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Sik ching nam lui (1996)
This film is not about sex
An out-of-work director agrees to make an erotic film against his will so he can pay the bills. But if he is going to do it, it's going to be HIS way.
I bet that's the one-liner directors Derek Yee and Lo Chi-Leung gave executives that got them the green light.
Viva Erotica is maybe the first serious film that gets away with showing female breasts and still being a magnificent work of art - at least that I know of.
The film satirizes the film industry's (Hong Kong's and global) obsession with sex in a very original way: by making a sex film.
Directors Derek Yee and Lo Chi-Leung also wrote the script, with Ka Man being a third writer. Most of the credit goes to them for the innovative premise and great execution, but the cast doesn't fall short either, especially Leslie Cheung as Kwok-Wing, Karen Mok as Man-Wai, and Shu Qi as Mango (particularly Shu Qi as Mango!).
Simply put: one of the best films I have ever watched.
Fung gip (1979)
A great Hong Kongese murder story
A very entertaining mystery thriller that at times winks at the supernatural, but doesn't quite lean into it.
The film looks and feels exactly like what you would expect from a 1979 Hong Kongese independent film. At only 85 minutes of runtime, it is very fast-paced, which makes it entertaining and engaging. The acting is good, maybe one of the highlights of the film alongside the story.
And speaking about the story, it gets quite interesting towards the end. I honestly wish the film was remade. A modern-day interpretation of the story would be very enjoyable.
The Secret was my introduction to Ann Hui's work. I've gotten conflicting information about this film being or not her directorial debut. Whatever the case, I'm looking forward to seeing more of her work.
Chik loh goh yeung (1992)
No good movie had ever the need to show boobs
Even if the premise is good, the editing is so bad. It feels like they trimmed the movie way beyond what they should have, to the point sometimes one scene doesn't make sense after another. The plot feels rushed and underdeveloped; I think the film could have really used an extra 30-45 minutes. Also, the timeline is very messy. Events happen days or weeks after other events and it's not apparent until they mention it.
Have you ever heard of the principle "show don't tell"? Well, there is a lot of telling instead of showing in Naked Killer.
Story-wise, my main criticism is that the film portrays the type of lesbianism that only serves male audiences: mindless touching and kissing without diving into the lives of the characters. It was the 90s, I guess...
Giving credit where it is due, the set designs were fantastic. They are visually appealing and succeed at setting the proper mood in every scene.
Long story short, Naked Killer is another mediocre sexploitation film which only aspires to get the male audience horny. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
Da lui toi (2010)
Action-comedy done right
Gallants manages to find the perfect balance between action, comedy, and drama, with a relatable story and some of the best hand-to-hand action scenes I have ever seen.
The comedy is spot-on, contrary to the Hollywood approach, Hong Kong filmmakers don't go overboard - or so it seems -. While the main character, Cheung (Wong You-nam) is pretty funny, most of the comedic relief is done by Master Ben Law (Teddy Robin Kwan), who reminds me of Jackie Chan's uncle in the animated series Jackie Chan Adventures. Apparently, this is an estereotyped depiction of Hong Kongese elders.
The action, on the other hand, is on par with its comedic greatness - if not better -. The film has some of the best hand-to-hand combat I have ever seen. Unlike Hollywood, Hong Kong films don't seem to rely on constant cuts during the fight scenes, so the viewer can actually appreciate the action happening. I personally prefer this style.
The acting was great. From the leads to the supporting cast, everyone plays their part to perfection. JJ Jia, as one of the few female characters, particularly caught my attention in her portrayal of Kwai.
Directors Derek Kwok and Clement Cheng's use of rapid cuts and zoom, especially during face-offs make the film go from serious to funny and vice versa in a second. Also, Gallants was filmed in eighteen days!? It just got to show the incredible amount of quality good writing and direction can get when they keep things simple. Bravo!
The definitive Hong Kongese action comedy to me.
Liu lian piao piao (2000)
It lost me in the second half
I would describe Durian Durian as a tale of two halves, with the first one being great while the second one is disorienting and confusing. The first half is about one universal truth: the hardship of immigration for young women. We get a peak into Qin's life as a prostitute. It's not pretty. It's harsh and ugly, but even though we don't know her exact motivations, we root for her, we want to know more about her, and we wish her well.
