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AN
AUTUMN'S TALE
AKA:
N/A
Year:
1987 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
This
highly acclaimed romantic drama proves once again that Hong
Kong cinema can be very subtle and is far more varied than
some would have the public believe. It's true that Hong Kong
is famous for its exciting, action-packed and unique style
film-making, but in 'Autumn's Tale' something far different is
on offer.
Jennifer
(Chung) is a young student who travels to New York to further
her studies and resume her relationship with the boyfriend she
hasn't seen for a while. On arriving at the airport, Jennifer
meets her cousin, Figurehead (Chow) who has been asked to look
after her by her mother. Figurehead is the complete antithesis
of Jennifer: loud, crude and ill-mannered compared with her
quiet and reserved personality. The two gradually become
friends though as Figurehead - who supposedly earned his
unusual nickname from his days in the merchant navy - shows
Jennifer New York and also manages to find her cheap lodgings.
This new found friend proves invaluable when Jennifer
discovers that her boyfriend has a new girlfriend. After
seeing her heartbreak, Figurehead decides to devote his time
to helping her recover from this set-back and giving her a
shoulder to cry on. Slowly though, he realises that perhaps he
feels more for her than he initially thought.
With
'An Autumn's Tale', Mabel Cheung has fashioned a delicate and
engrossing romantic drama with expert skill. Instead of
treading the typical western path of glarring emotion, Cheung
uses subtlety to show love on a far more important plain and
therefore asks the audience to be patient - something the
discerning viewers are certainly willing to do. Also of note
is the nicely arranged musical score which adds to the feeling
that the two main characters are two lonely figures in a
hostile city and therefore another layer is added.
The
significant stand-outs are the two leads who once more display
why they are rightfully considered among the great stars of
Hong Kong cinematic history. The chemistry between them means
that the entire story is totally believable and very
importantly, the audience has two characters to identify with.
It's a shame that both stars have left the Hong Kong film
industry, albeit in different ways (Chung retired to devote
more time to family and good causes whereas Chow is gradually
becoming a star in Hollywood), as both had so much to offer
with their sensitive performances.
Hong
Kong has been responsible for a number of excellent romantic
dramas ('Anna
Magdalena', 'C'est
La Vie Mon Cherie', 'Lost
And Found', 'Juliet
In Love' to name a few) and this deserves its place among
them. The pace may be too ponderous for some and the direction
a bit too pragmatic for others, but 'An Autumn's Tale' is
undoubtedly a film of real quality.
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