Something to Look Forward to, '010

Time for a post about three films I'm looking forward to seeing.

On with the films:


Love In A Puff
Directed by Edmond Pang Ho-cheung, starring Miriam Yeung and Shawn Yue.

What it is:
The latest feature from Edmond Pang Ho-cheung.

Why I'm excited:
He's one of my favorite directors. I've at least liked all of his films, and I've really enjoyed most, including Isabella, which is one of my favorite films. He hasn't released a new film since '07, so I can't wait for Love In A Puff to come out on dvd. If that weren't enough (it is), Pang has another feature, Dream Home, coming out this year as well. It's a good year.


Go Lala Go!
Directed by Xu Jinglei, starring Xu Jinglei, other people.

What it is:
The latest, and fourth, film from Actress-Writer-Director-Super-Blogger Xu Jinglei.

Why I'm excited:
Xu is one of my favorite directors. Her second feature, Letter From An Unknown Woman, is one of my favorite stories by Author Stefan Zweig, and an excellent film. Xu followed up her touching debut, My Father & I, with the Zweig adaptation, and then followed with her third feature, Dreams may come.

Back in July of '08, during this blog's infancy, I wrote the following about Xu's third film:
"Director/Writer/Actress/Super-Blogger Xu Jinglei's third feature , Dreams May Come is an amazing film, in which nothing really happens. Xu stars as an actress in a television series, who goes to the series' director's hotel room to tell him she wants to quit the show. What follows is roughly 100 minutes of conversation, during which both characters comment on how they see themselves, each other, and the world.

Its a deceptively simple film that manages to engage and even enthrall, in spite of the seemingly pretentious concept. I had been looking forward to seeing this film for a long time, having liked Xu's first film, My Father and I, and loved her second film, Letter From an Unknown Woman. Fortunately, my high expectations were exceed, and I was treated to one of the best films I've seen this year, and probably ever."

It is safe to say I'm a pretty big fan of Xu's work. So it's fairly obvious that I'd be excited to see her latest film.


Crossing Hennessey
Directed by Ivy Ho, starring Jacky Cheung and Tang Wei.

What it is:
Ivy Ho's second feature film.

Why I'm excited:
Back when I posted the first "Something to Look Forward to" I listed Ho's debut feature, Claustrophobia, as one of the films I was looking forward to seeing. As with her first film, Ho is taking on the writing duties in addition to sitting in the director's chair. For Crossing Hennessey, she re-teams with July Rhapsody star Jacky Cheung. She also works with Tang Wei, who was propelled high into the world of film following her great performance in Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution."

Although I wasn't blow away with Ivy Ho's Claustrophobia the first time I viewed the film, subsequent viewings proved to be much more engaging. After seeing it a few times, I came to appreciate Ho's ability as a director. So, I'm pretty excited about seeing her newest film.

Check back relatively soon for more thoughts from me about film(s).

Amusement

Once again, I've fallen behind in my reviewing/providing snarky, short descriptions of the films I've seen. The following films will receive painfully short descriptions, so that I might get a bit caught up on the over fifty films I've yet to post. Here goes:

Tale of Cinema
South Korean Director Hong Sangsoo's 6th feature film, Tale of Cinema, is an engaging film that, like all of Hong's work, features a simple plot and complex characterization. It's also very good.

Vampires
What can I say about John Carpenter's Vampires? It's enjoyable if one has been drinking. Heavily.

Days of Being Wild
Wong Kar-wai's first foray into cinematic romance. Few films have captured love and it's pangs as beatifully as Wong's second feature, and of those few films, most were directed by Wong.

Dreams may come
Little happens in director/actress/super-blogger Xu Jinglei's third feature, but the conversation between the two main characters that comprises the film is far more insightful than the premise would suggest. A wonderful film, from an incredible director.

Woman Is the Future of Man
The fifth film from Director Hong Sangsoo, Woman Is the Future of Man is what one would expect from Hong, a great film that affects more than seems possible.

