YumCha!
»
Editor Picks - Chinese Video
Browse
- ycec Editor's Picks By Category
- esid Editor's Picks - By Editor
- yca Feature Articles
- ycpc Professional Reviews
- Awards & Festivals
- ppid Music Pop Chart
- yceb Entertainment News
- About YumCha!
-
Hooked On You (DVD) (US Version)
Miriam Yeung (Actor)
| Eason Chan (Actor)
| Stanley Fung
| Jolie Chan
In a decidedly mediocre year for Hong Kong cinema, Law Wing Cheong's Hooked On You shines like a beacon for being not only an outstanding Hong Kong film, but also an outstanding Hong Kong story. Out of the three "Handover" films released around the Hong Kong Handover 10th Anniversary period, Hooked On You is the one that best captures the Hong Kong experience, and it does so in a completely engaging and unassuming manner. Hooked On You covers ten years in the lives of two typical working class Hong Kongers, fishmongers Miu and Fishman played by Miriam Yeung and Eason Chan. Working at the same market, the two go from rivals to friends to perhaps something more. Over the years, there are ups... [read more]
-
-
Bullet In The Head (Ultimate Collection) (DTS Version) (Hong Kong Version)
Jacky Cheung (Actor)
| Tony Leung Chiu Wai (Actor)
| Simon Yam (Actor)
| Waise Lee (Actor)
Yay! Another version of Bullet in the Head.Since the advent of Hong Kong Cinema on DVD, there have been no fewer than four versions of Bullet in the Head released on Hong Kong DVD, and all of them have had problems, among them such issues as non-anamorphic video, wonky 5.1 audio mixes, and the lack of deleted scenes as extras. Another issue is that one particular version of the film was previously only available on a Mei Ah VCD. That version contained the "boardroom ending", where Tony Leung Chiu Wai's final act of vengeance on Waise Lee does not involve an over-the-top car chase and gun battle. This ending is actually preferred by some fans, who find it more in keeping with the film's dark emotional tone. Some people have even... [read more]
August 9, 2007 Picked By Koh So See all this editor's picks
-
-
The Go Master (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Chang Chen (Actor)
| Sylvia Chang (Actor)
| Matsuzaka Keiko
| Emoto Akira
While his fellow Fifth Generation auteurs have been busy cooking up dubious, over-the-top period epics, Tian Zhuangzhuang continues to practice the art of subtlety with his latest masterpiece The Go Master. Quiet, elegant, and slow-burning, The Go Master is simply and directly a biopic of master Go player Wu Qingyuan. With neither judgment nor fanfare, the film follows the extraordinary life of a Chinese man, whose genius in the game of Go brought him to the shores of Japan during the early 20th century. In order to continue playing, he chose to remain in Japan during the Sino-Japanese War, but his struggles with faith and self would lead him to join a cult and even briefly give up Go. The... [read more]
-
-
Gong Tau (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Mark Cheng (Actor)
| Maggie Shiu (Actor)
| Kenny Wong Tak Bun (Actor)
| Lam Suet (Actor)
It's been a long time since Hong Kong has had a good old Category III exploitation thriller, but lucky for us all, Herman Yau has been working overtime. Gratuitous violence, gore, and nudity? Check, check, and check! Hong Kong, it's good to have you back. For those not versed in their voodoo, "gong tau" is a form of black magic mainly practiced in Southeast Asia. Film and television depictions of gong tau usually involve voodoo dolls, pins and needles, and various poisonous creatures like centipedes and snakes. Unless a counter-curse is found in time, victims of gong tau develop various nasty boils and ailments and succumb to gruesome, mysterious deaths. Gong tau has a comfortable home... [read more]
-
-
The Little Fairy aka: Fairy From The Wonderland (Ep.1-30) (End) (English Subtitled) (US Version)
Ariel Lin (Actor)
| Hu Ge (Actor)
| Bobby Dou (Actor)
| Tse Kwan Ho (Actor)
It's long and it's cheesy, but there's just something inherently charming about The Little Fairy. As per usual with period dramas, The Little Fairy is a variation of an already familiar story, in this case the folk tale of Dong Yong and the Seventh Princess. This star-crossed romance between a kind-hearted mortal and the heavenly Jade Emperor's seventh daughter is one of the great classics of Chinese folklore, and The Little Fairy basically gives it a colorful new-generation facelift. Idol leads, bright sets, and funny CGI seem like an easy recipe for disaster, but in this case, the drama falls pleasantly into place. Stretching a whopping 39 episodes, The Little Fairy adds more than a few... [read more]
