In the Western cinematic scopes, we can find a number of chess-themed sports films and biopics, but there is a mere handful of productions that feature the Japanese cousin of the popular board game: shogi, known also as ‘Japanese chess’; a sport that has, since its 16th century beginnings, evolved into one of the most…
Wonder Woman Review
When it comes to feminism and the power of the female, the world of superheroes is much too starved for comfort, especially so when it comes to the film renditions of the popular comic book material. But in 1941, William Moulton Marston introduced a completely different character to the budding world of comics – Wonder…
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Review
The legend of King Arthur has been sparking the imagination of Britons for years; he is one of the biggest folklore ‘heroes’ of the British literature and, consequently, cinema. Historically, we do not know much about the existence of King Arthur; that said, the most important creator of Arthurian legends was the English historian Geoffrey…
Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant
The Alien saga is among the most engaging and well-remembered films of horror genre, largely because every feature, at least until recently, has been in the hands of various directors. There were several hits and misses, but it was the work of Ridley Scott that began the career of the entire film series. How did Alien: Covenant,…
In Conversation with Feng Xiaogang, the director of ‘I Am Not Madame Bovary’
Where to event start with Feng Xiaogang? He is a Chinese director, producer, screenwriter and actor, whose career has spanned for over 30 years. While bravely battling censorship, he has created a number of commercially immensely successful films, such as Be There or Be Square (Bújiàn búsàn, 1998), Cell Phone (Shŏujī, 2003), A World Without…
I Am Not Madame Bovary Review
David vs. Goliath seems to be the theme shrouding Feng Xiaogang’s newest feature, I Am Not Madame Bovary – there had been a lot of talk on what seemed to had been more than just a spat between the film director and the largest Chinese cinema chain, Wanda Cinema Line, who, at least according to…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 Review
The first production of The Guardians of the Galaxy was a pleasant breeze of fresh air in Marvel’s cinematic universe. The film charmed the audience with unusual conventions, very expressive characters and phenomenal humour. It was also obvious that the film’s producers were planning another The Guardians of the Galaxy feature. Soon after, James Gunn found himself…
19th Far East Film Festival: In Conversation with Naoko Ogigami, the director of ‘Close-Knit’
While LGBT characters seem to be present in almost every Japanese drama or film, the reality is far from that in fiction; the members of the LGBT minority more often than not face scorn and are often shunned in their everyday lives. This is what makes Naoko Ogigami’s newest feature, Close-Knit (2017), that much more…
19th Far East Film Festival: Close-Knit
Tomo has been abandoned by her mother, again. While this isn’t the first time it’s happened, and her mother has been more-or-less an absent parent since day one, it still hurts. Unable to live on her own, the eleven-year-old seeks refuge with her uncle Makio. He gladly accepts but he doesn’t live alone anymore, he…
19th Far East Film Festival: Teiichi: Battle of Supreme High
Teiichi wants to create his own empire. How’s that possible, you may ask? Well, by controlling the student council at his elite high school, of course. If he can run the school then Teiichi’s a shoe in for a prestigious government position, and from there he can even become Prime Minister. With his father’s broken…
VIEW OF THE ARTS 