A real masterpiece. Kitano at his finest. An incredible piece of cinema!
Kitano stars as Murakawa, an extremely powerful and intimidating Yakuza. As one of the most trusted in the gang, he is sent on a mission with some of his men to Okinawa to help end a dispute between rival factions. This is no easy task as chaos erupts around them. Realising they have been had, Murakawa and his men decide to retreat and lay low at a seaside hideaway.
From the trailer and synopsis you might be lead to believe this is an action Yakuza film. But it's far from it. There is shoot outs at the beginning and end, and a few set pieces in between. But a large chunk of the film is Kitano and his men just killing time at a beach, and that's actually when the film is most interesting and entertaining.
Like his acclaimed and arguably best film Hana-Bi, Sonatine is a relatively peaceful film but with moments of extreme violence inserted in.
Some of the games the men play to kill time are a real highlight of the film. Such as shooting cans off of each others head. Or Russian roulette, with Murakawa(Kitano) joining in, you never know what to expect. And lastly, after playing a game with paper Sumo wrestlers, they decide to have a go for real. After a Sumo match, the paper Sumo game almost becomes real. While the men stand frozen like the paper wrestlers and the spectators bang the floor around them while they bounce up and down and into one another. Truly bizarre yet highly entertaining.
Another beautiful dream like soundtrack composed by the excellent Joe Hisaishi. The main theme is spectacular and sets the mood of the entire film.
Hana-Bi may be Kitano's masterpiece. But part of me will always prefer the charm and wit of Sonatine. Hidden behind all the juvenile games and humour, there is actually a deep moving story.
A very deep yet extremely subtle film from Kitano which keeps you captivated without any Yakuza, guns or action.
Shigeru(Kuroudo Make) is a gloomy deaf rubbish collector whose life is changed when he stumbles across an abandoned surfboard. His dedicated girlfriend Takako(Hiroko Oshima) who also suffers from a hearing impairment, helps Shigeru on his mission to learn the sport of surfing.
A Scene At The Sea is one of Kitano’s finest works. Even though it is pretty much the polar opposite of his style and what he is known and loved for in the West. This is an example of why Takeshi Kitano really is a master of cinema.
A fantastic slice-of-life drama which doesn't feature much dialogue, yet you still deeply care for and understand the characters. There is also no fancy camera work with many long cuts and static shots but there are plenty of beautifully framed shots of the sea, beach and the lively cast.
The love story between the two leads is told beautifully. Without actually having any proper conversations between them, you still learn about their relationship and know exactly how they feel about one another. It's a real simple story, with wonderful characters, some light humour, and enough story to keep your attention but still being emotional and pure.
A Scene At The Sea also marked the first collaboration with director Kitano and composer Joe Hisaishi. Joe is renowned for his Studio Ghibli soundtracks, and in this film he delivers a stunning, sometimes haunting soundtrack which fits the film like a glove. The main theme is uplifting and catching and will be stuck in your head for days.
Third Window Films have done a tremendous job with this release. Like their other Kitano releases, this is another 2k remaster and the film looks better than ever. The tones and colours are faithful and the quality and clarity of detail looks stunning. This is a massive upgrade from the DVD release. A bonus of the TWF release is an all new audio commentary by film critic Jasper Sharp which is incredibly insightful and entertaining.
One of the most accessible Kitano films yet still quite unsual! Couldn't recommend this one enough.
An extremely fun early outing from cinematic genius Takeshi Kitano. Although not as polished as some of his later work, it's still a fine film and an important stepping point in Kitano’s career.
Masaki(Masahiko Ono) is a simple reserved man, who loves his motorbike and playing on his baseball team. After accidentally crossing a member of the local Yakuza, he flees to Okinawa to buy a gun to help defend himself. Upon arrival he ends up being befriended by a psychotic gangster Uehara (Takeshi Kitano) who is also looking for revenge on the Yakuza.
Boiling Point is important in many ways for Kitano, the main being it is his first film as writer. And his second as director. You can really see the charms, themes and style Kitano becomes famous for throughout this career.
