Movie Review: Bodyguards and Assasins/十月圍城

I am sorry I am late with this review, but better late than never.I admit, I wanted this film to be good. It's been a tough year, let's face it.So I am glad to be able to say: Bodyguards and Assassins/十月圍城kicks more ass than a karate tournament for donkeys refereed by fat men.I was thoroughly, deeply, and magnificently entertained for the film's entire running time, and for that I am eternally grateful.The plot is rather transparent, and even predictable, but only in the best kind of way. In its defense, the plot shouldbe straightforward, since there's (thankfully) no espionage subplot/distraction that leads to narrative machinations.Agroup of essentially everyday people must protect Sun Yat Sen from assassins while he visits Hong Kong. The film is also didactic, but you know that from the first frame. And for this film, it works, because it is an integral plot point. How can you make a movie about political turmoil in China and notbe somewhat didactic? Refreshingly, the film is not one-sidedly didactic. In all honesty, I am surprised that the film's sympathies lay where they do, politically speaking. Because some of the conflicts in the film are still going on today.From the start of the film, you know that these conflicts, personal, political and otherwise, must go from discussion to confrontation. At some point, people will stop talking and start fighting.By the time it starts, you can hardly wait, if only because you knew it was inevitable.

But the first half of the film is hardly wasted. Bodyguards and Assassins/十月圍城sets up a premise and works towards it by giving each of the film's many characters shape, detail, and humanity. So when the story inevitably goes where you know it would, you have such emotional investment in the characters that the events are still very affecting.This movieis an ensemble piece, and a very evenly split one at that.

No one dominates the film, and at the same time, it is still cohesive and engaging. There are lots of cameos and small parts played by very well-known names, and its nice to see that kind of selflessness. Lots of familiar faces (and some new ones) turn in commendable performances.

Tony Leung Kar Fai shows a degree of subtlety in his character that we haven't seen from him in a while (given his recent roles) and turns in a very consistent and convincing performance. The Revolutionary and the Businessman: a visual metaphor of one of the film's central conflicts.One of the film's strongest performances comes from Wang Xueqi, pictured above. He beings a very believable humanity to his character, a businessman who would gladly ignore politics but finds that he cannot.Mengke Bateer is great as an oversized stinky tofu vendor whose fighting style looks remarkably like basketball, which, given his experience as an NBA player, is understandable."Donnie Yen sure is short..."Having just posted what appears to be a massive p*ss-take of Donnie Yen, I can see where it might be odd for me to praise his performance. But I do, if for no other reason than the character he plays is quite different than his usual. Admittedly, Super Donnie makes a couple of appearances, but it ends up being a plus because this movie's greatest asset (for me) is that it entertains me, and Super Donnie never fails to be entertaining.  "I'll kick him in his nutsack. It's at eye level..."Leon Lai is not bad, but frankly is playing the wrong role.Leon Lai starring inThe Tommy Chong StoryI would have much rather seen Jet Li as the opium-addled former bodyguard who must take on one more mission. Still, Leon manages to entertain, and that's what we're here for. His character's story provides us with one of the film's (not to mention Hong Kong cinema in general) best cameos in a long time.

Another reason I wanted Jet Li to play the role is because that way AnD artist Philip Ng would have gotten to fight with him, making the movie better and making Philip look better too. He doesn't look bad, I'm just saying that Jet Li is a better martial artist than Leon Lai, and if you keep up with Jet li onscreen, it makes you look better than if you keep up with Leon Lai.

If you go to karaoke with Leon Lai, it's probably the same as fighting with Jet Li.Unless you sing the Wong Fei Hong theme. He's probably pretty good at that one.Simon Yam acquits himself well in an admittedly small role. He has developed into a very solid and dependable actor, and I am glad to see it. Thankfully for all of us, it is now literally and figuratively a long time since Gigolo and Whore.His daughter in the film is played by Li Yuchun, she of Supergirlfame.I concede that tomboys appeal to me, so my opinion is biased. But the only real pleasure I got out of her role was watching her. She is fairly convincing dramatically, but her action scenes are less than stellar. Which is to be expected, given that she's not a wushu practitioner.

At least her action scenes don't involve the by-now-omnipresentChinese Linguistic Ventriloquismwhereby a mouth that moves in Mandarin for the eye creates Cantonese for the ear, which naturally impedes her performance.I saw her mouth say "Take me now, Sean" in Mandarin, but I heard her say something about jumping my mother's fried crab in Cantonese, whatever the hellthat means.I could talk about all the actors, but I want to finish this review in time for it to hopefully motivate people to go to the cinema and see it. Go to a big cinema; it's an epic picture and for those, size does matter. Still, before I go, and in the spirit of saving the best for last, let me talk about what I feel is the best acting in the film.A few years ago, my disdain for the Oscars was put on hold when Jamie Foxx won Best Actor for Ray. What I loved about his performance was that I stopped seeing him as Jamie Foxx very quickly. He becameRay Charles such that I stopped seeing the actor and only saw the character.

In that vein, Nicolas Tse does a remarkable job overcoming his celebrity (and innate superhuman good looks) to become a simple-minded rickshaw driver whose main goal in life is to marry a girl whose social status exceeds his own."My boss just drove in from Guangzhou and boy are my legs tired!"I was very, veryimpressed with his acting, because he was totally believable. I could still tell it was Nic Tse, but only a little.He portrayed his character in a very convincing manner, and gave what could have been a disposable character (and performance) depth, detail, and energy.

By the end of the film, we have come to know and care about his character, perhaps because his aspirations are so easily empathized with. But that only happens because of the damn fine acting on display.

The Movie Night Gang were all in agreement that Nic Tse is a front runner for this years LoveHKFilmBest Supporting Actor award. I wouldn't be surprised if he took home a Golden Horse and a few other awards too. He was that good.Go see this movie. You won't be disappointed. I promise.And not just because you'll get to see Eric Tsang in a moustache: