This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

This is How Movies Should Be Made

Purely Joyful Movie!

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

I found this Chinese film in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, as with many titles featured in the book, I was hoping for something worthwhile and that would deserve its placement, it certainly sounded like something that could be good. Basically it is about the life and career of 1930s Chinese movie star Ruan Ling-yu (In the Mood for Love's Maggie Cheung, also as herself). She was China's first prima donna of the silver screen, emerging as a star of the silent screen by her twenties, and becoming known as "the Chinese Garbo". Ruan started as a background actress at the age of sixteen, with short appearances and small parts, eventually gaining leading roles, she starred in over a dozen films, many have been lost, but those that remain are still well-received. But Ruan had a troubled personal life, she was having an affair with a married man, and gained negative criticism from the press. Various public issues and intense private problems resulted in Ruan committing suicide, she poisoned herself with an overdose of barbiturates, leaving a note that apparently read "gossip is a fearful thing", there was also rumours of her lover being hostile to her, she was 24 years old. The film switches between documentary style interviews by those who knew Ruan Ling-yu, the cast and crew of this film, and recreations of her most famous films, including the critically acclaimed The Goddess. Also starring Chin Han as Tang Jishan, Lawrence Ng as Zhang Damin, Tony Leung Ka-fai as Cai Chusheng, Carina Lau as Li Lili, Cecilia Yip as Lin Chuchu and Waise Lee as Lai Man-Wai. Cheung gives a splendid performance as the troubled but talented actress, I personally know of the real actress from watching The Goddess, which was a brilliant performance, it is a tragic story of the rise to stardom and the pressures it brings, the most memorable scenes are the recreations of the famous films, overall it was a fairly good period biographical drama. Worth watching!

There are many pieces that should have been done better, but overall, the presentation is quite refreshing (interpersing footages and interviews with the main part of the movie)) and a story well-told.SPOILERS THROUGHOUT THE REST A few things worth clarifying -- Ruan was not married to Chang Ta-Min and she was not concerned about his accusation. It was her affair with Tang Chi-Shan (who refused to get a divorce) that bothered Ruan. Furthermore it was unclear to me if Ruan's union with Tang was voluntary or not. He's the boss of the studio afterall, and the scene with blowing the cigarette at him was taken from a movie in which a prostitute was forced to bed with a gangster.She clearly liked Tsai Chu-sheng, but this person only "talked." He flirted with her and used her for his movies but never stood up to protect his movie or Ruan (even when the immediate trigger to Ruan by the press was her role in his movie).Ruan rarely demonstrated her emotions but one can see them clearly during the filming of her movies.In the end, it seems that part of her depression came from thinking out loud with the characters she was acting and empathizing with their predicaments. Then, these were amplified by the many unfairness tossed at her in real life, leading to her suicide. Pretty devastating! PS. I actually liked a lot of the earlier slow scene between Ruan and her mother and adopted daughter. Much was reveal in those seemingly casual daily conversations (like the soup her mother prepared for Chang). Later on she was hiding almost everything to herself, and one can only get hints from subtle facial expressions etc.

I stumbled on a DVD copy of the film from the local library, but before that I never heard of this film. Stanley Kwan also directed Rouge, a film I enjoyed and liked very much, and that prompted my decision to make the time investment to watch it.Center Stage, aka Yuen Ling-Yuk (Cantonese pronunciation of the main character) or Ruan Ling-Yu (the mandarin equivalent) is a slow film, a period piece focused on the life and premature death of an actress in the 30's in China. As a kid growing up in Asia several decades ago I never watched B/W silent films, so Yuen was never known to me, until now.It was a slow film, but well acted and researched. I enjoyed the depiction of Shanghai in the 30's and the personification of various people in the entertainment circle. This film is obviously not for everyone. For the selected few with the interest or the cultural background, it is a film worth watching. If nothing else, it is a cultural lesson on the filming business and a snapshot of the Chinese society in 1930. Seeing some big name actors in it, doing what they do best, is a bonus.

This film took me two weeks to watch. I had begun this film , but found myself so bored with the story that it couldn't keep my interest. In fact, last night when I finally finished the film, I had to keep myself awake by pulling at my hairs on my head to keep me from dozing during this documentary.I call it a documentary, but it is actually a representation of her life as an actress played by modern actresses. It is similar to the film JFK with several actors playing the part of actual people with clips of the event sewn throughout the film. This was quite possibly the dullest film ever made. I am surprised that it won any awards, much less sweeping the Hong Kong Film Festival. The characters were one-dimensional. They had no spirit, no soul, no care only to walk around in period piece costumes. Everyone in this movie is exceedingly composed - they speak carefully, and walk perpetually as if on eggshells. No one really comes alive until a scene at a dance hall near the end. But despite all the sugary politeness, Cheung successfully conveys a woman who is being slowly destroyed by her oppressive environment. There are a couple scenes in which she completely loses it, and it's very affecting to watch, but not worth two hours of my time. I had trouble understanding this film. There was a rumor that when it was released at the film festival in 1992, it was accidentally shown out of order, yet it still won the praise of critics. That doesn't make any sense to me. How can a film be out of sequence, yet still being considered the best out there? There was times that I felt I was watching a PBS special, but a very poorly done special.If a person from the streets were to come up to me and ask me what my favorite part of this film to me would be, I would have no answer. I did not like one portion of this film. The characters were dull, the story was tough to follow, and the pacing was completely off. Nothing made sense in this film. No acting actually occurred in this film. This was one of my first experiences with Hong Kong cinema, and I think I perhaps started on the wrong foot. I am looking forward to my next film from Hong Kong, because it can only be better than this. Even if it only showed growing grass for an hour and a half, it would be better. Perhaps I am being too negative about this film, but I just couldn't get into it. Sorry Hong Kong! Grade: * out of *****