Hi Takeshi,
Greetings!  
In this thread, Let's take a virtual random stroll into the cinema, and flip through news related to movies.  I will also write my personal review on movies I enjoyed and your work.  It's a homage to movies and your growing body of work.  
Movies can be so trivial, relegated to the "entertainment" section at the back of newspapers.  But, looking at it another way, it can be pretty important.  It's many people's favorite pass time.  It can entertain, educate and engage.  It is an experience, some short-lived, others lingering and thought provoking.  It allows us to get in touch with our own feelings and imagination.  I know of many men who would never cry, except when watching movies.  And thankfully, they would even tell their friends and coworkers they were moved to tears and recommend a movie.  My coworker who is a father in his 50s recently told me he was most moved by a scene in Inside Out when the imaginary friend helped Riley up the mountain...(no more spoilers here, you have to watch it if you haven't yet).  So I'd argue for our society, movies are even more important to men than to us ladies, because it's a safe way for them to get in touch with their feelings and dreams (a little tounge in cheek .  As for me, I cry at movies all the time.  I used to be a little embarrassed, but not any more because it makes me feel alive and balanced.  

Because of work and family, I would post when I can.   And it would be kind of random, since I won't spend time organizing topics, rather save time for content.  Today is a good start.  I am taking a day off, sitting in a coffee shop reading newspapers.

There was a recommendation on WSJ this morning on Redcliff, international version it's getting released in blue ray.  I preferred the longer 2 part version. (More later on the movie in future postings).  
There was also an article about Richard Geer making a new movie about homeless in New York City.  He dressed up as a homeless man and shot in a morning with a very long hidden lense.  Nobody even noticed him, no one made eye contact.  He held a coffe cup, and got a dollar and change.  Because he was invisible, no one recognized him.  Some thoughts ran through my head.  The people I pass each day on the way to work.  A few times I helped, most time I did not.  At college, I gave money to some panhandlers, then found out in the local newspaper that panhandlers made 60% more than I did as a poor graduate student in a liberal college town and my friends laughed at me...  In a very very cold evening 2 winters ago, I felt compelled to talk to a woman who was sleeping over a heat vent, because it was so dangerous.  I asked her how I could help to get her to a shelter like getting a taxi for her.  All she wanted was a cup of hot coffeeand she asked very politely.  I never saw her again after that, I hope she went to a shelter. A Reminder to ourselvesthat even though there is no easy and good solutions about homelessness, we should not be content that we already volunteered or given to charity, human interaction sometimes is more important than dollars.  
Which also reminds me of my first Takeshi movie's opening scene.  My introduction to you was Lost and Found, the only movie of yours I was able to see on a big screen (sadly), at International movie night in college. With the sad and beautiful song of "Dance me to the End of Love" by Leonard Cohen in the background, the opening scene was black and white, showing HongKong's street life.  Old men and women, kids, most of them poor and trying to get by.  A great way to show multiple points of view, it could be audiences' POV, Mr Worm's,  or Lam's (Kelly Chan).  At the same time  it introduces us to the poorer section of HongKong, where Mr. Worm works, helps, and most importantly he interacts with many marginalized people.  That's why his character was so likable, he treats all these marginalized people like real human beings.  That's when I became a fan.  Worm was eanest, shy, a little eccentric and with a heart of gold.  my favorite scene:
Worm visiting Lam in the hospital.  You did the scene very subtly and it is more moving because the brave face you put up.  Now in stead of "a wild goose chase" I joke about "a wild duck chase".  
So much for today, going to lunch soon.  

Kind regards,
Rui

I saw your 4G ad on YouTube again recently.  Loved the look w those black rimmed glasses.  Very professorial.  Come to think about it, you sure can look very convincing in a professor/scholar type of role now.  Hope one day you can play such a role.
Then I thought that your fifties look really reminded me of Colin Firth's role in A Single Man.  I did not like the movie very much, mostly because I found the pace really slow.  Colin Firth's and many other performances were really good though.
One thing lead to another! I thought can I play a game like the six-degree of Kevin Bacon? But how about six-degree of Takeshi Kaneshiro and see how I can go from Colin Firth to you via your works.
There may be other solutions, and I invite other solutions.  

Here is mine.  1. Colin acted in A Single Man, which was scored by Shigeru Umebayashi.  2. Mr. Umebayashi is one of my favorite musicians working in films and has scored both Sleepless Town and the House of Flying Daggers, 3. Which leads me to Our Mr. Kaneshiro!  
Just amusing myself on my daily commute...  

