for some reason i find myself watching more and more oriental movies (ie korean and chinese) these days. some of the recent movies i've seen:

- il mare (korean): about 2 people who somehow are able to correspond with each other over time. the guy lives 2 years in the future. do they ever get to meet?

- chunhyang (korean): think its based on a korean folk tale. its about a girl who undergoes great hardship to maintain fidelity to her husband.

- christmas in august (korean): about a guy who has only a month or more to live and finds that a girl is interested in him.

- twelve nights (korean): covers 12 non-consecutive nights which chronicles the ups and downs of a relationship of a young couple in urban korea.

- to live (chinese): tells the tale of a chinese family over 4 decades (1940s - 80s) over the backdrop of the cultural revolution in china.

- farewell my concubine (chinese): about the friendship between 2 chinese opera stars with 50 years of chinese history in the background.

- the road home (chinese): tale of a simple village girl who falls in love with the village teacher and how she gets the love of her life.

- failan (korean): about a girl who falls in love with her husband whom she's never met, and the husband who finds out too late about it.

- ashes of time (chinese): bittersweet tales of revenge, lost love, betrayal and regret among a group of swordsmen in the desert.

- purple butterfly (chinese): story of two lovers who find themselves on opposite sides of the japan-china war.

- chungking express (chinese): two separate tales of lost love and lonliness involving two police officers in urban china.

- shiri (korean): a korean spy tale involving two cops who are after a female assasin. somewhat like the thrillers bollywood churns out - but without the songs.