Random Places

First Impression: I was suppose to watch this in German 101 last year, but um I kinda skipped that class to do my CPSC homework, so I decided to rent this and watch at home.

Afterthoughts: This is probably one of the lowest budget film ever. The entire movie involves the three possible scenarios that Lola encounters as she runs to rescue her boyfriend. I didn’t really like the soundtrack and the story is a bit predictable, but it’s really fun to find out all the different outcomes that happen to all the people she meets during her trek. And wow she ran pretty far in 20min time too. This movie reminded me of the X-Files episode 6-04 “Monday”, where Mulder and Scully kept getting killed until they figured out how to stop the chain of event from starting again.

First Impression: Another war movie? When will my Dad stop watching them…

Afterthoughts: The movie was quite refreshing, maybe because without the usual American patriotism in it, it felt more real than most war movies. Tae Guk Gi is about two brothers that got drafted into the Korean War. At first, the older of the two gambled his life in order to send the younger one out of battlefield. But as the war dragged on for ever, the older brother lost himself in the glory of the fight. It’s a simple movie about brotherhood and the horror of war, but when you think about it later on, it actually feels like a big setup…some things happened a little too conveniently, scenes designed to induce tears, but still, better than your usual cup of tea.

First Impression: I’d watched this when I was very little, but my dad, for some odd reason, thought I have never seen this before, so we watched it again.

Afterthoughts: This is one of the most classic animation films by Miyazaki (who wrote Spirited Away). I even have a Totoro alarm clock that plays the theme song, which is actually quite annoying in the morning so I don’t use it anymore. (It also takes 4 frakking AA batteries) If you liked Spirited Away, this is another movie you can’t miss. Disney should learn from Miyazaki on how to write a kid movie that don’t suck.

First Impression: Random aisle pick.

Afterthoughts: I didn’t have much expectation for this film, but it turned out to be quite good. This movie is in French, if I remember correctly, and one of the actors is the famous Jean Reno (from The Professional). The movie is about a murder investigation at a private school. I don’t remember much from the plot, but I was quite impressed by the directing style of Mathieu Kassovitz (Amelie, Munich). I think that in itself should warrant this movie a look.

First Impression: An Oscar for best foreign film? I need to see this.

Afterthoughts: Is it just me? It seems that more Caucasians enjoy this movie more than the Chinese themselves. If this same movie plot line was set in a Western world with English dialogue, I’m guessing this wouldn’t even deserve a second glance from the critics besides the all too artsy visualization. The plot is simple and unengaging, the kung-fu actions bogged down by heavy special effects and CGI. The formula, Chinese kung-fu romantic art film, is so commonly used to gain the Chinese an entry into the foreign film category it’s not even funny. If you like this movie, I recommend Hero, which uses the same formula, but much more satisfying and enjoyable with less romance.