Asian Movie Reviews »
Floating City (2012) Movie Review
It’s always good to keep an eye on the progressing careers of 1980s Hong Kong New Wave directors, and so “Floating City”, the 13th outing from helmer Yim Ho is likely to be of...
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The Kick (2011) Movie Review
Thai director Prachya Pinkaew and choreographer Panna Rittikrai return with more martial arts action in “The Kick”, which sees a family of Korean taekwondo masters taking on criminals in Thailand. The men who gave...
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First Time (2012) Movie Review
“First Time” is a Chinese youth romance offering and a remake of the 2003 Korean film “…ing”, helmed by Han Yan, whose part of the 2008 collection “Winds of September” ended up being refused...
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You’re My Pet (2011) Movie Review
“You’re My Pet” is a Korean romantic comedy with a rather odd premise, revolving around a woman who takes in a strange young man on the basis that he acts like her pet dog,...
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Fairy Tale Killer (2012) Movie Review
Danny Pang, still best known as one half of the brotherly directorial duo responsible for the 2002 hit “The Eye”, takes another shot at recapturing his past form with “Fairy Tale Killer”, which as...
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Guns and Roses (2012) Movie Review
“Crazy Stone” and “Crazy Racer” director Ning Hao returns with “Guns and Roses”, his biggest-budgeted and most ambitious film to date. Unsurprisingly, the film sees the Chinese sixth generation helmer sticking to the kind...
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Any Other Side (2012) Movie Review
Also known by the decidedly more fitting name “Nightclub Suspense Tale”, “Any Other Side” is another Chinese omnibus of ghostly tales of the weird and supernatural, marking the debut of writer director Fang Yaxi...
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Encapsulated Cinema: Detention, No Mercy, and The Dark Knight Rises
Detention (2011) “Torque” Director Joseph Kahn’s genre-bending head game “Detention” is the millennial “Scream”, except a lot more scatter-brained and unfocused. The film chronicles the adventures of several high school students, all of whom...
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The Second Woman (2012) Movie Review
Hong Kong writer director Carol Lai returns with “The Second Woman”, a suspense drama revolving around the ever popular theme of sinister twins. The film receives a real boost from having popular and award...
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Gabi (aka Russian Coffee, 2012) Movie Review
Although coffee might not sound like the most obvious hook for a thriller, it’s very much at the heart of romantically tinged Korean espionage drama “Gabi”. Another period piece for “Hwang Jin Yi” director...
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Himizu (2011) Movie Review
Japanese auteur, poet and cult favourite director Sono Sion (“Love Exposure”) returns with “Himizu” (which translates as ‘mole’), another tale of disaffected youth and brutal murder. Originally based on the manga of the same...
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Love Fiction (2012) Movie Review
Although the idea of yet another Korean romantic comedy might not exactly set the pulse racing, “Love Fiction” does have something a little different to offer, attempting to follow realistically the many ups and...
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Unbowed (2011) Movie Review
Korean films rarely seem to portray the country’s justice system in a particularly positive light, and that’s certainly the case with “Unbowed”, based on a headline-grabbing real life case from 2007 in which a...
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Helpless (2012) Movie Review
“Helpless” is a Korean suspense thriller from female Korean director Byun Young Joo (“Flying Boys”), based on the best-selling Japanese novel “All She was Worth” by author Miyabe Miyuki. Following an increasingly desperate man’s...
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August, Beijing (2008) Movie Review
Screened at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival. “August, Beijing” is a collection of short films from a variety of directors which chart some of the many different far-reaching ways in which hosting the 2008...
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Howling (2012) Movie Review
Despite its title and killer canine premise, “Howling” isn’t a werewolf horror, but a crime mystery based upon the award winning novel “Kogoeru Kiba” (“Fang Freezing”) by Japanese author Nonami Asa. The film is...
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Nightfall (2012) Movie Review
Fans of last year’s good/bad/insane Aaron Kwok starring psycho mystery “Murderer” can rejoice, as director Roy Chow and writer Christine To return with more madness in the form of “Nightfall”. Another labyrinth, over the...
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The House (2007) Movie Review
“The House” is a Thai horror directed by Monthon Arayangkoon, who also helmed supernatural thriller “The Victim” and the giant bird monster kaiju “Garuda”. Apparently based on real life cases involving the murders of...
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Meishi Street (2006) Movie Review
Screening at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival. The 2006 documentary “Meishi Street”, directed by famed Chinese visual artist Ou Ning, is quite a remarkable film in a number of different ways, chief amongst which...
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Once Upon a Time Proletarian (2009) Movie Review
Screening at the 2012 Chinese Visual Festival. “Once Upon a Time Proletarian” is a 2009 documentary feature from acclaimed director, novelist and poet Guo Xiaolou, also known for her award winning fiction films “She,...
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