Movie Review: Ripples of Desire

Ripples of Desire is what I'd call another not feel good movie that had actually become Jerry Yan's second movie after so long.  So why does this guy keep having hiatuses?  He had all the potential to replace Qin Han!  Moving on, this is definitely another of those weepy films that feels like Memoirs of a Geisha but in 17th century Taiwan, the typical Qiong Yao feel scenario and some very hard decisions.  So we have Michelle Chen and Ivy Chen who play as the sisters White Snow and White Frost respectively while Jerry Yan is the pirate Scarface who gets into a star-crossed attraction with White Frost.  What I thought was this shows the life of a Geisha and the pirate- both not easy lives and usually laced with tragedy.  Classic actress Sandra Ng shows up as Madame Moon who has some twisted philosophies.

So we are treated to the beautiful entertainment brought by the courtesans each one different in their own way.  It's quite sad that the two sisters lost their leprous father who chose to die at his own will.  So White Snow sings about their tragic life and she has attracted Master Hai.  So it's discovered that White Snow is a leper which can ruin Madame Moon's business.  So we are also treated to White Frost's entertainment that still drives attraction.  At the same time, should a courtesan be devoid of feelings?  I feel like it's a Memoirs of the Geisha film.  Bordered around with it are fallacies and superstitions like when Madame Moon arranges for Master Hai to be with White Snow at the hopes that the leprosy will transfer to him.  It's pretty ouchy to me if you ask me considering how crazy people can be.

Also Scar Face's attraction with White Frost is already meant not to be in the past.  The pirates are ruthless and Scar Face later gets some crying scenes and eventually we realize just how painful their life can be.  So yeah, we get a load of tragedy when Scar Face and White Frost can't be together because of her being available to the highest bidder.  I just thought that Jerry Yan's acting as Scar Face seems to genuinely follow Qin Han's acting styles in sad love films.  I don't know what to think but I felt like I was watching Jerry Yan and Ivy Chen act out a scene by Qin Han with either Joan Lin or Brigitte Lin.  This film's two Chens manage to do their job well.  Everything goes from bad to worse or is it?  So White Frost may be with a good bidder and Scarface's career may change or not.  Regardless, there's a lot of melodramatic dialogue that has given the film the "Qiong Yao" feel.

My rating?  7.5/10.  You might let your parents watch this over you though.