YNOT_at_the_Movies Reviews

Crying Out Love in the Center of the World (2004)

A tear jerker

[13 January 2007]

This is a beautifully shot and profoundly touching film about love and grief. Normally I am not really into sappy romance movies, because many of them insult my intelligence. But this sentimental drama completely captivates me and I cried and cried and cried again.

In "Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World," Saku and Aki are two high school classmates in the 80s. They fall in love and use audio cassettes to record their diaries for each other. However, this romance didn't last forever. And 17 years later, when Saku comes back to his hometown, he is still consumed by his love of his life time.

The film travels between two time lines seamlessly and never slows down on building up the emotion through a brilliant performance by a terrific ensemble cast. I believe in and feel the love between the characters, which is why I am so deeply moved by their love story.

Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006)

A compelling story

[26 September 2006]

I have heard about the cult "Peoples Temple" before, but I knew little about it. Through large amount of rare footages and in depth interviews of the Peoples Temple survivors and family members of the members of Peoples Temple, the documentary takes a deep look into this cult and tries to find out why 909 people committed "mass murder/suicide" on November 18, 1978 in Jonestown, Guyana.

This film is what a great documentary looks like. It goes beyond the headline and dig deep into the story. I begin to understand whom Jim Jones was. I begin to understand why so many people crossed the racial and social boundaries to come together and even devoted their lives to this cult leader and their "church." Many of the cult followers were struggling with the social injustice and racial discrimination in the 60s and 70s. Jim Jones offered them equality and sense of belonging that the society didn't offer. So Peoples Temple becomes their utopia where they could be so happy and united. Only the sad part is that later some of them realize they were betrayed and they had no way out.

This is definitely a great documentary I have seen this year and I surely hope it will get an Oscar nomination.

The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Oscar is written all over it

[26 September 2006]

A freshly graduated young doctor Nicolas from Scotland went to Uganda in 1970s hoping that he could offer his helping hands to the Ugandan people. Instead of serving the poor and needed, he met the charismatic Uganda dictator Idi Amin and his life is forever changed.

I didn't know anything about Idi Amin before the film, but I know a great deal about him after the film. He is charismatic yet brutal. I can see myself to become his friend when I first meet him and then realize that he can be the worst monster in my life and I want to escape far away from him. Idi Amin's character is so lively and fascinating in this film, through the terrific performance by Forest Whitaker.

I know it's just the beginning of the Oscar season, but Forest Whitaker definitely gives an Oscar worthy performance in this film as Idi Amin.

It's such a gripping film that keeps me on the edge of my seat all the time.

The performance is outstanding, the cinematography is breathtaking, the story is compelling, the music is deeply moving, and the film is simply fantastic.

And the Oscar is written all over it.

Yes, I am giving it a rare 10 out of 10.

Shinobi: Heart Under Blade (2005)

Love the hair

[8 September 2006]

During the 17th century, the ruler of Japan orchestrated a battle between two powerful ninja clans Iga and Kouga in order to reduce their threats to the ruler. Iga and Kouga have been rivals and fighting for hundred of years. Five of the best from each clan were chosen for the battle, led by Gennosuke (Joe Odagiri) and Oboro (Yukie Nakama) respectively.

However, there is one big problem: Gennosuke and Oboro love each other.

After seeing "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Hero," and "The Seven Swords" in the recent years, this film still so refreshing and fantastically looking to me. I am simply awed by the incredible martial arts super power demonstrated by these shinobi.

If you think people walking on top of bamboo trees is wild, wait to see "Shinobi." Although some of these martial arts seem science fiction, but anyone who has read wuxia genre novel will believe they can do those things in the movie.

I really enjoy watching this film and I wish it had many episodes so each character's story can be told in more glorious (or gruesome) details.

Joe Odagiri's character Gennosuke perhaps is the worst written one among all the main characters, but Odagiri-chan is terrific nevertheless.

