Happy New Year

Happy New Year, a few days late (just like this post). I've been busy actually watching films, which has gotten in the way of my babbling about them. However, just for you dear readers of this blog, the babbling shall begin again with my thoughts on An Autumn's Tale, Mongol, Memories of Murder, and This Charming Girl.

An Autumn's Tale
Directed by Mabel Cheung, starring Chow Yun-Fat and Cherie Chung.

Hong Kong student Jennifer (Chung) travels to New York to study and to be closer to her boyfriend. Unfortunately for Jennifer, her boyfriend has moved on. Virtually alone in a new place, Jennifer is aided by her distant cousin Figurehead (Chow), who shows her how to navagate the city and life.

An Autumn's Tale runs the gaunlet of emotions, with action, comedy, drama, and romance. Chung puts forth a decent performance, as do the members of the supporting cast, but it's Chow that really sticks out. As the figurehead of a group of immigrants, Chow's smug demeanor and the brashness of his character exudes cool. Because of Chow's charisma and the charming story, Cheung's tale of longing and love is well worth seeing.

Mongol
Directed by Sergei Bodrov, starring Tadanobu Asano, Honglei Sun, and Khulan Chuluun.

Based on the life of Genghis Khan, Mongol follows the early years of Temüjin, chronicling his rise to power as leader of the Mongol Empire. Despite what one might expect, Mongol is not an action film. Though there is a fair amount of warfare, Mongol isn't as much about the warrior Temüjin, as it is about the strength of a man and the woman who loves him. Bodrov's use of breathtaking landscapes and human emotions makes the character of Temüjin feel less like a distant piece of history and more like a person. Whether true to history or not, Bodrov's take of the great Mongol leader is an engrossing film.

Memories of Murder
Directed by Bong Joon-ho, starring Song Kang-ho, Kim Sang-Kyung, and other people.

Based on a true story about the first known serial killings in South Korea, Memories of Murder follows the lead police investigators as they fight against each other's differing investigative styles, and against time, to catch the killer and save lives. Bong and company have crafted a great, dark thriller, with excellent performances from leads Song Kang-ho and Kim Sang-Kyung.

This Charming Girl
Directed by Lee Yoon-ki, starring Kim Ji-soo and Hwang Jung-min.

An excellent film about a girl that has closed herself off emotionally due to a trauma she is incapable of dealing with. Lee's direction and all the other aspects of the film serve as a backdrop for Kim's incredible performance. Kim's ability to portray a wide range of emotions with little dialogue and even less of a plot is nothing short of remarkable. Though it is a bit slow going, This Charming Girl is just as the title implies, and well worth seeing.

Next time:
YPF (beware of explicit language)
Naked Ambition