Movie Reviews
Film Review: The Goldfinger (2023) Felix Chong
“Doing business in Hong Kong is lot of fun”
One of the most expensive Hong Kong movies ever made (HK$350 million or 41 million euros), “The Goldfinger” also brings together Felix Chong, Tony Leung and Andy Lau after “Infernal Affairs”, where the first co-wrote. Set in the 80s, the script is based on the story of Carrian Group, a Hong Kong corporation which rose rapidly before collapsing shortly afterwards due to a corruption scandal.
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The movie actually starts with Henry Ching’s arrest, who is based on Carrian Group founder George Tan, Lau Kai-yuen, principal investigator of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). A bit later, the timeline changes to the mid-70s, with Henry Ching arriving in Hong Kong and trying to get a job as an engineer. Considering the place is filled with people of the particular profession, he has no luck. Although so it seems, since he is eventually employed by K.K. Tsang, one of the heirs of a rather rich family, who has him posing as a buyer for his property, in order to convince Wu Reshong, an actual potential buyer, to increase the price he is offering. The plan eventually succeeds, and Tsang takes Ching under his wing, eventually giving him the capital to open his own company, which he ends up naming after his first hire, Carmen Cheung. Their luck, though, truly changes when Ching gets swindled in the stock market by Wu Reshong’s broker, Chung and decides to hire him. An initially reluctant to leave his employer Chung, is eventually convinced when Ching “offers” him Carmen, with the two eventually becoming a couple.
As they manage to manipulate the stock market and buy property by giving their stocks as contraband for increasingly bigger loans, the group, which eventually also includes Wu Reshong, starts becoming more and more successful. Eventually, they reach international level, with their stock being considered even more valuable than blue chips, but the handover changes everything. The second axis, of the present, also moves forward, showing Ching as a cruel man who does not shy from murdering his opponents, and Lau being continuously on his heels, despite his many failures and the strain his efforts place in his relationship with his family.
First things first. The classic style of Hong Kong cinema, with its permeating nonsensicality and the focus on individual scenes rather than the movie as a whole is not exactly ideal to present true stories. The fact becomes quite evident by the way the story progresses in a fashion that frequently does not make sense, with the back-and-forth in time not helping with the overall sense that the viewer is missing something. The scenes in the court, the presentation of the foreigners, and the ending suffer the most from this approach.
On the other hand, there are definitely enough elements here to make the film rise beyond its issues. First and most obvious, the cast and the acting. Tony Leung as Henry Ching gives another splendid performance, with the way he transforms through the years being a treat to watch. Andy Lau as Lau Kai-yuen is equally good as a character that is essentially the exact opposite of Ching, although the two share an obsession to achieve their goals against all odds. Simon Yam adds even more star quality as the benefactor who eventually becomes part of the group Ching heads. Michael Ning as Chung, and the way he falls for Carmen is one of the best aspects of the movie, while Charlene Choi, who plays her, is an impressive presence but in a role that is rather badly written. Lastly, Tai Bo as Wu Renshong, who will be forever remembered for eating two plates of spaghetti on his face in “Project A”, concludes the overall great cast, as an individual who is the top boss, but eventually is surpassed by Ching.
Furthermore, the comments about corruption, which actually start with the police in the first scenes in the movie, and the relationship between them, the capital, the stock market, and the crime world become quite evident. It is also worth noting that Ching was probably involved with people from the Philippines (Imelda Marcos), Indonesia and Malaysia, and the script actually includes them, giving the corruption an international scale. All in all, this is a great story and the fact becomes quite evident throughout the movie, even with the aforementioned shortcomings.
In that regard, what is actually equally impressive with the casting, is the amount of scenes presented through the 126 minutes of the movie, which is truly exuberant, highlighting both the big budget of the production and the amount of work that was put in the film. Occasionally, the audiovisual approach reminds intently of “The Wolf of Wall Street”, while there is a scene that will definitely make one think of “Sin City”. For the most part, though, “The Goldfinger” is its own animal, with the technical aspect finding its zenith in scenes like the one with the battle in the Golden Triangle, the one with the models dancing in glass cages, and the murder attempt on Lau. Overall, the visuals here, as captured by DP Anthony Pun are nothing short of impressive.
The Goldfinger is screening at UdineFar East Film Festival 2024
Again as usual in HK blockbusters, William Chang and Curran Pang’s editing results in a rather frantic face, which manages to hide the narrative issues to the point, also through the mixture of the timelines.
Overall, I am not sure how much the particular approach of HK cinema still applies here, particularly in real stories, but the fact remains that “The Goldfinger” is an outstandingly casted, audiovisually impressive film that offers entertainment aplenty.
Returning to the big screen after his starring role in the Barbie movie, Ryan Gosling stars in The Fall Guy — an action-packed tribute to stunt performers in the movies.
Gosling plays the role of Colt Seavers — a stuntman who “gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment. And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life (Emily Blunt starring as Jody Moreno, director of the movie) while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right?”
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt
(Universal Pictures)
The Fall Guy includes the movie industry’s first-ever film credit of Stunt Designer, received by Chris O’Hara, president of Stunts Unlimited, and who is renowned as a Stunt Coordinator and second unit director. The Stunt Designer moniker goes beyond the traditional title of Stunt Coordinator (an official Screen Actors Guild credit that is also recognized by the Directors Guild of America). This credit represents a new benchmark that accurately reflects “the high-level artistic contribution of world-class Stunt Coordinators like O’Hara. These are artists who do more than coordinate the logistics of stunts; they design and create them.”
“Stunt Designers are the creative architects behind fight scenes, high falls, and more, and deserve to be recognized for the creative leadership of their contributions,” said David Leitch, director, blockbuster filmmaker and a former stunt coordinator.
