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514,751 | 317,399 | 1,239,313 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : What On Earth Have I Done Wrong
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What on Earth has Doze Niu done wrong ? Well , if this mockumentary is anything to do by , then there are a series of missteps that were aptly documented , ranging from relationship woes to professional difficulties all stemming from a lack of funding . Doze stars as himself , or at least the satirized version of himself , one who seemed a little overconfident in thinking that his latest mockumentary production about politics and the media circus , could take off without a hitch , given his track record and pioneering the " star idol " dramas on television . As with all productions , the reality of it is to secure funding , and for the most parts , this film tracks this difficult task , where the filmmakers have to pander to rich folks through entertainment , wining , dining , women of course and basically groveling at their feet . Funding trickles , and even government grants too come in installments . All these take a toil on Doze himself , where existing issues with his live-in girlfriend Ning Ning ( Chang Chun-Ning ) gets amplified , and the other bulk of this film traces this systematic disintegration of this relationship where counselling is in progress to hold it together , but without the fundamental issues being resolved unfortunately . Which is of course his not-too - subtle transformation into an egoistical , selfish man unable to keep his libido in his pants . But the film's a little deceptive in its message , and it doesn't seem to come out clear until of course the well-intended break away from the main narrative to pseudo-interviews with a bevy of stars and politicians , and the man on the street when they talk about what happiness meant . And that is the goal which everyone is trying to achieve constantly throughout a lifetime , to seek out a meaningful and happy life , which of course Doze at this stage is unable to grasp because of the negativeness . Not when you have a whiny secretary who comes to you every day with nothing but a continuation of woes that you have absolutely no certain solution to . It's not all doom and gloom in the film however , and much of the comedy comes from the straight and trash talking characters peppering their dialogue with foul language , cursing at almost everything whether in their sober or drunken state . The Taiwanese Hokkien used here is strong , much stronger than that heard in Cape No . 7 , and if I learnt anything new today , that will be GY is the English language equivalent of well , you know what when you read it out loud . It's an honest look into the Taiwan film industry , and to me that's interesting just as I come at it straight off the heels of the Hindi one in Luck By Chance .
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514,407 | 317,399 | 468,795 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Linda Linda Linda
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The closing film of this year's Japanese Film Festival , I was half expecting it to end with a rousing and wild finale , given its similarities to last year's commercial release Swing Girls , which also set its story with characters involved in putting up a musical performance . However , it didn't quite live up to expectation , but nonetheless the journey was still pleasing to the eyes ( ahem ) . Unlike Swing Girls where the characters had no idea how to play with the jazz band instruments , the group in Linda Linda Linda have been jamming in their own rock band , so they have some prior experience . Save for their lead singer , who was hastily recruited , and turned out to be a Korean ( you'd recognize her from The Host ) , from the school's Korea - Japan foreign student exchange programme . So begins the frantic pace of finalizing the composition of the group - lead vocalist Son ( Bae Du-Na ) , drummer Kyoko ( Aki Maeda ) , guitarist Kei ( Yu Kashii , last seen in Death Note ) , and bassist Nozomi ( Shiori Sekine ) , and the independent as well as combined practice and training sessions . The songs were as catchy as the lyrics were inane ( well , if the English subtitles were to be trusted ) , taken from Japanese pink rock band The Blue Hearts . Naturally you'll need the element of adversity , and it comes in the form of a lack of venues to practice before their big day performance during the school's rock festival . As per formula , you'll always have the misfits put together and then bonding just in time for their show . It's no different for Linda Linda Linda , as ultimately it's still a feel good movie . It follows the same technique in teasing the audience on the group's performing ability as they improve day by day , in not showing you their performing of the songs in full , and builds up anticipation for that bring-the-house-down finale . However , it lacked certain deftness in resolving the multiple minor subplots ( like romance ) it opened , preferring to leave them unresolved or open ended . And when the final performance did come on , it's too little too late , with its lack of oomph in delivery , cutting short on the promised 3 song medley . It's a pity though , as the journey to the destination really hinted on a big-bang adrenaline filled ending .
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515,270 | 317,399 | 490,076 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : All The Boys Love Mandy Lane
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All the boys love Mandy Lane , and the way she is portrayed by Amber Heard , who wouldn't ? She's blonde , she's demure , she's so hot that the camera in the movie's introduction to the character , lingered on her T & As . She's a fine athlete though we don't really get to know what kind of graaes she's getting . Every boy in school wants to talk to her , and every one of them wants to get into her pants , earning bragging rights to be the first amongst everyone else to have conquered probably the last bastion of virginity in school . People would do silly things like dying for her too . In typical slasher flick formula , a group of students , Mandy included , organized themselves for a getaway in a secluded ranch , where a ranch hand Garth ( Anson Mount ) provides that element of question as to who amongst the group will be the hunter , and who will fall as prey . Like how the formula warns against decadent teenage lifestyles , such as the unwritten rules of having the non-virgin being dispatched first and the likes , you're constantly kept guessing as everyone in the group , save for our goody-two-shoes Mandy , get sloshed in a flood of sin , with the smoking of weed , snorting of coke , being highly sexually charged and active , and downing alcohol as if it was water . It does take quite a while for the first person to fall , and you probably won't feel much for the characters that had to kick the bucket in the most violent of deaths , which get shown quite graphically , only to pull back at the last minute through visual tricks and edits the filmmakers use . But for slasher flick fans , it's a long ride to get to this stage , and frankly speaking given that the characters all don't appeal to you ( i . e . you couldn't care less if they live or die ) , the movie does seem to coast along the tried and tested , until its last act . Surprisingly , the narrative decided to reveal its boogeyman quite early on in the film , which provided some perplexing questions . Again for those familiar with the genre , there'll always be a thought niggling in your mind in disbelief that the plot would be so straight forward . Granted as mentioned , the payload comes at the finale , which I thought had two meanings , depending on which concept you subscribe to . First , following reality that the most perverse amongst us tend to be the one most disconnected , and second , punishment coming from someone who doesn't see eye to eye on immoral lifestyles , and want to put a deadly stop to it . I did see the revelation coming , but for the longest time had decided not to believe my gut feeling in the hopes that it would develop into something that will genuinely blow my mind . It's not perfect , but it did have its moments with the following of recent trends in the slasher genre that bad guys don't have to necessarily finish last . Nothing fanciful here , but it still worked to a certain degree . And kudos to both the casting director in putting Amber Heard in the titular role , and for the actress to pull off one of the more memorable lead characters in such a genre flick .
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515,262 | 317,399 | 371,257 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) Stay ( 2005 )
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If you've enjoyed movies like The Machinist , then you'll probably enjoy a movie like Stay . It's one of those well-designed mystery suspense thrillers that leave you guessing for the most parts until its revelation , where things begin to fall nicely into place after bewildering your mind as the movie progressed and strange , unexplainable things start to happen . Ewan McGregor plays psychiatrist Dr . Sam Foster , who takes over a case from fellow psychiatrist friend Beth . He inherited a patient named Henry Letham ( Ryan Gosling ) who's on the road to self destruction and to end his life by committing suicide to ape his favourite artist , and telling Sam when he's going to do it . Exactly what his motivation is , becomes Sam's obsession and a race against time to prevent it from happening . What strikes you in its presentation from the onset is the ultra-slick editing used for transitional scenes . It's extremely fluid and blends together disparate scenes so perfectly . But despite looking good , the film got bogged down by its narrative in wanting to dwell unnecessarily on the romantic aspect between Sam and his girlfriend Lila , played by Naomi Watts , who seemed a bit too pedestrian in her role as a pained-supportive flower vase type character . Upping the ante on the creepiness , the soundtrack is an eclectic mix of dark sounding tunes , and again I do agree with the use of Massive Attack's Angel to highlight the general mood of strangely calming state of confusion . Director Marc Forster ( Monster's Ball , Finding Neverland ) and writer David Benioff ( who wrote the screenplay for 25th Hour ) managed to throw some red herrings and caught me offguard a couple of times as I was made comfortably smug at what I thought were plenty of deja vu moments , but not quite . I was waiting for the end-all-explain-all finale , but it didn't treat its audience as silly folks and didn't resort to spelling out everything in verbatim . Every strange thing that you spotted had a reason behind it , and they all come together in a satisfying resolution . Even the title has a meaning when you reached this point .
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515,560 | 317,399 | 490,166 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : London to Brighton
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There were some in the audience who couldn't believe that a film like Amos Gitai's Promised Land could be made , given its almost documentary like feel to an aged old problem of human trafficking for prostitution . I suppose those who feel that way would probably not take to London to Brighton , which like films such as Lilya-4-eva take an angle of child prostitution , and spun a different narrative out of it . Here , it's actually out of desperation - in fact almost all the characters here reek of it , in exploiting children on the streets and enticing them with significant sums of money in order to satisfy the whims of some rich clients . The film takes on a non-linear narrative in having its tale told , which leaves you pretty much engaged in wanting to find out just why two women are on the flight as per its title , leaving behind the city of London in double quick time , where we are introduced at 3 : 07am to Joanne ( Georgia Groome ) in thick makeup , being hidden in a stank toilet cubicle by an older lady of the streets , Kelly ( Lorraine Stanley ) , suffering from one badly bruised eye . I suppose a modest production budget made this film look like a typical gritty English crime thriller , with the hand held camera bringing the audience into the thick of the action , either slowly drawing some sympathies from the lead female characters because of the lack of options made available to them , including being on the run , or presenting a sense of clear and present danger up close , especially when pimps Derek ( Johnny Harris ) and Chum ( Nathan Constance ) become inevitably close in catching up with the duo for an event they committed , kept closely under wraps . The relationship between Kelly and Joanne remain one of the highlights of the film , two women who have nobody else to turn to , trying to determine what their next course of action might be at every turn . We see how Kelly takes it upon herself as the surrogate guardian of Joanne , but I suppose only because of the immense guilt that she brought to the table , for having again out of desperation , introduce a young girl into her dark underworld . Those who have watched Angus , Thongs and Perfect Snogging would see how Georgia Groome makes an about turn from privileged child , to one roaming the streets . The other highlight which I had enjoyed was how thugs have the capability of systematically breaking down one's defenses , in balancing threats and carrots so as to gain some level of trust and obedience . Johnny Harris plays his role well as the pimp who constantly looks out for himself , of bowing to authority and pressure , while Nathan Constance as his chum actually had a lot more characterization going on for him instead . A pity though that it wasn't explored further , and had to be ended as it did in the film . London to Brighton has a sense of danger permeating throughout , in a sort of hunter versus prey kind of film , that will leave you on the edge of your seat as it builds up to its last act , in a story succinctly told in under 80 minutes .
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515,572 | 317,399 | 940,642 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : 200 Pounds Beauty
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I am not trying to sound like a pretentious fool , but seriously , I am curious how do fat people take towards the onslaught of movies taking the mickey out of the weight issue ? From movies like Shallow Hal , to Eddie Murphy's Nutty Professor , The Klumps and the recent Norbit , and now , this Korean romantic-comedy 200 Pounds Beauty . You'll left to ponder , how many fat jokes are there left to tell ? 200 Pounds Beauty surprisingly was entertaining . No , I wasn't referring to the quality of the fatty jokes , but rather in its premise it sets for the heroine Hanna ( Kim A-jung ) , the titular character in question , a plus sized woman with an extremely marketable voice , who's actually employed in a ploy to be the cover singer for a talentless lass Ammy , who looks good , shakes that booty well , but just cannot sing . At night , Hanna moonlights as a chat line employee - you know , those sexy ads with pretty lasses tempting you to call them through some exorbitant pay-per-call telephone line for phone sex . In love with Ammy's record producer Sang-joong ( Joo Jin-mo ) , but self-conscious about her size and without the dare to admit her feelings , Hanna decides to transform herself after a turmoil of emotional upheavals , albeit with some help from plastic surgery , a full body one no less , and calls the new her Jenny . You might think that the movie is ripe for some criticism into Korea's # 1 obsession amongst their womanfolk , you might want to think again . While there are moments where the characters seemingly lambast both male and female attitudes towards plastic surgery , such as low self esteem and lack of innate confidence , this is very soon forgotten when the movie stepped up a gear towards its fairy tale finale of sorts , which in an incredibly overstretched sequence , tried to elicit soppy tears from the soft hearted ones in the audience . There are some nice , perhaps contrived even , touches built into the narrative , especially on the psychological effects on the changes that extreme plastic surgery - imagine waking up one day to find yourself a completely different person . However in general , it plays out like a fluffy romance comedy with jokes on secret identities , beauties who turn heads ( heh , pun intended ) and get their way in society , well balanced with dramatic moments of honouring the ties with family and friends . Kim A-jung naturally is the star of the show , putting on the fat suit ala what Sammi Cheng did in Love on a Diet . She's naturally beautiful , with those innocent bambi-looking eyes , so it's hard for any hot blooded male out there not to fall for her charms . Also , the music added another dimension to the movie . Filled with pop tunes from the 80s and Korean tunes created for the movie ( I read that the song Maria actually hit the K-pop charts ) , the staged musical concerts are a force to be reckoned with , especially since Kim A-jung really delved deep into the performances , and was credibly lending her own vocals to the songs . I thought at times these scenes played out similar to those in Nana , and similarly to the recent Dreamgirls , prepare for some lung bursting , loudspeaker busting singing . Based on the Japanese manga by Suzuki Yumiko , 200 Pounds Beauty is an example of a perfect date movie , since the girls can ogle at the charmingly handsome Joo Jin-mo . With enough ups and downs and a feel good ending to boot , perhaps the messages in the movie , if there are any to be seriously taken to begin with , become diluted with the relatively long runtime of 120 minutes . The strongest message that comes out of it could probably be that reminder that you can't make everyone love you , no matter how hard you try .
