NYAFF ‘10: Red Cliff (Uncut)

It was like the Siege of Troy without the big wooden horse. Well-known to Chinese audiences from the Fourteenth Century novel, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Battle of Red Cliff offered John Woo a huge, sprawling canvas for his first Asian produced film since answering Hollywood’s call in the early 1990’s. Featuring sweeping battle scenes, courtly intrigue, and yes, plenty of doves, Woo applied his signature action style to the 208 AD campaign in Red Cliff (trailer here), but unfortunately the version released in American was oddly abridged, losing some of its better scenes. However, the full international cut screens today as part of the New York Asian Film Festival.

In the waning days of the Han Dynasty, Prime Minister Cao Cao bullies the weak young Emperor into declaring war against Liu Bei’s peaceful Xu kingdom in the west and Sun Quan’s prosperous Wu kingdom to the South. Following a costly defeat, Liu’s strategist Zhuge Liang forges an uneasy alliance with Sun Quan by appealing to his wise Viceroy Zhou Yu, who has his own reasons for battling Cao Cao. His wife Xiao Qiao is Red Cliff’s Helen of Troy, whose beauty has haunted Cao Cao for years.

While the CGI can be a bit conspicuous at times, Woo invests the action with grit and vigor, out Bravehearting Braveheart. He stages several enormously ambitious full-scale battles worthy of Cecil B. DeMille, complete with naval skirmishes, charging cavalry, generous use of firebombs, and blizzards of arrows. Yet it is the gravity defying martial arts fight choreography that really delivers the goods.

As Zhou Yu, Tony Leung, the star of Woo’s original breakout hit Hard Boiled, brings the right heroic gravitas to credibly serve as the mature action lead, without being overshadowed by the considerable spectacle constantly enveloping him. Leung is nicely counterbalanced by Takeshi Kaneshiro as the mystical Zhuge (who turns out to be a walking second century Farmer’s Almanac). Chiling Lin also is quite effective as the beautiful Xiao Qiao, projecting a sense of strength and compassion that humanizes a story largely dominated by warfare.

Not surprisingly, Red Cliff is best appreciated in its intended, unexpurgated form. Inexplicably, the character of Sun Shangxiang suffered the most from the American abridgment. An early feminist warrior, she is a strong secondary protagonist, played with verve and charisma by Zhao Wei. Indeed, it is a shame to have lost her scenes infiltrating Cao Cao’s encampment, where she befriends the guileless soldier Pit, thereby discovering the human face of the opposing troops they will soon face.

Even in the American cut, Red Cliff is a meticulously produced historical action epic that compares highly favorably with most any recent martial arts opus. Still basically all about fighting, the uncut Cliff is more judicious in its vision of war, but remains a sheer blast to watch. Unquestionably though, the uncut version is preferred and NYAFF offers an opportunity to see it on the big screen of the Walter Reade Theater tonight (7/4), as a kind of fireworks for the Fourth of July.

NYAFF ’10: Castaway on the Moon

These kids are made for each other. Let’s just say neither is particularly outgoing. One is a shut-in and the other is a homeless hermit. Getting them together will be quite a trick though in Lee Hey-jun’s Castaway on the Moon (trailer here), which screens as part of the 2010 New York Asian Film Festival.

Heartbroken and bankrupt, a man named Kim decides to end it all by jumping into the Han River. Unfortunately, he cannot even commit suicide right, washing up on tiny Bamseom island, a tiny spit of land designated as a nature preserve. Though it is within throwing distance of the Seogang Bridge, the currents prove too strong for Kim to swim back to civilization. However, he quickly resigns himself to life as castaway, preferring it to the rat race that drove him to despair. Then one fine day, he has his first human contact in months—the proverbial message in a bottle.

A young woman also named Kim has been watching the castaway from her high-rise apartment. Like the hikikomori in Bong Joon-ho’s Shaking Tokyo, she has completely withdrawn from the outside world, living a strange obsessive-compulsive existence, with the support of her indulgent parents. Yet, something about Mr. Kim’s eccentric behavior touches the recluse, motivating her to sneak out of her building late at night to chuck bottles over the bridge. It might be a healthy first step, but it will take a lot more to get the two Kims together.

