K-20: The Fiend With Twenty Faces (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

“K-20: The Fiend With Twenty Faces” is a film that was exciting, fun, action-packed and entertaining.  Featuring an enjoyable storyline with awesome performances from its talent, “K-20″ was definitely a refreshing surprise for me and easily a film that I definitely recommend for action fans.

Images courtesy of © 2008 “K-20″ Film Partners. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: K-20: The Fiend With Twenty Faces (K-20: Kaijin nijû mensô den)

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2008

DURATION: 137 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen, Japanese Dolby Digital with English Subtitles

COMPANY: Viz Pictures

RATED: UNRATED

RELEASE DATE: April 20, 2010

Directed by Shimako Sato

Novel by So Kitamura

Adaptation by Shimako Sato

Executive Producer: Shuji Abe, Seiji Okuda

Producer: Chikahiro Ando

Music by Naoki Sato

Cinematography by Kozo Shibasaki

Edited by Ryuji Miyajima

Production Design by Anri Kamijo

Starring:

Takeshi Kaneshiro as Heikichi Endo

Takako Matsu as Yoko Hashiba

Toru Nakamura as Kogoro Akechi

Kanata Hongo as Yoshio Kobayashi

Jun Kunimura as Genji

Yuki Imai as Shinsuke

Reiko Takashima as Kikuko

Toru Masuoko as Inspector Namikoshi

It is 1949 in Japan, in a world where World War II never happened and the nobility system established in the Meiji Era is still in place. An extreme divide exists between the upper and lower classes, with 90 percent of the country’s wealth being held by the upper class. The capital of Teito is in crisis with the emergence of a phantom thief known as “The Fiend (Kaijin) with Twenty Faces,” or simply, “K-20.”

Heikichi Endo (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is a circus acrobat who is deceived by K-20 and is set up to take the fall for the phantom thief. Using his incredible physical dexterity, Heikichi wages war against K-20 in order to clear his name, fighting alongside K-20′s next wealthy target, Duchess Yoko Hashiba (Takako Matsu), and her fiancee, brilliant detective Kogoro Akechi (Toru Nakamura). But what is the ultimate decision Heikichi has to make?

In 2008, director Shimako Sato, known for his films such as the “Eko Eko Azaraku” films and his work for various video games such as “Resident Evil: Code Veronica” and “Onimusha Tactics” (and moreso for his upcoming screenplay for “Space Battleship Yamato) began working on “K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces”, an adaptation of the novel “K-20: Kaijin nijû mensô den” by So Kitamura.

A film that appears to be inspired by “Batman”, “Superman” and “Zorro”, “K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces” is an action-based Japanese film starring talents such as Asian film superstars Takeshi Kaneshiro (“Red Cliff” films, “House of Flying Daggers”, “Chungking Express”, “Fallen Angels”), Toru Nakamura (“Tokyo Raiders”, “Hana”, “Gen-X Cops”, “Umizaru”) and actress/pop star Takako Matsu (“Long Vacation”, “Love Generation”, “Hero”).

The film takes place during a time in an alternate world in which the world did not go into World War II and the aristocrats in Japan are wealthy and there are no services for the poor, let alone orphaned children.

In this world, the police have been plagued by attacks from a mysterious individual named K-20.  A thief and a man who has been able to take on various disguises and able to allude police.  But this time, he has stolen a miniature version of a Tesla device and his goal, to steal the real version and destroy the world.  But in K-20′s way is the well known police hero Kogoro Akechi (played by Toru Nakamura) who is marrying the princess Yoko Hashiba (played by Takako Matsu).

We are then introduced to Heikichi Endo (played by Takeshi Kaneshiro), a man who thrives at entertaining families at the local circus.  The problem is that the ringmaster is sick and the circus staff don’t make much money and are trying to survive.  But one day, a man from a magazine offers Heikichi a job for a lot of money, money that can be used to help the ringmaster and also himself and possibly the people he cares about.  All he has to do is take photos of the wedding between Kogoro Akechi and the princess and with circus skills, avoid being caught since the wedding will have military soldiers securing the whole building.