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514,507 | 317,399 | 475,517 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) Murder Take One ( 2005 )
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The movie opens with a very stunning tracking shot with a view of a motionless woman's body , from the feet , before slowly revealing that she's lying in a pool of blood , juxtaposed with the linear motion of time where investigators flood the crime scene in her hotel room , before pulling further backwards to become the eye in the sky , where you can see the neighbours of her room ( some bickering , some having sex ) truly oblivious with what's going on a few doors down , and panning outwards to the facade of the hotel , then descending rapidly to the porch area where more cops congregate , and it's revealed that a prime suspect has been arrested . Unveiling in 48 hours , we follow the investigators , led by prosecutor Yeon-ki ( Cha Seung - won ) as they try to break down Kim Young-hoon ( Shin Ha-gyoun ) , in what I thought was an extended interrogation system which somehow tested your patience with the cat-and-mouse styled challenges each side throw to the other in a series of dares and defiances . Thankfully , the plot does move on to other more conventional aspects of investigations , as always , everything is more than meets the eye , and no stone should be left unturned . What's also peculiar in the movie is the combination of a current affairs television show which interferes in the investigations , and audaciously tries to swing its outcome via its own panel of experts , piecing together of clues , and having an audience participation , which of course is used to boost ratings , but to the irk of Yeon-ki . There are plenty of stuff which unfortunately becomes loss in translation , and most of them are the comedic aspects from the dialogue . What was supposed to be some comedy mixed in , becomes a fairly serious investigative mystery movie when you're reliant on the subtitles . As with the standard investigative drama fare , there are moments which shine as the investigators manage to shed new light and clues , though it somehow went downhill with the introduction of some mediums - don't laugh though , because I do think there's a certain amount of mysticism at times when the authorities get flabbergasted - some help from the other side won't hurt at all right ? Especially so when you call on the right person to reappear . In any case , there are enough twists and turns , and at one point my hair did stand on its end in a chilling scene , but ultimately , what was supposed to be a stunner of a revelation , turned out to be quite anti-climatic . There are some nice observations made about investigations though , pertaining to CCTVs , so if you're interested , you can probably watch this to find out what those challenges are .
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515,515 | 317,399 | 464,049 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The History Boys
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The History Boys is a highly successful and multi-award winning play from London's West End , and it's probably a no brainer in adapting it for the silver screen to reach out to even more people out there . But instead of being just another adaptation , what probably is rare is that the original cast of the production gets recruited for this effort , together with Alan Bennett as scribe for the screenplay , ensuring legitimacy and authenticity . We follow a group of 8 male students immediately after their A-Level results release , as they get selected to undergo one more special semester of tutoring for their entrance exams to the prestigious universities of Oxford and Cambridge . The charm here lies in the very diverse nature of all the boys , though a common attribute they all have is they're extremely intelligent , with a wicked sense of bawdy humour and wit to boot . In short , your unexpected rascals who know their stuff . But not all 8 get equal screen time though , with more dedicated to alpha-male Dakin ( Dominic Cooper ) , the effeminate Posner ( Samuel Barnett ) and thuggish Rudge ( Russell Tovey ) . They share a special affinity for their General Studies teacher Hector ( Richard Griffiths ) , whose laissez-faire style is thoroughly enjoyed by the boys , and is the kind of teaching class you'll probably come to enjoy too if you're in it . And in a warped way , their cemented ties is one dark secret which if revealed , would enforce certain changes in the class . Enter Irwin ( Stephen Campbell Moore ) , a history graduate whose maverick techniques the boys have to get used to , in order to ace the exams . I find it quite peculiar the way his advice turns out , a stark reminder that hard facts that everyone else knows is never enough . You got to spice it up , be controversial even , if the need calls for it . In short , be something like a spin doctor , spice up reports , essays , interviews , the works . Packaging is key , and that I thought was quite true in how we deal in real life at times . And the styles and techniques of the two teachers come to a clash of sorts , but never too confrontational . It's something like Dead Poet's Society without the carpe diem moments , but presents the kind of admiration and respect that the students have for their teachers , and vice versa , coupled with plenty of witty dialogue and as the story develops , moments of heartfelt situations as well . Peppered with an eclectic soundtrack , the story at times felt loaded with lead . And for one who have never seen the play or read much about it , the last act came as a surprise , and with brilliant editing in transition , it struck me as something quite different , and wrapped up the movie quite perfectly , albeit the unexpected happening . The closing credits too were well done , and I thought I actually surprised myself by remembering these technical details rather than the story . Inspirational ? Perhaps . Witty ? Sure . But somehow it lacked the oomph to propel it to greatness in my books .
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515,164 | 317,399 | 397,101 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The Skeleton Key
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Hell-oh Nurse ! Kate Hudson was the draw for me actually , and it would be interesting to see if she could pull off carrying The Skeleton Key on her shoulders . I would say if you're Kate's fan , then this movie's for you , since she's in almost every scene as the protagonist , in various states of ( un ) dress . She plays Caroline , a nurse ( did I just mention that ? ) who decides to call it a day when her moral consciousness calls out to her that being in a hospital , just isn't her cup of tea . She cares for her patients , but since hospital beds are always in demand , the recently deceased gets whisked away and forgotten pretty quickly . So she opts for hospice care , and chances upon the Devereaux couple , where Ben Devereaux has suffered a stroke , and wife Violet needed help in caring for the old man . Perhaps she sees it as a chance for redemption , in not being there to provide that same level of care when her estranged dad was sick and thereafter dead even before she knew it . She takes it upon herself to do her utmost even when the patient is fully paralyzed , and the wife isn't too happy with her presence . And what's a horror show , without the usual antics to spice things up ? You have a house with 30 rooms ( which you only see less than 10 ? ) , one of them rooms being the " mysterious - oh - you - cannot - enter " room , a skeleton key which opens every door ( why don't they call it the Master Key ? Probably not sexy-sounding enough ) , a creepy old lady and an even creepier old man , doors slamming , wind howling , always raining , a house with a mysterious past in the middle of a dark , skanky swamp , and hoodoo-magic ( not voodoo , like the movie explains ) . But perhaps these techniques are clichéd already , and no longer working with audiences who have adapted to the Japanese / Korean / Thai style of horror techniques . It does get stale after 20 minutes into the show , with its crescendos and startles , and the filmmakers seemed to be aware of that , and stopped short of them . It did , however , generate some scares amongst the chicken-hearted - you can see them jump at their seats . There's a twist towards the end , which I thought was neatly executed , answering the whos , the wheres , the hows , but leaving the whys until the very last moment . And when you ponder back into what had transpired , it makes some sense , and even adds a tinge of sadness to the entire madness . I am tempted to draw in a comparison with another movie , but if I do so , it'll probably spoil the surprise . It's not an outright horror film , though the trailers seem to market it as such . What this film essentially is , is a nicely done thriller with some hoodoo elements thrown in . If you don't believe , it's not gonna affect you . And it's quite right . But even as Kate Hudson's a looker , I find it hard to recommend this film on a weekend . Strictly for weekday viewing only .
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515,051 | 317,399 | 47,445 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Sansho the Bailiff
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Sansho The Bailiff , Japanese film director Kenji Mizoguchi's movie that won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival , opens this season's Japanese Film Festival , and while the titular character happens to be one of the villains in the story , and not even that of a lead character , it's no surprise why this movie was chosen as the opener as it fit the theme of this year's festival to a tee , that of the power of women and femininity . Also , since Kinuyo Tanaka is the actress / director-in-focus as well , this is but one of the movies in her illustrious career that she had worked with all the masters of Japanese Cinema . But to me , it served as an introduction to both the work of director Kenji Mizoguchi , as well as actress Kinuyo Tanaka , and watching the movie as is without in depth knowledge of the socio-political background that this movie is based , I found it rather hard to appreciate the grandeur of this highly acclaimed epic , but nonetheless it served as a good start to want me to revisit the filmography of Mizoguchi , and perhaps learn from scratch and see his evolving into a cinematic master . Telling the story of a family ruined and separated by river pirates when the head of a household , a governor no less , gets sent into exile , the movie follows two threads , one with the wife Tamaki ( Kinuyo Tanaka ) being sold to prostitution , while the children , Zushio ( first played by Masahiko Kato , and then by Yoshiaki Hanayagi ) and Anju ( Keiko Enami , and Kyoko Kagawa ) get sent off to live as slaves in a household run by the titular character ( Eitaro Shindo ) . We get first hand glimpse of the hardship of the lives of the children , where escapees from their confinement get branded permanently with a mark to their foreheads . Although clinging onto their father's wise teachings on humanity , the children , growing up in such a harsh environment , slowly get jaded , and before you know it , Zushio doesn't bat an eyelid when he gets to met punishment amongst fellow slaves . This is a tale about one man's redemption , turnaround and exacting sweet vengeance , but not before learning the mistakes of his ways , and suffering terrible loss along the way serving as a wake up call . It's akin to the likes of other classics such as Ben-Hur , and I thought Zushio's tale can be split into 4 parts - as a kid from a good family stature being stripped of everything leaving a very thin sliver of humanity from which to cling from , followed by his awakening from his tragic loss of kin - which was the much talked about haunting scene in the movie - and then his rise to power through a series of positive coincidences , before ending again with his personal sacrifice to look for his long lost mother , whose song in the town she resided in served as clues as to her whereabouts . While I have no qualms that this movie is indeed assuredly shot , I think long-time readers would likely guess by now that I'm not really a fan of long shots and extended takes . It took its time to tell its story and there are a few moments which looked really comical , even when it's not supposed to , like the behaviour of the mob which fit the intended mentality . That said , I might give Sansho the Bailiff another go , since it has been given the Criterion treatment , and hopefully on a DVD I would have cultivated enough patience to appreciate the movie a lot more than this first viewing on the big screen .
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514,970 | 317,399 | 263,101 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Bangkok Dangerous
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I picked up this DVD because I've been to Bangkok couple of times , and wanted to see how the filmmakers Oxide and Danny Pang manage to capture the more sleazy side of the city , and combine it with gangster noir to come up with Bangkok Dangerous . I've heard about the movie , and was surprised that our National Library actually had this DVD in its collection . Bangkok Dangerous tells the story of a deaf mute assassin Kong ( Pawalit Mongkolpisit ) . His is a life of mission after mission , a cold and professional , though small time , killer . Growing up being bullied because of his disability , he finds work at a gun range as a cleaner , until he chances upon Joe ( Pisek Intrakanchit ) and his girlfriend Aom ( Patharawarin Timkul ) . Kong learns his skills from Joe ( in an excellent montage ) , and together , form a tag-team partnership . During the course of work , Kong chances upon the beautiful Fon ( Premsinee Ratanasopha ) who works at a drugstore , and in between missions , he romances Fon , who doesn't shun him in spite of being a deaf mute . The killer has finally known what it is to develop feelings and to love . However , if you live by the gun , chances are there will be those who are after you . Things change for the worse when Aom offends one of the gang's ranked member , and gets raped . Joe goes for revenge , but ultimately gets literally betrayed by the hand that feeds . Kong has to decide - to finish what had started and avenge his friends , or to try and begin life anew with the woman he loves , even after she has started to avoid him , knowing what he does for a living . In a cosmopolitan city like Bangkok , this film manages to capture a kaleidoscope of colours , mood , and use various camera angles to its advantage . It contrasts the shady underworld and strip bars , and its pulsating music , with the silent , kind world of love that Kong for the first time experiences when he's with Fon . It's a story of finding one's own morality when living in the midst of violence and sleaze , and the seeking of redemption from a life of sin . Code 3 DVD extras : Filmography of filmmakers and inspiration for the film .
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515,456 | 317,399 | 393,109 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) Brick ( 2005 )
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Winning the Special Jury Prize in the 2005 Sundance Film Festival , Brick is a detective movie that is in a unique league of its own . It's terribly unconventional , yet comes with a familiar sense of having seen it somewhere before . Set in a high school , the premise is anything but , with a murder mystery done noir style but in modern settings with teenagers , throwing multiple curveballs in terms of narrative style that writer-director Rian Johnson adopted . The first aspect of difference that hits you is that the language is totally out of this world . It takes a while to get used to it , as there's a peculiar slang that everyone uses , and it's not the usual hip words that get spewed now and then . It's done so all the time , before you finally realize that this is something of a surreal setting - the characters inhabit a world of their own that may seem like our own , but totally not so . But once you get the hang of it , you discover some consolatory joy in trying to figure out what sense do they all make , and sometimes this is revealed as part of the process our teen detective , Brendan Frye ( Joseph Gordon-Levitt ) goes through . Investigating the death of his ex-girlfriend Emily Kostich ( Emilie de Ravin ) , it all started when she started to SOS him for help , before casting him away all over again . When he discovers his body , he takes it upon himself to find out the truth about the seedy world of high school crime , involving characters like Tugger ( Noah Fleiss ) , femme fatale Laura ( Nora Zehetner ) and Kara ( Meagan Good ) , The Pin ( Lukas Haas ) and Dode ( Noah Segan ) , who turns out to be his ex's current squeeze . In true noir style , we follow Brendan every step along the way as he interacts with all the characters , trying to make sense of things , while dealing with various red herrings , manipulation , violence when the time calls for it , and the dropping of little clues before a very tense and climatic ending . We slowly discover the Whos , Whats , Whys of the Whodunnit , and although limited screen time is given for Brendan's interaction with Emily , you can't help but connect to personal situations where someone who is close to your heart start to sound you out , and you try to reestablish contact , only to be brushed aside harshly . And what is a detective without an able assistance working behind the scenes to feed you information ? The Brain ( Matt O'Leary , gotta love all those quirky character names by now eh ? ) serves as Brendan's , and their chemistry as partners not by choice , turns out to be quite entertaining . It's very difficult to imagine Brick was shot on a shoestring budget , given the high quality in production values , the unique storyline , and nice acting . It's a little movie that became a winner , so I'm recommending it , and for that ethereal haunting song that can easily become a earworm .
