Turn Left, Turn Right 向左走·向右走

Released Year: 2003

Directed by 杜琪峰 Johnnie To & 韦家辉 Wai Ka Fai

Casted by:

金城武 Takeshi Kaneshiro as 劉智康 John Liu

梁詠琪 Gigi Leung as 蔡嘉儀 Eve Choi

陳之財 Edmund Chen as 胡醫生 Dr Hu

關穎 Terri Kwan as 小紅 Ruby

 Story:

The story tells of two people who live in buildings right next to each other, separated only by a wall, and are always near each other but can't seem to find one another.

John Liu is a violinist who works from job to job. During one of his gigs, he meets June, who offers to give him a ride home. However she flirts aggressively with John during the ride which frightens him. To get away from her he jumps out of her car and makes a run for his apartment building. The next day he sees her waiting for him on the left corner of his building which makes him avoid going to the left of his building.

Eve Choi is a translator for a book publishing company. Her job is to translate foreign books into Chinese. She is given the daunting task of translating a horror novel into Chinese. At night while translating the horror novel she gets frightened and thinks her home is haunted. The next day she notices a scary-looking tree to the right of her apartment building and, frightened, she refuses to go to the right of her building.

John and Eve meet by accident at the park fountain, when he helps her pick up her papers that have fallen into the fountain. They find out that they had met each other when they were younger at an amusement park, when both their schools had organized a field trip to the same place. Then, Eve had asked John for his telephone number, but the two never got in touch because she left her school bag on the train and lost John's phone number. The two laugh about the past and exchange phone numbers without asking for each other's name before parting quickly because of a coming rainstorm.

That night, both are happy and excited to have met each other again, but both also came down with the flu because of the earlier rainstorm. The flu medication John has on hand has expired and he decides not to take it. Eve is overjoyed and forgets to take her medication. The next day the two are devastated to find out that the phone numbers they had exchanged are unreadable due to the paper getting wet during the rainstorm. Both can only make out a few numbers and vainly call several phone numbers at random hoping to get through to one another.

One of the numbers they called is a restaurant that Ruby works at as a waitress and delivery person. Both John and Eve, ill and not wanting to leave their home because they're afraid that they would miss the other person's phone call, decides to order delivery from Ruby's restaurant. Ruby falls in love with John at first sight when she arrives at his home to make her delivery. Seeing the smudged pieces of paper on both John and Eve's table, Ruby soon finds out that the two are trying to find each other. To distract John from the apartment located in the next building Ruby tells him an old lady lives in that apartment.

John's and Eve's flu become so severe that they are both taken to the hospital, John by Ruby and Eve by an ambulance. They both meet Dr. Hu, but Dr. Hu happens to be a former University classmate of Eve's, who has a crush on her. He tells Eve that it must be fate that they met each other again and proceeds to check her into the hospital to get the best care possible, while discharging John from the hospital, changing his mind only when Ruby argues with him about how severe John's illness is. Both John and Eve give their home keys to Ruby and Dr. Hu to set up voicemail at their home in case the other person calls.

Once John and Eve are discharged from the hospital they find out that Dr. Hu and Ruby had literally moved into each of their apartments, but both make it clear that they are not interested in them since they already love someone else. Heartbroken, drunk and sobbing to each other Dr. Hu and Ruby decide to get together. Taking revenge on John and Eve for breaking their hearts, they send pictures to them showing how many places they had missed finding each other. John and Eve find Dr. Hu and Ruby to talk about the pictures they had received in the mail. Ruby gives Eve's phone number to John telling him it's her number to test if she was ever in his heart and Dr. Hu does the same to Eve, but they do not call.

John and Eve are frustrated about not being able to find each other and decide to take jobs abroad. On the day they are to leave Taiwan, an earthquake strikes, destroying the wall that separates their apartment. Both finally find each other.

