Father Geek here with our Asia crew's top 10 of 2001 lists, soooooo scroll on down to see what Darius25, AccSpy, and pigmon thought of the year's films in their respective areas of expertise... Toooo Cooooool!!!
Asia-AICN
INDIA
We’re going to try and start a new tradition here at Asia-AICN by writing down our own best-of lists at the end of each year. My list is located just below while you can find Pigmon and AccSpy’s lists in their respective sections. My list will only focus on non-English language films (as you have TOO many of those on any site), but just to let you know, I have seen almost every major Hollywood release and my 3 favourites are:
The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (what ELSE!!!)
A. I. – Spielberg’s best film since Schindler’s list and the most Kubrickian film, made by someone other than the master himself. Trust me, this WILL become a classic in the future.
Moulin Rouge – The film’s just a MARVELLOUS DELIGHT. Yes the story isn’t much (a typical Indian film actually), but I actually felt its heart. Nicole Kidman’s Satine was just mesmerizing while Ewan was just DEAD-ON perfect!! Awesome songs aswell. These three films have just made my English movie-going experience even more wonderful in a year already full of many great films (Memento, Ali, and even The Majestic).
OK, now here’s my top ten Non-English language films in reverse order:
10. “Brotherhood of the Wolves” from Christopher Gans.
You already know about this film from other reviews on this site. Let me just say that while this isn’t the epic film it wants to be (and not a classic like “Sleepy Hollow”), I enjoyed it for the thrilling fight sequences, good acting from Samuel Le Bihan, Vincent Kassal and a BADASS Marc Dacascos (who wasn’t in the film long enough), and the beautiful sight of Monica Bellucci’s nude body!! The last point is enough for any straight guy to see the film – but gals will like it for Marc Dacascos and the dramatic plot. A very good blend of art-house and chop-socky genres.
09. “Zubeidaa” from Shyam Benegal.
A very good art film that twists the conventions of the standard romance films to tell the story of a rebellious young woman who did everything to win her love. The film makes a good social commentary on the state of women in the 1950s India (which could still apply today) and features a FANTASTIC performance from lead Karisma Kapoor in her best role to date. It’s heavy on the drama but the story held me there throughout its running time (even though the fate of the characters is given at the start) and the songs were extremely melodious.
08. “Fulltime Killer” from Johnny To and Wai Ka Fai.
A great action film from HK which takes the shitty plot from “Assassins” and turns it into something wholly original. Sure the pop-culture references are nothing new, but the stylish techniques (especially in the climactic gunfight) and a hilariously over-the-top performance from lead Andy Lau make the film just damn entertaining. Plus, Kelly Lam looks really HOT here (I wonder why I didn’t notice her before?), especially with that big ass gun in her hands!!
07. “Love on a Diet” from Johnny To and Wai Ka Fai
Even though I love all genres of film, being an Indian, the romantic comedy is by far the best one of them all. In Hollywood, the most adorable woman is Meg Ryan (not the most babe-a-licious, but definitely the cutest) and in India, the most adorable woman is Kajol. Now in HK, that title would definitely belong to Sammi Cheng. She is not the hottest nor is she the youngest of all the babes, but she’s the one whom I wanted to marry after watching “Needing You”, the actors’ and directors’ last collaboration. And since that film is my favourite HK romance, it should hardly be a surprise that this film is on the list here. Andy Lau is consistently funny and charming here, much like an HK version of Shahrukh Khan while Sammi is her adorable self. The movie is laugh-out-loud funny in some scenes, while being sappy in just the right places. And once again, Johnny To and Wai Ka Fai show that they could handle practically any genre with ease.
06. “Gadar” (Revolution) from Anil Sharma.
Yeah, you read that right, the title says Gadar, not Lagaan. While I think Lagaan is technically a better film, I found Gadar to be more entertaining and more emotional. Like I said, romances are better than anything else, and when you have a cutie like Amisha Patel in a heart-braking role and tough-guy Sunny Deol mowing down hundreds of soldiers for his love, then you can’t really go wrong, can you? Yes it’s unrealistic, it’s sappy, and it’s clichéd. But the mix of over-the-top action and really emotional romance worked for me. The couple’s plights made sense to me and I wanted to get them out of that hostile territory even if that meant the death of hundreds and hundreds of enemy soldiers. Yeah, I know the film’s biased but I’m not really looking for fair-sidedness or a P.C. plot. The film delivered the goods and I loved it for that.
