Hong Kong movies of the decade (2000-2009)

The following list is my pick of the top 10 movies of the decade. They are mainly movies which I've identified in them certain significance and potential that they have brought about in Hong King cinema.

1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Director: Ang Lee

Starring Zhang Ziyi, Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun Fatt, Zhang Zhen

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, based on the novel of Wang Du Lu, is, apparently, not really a movie - it's a phenomenon. Zhang Ziyi and Yuen Woo Ping's wireworks steal the show.

2. In the Mood of Love (2000)

Director: Wong Kar Wai

Starring Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung

Adultery at its most beautiful.

3. Infernal Affairs (2002)

Director: Andrew Lau, Alan Mak

Starring Tony Leung, Andy Lau, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang

A slick thriller, the movie is a milestone in Hong Kong cinema and was once thought to be able to revive the slowly deteriorating industry to its glorious days.

4. Perhaps Love (2005)

Director: Peter Chan

Starring Zhou Xun, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Jacky Cheung

Perhaps Love must be one of the most beautiful poignant love story that the Hong Kong cinema has ever produced. While musical is an area seldom ventured into by Hong Kong film makers, Perhaps Love is a departure from the usual Broadway musical - with more than just songs to talk about, it is solid with brilliant cinematography and a practical plot, blurring the conventional boundaries that have been set between pop music, musical and film making.

5. SPL (2005)

Director:

Starring Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Simon Yam

Never mind the mundane police story, it is Donnie's action choreography that steals the show - crude but refreshing!

6. Election (2005)

Director: Johnie To

Starring Simon Yam, Tony Leung Ka Fai

My favourite element of Election is how Johnie To has managed to balance a certain elegant equilibrium between the classical theme of brotherhood and the crude greed for power.

7. Warlords (2007)

Director: Peter Chan

Starring Jet Li, Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro

The cynicism that comes with the brotherhood of Warlords delivers a strong blow to the rose-tinted romanticism of brotherhood that has existed within Hong Kong cinema since A Better Tomorrow. We are moving away from that finally, it seems!

8. Painted Skin (2008)

Director: Gordon Chan

Starring Zhou Xun, Vicky Zhao, Donnie Yen

Yes, I know, the script is so predictable, the theme so conventional - but somehow, the big names, the mythical element and the hauntingly beautiful theme song - all these just remind me of A Chinese Ghost Story - one of the classics of Hong Kong cinema.

9. Ip Man (2008)

Director: Wilson Yip Wai Shun

Starring Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Xiong Dai Lin

Another conventional type of movie on a national hero (when reality is the actual Ip Man was not even one) - but the Wing Chun style is so beautifully choreographed - contemporary, stylish and yet not departing from the principles of it - it is fast becoming another type of action choreography on its own, a style that is not Yuen Woo Ping's wireworks, nor Donnie's own MMA in SPL and Flashpoint.

10. Lust, Caution (2007)

Director: Ang Lee

Starring Tony Leung, Tang Wei, Wang Lee Hom

Strictly speaking, this is not a Hong Kong production, but I would be guilty if I don't name this in my list. I wonder if there has ever been, or will be, a movie like Lust, Caution, that can not only be so compelling, raw and beautiful in terms of its characters and their emotions, but also so controversial in terms of societal values, history and politics. Most importantly, the character of Wang Chia Chi played by Tang Wei has really delivered a severe blow to the often patriarchal Hong Kong cinema.

Review: Overheard

Directed by: Alan Mak Sui Fai, Felix Chong Man Keong

Starring: Lau Ching Wan, Louis Khoo, Daniel Wu

Review:

Overheard is the story about three policemen - Johnny (Lau Ching Wan), Gene (Louis Khoo) and Max (Daniel Wu) - who are involved in the investigation of corporate criminals.

As they unintentionally intercept certain information that can be potentially used to bring themselves personal benefits, they decided to go ahead with their own interest, rather than reporting the information as they would have done in the usual protocol.

