THOMAS PODVIN’S FREELANCE WORK
Freelance writer - translator - Editor

Of late, most Chinese films fall in one of two categories: the flashy blockbuster or the intellectual art-house flick (in the main, aimed at the foreign film festival market). You and Me is no blockbuster, nor is it another dreary grab for offshore recognition. This film pleases both domestic and Western audiences. Produced on a small budget, You and Me relates the conflicting coexistence between a sharp, elderly widow and her young, bullheaded tenant. The deceptively simple plot – the landlady rents her dilapidated Beijing siheyuan for an excessive fee to the student – takes place in a single locale over four seasons, and is devoted to the pair’s daily clash of wills (wonderfully illustrating the Chinese saying: ‘two tigresses cannot stay on the same mountain’). Ma draws on her own experience as a student at the Central Drama Academy in the 1990s, and the story is full of deadpan humor, sparks of tension and bursts of non-contrived emotions. There are no extravagant twists or cliff-hangers here; the accent is on detail (despite the limited budget the film is exquisitely lit). You and Me may not have earned millions in box office receipts, but it does prove that a simple human story is at the heart of good filmmaking.
Beijing Film Studio

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

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PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

In the midst of the Korean War, a US Navy pilot and five Korean soldiers – from both sides of the conflict – arrive at a peaceful village inhabited by some rather strange peasants, who are completely unaware there’s a war in progress. The plot may suggest an offbeat comedy, but this 133 minute film is an exercise in disappointment. The main problem is that the director wavers between fantasy and reality, never choosing a side. Once the initial surprise is exhausted – the military’s discovery of the village – the film descends into a series of predictable, hackneyed situations. True, the eccentricities of the villagers, do, on occasion, add some much-needed spice, but overall the characters are so obviously contrived that much of the humor is lost. As is the viewers goodwill; Welcome poses as a fable, but at the same time pretends to present historical reality. The result is a naïve and bogus representation of the relations between North and South Korea, and the US. Having said that, Park Kwang-hyeon’s directorial debut, the fourth-highest grossing South Korean movie of all time, was the country’s official entry in last year’s Oscars.
Showbox

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

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PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

Compared to their Chinese counterparts, Korean filmmakers aren’t very adept at making martial art films (see Musa or The Duelist). And Shadowless Sword provides yet another conspicuous example of what not to do. This film was shot in China, enjoyed a large budget and has excellent production values. Trouble is, it lacks authenticity without which audiences just don’t care about the characters. Or the mise en scene: in 926 AD, following the assassination of the Prince of Balhae, a female warrior is assigned to escort Prince Dae back from his 14-year exile, to ascend the throne and restore order to the kingdom. The rest is filler. In his sophomore film, Kim Yeong-joon delivers a simplistic road movie cum buddy movie/romance/martial art film. One littered with predictable twists and monotonous dialogues. Despite the film’s many faults, the camerawork is quite breathtaking, and the climax is almost worth waiting for. But the choreographed action sequences merely duplicate scenes from its betters, so-called gems of the genre like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and House of Flying Daggers.
CJ Entertainment

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

Although popular with audiences, Hong Kong comedies have never really been highly praised by critics on the Chinese mainland. These films are at worst considered shallow, lowbrow, amusement, and at best, the source of a few guilt-inducing guffaws. 2 Become 1 may not be a revolutionary departure from this genre, but it does provide more substance than is the norm, enough to last beyond the theater exit door. The plot concerns a young, independent woman, Bingo (Miriam Yeung), who works as a ‘creative’ at an advertisement company. Her carefree chuppie lifestyle is turned upside down after a laid back doctor (Richie Jen) discovers a lump in her breast. Produced by seasoned filmmaker Johnnie To, renowned for his commercial comedies and ‘auteur’ gangster flicks, the film uses comedy to deal with serious matters indeed: breast tumors; cancer prevention; male impotency; women in today’s corporate world, and so on. Of course, the film offers the usual sight gags and the usual broad commercial reach with two big name leads, a pop music score, and not least, the screen debut of Hong Kong’s singer/songwriter superstar of the month, Justin Lo. Nevertheless, 2 Become 1 proves HK comedies can convey universal themes with maturity and if not tact, at least some understanding.
Media Asia

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

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PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

Jem, aka Jemma Griffiths, must be the envy of every British musician. In a very short period, she sold a quarter of a million albums in the US, and became the biggest selling British female debut artist last year. Indeed, breaking stateside is no small accomplishment. It happened thus: the 29-year-old Cardiff-born singer/songwriter was studying law at Sussex University while hanging out with DJs and music producers. Next, in the autumn of 2003, she went behind the mike and recorded the EP “It All Starts Here”. A year later, she released her debut CD, Finally Woken, and got a big boost from Elton John, who touted its breezy melodies and diverse rhythms. And he was right. Jem’s catchy sound is easy on the ear and wide-ranging: “Finally Woken”, has emotional trip hop beats; “Wish I”, playful electronic melodies; “Save Me” and “24”, reggae and rock tempos, respectively; and “Missing You” boasts some fine fuzz-box vocals à la Portishead. Jem’s sound is eclectic and fits into any medium. Which is why she succeeded in the US mass market. In the States, you can hear her everywhere: on the radio, on TV (The O.C.; Desperate Housewives; Six Feet Under), and in the movies (Closer, 2004 and Ultraviolet, 2006).
Sony-BMG

