Once again… for the 20th year in a row actually… Asian movies ARE GO!
… Much last year, you can watch from the comfort (as well as safety) of your own home, though the organizers this year are taking the chance by offering in-person screenings. Which I must unfortunately must pass on, sorry.
Hence why my coverage this time around will have definite holes; some of what I want to see were not available via screeners, which is always the case, but I’m again not comfortable being inside a movie theater at this time. Yeah, I know I sound like a massive hypocrite, given how less than a week ago, I actually held an IRL event.
But A. it took place inside an arcade/bar, where one could talk around and therefore wasn’t confined to a seat & B. this new variant has been spreading like wildfire, which wasn’t nearly all over back then as it is now. Also C. this was in Brooklyn, whereas the NYAFF takes places in Manhattan, the playground for dopey tourists and rich a**holes, with both parties being largely responsible for things being the way they are, IMHO.
Though I do have tentative plans to attend the special 20th anniversary screening, which will be outdoors this coming Wednesday. The thing is, I’ll still have to take the train to get there, one that goes straight Time Square, where the aforementioned groups are most concentrated… Anyhow, in the meanwhile, over the next few will be my picks for movies that, depending on what it is exactly, you can either see on the big screen or whatever size display you have at home; I don’t think anything is being offered on both ends, again sorry.
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Not to repeat myself, nor state the stupidly obviously, but the pandemic has really screwed everything up. Not just the New York Asian Film Festival but the Asian film industry as a whole, including Hong Kong’s of course. I knew going into NYAFF 2021 that there was going to be at least one film that deals with COVID (for the record, at least three from what I can tell) and that I’d be watch & review said film that deals with COVID. I also knew that I’d have to temper my expectations, especially upon learning that All U Need Is Love was essentially a fundraiser; it was a collaborative effort between nearly a dozen Hong Kong production companies, starring a who’s who of the country’s biggest actors, all working free of charge, to help workers that have been hardest hit in the local film industry.
As far as plot goes, there isn’t much of one (again, as expected): when authorities discover that those infected by COVID had all stayed at the same hotel, everyone at the Grande Hotel are quarantined for 14 days. This includes a soon to be married couple that’s somewhat dysfunctional, a pair of rival triad leaders that are totally at each other’s necks, a pair of dirty old men that were in the midst of cheating on their wives, the hotel manager who must deal with staffing shortage by hiring back an employee that had just been fired, plus the owner of the hotel who after his rousing speech to employees & guests about unity & perseverance immediately tries to escape. Everyone has their own plot threads, and as one might expect, everyone eventually crosses everyone else’s paths, and a very valuable life lesson is learned by all.
If anything, All U Need Is Love provides a fascinating look for future generations, at how Hong Kongers were trying their best to deal with COVID-19 with as much levity as possible; literally every aspect related to preventative measures, like social distancing and personal protective equipment as examples, is touched upon and largely the butt of a joke. None of it is high comedy, nor is it lowbrow (save for a few sex jokes), it’s just very much light-hearted and sincere. But as an actual movie… it’s honestly not that bad, to be honest. Regardless of the free pass, it’s still a breezy, easy watch, like basically top-notch HK production out there. Even if the humor is not your thing (and it won’t be for everyone; you either get HK comedy or you don’t) total duds move along at assured, brisk pace, plus all the celebrity cameos are lots of fun (again, your milage will vary depending how much of an Asian cinephile you are).
All U Need Is Love is not being screened in-person and instead will be available online btw August 11 to 16; you can find the link to rent the film here.
