In addition to Chan-wook Park ("Old Boy", "Sympathy For Mr Vengeance"), South Korea has one of the most talented directors working in cinema today in Ki-duk Kim. Like his fellow countryman, Kim's films are raw, emotional and uncompromising, though they tend to focus more on the psychological rather than the visceral, dealing with the darker aspects of human desire. Perhaps for this reason, or perhaps because his films lean more towards the abstract and art-house, he is not quite as well known internationally.
However, "The Isle", "Bad Guy", and more recently, "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter..and Spring" have earned worldwide release and praise, and word is at last spreading that Kim is a director of considerable skill. "Samaria", his most recent effort, was shot quickly and on a low budget, though this never shows onscreen. It is a powerful and moving film that provides a thought-provoking view on the controversial subject of teen prostitution, and is well deserved of its recent win at the Berlin Film Festival.
The story follows two schoolgirls, Yeo-jin (Ji-min Kwak) and Jae-yeong (Min-jeong Seo). In order to raise money for their trip to Europe, Jae-yeong works as a prostitute while Yeo-jin sets up clients and manages the money. The two have very different views on what they are doing. Jae-yeong is happy to sleep with men for money, imagining herself as a modern incarnation of Vasumitra, a legendary prostitute who converted men to Buddhism through the act of sex. She seems to enjoy her work and is happy to form relationships with the men she meets.
Yeo-jin, on the other hand, feels dirty at being involved, jealous of the feelings Jae-yeong has for her clients, and guilty about the fact that it is her friend who is selling herself. However, after a tragic accident, Yeo-jin is forced to confront her feelings and to reassess her passive role. Things get worse when her father discovers what she is doing and, unable to accept his daughter's actions, takes matters into his own hands.
This is obviously controversial material, and Kim, who also wrote the script, handles it skillfully and objectively. Shying away from the surreal touches that characterized "The Isle" or the gritty sleaze of "Bad Guy", he simply sets events in motion and lets the story tell itself. This is not to suggest that his approach is cold; far from it, as in Jae-yeong, Yeo-jin, and her father, Kim creates a set of painfully believable characters that the viewer cares deeply about. However, it is left to us to judge their actions, and whilst the film follows a definite narrative course, there are many different interpretations of the psychology behind the characters and their reactions to events.
Although the film is not particularly graphic in terms of sex or violence, some may still find it hard going, or may be annoyed by the fact that the director does not offer any easy answers. I have always liked Kim's handling of emotionally complex material, and though his work is a little obtuse, he never cheapens it with obvious sentimentality or simple nihilism. More than his other films, "Samaria" features realistic characters, and I found it to be incredibly moving, with a punch that I felt for days after.
"Samaria" is very well directed, and Kim shows his considerable talent, adding a touch of beauty and even innocence to such a dark story. Thankfully, he avoids using visual gimmickry or any obvious stylistics, and keeps the film nicely grounded. There are a couple of dream sequences that venture into the surreal, but these are well placed in the narrative and do not intrude. Although there are a few scenes of violence later on, the film is generally quite subdued, as Kim provokes subtly rather than by throwing in visceral shocks. This may put off some viewers, as may the film's somewhat deliberate pace, being at heart more of a character study than anything.
The acting is excellent, especially by first-timers Ji-min Kwak and Min-jeong Seo. Both are absolutely believable in their roles, expertly bringing the characters to life through their nuances and changing feelings. Had known actresses been cast in these roles it would have diluted the film's realism, whilst the fresh-faced charm of these unknowns really helps the viewer take the story to heart. Eol Lee is also excellent as Yeo-jin's father, giving an anguished portrayal of a man whose heart has been torn apart.
"Samaria" is an excellent film, one of the most challenging and moving I have seen for some time. For fans of the director, or those who are willing to invest in demanding cinema that asks as many question of its viewers as it does its characters, this is a harrowing film that should not be missed.
Samaria (aka Samaritan Girl)
(South Korea 2004)
Director: Ki-duk Kim
~ Ji-min Kwak | Min-jeong Seo | Eol Lee |
AMERIE
These tracks have been produced by Rich Harrison who also produced Beyonce's Crazy in Love.
A Side
B Side
ONE THING
ALBUM SAMPLER
1 One Thing
2 Rolling Down My Face
1 Talking About
2 Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Kozo:
But that's as far as the genre stuff goes. Despite these common signifiers, practically nothing you'd expect out of a cop action film occurs. There are a couple of chases, as well as a payback moment midway through the film, but the scenes play more like transitions instead of necessary plot development. What's more important are the character's inner lives. In Chungking Express, the standard genre character is fleshed out and humanized, and their inner struggles take on tremendous meaning. Wong Kar-Wai has created a Hong Kong cop thriller that's about the cops and not the thrills.
