As for Protege… I personally thought that the ending went right back to the main idea of the film, which Kozo, in his review points out as: “Don’t do drugs, and for God’s sake, don’t sell them either.” It felt a lot like an anti-drug infomercial at the end of it.

I thought it would have been more effective if he’d gone down the shame spiral though. You don’t come out of the film feeling great anyway, so I think Derek Yee should have just stabbed us all in the gut and twisted it. But I guess it would make drugs look attractive or something — though Derek Yee could have adjusted a few things…. sigh.

Did everyone hear that Tang Wei’s Pond’s Ads are banned in the mainland because she starred in Lust, Caution?

Why would you want to know that? It is not important to the story, to the film or even to the characters (we get so much ample information on them through other, subtler means). Actually a scene like you described would make me groan in frustration.

Thanks for the tip on Pye-Dog I saw it and Eason’s performance was flawless and I kind of understood what the director was doing but in the end I agree with you that it didn’t end up being a good film. It was the wrong genre for that (but I will confess to shedding tears during the song scene)

http://www.procheerleaderblog.com/blog/images/2008/Mar/nbajazz.jpg

I should have said the whys in regard to why is Yee collaborating with the Japanese? I expected a scene — beyond the scene in the Japanese restaurant where she sings to him — where she asks Yee why he is collaborating? Seemed like a reasonable question for her character of the importer’s wife to ask.

Eason is good in The Pye Dog but the film left me blah. Worth checking out if you like Eason.

Sanney mentioned Shawn Yue and I just noticed that he’s in a show called Good Morning Shanghai being shown on AZN TV on American cable. One of the few dramas I’ve stumbled upon on that channel to feature English subtitles. When was this show made?

(I have heard that Comcast is dropping this channel in April so I better enjoy it while I can!)

Tang Wei was not bad but I still have to wait to watch another performance from her to form an opinion on her acting skills.

glenn, to me the “whys” of the actions of the characters were perfectly clear (and I didn’t read the novella).

A near classic film I’d say as well. Morally ambiguous characters, nice period design. I would have liked more of the “whys” for the characters’ actions but still a great film in many ways.

I’m not sure about Funeral March’s release date but Charlene was quite good in that. As was Eason Chan, actually. I missed Heroes in Love; hope it’s better than Trivial Matters — another anthology film.