The Toronto International Film Fest is coming up next week and we've got another entry in our massive 7-part preview series for you now. Today we'll look some Asian films that will be playing at TIFF. Click through the slides below and swing by tomorrow as we explore what the festival has in store on the documentary front.
Unforgiven
While the trend has long been for remakes to travel the other way across the Pacific, here it's Japanese director Lee Sang-il re-imagining Clint Eastwood's 1992 classic as a Meiji-era sword slasher. Count us in!
Man of Tai Chi
At last, Keanu Reeves follows his spiritual brother Alex Winter's lead and takes a shot at the director's chair. He's got the right team as he's partnered with Yuen Woo-Ping to handle the fighting (martial arts choreographer of The Matrix!). The Raid's Iko Uwais co-stars in this film that's will come to US shores via RADiUS-TWC.
Cold Eyes
This S. Korean action thriller was released on the Peninsula in July where it tore up the domestic box office. It's directed by Cho Ui-seok (Make it Big) and Kim Byung-seo (DP on Dangerous Liaisons).
American Dreams in China
Dubbed the Chinese Social Network, prolific Hong Kong filmmaker Peter Chan follows-up Dragon (Wu Xia) with this story of friends starting up an English school. The cinematography is by Christopher Doyle.
Read James's review
Like Father, Like Son
Kore-eda Hirokazu's drama about a family who discovers their son might not be their own was a hit at Cannes. It was scooped by Sundance Selects and makes a stop at TIFF en route to a US release.
R100
What midnight section would be complete without some completely over the top work of Japanese hilarity? The description of Matsumoto Hitoshi's fourth feature (Big Man Japan, Symbol, Scabbard Samurai) says it all: A mild-mannered family man with a secret taste for S&M finds himself pursued by a gang of ruthless dominatrices — each with a unique talent.
The Fake
Yeon Sang-ho's sophomore follow-up to The King of Pigs is an animated critique of organized religion by one of S. Korea's freshest voices.
Why Don't You Play in Hell
It's violence galore when a film crew gets mixed up in a Yakuza blood feud in Sono Sion's sixth feature in the last three years. Lucky for us, Drafthouse Films has already announced they'll distribute this Sakaguchi Tak and Kunimura Jun starrer in the states.
Blind Detective
Johnny To's story of a… blind… detective… debuted at Cannes to less than stellar marks. Andy Lau stars alongside pop star Sammi Cheng.
Read James's review
Rigor Mortis
Actor/writer Juno Mak's directorial debut horror explores what happens when supernatural chaos comes to a Hong Kong public housing tenement.
Real
Kurosawa Kiyoshi has taken some time off of features since the 2008 hit Tokyo Sonata, spending much of his time on the television series Penance. His latest is a sci-fi drama about a man who invents technology to go inside the mind of his comatose lover.
Soul
Taiwanese director Chung Mong-Hong's third feature (Parking, The Fourth Portrait) is this psychological thriller about a transient soul.
Moebius
S. Korean auteur Kim Ki-dul's follow-up to Pieta is this film being billed as a cross between an S&M psychological thriller and a gross-out comedy. Leave it to Kim.