Genre: Romance

‘Shanghai Blues’ is, overall, superior entertainment, but by the time the end credits roll its hard not to think of what might have been.

It is heartfelt, but never cloying, sentimental, but never to the point of being overly orchestrated and the kind of gentle tear-jerker that stirs the mind as much as the heart.

Stylistically, ‘Sky Of Love’ has that same easygoing ambience as its Korean inspiration while it also injects later scenes with a surprising amount of melancholy.

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.

The production cannot sustain its appeal nor can it do justice to the grand themes of loneliness/love that it attempts to tackle.

‘Sparrow’ is the archetypal Curate’s Egg, a film that fuses together precious few moments of brilliance with a heavy dose of lethargy, rendering the finished article difficult to digest.

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

This leans more towards the quick-cut close ups of more recent Hollywood efforts. Most of the fights are also glossed over as short “highlights” rather than letting us see the full action.

Alan Mak’s uninvolving film lacks a real narrative hook and an empathetic romance, but most of all it lacks the needed sentiment that covers a multitude of cinematic sins.

While ‘Summer Holiday’ has no major weaknesses, it is a traditionally clichéd romantic comedy that doesn’t attempt to throw anything more challenging into the blend.

If you just remember to bring a sense of humour, and wonder, you’ll be rewarded with what is easily one of the best Japanese films of the year.

‘Swordsman’ is not as strong as its superior sequel and the aforementioned difficulties are all apparent, but it is still an ultimately rewarding film.