Meinte's mysterious world of Film, Fashion and Culture

Nordwand (Germany, 2008)

2011-06-03T15:45:00.004+01:00

'Nordwand' may not be a very well known film outside of Europe and it even isn't outside of Germany but I should say it doesn't deserve that. The film deals about the climbing of the Eiger (Switzerland) in 1936 where an olympic medal could be won.

Sometimes the film follows a bit too much the paved roads in telling a story but it still is an enormous thrill to watch it. Beautiful scenery, great acting and a really exciting story will make you feel like you really watched an interesting film... and that is true!

I Saw the Devil while meeting people

2011-04-28T14:31:00.003+01:00

Today Korean's revenge movie 'I Saw the Devil' became for sale in the dvd-shops in the Netherlands. I rushed to the shop and before I knew it I was in a deep conversation with another customer about Korean revenge movies and the actor Choi Min Sik. Isn't that one the beauties in life? You can find people with the same preferences everywhere and you don't have search for them.

Now the only thing I still have to do is watch the movie, heard great things about it!! Someone seen it already?

Final Fantasy X - suteki da ne

2011-04-05T12:51:00.003+01:00

When I was thinking about restarting my blog again I was wondering what I would post for my first new article. Well it will no treally be an article but a video and a song. The first thing that came to mind was: Final Fantasy 10.....I played it probably 10 years ago and now and than I still think of its beauty. The animation is gorgeous, the story compelling but most of all the song 'Suteki da ne'. I remember its beauty forever, together with the game it is a memory which will last forever and so it is one of the little brilliant things in life which you will encounter.

Re-start of this blog!

2011-04-05T12:02:00.002+01:00

Hi All!

It has been a while but I decided to re-start this blog again so from today onwards I will post amazing pictures, stills from movies or othe rthings that may seem small but in fact shows the beauty in life.

At the moment I am reading 'the Time Traveler's Wife' by Audrey Niffenegger which is an intersting tale about true love and always keep believing in it. In my blog I want to chase true beauty, which can also be in sadness, and never leave the trail of finding the beautiful things in life, movies, culture and nature. I hope I will see you soon on my blog again!

Alone in a white world

2011-01-21T13:51:00.002+01:00

Snowy Shanghai! It looks like someone is at the end of the world, all alone in teh snow where every memory has faded away.

Venice Film Festival

2010-09-10T11:35:00.003+01:00

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

2010-06-29T09:20:00.001+01:00

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)

2010-04-27T08:46:00.003+01:00

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)

2010-03-20T19:05:00.004+01:00

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)

2010-02-09T09:57:00.003+01:00

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)

2010-02-04T09:46:00.002+01:00

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

2010-01-29T09:48:00.002+01:00

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

Mulan (China, 2009)

2010-01-22T13:45:00.003+01:00

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)

2010-01-18T09:51:00.006+01:00

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)

2010-01-14T10:26:00.004+01:00

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

2010-01-12T09:43:00.003+01:00

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

2010-01-11T11:57:00.003+01:00

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

2010-01-11T10:35:00.002+01:00

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

China Daily's best Chinese films of 2009

2010-01-07T10:33:00.005+01:00

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

2010-01-05T10:11:00.003+01:00

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

2010-01-04T10:57:00.003+01:00

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.

Best Film of 2009 by Meinte

2009-12-31T13:50:00.006+01:00

The question is ofcourse 'What is the best film of 2009'? Well I have seen a lot and there were quite a few good ones. Keira Knightley starred in 'The Duchess', she was present in every scene. Clint Eastwood did it again with Gran Torino, there probably is no one else who can play a grumpy old man as he does. There was Distict 9, the South-African film which was a science-fiction one but at the same time a interesting story about the Apartheid. The first half was a bit more interesting than the second part though, when it all exploded in action.

In the animation sector there was Japanese 'Ponyo by the living master Hiyao Miyazaki, a enchanting (bit childish) story about a fish who wanted to become human.

Second best was probably a French/South-Korean co-production 'A Brand new Life' which is about a girl who is being left at a catholic orphanage by her dad. This film is just fantastisc, the young girl acted wonderful, she seems to be capable of showing many emotions already.

Last but not least.... the best film of 2009 is 'Let the Right One In'! A Swedish film about the loneliness of a 12 year old boy. It all changes when he meets a interesting but Mysterious girl...she doesn't seem to be human. The cinematography is great, it all takes place in a snowy world were daily life and horror seems to be intertwined.

Brittany Murphy (1977-2009)

2009-12-20T22:52:00.003+01:00

Actress Brittany Murphy passed away on december the 20th after having a cardiac arrest.

Brittany starred in 'Happy Feet', 'The Ramen Girl', 'Sin City', and 'Cherry Falls'.

Makioka Sisters

2009-12-18T11:42:00.002+01:00

The film adaptation of Junichiro Tanizaki's brilliant novel 'The Makioka Sisters' of 1983 is very unknown, though it should be a rather good adaptation. I just wonder if they could catch the feeling of the firefly hunt and the magical feeling of the cherry blossoms...

Meinte's Daily Film Fact #10 - Roman Holiday

2009-12-17T14:26:00.002+01:00

The Roman summer was stiflingly hot, with the temperatures in the high 90s. Crowds swarmed over all the locations, making huge impromptu audiences for the actors. Meanwhile, Italy itself was beset with clashes between political parties that resulted in strikes and unrest that threatened to disrupt production.

At the beginning of the movie, the elder gentleman dancing with princess Ann says to her, in Italian: "I want absolutely to die on the ship!"

Meinte's Daily Film Fact # 9 - District 9

2009-12-15T11:58:00.002+01:00

All the shacks in District 9 were actual shacks that exists in a section of Johannesburg which were to be evacuated and the residents moved to better government housing, paralleling the events in the film. Also paralleling, the residents had not actually been moved out before filming began. The only shack that was created solely for filming was Christopher Johnson's shack.

Zhou Xun

2009-12-14T10:00:00.002+01:00

Zhou Xun covers the january edition of Elle. She also talks about her favorite actresses Juliette Ninoche, Isabel Hupert and Cate Blanchett.

Zhou Xun stars in the new film 'The Message' which recently won prizes at the Horse Awards in Taiwan.

Amour à Tair / A Love to Hide (France, 2005)

2009-12-14T09:36:00.002+01:00

‘A Love to Hide’ is a less known anti-war film, but nonetheless a very powerful one. It shows the fate which had the homosexual had to suffer, they also were transported to transition camps, work camps and concentration camps.
A French movie which was released back in 2005 and probably the first time this subject was getting attention in France. In WW2 there were laws against homosexuals, they were ill and had to be reformed. After the war ended the laws against them weren’t abandoned. It was 1981 when finally they were accepted in society.

Jean (Jérémie Renier) lives in Paris and wants to help his friend Sarah Morgenstern. He brings her to his friend Philippe’s place and for a while they live kind of happily together though Sarah has a hard time accepting the fact Jean loves Philippe more than herself. Jean’s brother Jacques has always been the black sheep of the family and when he discovers about Jean’s sexuality he makes a plan to regain the trust of especially his father. Jacques collaborates and makes a deal that will put Jena in a jail for one day. But, it horribly goes wrong and Jean is deported.

A strong and powerful film, by director Christian Faure, about love, hatred and the cruelty of war.

Bride Flight / Bruidsvlucht (The Netherlands, 2008)

2009-12-12T17:40:00.005+01:00

'Bride Flight' (Bruidsvlucht) is a fantatsic Dutch film which focusses on romance and tragedy. While I sometimes still have to get used to Dutch acting, this film is rather suprisingly good. Especially the technically aspect of film is outstanding, with beautiful scenes (not only of the landscape but also of during the dialogues). The acting of Karina Smulders is just perfect (and ofcourse the minor role of Rutger Hauer is nice to watch).

This kind of film will slowly get to your heart and will leave its trace there.

The story? Check the film!

Thirteen women of Jinling, The

2009-12-10T10:10:00.002+01:00

Zhang Yimou's new project 'The thirteen women of Jinling' will start soon. While his latest work 'a Simple Noodle Story (aka: Three Guns: An Amazing Tale) is about to be released, Zhang Yimou said his film about thirteen girls who scrifies there lifes in Nanking will be his highest budget production which will exceed over 100 million USD. A true epic is about to be made!

Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise showed there interest in this production and one of them maybe will get the role of a foreign pastor.

"The film focuses on human nature," commented Zhang Weiping, "we put the story in the background of World War II to display the Chinese struggle and distaste for war and to show our national spirit."

All we can do is wait for the release of another masterpiece from Zhang Yimou.

Zhang Ziyi on Mary Claire

2009-12-09T12:14:00.001+01:00

Zhang Ziyi on te latest (Chinese) edition of Marie Claire!

Meinte's Daily Film Fact #8 - owls

2009-12-08T09:29:00.003+01:00

Hitchkock always used the sounds of an tawny owl in his exciting nightly scenes. But this tawnly owl lives in Europe and Asia and not at all in North America. David Lynch copied Hitchock and also use this thrilling sound. Well a great sound it is, but based on reality? no...

MEinte's Daily Film Fact #7 - Sympathy for Lady Vengeance

2009-12-03T12:26:00.003+01:00

In the really strange but addicting movie 'Sympathy for Lady Vengeance' teh snow at the end of the film is not real. Two trucks of salt were used, scattered it all over the street and finally adjusted the scene using computer graphics.

46th Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan

2009-11-30T09:28:00.002+01:00

During the Golden Horse Awards 2009 in Taiwan a film about Nanjing (again) won some prizes! Though it is a bit strange: Wasn't Florian Gallenberger (John Rabe) told that he couldn't make a movie about the massacre because there could only be one film about this subject? First we had 'City of Life and Death' and now 'The Message'. Believe me, there are more to follow!

Fan Bingbing wins the award for leading actress in 'The Message'.

Meinte's Daily Film Fact # 6: Old Boy

2009-11-26T11:37:00.002+01:00

The anthem of Oh Dae Su's and Lee Woo-Jin's school is that of Choi Min Sik's (acctor) school!

It is also funny dat Mr. han only speaks one sentence throughout the entire film. The line on the painting of Dae Su's cell reads "Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone." These are the first lines ofElla Wheel Wilcox's famous poem, "Solitude".

Finally: Steven Spielberg will NOT make a remake of this film, a good decision because it just can't be better....but Spielberg wanted to make it, he just couldn't get the rights of the manga's company....

Shinobi (Japan, 2005)

2009-11-24T19:26:00.003+01:00

I didn't expect anything from this movie but it suprised me in a good way. Well, it is no masterpiece and the story has been told before but the execution is rather good. though the film is about figthing, it is i na stylish way. When no swords are drawn, the director pleases us with rather beautiful scenery. Just look at the poster...magnificent!

Fan Bingbing

2009-11-19T09:38:00.002+01:00

Some new fashion photo's of Chinese actress Fan Bingbing came out this morning.

Design your Universe - Epica

2009-11-18T12:00:00.004+01:00

The latest album of Epica 'Design your Universe' gives you what you want.

Almost 80 minutes of metal, close to perfection. Most of the songs are filled with grunts and guitars but also the heavenly 'Tides of Time' is brillint. It was already known that Simone Simons has a very strong and beautiful voice but on this album she is just amazing, her voice reaches all the corners of your soul. The epic 'Kindom of Heaven' last for 14 minutes and is forceful one, you have to listen tot it again and again before it will really grip you but it always keeps interesting.

Don't let this album slip away, it will give you what you are looking for!

Meinte's Daily Film Fact #6 - Orphan

2009-11-13T15:26:00.003+01:00

Esther has been adopted from an orphanage which goes by the name: Saint Mariana's Home for Girls. In Catholic faith, Saint Mariana of Quito is the saint for those that have been rejected by religious orders.

Meinte's Daily Film Fact #5 - Memoirs of a Geisha

2009-11-12T13:14:00.002+01:00

One of ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ most beautiful moments is of course the dance performed by Zhang Ziyi. But as you might know, this dance isn’t really described in the novel by Arthur Golden. The word ‘dance’ is mentioned but did the director create this scene using his own fantasy? The funny thing is that I just recently was reading Junichiro Tanizaki’s ‘The Makioka Sisters’ (Stille Sneeuwval). And what a coincidence it was, one of the characters in this novel, Taeko Makioka’ was dancing ‘snow’ completely with parasol (or sun umbrella)! It can be just a coincidence and maybe the director did some research about this ‘snow’ dance which is really an very old and popular dance, the resemblance between the film scene and the passage in the novel is intriguing.

H1N1 Fashion

2009-11-11T10:06:00.003+01:00

In Beijing they do everything to stop the spread of the H1N1 virus. Luckily enough they found a way to combine this with fashion! The cute factor is extreme high!

Meinte's Daily Film Fact # 4 - Farewell My Concubine

2009-11-10T15:11:00.003+01:00

Chen Kaige's 'Farewell My Concubine' (1993) was the first Chinese movie the win a palm d'or at the film festival of Cannes.
A rather funny fact is that Jackie Chan was offered the role of Duan Xiaolou (played by Fengyi Zhang) due to his own childhood experience of training in the Peking Opera. He turned the offer down because he was afraid the film would harm his image because it deals with themes of sexuality.

Tokyo Gore Police (Japan, 2006)

2009-11-09T11:09:00.002+01:00

If you're looking for gore like 'Machine Girl', Tokyo Gore Police might be the perfect movie for you. Almost two hours of killing mutants (engineers), blood that cover the camera until it almost drowns and limbs that fly around your head all the time. Don't expect a great storyline, but in its genre it is a rather good film.

But there is also some beauty in this film, not only the intruiging beauty of actress Eihi Shiina. At one moment she holds up an umbrella to protect her face from the blood. So, gore can be beautiful as well.

Meinte's Daily Film Fact #4 - Eihi Shiina

2009-11-08T22:30:00.005+01:00

Japanese actress Eihi shiina is famous for her rather 'special' choice of films to play in. Not only did she star in cult classic Audition (1999) as the girl who took acupuncture horror to a new level, she also starred in the absolute gore movies 'Tokyo Gore Police' and 'Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl'. It's one way to get known...... but she has something which makes her perfect for these kind of roles.

Meinte's Daily Film Fact #3

2009-11-07T13:36:00.002+01:00

In John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) the kids watch the movie 'The Thing From Another World' (1951). John Carpenter made a remake of this film: The Thing (1982) which turned into a great classic.

Meinte's Daily Film Fact #2 (Nanking)

2009-11-06T10:28:00.004+01:00

Chinese film ‘City of Life and Death’ won the award for best film at the filmfestival of San Sebastian. This will not the only film which tells about the massacre of Nanking this year. Florian Gallenberger’s ‘John Rabe’ deals about the good German of Nanking, though this movie almost wouldn’t have been made. The director was told by the Chinese Communist Party (mysterious phone call) he could not make a film about this (still) difficult/painful subject because there could only be one film about it. Gallenberger met an old Chinese man who lived for all his life in Nanking, talking to this man who expereinced the horror Gallenberger realized he had to make the movie.
Zhang Yimou also wants to make a movie about Nanking. ‘Thirteen Girls of Jinling City’ is about 13 prostitutes who sacrificed their lives to save a group of convent girls in Nanjing during the massacre of Nanjing in 1937. Rumor says he changed his mind and that because of the recession he wants to make a less dark production.

Meinte's Daily Film Fact #1

2009-11-05T10:03:00.003+01:00

The Stockholm Syndrome (psychological response in abducted hostages in which the hostage shows signs of loyalty to the hostage taker) is often misused in movies as it would be the 'Helsinki Syndrome'. In 'Die Hard' it was probably misued for the first time and other movies have copied that. Latest example of this weird mistake is in the Japanese film 'Heaven's Door'.

Mulan (China, 2010)

2009-11-05T09:49:00.004+01:00

Set for 2010, the live action film 'Mulan' will have its premiere. Mulan is famous for its Disney adaptation and is an epic story about a girl who figths to defend her father. But, it always be an old Chinese tale about brave and if I am not mistaken, in the '50's there already has been a Chinese film about the story.

