SK - The terrible censorship struggles that Cheung Yuen-ting and Alex Law Kai-yui confronted to make the Soong Sisters in the PRC only partially explain the complex failure of this film. It is possible to have various reactions to it at the same time: as spectacle, the film is splendid. Sumptuous period recreations give the film a consistently polished surface. And several key scenes (Chiang Kai-shek's encounter with student protestors; the night-time airplane landing) draw their power precisely from how they look, how they are shot. But the screenplay, and consequentally the performances, seems bogged down: by the weight of its historical significance? by the burden of morally uplifting storytelling that Cheung and Law seem to be labouring under? Too often, the film works through its duty to register China's complex, ambiguous history via the lives of its glamorous principal characters. So the Soong Sisters veers towards cliche; its characters are distilled into embodiments of various principles, causes and options for the Nation. We end up discovering precious little about the sisters, as individuals, and what we learn of the Nation seems generalized, text-book-shaped. Stand out performances, though, by Wu Hsing-kuo, as a mesmerizingly charismatic Chiang Kai-shek, Jiang Wen, as an ebullient Charlie Soong, and Maggie Cheung, who almost manages to bring Soong Ching-ling to life.
JC - With the various mixed reviews, I have a mixed expectation as usual for this film. Then 10 minutes into the movie and I was already in tears. Though the middle portion of the film was uneven and unbalanced (possibly due to the editing the Chinese authorities asked the director to make. I'd like to see a Director's Cut of this film), Mabel Cheung Yuen Ting continues to impress with her masterful manipulation of the audience's emotions, especially during the sisters' childhood. After that, though, I didn't really feel the sisters were all that close after they returned from America so when their relationship cracked I didn't know what to feel. However, Maggie Cheung Man Yuk's performance as Soong Ching Ling was brilliant as usual, and supporting role performances by Jiang Wen (Charlie Soong) and Elaine Kam Yin Ling (Mrs. Soong) were top notch. All three deserve at least a HKFA nomination. Both Winston Chao and Wu Hsing Guo's performances were at least passable as two of China's legendary historical figures. Michelle Khan (Yeung Chi King) is stuck with a fairly meatless role and didn't do much until the end of the film, which was probably one of the best put together ending sequences I have seen lately. I really like the way Cheung Yuen Ting mixed in earlier scenes there. Overall, the rise and fall of the Soong sisters made an interesting subject for a melodrama, and that's pretty much what this movie is. Recommended.
ANON - The Soong Sisters is a damn good movie. It's 2 1/2 hours, but it's so good that you don't even notice the length. Maggie is excellent in it (as usual). Vivian Wu also did a great job. Michelle's character, on the other hand is almost nonexistent, which is a shame because I wanted to see how she'd handle a pure dramatic role like this. I still like Comrades more though. --- (Dan B)
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