Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – 2011

The spy thriller has been a staple of cinema ever since James Bond first graced the silver screen. But as compelling as Bond may be, it is the works of John le Carre who represent the most thrilling aspects of the spy film. Set in the aftermath of the Cold War, this film focuses on […]

Π – 1998

The origin of a filmmaker is often traced back to his/her first movie. Darren Aronofsky first came onto the scene with Pi, a psychological thriller focused on the role of math in nature and human existence. The focus of the film is Max who suffers an obsession with numbers, his savant like focus on the […]

Margin Call – 2011

J.C. Chandor is an up-and-comer. He has only directed three features in his short career, but all three have been standouts. Margin Call is his first film and it is easily his most ambitious. The film focuses on the financial crisis of 2008 and is perfect in its execution and understanding of the issues that […]

Rear Window – 1954

Hitchcock is the master of suspense. He has created over a dozen great films that highlight the most terrifying aspects of human nature. Rear Window is one of his most well-known films and rightly so. The film focuses on an injured photographer whose cabin fever turns him out of the window of his house where […]

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – 2000

It’s hard to know if Crouching Tiger is a tribute to the martial arts or an attempt to top them all. Either way, it succeeds. Ang Lee crafts a masterpiece here and it amplified an obscure genre of Asian cinema into the best film of the year. Fight scenes are like dances and they require […]

Subgenre: Wuxia Film

Wuxia As I explore San Francisco, home of the illustrious Chinatown, I consider the contributions of Hong Kong and Taiwan to world cinema. One of the most prominent film styles used by Chinese filmmakers is the Wuxia film. There is a lot to love and appreciate about these films and their place in cinema in […]