05. “Amelie” from Jean-Pierre Jeunet
A very good romantic fantasy that you’ve already heard so much about. There’s nothing more for me to add here except that it is really THAT good and Audrey Tautou gives the best female performance of the year. She really makes you fall in love with Amelie and lets you want to embrace her forever. Amelie is quite possibly the lightest film you’ll see this year and is the perfect remedy to forget the horrible events of this past Fall. If you’re ever in a bad mood, just watch this film and you’ll be as giddy as a little schoolgirl in a room full of dolls!!
04. “Musa” (The Warrior) from Kim Sung-Su
A great adventure flick with some AMAZING swordfights. This is the film for you realistic fans who don’t want to see any wire-fu or CGI-enhanced FX work in their fight scenes. This film’s one long chase scene from beginning to end with a very simple story – a group of warriors must fend off an evil platoon while protecting a princess. And Zhang Ziyi is the princess!!! Yes, the most beautiful and talented actress EVER is this film!! And there’s lots of blood!!! This is one of the most expensive films in Korean cinema and while I’m no expert regarding that industry (I have just seen Shiri only), I must say that Musa offers a great example in the Adventure category. The actors are all likeable, the fights are very bloody while being realistic and the climactic battle is a blast (with some clever references to “The Wild Bunch” and “The Seven Samurai). I don’t think this would ever get distribution in the US, but all of you should try your best to track it down. You won’t regret it!
03. “Shaolin Soccer” from Stephen Chow.
Do I really have to talk about this film?? You should know by April that Stephen Chow is one of the funniest actors in HK and for a good reason!! Everything from the endless parodies to the dazzling FX spells pure entertainment from beginning to end. Yes, this is a traditional sports comedy with the usual outcomes, but you’ll be glad that you came along for the ride. Trust me, you’ll never view soccer (or football) the same way again. And even though Vicky Zhao doesn’t look that great here (on purpose), she’s also a HOTTIE!!
02. “Ichi the Killer” from Takashi Miike (the most fucked up man on this planet).
You may have heard a thing or two about this film from this year’s Toronto film fest reports. The most violent (and disturbing) film ever made is also one of the most freshest and dazzling films to be made since “Fight Club”. And if you liked that film, this film will really knock you senseless. The film’s pure style and very little substance, but I was just amazed at just how sick Miike really is. Believe me, nothing on earth will prepare you for this film and has to be watched atleast once in your lifetime. Just a word to the wise – prepare for excessive blood and gore, mutilations, decapitations, countless amounts of torture, the most disgusting acts of sexual abuse ever captured on film, and MUCH more. That said, I LOVED it (and I’m a sicko!!).
01. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham” (Sometimes Happiness, Sometimes Sadness) from Karan Johar.
Ok so this should be a no-brainer for anybody who regularly reads this section of the column. SRK’s my favourite actor, Hrithik is THE best newcomer in Bollywood while Amitabh Bachchan is starting to recover his status as one the major biggies in the industry. And yes, the SRK-Kajol pair still have that charm since 1995’s “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge” (Lovers will take their Brides Away). Despite it’s obvious flaws (too many characters, weak dialogue, not enough explanations), the family film has managed to overcome its hype and has become the biggest blockbuster in Indian cinema for this year (and possibly one of the biggest hits of all time). The film met my expectations and for me the amazing starcast was alone worth the price of admission. This is definitely not the best film overall (Ichi the Killer explored more boundaries while Lagaan was a technical marvel and LOR was just simply AMAZING), but it is my favourite film for this year. I have seen it 4 times now and plan on watching it atleast twice more in theatres. It’s an instant classic and should be watched by everyone looking for pure entertainment.
Honourable mentions (in alphabetical order):
Ajnabee (The Stranger)
Crimson Rivers, The
Dil Chahta Hai (Desires of the Heart)
Ek Rishtaa – The Bond of Love
Farz (Duty)
Indian
Lagaan (The Tax)
Lajja (Shame)
Legend of Zu
Rehna Hai Terre Dil Me (Living in Your Heart)
Versus
And now here’s some production news:
- Fresh off the success of “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (Sometimes Happiness, Sometimes Sorrow)”, Karan Johar has already announced his next film. He’ll only produce it this time (while also writing the screenplay), while newcomer Nikhil Advani will have the directorial duties. Titled “Saathiya (Companion)”, the film will be a thriller (!) and will feature the Johar regulars – Shahrukh Khan and Rani Mukherji – in leading roles. Vivek Oberoi and Kareena Kapoor will play the other pair in the film. The film is expected to start shooting in the fall for a Diwali 2003 release.
