Asian movies in general have a different feeling and overall look that I think are distint to Asian directors. So having Rob Marshall who directed Chicago step in is a risk, and for most part of the movie he stays away from the visual style from Chicago and slows down the pace to truely capture the mood and tone of the novel. The story follows … [Read more...]

Paul Verhoeven has had strange career. He's responsible for some of the most watchable science fiction such as Robotech and Total Recall. He's also directed the only Basic Instinct, commercial success, and Show Girl, commercial flop. With Black Book he returns to Dutch root and delivers a great WWII genre epic. The movie tells you the story of a … [Read more...]

This film really injects the image of CAUTION throughout the film - at least till close to the finale. There are number of instances when I was reminded of the film's appropriate title, "Lust, CAUTION"! The movie achieved a remarkable visual achievement that cooks up metaphors to provide so much food for thought. A terrific ensemble cast. Tang … [Read more...]

The secret to success, it has been argued, is to display an ambidextrous plot that can be understood as both a simple narrative structure and a complex narrative structure. In this way District 13 fulfils its purpose. There is a story for those who are unable to grasp or understand complex narratives yet it also allows the 'thinking man' a topic of … [Read more...]

Zhang Yimou was a very highly regarded filmmaker 5 years ago, before I had ever heard of him. Then he earned a place in my heart by directing both Hero and House of Flying Daggers. With those last two I felt like I was in martial arts movie heaven, so I would instantly be interested in any other future films that could approach those two in scope, … [Read more...]

After absolutely loving 'Hero', I couldn't wait for Zhang Yimou's latest Wuxia Pien feature to arrive on Blu-ray. After watching it, I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed, as it is another sumptuous, stylistic feature, which deserves all the accolades it is likely to receive. The plot of the film is told in a more linear narrative when compared … [Read more...]

This is a sequel of "Nochnoi Dozor" (English: Night Watch), the first part of a trilogy on the ever-lasting fantasy battle Good versus Evil, called here Light and Dark, respectively. Beware: the episodes of this trilogy are hard to watch on their own. This is a world where dark ones and light ones live in an uneasy truce among the unsuspecting … [Read more...]

Chow is no stranger to direction. In 1994 Chow co-directed Love on Delivery and since then a number of other self starring projects and many of these projects are considered the best of his acting career. However his skills as a comedian - be it his brash physical comedy (Shaolin Soccer), his manical scenarios (Tricky Brains) or epic historical … [Read more...]

It's been a long and almost 3 year wait for the coming of Stephen Chow's new movie CJ7, on the heels of his international success with Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle, both of which were adapted/parodied/copied in the other two competitive movies this holiday season in Kung Fu Dunk and Ah Long Pte Ltd. If imitation is the best form of flattery, … [Read more...]