Obviously, Moon will suggest comparisons to Robert Zemeckis’s Castaway, but the dramatic dynamics are totally different. Mr. Kim is not really alone, which is why he is able to “live in hope.” It might even sound a little creepy in a voyeuristic kind of way, but Lee steers well clear of anything remotely edgy. Instead, Moon is really a highly chaste love story between two lonely, fragile people.

Indeed, Lee keeps the proceedings sweetly earnest, even flirting with outright corniness, like the DIY black bean noodles that represent spiritual rebirth for Mr. Kim. Still, there is something refreshing about its unabashed sentimentality, unburdened by any hipster irony. Essentially two solo performances intertwined into a two-hander, Moon obviously relies heavily on its two leads. While Jung Jae-yeong gets act crazy and go Lord of the Flies as the castaway (which he is relatively convincing at) it is Jung Rye-won who touchingly expresses both the film’s sweetness and its quiet desperation as Ms. Kim.

In a way, Moon is a lot like the dopey old Huey Lewis “Stuck with You” video, mixing unlikely love with an urban castaway tale. It works though, by playing it straight, wanting the audience to root for its awkward protagonists. An endearing film, it screens as part of the 2010 NYAFF on Sunday (the Fourth) and Wednesday (7/7) at the Walter Reade Theater.

NYAFF ’10: Actresses

Behold the power of publicity. On Christmas Eve, six of Korea’s most popular actresses endure each other’s catty company during the long hours of a cover shoot for Vogue magazine. Such prices must be paid to maintain their celebrity status. While the documentary might be fictional, the professional rivalries seem quite real in E. J-yong’s Actresses (trailer here), which screens during this year’s New York Asian Film Festival.

These might be some of the bravest performances you will see on film. Since all six actresses play themselves, many will assume the insecurities and foibles on display truly reflect the actresses’ character. For instance, right from the get-go, it is clear Youn Yuh-jung, fictional or otherwise, will be trouble. Mortified to be the first to arrive, the acerbic diva keeps everyone on their toes. She is funny though.

Still a striking beauty at fifty, Lee Mi-suk is next in seniority, but appears to be the most at ease with herself, despite her self-deprecation. By contrast, thirty-something Ko Hyun-Jung seems like a bit of a mess, getting hammered on champagne and mixing it up with anyone who mentions her divorce to a Samsung heir.

The other three actresses are young and hot at the Korean box office. Choi Ji-woo, is not just big in Korea, she is an “Asian Star,” an important distinction, financially. Though truly a stunner, she comes across as a wee bit high maintenance. Probably the most recognizable to American audiences as the female lead in Park Chan-wook’s Thirst, Kim Ok-vin portrays herself as sweet but a bit spacey. Likewise, the trend-setting Kim Min-hee projects a similar image, if slightly less sweet and a bit more spacey.

Obviously, throwing together six superstars and their egos will produce some sparks. When technical difficulties prolong the tense shoot, look out. However, the famous actresses eventually find common ground through their shared experiences surfing the waves of celebrity. They might be famous, but they are still plenty human.

With its voyeuristic fly-on-the-wall perspective and its frequently biting dialogue, Actresses feels like a slick, glossy tell-all documentary shot by Robert Altman. Deliberately challenging genre boundaries, it is hard to parse how much mock is in the mockumentary. Fans of the fab six will be fascinated by this ostensibly candid look at their favorite stars. Yet for American audiences, it is still a provocative take on celebrity culture. The attractive cast (even including the magazine editor) should not hurt its international appeal either.

While there are plenty of “in” references that will probably be lost on mere mortals not thoroughly steeped in Korean cinema, the basic gist of Actresses is pretty universal. Indeed, it is fascinating to watch six major movie stars toy with their public images. Sure, there are risks in doing so, but as the film makes clear, it would be far worse to not be included in such an elite group. Ultimately they all fare rather well. Another shrewd programming departure for NYAFF, Actresses screens Saturday (7/3) and Monday (7/5) at the Walter Reade Theater, with special guest director E. J-yong in attendance.

