As predicted, the month of the Lunar New Year is a sad time for foreign movies in China. We only get 3, possibly 4. In the culture bureau’s effort to support Chinese culture, we get a LOT of fun local films instead. Even a new Peppa Pig cartoon.
Nothing compared to last month’s 12 foreign movies. We don’t believe in balance here in this country.
There’s an ounce of good news, though, Captain Marvel secured a same day release with the US! That means we’ll get it in Mainland China on March 8. More about that next month.
Back to February: we get a Japanese romance flick and another anime, the new cyberpunk action film written and produced by none other than James Cameron (which is based on Japanese manga), and possibly a heavily Oscar-nominated Mexican drama.
Friday, January 25, 2019
Deadpool 2
《死侍2：我爱我家》
sǐ shì èr：wǒ ài wǒ jiā
Director: David Leitch
Actors: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin, TJ Miller
China Release Date: Friday, January 25, 2019
Yes, China decided to tack on another one at the end of January. No, it’s not the original version.
In this highly censored sequel, 4th-wall breaking mercenary Wade Wilson aka Deadpool (Reynolds) must assemble a team and protect a young, beautiful mutant known as Firefist (Dennison) from Cable (Brolin), a no-nonsense, dangerous cyborg from the future, and must also learn the most important lesson of all: to be part of a family again.
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Tonight, At The Movies
《今夜在浪漫剧场》
jīn yè zài làng màn jù chǎng
aka 今夜、ロマンス劇場で
Director: Hideki Takeuchi
Actors: Haruka Ayase, Kentarô Sakaguchi, Akira Emoto
China Release Date: Thursday, February 14, 2019
Note: this film is in Japanese with Chinese subtitles
Wow, a Japanese love story releasing on Valentine’s Day. All the guys out there breath a sigh of relief as they plan to just take their lover to the movies instead of an expensive romantic dinner. Good luck with that, gentlemen.
The plot: An assistant director and film fan gets his wish come true when his favorite heroine, a princess from an old film, magically appears in the real world.
Sounds kinda familiar, but the dreamers out there are sure to love it.
Long Press and Extract to View Trailer:
长按立即看看中文字幕的预告片
Friday, February 22, 2019
Alita: Battle Angle
《阿丽塔：战斗天使》
ā lì tǎ：zhàn dòu tiān shǐ
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Actors: Rosa Salazar, Mahershala Ali, Eiza González, Christoph Waltz
China Release Date: Friday, February 22, 2019
Written and produced by James Cameron, and releasing only a week after the US, Alita is a creation from an age of deep despair. Found by the mysterious Dr. Ido (Waltz) while trolling for cyborg parts.
She cannot remember who she is, or where she came from. But to Dr. Ido, the truth is all too clear. She is the one being who can break the cycle of death and destruction left behind from the past.
But to accomplish her true purpose, she must fight and kill. And that is where Alita’s true significance comes to bear. She is an angel from heaven. She is an angel of death.
We might go see this one, just for Christoph Waltz and Mahershala Ali.
Friday, February 22, 2019
Maquia: When the
Promised Flower Blooms
《朝花夕誓》
cháo huā xī shì
aka さよならの朝に約束の花をかざろう
Director: Mari Okada
Actors: Manaka Iwami, Miyu Irino, Yôko Hikasa
China Release Date: Friday, February 22, 2019
Note: this film is in Japanese with Chinese subtitles
In a Lord of the Rings type world, all the people stop aging in their mid-teens and can live for hundreds of years. One resident, Maquia, feels lonely despite the peaceful and idyllic land she lives in.
But one day, another army invades their land, seeking the peoples’ blood for their immortality. Maquia manages to escape the destruction and chaos of war, but with no home or people, she becomes a wanderer in a dark forest.
Lo and behold, she comes across an infant mortal boy who has lost his parents, and becomes his guardian. The story follows the relationship that evolves between the two as he grows up while Maquia does not.
The animation alone makes this one worth it.
Long Press and Extract to View Trailer:
长按立即看看中文字幕的预告片
Friday, February 22, 2019
Roma
《罗马》
luó mǎ
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Actors: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Diego Cortina Autrey
China Release Date: Friday, February 22, 2019
Note: this film is in Spanish with Chinese subtitles
This is the film with all the buzz and the one that has won all the awards this season so far and has been nominated for 10 Oscars. It’s simply a must-see.
The premise is simply about a year in the life of a middle-class family’s maid in Mexico City in the early 1970s. But the key feature is the amazing director.
If it gets canceled, you can easily download it online.
Thanks to imdb.com, douban.com, all the movies’ websites, and Wikipedia for the information used. And a huge thanks to the team at Culturability. They consistently write useful content. Follow their WeChat platform by scanning below:
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