https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rZO01w8vgw
The film has a very courageous theme considering its a HK film.
The story outline itself is solid, not forced story, but its a slightly "cliché" film, with all the right conflicts, interests. The Darling Bro is a v gd character, conveniently he sings a high register cantonese opera. We see him singing not as an amateur but someone with a professional fame, even though that fame might have been in china pre-hk immigrant days - as such the later details concerning him is not quite correct. His presentation here is that of a professional w noble self awareness, compared to that in the later scenes who is presented as someone who couldnt live w his secret, thats not believable -an amateur singer, someone whos common who likes to dabble might not have the strength to have a hidden life easily, but someone who has a professional level in performance art would not have this problem. He would be able to negotiate the different roles public private much easier than an ordinary amateur performer.
Darling Bro was v convincing as a woman without heavy makeup, it is in his gestures and tone of voice. Whereas the Da Hung in pink wig is not likely a feminine character, hes in drag, and voice is not feminine at all. Hes dressed up to go to some special trans party in a jokey way. I think for someone who wants normalcy as a woman, they would not choose this kind of outfit for a first public outing.
Charicatural here and there, but the Cantonese language is v lively and fully from hk. Wai Ying Hung's character is also very vivid. However, the whole story is rather like a standard shell, thats expected according to general ideas, which is a wasted opportunity. Its like setting up a canvas and you only paste cut out newspaper dolls with general dpi and gluing them on. Had it been taken one step further, the story would have had some depth. Some places should have a deeper understanding w more relief, details. For example, if Da Hung has always wanted to be a girl, he certainly would not be dressing up in jewelry for the first time etc. He would have had a secret shoe box or something w pretty lady in diff outfits in postcards or something. Or movie stars thats not your general bombshell type of femme fatale femininity. However, the conversations between the guys, the curt unspoken way of exchange is also gd. But at some point, it should be faster or slower, with more variation in speed of the speech, type of speech. Shouldnt all be typical colloquial brush offs. Even if the character could only speak using standard phrases, because that is the milieu's lingo - he must be expressive in some way thats non verbal to make the listener see that here, he is saying more than what he is verbalising. They must know Da Hung is also interested in the boy when he was young etc. But its unspoken etc. Things not spoken has more tension then spoken words. The straight guy saying oh, how stupid he has been etc. This is really too explicit. Its much better if he didnt speak but stay stunned, kept silent for a few seconds a bit is much stronger.
What kind of depth? Human qualities. An amateur singer - if she were sensitive at all would have known about the husbands secret yearning and would not have taken such a dramatic fit. It might take time to get used to, initial shock, but not that much.
The Da Hung is actually quite a handsome guy, nice face, to be a woman, could be v fine featured too without the exaggerated makeup. Darling Bro doesnt need to dress in womanly clothes, his movement, speech is feminine, there is the big diff in acting.
As for the yg guy falling in love w Da Hung the woman, thats a bit fast. Hes a gay man, young gd looking gay man, based on what would he start a thing w Da Hung? Story telling is skipping too fast, its sliding into place too easily, too smooth hook up here - unless its a simple hook up, not important, you forget about it tomorrow, if then, the event doesnt mean much doesnt serve the purpose of the story. And the straight guy, straight guys need not be a clown macho, if he were such a person, he might do it once or twice, not wear a clown mask full time, he doesnt need such a façade because most people whether man woman trans gay are above all a human being, they dont "display" their sexual orientation all the time. Its much stronger if its revealed in small details from time to time. However, is it because the director fear that hk viewers are not able to "get it", too much subtlety will lose the audience?
Because of the "standardisation" of the cliché characters, this movie while gd, is not exceptional. I like to see the street scenes, which is good. HK as a city by itself is already full of drama and human stories because its so tightly packed. Anyone telling a day of their life has an interesting story to tell, if they tell authentic details and not trite standard shells ready-made to be worn by the actors.
Overall, its rather nice.
Aside
One time I saw at an exhibition, in Venice Biennale, an artist has found in a flea market, a photo album of two men who dressed and lived as women - from 50s? The photos were exhibited as the work. Doing ordinary family life things. And they are huge muscular guys, even in womens clothes, physically its quite obvious they are men dressing as woman. But in their daily photos, the home is v sweet and you could imagine them being v delicate. Isnt it surprising? A woman femininity is expressed through finer detailed things, soft gestures, careful details, attention in a much finer scale. A man is nice if he is slightly less detailed. The not fussiness is a masculine thing. Could be detailed, and attentive, but not in the fussing of stylistic details. I will find some concrete examples of what i mean later. In this movie if it were not for Darling bro, the Da hungs wish to become a woman since a child would be even more difficult to be convincing, no amount of tears could make it work. Darling bro lends his soft delicate light to help the DaHung character become a little bit more believable.
No comments:
Post a Comment