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Reviews
Da yu hai tang (2016)
Not perfect but great first attempt!
The comparison with Ghibli is inevitable here. This movie is simply not on par with Ghibli. But the visual and the music score were both close! The story is good, but the script falls a little short. A bit exposition heavy, a few too many plot devices, eg. the bit with the 2 headed snake served purely as a plot device. The design of the fish Kun is tonally inconsistent with the rest of the world. It was never explained why the fish caused apocalypse. The characters, they live in a magical world. But some of them are wise, and timeless but some of them are as prejudiced and fearful as the humans whose lives they govern.
Now, on to the good points: Great visual! one of the best looking anime, of course not as organic and detail rich as Ghibli, but beautifully put together, brilliant colours. 3D and 2D elements are seamless. The music score is not as memorable as, again, Ghibli, but fits the tone very well. Tonally, the story is very sincere, like the best Ghibli movies, and innocent.
The dialogue is a bit stilted at times, but quite good overall.
I don't think this movie is being released in the West anytime soon. But when it does, I hope they get some proper translators.
Overall, great first attempt from the studio, recommended.
Huang jin shi dai (2014)
Competent technique, too much in love with itself!
First the good things: Tang Wei is a competent actress, perfectly cast for the role. high production value. good attention to details.
Now for the bad: over 3 hours long! The director is so in love with herself, if she had hired a proper editor, the film would have been a much superior one at 90 min. Deliberately trying to be avant-garde. breaking the mold for the sake of breaking mold. The movie is dotted with interviews of the characters around the author, some experimental technique, which completely breaks the immersion while contributing nothing to the film.
summary: tries to be avant-garde like Duras' films, but lacking.
Les filles du botaniste (2006)
Bizzar but Beautiful
One of the most bizzar but at the same time beautiful movie I have seen in a while... The movie started out with a mixed blood orphan in rural China at the end of culture revolution some time end of 60s beginning of 70s, was sent to a remote village as an intern to a crazy old botanist.
initially I thought this movie had real potential, a mixed blood girl in the craziest time in Chinese history is bound to tell a unique story. but that was only a beginning, the film suddenly turned into a lesbian movie!! a most pleasant surprise indeed, the movie is bizzar and makes little sense, but definitely is unique and beautiful. not to mention the breath taking scenes from the tropical south China.
by the way, anyone knows what language was the film originally shot in? I saw the Chinese version, but the dialogues seem to be dubbed and unatrual...