Rice Rhapsody (DTS Version) DVD Region All
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Customer Review of "Rice Rhapsody (DTS Version)"
Average Customer Rating for this Edition:
(7)
Average Customer Rating for All Editions of this Product: (8)
Average Customer Rating for All Editions of this Product: (8)
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Kevin Kennedy
See all my reviews
March 28, 2008
See all my reviews
March 28, 2008
Sylvia is great!
|
I purchased "Rice Rhapsody" because (a) I really enjoyed director Kenneth Bi's recent film "The Drummer", (b) I'm a big fan of Sylvia Chang, and (c) I grew up watching Martin Yan's cooking show on a Windsor, Ontario TV station. The good news is that Sylvia Chang did not let me down and Martin Yan can act. Perhaps it is due of my North American background, but the subject matter of this movie seems very stale. Hollywood has been inundating American culture over the last 10 years with movies and TV shows seeking to "mainstream" homosexual lifestyles. "Rice Rhapsody", for me, didn't add anything new to this discussion. In the film, Sylvia Chang has three sons. The eldest son is wrestling with whether to enter into a homosexual marriage. The second son seems to be something of a homosexual tramp; we see him in an endless series of relationships with different men, all of whom appear to be wealthy. The youngest son is confused about his feelings for his best male friend. Sylvia wants grandchildren, so she tries to manipulate the youngest son into a heterosexual relationship. To accomplish this end, she brings a young female student from France (Melanie Laurent) into her home. She then uses reverse psychology on both the boy and the girl to get them interested in each other. Lo and behold, it works ... at least for a while. While Miss Laurent does her best with her part, I found the character she played to be an insufferably pretentious twit. The notion that an accomplished and mature middle-aged woman like the mother of these three sons would find this shallow teen-aged girl to be a source of profound wisdom struck me as ridiculous. (I also doubt that, in real life, such a mother would be quite so thrilled to see her teen-aged boy engaged in premarital sex with this girl.) In general, the film treated Sylvia Chang's character unfairly. Her concerns about the homosexual lifestyles pursued by her sons appear to flow only from a desire to have grandchildren, a wish to avoid embarrassment, and a degree of homophobia. In other words, she is made to seem merely selfish and bigoted. Might she not also have deeper concerns about her sons following this path? I found the dialogue in "Rice Rhapsody" to be quite stilted and artificial. Fortunately, Sylvia Chang was able to rise above it to deliver a strong and moving performance. The soundtrack music is a delight. "Rice Rhapsody" certainly is watchable and ends with a touching cinematic coda, but it is a deeply flawed work. (By the way, I am not the "Kevin" who posted the review dated May 29, 2005, shown below.) |
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Anonymous
June 23, 2005
June 23, 2005
TERRIFIC
| I thought Rice Rhapsody was one of the most intriguing films to come out of Hong Kong. It's not preachy yet subtly inspiring. It's emotional but wasn't treated heavyhandedly. The French girl, Mélanie Laurent, in the film is wonderful. Unlike most Hong Kong films with a Western character, she doesn't stick out. The whole cast is believable and endearing. Sylvia Chang is so graceful and her acting so effortless. It's a real joy to see her interact with the different characters in the film. And the music is really special. I highly recommend this. |
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Anonymous
May 29, 2005
This customer review refers to Rice Rhapsody
May 29, 2005
This customer review refers to Rice Rhapsody
What!?!
|
This is nothing but a rather shallow examination of a serious problem. Let's not even dicuss the stereotypical treatment of homosexuality! The movie somehow will have us believe that some random white woman is wiser than all the Asian characters combined. Self-loathing is our (and I mean everyone!) true enemy, and there is no shortage of it here! What's that line by Martin Yan's character: "They are more romantic, more cultured, more fun." Give me a freaking break, man! With that said, the real star of this thing really is Martin Yan. What a surprise. |
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Anonymous
March 30, 2005
March 30, 2005
Bravo Kenneth Bi!
| I bought this dvd for the wrong reason.......to watch Kenneth Bi's mother Ivy Ling Po in a cameo. The brevity of her performance disappointed me but the movie did not. Kenneth Bi has crafted a touching yet realistic movie filled with dazzling visuals. Sylvia Chang who disappointed me so in Dream Of The Red Chamber is simply amazing here right down to her mastery of Singlish (the Singapore version of English). We sympathise and empathise with her as Sylvia portrays the concerned mother convincingly. For your second movie, Kenneth, how about featuring your mum......Asian Movie Queen Ivy Ling Po......in a major role? Meanwhile this dvd is highly recommended, very entertaining and can be viewed over and over again. Bring out the champagne Kenneth! |
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Anonymous
March 29, 2005
March 29, 2005
Excellent
|
its beyond my expectation .. and i did shed a tear (its way too touching) no one could ever thought of the way this ending could be .. just Fabulous ... watch it and rate it for yourself it touches the reality of a family dealing with the gay sons .. Sylvia Chiang should get the most credit for the movie ... all her acting and tears .. u just cant resist it but to watch it again the messages that the movie is trying to convey is great ... regardless of what sexual preferential one is but true love cant beats it all well .. i think i better stop here before i get into too detailed ... MUST WATCH ! |
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Anonymous
March 28, 2005
March 28, 2005
SO good :)
| This is one of the cutest and sweetest movies I've ever seen. Although the topic of homosexuality is very hush-hush and seemingly taboo, especially in Asian culture, this movie dealt with it in a very light-hearted manner while still being serious and realistic. Melanie Laurent (Sabine), Sylvia Chang (Jen), and Chen Li Ping (Leo)'s performances were WONDERFUL (Chen Li Ping, by the way, is very cute haha). This is definitely a must-watch =) |
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Anonymous
March 27, 2005
March 27, 2005
Good movie
| A movie with depth. I asked "what is the writer trying to tell me?" Did the three sons turned out this way because they were brought up by a single parent, namely the female gender? Do the boys really need a father figure? Being in an all-boys school, has it an influence? Do they lack the interaction with the opposite gender? Anyways, a moving movie and well played by the cast. |
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Anonymous
February 28, 2005
February 28, 2005
Singapore Surprise
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I was lucky to be invited to the movie Premiere Screening in Singapore although it had a Restricted Censorship (18). In Singapore, as in much of Asia, the subject of "gay life" is very sensitive. The movie handles the subject in a light hearted manner but we also get to understand the feelings of a mother who has gay sons in an Asian culture. The movie makes fun (in a nice way) of one of the sons providing a balance of comedy to the drama. The sub-plot of Yan Can Cook adds another ingredient to a sweet movie. I'm waiting for the DVD so that I can share the movie with under 18's. I am sure I will watch it again and again. |
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