Irma Vep (1996)

Despite being partly in English and having a Chinese lead, Vep couldn't be more French. It’s a film about the making of a film, namely a remake of Louis Feuillade's silent era serial Les Vampires (1915-16), shot in a vérité style. The production hits some bumps, leaving Maggie Cheung, playing a version of herself that's unable to speak the language, with only the Irma character to offer any kind of solace when she's alone.
As a commentary on French cinema it's successful in opening debate, but people who've never heard the names Truffaut or Godard might get a little lost trying to find something to hang onto.

3 inspirations out of 5

Clean (2004)

The almost unbearable handheld in-your-face close-ups give way eventually to a character study of a woman struggling to get her life back after a crippling drug habit leaves her broken and alone.
Emily (Maggie Cheung) is the only constant in a sea of people giving other people the run-around. Her emotions do the same to her, but her motivations, which are purposefully kept semi-hidden, are bedrock for her to fall back on. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to believe in you.
It’s as happy as it sounds, but it was good to see Maggie keep her feet on the ground and get an opportunity to really act. She does it well, and in three different languages. Plus, Nick Nolte is superb.

3½ liner notes out of 5

Project A: Part II (1987)

Undeterred by actual near death whilst filming the first Project A (1983) film, Jackie's back behind and in front of the camera for more of the same that's... well... more of the same. If you didn't like the first one, then you'll find nothing here to change your mind.
Jackie's direction makes some very difficult set pieces seem effortless, and I don't just mean the action scenes.

3 hiding places out of 5

Executioners: The Heroic Trio 2 (1993)

The world has changed since the Heroic Trio last fought together. It’s now post-apocalyptic. (I'm so damn tired of post-apoc settings. If we do ever blow the world up, let’s do it right and leave no one alive to make a film about.) Two of the women are being heroic in other ways. Wonder Woman has a daughter. Invisible Girl works to repay her debt to society. Only Thief Catcher is unchanged; she stills hunts for bounties.
The editing is still a little clumsy but it seems as if Ching Siu-tung has taken a more active role, meaning the fight scenes are better staged; although there’s still too much slow-mo. The story is less bat-shit crazy this time.

3 pieces of oath cloth out of 5

The Heroic Trio (1992)

Three of Asia’s most bankable actresses star in this kung fu action adventure. Wonder Woman (Anita Mui), Thief Catcher (Maggie Cheung) and Invisible Woman (Michelle Yeoh) each kick some ass but for different reasons, on different sides of the fence. Can a fence have three sides? No matter. Knowing that much is enough to let you know what you’re in for.
Unfortunately, Johnny To cocked it up. His action scenes are too clunky and his framing exposes all the sins. Tsui Hark or Corey Yuen could’ve brought this to a much higher level, although it still wouldn't have made much sense in the story dept. The finale is bonkers good fun, though.

2½ stolen babies out of 5

Hero (2002)

A visually stunning film filled with colour and grace that was unfairly compared to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) upon release. Both films are about honour and sacrifice, but beyond that they're very different.
While Hero is technically a part of the martial arts genre, there's much more to it than mere spectacle. The feelings and motivations that fuel the fighting are of more importance, so if you choose to ignore that side of it, then you'll be getting less than half of the full story.
It gathered together some of the best actors in China, all of whom gave subtly different performances for each of the interconnected stories.
Composer Tan Dun's score is as beautiful as Yimou's imagery.

5 flickering flames out of 5

Cause: The Birth of Hero (2002)

A documentary by Gan Lu about the making of Zhang Yimou’s Hero (2002) that’s almost twice as long as the film it documents. It’s a tedious, amateur film with no thought put into construction or presentation. The audio drops in and out frequently and the organisation is appallingly bad. It fails to capture the essence of its subject. It feels instead like a cheaply made wedding video, replete with wind noise and half-assed framing. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to watch it more than once.

1 wrap party out of 5

Flying Dagger (1993)

A direct translation of the film’s title is Crazy Dagger and Flying Sky Cat, which is much more apt but still doesn't even begin to describe how bat-shit crazy it all is. It’s a wuxia action comedy written by Wong Jing with a large dollop of innuendo, self-parody and wire-work that’s off the scale.
The plot has something to do with bounty hunters and a villainous fox, and then someone drinks piss. The English subtitles are a mess, so not only will you be reading and watching, you’ll be decoding. It makes the film even more head exploding than it already was. Fun times.
It managed to attract a hell of a cast, many of whom will be well known to fans of the genre.

