Ashes of Time Redux

[Drunk Monk]

I confess, I don't quite *get* Wong Karwai. He's a filmmaker's filmmaker. If you're into film, you roll over and soil yourself over the amazing things he's doing with his cinematography. I can see where that's cool and all, but his works never quite come together for me. What makes Ashes even more complicated is that it's a prequel to a mammoth classic of wuxia literature, Jin Yong's Eagle Shooting Heroes, which of course, I haven't read. Don't get me wrong - this is a gorgeous film and it undeniably showcases the power of one of my favorite actresses, Maggie Cheung. Many of the shots are astoundingly creative. But it's slow, plodding and full of melancholy. That contributes to the overall mood, and in the end, delivers something, but it's not the wine of forgetfulness as promised.

If you're into art film and martial arts, it's a must see. If you just want to see some ass kicking kung fu, skip this one.

[Drunk Monk]

The Grandmasters just opened in China and will premiere internationally at the Berlin Film Festival this month.
[youtube]8Ngxn9NzLzs[/youtube]

Given that Wong Kar Wai is a movie critic's darling, there is a lot of buzz on this one. So in preparation, I've been rewatching some WKW flicks and I think I've solved my issues with his work. I recently watched As Tears Go By and am almost through watching Days of Being Wild.

WKW is an HK filmmaker that makes French films. All of his stuff mimic French cinema - the moodiness, the lighting, the way the stories moves, the dwelling upon smoking, even the existential outlook. His twist is he's HK, and gives his films this rich HK atmospheric texture - it's tropical, yet he used a lot of washed out cool colors, totally rundown settings that really catch the feel of urban HK. On top of that, he got some great actors when they were young, Andy Lau, Leslie Cheung, Jacky Cheung, Brigitte Lin, and had a fine muse in Maggie Cheung, who is just captivating in all the WKW films in which she appears. Given the international esteem of French film (case & point: Cannes) WKW films work with the artsy set really well.

Personally, I hate French film.

This is my theory. At the very least, it explains Irma Vep.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

I'm thinking that would be a double-no from tQ: Arty and martial arts.

[cranefly]

DM, have you seen In the Mood for Love yet? I recall liking it very much, though not much happens in it.
But you can't get much better than Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung as the leads. And the musical score really
carried it for me.

I read on Wikipedia that Tony Leung considers Maggie Cheung's performance in In the Mood for Love to be the pinnacle of her career.

This is disturbing and embarrassing, but I don't know if I've seen Ashes in Time. Maybe I should just get it from the library and start watching. Then again, I, too, have acquired a very bad taste in my mouth for French films or their imitations.

BTW, DM, you scared me away from 2046, but maybe someday I'll get up the courage to give it a try. I think Lady Cranefly is up to it.

[Drunk Monk]

I have seen ItMfL, but I might watch it again, just for the refresher. It was definitely one of the stronger WKW/Maggie collaborations. I saw Chungking Express too - in a Chinatown theater no less (and why I remember that and not the film just goes to show you my general feelings about WKW). I haven't seen 2046 or Blueberry Nights, both of which are well regarded by the artsy set.

You should definitely check out Ashes, but you're probably the only one on this forum that I'd recommend it to - it's like a kung fu flick on morphine.

I'm thinking that would be a double-no from tQ: Arty and martial arts.

Yea, exactly. Too arty for me even.

[Drunk Monk]

I got another stuttering pirate w/no English subs. I was pretty tentative about the no subs part as my Chinese is getting worse and worse as it's been nine years since I've been there, and it was poor to begin with, but mostly because WKW films are usually slow with a lot of lingering dialog in that French way. But so far, it hasn't been a problem. Grandmasters has a goodly amount of action in the first hour. My friend Cung gets beaten up in the first fight scene (that is how he's getting typecast in Chinese cinema) in a spectacular fight in the rain with gratuitous slo-mo raindrops, puddle-stomping and water water everywhere. It's beautiful filmmaking. So far, the film is just gorgeous, scene-for-scene. Almost every scene is half shadow with tight-framed face shots bathed in warm sumptuous sepia tones. The film glows like a picture-perfect postcard of Canton in the 1930s. Wonderfully ornate sets and costumes, a very classy production, art house quality. And decent fights, amazingly enough. It showcases the character of different Kung Fu styles quite well, very old school in that regard. SPOILER Amusingly, WKW repeats his bleeding out on the train scene from Days of Being Wild. END SPOILER

I'll finish it tonight. It still might go sour if the action starts to slow - the death knell of a kung fu flick - but if it can keep the pace, it might be the next CTHD.