Cop 223 may snag a perp or two, but what's more upsetting to him is his ex-girlfriend May, who he's still pining over. Obsessed with expiration dates (on love, promises and even canned food), he feeds his heartbreak by ingesting expired cans of pineapple - which isn't a good thing. Promising himself that he'll love the first woman he sees, he runs into the tired Brigitte Lin, who's suffering her own sort of heartbreak. The match isn't made in heaven, and any sort of physical affirmation of emotion would be unrealistic, but their encounter manages something quiet and affecting. In a sense, their meeting and shared individual pain creates a minor, almost infinitesimal bond between them. The moment passes, but something quietly indelible remains.
Cop 663 has his romantic problems, too. Unceremoniously dumped by a lovely air hostess (Valerie Chow), 663 unburdens himself to his collection of inanimate objects: a stuffed bear, a bar of soap and even a wet rag. Unbeknownst to him, the cute, Jean Seberg-coiffed Faye Wong has silently fallen in love with him across the counter of the Midnight Express deli. Unable to overtly convey her affection, she contents herself with surrepitiously caring for him. She cleans his apartment, redecorates it, and quietly messes with his life. Whether or not he notices seems not to matter - it's just her personal expression of affection.
The individual is at the center of Wong Kar-Wai's movie. Everyone has their own private way of coping with loss and alienation, and how each character does it feels both uniquely odd and strangely familiar. Wong Kar-Wai isn't concerned with happy endings, romantic platitudes or universal truths. No UFO-style pearl of wisdom surfaces in his film. One can identify with the characters or they can find their individual quirks absurd. That's probably one of the unique joys to Chungking Express - that the characters' quirks can affect each and every viewer differently. Wong Kar-Wai doesn't tell you anything with the film. The moments in the film are opaque and seemingly unconnected, but beneath that the viewer just might find something revealingly personal and achingly real.
As you would expect from Wong Kar-Wai, the film is literally dripping with style, but it isn't over-the-top like his later Fallen Angels (the unofficial third chapter to Chungking Express) nor is it bombastic like Ashes of Time. Chungking Express operates with a quicksilver, almost effervescent vibe, where chances are found and connections made with one barely noticing. The camera (handled by co-cinematographers Christopher Doyle and Andrew Lau) moves constantly and sometimes gives in to jarring step-printing or strange slow/fast motion, but the moments are appropriate. It's those sequences that convey the interior/exterior experience of each character, be they the helter-skelter chaos of a chase or the noiseless isolation of sudden heartbreak. The style is alternately contemplative and breezy; it's like the French New Wave with a dash of MTV sprinkled in.
Chungking Express works on many levels. It's a stunning new wave "art film" that also succeeds as a bouncy pop-culture valentine to Hong Kong. It's an affecting exploration of personal heartbreak and a uniquely cosmopolitan take on urban alienation. And, probably most affecting of all, it's a marvelous demonstration of love in and of the cinema. Chungking Express seems to tell us that love and its chances could be just around the corner and out of sight. As much as the film explores the frustration of heartbreak and unrequited love, it also hints at the promise of something magical. Movies can both show and create emotion, and Wong Kar-Wai was able to do both with remarkable dexterity. Even more, he did it in a way that only the movies could - through camera, sound and space, and not through spoken dialogue or printed epiphanies. All the powers of cinema are at work in his understated little masterpiece. Chungking Express might even remind some people of why they grew to love movies in the first place. (Kozo 1995/2002)
Chungking Express was released theatrically in the United States by Miramax and Quentin Tarantino's Rolling Thunder Pictures. In a move that WOULD NOT be trendsetting, the film was given a respectful release, and not cut or dubbed. In fact, additional scenes were added for the US release.
For a full report on any cuts and changes made to the US version of this film, as well as other Asian films purchased by Disney/Miramax, visit the Web Alliance for the Respectful Treatment of Asian Cinema
Chungking Express
(Hong Kong 1994)
Director: Wong Kar-Wai
~ Brigitte Lin Ching-Hsia | Tony Leung Chiu-Wai | Faye Wong | Takeshi Kaneshiro | Valerie Chow Kar-Ling
Wong Kar-Wai's films have always been steeped in Hong Kong-specific genre. As Tears Go By was a triad drama, and Days of Being Wild was a spin on the "teddy boy" disaffected youth genre. Chungking Express is no different. The protagonists of the film are two cops. Cop 223 (Takeshi Kaneshiro), also known as He Qiu-Wu, is a plainclothes detective who chases bad guys around seedy Chungking Mansions in Tsimshatsui. Cop 663 (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai) is a uniformed constable who patrols around Central and the trendy Lan Kwai-Fong district. The film also has a criminal: Brigitte Lin Ching-Hsia as a blonde-wigged, drug-smuggling femme fatale who finds herself targeted for a rub-out.
The Original Soundtrack for Chungking Express does not feature the most important music in the film:
* California Dreamin' (The Mamas & the Papas)
* Things in Life (Dennis Brown)
* What a Difference a Day Makes (Dianah Washington)
Objects of Desire:
A larger apartment.
http://searchlore.org/:
Agent Ransack, by David Vest, is the freeware version of File Locator Pro
Agent Ransack is a tool for finding files and information on your hard drive fast and efficiently. When searching the contents of files Agent Ransack also displays the text found. Users can then quickly browse the results without having to separately open each file.
