What was the last Chinese film you watched?

[skylee]

I saw 天注定 on two flights (between Hong Kong and Taipei). I think it is OK, but is nothing extraordinary. I mean I think I have seen many US and French films of similar styles and stories (murders, anger, and dispair of common people). If I had seen the film in a normal cinema (instead of on small screens on planes) I might have found it more special/ impressive. And I don't understand what makes necessary to "ban" it.

[character]

And I don't understand what makes necessary to "ban" it.

The first section showed an unharmonious approach to dealing with corrupt officials. The film also showed "criminals getting away with it", modern brothels, and the use of state symbols in the brothel. I don't think I've seen any of that in other mainland films or the mainland version of HK/mainland co-productions.

Compare the fine line 私人訂製 (Personal Tailor) walked with the segment about the "official" with how officials and state symbols are handled in 天注定.

[skylee]

Thanks for the reply.  But I am not a big fan of Mainland films. I have not watched 私人訂製 and I don't plan to.

BTW, although it is not a Chinese film, I find "Ask this of Rikyu", which I watched in Taipei, a splendid film.

PS - trailer of "Rikyu" http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjczMTk0Mzgw.html

[ouyangjun]

When comparing 天注定 to most of the other mainland movies I see, 天注定 is  head and shoulders above.  Most of the mainland movies are junk.  I've become so frustrated with the movies coming out of the mainland that when I see a film that is different and good I get really excited.

 

I saw 私人订制 (personal tailor) and I categorized it with most of the other Chinese films I see... which is about a 3 on a scale of 10.  The whole time I was watching it just kept thinking to myself that Feng Xiaogang must rush these films out each year to do his regular yearly release near the new year...  I was hoping this one was going to be good, because the screenplay was done by Wang Shuo, who is an author I've been wanting to read for some time... but the movie just didn't do it for me.

[ouyangjun]

The one movie I recently saw that was pretty goods was 有话好好说 (Keep Cool).  It's a Zhang Yimou film from 1997 starring Jiang Wen.  It takes place in 1990's Beijing and is a love story/black comedy.  I enjoyed it.

[gato]

What about 苏州河 and 颐和园? They are quite different from most mainland movies.

[character]

What about 苏州河 and 颐和园? They are quite different from most mainland movies.

Both were effectively banned, according to Wikipedia, so not a surprise they are different than most mainland movies.  Presumably the director knew his audience was the international market instead of the mainland market.

 

When comparing 天注定 to most of the other mainland movies I see, 天注定 is  head and shoulders above. [...]

 

I saw 私人订制 (personal tailor) and I categorized it with most of the other Chinese films I see... which is about a 3 on a scale of 10. [...] but the movie just didn't do it for me.

That's the thing about movies -- what one person loves, another hates, or is indifferent to.

 

[...] I am not a big fan of Mainland films. I have not watched 私人訂製 and I don't plan to.

Might be worth trying it to see if you like 馮小剛's comedy, which is very different from the humor in 鬥牛, for example.

[gato]

Both were effectively banned, according to Wikipedia, so not a surprise they are different than most mainland movies. Presumably the director knew his audience was the international market instead of the mainland market.

Have you seen the movies?

Directors are like writers. You can think of it as 80% personal and 20% market. Feng Xiaogang is not going to be able to make a so-call "international market" movie, no matter hard he tries. Nor would Wang Kar-wai be able to make so-called "mainland" movie, no matter hard he tries.

[skylee]

I have seen many 馮小剛 films. I liked some of them, like 夜宴 and 非誠勿擾. Some of them were OK, like 唐山大地震 and 1942. I disliked 集結號 in a similar way to how I disliked 海角七號. I was never interested in 天下無賊 and do not plan to see it.

I do see many films, but I think taste is a very personal thing.

[gato]

Sure, it's personal like the music you like and clothes you wear. Likewise, there are aspects that people can like or dislike in common, as well.

[character]

Have you seen the movies?

I saw SR years ago.

 

Directors are like writers. You can think of it as 80% personal and 20% market. Feng Xiaogang is not going to be able to make a so-call "international market" movie, no matter hard he tries.

Personally 手机 feels like something I'd see at a festival. I feel it has a good mix of mainstream and art house elements. Your mileage will vary.

 

Sure, it's personal like the music you like and clothes you wear. Likewise, there are aspects that people can like or dislike in common, as well.

What I've seen is people with whom you can completely agree about one film can hold completely opposite views about another film.

[abcdefg]

I watched "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" 卧虎藏龙 this weekend for the third or fourth time. (Mandarin with English subtitles.) I never tire of it and always discover interesting new bits. What a great movie!

[gato]

I think what ruin it for me was Michelle Yeoh's terrible Mandarin. I read that she's a Malaysian Cantonese speaker, didn't know any Mandarin at the time and had to cram Mandarin for the filming. It sounded like it in the movie.

[skylee]

I saw 魔警 (The Devil Within) today. I can't say I enjoyed it very much, although I enjoyed watching 吳彥祖 Daniel Wu. I generally dislike films involving schizophrenia and this is one of such films. I think sometimes film makers and actors mistake playing schizophrenics for being "deep".

[Melanie1989]

To Live is a really great film i watched the other day. i have read this full discussion but can't remember if anyone mentioned it. It's fairly easy for the most part to understand and it's also available for free on youtube. I think it was banned in China as it doesn't really make Communism look good, but it's a great film. Very sad, but also sweet and very real.

[Summer Song]

I have been watching dramas recently. The last Chinese movie I watched is 洪兴十三妹(Portland Street Blues).

[Lu]

忠烈楊家將 Saving general Yang. Song general goes to fight the Liao (Khitan in the subtitles), gets stuck, and his seven sons go to battle to save him. That ends about as well for them as you can imagine.

Not a very good movie; not a very bad movie either. Comparable to most of the mediocre Hollywood fare in quality. I thought it was hilarious in places (general fights on with arrow stuck in his back, stuff like that), but not necessarily ridiculous. It looked like whoever was in charge of cinematography was having a good time, there were some quite beautiful (and some of those somewhat cliche) shots in it. All in all entertaining enough, not a waste of time, but also no need to seek it out.

[beta21]

Just watched Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon again for the second time. So good. I must watch the rest of 李安's films.

[Lu]

菊豆. So very Zhang Yimou, what with Gong Li, forced marriage, picturesque rituals (the funeral, in this case) and flowing fabrics in various colours. I liked it.

Watching it with a Dutch friend and two Taiwanese, who could barely understand the Chinese spoken (the sound wasn't that clear and the character's Mandarin not entirely standard), so that we ended up translating half the movie back from the Dutch subtitles, using the Chinese that we understood as crutch. 听力, 口语 and 翻译 practice all in one!

[Koonder]

A few days ago, I saw 不二神探; Jet Li and some well known mainland actors are starring in this movie. 

The movie has bad ratings on IMDB, but IMO it is actually quite a funny movie. It reminds me of the old cheesy HK action movies, which I disliked and never bothered to watch in the past. If you're like me, I think you'll enjoy this cheesy action flick. 

 

不二神探 is easy to follow, and the spoken language is mandarin.