 L² Scored: 10/10

L² Comment:

Wow, never it has been more than 10 years i have watch this movie in the cinema. I was so touched by the movie and storyline at that time, after the movie, i asked my partner whether we will still be together in the next 10 years or "turn right and turn left"... Promise i get was "together"~ but it did not~ though i feel sad thinking about it now, but well, this is life, i appreciate everyone who ever appear in my life~ 

Lavender 薰衣草

 Released Year: 2001

Directed by 葉錦鴻 Ip Kam Hung

 

Casted by:

陈慧琳 Kelly Chen as Athena
 金城武 Takeshi Kaneshiro as Angel
 陈奕迅 Eason Chen as Chow Chow
 郑佩佩 Cheng Pei Pei as 董夫人 Madame Dong
 谷德昭 Vincent Kuk as 肥天使 Fat angel
 尹子维 Terence Yin as 小提琴天使 Violin angel

 Story:

Athena is a sad woman who can't forget about her passed away boyfriend's smell, she use her whole life to create the smell but fail. She met a fallen angel who is a handsome and innocent guy. The angel live by creating loves to human being, but he was targeted by Chow Chow, a gay guy who live opposite of Athena.

 

It seems like Chow Chow has fall in love with Athena's ex boyfriend and can't forget about him too, especially the smell. Chow Chow was envy of Athena for getting angel as hers. Angel told them where he really from and ready to fly back to heaven after his wings cured. Athena brought angel to buy lavender and hope he can bring it up to heaven for her ex boyfriend. During the trip, both of them fall in love but angel still need to leave.

 

Athena woke up from her filled bathtub after hearing some bang noise. Its seems like she was having this weird dream when she fell asleep in the baththub. The restaurant owner, Angelo is the one who fell down from the roftop when fixing the wire. Athena realize Angelo looks exactly like angel (without the wings of course), and the restaurant name is Michealangelo. It seems like the God has arrange a new faith for her, for her to accept a new love and forget about the old sad one. 

 L² Scored: 8/10

 

L² Comment:

Its quite touching and romantic for me, i love the storyline, love that Kaneshiro is able to act innocent angel which i think is a superb. The movie was brought to the Berlin and shown to the world, though it did not win any awards, but it has been nominated in quite a lot in the HK academy awards. The only flaw i would say is Kelly being a bit stiff, but i think she can be much more better if she has more experience in acting during that time :) 

Mermaid Got Married 人魚傳說

 Released Year: 1994

Directed by 羅文 Roman Tam

Casted by:

 郑伊健 Ekin Cheng as 阿志 Zhi

钟丽缇 Christy Chung as 小美 Mei

金城武 Takeshi Kaneshiro as Kenji

麦家琪 Teresa Mak as 公主 Princess

 郑则仕 Kent Cheng as 校长 Headmaster

 Story:

When Zhi is young he almost drown in sea but he was saved by a mermaid. Years later Zhi grows up and become a teacher. But he was bullied by his student especially Princess & Kenji and they make him fall into the sea. Once again mermaid Mei save his life and use her pearl to save his life. 

Zhi went back to his old life while Mei become a student and went after him for her pearl. During the period, Mei discovered she has fall in love with Zhi. To prove to Zhi that he can't be in love with her, she transform into mermaid again in front of him. But the transformation has caused the greedy headmaster and other teachers caught the mermaid for sales. But Mei was later on rescued by Zhi, Kenji & Princess. She was released into the sea, Zhi has then waited for her to return. On a wedding, Zhi saw a girl looks like Mei and he went up to her. In the same moment, the headmaster and teacher use water to splash her and hope she become mermaid but failed.

But actually that girl is Mei and this time she managed to control herself and able to be with Zhi forever...