-
-
Exiled (Hong Kong Version)
Simon Yam (Actor)
| Francis Ng (Actor)
| Nick Cheung (Actor)
| Richie Jen (Actor)
Johnnie To manifests his unique gangster film aesthetics to the utmost in Exiled. In terms of manipulating the framing and colors, and depicting the male bonding between the five characters, Exiled can been seen as a showcase of Johnnie To's cinematic style. The gunfight scenes provide a perfect stage for him to show off his mise-en-scene techniques, embedding the film's explosive tension in graceful actions. The film opens with a gunfight between Wo (Nick Cheung), Blaze (Anthong Wong), and Tai (Francis Ng). Johnnie To carefully arranges their positions to make full use of the depth of field, such that, amidst all the swift actions, they always form a triangle in contrast to the various... [read more]
-
-
After This Our Exile (DVD) (Director's Cut) (3-Disc Edition) (Hong Kong Version)
Aaron Kwok (Actor)
| Charlie Yeung (Actor)
| Ian Iskandar Gouw (Actor)
| Kelly Lin (Actor)
Patrick Tam was away from the director's chair for 17 years, and I did set high expectations on his After This, Our Exile which marked his return in 2006. The film didn't fail me. I watched the director's cut, which was 160 minutes long. Reportedly, the 120-minute Hong Kong theatrical release has cut out a few scenes which I would regard as significant. In case you are looking for a DVD version, I recommend you to get the director's cut. 160 minutes might sound daunting, but once you get engaged, 2 hours 40 minutes just lapse quickly. Aaron Kwok is gambler Sheng, whose innate shortcomings in personality tragically destroy his family. At one point he swears to quit gambling and even attempts... [read more]
-
-
The Postmodern Life Of My Aunt (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Chow Yun Fat (Actor)
| Siqin Gaowa (Actor)
| Vicki Zhao (Actor)
| Shi Ke (Actor)
Living in the city sounds alluring, but one must endure the solitude of living in it. Otherwise he or she will be like the pathetic Ye Rutang in Ann Hui's The Postmodern Life of My Aunt. The film opens with Ye Rutang (Siqin Gaowa) greeting her nephew (Guan Wenshuo) at the railway station. She lives alone in the metropolis of Shanghai - although the film later reveals how much she has given up by choosing to stay in the vibrant metropolis - and her nephew, no matter how naughty, has brought her a sense of companionship which she has apparently yearned for. But her nephew exploits her affection to cheat his old-fashioned, at least morally, but affectionate aunt. Then she comes across this... [read more]
-
-
Whatever You Want (Shaw Brothers) (Hong Kong Version)
Anita Yuen (Actor)
| Michael Wong (Actor)
| Jordan Chan (Actor)
| Christy Chung (Actor)
Whatever You Want may be the most forgotten film in the IVL/Shaw Brothers collection - and it could deserve that classification. This pastiche of movie parodies, dumb comedy, and general silliness is far from a quality motion picture experience, and should come with writer-director Wong Jing's official seal of mediocrity embossed in the DVD cover. However, the above criticism only exists if we expect all our moviegoing choices to be official award-winning cinema - in which case stuff like Scary Movie or Airplane! would never make our viewing list. Let's face it: cheap, disposable silliness has its place. If that's the case, then Whatever You Want should be the pick for longtime Hong Kong... [read more]
-
-
Protege (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Andy Lau (Actor)
| Daniel Wu (Actor)
| Louis Koo (Actor)
| Anita Yuen (Actor)
Derek Yee takes a micro-macro look at the drug trade from the family man druglord (Andy Lau) to the troubled undercover cop (Daniel Wu) to the doomed addicts (Zhang Jingchu and Louis Koo) to the Thai warlord. Drugs: soul-draining vice or just another business? No big surprise on the answer to that question, but the film brings us to the conclusion in an intense, wrenching, and engaging way. What's more, thanks to the Derek Yee tour, I now know the tricks and lingo to run my very own drug empire! Just like in One Nite in Mongkok, Yee throws together a tight, escalating film that passes judgment clearly, but also comes around to both sides of the story. And unlike One Nite in Mongkok, both... [read more]
