Three is a Hong Kong-produced action film from director Johnnie To, starring Zhao Wei, Louis Koo, and Wallace Chung. It is another of To’s gangster movies that is a stylized satire of just and evil. Three shows the central theme- the complexity of human nature- contradictions inside and outside of the three characters, a cop (Louis Koo), a doctor (Zhao Wei) and a criminal (Wallace Chung). The cop who is supposed to arrest the criminal makes a false charge against him in order to protect the other police including himself.

The doctor is an ostensibly devoted doctor keeps failing to do operations as well as assisting the criminal to prove her ability as a doctor.

Lastly, the criminal, who is smart and seems innocent, while he is the most wicked character throughout the movie.

The film is mainly about cops who send a criminal that was shot to the hospital for treatment but he refuses to take them to capture his other companions. It causes the struggles between the doctor who wants to do the operation and the thug who refuses to take it. The cop intends to trap the criminal. It is a fast paced, criminal and suspenseful film that most people might feel hard to keep up with; the film creates a dark and depressed atmosphere.

Individuals who are into suspenseful and drastic films might find this movie a good fit. Wallace Chung’s acting is impressive by creating an erudite, cunning character. He is sometimes mad, calm and fierce. It is hard to act a versatile criminal who knows philosophy, psychology, and criminology so well that he could pick up the lines and attack the doctor or police. (It is similar to the Joker played by Heath Ledger in Batman: The Dark Knight, who is capable of knowledge and criminal techniques.) He seems weak because his right hand is crushed, inversely, he changes into a killer who says, “kill the cop XXX, who gave me a shot” to his gang friend. Three also has its shortages.

Some of the scenes are in contrast to the reality compared with the realness of the other scenes. Such as a scene when the criminals’ gang is shooting people in the hospital that creates chaos, the doctor has time to save a patient who is trying to commit suicide. Other than that, there are some omissions in the plot, which you would feel  that they are unrealistic, or there are better ways to solve the conflict.

Three features Johnnie To’s similar filming styles that are lighting, color choices, character choice as his other gangster movies. He uses light and shadow to create tension.

Such as a high angle shot and light that is right above a cop’s head to show a strict and nervous atmosphere when cops are ready to find out the thug’s companions. He does not adopt many warm colors except red, and he uses cold color tones: blue, gray, black and white.

The opening operation scene uses an intense red color to emphasize the vividness, which audiences might find too bloody. The setting, character’s clothes are mainly in cold tones. Moreover, the director uses a closed space that is the patient room, which is centered on the nurse table.

The criminal mostly stays on his bed; the conflicts go on and break out in this small space. His characters are both civilian and anti-heroes. The cop speaks out at the beginning of the film, “If the thug were not killed, police would be killed.” Johnnie To also tries something different, which is a slow motion and a long shot of a gunfire scene to highlight the conflict and emotion of every character.

Overall, Three is a good gangster and suspense movie. Don’t expect to find something calm and warm here except fast-paced and strained plots. Johnnie To gives a decent gangster movie that investigates the deeper question of good and evil. If you are a fan of Hong Kong produced gangster movies, check out Johnnie To’s other movies.

Check out Three‘s trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U67UDtFMPAc

The post Travel Around the World: What Does a Chinese Suspense and Action Movie Look Like? appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Emily’s D+Evolution was about to rock my world and I was totally unprepared.

I showed up super early, anticipating a line going down the block, and I was the first person to the Englert. NO SHAME.

After spending some time in the lobby hearing the ushers talk about the sound check, I thought I’d explode. They used words and phrases like “theatrical” and “choreographed” and praised the “bright lights” and “carefully crafted stage materials.” How could I contain myself?

Finally, the doors opened. Walking in, I saw a brightly lit stage with tall red curtains on the sides and white ones in the middle. The colors looked elegant and mature, but based on the gossip in the lobby, I knew I could expect wild and psychedelic colors  later in the show.

