If Paris Not Fun

If Paris Not Fun, If Paris Downcast 2018

If Paris Is Not Fun Around the love story between Yue Zhu (Truong Han) and Nguyen Man Quan (Hieu Thanh Tu). He is a successful young entrepreneur going to receive the admiration, women followed long queue. She is a good lawyer and a strong, deep woman who does not fall easily. A person with a liberal personality, not afraid of anything in this world. One who always wants to protect himself and others around him is in love with each other. Imagine they are two opposing extremes, but they create a touching love story. Before meeting Dong Zhuo Yao, Nguyen Man Quan encountered the biggest event in his life. To help her ex-boyfriend get rid of a financial case, the man fake the papers, but she also finds herself in jail and is unable to work as a lawyer.

Staying in prison is still a heart toward her boyfriend she is waiting for each day free to return to find her love. But the end result, when Tse Yao was released is also his boyfriend married another girl. The soldier seemed to have lost everything, so much so that there was nothing left. And at that moment she accidentally encountered Yue Zhuo, who pulled her from the mire. Nguyen Man Quan tried his best not to stop him from becoming a voice actor in the company. But then, she wanted to return to work as a lawyer as before, not because she missed the job so much that she could not quit, but because she wanted to pursue Yao Yuzu Peach.
But their love is too many obstacles, the Army has always felt guilty about his past, while Trieu Yao has many "good reputation far away" about the lack of food, playing lovers not long. Apparently they love each other but always fear and evade their feelings. The enemy flees, to lose before the heart, she ran to Paris, but finally met him. That may be the cause, probably because they can not give up each other but later on, the military knows for Tieu Yue: "People who love Dong Zhuo Yao, but in the world Yue Zhuang only one That person is Nguyen Man Quan. "

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Scarface: The Shame of a Nation (1932)

Yay! The last film for me to complete the American Film Institute's 10Top10 list released in 2008. A gangster film that I had to buy on ebay to get my hands on, and the back cover of the dvd is in Korean.

The sad thing is that I had really high hopes for this one and it was just not that exciting. Paul Muni plays Tony, a character you are likely familiar with if you have seen the modern day remake (which is much much better). The opening of the film has the director posting dialog about how we should condemn these actions and support the police force in preventing these actions in the future. The film then goes on to glorify and glamorize the gangster lifestyle, which was all very confusing.

There were only a few good one liners and the action sequences were not as action packed as I hoped for, movies like Public Enemy and others on the AFI Gangster list were better. Not much more to say than pass on this one and watch the modern one twice.

Vote: 4/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023427/

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Public Enemies (2009)

This is a hard review. The acting was good, the plot was ok, and the action was great. For some reason though I just didn't like it, nor did the three people I watched it with. For one it was way too long, when you go almost 30 minutes past the two hour mark you better have a lot of content.

The bad guy wins and loses too much. If you are cheering for the robber (Johnny Depp) then you are happy when he gets away. If you are cheering for the cops (Christian Bale) you are happy when he gets caught. But when this happens over and over it gets tiring and as a viewer you lose interest in where the story is going.

I don't know or care how close this was to a true story. But if the director can't steer the audience in a direction we are left to just watch the events unfold... and they do... ever so slowly. I could just see the potential for this film.

I also had trouble with the sound mixing. This might sound crazy but balancing the highs and lows is a big deal, when you are in the theater and can't hear the dialog well, then are being blown out by the shooting, it leaves you with a headache. When you are at home with remote constantly in hand turning it up and down to try and hear the dialog, but are trying to keep from blowing out the speakers... back and forth... it takes something away from the film. Maybe it is requirement for a summer release to compete with Michael Bay's Transformers 2 and blow the audience out?

Skip this one.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1152836/

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White Heat (1949)

Voted #4 in the American Top 10 Gangster list right behind Godfather Pt.1, Pt.2 and Goodfellas. A very high rank for an older film. Having seen James Cagney in The Public Enemy just a few short weeks ago I was hoping for and expecting a lot more out of this one.

This is not the type of Gangster film I was expecting, it is less Mob Gangster and more Cops and Robbers Gangster. The film starts with Cagney's gang holding up a train. He manages to get away and fesses up to a lesser crime he didn't commit across the country. Hoping to serve his 1-2 year term and get away with a crime that would have sent him to the electric chair. Meanwhile, the cops plant someone in the prison to find out where he hit the money and get information on the crime he really did commit.

This is a fast paced cops and robbers movie while a great cast and great acting. I felt it deserved the high ranking by the AFI and highly suggest this film.

Vote: 8/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042041/

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Gomorrah (2008)

There are some bold claims made by the marketing team for this film. "The Greatest Mafia Movie Ever Made" at the top of the movie poster. Other posters claim it to be a "Modern Classic" and the "Best Since City of God." It wasn't that I saw these claims before watching this and expected more, I actually didn't see this until I was looking for a picture to add to the blog.

The film gives no background, no location, no date, no explaination, it just starts... not a bad thing... but 3-4 minutes later you are now following a different main character, and every 3-4 minutes you jump around, again and again. After an hour I was able to figure out we were following five different storylines, and it wasn't until I paused and looked online that I found out what country we were actually in [Italy if you were curious].

So I've been here before, Pulp Fiction & Amores perros are some great examples of films that jump around and put the pieces together in the end. The key difference is that these films draw you in, you stop caring about how it will come together and enjoy the acting and the film itself. When it comes together it is great! However, when a film jumps around and you are constantly asking "what is the point of this?" and "where is this going?" and "who was this guy again?" You really stop caring if it will come together and just hope it will end.

So in the end does it make sense, well, not really, that is why you should avoid this one... yuck...

Vote: 2/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0929425/

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Little Caesar (1931)

If I would have watched this film first than I would have rated The Public Enemy even lower. Both of these came out in 1931 and this is by far the better film. If you want to see an old fashioned gangster film with matching lingo, this is a easy watch and pretty short an only 1 hour and 18 minutes.

It follows the rise and fall of gangster Rico a.k.a. Little Caesar (Edward G. Robinson). The quickfire script and fast storyline make this a more enjoyable watch than The Public Enemy. Robinson must have been an inspiration to Al Pacino in Scarface in his fearless [and careless] rise to the top.

The American Film Institute voted this the #9 American Gangster Film of All-Time. I have yet to see Scarface (Shame of a Nation - 1932), but I would easily recommend this at a great gangster classic.


Vote: 8/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021079/

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The Public Enemy (1931)

One of the first James Cagney gangster films and voted the #8 American Gangster film by the American Film Institute in 2008, and based on the novel Beer and Blood by John Bright, this gangster film in prohibition era Chicago features the famous grapefruit scene in the pre-Hays Code era.

The movie follows the rise of Tom Powers (Cagney) and Matt Doyle (Edward Woods) from kids in Chicago do small jobs like pickpocketting to becoming bootlegging gangsters. Jean Harlow plays the sexy girlfriend Cagney picks up on the street after smashing a grapefruit in his soon-to-be ex-girlfriends face at the dinner table.

Being a 1930's film they are very clearly on a set throughout the film. Many of the props are visually fake, and the supporting actors are very fake and scripted as well. I think the AFI was struggling to come up with 10 good gangster films. They should have pushed Scarface up, added American Gangster, and dropped this film.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022286/

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