16 發光的城市 A R O U N D T O W N FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2009 • TAIPEI TIMES

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Compiled by Martin Williams The Hangover By all reliable critics’ accounts Scud comes up this is a must-see comedy about a bunch of buddies for whom a bachelor party in Las Vegas goes seriously belly-up. Raunchy and smart, it also defies this Michael Bay era of non-existent characterization by putting genuinely with a dud interesting, funny, perverse and sympathetic characters in a world of pain (not just hangovers), starting with a missing groom, a mystery baby and a tiger in the hotel room. Features a cameo by Mike Tyson. These gentlemen, as lovable as they are, are surely fortunate they didn’t star in ...

Teeth There are two posters for this envelope-pushing and gory horror comedy. The more subtle one shows a teenage girl’s head peering out of a bubble bath, while the other is a remarkably literal X-ray capture of this film’s central conceit: the nice young woman hides dangerous dentures where men would like them the least. And they come in useful, too, as award-winning actress Jess Weixler protects her virginal self from a range of gentlemen who might just get what they deserve. This film took more than two years to get a release here, and was directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein (Roy’s son), who many moons ago fter sharing directorial credits with Lawrence homoerotic utopia. Permanent Residence holds a mirror up to its played the white gay lover in Ang Lee’s (李安) The Wedding ‘Permanent Banquet. See it with someone you’d love to be docked. Lau (劉國昌) for last year’s City Without The gay never-never land is effectively contrasted director’s soul. Photos: courtesy of Nan Fang Film Residence’ would have A Baseball (無野之城), a movie about Hong with the confining world of social norms that force Kong’s only amateur baseball team that featured a Windson to stay with a woman who expects wedded Blood: The Last Vampire been a much more fair amount of full frontal nudity, Scud (雲翔) returns bliss. The familiar torments of coming out will strike a This is a live-action remake enjoyable gay flick with Permanent Residence (永久居留). The semi- chord with many Asian audience members. autobiographical movie traces the life of its protagonist Its honest, well-intended portrait of gay/straight of the heavily touted manga if the audience were from his birth in the 1960s to his death some 80 relationships is the film’s only saving grace. Alternating from 2000, this time with years later and deals with homosexual awakening, between homoerotica and existential contemplations French director Chris Nahon spared the feeling that unrequited love and musings on life and death. on life and death, the film is stylistically inconsistent, at the helm. A centuries-old the film was not based It is an honest and affected gay drama, but the which shows that director Scud still has a lot to learn. semi-vampire in the guise of a film’s unbridled self-indulgence may be its undoing. Permanent Residence tries to blend together too Japanese girl has a score to settle with a swathe of demon- on the director’s life Ivan (Sean Li, 李家濠) is an IT professional who many subjects — love, relationships, identity and like creatures, the apparent leader of which dispatched her works hard and has no time for dating. The young man family — but none of them is fully explored. The father. There’s no shortage of bloody combat to be found, and the trailer is attractive enough, but there are rumblings By Ho Yi is forced to come face-to-face with his sexuality when movie flits from China to Japan, Israel to Thailand, out there about below-par special effects and fight Staff reporter Josh (Jackie Chow, 周德邦) from Israel asks if he is to Australia, but instead of conveying philosophical gay during a television talk show in which the two are undertones, the backdrops merely serve the purpose sequences. In the end, it might come down to whether you guest speakers and a life-long friendship begins. of vain embellishment and are superfluous. prefer your carnage inflicted by a brooding, muscle-flexing After entering the gay world, Ivan meets Windson The unexpected coda exudes a sci-fi, futuristic male or a Japanese schoolgirl (OK, OK, so the actress is (Osman Hung, 洪智傑), who professes to be straight. charm and provides entertainment value with its Korean). Tarantino fans will obviously go for the latter. A curious friendship blossoms between the two artlessness and stylistic oddity. Permanent involving many episodes of nude wrestling, swimming, What is a real turn-off, however, is the unbridled Residence (永久居留) Paris 36 embracing and sharing a bed. Though apparently narcissism acutely felt throughout the movie. attracted to the free-spirited Ivan, Windson insists on Filmmakers often mine their personal experiences, The trials and tribulations of 雲翔 limiting their relationship to nothing more than kisses but in this case the results are overbearing. DIRECTED BY: Scud ( ) a 1930s music hall in Paris and fondling. Ivan lives his childhood years in China and is given the melodramatic STARRING: Sean Li (李家濠) as