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bmeiresonne
Reviews
Runaway (2012)
Humanistic, yet suspenseful thriller drama
The Redemption Raid
UDHAO (aka RUNAWAY) is a (quite unexpected) superb masterpiece from Bangladesh by first-timer Amit Ashraf.
UDHAO's story came to Ashraf's mind, while talking to his grandmother's maid. Being left behind by her husband with her three children, she wished somebody could bring him back to their family.
Together with producer Sumon Arefin, the future director imagined bounty hunter Babu's fictional story, which thus draws its inspiration in many terrifying true facts of Bangladesh's everyday life. If UDHAO's intriguing introduction seems to lead the movie into the path of another action movie, it develops more into a humanistic, yet suspenseful thriller drama. Bounty hunter Babu kidnaps the evil politician Akbar to start an adventurous journey through Bangladesh's beautiful, yet so menacing countryside. Whenever action sets down for a calmer approach, danger is never very far – such as in person of actor's Animesh Aich "Raj", Akbar's explosive right hand. As such, one never quite knows where Amit Ashraf's journey will take you – until the very strong ending, way beyond all expectations.
The last sequence might remind some audience members of Japanese director Takeshi Kitano's most powerful films, such as HANA-BI or SONATINE; but truth is, Ashraf's perfect mise-en-scene and – most overall – courage to take all leads to a very logic finish makes it one of the most powerful ending sequences of ANY movie in years
which makes the audience want to see the movie over and over again to reveal all the subtle red herrings (and I'm not only talking about the trail of "koi" fish) left behind by the smart film director throughout the film.
Zu zhou (2005)
Classic anticipation
Well, replying to your strange "experiment", I may also tell you that I saw this movie since it has already been released on VCD/DVD. Classic story, this movie is more of interest as another step "forward" in Chinese Cinema, since it has been directed by a young FEMININE newcomer amongst Chinese directors. Another co-production with Hong Kong (it is referenced as a HK-movie, even if the most part of the technical staff, scriptwriters, director and actors are all from Mainland and the movie even has been shot there), this movie takes brand new paths within the Chinese movies. If the subject is a classic one for the Occidental movies, it should be perceived as relatively new within Chinese movie industry and might be a leading form as for a whole bunch of similar products popping up there in the next months. At least, the typical Cinema of the "6th Generation" is eventually overdue for a new form of movies inspired from a worldwide cinema production. It is also a perfect example as of the more comprehensive Chinese Censorship, since murders and even an erotic scene are pictured within the movie - something which was still largely forbidden a few years ago. A whole new bunch of new film directors open the path to a whole new direction of the Chinese movies and with the precious help of the formidable Hong Kong know how you may bet on the "soon-to-come" birth of a very strong Cinema movement from Mainland China. Can't wait for it.