One of the key surprise elements to this film is the visual comedy. Takeshi previously working as a stand up comedian which really perfected his comedy timing, and Boiling Point is full of great, sometimes disturbing comedy with real laugh out loud moments. Some of the gags including showing the setup, and the punch line, without the in between. Such as a young punk acting cocky and riding a motorbike for the first time with no license. Then later showing him sitting on the ground with his face bloody and the bike smashed. The film is full of great visual jokes like this.
Of course some would say the comedy would be used to balance out Takeshi’s other trademark, which is rampant in this film, violence. Boiling Point has plenty of slow paced violent shoot outs, people getting beaten and slapped about and even a few hints of sexual assault.
The majority of the violence is down to Kitano’s character Uehara who is a complete psychopath. He is extremely crude, disturbing and bordering on insane. But also charming and absorbing. One of the flaws of this film was how little screen-time Uehara had. Unless it was done purposely to leave you wanting more and leaving the character mysterious.
Boiling Point is a very minimal film. With long cuts, and no music. Although another Joe Hisaishi soundtrack would have been excellent, it doesn't feel needed for this film, it works on it's own and still manages to deliver emotion without any help.
A great Kitano film, not his best but a worthwhile and enjoyable effort. Still a must see for Kitano and Yakuza fans. But newcomers to the Cinema of Takeshi Kitano who lust for the gangster/violence films might want to start with ‘Violent Cop’ or ‘Sonatine’ instead.
I recently picked up the UK release Takeshi Kitano Collection featuring 6 of his classics on DVD.
Violent Cop, Boiling Point, Getting Any?, Scene At The Sea, Kids Return and Sonatine.
Currently working my way through the boxset so over the next week I will have reviews uploaded for each film.
For those who don't know who Kitano is, or have never seen any of his films, you are in for a treat.
When I mention him to people who say they don't know who he is, I always inform them that he was the person who had the hit international show Takeshi's Castle. Which most people know about.
Or I tell them he was the teacher in Battle Royale. Which is how I discovered this wonderful actor and director. After Seeing his excellent performance in Battle Royale, I went around trying to track down any of his films I could. This eventually led me to a trilogy boxset by Tokyo Bullet featuring Violent Cop, Sonatine and Boiling Point. From then on, I was hooked!
I would now consider myself a big fan of Beat Takeshi, he is one of my all time favourite directors, and after seeing all his work I decided to revisit some of his classics with this 6 disc set.
So stay tuned and look out for the reviews which will be up every other day this week.
After the release of Lost in Hong Kong and Ex-Files 2, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and USA are being treated to another Asian Cinema release on the 19/20th November; Our Times (我的少女時代)
An ordinary and unnoticeable high-school girl, Truly, has a crush on the most popular guy in school. Taiyu, a ruffian and a bully, is in love with the campus belle. By a quirk of fate, Taiyu invited Truly to enter a pack for the losers in love, an “Association of the Dumped”. Their mission is to tear the golden couple apart and helped each other to get the ones they love. In the 90s when floppy discs is the most common way to transfer files, and Internet is connected through a dial-ups system. Truly met Taiyu. They missed, they confessed and they bid goodbye. Eighteen years later, when the trendiest things have become old memories, when Truly meets her ‘puppy love’ once again, will they be able to rekindle their friendship and relive again the good old times?
Our Times looks like a lot of fun! For more information on this film and to check where it is being released, check out the link here
(Note: This sequel is not related to the original, you can watch it on its own.)
A fun Chinese rom-com which tops the original with its humour and its story.
Yi Ze is a director's assistant working on a big talent show. On the day of the Auditions she is dumped by her boyfriend by text message. Yu Fei, a budding singer and dancer is rejected for his audition by arriving late. Yi Ze feeling sympathetic and emotional let's him on the show, and to her surprise he goes on to win the show and becomes a mega popstar.
