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Kung fu kings, queens and landlords
This weekend, enjoy cartoonish martial artists, musical musings and French cinema par excellence
Kung Fu Hustle (R)
Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle doesn't take itself seriously, but perhaps that's what makes it so charming. Chase sequences, during which legs become a blur of speed reminiscent of the famed Road Runner of Looney Tunes, and dancing, axe-swinging, top-hat-wearing villains only hint at the movie's cinematic absurdity and cartoonish characterization.?In order to accept this story, to buy into the world Chow asks us to enter, we must totally abandon conventional physics and, for that matter, conventional character development.
The tale itself is as much a story of two communities as it is of the protagonist Sing, played by Chow, who also wrote the film. The plot concerns the two communities and their battles: the hierarchical and power-hungry Axe Gang and the intimate, humble and empathy-filled hamlet of Pig Sty.
Sing and his friend Bone pick on hapless barbers and villagers in Pig Sty, all the while pretending to be part of the notorious Axe Gang. Their thuggish behavior is foiled by a "hidden master" (a must for any kung-fu movie, or satire). In fact, graceful martial arts talent overwhelms the quaint locale. The masters include such unexpected figures as a surly, chain-smoking landlady who brandishes a frying pan with the same grace Bruce Lee wields his nunchuks.
Adding to the satiric nature of this film, the most formidable, villainous master, known only as "The Beast," has all the visually intimidating presence of an accountant.? Sing discovers the world of these hidden masters, and caught between the power of the good-hearted masters of Pig-Sty and the mercenary masters of the axe gang, he is forced to re-evaluate his own history and life.?
Sing, who at first seems to be little more than a thug, has an excting back story which we learn through flashback. He eventually joins the more moral community, the "good guys," and their struggle culminates in exciting, visually unique and cinematically-engaging fight sequences.It isn't a terribly profound story, but quite a seductive one. Chow creates a world of surreal images, and if we accept this zaniness, the simple satiric charm of the story emerges.
-reviewed by John Richards
Rent (PG-13)
Story adaptations from one medium to another always make for tricky transitions. For Rent, the hit Broadway pop-rock musical about the "Bohemians" and HIV-positive of New York's East Village, reaction has been varied. Broadway die-hards insist that the film doesn't live up to expectations. New viewers seem to wonder what all the fuss is about. But for others, like me, it simply gets the job done the best way it can.
Beginning on Christmas Eve, 1989, Rent is the story of broke roommates Mark and Roger whose rent is due to their landlord and former friend Benny. Benny wants to buy up the lot and turn it into a corporate cyber studio, and Mark, Roger and their neighbors are not too happy about it. One such neighbor, Mimi (Rosario Dawson), a heroin-addicted exotic dancer, takes an interest in Roger, who initially refuses her advances. Their chemistry crackles as the two turn out to have more in common. Their relationship is the focal point of the film and has several musical numbers dedicated to it.
Make no mistake, Rent is entirely an ensemble film. It is essentially a story of friends, some infected with HIV, others protesting gentrification and some empathetically remembering past relationships. Despite the daily conflict, trauma and fear they encounter, the film's message to live life to the fullest and love generously is clear without becoming saccharine or schmaltzy.
However, while the message is heartfelt, a few things get bungled in the execution. For example, the writers seem to be worried we'll miss the film's topic. The word "AIDS" is used far more frequently in the film than in the Broadway show. The distrust of film audiences continues when the stage production's operatic style gives way to regular dialogue and a handful of songs are cut. But the Rent-head in me wants to believe that the intent is to preserve as many old fans and gain as many new fans as possible, maintaining a shaky balance between the two.
Director Chris Columbus, also known for his work with the first two Harry Potter adaptations, should be credited for keeping most of the original cast, aside from Dawson and Tracie Thoms, whose parts' original actresses declined to play. The cast is solid and fairly adept at scaling down their theatrical performances, despite a few missteps. The musical numbers serve a story-telling purpose and often use montages to explain back story in a way the stage production could not. "One Song Glory" shows the details of Roger's past addiction and acquisition of HIV through a suicidal girlfriend, details that are more visually appealing than the brief dialogue in the show. Similarly, "Out Tonight," Mimi's song, revs us up for another plea to Roger as we get a glimpse of her world as an exotic dancer. At the end of the title track, the residents of the Village ignite their eviction notices and toss them into the air in a digital conflagration that would have been impossible onstage and even on film a decade ago.
Ultimately, Rent questions the best way to measure quality of life. The film also asks its loyal fans to take the story as it is, no matter what form it takes.
-reviewed by Nora Skelly
Kings and Queen (unrated)
In Plato's world of forms, Arnaud Desplechin's Kings and Queen would sit beside truth, love and beauty as the idealized "150-minute-long French film." It is an amazing example of the art of European filmmaking, but a film of this length and type may be engaging to only select audiences.
The story is split into two interrelated parts. The first storyline tells of the strikingly beautiful Nora, a single mother caring for her father, who suffers from a devastating illness. The other storyline focuses on a scruffy violist named Ismael who has been forcefully admitted to a psych ward. There are several major plot twists and one in particular that will shatter nearly all the viewer's previous conceptions.
Our perceptions of truth are a major theme of the film and perhaps the most important to the director. Desplechin uses these perceptions to manipulate the truth. His characters' personalities are manipulative as well, and we only gain a full understanding of these individuals at the end of the film. At moments like these, we realize the film's artistry.
Not many modern films can have such an effect on its viewers. That being said, the film is made for insatiable film lovers, undaunted by the movie's length and Desplechin's nearly pretentious yet masterful direction, and may be inaccessible to others.
-reviewed by Tony DalPra
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