Euphoria vs Inanity?
Having watched 2 movies in 2 consecutive days, 門徒Protégé & Paris, Je t’aime, I’m in philosophical thoughts… Protégé is a HK blockbuster, which illustrates about the underground drugs industry & human feelings. Part of the movie was shot in Jordan, Kowloon, which I was born & grew up in some 20+ over years ago… Another coincident is, Daniel Wu’s role named 阿力, which is my Chinese middle name & how my parents & most of childhood friends used to call me… In general, I do have a sense of nostalgia when I see the street scene of 上海街, 佐敦, & Andy Lau calling Daniel Wu - 阿力 everytime throughout the movie…
Paris, Je t’aime is about the plurality of cinema in one mythic location: Paris - the City of Love. Twenty filmmakers bring their own personal touch, underlining the wide variety of styles, genres, encounters and the various atmospheres and lifestyles that prevail in the neighbourhoods of Paris. 18 different short stories with not much related connection, my personal favourite is the segment of "Place des Fêtes", storyline about this African musician-turn-labourer from Lagos, who just want to express his feelings to the French-African nurse & invite her to drink a coffee with him. However, this poor man was stabbed, as his crush was saving him, he died in front of her, before the 2 cups of coffee were delivered & his humble wish was unfulfilled…
Euphoria is the feeling of happiness & cheerful excitement, inanity is the feeling of emotional emptiness. Both seems the totally opposite extremes, yet I feel sometimes, both are just a grey-line apart…
Here are some interesting quotes:
吸毒是源于空虚, 究竟是毒品可怕, 還是空
虛可怕呢？(Drug consumption is due to emotional emptiness, so are drugs scary, or inanity frightening?)
"There are times when life calls out for a change, a transition, like the seasons. Our spring was wonderful, but summer is over now and we missed out on autumn. And now all of a sudden, it’s cold, so cold that everything is freezing over. Our love fell asleep, and the snow took it by surprise. But if you fall asleep in the snow, you don’t feel death coming…"
人生無Take 2, On ne vit qu une fois!
(There’s no "Take 2" in life, You only have 1 life to live!)
