Author: Andrew Saroch

Unfortunately, despite its intentions, its neither deliciously loopy the way you might hope that a Japanese superhero film would be nor is it especially engaging.

‘Still Human’ is everything that good Hong Kong cinema can be. It tells a good story without pomp, grounds it in reality and focuses on ordinary everyday folk.

‘Ip Man And Four Kings’ leaves gaping holes in an already threadbare plot while taking even the simplest of character development as an ordeal.

The two most striking things about ‘Send Me To The Clouds’ are the photography and the performance of actress Yao Chen.

It’s almost as if director Andrew Lam just got a few mates together for an exercise in tedium to prove how willing we are to forgive anything for a hit of nostalgia.

The characters are realistic and have sympathetic worries to consider, the twists keep the viewer guessing throughout and it benefits from Kim Sang-ho at his very best.

Sentimental, yet never schmaltzy, inspiring though certainly not preachy, ‘Canola’ strikes a beautiful balance between its elements that makes for a hugely admirable whole.

While ‘Dying To Survive’ offers an important message, it is, at its heart, an excellent comic drama.

Despite having all of the benefits of being made under the Shaw Brothers’ banner – solid production values and a notable cast – this is insipid film-making.

As a work of cinema, ‘Shoplifters’ is as carefully considered, lovingly framed and beautifully measured as the very best the medium offers.

While it runs out of steam far sooner than it should have done, ‘Hello Mr. Billionaire’ does offer a few smiles along the way.

While it might not quite hit the heights it sometimes seems to be reaching for, it is still a touching and quietly rewarding meditation on friendship.