Z/Web

Author: John Woo

Director: John Woo

An action movie with a brain. John Woo’s films are classics not only because the action is so stylish, but because he puts his characters into moral dilemmas. While I didn’t like Tomorrow quite as well as Woo’s incredible The Killer, this is a very good film. The plot has an idealistic young kid joining the police force not realizing his much older brother is a leader of a criminal syndicate. Because of his brother, the criminal decides to reform, but the young cop is devastated and decides to hate his brother. Then the cop’s career is hampered by his criminal "connections" while the criminal’s attempts to reform are met with resistance by the syndicate. It’s complex and intelligent, rare items in the U.S. action film genre. I recommend the subtitled version if you can find it. (I watched the dubbed and it really cheapens the acting — everything seems melodramatic and silly when the lips don’t match the dialogue.)

Author: John Waters

Director: John Waters

I’m not sure if John Waters is losing his touch or if nothing shocks any more, but this movie isn’t as ground-breaking as past Waters’ classics like Polyester. Like most Waters’ films this is full of his trademark bizarre characters (except they don’t seem especially bizarre in this one; perhaps I’m jaded), it’s set in Baltimore, and it’s uneven. But there are some funny, witty moments. Oddly, the plot is almost sitcom in nature: a teenage photographer makes it big on the New York art scene, but overnight success ruins his family and he finds he can no longer take photos anonymously, but in the end everything works out happily. Certainly not for all tastes and not Waters’ best, but interesting. For Waters’ newbies I’d recommend the more tame but funnier Cry-Baby.