Happiness

This time, the 200TH film I watched in 2009. You read that correctly, the 200TH film I've watched in 2009.

Happiness
Directed by Hur Jin-ho, starring Hwang Jung-Min and Im Soo-Jung.

Happiness is a lovely film about two terminally ill people that meet in a sanatorium, and their struggle to live and love. While the description may sound sappy, the film isn't. With Hur's direction and Hwang and Im's acting, Happiness is one of the finest films I've seen. The mixture of humor, romance, and drama is top notch, and leaves one clamoring for more.

I didn't realize until well after watching Happiness that it would be the 200TH film I'd watched in 2009. Looking back, I can't think of many films that would have been a better choice.

Fresh Feeling

Great films, good films, and crap make up the following list of films I recently viewed.

Confidentially Yours - Great
Shoot the Pianist - Great
Detective - Godard made Crap
Lost Highway - Crap
The Golem: How He Came Into the World - Good
Out Of the Dark - Good
High Noon - So good it just might be Great
No Blood, No Tears - Crap
X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Surprise, surprise, Crap
Blood Simple - Good
American Psycho - I had heard it was good, it is Crap
Night At the Museum: Battle For the Smithsonian - Crap
Sundown: The Vampire In Retreat - Crap
Touch of Evil - Great
The Banquet - Good
Star Trek - Good, for a Star Trek film
Drag Me To Hell - Quite Good
The Woman Next Door - Great

Be sure to check back later this week for a special post about the 200TH film I watched in 2009.

In Itself

My pics for The Best Films of 2008

Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino

Lee Yoon-ki's My Dear Enemy

Jon Favreau's Iron Man

Johnnie To's Sparrow

Na Hong-jin's The Chaser

John Woo's Red Cliff

Kim Ki-duk's Dream

Lawrence Lau's Besieged City

Bryan Singer's Valkyrie

Tomas Alfredson's Let the Right One In

Gordon Chan's Painted Skin

Into Madness

The following is a list of the films I've watched since the previous blog post.

Tactical Unit - No Way Out
Mighty Baby
Hansel & Gretel
The Duelist
Heavenly Mission
My Friend & His Wife
Ip Man
Madagascar Escape 2 Africa
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
She's On Duty
Another Public Enemy
Public Enemy Returns
Riot in a Gibang in 1724
Last Present
Typhoon
Police Story 3
Be Kind Rewind
Buddha's Palm
The Sorcerers
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
God Man Dog
Legendary Assassain
Look for a Star
The Legend of Zu
Time
Mutt Boy
Tactical Unit - Human Nature
Red Cliff
Red Cliff II
Real Fiction
the isle
Rough Cut
Royal Tramp
Royal Tramp II
Birdcage Inn
The Bow
Dogma #7 Interview
About Love
Hollywood Hong Kong
Haunted Office
Shiver
Wild Strawberries
What A Wonderful World
Runaway Blues
Young and Dangerous
Young and Dangerous 2
Young and Dangerous 3
Young and Dangerous 4
Portland Street Blues
Young and Dangerous 5
Young and Dangerous: The Prequel
Born to be King
The Legendary Tai Fei
Those Were the Days
Parking
A Bittersweet Life
Kung Fu Panda
Boogeyman 2
Waitress
The Chaser
Sopyonje
Serenity
Arang
Snow Angels
Spring In A Small Town
Bad Guy
Citizen Kane
Chungking Express
Let the Right One In
A Light Sleep
Tactical Unit - Comrades In Arms
Caprica
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Jules and Jim
Satyricon
Prison On Fire II
Zebraman
A Man Who Was Superman
Failan
The Equation of Love & Death
Dream
Swordsman
All About Ah Long
Summer Palace

What have you (yes, you) been watching? Also, check back soon for more film blog shenanigans, because Very and Absolutely and Extremely is back. What can one expect from the return of this blog? Posts less than a month apart, adult language, and whatever else gets thrown in. Enjoy.

It's A Motherfucker

I could provide full reviews of the following films, but I'm feeling overwhelmingly apathetic. (it is possible)


Lady Cop & Papa Crook
Both the theatrical and director's cut versions sucked.

Besieged City
Excellent

Mighty Baby
The dvd was flawed, but what I watched before it screwed up was funny.

Tactical Unit - The Code
Pretty good.

Driving With My Wife's Lover
Existential goodness that reminded me of Toto Le Heros.

Hero
Not the Zhang Yimou epic, the Takeshi Kaneshiro - Yuen Biao action flick. It was pretty good.

Crush & Blush
Strangely enjoyable.

Mismatched Couples
Donnie Yen dances. A lot.

Taxi Blues
Documentary about driving a taxi in Seoul, South Korea. Insightful.

Asako In Ruby Shoes
Funny, and heartwrenchingly wonderful.

The Last Witness
28-year-old crime drama from South Korea. I liked it.

The Way We Are
Not as good as I expected, but still really, really good.

A Good Lawyer's Wife
Lacked focus, but held my attention.


There just might be reviews of films on this blog again at some point. There might not.

Looking Out the Window

Today, the remastered released of Wong Kar-Wai's Ashes of Time. Wong is my favorite director in all of directordom, so, yeah, I'm going to gush.

Ashes of Time Redux
Directed by Wong Kar-Wai, starring Leslie Cheung, Brigette Lin, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Carina Lau, Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Charlie Young, Jacky Cheung, and Maggie Cheung.

Through the memories of a lonely swordsmen, the stories of the lives and loves of others unfold. As with most memories, they become contingent upon one another with time. This interconnectedness of memory, much like that of life, is impermanent. In the swordsman's recollection of his own life, and in the retelling of others, the ephemeral becomes immortal, and whispers destined to evanesce, become legend.

Wong Kar-Wai's direction is wonderfully emotive. Though, that is hardly surprising from the master of cinematic emotion. Likewise the locations reflect the loneliness of the characters, and of course, the cinematographie works in concert with that feeling to create an evocative onscreen depiction. The acting, from Leslie Cheung's lonely swordsman, to Maggie Cheung's listless beauty, is superb.

Wong originally made Ashes of Time in the early-to-mid 90's. The production was delayed due to financing, and it is during that time, in an effort to make money for Ashes of Time, that Wong made Chungking Express. Following the production break, Wong, along with the cast and crew, returned to work on the wuxia epic.

When finally complete, Ashes of Time was poorly received by critics and audiences. Wong went on to make five more features, but, much like George Lucas with the original Star Wars Trilogy, he wished to make Ashes of Time the way he had invisioned it. Hence, Ashes of Time Redux.

Ashes of Time Redux is like the change to memory that comes with new experiences and age. It isn't terribly different from the original, and yet, obviously, feels different. The new score and digital remastering bring the illusion of a fresh clarity, as though one were reliving an old memory. For those that already own Ashes of Time, Ashes of Time Redux should be a welcomed as a coequal. While both versions have their own unique aspects, they are both fine pieces of cinema from a master.


Check back tomorrow for my thoughts on the theatrical and director's cut releases of Lady Cop & Papa Crook.

Walking and Knocking

Today, South Korean crime drama Eye For An Eye.

Eye For An Eye
I refuse to offer a wealth of information on this film due to it's awfulness. How awful? So awful that I almost couldn't finish watching it. If you're looking for a good film, Eye For An Eye isn't it.


Check back tomorrow for my thoughts on Ashes of Time Redux, which is a good film.