艋舺 (Monga) is a 2010 film out of Taiwan. The movie stars Ethan Ruan and Mark Chao. The supporting cast include Doze Niu, Alice Ke, and Rhydian Vaughan.
Based in the 80s, a new student named Mosquito to the area is bullied in school and 4 other boys comes to his rescue. These 5 boys form a brotherhood and hang out not only in school, but when they're out of school. 4 of the boys have been together for quite a number of years. Among the 4 is the son of the current leader of the local mafia, Dragon. Dragon grew up with a sidekick in Monk. Monk is both the brawn and brains of the outfit. However, the area mafia is going through change and it directly affects the 5 boys. The outside forces start to manipulate the area. Thus, a gang war is about to break out and the status quo is going to be a thing of the past. Monk and Dragon's relationship is put to the test and Mosquito finds himself in the middle. The movie revolved Mosquito in a coming of age story versus the other 4, whom already know that their life is with the mafia.
A well made film that established the connection of the 4, explores Mosquito's coming of age story and concludes with a mafia gang storyline. The movie isn't great, but a good film that will make people respect the Taiwan film industry a little more than before. Romantic comedies are hard to sell internationally, but gangster flicks do better. You can see that from 3 other markets, Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea. Monga is Taiwan's most recent entry.
I had so much hope for this film, having to wait months to get it on DVD with English subtitles that I was ultimately let down at the end. If you have no expectations, this would be a good and maybe a great film. However, a must watch for those dedicated to Taiwan cinema.
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