All articles by Shelly Kraicer
-
Reviews
Crazy Stone (Feng Kuang De Shi Tou)
Dir:Ning Hao. China. 2006.100mins.The commercialpotential for modestly budgeted, audience-oriented films in China's filmindustry may be more theoretical than fully realised -but Ning Hao's Crazy Stone is a model exampleof how it can work, combining as it does box-office appeal with strongproduction values and a jazzy contemporary sensibility.New Chinese cinema is ...
-
Reviews
The Music Box (Lifashi)
Dir:Chen Yifei. China. 2006. 104mins.Lushly photographedhistorical romances from mainland China are not exactly in short supply intoday's film market, but The Music Boxdistinguishesitself with its meticulously illuminated visual polish. Yet although this taleof a hairdresser's grand adventures, both amorous and political, is set againstthe turmoil of modern China's mid-20th century, ...
-
Reviews
Election 2 (Hak Sewui: Yi Wo Wai Gwai)
Dir:Johnnie To. HK. 2006. 93mins.The second part of Johnnie To's contemporary gangster saga, Election 2 will be atreat for fans of last year's original, eager for more from its black-as-pitch Hong Kong triad family.But this exposition-heavy sequel is unlikely to draw in a new audience. Slow tobuild a head of ...