NYAFF ’10 & Japan Cuts ‘10: Golden Slumber

Nostalgia—it’s a killer. Poor, hapless Aoyagi learns that the hard way. One minute he is listening to Beatles covers with an old college friend and before he knows it, he is the fall guy framed for the assassination of Japan’s Prime Minister. Freely remixing the familiar Oswald mythos for today’s celebrity culture, Yoshihiro Nakamura’s Golden Slumber (trailer here), screens in New York this week, as a joint presentation of the New York Asian Film Festival and the Japan Society’s Japan Cuts: Festival of New Japanese Film.

Aoyagi is one of the few average Joe deliverymen with his own fans. Several years ago he had twenty minutes of fame after coming to the rescue of a Japanese Pop Idol. Not particularly bright, that modicum of notoriety makes him a perversely fitting patsy for the evil scheme afoot. Thanks to his old (and now late) college chum, the noose has been fitted fairly well around Aoyagi’s neck, but he proves to be an unexpectedly elusive fugitive.

With its ever widening conspiracy and the frequent flashbacks to Aoyagi’s college years, Slumber is not unlike a more grounded version of 20th Century Boys for boomers. Similarly, there are some clever plot points that show how events from the past can influence the present. Still, it is a bit problematic that one of Aoyagi’s few allies is an apparent serial killer—and not of the Dexter variety either.

Reflecting the postmodern information age, nobody really seems to believe Aoyagi is guilty, despite the mountain of doctored evidence the authorities release to the public. Indeed, he is frequently compared to Oswald by name throughout the film. However, the compliancy of the news media in key moments frankly does not seem credible, given the current zeitgeist informing the film.

While we are mercifully spared most of the details of the meta-conspiracy itself, what we get is also predictably out of an Oliver Stone bag, with the anti-American firebrand eliminated in favor of an old political deal-maker (a tired cliché even in Japanese cinema.) Fortunately, the fugitive-on-the-run material works very well, celebrating the humanity of small acts of mercy Aoyagi experiences along the way. In fact, beneath the paranoia, there is a real heart to Slumber.

Earnestly likable, Masato Sakai heads a strong cast, bringing surprising depth to the film as Aoyagi. Yuko Takeuchi (seen on ABC’s Flashforward before the network sabotaged the show with annoying scheduling games) is an intelligent and charming presence as his old flame, Haruko. Akira Emoto seems born to play grouchy old men (as in All About Us), but again, he is also quite watchable as a prickly hospital patient who aids and abets Aoyagi.

There are a few head-scratching scenes in Slumber, but there are some genuinely endearing moments as well. One of the more sentimental conspiracy thrillers you are ever likely to see, it screens at the Japan Society on Friday (7/2) and Tuesday (7/6).

NYAFF ’10 & Japan Cuts ’10: Confessions

This is not a Japanese Sweet Valley High. However, it has murder, madness, revenge, peer pressure, and AIDS—all your basic middle school stuff. When a teacher’s four year old daughter is murdered by two of her seventh graders, Yuko Moriguchi uses a brutally effective tool to extract her retribution on the guilty students—social marginalization by their peers. It is all part of her stone cold plan in Tetsuya Nakashima’s jaw-dropping, hyper-realistic drama Confessions (trailer here), the centerpiece of the New York Asian Film Festival and the opening night selection of Japan Society’s Japan Cuts: Festival of New Japanese Film, presented jointly by the two fests.

Moriguchi has some surprising news for her homeroom class. She is resigning her teaching position, because her heart simply is not in it anymore. She still mourns her daughter Manami, who drowned in the school’s swimming pool under mysterious circumstances. Her grief is all the more acute because Manami’s biological father, whom Moriguchi was never able to marry, is rapidly deteriorating from full blown AIDS. However, she knows the identity of the culprits thanks to the confession of the arrogant mastermind. Coolly and methodically, she reveals their identity to her stunned class after injecting the young killers’ milk cartons with the infected blood of her former lover. Responding out of fear and ignorance, the class reacts to that bit of news as if Manami’s murders had the plague. So ends Moriguchi’s “confession” and the first twenty minutes of the film. From there, things start to get dark and twisted.