The regular expression 'search' would match any string containing 'search'.
So if you wanted to find a file with the letters 'teoma' in it the regular expression would simply be 'teoma'.
To find a file that begins with 'Dear' or 'Yesterday' followed at some point by 'Document' or 'Documents'
followed at some point by a number and has a '.txt'
extension the expression would be: '^(Dear|Yesterday).*Documents?.*[0-9]+.*\.txt$'
You can test your regular expressions, before searching, through an ad hoc Test->Regular expression menu option
Use this useful program. NEVER use
the "start/search" function in windows xp, which silently connects
on port 80 to sa.windows.com (207.46.248.249)
in order to deliver to the ugly microsoft's minions your IP and what you are searching for on
your own harddisk. Start/search - in Windows XP - is MALWARE eo ipso.
Mr Booth:
Ching (Gillian Chung) is dumped by her boyfriend Ken (Daniel Wu), which upset her. Ken then posts naked photos he took with her on the internet, which upsets her too. When her employers see them, she loses her job. She doesn't seem all that bothered by this, but I guess it's a negative mark too. She contacts Ken's new girlfriend (mainland actress Tao Hung) and convinces her what a snake she's dating, and the two of them work together to get back the photos and plot a girly revenge. They develop an unlikely sort of friendship along the way.
Edmond Pang Ho Cheung made a lifetime fan of me with his second film, MEN SUDDENLY IN BLACK, and this was confirmed when I finally tracked down the VCD of his debut film, YOU SHOOT I SHOOT (still criminally unavailable on DVD). I was rather surprised when his third film suddenly appeared on DVD without me having heard anything about it whatsoever - especially with a Twin in the cast. I guess it didn't make too many waves, which is not too surprising because it's a pretty low-key drama with arty aspirations that suggest a desire to be mid-1990's Wong Kar Wai, without the hyperkinetic energy. It has the roving hand-held camera (and some camera setups that are direct "tributes" to WKW & Christopher Doyle moments), but what the camera captures is mostly quite static scenes of the characters talking to each other. We are never treated to a look inside the characters heads, WKW style, either - what we learn about the characters is mostly what they tell each other about themselves - but Edmond Pang does try to show us more through subtle symbolism. I probably wouldn't have realised this, but the Mei Ah DVD has a special feature that's basically a quiz to see how much of this symbolism you picked up on
The film is definitely a mature work, and it's nice to see that the success of MSIB hasn't led Pang into the trap of commercial fluff that effectively removed Wilson Yip from the "talented newcomer to watch" list. It perhaps tries a little too hard to achieve artistic credibility though, feeling less natural than his 2 dark comedies. Whilst it creates interesting characters and scenarios for the majority of its runtime, the film effectively blows its head off in the last 3 minutes. First we get the obvious twist, that you may have seen coming already, but then we get a double-twist that effectively undermines the entire film up to that point, and then nothing to really give the twist any substance. Well, maybe if I watch it again I'll see more, but it felt like quite a catastrophic let-down of an ending.
Still, a couple of bad minutes at the end don't render the rest of the film worthless - at least, if you choose to simply ignore them they don't. And up to then, it's an engaging film. Not a life-changer, but an interesting break from the norm. One of the film's biggest virtues is the final proof beyond doubt that Gillian Chung has matured, and turned into quite a fine actress. The film and the role are quite daring, and she rises to the challenge very well. There's no way in 7 hells Charlene Choi could have pulled off a film like this. Ah Gil is also starting to look more like my girlfriend as she matures, happily enough. Actress Tao Hung is just as good in her role too - though her character is a bit of an enigma in many ways. It's the first time I've seen her, but I'd guess it's not her first film. BEYOND OUR KEN in some ways feels like the sort of film you'd expect a female director to make, e.g. Sylvia Chang or Crystal Kwok perhaps. Edmond is not female, but it's to his credit that he is able to make such a film - especially when you consider the very male perspective of MSIB (though that had barbs inside that could be construed as showing feminist sympathies).
Daniel Wu doesn't have that much to do in the film really, despite being the title character. It's quite a daring role for him too, since his character is such a sod, but it's not the first time he's shown a willingness or ability to do risky roles. Must be a relief after such a dumb role in TWINS EFFECT II anyway. His acting is continuously improving as well.
BEYOND OUR KEN is nearly a great film, let down mostly by an ending that fails to deliver the pay-off we want, and tries hard to take away the satisfaction we'd had to that point by being too clever for its own good. Or wanting to be. Whilst I'm glad that Pang hasn't gone into commercial big-budget FX films, I don't really want him to go in the opposite direction either, and even if it's more mature than his first two films, it's nowhere near as much FUN, and I would rather he be making high quality entertainment than high art. Perhaps he had to make a film like BOK to try it out though, and the result is certainly worth a watch.
Beyond Our Ken
(Hong Kong 2004)
Director: Pang Ho Cheung
~ Daniel Wu | Gillian Chung | Tao Hung
1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
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