Now I need to save my hair long enough so I can have a "Japanese Hair Straightening" treatment to look like many guys in this movie, or in an anime.

Oldboy (2003)

Revenge or seek the truth?

[3 September 2006]

If you are imprisoned for 15 years, without being told why and for how long, what would you do when you get out? If you have to choose between revenge and finding out the reason of the imprisonment, which one would you choose? This is the choice Oh Des-su has to make at the beginning of the movie "Oldboy." What a terrific film! I gasped, screamed, closed my eyes, and laughed numerous times during the film. This is a movie experience you do not want to miss. "Oldboy" has many gruesome images and unbelievable shocking scenes. However, you don't feel any exaggeration at all, and the characters did what they have to do after the chain of events.

There are so many secrets and mysteries in the film, so see it before anybody spoils the story for you.

Heading South (2005)

A great complex film

[22 August 2006]

I know a lot Americans guys travel to Thailand for young girls, and a lot German guys travel to Hungry for young boys. But I never know that sex tourism also include middle aged white women going to Haiti in the 70s for young black guys. That's a story a new film "Heading South" (Vers le sud) is telling.

Three mid-aged North American women (two Americans and one Canadian) went to Haiti for summer vacation in the 70s, soaking in the sun and their desire for beautiful young Haitian boys. They have what those boys don't have: money and social status. The boys have what the ladies don't have: their youth and bodies. When two of the three ladies want the same handsome 18 years old Legba, the vacation is over.

This is an excellent film. I love this film for its brutal honesty, its originality, its thought provoking subject, and its terrific performance. Money liberates these ladies' sexuality, but can money buy love that they really desire for? Isn't it interesting that these ladies wouldn't lay their eyes on a black guy back home, but they are lusting after these young men in the poorest country? What made the connection between them here in Haiti?

Perhaps Love (2005)

great film making

[30 March 2006]

This is a splendid film about the lost of love, the memory of love, the pursuit of love, and the truth of love. It tells a triangle love story. What I like about this film is not how touching the triangle love is, but how touching this story is told.

It's directed by a famous Hong Kong's director Peter Chan, and staring by the handsome Takeshi Kaneshiro ("House of Flying Daggers," "Turn Left Turn Right"), the talented Zhou Xun ("The Little Chinese Seamstress," "Beijing Bicycle"), the remarkable singer and actor Jacky Cheung, and the Korean heartthrob Ji Jin-hee.

Ten years ago, in Beijing, a Hong Kong film student Lin Jian-dong (Takeshi Kaneshiro) fell in love with an energetic girl Sun Na (Zhou Xun). Sun Na left Jian-dong to pursue her dream to be a movie star, leaving Jian-dong devastated. Ten years later, both of them become big movie stars and their paths cross again when they co-star in a musical. However, the musical's director Nie Wen (Jacky Cheung) also loves Sun Na. Will the old love prevail or will it simply break more hearts? At the beginning, when the music and dancing started, I thought this film is another Hollywood style cheesy musical. I am not a big musical fan, so I got a little worried. That concern quickly disappeared because the heart wrenching story and the marvelous performance settled inside me, deeply. The music and the songs actually move me profoundly. The film brilliantly blends together the musical which two lead characters are filming and the movie itself. The characters are enacting their love affairs through the musical they are playing.

I am glad that Takeshi Kaneshiro speaks perfect Chinese in the film, not like how Zhang Ziyi speaks English in "Memoirs of a Geisha." Heck, even Ji Jin-hee speaks darn good Chinese (perhaps dubbed).

I shed so many tears together with those characters during the screening of this film. I wonder why. Perhaps, love?

Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story (2006)

Deeply touching story

[26 March 2006]

Imagine that suddenly your loved ones disappeared without a trace, only many years later you find out that they were abducted by North Korea spies, and you have no idea if they are still alive. That's a story this powerful documentary "ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story" presents. Thirteen-year-old Megumi Yokota didn't return home from school in November 1977. Years later, her family found out that she was abducted by the North Korea. Her parents went on a crusade to bring her back to Japan, along with other family members of 13 Japanese who were abducted by North Korea.