So, Heikichi goes to take a picture of the wedding and when he clicks on the camera button to shoot the photo, he actually blows up several buildings.  Heikichi is then considered to be K-20 and is arrested and detained.  Heikichi tries to explain that he is not the thief and that he was approached by a man who hired him and has his business card.  But what they find is not the business cards but missing jewelry.  K-20 has framed Heikichi and now he is branded as the thief and is tortured by the police.

As Heikichi is being driven out to the prison, his fellow friend at the circus and a bunch of thieves manage to thwart the police by destroying a bridge and rescuing Heikichi from harm.  But Heikichi wants people to know his innocence and that he is not K-20 but his pictures are plastered all over the city as he is a wanted man.

And Heikichi learns of the truth of what has happened since he was incarcerated.  His circus has been burned down, his doves that he loves so much were killed (except one) and the staff were all beaten by the police.  The little boy Shinsuke (played by Yuki Imai) is now homeless and lives with other children who are equally homeless and everything that Heikichi loved has been taken away from him.

So, Heikichi turns to his friend Genji (played by Jun Kunimura), an excellent and former thief who is now more of an inventor.  Genji has a book of thievery in which K-20 has mastered but is now wanting Heikichi to learn the ways of the thief and so one day, he can track down K-20 and prove his innocence.  As Heikichi learns the way of the thief, the real K-20 has his eyes set on kidnapping Princess Hashiba, as her father may have the secrets of where the true Tesla device is being hidden.  Can Heikichi stop K-20 and most of all, can he do it when the Japanese police are after him?

VIDEO:

“K-20: The Fiend With Twenty Faces” is presented in 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen.  The film definitely seems inspired by Batman, Zorro and Superman in some ways.   Moreso like Batman and trying to capture this dark and brooding land at night.   But what I like about this film is the look of Japan and its aristocrat style.  Because this alternative universe of Japan is different and a country in which the aristocrats are the wealthy, to see the buildings designed in a certain manner, especially its airplanes are quite intriguing.  The Japanese in this film are very keen to the inventions of American and European inventors and obviously having its impact on Japanese fashion and aesthetics.

Some parts of the film may seem a bit dark and black but I believe that was the director’s intention.  As Batman is working during the night and within the shadows, the same is being done for this film as K-20 is a man of the night.  But overall, the picture quality for “K-20: The Fiend With Twenty Faces” is very well done and having watched many CG-inspired live action films from Japan, I was quite pleased with how everything looked in this film.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“K-20: The Fiend With Twenty Faces” is presented in Dolby Digital Japanese with English subtitles. Dialogue and music is clear through the front and center channels but one thing that this film does boast is its use of effects through the surround channels.  From Heikichi utilizing his climbing device as it hooks on to metal or the encounters between Heikichi and K-20 in battle to Yoko piloting her airplane, there is a good amount of surround sound usage through this film and I heard LFE-usage during some of the explosions and fighting sequences as well.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“K-20: The Fiend With Twenty Faces” comes with the following special features:

• Trailer – (1:33) Theatrical trailer for “K-20: The Fiend With Twenty Faces”.
• Japanese Original Trailers – (4:13) 15 original Japanese TV spots for “K-20: The Fiend With Twenty Faces”
• Viz Pictures Presents – Trailers for upcoming or currently available Viz Pictures films on DVD.

I have to admit that I was very pleased with “K-20: The Fiend With Twenty Faces”.

While most of the live action heroic films in Japan are typically feudal, military officer, police officer or similar to a film like “Die Hard” of a man at the wrong place at the wrong time but manages to defeat the enemies, “K-20″ is more superhero or even anti-hero like.   What is more interesting is that the man in the mask is actually the villain and the man who wants revenge uses a similar technique in trying to gain revenge against the villain and save the world as opposed to K-20′s goal to destroy it.

