Married to the Mafia-Enemy in Law (KR Movie 2005)

Married to the Mafia-Enemy in Law (KR 2005)

Kim Won-Hee and Shin Hyun-Jun in Marrying the Mfia 2. (credit:lovehkfilm.com)
Marrying the Mafia #2 Enemy in law, I caught last night. According to some net research, this sequel surpassed Married to the Mafia aka Gamunui Yeonggwang. It was a fun movie that had its comedic moments but what made the movie was the acting by the lad Shin Hyun Jun and Kim Won Hee.

Cast:
Shin Hyun-Jun, Kim Won-Hee, Kim Su-Mi, Tak Jae-Hun, Lim Hyeong-Jun, Kong Hyeong-Jin, Shin Yi

(Sanjuro 2006 review from http://www.lovehkfilm.com/panasia/marrying_the_mafia_2.html.)
Jeong Young-Ki, director of the Asian horror flick The Doll Master, tries his hand at comedy with Marrying The Mafia 2: Enemy in Law, the hit 2005 sequel that was so popular it actually surpassed the impressive box office receipts of the 2002 film that spawned it. This wacky gangster comedy shifts its focus to a new mob family and centers on the marital situation of the clan's number one son, Jang In-Jae, played by actor Shin Hyun-Jun, last seen in High Dharma 2 and Face. It seems that In-Jae's mobster mother (Kim Soo-Mi) takes an active role in her three sons' lives. Whether it's faking her own kidnapping just to time their rescue attempts or simply trying to marry off In-Jae before he becomes an old bachelor, Mama Jang clearly wants to see her sons do well. However, the blind dates aren't working out for In-Jae, as no woman seems to compare to Jin-Sook, his beloved high school sweetheart. As luck would have it, after yet another unfulfilling blind date, In-Jae catches a glimpse of Kim Jin-Kyung (Kim Won-Hee), an attractive young woman who just so happens to be the spitting image of the dearly departed Jin-Sook But despite their similarities, Jin-Kyung isn't In-Jae's girlfriend come back to life, but is instead a chief prosecutor! In-Jae spies her just prior to her participation in a sting operation to take down a nefarious gangster, a man whose organization just so happens to be a rival of the Jang family. But when Jin-Kyung ends up drugged and defenseless, it's lucky for her that In-Jae is in the vicinity to step in and save the day. With Jin-Kyung knocked out cold, In-Jae has little option but to take her home until she awakens, a decision which, of course, results in the expected Three's Company-esque misunderstandings before a real romance between the two can properly develop.

Strangely enough, from this point forward, the film becomes increasingly bipolar in terms of tone. In one respect, it becomes a wacky "anything goes" comedy worthy of the best and worst of Wong Jing's oeuvre, full of out-of-place boob jokes and over-the-top penis sight gags that literally have to be seen to be believed. In the case of the latter, at one point, In-Jae's member gets injured so badly that he's forced to wear protective gear during his day-to-day activities. Here's the rub: the resultant bulge makes it seem like he's happy to see, well, just about everyone. The former joke involves legal eagle Jin-Kyung stealing some confiscated Chinese breast enhancement cream, which she eventually applies to her pixyish frame, only to find that there really was a reason why her office confiscated it in the first place. The film also contains some amusing flashbacks, including one in which In-Jae suspiciously resembles a spastic Howie Mandel! Other jokes rely heavily on Korean pop culture references, which while perhaps funny for native speakers, will likely go directly over the heads of non-Korean audience members, this reviewer included. Even so, there are plenty of funny moments that aren't lost in translation, one of the best being a situation in which the ultra suave In-Jae comically loses his cool when a romantic trip to the movie theatre goes horribly awry.

But even as all this utter zaniness is going on, there's actually something quite curious occurring in between the laughs - a fairly serious story about a mobster who's grown tired of his criminal life and longs for something more. Genuinely worried about what his lawyer girlfriend thinks and concerned for her career, he turns over a new leaf, but finds himself thwarted at every turn, first by his own brothers, and later by his criminal rivals. It's a testament to Shin Hyun-Jun's acting ability that these constant shifts in tone don't prove off-putting. Even as his character's personality haphazardly shifts to suit the demands of the script, he's able to deliver a convincing performance as a badass gangster, as a horny and somewhat infantile man-child, and even as a handsome romantic lead. Shin Hyun-Jun plays each "type" with considerable aplomb, which helps make the somersaults in tone bearable, if not entirely believable.

The conflicts, both personal and professional, within the film comes to a climactic head when a vicious crime boss frames the three Jang brothers, and they are put on trial by Jin-Kyung's colleague/wannabe boyfriend (Kong Hyeong-Jin). After learning of In-Jae's criminal past, will Jin Kyung defend her boyfriend in court? Or will she leave him high and dry? Of course, anyone even remotely familiar with filmic conventions will know exactly what will happen next, as the film climaxes with a trial that's somewhat reminiscent of Stephen Chow's early courtroom comedies. Sure, the ending comes courtesy of an altogether convenient deus ex machina, but if you've been laughing hard enough at that point, Marrying the Mafia 2 probably won't warrant that level of scrutiny.

