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Reviews
Chi bi (2008)
Part 1 was OK, Part 2 just horrible
Being a big fan of Three Kingdoms, I'd been waiting for this movie ever since the first cast rumors appeared, gosh, seems like several years ago. Tony Leung as Zhou Yu, Takeshi as Kong Ming-- how could this go wrong? So John Woo has a knack for schlock, but this was supposed to be his Citizen Kane, right? Wrong. What a disaster. I'm a traditionalist-- look, I hated the Lord of the Rings movies because I loved the book so much, and I couldn't stand to see even a single word of the original dialog altered. But I don't want this review to come across as sour grapes. I went into this with an open mind. The Three Kingdoms novel isn't historical fact, so I was open to a different interpretation. I watched part 1 of this movie, and thought, OK, so he switched a few things around. I can live with that, perhaps some things are closer to reality. I even left part 1 feeling excited about Part 2. I waited seven months for the release...
But come on! My suspension of disbelief can only go so far. Five minutes in, I was thinking, oh no, this could be a disaster. 20 minutes in I gave up hope of seeing anything close to the novel I love or the history I've read. An hour in, or whenever it was that Xiao Qiao went off to do her thing, the movie flat-lined. The final hour was nothing but explosions and falling bodies, squirts of blood and ridiculousness to the highest degree. Playing loose with history, Woo ultimately wrote himself into a corner from which only by the most absurd of endings could he be extricated. Such a monumental waste of resources. Such a pity.
Mimi wo sumaseba (1995)
Takes you to that place like no other
So, I decided to get on here and review my top 10-15 movies of all time, and this is definitely on the list. What I love about this movie is it's freshness. Few movies have ever taken me to a time and place the way this movie takes me to suburban Tokyo, summer, middle school. The sights and sounds are pure magic, attention to detail beyond almost any movie I've ever seen. From the opening scene, I'm 100 percent taken into that reality. This is a very simple movie, with a very straightforward plot. No silly plot devices to inject drama or tension, just a straightforward presentation with great characters. Yet the presentation is so rich, and so layered in its texture that the movie has the power to draw the viewer completely inside its world. As the main story progresses before our eyes, think of all the little side stories which are only hinted at, yet never developed in any detail-- just as in life itself. Suzuku's mom going back to school, her sister moving out, Yuka's fight with her father, Seiji's relationship with his parents, etc etc. These are the things filling up the corners and edges of this movie, things which a more typical movie would normally leave blank. Everything about this movie screams of honesty, which is probably why it has such an effect to take the viewer back to his or her own middle school days, lazing about the hot summer days, listening to the cicadas, dreaming the way we all dreamt at that age. As joyful and exuberant as this movie is, it's realness brings about a feeling of nostalgia when it's over, and a longing for days long passed. The climactic scene with the singing is one of the greatest moments I've seen on any media-- and so unexpected! The ending, people have complained about its naivety, yet isn't that exactly how it was when we were that age? I can watch this movie again and again and the feeling never grows weak. Truly a masterpiece.
Zerkalo (1975)
My favorite movie
It seems counterproductive to say anything about this movie. I think the story, the imagery, the tones and moods all speak for themselves, and will leave a different impression on everyone who sees it. I often point to this as my favorite movie of all time, but if someone were to ask me why it's my favorite, I'd have a hard time explaining it. I've shown this movie to various people, and mostly they've been unimpressed (my wife fell asleep). It's not the kind of movie you can watch casually, waiting for the explosions or shocking plot twists to jar your consciousness. Yet, I've never felt this to be a movie you have to work your way through, like some of Tarkovsky's other classics. More than anything, it's an emotional ride, and I guess you have to open yourself up to a certain extent in order to appreciate it. Most of the times I watch this movie I end up alternating between sweating and crying, yet rarely do I understand what exactly is evoking those emotions. I can't think of a more complete movie than this, rich, colorful, and filled with bits and pieces to be picked up on successive viewings. To me, it's perfect.
Gin gwai (2002)
Doesn't hold up
I'm very interested in the overwhelmingly positive reviews here. While it had some good features, for the most part I found this movie to be heavy handed, predictable, and, worst of all, not in the least bit scary. The first 30 minutes of the movie were promising, the actress did a nice job in her portrayal, and the world around her was well thought out and meaningful. Unfortunately, from there, the movie entered into a downward spiral. I went into this movie with no clue as to what it would be about-- didn't know anything about the actors, directors, genre, etc. At a certain point, my wife made the comment "is this supposed to be a scary movie?". Well I suppose so, as the boiler-plate "horror movie" score full of squeaking violins and extended vibrato could mean nothing else. There didn't seem to be a whole lot of originality in the movie, the romantic interest was painfully obvious from the first moment, and the second half of the movie descended deep into the realm of the ridiculous. A movie like this walks a dangerously narrow path, and unfortunately there comes a point where the viewer must decide whether to continue walking along that path, or to jump off and simply laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. For the final 30 minutes, I chose the latter.