The Thieves (South Korea, 2012)

In order to let things cool down from their latest heist, Popeye and his group of thieves go to Macau on a job. But the mastermind behind this job is none other than Popeye's old partner Macau Park, who escaped with 68kg of gold several years ago on their last job together. Macau Park brought Chinese thieves as well but little did they know what Macau Park planned for each one of them. 

The Thieves proved to be one of South Korea's biggest smash hits ever, and despite being a summer blockbuster, it has a lot more to offer than mindless action. It features an all-star cast with actors from both South Korea and Hong Kong, and throws them together for their most important heist yet. The photography scores ten out of ten, and the shooting scene towards the end is one of the best in recent years. An adrenaline kick that will shower you with sheer entertainment.

Genre: Action/Crime

The Man Who Stole the Sun (Japan, 1979)

A misfit high-school science teacher decides to build his own atomic bombs. He uses the bombs to extort the police and forces them to give in to his own crazy demands. Soon it's a race to see what wins first: the determined cop who's after him, the bomb he's carrying, or a growing case of radiation poisoning...

With a limited budget, independent filmmaker Kazuhiko Hasegawa still managed to make an ambitious movie about the fear of an atomic bomb and how the authorities completely are in the hands of a single man. Also, it's highly interesting to see the creation of the bomb. Not a film you usually hear about, so here it is in all its atomic glory.

Genre: Crime/Thriller

The Brotherhood of War (South Korea, 2004)

In 1950, in South Korea, shoe-shiner Jin-tae Lee and his 18-year-old old student brother, Jin-seok Lee, form a poor but happy family. Jin-tae and his mother are tough workers, who sacrifice themselves to send Jin-seok to the university. When North Korea invades the South, the family escapes to a relative's house in the country, but along their journey, Jin-seok is forced to join the army to fight in the front, and Jin-tae enlists too to protect his young brother.

If you're a fan of war movies with massive battle scenes, this one will probably float your boat and then some. The story isn't very original, as often with these kind of films, but it does its job well, which is to blow things up and show bodies fly away as torn apart puppets. 

Genre: Action/Drama/War

Berserk Golden Age Arc II: The Battle for Doldrey (Japan, 2012)

Band of the Hawk, Midlands strongest army led by Griffith, are quickly gaining recognition due to their success on the battlefield. They have defeated every army that once stood in their way, and now the king commands them to overthrow the supposed impenetrable castle of Doldrey.  

The Battle for Doldrey is the second (out of three, the first one being The Egg of the King) Berserk film and it excels over the first one in many ways. It's a violent medieval story with countless of beheadings and incredibly drawn battle scenes, made by the studio behind Tekkonkinkreet (2006). The Battle for Doldrey contains much less of the horrible CG that was scattered over most scenes in The Egg of the King, and thank God for that. This film series is a great way to discover the Berserk universe, both its many manga volumes and also the 25-episode anime series from 1997. It's crazy good.

Genre: Animation/Action/Fantasy

Red Beard (Japan, 1965)

In 1820, young Noboru Yasumoto completes his medical education in Nagasaki and returns to his native Edo hoping both to marry the daughter of a wealthy man and to achieve affluence himself through his medical practice. He happens to visit the famed Koishikawa clinic for the indigent, which is run by the autocratic Dr. Kyojo Niide, better known as Red Beard. To his intense displeasure, he soon finds himself assigned to the clinic for his internship. 

An epic exercise in both humanism and existentialism, Red Beard became one of director Akira Kurosawa's deepest and most emotional films ever, yet it's often overlooked when compared to other Kurosawa classics such as Seven Samurai (1954). It also was the last collaboration between Kurosawa and actor Toshiro Mifune, who starred in 16 of his movies. So this powerful film serves as the duos last bang and as an ending comment, I recommend watching as much as you can of Akira Kurosawa's films.

Genre: Drama

964 Pinocchio (Japan, 1991)

Pinocchio 964, lobotomised cyborg sex slave, is thrown out onto the street by his owners because of his inability to maintain an erection. He is befriended by a criminally insane, memory-wiped, homeless girl. Meanwhile, the corporate entity who manufactured and sold him plots to kill him because of his malfunction.

An insane and surreal journey with some really crazy characters. The camera-work is reminiscent of the cult classic Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989) and makes it even more of a mad experience. It's considered to be one of the most important works in the genre of Japanese cyberpunk. 

Genre: Sci-fi/Horror

Blue Gate Crossing (Taiwan, 2002)

Best friends Meng and Yuezhen share everything with each other. One day, Yuezhen wants Meng to give a message to the boy she likes and tell him she's interested. Things don't go according to plan and Meng finds herself in a confusing situation where her sexuality is questioned. 

A simple but warm coming-of-age drama about teen angst, lazy school days and relationships. 

Genre: Drama/Romance

The Bad Sleep Well (Japan, 1960)

In Kurosawa's HAMLET-like story of corporate scandal in post-war Japan, a young man attempts to use his position at the heart of a corrupt company to expose the men responsible for his father's death.

A revenge drama set in post-war corporate Japan, signed by Akira Kurosawa. The director wanted to make 'a movie with some social significance', so he chose the culture of corruption as the films enemy because he thought that was the worst crime there is.

Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller

Happy Together (Hong Kong, 1997)

Yiu-Fai and Po-Wing arrive in Argentina from Hong Kong and take to the road for a holiday. Something is wrong and their relationship goes adrift. A disillusioned Yiu-Fai starts working at a tango bar to save up for his trip home. When a beaten and bruised Po-Wing reappears, Yiu-Fai is empathetic but is unable to enter a more intimate relationship. After all, Po-Wing is not ready to settle down. Yiu-Fai now works in a Chinese restaurant and meets the youthful Chang from Taiwan. Yiu-Fai's life takes on a new spin, while Po-Wing's life shatters continually in contrast.

