Wow! What fun this film is! Big action. Big comedy. Big heart. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll laugh and cry at the same time.
Opening with brazen audacity, with the rat-a-tat-tat of a Jimmy Cagney moon-shining gangster film of yesteryear. Then tap dancing with style, with a men-in-suits line-dancing cockiness that sets the mood for a rambunctious, fresh, original film to follow. Never a dull moment, seldom a wasted shot of any kind. While the film is bustling with special effects, it does not rely on them. The story is as crisp and bold as its brash opening. Not afraid to be bloody, but definitely not about blood. Not afraid to engage in complicated martial arts, but not about that either.
At the center, a child's choice: Right or wrong? Good or bad? Help the crying girl, or steal her candy?
The camera movement and character blocking are slick, sharp, cinematic and usually frosted with a sweet helping of humor. The whole film enjoys chip timing and full choreography. Made rich with care and talent. Kudos to writer, director, star Stephen Chow. This is one of the best films I've seen this year.
Original, it is its own piece, but forced to compare, I might say that "KFH" is a sort of Chinese "Pulp Fiction" with a vibrating funny-bone and a taste of "Matrix." If you crave a lush piece of entertainment and don't mind a little blood -- I highly recommend this film. (In Cantonese and Mandarin with English subtitles.)
This film screened at a Laemmle Theatre.
|