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Film

New Releases

Love in the Buff (IIB) (Cantonese and Putonghua)

See review on this page.

The Grey (IIB)

See review on this page.

Love Actually ... Sucks (III) (Cantonese and English)

Drama by Scud about a variety of stories of love gone wrong. Not reviewed.

Wrath of the Titans (IIA)

Action adventure-fantasy about Perseus - the demigod son of Zeus - who goes to his father's rescue after the Titan Kronos, father of Zeus, conspires with another son to capture him. Not reviewed.

General Releases

A Separation (IIA) (Persian)

Asghar Farhadi's drama about a man with a young daughter whose life is crucially affected by one poor decision he makes after his wife leaves him. CT

A Simple Life (I) (Cantonese and Putonghua)

Deanie Ip Tak-han and Andy Lau Tak-wah star in Ann Hui On-wah's drama based on film producer Roger Lee's caring half-century relationship with his family maid. PF

The Artist (IIA) (English intertitles)

Michel Hazanavicius' romance centring on a silent movie star (Jean Dujardin) who, even as he feels threatened by the arrival of talking pictures, finds himself attracted to a young actress (Berenice Bejo) who hits it big in the talkies era. CT

Beauty and the Beast 3-D (I)

Stereoscopic version of the 1991 animated Disney film about a young book lover who, after offering herself up to a monster living in a castle in exchange for her imprisoned father, discovers that her captor is not so monstrous after all. Not reviewed.

Carnage (IIB)

Roman Polanski's drama showing how four seemingly sophisticated adults easily regress into puerile point-scoring and physical confrontation. Starring Jodie Foster. CT

Hugo (I)

Martin Scorsese's family drama set in 1930's Paris about an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station and become enmeshed in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton. CT

The Hunger Games (IIB)

Sci-fi action-drama set in a post-nuclear war America whose rulers force each of its 12 districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in battles to the death. CT

The Iron Lady (IIA)

Meryl Streep stars in Phyllida Lloyd's dramatic look at Margaret Thatcher. CT

Jack and Jill (IIA)

Comedy about a family man (Adam Sandler) who faces a Thanksgiving visit by his needy, passive-aggressive twin sister. CT

The Kid With A Bike (IIA) (French)

Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's drama about a young boy who is abandoned by his father, subsequently lives in a state-run youth farm, and is fostered by a hairdresser on weekends. CT

Love Is Not Blind (IIA) (Putonghua)

Romantic drama centring on a woman whose male colleague comes to her aid after she discovers that her boyfriend was cheating on her with her best friend. CT

Love Lifting (IIB) (Cantonese and Putonghua)

Herman Yau Lai-to's drama about a diabetic mainland weightlifter's fight for redemption after she moves to Hong Kong. Starring Elanne Kong Yeuk-lam. CT

Nightfall (IIB) (Cantonese and English)

Nick Cheung Ka-fai and Simon Yam Tak-wah star in a murder mystery about a detective who uncovers a shocking secret while investigating a celebrity's murder. Not reviewed.

One Nation, Two Cities (I) (Cantonese, Putonghua and Fujianese)

Cheung King-wai's documentary centring on a Fujianese woman who has been fighting for right of abode in Hong Kong for 30 years. YT

The Second Woman (IIA) (Cantonese and Putonghua)

Shu Qi plays two roles in Carol Lai Miu-suet's suspense thriller about twin sisters in love with the same man. Not reviewed.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (IIB) (English, Hungarian and Russian)

Tomas Alfredson's mystery-thriller based on John Le Carre's 1974 cold war novel about an espionage veteran (Gary Oldman) out to uncover a Soviet mole within the British Secret Intelligence Service. CT

We Need to Talk About Kevin (IIB)

Emotional thriller about a woman (Tilda Swinton) who grapples with grief and responsibility after her teenaged son does something unforgivable in the eyes of their community. CT

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (IIA) (Hindi, English and Spanish)

Bollywood comedy-drama revolving around three friends who decide to turn their fantasy holiday into reality after one of them becomes engaged. Not reviewed.

