After a not-so-brief hiatus, the posts are back. This time, just a list of films that I won't be reviewing because I'm too lazy, and it has been too long for me to remember specifics about the films. However, I liked them all. Anyway, the films are:
The Beast Stalker
True Women for Sale
All About Women
The Good, the Bad, the Weird
Winds of September
Troublesome Night 7
Troublesome Night
Beastie Boys
The Letter
Cape No.7
till death do us part
In the coming days, check out regular-size posts for:
The Chaser
Public Enemy
Address Unknown
Breath
Ba-Bo
Heartbreak Library
Forever the Moment
The Restless
Bloody Tie
Road Movie
Black House
Shiri
You Are My Sunshine
28 February, 2009
07 February, 2009
Sitting on the Shelf
This time: My laziness and apathy take over, almost completely. Instead of giving semi-intelligent comments on the following 13 films, I'm going to give super-short comments. Thusly, this entry will be short, easy to read, and kinda lame. Anywho, on with the films:
Assembly
A great film.
Samaritan Girl
Pretty good, mostly weird.
Up the Yangtze
The best documentary I've seen in a long time.
9413
Good.
49 Days
Stupid, but an okay way to kill time.
The Twins Effect
Another stupid, but okay way to kill time.
First Name: Carmen
Jean-Luc Godard decided he'd made enough good films, so he tried his hand at making crap. He succeeded.
Jade Goddess of Mercy
A pretty good drama, with a great performance from Vicki Zhao Wei.
Ad Lib Night
A great, affecting drama from Lee Yoon-ki.
Comeuppance
An okay black comedy - drama from Milkway Image.
Public Toilet
Fruit Chan's entertainingly self-indulgent film about...something.
Super Troopers
Super funny.
Iron Man
For a film, Iron Man is pretty good. For a comic book flick, Iron Man is amazing. And yes, it's better than The Dark Knight.
Next time, assuming someone doesn't kill me for dissing the latest Batman film, things will return to normal with longer posts that feature a wealth of information, whether it's useful or not.
Assembly
A great film.
Samaritan Girl
Pretty good, mostly weird.
Up the Yangtze
The best documentary I've seen in a long time.
9413
Good.
49 Days
Stupid, but an okay way to kill time.
The Twins Effect
Another stupid, but okay way to kill time.
First Name: Carmen
Jean-Luc Godard decided he'd made enough good films, so he tried his hand at making crap. He succeeded.
Jade Goddess of Mercy
A pretty good drama, with a great performance from Vicki Zhao Wei.
Ad Lib Night
A great, affecting drama from Lee Yoon-ki.
Comeuppance
An okay black comedy - drama from Milkway Image.
Public Toilet
Fruit Chan's entertainingly self-indulgent film about...something.
Super Troopers
Super funny.
Iron Man
For a film, Iron Man is pretty good. For a comic book flick, Iron Man is amazing. And yes, it's better than The Dark Knight.
Next time, assuming someone doesn't kill me for dissing the latest Batman film, things will return to normal with longer posts that feature a wealth of information, whether it's useful or not.
02 February, 2009
Not Too Late
This time, it's all Korean films, with Director Lee Yoon-ki's latest My Dear Enemy, Kim Ki-duk's Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...And Spring, and melodrama Lost in Love. Unlike last time, these are shorter descriptions.
My Dear Enemy
Directed by Lee Yoon-ki, starring Jeon Do-yeon, and Ha Jung-woo.
A woman finds her ex-boyfriend and demands that he return money he borrowed from her a year before. She then follows him around as he borrows from various people he has met. Along the way, she finds out things she didn't know about him, and maybe a bit about herself.
An incredibly emotive film that is never boring throughout it's two-hour running time. Jeon Do-yeon is incredible, in a role that requires her to behave in an unlikeable manner, and yet still evoke sympathy and understanding. Walking the fine line of idosyncracy and realism, Lee's latest film is his best yet, and one of the best films of 2008.
