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Author Topic: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts  (Read 561579 times)

sdedalus

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #1610 on: June 30, 2011, 12:39:04 PM »
Nope, that one's not a sequel.
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BlueVoid

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #1611 on: July 02, 2011, 10:52:38 PM »
After Life
VS
The Days


After Life (Wandafuru Raifu)
Hirokazu Koreeda
1998
Japan
Bondo's Round 1 verdict




If you could only remember one thing from your entire life and everything else wiped away, what would it be? This is the concept which director Hirokazu Koreeda examines in his cerebral fantasy 'After Life'. Somewhere between earth and heaven is a weigh station for the recently deceased. The facility is set up like a travel lodge. Incoming souls are made aware that they have died and are tasked with the responsibility of choosing a single memory from their entire life to take with them to the after life. They have a week to decide and then the staff reenacts and films their memory to the best of their ability.  Koreeda sets up a perfect vehicle to examine cognition, memory and what really matters to people in their life.

I love 'thinking movies'. Ones where when the credits start rolling you sit wondering how that could be it and asking where the bow is to wrap everything up nicely. It's these movies which at first leave you confused, if not angry, that hold hidden value. They are the ones that stick like a thorn in your brain, pondering the the messages and asking yourself what you have missed. 'After Life' isn't an impenetrable allegory, there is a cohesive narrative, but at the same time it doesn't fill in the blanks for you. It leaves more questions open ended, then it answers. Rather than spell things out, Koreeda invites the viewer to ponder the situations themselves. This introspective approach is far more effective when dealing with such a personal topic as memory and accomplishment.

Throughout the film we see the interviews with the dead. What I liked is that we are never meant to feel bad that they have passed away. The nature of the death, their age or the people they left behind is never really dwelt on. We focus on who they were, what kinds of lives they lead and whether they feel like their life was meaningful. It is fascinating to watch them struggle, trying to find the moment that made them most happy, and the surprising memories that they settle on. Some have lead full lives and can't choose, some average lives and search for one moment that defined them, and others had horrible lives and dread having to pick any memory at all. I loved the layers in this movie, peeling back one aspect of the film only reveals more to muse over. It is a simple plot, but quickly complicates considering the magnitude of the decision these poor souls have to make.

With as much as this film had to offer conceptually, I was little disappointed visually. Even though the entire movie takes place in a purgatory, Koreeda chose to paint everything in a gloomy gray, setting the lodge in an austere house in the winter. Given that a majority of the time is spent watching people talk about their lives, it would have been refreshing to have something visually interesting to keep the movie from feeling monotonous.

Given the amount of time I have spent thinking back after watching this I can certainly say it was worth it. There are some inconsistencies and peculiarities which kept me from loving it, but on a whole it was very well done. Koreeda wasn't a director who was on my radar, but if the rest of his work is like this, I definitely need to watch more.




The Days(Dongchun de rizi)
Xiaoshuai Wang
1994
China
Melvil's round 1 verdict




I get nervous anytime a movie starts off by telling me how boring the main character's life is. We are introduced to a married couple, both of whom are struggling artists. The man, has grown cold, dissatisfied with the ennui of living, and the woman frustrated with the passionless marriage she is in. Both know there is nothing left between them, but neither can seem to let go.

What I liked about Xiaoshuai Wang's 'The Days' is that it takes the over worn story in Western film of a world-weary couple struggle with the monotony of a failing marriage, and skews it from the prospective of a couple living in China. For me, bathing this universal struggle a light of a culture I'm largely unfamiliar with was intriguing. Unfortunately that is about all I appreciated about what ultimately turned out to be a disappointment.

Let's face it, this is a boring movie. There is a whole lot of nothing going on. If I'm sitting and watching someone else's boring life unravel, what does it say about mine? It's not to say that there aren't some redeeming moments, but on a whole I just wanted it to end. In fact I loved the first few minutes which perfectly setup to what could have been a moving examination of the demise of a relationship, but instead flat-lined into a monotone chore.




Verdict: There isn't much suspense here. One was great, the other was pretty boring. 'After Life' easily moves on.
« Last Edit: July 02, 2011, 10:55:18 PM by BlueVoid »
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Bondo

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #1612 on: July 02, 2011, 11:54:42 PM »
Yay, I discovered After Life last summer thanks to the bracket and will soon watch it again for my one-night stands. I definitely recommend Koreeda's other work. Still Walking is fantastic and many people also like Nobody Knows. I've not seen any of the others but Maborosi is on TCM this month. Also planning on watching Air Doll soon.

Regarding your slight disappointment in the film visually, I do think the one major exception is the entryway to the purgatory building. That shot where people are coming in is great (in fact, I'm gonna cap it when I watch it).

BlueVoid

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #1613 on: July 03, 2011, 02:34:13 AM »
Regarding your slight disappointment in the film visually, I do think the one major exception is the entryway to the purgatory building. That shot where people are coming in is great (in fact, I'm gonna cap it when I watch it).

Yeah, I really loved that opening. There are actually a few scenes which I thought were really beautiful, but maybe this made it even more apparent how static/bland the rest of it is.
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BlueVoid

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #1614 on: July 05, 2011, 02:25:14 AM »
VS.



