Johnnie To is an admirer of French crime film director Jean-Pierre Melville, and one of his long-awaited projects is a remake of Melville’s THE RED CIRCLE, an ultra-spare, ultra-stylized heist film from 1970. Although the project is now said to be delayed, you can get an idea of what he’s going to be doing with the current FRENCH CRIME WAVE series running at Film Forum, and soon to come to an end.

The most Johnnie To-esque movies still to come are the August 28 double feature of UN FLIC & SICILIAN CLAN. UN FLIC is Melville’s last completed movie, a heist film that feels like Johnnie To at his best, only everyone’s speaking French. And THE SICILIAN CLAN is an ultra-violent thriller that’s barely available on home video.

Also, don’t miss Henri-Georges Clouzot’s QUAI DES ORFEVRES. Clouzot is better know for directing DIABOLIQUE but QUAI is a better movie by far. A double-crossing, back-stabbing, love you/hate you, quasi-lesbionic, cuckold crazy, murder mystery it’s also, of all things, a Christmas movie. Sort of like a poisonous little antidote to IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

(Read more)

(Showtimes and schedule)

Comments (0) Aug 27 2008

Welcome to Subway Cinema News, your weekly guide to Asian movie events in New York City.

NOW PLAYING

At the ImaginAsian, Siddarth Haseeno’s BACHNA AE HASEENO is the latest Bollywood flick from those fine purveyors of family entertainment, Yash Raj. It’s the story of Raj, a heart throb who’s chasing the skirts from the age of 18 to 30, falling for three different women. The reviews are mixed. You can read a good one here and a bad one here.

Also playing at the ImaginAsian is MUMBAI MERI JAN a sort of Indian version of CRASH about five characters’ intersecting lives in the run-up to, and aftermath of, the Mumbai Train Bombings of 2006. The characters differ in every way possible but all experience a dramatic shift in their lives after the tragedy. Kamath’s debut Hindi film is getting great review for the most part.

(read a review)

(Showtimes and more info)

Although it’s being reported in some places as playing at the Angelica, Takashi Miike’s SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO starts an exclusive engagement at the Landmark Sunshine on August 29. All we have to say is: Quentin Tarantino + Takashi Miike + Spaghetti Western = Eyeball Explosion.

(Read more)

(Official Website with links to tickets on sale)

This Friday at the Angelica Film Center, David Kaplan’s YEAR OF THE FISH is a Chinatown Cinderella story that eases in and out of fantasy and reality. Using animation effects to blend magic into the everyday grit of New York City, the film witnesses the innocent life of Ye Xian, a naive girl who comes to the city to earn extra money for her sick father in China. Instead she ends up as a cleaning lady at a Chinatown massage parlor after refusing the sexual exploits of her job as a masseuse. Things seem to turn around when she is given a fish by a hunchback who promises her luck and magic in its presence.

(More info and showtimes)

The New York Korean Film Festival continues until August 31. Complete info is here.

At Film Forum playing September 3 – September 16, Chris Smith’s THE POOL about Venkatesh, a poor kid who works at a high-class hotel in Panjim, Goa and is ever-so-curious about the privileged life of the wealthy. As he interacts with the wealthy owner of a mansion, he gains knowledge about the untouchable world while learning about his own future.

(More info and showtimes)

Finally, John Carpenter’s homage to Hong Kong films of the early 80’s, BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA, is screening at BAM on Monday, September 1 @ 2pm, 4:30pm, 6:50pm & 9:15pm.

(Buy tickets)

Comments (0) Aug 27 2008

Kwon Chil-in’s HELLCATS stalks the life of three women, bound by familial bonds and their inability to fit into traditional female roles. The screenplay is based on the graphic novel 10, 20, and 30 by Kang Mo-Ri. There are three things that a woman needs to avoid: cheating on her lover, developing wrinkles, and showing her true feelings. A-mi(Kim Min-hee), the film’s narrator delineates her observations into clear lists and analogies. She wonders if life and love could be played like sports. We would receive warnings and yellow cards for screwing up and be given clear-cut rules to work with. Ami’s sharp musings keep flowing despite her lack of writing income. Even though Ami’s dramatic outbursts and addictive personality screw up her judgment, her allegiance to honesty has you rooting for her.

Life is not a game of soccer, but societal rules do exist — the binding, unsaid roles that women are forced to play. As the film progresses, it becomes clear that each of the three women cannot squeeze herself into the role that her age and gender dictates. The writer in her late twenties can’t stomach the man who wants to promise her marriage and stability. Young-mi (Lee Mi-sook), a middle-aged single mother, is in command of her career but as her body flirts with symptoms of menopause, she uses her lover as lifeline to youth. The teenage daughter Kang-ae (Ahn So-hee of the Wondergirls) should be playing the field with cute boys her age but is constantly drawn back to the practice kiss that she shared with her best friend.

Director Kwon invites you into the inner lives of these three women while keeping you waiting for their next coping mechanism. He does this from a distanced viewpoint, letting the audience watch the strands of their lives fray and at times erupt. Once in awhile he brings you closer, zooming in on symbolic details: odd and remarkable shots of a slowly shattering bottle of red wine or roses that wilt and fade with a woman’s hope for her youthful libido.