Ivan, When Windson announces he plans to wed his becomes an IT success in Hong Kong. Same with effort that reminds one of Osman Hung (洪智傑) as Windson, long-time girlfriend, Ivan is devastated and sets off on Scud. Ivan moves to Australia and returns to Hong Cinema Paradiso. Unlike Jackie Chow (周德邦) as Josh a journey of discovery that takes him from Israel to Kong to make a baseball movie. Ditto Scud. Egocen- that sentimental favorite, however, most reviewers did not get on side with this one, Thailand to Australia and finally back to Hong Kong. tric in the extreme, Permanent Residence contains Language: in Cantonese, English Permanent Residence is flamboyantly out. With many moments of self-promotion, including a scene in complaining of shallowness, tedium and generic elements and Mandarin with Chinese and as the music hall operators contend with ominous political the bodies of avid gym-goers, both leads take delight which Ivan’s brother urges him to reproduce because English subtitles in celebrating their naked, muscular flesh for the he’s just too talented not to pass on his genes. developments, a lack of custom and criminal intrigue. But audience’s viewing pleasure. They drop their towels Final verdict: the former IT whiz kid-turned- RUNNING TIME: 116 MINUTES it’s pretty, with lots of music. Original title: Faubourg 36. and fly kick for no apparent reason, frolic on the director may live an interesting life and have lots of beach, skinny-dip in the ocean, hold hands and stories to tell. But before Scud can make his own 8 TAIWAN RELEASE: TODAY Children of Glory share their secrets and longings in what feels like a 1/2, he needs to master self-restraint. A 2006 Hungarian production co-written by Joe Eszterhas (Basic Instinct, Showgirls), very movie involves two realities, John Travolta stars in The Taking of the had to remind myself that this the story moves between two E the one onscreen and the one Pelham 1 2 3. Photo courtesy of sony pictures was Travolta. He takes a baseline infamous water polo matches 1974 in the theater, and the interplay pretty-good movie and, through between the Soviet Union and between the two is sometimes — and this new Pelham might sheer conviction, makes it a little Hungary and the actions of a young freedom fighter and her dynamic. The Taking of Pelham have gotten some extra juice had it better than that. water polo-playing boyfriend during the infamous Soviet 1 2 3 has all the usual virtues of a tapped into those. But the remake So does Denzel Washington. He crackdown that followed the Hungarian uprising of 1956. all over again good action suspense drama, but it eschews the social context that plays the transit officer manning the Critics were divided, calling it overbearing, affecting and lacks that extra something — that made the original so compelling. controls for that sector of the New sincere by turns, and Eszterhas hasn’t had a screenplay By Mick LaSalle context, that vital interchange — happen, sooner or later, because Instead of a terrorist for a villain, York subway system, who’s the first filmed since. But sports fans intrigued by the politics behind Ny times news service, San Francisco that made the original The Taking everything was falling apart. You or someone equally mysterious, the to make contact with the hijacker sporting contests should find this fascinating, especially the of Pelham 1 2 3 such a memorable know the litany: Vietnam. Then movie gives us a lone nut and his (Travolta). Washington lends the brutal Melbourne Olympics climax. experience in 1974. Watergate. New York City was small band of thugs. character a specifically New York So, an evil mastermind decides going broke. Just getting into a Still, despite some odd choices type of working man’s diffidence to hijack a subway train and hold subway car was dangerous, even on the part of the filmmakers, this — he’s a regular guy in way over his Speeding Scandal The Taking of Pelham 123 up the city of New York for an without kidnapers or hostage remake works out better than head, forced to improvise — and we A box office smash in South enormous ransom. Today, we takers. Back then, civilization one might expect. For example, watch him grow, not in confidence Korea last year, this is a romantic DIRECTED BY: Tony Scott watch and think, sure, that could seemed to be heading off a cliff, and picture John Travolta playing a but in moral authority. This is comedy in which a has-been pop STARRING: Denzel Washington happen. There are bad people in New York, always on the cutting mentally unbalanced, emotionally strong, convincing character work. musician and radio disc jockey (Walter Garber), John Travolta the world, and anybody could edge of fashion, looked destined to erratic homicidal maniac. Then Credit some of that to Tony suddenly finds his plans for a (Ryder), Luis Guzman (Phil Ramos), become the victim of some random, hit bottom first. Thus, The Taking go to The Taking of Pelham 1 Scott. He’s a director known for comeback hitting the wall when Victor Gojcaj (Bashkim), John senseless act of violence. of Pelham 1 2 3 was more than a 2 3 and be surprised. Travolta his bombast, and rightly so, but a teenager shows up at his home