Venice Film Festival

The Venice International Film Festival has some pretty interesting premiers! Aronofsky's Black Swan, Takashi Miike's '13 Assassins' (will it be a typical Miike again?) and most of all Anh Hung Tran's 'Norwegian Wood!

Zhang Ziyi

OMEGA Ambassador actress Zhang Ziyi attend OMEGA Constellation VIP Dinner at The Ritz-Carlton on June 26, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. She is lovely as always!

Air doll / Kûki Ningyô (Japan, 2009)

Air Doll is a rather weird story about an air doll which is becoming a human being. In a short period she encounters many different emotions. In fact, this is a story about loneliness, maybe not so special if you may have expected from brilliant Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, but still a joy to watch. The beautiful scenes of loneliness gently shows the individualistic Japanese society and how difficult it is to still recognize all emotions which are out there.

The Fall (India, 2006)

The fall, by director Tarsem Singh, is know for its innovative story which almost is like a dream sequence and its beautiful scenes. Here are a few pictures of the mysterious film that everyone just has to watch. What seems like a childrens fairy tale becomes darker and more serious along the way; fantasy and reality no longer seem to be separated anymore. In fact its pure magic, a story about a girl who meets a stranger in a hospital. He will tell her stories about five heroes as long as she smuggles morphine to him.... but those heroes somehow are connected to her own life.
You will be hypnotized by the use and effect of colours, frames and storytelling.

The Banquet / Ye Yan (China, 2006)

Brilliant Chinese adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. If the story can't satisfy you, surely the beautiful scenes, enchanting music (Lang Lang plays the piano) and gorgeous Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Xun will!

Just let yourself go with the subtle flow of love, betrayal and murder and before you realize it you seem to be a part of this film and bever want it to end. The music is almost hypnotic, the dances are as well and the choreography of the fighting is art.

City of Life and Death / Nanjing!, Nanjing! (China, 2009)

City of Life and Death tells about the massacre of Nanking. the former capitakl city of China was in december in 1937 invaded by Japanese forces and in a few months (february 1938) they killed more than 200.000 chinese soldiers and civilians. It is called the massacre of Nanking because of the cuelties of the Japanese armies. Tens of thousands women were raped and children were murdered.

This horrible event still hurts the souls of the Chinese and that is why it is remarkable suddenly they seem to be a bit more open and show their wounds. The film is completely shot in black and white and this is the best way to capture this dark period. Performances are outstanding (though the foreign actors don't convince at all....)

When you don't know anything about it, the film can be a bit difficult to understand. Suddenly a German called 'John Rabe' appears and in the end almostevery chinese cries because he leaves the city. Why? Because John Rabe saved approximately 200.000 Chinese civilians by creating a safety zone. His diaries are published 20 or 30 years ago.

Are all Japanese monsters? In the eyes of the elder Chinese this is often the problem, but for the first time in history this films shows a kind of less sympathetic Japanese soldier who is having doubts about the killings. In the Chinese cinema's this was accompanied by applause...

City of Life and Death is a strong film about Nanking, which will weigh heavy on the heart, some scenes are horrific but it never turns into gore.

Jellyfish aquarium opens in Nanjing

A new Jellyfish aquarium has been opened in Nanking. It almost looks like art.......

Mulan (China, 2009)

Well, to start, the movie isn’t as good as it possibly could have been. The start is just weak and it slowly gets better but never reaches the ‘wow’ factor. For example, the helmets look like they are made out of plastic, the harasses as well and how can Mulan become a general in such a short period?

The drama is okay but cliché, some scenes are cinematographically beautiful and some are horrible, it seems like the film is an unfinished production. Is it all that bad?? Not at all, the film can be surely be enjoyed, however it is just sad because Director Jingle Ma could have done a better job.

One last point of criticism (which is hilarious), why was Zhao Wei (or Vicky Zhao, whatever you like.... 'A Time to Love') casted as Mulan? Sure, she is a good actress and she is beautiful, but that is the problem. She is so stunning that not even for a second you would mistake her for a man.

