Michael Hui Michael Hui Capsule Reviews Games Gamblers Play (1974) — January 7, 2014 Less episodic than some of the Huis’ later films, it follows a mostly conventional plot structure about gamblers trying to make it big. Neat twist with Sam being terrible while Michael is actually a pretty good guy. The Private Eyes (1976) — December 5,
Fallen Angels Michael Hui Reviews [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/tag/michael-hui/]: The Contract [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/the-contract-michael-hui-1978/] (Michael Hui, 1978) — June 5, 2017 Capsule Reviews [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/michael-hui-capsule-reviews/]: Games Gamblers Play (Michael Hui, 1974)— January 7, 2014 The Private Eyes (Michael Hui, 1976) — December 5, 2013 Security Unlimited (Michael Hui, 1978)
Stanley Kwan Stanley Kwan Capsule Reviews Women (1985) — March 11, 2018 Stanley Kwan’s first film starts with Cora Miao abruptly telling Chow Yun-fat she wants a divorce. Seems he’s been cheating on her, with Cherie Chung no less, and she’s had enough. She takes their son and moves in with her mom while
Fallen Angels Stanley Kwan Capsule Reviews [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/stanley-kwan-capsule-reviews/] : Women (1985)— March 11, 2018 Love Unto Waste (1986) — March 25, 2018 Rouge (1988)— August 20, 2013 Full Moon in New York (1989) – May 17, 2018 Centre Stage (1991)— May 1, 2015 Podcast: Centre Stage [http://thegeorgesandersshow.blogspot.com/2015/05/episode-59-clouds-of-sils-maria-and.html]
Sono Sion Sono Sion Capsule Reviews Tokyo Tribe (2014) — February 20, 2015 I’d love to see this play on a double bill somewhere with The Midnight After. I would totally show this movie to a class to explain the society and culture of early Anglo-Saxon Britain. Somewhat related: no one wants me teaching their history
Devils on the Doorstep Sono Sion Reviews [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/tag/sono-sion/]: Bicycle Sighs [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/bicycle-sighs-sono-sion-1990/] (1990) —August 8, 2016 Suicide Club [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/suicide-club-sono-sion-2001/] (2001) — August 15, 2016 Love Exposure [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/love-exposure-sono-sion-2008/] (2008) — August 22, 2016 Capsule Reviews [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/sono-sion-capsule-reviews/]: Tokyo Tribe (2014)
Crippled Avengers Chung Mong-hong Capsule Reviews The Fourth Portrait (2010) — October 6, 2010 This Taiwanese film is about a precocious young boy named Xiang whose father dies, sending him first into the helpful hands of the school janitor, and then back to his mom, a prostitute (naturally) and step-father (who’s pretty much pure evil). Director
Fallen Angels Fei Mu Song of China (Fei Mu & Luo Mingyou, 1935) – March 3, 2017 There’s a lot of really interesting background on this film, its production, and eventual release in the US at The Chinese Mirror [https://web.archive.org/web/20101231195539/http://www.chinesemirror.com:80/index/2010/09/1935-fei-mu-lianhua-and-song-of-china.
Stephen Chow Stephen Chow Capsule Reviews Final Justice (1988) — December 19, 2013 Stephen Chow, in his breakthrough film role (he won the Best Supporting Actor Golden Horse award) is introduced as a young car thief who wears a denim jacket with the word “FUCK” spelled out in rainbow colored stickers across the back. Apparently this is
Fallen Angels Stephen Chow Reviews [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/tag/stephen-chow/]: A Chinese Odyssey [https://mubi.com/notebook/posts/the-wacky-existentialism-of-jeffrey-lau-s-a-chinese-odyssey] (Jeffrey Lau, 1995) — August 12, 2019 Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/journey-to-the-west-conquering-the-demons-stephen-chow-derek-kwok-2013/] (Stephen Chow & Derek Kwok, 2013) — April 3, 2014 The Mermaid [https://mubi.com/notebook/posts/
Kurosawa Kiyoshi Before We Vanish (Kurosawa Kiyoshi, 2017) The latest film from one of the most interesting directors in the world right now is playing at the Grand Illusion for week starting this Friday. Kurosawa Kiyoshi, director of such key Japanese horror films as Pulse and Cure, as well as award-winning dramas like Tokyo Sonata, was last seen
Soi Cheang The Monkey King 3 (Soi Cheang, 2018) The latest in director Soi Cheang’s saga inspired by the classic novel Journey to the West might be the strangest one yet. The franchise blockbuster has always been a weird fit for the former director of indie horror movies and slick crime dramas, and Cheang’s first Monkey King
Mabel Cheung & Alex Law Mabel Cheung & Alex Law Capsule Reviews An Autumn’s Tale (1987) — December 3, 2013 A romance without a single kiss. Great performances from its stars (Chow Yun-fat and Cherie Chung, never grungier and never cuter, respectively), great use of New York locations (I love how the pre-Giuliani city gradually turns from post-apocalyptic to quirky as immigrant