Police, adjective
A Romanian film about choices. One of my favorite films of 2009.

Yesterday
An unispired serial killer/sci-fi flick that manages to entertain, despite being somewhat convoluted.

Avatar
A waste of time and money.

Nightwatch
Danish Director Ole Bornedal's American remake of his Danish film, Nattevagten. A decent horror flick that fails to impress as much as the original.

Nattevagten
Shocking and frightening, Bornedal's original Nightwatch film, Nattevagten, is one of the finest horror films created.

The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
A great black comedy from Romania about healthcare that goes beyond complaining and points out the ugly side of humanity.

À bout de souffle
Jean-Luc Godard's first and finest film, À bout de souffle (a.k.a. Breathless) helped usher in La Nouvelle Vague, and showed audiences that all one needs for a good story, is a girl and a gun. A great director doesn't hurt.

Seven Samurai
Akira Kurosawa's samurai epic. Duh.

Scandal
Like much of Kurosawa's work, Scandal was astonishing upon it's release, and still is today.

I Live In Fear
Kurosawa's film about living in fear of nuclear holocaust is 55 years old, and, like Scandal, still terribly relevant.

The Idiot
Akira Kurosawa's filmic version of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's The Idiot is, much like the source material, a great work. Unfortunately, the studio cut the 265 mintue film down to 166 minutes, and the missing 99 minutes are most likely lost forever.

Thirst
Bong Joon-ho's vampiric drama is one of the best vampire films ever made, and one of my favorite films from 2009.

The Substitute
An excellent horror-drama from Danish Director Ole Bornedal.

Fong Sai-yuk
Classic Hong Kong Cinema.

Next time, I'll share my thoughts on a few films that I'm looking forward to seeing.

Best of '09

My picks for the best films of 2009:


Wai Ka-fai's Written by

Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker

Park Chan-wook's Thirst

Lu Chuan's City of Life and Death

Hong Sangsoo's Like You Know It All

Herman Yau's Split Second Murders

Hur Jin-ho's A Good Rain Knows

Corneliu Porumboiu's Police, adjective

Boo Ji-young's Sisters On the Road

John Woo's Red Cliff

Sam Raimi's Drag Me To Hell

Almost There

This post was originally going to be a list of films that I consider to be the best of 2009. However, there is at least one film left that I have yet to see that may change my list. So, I'm going to hold off on my best of list post for about a week so I can see the film. Until then, enjoy my thoughts on two South Korean films about hopeful athletes.



Take Off -(Director's Cut)
Directed by Kim Yong-hwa, starring Ha Jung-woo, Sung Dong-il, Kim Ji-suk, Kim Dong-wook, Choi Jae-hwan, and Lee Jae-eung.

An immensely enjoyable, fictionalized account of the formation of South Korea's ski jump team, and their efforts to enter the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.



Forever the Moment
Directed by Lim Soon-rye, starring Kim Jung-eun, Moon So-ri, and Uhm Tae-woong.

I'm too lazy to re-review this film, so please enjoy the following thoughts, which I posted last March:

"Following the completion of the regular season of Women's Handball in South Korea, a group of veteran players are forced to evalute their lives. Though they won the league championship, their team has been disbanded, and there are hard feelings amongst the women, as some have been selected to play for the national team in the Summer Games, while most have not. And, for some, handball must take a back seat to the trials and tribulations of life.

Once those selected arrive at training camp, they have to deal with a seemingly unkind and uncaring coach. Having played with her players on previous national teams, the coach is seen as unworthy, and is treated as such. However, she soon wins the players over with her kindness and strength, only to be replaced as coach by another former player, who is also her ex-fiance.

With the encouragement of her former players, she joins the team as a playe herself, and they all help each other sort out personal affairs in preparation for the Summer Games. Unfortunately, being mentally ready and in good physical shape may not be enough, as the new coach has a chip on his shoulder, and a strong distaste for the veteran players. Facing the start of the Summer Games, the players and the coach must come to believe in themselves, and each other, in order to compete for gold.