-
-
20/30 Dictionary (Vol.1-20) (End) (Hong Kong Version)
Athena Chu (Actor)
| Chapman To (Actor)
| Tiffany Lee (Actor)
| Wong Yau Nam (Actor)
The most obvious way to describe 20/30 Dictionary would be to call it Hong Kong's version of Sex and the City, but it's a lot more than that. Besides dealing frankly with topics of sexuality and relationships, 20/30 Dictionary speaks to the modern city dweller's lifestyle, loneliness, eccentricities, and insecurities. Like Sex and the City, this 2003 web drama is noticeably set in a cosmopolitan city amongst a flashy urbanite subset, but the characters and situations here are more recognizable and less romanticized. For one thing, the characters actually work and don't wear Manolos, and the story is less skewed towards exclusively the female perspective. Celebrity deejay-cum-writer GC Goobi... [read more]
-
-
Legend Of the Condor Heroes (DVD) (End) (Uncut Edition) (English Subtitled) (TVB Drama)
Miu Kiu Wai (Actor)
| Felix Wong (Actor)
| Yung Mei Ling (Actor)
| Lau Daan (Actor)
I have been a fan of Jin Yong's swordplay novels since I was in elementary school. While his novels are really page-turners, few among the numerous TV adaptations really appeal to me. The actors' and actresses' enactment often fails to match Jin Yong's vivid and nuance portrayals of the heroes and heroines. While I know it's unfair to blame them for not bringing to live 100% the complex characters as described by Jin Yong, I can't help feeling disappointed. The 1983 TVB version of Legend Of the Condor Heroes, originating from my favorite Jin Yong novel, is among the few adaptations that really please me. Barbara Yung delivers the role of Wong Yung to almost perfection, bringing to life a... [read more]
-
-
Happy Birthday (Hong Kong Version)
Rene Liu (Actor)
| Louis Koo (Actor)
| Lawrence Chou (Actor)
| Bowie Tsang (A-Baw) (Actor)
Let's get it straight in the beginning: Happy Birthday may not have attained a high level of critical acclaim, but it's likable and refreshing. Even if we put aside Rene Liu's charismatic performance, the story-telling itself does deserve some recognition. Unlike many romantic films, which the film is advertised as such, Happy Birthday refrains from being overly romantic, nor does it attempt to squeeze tears out of your eyes. It has achieved some degree of subtlety that gives the film an aftertaste. The joint effort of the three scriptwriters gave me confidence in the story-telling even before I saw the film, and they didn't fail my expectation. Sylvia Chang had a proven track record in... [read more]
-
-
Happy Birthday (US Version)
Rene Liu (Actor)
| Louis Koo (Actor)
| Lawrence Chou (Actor)
| Bowie Tsang (A-Baw) (Actor)
Let's get it straight in the beginning: Happy Birthday may not have attained a high level of critical acclaim, but it's likable and refreshing. Even if we put aside Rene Liu's charismatic performance, the story-telling itself does deserve some recognition. Unlike many romantic films, which the film is advertised as such, Happy Birthday refrains from being overly romantic, nor does it attempt to squeeze tears out of your eyes. It has achieved some degree of subtlety that gives the film an aftertaste. The joint effort of the three scriptwriters gave me confidence in the story-telling even before I saw the film, and they didn't fail my expectation. Sylvia Chang had a proven track record in... [read more]
-
-
The Shoe Fairy (Hong Kong Version)
Vivian Hsu (Actor)
| Duncan Chow (Actor)
| Robin Lee (Director)
Though we often associate the word fairy tale with a picture perfect romance, all the classic fairy tales have an underlying, sometimes jarring, element of tragedy that not even Disney can completely gloss over. The stories may well end with "happily ever after", but the journey is always bittersweet. Taiwanese director Robin Lee takes this idea to heart in her debut film The Shoe Fairy, a quirky modern day fairy tale painted in vibrant Jolly Rancher colors. The whimsical presentation, beautiful visuals, and stunning shoes immediately catch the eyes, but what truly sets this film apart is uncommon storytelling. Taiwanese pop star Vivian Hsu stars as our precocious heroine Dodo (an adorable... [read more]