3 helping hands out of 5

In the Mood for Love (2000)

Maggie Cheung's presence seduces every frame in which she appears in this film. A simple lingering shot of her hand on a doorframe becomes something sensual and highlights perfectly the fleeting nature of beauty perceived and the timidity associated with first steps.
It’s a slowly blossoming melodrama that won’t appeal to everyone, but if you’re one of the lucky ones that it speaks to you’ll fall in love.
Wong Kar-wai uses his lens in such a way that his shots made me feel like I was intruding into the characters’ private lives.

4½ rehearsals out of 5

Green Snake (1993)

A Chinese martial arts/romance/fantasy film based on the ancient legend of Madame White Snake, which is reportedly well over 1000 years old.
This version sees two female snakes take on human form and in so doing learn what it is to love as both human and snake.
It could have benefited from having ten minutes shaved from its middle section, but as a Tsui Hark fan it was great to see him use colour and light so abundantly. I even enjoyed his over-reliance on colour filters as they gave the world a wispy, ethereal quality that suited the story perfectly.

3½ trouser snakes out of 5

Police Story 2 (1988)

Jackie returns as Ka-kui for more super-cop action, which follows on directly from events in the previous film. Someone he arrested previously is out to get revenge, interfering in the officer's personal life. Meanwhile, the struggling star is still trying to find a comfortable balance between his love life and his police duties. Not surprisingly, he ends up with both feet in hot water.
The story is two-tiered but yet again remains secondary to Jackie's trademark comedy and remarkably skilled martial arts routines, upping the danger level at every turn. The stunt team earned their scars on this one - the fight at the playground is a masterclass in how to edit an action scene.

3½ costly acts of heroism out of 5

The Iceman Cometh (1989)

Two Ming Dynasty warriors get frozen. One is a Royal Guard and the other a villainous killer. Three hundred years later they get thawed out and with differences unresolved the feud continues.
Two ancients in modern day Hong Kong means lots of fish out of water jokes, which are fun for a while, but the film rarely makes the best of the opportunities the story presents. It's a shame because the cast are capable of so much more.

2½ turns of the Buddhist Wheel out of 5

Moon Warriors (1992)

Sammo Hung is no fool; he uses every second of Moon Warriors’ short running time to get the story across despite limitations. There isn't one second of wasted footage. It must have been a challenge, because it’s so densely packed with fast-paced fight scenes that on paper it would seem to have left little time for anything else. The four main protagonists don’t have much history and are instead characterised by their immediate actions, but it’s enough to differentiate each one and make us care about them.

3½ creeping bamboo forests out of 5

Dragon from Russia (1990)

The Freeman is an assassin for a cult known as 800 Dragons. As part of his training they stole his memory, and in order to fully understand his own nature he needs to rediscover his origins and determine his loyalties.
Clarence Fok’s adaptation of the Crying Freeman manga is typical Hong Kong martial arts action cinema: elevated camera angles, stylistic combat, wire work, fast editing, etc. The stunt choreography is wonderful, but the film is dragged down by a severe lack of characterisation and some woeful comedic moments. I prefer Christophe Gans' version of the story.

2½ creaky door voices out of 5

New Dragon Gate Inn (1992)

aka: Dragon Inn

A remake of King Hu's earlier Dragon Inn (1967) film. A power hungry eunuch, in employ of the Emperor but acting without his consent, sends his secret Black Arrow Troop to capture and kill the children of an army commander so that his goal of ruling China can get underway.
A quick scan of the people involved lets you know that you're in for a kinetic, balletic storm of action. It's a comedy/action wuxia adventure that takes some time to get going, but like all good wuxia films the ending is simply amazing; it even manages to do things that I'd not seen before anywhere else.

3½ drifting duckweeds out of 5

Police Story (1985)

No one can take a kick in the spools quite like Jackie Chan can; he's the undisputed King of the martial arts action/comedy. In the first of the Police Story films he's on the trail of a crime lord, which is really just a premise into which he can weave some wonderfully inventive action set pieces.
The plot has him playing nanny to a female suspect, which puts strain on his relationship with girlfriend May (Maggie Cheung), but the real joy is in watching Chan put himself through hell to nail the perfect action shot. The film contains some of his most famous (and dangerous) stunts, including a truly memorable and jaw-dropping leap in a Hong Kong shopping mall.

3½ heads through glass out of 5