1997, Japan
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Starring: Koji Yakusho, Tsuyoshi Ujiki, Masato Hagiwara,

Detective Takabe (Koji Yakusho) is investigating some mysterious murders with the assistance of his psychologist friend. There is no link or motive for the suspects, and the suspects don’t know or remember what they have done. The only link between the murders is an X mark on each victim’s neck. As they continue deeper into their investigation, they discover a horrific and sinister element behind the murders.

I believe there are two kinds of films. The kind of film that makes you feel and the kind of film that makes you think. Cure fits in latter category. It is a strange but good psychological thriller. The story and characters, especially the main bad guy, are very strange. It does puzzle your mind throughout the film. The film focuses on Takada and his investigation of the murders. There are many characters involved in the story and while some are very essential, most are really just signs on the side of the road. Just like his other films, Cure really requires you to think. And yes, it is filled with an eerie atmosphere throughout. One thing that I don’t like about his films is that they all begin with a very engaging story but at midpoint they turn into social commentaries.

This film should perhaps be viewed twice to have a better understanding. It is very subtle and atmospheric, but it may not be for everyone.

Review by Shogo.

Hong Kong, 2002
Directors: Andy Lau and Alan Mak
Cast: Andy Lau, Tony Leung
Score: ****

Infernal Affairs is the biggest Hong Kong hit in decades, drawing a record HK$7 million when it opened during the Christmas of 2002. Not only does the film boast two of the city’s hottest stars (Andy Lau and the more recognizable Tony Leung of Happy Together, In the Mood for Love and other Wong Kar Wai films) but it has a multi-layered plot skillfully executed by its two directors in a film that is as entertaining as it is handsome to look at – a rarity in Hong Kong films.  (Infernal Affairs has already spawned a prequel and a sequel.

Lau and Leung play moles, one planted in the police force and the other in a gangster triad.  The film begins with the two young men training in the force.  Leung is expelled but secretly hired to infiltrate the triad while Lau clandestinely reports to his triad boss while serving in police uniform.  The rest of the film interweaves the action of the two culminating in a confrontation as both discover each other’s identity.

Directors Lau and Mak develop a compelling tale by focusing on twin parallels - reflected in the nature of the two bosses – the chief inspector and drug king-pin; in the similarities encountered in the tasks performed by the two moles and again in the emotional trauma resulting in the prolonged playing of an uncomfortable role.  It is clear that the play in the cops and robbers game is interchangeable as it is ambiguous.  The loyalties that the moles develop as a result are as disturbing as it is real in life.  The action sequences (car crashes, chases on-foot and gangland executions) are sufficiently exciting, complementing the moody nature of the crime drama.

As a bonus, there are some magnificent looking shots, for example, in the shoot-out sequence in the covered car park - the floor scattered with puddles of dark water reflecting the action taking place.  Master cinematographer Chris Doyle (mentioned in the opening credits) clearly must have left in his imprint here.  On the other hand, cheap theatrics like the elevator doors opening and closing on a slain body look too staged.

But it is the darkness and moodiness of the film that finally captivates.  There are no heroes in this story – just survivors.  The Chinese title, which translates to Wujian Path tells it all.  Wujian is the name of an ancient form of hell – a continuous hell, the one in Buddhist mythology of the worst kind.  It also reflects the torment particularly faced by Leung as the traitor in the triad.  Only two high ranking officers in the police force know of his undercover.  When one is killed and the pressure mounts, he has to seek psychiatric help to retain his sanity.

Lau and Leung are charismatic in their leads, portraying both a vulnerability and strength in their characterizations.  Their mentors (triad boss and police chief) are also brilliantly played by Eric Tsang and Anthony Wong.  Pity the female roles are under-written.  The psychiatrist (Kelly Chen) helping Leung through his trauma appears to be just going through the motions and Lau’s fiancée (Sammi Cheng) is more irritating, whining and complaining most of the time.

For all the praise that can be bestowed on Infernal Affairs, one can only wish the film will reach local screens.  Miramax has bought the North American rights.  This might not be a good thing as their other Asian films notably Shaolin Soccer and Hero are still idling on the shelves. Still, Infernal Affairs is definitely worth viewing and it is available on DVD at present.

Review by Gilbert Seah.

USA, 2003
Director: James Cox
Cast: Val Kilmer, Kate Bosworth
Even with a maximum amount of buzz surrounding it, Wonderland all but skipped theaters, at least in my area. And while this type of theater booking reasoning has always bothered me, I can see why Hollywood does it. After working in a theater for so long, you begin to understand that most of the public are idiots who clamor for movies about souped-up cars and live-action versions of fat cartoon cats. Why lose money on a smaller film while you can fill up a stadium-seater with 168 screens of Lord of the Rings?

This brings me to home video. It’s really the only way to see any small films in Oklahoma. And even then, when all you have is Blockbuster and Hollywood, it’s still a ***censored*** Goonie-treasure hunt. While lately the Blockbuster by my house has been better (they did have plenty of unrented copies of Beyond Re-Animator and Lost in Translation last week), it’s always hit-and-miss. So, naturally, even though I did have low hopes for the film itself, I was glad to see that, ten minutes before closing on a Wednesday night, there were still plenty of copies of Wonderland, all waiting to be checked out.

One of my favorite sub-genres of film are biopics about the more outré members (no pun intended) of society, especially when it comes to porn and the like, and with a film like this, I bet everyone was expecting a more true to life version of Boogie Nights, or a brilliant mystery like Auto-Focus. Unfortunately, it was more like Blow, except with John Holmes and no actual blowing.

