TIFF 12 for '12 Preview: Pacific Rim Offerings

The Toronto International Film Festival preview train rolls on! So far we've covered The Big Launches and The Fantastic Side of Things. Now we turn our attention to some of the notable Asian cinema at the fest.


TAI CHI 0
Actor/filmmaker Stephen Fung (writer of SHAOLIN SOCCER) directs an all-star cast including uber-hottie Shu Qi, Daniel Wu, and Tony Leung Ka Fai in this lighthearted steam punk kung fu tale.
Trailer | Teaser


LAND OF HOPE
Love him or hate him, Sion Sono has made some of the most interesting cinema to come out of Japan in recent years. His latest is a response to the nuclear disaster about an affected rural family.
Trailer | Teaser


DANGEROUS LIAISONS
It's been a few years since Zhang Ziyi has starred in a movie that's made any kind of international splash. China's most recognizable actress looks to change that with her starring turn in South Korean director Hur Jin-ho's adaptation of the 18th century French infidelity drama.


OUTRAGE BEYOND
Ohtomo's Yakuza war goes national in Takeshi Kitano's second chapter of his OUTRAGE saga. Ryo Kase, who just impressed Cannes audiences in Abbas Kiarostami's LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE, returns.
Trailer


THE THIEVES
Choi Dong-hoon's international casino caper is packed with South Korean stars and has been making a tidy sum at the country's domestic box office.
Trailer | Teaser | Review by Pierce Conran


CAUGHT IN THE WEB
Chen Kaige's (FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE) latest is this examination of our modern sound bite culture as experienced through three women. Mark Chao, Chen Hong, and Gao Yuanyuan star.
Trailer


IN THE NAME OF LOVE
Vietnam's contribution to TIFF this year is Luu Huynh's dark love triangle tragedy.


PENANCE
Kiyoshi Kurosawa's latest is this four and-a-half hour drama exploring guilt through a mother's quest for vengeance that originally aired in Japan as a TV miniseries. TOKYO SONATA star Kyoko Koizumi returns.
Trailer


PIETA
Kim Ki-duk's (SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER... AND SPRING) latest narrative effort is this drama about a man who is forced to reconsider his violent life when a mysterious woman shows up at his door, claiming to be his mother.
Trailer


THE LAST SUPPER
Ye Liu, Daniel Wu, and Chen Chang star in Lu Chuan's Qin Dynasty costumer follow-up to CITY OF LIFE AND DEATH.
Trailer


THERMAE ROMAE
Hideki Takeuchi's hit Japanese comedy looks to answer the burning question of what would happen if an ancient Roman bathhouse architect suddenly found himself in a modern day Japanese onsen. Making its North American premiere at TIFF, the Hiroshi Abe starring film has already grossed over $27M worldwide.


MOTORWAY
Soi Cheang's long delayed follow-up to ACCIDENT is this big budget car chase actioner, produced by Johnnie To.
Trailer | Review by Kwenton Bellette | Review by James Marsh

A few other notable Asian titles playing at the fest are Nishikawa Miwa's romcom thriller DREAMS FOR SALE, Zhang Yuan's look at the forgotten people in Beijing's boom, BEIJING FLICKERS, and Hong Sang-soo's Cannes premiering Isabelle Huppert starrer, IN ANOTHER COUNTRY.

We'll be back tomorrow with a look at some of the fest's top docs.