Fires On The Plain (dir. Tsukamoto Shinya, Japan)
The always fascinating Tsukamoto Shinya goes back to Ooka Shohei’s source novel for his take on the harrowing story of Japanese soldiers battling to survive on a remote jungle island at the end of WWII. Tsukamoto takes the lead role as a wandering private, losing his mind, witnessing untold bloodshed, and nourishing himself on yams, smokes and salt as hysteria inevitably sets in. Despite being the director’s biggest budget to date, Tsukamoto’s film retains a very raw, low budget feel, while perhaps even outdoing the most gratuitous of Hollywood productions to become the most gorily violent war movie ever made.
Flowers Of Taipei: Taiwan New Cinema (dir. Hsieh Chinlin, Taiwan)
One of the most important movements in Asian Cinema, the Taiwanese New Wave of the 1980s that introduced the world to filmmakers such as Hou Hsiao Hsien, Edward Yang and Ko I-Chen, is also an incredibly difficult one to get into.
Known for their still cinematography, glacial pacing and introspective politicised world view, these films are not exactly the most accessible in world cinema. However, they can prove incredibly rewarding to those with determination, diligence and plenty of sleep.
Hsieh Chinlin’s documentary is a wonderful overview of this period, the filmmakers involved and their key works. Packed with interviews from critics, historians, festival programmers and influenced filmmakers it proves an excellent gateway into the movement, not to mention ultimately proves somewhat reassuring when even someone like Tony Rayns confesses to the challenging nature of the films themselves.
A Fool (dir. Chen Jianbin, China)
Based on Hu Xuewen’s novel Running Moonlight, actor Chen Jianbin’s directorial debut is a harsh reminder of humanity’s predatory nature, as an honest farmer’s efforts to help a young homeless man set of a chain of calamitous events.
Read my review here
Love & Peace (dir. Sono Sion, Japan)
Sono Sion takes a swing at a more family friendly film than some of his more recent efforts, such as Himizu or Why Don’t You Play In Hell? by telling the story of a downtrodden salaryman, who is finally tipped over the edge when his pet tortoise, Picadon, is flushed down the toilet. Expressing his grief in an outburst of punk rock, Suzuki is spotted by a record producer and soon on his way to super stardom. Picadon, meanwhile, discovers a magical place in the sewers where his destiny is about to take terrifying shape. As delightfully deranged as the best of Sono’s oeuvre, Love & Peace evolves into a full-blown kaiju rock opera, yet one with a childlike innocence unlike anything else you will see this year.
Parasyte: Part 1 (dir. Yamazaki Takeshi, Japan)
The first half of Yamazaki’s adaptation of the hit manga is hugely entertaining stuff. Earth is invaded by aliens who take over human bodies. But when Shinichi (Sometani Shota) catches his would-be bodysnatcher mid-infestation he retains control of his body and mind, except for his right hand, which is now home to an extra-terrestrial. Alienated by both humanity and the alien race, they are deemed outcasts, so take it upon themselves to rid the world of the parasites in blood-splattered fashion. Shame the sequel, Parasyte: Completion was such a melodramatic mess.
Read Chris’ review here
Port Of Call (dir. Philip Yung, Hong Kong)
Lensed by Christopher Doyle, Port of Call is a dark, brooding, grisly police drama starring an unrecognisable Aaron Kwok as the lead detective investigating the murder of a young prostitute. When the killer confesses early on, Kwok - and director Yung - must delve deep to explore why the murderer did what he did, and why the victim seemingly played so willingly into his hands. The result is a thriller that is both graphically violent and thematically intelligent, an all-too-rare combination in Hong Kong cinema these days.
Read Patryk’s review here
Read my review for Screen Daily here
SPL2: A Time For Consequences (dir. Soi Cheang, Hong Kong)
Narratively Soi Cheang’s SPL 2 may have nothing to do with Wilson Yip’s predecessor, but in terms of balls-out action entertainment it more than delivers. Wu Jing and Tony Jaa join forces to take down Louis Koo’s evil organ trafficker and Max Zhang’s formidable prison warden. The results are smeared with blood, sweat and tears of fanboy joy.
Read my review for Screen Daily here
Taxi (dir. Jafar Panahi, Iran)
Jafar Panahi’s third illegal film since being banned from any form of filmmaking by the Iranian authorities takes places solely within the confines of a taxi on the streets of Tehran. With Panahi behind the wheel, he encounters a variety of passengers who tell a myriad different stories about life in modern day Iran. Blurring the lines between documentary and drama, between film and reality, we are never quite sure just how real what we are witnessing is; who is an actor and who isn’t. Either way, the experience that unfolds makes for riveting viewing, cementing Panahi’s position as a true pioneer of the medium.
Two Thumbs Up (dir. Lau Ho Leung, Hong Kong)
Long-time screenwriter Lau Ho Leung (Painted Skin, Kung Fu Jungle) makes his directorial debut in this energetic action comedy following a gang of thieves who masquerade as cops to pull off a heist, only to encounter a rival posse with the exact same idea. Francis Ng and Simon Yam head up the cast, which sets its sights firmly on local audiences, delivering a winning combination of humour, action and camaraderie that transcends its budgetary limitations.
Read my review here
When Marnie Was There (dir. Yonebayashi Hiromasa, Japan)
While not quite up to the mystical majesty of fellow Ghibli directors Miyazaki Hayao and Takahata Isao, Yonebayashi has turned out some solid work so far. His follow-up to Arietty is an adaptation of Joan G. Robinson's novel and reverberates with strong echoes of classic gothic horror stories such as The Innocents, Rebecca and The Others. Sent to the countryside to recuperate, ailing youngster Anna soon makes friends with a young girl named Marnie, who lives in a grand old house across the bay, only to discover all is not what it appears.
Read Chris’ review here