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...And Spring
Directed by Kim Ki-duk, starring Oh Yeong-su, Kim Ki-duk, Kim Young-min, Seo Jae-kyeong, Ha Yeo-jin, and Kim Jong-ho.
The circle of life wonderfully unfolds through the lessons learned and taught by a monk living in a remote area. The actors put for great performances, as does Kim in both his acting and directing capacities, bringing about an engrossing experience.
Lost in Love
Directed by Choo Chang-min, starring Song Yoon-ah, and Sol Kyung-gu.
A somewhat muddled melodrama about falling in love at the wrong time. The acting and direction in Lost in Love are both fine, but feel a bit manufactured, causing the film to wear thin over it's two hours. For a weepy about failed opportunties, Lost in Love is enjoyable, and at the very least, serviceable.
Coming up this week, I'll do my best to get caught up on the films I watched in January, by rambling on about:
Assembly
Samaritan Girl
Up the Yangtze
9413
49 Days
The Twins Effect
First Name: Carmen
Jade Goddess of Mercy
Ad Lib Night
Comeuppance
Public Toilet
My Dear Enemy
Directed by Lee Yoon-ki, starring Jeon Do-yeon, and Ha Jung-woo.
A woman finds her ex-boyfriend and demands that he return money he borrowed from her a year before. She then follows him around as he borrows from various people he has met. Along the way, she finds out things she didn't know about him, and maybe a bit about herself.
An incredibly emotive film that is never boring throughout it's two-hour running time. Jeon Do-yeon is incredible, in a role that requires her to behave in an unlikeable manner, and yet still evoke sympathy and understanding. Walking the fine line of idosyncracy and realism, Lee's latest film is his best yet, and one of the best films of 2008.
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...And Spring
Directed by Kim Ki-duk, starring Oh Yeong-su, Kim Ki-duk, Kim Young-min, Seo Jae-kyeong, Ha Yeo-jin, and Kim Jong-ho.
The circle of life wonderfully unfolds through the lessons learned and taught by a monk living in a remote area. The actors put for great performances, as does Kim in both his acting and directing capacities, bringing about an engrossing experience.
Lost in Love
Directed by Choo Chang-min, starring Song Yoon-ah, and Sol Kyung-gu.
A somewhat muddled melodrama about falling in love at the wrong time. The acting and direction in Lost in Love are both fine, but feel a bit manufactured, causing the film to wear thin over it's two hours. For a weepy about failed opportunties, Lost in Love is enjoyable, and at the very least, serviceable.
Coming up this week, I'll do my best to get caught up on the films I watched in January, by rambling on about:
Assembly
Samaritan Girl
Up the Yangtze
9413
49 Days
The Twins Effect
First Name: Carmen
Jade Goddess of Mercy
Ad Lib Night
Comeuppance
Public Toilet
28 January, 2009
Turnabout
As promised, way back when, things are finally returning to form. This time, it's a film from The French New Wave with Bande à part, and a taste of Hong Kong horror in the form of Troublesome Night 6. As I mentioned, things are back to normalishness (it's a word, now) with lengthier descriptions of the films. Enjoy.
Bande à part
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard, starring Anna Karina, Sami Frey, and Claude Brasseur.
Odile (Karina), a bored and beautiful young woman, discovers that a guest in her aunt's house has a large amount of money stored in his room. She lets slip to Franz (Claude Brasseur), a classmate in her English class, that the large sum is often left unattended. In turn, Franz tells his friend Arthur (Frey). Soon, Franz and Arthur hatch a plot to steal the cash, with Odile's help. As they plot with one another to steal the money, Arthur plots against Franz to steal Odile's heart.
"All you need for a movie is a girl and a gun." - Jean-Luc Godard
Staying true to the mantra he first followed with his feature film debut À bout de souffle, Godard creates yet another masterpiece. The deceptive simplicity of the film allows one to become immersed in the fictional world, perpetuating the familiarity of the rebellious nature of The French New Wave, of which Godard was a founder. For an example of The French New Wave, for an immersive fimic experience, or just for a good time, pick up a copy of Bande à part.