Based on true events, Forever the Moment tells the filmic tale of the South Korean Women's Handball Team's preparation for, and participation in, the 2004 Summer Games. There's drama, determination, sweat, and, you guessed it, handball. While cinematic depictions of sports teams overcoming adversity are hardly a rarity, Forever the Moment does manage to go beyond standard fare, eschewing over-the-top high-impact action-oriented scenes for touches of drama and, dare I say, humanity. Suffice it to say, Forever the Moment is very good."

Opened Up

This time, I provide brief descriptions for South Korean Director Hong Sangsoo's Turning Gate and Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker, point out some of the flaws of Paranormal Activity, provide praise for South Korean films Possessed and A Million, and complain about Ditto and The Doll Master. Enjoy.



Turning Gate
(a.k.a. On the Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate)
Directed by Hong Sangsoo, starring Kim Sang-Kyung, Chu Sang-Mi, Ye Ji-Won, and Kim Hak-Sun.

In January of '09 I wrote:
"Turning Gate is a great film about self relfection, with strong performances, and assured direction. Most definitely worth seeing."

I think that nicely sums up Hong Sangsoo's Turning Gate.


The Hurt Locker
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, starring Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and Brian Geraghty.

An incredibly intense film from one of the best directors. I highly recommended it.


Paranormal Activity
Directed by Oren Peli, starring Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat.

Several people urged me to see Parnormal Activity in theaters, but I just didn't find the time. I finally watched it on dvd, and I was neither scared, nor impressed. Not only was Paranormal Activity an inappropriately titled film (as little paranormal activity occurs), it was also damn near unwatchable. I can't recall any other film that bored me as much as Paranormal Activity. It's a poorly directed, horrendously acted mess of a film.


Possessed
(a.k.a. Living Death; a.k.a. Faith)
Directed by Lee Yong-joon, starring Nam Sang-mi, Shim Eun-kyung, Ryu Seung-ryong, and Kim Bo-yeon.

In a word, excellent. Possessed is a clever thriller in which demonic possession and religious faith are put under the proverbial microscope. At times frightening and thought-provoking, Possessed is creepy goodness.


A Million
Directed by Jo Min-ho, starring Shin Min-ah, Park Hae-il, and Park Hee-soon.

A group of strangers (which appears to be almost entirely comprised of assholes) is lured to the middle of nowhere and forced to survive while being hunted by a lunatic. A Million isn't revelatory in any way, but it is well acted, and at times intense. For a survival horror flick, A Million is better than average.


Ditto
Directed by Kim Jong-kwon, written by Jang Jin and Kim Jong-kwon, starring Kim Ha-neul, Yoo Ji-tae, Ha Ji-won, and Park Yong-woo.

Two love-lorn college students from different times find each other via a malfunctioning ham radio.

The first time I watched Ditto, the dvd stopped working with twenty minutes left. Up to that point in the film, I enjoyed most of what had transpired. A couple weeks later (after buying another dvd of Ditto), I re-watched it with the ending. While it was nice to be able to see the complete film, I think it was better without the ending, which wrapped things up in an unsatisfying manner. Despite a less than spectacular finish, Ditto is a decent film.


The Doll Master
Directed by Jeong Yong-gi.

A forgettable and disjointed horror flick where dolls come to life. The Doll Master is an okay time waster, but that's about it.



Check back soon for my picks for the best films of '09.

Hong Kong Quad

This time, it's all Hong Kong films, with Kung Fu Chefs, Poker King, Rebellion, and The First 7th Night.



Kung Fu Chefs
Directed by Ken Yip, starring Sammo Hung, Vanness Wu, Cherrie Ying,

An enjoyable time-waster with plenty of cooking related kung-fu, and the always Cherrie Ying. Those looking for a really funny paraody of the television cooking craze should check-out Stephen Chow's God of Cookery.


Poker King
Directed by Chan Hing-kai and Janet Chun, starring Louis Koo, Lau Ching-wan, Stephy Tang, Cherrie Ying, Josie Ho, Jo Koo, Wong Yau-nam, Kama, and Lam Suet.

