Fantasy of the Girls
A love triangle develops between schoolgirls working on a production of Romeo and Juliet… A sweet-natured first love story plays out among a group of Korean schoolgirls against the backdrop of a...
View ArticleThe Tokyo Night Sky is Always the Densest Shade of Blue
Awareness of death forms the backbone of this arresting drama… To live in a city can be a stressful thing; the lights, the noise, the constant awareness that there will always be other people around...
View ArticleBamy
A innovative take on the Japanese yurei genre… Much has been made of Japanese horror cinema’s demise from the golden days of the late 1990s and early 2000s and seminal films by Nakata, Shimizu and...
View ArticleA Nail Clipper Romance
Set in Hawaii, a surfer falls in love with a spunky tattoo artist who only eats nail clippers… The appearance of A Nail Clipper Romance’s ostentatious poster design splattered in a riot of clashing...
View ArticleLove Contractually
The ever-popular Sammi Cheng teams up with Taiwanese actor Joseph Cheng for another romantic comedy… Sammi Cheng sticks to what she does best with Love Contractually, a romantic comedy which pairs her...
View ArticleThe Handmaiden
A sumptuous, intricately crafted psychosexual thriller… Park Chan-wook follows up his English language debut feature, Stoker (2013) with an adaptation of Sarah Walter’s novel Fingersmith (2002). He...
View ArticleVampire Cleanup Department
An old-school slice of hopping vampire wackiness from Hong Kong… There have been several attempts of late to rejuvenate the Hong Kong hopping vampire or kyonshi genre which so was popular in the 1980s...
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The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl
A vivid, batty, whirlwind of a film in Masaaki Yuasa’s wildly imaginative style… The night is most definitely not short in Masaaki Yuasa’s adaption of Tomihiko Morimi’s bestselling novel of the same...
View ArticleOn the Beach at Night Alone
A young actress tries to get over a break-up in this latest musing on love, etc. from Hong Sang-Soo… Prolific South Korean director Hong Sang-soo gives us another slice of meditation on the minefield...
View ArticleThe Girl Who Leapt Through Time
A spirited schoolgirl gains the power of time travel in a whimsical tale of love and friendship… Mamoru Hosoda is the brilliant mind behind some of the most creative, zany and emotive films rivalling...
View ArticleKita Kita (I See You)
Brave casting wins in Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo’s clever take on the rom-com… Writer/director Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo’s third feature-length film since her debut Anita’s Last Cha-Cha in 2013...
View ArticleColumbus
All buildings and relationships have a solid foundation, and this film has a durable and beautiful one… In my many reviews about romance films and dramas, it may be fair to assume that I’m not really a...
View Article29 + 1
Kearen Pang adapts her popular stage show for the screen, following two women on the verge of turning 30… The multi-talented actress, stage producer and writer Kearen Pang brings her popular one-person...
View ArticleFresh Wave 2017: Affection
This excellent short film explores the fumbling, first forays into romance of Hong Kong high school students… In one scene from Affection, a boy and girl ride home on the bus after a date. The boy...
View ArticleVisualized Hearts
Igarashi Akiko proves herself to be a new fresh voice in the Japanese sci-fi genre… From 2012 onward, the Osaka Asian Film Festival has provided a platform named the ‘Indie Forum’ where spectators can...
View ArticleFireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?
Two teenagers fight against the power of time in this adventure of love, tears and fireworks… Nazuna voiced by Hirose Suzu (The Boy and the Beast, Rage, Your Lie in April) is a beautiful and mysterious...
View ArticlePosesif
High school love takes a dark turn when one becomes violent and possessive… Remember the first time your heart fluttered when your crush passed by the school hallways? Or when you and your first love...
View ArticleA Sparkle of Life
Love knows no age limit… Who said romance is only for the young-hearted? Tae is 77, recently widowed, and in the mood for love. She wants to find someone she can spend the rest of her life with, and to...
View ArticleInitiation Love
A seemingly innocent love story with a twist that will change everything… Have you ever been broken by a twist ending? A finale that leads to endless hours of web surfing to find that one forum where...
View ArticleMountains May Depart
The diverging paths of three friends change dramatically over a tumultuous 26 year period… Making a film with distinct phases to it can have its benefits and pitfalls. On the one hand, it can provide a...
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