recomend and review asian movies

[technokitty]

okay I saw the other thread and I thought it would be impolite to highjack it so I started this one.

actually this one is different since it's more of a movie review thread for people that would like to get into movies from Asia. I've divided them into countries. all these movies I've seen and loved. I've seen tons more but I'll post as I go. any questions feel free to ask!

oh and feel free to post your own reviews.



Hong Kong - despite what most people think HK movies are not all martial arts. the wu xia(fantasy and martial arts) movies are a genre of HK movies but by no means are they the majority. just like in Hollywood, HK has comedies, dramas, action (non martial arts), gangs, mafia, etc.




Infernal Affairs (r. 2002)
genres: cops, gangs, triads (HK mafia), drama, action
starring: Andy Lau Tak Wah, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Anthony Wong Chau Sang, Eric Tsang Chi Wai, Sammi Cheng Sau Man, Kelly Chen, Elva Hsiao

the first thing to note about this film is that it starts THE biggest names in HK movies. think having Al Pacino, Bobby DeNiro, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman all in one movie. as if that wasn't enough the movie rocks! it blew away the competition when it came out and became one of the top grossers HK movies of all times. here's a review from Love HK Films:

"With little actual warning, the HK cops-and-robbers thriller Infernal Affairs destroyed all comers this past Christmas season. At over 55 million Hong Kong dollars, the film has gone on to become the territory's second highest-grossing local film behind Shaolin Soccer. Cries of "Box Office Miracle" were trumpeted by Hong Kong's so-called fourth estate, which advanced the opinion that Hong Kong Cinema was revived. Still, it would be preferable if a box-office revival came with an actual good motion picture. Thankfully, they pulled it off; despite some flaws, Infernal Affairs is pretty good stuff."

plot: "Tony Leung Chiu-Wai stars as Yan, a police mole in the triads for the past ten years. He's been deep, deep undercover for so long that he's started to question his focus and sanity. Meanwhile, he has a mirror opposite on the other side. Andy Lau is Ming, a rising cop who's secretly a triad mole. For the same ten years, he's been feeding information to Sam (Eric Tsang), a ruthless triad kingpin who Yan currently works for. Sam's archenemy is Organized Crime and Triad Bureau Inspector Wong (Anthony Wong), who's Yan's only link to the police force. On a routine drug bust, both sides discover the presence of a mole within their ranks, and both sides charge their respective undercover with finding the offending party. However, Ming's exact loyalties are not entirely clear, which may mean problems for both Sam and Inspector Wong. Meanwhile, Yan tries not to be killed by either side."

ok so I may be biased since I absolutely love anything with Andy or Tony (even, dare I say it, Sounds of Colors hehehe) but really it was good. I played it for quite a few of my friends that never seen a HK movie before (except the 70's movies) and they loved it! I totally recomend it for anyone that wants to get started into HK movies.

in 2006 the movie is getting remade for american audiences starring Matt Damon and Leo DiCaprio. don't even get me started on this ... the fact that the main characters are way older than these two kids is enough. do yourself a favor and watch the original







Tokyo Raiders (r. 2000)
genres: New Year fluff, comedy, action
starring: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Ekin Cheng Yi Kin, Kelly Chan Wai Lam, Cecilia Cheung Pak Chi, Toru Nakamura

if your'e familiar with HK movies then you already know about New Year fluff comedies. for those that don't know basically they are (more often than not) mindless comedies released for the Chinese New Year. the public knows that this is basically your average "popcorn movies" so in order for you to enjoy it you must think (summer movie fun). this one can be quite entertaining eso bcuz of the action.

plot: (from LHKF) "The monster Lunar New Year hit of 2000 features an all-star cast and all-star hijinks. Tony Leung Chiu-Wai stars as Lam, the toughest private eye in Tokyo. Despite his small stature and broken Japanese, he owns the Tokyo streets with his suave charisma and John Steed-like fighting skills. He falls in with jilted bride Macy (Kelly Chan), who arrives in Tokyo chasing her wayward groom Takahashi (Toru Nakamura of Gen-X Cops). Tailing her is interior designer Yung (Ekin Cheng), who’s after Takashi to settle a debt. Soon their paths cross and mayhem ensues. Various factions are after Macy for reasons not entirely unknown, and it seems that Lam and Yung may have a few secrets themselves."







