CRI来明

"Guonianhao", or Happy New Year, is the worst Chinese film I have ever seen in a cinema. Don't get me wrong, it is not the worst film ever made in this country. Every year, more than 80 percent of lousy films fail to reach the cinemas, and among those that do make it, most are kind enough to show some signs to tip off the discerning audience, for example, an inadequate actress who may have been born with a typical disability to control her facial muscles, a complacent director who has lost touch with the times, or simply an awkward title that betrays the filmmakers' vulgar taste.But "Guonianhao" is different. The title sounds just fine for a movie that was previously scheduled to premiere on the first day of the Year of Monkey. The popular phrase people use to greet each other at this time of year even evokes some warmth of a festive nature from the bottom of our hearts. The cast members look presentable. Skit actor Zhao Benshan, who has appeared on China Central Television's most watched New Year Gala on more than a dozen occasions, is a strong presence related to the festival and therefore should attract those who miss his acrimony. As for Mr. Gao Qunshu, though he may not be my favorite film director, many of my respectful colleagues admire his work telling twisty detective stories on the small screen, and not to mention his weird charisma that seems to have overwhelmed many a seasoned showbiz reporter in my office.All evidence suggests "Guoniaohao" may possess the potential to dominate the box office during the Chinese New Year, and that's why I was completedly taken by surprise. Imagine yourself taking a joyful ride on the back of a lovely steed on a sunny afternoon in the countryside, and suddenly a nasty spider web lands on your face. Your natural response is to get off the horse and rid your face of the ugly critter and its sticky production, but unfortunately the startled horse just keeps galloping on and on into an unchartered territory. That's what happened in my first 15 minutes of "Guonianhao," yet I persisted, against my better judgment, just so to give the film a fair assessment.So now, several days after the traumatic experience, I've calmed down and risen above my initial shock and ensuing anger to tell you about the sin that is "Guonianhao." Impatient viewers may find the cinematography insufficient and the editing sloppy, but further analysis reveals a general lack of coordination or preparation in the filming process. When a director has no idea what to shoot, the editor will have problem plowing through the vast amount of raw materials to form a decent storyline. So every now and then you see the story jumping from Point A to C, and while you wonder about Point B, the film teleports you to Point F.But a scattered narrative with no regard for consistency is the least of the film's many evils. With such meager input of creativity and effort, how do the filmmakers make sure the aggregate of video clips last long enough to count as a movie? Well, they do so by adding bizarre and meaningless episodes. A typical example is a scene where an old man meets a chicken vendor who fancies herself an opera singer. I guess the point is to introduce some humorous flavor while highlighting the lonesome state of the old man, but the attempt landed neither here nor there, all it achieved was making me wonder if I was peeping into the minds of a mental patient.Such surreal and irrelevant episodes abound in the entire film and are often executed by semi-celebrities from China's micro-blogging website Weibo. In the age where ordinary smart phone users have all turned to WeChat and active users of Weibo mostly consist of professionals who major in publicity stunts, Mr. Gao Qunshu's obsession with the website is admirable. I remember a few years ago when he made "Beijing Blues", another inadequate film with a non-story, he also invited many of his best buddies on Weibo to assume different roles in the story.So I think we may have found a pattern here. Mr. Gao may be a charming character in the movie industry, one who is so popular that celebrities flock in support of his film project. But the crown of a social butterfly weighs heavily on Mr. Gao's head and is taking its toll on the quality of the actual film. If a director's priority is to find his buddies a place to fill in his film and let everyone have fun in the process, then there must be enough wiggle room in the script, or there shouldn't be a script at all.If there is a religion that promises me salvation from lousy films such as this, I would much gladly become a willing convert to bask in the glory of responsible and professional filmmaking.

Despite competition from more than a dozen Chinese and foreign challengers, Star Wars Episode Seven is still going strong after more than two weeks of hegemony in the Chinese market.Director J. J. Abrams said the key for the film was to return to the roots of the first Star Wars film and be based more on emotion than explanation. That pretty much sums up the most defining characteristics of the film. As the grand re-entry of the epic space opera unfolds on an IMAX screen, I was stunned not so much by the enhanced spectacle as by its similarity to previous Star Wars films.Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Peter Mayhew have each come back to reprise their roles in the new episode, even the smuggler’s ship Millennium Falcon is brought back from a scrap yard to take the characters on yet another quest across the universe. Their presence may appeal to loyal fans of the series, but they no longer carry the whole story forward.That task now rests on a group of younger actors and actresses including Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac, who are gathered to breathe new life into this decades-old franchise. That much they did, but they did it while duplicating the acting styles of their predecessors. The stiff way in which they pose and gesticulate before the camera is almost identical to the ways of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. This kind of makes you wonder whether teachers of acting classes have updated their syllabus since the 1970s.And the return-to-the-roots scheme continues in the storyline. Remember the Death Star? It is back in “The Force Awakens”, in a much bigger size and with heavier fire power capable of wiping out an entire galaxy at one shot. And guess what happens to this ultimate, ultimate weapon in Episode Seven? It is destroyed by a single X-wing fighter, in the same manner in which Luke Skywalker blew up the First Death Star.And please don’t get me started on the “emotion over explanation” explanation. Of course there is some kind of Greek opera involved when Han Solo confronts his renegade son in Kylo Ren, but that is only a fraction of the whole story and not enough to make up for the lack of common sense for the rest of the film. This is a universe where even small fighter jets possess hyperspace capability, somehow the filmmakers want us to believe our heroes can hack into a complex weapon system the size of a planet by simply pulling and mismatching some fuses. And to think the fate of the universe hinges on the balance of power among people who are strong with the force is preposterous at best.The supernatural concept of “The Force” is most awkward in a fictional world of highly advanced technologies. A world where galaxies can be annihilated in a matter of seconds has no place for knights wielding flashy light-sabers. That’s the biggest loophole in the Star Wars series that has survived in the re-entry, and according to title, it is here to stay for the rest of the serial reboot.

In 2015, China&`&s movie industry witnessed progress in almost every aspect of filmmaking. As infrastructure building continued to expand, new box office records were cropping up by the month. The changes in the moviegoing demographic impacted on the genres of films rolling off the production line. Stories that appeal to a wider range of audience in smaller cities saw significant increase in numbers.In the year 2016, the same pattern will most likely continue. Among the movies that have already booked a release date, a large proportion of them fall into the comedy category. At least five will hit Chinese cinemas in the latter half of January alone, but none seems to possess the necessary firepower to trigger a box office explosion. The most promising candidate, according to information available so far, is likely to debut on April 1st in the form of "Chongqing Hot Pot," starring Chen Kun and Bai Baihe.Chen and Bai have each appeared in a movie with more than a billion yuan income in the year 2015, this year they rally under Yang Qing, producer of a previous box office record-holder "Lost in Thailand," to form the formula for an explosion in the market. A slight deviation from the established pattern is, the first day of the lunar new year now becomes a rather coveted spot. Traditionally people have thought of this time of year as an occasion for family reunions and friendly visits, but since 2014 the cinemas have made it into their itineraries. This probably has something to do with young migrant office workers patronizing newly built local cinemas in their hometowns. Their enthusiasm for entertainment in places of limited choices led to cordial reception for many mediocre films that could have remained obscure in a different time.Anyway, today only the most competitive movies occupy the privileged time slots during the Spring Festival, and these include "Mermaid" by Stephen Chow, "The Monkey King 2" by Cheang Pou-Soi, "From Vegas to Macau" by Wang Jing and "Guonianhao" or "Happy New Year" by Gao Qunshu.Stephen Chow is almost a god-fatherly figure among China&`&s young movie fans, his unique humorous style and keen sense of observation provide an amusing perspective in the analysis of humanity, while his fame has guaranteed ample resources at his command in the process of filmmaking. "Mermaid" could be a compelling choice for viewers during the festival, but nonetheless they need to tune down their expectation a bit. Since Mr. Chow has refrained from appearing in his own films, he has not found a worthy substitute actor that can quite imitate his demeanor and style in front of the camera.Two years ago, when director Cheang Pou-Soi promoted "The Monkey King: Havoc in the Heavenly Kingdom," he highlighted the ground-breaking special effects. But in fact the level of special effects did not come close to the level of his boasting. Now, two years have transpired, the filmmakers are once again stressing the special effects in the sequel. I certainly hope they live up to their promise this time, but hoping is all I can do about this one.Wang Jing&`&s "From Vegas to Macau" is also a sequel, according to Mr. Wang&`&s previous track record and the performance of two prequels, there may not be any surprises, pleasant or unpleasant. The size of this film&`&s income will most likely be proportionate to the size of total box office income during the festival season.Director Gao Qunshu has always been quite proficient at speculating what the viewers want, but his recent outings indicate he may not be as proficient at delivering it. This year he joins hands with popular skit actor Zhao Benshan in "Guonianhao". The latter has repeatedly appeared on China Central Television&`&s New Year Gala, China&`&s most watched show in the past couple of decades. So Zhao is a strong presence associated with the New Year and therefore may attract people who still bother to watch the gala. By tapping into people&`&s strong feelings about family and tradition, "Guonianhao" could be a strong competitor against Stephen Chow&`&s "Mermaid," and it is going to be an epic battle between modernity and tradition.A lesser competitor, or rather, a more likely casualty in the spring festival season is Chinese science fiction film "Lost in the Pacific." It is a thriller story happening on an intercontinental airliner. The only notable member of the team is Zhang Yuqi, who starred in her ex-husband and director Wang Quan&`&an&`&s drama film "White Deer Plain." And regarding special effects, which many consider the face of science fiction films, the word we are looking for is "crude," as suggested by the posters at the moment. So there is hardly any reason for the film to survive the fierce competition and the best option is to reschedule.But speaking of science fiction, the year 2016 will see more titles being made under that genre. Come July, film adaptation of science fiction novel and Nebula Award winner "The Three-Body Problem" will be released in the cinemas. So far little is known about the adaptation, except for a trailer featuring concept pictures. But the producer of the film Kong Xiangzhao has made some unsettling remarks, saying "The Three-Body Problem" is the greatest science fiction novel by a Chinese writer in decades, centuries or even millennia, so it is only fair to have a Chinese studio handle the adaptation, that way no one will feel regrettable when the project fails.The arrogance of Mr. Kong is fueled by the amount of investment he has secured, but when it comes to resources, no one can quite challenge the status of Zhang Yimou. For decades before hot money even began pouring into China&`&s movie industry, Mr. Zhang has been generous in the graphics of his films. Now he works for one of China&`&s largest private video portals. In 2015, his colleague at LeTV Lu Chuan released adventure film "Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe," a lousy story with stunning visual effects, imagine what Zhang Yimou as a much more influential figure in the industry can deliver in his upcoming science fiction story "The Great Wall."Other phenomenal Chinese movies now scheduled to released in 2016 include "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon II: The Green Destiny," "Cold War II," "Finding Mr. Right II" and "L.O.R.D." But as their titles suggest, a lot of them are going to be sequels following previous successful titles. The trend indicates a significant amount of risk involved in the industry, much like what&`&s going on in Hollywood.

Director Feng Xiaogang is known as much for his quick temper as for the fluctuating popularity of his movies. But not many know of the ups and downs in his private life. In Guan Hu&`&s "Mr. Six," Feng takes on a role that shares much in common with himself in age and temperament, and that gig has won him a best actor title at China&`&s 52nd Golden Horse Awards.Mr. Feng plays an old street punk "Mr. Six" in his 50s who has considerable influence over his neighborhood in Beijing. While respecting the official laws and regulations, Mr. Six relies on a special set of rules to govern the underground society within his sphere of influence. Everything seems to work out just fine in his life, until his son gets into a dispute with a group of drag-racing youngsters who have deep pockets and powerful connections.Mr. Six&`&s insistence on solving the matter his own way leads to more complications, but nonetheless his predilection points to a period of time when people used to behave, interact, settle differences and seek justice according to social norms. Such unofficial way of keeping order was common in times of ineffective judiciary, or in an underground society where people had no affection for the righteous authority.In Guan Hu&`&s movie, Mr. Six tries to impose the old ways on a group of young people who have powerful parents in modern day China. What essentially is a gangster feud is deliberately played out as a clash between generations, or rather, a clash between the traditional and the modern-minded members of the society.Feng Xiaogang is very successful in his portrayal of an old man who bemoans the bygone of his glorious days and is reluctant to surrender his privileges in the modernization process. His performance is the highlight of the story.However, the profiling of the antagonists seems less straightforward. In order to beef up the dramatic effect, the storywriter at one point secretly replaces Mr. Six&`&s young opponents with their wealthy and powerful grown-up associates. That puts the rivalry in a different context: the old gangster leader Mr. Six, who has lived a rather successful life bullying others with brutal force, now finds himself on the receiving end of bullying by his rich and powerful contemporaries, who have risen to power by equally unsavory methods.This shift in the latter half of the film puts it in a rather awkward position. What could have been interpreted as a reflection on generation gap almost becomes a direct assault on the effectiveness of the country&`&s judiciary system. Fortunately, misunderstanding is averted when the director chose to be consistent with Mr. Six&`&s character and arranged a final showdown within legal boundaries.Guan Hu&`&s story is certainly impressive with all the authentic Beijing dialect and prevailing male hormone, but the ambiguity of the director&`&s message is still worth a few complaints. A colleague of mine said maybe I&`&ll be able to relate to it much better when I am old. True, when I reach a more mature age, I will be missing a lot of things: my teeth, my straight backbone, or the ability to walk, but make no mistake, I will not want to go back to a time when justice is upheld by the verdict of a gang leader, rather than the rule of law. I guess that&`&s the generation gap between people of my age and the contemporaries of Mr. Six.

