More reviews
Hidden : - Is a French film that starts really slowly, but intriguingly.  A tape is left at a couple's door which contains a recording of their house throughout the night.  Is it a threat?  Is it a warning?  Naturally it turns out there are some skeletons in some closets so the man of the house sets out to track down who he thinks is harassing his wife and himself, as more tapes come in, leading him on.  Some history is shown, some accusations are made, there's a completely shocking, out of the blue and realistic death... and then there's an ending with me still wondering what the hell was going on with the tapes.  So who knows.

Please Vote For Me : - is a fucking marvellous little Chinese documentary about some kids learning about elections by running for class monitor.  They're all sympathetic, what with them only being 8 years old, but the scheming, manipulating, bullying, bribery and lying that goes on is just incredible, it's like a real life presidential election in mini-form.  The debates are great... even though the parents coach them a lot.  But one little fellow Cheng Cheng is wonderful at the debates leaving his rivals speechless more than once.  I think you should watch it immediately, it's just an absolutely fabulous piece of film.  I remember thinking whilst I was watching it, "this is the best piece of TV ever."  Take from that what you will.

New Police Story : - Jackie Chan is back with another police story movie.  This one starts a LOT darker than the others though.  It feels like a completely different style of movie, except there's Jackie Chan fighting away in the middle of it.  Eventually the darkness lifts though, with the introduction of a new "partner" for Jackie.  They make a great duo, and the film is a decent and fun watch after you get over the heaviness of the beginning.  It's not as good as the old Police Stories though.

How Is Your Fish Today? : - is a hard to describe film about a writer trying to write a film about a man fleeing the south of China and heading North to the village of Mohe, which seems to have semi-mystical properties ascribed to it.  Things like, it's light 24 hours a day, and the Aurora Borealis is constantly streaking over the sky.  Actually the origin of the film is more complicated than that, but that's what it ends up as.  The writer, fed up with just writing, eventually undertakes the journey north, and gives us his ideas about the world and personal philosophy on the way.  The film is a journey that takes you into the journey along with the writer and his protagonist, and although the story gets lost when we finally arrive at the dream shatteringly normal northern town of Mohe, it's the journey that's wonderful written, shot and captivating.  Well worth a look.  Just remember the journey when you get to the less than startling end.

Seven Swords : - A Chinese martial arts film about seven swords and the people that wield them trying to save a town from a marauding army commanded by a maniac.  It's not in the same league as Zhang Yimou's films.  It's more in the style of the older, larger than life, Hong Kong action movies we've all been watching all our lives.  Taken as that, it's quite good. 

The Tank Man : - Show people in the west the famous picture of the Tank Man and they know it right away.  Show people from Beijing University, from the city and group of people who should know more than anyone what it is, and they have no idea.  They think it's maybe a photoshopped picture or from a film or something. But we know it's a real picture of a simple unbelievable act of courage/stupidity at a time when the tanks are real, and the ruthlessness of the people ordering the soldiers in those tanks is unquestioned.  This film looks for the Tank Man, who of course can't be found, but while it does it gives us the story of those days, along with first person accounts and video, carefully hidden and smuggled out of the area after the happenings were all over.  Watch it, and marvel, honestly marvel at the Tank Man, one of the most ridiculously ballsy/insane human beings there has ever been, and say to yourself "What the fuck is he doing?  Is he climbing on it?  Is he banging on it?  Go'on yoursel son!"

Infernal Affairs 3 : - The final film in the Infernal Affairs trilogy.  It's pretty much a direct continuation from the first film, but with lots of flashbacks so we can have Tony Leung's character back.  If you've seen the first two, you'll know exactly what you're getting here.  There are no real surprises in this one, and certainly nothing that makes it stand out from the others.

Ou Dede and His Daughters : - In a remote village in the mountains of Southern China lives Ou Dede.  He's the last bard of his village and knows how to play the Dabia, and all the songs past down to him from his father, who learned from his father and so on... for a long long time.  But because of the one Child policy and his already existing 3 daughters, Ou Dede doesn't have a son to hand down the knowledge to.  So he can either teach someone else's son, or he can hand down the knowledge to one of his daughters.  Of course it'd help if he picked the right one.  Ou Dede seems pretty clueless about his family, village politics, life, and everything that isn't playing the Dabia.  He's bullied by the neighbours, his orders ignored by his family, and the only person he seems to be able to talk to is his father... who is dead.  Heart-wrenching by the end, this is a very simple story of one man who just can't get to grips with the way the world is changing around him.  Watch if that sounds interesting... but when the bullies grab that goat, if you're squeamish look away for a couple of minutes.

To come later in the week - big budget movies, documentaries, PS3.