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514,792 | 317,399 | 1,183,252 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Chocolate
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In this part of the world , there's no dearth of male action heroes , you know , those with real martial arts background . Think Jet Li , Jackie Chan , Donnie Yen , Wu Jing , and closer to home , Tony Jaa . How about a female counterpart ? You're likely to struggle hard to name a credible one , Michelle Yeoh notwithstanding . So Thai director Prachya Pinkaew is probably shrewd enough to identify this golden opportunity , and so introduces us to Yanin Vismistananda in her debut feature Chocolate . Those familiar with Pinkaew's martial arts extravaganzas with Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong , will know roughly what to expect from Chocolate . Since the rumoured falling out with his main star of those movies , there's definitely some big shoes to fill , and Yanin fills them quite nicely , martial arts wise , though there were certain scenes which were quite clear that she's still a diamond in the rough with many edges left to polish . But that's not to put down her effort , except that I thought as a lady , her final delivery of those choreographed punches and kicks lacked some really hard hitting edge to them , and the curious observation that some required some speeding up , was left to be desired . What could also be improved , is the transitions between fights , because each seemed pretty much stand alone , even though you know that she's supposedly to be battling enemies continuously , but with each combatant , there seemed to be a " reset " to on-guard mode . But what was learned from the earlier two Thai action movies , was that it was no longer necessary to repeat the action from different camera angles . This would stem from confidence in showing off the stunts from a single viewpoint , and not feel sore from not being able to cover it from multiple angles . And Chocolate had some really nice buildup in the complexity of these set action pieces . It teases with what's over the horizon starting from a few thugs at a street performance , and sets up carefully crafted action sequences for our heroine to flit from one to another , each being an excuse to dispatch goon after goon coming at her . Influences from Hong Kong action movies are without doubt , as you can recount similar settings in various HK movies being incorporated here , such as Fong Sai-Yuk's half - crouching styled fights under a stage . What was internalized in Chocolate , was probably from the Jackie Chan styled school of action , which fuses some bit comedy , with the utilizing of everyday objects in one's surroundings to throw off opponents , or worked into the action piece as a prop for acrobatic stunts to be performed . I'd bet there are numerous sequences here that Jackie Chan himself would approve and be proud of . And in true Jackie Chan culture , besides the end credits featuring some of the NG shots and injuries to the stars and stunt folk , you'll be glad to know that Yanin did most of her own stunts , and it's indeed no mean feat fighting in a skirt of that length , without it getting in the way . While the finale battle involves countless of Crazy88 types ala Kill Bill in wave after wave of attacks , culminating in battling it out on the facade of a multi-storey shophouse building complete with smashing windows , ledges and neon signboards , my personal favourite had to be at the abattoir . In reddish hues , the villains are sans shirts , meaning risks of personal injury are higher without padding that can be hidden underneath the clothes . And with menacing looking meat hooks hanging , and using cleavers as projectiles , just make your job drop at how these fights were choreographed and filmed , especially the slamming of bodies against concrete stalls . Action aside , the first 30 minutes or so was devoted to developing Yanin's Zen ( heh ) character , a young autistic girl born of gangster parents - Dad Masashi ( Hiroshi Abe ) is a non-self-respecting Yakuza member who doesn't have a body full of tattoos , and Mom Zin ( Ammara Siripong ) belongs to the Thai triads , and ex-moll of its head honcho . In a Romeo - Juliet styled love springing from only hate , only in Singapore do you have the sex scene severely edited , which I thought was important as that's how Zen was conceived . Violence is OK , but sex is zero here . Anyway Dad had to exile himself back to Japan to avoid an all out gang war , and Zin now becomes an outcast single parent , who has to struggle with cancer , as well as raising an autistic child . Children of such nature are usually referred to as special , and the specialness of Zen is her ability to pick up martial arts by observation . Hence thanks to DVDs of Pinkaew's earlier movies , and having to reside beside a Muay Thai school , Zen picks up the skills necessary , and get to use them when she goes hunting for her mother's debtors in order to pay for chemotherapy sessions . Money's everyone's problem , so Zen gets to use her fists , knees and elbows on her opponent's face , body and shin . I'd always love watching knees and elbows connect to deliver blows on opponents and inflicting excruciating pain , and in her lithe form , Zen delivers them with balletic grace . Anyway I'd guess no one's really interested in how the story gets developed , which is not without its fair share of loopholes , but we're all here to watch Yanin Vismitananda kick some serious butt . And she does so convincingly enough to warrant a fan following onto her next movie , and make it an action one please !
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514,740 | 317,399 | 131,012 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The Sting of Death
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Having sat through a weekend of the Japanese Film Festival so far , The Sting of Death got an unceremoniously high number of walk outs . I'm somewhat curious about how this movie got selected to fit into the theme of this year's festival of true . romance , because it really looked a little out of place , or anti-themed , with its grappling on the stark emotions of betrayal and lack of trust . The movie opens , and for the next 15 minutes , we see a couple in conversation , but their body language is awkward . We see a lady , but we hear a man in the room too , and while both are obviously talking to each other , they do not have the other in their line of sight . As the camera reveals a little more , we see the house in a little disarray , suggesting a fight of sorts taking place earlier . As they go further in their conversation , we slowly realize that here's a woman who has confronted her husband on his infidelity , and finding the truth a bitter pill that is hard to swallow . With escalating quarrels and fights getting more violent , it's always the case that the children will be the ones who suffer . Toshio ( Ittoku Kishibe ) and Miho's ( Keiko Matsuzaka ) kids know what is happening ( yes , kids actually know ) , and are always found to be torn between the parents . But I guess despite their differences , they have probably decided to stick to each other for the sake of their children , while working out the demons between them . Ironing out the problems posed by infidelity is tricky , because it involves re-establishing trust which had been broken before , and there is no guarantee that it won't be broken again . And it is precisely this insecurity that Miho fails to address , despite constant assurances by her husband . On that premise alone , The Sting of Death held promise . We tear out our hair together with Miho as she begins her descent , when all things appear fine , she'll rake up something about the past to ask Toshio , knowing very well that whatever answer she'll get , will hurt her deep down . Until Toshio refuses to play the game , and finds life getting a lot tougher , and Miho a lot more difficult to handle . Technically , this was a good film , with its minimalist sound providing avenues for other more subtle noises to come through , like the dripping tap which drives you nuts with its constant " drip . . . drip . . . drip " . But it's not an easy film to sit through , not only because of its content repetitive material and scenes which wash-rinse-repeats Miho doubting Toshio , questioning him , scenes of abuse and challenge , reconciliation , then repeat , but also because it moves so slowly , if at all . Somehow I tend to believe that my reliance on the subtitles didn't manage to bring out the intricate dialogue between the spouses , especially when they start to mince their words and lace them with sarcasm . Offhand I can't recall a movie that dealt with the issue of infidelity within a marriage more sharply than this , and by bringing home this point , this film has earned its badge of merit . Reminder : Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned , and all parties suffer through moments of folly .
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515,195 | 317,399 | 395,251 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The Producers
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Before I start the review proper , since there might be some who just like a peek at what the movie offered and missed out on my all important tip , so I shall mention it first . Stay until the end of the credits roll . Not only will you be entertained by the song sung by Will Ferrell during the roll , and some ad-lib at the end about buying ' Mein Kampf ' from Borders , Barnes and Noble , and Amazon , you'll be treated to one last short song-dance sequence sung by almost all the cast in turn , telling you to get lost , get out because the movie's over . Anyway I enjoyed The Producers more than I enjoyed Rent . Perhaps I'm not as deep and prefer my musicals to be fluffy entertainment , at least for those which made the transition from stage to screen . This Tony AWard winning musical by Mel Brooks tells the story of down-on-his-luck Broadway musical producer Max Bialystock ( Nathan Lane ) , and his accountant Leo Bloom ( Matthew Broderick ) . Max is an unscrupulous , unethical producer who obtains financing by making the wishes of horny rich old ladies come true , by being their elderly boy toy , while Leo is an aspiring producer wannabe suffering from a case of severe insecurity , who hatches a plan for both of them to strike it rich to the tune of a million dollars each by making a dud musical . They go all out to find the worst script - Springtime for Hitler , written by Neo-Nazi Franz Liebkind ( Will Ferrell , in a better outing than the boring Bewitched ) , hire the worst director Roger DeBris ( Gary Beach ) - a gay man with a gay crew ( lead by Roger Bart ) decked in Village People outfits who all unanimously agree to make a gay musical , get the worst actors , and stumble upon one hot Swedish chick - Ulla ( Uma Thurman ) . There are plenty of madcap humor and sexual innuendo incorporated throughout the musical , which doesn't bore and kept things fresh somewhat . The cast obviously seem to be having a riot of the time , with their one-dimensional characters hamming it up . A few scenes stand out given its extended length in song and dance , especially those that involve Max and Leo getting their cast and crew to sign on the dotted line . In particular , I enjoyed the sequence where they had to convince Franz to give them the rights to his Hitler musical , and it's a hoot to see the " well-trained " animatronic pigeons trained in Nazism . And who can forget the scene with Roger DeBris as they had to suffer the eccentricities of a director who swings the same way . Uma's scenes were all crazy and funny , as she had to speak in this accent that provided plenty opportunity for puns . And ooh-lala , can she shake that bootie : P We do get to see a bit of Springtime for Hitler though , but that signaled a decline in pace for the entire musical . It was as if the job has been done , and the plot was forcefully extended for that bit of soul searching and closure by the characters Max and Leo . It's pretty enjoyable , with some nice songs , and some very nicely choreographed scenes ( I dig the one where Leo had gone back to the drudgery of his accounting firm , with robotic co-workers singing about being unhappy ) . If you're barred from Rent because you're under-aged , then probably The Producers could make it up to you with its brand of song and dance .
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515,470 | 317,399 | 420,294 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The Texas Chainsaw Massacre : The Beginning
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It takes a lot to make me wince , given the numerous gore movies that hit our shores like Hostel , Severance and the likes , and surprisingly , The Texas Chainsaw Massacre : The Beginning , surpassed the rest in actually making my hair stand on ends . Perhaps it's because I wasn't immersed into the mythos of the chainsaw wielding psychopath and his family of cannibals . Supposedly based on one of the most notorious criminal families in Texan history , these folks operate like the characters from Tsui Hark's New Dragon Gate Inn , exploiting the innocent who happen to cross their paths , being in the wrong place at the wrong time . Already this cliché has been used to death ( pardon the pun ) in movies of the same genre , but this was one of the first ( The original was released in 1974 ) , , with a number of sequels ( one even starring Viggo Mortensen ) , and remakes ( one starring Jessical Biel recently , produced by Michael Bay ) . So what is it that makes Thomas Leatherface Hewitt a hit ? It's the weapon baby . The chainsaw is music to the ears , and it is raw power . In the right hands , it's a lumberjack's weapon of choice in sawing down some trees . In the hands of a psycho , plunging it into someone brings about a sickening squishy sound of metal grinding against flesh and bone . And that , is the sick pleasure one gets when watching the movie . There is nothing too brainy about the storyline , given that it's a prequel trying to explain how things came about , and because it's something that chronologically had happened before , there's no prize in guessing who survives , or not , which makes the finale a bit of a bore . I think I am , and the audience too , are sick in wanting to watch our eye candy cast , whom we don't really give a damn about , become target practice for one of the cult killers of cinema . There are supporting characters who join in the fray , but ultimately , it's still focused on one of the first two couples who have their opportunity to make or break with our killers on the loose . It's a mixture of capability - some utterly useless and cowardly , while others , like Chrissie ( Jordana Brewster , she's hawt ! ) had more to do than just looking good , or scared , or shitting in their pants . To watch this uncut , uncensored in R21 glory , and anticipating those moments when Leatherface discovers the joy and pleasure of using the chainsaw , makes this movie the largest guilt trip I have undertaken this week . And to think I watched this before my week long hiatus too : PWelcome to the slaughterhouse .
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515,548 | 317,399 | 1,068,680 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Yes Man
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It's been a while since Jim Carrey hit the screens , going back to his comedic roots after the rather lacklustre dramatic turn in the thriller The Number 23 . But it's a somewhat muted Carrey we get , as gone out the window are the over the top antics and rubbery face , and in comes a fine balance between getting the laughs , as well as having some dramatic flair in crafting a believable working class character who is jaded with work and life in general , opting instead to coast through life almost like a recluse . And when a friend told me that this character was somewhat familiar , I understand his point . I suppose most of us could probably identify with the very routine lives that we're leading , juggling work and whatever effort we can muster to have a semblance of balance , either with family , friends , or spending some quality time investing in oneself . But this means regressing into the tried , tested and safe , losing that spark that comes with the randomness of living , and the gaining of experience that would have been gained . In fact , it brought back some memories that I was once a Yes Man myself , and I won't deny that somewhere along the way I've taken a detour , though it was a conscious decision at that . Jim Carrey plays Carl Allen , a junior loans officer at a bank who spends his time at work , and his personal life , in saying no to everyone and to opportunities , ignoring calls and well meaning efforts from friends to bring him out of his shell . But a life changing seminar ( I've been to something similar , even though it was just a preview ) with pop music , enthusiastic energizer-bunny type attendees , and an enigmatic speaker , would convince him to take the plunge into make a covenant to say yes to every opportunity that comes by . Not that he has any choice since the self-help guru is played by Terence Stamp , and nobody has the audacity to say no to General Zod . ( Curiously , Terence Stamp has been in plenty of supporting roles of late ) . So begins a series of situational comedies , most of which would already have been captured in the trailer . Carl begins to live life as he wanted to , taking lessons , meeting people , and what I found to be most appealing , would be to convert from a person of negative thoughts , to a positive thinking fellow . His new attitude opens doors , and almost instantly he reaps the benefits of this new found approach , the best of course is the encounter with hot chick Allison ( Zooey Deschanel ) . Besides the philosophy behind the movie , Yes Man is also a romance , with two random people who are totally opposites , coming together because of their spontaneity , and how strongly and positively different a relationship which isn't routine would provide for a couple . I suppose to a certain degree I tasted some form of success at this going where the wind brings approach , though that of course was a long time back . Naturally they fall heads over heels with each other , but like all romances , there's no such thing as smooth sailing , even though this takes place in the last act and rides to the finale fairly quickly . I more than welcome Zooey Deschanel as the leading lady in Yes Man ( I would say yes too ahem ) , because in my opinion she hasn't made a lot of films , and still has that refreshing appeal . If truth be told her Allison would be someone whom I'd sit up and take notice , because of her zest for life , and hey , here's someone multi-talented ( ok , that might be debatable ) , coupled with some of her really unorthodox activities that look like fun , and miles from what I am doing anyway . I thought Jim Carrey had a field day acting opposite her , and that chemistry probably rubbed off and made them look like a cute couple who are up to totally crazy antics when they're out on their dates . Based on the book by Danny Wallace , the turning point in the film , which tied up all the random elements pretty neatly for that push toward the final act , was well done and I couldn't help but to guffaw , that if I was in those shoes , I might be connecting the dots in the same manner and asking pointed questions as well . Along with a whole host of supporting cast ranging from Bradley Cooper as Carl's best friend Peter , Molly Sims as his ex-wife Stephanie and Rhys Darby in a hilarious role as his manager ( and major geek ) Norman , the soundtrack too serves as another highlight in the film , with songs mostly by Eels , and Zooey Deschanel herself lending her vocal chords to a number of songs here , where the lyrics are totally insane ( she has part writing credit for those ) which left me laughing out loud for the most parts . So while I see the cinematic ways as to how saying Yes could change one's life but only with the intervention of fated coincidences , I guess there's no harm trying and giving the same philosophy a shot , right ? So go ahead and say Yes together with me , but of course with some intelligence and common sense , and I'd expect all of us could hope to be in for some surprising change to our personal lives . And please say Yes too to sitting through the end credits - that little skate man idea looks totally awesome !