Horribly mis-directed by James Cox, Wonderland is a slap-dash retelling of the little-known Wonderland murders that apparently implicated the then ex-porn star/ then current coke-head John Holmes. It’s told in a low-rent Kurosawa multiple-POV non-linear fashion that’s more annoying than innovative. And that’s basically it. We learn nothing. We’re really not told anything. We’re just shown a glimpse into the lives of grimy, irritating characters that sit around non-stop, snort coke and plan botched heists.

Val Kilmer stars as Johnny “Wadd” Holmes, but I don’t think he knows it. The gloriously overrated current “it girl” Kate (no relation to Brian) Bosworth is his annoying girlfriend. Lisa Kudrow, Josh Lucas and Eric Bogosian are in there somewhere too. Heir/skank Paris Hilton has a wordless, less-than-a-minute cameo as a girl on a boat (actually, not giving her any lines was the only good idea this film had, but if he truly had any good ideas, he would of not had her at in this all).  Everyone overacts, everyone over-emotes, everyone in this movie sucks and should be blacklisted from Hollywood.

Also—don’t get fooled into thinking this movie is about John Holmes—it’s not. There is no interesting life-history, no behind the scenes and not one glimpse of his 13-inch manhood. Not one. Change the main character and this movie could have been a standard crime thriller. It could have been about Gary Coleman and you wouldn’t have had to of changed one line of dialogue. And how do you have a movie about John Holmes and not have any sex? That’s like making a movie about the Gospel of John and not including Christ—it just makes no sense.

On the plus side, included on the second disc is the feature-length, VCA-made documentary Wadd. This is a billion times better than Wonderland itself, and tells you more than the actual movie does. If it’s available individually, I say snap it up.

Overall, Wonderland isn’t even the price of a rental. It’s cheaper just to take a ***censored*** and smear it on the TV, because it’s the exact same thing at half the price.

Louis Fowler is a frequent contributor to Cinema Eye and Hitch Magazine. He is also the publisher of Damaged Magazine, a new issue of which is coming soon.

UK/Canada 2003
Director: Deepa Mehta
Score: ***

The Republic of Love, Mehta’s follow-up film to Bollywood Hollywood shows her once again in a jovial romantic mood experimenting with camera angles like overhead, slanted and laterally reversed shots before settling down with a scene.  Her tongue-in-cheek opening sequence involving the training of the perfect home-maker, which incidentally has nothing to do with the rest of the film, is indicative of the tone her film is to follow.  Republic is basically a white Canadian romantic comedy filmed in Toronto, (with British and Canadian actors) that traces the affair between a radio talk show host, Tom (Bruce Greenwood) and his newly found true love-at-first-sight, museum curator Fay (Emilie Fox).  Tom has survived three divorces while Fay is surviving a three-year long relationship.  Interestingly enough, their love affair is contrasted with Tom’s parent’s perfect marriage - until Tom and Fay get together and Tom’s dad (Edward Fox) decides to leave mother. 

Mehta has the knack of introducing bright and lively sequences in her films.  One love scene involving foot fetishes is particularly hilarious.  There are some spirited performances, notably from the stellar supporting cast of Edward Fox, Jackie Burroughs, Martha Henry and Claire Bloom.  The film is based on the late Pulitzer Prize winner Carol Shield’s novel, but this emotionless telling plays like a slightly upgraded Harlequin novel.  An interesting point to note is Mehta’s Indian influence – in the (film’s) music and in her casting of the minor roles. 

Review by Gilbert Seah.

Spain/2002
Director: Emilio Martinez Lazaro
Score: **

The Other Side of the Bed is the kind of bedroom farce that the hot-blooded Spanish claim they are good at making.  Nominated for multiple Goyas (the Spanish equivalent of the Academy Awards), the film was also a box-office hit in 2002 but took its time in reaching North American theatres.

The film centers on the love affairs of two couples.  At the start, couple Javier (Ernesto Alterio) and girlfriend Sonia (Raz Vega) comfort their distraught friend Pedro (Guillermo Toeldo) that his girlfriend Paula’s (Natalia Verbeke) leaving him is just a phase.  Paula has fallen in love with someone else.  It does not take long for the viewer to guess that the secret lover is none other than Javier himself nor predict that Sonia will eventually fall for Pedro.  Supporting characters are thrown in for good measure, like a skirt-chasing Rafa (Alberto San Juan) and the bumbling private-eye (Ramon Barea) Pedro hires to find Paula’s lover.

All these antics should provide ample opportunity for comedic high jinks but the humour is slight if funny at all.  The film’s best scene – the tennis match in which both Javier and Pedro are paired up, after they discover that each has slept with the other’s girl is less hilarious than expected.  Lazaro’s decision to add song-and-dance numbers in between segments do not work that well either, especially for non-Spanish viewers unfamiliar with the local pop songs.  The central character Javier, which turns out to be more irritating than amusing because of his attitude and the smugness of his sleeping around, does not help in making the film more likeable either.  The supporting cast fare better, especially San Juan as Rafa who talks more than he can handle.  His spill on why he gets the uglier girls is particularly amusing.

Probably the only reason the film got a release (none of the other Lazaros’ films have) is the fact that it garnered various awards.  The film was originally slotted to open on St. Valentine’s weekend, but is delayed two weeks, if not already for an entire year. Obviously, the distributors do not have high hopes for this comedy.

Review by Gilbert Seah.