Brother (Japan/USA/UK, 2000)

A yakuza played by Kitano Takeshi is forced to leave Japan and go the United States after trouble with another yakuza family. In the U.S. he goes to his half brother and finds him a small time drug dealer. Then, he decides to show him how it is really done.

As it is often the case with his films, Takeshi also directs. And a fine director he is. There is a quality to what he does, a Kitano Takeshi style one could say. There are twists and surprises, silent scenes and a pace that is very peculiar, yet perfect. For instance, several scenes show the gangsters just killing time, gambling or joking around, making the characters even more believable. Not as much as in Sonatine, mind you, but just enough.

The amount of violence presented in this film could offend some viewers. Not because of it is graphic, mostly because it is brutal. Then again, it is not violence for the sake of violence, it is part of the world these characters live in and events they have to deal with. It is a Takeshi film after all.

Gangster movie lovers will surely enjoy Brother and genre movie fans should too.
Will make you want to see more of Kitano Takeshi’s work.

Gog

Lord of War (USA, 2005)

I was told that is was a great movie.

One day, I will learn to listen to that voice in the back of my head that is telling me to follow my guts and not what people tell me. The preview had already told I didn’t want to see that film, but I watched anyway.

-sigh-

The idea and the message are both good ideas. Following the rise of a weapons dealer is interesting, and seeing how cold someone has to be to deal in that world is also very interesting. The problem is the main character played by Nicolas Cage, it is mostly the one he has played in many of his “action” movie. We have seen enough of it and its sad puppy eyes.

Not that everything is his fault, the movie can’t seem to find its ritgh pace. Could be an editing weakness or more likely in the directing, but I can’t say I have the pretention of knowing. Something just doesn’t feel right.

So, didn’t care for it much.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

Gog, more bored than entertained

Fulltime Killer (Hong Kong, 2001)

In the last few years, good Hong Kong action films have been few and far between after the big boom of the nineties. This fine Johnnie To movie stands out, by its style and quality. Mind you, it is not perfect, and there are quite a few rip-offs from early John Woo and Chow Yun Fat material. Not that it is a bad thing all together, Andy Lau makes for convincing Chow-like scenes and moves.

Andy Lau also produces the film, which explains some of the “cool” character moments that do not necessarely serve the story. That said, it did not prevent Johnnie To from making the other main character, played by Takashi Sorimachi as interesting.

In the movie, Takashi plays the number one veteran killer for hire and Lau plays the new kid who wants the number one spot. Of course, in the middle of this, there is a girl (Kelly Lin) and a police officer trying to catch them (Simon Yam). There is treachery, love, gunplay, scheming, skeletons in closets and plenty of action.

Not the best, because it does not reinvent the genre, but definitively and genuinely an excellent Hong Kong action movie. Could be a good introduction for an unintiated to the genre, easily accessible.

Seriously, watch it.

Gog

JSA – Joint Security Area (Korea, 2000)

The movie takes place in the Joint Security Area, which is the only place where North and South Korea actually connect, the border being the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where there is no contact whatsoever betwee the two Koreas. Suffice it to say it is not a place to start any trouble.

Soldiers are killed in the North Korean guard post, apparently attacked by Southern soldiers. There are casualties on both sides and following the shots fired, back up arrives to shoot at each other some more. Following the fight, a neutral investigator is called in to figure out exactly what happened. Time is very important because such an outburst could start a war. And telling more would spoil it.

The movie feels like a statement. Something in the line of people are basically good and would get along fine if they weren’t told what and how to think. It gives a vision of hope.

Park Chan-Wook made an excellent film with a delicate subject like JSA. It could have easily been pathetic and heavy, but he wrote and directed it in a way that makes the audience interested and entertained without having to make it feel depressed. Not an easy feat.

It might feel a little slow, but the pace is perfect fur the story told. And don’t expect too much action either, it is much more about the investigation and the reasons behind what happened that brought the first gun shots.

An excellent movie.

Gog

Bio-Zombie (Hong Kong, 1998)

Now, this zombie movie is not a gore movie. It is more a comedy mixed with a little horror and of course some typical Hong Kong film absurdities. Seriously… No, I can’t use this word to talk about that movie… Anyway, it is most entertaining.

In a few words, it is about a soda that turns people into zombies. Seriously. Well, it is actually an engineered mixture put in in soda bottles that turns people into zombies. Of course, someone infected escapes from the people who made the beverage and contaminates other people that contaminate others and so on. Why would someone make such a thing in the first place ? You will have to take a guess, for it is not part of the script. Basically, that’s it. The whole zombie thing takes place in a shopping mall and focuses on two guys working in a VCD store with about another half dozen secondary characters.

As mentioned, the humour is typical Hong Kong humour, aficionados will not be lost. Be warned, it is not the right movie to introduce someone to the genre. That is unless your plan is to never watch a genre movie with that someone. Thread carefully.

It is definitely worth the watch and enjoyable. Hey, it is a Hong Kong comedy after all !

The ending is even surprising.

Gog

Napoleon Dynamite (USA, 2004)

Yeah, I know I’m late on this one, but I have just seen it.

