Leglessbird leisure guide

Posted by Ryoko

Needing You (buy from Amazon)

Type: Comedy Romantic, Hong Kong 2000

Director:Johnny To

My rating: 3
Key actors/actresses:
Andy Lau: Wah
Sammi Cheng: Kinki

Story:
Wah is a computer programmer and Kinki is a secretary in the same company. They didn?t get along well at the beginning, but gradually they got to care about each other.

My review:
I watched this film when I went toward France from Japan via Hong Kong by Cathay Pacific. I cannot understand Chinese, but its subtitle was simple English, so luckily I could enjoy the whole story. I laughed a lot and was never bored on the way to Hong Kong from Narita.
Kinki is a young, moody, cheerful, cute girl and its play by Sammi Cheng is nice. I do not like romantic comedies, but this movie is one of my favorites!　My rating is 3 stars but it is nearly 4 stars in fact.

Posted by Ryoko

Swimming Pool (Unrated Version) (buy from Amazon)
Swimming Pool

Type: Suspense, Britian 2003

Director:Francois Ozon

My rating: 3
Key actors/actresses:
Charlotte Rampling: Sarah Morton
Ludivine Sagnier: Julie
Charles Dance: John Bosload

Story:
Sarah Morton, a British popular mystery author, was tired of London. John Bosload, her publisher as well as her boyfriend, asked her to stay at his home in Luberon, in the south of France. She accepted his offer because she needed a kind of inspiration for her new novel. However, Sarah had to stay there with John?s French daughter Julie suddenly. Julie?s lifestyle was reckless, wild, and sexual, so Sarah could not stand it and her life in Luberon was disturbed unexpectedly.

My review:
There are not many characters (that?s one of the reasons I like this movie), so you may guess that this film is easy to understand?but my answer is ?No?; I still wonder how to understand the end of story, which was beyond my imagination. I like this kind of closing, because my imagination can go everywhere, and this story must let it go at that.

Iron Ladies (Sub) (buy from Amazon)
Type: Comedy, Thailand 2000

Director:Youngyooth Thongkonthun

My rating: 4
Key actors/actresses:
Jesdaporn Pholdee .... Chai
Sahaphap Tor .... Mon
Ekachai Buranapanit .... Wit
Giorgio Maiocchi .... Nong
Chaicharn Nimpulsawasdi .... Jung
Kokkorn Benjathikoon .... Pia
Shiriohana Hongsopon .... Coach

Story:
A true story of a Thai male volleyball team that won the national championship in 1996.

My review:
Very funny indeed!

Shinobi Heart Under Blade (buy from Amazon)

Type: Drama, Japan 2005

Director:Ten Shimoyama

My rating: 3

Key actors/actresses:
Yukie Nakama .... Oboro (Iga)
J? Odagiri .... Kouga Gen-no-suke (Kouga) (as Joe Odagiri)
Tomoka Kurotani .... Kagerou (Kouga)
Erika Sawajiri .... Hotarubi (Iga)
Kippei Shiina .... Yakushiji Tenzen (Iga)

Story:
During the Tokugawa era, the two ninja clans Iga and Kouga have existed for over 400 years, always been opposing each other and separately have been helping different regimes in power. Under a cease-fire agreement, the two clans have not been fighting each other. The two future leaders of the clans, Oboro (Iga) and Gen-no-suke (Kouga) are in love with each other. Little did they know that the cease-fire has been uplifted by the Tokugawa regime because, he wants to exterminate the two clans by asking them to fight one another, because during the peaceful time, Tokugawa feels that the ninjas are themselves a threat to him. Each clans has to send 5 people to fight, Oboro and Gen-no-suke are the leaders of each team. Can the lovers escape their destiny or would they have to fight each other to save their own clan?

My review:
Even more tragic than Romeo and Juliet, a very sad story. Ninja stories are always facinating, Hollywood has tried to make its own version of Japanese ninja movies, but never quite capture the essence and its mystery. Glad to see a well film ninja movies from Japan, the land of ninja itself. However, I don't think there was enough, ninja fight scenes in the movie and the actions go so fast, leaving the audience the feeling of wanting more. Each ninja has their own secret weapon and it gets better and more powerful as the story unfolds.

It has an unexpected twist in the end! But I won't spoil it here.