The plot soon proceeds to the internal struggle among the three close friends as to what should be the right thing to do and what should not be, eventually going far enough to cover things up as everything spins out of the initial plan.

The whole movie eventually boils down to the theme of what's right in terms of work and protocol vs. what's only for personal interest.

This is the theme that I could identify with Overheard.

Throughout the movie, there is nothing too overwhelming or grandiose, be it the physical setting or the portrayal of themes or values that the movie is attempting to convey. For the former, there is no, for instance, elaborated portrayal of advanced technologies or action choreography to go with the typical detective stories of Hong Kong cinema.

Nevertheless, the lack of grandiosity may well be Overheard's unique characteristic. But even as a "story-telling" sort of movie, it lacks the "down to earth" style that is often quiet and unassuming in nature.

Finally, what does the tragic suicide of Gene symbolize? And what does Johnny's tears represent? Is it a sort of helplessness over the lost liberty that used to characterize the Hong Kong community pre-1997? The helplessness of witnessing the departure of the Hong Kong cinema from the romanticism of A Better Tomorrow?

Overheard is a movie carrying with it too many issues - good vs. bad, romance, family and the compulsion for money. It is not necessarily not entertaining. In fact, it is a thriller that has not given itself too much to the usual commercialisation and it is not the typical predictive detective story.

But let's put it this way, if Ip Man and Red Cliff are representative of the baggage and responsibility that the Hong Kong cinema has to carry in the name of "nationalism" and "patriotism", then Overheard may as well be the movie that reflects the kind of soul-searching that the Hong Kong cinema is undergoing - where in lies the spirit of the movie?

Review: A Beautiful Mind

Directed by Ron Howard
Starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris

Review:
Based on the life story of Princeton cum Nobel prize (economics) winner mathematician John Forbes Nash, Jr.

After writing a dissertation that revolutionizes economics, John Nash is placed at the prestigious MIT Wheeler's lab after graduate school. Owing his ability as a brilliant code-breaker, John is soon entered into a secret mission for the Department of Defense, under the supervision of William Parcher.

Just as the film moves into a climax of a possible Russian spy tracking down on John's work, the plot takes a smooth complete turn around, making us wonder if it is actually a quiet allusion to the limited academic freedom which symbolizes McCarthyism.

But McCarthyism and academic freedom are not really new themes. I believe A Beautiful Mind lies in more powerful themes.

It is a story of love, family support, friendship and reconciliation.

True, these, too, are cliche themes, but I guess the ultimate art in film making lies in how cliches are being redefined and refined.

And Ron Howard does this in A Beautiful Mind mainly through the powerful character portrayals.

In Jennifer Conelly's character, Alicia, whom, beside playing the loyal wife who perseveres despite her husband illness, shows angst, dissatisfaction, guilt and fatigue. These are valid emotions for a caretaker, that we should all empathize, but these, too, are emotions that are so often lost to poetic licenses when portrayed in fictional movies, which often portray caretakers as "saints" who are not only immune to negative emotions, but also not allowed of these emotions.

In the character of the psychiatrist Dr Rosen, we see a doctor who understands patient autonomy. He offers Alicia and John the option of not returning to the psychiatric hospital when John's hallucination relapses.

In Martin Hansen's character, we see the special friendship that ultimately plays one of the essential roles in helping John to reliving a normal life. It is also interesting to note that Hansen is one of John's "tormenters" during his Princeton days.

Of course, most importantly, the character of John Nash does not preach on the needs or requirements of a schizophrenic patient. He articulates them.

It was not only about how a schizophrenic patient has to cope with his treatment regiment, but also on his rehabilitation and the ability to lead a normal life again. These are complex matters related to issues that are more than just compliance.

It should also lead the audience to wonder why does John want to stop his medication and indulge in his hallucination again? What is it that makes John enjoy his hallucination of William Parcher and the code-breaking mission so much?

Personally, I see it as John's desire to be listened and his ideas to be appreciated. A simple issue, but it is often so easy for us, the "normal" people, to dismiss mentally-illed patients.

