The Avengers
There has been a glut of superhero films, particularly those based on the Marvel comics, and many individual heroes have had their solo outings. Now, in the case of the Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and a few others, they are back as an ensemble, all ready to save the world once again. Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and Clark Gregg’s Agent Phil Coulson get a bit more screen time in this new story, and the villain is Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, who was last met in Thor. There are old, familiar faces, such as Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man, and new appearances such as Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. Internet chatter from people who have watched early fan previews suggest the film has wall-to-wall action and plenty of exciting interaction between the disputatious heroes. Production values are high and the 3D effects have received high praise.
Declaration of War (La guerre est declaree)
A film that tells the story of a couple of bohemian Parisians, Juliette (Valerie Donzelli) and Romeo (Jeremie Elkaim), whose 18-month-old son develops a brain tumor, putting terrible strains on the relationship. The film is based loosely on the lives of the two leads, Donzelli and Elkaim, whose son suffered a near fatal illness. The film was also directed by Donzelli. The intimacy of the connection between the acting, writing and direction give the film a deep emotional punch that manages to survive the French new wave mannerisms that are sometimes in danger of undermining the film’s impact. The movie was France’s nomination for this year’s Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award.
Snowfall in Taipei (台北飄雪)
Directed by Huo Jianqi (霍建起), with a strong cast from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Snowfall in Taipei centers on May (played by Chinese actress Tong Yao, 童瑤), a singer on the run from a relationship with her producer who finds herself in the scenic little town of Jingtung (菁桐) in New Taipei City. She meets local boy Hsiao Mo (played by local actor Wilson Chen, 陳柏霖), and some sort of relationship develops. She finds a quiet happiness, but awaiting just off the scene is another life that continues to hold a certain attraction. Both the people and the scenery are picture-postcard beautiful, but neither the acting nor the story can compete with the visuals.
Come for You (為你而來)
Romantic drama full of heavy-handed sentimentality, Come for You tells the story of Yichia (played by TV actress Cherry Hsia, 夏如芝), who despite suffering from a terminal illness embarks on a journey to China to fulfill the dream of an old man she met in a rest home. On the journey she meets surly photographer Lin De (played by Chinese actor Zheng Kai, 鄭凱). The scenic beauty is almost as contrived as the emotions depicted. The film may gain some following as the last in which local celebrity Johnny Lin (林宗仁), who became a household name after his performance in Cape No. 7 (海角七號), acted in before his death last year.
Cheers From the Heaven
Based on the true story of Hikaru Nakasone, an Okinawan who established a music village to help high school children aspiring to become musicians and inculcated various social values of respect and cooperation in the process. Hiroshi Abe, who is well-known as a comedian, takes the lead role. The story line ensures lots of musical interludes to showcase J-pop, as well as a strong inspirational message about believing in yourself.
5 Days of War
Director Renny Harlin’s track record, including the likes of Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger and Deep Blue Sea, does not lead one to expect sophistication, and with 5 Days of War, set against the background of war between Russia and Georgia, this lack of polish is proven beyond dispute. Not only does 5 Days of War not provide much of an understanding of the complex and vicious war, it manages to be nothing more than a string of explosions, shootings and people being violent to one another. But all of this action does not add up to a story from which much sense can be made.
Ex: Still Friends! (Ex: Amici come prima!)
The title pretty much tells it all. Lots of couples, plenty of infidelity, men and women playing games to get the person they want. By Italian director Carlo Vanzina and with reasonable acting and lots of silly gags, it is perfectly acceptable fare if you like your romantic comedies sexy and quirky.
Les Geants
Two brothers find themselves virtually abandoned by their parents in an old house in rural Belgium for the summer holidays. Bored, they seek out adventure, and inevitably get themselves in all sorts of trouble. While the film is full of humor and charm, the siblings’ eventual run-in with a local drug dealer underlines a much darker side of life. Although primarily a light tale of boyish misadventure, Les Geants has aspirations to follow in the footsteps of such great tales as Stand by Me and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
In late October of 1873 the government of Japan decided against sending a military expedition to Korea to force that nation to open trade relations. Across the government supporters of the expedition resigned immediately. The spectacle of revolt by disaffected samurai began to loom over Japanese politics. In January of 1874 disaffected samurai attacked a senior minister in Tokyo. A month later, a group of pro-Korea expedition and anti-foreign elements from Saga prefecture in Kyushu revolted, driven in part by high food prices stemming from poor harvests. Their leader, according to Edward Drea’s classic Japan’s Imperial Army, was a samurai
The following three paragraphs are just some of what the local Chinese-language press is reporting on breathlessly and following every twist and turn with the eagerness of a soap opera fan. For many English-language readers, it probably comes across as incomprehensibly opaque, so bear with me briefly dear reader: To the surprise of many, former pop singer and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ex-lawmaker Yu Tien (余天) of the Taiwan Normal Country Promotion Association (TNCPA) at the last minute dropped out of the running for committee chair of the DPP’s New Taipei City chapter, paving the way for DPP legislator Su
It’s hard to know where to begin with Mark Tovell’s Taiwan: Roads Above the Clouds. Having published a travelogue myself, as well as having contributed to several guidebooks, at first glance Tovell’s book appears to inhabit a middle ground — the kind of hard-to-sell nowheresville publishers detest. Leaf through the pages and you’ll find them suffuse with the purple prose best associated with travel literature: “When the sun is low on a warm, clear morning, and with the heat already rising, we stand at the riverside bike path leading south from Sanxia’s old cobble streets.” Hardly the stuff of your
April 22 to April 28 The true identity of the mastermind behind the Demon Gang (魔鬼黨) was undoubtedly on the minds of countless schoolchildren in late 1958. In the days leading up to the big reveal, more than 10,000 guesses were sent to Ta Hwa Publishing Co (大華文化社) for a chance to win prizes. The smash success of the comic series Great Battle Against the Demon Gang (大戰魔鬼黨) came as a surprise to author Yeh Hung-chia (葉宏甲), who had long given up on his dream after being jailed for 10 months in 1947 over political cartoons. Protagonist