Lester Mak

Migrated

Lest — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 17:42:00 +0000

If you've come here, I've gone. My blog is now at http://www.lestmak.com/ and it;s a lot cooler than this! So come by!

The Odd Spot #23: Chaos

Lest — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 19:27:00 +0000

News sells. Everyone knows that. Trust the Evening Standard to come up with the most important headlines, as I spotted on my way home tonight.

But is it the end of the world?

The Odd Spot #24: Dental Gaps

Lest — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 21:31:00 +0000

From the Metro newspaper in the UK this morning, sister to the Evening Standard, who appear in the previous post, observed an interesting headline:

Didn't know that we had such huge cavities. They certainly do make large fillings...

Wise One Quotes... #9: Flexibility

Lest — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 14:25:00 +0000

Well, not so much a memorable quote, but I was just trying to arrange dinner with a friend and asked for where she'd like to eat she said:

I am flexible on location and type of food (no india or thai, preferrably not Chinese or Japanese. just had 2 weeks of France and Italy, so preferrable not those as well)

Followed by...

oh, no English food or Americans as well

... and ...

no mid east food, absolutely

So, that narrows down "flexibile" then... Thanks, C ;)

Review: April Snow

Lest — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 21:03:00 +0000

April Snow (외출, Oechul)
Bae Yong-joon, Son Yae-jin
Dir: Hur Jin-ho - 2005 - Korea

There have been a number of Korean dramas have have hit the big screen over the years, many which have had quite some success. April Snow is one of the latest offerings and has had much success in the whole of Asia when it was released.

In-su (Bae Yong-joon) and Seo-young (Son Yae-jin) have the nightmare call that their respective spouses have been involved in a car crash that have left them both in comas. As the they dig further, it turns out their spouses were involved in an affair. As the two come to terms with the emotional turmoil of the circumstances they are thrown in, they toy around with the thought of an affair themselves.

The film itself is slow moving, exploring the thoughts and emotions of the characters in what is a simple plot. Hur Jin-ho is no stranger to this with previous offerings such as One Fine Spring Day, a film I very much enjoyed. However, this film has struggled to find the critics' praise. Much comparison has been made to Wong Kar Wai's In The Mood Of Love, in which the protagonists enjoy a tensive albeit seemingly platonic relationship. Indeed, Hur is reported to have made the film without a script, with many of the scenes filmed with spontaneity with the two lead actors.

However, whichever way, personally, I wasn't overly impressed. There isn't much in this film that makes it particularly outstanding. The story was nice and well explored, the characters worked well. But there's no message at the end of the day, and indeed, as I write this review, I find it difficult to describe the purpose of the story.

Ultimately, it isn't a bad film, but it doesn't fulfill its potential. Nonetheless, by the measure of the box office takings (in which it even broke records in Japan for a Korean film), it seemingly hits the mark for some, and I do think it's well worth a watch if you have time. One emotional film.

6/10

Links:
Buy April Snow at YesAsia
IMDb entry for April Snow

Review: Election

Lest — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 18:30:00 +0000

Election (黑社會, Hak Se Wui)
Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Simon Yam, Louis Koo
Dir: Johnnie To - 2005 - Hong Kong

Election was a departure for the ever dependable director Johnnie To, who has drawn criticism in the early noughties including from yours truly for churning out robotic, unimaginative rom-coms from his Milky Way film factory. But he has gone out to answer his critics, and has led a change in direction to the Hong Kong film industry, writing and directing some credible and well made movies more recently, such as Breaking News, Throw Down, and this offering, Election.

Election tells the story of two rival triad heavyweights Lok (Simon Yam) and Big D (Tony Leung Ka-Fai) who are candidates to become Chairman of a leading triad society in Hong Kong. Every two years, a democratic election is held by the 'uncles' of the society to select the Chairman, and Lok and Big D seek to sway the vote in whichever way they can, where even playing dirty goes.

