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Film Review: Echoes of the Thunder 速戰 (2023) Hong Kong 🇭🇰   Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia 🇦🇺) The biggest issue with director Tony Tang’s “Echoes of the Thunder” is that it tries too hard to follow the footsteps of successful racing genre films like “Fast and Furious” and “Need for Speed” and in the process forgotten what makes a film entertaining. It’s not the simple car racing scenes, but a good film needs a strong plot line with credible characters and acting and the racing scenes should be icing on the a delicious cake. Instead,...

Film Review: Quiz Lady (2023) USA 🇺🇸   Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia 🇦🇺 ) For those that recall Director Jessica Yu’s Oscar win for documentary short film over 26 years ago, I am glad to proclaims that “Quiz Lady” is that she is back with her biggest film to date with major studio backing. Starring the odd duo in Awkwafina and Sandra Oh who both perform in out of type roles to amazing perfection and chemistry. The level of detail  that Yu goes into depicting the game quiz TV show, revokes classical childhood memories of...

Film Review: Dust to Dust 第八個嫌疑人 (2023) China 🇨🇳   Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia 🇦🇺) Chinese crime thrillers set in the 90s have a usually sort of canniness that makes it compelling viewing. This is again true for the based on true events - “Dust to Dust”directed by Hong Kong’s Jonathan Li (“The Brink”). In many ways the film appears to be inspired by Hollywood’s Michael Mann genre classic “Heat” as we witness the biggest bank robbery in Chinese history with $15 million RMB at the time. The film is extremely well directed, tightly edited...

Film Review: Time Still Turns the Pages 年少日記 (2023) Hong Kong 🇭🇰   Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia 🇦🇺) Hong Kong cinema is once again having a strong finish to the calendar year, with another socially relevant and heart felt film in “Time Still Turns the Pages” directed and written by the talented Nick Cheuk. The film hits all the right emotional buttons as well as showing difficult moments in a brutal manner that nails you right in the heart and memory. We have all experience some parts of these childhood process in our own lives...

Film Review: In Broad Daylight 白日之下 (2023) Hong Kong 🇭🇰   Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia 🇦🇺) Socially relevant Hong Kong cinema is usually at its best when it depicts true events with real emotions and people. This is precisely what Director Lawrence Kan manages to portray the bleak state of both investigative journalism and atrocious treatment of elderly and disabled in private care homes. Both matters are dealt with quite literally and heads on, as the film is based on true events, making the film with an extra layer of heart felt emotions all the...