Maborosi [2-Movie Set] (product link) Drama A subdued and thoughtful film about life and death. Exquisitely photographed and edited, with the simplest of images resonating profoundly. If you like films with a silent and contemplating mood, then I strongly recommend this one.
Away With Words [Summit] (product link) Art I REALLY liked this movie! Its combination of poetic moments and experimental editing makes it quite diferent from what you would expect for a first feature film. I guess I liked it so much because I understood some of the feelings expressed by the characters of the movie--after all, who hasn't questioned whether the choices that he/she made were the right ones? Who hasn't felt the urge to abandon our daily routine and escape to somewhere else? And yes, I LOVE beer!
To anyone who likes experimental cinema, I recommend this one.
Shark Skin Man And Peach Hip Girl (product link) Crime / Action/Adventure This is probably one of the strangest films I've ever seen, truly a yakuza movie like no other. Sure, it has a few points in common with all other yakuza flicks, but I've never seen gangsters like this anywhere else! From a guy who looks like an evil troll to the nerdiest hitman ever commited to screen, it's an incredible parade of unusual characters! The movie has a fairly good rhythm--a tad slow but with sudden outburts of energy--to keep your jaw fixed in the floor a little longer.
Rouge (product link) Drama / Ghost This is a very unusual film, despite the initial impression that it's going to be either a period love story or a simple ghost story. Instead, the movie is a melancholic and somewhat sad reflection of the passing of time, not only in the modernization of the city and the landscapes, but also in the way people live their lives and their relationships. I also liked the way the film develops, mixing the "modern" part of the story with the "past" part, intensifying that feeling of "things gone by" that pervades the movie. Higly recommended
I liked this movie a lot. Don't get me wrong, I'm not usually a fan of tearjerkers, or those teenage love stories that seem so much in fashion nowadays. And yet, this movie completely captivated me: it's very well executed, superbly interpreted (and, I add, surprinsingly so, given the young age of the two main actors), and it has a frankness that caught me totally by surprise! The whole movie is actually quite funny. There is a humorous stream that runs along the movie, popping up at the right time, but without ruining the more melancholic or more serious parts. It's a totally honest film, showing us the development of a relationship between two very different people, with all that comes along: laughing, having fun, sharing intimacy, having doubts (and in the particular case of this movie, shame). We stick with these characters, reviewing many of our own thougts and memories, finding things in common and others different, understanding some of the feelings that they're experiencing, because we've experienced them ourselves... and if the end of the movie seems, initially, tough to accept, ultimately we end up accepting it; because we understand that they move along with their lives, and that that doesn't means that their relantionship was futile, or easily forgettable...
Little Cheung (product link) Drama An interesting, if flawed, film set in bustling and socially chaotic Hong Kong. What I liked the most about this film was the fluid and dynamic camerawork, the reflection of the social conventions of Hong Kong and the fears and doubts of its inhabitants, the confrontation between the younger and the older generations, as well as the social restleness decorrent from things like immigration and criminality. The main flaws were, to me, essentially, a weak script, with a tendency to "disperse" for awhile; and the music, which felt, at times, overly sentimental. The acting was quite good, better than you'd expect, given that the movie is shot entirely with non-actors.
In conclusion, an interesting movie,wich gives you a glimpse at a society on the verge of change, through the eyes and lives of those who live in it.
I first watched this movie a long time ago, when I was starting to discover cinema in general, and Asian cinema in particular. I remember, in that particular week of having seen two movies that completely stunned me ("Chungking Express" and this, "The River"), leaving a strong desire to learn more about those directors and, in general, Asian cinema. Needless to say, Tsai Ming-Liang has become one of my favorite directors (as well as Wong Kar-Wai, for that matter)... So, why did this movie stun me? Well, at the time, I had never seen a film like this: carefully shot, deliberately paced, and thematically relevant. This movie about the disintegration of the nuclear family in modern society managed to encapsulate perfectly all the emotional coldness, and emptiness, that marked the family of the movie. Only when the son becomes severely ill (because of pollution) does the family reunite, for a while, while still aknowledging that the distance between them is too far. This is filmed in a way to make us feel the emotional detachment of the characters, as well as their inherent loneliness. Without a doubt, a modern masterpiece.
