Mifune: The Last Samurai (US/Japan, 2015)

A feature-length documentary about the life and films of legendary actor Toshiro Mifune, weaving together film clips, archival stills, and interviews with such luminaries as Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. Narrated by Keanu Reeves.

If you're at all interested in actor Toshiro Mifune and Akira Kurosawa's collaborations, Mifune should prove to be a fascinating look at their work together with the most focus on Mifune's filmography. Not just is Mifune an in-depth look at his life, but an incredible source of information and trivia from his entire film career; e.g . the man who played the original Godzilla (1954) was a petty samurai who got killed by Mifune once, and there's a lot of interviews with old actors who used to act alongside Mifune who all shares their stories of what happened on set. Even actor Koji Yakusho weighs in on how huge Mifune was in the industry.

Sure, it's a little jarring to hear a tired Keanu Reeves narrate the whole thing, but you quickly get used to it and after a while you're absorbed by stories of how Mifune loved to eat ramen between takes. Being a film with limited time, Mifune can't go into details with absolutely everything but at least it touches upon what happened between him and Kurosawa at the end of their work together. It's painfully bittersweet to hear an actress read Kurosawa's last word to his favorite actor.

All in all, this is a captivating time capsule showing the massive impact one single actor had on the film industry, and how his acting inspired people around the globe.

Genre: Documentary

The Tiger (South Korea, 2015)

While the Kingdom of Korea is under occupation by the Japanese, an old and experienced hunter is challenged by the hunt of the last tiger.

The Tiger is that man vs. beast showdown we get every so often, but with varied results. This time it's an unusually emotional hunt we're being taken on, and after a few deaths the film kind of says "This time it's personal!". Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) plays the hunter with great care and I definitely keeps being reminded of the fantastic The Grey (2011) starring Liam Neeson, which just like this film was a one man battle against animal accompanied by a superb soundtrack. 

Not surprisingly the film also pokes that sensitive The Lion King Mufasa death scene-memory, and every viewers tear gland is in danger. My only gripe is that the CGI could have been a little better in some places to help believability, and if there's one field where Asian cinema is behind with it's special effects. It works though, and The Tiger proves to be one of the more memorable period drama films in recent years.   

Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama

Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen (Japan, 2015)

Ryuzo is a retired yakuza gangster who lives a quiet unassuming life with his son. One day, the old gangster receives a call from an impostor pretending to be his son asking for ¥5 million. Ryuzo sees through the trick and learns from police detective Murakami (Beat Takeshi) that a member from the Keihin Rengo gang is responsible. Re-uniting his seven former henchmen to strike back, Ryuzo learns that they have all grown weak with their old age.

Director/actor Takeshi Kitano is once again back with a Yakuza film, and oh how I missed it. Ryuzo let's him have a lot more fun with the genre than his previous Outrage-series which were very straightforward and by-the-book. This one is a far more enjoyable Yakuza romp that's actually both funny and dark while also being lovely violent. The main characters all have the usual traits; one is way too old for action, one is wise and more laid-back, another is a revolver maniac, but it really doesn't feel as been-there-done-that as it should. Instead it's charming as hell to see a bunch of old men trying to relive their long past Yakuza years for a good cause. 

Genre: Action/Comedy

Sweet Bean (Japan, 2015)

The manager of a pancake stall finds himself confronted with an odd but sympathetic elderly woman looking for work. A taste of her homemade bean jelly convinces him to hire her, which starts a relationship that is about much more than just street food.

Sweet Bean is a warm film full of joy. Well, at least it begins that way. Even the sun has its spots, just like this lovely drama has its fair share of darkness. It's a wonderful testament to how tragedies can be defeated by our shared interests like food, like new relationships and like the perfect sweet bean paste. 

Genre: Drama

I Am a Hero (Japan, 2015)

One day, after returning from work late in the evening, Hideo witnesses a traffic accident in which a car crashes into a nearby pedestrian, killing the victim instantly. However, despite severe injuries including a broken neck, the victim's body stands up and walks away. Hideo questions whether this is another one of his hallucinations, but strange events begin happening around him.

I Am a Hero delivers exactly what I want from this type of film: large amounts of gore (well-done gore!), a simple story but still enjoyable and interesting, and lastly a main character that's easy to root for. This is an immensely fun film for zombie lovers, and a great action flick for everyone who just wants a good time. I liked this a lot more than Train to Busan (2016), another zombie film from South Korea, which was dragged down by endless scenes of crying and sentimental reunions and whatnot. I Am a Hero skips all but is all the wiser for it. 

