Nothing
drives corruption like government land use policy. Of course, if you throw in
some illicit sex and jealousy, things can really get explosive. The Tang family
will find themselves in the eye of a brewing storm when their loves and lusts
exacerbate a political scandal in Yang Ya-che’s shamelessly entertaining The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful (trailer here), which screens
during the Seattle International Film Festival.
Madame
Tang is ostensibly just an antiquities dealer, but she has leveraged her
position as the widow of a revered general to become a behind-the-scenes
political power broker. She has essentially given up grooming her oldest
daughter Tang Ning, whose disgust at her mother’s amoral machinations manifests
in various forms of self-medication (sex, booze, pills, awkward scenes in
public). Instead, her youngest daughter, fourteen-ish Tang Chen most often assumes
co-hostess duties.
In
anticipation of a major developed project, Madame Tang has guided her political
associates to buy up parcels in an otherwise sleepy rural district, using shell
companies. Her circle of influence includes the regal wife of the speaker and
up-and-coming legislator Lin, whose family is the Tangs’ nearest neighbors.
However, the deal starts to fall apart when the Lin family is mysteriously massacred
in their home. Only their teenage daughter Lin Pien-pien survives, but only
just barely, in a comatose state. Tang Chen will be assigned her bedside vigil,
even though her relationship with the somewhat older teen is complicated—just like
everything else having to do with the Tangs.
Like
Yang’s Girlfriend Boyfriend, Bold is set in Taiwan during the 1980s,
but they feel like they are worlds apart. While his previous film is
unabashedly earnest, Bold is dark,
twisted, and maybe even a little lurid, but it sure is fun to watch the Tang
family and their associates behave spectacularly badly. There is always another
shoe left to drop, but Yang primary and over-riding concern is always Madame Tang’s
dysfunctional relationships with her daughters. Gosh, this would be such a nice
film for Mother’s Day viewing.
Speaking
of mothers, the great Kara Wai [Hui] (amid her latest career renaissance) knocks it
out of the park as the sly, string-pulling Madame Tang. One knowing look from
her is worth more than a mountain of CGI effects. Of course, we always knew she
was awesome. Probably the biggest surprise is Wu Ke-xi, who is best known for
her remarkably bold but naturalistic work in Midi Z’s docu-like films. As the hot
mess sister Tang Ning, she proves she can preen, seduce, and Dynasty-slap fiercer than anyone. Holy
cats, can she ever burn up the screen. Yet, Vicky Chen (a.k.a. Qi Chen, who was
such a revelation in Angels Wear White)
hangs with them both as the deceptively innocent-looking, utterly destabilizing
Tang Chen.
Bold is a deliciously
cynical film that is also kind of trashy, but in the best way possible. Frankly,
it would be fitting if Madame Tang warned viewers to buckle-up their seat
belts, a la late Bette Davis, because this is definitely a roller coaster ride.
It is just your basic sarcastic political melodrama, with a considerable body-count,
so what’s not to like? Very highly recommended, The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful screens tonight (5/19),
next Saturday (5/26), and the following Monday (5/28), as part of this year’s
SIFF.
