(no subject)
After This Our Exile Hong Kong 2006, **** (of 5)
Chinese drama's are pretty much all the same, a lot of crying. This is no difference, but the thing is that it was pretty good! Family drama with Aaron Kwok in the lead as an father and husband, his wife runs away and leaves him with his son. He loses his job, and because he has gambling debts they end up pretty much in the gutter. All this takes two and a half hour to tell, the acting is overdone but due to the good camera work it not that annoying, I mean great angles and interesting perspectives. Solid good movie. www.afterthisourexile.com
Dog Day Dreams Japan 2006 **
Debut movie of Ichii Masahide, was introduced as an black comedy. Typical Japanese (comedy) movie, slow pacing/long shots/silence. Not that it is a bad thing, absolutely not, but this was just kinda cliché. A couple in poverty in the middle of the summer, girl is losing her job, guy has a gambling addiction and no airco at home. Slow paced, comedy doesn't work for me, drama is fine but comedy... The last twenty minutes were great but other then that was not that spectacular.
Summer Palace China 2006 ***1/2
Another Chinese Drama. Beijing 1989, two students falling in love and losing each other in the time of the Tiananmen Square protests. Very intimate and complex story, intimate because there is a lot of nudity and sex'n going on. (which is quite extraordinary for a chinese movie made in Mainland China) Complex because the relationships of all the characters change while the protests end and each goes they're own way. Beautiful movie with a typical chinese drama ending.