Indeed, Moriguchi’s confession, the first of four, is so riveting, one expects a major let down once Nakashima shifts narrative gears. Yet the intensity only momentarily flags, as we start to witness the disconcerting aftermath of Moriguchi’s j’accuse. It is not over anyone yet, but Moriguchi temporarily retreats from view, allowing the high school’s harsh social dynamics to do her bidding.

Nakashima’s razor sharp screenplay (based on a novel by Kanae Minato) slices through the human condition, down to the bone. Frankly, viewers may find themselves deeply disturbed by their own reactions to Confessions’ ultimate twists and turns. Perhaps lazy reviewers might compare it to a film like Heathers, but the similarities are only superficial. Nakashima’s morality play about amoral youth is absolutely uncompromising and holds several sit-up-in-your-seat shocks for the audience.

Takako Matsu, seen during last year’s NYAFF in the escapist K20: Legend of the Mask, delivers a powerful, perfectly pitched performance, expressing all the pain and rage no mother would want to experience, while maintaining an alarming sense of outer calm. Developed with Matsu specifically in mind, she vindicates Nakashima’s faith in spades.

Masterfully helmed, Nakashima maintains an eerily unsettling atmosphere while coaxing his young cast to some truly frightening performances. Smart and chilling, Confessions is a highlight of both NYAFF and Japan Cuts, as well as any other festival it might play. Highly recommended, it screens at the Japan Society on Thursday (7/1) and Sunday (the 4th).

NYAFF ’10 & Japan Cuts ’10: The Blood of Rebirth

In Fifteenth Century Japan, heroic masseurs roamed the land, living by their wits and hands. At least such is the case for Oguri, the protagonist of Japanese director Toshiaki Toyoda’s comeback vehicle. Derived from the legend of Oguri Hangan Daisukeshige (the hero of many great kabuki theater productions) and Buddhist concepts of reincarnation, Toyoda’s trippy The Blood of Rebirth (trailer here) screens in New York this week, as a joint presentation of the New York Asian Film Festival and the Japan Society’s Japan Cuts: Festival of New Japanese Film.

Oguri is a wandering masseur who treasures his freedom. When the syphilitic Lord Daizen requests his services, he knows it is a bad gig, but he cannot say no. When he politely declines an offer to become a permanent retainer, the cruel warlord murders the footloose Oguri. However, when the noble masseur reaches the after-world, he declines a place in paradise, preferring to return to the world he knew. Unfortunately, his reincarnated body comes back as a “hungry ghost” which must be submerged in a mythical spring of life for his spirit to be renewed. Feeling a strange connection to Oguri, Terute, Daizen’s only surviving disease-free concubine, escapes from the royal camp to drag the masseur’s husk to the rumored magical waters. Much death and rebirth ensues.

Blood is a lot like the psychedelic 1970’s films made by the likes of Dennis Hopper and Don Cammel with a bunch of their stoned friends up in the Hollywood Hills. Featuring an acidic prog-rocky soundtrack with some monster drum breaks performed by the band Twin Tail, a lush verdant backdrop, and strange metaphysical themes, it is definitely a druggie friendly film. (Ironically, it was an arrest for possession of “stimulants” that very nearly ended Toyoda’s career.) Yet, there is definitely a craftsmanship apparent in each and every scene.

Toyoda’s approach is often cool and maddening, simultaneously. Knowing when he has a striking shot, he holds some scenes seemingly forever. Still, there is no denying there are things in Blood audiences have never seen on film before. It even concludes with a genuinely uplifting crowd-pleaser of an ending that still remains faithful to the tenor of the film (if not the restrictions of logic). Though not necessarily a great showcase for the cast’s acting chops, Twin Tail drummer Tatsuya Nakamura is appropriately cool and world weary as Oguri, while the standout Mayuu Kusakari is surprisingly touching as Terute.

Indeed, Blood will not be to everyone’s tastes, not by a long shot. For the adventurous viewer though, it ultimately pays off rather well. For those who enjoy archetypal fantasy and power drumming, it screens this Friday (7/2) and Saturday (7/3) at the Japan Society as a joint selection of NYAFF and Japan Cuts.