For a long time there were rumours that Ziyi Zhang and Takeshi Kitato would star along eachother but reality seems different. Zhao Wei (A Time to Love, Red Cliff) will be Mulan, a very interesting idea.

Just have to wait for this adventurous and dramatic love story.

First snow on the Temple of Heaven

2009-11-03T09:50:00.003+01:00

The first snow on the Temple of Heaven, makes you long for walking there. Guess there an be mde a great movie about the first snow on the forbidden city....

Zhang Yimou goes classic opera!

2009-10-07T10:24:00.002+01:00

The olympic stadion of Beijing has been used again. This time Zhang Yimou wasn't responsible for an opening ceremony but he was the director of classic Chinese opera 'Turandot' in celebration of China's 60th anniversary. Zhang Yimou got a thundering applause for his last production with more than 1000 participants. It seems like he will never do something small (which is not true, think of Riding alone for thousands of miles) and is the perfect person for a huge spectacle of the most outstanding beauty!

Wings of the Dove, The (USA, 1997)

2009-09-01T10:26:00.001+01:00

Wings of the Dove is a beautiful movie about love. Like so many movies love is most important part of it, everything we do in life is probably to love or being loved in return.
The story is simple in fact (two women, one man and a dying girl), but the costumes are great, the scenery is lovely and Venice is magical indeed. To be honest, I’ve never heard of this film before but the name of Helena Bonham Carter attracted me and she did not disappoint. Her acting is strong, maybe a bit cruel in its own way.

Tropical Day

2009-08-20T08:50:00.003+01:00

Today it is horrible to be in the Netherlands.... the temperature will reach tropical heights today (35 degrees). 35 you say? 35 is not so warm? Try my country, where the humidity is killing. Sparrows crash down the roofs, elder people only just survive and the sky is blurry. Tonight it will all change because our climate can't take this heat, tonight we will have thunder, rain and hail. I can't wait for this storm to arrive! In the mean time there will be an attempt to study, maybe watch a movie and just complain about the weather.

It is almost the only thing to write about, the world seems to be holding his breath, there is no news these days. Just nothing happens. So what will come?
A horrible outbreak of viruses? Earthquakes, Tsunami's or the eruption of the Vesuvius? Maybe the Russians and the Americans will announce war this time? Nothing of it all, the worlds slides into the nothingness and as a result the Netherlands will be embraced by a tropical wall.

Where is the winter when you need it?

2009-05-25T12:39:00.002+01:00

The Yu Bei Ballad (or the Ballad of the North Henan Province) is being played by famous Chinese Erhu player Yu Hongmei an pianist… This track got everything music needs to have. Filled with emotion you will experience a dream which lasts for 10 minutes. When you are able to close your eyes, put everything away for a moment and just listen to the music you will be swept away by its beauty. The Erhu sound will fill not only your head, but also your soul and before your eyes the beautiful Chinese landscape will appear. You will experience a journey of a person walking through this world filled with flowers and trees. In the beginning you just stare at this paradise for a while, some kind of warmth will fill your body and soul and drags you more in it. Between the many falling leaves you see a glimpse of this magical girl, wearing a beautiful dress in reddish colors which attract your attention.
Than when you take your first steps, you soon can’t stop running, you just have to run, jump, dance and praise the clear blue waterfall that suddenly appears. Running over hills, crossing lakes you are searching for her, the one who is like a bird flying through the woods and mysterious as a fairy she will always is one step ahead. What can you do than follow her, hoping to look her in the eyes. Suddenly you realize you are in an open field, filled with wild flowers and in the centre she is standing like a statue, a princess who is frozen in time. Slowly walking towards her, you feel your heart starts beating faster and faster. She looks at you, and starts to walk in circles around you looking longfully at the sky. Now it is you who becomes a statue, never you could ever had realized such beauty really exists, start to doubt yourself, what is happening to me Why can’t I move, how did she enchant me? She is leaving again, disappearing in the dense forest. Though you wanna run and chase her, you can’t and slowly you begin to realize she will never be yours. She is a spirit of the forest and belongs to a different kind of world. At last you realize, what I saw was all I ever hoped for and slowly a smile appears on your face. ‘I have seen the meaning of this world; I have seen the beauty that still lives in my hearts’. If you cherish it she will always stay there and maybe, maybe one day you will have the opportunity to meet her once more.

Yes, music can heal your soul, music gives you the chance to see your most desires. Yu Hongmei created a fairytale of most beautiful kind!

Scarlet Sails / Alye Parusa (Soviet Union, 1961)

2009-05-05T14:33:00.003+01:00

Scarlet Sails is a production of the Soviet-Union from 1961. It is a charming film about romance, alomst like a fairytale. Though the acting is very theatrical and overdone, after watching this movie you will find your heart to be warm. The story of a gril who is waiting for her prince to rescue her is not really innovating, but we talk about 1961 here and it really accomplishes its mission. It is funny to see that the film contains many influences of the classical Russian ballet.

The scenery is sometimes beautiful, especially the thundering waves are superbly shot!

Nana (Japan, 2005)

2009-04-27T21:47:00.004+01:00

The manga of Nana was so hugely famous in Japan, a complete hype, that it couldn't take long before a film would be made about it. And yes, in this film you can see its popularity. It is a bit too poppy in my opinion. But don't misunderstand me, by all means it is not a bad movie.
The story is pretty simple, but Asians have the ability to create a fantastic film out of a not too complex story. It is in the way how they present the movie and cleverly add some emotion on specific times.

But the absolute best of this movie is Aoi Miyazaki. When she appears on screen it is like everything else fades away. She truly possesses the power to overwhelm you with her presence. Yes, she is stunningly beautiful but don't forget her acting is to a very high level as well, she really is the character she plays and that is very rare, I think she is a great actress. The chemistry between Aoi Miyazaki and Mika Nakashima is beautiful, together they really add so much power to the scenes.

Maybe Nana is not the best movie, probably it could have become a real interesting film in the hands of director Shunji Iwai. Immediately I had to think of Hana to Arisu (Hana & Alice) when I saw Nana. But, 'Nana' has been made for a huge audience and they screem for this poppy-look.

Cherry Blossoms - Hanami (Germany, 2008)

2009-04-17T22:40:00.004+01:00

In this period of the cherry blossoms which movie could better be watched than one about cherry blossoms?

Cherry blossoms reminds us of love and romance but it also remnds of decay and death, cause when they are there and fill the world with their beauty the next moment you realize they withered, they are gone again. It is a perfect symbol for life and cherish this short period while you are there, and experience the beauty of this world. Maybe sometimes beauty is hard to find but it always is there, just around the corner. When you can't seem to find it only means you have to look for it another day and another...until the time has come and the first flower bloom.s

Well this film is about an elderly man who tries to live with the death of his wife. He never really understood her, why did she like this weird Japanese butoh-dance? He travels to Japan to look for his wife, maybe he can find her in this shadow dance? This is a small German film, but a true masterpiece of emotion and remorse. Never stop believing in your dreams, it's never too late.

Dance with the film and understand a little bit more why we should cherish the fact we are humans in this world, but most of all to see the cherry blossoms.

Snow in Beijing? / Ambassador of 'Kawaii' / Time of the cherry blossom

2009-04-15T12:26:00.006+01:00

Springtime arrived again, though it did everywhere in the world most fascinating news comes from Asia.

Does it snow in Beijing? No, these are the willow catkins. The government even warned about it and is advising to wear sunglasses or veils as they pose potential risks to the health of people's respiratory tract.

Ambassador of Kawaii? Yeah, it is possible in Japan. Because Japanese for a long time seem to adore everything that is cute (kawaii) they introduced the ambassador of kawaii. Just a thing that could only be made possible in Japan, but it is brilliant!

And ofcourse we are in the period of the cherry blossom, our mind is taking back to the period In our minds we see geisha's standing in front of such beauty, wearing their magnificent kimono's to enchant us and wish those times could re-appear.

La Haine / Hate (France, 2005)

2009-04-10T21:43:00.005+01:00

La Haine is a powerful movie about the suburbs of Paris. It is a movie that all is about hate among the young people that have no future. This hatred sometimes escalates between policemen and youth like it did again only a few years ago.
La Haine succeeds brilliantly in showing these chaotic suburbs. It is completely shot in black and white, which also adds extra depth to the movie because most of all it is a story about the lower and dark life of a welfaring country. And ofcourse it only can escalate in the end, the first minute you watch this movie you already figure that out.

