Movies
A very stylish mystery/thriller, sporting some powerhouse performances, amazing cinematography and a neat little plot than kept me engaged from start to finish. Not the most original of films, but the execution was so terrific that it didn't bother me at all. Midi Z does Taiwanese cinema proud.
Not quite as gripping as Nina Wu, but Midi Z's latest is another chilling thriller with strong drama and mystery elements. The performances are strong, the cinematography is stylish and the score, while quite safe, is used to good effect. There are some twists that steer the film in different directions, but the plot takes a back seat to the drama and every twist adds a bit of heart to the characters. Midi Z is a competent director with interesting stories to tell, let's see how long his streak will go on.
I'm quite partial to anthology films, as they allow directors to go a little crazy. Because they are comprised of several shorts, these projects allow for a little more risk. One or two failed entries don't necessarily mean a failed film. For the larger part, anthology films deliver, but only when the directors are willing to play. Letters from the South was a bit disappointing though. For the larger part it's just run-of-the-mill arthouse shorts that don't offer anything unusual or memorable. Aditya Assarat, Sun Koh and Midi Z are interesting names on paper, but their entries felt muddled, unadventurous and a little lazy. Royston Tan's execution is better, but not up to par with his feature films. Tsai on the other hand delivers the biggest disappointment of the bunch (a prelude to Journey to the West). The only one who rose above the pack here was Chui Mui Tan, delivering a challenging and beautiful little film that stands in shrill contrast with the other entries. I expected more from this film.Read all