Chungking Express (1994)

★★★½
Chungking Express is uniquely Hong Kong. It is a movie that captures the essence of the city during its late colonial period. As I write this, the city is in the news constantly for its seemingly never-ending demonstrations, a reaction to the Communist Chinese’s steady encroachment on the territory. I understand the pushback against the Chinese. Freedom is far more desirable than living under a brutal collectivist tyranny. I don’t know where this is all going, but luckily, we have this little gem from Wong Kar-Wai to remind us of a time when the city wasn’t tearing itself apart. Chungking Express pulsates with life. It’s crowded, sometimes hectic. A city of millions crammed into a small area will have its problems, but there’s also an identity that will inevitably emerge from the chaos. We see that here, with the bustling Chungking Mansion shops and the nightlife of Lan Kwai Fong. We also see how loneliness can still prevail in this urban jungle. Wong Kar-Wai examines the lonely lives of two Hong Kong cops and does so with an eye towards the surroundings. This is probably the only movie that I’ve seen that made me want to visit the locations. They are as much a part of the story as the dialogue.

Germinal (1993)

★★★
The following is a term paper I wrote for a French literature class back in 2000. I think I got a B+ for this.

Realism is the literary style that focuses on precision and rigorous details. The works of Balzac and Flaubert helped pave the way for realism, but another style called naturalism pushed the concept of realism even further. It paid even greater attention to what was real, and while realism sometimes contains a hint of idealism, naturalism contains no hint at all. Instead, there is an absolute faithfulness to reality. Émile Zola worked at making sure every detail was accurate, in order not to evoke any ideal or symbolist elements. He employed the idea of naturalism in his book Germinal.

Fight Club (1999)

★★★★
Fight Club is really a tough one to pin down. I praised it upon its release but had reservations about its ending, which seemed like a surrender to big explosive finales than as a commentary on anything. I saw it again eight years later and its effect was much stronger. Now, seeing it once again twenty years later, its point is clearer than ever. It’s inevitable that this happens. Movies are free to make a point and comment on the current state of things, but that point can be lost on those who lack the experience to see it. I was not an office worker in 1999, but a college student on my way to a degree. I was in my fifth year, the result of changing my major and working full time in customer service, which limited the number of classes I could take. It was getting to be a drag. I absolutely couldn’t wait to graduate, so that I could get a better job and end the term papers, the studying, the all-nighters. While my situation at the time could be envisioned as being stuck in an endless trap (I graduated after my sixth year), I don’t believe Fight Club’s themes extend to a prolonged undergrad existence. In actuality, there are two themes present here. One is the uncertainty of the upcoming new millennium and the chaos that could ensue. The other is how suffocating a monotonous existence can be. I once walked into a Walgreens wearing my profession on my sleeve. A stock clerk whispered to me if I wanted to trade jobs. I don’t know if a fight club would have been right for her, but according to this movie, the tension built up after mundane employment could require extreme methods to provide relief.

She's All That (1999)

★★★
My favorite shot in She’s All That lasts about five seconds at the end. Laney Boggs smiles as Zack Siler embraces being on the losing end of a bet. The camera zooms in on Laney, who's laughing with such gusto, like she just set free a lifetime of frustration. Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me” plays on the soundtrack. Credits roll. I love it. It summarizes her journey from unpopular art student to someone ready to combine her strengths with her newfound confidence and enter a new chapter in her life. It’s fitting that this movie came out in 1999. With the new millennium just around the corner, she has the opportunity to leave her old self behind and step into another era and start anew.

Train to Busan (2016)

★★★½
A Netflix staple for the last three years, Train to Busan offers not only a thrilling take on the zombie movie, but also a welcome alternative to arrogant Hollywood personalities who have become so insufferable as of late that one is forced to look elsewhere for big screen entertainment. This movie has everything you could want from this genre, and more. It’s exciting and gory, but also surprisingly emotional and very original. Yes, an original zombie movie. Though it uses the running variety popularized by 28 Days Later, it stages most of the action on a train and uses the location to its full advantage. It’s pretty exhilarating.

Stealing Harvard (2003)

★★
Stealing Harvard starts out well enough before descending into a pathetic bore. Even then, the movie almost pulls it off. Jason Lee carries the film on his shoulders, turning in a sincere and amusing performance in a movie that doesn't give him much support. If there is any reason to see this mess, then it is Jason Lee. When left to do what he does best, Lee is engaging and funny, but when left to the requirements of this screenplay (which is most of the time), he is a victim of abuse.