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Nessun Dorma (凶手还未睡) Movie Review

Nessun Dorma (凶手还未睡) Movie Review | by tiffanyyong.com

Recommended Audience: Fans of Gordon Lam Ka Tung 林家栋, Andy Hui 许志安, Janice Man 文咏珊, Jacky Cai, Wilfred Lau, Coco Chan, Steve Chan, Candice Yu, Herman Yau 邱礼涛 and Psychological thriller movie fans

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Nessun Dorma (凶手还未睡) Movie Synopsis

The beautiful yet naive Tsang (Janice Man) has second thoughts about her arranged marriage with the most eligible bachelor in town (Lam Ka Tung) because she is secretly in love with the dog-loving math prodigy Fong (Andy Hui). Nessun Dorma Movie StillOne night, she is attacked on her way home. She wakes up and finds herself trapped in a room and tied to a bed naked. She was raped but managed to escape…

Nessun Dorma (凶手还未睡) Viewer Rating: 3.25/5 ***

Nessun Dorma (凶手还未睡) Movie Review:

Supposed that you’re given three choices: With one being a big prize and the other two having nothing. You pick, say Choice 1, and the gamemaster, who knows where the prize is, show you choice 3, which has nothing. He then give you another chance to change your choice, would you change it?

This is the famous Monty Hall problem (蒙提霍尔定律) analogy which was used more than once in the film of Nessun Dorma.
Nessun Dorma Monty Hall ProblemBesides the theory, the film is named after the the famous opera Turandot (杜蘭朵) which also hinted where the plot will lead you to. The story escalated pretty quickly, with Tsang getting kidnapped and the audience get to play detective with the intermittent flashbacks. However, there were clues as well as diversions in these memories.

Nessun Dorma naked scenesI first noticed Janice Man in Helios and Paris Holiday and was impressed how she transformed from a skilled killer and rebellious girl to a mild and dainty lady. While there were nude scenes, the implied scenes were all tastefully done, making her vulnerable rather than R-rated. The character might be a little too “jumpy” for my liking, but her plight pose a valid question to us –  What should one do after a rape? Does reporting to the police means losing privacy?
Nessun Dorma Janice Man Andy Hui4 years since Andy Hui last appeared on big screen, his character Fong gave quite a few surprises. As a math prodigy, his performance was somewhat overpowered by damsel Tsang and Gordon Lam, the sadistic rich man who seem to have a craving for many kinds of people. As a mysterious man, I was a little disappointed by the choppy and rushed ending.

Nessun Dorma Gordon LamThe film had a loophole which I can’t help but mention. When Tsang tried to escape from the enclosed room, she managed to dig a hole which led to sunlight and grass. Yet when they returned once more to the same place, the “room” appeared to be in an enclosed metal container. Also, Tsang’s personality change from a weak and traumatised lady to a cruel, sadistic one was also a tad too fast. It made me feel that I might have missed out certain plots (due to edits, perhaps?) that led her to her behaviour.

Overlooking that, the film is generally an interestingly sadistic watch. But way milder than Giddens Ko’s The Tenants Downstairs.

Do You Know?

TurandotThe film is named after the Giacomo Puccini’s frequently performed opera Turandot (杜蘭朵). Nessun Dorma means “None shall sleep” in English. It is an aria from the final act and is one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It is sung by Calaf, il principe ignoto (the unknown prince), who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot. However, any man who wishes to wed Turandot must first answer her three riddles; if he fails, he will be beheaded. In the aria, Calaf expresses his triumphant assurance that he will win the princess.

Nessun Dorma StrangleThis film won the Jury Award for Best Feature Film at the Indigo Moon Film Festival.

Janice Man Nessun DormaJanice Man was caught crying by the streets after wrap, and she was so stressed before shoot that she had insomnia and emotional breakdown. In the scene where Gordon Lam physically abused Janice, the scene was so realistically done (under the request for Janice Man) that she couldn’t stop crying even after filming ends.

Herman Yau with castDirector Herman Yau 邱礼涛 expressed how he created this film based on the social question on whether victims who were sexually assaulted would report to the police or keep it under wraps.

Behind The Scenes and Interviews

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Nessun Dorma (凶手还未睡) is out in cinemas on 3 November 2016.

xoxo
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*Disclosure: No monetary compensation was received for the movie review. Invitation by Shaw Organisation

13 thoughts on “Nessun Dorma (凶手还未睡) Movie Review”

  1. Pingback: 77 Heartbreaks (原谅他77次) Movie Review | by The Epiphany Duplet

  2. I like your review, very detailed-oriented. I will be looking for the loophole that you have mentioned. The movie sounds interesting.

  3. Movie with rape and violence are very much intriguing to some people. Likewise, this film has some women’s issue at hand. Arranged marriage in my opinion is not or most likely a positive way in giving life to the children.

  4. Remote chances that I will watch this movie but the storyline is interesting. The actress looks vulnerable enough to play the role of a victim. I am going to Wiki to read the complete story now.

  5. I do not like watching movies about rape. I cannot bear watching women be violated. I can understand how the actress felt after that scene was shot. It is pretend but I am sure it felt real.- Fred

    1. It was great, however, I have never been a fan of kidnapping, so this really agonized me. He was a real monster and ruined her life. She was vulnerable enough to feel her pain. I would have said to him that his wife had nothing to do with her. I have heard comments about her being disappointing. She was an innocent girl out of her league and her caring for the dog suggests her heart. She was just a normal girl except her beauty. I hate the guy even more than her husband.

  6. I may not watch the movie. This reminds me of The Room. And I watched it just before I set out on a European backpacking trip. It definitely scared me a bit. So no, I’m not gonna watch this…

  7. This is quite an interesting story. It seems very heavy for me, but I’m sure it will be enlightening for women to give a thought should such incident becomes real. I applaud the actors for really bringing depth to their characters, based on what you have shared here in your post.

  8. Arranged marriage purports a lot of worries and troubles especially to the girl. Parents or to be in particular the father always plays the role of antagonist who at the end of the story has regretted what he has done to his daughter. This movie is one of those incidents which arranged marriage is talked about.

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