Anna Magdalena (DVD)

One of the things I most like about Hong Kong films, and indeed Oriental films in general, is their non-reliance on clichés. If you see a Hong Kong movie, you can't always guess how the movie's going to end - something that is increasingly rare in the West. This really stems from the fact that there's a far more active independent filmmaking spirit in the Far East. Often films are made for what would be in the West, impossibly small budgets, and they are often all the better for it. 'Anna Magdalena' is a prime example of the sort of thing I'm talking about – the script of a film like this would almost certainly be rejected in the West. ...  Read the complete review

THE FILM The Hong Kong movie 'Anna Magdalena' definitely seems to promote itself as a romantic comedy, and it's true, that's probably the genre into which it best fits. There are moments of great comedy, and there are some very touching romantic moments. However, it's more than just that, fitting nicely alongside the growing number of Hong Kong arthouse titles, and owing something of a debt to Wong Kar-Wai. While the film's cinematographer, Peter Pau, may well be familiar to Western audiences as the cinematographer of recent Chinese success 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon', none of the film's main stars are likely to ...  Read the complete review