China's movie market has been expanding for some time now. A year ago, people were feeling slightly regrettable when total annual box office income failed to pass the 30 billion yuan threshold. This year by December 3rd, a 40 billion yuan record has been set and China's home-made movies account for nearly 60% of the total. Above all, China's 3D fantasy adventure film "Monster Hunt" became the country's highest-grossing film in July, beating international box office powerhouse "Furious 7".In the year 2015, China's movie industry not only achieved gratifying income figures, they've also made progress in an all-around manner.First and foremost, infrastructure building continues to generate exciting results, bringing the total number of cinema screens in the country to somewhere near 31,000. Currently the overall attendance rate stays around 15%, but the surplus seats stand ready to accommodate box office explosions, which are happening on a more regular basis in recent years.Most of the new facilities are being built in smaller cities or townships, where a new cinema attracts more moviegoers on average than a new cineplex in downtown Beijing. The increase in their number is also tipping the balance in China's movie market. While previously the urban dwellers footed almost all the bills, now small town young adults are empowered to change the way movies are made in this country.A typical example is how youth-centric stories are giving way to comedies. Suddenly China's storywriters have waken up to the possibility that maybe in the small cities, not every young man has lost the love of his life when the girl immigrate to a foreign country, and not every woman can bask in the favor of her young, handsome billionaire of a boss - when that does happen it is usually a middle-aged man, short and rotund and married with kids. Petty sentiment and fake melancholy have no currency among the small city dwellers, who simply want to enjoy some hearty laugher after a day's hard work.For that reason, comedy is the safest of all genres in which filmmakers are willing to invest their resources. Actor-turned-director Xu Zheng, who has kept impeccable track records in both roles, staged an ambitious comeback in "Lost in Hong Kong," which made the list of Top 3 earners, despite fierce competition from another comedy film and this year's No. 5 earner "Goodbye Mr. Loser."The favor of small town young adults propelled more titles to make headlines which otherwise could have remained obscure among the hundreds of low-budget stories cobbled up by amateur filmmakers. Chief among them is "Wolf Warriors," directed by actor Wu Jing. Mr. Wu is a talented martial artist and has a face not half bad, somehow his career as an actor never seem to take off. His first film in the director's chair depicts a hunt for foreign spies and features note-worthy action sequences, but the film's undisguised demonstration of patriotism follows the narrative of the past century. The stylish young men loitering in Beijing's Sanlitun will frown upon it, but they couldn't stop the film from causing a moderately big bang in the market.The potential and appetite of small town young adults therefore appeared on the radar of Chinese filmmakers, who didn't bother to figure out what this sizable group of consumers want the most. Their standard approach is to build on something that has already stood the test. "Dior's Man" is a popular show inspired by Germany sketch comedy "Knallerfrauen" and is streamed exclusively on China's video portals. Despite content that some may consider vulgar, it is nonetheless a well executed and creative show. So when the same crew came up with a film project "Jian Bing Man," they rocked the market by grossing more than 1.1 billion yuan.The source of inspiration is not limited to video content. Best-selling cartoon novel "Go Away Mr. Tumor" about a cartoonist's fight against cancer has warmed many hearts over the years, now a movie of the same name has been made starring actress Bai Baihe and actor Daniel Wu. Strictly speaking, the engineered story is not perfect, but it carries every bit of the late cartoonist's creative genius and optimistic spirit and should be considered a worthy tribute to the girl who offered a valuable message to every willing listener.Perhaps the most convincing example is to be found in the novel "Ghost Blows out the Light," a story about tomb-raiders so popular among Chinese internet users that two film adaptations have been made and screened this year. "Mojin - The Lost Legend" premiered in late December and is still going strong in the box office towards the end of the year. This adaptation boasts an A-list cast and spectacular setting that recreates the mysterious atmosphere described in the original story. While this adaption by Director Wuershan is considered the more successful of the two in narrative and in box office income, Director Lu Chuan's interpretation is more monumental in a different sense.Indeed, Lu Chuan's "Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe" represents the highest grade of visual effect in Chinese films, up to the standard of Hollywood blockbuster films. The long shots bring up the striking beauty of a desert setting, much like "Mad Max: Fury Road." And the animated beasts would have been even more "flawless" if only the actors and actresses he hired were less green.The level of visually enhanced spectacle in "Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe" is only matched by that in Tsui Hark's "The Taking of Tiger Mountain," where a Chinese soldier in the 1940s braved the same amount of make-believe bullets and explosions as Steve Rogers in Marvel's Captain America. Behold, it is China's own superhero story!And we have to talk about the animation film "Monkey King: Hero is back" when we talk about special effects. This tight-budget animation was only possible to achieve a 956 million yuan income because director Tian Xiaopeng insisted on quality control. Throughout the meagerly-funded seven-year project many crew members turned their backs and walked away, but the director's persistence led to the birth of the best Chinese animation film in decades. Many moviegoers, overwhelmed by its lively imagery, volunteered to promote the film in their friendly circles, but its portrayal of a fierce warrior who has it powers in check is the most impressive interpretation of the classic text.But the year 2015 is not just about the small city young adults, the market demand and the box office ranking. Filmmakers focused on expressing their own ideas are also getting their voices heard. Taiwan director Hou Hsiao-hsien's martial arts film “The Assassin” was honored with a Best Director title at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. His efforts created a chance for willing viewers to live a story written by Tang Dynasty novelists. There is no way of knowing if the film speaks the truth about Tang Dynasty people's lives, but it certainly feels like reading the novels.Another director devoted to self-expression is Jia Zhangke, who seems quite obsessed with the place he was born, most of his stories happen in a small town named Fenyang in Central China's Shanxi Province. In "Mountains May Depart," Mr. Jia ventured outside his familiar territory into a wider space-time reality and sought to capture the unspeakable loneliness that haunts people unblessed with love. Jia's command of every single element in his narrative is unmatched by hardly any of his Chinese peers, but his step outside familiar terrain did not land as smoothly as one would expect from someone of his talent and calibre.The last entry is my personal favorite. "The Master" is Xu Haofeng's third attempt at self-expression. The lost world of martial artists is a recurring theme in Xu Haofeng's stories, Wang Kar Wai tried to adapt it in "The Grand Master" and ended up showing off his cinematographer's skills, Chen Kaige tried to adapt it in "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" and ended up discrediting himself and his cast members, no one understands the quaint mindset of Xu Haofeng's characters better than Xu Haofeng himself, and this time he's learnt some new tricks to avoid boring his viewers. The realist fighting style and snappy pacing proved an effective formula on modern moviegoers.Movies such as "The Assassin," "Mountains May Depart" and "The Master" don't get a lot of time slots in the schedule books, because they are much too quiet to induce laughter. A pessimist would loath the dominance of small town young adults and a rampant profit-seeking culture in the movie industry, but in 2015 Chinese filmmakers have come a long way to improve their products in various aspects, in time the viewers will surely follow suit and cultivate their own tastes, we only need to take it one step at a time.

2015 Chinese martial arts film "The Master" is the first big budget commercial film by writer and director Xu Haofeng, and also the first opportunity for the wider audience to have a taste of Xu's distinctive style.Xu's very first feature film met with lukewarm reception from the market back in 2012, and for that reason his second one never received wide-scale publicity. Although his stories have been adapted by famous film director Wong Kar Wai in "The Grand Master", and by Chen Kaige in "Daoshi Xiaoshan" or "Monk Comes Down the Mountain," neither of those has quite captured the apparently bizarre yet intrinsically straightforward logic that motivates the characters in his story."The Master" will have a better chance of impressing the general public. Set in Tianjin in the Early 20th Century, the story follows a Guangdong master who seeks to expand the influence of his martial arts school in a heavily guarded territory. To achieve this, he can't just go ahead and challenge local schools, but instead has to spend three years training an apprentice to do the heavy-lifting. With the support of a local partner, his plan would have worked, if only they were the only players in the game. Most of Xu Haofeng's characters are obsessed with something. The Guangdong master starring Liao Fan (Black Coal, Thin Ice) is determined to propagate his school for the sake of his own late master. His disciple shows a strong attachment to his hometown Tianjin and is willing to die here instead of surviving elsewhere. The Tianjin local masters are keen on protecting their own territory and their rules. In a place where one's well-being hinges on the size of one's fists, everyone is after something, be it honor, fame, power or family.But within this seemingly diverse and chaotic reality, everyone is surprisingly simple-minded. The characters' decisions and actions are as swift as their weapons are sharp, leaving no room for Shakespearean Hamlet's struggles. This simplicity of life philosophy is what distinguishes Xu Haofeng's masters from the commoners under our modern skins.Unlike Chen Kaige who made a major misstep in casting, Xu Haofeng appears to have the best casting members at his disposal, bar a couple of insignificant roles of course. Having survived a two-month intensive training, actor Liao Fan is able to execute some efficient moves and complete stunning action scenes as per the director's requirement. The viperine demeanor in Jiang Wenli makes one shudder at the thought of even being her friend, much less her enemy. And actress Song Jia lends all her charm to make the unappealing destination of Tianjin all the more attractive. Thanks to the dedication of the actors and actresses, the quirky world of Xu Haofeng is now much easier to understand.The realistic fighting style of an authentic Xu Haofeng film seems a far cry from that of a Jet Li film, where the kungfu masters pose, swing and make believe to entertain the camera. "The Master" is different because other than martial arts per se it speaks of the end of an old world and its orders, and it is the people and their strong beliefs in this historical context that impress the most intelligent and responsive audience members.

别的且不说，连影片自带福利林珍娜的腿都没让人看够，就说这特写有多令人沮丧罢。In 2011, Taiwan TV series "In Time with You" starring Ariel Lin and Berlin Chen was aired in Chinese mainland, it was a cheesy romantic drama, but the chicks loved it.December 2015, Ariel and Berlin team up again in a chick flick "Go Lala Go," many fans of the TV series visit the cinemas just to see the couple together again. Well, that and the fact that this may count as a sequel to a 2010 romantic comedy of the same name, are enough reasons to get the girls crazy. However I'm not sure they'll enjoy it in the same way they used to adore the TV series, because this awkward combination of workplace drama and romance lands in the middle of nowhere between the two."Go Lala Go 2010" was based on a popular novel by a blogger who wrote about the challenges that a female employee has to overcome to climb up the company food chain. In an uncomfortably mundane manner, the novel enlightened many office workers on the subtlety and sophistication that they need to thrive in the job market. "Go Lala Go 2015", based on a sequel of the novel, is no longer a lesson on office politics: the focus has been switched to a career woman's struggles on the domestic front.Oh yes, our dear Lala, despite her moderate success in the workplace, has trouble getting her boyfriend to pop the question, and that also has negative impact on her work performance. But no need to worry, an opportunity soon presents itself for Lala to crack an opening in both her career and her romantic life. If I were in her shoes, I would laugh myself awake from this marvelous daydream, but our dear heroine seems torn apart by the choices she has to make.I realize I have been referring to my own assumptions perhaps a bit too frequently, but that's only because the story has failed to cast the woman's state of mind in a consistent light. At times unsure about her decisions and other times quite imposing, the character in Lala seems volatile and empty, hostage to the writer's whimsical imagination. I suppose the idea is to showcase the difficulty for a woman to juggle career and family life in the modern times, but the film does not provide enough evidence to support my conspiracy.Perhaps it is not a film made for the male audience, after all guys aren't always ready to take pleasure from simply seeing a woman in distress. Also, guys are less tolerant of a film full of close-up shots, we don't feel like being compared to movie stars. To be fair, there ARE several long shots reserved for product placement purposes, but since we don't recognize those women-oriented brands, they are not necessary at all. Oh, and we are pretty sure the cinematographer isn't to blame here, Dylan Doyle, we've seen your work in "Touch of the Light," great job!In 2010, Patrick Frater of Variety described "Go Lala Go" as "a precursor to the current wave of Chinese contemporary romance films." There must be a typo here, I think he meant a pretty curse.

One of the few possible ways to appreciate "Spectre" is to think of the latest and most expensive title of the series as a standalone piece. The irony notwithstanding, this seems to be the only way to prolong the life of one of the longest continually-running film series in history.Surely as per routine, "Bond 24" delivers adrenalising car chase, enchanting female bodies and cut-throat fighting scenes. In fact, courtesy of filmmakers Gary Powell and Neil Layton, actresses Monica Bellucci, Léa Seydoux and actor Dave Bautista, "Spectre" has scored well above average in the plentitude of visual thrill.So Bond is unofficially investigating a case assigned by the previous M, and he finds a secret organization linked to his encounters in all four previous Bond films, so far so good. But nothing about the shadowy organization makes sense. "Spectre" has been powerful enough to wreak havoc in the world, but somehow isn't able to deal with an individual 00-agent. The assassin they've sent on Bond's tail seem quite keen on terminating his prey, but once Bond reaches the den of the criminals, they want to torture him instead. And guess what? They have a torture room and some equipment just in place for that purpose! How convenient!Instead of convincing us about the threat of the villain and their evil agenda for world-wide surveillance, the filmmakers only manage to tell us the one thing we've already learnt from the last 23 Bond films, that is, attractive women, from girls in their twenties to widows in their fifties, all want to have some with our tuxedo-ed hero.Some critics believe "Spectre" is identical with "Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation," but that's absurd! Of course both films deal with secret spy organizations, but "Spectre" and "Syndicate" are two different words. Certainly both films are about agents refusing to retire when the intelligence business is modernizing, but "James Bond" and "Ethan Hunt" are two different characters. One sleeps with his enemies and his enemies' wives and mistresses, the other only falls for someone in a more common line of business. Plus the "Rogue Nation" has done a better job in alleviating modern spies' unemployment anxiety. The IMF still needs Ethan Hunt to infiltrate facilities and crack physically isolated terminals, but the 00-agency only needs someone to look the victim in the eyes before deciding to pull the trigger, a job easily replaceable by drones with enhanced camera lenses.But if we were to fixate on the flaws in the story, this review could go on and on, but since I strongly believe that between a movie and its reviews, only one of them is allowed to reach the two-and-a-half-hour mark, let's look at the distinct style instead.Starting with the spectacular long take featuring Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration, the cinematographers continue to provide gratifying images as our characters carry on with their adventure across the globe. Sam Smith's "Writing's on the Wall" may not sound immediately impressive, but the controlled pace and tension eventually rise above the anti-climax of the plot. It also strongly points out the theme of the film: Bond 24 is not about spies or surveillance, but about a man's commitment to fulfilling his promise.Whether Daniel Craig is going to honor his contract and appear in another Bond film for the sake of money, "Spectre" will suffice as a grand finale by itself. Will future directors of the franchise continue to come up with stories with distinctive themes like the Sam Mendes production, or will they churn out more popcorn spy films, we are not sure. But we are sure the latter is getting more and more difficult.

