I’m a sucker for anything with Takeshi Kaneshiro in it, and what girl doesn’t love a film with some romance? On these two thoughts alone I told myself “why not?” and gave Lavender (2000) a try.  It wasn’t one of those films that had been recommended to me by a friend or shared by someone online. Rather, I came across it browsing some online film database trying to curb my movie addiction by adding onto my (already long) list of movies I plan to watch. Honestly, I have been planning to watch this movie for months. Apart from looking at the oh-so-charming Takeshi Kaneshiro for around two hours, there was nothing special about the pilot that made me feel I had to watch it immediately.    

The plot basically goes like this. Athena Chen (Kelly Chan) is an aroma therapy teacher who lives a loveless life grieving her deceased boyfriend, Andrew, who she lost in an accident while he was serving in the military. One night an angel (Takeshi Kaneshiro) falls from the sky unable to fly from an injured wing. Athena takes him in and cares for his broken wing. He shacks up with Athena, unable to return to heaven until the day that the ‘gates’ are open. While on earth Angel (what the angel comes to call himself) searches for love, saying quote “I don’t need to eat, I survive off love” (a moment where I laughed). Through his search for love he becomes friends with Athena’s neighbor Chow Chow, who was also childhood friends with Andrew. Chow Chow tells Angel about Athena’s tragic past and it becomes Angel’s mission to make her love once again.

Lavendar is cute enough. Rylie Yip both wrote and directed the film, but I am not too familiar with his other works. It had some really good moments, but I’ll admit the movie didn’t change my life or anything.  Kaneshiro is very charming in this, but of course (knowing his other works) I wouldn’t expect anything less. He really carries the film, and it is a big reason why this film doesn’t fall completely flat for me. I found Kelly Chan particularly unremarkable as Athena, and I never really connected with Athena or this deep sense of loss she felt. Every day she buys an orange balloon and sends it off into the sky with the hopes that it will arrive to her dead lover. This is the opening scene of the film, Athena walking through Hong Kong with a bright orange balloon in her hands. The balloon marks her, and separates her from the rest of society. Most of the scenes are blue and green in tone, which made that bright orange balloon really stand out. I never really come to understand the significant of an orange balloon in Athena’s past relationship with Andrew, but aesthetically it does invoke this idea of her loneliness and grievance.

Chow Chow is the stereotypical flamboyantly gay man. He wears this afro wig, and loves the men that love Athena. Chow Chow was a little much, but there is an endearing relationship between him and Angel. I’m not sure how the queer community is accepted in the Hong Kong community (especially in 2000), but Angel vocalizes the message that there is nothing wrong or immoral with Chow Chow’s queer identity. I think what is most endearing about their relationship is that Chow Chow and Angel become good friends but Angel’s masculinity or heterosexuality is never put into question by the relationship. Can I also say that I laughed hysterically when Angel was a stripper for a night and Chow Chow was there proudly cheering him on?

The ending tried to throw the viewer’s for a loop, but I saw it coming. The ending was cute enough and tied up everything in this very neat bow. Everyone got what they wanted at the end (Angel, Athena, the audience). Everyone except Chow Chow if you really think about it.

If you’re looking for a simple enough, cute, romance to pass the time then you should give it a watch (I believe it’s on YouTube with eng subs). And if you’re a Takeshi Kaneshiro fan, it will just give you another reason to fall in love with him. 

I know I am of the unpopular opinion, but the 70's has to be my least favorite decade of films to watch.  I know that many of Hollywood's most iconic films (Godfather, Rocky, Jaws, etc.) came out in the 70's, but something about the filming style and aesthetics of the decade always rubs me the wrong way. It doesn’t stop me from watching movies that have been released in that era, it just takes a push on my part to sit down and watch a movie from then.

