Displaying items by tag: Benedict Wong

SHANGHAI

China/US/Thailand, 2010, 105 minutes, Colour.

John Cusack, Gong Li, Chow Yun-Fat, David Morse, Ken Watanabe, Franka Potente, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Hugh Bonneville, Benedict Wong, Christopher Buchholz.

Directed by Mikael Halfstrom.

Shanghai was not so well reviewed on its release – however, it does have something of a more favourable following now (as instanced by comments on the IMDb).

Production was prepared for filming in Shanghai but permission withdrawn after complaints about presentation of sexual matters in Ang Lee’s Lust: Caution. The production was moved to Thailand – and the sets to recreate Shanghai in 1941 are quite elaborate, blocks of city streets of the time, buildings, facades, lights, as well as elaborate interiors, especially in a casino with the gambling, the stage entertainment, the crowds. And, the film is filled with extras, quite a number of strong crowd sequences, Japanese troops killing people in the streets and subsequent panic, panic at a railway station, and crowds at the end trying to get away on ships leaving Shanghai.

And the audience needs to pay attention to the complexities of the plot. The focus is on the journalist coming from Nazi Berlin, some considering him favourable to the Nazis, but is now collaborating with the Americans present and finding himself in complex situations with the Chinese resistance to the Japanese. He is played, rather sternly, by John Cusack.

The film has a strong supporting cast, led by celebrated Chinese actress (especially in the 1990s in ang Yimou films), Gong Li. She is married to Anthony, a power in the crime community of Shanghai, and played also by veteran Chinese actor, Chow Yun-Fat (famous at the time for his appearance in John Woo films). There is also the military chief played by Ken Watanabe.

The plot involves John Cusack searching for the killer of his journalist friend, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, leading him to the crime chief as well as the military chief. But the important thing is the role of the wife and her involvement with the resistance, and especially at the end, trying to get a young woman who has been mistress both to the military chief and the American journalist who has been killed out of Shanghai.

The film has been directed by Swedish director, Mikael Halfstrom.

1. The title and focused, 1941, Shanghai’s place in China at the time, International Centre, the war with Japan, the year of Pearl Harbor?
2. The production values, the elaborate sets for Shanghai, streets and buildings, interiors, casinos, offices, apartments? The large cast, the many crowd scenes, war, action, railway stations, wharfs? The musical score, songs and performance? International atmosphere?
3. International intrigue, the background of Germany during the 30s, the outbreak of the war? The situation of Japan and its attack on China, the 30s? Japan preparing for the world war? The effect on Chinese citizens? The resistance? International presence, the dividing of the city into zones, the British, American, French, the Germans?
4. The focus on Paul Soames, the American, undercover, agent, journalist, his work in Berlin, reputation, coming to Shanghai, his friendship with Connor? Meeting him, Sumi, his work, information, his death? wanting to find out the truth?
5. The opening with Tanaka, the arrest, the interrogation, the threats? Going back two months?
6. Paul, his friendship with Richard Astor, commissions, the American presence, international intrigue?
7. Paul and his work as a journalist, the British editor, hostility, suspicions of his political stances?
8. His getting the background information, travelling through Shanghai, observing, the people, the politics, the Japanese presence, the resistance, the shootings in the street…?
9. The encounter with Anna, the attraction, questions, her relationship with her husband, his criminal background, power, at the casino? The revelations about Anna, the resistance, at the casino, passing on messages, but her relationship with her husband? The secrecy? The continued encounters with Paul, his following her and her knowing it? The issue of his friend and his death, the girl who is his mistress, the revelation of her relationship with Tanaka, her role as an agent? Her drug addiction, her being shielded and hidden? The plan to get her out of Shanghai?
10. Social life in Shanghai, the German Embassy, the Consul, his wife, relationship with Paul, from the past?
11. Tanaka, his presence, suspicions, authority, the relationship with Anthony, with Anna? The arrest of Paul, the brutality, the interrogation? Watching the execution of the Chinese agent?
12. The complexities of getting the mistress out of Shanghai, the intrigue, all watching, Anna and her friends with the girl, the railway station, Japanese suspicions, the creating of the diversion, the shooting, the crowd and confusion? Tanaka, with the young girl, his love for her, the final injection?
13. The final complications, Anthony and his giving infomration to Tanaka, the confrontation at the house, the bodyguard, the driver, the shootings, Anthony taking a stance, his death, can occur wounded, Paul and Anna escaping? Going to the wharf, the passport, Paul saying and it was his wife, there seem Tanaka, or having spent his life, their being allowed on the ship? Indications of returning later?
14. Espionage, journalism, war atmosphere, in an exotic location?

WEAPONS

US, 2025, 128 minutes, Colour.

Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Amy Madigan, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, Austin Abrams, Alden Ehrenreich, Clayton Farris, Justin Long, Sarah Paxton,

Directed by Zach Cregger.

Weapons is quite a general title and audiences may be expecting to see a lot of firearms. However, the weapons this time are young children, 17 in a school class who suddenly disappear, running from their homes, in the early hours one morning. Only one does not disappear, Alex (Cary Christopher), who lives a lonely kind of existence. Where can this be going?

