Highly Recommended
Sound of the Mountain (1954) (Japanese Drama) (repeat viewing) – Setsuko Hara turns to her father-in-law for emotional support in the face of her total prick of a husband, who is having an affair. Director Mikio Naruse does a great job in using subtlety to show the suffering and torment of the lead protagonist. The dialogue is meaningful, the acting is exceptional, and the conflict is always gripping. A very good film.
Fulltime Killer (2001) (Chinese Action) (repeat viewing) – Two assassins (one played by Andy Lau in flamboyant fashion) compete against one another in this movie directed by Johnnie To. This is a stylish, engaging and fun movie. A portion of the film is spent with Lau and his video shop girlfriend (played very nicely by Kelly Lin) who hang out and chat, which adds some character and charm to the proceedings. There’s quite a bit of indirect communication in this, which may require the viewer to piece together a few things for themselves. The action scenes are good, employing some original methods, such as chaotic water hoses. One particular sequence stands out, taking place in an apartment complex with both assassins eradicating dozens of policemen. There’s also a funny scene involving fake grenades. Simon Yam and Cherry Ying have supporting roles.
Recommended
Bullet Ballet (1998) (Japanese Drama/Thriller) (repeat viewing) – Director Shinya Tsukamoto made this film about a man who initially conflicts with a local gang of youths, only to then later befriend them. Like most of Tsukamoto’s movies, there are a handful of very interesting themes that are explored here (exploration of how our protagonist copes with the death of his girlfriend, delinquency and youth violence, characters who learn the value of life through pain and suffering, etc.). The entire movie is nicely shot in black and white. Classic scenes include the subway dare and the ending.
The Isle (2000) (Korean Drama/Romance) (repeat viewing) – Kim Ki-duk directs this unorthodox love story that takes place at a fishing pond that is frequented by prostitutes. The setting is really outstanding, with small platforms on the pond that can only be accessed by boat. Practically every shot has atmosphere and natural beauty to enjoy. Not much of a plot, but the character interaction is interesting. Some symbolism is also used between humans and fish, among others. There are a few wince-worthy scenes involving fish hooks driven into body parts, but all of the violence occurs off-screen, thus making it tolerable. FYI, there is quite a bit of sex in this one.
Moebius (2013) (Korean Exploitation Horror/Drama/Romance) (repeat viewing) – Kim Ki-duk directs this film about a teenager (within a dysfunctional family) who is assaulted and must endure the emotional consequences. This is violent, disgusting, depraved, cringeworthy, and ridiculous stuff that some viewers may write off (somewhat justifiably) as garbage. On the other hand, it is oddly engaging because it has impressive performances, interesting themes, and many surprises. There’s a lot of emphasis on self-mutilation as a gateway for sexual pleasure. There is also no dialogue and no scoring . . . at all . . . for the entire runtime! That is one of a few unique aspects at play. To top it all off, there are a few genuinely funny moments. Definitely the nastiest film in this director’s filmography, this is completely nuts. Viewer beware; nerves of steel are required.
Coffee Prince (2007) (Korean Romantic Comedy Television Series) (repeat viewing) – A girl (Eun-hye Yoon) poses as a guy in order to get a job at a local coffee shop in this 17-hour miniseries. The manager falls in love with her but suppresses his feelings since he thinks she’s a man. The mood is almost always lighthearted and much of the comedy works. The characters have sloppy eating and living habits too. Eun-hye Yoon carries the series, but Gong Yoo and Sun-kyun Lee co-star. This doesn’t even bother with a plot, focusing instead on building comradere between all of the workers at the café. There is a healthy amount of cheesiness in the form of relationship development, but considering how I’d have fun doing the same activities, there’s probably little to complain about. This is an enjoyable experience with brisk pacing and some unorthodox elements due to the uni-sex set-up.
Red Dawn (1984) (American Action) – In mid-western America, a group of teenagers bands together to defend their town, and their country, from invading Soviet forces. This movie doesn’t waste time setting up the premise; the opening sequence is one of the best scenes in the entire film. There’s a general focus on survival skills and guerrilla warfare. Action is pretty good, albeit unexceptional. This has a loaded cast, with Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Jennifer Grey, Powers Boothe, etc.
Beautiful Accident (2017) (Chinese Drama/Comedy) – Due to a mistake in heaven, a cold-hearted attorney dies. Before she is able to return to her normal self, she must live as an ordinary housewife for a month. This is a remake of the terrible Korean film “Wonderful Nightmare.” This version is actually watchable mostly because, as an actress, Kwai Lunmei is 100 times better than Jeong-hwa Uhm. It’s still on the thin side, but I found it to be enjoyable fluff.
Not Recommended
Fantastic Four (2005) (American Action) – A group of astronauts gain superpowers after a cosmic radiation exposure and must use them to oppose the plans of their enemy, Doctor Victor Von Doom. This is not as bad as everyone says, but that doesn’t mean it’s good. Very lackadaisical and uneventful, for the most part, with a story that seems to go nowhere. The action has an old school feel, but it’s still mostly forgettable. Jessica Alba is insanely hot though.
The Battleship Island (2017) (Korean War Drama/Thriller) – During the Japanese colonial era, roughly 400 Korean people were forced onto Battleship Island (“Hashima Island”) to mine for coal. This is a shallow film with repetitive beatings and a cartoonish portrayal of the Japanese military. When creating reprehensible characters like this, you still need to portray them in such a way that makes them feel like real people. This movie fails miserably at doing so, meaning that I simply did not care about all of the evil things these wafer thin, unconvincing bad guys were doing. The fact that most of the protagonists are boring doesn’t help either. Dialogue is weak. None of the thriller sequences are memorable at all. Production values are solid, but this is a disappointment from director Seung-wan Ryoo.
Jason Bourne (2016) (American Action) – The CIA's most dangerous former operative is drawn out of hiding to uncover more explosive truths about his past. The action is mostly monotonous and completely forgettable. One exception is the final car chase, which involves an armored SWAT vehicle. Alicia Vikander is terrible as the female lead; she’s 100% cardboard. The original trilogy isn’t great, but they’re certainly better than this installment.
Kong: Skull Island (2017) (American Action) – Another stupid King Kong film to add to the list. Like some other recent Hollywood movies, there’s an overbearing soundtrack of rock songs that takes you completely out of the film. Camerawork, acting and dialogue are obnoxious. It tries to be so serious, but comes off as really lame. The action consists of CGI beasts fighting each other and humans, but it tails miserably to build anticipation, fear, or suspense before they arrive. Consequently, they become forgettable and monotonous. All of the characters are boring. Jing Tian is cast as the token Asian chick, with almost no lines of dialogue or anything remotely interesting to do.
