Posts Tagged ‘Daniel Wu’
This Took Me 3 Days to Write. Never Again.
Example of the excitement you should be experiencing
Please don’t hold back on my account…..I’m pretty excited too. Why you ask? Well, it looks like its time for another issue of “Of The Asian Persuasion”!! Number 3 or Shumu San!!
Please take note that I have been working overtime so this is the tip of the iceberg. Since I have been working so hard to see everything it’s going to be another mix. I think the mix is a good thing. It’s unfair to stick with one particular region. Good entertainment is good entertainment. Period. It’s like candy, would you rather have butterscotch for the rest of your life or the big ol’ fun mix your grandma used to bribe you with?
MMMMMM......cavities.
I’m actually going to start including dramas also because, as I mentioned in the last post, they’re basically movies split up into episodes. Plus…..they’re FREAKIN AWESOME!!! They’ll be six titles today just because you’re that special.
Before I start I’d just like to say that I’m listening to Estelle. You know the one who does the
"My boobs look really good in this!!!"
song “American Boy” featuring Kanye “Mr. Ego” West? Her album Shine is AMAZING!!! Get it ASAP.And of course she’s from London. It seems they all are lately. At least from my POV. Amy Winehouse, Adele, Duffy and now Estelle?! This is just getting ridiculous. Not that I have a problem with it but I’d be nice to see a huge talent come from America that has well earned international appeal. But London can keep cranking them out as far as I’m concerned. So as Estelle radiates from the iPOD, because she’s on fire that much, I begin this self proclaimed tradition. Yea.
1) My Tutor Friend: This is basically Modern Korean Film 101. It’s almost as big as “My Sassy Girl”. Almost. Notice that the title itself 
has the one word that 1)Almost always gives the basic plot away and 2)Almost always means its a romcom so guys might want to steer clear: MY. This begins my ”MY” theory in Korean media. Whenever you see MY in the title of a Korean movie there will probably be two main characters in which one character is rather extreme and the other one….not so extreme. There will probably be some set up where they are forced to spend a lot of time together and decide that they HATE each other if they haven’t decided it already. There’s the usual obstacles that the plot throws at the characters and at the end everyone realizes that the largest obstacle is themselves,and then love after they realize they can’t fight it anymore. My Tutor Friend is no exception. It’s repetitive, it’s mushy, and it’s not Oscar worthy but it’s really good. There are MANY places the plot could’ve gone cheesy but somehow they kept it grounded. The other requirement of ”MY” is that the lead actors must have CHEMISTRY. If they don’t have it disaster will ensue. When you attach MY to a project you have to follow these rules because that’s what the audience is expecting. Luckily for these actors they definitely have it. Just like Sassy Girl they’ll always have a job because people will always see them as these beloved characters. They’ll always come with some nostalgic value for people. Like Richard Gere and Julia Roberts….except Kwon Sang-Woo (The guy in the film) is as popular as Richard Gere when he first came out (maybe more so) and Kim Ha-Neul (The girl) is as popular as Julia Roberts when Pretty Woman came out but will never be as popular as Julia Roberts was by the time Notting Hill came out.
2) My Boss, My Hero: This happens to be an exception to the “MY” Theory. But not by much. It’s not a romcom but it is a com with some.jpg?w=233&h=298)
drama and of course truckfulls of charm. We Americans would probably call it a dramedy. This is basically Never Been Kissed but instead of the lead character trying to write an article he’s trying to get his diploma so he can become a triad boss. Yeah. It sounds a bit ridiculous and it is. The plot is dumb but the movie not only has great actors but it also incorporates important issues concerning the corruption in private schools and how it effects everyone involved. Apparently punishment is a common thing in Korean schools and if it’s as bad as the movie depicted it…….OUCH. And of course there’s a big battle at the end which is what I live for. But honestly would you expect anything less when a moral triad boss (oxymoron much?) and a corrupt school system meet? I didn’t think so.
