(Note: when traveling in China, do not fuck any Chinese supermodels…)
CAST: Richard Gere, Bai Ling, Bradley Whitford, Peter Donat, Tzi Ma, Tsai Chin, Jessy Meng, James Hong, Robert Stanton.
DIRECTOR: Jon Avnet
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and eerie Richard Gere/Sarcasto’s Pops resemblances straight ahead…
I’ve always thought my Dad looked a lot like Richard Gere with some Harrison Ford mixed in. Just a little more Nordic. But it never really hit me until I first saw the poster for the American-trapped-in-China thriller RED CORNER back in 1997. Showing Mr. Gere’s face in extreme close-up, and looking just a tad grumpy, my first two thoughts were: (1) “when did Dad become a movie star?”; and (2) “can I be his personal assistant so I can meet Russell Crowe?”
Never has Richard Gere looked more like my Pops than in RED CORNER. So much so that the whole time I was watching it for the first time way back when, I kept suppressing the urge to stand up in the theater and yell: “Stop picking on my Dad, you stupid commies!” Fortunately, my self-control saved me. Otherwise, that would’ve been one awkward situation.
In RED CORNER, Richard Gere (AKA Pops) plays Jack Moore, a hotshot lawyer who has an uncanny ability to get what he wants out of people while charming the shit out of them, too. He’s in Beijing negotiating a deal with the Chinese Department of Radio and Television (is there such a thing?). Apparently, the Chinese government is allowing certain American shows to broadcast to the masses. Somehow I get the feeling that we ain’t talking about HUNG, QUEER AS FOLK, or THE L-WORD, here.
Jack’s under a lot of pressure to close the deal for his company, McAndrews Communications. Escpecially with McAndrews’ rival Hoffman Comm, a German company, breathing down their necks for the same broadcast rights. Fortunately, Jack turns out to be not only charming, but also quite crafty. He uses something approaching reverse-psychology by stating that American TV shows are quite bad - and watching them with will remind the Chinese people of their superiority. Before you know it, the Chinese officials are eating out of his hands like puppies and rolling over to get their tummies rubbed.
I’m impressed. Maybe Jack could tailor his schpiel for the club scene. Imagine going up to some hottie and going, “Hi, hot stuff. I’m not interested in a relationship. I just want to fuck your brains out and make it clear to you who your Daddy is. I think you should take me up on it, because doing so will affirm your superiority over a sleazoid like me.”
I think it could work.
Anyhow, Jack and his Chinese associate, Lin Dan (Byron Mann) head out to check out the local Beijing night scene to celebrate the deal. Let’s just say that the Chinese night clubs have a long way to go. For starters, the most popular tune seems to be “Y.M.C.A.” I’ll let you digest the horror of that for a few minutes…
Better? Good. Fortunately for us, Jack and Dan hoof it out of there and head for a classier venue. This one is a high-fashion show with traditional Chinese music in the background. Things look up even more when Jack catches one of the tall, stunningly gorgeous models giving him the “I just wanna get fucked” look. And, well, let’s just take this moment to invoke the Vaction Courage Syndrome. Or, even more precisely: What Happens In Beijing, Stays In Beijing.
The model is Hong Ling, and she basically strikes major sparks with Jack. They flirt over cocktails after the show, with Ling sketching Jack’s nose. Apparently, the Chinese refer to us Yanks as “Big Nose!” I expected Jack to respond with “You know what they say about guys with Big Nose? Big Dicks!” Alas, he’s a much classier, subtler fellow than me, and just smiles at Ling.
You don’t have to be rocket scientist to figure out that Jack and Ling end up at his hotel suite for a night of no-strings-attached fornication. And for awhile, it’s pretty much paradise as they fuck in all eighteen of the major positions. Or is it twenty. Whatever. Anyhow, Jack then rolls over and falls asleep, as men are famous for doing. Leaving Ling to, I guess, to find some other way to pleasure herself.
Anyhow, Jack wakes up the next day to the following atrocities: (1) he’s got a hangover; (2) the room is wrecked; (3) the room is full of Chinese military police; and (4) his wonderful fuck buddy Ling is dead as a doornail. All in all, not the best morning after in the history of partying, yeah?