Vive L'Amour(Ai qing wan sui)
Ming-liang Tsai
1994
Taiwan
Edgar's Round 1 verdict




Three people unknowingly share a single upscale apartment (I hate when that happens!). This Ming-Liang Tsai drama is extremely slow paced. The three people that share the Taipei apartment all use it for a different purposes. One has a safe heaven from a world he just doesn't fit in to, another a place to use for random sexual encounters and the last is a miscreant who just uses as it as a free room. Each are completely different from one another, only united by the loneliness that surrounds them, yet in their own way they make a, strangely congruent, motley group.

While this is my first experience to Tsai, its blatant he has left his prints all over. Even without seeing the rest of his canon, I'm sure I'd be able to recognize a Tsai work within a few scenes. His favorite theme of alienation is central to this movie. Dripping with a cold sensuality throughout, even intimate scenes seem disconnected and distancing. There is seldom a shot where this theme is not emphasized, even when there is the rare moment where one of the characters is interacting with someone else. There is no connection, they are being shut out even if they are not alone. It's as if the world through Tsai's eyes is incapable of providing any sort of comfort. Even in a densely populated city like Taipei people are doomed to feel estranged.

Adding to the overbearing alienation is the fact that there is almost no dialog. The lack of verbal communication was suffocating, and underscores the isolation of the main characters. While its an effective tool in conveying the theme, the lack of language matched with the already slow pace made it a bit of a chore to sit through. However, there was enough here to chew on to keep from nodding off. Tsai mixes in utterly bizarre scenes which break up the tension and keep you involved in the movie. While watching it, despite the serious themes, I couldn't help but laugh at some points. There is definitely some dark humor in watching three lonely souls awkwardly bumble around a small apartment trying to avoid one another.

Overall Tsai has made a challenging, but effective study of alienation. I can't say I enjoyed watching it, but appreciate what he was going for. It's a slow burn,  with a climatic scene that leaves you feeling absolutely empty inside. Exactly how its intended.



Adrenaline Drive(Adorenarin doraibu)
Shinobu Yaguchi
1999
Japan
Bill's round 1 verdict




'Adrenaline Drive' is a romantic comedy taken to preposterous territory. A reserved nurse and a timid rental car driver, serendipitously get thrown together after they steal a large amount of money from the Yakuza. They get their chance to take the money after a gas explosion leaves the Yakuza headquarter in ruins. Armed with this extraordinarily sum of money they come out of their shell and begin to form a romance, with the only problem being that the Yakuza are hot on their tail and they want their money back. 

Part rom-com, part crime thriller and part spoof it is a pretty fun ride. It takes the familiar tropes of romantic comedies and action thrillers and puts a ridiculous spin on them. Taken more as a comedy then anything else, it manages to at least be fun. The problem is there are also moments where it seems like its trying to hard, and it falls really flat. Adding to this was an incredibly slow beginning which seems completely out of place with the rest of the movie. Overall I couldn't get past how entirely mediocre the execution of the premise was. It was enjoyable enough, but not something I'll remember past next week.



Verdict: I actually agonized over this verdict for a little while. However, after I let both sink in a little bit, there was a clear winner. I probably didn't enjoy 'Vive L'Amour' as much as my review lets on, but it clearly is the better film and is moving on. There is a lot there to digest. My experience was completely different then Edgars, so I'm interested in the round 3 writeup. Adrenaline drive was fun, but there really wasn't much to it. Although I probably did go a little harsh on it.
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MartinTeller

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #1615 on: July 05, 2011, 03:47:28 AM »
I haven't seen Adrenaline, but I'm thrilled to see Tsai move on.  Your comments are very astute.

smirnoff

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #1616 on: July 05, 2011, 12:22:37 PM »
I don't have much to add but it was a good read. Vive L'Amour sounds the most interesting of the last 4 you reviewed :)

BlueVoid

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #1617 on: July 05, 2011, 01:52:20 PM »
I don't have much to add but it was a good read. Vive L'Amour sounds the most interesting of the last 4 you reviewed :)

Of my last 6 I'd rank it 2nd, only behind After Life. It was more my pace.
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BlueVoid

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #1618 on: July 10, 2011, 12:14:12 PM »
VS.



The Hole(Dong)
Ming-liang Tsai
1998
Taiwan
Worm@Work's Round 1 verdict




It's right before the millennium and something strange is happening in Taiwan. Amidst a constant downpour of rain a new disease has sprung up, turning people into cockroach like invalids. Despite evacuation order from the quarantine area, a few stubborn people stick around, refusing to leave. Two of these people, a woman downstairs and a man upstairs, are forced to interact when a plumber breaks a small hole in their floor. Director Ming-liang Tsai's 'The Hole' is a gritty examination of alienation set in a dystopian hell. 

