After the busy day, Wendy and I went to theater. That is the rare time we have – Yifan fell asleep at home with his grandparents. We guess he will sleep for a lot time since he was too excited in the afternoon in our office and missed his noon snap.
The movie Wendy picked is Tang Wei and Zhang Xueyou’s Crossing Hennessy.
Credit: the Corssing Hennessy team
In short, this is a great movie. Both thumbs up.
That is Exactly Life
This is maybe one of the best movie I saw. It seems boring, just like the orchestra – can be boring, but fine and smooth, with some touching moments from time to time.
On the taxi back, Wendy and I talked to the small details of the individuals there. They are all normal people, and the movie spent all the time to describe the individuals with great delicacy. After the movie, I can clearly feel the characters like knowing them for years.
Tang Wei didn’t disappoint me. She demonstrated great skills, and expressed the character with sensitivity. Jacky Zhang is the same. Just like Alian (Tang Wei) smiled when the doctor said decayed tooth (she thought of something special), I smiled time to time when I rewind the movie in my memory.
Boring Movie and Boring Life
I know many people will complain the movie is boring. Even at the last minute of the movie, the real story (in the sense of most movie) has not started. But it is good just because it is life. The characters there are people around us. I can easily find another Alian, or Alai, or Alai’s mother, her newly wedded husband, even the doctor – around us. That is the power of a movie. The male and female leading roles are also common people. Alian (Tang Wei) is just a detective movie fan with simple but not lucky childhood and a decayed tooth. Alai (Jacky Zhang) is another not-grown-up detective movie fan. That is it. As simple, as sweet, and as normal as our life.
I would highly recommend my friend to go to theater to watch the movie. It is not as delicate as Lust Caution, but another comfortable and pleasant style.
I’m glad you enjoyed this!
I saw this and wrote about it in an article I did on the Hong Kong Film Festival. (It’s posted on my blog).
I really liked it, too, particularly the detailed depictions of the city.
I’m not sure why you think some would find this boring — because it’s not an action flick with stuff blowing up? Because it doesn’t have a predictable outcome with the two main characters getting together in a hot love scene?
There’s lots of characters, color and conversation. It was entertaining, like a Hollywood rom-com. It was reasonably light and fast-paced.
You know what’s boring? Alot of “real” art house films.
I’m glad you enjoyed a night out with your wife.
My husband and I try to go on one “date” every few weeks — dinner, concert, movie, etc. It keeps us from getting too bogged down in our daily lives.
(Though, sadly, we actually make it to very few films in the cinema. I saw “Crossing Hennessy” by myself. As a non-Cantonese speaker, my husband might not have liked it anyway).
I just guess – it is not the Hollywood action type, and people in Shanghai are getting busy, and I won’t be surprised if my friend complain the movie to be boring. – Like the Lust Caution, some people complained that there is nothing in the movie besides the sexual scene… :)
Here it is. (Sorry the URL is so long)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/arts/31iht-hkfilm.html