Cuisine: British in Central
My rating: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 3
Price per person: HK$ 251-300

9 Old Bailey Street, Central
2147 2618

Review: The food quality is pretty good, but on the expensive side. It's British cuisine, you have the usual choices of lamb, beef, pork, chicken etc. Not bad for small gathering. Old Bailey street is in the relatively quiet area of Soho.

Type: Drama Thriller, Japan 1996

Director:Shunji Iwai

My rating: 2
Key actors/actresses:
Hiroshi Mikami .... Feihong Chara .... Glico Ayumi Ito .... Ageha Yosuke Eguchi .... Ryou Ryanki

Story:
This is a story about "Yen Town", the name given to illegal immigrants in Japan who view Japan as a country of to earn big and fast money, they call Japan "Yen Town" and they themselves are being called "Yen Town". The film describes this illegal immigrants as criminals, gangsters who engage in various crimes.

My review:
The movie has multiple threads which was hard to follow. All in all, this is not my cup of tea.

Shall We Dance? (buy from Amazon)

Type: Comedy Drama, Japan 1996

Director:Masayuki Suo

My rating: 4

Key actors/actresses:
Koji Yakusho .... Shohei Sugiyama Tamiyo Kusakari .... Mai Kishikawa Naoto Takenaka .... Tomio Aoki Eriko Watanabe .... Toyoko Takahashi

Story:
A middle age man with wife and kids and a steady job as an accountant is looking for a new hobby. Not really going through a mid-life crisis, just looking for some changes. He sees from the train a dance school on his way home every night and there is this beautiful lady dancer practicing near one of the windows at the dance school. His mind begins to wonder if taking dance classes will reignit his boring life.

My review:
Shall we dance is a very light and easy to appreciate type of movie, I think man in the late 40s will especially reasonant with the story (ha ha I am not one of them yet). At points, the movie is also very humourous and will put a big smile on your face. The male director (also play a small character in the movie) is surprisingly very sensitive in expressing the emotion of the characters. Highly recommended.

The Hypnotist (buy from Amazon)

Type: Drama Thriller, Japan 1999

Director:Masayuki Ochiai

My rating: 3
Key actors/actresses:
Goro Inagaki .... Toshiya, Saga
Miho Kanno .... Yuka, Irie
Takeshi Masu .... Jissoji

Story:
Several incidents resulted in numerous horrific deaths: a groom choked himself to death during his wedding; an athlete ran herself to death out of exhaustion and bone fracture; an old man jumped off the window on his birthday. The only clue the police had obtained was the connection to the "green monkey" which was linked to a TV hypnosis show. As the investigators were homing in to the people involved, more victims killed themselves, the signs now all pointed to a girl as the centre of the ordeal. Could the investigators solve the mysteries or would they fall victims themselves? What's the role of this poor, helpless girl?

My review:
I always find hypnosis a fascinating topic. Movies on crimes involving hypnosis have been made many many times. But "Saimin" is certainly one of the most scary ones. The director is able to grab your attention from the start and keep pumping fear and curiosity into your mind. At points you will find yourself breathless. The thought that you can be programmed to killing yourself is scary.

Hong Kong Cancer Fund suggested by Christina Tang --- Want to have a great day of fun & healthy exercise ?V and all for a good cause as well??

Stride for a Cure 2006, our annual charity walk for cancer research, will once again be held at the scenic the Tai Tam Country Park on Sunday, 5th November 2006.

Registration for the event has just started. Please rally the support of your colleague/ friends/ family to join in the fun! Simply click on the following link and register online or download the registration form from the event website:

http://www.cancer-fund.org/sfc2006/html/eng/index.html (English)
http://www.cancer-fund.org/sfc2006/html/chi/index.html (Chinese)

As there is a limit on the number of participants, ACT FAST to avoid disappointment!

Sat 14 Oct 2006, Hong Kong Trail No.1
Time:3pm
Meeting point: Central Exchange Square, Bus Stop for No. 15 (to The Peak)

Description (Suggested by Arthur)

Hiking Time: approx. 2 hours
Difficulty: 1 out of 5 (5 most difficult) Things to bring: 1-1.5 litres water, snacks An easy trail that suits everybody who wants some relax, nature and panoramic views. It travels from The Peak to Pokfulam Reservoir. Scenes covering Victoria Harbour, Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong West and some outlying islands.

Action required: Please click http://www.leglessbird.com/hiking/formmail.shtml by Fri 13 Oct