The characters have the same concerns that plague many modern women. As powerful and independent women how do we express our love and fragility to others without losing our sense of independence? The only definite answer offered by the film is the challenge of learning to live without regrets by choosing what feels right even if everyone else says it’s wrong. When forced to lie about her occupation and income in order to travel to America, Ami faces her unwillingness to pretend to be anyone but herself. This epiphany lands her right in front of her computer again with a new resolve to improve her “baby” – the screenplay. The parallel is clear — her lack of focus on her creative work spills over into her personal life just as her dedication to her writing will someday, hopefully, reward her with a winning lover.

There are aspects of each character that I think most people can relate to whether they want to not. We’ve all been in desperate scenarios that serve as a rude wake-up call to our own sorry narratives. Director Kwon Chil-In’s HELLCATS is a funny and unsettling film that leaves you with a sense of buoyant anticipation for the next chapter of each woman’s life. – SYL

(Playing on Thursday, August 28 at Cinema Village)

(Watch the trailer)

Comments (0) Aug 27 2008

Welcome to Subway Cinema News – Asian flavor without the summer monsoons. Newsworthy Asian events in New York City, rounded up and linked with pretty pictures. Every week!

This Week

The New York Korean Film Festival kicks off with an opening reception on August 21 at the New York Times Building, 242 West 41st Street at 6 pm. The reception will include special guests: director Chang Youn-hyun and actor Yoo Ji-tae, the hunky leading male of the movie HWANG JIN-YI that will be screened that evening. It’ll continue from August 22 – 31 at Cinema Village and BAM. There’ll be an Ahn Sung-Ki retro (he’s the most iconic living Korean actor) and a bunch of other stuff.

(More info)

(Cinema Village screenings)

(BAM screenings)

Some of the titles to watch for:

Brother directors, Jeong Sik and Beom-sik’s EPITAPH is spine chilling and visually perfect collection of stories that take place at Ansaeng Hospital. The remains of the hospital are haunted by the tragedy that occurred there during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Dr. Jung Nam visits the site of his former internship and his memories supply the fodder for the interwoven tales to unfold. Despite the confusion that sometimes arises, this film is worth seeing for the technical and visual execution.

Kwon Chil-in’s HELLCATS revolves around the household of three compelling women, each of a different decade. The power of this film lies in its ability to dramatically portray the challenges each woman faces around her sexuality and potency while keeping it grounded in nitty gritty details. Beautifully written and acted without the typical gender stereotypes that one finds in an all female lead film.

Hwang Dong-hyuk’s MY FATHER stars Korean American actor Daniel Henney. An adopted Korean man decides to trace his parental roots when he is stationed in Korea. Shocked to find that his father is in prison and far from the ideal that he imagined. As they find their way together through language and cultural barriers, you become deeply invested in their limited amount of time together. This bold film gave Henney a chance to play a noteworthy character who struggles with racism and identity unlike the pretty boy roles he is usually assigned.

At Anthology Film Archives, Lee Myung-Se’s FIRST LOVE is playing on Thursday, August 21. A drama that espouses the painful virtue of facing reality through the one-sided love a student has for her drama teacher. Her idea of the perfect man burns to the ground while she discovers the truth can set her free or at least wake her up.

(More info)

Coming Thursday, August 22 to ImaginAsian, Siddarth Haseeno’s BACHNA AE HASEENO centered on the hot throb Raj who falls in love three times over. He is the man that friends and family warn you about but are unable to resist. With Cupid is his sidekick, Raj discovers lessons about himself and life through the women that fall prey to his charms. (More info)

Comments (0) Aug 21 2008

HWANG JIN-YI premiers at the New York Korean Film Festival’s opening reception on Thursday, August 21 at the New York Times Building and will be screened again during the festival. Detailed schedule and locations here. 

Opening credits appear as luminescent folds of embroidered silk fill the screen. The rich fabric and gold threads are indicative of the handiwork that one finds on the highest quality hanbok (traditional Korean clothing). Like the complexity and craftsmanship of the hanbok that is still worn during holidays, this film integrates history and old world traditions with the benefits of modern filmography. Chang Yoon-Hyun’s HWANG JIN-YI is based on the life of renowned kisaeng who lived in the 16^th century. Kisaengs were high-class entertainers who had more sexual freedom than other women but were not prostitutes. She was accomplished in many art forms but she specialized in poetry and the use of her wit to point out the corruption among local officials.

Frequent flashbacks to childhood when she explored the town with Nomi, her close friend, border on becoming trite, yet they’re a vital prelude to the proud and defiant woman she becomes. After many years, Nomi returns to the village to guard the Hwang family estate. He comes back with long hair, broader shoulders and is now a badass fighter who protects his first love. Fist-flying action and Robin Hood-esque adventures unfold each time Nomi appears. The bad boy gone good is easy on the eyes and his noble intentions to dole out rice to the poor add to his charm.