The film masterfully crafts footages and interviews and it tells us a heartbroken story. I cried, many times, like so many people in the sold out theatre. It still brings tears to my eyes when I recall the image of the weak Japanese lady tearful plead for her abducted son's return. She has been sick in bed for years after her son was abducted.

We probably simply shake our heads if we read the news about the abduction in a newspaper, thinking how crazy North Korea is. But watching this film, it puts human faces on those news reports. Everything becomes so real and so close to heart, because we can all related to our own families with those victims. Our families all have parents, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters, just like those 13 abducted Japanese.

We live in a very sad world. Japanese invaded China and Korea, among many other countries during (and before) World War II. They did similar things as the North Korea did to these families, only perhaps not that secretly. Now, North Korea is doing the same thing to Japanese. When will all this come to an end? Can we just live together peacefully? This is a terrific documentary.

Rules of Dating (2005)

Twisted fun

[26 March 2006]

I really enjoyed this Korean film "Rules of Dating." You would think this is a romantic comedy from the poster, not quite. It's very hard to say what it is. It's murky, funny, weird, blunt, twisted, and fun. The first line of the film is: "Are you wet?" the handsome school teacher Lee asked the newly arrived student teacher Choi. No, they are not in the rain, they are sitting on a bench on campus in the beautiful fall weather. Lee is hitting on Choi as soon as he sees her, while both of them have a lover of their own. Nevertheless, the flirtation goes up and down, never a quiet moment.

The movie is very frank about flirting, sex, dating, and may I say, "sexual harassment?" Wait, that's a term only used in America. I think the American audience will be appalled by Lee's behavior, but the movie can get away with it because it's a Korean film and set in Korea.

If you enjoyed "My Sassy Girl," this will be a similar love hate drama, only smarter. The film dances around the true feeling of these characters and plays the mind of its audience. Just when I think they are in love, the film let Lee and Choi show me that they are just flirting. When I think they are just having some fun, they start to show me that they are in love. It's almost like I am dating somebody but I can never figure out what my date is really thinking. Of course, this is not a Kim Ki-duk's film, so I was hoping some more twists and turns (with my twisted mind) to happen while... oh well, I still love this film.

Café Lumière (2003)

Not everybody's cup of tea

[26 March 2006]

This is a film by Taiwanese director Hsiao-hsien Hou, paying tribute to the 100th birthday of the legendary Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu. This is not a film everybody will enjoy, or even remotely understand. This is a film for scholars and film school students, and for those who love Yasujiro Ozu and admire Hsiao-hsien Hou.

The film is about a young woman living in Tokyo. She is researching on a Taiwanese jazz musician in the 1930s. She came home and told her parents that she is pregnant by her Taiwanese boyfriend in a matter of fact fashion, and she has no intention to marry him. She likes to hang out with a friend who runs a used book store and likes to tape the sounds of trains in Tokyo. There is nothing more to the plot. It's not a melodrama, although it is extremely slow.

The film uses a lot low light and put the camera far away to quietly observe the daily lives of these characters, without any emphasis nor judgment. Simply observe. It portraits the modern lives in our industrial society, people are cold, lonely, disconnected, and invisible even you see them everywhere. Several times in the film, it shows the scene of passing trains at the same time on different levels in an overpass and toward different directions. It resembles people who run around on the streets all the time, but they never interact with each other and they never collide, unless there is an accident.

Andrew Sun wrote this on The Hollywood Reporter about this film:

"The fact is if you can stay awake through the whole 100 minutes, you should get a medal for being a resilient movie die-hard." I am gonna collect my medal since I didn't miss a minute during the film today.

Linda Linda Linda (2005)

Lost the connection to the film

[26 March 2006]

"Linda Linda Linda" is a high school drama which bores me, because I can't make the connection with either the story nor the presentation of the film.

