It's time for the annual San Diego Asian film festival and as usual, I don't have a clue about most of the films. Leaving out the shorts, here's a list of the features that caught my eye:

AFTER THIS OUR EXILE (Hong Kong, 2005)
AIR GUITAR NATION (USA, 2006)
AMERICAN PASTIME (USA, 2006)
ANG PAMANA: THE INHERITANCE (Canada/Philippines, 2005)
BLACKOUT (Philippines, 2006)
BOLINAO 52 (Vietnam, 2007)
CATS OF MIRIKITANI (USA, 2006)
DARK MATTER (USA, 2005)
A DIRTY CARNIVAL (Korea, 2005)
THE GREAT HAPPINESS SPACE: TALE OF AN OSAKA LOVE THIEF (Japan, 2005)
HULA GIRLS (Japan, 2005)
I'M A CYBORG BUT THAT'S OK (Korea, 2006)
ISABELLA (Macau/China)
NA KAMALEI: THE MEN OF HULA (USA, 2006)
NANKING (USA, 2005)
NEW YEAR BABY (Cambodia/USA, 2006)
OWL AND THE SPARROW (Vietnam/USA, 2007)
RAINBOW SONG (Japan, 2005)
THE REBEL (Vietnam/USA 2007)
SAMOAN WEDDING (New Zealand, 2005)
SENTENCED HOME (USA, 2007)
SHANGHAI KISS (USA/China, 2006)
TAZZA: THE HIGH ROLLERS (Korea, 2005)
TIE A YELLOW RIBBON (USA, 2007)
TRE (USA, 2007)
THE TROUBLE WITH ROMANCE (USA, 2007)
UNDOING (USA, 2006)
VANAJA (India, 2005)
THE VICTIM (Thailand, 2007)
WEST 32ND (USA, 2006)
WHAT THE SNOW BRINGS (Japan, 2004)
YEAR OF THE FISH (USA, 2007)

Any thoughts/opinions on any of the above? The opening night film, Justin Lin's FINISHING THE GAME, is sold out.

Here's the website:

http://www.sdaff.org/festival/2007/

A DIRTY CARNIVAL (Korea, 2005): another great achievement of director Yu Ha (marriage is a crazy thing, once upon a time in high school). If you already enjoyed FRIEND (Kwak Kyung-Taek, 2001), you may like this film. a very insightful and powerful gangster film.

TAZZA: THE HIGH ROLLERS (Korea, 2005): a very smart and intelligent 'gambler film'. great acting, especially Madam Jeong (Kim Hye-Soo) and Agwee (Kim Yoon-Seok). You can compare this film with other gambling and fraud films.

CATS OF MIRIKITANI (USA, 2006): This documentary is the winner of 29th Big Muddy Film Festival and sweeps many independent film awards.

Hi Lisa,
I’ve had to cut back on movie going this year so I didn’t see half of what I’d hoped to see but from your list I saw and would recommend in order:

OWL AND THE SPARROW – my second favorite film at the fest (behind EXILED) and SFIAAFF jury award winner (totally surprised to see such a warm-hearted film get props in jaded ol’ America).

DIRTY CARNIVAL – solid, engaging story with very good acting and exciting fight choreography.

DARK MATTER – saw this film because of Liu Ye’s considerable talents and he didn’t let me down here – I was thoroughly immersed in the journey. The production values are pleasantly higher than usual for a festival film.

FINISHING THE GAME – if you get a chance it’s a damn lot of fun.

AFTER THIS OUR EXILE - okay you forgive the man since it’s his first film in 17 years and he finally got to make one exactly the way he wanted but ATOE coulda used some editing. Still it was good, and sad, and heartfelt, and I cried, and any film with Charlie Yeung in a major role is okay in my book. Kwok and the kid are amazing too.

TAZZA: THE HIGH ROLLER – for some reason I’m having trouble remembering particulars but I know I found it slick and fun.

UNDOING – chose to see this film because of main man Sung Kang who is consistently good. Production values are a bit low but the mystery unravels expertly and one short scene made me cry harder (during a film) than I have in years.

Let us know what you end up seeing when you get a chance…

I enjoyed both Hula Girl and Isabella. I suppose neither is a "major" work -- but they are worth seeing at some point.

AFTER THIS OUR EXILE is excellent (and needs no editing, although it got it anyway in the truncated 2-hour Hong Kong release version). Don't miss this one - a "major work," no question.

Of the others there, I've only seen I'M A CYBORG, which is... well, your mileage may vary. Sometimes thrilling, sometimes tastelessly cloying.

And don't feel bad, I've heard nothing but four-fanged pans of FINISHING THE GAME.

AFTER THIS OUR EXILE (Hong Kong, 2005)
This is a well made film but it didn't give anything. I have seen the HK shorter version. I agree that Kwok was suprisingly good.

A DIRTY CARNIVAL (Korea, 2005)
It has that "been there, done that" feeling. It is not a bad film but didn't leave an impression.

HULA GIRLS (Japan, 2005)
It is a melodrama and a decent one at that, but again, I have seen better.

I'M A CYBORG BUT THAT'S OK (Korea, 2006)
This one is interesting (and I agree depends on your tolerance level) since it has some brilliant moments but they are not successfully merged into a whole film.

ISABELLA (Macau/China)
I love this one. Actually it is easily my fave among the ones I have listed. I find it more engaging and visually more pleasing than the rest mentioned here.

TAZZA: THE HIGH ROLLERS (Korea, 2005)
It is entertaining if I have to choose between A Dark Carnival and this I'd pick this one.

Did you ever see XU Jinglei's "My Father and I"?- It has a lot of similarities to "Isabella" -- but isn't so visually lush. Nonetheless, I think it might be an even better film overall.

I obviously liked "Hula Girls" a good bit more than you -- in other words -- I think it was an especially good popular melodrama. (which recent Japanese films of this sort do you think were better?)

Here's what I've seen so far:

[spoilers for THE VICTIM and OWL AND THE SPARROW]

ANG PAMANA -- Low budget, amateurish and surprisingly dull for a horror film involving a fetus eating demon. I nodded off before the screaming started. Not an auspicious start to the festival.

THE VICTIM -- This Thai horror film was much more effective, though the plot got a bit confusing towards the end. If anyone has seen this, maybe you can clear up some questions I have. Who killed Meen? Or was the body in the river a completely separate murder? Who was the girl in the picture with May? Was she the one getting plastic surgery?

THE REBEL -- Vietnamese drama set in the 1920s. Not bad of its type with plenty of bone-crunching action. Dustin Nguyen was on hand for the Q&A. Apparently the Weinsteins have purchased the North American distribution rights.

I'M A CYBORG BUT I'M OK -- I enjoyed this. Okay, so it's a bit cloying, but still fun.

OWL AND THE SPARROW -- Again, sappy and sentimental, but in a good way. The little girl who played Thuy had enough charm to pull it off. Though I must admit to being a bit bothered that the one character who had a decent job threw it away when she was going to be back in Saigon in a week's time. Couldn't she have waited?

HULA GIRLS -- A bit FULL MONTY meets A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN but enjoyable. All afternoon I've been trying to put my finger on what Hollywood actress Miss Hirayama reminded me of. Illeana Douglas? Close, but not quite.

ISABELLA -- Thanks for recommending this one. I might have passed based on the capsule blurb on the website. Beautifully filmed and acted.

Tomorrow night we're seeing YEAR OF THE FISH and on Wednesday, DIRTY CARNIVAL. When I flipped over my Ken schedule the other day, I discovered that FINISHING THE GAME and VANAJA are both playing in the next few weeks.