Movie top list: 826 to 850
Go, Go Second Time Virgin
"The gritty and grainy cinematography and the harsh thematical content contrast superbly with the poetic soundtrack and its emotional core, creating a stylish firecracker of a film."
Perhaps Love
"Chan managed to combine a great many things into one comprehensive package. Perhaps Love looks great, sound good and is backed by three superb performances."
Kids Return
"The solid cinematography coupled with the nice soundtrack, the fine performances and the pleasantly subdued drama all help to highlight Kitano's talent as a bona fide director."
Zatôichi
"Kitano's version is playful and quirky, but also pretty badass and harsh when need be. The film looks great, sports a sublime soundtrack and Kitano himself shines as the titular character."
Triangle
"Triangle looks stylish, sports a great soundtrack, leans on a superb central trio and highlights the talents of its lauded directors. A true flagship project if there ever was one."
Umbrella Flower
"The stellar lead performance by Tadanobu Asano, the crisp styling, and the balance of delicate drama with some rougher edges turn this into a quality film.~"
T2 Trainspotting
"T2 Trainspotting is a damn good companion piece to the first film."
Blazing Famiglia
"Blazing Famiglia looks appropriately gritty, it sports a fine soundtrack, some great performances and a cool plot with a proper dramatic foundation."
The Kiyosu Conference
"The Kiyosu Conference is good, solid, old-fashioned fun. Mitani has a great cast to his disposal and goes with colorful visuals and an upbeat soundtrack."
Life Show
"A pleasantly executed film featuring a strong lead and some good solid drama, splendid scenery and just breaths the couleur locale."
The Loafers
"Miki has a unique, dead pan sense of humor that pushes the film forward. I can only hope he continues to make films in the same vein as his work doesn't really compare to anything else out there."
The Machinist
"While many of its peers have trouble keeping themselves standing the second time around, The Machinist thrives on a strong and gloomy atmosphere, intriguing characters and a stand-out performance."
The Secret World of Arrietty
"Ghibli fans will know what to expect when they go and see this film."
August in the Water
"Probably one of his most accessible films, though there is still plenty of wonder and authorship to be admired."
Kingfisher
"Sheng delivers a visually superb film, provides a good score and a set of strong actors. The drama element is impressive for this type of film, the thriller elements are more than sufficient."
Hate
"Thanks to the strong performances of the central cast, the stylish black-and-white cinematography, and the fitting soundtrack it is still an impressive film with a gutwrenching finale."
The Battling Angel
"The Battling Angel is a movie with obvious shortcomings, but offers plenty in return to direct your mind away from them. Whether you can solely depends on what you expect from it."
Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below
"That said, there is still plenty to be excited about. Shinkai serves you 116 minutes of visual wonder."
A Sun
"A lush and beautiful-looking film, with powerhouse performances, strong drama and some very poignant scenes. A film that finally brings Chung the broader validation he deserves."
Mr. Long
"Mr. Long is visually pleasing, it features a fine soundtrack and has a stellar lead actor that carries the film with ease."
The Hunger
"I expected just another mediocre 80s horror flick, but ended up with a stylish, perplexing and completely unique vampire film that hasn't lost much of its shine almost 40 years later."
Suffocation
"More important is the suffocating atmosphere that takes a firm grip on the audience, strengthened by the close-up photography, consistent color palette and strong performance of Ge."
Chernobyl Diaries
"Parker does everything to make sure that all the things are there for a good night of tense and thrilling horror fun, whether it will actually work depends on how you like your horror films served."
Sauna
"Sauna is an impressive experience, solid in just about every department. Extremely strong lead, nice and fitting visuals, great soundtrack and intriguing storyline."
Love on Sunday
"Love on Sunday is an endearing film with a warm, summery vibe, strong performances and effective drama without any false sentiment."