Seven years later Yi Ze becomes the assistant of an Advert director. While shooting a commercial that stars Yu Fei, the two meet once again. Yu Fei flirts with Yi Ze and tricks her into thinking he has fallen for her so she’ll change the advert in his favour. When Zi Ye realises she has been had, she goes about seeking revenge on him with help from a mysterious love guru.
Adapted from the Korean film How To Use Guys With Secret Tips, Ex-Files 2 actually has an extremely relevant and fresh story. China is producing a bunch of hit romantic comedies, and they seem to have found a winning formula. Queue the montages!
Montages seem to be a big part of Chinese romantic comedies, with some Mando-pop hits playing while the characters fall in love, or when then break up or fall out. Ex- Files 2 possibly has a little too many montages, but they never felt unwelcome, and many of the songs were actually extremely catchy. The song featured while they cook breakfast is one I need to track down for myself now.
This film is actually extremely funny. There are many laugh out loud moments. Some sexual jokes. Some slapstick. And some great visual comedy which translates to any language. There is a long running gag throughout featuring 3 male super fans of Yu Fei which always got a laugh from the audience.
Ex-Files 2 tops the previous film with its consistency. It flows better and doesn't sag like the first one. Also, although there is melodrama near the end(hey, it's a Chinese rom-com!), it's not nearly for as long or as depressing as the original.
A fun little film which will keep you entertained by making you laugh, making you cry and overall warming your heart
7/10
Ex-Files 2 has a limited Cinema release from the 6th November in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand. So see it quickly! Click here for more information. Or if you miss out, look for it coming to DVD/Blu-ray soon!
Hou Hsiao-Hsien's The Assassin is a stunning film. With beautiful costumes, sets and exquisite fight scenes, packed with a wild original soundtrack. Unfortunately the confusing plot and lack of emotion causes the story to drag and almost feel like a chore at times.
Nie Yinniang(Shu Qi) is a deadly female assassin who has been raised and trained as a killer by a nun Jiaxin. After failing to kill her target out of sympathy during a mission, Yinniang is punished by receiving the ultimate test from Jiaxin. She is sent to Weibo to kill the military governor Lord Tian Ji'an(Chang Chen) and send the region in to chaos. This is no easy task as Yinniang was originally arranged to marry Lord Tian before her disappearance.
This sounds like a basic plot, and it should be. But with the story telling and dialogue that HHH uses in his film, the story ends up extremely muddled. Rather than flashbacks, we are treated to more dialogue of characters explaining previous events, which doesn't make the story any clearer.
If that was all the problems The Assassin had, it would be still great! But unfortunately the slow pacing is a real issue in this film. The marketing probably hasn't helped, with reviews, trailers and posters stating this is a martial arts or Kung Fu film, when it is actually quite far from it.
Yes, there are a few great fight scenes in this film. Excellently choreographed. With an interesting style which sometimes is so quick it takes you a second to release who has the upper hand or dealt the last blow.
That is the juxtaposition of The Assassin. The fight scenes are so quick and finish almost instantly, yet the pacing and story telling is so slow the film almost grinds to a halt on a couple of occasions.
Hou Hsiao-Hsien's way of film making uses lots of long cuts. Sometimes these are of wild beautiful scenery. Or of people staring without dialogue. This can be a useful tool in film making, but it feels that it's used so often in The Assassin that sometimes you might wonder if your DVD has stuck.
The Assassin was a bit of a disappointment. It's one of the most talked about and exciting films of the year and it ends up falling a little flat. The film looks gorgeous. And Shu Qi is a fantastic lead. But the film has many flaws which unfortunately ruins the experience.
This is one that I think everyone has to see for themselves and make up their own mind. Many love it. And many hate it. It won best director at Cannes! Give it a watch but just don't expect a House of Flying Daggers.
A South Korean horror mixed with cats surprisingly turns out to be one of the best Asian horror films I have seen in years!
So-yeon works in a pet grooming store called Kitty N Puppy. After a Persian cat owner dies she gets stuck looking after the cat until an owner is ready for it. Everything is fine until the cat starts acting up and a mysterious little girl with green cat like eyes starts haunting her.
