Reviews

Guerrilla cinema and gay life in the Philippines

'Bathhouse', the highly provocative drama by Crisaldo Pablo ('Moreno', 2007), is a precursor of a cinema that has its dramatic epicenter in spas, saunas and public baths, where homosexual men congregate to relax, organize clandestine dates and having sex, such as the American 'Spa Night', directed in 2016 by Andrew Ahn; the Finnish 'A Moment in the Reeds', written and directed by Mikko Makela in 2017; the British 'Sauna the Dead: A Fairy Tale', directed in 2016 by Tom Frederic, the Spanish short film 'I come to look for you', written and directed in 2023 by José Provencio, among other films.
The Filipino director draws on the waters of 'Hamam: Il bagno turkish', the Italian film written and directed in 1997 by Ferzan Ozpetek, among others, to deliver an emotional 106-minute film about first love and leaving closet, which takes the viewer on a dark journey to a world where meeting the wrong man could mean paying the ultimate price.
After his first film, 'Doubt', in 2003, the Filipino filmmaker films the queer comedy-drama 'Bathhouse', which has a script he wrote.
With a tone typical of many Filipino gay films, although a little different given the style of the director (who plays Cris's father in the film), 'Bathhouse' revolves around the college student Rico, played with great sensitivity by Ray-An Dulay, a young man discovered by Crisaldo Pablo and introduced into the Philippine film industry with him, until he became her favorite actor, starring in his films 'Retaso' and 'Moreno', both from 2007, and 'Pitong Dalagita', 2006.
Ray-An Dulay also starred in other LGBT+ themed films directed by Joselito "Jay" Altarejo, another of the great filmmakers of Filipino queer cinema, such as 'Little Boy Big Boy', from 2009, 'Kambyo', from 2008, and 'The Game of Juan's Life', 2009.
In 'Bathhouse', as Rico awakens to his sexuality and accepts being homosexual, he finds himself drawn to the local gay bathhouse, where he longs to establish a connection with the regulars in the clandestine world of homosexual encounters.
At the gay club and sauna, Rico establishes a friendly relationship with Genesis, a role played by a magnificent Andoy Ranay, an actor who had already worked under Pablo in 'Doubt'.
Rico receives an exclusive invitation from a stranger about 15 years older, named Cris (Jet Alcantara, an actor who debuted in 1999 in the action film 'Bullet' and starred in 'Gugma sa Panahon sang Bakunawa', by Peter Solis Nery), to meet that night at Klub Hombre, a private bar for gay men, also attended by heterosexuals looking to have sex with other men in the anonymous comfort of darkness.
In the darkness of the sauna, Rico can also glimpse bisexual and transsexual characters; people who, in the anonymity of darkness, seek to form a bond and a kinship, although they cannot later identify themselves in the light of day.
After having sex with Cris, the college nerd will fall intensely in love with the heartthrob, and accepts his habits as a gigolo or man-slut. All of this is set against the backdrop of the evolution of gay hookup culture in the Philippines, from meet-ups in parks to personal ads, to phone lines, to pagers.
In this sense, while Rico sings and plays the guitar in a park, he is interrupted by some religious boys. This sequence gives a very Wong Kar-Wai feel that I really liked.
At almost 20 years old, Rico has evolved from these primitive forms of human connection before the advent of cell phone services and gay dating apps, to a clandestine club where random sexual encounters occur, except our main character, Rico, looks for love, not sex, and gets a little lost along the way.
The reason for turning the corner is that the man she has fallen in love with is a jaded person who has combined all hopes of love and emotional connection with his nocturnal descent into the bar's orgy den.
When Rico claims that in the darkness of the sauna he can only see silhouettes of bodies around him, Cris responds: "Because we are all here for lust. Lust has no face, only flesh," to defend himself from the instant affection that the boy feels for him.
For his part, Rico will respond: "I don't want to have sex in the dark. It's for the same reason I hate movie theaters... It's very dark like you're having an illusion... When you're done, you leave the room." cinema and it's as if nothing had happened.
And Cris doesn't listen to him, and drags him into his world, a very dark world, but full of fun.
The chemistry between them is immediately hot and intense. In love with Cris, Rico rejects the other sauna customers who are looking for a night of adventure.
Once the fire cools, Rico believes he has found "Mr. Right", but finds himself on a roller coaster of love, jealousy and infidelity, while Cris continues his conquest of the baths.
Through the performances of exotic dancers on the club stage, the film pays tribute to or pioneers the Filipino queer film aesthetic that follows young people who work in the world of sibak, or in other words macho dancers, but identified with the figure of the hustler or prostitute, such as 'Sibak' ('Midnight Dancers'), 1994, by Mel Chionglo; 'Son of the Macho Dancer', 2021, by Joel Lamangan; 'Macho Dancer', 1988, by Lino Brocka, among other films.
A lot of nudity in this film, a lot of sex, and this, instead of detracting from it, supports the plot and the performances.
Rico is a very attractive character, but fortunately this is not the only thing that makes you invest in him.
'Bathhouse' also reminds me of 'Fuccbois', but in my opinion it is much better, having a more developed main character than Kokoy de Santos' Mico Ramos, Royce Cabrera's Ace Policarpo and Migs Villasis's Thor Villasis, protagonists of the Filipino LGBT+ themed film written and directed in 2019 by Eduardo Roy Jr., since in this case it presents a backstory of what Rico's life is like and how his sexuality and coming out to his environment and the people around him.
Likewise, it is commendable that the sexual scenes do not distract the viewer's attention from the dark and depressing situation in which Rico finds himself. Instead of telling a story in which the sexual scenes create a terrifying fantasy, which makes you want to escape in that situation, the explicit scenes cause the viewer to constantly worry about the fate of the characters, because you understand what is at stake for them.
Characterized by its low budget, the intervention of a small number of actors, mostly non-professionals; an unconventional production method, few resources in production, a script without great needs and expenses, few locations, predominating real places to the detriment of sets built for filming; filming where necessary without asking for the relevant permission, filming with reduced technical and artistic teams, 'Bathhouse' follows a raw and independent approach to the so-called guerrilla cinema, as Pablo did in his debut film 'Doubt', to show a somber story with a happy ending.
Heir to the guerrilla style, Cris Pablo has turned his cinema into an integral pillar of Filipino, Asian and world independent cinema, celebrated for its ingenuity, authenticity and unfiltered vision, to which he gives a documentary touch.
On this occasion, the filmmaker once again uses shocking images and strong characters to tell, through naked bodies, extreme sexual content, the squalor of the world of gay saunas and characters with an age difference, the story of gay life in the Philippines, while recreating an idea of how a Filipino bathhouse works, where emotions vibrate, love is made, love is lost and in the end true love is found.

