Week 2: Film reviews of those with a message “Kabei — Our Mother,” Japan Reviewed by Andrew Hamlin Japanese director Yoji Yamada’s 74th film abandons the samurai storylines he’s previously […]
NWAW’s May must-reads
By Samantha Pak NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Editor’s note: At the beginning of the year, we ran a poll on our Web site asking our readers whether they liked our book […]
‘24 City’ falters when fiction appears
Directed by Zhang-ke Jia, “24 City” is a Chinese film that blends documentary and fiction. It opens with a grim tone: Factory workers heat and hammer metal, and shots reveal people lingering alone and in smaller groups. The film follows individuals as they recount the story of how a factory turned into an apartment complex, a reflection of how China modernized.
Director takes huge risk in casting a disabled star; the gamble pays off
By Andrew Hamlin Northwest Asian Weekly “Please set your volume high,” urges Japanese director Go Shibata in his introduction for the DVD release of his second feature film, “Late Bloomer.”
Kids: Travel the world through books
By Thi-Le Vo Northwest Asian Weekly When it comes to children’s books, many have the common assumption that these books can’t offer children more than a cute story and pages […]
‘Pool’ film hypnotic and deep
A languorous meditation on free will versus destiny, Chris Smith’s fine film “The Pool” traces a few weeks in the life of Venkatesh, a teenager who labors at a modest hotel in the dusty city of Panjim, Goa.
Animator the new Miyazaki?
Thirty-five-year-old Japanese animator Makoto Shinkai often gets called “the new Miyazaki.” Having learned this, you should forget it. Hayao Miyazaki represents the gold standard of Japanese anime to the West.
‘Flowers’ not very good
The Taiwanese lesbian drama “Drifting Flowers,” written and directed by Zero Chou, isn’t intended to be a horror movie — but it certainly could be.
Become a spice master at home
Smell is one of life’s most evocative senses. A whiff of cologne takes me back to a dim-lit street where I walked hand-in-hand with my high school sweetheart; the assault of trassi (Indonesian shrimp paste) on my nostrils recalls the days in my mother’s kitchen as she pounded this pungent paste with chilies and garlic in her weathered stone mortar.
Gangster Daddy’s Little Girl
Shoko Tendo grew up a yakuza’s daughter turned into a juvenile delinquent, then a drug addict, then finally a sturdy writer with a compelling memoir. Being daddy’s girl didn’t shield her from much, and her life bore no resemblance to the Western image of a coddled “mafia princess.” Underneath her walking, talking, I-don’t-care exterior is someone who never knew love, security and stability.
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