woo-ow.
i was not expecting this film to rock as much as it did. seriously.
from what i'd read this was a film along the lines of Charlie's Angels, with teases of lesbian scenes and action sequences stolen from various movies. i was expecting it to be some fake-perky, one-dimensional action film geared towards the male audience.
but that was so not my experience!
this is a extremely fun film (although not in a "perky" (urgh) way) with a story all its own and some amazingly natural action sequences.
see, in Charlie's Angels, the actions scenes actually stop the movie dead in its tracks by telling us how cool the next step is gonna be, which it rarely is. there's a pretense to the whole thing. we are supposed to be dazzled, we are supposed to enjoy this (and for the record, i did not). but in this film, there's none of that. it's a story about two sister assassins and the complications they face with one particular job.
the film is fun and light, but light like an anime. it has a romance that doesn't bog down the story and although not tragically heart-wrenching, is actually a bit touching.
and the action sequences.
they're not huge set pieces. but i did find myself shocked and amazed by most of them. how so? i don't know. i guess it's because Corey Yuen doesn't tell you when something big is gonna happen. it just happens during a fight and there you go. it's not Crouching Tiger with magical wire acts. it's not out of this world. it just stays between the realm of reality and anime.
now -- the lead actress. Qi Shu.
what an amazing performer.
what a stunner. yes, she's cute (amazingly cute), but her performance anchors the goddamn film. on the one hand she kicks ass so naturally and she has this light air about her, but then she also gives this depth to her character, a sorrow that doesn't feel forced or pretentious. you can feel it just looking at her. it's quite a performance.
ooh, something else that doesn't make this a dreadful Charlie's Angels knockoff (where the hell did they get that comparison?) -- this film is not about girl power. there's nothing girl power-y about it. it's just a film about two female assassins and a female cop. the fact that they're female is never brought up -- not even once during the whole film. again, think anime. they've got girls in every other story and they never make it a point to tell you that. and when one of the actresses kicks some ass, it's never about a girl kicking ass. it's about trying to get out of a situation or doing their job.
well, there you go :)
as i was watching the film last night i was trying not to think of how i would write the review. i sometimes think about how i can write about certain films while i'm watching them. and with this one i was actually able to steer myself off of that idea and actually enjoy the film itself.
Corey Yuen directed The Transporter, and i didn't like that film one bit. i didn't feel involved in it nor did i care about the main character. well, i don't know what he ate or drank while he made this film but it fucking worked. i was expecting a cardboard cut-out of a action film with this one, with been-there, done-that action pieces; but what i got was this three-dimensional anime-style film, with engaging performances from every character.
i guess what i'm trying to say is that there was not a bored mind in sight :) done.
Posted by Anonymous | 9:28 AM