I can't quite place exactly what made this film work. But it is just incredibly fun.
The Cat is a good mix of Asian suspense horror with some of the more American "jump scares". This works very well with the flow of the film and is actually pretty refreshing. The film never really has time to slow down or get dull.
I love cats. I love every kind of cat. I just want to hug all of them. But I can't.
Some of the film is a little typical of Asian horrors with the creepy little girl. But mixing it with the cats is new and fresh, and it's used in a way that doesn't feel over played. The film also has a good mystery feel to it, almost like The Ring, which really draws you in to the story until the very end when you discover what has been taking place and why.
A very fun modern horror, while not essential viewing, it is fun and reminds me of the horrors Asia was releasing in the late 90s and early 2000s.
Crazy Shaw Brothers fantasy Kung Fu comedy guilty pleasure! This film is actually insane! But so entertaining.
The films starts with an evil iron fingered villain Lord 9th over throwing the monarch to take the thrown. The King's guards manage to get his 2 sons to safety, although they are separated. One makes it to the Prime Minister's house. The other makes it to the Shaolin temple where he is left in the care of 3 monks known as The Three Holy Fools. The story picks up 20 years later. The younger Prince(Derek Yee(Protégé)) has been brought up training as a master swordsman to get his revenge on Lord 9th. The Crown Prince(Ti Lung(A Better Tomorrow)) has been brought up as a Shaolin Kung Fu master, but has no idea he is the rightful King.
Shaw Brothers were struggling in the 80s and you can see their answer was to make everything bigger. More fight scenes. More sets. Lots of special effects and explosions. Crazy wire work. Technically, it isn't the best Shaw Brother's film, it doesn't have the best fight choreography, or the best story line. But it is one of the most fun. There isn't a dull moment! The film was actually ahead of it's time in many ways.
The Three Stooges meets Shaw Brothers!
This film is so crazy! The 18 Buddha's are spectacular! The Three Holy Fools are hilarious! The Magic Sword is nuts! The Demon exorcism is campy and over the top! Shaolin Prince has to be seen to be believed.
Another excellent job by Celestial with the remastering of this old title. The picture quality is crisp and new. And the audio is brilliant. This release comes with an English Mono dub or Mandarin with English subtitles. Released by FUNimation as part of their Hong Kong Connection releases.
Although the details are vague, this looks extremely likely now!
The Facebook page that made this post "I Love Asian Cinema UK" is the same people who brought Lost In Hong Kong and now Ex-Files 2 to worldwide cinemas. Their aim is to release Asian films in various countries on the same original release date. So this looks very promising!
Here is the link to the trailer they posted. The description says UK, Australia and New Zealand cinemas on the 24th of December!
The same kind folk who brought Lost In Hong Kong to cinemas across the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand are doing the same with the new Chinese comedy "Ex-Files 2" on the 6th of November.
You don't need to see the first Ex-Files before you see 2. But I am going to track it down and check it out anyway before I go see Ex-Files 2 on the big screen!
A Hong Kong mystery thriller set in Thailand directed by Oxide Pang(The Eye/Abnormal Beauty) and starring Aaron Kwok(After This Our Exile/Cold War).
Tam(Kwok) is a private investigator living in Thailand who has been hired by a man nicknamed Fatty to track down a young woman who he believes is trying to kill him. Tam takes the job after being paid a large amount of cash and handed a photo of the woman. This could all be linked to a series of murders in the area.
Aaron Kwok delivers a stunning believable performance which really makes this film so good. Complete with a brilliant setting and style, and a captivating story, the result is one of the best Pang Brothers films in years.
Where did I leave my keys?
An intriguing story which may get a little muddled towards the end but the negatives don't out way the positives. Still a highly entertaining film with a satisfying and exciting ending. Also, the film has a fantastic soundtrack to really set the mood. That Thai pop song used in the intro is incredibly catchy.
As far as recent Hong Kong films go, this is better than most. I'd definitely recommend it to fans of the genre.
Great suspenseful classic Asian horror... but not as good as the original!