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514,948 | 317,399 | 772,168 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Grace is Gone
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John Cusack is one of the character actors I admire . And in Grace is Gone , it centers upon his ability to bring you into his character's world . He really transformed himself into the role of Stanley Philipps with his thick glasses , walking with an instep , and that little hunch and a paunch , and delivers probably one of his finer touches in disappearing into a character that's so everyday average joe . He's a salaryman earning his keep while watching over his two girls while Mrs Grace Philipps ( Dana Lynne Gilhooley ) is a career soldier who gets her tour of duty in Iraq . The crux of the entire story laid on the premise of Stanley trying to find the appropriate moment to tell his children about the unfortunate demise of their mother , while at the same time fighting hard to accept the bitter truth that the woman he loves is gone . More so of course when it is revealed later some things that can no longer be reversed in time , which makes it all the more sad , and regrettable . But we also learn more about Stanley through the eyes of his children , when they throw the occasional tantrum , or have issues to deal with . Shelan O'Keefe as Heidi the older daughter , is a remarkable actress , lending some gravitas to her role when it called for it , and holds her own opposite Cusack very well . Gracie Bednarczyk as younger daughter Dawn I guess was just being herself , injecting much needed effervescence to counter the heavy drama that circulates throughout the movie . Besides some expected and really moving scenes in the movie , some from plot devices , while others from the characters themselves , writer-director James C . Strouse also managed to sneak in a comment or two about War and Truth , which is what we make it up to be , most of the time . Alessandro Nivola also turned in a rather short but nice performance behind that heavily bearded appearance as the brother of Stanley and the children's uncle . If I need another plus point to recommend Grace is Gone , then it will be the score by Clint Eastwood ( yes , what a surprise when the end credits rolled ) , punctuating the story neatly when it called for it . All in all , a story without any major plot twists ( since the title already said it all ) , simple yet effective , and hinged very much on excellent acting to bring the characters to life .
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514,488 | 317,399 | 783,233 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Atonement
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So now we know why the young must be protected from vulgarities and from sexual scenes , because with vivid imagination , they could probably be quick to jump to conclusions , being unable to grasp and fully understand the situation at hand , nor the gravity of their actions , especially when they're shooting from the hip . Initially , I thought I would be able to watch Atonement if I had managed to make my way to Tokyo for its International Film Festival last October . But I didn't , and I waited , and waited , and when I finally managed to watch it this evening , I felt that it didn't work for me , no matter how much I can identify with the longing to be with someone , and being unable to . It contained themes I very much like , but perhaps I'm beginning to get tired of it , since they are somewhat negative emotions that do take their toil over a period of time . Set in the 30s England just before the outbreak of WWII , we get introduced to the rather aristocratic Tallis family , where we witness the budding start of a romance between Cecilia ( Keira Knightley ) and the housekeeper's son ROBBY ( James McAvoy ) , with the help of flimsy , wet lingerie to bridge the divide separating their swearing of true feelings for each other . However , to sister Briony ( Saoirse Ronan , who clinched an Oscar Nomination ) , she starts to see a different side of it , made worse by a misunderstanding and in actuality , a mistake Robby made when he handed over a letter written with tongue in cheek and brain in the gutter ( yep , you can say men think about sex most of the time ) . And that one single day had everything a loving couple could have wished for - the discovery and declaration of love , the passionate love making , but only for everything to come crashing to a halt when Robby gets accused for a crime he did not commit . And you can feel the disappointment and anger of course , at the accusation because it was somewhat steeped in presumptions of class or the lack thereof , and the hypocrisy , coupled with seething rage as we the audience , with knowledge of hindsight ( and the benefit of just knowing ) , can tell that it's so utterly wrong , with obvious clues of course to who the perpetrator might be . While we love to see the lovebirds coming together , the movie's more about the time they spend apart . And that unfortunately somehow sagged the movie to low depths , as we see them spend their screen time independently , with McAvoy brooding over his life now in disarray as he volunteers for war to escape from the confines of a prison cell , and Knightley unfortunately becoming relegated to a support role , which you can hardly feel her character , her pain , and her love for the man now so far away . It is hardly any wonder why both actors missed out on Oscar nominations ( not that it mattered ) , because their roles hardly challenged what these 2 actors could have delivered . The scene stealer turned out to be child actress Saoirse Ronan , who is the cause of the turn of events , though the mantle of her character get passed to Ramola Garai and Vanessa Redgrave . What made Atonement work though was the technical side of it . The score was excellent and director Joe Wright ( Pride and Prejudice ) made sure it gelled so well with the visuals , that it becomes an extension to what's on screen . You can't deny that art direction and cinematography were superb . Editing was non-conventional , but never confusing , offering you both what is perceived truth , and hindsight knowledge , just as how Briony would have experienced it . But what's missing , for a romance at least , and the danger of having every technical aspect delivered so clinically , was the absence of an emotional resonance , because without it , a romance movie can be pretty empty , and soulless , going through the motions without attempting to allow you to crawl under their skins to empathize with them and their sorry plight . I had looked forward to Atonement with so much anticipation , that I guess when I've finally seen it , my expectation got deflated so bad that it turned out to be anti-climatic for me , even with an ending that should have wowed and kept one thinking and discussing about the unfortunate futility of one's actions , set in stone , setting the wheel in motion , and being unable ever to be turning it back .
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514,496 | 317,399 | 497,137 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : I'm a Cyborg , But That's OK
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I think one of the easiest ways to make a movie , would be to make one about mad people in a mental institution . Anything and everything can happen , you don't have to explain every minute detail , and the bottomline is , you can interpret it in whatever way you want . I'm a Cyborg , But That's OK runs along similar lines , having its two lead characters patients of a psychiatric ward , but therein lies some structure of a story about love , reaching out , and in making sense of life ( not to mention the movie as well ) . Directed by Park Chan-wook who gave us his famous Vengeance trilogy ( Oldboy , Sympathy for Mr Vengeance and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance ) , it's a very big leap from that trilogy , into something more fantastical , light hearted , bright , and may I say , at times nonsensical as well . But there were some lapses into teasing audiences familiar with his more violent trilogy , incorporating signature scenes which were a blast as I thought they were inserted at appropriate moments when you just want to lash out at everything else happening in the story . The introductory scene reminded me of Wisit Sasanatieng's Citizen Dog ( in fact , the general look and feel of the presentation resembled it , minus the voice over narration ) , where we see Young-goon ( an extremely appropriate subtitled name , played by Im Soo-jung ) degenerate into madness and gets herself warded into an asylum . She starts to think of herself as a cyborg , and develops special affection with florescent lamps and vending machines , while refusing to eat , as it will mess with her internal machinery . And we meet Il-soon ( Rain ) , who develops feelings for her , and embarks on a quest to convince and get her to eat , while sharing with her tender moments as they make sense of their worlds within the confines of an institution . The big draw to the movie for local audiences will no doubt be Rain . In his debut feature film , fans will no doubt be flocking to the cinemas to catch their latest idol in action , with the only snag that those below 16 cannot gain admission ( rated NC-16 ) . Female fans will be thrilled that he sings a little in the movie , and yes , bares that famous chest of his . We're talking about the man who has held a concert here with the highest ticket prices ( the most expensive being S$888 ) , though the preview I was in , was surprisingly , less than 20 persons in attendance . For starters , I do not know of his appeal , nor do I listen to his music , but I thought he performed reasonably as Il Soon , a thieving man who believes he can absorb the abilities of others , and does so to comedic effect . Actually , what turned out appealing to me , was centered onto the background madcap people , the supporting cast playing all sorts of crazy characters . Some with dialogue , others just preoccupied in their own little worlds , doing their own little repetitive actions , most of which just draws out chuckles . It's a love story within plenty of fantastical sequences . Just don't try to make sense of things that don't seem to make sense , and you'll be able to breeze it . And on that note , I'm a Cyborg , but That's OK may not be everyone's cup of tea , in the traditional romantic comedy sense .
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514,460 | 317,399 | 458,364 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The Ex
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If I were to look at it , I would say The Ex aka Fast Track forms a loose trilogy of sorts with regards to growing up , and somewhat like a natural progression in the different stages of life that Zach Braff's characters form when stringed together . With Garden State , it's in the 20s where you're having a feel for the ground , exploring your options and not knowing exactly what life will dish out to you . With One Last Kiss , so you think that you're dead sure about your other half , you're getting married and vowing to spend the rest of your lives together , and suddenly an ingenue comes along , and cast doubts about that . Plenty of what-will-you-do moments , with outcome that are different depending on your values , but totally possible , and brought out earnestly through Braff's performance as the everyday man . In The Ex , Zach Braff plays the blue collar salaryman whose hotshot lawyer wife had just given birth and as agreed , she'll be a stay home mum . But he just got fired from his job , thus sending their agreement into red alert zone . Taking up his father in law's offer , he uproots himself , wife and baby and starts work in a new age advertising company , only to meet up with his wife's ex . You'd come to expect the usual jokes about not fitting into a totally different corporate culture with its own idiosyncrasies , conflict with the parents , and the constant threat posed by the wife's ex Chip Sanders played by Jason Bateman , which I bet almost every male would want to kill given his attitude and back stabbing nature . It's classic office politics at work as we root for the survival of Zach's Tom Reilly , though at times you'd expect him to have a little more backbone , and a little bit of smarts to survive the jungle out there . If that sounds a little like Meet The Parents , it does . And it also is styled after Just Friends in the rivalry department , where two guys do battle over a girl , only that this time , it's the third party up against a married couple . Though I'd say it again , nothing beats riling you up when you see how the bastard at work gets away with almost everything , and get incensed with his obvious intentions to bang his ex , i . e . the wife . The flow of the movie did seem a little broken at times , which I suspect that there were a lot more filmed than was put on screen , perhaps saving them for the DVD release . The ideas injected into the movie were numerous , but that made for the narrative feeling a little scattered . For instance , Amanda Peet as the wife Sofia Kowalski didn't really have much to do except nurse the baby , and be in some of the most trying comedic scenes such as the ones involving yoga . Fans of Braff will not want to miss yet another familiar performance , and remember to stay tune during the credits for a coda , as well as various bloopers , some of which are genuinely funnier than the bits that made it to the movie .