Art House

36th HK International Film Festival

HK International Film Festival Society presents 283 films from 50 territories, including the following 35. Until Apr 9. HK Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Rd, Wan Chai; HK City Hall, 5 Edinburgh Place, Central; HK Cultural Centre, 10 Salisbury Rd, TST; HK Film Archive, 50 Lei King Rd, Sai Wan Ho; HK Science Museum, 2 Science Museum Rd, TST East; HK Space Museum, 10 Salisbury Rd, TST; The Grand Cinema, 2/F Elements, 1 Austin Rd West, Kowloon; UA Cityplaza, 5/F Cityplaza, 18 Taikoo Shing Rd, Taikoo Shing; UA iSquare, 7/F iSquare, 63 Nathan Rd, TST; and UA Langham Place, 8/F-11/F Langham Place, 8 Argyle St, Mong Kok, HK$40-HK$100 Urbtix. Inquiries: hkiff.org.hk

Golden Chicken

Sandra Ng Kwan-yu stars in this comedic love letter to Hong Kong centring on a prostitute who has experienced Hong Kong's worst and best times. In Cantonese with English subtitles. Mar 29, 1pm, UA iSquare.

Saudade

Katsuya Tomita's indie drama about a hip hop musician working at construction sites who finds himself working with immigrants. In Japanese, Portuguese and Thai with English subtitles. Mar 29, 1.30pm, HK Space Museum.

The Mirror Never Lies

Kamila Andini's drama centring on a young girl's spiritual journey to accept her father's death. In Bahasa Indonesia with English subtitles. Mar 29, 5.15pm, UA iSquare.

People Mountain People Sea

Drama about a migrant labourer who seeks revenge after his brother is murdered. In Guizhou dialect and Putonghua with English subtitles. Mar 29, 7.15pm, UA Cityplaza, Mar 31, 1pm, The Grand Cinema.

Calm At Sea

Volker Schl?ndorff's drama revisits the events of October 1941 involving the planned execution of French prisoners after a German army officer is shot. In German and French with English subtitles. Mar 29, 7.45pm, The Grand Cinema.

Into the Abyss

Werner Herzog documentary containing conversations with death row inmate Michael Perry and those affected by his crime. In English. Mar 29, 9.30pm, UA Langham Place.

Nana

Drama centring on a four-year-old girl who has to grapple with life-and-death issues. In French with English subtitles. Mar 29, 9.30pm, HK City Hall.

Take This Waltz

Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen star in Sarah Polley's drama about a happily married woman who falls for an artist. In English with Chinese subtitles. Mar 29, 9.30pm, UA Cityplaza, Apr 1, 6pm, HK Cultural Centre.

Monsieur Lazhar

Philippe Falardeau's drama about a well-meaning Algerian immigrant hired to replace a recently deceased teacher in a French elementary school. In French with English subtitles. Mar 29, 9.45pm, The Grand Cinema, Apr 8, 3pm, HK Science Museum.

The Oppressed Students

Shinsuke Ogawa's documentary about the student uprising at the Takasaki City University of Economics that was a precursor to the nationwide student protests in Japan in the late 1960s. In Japanese with English subtitles. Mar 30, 3.30pm, HK Space Museum, Apr 8, 9.30pm, HK Arts Centre.

Bestiaire

Documentary deconstructing the human tendency to anthropomorphise things around us. No dialogue. Mar 30, 5.30pm, UA iSquare.

Fear of Falling

Drama centring on a father-to-be who reaches out to his estranged schizophrenic father in search for love and understanding. Bartosz Konopka directs. In Polish with English subtitles. Mar 30, 7.15pm, UA iSquare.

I Wish

Hirokazu Kore-eda's drama about two young brothers, separated due to their parents' divorce, who try to reunite their fractured family. In Japanese with Chinese and English subtitles. Mar 30, 7.15pm, HK Cultural Centre.

Sauna on Moon

Zou Peng's magic realist drama about the ambitious owner of a seedy sauna and his employees. In Putonghua and Cantonese with English subtitles. Mar 30, 7.15pm, UA Langham Place.

The Story of Film: An Odyssey I

The first three episodes of Mark Cousins' 15-episode television documentary about the history of cinematic innovation. In English. Mar 30, 7.30pm, HK Space Museum, Apr 5, 7.15pm, HK Arts Centre.

