So I thought I'd keep an open mind and catch a Hong Kong musical. Unfortunately
Perhaps Love (2005) wasn't my cup of tea. The first act features all the big production numbers; the second and third acts telescope in to the boy meets/looses/gets/discards girl love story. Ho hum. I liked some of the song lyrics, classically Asian musings on eternal verities like the unity of opposites and the impermanence of material things, all set in an otherwise very Western tradition of song 'n dance, but after awhile there was nothing to get my teeth into. No murder, no sex, no revenge, nobody hefting a body into the trunk of a car, none of the things I like!
South Korean historical romp
King and the Clown (2005) made for heartier fare, but it started to sag halfway through, losing sight of its most interesting character for the sake of a dreary affair between a kooky king and his ladyboy lover.
Woman on the Beach, another South Korean entry from 2006, provided some well-rounded characters and funny moments, but was ultimately an arthouse nonevent about some people eating, drinking and screwing in a small seaside town. Here's hoping things look up next weekend. Should do; at the very least I'll get to see
The Host!