Also, what made this film equally exciting for me is how it stars three of my favorite talents in Asian and Japanese cinema.  Takeshi Kaneshiro is essentially one of the most well-known faces in Asian action and drama films while both Toru Nakamura and Takako Matsu are very well known for their Japanese drama and film roles.  All three talents do a wonderful job in this film and Toru Nakamura is just excellent in playing roles of a serious good guy or serious villain in previous films but to see him so stoic and mysterious as the police investigator going after K-20 was a performance he definitely nailed.

Takeshi Kaneshiro was wonderful of playing the underdog and the viewer can’t help but root for Heikichi Endo and hoping he gets his revenge against K-20 and Takako Matsu playing the rich Yoko Hashiba and playing the naive character but also bringing some of the few laughs to the film, especially during a scene in which she tries to be flirtatious towards her fiance.

All three talents did a wonderful job and I also have to say that I was quite happy to see Jun Kunimura playing the role of Genji (who helps Heikichi) and also to see actress Reiko Takashima in a minor but humorous role as Genji’s wife and also playing a comedic role.

If there was one unusual casting choice that may be questioned by Western audiences is the role of police detective assistant Yoshio Kobayashi.  Kanata Hongo who plays the very intelligent assistant to investigator Kogoro Akechi and is delegated to handling a variety of cases.  Sure, the character is very young (and Yoshio although 18-years-old at the time looks years younger) but for those who are not familiar with Japanese investigative series, in Japan, there is a bunch of manga, drama and animated series such as “Meitantei Conan” (Detective Conan) in which younger characters are used to take on investigative cases.  And in this film, Kanata Hongo does play an intelligent detective and I also imagined his character and his appearance in the film would attract younger viewers (especially those who know him for his roles as the lead character Ryoma in the popular “Tennis no Oujisama” and “Nana 2″ films).

The CG special effects are also well-done most of the time, although the scenes of large broken shards of glass look very CG’d and certain action sequences also appear to look a big farfetched.  This is a film that I was not exactly expecting CG realism either.  But overall, the film worked for me and I found the performances and the storyline to be quite entertaining, fun and I despite the longer duration at 137 minutes, there was not one time where I was looking at my watch to find out how much time has elapsed.  So, that’s a good thing.

The DVD doesn’t come with any major featurettes as did the standard DVD edition in Japan but there was a special edition box set in Japan that did have a making of, video greeting and “K-20″ TV Show collection as well as booklets and bookmarks.  But that was for a more expensive box set release in Japan and I doubt we will ever see this in the US.

Picture quality and audio quality were good for a DVD release and it’s important to note that there was a Blu-ray release in Japan for this movie back in 2009 and since Viz Pictures will now begin to start releasing films on HD, whether or not “K-20: The Fiend With Twenty Faces” will be released on Blu-ray in the US is unknown, but because it is a more recent and big budget film from Japan, I hope it is considered.

Overall, “K-20: The Fiend With Twenty Faces” is a film that was exciting, fun, action-packed and entertaining.  Featuring an enjoyable storyline with awesome performances from its talent, “K-20″ was definitely a refreshing surprise for me and easily a film that I definitely recommend for action fans.

CHUNGKING EXPRESS – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #453 (a J!-ENT Blu-Ray Disc Review)

“Criterion again comes through with this 1994 Wong Kar-wai classic.  Probably the best video and audio we will get from the original source material.  Overall, a solid release that Criterion handled with care for those who cherish the film!  This Blu-ray is the definitive ‘Chungking Express’ to own!”

