Cora Miao Movies

Asian-American filmmaker Wayne Wang returns to the city of his birth for this surreal, violent, and darkly comic look at the seamy underside of life in Hong Kong. A young man of Chinese/Japanese heritage (Spencer Nakasako) working at a racetrack in San Francisco is hired by gangsters to deliver a briefcase to the Big Boss (Lo Wai), a notorious leader of Hong Kong's organized crime syndicate. Dressed in western clothes and proclaiming himself "The Man with No Name," the courier arrives in Hong Kong with the briefcase chained to his wrist, but this doesn't stop a group of enterprising young hoodlums from stealing it from him. As he searches for his precious cargo, the man tries desperately to rendezvous with the Big Boss, only to hear a dizzying variety of excuses from his second-in-command (Lam Chung) as to why the Boss can't or won't see him. The courier also has to deal with his elderly Uncle Cheng (Cheng Kwan Ming), who would rather show off his latest dance routines than help his nephew save his own neck. The man also witnesses all sorts of bizarre and bewildering behavior, from a restaurant that serves feces to a prostitute who announces she doesn't mind being abused, though she's tired of not being paid for it. Directed by Wayne Wang in collaboration with actor Spencer Nakasako, Life Is Cheap...But Toilet Paper Is Expensive was released by Wang with a self-imposed "A" rating (for "Adult") after being threatened with an "X" by the MPAA ratings board; the film contains no explicit sex, but the MPAA was troubled by the film's gangland violence and pervasive bad taste. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The moneymen who put up the cash to support artistic enterprises are the same the world over. For the most part, they are much more interested in the prestige which comes from their support than in the art itself, and this takes a toll on the artists, as for most of these investors, older is better. They tend to favor predictable, tried-and-true formulas. In this story, a dancer with one of the more conservative Chinese troupes is increasingly frustrated with their stodgy repertoire, and she and her photographer boyfriend want to start a new, more innovative company. They go to the moneymen and eventually arrange this, but the photographer is so overwhelmed by the difficulties he has endured in the process that he has a nervous breakdown and separates from the dancer, who goes on to ever greater success. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Eat a Bowl of Tea is set in New York's Chinatown during the immediate postwar years. After a seeming eternity of separation, Chinese immigrants are finally allowed to bring their spouses to the U.S. thanks to looser immigration laws. Those husbands and wives no longer able to procreate fully expect their own sons to head back to China to seek out new brides. Russell Wong plays Ben Loy, a young man who decides not to marry the bride picked out for him, but a girl of his own choice, Mei Oi (played by Cora Miao). The film tackles several issues, including Mei's difficulty in assimilation, Ben's problems with his intrusive relatives, the outside pressure brought to bear in producing an heir, and the ongoing struggle of making ends meet financially. Both bride and groom respond to their insecurities by indulging in extramarital affairs. It takes several near-catastrophic events to prompt a happy reconciliation. Partially funded by PBS' American Playhouse production staff, Eat a Bowl of Tea is based on an extremely popular Chinese-language novel by Louis Chu. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Sylvia Chang stars and directs this low-key drama about the complex relationship between two middle-aged friends who sit down and reminisce about their lives. Wendy (Chang) and Ming (Cora Miao) are inseparable friends who are both in love with handsome lawyer John (George Lam). When Wendy can't bring herself to tell him how she feels, John marries Ming. Wendy soon marries a kindly older man named Dr. King (Chung King-fai), though the union proves to be one more of admiration than of passion. Wendy and John drift into an extramarital affair. As these two friends continue to drink and talk, Wendy finally unburdens herself of a secret. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Not everyone would agree with the premise of this standard story of female bonding -- that divorced or single women are secretly longing for a male relationship -- but the camaraderie of the "Happy Spinsters Club" and the life of the heroine Liang Bo-yi (Cora Miao) are not as controversial. Bo-yi's husband is having an affair with another woman, and this is what propels her to ask for a divorce and join the "spinsters." Her marital woes are juggled with caring for her young son, maintaining an on-going relationship with her mother, and letting off steam with her friends. But is this the kind of life she really wants?
~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

A landmark of the nascent Hong Kong New Wave of the early '80s, this melodrama -- directed by Ann Hui -- concerns the plight of Vietnamese peasants shortly after the fall of Saigon. The film centers on a Japanese photojournalist named Shiomi Akutagawa (George Lam Chi-cheung) who ventures to Danang to document Vietnam's attempts at rebuilding after the war. At first he's bussed around by government officials showing off quaint villages and happy, healthy children. Later, he manages to get permission to wander about the countryside without a government chaperon. Soon he happens upon a young lass named Cam Nuong (Season Ma Si-san) who is from a desperately poor family. At first she is suspicious and even hostile towards the foreigner but quickly they develop a bond of sorts. As Akutagawa starts seeing Vietnam through Cam Nuong's eyes, he starts to realize that everyday life is far different from the state propaganda. Villagers live in constant terror of marauding soldiers, and children scavenge the bodies of executed prisoners for valuables. This film, which was shot in Mainland China, garnered armloads of Hong Kong Film Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. This film also launched the career of future pop icon and movie star Andy Lau. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi