As Christmas and Chinese New Year draw near, people are busy planning their holiday festivities with families and friends. However, if you plan to stay home this holiday season, you can still bring in some cheer by hosting virtual get-togethers, playing games online, or spending some quiet time watching movies. For those who choose the latter, check out this curated list of Chinese films from different genres. There’s definitely something here that you would love!
Enter The Dragon (1973) – Action
One of the reasons kung fu was so popular in the movies was because of Bruce Lee, whose film “Enter The Dragon” was released in 1973. In the movie, Bruce Lee portrays a martial arts master who is driven to assist in the arrest of the drug dealer responsible for his sister’s murder. With the aid of some friends, Lee enters a kung fu contest in an effort to fight his way into the dealer’s headquarters.
With amazing stunts that keep you on the edge of your seat, the movie is still among the greatest in its category. The martial arts film was directed by Robert Clouse and written by Michael Allin. Along with Bruce Lee, the film stars John Saxon and Jim Kelly.
Crazy Rich Asians (2018) – Romance
With an all-Asian ensemble for Hollywood, this movie generated a lot of talk when it was released. The film Crazy Rich Asians is based on the bestselling book of the same name by Kevin Kwan. The Jon M. Chu-directed movie showed a side of Singapore dripping with money, elegance, and splendor while maintaining traditions.
The main character of the film is Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), who goes to Singapore with her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Goulding) to attend a friend’s wedding and meet his family. There, she discovers that he comes from one of Singapore’s wealthiest families. Wu’s struggles to find a place in Young’s household are central to the storyline.
Other notable cast members include Awkwafina, who plays Peik Lin Goh, Michelle Yeoh as Eleanor Young, Gemma Chan as Astrid Young Teo, and Lisa Lu as Ah Ma.
Last Train Home (2009) – Documentary
Last Train Home revolves around the hardships and sacrifices of 130 million migrant workers who travel back to their villages during the Chinese New Year to meet their children. Chen and Zhang, a married couple, are the central figures in this documentary.
They must work hard to maintain a relationship with their kids, who they only see once a year. And they start to doubt their sacrifice when they learn that their daughter has chosen to quit school and work at a factory.
All’s Well, Ends Well (1992) – Comedy
All’s Well, Ends Well is a classic Hong Kong comedy film directed by Clifton Ko. The film stars include the following legends: Leslie Cheung, Raymond Wong, Maggie Cheung, Stephen Chow, Sandra Ng, and Teresa Mo.
The release of All’s Well, Ends Well was coordinated with the increased moviegoing population around the Lunar New Year. The film is still regarded as a cult classic by the majority of Hong Kong moviegoers and is one of Stephen Chow’s signature “mo lei tau” flicks, which have little sense but lots of good-natured humor.