Heaven and earth do not act from the wish to be benevolent; they treat all things and beings equally as they would dogs of grass. This sentence from the classic Taoist text explains Jia Zhangke's approach to formulate his new story, but paradoxically, his leitmotif is one of utmost sympathy and compassion.Life of ordinary people in Jia Zhangke's hometown Fenyang, north China's Shanxi Province is a recurring theme in his films. "Mountains May Depart" begins with a love triangle involving three young people Tao, Jinsheng and Liangzi in the very city back in 1999. Tao's indecision between the two suitors, a coal mine owner and a miner, appears to be aggravating a rift within the small group, but little does she know the divide is caused as much by the competition for her favor as by the development of the country's economy.In 2014, the same group of people continue to grow apart. Miner Liangzi is out of the picture after being diagnosed with terminal disease, Tao and Jinsheng have been married and divorced and their little son becomes an immigrant in Australia.The third part of the film goes beyond Jia's familiar time and space and follows the son in Australia in 2025. The young man named Dollar finds himself lost in a rootless life, as he has totally forgotten about his mother in Fenyang.In China's major cities, economic development has fed high-flying office workers who speak foreign languages, but Jia Zhangke has always focused on the fate of dialect-speaking ordinary people in smaller cities. Many of his previous films capture people who struggle to catch up with the tide, and despite Jia's insistence on sectional formats, critics still appreciate his intimate observation and insight.But things are a bit different with the new film. "Mountains May Depart" still comes in roughly three parts, but the story is more linear than ever before. More importantly, the kind of intimate observation seems to have disappeared, and the characters now seem vacant and soulless.That's because all is symbolic in "Mountains May Depart." Props, music, graphics and even the characters are stripped of their own reasons, they are here to serve one purpose: to highlight men's solitude against the tyranny of time. 1990s Taiwan pop star Sally Yeh's "Zhen Zhong" is not a song to be appreciated, but a link that connects all parts. Like an arbitrary composer, Jia Zhangke exploits everyone and everything at his disposal to create a symphony of melancholy.People die, homes are abandoned, traditions are lost and even mountains may depart. Without love, we are all destined to be alone, prisoners of our own time.In "Mountains May Depart", Jia Zhangke shifts his focus from the underprivileged and the obscure to a wider range of humanity, to remind all of us about the cost of modernization. This is a much more efficient use for his insight, creative genius and capacity for compassion. And if that means a few critics need to expand their scope to understand the director, I suggest they take the extra effort, for their own good.

Director Pete Doctor of Pixar's touching comedy "Up" continues to explore into the matters of the mind. His successful attempt to unravel the emotional activities of an 11-year-old girl has appealed to the sympathy of almost every viewer and critic.In China, the title of the film "Inside Out" is an almost shameful cliche. "Tou Nao Te Gong Dui," the awful translation constitutes a deplorable misrepresentation of the story's startling originality. In 2009 inspired by the changes in his daughter's personality as she grew older, Pete Doctor developed the idea of an animation film featuring human emotions. Since adventure stories are his strongest suit, he would have personified emotions explore the most exquisite and least understood item of nature's invention - the human brain. After consulting numerous psychologists, the filmmakers eventually decided on two parallel narratives, happening both inside a girl's mind and out in her real life.To kickstart the story, a girl named Riley moves with her parents from Minnesota to San Francisco. The change in environment and a series of unfortunate happenings cause emotional upheavals inside the 11-year-old. Her core emotions, Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear and Anger, are at a loss to help the girl get back on her feet. While trying to stop Sadness from infecting Riley's core memories, Joy is sucked out of the emotional headquarter with Sadness and end up in the storage area of Riley's long-term memories. In their absence, Disgust, Fear and Anger take charge of Riley's emotions, which leads to the change of the girl's personality.As Joy and Sadness try to get back to the headquarter, they meet Riley's imaginary friend, witness the collapse of Riley's personality islands, take the train of thought and visit the Imagination Land, the Subconscious and the Memory Dump. Many well-known Psychological concepts and terms are vividly represented, and above all, they make sense, according to the established theories on human psychology.After a moderately funny and most touching fashion, "Inside Out" is able to convey the importance of everyday happenings and human contact in the shaping of our personalities. A mishandled case may very well have far-reaching repercussion in the development of a child's character, this could came as a shocking revelation for moviegoers in China, where knowledge about the matters of the mind has not been widely cherished outside the academic circle.However informative this comedy adventure is, most viewers would probably find it easier to relate to it on the emotional basis. Interestingly, it is the things we can't remember that hit us the hardest. From the episode about Riley's imaginary friend to the demonstration of things being cleared from her memory bank, these scenes remind us about every tiny moment in our past that has made us who we are today. But the older we are, the fewer we can recall, and that's the saddest thing about life.

The success of Chinese comedy film "Goodbye Mr. Loser", or "Xia Luo Te Fan Nao", dredges up unaddressed questions from the past and in doing so may help bring about some solutions.The box office powerhouse is adapted from a popular stage show of the same name, which had previously only been seen in a limited number of cities. It is about a middle-aged loafer who makes a fool of himself at any given moment. During a very public showdown with his wife, the man loses consciousness and wakes up to his life 20 years earlier. He goes on a different life path that leads to fame and wealth, but a series of misfortunes follow him like a curse, until he has an epiphany about the most important person in his life.20 days after its debut, "Goodbye Mr. Loser" has snapped 1.2 billion yuan from Chinese movie theatres. But as it reaches audiences nationwide, the film has become the target of bad publicity. Some movie critics claim the Chinese filmmakers have plagiarised the ideas behind Francis Ford Coppola's 1986 comedy drama "Peggy Sue Got Married," and even provide screenshots from both films for comparison. The filmmakers, however, dismiss the accusation as libel and vow to take legal action.A simple look into the plot of "Peggy Sue Got Married," reveals that such accusations are hardly sound. "Goodbye Mr. Loser" the stage show has been popular for years, so whatever suspicions exist about its originality should have been settled by now. So to bring up the topic at this moment means one of two things: one, some competitors, jealous of its big bang in the market, want to introduce some negativity; two, the crew themselves, operating on the premise that "There is no such thing as bad publicity," wish to boost its success even more. In either case, this publicity stunt amounts to unfair manipulation of public opinion.But any hidden agenda cannot fool the Chinese audience much longer, as moviegoers are becoming smarter. Today they are more and more aware of the rampant loser culture and the rather rude style of humour. No offence to the actors and actresses who have gone out of their way to tickle the audience, but "Goodbye Mr. Loser" does seem to contain some incorrect ideas. On movie rating websites Mtime and Douban, bloggers question the so-called "true love" between a good-for-nothing clown and his selfless wife. The number of such reviews suggests China's younger generation possesses sharper political insight regarding the rights of women and underprivileged people. Jokes at their expense now induce disgust rather than delight.The popularity of "Goodbye Mr. Loser" has amplified the varying tastes of different generations so that more and more people can begin to understand the bad influence of tradition. Now let's see if the filmmakers can adapt to those changes.

Since the beginning of October, China's film market has been dominated by local films. Normally the box office figures reveal little beyond the capricious tastes of Chinese moviegoers, but this time the disparity among the forerunners can serve as an indicator of some sort, or at least as a lesson for certain filmmakers.Top earner "Lost in Hong Kong" is the work of actor and director Xu Zheng, whose ingenuity and unblemished record in the market guaranteed attractive content, generous funding and efficient publicity campaign. Second placed "Goodbye Mr. Loser" is based on a popular stage comedy, whose straightforward storyline has now reached a nationwide audience. Both films have accumulated more than 1 billion yuan each, leading by a large margin the third place contender "Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe," whose income of over 650 million yuan seems slightly out of proportion with public expectations."Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe" director Lu Chuan is an established figure in the business known for his willingness to experiment. His last outing "The Last Supper" has been habitually considered as a stain on his record, but was nonetheless a rather innovative and stylish interpretation of historical events. His new creation is loosely based on best-selling novel "Ghost Blows out the Light," but for local policy reasons, the original story about tomb raiders and superstition had to be heavily redacted. Lu Chuan's approach to the tricky plot was to overthrow the premise completely. Instead of ghosts and tomb raiders, Lu Chuan wrote a new story about aliens and explorers. This can't be good news for the fans of the original novel, but it seems the director is not keen on pleasing first-time viewers either, since he insists on rubbing the audience his own way.But in this case, Lu's way is similar to that of Michael Bay. Expending hardly any noticeable effort on telling a convincing story, the filmmakers have exhausted every bit of their capacity for post production. What they achieve is visual grandeur that looks rather expensive. Huge behemoths lurking under water, flaming bats torching people to ashes, vicious trolls pushing everyone to the last stand, plus the stunning beauty of China's wild frontier, all together 1500 shots underwent intensive editing to bring up the wow effect.But quite surprisingly, this movie which looks rather expensive was built on a moderate budget of less than 100 million yuan. Perhaps the affordable cast contributed to the cost management. Among young actors and actresses such as Mark Chao, Feng Li, Li Chen and Tiffany Tang, the only A-lister is Yao Chen, who seems to have been hijacked by the rest of the cast members and taken to a mysterious land of mindless wanderers.The emphasis on the images has lead to the best special effects money can buy, but also a failure to exploit a very popular text. Recently Chinese filmmakers have developed a fondness for adaptable best-selling stories, but they must realize that alone is not guarantee for success. As for Lu Chuan, it is fine to continue experimenting, but following the steps of Michael Bay won't be necessary.

More often than not in the movie business, the best way to ruin a well-loved title is to make a sequel. And the best way to ensure its total degradation is to make a spin-off. Both happen to be efficient ways to extort the last penny possible from movie-goers, and that's why the allure of popular franchise inevitably wears off."Minions", the spin-off of the "Despicable Me" franchise is the best and latest example of that theory. The 2010 original featured a refreshing perspective on villains and that impressed the market. The following 2013 instalment was a fall from grace, but even worse is the 2015 spin-off that landed on "the Plain of Non-story."The failure of "Minions" is not due to the ebbing interest on the part of the audience members, but rather bad decision-making by the filmmakers. I'm sure the movie fans would still love to see more villainous conducts on the big screen. In fact, when the young supervillain Gru appears at the end of "Minions", with those vicious sparks in his eyes, I could almost feel the same excitement as I felt when watching "Despicable Me" for the first time. The badass element was the key to its popularity.But the filmmakers seem to have abandoned their trump card. In "Despicable Me 2", we no longer saw the wicked ambitions hitherto burning in the chest of Mr. Gru, instead there was a pinky glow of romance that compromised the movie's iconic yellow nuggets of cuteness. And then there is "Minions," whose villain Scarlet Overkill seemed to have a college degree in under-delivering. I have to say, revealing sad stories about the childhood of nefarious super villains is not cool at all, it amounts to acts of suicide for this evil-centric franchise.But despite my discontent, it seems the filmmaker's decision to capitalise on the cute element is bearing tangible results, especially in the Chinese market. With more than 20 million US dollars income over the first weekend, "Minions" surpassed Kung Fu Panda 2 as the all-time top-grossing animated film for its opening day in China, and this is after another cuteness flick "Monster Hunt" dethroned "Fast and Furious 7" to become China's highest grossing film of all time.The appetite for big-eyed, chubby figures remains robust, and the movie-goers have every reason to feel entertained by the neatly arranged amusing scenarios. But being sick and tired of these rampant cuteness, I personally will not spend another penny on any more spin-offs related to the yellow critters, I'll save it for David Ayer's "Suicide Squad."

I almost failed to hold back my tears when watching "Go Away, Mr. Tumor." Other audience members were not so successful, throughout the film sobbing could be heard from various parts of the auditorium. But this film is not merely a tear jerker, from time to time the audience also erupted into fits of hearty laughter. They were celebrating the optimistic spirit of the dearly departed.Director Han Yan's story about a young woman's battle against cancer is based on the final years of cartoonist Xiang Yao. Under the alias Xiong Dun, the girl created many amusing comic stories about the lives of modern Chinese women. Her last and most memorable work is "Go Away, Mr. Tumor," where she showed tremendous courage and optimism to win the respect of numerous internet users and celebrities. A few years later, her story has now been adapted into a movie script and played out by movie stars including Bai Baihe and Daniel Wu. A TV series is also on the way.To offset the ominous implications of the subject and also to match Ms. Xiong's vigorous creativity as a cartoonist, the filmmakers spent generous sums on expensive special effects. The result is a comedy with a strong animation flavour. Scenes mimicking American zombie thriller "The Walking Dead" and South Korean chick flick "My Love from the Star" help us get a better look at the woman who remained fun and inspiring until the end of her days.But the innovative styles of expression have also caused controversy. Many sober moviegoers, who seem untouched by the emotional rollercoaster ride, criticise such styles as random and incoherent. While I can totally agree with their sound judgment, my admiration mostly goes to their ability to stay unaffected by a highly manipulative story.Perhaps those are people who have survived the lesson of loss or have learnt to cope with life's many challenges - good for them. But not everyone can quite face up to the fact that we all have to cross that finishing line at some point. Still weaker members of the human race must rely on borrowed strength and wisdom to sail through their daily struggles. Xiong Dun thought she could lend us a hand. "Now that I've had first-hand experience dealing with the grim reaper himself, I think I am qualified to counsel your guys about your lives," said the girl who left us three years ago. Today, on China's Facebook-like website Weibo where she posted her comic pictures, people still come to leave prayers or to seek courage and consolation.Once again, Chinese actress Bai Baihe proves herself an excellent personality to charm moviegoers. She is only good for a narrow range of characters, but when she makes the right choice, even superstar Daniel Wu looks like a B-lister in her presence. As for other characters, well, let's say the film is more proof that age and experience speak louder than smooth skins and curvy bodies.In a matter of weeks, many of us will probably forget about the tears we shed and resolutions we made as we watched "Go Away, Mr. Tumor," but if so much as a small percentage of us remember the feelings we had in the cinema, this film would have been well worth seeing.

