So this was the hottest flick in Taiwan after it came out, overthrowing Avatar's reign at the box office. After hearing so much about it, I had to go see it... and it was quite good. I have to honestly say I wasn't really expecting too much based on Taiwanese films I'd seen before (disclaimer: I actually haven't seen very much), but this one is very well made, has a great story, and the actors are pretty hot... Takeshi Kaneshiro, watch out!
In short, it's about a place called Monga, which I have learned was a port where many mainlanders entered Taiwan from back in the day. In this film, the story takes place in the '70s and '80s and is about a group of friends, part of the Temple Front gang. The narrator of the story, Mosquito (Mark Chao), is invited to be a part of the gang after a silly fight with members of another gang, the Back Alley. Mosquito has grown up without a father and has never had any real friends, so after Monk (Ethan Ruan) and the others take him under their wing, he fully embraces the new lifestyle and there's no turning back. The story has a number of heart-wrenching twists and while it is a drama, there's also a lot of humor which I loved. In the end, it all comes down to the characters trying to balance the harsh realities of a violent gangster life with the honor of friendship and brotherhood.
I have no idea when the film will be hitting the U.S., but it has a promising future as it's totally something fresh out of the Taiwanese film industry. As they would say in Taiwan, this film is 紅 ("hong") or red... meaning it's hot!
Overall thoughts: Strong acting, engaging story, and a good film to watch with a group of friends!
In short, it's about a place called Monga, which I have learned was a port where many mainlanders entered Taiwan from back in the day. In this film, the story takes place in the '70s and '80s and is about a group of friends, part of the Temple Front gang. The narrator of the story, Mosquito (Mark Chao), is invited to be a part of the gang after a silly fight with members of another gang, the Back Alley. Mosquito has grown up without a father and has never had any real friends, so after Monk (Ethan Ruan) and the others take him under their wing, he fully embraces the new lifestyle and there's no turning back. The story has a number of heart-wrenching twists and while it is a drama, there's also a lot of humor which I loved. In the end, it all comes down to the characters trying to balance the harsh realities of a violent gangster life with the honor of friendship and brotherhood.
I have no idea when the film will be hitting the U.S., but it has a promising future as it's totally something fresh out of the Taiwanese film industry. As they would say in Taiwan, this film is 紅 ("hong") or red... meaning it's hot!
Overall thoughts: Strong acting, engaging story, and a good film to watch with a group of friends!