Maybe not too many things happen in this film, but the scenery is great and in fact the pace isn't slow at all! An outstanding French movie!

"How far you fall doesn't matter, it's how you land..."

Yu-Na Kim wins the word championships!

2009-03-29T12:52:00.002+01:00

Yes!! Finally it happened, my favourite Korean skater Yu-Na Kim won the gold medal in the ladies program, and it makes world champion 2009!

Well almost the entire program was flawless (she only missed one jump) and with this stunning performance the other competitors had no chance of beating her. Not only her jumps are amzing, she also has a great expression and her skating itself is most delicate, just like Yu-Na Kim herself is.

She ended up with 16!! more points than second place Canadian Rochette, never seen such a huge gap like that before. Third place went to Japanese former world champion Miki Ando, Japan always has a very strong team with Mao Asada (2008 world champion) on fourth place. Yukari Nakano (4th in 2008) didn't even compete in Los Angeles!

Yu Na Kim is probably the most talented figure skater of the 21st century, towards Vancouver 2008 she will be chasing perfection to become the new Olympic champion.

Congratulations Yu-Na Kim, your tears during the national anthem were beautiful as well!

Figure Skating World Championships Los Angeles 2009: Pairs, short program

2009-03-25T13:29:00.002+01:00

After the magnificent World Championships in Göteborg 2008 (the ladies long program still is before my eyes like it is happening today), the new championships have started in Los Angeles!

Most important of this first day was the short program for pairs. Immediately the tournament is exciting cause after the short program the gaps for and between the medal places are not too high. On third place we see the Chinese pair Peng/Tong, their skating was pretty good, it only sometimes just lacked a bit in presentation. Second placed is the Russian pair Smirnov/Kavaguti (though most people will know her as ‘Kawaguchi’) who surprised me in a very good way. They make their way to he top really fast! It was a beautiful dramatic performance from the beginning to the end, with a perfect choice of music, because they skated on ‘the swan’ and Kavaguti in her white costume really looked like one. First placed is the German pair Szolkowy/Savchenko, not really a surprise at all because their performance was almost flawless! I only didn’t like the ‘spiral of death’ too much, it didn’t look to elegant.

A perfect way to start a world championship, though I have to admit I can’t wait till Friday when my favorite Yu Na Kim will appear on the ice! But for now the long program of the pairs will be exciting enough!

The Cats are coming!!

2009-03-13T10:10:00.003+01:00

After waking up this morning, having some bread and Buttermilch I was ready to leave for another day of studying at university. I opened the door and ..... such a sweet kitty was sitting in front of my door!! Ofcourse i couldn't resist to give it some attention and all the time it wanted to go into my room. After a little while i decided to walk down te stairs.....and yes another cat was waiting..so ofcourse this one i also had to give some attention or she would be jealous. Finally I decided to walk through a little alley to get my bicycle. Just above my head, on some wooden 'wall' another cat was staring at me! But this one looked angry like it would jump on my face. I decided to continue walking and don't give the kitten a chance to take the jump and act like the hair on my head with its claws in my skull.

I got my bicycle, walked back to the same alley and now one of the kittens of before chased the angry kitten away, like it should caus ethe sun was shining and spring is close.

Bye kittens, see you again!

Komissar / The Commissar (USSR, 1967)

2009-03-13T10:04:00.002+01:00

Almost completely filmed back in 1967 this film was completed in 1988 and showed on the festival of Berlin where it would win the silver Bear. This film is magnificent in its scenery! Though it is almost completely shot in black and white, the starting scene is immediately breathtaking with showing a statue of the Holy Virgin Maria.
We will see a woman (Komissar) called Valilova, who almost gives birth to a child, who is placed at a normal Russian family. Not only we will see a movie about the daily routine of a Russian poor family and how they manage to keep going with the use of flashbacks we also see the past life of Valilova when she was still in the Red Army. The story is highly intriguing and at times even moving.

Though it is a rather olf film, it doesn’t lack in any power!!

And so everything cheerful ends

2009-02-19T16:59:00.003+01:00

And now I'm losing you

And it's killing me

It's the strings that I tie

I would rather just die

Go to hell and crawl back

My mistake

To lose you

(From the bottom of my heart I cry for me being not perfect for the one I love)

The Hotel Venus / Hoteru binasu (Japan, 2004)

2009-02-09T17:17:00.004+01:00

The Hotel Venus is a rather interesting film! The story deals about some persons who live in a kind of hotel. The stories of their life are being told in a very special way.
In the beginning of this film everything is very unclear and you don’t have any idea what kind of film this will turn out to be. During the film you will get more clues and the different characters will be understood a bit more.

The director makes an interesting choice in making this film. He works with a very slow story, almost nothing happens and the entire is almost completely in black and white. If this wouldn’t be executed very well the film could have turned into a disaster but luckily enough this s not what happened. The film turned out to be really interesting and intriguing.

The story is very emotional in a different kind of way, it is not an easy film at all! In the end this film has a very strong and intense emotional power which is difficult to describe but you will understand it when you see this film.

A film about the ‘other’ side of people.

The Railroad / Gyeongui-seon (South-Korea, 2007)

2009-02-04T21:13:00.001+01:00

The railroad is a film where i experienced mixed and different feelings after watching it. Two stories are being followed, one about a young university worker (a woman) and one about a metro driver. The part about the university employee couldn’t really convince me, the story was not really innovating (everybody knows probably several kind of stories about students falling in love with married men) and it felt like there could have been much more with it. The other part though, about the metro driver, was really interesting and convincing. This deals about a young man who experiences a horrible accident in front of his eyes. Part of the story focuses on his mental stability after this accident. A rather emotional 20 last minutes of this film lifts it above average. You really can feel the emotion of the guy who never will be able to erase those horrible seconds out of his head. The acting of both main characters is very good, they act pure and it never looks like they practised too hard to play the scenes.

The film is not spectacular, very silent and sober. This approach works pretty good to the story, together with the beautiful cinematography. This is such a movie with has its good and bad moment.

Lost Indulgence / Mi Guo (China, 2008)

2009-01-31T15:24:00.002+01:00

Lost Indulgence is a remarkable story about loss and love near the Yangtze river. Due to a bizarre incident, a young woman with a broken leg goes to live with a mother and her son. The story is focussed on the contacts between these persons.

This is a film what could be describes as ‘poetic realism’. And I think this term is a right one because indeed the film sometimes feels like a long poem. The story and film is also rather realistic. No huge action scenes or mayor plot twists. Still, the director manages to pull us close to the live of the characters. I think the director did a great job in achieving this. There is not too much music in the movie, and when there is, it is a kind of minimalistic one (except the pop song ofcourse). The camera work is often great, especially when the boy runs with his diving glasses on and the scene is shot in this perspective.

Though not too many things happen in this movie, the film never gets boring. This is also part of the fact that the film breathes a kind of mystery. A very interesting production!

A time to love / Qing Ren Jie (China, 2005)

2009-01-22T21:51:00.004+01:00

A boy (Hou Jia) and a girl (Qu Ran) who love each other, but the love isn’t meant to be because their parents won’t agree with it. This story doesn’t sound very innovating and reminds us of the number one of love stories: Romeo & Juliet. In this film, there is also often referred to this classic Shakespeare story which works well, because Romeo and Juliet always keeps interesting.

When Hou Jia and Qu Ran are going to the cinema to see a film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet I was very relieved the director chose the film of 1968 (by director Franco Zeffirelli, in my eyes the best adaptation of this story. It really brought back memories, for the first time I saw it in my first year in high school and though most students thought it was boring I fell in love with this Romeo and Juliet film at first time.

A time to love is maybe not too innovating but it is really good. This film is all about love and its difficulties. How long will you wait for the one you love? A question that refers to your own heart, to the one you love mostly, and than you will know the answer. It is not really a long wait, cause the moment you see eachother again you won't remember the period you were apart from each other.

