Author: Andrew Saroch

‘Rose, Rose I Love You’ is less of a straight lampoon of 60s Hong Kong cinema and more of a genuine attempt to harness the spiritedness of the original.

While ‘Rosa’ isn’t one of the best action-comedies to come out of Hong Kong in the 80’s, it is still a constantly watchable one.

The pace flags slightly near the end with a final section that is needlessly padded out, but there’s much to absorb in Tony Au’s work.

‘Romantic Island’ has a charm that makes it much more appealing than just a picture-postcard sent to lift the spirits would be.

Ann Hui’s version of Emperor Chien Lung isn’t a masterpiece, but is certainly worthy viewing – far more so than ‘The Emperor And His Brother’.

What this interesting little oddity lacks in thrills and spills it therefore makes up for in good ol’ 80s synth-pop, day-glo, bubble-permed fun.

Utilising a premise that is tailor-made for technology-mad Japanese audiences, Yaguchi achieves a partial return to the superlative form of yesteryear.

Despite some wonderful Jackie moments it proves to be a movie where the need to be ‘cute’ is more important than the desire to entertain.

The two Dereks have provided viewers with a down-to-earth story of sadness that firmly keeps the attention until the final credits roll.

Rarely has the simple theme of love been given such a spellbinding presentation as Zhang Yimou’s ‘The Road Home’.

Much is left out that would have made this a much more well-rounded work – a missed opportunity perhaps, but certainly not an unimpressive two hour drama despite this.

‘Riding Alone For Thousands Of Miles’ offers a pensive 100 minutes with the kind of devotion to China that shows clearly where the director’s heart lies.