Sun Spots (光斑, 2009)

Hi, it seems you’re targeting Chinese films this year with your reviews blitz Are you catching/caught Oxhide II, Game Theory or After All These Years by any chance?

I was thinking of catching Sun Spots today but hesitated in the end. Now I find out both Sun Spots and The High Life have won awards- guess I’m going to regret not being able to watch them.

From what I’ve seen so far, only Petition (Director’s Cut) and Enter The Void have left me with lasting impressions. Petition is the masterpiece, and I’m still recalling the images of Enter The Void (however mediocre its content is). I caught Father of My Children and Police, Adjective- both fine films, but I can’t say they’re ‘must-see’ films. Will blog about them soon!

i’ll watch “petition” too but i can only pick the 2hr version to include other films in schedule. shouldnt miss “Oxhide II” i think…

re: The Daydreamer
um… there are fewer and fewer “festival films” in hkiff, and the ones that you most probably won’t have a chance to see again are perhaps the Chinese independent films~

I’ve watched “Oxhide II” and the review is here, but I don’t plan to see the other two~ I personally like “the High Life” more than “Sun Spots”~ the latter is radical in style but sometimes seems a little gimmicky~

The 5hr+ running time of “Petition” is daunting~ will you be blogging about it soon? as for “enter the void”, the visual part is eye-opening and the director’s idea of death and reincarnation is (too?) romantic, but there is little else to talk about…

re: ab_jj
“oxhide ii” really IS interesting~ not to be missed~ =]

I’ll definitely post something about Petition soon (in the meantime you can read 家明’s Mingpao article here). You should catch the International Cut if possible (although it seems to be sold out, so you can try begging on the Facebook group), but I’m very curious how much colossal drama and anguish the 2 hour cut will allow.

Skipping Tangle tonight, but going to the Oxhide II screening. The film was leaked online around 2 weeks ago, but given the film needs a certain patience to appreciate, I guess it’s wise to actually see it on a cinema screen (and sitting on an uncomfortable seat to keep you awake).

Have you seen Spring Fever in last year’s HKLGFF, or will you be catching it this time? I’m deciding between it and The Happiest Girl in the World on 5/4, and I’m particularly concerned with the rather unkind reviews (’pretentious’ and ‘trite’ are two common words) Spring Fever has received.

Thanks, gar, for these new capsule reviews. I’m so very interested in this film; I wonder when I’ll get a chance to see it here in London…hopefully a screener will come available soon.

re: The Daydreamer
for “petition”, i’m more interested in knowing the presentation style than the content itself~ the content is important, of course, but to a certain extend, we all know how crazy the legal system of mainland china can get, and it’ll be a little disappointing if it is merely a marathon presentation of tragic miscarriage of justice cases~ actually i’m one of the passholders… I guess I’ll be sneaking in there and get a seat when no one notices, hehe =]

i’ll be seeing the coming screening of “spring fever”~ it sounds more interesting than “the happiest girl in the world”, i think…

re: Edwin
Yang’s radical style surely requires a little patience~ the director himself said some people love his films a lot, but still many others hate his films a lot~ anyways, please see it if you have the chance~ =]