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Cinema

Cinema
Views, news, and reviews of films, from the latest releases to classic oldies.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
Korean actor Hyun Bin with his wife Son Ye-jin. The couple married in March 2022 and had their son in November the same year. Photo: Instagram/hyunbinactor
Asian cinema: Korean films

‘I’m second,’ says South Korean star Hyun Bin on life now he’s a dad

Hyun Bin says his son and his wife, Crash Landing on You co-star Son Ye-jin, are his priorities, and reveals the pressures of making Harbin.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

The Hong Kong films released in 2024, ranked from worst to best

Asian cinema: Korean films

Review | Hidden Face, a Korean erotic thriller, serves up scandalous fun

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Sexual harassment and assault

Blake Lively accuses Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment, smear campaign

The actress says her co-star waged a campaign to destroy her reputation after she spoke up about his ‘disturbing behaviour’ on the film set.

Blake Lively poses for photographers upon arrival at the UK Gala Screening for It ‘Ends with Us in London in August. Photo: AP
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

3 of John Woo’s lesser known action films, one so violent it was shelved

A triad movie with a young Stephen Chow, a crude war film and a crime caper starring Leslie Cheung. These 3 Woo projects fly under the radar.

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Fashion

Q&A | Audrey Diwan on filming Emmanuelle in Hong Kong, and her love for Chanel

Audrey Diwan came to Hong Kong for the first time in 2023 – it didn’t take her long to return for Chanel’s cruise show, and she also directed a short film starring Angela Yuen for the occasion.

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Asian cinema

The 12 best Asian films of 2024, including The Last Dance

From a Thai tear-jerker to a Korean cross-dressing romcom and a hand-drawn Japanese anime, our pick of the best Asian films of the past year.

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Michael Hui in a still from The Last Dance.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | The Prosecutor: Donnie Yen literally fights for justice in court drama

The Prosecutor offers great action from Donnie Yen but with its simplistic representation of justice, don’t expect a hard-hitting drama.

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Australia

Australia’s mega-hit kids show Bluey is becoming a film

The Walt Disney Company says a feature-length outing of the popular animated series will hit cinemas in 2027.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Last Song for You: Natalie Hsu melts hearts in poignant fantasy romance

Natalie Hsu, helped by Ekin Cheng and Mirror’s Ian Chan, shines in this Hong Kong healing drama about memories, regret and lost love.

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Ian Chan (front) and Natalie Hsu in a still from Last Song for You.
Asian cinema: Korean films

Will these films draw Koreans back to cinema after protests over Yoon?

Cinema-going fell in South Korea amid mass protests after President Yoon Suk-yeol’s martial law declaration. Distributors hope for a rebound.

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Lee Hee-joon (left) and Song Joong-ki in a still from Bogota: City of the Lost, one of two big domestic productions distributors hope will draw South Koreans back to cinemas. Photo: Plus M Entertainment and Watermelon Pictures
Asian cinema

Saudi Arabia’s shifting attitudes towards cinema, from film ban to festival

For 35 years, film was banned in Saudi Arabia. Now it is investing in the industry, building cinemas and hosting global stars at a festival.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Stephen Chow’s ‘heroic’ makeover for Fight Back to School movies

Known for lowbrow comedies and playing the underdog, Chow was successfully recast as a suave hero, playing a cop undercover as a schoolboy.

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K-drama news

Profile | Meet Lim Ji-yeon, star of K-dramas The Glory and The Tale of Lady Ok

Lim found fame in steamy drama Obsessed, stopped being typecast after her role in The Glory, and has not looked back since.

Lim Ji-yeon in a still from The Glory. Photo: Netflix
American cinema

Jim Carrey, retired no more, returns to acting in Sonic 3. Why?

The chance to play a genius – ‘which is a bit of a stretch’ – and the film’s pay cheque are the reasons Carrey is back on the big screen.

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Jim Carrey as Dr Robotnik from the Sonic the Hedgehog films. He returns to the big screen after announcing his acting retirement in 2022. Photo: Paramount Pictures
Fame and celebrity

Is Ferrari producer Andrea Iervolino having a fling with Jessica Alba?

The Ferrari, Merchant of Venice and Tell It Like a Woman producer fell in love with film as a teen, but it’s his alleged romances with Hollywood actresses that have the rumour mills turning.

American cinema

It’s been 50 years. Is The Godfather Part II the best movie sequel ever?

The Godfather Part II delves deeper into the history of the Mafia family at its heart. 50 years on from its making it remains a masterpiece.

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Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong cinema closures will have knock-on effect for industry, experts say

Closure of seventh cinema this year will not only undermine competitiveness of industry, but also Hong Kong’s image as an international city, they say.

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MCL’s branch in Plaza Hollywood, Diamond Hill, closed its curtain for the final time on Thursday night, leaving just 15 outlets operating under the company. Photo: Sam Tsang
Fame and celebrity

Meet Alison Oliver, the Saltburn actress dating The Crown’s Josh O’Connor

Oliver auditioned for Conversations with Friends despite having no professional experience; her career’s taken off since, with appearances in 2023’s Saltburn and the upcoming Wuthering Heights.

American cinema

15 new Hollywood movies to watch this winter, from Sonic 3 to Snow White

Other films being released from December 2024 to March 2025 include Paddington in Peru, Captain America: Brave New World and The Brutalist.

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American cinema

Support for Interstellar’s IMAX re-release ‘magical’, Christopher Nolan says

Director pleased to see ‘new audiences’ experiencing sci-fi epic on big screen – and proof watching with others in a cinema is still a draw.

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Matthew McConaughey in a still from Interstellar. Its sold-out re-release at IMAX cinemas in North America, gratified director Christopher Nolan, who reflects on the success of his sci-fi epic. Photo: AP
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Haunting Call: Lin Min-chen sees ghosts in subpar Danny Pang horror

A live streamer steals a mobile phone that serves as an instrument of revenge for a ghost she befriends. Intriguing, but don’t expect scares.

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Lin Min-chen in a still from Haunting Call.
American cinema

Review | A Complete Unknown: Timothée Chalamet aces Bob Dylan role in biopic

Timothée Chalamet excels in this reverential take on Bob Dylan’s rise to fame and electric-guitar performance at the Newport Folk Festival.

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Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Daughter’s Daughter: Sylvia Chang anchors intricate women’s drama

Hou Hsiao-hsien acolyte Huang Xi’s second feature is an absorbing, skilfully crafted family drama anchored by Chang’s nuanced performance.

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Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | Anime The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an exciting prequel

Kenji Kamiyama directs this animated film set 200 years before LotR and starring the voices of Gaia Wise, Brian Cox and Luke Pasqualino.

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Héra (voiced by Gaia Wise) in a still from The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
United States

Golden Globes 2024: ‘Emilia Pérez’, ‘The Brutalist’ and ‘Conclave’ lead nominations

Netflix’s ‘Emilia Pérez,’ a musical about a Mexican drug lord’s gender transition, leads 82nd Golden Globe nominations with 10 nods.

Karla Sofia Gascon left, and Adriana Paz in a scene from “Emilia Perez”: Photo: Netflix via AP
Auctions

Ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz sell for US$28 million

The shoes were stolen from a Michigan museum in 2005 and their whereabouts remained a mystery until the FBI recovered them in 2018.

Asian cinema

Not yet at home in exile, Iranian filmmaker lives in the world of cinema

For The Seed of the Sacred Fig director Mohammad Rasoulof, a winner in Cannes weeks after fleeing Iran for Germany, exile hasn’t sunk in.

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