love

Author Topic: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts  (Read 561898 times)

roujin

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 15508
  • it's all research
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #200 on: December 21, 2008, 03:43:13 PM »
Only Yesterday should go really, really, really far into this bracket. So good.

roujin

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 15508
  • it's all research
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #201 on: December 21, 2008, 04:18:55 PM »
roujin's 2nd verdict in this wonderful bracket? Oh no! Super magical happy funtime!

A Touch of Fever vs. In the Heat of the Sun


A Touch of Fever (Ryosuke Hashiguchi, 1993)

This is actually available on netflix under a different title, Slight Fever of a 20-Year-Old, for all that are curious.

Anyway, this is a really fascinating film. It details the everyday of life of a couple of guys who have found themselves selling their bodies to older gentleman at a club named Pinocchio (yeah). One of them seems pretty ambivalent about his sexuality. He has no problem with selling his body because of the money and because it's never personal. It's not enjoyable for him but it isn't bad. The other boy is much more emotional than him and grows to dislike everything associated with the place. Of course, one falls in love with the other. This is all told in almost typical Japanese minimalist style with lots of extremely long shots of people just doing random things. I mean, there was like a 8-minute take of a family eating around one of those cool little tables just depicting subtle behavioral changes and shit which was awesome and I kept wondering how long they would keep it going for (I think there's a name for the tables but I forgot what it was, anyway, they are awesome and I want one). The film is pretty fascinating because of its thematics, honestly, and not because of any cool visual stuff that it has going and at the end it becomes really clumsy in what's arguably its most important scene. The director appears in the pivotal scene as a john and what follows could've been handled better if he were behind the camera instead of in front of it, but it's like this weird exorcism shit that happens as the guy breaks down (this is supposed to be autobiographical, I think, and one or two of the characters could be him) and he addresses them talking about this all stuff and it's so bizarre and clumsy and heartfelt and so goddamn fascinating. I loved it. Anyway, I was surprised to see that this film was a hit in Japan and is a landmark in gay film over there (and it only has 96 votes on IMDB!). Surprised because it's so slow and patient in how it develops and stuff. I just can't see that sort of thing happening here (unless it's with Cowboys or something :D ).


and...


In the Heat of the Sun (Wen Jiang, 1994)

This was actually sort of similar to A Brighter Summer Day in its depiction of teenagedom in a past decade (not 60s but 70s). However, that film employs a very oblique still camera thing while this is full of free-flowing camera movements and lots of visual goodies. I'm surprised this isn't more well-known cuz it seems pretty seminal (:D) in its depiction of a certain time period in China. It's the cultural revolution and all the parents are away working hard! It appears to be summer and the teens around here have nothing to do but explore, fool around, and get into crazy ass fights. It's also very funny and stuff or something or not or perhaps.The film is mostly about the past (it's narrated by the central figure many years later). There are times when we see scenes and wonder how real they are because the narrator keeps doubting himself saying that things may have not happened this way and he gives fictionalized accounts as well to make himself look braver. However, while this is certainly a coming-of-age film, it doesn't really end up where you expect it at all. And, that's what I like the most about it. I'm not sure. You should tell me.

Anyway, these are both very, very good but for entirely different reasons...

I'll be interested in what pix says of Touch of Fever when he reviews it cuz it's out and I'll be interested to see what someone else says of In the Heat of the Sun cuz it's moving on.

I might as well have flipped a coin.

Well, I guess In the Heat of the Sun is much more assured in its direction and handling of themes... plus... it's pretty... so... yeah...

« Last Edit: December 21, 2008, 09:12:33 PM by roujin »

edgar00

  • 00 Agent
  • Objectively Awesome
  • *
  • Posts: 12131
  • corndogs are better than Die Another Day
    • Between The Seats
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #202 on: December 21, 2008, 04:30:32 PM »
Intriguing.
-Le Chiffre: You changed your shirt, Mr Bond. I hope our little game isn't causing you to perspire.

-James Bond: A little. But I won't consider myself to be in trouble until I start weeping blood.

https://twitter.com/Betweentheseats
http://crabkeyheadquarters.wordpress.com/

worm@work

  • Godfather
  • *****
  • Posts: 7445
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #203 on: December 21, 2008, 04:35:09 PM »
I have A Touch of Fever here to watch! In the Heat of the Sun goes into my ever-growing list of films I want to try and call dibs on for the second round!