Three Extremes 2 is a trilogy of short Asian horror films from veteran directors from South Korea, Thailand and Hong Kong. The full running time is 122 minutes.
Memories, from director Kim Jee-woon(A Tale Of Two Sisters/A Bittersweet Life/I Saw The Devil) is a great supernatural and psychological horror following a man who keeps seeing disturbing visions of his missing wife, which his psychiatrist puts down to repressed memories of why his wife left him. Meanwhile, his wife awakens in an unknown street with no idea how she got there.
A fun stylish horror film with an interesting story which never dulls while the two stories intertwine and the mystery unfolds.
The Wheel is a Thai film from Nonzee Nimibutr. And it is easily the worst of the 3 films. This is a period horror set in a small village. When an old puppet master dies, a curse is put on his puppets for anyone else who owns them. When someone comes along and finds the puppets, an evil curse starts.
This film didn't really grip me. No real plot or characters to care for and a dull ending which won't excite anyone.
And finally we have Going Home, from one of the great Hong Kong directors Peter Chan(Comrades/Perhaps Love/The Warlords). Although better than The Wheel, it doesn't quite reach Memories.
Going Home follows a man called Wai and his son, after they move in to a new apartment block they begin to notice they have a strange neighbour and a lot of freaky stuff happening including a strange girl and all the vacant apartment doors opening themselves. Things take a turn for the worse when they discover their neighbour Yu has preserved his dead wife's body...
Fun set of films, with a different theme and style for each film to keep you entertained. A little bit of everything for everyone to enjoy. Unfortunately, The Wheel brings it down, and overall it doesn't quite meet the height of the other Three Extremes... Which is a masterpiece.
6.5/10
Note. "Three Extremes 2" was released first in 2002 as "Three". And the Sequel "Three Extremes" was 2004 but released worldwide first.
Third Window Films is the one of the leading distributors in Asian Cinema in the UK. Some of their greatest releases have been the Shinya Tsukamoto Blu-rays. Some of which haven't been released anywhere else in the world in High Definition. And even better, Tsukamoto works with Third Window Films and supervises the brand new digital restorations.
Most people will have heard of or seen Tetsuo The Iron Man. Well if you have seen Tetsuo you will know exactly how wild amd strange a Tsukamoto film can be. Well, you haven't seen anything yet!
Rinko (Asuka Kurosawa from Cold Fish) and Shigehiko (novelist Yuji
Kotari) are a strange couple, whose physical mismatch (she a lithe
beauty, he an overweight, balding, obsessive-compulsive neurotic) is
reflected in the complete lack of intimacy between them. They connect as
human beings, but they live more like friends than as lovers and lead
nearly independent lives. Both seem comfortable with this coexistence,
but the desires that lurk beneath its surface are brought out with the
introduction of a third element into the equation. When Rinko receives a
package of candid photographs of herself masturbating and the sender
(played by Tsukamoto himself) contacts her with the threat of exposing
them to her husband, she submits herself to the anonymous voyeur's
sexual games. If she wishes to get hold of all the negatives and prints,
Rinko is to comply with a set of assignments that place her constantly
on the borderline between humiliation and pleasure - the voyeur knows
exactly what Rinko's personal erotic fantasies are and makes her act
them out one by one. (Taken from Amazon.co.uk)
Japanese auteur Shinya Tsukamoto delivers a stunning, thought provoking, erotic thriller... Unlike anything you have ever seen. This is what 50 Shades of Grey wishes it was.
50 Shades of Blu
A Snake Of June really looks stunning on Blu-ray, I can't emphasize that enough. The blue tint monochrome filter gives the film original and stand out cinematography. It is beautiful to look at! This film has only been released on DVD for years, so it's great to see it finally get the treatment it deserves. Restored video, audio, and some great special features.
There is a highly informative and interesting audio commentary with Tom Mes who is an acclaimed writer on Japanese cinema. This is a great insight in to the film and director Tsukamoto. There is also a brand new sit down interview with the director himself.
