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E D I T O R I A L
Sunday, December 10: The movie week in review
Finally some new releases to report! Check out the Tai Seng slate announced for February 13. Perhaps the most interesting is the domestic release of Running Out of Time, which promises an audio commentary, presumably by director Johnny To. It's also interesting that both Double Tap and Needing You . . will receive domestic re-issues.
This past week I finally watched Okinawa Rendez-vous after owning it for more than two months. I might have liked it more if I saw it in the summertime and lived in Hong Kong. It's not bad as a sugary drink (and we all need those from time to time).
Yes, Madam! presented me with an unusual quandry. In the fifteen years since the film was released, Michelle Yeoh has established herself as a major star. So how to evaluate the film? Historically? Or simply on its own merits? My observations can be found here.
Finally, I found Once Upon a Time in China II to be astoundingly good. Now, of course, I want to see OUATIC I again (I'm looking forward to comparing it with the Columbia domestic re-issue), as well as OUATIC III.
Turning to American films briefly, I was completely disappointed by Unbreakable (which some have taken to calling Unbearable), M. Night Shyamalan's follow-up to The Sixth Sense. Unbreakable is ponderous and slow to little overall effect. But if you like movies where everybody talks very slowly and quietly (and the camera movements are rigidly slow as well), this may be the one for you.
Tonight I watched The Perfect Storm. The film was based on a very well-written and gripping book about a crew of swordfishermen battling the elements. The book was detailed and exhaustively researched, although a certain amount of conjecture was involved. The movie's computer animation is all too obvious and as a result the movie becomes too special-effects driven and does not spend enough time establishing real identities for the fishermen. What a blown opportunity!
I have five more recent movies on hand (released within the past year) as well as another six or seven of a more classic vintage (lucky me!), so I will try to view and review at least two and hopefully more during the coming week.
As usual, please feel free to send feedback, criticisms, etc.
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