Ichi (Japan, 2008)
This is a samurai film with a twist. The title character, Ichi, is a blind woman, who, although not trained in any typical samurai tradition, has mastered the "single, backhand slash" to highly effective use. Reserved and aloof, her philosophy is to stay out of everyone else's business because, being blind, she "can't see borders".

She meets up with another samurai – sort of a ronin, but he doesn't fall under the typical description of "masterless swordsman" – whose buffoonish introduction to her belies his confidence in his own swordsmanship.

The two end up in a town, run and protected by a yakuza family, that is being squeezed by a gang of bandits and they get entwined in the conflict. Through their interactions, we get to know more about their backgrounds and mysteries – the contradiction of his failure to fight, but pride in his ability to fight; and Ichi herself is a mystery, both impenetrable and vulnerable, that unfolds.

I wouldn't dare compare this film to the older classics, but I found this to be an excellent modern-day made samurai film that both respectfully stands on the shoulders of the genre while still offering something fresh, and not just the blind swordswoman aspect – blind has been done, swordswoman has probably been done – but also in terms of plot and themes. It's a very well put together film with a well-developed narrative and excellently acted all around.

8 out of 10 tomatoes and highly recommended for fans of samurai and medieval Japan films.


No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti 不能沒有妳 (Taiwan, 2009)
Supposedly based on a true story – and having lived in Taiwan for these past years, I believe it – this film is about a working-but-impoverished father and school-age daughter who are pushed to the brink by the profound stupidity that is bureaucracy of the Taiwanese government.

What he wants is stated very plainly. He just wants his "daughter to go to school" after being told by a policeman that she should be in school. His ordeal starts with innocent advice from a buddy on where to get help, and upon taking the advice gets shuffled through all levels of the system of people who promise to "take care of it", until it falls into the lowest hands of people who can't do anything because they have to follow regulations.

It's a frustrating and heartbreaking film that makes you want to punch the government in the nose.

I do think one of the underlying issues the film deals with is how Taiwan is dealing with its modernization and how it clashes with traditional lifestyles or mindsets. Whether it was fact or not, it is very important that the story is based in Kaohsiung, which may be Taiwan's second city, but is still somewhat considered a backwater. Even though it's quickly modernizing, Kaohsiung and Taipei are very different cities, especially in mindset and behavior (and some would argue government budgets – but that's a political argument and there is little messier in Taiwan than its politics).

The way the father and daughter live is a pre-industrial lifestyle and mindset. You do what you have to do to get by. There aren't all these rules and regulations and registries and bureaucracies. You need a place to live, you just set up shop somewhere, no landlords or rent or bills. What's more, they're happy. Very different from what's suggested at the end – and I'm not giving anything away here – where you just don't know (pay attention to the last shot, it's saying something very intentional).

The film looks like it was shot in digital black & white, which I didn't love the look of, and at 92 minutes long, it's a little story that doesn't overextend itself. It's a laconic human drama that's worth a screening. 7 out of 10 tomatoes.