The fall guy on a vehicle-mounted arm.
(Universal Pictures)
The Fall Guy was originally a TV series from the ‘80s. It “was a reflection of that era, celebrating the cowboy spirit of stunt work,” director David Leitch says. “Back then, stunts were about sheer toughness, fearlessness, and guts. While there were tricks of the trade, these stunts still came with a lot of pain. My journey in the stunt world began during the transition from this old-school era to the modern era where stunt work began embracing new technologies and practices. As I entered the industry, visual effects and special effects were starting to revolutionize the stunt world. Wire rigs, the removal of those wires via VFX and other innovations were transforming the way stunts were performed. While shooting The Matrix, I had the opportunity to witness the cutting edge of technology and the collaborative efforts that were shaping the future of stunts. For me, it was natural to embrace both sides of stunt performing—the old-school toughness and the evolving world of visual effects. So, now, with The Fall Guy, I’m paying tribute to my early career journey as a stunt performer. While we incorporate some nods to the role of visual effects, the film maintains a raw and practical element in every stunt. With this film, we aimed to deliver action that was true to the spirit of the stunt community by incorporating techniques that have become somewhat of a lost art.”
THE FALL GUY, directed by David Leitch
(Universal Pictures)
The cannon roll was a particularly spectacular stunt featured in The Fall Guy. “Stunt double Logan Holladay broke the Guinness World Record for cannon rolls in a car with eight and a half rolls.”
These days, sequences like the Alma/Colt chase sequence, in which a garbage truck dragged Ryan Gosling on a spinning bin through the streets of Sydney, Australia, included a thrilling scene on the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge that “would normally be done with blue screen,” but “the team decided to film the scene entirely practically” — old school.
Jan Wagner in the theater lobby.
(Jan Wagner)
Another exciting stunt was a jaw-dropping 225-foot car jump, “performed by seasoned driver Logan Holladay in a specially designed vehicle, crafted for practical, in-camera authenticity that could handle such an extreme leap. At the apex of the jump, the truck was close to 80 feet in the air.
Other wild stunts included a boat jump, a high fall from a helicopter, numerous fights, fiery explosions and much, much more. Multiple costume variations were required “to address the complexity of action scenes.” Oh, and be sure to stick around for the credits to see a cameo that you will not want to miss. Thumbs up!
To see a trailer for The Fall Guy and to purchase tickets, visit the official site at: https://www.thefallguymovie.com.
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Copyright © 2024 by Jan Wagner – AutoMatters & More #838
By ABBIE BERNSTEIN / Staff Writer
Posted: May 10th, 2024 / 12:29 PM
THE COFFEE TABLE (LA MESITA DEL COMEDOR) movie poster | ©2024 Cinephobia Releasing
Rating: Not Rated
Stars: David Pareja, Estefanía de los Santos, Josep Riera, Claudia Riera, Gala Flores, Eduardo Antuña, Cristina Dilla, Itziar Castro
Writers: Caye Casas & Cris Borobia
Director: Caye Casas
Distributor: Cinephobia Releasing
Release Date: April 19, 2024 (theatrical); May 14, 2024 (DVD/digital)
THE COFFEE TABLE (LA MESITA DEL COMEDOR) has been variously described as a horror movie and a black comedy. It doesn’t conform to the conventional notion of either of these genres. Rather, it is one answer to the question of what we get when the framework of a farce is placed around an almost literally unspeakable tragedy.
THE COFFEE TABLE has a horrific incident (imagine one of the worst things you can think of; this may or may not be worse than that) that propels what would otherwise be a familiar comedy plot. The tension between these two things keeps us riveted.
In the opening moments, we see María (Estefanía de los Santos) in childbirth. It looks extremely painful.
The rest of the film takes place over the course of a single day. María and her husband Jesús (David Pareja) and their baby son Cayetano are at a furniture store. The salesman (Eduardo Antuña) is pushing them to buy a glass-topped coffee table.
Jesús seems to want the coffee table primarily because María hates it. According to him, she has made most of the choices in their relationship, including when to have a baby (they’re middle-aged, but he wasn’t sure) and what to name the child (Jesús thinks Cayetano is a bad name, with a worse namesake).
The salesman guarantees that the coffee table will change Jesús and María’s lives. He’s just doing his spiel, but he turns out to be absolutely right.
To be clear, THE COFFEE TABLE isn’t a cursed-furniture movie. There’s nothing supernatural of any kind going on here. For that matter, there is no onscreen violence, and relatively little gore. It’s just that it has a confluence of events that most filmmakers wouldn’t dare present.
The actors are all excellent, surprising us within expectations we may have for their characters.
While this is perhaps not the main thrust of THE COFFEE TABLE, director Caye Casas, cowriter Cris Borobia and actor Pareja create a powerfully authentic portrait of severe depression. We feel Jesús’s inability to connect with those around him; he’s barely able to see or hear them through the weight of his pain. While in some movies, this kind of thing can be extraordinarily dull, in THE COFFEE TABLE, it’s mesmerizing, because we compulsively need to know what’s going to happen.
THE COFFEE TABLE should come with some trigger warnings. One is for people who, having experienced severe depression themselves, may find its accurate depiction awakens a sympathetic response that is not easily dismissed when the film ends.
The other trigger warning unfortunately is a massive spoiler. Perhaps the best advice to viewers who are serious about such cautions is that they should avoid THE COFFEE TABLE altogether. For more daring prospective audience members who want to see a well-made film that is certainly unique and never boring, THE COFFEE TABLE is the real deal.
In Spanish, with English subtitles.
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