- Famed producer B. R. Chopra is planning to make a comeback in the industry with a new film, titled “Baagban”. The producer has hired Ravi Chopra to direct the film, while Amitabh Bachchan and Tabu have supposedly joined onboard. Further casting remains to be completed. The film will start shooting in late February-early March.
- Amisha Patel has been replaced by Preity Zinta for director Anil Sharma’s upcoming film with Sunny Deol. The actress just didn’t have enough time to take on a leading role in the film, but may still be roped in for a special appearance Former model Priyanka Chopra is the other leading actress of the film. It will start shooting sometime in the spring for a Winter 2002 release.
CHINA / HK
Here is this week’s report from “AccSpy”:
2001 was a better year for HK cinema. Gone are the Americanized big-budget action movies and back is the comedic genius of Stephen Chow. And even though the quality has decreased 10%, the total box office grossing of HK film this year is $480 million HKD, which has increased $93 million HKD from last year. Not a bad number comparing to the total gross of the foreign releases (including Hollywood films), which is $530 million HKD. Out of the 133 theatrical releases, and not including any films released in December that I've never seen, here’s a list of my favourite top 10 HK films in 2001:
1. Shaolin Soccer (Stephen Chow, Ng Man-tat, Dir: Stephen Chow, Lee Lik-chi)
I watched the sports channel last week and they had a soccer year-review, and they aired a clip of Shaolin Soccer, a relatively unknown film to North American, to sum up the year.
Not Stephen Chow's best film, hell it's not even the funniest HK film this year, but the highest grossing HK film ever is so satisfying that it lives up to everyone's expectations despite the heavy hyping. The last 30 minutes is simply breathtaking with the help of some very well-used CGI and Ching Siu-tung, but my favourite moment is when the Shaolin brothers face off against the Tofu team (led by Vincent Kuk) and scored a ridiculous 40-0 result in their first match. One of the simple segments which explains
why we love Stephen Chow in the first place.
2. Time & Tide (Nicholas Tse, Wu Bai, Dir: Tsui Hark)
Probably the best action film to come out last year (perhaps last 14 months since the film premiered in HK on October 2000). Tsui Hark was never famous for his modern-day action flicks, and the two Van Damme vehicles hurt too. But here, Tsui created an astonishing 45 minutes action sequences shifting places from a battered apartment complex to a busy train station to a crowded stadium that almost outdid, say, John Woo's last HK effort, Hard-boiled. Watch it first time for the action alone, the figure out the story in the second viewing: the plot exists but it's just buried underneath the non-stop action from scene to scene. Can't blame that!!
3. Funeral March (Eason Chan, Charlene Choi, Dir: Joe Ma)
A classic tearjerker involving love and illness is not as boring and manipulating as it sounds in Funeral March. Thanks to Joe Ma's subtle direction and the outstanding production values from the art direction to cinematography to make it special. The supporting cast like Kenneth Tsang and Liu Kite-chi are great as usual. Charlene Choi is convincing in her second debut performance, as the stubborn cancer patient who approaches Eason Chan to arrange a funeral for her. But the true star here is Eason Chan, as his dramatic performance is so impressively touching that helps to rank him as one of the stand out performers in 2001. The middle part of the film seems to drag a little bit, but at the end when the credit rolls I almost felt sorry I thought that, because every little detail paid off.
4. Durian, Durian (Qin Haliu, Mak Wai-fan, Dir:Fruit Chan)
A spin-off from Fruit Chan's Made in HK trilogy focusing on an opera student from China to prostitute in HK for some quick cash. The sudden background-shifting in the middle of the film provided a detailed look at the differences and similarities between Mainlanders and HK people after the hand-over, thru the eyes of two "visitors". Bow to Fruit Chan, as once again he’s created a beautiful film with a limited budget and his gifted instinct for eyeing the new actors to fill his complicated roles.
