Paradise Next

This film has a quiet nature in telling a delicate story of three Japanese-speaking people living in Taiwan. It's strength is not really the story, but the visuals -- from city exterior shots to the vast openness of the ocean. It's a slow burner but viewers can get in its atmospheric locations, with its insight to the local Twainese cultural customs. In one peculiar way, carefully-staged shots give off a travelog vibe via "nior" aesthetics.

As far as the story it deals with a care-free spirit, Makino who gets caught in an unseemly triangle with another man, Shima-San and a young beautiful and artistic soul, Xiao En. The film's introduction to Yakuza characters re-shaped the story with abrupt violence, giving a sense of danger to three main characters. After departing from the city, the three stay out in a rural house, close to the sea, having fun in the sun.

The character of Shims-San playing a stoic figure that looms behind an innocent love between the artist and the care spirit, he too is plagued by a dark past. His dark past and the carefree love are doomed to clash together, packed with an eclectic soundtrack from Afro-Cuban songs to R&B rhythms. It gives a fresh look within contemporary Asian cinematography and is a very promising work from director, Honno.