L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment:

I used to love this film a lot, i still do especially when Faye's Wong "Tian Shi" sang throughout the whole film. The storyline is predictable but the "romance" feel is there and quite good. Christy Chung looks so lovely and sweet that time, love her :)

The Warlords 投名狀

 Released Year: 2007

Directed by 陈可辛 Peter Chan

Casted by:

李連杰 Jet Li as 龐青雲 Pang QingYun
劉德華 Andy Lau as 趙二虎 Zhao ErHu
金城武 Takeshi Kaneshiro as 姜午陽 Jiang WuYang
徐靜蕾 Xu Jing Lei as 蓮生 Lian Sheng

 Story:

 The film is set in the 1860s, during the Taiping Rebellion in the late Qing Dynasty in China. The story, based on the assassination of Ma Xinyi in 1870, tells of three sworn blood brothers who eventually turn against one another due to the harsh realities of war and political intrigue.

The story begins with a vicious battle, after which Qingyun, a Qing army general, is the only survivor of his entire army. He is defeated because promised reinforcements from a rival General Ho are deliberately withheld. In his aimless wanderings he encounters a girl named Liansheng, who nurses him back to health. Once he regains his strength, Qingyun soon meets Wuyang, who takes him back to the bandits village, and later Erhu; leaders of a bandit army that regularly steals food to survive. There he finds Liansheng again, who is revealed to be Erhu's wife.During one night, some militay troops attacks the village and retake the stolen goods, plunging the village into famine.

Qingyun convinces the bandits to join the Qing army to earn money and security to feed their families; Erhu and Wuyang are hesitant at first, and only agree after the three brothers swear a "Blood Oath", with which they affirm their fraternity to one another under pain of death. Qingyun, with the help of Erhu's army wins over a rebel convoy to show latter's strength to Qing Lords. Qingyun then goes on to meet his old superiors, who are reluctant at first to reinstate him, but upon allowing him the task of conquering a major city, he proves his worth in a victorious battle against a numerically superior force. In this battle, the tide is turned when Wuyang sneaks through the enemy lines and decapitates the enemy general. Qingyun's subsequent promotion and increased support from the Qing lords spurs him to lead the brothers and his armies through a long but successful campaign against the rebels. His victories cause him to become ambitious in the process, during which he reveals his plan to quickly take Suzhou and Nanjing, the principal power bases of the Taiping rebels, and his dream of ridding the world of oppression.

Fearing Qing-yun's growing power and influence, the Qing lords decide to deny Qingyun valuable reinforcements and provisions; without their support, Qingyun's prompt attack on Suzhou devolves into a year long siege, with both sides suffering from starvation. Desperate, Qingyun negotiates with his longtime rival and nemesis, General Ho, offering him half of the spoils of Nanking in return for supplies. Meanwhile Erhu sneaks into the city disguised as an opium dealer, hoping to assassinate the Taiping general ruling Suzhou and thus end the siege. The general surprises Erhu by revealing that he already knows of his plot and says that despite starvation, his troops and people will never surrender due to their loyalty. In an ensuing duel, the general allows Erhu to kill him anyway, saying that as long as he is alive his people will never be free of the siege. His dying wish is that his soldiers and citizens be spared. Moved by the official's sacrifice, Erhu agrees to the terms, but a returning Qingyun feels differently: even with the new provisions, food remains critically short, the rebels cannot be conscripted or released, and the Nanjing expedition would be jeopardized. Instead, he orders the prisoners to be executed, enraging Erhu into considering desertion over the death of innocent thousands. But Qingyun manages to convince him to stay and rejoin the cause by arguing that there are millions of innocents to save in Nanjing.

