Exiled (2007)

[cranefly]

directed by Johny To

Simon Yam isn't a very nice person. I've learned that from a whole lot of movies. In fact, if I was ever in a movie and learned that Simon Yam was among the cast, when the director yelled "Action!" I would instantly attack Simon. I would attack him with whatever was at hand. I'd use a camera. I'd use a cameraman. Even if Simon wasn't in the scene, I'd seek him out and beat the crap out of him -- or try to.
Because I'd know he would be causing everyone in the movie a whole lot of grief.

I'm giving Exiled my highest rating. It was a wild and relentlessly fun ride. But be aware this isn't a movie of nuanced emotional performances. It's mostly a group of guys bonding in various ways. And yes, I hate the term male bonding. But anyway, the movie works brilliantly in the ways that "Once Upon a Time in the West" worked brilliantly. If you liked OUATITW (my favorite all-time western), you'll likely like this.

Clever, unpredictable, great music, suspenseful. Film classes could teach suspense using this film. Johny To demonstrates a complete mastery of it.

I definitely need to check out more of Johny To's movies. I hadn't realized it, but he co-directed "The Heroic Trio," another of my all-time favorites. I think that's when he first came into his own.
--cranefly

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Heroic Trio ROCKED!!!!

[Drunk Monk]

I just watched this again because of CF's post on the Drug War thread <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://brotherhoodofdoom.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3078">viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3078</a><!-- l -->). I don't know why I didn't comment on it earlier, but CF is spot on. This is one of the greatest Triad flicks ever. No swordfights, but plenty of great gunplay, so they aren't missed at all. Two of my fav HK character actors - Simon Yam versus Anthony (ED's Asian doppelganger) Wong - 'nuf said.


SEE THIS!

[Drunk Monk]

So I watched it again on Netflix. We are so spoiled by CGI, 3D & HFR (CF's definition) that many of the old cheesey Fant-Asia's of the early 90s just don't hold up anymore. It's not the low-tech effects so much because the Godzilla movies hold up. But there's something about HK special effects with bad wire work that becomes a shocking as old disco fashion footage, signs of the times. I remember being blown away by the audacity of this film when it came out.

Note that Netflix has an edited and dubbed version. I killed the sound and just read subtitles.

To is underwhelming here. He spends too much time trying to emulate John Woo's confetti-filled scenes, and misses the mark. The colors are really tacky too.

I was never a fan of Anita Mui, and grudgingly accepted her as the lead in the trio. She was once dubbed the Asian Madonna, which makes as much sense as calling Kim Jong-Un the Asian Kanye. I just never liked cantopop music. Still don't. Mui died a decade after making HT, which she had followed up by some Jackie Chan films and a lot of rom-coms. Knowing where she went after this film adds more depth, but I'm still not fond of her in this. The mask with the super big eye-slits to accommodate Anita's super big mascara was silly.

Michelle plays her character too seriously. She can be campy - it's not her strongest suit, but she misses the mark her. Her fight scenes are standout in this film and most of the other fight scenes are horrid - people doing windmills in fog and light beams.

It's really all about Maggie, the shot-gun toting biker chick. Her performance saves the show.