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This year’s first film for me was Dororo, the adaptation of the homonymous manga from Osamu Tezuka directed by Akihiko Shiota. The film recounts the particular vendetta of Hyakkimaru against 48 demons that took a piece of his body when he was a child, after his father signed a pact with the demons to obtain the power to rule the world. In his odyssey he’ll be aided by Dororo, a female petty thief with some unfinished business too. The film features some impressive (but too few) Hong Kong-style action scenes (directed by none other than Ching Siu-Tung) and plenty of cheesy CGI and rubber costume’s monsters. But the script’s oversized, and the film becomes slow at times, which is disappointing in this type of film…nonetheless, if you want some fast-food entertainment movie this one could be for you.
I’m talking about Chrysalis, the new entry of French cinema into the sci-fi genre, directed by newcomer Julien Leclercq. The film features some interesting action and a very interesting near-future look, but the script isn’t up to the challenge…it feels too much convoluted when in the end the plot reveals very simple, and the film becomes boring at some segments. But it’s refreshing to see this type of films coming from Europe, which film industry’s filled with dramas and comedies…let’s just hope the next one comes better!
Let me set things clear: it’s been a long time since I watched a Hong Kong film that really feels like a classic “Hong Kong action flick”, and I can assure that this one delivers the goods! The plot starts with the robbery of an armoured car by a group of dangerous criminals, and the circumstances bring together three members of the police in their quest to chase them: Chan has it in for them for the killing of his girlfriend during the robbery, Fong for having been humiliated in a previous confrontation with them and Wai because he wants to discover the whereabouts of his missing brother. Over the years, Benny Chan has become one of the most solvent filmmakers at Hong Kong box offices, and he doesn’t try to hide his intentions with this movie: mind blowing action, truly spectacular martial arts scenes (directed by Li Chung-chi) and massive destruction all the way. I was also impressed with Jaycee Chan performance, it’s obvious that he doesn’t have his father’s martial skills, but he manage to deliver some credible performances both acting and kicking some asses. And it’s fun to see that he also has inherited his father’s role as the kind light-hearted cop. All in all, a truly must see for all of you HK action fans, you cannot miss this one!
The creators of that gem called Shaun of the Dead are back into action (literally!) with a buddy-movie loaded with testosterone and that fiendish humour that characterizes them. The main character is Nicholas Angel, some kind of super cop from London who has just been exiled to the remote town of Stanford by his superiors, for fear of his success. Very soon, the seemingly peaceful town will be in turmoil for a series of crimes perpetrated by a mysterious killer. Filled with constant references and homages to classic action films, mixed with their creator’s sense of comedy and some truly great action, the film turns out just as brilliant as Shaun of the Dead was. If you enjoyed that one, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
The international success of the Infernal Affairs trilogy proved once again the ability of Hong Kong cinema to become the focus of worldwide attention and its mastery in the genre. So now everyone’s head’s looking to the new work from this couple of directors. After diversifying their offers, Andrew Lau and Alan Mak return to Hong Kong to shoot this urban thriller that for the most part tries to pick up the ingredients of Infernal Affairs success. Confession of Pain is the bitter story of two characters, one private detective who tries to forget his girlfriend’s suicide through the whisky and his former partner in the police force, whose father-in-law has been brutally murdered. Played by Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tony Leung respectively, the actors deliver (as usual) wonderful performances, proving once more their well deserved status. But this time I think the script fails to keep up with the expectative. I know it’s sure a hard work to stand up to the tremendous success, both critically and box-office wise, of their previous films…but the film becomes a little boring at some point, and suffers from a little too stretched plot. Nonetheless, I don’t think is a bad movie at all, it sure becomes an overall enjoyable experience, with some great moments and a brilliant dramatic work. Oh well, you can’t nail it every time, right?
The ‘mushi’ are a sort of parasitical spirits floating everywhere unseen and that affect human beings in very diverse ways, the phantom soul of nature breathing inside everything. Ginko, who can see them, has become a ‘mushishi’, an expert in these creatures who acts as a healer whenever these creatures cause trouble. The creator of Akira returns to live action with an unhurried and disconcerting period movie. There’s not much of a plot, besides some background story about Ginko’s past, but more of a series of episodes involving Ginko as he tries to cure someone from mushi’s effects…and the film suffers from it, becoming too slow at times, even boring. Sure it delivers a beautiful fantasy full of poetry, and wonderful visual effects, both surprising and subtle, but I think the movie lacks something in the entertainment side, and that’s a pity coming from an Otomo film.
Finally Park Chan-wook leaves aside the tragic features of his previous works to make a colouristic movie, filled with emotional moments and plenty of a delicious sense of humour. 
The hospital inmates make a crazy and lovely bunch delivering some truly great scenes, and the relationship between the two main characters develops in a very charming way. Of course, the visual mastery of Park is present at every scene (not to forget the wonderful soundtrack), proving once again why he has become the head of this new generation of South Korean filmmakers. I’m sure many people will be disappointed, especially those expecting something more in the line of the Vengeance Trilogy, but I must say that this is a really wonderful film and one that proves that Park Chan-wook can manage every genre he likes.