NYAFF ’10: Secret Reunion

South Korean attitudes towards the North are complex to say the least. Though they understand it is scary up there, the desire for unification leads to a lot of denial. It is a dynamic that can be seen clearly in Hun Jang’s contemporary espionage thriller, Secret Reunion (trailer here), which screens during this year’s New York Asian Film Festival.

Lee Han-kyu is an old school, turf conscious counter-espionage agent. Contemptuous of his agency’s bureaucratic CYA-ing, he is determined to bring in the Ghost, a legendary North Korean assassin, sans back-up. Unfortunately, when his operation goes spectacularly badly, his A is not C’ed. Witnessing the Ghost’s cold-blooded execution of a DPKR defector and his family, Song Ji-won, a mole being run by the Ghost, is deeply shaken. Slipping away in the chaos that follows, he must remain invisible to all, lest his Communist masters suspect he betrayed them. Standard operating procedure under such circumstances in the North would be to condemn his entire family to a prison camp—for all intents and purposes a sentence of death.

As the reunification movement gains traction in the South, the old spy-hunter finds himself out in the cold. Self-employed six years later, he takes scummy gigs, specializing in tracking down runaway mail order brides. Working incognito at a construction site, the fugitive Song helps Lee fend off a Vietnamese gang that got the drop on the freelancer. Recognizing each other right away but pretending not to, Song accepts Lee’s job offer, even moving into the disgraced agent’s crash pad. Of course, as the wary antagonists circle each other at close quarters, they start to become friends in spite of themselves.

As the representative of Southern anti-Communism, Lee is naturally portrayed as the more morally expedient of the two. Song only aided and abetted the execution of defectors and their families. Lee, the capitalist, essentially kidnaps marginalized women to return them to abusive relationships. When pressed by Song, he justifies himself claiming: “Capitalism is about finding happiness by taking another’s wealth.” In truth, that would be a near textbook definition of the Marxist redistributionist system championed by Song’s DPRK. Still, there are certain realities Reunion cannot escape, like the potential fate of Song’s family.

For two-fisted buddy action, Reunion is pretty satisfying. However, as spry as the Ghost might be, it stretches action movie credibility when a man of his advanced years so easily eludes Lee and his pursuing team. In geopolitical terms, the film seems somewhat naive and confused as well. Clearly suggesting we can all just get along, it became an enormous hit when it was released domestically in February. Less than two months later, the ROKS Cheonan was sunk by a DPRK torpedo. How’s that Kumbaya looking now?

Slickly produced, Reunion features Song Kang-ho, probably the recognizable Korean actor in America thanks to roles in films like Park Chan-wook’s Thirst, Kim Ji-woon’s The Good, the Bad, the Weird, and Bong Joon-ho The Host. Indeed, he is perfectly cast as the anti-Communist Oscar Madison. However, while Kang Dong-won is certainly a credible action figure during the fight sequences, he is a bit bland during the quieter moments of dramedy.

Hun Jang mostly keeps Reunion moving along briskly, despite occasionally getting hung-up on Song’s moralizing. Interesting as a Rorschach test of ROK attitudes towards the North, it screens during the 2010 NYAFF on Friday (7/2) and Saturday (7/3) at the Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater.

NYAFF ’10: Little Big Soldier

War is always hardest on the little guys, the men who fight not for glory, but the chance to return to their hardscrabble lives. Despite his apparent rubber-boned invincibility, Jackie Chan built an international career bringing such sympathetic underdogs to life. His fifty-six year-old body might have caught up with him, but Chan has developed the right vehicle for an aging action everyman in Ding Sheng’s Little Big Soldier (trailer here), which screens during this year’s New York Asian Film Festival.

Chan’s nameless soldier might not be much of a warfighter, but he is a survivor, thanks to his talent for playing possum on the battlefield. However, that does not mean he is not loyal to his native land. Indeed, his heart burns with love for the fertile soil of Liang. Serendipitously, the old soldier sees an opportunity to serve his homeland and earn a reward when, as the last Liang standing, he is able to capture the only other survivor of an epic battle, the gravely injured opposing Wei general.