The film was written and directed by Zach Cregger whose previous film, Barbarian,   employedthe same pattern as here, establishing characters and situations, building up to the explicit horror. He certainly is able to create an atmosphere of mystery, often quite unsettling, the audience puzzled, looking for clues and indications and then, finally, a frighteningly overwhelming climax.

While we see the disappearance of the children, wondering where they could be, the structure of the film is in chapters, each with the name of a significant member of the cast, from Justine (Julia Garner), the initially hapless teacher of the disappeared children, blamed by the parents, branded as a witch, and not quite a steady personality. Then there is her relationship with Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), a rather callow policeman with the angry, neglected wife and pursuing a vagrant, James (Austin Abrams), addict, homeless, always ready to exploit situations. The other main characters are Marcus, the school principal (Benedict Wong), and Archer (Josh Brolin), a concerned parent whose son has been the principal bully to Alex.

And, the screenplay moves around in time, revealing characters, going back to situations, developing interconnections, which means that the audience has to be quite attentive.

And, at Alex’s house, more sinister revelations, the fate of Alex’s parents and the mysterious Aunt Gladys insinuating herself into the household, eliciting pity, but frightening people and the gradual revelation of who she is, her powers of control, the discovery of the children and a ferocious climax. Amy Madigan offers a powerfully alarming performance.

This may not appeal to audiences, of course, but it is a horror film worth considering, an involving plot, a range of flawed characters, the problems of a small town, school and teachers and parents, and eerie suggestions of horror which may or may not be possible in real life.

1. The arresting title? Audience puzzle? The later explanations, the possessed characters, their arms like wings, their attacks, violent destruction?
2. The Middle American town, atmosphere, homes, school, streets, police precincts, the countryside? The musical score?
3. The narration throughout, the voice of the schoolgirl, touch of the eerie?
4. The episode, the 17 children, visualised, running with their arms like wings, disappearing? All from the one class? Only Alex coming to school the next day? Justin’s class, her coming, the discussions with the principal, the reaction of the parents, her being blamed, the meetings and denunciations, the painting of “witch” on her car? The setting up of the atmosphere?
5. The writer-director and his previous film, the same pattern, establishing characters and situations, building up to the explicit horror?
6. The device of having chapters, the names of the principal characters? Focus on them, introducing other characters, flashbacks, the building up of the time and momentum, going back for the audience to see episodes from a different angle? And then the final sequences, in chronology, with explanations, visuals, and the introduction of the horror and gore aspects? The cumulative effect?
7. Justine, teacher, devoted to the children, yet past DUI, her drinking, at the bar, living alone, and nightmares, the relationship with Paul, deceiving his wife, drinking, going home with Justine, the sexual encounters, the aftermath? Justine recommended to be quiet, yet her following Alex, going to the house, looking in the windows, the people still, boarded-up? The vigil in the car, the mother cutting a look at her hair? Further encounters with Paul?
8. Paul, age, police, tense, drinking, his marriage, relations with his wife, deceiving her, her outbursts? His time with Justine? Tension, with the police chief, the discussions with him? The pursuit of James, vagrant, anger, his finger pierced, health worries, the discussions with his superior, keeping it quiet?
9. James, vagrant, asking for money from Justine, stealing, going to the pawnbroker, being chased by Paul, Paul pierced, his running away? Wandering, seeing Gladys in the field? His tent, the drugs? The rain, going to the house, getting inside, the mystery of the people, his apologies, steal the cutlery, going to the pawnbroker?
10. Archer, parent, his wife, his son seen in bullying Alex, his work on the building site, erratic, the confrontations with Justine, the injuries and the accident, their beginning to share concerns, his own investigating, his dreams, teaming up with her eventually, going to the house, getting inside?
11. Marcus, principal, ethics, strictures on Justine and her following Alex? With the parents? Time passing? At home, his relationship with Terry?
12. Alex, his age, at home, his relationship with his parents, happy relationship, driving with his father, dropping him at school, his mother at home, the prospect of aunt Gladys coming, preparing the house? His being bullied, especially by Matthew? Aunt Gladys and her arrival, his reaction, her behaviour in the house?
13. Aunt Gladys, appearing in the dreams, glimpsed by James? Her arrival, appearance, the make up, a witch, old and wizened, taking control of the family, her branches, has sticks, her rituals, pricking, the blood, on the branch, breaking it, the personal links with the victims, hair…? Her control in the house, paralysing Alex’s parents, his reaction to this, keeping them alive, feeding them the soup? Her dying, but being sustained by energies from the victims? Her encounter with Marcus, at school, bringing Alex’s father to the school, her coming to Marcus’s house, hypnotising him, controlling him, his live-in partner, and bashing him to death? Then his running through the town, like a weapon, to track down Justine?
14. James, taken by Paul, in the car, all in the house, his being controlled, bringing James into the house? The arrival of archer and Justine, all hypnotised? The confrontations within the house, archer hypnotised, Justine almost killed, her getting the gun, killing Paul, rescuing Alex?
15. The children, Archer’s search in the basement for his son, Gladys asking Alex to get personal emblems, the gymnasium, Justine, his taking them and chopping them to pieces? Their coming alive, pursuing her, the mayhem in the chase throughout all homes, smashing, the glass? And the descending on Gladys and destroying her?
16. The little girl in the narration, talking about the aftermath, Alex moving away, some gradual recovery for the children…?