The Nanjing campaign becomes a grand success, and Qingyun is appointed as a provincial governor by the Empress for his services. He even gets the Empress to agree to his request for a 3 year moratorium on taxes in Nanjing so that the peasants can recover from years of war. Nonetheless, the war has caused a rift between the three brothers, most prominently with Erhu, who quietly defies Qingyun's orders by doling out soldier's pay from the imperial coffers; his offenses and popularity become known to the Qing lords, who cajole Qingyun into arranging his assassination. Erhu is fed false information of a plot by General Ho to assassinate Qingyun and he rides off to warn him only to get ambushed. Meanwhile, Wuyang discovers Qingyun's affair with Liansheng and catches wind of the plot against Erhu. Believing that Qingyun wants Erhu killed over Liansheng, Wuyang murders her, but Erhu is already dead before Qingyun hears of Liansheng's death. Wuyang therefore strives to fulfill the blood oath and goes to kill Qingyun at his inauguration ceremony. As the two brothers fight, a hidden attacker armed with a rifle shoots Qingyun in the back multiple times as Wuyang stabs him in the chest, killing him.

Now alone, Wuyang reminisces upon the words of the oath that was taken long ago.

  L² Scored: 8/10

L² Comment:

Our proud Jet Li won the Best Actor in HK Film Awards; Peter Chan won Best Director in HK Film Awards & Golden Horse Awards while this movie won the Best Film in HK Film Awards & Golden Horse Awards. The whole movie is very very good in arranging the characters & the storyline flows very well indeed... The only flaw would be the dullness in color... lol

Dr. Wai in the Scripture With No Words 冒險王

Released Year: 1996
Directed by 程小東 Chin Xiao Dong

Casted by:
李连杰 Jet Li as 周世杰/卫亦信 Jie/Xin
关之琳 Rosamund Kwan as 莫尼卡/美加子 Monica/Mikako
金城武 Takeshi Kaneshiro as 包教晓 Xiao
楊采妮 Charlie Yeung as Charlie
罗家英 Loh Kar Ying as 英叔 Ying

Story:

A depress movie writer Jie is facing a divorce issue with his wife Monica, his 2 subordinates Xiao & Charlie help him out to write an adventure story regarding Dr Wai. Inside the story, Jie become Xin, the Dr Wai while Monica is the devil Japanese woman Mikako. They were grabbing a secret weapon from each other which will make human being dissappear.

In the end, Mikako and Dr Wai fall in love with each other and help out each other which in the reality world Jie and Monica become a lovely couple again.

L² Scored: 3.5/10

L² Comment:

Though the movie won a few awards on the fighting and graphic, but i think the storyline is kinda so so... And Charlie look damn ugly in here, i feel like slapping her face hard!!!

Wu Xia 武侠

Released Year: 2011
Directed by 陳可辛 Peter Chan

Casted by:
甄子丹 Donnie Yen as 劉金喜 / 唐龙 Xi / Long
湯唯 Tang Wei as 阿玉 Ayu
金城武 Takeshi Kaneshiro as 徐百九 Jiu
王羽 Jimmy Wang as 七十二地煞教主 The Master
惠英紅 Kara Hui as 十三娘 13 Niang / Knife Fighter
Story:

Liu Jinxi and his wife, Ayu are an ordinary couple with two sons, Fang Zheng and Xiaotian, living in the Liu village. One day, two bandits enter the village and attempt to rob a paper shop. Jinxi happens to be in the shop and while trying to save the shopkeeper, kills both of them. During autopsy, constable Xu Baijiu discovers that one of the dead bandits was the Government's top ten most wanted, Yan Dongsheng. The local magistrate was overjoyed and the villagers regarded Jinxi as a hero.

However, Baijiu is suspicious as Dongsheng, a skilled martial fighter, could not be easily killed by Jinxi, a mere paper worker. From evidence in the shop and the events described by Jinxi, in addition to his extensive knowledge on physiology, he is able to deduce that Jinxi is also a highly skilled martial fighter and the actual events during the fight after noting signs of brain hemorrhaging due to injury to the Vagus nerve. From subsequent observation, investigation and tests, and information from his partner, Baijiu discovers that Jinxi is actually the second lord of the 72 Dragons triads, Tang Long. Xu immediately set off to the local province to obtain an arrest warrant for Tang Long.