The Eye (r.2002)
genre: horror
starring: Angelica Lee Sum Kit, Lawrence Chou Chun Wai, Chutcha Rujinanon, Pierre Png, Edmund Chen, Candy Lo Hau Yam

while the sequels were good IMHO, there's nothing like the original. unlike Hollywood horror movies were gore and blood take center stage, most (or I should say many) of the asian horror movies rely more on suspense and insinuation rather than an all out blood fest (well...except the japanese but er..yeah lol ).

plot: (from LHKF) "Last spring, the Hong Kong box office got a minor boost thanks to The Eye, a cerebral chiller from The Pang Brothers. Angelica Lee (aka: Sinjie) stars as Mun, a twenty-something HK resident who's been blind since her youth. She becomes the recipient of a cornea transplant, which will finally give her sight and presumably a new lease on life.

However, Mun needs to adjust to her new eyes so she's sent to handsome psychotherapist Wah (Lawrence Chou). He's charged with acquainting Mun with her newfound sight. It seems her body may know how the world works, but her vision can't connect the dots. The physical appearance of others surprises her, and she becomes alienated from her still-blind friends. And there's an even bigger problem. Yep, Mun sees dead people"

 

[technokitty]

Korea - again, just like HK they do all sorts of genres but in the last few years there's been a trend of war and dramas. before that it was the comedy thing, and they are quite good at it.





My Wife is a Gangster (r.2001)
genre: comedy, action, mafia
starring: Shin Eun Kyung, Park Sang Myun, Ahn Jae Mo, Kim In Kwon

I seriously cried I was laughing so hard with this movie. the concept may not be amazing but the acting was really good, Shin is hilarious and she plays her part so well and poor clueless Park was born to play the fool. seriously watch this, it's fun!

plot: (from LHKF) "It's no secret that gangster comedies were the most popular genre in Korea last year. Kick The Moon, Guns & Talks, Hi Dharma! and My Boss My Hero all did great business. The most successful of these was My Wife is a Gangster, which possesses a fine blend of comedy, action and even a little drama. Also, the film's unusual screen couple was likely an audience draw. Shin Eun-kyung (of The Ring Virus, Downfall and The Young Man) isn't exactly used to comedies, and seeing her in this role was certainly a big attraction. Add Park Sang-myun, perhaps the funniest supporting actor in Korea, and this was sure to be a big hit.

Shin is Eun-jin, No.2 of a local gang. We're introduced to her in impressive fashion, as she cuts rival gangsters to pieces with her trademark weapon (a pair of scissors). She has made it so far in the male-dominated Jopok world, for one reason only: she's not exactly the most feminine character you'll find. Even worse, her behavior makes that quite obvious.

There are reasons for her lack of femininity, such as losing her sister and parents at a very young age. However, when she finds her long lost sister, the shock is big. Her sister is not only dying of cancer, but her last wish is to see her little sister married and with children! For Eun-jin (known as Mantis in the underworld) it seems like no big deal at first, but when she discovers the consequences of having a partner...well, problems begin."







