^Yes, that’s me chilling with Apichatpong Weerasethakul Simon Yam, one of the best actors working in Hong Kong today!
A 15 year old screenwriter and cinephile in training.
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A Simple Life
Breathtaking. By that I mean Roger Lee's emotionally poignant adaptation of his own personal story, Hui's realistic depictions of contemporary social and cultural issues as well as attitudes, (as usual) and the film's many comedic moments and in-jokes, juxtaposed with thought-provoking and touching scenes. Oh and of course- Deanie Ip's masterful portrayal of the titular Tao Jie.
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Style
- Auteur-driven
- Melancholy
- Serene & subtle
- Fashionable alienation
- Deliriously surreal
- Nouvelle vague
- Rebellion!
- Shh!—silent cinema
- Neorealist
- Avant-garde
Wall
Displaying 4 of 361 wall posts.
Arsaib
31May12
Hi Toby, It's good to hear from you. I'm glad to know that 'Taste of Cherry' lived up to your expectations. To me it is one of Kiarostami's three or four greatest achievements, and if Haghighi's film is anything like it then you've only piqued my interest further. I'd also put 'Close-Up' in that group, which is a key contemporary precursor to the type of hybrid films where the boundary between documentary and fiction is virtually imperceptible. Recent landmarks include such works as 'In Vanda's Room' and Lisandro Alonso's 'La libertad'. I hope you check it out if you haven't already. I don't remember it very well but I have seen 'The Day I Became A Woman', and I can certainly imagine de Beauvoir's book serving as an inspiration. This reminds me that I need to catch up a bit with the Makhmalbafs. I'm looking forward to your thoughts on 'This Is Not a Film'. // It seems that Cannes lineups that look strong on paper often end up disappointing, and vice versa. Perhaps the mindset with which a work is approached also plays a role in how it gets received. I'm looking forward to many of the same names you mentioned. 'Moonrise Kingdom' is terrific, and it has only further fueled my hope that Anderson, now certainly among the finest of American filmmakers, doesn't 'grow up', something his naysayers tend to suggest. // I couldn't agree more with you regarding the Wong film. I think it never really had a chance, for some of the same reasons you mentioned, especially in terms of assimilating with another language and culture. Frankly, it's almost a surprise that the film wasn't more of a disaster. Foreign filmmakers who otherwise lack an "in", so to speak, usually employ the vast American landscape to help convey their themes and motifs, as that's one of the things that fascinate them the most about the country. From Antonioni to Bruno Dumont, this has been the case. Wong's interests and aesthetics on the other hand are geared toward the urban landscape and the lives that unfold on its foreground. So while 'Blueberry' is essentially a 'road-movie', it largely unfolds in bars, coffee-shops and casinos, places that in this case are pretty much impersonal to Wong in terms of their regional and geographical specificity, and when you combine that with the language issue it results in, well, what we witnessed. Some say that Wong doesn't have an ear for dialogue anyway, but this is obviously more difficult to detect through subtitles. Someone like yourself however would be in a much better position to make a determination. When Hou went to France he not had a better actor than anyone in Wong's film to lead the charge, but he also gave her all the freedom she needed to create a character, and I think Binoche did some of her best work in 'Red Balloon'. But even more importantly, he had an appropriate stand-in for himself in the Chinese nanny/filmmaker to provide a balance to the proceedings when needed. In the Wong, that can't be said about Norah Jones and her emotional displacement. When Hou went to Japan, he made sure to cast someone of Chinese descent. No less significant was the motif of the search regarding Jiang Wenye, a Taiwanese composer who largely worked in Japan while Taiwan was a Japanese colony. So these kinds of personal and dramatic gestures play a key role in the transmission and reception of ideas and text. // Did you already upload your film project? Yeah, I'd love to see it. I'm sure you did a good job. // Arsaib
Sarah Karina-Bogart
28May12
I'm excited for a few movies although there do not seem to be any good blockbusters coming out... How is your summer going? And my newest movie is in my about me box! If you wanna check it out, haha.
Dylan Ibrahim
5May12
I'll be sure to see Sansho as soon as possible. Yes, Rubber was recommended to me by a friend. I thought it was very good, with an honest and interesting premise. As for music, I'm into classical(some Beethoven, Bach, Wagner, Schoenberg, and Varese), I love the music of Frank Zappa a lot. Well, I can't put it all into a comment. I'd have to make a better list. Ha. How have you been?
ys
20Apr12
Hi Toby, I am really sorry for the late reply. I am glad you enjoyed the films shown in HKIFF, how I hope some of these films will be available in Singapore soon. I always love Tsai Ming-liang for whatever shorts or full length films he made, that guy is a genius. I am sure you are happy with the Hong Kong film awards result, "A Simple LIfe" deserve the win nonetheless,but I always thought the best actor will either go to Lau Ching-wan or Jiang Wen. How it is possible that "Let the Bullets Fly" only end up only winning Best Costume Design by the legendary William Chang. I heard of the number of controversies for Andy Lau win, and Ann Hui winning best director and best picture for the 4th time. 1 more than any directors in Hong Kong history. The moment I liked the most in the award show are "Life without Principle" winning both supporting actor and actress, that definately came as a surprise.I watched "Love in a Buff' but unfortunately it was dubbed in chinese, thus I don't really enjoy the film. What do you thought about Pang Ho-cheung latest film? Without any hestitation, this is his most commercial work ever and the one that is aimed directly at the Mainland China market. I see that you enjoyed "Night and Fog" but not "Gallants"? For Ann Hui's movie, I recommend both "Summer Snow" and "Boat People". If you really like something subtle, you should go for " The Way We are" or "Song of the Exile". They were all pretty top notch coming from Ann Hui.
Favorite Auteurs
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Wants To Watch
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Reviews
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Poetry
Prix du Scenario award-winner, former Minister of Culture and Tourism in Korea, and international film icon, it would be inappropriate to call Lee Chang-dong simply a great director. The man is a genius… read review
Forum
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2012 MUBI World Cup Voting, Match #2: Bangladesh (The Clay Bird) vs. Taiwan (Tropical Fish)
3 months ago
Film Database Submission July 2011
11 months ago
Film Database Submission March 2011
about 1 year ago
Non-Cliched Films About Romantic Love
over 1 year ago
Film Database Submission January 2011
over 1 year ago
Film Databse Submission December 2010
over 1 year ago
Sight & Sound Best Films of 2010
over 1 year ago