Isabella (Pang Ho-Cheung, 2006)

[Michael Kerpan]

Possibly the best 2006 film I am likely to see. A visually extraordinary ('scope format) film -- which makes incredible use of a mostly green, red and yellow palette (but with an altenate palette of mostly blue, green and white). Set in Macao, right before the Portuguese returned this colony to Chinese control at the end of 1999, this tells the story of a young girl (played by canto-pop star, Isabella Leong) who seeks out her father, a dissolute, not very honest policeman father (Chapman To), when she begins running out of money following the death of her mother. The girl rather gleefully puts a major crimp into her father's (many) romantic affairs, while fending off a trustworthy (but a bit dull) male high school friend. All the while, she and her father are seeking her lost dog -- dumped out of her prior apartment by a mean-spirited landlord. This won a prize in Berlin for its beautiful (Portuguese-inflecred) musical score -- but is exceptional in every respect. a masterpiece. (And the HK DVD is almost perfect -- barring its failure to translate some bits of Portuguese).

[Miguel]

Thanks for the recommendation. I was a bit put off by the comparison in this review to Luc Besson's 'Léon', a movie that I don't really care for, but I'll give it a chance a now.

[Michael Kerpan]

"Isabella" is a LOT more ethically and philosphically complicated than "Leon". (It seems to have a real religious underpinning).

And its al lot more visually beautiful than Leon.

Needless to say, I totally disagree with the cited review's assessment of the film. ;~}

[Lino]

This movie is going to be so big in Portugal! I just know it -- saw the trailer and I am hooked! I never thought Fado music could suit an asian film so much!

BTW, Kerpan -- if you're having trouble with the portuguese language, please don't hesitate to ask me for help, ok? If there's anything you don't understand, go right ahead and ask me.

[Michael Kerpan]

None of the unsubbed Portuguese dialog seemed crucial -- and I probably could have figured it out -- if I tried harder. But I will keep your kind offer in mind. ;~}

This film really deserves a wider audience -- but I sort of doubt it will show up in the US. I hope I'm wrong, though.

[yoshimori]

Glad you liked it.

I was somewhat put off by the William Chang wannabe art direction - Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's Invisible Waves, which I also saw at the Hong Kong Film Festival, had the same 'problem' - and what to me was a pretty by-the-book narrative. The light was nice, but the pace was a bit flaccid, the characters either dull or hipster-indie kooky. The score didn't work for me - both on its own as an element of the film, and due to the gnawing feeling that the idea derived too much from Wong Kar-wai.

[Michael Kerpan]

Well -- I didn't feel this was especially WKW-ish.

As to William Chang -- I thought the art direction here was more effective than Chang's work in ""Everlasting Regret" (though that was one of the better aspects of Stanley Kwan's film).

Yoshimori -- you like "avant-garde" cinema -- and I don't -- so it is unsurprising that you would find this dull and tame (and I wouldn't).

;~}

[yoshimori]

Yoshimori -- you like "avant-garde" cinema -- and I don't -- so it is unsurprising that you would find this dull and tame (and I wouldn't).

;~}

!! How'bout this?

Michael -- you like "[fill in the blank with whatever you like]" cinema -- and I (sometimes) don't -- so it is unsurprising that you would find this visually extraordinary and philosophically complicated (and I wouldn't).

:)

Now we're even! :)

Honestly though, I'm not quite sure what you mean by avant-garde. If you mean Chaplin, Eisenstein, Ozu, Welles, Hitchcock, Bergman, Sirk, Bresson, Godard, Resnais, Malick, Roeg, Rosi, the Coens, Lynch, Kitano, Iwai, Desplechin, et al. then I guess I like avant-garde cinema. I didn't know you were anti-these-guys.

And my reaction to Everlasting Regret differs from yours too. Though I wouldn't say I particularly liked the film as a whole, the art direction was the real McCoy. Daring and beautiful. I'm not sure how you judge the one more "effective" than the other. Both were pretty obtrusive. I found the one derivative and distracting and the other occasionally breathtaking.

[Grimfarrow]

Possibly the best 2006 film I am likely to see. a masterpiece.

You must be kidding. A masterpiece? For a film so badly acted and undercooked and stamped with "WKW-lite" all over it? It's not going to be in my top 50 of the year, let alone a "masterpiece"!

[Michael Kerpan]

So, folks, I guess I'm just a sap.

But I liked this a lot -- just the same.

;~}

[Grimfarrow]

There's a big difference in being a sap and not even recognising how horrible Isabella Leong's "acting" was. I wanted to just kill the dog and leave the carcass at her door so she'd stop yelling "ISABELLA!!!" so unconvincingly.

[Michael Kerpan]

> I wanted to just kill the dog and leave the carcass at her door

;~{

I thought IL was cute. And I didn't mind her performance at all.

[Lino]

Kerpan, don't mind Grimfarrow. I have found that most of the films he doesn't like, I end up loving them. Different strokes, I guess.

Anyway, Isabella sounds and looks like a wonderful movie and I am very eager to check it out. Let's see if it opens around here but if it doesn't, be sure that I will order the DVD.

