A Filipino nanny, an old man and his inquisitive granddaughter, a dying farmer and his past lives, a former assassin who is haunted by his savage past, and a confused high school athlete are just some of the colorful protagonists in the movies we’ve seen during our recent trips to Hong Kong, Cambodia and Thailand. The most notable titles in the diverse lineup:
Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s sumptuously concocted Cannes-winning existentialist drama, “Uncle Boonme Who Can Recall His Past Lives,” is a cinematic slow burn. Set in the dying protagonist’s tamarind farm in the middle of a mystical jungle, the movie’s spellbinding charm shines through as it shows the living eerily socializing with the dead, and Boonme’s past (and future) lives emerging one after another – as an activist, a water buffalo, and a talking catfish!
In Abdi Nazemian’s coming-of-age (and coming-out) short, “Revolution,” 16-year-old Iranian-American Jack (Logan Aria) loses a confidant after his beloved Filipino nanny, Letti (Sunday Burke), gets the boot for teaching him, not only “Bahay Kubo,” but also the “Ama Namin”! Letti’s departure leads to the arrival of another nanny, who comes with her “inappropriately” flirtatious son, Gabe (Zack Cumer).
Strong bond
The strong bond between an old man (Ricky Yeung) and his precocious granddaughter (Kawaii Kan) puts Banky Yeung and Yan-chi Mo Lai’s heartwarming drama, “1+1” – about the deleterious effects of progress and the confounding vagaries of life – in perspective.
Despite the production’s subtly elegiac tone, its lead characters’ optimism and abiding love for each other will leave viewers hopeful and inspired!
And Peter Chan’s edgy period actioner, “Wu Xia (Dragon),” fields the consistently watchable Takeshi Kaneshiro as a stubborn detective who’s out to expose the secret identity of a seemingly peace-loving paper-mill laborer (Donnie Yen), who’s running away from his past – as a serial killer!