A Confucian Confussion

The movie begins with a printed discussion between Confucius and his disciples about how to solve society's problems. The answer is material enrichment, but what happens once people are enriched? This film attempts to answer that question as a group of yuppie friends navigate the throbbing and prosperous metropolis of Taipei in the 90s.

Released the same year as this movie, Blur's song "Girls and Boys" captures the fast pace and vigorous ways youngsters were finding to interact in the "streets like a jungle," with the chorus ending, "Always should be someone you really love." In this movie, the various superficial yet often powerful youngsters interact as if in a formal baroque dance, swinging between partners in love, business, and friendship. Molly and Qiqi (petulant PR firm CEO and people-pleasing schoolfriend assistant) stand out as the two someones who have their ups and downs but are the ones who really love each other.

While the vapidity of wealth, wealth chasing, and convenience threaten to banalize these pampered and cantankerous business youths, a sense of heart remains that keeps them in the seductive city trap in which they are all caught. Although "Confucian Confusion" is an original script, it feels like it could have been a novel. It places such value in the formal weaving together of each character's story that it almost feels Austen-like. Notably, although almost all of these tyros are known to one another, we never see them all together. It is the viewer, not the participants, who has the God's eye view of proceedings.

An excellent comedy from Yang, "Confucian Confusion" precedes his rise to international recognition, yet it is by no means a lesser work.

When I watched this movie for the first time, I felt that it was difficult to understand immediately; but when I finished watching it, I couldn't help but clap my hands, and I couldn't wait to watch it again.

I had to Said this is a very good movie. This movie is a bit similar to the "Lust Caution" directed by Ang Lee. It has many connotations, many details, and complicated characters. Through this movie we can see the anxiety of Taiwan after the rich up in 1970s-1980s which like various social phenomena in China now, so this film has strong foresight and practical significance. I have changed the stereotype of the Taiwanese who are also each trying to cheat or outwit the other, saying dirty words, and sophisticated as the Chinese.

When I first came across 'A Confucian Confusion', I expected nothing much. I was wrong, very wrong. It turned out to be a great movie. On one of your 'average' days, go to a video store, then rent and watch it. I guarantee it will be the best thing on your day. ('Average' here means the rest of the days when you don't win lotto or have a date of your life)

The film looks at a sample of modern Taiwanese life. Edward Yang the director, who won some awards for his later film 'Mahjong', focuses at a different part of the taiwanese society. If in 'Mahjong' he tells the story through the darker gangsters-like fraction of the population, here he puts a light above a 'whiter' group of people, mid to upper class men and women trying to cope with the fast living in the money-driven, ever growing Taipei. And that's all the film's about, a window to some Taipei lives in particular and modern taiwan in general. A society as a result, not necessarily an effect, of the very old Confucian philosophy.

Although this movie is categorized as a comedy, don't expect to laugh out loud during this 90 or so minutes. The most you can get are some subtle smiles and a big one out of satisfaction five minutes after it ends, realizing what a great movie it was.

The comedy may come from some 'very interesting'(bizarre, weird, ultra square, whatever you call it) characters, which make a very interesting but incredibly believable premise. This is possible since the story circles around the showbiz, the 'funny' business.

Excellent performances add a hell lot of greatness to this movie. Well, I couldn't say more. You just have to watch it yourself to appreciate this wonderful film.