It’s been eight years since Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien’s last feature, the Paris-set Flight of the Red Balloon (2007), and the idea for his latest film, The Assassin, had been gestating in his mind for a quarter of a century. But now, Hou’s unique and idiosyncratic take on the wuxia (martial arts films) has finally […]
The New York Film Festival’s impressive lineup this year includes a number of celebrated directors from Asia. Perhaps the most anticipated of these, prior to its Cannes premiere, was Hou Hsiao-hsien’s The Assassin, his exquisite take on the martial arts film, which netted Hou a best director prize at Cannes. Hou will make a rare […]
Written and Directed by Kim Seong-hun
Produced by Cha Ji-hyun and Billy Acumen
Released by Kino Lorber
Korean with English subtitles
South Korea 110 min. Not rated
With Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Jin-woong, Jeong Man-sik, Shin Jung-keun, Jang In-sub
To say that homicide detective Gun-soo (Lee Sun-kyun) isn’t having a great day would be an understatement. Here’s what happens to him […]
We’re right in the thick of summer, and usually what that means, as far as movies go, is Hollywood throwing billions of dollars at us in bombastic Dolby surround sound, 3-D, and outsized spectacle at the multiplexes. But here in New York, if you’re willing to look beyond the realm of dinosaurs, revived Terminators, and […]
Written, Directed and Edited by Kim Ki-duk
Produced by Kim Soon-mo
Released by Ram Releasing
Korean with English subtitle
South Korea. 91 min. Not rated
With Cho Jae-hyun, Seo Young-ju and Lee Eun-woo
“What is family? What are desires? What are genitals?” These are the opening statements of director Kim Ki-duk in the press notes for this Korean enfant terrible’s most […]
Directed by Bong Joon-ho
Written by Bong and Kelly Masterson, based on a screen story by Bong and the graphic novel Le Transperceneige, by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette; Produced by Tae Sung Jeong, Steven Nam, Park Chan-wook and Lee Tae-hun
Released by Radius-TWC
South Korea/USA/France/Czech Republic. 126 min. Rated R
With Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda […]
Written & Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, based on a graphic novel published in Monthly Model Graphix
Produced by Toshio Suzuki
Released by Studio Ghibli/Touchstone Pictures
Japanese with English subtitles
Japan. 126 min. Rated PG-13
Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki has announced his intention to retire more than once. So when, upon the premiere of this film at the Venice Film […]
Camera, Edited & Directed by Joe Swanberg
Produced by Swanberg & Adam Donaghey
Written by Swanberg & Jane Adams
Released by Factory 25
USA. 89 min. Not rated
With Jane Adams, Sophia Takal, Kent Osborne, Larry Fessenden, Lawrence Michael Levine, Ti West & David Siskind
With each new film Joe Swanberg makes—and as prolific and creatively fecund as he is, this […]
Film Comment Selects 2014
Asian, Australian, Crime, Festivals
Film Comment Selects 2014
Film Comment Selects, the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s self-described “essential and eclectic feast of cinephilia,” will run its 14th edition from February 17-27. Organized by the editors of Film Comment, the organization’s house magazine, this series once again offers filmgoers many different stripes, genres, and modes of expression, culled from festivals all over the […]