There is a school festival at a local Japanese high school, and one of the female student rock band can no longer play because one of its member broke her finger. What to do? They recruited a Korean exchange student Son to be the lead singer to sing Blue Hearts's signature song "Linda Linda Linda." They have to practice day and night because there are only three days left before the festival and Son's Japanese is not very good.

It might not sound much in this story, because indeed there is not much. If you went to a high school in Japan, I am sure that you would love this film and you can identify with the characters in the film and bring out so much nostalgia from you. But I didn't have that experience nor am I a Korean exchange student, so when the film doesn't make much effort to get me involved with the story emotionally, I start to yawn. I was bored being a bystander. The editing was sloppy as well in my opinion. It seems to me that the filmmaker doesn't want to cut anything shoot on films. So many scenes are randomly put together without a purpose, especially lacking of continuity.

While it was fun to see what Japanese high school life might be like, this film is a little too long and less interesting.

Be with Me (2005)

We all long for love

[26 March 2006]

A very inspiring Singapore film "Be with Me" poetically explores the human desire of longing for love. The pictures shows a elder shopkeeper moans his passing wife, a fat awkward guy secretly admires a girl, and two high school girls madly fall in love, then maybe not. Through these three groups of seemingly unrelated people from different walk of lives, the picture shows us how universal and powerful the longing for love really is. Then the film cuts into its "documentary" element about Theresa Chan, whose real life autobiography is the inspiration of this film. Theresa Chan became deaf and blind since the age of fourteen. In the film, Theresa Chan (who plays herself) makes her life joyful and makes an incredible impact of the lives of others, and eventually connected those three group people blended in the movie. The cinematography of this film is simply amazing. It's the quiet type of film, out of ninety-three minutes, the film only has a two and a half minute dialogue. But strangely, it's not a depressing film. When the movie is over, you feel inspired by Theresa Chan.

When the credits roll, the casts are listed under three categories: "Mean to be," "Looking for love," and "So in love." I can't help but fitting myself in one of those categories. I found out that I can't be put into any one single category exclusively. Is that the message this film is trying to let me to take home with? We are all in this game longing for love, no matter who you are.

Eve and the Fire Horse (2005)

You won't forget this 9 year old girl

[26 March 2006]

"Eve and the Fire Horse" is a beautifully written film about this 9 years cute girl Eve and her 11 years old sister's struggle with the culture and religion clash as Chinese immigrants living in Vancouver, Canada. Innocent Eve was born in a year of "Fire Horse," which is believed to be bad luck. While she turns in Buddhism in the traditions of her parents to overcome this bad curse, her sister becomes a faithful Christian and tries to turn everybody else into a Jesus's follower. The film is poetic, honesty, provocative, and funny. It gets into the head of Eve looking out this confusing world. After the movie it makes you wonder what the real curse might be to our lives. The wonderful performance of this little girl will capture your heart, if not your soul. This is a great film.

Gaijin - Ama-me Como Sou (2005)

An unforgettable story

[26 March 2006]

I didn't see the first Brazilian film "Gaijin, a Brazilian Odyssey," nor did I know what Gaijin means before I went to this screening. I was pleasantly surprised by this Brazilian sequel "Gaijin 2: Love Me As I Am" (Gaijin - Ama-me Como Sou).

"Gaijin" means foreigners in Japanese. "Gaijin 2: Love Me As I Am" tells an unforgettable story about Japanese immigrants in Brazil, covering several decades and four generations.

In 1908, Titoe came to Brazil from Japan, but she never thought that she would not return to Japan until she already has her great grand children. Over the years, they struggled to survive the war and the environment, to gain acceptance, to hold on to the community and Japanese heritage, to cope with the culture clash, and to overcome the prejudice toward "Gaijin." By the third generation, Titoe 's granddaughter Maria crossed the racial line and married to a Brazilian man Gabriel. The landscape begins to change because now Gabriel becomes the one who is trying to gain acceptance by the Japanese family and becomes a "gaijin." What makes this film's theme is so universal is that the story is not just about Japanese immigrants in Brazil, every ethnic group of immigrants can relate to those character's experiences with their own journey in a foreign land. I really enjoy Titoe's character and the performance of that 83 years old actress who is incredibly funny and moving.

