Rating: 3.5

There’s no doubt then that ‘The Log’ has qualities that recommend it, though it never reaches the heights that Chiu’s admirers would demand.

Eschewing any flashiness for a more old school and care given to character and pacing approach, Chong and Mak craft a beautifully shot and finely acted period piece.

Despite ‘The Lovers’ undoubted quality, it proves to be short of the magic that it often hints at. Parts of this film therefore prove to be greater than it as a whole.

‘The Magic Hour’ is a fun comedy, though not the classic it promises to be. It still has an enormous amount to recommend it though and is a good starting point for those looking into Japanese comedy.

‘The Mermaid’ has the feel-good factor and is probably as good a rom-com as you’re likely to see this year. Yet that somehow doesn’t seem enough from a film-maker like Chow.

Some may be disappointed that Kitmura’s kinetic style has been diluted somewhat by the Hollywood machine but it’s good to see him trying something different and at a more slow burn pace.

While ‘The Miracle Box’ is an imperfect drama, it is without a doubt a film that benefits from a few exceptional performances.

The amusing antics of the Monkey king and Pigsy always seem to make for good movie material and I’m happy to report that this film is no exception.

At times frustrating and yet mostly entertaining, ‘The Myth’ may not be vintage Chan, but there are glimpses here of a performer who is still a valuable treasure for world cinema.

The major strength here is E Jingwen who is such an eternally affable figure that you are rooting for her from the first frame until the end.

‘The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure’ is a big, unapologetic action film that borrows all of the pomp and bombast of its American contemporaries.

‘The Postmodern Life Of My Aunt’ is expertly made, superbly shot and mostly involving. Yet there’s something missing in this odyssey of an elderly woman’s experiences in the city.