Is your girlfriend/boyfriend/family member worried about you because all you watch is sick, gross-out, horror and exploitation movies? The King of Masks is a solution to entertain yourself WITH that concerned person whilst buying yourself a bit of time before you're committed to an institution.

Is this the absolute first you've ever heard of this movie? If yes, then good. Now I'm going to ask you to not do something that will be very difficult for you not to do, but I'm perfectly serious, and this will only work if you aren't a very observant person ... ready, keep your eyes fixed on this page as I ask you not to look up the page at the cover I've posted. STOP! It spoils a bit of the film, and I'm surprised that the filmmakers didn't try to keep it a secret longer. OK, while you are doing your best not to look up, click on the hkflix.com button. Find The King of Masks on their site, again do your best not to look at the cover, and buy it. Now, when it arrives in the mail, do not look at the cover OR read the back. Watch the movie.

I guess I'm asking a lot, and to be honest it really isn't that big a spoiler, but I wonder how soon I would have guessed the truth if I hadn't seen the trailer that gave it away. Probably right away, so this whole exercise has been a waste of both your time and my time.

Not very many movies on this planet can bring tears to my eyes. I've seen The King of Masks many times and it always brings them on. Trick: pretend that you are mocking the scene by pretending to cry. It works!

An old man lives on a boat and travels around China giving shows in the street. These one man shows involve the use of masks to help tell his story, but his real skill is in the way he changes the masks, seemingly like magic. His craft has been passed down through generations, and being the last living member who knows his skill's secrets, he prays for a son so his art won't die. His art is not for women to know, nor for outsiders. His problem is he is a widower, and his only son died long ago.

He browses the child market for a son (people selling children due to extreme poverty) but sons are expensive, and the most abundant and affordable ones are the girls. He leaves in sorrow, but on his way out: a miracle: a young boy cries out 'Grandpa, Grandpa!' (except it's in Chinese of course).

You've probably already guessed, but no matter. The King of Masks is an expert piece of work in every way. The cinematography, the casting and the acting - man! the acting, and a story that will break your heart more than once. Will it lift your heart back up to joy and hope? I'm not telling.

DO NOT BUY THIS FILM IF: I've only neglected this section once before, for Seven Samurai. Even more true for this movie: there is no if. Buy this film. If you buy it and don't love it you are either not human (for example, a gopher or a zebra) or you are still in your ugly rebellious teen stage, where you only like death and the color black. When you get a few years older, come back.

RECOMMENDATION: Didn't you read any of the above? Buy the movie. If you must rent, then go ahead, but then buy it. This is for everyone.

Just so you believe me (the only time you'll see a star rating on this site): 5/5 STARS

In a heartbreaking scene, he goes to an alley where woman are begging strangers to buy their children. There was a flood in the village and some of them can't afford to care for their children anymore. He's offered a baby but knows he can't raise an infant and is just about to leave when a little voice calls out 'Grandpa!' It's an adorable 8 year old boy that he pays $10 for. They happily go to his boathouse and he teaches 'Doggie' the way of the silk masks over the days. But after a while, the truth comes out-Doggie isn't a boy, she's a girl. Wang is angry at the deception and wants to throws her out.

She begs to stay, explaining that she'd been beaten by other foster parents and promises to do all the housework and be a good 'doggie'. He allows her to stay but is not as friendly as when he thought she was a boy. He teaches her gymnastics to expand the street performing and they make money together. Back then, street performing was looked at with awe and Wang has impressed the female impersonator, who invites him to a big performance.

Doggie gets in trouble, causing a fire at Wang's boathouse so she runs away. She wanders about town and is found by a couple of kidnappers. They've taken the grandson of a wealthy family and needs someone to take care of him. Doggie decides to take the little boy to Wang, knowing that would make him happy. She leaves him at the boat and indeed, Wang is pleased. But his joy is short-lived when he ends up going to jail for kidnapping. Doggie ultimately proves her love and loyalty by helping him.

Yes, yes, call it manipulative but I was in tears by the end of this film. The performances, particularly by the adorable Zhou Ren-ying, are outstanding. The whole subtext of the devaluing of girls in China was a good point as was the almost deification of the female impersonator (played by opera star Zhao Zhihang). The art of the silk masks was fascinating too. I'd be remiss not to give respect to Zhu Xu, a fine performance. This is a good family film too, if you're stuck on what to rent sometime.

The master/student story has been used by many different Hong Kong genres and remains a device that, when used well, can be an asset for the film. 'King Of Masks' takes the concept and creates a genuine masterpiece, full to the brim of a warmth and compassion that is rarely revealed in cinema. The narrative uses the aforementioned starting point and expands it beyond the usual restrictions; instead the viewer is treated to a poetic musing on the very nature of friendship. From the opening shots of gentle Chinese village life and the introduction of Wang, there is no doubt that something very special is about to unfold. By the time the end credits roll, this feeling is thoroughly proven and the viewer is struggling to find fault with such excellence. Chu Yuk as the eponymous 'King Of Masks' is superb, combining a genuine screen presence with a humble, understated performance that few would be able to achieve. Due credit must also go to co-star Chao Yim Yin as the young girl who joins Wang on his journey; her immaculate handling of the material adds significant resonance to an already masterful production. The only possible quibble is so minor that it only deserves a brief mention; some may consider the metaphor of the masks as somewhat heavy-handed and certain moments to be too sentimental, but these are very picky criticisms. The fact of the matter is that 'King Of Masks' represents what is sadly lacking in so many films that pretend to have a social conscience i.e. this actually has a heart beneath its surface instead of Hollywood's frequent emotional sign-posting. A film that comes very highly recommended, especially to those who enjoy watching cinema that stirs the heart.