2014 American crime thriller "The Equalizer" is making some people wonder whether the winds have shifted in Hollywood, so that instead of soft-skinned teenage boys who can't act and muscular men who knows an awful lot of four-lettered words, filmmakers are giving the floor to elderly man with obsessive compulsive personality disorder who likes to read. But that's not true, the age when manners and knowledge become the new sexy will not dawn on humanity until Hollywood goes bankrupt and is taken over by a union of wealthy librarians and bookstore owners. And since the librarians and bookstore owners are busy either losing their jobs or going out of business in the age of Information Technology, chances are the world will never see the return to the fad of gentle and well-read vigilante heroes like the masked man from "V for Vendetta", and "The Equalizer" will remain a rare reminder of quality television of the good old 80s.Denzel Washington plays a former espionage agent who lives a quiet life as a worker at a Boston hardware store. Despite a simple and quiet life, the extremely organised man has difficulty sleeping at night and often stays in a 24/7 diner to read literary classics. One day a teenage prostitute he knows from the diner gets beaten up by the Russian Mafia, and the man's attempt to secure the girl's freedom leads to a clash with one of the most powerful gangs on America's east coast.For a film that opens with the ritually simplistic chores of a lonesome man's stoic life, "The Equalizer" has surprisingly bloody action scenes. On the half-hour mark, the story seems to hit a climax as Denzel Washington goes on a spontaneous rampage in the mafia's regional headquarters. One hour into the film, you would think you've seen everything you want to see in an action film, but with anticipation and curiosity you still look forward to what's going to happen next.The masterful pacing in the first hour conspires with elegant lighting, neat cinematography and Washington's imperturbable charisma to create a mysterious halo surrounding the plainly-dressed man and forms a sharp contrast against the Quentin Tarantino-style fury in which he executes his adversaries. Such is the charm of Oscar-worthy duo Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua.But the second half of the film fails to take the action to the next level. As the main villain, Marton Csokas does let out some effectively menacing snarls to help build up the tension, but he ultimately falls short of challenging Washington's superhero glamour, due to the writer's keenness to highlight the impromptu skills of a genius assassin.So in conclusion "The Equalizer" offers a refreshing experience and reminds us of the charm of a real gentleman, and that's more than one can expert from most action films of this type.

“Battle of Taierzhuang” is a historical and historic film made to mark the fortieth anniversary of China's victory against Japanese Aggression and the end of the Second World War. The filmmakers' attention to historical detail demonstrates their reverence to those who died defending the country. Now as we cherish peace at the threshold of the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, our memory of wartime history threatens to fade with the departure of each living witness. It is reassuring to realise we can still revisit history by turning to this classic film, but it is regrettable that no modern movies have been made which can match their historic and artistic value.The 1986 war film chronicles the first major victory in the Chinese people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression. Unlike other war films that emphasise the roles of the people and the Communist Party of China, "Battle of Taierzhuang" was the first to feature the war efforts of the Kuomintang's armies. It offered detailed accounts as to how the Kuomintang leaders and commanding generals overcame disagreements and tremendous difficulties to foil a Japanese offensive operation in East China. The victory cast doubt on the belief that Japan's armies were invincible, and inspired faith in China's resistance efforts.With no special effects or romantic elements to spice things up, "Battle of Taierzhuang" can still captivate viewers with its documentary-style realism and eloquent imagery. The fully developed script was written after conscientious research into historical facts, but was still subject to repeated amendments. Director Yang Guangyuan was an excellent cinematographer. His shots provided the optimal combination of art and information. One most impressive example is the images of bodies lining the walls of the ancient city, which are a shocking visual translation of the wartime vocabulary "Great Wall of Flesh and Blood."The historical accuracy extends to the objective description of the Japanese foe, which forms a stark contrast with the works of modern Chinese filmmakers. The latter have come under the influence of Hollywood's superhero complex and often portray the invading soldiers as dummies in comparison to Chinese heroes, which doesn't help the young people of our time understand and respect history, especially when one country involved in the war is trying actively to obliterate the memory of it.The respect for history and the Chinese people's war effort as depicted in "Battle of Taierzhuang" also helped to improve the relationship between two sides of the Taiwan Strait. It is reported that, after watching the film honouring their resistance efforts, Kuomintang leaders allowed their former fighters to visit their relatives on the mainland.It is quite surprising how an excellent film can achieve multiple tasks at the same time, but such is the result of the passion and dedication from all people involved. What is even more surprising is how the explosion in box office figures in recent years, while arousing the excitement of plenty of filmmakers and investors, can have no positive bearing on the quality of their products when taken as a whole. Perhaps a crash course in films made in the last century is what they need.

用声音，在一起

With cutting-edge CGI technology, "Monkey King: Hero is Back" conjures the rebellious protector from the childhood of China's younger generations and channels tremendous consumer power. The explosions of positive reviews and box office figures mark the triumphant fusion of nostalgia and modernity, but don't necessarily signal a brighter outlook for Chinese animated films.Due to a lack of originality in story-writing, Chinese filmmakers often turn to classic texts for inspiration. For that reason, Ming Dynasty novelist Wu Cheng'en's "Journey to the West" has recently witnessed a comeback in popularity as a subject for adaptation. Hong Kong directors Stephen Chow and Cheang Pou-soi have each launched a new series to lukewarm reception but more sequels are still in the making.Also in the genre of animation, director Wang Chuan's "Kuiba" is loosely based on Wu's story. The ambitious franchise in 3D was designed to challenge Hollywood movies and represented the highest level of production quality, but that has now met with fierce competition in the domestic market."Monkey King: Hero is Back" directly appeals to viewers' sense of sight with loud colours, dynamic action scenes and occasionally quiet background shots in the style of traditional Chinese landscape painting. When the Monkey King unleashes his full strength, viewers could almost feel the same excitement as watching a Japanese Shōnen manga story. The refreshing images give many viewers the hope that maybe Chinese animation filmmakers have mastered the modern techniques on par with Hollywood or Japanese counterparts.Despite a single linear narrative that some claim to be unfit for grown-up audience members, the story does succeed in capturing a hero with moderately complex characters. On the one hand, he is the rebellious hero that revolts against the Heavenly deities; on the other hand, he cherishes the bond with his friends and overcomes himself to protect them. The power dynamics of his relationship with famous Monk Xuanzang, or Jiangliuer in this story, is reversed. The Monkey King here is no longer an unruly beast to be tamed by the righteous and fatherly monk, but a living legend loved by everyone. This variation evokes the memory of Chinese moviegoers, who in their childhood have looked up to the Monkey King as a defiant rebel against traditional patriarchal values.The visual and emotional allure of the film has turned numerous casual viewers into willing converts. Their fervent suasion has hyped the film's box office income as well as people's expectations for Chinese animated films. But amid the thunderous applause and accolades, it is hard to notice the eight years of hardships and hardwork behind the scene. And before Chinese animation industry can truly turn a page for the better, filmmakers must be willing to endure more such difficult years, notwithstanding a huge influx of investment into their reach.

Mortal men and women like success stories. They adore successful figures and enjoy projecting their own egos with such stories. Few of them understand that success sometimes comes as a curse rather than a blessing. Chinese director Chen Kaige is one of those successful yet unfortunate people who live their lives under a curse. His 1993 movie "Farewell My Concubine" made him the only Chinese director to win a Palme d'Or, but like his other recent outings, Chen's latest project "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" has once again put his name and fame into question.The comedy-fantasy-adventure film is based on the best-selling novel Dao Shi Xia Shan by Xu Haofeng, who also wrote the story for Wong Kar Wai's martial arts drama "The Grandmaster." Chen's source material is about a Taoist monk who comes down the mountain to join the mundane world below. Like "The Grandmaster," "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" features Chinese martial arts and a spiritual pilgrimage. Although both offer stunning imagery and special effects, Wong Kar Wai's masterpiece trumps Chen Kaige's product in many aspects.First of all, the action choreography in "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" mainly involves an awkward abuse of wire work, which is neither realistic nor romantic. Actor Zhang Zhen gave a brief but impressive demonstration of his Kung Fu prowess in "The Grandmasters," but here in Chen's story, his character is reduced to one of a mascot.Secondly, in both movies Wong and Chen assume the role of a life coach and peddle plenty of inspirational reflections, but at least during his second try to render the film into 3D, Wong has managed to make the ideas coherent with the story and reachable for ordinary moviegoers. In comparison Chen's condescending stance alienates viewers from his story, like a mountain that separates the monks from the real world. The main idea of "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" is one who seeks the ultimate truth must experience the lives of the ordinary people, but this simple notion is deliberately made to sound mysterious and unfathomable in the movie.Now I am not saying our dear director Chen Kaige is shallow-minded and incapable of having mysterious and unfathomable thoughts, on the contrary, as the son of famous director Chen Hua'ai, Chen is perhaps the most well-read and most thoughtful among China's fifth generation directors. But while having sophisticated ideas may be his stronger suit, conveying them to the general public is not.In the 2005 fantasy film "The Promise" his tentative move to produce a blockbuster movie met a disastrous end. In the 2012 drama "Caught in the Web" Chen tried to catch up with developments in society and on the internet, but his own perspective was absent from the pictures. In "Monk Comes Down the Mountain", Chen somewhat retracts his steps and adds some cultural elements, but they amount to nothing but icon-mongering. It seems his attempts to court public favour always appear in the form of belated clichés, while his return to his own roots always end up confusing the audience.Certainly "Farewell My Concubine" will forever be the highlight on Chen's resume, but that masterpiece is the result of many top level filmmakers working together as a team. Without the assistance of an adequate team, Chen Kaige is trapped in the shrine of his past glory and left alone to err. With a handful of setbacks in the past few years, now Mr. Chen may believe he has come down the mountain and lived with the ordinary people, but the truth is his learning days are not over. Unless he finds a way to translate his philosophy into accessible images and stories, or a team that helps him in that regard, the public will continue questioning his past success.

Director Cheang Pou-soi and writer Jill Leung weave an elaborate labyrinth of multiple narratives to paint a bleak picture of a dog-eat-dog underworld in "SPL2: A Time for Consequences." At times hard to stomach but mostly riveting, the action thriller offers a wide range of spectacular imagery culminating in the clash of top martial artists from Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Thailand.For a film that boasts an international cast and setting, SPL2 exhibits an exceptionally indigenous Chinese flavour. An undercover policeman struggling with drug addiction, a prison guard with a leukaemia-afflicted daughter, a ruthless organ trafficker in dire need of a heart replacement, everyone is somehow connected in an enclosed community of "Jianghu," where extraordinary personalities find no escape from their destiny.Thailand action star Tony Jaa plays the loving father and prison guard. His quest to locate a bone marrow donor for his ailing daughter coincides with disturbing developments at his workplace. At one point the cure is close at hand, but little does he know he will need to risk his own life for his daughter's salvation. In SPL2 Tony Jaa's uncommon moves constitute an eye opener for Chinese viewers.Mainland Chinese Kung Fu star Wu Jing found a career breakthrough after his adventurous investment in "Wolf Warriors" turned out in his favour. His extended exposure here as an undercover police fighting for redemption greatly boosts his presence and may even propel him into super-stardom. His technique merges the styles of Jet Li and Donnie Yen which is at the same time expressive and realistic.Perhaps the biggest winner is Chinese actor Zhang Jin, who won the Best Supporting Actor at the 33rd Hong Kong Film Awards for his role in Wong Kar Wai's martial arts drama "The Grandmaster." Here he appears as a prison warden awaiting retribution, whose immaculate wardrobe matches his simple, slashing moves. With a face as fair as a modern office worker and adequate acting skills, Zhang could pose a serious challenge to Wu Jing's ascension, what he needs is the versatility to adapt his styles to the fleeting tastes of Chinese Kung Fu fans.Surely the actors also owe their success to writer Jill Leung and action director Li Chung-chi who arrange multiple occasions for them to showcase their skills. From gun fight to prison riot to slaughterhouse rampage or simple one-on-one duels, the action stars collide, change sides, form new alliances and collide again, creating impressive spectacles on all scales.More impressive is the use of parallel narrative. Many key developments in the story are often screened simultaneously to heighten the sense of destiny and/or irony, which in itself is a powerful tool to glue together the numerous episodes of fighting scenes.Despite the artistic failure in 2014 fantasy film "The Monkey King," director Cheang Pou-soi is well known for the distinctly dark and hopeless mood in his previous movies. In "SPL2: A Time for Consequences" he offers a pessimism of the most ambitious kind that trumps the unaccountable heroism in a "Transformers" movie, although his unique traits are still all over the piece to infect sensitive viewers.

"To a canary, a cat is a monster. We are just used to being the cat."As a species that dominates our planet with superior intelligence, human beings often forget about the monster in ourselves and take for granted our hegemony in the food chain. Stories about beasts of sheer size and brutal strength, like Godzilla, sometimes take us by surprise, but for most of us the lumbering kaiju looks more amusing than seriously frightening.On the other hand, smart predators with cunning and resource equal to mankind are a different story, because we homo sapiens are vulnerable against enemies with fangs and claws that can't be outsmarted. That's why the raptor that opened door was scary in Jurassic Park, while the T-Rex couple in "The Lost World" sequel was not.14 years after the last entry to the franchise, the 2015 addition "Jurassic World" has plenty of lessons to draw from. This time they've got the formula right. Indominus Rex, a genetically enhanced predator the size of a Tyrannosaurus rex, is concocted in a research lab as a new attraction for the dinosaur theme park. The combination of DNAs from various unidentified species yields the most lethal killer, the fear of which keeps viewers thrilled despite a stale format.There really isn't anything fresh to see apart from the humongous predator at large. Once again, it is human arrogance and greed that lead to the creation of the beast, once again the dinosaur whisperer scientist with good conscience gives out warnings in vain and once again innocent children need to survive the jaws. Lead actor Chris Pratt tries to play alpha among a pack of raptors, but he is given no chance to cast his pelvic sorcery.In the battle of teeth, humans have no place. In a movie that aims for "bigger, louder and more teeth", character development can be problematic. Chris Pratt is not the only casualty. Also at fault is the park owner Simon Masrani played by Irfan Khan - initially posing as an adorable boss who cares about staff and dinosaur welfare but later reduced to an irresponsible playboy consumed by corporate greed. The worst slip-up, however, is when one of the small boys breaks down over their parent's divorce, despite no previous subtext leading up to this point, nor is the subject addressed ever again thereafter.So compared to the well-organised dinosaur storyline, the human related narrative is almost deliberately ignored. For those of you who merely wish to see more teeth, "Jurassic World" offers a brilliantly executed story, just don't expect it to be perfect.