Emily and her fellow musicians entered the stage promptly at 8:00 PM (thank god), and they began with “Farewell Dolly.” I was surprised that she chose to do her set in a different order than her album, because Emily’s D+Evolution makes a lot of sense as a work of art every time I listen to the whole thing on Spotify. However, last night I learned that changing the order of the songs creates different meanings.

After she finished “Farewell Dolly,” Emily spoke conversationally to the audience about the “depressing” last line of the song: “nature’s dead up in my head.”

For five minutes, she spoke about the kind of art she wanted to create for us that night, taking long pauses as if making up her mind on stage. I ended up whispering to the person next to me, “is this a part of the show?” because her acting was so convincing.

I should have known, though, that she would have planned that moment just as her group choreographed and orchestrated such complex lighting and stage props. She decided on not doing the play that was listed in the program (which makes me wonder if they created the program just so they could rip them up?) and tore off her black veiled dress and wig to reveal all-white clothing and braids underneath, and of course, she put on Emily’s glasses and crown as she began “Elevate or Operate.”

As the lighting changed from red to green and her backup singers acted as puppeteers behind her, controlling her movements, the stage looked like a scene from a child’s dream. Paper flowers coated the bottom of the curtains and changed colors with the lighting and Emily moved around the stage according to the puppeteers’ orders.

Her improvisations kept reminding me that this show was live; her voice sounded so smooth, so flawless that I could have been listening to an edited, polished album.

They played “Ebony and Ivy,” one of my favorite songs off this album and the red, white and blue lighting in the background had to be intentional. In this song, Emily and her backup singers discuss how American academia is still entrenched in antiblackness and profited off of the exploitation of black bodies and minds. The song title probably references a recently published book by Craig Steven Wilder about how slavery benefited higher institutions of learning.

Afterwards, they performed “Noble Nobles.” At the end of this song, and in a somber moment, she opened a book on stage and mournfully pulled out a pair of metal shackles.

She followed this song with “Judas,” changing the lights on stage to bright pink and purple. During the whole performance, Emily attempted to convince her backup dancers to move past the systematic way, the professional and structured concert, the prim and proper behavior expected of them. They insisted she follow a plan but she pushed back, wanting to dance and improvise to their disapproval.

Emily finally convinces them to let loose in “One,” and during this transformation, her backup singers unzipped parts of their clothing to reveal bright yellow and orange cloth underneath. The musicians moved into an extended improvised section and transitioned into “Funk the Fear,” as the backup dancers tore up their programs and created their own crowns, moving into the audience and encouraging us to get up and dance too. Repeating the anthem, “funk the fear, live your life,” the audience moved with the musicians and the trippy rainbow lighting.

Finally, Emily had convinced us to let go and feel free. She fittingly begins her next song with, “now what are we gonna do/with our two fiery souls?” At this moment, I realized she created a different story by rearranging the songs in her album and I fell in love again with D+Evolution.

During “Rest in Pleasure,” she teaches each of her backup singers a sensual hip movement and eventually they all moved in sync and looked so free and light. This was my favorite performance of the evening.

Their last song of the evening, “Unconditional Love,” made so much sense.”We could change the whole story of love, same old play I’m getting tired of. No more acting these predictable roles, just us living, unconditional love.” She seemed to plead her musicians and the audience with these lyrics, and we were totally with her.

Before the song finished, Emily, her guitarist and percussionist performed over five minutes of intense improvised music and soloing while the backup singers set up a strange metal contraption in the middle of the stage. When they finally finished, they held up a quilt which read “LOVE” with a backwards E and took a bow bringing their performance to an end. However, when the lights turned off, the audience realized the purpose of the quilt and the metal contraption behind them.

The audience cheered for a last song, and finally Emily walked out again saying “well, there aren’t anymore songs in the story, but I can sing something else” and graced us with an a cappella rendition of a song from an earlier album.

The night was magical, pure, and transformative. I’m so thankful I saw their performance, and I have a more profound understanding of the depth of her latest album.

To keep up on all things Esperanza and Emily, check out her sleek website and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

The post Concert Review: Emily’s D+Evolution @ The Englert 10/25/16 appeared first on KRUI Radio.