Another fantastic release for Third Window Films. A must have for Japanese cinema collections.
A South Korea/Hong Kong Film directed by Andrew Lau(Infernal Affairs) and starring Jun Ji-hyun(My Sassy Girl), Jung Woo-sung(The Good, The Bad and The Weird) and Lee Sung-jae(Public Enemy).
Set in Amsterdam, Daisy is the story of a love triangle. Hye-young(Gianna Jun) is a street artist, painting portraits of people for money. She meets Jeong-woo(Lee Sung-jae) one afternoon when he asks her to draw his portrait. Jeong-woo is secretly chasing Asian criminals and uses this time to scope the area in a busy town centre. The other man is Park Yi(Jung Woo-sung) who is a hitman that has secretly loved Jeong-woo for years. Both men hide their true identity from Hye-young until their paths cross and everything starts to unravel.
Daisy is a romance melodrama thriller... With a hint of action. It really is genre busting with many different layers. If you like your Korean melodramas and your like your Korean Thrillers and Action films, then why not combine them? Also, it looks very sleek with stunning cinematography and editing. But, it is Andrew Lau, so you expect that!
Jun Ji-hyun steals the show, but she really is a wonderful actress. After My Sassy Girl, I think she will always be my favourite Korean actress, she is extremely talented and captivating in all of her roles.
There are 2 different versions. The 2 hour long directors cut or the faster paced 1 hour 40 mins original version. Both versions differ and have a slightly different ending. I think the 1 hour 40 mins version flows better, but they both have their positive points!
I had been waiting on this film for years. Following it's progress online, through it's ups and downs. So I have no idea why it took me so long to buy the DVD when it was released, shame on me.
What an incredible documentary! Definitely one of the best I have seen for years.
For those who aren't aware of who Weng Weng is. In the 80s he was a dwarf movie star in Filipino exploitation action films. His biggest hit film being 'For Your Height Only'(James Bond spoof) which got him worldwide recognition. Weng had another hit with The Impossible Kid. Then he seemed to vanish from our screens.
The Search For Weng Weng is a documentary by Andrew Leavold. An Australian who was so obsessed with Weng Weng he decided to travel to the Philippines to discover more about the film star.
Weng Weng gives the documentary a thumbs up!
For the fans of Weng Weng, this is an eye opener because his life has always been a
mystery, we didn't even know his real name, or how many films he had
made, where he had came from or went to. It was all a bit of a mystery. But this film is not just for Weng Weng fans. This is for all fans of film. It's an extremely interesting look in to the crazy world of cinema.
What started out as a trip to the Philippines to discover more about Weng Weng turns in to an incredible 7 year journey which is pretty unbelievable.
Check this one out! Highly recommended!
The Search for Weng Weng is on!
8/10
For a full review of the Weng Weng classic For Your Height Only I wrote in May 2012 click here
What a marvellous film! Hong Kong drama at it's finest!
2 years ago when I was in Hong Kong I visited Madame Tussauds. I sat on the back of Leon Lai's bike... But I had no idea why haha.
Fast forward to now. I found out that it was from a film but I had a hard time tracking down a copy with English subtitles(that didn't cost a small fortune). But I finally got it!
And what a film it was! I often hear this ranked very high in the best Hong Kong films, and rightfully so. It is brilliant!
If you enjoy Hong Kong cinema. But the more human drama story telling side. Then watch this one! You will laugh, you will cry, you will feel.
Maggie Cheung gives an outstanding performance, the best of her career by far.
A real truthful, complicated, emotional tale of love and fate.
Plus an outstanding soundtrack featuring songs by Teresa Teng, who is also involved in a Subplot. If you don't know who Teresa is then this film will introduce you. If you already like Teresa Teng then you will love the involvement of the singer in the story.
Sometimes lost between Chungking Express/Fallen Angels and In The Mood For Love. Happy Together is every bit as energetic, poetic and important!
Happy Together follows Lai Yiu-Fai(Tony Leung) and Ho Po-Wing(Leslie Cheung) who move to Argentina to try and reignite and fix their relationship. However their troubles return after a failed trip to a waterfall and their on/off relationship is on the rocks and severely tested this time.