On June 1st, Children's Day in China, the Wanda cinema in west Beijing was busier than usual. Young couples in their late 20s or early 30s took their children to watch the first Doraemon movie with 3D CGI technique. The story induced laughters and tears among the most sympathetic audience members, but when the end credits appeared and the lights went on, it was the parents who lingered in their seats trying to catch the behind-the-scenes extras, while the children were anxiously beseeching their mums and dads to leave.It was a remarkable contrast to other, more ordinary films made for kids. Normally it is the children who are too excited to leave as their parents try to coax them out of their seats. This deviation tells a lot about the difference in the lives of the young parents from that of their even younger heirs.About 30 years ago, Doraemon began to attract millions of young Chinese fans. According to the comic book stories, the chubby blue robot cat was sent back in time by a boy in the 22nd century to accompany his great great grandpa Nobita, a typical loser in school who possessed no academic or athletic aptitude. Coming from a more technologically-advanced time, Doraemon presented a myriad of gadgets that defied the laws of science and common sense. The goal was to keep Nobita out of trouble, but more often than not the boy with a gadget caused even more mishaps.The fantastic gadgets in the story appealed greatly to children. More significant was the idea of having a nearly omnipotent friend to help you out every time you are in trouble. In a time when most parents were working hard to cash in on the results of China's Reform and Opening-up, children can get very lonely indeed and an imaginary friend who is always there sounded better than it does.Today our children are the centre of the family. Their parents, sitting on the wealth of the grandparents, no longer have to break their backs for a better life. The marginal benefits of hard work have shrunk and now give way to high quality family time. Instead of loneliness, the smothered kids are more likely to look for a chance to spread their wings and fly away, like Hiccup in "How to Train Your Dragon.""Stand by Me Doraemon" consists of details from several different episodes of the comic series, with the focus on how Nobita courts the favour of his female classmate Shizuka. Most parents would probably recognise the episodes, so there is little originality in the movie. Also the fantastic gadgets are given little exposure, chances are the kids will miss out on the highlight of the story that so captivated their parents.So in conclusion, the movie's sentimental value may be enough to satisfy the parents, but will probably stop short of inspiring younger followers.

What distinguishes South African-Canadian filmmaker Neil Blomkamp from others is the audacity to challenge the traditional concept of human existence.In his first film "District 9," co-written by Neil and his wife Terri Tatchell, the lead character was infected by a fluid which gradually turned his physical form into that of an alien. The sight of a human body morphing and developing the feature of an insect-like creature was not appealing to average viewers’ stomachs. His 2013 science fiction movie "Elysium" was a big-budget blockbuster. For better box office results the director had to tune down on his peculiar interest, although he still introduced the idea of an exoskeleton surgically attached to the body of the lead character. The story was written single-handedly by Neil Blomkamp.The latest science fiction film "Chappie" was once again the brain child of the Blomkamp couple. With a budget slightly bigger than "District 9," the new piece allows the director to continue the agenda of producing disturbingly fantastic imagery."Chappie" has something in common with the sci-fi blockbuster "Avengers: Age of Ultron." Both were released in China in the same month and both featured a sentient robot. While Ultron's newly acquired thinking capacity was led astray by bloody events in human history, Chappie encounters evils of a more tangible and more immediate kind. Right after the inception of his mind, Chappie is held in captivity by a gang who teach him gang swagger and four-letter words. He is also given the valuable lesson of being lied to and learns about the fact that he, like other living things on the planet, must die one day.Instead of fixating on the topic of artificial intelligence and engaging in a philosophical discussion about nature and nurture, I would prefer to highlight the director's apparent loathing of the human form, his fear of death and his eagerness to amend nature's very first largess to mankind. In each of his feature film, his lead character takes on an alternative physical form. "Now, you will live forever, Maker," thus speaks Chappie to his creator Deon, after he transfers the latter's mind to a robot's.In most science fiction stories it is common to find the glorification of a certain type of human virtue, be it courage, intelligence or compassion. Such films are intrinsically narcissistic. In comparison, Neil Blomkamp's critical spirit comes as a fresh, though not quite pleasant, complement.Of Neil Blomkamp's three recent products, "District 9" won the director critical acclaim and world recognition, "Elysium" failed to offer refreshed excitement despite a bigger budget, and even "Chappie" packed a weak punch due to implausible twists in an unconvincing story. But still I will continue to check out on Neil's future films, for all the unconventional whims they might or might not provide.

Despite some credibility and consistency issues, Chinese courtroom drama "12 Citizens" is otherwise a successful adaptation of a classic text.In 1954 American film and television writer Reginald Rose wrote the script for the teleplay "Twelve Angry Men," where 12 jurors try to reach a unanimous decision on the fate of a young murder suspect. The story has since been adapted multiple times by various filmmakers in different countries. Each of the adaptations reflected different social-political issues in a specific time and place.In the 1957 American film, the fate of a Latino slum dweller was the centre of jury deliberation. In the 1991 Japanese adaptation, the examination of gender equality was an underlying agenda. The 2007 Russian interpretation involved a young Chechen boy and his Russian military officer step-father. In the Chinese remake "12 Citizens," wealth gap, social equality and stereotyping are scrutinized.While the problems in question are valid concerns in China today, the filmmakers have to cobble up an imaginary circumstance because jury is not part of the judiciary system in the Chinese mainland. So 12 people from all walks of life are gathered for no compelling reason to play the role of jurors in a mock trial held in a law school. No real suspect's life is at stake and no juror is in a hurry to watch a football game, none of the 12 citizens has an actual stake in the case, but they get emotional over the course of discussion nonetheless.The slippery setting notwithstanding, the film does unfold to dramatic results. 36-year-old first time feature director Xu Ang has been a director at Beijing People's Art Theatre for more than a decade, his rapport with stage actors has blessed the film with distinctive theatric glamour.All major characters in the film are played by stage actors from Beijing People's Art Theatre, who are widely known for their professionalism and devotion. Their excellent acting breathes life into their characters and the largely dialogue-dominated story, therefore lending dimensions to the small shabby warehouse where the debate takes place.A taxi driver, a real estate developer, a physician and a shop keeper, people of different professions and ages offer their opinions from their own perspectives, as much about the case as about their own obsessions and dilemmas. For all the various social problems the film has revealed, "12 Citizens" also points to a prevalent lack of understanding for the rule of law and people's inability or reluctance to adopt reason."12 Citizens" may not qualify as an authentic courtroom drama, but like other adaptations of Reginald Rose's story, it offers an analysis into the lives and values of different members of a specific society. And unlike a high-flying Avengers film, it brings people down to earth and makes them wonder why it is so hard for people to have a normal, cool-headed conversation.

When I was a school boy, Japanese comics were the currency of the day. Whoever came into possession of one volume of Dragon Ball or Saint Seiya would instantly become the most popular kid, at least among the boys. During breaks and on the way home, their friendly discussions and passionate squabbles often centred on whether Vegeta could beat Goku or who among the Knights of the Zodiac was the strongest. Through the exchange of stories and opinions, acquaintances became friends and the manga stories the shared experience of almost an entire generation. Today, if the occasion permits, reference to Dragon Ball or Saint Seiya often brings young Chinese people closer to each other.In the future, young adults around the world will probably have a shared topic when they meet each other for the first time at English corners or a friend's home party, that is Marvel Studio films. Avengers: Age of Ultron, the latest entry in Marvel's Cinematic Universe, garnered 33.9 million dollars on the opening day in China, bringing the total global income close to 1 billion dollars. Like all major blockbusters, the superhero ensemble has become a global phenomenon in spite of itself.For major productions of this scale, the role of a director as an artist often gives way to that of a supervisor, personality and style have to come after the ability to honour deadlines and see through the production process. Director Joss Whedon may have tried to portray each of the superheroes in a different and personal light, but balancing the screen time is no easy job because most of the characters are big shots who deserve a standalone film by themselves. Plus the director often has to surrender to the impulse of creating super-powered spectacles. "Age of Ultron" appears to have improved both in character-building and visual splendour, but if you care to look closer, the improvements are insignificant, if any.First of all, not all character building serves a purpose. For example, when Scarlett Johanson's Black Widow looks into her past tragedies, the revelation hardly propels the storyline. The rift between Ironman and Captain America does move things ahead, but only if you look at the larger picture and the entire storyline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As for the arch-villain Ultron, the enemy believed to be more powerful and smarter than anything the heroes have ever faced before all but crumbles in front of the half united force of the Avengers. What a waste of James Spader's brilliant voice acting!Surely there is something in these spectacles, since an unprecedented 3000 shots have gone through enhancement during post production. But extended fighting sequences or smooth action choreograph cannot appeal to viewers who doze off. I personally cannot recall what happens to Thor and the Black Widow during their loud business in South Africa, and I'm sure others feel weary too during the gruesome 140-minute sedentary stint.Now these are the things I'll talk about with British co-workers and we'll have a good time agreeing or fighting each other. And I imagine young people from different parts of the world will one day come together and enjoy a conversation about it just as much. For all its imperfections, Marvel Studio movies at least have the benefit of bringing the world together.

Watching Hong Kong crime thriller "Helios" is like watching American TV series "24," or more precisely, the first few episodes of any season of "24."At the centre of "Helios" is a weapon of mass destruction, a portable nuclear bomb stolen from South Korea and transported to Hong Kong. Here at the so-called international intelligence hub, a villain code-named Helios plans to sell the device to the highest bidder. But things don't work out as planned and the nuke ends up in the hands of the Hong Kong police, who in turn become the target of various intelligence agents.Hong Kong actor Nick Cheung plays a local detective Eric Lee who resembles Jack Bauer from "24." Similar to Bauer's "ends justifies the means" approach, Mr. Lee resorts to intimidation, blackmail and plain violence to squeeze out every possible lead from captured suspects. Once a Royal Hong Kong Police officer, award-winning Nick Cheung could have sparkled with authenticity in this role, but all he achieves is a slightly more notable presence than other cast members.Apparently Detective Lee's instinct of a bloodhound is not the only element that drives the narrative, Nick also has to share the screen time with local singer Jacky Cheung, Taiwan star Zhang Zhen, mainland veteran Wang Xueqi, and even South Korean heartthrobs Ji Jin-hee and Choi Si-won.These heavyweights have been summoned to fill the roles on different sides as screenwriters and directors Longman Leung and Sunny Luk spin an enormous web of multiple narratives. On the surface the viewers are introduced to an unspecified high-ranking official from Chinese mainland, a weapon specialist from South Korea, an arms dealer in Macau and a local Hong Kong physicist, but working secretly beneath the complicated narrative, there are other players trying to get a hold of the lethal device.To incorporate such complicated storylines while maintaining a sense of suspense is a test of the screenwriter's prowess. Longman Leung and Sunny Luk may have proven their skills with 2012 police thriller "Cold War," but in attempting a storyline of this complexity they've bitten off more than they can chew. When every character's lines are reduced to more than a few sentences at each encounter, viewers are not given a healthy amount of suspension to exercise their brains, but an irritating overdose of frustration.And for many viewers that frustration haunts them all the way till the end, where no nuclear weapon is diffused and no bad guy is killed. The final showdown brings two of the many sides face to face, only to agree on the beginning of a new round in a sequel that may or may not be made in the future. It feels just like finishing the 8th episode of "24" and not knowing when the 9th will be available.The failure to manage a sprawling story also impacts on the spectacle. Notably the first gunfight scene is the most impressive, while the ensuing action is scaled down as the story unfolds and the camps becomes more clear-cut. But this is not necessarily a bad thing if there were to be a sequel. With "Cold War" and "Helios", the directors have already proven their competence with office politics-based stories rather than action scenes, it won't be too late to return to their area of expertise in a make-up sequel. After all you can't really de-activate a nuclear bomb with a bullet.

Britain's first female ambassador to China, Barbara Janet Woodward, once compared China-UK relationship to the ancient Chinese cooking utensil known as a Ding, which is a type of pot with three legs. Now that government-to-government and business-to-business ties are bolstering each other, the time has come to take more action in people-to-people and cultural exchanges. In March 2015 when Britain's Prince William paid a visit to China, one of the many items on his itinerary was to promote British films."Kingsman: The Secret Service" is one of the British pictures to reach the Chinese people following in the footsteps of the Duke of Cambridge. The spy action comedy film depicts a group of agents working for a top-secret independent intelligence organisation. Their investigation over a series of kidnap cases lead to the discovery of a sinister plot against all mankind. Many government officials, business leaders and scientists have already joined the bad guys, and the Kingsmen disguised as tailors are the only ones left to turn the tide.Adapted from comic book "The Secret Service" and helmed by "Kickass" director Matthew Vaughn, the film is permeated with comic style. The action sequences are clearly unrealistic but flow smoothly like good wine spilt on satin. Even more remarkable is the perfect sync between the pictures and the soundtrack by Henry Jackman, but not all viewers will notice this because their attention is divided on Colin Firth's posh accent, his bespoke suit and too frequent use of bad puns.These are some of the most typical icons of British culture which the Chinese people are familiar with. There are also similarities to earlier classic spy movies, which will ring a bell with Chinese moviegoers. The element of familiarity may help the audience appreciate the film better, but it also runs the risk of enhancing stereotyping, and that doesn't help cultural exchanges very much.Despite a lack of originality, "Kingsman" still manages to attract a large viewership in China, earning 350 million yuan in two weeks. The success in a large part is due to the charm of lead actor Colin Firth wearing an expensive tailor-made suit, but young actor Taron Egerton is equally impressive in an equally expensive outfit.

For mortal men and women, life is the irreversible progression of time marked by a series of meaningful and meaningless events. Oftentimes, it is the latter that wears away our tenure in this world.However, for Guo Gangtang, a former tractor driver in East China's Shandong Province, a considerable portion of his life, some 16 years, was devoted to a nationwide search for his missing son. He probably would have lived an uneventful but happier life if his son wasn't kidnapped, but who is to say his 400,000-kilometre journey on motorcycle was meaningless? After all, his efforts did lead to the reunion of seven broken families. Guo's story has been adapted by writer and first-time director Peng Sanyuan into a film drama "Lost and Love". The father, who went on a desperate search for his son, is portrayed by Hong Kong artist Andy Lau. The 53-year-old veteran donned tattered clothes and smeared greasy dirt on his face to represent the road-weary and weather-beaten motorcyclist. Some viewers pick on Lau's performance, saying his superstar quality encroaches on his character, but the archetype Guo Gangtang is very impressed and gives extra credit to the way Andy speaks of his sorrows and determination with the look of devastation in his eyes.At the beginning of the film, the man's solitary quest brings him to the more populous cities of China, where he believes the kidnappers must have sold his son. But soon he changes his destination to the country's remote rural areas as a young stranger joins him on a search for birth parents. Young actor and singer Jing Boran is a newcomer in the film industry, but he is certainly able to hold his own against the heavyweight co-star Andy Lau.Unlike previous child abduction story "Dearest" by Hong Kong director Peter Chan, Peng Sanyuan's directorial debut avoids dramatic conflicts but successfully invokes the viewers' compassion for those who've lost their loved ones. More importantly, the example of a man who puts his life on hold for 16 years in pursuit of a single purpose could enlighten some viewers on the meaning of their own existence.Last but not least, as the characters traverse the country looking for their lost family members, cinematographer Lee Pinbing seals their frustrations and renewed hopes in fresh shots of rural China. And those breathtaking pictures, my friends, are one more reason why you shouldn't miss "Lost and Love."

