October 17, 2013
Shield of Straw My first film at Fantasia in 2013 was Takashi Miike’s Shield of Straw, one of the director’s contribution to the festival. Miike is a known workhorse, directing sometimes three films per year, in a myriad of genres and styles. Yet, there seems to be a connecting thread through his films, which feels harder to ascertain for me […]
November 28, 2010
In Bodyguards and Assassins, Chinese patriots pledge their lives to safeguard a revolutionary named Dr. Sun as assassins are sent to kill him.
March 3, 2011
In Legendary Assassin, following the murder of a triad boss, an assassin is trapped on the small island where the deed occurred due to weather conditions.
November 26, 2010
A federal agent meets a spy, Ji-won, who had escaped from North Korea, they play a game of cat-and-mouse, keeping an eye on one another.
November 26, 2010
The only showing of the Singapore film, Sell Out, is, oddly enough, sold out. It’s my first Singaporean film, a musical sporting a peculiar premise, so I’m excited about it. A young Singaporean engineer, working for a multinational conglomerate, designs a terrific new product (a tofu processor) but discovers that his invention (and any kind of innovation) isn’t welcomed at […]