Sometimes the scenes really take your breath away, so beautiful they are. When Qu Ran undresses herself slowly, a tear in her eyes show the love and pain she feels. These little things make this movie a really wonderful experience. The acting is great, especially by Zhao Wei. Her appearance is of course beautiful, but also very pure.

A simple, but well directed story of love.

Joint Security Area / Gongdong gyeongbi guyeok JSA (South-Korea, 2000)

2009-01-20T22:31:00.002+01:00

Joint Security Area (JSA) is a really impressive film about the aftermath of (how we would call it) the ‘forgotten war’ (Korean war).
This a film about friendship, that when you expect it the least there are possibilities to make new friends, even in the madness of the thing called war. Two countries who are just being divided by a drawn line, standing towards each other and hating each other while they are both Korean.

To me, this was a really interesting film about the tension between North- and South-Korea, a tension that still is far from gone. It is interesting that the director, Park Chan-wook, doesn’t talk about good or wrong. He just wants to focus on the story of soldiers of both sides and how they became friends. Maybe to some people the pace of this film is to slow but all the time the director seems to create something like suspense which keeps it all the time very interesting.
The acting in it is often great, especially Kang-ho Song is brilliant as the North-Korean soldier.

A dramatic, but magnificent anti-war film.

Let the right one in / Lat den Rätte Komma In (Sweden, 2008)

2009-01-18T22:26:00.002+01:00

Sometimes you just don’t expect too much of a movie, and when you see it you are just being blown away by its beauty. It happened to me when I was watching the Swedish film ‘Let the right one in’.

What kind of film are we dealing with? Well, this is a rather difficult question cause in a way it almost looks like a typical Swedish child movie (In the Netherlands we would say it is a typical Sunday morning/afternoon film, because here there often Scandinavian child movies shown during this time). But no, it is not. Some scenes in it are just too much, some scenes maybe even are rated for 16 years and older. But it isn’t a casual horror movie as well. I think it comes close to a romantic drama film a horror twist. In the end, this film is the story of a boy (Oskar), who is being bullied at school, who makes a new friend, a very intriguing girl (Eli). Rather fast he feels more for her as friendship but Eli isn’t just a normal girl. ‘If I would not be a girl, would you still like me?’ Eli asks.

What makes this film so powerful is another aspect. It is the atmosphere in this film! The fantastic cinematography, the music the acting, it all adds up to a magical atmosphere that is being created. The brilliant shots of the Swedish snow give it a desolate and mysterious feeling. The acting of the two young actors is amazing, especially the acting of Lina Leandersson. She always has this mystery around her, she is always a bit scary but at the same time she is most intriguing and that is what probably attracts Oskar so much in her.

This is a vampire film, but not just an ordinary one. It is also a film about growing up, about being bullied and about experiencing your first love.

Ip Man (Hongkong, 2008)

2009-01-17T23:33:00.004+01:00

Ip Man is a rather well constructed martial-arts film. Maybe the acting sometimes is a bit below good, but the fighting scenes are really well done. Though I often love the big choreographic, almost like ballet fighting scenes of Zhang Yimou films a bit more, the fighting in Ip-Man is more 'casual' marial-arts fighting and works perfectly for this film.

The story is about fighting for yourself and your country, which reminded me a bit of Jet Li’s fearless. Maybe it is not as good as Fearless, but it gets close. What I will remember is one brilliant scene, a battle scene where Ip Man’s kid suddenly enters the room on his little bike with a great announcement ('if you don't attack, he will break everything in the house') during a fight. A very nice touch of showing how to put some humour in this film.

In its genre it is one of the best.

Ride away / Dal-lyeo-la ja-jeon-geo (South Korea, 2008)

2009-01-16T19:46:00.002+01:00

‘Ride away’ is a story of the development of emotions of some characters. It’s a really sober story which totally focuses on emotion.
Why was my past this way, why can’t that guy really fall for me for 100%. These questions can never be answered clearly cause people have to live with their past and everyone deals with her or his past in a different way.

Maybe this story is not really a totally original one and not too many things happen in this film, but to me it worked. I think it is a rather good balanced romance drama which give this movie its own charm.

Most of all it is a story about hope and belief, whenever you will keep believing…. One day your wish will surely come true.

Daddy long legs / Kidari ajeossi (South Korea, 2005)

2009-01-13T22:27:00.003+01:00

Again a story about love! It is a typical Korean movie wit hits romance and drama. It has a nice story, with a plot twist which could be expected a bit.
The emotion of this film is a good one, it is about looking for your true love. And sometimes you suddenly realize all the time it was so clear. But for some reason, now you suddenly see. The one you love, the one you looking for…in fact all the time you knew and at the same time you didn’t have any clue about it.

Just look around you and maybe you will find that person you were looking for so long very near to you. As long as my memories of you will never fade, I will be happy. Even though I don’t know anything anymore, there is one thing I want to remember. That one thing, it is you.

Maybe you just realize you remembered again.

Heavenly Forest / Tada, kimi wo aishiteru (Japan, 2006)

2009-01-11T20:20:00.003+01:00

While watching this movie, I continuously had the idea that there could have been made something more out of. It is a nice romantic story, which has its dramatic twist but it felt like something was missing.

The cinematography in this film is absolutely wonderful, the scenes in the forest are almost of an unknown beauty, a little glimpse into paradise it is. The true best past of the film is Aoi Miyazaki. I don’t have a clue how she does it but she always makes the film a success. She shines on film, gives the story just the spark that it needs (and don’t forget that she has such a great beauty, it is almost unimaginable) just by being there. She acts in such purity; even the childishness of her character wasn’t irritating because she just gave the right twist to it.
The end is decent, with a typical Asian (read: especially for Korean films) twist in the story.

A nice and moving film, but maybe it could have been a little better.

Midnight Sun / Taiyô no uta / A song to the sun (Japan, 2006)

2009-01-10T23:36:00.003+01:00

This film was a true surprise to me. I never heard of it before and did not expect too much of it, but I was totally wrong. Midnight Sun is a very good movie in the romance/drama genre.
It is about a girl who has a rare illness (XD) and is allergic to sunlight. In the morning she always looks through the window and sees the same guy at the bus stop again and again. A romance evolves, a first love.

Even though sometimes very sad and moving, in fact this is a film that will make you feel good. It makes you smile to be able to watch these kind of films. The acting is really pure (especially by Yui, who looks just stunning and her voice is amazing), the music and songs really wonderful and emotional as well. This is a story that will probably find a way to your heart. Maybe it starts a bit slowly and some people might think it is boring because not too much happens, when you love romantic films you just can’t miss this one.

Recommended to all romantics in this world.

Wolfhound from he tribe of grey dogs / Volkodav iz roda Serykh Psov (Russia, 2007)

2009-01-10T21:11:00.002+01:00

Wolfhound is a big Russian fantasy production. A man who was doomed to die is taking revenge on the ones responsible for the annihilation of his tribe.
This is a film full of magic and swordfights. The plot is maybe a bit shallow, but the scenery is very atmospheric. This atmosphere makes the film really enjoyable, where the fighting scenes and story is not really innovating and more or less of an average quality. Oksana Akinshina also has the mysterious beauty you wanna see in a princess, which makes the casting for her perfect. It is also very interesting that it is a Russian fantasy, because it is about their legends and gods. The story has some elements of Slavic archaeology and the main character looks like a Scythian as well. It is refreshing to see a fantasy film with a different kind of culture.
In some ways it is rather enjoyable and in some ways it is a bit silly. It feels a bit like the Russians are still trying to find their way in the production of these epic fantasy films.

Though it has its flaws, it is a great enjoyable adventure movie which does not bore for a moment. That is really amazing with a runtime of 140 minutes.

The Warlords / Tau Ming Chong (China, 2007)

2009-01-09T23:10:00.002+01:00

The Warlords is an excellent action flick. The story, where three man become blood brothers, is about honour, revenge, betrayal and love. With an outstanding cast (Jet Li, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau) and a immense budget it is not unimaginable that it would be a very spectacular movie. Spectacular it is, with huge fighting scenes! But maybe these scenes aren’t the best of this movie, it’s beauty lies it its amazing cinematography, in the scenes between Pang and Lian (excellent played by Jinglei Xu). These scenes are really outstanding. The wonderful music adds up to it as well!