Clovis8

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 11719
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #204 on: December 22, 2008, 02:26:25 PM »
Happy Together vs. Happy End

This is why I love Filmspotting. I just watched two movies back-to-back that I would never have seen if it were not for the show and these boards. I have very little experience with Asian cinema, as I am not a fan of martial arts movies at all, and these constitute the bulk of Asian films that get released in North America. By chance I was in chat last night and people were talking about the brackets and I asked if I could get in on the fun. Since I knew nothing of Asian cinema, I asked Pix for some suggestions. We ended up randomly paring these two films, mostly because they both had the word Happy in the title. This accidental paring could not have been better!

Happy Together




This is the first and only Wong Kar-Wai I have ever seen, which is sad given his high ranking (#11) in our recently completed best directors list. This is a deceptively simple film about a turbulent relationship. In many ways it reminded me of Paranoid Park, in that the film is more about style and ambiance than plot. Really the details of the plot are not very important in gaining an appreciation for the film. It essentially consists of a series of somewhat connected scenes showing the relationship between two ill-fated people. They breakup and get back together several times in the film, and the ending is fairly anti-climactic but perfectly fits the tone of the film. Happy Together is really a masterclass in creating mood, style, visuals, and great acting. The film is absolutely beautiful. Every trick in the cinematographers book is used in the film. Black and white, slo-mo, over saturation, fish eye lenses. These are used to enhance the emotional strength of the film. In some ways it almost feels like a documentary it is so real. I will be making a point of seeing more Wong Kar-wai films in the very near future.


Happy end



I had never heard of this film or director before I choose it in my bracket. It does, however, star Min Sik Choi, who played Oldboy. This film is a perfect companion piece to the Wong film, in that both examine ill-fated relationships and how people deal with them, however, the lovers in each find very different ways to end their relationships. Happy End has been called controversial mostly because of the fairly graphic sex scenes, of which there are several. In fact, the sex scenes are some of the best shot I have seen in some time. They are not used as pure titillation, but to illustrate the connections people have between their various partners. Unlike the Wong film, Happy End in shot in a traditional straight forward manner with little flourish. The story and actors provide the emotional depth which is gripping. The film drives towards its ending with a sense of longing, rage, fear, and dread that I have not experienced during a movie in quite awhile. We are left to ask: Happy End? This is simply a great film.


Verdict: Wow this is so hard. Before I watched these films I assumed it would be a slam dunk for Happy Together. If I was to judge based on style and film craft then it would be Happy Together. If I was to decide based on pure enjoyment of the film then I would have to choose Happy End. Damn, I hate Sophie's Choice! I think that while I loved Happy End, and would highly recommend it, it seems to me the point of these brackets if the elevate the best of cinema and I must therefore advance Happy Together. But seek out Happy End.
« Last Edit: December 22, 2008, 02:41:54 PM by Clovis8 »

worm@work

  • Godfather
  • *****
  • Posts: 7445
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #205 on: December 22, 2008, 02:30:30 PM »
I could feel my heartrate rising as I was reading your verdict! Happy Together is one of my all-time favorite films and while Happy End sounds pretty great as well, I don't know that I could've survived Happy Together losing its first round matchup!

Lovely writeup Clovis and welcome to this awesome bracket! At the rate you're going, I am going to have to work very hard to be able to call dibs on any of the second round films!
« Last Edit: December 22, 2008, 02:49:48 PM by worm@work »

Thor

  • Godfather
  • *****
  • Posts: 6535
    • KTQ
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #206 on: December 22, 2008, 02:42:28 PM »
Phew.. that was a close-call.
Wanting for Thor what Thor wants for Thor.

jbissell

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 10915
  • What's up, hot dog?
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #207 on: December 22, 2008, 02:45:17 PM »
I could feel my heartrate rising as I was reading your verdict! Happy Together is one of my all-time favorite films and while Happy End sounds pretty great as well, I don't know that I can survive Happy Together losing its first round matchup!

Lovely writeup Clovis and welcome to this awesome bracket! At the rate you're going, I am going to have to work very hard to be able to call dibs on any of the second round films!


Yeah I was worried for a minute there.  Very nice Clovis.  Hopefully Happy End gets resurrected.

duder

  • Elite Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 4404
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #208 on: December 22, 2008, 04:13:53 PM »
Holy shit, did you just complete your matchup within 24 hours of getting it from pixote?


Best. Christmas. Ever.

pixote
...

Tequila

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 11143
Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #209 on: December 22, 2008, 04:37:53 PM »
That's actually a good thing because I won't get to mine in 2008. Very early '09, promise.
'What am I doing? I'm quietly judging you'
http://letterboxd.com/Tagave/