full moon in new york

i've been sitting on this post for a while because life and break and everything got to me, but i really wanted to make this post about stanley kwan's full moon in new york, which i watched last week (here!) and really really enjoyed. it's about three sino women living in new york in the late 1980s, and the main actresses are all superstars of my heart (maggie cheung, sylvia chang, and siqin gaowa) which pretty much automatically convinced me that i would LOVE this film!

each of the three women in the film are from one of the "three chinas"; maggie plays a successful, driven restaurant owner and real estate investor from hong kong who's revealed to be a closeted lesbian, sylvia plays a well-educated taiwanese women trying to break into acting, and siqin plays a mainland chinese (shanghainese i think) woman who gets married to a 2nd/3rd gen chinese-american. the film explores the conflicts and differences between the three women, perhaps a bit shallowly - maggie's character calculates her real estate investments based on feng shui (common hk stereotype), siqin's character can't believe that gays exist (backwards mainlander stereotype). the three of them meet up at maggie's restaurant, and despite their differences they manage to hit it off.

to be honest i kind of found the generalizations between the three characters as representatives of their respective "chinas" to be pretty interesting.. for instance, this film was made in 1989 and it's clear that the mainland chinese were still thought of by other sinos as being poor, uneducated victims of maoist china. in fact, sylvia's character's father is shown to be dating a mainland chinese woman as an act of "charity" - he is an ardent KMT supporter and wants to publish a book about how much his wife suffered under mao. he's really terrible. siqin's character's husband is also a complete asshole; he's stubbornly american and unable to comprehend why siqin wants to bring her mother over to new york to live with them. all of the men in this film are AWFUL but in a realistic way, which sucks but at least it felt honest..

god i love anything about NYC in the late 80s/early 90s.. i think it's mostly because the city was such a different place back then, and it's also when my parents immigrated here. nowadays i feel like most chinese ppl who aspire to move to NYC think of the city as like.. the peak of american urban modernity, as a status symbol. and it is, i won't deny that, but there's so much more about NYC than its glamor and excitement. when my parents came to NYC it still had the reputation of being dangerous and sleazy, and there's an entire history of how the city came to be the way it currently is that not a lot of outsiders realize before moving here..

on that note, NYC immigration is another topic i'm really interested in (i even took a seminar on this last semester!). in fact, i'm kind of surprised at how many hong kong films deal with the subject of immigration, and particularly NYC immigration - for instance, john woo's a better tomorrow ii (1987) was like lowkey actually about working-class undocumented chinese and immigration detention centers in crime-infested NYC during the late 80s.. though i wouldn't say that those topics were dealt with in a particularly thoughtful or purposeful way, but i really appreciated it nonetheless?

it's also interesting to me that all 3 of the women depicted in this film are wealthy manhattanites. in one scene, siqin walks through a chinatown garment factory that her husband's family owns, and gazes at a group of garment workers sorting through a pile of cotton. this is probably the only instance of the film where we get a glance of acknowledgement of the class disparities emerging within the chinese immigrant population in NYC around this time.

but despite mainly focusing on three wealthy sino immigrant women, i feel like this film manages to capture a bit of the darkness and beauty of the city in the 80s, and even that brief scene with siqin in the garment factory alone is enough to indicate that the film is self-aware enough to recognize the discrepancy emerging between the newer elite and the older generation of working-class sino immigrants.

on a slightly different note, there was a scene towards the beginning of the film that i really really loved and appreciated, where maggie's character curses out a guy on the street who "accidentally" brushed into her.

what i love is that we see her hesitate for a second as she realizes that it wasn't just an accident (i've gone through the same process so many times... i really loved seeing her actually confront the guy and go all out on him because THAT'S what young girls need to see and understand is okay/a viable option for these kind of situations!!)

in general i just really really love maggie... although up until now i've only seen her play side characters/flat love interests in male-dominated films. after watching full moon in new york i've realized that i don't want to see maggie in any roles where she stars alongside men anymore. she's really meant to be in women-centered films. i mean..

i can't even explain how RIGHT it feels to see maggie would play a closeted lesbian.. ????.///???/?