Troublesome Night 6
Directed by Herman Yau, starring Louis Koo, Simon Liu, Gigi Lai, Amanda Lee, Wayne Lai, Nadia Chan, Ng Chi-Kwan.
Koo and the gang star as cops in the sixth installment of the Troublesome Night series. For the outing, the story revolves around a group of tabloid reporters who are being killed off by the ghost of a former celebrity. In the previous year, the reporters had hounded the ghost when she was still corporeal, leading her to take a swan dive off the roof of a club.
Having been a celebrity fills the ghost with an exorbitant amount of ectoplasmic ego, leading to her self-righteous retribution. The only thing standing in the way of the murderous spirit and the completion of her quest are Koo & Co. The Tanned-One and his fellow detectives must find a way to stop the angry apparition to save the reporters, save the police deparment's image, and save one of their own.
As with Troublesome Night 1-5, Yau, Koo, and everyone else involved have created an enjoyable, if unnecessary, film. Though it lacks the silliness of some of the previous Troublesome Night films, Troublesome Night 6 is a fairly good flick, with a creepy feel to it. With the silliness gone, and a group of seasoned actors, Troublesome Night 6 proves to be a decent HK horror-flick.
Next time:
My Dear Enemy
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...And Spring
Bande à part
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard, starring Anna Karina, Sami Frey, and Claude Brasseur.
Odile (Karina), a bored and beautiful young woman, discovers that a guest in her aunt's house has a large amount of money stored in his room. She lets slip to Franz (Claude Brasseur), a classmate in her English class, that the large sum is often left unattended. In turn, Franz tells his friend Arthur (Frey). Soon, Franz and Arthur hatch a plot to steal the cash, with Odile's help. As they plot with one another to steal the money, Arthur plots against Franz to steal Odile's heart.
"All you need for a movie is a girl and a gun." - Jean-Luc Godard
Staying true to the mantra he first followed with his feature film debut À bout de souffle, Godard creates yet another masterpiece. The deceptive simplicity of the film allows one to become immersed in the fictional world, perpetuating the familiarity of the rebellious nature of The French New Wave, of which Godard was a founder. For an example of The French New Wave, for an immersive fimic experience, or just for a good time, pick up a copy of Bande à part.
Troublesome Night 6
Directed by Herman Yau, starring Louis Koo, Simon Liu, Gigi Lai, Amanda Lee, Wayne Lai, Nadia Chan, Ng Chi-Kwan.
Koo and the gang star as cops in the sixth installment of the Troublesome Night series. For the outing, the story revolves around a group of tabloid reporters who are being killed off by the ghost of a former celebrity. In the previous year, the reporters had hounded the ghost when she was still corporeal, leading her to take a swan dive off the roof of a club.
Having been a celebrity fills the ghost with an exorbitant amount of ectoplasmic ego, leading to her self-righteous retribution. The only thing standing in the way of the murderous spirit and the completion of her quest are Koo & Co. The Tanned-One and his fellow detectives must find a way to stop the angry apparition to save the reporters, save the police deparment's image, and save one of their own.
As with Troublesome Night 1-5, Yau, Koo, and everyone else involved have created an enjoyable, if unnecessary, film. Though it lacks the silliness of some of the previous Troublesome Night films, Troublesome Night 6 is a fairly good flick, with a creepy feel to it. With the silliness gone, and a group of seasoned actors, Troublesome Night 6 proves to be a decent HK horror-flick.
Next time:
My Dear Enemy
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...And Spring
22 January, 2009
Running
This time, a slew of films of varying quality. Coincidentally enough, the same description can be used for my commments on the films, which are all fairly short again. Anywho, on with the films:
Overnight
A documentary about the rise and fall of Troy Duffy, director of The Boondock Saints. If you haven't heard the tale of Duffy's dream-like rise to hollywood fame, and his even more famous fall from the limelight, you should check Overnight out. Though there are some minor issues, such as the quality of the equipment used, Overnight is a decent documentary. However, Troy Duffy is pretty much a horrible person.
