The ultimate example of Hong Kong’s everything under the stars cinematic style. For good measures, there’s a handful of magic “WHAT THE HELL!? DID YOU SEE THAT?” dust for everyone who isn't a loyal follower of their brand of mayhem yet. This film will make you a beliver.(Stolen from LoveHKFILM.com)
« Leslie Cheung stars as Ning, a meek tax collector who finds himself involved in a wacky supernatural romance. He's slated to become a victim to enchanting ghost Nie (Joey Wong), who's bound to an evil tree demon (Lau Siu-Ming) who feed on men's souls. Ning's soul is slated for consumption, but due to a variety of circumstances, he's prevented from becoming soul food. Even more, the comely Nie grows to care for Ning, and vice versa. Then roving ghostbuster Wu Ma shows up to take down spirits with his nifty Taoist methods. There's also impromptu singing, sumptuous production design, and a tree demon with an extraordinarily long tongue. What a great film! »
It’s a flying swordsman (Wuxia) fantasy film. It’s an over the top gore film featuring comedy relief skeletons (They're even rotting!). It’s a luscious visual love story melodrama. It’s all these things and then some! A Chinese Ghost story is a classic. No hyperbole needed, (Well, it isn’t needed but I’ll still call it “The Greatest Piece of Film Since Film Was Invented.” Or “It Re-invents film and then makes it cure cancer and take out your groceries!”)
Leslie Cheung is completely relatable as the doe eyed loverboy who’s thrown from situation to situation and only making it out by the skin of his teeth. The beautiful Joey Wang plays the lovely female ghost who falls in love with the silly human. Wu Ma as the drunken swordsman is the actual “hero” of the story. The Evil Scary Transexual Tree Demons scare me. They’re giant killer tongue scares me more.
The direction by Ching-Sing Tung is energetic in all its swooshing camera glory. There’s a rumour that Tsui Hark (Once Upon a Time In China) who served as an executive producer, actually directed all the non-fighting scenes, and if that’s the truth, we’re all the better for it. There isn’t a frame here that isn’t meticulously composed and pleasing to the eye, which is feels like an anomaly coming from a country that is used to pumping out half-hearted filmic efforts every three days. This isn’t technically high art. Yet. I give it two more years before it’s displayed in Paris. Wait. You’ll see. I’ll be THE ONE LAUGHING THEN! HAHAHAHAHAHA!
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