It is a funny film, awkwardly so. It’s like a collection of all those awkward moments we lived in our high school days put together in one movie. The characters are unbelievable, each and everyone of them has a little quirkiness, something odd that sets them apart. Look at the people you know or knew, and you will find many similarities with these characters.

I can understand why many people did not like the movie, it seems pointless and ridiculous. I don’t think that’s what it is about, I believe it is more a portrait of the ultimate weird kid mixed with some absurd humour.

Worth the watch.

Gog the Skilled, like you know, like nunchuck skills, bowhunting skills, computer hacking skills…

Oldboy (Korea, 2003)

Park Chan-Wook is an incredible director. From the begining to the ending of the movie, he gets our attention. The story is wicked and terribly brutal for the main character Oh Deasu, but nevertheless told in a wonderful fashion.

In short, Oh Deasu (Choi Min-Sik) is taken away on his daughter’s birthday and is held prisoner for fifteen years. After which he is released and given five days to figure out why he was taken in the first place.

As I like to say, everything is in the storytelling. And in this case, so remarkably executed. Some might say there is too much violence, but the said violence serves the movie and its story. The mood set in each scene by the cinematography is not only for style but to help the audience feel what the characters are going through. Not to say it does not have style, it really does.

Jaded moviegoers who are looking for something different will find it there, that is for sure.

Oldboy is the second part of a trilogy from Park Chan-Wook. It is not a sequel per se, it is a trilogy on the theme of vengeance. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (available on DVD) is the first one, Oldboy (aslo available on DVD) the second and the conclusion is Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (will be in movie theaters in America by the end of summer).

Absolute must-see for lovers of the genre. It really is.

Gog

Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man’s Chest (USA, 2006)

It was a surprise when the first one came out. A swashbuckling movie that actually succeeds at the box office, probably last seen when Errol Flynn was making them !

It was an excellent movie, and this second installment is as good (without the surprise) as the first one. Some even say it is better !

What’s good ?

Well, there is the Kraken, which is well presented and used. We never actually see it clearly or entirely, keeping it a mysterious giant monster and not just a giant octopus. Davy Jones and his crew are also incredible, just bearably disgusting but yet beautiful in their own way and design. Jack Sparrow’s colorful character makes it most enjoyable to watch and be entertained. That Jonnhy Depp guy sure is funny, but you knew that, right ?

What’s not so good ?

Too much Orlando, not enough Johnny. Missing one or two sword fighting scenes. Also, less Will and more Jack. Yeah, I know I just said that. Just making sure my point is getting across.

It is a must see, that is if you like swashbuckling.

Can’t wait to see Chow Yun Fat in the third one !

Gog the Pirate

ARRR !

Firefly (TV Series USA, 2002-03)
Serenity (USA, 2005)

The Cinderella of TV shows. No one gets a second chance in the universe of the television shows. But they did.

Cancelled after only half a season and mostly because the network did not do anything to support the show. Sounds familiar ? That’s because the same thing happened to Futurama, after 4 seasons of changing schedule every 4 weeks or so.

Joss Whedon created a science-fiction universe mixed with a western feel. A band of small-time crooks travel on a Firefly-class spaceship named Serenity. The ship itself is reminiscent of the Millenium Falcon. And there is a feeling of the Cowboy Bebop anime series in the Firefly universe. Something about never ending an episode with any money to speak of.

What is the most striking about Firefly and Serenity, is the dialogue and the characters. Every one of them has a moment to shine and has some very memorable quotes.

For instance:
“Well lady, I must say : you’re my kinda stupid.” -Mal
“Captain. I think there’s a problem with your brain being missing.” -Zoe

The movie answers some of the questions from the TV show. It was, however, impossible to answer all of them in one movie. There is a certain closure from it, but lots of doors were left opened for a sequel or some more episodes for the TV series. Chances are slim, though. The whole might not be commercial enough to be lucrative. But give it a try, and you’ll probably fall for it.

Watching the series before the movie is not a must, but would make the experience far more enjoyable.

Long live the Brown Coats!

Gog the Brown Coat

The Myth (Hong Kong, 2005)

Jackie Chan plays a double-role, two different characters from two different eras. Jack is an archeologist, in the present time; and General Meng-yi, a Qing Dynasty officer.

Many reviews were saying it was not a vey good Jackie Chan movie, but it is most enjoyable. The storytelling is quite what we have been used to in the recent Hong Kong movies. The script being very simple and to the point. We can feel a genuine effort to make better movies in this one. Though, a non-fan of the genre might not appreciate it. On the down side, there is the presence of computer animation, something fairly new the Hong Kong cinema. One of the reasons why movie lovers turned to Asian films, was that it was more real, with less computer animation. Still, nowadays it is part of the movie making industry all around the world, for better or worse.

Chan is over 50 now, and he proves he is still the best there is at his craft. The action is excellent and the fights are as energic as can be. And this is no sorry close-up shots and erratic editing of actors who can not make a fight scene believable : it is the real deal! One big difference from the other Chan movies, is the blood. Not usually that present, nor that splatered. It certainly gives a different feel to the movie and the fight scenes. One gets over it very quickly.

The movie is not yet available on the North American market, but can easily be found in Chinatown stores (I’m almost sure) or the YesAsia.com site. But be warned! Enter the site and you will found lots of goodies, and that might be very expensive. Believe me.

Gog