11. Ip Man (Wilson Yip, 2008, China)
Although not historically accurate, the film stands apart for its impressive depiction of the two eras and a number of sublime action scenes choreographed by two masters of the field, Sammo Hung and Tony Leung Siu Hung. Donnie Yen plays Ip Man, and Fan Siu Wong and Horiyiki Ikeuchi play his two main opponents. The battles between the aforementioned are exceptional. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
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12. Dangal (Nitesh Tawari, 2016, India)
Mahavir Singh Phogat is a former amateur wrestler and national champion residing in Balali. His dreams of winning an international medal for India were crushed by reality, as his father forced him to abandon the sport in order to get a job, since wrestling at the time, was not enough to earn a living. In 1988, a currently married Mahavir has decided to fulfill his dream through his children, but unfortunately, and despite a number of “spells” and “secret recipes” proposed by his fellow villagers, he finds himself with four daughters… Nitesh Tiwari directs a very entertaining film that combines sports, comedy, and drama in a delightful, albeit quite light approach. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
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13. Man of Will (Lee Won-tae, 2017, S. Korea)
Lee Won-tae, in his debut feature, attempts to tell a noble story of an ordinary life, doing extraordinary things and while he succeeds at providing an important and entertaining history lesson about a commoner who went on to be a national hero… [Kim Koo] is finally given his just dues in Lee Won-tae's biopic “Man of Will”, starring Cho Jin-woong and Song Seung-heon, which focuses on his early days when he was still called Kim Chang-soo. (Rhythm Zaveri)
14. Manto (Nandita Das, 2018, India)
For a keen observer and lover of the sub-continent's literary history, there is a lot from which sheer delight can be drawn, be it the appearance of notable literary and film personalities of the time played by a large ensemble of very good actors, or the presentation of the Indian film industry in its infancy, operating out of Bombay Talkies… It is a sympathetic look at the riot-torn nations of India and Pakistan through the eyes of an artist who himself deeply felt and intricately expressed the woes of Partition. (Vidit Sahewala)
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15. To Be Number 1 (Poo Man Kit, 1991, Hong Kong)
The gangster Limpy Ho has been portrayed numerous times on screen, most recently by Donnie Yen in “Chasing the Dragon”. Here we get the full rise and fall story delivered in epic fashion by Poon Man-kit and featuring a towering performance from Ray Lui. As Limpy Ho, he goes full method, gaining weight to portray his later years and never trying to engage the audience's sympathy despite the film occasionally aiming to do just that. An excellent supporting cast featuring Cecilia Yip, Waise Lee and Kent Cheng back up the high production values and fluid direction. As to the accuracy of the narrative, that in any biopic is open to conjecture. It remains though one of the best crime movies made in Hong Kong and worthy of rediscovery. (Ben Stykuc)
16. Endless Waltz (Koji Wakamatsu, 1995, Japan)
This Koji Wakamatsu-helmed biopic of the Japanese free jazz saxophonist Kaoru Abe pulls no punches in the portrayal of its subject in all of his contradictions and ugliness. On the one hand, he is shown as the highly prolific and influential musician that he was, who, with his fearless exploration of the ugly side of music paved the way to some of its most extreme forms. Yet, Wakamatsu does not shy away from presenting his other side, that of a self-centered drug-abusing wife-beating man-child, who does not care for others. Featuring a compelling performance by the punk musician Kou Machida,a cameo by Keiji Haino, and loads of music performances, “Endless Waltz” is a must-see for everyone interested in extreme Japanese music. (Martin Lukanov)
17. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (Paul Schrader, 1985, Japan and USA)
“Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters” is a challenging film, a story which will undoubtedly provoke its viewers. Given its well-constructed script and its great central performance by Ken Ogata, this is a worthy cinematic experience for those interested in the distinction between art and life, between action and words for dichotomies like this may give birth to great beauty, they may also allow us to look into a burning fire that might sweep over our world. (Rouven Linnarz)
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18. The Admiral: Roaring Currents (Kim Han-min, 2014, S. Korea)
Choi Min-shik gives a majestic performance as Yi Sun-sin, a military genius with an unwavering adherence to discipline and his purpose, to the point he does not hesitate to use extreme means against his own subordinates to achieve his goals. The film revolves around him, and he delivers to the fullest… “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” is an impressive film that manages to implement its large budget to the fullest, and in the process becoming utterly entertaining. Fans of Joseon and epic action films in general are bound to have a blast. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
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19. The Throne (Lee Joon-ik, 2015, S. Korea)
Lee Joon Ik focused the film around two axes, equally tragic: the life story of prince Sado and the relationship between father and son that resulted in the aforementioned tragedy. According to the actual story, the prince was held for eight days in the chest before he eventually died and Lee showed each day, including a number of flashbacks regarding Sado's life, in a prototypical type of narration that manages to include 56 years of the royal family's story.
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20. Anarchist from the Colony (Lee Joon-ik, 2017, S. Korea)
Lee Joon-ik uses a very interesting and quite unusual style of narrative for such a subject, retaining a happy-go-lucky sense for the majority of the film's duration. What is impressive is that he manages to retain this style even in the most dramatic moments, like the violence against Koreans or the beatings of the anarchist group, the interrogations, the trial, even the rather dramatic ending. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
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