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Reviews
Batoru rowaiaru (2000)
the best film I have ever seen
Battle Royale is a film by Japanese director Kinji Fukasaku, based on the novel by Koushun Takami. Both are controversial, because both are very violent, featuring young students killing each other in a no-holds-barred contest to the death. A fight for survival against their peers. In short: this film is not the for faint hearted, and no doubt thats where it gets its criticism.
For those willing to sit down and watch Battle Royale, you are rewarded. This film shocks, scares, amazes and dumbfounds at every new scene. I can't watch this film without feeling distinctly uncomfortable - but I like it.
Look at the film technically: The directing is near perfect - Kinji Fukasaku really was a master; the soundtrack is amazing and fits perfectly with every step made, every bullet fired, every death, every dramatic line by the actors and every heart-stopping moment; the script is exceedingly well written, with numerous memorable lines (some of which on IMDb's quote bank); the acting is remarkable for a bunch of teenagers, while the only real adult character - "Kitano" - is played by the always-brilliant Takeshi Kitano.
Everything fits together, and everything works. I honestly cannot fault Battle Royale in any way - except perhaps for the omission of the car chase from the novel.
The only drawback stated by some, which I don't agree with, is the violence, which is often and is incredibly bloody.
I give this film 10 out of 10, but only because 10 is the highest allowed on IMDb.
Yue man ying lun (1996)
well acted and thoughtful
Not many films can keep me watching until almost 2am, but this is one of them. I found it captivating from the beginning. It is fairly well scripted, and very well acted - notably Vicky Chen's performance I think. It concerns the story of Chinese immigrants etching out an existence in London. You'll be wanting to watch it to the end to find out how their lives turn out. I thought that the perspective of a foreign language film, shot entirely in London, was an interesting premise. Usually seeing a foreign language film - this one in Chinese - I'd expect to see it shot in the home country. Making a British film but scripting it almost entirely in Chinese was a gamble on the filmmaker's part, but one that paid off in my opinion.