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Goh yeung yee sang (1992)
I wonder if this embarrasses Simon Yam and Danny Lee
Now I'm normally quick to defend movies in the "serial killer" sub genre. There are some great films to come out of it, such as Kim Jee Woon's "I Saw the Devil" and Sion Sono's "Coldfish", but this film just seems like Category III gore trash.
I watched this mainly to see Simon Yam and wasn't expecting a masterpiece, but I was shocked. This was severely underwhelming.
The plot's very cliché, nothing that stands out to make it really interesting. It's laid out terribly, there is a scene that goes on for minutes of cops playing poker, which is hardly relevant. It gets very repetitive by the end.
The acting is horrible, including Yam's, which is unfortunate. This is almost embarrassing. I guess it has to do with the dialogue. Some lines are written for some dark comic relief, but it's hard to distinguish from the regular dialogue.
Finally, the ending is very unsatisfactory.
I suggest you avoid this, even you Yamster fans.
Gonin (1995)
A hidden gem of Japanese Noir
This film by Takashi Ishii should be more well known.
A night club owner, a extortionist, a pimp, an insane business man, and an ex-cop come together to create the title's team of Five to rob the Yakuza. As the film goes on, they are hunted by two pro killers that are seemingly around every corner.
The story itself is nothing groundbreaking, but the style makes it worth it. There are several elements Ishii uses to create this solid crime thriller.
The overall cinematography is excellent, presenting dark shadowy shots, which reflect the film's dark tone and settings.
The characters are also well done, each one's backstory slowly revealed as the film goes on. They're fairly unique and interesting, enough so that the audience can sympathize. Each actor puts on a satisfactory performance that is pretty realistic.
The soundtrack combined with the great directing constructs genuinely unsettling scenes.
Some parts here and there are a teeny tiny bit forced, but can be easily forgiven.
Many of this film's viewers come to see Takeshi Kitano, but he's only a small part of the whole thing. If you're disappointed, there is much more to this picture to look forward to. It's one of Beat Takeshi's best films he only acts in.
Ishii is well known for his manga art, but that should not over shadow his film making capability. I have not seen Gonin 2, but look forward to seeing it. He is know releasing a third, Gonin Saga which I am excited for.
Ying xiong wu lei (1984)
A film Woo should have forgotten
What do you get when you put a Thai Drug cartel, Tribal Warriors, the Vietnam People's Army, Chinese mercenaries and a small child in a John Woo film? An absolute mess.
I am a Woo fan myself, so I was curious to see his first "true" film as he calls it. It was a bit hard to find, which is not surprising after seeing it. It should have been completely forgotten.
It's bad. There is little to no plot, and all it really serves itself as is an action film. This was made before Woo was established as the master of Heroic Bloodshed, so his style was no where near perfected, meaning the action scenes in this film are lackluster. The whole thing is basically worthless then.
This was released after the success of Woo's "A Better Tomorrow", which is actually pretty decent. I'm not sure why he thought to put this out after that, it only degrades his image. He thankfully then came out with "The Killer" which made up for it.
Avoid this film, even if you're a Woo fan.
Qing yi xin (1988)
Cliché 80s mediocrity
Drama unfolds between a group of characters involved in a bad night in Taiwan.
This movie is very much advertised as an action movie through it's posters and boasts stars that have appeared in action movies, Waise Lee and Michael Wong.
As the film plays, the plot becomes reminiscent of John Woo's A Better Tomorrow. It is likely because it is a cash in on the popularity of it. This film is nowhere near Woo's epic, despite featuring Waise Lee who appeared the film.
The characters are weak. The plot is filled with lots of clichés of 80s cinema. In general it is very dated. Nothing special.
A superior film of the same year that also stars Waise Lee is The Big Heat.
15: The Movie (2003)
Lots of style and potential, but doesn't live up to it
15 follows several 15 year-olds in suburban Singapore. They display their angst by acting like typical teenagers: talk sex, do drugs, and act obnoxious.
Their innocence is slowly lost as they begin to dwell on gang life and suicide.
Overall, it's very stylish, using different color filters and flashy effects. It transitions between chapters with titles that give off a feeling of angsty teenage philosophy and tells of their struggles. This develops a lot of potential to be like other great films with similar subjects, like Donnie Darko. Some of the themes of suicide bring up the great films of Sion Sono, such as Suicide Club and Noriko's Dinner Table.
This film does not live up to those titles. The style is great at first, especially in the character's "music videos", but eventually gets repetitive.
There isn't that much of a plot. You just kinda follow the characters around, there isn't a real conflict or goal. Then again, it doesn't really follow the traditional three-act format. It jumps around from different groups of characters. You don't spend that much time with some so it's hard to connect with them. This is my main complaint.
Some of the emotional scenes seem a bit forced. There are a couple scenes that go on for a long time with one shot, and try to be kinda artsy and emotional but just don't work.
The film does have a few instances of dark comedy, which is one of the best points. There isn't much though.
If the film had more story and balance, it would be much better.