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515,519 | 317,399 | 461,526 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : ( SIFF ) It's Only Talk
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This is a thoroughly depressing film , and I mean it in a good way , though weird that it might sound . Tackling the serious issue on manic depression , It's Only Talk manages to ring home the theme and resonate it within you . On the other hand , I didn't like the movie for its effect it had on me , as I certainly did not like the negativity feeling that permeated . The protagonist is a manic depressive 30-something female named Yuko ( Shinobu Terajima ) , who is an active participant of a manic depression online group , and milked it to come into contact with others suffering from the same illness . Strange people like the cinema sex-pervert and a Yakuza gangster . We also take a look at the relationships she established with her school friend who's suffering from erectile dysfunction , as well as her cousin , who has separated from his wife . And it is her relationship with the cousin Shoichi ( Etushi Toyokawa ) that takes up the bulk of the screen time . As Yuko's condition degenerates into severe mood swings with the lack of drugs to control her condition and suppress her emotions , we see the care that Shoichi takes upon himself , to nurse her back to health . During this period , we witness both characters growing in their love for each other , and the realization of brief happiness together . The film moves from the very lows of depressive feelings , to the ecstasy that their company brings . But what is true happiness ? And with depression comes the issue of the will to live . I appreciate the story for showing a different , subtle side of mental ( ? ) illness . That it doesn't take for it to surface explicitly , to show the world that you're suffering . You can be deeply unhappy inside , but on the surface , demonstrate that you're OK , and can actually be a pillar of strength to someone else . Different people have got different problems and issues to grapple with , but each must find their own solutions , just as we see the guys in Yuko's life having their difficulties , yet trudging on to actually come face to face with those issues , even though at times I felt there were using Yuko for their selfish time-filler reasons . Filmed in the Kamada neighbourhood ( it seemed that the native Japanese folks amongst the audience didn't realize that it existed too ) of Tokyo , it has some of the most interesting visuals like the " green elephant " facade of a home , and a made-of-rubber-tyres Godzilla statue . Yuko , being unemployed , spends time exploring the road less travelled , taking pictures with her Sony DSC-W1 ( I'm speculating on the exact model , but I have the exact same camera , so . . . ) Based on the novel by Akiko Itoyama , It's Only Talk highlights the illness of manic depression , but also suggests ways to care for the sufferer through tender loving care , that they too will be able to lead a normal life . Actually everyone does thrive upon TLC given by loved ones . It's positivity that is required , though the narrative ended quite negatively . I was surprised that the director Ryuichi Hiroki was in attendance , and conducted a brief Q & A session after the movie through a translator . And I shamelessly got an autograph too : - )
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514,455 | 317,399 | 995,739 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Invisible Target
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There's nothing invisible about the target in Benny Chan's latest movie Invisible Target . And in actuality , it seems that the constant target for everyone in the movie here , be they the bad guys or the good cops , are the plenty of glass lying around , getting smashed into smithereens by hurled projectiles , or more frequently , human bodies . See that nice looking glass window ? It'll be smashed soon . Or that double panel glass facade ? Yup , as soon as you notice it , the next scene will show it in a million bits on the floor with a writhing body . It could be aptly titled Glass Target . But don't get me wrong . Invisible Target is still enjoyable , in that it brings to you the flavour of a typical Hong Kong action movie , with Benny Chan at the helm . As we slowly get nauseated by the frequent mole versus mole plots that Hong Kong crime thrillers formula usually adopted ( no thanks to the success of you know what ) , I thought Invisible Target was reminiscent about an old John Woo movie Hard Boiled , except that it's minus the guns , and instead you get plenty of fisticuffs . A similarly long drawn out ending was a little too tedious to sit through , though it had its fair share of big bangs and segmented action sequences which tried hard to hold your attention . Teahouses remain perfect locales for fights to break out ( as in Hard Boiled ) , and here , it serves as a male bonding moment for our three heroic cops Chan Chun ( Nicholas Tse ) , Fong Yik-wei ( Shawn Yue ) and Jaycee Chan's Wai King-ho . But in between the action , are the woefully painful monologues that the villain Tien Yeng - seng ( Wu Jing ) and his merry gang of 7 ( which includes Andy On as brother Yeng-yee ) dish out , trying to philosophize their actions as " I'm a villain so I kill " , and about justice-injustice in the world . Wu Jing again never failed to disappoint , as he has this charismatic aura around him which doesn't dissipate when he whups everyone's rear , hard ! We've seen what he can do in SPL , now watch him do that with double the speed and intensity , and on thrice the number of victims . If anything , Invisible Target is a Wu Jing movie , and one in which I'm not surprised if many actually throw their weight of support behind him . It's a movie that the villain outshines the heroes easily . With three distinct cops , Invisible Target actually spends a considerable amount of time introducing them one by one . Nicholas ' Chan is always brooding , and a reckless one in that he's mourning the loss of his fiancée . He's out to get Tien because she happened to be collateral damage . Shawn's Fong is arrogant , until he's made to eat lead ( in a scene you have to see to believe ) by Tien , and his bruised ego says he must take the villain down . And Jacycee's Wai is probably the wimpiest of the lot , being a by-the-books street cop who's investigating the disappearance of his brother ( do a double take on that cameo ! ) , who might have fallen into Tien's hands . It's no doubt too that all of them are skilled in martial arts , and at any time would prefer to holster their weapons . Nicholas and Shawn are no newcomers to action , having starred together in recent movies like Dragon Tiger Gate , and thank goodness they've ditched their long locks in that movie for contemporary shorter crop here . And while the two of them are relatively old hands in the industry , I can't help but wince each time Jaycee is on screen . For starters , he's the son of the legendary Jackie Chan , and in Invisible Target , I can't help picture it's a younger Jackie being beaten , battered and bruised . It didn't help that his character , the most naive and innocent of the lot , is in total contrast to the classic cop characters his father portrayed , and I surely think it was deliberate that he remains the least buff of the lot , with many goody-two-shoes scenes occasionally played out for comedy , or to reinforce that he's basically a cut above the rest of the good cops in terms of having a good natured character . Characters like his are hard to come by in an age where grittier cinematic cops roam the street . So while big brothers Nicholas and Shawn get some fantastical set action pieces to show off their mettle , Jaycee got the shorter end of the stick by being quite a deadweight at times . Oh , and what of Elanne Kwong's role ? Sadly there isn't too much for a pretty lass to do since her character Leung works in the Police Intelligence department , and doesn't get directly involved when the going gets tough . A typical flower vase role unfortunately , for a combined screen time of less than 5 minutes . Despite its reliance on hard hitting action dished out by the actors themselves , and in all purpose are as realistic as they look with the obvious wire work seen in the trailers drastically reduced , a few noticeable continuity errors marred the enjoyment of the movie at times . Invisible Target had all the ingredients for a classic action movie , but the run time of more than 2 hours was due to an overindulgence with the slower moments which were fused with a couple of " I'm a cop " moments , and feel good messages rammed down your throat . And what do you know , Invisible Target still can't shake off the mole versus mole type plot line , unfortunately . If it could have been a little more compact , and gotten to the point faster than it did , it would have been a tad more enjoyable , given the wealth of cameo / supporting talent at its disposal , like Sam Lee ( Dog Bite Dog ) and the evergreen Lam Suet , rather than feel the need to tie up all the loose subplots it introduced , and exposing some technical loopholes in some action sequences .
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514,938 | 317,399 | 486,480 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Silk
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Two reasons why I watched this . First , I've been recommended this film by a friend . Secondly , it starred Barbie Hsu - with a name like that , why shouldn't I want to watch this ? OK , so I know she starred in the Taiwanese pop-drama television series Meteor Garden , and am just curious to see her in yet another horror movie . And since I'm in post-birthday celebrations , I also learnt she's a day older than me . OK , so I'm digressing . Silk is a horror movie , and quite a decent one at that . Although it uses the all too familiar ghostly boy character , this boy , unlike recent predecessor seen in Dorm , is very much creepier and deadlier . He's the star ghoul , and exhibits a strange behavioural pattern of staying in a particular room and speaking to himself , or so it is thought . A team of modern day paranormal investigators cum scientists , led by Japanese Hashimoto ( Yosuke Eguchi ) , recruits a police hotshot with special powers of lip reading , sharp shooting , and that peculiar sixth sense , Ye Qi-Dong ( Chang Chen ) , to unravel the mystery of the boy . However , Hashimoto has an ulterior motive into his research , which has spawned an anti - gravity device called the Menger Sponge , that can be used to entrap spirits , and in liquid spray form , allows the user to see the paranormal . The movie relies on some hokey physics theories to bring across some ideas and its premise . It tries to explain the phenomenon of spirits and ghosts and how they come about , using some scientific explanation that they are forms of energy . Watch this movie to see if you agree to the conditions presented to turn someone into a spirit that roams the earth , rather than to dissipate into nothingness upon death . But don't get me wrong , it does make for some interesting story development ( hey it's fiction / science fiction anyway ) . At its core , this movie dwells on themes of existence , family , and again the human emotions of love and hate . I thought Chang Chen did well in the role of the officer who , despite his super abilities , still find it difficult to grapple with new inexplicable experiences , and at the same time , the critical illness of his beloved mother , and trying to maintain a relationship of sorts . The rest of the cast did OK , but in my opinion , noted more for their eye candy presence . There are truly genuine scary moments in this movie , which was seriously lacking in recent horror releases . Although most are much ado about nothing , or relied on the usual tricks up the horror sleeve with smart manipulation of editing and music , it did provide what I thought was an explanation on how offerings to spirits are possibly handled , through the use of well placed and polished special effects . In summary , what works for Silk is its semblance of a decent story , and the ending which was satisfactory , given its at times hilarious build up during the tense final ( what's up with all these Ringu homages , made plain ridiculous and full of cheese ) and unexpected twist of a logical flaw . It's also touching and sad at times , and for those who are of softer hearts , it might bring about some tears . Do take note though , with its PG rating locally , much of the gore were censored out , in really ugly means . Very jarring to the entire flow of the movie .
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515,075 | 317,399 | 344,766 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : 15
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15 gained its film notoriety locally for its content , about the lives and angst of teenage delinquents in Singapore . However , after watching this film , one might think a little deeper about the trials and tribulations that these teenagers face , from the angle that director Royston Tan presents . The opening credits was stylishly done , and this is very surprising actually , for a local film . The feel of the movie was like a series of short snippets of set pieces , be it gang fights , body piercing , the etching of a tattoo on one's body , body mutilations , the swallowing of condom filled Ecstasy pills , etc . And stringing it all together were manga inspired transitions done Japanese documentary style of huge words smacked across the screen . While these stylistic techniques drew attention to themselves , the main leads were also infamously rumoured to be in similar dire straits as the characters . The street wise teenagers actually looked sincere in their acting ( or were they ? ) and it's a wonder how Royston managed to coax them into starring in his movie . The plot , as mentioned , consists of short stories which fell into 3 acts . The first , being the brotherhood between 2 friends who ponder the meaning of their aimless lives . They know that they are condemned in the eyes of society , and find solace in the company of themselves . The second act was a bit comical , as 2 friends helped an ex-enemy to look for a building to commit suicide in . And the last act continued with examining the lives and friendship between the same 2 friends . Sure , peppered throughout the dialogue are constant swearing , smoking , drug-taking , porn watching , lip piercing ( which irked the audience ) , hokkien song singing , but there's a limit to how much these novelties can disguise a lack of focus in certain parts of the story , especially towards the end . I felt the strength of this film was in the first act , where you could actually feel the desperation and crying out for direction in life , and eventually the succumbing to the belief of what Fate has dealt them . Nonetheless , for its stark and pointed commentary , this is certainly a departure from the usual stories that one might associate teenagers with . It's gritty , dark , melancholic to the point of despair , this is a glimpse into the troubled lives of the local misguided youth .
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514,398 | 317,399 | 1,373,120 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Breathless
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Unfortunately some technical issues marred the supposedly powerful introduction where violence get unleashed by all characters on screen both physically and verbally . Clearly played from a DVD screener with the " Showbox " watermark , the audio was left silent for the good part of some verbal barrage , which to the prudish might seem like music to their ears . If there's one thing I learnt / have reinforced after the movie , is how ubiquitous the Korean swear word which sounds phonetically like " shee-bal " can actually be . It's more versatile than the English language's F-word , and the Korean one can be used to describe a whole host of bodily parts both male and female , with colourful adjectives strung together as well . Either that , or the person subtitling the show has some really colourful imagination to tag some appropriate swear words of his / her own liking , in order to spice up the dialogue for non-Korean speaking audiences . Breathless is almost like a one-man effort , with Yang Ik-June wearing a number of hats in producing , writing , directing and starring in the lead role of Song-hoon , a violent gangster who doesn't have to think twice when deciding to lay hands on his victims , and insulting them concurrently with his foul mouth . He's a debt collector in a small outfit which he co-founded , but finds more pleasure in being a field agent , bringing along underlings whom he can abuse as well , and show the ropes to , in teaching the essence of collecting money , and to show no mercy to those who cannot pay up . Most of the violence happen off screen , though the aftermath is seldom shielded in order to elicit a response from the audience . It actually makes for a great 3D movie with objects flying all around and at the screen , from furniture , to fists , and even spit , and I enjoyed the many unintentionally comedic moments that Ik-June effortlessly paints into his narrative despite the very negative elements of violence and language that pepper throughout , and almost every character was left tainted by dishing out , or be at the receiving end of bad signs or an uncouth mouth . I suppose the question here is , and the issue that Ik-June could have wanted to address , is that of violence , and domestic violence even , if a circumstances of a tragedy would lead to impressionistic youths turning to violence as a means of release and addressing their emotions . Or more directly , if being brought up in a violent environment would lead to the nurturing of violent tempers , given the lack of proper role models , and being unable to break out from the vicious circle as that painted in the film . Breathless may seem a little too long as it had attempted to give each character equal opportunity to shine , from the schoolgirl that Song-hoon befriends , to his boss , a young boy whom he takes as his own , and his mother , coupled with a protégé in the making . It's quite the complete story serving as a cautionary tale and a statement of the never-ending cycle , but would have benefited from tightening up the pace a little and could have gone under 2 hours . That said however , it did result in enough apathy given toward the characters here , given the anti-heroic stance they're all under , and you'll buy into its story of redemption toward the last act , and the fortification of the positive relationships that Song-hoon had , through his own violent ways , brought together .