However, the local magistrate delayed issuing the warrent, citing lack of evidence while actually soliciting for a bribe from Baijiu. Eventually, he is able to obtain the bribe money from his estranged wife, who blames him for the death of her father. After issuing the warrent, the local magistrate informed the Master of the 72 triads, the father of Tang Long, of Tang Long's location for a reward. The Master, offended by the magistrate, kills the local magistrate instead by severing his Vagus nerve.

Throughout the movie, Xu's motives for arresting Tang Long is called into question as it is believed that he has been reformed and poses no harm to anyone. It is revealed that he had once sympathized with a thief as he was a young boy, sending him home instead of reporting him. However, that boy wound up poisoning his parents and nearly killing Baijiu. As a result, Baijiu is forced to suppress the poison via acupuncture. This spawns his objective view that only physiology and the law can be trusted. He had exposed his own father-in-law for selling fake medicine, driving him to suicide. Subsequently, his wife severed all ties with him. Similarly, Tang Long's past is explored, showing how he had fled the 72 Dragons due to the inhumane activities they partook in, particularly the slaughtering of a butcher's family, including his children.

The Master sends his people to Liu Village to kill Tang Long and torch the place. While Baijiu and his constables were on the way to Liu Village, two of the Master's henchmen reach the village and attempt to out and kill Tang Long. They kill a civilian and Jinxi is forced to expose himself, battling with and killing the two assailants. The remaining villagers are forced to hide in a fortress in order to protect themselves from the 72 Dragons, Baijiu and Tang Long staying behind.

Baijiu and Tang Long devise a plan to fake his death in order to get close to the gang, again utilizing Baijiu's extensive knowledge of physiology. It works and Tang Long severs his own left arm, declaring that he severs all ties with the 72 Dragons. The gang declares that Tang Long is dead, but tells him to go home and meet with the Master. Arriving home, he finds the Master had managed to take his family hostage, awaiting his arrival. After a tense encounter, the Master declares that he will let Tang Long go but will take his son Xiaotian with him, enraging him. Tang Long begins attacking the Master with a sword to no avail, the blade unable to penetrate his skin.

Baijiu is able to infiltrate the house through a hatch and during the battle, is able to weaken the Master by piercing his heel with an acupuncture needle from underneath the floor, making his skin less impervious to Tang Long's sword. However, he is soon incapacitated by the Master. Tang Long continues fighting but is quickly overpowered by the Master. As he prepares to kill Tang Long, Baijiu notices the needle still stuck in his heel and takes him by surprise, planting another one in his neck. Unfazed, the Master mortally wounds Baijiu. The top needle acts as a lightning rod and, in combination with the bottom needle acting as an earthing wire, the Master is charred by a lightning strike, killing him for good. Baijiu, in his dying breath, declares the case closed. The last scene of the film shows Tang Long, who's left with one arm, continuing to live an ordinary life with his family.

L² Scored: 8/10

L² Comment:

Well, its been a long time i didn't watch a good martial arts movie. Donnie Yen + Peter Chan is a blast~ a bit of comedy of here and there fresh up the whole movie, and make it not so boring if only martial arts are presented.

I really adore Jimmy Wang who is a 68 years old & Kara Hui who is 51 years old. Both of them are born from the martial arts family and they really show how good they are although they are old now. The way they fight and expression is really superb, especially when Donnie Yen is the director of martial arts in this movie.

As for Kaneshiro & Tang Wei, both of them really do show they are a good actor/actress though they do not involve in any fighting scene. This is really a movie you should never miss :)

House of Flying Daggers 十面埋伏

Released Year: 2004
Directed by 张艺谋 Yi-Mou Zhang

Casted by:
劉德華 Andy Lau as 劉捕头 Leo
金城武 Takeshi Kaneshiro as 金捕头 Jin
章子怡 Zi-Yi Zhang as 小妹 Mei
Story:

The film is set in 859 AD. The once great Tang Dynasty is now in decline. Numerous rebel groups have formed, the largest of which is the House of Flying Daggers, based in Feng Tian county. The Flying Daggers steal from the rich and give to the poor, gaining the support of the locals. The local deputies have managed to kill the leader of the Flying Daggers, but the rebel group only becomes stronger, due to a mysterious new leader. Jin and Leo, two police captains, are ordered to kill the new leader within ten days.