Sometimes this film became a bit too dramatic, and it seems that Jet Li doesn’t always feel comfortable in such scenes so that could have done in a different way. But in all, a huge spectacular war movie with also shows the horrors of war. It is also interesting to see how difficult it is to keep loyal to your given word. To make judgements which will leave 4000 soldiers to their death. How can one be right In such a situation? Human emotions of times in war can lead to the fall of everything.

Strong Chinese film about the effects of war on humanity.

Tazza: the high rollers (The war of the flower) / Tajja (South Korea, 2006)

2009-01-09T20:12:00.002+01:00

This is a film, based on a comic by Yeong-min Ha, about the underground gambling industry in Korea. A pretty good crime thriller which focuses on a guy who has lost his sisters’ money in gambling. To win the money back he has to learn some deceiving tricks. He gets better and better in it, but that also means he is living in a dangerous world. Mighty and dangerous opponents are in his way. Maybe it starts a bit slowly but keeps getting interesting for not less than 140 minutes. It is also a story about love, but that isn’t the most interesting part of this film. At least it should be said, there is much violence in this movie, so you better be prepared for it (though it is no gore)!
This is pure entertainment, when you are going to watch this movie to see good entertainment and a thriller about gambling it won't disappoint you.

Th Scarlet Letter / Juhong geulshi (South Korea, 2004) and the tragic story of Eun-ju Lee

2009-01-07T10:22:00.006+01:00

This time I will not talk too much about the movie itself but more about the story behind it. A tragic story that makes you watch this film in a complete different way.

To begin with, ‘The scarlet letter’ deals about romance, betrayel, a different kind of love and regret. 75% Of this movie is decent, just about average, but the last 15/20 minutes are weird (in the trunk of a car) and very intense. It will leave you with an uncomfortable feeling. But again, knowing the story behind this film makes it really uncomfortable.

The star of this movie, in my eyes, is Eun-ju Lee. She acts with all her ability and she impressed very much! It is all before I heard she killed herself.
Because of this movie contained semi-nude scenes (don’t forget that most Korean people still have problems with this) the story goes that she almost starved herself to look good in those scenes. Maybe because of this she started to have problems within her own family. Some days after the release of ‘the Scarlet Letter’ 25 year old Eun-ju Lee was found by her brother, she hanged herself in her own closet. Why, me and many other, asked ourselves. She was a very talented actress. But everyone struggles with its own problems. Maybe she couldn’t bear to cause problems in her family, maybe it is something completely else.
Marks on her body indicated that she tried to slit her wrists as well, writing a farewell note in her own blood ‘Mother, I’m sorry, I love you’. A different farewell note showed: "I wanted to do too much. Even though I live, I'm not really alive. I don't want anyone to be disappointed. It's nice having money... I wanted to make money."

When I heard all this, I knew I would never forget this film and also that I never want to see it again. People even considered she took her own life because of the intensity of this movie. She is a great actress so I think that would not be the matter but no film deserves it to end in such horror in real life. Her own family said she would have suffered insomnia and depression because of the semi-nude scenes in this film.

The film was decent with a intense ending, the story behind it made it an awful, horrifying and heartbreaking experience. Eun-ju Lee, forever you will be remembered by those who knew the quality of your acting. Whatever caused your suicide, who are we to blame you? Such a cruel fate must mean she was also very strong, that it was enough.

To never see her smile again must be most hard for her child who has to live without its mom. Eun-ju Lee: Smile down to us sometimes.

A Millionaire's first love / Baekmanjangja-ui cheot-sarang (South Korea, 2006)

2009-01-06T15:22:00.003+01:00

A millionaire’s first love is one of those typical Korean romantic drama’s.
Despite of the not too intelligent title, in my eyes this is a pretty good film.
The story deals about a spoiled young man who will inherit the millions of his dad, but there is one problem. To get his inheritance he needs to graduate in a small village and to experience something that is more worth than any money in the world.

In this small village he meets a girl and slowly and they starts to like each other. It wouldn’t be a Korean drama if not anything sad would happen, and yes, this girl seems to be very ill. So far nothing new under the horizon but what it wants to accomplish, it accomplishes it! A really moving tale of finding love when you don’t expect it and of the cruel fate which is always so very very close to each one of us.

The part of this film where the two fall in love is shamefully less convincing. This part is way too short, maybe the director wanted to be aware of the runtime but really this part should have been longer. Than it wouldn't have lost anything of its fairytale-like charm. The acting of both Yeon-hee Lee and Bin Hyeon is really good, the act pure and their emotions can be felt sometimes. The clothing is fine as well, especially Yeoh-hee Lee looks pretty natural and good in the clothing!

When you are interested in these kind of Korean drama’s it is a must-see!!

Diving Bell and the Butterfly / Le Scaphandre et le papillon (France, 2007)

2009-01-05T10:44:00.002+01:00

The diving Bell and the Butterfly , directed by Julian Schnabel, is a story about a man (former director of Elle) who suffered a stroke and got the ‘locked-in’syndrome. He has lost all ability to move his body or even swallow. The only thing he can do is blinking with his left eye.
This is a film about his view, how he has to learn how to communicate with only using his eye. Of course, the story is not an easy one but because of the humor in it, it is never too heavy.
Wonderful cinematography, sometimes even dreaming like scenery which really will get to your heart. Along with poetical texts a wonderful atmosphere is being created.

The acting of Mathieu Amalric is really great! You can feel the pain of not being able to do anything anymore, the suffering of the problem that no one understands what you mean. The music of a great quality, with a very interesting choice of songs.

A very strong film about life after your former life.

Fearless / Huo Yuan Jia (China, 2006)

2008-12-28T12:25:00.003+01:00

Fearless, directed by Ronny Yu, is a film about martial arts, about Wushu. Jet Li’s stars in this movie and told it would be his last film in the martial arts area.

Indeed this is a film about fighting, in the most truest sense of it’s word. I think the first 40 minutes more or less consist entirely of fighting scenes. The choreography of these scenes is absolutely wonderful!
What follows is a more philosophic part when Jet Li realizes he only fights for fame and winning, while winning is maybe not always most important. Deeply saddened when his mother and daughter are being murdered he ends up in a small village where he learns to be in peace with himself.
In this village he meets a blind girl who helps him. And this girl (‘Moon’ played by Sun Li), wow, her clothing is simple but at the same time of the most stunning beauty. Later, Jet Li returns to Shanghai to fight for the pride of his country....which won’t be tolerated cause the story sets in the beginning of 1900. This is a period when foreign countries tried to rule China and Chinese people themselves were in a huge identity crisis.

An very beautifully directed film with great choreography, beautiful fighting scenes and an underlying moralistic story. And yes, Jet Li is just a better actor when he plays in Chinese films than in American rubbish.

Caregiver (Philippines, 2008)

2008-12-19T23:24:00.001+01:00

Caregiver is a Philippine movie by director, Chito S. Roño, and I have to say I am not really familiar with films from the country. I did not have any idea what to expect, except for the fact that I know it would be a drama.

And a drama it really is, sometimes even too much. Everything seems to be too much in this film some moments. Then again, it is not a bad film. Though it has its shortcomings…some acting of minor characters isn’t really great and some scenes seem totally be misplaced (When Sarah looks for the kite in the wood, you almost think you are in a B-horror movie) in the end it is an interesting production. Sharon Cuneta (Philippine mega star) acts really good! The cinematography is decent as well, better than I expected.
The story is about a Philippine woman who travels to London to liver with her husband and start a job as a caregiver. She faces lots of problems with her husband, but also in her work. She is being seen as ‘less’ or even as a ‘maid’.

To summarize: it is a story about finding your own place, the fighting against people who think you don’t belong there and live you life where you could be proud of. Sometimes too much, sometimes misplaced but in all a rather decent production with will leave its emotional impact.

Innocent Steps / Daenso-ui sunjeong (South-Korea, 2005)

2008-12-16T22:12:00.004+01:00

To be honest, I had some doubts about this movie. I was afraid that it would be a bad Korean adaptation of Dirty Dancing. Well yeah, it is about dancing and some scenes reminded me of that movie but I have to say I had to revise my thoughts after I had seen this one. Innocent steps is in fact a pretty good film, way better than to be expected! A romantic comedy with enough drama involved to keep being interesting.

