The inclusion of the “Ebben? Ne andrò lontana” aria from "La Wally," which I could happily listen to repeatedly, provides an excellent beginning, and then there's the presence of a young admirer named “Jules” (Frédéric Andréi) – a character who bears a striking resemblance to Jean-Pierre Aumont. Jules manages to make a clandestine recording. The reason for this secrecy is that the singer, “Cynthia Hawkins” (Wilhelmin…

The movie takes some chances with its visuals and overall style, but ultimately falls short because the characters aren’t well-developed and the plot feels disjointed. It's nice to see cinema combined with opera, an art form I consider to be incredibly complete and versatile. While this film isn’t about opera itself and has flaws, Wilhelmenia Fernandez’s singing voice is a genuine pleasure to hear. The writing cou…

I wasn't expecting much from a film centered around a Taiwanese gangster attempting to obtain an illicit recording of an opera singer—the concept seemed pretty far-fetched—but it turned out to be surprisingly good. However, there are significant problems that prevent me from recommending it more enthusiastically. One concern is the subplot involving the opera singer, Cynthia, and a young postal worker, Jules, who …

I found this to be truly exceptional. The structure of opera resonates with me when considering film, and the powerful influence opera has over the character Jules’s life feels strikingly similar to my own relationship with movies—and, frankly, to how any exceptionally talented actress operates today. If I had the ability to go back in time, I would have likely felt this same way about Greta Garbo, who remains my …