New York Asian Film Festival 2023 by Heroic Purgatory / Anime Blog Tracker

New York Asian Film Festival 2023

Table of Contents For the third year in a row, the Heroic Purgatory podcast is covering the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) which took place between March 10 and March 19. As usual, the podcast will present John's and Jason's favorite films of NYAFF 2023 (in addition to a general overview of the festival). Additional, this page includes short written reviews by John of the NYAFF movies he managed to see. PodcastNewsArrow releases Blu Ray of RinguJunk Head Blu ray release, August 15. Available on Amazon ReviewsThis page will be updated as more reviews are added. EgoistRuntime: 120 minDirector: Daishi MatsunagaStarring: Ryohei Suzuki, Hio Miyazawa Egoist depicts the relationship between a photographer / magazine editor (Kosuke) and his personal trainer (Ryuta), who is a high school dropout and often strapped for cash. He tries to help Ryuta and his mother, but one tragedy after another prevents him from achieving the happiness he wants. There are many reasons to love Daichi Matsunuga’s new film: the acting, the chemistry, the naturalism, the humor, the charisma, or the remarkable profoundness with which it approaches this tragic story. Instead of succumbing to easy melodrama, “Egoist” takes what is perhaps a measured approach to the romantic drama focusing on the character’s personal struggles while also capturing the universality of their predicament. We see the glancing of the fingers, the stolen kisses, all done naturally to emphasize the repressive culture that the character’s live in. At the same time, their status as gay men is not all that defines them. As the title suggests, there is a deceptively tragic undertone to the otherwise conventional “happy” relationship between the two men, and that’s where the true substance of the film lies. Who is the titular egoist, and why? Kosuke is someone who wants control over every aspect of his life (often using money to achieve it), while Ryuta is someone willing to be used so he can take care of his mother. Yet neither of them is happy. In the end we see control being yanked out of Kosuke, forcing a radical (albeit slow) transformation. At its core, Egoist is a drama about control and letting go, told with exquisite subtlety and charm. No doubt, one of the best films in this year’s NYAFF. The Effects of LyingRuntime: 85minDirector: Isher SahotaStarring: Ace Bhatti, Laila Rouass, Lauren Patel, Navin Chowdhry, Shaheen Khan, Bhasker Patel, Mark Williams, Adam Bregman, Deepal Parmar, Jon TarcyNaveen is doing everything he can to keep his family together, yet his life is very far from a happy one. His daughter is recovering from an eating disorder and wants out of the family as soon as possible. His wife is a sex addict whom he catches cheating on him with his brother. Once the tension balloons to the point of bursting, all the family secrets come out, leading to the ultimate breakdown of the life that Naveen fought so hard to keep intact. Somewhat reminiscent of Mike Leigh’s Secrets and Lies, The Effects of Lying is a film about a dysfunctional family coming to grips with their dysfunctions. A key scene in the film is the one where Naveen and his daughter ruminate about their happiness, and the nature of happiness in general. As the drama progresses, Naveen slowly realizes that what he considers happiness is simply a protective shell that he’s been hiding in his entire life. Even though the dialogue is somewhat telegraphing, the film does a good job at offering a thought provoking examination of family and identity, and how the two relate. In the end, everyone comes to a happy compromise and realizes their connection to each other runs deeper than their shared DNA. The dialogue is at times too awkward and the ending feels a bit too convenient to be satisfying. Nevertheless, The Effects of Lying is a worthwhile dramedy with a heartfelt message and more than a few cringeworthy interactions (if you’re into that kind of thing). What We Leave BehindRuntime: 11 minDirector: Kang Nam-jinStarring: Han Chang-hyun, Lee Chang-hoon, Seon U-youngA fairly unique and interesting approach to stop motion animation with still photographs, What We Leave Behind tells the story of a family through several decades, from the birth of their son until his adulthood when he has a family of his own. We never see the actors (with one exception), only the results of their actions around the house (e.g. empty plates after dinner, unmade bed, etc.). There is an immediate familiarity that the viewer develops with this style as it reminds us of the deep emotional connections that we all have with our everyday objects. The photographs, the TV, the couch, the dinner table, all serve to carry the weight of the happiness and sadness that we go through in our lives. Viewed through the meticulously composed cinematic lens of director Kang Nam-ij, this simple connection makes for the perfect representation of the mundane, yet somehow poetic, everydayness of the human condition. Though a tad too melodramatic at times (in typical South Korean fashion), director Kang Nam-jin is able to present the entire life of a family in just 10 minutes of runtime, and does so with remarkable effectiveness. The end is heartbreaking, but also full of hope and optimism. Our paths are defined by the things we leave behind, accurate or not, they inevitably tell the story of our lives once nothing else is left. Perhaps that is the film's ultimate message: be mindful of what you leave behind.Follow us:Follow Heroic Purgatory on TwitterFollow John Atom on TwitterFollow Jason Maher on TwitterFollow Jason's blogRead John Atom's reviews on VCinemaRead Jason Maher's reviews on VCinema

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