May's son has gone missing, and in order to win him back, the devoted mother is going to have to face her worst fears as she navigates a treacherous maze of incomprehensible evil. If she can make it out alive, she might just get a second chance at motherhood. If she falls prey to the darkness that surrounds her, however, she will suffer a fate worse than death as she is forced to confront every mother's worst nightmare.
Oct 2005
Chie Jen-Hao's Gangster Rock is a lovable mess, though more mess than lovable. It's essentially about people realising fame and fortune isn't everything as long as they're alive and have options, and while there are plenty of ways to film this sort of thing - from the stunning low-key fantasy drama of Studio 4C's Princess Arete to the laid-back coming-of-age vignettes that pepper Hong Kong and Taiwanese cinema - you generally need a compelling cast of characters and at least a modicum of professionalism to pull it off. Gangster Rock has neither. There are two stories here. One plotline follows Hau (Leon Jay Williams, Jump), a small-time gangster not long out of prison after a shakedown gone horribly wrong led to the death of his then girlfriend. The other stars (collectively) Gangster, a group of musicians working the underbelly of Taipei's club scene, where industry sharks insist the two lead
Apr 2010
