If you're at all interested in foreign film, Asian or otherwise, forego a couple of purchases and get yourself a region-free DVD player that does proper PAL conversion. There's simply no reason to be shackled solely to US-released discs when the entire world can be available to you. Overseas DVDs are often better quality, have more extras, are released earlier (this also applies to US-made films, in many cases), and there are hundreds upon hundreds of worthwhile titles that'll never see the light of day here.
Also if you can track it down, this Korean flick; Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring again. Might not appeal to everyone's tastes but the cinematography in it is beautiful.
I'll second this. It's a very meditative experience, with very little dialogue, long stretches of near inactivity and a strong moral that ties it all together. Really an exquisitely beautiful film, and despite that it may sound dull in description, I'd almost guarantee you'll be sucked in soon enough.
Spring's director, Ki-duk Kim, has a newer movie that came out recently called Bin-jip (3-Iron). It's a similarly paced story, but I thought this one was a bit more engaging from the get go. A young man spends his time breaking into homes while their owners are out, sleeping in their beds, eating the food and whatnot, but he always "repays" them by fixing broken appliances, cleaning, etc. He finds an abused woman in one home, and she latches onto him, eventually accompanying him on these break-ins. The last half hour takes on an increasingly unusual tone, leading up to a truly wonderful conclusion.
I should probably mention, too, that neither of the two main characters speak at all during the entire film, save for a single line at the very end. No explanation is ever given as to
why this is, but I found myself thinking less about this and simply wanting more to see where the plot would lead. Highly recommended.
Kiyoshi Kurosawa's stuff is generally very good: Pulse/Kairo, Cure, Charisma, and Doppleganger (this last one is quite a style shift). I'd like to see Bright Future, but haven't gotten a chance yet.
Definitely look into some of "Beat" Takeshi Kitano's movies if the yakuza genre interests you, but be prepared for more focus on the... in-between time instead of shootouts, although there
are plenty of violent flashes. Sonatine's my favorite, but unfortunately the only good DVD out there is stuck in a two-pack with his so-so Zatoichi movie.
Outside of Audition, Miike's stuff is waaay too freak-out bizarre for my tastes; Zhang Yimou and Wong Kar-Wai are almost always amazing (was disappointed with 2046, though); Oldboy and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance are, IMO, essential, and on the wildly opposite end of the spectrum, All About Lily Chou-Chou should be a must-see. Um, what else... Three Extremes was pretty good, but I didn't care for Park's short; "Dumplings" was crazy good, tho, and I'm going to have to pick up the extended DVD sometime.
Originally Posted by
nitewulf:
Just watched that last night! Really enjoyed it, flaws, low budget and all. Now I'm quite psyched for Last Life in the Universe to come out in a few weeks. Commentary w/ Christopher Doyle = fuck yes.
) Casshern...
