MovieChat Forums > Do lok tin si (1998) Discussion > What a let down, starts good, but end's...

What a let down, starts good, but end's up boring


Certainly had a style too it, excellent music. Man the first 20 minute's are great. But its at that point the movie turns very bad, boring, and lose's some of it's style in my view. This could of been excellent, although I'm finding as of late alot of the highly rated asian films are not that good, people I want something different too but that doesn't make a film that is poor good just because its not american.

5/10

reply

???

Just watch it again, you'll like it.

reply

That's pretty ignorant to say that people think that it's good because it's not American.

Also, perhaps if you only liked the first 20 minutes you should go watch the Matrix or some action-flick. I don't think you have alot of movie patience.



reply

I agreed with the general sentiment of the OP, although it was not very artfully expressed. And I don't think I'm guilty of only liking action flicks. If you look at my top 250, linked in my sig, you'll see that my favorites include a pretty even mix of high-octane fare and films that are much more low key, involving little other than people talking to each other.

This movie actually got boring in part due to the repetition of the action sequences. What I enjoyed the most at the beginning, odd as it may sound, was the depiction of how his partner came in and cleaned up his apartment (although I initially misunderstood it as her fixing up an abandoned building as some kind of temporary hideout or something).

--------
My top 250: http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?user=SlackerInc&perpage=250

reply

You have the right to have your opinion, but the post itself is totally ignorant. You said the first 20 minutes were great, well, all im gonna say is NEVER ever watch a WKW-movie again if you are expecting a john woo-film.

reply

[deleted]

[deleted]

I concur, this movie has a level of quality rarely matched. People who find this movie boring, unfortunately do not realise the subtle complexities that make this movie so great.

Wong Kar-Wai maintains a level through out the entire film that is often so hard to achieve for many others.

If your acustomed to junk then you will never understand or appreciate this movie for all its worth.

reply

Actually, Tarantino is a major Wong Kar-Wai fan and there are some elements of that "Godardian school" in films like Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown, and even Kill Bill 2.


The void is a mirror.

reply

I expected the movie to be less emotional than it was, granted I did no research before watching and only had an image of a guy dual wielding two guns to go by - so you can not blame me for expecting more action. nevertheless, i really enjoyed this movie and would give it 7/10 on my first watch - the subtitles where not all that spectacular which did not help...

reply

while i agree that verb80's post was somewhat inarticulate, i think you all are being a bit overly defensive. in my opinion, as well as others', Fallen Angels isn't quite as engaging as some of Won Kar Wai's other films. I can see how the ostensibly unrelated plot lines could find one a little disinterested, that is until they are all thematically tied up in the film's last segment. i don't necessarily feel that the movie "loses some its style". Contrarily, i felt like it relied more on the dynamic, kinetic editing than other WKW films, which i happen to have enjoyed more. that said, the sped up motorbike scenes are incredibly cool. so, while the post was a little enchoate and rough, i don't think there's a need to get so fiercely nationalistic, to misuse a term, about WKW, or asian cinema, or high style in general. some asian cinema is overrated, in part due to its exoticity and interesting, novel scenery. furthermore, an unfortunate minority of film enthusiasts do have a negative bias against american films, and a postive bias towards foreign films.

just for reference, i give fallen angels a 7.8/10. compare with 2046, and Chungking Express, my personal WKW favorites, to which i give 9.5 and 9.6, respectively.

Paris Ionescu

reply

I exactly share your thoughts! First 15 minutes were absolutely excellent. Great style, great story it seemed. Shame the movie turned out this way. I gave it also a 5/10. And I actually really like things which aren't the typical Hollywood productions. For example another HK-movie (Wu Jian Dao/Mou Gaan Dou/Infernal Affairs) is my favourite movie of all time. So Verb80; if you liked the beginning of this movie, be sure to check that movie out.

_____
Improve the IMDB-rating system: http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000041/thread/50461060

reply

I liked the start and the ending... Actually the reason why I loved this film was because of the ending. It saved the whole film for me.

I was about to rate it 5/10, but seeing the end, I gave it 10/10 :D

-----
http://raningnina.multiply.com/reviews

reply

I absolutely adore the ending.
That scene on the motorcycle travelling in the tunnel moved me so much.

reply

A lot of the reasons why people don't like this film as compared with WKW's more "lauded" films like Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love are EXACTLY the reasons why I like Fallen Angels best out of all the films.

I like that the narrative is disjointed and kind of in flux. I also like the camera work.

To me it's just congruent in style with the way all the characters are feeling.

In the end in Fallen Angels, all the characters are lamenting being incomplete.

And that ending scene with the tunnel shot of her and him then panning up into the morning sky always tweaks an emotional nerve in me somewhere.

reply

I actually thought the film got better as it went along. And I absolutely loved the ending.

It's not my favorite Wai film, but it's still an excellent movie. Still, I respect your opinion - except for where you suggest that the people who like it only like it "because it's not American". Because there are plenty of non-American films that get very low ratings, and if you can't figure out how people could like a film that you disliked other than "they were only pretending" or "they just like everything non-American"... Well, you need to think a little harder.

"Or perhaps it's not overrated"

reply

Exactly, I agree with everything you said, including the stuff about the OP. I was fairly disappointed with this movie until the last 20 mins or so, hearing so much about it and wanting it to be at least almost as good as Chungking Express and In the Mood For Love, but everything being tied together with all the characters just rounded the movie out so well, not to mention the amazing ending. Very solid 8/10.

reply