Country: South Korea

It would take something quite exceptional to take such cliched elements and make them stand out from the crowd and while it’s an enjoyable feel-good film it’s not the kind of the production that leaves much of a lasting impression.

‘Spy Girl’ is broad, then at times subtle while also throwing together slapstick and satire in an interesting blend.

Go into ‘Sunny’ with the right mind-set and its as enjoyable a piece of commercial film-making as you’re likely to get – just don’t be too surprised if you encounter feelings of narrative deja-vu.

Providing meat for the mind as well as fireworks for the senses ‘Sympathy for Lady Vengeance’ is one of the best films of 2006.

It doesn’t deliver as much as it promises and doesn’t quite hit the mark as a complete unit due to a less cohesive second half and not enough time spent establishing Dong-Jin’s character.

If you want to see simple but effective story telling, characters you could easily bump into in the street and three of Korea’s best young actresses then just ‘Take Care Of My Cat’ for a few hours.

For two thirds of its running time, ‘The 8th Night’ is a satisfyingly low key supernatural thriller that explores themes of shamanism, redemption and even friendship as the two monks grapple with a dangerous evil.

Packed with switching allegiances, twists and turns and on occasion stellar set-pieces, ‘The Age of Shadows’ rockets along on its quest to keep one guessing and in a perpetual state of tension.

It isn’t a noisy blockbuster with shrill bells and whistles; it is a smartly made drama with a dash of redemption, a healthy chunk of political history and a level of tension cranked up to the zenith.

Ryoo Seung-Wan’s film is still compelling and stringently efficient like its two protagonists, a fact that outweighs the negatives that poke through.

A gripping often emotional rollercoaster of a thriller, ‘The Chaser’ isn’t just one of the best Korean films of the year but one of the best films of the year.

Kwak Jae-young has presented us with a film that is difficult to properly judge. It starts quietly, edges towards something quite special and finally nosedives into woeful melodrama.