Screen Scenes

“The Road Home” Directed by Zhang Yimou
Starring Zhang Ziyi and Sun Honglei
“The Road Home” proves that two of the best talents in
modern Chinese cinema, director Zhang Yimou (“Raise the Red
Lantern”) and actress Zhang Ziyi (“Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon”), can express themselves in this quietly
moving story as fluidly as in their more explosive and well-known
works. For Yimou, who was banned from making films in China for two
years after 1996’s “To Live” which criticized Mao
Zedong’s political reign, a simple love story seems almost
too easy for this controversial auteur. And for 22-year-old Ziyi,
who wowed audiences worldwide with her breakthrough role that
required the physical agility of a dancer and fighter, the role of
a country girl pining for her village’s only teacher still
doesn’t seem to exhaust her potential. On the other hand,
when two intuitive artists collaborate on what seems like the
simplest of stories, the result is a love story that’s not
only well-crafted and well-shot, but moving. The film begins with a
Jeep making its way through a dirt road to Sanhetun, a village in
North China, where Yusheng (Sun Honglei) has come back home to
attend his father’s funeral. Once there, he must carry out
his mother’s wish that he and the local men carry the coffin
down the road to the village while quelling the mayor’s worry
that too few men can complete the task. This gives Yusheng an
opportunity to reflect on his parents’ courtship. His mother
Di (Zhang Ziyi) was 18 when the new 20-year-old schoolteacher
Changyu (Zheng Hao) came to town. At first sight, Di was
immediately smitten; she passed by the school just to glimpse at
him through the bamboo gate. She memorized his walking routes in
hopes of passing him, and she cooked her best dishes in hopes he
would come to her house. Changyu eventually warmed to her charm,
but unfortunately, it was too late. Di’s object of Petrarchan
love was dragged away by government officials just as the couple
seemed to be starting something. But since viewers know they end up
together in the end, there are still certain risks of Romeo and
Juliet proportions made by both Di and Changyu before they could
stay together. “The Road Home” is not a dialogue
picture, but more a series of tableaus that chronicle both the
heartfelt pain and the giddiness of a person in love. Yimou takes
us on this journey through his heroine’s expressions, which
lead viewers to sympathize with her. There is also quite a funny
yet heartbreaking scene where Di is just running and running after
Changyu, for what seems like miles, while clutching onto a bowl of
dumplings. Yimou also does interesting work with the coloring of
the film. The flashback love story is filmed in vivid colors while
the present is filmed in black and white, adding another layer of
mood from the story of first love to the story of loss. All of this
leads to an undeniably poignant experience at the movies.
“The Road Home” is like a love poem that speaks volumes
for the old story — girl likes boy. Unlike his other films, Yimou
doesn’t provide the political backdrops of the era that
rendered many such relationships problematic; instead, he attests
to the power of love that led to his characters’ dogged
willingness to defy the odds.

Sandy Yang Rating: 9

“What’s the Worst That Could Happen”
Starring Martin Lawrence and Danny DeVito Directed by Sam
Weisman

“What’s the Worst That Could Happen” comically
blurs the distinction between thief and victim. Self-proclaimed
“businessman” Kevin Caffrey (Martin Lawrence) and
multi-billionaire Max Fairbanks (Danny DeVito) engage viewers in a
ruthless and hilarious game of one-upmanship. When Caffrey is
caught breaking into one of Fairbanks’ opulent homes,
Fairbanks decides to steal Caffrey’s lucky ring right off his
finger claiming it as a “spoil of war.” As the police
are unsympathetic and refuse to believe that the ring actually
belongs to Caffrey, much comedy ensues in the process of trying to
reclaim it. The film immediately makes use of Lawrence’s
signature comedic stylings ““ different voices, wild body
movements and animated gestures ““ in the opening scene at an
auction house. Here Lawrence encounters his love interest, and
after their initial encounter the budding romance quickly evolves.
The pace of the film moves rather quickly with the cat-and-mouse
chase between Caffrey and Fairbanks upon which the film relies for
most of its humor. While the movie lacks something in the sense of
plot development at the onset of the story, the basic idea of
professional thief versus less-than-ethical billionaire that
carries the film is enough to sustain the audience. Based on the
novel by Donald E. Westlake, director Sam Weisman and a talented
cast bring a truly funny movie to the silver screen. While the
situation is cause for humor in itself, the film definitely
delivers as the paired comedic talents of Lawrence and DeVito prove
to be a winning combination. The film also includes a glowing
supporting cast including John Leguizamo, Ana Gasteyer and Richard
Schiff, who bring their roles to life and make them their own. The
movie reels the audience in with great comedy despite a conclusion
that some could find less-than-satisfying. Clever characters and
winning performances both serve to make “What’s the
Worst That Could Happen” one of the funniest films of the
season.

Kristen Lara Rating: 8

“Himalaya” Starring Gurgon Kyap and Lhakpa
Tsamchoe Directed by Eric Valli

It’s no wonder why the foreign language film
“Himalaya” won the Cesar Award for Best Original Music.
Throughout the film, music is a powerful vehicle that manages to
speak and move the hearts of the audience. When the rebellious son
of the enemy clan Karma (Gurgon Kyap) returns with the yak caravan
to the Dolpo region of Nepal in the Himalayas from trading, the
thunderous music races with the people who hurry to greet them.
When Pema (Lhakpa Tsamchoe) steals a few moments to be alone and
falls to her knees, cupping her face in her hands crying for her
dead husband, poignant and moving music channels the anguish of her
loss. The frequent music that plays throughout the film has a
universal language that livens many of the scenes with sounds of
joy, sorrow and glory. Another unique aspect of this film is that
it is portrayed from a documentary angle. It captures the mountains
of the Himalayas with its animals soaring and racing above and upon
its valleys. Even more, the film captures the traditions of a
Tibetan culture situated in the challenging conditions of the Dolpo
region in Nepal using unknown actors. While this may render the
film too educational and not entertaining, it actually incorporates
an interesting plot that adds to the success of the overall
production of the film. The death of the chief’s son begins
the tale of two contending members in the village of the Dolpo
region. When Karma returns with the dead body of Chief
Tinle’s son Lhakpa, the obstinate and despotic Chief Tinle
(Thinlen Lhondup) rashly blames Karma and accuses him of murdering
his son to be the next chief. A yak caravan must leave and trek
across the dangerous mountains of the Himalayas to trade the
village’s salt for other provisions although they have no
leader. Chief Tinle will not let Karma lead the caravan. The
rebellious Karma sets off with a group of young male villagers,
while the old chief leads another and older group several days
later in accord with a traditional forecast determined by rituals.
Before Karma leaves, he asks widow Pema and her young son Passang
(Karma Wangiel) to join his caravan. Pema, the quiet heroine in the
film, reinforces her loyalty to her father-in-law Chief Tinle by
refusing. It is a harrowing and life-threatening journey, but Chief
Tinle and his caravan are able to catch up to Karma. After a short
rest, with no tensions ironed out, the two leaders leave on
different days. This makes way for the rescue of Chief Tinle, who
gets left behind from the rest of his caravan, and is found by
Karma almost frozen to death in the wintry mountains. Finally,
Chief Tinle grants Karma the title to be the next chief and dies in
the mountains before the journey is complete. The story of the
conflict and voyage becomes framed in a fresco that the lama and
second son of Chief Tinle, Norbou (Karma Tenzing Nyima Lama) paint
in his monastery. This is a beautiful touch to the film before its
final closure. “Himalaya” is a unique combination of
documentary and tale, and the music that infuses the two together
leaves a profound impression in the hearts of the audience.

Jinjue Pak Rating: 9