Release Year: 2006

Starting off as a black comedy, things soon turn more sinister, and gory, in this inventive and must see slice of Thai cinema.

Full of negative characterisation, sloppily handled sentiment and rudderless direction, this is a film that drags along like the walking dead and manages to smother its noble intentions with complete indecision.

A typically operatic Korean rom-com where subtlety is elbowed aside in favour of ‘My Sassy Girl’ style emotional fireworks.

‘A Battle Of Wits’ is that rare work that is exciting, tense and yet is an introspective on the violence, war and conformity.

As it draws to it conclusion, that Korean melancholy kicks in and the characters begin to extend beyond caricatures.

The horror sequences are mandatory to the plot, but they have been stripped back and diffused of much of their sting, in favour of concentrating on the police procedural aspect and mystery behind the four friends’ criminal bond.

‘Contour’ is a well paced, fun film where you can feel the the makers enthusiasm and energy coming through.

‘Curse Of The Golden Flower’ is another sign of the growing confidence of Chinese cinema, the imagination of Zhang Yimou and the iconic status of Gong Li and Chow Yun-Fat.

Right from the opening, it’s blatantly obvious that ‘Death Note’ is skipping some of the more important and enjoyable aspects of the story.

Don’t compare it to Yen and Yip’s ‘SPL’ or ‘Flashpoint’, just sit back and enjoy a good old fashioned comic book blockbuster with heaps of kung fu action.

Fun if frivolous, ‘Dynamite Warrior’ is not the best of its kind but worthwhile for the awesome combat.

‘Exiled’ is a riveting portrayal of a group of friends sticking by one another as their once chosen profession threatens to kill them all.