3)Full House: Yes. Another Korean drama. I am still riding
Mmmmm....hot guys. The best marketing plan EVER!!!
that ”wave”. To be completely honest I haven’t actually finished it yet. I know!! What am I thinking?! I’m sorry! I hate to mention something that I haven’t even completed but it’s a pretty good sign if I’m writing about it before I even finish. It is genuinely hilarious, sweet, engrossing, and the leads are adorable. Sure it has the same plot as other Korean dramas where forced closeness plus various challenges that are overcome equals everlasting love AKA “the love setup” (another theory of mine) but…..WHO CARES?! It still stays fresh with chemistry ridden leads and ridiculously attractive men. If those two ingredients don’t make a good drama then I don’t know what does.
4)The Heavenly Kings: Ok. Let me explain a little something about Asian pop culture. For some strange reason actors or actresses
That is sexy.
who have suddenly become popular from a show/hit movie have an affinity to transpose that success into a singing career. And in MANY cases they become rather successful. Unlike here where a successful actor becoming a successful singer is nearly…..impossible (Sorry Bruce Willis, Eddie Murphy, etc.) Asian audiences don’t question actors becoming singers. Even if their not that great. That’s exactly what this film touches on. Now this is another Daniel Wu (He directed it too!!) feature but it’s oh so much more. Four guys who are slightly well known actors in Asia came together and basically punk’d anyone and everyone in the entertainment business by starting a boy band. And they filmed every moment. They had no singing ability to speak of, no dancing ability whatsover, and were all way to old to be in a boy band. This was a man band basically and I just don’t think those should exist (Sorry New Kids on the Block, New Edition, etc.) The fascinating thing was that people bought it hook, line, and sinker. They enthusiastly bought it!! At the end of the day it was so funny and if anyone found themselves feeling like a gullible idiot after watching it….they should have.
5)My Lovely Sam Soon:I LOVE THIS DRAMA!!! L-O-V-E. Everyone 
else did too. All of the actors in it still have some kind of career. Especially the lead actor who is basically the Korean McDreamy. Well, at least one of them. Let me tell you, Korea has been doing the McDreamy thing longer than we have. It just took Grey’s Anatomy to give it a cool name. I already spoke about this in a previous post so I won’t bombard you with the wit, sweetness, honesty, romance, humor, complexity, morality, fun, and thought provoking-ness (is that a word?) it brings to the screen. I guess I just broke my promise. But honestly if I could think of more adjectives right now I would. Yes, it’s that good.
6)He Was Cool: The great thing about foreign films is that they have the tendency to
He REALLY is.
have either really vague titles or titles so obvious it practically slaps you in the face. This would be the latter. It’s basically about a girl who falls in love with the coolest guy you’ll ever meet. And of course you come to find out he’s got a tortured soul with deep seeded pain surging through his veins. In the movie the “cool” guy was to the girl what Jordan Catalano was to Angela Chase on “My So-Called Life”. The difference being that this was more than some semi-obsessive, slightly annoying high school crush. The guy was genuinely charming and there were gradual changes in both characters not just one. Pure entertainment value but rather high value. Really this mainly appeals to anyone who always wanted to be with that dreamy guy but knew there was no chance of that happening but as the old McDonald’s ad used to say, “Hey, it could happen!”
No, I Do Not Mind the Subtitles
You know that saying, “To know me is to love me”? Well…… I can’t really claim that. What I can claim is this: To know me is to know I love movies. Being an only child I spent an abnormal amount of time by myself. Still do. Because of this fact I was allowed the time to develop my truest, deepest, and most reliable friendship: film. While I never thought I would turn my back on American film I must admit that I have been having a slight affair with a very close and personal relative of his…….. Asian film. Now before you judge me let me make my case………well there’s really no case to be made. American film is great but Asian film is fantastic…..and unpredictable. That’s important in any relationship.
