Asian Cinema

Thailand’s leading actress ‘Chompoo’ Araya Hagate walked down the Cannes Film Festival red carpet today wearing a Zac Posen aqua green puffy gown creation from his Spring 2013 collection. The dress looks like an upside down aqua-colored rose blossom. Interesting choice. She looks beautiful. Chompoo went to Cannes as a L’Oreal Paris spokesperson for Thailand. The two Asian ladies are keeping a close eye on Chompoo. The little details make this ensemble unforgettable. Straight from the catwalk to CannesSource: Pantip

This is a great Anime that is more unexpected then typical fantasy comedy romance ones. The story starts with Ririchyo a Girl who comes from a very wealthy family whom is sent to live in a special Hotel with other special wealthy people who each get their own Personal Body Guard. This one starts very typical with a few silly moments put in here and there. Until it gets to a point where some would be thieves decide to rob the residents. Its then revealed that the reason for the tight security and the Body Guards is not to Protect the Residents from the outside, but actually to protect the outside from the Residents. Every Resident and Body Guard are not what they seam and are actually quite powerful and dangerous if they want to be. In addition to this revelation, the viewers are also introduced to a budding love story between Ririchyo and her would be Body Guard. What makes this an excellent series is how it introduces the Audience to all the characters. Their personalities couldn’t be more different; she hides her shyness by being harsh with everybody and he is so desperate to please her that he is almost obsequious. Over the course of the series it becomes clear that she has feelings for him but it seems impossible that she will find away of expressing them. The other characters are an entertaining bunch which includes a self-styled delinquent who turns into a cute tanuki (Japanese raccoon dog) Ririchiyo’s ‘fiancé’ Kagero who believes everything is either sadistic or masochistic and Zange, a character who doesn’t appear to take anything too seriously. I rather enjoyed this series; at only twelve episodes it did not outstay its welcome; in fact I wouldn’t have minded if it had been longer. The characters are an entertaining bunch that provided plenty of chuckles. While it was fairly obvious that by the end Ririchiyo and Soshi would end up together there were some twists and turns along the way that made it seem possible that they wouldn’t. A background is given for all of them to give them all depth. This allows a viewer to understand the point of view of each character no matter who they are. Also an excellent attention to detail from one episode to the next is kept. What i mean by this is that if there is damage or something happens in a previous episode, this is recalled later which has an effect on the later episodes. Each episode is mostly encapsulated story wise so that the viewer doesn’t have to recall every single episode to keep up. And the comedy is superb with its flare of making fun of differing character types. It should be noted though that this series has a story that does not follow the Comic/Manga exactly. In essence its a retelling of the story in a differing way. With superb Animations and dialogue this is a definite must watch for anyone who is interested Fantasy/Comedy/Romance genre animes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krjnRF7esOc This DVD collection offers all 12 episodes from the series along with another “episode” that appears to be three shorts that I had never seen before. The shorts do require that you see the series to fully understand but no one in the client-agent class of residents from this apartment complex is left out. These shorts also touch upon later issues of the first manga series. Personally I found the English voice actors to be good but there were a few awkward moments when they spoke over each other and a voice seemed out of place; that’s an issue for the English version director. The subtitled version does not seem to have these issues. A very unusual romance with absurdity and a touch of kink makes this not for children but perhaps also not for every adult. The comedy is fairly gentle with little to offend and there isn’t too much fan service… although some viewers may think Nobara, the large chested blonde girl crosses the line a few times! Overall this is a fun series which is well worth watching if

Running Out Of Time was a box office success. Johnnie To decided to create a sequel to the film with Lau Ching-Wan coming back to reprise his role as Inspector Ho but something was missing. Andy Lau is nowhere in sight to cause havoc for Inspector Ho. Instead, Ekin Cheng replaces Andy Lau and plays the thief who will give Inspector Ho fits. How would their chemistry compare to the irreplaceable chemistry between Andy Lau and Lau Ching-Wan’s characters? How would Inspector Ho deal with this new adversary? Is Ekin Cheng a magician? Sorry, that last question isn’t really relevant. Or is it? Ekin Cheng plays a nameless thief (cause what’s cooler than a character with no name?) who brings Inspector Ho back into his comfort zone: a cat and mouse game with thieves. Inspector Ho is puzzled by this nameless thief and tries to figure out why this nameless thief is doing the wrong that he is doing. Later on, he teams up with a businesswoman played by Kelly Lin who is involved with the nameless thief because he has three priceless artifacts insured by Lin’s business. There is something about 20 million Hong Kong dollars in fake money and an eagle because the nameless thief trains birds. Unlike the first film, which gave Andy Lau’s character a reason for doing his cat and mouse game with Inspector Ho, the reason that there is a cat and mouse game in this film is not given. The character just smiles for the camera and acts like a complete clown. To put it lightly, their chemistry is nowhere near as relevant as Andy Lau and Lau Ching-Wan’s. The acting is okay with Lau Ching-Wan being the only real reason to smile but everyone else is just there to get a paycheck. Assistant Commissioner Wong Kai-Fat becomes even more of an idiot in this film and he almost destroys Inspector Ho’s case in the process which begs the question; why is he still a police officer? Shouldn’t he be fired? Did he get his brain removed? Does he owe Inspector Ho a favor or something? Kelly Lin’s acting is also unreliable and while she looks good, her acting is anything but. Ekin Cheng had to resort to using smoke bombs and magic tricks while Andy Lau just left without making a sound. Either Ekin Cheng’s character was a super genius or the cops in this movie were very, very stupid. While the film is mildly enjoyable, there is nothing here to truly recommend for people to watch. If anything, check out the first film because that film is a film that showcases Johnnie To’s directing abilities. The humor usually falls flat and the drama does not add any tension at all and it feels like everyone was trying WAY too hard to top the first film. If this film was in any other person’s hands, this film may have been a much worse film but regardless; this is a miss in Johnnie To’s resume.