To reap his potential recompense, the soldier will have to schlep his still dangerous captive hundreds of miles through warlord infested countryside. The forces loyal to the Wei general’s younger brother are also searching for them, but not with the intent to rescue his royal rival. To further complicate matters, there is also a mystery woman with an eerie singing voice, who might be the only appealing sight in an otherwise brutish environment.

There is definitely plenty of physical comedy in Little, mostly related to combat. However, it is not a slapsticky film. Chan’s stunt work is firmly grounded in the realities of a broken down middle-aged body. Yet, he still shows a flair for intricately choreographed fight scenes. Little’s tone is also radically different from most of Chan’s previous films, particularly his recent Hollywood forays. It might sound like a ludicrous stretch, but as the old soldier drags his prisoner through an inhospitable landscape, they almost look as if they could inhabit a Beckett play. Indeed, Sheng finds a nice balance between the gritty and the fable-like, while keeping the melee coming at a good clip.

Of course, it all rests on Chan’s big little shoulders. He has the same easy likability that made him a genuine movie star and shines in action sequences designed to showcase his guttiness rather than agility. A newcomer to Chinese and HK screens, Lin Peng also adds an intriguing presence as the singing woman. However, Wand Lee-hom is a bit cold and stiff as the Wei general.

NYAFF is billing Little as the redemption of Jackie Chan. While his prior outing in The Shinjuku Incident was at least serviceable, he definitely generated plenty of embarrassment for his fans with his Hollywood-produced supposed comedies (care for a Tuxedo with your Spy Next Door?). Fortunately, Little is a darker, tougher, and if truth be told, funnier return to form for Chan. A shrewd marriage of aging action icon to everyman character, it screens during the New York Asian Film Thursday (7/1) and Saturday (7/3) at the Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater.

NYAFF ’10: Sophie’s Revenge

They are called “chick flicks,” because guys supposedly do not enjoy relationship comedies written from a woman’s perspective. The real reason for these films’ gender gap is that they always seem to star protagonists that are supposed to be attractive, but could not interest us any less (yes, this very definitely includes Sarah Jessica Parker). However, when Zhang Ziyi and Fan Bingbing make a rom-com, any man would take notice. Happily, such is the case with Eva Jin’s glittery Sophie’s Revenge (trailer here), which also features some ridiculously cartoonish revenge fantasies that probably explain its selection for the 2010 New York Asian Film Festival.

Sophie is a beautiful graphic novelist. It is hard to believe she was dumped by her milquetoast boyfriend Jeff, but she explains it all during a flashback. Jeff threw her over for Joanna, who, played by Fan, is also hot and happens to be a famous movie star who swept the impressionable doctor off his feet after he treated her. Rather than getting on with her life, Sophie obsesses, hatching a plan to win back Jeff, only to dump him shortly thereafter. Or so she says. Her friends Lily and Lucy are not so sure revenge is her ultimate goal (and yes, they are pretty cute too). Still, she is able to enlist the aid of Gordon, a Taiwanese photographer who has his own history with Joanna. Of course, he seems like Mr. Right for Sophie, but she has her revenge to worry about.

Granted, the notion of Zhang (who also served as producer) getting dumped stretches credibility right from the start, but she proves to be a good sport, gamely enduring all manner of humiliations. Indeed, she and Fan sparkle in the film and Ruby Lin and Chen Yao add charm and energy as Sophie’s cronies. The men though are a pretty dull and uncharismatic lot, even including Peter Ho as nice guy Gordon. Still, the rom-com proceedings never get too cloying thanks to some quirky animation, over-the-top violent flights-of-fancy, and a refreshingly scatological sense of humor.

While some of Sophie’s embarrassments are truly wince-inducing, Revenge moves along briskly and has a good heart. Thanks to Zhang’s winning presence as a surrogate Carrie Bradshaw, it all works fairly well as a light and frothy entertainment. Its selection is definitely something of a departure for the New York Asian Film Festival, but to recap, it does have Zhang Ziyi, Fan Bingbing, and cartoon violence, so any guy will be able to handle it just fine. It screens Tuesday (6/29) and Saturday (7/3) as NYAFF continues at the Walter Reade Theater, right in the heart of New York’s Lincoln Center.

