Sunday, October 30, 2005

Hong Kong movie industry

My housemates and I were talking about how nowadays, there seems to be a lack of good hongkong movies (see the Don's latest post for example). Jacky Chan is turning into a clown for Hollywood and most movies out in recent years feature the Gen Y boyish actors like Daniel Wu, Edison Chan and a few others who all look the same to me. Good-looking? Yes they are. But the plot is weak and their acting? Well, we sense they were no match for veterans such as Tony Leung, Anita Mui, Leslie Cheung, Gallen Lo and Maggie Cheung.

When was the last time you saw a really good HK movie? Mine was Kung Fu Hustle. Do you feel that the films they churn out now have very weird dialogues? There's a sense that they are trying very hard to imitate Wong Kar Wai, with all the weird scripts. Here's something that's rather typical:

Her: Don't you feel that love is like a cup of coffee?
Him: Hmm...
Her: It takes a lot of work to make a good cup of coffee... The water temperature must be just right, the amount of coffee powder to put has to be just so and with the perfect sweetness and just a tinge of bitterness...
Him: Yes! Love IS coffee!

Cuties girls just prance around the screen proclaiming their love for their new found sexuality while boys with devil-may-care attitudes seem more concerned about their hair than anything else.

We were also wondering whether there are any actors now who are really versatile. Those from Tony Leung's era don't count. Can you think of any? We can't.

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