More political than it appears to be, Sora’s first narrative feature explores the punitive impact of heightened school surveillance as several students rebel against oppression in an increasingly destabilised Japanese society.
A soft-hearted, if sometimes amusing, elegy about love in all forms, be it unrequited, unconditional or burgeoning, as several students navigate a school ‘Talentime’ show and family problems in Yasmin Ahmad’s sincerely-made final feature.
Wang draws intimate links between the Chinese and their land post-1949 Chinese Civil War in this reflective and dreamlike work from the perspective of a boy who longs for a water toy gun from his late grandfather.
Bresson’s acrid final feature may be seen as a ‘counter-feit/fict-ion’, exploring the transactionality of exploitation through an anti-narrative, as a fake bill sparks an irreversible chain of events.
Things go dreadfully south during a wild night in a Louisiana juke joint in Coogler’s most original work yet, marked by patient setups, foreshadowing, and playful blending of genres in this fervent, intoxicating music-horror.
Sylvia Chang and Sally Yeh are a hoot together in this romantic triangle that sees Tsui Hark bringing the Hollywood screwball comedy to his home turf, marked by farcical setups and rewarding payoffs.
As per tradition, I will give out imaginary awards to the films that I love most or hold in high regard from the preceding year.
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Guadagnino’s intoxicating adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ novella about the sensual connection between two men exudes profound feelings that coalesce and ache the body, mind and soul, boasting what could be a career-best performance by Daniel Craig.
Guadagnino’s meta faux-documentary is messy, tonally jarring and insensitive, but Tilda Swinton as actress-narrator-interviewer makes it more palatable to accept as his debut feature reconstructs a ghastly real-life murder with curious sensationalism.
Doesn’t add any real value to Jia’s impressive body of work, this tonally jarring montage of new material and unused scenes from past projects sees Zhao Tao playing a silent woman navigating a quarter century of longing, regrets and opportunities in a modernising China.
Eternality Tan 