TITLE: CHUNGKING EXPRESS – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #453

DURATION: 102 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: Color, Stereo in Cantonese and Mandarin with Optional English Subtitles, 1:66:1 Aspect Ratio

COMPANY: THE CRITERION COLLECTION

RATED: PG

Directed by Wong Kar-Wai

Screenplay: Wong Kar-wai

Executive Producer: Wong Kar-Wai

Producer: Chan Yi-kan

Production Supervisor: Jacky Pang

Director of Photography: Christopher Doyle

Production Designer: William Chang

Editors: William Chang, Hai Kit-Wai, Kwong Chi-Leung

Starring:

Brigitte Lin (woman with blonde wig)

Takeshi Kaneshiro (as Cop 223)

Tony Leung Chiu Wai (as Cop 663)

Faye Wong (as Faye)

Valerie Chow (as the Air Hostess)

Chen Jinquan (as manager of “Midnight Express”)

The whiplash, double-pronged Chungking Express is one of the defining works of nineties cinema and the film that made Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai an instant icon.  Two heartsick cops (Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tony Leung), both jilted by ex-lovers, cross paths at the Midnight Express take-out restaurant stand, where the ethereal pixie waitress Faye (Faye Wong) works.  Anything goes in Wong’s gloriously shot and utterly unexpected charmer, which cemented the sex appeal of its gorgeous stars and forever turned canned pineapple and the Mamas and the Papas’ “California Dreamin’” into tokens of romantic longing.

I really love this film.

“CHUNGKING EXPRESS” is the ultimate pop art film that won a lot hearts when it was first released and continues to this day.  And not only has the film jumpstarted the film careers of Wong Kar-wai, Christopher Doyle, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Faye Wong (despite having an awesome music career), “CHUNGKING EXPRESS” is one of those non-action Asian films that has continued to become a fan favorite for fans all over the world.

The first story focuses on the woman with the blonde wig (Brigitte Lin, in her final film before retiring from the entertainment business) and Takeshi Kaneshiro as Cop 223.  With the woman in the blonde wig, she sports a tan trench coat, sunglasses and a blonde wig while constantly smoking her  cigarette elegantly.  But this woman is involved in drug trafficking, as she works with the Indian smugglers and pays them to traffic heroin.  And not only is she being betrayed by her Caucasian boyfriend (messing around with his employee) but now being betrayed by the smugglers who are helping her traffic the drugs (by stealing the drugs) and now she is a target.

Meanwhile, Cop 223 is an undercover cop that feels empty and incomplete after his former girlfriend May leaves him on April 1st.  Thinking it may be an April Fool’s Joke,   Cop 223 refuses to accept that May has left him but to make him believe it’s over, he has to eat 30 cans of pineapple that will expire on May 1, 1994, the day of his 25th Birthday.

After each day at work as he waits for May’s call, he frequents the nearby take-out food store Midnight Express which the owner keeps trying to set him up with his employees.  But Cop 223 is not interested, he still has faith that May will call him.  So, within the 30 days of his breakup, Cop 223 frequents convenience stores and has gathered 30 cans to signify each day that she hasn’t contacted him, thus he has to eat all 30 cans to make him feel some sort of closure. Because it’s almost time for his birthday and she hasn’t called, Cop 223 eats all the pineapple and feels sick to his stomach from eating all the pineapple.  He starts calling up all his lady friends from as far back in grade school to see if he can meet a new woman but to no avail.

Feeling queasy, he feels he needs to drink alcohol at a nearby bar to make him feel better band he eventually meets the woman with the blonde wig.  What happens when these two individuals meet each other? To bridge the next story, Cop 223 returns back to the Midnight Express and the owner tells him that he would like to set her up with his new employee Faye (Faye Wong) but Faye has her eyes set on another guy which leads to the second story. In this story, Cop 663 (Leung Chiu Wai) dates an airline stewardess.

But there is something lacking in their relationship and she leaves him.  She leaves a note with the owner of the Midnight Express to give to Cop 663 but he doesn’t want to read it.  Meanwhile, Faye (Faye Wong) who constantly blasts her Mamas and Papas “California Dreamin’” starts to fall for Cop 663.

Since he won’t read the note that his ex left her, she reads it and notices that she leaves his apartment keys in the letter. She senses that 663 is out of it… almost sleep walking in his life. In fact, the only things he talks to is a bar of soap, a wet towel and his stuff animal.   He’s such in a daze that Faye takes matters in her own hand and thus his apartment keys from the letter his ex left for him and starts to go through his apartment and see what kind of life he has lived.

