9 January 2012

DVD Review: REVENGE A LOVE STORY (Fuk sau che chi sei)


Love makes people do some unique things sometimes those things could be out of character too. But you may ask yourself when you do it is it Love for your other half or simply impulse that drives you? If you were to throw revenge into the equation how far would you go in the name of love and what punishment do you deserve in the name of love?Wong Ching Po's REVENGE A LOVE STORY (Fuk sau che chi sei) asks that question how far would you be willing to go in the name of love.

Revenge A Love Story starts with a police investigation into gruesome murders of a 'serial killer' who targets pregnant women whom he 'dissects alive' with 'their husbands  burnt to death in 100 degree boiling water' which earns him the nickname of 'the dissector' by the press with their typical sensationalized headlines. Very quickly the police capture  who they suspect to be the murderer, Kit(Juno Mak) a assistant at a small supermarket responsible for selling steamed buns. Kit is taken in for questioning  which ends up been interrogation which we learn that Kit and the policemen have met before who then reluctantly have to release Kit from custody when another pregnant woman is attacked whilst Kit was been interrogated.

In a series of flashbacks we see Kit meet Wing (Sora Aoi) a pretty young girl from the same village but who is always with her over protective grandmother (who calls Kit 'bastard lil bun boy'). Unexpectedly Wing's grandmother dies forcing Wing to go to a institution due to her mental illness whom Kit eventually frees and the pair run off with that freedom to be taken away from them. Wing is brutally raped (&  impregnated )by the policemen  who then frame Kit for assult leading him to seek his revenge on all responsible.

Revenge A Love Story is that brutal reminder that the world we live in is a cruel  heartless world full of devils and very few angels. People who meant to protect us lawfully (police)end up betraying our trust and the fact the love between two individuals will never be torn apart whatever happens. Visually we see this element through the films colour palette of blues, pale colours which give the film a cold hearted dark atmosphere.

This is a 90 minute twisted journey which is violent in nature, a graphic which has some scenes which will make you uncomfortable like the unborn foetuses which we  thankfully we only get a glimpse of.The other scene is the horrific rape which some people might find distressing  however, highlights the emotional psychological torment Wing and Kit are subjected to.  We also see an amazing scene when Kit& Wing try to escape and out of nowhere a car slow motion style goes flying through the air  which was brilliant to see but also very unexpected.

It's very unusual to comment  on the quality of the acting in these types of films as the cast were fantastic. Juno Mak (who happens to be the film's writer too) is brilliant as Kit progressing naturally from the simple supermarket assistant into the intense avenging lover, Sora Aoi was very convincing as Wing, her role was extremely difficult  playing the young girl with a mental illness who is raped.

If you loved Sion Sono's Cold Fish or even my personal favourite Jee Woon-Kim's I Saw The Devil, Revenge A Love Story will be a visceral experience you'll enjoy. The story is simple but brutal superbly acted  which will end up making you think twice on who the real victims are in the film, but like any film which has love, true love always wins in the end of the day.

★★★★| Paul Devine

Crime, Mystery, Thriller | Hong Kong, 2010 | 18 | 9th January 2012 (UK) | Terracotta Distribution | Dir.Ching-Po Wong | Juno Mak, Sola Aoi , Siu-hou Chin |Buy

Features:
Making Of Featurette
Director Interview
Producer Interview
Trailers
"What Is Terracotta Festival" Featurette







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