2021/08/30 |
The Unexplored Existential Angst of ‘Night Drive’
Between the trendy conceits of time travel and taxi drivers taken hostage, ‘Night Drive’ is an original and weird tale.
2021/07/06 |
‘Longing for the Rain’ Makes You Long for a Shorter Film
Shot in Beijing and Changchun, Longing for the Rain’s explicit treatment of female desire clearly distinguishes it as a Hong Kong film.
2021/06/16 |
‘River of Exploding Durians’ Makes a Virtue of a Small Budget
On the surface a critique of Malaysian political corruption and societal acquiescence — and it still is that — ‘River of Exploding Durians’ is grounded in one young man’s devastation at losing everyone he cares about.
2021/05/03 |
‘Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet’ A Solid Entry in a Stellar Series
‘Scarlet Bullet’ is the latest in the Detective Conan crime manga film series. Its action, humor, and formulaic plot are the main draws.
2021/03/26 |
‘Our Story’ and the Possibilities of Literature
The manga-influenced ‘Our Story’ has the charms of a coming of age story, but also contemplates the power of literature.
2021/02/20 |
‘Recipe for Happiness’ Shows How Muddling Through Life Can Keep Us Sane
Following the everyday life of openly unambitious and mediocre civil servant Namgoong Jin-Soo, 'Recipe for Happiness' captures what it’s like to be a young adult in the age of precarious neoliberal ecotastrophe.
2021/01/07 |
In the Age of Digital Streaming, Will Literature Survive?
How to learn to stop worrying and love the literature of our new streaming-centric life.
2020/11/12 |
‘Memories to Choke On, Drinks to Wash Them Down’ Is a Minor Gem
'Memories, Drinks' shows how Hong Kong's turbulent history is still very much with us.
2020/09/01 |
‘Tenet’ Gives You Seven Heist Films for the Price of One
After the multi-paced reverse-heist of Inception, Nolan has upped the ante by folding time back on itself to create seven heists — count them with me: opera house, penthouse, warehouse, convoy, convoy again, warehouse again, pit.
2020/08/14 |
2020 Is Wild. 'Bacurau' Is Wilder.
'Bacurau' starts with a truckload of coffins spilled across the road and ends with a burial. It's a wild tale well told.
2020/07/17 |
Tsai Ming-liang's 'Days': A Diary of Connection and Loneliness
Tsai Ming-liang's new film 'Days' makes us nostalgic for a time when loneliness and alienation had a romantic tinge.
2020/06/02 |
Bong Joon Ho’s 'Memories of Murder' Is a Film for Our Moment
Bong Joon-ho's 'Memories of Murder' will be rereleased in Taiwan on June 12. It couldn't have arrived at a more fitting time.
2019/12/24 |
'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' Defies the Male Gaze in Cinema
"Portrait of a Lady on Fire," which won Best Screenplay at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, is a passionate film that explores the female gaze and female desire with various art forms.
2019/11/15 |
'The Gangs, the Oscars, and the Walking Dead' Runs on Queerphobic Jokes
Perhaps "The Gangs, the Oscars, and the Walking Dead" shouldn't have been produced in the first place.
2019/10/16 |
‘Queering Voices’ Shorts Highlight Variety in Gender Experience
As Taiwan celebrates same-sex marriage legalization this year, the 2019 Women Make Waves Film Festival continues to voice the LGBT community’s concerns through its ‘Queering Voices’ series.
2019/10/03 |
‘Romantic Comedy’ Makes a Case for Higher Quality Rom-Coms
The 2019 Women Make Waves Film Festival takes place from 10/4 to 10/13 at SPOT Huashan Cinema in Taipei. This review is based on a complimentary media screener.
2019/10/02 |
'Vai' Explores a Pacific Islander Woman’s Life to Yield Multifaceted Rewards
The 2019 Women Make Waves film festival takes place from 10/4 to 10/13 at SPOT Huashan Cinema in Taipei. This review is based on a complimentary media screener.
2019/08/20 |
FILM REVIEW: 'The Blond One' Crafts a Fleshed-Out Romance With Subtle Moments
The 2019 Taiwan International Queer Film Festival runs from 8/15 to 8/25 in Taipei and from 8/28 to 9/8 in Kaohsiung. This film review is based on a complimentary media screening.