"Restless" 2011 (It's kind of melodramatic and predictable, but I really loved it, Mia Wasikowska's fashion in particular; credit to allmoviephoto, yahoo)
Ooh, I'm one of the few people on this earth NOT impressed with the allegedly amazing love story of The Notebook, but I do adore the fashion in that movie.
I'm not a huge fan of The Notebook either. I mean it's OK, probably one of the better Nicholas Sparks book/movies, but I like other romance movies much more.
Well, I was fourteen when I saw The Notebook and absolutely fell in love with it. But I was young. I haven't watched it in a while, but the costumes, the core, and the cinematography were flawless. Nick Sparks is a hack, no denying that, but this is hands down the best adaptation of one of his novels. Not t hat there's much competition, but still. As for Noah's costumes, he was poor. We can't really expect him to be wearing anything breathtaking.
I would love to introduce you guys some old Chinese (including Mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan) movies.
An Amorous Woman of Tang Dynasty (1984)
Director: Eddie Fong Ling-Ching
Art Director: Tang Kong-Yin, Chan Ging-Sam, Raymond Lee King-Man
Costume Designer: William Chang Suk-Ping
Quote:
Eddie Fong makes his directorial debut with this acclaimed and pointedly feminist period erotic drama about an independent woman born in conservative times. Taoist priestess Yu Hsuan-chi (Pat Ha Man-chik) longs for the sort of earthy experience that a woman born to her lofty station is not expected -- or desired -- to have. While putting in an appearance with society's elite, she carries on a passionate affair with an itinerate swordsman named Tsui Po-hou (Alex Man). With both Hsuan-chi and Po-hou fighting against the tedium and hide-bound conventions of Chinese society, the two seem like a perfect match. Yet the ever restless Po-hou soon leaves her and continues on his travels. Hsuan-chi develops a reputation as an amoral libertine, partially because she is having sex with her maid Lu Chiao. After Po-hou returns and leaves her again, Hsuan-chi learns that Lu Chiao is pregnant but she refuses to divulge the name of the father. Hsuan-chi's reaction ultimately results in tragedy.
Kawashima Yoshiko (1990)
Director: Eddie Fong Ling-Ching
Costume Designer: Joe Hau Wing-Choi, Lau Lai-Jan
Quote:
The extremely eccentric Manchurian princess who is briefly seen in The Last Emperor in the scenes set in Manchukuo, receives a more comprehensive screen treatment here. Born a scion of the rapidly fading Ching (Manchu) dynasty of China, Yoshiko Kawashima (Anita Mui) was taken away by the Japanese to be raised in their country's court circles when she was only six. For political reasons, she was married off to a Mongolian prince by the Japanese. Shortly after that, she embarked on a startling career of war and romance, beginning with having an affair with a Japanese officer, and including many affairs with women. Her assertiveness won her an officer's position in one of the armies of the period. After the war, this woman (who never considered herself Chinese) was shot by the Chinese as a traitor to "her" country.
Ching Se (1993)
Director: Tsui Hark
Art Director: Bill Lui Cho-Hung
Makeup: Tung Hon-Wan
Costume Designer: Bobo Ng Bo-Ling
Hair Stylist: Chung Wai-Shing
Quote:
Two snake spirits become human and learn about love and suffering. A monk discovers his own weaknesses and finds that morality is not as simple as he had thought.