NYAFF ’10: Development Hell

After much sacrifice, Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s revolutionary vision of a free democratic Mainland China remains unfulfilled. However, a long and sometimes tragic pre-production process eventually yielded Teddy Chen’s Bodyguards and Assassins, the story of an ad-hoc team recruited to protect Dr. Sun from an Imperial assassination plot in Hong Kong. Beset by all manner of misfortune, the ultimate fate of Chen’s film remained very much in doubt when Hiroshi Fukazawa completed Development Hell (trailer here), a documentary on what was then the Hong Kong movie industry’s most notorious unmade film, which screens at this year’s New York Asian Film Festival as part of a double bill with Chen’s Bodyguards.

Originally titled Victoria City in October, Bodyguards was known as Dark October during most of its prolonged pre-production. In a way, it was a case of history repeating itself. Chen’s prospective film was largely based on The Bodyguard, a project that had similarly bedeviled its director, Chan Tung Man, the father of October producer Peter Chan. Technically, the elder Chan had finished his troubled film, albeit in a problematically foreshortened form, but legal wrangling stymied its release.

It seems like all Chen was spared during the early 2000’s was a plague of locusts. Indeed, world events like 9-11 and the SARS outbreak, as well as personal tragedies, like his mother’s passing and the suicide of his business partner repeatedly conspired to halt the development of October and other projects he had in the works.

While Fukazawa employs standard documentary filmmaking techniques, including talking head interviews and voice-over narration, his use of animated storyboards adds an intriguing visual character to the doc, conveying what was then still a hypothetical sense of what the finished film would have been like. Fukazawa does not belabor his story either, economically wrapping up Development in just under an hour’s running time.

It is a pretty engaging behind-the-scenes story of what was once considered a cursed film, even if it does not include Chen’s ultimate triumph, when Bodyguards swept the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards. Still, audiences can see that missing third act in toto when Development screens with Bodyguards this Sunday (6/27) at the Walter Reade Theater, with special guest Fukazawa in attendance, but NYAFF formally disavows any responsibility for accidents suffered during the screening.

NYAFF ’10: Bodyguards and Assassins

Dr. Sun Yat-sen is one of the few figures in Chinese history to be equally esteemed by both Chinas. However, despite tremendous sacrifices, Dr. Sun’s vision of a unified democratic China has yet to come to fruition. The dream was very much alive and spreading rapidly in 1905, which is why agents of the Dowager Empress will stop at nothing to kill the revolutionary statesman in Teddy Chen’s historical action blockbuster, Bodyguards and Assassins (trailer here), which screens during this year’s New York Asian Film Festival.

At tremendous personal risk, Dr. Sun is coming to Hong Kong to coordinate with revolutionary leaders from across China. The trip itself might be fictional, but the assassination of Sun’s colleague Yang Quyun that opens the film is rooted in history. Unfortunately, word of Dr. Sun’s visit has reached the Imperial court. A team of assassins aided by corrupt HK coppers have wiped out the group of exiled soldiers who were to serve as his protection. Faced with a crisis, Dr. Sun’s allies turn to Li Yutang.

A prosperous businessman, Li is a sunshine revolutionary, providing financial resources to the cause, but never getting directly involved. However, when he sees the agents of the Dowager running rampant as the police turn a blind eye, Li decides to make a stand. He spearheads the improvised protection campaign, recruiting a rag-tag group of bodyguards. His only condition is that his ardent son be left out of the line of fire.

In a way, Bodyguards structurally resembles The Dirty Dozen, showing us the recruitment of the volunteers, bringing them together as a team, and then inevitably watching as they sacrifice themselves to protect Dr. Sun and their hopes for a better China. Yet, that obvious idealism sets Yen’s film apart from most actioners. Indeed, there is an added poignancy to Bodyguards knowing the dream of a free and democratic China that seemed so close at the time would in fact prove so elusive.

Regardless of its historical and political backdrop, Bodyguards brings on some spectacular fight scenes. Donnie Yen definitely delivers the goods as Shen Chongyang, a compromised cop who turns against the assassins for his own personal reasons. Chinese pop star Li Yuchun also shows a real promise as an action star, kicking it nicely as Fang Hong, the daughter of the murdered general in hiding, Fang Tian. However, it is Liu Yubai, the mysterious beggar holding off the murderous hordes with his iron fan, that elevates Bodyguards to a John Woo level of operatic mayhem.