5. Dummy Mummy, without a Baby (Mariam Yeung, Edison Chan, Dir: Joe Ma)
A fun feast from start to finish, Dummy Mummy is easily the funniest HK film in 2001 (yet with the worst title of the year). Filled with charming characters, situation gags and slightly less than predictable plot (credit must be given that the two leads never even develop a romantic relationship, so un-typical in a HK comedy), Dummy Mummy is my favourite urban comedy this year, among other similar (and more successful, box office-wise) titles like Love on a Diet and La Braissere. And yes, even Edison Chan didn't screw up here.
6. Visible Secret (Shu Qi, Eason Chan, Dir: Ann Hui)
Director Ann Hui goes back to her horror root twenty years later with this well-made supernatural thriller which is scary occasionally when most of the time dealing with the unavoidable differences between generations. Shi Qi stood out as a nurse with double personas, and she sees dead people.
7. Merry-Go-Round (Eric Tsang, Lawrence Chou, Dir: Thomas Chow)
A lovely bittersweet tale about first love from the UFO production. Adapted from her own radio drama, DJ GCGooBi brings her cartoonish characters to the big screen in the form of live-action successfully. Delightful and charming.
8. The Accidental Spy (Jackie Chan, Vivian Hsu, Dir: Teddy Chan)
Jackie Chan meets Hitchcock in this suspend thriller. With the higher-than-usual influence from Teddy Chan and the script from Ivy Ho, finally Jackie Chan has a chance to play a character and not himself.
9. You Shoot, I Shoot (Eric Kot, Chueng Tat-ming, Dir: Pang Ho-cheng)
Quirky and sarcastic, Pang (the author of Fulltime Killer)'s directorial debut is a bizarre and hilarious look at the hitman business which sounds like Fulltime Killer's long lost brother.
10. Legend of Zu (Ekin Cheng, Louis Koo, Dir:Tsui Hark)
An exhilarating epic, if not too exhausting for the audiences. Still, the images are too beautiful to forget.
Honorable mentions:
11. Love au Zen (Flora Chan, Poon Chan-leung, Dir: Derek Chiu)
Rarely is a movie bult around Buddha talks; but more rarely is a Buddha talks film this fun and entertaining.
12. La Braissere (Lau Ching-wan, Louis Koo, Dir: Patrick Leung, Chan Hing-kar)
This gimmick comedy has its moments. Ths cast were having so much fun but the direction can be tighter. Yet, the scene of Lau and Koo acting as women for half a day is worth the price alone.
13. Fulltime Killer (Andy Lau, Takashi Sorimachi, Dir: Johnnie To, Wai Kar-fai)
I can complain the whole day about how the film didn't stay true to the novel, nonetheless, this is still one of the coolest looking films in 2001 and it deserves to be mentioned by (if not only by) Andy Lau's larger-than-life performance. If I didn't read the book, I might rank it higher.
14. From the Queen to the Chief Executive (David Lee, Ai Jing, Dir: Herman Yu)
A powerful political film that shows a lot of caring and sympathy to the forgettable kinds, Herman Yu is at his best.
15. Runaway (Nick Cheung, Anothny Wong, Dir: Dante Lam)
I appreciate the "nonsense dialogue" Stephen Chow film in the 90's, since Chow no longer makes these kinds of movies, I turned to this one. Dante Lam took a vacation from his action genre to make this relaxing, offbeat flick, and it's nice to see Anothony Wong offered a chance to be funny again.
Worst film of 2001:
Comic King (Chilam Cheung, Eason Chan)
Favourite Male Performance:
Patrick Tam (Born Wild)
runner-up: Eason Chan (Funeral March)
Favourite Female Performance:
Sylvia Cheung (Forever and Ever)
runner-up: Carina Lau (La Brassiere)
- Last weekend at the HK box office, "Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone" stayed at no.1 with $822 million in four days while "Dance with a Dream" remained at no.2 with $3.75 million. Two animations were kept doing decent business, as "Spirited Away" and My Life as McDull" earned $2.85 mil and $2.22 mil respectively. A big disappointment happened with "Running out of Time 2" as the Lau Ching Wan-Ekin Cheng actioner debuted at no.5 with just $2.04 mil HKD. (Too bad!! – D25)
JAPAN
And here’s the latest report from “Pigmon”:
Hi all. Here’s a list of my favourite Japanese films from 2001 (in no particular order):
Spirited Away
Hotoke
Love Song
Electric Dragon 80000v
Hikari No Ame
Go
Honogurai Mizu No Sokokara
Turn
Katakuri Ke No Kofuku
Hush!
