Best Foreign Films: The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover

One of the best foreign films I have ever watched is The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover. The story is as bizarre as the title.

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Synopsis

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When a gangster takes over a high end restaurant, he slowly shooed his customers away with his gangster ways. His rudeness forces the people around him to betray him and plot their way for revenge, lead by his wife.

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Review

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Albert Spica (Michael Gambon) bought the Le Hollandais Restaurant. Part of the success of the restaurant is the chef, Richard Borst (Richard Bohringer). The misery of the people around him becomes apparent and that includes his wife, Georgina (Helen Mirren). When Georgina spots a mysterious regular customer who also runs a bookshop Michael (Alan Howard), she turns to him for comfort. They are able to carry on an affair with the help of the employees in the restaurant.

Swings - New World (Response to Simon D's Control) English Translation

This is the third single from Swings and his reply to Simon D's Control. 

https://soundcloud.com/measurecloth/kingswings

Swings- New World  신세계(prod.천재노창)

I’m not scared, I see this as an opportunity
You think I'm rag you can step on and flip?
I am backed up by my many failures that's backed up by more failures that support my success
I started grinning because of Miss Ki-seok that appeared out of nowhere

You think I get inspiration from you like I'm going to kiss you
No, no, Miss Jung, should we just buy those heels ?
How about pretty earrings, or a pink scarf ?
You want a fur coat, a Hwang Jung Eum? And this is not a diss

Click here to listen and for english translation of Simon D's Control.

Simon D - Control (Response to Swings' King Swings Part 2) English Translation

Simon D's 'Control' English Translation. This is his first, and so far, only response to all the allegations Swings threw at him. Almost every rapper who has jumped in to this diss battle has mentioned Simon D. However, Swings' allegations are by far the worst. 

Amoeba Culture released a statement stating they are now discussing "what steps" to take after E-Sens released his second diss track, True Story. Click here to check the english translation of that. 

However, E-Sens said on twitter that he does not plan to come out with anymore tracks and that dissing is not his "music's core". Apparently, he just had to let it out. 

English Translation after the jump.

Good Foreign Movies: Sad Movie

Screencap from the movie 'Sad Movie'.

There are many Good Foreign Movies around but few can make you against what the movie already explicitly told you to expect. Sad Movie, a 2005 Korean film, did exactly that. It told me how the movie was going to end right at the beginning of the film but midway, it made me hope and expect a different one. 

Click here to read about another beautiful love story, We Were There.

Synopsis

Sad Movie follows the lives of eight people who are going through a crossroad in their lives, one feels marriage will help her secure more time with his loved one, another wants time period, another wants to end the time she is sharing with her boyfriend and another knows she has no chance of spending time with the one she likes. 

E-Sens - True Story English Lyrics (Response to Gaeko's I Can Control You)

This is E-Sens' response to Gaeko's "I Can Control You". This track is titled 'True Story'. His second single in relation to his beef with Amoeba and Gaeko.

He said on twitter, this will be his last diss and that his music's core is not about dissing. He just needed to let it out.

E-Sens - True Story English Lyrics

You will never bring me down. You're all liars.
Before this battle gets to you, all I saw in you was hypocrisy
Now your true self is coming out
I gave you your fix and called me crap? You dare to step into the zone of kings here?

Why didn't you come clean from the beginning?
Why didn you say, "Just listen to the company, I'll save you even if you have nothing to lose?"
Are you an ell or a snake?
Fuck you keep pretending you're nice. 

Click here for the english lyrics of E-Sens' first diss: You Can't Control Me

Gaeko's Answer to E-Sens: I Can Control You English Lyrics

And the battle continues. Gaeko just released a track that serves to answer E-Sens diss. 

The title of the track is I Can Control You and english lyrics is below.

He seems to imply that E-Sens didn't take responsibility for the mistake he made (smoking 4/20).

Note: I will update the translation later. I have only listened to it once. 

Click here to check out Simon D's response to Swings, 'Control' and Swing's response to Simon D's response (are you confused yet, mothereffers?), New World.

Click here to listen to E-Sens' response to this track, True Story.

Foreign Independent Film: The Celebration

The Celebration is a foreign independent film that gained commercial success after it garnered lots of film festival awards including Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998.

Synopsis

At the rare family gathering, the eldest son of the respected businessman accuse him of abusing him and his other children. The movie explores the journey that each character takes to determine whether the accusation is true or not.

This foreign independent film is a must see. Get on your ass and watch it! 


Click here to check out an Academy Award Winning Foreign Film, Amores Perros.

E-Sens - You Can’t Control Me

E-Sens did it. The mothereffer didn't even fire a warning shot. He cocked the gun and fired at everyone. 

Everyone knew he was bound to spill the beans, it was just a matter of time. And boy, oh boy, he didn't disappoint. He is all angst and attacking balls out like 300 Sparta men in steroids. 

Update: Click here for Simon D's response to Swings, Control (English Translation). So far, both Simon D and E-Sens firmly stated they are not dissing each other.

He cut ties with Amoeba over a month ago. He was gracious in his exit but not for long. He is now firing bullets to his former label. Essentially, he confirmed what may hip hop fans already knew, his label abandoned him and made him feel like shit when he was caught smoking 4/20. 

But it gets better. He provided a glimpse of the real reason for his departure. He mentioned Amoeba asking for 1 million from him. Possibly for covering his ass during his 4/20 scandal. 

The label also made him feel ashamed of himself instead of trying to pick him up. He was vacant for two years. 

Click here for Swings' New World, his response to Simon D's Control.