claiming to be his daughter Turturro (Camonetti) But in 1974, this premise was suspense drama in 1974; it was a does not go into his charming unlike the overbearing generation — with his “grandson” in tow, to boot. Initial suspicion and received in a much different way, vision of urban apocalypse. bag of tricks. He doesn’t smile of Tony Scott imitators that have hostility in our professionally challenged hero gives way to RUNNING TIME: 106 MINUTES not as an outlandish scenario that Today we have our own visions or laugh (or even scowl like the taken root in the past 20 years, something rather more heartwarming in this Baixue theater TAIWAN RELEASE: TODAY could happen, but as a variety of the apocalypse — terrorism, civic guy in Pulp Fiction.) In fact, on this director never forgets the offering in Ximending. It helps that the kid is sweet — and that of madness that probably would catastrophe, economic collapse three occasions watching him I human element. the media are lying in wait for any slip-up by the DJ. United by blood, divided by murder Kristin Scott Thomas son — her husband Luc (Serge Weddings and a Funeral (1994). succession. It is peopled with Hazanavicius) is less than amused. In I’ve Loved You So Long, she wonderful minor characters such shines as brightly A firm believer in the payment of casts off the silk scarves, party as Papy Paul (Jean-Claude Arnaud), as ever in ‘I’ve one’s debt to society, Luc is only hats, jodhpurs and riding boots and I’ve Loved You So Long Juliette’s grandfather whose barely able to overcome his distaste replaces them with a much drabber (Il y a Longtemps que Je T’Aime) stroke-induced muteness reflects Loved You So Long’ for the convicted murderess living wardrobe accompanied by a visage her own silence, and Monsieur under his roof. Lea, on the other bleached of color. She nevertheless DIRECTED BY: Philippe Claudel Lucien (Gerard Barbonnet), an By Ian Bartholomew hand, is deeply curious about the shines as brightly as ever, albeit STARRING: Kristin Scott elderly rogue persistently trying Staff Reporter reasons behind her sister’s actions, with a different light, hinting at the Thomas (Juliette Fontaine), his luck with the ladies at the I’ve Loved You So Long (Il y a which influenced her own decision great passion beneath her calm and Elsa Zylberstein (Lea), Serge community swimming pool. No Longtemps que Je T’Aime) is to adopt. Yet Juliette remains apparently resigned exterior. Hazanavicius (Luc), Laurent more than spots and splashes a small and delicately crafted stubbornly silent, having retreated Thomas’ character plays Grevill (Michel), Frederic Pierrot across the canvas, these characters drama about a woman adapting to deep inside herself, and only brilliantly in concert with (Capitaine Faure) nevertheless enrich the film, ordinary life after spending 15 years sporadically explodes with emotion, Zylberstein’s Lea, a literature evoking the everyday needs and in prison for murder. The film is in one case against a prying social teacher who desperately wants to Language: In French with common misfortunes against which anchored on a brilliant performance worker. The magic of I’ve Loved understand or at least nurture her Chinese subtitles Juliette’s own tragedy is framed. by Kristin Scott Thomas as Juliette You So Long is the manner in which sister whose damaged soul has RUNNING TIME: 117 MINUTES Although a film that is about Fontaine, a former doctor recently Scott Thomas is able to provide come under care. Juliette, who When Kristin Scott Thomas’ character, far left, is released from prison after serving 15 death and the need to carry on in released from prison who finds a occasional glimpses into the fiercely has clearly always fought her own years for killing her child, not all her family can forgive or forget. Photo courtesy of ifilm TAIWAN RELEASE: TODAY the absence loved ones, I’ve Loved mixed reception at the home of her guarded interior of Juliette. battles, is disinclined to give her You So Long never becomes sister, Lea (Elsa Zylberstein). Thomas, a noted beauty, is sister the satisfaction of playing Juliette’s strength is sustained in they cannot understand, and as a cry for help from an inner depressing or maudlin. It is full Although Lea is somewhat best known for glamorous roles savior and thus keeps Lea at arm’s part by the self-belief of a survivor. sympathetic to those like her parole world of loneliness and despair. of the small things that make life bemused by the crime for which such as that of Katharine Clifton in length. The relationship is prickly, This makes her sometimes officer Capitaine Faure (Frederic The film progresses through good, and its wry humor, like Juliette was imprisoned — the Anthony Minghella’s The English though not without kindness and disdainful of people like Lea, Pierrot), whose inconsequential little revelations that follow Juliette’s slightly lopsided smile, is murder of her own six-year-old Patient (1995) and Fiona in Four good intentions on both sides. ignorant observers of a tragedy banter to put her at ease emerges one after the other in effortless both charming and intriguing.

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