Love & Honor (2006)

• Love & Honor (bushi no ichibun) is a drama set near the end of Japan’s Edo period. It tells the tale of a lowly ranked samurai, who loses his sight one day in service to his clan’s lord, and how the ensuing domestic struggle strains the relationship between him and his wife. When his wife performs an unspeakable sacrifice for her husband behind his back, can the blind samurai eventually redeem both their honor?
• I remember this being screened sometime back in the cinemas in KL as part of their foreign film festival. It was one of the nominees for Best Film in the Asian Film Awards, and won a host of other awards at East Asian film festivals.
• Love & Honor is a beautifully shot masterpiece, with terrific acting from the two big leads – Takuya Kimura (2046), as the blind samurai and Rei Dan as his wife. The title for the movie couldn’t be more apt, as both issues on love and honor couldn’t have been depicted in better terms. I’m now very tempted to watch the director’s previous two samurai films (this one being the last of a loose trilogy). Catch this if you can.

CJ7 (2008)

• Stephen Chow returns, this time in a movie about a poor little kid, his low income father, and how their life take a little (or drastic) turn when a cute furry alien pays them a visit.
• It’s got some good laugh out loud moments, typical of any Stephen Chow films. The little girl who played Dicky was simply incredible (I didn’t know he was a she!), or the fact that there were a host of other cross gender acting as well (the big bully, the fat girlfriend). The kids were adorable and CJ7 is freaking cute – except for the parts when it starts dancing and stuff.
• However, I found the movie disappointing as a whole. The plot was really loose, and I definitely did not find the constant abuse of poor CJ7 amusing. The special effects was so-so although it’s a good thing that Hong Kong cinema are pushing their CGI boundaries. For every good thing that I can think about the film, there seems to be something negative accompanying it. At most, a mediocre film – especially when compared with both Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle.

Stolen Life (2005)

• A tragic coming of age tale about a young lady in urban China. Having been abandoned in the care of her aunt and grandmother by her parents, Yanni feels that she has no control over her life and is undeserving of love. When she finally gets admitted to college, moves out, and falls in love with a kind man who cares for her, little does she know that she will be embarking on a nightmare that will lead to the loss of innocence and her own child..
• The narrative storytelling sets you up with dread at what to expect at every turn. You will quickly come to take pity on the lead’s unfortunate circumstances and every bad decision she will make (yet understand that most times, those decisions are really out of our hands). My only gripe was how the movie ended with her talking into the camera, as though the entire movie was an interview, and how she implored you to do her a favour. Or maybe that’s just the way it is, for you to share in her helplessness.
• Stolen Life is otherwise an emotionally strong, feminist movie. It will open your eyes to a hidden ugly part of China, the underground, the black market for babies, the poor, the swindlers and cheats who prey on love, the lack of compassion, and all for the sake of greed in a consumerism gripped society.

Love on Sunday (2006)

• The last Ryuichi Hiroki film I watched was called “I Am An S+M Writer” which was borderline pinku with its bondage sex theme. Throw in this movie’s gorgeous looking cover, and I thought the movie might end up being a little explicit as with the director’s previous works. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Don’t judge the book by its cover!
• Love on Sunday is a look through the eyes of a teenage girl’s last 24 hours before she has to move away to the big city. The girl has a dilemma as she is in love with her good friend, who’s apparently got a crush on another girl, who’s desperate to get her ex-bf back, who meanwhile has fallen for the main girl. What a quadrangle quandary right?
• The complexities are deeper of course, each one of them having their own innocent motivations. The two girls know what is happening, while the 2 guys are clueless. They get thrown together, culminating in a high stakes betting contest, and come out with a better understanding of themselves. It’s really nice to be able to relate to the whole tense teen romance setting, with all the chemistry and electricity flying between friends. This film does a good job reminding us all of how hard it was to tell someone back then that we liked them..