Durian, Durian [DVD] (product link) Art / Drama This is an interesting movie, along the lines of "Little Cheung" (in fact, it can almost be interpreted as a loose sequel, since both movies share a character). It also has a gritty, cinema-verité look, with a dynamic and always moving camera; and, of course, the story concerns the social (and personal) changes occurring in Hong Kong and mainland China around the time of the "handover". Whereas "Little Cheung" showed us the point of view of Hong Kong residents, "Durian Durian" shows the point of view of Chinese migrants, their search for a better life, and the illusion of Hong Kong as something of an "Eldorado", with well-paid jobs (the reality being significantly different). I actually enjoyed this movie a little bit more than "Little Cheung", and I think Fruit Chan is definitely a director worth checking out.
Cafe Lumiere (product link) Drama / Romance A quiet and meditative film about urban loneliness. It's an homage to Ozu, and quite an homage, since, from what I knom from Ozu, "Cafe Lumiere" refers to the same "restrainement" of emotions, and emotions more expressed through silence rather than dramatic (or sometimes melodramatic) expressionism. Another feeling that I've experienced watching this movie (and others by Hou Hsiao-Hsien) was a sense that my mind was..."wandering"--I mean drifting, as if I was at a cafe table, or taking the train with the characters, watching the events in the movie unfold in front of me.
All in all, I adored this movie, and I think Hou Hsiao-Hsien is one of the greatest filmmakers ever.
Tokyo Mary Gold (product link) Romance / Drama A movie about loneliness, and, on a certain level, about becoming independent, filmed with lyrical beauty. And, although the story itself is simple and pretty straightforward, the execution is sublime, heightening certain scenes to sheer visual poetry. This was my introduction to the work of Jun Ichikawa, and what an introduction!!
"Goodbye Dragon Inn" is one of my favourite movies by Tsai Ming Liang, where he, with is usual slow-paced and reflexive style, builds a film about the end of cinema, or, more accuretly, about the end of going to the cinema, the end of watching cult movies in traditional venues. In this film, most of the characters (i.e. the spectators of the final session of "Dragon Inn" in a cinema that's going to be demolished) all go to the cinema not to watch the movie, but to shelter from the pouring rain, or to look for gay encounters. In the almost empty room, few are actually watching the movie. Parallel to this, there's an understated love story between the projectionist and the ticket girl, told with great simplicity, with the rain as a constant bacground.
"The Missing" is a movie by Lee Kang-Sheng, the main actor of basically all of Tsai Ming Liang's movies. In this, his directorial debut, he makes quite an impressive feature, wich draws heavily on Tsai Ming Liang's cinematic style.
Yereru (product link) Drama An interesting film about an incident that changes the relationship between two brothers (and the rest of their family). The story is told mainly by the point of view of the younger brother, who left the family household to pursue his career in Tokyo. To me, this is the thing that I enjoyed most about the film: when the younger brother comes back to the small town where he grew up and sees that everybody has become exactly what he didn't want to become.. On the negative side, the movie is somewhat predictable, and some of the characters are also characterized in a simplistic manner.
I became curious about this film when I read that the director, Miwa Nishikawa, was an assistant director of Hirokazu Kore eda, and I wasn't disapointed by this effort. I'm interested in seeing what her next film will be like.
Chichi To Kuraseba [LE 2-Disc Box] (product link) Drama This movie was quite a surprise for me, since I haven't seen anything by Kazuo Kuroki (I first heard of him as the director of "Silence Has No Wings", apparently one of the best japanese movies ever!!). So, I was quite surprised: the movie is beautiful, a deceptively simple story of the relationship between a father and daughter. On a larger view, it's also a movie about surviving the atom bomb. The two main leads are fabulous, totally convincing, and portraying the father/daughter relationship with warm and empathy. The images are beautiful too: I could almost feel the heat of those afternoons...
