The Fall (India, 2006)

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

Fearless / Huo Yuan Jia (China, 2006)

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)

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.

Freeze me (Japan, 2000)

'Freeze me' by director Takashi Ishii can be seen as a revenge or a survival movie.

The story is about a girl (Harumi Inoue) who is raped by three man and it is captured on a videocamera. This girl leaves her home to go to Tokyo. 5 Years later, when she is planning to marry a colleague, the rapers find her again, one by one.

From this moment on the wants her revenge and yes...it has something to do with a freezer.

It could have been a very harsh movie, an exciting one or a very emotional one. But in my eyes it is complete failure. It just won't work... the movie is cold (maybe that is why it is called 'freeze me'), never gest really exciting/interesting and it doesn't make sense at all. Maybe it's because I don't quite know Japanese culture very good, but I doubt that as well. To me this movie wasn't convincing at all.

To be honest, I did like the poster of this movie!

In Bruges (United Kingdom, 2008)

In Bruges is directed by Martin McDonagh and stars Bendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes and Colin Farrell... and ofcourse I immediately noticed our Dutch actress Thekla Reuten it it as well.

In Burges is a story about two Irish hitman who has to hide in Bruges but most of all it's a dark comedy. The conversations between Gleeson and Farrell are often hilarious and be prepared for oneliners like 'they are filming midgets'! The story has its serious moments to when Farrell is morally challenged by one of the outcomes of his shootings. The first half of the story is very different than the second half. Where in the first half it's mostly humour, in the second its more like an action-drama movie and deals more about human nature and the choices we make.

Sometimes Colin Farrell makes me a bit nervous with his acting, he just seems to overact sometimes but in this movie he is really great I have to say! Brendan Gleeson is acting brilliant like ever!

And Bruges.....well what to say? Our Belgium neighbours sure have a wonderful city!

Friend / Chingoo (Republic of Korea, 2001)

Friend, directed by Kyung-Taek Kwak and starring Dong-Kun Jang (the promise, brotherhood) as the most known actor, is a movie about friendship between four guys when they are young. By making their own choices when they grow up they don't see eachother too often anymore, but still stay friends in some way.

Two of them end up in gangs and from this point the story becomes more dramatic, you know the ending won't probably be too good.

A great story about growing up and friendship. In Korea friendship between guys is a very strong relationship (loyalty and sacrifice), and this is what the movie nails perfectly!

The action is very well done, not too much but it keeps the movie together in a way. It's a mustsee when you enjoyed Korean movies like 'a bittersweet life', 'A dirty Carnival' and 'Sunflower'. Most of all it's a movie about the passage of time between friends.

Farewell my concubine

A few weeks ago I finally got the opportunity to buy 'Farewell my concubine' on dvd in the Netherlands. My expectations of it were very high and after I finished it they survived. What makes this movie of such and outstanding class?

The director 'Chen Kaige' is famous for this movie, 'Emperor and the
Assasanin and Yellow Earth. Why he made something like 'the promise' is not really understandable because it doesn't reach the impact of his other movies.

Let's go back to farewell my concubine. The story deals completely about the opera, or rather said the 'Peking operea'. During the first scenes of this movie you will see how young children where trained to become an opera-star. Soon we will just follow two friends who become famous, one plays the emperor and one the concubine. It's completely normal for a boy to play a female character.

Because this boy (Leslie cheung) always plays as he woman he sort of gets into an personalitycrisis. He puts even make-up on when he is just walking the street, he totally becomes his character and falls in love with his friend (Zhang Fengyi). His friend starts a relationship with a girl (fantastic acting of Gong Li) and trouble starts in a fantastic love-triangle. Nothing like you would assume it would go!

On the background of this story we say the crazy times China is going through. Think of the rise of the Kwo Min Tang, the Japanese occupation and the cultural revolution.

The acting is very very strong and the costumes are beautifully made. I guess you have to get used to the music, cause most westerns don't really know Peking opera but after a while you will get absorped by it.

It's not the most funny or fast movie but just open your senses and enjoy this very special one.

Fallen angels (duo luo tian shi) - Wong Kar Wai

What can be said about Wong Kar Wai's 'Fallen angels'? I don't know it really. It is a very strange and hypnotic movie. A movie about weird people in our even society. People don't talk very much with eachother, direct meeting leads to misunderstanding.
A killer tries to be strict and only keeps his relation to his partner in crime in a business way, not easy when she is 'Michelle Reis' though. Another men who became mute after eating a can of expired pineaple breaks in people's businesses and forces them to by his products.
It's not a very clear story, the viewer has to fill in the plot really.



One of the most beautiful scenes is when Michelle is listening to the jukebox in a bar, some mystical music by Lauri Anderson (Speak my language) is played. This scene is dark though interesting.
A rather strange, hypnotical and interesting movie about detachment that people feel to the real world.