Condor Hero, Disc (yawn) 2

Condor Hero

Chinese, English Subtitles

Disc 2 of 9 discs

4 stars

Rainy Day started Disc 2 last night, and isn't really sure how much she'll watch. The music is annoying – too modern for the film/story – and, well, Rainy Day figured out what's really bugging her. It's a soap opera with Martial Arts. The photography is still marvelous, and the costuming is still gorgeous, the Martial Arts superb, but how many times can the Hero (Gor) call out for the Heroine (Gu Gu) and vice versa?? The subtitles seem a bit better, it's just that Rainy Day has a hard time with most soap operas. Also, in all honesty (that is the best, is it not?) this disc was meant to be seen one episode weekly, not 5 in a night. If I watched one a week, I would be hanging onto my sofa waiting for the next episode.

Have you seen this series? Does it get better? Should Rainy Day just 'lighten up'? Perhaps the novel is better?

From a Guest Blogger

Winter in Wartime

Dutch, English Subtitles

103 minutes, 2008
4 Stars

This is a Dutch movie, beautifully acted and filmed.  Its takes place during the winter of 1945, the last year of World War 2.  It’s the story of a 14 year old boy growing up in a town that is occupied by the German army.  His father is the local mayor and appears to be on good terms with the Germans.  The boy finds a British pilot, whose plane was shot down and has been wounded when he bailed out.  The boy hides him, but must enlist the aid of his sister to treat his wounds.  There is a shortage of food, so he must steal food for the Englishman.  After his father is arrested, and also several of his friends, he alone must help the pilot escape from Holland.  There are some heart wrenching scenes in this movie.

Carole would like to know if you've seen this movie, and did it follow your impressions of the last days of World War 2?

Today's review is by Carole, a friend of Rainy Day, and another inveterate movie-watcher. Carole watches a completely different type of movie, so Rainy Day thought it would be nice for her gentle readers to get a different perspective now and then. If you would like to submit a review of a movie you like, please let Rainy Day know through the comments section of this blog.

One of Kurosawa's Best, Dersu Uzala

Dersu Uzala

1975, Russian, English subtitles, directed by Akira Kurosawa

2 hours 20 minutes

Set and filmed, in the krai territory of the Russian Far East this true story takes place in the early 1900s, based on the memoirs of Vladimir Arseniev. Maksim Munzuk plays Dersu Uzala, a man of indeterminate old age lives in the forest as a hunter. When Arseniev and his party come to survey and map the territory, Dersu befriends them. He shares his wisdom, and saves their lives more than once. We see Dersu age and begin to go blind, he moves to the city—a place of “boxes” and laws—only to return to his beloved forests, even though he knows he can no longer see to earn his living as a hunter. Filmed with Kurosawa’s eye for art, this witness the story of two men bridging cultural and generational gaps of their time.

Have you seen this movie? Were you as enchanted as Rainy Day? Will you watch this movie and tell Rainy Day if you did or did not like it?

Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts

Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts

English

1 hour 55 minutes

4 Stars

Two things will reduce me to tears – one of terror, the other of beauty, and they are closely related: Mathematics and Music. I watched this movie about American Composer Philip Glass, hoping to gain insight into how the mind of a musician works, how he hears the notes in his head and can put them down on paper so others can play them and I can hear and enjoy them. Filmmaker Scott Hicks spent a year with Glass, giving us a behind-the-scenes look at his life, his family, and his friends. Born in 1937, Phil still works long days. He says he has too much music in his head to quit writing. I still don't understand how people think in music (or numbers!), but I do enjoy the fruits of their labors. 

Have you seen this film? What do you think about it? What do you think about the music of Mr. Glass?

Condor Hero, Disc 1

 

Condor Hero

Chinese, English subtitles ;-)

Disc 1 of 9 discs

4 stars

Condor Hero is a tv series based on the Wuxia novel, The Legend of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). Disc 1 is the subject of this review. If you view it as a comedy with absolutely gorgeous costuming and terrific sword fighting, I think you will enjoy it. The dialog leaves a little to be desired for a truly serious story. (How many times can the Hero say the Heroine's name?) One has the option of viewing the 5 episodes on the first disc all at once, or one at a time. The subtitles are in passable English, with many humorous grammatical mistakes – "this is a load of crab!" – being one of several I can remember. Truthfully, I look forward to Disc 2. I wish there were more series like this on American TV!

Have you seen this series? Part of it? All of it? What did you think about it? Please leave your comments on this program.