Stories about the triad world of Hong Kong and Mainland China seems to be the best theme for Asian movies today, but not all of them are as great as the blockbuster “Infernal Affairs”. So far I’ve tried another 3 movies this week, 2 of them are not bad and 1 is pretty enjoyable

Heavenly Mission (2006)

Plot: Autumn Yip was just released form his 8 years’ imprisonment in Thailand, then he returned to Hong Kong trying to thoroughly reform himself from his past.

Even the main actor was the Hong Kong’s greatest superstar, Ekin Cheng, “Heavenly Mission” is an underwhelming and predictable movie. Generously, audiences could rate it at most 6 out of 10 points for a good trying.

Color of the Loyalty (2005)

Plot: A battle between Loyalty and Betrayal began when the Big Gangster Dragon is going to retired while still holds billions of dollars of the gang society. And yet, there’s some secrets need to be discovered…

It’s nice to see Eric Tsang again as the Big Guy, but the movie itself isn’t outstanding, just entertaining enough – another 6/10 movie indeed.

Election 2 (2006)

Plot: Lok is now holding his position as triad boss unthreatened. As a new election time nears, Lok contemplates breaking with triad tradition, attempting to seek re-election for himself. At the same time, Jimmy is trying to escape the triads by building a legitimate business empire in China…

“Election 2″ is an elegant and blood representation of the old game – The Triad Election. Following the first part, “Election 2″ is getting more violent, more serious, and spectacularly unsympathetic. You’ll also see the familiar cast from “Exiled” and “On the Edge” plus Louis Koo (Cổ Thiên Lạc); and I’m not having any complains at all.

While Asian movies seem to be stuck, Western ones are rising (at least during this week)

Alpha Dog (2006)

Plot: A drama based on the life of Jesse James Hollywood, a drug dealer who became one of the youngest men ever to be on the FBI’s most wanted list.

Interesting movie, outstanding director, and great cast – that’s what I would say for “Alpha Dog”.

Bruce Willis is amazing as usual while Justin Timberlake’s surprisingly better than what he showed in “Edison” (2005). The storyline is powerful as well.

Recommend all the youth to watch “Alpha Dog” right away, although it’s rated R for pervasive drug use and language, strong violence, sexuality and nudity

Smokin’ Aces (2006)

Plot: When a Las Vegas performer-turned-snitch named Buddy Israel decides to turn state’s evidence and testify against the mob, it seems that a whole lot of people would like to make sure he’s no longer breathing…

I keep my comment short: a complex story, action-packed movie and definitely worth checking out.

Hannibal Rising (2007)

Plot: After the death of his parents during World War II, young Hannibal Lecter moves in with his uncle and his beautiful wife and begins plotting revenge on the barbarians responsible for his sister’s death.

Together with “300″, “Hannibal Rising” – one of the top must-see movies in 2007 – was released early this month. And for those who love Hannibal Trilogy before, you don’t want to miss this movie. Unfortunately, “Hannibal Rising” is the worst in the series, simply because its three predecessors were masterpieces already

I feel like wasting 2 hours today with “Casshern” (2004) – the sci-fi thriller movie Kazuaki Kiriya; but then its stunning visual effects, the great action sequences, together with its beautiful soundtrack and the philosophical plot kept me watching till the end. “Casshern” is a combination of anime and live action, something we saw in “Final Fantasy”, “Sky Captain and the World of tomorrow”, or “Sin City”; and it will catch your eyes right from the beginning.

Here it comes, one of the top-most anticipated movies in Spring 2007; “300” will be shown in Singapore on 8th March . “300″ is an adaptation of Frank Miller’s epic graphic novel using hyper-real renderings similar to Miller’s own graphically stylized illustrations. The film retells the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas led his 300 elite Spartan warriors, fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army.

I will go back to Vietnam next week for Lunar New Year 2007, so I pushed myself a bit harder last week trying to watch almost all movies I’ve got My post this time should briefly review most of them and no spoils.

1. Confession of Pain (2006)

The story is typical, and you can even tell the whole story after the first 15 minutes. But then, “Confession of Pain” with its Cause n’ Effect style still keeps you watching till the end. And you will probably find it’s painful just like me. There’s some pains that cannot be cured easily.

The cast is just awesome: Tony Leung (Lương Triều Vỹ), Takeshi (Kim Thành Vũ), and Shu Qi (Thư Kỳ)

“Xuân, Hạ, Thu, Đông … rồi Xuân” (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter … and Spring) là 1 phim đặc biệt nữa của đạo diễn Hàn Quốc Kim Ki-duk; phim vừa có nét dục vọng bản ngã như trong “Bad Guy” (2001) hay “The Isle” (2000) của ông, lại vừa phiêu diêu thoát tục trong cái đẹp hút hồn của tự nhiên. Phim rất ít đối thoại, xuyên suốt thời gian là sự luân hồi của bốn mùa, là cuộc sống trần tục ngay trong cửa Phật; xứng đáng là 1 bài thơ tuyệt tác về đời người.

Bộ phim bắt đầu nhẹ nhàng với phong cảnh mùa Xuân, giữa mặt hồ lặng sóng có 1 ngôi chùa còn cổng chùa thì lại nằm xa xa trên bờ, hai bên cửa là hai vị hộ pháp. Người xem có thể nhận ra ngay sự độc đáo sáng tạo khi ngắm nhìn ngôi chùa như 1 ốc đảo giữa mặt hồ xanh. Trong phong cảnh thoát tục đó, chỉ có 2 con người đang sống là sư ông và chú tiểu lên bảy. Cuộc sống tĩnh lặng trôi đi, thanh thản như nước mặt hồ.