And the worst movies from this year are:
Pulse
Hotaru
Distance
Odagiri So
Hitsuji No Uta
We have now reached the end of this week's column. Remember, if you have information regarding any film industry in Asia, please contact our Asia-AICN offices at atshrivas@rogers.com. See you all next week.
Darius25
We’re going to try and start a new tradition here at Asia-AICN by writing down our own best-of lists at the end of each year. My list is located just below while you can find Pigmon and AccSpy’s lists in their respective sections. My list will only focus on non-English language films (as you have TOO many of those on any site), but just to let you know, I have seen almost every major Hollywood release and my 3 favourites are:
The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (what ELSE!!!)
A. I. – Spielberg’s best film since Schindler’s list and the most Kubrickian film, made by someone other than the master himself. Trust me, this WILL become a classic in the future.
Moulin Rouge – The film’s just a MARVELLOUS DELIGHT. Yes the story isn’t much (a typical Indian film actually), but I actually felt its heart. Nicole Kidman’s Satine was just mesmerizing while Ewan was just DEAD-ON perfect!! Awesome songs aswell. These three films have just made my English movie-going experience even more wonderful in a year already full of many great films (Memento, Ali, and even The Majestic).
OK, now here’s my top ten Non-English language films in reverse order:
10. “Brotherhood of the Wolves” from Christopher Gans.
You already know about this film from other reviews on this site. Let me just say that while this isn’t the epic film it wants to be (and not a classic like “Sleepy Hollow”), I enjoyed it for the thrilling fight sequences, good acting from Samuel Le Bihan, Vincent Kassal and a BADASS Marc Dacascos (who wasn’t in the film long enough), and the beautiful sight of Monica Bellucci’s nude body!! The last point is enough for any straight guy to see the film – but gals will like it for Marc Dacascos and the dramatic plot. A very good blend of art-house and chop-socky genres.
09. “Zubeidaa” from Shyam Benegal.
A very good art film that twists the conventions of the standard romance films to tell the story of a rebellious young woman who did everything to win her love. The film makes a good social commentary on the state of women in the 1950s India (which could still apply today) and features a FANTASTIC performance from lead Karisma Kapoor in her best role to date. It’s heavy on the drama but the story held me there throughout its running time (even though the fate of the characters is given at the start) and the songs were extremely melodious.
08. “Fulltime Killer” from Johnny To and Wai Ka Fai.
A great action film from HK which takes the shitty plot from “Assassins” and turns it into something wholly original. Sure the pop-culture references are nothing new, but the stylish techniques (especially in the climactic gunfight) and a hilariously over-the-top performance from lead Andy Lau make the film just damn entertaining. Plus, Kelly Lam looks really HOT here (I wonder why I didn’t notice her before?), especially with that big ass gun in her hands!!
07. “Love on a Diet” from Johnny To and Wai Ka Fai
Even though I love all genres of film, being an Indian, the romantic comedy is by far the best one of them all. In Hollywood, the most adorable woman is Meg Ryan (not the most babe-a-licious, but definitely the cutest) and in India, the most adorable woman is Kajol. Now in HK, that title would definitely belong to Sammi Cheng. She is not the hottest nor is she the youngest of all the babes, but she’s the one whom I wanted to marry after watching “Needing You”, the actors’ and directors’ last collaboration. And since that film is my favourite HK romance, it should hardly be a surprise that this film is on the list here. Andy Lau is consistently funny and charming here, much like an HK version of Shahrukh Khan while Sammi is her adorable self. The movie is laugh-out-loud funny in some scenes, while being sappy in just the right places. And once again, Johnny To and Wai Ka Fai show that they could handle practically any genre with ease.
06. “Gadar” (Revolution) from Anil Sharma.
Yeah, you read that right, the title says Gadar, not Lagaan. While I think Lagaan is technically a better film, I found Gadar to be more entertaining and more emotional. Like I said, romances are better than anything else, and when you have a cutie like Amisha Patel in a heart-braking role and tough-guy Sunny Deol mowing down hundreds of soldiers for his love, then you can’t really go wrong, can you? Yes it’s unrealistic, it’s sappy, and it’s clichéd. But the mix of over-the-top action and really emotional romance worked for me. The couple’s plights made sense to me and I wanted to get them out of that hostile territory even if that meant the death of hundreds and hundreds of enemy soldiers. Yeah, I know the film’s biased but I’m not really looking for fair-sidedness or a P.C. plot. The film delivered the goods and I loved it for that.