Red Doors (2005)

Not bad

[26 March 2006]

"Red Doors" is not a bad melodrama with some dark humor here and there. The Wongs is a traditional yet dysfunctional Chinese family with three daughters living in the suburbs of New York City. The eldest Samantha is a successful business woman who is about to get married to a Yale graduate. The middle one Julie is a shy medical student who fells in love with an actress. The youngest Katie is a rebellious high school student who expresses her affection to her high school mate in the most bizarre way. Not enough drama? Here comes the quiet dad, Ed, who overcomes his own crisis due to the newly retirement life by either watching his daughters' childhood videos or tried to kill himself.

They have done everything to bless the best fortune for the family, including the red door at the front gate. But things don't seem always go the way they have hoped for.

This film does a great job on examining the conflicts and confusions in these characters' minds with superb performance from the cast. But I simple can't get over with the fact that there is no Asian man in this film except the dad. All three daughters date Caucasians, even Julie dates a white chick! If the story were set in Kansas or Alabama, it would have been understandable because Asian men don't want to live there. But New York? I can't help but to feel unsettling with this "arrangement." Other than that, it's not a bad film.

China Blue (2005)

Do you know the real cost of your jeans?

[26 March 2006]

So, how much you paid for your last pair of jeans? And do we ever think about how much the workers get paid for making these jeans if there is a label saying "Made in China?" This documentary "China Blue" brings us inside a jeans factory in Guangdong, China. The surprising great level of access to these workers and the factory owner give us a chilling first hand look at what the label "Made in China" really means. The film follows a 16-years old girl Jasmine who began to work in the Lifeng Factory to make jeans for foreign countries like USA and UK, and for companies like Wal-Mart. She lives in a dorm room in the factory (not for free) with another 11 workers. Some of these workers are as young as 14 years old (with a fake ID to come to work). She kept a diary to express how much she misses her family and how horrible the working condition is. Sometimes, they have to work 16 hours (even over 20 hours one time) without overtime pay. They only get paid about $50 to $60 a month after all these long hours of working. And this is still better than going back to countryside villages where they will make even less. It makes me furious when I see the factory owner drives his Mercedes to fancy restaurants to meet foreign customers, while he delays paying the workers after more than a month's work.

It's a really depressing film to watch and it makes me feel guilty to buy any clothes with "Made in China" on it in the future. But without the trade, Jasmine and her co-workers will make less and working even longer hours in the field as farmers. I feel hopeless and I am torn.

Although the film is quite effective, somehow I get the impression that Jasmine is staged for the documentary. After worked for 16 some hours, how could she still have the urge to write her diary under the dim light, while all the others are sleeping? It looks like she is doing that for the camera crews in the dorm room to get a beautiful close-up shot. How come they never interviewed any male worker?

Shanghai Dreams (2005)

Making the dream come true can be a painful journey

[23 February 2006]

In the 60s, in order to build the "third line of defense" against the Soviet Union, many young people from major cities, like Qing Hong's parents from Shanghai, went to the countryside. Many years later, they desperately dream of going back to where they are from, because they can't see any future for their children. Qing Hong's dad did everything to protect her and hopefully the whole family would return to Shanghai eventually. However, Qing Hong has her own life and friends, such as the terrific Xiao Zhen. Her dream is not necessarily the same as those of her parents.

Sadly, the dream of returning Shanghai over powers everything including love, family, and fate. This is a great film with superb performance and profound sadness. Almost all the characters in the film are mercilessly tortured by the lives none of them want to be in. They all had their dreams, but unfortunately to make the dream come true is a painful journey.