[Michael Kerpan]

Grimfarrow is a good guy (Yoshimori too) -- but I don't worry too much about them dislking what I like (or vice versa). ;~}

Terrible confession -- I don't care much for WKW. I don't dislike the films I've seen (Chungking Express and Ashes of Time), but (at the same time) these did not inspire me to rush out and see other films by him. I frankly prefer Ann Hui, Johnnie To and Stanley Kwan to (what I've seen by) WKW. That probably means that it iis impossible to see eye to eye with most people here. Since so many people with excellent taste idolize him, I just assume that I must have some deficiency in my film sensitivities -- but I refuse to worry much about this.

[Grimfarrow]

Ugh, Michael and I have communicated via this forum for a while now, and while we have our own tastes, but we've always respecteds each other's taste (even when it comes to Shiota - haha). I'm just being very frank with my disappointment that he actually called this flick a masterpiece Why Michael, why?!??!?!

Also, the film will never open near you, because no one bought the US distribution rights...

[Grimfarrow]

Glad you liked it.

I was somewhat put off by the William Chang wannabe art direction - Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's Invisible Waves, which I also saw at the Hong Kong Film Festival, had the same 'problem' - and what to me was a pretty by-the-book narrative. The light was nice, but the pace was a bit flaccid, the characters either dull or hipster-indie kooky. The score didn't work for me - both on its own as an element of the film, and due to the gnawing feeling that the idea derived too much from Wong Kar-wai.

I liked WAVES more than ISABELLA, but I do agree both films have problems (specifically, WAVES has similar casting issues - Gang Hye Jung was terrible, as is Isabella Leong). As an artistic statement though, WAVES is miles ahead of ISABELLA - at least Pen-ek has original ideas!

But we've discussed this before, so I'll leave it at that

[Michael Kerpan]

Okay. Grimfgarrow -- I will suspend the designation "masterpiece" pending re-watching -- and until I see more Asian films from this year.

But the reason I used it, is that I enjoyed watching the film -- a whole lot. And that is more than I can say about the WKW films I've seen (which I enjoyed -- but only modestly). ;~}

BTW -- I WAS disappointed with Shiota's "Canary" -- as a narrative matter. But I did like lots about it nonetheless. And I am grateful for getting to see Yukiko Inoue once again.

[Lino]

Also, the film will never open near you, because no one bought the US distribution rights...

What made you think I live in the US? I'm from Portugal and was born portuguese. And the fact that this film deals with Macao (former portuguese colony) makes all the logic in the world to open here.

[Michael Kerpan]

It will be interestingg to see if "Isabella" DOES get picked up for distribution in Portugal.

The mystery to me is why Zhang Yimou's "Keep Cool" apparently was only distributed in Spain --- I can't see any unique Spanish connection for this. ;~}

[Grimfarrow]

Also, the film will never open near you, because no one bought the US distribution rights...

What made you think I live in the US? I'm from Portugal and was born portuguese. And the fact that this film deals with Macao (former portuguese colony) makes all the logic in the world to open here.

If you ask nicely I can ask Pang Ho-cheung if the film has distribution in Portugal

[Grimfarrow]

Okay. Grimfgarrow -- I will suspend the designation "masterpiece" pending re-watching -- and until I see more Asian films from this year.

Yes, especially with HANA (Kore-eda), SYNDROMES AND A CENTURY (Weerasethakul), THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT (Hui), THE BANQUET (Feng), I DON'T WANT TO SLEEP ALONE (Tsai), SPARROW (To), CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER (Zhang), STILL LIFE (Jia), the new Gu Changwei and tons more coming in the pipelines...you just cannot say what's a masterpiece yet!!!

Haven't seen CANARIA yet...Will see if I can check it out somehow.

[Michael Kerpan]

My favorite title for an upcoming film is that of Ann Hui's film. ;~}

"Kanaria" is a frustrating mix of excellent bits and annoying ones -- rather like "Moonlight Whispers". Overall I like Kanaria considerably more than MW -- but its no competition for Kore'eda's "Distance" and "Nobody Knows" (both of which it shares some themes).

[Grimfarrow]

Oh, I forgot the new Kon Satoshi, new Mamoru Oshii, new Tian Zhuangzhuang, new Tsukamoto Shinya, new Miike (SCARS OF THE SUN), etc...

Imagine...all this in 2006!!!

[Michael Kerpan]

Imagine...all this in 2006!!!

Of course I won't SEE most of the new 2006 films I want to see until 2008 or so.

;~}

[yoshimori]

Of course I won't SEE most of the new 2006 films I want to see until 2008 or so.

;~}

Was just about to write the same thing!

Mr Grimfarrow: Is the Jia the doc on mutes? Have you seen it? Is it my favorite film of all time? Are the Tsai and Miike films finished? Have you seen them? Brief remarks? Maybe you should start a thread called "Why you all hate me, Mr Grimfarrow" which consists solely of a list of all the great films you've seen but which will never make it to LA or Boston! :)