Fallen Angels Mabel Cheung & Alex Law Reviews [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/tag/mabel-cheung-alex-law/]: The Illegal Immigrant [https://mubi.com/notebook/posts/the-shaw-brothers-sisters-filmmakers-at-a-fallen-studio] (Mabel Cheung, 1985) — August 23, 2019 Painted Faces [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/painted-faces-alex-law-1988/] (Alex Law, 1988) —August 2, 2014 Capsule Reviews [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/mabel-cheung-alex-law-capsule-reviews/]: An Autumn’s Tale (Mabel Cheung, 1987)— December
Fallen Angels Peter Chan Reviews [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/tag/peter-chan/]: He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Father [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/he-aint-heavy-hes-my-father-peter-chan-1993/] (1993) — July 29, 2014 Comrades, Almost a Love Story [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/comrades-almost-a-love-story-peter-chan-1996/] (1996) — January 1, 2014 Wuxia [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/wuxia-peter-chan-2011/] (2011) — April 25, 2014 Capsule Reviews
Soi Cheang Soi Cheang Capsule Reviews New Blood (2002) — July 21, 2020 Extremely spooky low-budget ghost story about one half of a double suicide haunting the three people who donated blood and thus saved the life of the other half. Like an extremely fucked up remix of Rouge. Aside from the obvious craft, this may be
Fallen Angels Soi Cheang Reviews: Accident (2009) — July 29, 2014 The Monkey King 3 (2018) — February 18, 2018 The Monkey King 3 (2018) – February 28, 2018 Limbo (2021) — October 12, 2021 Mad Fate (2023) – July 18, 2023 Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024) – August 8, 2024 Capsule Reviews: New Blood (2002) — July 21,
Peter Chan Peter Chan Capsule Reviews Perhaps Love (2005) — May 6, 2014 Kaneshiro Takeshi goes to China to make a movie for Jacky Cheung. It’s a musical and co-stars Zhou Xun, the story of the film being that she and Kaneshiro had been in love, but now she has amnesia and has forgotten him and
Apichatpong Weerasethakul Apichatpong Weerasethakul Capsule Reviews Blissfully Yours (2002) — March 9, 2016 The first time I saw this, I was swept away by the languid happiness of the young lovers, the delicate rhythm of the 21st century A Day in the Country, where a single afternoon of happiness can define a lifetime. This time, I was
Devils on the Doorstep Apichatpong Weerasethakul Capsule Reviews [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/apichatpong-weerasethakul-capsule-reviews/]: Blissfully Yours (2002)— March 9, 2016 Tropical Malady (2004)— March 11, 2016 Syndromes and a Century (2006) — March 12, 2016 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) — December 11, 2019 Mekong Hotel (2012)— October 2, 2012 Cemetery of Splendour (2015) — January
Sylvia Chang Sylvia Chang Capsule Reviews Passion (1986) — May 11, 2018 When George Lam’s mustache is so sexy that even a lifetime of friendship can’t keep Sylvia Chang and Cora Miao from both falling in love with him. Sisters of the World Unite (1991) — May 11, 2018 Very pleasant Lunar New Year style movie
Good Men, Good Women Feng Xiaogang Reviews: I Am Not Madame Bovary [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/i-am-not-madame-bovary-feng-xiaogang-2016/] (2016) — November 17, 2016 Youth [https://mubi.com/notebook/posts/contemporary-chinese-cinema-the-thousand-faces-of-dunjia-and-youth] (2017) — January 9, 2018 Only Cloud Knows [https://mubi.com/notebook/posts/contemporary-chinese-cinema-ip-man-4-and-only-cloud-knows] (2019) — December 27, 2019 Capsule Reviews [https://www.thechinesecinema.com/feng-xiaogang-capsule-reviews/]: The
Benny Chan Benny Chan Capsule Reviews A Moment of Romance (1990) — February 22, 2016 Nobody pops the collar of their denim jacket quite like Andy Lau. As Tears Go By told in the style of the last five minutes of All About Ah-long. Directed by Benny Chan, produced by Johnnie To, Ringo Lam, and Wong Jing
Good Men, Good Women Benny Chan Reviews: Gen-X Cops (1999) – September 23, 2023 Gen-Y Cops (1999) – September 23, 2023 Meow (2017) — July 22, 2017 Raging Fire (2021) — August 11, 2021 Capsule Reviews: A Moment of Romance (1990) — February 22, 2016 A Moment of Romance II (1993) – April 24, 2023 Big Bullet (1996) — April 14 , 2016 Heroic
Jiang Wen Jiang Wen Capsule Reviews In the Heat of the Sun (1994) — December 15, 2017 Somewhat autobiographical story of coming of age during the 1970s from Jiang Wen, based on Wang Shuo’s novel Wild Beast. It’s some kind of a middle ground between a couple of Edward Yang films: the textures of teenage