It's based on a popular manga but no prior knowledge is needed to enjoy the film, and me who hasn't read it wasn't yelling at everything they perhaps got wrong in the transition from page to movie. 

Genre: Action/Horror

Bakuman (Japan, 2015)

Moritaka, a junior high student, forgets his notebook in class. His classmate Akito notes Mashiro's drawings in it and asks him to become a manga artist to his stories. Mashiro declines. Takagi incites Mashiro to meet with Miho Azuki, Mashiro's crush, and tells her the two plan to become mangakas (manga artists). In response, Azuki reveals her plans to be a voice actress. Mashiro proposes to her that they should both marry when Azuki becomes a voice actress for the anime adaptation of their manga. The two then start creating their manga, under the pen name Muto Ashirogi, in hopes of getting serialized in Weekly Shounen Jump.

If you have any sort of interest in manga, Bakuman is definitely a movie you should check out. It started out as a manga series of its own, created by the same team behind Death Note, another amazing manga and later animated series. Bakuman follows two students behind the stressful scenes of drawing manga for a big publication, and have a lot of fun with it too. It was super interesting to learn exactly how a series is developed and finalized, and while there's also a story of rivalry and friendship going on was great. 

Genre: Comedy

Hana and Alice (Japan, 2004) & The Case of Hana and Alice (2015)

Upon entering high school, two best friends named Hana and Alice notice a boy a year older them while waiting for the train, and they both develop a pretty strong crush on him. One day while secretly following him home, Hana witnesses the boy walk right into a wall and pass out. When he wakes up, she lies and convinces him that he must have amnesia, because he doesn't remember the fact that she was his girlfriend. After this, hilarity ensues as the two girls attempt to run with the lie. Of course, complications soon arise.

Hana and Alice is directed by the wildly talented Shunji Iwai, who's given us fantastic films such as Love Letter (1995), April Story (1997 and All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001). With Hana and Alice, he perfectly captures the big and small events happening in Japanese school culture, and puts two teenage schoolgirls in the middle of love dramas and murder mysteries. In 2015 it was followed up by an animated prequel which had a bit more engaging story and an animation style which looked a little unusual. Two slice-of-life kind of films with two likeable main characters to befriend. 

Genre: Drama

The Boy and the Beast (Japan, 2015)

When Kyuta, a young orphan living on the streets of Shibuya, stumbles into a fantastic world of beasts, he's taken in by Kumatetsu, a gruff, rough-around-the-edges warrior beast who's been searching for the perfect apprentice. Despite their constant bickering, Kyuta and Kumatetsu begin training together and slowly form a bond as surrogate father and son. But when a deep darkness threatens to throw the human and beast worlds into chaos, the strong bond between this unlikely family will be put to ultimate test-a final showdown that will only be won if the two can finally work together using all of their combined strength and courage.

The Boy and the Beast tells a fantastic coming-of-age story in a world of monsters. It was written and directed by Mamoru Hosoda, the animation master behind films such as Wolf Children (2012) and Summer Wars (2009), so it's a huge step up compared to your everyday anime series/film. The action is fast as lightning and flawlessly animated, and it all builds up to a spectacular, satisfying climax.

While showering you with drool-worthy animation, Hosoda also writes an emotional story about growing up and realizing who you are. The plot has a lot of sad undertones, but that makes it more effective. To me it felt like The Jungle Book meets Kill Bill, which of course is all kinds of awesome.

Genre: Animation/Action/Adventure

Tag (Japan, 2015)

A girl's life cascades into chaos as everyone around her suffers a gruesome fate while she herself becomes less and less certain of who she is and what kind of a world she lives in.

Tag (a.k.a. Riaru onigokko) is either one of the most exciting films I've seen lately, or one of the worst. Hard to tell. I mean, tons of schoolgirls getting chopped in half by a mysterious force, teachers mowing down students with machine guns and suddenly, traveling between alternate realities? Okay, sure. It was directed by Shion Sono, a director I have talked about before so I don't wan't to repeat myself but let's just say I often struggle to watch his films to the end. Tag, I could at least watch the whole way through and still be entertained by the madness of it. The soundtrack was one of the highlights due to the addition of some song from Japanese post-rock band Mono, which for some reason fit the film really well with their beautiful yet melancholy sound.