The film, while is loosely based on Sylvia Nasar's best-selling biography of the same title, has largely been criticized for its divergence from many of the original events. But why be so cruel to dictate how much a director and his team can and should do, simply because a book has previously been written on it? The film is, after all, inspired by the life events of the true John Nash, as it has been so carefully put forward by Howard.

Howard's film has quite nearly bring out the issues in schizophrenia and Nasar herself also believes that the film has been made "in the spirit of John's story". To me, this, in itself, is already an accomplishment.

Zombified Fun: Zombie Baker Gaby

Just a little FYI: This is one of the works of my creative buddies from the West. He too, like me, have big plans. His Name is OptimusPraino!
Here's his DeviantArt site for you guys to check out:-
http://optimuspraino.deviantart.com/

Enough of advertising, it's time to get movie MAMAK-ING!!!!

And my pick for the night is...
ZOMBIE BAKER GABY!!!!!!

Here's the movie for you guys to watch:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmZ1E2jCfag

So, the beginning of this simple short film shows us a guy by the name of Emilio who is vengeful and wants to pay back a sweet girl at the bakery stall by the name of Gaby by breeding an army of zombies. The reason being is because she stood him up on a date. Of course as the film goes on, it's him who ditched her. What a twist. XD

So it's not so much the most entertaining zombie story like the overrated ones you see coming from Hollywood. But I found the story to be simple and concise. A guy gets his heart broken by the Baker Girl Gaby who actually kicks zombie butts when in actually fact it was his fault all the while.

And in my honest opinion, i believe there's more that meets the eye for this. There more that can be expanded from this small time piece. And this would be my shoutout to that fella to come up with more Gaby adventures!!! XD

JumperJax

PS:- I shall whip up a possible poster of this piece sometime soon ;)

The World's Finest!!!

WAHAO!!!! This is definitely my turf! SUPERHEROES GALORE!!! XD

Ok ok. Let's cut to the chase and start off my views on Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.



Voice Cast: Tim Daly, Kevin Conroy, Clancy Brown, Allison Mack, etc.
Direcetor: Sam Liu
Story: Jeff Loeb, Ed McGuiness(pencil artist), Dexter Vines(ink artist)
Stan Berkowitz(Adaptation)
Release Date: 29th September 2009

The premise begins with a dying United States of America. Poverty reigns the land. People are living in desperate times. And their only hope is...

Lex Luthor?!

Well in this movie, yes. Superman's arch nemesis is now the President of the United States of America.... with some shocking news. An asteroid filled with Kryptonite is headed toward planet Earth! This is a job for SUPERMAN!!! Unfortunately, Kryptonite makes him weak whenever nearby. And to makes things worse, Lex has made him a wanted man by framing him for murder on Metallo, a super villian working as Lex's guard. This also stamps a 1 million dollar price tag on his head for his capture. This prompts him to call upon his best yet no-so-good confidant, Batman, to clear his name and also... to save the world.

This movie definitely retains the art style the comic artist Ed McGuiness during his run on the comic with comic writer Jeph Loeb. The buffed and edgier design given to the heroes and villain of the DC heroes involved a sight for sore eye. A difference from the usual from what viewers have seen before in Justice League, Batman Beyond, and most of the animated series based on them. The movie, with the screen time of an hour, was able to tell an adventure of the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight and their exploits fighting villains and fellow heroes like Power Girl, Captain Atom, Gorilla Grodd and many more. The people behind the scene were able to take their time to tell the story without rushing.

