an Ode(somewhat) to Hong Kong Cinema

I never quite could get down to writing movie reviews, unfortunately. Afterall, for the many twos of life’s hours spent on a single movie (2000 movies = half a year of non-stop film!), writing a couple of lines to honour a cinematic effort should be easy, no?

Perhaps this post should really be titled “I Have a Lazy Bone”. I avoid television dramas to justify movie time, but I’m too lazy to write a couple of lines. Gulp

But no… Today I will tackle the memory leak, & recall my favourite HK movies. Because Hong Kong films are generally on Love, Wu Xia / Kung Fu, History or Slapstick, I assume it would be easier to qualify as compared to my love for English/Foreign film.

I’m wrong of course, so I’m leaving out all the guilty pleasures(no Hui Brothers, Stephen Chow, Jackie Chan & Leslie Cheung movies, oh well) That would be for another day, another list.

I must confess, my days of serious Chinese film watching are long gone. They were most rampant in primary school, when Channel 8 would show up to 3 good films any given weekend. The Media Development Authority might even have been more lax back then.

My tastebuds now opt for lesser Chinese films unfortunately, perhaps because interesting films also seem harder to come by. But the good ones always remain.

Without further ado… My favourites of Hong Kong (really Chinese) cinema!

甜蜜蜜 Comrades, Almost a Love Story (1996) by Peter Chan

Love blossoms between a practical city girl & a country bumpkin new to Hong Kong, played to painful perfection by a lovely Maggie Cheung & Leon Lai. Yet they are kept apart. Set in a city slowly embracing globalisation, a sad love story unfolds as Teresa Teng belts out the namesake, 甜蜜蜜.

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半斤八两 The Private Eyes (1976) by Michael Hui

I promised no slapstick, but if anyone started the Mou Lei Tau(comedy without reason) genre, its the Hui brothers. This is no rocket science, just immensely funny gags & a plot that adds a dash of social commentary for good measure. It has a very catchy theme that most Cantonese folk can sing if you beg them hard enough. If you liked this, check out the earlier 鬼马双星 Games Gamblers Play (1974), a hilarious first collaboration for the 3 brothers.

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心動 Tempting Heart (1999) by Sylvia Chang

On love & loss, chance & misunderstanding. A director muses upon her script & its characters, a storyline alot closer to her heart than it seems. As usual the theme song stays with you, & the story makes you wonder about its correlation to director/actress Sylvia Chang’s real life. Plus, Aniki Jin. Mmm.

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無間道 Infernal Affairs (2002) by Andrew Lau & Alan Mak

A film with a watertight plot, where every scene leaves you breathless with anticipation, wanting the next. The movie was over before I knew it, a cinematic joyride of sorts. A refreshing take on the done-to-death Police versus Gangster script in Hong Kong cinema, even spawning a commendable American remake amongst other sequels & spoofs. I think everyone has seen this, if not, they must.

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天浴 Xiu Xiu the Sent-Down Girl (199 a debut by Joan Chen

I cheat, this is obviously a Mainland Chinese film, but I was blown away. Breathtaking cinematography featuring a gorgeous backdrop of rural Sichuan farmland, juxtaposed against the ruthless end of innocence for a nubile teenage volunteer during Mao’s Cultural Revolution. I saw this alone at 9, & halfway through I wanted to stop, nauseated, but it gripped me. Makes you wonder if such a tale is unique, & hope that it was.

 

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重慶森林 Chungking Express (1994) by Wong Kar Wai

Aforementioned. A very stylistic effort on the fleeting paths of 4 strangers, with Faye Wong all young & magnetic. Curiously, this film was born while Wong Kar Wai was shooting 東邪西毒 Ashes of Time (1994), a lovely wuxia epic that you will want to see. My other favourite by the director is 春光乍洩 Happy Together (1997), a romance starring Leslie Cheung & Tony Leung Chiu Wai.

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大红灯笼高高挂 Raise the Red Lantern (1991) by Zhang Yimou

All the oppressed feelings, pregnant silences & patriarchal conformity displayed in this tragic Chinese household, set in the early 20th century, are duly compensated by the exuberant use of colour & opulent visuals. As a child I found myself astonished by the cultural underbelly of pre-modern China, astonished by each beautiful scene, & glad to have my whole two feet. Oh, did someone mention, foot fetish?

Also excellent: 红高粱 Red Sorghum (1987), an epic & 菊豆 Ju Dou (1990), Zhang Yimou’s earlier projects starring the luminous Gong Li.

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英雄本色 A Better Tomorrow (1986) by John Woo

Two brothers on the opposing ends of the law, begs the choice between justice and kinship, & a testing of loyalties. Everything builds to a rousing finale. Our frequent purveyor of gangland action movies, Chow Yun Fat steals the show as he is wont to do. This guy has bucketloads of charisma to make you root for him, regardless if he’s the cop or the baddie. My choice of all the Chow Yun Fat(my bro’s favourite actor, closely contended by Li Liang Wei of Ding Lik fame) movies I’ve seen. Also stars the usual suspects Di Lung, Kenneth Tsang and surprisingly, Leslie Cheung. Awesome.

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女人四十 Summer Snow (1995) by Ann Hui

A gritty reality on the troubles of life faced by a poor family in 90s Hong Kong. With Siao Fang Fang as the distressed but resilient matriarch constantly worrying after her Alzheimer’s-stricken father-in-law, this movie will touch you. There are particularly memorable scenes involving a balcony, & life in Heaven. If I should forget this film, I might still remember that man & the scenes.

Also catch: 一一 One and a Two (2000) by Edward Yang, a Taiwanese film also on family.

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Lastly,

 

大話西遊 A Chinese Odyssey (1994) by Stephen Chow & Jeffrey Lau

Apologies, but I must mention my favourite Stephen Chow film, where even the lengthy titles (西遊記第壹佰零壹回之月光寶盒 & 西遊記大結局之仙履奇緣) might provoke a smile. Stephen Chow is undoubtedly great at slapstick, but truly, he stands out for his unique brand of self-deprecating humour. His ability to poke fun at the Chinese (Flirting Scholar, Forbidden City Cop), & have us all laughing at ourselves is rare talent itself.

A Chinese Odyssey manages to be funny yet sad. Like all his other works, the Cantonese version contains many more double entendres & rude puns, lost in translation. The costumes & setting are elaborately gaudy, & I mean that in the best way possible. The addition of love may seem far-fetched, but it is my favourite adaptation of the Journey to the West.

 

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I’m running out of adjectives. In varying the genres, I have left many other great movies out sadly.

All the entertaining Jackie Chans & Stephen Chows, magnificent wuxia epics, & films set in cities of a developing China that draw close to the heart. Many times, films are worth watching just for the enigmatic lead actors & actresses.

Its safe to attribute my standard in Mandarin usage to my decline in Chinese movie watching. No wonder my Mandarin has deproved.

While I wonder where Hong Kong cinema is heading toward, I’ll stay in touch for sure.

The End

谢谢收看