaving everything in ruins.

"It is the gods who weep. They see us killing each other over and over since time began…They can't save us from ourselves."

Ran was a gorgeous and enthralling film to watch and a cautionary tale as well.

6/28/23

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