Genre: Drama

A fiercely independent feature, sometimes to its own detriment, ‘New World’ is still a fascinating travelogue and fish-out-of-water escapade that is oddly charming.

Slick, confident and complex, much like its main characters, ‘New World’ un-spools a gripping tale of loyalty and the quest for power.

Until that desperate sag half way through, this is an oft-ignored flick that will spark a pleasant feeling of nostalgia in us all.

‘Nine-Ring Gold Dagger’ might not have that hook that keeps the viewer on board throughout, but there is enough promise to make it a more than adequate watch.

Non stop, expertly put together fight scenes, ninjas back on the screen and two leading men cutting loose with intensity and slick fight moves, make ‘Ninja’ a hugely enjoyable ride.

The film is a fairly tedious mystery that will do little to excite or entertain even the most desperate viewer.

‘No Blood No Tears’ may not be a film for all tastes, not least due its violent nature towards women and the slightly laid-back pace but it is a challenging and rewarding film as well as an entertaining one.

Chen Wen Pin and his on-screen daughter are excellent in the films two most important roles, bringing a humanity to characters who represent a sad underclass in Taiwanese society.

It’s far better than other American style martial arts movies such as ‘China O’Brien’, ‘American Shaolin’ and the like, showing what can be done if a little extra time is taken over the choreography.

‘Nobody Knows’ is worthy film-making, memorable well beyond its two hour duration and recommended to anyone seeking challenging, not necessarily uplifting cinema.

‘Nobody To Watch Over Me’ packs quality into every area, from the probing direction to a superb cast without a weak link among them.

It may be an award of distinction for a non-commercial director to have his film populated by bland, feckless characters and have them doing bland, feckless things, but for the viewer there’s nothing admirable about it.