Driving Miss Wealthy
Directed by James Yuen, starring Lau Ching-Wan, and Gigi Leung.
Somewhat entertaining crap.
Playboys Cops
Directed by Jingle Ma, starring Shawn Yue, Aloys Chen, Shaun Tam, and Linda Chung.
Rich kid-cops investigate a murder. Playboy Cops is over-the-top, but it's still a decent cop drama.
Mr. Cinema
Directed by Samson Chiu, starring Anthony Wong, Ronald Cheng, Karen Mok, and Teresa Mo.
Chiu and Co. have crafted a fine film about family and differing perspectives.
Curiosity Kills the Cat
Directed by Zhang Yibai, starring Carina Lau, Hu Jun, Lin Yuan, Liao Fan, and Song Jia.
A good, though somewhat muddled thriller from one of China's best directors.
Red Sorghum
Directed by Zhang Yimou, starring Gong Li, Jiang Wen, and Ten Rujun.
An excellent film. Just watch it.
Hélas pour moi
(aka Oh, Woe Is Me) Directed by Jean-Luc Godard, starring Gérard Depardieu, Laurence Masliah, and Bernard Verley.
A intelligent film about belief. What the belief is (or isn't) in depends on the viewer.
Troublesome Night 4
Directed by Herman Yau, starring Louis Koo, Pauline Suen, Cheung Tat-Ming, Lai Yiu-Cheung, Simon Liu, Timmy Hung, Emily Kwan, Marianne Chan Miu-Ying, Karen Tong Bo-Yu, and Aya Meder.
Mediocre Hong Kong horror flick starring the Tanned One, Louis Koo, before he became a household name in select households in some parts of the world.
Troublesome Night 5
Directed by Herman Yau, starring Louis Koo, Amanda Lee, Lai Yiu-Cheung, Simon Liu, other people from the Troublsome Night series of films, and some other actors.
Another mediocre Hong Kong horror flick from Yau.
Next time things should be back on track with longer posts that offer insightful commentary, or something like that.
Overnight
A documentary about the rise and fall of Troy Duffy, director of The Boondock Saints. If you haven't heard the tale of Duffy's dream-like rise to hollywood fame, and his even more famous fall from the limelight, you should check Overnight out. Though there are some minor issues, such as the quality of the equipment used, Overnight is a decent documentary. However, Troy Duffy is pretty much a horrible person.
Driving Miss Wealthy
Directed by James Yuen, starring Lau Ching-Wan, and Gigi Leung.
Somewhat entertaining crap.
Playboys Cops
Directed by Jingle Ma, starring Shawn Yue, Aloys Chen, Shaun Tam, and Linda Chung.
Rich kid-cops investigate a murder. Playboy Cops is over-the-top, but it's still a decent cop drama.
Mr. Cinema
Directed by Samson Chiu, starring Anthony Wong, Ronald Cheng, Karen Mok, and Teresa Mo.
Chiu and Co. have crafted a fine film about family and differing perspectives.
Curiosity Kills the Cat
Directed by Zhang Yibai, starring Carina Lau, Hu Jun, Lin Yuan, Liao Fan, and Song Jia.
A good, though somewhat muddled thriller from one of China's best directors.
Red Sorghum
Directed by Zhang Yimou, starring Gong Li, Jiang Wen, and Ten Rujun.
An excellent film. Just watch it.
Hélas pour moi
(aka Oh, Woe Is Me) Directed by Jean-Luc Godard, starring Gérard Depardieu, Laurence Masliah, and Bernard Verley.
A intelligent film about belief. What the belief is (or isn't) in depends on the viewer.
Troublesome Night 4
Directed by Herman Yau, starring Louis Koo, Pauline Suen, Cheung Tat-Ming, Lai Yiu-Cheung, Simon Liu, Timmy Hung, Emily Kwan, Marianne Chan Miu-Ying, Karen Tong Bo-Yu, and Aya Meder.
