Genre: Drama

Jacob Cheung’s celebrated drama is that magical juxtaposition of gritty social commentary and absorbing character study that many lesser directors aspire to replicate.

‘Cala, My Dog!’ is, as so many modern Chinese films are, a way of observing a misunderstood country on a detailed level.

Shen Chiang’s ‘Call to Arms’ is about as dull and listless as they come, never once engaging its viewer even at the most basic levels of entertainment merit.

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

‘Cape No.7’ is an ensemble production whose success is tied up with its exploration of Taiwan’s southernmost area, its use of localised flavour and copious amounts of colloquial humour.

Starts out as a fairly happy-go-lucky comedy but eventually culminates in an all action finale that is surprisingly violent for a film of this ilk.

‘Cart’ is an admirable and very sympathetic version of a pro-longed event that may have happened in Korea, but has echoes through the developed world where profit is evermore as valued as simple human decency.

Not as saturated with action as some of its ilk of the time but a solid gangster gambling drama nonetheless with the two leads at the top of their game.

It may be a little slight for the more cynical out there and both action stars have trod similar ground before, but ‘Castle Falls’ is an effectively unfussy flick that delivers the meat and potatoes action.

Lau Ho-Leung has made a solid crime thriller that benefits from its rough and ready approach, decent action, and an intriguing real-life case.

Despite the fact that ‘Challenge Of The Masters’ hasn’t aged as well as some of Liu Chia-Liang’s other notable works, there’s undoubtedly much on offer for genre fans and the casual cinema-goer.

An entertaining if hardly revolutionary piece of sports bio, ‘Champion’ benefits from some fine photography, a commitment to do the subject proud and some excellent performances from the cast.