ZunuFilm

None of the other reviews mentions that Yancy Butler is incredibly lovely in this film and will surprise you with her dancing abilities. She looks utterly seductive sporting her mid-90's era thigh-high stockings. This film is a "must see" for her fans.

However, others might want to skip it and work on re-alphabetizing their CD collection.

Although it uses the same hokey elements typical of HK films, Bullets of Love cooks them up to somewhat tastier effect. Maybe it's just the advantage of a bigger budget than usual, but the music, the cinematography, even the acting seemed above average for what we normally find in Hong Kong action movies. Or it could be the Japanese actress, Asaka Seto -- although she hasn't been in a lot of films, she has a genuine screen presence and plays her role with a charm and delicacy one does not usually find in pictures of this ilk. Compare, for example, the ridiculous overacting of The Stewardess' Seina Kasugai and it becomes clear that Ms. Seto saved this picture from being a mess.

Don't get me wrong. This film wasn't exactly high art, more like "high trash." The storyline was hackneyed, totally predictable, but perhaps a better description would be "classic." The ending would not have been out of place in a Shakespearean or Greek tragedy, and so, as a whole, the film receives a strong recommendation from me.

PS: I haven't given it a full listen, but apparently the DVD comes with a director's commentary of some kind on the fifth audio track. Go figure.

This is a film about high schoolers in love. They're not exceptional students, skateboarders, a mediocre band, and various hangers-on, but nor are they deadbeats or criminals. It's not a comedy, but surprisingly, nobody gets killed or overdoses on drugs, no one even winds up in the hospital. The plot revolves around a love triangle between two buddies, Lobo and Skid, and a sweet young girl named Pat who is loved by both boys, but seems to have her mind on Lobo. The problem is that Skid saw her first, and Lobo's too good of a friend to steal Skid's sweetheart from under him. Eventually the tangle gets resolved in usual fashion, but that's not important. What's important is the exceptionally vivid and realistic sense of interconnectedness that is portrayed by the gang of friends. This is a group of kids who might remind you very much of your own youthful circle. In that sense, the film is a cliche, but as a Hong Kong film, it is unique: No gangsters, no kung fu, no surreal action, no absurdly cool characters, and none of the regular contingent of HK actors. Filmed in cinema verité style, it is a more than the latest teen flick, it's a true work of art.

This film starts out with a really fascinating premise and continues to be intriguing up until about 2/3rd of the way through the picture. At which point there is a striking, really unforgettable pivotal scene and a decision is made. Unfortunately it's the wrong decision: the narrative very quickly unravels, and the story is thenceforth ridiculous. Despite that, there's much to admire. The acting is excellent: Harvey Keitel brings just the right degree of ambiguity and obnoxiousness to his role. Kate Winslet has never turned in a lame performance and here she is simply radiant. Both of them inhabit their characters fully -- you truly believe that they truly believe the crap they are spouting, and it makes their psychological battle so much more compelling. The supporting cast also deserves a mention for being quirky and interesting. They add a great deal of genuinely warm, yet hokey humor which offsets the seriousness of the roles played by Winslet and Keitel. Further, the cinematography is beautiful and occasionally breathtaking, and Jane Campion's direction is wonderful. But (very mild spoiler) she could've spared the world another look at Keitel's naked body. Enough already!

Ultimately, I do recommend this picture because of some wonderful moments and images, but also because even as it goes wrong, it still steers very clear of Hollywood cliches. The verdict: I bless this "mess."