Firefly Dreams (product link) Drama An interesting movie about growing up and also about friendship. It's very well filmed, with beautiful scenes (I would love to live in Ms. Koide's house!), with an interesting story (especially the part of the friendship between Ms. Koide and Naomi).
Rikyu (product link) Drama This is one of the last films of Hiroshi Teshigahara (he only made one more after this one, "Basara: The Princess Go"), and it was made after a "pause" of 17 years (in the meantime he was directing an Ikebana school). It's not as experimental as his previous films but has a slower, more meditative pace. It's about the relationship that forms between a Buddhis priest and a shogun, and between the different lives of each: flower arrangements and tea ceremonies for the priest; war and political schemes for the shogun.
In itself, the film is quite beautiful, and I was somewhat surprised by the differences between this and his previous films. Recommended!!
The Eric Khoo Box Set (product link) Drama / Comedy Two very interesting movies by Eric Khoo, who also directed the more widely known "Be With Me".
"Mee Pok Man" is is first feature, a tragic love story set in Singapore's lower depths. Despite having some good moments, it's still a somewhat amateurish effort, and I felt it was a bit too long. Still, it's an interesting story, with some nice moments.
"12 Storeys" is Eric Khoo's second film. Sort of a very loose sequel (the main event of the first feature is gossiped in this one), it's also a story deeply concerned with the social reality of Singapore and its inhabitants. I thought this movie was more refined, and a tad more humorous.
All in all, I liked both movies, as I had enjoyed "Be With Me". I think Eric Khoo is a very interesting filmmaker, emerging from a somewhat inexpected Asian country.
Robinson's Garden (product link) Drama / Fantasy An interesting story about alienation and escaping the world around us into a place of loneliness and quietness. Inspired by the idea of "Robinson Crusoe", the film follows Kumie, while she abandons her life (she's living in a purposefulness state, while around her there's the emergenge of AIDS and her friends being imprisoned) and "loses" herself in an abandoned garden on the outskirks of Tokyo.
Some of the images were quite beautiful, but the movie, in itself, is a little uneven. Still, I enjoyed it, and a think the whole idea is quite interesting.
The Burmese Harp (product link) War / Drama This is an excellent movie, and problably one of the most beautiful movies that I've seen. It's beautifully filmed, and the score (except for the choral singing, but I think that's metaphoric) is perfect. The story concerns one man's dealing with the aftermath of the war (a war in wich he participated), mainly all the death and abandon that is the direct result of the violence inherent to war itself. The way he finds to deal with it is quite unexpected, especially for those around him, including his company.
An excellent film that I enthusiastically recommend!
What if, in your town, suddenly all of the dead returned to life? You'd problably grab a gun and shoot 'em in the head, right? Well, this isn't a zombie flick, despite the fact that the dead are returning to life, not as rotting corpses with the munchies, but exactly like they were before they passed away. So, the question is: how do the families and loved ones, who have been grieving and mourning those who have gone, cope with their return? How do the "ressurected" come back to society?
It's an interesting question, and the idea, as a whole, is also very good, but unfortunately the film isn't quite as engaging as this idea might make it seem. It becomes too sentimental (spoiler alert: and that last J-Pop concert completely killed the mood for me). I enjoyed some of its moments, the more quiet and subdued ones, and the cinematography was okay, but in the end, I think this could have been a much better movie.
Moonlight Whispers (product link) Drama / Erotica Boy meets girl, and they fall in love. Seems a pretty straigthforward story, right? Well, not quite: the boy turns out to be a fetishist and a masochist; and the girl, after a initial reaction of repulsion, finds out she enjoys inflicting pain, both mental and physical, on the boy. Yet, this is told in a restrained way, not in an exploitative or titillating way, which makes the whole story more honest and poignant.
The leads land their parts quite well, especially the boy. So, this isn't a movie about teen bliss, but rather a reflection on the way individuals deal with themselves, and with society around them.