A silly psuedo-parady of poker and it's popularity. Louis Koo and Lau Ching-wan manage to pull off another amusing HK comedy due to their acting ability and chemistry. The rest of the cast performs ably as well.


Rebellion
Directed by Herman Yau, starring Shawn Yue, Elanne Kong, Chapman To, and Ada Choi.

Rebellion isn't the best of Herman Yau's films, but it's one of four of his films released in '09. For a triad pic, Rebellion isn't bad, it just isn't special enough to be considered really good.


The First 7th Night
Directed by Herman Yau, starring Gordon Lam Ka-tung, Michelle Ye, Julian Cheung, Eddie Cheung, Fung Hark-on, and Tony Ho.

My favorite of the four Herman Yau films released in 2009. Back in July of '09, I wrote:
"I liked so many things about the film, but I especially enjoyed Gordon Lam's performance, and the story upon it's conclusion.I hope that this is just the first in a series of 7th Night films, as the title suggests. Yau's directed is superb, and the film turned out to be far more thoughtful and interesting than I expected."

After having watched The First 7th Night again, I still feel that way. For those that want to know and don't, the four films from Director Herman Yau that were released in 2009 were (in no particular order): The First 7th Night, Turning Point, Split Second Murders, and Rebellion.


That's it for now. Check back soon for my thoughts on Turning Gate, The Hurt Locker, Paranormal Activity, Possessed, A Million, Ditto, and The Doll Master.

Sooner or Later

I'm 33 films behind, so it's short descriptions for this post.


The Day A Pig Fell Into the Well
Directed by Hong Sangsoo, starring Kim Eui-sung, Jo Eun-suk, Lee Eung-kyung, and Park Jin-song.

South Korean Director Hong Sangsoo's directorial debut is an incredible film. I highly recommend it.


The Housemaid
Directed by Kim Ki-young, starring Kim Jin-kyu, Ju Jeung-ryu, and Lee Eun-sim.

Kim Ki-young's The Housemaid is an interesting thriller that feels a bit like a Hitchcock film.


Blazing Saddles
Directed by Mel Brooks, starring Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn, Slim Pickens, and Mel Brooks.

Mel Brooks makes funny films.


Bandhobi
Directed by Shin Dong-il, starring Baek Jin-hee, and Mahbub Alam Pollob.

Director Shin's third film, Bandhobi, failed to impress me. Just like in his sophomore feature, My Friend & His Wife, Shin's ability isn't as fresh or crisp as it was in his first film, Host & Guest.


I Wish I Had A Wife
Directed by Park Heung-sik, starring Jeon Do-yeon, and Sol Kyung-Gu.

A charming rom-com that features an excellent performance from lead actress Jeon Do-yeon.


Like You Know It All
Directed by Hong Sangsoo, starring Kim Tae-woo, co-starring Ko Hyun-jung, Uhm Ji-won, Ha Jung-woo.

One of Hong Sangsoo's latest films, Like You Know It All is a fine piece of art. The direction is top notch and the actors are all outstanding. I particularly enjoyed Ha Jung-woo's supporting role.


Iri
Directed by Zhang Lu, starring Yoon Jin-suh, and Uhm Tae-woong.

Not an easy film to watch, Iri follows the fractured lives of a pair of siblings as they struggle to cope with every day life. Iri is a complicated film that is both depressing and hopeful.


Invictus
Directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Morgan Freeman, and Matt Damon.

Clint Eastwood made yet another really good film.


Up In the Air
Directed by Jason Reitman, starring George Clooney, Anna Kendrick, Vera Farmiga, and Jason Bateman.

Jason Reitman's third film, Up In the Air, is better than his previous films, Thank You For Smoking and Juno; both of which were good.



Check back soon for my thoughts on Kung Fu Chefs, Poker King, Rebellion, The First 7th Night, Turning Gate, The Hurt Locker, Paranormal Activity, Possessed, and A Million.