End of June viewings

Near the end of month, I came across quite a few Shaw Brothers movies. Yes it was a time to return to those classics which have shaped modern Hong Kong Kung-Fu and even Tarantino movies.

1) The Lady Professional (directed by Akinori Matsuo): Rating 7/10

Ge Tianli (played by Lily Ho) is a café owner by day and an assassin by night. On one of her assignments she is recognized, and instead of turning her over to the police, the man decides to blackmail her on a monthly basis. One day, the blackmailer proposes a way out for Ge Tinali. In order to be free, Ge Tianli has to kill a police protected witness (a former gangster). When she kills her target, Ge Tianli escapes from her sabotaged car meant to make her death look like an accident. From then on, she goes after the people who tried to kill her.

2) The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978 movie directed by Chia-Liang Liu): Rating 9/10

Vintage shaolin kung-fu movie! A man wants to learn the shaolin way to save his fellow people from oppression. She he sneaks into the shaolin temple and pleads with the monks to provide him the secrets of shaolin. What follows is the core of the movie – the intense kung fu training, the Buddhist discipline, etc are just brilliant to watch. It is easy to see how this movie has influenced decades of kung fu movies. And the meaning of the movie title – there are only 35 chambers of Shaolin training. But the new apprentice wants to create a 36th chamber which the average layman can learn without having to undergo years of training.

3) The One-Armed Swordsman (1967 movie directed by Cheh Chang): Rating 7/10

A treat! As aspiring swordsman apprentice loses his right arm with his teacher’s daughter cuts it off in a bout of anger. He leaves everything behind to lead a simple life in the village. In the village, he is taken care by a woman who encourages him to use his disability as his advantage. And the one armed swordsman is born.

4) My Young Auntie (1981 movie directed by Chia-Liang Liu): Rating 7/10

A comical kung fu movie! An aging old man is worried that his estate will be taken over by greedy men (3rd cousins) as he has no heirs. So the man proposes a marriage his servant’s daughter so that she can inherit his money and pass it on his 4th cousin. The servant’s daughter is very young and hence the title – she is the young auntie for the 4th cousin. The 4th cousin along with the young auntie have to fend off the 3rd cousin who is upset at not getting any of the property/estate.

Assorted Foreign Movies:

1) Copacabana (2001 movie directed by Carla Camurati): Rating 6.5/10

A different side of Brazil is shown in this movie – the elderly people of Brazil are showcased for a change. Moments before his death, 90 year old Alberto recalls the tender moments of his life and that of the Copacabana beach. The movie moves back and forth in time from the present to the past. Alberto drifts on the sidewalks of the beach talking and chatting with his friends, all of whom have their own stories. The movie shows the elderly people of Brazil and their life. Hardly a single young person is seen strutting along the beach. However, the biggest problem is that all these stories are told in a rather dull manner which causes the viewer to lose interest. A positive aspect is the catchy title song, which lingers in one’s mind long after the movie is over.

2) Border Line (2002 movie directed by Sang-il Lee): Rating 7/10

A tale of interleaving stories set against the backdrop of a changing urban Japan. A young teenager is struck by a taxi cab. The Taxi driver is drunk and quite a colorful person. He assumes responsibility for the teenage and plans to drive the kid home. The only snag is that the boy’s home is miles and miles away. So the taxi driver and the boy head on a road trip. Another story is of a business man who has his money stolen by his partner and close friend. The business man has connections to the Yakuza and needs to get the money back. The third story is about a housewife whose husband has left her and a young son because he was fired from his job and can’t face the humiliation of bring unemployed. The housewife has to work extra shifts just to make ends meet. These three stories intersect in a slow paced movie. If the movie was shortened from its 2 hour length to maybe 90 minutes, it would have been far more interesting.

Worth a watch though.

3) Fate Come Noi (Just Do It, 2001 movie directed by Francesco Apolloni): Rating 6/10

A very average movie which feels more suited for television rather than cinema. A pair of friends kill time in the summer talking about soccer, women and basically driving around Rome. One of the boys develops a friendship with a young girl and she teaches him a thing or two about life – for example, she teaches him the benefits of reading literature.