Declaration of War

Valerie Donzelli directs and stars in a drama about a young couple who unite to do all they can for their son after he is diagnosed with a brain tumour. In French with Chinese and English subtitles. Mar 30, 9.55pm, HK Cultural Centre.

Alois Nebel

Rotoscoped animated adaptation of Jaroslav Rudis and Jaromir 99's graphic novel about a train dispatcher who becomes involved with a murder in Poland after encountering a mute stranger. In Czech with English subtitles. Mar 31, 10.30am, HK Cultural Centre.

Postcard

Kaneto Shindo's anti-war drama about a middle-aged man who is sent to the frontlines that draws upon the 99-year-old director-writer's own military experiences during the second world war. In Japanese with English subtitles. Mar 31, 10.30am, HK City Hall.

The Story of Film: An Odyssey II

Episodes 4-6 of Mark Cousins' documentary on the history of cinematic innovation. In English. Mar 31, 10.30am, Apr 6, 12.30pm, HK Arts Centre.

Life Back Then

Drama by Takahisa Zeze based on novelist Masashi Sada's love story between a man with a speech impediment who works as a cleaner of homes of the recently departed and a woman who takes an interest in their belongings. In Japanese with Chinese and English subtitles. Mar 31, 12.30pm, HK Cultural Centre, Apr 4, 6pm, HK City Hall.

The Story of Film: An Odyssey III

Episodes 7-9 of the documentary on the history of cinematic innovation. In English. Mar 31, 2.30pm, Apr 7, 12.30pm, HK Arts Centre.

Scabbard Samurai

Period comedy about a disgraced samurai who is given 30 days for a chance of a pardon if he can make the lord's grief-stricken son smile. In Japanese with English subtitles. Mar 31, 6pm, HK City Hall.

Nuclear Nation

Atsushi Funahashi's documentary looks at the social impact of the Fukushima nuclear meltdown. In Japanese with English subtitles. Mar 31, 9pm, HK Science Museum.

A Letter to Momo

Anime by Hiroyuki Okiura centring on a young girl who moves with her mother from bustling Tokyo to the remote Japanese island of Shio, where she discovers and befriends three mischievous goblin spirits who haunt her old family house. In Japanese with English subtitles. Apr 1, 10.30am, HK Science Museum.

He's A Woman, She's a Man

Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, Anita Yuen Wing-yee and Carina Lau Kar-ling star in Peter Chan Ho-sun's romantic comedy about a female fan who pretends to be a man in order to meet her favourite singer and song-writer couple. In Cantonese with English subtitles. Apr 1, 10.30am, also 3pm, HK City Hall.

Delhi Belly

Screwball comedy about three flatmates who get mixed up with a smuggling ring. Starring Imran Khan, Vir Das and Kunaal Roy Kapur. In English and Hindi with Chinese and English subtitles. Apr 1, 12.45pm, HK City Hall.

The Story of Film: An Odyssey IV

Episodes 10-12 of Mark Cousins' 15 episode television series. In English. Apr 1, 10.30am, Apr 8, 12.30pm, HK Arts Centre.

Taxi Driver

Martin Scorsese's drama about a mentally unstable Vietnam war veteran working as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City where the perceived decadence and sleaze feeds his urge to violently lash out. Starring Robert De Niro and Jodie Foster. In English with Chinese subtitles. Apr 1, 12.45pm, HK Cultural Centre.

Crulic - The Path to Beyond

Anca Damian's animated documentary about the police intimidation, bureaucratic laziness and medical ineptitude that resulted in a young Romanian's death in a Polish prison. In Romanian with English subtitles. Apr 1, 1pm, HK Space Museum.

The Story of Film: An Odyssey V

Episodes 13-15 of Mark Cousins' 15-part television series documenting the history of innovation in the cinema. In English. Apr 1, 2.30pm, Apr 9, 12.30pm, HK Arts Centre.

Small Change

Francois Truffaut's gently humorous episodic 1976 drama about the children, parents and teachers in a small French town. In French with Chinese and English subtitles. Apr 1, 3.15pm, HK Cultural Centre.