Though, the fusion of both these heroes was not depicted in full in my opinion. What makes this superhero team-up a special one is that these are two worlds contradicting for one purpose. Superman has always had fought for the good and not for the bad with all his super powers given to him. Batman on the other hand, lives in the gray area, whereby he does anything to get the case solved or the bad guys in jail. And he does this with no superpower. Just his intellect the produces his gadgets that make him more than a man. Having read comic books with both heroes in them,(My best recommendation would be Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns)I can't help but feel that the differences both have and the results of the merger was not portrayed as much as I would have expected to be.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the ride. Especially when you got a stellar cast of DC's gallery of heroes and villains in the mix. And speaking of stellar casts, so are the actors that include Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly and Clancy Brown who've been playing Batman, Superman and Lex Luthor respectively for about 20 years now. Added to the mix is Allison Mack (who plays Chloe Sullivan in yet another Superman based TV series Smallville) who plays Power Girl. Ricardo Chavira from Desperate Housewives struts his antagonism as Major Force. Other voice casts include Corey Burton, John C. McGinley(Scrubs), Jennifer Hale and many more. Including Andrea Romano and Bruce Timm.

Andrea Romano has been responsible for voice casting the collection of the DC universe's animated adaptation.
Bruce Timm on the other hand is the man responsible bringing the DC universe to it's animated glory since Batman: The Animated Series, be it producing or directing and character designing.

So when so see a Bird or a Plane and a Bat, You'll know who's there to save the day doncha?

JumperJax

Street Smarts by Axel Foley

This is coming in because I can't get rid of the chorus of Axel F by Harold Faltermeyer that was the theme for the action film

Beverly Hill Cops I, II, and III.

Which by the way was being repeated so many times on TV during my one week break. And it's back to back. Not that I'm complaining. It's a watchable film and probably one of the earlier good works of Eddie Murphy, who played the streetwise Detroit Detective Axel Foley.



The 1st introduction to Axel Foley's misadventures. It starts with him going undercover for an illegal cigarette bust but ends up busted! Then his smuggler friend, Mike comes back to Detroit to say hi with German bonds and gets murdered by a rich art dealer named Victor Maitland. Thus Axel, bent on revenge, goes to Beverly Hills where Victor's art gallery is located and investigates what lies beyond the murder although he was given a direct order not to get involved by his hot-tempered boss Inspector Douglas Todd.




Axel Foley is back with the another bust extended to solve the Alphabet Murder case that Lieutenant Bogomil( from the 1st movie) gets gunned down. Luckily, he survived... barely. As usual, Axel Foley uses his street-wisemanship to make sure the guy against the law go down with the help of Sergeant Taggart and Detective Rosewood (both also from the 1st movie) in the black streets of Beverly Hills

Cameos here include Comedian Chris Rock and Actor Paul Guilfoyle who play Inspector Brass on CSI



The Axel Foley saga continues as this time, it involves a conspiracy of a certain illegal activity going on in a theme park called WonderWorld after his boss gets shot. Star Wars creator George Lucas makes a cameo appearance.

As you can see, the central character in these films are Axel Foley. Here's a detective who is cheeky and mischievous. But within that playful character lies a man who is very serious about what he does and would do anything it takes to get the job done and also satisfy his own curiousity on the matter. And he wouldn't mind breaking the law to do that. I notice that he's one cop who keeps his cool a lot for one who is bitter with vengeance. Also you can see that he grows although he still has his tricks up his sleeves.

As for all 3 combined as a series.... The 1st one is obviously the one to start with. Like I said, it shows the central character at it's highest point and also the world that surrounds him. And in this case, a story of a detective who is the police underestimate and are in for a treat when he shows his badge and also his fist. And with all modesty, he too gets beaten up by the bad guys.

As for the 3rd movie, I would have to say that they have picked up a notch from the 2nd. As in, the adventure is bigger especially with a theme park being part of the story. And also since there's a new team behind the scene on this one. The 3rd one was not received well.

Nevertheless I'll stick to my 1st thought on what I thought of it regardless of what they say. It's a watchable series. And there will be a 4th installment to the series with Eddie Murphy returning as Axel Foley. Although the urge for Hollywood's golden movies remakes are very overrated, but I'll definitely be waiting for what's in store for him

Late Yasmin is AussieLand

No. Her ghost (bless her soul) is not seen there. It's the Australian Malaysian Film Festival. I didn't know somewhere out there is appreciating out films.... Not bad....

Here the link the news