April 13, 2016 - "The Assassin" (2015)

The Assassin, 2015
7 p.m., Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Stanley Coulter Hall, Room 239

Director: Hsiao-hsien Hou
Origin: Taiwan | China | Hong Kong | France
Language: Mandarin
Running time: 105 min

In this action epic set in 9th-century China, Nie Yinniang is abducted at age 10 and trained to become an assassin who uses her skills to get rid of corrupt public officials -- until she's ordered to kill her beloved cousin. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $613,556
Watch the trailer on YouTube.

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Review of last week's film ("Udaan", 3 stars)
Steven says: The best part of the film is its look at life in an industrial Indian city. We learn a lot about the country that is not seen in traditional American media. It also reminds us that many struggles we face are universal.

July 25, 2012 - "Yi Yi" (2000)

Yi Yi, 2000
Director: Edward Yang
Origin: Taiwan | Japan
Languages: Mandarin | Hokkien
Running time: 173 min

Among movie critics' highest-rated foreign films of 2000, Yi Yi chronicles three generations of a Taiwanese family mired in a crisis of self-doubt. The film focuses mostly on computer worker N.J. (Nien-Jen Wu) and his wife and two children. A chance meeting with a former lover compels N.J. to question the assumptions on which his life is based. Warm and thoughtful, Yi Yi posits that truth is something we may never know. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $901,359

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Review of last week's film ("Something Like Happiness", four stars)
Steven says: The theme of this movie centers around what passes for happiness. We've been here before with similarly titled films, but the relationships seem more real, more grounded in truth. For sure, the characters aren't normal - what would a movie be with normal people in it, right? But their struggles, emotions, and consequences are places we've been ourselves. The introductory scenes are sparse and lack engagement, but somewhere in the 20-25 minute range, everything clicks and there's no turning back. You'll love, despise, ache and cringe throughout this movie.