Log: week 12 / 2024
When having amnesia once just isn't enough. Old Hollywood romance is some of the most cheesy and old-fashioned cinema you can get, and Random Harvest is a perfect example. From the stuffy setting to the stiff performances and the abundance of melodrama, this film truly feels like a relic. The plot is pretty ridiculous, the English setting is grotesquely boring and the whole thing is just dripping in sentimentality. If it's oldskool romance you are after then I can imagine these films hold some appeal, but it's the exact opposite of what I look for in a good film. Not for me.Read all
Thirteen years after the second film, Xiaogang Feng decides to bring his beloved characters back. It's not just a simple reprise though, Feng adds a little sci-fi to the mix and forces Shu Qi to take on a double role. I think few people are going to complain about that, I certainly didn't. You Ge and Shu Qi feel comfortable in their roles, there are some amusing comedy bits and Feng's clean, colorful styling gives the film a little extra flair. The romance is tepid though and two hours is a bit too long for a simple film like this. It's pleasant enough filler, but I don't think we need a fourth part.Read all
For a while now, Asian-American cinema has been lauded as something worthy, whereas it's just plain old US drama with Asian-looking people. Minari is no different. It's a predictable, somewhat sentimental, and even borderline cheesy drama. It might as well be directed by Clint Eastwood. The performances are decent and the setting is idyllic, but that's about it. The drama is pedestrian, the themes aren't all that original and the characters are very stereotypical. It's not a terrible film, but it isn't that noteworthy either. I guess having A24 plastered on top of it must've helped with the prestige, but that bit of branding didn't make the film better.Read all
It's not Tanaka's best film, in part because he has to fit in an entire boy band. But he pushes the lads to have a bit of fun, and the story is bonkers enough to forgive some less-than-perfect performances. Early Tanaka means twisted storylines and little detours that end up living a life of their own, but that's exactly what makes his films so much fun. It's impossible to predict where the story and its characters will end up, at the expense of being less coherent. Fans of Tanaka will have a field day with this one, others would probably do best to check out some of his more prestigious work first.
This reminded me a little of contemporary Chinese crime films. Propaganda for the police, with a clear message to anyone who wants to pursue a criminal career. There's even a voice-over lauding the accomplishments of the law, underlining the cunningness of their adversary just to make them look even bigger and smarter. The story is pretty crummy, the voice-over makes it worse, and the performances are incredibly stilted. The stark black-and-white cinematography has some appeal, but it wasn't enough to win me over. T-Men is a pretty drab noir, and little more than a subsidized warning for people willing to go down the wrong path.Read all
I used to be a pretty big fan of these US black comedies, right before I got serious about film. It's been a very long time since I last watched U Turn, and while I still appreciated large parts of it, it doesn't quite hit me the same as before (had very similar experiences with Wild Things and Very Bad Things). Penn is fun in the lead, and it's quite amusing to see his character gradually getting more and more messed up as time passes. The film's a bit long though, and some scenes don't add all that much to the film's core appeal. The finale also lacks that little extra to push it over the edge, but other than that, good fun.Read all
Danny Pang is the next big Hong Kong director who finds himself caught in the iQiyi tap. While I generally don't mind Chinese streamer filler, established directors (especially those with a history in Hong Kong) seem to struggle more than their younger Chinese counterparts. And Break War is another fitting example. Some very familiar faces and a plotline that's pretty popular these days, that's what you're getting. The problem is that Danny Pang's films used to have plenty of flair, and that's exactly what's missing here. Break War plays like a mediocre Hong Kong flick from 15 years ago, which isn't all that terrible, but I expect more from him.Read all
One of Obayashi's earliest films. It's obvious he was still experimenting and searching for his identity here, but that has a charm of its own. This early short feature is an ode to silent cinema, which I guess was pretty convenient for a young director with limited means at his disposal. It's cute to see a young Obayashi, the grainy, fuzzy film stock has a fitting charm and while the setup is pretty simple, the short runtime keeps the film from losing steam. It's far from Obayashi's most memorable film, but it's a cute little experiment that foreshadows an impressive career. Good fun.Read all
It has been ages since I last watched this film, and honestly, it seems I conflated quite a lot of it with Sanjuro. I guess a revisit was in order then, though I didn't get much more out of it the second time around. Classic Kurosawa simply isn't for me, and this was another good reminder. The soundtrack is misguided, the comedy is offputting and 110 minutes is way too long for the simple premise. The performances aren't great either, it's only the decent cinematography and the proper finale that redeem the film ever so slightly. Jidaigeki fans will no doubt love it, I didn't really care for it.Read all
Funny Tripple is not the world's most original film, but fans of 80s Hong Kong action comedies should feel right at home. When Eric Tsang takes up the role of a funny cop, you know what to expect, and this film delivers in spades. It's just that the execution is somewhat lackluster. There's a bit of action, there's lots of comedy nonsense, and you get lots of banter between Eric Tsang and Anthony Chan. On top of that, Pak-Cheung Chan is trying to play the bad guy. It's all very silly and fun, but there are so many similar films that it's difficult to imagine this one will stick out in any way. Amusing filler though.Read all
I'm not the biggest fan of Russian dreariness, but there's no point in denying that some of their films are visually arresting. Khrustalyov, My Car! is one of those films where I didn't care too much about the characters or the plot, but kept watching because of the entrancing cinematography. The film is surprisingly lighthearted, though the comedy contains a pretty dark undertone. The radiant black-and-white cinematography is something else though, given even more prominence by the moody settings. It's a shame the runtime's a bit excessive and the film does run out of steam in the second half. Still, a fine discovery.Read all
China working on its sci-fi collection. There's still no big boom, but from time to time you'll see a new sci-fi film pop up. Star Abyss is a typical iQiyi project, meaning it's short, concise, and on the cheap. At the same time, it's also pretty entertaining and despite some shoddy CG, it wasn't boring. The CG really isn't good (and often quite pointless), but the setting is fun and the mix of sci-fi and action is amusing enough. The film is pure genre filler and never pretends to be anything more, apart from the ending maybe, which felt a bit too drawn out. 70 minutes would've been better, other than that, amusing filler.Read all
Slightly more amusing than the first one, though a great film this is not. It's mostly better because Dundee is allowed to return to his roots, which changes the film's dynamic. That means fewer "outback man in the city jokes", but more "criminals in the outback" jokes. It's different enough to warrant a sequel. The first half of the film's a little iffy, but the second part makes up for it. There are some decent jokes packed in the latter half, as long as you keep your expectations in check. It would've been nice if the film had been a little shorter, and the performances still aren't that great, but it's amusing enough.Read all