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514,843 | 317,399 | 1,142,972 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Detroit Metal City
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And I felt the filmmakers nailed it squarely on the head with the casting of Ken'ichi Matsuyama , more famously known these days as the teen detective L from the Death Note series . In that film he had disappeared behind a stoic and serious demeanour behind a lithe frame , being quite fleet-footed while snacking on sweet food . Here , Ken'ichi again disappears and in more challenging terms , being on opposite sides of the spectrum from the meek to the flamboyant , and if you're not impressed by his L , his turns here would impress as being a consummate character actor capable of fleshing out characters very convincingly . If it's a chameleon actor you're looking for , look no further than Matsuyama . As Negishi , his mushroom cut hairstyle sported fits the character to a tee . A mild mannered sissy nerd , he shuffles his feet from his hometown village to the bright city of Tokyo in the hope of fulfilling his dream of being a trendy pop singer . You know , the one who belts out bubblegum pop tunes about first love and sweet kisses . He lives by the mantra of " No Music No Dream " , and inspires his fellow peers to do the same and seize the day . Just so to tell you he's still a straight character despite his effeminate ways , he's attracted to Aikawa ( Rosa Kato , who resembles a little like Aoi Miyazaki , who's starring in yet another similar music - based movie in Shonen Merikensack which I am looking forward to ) . Who wouldn't ? But an unexpected opportunity to join a band , he soon finds himself manipulated by his female boss ( Yasuko Matsuyuki ) into becoming the frontman for the heavy metal band Detroit Metal City ( DMC ) as Johannes Krauser , the long haired , pale skinned singer from the depths of hell who sings raged filled songs and preaches satanism , hate , anger , murder and rape . He garners a country-wide following filled with rabid groupies , and is more wildly successful as part of the engineered metal band , than trying to strike out on his own as a frivolous pop singer that's a dime a dozen . It's an excellent contrast of characters , but more so , an examination of self and the personas we adopt in different situations . It might even be a classic case of Schizophrenia for Negishi , because as Krauser , he's really good at what he does , and almost comes second nature as that sissy man who had found an avenue to unleash his pent up frustration and hit back at the whole world , and get adored for that as well . Cursing and swearing comes second nature , and he can get really confused at times if his interests got mixed ? romancing his lady love who abhors metal music , and satisfying his legion of fans with a public appearance . Unlike the Incredible Hulk within whom Bruce Banner disappears , it's interesting here because Negishi has full conscious control over Krauser , but allows himself to cut loose and live up to that masked persona even if it means having to embarrass the woman he loves . It's about striking a balance between living your dream , and being practical about it . As Krauser , he inspires others into living theirs , even though he doesn't exactly get to do the same . But only because he does what he does best , even though he doesn't exactly subscribe to it . He commands his unwavering fans for whom he inspires , though in some negative ways , but what better than to express one's rage through music and at the concert venues only rather than to hit back in society - we don't see any of the metal fans causing trouble , and the amount of clout one has in influencing his followers to live for the better . It's this realization and awakening that Negishi understands his calling in life , that he cannot live a life that's for selfish personal interest ( in throwing away Krauser just so he can pursue his love ) over that of the benefit for the masses and those who adore him . It's like a superhero story of sorts as well , where the hero disappears into his sanctuary by having an alter-ego within which he can operate normally without the pressures of expectations . We become somebody else very easily when we have ourselves hidden behind a costume incognito , and can carry out feats which we normally wouldn't do for fear of identity , repercussions and of course shame if something goes wrong . The white face makeup is Negishi's secret formula in transformation from geek to devil , without fear of his family discovering his secret ( he tells them he works at a floral shop ) and disappointed his parents that he's a preacher for hate , in direct contradiction to the gentlemanly ways he's brought up in . But of course like any other movie , this one is not perfect . There were a number of scenes that were played out purely for laughs , but sometimes fell flat on its face for its repetitive nature . Such as having his boss from hell come trash Negishi's pastel coloured apartment just so that she could awaken the devil in him permanently , and provide for some misunderstanding between Negishi and Aikawa . Or that inexplicable scene of running with his legion of fans for miles before reaching a concert venue . One could actually tell Ken'ichi Matsuyama was panting under that thick makeup and heavy costume . To no surprise , DMC attracted more female fans than the male ones in the screening I attended , despite having metal music blaring that degrades the female of the species , so that can only attest to the magnetism that Ken'ichi has over his fans . It isn't exactly about metal music , nor is it about the comedy here , but it's about self and the masks we all wear . For that , this comes definitely recommended in the dilemmas that we lead our lives under from time to time .
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515,530 | 317,399 | 430,105 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Four Brothers
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A kind old lady is murdered in cold blood one snowy night in a convenience store . It seemed like the usual stick up by racist hoodlums on the hard streets of Detriot , and that the lady was collateral damage . Four orphaned brothers of the hood are brought back together to mourn the loss of their foster mother . We see the Mercer brothers Bobby , Angel , Jeremiah and Jack , bond together as they try not to openly weep . But deep down inside , they know the police can't do much to help a covered-up investigation , and swear sweet revenge upon those involved in the killing . I was expecting loads of gun battles and intense action , but this movie surprised me with its witty moments instead . There weren't much wham-bang action , but the one which stood out was the ambush on the Mercer house , and the car chase sequence along frozen streets . The script was mildly intelligent with its weaving of the brothers ' dalliances with the hoodlums , contract killers , government officers , and with crooked cops , bringing them all together for an interesting finale . The last Mark Wahlberg movie I saw was The Italian Job remake , and here , Wahlberg reigns as he personifies the cocky hotheaded Bobby Mercer . Andre Benjamin seemed somewhat muted too , after his recent screen stint as a flamboyant and trigger-happy gangster in Be Cool . Perhaps it is his role as the family man which adds that extra dimension and difference between him and the rest of the brothers - he can't be as carefree or act with total disregard as he has people who depend on him . This film also makes no apologies in adding that bit of realism to its dialogue , with street language and cursing aplenty , with plenty of stereotypical characters . But all in all , it's an enjoyable flick , as we observe in silent glee , the four brothers exacting revenge with R & B music humming along in the background .
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515,202 | 317,399 | 923,923 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Happy Birthday ( Sun Yat Fai Lok )
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It's difficult to sit through this movie , at least for me . Identifying with certain elements brought back some memories that I try to keep at the back of my mind , and going into this movie with slight expectations of the storyline reminded me of what a friends once said , that I'm a sucker for punishment . And yes , this movie dragged a bit , and moves along in cruise control , until the final act where it sledgehammers emotions all the way to an expected cliché ending . But it is the emotions and thoughts of modern day relationships that makes this movie quite depressing . Based on a short story written by actress Rene Liu herself , and adapted for the big screen by renowned actress / director Sylvia Chang , Happy Birthday , stripped bear of its emotions , is actually a vanilla plain love story which is done ad nauseam . It is the little nuances of the things people do , or do not , that rings the story home . Rene plays Mi , a girl who wears a smile on her face , but deep inside hides this grave insecurity . Louis Koo , more famous last year for his Johnny To triad outings and possibly treading the same path in the upcoming Derek Yee movie Protégé , stars as Rene's lover Nam , a boy who seems to be commitment phobic , the stud to whom the chicks flock to . Put them both together , and with their obvious personality differences , you'll come to expect a very rocky road ahead . But isn't love all about taking that initial leap of faith ? Watching the two get together , then not , and then some , makes it frustrating . But I felt herein lies probably some realism , at least for me in my limited experiences , of two people trying to get together , yet prevented from doing do because of self doubt , or the lack of courage to admit your feelings . Walls get built up , and both decided to be better than best friends , because then , nobody will get heartbroken if things do not work out . What gives ? It's back to the games people play . I find it easy to identify surprisingly with both characters . The fear I can feel , and the folly of deciding to wait I've done , or perhaps still doing ? And in my defenses I've set out to tell myself never to experience the type of heart sinking moments Mi felt when she learnt of good tidings from Nam . There will always remain a sense of curiosity , of wanting to maintain contact with your ex , or wanting to find out a bit more , but it's my take ( some may disagree ) to cut off ties completely ( ok , so sometimes I waver ) , lest we hurt or become hurt . It's tempting to dispense with the advice of telling someone you love them in case it becomes too late , especially after watching the movie and agreeing that holding back is one of the worst ways of handling relationships , but it's always easier to say than to do . You might be tempted to go forth and say it , however it's real life , and reality doesn't last just 1 hour and 45 minutes . I'm probably two minds about it though , with the counter argument being if you don't , you might spend equal time reminiscing on regret . Rene Liu and Louis Koo look like the model couple , and it's pretty hard to know that the former , with her pixie looking facial features , is actually already 37 years old . And both leads actually belt out some tunes for the movie , albeit some deliberately off key . The look of the film takes on an incredible soft focus feel from start to end , and that , while romantic and dreamy during certain scenes , will take a bit of time to get used to . Veteran Richard Ng also stars in the movie , as Mi's dad , and the supporting cast of Bowie Tsang , Lawrence Chou , and a host of others helped to lift the movie from its gloom . Happy Birthday might not be everyone's cup of tea given the style of delivery of its standard - story-with-clichéd-ending , but I guess if you open up your heart to it , you might find it a tad more enjoyable , and somehow , if you're that sentimental fool who's been there and done that , you'll feel that tinge of regret inside you .
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514,416 | 317,399 | 402,022 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Aeon Flux
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For the uninitiated , Aeon Flux is based on the series of animated shorts from MTV . Set 400 years into the future , it tells of a surviving utopia of humans after a virus eradicated 99 % of the world's human population . The colony now live in a walled environment , under the leadership of the scientist who discovered the cure for the virus . But with any kind of leadership rule with some hinting of hanky-panky behind the scenes , there will always be that bunch of rebels ( like Star Wars , Matrix , etc ) ever ready to upset the status quo . Here , the Monicans ( as they are known ) are avenging those who have disappeared under mysterious circumstances , and like James Bond , have cool toys to accompany them on missions . Charlize Theron plays the Monican's top assassin known as Aeon Flux . And she is just about the best thing in the movie . Full of close ups on that pretty face , and long shots of those incredibly long limbs , Theron waltzes her way through the film with ease , given the character's sheer invulnerability and ability to subdue any opponent without breaking into sweat . She does a few wardrobe changes too ( drool ) , and her hair , now jet black , styled ever so beautifully at all times when she's kicking ass . The movie rehashes the usual sci-fi themes that have been beaten time and again , that of mortality , and the morality behind immortality . Probably I haven't watched the MTV shorts to understand more of Aeon Flux , but as a standalone movie , you sort of guessed its the usual " bad-to-clone-humans " storyline about one-third into the movie . By the time you're half way through , you would have guessed what's next on the agenda , and how it'll end . One sore point about Aeon Flux is the lack of a credible , strong villain . The baddies kinda lacked focus with its internal bitching , and double-crossing / switching sides so often , they make villains look so embarrassingly fickle minded about their cause . Most of the time though you'll only see lots of foot soldiers in ugly uniforms , dispatched like bowling pins . Also , I felt that the filmmakers sort of changed their minds about the ending - quite clear what had happened , and quite amazed at what happened thereafter ( Not wanting to spoil , just look out for a character ) . Given the film's length ( approx 90 minutes without end credits ) , very little is said about the abilities of the Monicans , except they make excellent assassins ( or at least Aeon is ) , with abilities that can be enhanced by changing some body ( spare ) parts . The cool thing that they have is the telepathy amongst the agents , as well as their Handler . Kiss goodbye to meeting rooms , where you can have ultra-cool meetings in your cerebral cortex instead . And that's where the special effects struck gold . Other than that , and the teleportation effects , for a movie set in the future , it looked relatively low-budgeted , if compared to contemporary sci-fi peers of recent times . One surprise I got was Pete Postlethwaite's appearance as the Keeper - I thought he looked quite funny in his costume , although his underused character played a pivotal role in the events that unfold . So except for hardcore Aeon fans , or admirers of Theron , this film could prove to be unappealing given its relatively weak sci-fi story as the backbone . Ooh , I must rave again , Theron looks absolutely gorgeous with her uber-chic hairdo and slinky black lycra .
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514,379 | 317,399 | 492,330 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Poltergay
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I'll have to admit that Poltergay is a lot of fun , for straight folks and gay folks alike . It's probably something that Kelvin Tong's Men in White could have been - smart , witty and with that level of cheekiness , without almost always falling flat on its jokes . If it could have been at least what Poltergay was , then it won't have to suffer the misery of a relatively poor box office , or DVDs that I think most people would stand around the shops to watch for free , rather than to purchase a copy for personal consumption . The plot for Poltergay is a no brainer . Married couple Marc ( Clovis Cornillac ) and Emma ( Julie Depardieu ) move into an old dilapidated house at a bargain price . While slowly converting it to livable conditions , it turns out that Marc begins to hear things ( extremely loud music at 0155hrs each time ) , before suddenly realizing there're 5 queer men living in his cellar . However , it seems that he's the only one who can see these fellas , and before you know it , he's branded mad , and runs into martial troubles because , well , it's a gay themed movie , so naturally , everyone around thinks that Marc is a closet gay , secretly fantasizing about men , and 5 of them no less ! What I liked about the movie is how it incorporated the gay moments into the story and the jokes quite seamlessly , and introduced perhaps in an extremely novel way , the rationale behind ghost-spotting . It certainly took the mickey out of a lot of things , and brought out some laughter in subtle , razor sharp manner . However it is not without its flaws , as the introduction was a tad too draggy , and I thought took about an hour before the pace and the comedy picks up , and suddenly , there was a big squeeze of plenty of smaller subplots into the last 30 minutes , including the resolution and finale . Essentially it boiled down to screwing up , wrecking havoc , before the ghouls decided to help Marc get back to this normal life again . And the ghouls were pretty hilarious in themselves , with their penchant for tight clothing , and their disco dancing ways to Boney M's Rasputin for instance , injecting a certain amount of retro disco energy when they get down to boogeying the night away . Their individual characters could not be any different from one another , with for instance , a closet heterosexual ( oh ! ) , a gay couple , one nursing a broken heart , and one who likes to replicate his male manhood at almost every conceivable object he can get his hands on . It didn't have to rely on crude toilet humour , nor plenty of slapstick moments to bring on the laughs . What it had was a refreshing take on the horror-comedy genre , with a twist of the queer for good measure . Like I mentioned , it's enjoyable fluff , good enough for those stressed out workdays where you need some light hearted relief to keep your sanity .
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515,058 | 317,399 | 73,654 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Sandakan No . 8
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Sandakan No . 8 is set in Borneo , East Malaysia in the 1970s , where a writer arrives in the hopes of doing research on the karayuki-san ( juvenile prostitute ) who thrive in the Japanese colonies in Southeast Asia in the early twentieth century . She finds her mark in aged Osaki , and like most documentarians , spend significant time trying to gain and win over trust using sincerity , and the audience have to bear with about a quarter of the movie dwelling on that building of the trust factor , before we can get transported back to the 1900s , following the life of Osaki as it gets recounted in a series of flashbacks . I suppose the nature of the subject of the Karayuki-san makes it both controversial and sensitive , and not something to be proud of . In fact , human trafficking to fuel the sex trade is nothing new ( and being made into movies such as My Name is Justine , or Lilya 4ever are nothing new too ) , but perhaps a shameful blip on the Japanese history to have done that to their own . Based on a non-fiction book by author Yamazaki Tomoko and an interview with a former Karayuki-san , you cannot help but see some parallels between some aspects of the story here , and that in Memoirs of a Geisha , though of course this movie came first since it was done in the 70s , and that one happened overseas , while the latter chronicles the life of a fictional geisha in Japan itself . A common thread would be that they all stemmed from a very pathetic family decision for survival , to have the young daughters sold away first as child labourers , before the passage of time makes them suitable to be pimped in order to repay quickly a lifetime of debt in which their families only get a fraction of . You can't help but be moved by Osaki's inability to better her lot , and you'll find yourself hard pressed not to be sympathetic towards her when she has to resign to her fate , being caught faraway from home , and doing things which are against her wishes . Then of course comes the cursory romance of her " true love " which naturally comes to naught , especially after performing some national service to visiting compatriots of the military . You'll feel for Osaki especially when she disregards good advice , and heads home to Japan only to be faced with discrimination from her own kin , the same ones whom she was sold away to help . The title referred to the brothel where Osaki was based in , with Sandakan being one of the towns in Borneo at the time , and the Japanese brothels were easily labelled from One to Ten . The film captures a snapshot of history of Borneo in the 70s , where the earlier Sandakan days seemed to have been recreated from man made sets . The movie might seem dated in its presentation and style , with little going on in the present day it is set with attempts to verify the facts that Osaki recounted , but the flashback scenes are nothing short of riveting even though the story might have already been told a couple of times in other forms . But in truth , the payload comes toward the end where the two lead characters finally connect at an emotional level , and at the very last scene , which was extremely poignant in its revelation .