The story, of course, is not too complicated but where it starts very funny and not really refreshing the second part of the movie shows the competent acting in a rather dramatic storyline, it even gets a bit unconvential. Though such movies always have their happy end, it is a different happy end than I suspected. I was really amazed by the acting in fact, you can feel the emotion between the main characters (Geun-yeong Mun, A tale of two sisters, and Keon-hyeong Park) and only in a very few scenes the acting seems a bit forced. Great to have seen such honest acting!

I have to say that the director, Young-hoon Park, did a great job with this film! The scenes were intense, beautiful and sometimes heart wrenching. The dancing scenes were pretty believable and honest. The music in it is great as well, I never expected to hear The Cardigans’ ‘Rise and Shine’ in a Korean movie!

A simple story about love, but nonetheless a very good one!

Welcome to the quiet room / Quiet room ni yôkoso (Japan, 2007)

2008-12-14T19:17:00.006+01:00

Welcome to the quiet room is a about a girl (Asuka) who wakes up in a psychiatric ward and does not have any clue why she is in there. She is being told she tried to do OD (Overdose). During the film you will get more clues why she has been taken into this mental hospital. Here she meets some patients she becomes acquaintances with.
A really interesting story with great acting of Yuki Uchida evolves. The first part of the movie is more about funny stuff. But don’t think you are watching a comedy, because in fact it is also really a strong drama about a girl who is isolated and is trying to find the truth about herself. It is a story about loneliness and how it can drive you crazy. A story of losing all confidence in your own ability.

There will be moments that are funny, moving and sometimes heartbreaking, especially when another patient tells to Asuka: “I am just like you, I am normal, the system is wrong.” A really intense story which is presented like a puzzle.

The equation of love and death / Li mi de cai xiang (China, 2008)

2008-12-12T20:44:00.002+01:00

The equation of love and death is an interesting story with many beautiful and impressive scenes. The entire film is like a puzzle and in the final scene the gaps of the mystery are being filled. Zhou Xun (Suzhou river) gives us a really great performance, she carries this entire movie almost on her own.
The story about a woman who looks for her boyfriend who disappeared four years ago. She became an almost insane taxi driver and meets other trivial people in her cab. In the end, all stories come together.
Sometimes the music is outstanding in this movie, it is a shame I watched it with a weird kind of colour filter (or does the director means it this way?) so they weren’t too bright.

Interesting film, but only for those people who love to watch mysterious films without too many action to see.

The girl who leapth through time / Toki o kakeru shôjo (Japan, 2006)

2008-12-02T22:23:00.002+01:00

A film that starts maybe a little bit childish and simple about a girl who discovers she can leap through time. She discovers the ways to use this newly obtained ability. For getting higher grades in school, helping friends with their love life and so on. But the second part of this movie is completely different and it becomes a very interesting anime. The main character suddenly realizes leaping through time has its limits and not all is positive….

Well in a way it reminded me of the series Haibane Renmei, which also starts very childish and becomes one of the deepest and most clever anime ever. The girl who leapt through time has maybe not this big emotional impact as HR but it surely gives a good image of consequences when changing the flow of time and the sadness of making not the right decisions. The animation stylesometimes seems to be a bit old fashioned but sometimes it is absolutely awesome as well which is a perfect combination for this film. The music, often classical piano music, is great. The casting of the character’s voices is done good as well.

Interesting, clever and a very emotional film!

Kung Fu Panda (USA, 2008)

2008-12-01T22:42:00.005+01:00

Kung Fu Panda is a brilliant animation film by Pixar! The opening scene is really well done, they use a kind of different style which is typical for Asian cartoon (or games like 'Okami'). The story is not only hilarious but the backgrounds are really beautiful and they also paid attention to Chinese culture and legends. I could even be describes a s a wuxia movie. Yeah, the story is very simple, very predictable but that does no ttake anything away of the amusement of this movie.
Jack Black is magnificent as ‘Po’ the panda, with his very unique humour. The music in the movie is excellent as well, some mix of Chinese folk and modern music.

Visually, it is just stunning. So beautiful scenes of the mountains, water and bridges. And there are some slow motion scenes as well, where you can see some great expression on the face of ‘Po’! If you don’t have to laugh (or ay least smile) at that time, I have to say you are a pretty cold/too realistic person.
The fighting scenes are awesomely done as well, which don’t last too long and enough diversity to keep them interesting. Some of the voices are done by Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Ian McShane and Dustin Hoffman.

Most of all, it is a film just to enjoy…. and Dreamworks understood this well. Maybe there best yet!! Hilarious, entertaining, exciting, beautiful and even some great Chinese wisdom!

The Dark Half (USA, 1993)

2008-12-01T20:51:00.002+01:00

The 1993 film ‘the dark half’ is one of so many adaptations from Stephen King’s novels. At the same time, it is one of those rather bad adaptations (like many more in the 90's). The story is okay, maybe not a truly horrifying horror, but the acting no good. It is typical, those B-actors overact all the time and don’t get any atmosphere into this film.
The story is about a writer who quits with a series of books, but the main character (a violent alcoholic guy) in this book doesn’t want him to stop and seems to make his entrance in the real world. He wants the writer to write again…..

Just read the book!

Hadersfild (Serbia, 2007)

2008-11-30T20:39:00.003+01:00

Hadersfild is a story about friendship. One guy, who has left Serbia for eleven years and worked in England(Huddersfield – Hadersfild), comes back and visits his friend. We are introduced to some very special personalities, all fighting with their own mental demons. It is about the struggle with yourself.

What you should know is that it is a film about the 90’s of the past century. A decade where a complete nation (Yugoslavia) was torn apart, not by foreign people but by its own inhabitants. That is what makes this war leaving so many scars behind for people in those regions. Though the film doesn’t tell about the war, it is clear that the characters never will be the persons anymore they were before. After it started, everything changed and even 11 years later most people still are confused and mentally and physically struggling.

Decent film, but for those who don’t know much about the Yugoslavian war it can be a bit hard to understand the emotion of it. That was also the problem for me, it could not convince all the time.

Dark water / Honogurai mizu no soko kara (Japan, 2002)

2008-11-29T22:18:00.002+01:00

Dark Water is one of those Japanese horror stories which will give you an uncomfortable feeling from the first minute and will last for the entire film. There is no happiness in it all all, only a long chain of tragic events.
It all starts when a mother and her daughter are moving towards a new apartment, and almost immediately water starts dripping the ceiling. The little girl sees a little girl in a raincoat and starts to play on her own. What is the relation to another little girl who got lost two years before, why does the water never stop falling? Imagine a bathtub full of dark water......

And yes, there is also a truely terrifying scene in an elevator! No blood, no massacres but intense loneliness and sadness.

An very intense and mysterious horror film which is maybe most creepy but like I said before, it will give you a very sad and uncomfortable feeling. Interesting and impressive but verysad and sometimes even moving!

The brotherhood of the wolf / Le Pact des loups (France, 2001)

2008-11-29T20:15:00.003+01:00

Historical tales are telling us that in 1765 a beast is killing people in south-west France.
The king’s taxidermist and a native Indian are trying to find out what this beast is (a wolf?) and where they can find it. The background is set in revolutionary France, so often the different ways of thinking (Enlightenment) are shown in this movie. The hunt for the beast begins…..

A really interesting horror movie unfolds! It is a really mysterious film, with betrayal, exciting moments, great fighting scenes, plot twists and beautiful women (Monica Bellucci and Emilie Dequenne). Their acting great, just like the main characters in this story (Samuel Le Bihan and Mark Dacascos). Maybe the runtime of the movie is a bit long with 140 minutes, but it doesn’t get boring.

A really mysterious horror film which should be watched on a dark winter's day!