What is not clear is the root of his beef with Gaeko. It seems that he was only given a break to cover for Gaeko's absence when he was serving the military. 

Amoeba Culture said they have not heard the track yet but will decided on their next step when they do. Will this war go to courts instead of staying in the airwaves?

For those who are not familiar with E-Sens, this is sort of, the real him... rebellious, angsty, fearless and does not give a fu$kin' sh!t. 

Now, Swings released his own track dissing Simon D. Deepflow released his own track too to play the role of a peace maker. So did Take One. 

This is getting interesting.  Sh!t's finally hitting the fan. It'll stink in here in no time.

Click here to check out E-Sens' first single following his 4/20 scandal, Poison produced by Primary.

Lyrics and video of You Can't Control Me by E-Sens after the jump.

Great Foreign Films: 3 Idiots

Our Great Foreign Films review for this week features 3 Idiots, the highest grossing Indian film of all time in India and  overseas. It is lauded not just for its story but efforts to highlight real life inventions and technology developed by Indians.

Synopsis 

Farhan Qureshi (R. Madhavan), Raju Rastogi (Sharman Joshi) and Ranchhoddas Shamaldas Chhanchad (Aamir Khan) are friends and roommates. Farhan is pressured to follow his father’s footsteps and Raju wants to get his family out of poverty. They are both set to on their paths until Rancho, a guy who studies just because he loves it, steers their path towards a different direction.  

  

Kiseki (奇跡) by Quruli English Lyrics (I Wish OST)

I reviewed I Wish. Click here to read that. 

One of the gems of the movie is its soundtrack and the best song it has in the film is the official song, Kiseki (Miracle) by Quruli. 

This song just pierces my heart. 

Here is Quruli performing it live. 

Kiseki (奇跡) by Quruli Romanized Lyrics (I Wish OST)

sonomamade nai tari waratta ridekiruyouni
kumori gachina sono sora wo ichimen harema ni dekiruyouni
honno sukoshi dake e ni egai tayouna shiawase wo
wake temorausono nichi made douka namida wo tame teoite


kotoba ha koroga ri tsuduke omoi no take wo toori koshi
umaku tsutawa rudokoroka kake chigai no botan komatta na

Foreign Language Movies: I Wish

Hirokazu Koreeda's I Wish is one of the few recent foreign language movies that managed to pinch my heart with just the right amount of strength that is enough to make me feel the pain without giving up on hope that the release from gripping misery can bring freedom just as much as it can bring sadness.

Synopsis

Two brothers are forced to live apart when their parents separated. Wanting nothing else but to reunite the family, they device a plan to meet at a train station which, they heard, grants wishes. 



Click here read about another another Japanese gem, Sway. 

Love Film Reviews: We Were There (Bokura Ga Ita) Part 1 & Part 2

I really never thought I would ever do love film reviews on this site because I don't really get to like a lot of love stories. I feel the stories are often too ridiculous that I find it easier to believe that John Travolta and Nicolas Cage can actually exchange face and then back again rather than believe that a guy will actually run towards a girl at the airport to confess his love and admit his stupidity. I know, I have issues. Rant over. 

We Were There changed that.

Click here to read the review of a different kind of love, between a not so young girl and a boy, Let The Right One In.

Synopsis

Nanami falls in love with Yano but she soon realizes that she just might have to live with his past because he seems unable to let go of it. 

Sounds like one of those tragic love film review? It's not. Read on.

Must Watch Malaysian Film: Sell Out!

I rarely get to see a Malaysian Film because there are very few that are subtitled in English or are released on video and distributed internationally. 

I am also not so familiar with the culture and given that Malaysia advocates the solid reflection of their culture on their films, I sometimes find it hard to related. However, there are films like Sell Out! that make it possible for people like me to understand and appreciate the quirky and beautiful things about Malaysia.

Click here to read about the best Foreign language action film I have seen in decades

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Synopsis 

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Rafflesia Pong (Jerrica Lai) thinks she finds what could save her show when one of her guests dies on camera. On the other hand, Eric Tan (Peter Davis) works hard to develop the best Soyamaker Machine but is constantly discouraged by corporate honchos. 

Foreign Independent Film: City of God

Our foreign independent film selection for this week is City of God.

Synopsis 

City of God depicts the gang life in Rio De Janeiro. Centered on the journey of Rocket, it shows just how helpless one could get once the damnation decides to hound you. 

Review

It felt rough and gritty. That’s how I would describe the film. It felt like whenever someone is getting shot, blood would actually burst out of the screen. Whenever someone is getting stabbed, I keep on waiting for blood splatter across my wall. That’s how real it felt for me and that’s how bloody it was.

It may be a function of the characters too. Everyone in the movie was rough and tough and angry and loud. Unlike other films, the director doesn’t offer a higher reason or higher purpose that motivates the evil of each character. 
 

Asian Music Recommendation: Assajan Jakgawan

Come back for more Must See Foreign Films and Asian Music Blog Recommendation. 

Assajan Jakgawan is a Thai band. They debuted in 2006 with their mini album titled 'Assajan Jakgawan'.

Click here to read about LeeSsang.


Their very first hit, Reverse, is a slow one. It's a laid back sad song. 

English Lyrics: Poison by Primary (feat. E-sens of Supreme Team)

Poison by Primary feat. E-sens of Supreme Team

The rap part was penned by E-sens and was written during his hiatus following his marijuna scandal. It is a sincere expression of his personal struggles. 

The song itself highlight the lyrics and the music was created only to add a layer to its musicality.