Feeling Mighty Fine

Post Roland Garros, Wimbledon, a very exciting FIFA Women's World Cup, the first half of the new series of Doctor Who and sleep...the time for rabid film watching returns. While I'm catching up on films sitting on the shelf collecting dust, I'll be offering up a list of films I'm looking forward to seeing. This time, Hong Sangsoo's The Day He Arrives and Wong Kar-wai's The Grandmasters.



Hong Sangsoo's The Day He Arrives

South Korean Director & Writer Hong Sangsoo is the most important working director. His films are reminiscent of the late French Director Eric Rohmer, while retaining a unique style, and South Korean feel. His latest completed film (he already has another, untitled, film in production) The Day He Arrives saw initial release at the Cannes Film Festival. Look for it on Korean dvd sometime later this year.

If you (yes, you) haven't seen any of Hong's films, you should. To employ hyperbole, he is perhaps on par with the five greatest directors in the history of cinema. Those five: Kurosawa Akira, Eric Rohmer, Fritz Lang, Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles.

Hong Sangsoo's Filmography:
The Day a Pig Fell into the Well
The Power of Kangwon Province
Virgin Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors
On the Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate
Woman is the Future of Man
Tale of Cinema
Woman on the Beach
Night And Day
Like You Know It All
Hahaha
Oki's Movie
The Day He Arrives



Wong Kar-wai's The Grandmasters

Hong Kong Director & Writer Wong Kar-wai is one of the finest film directors in Hong Kong, and the world. Ever since his poorly received previous film, My Blueberry Nights, the interet has been buzzing with anticipation for Wong's dramatic Biopic of Wing Chun Master Ip Man. Finally, it has been reported that the film, The Grandmasters, is all but ready for release.

The film stars long-time Wong collaborator Tony Leung Chiu-wai as Master Ip Man. While Hong Kong has recently seen three action-oriented films about the legendary Wing Chun Master (Ip Man, Ip Man 2, & the semi-prequel The Legend is Born: Ip Man), Wong's film should prove to be less aggrandizing, and more dramatic. One should see this film upon its eventual release because it's a Wong Kar-wai film about Ip Man starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai. For those that don't know, that is about as exciting as a film can get.

Wong Kar-wai's Filmography:
As Tears Go By
Days of Being Wild
Ashes of Time
Chungking Express
Fallen Angels
Happy Together
In the Mood for Love
2046
Eros: The Hand (anthology)
My Blueberry Nights
Ashes of Time: Redux
The Grandmasters



That's it for now. Check back regularly for the next four posts (two films each) of films I'm looking forward to seeing. I may slip in a post or two about films I have seen, as well.