7 years ago when Beijing staged the Opening Ceremony of the 29th Olympic Games, I was moved to tears thinking this grand event could be an opportunity for the world to understand the friendly Chinese people and their culture. Now seven years later, Chinese historical action film "Dragon Blade" also calls for understanding and friendship in the same spirit, it made my eyes moist again, but failed to create the same emotional ripples that resonated in my heart 7 years ago.Hong Kong director Daniel Lee's "Dragon Blade" stars Jackie Chan and tells the story of a Roman Legion that found its way to the northwest border region of the Han Empire. Roman general Lucius, played by John Cusack, clashes with Jackie Chan's character Huo An, a commander of a Silk Road Protection Squad. Circumstances push the two sides to a truce, before both sides face annihilation by the usurping Roman Emperor Tiberius and his overwhelming expedition troops.Director Daniel Lee is most commonly known for the chic, UFO-shaped helmets in his historical films. According to some Chinese critics, this excess of originality amounts to a lack of respect for history. The mistake regarding the location of Yumenguan, or the Wild Geese Gate, in "Dragon Blade" suggests he is not very well informed about China, although he does show some knowledge regarding Western culture. His 2011 movie "White Vengeance" was a Gothic retelling about the life of first Han Dynasty Emperor Liu Bang, which bore much resemblance to the Shakespearean story of King Lear. In "Dragon Blade", he's done a good job highlighting the engineering prowess of the Roman Legionaries and offers remarkable display of the Roman shield wall technique.The visual aspect of "Dragon Blade" exceeds the standard of a Chinese blockbuster production, and the story would have developed smoothly, had Daniel Lee been able to rein in the ill-placed enthusiasm of producer Jackie Chan. Over his entire career, the Hong Kong martial artist has built and maintained an upright profile with consistency and resolve, and lately he has developed a habit of using movies as a venue for expression. Of course movies, like other art forms, are a body of expression by nature, but among all the media available to filmmakers' discretion, putting ideas in an actor's mouth is perhaps the laziest and most awkward choice, albeit the most explicit.In "Dragon Blade", Jackie Chan takes upon his character to voice his longings for peace and mutual understanding. His wishes are not unwelcome in the wake of recent unrest in Northwest China where the story is set. But time and time again, he interrupts the pace of the film with empty speeches without actually reaching the audience. In fact, the 7-year-old actor Jozef Waite has better chance of winning people's heart with a touching song than Chan's sincere words.So, now comparing the similar emotional encounters, I recognise the changes in my own thinking over the years. No longer the innocent idealist who thought the simplest manifest of good will was enough to deserve a good turn, now I've realised that action speaks louder than words and nothing promotes mutual understanding better than common interest. The most effective way to foster understanding and promote stability in the border region is to bring prosperity to the locals, and to achieve that we'll have to rely more on investment in the "Silk Road Economic Belt" project than on Jackie Chan's honourable persistence in the movie industry. Anyone can be a willing member of the Silk Road Protection Squad if they have a stake in the joint venture.

这期音响木有字幕，只有大纲可以参考一下。​​Birdman is the winner of the best picture Oscar at the 86th Academy Awards. It is a story about an old actor who has past his prime and fallen back to obscurity. He tries to prove his worth by staging a stage play, but gets disappoionted over and over again. Meanwhile, he clings to his glorious past playing popular superhero Birdman and imagines himself having super powers.Today, Sam Ducket is here with me to talk about this immensely depressing story.1. cinematography, a best cinematography Oscar for , arranged and edited to look as if the pictures are filmed in on shot.a) flex his muscles to show he can do itb) highlight the series of unfortunate happenings that lead to the character's decision in the enddoes it deserve the prize?c) get used to it in 15 minutesd) the amount of editing vs boyhood, messages in the shots vs The Grand Budapest Hotel2. Begging for love, backstage story that appeal to old men at the Academy who get to call the shots once every year.The Artist, Hugo, all films about movie-makingmeager domestic ticket sales of $37.8 million

February 14 2015, while the world relished director Sam Taylor-Johnson's erotic drama "Fifty Shades of Grey" on Valentine's Day, Chinese lovers had to settle for a tourism marketing video in the guise of a love story."Somewhere Only We Know", or "'You Yi Ge Di Fang Zhi You Wo Men Zhi Dao", is a romantic story with minimum nudity. It is about the encounters of a young Chinese woman who has been dumped at the altar. In order to calm her nerves after the traumatic experience and also to revisit one episode of her late grandmother's past, Jin Tian travels to the Eastern European city of Prague, where she meets rich kid and single dad Ze Yang.The story basically follows the recipe of every other romantic film. The two characters eventually grow fond of each other despite some initial misunderstandings, but more challenges will emerge before they are to live happily ever after.Apart from the predictable storyline, there are also some unexpected and unpleasant surprises.Take the first half hour for example where the director juggles mismatching tasks. On the one hand, she wants to make the best of the exotic scenery in Prague, so here we have the typical sunny, dreamy-coloured shots, similar to the demonstration videos played by TV salesmen in their stores. On the other hand, the director also tries desperately to convince the audience about the trauma our dear heroine has sustained from a failed relationship. To achieve this, the film plays ghostly music every time our fair actress gives in to distraught recollection. The ghostly music may work for horror films, but definitely doesn't go with the beautiful pictures.However, what bothers me the most are not the constant close-ups on the early Baroque style architecture and the young couple's smooth faces amid a haunting soundtrack, if I covered my ears, the pictures were still pleasant to look at. However I could not stand the clumsy way the film trumpets a so-called "international flavour". When Jin Tian discovers a love letter addressed to her grandmother, she was not able to read it because it is written in the Czech language. She turns to Ze Yang for translation, and he reads it out in Chinese. Then half way during the reading, touching music kicks in and the old Czech writer himself reads the latter half in ENGLISH! In fact, every major Prague character in the film speaks English rather than their native West Slavic language.If the purpose is to sound "International", perhaps the director could let the Czech characters speak their native tongue, most Chinese viewers are reading the subtitles for the English dialogue anyway. Or the conversations could all be dubbed into Chinese, I don't suppose any Chinese viewer would object to that. But if I were allowed to indulge my imagination and meanness a bit, I think the reason is perhaps our dear director herself speaks a bit of English and would like to show off her linguistic prowess in the role of the charming grandmother.It is a mean speculation, but one that rather befits Xu Jinglei's public profile as a female talent. 10 years ago, Ms Xu was the blog queen of China. With decent calligraphy skills and a face not too bad to look at, she was able to attract followers in their tens of millions to visit her blog space, where she offered nothing particularly interesting but the simple life of a celebrity. The fact that she was among the first to set up a blog plus her knowledge about and access to an exclusive part of the world simply fueled public curiosity.This kind of monopoly of knowledge and information is being challenged by the advent of the Internet and proliferation of mobile devices. With a few taps on their smartphones, the Chinese people can now instantly learn about the lives of people around the world, and with increased wealth, more of them can afford to travel overseas to see the world for themselves. Prague, or any other city for that matter, is no longer somewhere only the director knows, but somewhere everyone can know.As China continues to open up, amateur directors will find it increasingly difficult to shortchange their viewers with patchy "international flavours". Soon they'll have to choose between obscurity and making really good films.

To think outside the box is an exceptional ability and one that few people can claim to possess. Just to capture an occasional spark of that creative enlightenment, we often have to break away from the confines of existing norms. For most Chinese and other descendants of agrarian societies, Lv Jiamin's semi-autobiographical novel "Wolf Totem", which he wrote in 2004 under the pseudonym Jiang Rong, was a real eye-opener about life on the Mongolian grasslands. Now a decade has passed, Jean-Jacques Annaud's film adaptation of the story once again warns us against the complacency that we might hold for our current way of living.Like the original novel, the French director's adaptation is a eulogy to nomadic cultures. The lead character Chen Zhen is a student who is sent to the Inner Mongolian steppes for re-education in the 1960s. While living among the nomads, the city boy observed (but failed to learn) the locals' respect for freedom and nature and became fascinated with the wolves, the agents of nature in nomadic belief.The ancient Chinese literati liked to place themselves at the centre of a middle kingdom and always bragged about their cultural superiority as compared to the outlying barbarians. While they may have thrived in the affluence of a self-contained agrarian economy, they also missed out on the vitality and enterprise of an open society. They were equally forgetful of the renewed strength that China obtained from each wave of "barbarian" invasions.On the contrary, both the "Wolf Totem" novel and the film note and glorify a so-called pastoral lifestyle which contemplates everything in a circle of life and seeks to maintain a balance of all living things in the food chain. That means farming is not necessarily the best means of living, wolves are not necessarily a nuisance and their cunning, discipline and patience in their game of hunting represent the naturalist wisdom of a heavenly deity.Exactly how much of the story reflects the true pastoral way of living or whether it is morally acceptable to glamorise such a killer instinct is open to debate, but as worldwide consumerism depletes the planet's resources at unprecedented rates, such a story does give us a perspective outside our usual line of thought to examine the issue of progress and sustainability. Ours should not be a debate about the superiority of nomadic or agrarian cultures, but whether and how we should save both from total annihilation in the wake of expanding consumerism and information industry. By depicting the free spirit of the wolves, Jean-Jacques Annaud is indeed directing our thinking capacity to study our current state from the perspective of an outsider.Annaud himself did the unthinkable by refusing to cast digital wolves. With the help of Scottish animal trainer Andrew Simpson, the crew have spent three years breeding three generations of Mongolian grassland wolves, until the animals are taught to run, sit, snarl and do all kinds of stunts people don't normally see at the Cirque du Soleil. In the end, the "Wolf Totem" film contains the best of about a thousand shots of real wolves, their performance overshadow their Homo Sapien counterparts in the cast.Actor Feng Shaofeng has made a bit of a name in recent years after his portrayal of several masculine characters. Although he always lacked the kind of subtlety required of a first-rate actor, he has done a good job at picking projects. In "Wolf Totem", his big, innocent eyes were perfect for the role of wolf-lover Chen Zhen, who neither quite understands the prudence of the Agrarian Han people, nor the naturalist wisdom of the grassland-roamers. His performance here is satisfactory, but to win top honours, he will have to think outside the box and pick more challenging roles in the future.So in conclusion, "Wolf Totem" is an unconventional movie with strong philosophical and artistic value. It is a story of wolves that kills at the very beginning of the Chinese year of sheep.

To recognise a chick flick requires two simple steps. First you look at the colour of the pictures, if the images scream of loud, warm and dreamy colours, you can be 80 percent sure. Then you look at the story, if it deals with heartbreaks or unrequited love, it is no doubt a chick flick.However there are distinctions within the genre should you care to look closer. If the characters quote a dead poet or a dead writer, or try to speak like one, you are watching a Woody Allen film; but if someone fiddles with a musical instrument, most likely it is a John Carney production.In 2006, John Carney's musical "Once" received wide acclaim from the critics and audience members, particularly for its original score and the actors' spontaneous performances. Seven years later, the Irish director presented the world with another low-budget movie "Begin Again", with the same originality and an equally pleasant soundtrack.Starring Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, the story centres on a talented young girl who suffers a setback in a cherished relationship. She meets a middle-aged man, who is undergoing a bit of crisis of his own, but happens to be a gifted music producer. The man recognises her musical talent, and convinces her to record an album.By now most of you would have figured out the ending of the film. Yes, yes, the recording process helps the troubled characters walk out of the shadow to begin a new chapter of their lives. That's what chick flicks do, they try to highlight the positive side of life and make viewers feel good.But despite the stereotypical storyline, "Begin Again" is not without pleasant surprises. The secret lies in the way the album is recorded. While enjoying the Oscar-worthy, original scores by Danielle Brisebois and New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander, viewers are also given a tour of the streets of New York City. And if Kiera Knightley's presentable voice isn't enough to impress you, Adam Levine certainly deserves extra credit.Woody Allen likes to show off his literary learning, while John Carney believes in the magic of music. Carney may not be as productive as the old man, but he nonetheless shares the same sincerity in his obsession. His quest to save people’s lives with music has only just begun.

When I was just a little boy, I always fancied Chinese epic war films, like "The Tunnel War", "The Mine War" and the "Three Great Campaigns" franchise. These films provided enough fanfare, action and heroism that a small boy desired. But when I was a bit older, I began to reflect on their storylines, which were based on Chinese people's struggle in the first half of the 20th century. I recognised their rich historical and ideological contexts and thought perhaps these films were uniquely made in China.As it turned out I was wrong, and it took another few years before I realised that all cultures honoured heroes in one way or another. In the USA, one of the most effective ways popular with kids was Captain America, a comic book character who protected his country and people with patriotism and super powers. Captain Steve Rogers was the 20th-century equivalent to the heroes in Chinese war films.But coming into the 21st century, the spirit of Captain America is continued in Marvel Studio's movie universe ambition and sold to overseas markets. This year Chinese audiences have paid more than 110 million US dollars to watch "Captain America: the Winter Soldier". In comparison, China has had no presentable products to speak of. The 2009 blockbuster "The Founding of A Republic" looked more like the footage of a star-lit red-carpet event than an adequate film. Most of the historical legends are being told and retold on the smaller screens of televisions, but sadly the quality of Chinese television on average is even lower than that of Chinese cinema.Tsui Hark's 2014 action film "The Taking of Tiger Mountain" is the most recent attempt to modernise the heroic narrative of contemporary China. It is also the most successful in reaching a large audience.First of all, older viewers are attracted to the film. Based on a model opera made during China's Cultural Revolution, "The Taking of Tiger Mountain" is about the story of a soldier who infiltrated and destroyed a gang of bandits in the snowy mountains of Northeast China in 1946. The model opera was immensely popular in its day, so older viewers are bound to show an interest in how the piece has been adapted. For the first time after Zhang Yimou's family drama "Coming Home", people above the age of 50 will bother to visit Chinese cinemas.However there is no guarantee that they will like it. The adaptation is mostly meant for younger viewers who are the driving force behind the recent expansion of the Chinese movie market. With cutting-edge technologies, the filmmakers have been able to scale up the spectacle. For example, the movie now includes a scene where the main character fights a tiger, and the authenticity of the computer-generated animal is comparable to its cousin in Ang Lee's adventure drama "Life of Pi".The visual gimmickry is present in every part of the 3D film, and the quick pacing helps make a very compelling story. But behind all the modernised storyline, there seems to be something that doesn't belong.At first I blamed the good-looking but unskilled young actors and actresses, then near the end of the film the final showdown reminded me of how much the movie resembled a Marvel Studios product. Tsui Hark has always been known for his skills with drawing pens and storyboards, it is how he gets the ideal shots for his movies. But this time, I think he has overplayed the visual stunt and forced a layer of comic style on the story and characters, which kind of takes the heroism out of the equation.And, by the way, when I mentioned the good-looking but unskilled young actors and actresses, I wasn't speaking about lead actor Zhang Hanyu and his antagonist Tony Leung, they are not really that young anymore and they are pretty impressive in their roles.

