INDEPENDENT U.K. CINEMA I`m not sure I`m qualified to write about this film. I found it of interest because I enjoy U.K. cinema. It just made me wonder about a certain hopelessness, a kind of raw feeling of being on edge. The characters are sensitive and also somewhat damaged. We don`t know what to expect. A horse is chained up in a poor setting where the girl is always trying to break the chain. It could be symbolic in the story. I was intrigued.

Not Really My Taste This is an award winning film from director Hou Hsiao-hsien of whom I had high hopes. Sadly, I found the story depressing, the music somewhat abrasive and the acting marginal ( or maybe I`m just getting old. ) A far better choice by the same director is the movie Cafe Lumiere, a beautiful drama he made just a few years later. That one feels much more inspired to me.

Family Drama Floating Weeds would be a family drama in my mind, although not perhaps for children. I was very skeptical in the beginning about liking the film until it grew on me about half way through. I guess the strong points are a love story, the contemplative music and unique photography. I would recommend it for someone who already likes Asian films with subtitles. The director is a master.