Change Your Image
linga_04
Reviews
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
disappointing !!
I has a lot of high hopes and expectations before watching this. At the end I was quite disappointed.
I cannot understand why it had won so many awards and nominations. I have read the book and seen the TV serials by Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth many many times and fell in love with them. Maybe I expected too much.
To me, in order to fully appreciate 'Pride and Prejudice', it must be thoroughly read and watched. It cannot and should not be simplified into a movie. This is none other than a remake of the 1940 movie by Greer Garson and Lawrance Olivier. Simplicfication and deletion of some of the actual scenes and events simply did not work.
Keira Knightley acted well but she was no match with the lovely and attractive Jennifer Ehle.
War and Remembrance (1988)
good but no match with winds of war
I looked forward to watching sequel to 'Winds of War'. I must admit that it was not as good as 'Winds of War' The scenes are well done but the viewer seems to be just getting a narrative of all the major events in World War II including the Holocaust.
Whereas 'Winds of War' arouses deep feelings and emotions but this one doesn't. Maybe I expected too much.
On the positive side, Jane Seymour is much better then Ali McGraw in every aspect. So is the guy who played Hitler.
In conclusion, these two series (Winds of War and War and Remembrance) should be very good for history students and scholars
Qing shen shen yu meng meng (2001)
entertaining but not realistic
This is a very entertaining serial and viewers cannot help but watch it till the end. The story is about a Chinese family and their children in China in the 1920s and 1930s. But I am very doubtful if it is true or realistic. The story was screen-played by Qiong Yao, a prolific writer. I must point out she was born in 1938 so she couldn't have lived through or eye-witnessed events similar to those in the story. This story is strange in that a lot of things are based on old Chinese values and traditions but at the same time present-day ideas are found in sex love and marriage.The same is true of costumes. We see girls wearing the traditional qipao and also baggy pants which were definitely not prevalent in those days.
In conclusion, if the viewer watches this for entertainment, fine. But if he or she thinks watching it helps understand and appreciate Chinese culture in the 1920s and 1930s, think more than once
Jing hua yan yun (2005)
outstanding!!
This is a very good TV serial giving a very accurate account of life for Chinese people from the Boxer Rebellion to the Sino Japanese War.
Tremendous changes and evolutions took place in this turbulent period and they are are well reflected in the lives of all the people in the story. To me this is not really entertainment but lessons on how China and the Chinese people managed to adapt themselves to changes. Unlike most Chinese films and books making good people happy victors at the end, this story has a lot of sad outcomes and emotional people may shed tears. I would highly recommend to all Chinese people and others who want to understand and appreciate Chinese culture.
The only disappointment is Vicki Zhao. She plays a good-natured and honest woman with high morals but there is nothing spectacular or impressive about her. The actress Hu Ke who plays Niu Suyun was really great with her attractive eyes and expressions. She is not very well known and I bet she has a great future
The Art of War (2000)
waste of time !!
This is , to me, the worst movie of Wesley Snipes. Basically a simple murder story but the film elevated and exaggerated it to a great extent without any meaningful and worthwhile goals. There is plenty of action but none other than useless crap. I won't recommend it to anybody. The only thing to note is the truth about Chinese politics mixed with Chines triads in New York. I think the U.S. government is aware of this and corrective measures are being taken. I do not know if the story is based on a fiction book or just written for the film. In the former case, the book should be thrown away. Anne Archer has always been my favorite actress but what she did in this films was total disappointment
The China Syndrome (1979)
timely and informative
I watched this while the twentieth anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster was being observed.
This kind of disaster could take place easily in this nuclear age. We had the ordeal of Karen Silkwood and the incident at Three Mile Island plus of course the Chernobyl disaster in the Ukraine. It is gratifying to know that people, corporations and governments are taking this kind of possible disaster very seriously. For the past twenty years, nothing comparable has happened thanks partly to this film The movie is not particularly inspiring and just states plainly the problems involved and to alert people
The Chase (1966)
exaggerated and unrealistic !!
This film came out in 1966, shortly after the Civil Rights Act. No doubt racial tension and bigotry were reflected in many scenes. But I remain a skeptic all the way. A worthless young convict escaped from jail and the whole town got elated and excited. I wonder why ? A super rich man who bought everything worthwhile was totally unaware that his beloved son's paramour was the wife of the escaped convict. He must be a damned fool. After an unsuccessful escape attempt, the convict was arrested and brought back to jail. People waited and killed him instantly to please the rich father. No a very likely scenario in the U.S.
The cast was excellent but unfortunately the plot was terrible.
The Ugly American (1963)
thought-provoking
This film came out in 1963, just when the Kennedy/Johnson administration started to escalate the war in Vietnam. I am terribly dismayed and disappointed that the U.S government learned nothing from this movie.
In the first place, it is utterly and unrealistic to muddle into the political affairs of a country with very different culture and political background. Secondly, while we in the western world deplore communism, it is very silly and idiotic to treat it as a contagious disease, to be repelled and avoided at all costs. With our wealth, freedom of expression and using an open-door policy, we can show the people in the Communist countries or countries about to go Communist that our system is better and in every way offers people more freedom, pleasure and security.
I think this film should be shown whenever and wherever people come to see the Vietnam Monument in Washington
The Prize (1963)
Very good !!
This film was made in 1963 before the proliferation TV serials . If you have read the Irving Wallace novel, you will notice that the script of this film had undergone a lot of changes in the story especially with regard to Emily Stratman. However, to me it is the best that could be done in order to fit it into a 2 to 3 hour movie. Paul Newman was superb in portraying the drunken literary genius who turned out to be a detective. I am not a medical practitioner but the scene where two doctors relieved a man with cardiac problems using electric wires was rather crude and ridiculous. The photography was excellent with beautiful Sweden as background
Noble House (1988)
great !!
From what I understand, people were excited about the coming of this TV series based on James Clavell's book after the highly successful and popular SHOGUN. In the end, it turned out to be somewhat a disappointment.
This story is much more complicated then SHOGUN. In addition, whereas battles in SHOGUN were fought with knives, spears and arrows, here they were fought with corporate tools. People unfamiliar with terms like corporate financing and takeover, buying and selling short, run on the bank may not enjoy it at all.
But for those who have read the book, this is a very good TV series and well worth watching
Ren jian si yue tian (2000)
good but a bit too long
I first leaned about Xu Zhimo when I studied an essay of his about Cambridge when I was a teenager in high school. I never realized that he has such a sad and tumultuous life .This is a very good TV show about the life (love life ,to be exact) of a very great literary genius in China in the 1920s and 1930s. The states of the Chinese society and culture are clearly seen. It also tells the terrible trials and tribulations of Chinese people who were brought up in the old Chinese traditions but were exposed to Western society and ideas. The dialog is great; but only for those who have great appreciation for Chinese and Chinese literature. For other people, this show is a bit too long and can easily cause boredom. This show is, to me, not entertainment but thought-provoking stuff.