November 15, 2015

Spectre (Sam Mendes, 2015)

After the tragic death of M and to honour her memory, James Bond uncovers a conspiracy of influential individuals called Spectre, a secret society responsible for strategic terrorist attacks around the world. As Bond strives to thwart their plans, fundamental changes are affecting the secret services back home, leaving Bond to fend for himself.  
April 19, 2010

Mystic River (Clint Eastwood, 2003)

Mystic River works because it’s never bogged down by any flashy camera movement. light theatrics or editing experimentation.
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 […]
October 17, 2013

Shield of Straw (Takashi Miike, 2013) | Lesson of the Evil (Takashi Miike, 2012)

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

Symbol (Hitoshi Matsumoto, 2009)

Symbol never lives up to its potential, choosing rather to limit itself to slapstick gags, immature, dull and predictable.