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Kung Fu League 功夫联盟 (2018) - Hong Kong / China   Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia)     The highly anticipated combo of martial arts folk legends combining on the same screen is like China’s answer to America’s Marvel. Director Jeff Lau is known for his wacky yet entertaining comedies and this one is definitely high on the wackiness, but lacks the basic plot line and even entertainment value to elevate the film above what could have been. Putting the like of Vincent Zhao (aka Wong Fei Hung), Andy On (aka Fok Yuen Gaap), Danny Chan...

Tornado Girl 恋上疯狂女 (2017) - Japan   Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia)     What I enjoyed about the off beat romantic coming of age Japanese comedy “Tornado Girl” is the sense of urgency, love and quirkiness about it that makes it click. It helps when you have the stunning Kiko Mizuhara playing the living in the moment PR girl combining well with the highly likeable Satoshi Tsumabuki. It is the kind of film where you don’t so much bother on how much sense we are making, but rather what happens on-screen. Director Hitoshi Ohne created...

Walking Past the Future 路過未來 (2017) - China   Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia)     Director Li Ruijin fifth film remains his most accessible to date and commercially casted A-List actress Yang Zishan in an against type and best career performance. Filmed largely in the southern city of Shenzhen, famously on the border with Hong Kong, we see a sad and bleak story about the struggling working class that becomes impacted with the slow down of the Chinese economy. It’s refreshing to see a film show the real struggle of many in China, rather than...

Dot 2 Dot 點對點 (2014) – Hong Kong [2014 HKIFF] Director: Amos WhyScreenplay: Amos WhyStarring: Moses Chan Ho, Meng Tingyi, Susan Shaw Yin-yin, Lam Tze-chung Reviewed by: Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia) Initial Thoughts: It’s a sentimental feeling when a film takes you back to your childhood, depicting what Hong Kong used to be like and how we used to value heritage and traditional over vast commercialism. Directed/Produced and Written by Amos WHY, “Dot 2 Dot” gives us that allowance and time to reminiscent about what had been changed, inquire our past connections and understanding what we truly value.   In-depth Analysis: “Dot 2...

River of Exploding Durians 榴莲忘返 (2014) – Malaysia [2015 HKAFF] Reviewed by: Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia) Director: 杨毅恒 Edmund Yeo Cast: 朱芷莹 Zhu Zhi-ying, 高圣 Shern Koe, 刘倩妏 Daphne Low, 梁祖仪 Joey Leong I have always been interested in Edmund Yeo’s works and his transition from shorts to feature length film is by no means a simple journey. The film is narratively constructed to reflect several layers of mirrors, Edmund’s own childhood, first love and reflections on politics and the wider world around him through the male lead character, while the characters in the film themselves crosses parallel paths. The...