WOW!!! Here's Father Geek along with Darius25 and his crew just to let you all know that there is cinema life other than what is happening in the South of France at the CANNES FILM FESTIVAL... Yes, half way around the world the Asian film scene is very alive and well... and our reporters from the Far and Near East have collected a wealth of info for you here in this week's column. Dig in and enjoy... lots of cooooool pics too...

First I've got this bit for you on my old University of Texas film school classmate TSUI HARK's latest effort...

Well I went and saw Time and Tide today. I had very high hopes for this film being a Tsui Hark fan ( I was even there on the opening days of Knockoff and Double Team ). I got to the theater and was very disappointed at the lack of people there. Then I remembered that the masses don't go see movies unless they are shown in multiplexes, are in English, has a soundtrack full of current hits, or has a big name in it. The exception is, of course, if some cinematic idiot advertises a film as having "matrix" like fights....Jesus.....

Much has been made out of how hard it is to follow the story line in this film. Well, as much as I loved it, I have to agree. I had a friend explaining it to me the whole way and I was still confused. Here's what I understood: Wu Bai used to be in with Brazilian gangsters and escaped to Hong Kong. Here he meets Nicholas Tse and they become friends through Anthony Wongs bodyguard company. The South Americans come to town and somehow end up at odds with Wu Bai ( it was very hard to follow). Rampant action ensues. Oh, and in case you didn't know, Wu Bai's and Nicholas Tse's girls are both pregnant, which will later lead to an intense scene.

Ok. As we all know, when a reviewer spends the majority of the review recounting the plot, he basically has nothing to say about the film. I will not do this. Let me tell you what I think about the film...

First off the action scenes were top notch, and for good reason. They were put together by the great Xiong Xin Xin. Now sadly enough alot of people supposedly in the "know" will not recognize this name. Xiong Xin Xin was the wildly popular character "Clubfoot" from the Once Upon a Time in China series (at least from 3 on). Here he once again proves his mastery of movement, brutal realistic fighting mixed with a touch of wire work. This was alot different then his choreography in Blacksheep Affair.

One thing I picked up on right away was Tsui's jabs at John Woo. Now, I know they had a falling out years back but I was surprised to see such under the table shots taken at Woo. This was obvious in two scenes: The first, we see some doves make a typical Woo entrance, slow motion, you know the drill. A gun is pointed at them and he whispers "bang". The next scene we see the doves "Woo'ing" about when a bomb goes off and Tsui goes to the extra effort to show the birds torn apart in the explosion. Now, I was not the only one to recognize this as people were talking about it in the lobby. I would like to know what this was about. What was Tsui saying?

The two final gun battles were very good. One with crazy ass stuntmen repelling down the side of a dirty apartment building while exchanging fire. The way they maneuver in and out of the building is like watching kids tearing ass all over a jungle gym. The final battle taking place in an arena during a performance (though the crowd and performers are oblivious to the explosions and gun fire). This includes an incredibly intense scene involving the birthing of a baby during a gun battle. At one point the pregnant woman is aiming the gun while Wu Bai is getting the baby out of her! (only in Hong Kong).

The South American baddies, especially the leader, are Very annoying. Despite this though they have a very cool and stylish entrence shootout early in the film. It takes place in Brazill where they take out a bunch of swat team looking guys. There is genuine terror in this scene as the camera work takes you right into it.

I walked out wondering why Anthony Wong got such high billing on the poster. He isnt in the film much, but he has presence that is impressive whenever he is on. I suspect it is because he is probably the most well known of the cast, here in the united states of filmic ignorance. Sound is used very well in Time and Tide, the bullets seemed dangerous and the hits seemed like they would hurt. Not to mention a very good soundtrack. A visual style that Tsui only hinted at in Knockoff, here it is in extremes. But you never know which way Tsui is going to go. He is such a chameleon that in one movie he could be doing Wong Kar Wai ( The Blade), and in another a straight foreward visual style ( Peking Opera Blues). All in all I would say it is a very tight action film. A very good film indeed. I think I could appreciate it more because I dont posess the knee-jerk reaction of whenever I dont understand something IMMEDIATLY, automatically labeling it pretentious. I just know it will take multiple viewings to fully understand. And I plan to see this multiple times, after all, its not too often you get to see one of the Hong Kong new wave still at the top of his game.

well, thats it, maybe a bit long winded but still not as long as Moriarty's epic reviews (when will we get cliff notes to those things)?

-(yojimbo)

Father Geek back... Now here's Darius and the report for this week...

Asia-AICN

Hey all, are you ready for another round of much detailed info on some of the most popular Asian films? Well, I hope so as we're back with lots of scoops including news on a sequel to the Indian hit "Vaastav (The Reality)", the sequel to "Everyday is Valentine", Stephen Chow's "Shaolin Soccer", the Korean film "Pairan" and some more info on the North American release of "Shiri". We also have some stills from Santosh Sivan's "Asoka", Rajkumar Santoshi's "Lajja (Ashamed)", Ann Hui's "Visible Secret" and "Calmi Cuori Appassionati".

