Lilian Lee Movies
Three Asian directors, from Hong Kong, Korea, and Japan, join forces to create an omnibus horror film, Three...Extremes. In Fruit Chan's "Dumplings," shot by Christopher Doyle, Mrs. Li (Miriam Yeung), a thirtysomething former actress with a philandering husband (Tony Leung) goes to visit Aunt Mei (Bai Ling), who sells the most expensive dumplings in Hong Kong. Mrs. Li knows about their rejuvenating powers, and she also knows about their unpleasant main ingredient, but after some initial nausea, she digs right in. In Oldboy writer/director Park Chan-wook's "Cut," a successful filmmaker (Lee Byung-hun of Joint Security Area) arrives home to find that a disgruntled extra (Lim Won-hee) has taken over his home, and fastened his pianist wife (Kang Hye-jun of Oldboy) to the grand piano. The madman threatens to cut off the wife's fingers, one by one, unless the director strangles the helpless child he's tied to the couch. Takashi Miike directs the last segment, "Box," about a young author and former circus performer, Kyoko (Kyoko Hasegawa) seemingly haunted by the ghost of her twin sister, who died a mysterious and horrible death while practicing their act. Adding to Kyoko's trauma, her editor (Atsuro Watabe) is a dead ringer for her old stepfather/ringmaster, who may have perished in the same "accident" that took her sister's life. Three...Extremes was shown at Subway Cinema's New York Asian Film Festival in 2005. For the American release of Three... Extremes, the order in which the films are presented was altered from the original "Box," "Dumplings," and "Cut" to "Dumplings," "Cut," and "Box." This film was actually preceded by another omnibus film, Three, that was nevertheless retitled Three... Extremes II for the English-language market and issued after this one. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bai Ling, Miriam Yeung, (more)
- 2004
What first began as a short-form study in terror now expands to a full-fledged, feature-length fright fest as director Fruit Chan explores the high price that people are willing to pay for youth and beauty. Originally one third of the horror anthology Three...Extremes, Dumplings tells the tale of a traditional Chinese dish infused with a disturbing, but rejuvenating twist. Mrs. Lee is a retired television star whose once-glamorous visage is slowly succumbing to the degenerative effects of time. Her career has ended and her husband is beginning to wander astray. Upon learning that a mysterious chef known as Aunt Mei (Bai Ling) has a secret recipe for dumplings that is rumored to turn back the clock and restore one's youthful appearance, the desperate former starlet contacts the cook in order to arrange a tasting. But these aren't your typical dumplings. In order to achieve the powerful effects that her clients demand, Aunt Mei has substituted the traditional pork for the meat of aborted fetuses. Impatient that the unique form of rejuvenation isn't working as fast as she had hoped, Mrs. Lee soon begins seeking out an even more potent recipe. Though the new and improved recipe does indeed give Mrs. Lee the results she has been longing for, an unexpected complication soon leads to some decidedly unusual side effects, and it's not long before Mrs. Lee's curious husband appears in the kitchen of the alluring Aunt Mei looking for answers. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Miriam Yeung, Bai Ling, (more)
Snakes and special effects abound as human and mythical worlds collide in this lavish variation of an old Chinese fable about a learned man who falls under the spell of two snake women. After 1,000 years of practice, White Snake is finally able to take on a completely human form. Hsu Hsien, the scholar, falls in love with the lovely White Snake. Her sister, Green Snake, is not as adept at shape-shifting as she has only practiced for 500 years. She is human above the waist only. The serpentine sisters are hunted by a Buddhist monk who is almost to nirvana, and a Taoist monk determined to rid the area of all snakes. When the two forces finally meet, Hsu stands by as a secular witness. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maggie Cheung, Joey Wong, (more)
- 1988
Hong Kong filmmaker Stanley Kwan directs this stunning supernatural melodrama about a passion, romance, and lost history. Fleur (Anita Mui) is a 1930s high-class courtesan who finds herself sucked into a doomed relationship with Twelfth Master Chan Chen-Pang (Leslie Cheung), the rakish scion of a prosperous business family that disapproves of their union. After a brief but intense courtship, the two resolve to be together in the afterworld by swallowing opium. Yet once there, Fleur discovers that she is alone. After waiting 50 years for her dearly beloved, she re-emerges in 1987 to place a personal ad. In the process, she enlists the aid of a pair of journalists: Yuen (Alex Man) and his feisty, occasionally jealous girlfriend Ah Chor (Emily Chu). Fleur learns that the Hong Kong she knew has by and large disappeared: the brothel where she worked was now a kindergarten. As she tells them of her love for Twelfth Master, the two journalists begin to find their relationship intensifying. As Fleur's spirit grows weaker, their search continues until it yields results that are both sad and ironic. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anita Mui, Leslie Cheung, (more)
- 1983
Filmed in Hong Kong, the made-for-TV China Rose stars George C. Scott as an American businessman. Scott arrives in Canton, China, trying to find out what has happened to his rebellious son, who was swept up in China's "cultural revolution". Ali MacGraw plays a freewheeling guide who falls in love with Scott while helping him locate his son. Together, Scott and MacGraw uncover what was described in the original ads as a "shocking secret". The long-in-tooth stars are not ideally suited to their roles in China Rose, but that's only one of the many problems plaguing this murky melodrama. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
