Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. Sounds like our own Bobo_Vision is having a good time catching some Asian flicks at the NYAFF this year. I'll be very surprised if a few of them don't end up at Fantastic Fest, which always has a very strong Asian cinema presence. Let's see what Bobo has checked out so far!
Hey, all. Most of the movies I plan to attend at the New York Asian Film Festival will take place during the second week, so I thought I'd get these reviews for the first week out of the way, and send another report in after the festival is done. I've seen four films so far, and will see several more before the festival is done, so here are my reviews: ASSEMBLY - (Dir - Feng Xiaogang, China) "When you're afraid, you exude a smell which can be sensed by dogs. That's why dogs bite people who are afraid. Bullets are like dogs. If you have no fear, they will not hurt you." These are the words (paraphrased) a soldier gives his political officer within the trenches to give him the courage to face the onslaught of an attacking army. Set in the middle of China's civil war in 1948, you can tell that the war scenes are heavily influenced by "Saving Private Ryan". Spielberg's technique of changing the shutter speed to allow more light into the camera gave an effect similar to watching a person dance under a strobe light. When applied to gunfire and explosions on a battlefield, it creates a sense of hyperrealism. The chaotic sense of battle is not like war films of old where a soldier gets shot squarely in the chest before dying. Fingers, limbs, or perhaps part of someone's cheek can get caught by whizzing bullets, leaving the soldier alive and fighting for his life against the opposing batallion while experiencing excruciating pain. Or legs and guts are blown apart as a soldier dies slowly allowing him to feel the unimaginable agony. This company of soldiers is ordered to fight off the enemy while the remaining forces retreat. They are to stand their ground until they hear the bugle call, but they are reduced to mass carnage before that call ever comes. When the smoke clears and the battle is over, the surviving Captain is left to put together the pieces of what happened, and live with the decisions made in the heat of battle. The second half of the movie follows him as he tries to get the government to recognize the truth of what happened on that battlefield while he tries to make sense of it too. Ultimately he finds solace in the courage and sacrifice made by the soldiers who stood their ground on that harrowing day. This film is well made and an interesting perspective on war and its aftermath. THE BODYGUARD - (Dir - Panna Rittikrai, Thailand) I went into this movie expecting a martial arts film in the style of "Ong Bak", and what I got was an action-comedy in the style of John Woo. The Bodyguard is played by Mum Jokmok, and with his short stature and pudgy, square-shaped face, he's not what you would expect an action star to look like. Fortunately, his role is played mostly for laughs. The motley assortment of characters in this movie includes flaming transsexuals, a thieving prostitute, and a wife-beating midget. The action scenes include a four-car collision simultaneously in mid-air, the Bodyguard running through the streets naked during a shootout, and a martial arts fight against a henchman with Down's syndrome. This movie was hilarious, and that was totally unexpected. It also includes a cameo by Tony Jaa, busting some heads in the supermarket scene. A very fun film, its one to check out if you want to have a good time. THE BODYGUARD 2 - (Dir - Panna Rittikrai, Thailand) The sequel to The Bodyguard had a bigger budget, which means more action scenes, more elaborate sets, and more transsexuals. The plot involves Mum Jokmok as an anti-terrorist agent who must become a pop star in order to infiltrate a record company who's secretly funding terrorist activities. Pretty ridiculous story, and even more low-brow humour, but its still a whole lot of fun. It plays like a parody of all styles of martial arts action films. And there's another kick-ass cameo by Tony Jaa. The five minutes he's on-screen, he's totally electric and it becomes a different movie altogether and makes you want to watch anything and everything with Tony Jaa in it. Almost as good as the original, The Bodyguard 2 is a fun sequel. KALA - (Dir - Joko Anwar, Indonesia) I hadn't planned on seeing this film, but I saw a trailer for it before The Bodyguard 2, and was blown away by what I saw. This is a directorial debut, and this film contains an enormous amount of vision and style. Its a film-noir thriller with supernatural undertones about a narcoleptic reporter who witnesses a pregnant woman's death. Just prior to her death, the reporter interviewed her regarding her husband's death, and she mentioned an address on his tape recorder when he was out of the room. Soon, people who learn too much about this woman and the address start to die, and it involves a ghost who resembles a white demon. A gay cop helps the reporter unravel the mystery of these deaths, but there are other characters pursuing this information as well. This director was definitely influenced by "The Ring" movies, and there are elements of that here. You're left guessing until the very end, and the ending nicely ties it all together. This was beautifully filmed, has a great story, and solid performances throughout - this is my favorite film in the festival so far. That's all for this week. Next week I plan to see Johnny To's Sparrow, M, Tokyo Gore Police, The Most Beautiful Night in the World, Public Enemy Returns, Accuracy of Death, Dainipponjin, United Red Army, and Sukiyaki Western Django. Peace. Bobo_Vision