i also just need to say that maggie, sylvia, and siqin are all SO beautiful.... and while i loved maggie's character, out of all of them sylvia's might actually be my favorite. the other characters all look down on her because she flits from boyfriend to boyfriend, all of whom are gwailo, which seems to signify that she's like, "easy" or something, which is so messed up. she also has to subject herself to really ridiculous and demeaning roles in the plays she auditions for (ie. an "arabian horse" role where she has to perform on all fours the entire time?). but still, sylvia is so so charming and lovely; she actually reminds me a bit of my favorite aunt who's very chipper and fun to be around (i miss her!). i wish sylvia could be my big sister! what a difference that could make.

it's ultimately the differences rather than similarities that highlight the dynamics between the characters.. yet the three women end up developing a bond over their respective problems in their personal lives, and at the end of the film, they share a toast on a rooftop overlooking the nyc skyline. these brief, wild, happy moments were really heartwarming and great. 

i just love this!!!

i also wanted to share some other thoughts about how i saw this film in comparison to stanley's other films that i've seen. this is my third stanley film, the other two being rouge (1987) and lan yu (2001). both of those films were good, but came off as a bit.. overly affected? theatrical? lacking interiority, or too vignette-like rather than depicting a narrative arc with character development. full moon in new york felt different - yes, it's still in stanley's vignette-style storytelling method, but for some reason it all felt more real this time. maybe it has to do with the actresses, who despite having to split their screen time with each other and therefore limiting the amount of growth their characters could have, were nevertheless able to convey so much with just their facial expressions and gestures. the affected-ness doesn't come across as strongly, even during sylvia's character's monologues. everything felt steeped in realism. i do think that the dialogue was a bit stiff and inelegant at times (ie. siqin's character accuses her husband of being "a real american" who can't understand her "chinese way of thinking"), and a lot of the characterization was based on stereotypes that weren't delved into or explored after being initially established. but now i'm a lot more interested in seeing more of stanley's earlier, women-centric films.. i think they might feel more immersive than some of his later works.

another topic that surfaced in my mind after watching this film is the question of #representation.. which i haven't thought about in a long time because i feel like it's become this really corny and annoying focus of as-am politics and it's never really discussed beyond the surface level outrage of "we need more asian faces!". but why? what's the benefit of having more representation?

well i think representation is actually really, really important, although i'm still kind of processing my thoughts about it atm. but basically, i think that the kinds of media we consume when we're young and in our formative stages of life plays a big role in determining what kinds of figures we identify with and project onto. for me, those figures were.. lonely gay boys, self-loathing middle-aged men, and eeyore from winnie the pooh. in my attempt to cultivate "taste", most of the media i consumed as a teen were (unsurprisingly) created by white men, which probably has something to do with this. and i didn't even start watching asian films until maybe four years ago, but even then i never felt like i could relate to any of the girl characters i saw onscreen, not even the ones in films that i really love, such as ting ting from edward yang's yi yi -- none of these characters felt relatable, none of them called out to me as figures that i could really understand and attach myself to. maybe that has more to do with the fact that i still mostly consume films and media that are written by men and don't prioritize the girls or women characters. and i don't think that identifying with people and figures that are "different" from me is wrong, either. but... i think there's something so valuable about getting to finally watch characters that, to an extent, feel closer to where i currently am in life. i think that part of the reason i can't envision myself existing any further than a month or two into the future (not to sound morbid, sorry) has to do with the lack of realistic sino women i've seen depicted in the media i consume. before watching this film, i couldn't even begin to fathom what my life would be like when i'm in my late twenties or early thirties, but i think watching maggie, sylvia, and siqin make their way around the city looking so beautiful and experiencing hardships has actually opened up my mind to the possibility of one day existing in a similar state as them - and while the film doesn't present a particularly positive portrayal of their lives, at the very least, it feels like a real one. even seeing maggie curse out that guy on the street was an awesome example of something i've had/have to be prepared to do but had never seen portrayed in a movie before, and it really affirmed my own experiences in a way that rarely occurs with films that i watch.

so maybe this is how the white girls from the upper west side that i went to high school with feel when they watch sex and the city.. i think i can actually understand now?? lol!