In the second half, however, we get to see Qin as more than an immigrant and a prostitute. We get to know about her desires and motivations, her family and friends, and her as a subject and not an object. However, something is missing during the second half. It feels lifeless, monotonous, and irrelevant as if the life Qin had when living in Hong Kong was sucked out of her.
My introduction to Fruit Chan's work is not a pleasant one. I would be more than happy to revisit his work in the future, but as of right now, I can say that at least this film wasn't my cup of tea.
Stand by Me (1986)
There's a reference to this movie in Pokémon Red and Blue, that's cool
It would seem as if Stephen King and cinema are destined to be intertwined in one way or another. In this case, Rob Reiner brings us an adaptation of the book The Body. Let's not forget he will go to direct Misery, another Stephen King adaptation in 1990.
Stand By Me tells the story of a middle-aged man who visits his childhood town and reminiscences of the past, particularly of a certain event that changed his life for the better - we hope -.
I personally think most credit should go to Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon for adapting the play, no disrespect to Rob Reiner and the young actors, but what makes the film feel so iconic to me is the real-life conversations the kids have during their adventure, because that's exactly the kind of conversation I and my friends would have when we were around that age. Sure, some characters like Teddy Duchamp are over-the-top, but not being familiar with the source material, it's hard for me to say if they're a faithful adaptation or not, so I'll leave that to someone else.
Definitely a film that didn't resonate that much with me, but still one I can appreciate.
Lat sau san taam (1992)
The most action-packed film I have ever seen
Hard Boiled is maybe the most over-the-top action film ever created, with great action sequences - both armed and hand-to-hand - and a seemingly neverending stream of violence when things finally get going. One of the things that jump out to me is how they don't rely on constant cuts during the hand-to-hand fight scenes, a thing that Hollywood has somehow fallen in love with. Fortunately, Hong Kong knows better.
Despite Chow Yun-fat having the main role, I have to agree with most people in that Tony Leung Chiu-wai was the true star of the film. His charisma and delivery are unmatched. Teresa Mo was also pretty good in her role!
One of the aspects that may not hold up today is the transitions used in the film. Nowadays, those kind of transitions are mostly reserved for middle school PowerPoint presentations. However, I can understand John Woo's motivation. They can certainly leave an impression.
If you could only watch one Hong Kong film ever I would probably recommend this one.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
A Halloween-loving dude knows about Christmas for the first time, but it's a Tim Burton movie
The Nightmare Before Christmas uses stop-motion as a tool to tell a fantastic story that could only be conceived in Tim Burton's mind.
The premise is simple, a Halloween-loving man (?) discovers Christmas for the first time and falls in love with it, to the point he convinces everyone in town - who don't know what Christmas is either - to celebrate it together. However, as someone who only knows Halloween, his idea of Christmas doesn't align with what Christmas really is.
The story is told through a set of musical numbers that usually describe the emotional state of Jack Skellington, but also cover other characters like Sally and the rest of the town.
The film basically tells us what would happen if Halloween and Christmas collided. It's a fascinating tale that could only be conceived by Tim Burton.
The Twilight Zone: Mr. Denton on Doomsday (1959)
How dry is this episode
In this episode of The Twilight Zone, we explore the mysterious forces that influence our lives and how they change our destiny - our fates, if I might say so -.
The story is about a once-upon-a-time famous gunslinger now local drunk called Al Denton who is the laughing stock of the cowtown he lives in. One day he finds a gun - or should I say fate puts it in his hands? - and after regaining his confidence tries to get his life back on track, but before he can do it he is challenged by another gunslinger who arrives in the town looking for fame.
I'm not going to spoil the ending of the episode, but let's say fate has different plans for every one of us.
Devdas (2002)
"Greater than Romeo and Juliet"? Read on.
Devdas is an astonishing auditory and visual spectacle, full of color and character from beginning to end. Based on the Bengali novel of the same name, Devdas is one of the greatest love stories ever told.