Seeing how he is in a daze and keeps thinking of his ex, Faye does the unthinkable by changing things in his apartment each day.  From changing the labels to his sardine stash, changing his slippers, changing stickers on his mirror, changing the stuff animal, soap and towel that he talks to, filling up his empty aquarium with fish and for 663, being so out of it, he doesn’t even realize the changes at first but slowly discovers it and thus help him recover from his breakup.  All is good and Faye’s plan seems to be working, that is until he discovers her in his apartment.

What will happen between these two individuals?  What will happen when Cop 663 sees his ex-girlfriend again?

What is it about this storyline that makes it so different from any other relationship/breakup/finding love again type of film?  The difference are the little cuts in between that make the film so avant garde.  We learn in the commentary that Wong Kar-wai was a graphic designer and design and art has influenced him.  “CHUNGKING EXPRESS” is a work of art, from it’s storytelling and it’s cinematography.  Wong and Christopher Doyle are a tag team that when combined, good things happen.

There are moments in the film such as when Faye Wong starts rummaging through Cop 663′s room and even at one time with a microscope, looking for hair particles on the bed and just going crazy.  Part of that quirkyness comes from Faye Wong, a pop diva in Asia that has won many hearts with her artistic presentation and her music but at the time, although not an established actress at this time Wong Kar-wai found something special about her movements, and that sheer expression and quirkiness really took the film to new heights.

Now that I think about it, I think it’s the mysteriousness that also captivates me.  The woman with the blonde wig.  The police officers known by their numbers, the use of expiration dates, Cop 223 asking a woman if she likes pineapple or trying to eat all these pineapple and doing whatever he can to make it taste different and of course the constant playing of “California Dreamin’” while Faye dances at the “Midnight Express”.  There are so many little things that you remember from the film and never forget.    And that’s why this film is so special?  Everyone who watches it is like a person viewing art and coming away with something different.

When I first saw it back in 1994, I bought the VCD version, then the VHS version, then the DVD version and now here we are with the Blu-ray release, but not your regular Blu-ray release where you would expected 1080P video and true HD.  This film is now part of the Criterion Collection and when Criterion’s name is on a film release, you know that you’re going to get a quality release.  So, what did Criterion do for this release?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

Criterion is known to making their final masters to what the director’s had in mind.  In this case, presenting the director’s requested aspect ratio of 1:66:1.

The new high definition transfer according to Criterion was created on a Spirit 2K Datacine from a 35 mm internegative and a 35 mm interpositive.  Thousands of instances of dirt, debris and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Restoration System and Pixel Farm’s PF Clean. For a film that is nearly 15 years old, the goal for Criterion was not to give a crisp and clear picture but to make sure that the requested aspect ratio was successful and removing all the dirt and scratches that have plagued previous releases of the film.

Oh, and I just have to say that things that were cut out of the US VHS/DVD release are intact in this Blu-ray version. But as far as video quality goes, you will find the colors noticeable especially at the bar when you see the CD’s in the jukebox spin and see the vibrant colors.

I have caught a few instances of color pulsing (due to the older print) and there were no artifacting. As for the audio, the original soundtrack was remastered by Tuu Duu-chih at 3H Sound Studios in Taipei under the supervision of Wong Kar-wai.  According to Criterion, the audio restoration tools have been used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss and crackle.

The audio is what I loved about this release.  While watching the film and knowing that the majority of the film is dialogue-driven and as expected during the music scenes, to hear the music really become prominent but what I didn’t expect to hear, which put a smile to my face is the rear surround and hearing the people talking, the cars beeping and while the front speakers were busy with scenes such as the lady in the blonde wig with the Indian smugglers, you hear the whole life of the city come alive through the rear surround.