Such a simple bare plot results in a complicated story. An often confusing love story yet most will be able to relate with the feeling of being stuck and drawn back in to a past relationship.
WKW and frequent cinematographer Christopher Doyle really make the location of Buenos Aires in to a world of their own. The colours are rich and vibrant, and the streets and salsa clubs are energetic and alive.
Tony Leung and Leslie Cheung both give stunning performances. Leung's being the more sympathetic role, with one scene in particular which will have you fighting back the tears.
An extremely important and relevant film from WKW and Hong Kong cinema during it's peak.
This Kino International bluray release has amazing picture quality and sound, and it is completely region free! It also features a 45 minute interview/Q&A with Wong Kar-Wai. And an hour long documentary which is a hybrid of a making of and deleted scenes. Both very interesting.
Another stunning must see film in the Wong Kar-Wai catalogue.
8.5/10
Check out the trailer below for a sample of how stunning this film really looks!
Fascinating, moving and haunting Korean film about a loan shark and a high school girl who become friends and bond over their similar situations with abusive fathers.
A great low budget story with excellent performances from both leads. Their performances make this film even more special. The loan shark played by Yang Ik-june will go down as one of the meanest hardmen in screen history... Yet, you can't help but feel for him. The story and the character will stay in your thoughts long after the film is finished.
Brilliant realistic modern Korean drama released in the UK by Terracotta Distributions. The 2 disc version comes with plenty of extras including interviews with the director and actors. A Q&A from London Film Festival. An interesting video diary with the cast going to Rotherham film festival. Trailers and more!
Breathless has won the Grand Prize at the 2009 Tokyo Filmex, the Silver Screen Award at the 2009 Singapore International Film Festival and the Tiger Prize at the 2009 Rotterdam International Film Festival. And the official selection at Edinburgh Film Festival(Great to see Scotland make the cover ).
Moebius is the story of a dysfunctional family. The mother has been driven mad by her adulterous husband. After she catches him in the act, she retaliates with an act of revenge. An extremely bloody psychotic act of revenge. The father and son have to deal with the consequences and aftermath after the mother leaves which results in grief, torture, guilt and lust while they question their own sexual desires.
And all of this is told without one line of dialogue in the entire film.
I can't tell if Kim Ki-duk is a genius. Or if he has actually lost the plot!
There is no way to sugar coat it. This is a highly disturbing, twisted, brutal, perverted, controversial film. But it is also enthralling, entertaining and completely unforgettable. It's a truly innovative piece of cinema.
It really has to be seen to be believed. And I don't want to spoil it for anyone because if you are going to watch it it's best going in without knowing what you are about to witness. Be warned though, if you are squeamish, this definitely isn't for you.
The UK release by Terracotta has an informative interview with lead actor Seo Young-ju. And also an entertaining Q&A with the same actor at the Terracotta Far East Film Festival in London.
Johnnie To delivers an unusual and remarkable caper film in Sparrow.
Unlike most of the popular and acclaimed To films, don't go in expecting an action
crime film with stylish shoot out scenes. There are no guns in sight and no "typical" action, unless
you count cleverly executed pick pocketing scenes as action, but the film
still flies by! The hour and a half run time was over before I knew it.
Visually this is Johnnie To's best looking film, interesting stylish cinematography set over some of the best Hong Kong locations. And a slick soundtrack to match composed by French musican Xavier Jamaux. The music and visuals really make this film come alive.
It's really style over substance in Sparrow, but all in the best way.
It's a simple story about pickpockets, very basic and not too much dialogue, but it is stunning and it has a fantastic exciting
finale in the rain which will captivate you.
8/10
The 3 disc version
from Terracotta Distributions comes with a bonus disc full of special
features including a well made documentary about the director,
interviews with the cast, footage from the press conference and more.
And the 3rd disc is the full original soundtrack! #Sparrow#JohnnieTo#文雀#HongKong
