21. Center Stage (Stanley Kwan, 1991, Taiwan)
While Maggie Cheung herself counts “Comrades: Almost a Love Story” and “In the Mood for Love” as her favourites from her filmography, most critics will agree that her best work came in Stanley Kwan's “Center Stage”. Its semi-documentary style narrative infuses reenactments of the events in the life of Ruan Lingyu, legendary Shanghai silent film actress, with footage from Ruan's films as well as contemporary interviews with her surviving collaborators, historians and, almost metaphysically, even the actors from “Center Stage” itself. While this approach is fascinating, it is Maggie Cheung's performance that, rather deservedly, ends up being the film's strongest point, a performance which earned her the coveted Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. (Rhythm Zaveri)
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22. A Simple Life (Ann Hui, 2011, Hong Kong)
“A Simple Life” has a simple story but, nevertheless, is full of authentic emotions. Understated and touching, this movie is about bonds that go beyond blood and the affection that makes a simple life so special… “A Simple Life” is a movie that restores hope and trust in humanity and in love coming in unexpected forms, and is a glorious display of the best of Hong Kong cinema. (Adriana Rosati)
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23. Mori the Artists' Habitat (Shuichi Okita, 2018, Japan)
It is always a joyful event whenever a new film by director Shûichi Okita is released; you can count on it, you know you will get a gift of beauty and laugh. His latest work, “Mori, the Artist's Habitat” is no exception. Based on a day in the real life of the eccentric artist Kumagai Morikazu, the film is a loving portrait of a content man… a little-known-abroad artist who has managed to blend tradition and innovation and whose incredible modernity of style stems from a transcendent knowledge of reality. (Adriana Rosati)
24. The Grandmaster (Wong Kar-wai, 2013, Hong Kong and China)
Fighting for fighting's sake sucks in films. But when you do it for a good reason, well, all you need to do is add a dash of originality and you've got a winning formula… Wong Kar Wai nailed it. (The oracle)
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25. Miss Hokusai (Keiichi Hara, 2015, Japan)
The film is a small joy for those who know Hokusai as it gives a lot of winks to his work, but it is also a quite touching story about a daughter who wants to be loved by her father. Poetic and pleasing to the eye with beautiful animation, the film paces itself through the floating world of Edo. It leaves the viewer satisfied but might also do the opposite with leaving you wanting more as it does remain rather timid. The filmmakers nevertheless present us with a pleasing motion picture. (Thor)
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26. The Last Princess (Hur Jin-ho, 2016, S. Korea)
Hur Jin-ho directs a movie that “touches” many genres. It starts as a Joseon costume drama, it becomes a drama, then an agonizing action film, then a romance, and drama again, all the while retaining its historic theme. There is also a strong and even hyperbolic at times, melodramatic element, as in the sequence in the beach, but the story justifies this excessiveness. The same hyperbole applies to the action scenes. In order to fit five decades in the film, Hur Jin-ho retains a fast pace, and the ever-present flashbacks could not be missing. Both of those traits make the movie quite entertaining. Some scenes of real footage are another nice addition. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
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27. Celluloid (Kamal, 2013, India)
This Malayalam movie by Kamal (known for “Perumazhakkalam”) sheds some light on the history of J.C. Daniel, an unknown father of Keralan cinema. Despite some factual inaccuracies, it is a rare occasion to get familiar with this fascinating, however heartbreaking, story of a self-taught pioneer, visionary and a dreamer, who, out of passion and love for a new medium, made the silent movie “Vigathakumaran”. Not a single piece of footage survived, and J.C. Daniel passed away unrecognized and forgotten. “Celluloid” pays him much-needed tribute, and explains difficult social contexts behind an unhappy ending. Prithviraj as Daniel and Mamta Mohandas as his supportive wife give a fantastic performance. (Joanna Konczak)
28. A Resistance (Jo Min-ho, 2019, S. Korea)
The real Yu Gwan-sun was buried at Itaewon cemetery post her death, but her grave is since considered to be “lost” when the site was redeveloped into an airfield. “A Resistance” tries to make sure that her story doesn't get lost in this modern, free world either and is a worthy ode, released on the 100th Anniversary of the March 1st Protests, to the teenager that died for the freedom of the nation. (Rhythm Zaveri)
29. The Last Emperor (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1987, UK, Italy)
“The Last Emperor” is probably at odds with most of the films on this list, being a UK-Italy co-production mostly in English, directed by Italian Bernardo Bertolucci. It became the first “foreign” film to be given permission to shoot in Beijing's lavish Forbidden City to tell the story of Pu Yi, the child king who ended up being the last Emperor of China. The resulting film is a feast to the eyes and senses! A king only in name, Pu Yi's journey of growth is seen in stark similarity with that of China of the time, as it goes from feudalism to peace through revolution. It is also the only film on the list to boast not only an Academy awards nomination, but also nine wins, including Best Picture and Best Director. (Rhythm Zaveri)
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30. The Golden Era (Ann Hui, 2014, Hong Kong and China)
After tackling a real-life story in her previous work “A Simple Life”, Hong Kong auteur Ann Hui once again dived into history books to bring us the story of Chinese novelist, poet and essayist Xiao Hong, an eventful (to say the least) life which was cut short at the age of 32. “The Golden Era” is a unique biopic, with several characters often breaking the fourth wall to talk directly to the audience about their relationships and interactions with Xiao over her short life, a life defined by the men in it for the most part. While this trait does falter characterisation a bit, and the film's extended, nearly 3-hour runtime really tests the audience at times, Ann Hui manages to paint a sad, well rounded portrait of an artist gone too soon, which is helped immensely by Tang Wei's engrossing performance. (Rhythm Zaveri)
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