Asian

Daesu Oh is a drunk and a philanderer, but otherwise a fairly typical husband and father. That is until one day he is kidnapped and imprisoned in a cell for 15 years with only a TV set for company and no word of explanation. One day he wakes up on the outside with only a wallet and a phone, and he sets out on a single-minded quest to find out why he was imprisoned and extract bloody vengeance on those responsible. The second part of the Vengeance Trilogy by Chan-wook Park, Oldboy is a bizarre and brilliant film. It constantly wrong foots you and messes with your perceptions, and contains the kind of revelation that makes the kind of so-called plot "twists" of most films look gimmicky and inane. This is the kind of film that blows you away and makes you realise you've been watching the WHOLE THING from the wrong standpoint. As for Min-sik Choi's performance, astonishing is the only word for it...the way such intense emotions and motivations are constantly shifting without ever feeling contrived or forced is just spellbinding. It combines art and extreme violence in a way that reminded me of A Clockwork Orange, but BETTER. It's also stylistically on the same level as Fight Club and is absolutely riveting from beginning to end. A totally flawless modern masterpiece.

Toshiro Mifune plays a wandering samurai who chances upon a small town in which two rival gangs are squabbling for control and decides to manipulate them into killing each other off. Possibly the greatest director in cinema collaborating once more with one of the greatest actors on a script filled with nuance and timeless photography. Mifune's performance is filled with subtlety and charisma as his initial disdain of these big fish in a small pond turns to brutal retribution after his suffering a vicious beating at their hands when he makes the mistake of becoming personally involved. Kurosawa's sense of period and atmosphere is second to none, and his trademark use of composition is breathtaking. Often copied, never bettered.

A rural village in feudal Japan decides to fight back against the bandits who have been raiding them by hiring samurai from a nearby town. One of the many remarkable things about Akira Kurosawa's astonishing historical epic is the fact that at nearly 3 and a half hours it never drags for a single second of it's length. Not one bit. That fact alone is testament to Kurosawa's incredible skill as both writer and director. The balance of artful visuals and narrative is perfect, and every character is fascinating and perfectly played, especially Toshiro Mifune's gleeful and almost feral glory hound and Takashi Shimura's good hearted but wily Ronin. And if, like me, you still wanted more after it's not inconsiderable running time, it's Hollywood remake, The Magnificent Seven is a damn fine film in it's own right. One of the pinnacles of world cinema.

Akira Kurasawa can even do Shakespeare better than we can! Incredible.

The epitome of ultra-violent chic. John Woo at his very best

Action films cannot often be described as beautiful, but this forerunner to the nouveau martial arts flicks by the likes of Zhang Yimou and Ang Lee is a joy to behold, and has some of the best fight sequences I have ever seen. An unusual mix of breathless action and stunning visuals by Johnny To.

Film making at it's most breath taking. Visually stunning, and possibly even better than Hero

Possibly the most beautiful looking film ever made. The fact that QT had to put his name on it to make the great unwashed watch it sums up all that's wrong in the (movie) world

I thought I was too old and cynical to be scared by a movie any more. I was wrong...It sent shivers down my spine in a way that hasn't happened since I was a child!

Fearless is based on the life of Huo Yuanjia, a martial artist who became the figurehead of Chinese national pride at the turn of the century. The format is all very familiar; a famous fighter becomes drunk on his own success until his arrogance results in tragedy leading to his downfall. He learns what is important in life and overcomes adversity to fight a final battle to restore the pride of his country. Yes, Rocky, The Karate Kid and a hundred others have followed this formula, but the fact that this is in fact based on a true story gives it much greater credibility. I would also have to say that, although I may be biased, the way the Chinese approach the subject matter is something akin to comparing a piece of artful, moving poetry to Hollywood's ham-fisted and tacky greetings card rhyme. Full of the kind of beautiful imagery you'd expect from a nouveau martial arts film, and typical of the kind of superb action sequences you'd expect from Jet Li and Yuen Wo Ping (fight choreographer for The Matrix amongst others) it's yet another example of Asian cinema at it's finest.

A disparate collection of travellers, including soldiers, diplomats, and refugees are thrown together in 14th century china, pursued by the mongol army. Known as The Warrior in the UK, this historical epic inevitably draws comparison to Hero and House of Flying Daggers, but actually is more in the tradition of Kurosawa than those more fantasy based offerings. It's a beautifully crafted historical adventure with just the right balance of heroism and believability, with beautifully shot locations and grippingly realistic battle sequences. Bichunmoo walked the walk but didn't quite have the edge to mix it with the big boys, but this is in a different league. Another reason why I think Korea is making the most exciting cinema in the world at the moment.

Takeshi Kitano routinely steals the show in a magnificently tasteless japanese satire that pits heavily armed problem teens against each other on a deserted island. The logical conclusion of reality TV!