Election carries with it a heavyweight cast. Both Tony Leung and Simon Yam were nominated at various award ceremonies for their roles, with Tony Leung beating Simon Yam (and himself for his role in Everlasting Regret) to land Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2006. The likes of Louis "I must look slick on screen" Koo, Suet Lam and Nick Cheung are all big stars who provide a strong backing in the film. And as a result, all the performances are quite good.

Johnnie To has certainly done his best to build respect in this film. It was well received in Cannes, where it premiered and received a nomination for the Golden Palm. However, I struggle to see what is so outstanding about this film. Like Throw Down, it's a change in direction, but the way the story is told isn't very new. There is a deep insight into many of the characters, but they never get enough screen time for the audience to explore.

However, I do welcome Johnnie's attempt to movie the industry on, and he has plenty more films lined up that will build on his experiments. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that he may be the one attract the Hong Kong public back into auditoriums to see Hong Kong productions again. Let's hope so.

One that can sway the vote.

6/10

Links:
Buy Election at YesAsia
IMDb entry: Election

Review: The Promise

Lest — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 12:18:00 +0000

The Promise (無極, Wuji)
Jang Dong-Kun, Hiroyuki Sanada, Cecilia Cheung, Nicholas Tse, Liu Ye
Dir: Chen Kaige - China - 2005

For the official Chinese entry into the Oscars, there is a tremendous disappointment in that this film really didn't live up to its billing.

Kunlun (Jang Don-Kung) is a slave who is taken in by the powerful General Guangming (Hiroyuki Sanada) after Kunlun helps him win a major battle. Meanwhile, Guangming is sent to save the king and his princess, Qingcheng (Cecilia Cheung) from the clasps of Wuhuan (Nic Tse). As he is hurt, he sends Kunlun in his place, who unfortunately kills the king and rescues the princess. But all three men have fallen for her and will fight for her, yet she is cursed with knowing whoever loves her will die.

This was, at the time, the most expensive Chinese film ever made, and it's no wonder, given the amount of special effects and computer graphics used in the film, which is clearly the selling point of the film. But the superlatives stop there. For a film released in 2005, the special effects are heavily disappointing. They barely match the quality of films made a long time ago (I don't think it even manages to equal even The Stormriders, made in 1998) and certainly has the production quality of an FMV in a video game a decade ago and not a high definition feature. In many places the visual sequences are clunky and the editing is poor. Which is a real shame, because a lot of effort has been put into creativity in the camera angles and the set.

As for the script, it isn't particularly spectacular, although not atypical from a lot of fantasy films and novels in China. However, there is very little depth in the plot and there could have been a lot more.

I feel very sorry for the actors. Ultimately, I think they all gave a very good performance. Cecilia Cheung has once again demonstrated that she is a more versatile actor than we previously knew in this role and her recent films, One Nite In Mongkok and Lost In Time.

Nic Tse is believable as the villain and Jang and Sanada give some credible performances.

But the production outputs completely let the film down. Some of the effects fit in very well with Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle (running in fields, etc), but ultimately for a film looking for serious credibility as a drama like this one, this is film was a major disappointment.

One that could have been. 4/10

Links:
Official Site (China)
Buy this film at YesAsia
IMDb Entry

Review: Colour Blossoms

Lest — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 12:36:00 +0000

Colour Blossoms (桃色, Toh Sik)
Matsuzaka Keiko, Teresa Cheung, Harisu, Sho, Carl Ng
Dir: Yonfan - Prd: Fruit Chan - Hong Kong - 2004

Meili (Teresa Cheung) is an estate agent who sells an expensive apartment to a wealthy Japanese lady, Madame Umeki Satoko (Matsuzaka Keiko), who buys it with one condition: that Meili finds the right tenant for her previous apartment, which holds some treasured memories for Madame Umeki. Soon after, Meili as she meets a mysterious young Japanese cameraman, Kim (Sho), whilst showing people around the apartment, and she falls for him, as well as an even more mysterious young policeman whom she only knows by his number, 4078 (Carl Ng), and has never spoken to him but their paths seemingly cross many times. In the meantime, Meili's visits from Madame Umeki expose her to Umeki's strange world of love, sex and S&M.