those are my thoughts on this movie.. i highly recommend it to anyone who's interested!

hope everything is well, best wishes to anyone reading this, best wishes to myself as well because i totally put off doing readings and work for school to edit and make this post..

xo chelsea

review: leslie's RTHK productions - crossroad: woman at 33

she's back.. here's my review of this next RTHK production that leslie was in!  

crossroad: woman at 33 (1981) / plot summary: leslie cheung falls in love with his elder brother's ex-girlfriend. their age difference becomes a huge burden.

this film notably features martial arts actress cheng pei pei (who i don't know much about tbh, but i think she was already pretty famous by this point?); she plays an older, middle-aged divorcée who becomes interested in a younger guy named michael (played by leslie). first of all, the title of this film is woman at 33. since when is 33 considered old? based on the way cpp's character talks about herself, you'd think that she was probably at least 40-45. i don't know any 33 year olds who consider themselves to be old news..

the film begins with a rather dreary restaurant scene between jenny and her husband. they sit in silence for a long time, until jenny tries to pour herself some tea and awkwardly spills it by accident. her husband then tells her that he'll agree to sign the divorce papers. it's a bit of a strange scene, because it seems like jenny's the one who initiated the divorce, but she appears panicked after he agrees to the divorce.

is it just me or are close-ups really creepy? personally i feel like close-ups are overused in films nowadays, but here it was done well

next, jenny is shown at a sauna with her friend. actually, she's just in her bathroom - jenny seems to be pretty well off and she has a big fancy bathroom in her house. jenny's friend bluntly asks her if she knows who her soon-to-be ex-husband is having an affair with, and remarks the other woman is probably younger than jenny. damn..

what kind of cream are you using? that's.. a lot

jenny calls her mom that night and leaves her a tearful voicemail. everything has been pretty dark and moody up until this point. but the next day, jenny wakes up to realize that she has the whole bed to herself. she stretches and walks over to her huge window to watch the sun rise. new beginnings are on the horizon for jenny!

wow!

jenny then goes to work at the ballet school she owns and runs. after she finishes teaching a class, she asks the girls to call her by her maiden surname, and smiles when they do so.

this is so sweet!

as jenny is speaking to one of the girls, a figure appears in the background; it's the piano tuner. i wonder who he could be.. hm.. jenny looks over and recognizes him. "momo!!!" 

it turns out that jenny used to tutor momo in math when they were younger, and apparently she also used to date his older brother back in the day. said brother is now a doctor living in hawaii and is married to a japanese woman (i think this information is supposed to be significant but i'm not really sure why). jenny appears a little upset at the news about momo's brother, but she's also intrigued by momo himself, who appears to be all grown up now.

wow cheng pei pei has amazing hair *-*

my heart skipped a beat when leslie showed up. he's so beautfiugjkhsj

jenny invites momo to her place to tune her own piano as well. momo, whose proper name is michael, shares that he finished his four-year studies at the new england conservatory in boston, and thanks jenny for being the one who encouraged him to pursue that route. how nice!

the hand on his shoulder.. jenny..

in the following scene, jenny is at a sauna with her friend (i want a sauna buddy.. or a sheet mask buddy! i've gotten super into sheet masks lately). honestly i'm really enjoying the pace of the film, it's very relaxed and composed. anyways, jenny's friend apparently also recently broke up with her boyfriend, and she muses about why men don't want to love them. jenny stares at the wall and is probably thinking about michael the entire time.

later, the father of one of jenny's students offers to take her out for dinner. the date starts off well enough, but jenny ends up drinking too much, and her date has to basically drag and carry her home. this whole situation is really weird.. the guy brings jenny into her bedroom and tries to kiss her, but jenny turns away dramatically. ominous string music begins to play, and jenny runs outside and vomits. very tense!

jenny lives in one of these villa-type houses. so jealous..

there seems to be no resolution to this scene. i think they may have accidentally cut a scene or something because in the next shot, jenny arrives home wearing the same outfit she wore at the date with the guy, but she's suddenly sober. she discovers flowers on her doorstep from michael, and smiles.

