Ringo Lam’s Sky on Fire

There is a great deal of deliberate confusion regarding non-controversial adult, amniotic, umbilical, and pluripotent stem cell treatments and the hot-button issue of embryonic stem cells. Ringo Lam is about to muddy the waters even further. “Ex-stem cells” (or super-stem cells, depending on the translation) are the Macguffin of his latest action film. What are Ex-stem cells? They are extra-special and can apparently cure cancer just by looking at it. Where do they come from? Essentially from the late Prof. Poon’s missing research journal. The private Sky One clinic is carrying on his work, but his protégés have very different goals in Lam’s Sky on Fire (trailer here), which opens this Friday in New York.

After losing his wife to cancer, Chong Tin-po considers his work as chief of security for the Sky One clinic a personal calling. It is a big job protecting the Mainland skyscraper facility, but he is a hardnosed kind of guy. However, the events that follow the theft of a shipment of Ex-stem cells shakes his faith in the clinic director, Tong Wing-cheung, who sends along some suspiciously thuggish back-up for the recovery operation. Chong also cannot help feeling for Chia-chia and his step-sister Jen. They came from Taiwan seeking treatment at Sky One for her late-stage cancer, but threw their lot in with the hijackers when the clinic gave them the run around. At least Chong still trusts Gao Yu, Tong’s estranged wife and partner, who also studied under the murdered Prof. Poon.

Arguably, Sky is over-stuffed with supporting characters and the ending is supposed to be cathartic, but it is highly problematic from a moral-ethical perspective, if you think about it for more than two seconds. On the plus side, Daniel Wu pretty much puts the world on notice he can take all the steely cool-as-Elvis action protagonist gigs Andy Lau is aging out of, ever so disgustingly gracefully. As Chong, Wu broods, runs, and fights convincingly and looks good doing it.

Zhang Jingchu also adds some tragic grace as Gao Yu, even developing some tantalizingly ambiguous chemistry with Wu. Joseph Chang Hsiao-chuan and Amber Kuo are enormously likable as the Taiwanese step-siblings, but she really ought to look for a good action role (like fellow Tiny Times co-star Mi Yang throwing down in Wu Dang), or risk getting type-cast as a cute but passive victim.

Call me a hand-wringer, but it really seems like the conclusion holds massively conspicuous implications Lam just ignores. Yet he can get away with it, because deftly turned action sequences always trump pedantry—and Lam still proves he has the master’s touch. Recommended despite the nagging issues for fans of Lam and the popular cast, Sky on Fire opens this Friday (12/2) in New York, at the AMC Empire.

NYAFF ‘16: Keeper of Darkness

Being haunted by a ghost that looks like Amber Kuo does not sound so bad. In fact, it is rather pleasant. So much so, moving on will be an issue for both the spirit of Cherr and Wong Wing-fatt, the gritty exorcist she “haunts” (for lack of a better term). However, hastening the departure of a very angry vengeance-seeking ghost will take priority over personal karma issues in Nick Cheung’s Keeper of Darkness (trailer here), which screens during the 2016 New York Asian Film Festival.

Wong lives on the margins of society, largely maintaining nocturnal hours. He will accept exorcism gigs, but he also seems to have an ambiguous affiliation with a local triad. After video of his latest ghost-busting goes viral, aspiring writer Fong Zi-ling approaches the mystery man, hoping for some sensational dish. She will get way, way more than she bargained for.

The vaguely Lurch looking Hark has been seeking out psychics, demanding they find the man responsible for the brutal murder of his family and killing them when their dubious gifts are exposed. Recognizing Wong is the real deal (The Force is strong in this one), Hark gives him a three-day deadline. With Fong’s research assistance, Wong delves into the 1969 murders, but he intends to disperse Hark rather than facilitate his revenge. However, the clock is also ticking with respect to his relationship with Cher. After years spent lingering on our plane, she is finally due to reincarnate in the days to come. Yet, she worries about leaving Wong alone.

While there is plenty of spooky Hong Kong ghost movie atmospherics going on in Keeper, it builds towards a surprisingly poignant climax, in the tradition of Richard Matheson’s relationship-driven films and novels (such as What Dreams May Come). The pseudo-love triangle-ish kind of thing that develops between Wong, Cherr, and Fong is emotionally intelligent and totally credibly (given the fantastical circumstances). Frankly, Keeper packs a wallop when it fully reveals Wong and Cherr’s backstory.

For his second directorial outing, HK superstar Nick Cheung creates a rather messy world, but there is an eerie logic to it. We have seen plenty of ghost films before, but he and screenwriter Yeung Sin-ling give the genre at least three or four fresh twists. He also looks massively weird with bleach blond hair.

As the ghostess with the mostess, Kuo puts the Demi Moore movie to shame with her sensitive, downright ethereal performance. Newcomer Sisley Choi plays Fong with an appropriate blend of moxie and skittishness. Former Shaolin monk Xing Yu (a.k.a. Shi Yanneng) unleashes a death stare for Hark that makes potted plants and small animals wither and die. Plus, there are at least half a dozen big name stars making appearances in various states of death or possession.

Arguably, Cheung drags things out five or ten minutes past the point the end titles should have been rolling, but it is still a nifty supernatural thriller. There are some genuinely creepy sequences, but it is character that really powers the film. Highly recommended for fans of Cheung and genre-bending horror films, Keeper of Darkness screens this Saturday (7/9) at the SVA Theatre, as part of this year’s NYAFF.

