The Chaser

	Rating: 5 out of 5 Original Title: Chugyeogja Release Date: 2008 Director: Hong-jin Na Netflix Link IMDb Link

The Chaser is a Korean crime thriller which was really surprisingly good. I wasn’t expecting all that much with it, but it surpassed my expectations by a long shot. Once it gets rolling, it just never stops. I had a few minor quibbles over two minor plot points and just a few of the scenes didn’t really seem to go anywhere, but all things considered, it’s a very small complaint compared to the overall film. The Koreans are making some excellent films and the Chaser is definitely one of them. I love how they don’t always follow the traditional Hollywood ending wrap up, but do things their own way. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Bob Le Flambeur

	Rating: 5 out of 5 Release Date: 1956 Director: Jean-Pierre Melville Netflix Link IMDb Link

Aaaaah, Melville. I’ve been watching his films sparingly since there aren’t that many of them and he’s one of my favorite French directors. Melville just doesn’t have a bad film and this one is on par with everything else I’ve seen by him. It does have a heist, but the character, Bob, is less of a laconic gangster than Melville normally portrays. He is a worldly, old-time, happy-go-lucky, ex gangster who is trying to make it straight. Bob finds himself at odds with the world around him and, eventually, is forced into his old gangster ways by circumstance. The world is changing while he stands still, in contrast to his plucky protege, Paolo, who embraces change easily while Bob struggles.

Claude Chabrol, François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard are generally credited with starting The French New Wave (La Nouvelle Vague), but most of the elements can be seen right here in Bob Le Flambeur, years before Chabrol’s Le Beau Serge (1958), Truffaut’s The 400 Blows (1959) or Godard’s Breathless (1960). Nouvelle Vague’s deep contrast shadows, hand-held camera, voyeuristic visual style, on-location shooting, unusual editing sequences, and narrative with lots of hip street lingo and indirect social commentary can all be found in this film. Melville rarely gets any credit, yet his influence on the world of film is incalculable. Godard acknowledges that this is his favorite Melville film and it’s quite obvious just how much influence it had. Everyone from Godard and Truffaut, to Scorsese and Tarantino have borrowed from it.

In context, Bob Le Flambeur was well ahead of its time, but even half a century later, it has an interesting, intricate story (written by the director) with great characters and cool direction. Bob Le Flambeur is a must-see for fans of French cinema.

Red Cliff 1 & 2 International Versions

	Rating: 5 out of 5 Original Title: Chi Bi Chinese: 赤壁 Release Date: Part 1: 2008, Part 2: 2009 Director: John Woo Netflix Link: Part 1, Part 2 IMDb Link: Part 1, Part 2

The Chinese just don’t do anything small. This is probably the biggest movie I’ve ever seen them do. It’s even bigger (but not more ostentatious) than Curse of The Golden Flower. Once again, the losers are the horses. Chinese cinema is just not nice to horses. Red Cliff has a good (albeit mildly confusing at first) story, a great cast, tons and tons and tons of fighting, amazing battle sequences, massive explosions and just general awesomeness. It is everything a ginormous epic Chinese historical(ish) film should be and more. At nearly five hours in length, including both parts 1 & 2, the story should seem to drag, but it just never does. John Woo has redeemed himself from the turds that he made here in Hollywood. When Woo makes a film in China, it is something to behold.

Black Dynamite

	Rating: 5 out of 5 Release Date: 2009 Director: Scott Sanders Netflix Link IMDb Link

Black Dynamite accomplishes what other tribute films have tried to do and failed. It is everything it should be. I was expecting another half-heated spoof of a beloved genre, but it far exceeded my expectations. Homage, parody, satire: it’s all in there. The dialog is so cleverly subtle that it might take several viewings to catch it all. In fact, this is the type of film you can watch over and over again, and still find it enjoyable. It is evident that the people who wrote it know every blaxspoilation movie by heart. It is expertly crafted with a rambling story, some laugh out loud moments, and a cast that is so invested in their characters it’s a wonder that they managed to perform it all with a straight face. Black Dynamite sets the standard for homage films.

Kill Zone

	Rating: 5 out of 5 Chinese: 杀破狼 (Saat po long) Release Date: 2005 Director: Wilson Yip Netflix Link IMDb Link

Kill Zone a.k.a. Saat Po Long (S.P.L.) was not at all what I thought it would be. Judging from the staid box cover and the synopsis, I was expecting a cop versus thugs flick like any other. Instead, it is so much better. Yes, it has a really evil bad guy, played expertly by Sammo Hung, versus a group of cops led by Simon Yam and Donnie Yen, but S.P.L. is so much better than the average HK flick. Not only is the plot slightly unusual with an ending of Shakespearean magnitude, but it’s peppered with some excellent martial arts to boot. The fight with Donnie Yen versus Jacky Wu, who actually holds his own with Yen, is spectacular. And then, when you add Sammo Hung versus Donnie Yen in a fight to the finish with smashed glass and falls that actually look like they hurt a lot, well, martial arts choreography just doesn’t get much better than this. On top of all the bone-crunching, martial arts mastery, it has some real emotional depth, some great acting and a good story. S.P.L. is a must-see for any fan of Hong Kong cinema. Awesome awesome awesome.

