6 posts tagged “stephen chow”
Just watched CJ7 and would you believe, I cried all the way through it. And I'm still tearing up thinking about it. Call me emo if you will but I was far from gloomy when I put the disc on, and I am still not actually sad. I'm just very moved. VERY moved. Much more than I expected to be. This film is gorgeous, emotional and funny.
Xu Jiao, the young actress who plays his son, is incredible. A gifted natural actress and comedian. You get the funny feeling watching her that she is much smarter than everyone around her, even Mr Chiau...which is really cute. She really broke my heart and I'm sure she's going to be a huge star. I usually hate kid actors but every single kid in this film was a great character. In fact every actor did a great job, as you'd expect, even the flower vase. And even the cgi Magic Alien Dog was adorable! That I did not expect. I got quite upset when they were beating it up...my favourite bit is when they get it do the standard Chow acting test...you know...rapid fire expressions... house burned down, won the lottery, doggie died, one after the other. Hahahaha! That really pushed the cgi envelope. Its expressions were incredibly real and affecting, for such an unreal creature.
Mr Chiau himself is subdued but as beautiful as always. I think he has done a very honorable thing making this movie even if he has sold a bunch of fluffy toys in the process. He has chosen integrity over cheap glory and vain stardom and reaffirmed his position as the defender of the under dog, the champion of the poor and down trodden.
God, I am crying again. I wonder if this effect is common with this movie. I almost never cry at fictional cinema. WTF? Maybe it was the scenes of the skyscraper construction site where he is a coolie, the dizzying views, the terrible grueling endless labor. Watching Stephen live such a hard life is emotional. And also I think a lot of his childhood hurts have been expressed here. The horrible teacher, and the bullying class mates. It all feels very personal in a way. Even the love of the Alien Magic Dog, is really for his own Bull Dog.
And it wasn't at all moralizing. His touch is as light and
deft and humane as ever. It was funny sweet and sad. I laughed almost
as much as I cried, sometimes both at the same time, which was a weird experience.
I think anyone who loves their pet will cry, and anyone who loves their dad, and anyone who has ever been a child.
Wah!
five stars plus
and the final scene...
:DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!
P.S. It's all about Loving The Alien
^___^
CHINESE ODYSSEY
Pandoras Box (Part One)
西遊記第１０１回之月光寶盒
*****
Western Travel Diary : The 101th Chapter of Journey To The West:
Pandora's Box (lit:Return Moonlight Precious Box)
Significant as there are only 100 chapters in the original novel.
25,093,380
1995
CHINESE ODYSSEY
Cinderella (Part Two)
西遊記大結局之仙履奇緣
*****
Western Travel Diary: The Final Chapter:
Cinderella (lit:Fairy Slipper Miraculous Affinity)
20,872,117
1995
Director: Jeff Lau
These films are based on Wu Cheng-en's 16th century novel "Sai Yau Gei" usually translated as "Journey to the West" (Monkey) which is, in turn, based on many centuries of popular tradition. Stephen Chiau finds his perfect alter ego in Sun Wu Kong (Cant : Suen Ng Hung, meaning Monkey, Awakened to Emptiness) who has no fear of heaven or humanity. The Mind Ape is freed from all constraints and is always supremely confident of his abilities. His Buddhist name, Awakened to the Void, refers to the fact that he has realised that there is nothing out there to be frightened of, given the fact that he has mastered the seventy eight earthly transformations, and learnt the Way of Immortality from Subodhi, the Zen Patriarch.
Humour is a very important characteristic of Wu Cheng Ens' Monkey King, implying his ultimate transcendance of all human desires. According to the Buddhist doctrine of detachment, laughter should be adopted as the ultimate mode of viewing the world. Sing Jais' comedy has always been based on fearlessness and detachment, so this really is a very appropriate role for him. On a physical level he transforms himself into the Great Sage Equal of Heaven with perfect monkey movements, gestures and expressions and his growling, snarling voice. This Monkey King is ferocious and elemental, wild and highly irreverent, perfectly defining the Animal/ God duality and just as you'd expect the immortal stone monkey to be.
At the beginning of part one he is reincarnated as a human who does not remember his divine destiny. He plays Chi Chuen Bo (Joker), the leader of the Ax gang, who live in the desert and make a good living robbing travellers until two beautiful and deadly female demons turn up in search of the Longevity monk Sanzang (eating him imparts immortality, a fact which attracts a lot of demons to the area).It turns out that one of them, Pak Jing Jing (played by Karen Mok) has been stood up at the altar by the Monkey King five hundred years before. They rekindle their relationship but unfortunatley he loses her in a timewarp at the end of part one and in part two ends up with a Spider Web Immortal called Zixia (played by Athena Chu Yun) still trying to find Pandoras Box so he can go back in time to find Jing Jing.
Ng Man Tat is a tailormade Pigsy, a lusty gluttonizer to the core. Law Kar Ying is very funny as Sanzang (Tripitaka), and there is a long running joke about how he is so boringly pious that he drives even Kuan Yin to violence. The costumes are truly spectacular, even for Sing Jai, who distinguishes himself by the excellence of his wardrobe. Very talented cinematography, referencing Christopher Doyles work on Ashes Of Time, with stunning desert scenes and girls with black mules. Many of the settings feature water and the use of light reflecting off the water to create a shimmering, mobile ambience adding to the general dreamlike quality of the production. Sing Jais' place in the cosmology of Hong Kong is outlined by Sanzang (Law Kar Ying) in the song he sings in part two. I'd always thought Sing Jai was just wincing because his singing is so dreadful, but it turns out he is also embaressed at the flattery. Here is a translation of that song.
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OnlyYou
*There's no written Chinese form for the Cantonese
language Ti Teng. And it is usually used alongside the articulation "Faat Ti
Teng,"with a whole set of meanings like going crazy, feeling dizzy,
bewildered, acting confusedly, etc. *** Special Thanks to Sebastian Tse for translating this song . Hahah I love Youtube...here it is..... The following is a translation of the last song at the end of part two. 一生所愛 LOVE IN A LIFETIME Lyrics: Tong She-Sum Past and present has departed, and never to return Bitter sea - rising a storm of - love and hatred Farewell lover, never to come again (*Dispersing the love
chords) (Unofficial) English translation by Chris Fu
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CJ7 Official Site
is up and running (kinda >.<)
JAN 31!
In The Cinema!!
Yay!
The Alien/Robot girl is cute, but I can't help wishing he'd come down to Earth a bit on the co-star front ;p
Really excited though as I am a huge fan of all his films.
Oh and hello by the way :)
January 31st 2008 :DD
About fucking time Sing Sing!
He is such a perfectionist.
Maybe I will have to time a little visit to Hong Kong for that....
*is very tempted*
Of course he still doesn't seem sure exactly what he is going to call it yet, and no-one knows exactly what it is about, except that he has a son and a close encounter with extra terrestrials.
But who cares really. It will be fucking brilliant as always. And he just looks ever more gorgeous with every passing year.
<3333333