Il Mare (r.2000)
genre: drama, romance
starring: Lee Jeong-jae, Jun Ji-hyun

this is the original movie on which the upcoming Il Mare with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock is based on. it's a typical Korean romance drama and it will give you an idea of what to expect. it's a really nice movie to see, especially for the romantics out there or for anyone who's ever been in love. plus Jeon as usual is gorgeous!

plot: (from KFCC) "Il Mare is the name of a seafront house where two lovers reside in at two different times. Sung-hyun in 1997 receives a strange letter one day, reminding him to be careful of the snowstorm in 1998. But it is posted in the year 1999. Time travels backward again when Eun-joo sends him a letter of request, asking him to look for her lost cassette recorder at the train station where Sung-hyun finally gets a glimpse of her. Pusan International Film Festival 2001. "







Taegukgi (r.2004)
genre: war, action, drama
starring: Jang Dong-gun, Won Bin, Lee Eun Ju

if I remember correctly this is still the highest grossing Korean movie ever, and it deserves to be. at first I WAS skeptic of Won Bin (who is a korean music superstar) but after seeing him in this I must say I was wrong and he certainly can hold his own.

plot: (from Haro Online) "Jin-Tae (Jang Dong-Kun, Coast Guard, 2099 Lost Memories) and his younger brother Jin-Seok (Won Bin, Guns & Talks) live in idyllic life in rural Korea. Jin-Tae shines shoes to help earn money so that Jin-Seok can afford to go to school, where his grades are promising. Jin-Tae doesn't mind, since he is going to marry Young-shin (Lee Eun-Ju, Garden of Heaven, White Room). When the war breaks out, the army drafts Jin-Seok. Jin-Tae tries to stop them, and ends up drafted also. His new goal is to earn a medal so that he can request his brother be sent home. Life on the field is horrific, and writer/director Kang Je-Gyu (Shiri, Rules of the Game) does not shy away from showing severed limbs, bloody bodies, and violent explosions.

As war continues, the two brothers begin a profound change. Jin-Seok sees what is happening around him and it sickens him. He doesn't believe that there is any point to all this death, violence, and destruction. Jin-Tae goes down the opposite path. He exults in the praise heaped upon him as he volunteers for increasingly dangerous missions in his quest for a medal. His desire to keep his brother safe becomes an excuse to kill. Every time Jin-Tae goes into battle, a blood lust takes over, and he is an unstoppable killing machine. He soon cares little for anything, he just wants to kill. When he engages the North, he sees enemies, not people. Seeing the change in his brother disgusts Jin-Seok, driving a wedge between the once close friends."

Tale of Two Sisters (r.)
genre: horror, suspense
starring: Yeom Jeong-ah, Im Soo-jung, Moon Geun-young, Lim Ji-Eun, Kim Kab-su


no decent korean movie review can be complete with at least one horror movie. while I don't deny that the japanese excel in this area, korea is churning out a great deal of good horror movies. this one is no exception.

plot: (from Kyonsi) "This haunting film delves into the world of a young girl returning home with her sister from a stint in a local mental hospital. Returning home she's happy to again be with her sister that she missed so much. At home she finds the evil stepmother being just as mean and nasty as ever and possibly even hurting her sister. Her father is very passive and does not really ever say much or take sides. Then things start to happen and more is revealed. Spooky noises, hidden secrets?, ghostly and horrifying visits from beyond, this films got alot of odd stuff happening. The film may take two sittings for you to take it all in. This film is hard to give a full storyline for without possibly spoiling the twists and yes there is several of them in this movie. There are some good jump scares and the general content of the film is intense and the suspense works in Tale of Two Sisters."

 

[technokitty]

Japan - ok so they are right now more well known for their horror movies and anime but japan has so much more to offer.





Itchy the Killer (r.2001)
genre: horror? (more like gore), yakuza (japanese mafia)
starring: Tadanobu Asano, Nao Omori, Shinya Tsukamoto, Paulyn Sun, Susumu Terajima, Toru Tezuka

yeah well you should have seen this one coming if you're into japanese movies. what can I say? Tadanobu is brilliant. lest you say I didn't warn you be prepared for blood....lots and lots and lots of blood.