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515,064 | 317,399 | 60,176 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Blowup
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Unfolding itself in about 24 hours , we follow Thomas ( Hemmings ) around in his Rolls Royce convertible , as he flits from frame to frame and scene to scene , playing up a prima-donna like attitude that we would like to generalize the skillfully famous into , jaded , and with attitude to boot . Young nubile girls throw themselves at him just to get favours and be photographed , and he couldn't care less about the perks of the job . We watch him in action , but for today's audience , I suppose I can't help but see some shades of Austin Powers in him as he directs waif like models to move according to his every wish . As he explains , he's jaded with photographing beautiful creatures , and dabbles in projects that bring out the not so flattering side of humankind . But nothing would have prepared him later in the day for what would seemingly be two lovers enjoying some quiet time in Greenwich park , where his voyeuristic tendency broke their tranquil quality time , and more . We do not know who the 2 lovers are , or if they are lovers to begin with . We do not know what happened immediately after , but we do know that the lady , played by Vanessa Redgrave , was extremely concerned over the photographs that Thomas took , and demands the negatives . And I though it was ironic that she mentioned about peace and privacy , concepts that in today's modern age would have gone out of the window , at least in London , which is widely recognized as the most photographed city with its unprecedented numbers of CCTV cameras in every nook and corner . And watching it in today's context , there was one scene I thought was like a reminder to oneself about stuff we call memorabilia . To those in the know , or share common interests , memorabilia have value that equates monetarily , to the amount that someone would think worthwhile to fork out in order to possess . People claw at one another to get their hands on stuff , and go absolutely crazy sometimes in order to possess . But outside of that occasional fanatical base , people don't really give two hoots about memorabilia , and it's as worthless as junk . Kind of put things in certain perspective , as I stare at my own memorabilia collection . There are plenty of such moments , of seemingly disparate scenes spliced together in a linear timeline as we follow Thomas in his not so typical day spiced up with a sense of mystery . It's like a snapshot of his life , or anyone's life , with the little things that stuff those 24 hours , like his dalliances with a married woman , his shopping at an antique shop , buying a propeller and later we learn of an ulterior motive of being there , his toying with bimbos , and the list goes on . I think for those interested in trying to decipher and dig to get more out of such scenes , Blowup beckons repeated viewings to try and further appreciate . But I suspect it would be doing what Thomas was doing . Staring hard at a spot , and thinking that something is worthwhile exploring a little further , blows it up / zooms into the details , and stare even more , while at the same time , taking a step backward , trying to reconnect the dots and put everything into perspective . I think some of the magic of the movie will be lost , if the story was told in today's age of digital technology . We won't experience the fascination of slow discovery , of skill and patience to get down into the details . Truth be told if remake today in today's world , it'll take no more than a minute with computer wizardry to zoom X-times to the details , and send it off to forums with experts who will analyze that photograph for you , before dispatching investigative teams to the said location armed with even more cameras and technology to put everything up online within the same period of time the movie unfolds . Obviously the charm which made the film work , will be lost . While the movie is set in the swinging 60s era , we don't really see much of it except for a few scenes where it goes full swing ( pardon the bad pun ) . One such scene was involving Peter Bowles as Ron , Thomas ' agent . I was reading an article by Bowles which was published by Guardian Film on 24 June 2005 , and reprinted in the Retrospective programme booklet ( which you must get your hands on for its sheer quality ! ) , was that a pivotal speech given by the Ron character , was left out and not filmed . It included what Bowles thought was a speech essential to the entire film and would have explained everything , which made perfect sense to Antonioni to not want to do it , therefore giving us what we have experienced today , something perplexing , and open to various interpretations . And yes , what about the famed and widely talked about mimed tennis game ? Played in silence and with plenty of imagination , I thought it was an introspective look at the film on the whole . For the most parts in the middle section , the dialogue stops , and that's when things start to get interesting , though providing absolutely no solution to the various thoughts and incidents played out , in a matter of fact manner . You'll probably have thoughts tangenting off one another about what the film would have meant , and sometimes too , these thoughts would have bounced off the boundaries of the game , and into the realms of questioning whether certain events actually happened or is a figment of imagination of an idle mind , looking for excitement to break monotony . He's more than operating alone in his discovery , and try as he may to share them with his agent , gets brushed aside , and nobody else sees what he saw anyway .
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515,386 | 317,399 | 443,701 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The X = Files : I Want to Believe
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It's not hard to imagine how time flies , when you realize that one of your best loved television series of all time had already ended its run , and you reminisce the times back when one of your weekend nights revolved around sitting in a bunk with your army mates , all glued to what Chris Carter had conjured as adventures for the two best known goggle box FBI agents , Fox Mulder ( David Duchovny ) and Dana Scully ( Gillian Anderson ) . While we always needed to crank up the volume to try and make sense of the murmurs involving shadow governments and secret conspiracies , our favourite episodes almost unanimously were those one-off ones , so called the " monster " episodes . And it's been 6 years since The End , and 10 years since the first X-Files movie hit the screen . While that movie was intricately linked to the major conspiracy thread , this movie , as the trailer led us to believe , was a one-off monster episode , or so I thought . While it's indeed a one-off episode , it's no monster of an episode in the mould of those in the television series , though it really felt like an extended , stand alone episode which gave us a slightly more in depth look at the dynamics of our beloved duo , especially what happened to them in the last few years they went off the FBI radar . But as the saying goes , you can't put a good man , and a lady , down for too long . This is a story about obsession . As we all know , Mulder's obsessed with everything X - classifiable , and in the years of absence , here comes an opportunity for a breath of fresh air when Agent Dakota Whitney ( Amanda Peet ) comes knocking to seek his expertise , as the FBI now has a case on their hands and a psychic , convicted pedophile of a Catholic Father Joseph Crissman ( Billy Connolly ) who volunteers key information to help in that case . The FBI isn't sure if Father Crissman is a liar , or worse , connected to the crime , and hence Mulder's help is to be their lie-detector . Naturally with religion and her usual cynicism in the mix , Scully is disgusted by the sheer presence of the religious felon , and thus set the stage for some conflict with her beau . Like an old , quarreling couple who can't seem to give way to each other , their philosophies clash as their interests - Scully battling the hospital system to save her young chronically ill patient - differ , and threaten to pull the couple apart . He thinks that she's not being supportive of his venturing into an X-case even though they're now civilians , while she thinks he's latching onto Father Crissman to use his prowess , if proved true , to find Samantha Fox . Which I thought would probably make an excellent sub plot , but alas the potential was dangled like a carrot in front of us , and then went totally off tangent . Don't expect any big sets or intricate subplots here , as it really looked like it's done on a shoestring budget , with the look and feel of a typical classic television episode , a two-parter in fact . There are strange aberrations of course , but all these go unexplained , and you know they're just going to be glossed over since everything will be wrapped up by the time the end credits roll . However , there are adequate moments to keep you at the edge of your seat , and some developments do enough to leave your mouth gaping wide open , especially those involving extreme medicine . David Duchovny does look more comfortable reprising his role as Mulder , but Gillian Anderson , as interviews have revealed , required a lot more time trying to get back into character , and this uneasiness unfortunately shows on screen . The chemistry's still not lacking , but given that their respective characters have aged and grown more comfortable with one another , gone are the tensions between them , though the problems that surface here did try to rekindle some of the opposition they felt during the course of their long running series . Chris Carter and X-Files regular scribe Frank Spotnitz did incorporate a nice surprise in the movie , so do keep your eyes peeled as you will silently cheer when it happens . But I thought what was a ghastly way to bid farewell , was the little coda toward the end of the credit roll , which somewhat signals the finale of everything , though in a very out of place manner . Anyhow , this X-Files movie episode isn't going to win any new fans over , but for X-philes , I'd bet we're probably just satisfied already with our heroes appearing in celluloid one more time , that no matter how wafer thin the plot is , it's not going to dampen our collective fan spirit . And to thank our lucky stars that Mark Snow's iconic theme song , didn't get played in the movie under the horrific techno rendition .
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515,039 | 317,399 | 1,020,530 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Eden Lake
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When outnumbered , move away . Split . Run . That's the golden rule when confronted by a gang of hooligans , or in the first place , not to kick start any interaction for that matter . Not that one's a coward , but the consequences and the hassle thereafter are never worth it . Swallow that pride and move away , because there's absolutely no shame in doing so . But I guess should one decide to take some action , to never take them on as a group , because crazed peer pressure to belong gives some intense mental strength that clouts morals . Unity is strength , and taking them on individually presents a much better chance at survival . Eden Lake refers to an idyllic scenic though unused quarry area that Steve ( Michael Fassbender ) brings his girlfriend Jenny ( Kelly Reilly ) to , in the hope that during their undisturbed stay away from the hustle and bustle , he can pop the question on bended knee and diamond ring . Things don't go according to plan because of a group of local ruffians who disturb their serene environment , and blame should go to the couple as well for unnecessarily stirring up the hornet's nest . Like The Strangers , the couple is ( deliberately by their own choosing ) alone and kept isolated from the outside world by their perpetrators . For something that should be a romantic outing , it degenerated quickly into petty tit-for-tat action-reaction , before going down the slippery slope into the chasm of what nightmares are made of . The couple is left to fend for themselves , and this is where it goes into some squeamish territory that's not for the faint - hearted . However , it's not like the usual Hollywood run of the mill horror flick , where the gorier it is the better . It's a nice departure thanks to writer-director James Watkins in not going over the top and pile on the gratuitous moments of blood and gore , but to build it up slowly for best results and impact . Sure there's plenty of violence , but the true horror here actually lies in the fact that these heinous crimes are conducted by teens who cannot comprehend the severity of their actions , and worse , the power of peer pressure in compromising any human decency left in them . It takes a sick mind too to be able to order the filming of their act as a form of collateral to keep everyone's mouths shut . It also points to the lack of quality parental upbringing , though it generally made a sweeping statement that rubbish parents give rise to rubbish offspring , given it's in their genes . But alas most of us are for the horror elements and not moral lessons , and like most horror flicks , the characters here do make the wrong moves so much so that you'd like to ask if they too are aware of the obvious common sense pitfalls - Watkins story does lapse into the occasional cliché moment and some none too subtle development dealing with trust . Unfortunately this film was censored at one point , though I believe it wasn't anything substantial to the entire plot . It's a cautionary tale and a perfect reminder to hot headed folks out there that one should never take on odds against your favour , especially when outnumbered , to avoid secluded places , and to know when to cut your losses and make a run for it !
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515,486 | 317,399 | 473,360 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Goal II : Living the Dream
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Living the Dream ? More like Living the Nightmare ! The first Goal movie brought plenty of cheers to football fans , who celebrated the coming of a decent movie about the beloved Beautiful Game . And it didn't disappoint , with a likable hero in Santiago Munez ( Kuno Becker ) in a rags to riches story , nifty footwork and camera-work , locales familiar to English Premier League fans , the seamless combination of real world match footage with fictional shots taken on match days , and access to seldom seen areas in and around the stadiums . The story of Santiago continues in this UK-Spain-Germany production , with the stage moving from England to Spain ( and to Germany of course for the World Cup ) . With the first movie centered on the domestic football league following Newcastle's season , the sequel brings us to the Spanish La Liga , and firmly the spotlight of matches put on Europe's Champions League games . It's a no-brainer that German involvement will be of course the World Cup which just ended last year , and given that this sequel is delayed , you'd still get to see Real Madrid's ex-galacticos like Roberto Carlos , Zinedine Zidane , David Beckham and Ronaldo , besides mainstayers like Iker Caillas and Raul Gonzalez , amongst others ( see if you can spot McManaman ! ) In a player swap deal with Michael Owen , we see Munez head to Real Madrid , in probably almost every footballer's dream to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world . And of course with hard nosed coach Rudi Van Der Merwe ( Rutger Hauer ) at the helm , our new recruit has to prove his worth before being handed some first team duties . But good friend and ex-Newcastle player Gavin Harris ( Alessandro Nivola ) is on hand at the club ( reference the first movie shall we ) to provide Munez some action , especially when Harris is running afoul with Rudi for his lost form . The football sequences here are rather straightforward , and more of the same we saw in the first movie , save for some spectacular , probably CG-ed movies like the volleys , overhead kicks and diving headers . The number of matches being featured too is much less , as the story wanted to focus on our player's life outside of football . You know , by putting all the press reports that you read day in day out of boozing , incessant partying , easy models who don't bat an eyelid looking to get between the sheets with the players , flashy sports cars , designer togs , mansions with numerous rooms , and the likes . Munez lives the dream in material wealth , although this starts to get into his head and takes a toil with his relationships , especially with girlfriend Roz ( Anna Friel ) . There are numerous subplots put into Goal 2 , but most times they are superficially touched upon for the sole purpose of covering the ground , and then forgotten conveniently , like the paparazzi photo - journalist , and various incidents on and off the pitch . What I thought slowed the movie down further , was the injection of Munez's typical stepbrother brat from hell , and mother , who were conspicuously absent in the first movie , then reintroduced here just to amplify the moments that try to touch the heart ( like in the first movie with the dad and grandmother ) , but one without which I feel would not make much of a difference . Couple this family reunion-reconciliation of sorts , together with his struggles with injury and attempts to shake off the " super-sub " tag , Munez has his hands full . While the other real life players do not have much speaking lines ( or none at all ) , you can't help but to feel both Kuno Becker and Alessandro Nivola being fish out of water in the Real Madrid dressing room , where either the charismatic players will undoubtedly get the audience attention with their antics or camaraderie which shines through , or clever editing and cinematography tells you that shots have been made with the clear exclusion of those players in some movie magic moments . The movie too seemed to like David Beckham , given plenty of scenes , befitting probably of his real last hurrah at the club before leaving them this summer . And for Arsenal fans like myself , while it's a blast to see the team featured in this movie , and the likes of Jose Antonio Reyes ( who incidentally played for Real Madrid few weeks ago and created then scored 2 crucial goals in their final league game to hand them the La Liga title ) , Robert Pires and a fictional TJ featured alongside our Captain Thierry Henry ( don't leave ! ) , the result is blasphemous as the last time we went head-on with Real , it was in the first knockout round 2 seasons ago where we triumphed 1-0 . So the scoreline at the end , well , it's actually living in the dream . Given that the ending is one of the technical worst that can happen , leading straight to the third installment , let's hope that the concluding chapter really does see the light of day . Not as polished as the first one with the novelty factor wearing off , but let's judge the series as a whole once the sequel screens . Excellent soundtrack once again , coupled with the usual product placement shots for Adidas .