After a project as personal and introspective as Takeshis, Kitano continues with what he himself has defined as a “creative destruction of his career”. I’m talking about Glory to the filmmaker!, the latest from the always surprising Takeshi Kitano. This time, in yet another attempt to exorcize his inner demons, to reflect on his own career and to combine his two most popular facets (comedy actor and that of revered filmmaker), Kitano delivers a movie about the creative problems of a filmmaker (none other than himself) who repeatedly tries out different genres without finding any one that satisfies him, all with a sarcastically comic tone. If not surreal enough, Kitano’s accompanied by his own stunt double (a papier mâché copy of himself) with which he exchanges whenever necessary. The first half of the movie becomes a brilliant summary of the different genres Kitano worked in, with plenty of parody moments and with his own personal touch. But the later part of the film loses its own track from the moment the Kitano ‘character’ finally finds the new genre to work in. From this moment, the film becomes a series of loosely related situations which usually end up with the most absurd possible ending. Of course, coming from Kitano, that means there are plenty of great moments where you’ll find yourself laughing like crazy, but the film as a whole suffers from it. One thing’s for sure: this is a movie that most of Kitano fans will enjoy, at least to a certain degree.
And now it was time for one more dose of animation, so the time had come for Brave Story. Directed by Koichi Chigira and produced by Gonzo, the film recreates a children’s adventure story where a boy immerses himself in a fantasy world in an attempt to save his family after his parents separated. There he’ll begin a videogame-like journey to accomplish his wish, and he’ll also become more adult in the process. The film mixes the some spectacular 3D with the elegance of classic 2D animation, achieving a convincing look, but more in the likes of OVA films than big budget cinema productions. Nonetheless, Chigira manages to deliver a movie for children that also can be enjoyed for people from all ages, with its reflection of growth and the attempt to find oneself. If you’ve got a chance to see it, it sure deserves a look.
Are you ready for some good Korean action? So here comes The city of violence, the latest from director Ryoo Seung-wan, responsible of Arahan among others. Tae-su, a cop from Seoul, returns to his home town after finding out an old friend of his has been murdered, where he’ll reencounter with the rest of the gang he shared his adolescence with. But something smells rotten and Tae-su has to discover what it is in his usual way: by fighting it’s way to the truth. This time Ryoo Seung-wan teams up with his colleague Jung Doo-hong, a renowned stuntman and martial arts choreographer, to deliver an absolute orgy of action, martial arts and stunts, in the likes of the classic Hong Kong action movies. There are Korean films which display some action, but there aren’t many which focus in delivering great action. And this one sure delivers great action! There are plenty of action scenes, featuring a realistic style (no wire-fu here) and with great choreographies. The fact that the actors himself are martial artists and stuntmen adds an extra layer of spectacularity and realism to the final result. So what we’ve got in the end? A great action movie, packed with great fights and a truly big finale. Think of something like a classic action HK flick with the technical quality of a Korean production. It’s a shame that there aren’t more Korean movies like this…so all of you action fans go and get it!
For those who loved the Hong Kong era movies of John Woo, here’s a chance to bring back old memories: Blood brothers, directed by Alexi Tan with John Woo and Terence Chang as executive producers. During the 1930’s, Shanghai became one of the most glamorous cities in the world, a metropolis where wealth, ambition, power and decadence existed side by side. Three young men arrive in search for fortune but they soon find themselves trapped into a criminal life where words like friendship or camaraderie no longer make any sense. A noir film piece with a classic story about ambitions, friendship and violence that remembers the plot of the old Woo movies. And of course, thrilling action scenes with plenty of gunshots, though they’re not the main attraction this time. Beautifully crafted, the film offers excellent visuals and a wonderful photography, and the actors, with Daniel Wu, Chang Chen and Shu Qi at the front, manage to communicate the foul atmosphere of Shanghai during this period. Another perfect example that proves once again that Hong Kong cinema still has a lot to offer to the world.
What would a festival be without a new Johnnie To movie? This year, the festival presented one of his latest movies (co-directed with Wai Ka-fai), Mad Detective. Bun is a detective with a special gift: he can see what is hidden inside people, their fears, their anxieties and what’s worse, their distinct personalities. An infallible weapon to solve his cases, but a double-edged one, as his gift’s driving him crazy. Despite being retired from service, a colleague asks from his help to solve a mystery involving two cops and a missing gun. The film’s basically a thriller, but it also features some comedic elements, reminiscent of PTU, and offers an interesting mix between fantasy and reality which adds some new elements to To’s style. Furthermore, Lau Ching-wan manages to deliver a credible performance avoiding the overacting, which can be difficult in a film of this characteristics. And of course we’re talking of a Johnnie To movie here, so as usual features fantastic visuals and a good camera work. So what we’ve got in the end? A highly recommended film, which To’s fans will surely enjoy, and another step in the long string of To’s successful career, specially over the last years.
First it was Yojimbo, then it came A Fistful of Dollars…and now Miike closes the circle with another of his brilliant ideas: a spaghetti-western disguised as jidai-geki, with cardboard sets and shot in English (or something like it), where the sparkle of revolvers rivals that of the katanas. And if that’s not enough for you, add to the mix a cameo from none other than Quentin Tarantino in a poncho, in one of the craziest cameo roles I can remember. Miike takes the historic struggle between the Heike and Genji clans to a town devastated by the gold rush, and creates an absolute masterpiece. All the classic western elements are present, but spiced up with the Miike touch, resulting in a explosive combination of gunfights and action. The film also has a wonderful production design, combining the elements from a western with a unique Japanese touch to recreate fantastic sets and create amazing costumes. Maybe the movie slows down a little bit in some segments that could be stretched, but overall the movie is an absolute must-see for every fan of Japanese craziness, and it goes directly to my personal top 5 of Miike movies.