Literally years in the making, the filming of Bodyguards was canceled at last minute on numerous occasions, as is explained in detail in Development Hell, a documentary on its chaotic gestation which also plays during the fest. Yet somehow, Chen was still able to attract some of the biggest HK and mainland stars, like Yen, the unearthly beautiful Fan Bingbing as Li’s mistress Yueru, and special festival guest Simon Yam as General Fang. A veteran of several Chen Kaige art-house features, Wang Xueqi’s powerful gravitas holds it all together quite effectively as Li, “the tycoon.”

Bodyguards is the sort of film NYAFF programs best. It delivers high octane action in a grandly epic package, with plenty of serious historic subtext for us Mr. Smartypants reviewers to write about. Tragic in a satisfying way, Bodyguards is a thoroughly entertaining film. It screens Sunday (6/27) as part of a double bill with Development Hell introduced by NYAFF guest Simon Yam, and again as a single feature on Tuesday (6/29) at the Walter Reade Theater.

NYAFF ’10: Ip Man 2

Ip Man is a peaceful warrior, but for some reason, people keep making him kick their butts. Not a good idea. After all, the Wing Chun master knows what he is doing. Even if you have not heard of Ip Man, everyone recognizes his most famous disciple: Bruce Lee. Immediately following the events of the previous film, the second chapter of Master Ip’s story finds him in Hong Kong, where he would eventually meet his destined pupil. First though, he will have to battle the entrenched local martial arts guild as well as some thoroughly ugly Brits in Wilson Yip’s Ip Man 2 (trailer here), with fight scenes directed by the legendary Sammo Hung who—hold the phone—will introduce the film in person when it opens the 2010 New York Asian Film Festival this Friday night.

Nobody enjoys sparring more than Master Ip, but he will do his best to avoid actual street brawling. Of course, he could deal with nearly any challenge, but with great power comes great responsibility. Indeed, he is as much attuned to the spiritual aspects of his discipline as its more awe-inspiring physical feats. Having successfully defending the honor of the Fushan martial arts community during the Japanese occupation, Master Ip and his family have relocated to Hong Kong. Times are tough though.

He tries to eke out a living teaching Wing Chun to disciples, but the local masters demand he respect their authority, which includes facing all challengers during an initiation rite. Master Ip hardly breaks a sweat on the first two comers, but then things get serious when Master Hung (played by Master Hung) steps into the ring. However, the rival masters will unite when a British boxer starts disrespecting their art in a series of supposed good will exhibition matches. A sneering monster, The Twister has no regard for tradition or human life. Obviously, Master Ip will have to teach him a good, hard lesson in Wing Chun.

Since his family scrupulously controls the use of Bruce Lee’s name and image, HK cinema green-lit competing Ip Man films as the next best thing to a Lee bio-pic. Yip’s Ip was first out of the gate and sets a high standard for future competitors (including a forthcoming take from art-house auteur Wong Kar-wai). While its period details are first-rate, it is Donnie Yen who really makes the series work as Master Ip. He is able to be charismatic and compelling, while faithfully maintaining the master’s quietly serene demeanor. He can certainly handle a fight scene too. Yet, his Master Ip is not a superman, showing signs of age and human fallibility in the second installment.

Yip’s Ips are essentially HK Rocky movies, each concluding with a climatic bout against a savage foreigner. However, Lynn Hung is way, way more attractive than Talia Shire as Ip’s wife, Zhang Yong Cheng. Unfortunately, she is not given much to do in 2 besides looking pregnant and concerned. Still, the addition of Sammo Hung really adds grit and verve to the proceedings.

Intended as an uplifting crowd-pleaser, Ip Man 2 delivers the goods, in large measure thanks to its winning cast, particularly including Yen and the two Hungs. Produced with a glossy sheen and featuring some very cool fight sequences choreographed by NYAFF’s distinguished guest, the second Ip Man should kick-off the festival on a high note. It screen’s at the Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater, as the NYAFF kicks it uptown style, this Friday (6/25) and Sunday (6/27) nights.