That Mitchell And Webb Look

	Rating: 5 out of 5 Release Date: 2006 Netflix Link IMDb Link

How is it possible that it seems more people have seen Peep Show starring Mitchell and Webb than That Mitchell And Webb Look? Peep Show is great, mind you, but it has nothing on this show. That Mitchell And Webb Look has segments, particularly Sir Digby Chicken Caesar, which you will want to watch over again even if you managed to catch it all the first time through your own laughter. The way they build on segments like Numberwang with each successive occurrence, making them even more ridiculous than you would even think possible, is nothing short of genius. British sketch comedy, once again, proves itself to be king. If you like British comedy shows, That Mitchell And Webb Look is absolutely a must see.

Ivan’s Childhood

	Rating: 5 out of 5 Original Title: Ivanovo detstvo Release Date: 1962 Director: Andrei Tarkovsky Netflix Link IMDb Link

Every single frame in Ivan’s Childhood is specifically chosen to get the most visual benefit. This film is a monochromatic feast. At a brief 95 minutes, Ivan’s Childhood makes the best possible use of every scene. You could watch this film just for the cinematography alone, but not only is it beautifully filmed, the story is compelling as well. While it’s not as critical of the Soviet era as some Russian post-war films, it is just as bleak and heartfelt. Ivan is a strong character even though he is just 12 years old. The only time he seems to be childlike is when he’s left alone with nothing to do. The rest of the time, he is undaunted by the war all around him and acts nothing like his age. Even though Tarkovsky was not the original director of the film, Ivan’s Childhood looks like a Tarkovsky film through and through. He took this film and made it entirely his own. If not Tarkovsky’s finest film, Ivan’s Childhood is certainly my favorite.

Thirst

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Bakjwi Release Date: 2009 Director: Chan-wook Park Netflix Link IMDb Link

Since Chan-wook Park’s Oldboy made it onto my favorite films of all time list the first time I watched it, I had very high expectations of Thirst. Possibly too high since very few directors can repeat that level of excellence. That being said, Thirst was nearly everything I hoped it would be. It is funny, sad, violent, twisted and just plain awesome. Although it’s not quite as good, it’s the best Park film since Oldboy. The story is original, the direction is great, the acting is excellent, especially by Ok-vin Kim who makes a remarkable transformation from a meek and subservient woman to a take-no-prisoners badass. I have a few minor issues with the plot, but nothing all that serious. With Thirst, Chan-wook Park has shifted from the director of one of my favorite films to one of my favorite directors.

In the Mood For Love

	Rating: 5 out of 5 Original Title: Fa yeung nin wa/Hua yang nian hua Release Date: 2000 Director: Kar Wai Wong Netflix Link IMDb Link

Nobody can make an ethereal film like Wong Kar Wai and Christopher Doyle, his cinematographer. They make it look easy. In the Mood For Love floats along effortlessly like a cloud. The story here is simple; everything else is not. Perfectly filmed, scene after scene with music to match; you’d be hard-pressed to find a flaw. In the Mood For Love will leave a permanent impression etched into your mind. Music, story, visuals, acting; everything is above par. This film is one of the reason why I consider Wong to be one of my favorite Chinese directors. I could go on and on, but I’ll just say, watch it.

Dodes’ka-Den

	Rating: 5 out of 5 Release Date: 1970 Director: Akira Kurosawa Netflix Link IMDb Link

Dodes’ka-Den is brutal and heartfelt. It shares themes with other Kurosawa films; morality, social commentary, class structure, and his take on humanity. Visually and story-wise, it is lush and compelling. It’s obvious that this was Kurosawa’s first color film; the use of color is not intrinsic. Dodes’ka-Den is visually reminiscent of Seijun Suzuki’s Gate of Flesh with its post-war degradation, each family represented by a different color, and the fact that most of it is shot on a sound stage. The story is similar to Kurosawa’s own The Lower Depths. It is the rich tale of several intertwined families with their ghetto of a neighborhood as the common thread. The people are all just trying to get by and each has their own set of issues. It is a must-see for any Kurosawa fan. Dodes’ka-Den will break your heart.