Sweet Revenge (1977) or Flag in the Mist is crime/myster based on a novel from popular Japanese novelist Seicho Matsumoto published 1961. It tells the story of Kiriko Yanagida, a young woman from Kyushu whose older brother is wrongly accused of murder. She travels to Tokyo to the office of famed lawyer Otsuka to ask for his assistance in proving her brothers innocence. Otsuka refuses to take the case due to Kiriko’s inability to pay for his services. She returns home and her brother ends up being convicted of murder and commits suicide while serving his time in prison. Blaming Otsuka for her misfortunes she returns to Tokyo and plots to seek revenge against him.

Yanagida in the paper for being accused of murder

This novel has been adapted multiple times in Japan. Previous to this film another adaptation had been released in 1965, and in 2010 NTV aired a drama special in honor of 100 years of Matsumoto’s work.  Sweet Revenge takes on a familiar storyline coupled with an idol cast. The film probably appeals more to the Japanese audience of that time (or one who is familiar with it), than it would an American viewer like myself who’s largely unfamiliar with the Japanese entertainment industry of the 1970’s.

Kiriko Yanagida is played by Momoe Yamaguchi, a popular idol of the 70’s. Not only an actress but also a singer with many hits during her 8 or 9 stint in the industry. Her career was cut short after she married Tomokazu Miura who played the journalist, Keiichi Abe, which falls in love with Kiriko. The film plays a lot into the relationship between Kiriko and Abe then the actual mystery of who killed the victim that Kiriko’s brother is accused of murdering. From reading around I’ve come to understand that the other adaptations as well as the book had Keiichi as a more minor character, and his relationship with Kiriko is insignificant to the larger plots; who the real killer is and Kiriko’s revenge against Otsuka. Keiichi is a major character in Sweet Revenge, and the film is ultimately told from his perspective. By looking at the story from his perspective, the film does become melodramatic.

Keiichi (Tomokazu Miura) and Kiriko (Momoe Yamaguchi) arguing in the rain.

The director’s choice to frame the film in such a way could be driven by the fact that both Yamaguchi and Miura were the power duo of film during the 70’s, targeting a young-female Japanese audience. They had already been in five films together prior to Sweet Revenge. Yamaguchi does come off as skilled in her portrayal of Kiriko’s character. A sweet girl who becomes vengeful upon the death of her brother who was her sole family and provider. Every time the camera closed in on her face the expression in her eye was dark and vengeful, but still innocent. Miura didn’t impress as much, but it could simply be because there wasn’t much to his character. He also didn’t have that ‘charm’ a lot of my favorite male actors have (Takeshi Kaneshiro could play a rock and charm me). I could see why Momoe was an idol of the 70’s, her presence does call attention to the screen.

Kiriko (Momoe Yamaguchi) with Keiichi (Tomokazu Miura) after going to Otsuka's office.

 As a Crime/Mystery this film doesn’t really hit. There is only one small two or three minute scene that gives a glimpse of Otsuka coming back to Yanagida’s case where he ultimately solves it. The murderer himself is pretty random, and the audience never gets to know why this murder (as well as another) occur.  The actual plan for Kiriko to take revenge isn’t very thrilling or suspenseful, and I never felt like the revenge she enacts on Otsuka is granted. You don’t hate Otsuka, and feel bad that all these unfortunate things start happening to him.

 I think the story does carry a message or is critical of the way that the justice system is bought with people of power and money while the everyday citizens loses, but the film only makes glimmers of that point in instances such as Keiichi’s character alluding to Otsuka being bought to protect politicians. Subplots such as this do get lost by the film focusing its time on the relationship between Keiichi and Yanagida.

It wasn’t an unbearable movie to watch, but if you’re looking for a solid mystery and crime genre film this isn’t the one. If you’re a fan of Momoe Yamaguchi then maybe this would be a nostalgic or nice movie to watch.

 After watching this I think I may watch all the films with her and Tomokazu Miura in it and rank them from best to worst. Would that be of interest to anyone?

Let me know if you have seen this film and your thoughts on it!