Mediocre Hong Kong horror flick starring the Tanned One, Louis Koo, before he became a household name in select households in some parts of the world.
Troublesome Night 5
Directed by Herman Yau, starring Louis Koo, Amanda Lee, Lai Yiu-Cheung, Simon Liu, other people from the Troublsome Night series of films, and some other actors.
Another mediocre Hong Kong horror flick from Yau.
Next time things should be back on track with longer posts that offer insightful commentary, or something like that.
17 January, 2009
Stirrings of Memory
Yet another shorter post, because I'm still lazy and apathetic. Which begs the question, "If you're so lazy and apathetic, why bother with this blog?" Good question.
Anywho, on with the films. This time, American adolescent horror with The Monster Squad, China's current big hit Ip Man, Korean existential drama Welcome to Dongmakgol, Hong Kong horror near it's worst in Here Comes a Vampire, HK (remake of Hollywood's Cellular) actioner Connected, and Chinese drama Lost, Indulgence.
The Monster Squad
Directed by someone, starring some adults, mostly kids.
The Monster Squad is The Goonies, except with monsters instead of thieves. If you haven't seen it, you aren't missing much.
Ip Man
Directed by Wilson Yip, starring Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, and Gordon Lam.
"Wing Chun, Ip Man." If you don't get all kinds of excited at the thought of Donnie Yen saying the preceeding phrase, I don't like you. Also, you probably won't like Ip Man. Loosely based on Ip Man (aka Yip Man), and his life during Japanese occupation of China. Ip Man is fast and exciting, with plenty of kung fu action, and a bit of drama too.
Donnie Yen stars as the man-who-would-be Bruce Lee's Wing Chun instructor, and puts forth a fine performance, with minimal preening. The rest of the cast is good, and the film itself is a solid flick, that provides action, drama, comedy, and a fun way to spend one's time. Say what you will about Donnie Yen's acting ability, he has an incredible presence onscreen. I'm looking forward to the already green-lit sequel.
Welcome to Dongmakgol
Directed by Park Kwang-hyun, starring Shin Ha-kyun, Jeong Jae-yeong, Seo Jae-kyeong, Lim Ha-ryong, Ryu Deok-hwan, Steve Taschler, and Kang Hye-jeong.
Three North Korean soldiers, two South Korean soldiers, and one shot-down American. During the Korean War, all six men end up high in the hills of Korea, in the unknown village of Dongmakgol. While there, they come to realize that no matter which side they fight for, they're still people.
Welcome to Dongmakgol is, at times, a bit silly, but still an incredibly watchable drama. The actors are all superb, and the direction is slick and assured. For a war-based film about humanity, that's engaging, and even a bit hopeful, Welcome to Dongmakgol is definitely worth a look.
Here Comes a Vampire
Crap with a captial "C". Other than unintentional humor and seeing Andy Hui and Sandra Ng in ridiculous roles, Here Come a Vampire is a waste of time. However, if, like me, you haven't the slightest idea of what to do with your free time, except watch films of varying degrees of quality, buy a copy of Here Comes a Vampire today! It's better than staring at a wall. I think.
Connected
Directed by and co-written by Benny Chan, starring Louis Koo, Barbie Hsu, Nick Cheung, Liu Ye, and Eddie Cheung.
With as many plot holes and contrived circumstances as a Hollywood actioner (of which it is a remake) Connected is about what you'd expect. Just about everyone overacts, and there's as much implausibility onscreen as there is product placement. That being said, Connected is still a pretty solid commercial flick, and is filled with unintentionally funny incidents, and more than enough drama. Plus, it stars Louis Koo. Who doesn't like Louis Koo? For a brainlessly good time, Connected is a great.
Lost, Indulgence
Directed by and co-written by Zhang Yibai, starring Karen Mok, Jiang Wenli, Tan Jianci, Eason Chan, Eric Tsang, Ma Sichun, and Duan Bowen.