PICTURE: A sometimes murky print that also proves to be dull in scenes that need some colour. The odd scene shows wear, but the real problem is this lack of depth. Having said this, it should be understood that this is still fairly good for most of its duration. Average print.

Perhaps it's because the ending is never really in doubt; even in the movie's darker moments, there's no doubt that things are going to end on a positive note. I'm not saying that I wanted a tragedy, but even when Wang is wasting away in a prison after being charged with kidnapping, I couldn't bring myself to feel any empathy. When the movie tries to ramp up the melodrama, as in Wa's last sacrifice for Wang's freedom, it feels heavyhanded and desperate. And that immediately sets off some alarms. I don't mind movies that are emotional and moving, but when they pile on the melodrama, well... suffice to say, I ended up watching "The King Of Masks" with my forcefields up.

I know all of this makes me sound like a heartless bastard. I'd be lying if I said there weren't any beautiful moments in the movie. Xu Zhu and Renying Zhou do a stellar job as Wang and Gou Wa, respectively. Zhu portrays Wang as a man who has had more than his fair share of suffering, but is still looking for a chance to share his skills and life with his family. When Wang finds the child that he thinks will be his true heir, his sense of joy is overwhelming.

A movie with a child as one of its protagonists sinks or swims with that role, and Zhou movingly shows Wa's love and dedication. One scene that sticks out in my mind is when Wa is first rejected when Wang finds out her gender. Wa throws herself at Wang, desperate not to be left behind. As Wang leaves on his boat, Wa trails behind, pitifully crying out "Grandpa". It's a scene that could make the hardest heart melt.

But that kind of response overlooks the movie's other side, where it looks at the social traditions and structure of 1930s-era China. It's this area that I found most interesting, because it provided a fascinating background for the emotional elements of story. Unfortunately, Wu only delves into this as much as is necessary, giving the viewer only a barebones look at the movie's world. There are few scenes where this sense of tension are really palpable (such as when Wang is confronted by a group of soldiers), but they're few and far between.

As such, you don't really get the feeling that Wa is trying to go against age-old traditions when she tries to be Wang's student. Rather, the movie comes dangerously close to portraying Wang as nothing more than a crotchety old man dealing with a stubborn little girl. And sooner or later, you know his heart is going to melt. Perhaps if that feeling of what Wa was doing had been more fully realized, the emotional impact of what Wang and Wa finally accomplish together would've been greater. It's a solid movie, and not without any merit; in fact, it probably stacks up quite well to most dramas you'll be able to find. But I was expecting so much more.

TECH SPECS:
You get the movie, and that's about it. Quality-wise, the transfer is only so-so. It looks like a highgrade VHS recording, and there are plenty of defects to see. Aside from the trailer, you really don't get anything else in terms of extras. It's here that this DVD could've shined. I would've loved to have seen a documentary on China, perhaps exploring some of the social issues (namely the role of women and children in China at the time of the movie's story) that the movie only touched on. But as it stands, this is a pretty disappointing disc.

The aging performer Bian Lian Wang (Zhu Xu), a lonely man whose frail frame comes alive in performances of his sleight-of-hand play of masks, which appear and disappear like magic, desires a protégé. Tradition dictates that it can only be a boy, but in the Sichuan provinces of the 1930s boys are valuable, while daughters are deemed worthless. Wading through a market where parents offer their girls to strangers for a price, or even for free, Wang is about to give up when he turns at the tiny cry of "Grandpa" and finds a healthy, hearty boy with big eyes pleading for his love. Doggie (Zhoun Ren-Ying) is everything he desires in a child: affectionate, eager to please, rambunctious . . . too good, in fact, to be true. And sure enough, it's not long before we learn that he is a she masquerading as a boy, and it's only a matter of time before Wang finds out too.

Wang's attitude changes in a heartbeat. After attempting to abandon the child, he agrees to take her on as a servant and assistant. No longer "Grandpa," but now "Boss," he teaches her gymnastics and she cooks and cleans. Zhoun Ren-Ying, a real-life acrobat, makes a dynamic film debut as Doggie: Fiery and vivacious without lapsing into cloying cuteness, she delivers an emotional performance recalling Jackie Cooper in Chaplin's The Kid. Her winning presence makes their growing bond not merely believable but inevitable.

But of course fate (and filmmaker Wu) have more than simple emotional barriers and cultural traditions to overcome. There's a tragedy in the making that will call upon Doggie to become a child hero of mythic proportions. Here the simplicity of the film's bedrock (if operatically exaggerated) emotions bump up against the indulgent contrivances of the plot: Only superhuman effort will overcome centuries of chauvinism.

The King of Masks swims in color, from its opening festival scene of parades, fireworks, and vividly garbed street performers to its climactic mix of Chinese opera and charged melodrama played out against a rain-soaked street lit in silver and gold. It's a feast of red lanterns and blue banners and splashes of color enveloped in a soft mist. It's also awash in sentimentality and dripping with forced poignancy: When Wang first hears Doggie's voice, his slow turn has all the measured drama of a Hollywood star's, and his face melts as swelling music overwhelms the scene. Wu never seems to capture the balance of simplicity and melodramatic extravagance his contemporaries have mastered, resulting in a film that stalls in tortured plot twists before kicking back to life in a gloriously operatic conclusion and a giddy coda. The social criticism disintegrates into little more than lip service, but the dazzling displays of folk art and passionate emotional core create one of the most audience-friendly films to emerge from China in years. The operatic excess may appear overwrought, but it's never unearned.