05. “Amelie” from Jean-Pierre Jeunet
A very good romantic fantasy that you’ve already heard so much about. There’s nothing more for me to add here except that it is really THAT good and Audrey Tautou gives the best female performance of the year. She really makes you fall in love with Amelie and lets you want to embrace her forever. Amelie is quite possibly the lightest film you’ll see this year and is the perfect remedy to forget the horrible events of this past Fall. If you’re ever in a bad mood, just watch this film and you’ll be as giddy as a little schoolgirl in a room full of dolls!!
04. “Musa” (The Warrior) from Kim Sung-Su
A great adventure flick with some AMAZING swordfights. This is the film for you realistic fans who don’t want to see any wire-fu or CGI-enhanced FX work in their fight scenes. This film’s one long chase scene from beginning to end with a very simple story – a group of warriors must fend off an evil platoon while protecting a princess. And Zhang Ziyi is the princess!!! Yes, the most beautiful and talented actress EVER is this film!! And there’s lots of blood!!! This is one of the most expensive films in Korean cinema and while I’m no expert regarding that industry (I have just seen Shiri only), I must say that Musa offers a great example in the Adventure category. The actors are all likeable, the fights are very bloody while being realistic and the climactic battle is a blast (with some clever references to “The Wild Bunch” and “The Seven Samurai). I don’t think this would ever get distribution in the US, but all of you should try your best to track it down. You won’t regret it!
03. “Shaolin Soccer” from Stephen Chow.
Do I really have to talk about this film?? You should know by April that Stephen Chow is one of the funniest actors in HK and for a good reason!! Everything from the endless parodies to the dazzling FX spells pure entertainment from beginning to end. Yes, this is a traditional sports comedy with the usual outcomes, but you’ll be glad that you came along for the ride. Trust me, you’ll never view soccer (or football) the same way again. And even though Vicky Zhao doesn’t look that great here (on purpose), she’s also a HOTTIE!!
02. “Ichi the Killer” from Takashi Miike (the most fucked up man on this planet).
You may have heard a thing or two about this film from this year’s Toronto film fest reports. The most violent (and disturbing) film ever made is also one of the most freshest and dazzling films to be made since “Fight Club”. And if you liked that film, this film will really knock you senseless. The film’s pure style and very little substance, but I was just amazed at just how sick Miike really is. Believe me, nothing on earth will prepare you for this film and has to be watched atleast once in your lifetime. Just a word to the wise – prepare for excessive blood and gore, mutilations, decapitations, countless amounts of torture, the most disgusting acts of sexual abuse ever captured on film, and MUCH more. That said, I LOVED it (and I’m a sicko!!).
01. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham” (Sometimes Happiness, Sometimes Sadness) from Karan Johar.
Ok so this should be a no-brainer for anybody who regularly reads this section of the column. SRK’s my favourite actor, Hrithik is THE best newcomer in Bollywood while Amitabh Bachchan is starting to recover his status as one the major biggies in the industry. And yes, the SRK-Kajol pair still have that charm since 1995’s “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge” (Lovers will take their Brides Away). Despite it’s obvious flaws (too many characters, weak dialogue, not enough explanations), the family film has managed to overcome its hype and has become the biggest blockbuster in Indian cinema for this year (and possibly one of the biggest hits of all time). The film met my expectations and for me the amazing starcast was alone worth the price of admission. This is definitely not the best film overall (Ichi the Killer explored more boundaries while Lagaan was a technical marvel and LOR was just simply AMAZING), but it is my favourite film for this year. I have seen it 4 times now and plan on watching it atleast twice more in theatres. It’s an instant classic and should be watched by everyone looking for pure entertainment.
Honourable mentions (in alphabetical order):
Ajnabee (The Stranger)
Crimson Rivers, The
Dil Chahta Hai (Desires of the Heart)
Ek Rishtaa – The Bond of Love
Farz (Duty)
Indian
Lagaan (The Tax)
Lajja (Shame)
Legend of Zu
Rehna Hai Terre Dil Me (Living in Your Heart)
Versus
And now here’s some production news:
- Fresh off the success of “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (Sometimes Happiness, Sometimes Sorrow)”, Karan Johar has already announced his next film. He’ll only produce it this time (while also writing the screenplay), while newcomer Nikhil Advani will have the directorial duties. Titled “Saathiya (Companion)”, the film will be a thriller (!) and will feature the Johar regulars – Shahrukh Khan and Rani Mukherji – in leading roles. Vivek Oberoi and Kareena Kapoor will play the other pair in the film. The film is expected to start shooting in the fall for a Diwali 2003 release.