Art-house cinema and commercial cinema collide in the latest from Chinese Director Zhang Yibai is really good. The direction and acting are top notch, and the story, though a bit too vague at the end, is intriguing. As confusing and engaging as is life, Lost, Indulgence is great, and well worth watching. I really, really liked it.
Next time: My laziness and apathy will have been overcome by my patience and positive outlook. Or, there will be another shorter post. I'd bet on another shorter post.
Anywho, on with the films. This time, American adolescent horror with The Monster Squad, China's current big hit Ip Man, Korean existential drama Welcome to Dongmakgol, Hong Kong horror near it's worst in Here Comes a Vampire, HK (remake of Hollywood's Cellular) actioner Connected, and Chinese drama Lost, Indulgence.
The Monster Squad
Directed by someone, starring some adults, mostly kids.
The Monster Squad is The Goonies, except with monsters instead of thieves. If you haven't seen it, you aren't missing much.
Ip Man
Directed by Wilson Yip, starring Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, and Gordon Lam.
"Wing Chun, Ip Man." If you don't get all kinds of excited at the thought of Donnie Yen saying the preceeding phrase, I don't like you. Also, you probably won't like Ip Man. Loosely based on Ip Man (aka Yip Man), and his life during Japanese occupation of China. Ip Man is fast and exciting, with plenty of kung fu action, and a bit of drama too.
Donnie Yen stars as the man-who-would-be Bruce Lee's Wing Chun instructor, and puts forth a fine performance, with minimal preening. The rest of the cast is good, and the film itself is a solid flick, that provides action, drama, comedy, and a fun way to spend one's time. Say what you will about Donnie Yen's acting ability, he has an incredible presence onscreen. I'm looking forward to the already green-lit sequel.
Welcome to Dongmakgol
Directed by Park Kwang-hyun, starring Shin Ha-kyun, Jeong Jae-yeong, Seo Jae-kyeong, Lim Ha-ryong, Ryu Deok-hwan, Steve Taschler, and Kang Hye-jeong.
Three North Korean soldiers, two South Korean soldiers, and one shot-down American. During the Korean War, all six men end up high in the hills of Korea, in the unknown village of Dongmakgol. While there, they come to realize that no matter which side they fight for, they're still people.
Welcome to Dongmakgol is, at times, a bit silly, but still an incredibly watchable drama. The actors are all superb, and the direction is slick and assured. For a war-based film about humanity, that's engaging, and even a bit hopeful, Welcome to Dongmakgol is definitely worth a look.
Here Comes a Vampire
Crap with a captial "C". Other than unintentional humor and seeing Andy Hui and Sandra Ng in ridiculous roles, Here Come a Vampire is a waste of time. However, if, like me, you haven't the slightest idea of what to do with your free time, except watch films of varying degrees of quality, buy a copy of Here Comes a Vampire today! It's better than staring at a wall. I think.
Connected
Directed by and co-written by Benny Chan, starring Louis Koo, Barbie Hsu, Nick Cheung, Liu Ye, and Eddie Cheung.
With as many plot holes and contrived circumstances as a Hollywood actioner (of which it is a remake) Connected is about what you'd expect. Just about everyone overacts, and there's as much implausibility onscreen as there is product placement. That being said, Connected is still a pretty solid commercial flick, and is filled with unintentionally funny incidents, and more than enough drama. Plus, it stars Louis Koo. Who doesn't like Louis Koo? For a brainlessly good time, Connected is a great.
Lost, Indulgence
Directed by and co-written by Zhang Yibai, starring Karen Mok, Jiang Wenli, Tan Jianci, Eason Chan, Eric Tsang, Ma Sichun, and Duan Bowen.
Art-house cinema and commercial cinema collide in the latest from Chinese Director Zhang Yibai is really good. The direction and acting are top notch, and the story, though a bit too vague at the end, is intriguing. As confusing and engaging as is life, Lost, Indulgence is great, and well worth watching. I really, really liked it.
Next time: My laziness and apathy will have been overcome by my patience and positive outlook. Or, there will be another shorter post. I'd bet on another shorter post.
