Godspeed begins with an expletive, voiced feelingly by a panicked man, his face bathed in red light. The choice of words is understandable: with a pair of shears being closed around his neck and a menacing crowd of heavies standing by, Da Bao is having a day he would rather forget.
Back to Anping Harbour
While the mood might be cloying and the story far-fetched, the theatrical Back to Anping Harbour makes for an interesting look at some preoccupations of the time.
On Polar Bears and Political Subversion
An innocent screening of a North Pole nature documentary veered dangerously close to insurrection when a frustrated speaker went off-script.
Monga
The Taipei district of Monga is a mess of noise, of temples crowded by neon-illuminated shopfronts, of shabby snack bars, and the red glow of brothels. It’s a fitting metaphor for Monga the film, a bubbling hot pot of teen movie, mafia flick, romance, kung fu and melodrama.
The Early Train From Taipei
Constructed like a Greek tragedy with stagey performances typical of the era, the melodrama Early Train from Taipei has enough cinematic touches to keep the main character’s downfall compelling.
God Man Dog
Offbeat and effortlessly cool, God Man Dog takes on the big questions of faith and destiny with a lightness of touch but a compassionate eye