Suzaku (Japan, 1997)

Depicts the life of a family in a remote Japanese timber village. Family head Tahara Kozo lives with his mother Sachiko, wife Yasuyo, nephew Eisuke and young daughter Michiru. Economic recession and failed development plans cause tragedy in the family.

Look, I'll admit that there's not a lot of stuff going on in Suzaku (a.k.a. Moe No Suzaku); there's barely a soundtrack to speak of, only the cicadas and leaves blowing in the wind, the dialogue is sparse and it's all so very peaceful and calm. If you've ever dreamt of traveling the Japanese countryside, this is how you'll get there a lot faster. The lush, thick forests and green mountains looks like they've all been taken straight out of a Studio Ghibli movie and the settings are beautifully picturesque. 

In the midst of all this we follow a family where everyone has their own personal struggle, ranging from teenage love problems to money issues. I was never bored while watching Suzaku, and if you kinda know what to expect you shouldn't be either. It's just a very soothing and relaxing slice of cinema.

Genre: Drama

Coin Locker Girl (South Korea, 2015)

A new born girl is placed in a coin operated locker in the subway station. The girl is raised by a mother who is the boss for a loan shark group. Later, when the girl has grown into a teen, she carries out missions given to her by her mother.

Coin Locker Girl is by far one of the most grim movies I've seen lately. There's cold, black void where its comic relief is supposed to be. Great, my kind of movie! The plot starts off pretty dark, with many characters who has few redeeming qualities. Our heroine grows up in a cruel underworld of violence and threats and when the only good thing that has come her way gets taken away brutally, the ripples of her anger may just destroy everyone she has ever known. It's a sad tale which later verges on being a bloody revenge quest, but we always knew this wouldn't have an happy ending.

Genre: Drama

Mountains May Depart (China, 2015)

China, 1999. Childhood friends Liangzi and Zhang are both in love with Tao, the town beauty. Tao eventually decides to marry the wealthier Zhang. They soon have a son, Dollar. From China to Australia, the lives, loves, hopes and disillusions of a family over two generations in a society changing at breakneck speed.

Jia Zhangke, director of Touch of Sin (2013), is back with his latest feature film Mountains May Depart. I've noticed how he has a special liking for epic scopes in movies, where the plot can span over many, many years. Here we follow a woman through her adult life and it's very easy to get attached to the characters because we stick with them for so long. Great actors and a superb sense of progression in China's society from 1999 all the way to 2025, Mountains May Depart is a realistic portrayal of a few lives during  a couple of eventful decades.

Genre: Drama

Memories of the Sword (South Korea, 2015)

While in medieval Korea, a young girl sets out to revenge the betrayal and the death of her mother. But therefore she must face one of the most powerful men and warriors of the Goryo Dynasty.

Well, this was one hell of a movie to end the year with. Memories of the Sword features lots of wire-fu; characters soar over sun-drenched fields, flies around in thick bamboo groves à la Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and have sword fights while jumping between tall towers. Though, just as much care has been poured in to the fight choreography taking place on ground level. Besides all the visual flair we have a powerful warrior played by Byung-hun Lee (A Bittersweet Life, I Saw the Devil) and Do-yeon Jeon (The Housemaid, Secret Sunshine) as the two centerpieces in an epic and tragic love story.

If you thought The Assassin (2015) was too slow and eventless, Memories of the Sword was probably exactly what you were looking for. It's constantly beautiful to look at, wow's you with extraordinary fight sequences and tells a great, sad story at the same time. Don't miss it.

Genre: Action/Drama/History

Hiroshima Death Match (Japan, 1973)

Repeatedly beat to a pulp by gamblers, cops, and gangsters, lone wolf Shoji Yamanaka finally finds a home as a Muraoka family hit man and falls in love with boss Muraoka's niece. Meanwhile, the ambitions of mad dog Katsutoshi Otomo (Sonny Chiba) draws our series' hero, Shozo Hirono into a new round of bloodshed, culminating with the tragic demise of the young Yamanaka.

In Hiroshima Death Match (a.k.a. Deadly Fight in Hiroshima), director Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale) basically lets groups of Yakuza use Hiroshima as their own personal playground. It's works as a follow-up to one of the biggest Yakuza films in history; Battles Without Honor and Humanity (1973). Loud crime thugs constantly fight it out and there's a ton of yakuza brawls taking place every 15 minutes. 

Fukasaku juggles many characters at the same time, and it's like we have a whole family tree of gangsters taking each other out. Director Takeshi Kitano is also a huge player when it comes to Yakuza cinema so if you plow through both of his and Fukasaku's films dealing with gangsters, a giant carp tattoo will probably appear all across your back.

Genre: Action/Crime/Drama