mel2surf

Firefly Dreams took me right into the story,and the dreamy pace/visual beauty,and heartfelt emotions added to the charm.Naomi's journey through pain and loss is very charmingly portrayed here,and all the characters are well placed.Nothing seems forced or overly contrived..more like you are in the locations and absorbing Naomi's everyday life,and the character of Mrs. Koide,the old woman/ex actress will warm your heart.it's VERY refreshing to see films like this,where you are not distracted by noise,gun fights,explosions and special effects.Mr.Williams has created a real gem.Visually and emotionally lush! See it!

After having seen the big budget Cinemascope epic "Musa",I must say that I am joining the fans of Korean cinema,and anticipating more quality dramas from that country,whether based on history or current themes.Musa moved me,and that is what i seek ultimately in a film.The characters were many,but each had their own flaws and strengths,and that made it realistic,not cheezy.The main characters fighting their way through different enemies while protecting the Ming Princess(even though she causes alot of deaths)is done impressively because they do it with true honor and guts. And speaking of guts...the battle scenes are eye-widening and ultra-realistic. By the end of the film you have decided on character strengths and weaknesses and have begun to realize the real guts are in the group as they become one against all odds.The Princess learns the real values in life and that brotherhood/sisterhood knows no ethnic boundaries. The cinematography and locations are beautiful and fit for a Cinemascope feature.I would have liked a bit more drama from the score,and the ending song seemed out of place,but this film overall was awesome!

I wanted to see a few films at the recent Asian Film Festival here in San Diego. So I chose three films that seemed to grab my interest. "Balzac and The Little Chinese Seamstress" was one of them. So after seeing an ok film from Taiwan the night before,I headed down to the cool art theatre this night to catch "The Little Chinese Seamstress." Wow! Packed house...wow! one empty seat next to me,and an attractive Asian girl by herself sits down..wow! I was lost in the film,as was the rest of the audience(including the cute girl) This film took a wide eyed,but intelligent swipe at the upside down vision of Mao's Cultural Revolution,and asked us"What if?" The simple,humorous story,and the lead characters drew that whole audience in,and reminded me of why I like the movies. I like a good heavy drama as much as anyone,but as I sat there in the dark packed house that night flying over the most beautiful lush Chinese landscapes,and really being involved in the three characters plights,amid tears and sniffles scattered throughout the theatre(i got choked up a bit too) I realized that sometimes less is more in filmmaking,and it can mean the difference between connecting with the story and characters,and just being along for the ride du jour. This film plays like a classical piece of music you never want to end.