A glimpse of sisterhood

(Editor’s Note: This column is open to STAR readers who love movies. All a contributor has to do is write about his/her favorite movie and how it has affected his/her life. The article, which must not exceed 4,000 characters, should be written in an interesting yet simple style. Contributors must send a short bio-data and a 3R colored photo. Published pieces will be paid accordingly. E-mail your article at [email protected].)

The Karen Carpenter song Close to You had made an impact on me and my sister when we were children. So when I heard it played in the trailer of So Close, I paid attention. The first time I saw its trailer, I knew I had to watch the movie or I would die of curiosity.

Even before the Meteor Garden mania, I started watching movies like So Close either on cable or on video. Watching movies I didn’t understand (they are dubbed in Mandarin) mademy family think I was crazy. But I loved such movies anyway.

So Close begins when a computer virus jams the main computer system of a powerful company. When the main system is restored, it is discovered that the machine had been manipulated by one Computer Angel (Shu Qi). The computer’s owner, Mr. Chow, is so impressed that he tells his followers to find this Computer Angel. Then, out of nowhere, the Computer Angel appears and demands to see Mr. Chow. Imagine everyone’s shock when they find out the Computer Angel is a woman.

I thought that So Close is just one of those movies where women kick men’s butts. But it’s not. It is a story of two sisters, Lynn (Shu Qi) and Sue (Zhao Wei) living in a very modern world and trying to survive by protecting themselves from ruthless businessmen. The same businessmen who want the machine, The World Panorama, which their father had invented, and which had killed their parents when the sisters were young. The machine, which is connected to a satellite, is very powerful since it enables anyone to see what people are doing in every building in the world.

One man had spared the sisters’ lives and taught Lynn her first shot. The sisters become assassins when they grow up. Lynn does the physical work while Sue does the mental work. Since their operation is a success, Sue keeps bugging her sister to let her handle a case of her own but the latter doesn’t allow it. Moreover, Lynn renews her acquaintance with Yen (Song Seung-hun), a man she had fallen in love with. He accidentally finds out that she is an assassin but still wants to marry her.

When the sisters receive another operation, Lynn decides to quit to start a new life. Sue silently protests and disobeys her sister. She pursues the operation alone and is nearly caught by Detective Kong Yat-hung (Karen Mok). If not for her sister, Sue would have died. The reason why Lynn didn’t allow Sue to handle a case is because she wants Sue to lead a normal life. She doesn’t want her to suffer the same guilt she herself feels every time she kills. It is so sad that Sue only realizes this at the end when it is too late. Sue’s reckless behavior causes her sister’s death.

The movie caught my attention with its special effects, high-tech gadgets and karate stunts. But what caught me off-guard is the movie’s depth – it tackles the deeper meaning of family, the manifestation of sisterhood. The movie reminded me of what Franny Hammond said: "Sisters don’t come and go. Sisters are with you inside and out, from the time you were weaned to the time you die."

This movie gave me a deeper understanding of having a sister and being a sister. I asked myself, "How often do I recognize my sister as one?" I’ve told my older sister my secrets, everything about my career, even about scraping Dad’s car. I’ve disobeyed her sometimes. Other times, I’ve told her I hate her. Having an older sister can sometimes be a pain in the butt, it’s true.

But thinking it over, I realized that my sister is a great support, a best friend, a shoulder to cry on, a teacher, and an instructor of so many loving ways. And most of all, I learned that a sister has a remarkable place in the fabric of human relationships. Being a sister provides one with affection, forgiveness, solidarity and balance.

The movie revealed to me my deeper love and understanding of my only sister. Like Sue, after a painful realization of truth, So Close showed me that my sister is much more important than anyone else in the world (except my parents, of course).

In the movie’s end, Sue promises she would never disobey her sister again. She wants to start a new life. She then gives the World Panorama to Detective Kong. And as the latter bids her goodbye, Sue can’t help but compare their relationship to that of a soldier and a thief who become friends. She also remembers a line once spoken by a killer,

"A gun is like a bird. If you don’t grab it tightly enough, it flies away. If you grab it too tightly, it will die."