When a movies premise seems dark, sometimes it
takes more than a premise to believe that it is. This is very much the case for
Agnès Varna’s Kung Fu Master!.
Kung Fu Master! Is about a mother who becomes
suddenly infatuated with one of her daughter’s schoolmates. When the boy
quickly reciprocates the same feels back, things become extremely problematic.
Through Agnès Varna’s careful direction, Kung Fu
Master!’s disturbing premise ironically comes with off sweet and tenderly
uplifting, but as the movie narrows to its climax, the dark confusing reality
of the film sardonically creeps in. The film deals with the biases of older
women going after young boys in society, not being so closely watched as oppose
older male, younger female relationships. It focuses on the cuteness of the
relationship in a motherly way, but then inherently exposes the pressures on
males to have sex and the pressure on females to be with a male at all times,
all resulting into the reality of statutory rape.
Fans of Todd Solondz will definitely notice
influences from Kung Fu Master! On his work. A style of film portraying subject
matter that’s unpleasant immediately put under a generic film lens. Especially
the painfully unapologetic sarcasm of the film’s final scene.
The film features amazing cinematography and a
forever poignant script, and unbeknownst to me, features one of Charlotte
Gainsbourg’s first movies roles at age 15 in a shiningly realistic performance.
Kung Fu Master! Is a disturbing examination on the
pitfall dynamics of older woman, male child relationships, but is even more an
examination on lying. 9/10.
- Maurice Jones
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