The film follows the tragic story of Devdas Mukherjee (Shah Rukh Khan) and Parvati Chaudhary (Aishwarya Rai) impossible love. Devdas has been called "greater than Romeo and Juliet" which I do not object to.
Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and starring Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Madhuri Dixit, the film is a delight from beginning to end.
The musical numbers are visually impressive, well-coreographed, and full of color. Even as someone who does not particularly love - nor understand - musicals, I truly enjoyed them and followed the story without any issues. Ismail Darbar and Birju Maharaj composed the music, while Monty Sharma took care of the score. The original soundtrack has a total length of 52:56, which goes to show how much care was put into it.
To me, Devdas Achille's Heel is its editing. It was beautifully done during the first half of the film, but I found it lacking in the second half. It was more notable during transitions to different scenes, not so much while changing from one shot to another in the same scene, but it still was bothersome.
Despite what many could consider a long running time - 174 minutes -, Devdas is a masterpiece from beginning to end worth every single minute.
Monsoon Wedding (2001)
Taught me more about family than Fast and Furious
Monsoon Wedding tells the story of a big, modern family and its struggles. At first glance, one may think the story is about Aditi Verma's (Vasundhara Das) wedding, but on closer inspection, we can see there's so much more. The film talks about themes such as homosexuality, extra-marital relations, conservative Indian values, grooming and sexual abuse, and so much more.
Director Mira Nair captured the big family atmosphere to perfection. With a million things going on at any given moment and people talking over each other. With family being the main theme of the film it's worth noting that while the film starts in pure chaos, it ends in harmony, as it happens with family.
As to be expected from a Bollywood film the soundtrack is amazing. It includes 19 different songs, with around an hour in length. All but 4 songs were composed by Mychael Danna.
A beautiful drama worth a watch, or ten.
Taare Zameen Par (2007)
Very touching from beginning to end
Taare Zameen Par is a very touching film about one of the most vulnerable and underrepresented groups: children with learning disabilities. In a modern world where everyone is expected to compete in society, neither family nor the school system is equipped to deal with those who fall behind. They would be treated as lazy and irresponsible, and their needs wouldn't be recognized.
One of the things the film does well is showing us in detail the world Ishaan (Darsheel Safary) comes from, being the second kid of a working-class family, with a brother that excels at everything - being this the metric his parents use to measure Ishaan's success - further complicates things. Then there is the school system. With overcrowded classrooms and underprepared teachers, there is just so much to be done. Verbal abuse - and later on, physical abuse - are the only techniques they know.
The film calls us to reflect further on the issue. We all know how Ishaan's story ends, but what about the thousands of other children who are trapped in the same school system the film tries to criticize?
Bottoms (2023)
Good try, but you suck
Bottoms shoots for the moon but ends up falling flatter than no one else ever had.
Director and writer Emma Seligman tries to defy every high school comedy trope but goes too far, to the point the movie becomes a parody of itself. The meta-commentary goes from brilliant to mediocre from one scene to another, just like that. And even for comedy standards the acting is pretty average.
I have to give props to Emma Seligman for coming up with such a brilliant concept though, the idea of taking every single preconception we have about high school movies and turning them upside down is really fresh, it's like making Mean Girls all over again but the whole high school social structure is messed up. The intent is good, it's the execution that is lacking.
Dangal (2016)
Great film, but stop living your dreams through your children WTF!?
Dangal, more than simply a Bollywood film is a masterpiece of cinema. Various interesting choices are made in the film, particularly the story being narrated by Mahavir's nephew Omkar (played by Ritvik Sahore and Aparshakti Khurana) which gives the viewer the impression that Mahavir (Aamir Khan) is the main character of the film - SPOILER ALERT: he's not -. Another interesting choice was the framing of the story itself. Mahavir didn't want his daughters to succeed as wrestlers because that was their passion, and as a father he wanted to push them to reach their full potential, not at all. What he really wanted was to live his dream through their children - this is not a hot take by any means. The character literally says it himself - which honestly makes him a jerk.