The movie gains momentum and grit as Jin-Yi’s fate throws her from a life of sheltered privilege into testing out her own will and talents in the abrasive world outside her family’s gates. She is forced to become a kisaeng to survive and renames herself Myeongwol. In renaming herself, she finds conviction in living a life answering to no one. Myeongwol is mesmerizing with her pale (rice powder) beauty and stands bold as a rebel in silk and brocade. Despite her great success and prosperity, her dark tantrums surface behind closed doors. Haunted by childhood memories, it’s clear that she is worn down by the truth: Nomi can never be her true lover because of the life he leads.

As the cultural trends of modern Korea change, so do the historical fictions that are being remade into films and dramas. These feature films focus on women in Korean history who openly challenged gender roles and dynamics. Chang Yoon-Hyun’s HWANG JIN-YI translates the edgier aspects of the tale through the tainted lust between the young lovers as well as the use and misuse of sexual power and domination. Chang eases you into the glamour and cruelty of the Joseon Dynasty with an exquisite use of lighting. The precise lighting reveals the contradictory underworld of rebels against the opulence that surrounds the government officials and nobles. Despite some of the expected turns of the story, bring your hankie because the stellar performances of the lead roles by Yu, Ji-Tae (Nomi) and Song, Hye-Kyo (Hwang Jin-Yi) will move you. When I watched this film at the Pusan International Film Festival, the audience was sobbing and sniffling so loud that I missed some of the dialogue.

I bought this film before I left Korea because I love watching Jin-Yi’s disdain for haughty, righteous men who think they are above judgment. She lowers a man’s ego with one glance of her perfectly crafted eyebrows and full peach lips. An ancient Korean Wonder Woman, Hwang Jin-Yi was a famous kisaeng poet and philosopher who stood up for the underdogs and executed justice on her own sexy terms.

(Watch the trailer)

Comments (0) Aug 19 2008

Welcome to Subway Cinema News – You can’t cook rice with good intentions.

THIS WEEK

At the Walter Reade, courtesy of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, don’t miss the tail end of the film series “In Honor of Madame Kawakita“ playing through August 14.

Anthology Film Archives and the Korean Cultural Service are presenting a super-rare, don’t-miss-it screening of Lee Myung-Se’s FIRST LOVE (Thursday, August 21).  A drama that espouses the painful virtue of facing reality versus living in a fantasy via the one-sided love a student has for her drama teacher. Her idea of the perfect man painfully burns to the ground while she discovers the truth can set her free or at least wake her up.This is the movie where critics really sat up and started taking notice of Director Lee, and it’s not available on home video. Considered to be a classic of Korean film.

The ImaginAsian is hosting Anees Bazme’s SINGH IS KINNG a hip shakin’ Bollywood comedy that’s so goofy it makes your teeth hurt.  An Indian comedy of misadventure and coincidence with a love story thrown in to thwart the big plans of the underworld ringleader.

The New York Korean Film Festival opens on August 21 at the New York Times Building (242 West 41st Street) with a cocktail reception at 6pm.  The reception will include special guests: director Chang Youn-hyun and actor Yoo Ji-tae, the leading male of the movie HWANG JIN-YI. The festival will continue until August 31.  For a full schedule of events and locations, go here.

Chang Youn-hyun’s HWANG JIN-YI is a classic Korean tale of forbidden love.  There have been many incarnations of this film, a romantic tale of Robin Hood meets Romeo and Juliet -Asian style.  This most recent version is a cut above the rest for its gorgeous use of costumes and barely-restrained lust.

Comments (0) Aug 16 2008

Welcome to Subway Cinema News, your guide to all kinds of Asian shenanigans in New York City and sometimes – just sometimes – beyond.

THIS WEEK

Japanese Screen Classics, in Honor of Madame Kawakita will end next Thursday, August 14 at the Walter Reade Theater. It’s screening classic flicks from the likes of Oshima, Seijun and Kurosawa and the must see items are coming up this weekend: Suzuki Seijun’s brain-exploding crime movies BRANDED TO KILL and TOKYO DRIFTER.
(More info)

Anthology Film Archives will be hosting a screening of FIRST LOVE on August 21. This is Lee Myung-Se’s first movie to really be worshipped by critics and it’s ultra rare (there is no home video version). It’s a simple love story from 1992, but it’s the one that worshippers in his cult hold as one of the best. Don’t miss it.

At the ImaginAsian, August 7 sees the start of SINGH IS KINNG which stars Akshay Kumar and sounds like typical Bollywood fare. Here’s the plot description:

“Singh is Kinng is a story about Happy Singh, a Punjabi Sikh. He is very mischievous and gets involved in a number of disastrous situations, so the villagers plan to send him to Australia to bring back his fellow villager, Lucky Singh. It is then revealed that Lucky is an underworld Don in Australia. Then, in a accident, Happy saves Lucky but still Lucky becomes paralysed. Hence, Happy becomes the new King of the Australian Underworld.“

LOVE AND HONOR, the third film in Yoji Yamada’s Samurai trilogy is still playing at the Pioneer TwoBoots (ends August 7)

Comments (0) Aug 06 2008