Chinese Box Movie Review 1997

Hong Kong's return to Chinese rule is the backdrop for Wang's story of a dying British journalist (Irons) and a former bar girl turned nightclub owner (Li). In the months before the 1997 handover, business writer John learns he is dying of leukemia and decides to pursue Vivian, the woman he has secretly loved for some time. He also sets out to discover the "meaning" of Hong Kong itself. This quest is personified by Jean (Cheung), a street hustler with stories to tell. Metaphors abound as Wang tries to convey the everyday chaos and impenetrability of Hong Kong life. Striking visuals provide cues and clues to the not-always-subtle symbolism. Mandarin and English dialogue.

Distribution

CinemaNow, 4553 Glencoe Ave., Ste. 200, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292, URL: http://www.cinemanow.com, Remarks: Formerly known as Lions Gate Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 109 minutes.
Originally from French, Japanese.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Terminal Illness, China, Interracial Affairs, Front Page, Disease of the Week, Hong Kong

Screenplay

Wayne Wang, Jean-Claude Carriere, Larry Gross, Paul Theroux

Cast

Jeremy Irons, Gong Li, Maggie Cheung, Ruben Blades, Michael Hui

Cinematography

Vilko Filac

Director

Wayne Wang

Music

Graeme Revell