Performance-wise Ritvik Sahore and Aparshakti Khurana were great as comedic relief characters. Fatima Sana Shaikh and Zaira Wasim - who played adult and child Geeta Phogat respectively - were also remarkable. But the most outstanding performance, hands down, was Aamir Khan's. It feels like he gives no less than 100% in every single scene. The score and original soundtrack are also beautifully done and capture the spirit of the film to perfection.
In other words, Dangal is an immersive and enjoyable experience from beginning to end worth watching and rewatching.
Chak De! India (2007)
I'm never going near a McDonald's again
Chak De! India, more than a sports film is a big and ambitious project. Writer Jaideep Sahni does an excellent job of capturing the essence of Indian culture in this film. We explore the colonial past of the country and its complicated relation with neighbor Pakistan, as well as nationalism, traditional values, and even inside racism, sexism, and misogyny. At no point does the plot feel convoluted. On the contrary, everything integrates in a logical manner, and at 149 minutes of runtime, the story doesn't feel rushed.
The film's main theme is probably the negative perception of girls and women in sports by the different structures of society, not only the general population but also family and sports associations. In a "conservative" society women's roles are clearly established, and even those entities that are supposed to help women develop in different areas (in this case sports) would close the doors to them, no matter how talented they are.
Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Chak De! India counts with great performances across the board, which is hard to pull off when sixteen of your actors are literally kids or in a best-case scenario, young adults.
The original soundtrack is superb! With 7 different songs and a length of more than 30 minutes, it's clear composer Salim-Sulaiman and writer Jaideep Sahni took their jobs very seriously.
Also, I never knew I needed to see 16 girls beating the living crap out of a group of men at a McDonald's, and now I can't go back!
An instant favorite, Chak De! India is one of the best sports films ever made.
The Twilight Zone: One for the Angels (1959)
It tackles a universal fear: the fear of death
One for the Angels is about one of the most basic human desires: cheating death. But the main theme being basic doesn't mean it's not good! In fact, writer Rod Serling manages to write a beautiful and compelling story. This episode deals with the innate fear of death, regret, and the sensation of not having accomplished enough, despite how long one has lived.
The highlight of the episode is Mr. Death, played by Murray Hamilton. He not only plays his character to perfection but also serves as a narrator, breaking the fourth wall on multiple occasions.
Director Robert Parrish gives us a brilliant opening scene where the narrator is revealed to be in fact Mr. Death, whose distinctive black suit makes him pop even on a black-and-white screen. Brilliant!
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
A fun movie, it doesn't have to be more than that
Based on a true story - allegedly - Catch Me If You Can combine drama and comedy flawlessly, Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio bring different energy to their respective roles in this cat-and-mouse Steven Spielberg blockbuster.
The film is a classic good detective, smart criminal frenemy story. The detective obsesses over catching the criminal, even disobeying orders in the process until he finally does it; everyone learns their lesson, and the case is closed, so Catch Me If You Can is not getting any points for originality on my part.
Despite its lack of innovation, performances by lead actors Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio are outstanding as per usual. Let's not forget Christopher Walken as Frank Abagnale Sr whose brilliant performance earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in the Academy Awards. On another note the score is memorable, and the cinematography is good.
Definitely not an art-house - as evidenced by the lack of nominations for major awards - but it doesn't have to be. Catch Me If You Can is still a fun watch.
The Green Mile (1999)
An invitation to stop seeing life black and white
The Green Mile is probably the most deceitful film I have ever seen. As someone who 1) was unfamiliar with Stephen King's novel and 2) had not seen any trailer or promotional footage before deciding to watch the film, I certainly didn't expect it to go in that direction.
In retrospect, by looking at the length of the film and how the story unfolds, it becomes obvious it has literary influences, but I have to admit, I didn't notice it while watching it.
The film touches on themes such as law and morality and invites us to look at the gray areas that lie between our black-and-white views of the world.
What I enjoyed the most was Doug Hutchison's performance as Percy Wetmore. Writing a despicable character like that is already a difficult job; bringing it to life has to be a very difficult task to pull off, but Doug Hutchison passes with flying colors. While Michael Clarke Duncan was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for 8 different awards - winning 3 of them - Doug Hutchison received only one nomination, which he didn't end up winning. I don't pretend to say Michael Clarke Duncan's outstanding performance was not deserving of the recognition or that Doug Hutchison should have been nominated for a Black Reel Award. But I certainly wish he would have gotten more recognition.
