DVD: All About Women

I happen to chance upon this unique Chinese film directed by Tsui Hark while I was performing one of my rare DVD rental rounds in hectic days of recent. It was screened sometime earlier on in the cinemas, but I just didn't get the chance to buy a ticket to it back then.

All About Women is a modern wacky tale about three distinctive ladies living in Beijing, who own different lifestyles and concept on love. A common enemy in the eyes of all her female friends and associates, Tang Lu is a 31 years old career woman who owns most of her success to her fatal seductive looks. Nevertheless, she believes brain over beauty and doesn't trust romance a single bit. Fan Fan has the nerdy demeanor due to her brilliance as a 27 years old research lab scientist, and things are made worst with her inability to cope with romantic courtship and men. Realizing her lack of a proper love life, she took advantage of her scientific knowledge and secretly created a medical solution. The amateur boxer cum punk rock star, liberal teenager Tie Ling has a delusional love affair involving an imaginary boyfriend since her tragic childhood, who is real life pop star X. Affinity brings these ladies together and their lives are influenced and changed by one another.

Clearly one that is unorthodox among the sea of Chinese movies, the over-exaggerated and creative script kept me all the way to the end as I am left unknowing what to expect of this unique film. This allowed special effects to be included in this project in order to widen the limits. Boasting a bizarre story-telling mode that appears to be one of a kind and probably self-indulging, this project is clearly over the top. Perhaps being dismissed by most critics, I still find myself attracted to certain features that this film offers that others do not.

The interesting characters held me close to the plot as tight as glue, especially Fan Fan, who is depicted by young and rising Zhou Xun. Her quirky personality and behaviour allowed her to stand out in this film, providing most of the flare and comedy in this film. I have to say, the costume designer certainly did well in dressing up Fan Fan. She appeared to own an unrivalled fashion sense and style on screen and definitely left a huge impression on me. From her peculiar nerdy glasses with a mushroom bob, to her bubble shorts and cute 'too-high-for-her-petite-stature' wedges, she is one distinct signature character for keeps. Kitty Zhang's sexy and charismatic portrayal of a matured Tang Lu provided a fair share of eye-candy that is capable of leaving a giant drooling pool of male audience to google her up on the World Wide Web. Everything in this movie is so modern and stylish.

Here's a quick outlook of what you might be expecting with movie scenes depicted in this MTV clip:

Being marketed as a mandarin version of Sex And The City, this DVD is worth a look although not all will be able to accept it using a mainstream perspective. More for the ladies, I should say, although I might be one of the irregularities being one of the opposite gender who appreciates this film.

Ladies, you might want to bring this home when your man is too busy for you.

Photography Credits Due: LoveHKFilm.com