Plus, seeing foreign films has a tendency to open your eyes on the blatant ignorance we have a tendency to display as Americans. Not every Asian woman ends up saying, “Me love you long time.” Not every film features the cast flying through trees with swords and an uncanny ability to fight quietly. Not every Asian actor overacts their roles. And sometimes the Asian guy walks away with the girl, not just a warm look or a hug or a quick peck on the cheek. But I digress.
I consider this blog my own personal column……found on the backpage of the local newspaper where the population is a whopping 54 people, sits right under the crossword puzzle, and no one even tries to read. This is ok because that means I can write whatever I want to write and write it whenever I want to write it. In recognition of this I have decided to add a feature where I will be listing five foreign films I am crazy about called, “Of the Asian Persuasion”. While most of them will be Hong Kong films some will be different countries simply because I’m hoping to branch out as a much as possible. Also, this will not include the synopsis of the film, you can find that anywhere. While some of the films might have gotten bad reviews from other places this is just my opinion. Besides, they may become classics later on: The Wizard of Oz was a flop and all of the critics bashed it relentlessly. I’m just sayin.
OF THE ASIAN PERSUASION #1:
- Secret (2007): I must admit that this took me a couple of tries to warm up to. Which is rare. Usually if a film doesn’t leave me with that special feeling inside I move on but I could
not do that with this one. The first half gives you this sweet and playful romance between two alluring characters. Then the last half kinda turns into a sci-fi mystery that’s hard to combine with the first half which has a slight tendency to make it really corny. After watching it the second time around it has officially become one of my favorite films. Honestly I’m a little disappointed in myself looking back at my first reaction to the film considering Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is easily in my top 5 favorite films.
The other deciding factor was Jay Chou who directed, wrote, and was the lead actor in the film. Not only can he do all of that but he’s practically a genius at piano. The piano battle he did, yes he played very peice of music in the film (which was to win a peice of music for the one he loved BTW), is reason enough to watch.
2. Dry Wood Fierce Fi
re (2002): I have yet another confession to make on this one: I am a huge fan of Louis Koo… and I have no problem saying that it is pure lust on my part. He just reminds me of the really playful guy that I can act like a 3 year old with and wouldn’t get judged for it. He has that Jimmy Fallon-esqe way of having that special smirk or full out laughing in the middle of a scene but it has the tendency to make the scene better. I’m not the only one though so I don’t feel so bad. Regardless of this fact I really did enjoy this one for the film that it was. No big, important messages in it but chemistry is important and Louis Koo and Miriam Yeung definitely have it. It’s basically Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock in Two Weeks Notice which I love. A romantic comedy that is not strictly formulaic and can brighten any rainy day.
3. And I Hate You So… (2000): This was very much in the tradition of the classic Meg Ryan
concoctions….which I did not mind at all. More in the sense of “Sleepless in Seattle”/ “You’ve Got Mail” where the film explores the longing of the two main characters instead the building of the relationship. I found myself constantly checking how much time was left in the film because the characters had this roundabout way of realizing their true feeelings for each other that took FOREVER. They made sure the audience was the one that knew these characters should be together before the actual characters knew themselves (i.e. Sleepless in Seattle) which is briliant and annoying all at the same time. A lot of people are bashing this one but Wizard of Oz……. I’M JUST SAYIN!!!
4. Chocolate (2008):
Just see it. There’s not much to say. It’s that awesome. What? You want more? An autistic girl who can do anything that she sees, particularly all of the Kung Fu moves she sees in a large amount, has to fight various people to get money for her sick mother. The actress was trained for about a year and little to no strings were used in the fight scenes. Yeah. See it. Love it. Obsess about it.
5. One Nite in Mongkok (2004): Again. Not much to say. Just see it. A great commentary on our ideas
of good and evil no matter what country or culture you might watch this in. Very fast paced. Bonus: Daniel Wu is in it. Yes. I do love Daniel Wu AND Louis Koo. Yes, it is pure lust. Yes, I am the perfect consumer.