The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008)

• This movie blew me away! Directed by Kim Ji-Woon (Tale of Two Sisters, A Bittersweet Life), and starring the 3 most recognizable Korean male leads today; The Good – Jung Woo-Sung (Musa, A Moment To Remember), The Bad – Lee Byung Hun (A Bittersweet Life), and The Weird – Song Kang-Ho (Memories of Murder, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, The Host etc.). You ain’t going to get any better than that..
• Inspired by the original Eastwood western – The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. All 3 leads chase down a treasure map, while the Korean independence movement, the Japanese army & the Manchurian gangs all follow suit to provide a messy premise and reasons for tonnes of gunslinging action. The camera will swing in and out and all around while you watch some impressive directing take place – a train heist, gun fights, mega horsebacks and jeep chase with artillery fire and the quick draw showdown finale.
• The characters are ultra memorable. The Good was super cool, The Bad was just plain bad-ass while The Weird provided loads of comedic relief (and he was funny as hell). Violence isn’t held back in the least – just the way it should be so as not to pander towards a rating system, and prevents it from getting too comical. Cinematography, vivid colours, detailed sets, scenery, scope, effects – all left me utterly breathless.
• I’ve waited a long while for good Korean cinema since The Host. This came along wonderfully. A definite must watch.

Night Time Picnic (2006)

• A sweet Japanese drama that takes place during an annual school event where all the students are required to walk 80km in 24 hours. The long walk will turn out to be more than simple exercise, as it represents a unique journey of self discovery, bonding, and the outpouring of hearts for the kids involved.
• Central to the film is a girl named Takako and a boy named You who seem to keep an awkward silent distance from each other. Their friends think they are attracted to each other, and spend most of their time trying to get them together, but they both vehemently deny having anything to do with each other. Their true relationship will eventually be revealed near the end with a tear inducing endearing ending..
• Along the way, quirky friendships and relationships come into play in the form of childishly lovable teen behavior. I particularly liked the dude who was constantly out of energy in the daytime, but turns into a hyperactive rocker guy at night.. The cute girls (and really cute lead), the struggle of walking that distance, and the wonderful sense of accomplishment from finishing, making friends, confessing, and growing up, this movie really made me wish I was with them (and reminded me of my own journey back then too).

Red Cliff (2008)

• John Woo returns to asian cinema, directing what is touted as the most expensive Asian-financed movie in history – an adaptation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms for the big screen.
• This movie was EPIC. Easily contains the largest battle scenes compared to other Asian war movies to date. Considerable amount of extras, horsemen and costumes was used together with the help of CGi to showcase battle strategies in progress. Each of the main characters were given the chance to showcase their fighting prowess (ala Dynasty Warriors) as they easily mow down the cannon fodder soldiers. The fighting scenes were well choreographed, with none of the gore held back. Action movie fans will definitely find something to enjoy here.
• John Woo also spent considerable time crafting several long scenes highlighting the thoughts, and the unique storytelling aspect (Chinese dramatization) from the original novels. The acting however, was average and a little wooden. Although I applaud the use of CGi to showcase the scope of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers at war, I thought the final cgi effect was quite cheap looking and fake.
• Despite it’s flaws, it was still riveting to watch. The most popular Chinese story in history, told and retold in countless book prints, opera teathers and drama series, have now come to life in a high budget action packed blockbuster. The ending was VERY abrupt though, with the second half to be launched a few months later to provide a 4 hour plus gargantuan movie. Can’t wait to catch the finale when it’s released in Singapore cinemas at the end of the week.

Red Cliff 2 (2008)

• And so I manage to catch the continuation of this super long epic movie.. I think John Woo had every intention to recreate Romance of the Three Kingdoms in the image of Lord of The Rings. Both the huge fleets stand off at opposite ends of the lake, as the generals try to outmaneuver each other through psychological warfare, deception, espionage, and subterfuge before culminating in a massive conflagaration.
• This 2nd part had substantially less character development. In fact, everything feels rushed and compacted – definitely not meant for users to pick up halfway through. Full appreciation must include viewing of the first.
• I was a bit miffed with the whole ’stupid innocent baddy’ subplot though. Initial complains about the less than optimal CGi still applies, although the liberal use of fire was okay. The final battle’s editing although breathtaking, wasn’t very convincing either – it was too jumpy and all over the place. It’s like there were hordes of enemy cavalry at one point, then all of a sudden they were all gone.
• Ultimately, this is a subpar film. Regardless, it’s still an action packed blockbuster and will entertain the masses, Dynasty Warrior fans, or anyone who just loves oriental war films.