-
-
My Mother Is A Belly Dancer (Hong Kong Version)
Kristal Tin (Actor)
| Ken Tong (Actor)
| Gordon Lam (Actor)
| Monie Tung (Actor)
My Mother is a Belly Dancer, one of the six "Focus: First Cut" projects backed by Andy Lau, attends to a group of people that is often overlooked in Hong Kong society, namely "see lai". "See lai" has been a colloquial Cantonese term to address housewives, often associated with the negative image of sloppy, middle-aged, and undereducated married women. They form the majority of the female population in Hong Kong's grassroots residential areas like public housing estates, yet they are probably the least represented segment in any local media, until director Lee Kung Lok let them occupy the center stage in this film. Lee's previous film Fu Bo on coroners' assistants, a film he co-directs with... [read more]
-
-
The Outsiders (Vol.1-20) (End) (US Version)
Joelle Lu Ming Jun
| Blue Lan
| Dylan Kuo (Actor)
| Ady An (Actor)
If the Young and Dangerous series was ever adapted into a TV drama, it would probably look something like The Outsiders. Though ostensibly an idol drama, The Outsiders transcends the limitations of the genre and its inexperienced cast with mature themes, a surprisingly uncompromising story, and a gray look at the triad life that is as dark as it is romanticized. High art, this is not, but it's 20 episodes of well-made entertainment. And my, they sure have nice hair. As the S.E. Hinton-inspired title implies, The Outsiders is first and foremost a story about youth from the wrong side of the tracks. The drama follows the lives of three longtime friends as they grow from delinquent students to... [read more]
-
-
My Name Is Fame (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Lau Ching Wan (Actor)
| Huo Si Yan (Actor)
| Wayne Lai
| Candice Yu
Hong Kong Cinema gets some much needed love in My Name is Fame, a winning comedy-drama starring the ever-underrated Lau Ching Wan. Lau has seemingly been in the shadow of Andy Lau, Anthony Wong, and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai for years. Those actors have repeatedly taken home Hong Kong Film Awards while Lau Ching Wan has usually settled for critics awards and just invitations to the big awards ceremonies. As anyone who watches Hong Kong movies knows: the man deserves more than a pat on the back for his performances. Sadly, his day has yet to come. My Name is Fame makes sly references to Lau's unfortunate career plight, casting him as an under appreciated actor whose years as an entertainment... [read more]
-
-
My Name Is Fame (DVD) (US Version)
Lau Ching Wan (Actor)
| Huo Si Yan (Actor)
| Wayne Lai
| Candice Yu
Hong Kong Cinema gets some much needed love in My Name is Fame, a winning comedy-drama starring the ever-underrated Lau Ching Wan. Lau has seemingly been in the shadow of Andy Lau, Anthony Wong, and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai for years. Those actors have repeatedly taken home Hong Kong Film Awards while Lau Ching Wan has usually settled for critics awards and just invitations to the big awards ceremonies. As anyone who watches Hong Kong movies knows: the man deserves more than a pat on the back for his performances. Sadly, his day has yet to come. My Name is Fame makes sly references to Lau's unfortunate career plight, casting him as an under appreciated actor whose years as an entertainment... [read more]
-
-
Leaving in Sorrow (Hong Kong Version)
Tony Ho (Actor)
| Shawn Yue (Actor)
| Vincent Chui
Director Vincent Chui's independent film Leaving in Sorrow (2001), often referred to as Hong Kong's first Dogme 95 film, appears more familiar to some as Shawn Yue's first feature length movie. The most astonishing thing about film, however, is how it leaves the audience in great sorrow without actually depicting any sorrowful incidents from the beginning to its rather abrupt but effective ending. Whether or not it has strictly followed Dogme 95's "Vows of Chastity", the use of handheld cameras, natural lighting, on-site sound recording, and real location shooting as advocated by the Danish Dogme 95 Movement, all help create a sense of realism. Realistic portrayals of the characters bring... [read more]
-
Bookmark & Share