Tuesday, January 17, 2017

London East Asia Film Festival: 20-30 October 2016

As the dates above show, it has taken quite some time for me to review the films seen - in part
through not feeling too well after a failed operation but mainly through being distracted.
Curtain Call seen on 23 October tells of a rubbishy theatre group performing semi-pornographic
farce whose theatre is about to close.   The director decides they should end with something good
and enters them into a competition in which they will perform 'Hamlet'.   An outsider is cast in
the lead role but takes little part in rehearsals which he considers beneath him.   Come the day,
the performance is something of a disaster with forgotten lines, missed entries and the leading
man walking out.   A sub-plot involves the actress playing Gertrude and her daughter with the
latter dutifully turning up to see the play together with her friends.   The ensemble cast produce
a highly enjoyable film which has a happy ending after much laughter.   I do not recall which
of us chose this but it was more than worth the effort of getting to the ICA on a Sunday morning.
Karaoke Crazies seen on 29 October is set in a karaoke club in a small town.   It has seen better
days and has few customers.   The owner and sole occupant takes on a completely unsuitable
girl assistant who is tone deaf but does help business along by giving blowjobs to customers.
They are joined by a live-wire helper who claims to be a specialist in reviving businesses.   Here
she uses her good looks and provocative clothing to entice custom by promising but not giving.
A fourth occupant is a defeated fat young man who has effectively hidden in the building before
being noticed.   The four gradually form a sort of family at a time when a serial killer is on
the loose attacking women who entertain in some way.   A rather strange film which was not
what I was expecting but it has style and a certain charm.   Again, the ending is a happy one.
The films were part of the first ever festival of this name and I will definitely look out for the
event later this year.

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