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Morally ambegues to say the least, but an interesting story

Is this teh real life, is this just fantasy... Delusions can be lovely fluffy and bring som much joy that you may want to stay in them....

Staying in the dream is dangerous, living in a tough and broken reality is also dangerous...

This movie does a great job inviting the viewers in to the world of the delusional as well as the world of the messed up psychiatrist. Showing us a spectrum of psychological and psychiatrical issues and fears as well as different consequences. All done really well.

This is not a happy movie, nor is it really educational or what one would say a guide to how one should live ones life. It is not a story that will make your heart flutter but rather one that will make you feel uncomfortable in a good way. It is a small window that gives you bits and pieces to show the reasons behind the actions, The reasons for staying in the delusions, reasons to avoid rocking the boat.

It is a los a movie that shows that the so called sain arn't that perfect offering a palatte of not only sanity but also power relations in a beautiful parallel mix that at least in my case got my head to spin...

Basically saying it is complicated.

However the filming is very much HK...

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Visuals, Storytelling, Actors and Action

"Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms" is a Chinese fantasy film that draws inspiration from ancient mythology and folk legends, specifically the "Fengshen Yanyi" or "The Investiture of the Gods." Here are some aspects that were highlights for me.

Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms certainly brings this ancient myth to life!

1. The Visual Effects fabulous - One of the major highlights was the impressive visual effects, which created a vivid and immersive world of ancient China filled with mystical creatures and gods. I feel that the CGI effects blended successfully with the live-action.

2. Storyline - The movie attempts to weave a complex narrative based on legendary tales. Not being familiar with the books or story I cannot comment on the adaptation. I have seen many Wuxia Fantasy dramas over the years, the story telling was good. The pace and coherence of the plot kept me watching.

3. Character Development - Character development of protagonists and antagonists brought the myth to life which made the film engaging.

4. Costume and Settings: Given that the roots of the story are in Chinese mythology, the film’s portrayal of cultural and historical elements made the film credible and immersive - I had to rewind to see the Sacrificial Pyer! Costumes throughout were eye catching.