Colour Blossoms no doubt has its influences from the legendary Wong Kar Wai, from the gorgeous sets, costumes and cinematography (very akin to the likes of 2046) to parallels such as the beat cop as in Chungking Express. It's an influence that does the film no harm, particularly as it's art-house flick.

When it was released in Hong Kong, the film attracted some controversy. In all honesty though, the controversy (centering around the S&M) isn't really that huge. The film isn't particularly explicit, on the other hand, for a market that isn't used to something like this (such as Hong Kong), this pushes the boundaries a bit.

But in terms of the performances. Matsuzaka Keiko was outstanding as Madame Umeki, portraying a wonderfully designed character and giving her some real depth. Harisu, who is well known in Asia for being one of the most beautiful transsexuals in the world, plays the young Umeki and extends the character well, giving her an exquisite mysteriousness. Teresa Cheung makes a very good debut, playing the lead and complex role of Meili beautifully. Sho and Carl Ng give credible performances as well, particularly as Ng has no speaking parts.

Overall, I like what Fruit Chan and Yonfan have both attempted to do in Colour Blossoms. The story is a mix of an erotic and a ghost story and one that has plenty of depth to keep you interested throughout. However, I can help but think that I would have liked to have seen a film that was more original. I love the cinematography and the sets, but I wished it was a lot more innovative than the styles that it appears to have copied. Less of the WKW, and something more imaginative. Ultimately though, I do think this is a good film. A lustful one to see.

8/10

Links:
Buy Colour Blossoms at YesAsia
IMDb entry: Colour Blossoms

Congratulations, Peter and Ada

Lest — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 21:39:00 +0000

It's the eve of a very special day for Peter and Ada, who get married in Somerset tomorrow. Congratulations to you both and the very best of luck!

It's Plueys Weather

Lest — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 20:13:00 +0000

Well, ok, in sweltering London this summer, it's not quite Plueys weather. Except for the occasional thunderstorm. But come autumn, it will be that weather time again.

And when it comes, the great fashion to wear is a nice rainboot.

One of my good friends, Karen (in fact, the one who got me dancing, thought not always in the rain!), has launched a new range of rainboots for squelching in the rain without ruining your pumps. Colourful and fun, I kinda like them.

So why not pay a visit to Plueys, and as she says, "celebrate the rain!"

Links:
Plueys

Another Update on Sanney Leung

Lest — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 20:58:00 +0000

For anyone who's looking for an update, John Charles posted another message on Mobius about Sanney:

Sanney's last chemotherapy treatment hit him pretty hard and he had to spend more time in the hospital. However, he tells me that, in the past two or three days, his strength has finally started to return. He joked that he watched his first movie in six months (CHUNGKING EXPRESS) and was pleased that he made it all the way through without nodding off. He is still taking an anti-nauseant, a second stomach medicine, and a pain killer, and thus spends much of the day feeling quite tired. This is less than he was previously on, however, and things will gradually be better as the drug levels are decreased.

His chemo is now all done and there is no trace of the tumor remaining. He still has a ways to go on the road to recovery, but it is all healing time from now on.

I made him aware that his domain name has expired and he will look into getting it renewed.

John Charles

Get well soon, Sanney.

Review: A West Lake Moment

Lest — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 09:40:00 +0000

A West Lake Moment
Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, Yim Ling
Dir: Yim Ho - China - 2004

A West Lake Moment is a romantic drama featuring Xiao Yu (Zhou Xun) as the owner of a café in Hangzhou. She meets a man, Qin (Chen Kun) from Beijing, a playboy who shares the same idiosyncrasies as she does (from an occasional stammer to mild schizophrenia) and as a result, she promptly falls for him. But his playboy days become too much for her, testing her patience and ultimately forcing her back to Hangzhou. Soon he realises he may have lost the one relationship he really wanted,
just as Xiao Yu finds out that she may have just lost her best friend, Tong (Yim Ling).