Late Spring [3-Disc Set] (product link) Drama / Art Probably my favorite film by Ozu, and the only one I've had the pleasure of watching in a actual cinema (this was the only film by Ozu that ever received commercial distribution here in Portugal. I saw it at a film festival). All of its themes are here: generation gap, changes in society, loneliness, and the separation of the family, treated with its trademark style, honed almost to perfection!
Secret [2000] [Film] (product link) Horror / Thriller An interesting horror (although metaphysical thriller might be more accurate) film from Korea. The cinematography is excellent, creating an atmosphere of mystery and uneasiness, emphasized by the slow pacing and moody score. Unfortunately, the final third of the film becomes too "sloppy", eventually leading to an unsatisfactory conclusion (at least in my opinion--I was hoping for more!!). Still, I enjoyed the movie very much, and I hope to see more from this director.
This movie was shown in a film festival here in Portugal a couple of years ago, and it created quite a fuss, being heavily criticized in the media and press. Words such as "perverse" and "disturbing" were often used. So, does the film really deserve all this criticism? Well, I can understand why the critics arose: indeed, the female teenage lead spends most of the picture half naked!! But, on the other hand, this is not used for titillation, but rather contextualized in a story about the sexual awakening in adolescents. Uncomfortable, yes; one might even question if this kind of approach was necessary, but I've seen far more "disturbing" things in some reality shows. Also, the movie is quite well filmed, the locations being the highlight here.
In the end I enjoyed the movie, the locations, the atmosphere, the story, and cinematography, and I think that it's a shame that it is more recognized by the controversy surrounding it than by its intrinsic value.
Charisma (product link) Drama / Mystery An interesting film, wich reminded me a lot of "Woman of the Dunes" by Hiroshi Teshigahara. It shares some points, like the reflection of the individual in society, and the conflict between different ideological groups within that same society, but the atmosphere of this film is different, and so its conclusion.
In the end, this is a rewarding film that keeps you guessing until its final moments.
Motel Cactus (product link) Drama / Erotica I really enjoyed this movie, one of the best Korean movies I've seen recently. The story is interesting and the cinematography striking (although I was kinda' expecting that, since the cinematographer is Chistopher Doyle). I guess that it has some parallels with the movies of Wong Kar Wai (it makes me wonder how much of Wong Kar Wai's style was influenced by Christopher Doyle, or vice-versa), but I strongly recommend it anyway!
Time (product link) Drama / Romance A movie about beauty and youth, and its influences in man/woman relationships.
The director, however, doesn't delve too deeply in the sociological or ideological issues of this theme, concentrating instead on showing the personal obsessions of the main character. The film is not without its flaws (mainly the weak characterization of the main couple), but its minimalist style and lyrical images make this one one of my personal favorites.
Some (product link) Mystery / Thriller Despite being a bit confusing in the beginning, it evolves into an interesting thriller, despite the fact that the most mysterious thing never quite gets an explanation. Still, there are worse ways of spending a rainy afternoon...
Camel(s) (product link) Art / Drama Excellent film from the director of "Motel Cactus". Both movies, however, couldn't be more different: whereas "Motel Cactus" has colorful, striking cinematography, this is filmed in black and white, in a minimalist sort of way; whereas "Motel Cactus" has a multitude of characters, and respective plots, this one follows a couple through a couple of days; and where "Motel Cactus" was a movie about love, this is a movie about loneliness and unhappiness. All in all, another great Jorean film!
Wild Life (product link) Crime / Comedy An interesting yakuza flick, which, not being revolutionary, goes in some unexpected directions. An innovative editing and some funny moments make it worth checking out.
A Heartful Of Love (product link) Romance / Drama A somewhat similar plot, and style, to "Yomigaeri", it has some interesting moments, but delves too longly in easy sentimentality and tearjerking mannerisms.
I've enjoyed some other films of Akihiko Shiota (and I'm anxious to see "Canary"), but I think this is the weakest I've seen from him so far.
Night And Fog In Japan (product link) Drama An important film in Japanese film history, not so much because of the film itself, but because this film got Nagisa Oshima fired from Sochiku (the studio were he worked then), thus giving him more creative freedom. Some of his best films were made immediately after this. This movie is also considered to be the first "nuberu bagu" ("Japanese New Wave") film. It's a reflection of the political and social turmoils of the 60's in Japan, and, though flawed, is historically interesting.