In short order, Jack finds himself accused of Ling’s murder. To make matters even worse, she is the daughter of a very high-powered Chinese office, General Hong. I don’t have to point out that General Hong becomes very involved in the prosecution of the case. Note to Jack: if you survive this ordeal, make sure you only fuck supermodels who don’t come from powerful military families. Just a tip.
If it’s a woman who got Jack into trouble, it appears it will take another woman to get him out of it. She is Shen Yuelin (Bai Ling), a public attorney who is assigned to Jack’s case. You wouldn’t know it, though, from her opening argument. She basically tells the imperious and seriously cranky judge (Tsai Chin) that Jack pleads guilty.
Remember our recent review of THE TOWERING INFERNO (review # 203)? Remember how we discussed the “I.T.F.F.R.? Look”? Also known as the “Is This Fucker For Real?“ Look. Which is basically a look a character gives another character when the latter does, says, or suggests something supremely idiotic. Well, that’s what Jack gives Yuelin at her comment about him pleading guilty.
Later, Yuelin tells Jack that the more a defendant resists and protests his innocence, the more severe the punishment that court will mete out. In other words, if Jack thinks all those episodes of LAW AND ORDER and MATLOCK matter here in the Land of Chow Mein, he needs to fucking wake up and smell the duck eggs frying.
Then there’s all the evidence against Jack. Through Yuelin’s eyes (and the court’s), Jack is nothing more than some horny Westerner who got a little too rough with one of China’s National Treasures (the lovely, lovely Ling), and must now pay the price for it. Suffice it to say, Yuelin has no problem swallowing this notion.
However, the deeper Yuelin digs into the case, the more she sees some inconsistencies. For example, Jack claims Ling had a locket that night in his hotel room, yet the police maintain that no such jewelry was found. But when the diligent Yuelin watches video footage of the fashion show where Jack met Ling, she sees that Ling was indeed wearing a locket while walking the runway. So what gives?
Then there’s the growing bond between Yuelin and Jack. She discovers he’s not just a horny American after all, but a soulful dude who’s hiding some past trauma behind a cool, brash façade. He discovers she’s not a militant jackboot who doesn’t give a shit about his innocence, but a lovely, intelligent, sensitive, and extremely resourceful chick who just might be his best ally, after all. And before you know it, Yuelin tells the grumpy judge that Jack now pleads… Not Guilty.
Will Yuelin pay for sticking her neck out for Jack? What information does General Hong have that might be able to save Jack? Who was behind Ling’s murder? Does it have something to do with the big communications deal Jack closed with the Department of Radio and TV? Does Gerhart Communications have something to do with it? Can Jack trust his own people? What about the U.S. Embassy? Will Yuelin risk everything for this “Big-Nosed American?” Will my Dad ever get any royalty checks from the studio for letting them use his likeness for this poster?
Seriously. He could be financing my next scuba diving vacation…
BUT, SERIOUSLY: As I mentioned in our review for THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS (review # 124), one of the greatest pleasures of doing this blog - in addition to discovering new movies recommended by your wonderful folks - is rediscovering some of my own favorites. RED CORNER is one such example.
Basically a melange of courtroom thriller, Hitchcockian “wronged man” mystery, and “fish-out-of-water drama“, RED CORNER is a film that works primarily because of the central relationship around which the plot revolves. I’m speaking of the connection that develops between Jack Moore and Shen Yuelin. Without this powerful emotional fulcrum around which the movie pivots, this film could have easily missed the mark.
As it is, it sill has some flaws, particularly in how the mystery is resolved in the third-act. The revelation of whodunit is a little ham-fisted and rushed. Fortunately, RED CORNER ends up being just as much about Jack and Yuelin’s developing friendship, as it does the question of his innocence or guilt. And the way that friendship blooms makes all the flaws of the plot forgivable.
Richard Gere can sometimes come across as a little smug and cocky in his portrayals. Here, though, he holds on to just enough of that chutzpah to be attractive and intriguing, without going overboard and turning into a jerk. This is necessary if we are to believe that Ling, as played by Jessy Meng (probably the most beautiful woman in China), would go to bed with him after such a brief encounter. Of course, the solution of the mystery eventually reveals why she did this, but in the moment we have to understand why she’d be drawn to him.