Music from the Inside Out (2004)

inspiring film about classical music

[15 December 2005]

What an excellent film! The filmmaker spent five years with musicians from The Philadelphia Orchestra, and tells their stories off and on the stage. It begins the film by asking the question: "What's music?" Then it went on to explore the profound intimacy between these musicians and music.

I was deeply moved into tears by this film, which I would have never expected with a documentary about classical music! It's so heartwarming to listen to the musicians, especially the Concertmaster David Kim, sharing their passion and inspiration with the audience, with the most beautiful music playing by these musicians in the background. I was incredibly charmed when the film spent a lengthy shot to show a street artist in Köln playing Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" with only a accordion! This movie shows how art and music can enrich our lives and the humanity when we open our heart to make the connection to music. It certainly makes me appreciate more about classical music and talent of those musicians.

39 Pounds of Love (2005)

Why does he have to see the doctor?

[17 November 2005]

What's written on the poster is: "At birth he was given 6 years to live... At 34 he takes the journey of a lifetime." Ami is an American-born Israeli who was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy disease at the age of one. At age of 34, after the love toward his 22 years old care-giver didn't go well, he decided to come to the US to face the doctor who said that he would have only 6 years to live. He wanted to show the doctor that he is still alive, and weights 39 pounds. Why? Your guess is as good as mine, even I have seen this film.

Obviously it's courageous to live when all he can move is his left index finger, but why does he have so much anger toward the doctor who diagnosed his disease 34 years ago? His doctor just told his mom that based on the medical history, people with his disease won't live long. What's the point of him showing up at old doctor's door for? Why is tracking down this old doctor in the US is a journey of his lifetime? There are so many things we might be interested in Ami's life: how can he make those animations with the movement of only one finger? How can he go through daily lives while totally depending on others? How did he out lived his doctor's prediction? How does he deal emotionally when other people look at him like looking at a strange creature? The movie told us none of that. Instead, the filmmaker got a van and set up a trip to let Ami to show up at his old doctor's door in order to show him that he is still alive. I thought it was a joke.

Babí léto (2001)

Live the fullest

[8 November 2005]

This is a FANTASTIC film. Hána is a very old guy with a very young heart. He knows how to live his live fully everyday by teaming up with his friend making pranks on just about everything, even his own death. While his wife can't deal with his "irresponsible" behavior, she also knows that it's exactly why she loves her husband for almost half century. I would love to hang out with this old guy because he knows how to enjoy live and never fear of death. He is joyful, witty, mischievous, and never boring. Vlastimil Brodský brilliantly played Hána at the age of 79. Every look from his eyes and every move from his aging muscles deliver so much about the character to the audience. This is a film that leaves a big smile on my face afterwards, and it makes me look at my own live a little closer. Tomorrow I am gonna go and buy myself a mansion and have some fun. If Hána can, so can I. But I think I will skip the smoking part.

Nine Lives (2005)

Superb performance, interesting stories

[26 October 2005]

I love "Nine Lives." It's a parade of brilliant acting and interesting people. It resembles my daily experience taking the MUNI (public transportation system in San Francisco): people come and go briefly on the train, and there are always a few make me wonder the stories behind their lives.

This film tells nine women's stories. Some of them are related and some are not, but all of them have some kind of baggage of their own. They are all not happy, for various reasons. But they all left us yearning to know what's next in their lives and what happened to them before. Every story is unique and unconventional, and sometimes surprising, with a sense of humor. Besides the stories, the superb acting of these women is a significant factor of this movie's success.

I would definitely like to see a sequel of this film about nine men.

North Country (2005)

great performance, not enough inspiration

[26 October 2005]

"North Country" is another film by director Niki Caro, who made a great film called "Whale Rider." Although "North Country" is a good film, but it's not as inspiring as "Whale Rider." I am not regretting I went to see it last night, but I was a little disappointed.

Based on a true story, the film tells a story of sexual harassment happened to a group of female miners at a Minnesota steel mine. An abused woman Josey Aimes, terrifically played by Charlize Theron couldn't take it any more, she sued the mine company.