Secret / Bu neng shuo de. mi mi (Hong Kong/Taiwan, 2007)

2008-11-29T00:12:00.003+01:00

In Europe, classical music isn’t something anymore you often associate with young people. The complete opposite can be found in Asia, where classical music seems to be more popular than ever. It is even possible to become an idol, think of the brilliant Lang Lang who is an idol for many young Chinese.
‘Secret’ shows the importance and the popularity of this music in China. Idol, superstar and gifted actor, singer and director Jay Chou made a movie about the mystery of this music. He blended it together perfectly with a beautiful love story, brilliant piano music and a travel through time.

What starts out as a typical Asian romance story, evolves into something different. Something surrounded with mystery. I won’t explain too much, but is definitely worth to see this film!

The score is really fantastic, though you have to love piano music a bit. The acting of Jay Chou is great and also Lunmei Kwai does a terrific job, she looks stunning as well!

The Painted Veil (USA, 2006)

2008-11-28T22:09:00.002+01:00

The painted veil is a rather tragic story between two people (Naomi Watts & Edward Norton) in a pretty difficult relationship. He is a bacteriologist and she is a rather spoiled young woman.
It sets in the twenties of the past century in China, partly in Shanghai but mostly in a little village along the Yangtze river. In this village Cholera has broken out and the character played by Edward Norton volunteers to help as a doctor and do research. He forces his wife, who is having an affair, to come with him or get a divorce. When times past by, slowly they start to find the loving parts in each other. A cruel fate awaits them.

To my opinion, it is a rather well constructed film with many beautiful scenery of China. The acting is great, as expected from the stars but I had to get used to it for about 15 minutes. The director, John Curran, creates a very intense atmosphere with a film that maybe starts a bit slow, but is full of beauty. The score is just brilliant, with the piano parts that are being played by Chinese and maybe world’s best pianist Lang Lang.

Sometimes I felt like it could be better in some ways and though that is not the best film ever it still is an intense and beautiful film!

Gamera the brave / Gamera: Chiisaki yusha-tachi (Japan, 2006)

2008-11-27T17:27:00.004+01:00

Gamera the brave is a new film in the Gamera-series (Japanese Godzilla adventures), a revival of the Gaiju genre. Though this time the story is a bit different, it is made for children.

Though the monsters don't look real at all, the acting sometimes is a bit cheesy, the musical score is so-so and the story is very simple you have to remember it is made for kids. And yes, it is a good friendly child movie, even the entire family can enjoy this one.

It is a story a bout the love of a child for his favourite pet. This pet, a turtle in the beginning, turns out to be a monster, one to save the city of Nagoya against the more evil Zedus.

For children about 9 or younger, it will be a very enjoyable and even moving film. For the children who ware a bit older (12 or older) I should recommend the Korean 'the Host'.

El Orfanato (Spain/Mexico, 2007)

2008-11-23T15:04:00.001+01:00

El Orfanato is a mysterious thriller/horror about a boy who suddenly disappears in an old orphanage when he is playing with his imaginable friends.
His mother can’t believe he is dead and starts to believe in mysterious things, creating her own reality of what happened in the past and now.

The story is very interesting because it leaves a lot of imagination to yourself, Not too many things are explained, what is reality and what is fantasy?? This is what can be compared with Pan’s Labyrinth. Children need fairytales to understand the world. Belief first, than see. I guess this could be described as what the movie deals about.

It is a dreamy horror story, you’ll beautiful scenes which breath some kind of dangerous atmosphere. The story is also very intelligent which keeps the film all the time interesting and sometimes it is even moving. The acting is very good, especially the mother (Belen Rueda) who suffers such a great loss acts outstandingly!

Noriko's Dinner Table / Noriko no shokutaku (Japan, 2005)

2008-11-21T17:13:00.002+01:00

Interesting and remarkable movie, by director Sion Sono, about individualism. The story sets in the same world as ‘Suicide Club’ but from a different angle. Noriko’s dinner table is also known as Suicide Club 2 but the two movies are different completely. While the first suicide Club was filled with blood, this one is rather calm from an introspective stance. The story evolves about one family and the bizarre and weird things that happen in this normal family. The story can best be described as very strange and special, but it works in its way. It breathes a very weird atmosphere but at the same time grabs your mind. Some scenes are even hard to watch, because of the intenseness.
The acting is great, very impressive because the emotions are very deep and difficult to act but all girls managed perfectly!

Interesting!

Yo-Yo Girl Cop / Sukeban Deka: Kôdo Nêmu = Asamiya Saki (Japan, 2006)

2008-11-19T22:42:00.002+01:00

There are many ways to spend 99 minutes, and let me tell you, watching this movie isn’t the best one. Yeah, I had to laugh often, just a shame I wasn’t meant to laugh at those moments. Yo-Yo Girl Cop, starring Japanese idol Aya Matsuura, is not really a good film. The plot is very very thin and most of the time doesn’t make any sense. The characters and the dialogues between them are ridiculous and too sad to speak of. The acting, well it is also not the best you will see in your lifetime. The fighting scenes won’t convince for any moment and director, please, showing us a long scene where two girls sends text messages (by phone) to each other isn’t really great cinematography.

This movie can be enjoyed but than you have to think of nothing and smile for 99 minutes, it is all you get out of this one.

Cyborg She / Boku no kanojo wa saibôgu (Japan, 2008)

2008-11-10T22:35:00.007+01:00

Probably you never hear about a epic cyborg film, but ‘Cyborg she’ (Cyborg girl), by director Jae-young Kwak (My sassy girl, The classic), can not be described in another way This is one of the most interesting love stories I have seen in a while. It starts on 22 november 2008 in a restaurant in Tokyo where Jiro celebrates his birthday on his own. Because my birthday is on the 16th..I immediately was interested in it!

It all is about a boy (Jiro) who meets a girl (cyborg) from the future on his birthday. She saves him from a mad guy with a gun at the restaurant. Normally he would have been badly injured but this is why she comes from the future. The guy in the future created her so he could send her back to save himself.

After this scene, the expected funny part of the film starts. They start to live together and the girl has to learn how to act like a human. This part is really hilarious, one of the most memorable scenes is set in a dancing bar where a guy asks her ‘can you dance the 'robot'?
The next part of the movie is a bit more serious, it is about memories. Some really beautiful scenes about a trip back to the hometown of Jiro will follow and it even gets a bit emotional. And again the story of the movie chances entirely, the next part of the film is more like a disaster film when a earthquake hits Tokyo. Very impressive scenes of collapsing buildings I have to say! And after all this, expect a big surprise in the plot!

The acting of both Keisuke Koide and Haruka Ayase is outstanding, the clothing is stylish and the cinematography is fine as well.
I was stunned while seeing this movie. I did not expect anything of it but it made me laugh, totally surprised by the great scenes (I suspected a small film without any action) and I even felt the emotional part in my heart. A truly magnificent masterpiece!!

Together with Park Chan Wooks 'I'm a Cyborg, but that's okay' a total revival of this genre and better as ever!

Suzhou River / Suzhou He (China, 2000)

2008-11-10T10:25:00.003+01:00

Suzhou river, by director Lou Ye, is a film about the journey to find your true love. The story is set in Shanghai, and the Suzhou river is the centre of the film. Everything goes back to this river. What you get are beautiful scenes, a sad love story which, together with the cinematography, hypnotizes you and pulls you into world you never have experienced
Famous Chinese star Xun Zhou acts great as the girl you never know too much about, she is the mysterious girl who never can be yours entirely. For few minutes I had to get used to the semi-handheld camera, I wansn’t very used to this way of filming but after a while you almost don’t even notice it anymore. In fact, it adds much beauty to this film.

An unconventional film with a semi-handheld camera and a unseen narrator who is telling us the tragic story of searching but never able to get hold of the thing you long most for. Spellbinding!

Figure skating 2008/2009 starts with a win for Yu-Na Kim

2008-10-29T13:46:00.001+01:00

Swirling upon the ice, reaching for the roof and performing difficult combinations. The competition has started! The figure skaters competed in Everett, USA. After along, long wait from the world championships in Göteborg they have begun the new road to the next world championships! Though, it seems like the final of the woman skaters in Göteborg just was one week ago. The excitement of that competition, well I doubt if it ever will get more intense. In Everett, my favourite and most spectacular figure skater, Yu-Na Kim, won in the woman category. The first is being made!!Yukari Nakano was second and the world champion of two years ago, Miki Ando, ended in third place.