Log: week 38 / 2025
A cute but completely inconspicuous little film. Not knowing its backstory, it's a bit of a mystery why and how this became an Oscar winner, but maybe the US was ready for a quick summer vacation in Greece, because that's pretty much all you're getting. The setting is lovely, the rest of the film not so much.
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The characters are a bit annoying, and the performances aren't great. Luckily, the film doesn't take things too seriously, so you don't have to care for them too much. The presentation is decent, the drama is sufficient, and the runtime is solid, but nothing really stands out, other than the sunny vibes. I didn't mind this one, but the credits are still rolling and I've already forgotten half of it.
One of Kim Jee-woon's earliest works. It's a cute little film that offers a nice spin on the found footage genre, but it isn't quite distinctive enough to leave a strong impression. It's a good thing that it's rather short and punchy, so it never outstays its welcome, but I was maybe hoping for a little more.
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There are some good scenes tucked away in there, the performances are okay, and the pacing and runtime are perfect. On the other hand, the presentation is a little wonky, and the film doesn't quite take its premise far enough. But fans of Kim should definitely seek this one out, good fun indeed.
It can be tough to find your way in China's contemporary martial arts output, but there are some easy giveaways. A longer runtime (90+ minutes) and the presence of martial arts royalty like Sammo Hung are proper indicators that this isn't just some random streamer flick (even when iQiyi helped fund it).
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The action scenes are top-notch, the setting and folklore are nice, and even though the film is quite long, the pacing is slick. It's a tough niche to excel in, and Invincible Swordsman doesn't have anything to truly set it apart. It's a very capable film, just not one of the absolute greats.
With a poster like that, I just had to watch this one. It's not the craziest cyberpunk movie ever made, but it's still a fun sci-fi flick, with quirky characters, wild ideas, and a dash of creativity and aesthetic boldness that sets it apart from many other near-future sci-fi films. Its Estonian roots only add to the fun.
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The performances are fun, the concept isn't wholly original, but the way it is presented felt fresh and modern enough, and the main gadget looks kick-ass. The film also doesn't overstay its welcome and cruises through its runtime at an agreeable pace. I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.
The sequel, ten years later, minus Rooker. Not that I'm a big fan of the original, but this was clearly a bland attempt to bank on the niche success of the first film. It's a pretty cheap-looking project that only stands out when Henry gets up to no good. Sadly, that's not enough to save this film.
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The performances are poor, the presentation is weak, and the plot is as generic as can be. It's a fairly normal straight-to-TV production that probably got a bit of extra attention because the first Henry garnered a cult following. Maybe fans of the original will find something to love here, but the appeal is limited.
A rather standard Hong Kong action film, with some familiar faces to spice things up a little. I'm not the biggest Nick Cheung fan, but I'm always happy to see Francis Ng pop up. There's nothing too memorable or exciting about this film, but if you like Hong Kong's crime and action work, there's plenty here that will grab your attention.
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The nighttime cinematography is always a boon, the pacing is slick, and even though the film could've been a tiny bit shorter (90 minutes is a perfect goal for these Hong Kong genre films), I never felt like things were dragged out too much. A fun little diversion, this one, but not a classic.
There are some interesting touches here, but for the most part, it's a blatant Oscar contender that uses its runtime to impress more than anything else. For a film about an architect, very little is done with actual architecture. Instead, most of the film revolves around the architect's life (and struggles).
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I didn't care much for the music, but at least it tried to get itself noticed. The cinematography was rather bland, the performances lacked depth, and the runtime was excessive. You'd have thought they would have tried harder to translate the architectural style into cinematic traits, but they clearly didn't want to risk losing the audience. As for the little audio AI spat, what silly nonsense that was.
Danny Pang is having another go at In Love with the Dead, only with a slight narrative twist (it's not a partner here, but a son). It's nice to see he's still out there, making moody films that drift between mystery, horror, and thriller. Deadly Dolls isn't a cinematic masterpiece, but it's quality genre filmmaking that scratches an itch.
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The presentation is proper, but that's to be expected from a Pang film. The performances are good, the runtime is concise, and the pacing is pleasant. There are no big surprises here, and people familiar with Danny's oeuvre should have a good idea of what to expect from this film. Good.
A surprisingly capable Cat III film, though To and Ka-Fai's production credits might have hinted at something a bit more upscale. Not that this is prime HK cinema, the film's a little too rough around the edges for that, but if you like earlier 90s crime cinema with a bit of an edge, this is a must-see.
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The cinematography is proper, the performances are on point, and things get increasingly tense as the narrative unfolds. The pacing and runtime are perfect, there just isn't quite enough to make it stand out from a bunch of similar films. It's quite the overlooked film, so if you haven't seen it yet and you love 90s HK CatIII films, be sure to give it a go.
As someone with a warm interest in Chinese cinema and a good idea of which films are released in (or being funded by) the West, Wang Bing's documentary was a tough watch. I don't doubt the film's validity, but it showcases exactly how the West wants China to be portrayed. A film in which people are poor and live in dire circumstances. And I'm sure it's the case for the people featured here, but you cannot watch this while ignoring the broader picture.
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As for the documentary itself, 9 hours is ridiculous. The cinematic qualities are limited, and the tone is very repetitive. I wasn't really interested in the personal stories, though I did appreciate the rundown industrial vibe of the city and its factories. But that's hardly enough to warrant the runtime (I watched it in three settings, for reference). Fine if you watch this for the misery/poverty porn, and fine if you consider this a counterbalance for China's soft power push, as long as you are well aware of what exactly you are watching here.
This felt like Besson's unofficial US remake of Angel-A. Although the plot is not identical, it's also a whimsical romance between a man down on his luck and an angelic female who comes to save him. The biggest difference is that we're not getting a black-and-white version of Paris, but something closer to a Coen's version of the USA.
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Price and Eddy are solid as the two leads, Besson's direction is light and breezy, and the pacing is slick. This isn't a very deep film, nor is it something that demands a lot from its audience, but I'm always happy to see a film that marches to the beat of its own drums. Not Besson's best, but a worthy addition to his oeuvre for sure.
One of Billy Tang's better films. It's also one of his more polished ones, even though the film still honors its CAT III roots. It's just that the structure and build-up feel less rushed and random compared to other films in the niche. That said, this film is all about the finale, like so many other Hong Kong films of that era.
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There are plenty of familiar faces here (always nice to catch up with Simon Yam), the film looks better than usual (then again, it's a '93 HK film), and there are some pretty cool scenes in the latter half. It's not quite up there with the best of its era, but for someone who has seen all the bigger titles already, this was a cool find for sure.