DanStarkey

Ever since his early "Dragon Inn" days, Donnie Yen has had a commanding screen presence. In his more recent movies, he always plays himself - strong, violent, a believer in rough justice - and he always delivers great action scenes. He's the only reason to watch this film to the end. He makes the most of his screen time, which regrettably is not anywhere near as much as one wishes.

The film is chugging along great when about halfway through, it just abruptly runs out of plot. In order to fill the remaining time, the actors suddenly start moving and talking incredibly slowly. I thought there was something wrong with my computer. It has to be seen to be believed. Donnie Yen is the only one immune to this strange infection, but sadly, he is not permitted to carry the film by himself.

My Charming Girl inserts the viewer into the life of a rather plain girl with bad skin, ugly hands and feet, a boring job, and mild schizophrenia. The movie is at pains to demonstrate her classic symptoms, complete with flat emotions, apathy, seeing imaginary people, and mild paranoia. Her symptom of increased suggestibility, demonstrated by her reactions to advice about shoes and marriage, provides the context for the climax of the film.

The camera lingers on every shot, creating in the viewer the languid mood of the girl. The cinematography is very good, and there are some visual touches, such as shop names and an image of a leering Colonel Sanders, that accent the film and foreshadow the plot development.

This is the kind of film that makes a good topic for a college essay, but is not particularly enjoyable to watch. However, it does provide a view into everyday life in Korea, which may be of interest.

To Western eyes, Stephen Chow's comedies are uneven. "Kung Fu Hustle" is clearly a masterpiece, but why is "Shaolin Soccer" considered so funny? "From Beijing with Love" is an early Chow effort that does work for both East and West, perhaps because the Bond and Star Wars scenes and pretensions that he parodies are so immediately recognizable.

Westerners love violent films with massive body counts, but have a strong and somewhat contradictory aversion to the gore that would ensue in real life, so like most Asian action films, this one would require some heavy editing for Western release. The juxtaposition of death and mutilation with absurd comedy is not Hollywood's style. From Beijing with Love is definitely not for children. But there are some good laughs here for adult Bond fans with strong stomachs, especially those who remember the lamentable Roger Moore effort, "The Man with the Golden Gun."

Worth watching, and the soundtrack is surprisingly good too.