Yi Yi A One And a Two

Do not let the prosaic album title fool you; contained within is 50 minutes of truly lovely Chinese orchestral music, designed to harmonize the body, emotions and mind. For millennia the Chinese have been aware of the healing properties of music but in recent years research has thrown new light on the relationship between music and the medical and philosophical model of the Five Element system. Regimen is the outcome of this study, a collaboration between medical researchers and leading Chinese composers. Two long tracks offer sweeping melodies performed by The Shanghai Racial Music Troupe, featuring shimmering strings, soaring flute, piping reeds, massed lutes, tuned bells and assorted percussion. Designed to balance all five of the elements within the listener, Regimen is an uplifting album that does indeed have a calming and inspiring effect. Besides Regimen, there are additionally five other titles in the series, each addressing one of the five elements. The entire series may also be purchased in a box set. ~ Backroads Music/Heartbeats, All Music Guide

Slow, elliptical, and for the most part understated, Yang's masterly account of growing up in Taiwan at the start of the '60s is as visually elegant as his own Taipei Story and The Terroriser, and as epic in scope as Hou Hsiao Hsien's City of Sadness (which Yang produced). On the surface, it's about one boy's involvement in gang rivalry and violence (on which level, it's often a little obscure, so numerous are the characters) and his experience of young love. On a deeper level, however, it's about a society in transition and in search of an identity, forever aware of its isolation from mainland China, and increasingly prey to Americanisation. The measured pace may be off-putting, but stay with it - the accumulated wealth of detail invests the unexpected final scenes with enormous, shocking power.

Authors: Hao, Xiaofei
A work in film studies

Shot mostly in Brazil and against a blue/green screen, Plastic City had all the trappings of a classic gangster flick. After all, it has Hong Kong veteran Anthony Wong whom we all know can go crazy if the role calls for it, and Japan's Jo Odagiri who is more than just your pretty boy actor as showcased through his range of characters in his filmography. Unfortunately, under the rookie directorship of Yu Lik-Wai, this city became too sprawling a convoluted mess of half-baked ideas and ambitious presentation that fell flat on its face.