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I screwed up. My good friend Crystal Decker-Norwood (who runs the Dallas Asian Film Festival) was counting on me to spread the word about her event, and with all the craziness that was San Diego Comic-Con last weekend, and me still being in L.A. as I write this… well, I just forgot to post the info when I should have. But God help me, I’m gonna get the word out as much as possible about the closing night events. It’s the least I can do, right? Now if you’ve missed the rest of the Festival, it’s not too late to check out some cool flicks. Take a look at the films showing Thursday, July 29th, especially THE PEOPLE I’VE SLEPT WITH.  And if you go, and see Crystal, say hi and tell her Bigfanboy.com sent ya.  She’s a sweetheart.

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12:00 AU REVOIR TAIPEI (85m) 2nd Showing – The debut feature by writer-director Arvin Chen, AU REVOIR TAIPEI spends a night in the titular city following Kai (Jack Yao), who is intent on speaking more fluent French before he travels to Paris to visit (and hopefully rekindle his relationship with) a former girlfriend. Sitting in the local bookstore’s language section day after day, Kai has attracted the attention of stocking clerk Susie (Amber Kuo). But Kai is blind to any friendly signals Susie has sent out, focused only on Paris. When local soon-to-be-retiring gangster Brother Bao (Frankie Kao) offers to pay for his ticket as long Kai will deliver a secret package, Kai doesn’t even realize that something might be wrong…which would explain the squad of orange-suited, apartment-lending thugs who chase after Kai and abduct his buddy Gao. Gao’s only problem up that point was how to get the attention of his convenience store co-worker, Peach. AU REVOIR TAIPEI beautifully brings the city’s landscapes to the big screen, while breezily mixing its half-dozen plots and subplots, until it allows them to be neatly tied in a bow for all involved. The film resembles a lighter, more sweet-natured version of a Johnnie To or Derek Yee story. The AFFD is proud to present AU REVOIR TAIPEI’s Southwest premiere.

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2:00 LIKE YOU KNOW IT ALL (126m) – Director Ku is an art house filmmaker (“very famous…in east Asia“) tasked with judging a film festival. Never on time, sleeping through screenings and filled with self-importance, Ku’s stream-of-consciousness narration makes it clear he couldn’t be bothered by the slightest inconveniences, like, say, watching films or having meaningful connections with other people. He makes promises he will never keep. He takes a superior path when faced with a director who has had greater success than him, claiming artistic integrity. And when he meets up with an old friend who invites him home for dinner, Ku wakes the next day wondering what happened that was so bad that he must flee the town. The second half of the film has Ku arriving in a new town to give a lecture to some film students. There, he is welcomed into the home of an old mentor who has a very young and attractive wife. Situations repeat themselves; results vary. LIKE YOU KNOW IT ALL has the feel of an Asian CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, as Ku is self-centered enough while also often being correct in his considerations of those around him, yet he never quite comes out on top in any given situation. Frequently ridiculed and held in contempt, Ku is destined only to preside prominently in his own mind. Light, funny and surprisingly thoughtful, LIKE YOU KNOW IT ALL makes a most amusing case for narcissism and tactless behavior.

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4:45 NO MORE CRY!!! (134m) – From the director and star of MAIKO HAAAN!!! comes NO MORE CRY!!!, a film about brothers separated during childhood; one abandoned by his father and taken in by the owner of a ham cutlet stand, the other one half of a popular pair of fictional brothers who are entertainment sensations. Yuta (Sadao Abe) is raised by Yama-chan, the revered ham cutler vendor, and as overcompensation for being abandoned, happily takes on every chore and errand for the surrounding shopkeepers. Once fully grown, he assumes the role of Yama-chan, and brings great success to the shop. Meanwhile, Yusuke (Eita) lives a life of fame and wealth as half of The Kinjo Brothers, who perform a comedy act to screaming throngs of teenage girls. When Yuta learns of his younger brother’s existence, he sets out to find Yusuke, but Yusuke’s fictional brother is writing a tell-all that is threatened by the existence of his real brother. Mayhem ensues. And for such a bittersweet film, there is a lot of wacky humor to be found, some of it very dark. The AFFD is very proud to present the U.S. premiere of NO MORE CRY!!!

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7:30 THE PEOPLE I’VE SLEPT WITH (89m) Closing Night screening at the Magnolia Theatre, with director Quentin Lee in attendance, followed by the Closing Night Party at Deux Nightclub at Mockingbird Station. Film at 7:30pm. Party at 10pm, Free to VIPs and ticketholders, cover charge for public.

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10:00 SYMBOL (93m) 2nd Showing – Lynchian in its scenes of quiet normalcy, and like nothing you’ve ever seen the rest of the time, Hitoshi Matsumoto’s follow-up to the deadpan mockumentary BIG MAN JAPAN is a masterpiece of mind-blowing existential comedy that asks you to forget all you know and experience its brilliance with an open mind. SYMBOL begins in Mexico, where local luchador (wrestler) Escargot Man is driven to town by a foul-mouthed nun where he must prepare for a big match (which he is expected to lose). As he silently goes about his day, halfway around the world a nameless man (Matsumoto) wearing polka-dot pajamas wakes up in a very strange room. The room is unnervingly white, with endless walls that rise up to the sky. There are no doors, no windows; nothing but a series of unsettling cherub penises that stick out from each wall (if you need to re-read that sentence and think about it, we can wait). The man quickly discovers that when he tweaks these appendages, items pop out of hidden slots in the walls. Soon he has an ample supply of sushi, chopsticks, 3-D glasses and other household appliances. The seemingly random items become part of a puzzle that allows the man to escape, but what then? While the man in the room is trying to understand his newfound purpose, Escargot Man begins his match while his young son looks on. Meanwhile, a death-metal band starts to play in Los Angeles… Clearly a high-concept conundrum about the interconnectedness of all things, Matsumoto also makes you feel like you have become stuck inside a very intelligent child’s prank. But SYMBOL is a must-see experience. Love it or hate it, forgetting it is unlikely.

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9:00 CLOSING NIGHT RECEPTION (93m) – Deux Nightclub at Mockingbird Station. Film at 7:30pm. Party at 10pm, Free to VIPs and ticketholders, cover charge for public.

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Find out more information about the Asian Film Festival Dallas by going to their OFFICIAL WEBSITE

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