A R O U N D T O W N 發光的城市 17 TAI P EI TIME S • F RI D A Y , D E C EM B ER 5 , 2 0 0 8 For a film that involves a brutal stabbing, “ cannibalism, and the dispatch of PAINTED SKIN (畫皮) one character through poison, DIRECTED BY: GORDON CHAN (陳嘉上) ‘Estomago’ manages to be STARRING: DONNIE YEN (甄子丹) AS extremely funny in an YONG, ZHAO WEI (趙薇) AS PEIRONG, ZHOU XUN (周迅) AS XIAOWEI, CHEN off-kilter sort of way. KUN (陳坤) AS WANG SHENG, BETTY PHOTOS COURTESY OF ZEUS INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTIONS SUN (孫儷) AS XIA BING ” LANGUAGE: IN MANDARIN WITH stomago is a cautionary Estomago deals ENGLISH AND CHINESE SUBTITLES tale that serves up its mostly with character Emorals with a twist and types, and in this RUNNING TIME: 103 MINUTES a knowing smile. When we respect harks back to Zhou Xun shines as the vixen in Painted Skin. PHOTO COURTESY OF DOUBLE EdGE ENTERTAINMENT first meet Raimundo Nonato an ancient tradition TAIWAN RELEASE: TODAY (Joao Miguel), he is just off of morality plays. The the bus at a big city terminal cynical eye with which with nothing much more than these types and the the clothes on his back, a total workings of the world A supernatural innocent from the backwoods. are observed, however, is He finds himself a job at a definitely modern. Nonato, local diner and discovers that like many innocents, is love triangle whatever he may lack in charm, very literal in his perception of looks or intellect, he certainly has what he sees and hears, and the BY HO YI her youth and beauty. nothing new or exciting. a way with food. This talent leads constant kitchen metaphor about STAFF REPORTER Wang, who has erotic dreams Yen delivers a refreshing him through a world where the the very best type of steak tasting An adaptation of a short story involving Xiaowei, naturally change of pace from his usual sins of lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, like the rump of a callipygian from the classic Strange Stories wants to hear nothing of it. In onscreen persona as he takes up wrath, envy and pride flourish, woman leads to an act that takes From a Chinese Studio (聊齋誌 despair, Peirong turns to Yong the role of comic relief together and by which he is eventually Estomago right out of the world 異), a collection of supernatural (Donnie Yen) for help. A former with Chinese actress Sun. Unin- swallowed up. of a restaurant rom-com and into tales by Qing Dynasty writer general himself and one-time tentionally amusing moments are The film has a rather over- the world of Hannibal Lector. Pu Sungling (蒲松齡), Painted rival of Wang for Peirong’s provided by a murderous lizard ambitious structure, cutting Although there are plenty of laughs Skin (畫皮) is designed to be a affections, Yong still carries a demon, who also has a thing for backwards and forwards between in Estomago, there is a distinct blockbuster that appeals to all torch for the general’s wife. Xiaowei, and, with his silver- Nonato’s life in the city and his shortage of beautiful people. with a recipe of ghosts, kung fu With the help of bumbling highlighted hair, looks like a life in prison, the exact sequence The acting is solid, with and romance, a little comedy demon buster Xia Bing character from a computer game. of these two parts of his life left Miguel masterful in revealing and an ensemble of Chinese (Betty Sun), Yong sets out to Painted Skin’s biggest slightly in doubt until the middle Eat the banality of evil and the fine A-listers including Zhao Wei investigate Xiaowei and the drawback is its lack of well- of the film. This leads to some line that separates evil from (趙薇), Zhou Xun (周迅), Chen series of murders in which developed romantic plots initial confusion, but director innocence. The supporting roles Kun (陳坤) and action superstar the victims’ hearts have been among its characters, especially Marcos Jorge pulls it all together or be eaten are more than adequate, and Donnie Yen (甄子丹). ripped out. The drama that the love triangle between Wang in the end, to amusing effect. while none of the characters The story begins with unfolds explores loyalty and Sheng, Xiaowei and Peirong, Nonato, as he leads his rake’s Revenge is a dish cooked up by Joao Miguel are particularly attractive, they general Wang Sheng (Chen temptation, unrequited desire which is the focal point of the progress through the superficially manage to elicit some degree of Kun) rescuing the charming and unconditional love. narrative. Incredibly miscast, very different hierarchies of the in ‘Estomago — A Gastronomic Story’ sympathy as human beings caught young Xiaowei (Zhou Xun) With its narrative-driven, Chen lacks the intensity to play restaurant world and that of the up ineluctably in a fate not of their from bandits in the desert. genre-meshing bent, Painted a husband torn between his BY IAN BARTHOLOMEW regulated mayhem of a Brazilian own making. Trouble soon arises in Wang’s Skin recalls the greatly devoted wife and a temptress, STAFF REPORTER prison, remains very much an For a film that involves a brutal household as Xiaowei plots to successful A Chinese Ghost rendering a drama that is based innocent, almost to the very end. stabbing, cannibalism and the take over as the new Mrs Wang Story (倩女幽魂) series from on intricate emotions less On his arrival in the big city, he dispatch of one character through and sows discord between the the late 1980s and early 1990s. convincing, a situation that is finds a job with miserly diner poison, Estomago manages to be general and his demure wife, The film is content to tell a only worsened by a jerky script owner Zulmiro, hooks up with extremely funny in an off-kilter Peirong (Zhao Wei). melodramatic story laced with that fails to develop chemistry the glutinous working-girl Ira, ESTOMAGO — A GASTRONOMIC STORY sort of way and contains some Jealous of her new maid, a bit of everything, and in so among the characters. connects with the proud and entertaining reflections on the DIRECTED BY: MARCOS JORGE Peirong begins to suspect that doing sets itself apart from the What impresses and engages lustful restaurant owner Giovanni, human relationship with food. Xiaowei may be responsible for hollow epics that have plagued are the performances by Zhou and at another time finds himself STARRING: JOAO MIGUEL (NONATO), FABIULA NASCIMENTO (IRIA), BABU Even after you fit all the parts of a spate of gruesome killings that Chinese cinema in recent years. and Zhao. A versatile actress, subjected to the whims of slothful SANTANA (BUJIU), CARLO BRIANI (GIOVANNI), ZECA CENOVICZ (ZULMIRO), the story together, Jorge leaves occurred upon her arrival and Leading the action is Yen, Zhou is able to instill a fair dose prison bully Bujiu. He himself PAULO MIKLOS (ETECTERA) you wondering exactly whether strives to reveal the vixen’s real engaging in a generic rooftop of humanity into her role as the succumbs to jealousy and wrath, RUNNING TIME: PORTUGUESE WITH CHINESE SUBTITLES we should despise Nonato as a identity: a fox spirit who has chase in the night, sword duels evil vixen, while Zhao shows but ultimately finds his own psychopath or cheer his success assumed human form and feeds and a blurry desert battle that composure as the loyal and somewhat twisted redemption LANGUAGE: 112 MINUTES in a world that has stacked the on human hearts to maintain are well-executed but offer modest wife. — in his own mind at least. TAIWAN RELEASE: TODAY odds against him..