We are immersed in a Hong Kong action film festival this weekend. I've always liked kung fu movies enough to rent them occasionally, and I have been a big fan of Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh for years, but suddenly I've discovered Chow Yun Fat. He is my new favorite; he is definitely The Man. Joe bought four kung fu classics on VCD, three of them starring The Man, and we are in the process of watching them all.
We saw Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon at the Metreon yesterday and I highly recommend it. You have to like action adventure films, that is my only caveat. It's got an enjoyable plot, good acting, gorgeous scenery, beautiful cinematography, and Ang Lee is a wonderful director. It all comes together so well that I was disappointed when it was over even though it was more than two hours long. Chow is one of the stars and I was smitten.
Last night we went over to Spike and Tom's to have dinner and watch a goofy little kung fu flick called Burning Paradise. It didn't have any actors I recognised, although I had heard of the director Ringo Lam. What it did have were amazingly weird subtitles which we all enjoyed. Today we can't stop asking each other, "Are you scaring?" and yelling, "Cut the craps!"
But the phrase that won't die in this household owes nothing to martial arts films. There was an article in Thursday's New York Times about Tokyo Sexwale, Premier of Gauteng (a province in South Africa), complete with photo. Joe had an ephiphany and has become his biggest fan, working his name into every conversation whether it makes sense or not. "What would Tokyo Sexwale do?" he says when we debate where to go to dinner, or "That is so Tokyo Sexwale" when he thinks something is really cool. In fact, we've all taken on Sexwale names ourselves as a sign of fervent devotion. Joe is Bogota Sexwale. John is Budapest Sexwale. I am Reykjavic Sexwale. We have decided that Chow Yun Fat is Bangkok Sexwale on account of only the manliest man could get away with that name.
Happy 010101.
The Index
Next Incarnation