the next day, michael sees jenny on the street and chases after her. he breathlessly says hi to jenny, pretending like they just happened to bump into each other, and they go to a noodle shop for lunch. the dynamic is awkward - michael keeps staring at jenny and asks her if she received the flowers he sent her, indicating that he wants her to acknowledge that their interaction is romantic. but jenny appears  to be unsure about how to approach all of this. she deflects and asks him about his work, and michael says that he does film score compositions, but it doesn't pay very well. he then asks if she can call him michael instead of momo. this is weird.

really casual..

you will always be momo to me

honestly jenny shouldn't be agreeing to go out with michael at all, romantic or otherwise. even though she's feeling vulnerable after the divorce, he's far too young and she's in the position of being able to easily take advantage of him. i just don't like relationships with large age gaps, i think they're almost always messed up and we shouldn't condone or romanticize them!! will jenny do the right thing???

after their lunch date, jenny's friend calls her on the phone and they have a rather revealing conversation that casts doubt onto michael's motivations for getting into a relationship with jenny. in fact, julian stringer's essay about leslie as an "autosexual star" actually references this scene.. 

you know what that means.. if an Academic writes about it then it's basically true

jenny doesn't seem to doubt michael at all, though. in fact, they go on another date - this time to see the film adaptation of nijinsky, a russian ballet. michael shows up in a suit and it's so awkward. he's trying so hard act grown up. get out of there, jenny! he's very cute but this isn't right!!!

tbh, by this point i'm getting similar vibes from michael as i did with nic from the hit taiwanese romance drama in time with you (2011). in that drama, nic was the main character's younger love interest who turned out to be gay and was actually manipulating the main character all along into thinking that he was into her, when in fact he just wanted to get on good terms with her so that he could get a promotion (or something like that). it's a questionable plotline, but i have a feeling something similar is happening here. except it's even weirder because jenny is clearly like at least 10 years older than michael, and michael is literally like a child.

CRINGE

*calls julian*

to make things worse, michael's friends show up at the theater, fresh from playing a round of badminton. they spot michael and go over to talk to the two of them. i could barely watch this scene, it was so embarrassing. michael's friends are young and immature (well, to be fair, they're just kids who don't know anything about russian ballets). finally, jenny realizes how uncomfortable and weird it is for her to be on a date with michael, and she rushes away in the middle of their conversation.

like kids on chinese new year

in the final scene of the film, we see jenny returning home from work the next night. it's raining, and michael runs up to her, standing in the rain outside her door. michael confronts her about why she ran away at the movie theater last night, and frustrated, asks: "am i so young? can't i go on a date with you?" jenny replies that there's no right or wrong in this situation, it's just impossible for them to be together. michael doesn't understand, and tells jenny that she shouldn't let the world decide what's right or wrong for them. he hands her a cassette of his songs and says, "you can decide whether you're living for others or yourself. and my name is michael, not momo". ooh. then he leaves.

i've never seen leslie in a puffy jacket until now.. i'm pleased..

at home, jenny sits in the dark in her living room and listens to michael's cassette (it's the song 缘分有几多!). tears silently fall from her face. it's a bittersweet scene! oh jenny! you did the right thing though. 

well this was a nice little film.. it started off a bit slowly, and ended on a rather opaque note (did jenny do the right thing? what was michael really up to? is he gay?? what will jenny do next?), but overall i feel like it was very realistic and i liked that it depicted an "older" woman struggling to figure out what to do with her life.

one of the extras for the dvd shows an interview with cheng pei pei where she talks about her experience working with leslie for this film. she mentions that she thought leslie was very beautiful, yet she could see that he was frustrated with the lack of recognition for his acting and music at that point of his career. but he was nevertheless fully confident in his abilities and very proud of himself. cpp also said that leslie was able to turn himself into the character in the film, and gave a very natural performance.

cool! this ended up taking much longer than i expected, even longer than the last review i did.. i still have one more short film (where leslie plays a monk!) and one feature-length film left to review, i think i will probably split those up and do them in the next few days. i like making these posts nonetheless because leslie's early RTHK productions are hard to come by, and i don't think a lot has been written about them, so it feels nice to be able to really go in-depth and share a lot of images and details from these films here!