September 7, 2011

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (Tsui Hark, 2010)

Although Hark makes good use of his limited budget, Dectective Dee’s script feels convoluted, while the actors perform as if they’re in a campy picture.
December 16, 2013

The Lady Assassin (Quang Dung Nguyen, 2013)

The Lady Assassin, a martial arts blockbuster, is my first Vietnamese film. A light Sunday night screening at this year’s Fantasia Festival, it was attended by a notable number of people from Montreal’s Vietnamese community. Billed as a Vietnamese wu xia, in the film, a princess sold in marriage is taken in by a team of high-flying, ass—kicking, thieving assassins […]
August 12, 2011

Petty Romance (Jeong-Hoon-Il Kim, 2010)

With its raunchy premise, Petty Romance begins with strong comedic elements. The most interesting part of the movie is its odd first half.
January 30, 2015

Honeymoon (Leigh Janiak, 2014)

Honeymoon is like the edge of a blade, which could turn out quite dull or sharp as hell. Riding that edge is what makes the film so appealing.
November 28, 2010

Written By (Wai Ka-fai, 2009)

In Written By, after losing his whole family in an accident, a blind writer keeps his loved ones alive by writing them an afterlife.