- Famed producer B. R. Chopra is planning to make a comeback in the industry with a new film, titled “Baagban”. The producer has hired Ravi Chopra to direct the film, while Amitabh Bachchan and Tabu have supposedly joined onboard. Further casting remains to be completed. The film will start shooting in late February-early March.
- Amisha Patel has been replaced by Preity Zinta for director Anil Sharma’s upcoming film with Sunny Deol. The actress just didn’t have enough time to take on a leading role in the film, but may still be roped in for a special appearance Former model Priyanka Chopra is the other leading actress of the film. It will start shooting sometime in the spring for a Winter 2002 release.
CHINA / HK
Here is this week’s report from “AccSpy”:
2001 was a better year for HK cinema. Gone are the Americanized big-budget action movies and back is the comedic genius of Stephen Chow. And even though the quality has decreased 10%, the total box office grossing of HK film this year is $480 million HKD, which has increased $93 million HKD from last year. Not a bad number comparing to the total gross of the foreign releases (including Hollywood films), which is $530 million HKD. Out of the 133 theatrical releases, and not including any films released in December that I've never seen, here’s a list of my favourite top 10 HK films in 2001:
1. Shaolin Soccer (Stephen Chow, Ng Man-tat, Dir: Stephen Chow, Lee Lik-chi)
I watched the sports channel last week and they had a soccer year-review, and they aired a clip of Shaolin Soccer, a relatively unknown film to North American, to sum up the year.
Not Stephen Chow's best film, hell it's not even the funniest HK film this year, but the highest grossing HK film ever is so satisfying that it lives up to everyone's expectations despite the heavy hyping. The last 30 minutes is simply breathtaking with the help of some very well-used CGI and Ching Siu-tung, but my favourite moment is when the Shaolin brothers face off against the Tofu team (led by Vincent Kuk) and scored a ridiculous 40-0 result in their first match. One of the simple segments which explains why we love Stephen Chow in the first place.
2. Time & Tide (Nicholas Tse, Wu Bai, Dir: Tsui Hark)
Probably the best action film to come out last year (perhaps last 14 months since the film premiered in HK on October 2000). Tsui Hark was never famous for his modern-day action flicks, and the two Van Damme vehicles hurt too. But here, Tsui created an astonishing 45 minutes action sequences shifting places from a battered apartment complex to a busy train station to a crowded stadium that almost outdid, say, John Woo's last HK effort, Hard-boiled. Watch it first time for the action alone, the figure out the story in the second viewing: the plot exists but it's just buried underneath the non-stop action from scene to scene. Can't blame that!!
3. Funeral March (Eason Chan, Charlene Choi, Dir: Joe Ma)
A classic tearjerker involving love and illness is not as boring and manipulating as it sounds in Funeral March. Thanks to Joe Ma's subtle direction and the outstanding production values from the art direction to cinematography to make it special. The supporting cast like Kenneth Tsang and Liu Kite-chi are great as usual. Charlene Choi is convincing in her second debut performance, as the stubborn cancer patient who approaches Eason Chan to arrange a funeral for her. But the true star here is Eason Chan, as his dramatic performance is so impressively touching that helps to rank him as one of the stand out performers in 2001. The middle part of the film seems to drag a little bit, but at the end when the credit rolls I almost felt sorry I thought that, because every little detail paid off.
4. Durian, Durian (Qin Haliu, Mak Wai-fan, Dir:Fruit Chan)
A spin-off from Fruit Chan's Made in HK trilogy focusing on an opera student from China to prostitute in HK for some quick cash. The sudden background-shifting in the middle of the film provided a detailed look at the differences and similarities between Mainlanders and HK people after the hand-over, thru the eyes of two "visitors". Bow to Fruit Chan, as once again he’s created a beautiful film with a limited budget and his gifted instinct for eyeing the new actors to fill his complicated roles.
5. Dummy Mummy, without a Baby (Mariam Yeung, Edison Chan, Dir: Joe Ma)
A fun feast from start to finish, Dummy Mummy is easily the funniest HK film in 2001 (yet with the worst title of the year). Filled with charming characters, situation gags and slightly less than predictable plot (credit must be given that the two leads never even develop a romantic relationship, so un-typical in a HK comedy), Dummy Mummy is my favourite urban comedy this year, among other similar (and more successful, box office-wise) titles like Love on a Diet and La Braissere. And yes, even Edison Chan didn't screw up here.
