The films reviewed below are either from Asian countries or those that explore Asian issues. These films betray few common themes, but a fashionable amount of style came to the surface. Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood For Love showcased a different aspect of his work, with the majority of scenes confined within the walls and corridors of a building. Oshima’s gay samurai epic, Gohatto and Kidun’s The Isle were moody contemplations of the existence of love in the oddest places. Aoyama’s Eureka is an extremely satisfying, exquisitely photographed film full of quiet and moving touches. The reviews below provide ample proof that beyond the major Asian films at the festival, art house cinema is vibrantly alive in Asia.
Brother (USA/Japan/UK 2000) ***
Directed by Takeshi “Beat” Kitano
Brother returns actor/writer/director/editor Kitano to his early Violent Cop days where ultra-violence and deadpan humour rule. Kitano plays ex-Yakuza top brass banished from Tokyo to L.A. only to land into more trouble with the local hoods. There is less improvisation compared to Hanna B. and Fireworks, two later works, but Kitano still incorporates the need for kinship, a characteristic found in all his work. Neatly edited, entertaining and action-packed, but with hardly any depth.
Eureka (Japan 2000) ****
Directed by Shinji Aoyama
A busjacking results in everyone dead except the bus driver (Yakusho Koji from Shall We Dance and The Eel) and two children passengers. As a result of the experienced violence, the survivors can no longer function normally in society. Two years pass and the three eventually go on a bus trip hoping to find some meaning amidst the madness. Aoyama’s detailed and effective study on trauma is a black-and- white epic that takes a full 217 minutes (the longest film of the festival) to unravel. The film is full of beautiful images. Director Aoyama’s assured and controlled direction makes this a remarkable debut that is worth the time spent.
Face (Japan 1999) ****
Directed by Junji Sakamoto
The murderess attempts to escape from the cops by riding a bike. Only thing is that she does not know how to ride and falls flat on her face. She runs around a large portion of the film with a swollen face and hence the film’s title. Director Sakamoto has made his name by making action films like Scarred Angels and Boxer Joe but his latest tale of a chubby loser is hilarious and off-beat. For example, our heroine is raped twice and the second time, she helps by unbuttoning the dress herself, so they don’t get ripped off. Sakamoto emphasizes the need for independence and love while making some keen observations about the Japanese lifestyle from different walks of life.
The Iron Ladies (Thailand 2000) ***
Directed by Yongyooth Thongkonthun
This film that chronicles the rise of a national volleyball team composed of gays and transvestites is all over the place and amateurishly made. But somehow, by sheer spirit of the filmmakers and actors, the film works as an amazing crowd pleaser. Who cannot help but root for the butch queen with the nickname ‘iron pussy’? And the film is based on a true-life team of the same name.
The Isle (South Korea 2000) ****
Directed by Kim Kiduk
From South Korea comes another original sexual film after Lies put the country on the international film map. Kiduk’s is a love story between an ex-cop and a mute gamekeeper of a secluded lake resort. But this is not the romantic, charming love comedy one would expect, even though the film is filled with lush photography and surrealistic images. One key scene has the girl insert three-pronged fishhooks into her vagina only to have them pulled out one by one by her boyfriend using a pair of pliers. Repulsive, weird and compelling.
