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August 22 FanfanIt was the weekend before when we three got half-drunk at 2am that YN suggested that we order a movie on demand. After several previews we decided to go Hitch. Any movie that can keep you awake from 2am-4am is not a bad one. A mixture of American humor, Manhattan smell, and an our-prince-lives-a-happy-life-with-his-princess-from-now-on ending. . . recalled me another I-forgot-its-name movie, the hero of which is a playboy named Catch. . . Similar style. . .
Then I went over Fanfan for maybe the 5th time the other day. On the same sophistication of attracting a girl, I found myself much more attracted by the Romance created by Vincent Perez. I admire Sophie Marceau (I permit myself to add that, Sophie is one of the most séduisante women on the planet.), but I admire Vincent Perez more. Alexandre has been through the cycle of seeing the initial passion in romantic encounters burn off and having the relationship become routine and boring. He thinks that this happens for two reasons: the courtship and wooing dance ends, and mere sex enters the picture.
Chase a lady but never let the first kiss to kill all the ambiance. To conserve the first coud de foudre forever, is it possible? Alexandre is determined to prevent this cycle from happening with his latest love-interest, Fanfan. However, despite the delightful, romantic and inventive ways he discovers for them to spend time together, Fanfan finds his refusal to physically touch her increasingly irritating; their burgeoning relationship is seriously jeopardized by Alexandre's attachment to his plan. What will you do, my friend, in Alexandre's shoes? Will you give up your plan and live a happy life with Fanfan from now on? Can you? How long will the happy life last?
The answer might again be those three words,
Que sera sera. . .
August 18 Love letter
Things are rarely as they appear...
When Fuji was shouting to the snow-covered mountain, for a douzen of times, お元気ですか? 私は元気です. She meant a lot more than a greeting, or maybe, it was just a simple greeting. . .
The movie is played around memory/reconstruction, identity/fragmentation, which has a perfect synergy with Marcel Proust's "A la recherche du temps perdu" on which book the "fiancee" Fuji Itsuki drew a portrait of his "first adolescent love".
Miho Nakamaya has got the perfect characters of Hua's type: wise, gentle and natural. The only other nation that produces such beauties, in Hua's humble opinion, is France.
July 25 Initial-DThe D of the title stands for Drifting, a racing technique of breaking the rear tires loose in a controlled manner before an uncontrolled skid. Drifting is the fastest way thru a corner. A car is considered to be drifting when all of its wheels are slipping, but the front wheels are still pointed in the direction of the corner, or at least straight.
Being a techinical guy, I found myself obliged to begin the introduction with some technological explaination.
It's a story about the fastest street racer of Mt. Akina, a beautiful name, isn't it? Akina is not only famous for its pretty name, but for its 5-successive-180-degree-turns. For five years, 18-year-old Takumi has been delivering Tofu in his father's obsolescent Toyota AE86 every morning on Mt. Akina. A glorious but unexpected victory against EVO IV awakens the competitive genes in his blood. Initial D is adapted from one of the most popular Japanese manga (39,000,000 sold) and anime series. Jay Chou, or Zhou Jielun, in his very first movie, gave me an unexpected good impression.
Who said that the Japanese cars are crapy? Although out of the market 16 years ago, Toyota AE86 has become ever so popular in the used car market in Japan these days, thanks to the immense success of the manga Initial D. So many young buyers are lining up to buy AE86 that Toyota is said to consider reviving this classic model.
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