Fear and Trembling

Can we claim that we know the cultures of a country if we speak its language? This hilariously funny film poses a poignant question as we witness the Belgium girl who can speak fluent Japanese sinks to the dark pit of a Japanese company.

Stripes

I thought Bill Murray was good in Lost in Translation. But it is Stripes, his second significant film role, that makes me a fan of this talented comedian.

13 Tzameti

This is one of the most enigmatic and compelling films I have watched lately. I am not always a great fan of thriller, but I love every bit of it: its soundtrack (that piqued me instantly), its scripts, its supreme performance, and the stark black and white cinematography. An intelligent and poignant critics on the crude side of human nature, its gripping power keeps you guessing to the last minute.

Intimate Strangers

This is an extraordinary film, especially in the age of instant gratification seems to be norm, or so it seems at least on the screen. Throughout the film, we, just like the tax lawyer himself who is initially mistaken as a psychiatrist, are only allowed limited access to the two protagonists. We could only see what he sees inside his office, and the whole story is like a myth yet to be decoded with the motivation of the two protagonists never made clear to us, not even until the last moment. Although we could perhaps indeed put a label such as the attractiveness of the opposite to the story. The soundtrack is brilliant in giving the story almost a hint of thriller, like that in a Hitchcock film, in particular his Vertigo.

(500) Days of summer

I have first seen Zooey Deschanel in an offbeat Winter Passing, in which she plays a confused and lost girl but is eventually able to pick up the pieces through a belated visit to her hermit novelist father. Though the DVD jumped at a number of scenes, I love this (500) Days of Summer almost instantly for its unusual storytelling. And I believe that part of its charm also lies in the enigmatic charisma of Zooey and the understated chemistry between her and her screen romantic lead.

Dangerous Liaisons

This is one of those films that I wasn't sure if I had watched it or not and then once the film started I quickly recalled quite a lot of it.

I am not sure I knew of its significance when I first viewed it. I have to admit that I didn't expected much when I put this on but was gripped by it for the strength of the script and the strong performance across the ensemble.

Waterboys

This is a funny and heartwarming film about five high school boys who take on an unlikely activity, synchronised swimming, and surprise everybody, including themselves in the process. I knew it should be good when it says it is from the same producer of Shall We Dance? but didn't realise it could be so good and hilariously funny until I reached the final moment.