Samaria (product link) Drama / Erotica Interesting film about teenage prostitution, and about a father/daughter relationship. It's not the best I've seen from Kim Ki-Duk (“The Isle” or “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…Spring” are his best), but we still feel his strong visual style, despite the weak characterization of some of the characters.
Electric Dragon 80,000 V (product link) Action/Adventure / Science Fiction I enjoyed this movie a lot! Is one hell of a cinematic ride, with intense visuals and a potent soundtrack! The story is pretty straightforward but is told with an amazing style!
Dead End Run (product link) Action/Adventure / Thriller Another great movie by Teruo Ishii. It's similar to “Electric Dragon 80.000 V”, although this time we have three different stories, with the common point of all of them starting with the character running from someone, and ending up in a dead end (literal and metaphorical). Another similarity is the fact that the stories are told mainly through editing and music, with sparse dialog. The music is great, and I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoyed "Electric Dragon".
Tokyo Trash Baby (product link) Drama / Romance A movie about the search for love (or at least some semblance of it) through the waste of consumerism society. I thought that the whole idea of a girl rifling through the garbage of the guy she loves (or thinks she loves) to get to know him better was funny and original. Unfortunely, as she finds out, it's not enough to eat the same cereals or use the same shampoos to love (or be loved by) someone…
Hanging Garden (product link) Drama Great film about family life! Loved the cinematography, and the story! An interesting look at family life, and at its troubles and tribulations (especially tribulations).
The Power Of Kangwon Province (product link) Drama / Art Interesting film from Hong Sang-Soo. The style was somewhat reminiscent of Tsai Ming-Liang (although not as accomplished). It's a very simple movie, about relationships, and breaking up, set in the natural landscapes of Kangwon Province.
Seance (product link) Horror / Thriller Another good film by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Definitely he's great at creating the right environment. Mysterious and subtle, this is a movie that won't leave you indifferent!
The Suspended Step Of The Stork (product link) Drama / Romance Symbolic and higly reflexive, this is a movie about a group of people (mainly migrants, but also political refugees) forgotten by the government. Reminiscent of the cinematic style of Andreii Tarkovsky (Theo Angelopoulos has been said to carry the flame that Tarkovsky lighted), this is a slow-paced and meditative reflection on the lives of those who don't belong to any place.
The Boys From Fengkuei
One of Hou's first films. Despite the roughness around the edges, we see his style emerging in the history of four childhood friends, and their passage to adulthood.
A Summer's at Grandpa's
One of my favourite of Hou's films, it's a simple and bittersweet story about two kids (brother and sister) and their summer in their grandpa's house, in the country, far from the city.
A Time to Live and a Time to Die
The first "acclaimed" masterpiece of Hou Hsiao-Hsien, this is a strongly autobiographical account of the lives of Chinese migrants in Taipei in the 40's. Episodic and detached, it focuses on the generation gap on a family of said migrants.
Dust in the Wind
Also one of my favorites by Hou, it's again a story about migration, and culture shock. Wan and his girlfriend move from the tiny village where they live to Taipei, to find better jobs, but soon feel the strains of the new world they discover.
The Puppetmaster
This is a film about the childhood and early adulthood of Taiwanese Puppet Master Li Tien-Lu. Strongly reflexive, and interspersed with footage from his puppet and stage presentations, this is a very layered movie, reflecting such themes as immigration, art, and life.
Good Men Good Woman
A serious reflection on life and its turmoils, this is also a very interesting film, and one where Hou's style is at its most distinctive.
Goodbye South, Goodbye
A film centered around the underclass of Taiwan, it tells the story of a group of friends, who are more or less gangsters, and more or less shady businessman, and their troubles and tribulations.
Flowers of Shangai
Set in the nineteenth century Shanghai Brothels (the Flower Houses), this is a very beautiful film about love, servitude, and the correlations of power between those who live and serve and those who "attend" the houses.
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