After the film, I feel angry for what these women had to suffer and have my sympathy toward them, but nothing more. I am neither moved by the story nor inspired by the courage of Josey Aimes. The film focuses a little too much on Theron's character, and the rest characters get a little sloppy, except the Frances McDormand's character. McDormand deserves another Oscar nomination for supporting actress. The movie doesn't have a climax, but it tries hard to create one, so the screen play has to twist the arms of a few characters and let them to say something you would feel out of the place, because the show must go on.

It seems that I have more negative things to say about "North Country" than positive stuff, perhaps because I had such a high expectation to this film, and because I loved Niki Caro's "Whale Rider" so much.

Platform (2000)

interesting but loose

[11 October 2005]

It took me almost three hours, finally I finished another film by Jia Zhang Ke's called "Platform." Now I have seen all three of his so called "hometown trilogy": "Xiao Wu," "Platform," and "Unknown Pleasures."

"Platform" tells stories of a group of young people in a small town in Shanxi Province in the 80s. China was emerging from the damage due to the 10 years long Cultural Revolution, and these young people rode the waves of the changes in the Chinese society searching for their positions in the new social structure.

Like Jia's other films, this film does a good job on capturing the details of the lives of the ordinary people, especially those on the very bottom of the society. But it's like a broken container trying to hold its ingredient together. You see those cooking materials are scattered around all over the place but they are never put together to make a delicious dish. It doesn't have a focus.

I am not sure if the film maker did it intentionally or because he was using those "non-professional" actors, the camera always stays far away from its object and it almost never gets a close up on these characters. It makes me a bystander to watch what happens to these characters standing in distance. It's very frustrating not to be able to get closer and get connected to those characters.

By the way, I have no idea why the director Jia Zhang Ke is so obsessed with this guy Wang Hong Wei. Wang is the lead actor in every one of Jia's film. I start to think that Wang is the mafia boss and has total control of Jia. Otherwise, how can I explain this phenomenon after I see most of Jia's films? This is an interesting film to check out, especially if you have the patience and time, but not a great film.

Flightplan (2005)

Jodie Foster needs a boy

[28 September 2005]

If I had a little kid, I would never ask Jodie Foster to baby-sit my kid. She seems have extremely bad luck when she is with a kid. Especially if she is with a little girl, she will be the target of some sort of violence. If you already forget how intense she was fighting for her life with a little girl in "Panic Room," you can refresh your memory by going to see "Flightplan," which is opened last weekend.

I like to be scared, but I hate to be scared simply by the THX sound while a subway train passed by. For a minute, I thought the sky was falling. Then Jodi Foster boards an airplane with her little daughter. When she woke up, her daughter was gone. So she runs around the entire airplane trying to find her daughter, of course, not that type of hide and seek game you played when you were a little kid. The problem is, the whole plot simply doesn't hold the water, especially when the movie is over, you will be like: uh? I think Jodie Foster should get a boy next time, otherwise, who knows where she will be running for her life, and to save the girl with her. A train maybe?

Kong que (2005)

Dreams don't always come true

[18 September 2005]

The story is set in the 1970s in a small town in China. A middle aged couple has three children. The eldest son is obese and mentally challenged, therefore he is teased and outcasted by others. The second child is an outgoing and energetic daughter, who is not afraid of doing anything to pursue her dreams or to survive. The youngest child is a shy and quiet boy who is ashamed by his older brother and tries to break away from the misery in his family. Breaking into three sections focusing on each of these siblings, the film allows us to look into the lives of ordinary Chinese people the 70s.

With poetic cinematography, this film reveals fascinating stories and characters to the audience. After watching this film, I doubt that anybody would forget the image of an old lady slowly passing the dinning table in the hall way where the family has supper together everyday. We witness how the three siblings dreamed, how they fought to make their dreams come true, and how they succeeded or failed, and how powerless and hopeless they were to accept their fate.

This is a must see, not to be missed.