plot: (from KFCC) "In a yakuza syndicate, the Anjo clan has suffered the loss of their head leader. Kakihara, Anjo's right hand man, sets out on a quest to find his boss (regardless of the evidence that says he's dead). Things begin to turn for the worst when a group of men that was once affiliated with their syndicate but kicked out set their eyes on seeing the Anjo Clan's complete annihilation. To make thing's worse, they've got the mysterious and extremely deadly killer Ichi on their tales. Will the Anjo Clan survive through Ichi's slaughter? Can they defy their gloomy fate? A sick and twisted fantasy about sadism and masochism with an ending so puzzling that it'll drive you to watch this nihilistic ride into the deepest trenches of the human psyche a second time, a third time, hell, maybe even a fourth. A film based on the extreme manga with the same name, Miike Takashi brings the panels of ink to life in this controversial film."







Waterboys (r.2001)
genre: comedy
starring: Satoshi Tsumabuki, Chikara Yamamoto, Naoto Takenaka, Yûji Suzuki, Takatoshi Kaneko

this is really really funny. I accidentaly rented this movie the first time with no subtitles, and I found myself laughing like an iiot in spite of the language barrier. after I rented it again with subtitles I laughed even more. the actors are really funny and the end result is one seriously funny comedy!

plot: (from KFCC) "The swimming team of Tadano High School is in big trouble, the only active member; Suzuki is giving up any hope that the team will survive until the next Tadano High's festival. But the surprise arrival of a new coach changes everything, the beautiful Sakuma is gathering a lot of attention in the boy's school and now everyone wants to join the team. But what everyone didn't know was that Sakuma is not really a swimming coach but a synchronized swimming instructor. When she proposes to create a synchronized swimming team, only Suzuki and 4 other high school misfits will remain.
But because of an unexpected incident, Sakuma has to take a long vacation from the school, which will leave the team without any supervision. With the Tadano High's festival coming very soon, every club from the school is preparing a special event of their own. Suzuki and his friends, inspired by their darling coach's dream, decide to organize a special swimming sync show. But when they publicly announce their intention, nobody is taking them seriously, except the local drag queens. With no coach and no pool to practice, they have a long road to go before pulling off a decent show. But luckily for them, they will meet a dolphin trainer who is willing to help them prepare their show. But with all the trouble and unexpected events that they will have to face, will they be able to pull off their show in time for the school festival?"





Returner (r.2003)
genre: sci-fi, action
starring: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Ann Suzuki

ok so anything with Takeshi is worth watching if anything to stare at his gorgeous face hehehe. but all drooling aside the Returner is your average popcorn summer sci-fi (think War of the Worlds or whatever). don't expect much except to be entertained and you will really like this movie.

plot: (from KFCC) "Miyomoto searches for the man responsible for the death of his childhood friend. As a lone mercenary for hire, he finds Mizoguchi, an infamous yakuza notorious for his black market dealings in human organs. When Millie literally falls out of the sky from the future and disrupts Miyomoto just seconds away from fulfilling his vengeance, his world is sent into upheaval as he attempts to find his friend’s murderer once again and take in the fact that Millie is an envoy 80 years ahead of his time sent back to the past to prevent the initial beginnings of a war between Earth and an invading alien race known as the Daggra."

 

[technokitty]

India - I'm talking real Bollywood movies, not the holly-bolly colabos of late such as "Bend it Like Beckham" or "Monsoon Wedding" which are not really Bollywood (Indian) movies.





Ash as Paro in Devdas

Devdas (r.2002)
genre: drama, period/historical, movies based on books
starring: Aishwarya Rai, Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit-Nene

this epic tale is based on the tragic Bengali novel, written by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. it was the costliest bollywood movie ever made and the year it was released it swept every major award in India. not only is the cinematography stunning, the period costumes exquisite but the acting is superb. then again what else can you expect from King Khan, legendary Madhuri and the stunning Miss Rai? box office gold that's what.