Source: Sentai Filmworks press release Official Site: konodan.com/merman (Japan) Special Thanks to David Williams Key art for THIS BOY CAUGHT A MERMAN. © Soubi Yamamoto / BE / CWF Sentai Filmworks is proud to announce their newest acquisition: THIS BOY CAUGHT A MERMAN (??????????????, Kono Danshi, Ningyo Hiroimashita., 2012)! From rising star Soubi Yamamoto, creator of THIS BOY CAN FIGHT ALIENS, and the innovative CoMix Wave Films studios comes a tail of a different color. Sometimes finding the right person is like searching for a single drop in the entire ocean. They say look before you leap and make sure you can swim before you go in the deep water, but when a picture of his late grandfather falls into the ocean, Shima jumps in after it without thinking. Nearly drowning as a result, he is instead saved by a very perfect stranger... one whose strangeness extends to only being human from the waist up! For Shima, who’s always felt like a fish out of water himself, it’s more than just a revelation, and the young man and merman quickly begin to bond in ways neither anticipated. And yet, it’s going to be far from easy sailing. After all, Shima and Isaki aren’t just from opposite sides of the tracks, they’re from entirely divergent species, and swimming in separate gene pools may make maintaining a long term relationship a whole different kettle of fish! Continued...

A wedding video filled with irony. Not the best gift to your childhood friend who is getting married. But a great gift to the audience. Filmmaker Liao Jiekai opens a door into the mind of a bride who is about to be received by her groom, one where the romanticism of a wedding mixes with the practicalities of the rituals, where mushiness mixes with some delightful humour.In ‘Before the Wedlock House’, the bride allows filmmaker Liao to follow her in close lengths documenting her pre-dawn conversations with her make-up artist and the early birds in her wedding entourage. In conversational chapters, we learn about the relationships between her, the filmmaker and the greater environment that surrounds them.The film relentlessly documents how the bride disparages the filmmaker’s profession and craft, saying she might only watch his films if they were like Koran dramas. Yet, she has inadvertently brought the film and the artistry of Liao’s vision to life by way of her matter-of-fact straight-talking honesty. The film also slaps on another ironic layer with her describing how she used to idolize the filmmaker when they were children, though she now calls him a ‘poor artist’.On another level, the film offers us a peep-hole into society through the make-up artist’s anecdotal contributions in the conversation, alluding to unhappy couples who fight before or during their wedding or family troubles that have dented many ceremonies. Together with objective and sentimentally detached shots like the establishing pre-dawn HDB wide shot, they seem to point towards a wider commentary the filmmaker wishes to make. Interestingly, the filmmaker’s also found a good defending voice in the make-up artists who tells the practical bride that the filmmaker friend may one day become famous and earn lots of money.The film’s resonance also lies in the duality the bride displays and how the camera has captured her varied moments. She is chirpy and humorous at one moment and reflective at another. Maybe it’s the veil that clouds our view of her, giving her a natural atmospheric aura, even though her behavioral swings are undeniable. Or perhaps it’s the camera’s attentiveness to the subject, celebrating her joys on at one moment with full-on shots of her beaming smile, while meditating on her pockets of contemplation the next moment with the dreamy, white-washed overtones.Review by Jeremy Sing

Omnibus horror movies are still all the rage in Asian it seems and Tales From The Dark part 1 is the latest offer to fuel the fanboy flames. Based on the best-selling horror novel written by Hong Kong author Lilian Lee it comprises of six segments adapted from stories. Good so far but its even better when you see who’s directing. The six segments will be directed by Fruit Chan, Lee Chi Ngai, Lawrence Lau, Teddy Robin, Gordon Chan and actor Simon Yam in his directorial debut. Part 1 opens in July and Part 2 will be hot on its heals in August. Part 1 synopsis: One chilly night, Chu meets an uncommon client, a pretty 20-ish girl who pays her to curse 4 villains without knowing their names. Mysteriously, with each cursing ceremony performed delivers a gruesome death of a victim. When it comes to the last victim, or villain, it also unfolds a chilling, intolerable secret. Dark Side poster Dark Side teaser trailer