This being my second Tsai film, his motifs and film making style were already familiar. Like other Tsai films the lack of dialog was challenging for me, but it does underscore the director's favorite theme of alienation. Here the overwhelming feeling of loneliness was palpable. The atmosphere is bizarre. Everyone seems to be going about there lives, as if nothing has changed. The main male character (who is not named), gets up every morning and opens up his small shop. It is located in some kind of underground shopping mall, surrounded by dozens of other shops which have been shuttered. He seems unperturbed by the paucity of shoppers, and sits idly waiting as if this was normal even before the evacuation. The complete indifference to the presumably new occurrence of lack of social interaction highlights Tsai's apparent view that social estrangement is the norm.

Everyone in the film seems content to be alone, each in their own world trying to survive. When the hole is made, connecting the two main characters it creates a rift in this catatonic asceticism. The hole becomes a source of tension between the pair, both unwilling to have any sort of relationship. Apparently unable or unwilling to interact in a socially acceptable way they at first resort to harassing each other through the hole. Again, it shows Tsai's pessimistic view of social interaction when even two utterly lonely people resort to further alienating one another rather than embracing what could be their only chance at a relationship. What was surprising to me was that Tsai didn't revel in this theme, but rather turned it around, offering a hopeful outlook. The two form, albeit begrudgingly, a sort of camaraderie .

Furthering the suffocating feeling of isolation is the visual impact of the rain. Everything is wet in this movie. Water is constantly dripping everywhere, and even the wallpaper is falling off the walls from the moisture. For an unexplained reason it is constantly raining the entire film, and it seems like it has been for some time. Added the rain is the water that has dowsed the downstairs apartment from a broken pipe, which was the impetus of the plumber creating the hole. Everything looks drowned, uncomfortable and altogether miserable. The people resemble wet cats, as they try to maintain some sense of normalcy despite the devastation to their livelihood the epidemic has caused.

Directly contrasting with this visual unpleasantness were beautifully colorful musical sequences inter-cut throughout the film. Seemingly completely out of context, these fantasy dance sequences featured themes of hope and joy with extravagant costumes and flair. Most striking was that these numbers are performed in the exact same setting where the characters are living their lives of despair. It is a brilliant cue by Tsai to highlight the escapism which the characters must yearn for. Each time you feel like you can't take another minute of the bleak world which you are trapped, we are treated to one of these striking vignettes, revitalizing your spirits and furthering the appreciation for the unbearable conditions in which the characters are living through.

There is a definite sense of social commentary throughout the film. The disease which is spreading turns its victims into mindless insect-like creatures, forcing them to scuttle around on their hands and knees and hide in dark places. To me this suggests a view of mankind turning into anti-social vermin, which fits nicely into Tsai's overarching theme of alienation. The disease is metaphor for the reaction of people to intense isolation and inability to deal with the harshness of life. One moving scene involves someone going through the transition into the 'insect' state. With her apartment flooding, alone, wet and sick in bed with the flu she breaks down in tears.  Completely helpless and utterly miserable, she has been broken, falling to her knees she scurries around like a cockroach and hides under a mountain of clutter. It's a gutting scene and indicates this disease is more of an emotional detachment from reality rather than a physical disorder.

There is a lot to admire about this Tsai work. As unsettling and uncomfortable the enviornment there is a through line of hope, optimism and life. The  more I see of his work, the more enamored I become with the style and themes of  Ming-liang Tsai. He has an incredible command of visuals, creating an atmosphere which directs the mood of the film and becomes every bit an integral character in relating the themes. I was completely taken by the spin Tsai was able to put on his familiar themes. Somehow Tsai managed to make an examination of isolation and misery not only interesting, but entertaining.



Stage Door(Hu Du Men)
Kei Shu
1996
Hong Kong
Smirnoff's round 1 verdict




In Cantonese the original title 'Hu Du Men' refers to the line separating the backstage and the main stage in Cantonese opera. Once an actor crosses this line they leave everything personal behind and completely become their character. 'Stage Door' focuses on the life of a famous opera star Lam Kim-Sum as she nears her retirement. She has given up a great deal in her life to pursue her acting career. With her exit from the profession she loves nearing, the emotion of living with her scarifies comes to a head as she tries to also manage problems in her family.

There is a lot of different plot lines being worked at the same time, and unfortunately none are satisfyingly explored. I got the feeling watching this that I was watching a day time soap opera. The drama was thick and overwrought. New conflict seemed to be dropped in for no good reason making it difficult to care about any one thing in particular. Even the way it was shot seemed a bit stilted and over produced. I did like some of the scenes of the actual Cantonese opera, but it wasn't nearly enough to make this worthwhile.



Verdict: This one wasn't too tough. It's not that I hated 'Stage Door', it was just very mediocre. One interesting note is that Fruit Chan was the AD on this movie, and I know he directed at least one other film in this bracket. Anyway, 'The Hole' easily moves on. I liked this even more than 'Vive Le'Amour', and really makes me want to watch more Tsai. Also, I wanted to note that this was my 3rd film featuring actress Kuei-Mei Yang and she has really grown on me. This was definitely her best performance. She has a quirkiness to her that I love.
« Last Edit: July 10, 2011, 12:27:56 PM by BlueVoid »
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worm@work

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts
« Reply #1619 on: July 10, 2011, 12:21:16 PM »
Great writeup. The Hole is one of my favorite films. Your writeup captures everything I love about it.

 

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