Needless to say, Frank Darabont did a fantastic job with this film, not only directing it but also producing it and adapting the screenplay. It's worth mentioning that Frank Darabont would go on to write, produce, and direct The Mist later on. This man definitively has a thing for Stephen King stories.
The Green Mile, like other novel adaptions, can be a very heavy watch. The film relies a lot on dialogue and character building, plus at a running time of 189 minutes, it demands a lot of your attention, but ultimately it's worth the watch.
The Twilight Zone: Where Is Everybody? (1959)
Welcome to the sixth dimension
Where Is Everybody? Is a solid debut for a fiction series - especially one as iconic as The Twilight Zone -. As a first time viewer I didn't know what to expect from the series, but I found this episode does a good job, particularly for an anthology series.
The magic of Where Is Everybody? Is how uses an unreliable narrator to introduce us to this misterious world called The Twilight Zone, we - the audience - are as confused as the main character during the whole episode, who is that man, where did he come from, and more importantly where did everybody go!? The writer stretches and stretches that rubber band until it cannot get any bigger and inevitably the tension is released with the big reveal at the end of the episode.
Director Robert Stevens does a great job in this episode, with virtually no other characters to move the plot forward they had to rely in visual storytelling, and they do it masterfully for the epoque, bravo!
In ready to dive head first into the sixth dimension, or was it the fifth dimension?
Road to Perdition (2002)
Deserves all of the 3 awards for Best Cinematography
A period film starring Tom Hanks? Yes, please!
At first glance, one could think that Road to Perdition is just another crime film, nevertheless instead of capitalizing on people's never-ending desire for senseless violence - particularly in period films - writer David Self gives us a heartfelt father-son story that works in so many different levels, while director Sam Mendes creates an irreproachable 1930s somber atmosphere.
The cast is outstanding. Besides Tom Hanks in the leading role, it features Paul Newman, Jude Law, Stanley Tucci, and Daniel Craig, to name a few. I would say child actor Tyler Hoechlin is one of the lowlights of the movie. One would expect a better performance for an actor in such a prominent role, but again, comparing him to the rest of the cast it's not fair. Also, he won a Saturn Award for Best Young Actor, and was nominated for a Critics' Choice Movie Award, so what do I know?
The cinematography in this film is exquisite, it comes as no surprise that director of photography Conrad L. Hall won three awards for Best Cinematography.
If you're a sucker for father-son stories and like crime films then you absolutely have to watch Road To Perdition.
Director by Night (2022)
More about Michael Giacchino than Werewolf by Night, but it's fine.
I consider Director By Night to be a great documentary about the directorial debut of film composer Michael Giacchino - who in 2019 directed the episode "Ephraim and Dot" for the television series Star Trek: Short Treks -. It's less about the making of Werewolf By Night and more about Michael Giacchino's story and background, but still manages to be enjoyable, especially for non-enthusiasts of film scores - and thus not familiar with Michael Giacchino's previous work -.
I truly hope to see Michael Giacchino directing again in the future.
Michael Giacchino has worked in several MCU titles as a composer in the past, so seeing him jumping to the director's chair is a feel-good story.
Philadelphia (1993)
Young Tom Hanks looks like Tom from Succession
The year is 1993, and virtually no one in film or TV dares to have a homosexual character as their protagonist. Gay characters are relegated to comedic relief and tertiary characters, enters Jonathan Demme, who goes above and beyond to make the audience feel uncomfortable with Philadelphia, and he more than succeeds.
One of the things I enjoyed the most about the film is the terrific job writer Ron Nyswanertheir did in accurately portraying society. Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) decides to take Andrew Beckett's (Tom Hanks) case, not because he believes in justice, but because as an African-American man he sees and understands how Andrew is discriminated, better than anybody else. It's not a coincidence that he is one of the few African-Americans in any given scene, not to mention the one with the most prominent role. But despite all that, he is still disgusted by Andrew's "lifestyle" and disease, and he shows it by maintaining actual physical distance throughout most of the film.
