A friend sent me this on Facebook, and it got me thinking. April Story (1998, Japan), written/dir. by Iwai Shunji. Cinematography by Shinoda Noboru. Starring Matsu Takako. The most perfect arthouse film ever made, in my humble opinion. There is nothing that could be added to or subtracted from this film to improve it inContinue reading “3 Films, 1 Date”
Tag Archives: cinema
Honorable Mentions for Other Top Films of 2010-2019
So I realized there were loads of films that had not made my original list and I wanted to do them justice. Some of the films I didn’t include because I wanted to promote other works that I considered absolute favorites, others I felt were very good but overhyped, and still others I hadn’t seenContinue reading “Honorable Mentions for Other Top Films of 2010-2019”
1987: When the Day Comes (2017)
The Gwangju Uprising occurred on 18 May 1980 and was a focal point of Korea’s democratization; A Taxi Driver was set during that day. 1987: When the Day Comes takes place during the lead up to the June Struggle, which lasted from 10 June 1987 to 29 June 1987, and resulted in the end ofContinue reading “1987: When the Day Comes (2017)”
A Taxi Driver (2017)
Based on the true story of an unknown taxi driver who drove ARD reporter Jürgen Hinzpeter into Gwangju so that he could cover the Gwangju Uprising in 1980, A Taxi Driver is a historical drama about the nobility of sacrifice and our shared humanity. So, this Korean film A Taxi Driver. I have a lotContinue reading “A Taxi Driver (2017)”
An Elephant Sitting Still (2018)
This review contains spoilers and references to suicide.Photos courtesy of US distributor KimStim. It is impossible to talk about An Elephant Sitting Still without discussing the subsequent suicide of its writer/director, Hu Bo, at age 29. His first and last feature-length film, An Elephant Sitting Still represents a remarkable artistic achievement and an overwhelming tragicContinue reading “An Elephant Sitting Still (2018)”
Top 100 Films of 2010-2019
Still the Water, dir. by Kawase Naomi (2014, Japan) Ten Years, dir. by Kwok Zune, Wong Fei Pang, Jevons Au, Chow Kwun Wai, Ng Ka Leung (2015, Hong Kong) Capernaum, dir. by Nadine Labaki (2018, Lebanon) Mysteries of Lisbon, dir. by Raúl Ruiz (2010, Portugal) The Great Buddha+, dir. by Huang Hsin Yao (2017, Taiwan)Continue reading “Top 100 Films of 2010-2019”
Diamantino (2019)
This review contains slight spoilers. [When big-hearted but dimwitted Portuguese soccer hunk Diamantino blows it in the World Cup finals, he goes from superstar to laughing stock overnight. His sheltered worldview is further shattered after learning about the European refugee crisis and he resolves to make amends by adopting an African refugee – only toContinue reading “Diamantino (2019)”
Nuevo Cinema Paraíso
You see, what had happened was… a couple months ago I was told once again by a superior that I should “monetize” my love of film and branch out towards greater things. Move onto greener pastures, as it were. How green was my pasture that day, too, green and bright in the sun. Well, IContinue reading “Nuevo Cinema Paraíso”