艾美艾尊

Star-crossed lovers: A scene from the 'Butterfly Lovers'. Even with the lack of execution from the actors, with good editing the action sequences looked quite believable and worthy of the 'wu xia' title. Picture: www.flickr.comRon Night
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN


Saturday, October 11, 2008


Butterfly Lovers

Certification: PG

Cast: Wu Chun, Charlene Choi, Hu Ge, Harlem Yu, Ti Lung

Director: Jingle Ma

Genre: Action, Romance

WHETHER or not the younger generation today has heard of the Chinese legend of Liang Zhu is questionable; and by watching this updated version of the Butterfly Lovers (Wu Xia Liang Zhu) will not score them any points on accuracy.

The original story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai tells the story of two star-crossed lovers in a more peaceful, scholarly setting. The previous adaptation on the big screen came with a more accurate depiction from director Tsui Hark. It starred Nicky Wu and Charlie Yeung and went on to receive multiple nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards back in 1994.

This new version has been rewritten and reintroduced to the audience as having gone through three other lifetimes of the same fate, the two lovers now find themselves reincarnated in the world of martial arts, hence the title "wu xia".

Zhu Yen Zhi (Charlene Choi) is sent off by her parents to a martial arts school at a mountainous retreat to escape certain revenge plotted against her wealthy family. As the school only accepts male students, Zhu has to enter in disguise while assisted by the school's herbalist who is her sole confidant, played by Harlem Yu with ditsy charm. It is there that Zhu once again finds her beloved of this lifetime in the form of Liang Zhong Shan (Wu Chun), the senior or "big brother" of the school. With Zhu entrusted into Liang's tutelage and care, the two quickly establish a close bond.

Once Liang discovers Zhu is actually a girl, deeper feelings immediately surface. However, Zhu's father (Ti Lung) has already made the decision to betroth his only daughter to General Ma Chen Gen (Hu Ge), whom the family is indebted to. Ma goes on to threaten Zhu that should she revoke their wedding he would kill her parents.

Jingle Ma and his co-writers have taken many liberties with this adaptation. They were wise enough to change the names of the main characters, seeing as how different this setting is; but they have failed to stay original with their cause.

As Liang and Zhu are the eastern equivalent of Romeo and Juliet, that alone should have discouraged the writers from copying elements from their western counterpart. Instead, those who are familiar with Baz Luhrmann's masterpiece that is Romeo + Juliet, will be able to spot the similarities and the ending from a mile away.

One of the biggest mistakes of this movie is the casting of Charlene Choi as Zhu. This role requires an actress to play a character that can convince people around her that she's a boy. But Choi has always played the cutesy and girly characters in most of the movies she has been in, no matter the role; and this time her acting is no different. In boy's clothing she still screams like a cute girl, talks like a cute girl, and even pouts like a cute girl; rarely does her character act out mannerisms of a boy. It's mind-boggling why the director ignored this. As for the direction, the action bits were well done and convincing enough. Even with the lack of execution from the actors, with good editing the action sequences looked quite believable and worthy of the "wu xia" title.

Wu Chun's well-built body has made it an easier task in portraying him as a master in martial arts. Those veins popping out of his forearm are all real; and the director takes every opportunity to focus on Chun's strengths and appeal — and with enough close-ups to make his female fans swoon.

Chun is clearly not without acting chops, however the onscreen chemistry is sorely lacking between the two leads. Fans that feared that there may be something more than just acting can rest assured that nothing onscreen suggests otherwise. Harlem Yu is the only interesting character and brings with him the comedic side of things. Speaking in a jumbled mixture of Cantonese and Mandarin in every sentence, that alone has brightened up the screen every single time.

As a whole, the movie progression is badly done; certain events in the first half flies by too quickly while the second half is 30 minutes too long and drags on like mud. The story does no justice to the original, making the original theme towards the end feels very out of place. It should have been left out.

And Choi should really have studied her character more, or studied Charlie Yeung at the very least, whose portrayal of Zhu was 10 folds better.

However, fans of Chun will not leave the cinema unhappy, or even dry-eyed. And hopefully this movie will act as a stepping stone that it inevitably is and open up more opportunities in the future for our Brunei-born-and-bred.