Before We Fall in Love Again *
James Lee, 2007
Malaysia
@ MoMA

The black-and-white video tones were mostly flat and uninteresting. The deadpan acting was maybe a little too unassuming. The lack of camera movement seemed more like a technical restriction than an aesthetic choice. But the ending was pretty great.

See also: Distributor page

After This Our Exile (Fu zi) *
Patrick Tam, 2007
Hong Kong, Malaysia
@ BAM (New York Asian Film Festival)

A strong film but just brutal to watch. It's kind of like Bicycle Thieves if the mother ran away and the father had severe emotional issues, soaring gambling debt, and no moral compass. And if it were set in Malaysia.

See also: IMDb

I Don't Want to Sleep Alone (Hei yan quan) **
Tsai Ming-liang, 2007
Malaysia
@ IFC Center

I fell asleep during about four consecutive lengthy shots in the first half hour, but it started to gel later on when I figured out the connections between the characters and static shots carried more emotional impact. The intensity built really powerfully toward the end, climaxing in the final shot of the three main characters floating into view at a glacial pace on top of the ever-present mattress.

See also: IMDb | Metacritic