Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week (March 16-22), from Beauty and the Beast to Silence
A live-action Disney reboot, Jesuits in feudal Japan, a rape-revenge comedy thriller, the lives of an upper-class French family, and Truffaut meets Hitchcock in a film buff’s dream make up this week’s picks
Click on film titles to read SCMP.com reviews
Emma Watson and director Bill Condon embrace diversity and bring a touch of feminist swagger to this live-action remake of the 1991 animated classic. Apart from that much-talked-about gay character, the delightful musical also features interracial kisses – another first for Disney. (Opens on March 16)
2. Silence
While it’s demanding – if not outright punishing – viewing, Martin Scorsese’s sombre, introspective adaptation of Shusaku Endo’s titular 1966 novel, about two Jesuit priests looking for their mentor in 17th century Japan, will richly reward those who share the director’s passion. (Opens on March 16)
3. Elle
Neither the Dutch-born director Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct) nor his Oscar-nominated star Isabelle Huppert (The Piano Teacher) are strangers to provocative filmmaking. But this rape-revenge comedy thriller still astonishes with its near-perfect blend of transgressive and sardonic materials. (Now showing)
4. Eternity
The titular book by French New Wave filmmaker François Truffaut has long been a staple in film studies. Now that New York Film Festival director Kent Jones has fleshed it out with film clips and interviews with eminent filmmakers, it really is a must-see for any self-respecting Hitchcock fan. (Now showing)
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