Montage (South Korea, 2013)

A kidnapper disappeared 15 years ago without a trace. Five days before the case's statute of limitations expires, someone anonymously leaves a flower at the crime scene. A few days later, another kidnapping takes place using the same method on a similar target. Three people team up to solve the case before it's too late: the grandfather, who lost his granddaughter right in front of him, the mother, who has been searching for the person who abducted her daughter 15 years ago, and the detective with a guilty conscience, who puts everything into this long-unsolved case.

While not being very original, Montage still makes for a thrilling experience. Unlike most thrillers, Montage has a severe lack of violence but makes up for this in captivating entertainment, and it's good to see a kidnapping drama that don't have all the melodrama that other films have. 

Genre: Thriller

Love and Honor (Japan, 2006)

Shinnojo, a low level samurai, lives with his pretty, dutiful and loyal wife Kayo. He has come to find his position in a castle as a food-taster for a feudal lord to be boring and pointless, and talks about opening a kendo school. Before he can act on his dream he becomes ill with a fever after tasting some sashimi made from shell fish, but an investigation reveals that the poisoning was not due to a human conspiracy, but a poor choice of food out of season. After three days he awakes but finds that the toxin from the food has blinded him.  

Love and Honor is the last entry in the samurai-trilogy that includes The Twilight Samurai and The Hidden Blade. They're all stand-alone movies, but shares the same goal: telling a great story set in Japan's samurai period, but without having it revolve around fighting. If you're only going to see a few samurai movies in your life, these three movies should be top priority.  Highly recommended.

Genre: Drama/Romance

As Tears Go By (Hong Kong, 1988)

A low-level triad "big brother" has a hot-tempered "little brother" who can't keep out of trouble, and consequently is in constant need of being bailed out by his protector. The "big brother" is super cool, but lacks the ambition to rise in the ranks of the triad societies - and once he meets his cousin from Kowloon and falls in love with her, he even thinks about leaving "the life".

As Tears Go By was the directorial debut of Wong kar-Wai (2046) and shows his first use his trademark color palette. It also starred a very young Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs), who did a great job portraying a small time gangster.

Genre: Crime/Drama/Romance

For Love's Sake (Japan, 2012)

Troubled high school student Makoto arrives in Tokyo to exact revenge from a past incident. He then falls in love at first sight with Ai, a daughter raised in a wholesome family. Around Makoto and Ai are Iwashimizu , who has feelings for Ai, and Gamuko , a gang member who eyes Makoto. Also Gamuko's leader, Yuki have eyes for Makoto too. Who will get him in the end?

Director Takashi Miike (Audition) is back with another wacky project that's like his very own Crows Zero, if everyone would start singing before every fight. It somehow feels so natural that it's made by him, it features some beautiful and very theatrical set pieces, and Miike plays around a lot with the presentation.

Genre: Musical/Romance

Farewell My Concubine (China, 1993)

In 1924 Beijing, the youthful Douzi and Shitou are brought together under the thumb of the strict master of a small acting troupe. It quickly becomes apparent that these are the most talented of the master's pupils, and he pushes them harder than his other students. Thirteen years later, their suffering has paid off. Douzi, now going by the name of Chen Dieyi, and Shitou, called Duan Xiaolou, are major opera stars, and their production, "Farewell My Concubine" is nationally known. The two are inseparable, until the woman Juxian comes between them.

Farewell My Concubine is an epic drama that spans 53 years, telling a story about two men who vows to stay together forever, and at the same time their home country is in turmoil. It's nearly three hours long, but that's what it took to tell a story of this magnitude and do it justice. 

Genre: Drama