LAAPFF ’15: (Sex) Appeal

This Taiwanese film fully capitalizes on Taitung’s scenic backdrops and its protagonist is often seen listening to headphones. Superficially, it might look a lot like the popular and critical hit The Most Distant Course, but this is a radically different film. For one thing, the young woman in question is not trying to hear a human connection in mysteriously provided audio recordings. Rather, she is trying to blot out the outside world after suing the popular professor who raped her in Wang Wei-ming’s (Sex) Appeal (trailer here), which screens tomorrow during the 2015 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

Even though Pai Hui-hua is from Taipei, she is one of the most innocent new arrivals at her Taitung liberal arts college. On the train, she meets cute with Wang Mu-hung, but she is not convinced he is serious enough for her. Like many freshmen, she is in awe of orchestra director Li Jen-fang, so she understandably accepts his potentially problematic lunch invitations. Unfortunately, Li soon forces himself on her in his office. Confused about her feelings for the married professor and ill-equipped to deal with his behavior, Pai lets the situation continue until she finally attempts suicide.

In a massive conflict of interest, the campus victims’ advocate happens to be Li’s wife, criminal law professor Lin An-ni. Instead of representing Pai, she will essentially prosecute the damaged student when she finally presses charges. Frankly, her attorney is also somewhat problematic. Fang An-yu is something like a Taiwanese Gloria Allred, who has been opposing the university in a murky land use litigation that is never coherently established. She only took the case at the insistence of Pai’s counselor, Wang Wen-hui, a former friend with whom she had a falling out years ago.

Aside from Fang and Wang’s overly melodramatic spats, (Sex) is an unusually mature and challenging drama. Granted, there is never any question Li is guilty, but it vividly demonstrates how ordinary human weaknesses can be exploited after the fact. Pai becomes a victim several times over, pushing away Wang Mu-hung (whom viewers become rather attached to), because that is the sort of thing that happens in such situations.

Those who primarily know Amber Kuo from the Tiny Times franchise will be floored by the power and vulnerability of her performance as Pai. She has some tough scenes with no place to hide, but she forces the audience to watch and feel her torment. Likewise, Vivian Hsu is terrific as Fang, at least when she is not clawing with counselor Wang. Yet, it is TV star Yuan Huang’s Wang Mu-hung who serves as the conscience of the film. His sensitive portrayal makes it impossible to dismiss (Sex) as some sort of anti-male polemic. Indeed, it is about a host of unequal power relationships, starting with teachers and students, but also incorporating the popular versus the unpopular and the well-connected versus the socially marginalized.

(Sex) features some very big names (Kuo and Hsu) working at the top of their games. It is hard to watch at times, but it deftly reflects the manner in which insanity is apt to run unchecked through university campuses. Highly recommended, (Sex) Appeal screens tomorrow (4/28), as part of this year’s LAAPFF.

Triumph in the Skies: Hong Kong’s Favorite Way to Fly

Where American networks failed with shows like Pan Am and LAX, Hong Kong found tremendous success with a prime time airliner drama. While it had the benefit of some star power from Francis Ng and Michelle Ye, it was really the multi-character romances that were powering the show. How big was it? Big enough to snag a New Year’s theatrical release for the big screen edition. Hearts will be broken on multiple continents in Wilson Yip & Matt Chow’s Triumph in the Skies (trailer here), which is now playing in New York and select markets.

By-the-book Captain “Sam” Tong and his not-so-by-the-book co-pilot Jayden Koo used to be a regular flight crew, but they have split up. Tong is still the senior officer with Skylette, but the new boss’s son and heir apparent, Branson Cheung, has assigned him to serve as the technical advisor for their new commercial starring rock-star diva TM Tam. Nobody on-set wants to hear his quibbles, except maybe Tam. There are such polar opposites, they naturally start to attract.

Cheung, who also serves as a Skylette flight captain, is rather surprised to find his old flame Cassie Poon Ka-sze is part of the crew on his newly assigned plane. She is still disappointed he put their relationship on hold to please his father, but the sparks are still there. Meanwhile, Koo or “Captain Cool,” has landed a cushy job as the private pilot of a party plane, where he meets the seemingly ambitionless Kika Sit. However, he realizes almost too late there is far more to her story.

If you have seen a few Chinese romantic comedies you will basically know what to expect here, but Yip & Chow’s execution is wildly slick and lethally effective. You are not likely to see a sparklier movie anytime soon. Triumph has so much jet-setting, it makes Sex in the City look like EastEnders.

Sure, it is tons of manipulative, yet each of the three primary story arcs works surprising well, with the best being Tong’s halting flirtation with Tam. It is also the best written braided-storyline, featuring some wry, understated dialogue and terrific chemistry between series veteran Francis Ng and Sammi Cheng. You can almost think of it as an HK version of a James L. Brooks late middle-age relationship film. She also performs a catchy punk version of “Over the Rainbow” that will make you think that was what Harold Arlen & Yip Harburg really had in mind the whole time.

In contrast, Triumph totally goes for the tears with Captain Cool’s possibly tragic romance, but Amber Kuo just lights up the screen as Kika Sit. Of course, Julian Cheung is not exactly is not exactly a jowly sourpuss either—and they both know how to crank up the cute in their big feature spots.

The third romance starring Louis Koo is a lot like an HK rom-com starring Louis Koo, but it is still one of the better ones. Again, he and Charmaine Sheh have surprisingly strong chemistry. However, the notion of an attractive working woman sitting around waiting for the man who walked out of her life to saunter back might not sit too well with American audiences.

Despite the vaguely Leni Riefenstahl-ish title, Triumph in the Skies is a pleasingly upbeat and colorful film. These days, it is just no fun whatsoever to fly on a commercial airliner or schlep through an airport, but it would be worth taking off your belt and shoes to fly with the ridiculously good looking crews of Skylette. Maybe it is a guilty pleasure, but it is fun. Recommended for those looking for an entertaining movie romance that pretty much covers all the bases, Triumph is now playing in New York at the AMC Empire.