Philadelphia is not about Joe Miller the savior, but about Andrew Beckett's struggles to fight for what is right so other people in his position wouldn't have to suffer the same fate he did.
Director Jonathan Demme uses a lot of close-ups in this film, with actors talking directly to the camera in more than one instance which makes the story feel personal and intense. It can get uncomfortable at times, and I believe that's exactly what the director was going for. I'm not particularly a fan, but I understand his motivation.
As with other films, and despite the great performance of Tom Hanks, I would have appreciated it if the main character was played by an actual gay actor instead of a white man wearing mascara, but again, it was the start of the '90s...
Philadelphia is as relevant today as it was 30 years ago when it was released, a must-watch in all the sense of the word.
There Will Be Blood (2007)
I didn't get it
I have to admit, this film went completely over my head. Sure, I understand what the story is about, Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), a greedy businessman goes from town to town buying land and building wells to extract oil. Just another good ol' fellow
chasing the American dream.
But at the same time, I consider There Will Be Blood to be so subtext-rich that even after recognizing the great directing, art style, and of course, performances in the film, I feel like I'm letting sooooo much more in the table.
Definitely a film I have to watch with a more critical eye before leaving my 2 cents.
The Terminal (2004)
Long live the Republic of Krakozhia!
The Terminal tells the story of how an Eastern-European man called Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) gets stranded at JFK airport after his home country - the fictional republic of Krakozhia - suffers a coup d'état and the United States suspends all diplomatic relationships while Viktor finds mid-fly to the United States. The beginning of the film is very emotional as we see Viktor react to this unfortunate event, but it quickly devolves into a comedy.
The film's main theme is the failure of the American system in yet another aspect: diplomacy and human rights. Viktor Navorski is not seen as a human being but as a nuisance by the airport administration, despite the fact he followed all legal procedures to enter the United States and his irregular immigration status not being his fault.
The Terminal finds a good balance between drama and comedy, with incredible performances across the board from its talent-packed cast which includes Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stanley Tucci, Chi McBride, and a young Zoe Saldaña.
Despite the outstanding performance of Tom Hanks as Viktor Navorski, I believe the film would have benefited from an Eastern-European actor playing the role, not only for representation purposes but as a way of telling a more compelling and emotional story. Maybe if this was an independent film we could have seen something of that nature, but being Hollywood I understand going for a big-name actor.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, The Terminal reminds us that life is about the journey and not the destination. At the end of the day, the reason why Viktor Navorski wanted to enter The United States is not important. It was his time in the terminal that he will remember the most.
Cast Away (2000)
Good storytelling, better sound design
I remember when I was a kid and this movie used to be on TV all the time. I never watched it back then, mainly because I wasn't into movies, but it always stuck with me in a weird way. Now that I have seen it after all these years, I can say it's already one of my favorites.
The central theme of the film is time, this is established from the very first moment Chuck (Tom Hanks) appears on screen. Time does not forgive!
The story in Cast Away (directed by Robert Zemeckis) is told in a very innovative way. There is basically no dialogue during the second act, and still, we can feel Chuck's emotions as our own. His fear, desperation, loneliness, and pain, we make them our own. That is a feat not many films can accomplish.
The product placement is not subtle in this film - you will be seeing the FedEx logo a lot - but at least it integrates well into the narrative. It's almost a sin they didn't use Message in a Bottle by The Police at some point in the movie, but since music is absent in the film I can understand what the director was going for. Where this movie really shines is in sound design, and that's the main reason that the second act felt so magical despite having so little dialogue. By removing the dialogue they had to rely on other ways of storytelling, and they did it brilliantly! I have to admit, at times the storytelling feels lazy, they almost mastered the art of show don't tell, but there is some telling here and there too.
After watching the film I asked myself: what's the lesson here? Honestly, at first, I thought there wasn't one, but after further thinking I started seeing things in a different way. Chuck's journey teaches us that life goes on, and you have to cling to it until the very last moment.
All in all, Cast Away is a film worth watching and rewatching. The direction is brilliant, the sound design is remarkable, and Tom Hank's performance as Chuck Noland is outstanding. One cannot ask for more.