Rushmore by Wes Anderson (1998, USA)

Simply fantastic. I can't believe I haven't watched this earlier. Wes Anderson is one of those directors whose films make you want to be a filmmaker. This is so charming, what with the on-screen bond Jason Schwartzmann and Bill Murray shared. The slow-mo was really used to great effect, and the music and screenplay is excellent as always. I love this film.

4/5 stars
IMDB

The Devil's Rejects by Rob Zombie (2005, USA)

I didn't really like the opening montage sequence, what with all the fast cuts and confusing action sequences. However the rest of the movie was ok. I haven't watched House of 1,000 Corpses yet, but this was better than I was hoping for. The ending gun battle with Freebird playing in the background was a really nice touch. I was expecting much more gore in this film, to be honest.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Fight Back to School by Gordon Chan (1991, Hong Kong)

A Stephen Chow classic. Any self-respecting Chow fan should know about this movie and the tons of hilarious scenes it had. With that said, it didn't really hold on repeated viewings, or maybe it's just that I wasn't really in the mood for comedy. Still it has its moments though.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Kill! by Kihachi Okamoto (1968, Japan)

I haven't actually watched a lot of samurai or chambara movies to be honest, so I guess I'm probably missing some crucial element that I should know about while watching this. It was shot really well, and the remastered version looks really good. The acting was superb. Also, Tatsuya Nakadai as Genta was great.Someday when I've caught up with viewing the rest of samurai movies, I'll definitely come back to this film.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Blood and Bones by Yoichi Sai (2004, Japan)

I have to admit, this film really dragged on at times, especially towards the ending. I probably would have enjoyed this more if I understood more about the China-Korea history. The brutal scenes (pig slaughtering, wife rape) were really done well though, and other than the dark sombre mood it had, those were probably the most memorable part of this film.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Wedding Crashers by David Dobkin (2005, USA)

I tried hard to like this, but I couldn't. To me, it's just another Hollywood throwaway romantic comedy starring big names. The inclusion of Will Ferrell was a total surprise, and to some extent was worth the watch. I also the loved the aisle scene with Coldplay's Fix You playing. I felt something then, I'm not sure what it was but it rekindled my romantic memories.

3/5 stars
IMDB

Broken Flowers by Jim Jarmusch (2005, USA)

Broken flowers, broken hopes. A lonely man who can't find happiness even though he knows his way with women. Bill Murray was great as always. This wasn't really spectacular or anything, but it didn't disappoint me either. A good script like this is always appreciated. I appreciate the upbeat and suspenseful mood it had going too.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Election by Johnny To (2005, Hong Kong)

Ah, triad politics. Johnny To's little movie about the drama behind Hong Kong's underworld really puts things into perspective about how the triads are ran nowadays. It's sort of chilling I guess, about the backstabbing and lies. I guess there's really no more honor when it comes to gangster business. This was one of the better HK movies out last year.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Tom Yum Goong by Prachya Pinkaew (2005, Thailand)

Holy shit, the one-take multi-level restaurant fight scene was totally worth it. It has to be seen to be believed. Phenomenal, I can't even begin to comprehend how long that one scene alone must have took to plan and practise. The script really doesn't even matter here, I watched it for the fights and Tony Jaa simply delivers again, spectacularly.

4/5 stars
IMDB

The President's Barber by Lim Chan-sang (2004, South Korea)

This was pretty boring, maybe because I really don't know much about Korean history and culture. Song Kang-ho did fine, but I really didn't feel or grasp the mood this film had or was going for. Maybe it'll hold up better on another viewing.

3/5 stars
IMDB

The Promise by Chen Kaige (2005, China / Hong Kong / Japan / South Korea )

This piece of overly-animated, overly-ambitious and colorful movie didn't do justice with the power of the great cast it had. Chen Kaige really needed to review his script. Watching this on the big screen was a terrible and disappointing experience, what with the high hopes I had after watching the trailer and the high-budget marketing drive behind it here. I was constantly chuckling throughout the movie over how ridiculously bad it was, even for a martial arts movie. Sigh.

1/5 stars
IMDB

Lilja 4-ever by Lukas Moodysson (2002, Sweden / Denmark)

Prostitution, drugs, suicide, and the seedy Russian/Swedish underworld. This movie was superbly shot on a presumably low budget, and the depressing tones it brings forth was real. I really admired the camerawork, but I didn't really favor the dreamy scenes, for some reason. It just felt really awkward for such a depressing movie. The morbid humor in some of the scenes were nice, but I didn't know whether to laugh or get sad. Oksana Akinshina as Lilja was just incredible, and cute too. She gave an amazing performance, considering she had to use an interpreter to communicate with the director for this film.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Oliver Twist by Roman Polanski (2005, USA)

This was quite an experience to watch on the big screen. The dark, warm tones really suits the mood and the tone of the film. I thought the pacing was pretty good for the story, and the portrayal of Oliver Twist by Barney Clark was infinitely charming. Ben Kingsley's playing Fagin was close to bringing me to tears near the end. I need to watch more of Polanski's stuff, since I never actually finished watching The Pianist.


3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Public Enemy by Kang Woo-Suk (2002, South Korea)

It's been a while since I watched this, and despite the fact that I always tell myself to really try to blog movies that I watch as soon as realistically possible, I'm just a horibble procastinator. With that said, this movie isn't really memorable or anything, which isn't really saying much, but I thought the acting by the two main leads was decent, maybe even a little over-the-top, but I think that's acceptable when it comes to Korean dramas.

3/5 stars
IMDB

The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior by Kevin Dunn (2005, USA)

A painfully biased documentary is a bad documentary.

1/5 stars
IMDB

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish by Isshin Inudou (2003, Japan)

Tragic romance. A relationship doomed from the start. However that didn't take away even the slightest bit of the sweet, sweet moments these two characters shared. It just makes the ending that much more painful. I really appreciate the issues this movie attempts to bring forward, and the realisticly subtle approach it used. One of the best pitifully romantic movies I've seen that avoided cliches.

4/5 stars
IMDB

Sympathy for Lady Vengeace by Park Chan-wook (2005, South Korea)

Quite possibly my favourite of Park's revenge trilogy, what with it's surrealist and metaphorical elements. The cinematography and score is excellent as usual, but the larger cast and the hilariously ironic third act really works it way well into the film. This really needs a few more viewings. The inclusion of all the cameos was pretty nice too.

4/5 stars
IMDB