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

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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

© Getty Images

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.

Love of Siam / Rak Haeng Siam (Thailand, 2007)

Love of Siam, by director Chukiat Sakveerakul, pleasantly surprised me in many different ways. It is one of those rare magnificent ‘coming of age’ and ‘coming out’ films that adds depth to its genre. This film will probably often be describes as a gay themed movie. This is true, but it is so much more! Most of all it will show us the growing feelings between two boys from friendship to something more but it also is a film about family problems, how to deal with a great loss in your family (a daughter/sister who suddenly disappears) and how to keep on living without having regrets. This movie from Thailand intertwines all elements beautifully together.

However, despite it brilliance, this gem probably won’t be liked by everybody because it is over 150 minutes long and not too many action takes place. In my opinion, this movie did not become boring at all, it slowly evolves and will leave a deep emotional impact on your mind.
The acting is magnificent (well, there are some characters which are less appealing), the music feels right, the cinematography is beautifully done and the storyline is outstanding.

Love of Siam is probably one of the best movies ever made, according to its subject. This is a true masterpiece so don’t waste anymore time but go and see it!

Gadjo Dilo / The crazy stranger (Romania, 1997)

Gadjo Dilo is about a French man who is looking for the singer he hears on a cassette. To find her, he is getting in touch with the Gypsies, the Roma. To be honest, this movie isn’t about a brilliant storyline. This movie is about looking for the music of the soul.
It is a rather good movie, it makes you feel happy most of the time. Everything is a bit too much overdone, like movies often do when they are about the gypsies, but this gives it a good joyful vibe.

I did not think it is a masterpiece but the music in it is just great. It really shows how important music can be for people’s emotions. The clothing is really beautiful as well, for what the gypsies also are known for.
The acting is ok, it isn’t the best of this movie, but once again it is not about a story or the acting really. A movie that shows the purity of music

When father was away on business / Otac na sluzbenom putu (Yugoslavia, 1985)

When father was away on business, by director Emir Kusturica, is a movie that shows a glimpse of the period in Yugoslavia I barely knew. When Tito broke up with Stalin in 1948 some dangerous years were coming for the Yugoslavic communists. For a simple joke, Mesa made about a cartoon In a newspaper, Mesa is being send to prison by his own brother in law.
This movie is about history, politics and the life of a family in Sarajevo during these changing days. It is sometimes very funny, and also sometimes very moving.
The acting is really outstanding. I love the way Mirjana Karanovic (Grbavica) gives depth to her character in the most natural way, just acting great.
Kusturica made a film which blended history and a glimmer of hope beautiful together. The music is really good as well, the typical emotional Balkan songs which live on tears.
In my opinion this movie is a little masterpiece, I enjoyed every minute of it!
In this film we see Muslim, Christian an Jewish people living peacefully together. How did it all change some years later……

The edge of love (Great-Brittain, 2008)

The edge of love stars Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Jonathan Rhys and Cillian Murphy. Though the temptation is huge to compare it with Atonement, I won’t even start it (also because I will think millions will do it already) because Atonement is of Hors Categorie.

So what is ‘the edge of love’? It is a story about the brilliant poet Dylan Thomas and the destructive influence de has on two woman (played by Knightley and Miller). Rhys is married to Sienna in this movie, but he shares a childhood love with Keira who is still in love with him but marries soldier Cillian. The story evolves around these characters and their emotions.
The story didn’t really enchant me. Though in the first part of the movie there are some great scenes, dark sensual with poetical texts, and even some fighting scenes in Greece, you never really know what the movie wants to tell you. Of course it is about the relationship of the two women who are bond to this man but it just could not really convince me. The second part of the movie takes place in Wales, where it focuses on the downwards spiral of the character’s lives. Towards the end of this film the mood really gets dark as the deepest night.
The acting is often good, to be expected, but sometimes the interaction between the actors is a bit lacking in quality (the friendship between Knightley and Miller never gets really believable). Cillian Murphy (wind that shakes the barley) did rather great as a traumatized soldier and shows once more he is a fantastic actor!

I liked this movie because I like the poetical dialogues and some beautiful and heartbraking scenes but I just expected a little bit more of it.