Matrimony, The / Xin Zhong You Gui (China, 2007)

The Matrimony is an intriguing and very dramatic love story with horror elements, but don't be mistaken it is far more a drama than a horror. The world which the director creates is a very powerful one, with beautifully shot images, a wonderful use of colors and a story that will draw you in.

Well maybe the story isn't too innovative, but it is executed in a good way (which makes it an effective tragic love story) with strong performances of Leon Lai, Rene Liu and Fan Bingbing.

If you look for drama, love and a little bit of horror with scenes that are dazzling of its beauty.... the Matrimony is yours to watch!

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (2011)

There will be a film adaptation of Lisa See's novel 'Snow Flower and the Secret Fan'. The story, a rather tragic one, is set the Chinese 19th century where women are kept secluded and never intermengle with the men. Lily is paired with a "laotong" a kind of emotional match that will last for a lifetime. Her laotong is Snow Flower, and they keep in touch by sending eachother silk fans on which they write or paint their stories in nushu (secret language that only women could read). This way they are able to share there problems they face in life.

Ziyi Zhang and Jeon Ji-hyun (Gianna Jun) will star in this film, we just have two wait for another year....

Epitaph

Stunning filmposter of the 2007 Korean film 'Epitaph'! This film isn't very well known but it is not a bad one. The story is rather interesting but you have to pay a lot of attention or you will miss the plot.

Water

Water is a rather interesting Canadian/Indian production about the horrible position that Indian widows are in (the untouchables).
Though it is a heavy subject, the director never chooses for too much drama which makes the film never weigh too heavy on the heart but at the same time, you will understand the ridiculousness of some laws of society.
The combination of great acting, beautiful scenes and the traditional Indian music makes it a highly recommendable film to watch.

Fan Bingbing on the cover of Marie Claire

Chinese actress Fan Bingbing starred on the cover of the latest Marie Claire

China Daily's best Chinese films of 2009

China Daily made a list of the best Chinese films of 2009 in their eyes:

1: A simple Noodle Story - The new film of Zhang Yimou, a comedy this time

2: The Message - This one seems pretty interesting, a spy movie which is called one of the most refined movies this year. It is about Chinese resistance against Japanese agression. Zhou Xun is the star is the star of this film.

3: Cow - The story revolves around a cow, a gift from a European country, and how it has an unexpected impact on different people, including Japanese soldiers.

4: Overheard - written and directed by writers who were behind Infernal Affairs. Three wiretappers at the Hong Kong commercial crime investigation bureau find out about a listed company trying to manipulate the stock market.

5: Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf - Chinese animation, wondering what that could be....

6: Crazy Racer - a funny movie about 10 induviduals and their lifes which are interwoven with one another

7: The Founding of a Republic - Historical film which a huge and magnificent cast: Zhang Ziyi, Jet Li, Jackie Chan and also with Chen Kaige and Feng Xiaogang.

8: The City of Life and Death - About the massacre of Nanjing...very dramatic film which seems to be more realistic than the German film 'John Rabe'.

9: Night and Fog - A middle-aged Hongkonger marries a young mainland beauty with a shady past.

10: Bodyguards and Assassins - Action/Costume flick which finds a good combination between

drama and action.

Beauty of Nature

This picture of a snow Great Wall looks like a fairytale, you can immediately recognize it as a still from a film (though it isn't). Imagine the soldiers mving throuw the mythical snow or remembe rthe end scene of House of Flying Daggers when Mei is dying in a field of snow...

Norwegian wood

Vietnamese director Tran Ahn Hung (Cyclo) will make a film of Haruki Murakami's best selling novel 'Norwegian Wood'.... that is very very interesting because Murakami isn't very keen on film adapatations of his novels!
Kenichi Matsuyama will Star as Toru, Rinko Kikuchi as Naoko, and model Kiko Mizuhara as Midori.