Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Jasmine Women 茉莉花开

 Released Year: 2004
Directed by 侯咏 Hou Yong

Casted by:
章子怡 as 茉 Mo 莉 Li 花 Hua
陈冲 Joan Chen as 妈妈 Mother 茉 Mo
姜文 Jiang Wen as 孟先生 Mr Meng
陆毅 LuWee as 鄒傑 Jie
刘烨 Liu Yie as 小杜 Du
 Story:
The film is divided into three chapters: "grandmother, mother, and daughter"; respectively the story of Mo, Li and Hua.

Mo's Story (1930s)
18 year old Mo lives with her mother who owns a small photo shop in Shanghai. She longs to become a movie star, a dream her mother does not understand. One day, Mo meets Mr. Meng, the boss of a movie studio. She then leaves her mother to fulfil her film career dream. She enters a relationship with Mr. Meng who is married and later becomes pregnant. She refuses to have an abortion and when the Second Sino-Japanese War begins, Meng leaves Shanghai and abandons Mo. The movie studio is shut down and Mo returns home. She gives birth to Li and blames her child for everything she has lost. Her mother's boyfriend (this is never explicitly stated but implied) also tries to seduce her, using the guise of a free hair appointment. Her mother finds out, and commits suicide not long after.

Li's Story (1950s)
Li had grown up with her mother Mo in misery. Mo still remembers her dream of being a movie star. Li marries Zou Jie who was a member of her high school's chapter of the Communist Youth League of China. After marriage, they move into Jie's home but unused to their lifestyle and unable to bear a child of her own, they move back to stay with Mo. Li eventually adopts a baby girl named Hua. Li later becomes mentally unstable. Li's situation gets steadily worse and she even accuses Zou for violating Hua, her adopted daughter. Li’s family collapses and her husband Zou commits suicide by throwing himself at an oncoming train. Li leaves home; her fate is unknown, and Hua is left to live with Mo.

Hua’s Story (1980s)
Li disappeared when Hua was still very young and she grew up with her grandmother Mo. Mo finds comfort in taking care of her granddaughter. When Hua grew up she married a college graduate, Du. After marriage, Du went for further studies overseas in Japan and after that, decided to leave Hua. Unfortunately, Hua was already carrying Du’s child. Mo strongly encouraged her to abort the baby because of her experiences with having a child and being unprepared for it, but Hua decided against it. Hua decided to check into a family planning clinic/hospital to have an abortion in any case, but before she could arrive home, Mo died. Years later, Du returns to Hua to 'finalise things', but it seems Hua had moved on with her life. Closing scenes show her moving into a new home with her daughter.
 L² Scored: 7.5/10

L² Comment
The storyline of 3 generations are nothing that fancy nowadays as many of the movies have used this idea before. The extraordinaire of this movie should be the best acting of Zhang Ziyi and Joan Chen. I love the story of the second generation the most... how about u?

Monday, November 10, 2014

Ghost of Mae Nak 2005 นาค รักแท้/วิญญาณ/ความตาย

 Released Year: 2005
Directed by Mark Duffield

Casted by:
Pataratida as Nak
Siwat Chotchaicharin as Mak
Porntip Papanai as Mae Nak
Jaran Ngamdee as Por Mak
Meesak Nakarat as Angel
 Story:
Set in modern Bangkok, the life of groom Mak is disturbed, by successive nightmares with a ghost woman, Mae Nak, an ancient Thai legend. He meets his beloved fiancée Nak to acquire an antique brooch and an old abandoned house in Phra Khanong through an unscrupulous real estate agent Angel and they decide to buy the property.

After their wedding, two small-time thieves break into the house and steal their gifts and other objects. Mak happens to see the criminals on the streets of Bangkok selling his goods. He chases the burglars and they run their van over Mak, who falls into a deep coma. The ghost Mae Nak protects the young couple against Angel and the burglars, but in return she holds the soul of Mak.

Nak finds the remains of Mae Nak in an ancient cemetery, and with some monks, they exorcise Mae Nak from Mak using the ancient brooch and release her spirit.
 L² Scored: 5/10

L² Comment
The storyline is not bad, like the way how they cut off the forehead bone and make it into a thingy to capture the spirit. This is not a ghost movie which simply scares you out of nowhere but it based a lot on the relationship between the actors & actresses as well.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Golden Chicken 3 金雞SSS

 Released Year: 2014
Directed by 鄒凱光 Matt Chow

Casted by:
吳君如 Sandra Ng as 阿金 Kam
張家輝 Nick Cheung as 哥頓 Gordon
王菀之 Ivana Wong as 吳璐 Lu
陳奕迅 Eason Chen as Jackie
詩雅 Michelle Wai as 阿花 Fa
 Story
Nowadays, Kam has become mamasan and lead her girls towards to become a better hooker. She lead Lu who acted as china girl and Fa who can do anything to be the greatest. Kam met her man who was released from the jail Gordon. Gordon still acted the same and wanted his gang Jackie to serve him always. Kam tried to educate Gordon that the time has changed and finally she managed to change his mindset and they were happily ever after...
L² Scored: 5/10

L² Comment
 For me, this is not as good as the 1st 2 movie. There's no main point of the whole storyline and the worst is, i even feel Sandra Ng's acting skill has gone bad... The whole movie focus on her extra big boobs and Nick Cheung is definitely outshine her in the movie and even Ivana is better than her...