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

Chinese independent and experimental music may be looked upon as something of an oddity in its homeland. And to Western ears, it may sound odder still. But that hasn’t stopped Yan Hun, the founder (in 2000) of the Sub Jam label, and one of the pioneers in China’s experimental music scene, from doing what he does best. Which is just about everything. Yan is involved in many arts: poetry, music, film and literature. But his most lasting accomplishment may be that he has proved that the fusion of electronic sounds with poetry works. Last year, Sub Jam released Nowise Assault, a 60-minute CD of made-in-China electronica, more specifically ‘leftfield electronic music’ blending artificial sounds with spirituality and poetic ambience. In this entry, 718, aka Sun Lei, a central figure in the experimental scene, offers ambient music and down tempo beats featuring ethnic or/and industrial influences. “Taoism or Calm” intermingles drum solos into a spiritual atmosphere; while “Over and Over” provides more than seven minutes of noise with an industrial edge. “Aluminum” is a straight piece performed on the piano, the crystalline purity of which is at one point corrupted by lowfi noise. Say what you will, this is highly addictive, hypnotic music.
Sub Jam/available at http://www.subjam.org/

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

Osaka-born songwriter/singer Ken Hirai is known as the ‘King of Japanese R&B’. Influenced by Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, Hirai’s sound features warm vocals atop beats borrowed from soul (“Miracles”), funk (“Strawberry Sex”), dance (“Style”) and pop music (“Kiss of Life”). This two-CD release offers 23 chart topping singles in chronological order from Hirai’s debut “Precious Junk” in 1995 to “Pop Star”, released last October. Along the way, this disc provides a fair overview of his progression from saccharine to emotional, passing by sentimental, mushy and blue. Still, Hirai’s success is based on his appeal to middle-aged housewives, be they from Japan, China, Korea or the West. And as such, his success owes as much to his unique falsetto as it does to his appearance – for a ‘pure blooded’ Japanese, Hirai looks pure Caucasian. In any case, Hirai has sold 6.5 million units in Asia alone. Following recent live shows in the US – he appeared at the high-profile 2002 FIFA World Cup concert with Lauryn Hill – what can we say? The King is back.
Sony-BMG

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

In the early 1990s, Irma, an Italian label, altered musical perceptions with the first of its jazz/house/fusion series of compilations. The Jazz House Independent compilation is the fourth in the now classic series, and thanks are due to High Note Records for making this gem available in the Chinese mainland. This entry blends jazz, house and afrobeat (American funk rhythms fused with African percussion), in a double bill of atmospheric electronica. CD one (unmixed) was compiled by one of the original Irma artists/producers, Black Mighty Wax (BMW), while CD two was mixed by label mate, Dino Angioletti of the Pastaboys. The various international artists gathered here attest to the global success of jazz house music genre. Examples include the groove-laden “Mafe Disco” by France’s Claude Monnet; the powerful “Happy” by the UK’s Max Sedgley; and the mesmeric “Madame Blanche” by US DJ Moses. This disc also includes some of the most successful club tunes recorded for Irma Records: a fantastic re-edit by US DJ Danny Krivit (from Body & Soul in New York) of “Starlite”, and Don Carlos featuring Michelle Weeks on “Take Me Higher” remixed by Japanese house DJ Yukihiro Fukutomi.
High Note Records

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

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PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

Los Angeles-born Anna May Wong (1905-1961) was the most prominent Chinese-American actress during the silent era, though her career extended to the early 60s. From 1919 to 1960, she played in more than fifty US and European movies (The Thief of Baghdad, 1924; Shanghai Express, 1932) with stars such as Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and Marlene Dietrich. More celebrated in Europe and Japan than in the US or China, Wong, despite her many roles, still suffered from racial typecasting. At the time, the Hollywood system cast whites in Chinese roles, while ‘real’ Chinese were relegated to (often demeaning) supporting parts. In addition, mixed race romance was forbidden on the screen. As a result, Wong’s enormous potential as an actress was never truly given reign, though decades after her death she was given a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame. In this compelling biography, professor of history Graham Hodges provides copious accounts of the glamour, and the prejudice, that was the fate of many an actor of Chinese descent in the first half of the twentieth century.
Palgrave Macmillan

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

Since the early 17th century, Westerners have been intrigued with that decorative fairyland known as Chinoiserie. That said, Chinese interior design has been constantly reinterpreted over the centuries, in both the West and in Asia, and China Style presents a fascinating look at how decorators from Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, New York, London and Minneapolis have used this fanciful and elegant style in personal and commercial interiors. Illustrated with photographs by Michael Freeman, this 208-page coffee table book examines Chinese design influences from five periods: the Ming and Qing dynasties; Chinoiserie Old and New, the new Shanghai style, and China Modern. As evidenced in 36 settings ranging from a scholar’s garden to an opium den, and from the imperial palace to a rural home. Such is the sumptuous sheen of Freeman’s work that the text, written by Sharon Leece, the former editor-in-chief of Elle Decoration magazine, is almost superfluous, though she does offers tips on how to achieve the art of Chinese style.
Periplus Editions/available in foreign book stores and at https://peripluspublishinggroup.com/periplus/

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
June 2006 issue

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue