50/50 (2011)

Up to very recently, a story about someone dying of cancer only means a triple-hanky Hollywood weepie.

Here the entire genre and its conventions (the sufferer becoming more beautiful when slowly dying, etc) are subverted and mocked. It's as close to real life as it gets!

It's highly watchable because of the heroic romanticism of the Hollywood weepie is replaced by real life humour.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 30 November 2011.

Four Lions (2010)

4 radicalised Asians with very low common sense, intelligence, and a high opinion of themselves plan a terror attack in the middle of London.

They might just get away with it no thanks to the equally incompetent cops.

Watch this if you feel you need to laugh at the absurdity of the post 9/11 world.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 31 August 2011.

The Lost Bladesman (关云长) (2011)

Donnie Yen is Asia's Steven Seagal, starring in B-films where he overpowers the opposition so handily, his dispensation of whoop-ass comes off as hardly heroic.

This historical revisionist take on the Three Kingdoms period employs sublime stunt casting, with Donnie Yen starring as general Guan Yu.

The historical revisionist gimmick: Guan Yu is a killing machine with a sense of integrity that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 4 May 2011.

Forever (我愛你愛你愛你) (2011)

Here's another romantic comedy that skewers the concept of romantic comedies.

I see it as a gender-reversed The Cable Guy done as a romcom.

Forever is a Singaporean film, which means it feels like a sketch comedy show that sticks at making a couple of easy, obvious jokes and jibes instead of concentrating on developing its key premise.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 9 March 2011.

If you are the one 2 (非诚勿扰 2) (2010)

Feng Xiaogang makes a rare return to biting social satires of modern China with this film.

A couple having a wacky trial cohabitation provide enough brilliant sketches skewering modern Chinese marriages and sexual politics.

There's so much swiping at China's nouveau riches and their consumerist lifestyles, you'd think Feng is a Marxist filmmaker in a capitalist society.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 1 February 2011.

Uncle Boonmee who can recall his past lives (ลุงบุญมีร:ะลึกชาติ) (2010)

A man dying from a terminal illness begins to see visions of past lives while being visited by ghosts and monsters.

Those who aren't familiar with Thai culture and politics may watch this as a quirky and meandering Magic Realist drama.

Those familiar with Thai culture and politics will recognise an aggressively irreverent screed against the various elites of Thai society.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 26 January 2011.

Outrage (アウトレイジ) (2010)

After half a lifetime of making yakuza flicks and then half a lifetime of not making yakuza flicks, Takeshi Kitano returns to the genre with a vengeance.

This time round, the gangsters are greedy and grasping conmen without trust and honour, dealing more in betrayal, deceit, and backstabbing.


Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 22 September 2010.

The Joneses (2009)

The concepts of corporate espionage and stealth marketing campaigns are taken to their most logical end.

Meet The Joneses, the new neighbours whose every lifestyle detail is a marketing ploy.

Oh, such delicious irony.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 26 August 2010.

Repo men (2010)

A satire that never really finds its own voice, Repo Men takes the premise of the organ donor sketch from Monty Python and the Meaning of Life and marries it to The Corporation and Logan's Run.

You're likely to be disappointed as Repo Men will remind you of these far better films, while not surpassing them in the least.


Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 30 June 2010.

Men who stare at goats (2009)

The fluffer turned up on time at the set

Love a shaggy dog story?

Love a good conspiracy theory?

1970s secret military experiments meet the war on terror. Psychic ninjas to the rescue!

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 31 March 2010.

Confucius (孔子) (2010)

Survivors ready? Go!

Ever wondered about the real Confucius?

I mean, the extremist ideologue who was a threat to stability all across China.

Yes, the one who is constantly outwitted, outplayed and outlasted by his political opponents. All for your entertainment!

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 17 March 2010.

Kaiji (カイジ：人生逆転ゲーム) (2010)

This is the only thing that makes wage slavery bearableEver wondered if the rat race, capitalism, and work were just a trap?

Ever felt like you're still a wage slaves and modern serf at the end of the day?

Clearly, you're not taking enough of the opium of the masses!

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 17 March 2010

Up in the air (2009)

But who was the one living vicariously?

Do you like to be an asshole?

Do you like to be paid to be an asshole?

Now for the clincher: do you like to be an asshole and travel around the world?

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 3 March 2010.