Chocolate (2008)

Director: Prachya Pinkaew
Actors: JeeJa Yanin, Hiroshi Abe
Genre: Martial Arts, Action, Comedy
Country: Thailand 
Similar Titles: Ong Bak, The Protector
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1183252/
Objective Rating: 4/5
Personal Rating: 4.5/5

"Chocolate" is one of my personal favorites among the kung-fu genre. It has great action scenes and amazing choreography (and execution of said choreograophy). On top of that, this movie has something most martial arts films are lacking; a story. The story is about an autistic girl who has learned kung-fu from watching movies. Her mother becomes ill and needs money. The girl and her friend(who is more of an adopted brother than a friend) find the mother's ledger (from her criminal past) and decide to collect some old debts. Oh yeah, and the action is wire-free!

One of the highlights (for me anyway) is JeeJa Yanin. This young, pretty little senorita is one of the most impressive martial artists I've ever seen. Think Tony Jaa, but with a bra.

Daisies (1966)

 

Director: Vera Chytilova
Actors: Ivana Karbanova, Jitka Cerhova
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Art
Country: Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic) 
Similar Titles: None that I've seen. Maybe "Hausu"(1977), a little.
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060959/
Objective Rating: 5/5
Personal Rating: 4.5/5

 

"Daisies" may be an artsy film, but pretentious it is not. It is a fun, deep, surreal film. Not many movies can mix art and entertainment, but I believe "Daisies" does. There is plenty of absurd, silly humor and crazy, surreal images. Now, what is it all about? I'm not entirely sure myself. A good film should leave you with questions. A good film should be interpreted; not force fed. The story follows two young women, Marie I and Marie II, and their wacky antics. As for the greater message I can only tell you what I got out of it. The message I received is in reference to how people focus on petty problems (like youthful shenanigans) rather than on big issues (like war). I imagine everyone gets something a little different. If you're not afraid to try something a little bit (or a lot) different, I'd suggest giving it a shot.

Poor quality trailer, but it's the best I could Find.

The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008)

 

Director: Kim Jee-woon
Actors:Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Jung Woo-sung
Genre:Western, Action, Adventure
Similar Titles:
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0901487/
Objective Rating: 4.5/5
Personal Rating: 5/5

"The Good, the Bad, the Weird" is, as odd as it may sound, a South Korean western. As the name implies it is a remake (a very loose remake) of Sergio Leone's western epic, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". Like the original, this movie tells the story of three men searching for a buried treasure. That's just about the only major similarity. You're probably wondering how a Korean western works? Let me try to explain. The original takes place during the Civil War, this version happens during WWII. Since the early 1900s Korea had been part of the Japanese Empire. It wasn't until after WWII ended that Korea gained Independence and was split into Communist North and Democratic South. The events of the film actually take place in Korea's neighboring country Manchuria; also part of the Japanese Empire. Manchuria has the desert terrain that one needs for a western. So, "The Bad", instead of being with the Union Army, is with the Japanese army.

South Korean films are the probably the most unknown and under-appreciated films out there today. Granted, Korean cinema has only recently taken off; the last 15 years or so. "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" is one of the best. It also happens to be one of my personal favorites. It has cool, fun, exciting action sequences. It has plenty of a sort of neo-slapstick(I'm pretty sure I just made that up) comedy. It's a oddly quirky, one-of-a-kind film.