Suffice to say, I was quite happy to hear the audio channels used effectively in this dialogue-driven film by taking the city’s ambiance and having it come alive.  Well done!  And for those passionate about the film, hearing the tunes of “Baroque”, “California Dreamin’” and Faye Wong’s cover of the popular Cranberries song ala “Dreams” is just so fun and how music, even a few songs really made this pop art film truly shine.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

In the past release, we had Quentin Tarentino’s introduction to CHUNGKING EXPRESS”, this time around with the Criterion release, we have the following:

• An audio commentary featuring Asian cinema critic Tony Rayns who has talked to Wong Kar-wai in regards to certain scenes and also, we learn about how Chinese culture influenced certain situations such as the use of dates and certain phrases in the film.  Also, the reason why certain music was used and pretty much how commercials really influenced Wong Kar-wai for this film.  A very informative commentary.
• A 1996 episode of the British television series Moving Pictures featuring interview swith Wong and cinematographer Christopher Doyle – This segment was made in 1996 thus the quality despite being in HD, is not too great.  But nevertheless, it was very fun to watch this 15-minute segment and watching these interviews with Wong and Christopher.  Really awesome details as the two walk into the places where the Midnight Express was shot and also the apartment actually was Doyle’s apartment.  Very informative.
• Then the US Theatrical trailer which was loved by American critics but unfortunately the film company didn’t know how to market the film, thus it didn’t do to well in America.
• A booklet featuring a new essay by critic Amy Taubin – For those familiar with Amy Taubin’s work on “Sight & Sound”, Taubin really gets into the film and definitely writes about the film and its characters in a unique way.   Definitely an entertaing read for those who watched the movie.  Do not read this booklet first if you haven’t seen the film.

The Blu-ray is presented in a digibook type of case with a slip cover.

I’ve owned so many variations of this film already that I can’t help but smile throughout the film and just seeing how beautiful it looks on Blu-ray and how good the sound quality was and hearing so many things all around me.

For those who were expecting a digital remastered version that will have a pristine, crisp and vibrant look as some older Blu-rays have managed to have, the Criterion Edition is beautiful but not spectacularly gorgeous but for those watching a Criterion release, the goal is not to change the film and change the colors.

Their goal was to present the film with  the supervision of Wong Kar-wai and Christopher Doyle and how they wanted the film to be. If you watched the original DVD version or previous versions, this film has aged but with the Criterion edition, the video looks beautiful without the scratches and all the dust and looks cleaned up.  Personally, I don’t know if we’ll see the film any better than this presentation.  It’s truly an awesome release on Blu-ray and absolutely love it!

I really hope that Criterion possibly considers releasing the third story via the film “Fallen Angels”on Blu-ray.  Wong kar-wai created the third story for CHUNGKING EXPRESS” but because it would make the film to lengthy, he cut it out and carried it over to his next film,  “Fallen Angels”.  So, knock on wood, I hope that Criterion considers it because the treatment they gave for “CHUNGKING EXPRESS” was well done and definitely enhanced the whole experience for me, I found it quite beautiful.

Perhaps I’m a bit biased because I enjoyed this film so much but overall, this release is solid and definitely recommended!

Tempting Heart (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

BUY THIS DVD

CAST: Kaneshiro Takeshi, Gigi Leung, Karen Mok and more.
DIRECTED BY: Sylvia Chang
HONG KONG MOVIE DATABASE URL: http://www.hkmdb.com/db/reviews/show_
review.mhtml?id=3090
TYPE OF MOVIE: Comedy, Romance
DURATION: 122 minutes
NOTE:  Viewed the Universe version with English Subtitles.

Cheryl is Hong Kong-based film director. She uses the story of her first true love as the basis for her next project. As she tells the tale to a screenwriter, Cheryl relives old from a time of innocence. Ho-jun is a shy youngster, more interested in his guitar than school. A chance encounter between Ho-jun and Sheo-rou leads to a first sweet taste of romance. However, an innocent adventure turns sour when Sheo-rou’s mother discovers that the young couple have spent the night together at a hotel…

DVD EXTRAS:

- Three trailers for the movie
- Information on Kaneshiro, Leung and Mok. KNOWN DVD SECRET(S): None that I know of

DVD REVIEW:

This movie is about a love triangle with a twist.  Without revealing too much about this love triangle I will talk more about the background of the story.

