Be White. Live White. Like this.

“Listen carefully. Everyone make mistakes. But if you committed a sin, you have to make an atonement for that sin. Atonement, do you know what that means? Big Atonement for big sins. Small Atonement for small sins.”

I caught Sympathy for Lady Vengeance by Park Chan-wook (2005) a few years back and this easily became one of my favourite films. Starring Lee Young Ae who is famous for her role in the popular Korean drama Dae Jang Geum, I watched the film out of pure interest for Lee Young Ae’s performance (my family and I were fans of that drama during then), and indeed, she delivered her role in the movie with such a powerful concoction of emotions, it totally knocked me over.

My Magic

My Magic by Eric Khoo (2006) is the third movie I have watched from this director and is by far, having the most amount of interactive dialogue as compared to Be With Me (there is only 3 minutes worth of dialogue) and 12 Storeys (well, the grandma rattled on quite a lot in movie but it is more of a monologue).

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

I have never ever been a fan of martial arts movie or dramas, but Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon by Ang Lee (2000) won me over with the lush sceneries and fluid camerawork. I especially loved the fighting scenes among the bamboo forests, the gentle sway of the bamboo shoots due to the moving breeze is similar to how Mu Bai and Jen “fly” and pit their skills against each other – it is graceful and with ease, yet definitely powerful.

Faith, have faith.

"I think we keep living with faith because we need it. Even atheists believe in something - in something else. Yet, I didn't want to make a movie about faith, really, but a reflection on what goes on inside us. Cinema is a great tool, a way to talk about the invisible through the visible." - Lee Chang Dong

Secret Sunshine by Lee Chang Dong (2007) chronicles a lady, Shin-ae, dealing with grief, anguish and her doubt of faith, the role being performed by one of my favourite Korean actress, Jeon Do-yeon. Life seems to be peaceful for Shin-ae after she moves to the town Miryang, but the kidnap and murder of her son plummeted her into depths of despair, agony, and even madness. To overcome her grief, she decides to pay a visit to the kidnapper with the intention to forgive him under the grace of God, yet feelings of betrayal overcame her when the kidnapper told her that God had already forgiven him.

The Host

I did not expect myself to enjoy The Host by Boon Joon-Ho (2006), but the comedy elements with the drama made me chuckle throughout the movie, especially the slapstick moments with regards of the monster in the movie. The subtle digs at political issues were humorous too!

Nobody Knows

Out of the many films that I had watched for this module, the mothers portrayed in the movies are selfless and willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their children, but Nobody Knows by Hirokazu Koreeda (2004) certainly is an exception. A movie based on an actual event, Nobody Knows is about four children abandoned by their mother and left to survive on their own, and the main lead of the movie Yūya Yagira won the award for Best Actor at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival for his performance in the movie.

Yureka

Eureka by Shinji Aoyama (2000) is a lengthy movie of three and a half hours. A story about a road trip, a pair of siblings survived a violent bus hijacking ride, along with the bus driver, who is the only other survivor.

Departures

Departures by Yōjirō Takita (2008) touches on the theme of “death”, depicting the profession of funeral embalmers. Daigo, a former cellist, takes on the job of a funeral caretaker, and throughout his journey, he gains new insights on professionalism, respect for the previously shunned (i.e. he learning to see his career in a new light), relationships, and ultimately, life and death. The movie definitely shed a new light on how the funeral profession is like, and after watching the movie, I have newfound respect for these workers, their job certainly encompasses more than what we can imagined.

Lust, Caution

I have created a poster as my response to Lust, Caution by Ang Lee (2007).

Monrak Transistor

Monrak Transistor by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang (2001) is a delightful movie filled with retro themes. The way the director inserted slapstick moments despite the twist and turns in the plot makes the movie slightly more light-hearted to watch. I loved the radio Pan gave Sado, it is such a pretty piece of vintage charm!

Oldboy

“Even though I'm no more than a monster - don't I, too, have the right to live?”

My brains are blown away after watching Oldboy by Park Chan-wook (2005)...the violence, the anguish, the purpose, the gore, the movie generated ripple effects of art responses, and even the responses from fans all over the world is tastefully done.

"Be with me, my beloved love, that my smile may not fade."

I had always wanted to watch Be With Me by Eric Khoo (2005) since I got to know about it, but the year when the film premiered, the M18 barred my viewership and it is only till now that I’m of the legal age to be finally able to watch this movie.

“Is true love truly there, my love? Yes, if your warm heart is.”

After the introductory credits rolled in, the movie started off with a close up shot of two hands slowly typing away on a typewriter, churning out the quote above. My attention was immediately fully captured. To me, there is a charm to understated words that speak of philosophical wisdom, I believe in the beauty of simple words that bring out the many emotions, feelings and facets of life.

Fleeting, Subtlety, Yearning…Lasting.

“花样年华是指少年男女二十岁左右青春焕发的岁月.”

In The Mood For Love by Wong Kar-wai (2000) takes on a Chinese idiom for the movie title, to which I found it quite thought intriguing. The definition of the phrase 花样年华 is not easy to define, as it represents a very ephemeral concept – mainly used to describe the years in one’s youth, alike to blossoming flowers, pretty, yet not everlasting. For the movie, I would describe it in these four words – fleeting, subtlety, yearning and lasting.

At the Height of Summer

The Vertical Ray of the Sun by Tran Anh Hung (2000) is a movie that revolves around three sisters, Suong, Khanh and Lieb, Suong being the eldest, Khanh the middle, and Lien the youngest. The film is set in Vietnam’s Hanoi, and with cinematographer Pin Bing Lee (who also did the cinematography for movie In The Mood for Love), viewers of The Vertical Ray of the Sun are presented a luscious, pastel and dreamy Hanoi, with a tinge of amorousness charm to the tropical city. The movie seems timeless, it felt like it had suspended in time and moves at an unhurried pace, as how Lien slowly stretches and dances across the room with tender grace.

House by the Sea.

Il Mare by Hyun-Seung Lee (2000) is a very simple film dealing with a complex theory of time-travelling. Il Mare, a beautiful house along the seaside, houses the protagonists who are apart by two years, corresponding by sending letters through the magical mailbox.

Shutter

I watched Shutter by directors Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom (2004) few years back, despite the passing of years and watching a few other horror movies after this film, I have to say The Shutter remains one of the best horror flicks I have ever watch, it still makes me jump from my seat when I watch it!

"Sorry, I'm a cop"

Infernal Affairs by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak (2002) is one of my favourite Hong Kong movies of all times.

I am not a huge fan of crime dramas, it is easy to get desensitized by crime-thriller plots, more so those that are made in Hong Kong – “the good versus the evil” plot is a widely used storyline for countless of movies and dramas.

What is your 4:30am moment like?

“我觉得一部对白不多的电影，也能感动别人。因为听不到的声音，可以用心来感受。说不出的言语，可以用眼神来流露。触摸不到的人，可以用回忆来重温。那，就是我心里的4：30。”

I feel that a movie without much conversation can also touch the hearts of the audience. Because a voice that cannot be heard, can inevitably be felt, by the heart. Words that cannot be spoken, can instead be conveyed through one’s eyes. And a person that you cannot physically intereact with, can be relieved, and relished, with memories. And that, is my true definition of “4:30”.

- Royston Tan

This is my first time watching an arthouse film directed by local filmmaker, Royston Tan, even though he is best known for his awards-winning feature “15” and commercially successful movie “881”.