5. Direction and Cinematography - The director’s vision and the cinematography, the creative camera angles, lighting, certainly brought this story alive stimulating my senses from start to finish.

6. Performances - The actors all executed their roles and characters very well, elevating the story from other Wuxia Fantasy dramas I have seen in the past.

7. Soundtrack - Music and sound effects complemented the epic scenes and scope of the film enhancing the dramatic moments and overall impact.

8. Pacing and Length - This was an epic fantasy, the pacing was just right giving me a good viewing experience.

I will definitely watch this again…

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beautiful story.

it has the perfect balance of everything; the whole dynamic between the main three is so beautiful. It had an absolutely devastating ending that bumped it down to 9.5 instead of 10 because it felt unexplained and rushed. There was no explainable cause for his death, I understand death is unexpected but I think an explation or even a cause would of suffice. However it showed grief perfectly and it was just overall an amazing movie i would 100% watch again. The cast are some of my favourite and I think Bo Ra being an amazing friend really added to the beauty of this movie.

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Self destruction

The epitome of humanity's self-destructive nature in its raw, chaotic form all delivered via Kinji Fukasaku's ultraviolent, handheld stylistic blitzkrieg. The title says it all. There's a true sense of lawlessness at the heart of Battles Without Honor and Humanity, one that applies the electric shock treatment to lobotomise any romantic notions of gangsterdom. A dog-eat-dog world of violent, craven thugs and corrupt law enforcers, here the traditional codes of humanity and group loyalty on which Japan's postwar foundations were built are revealed to be a sham. There's some truly superb acting here from everyone involved, although Bunta Sugawara is a clear scene-stealer, a diverse cast of characters who offer a different perspective with their own viewpoints. Fukasaku demonstrates his great skill as a director, and his technique perfectly fits the movie's tone. Using a fast-paced, erratic, nearly chaotic style the action scenes offer us that taste of brutality we wouldn't have felt had the film been directed more traditionally. Fukasaku strays from the established formula of people getting killed fast and easy with one or two bullets instead he shows us an alternative to that: a slow, painful exercise, one that more accurately portrays the yakuza's violent lifestyle. Yet there are no large body counts, the battles are often predetermined with one side attacking an individual or small group from the other, by surprise and in overwhelming force. There really is no honour in the Japanese underworld. Bright, brash, violent and bloody terrific it's hard not to see how Battles Without Honor and Humanity triumphs, a brilliantly, violent tale about the dark and unforgiving nature of the Japanese crime syndicate that once it starts, never stops.

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Jack Sparrow comeback?

"The Pirates 2: Last Royal Treasure" is a great choice for those who enjoy adventure films with a pirate theme. If you're a fan of "Pirates of the Caribbean," I highly recommend watching this movie. It's like a Korean interpretation (in the best sense).

The main character, played by Kang Ha Neul, is particularly impressive. His character is incredibly charismatic: funny, a bit cringy, but at the same time very interesting and multi-faceted. His behavior and mannerisms are reminiscent of Jack Sparrow, which adds extra charm to the film.

The plot captures your attention from the very first minute: pirates embark on a dangerous journey in search of treasure, facing numerous challenges and enemies along the way. The film has it all—action, humor, unexpected twists, thrilling sea scenes, and well-developed characters.

This movie isn’t just entertainment but also an opportunity to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Korean cinema, which once again proves its ability to create high-quality stories.

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Disappointing

Going into this movie, I had high expectations. Despite the first two crows zero movies being a bit too old for my taste, I surprisingly enjoyed them. The actions were intense, the characters were well fleshed out, had good acting and a pretty good storyline. So, despite the lower rating for crows explode, I still decided to watch this movie without any prejudice because of how good the first two movies are. However, this movie has a lot of issues for me.

It felt like there was too much going on and I could not focus on the main characters. There was so many different stories with different characters. It all just felt a bit too much and disjointed. There was parts where I was rather annoyed and just started skipping them so that I can get to Suzuran's story.

The action scenes that I was excited for didn't particularly impress me either. In fact, I would say that it's not on-par with the predecessors at all. I couldn't believe that this was a part of the crows zero saga. The main characters were pretty boring too. I did not root for any of the main characters and didn't get attached to any of them either, but I think that's due to the fact that they didn't get enough screen time to actually connect with the audience.