plot: (from IndiaFM) "Son of an affluent zamindar, Devdas (Shah Rukh Khan) opened his eyes to a world where wealth dominated his existence. Indulged he was by his lovely playmate Paro (Aishwarya Rai). It was a special childhood and it seemed only Devdas and Paro seemed to exist for each other. The reverie was broken when elders sent Devdas to London for education. When Devdas returned, Paro's mother (Kiron Kher) proposed Devdas and Paro's marriage. But it was met with condescendingly. Heart-broken Paro entered into a chaste marriage with a wealthy, much older man, Zamindar Bhuvan (Vijayendra Ghatge), while a shattered Devdas took refuge in anguish, alcoholism and Chandramukhi (Madhuri Dixit), a stunning courtesan. Strange was the fate of Devdas. Intensely loved by two women, who were never meant to be his. One, whom he could never love and the other, whom he could never stop loving…"






Amitabh and Jaya, Hrithik and Kareena in scenes from KKKG

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham also known as K3G for short (r.2001)
genre: drama, comedy, romance, family
starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Kajol, Jaya Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukerjee

consider this the Infernal Affairs of India as far as star cast goes. doesn't get any bigger than the names headlining this movies, except if you add Aishwarya, then it would be the best of the best. Amitabh is a living legend in India and with good reason. the guy is amazing. think Pacino and DeNiro or Anthony Hopkins, the guy is superb. he's been in more movies that we can count and his pairing with the other king of bollywood, Shah Rukh, is always a treat. this movie reunited the succesful pairing of Kajol and Shah Rukh who together can do no wrong (every movie they made together was a hit). throw in current bollywood hearthrob, gorgeous green eyed Hrithik, superstar Kareena (of the legendary Kapoor acting family) and Jaya, wife of Amitabh and a star in her own right and you have one certifiable hit.

plot: (from Planet Bollywood) "Yash (Amitabh) and Nandini (Jaya) have raised their children, Rohan a.k.a. Ladoo (a young Hrithik Roshan) and Rahul (Shah Rukh). Rahul was adopted when he was younger. Circumstances intervene and Shah Rukh falls in love with the wrong girl, Anjali (Kajol), a peppy girl from Chandni Chowk. Exasperated at his audaciousness Yash is torn that Rahul refuses to marry Naina (Rani Mukherji); a person Yash feels is of much better class than Anjali. Yash and Rahul part ways unaware of the pain they have caused all of the others in their loving family. Come post-interval a changed and grown Rohan and a promiscuous Pooja, Anjali’s sister, join forces to bring together Rohan’s torn family in the name of Yash’s dieing mother, played by Achla Sachdev."







Black (r.2005)
genre: drama
starring: Rani Mukerjee, Amitabh Bachchan

this movie is nothing short of amazing, while nothing less is to be expected of legendary Amitabh, Rani more than holds her own! this is one of very few bollywood movies that have no musical numbers, and it's also directed by Sanjay Leela Banshali (who directed Devdas) but it's very, very different.

plot: (from Planet Bollywood) "Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee feature in roles like you have never seen them before (and this time, it´s for real). Bhansali has also opted to change his style by making this film music less which should resonate the theme of "darkness" and "deafness" appropriately. Black is Michelle McNelly (Rani Mukherjee)´s story. The story propels the female into the lead role completely, and how her life is changed when Debraj Sahai (Amitabh Bachchan) enters her life. Michelle has lived her life alone, struggling to survive, to overcome and to live freely but can only be helped when Debraj comes into the picture. Debraj is not your average day man, nor is he an astounding individual. But he decides to help Michelle become as normal as she can be and as stubborn as he is, will not stop until he meets some type of success. "Black" is the tale of their journey, their growth, from darkness to light."

