Claustrophobia (DVD) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3
Ekin Cheng (Actor)
| Karena Lam (Actor)
| Andy Hui (Actor)
| Ivy Ho (Director)
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Customer Review of "Claustrophobia (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)"
Average Customer Rating for this Edition:
(3)
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Kevin Kennedy
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July 13, 2009
See all my reviews
July 13, 2009
Did they or didn't they?
|
"Claustrophobia" tells an episodic story told in reverse chronological order about a relationship between Pearl (Karena Lam) and her boss Tom (Ekin Cheng). They work for a small trading company on the southern side of Hong Kong Island, where access to public transportation is not readily available. Each day must begin and end with Tom driving his employees to and from their homes. There seems to be an unusual connection between Pearl and Tom, and as we go back in time through each episode, we see that relationship evolve. The film doesn't fill in the blanks; we never learn what happens between the episodes and the action during each episode never makes explicit how serious this relationship has become. The viewer's imagination must fill in the blanks; each viewer may come up with a different version of what has transpired. Some may find this opacity frustrating; I found it intriguing, so intriguing that, upon finishing the movie, I watched it again, but this time I put the film's episodes in their "correct" order, from the earliest to the most recent. The effect of seeing them in their "correct" order was astonishing; I gained an entirely different perception of how the relationship between Pearl and Tom had evolved. What had seemed mysterious suddenly became much clearer and I made connections between the episodes that simply could not otherwise be discerned. In whatever order, I loved this movie. It is one of the best I've ever seen at capturing the dynamics of an office environment. It is honest and unmanipulative in its treatment of its characters. Its cinematography looks absolutely great, creating an air of intimacy (or claustrophobia). And the performances drawn from its cast are letter-perfect; even the minor characters are permitted to grow and evolve. Karena Lam is a marvel. Perhaps with the exception of Korean actress Jeon Do Yeon, I know of no current young actress as capable as Karena at the subtleties of her craft, at being able to communicate an effusion of emotions with just a look, a glance, a pause. For those seeking to learn more about moviemaking, the "Making Of" featurette on this DVD is very informative. "Claustrophobia" is art with real integrity and I recommend it very highly. |
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Leslie
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June 29, 2009
See all my reviews
June 29, 2009
???
| this movie is not easy to understand, we don't get the story until we read the DESCRIPTION from YesAsia. we don't like the style of the movie but we like the actor and actress both. |
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numinair
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June 16, 2009
See all my reviews
June 16, 2009
Best Karena and Ekin Combo Yet
|
This is a very impressive Karena Lam and Ekin Cheng movie and the best collaboration they’ve ever done. A point to emphasis about “Claustrophobia” though is that its more a mood induced film. The plot is also reflected backwards in 8 segments within a 12 month period (1 week ago, 1 month ago etc) concerning five work colleagues at a company and of their various personal ‘enclosed space’ situations. Mainly about Tom (Ekin) and Pearl (Karena), and of their everyday stifling limitations within social circles, especially the work place and cars. In fact the film’s first 20 minutes are situated in Tom’s car as Pearl and their team hitch a lift home. By mood, feel and tone, scenes sometimes have no dialogue (an early scene with Tom and Pearl), conveying only subtle reactions to tight moods and interposing mediocrity (a car door slams leaving Pearl with startled silent irritation for instance), and quiet scenes of mood as Tom drives through the quiet imposing HK night city. In fact car scenes are quite reflective by a wide spread moonlit sky breaking through the towering buildings, contrasting claustrophobia with a panoramic suggestion of a break free. Like suddenly viewing stars that were blocked by artificial streetlights. “Claustrophobia” is metaphor and actual about ‘suffocations’ of stressful interplay; busy and cramped work offices, crammed full elevators and containments of insulated distant love. Pearl’s office colleague Jewel getting irritated by ‘everyone else’ having her latest ‘personal’ mobile phone ring tone. Pearl also secretly loves her boss Tom who resigns her to a new accounting job and inadvertently releases her from ‘confinement’ of emotional entrapment at work. That revelation at the film’s beginning (or the end of course), with other past segments revealing incidents about Pearl up to this point. Loved the scenes regarding Pearl’s dream explanation while Tom sleeps in his car and the typhoon taxi scene. Segments are fragments though, where the audience fills in the pieces to this contained emotional jigsaw puzzle. It’s both a distant romance and detective conundrum. Acting is brilliant. I love Karena and its great to see her back in great form again. Ekin really plays his role well with hidden undercurrents and he’ll get great credit for this! All extras have English subtitles apart from the audio commentary. Excellent film but requires a perusal after all concludes and detective thinking to read between the segments. |
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