Movies Viewed week of 08/07

This was again a low movie week. With an important conference coming up the next week, there was not much time for movie viewing. Regardless the movies which I did see were:

1. Red Cherry (Hong ying tao)(95) (China) (Russian/German/Mandarin)
2. Raise the Red Lantern (Da hong deng long gao gao gua) (91) (China) (Mandarin)
3. Shower (Xizao) (99) (China) (Mandarin)


Red Cherry is a world war II movie set in Russia where two chinese students are studying. Mainly about the ravaging effects of the German invasion of Russia and the effects on the students. And the effects of Power the conquerers have on the conquered. It is certainly a very stunning movie to see and is supposedly based on a true story. Always refreshing to see a slightly different aspect of anything, but bottom line antiwar movie seen through the eyes of the children.

Raise the Red Lantern is an absolutely stunning movie. The stiry in itself is not much to write about but in old china girls with no other way of having a livelihood found themselves willing to be concubines. Mainly a story of a man married to 4 wives, Gong Li being the 4th of them. Certainly an interesting watch, based on a story by Su Tong. (Have not read anything by him but his novels & stories are on my list of readings)

Movie Viewied for the Week of 07/31

Was a low movie week. Some of the movies which I intended to watch did not materialize.

1. Napoleon Dynamite (2004) (US)
2. Enduring Love (2004) (UK)

Napoleon Dynamite was a brilliantly absurd movie.....absurd being the key. It ranks high among my immensely enjoyable list. High school kid, misfit, bunch of misfits...certainly interesting.

Enduring Love left me very very dissatisfied. It starts of with a Hot Air Balloon disaster. It is downhill all the way actually after that. I never read the novel by Ian McEwen, dunno if it feels so non-cohesive as the movie felt. It certainly did not have the feel of a mystery movie nor that of an eccentric love story.

Till next week then.