Now here's the latest from Asia.

INDIA

- Director Mahesh Manjrekar has announced that work is currently underway on a sequel to his biggest hit, "Vaastav (The Reality)". Manjrekar is halfway through completing the script which takes place 20 years after the ending of the first film. Sanjay Dutt is expected to return in this new film, this time playing the son of his character in the first film (how convenient!). The film follows the son of the don (shown as a child at the end of "Vaastav") who also turns to a life of crime. Expect lots of violence and a somewhat more upbeat ending.

- Director Mansoor Khan has announced that his next film is all set to start production sometime this fall. The untitled film will be produced by Amitabh Bachchan and will star Aamir Khan and Rani Mukherjee. There's no word yet on Bachchan's role in the film.

- Actress/Producer Pooja Bhatt will launch her younger brother, Rahul Bhatt, in an upcoming film for which director Mahesh Bhatt (Pooja's father) is considering coming out of retirement to direct. The Bhatts are hoping to rope in Sanjay Dutt for a role in the film (and boost the star value).

- The first publicity still from Santosh Sivan's highly-anticipated "Asoka" was released online recently. The film, formerly known as "Ashoka the Great" tells the story of the violent Indian king who underwent a philosophical transformation into a peace-loving monarch. It stars Shahrukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor and is expected to release sometime in July.

To see the picture with SRK and Kareena Kapoor, click here: Go Here

- Some stills were also released from Director Rajkumar Santoshi's "Lajja (Ashamed)", which has been in the making for nearly 2 years. The film is told through many different episodes with the only link being the characters of Manisha Koirala and Jackie Shroff. The all-star cast includes Rekha, Anil Kapoor, Mahima Choudhary, Aishwarya Rai, Sonali Bendre and Ajay Devgan. The film is set to release sometime this fall.

Here's a picture of Manisha Koirala and Jackie Shroff: Click Right Now

And here's another one of Jackie Shroff (with Ajay Devgan in the background): Click Here

- Last week's new release was director Kalpana Lajmi's "Daman (Domination)". The hard-hitting drama focuses on the issue of domestic abuse, told from the point of view of a typical Indian woman, Durga (Raveena Tandon). Durga, as a usual Indian custom, enters into an arranged marriage with an extremely violent man, Sanjay (Siyaji Shinde), who abuses her at every chance he gets. She eventually gives birth to a daughter whom her husband treats in a similar manner. Durga tries to put up with everything for the sake of her household, but eventually leaves the house with her daughter after Sanjay attempts to sell her into an arranged. The husband eventually tracks them down and assaults them even more, ultimately forcing Durga to take physical action. Acting wise, this is an out-and-out Raveena's film. She won the Indian National Award for this film, and you can really see why. We understand the reasons behind her tolerant nature and sympathize with her at every turn. However the film is extremely dated because her portrayal is simply not realistic (or conceivable) in today's society. No educated wife of a middle-class family would tolerate such abuse. Divorces and separation are getting more and more common in India and I simply think that the situations end up being too over-dramatic and far-fetched. But I'm sure that many people are still going through these hostile situations and the director felt it was time to tackle this difficult subject matter once again. Sayaji Shinde's acting is also very good - we hate him right from the beginning, and end up hating him till the very end - there's no justification for his behaviour. This might be fine for this film, but I feel that the character should have been more rounded - he could have been a somewhat likeable person in other ways. By simply making him a cardboard villain, Kalpana Lajmi has avoided the internal conflicts within the character which stops us from relating to him in any way. Also, the more lighter moments in the film don't really fit in the story and drastically disconnects us from the darker situations. This is a gritty film, and the presence of the lighter moments do not provide a breather but instead just disrupts the flow of the story. The film still manages to somewhat achieve its goals - even though they may be unnecessary in our modern society. In the end, all I can say is that the dark subject matter is not my cup of tea, but if you prefer this kind of stuff then you may be interested. If you don't like this subject matter then I suggest you take a pass.

CHINA/HK

Here's the latest report from AccSpy:

- MTR (Metro Train Railway, the HK subway) has refused to display the poster of director Ann Hui's new horror flick "Visible Secret" because it is deemed too scary, especially to the night passengers. The film stars Shi Qi as a night shift nurse with a sixth sense and co-stars Eason Chan and Sam Lee. It is set to release this month. Here's the controversial poster: Just Click Now

Here's one more still with Jo Kuk in the spooky paper doll outfit: Click

- The teaser trailer of Stephen Chow's "Shaolin Soccer" is now online and the film is scheduled to release this August in HK. Columbia/Tristar pictures are in talks to distribute the film in US. Here's the link to the trailer (window media player v.7 required): Click Right Here

- Screenplay writer Chan Hing Ka will make his directorial debut this summer in which Sean Lau Ching-wan and Louis Koo have confirmed to star. Additional details will be announced as they are released.