The great thing about Gere’s performance here, though, is how he tempers his charisma with a certain, well, uncertainty. Under that confident air, there’s a little-boy-lost quality to his character, even before Ling’s murder. During his intimate scenes with Ling, he seems more shy than her. This vulnerable side is one we don’t often see from Gere, and it’s a refreshing change of pace. We would see it again in the 2004 remake of SHALL WE DANCE, which we will review sometime in February during a Dance Movie Week. In any case, Gere’s performances in RED CORNER and SHALL WE DANCE are two of his strongest.
Make no mistake, though: the film’s best acting (and best character) comes from the ineffably lovely and talented Bai Ling. I have a long mental list of performances that should have been nominated for Academy Awards - but were not, due to various reasons like politics, the wrong type of film, or not financially successful enough, etc. Bai Ling’s portrayal of the complex and conflicted Chinese attorney Shen Yuelin is at the top of that list. I never fail to be moved by this character and the actress playing her every time I watch RED CORNER.
Watching Yuelin go from rigid, uncompromising, and slightly jaded lawyer just going through the motions, to becoming an ardent and loyal fighter for Jack’s cause is such a pleasure to watch. What’s great about her journey is that it happens in little increments, and Bai Ling expressively shows every single “turn” Yuelin takes towards the light, so to speak, until she’s completely on Jack’s side.
Bai Ling has a remarkable ability to reveal every single emotion through facial expressions alone, making her an open book. But she also has the ability to suddenly close that book sharply - and turning her face into a cold mask that makes her hard to read. This dual quality is completely appropriate for a character who is quite deep and soulful - but has also learned to hide her feelings for her own good and safety.
There’s a scene about mid-way into the movie that marks Yuelin’s full conversion to Jack’s side. She tells the presiding magistrate that she is changing Jack’s plea to Not Guilty - to the stunned looks of everyone in the room. During this scene, Bai Ling’s expressive face goes icy and flinty - revealing nothing, but saying so much about the character at the same time. As good as this scene is, though. it’s not even in the top four best scenes of the movie. All of them are primarily because of Bai Ling’s ability to be expressive and impassive within heartbeats of each other.
The first great scene is when Jack escapes from a transport vehicle and reaches the sanctuary of the U.S. Embassy. There, he learns that Yuelin will be severely punished for his escape attempt because she gave the court her personal promise that he would not try to flee. She visits him in the Embassy's guard shack, and tells a sad tale of how she turned her back on her father when he needed her the most - and how she refuses to make the same mistake with Jack. She actually encourages him to seek sanctuary with the Embassy - and forget about her. After a few moments of terrible indecision, Jack surrenders himself to the Chinese authorities. The stunned look on Yuelin’s face when he does this is absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking. Basically, Jack repays her act of sacrifice with one of his own.
The next scene is when Jack reveals to Yuelin the tragedy that killed both his wife and daughter - and which now forces him to travel the world like some sort of ship with no anchor, no family. This is also the scene where Jack begs Yuelin to just walk away and not risk her life for him anymore. But, like any good friend, Yuelin refuses to do so. Bai Ling’s face is absolutely riveting here, completely open and showing everything.
The next scene is when the Chinese military sequesters Yuelin to try to intimidate her into signing a document that will release her from the case - and seal Jack’s fate. Yuelin stubbornly and steadfastly holds her ground, and tells off the men with such classy, eloquent precision that her every word seems like a guided missile that hits its mark. She basically tells the officers that she is willing to pay the price if Jack is indeed guilty. But are they willing to pay the price if he is not? I remember first watching RED CORNER in a crowded theater back in 1997, and right after this wonderful scene, I heard a woman in the row behind us say: “You get ‘em, girl!” My sentiments, exactly.
And the final great scene is Jack’s farewell to Yuelin at the Beijing airport at the very end, where she tells him that no matter what happens from now on, they are connected forever - and he will always have someone who is family on the other side of the world. This declaration, coupled with Thomas Newman’s beautiful score playing over it, is an ending to remember.
The rest of the supporting cast of Chinese and American actors are all solid, if not remarkable. Then again, this is Richard Gere and Bai Ling’s showcase. Without the dynamic friendship between their characters, RED CORNER would have rated on the average mark.
However, director Jon Avnet and writer Robert King wisely chose to develop the relationship between Jack and Yuelin to such an extent that it supersedes the mystery. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