Exodus (2007)

• A film by Pang Ho-Cheung, starring Simon Yam as a police detective who happens to come across an unbelievable conspiracy – women with malicious intent to kill all men, be it their husbands, boyfriends, relatives, etc. Of course, women have the methods at hand to make it all look accidental / suicidal in those instances. Convinced, yet lacking proof, the detective goes on a personal investigation that puts his marriage, and possibly his life.. at stake.
• The absurd plot was meant to make this a black comedy and although there were some ‘what the heck’ laughable moments, the general atmosphere was one of dread, and suspense. Unique directing made use of angles and prolonged shots to create a sense of discordance and suspicion. Throw in haunting piano pieces for much of its soundtrack and an overall weird sense of playfulness in the plot and you have yourself a freshly original Hongkie movie – something rare nowadays.

The Detective (2007)

• Yet another awesome Hongkie movie! I’m starting to feel hopeful for Cantonese movies now.
• Directed by Oxide Pang, with Aaron Kwok as a private investigator who one day gets a client insisting that a girl is about to kill him. However, every lead he visits as he tries to track the girl down, ends up mysteriously dead. And in every case, they were suicides, or explainable deaths which should pretty much leave the case closed – but he isn’t convinced and attempts to dig deeper. Eventually he uncovers a shocking perhaps supernatural truth…
• The entire film is shot in Thailand, and the pacing and directing was excellent. Aaron Kwok was simply outstanding here as the naive, yet street wise PI, and is becoming a powerhouse of an actor in my eyes – especially after having seen him in another excellent film “After This Our Exile” that was shot in Malaysia. Entertaining, interesting, and definitely calls for a watch if you can get your hands on it.

Three Times (2005)

• Came highly recommended from a friend on Facebook who voted it amongst his top 3 films of all time. Directed by Hou Hsiao-Hsien – one of Taiwan’s most respected directors for his critical, beautiful, contemplative works.
• Three times is a collection of 3 short love stories taking place in different eras – 1966, 1911, and 2005. Acted by Shu Qi and Chang Chen, Three Times attempt to convey how love is unique, influenced by the byproduct of its times. In the first, it explores innocent love – the sort that needs no explanation – the simple smile, the simple meal, the hand holding. Then it moves back in time to show unrequited love from a pleasure woman whose only destiny is to look forward to be a rich man’s concubine. And finally, to the present – a hopeless love, one based entirely on immediate gratification, even touching on homosexuality. And amongst it all in the background, is the tapestry of Taiwan’s history and struggles,.
• The surprising thing is that the dialogue is exceptionally minimal, hardly 5 lines is spoken in the first section, and the one during 1911 completely devoid of any speech (replaced with dialogue clips ala silent films instead), yet it manages to convey the messages exquisitely. One must also be prepared for a very languid and slow moving film, with much of the movie focusing on the actors doing mundane things, yet also somehow showcasing that its in the everyday actions that characters come to life. Having said that, this is not a movie for everyone. It’s very art house and is the sort of film that polarizes its viewers into either praising it, or hating it.

Ghost In The Shell 2.0 (2008)

• I’ve heard quite a bit about this anime series, but have never gotten around to catching it – probably because I was under the impression that I had to follow a series (and I don’t watch series). However when I heard that the director decided to remake the original 1995 Ghost In The Shell movie into a new version with remixed soundtrack, updated graphics and incorporating 3D cgi, I knew I HAD to catch it.
• This is a deep sci-fi film with heavy Bladerunner overtones. It dives into a dystopian cyberpunk future where technological advancements have allowed humans to have various artificial implants that replaces and augment their bodies. On the extreme end, are androids – completely artificial and indistinguishable from humans, with brain tissue being the only organic thing left in them that gives them sentience. Major Motoko is one such android working for the government, and has been trying in vain to find meaning to her life. She gets that chance when a truly sentient AI construct makes contact with her..
• The story arc is fairly simple, although the universe is surprisingly detailed and well thought out. It’s also an adult anime, filled with loads of nudity and a fair share of violence. The graphics, atmosphere, direction, haunting chanting music, was excellent and I was very impressed – probably as much as Akira even (although Akira was much more epic). Having never seen the original, I can’t make any comparisons as to which is better. After watching this however, I have a tremendous urge to follow up on its sequel – GITS : Innocence. Highly recommended.