The movie takes place in two time periods.  One is in the mid-1970′s, showing how everyone met and interacted with each other.  The other half takes place in the late 1990′s with a writer using her own experience as a movie but not telling her co-writers it has to do with her.

While writing this movie, she never was able to understand the male character’s perspective and then she started to realize it later on.

The DVD video is beautiful and the sound is good but it’s a dialogue movie, so no special use of surround sound.  The special features are three different trailers of this movie and character information.

“Tempting Heart” Is a romantic, sad and interesting story that many romantic viewers and those who had someone they love but chose a different path that kept you apart.  For those expecting the typical romantic movie, this is not it.  This one is more about romance but with a twist and for some people it can be a reality.

It is finally great to see an HK movie that is different from the norm and also past the 120 minute mark!

THE MOVIE: A
THE DVD EXTRAS: C
THE DVD OVERALL: B

Lavender (A J!-ENT DVD Review)

BUY THIS DVD

CAST: Kelly Chen, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Eason Chan and more.
DIRECTED BY: Kam-Hung Yip
INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE URL: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0274626
TYPE OF MOVIE: Fantasy, Romance, Comedy
DURATION: 102 minutes
NOTE:  Reviewed Universe DVD version with removable English subtitles (All Region)

Athena is an aromatherapy tutor but can’t help up her wound at heart. One day, she finds a broken-wing angel falling on her balcony. The angel needs love to keep him alive until he can go back to heaven, whereas he can’t fall in love with someone. A scented romantic affair is gradually developed between Athena and the angel …..

DVD EXTRAS:

*  English/Chinese removable subtitles
*  Synopsis and cast info.
*  Trailers for Cyberforce, Marooned and Hit Men

KNOWN DVD SECRET(S): None that I know of

DVD REVIEW:

I’m glad that this movie DVD is from Universe Laser.  It’s Letterbox and Digital 5.1 surround.

The movie is another cool romantic story starring the beautiful Kelly Chen.  Although I enjoyed “and I hate you so” more, “lavender” is still an interesting and loveable romantic comedy that you will enjoy.  If anything, the movie makes you wonder if it will be the typical angel movie that you have seen over and over again.

What makes this movie so interesting is you have an angel who is trying to learn the ways of humans and the person he comes to help is Athena, an aroma therapist who lost her love one and is trying to recreate his “scent”.  Next door is Chow Chow, a gay man who was in love with Athena’s deceased boyfriend.  Now comes Angel into the lives of Athena and Chow Chow and things get very interesting because the only way he can survive in Earth is through love.  Athena has no love to give because she’s depressed and still missing her deceased love and Chow Chow shows Angel what love is by taking him to gay bars and telling him to become an erotic dancer and show him how women love it.

It may sound a little corny but if there is one thing that I learned from most Kelly Chen and Kaneshiro Takeshi films is that they are good and I have never really left feeling dissatisfied after watching their movies.

Also important to mention is the music again from the film.  Like “and i hate you so”, the movie is beautiful and enhances the film.  If there was one problem was one scene where the music suddenly cuts off.  I blame that on post-production and editing.

Otherwise, the movie can ended in somewhat of satisfying but leave you feeling with an “is that it?” but fortunately when you think the movie is over, the true ending of the film comes around and you are left feeling satisfied.

The DVD and the colors are very beautiful.  There are some occasional scratches near the end but I wasn’t quite bothered by it.  The audio is great!  Again, the music enhances the film.

As for special features, you get three trailers for films.  Unfortunately, I was expecting a gala premiere, outtakes or deleted scenes but then again, I’m a DVD fanatic and thus picky.

Although not a great romantic film, with the many people in my life interested in aroma therapy and to have three talented actors in this movie makes it an enjoyable romantic comedy.

THE MOVIE: B+
THE DVD EXTRAS: C
THE DVD OVERALL: B-