Also Like Life: The Films of Hou Hsiao-hsien
Cute Girls (Hou Hsiao-hsien; Taiwan, 1980)
- When
- Fri Oct 10, 2014
- Where
- PFA Theater
- Time
- 9:00pm
- Cost
- $5.50 - $9.50
- Tags
- Movies, Foreign, Film Screenings
Description
Hou Hsiao-hsien made his unlikely feature debut with this breezy romantic comedy starring Hong Kong singer Kenny Bee and Taiwanese pop diva Feng Fei-fei. A tycoon’s daughter (Feng) is arranged to be married to another tycoon’s son, but she is soon distracted by the charming, more down-to-earth Daigang (Bee); misunderstandings, class divisions, and romance naturally follow. Hou chronicles their relationship with as much interest as he can muster, interspersing the commercial demands of the day—comedy bits, some spectacular polyester-based eighties fashion (Feng’s nickname as “Queen of Hats” is on full display), and many Canto-pop-driven montages—with glimpses of his own style, such as a preoccupation with child nonactors and some lingering glimpses of the rural countryside, which stands in direct contrast to the capital’s bustling, overcrowded chaos. A time capsule of Taiwanese pop culture and the era’s low-budget, star-driven approach to filmmaking, Cute Girl still holds interest for its glimpses of an emerging, industrialized Taipei, and as the beginning of Hou’s career.• Written by Hou. Photographed by Chen Kun-hou. With Kenny Bee, Feng Fei-fei, Anthony Chan. (90 mins, In Mandarin with English subtitles, Color, 'Scope, 35mm)
More Info
- Link
- http://bampfa.berkeley.edu/film/FN20813
- Call
- (510) 642-1412
- Call
- 510.642.5249 (Box Office)
- Contact Form (account required)
Comments