The setting for the film is West Lake, a large lake that is situated in the city of Hangzhou in southern China. Its history is that it is one of the most beautiful places in China, having inspired writers and artists for many centuries. A very beautiful place, the film uses that to good effect with beautiful shots of the location that do the place full justice. However, my only complaint is the lack of the use of the weather. Most shots are taken on a grey wintry day (probably the only time that the lake is quiet in this tourist city), and thus, I thought it could have been done better.

The film is very much a portrait of life in modern China for the youth of today. The cast are the up and coming young wannabes, who dress well and want to be successful in careers outside of the traditional ones their parents probably wanted. And with all of that is the different opinions of love and how it comes about. The playboy and the girl with a Caucasian boyfriend exemplifies this. The setting is truthful and honest, and does say a lot about how China has changed.

As for the stars, Zhou Xun is one of the biggest talents in Chinese cinema today. Her appearances in Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress, Hollywood Hong Kong and most recently Perhaps Love have displayed a versatility that could see her as one of the biggest actresses to have come from China. Her performance in this film makes her completely lovable, particularly as the idiosyncrasies that she possesses are completely believable, and I have no doubt that there will be more big successes for her in the future.

Chen Kun is also a rising talent in China, and his performance in this film was also strong. I suspect the chemistry that he and Zhou Xun has been consolidated over time as this is their third outing together on the big screen.

Meanwhile the partnership between director Yim Ho and his son Yim Ling, who plays Tong in this movie, appears to work well. As I understand it from other reviews on IMDb, Yim Ling also writes the score and soundtrack for the film, which I have to say is excellent.

All in all, this is a good movie, with plenty to keep you interested. One for a dreamy afternoon.

7/10

Links:
IMDb Entry
Buy this movie at YesAsia

Wise One Quotes... #8: Foolish people

Lest — Sun, 30 Jul 2006 21:31:00 +0000

Believe it or not, this is my 200th post on Blogger - a bit of a landmark, in just over 2 years writing rather pointless ramblings that occupy some little space in my webhost's servers as 1s and 0s, and unscrambled into the nonsense you often see before your eyes that is this site. But thank you for visiting!

Anyway, the 200th post is reserved for today's birthday girl, Annie, who makes the eighth in my occasional series of wise quotes. Today, it's about foolish people...

"Foolish people are often the happiest people"
- Annie C.

A much more honest way of saying that ignorance is bliss, right?

The Odd Spot #22: Manholes of Japan

Lest — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 09:30:00 +0000

Now, now, it's not really what you're thinking. Or maybe it is. I StumbledUpon this amusing collection of photos by Martine Cotton, who has collected over 200 photographs of manhole covers (as opposed to the manholes themselves) in Japan, many of which are quite well spruced up. So pay her site a visit.

One of Martine's Manholes

Links:
Manholes of Japan

More Happy Birthdays

Lest — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 09:20:00 +0000

Happy birthday to Peter, who turned old yesterday. Pre-empting, happy birthday to Annie who turns less teenage looking tomorrow (although we're off to watch puppet sex in Avenue Q today).

Happy birthday!

Happy Birthdays

Lest — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 20:12:00 +0000

A multitude of birthdays. Happy birthday Ray. Happy Birthday Dan.

And most importantly, happy birthday, Mum!

Lots of cake all round!

The British International Motor Show

Lest — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 17:47:00 +0000

It was a fantastic weekend at the British International Motor Show 2006 being held at the ExCeL Centre in London over the next week or so.

There were some very interesting concept cars and new models out there. Including a new Aston Martin concept. Some photos that I took are on my gallery.

Anyway, the highlight of the day was my encounter with The Stig, the test driver on BBC's Top Gear. I was hoping to have a challenge from him for a race, but sadly, he didn't speak to me.

Lest and The Stig

Links:
Motor Show Photos
Gallery Home
British International Motor Show 2006
Top Gear: UK Version | International & Magazine Version

The Odd Spot #21: It's summer I tell you!

