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Reviews
Mei ren yi jiu (2005)
The Man ends up where?
This movie borrows a lot from Wong Kar Wai in my opinion, mostly from 2046 and In the Mood For Love.
It does a great job mixing the music with visually beautiful cinematic shots, mixing in narration with on screen action, and in some ways has a simpler story than the stories Wong Kar Wai tells.
I enjoyed the flashbacks that showed the girls when they were young.
I always wonder though why the man who both girls fall in love with is so attractive, because he doesn't seem to have that much going for him. He is not that attractive, although he does seem philosophical and somewhat kind.
The music is particularly significant because it blends so well with the sensuous visuals. The soft shots of the women bathed in an almost ethereal light are stunning.
I am not sure of the ending though. The man walks away and goes we know not where, but true to character there is another woman ready to give herself to him but he can't make a decision about her either and walks away. I am sure this is just for theater because in real life he would have gotten on the boat with her and escaped the chaos about to ensue.
One of the reviewers said that the Chinese have terrible endings, they just don't know how to end a movie. I disagree, I love Chinese movies because most of them don't have a fake Hollywood happy ending. And they make you think.
It's a movie you want to see again, because it is not easy.
My one negative comment about this movie is that the subtitles are in white and when juxtaposed onto a white screen there is no way in hell if you don't understand Mandarin that an English speaking viewer can see the words.
Kong Zi (2010)
visually beautiful but I'm left a little perplexed
Here in America Confucius is known mostly for all the sayings he was attributed for, and they mostly begin with " Confucius say..." I was really looking forward to seeing this movie and although I am now kind of shaking my head and wondering what actually happened in this movie I can't say that it was a total loss to have seen it. (Actually I own it) I could say that the best thing about this movie is the Faye Wong song at the end and the bonus video with her singing but that would not entirely be true.
If I knew nothing about Confucius and had seen this movie I would never know that all his sayings that are attributed to him ever existed. Sure he has a truckload of writings by the time he died but did the movie ever go into what he actually had written? Sadly, no.
It was a joy for me as an American to see the beautiful countryside, the scenery is magnificent.
There is no love story in this movie except the love his disciples have for him (and vice versa) and the love he and his disciples have for their country. Xun Xhou is gorgeous and mysterious but she is only in this film for mere minutes and then she is gone.
I don't even know how factual the events in this movie are. Do they follow a true history? I don't know, I was expecting to see more about his philosophy and all his writings and how they were so influential they still survive to this day.
I will watch it again because I probably missed something. I always watch the movie with the original spoken language and English subtitles, so sometimes maybe I was watching too much the subtitles and missing some subtle interactions between the characters.
I was not disappointed with the acting at all, I thought is was excellent.
And yes for Faye Wong fans the ending song is just as beautiful as she is.
Meng ying tong nian (2004)
You can't please everybody
But ignore those last three negative reviews. I found this movie delightful but I like poignant movies with happy endings, and great music. Don't forget the music. It is lovely. This is no ordinary movie. It's too bad that there is no rating for the music too since the music by Jiping Zhao is outstanding. It would be a great movie for the whole family to watch.
It is a heart warming story but not mushy since the story is fictional, sort of like Mulan which is based on fiction but has its twists and turns and poignant moments also.
I loved it. I watched it months ago and thought about it and actually rented it from the Public Library and watched it again. I was so involved in just the story the first time I forgot how beautiful the musical score was.
Check it out Americans. You might learn something about our Chinese neighbors. Seriously, it's good for you.
Then go watch The Taste of Tea. You'll become a fan of Asian movies too. Then go check out Wong Kar-Wai and see some more real genius.
2046 (2004)
I can't stop watching this movie
I am fascinated that this movie and all of the directors are made without a script.
I think it much like me and the process I use to create music. I don't have anything planned, I just turn on the recording device and play. Then I go back and listen and only listen again to what is good.
So when editing this must go on when Kar Wai Wong produces his movie. SO MANY TAKES!!!! the actors must really have to dig deep and accept that what they are doing is not a criticism but something that Kar Wai Wong is looking for that they just haven't achieved yet.
Brilliant!!! But back to the movie. I just love the music he has chosen and how it enhances the movie.
I can't wait to watch the other movies he has made. 2046 is my first.
Read everybody else's comments if you want to know what this movie is about. I am sure you can find a reason to proceed to get to know a real genius' work. Or not.