Log: week 8 / 2019
Based on the people involved (Clarence Fok, Donnie Yen, Angelababy) your expectations may be high, just remember that Hong Kong films really aren't that good with romance, especially not the commercial ones. Together is not a bad film, it just isn't a very good one either. Too overdone and too cheesy to work well.
A fun little thriller that updates the old truth or dare game for the present day. Roberts and Franco are nice enough, the colorful night time footage looks pretty sweet and the pacing leaves little room for boredom, sadly the ending is a pretty big copout. Still a pretty enjoyable and entertaining film, good filler.
A decent heist film, though very much by the numbers. Amiel's input seems extremely limited and he's mainly counting on his central duo to carry the film for him. Connery and Jones do a commendable job, but it's not enough to make this a truly memorable film. It's nice enough filler, though nothing out of the ordinary.
Dante Lam's first film is no masterpiece, but it's a decent genre exercise with a solid balance between drama and action. It's a pretty standard film with few stand-out moments, but the action sequences should be enough to entertain the average action fan. It's pretty decent filler, but little more than that.
You'd be forgiven for thinking this is a boring and insignificant film, but as time passes Soderbergh talent starts to shine through. What is essentially a very simple story becomes fun and intriguing. Well acted, Soderbergh's direction is strong and the whole phone cinematography thing transcends its gimmicky nature.
The Shaw Bros didn't release many dramas, but with Ann Hui in the director seat that's what you're getting. At times it reminded me a little of In The Mood for Love, but the film lacks good direction and without any stand-out elements it's just another tepid drama in Hui's extensive oeuvre. Decent but way too basic.
Fine drama by Kawase. It's a bit more stylized and toned down compared to her earlier work, combined with the strong performances of Misaki and Nagase it makes for a very captivating film. It looks great, features a beautiful soundtrack and the dramatic payoff is on point. Radiance is her best film so far.
Grim, dark slow-burner that serves a nice dose of horror and suspense. It's pure genre work, so don't expect anything too out of the ordinary, but apart from that a very solid film. Strong cinematography, well acted, superb sound design and some creepy scenes. It has all you want from a good horror film really.
A very middle of the road crime flick by Ann Hui. Sadly the drama doesn't work that well, which depraves the ending from its power. The acting is decent, there are a couple of solid scenes and it's a rather inoffensive film, at the same time it's also completely forgettable. Okay filler, but nothing more than that.
Insane entry in the Spider-man franchise. It's probably my least favorite series in the whole superhero genre, a genre I never really cared for in the first place. But this film is different. A statement piece that puts creativity and originality front and center and shatters all notions of what American animation can be.
A decent enough survival story, though it made a much bigger impact when I first watched it as a kid. The plane crash looked a little sloppy, the actors aren't that great and the film gets a little repetitive. Still, a nice setting, some moral dilemmas and a pretty impressive story make for just the right amount of entertainment.
Read somewhere this is supposed to be the first modern martial arts film, but I bet the Shaw Bros have something different to say about that. There are some decent scenes near the end, but apart from that it's all pretty basic and mellow. Not too surprising that Shaw Bros won the battle from Cathay.
So old the film even had to explain the word "zombie" to the audience. If you know Tourneur, you know you shouldn't expect a full-blown horror film. It gets a bit more atmospheric during the second half, but in the end it's a pretty dull and lifeless (pardon the pun) experience. It's a decent curiosity, nothing more.
China and France collaborating on film for the international market. The result feels a bit conflicted at times, but with some decent performances by Mark Chao and Ni Ni and some above standard cinematography it's a pretty pleasant film nonetheless, even though quite simple and brainless.