Review of Good Men, Good Women (1995) by Fong K — 02 Sep 2012

Viewed on 17/7/04 (Sat).

Hou Hsiao-hsien is the godfather of Taiwan movies. To slam his work is like talking bad about your father. His films usually mark important chapters in the history of Taiwan. He is patriotic in a very sublime way. His movies are also beautifully filmed. Every frame seems effortlessly made but the cinematography is first rate.

The chameleon-like role of Annie Shizuka Inoh (aka Yi Neng Jing) is a very challenging. She plays a modern-day actress, the important political victim Chiang Bi-Yu, a bar hostess etc. She speaks Japanese, Hokkien, Mandarin fluently. She shows great depth of acting, making me admire this once-chubby act-cute singer has matured so much.

All things fall in place well except the pace is so glacial that I am damn glad I did not have to struggle to stay awake in the cinemas when it was shown at the Singapore International Film Festival.

I have a friend, who is crazy over Taiwanese movies, once told me that he will never spend money again on movies made by those well-known arty filmmakers. It can be so downright boring, with all respect.

I agree and, with all respect too, please be considerate to your audience and stop playing the arty-farty high-minded maestro. Think Ang Lee ok?

Rating: D.