In 2010, Chinese director Jiang Wen released an action comedy film “Let the Bullets Fly” which rocked the country’s movie market. Its huge commercial success made everyone believe Jiang had found the way to dominate Chinese cinemas. In fact, his grip on the audience was so firm that even critics refrained from pricking, or if they did whine their voices must certainly have been drowned in the deafening sound of adulation. But with the advent of his new film “Gone with the Bullets”, the previously muffled discontent of his antagonists has suddenly found an outlet. Starting from real estate veteran Ren Zhiqiang who spoke of his difficulties understanding the movie, more and more self-styled critics blamed their bewilderment on the director’s ego. They believe that Jiang Wen had once again lost control in narcissistic self expression and this is going to cost him dearly in audience reception. One thing about the film that sets the critics on fire is the vast number of messages hidden in the story. In 1920, a Shanghai playboy Yan Ruisheng robbed and murdered a well-known prostitute, he was later caught and publicly executed. But that was not the whole story, before the case was closed, local media had explored and exposed almost every detail of the suspect and his victim. And after Yan’s death, his crime was told in China’s first full-length movie and once again became a product for public entertainment. “Gone with the Bullets” examines the relative truths in news reporting and filmmaking, the director’s idea is best represented by a scene where his character vandalizes a camera in a film set. This is just one example of Jiang’s many implicit ideas. During 140 minutes of sitting, we also witness new money’s attempts to become respectably “old”, a politically married couple’s advices to their daughter regarding the importance of concubines and the wisdom about men, plus a lot more metaphors and mockeries. All of these can be too much to digest, it certainly took me a second viewing to get a better overview. And comprehension is not made easier by the varied forms of expression. Beginning with an extravagant beauty show featuring garish colors, loud music and way too many bared legs, the movie’s narrative is continued in talk show, black and white silent film and stage play, all the while paying tribute to “The Godfather”, “A Trip to the Moon”, “2001: A Space Odyssey” and many other classic films. This wealth of information and sometimes contradicting opinions drive the critics over the edge. Some of them refer to Jiang Wen’s good upbringing and his other auteur films as evidence to suggest he is an elitist director and has no respect for the needs of the viewers. I think these critics’ accusations are not well grounded. First of all, one doesn’t have to be an elite to be able to enjoy classic music and classic films invoked in Jiang’s story, and the reluctance to exercise one’s brain should not be encouraged as normality. China’s movie industry has already seen too much banality made in the name of satisfying the audience. It is high time we stopped feeding the viewers with nonsensical comedies, it is the ultimate crime of disrespect a director can commit against his viewers. Jiang Wen, on the other hand, has consistently encouraged his fans to think with his challenging storylines, and the images and music in his films are always enjoyable. Any viewer in their right mind who refuses to wallow in the mud of vulgarity will be able to appreciate the healthy amount of his narcissism. The only question is, who would you rather be?

When people talk about Richard Linklater's ground-breaking film "Boyhood", they always speak of the 12 years the project has spanned, as if time when it reaches certain scale acquires a magical ability to amplify the nature of things. In certain sense it is true. For example, solitude can be kind of sad, but if you add 100 years to it, you get the inconsolable sadness of a literary masterpiece. But it is not always the case, a lot of us live to the age of 80 without achieving anything but sustained banality. Time does not automatically translate those unfruitful decades into polished brilliance. Richard Linklater's movie is intimately married to time, but it is something in the movie that keeps the marriage a happy union. The excellence of "Boyhood" comes not only from the dogged perseverance and priestly devotion to keep the project going for 12 years, but from the ways in which ideas have been shaped and acted out, filmed and edited, before they are unveiled to the world. Essentially a coming-of-age film about a boy who grows up to be a young adult under adverse circumstances, "Boyhood" was conceived by a director whose fascination with motion pictures takes on unique forms. His love for long-term projects has already been proved by the "Before …" films, but "Boyhood" obviously required more understanding and cooperation on the part of its cast members. Luckily, they not only went along with the plan, but also contributed precious ideas to the story they were telling. Filming over such a large time span involves plenty of risks, for instance it is impossible to travel back in time for extra filming should something go missing in previous shooting. The director and cast members had to determine the basic plot at an early stage and stick to it with precision. Such planning and execution bore fruit. At the end of the film, viewers are accustomed to the quiet, sensitive and thoughtful personality of the boy, partly because of the ever-improving skill of actor Ellar Coltrane, but also because previous events have all led up to the last scene. Dramatic, character-defining moments such as a row between the parents are important but easy to arrange; but subtle moments such as the kid's troubled look at the fighting parents are much more eloquent landmarks in character development. "Boyhood" is a realistic chronicle of a boy's encounters as he gradually matures, the scenes are pieced together in such a way that perfectly accommodates the changes in the boy's physical appearance and intellectual makeup over the decade. Empathizing viewers could easily fall prey to its melancholy, the type of melancholy only hours of senseless social networking could avert.

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. There is one point missing in William Shakespeare's romantic tribute to great persons, they are not always immediately appreciated. Some historical figures like Vincent van Gogh wait for decades, patiently in their deaths, before their names receive world acknowledgement. Stephen Hawking is lucky in this sense, the scientist's best-seller "A Brief History of Time" has allowed us - his contemporaries - to realize his brilliance as he continues a life-long struggle with motor neuron disease. But the greatness of his ex-wife, Jane Wilde, is yet to be explored in the movie "The Theory of Everything". Inspired by Jane's memoir "Traveling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen Hawking", the biographical romance is told from a female perspective. It is true director James Marsh's film describes how Stephen Hawking achieved international fame in the world of science. Screenwriter Anthony McCarten's story is not about archaic laboratories or indecipherable formulae on dusty blackboards, it is about the love story of Stephen Hawking and Jane Wilde. He is a science dude who studies cosmology - which he calls the religion for intelligent atheists, and she is an arts student who goes to the Church of England. It is extraordinary the two young students so different from each other could hit it off, but even more extraordinary is their life together, during which Stephen developed his famous theorem about time while Jane took care of his needs in the family. They tried to live a normal life and be a normal family for two and a half decades, until the debilitating disease became an insurmountable obstacle for the union. Unlike director James Marsh's previous work on the thriller "Shadow Dancer" which is full of suspension and foreboding, "The Theory of Everything" takes on a lighter tone, all the while stressing the loving aspects of their relationship and flowing smoothly in warm-colored shots and emotions. Eddie Redmayne as the wheel-chaired professor is charged with the task to reproduce Stephen's good sense of humor and the progressive symptoms; he is very effective in making the audience feel for the victims of the ALS disease: certainly more effective than most who took the ice-bucket challenge. Felicity Jones shows strength in a quiet way and proves Jane's devotion and perseverance in everything the couple has achieved jointly. When Stephen was diagnosed with the terminal disease, he was given two years to live. Now half a century has passed the cosmologist is still exploring the universe at Cambridge; he owes that at least in part to Jane Wilde. "The Theory of Everything" is a recollection of the happy moments in Stephen and Jane's relationship, and the filmmakers have done a great job sharing these moments with a greater audience.

Despite Christopher Nolan's conscientious efforts in keeping his filming projects secret, what he cunningly gave out to feed the press was enough to indicate his latest outing would be a very simple story. Months before the release date, I was looking forward to something similar to Alfonso Cuaron's "Gravity". I knew it would be spectacular, but never expected it to be so phenomenal. At least in China, the space epic stirred up huge ripples. Comments about the film were flying all over the internet: movie experts wondered how the amazing special effects were created, young women relished the loving family connection tale, the scientific community picked on a few bugs but were generally satisfied with the reportedly accurate presentation of certain astrophysical theories, science fiction lovers were probably bored by a lack of originality in the storyline but nonetheless made themselves useful by highlighting the director's tributes to previous, classic films, still some people complained they didn't understand what the film was all about, but they cared enough about it to put their ideas out there. So, in a word, the film was the topic of the day and everyone wanted to be a part of the discussion. The nerds have been thorough in their examinations. Simplified scripts can now be found online, explaining every detail of the story and helping people understand the intellectually challenging parts. It seemed most viewers were simply awe-stricken by the powerful images: the menacing look of an all-engulfing black hole, the thrilling journey through a worm hole, the bizarre environment of extraterrestrial planets, all of which amplified and thrown at you on an IMAX screen, accompanied by the haunting scores from Hans Zimmer. But above all the visual glamour, there is one point that the excited viewers and critics were missing, that is, the passion for space exploration. Just like the teachers in the movie who claimed America's moon landing mission was just a scam and a waste of money, people of our times are not showing much interest in space missions. Let's face it, Alfonso Cuaron's "Gravity" was just a visual stunt, albeit a smashing one; the reboot of Star Trek franchise is not longer about the spirit of going boldly where no man has gone before, as it is about action choreography and big budget special effects; and Marvel's cinematic universe is all but a fancy dream. Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" may not be as realistic as "Gravity", or as funny as the Marvel's comic adaptations, but the space epic has successfully captured the sentiment of space explorers. Their fears are genuine fears that we all share and their love is true love that registers in our own hearts. So when you are watching "Interstellar", dwell not on the scientific aspects, just embrace all the sentiments that it can inspire on you.

The latest “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” movie is directed by Jonathan Liebesman, but the smell of producer Michael Bay permeates the stereotypical popcorn flick. Based more or less on the 1980s franchise of the same name, the film introduces a somewhat different origin story showing much closer connection between female journalist April O’Neil and the four humanoid reptiles. The team is still up against Foot Clan leader Shredder, who threatens to release a deadly virus to the New York City. Not much ingenuity is spent on the storyline, the format is almost identical to Michael Bay’s first Transformers film, only this time it is a girl that plays a tiny small part when the heroes are trying to save the day. There is a notable discrepancy between the first and second halves. In the beginning Megan Fox takes forever to portray the ambitious journalist in a frustrating career path. The extra screen time is completely wasted because once the turtles show up, the career thing is quietly dropped. Perhaps this is just a conspiracy to delay the appearance of the turtles. The sewer dwellers in Liebesman’s movie can be a bit scary to take in for faint-hearted viewers. It certainly took me quite a while to grow accustomed to their appearances. The action heavy second half makes it easier to ignore their looks. The Foot Clan and the turtles engage in battles in New York’s underground sewage system, in a mountaintop secret laboratory, during a slide down a snowy mountain and ultimately on the rooftop of a downtown high-rise, the downhill chase being the most inventive and the highlight of the action sequences. Despite the realistic rendering of the comic figures’ images, the film shows a layer of cartoonish style from time to time, which helps evoke a sense of nostalgia, but also makes it hard to relate with the characters when they get hit. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”, the rare combination of so many nouns in the title may sound quite a mouthful, but it is no doubt most efficient in generating a huge fan base and sizable sales figures. Teenagers may be fascinated by stories about mutants and ninjas, but it is the word “teenage” in the title that makes the franchise stand out. Liebesman’s movie is characterized by the same juvenile level humor. The funny, adolescent perspectives on pizza, rap and popular TV shows and films are the saving grace of this tedious reboot.

French director Luc Besson must have allowed his imagination to go wild when he wrote the story for sci-fi action film “Lucy”, although the effect of such wildness is hard to determine. Scarlett Johansson plays the titular girl named Lucy, who is forced by a brutal gang to become an involuntary drug mule. During a violent encounter with a gang member, the small package sewn to her abdomen is broken and the leaked content is absorbed by her body immediately. This new type of synthetic drug unlocks the previously untapped potential of Lucy’s brain, giving her godly abilities such as telepath, control of gravity and many others. Ms. Johansson is very effective in her role. When taken by the callous gang, her trembling body and voice can totally convince us of her fears. And when the drug is being absorbed and processed, her gravity-defying movements herald a series of jaw-dropping developments. She grows colder and more impervious as she gains greater control of her cerebral power, but the actress is not to blame for a lack of expression, there simply is no need for emotions in the story. As Lucy experiences all those changes in her body, the film also tries to explain the phenomena. A certain Professor Norman played by Morgan Freeman introduces his theory at a symposium, his description matches the progress of Lucy’s transcendence and his image is intermittently evoked on screen to make sure the viewers are still following. The belief that humans only use a small part of our brain capacity has been the subject of many science fiction literature and films, but it is nonetheless a mere fantasy. Luc Besson’s “Lucy” is based on such a fantasy and for the most part consists of the director’s imagination of what it means to activate human brains on a full scale. There are some references to the purpose of life, but the topic is not treated with enough commitment. Anyway, before we arrive at the conclusion that “Lucy” is a childish story, let us at least entertain the idea that perhaps there is a hidden message behind the absence of logic. Days after watching the film, the title still reminds me of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”. The Beatles wrote a song about LSD, why can’t Luc Besson make a film about the influence of drugs?