A pair of bickering escaped slaves stumble upon the mountain hideout of a defeated general and his princess who are being hunted by the occupying army. They decide to join forces (with the added incentive of a horde of royal gold) to reach friendly territory. Widely acknowledged as the inspiration for Star Wars, it has also influenced a huge number of other stories including TV show Monkey, Hero and everything in between. The imagery is as gorgeous as you'd expect from Kurosawa, the characters brilliantly written and the performances all perfect, from Toshiro Mifune's commanding general, to the striking Misa Uehara as the noble but fiery princess. The two greedy and bad tempered slaves provide the comic relief, and it has everything you could possibly want from an adventure; laughs, action, excitement and heroism. Yet another masterpiece from a true genius.

Template for QT's Reservoir Dogs, this is HK crime drama at it's finest

Classic martial arts fantasy that never fails to entertain for a single second

Woo ditches the cheese that tainted the original and concentrates on the most intense action you are likely to see. Probably the highest body count too!

A TV executive decides to remarry 7 years after the death of his first wife, and sets up a fake film audition to look for suitable candidates. This stunningly clever psychological horror leads your perceptions up the garden path and then cheerfully garrotes them with cheesewire; the first half of the film could easily be mistaken for a breezy mainstream romance, but once Aoyama begins to look into his potential fiancee's past the tone darkens into a horrific blend of reality, fantasy and nightmare. Miike takes a familiar formula, this time the scorned woman-turns stalker idea and turns it on it's head; not only does he fail to follow the usual expectations of the genre, he actually uses them against you. The use of colour, and particularly sound is stunning, and the way he transforms the viewer from voyeur to participant by placing you in Asami's interview chair, and later making you the victim of her gleefully child-like torture is deeply unsettling. It won't be to everyone's taste, but fans of stalker/serial killer movies or J-horror shouldn't miss it.

Beautiful nouveau martial arts film that spawned a host of imitators. More of an epic love story than an action movie.

A wandering blind masseur with unsurpassed skills as a swordsman finds himself allied with a quirky collection of misfits against a ruthless criminal gang, including a brother and sister impersonating a pair of geishas and an unlucky would-be gambler. I'm a big fan of Beat Takeshi, and I love samurai movies so I was never going to dislike this film. It's my first non-gangster piece from him and I have to say, it's got to be my favourite; the great cast of likeable oddballs feel like real people rather than resorting to the kind of contrived wackiness of many indie style films, and it has a mix of ingredients such as a wide streak of gentle humour and even a musical tap number(!) that just don't sound like they'd fit in with a samurai film, but somehow it works! The explosions of artful violence are beautifully done, with an inventive use of CGI to represent the gushing blood that looks like splashes of vibrant red paint against the subdued tones of Beat Takeshi's cinematic canvas. An inventive and beautiful looking samurai film that is a worthy successor to the heritage of Akira Kurosawa.

Stunning gangster drama that proves you don't need constant bloodshed to make an impact. Beat Takeshi is superb as both actor and director, and the ending is deeply affecting. Wonderful soundtrack too

The final part of Chan-wook Park's vengeance trilogy sees an angelic looking young woman imprisoned for the kidnap and murder of a young child. Upon her release from prison 13 years later, her plan for vengeance on the real killer is set in motion. The core of the film is the duality of Yeong-ae Lee's role; her angelic appearance belying her ruthless and single-minded pursuit of her goal, and her quest for vengeance tempered by her feelings guilt about her part in the boy's death. It's not as bleak as Oldboy and does not have it's complex relationships and twists and turns in plot. The characters find some form of redemption by it's end, although the psychology of revenge is examined; do two wrongs make a right? Min-sik Choi's child killer is completely without redeeming qualities, but it is still uncomfortable seeing his suffering at the hands of the people he has wronged even though they are acting on the part of justice rather than cruelty. Visually, it's stunning. Chan-wook Park's eye for composition is wonderful, and combined with a beautiful use of colour, location, costume and set design it truly is breath taking to look at. The title sequence and even end credits are gorgeously designed; add to this a lovely baroque soundtrack and the product is something akin to an cinematic work of art.

Crikey. I'd already seen Oldboy and Audition, but nothing could've prepared me for THIS! A severely emotionally disturbed young man is manipulated into expressing his impotence and repressed rage by butchering various gangland targets in a live action manga piece that takes the japanese fascination with amputation and mutilation to the ultimate extreme. It certainly won't be to everyone's taste (particularly if you have a weak stomach!) and much of the plot is not satisfactorily explained, but it's an unforgettably visceral experience.

