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.

Best Film of 2009 by Meinte

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)

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

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

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

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

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)

‘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.