Hi! Welkcome to The Silver Spleen. My name is Touissant L'Overture
and this is my review of Johnnie To's VENGEANCE.
In some ways I feel that a review of VENGEANCE is
superfluous. It's a Johnnie To movie; that
ideas speaks for itself. But that idea also
carries both positive and negative connotations. Sometimes a Johnnie To movie
is great
because of the director. Sometimes it's not that great...
because of the director. First, let me at least say that VENGEANCE
is better than LINGER. Before that particular movie, I wouldn't have thought
that Johnnie To could make a bad film.
But I was wrong. He was back to form with SPARROW,
but again that form is part of the problem. Over the last few years, Johnnie
To's movies have become
'Johnnie To movies.' They're recognizable by their good and bad attributes.
VENGEANCE is beautifully filmed, and
very well executed, and an absolute pleasure to look at.
This film is almost pornographically stylish.
It's technically brilliant and enrapturing. But only until people talk, because it is
also
almost completely devoid of substance. There's not much story, and what little
of it there is
seems to be an afterthought or actually not thought out
at all. Not to mention that Johnny Hallyday is old.
Now I'm getting there, you know, my damn self, but [Monsieur
Hallyday est tres vieux]. He's so old that you just can't help but know that there's a
stuntman
or three doing that tough bits. "Excusez moi,
ou est la salle de bain?" I feel bad being less than effusive about a Johnnie To movie,
especially since he's one of the last good directors Hong Kong has.
And while I wrote this review before DRUG WAR,
I'm taping it afterwards. Just so you know. VENGEANCE
isn't really very engaging beyond the visual aspect;
it's hard to care about these people at all. That said,
it's an awful lot of fun to look at this movie. I would encourage you to watch
VENGEANCE, because as I said it's magnificent looking. It's fun, and it's
a nice distraction, but it doesn't really hold up to some of his better films.
So if you want to watch VENGEANCE, please feel free, go ahead, do it.
Maybe you're a Johnny Hallyday fan, and that's okay if you are.
I'm not, but if you are, hey, knock yourselves out. There is of course one
stipulation, like I always have.
If you wanna watch VENGEANCE, buy it, don't steal it,
don't download it. Don't murder the industry that makes the movies you enjoy watching,
'cause that's what you're doing. In the description, there are links
where you can buy this movie instead of stealing it. Because that would make you
a piece of [merde]. If you have suggestions for films you like me to review, please
let me know. Two stipulations: 1) it has to be in print so people can buy it,
and 2) I might say no just because it's a film I probably couldn't
stomach. I might say no because it's a film that I just know that I won't like.
Usually films from the mainland. I'm not saying they don't make some good movies,
I'm just saying that
I don't watch many of them. If you would be interested in helping me to provide
Traditional Chinese subtitles for these reviews,
please get in touch with me. I can't write Chinese,
I can barely speak any of it, I would need your help, because I would
like it
if more Chinese-speaking people had the chance to see what it is I'm saying.
They'll probably get angry and throw me out of Hong Kong, but
you know, at least its progress of a sort. If you enjoy listening to me talk and
you think you'd like to learn more, I suggest that you follow me on Twitter
and on Facebook. When I go to new movies, I'll take pictures of the poster in the
lobby. Sometimes I'll take pictures of the cinema.
Sometimes I go to movie premieres, and I get to take pictures of what's goin' on
there.
Sometimes I'll even take a little bit video, or I'll get a picture with a famous
person. Occasionally
that famous person might even be a man. Sometimes I'll just talk about movies
or stuff in general, or put up odd pictures, because that's what I do.
But I can promise you this: I will never put up pictures of my food.
Because usually I just eat sandwiches at 7-11, 'cause...
I'm sh*tty like that. If you enjoyed this review, please leave me a comment.
If you didn't enjoy the review, and I wouldn't blame you if you didn't,
please leave me a comment as well. If you really enjoy the channel, please
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think about watching these other related reviews:
F@#$ it's been a long time since I spoke French...