When I heard about rock star Cui Jian's first feature film "The Blue Bone", my first reaction was to dismiss it as just another piece of amateur nonsense by someone trying to cash in on China's fast expanding film market. Heaven knows we've had enough of those recently. But before I even finished the film, I had begun to regret my narrow-minded assumption, "The Blue Bone" is one of the best directorial debuts in years, or at least it is better than the products of some who label themselves professional directors. The story is mostly about how two generations of Chinese musical talents struggle to fit in their times. Ni Hongjie plays a young woman in the 1980s who was expelled from an art troupe for writing a song of certain bold content. She was married to a man of secret service, but the temporary union eventually broke down. Decades later when their son became a young adult, he picked up his mother's tabooed song and at an underground concert spoke of his own life and dream as a misfit in the modern context. Meanwhile, the family's story is completed by a storyline about the father, who spent his entire life guarding the secret of a handgun and its damages on himself. China is going through rapid changes, changes that have moved Cui Jian and his songs to the category of nostalgia. Personally I've never listened attentively to his songs, it is only for the purpose of writing this review that I took quite some time reading his resume and warming up to his rich melodies and lyrics. His rise to stardom in the 1980s may have been the result of the country's opening-up and his diligent study of western styles, but he has also most assuredly proven his personal taste by the original ideas and sensitivity in his literary lyrics. That taste is also present in his cinematic creation. With the help of cinemagraphor Christopher Doyle, Cui Jian offers eloquent images imbued with rich symbolism and powerful sentiment. Throughout the film, the characters perform Cui Jian's songs twice: "Lost in Season" and "The Blue Bone", both are loaded with explosive passion. The non-linear narrative is a significant part of the film in the sense that it highlights the characters' difficulty with the world around them. It also breaks up the storytelling and makes it seem disorderly for impatient viewers who know little and care less about the history of contemporary China. "The Blue Bone" is not easily accessible due to Cui Jian's unique style and the setback in the narrative, it may not be the most profitable movie in the box office, some critics may even frown upon it to look smart. But it is not wise to discourage conscientious first timers, not when good taste is hard to find in the age of gold rush in China's movie industry.

Three days after watching "Guardians of the Galaxy", I still haven't quite shaken off the tight grip of its original soundtrack. "Hooked on a feeling", "Moonage Daydream", "Fooled Around and Fell in Love", "Cherry Bomb" and "Come and Get Your Love" have been looping non-stop in the background as I tended to domestic chores over the weekend. The smoggy weather of Beijing made it almost a suicide attempt for people to venture outdoors, but thanks to "Awesome Mix Vol. 1", I didn't feel the least confined or depressed. The amazing soundtrack is just one small part of Disney's plot to get viewers in cinemas for the latest entry of its Marvel Universe franchise. As filmmakers systematically exploit and exhaust Stan Lee's Earth-bound superheroes and as superstars like Robert Downey Jr. demand ever-bigger paychecks to reprise their roles, Walt Disney Studios found itself in need of a sustainable plan, so when they turned their eyes skyward they discovered some lesser characters. "Guardians of the Galaxy" is about a group of little known comic figures that stumble across worlds to accidentally save the universe from powerful evildoers. Due to the obscure nature of these figures, the producers had to go into great length to sweeten the bait. Aside from the awesome scores, "Guardians of the Galaxy" also offers the best visual effect that money can buy at this moment. Shooting the film in IMAX 3D not only helps raise the ticket price, but also aids the storytelling in the galactic context. For one moment viewers follow the characters in a full-scale prison riot, the next minute we witness the destruction of an entire space fleet. Regular size screens may hardly suffice to present the lavish graphics, but for the enhanced effect of an IMAX version, viewers need to fetch deeper into their pockets. Technology, aside from quality content, has become the last resort to attract moviegoer, and it's proven effective at least with "Guardians of the Galaxy". Certainly the producers have enough reason to squander every penny available on the post-production. After all, they've saved plenty from the casting. Chris Pratt is only impressive when he dances at the beginning and the end; Zoe Saldana is barely noticeable; and Dave Bautista is an amateur actor at best. The most memorable characters are the raccoon and the talking tree, and both happen to require extensive post-production. Judging from audience reception, I'll say it is money well spent. The Chinese subtitles are a bit of a nuisance. Many subtle remarks have been slurred over either by design or by sheer neglect. But even for an English major, some references don't ring a bell, so it is only natural that the popularity of "Guardians of the Galaxy" be lost in translation somewhat.

Before seeing Chinese director Ann Hui's latest offering "The Golden Era", I was compelled to do a bit of homework, because this biopic of Chinese writer Xiao Hong seemed pretty daunting to anyone who is not familiar with Chinese literary circles in the early 20th century. However, after a grueling three-hour-long screening, I found these efforts totally unnecessary. "The Golden Era" is along the same line of the director's usual creative impulse of telling stories from a feminine perspective. Her version of Xiao Hong is a girl who spent her entire life running away from patriarchal control, yet had to rely on men at each step she took. It was an era when traditional values began to dissolve along with the collapse of China's last imperial dynasty, but it was not at all a golden era for women. At about the age of 20, Xiao Hong eloped with a young man to escape her abusive father and an arranged marriage. Her conspirator of a boyfriend abandoned her when hotel bills swelled beyond their means. Confined by the hotel owner who threatened to sell her to a brothel, a pregnant Xiao Hong wrote to a local newspaper asking for help. That was how she met Xiao Jun, a married man and the editor of the newspaper who later became her partner both in life and in her literary career. With the encouragement of Xiao Jun, Xiao Hong began the life of a writer and gradually established her name among the literary circles. But eventually the couple split up due to different life choices and Xiao Hong married another man, a couple of years before she died of tuberculosis. The film was expected to include a panorama of Chinese literary figures of Xiao Hong's time and to offer an insight into that part of Chinese history. It was a reasonable expectation because the director had three hours to fill, with nothing but the 31-year of Xiao's tragically short life. However Ann Hui hardly paid any heed to characters other than the most important men in Xiao's life. As for the turbulent and eventful history, that was scarcely the concern for Xiao Hong the writer, and was therefore given minimum attention. The focus of the film remains on the fate of the female writer in relation to the men in her life. Some critics also lashed out at the director's experiment with the narrative format. Much of Xiao Hong's life remains a myth due to contradicting accounts offered by her contemporaries. These accounts are frequently brought up as interludes in the film, where the speakers often address the audience directly. Such arrangement may seem a bit strange and could create a false sense of authenticity. But "The Golden Era" is not to be mistaken for a documentary; it is merely a conduit for the expression of feminine ideas. Lead actress Tang Wei is not to blame for a character that's constantly in sight but never in focus; she's done her best to portray a mystical woman within the constrains of the script. Feng Shaofeng, Wang Zhiwen and Zhu Yawen also present as much skill as is needed in the plot. "The Golden Era" is a film for a niche audience; it is not likely to make much of a dent at the box office. But I'm sure it'll resonate among the most understanding critics and viewers.

For Chinese cinema-goers, the 2014 National Day Holiday is perhaps all about Huang Bo. In Peter Chan's "Dearest", which hits the cinemas on September 25th, the Chinese actor plays a divorced father traveling all over the country looking for a kidnapped son. It is a tear jerking semi-documentary based on a true story, yet Huang is not able to deliver his knock-out punch, due to the film's unsatisfactory narrative. But that's okay. Since September 30th, he also appears in Ning Hao's road trip comedy "Breakup Buddies". And quite coincidentally, he takes on the character of a divorced man once again. Unlike "Dearest" which tries to relieve viewers of their tears, "Breakup Buddies" is hilarious almost to the point of vulgarity. At the same time it incorporates the sarcasm of a realist and the compassion of a parish priest. Yes, this is the same Ning Hao who made "Crazy Stone" and "Silver Medalist", which were mostly characterized by realism and black humor. Starting from "No Man's Land", the director began to deviate from his previous style. In 2013, when the black comedy was finally released in Chinese cinemas, many viewers, who were accustomed to the dark undertone of Ning Hao's films were surprised by its somewhat happy ending. They believe it was the result of a compromise at the end of a four-year struggle for a screening permit. But with the release of "Breakup Buddies", fans and critics begin to think twice. "Breakup Buddies" is much more than a theatre of absurdity. It is of course immensely fun to see two best friends stumbling into all kinds of crazy stuff. Huang Bo and Xu Zheng's characters are thrown into a torrent of extraordinary encounters involving inaccessible teens, beautiful lesbians, fractious prostitutes and ineffectual mobsters. It is equally amusing to appreciate Ning Hao and storywriter Yue Xiaojun's interpretation of mid-life crisis. After a series of misfortunes on the road, Huang Bo's character finally decides to walk out of the shadow of a failed marriage and face up to his problems. It is a hard-won revelation, so Huang Bo is given plenty of opportunities to show off his skills. During the process, Ning Hao also flexes some muscles, touting his mastery of multiple-narrative and adding an element of surprise to what could been a loosely-connected travel log. "Breakup Buddies" is the director's second happy-ending story in a row. Critics may wonder why the director walks out the shadow of his previous styles. But I bet most viewers would simply content themselves with a good story.

Why launch a reboot of the "Planet of the Apes" series when the storyline had already been exhausted by filmmakers in the 1970s? Or to put it in another way, why would viewers of our times welcome a remake of the classic science fiction story? The most obvious reason is, they didn't have the adequate technique back in those days to present a planet of the apes. The crude idea of letting human actors wear a mask to pass as apes can no longer appeal to modern day viewers. The images in Charton Heston's work may seem too disturbingly eerie and laughable for viewers to consider the film on intellectual or philosophical premises. Nor did they have Andy Serkis. I mean, he had already been born, but it would take yet another couple of decades for him to become the ape guru that he is now. Despite all the credits that the Academy has owed him, Andy continues to amaze the global audience with his semi-anonymous performances. The motion capture technique of our days has allowed many actors to take on the forms of other humanoid animals. In the 2014 "Dawn of the Planet of Apes", Toby Kebbell presents the smart yet vengeful ape Koba through excellent body language. But even more challenging is Andy's character Caesar, who has to show a wide range of emotions through subtle facial expressions. I can never forget the hesitation and struggles in Caesar's eyes when he reaches out his hand to Koba near the end. For an international blockbuster production to allow for character development and discussions on cross-cultural understanding is a rare thing. It suggests technology is not the only aspect of filmmaking to have improved over the decades. More than 40 years ago, Frenchman Pierre Boulle's story has already been told, and his philosophy broken down and discussed by film critics and movie fans alike. Months before the film was screened in China, its trailers allowed whoever is interested to catch a glimpse of its content. Yet still, viewers are mesmerized by every development on screen when they actually sit in the cinemas. The stress of an impending war permeates the entire film and ultimately adds to the charm of Matt Reeves's originality. If the old dogs at the Academy were to learn new tricks, "Dawn of the Planet of Apes" would certain have earned Andy Serkis an Oscar. They have failed Andy many times, but as another saying goes: it is never too late to learn.

About a quarter of a century ago, when Taiwan movie "My Beloved" was aired in cinemas, viewers were advised to bring a handkerchief, because the touching story was supposed to induce massive and unstoppable weeping. Now, 25 years later at the previews of Peter Ho-sun Chan's recent big screen product, the guests find small envelopes on their seats containing a tissue. That, combined with earlier news releases about the movie, is enough to inform the viewers that they are in for a weeper. But Peter Chan is far too ambitious to stop at a simple story about child abduction. Instead he has decided to challenge himself in the making of a realistic documentary. When the film hits Chinese cinemas in late September, moviegoers will be treated to a complex story involving multiple characters and at least two different perspectives. As the director himself has reiterated on many occasions, the focus is not on child abduction. A thoughtful viewer who has watched the film would understand that his aim to paint a realistic picture of many issues in contemporary Chinese society. However, as a market-minded director who has had much experience working in Hong Kong and Hollywood and has only moved to Beijing in recent years, Peter Chan can not assume that he understands the lives of people on the Chinese mainland. In fact, even the directors of China's annual New Year Gala - who for the last few decades have been very successful in tugging the heart strings of Chinese audiences - have suddenly lost their ability to impress increasingly demanding viewers. How can we expect someone coming from outside the local culture to deliver a killer punch to filmgoers' tear ducts? We can't. Neither can the director. That's why he conspires with old-time partner and script writer Zhang Ji. Based on a true story of divorced parents who lose their child, Zhang Ji expanded the story to include others who have suffered the same fate, and even more people who stand to benefit or lose from these abduction cases. In a word, Zhang's portrayal highlights the complexity of some of China's problems. They are deeply entangled just like the coil of electric wires and internet cables which is shown right in the beginning and repeated time and time again in the film. Perhaps it is exactly that complexity that compelled the producers to stop at just pointing out the questions, but the choice of actors and actresses also suggests their adherence to a realistic approach. Actor Huang Bo's talent obviously extends far beyond the profile of a popular comedian. His secret is to release totally different versions of himself to fulfill different characters. Actress Zhao Wei plays the wife of a child kidnapper. Her skills have always been in question, but since her role here requires not so much acting as just looking ugly and speaking in her own dialect, we should at least give her some credit for making that sacrifice. Actor Zhang Yi and actress Hao Lei deliver the most impressive acting and maintain it throughout the entire film. So, all in all, “Dearest” is a film that deserves two hours in the cinema, at least to learn more about the problem of abduction cases, and perhaps a little more about China.

I've never been impressed by a film that stars Sylvester Stallone, because I find it difficult to accept the utterly unrealistic action style. I mean: are you kidding me? Delving into a shower of bullets and shrapnel and emerging without a scratch, waving a handgun around casually and killing ferocious-looking enemies by the dozen. That's not heroic, it's divine intervention. And if it is miracles that I seek, I would read the Bible, rather than watching an action film. Since the veteran actor continues to play God in the 21st century, I've been struggling to appreciate his Expendables franchise, until the 2014 outing which finally offers something fresh. First and foremost, the Rambo actor has finally found a way to express his nostalgic feelings while keeping modern moviegoers entertained. For the past two stories, his only method was stacking vintage items which barely registered among average viewers. In "Expendables 3", he begins to show an understanding in the art of comparison and contrast. The introduction of additional characters not only helps to expand the length of the film and reduce the workload of some grandpa actors, but also makes it possible to bring extra laughters and intensive action scenes to the third episode of "the Ode to Pensioners". Stallone and his peers remain largely committed to their traditional style, which is to cause maximum damage and casualties with minimum input of movement. They also make plenty of jokes regarding the health conditions for people of their age, Harrison Ford alone is caught using the word "stroke" more than once. However it seems even Stallone himself is tired of the effortless feat of talking. The nagging part is assigned to new guy Antonio Banderas who plays a former member of the Spanish Armed Forces. His presentation of a stubborn ex-militant who refuses to retire is more effective and more hilarious than the original Expendables. Other new recruits including Ronda Rousey, Kellan Lutz, Glen Powell and Victor Ortiz each brings their own special skills to scale up the battle scene, thanks to their mobility, the final showdown looks more like an earthly carnage than the wrath of some powerful deity. When in the end the young rookies celebrate their smooth skins and many unused years by singing Neil Young's 1972 song "Old Man", the contrast reaches its culmination. That's when I was able to sympathize with the old actors, who seem quite determined to grab hold of a fast-changing time. There is little novelty in the way Expendables 3 is made. But compared to its predecessors, it could very well become the most impressive episode in the series.