Gory, trippy and hopelessly Japanese, Tag should appeal to everyone who's a fan of the bizarre.  

Genre: Horror

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

Parasyte: Part 2 (Japan, 2015)

Following the bloody events of the first film, high school student Shinichi (Sometani Shota) has been acting as an increasingly unfeeling lone vigilante and taking out parasites with the help of Migi, the parasite nested in his right arm. His actions have attracted the notice of both the parasite leadership and the police task force investigating the mysterious epidemic of deaths. To save humanity from the increasingly organized and aggressive parasites, Shinichi must confront the most dangerous parasite of them all.

The shapeshifting aliens of Parasyte are back, and they're more dangerous than ever before. I mentioned that Part 1 had some great action sequences, and I'm happy to say that Part 2 doesn't disappoint either. The gore is all here and when a war between the aliens and the humans are brewing there's bound to be bloodshed. It does try to be a little bit too bombastic sometimes, with epic music accompanying dramatic speeches every 10-minutes. I think it would have benefitted from a slower buildup instead of having almost a full-blown climax every now and then. But it's intense, and the effects are fantastic.  

Genre: Action/Drama/Horror

Murmur of the Hearts (Hong Kong/Taiwan, 2006)

An artist reunites with her brother after the two were separated years ago when she left Liudau, an island off of Taiwan.

As soon as I began to watch Murmur of the Hearts, I knew I was going to like it. The beautiful imagery grabbed me immediately, and after realizing this film also had some powerful performances, I was sold. It oozes with quality and even though it's not a film where a ton of stuff is happening all the time, it's downright mesmerizing. Recommended for those who want a delicate romance story to fall in love with. And don't worry that it's cheesy and over-sweet, because it's thankfully not and takes itself much more seriously. 

Genre: Drama/Romance

Yakuza Apocalypse (Japan, 2015)

In the ruthless underground world of the yakuza, no one is more legendary than boss Kamiura. Rumored to be invincible, the truth is he is a vampire-a bloodsucking yakuza vampire boss! Among Kamiura's gang is Kageyama, his most loyal underling. However, the others in the gang view Kageyama with disdain and ridicule him for his inability to get tattooed due to sensitive skin. One day, assassins aware of boss Kamiura's secret arrive from abroad and deliver him an ultimatum: Return to the international syndicate he left years ago, or die.

Yakuza vampires? That's a first for me I think. Takashi Miike is back yet again with his taste for overtop violence and tough yakuza's. It's crazy how he manages to direct 2-3 films every year, but that's a number which also comes with a hit-or-miss price. Looking at his filmography I could single out a few stinkers released just in the most recent years, but I could also name just as many excellent films from the same time period. 

Yakuza Apocalypse falls into the latter category. Sure, it isn't exactly top-quality cinema with Shakespeare on top, but it's wildly entertaining nonetheless and contains so many bloody bone-crushing fights that you'll almost fall over. 

Genre: Action/Comedy/Horror

The Assassin (Taiwan/Hong Kong, 2015)

The film is set during the mighty Tang Dynasty-period in Chinese history. Nie Yinniang returns to family after several years in exile. The mission of her order is to eliminate the tyranny of the Governors who avoid the authority of the Emperor. Now she will have to choose between sacrificing the man she loves, or break definitively with the "order of the Assassins".

One of 2015's best looking films is here, and it's directed by Hou Hsiao-Hsien (Café Lumière, Millennium Mambo). It's actually his first feature film in about eight years so he obviously had a lot of time to plan this project. Let me tell you that it shows. The Assassin contains so many breathtakingly beautiful scenes that it's almost ridiculous, with characters standing on top of mountains while clouds are literally swallowing them, or when the camera slowly pans to show a sword fight going on in the distance. That's also one thing to note: the fact that Hou never gets all action-camera on you, he basically always uses his more slower movements and calm camera work. Kind of like Yasujiro Ozu (Tokyo Story), who also were a master of rarely moving the camera.

The Assassin should be watched at the right time due to its slow tempo. It's never in a rush or tries to get to the violence faster. We get long monologues and long takes of people traversing forests and mountains. So have patience with it and dive into one of the most visually astounding films in recent times.

Genre: Action/Drama