Traviata et Nous Philippe Beziat - 2012 Distrib Films Well, yes, I'm finding myself outside my usual zones here, as I don't cover many documentaries, much less one about the making of an opera. I would have felt less like an outsider had this documentary flashed the names of the principle artists who appear here. Most people will be able to figure out that Natalie Dessay is the main performer who we see mostly in rehearsal, and that Jean-Francois Sivadier is the director, and that the guy addressed as Ludovic is Ludovic Tezier. Those with little or no familiarity with those currently working in opera are left in the dark. What I did like is that, even fleetingly, Beziat acknowledges some of the behind the scenes people that make up a production. Several of the opening shots are of a workshop, with rows of paint buckets and brushes. A pair of craftsmen repair a chandelier first seen illuminated, hanging from a tree. While Dessay is rehearsing, a young woman is sweeping the floor. One woman is cutting cloth, later seen as part of the costume of a chorus of gypsies. The original French title is a bit puzzling. Translated as "Traviata and us", who is "us"? Even a little bit of geographic context might have helped in letting the audience know that there is an international crew working in Aix-en-Provence, France, on a 19th Centry Italian opera produced in a contemporary setting. There are suggestions that Dessay finds her role at Violetta challenging, to the point where she'll grab any opportunity not to rehearse. For someone like myself, there are more questions than answers as to what makes the role of Violetta difficult, and does Sivadier's putting the opera in modern dress make Verdi any more meaningful to a contemporary audience? Some of the music should be familiar, even for those with the most casual acquaintance with opera of any kind. The story of La Traviata, while not mentioned in the film, would be known to those who've seen Greta Garbo coughing herself to death in Camille. Philippe Beziat makes some interesting choices so that we see some of the opera fragments in various stages of development, while the what we hear is one version of the performance. And there are, to be sure, some nice moments, particularly between Dessay and Sivadier, alternating between artistic alignment and moments of friction. There were times when I wish others, aside from one of the production assistants, had been addressing the camera about the opera and the artistic process involved. Were the viewer not kept at arms length for most of this documentary, this would have been more truly about La Traviata and "us".

Episodes of the new anime series K will debut on the same day in Japan and the US. Image courtesy of VIZ Media. © GoRA ? GoHands/k-project Action Series About a Psychic War Between Seven Kings to be Fully Developed for the North American Market Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Official Site: k-project.jpn.com (Japan), vizanime.com/k (US) Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen VIZ Media, LLC, the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, continues to expand its range of anime offerings for 2013 as it announces that it has become the North American master licensee for the anime series -- K (2012). VIZ Media will manage the domestic home video, television rights, and online rights and distribution, as well as oversee the licensing and development of a range of new products and collectables based on the property. Continued...

At the Cannes market, Thongsuk 13 (?????? 13), a.k.a. Long Weekend, was picked up by Eurofilms Perú for distribution in Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, according to Film Business Asia. The first release from a new production shingle, Wave Pictures, international sales for Thongsuk 13 are being handled by Five Star Production, which also found buyers in Asian territories for 3AM: The Second Night, another entry in Five Star's exploration into the realm of 3D horror. The slasher-thriller Thongsuk 13, directed by Taweewat Wantha, was featured at last month's Udine Far East Film Festival, where Film Biz Asia's Derek Elley gave it a reasonable review. Also worth a read at Film Biz Asia is the recent report, Good times, bad times. It's a look at the current state of the Thai film industry, from such highlights as the record-breaking box-office success of Pee Mak Phra Khanong and high-profile foreign productions like Lost in Thailand and Only God Forgives, to the problems, such as the continued censorship and banning of films and the failure to deliver on promised incentives to foreign productions, which could lead to film shoots choosing Malaysia instead of Thailand. ATTENTION: This is a post from Wise Kwai's Thai Film Journal. The url for the source blog is http://thaifilmjournal.blogspot.com. If you're seeing this post anywhere besides your personal feed reader or a couple of social-networking sites, then it might be being misused against the spirit in which it is made freely available.

Paradoxocracy (???????????, Prachathipatai), Pen-ek Ratanaruang's documentary of Thailand's modern political history, is set for release at the end of next month. According to the movie's Facebook page, it'll get a limited run at Paragon Cineplex and Esplanade Cineplex Ratchada in Bangkok from June 24 to July 3. A pet project of Pen-ek's, Paradoxocracy was cleared by censors early in the year and was set for release in February. However, it ended up being delayed, with the blame at first attributed to "technical problems" but Pen-ek later admitted he'd encountered difficulties in finding a venue to screen it. Featuring a mix of archive footage and talking-head interviews with academics, Paradoxocracy covers such topics as the switch from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy in the 1930s and the violent political protests of the 1970s to the rise in political power of populist telecommunications tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra. A trailer is available on Facebook, and it's embedded below. ATTENTION: This is a post from Wise Kwai's Thai Film Journal. The url for the source blog is http://thaifilmjournal.blogspot.com. If you're seeing this post anywhere besides your personal feed reader or a couple of social-networking sites, then it might be being misused against the spirit in which it is made freely available.