Three travelers shelter from the rain at abandoned Rashomon gate and tell the tale of a murder trial they have just witnessed. Akira Kurosawa's stunningly clever script is years ahead of it's time, tackling subjects as diverse and profound as the nature of truth, self image, gender politics, psychology and the "butterfly effect" (four decades before chaos theory became accepted). As the same story is told from four different perspectives, it becomes obvious how a story can never be entirely objective; even the "impartial" witness has a hidden agenda when recounting what actually happened. As such it can be seen as a direct influence on the likes of Jackie Brown, Memento and The Usual Suspects and everything in between. The performances are all great as each retelling of the story gives each character a slightly different personality, especially Toshiro Mifune's melodramatic and heroic "battle" that bears little resemblance to real events. Kurosawa's fantastic sense of composition is also in evidence as each shot resembles a beautifully framed photograph, although at some points (particularly at the beginning) the visuals can seem a little self-consciously "arty" which gets in the way of the narrative a little. I also found the storyteller's opportunity for redemption at the end a little convenient, but these are comparatively minor points. Another classic from arguably the greatest film maker who ever lived.

A brutal debut by Kitano, who's laconic and corrupt cop makes Dity Harry look like Dudley Doright. Gripping and shocking with a typically nihilistic climax, this movie is almost wrecked by an atrocious & completely inappropriate soundtrack that sounds like something out of a cheap 80s softcore porn movie

The inspiration for The Departed, this is one of the seminal Asian crime dramas of the last few years. Well, ever, in fact. My main problem with it is that I REALLY wish I'd seen it first. The difference between this and The Departed highlights the difference between HK and US movie-making in general; The Departed was full of colourful language, brutal violence and macho posturing, while this is a far more sophisticated and understated affair. Unfortunately this means it is far more reliant on the twists and turns of the very cleverly written plot, and so anyone who has seen The Departed already will know what's going to happen in advance. If viewed the other way round, one can still enjoy Scorsese's reinterpretation of events, and his characterful embellishments. It is a stunning piece of film-making, but I would seriously suggest to anyone who has seen neither to go for this one first.

The best of the Police Story movies, and possibly my favourite Jackie Chan. A bit grittier and less humourous than the others, with some truly spectacular stunts. And the magnificent Michelle Yeoh.

The combination of hi-energy martial arts and slapstick humour in this movie reminded me of a live action loony tunes cartioon! Great fun!

Akira Kurosawa's eye for wonderful visuals comes to the fore once again in this stunning adaptation of Macbeth, which lends itself toa relocation to feudal Japan perfectly. I particularly liked the way he merged some wonderfully atmospheric camera techniques with it's still highly theatrical feel. Toshiro Mifune gives an incredibly intense performance as the general destroyed by his ambition, the subdued scenes between he and his manipulative wife are particularly memorable. And what an ending. Unfortunately I can't comment on the dialogue, as this was yet another example of a DVD company's insistence on hiring a translator who can't actually speak English. "The hand of the spider bush is moving to the city" indeed...

A samurai sick of war takes in a group of orphans and trains them to be assassins with the sole purpose in life of killing the warlords responsible for the constant bloodshed. Based on a comic book and directed in a very anime style, this film has more in common with a superhero movie than a samurai epic, and contains the associated melodrama and lack of moral ambiguity; it's all about the good guys kicking bad guy ass. And very stylishly they do it too. Ryuhei Kitamura stamps his usual slick visuals onto the action, and although he cannot resist overcooking them from time to time, the set pieces are very well staged. The fight sequences get ever more impressive as they go, the highlight for me being the scene in which we finally get to see Azumi's master in action. Hardly the height of depth and sophistication, but this movie is perfectly paced and never drags during it's highly entertaining two hour length.

The usual criticisms you can make of John Woo still stand, ie cheeseball moralization and 2 dimensional characters, but that's hardly the point. Beautiful to look at, stylish and thrilling.

Another extremely stylish HK gangster film, but like From Dusk Til Dawn is similarly schizophrenic! The opening and end sections are in the vein of Hard Boiled or The Killer (the stronger sections of the film), but the middle is best described as Rain Man done by Jackie Chan! Odd but still a solid piece of entertainment

When street violence spirals out of control, a police unit attempts to cope with the situation and track down a hired killer who proves rather more resourceful than the double-crossing contractor who sells him out had counted on. One Night In Mongkok centres around the criminal underbelly of a district in one of the most densely populated areas of Hong Kong. It involves a dash of social commentary in its portrayal of how rural Chinese flock to the bright lights of Hong Kong to escape poverty only to become treated as a disposable commodity by the ruthless criminals who rule there. Its approach will be familiar to any who have seen the likes of Infernal Affairs or City Of God, falling somewhere between the two in plot and execution. The direction is just the right combination of gritty realism and style and the cast are all strong. The usual combination of brutal violence and grey morality all round won't win any awards for originality, but to anyone who enjoys this type of film, it's a fine example.