Speaking of the House of Flying Daggers, it is arguably The movie that introduced most Western audience to you.  I liked many aspect of the movie, many nuggets of your performance.  The scene when you first realized you were fooled, you looked both surprised and truly hurt.  Maybe that was the first time Jin realized he had true feelings for her, because of the extent of hurt.  Well done!  The part when you looked back after you were freed not executed.  Well the DP really know how to manipulate my heart rate   And also the part you said good bye in the beautiful birch woods.  The color and scenery was just breathtaking.  
The only part that prevented the movie from achieving a greater level was the plot and dialogue appearing a bit thin and stretched towards the end.  I later learned about the weather challenge and your injuries.  Finishing a movie under these circumstances, you have my respect.  It is a very enjoyable movie for your fans. For a totally biased fan, every frame of you in that movie was simply ravishing.  Happy Weekend!

I love going to movies, but have not been this excited to see a new movie for a long time.  We will be seeing the Martian this afternoon.  The story of scientific problem solving is the key selling point, and I think it's a first for a major movie to focus on problem solving.  
At least science fiction fans will love this and I have a good feeling that wider audience will too.  I believe truly innovative topics, or ways and angles to tell stories (often starting with great scripts or source materials) make the most interesting movies.  Their success will spawn numerous imitations.  Imitations will appear to be safer, since they can be broken down to elements that have shown previous success.  For example after the Gladiator, sandals and swords movies are suddenly hot again...  But none of the imitations tend to surpass the original.
So just excited to see innovation pushes.  will report back after the screening.

Exhilarating!  That's how I felt when the closing credits rolled.  The movie really captured how scientists and engineers can be so passionate about what they do, and that it is absolutely moving!  I am glad the movie is so restrained, and not focusing on the emotional side of the rescue.  Instead, it realistically showed how scientists and engineers are at their best--unde pressure, they can still focus; they are not overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem; they stay rational, as cool and collected as they can be, break the problem down and work on the solution.  In showing problem solving under stress and their duties to each other, the audience can truly see the nobility of these scientists/astraunomers.  
I think it's the best movie I have seen this year!  Trying not to give away the plot here too much.  Takeshi and fans, I highly recommend it.

I watched "Lost and Found" many of times since I was in high school student.  This movie still keeps in my shelve and not willing pass to anyone else.   
   
Even though that movie was released back in 1995, there are still some touching scenes that keep in my heart and ever.  
Talking about life, miracle, disappointment, believe, love and courageous.  I am totally agree with you could see the movie of the marginalized people how hardly to survive in the cruel society.  Yet, they still believe our life has a miracle and a ray of light in the darkness.  

Where can we find Mr.Worm such a lovely and warm-hearted character or person, he(Takeshi) believes and helps what we were being lost and we can be found in one day.  

I totally agree!  Two years ago, I was asked what is my favorite movie.  It's a hard question for me, I had a short list of favorites.  But when I started thinking what movie touched me most.  I thought about Lost and Found that I watched so many years ago...  It just jumped out after so many years.  I then bought a DVD copy, and would watch it from time to time now.  Loved the story lines, characters, and it's musing about life.  Life is far from perfect, but it's about how we live it.  

It's been a really tough day at work.  Likely the long day is not over yet, more work tonight.  I usually work during my commute, but now I needed a bit down time.  

Lately, I have been thinking about a movie I saw in mid 2000s, or actually I have been thinking about a speech in the end of this movie.  It is a speech given to honor a politician at a victory of passing a bill.  So I am going to look it up, since it really resonated with me.

OK here is the speech to the 2006 movie Amazing Grace, about the passage of abolition of slave trade in Britan.  It was delivered by Michael Gambon:
"When people speak of great men, they think of men like Napoleon -- men of violence.  Rarely do they think of peaceful men.  But contrast the reception they will receive when they return home from their battles.  Napoleon will arrive in pomp and in power, a man who's achieved the very summit of earthly ambition.  And yet his dreams will be haunted by the oppressions of war.  William Wilberforce, however, will return to his family, lay his head on his pillow and remember: the slave trade is no more..."

Any additional words from me is a distraction.  Somehow the memory of this part of the movie made me feel calm and better.

'Amazing Grace'  - a great story of freedom and courage.

My favorite movie in the early nineties is Out of Africa.  I loved it first because the uncommon beauty of the scenery, music, and language.  The acting by Streep and Redford was charming, and the story unique.

I would like to share with you a recent article I read....

THE WAY WE WERE (1973)
ROBERT REDFORD and BARBRA STREISAND

Some memories last forever

Robert Redford and Paul Newman

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)


The Sting (1973)


[ 本帖最後由 阿管 於 2015-10-30 21:22 編輯 ]

Out of Africa (1985)