Lest — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 12:14:00 +0000

It's the middle of July, it's 31C outside today in London. It most definitely is summer. Or maybe not.

One of my favourite lunch places, EAT, sells some delicious soups. Unfortunately, though, their marketing department is stuck in a cold place, or something, as their soup on this sunny Monday reads as follows:

SAUSAGE & 3 BEAN
A hearty soup that is just right for a winter day. Serve with a chunky apple and rosemary sauce.

(From: http://www.eat.co.uk/pages/soup_pop4.html)

Hope they're not wearing a woolly jumper today....

Reviews: Il Mare and The Lake House

Lest — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 08:36:00 +0000

Two films reviewed, but both of the are linked. Il Mare is one of my favourite films from Korea and was recently remade into The Lake House, a Hollywood version starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. I'll review them both individually, then sum up at the end.

* IL MARE (Siworae) *
Lee Jung-Jae, Jeon Ji-Hyun
Dir: Lee Hyun-Seung - 2000 - Korea

Il Mare is a fantastically beautiful story. Eun-ju (Jeon Ji-Hyun) is moving house and leaves a Christmas card in her old mailbox at a house called Il Mare for the next owner. Surprisingly though, the card is instead received by Sung-hyon (Lee Jung-Jae), Il Mare's original occupant two years earlier. They write to each other and a unique friendship develops.

The story is gorgeously written. The plot is simple yet emotive with some suspense of what the characters might do next. Indeed, there is the fairy tale feel to the film, which is just fine, because we can then overlook those time-travel anomalies that science fans will pick up on.

The locations chosen for the film are outstanding and stunning. The house chosen for Il Mare is surrounded by the beautiful Korean countryside and sea, and many of the other beach locations show off Korea's hidden gems. Plus I have to mention the weather, because so many different conditions had been used, that the planning effort put in has made this film so much more emotive.

As for the cast, I won't hide from the fact that I had bought this DVD simply because Jeon Ji-hyun was the lead. A very talented actress in the few films she has done do far, she is, in my opinion, one of the biggest rising stars in Asian cinema. Her ability to draw in the viewer into the emotions of her character are quite amazing. Lee Jung-jae complements this in his performance. It is worth saying that the two characters have plenty of chemistry between each other, despite not appearing on screen much together at all. The links between the two joining words have been well thought out.

I genuinely think that this is a fantastic film, for its uniqueness and imagination, in spite - and I stress in spte - of a few holes a sci-fi fanatic would spot in a flash. It's a gorgeous film, one of my all time favourites, and one that few films ever will surpass in visual delectation. One that deserves top recommendation.

* THE LAKE HOUSE *
Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves, Christopher Plummer
Dir: Alejandro Agresti - 2006 - USA

Kate (Sandra Bullock) is a newly qualified doctor who moves to downtown Chicago, having given up her Lake House for the city. She leaves a letter for the new owner of the house asking him to forward her mail to a new address. Alex moves into an abandoned house by a lake to discover a letter in his mailbox - dated two years into the future. He's in 2004, she's in 2006. Eventually, they realise that they are living two years apart, and at the same time, they start to fall in love with each other.

The story may be similar to the film it's based on, Il Mare, but it varies quite a lot from it. Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves reignite an on-screen chemistry those who have seen Speed. However, this film is, of course, much more sentimental. Like Il Mare, the two characters don't appear much on screen, however, the chemistry is created. However, the plot is deeper, involving several more peripheral characters in the story, including Alex's father and Kate's ex-boyfriend.

Before I make my comparison, I would like to point out that this is a great film in its own right, and very much worth watching.

Comparison

The films may be based on each other, but they are different enough to not be classed as a simple remake. The Lake House has a faster pace than the original, which is much more of an art-house film. It also has had more time for refinement than Il Mare with many of the plot holes of the original film filled in.

