Queenie Chan
The Pundit 2006 Reviews »
The Greater Union cinema was only half full, but the fact that David Stratton was there provided some consolation. But even if you do not hold his opinion in high regard, there is no doubt that South Korean films deserve the critical recognition they are receiving on the festival circuit. It is perhaps fitting that Sa-Kwa won the International Critics Jury Prize at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival.
Sa-Kwa is the debut feature film of Kang Yi-Kwan. The film delves into territory that the American indie cinema seems to excel …
The Pundit 2006 Articles »
There was a time when I looked forward to the brown paper packages sent by kind relatives from Hong Kong. They contained the badly dubbed video cassettes that provided me with an alternative source of entertainment to the white dominated screen culture of the Australian mainstream. These fragments from beyond came in the form of Canto-pop movie stars, martial arts epics set in Imperial China, and Hong Kong Triad gun battle showdowns that were usually too graphic for my sensitive nature as a child.
Since then, SBS, satellite television and DVD …
The Pundit 2006 Reviews »
Director Royston Tan doesn’t say much when he introduces his film 4:30 on Monday night, except to forewarn the audience that unlike his previous work, 4.30 is so quiet he will be able to hear any snoring during the screening. Such childish, almost absurd humour punctuates the stillness of 4:30.
The film follows a young boy, Zhang Xiao Wu (Xiao Li Yuan), who is left to fend for himself while his mother is away on business. According to Tan, 4:30 in the morning is the loneliest time of day because it …
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