Frost/Nixon
As Richard Nixon walked his long road toward hoped-for rehabilitation, he conducted a series of interviews in 1977 with declining TV identity David Frost. This film by Ron Howard, based on Peter Morgan’s play, recreates and embellishes their crucial, revelatory exchanges and the maneuvering that surrounded them. Nominated for Oscars including Best Picture, Frost/Nixon follows All the President’s Men in defying the foregone conclusions of historical events to deliver a crackling drama. The widely praised Frank Langella is Nixon and Michael Sheen is Frost.
He’s Just Not That Into You
A large and breezy cast turns a successful self-help book into a comedy in which a bunch of couples and singles agonize over their romantic shortcomings. Derided by some critics as dressing up the same old conservative formula of happy endings and character karma in modern clothes and fresh faces, fans of the performers should still have a good time — and at least it’s not based on a cellphone serial. Stars Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, Drew Barrymore, Ben Affleck, Justin Long and the head-turning Ginnifer Goodwin, among many others.
Elsa and Fred
This rather melodramatic Spanish/Argentine co-production from 2005 revisits the late blooming romance sub-genre as lonely new neighbors Fred (Manuel Alexandre) and Elsa (China Zorrilla) strike up a relationship that ought to make the characters in He’s Just Not That Into You envious. Fred eventually fulfills Elsa’s dream of recreating the fountain scene from Fellini’s La Dolce Vita during a trip to Rome. Critics were not as impressed as might be expected with this one, though Roger Ebert thought the fountain climax was moving enough to warrant a spoiler.
Storm Rider: Clash of Evils
An animated film from Hong Kong continues the saga of two young martial arts aces of lore who avenge their parents’ deaths before being separated and facing new challenges to survive. When they finally link up again they must deal with a new and more powerful enemy and difficult choices. Judging from the trailer, this is manna from heaven for people who know the story or who play sword and sorcery computer games online, but of little interest for anyone expecting the depth and craftsmanship of Pixar.
The Dark Knight (IMAX version)
Just in time for the Oscars, the Miramar in Taipei is re-releasing this wonderful spectacle until Watchmen starts on the very big screen on March 6. The IMAX theater is where this brooding classic truly belongs, and those who haven’t seen the IMAX print now have another chance to pay slightly more for a very big payoff. This Batman entry, the best of them all, starts with Heath Ledger’s criminal anarchy and ends with the battered, bereaved hero fleeing from infamy into the unknown. Brilliant, rousing stuff.
Love Exposure
This South Korean romantic yarn from 2007 about the lives and loves of two female friends is notable for being made by women. Its English title suggests something rather lewd, but the package is about much more than one-night stands and designer underwear as our heroines deal with infidelity and life choices. Likened to Sex and the City, and also (unfortunately) known as Lovers Behind, this hiChannel promotion is exposing itself at Ximending’s Baixue theater.
Seven hundred job applications. One interview. Marco Mascaro arrived in Taiwan last year with a PhD in engineering physics and years of experience at a European research center. He thought his Gold Card would guarantee him a foothold in Taiwan’s job market. “It’s marketed as if Taiwan really needs you,” the 33-year-old Italian says. “The reality is that companies here don’t really need us.” The Employment Gold Card was designed to fix Taiwan’s labor shortage by offering foreign professionals a combined resident visa and open work permit valid for three years. But for many, like Mascaro, the welcome mat ends at the door. A
The Western media once again enthusiastically forwarded Beijing’s talking points on Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comment two weeks ago that an attack by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on Taiwan was an existential threat to Japan and would trigger Japanese military intervention in defense of Taiwan. The predictable reach for clickbait meant that a string of teachable moments was lost, “like tears in the rain.” Again. The Economist led the way, assigning the blame to the victim. “Takaichi Sanae was bound to rile China sooner rather than later,” the magazine asserted. It then explained: “Japan’s new prime minister is
NOV. 24 to NOV. 30 It wasn’t famine, disaster or war that drove the people of Soansai to flee their homeland, but a blanket-stealing demon. At least that’s how Poan Yu-pie (潘有秘), a resident of the Indigenous settlement of Kipatauw in what is today Taipei’s Beitou District (北投), told it to Japanese anthropologist Kanori Ino in 1897. Unable to sleep out of fear, the villagers built a raft large enough to fit everyone and set sail. They drifted for days before arriving at what is now Shenao Port (深奧) on Taiwan’s north coast,
Divadlo feels like your warm neighborhood slice of home — even if you’ve only ever spent a few days in Prague, like myself. A projector is screening retro animations by Czech director Karel Zeman, the shelves are lined with books and vinyl, and the owner will sit with you to share stories over a glass of pear brandy. The food is also fantastic, not just a new cultural experience but filled with nostalgia, recipes from home and laden with soul-warming carbs, perfect as the weather turns chilly. A Prague native, Kaio Picha has been in Taipei for 13 years and
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