15 January, 2009
Terrific
I've been feeling apathetic and lazy as of late, so this will be another short post, with very little description of my opinions. Maybe that's a good thing.
Gran Torino
Directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Clint Eastwood, Bee Vang, and Avney Her.
One of the best films I've seen in years. Really, really good.
Le Mepris
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard, starring Bridget Bardot, Michel Piccoli, Jack Palance, Giorgia Moll, and Fritz Lang.
Aka Contempt, Godard's film features a fine cast and an engaging story.
Let the Right One In
Directed by Tomas Alfredson, starring Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, and Peter Carlberg.
A slow begining sets up the characters for a tense and gripping film.
Prison On Fire
Directed by Ringo Lam, starring Chow Yun-Fat, and Tony Leung Ka Fai (aka Big Tony).
Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung play two prisoners that become friends as they fight off gangs and the loneliness of confinement.
City On Fire
Directed by Ringo Lam, starring Chow Yun-Fat, Danny Lee, Sun Yueh, Carrie Ng, and Roy Cheung.
Chow Yun-Fat plays an undercover cop that wants off the force, but is forced to risk his life to stop a band of robbers that may be (inspite of their criminal actions) better people than some of the police trying to capture them. This is the film Tarantino copied/borrowed from/stole from/pays homage to with Reservoir Dogs.
Police Confidential
Directed by Raymond Lee, starring Simon Yam, Linda Wong, Fengyi Zhang, and Carrie Ng.
A good cop thriller, complete with corruption, frame-ups and murder. Simon Yam is excellent as usual.
3-iron
Directed by Kim Ki-Duk, starring Hee Jae, and Lee Seung-yeon.
An incredible film from Korean art-house Director Kim Ki-duk. Hee Jae stars as a man that breaks into people's houses when they aren't home. He spends the night and fixes things, before leaving to find another temporary home. One day, he comes across a home he believes empty, only to find a battered woman. The two then help each other find what has been missing from their respective lives. Better than one might think, and far better than my description. I liked it quite a bit.
Next time:
Monster Squad
Ip Man
and some other films
Gran Torino
Directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Clint Eastwood, Bee Vang, and Avney Her.
One of the best films I've seen in years. Really, really good.
Le Mepris
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard, starring Bridget Bardot, Michel Piccoli, Jack Palance, Giorgia Moll, and Fritz Lang.
Aka Contempt, Godard's film features a fine cast and an engaging story.
Let the Right One In
Directed by Tomas Alfredson, starring Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, and Peter Carlberg.
A slow begining sets up the characters for a tense and gripping film.
Prison On Fire
Directed by Ringo Lam, starring Chow Yun-Fat, and Tony Leung Ka Fai (aka Big Tony).
Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung play two prisoners that become friends as they fight off gangs and the loneliness of confinement.
City On Fire
Directed by Ringo Lam, starring Chow Yun-Fat, Danny Lee, Sun Yueh, Carrie Ng, and Roy Cheung.
Chow Yun-Fat plays an undercover cop that wants off the force, but is forced to risk his life to stop a band of robbers that may be (inspite of their criminal actions) better people than some of the police trying to capture them. This is the film Tarantino copied/borrowed from/stole from/pays homage to with Reservoir Dogs.
Police Confidential
Directed by Raymond Lee, starring Simon Yam, Linda Wong, Fengyi Zhang, and Carrie Ng.
A good cop thriller, complete with corruption, frame-ups and murder. Simon Yam is excellent as usual.
3-iron
Directed by Kim Ki-Duk, starring Hee Jae, and Lee Seung-yeon.
An incredible film from Korean art-house Director Kim Ki-duk. Hee Jae stars as a man that breaks into people's houses when they aren't home. He spends the night and fixes things, before leaving to find another temporary home. One day, he comes across a home he believes empty, only to find a battered woman. The two then help each other find what has been missing from their respective lives. Better than one might think, and far better than my description. I liked it quite a bit.
Next time:
Monster Squad
Ip Man
and some other films
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