Overall, It's not bad per se, but I wouldn't call it good either. If you liked the first two movies and are expecting the same for this one, I would recommend completely getting rid of those expectations since it will only cause disappointment. Maybe I would've liked this better if I hadn't had such high hopes for this one

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Stories missed the mark

Dec 2024
A quite poignant watch at times, which made me wonder what it might be like if this were ever possible. I'm honestly not sure it would be a good thing at all, especially after some of this film.

Memories can sometimes focus on the solely positive aspects of those we love and don'thave physically with us anymore. AI 'copies' would perhaps be nearer the wished for than reality.

The various stories of the diverse characters in this are quite different, with hidden elements. Not all the characters are likeable, the pace is slow and it isn't jolly, that's for sure.

It's hard to review really, without giving plot lines away, so I'll just say that I found it a little hard going at times and confusing at others. It was definitely held together by the excellent cast.

Bit disappointed overall, tbh, but I always think others should give stuff a go, as different strokes for different folks.

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'Star Appeal': much more than intergalactic love

The innovative Chinese filmmaker, film scholar, screenwriter, novelist, activist and gay academic Cui Zi En, known worldwide for his films 'Zhi tongzhi' (2009), 'Jiu yue' (2001), 'Feeding Boys, Ayaya' (2003 ), 'Chou jue deng chang' ('Enter the Clowns'), 2001, 'Nannan nünü - Nan Nan Nü Nü' ('Men and Women'), 1999, 'Queer China, Comrade China' (2008), among others, he creates with 'Star Appeal' (Xingxing xiangxi xi', 2004), the first completely gay Chinese science fiction film, with this fantastical story of a lonely alien, nicknamed "ET", who learns a tender lesson in earthly love after being taken in by Xiao Bo, a curious bisexual.
The first time I saw the film, about 10 years ago, it made me discover a new meaning to love. It made me see that love knows no boundaries. It led me to understand that love, that feeling we experience towards another person, to whom we wish all the best and towards whom we feel a special connection, breaks walls, shortens distances, overcomes difficulties and moves forward in harmony. Love, healthy and intelligent, nourishes, allows us to grow and goes beyond distances.
'Star Appeal' tells a story in which love plays a great role, together with a desire to improve, to know the world around us, to find oneself. This is the case of "ET", a being who claims to be from Mars and who has been sent to Earth to learn everything possible about the physical interaction between the inhabitants of our planet.
The first thing that comes to mind when reviewing this film is a phrase from the science fiction film 'Interstellar', directed and written by brothers Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, in 2014: "Love knows no limits of time and space." Well, this beautiful and symbolic film tells us about that, about love in its various forms where two people from distant worlds can come to love each other.
To demonstrate that in the same way that love does not understand age, trauma, gender, race, nor borders or any other obstacle, Cu Zi En, recognized as a pioneering figure of the so-called New Chinese Queer Cinema, summoned Yu Bo (not to be confused with the actor of the same name whose alias Apolio Yu), to star in the film released in China in 2004 and shown four years later in the United States, in which he proposes an endearing love story of two beings from different planets, since one is an Earthling and the other claims to be from Mars.
On this occasion, Cui Zi En's fetish actor is once again named Xiao Bo, as happened previously in three of the Chinese filmmaker's films: 'Men and Women' (1999), 'The Old Testament', 2001, and 'Enter the Clowns' (2002).
The first act of the film introduces us to the life of Xiao Bo and his encounter with the interstellar visitor. In this way we will learn that Xiao Bo coincidentally meets a strange, naked being on a deserted road who claims to be a Martian. Showing himself to be a lost man, Xiao Bo decides to protect him and takes him home to teach him a thing or two about life on Earth.
"ET" (role played by Guifeng Wang), as the stranger will soon be called by his human hosts, soon reveals that he has been sent to this planet to learn about the lives of Earthlings and their way of relating to each other.
