Reviews

Though one could compare to the classic British comedy "The Ladykillers," Jae Gon Son's film "Villain and Widow" is quite a delight for Korean movie lovers. It borrows elements from genres like comedy, romance, and drama to make a film that doesn't quite fit in any genre but is quite satisfying in the end.

A cultural artifact smuggler tells his partner (Suk-kyu Han) that he obtains a very precious tea cup from China, but hides it in his home without his family knowing it. In a hilarious manner he passes away while his partner is hauled away to jail yet is the only one who knows the secret. Few years pass, the widow (Hye-su Kim) and her teenage daughter are in desperate financial straits and want to rent out the now vacant room in their house to help pay their debts. In a deal with a rich person who wants the cup for his gallery, Suk-kyu Han moves in with an alias and proceeds to search for the tea cup.

What happens next is quite surprising, with director Jae Gon Son delving into serious themes like suicide, depression, and dysfunctional family relationships yet maintaining light-hearted elements. Though the ending seems inevitable, I give credit to Jae Gon Son for an ending that is not quite a happy ending and yet suitable for the smuggler and the widow. If you are reading this, then it is most likely you have an interest in this film and I say go see it now!

Being both a fan of Renoir and Ingrid, imagine my surprise that they happened to collaborate on "Elena and Her Men!" Having yet to be disappointed by Renoir (Rules of the Game being one of the top five 20th century French films), I knew from the description that it wouldn't quite reach those heights but it should still be fun.

Having watched it through, I have to say that the comparisons made to Rules of the Game happen quite enough in Elena that would make the latter seem trite. Even so, and despite the annoying presence of Mel Ferrer (was he dubbed?) and the sub-plots with Eugene-Denise-Lisotte, I have to say that Ingrid Bergman more than makes up for it, with Renoir showing her in all her luminosity in the beautiful dresses (and she certainly out-acts everyone else). The film itself is a little muddled, the previously mentioned sub-plots and other elements like the gypsy woman not quite fitting together (and the ending seems quite cheesy for Renoir, at least for me). All in all watch it if you are a Bergman fan.

Having seen the excellent trailer to Malick's newest movie, I knew I had to see this movie in theater on the big screen. The name "Terrance Malick" is a polarizing one; some people love his style of cinema and some are bored to tears with it. I fall in the former camp, though I do acknowledge some weaknesses in some of Malick's later films. that being said, this film for me is the one of most personal, most encompassing, and most touching film I've seen in my life.

Just to give a quick summary: After a family receives news of a death in the family, the film goes into a detailed look at the childhood of the eldest brother and his memories of his parents, brothers, and surroundings. Yet that is not all, as Malick tells the stories of the eldest son, he also ties in the story of the universe and the journey of life itself.

To date this is Malick's most ambitious film, attempting to deal with everything from the relationships in the family to the relationship between God and humanity and between life and death. Yet this is a deeply intimate film, making it seem almost autobiographical in its storytelling. It is very unlike most films released today: tapping deep into both religion and philosophy, it is more of a visual look at the musing of an artist on the most central questions of humanity, a depth not seen since the likes of Tarkovsky and Kubrick. For me I get the impression of sharing a steam of consciousness with Malick, each moment of the film a communal experience in that I can relate to on every level. What those children and the adults feel, I felt that as well in my life. Never in the theater before have I seen a director so keenly, deeply probed the emotional world of childhood, and I feel more people would appreciate it too if they too tap into their childhood memories as well.

The photography of this film is unparalleled in anything I've seen in the last few decades: in the creation sequence alone, I held my breath, gazing in awe at the screen. Indeed the cinematography done by Emmanuel Lubezki is phenomenal yet subtle and economical. Though Brad Pitt and Sean Penn are the headliners, make no mistake: the stars of the movie are the children. The acting done by the child playing Sean Penn's younger self steals the show. Only in the directing itself do I have a few criticisms, particularly about the sudden cuts that jar against the lyrical, slow storytelling style that Malick employs as well as the very end of the film: I feel it should have ended at the hands in the light.

This film is simply a must-see, especially on the big screen. You will not see many films of this caliber and ambition in the theater, and if you can over the slow, very quiet narrative voice-over and the more surreal images, you will find at its core a very emotional, personable story that will leave you pondering about this film for days.

As I am a huge fan of Hong Kong movies, I am very familiar with classics such as the classic 1994 Wing Chun that told the story of the origins of the martial arts style. Starring Michelle Yeoh as the title role, the movie was both a martial arts fest and a touching, funny romance with now famous Donnie Yen, and it became one of my favorite 90s Hong Kong movies. So imagine my surprise when I chanced upon this 2010 remake with Ying Bai as the starring role, and I immediately watched it.

After seeing this, I have to say this modern remake exceeded my expectations and has become of my favorites of 2010: the action here comes in intense does as Wing Chun fights off her foes like the original, especially at the ending. The romantic part of the movie started off with a misunderstanding, like the original, that eventually is reconciled in a funny yet touching manner, and it helps to have Yuen Wah and Yuen Qiu to bolster the funniness, though the leads certainly carried the film. Shaoqun Yu is convincing as the scholarly gentlemen Bao Chou who eventually sees the quality in Wing Chun, while Wing Chun herself is played winningly by Jing Bai, who I have never seen before but played the part beautifully. In the future I look forward to seeing her in other movies.

All in all, there is no reason why you should not see this movie, especially if you loved the original Wing Chun and/or love Hong Kong martial arts movies in general. Go see it! 9/10