[Drunk Monk]

My review: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1122">http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/a ... ticle=1122</a><!-- m -->

it's like a kung fu flick on morphine.

Shit, I wish I had checked my notes here. That's a great line and I didn't have to poach it off one of you. I totally should have used that in my review.

[Drunk Monk]

Maggie Cheung says she's retiring from acting. She was always a fav, from being Jackie's hapless gf May in the Police Story and Project A, to one of my fav sleeper flicks Paper Marriage, to the horribly French Irma Vep, she was the only actress that made WKW flicks watchable.

Maggie Cheung wants to learn more of herself
From Cinema Online Exclusively for Yahoo NewsroomBy Heidi Hsia | From Cinema Online Exclusively for Yahoo Newsroom – Mon, Nov 25, 2013 4:01 PM SGT


25 Nov – Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung recently revealed that she is more interested in learning about herself and behind-the-scene work rather than return to acting.

As reported on China Times website, the actress, who attended the forum for her 1992 film, "Centre Stage" at the Golden Horse Film Festival's Encounters on 21 November, revealed that she no longer has any dream roles and wants to learn more about herself.

Speaking to the media at the event, Maggie expressed, "I have been in the industry since I was 18. I had no idea who I was, so I am going to spend more time playing the role of myself. I am 49-years-old now, and I am truly living life."

She also disclosed that she has been learning how to edit movies and revealed that she has been recommended by someone to edit Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien's movie, "The Assassins".

The actress expressed, "If I get to win a Golden Horse Award for such a thing [like editing movie], I would just cry of happiness!"

The actress also spoke about her role in "Centre Stage", the movie that won her Golden Horse Best Actress awards years back, and expressed her gratefulness to the late Anita Mui.

"Back then, Anita rejected the film, so I was given the opportunity. If I didn't make "Centre Stage", my path in life would be different altogether," said the actress.

Meanwhile, it was rumoured that Tony Leung (Chi Wai) was upset to the point of cancelling his Golden Horse appearance when the organising committee planned that he and wife, Carina Lau present an award together with Maggie Cheung, who was once rumoured to be a third party in his and Carina's relationship.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/maggie-cheung-wants-learn-more-herself-080100803.html">http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/ ... 00803.html</a><!-- m -->

[Drunk Monk]

The Eagle Shooting Heroes (1993)

When WKW was making Ashes, he went horribly over budget, so he produced this Mo lei tau parody, a twisted version of Cha’s same tale using the Ashes cast. 

It’s unapologetically cheesy with outrageousness at every turn, gaudy, crass, tacky, immature and got me to lol for realz. Good mo lei tau humor always gets me because there’s are no rules - that’s the point. This is where Stephen Chow poached toad style and swollen poisoned lips for Kung Fu Hustle. 

The choreo is total cartoon Fu - wire work, sped up, Tai Chi slow, Qi blasts, steal the jewels is debated, there’s even a two-finger stooge Fu eye poke - nevertheless some demanding sequences and stunts. 

Gay jokes. Pee jokes. Hallucination jokes. Time warp jokes. Decapitation jokes. Love ballad duet jokes. Cross dressing jokes. Gotta luv Mo lei tau. 

The Yaoguai monsters are the best, like Kaiju rejects. Godzilla Rodman & King Kong.

This would make a crazy double feature with Ashes. It’s like the complete opposite version of the same characters and might make my head explode if I tried it.

Plenty of sword fights. DOOM recommended especially for cf (Kanopy)

[cranefly]

The Eagle Shooting Heroes (1993)

Plenty of sword fights. DOOM recommended especially for cf (Kanopy)

Duly noted.

[Greg]

My favorite Kaiju was always Rodman. It's too bad he gave it all up to play for the Chicago Bulls.

[Drunk Monk]

Rodman!?! Rodan! Ducking stoopik spelchuck. 

That being said, this film is an exception to my ‘it’s never duck’ rule. Duckie plays a significant role when it comes to Godzilla, King Kong & Rodman.

---

Rodan! Duck off spelchuck.

[cranefly]

Rodman a typo?

Dammit.

Was soooo looking forward to watching Rodman stomping some city.

[Drunk Monk]

Sorry bro. Blame ducking spelchuck.

Although I could totally see Rodman vs Kikaider. 

FWIW I’m still chuckling about the suicide-via-ouyang and the time warp pee joke. So dumb yet still funny. Mo lei tau is such a guilty pleasure.

[Greg]

Blame DM for raising your hopes and crushing them.