The Good – Sparrow
It’s been a truly great year for Asian cinema! There are so many highlights, such as John Woo’s ambitious historical war epic Red Cliff, the little bit silly but hugely entertaining Hong Kong thriller Connected, and Cape No. 7, Taiwan’s box office hit that may possibly revive its struggling film industry in the same way Shiri did in Korea back in 1999. But my personal favourite Asian film of 2008 has to be Johnnie To’s gentle and elegant Sparrow, a special film that plays like a musical, only without any singing or dancing.
The Bad – La Lingerie
In this Hong Kong romantic comedy, the leads Ronald Cheng and Stephy Tang just don’t have any chemistry between them, and the supposedly funny lines consistently fail to generate laughs. It is a mediocre effort from the team that brought us the hilarious Le Brassiere years ago, and even the beautiful young female cast fails to make the film a likeable one.
The Weird – Gozu
So strange it would qualify as one of the oddest films in history. The bizarre characters, the outlandish situations and the outrageous climax all make this a unique viewing experience. However, as I mentioned in my review earlier this year, some of you will find the film offensive, while others, like myself, will actually find the ride rather enjoyable.