We discover that the bisexual Xiao Bo has a girlfriend named Wenwen (Xiwen Zhang) and a boyfriend named Xiao Jian (Jian Hou), but neither of them is particularly excited that Xiao Bo has brought home such an enigmatic visitor.
While Wenwen doesn't believe that "ET" is an alien at all, Xiao Jian also has doubts. For his part, Xiao Bo is the only one who firmly believes in the identity of the stranger, so he promises to protect him and do everything possible to take him to see Earth. To do this, he is responsible for teaching him several languages, mathematics, geography, world history, art and natural sciences.
The two become closer and closer and eventually fall in love. For their part, Xiao Bo's boyfriend and girlfriend also develop feelings for the visitor.
One of the "great sins" of the film may be the dialogue between some characters, especially when trying to understand and approach the strange visitor and learn about his space journey, but let's be honest, if they didn't do it this way, there would be very little People would understand what is happening, which is why I see it as a point in their favor, since even with this detail many people continue to wonder what they just saw.
It is then that the cinematographic experience becomes something magical again in the middle act, when the viewer discovers that a jealous Wenwen tries to win back Xiao Bo's love, but when her plans to win back fail, she conceives revenge on her boyfriend by seducing the alien to have a son with him. While trying to seduce "ET", he falls into a deep coma. Upon learning of the situation, Xiao Bo comes to the rescue and accidentally says "I love you", a phrase also used by Martians. Hearing "ET" these words, he wakes up.
Even so, it is the third act of 'Star Appeal' that gives value to everything we see in the film, leaving an echo resounding in our heads long after having seen the film: Xiao Bo teaching an alien of which has fallen in love with various aspects of life on Earth, the true meaning of Earthly Love and what the physical limitations of humans are, before "ET" undertakes the journey back to his home planet to take with him the exciting discoveries.
But "ET" is not far behind in "being reciprocal and giving back lessons" and, on the eve of his return to Mars, he uses the same supreme human way of expressing love and makes love to Xiao Bo. Through this, dedicates his Martian love to Xiao Bo.
Already in the epilogue, not long after "ET" has left Earth, Xiao Bo, who was "infected" by a certain Martian quality while making love, returns to the place where they met and discovers the way to Mars.
The film shows us real and raw feelings (although not in the most subtle way or perhaps if we compare it with much more recent cinema) wrapped in a space epic. The 86 minutes of footage are enough to establish the idea that love can be understood as a love that remains, even though the person you love is somewhere else, as a mature love capable of facing the difficulties that arise are presented or how, if desired, one can travel to the other side of the Universe to reunite with the loved one.
Both Xiao Bo and "ET" are capable of learning to cope with what happens that they cannot control, in addition to doing everything they can to ensure that the circumstances that occur do not prevent love.
Focusing a lot on plot details (such as Wenwen trying to win back Xiao Bo's love by seducing "ET" to have a child with him, or how she pretends to be from Jupiter and even thinks she speaks his language to approach the visitor, space travel...) is not seeing what is behind everything that Cu Zi En presents to us and it would be not fully enjoying the wonderful and exciting experience of seeing the film for the first time, or watching it again, as is my case .
In a few words, I want to say that although it seems that this is a gray film and that its low budget has condemned it to oblivion (judging by the comments and the low rating on MDL and other virtual platforms), 'Star Appeal' is a film full of hope that bets on the value of the human spirit and the strength of love, no matter how cheesy this may sound.
Despite encountering the odd radio romance here and there, I loved the ending, where the negative turns Earth into an alien planet.
This painfully romantic and charmingly reflective film leaves us trapped looking into outer space..., or rather, traveling along a deserted road, waiting to see if one day we will encounter a strange being, equally naked, solitary, claiming to come from another planet... a being who without a doubt, if we have an encounter with him, we will nickname "ET", to whom by expressing earthly love we will learn about Martian love.