The Lake House also deviates from the passing of messages through the letterbox and stylises it into a conversation between the two characters, which actually works very well and makes it easier for the film to flow. In many ways, the plot of the The Lake House is much better than the original. However, Il Mare has as its trick card some superb photography and sets that the Hollywood version simply cannot match.

Overall, it's difficult to make a comparison because the films are different. Both are very good films, but with my heart being with the photography of the original, I'm plumping for Il Mare as my favourite, but many of you will disagree.

Links:
IMDb entry for Il Mare
Buy Il Mare at YesAsia.com
YouTube: Must Say Goodbye (Il Mare OST)

IMDb entry for The Lake House
Official Site: The Lake House
The Lake House Trailer

The Odd Spot #20: Del Mak in Maria Lawson's video

Lest — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 20:29:00 +0000

That man, Del Mak, the bloke I call my brother, has surpassed his previous best for appearing in a music video. Once he appeared in a Misteeq MV, but only for a total of about 9 seconds (see the cut!).

But unlike his previous appearances, he's one of the main characters for Maria Lawson's new MV, her debut song called Sleepwalking, which I have to say is a cracking song.

So look out for the man in a yellow cardi who is hopeless at swatting a fly. Watch the video below.

Links:
Del Mak Official Site
Maria Lawson's Sleepwalking MV
Maria Lawson Official Site
Clip of Del in a Misteeq video

Random London #1: Turandot

Lest — Sat, 08 Jul 2006 11:11:00 +0000

A new occasional theme on this site. London is an amazing city and there's always something going on that you stumble upon just going past.

Last night was the first night of Puccini's Turandot at the Royal Opera House, and with their sponsors BP, they converted the Covent Garden piazza into an open air performance with the big screen beaming the happenings inside the Opera House.

The place was buzzing, with 2,000 people seated on air cushions on the floor of the piazza, watching a free opera. 11 other places around the country also had the privilege of seeing the performance live too.

The plan was that there would be a singalong to Nessun Dorma, the song made famous by Luciano Pavarotti who sang it for the FIFA World Cup in 1990 when Italy hosted it. They even gave lessons before the performance. Unfortunately, unlike the enthusiasm we normally see at the Last Night of the Proms, the response was rather drab in Covent Garden. I was probably the only one singing - and very softly at that!

Anyway, it's great that there are loads of events like this in London. No doubt, I'll be bumping into more soon.

Links:
Royal Opera House

7/7: London Stands one year on

Lest — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 07:24:00 +0000

A year has passed. London has been moving on from events a year ago, a memory still very vivid in the minds of those who live in this magnificent city.

Today we remember those events, remember those who had to give their lives up in the callous act four crazy men committed.

A year on, London has chosen not to kneel to them, it stands proud today as it has for centuries. A city that embraces everyone cannot be broken by a few.

Wise One Quotes... #7: Yoga

Lest — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 11:22:00 +0000

The wisest person I know (probably) made a startling comment yesterday. She maybe smarter than Yoda, but her thoughts on Yoga weren't so flattering.

"Yoga is just sleeping, but in an odd position"
- Meng Gao

She's got a point, you know... ;)

Wise One Quotes... #6

Lest — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 11:16:00 +0000

From the film Il Mare, which is the original film that the current film, The Lake House, starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves is based on.

"There are three things a person cannot hide: coughing, poverty and love. The more one tries to hide them, the more they rise to the surface"
- Eun-joo (Jeon Ji-Hyun) to Sung-hyun (Lee Jung-Jae), Il Mare

Links:
IMDb entry for Il Mare
Buy Il Mare at YesAsia.com
IMDb entry for The Lake House

Gallery and World Cup Spreadsheet updates

Lest — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 23:01:00 +0000

Two updates tonight. Firstly, a few photos have been added to my gallery. These include a few from Switzerland and from my window.

Also, another update to my World Cup spreadsheet, as Switzerland was misspelt in the line up which would mean their final group match would not have been counted. I apologise to everyone with my spreadsheet. I pulled it together a week before it started and didn't have enough time to test it with my guinea pigs.

Anyway, let me know if there are more mistakes!