November 24, 2010

The Naked Kitchen (Ji-yeong Hong, 2009)

The Naked Kitchen is disappointing, even with the presence of Ji-hun Ju (Kim from last year’s Antique) and its appealing premise. It does everything wrong.
November 24, 2010

A Frozen Flower (Ha Yu, 2008)

I’ve heard good things about the Korean film, A Frozen Flower. Outside from the gorgeous production value and box-office success, it has also been heralded for its inclusion of homosexuality in a period setting. I was hoping I would get to see it at this year’s festival and was glad to see it on the schedule, even if for only […]
March 22, 2010

Macunaïma (Joaquim Pedro de Andrade, 1969)

One of the most interesting aspects of South-American cinema is its post-colonial perspective. Having lived myself and being raised in a Third-world country, I can identify and relate to the plight of South-American characters, living up to their (displaced) roots while fighting their imposed colonial heritage. I’ve seen firsthand the social stratification that the colonial rule instilled into the indigenous […]
March 11, 2013

Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack (Takayuki Hirao, 2012)

Adapted from Junji Ito's manga, Gyo tells the story of a modern-day Japan attacked by poisonous fish with mechanical legs, converting the population into organic masses excreting putrid gas, as they make their way inland.
March 29, 2010

Little Children (Todd Field, 2006)

Although true at times, Little Children never compels as the story suffers from the same shortcoming as In the Bedroom: it is merely an actors’ showcase.