a blog about a lot of things

Have a Nice Day (Hao Ji Le) Some of the best movies are the ones that feel familiar while telling new stories. Goodfellas is thoroughly distinct from any other mafia film but by including familiar themes about “made men”, it allows us to approach the film from a feeling of familiarity. Revionist Westerns also set new interpretations of stories within a familiar setting. And, of course, it’s even possible to take a fairly similar story and place it within an entirely new landscape (such as Avatar). Have a Nice Day is one of those films that seem as though you’ve seen it before and also, remains like nothing you’ve ever seen before. With a storyline that seems to have been heavily influenced by Tarantino ( Reservoir Dogs, in particular) and an animated style that brings to mind Waltz with Bashir, this is a movie that certainly springs out of familiar territory. But influences are only tangential, and the final product is wholly original. It’s a film set in a bleak ind...

So, I've been watching lots more movies than usual lately (which, is quite an achievement cause I love movies) due to a combination of finishing postgrad, being unemployed and breaking my foot (which has me very immobile for the next 5 weeks). So I made a list, as I usually do. Other than the top 5 the rankings are quite fluid and all the films are quite good. (Disclaimer: I haven't seen  Nebraska   which is why it's not on the list.) 11. Frances Ha - USA- English. Directed by Noah Baumbach. If you watch Girls  then this film will remind you a lot of that series. It'll also remind you of Manhattan from Woody Allen, but younger people and also 40 years later. But there's that same sense of drifting yet drifting energetically. I like films about nothing at all so I'm biased but really this film is impossible without Greta Gerwig being quite likeable as Francis. It's less of a plot that just vignettes of aimless life in New York and so, of course, is ste...

Picked from directors who are Asian or film mostly in Asia. In the languages of the country that they're filming in. Or Asian languages. So if Clint Eastwood had decided to film all future movies like letters From Iwo Jima he'd be here. To qualify I'm making it that the director has to release an excellent film (in my opinion) during the 21st century and I need to be able to find at least 3 excellent reference films 21. Wang Xiaoshuai -China Directing Timespan : 1993- present Reference Films: Beijing Bicycle (2001); Shanghai Dreams (2005); The Days (1993) 20. Lee Chang-Dong - South Korea Directing Timespan : 1997-present Reference Films: Poetry (2010); Oasis (2002); Peppermint Candy (1999) 19. Kim Ki-duk - South Korea Directing Timespan : 1996-present Reference Films: Spring,Summer,Fall,Winter...and Spring (2003); The Bow (2005); Birdcage Inn (1998); 18. Johnnie To - Hong Kong Directing Timespan : 1990-present Reference Films: Life Without Principle (2011); Mad Detective ...