Gips (2001)

• The movie starts off with Kazuko who stumbles into Tamako, a stranger in crutches who demands that she helps her take off her shoe, and buy her beer. Somehow, a strange unspoken attraction takes place and Kazuko starts hanging out and vying for Tamako’s attraction. The plaster cast was apparently fake, as Tamako uses the crippled facade to attract men and to make her life more interesting. Things take a turn when Kazako spies Tamako killing one of the men in a basement…
• This is one strange experimental movie. Minimalistic dialogue, and you are often left wondering where the movie was taking you. The premise was definitely interesting enough, and together with the attractive actresses, kept me watching.
• However, those were the only things going for it, as I found it way toooo slow. There were lots of long unmoving shots and pointless extended moments that just wasn’t necessary. It felt like the director needed to increase the duration of the film or it wouldn’t be considered one. Go ahead and watch any of the other movies on this list – just avoid THIS one.

The Kon Ichikawa Story (2006)

• Directed by Shunji Iwai (Hana & Alice), this is a documentary about Kon Ichikawa – one of the most prolific, revered and respected grandmaster of Japanese cinema. I’ve only seen 2 of Ichikawa’s films, (The Burmese Harp and Fires on the Plain) but they left a lasting enough impression that I didn’t mind finding out more about the man behind those films. Kon Ichikawa has made over 39 movies over his 50+ years career, and is currently 91 years old. He is still directing.
• Unlike normal documentaries, Shunji Iwai chose instead to do a somewhat ’silent film’ – one using short image and video clips from Ichikawa’s life and films, interspersed with black and white text when Iwai had something to say. It made for a very strange and somewhat tedious experience, as much of what was conveyed could have been done in less than half the time.
• Unless you are a fan of Japanese cinema or knows who Shunji Iwai is and is interested in what he has to say about Kon Ichikawa – you can safely give this one a miss.

I Don’t Want To Sleep Alone (2006)

• Director Tsai Ming-Liang’s first work that is shot entirely in his home country – Malaysia. For those of you who do not know him, he does most of his filming in Taiwan, after having felt that Malaysia was too restrictive for him. This well respected moviemaker, particularly in the independent film circles, has won over 36 film awards to date.
• A very gritty movie, focusing on the developing love triangle between 3 unlikely people in the slums of Kuala Lumpur – a homeless guy, a Chinese coffee shop waitress, and an immigrant worker (the races and nationalities of the characters was subjective). It is a slow paced movie with minimal dialogue – maybe due to the fact that they might not have spoken the same languages, except through their expressions and actions. The director uses very long still camera shots – creating a hypnotizing effect where you feel like an invisible bystander trying to make sense of what is shown by putting yourself in their shoes, without knowing the entire picture.
• Delving into the tough lifes of immigrants in Malaysia, the journey of an old mattress, care for the ill and incapacitated, touching on homosexuality, of needing love, of aimlessness and of belonging. It’s got some weird element of humour in it mixed in with some mildly provocative scenes, and an overdone depiction of the infamous KL haze. And there, at the back of it all, is a possible existentialist angle, that the whole thing could just have been a dream, the need of a paralysed man…
• This controversial film was banned in Malaysia for awhile, until the director aquiesced and cut out many scenes. It is a finely crafted absorbing and rewarding honest film, an eye opener to the lives of people in limbo, wandering the streets of KL. I will never look at an immigrant quite the same way again – a reminder that we all have stories of our own. As with all slow moving art house pieces, this might not be for everyone.