A man drunkenly staggers along a beach-side road: Nobuo, played by Hidetoshi Kawaya. On the street he discovers a piece of paper, upon which someone has written the word ‘heaven’. This leads him to wonder if, by some unexpected change, … Continue reading OAFF: Is This Heaven? (2023)
In 1969, director Yoji Yamada helmed It’s Tough Being a Man, a domestic comedy that became an unexpected hit in Japanese cinemas – so much so that by the end of the year Yamada had already made its sequel. The film … Continue reading REVIEW: Tora-San, Wish You Were Here (2019)
On the outskirts of Barcelona, a home repair business is going through a period of change. For Valero (Valero Escobar), it means saying goodbye to his long-term partner Pep (Pep Sarrà) who is retiring. At the same time it means … Continue reading EEFF REVIEW: The Odd-Job Men (2021)
Weng Hsiao-pei (Yao Yi-Ti) is an aspiring reader of tarot cards, following in her grandfather’s footsteps. She uses her gift to give romantic advice to paying men and women. When presented with the possibility of romance herself – with the … Continue reading REVIEW: Someone in the Clouds (2019)
If you rated new romantic comedy You People based on boldness and ambition, it would almost certainly be one of the first great features of 2023. Ezra (Jonah Hill) and Amira (Lauren London) are two singles in Los Angeles who meet … Continue reading REVIEW: You People (2023)
‘Jidaigeki’, the Japanese period drama, has been a staple of that country’s screen culture since the foundation of narrative film. It typically covers the Edo period, which lasted from the 17th to the 19th century, and exploits the warfare, samurai-based … Continue reading REVIEW: Samurai Shifters (2019)
Cheng Yong (Xu Zheng) sells Indian homeopathic oils from a Shanghai storefront. His business is failing, but a last-minute opportunity comes when he is given a lucrative but illegal offer: smuggle Indian medication for chronic myeloid leukaemia into the country … Continue reading REVIEW: Dying to Survive (2018)
Comedian Shangguan Didi (Dee Hsu) makes a middling living out of appearances on stunt and gag-based comedy television shows, while being estranged from her much more successful actress sister Lingling (Lin Chi-ling). Didi’s first big chance at success comes when … Continue reading REVIEW: Didi’s Dream (2017)
Everything Everywhere All at Once had an odd run of it in 2022. The film itself was a weird blend of comedy, drama, science fiction, and action. The audience reaction was unexpectedly enthused; this is the kind of film that usually … Continue reading REVIEW: Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Released in Italy for last Christmas, and now available internationally on Netflix, 7 Women and a Murder is an odd little remake of François Ozon’s 8 Femmes (2002), itself an adaptation of a Robert Thomas play. It seems odd for two reasons: firstly, … Continue reading REVIEW: 7 Women and a Murder (2021)
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