- Kelly Chen and Yutaka Takenouchi are now shooting "Calmi Cuori Appassionati" in Italy, here's two on-location stills.

Kelly Chen: Go Here

Yutaka Takenouchi and Kelly Chen: Click Here

- Leon Lai has just wrapped up shooting for director Andrew Lau's mystery thriller. Leon injured his head during the shooting of a scene in which he jumps through a glass wall. Here's a pic with the crew on the sets: Just Click

- With the success of "Everyday is Valentine", the producers are planning to shoot the sequel later this year. Both Leon Lai and Cecilia Cheung are expected to return.

- There was a MAJOR surprise at this week's HK box office when a low-budget Christian film, "Life is a Miracle", entered at the top spot with around $1 million. Sandra Ng's "City of Desire" debuted at no.2 with $ 0.75 million in two days while "Thirteen Days", "The Mexican" and "Sweet November" filled in the third, fourth and fifth spots. Although Sandra Ng played the Sister Thirteen character for the second time in "City of Desire" and the cast and crew remained the same as 1999's "Portland Street Blues", the film is not considered a sequel. This time, Sister Thirteen is a feminine activist in America who is forced to go back to Macau and take care of her family's casino and nightclub after her father's death.

KOREA

Here is the latest report from 18nom:

Hello, 18nom here with another report on Korean Cinema.

Pairan.

This little film opened last Saturday amid Hannibal, Mexican and Memory Island which happens to be a current box-office king. First week's receipt isn't anything to boast however the critics have seem to given a collective thumbs up. Featuring Hong Kong star Cecilia Cheung And Choi Minsik (Shiri, No.3, Quiet Family), the pic is loosely based on a short story of a famed Japanese write whom I can't seem to remember. The basic plot involves a two-bit gangster and an illegal Chinese worker from China and the love story thrown in the mixture. The helmer Song Hehsung is making a sort of a comeback after debuting with the disastrous Cara which featured matinee idols Kim Heesun (Bichunmu, voted the worst movie of 2000 by the online audiences) and Song Sungbong. This isn't the first time that HK star starred along with Korean stars in a Korean movie. There was that bomb called 'Angel Dream' that featured Leon Lai who by now is greatly regretting over the decision not to kill the director.

U.K. and 'Nowhere to Hide'.

The British distributor, Metro Titan Distribution, has picked up the rights for 'Nowhere to Hide' and the film will be opening island wide in the summer. Lee Myungse's flick has officially become the first commercial film sold to England by Korea. Until now, everyone in Korea thought 'Isle' was the first film sold to Britain but it turns out that it was for video rights. Hope this will help Director Lee to make a feature debut in the states sooner.

Grand Bell Prizes.

The Koreans have once again done it! No, they didn't eat another dog. The 39th Grand Bell Prize (Korea's Oscar) ended on April 27th with whispers and boos from the audience over a few award winners. There are post-award rumors (in Korea, most of these turn out to be facts) going around that winners in four categories have heavily lobbied (via Miramax style and then some) to get the non-deserving awards. Special Critics Prize, Best Director and Best Actress awards have gone to a critically-panned film called 'Haroo' which was a story about a couple and their daughter (or was it a son?) that was born without a brain and had a single day to live. It was a straightforward melodrama that walked the same, proven path. Han Jisung's film was nothing to write home about. Performances weren't standouts but rather typically rendered. This was wholly anticipated and I am rather stunned that there were no fistfights during the ceremony. Well, there is always next year.

Shiri in the States.

As announced last week in this column, the all-time Korean box-office king, 'Shiri', is coming to states in August. Columbia's Tristar has picked up the rights for US distribution and will be opening the film in a few selected cities first in August. Then the release will become wider as word of mouth spreads. This method was impeccably used by Sony Classic with its 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' release. This ought to be interesting to see how 'Shiri' fares in the states. My prediction if anyone cares is that it will fold in three weeks. 'Shiri' just doesn't have the elements that made 'CTHD' a big hit in the states. Namely, well-known stars and a cohesive plot.

Shiri and JSA.

Some of you might remember my post a few weeks back that 'JSA' (Joint Security Area) became the all-time box-office king in Korea. Well, the folks at 'Shiri' camp couldn't take the news lightly and commissioned the film bureau to recount the audience attendances. (In Korea, the box-office is determined by an attendance rather than a financial gain. Why? It beats the hell out of me. All the box-office reports are reported in attendances! Another pet peeve!) It turns out that 'Shiri' is indeed the box-office king with a few more heads (roughly 30000 more) in its attendance records. Why couldn't they count it right back then? Well, my friend, these are Korean-specific eccentrics. You always leave room for further if not future revaluations.

Will be back with more news from the land of morning calm next week. Annyung!

We have now reached the end of this week's column. Remember, if you have information regarding any film industry in Asia, please contact our Asia-AICN offices at atshrivas@home.com. See you all next week.

Darius25