Favorite chinese Movies

Movies are an integral part of my life. Aside from the usual Hollywood movies that I usually watch, I also enjoy watching Chinese movies. (And by chinese movies, I mean movies from the Cinema of China – which consists of movies from Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan.) Even though some of these chinese movies are not as internationally successful as those blockbusters from Hollywood you usually hear people going on about, I think some of them are really well-done. The music, actors, ambiance, story and aura are just incredibly phenomenal. And if you were wondering, my mother tongue language is Chinese by-the-way so I do understand what they are saying.

So anyway, I have my 3 favorite chinese movies I thought I’d share…

Painted Skin （画皮）
I absolutely love this show for many reasons. 1, two of my favorite chinese actresses are in it. – Zhou Xun and Zhao Wei. Though Zhou Xun plays a demon in this movie, I still think that she is incredibly beautiful and she is to me, the epitome of Chinese grace and beauty. 2, this movie Painted Skin is based on one of Pu Songling’s short stories from “Liao Zai Zhi Yu”（聊斋志异）translation: The Strange Tales of Liao Zai. (Pu Songling is an author from China and she wrote about 500 different kinds of supernatural tales during the Qing Dynasty period.) I remember watching the many film adaptions of Pu Songling’s stories when I was a lot younger and loving them very much. If you are the kind of person that love the Supernatural, I am recommending you to watch this movie wholeheartedly.

Hero （英雄）
Hero is probably sold as one of the more popular Chinese movies because of its actors Jet Li and Zhang Ziyi. It was also the winner of the Academy Award for best foreign film in 2002. No wonder there because its cinematography is pretty amazing. This movie takes us back to a time in China where the lands were made up of 7 warring provinces. The whole plot of Hero was thought provoking and it brought to light (though loosely) the nature of the nation-building of China. If you enjoy movies that consist of a lot of under-laying meanings and martial arts fight scenes, this would be your type of movie.

Red Cliff Part 1 & 2 (赤壁)
Red Cliff is a movie based on a true story during the end of the Han Dynasty – also known as the Battle of the Red Cliff. If you didn’t already know – this incredibly artistic movie is the most expensive Asian film production of all time with the estimate budget of about US$80 million. It is directed by John Woo and stars Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro <3 , Zhang Fengyi, Zhao Wei and a few other iconic actors. I was left breathless and in awe when the soldiers formed the tortoise formation during the battle. It was kick-ass!! Most parts of the movie was pretty intense and the whole storyline itself is classic.

A trip down memory lane

Remember those cartoons you used to watch when you were a child? I miss those days… and I think the 80s and the 90s are great places to be especially as far as cartoons are concerned. I’ve taken a trip down memory lane and listed out some of the cartoons I used to watch when I was younger.

The Land before time.
A 1988 American animated series produced by John Lucas and Steven Spielberg. I don’t remember when I started watching this series but I know it was a really really long time ago. I remember being charmed by its theme songs, the lush picturesque landscapes and how its prehistoric characters used to show me the land these dinosaurs used to roam. Impeccably beautiful series. I enjoyed watching it when I was a kid, and I still enjoy it even up till now.

Madeline.
Madeline is a family comedy based on Ludwig Bemelman’s classic book series about a Parisian schoolgirl and her classmates. I fell in love with Madeline when I was younger. It spoke to me more than any Sesame Street or Barney ever could. The cartoon is about 12 little girls living in an old boarding school in Paris. And though Madeline was the smallest in size, she was always the bravest and most sharp-witted one among her friends. And I think she’s absolutely adorable! <3
(…now this gives me an idea of what I am going to dress up as for Halloween this year.)

Bear in the Big Blue House.
Excitement is everywhere at the Big Blue House – you can see it, hear it, touch it, taste it, and even smell it -
In delightful adventures that promote creative exploration and imagination!
Okay I know, I was a weird kid. I used to like Bear in the Big Blue House because “Bear” is a warm and a seemingly cuddly character. Now that I think about it, Bear didn’t exactly use patronizing baby talk lure children in either. Which is sorta refreshing in a way.

Paddington Bear.
This anthropomorphised bear first appeared on 13th October 1958. It was first written by Michael Bong and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum. I love Paddington Brown’s duffle raincoat, hat, battered suitcase and his obsessive fondness for marmalade. I remember occasionally sifting through the original Paddington Bear picture-books my parents bought me and I thought the illustrations were really cute and unique. Still do too!

Avatar

Ferlyn and I went to watch Avatar the other day and we were pretty much blown away by the movie. I didn’t even get up to go to the bathroom once. And that’s saying something... Being an avid fantasy aficionado, I enjoyed how I was being immersed into a stunningly visual world with such intricate little details. I was moved by the deep portrayal of Worthington and Neytiri’s growing love for each other as she taught him the ways of her tribe and opened up a whole new world to him, one he never knew possible. As much as I liked it, I still think there were certain goofy scenes in the movie. The breathtaking world of Pandora and the storyline compensates for all of it though. All in all, I think that Avatar is right up on the top with The Lord of the Rings as a milestone in sci-fic/fantasy film-making. And I had a great experience watching it with my BFF!

Coco Avant Chanel

When one hears the word Chanel, they think of the portrayal of classiness and elegance of French fashion. Chanel is one of the best known fashion brands today and her lasting little black dress, the tweed suit and her No.5 designer perfume are only some of her contributions to the fashion industry.

I really enjoyed Coco Avant Chanel and I’m recommending it to all the fashion enthusiasts out there! This movie covers the beginnings of Coco Chanel – how she opened a small shop in Paris where she started off selling hats that she designed, her love affairs and how these men shaped her life. It is a moving and inspirational story of a strong individual who found her passion in fashion through much of the simplicities in life.

On a side note, it also sent me a message that “Beauty fades; dumb is forever.” Women need to wise up, stop subjugating who they are and stop making stupid decisions in the name of love. Anyway, watch it, and love it!