In order to accomplish this, they arrest Mei, a blind dancer who is suspected of being the daughter of the old leader of the Flying Daggers. While Mei is incarcerated, Jin and Leo decide to let her go to track the mastermind; Jin will pretend to be a lone warrior called Wind, and break her out of prison. This will gain her trust, and hopefully, Jin will be led to the headquarters of Flying Daggers. The plan works, but Mei and Jin fall in love on the way. They are followed at a distance by Leo; Jin and Leo meet secretly to discuss their plans. Jin jokes about his seduction of the girl; Leo warns him sternly against getting involved.

To add authenticity to the deception, Leo and his men ambush the pair: the fight is, however, a fake. Further on, they are attacked again, but this time their assailants are apparently for real: Jin and Mei battle for their lives, being saved only by the intervention of an unseen knife-thrower. Furious, Jin confronts Leo: Leo explains that he has reported the matter up the chain of command and his general has taken over the pursuit. Jin realizes that he is now expendable.

Once again, Jin and Mei are attacked by the General's men. They are hopelessly outnumbered; at the last minute they are saved when the House of Flying Daggers reveal themselves. Jin and Leo are captured and taken to their headquarters. At this point, a number of surprising revelations are made. Mei is not blind, nor is she the old leader's daughter - she was merely pretending to be. Leo is in fact an undercover agent for the House of Flying Daggers, which has engineered the whole chain of events in order to draw the General into a decisive battle. Furthermore, Leo is in love with Mei: he has waited for three years for her whilst working undercover.

Mei, however, cannot bring herself to love Leo: over the last few days she has fallen for Jin. But as Jin is now a liability, she is ordered by Nia, the leader of the House of Flying Daggers, to kill him. Instead Mei takes him away then frees him from his bonds before they make love in the field. Jin then begs Mei to flee with him, but she is torn between her love and her duty to the House, as well as guilt over Leo; Jin leaves alone. In the final scenes, Mei decides to ride after Jin, but is ambushed by Leo who is embittered by her rejection and consumed by jealousy for Jin. Leo throws a dagger at her. Mei, not realizing that two daggers were stuck together, only managed to ward off one knife, while the other strikes her in the chest. As Mei lies dying, Jin returns to find Leo, and an epic battle of honor begins, in which they fight from autumn to winter.

The last scene sees Mei, regaining consciousness, grabbing the dagger in her chest and threatening to pull it out and to throw it in order to kill Leo if Leo kills Jin with his throwing dagger; this would kill Mei, as it would enable the blood to flow and cause her to bleed to death. Jin begs her not to do it, willing to die rather than let her be killed, but she continues to threaten to sacrifice her own life for Jin. Infuriated, Leo throws his arm out as if to throw a knife at Jin, and Mei rips the dagger out of her own heart to deflect it; she opted to try to deflect Leo's attack and save Jin rather than throw it at Leo and kill him in revenge. However, all her dagger does is deflect a droplet of blood, as Leo never threw his dagger. In the final scene, Leo walks off into the blizzard as Jin holds Mei's lifeless body, singing the song originally sung by Mei at the beginning of the film in the Peony Pavilion.

L² Scored: 8.5/10

L² Comment:

Love this film, no matter how many times i watch it. Love the simplicity of this film of the characters. Not much characters involve like other martial arts film and the kungfu is simply marvelous. The only thing i disagree is, the film shot too "beautiful"~ i mean... its kinda pretty in all the background and its a bit fake on this...

But nevertheless, this is still a good film which you guys can consider to buy its original DVD.