Great film that centers around the themes of loneliness and jealousy. Happy Together I think did for LGBT-cinema what Brokeback Mountain (2005) got praised for doing almost ten years later, which was a rememberable, beautiful and troubled portrayal of a homosexual relationship without it feeling fake or artificial. Directed by one of my favorites, Wong Kar-wai (Fallen Angels), who uses a lot of stylish and innovative cinematography and makes every scene ten times more interesting. He's also a master of bringing out the very best in his performers, sometimes by basically do so many takes that the actors eventually transforms into their characters. Highly recommended.

Genre: Drama/Romance

Lust, Caution (China/Taiwan/Hong Kong, 2007)

Teen Wong Chia Chi, a shy college freshman finds her calling in a drama society devoted to patriotic plays. But the troupe's leader, Kuang Yu Min, isn't just a theater maven -- he's a revolutionary as well, and he's devoted to carrying out a bold plan to assassinate top Japanese collaborator Mr. Yee. Wong puts herself in a dangerous position as Mrs. Mak; she befriends Mr. Yee's wife, and slowly gains trust before tempting him into an affair.

Lust, Caution is a tight, well-directed espionage film with fantastic actors, Tony Leung (Chungking Express) among others. Director Ang Lee has created a beautiful portrayal of 1930-40's Hong Kong and Shanghai and fills it with a thrilling assassination story. 

Genre: Drama/Romance/Thriller

Eat Drink Man Woman (Taiwan, 1994)

Senior Master Chef Chu lives in a large house in Taipei with his three unmarried daughters, Jia-Jen, a chemistry teacher converted to Christianity, Jia-Chien, an airline executive, and Jia-Ning, a student who also works in a fast food restaurant. Life in the house revolves around the ritual of an elaborate dinner each Sunday, and the love lives of all the family members.

A mouth-watering mix of cooking and romance, Eat Drink Man Woman is an exquisite drama that will captivate every type of audience. We follow the three daughters and their very different and changing lives, but they all comes in contact with love in some way or another. I could watch Master Chef Chu cook all day long, it's somehow extremely stimulating and makes you drool and wish that you could eat just about all of it. The word food-porn comes to mind. Directed by Ang Lee who also made Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) but this time he works his magic within the boundaries of a plate full of delicious food, and captures life with all its beautiful and bitter ingredients.

Genre: Drama/Romance

Ikiru (Japan, 1952)

Kanji Watanabe is a middle-aged man who has worked in the same monotonous bureaucratic position for thirty years. His wife is dead and his son and daughter-in-law, who live with him, seem to care mainly about Watanabe's pension and their future inheritance. After learning he has stomach cancer and less than a year to live, Watanabe attempts to come to terms with his impending death.

Ikiru (lit. trans. To Live) takes you through the whole process of a man's last days in life, the fear, the acceptance and the repenting. In the lead role we have one of Akira Kuosawa's favorite actors; Takashi Shimura (Stray Dog, Rashomon) who does a great job of portraying a broken man on the verge of death. It's a study of both loneliness and hope, and doing what's right in your heart. I think the best effect this film can have is that the we the viewers start to value what's important in life, and not waste the short time we've been given.

Genre: Drama

Come Drink with Me (Hong Kong, 1966)

A ruthless band of thugs kidnaps a young official to exchange for their leader who has been captured. Golden Swallow is sent to take on the thugs and free the prisoner (who is also her brother). Though she is able to handle the overwhelming odds, she is hit by a poison dart and gets help from a beggar who is really a kung-fu master in disguise. With his help, she forms a plan to get her brother back.

The martial art-genre owes a lot to Come Drink with Me. It paved the way for many wuxia (chinese martial arts) to come, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) for example, and is considered to be one of Hong Kong's finest films. The fluid, gracious movements of the fights were groundbreaking, the director didn't look for an established actor when casting the lead role, but instead he picked a ballet dancer. The result was excellent film, which is essential for martial arts-fans.

Genre: Action/Crime

Hard Boiled (Hong Kong, 1992)

Mobsters are smuggling guns into Hong Kong. The police orchestrate a raid at a teahouse where an ace detective loses his partner. Meanwhile, the two main gun smugglers are having a war over territory, and a young new gun is enlisted to wipe out informants and overcome barriers to growth. The detective, acting from inside sources, gets closer to the ring leaders and eventually must work with the inside man directly.

You can't be the least disappointed in Hard Boiled. It's one of the best directed actions films ever made, an explosive portrayal of shotguns pulverizing furniture and tearing apart gangsters. Starring trusted veterans Yun-Fat Chow (The Killer) and Tony Leung (Hero), Hard Boiled should please the living hell out of you with brutal ultra-violence.

Genre: Action/Crime/Thriller

The Scent of Green Papaya (Vietnam, 1993)

Ten-year-old Mui arrives from the provinces of Vietnam to work as a servant girl in the home of a Saigon merchant family. The year is 1951. She is a shy and resourceful girl whose tasks include preparing and stir-frying vegetables, serving meals, dusting, scrubbing the tile floors, and polishing shoes. While Mui adapts effortlessly to her responsibilities, the merchant family doesn't fare as well. The mother, who is still mourning the death of her daughter, is abandoned by her husband and her two youngest sons act out their anger on poor Mui.

One of the greatest dramas ever. Beautifully filmed, visually it's a true achievement in the art of film making, and has a haunting, bone-chilling score. Directed by the amazing Tran Anh Hung (Cyclo, Norwegian Wood). 

Genre: Drama