6. Visible Secret (Shu Qi, Eason Chan, Dir: Ann Hui)
Director Ann Hui goes back to her horror root twenty years later with this well-made supernatural thriller which is scary occasionally when most of the time dealing with the unavoidable differences between generations. Shi Qi stood out as a nurse with double personas, and she sees dead people.
7. Merry-Go-Round (Eric Tsang, Lawrence Chou, Dir: Thomas Chow)
A lovely bittersweet tale about first love from the UFO production. Adapted from her own radio drama, DJ GCGooBi brings her cartoonish characters to the big screen in the form of live-action successfully. Delightful and charming.
8. The Accidental Spy (Jackie Chan, Vivian Hsu, Dir: Teddy Chan)
Jackie Chan meets Hitchcock in this suspend thriller. With the higher-than-usual influence from Teddy Chan and the script from Ivy Ho, finally Jackie Chan has a chance to play a character and not himself.
9. You Shoot, I Shoot (Eric Kot, Chueng Tat-ming, Dir: Pang Ho-cheng)
Quirky and sarcastic, Pang (the author of Fulltime Killer)'s directorial debut is a bizarre and hilarious look at the hitman business which sounds like Fulltime Killer's long lost brother.
10. Legend of Zu (Ekin Cheng, Louis Koo, Dir:Tsui Hark)
An exhilarating epic, if not too exhausting for the audiences. Still, the images are too beautiful to forget.
Honorable mentions:
11. Love au Zen (Flora Chan, Poon Chan-leung, Dir: Derek Chiu)
Rarely is a movie bult around Buddha talks; but more rarely is a Buddha talks film this fun and entertaining.
12. La Braissere (Lau Ching-wan, Louis Koo, Dir: Patrick Leung, Chan Hing-kar)
This gimmick comedy has its moments. Ths cast were having so much fun but the direction can be tighter. Yet, the scene of Lau and Koo acting as women for half a day is worth the price alone.
13. Fulltime Killer (Andy Lau, Takashi Sorimachi, Dir: Johnnie To, Wai Kar-fai)
I can complain the whole day about how the film didn't stay true to the novel, nonetheless, this is still one of the coolest looking films in 2001 and it deserves to be mentioned by (if not only by) Andy Lau's larger-than-life performance. If I didn't read the book, I might rank it higher.
14. From the Queen to the Chief Executive (David Lee, Ai Jing, Dir: Herman Yu)
A powerful political film that shows a lot of caring and sympathy to the forgettable kinds, Herman Yu is at his best.
15. Runaway (Nick Cheung, Anothny Wong, Dir: Dante Lam)
I appreciate the "nonsense dialogue" Stephen Chow film in the 90's, since Chow no longer makes these kinds of movies, I turned to this one. Dante Lam took a vacation from his action genre to make this relaxing, offbeat flick, and it's nice to see Anothony Wong offered a chance to be funny again.
Worst film of 2001:
Comic King (Chilam Cheung, Eason Chan)
Favourite Male Performance:
Patrick Tam (Born Wild)
runner-up: Eason Chan (Funeral March)
Favourite Female Performance:
Sylvia Cheung (Forever and Ever)
runner-up: Carina Lau (La Brassiere)
- Last weekend at the HK box office, "Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone" stayed at no.1 with $822 million in four days while "Dance with a Dream" remained at no.2 with $3.75 million. Two animations were kept doing decent business, as "Spirited Away" and My Life as McDull" earned $2.85 mil and $2.22 mil respectively. A big disappointment happened with "Running out of Time 2" as the Lau Ching Wan-Ekin Cheng actioner debuted at no.5 with just $2.04 mil HKD. (Too bad!! – D25)
JAPAN
And here’s the latest report from “Pigmon”:
Hi all. Here’s a list of my favourite Japanese films from 2001 (in no particular order):
Spirited Away
Hotoke
Love Song
Electric Dragon 80000v
Hikari No Ame
Go
Honogurai Mizu No Sokokara
Turn
Katakuri Ke No Kofuku
Hush!
And the worst movies from this year are:
Pulse
Hotaru
Distance
Odagiri So
Hitsuji No Uta
