Hong Kong Filmart 2009

Fish Story -- Film Review

The Japanese take music very seriously, and so it's no surprise to find it at the heart of another fluffy, genre-bending film about fate, the transcendent power of music and our profound, if unwitting, connections to each other.

Hollywood, I'm Sleeping Over Tonight -- Film Review

Basing this feature documentary on his series "I'm Spending the Night at Your Place," filmmaker Antoine de Maximy raises the stakes by setting out on a pan-American journey.

A Place of One's Own -- Film Review

Real estate is a matter of life and death in Ian Lou's "A Place of One's Own."

Romeo*Juliet -- Film Review

Shakespeare's endlessly relevant romance gets a sporting makeover in Andibachtiar Yusuf's soccer tale, "Romeo*Juliet."

Permanent Residence -- Film Review

"Permanent Residence" is director Scud's semi-autobiographical film that deals with growing pains, gay sexual awakening and unrequited love for a straight man.

Yatterman -- Film Review

Kids lick lollipops for their trippy colors and sugar boost, and not for nutritional value. Likewise, "Yatterman" indulges one's occasional need for mindless popcorn entertainment.

Lesbian Vampire Killers -- Film Review

Armed with a comic book tone and lightning pace, the willfully silly "Lesbian Vampires Killers" demands viewers to leave their brains at the door.

The Sniper -- Film Review

With "The Sniper," we haven't seen this kind of old-fashioned Hong Kong brotherhood melodrama since John Woo and Ringo Lam were regularly cranking out action dramas that were gripping and ridiculous at the same time.

And the Spring Comes -- Film Review

Jiang Wenli won an Asian Film Award nomination for her empathetic if occasionally too subtle performance as a disappointed woman approaching middle age in "And the Spring Comes."

Imburnal -- Film Review

Director Sherad Anthony Sanchez ("The Last Priestess of Buhi") joins the burgeoning ranks of epic Filipino filmmakers with "Imburnal," a 3 1/2-hour, nonlinear examination of poverty and violence and their influence on two young boys.

High Kick Girl -- Film Review

"High Kick Girl" achieves what last year's "Shaolin Girl" failed to do at a fraction of the cost -- create a proper martial arts vehicle for a hard-knuckled nymph to kick ass in a mini-skirted uniform.

End of Love -- Film Review

Hong Kong indie filmmaker Simon Chung ("Innocent") turns in his most assured film to date with "End of Love," a simple drama about a young man trying to find his own footing vis-a-vis personal morality and the capacity for emotional connection.

Soul's Code -- Film Review

If you took the Thai horror hit "Shutter" and mated it with "CSI," the product might be something like "Soul's Code." And what an ugly child it would be.

Glamorous Youth -- Film Review

Hong Kong film critic Philip Yung makes his directorial debut with "Glamorous Youth," an almost episodic drama centering on three high school boys and their families in a search for the perfect life after 1997.

Crazy Racer -- Film Review

Ning Hao's "Crazy Racer" plays with the velocity of an athlete pumped up on steroids and amphetamines.

Hello Schoolgirl -- Film Review

Ryu Jang-ha's film may have a tantalizing title that suggests it's a typical Korean bubble-gum teen rom-com, but "Hello Schoolgirl" is actually a down-to-earth, personal work that explores the issues of a big age gap between lovers.

The Rainbow Troops -- Film Review

Films that celebrate underprivileged kids striving to be educated under deplorable conditions are familiar enough. "The Rainbow Troops" is no different in its motivational stance and appeal to a mass audience.

The Magic Hour -- Film Review

As a homage to the American gangster flick and its Japanese spinoffs, "The Magic Hour" is theatrical and quite predictable: A bit-part actor is lured into underworld shenanigans, all the while thinking he's starring as a deadly sniper in a film.

Detroit Metal City -- Film Review

"Detroit Metal City" is director Toshio Lee's attempt to make a zany comedy about a death metal band singer who's secretly a J-pop idol wannabe. However, the jokes extracted from his Jekyll & Hyde existence are only sporadically funny.

Suspect X -- Film Review

A murder is solved in "Suspect X," but it is not exactly a "whodunit" or even a "whydunit." It's a "how-to-undo-it."

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