Hot Picks
|
|
|
Ryu San
Mr. Long
Japan / Hong Kong / Taiwan / Germany 2017
produced by Stephan Holl, Shozo Ichiyama, Koki Kageyama, Jacky Yee Wah Pang, Yoichi Shimizu for Live Max Film, LDH Pictures, BLK2 Pictures, Kaohsiung Film Fund, Rapid Eye Movies, ZDF, Arte
directed by Sabu (II)
starring Chang Chen, Sho Aoyagi, Yao Yi Ti, Bai Run-yin, Masashi Arifuku, Taro Suwa, Ritsuko Ohkusa, Shiiko Utagawa, Yusuke Fukuchi, Tetsuya Chiba
written by Sabu (II), music by Junichi Matsumoto
review by Mike Haberfelner
|
Long (Chang Chen) is a Taiwanese hitman, and apparently one of the
best. Especially his mastery of knives is unparalleled. But on an
assignment in Japan, he walks into a trap and is almost killed. He somehow
makes good his escape into an abandoned house in a rundown part of a small
town - and soon enough makes the acquaintance of a young boy, Jun (Bai
Run-yin), who at first inexplicably gives him everything he needs to
survive. It's only later that Long finds out that Jun's the son of a
heroin-addicted woman, Lily (Yao Yi Ti), who just wanted to make friends.
As a thank you, Long cooks for Jun - and he's a very good cook, which
neighbours from around find out soon, and they soon become fascinated with
Long. And since neither of them has made out of their own lives, they
project their fantasies into Long, the mysterious stranger who doesn't
even speak their language (only Jun and Lily, who are part Taiwanese, are
able to actually talk to him), and before he knows it, Long has his own
food cart and sells self-cooked food in front of a temple. He also gets
Lily off heroin, and the two of them and Jun soon feel like an
almost-family. That is, until Lily's past catches up with her, and her
former pusher (and pimp) gets her hooked again. Also, the man Long came to
Japan to kill has since found out his whereabouts, and he's not in a
forgiving mood ... Ryu San is quite an unusual movie,
inasmuch as it has lots of heart, to the point where it's only just this
way of cheesiness - but then it features also some quite explosive and
very bloody action setpieces. The surprising thing though is, this works
in this film: The often sudden changes of tone are ironic counterpoints
more than anything else, and the very good-natured humour of the piece
really ties the film together. That said, the film isn't without its
lengths, but it's utterly entertaining all the same.
|
|
|
review © by Mike Haberfelner
|
Feeling lucky? Want to search any of my partnershops yourself for more, better results? (commissions earned) |
The links below will take you just there!!!
|
|
|
Thanks for watching !!!
|
|
|
Robots and rats,
demons and potholes, cuddly toys and shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
Tales to Chill Your Bones to is all of that.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to -
a collection of short stories and mini-plays ranging from the horrific to the darkly humourous,
from the post-apocalyptic to the weirdly romantic,
tales that will give you a chill and maybe a chuckle,
all thought up by the twisted mind of screenwriter and film reviewer Michael Haberfelner.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to
the new anthology by Michael Haberfelner
Out now from Amazon!!! |
|