 

[technokitty]

I should have added this at the to but oh well lol

guide to watching asian movies:

chinese/japanese/korean
1.get used to the idea that plenty of times the hero is killed, along with most anyone else that's important. in asia they don't care, they will kill anyone in a movie lol

2.be prepared for gore and blood when you least expect it and scary suspense when you where ready for gore and blood .. yeah it's all backwards

3.the action/movie may not always flow as fast as hollywood movies but that's because they spend more time on character development, etc

4.people may or may not do things based on their beliefs and their countries ideals and they will not always make sense to you (unless you happen to know the culture). don't try to reason against it or think it stupid (you will not enjoy the movie lol). instead do realize that countries vary in tradition. etc so what's right for you may not be right or moral to someone else


for bollywood:
1.be prepared to sit for around 3 hrs. yes their movies are 99% of the time that long. that's why they have a little bit of everything from action, romance, to drama, etc

2.be prepared for singing...lots of it. bollywood movies on average have AT LEAST 5 musical numbers. this is woven into the plot in various ways (such as at a wedding or if one of the main characters is a musician or if someone is daydreaming).

3.the music does for the most part help the movie since it explains what's going on and help move the plot along.

4.the music is not cheesy 1940 musical type stuff (although I do love 1940 musicals lol). they have techno, dance, traditional, ballads, hip-hop, pop, sexy, rock and just about any other genre you can imagine (whatever fits with the movie and character at the moment)

5.the actors ARE NOT the singers but they do dance. the singing is done by what's known as playback singers who are professionals. they win awards also and everyone knows who they are so it's no Milli Vanilli thing lol

6.90% of the movies are ok to watch with your family. in India public display of affection is still a no-no. therefore don't expect sex or naked people in their movies. lately they have gotten more risque and various scandals concernng what people are doing or wearing in the movies have broken out but believe me, it's nothing compared to what's indicent to us.

7.see 4 above under chinese/japanese/korean




so far that's it but if I think of anything else I'll let you know

 

[Ell]

Very interesting thread technokitty.

I used to watch quite a few Hong Kong movies when I was in university. They ranged from the kung-fu/chop socky type to modern comedies and classical Chinese stories. I seldom watch them anymore. My biggest beef with most of them is the terrible translation job they do on sub-titles. Whenever possible, I like to watch the movies in Cantonese, so I don't have to read the sub-titles. The subtitles are sometimes so far removed from what is actually being said, that it's ludicrous. There are exceptions, but these are usually in the case of Asian/North American or Asian/European-type collaborations. It really bugs me that mainstream HK films can't hire better translators or take the time to at least proof-read for spelling errors! (sorry for the rant) OTH, Japanese films seem to do a much better job of translating.

 

[Crystal]

The first thought came to me when I saw the title of your thread was just to leave a footprint here, preparing you that someone who was enthusiastic about wordspelling would pick out your mistakes.

Now, seriously, about the films you listed here. Infernal Affairs has 3 parts. Some friends told me that they couldn't get it when when the first came out. Personally, I was more interested in the orginal thoughts about the film's title--wu jian that was translated into internal. Bad, bad translation, as many other film titles. I remembered that the name came from a story in the book about buddahism. When people died, some of them would go to a special place (the lowest layer of the hell?) where they must gothrough all the inflictions and torments all the time,without a single minute's stop, which was the basic meaning of wu-jian. It was used to represent the idea that those two spys/agents were undergoing all the suspicions, interrogation all the time from their antagonistic parties.


My wife is a ganster? I only saw the first one. It was okay, and had some amusing elements, say, her husband. And sort of cool, that girl.


Tale of two sisters was a horror movie. I still don't have the guts to watch it, and The Eye. But I assumed that they were pieces of cake to those who ENJOYED in watching horror movies.


You made a good thread, technokitty. But,... eh..., were they your favorites?

 

[technokitty]

hey thanks! well Infernal Affair 2 & 3 are ok for me. I have the special collectors dvd with the cards, books etc...very cool!

all the movies here I like, as far as faves well Infernal Affairs, Devdas, K3G, and The Eye are among my faves

but my list of faves is so long I figure I just review and list some of them here as well as others that are famous blockbusters. I will be posting more soon but please do feel free to include more asian movies that you've liked!