Reel Asian Film Festival

REELASIAN FILM FESTIVAL

The 11th Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival runs from November the 14th to the 18th.  It will again showcase contemporary Asian cinema and work from the Asian diaspora. Works include films and videos by Far East and Southeast Asian artists in Canada, the USA, Asia and all over the world.  Reel Asian will present 77 films from 13 countries to enthusiastic Toronto audiences and visitors.

Reel Asian fosters the exchange of cultural and artistic ideals between East and West, provides a public forum for homegrown Asian media artists and their work, and fuels the growing appreciation for Asian cinema in Canada.

For more information on films, activities, parties, special events, tickets and venues check the reelasian website at:
http://www.reeasian.com

Below are capsule reviews of films that I have previewed:-

ANG PAMANA: THE INHERITANCE (Canada/Philippines 2006) ***
Directed by Romeo Candido
This true co-production between Canada and the Philippines combines scenes in both countries.  Beginning with Johnny (Darrel Gamotin) smoothly snowboarding down Canadian hills, he is transported back to the Philippines to inherit an estate haunted by his late grandmother’s ghost.  Candido makes use of both eerie surroundings and creepy characters to create a scary ghost story.  You know poor Johnny is in for a hell of a ride when he returns to the Philippines to meet both a very sex cousin – Candido films a good number with her legs in the car - and a mentally challenged boy no one in the family wants to talk about.  Creep, scary and well made!

LOVE CONQUERS ALL (Malaysia 2007) **
Directed by Tan Chui Mui
LOVE CONQUERS ALL is low budget minimalist filmmaking of a simple tale of true love that conquers all.  Ah Peng arrives by bus from Penang to Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur to work at her aunt’s food stall.  She falls for a stalking John while keeping in contact by public telephone with her unseen boyfriend back home.  To give you what Tan’s film is like, the film’s first segment lasts 5 minutes and shows Ah Peng switching seats with an elderly gentleman in the vehicle.  Tan is fond of having his camera right in front or behind his subject.  He has long takes with his actors saying practically nothing.  But Tan allows the audience to intake the lifestyle of the simple Malaysian.  This is not the bustling city capital but the quieter outer areas of the capital.  In fact the audience only realizes it is K.L. from the words on the aunt’s letter box.  Nothing special about this film, in fact it is quite boring watching nothing.  LOVE CONQUERS ALL is only interesting in observing Ah Peng’s simple way of life and aims.

NO REGRETS (South Korea 2006) ***
Directed Hee-il Leesong
What basically is a gay melodrama is given a twist by being earnestly told. Moody orphan Sumin (Young-hoon Lee) a country bumpkin tries to make it in the big city of Seoul, but faces class problems, money, romance and his own attitude.  At day, Sumin works in a factory but at night, he doubles as a hustler.  The company CEO’s son Jaemin (Han Lee) falls for him.  A relationship develops.  Leesong’s film is no romantic fantasy but a bold coming of age story of two men.  Told more from the point of view of Sumin, Leesong’s story of the man’s struggle within the Korean gay background is interesting fodder uncompromised by a need to follow formulaic movie making.  Leesong’s camerawork is effective, his actors moving and his story engaging.  NO REGRETS was a box-office hit in Korea.

SAKURAN (Japan 2007) ***
Directed by Mika Ninagawa
Forget MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA. SAKURAN and the recently released KILING IN YOSHIWARA Japanese films treat the geisha genre with more class, dignity and reality.  Based on the comic manga, director Ninagawa’s life of geisha Kiyoha is her tale of survival after being sold to the whore house as a little village girl.  She rises through the ranks but no without suffering, especially in the cruel hands of true love.  Ninagawa’s film is gorgeous to look at – no surprise as he was a photographer – and his film is noticeably accompanied by a modern rock soundtrack.  SAKURAN takes its time to get its footing, but will have audiences very soon rooting for their favourite upcoming courtesan Kiyoha, portrayed with bold-eyed dignity ferocity by Anna Tsuchiya.  Lots of views of naked female bodies but the sex scenes are well constrained.