Goodbye

Mohammad Rasoulof's drama about a young Tehran lawyer, disbarred due to her activism, who goes in search of a visa to leave Iran. In Persian with English subtitles. Apr 1, 5pm, Apr 5, 7.30pm, UA Langham Place.

Coriolanus

Ralph Fiennes directs and stars in an adaptation of William Shakespeare's tragedy - transposed to a fictional modern-day, war-torn Eastern Europe state - about a banished hero who allies with a sworn enemy to take revenge on his city. In English with Chinese subtitles. Apr 1, 5.30pm, The Grand Cinema, Apr 4, 6pm, HK Cultural Centre.

Guilty of Romance

Sion Sono's erotic thriller following a housewife's exploration of her sexuality. Starring Megumi Kagurazaka. In Japanese with Chinese and English subtitles. Apr 1, 9pm, HK Cultural Centre.

Headshot

Pen-ek Ratanaruang's crime drama centring on a hitman who sees everything upside down after being shot in the head. In Thai with English subtitles. Apr 1, 9pm, UA Langham Place, Apr 4, 3.15pm, HK City Hall.

International Buddhist Film Festival 2012 Hong Kong

The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation and Asia Society HK Centre present a programme of 13 Buddhist-themed films, including the following two. Until May 12. Asia Society HK Centre, the HK Jockey Club Former Explosives Magazine, 9 Justice Drive, Admiralty, HK$65 (Asia Society members HK$55) www.asiasociety.org.hk. Inquiries: 2103 9511

The Great Pilgrim

Documentary about Tang dynasty monk Xuanzang who travelled to India and brought essential Buddhist texts and teachings back to China. In Putonghua with English subtitles. Mar 29, 7pm, Asia Society HK Centre.

Amongst White Clouds

Edward Burger's documentary focuses on Buddhist hermit monks in scattered retreats dotting China's Zhongnan Mountain range. In English and Putonghua with English subtitles. Mar 31, 3pm, Asia Society HK Centre.

Once Upon a Hero: The Wong Fei-hung Saga

The HK Film Archive presents a programme of 26 films and television episodes from the Wong Fei-hung franchise, including the following two. Until May 26. HK Film Archive, 50 Lei King Rd, Sai Wan Ho, HK$40 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2739 2139

Once Upon a Time in China

Tsui Hark's 1991 martial arts drama about Wong Fei-hung shows the stance taken by the kung fu master against Western military, economic, technological and cultural incursions into China. Starring Jet Li Lianjie. In Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles. Mar 30, also May 26, 7.30pm, HK Film Archive.

Dreadnaught

Yuen Wo-ping's 1981 martial arts actioner about a laundry man (Yuen Biao) who seeks to learn kung fu from Wong Fei-hung (Kwan Tak-hing) so he can defeat a short-tempered killer. In Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles. Apr 1, 7.30pm, May 26, 2pm, HK Film Archive.

The Strange Case of Hong Kong Amoy Cinema

The HK Film Archive presents a programme of Amoy-dialect 14 films produced in Hong Kong, including the following film. Mar 31-May 27. HK Film Archive, 50 Lei King Rd, Sai Wan Ho, HK$40 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2739 2139

Southeast the Peacock Flies

A 'sing-song' film based on a Han Dynasty yuefu poem with the same title about a villager whose lover's mother wants her son to marry a rich family's daughter instead. Bai Yun stars and directs. In Amoy dialect with Chinese subtitles. Mar 31, also May 27, 2pm, HK Film Archive.

Restored Treasures

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department presents a continuing series of movies that have undergone restoration work, including the following film. Continuing. Ongoing. HK Film Archive, 50 Lei King Rd, Sai Wan Ho, HK$40 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2734 2901

Singing in the Rain

Gene Kelly directs (with Stanley Donen) and stars in this 1952 musical with a story, set in 1927, about a movie star transitioning from silent films to talkies and involved in a love triangle with his regular co-star (Jean Hagen) and a young ingenue (Debbie Reynolds). In English with Spanish subtitles. Apr 1, 2pm, HK Film Archive.

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