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Is it Love? or is it just an addiction?

So this is a story about the extremely impulsive chef, who pretty much forgets all decency to cling on to the object of his obsession and the person, who forgot about herself and became that object... until she finally realised being that object is not really good for her.

However as addcitions go, once tempted it is a little bit to easy to relapse...

Either that or it is a story about true love, second chances, holding on no matter what.... Love will find a way... What once was broken can be fixed.

Or maybe it is both?

A thing this movie does pretty well is show that love is not always enough, and that there is indeed a love that brings both down when it should be making you stronger and better.

I am not relally sure if they ever get to showing love at all or if we just get to witness a bunch of people with obsession... But somehow these people seem to call it love.

That said, it kept my attention, leads and friends in this are mostly charming, the kisses are decent and the food and scenery is lovely.

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The questions that were never asked, the answers that were never heard.

As humans we have an awful tendency to fill the blanks with things that fit our own perception. We are both egocentric thinking our view is the correct one, but also think we are insignificant and our actions don’t have much impact. And we are wrong.

I went into this movie knowing close to nothing and it was a perfect choice. Rather than just watching a movie, I felt like I was learning important life lessons, forced to face my own shortcomings and reflect on my own biases. I felt the whole range of emotions and I don’t think I’ll stop feeling them any time soon.

It’s a movie that will confuse you, touch you, teach you and most likely humble you. The movie is divided into clear chapters that uncover layers of perspectives and depth.

The performances were phenomenal. There are no words to describe how well all the characters were presented. Extreme props to the youngest cast who in my eyes carried the heart and soul of the whole movie.

Directing? Perfection. The way the message of the movie became so clear with every minute, even if initially I was so confused. The way it highlights the importance of the context. The way everything mattered.

I’m one to write essay-long reviews, but I’m honestly still wrapping my head around what I just finished watching and I think I will be in that state for some time. This movie calls for a discussion and brainstorming of the ideas, opinions and perspectives. It’s a story with a huge impact if you pay attention. It’s a movie on human nature, our flaws and mistakes. Strangely, I also think it’s a movie about cognitive laziness and how it affects us and people around us.

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simple yet emotional: a heartwarming story

I found "Love Child" by chance and decided to give it a try - and I'm glad I did!

The story is simple: a young couple trying to navigate life with their autistic child.
The characters don't really have a deep personality (but they honestly don't have to); Ayla was a model student and dreams of becoming a lawyer while Paolo wants to be a filmmaker. Still, the characters are easily likable and the watcher can relate to their actions. The movie mostly follows the daily life of the family and the troubles they face - so don't expect much drama.

Despite the simple story and characters, it manages to connect the story of Ayla's and Paolo's relationship and the story between Kali and his parents nicely. The story progresses in a good pace, never leaving me feel bored while watching. Furthermore, the acting and the visuals (e.g. the coloring) capture the feelings this movie wants to portray perfectly.

Do I recommend this movie? Obviously yes - if you're in for a simple but emotional story!

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has its cute moments, but offers nothing new

I haven't watched the original film they based this on, but it seems to have a very simple plot. I feel like stories like these would have been more charming in the early 2000s, but all of it now is predictable. It didn't have anything particularly unexpected that set it apart from other romance films already put out. What could have made it better for me was if they showed more of the characters' nuances and thoughts.. and fleshed out their relationships. What made the ML truly care about the FL so much? What connection did they build from those surface level interactions? I like the actors in this film, but I couldn't really root for their characters because we're not given a chance to understand their intentions.. they didn't even know much about each other?

Visually, this film is so pretty! I wanted to take a screenshot of every scene.. it is all so pleasing to the eye.. god knows I WIIIISH the story was a bit better 😭

Final verdict: It is a cute little lighthearted film to watch on a slow day. It offers nothing much else though.

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"Do you remember my hand?"

The film Eros contained three short films, the first of which was, The Hand by Wong Kar Wai. Wong Kar Wai is one of those mood directors like Zhang Yi Mou. I don’t always connect emotionally with Wong’s films while still appreciating his unique style. I’m always happy when one clicks with me, and this short erotic film starring Gong Li and Chang Chen did just that.

Xiao Zhang is a tailor apprentice whose first customer is the beautiful prostitute, Miss Hua. He hears her at work while he waits in the sitting room. Miss Hua recognizes that he’s never touched a woman before. Much as the title implies, she touches him, launching his career and an obsession. He begins to take her measurements by hand, literally, memorizing every line of her body. Zhang creates beautiful works of art for her to wear even as her source of income begins to wane.

WKW used many of his techniques-dim lighting, rain, reflections, and close-ups of his gorgeous actors. Gong Li as always was mesmerizing to watch. Chang Chen as the tailor in love with a woman he could never have was stunning. It was a WKW film so I was already braced for a heartbreaking story of unrequited love. And he didn’t fail to bring the angst and the pain. He also brought the erotica without showing much skin. Gong Li and Chang Chen turned up the heat to scorching merely being in proximity to each other.

The Hand was a feast for the eyes and senses. Short, with a shot straight to the heart, wrapped in WKW’s usual style, dripping with barely concealed longing and desire. If you are a fan of WKW’s work and don’t mind erotica, this is definitely a film to try.

11 January 2025

Trigger warnings: The introduction by sexual act with a hand, is the most graphic scene, though not overly so. There is a bare bottom. Sex was often alluded to, with sound effects for those who are sensitive to such things.

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