Perhaps the most refreshing thing about Marrying The Mafia 2: Enemy in Law is how the character of the Jang family matriarch is handled. From her overdone makeup and larger than life presence in the opening sequence, one almost expects a cutthroat Mafioso-type, who would stop at nothing to break up her son's relationship with the lawyer, perhaps even going to extreme measures to protect her own interests. At the very least, considering how Korean comedies and melodramas tend to play out, one would expect some major league conflict between mother and daughter-in-law that may or may not result in reconciliation. But here, that's not the case at all. Thankfully, the film doesn't ask its audience to jump through these tired formulaic hoops. Rather than give us the typical domineering old harridan who thinks that no woman - particularly the story's heroine - is good enough for her boy, we get a mother who just wants her son to be happy. When he's found the love of his life, she just has to figure out a way to make her family come off as the Korean version of the Cleavers, a deception that proves to have fairly comic results.

Although the plot could use some work, and the romance could have been developed further, the fact remains that I did laugh quite a bit during Marrying the Mafia 2. It's wacky fluff with an occasional serious edge, but thanks to a strong performance from leading man Shin Hyun-Jun, Marrying The Mafia 2: Enemy in Law is a gangster comedy worth taking a shot at. (Sanjuro 2006)

Drink, Drank, Drunk (HK 2005)

(www.movieexclusive.com)
(photo credit: Shaws)
(photo credit: Ilovehkfilm.com)

AZN showed the romantic Hong Kong film Drink, Drank, Drunk directed by Derek Yee that came out in 2005. I like Daniel Wu (One friend aptly said if you like Andy Lau you will like Daniel Wu.) in movies and I was even more excited to find he is an overseas Chinese who is making it in Hong Kong as others are being successful. Kozo wrote a review about this film Drink, Drank, Drunk and this person writes good reviews.

Siu Min (Miriam Yeung) is a beer promotions gal who meets Michel (Daniel Wu) a Chinese French guy chef one night drinking away his sorrows. He has opened a French restaurant but the locals do not understand or appreciate his high end French cuisine and he is losing money. They both come together and open a business because Siu Min is tired of her job and sees it as a good opportunity. Slowly Siu Min falls for Michel because he is living with her (as he no longer has enough money to rent an apartment.) So the road from strangers, friends, roomies, business partners to more than friends happens pretty quickly. But Michel has another conflicting passion, the desire to see and travel the world. What will happen with them?

I actually liked the chemistry between Siu Min (Miriam Yeung) and Michel (Daniel Wu). Siu Min can out drink many people. So she does not trust anyone when they say things when they are drunk. Or it is the popular belief that drink causes people to say the truth as their inhibitions are lowered. Miriam is the queen of HK movies in terms of comedies. By harsh HK beauty standards, she is not considered one but she makes it up in terms of her likeable on screen aura. It is probably why I enjoy her films so much. It was a breezy romance comedy and I was glad to rewatch this film.

Leave Me Alone (HK 2004) Charlene Choi,Ekin Cheng

The movie Leave Me Alone (Ah ma yau nan) by director Danny Pang.

Plot (wikipedia)

Gay fashion designer Yiu Chun Man (Ekin Cheng) is visited in Hong Kong by his straight twin brother, Yiu Chun Kit (also Ekin Cheng). Kit borrows his brother’s driver’s license, and is then involved in a car crash in which a woman dies (see also Ab-normal Beauty), and Kit falls into a coma.
With no ID card, Man is unable to prove his identity, so he assumes the identity of his brother, and takes up with Kit’s girlfriend, Jane, (Charlene Choi), and goes with her to Thailand. Jane, however, is has some money problems, and is deeply indebted to a loan shark (Chi Wah Wong), who pursues Man and Jane.
Kit comes out of his coma and finds himself struggling to fend off the amorous advances of Man's boyfriend (Jan Lamb), who is a high-ranking Hong Kong police officer.

THOUGHTS:

This is movie where Ekin Cheng (know from the Young and Dangerous series) plays a dual role as twins in this flick. Charlene Choi of "TWINS" fame is Kit's girlfriend. Both do a great job. Ekin Cheng has done alot of movies but he is charming playing the twin brothers leaving the nuances of being both gay and straight very well. I found it entertaining even. It was weird seeing Charlene Choi having to act all "tough" as Jane with her cute baby face. She admitted in the "making the film" portions it was her first action flick.

The signature shooting and walking moves (a la "John Woo") and other HK movie directors is in this film. I liked the cameo by Kenny Bee as Charlene Choi's dad. It was funny especially in his first scene with the ridiculous hair!

Good fluffy action movie that has its charms but will never win any movie awards.