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514,402 | 317,399 | 402,049 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Yoshino's Barber Shop
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In the village of Kaminoe , it's idyllic , quiet , everything looks quite normal . Except when you realize a quirky trait amongst the little boys - all of them are sporting this bowled hairstyle ! And I mean ALL the boys ! At first it looks quite cute , and the movie too , until suddenly , you start to question if this is something taken to the extreme . With the arrival of a new kid from the outside , sporting totally hip , dyed hair , herein lies the perfect catalyst for impending change , or is it ? On the surface , it may look like a children's story , with the group of boys befriending this new kid , and having a sort of peer effect on him to get his hairstyle changed to fit in , of course much to his reluctance . On the other hand , this individual's appearance in town made the boys rethink their norms of maintaining their hairstyles , no thanks to one of their moms , the matronly looking Yoshiko ( Masako Motai ) , whose barber shop dishes out the standard hairstyle for all the boys in the village . But like a recent Chinese movie Little Red Flowers , Yoshino's Barber Shop works at a deeper level as well . While children and folks not wishing to use their noodle can still enjoy the saccharine sweet storyline , episodes and admire the cinematography , those who wish to delve just a little bit deeper , will find a social commentary from writer-director Naoko Ogigami , on traditions and customs that we hold on too , despite their irrelevance in today's society . When questioned and challenged , those who hold these traditions dear , will nonetheless find it preposterous for someone else , especially from the younger generation , to question those customs . Sometimes when things are done in rote , or for the sake of doing , the rationales behind the festivals and tradition , will be lost in the hullabaloo of celebrations . At times the movie did feel a bit slow moving , but it provided the space for additional , deeper thoughts . The finale was complete with wicked , dark humour , but it addressed the desires of youth quite aptly , with their wanting to be cool , and innate streak of rebellion inside to always want to challenge the norms , as that equates to being cool . If you enjoy movies with kids playing the leads , then Yoshino's Barber Shop will rank up there with Little Red Flowers , in tackling similar adult themes in what seems to be a made for children's movie .
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514,486 | 317,399 | 443,680 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
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The long title of 10 words strike you initially , and besides having a mouthful of a title , the duration too is at a whopping 160 minutes , of which I can humbly suggest to trim it down to a more manageable 120 minutes . Based on the novel by Ron Hansen , the narrated parts which provided much of the needed background on Jesse Jame coupled with key timelines , were somehow more enjoyable than the rest of the movie itself . For some reason , the voice-over , repetitive ( like a one-trick pony , though beautifully haunting ) score and soft visual focus provided it with some form of documentary styled legitimacy , only to be hampered by the more clunky delivery on some of the more dramatic aspects . This is not to say that the actors were below par in their fleshing of the characters , but you can sense a deep attempt in trying to emulate styles like Terence Mallick's , in crafting a movie which lingered with still visuals , silence , with unquestionably wonderful cinematography . Our notion of Jesse James is probably one of an outlaw of the wild west who's quick on the draw as well as being a notorious robber / killer molded into the Robin Hood reputation . There are plenty of different interpretations of Jesse James , but none comes so interesting or as intense as Brad Pitt's . Through his confident swagger and suspicious demeanour , here's a man who precedes his reputation , who is clear as crystal in knowing what's he doing , and what the risks are , but nonetheless human prone to err after all . However , the film's focus was presumably put more on Robert Ford ( Casey Affleck ) , the wide eyed recruit who joins Jesse's gang , and that became a dream come true as it presents an opportunity to work with his idol . And his idolization becomes a strange obsession , as he draws physical parallels between Jesse and himself , that makes even Jesse himself edgy and uncomfortable , even questioning at one point if Robert just wants to be like him , or be him . Hence sparks the crazed suspicion and like the adage says , it's better to keep friends close , and your enemies closer . I thought Sam Rockwell stole the show from both Casey Affleck and Brad Pitt in his portrayal of Charley Ford , which reminds me of a Chinese adage of pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger . His Charley is clearly no simpleton , but his depiction of being one probably led to his being able to survive for a long while , when Jesse slowly dispatches the others . But what took the cake , was his spot on impersonation of not only Brad Pitt , but of Pitt's portrayal of Jesse James as well , in a scene so short , but nonetheless quite pivotal leading to the final moments of the movie . There are a few points you must note about the movie . I felt that the full house audience didn't really know what to expect , thinking that it's Pitt on screen , and his presence actually drew in the crowds . And while everyone's waiting for the title incident to happen , they discovered that they're waiting too long . Bear in mind the film runs more than 2 . 5 hours , and you have to be incredibly patient to get there . I felt a little sorry for the masses who walked out , especially those who did so just before the turn of events , and thereon the pace actually quickened , though covering nothing more than what you can read from encyclopedias under 5 minutes . Those expecting big shoot-em-outs and action sequences like 3 : 10 to Yuma will also be disappointed , as the action here is never stylized , just presented as a matter of fact for cowboys in that era . Gun fights , if you can call them that , are so extremely ordinary , you'll find yourself more amazed by the intricate weapon design , and the plenty of gunpowder used which explains the plumes of smoke , coupled with the primitive , unsophisticated basic revolver that affects accuracy . Instead , what this movie is , is a well crafted and very measured piece of drama that tells the tale of a legendary outlaw , and his heinous betrayal .
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514,752 | 317,399 | 1,312,156 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Look for a Star
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You know Valentine's Day is just around the corner when the screens begin to fill with movies designed specifically to commemorate the day . You got to salute the filmmakers of Look For A Star for keeping faith with a formula that doesn't seem to tire , and I guess it has legs to travel especially when you have the charismatic and still youthful looking Andy Lau ( he doesn't look like he's pushing 50 ) romancing Shu Qi in a rather fantasy like premise , and still keep it rather appealing because love is in the air . The obscenely rich man falling for the poor girl isn't anything new to begin with , just one of the many combinations to have your lead protagonists background set for an opposites attract . Like what Hollywood had with Pretty Woman , and what Bollywood recently had in Ghajini starring Aamir Khan . In fact , the love story here does have parallels with the latter , since the rich man , through a series of assumptions , managed to hide his identity from his lady love , one of the reasons being it makes perfect sense to test if that somebody falls for you because of who you are , and not the size of your bank account . So Andy Lau plays Sam Ching , a billionaire developer with his sights firmly set with projects in Macau , one of which happens to be the MGM Grand . While wondering the casino tables , he chances upon Shu Qi's Milan , a sassy ( what else ? ) cabaret dancer cum part-time dealer at the baccarat table , who catches his eye because she seems to dispense good advice to gamblers to avoid borrowing or even gambling , which means lesser profits for the company of course . For her , it's the assumption that he's one of the many poor souls who chain themselves to the gambling table , and helps out the complete stranger by sending him to the pier in order to leave Macau . Directed by Andew Lau , better know for many a crime thriller flick and who last helmed a romance flick Sausalito some 9 years ago , this story would have sagged a bit if not for its intelligent fusing of 2 more sets of lovers . Cindy Tang and James Yuen's story had attempted to be an ensemble off love stories of sorts , and having 3 here is more than a handful to handle , which was pulled off quite effortlessly by Andrew Lau . It's a romantic movie with the central one being that of Sam and Milan , and the other two stemmed from Sam's trusted assistants , company secretary Jo ( Denise Ho ) and personal chauffeur Tim ( Lam Ka Wah ) . While Sam Ching the character may pass off as rather hard to read initially , when together with Tim and Jo the trio share the same problem in their love life , which generalizes that the busy and the well to do , have some vastly different concerns when thinking of getting hitched . In fact , this would have alienated the average joe folks in the audience I felt , if not for all their heartfelt performances . Denise Ho brought out some vivid alpha-female tendencies while being pursued by a lowly maintenance guy Lin Jiu ( Zhang Hanyu ) , in an arc which I thought was the most touching of the lot , while Tim's dalliances with a divorced woman ( Shannon Fok ) whom he met on a blind date set up by Sam , happened to be the most clichéd and given the shortest screen time . It's an examination into how love can transcend status only if you allow it to , without giving two hoots about what others want to think and read into things , and the set romantic pieces being smartly engineered to well the heart and the eyes with tears at the appropriate moments . Such opportunities get exploited when Sam's status gets revealed , which turns the movie into a more interesting direction . However , the only jarring bit , which you can experience from the audience's very audible quizzing , was why the need to introduce the dominating mom and ex-wives complication , which doesn't exactly get addressed properly , throwing up more questions about the character of Sam , and at certain moments do confirm his rather chauvinistic ways . Macau itself is a beautiful backdrop for a romantic film , and having been there , I'd dare say this film captured the nice looking side of it , especially with the plenty of postcard perfect pictures of having the brightly lit casinos like the MGM Grand , Venetian , Wynn's and the unmistakably prominent Lisboa peppering the landscape . The Macau Tourism Board should be pleased with his effort . And also pleasing to Hong Kong cinephiles would be the long - time-no-see appearances of Maria Cordero , David Chiang , Rebecca Pan and George Lam taking on supporting roles here . It's one of those feel good romantic movie that doesn't do no wrong , and clocking in at almost two hours , I felt that the last act involving the game show , was something that came out of fantasy , which on one hand would seem rather implausible , but on the other necessary in order to swiftly wrap up all the loose threads in one fell swoop . As it turned out it's rather enjoyable , and should make for a perfect date movie with that special someone of yours . Just remember to bring along some tissues too .
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514,890 | 317,399 | 473,356 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The Flock
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Hong Kong directors crossing over to Hollywood to make movies is nothing new , with the temporary exodus of the likes of Tsui Hark , John Woo , Ringo Lam in the 90s . From their collective output , only a few movies ( or may I say just one ? ) made an impact at the box office . The Andrew Lau and Alan Mak partnership has been a tour de force in recent HK cinematic history , especially with their now famous Infernal Affairs trilogy which was remade into Martin Scorsese's The Departed , so it's no surprise when Hollywood comes knocking on the door . But without fellow collaborator Mak , who usually has script / story duties , how did Lau fare with writers Hans Bauer and Craig Mitchell ? It's like the X-Files without the X , in the way the story is crafted , the characters and the parallels drawn with the Chris Carter series . Richard Gere and Claire Danes pair up ala David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson , only that they don't belong to any federal investigative agency who bear arms , but are employees of Protective Services , who's chief role is to ensure that sexual predators who belong to their jurisdiction , are kept safe from society when they are released from having served time . Hence they are the shepherds tending to their flock , only that their flock suffer from sick sexual perversion with the propensity for violence . The parallels in characterization are so blatantly obvious , that it's just a cosmetic touch up on the outside . Like Fox Mulder , Gere's Erroll Babbage is a strange , lonely man , consumed by his obsession in his quest to doggedly harass his flock to tote the line . Pained by a failed attempt to rescue a missing child , just like how Mulder pines for his missing sister , Babbage is shunned by colleagues and given the marching orders disguised as a retirement plan . He has deep disgust for the people he's monitoring , sick of their crimes and what they stand for , that he has no qualms in using unorthodox methods , short of flying off the handle while dishing out illegal , preemptive punishment . At the same time , he too has strong urges that he has to fight against , in order not to cross the line into becoming like those he loathes . As part of routine , he also scans newspapers and tabloids for clues and leads toward his objective , that of seeking closure , salvation for himself , and possessing a strong belief that the truth is still out there , and he wants to believe . Danes ' Allison Lowry on the other hand , is the ingénue brought in to replace Babbage . But in the meantime while learning the ropes on the job for the next 18 days , she is required to spy on him , and to report his shenanigans , pretty much like what Dana Scully was tasked to do with Fox Mulder . As the disbeliever of pre-emptiveness and holding onto the notion that those discharged back to society have been cured of their temptations , she slowly starts to see what Babbage sees , and understands that it takes a whole lot more than being just a desk and administrative job if she truly wants to help people . And it is this discovery of the world of fetishes and deviant sexual practices , that we open all our eyes to , much like how 8mm starring Nicolas Cage brought snuff films into the spotlight . It's a decent investigative drama with the usual red herrings , and my , are they really good ones as it made you wonder quite often if your guesses are correct , and you soon find yourself firing from the hip as you get proved incorrect at alarming frequency , though I don't credit this to a tight narrative , but more from the sprawling number of characters ( watch out for Avril Lavigne's cameo ) and sub plots . The scene in the darkened ware / shophouse was akin to Se7en's David Mills and William Somerset when they raided John Doe's apartment and find plenty of bizarreness inside , though here , given the subject nature , it wasn't lingered upon much . Apparently , The Flock somehow decided that Enrique Chediak's cinematography was good enough , despite its very strange style of having no style , utilizing almost every trick in the book to try and recreate feelings of watching another Se7en , only that this was deeply steeped in tinges of brown , rather than the doom and gloom of black . It does take a little while to get used to this , and I put this effect as one which actually distracts from what is happening in the story . Not a really good move though , with somewhat frequent repetition of scenes involving flashbacks . But The Flock still makes decent entertainment , though X-philes out there would probably find it hard not to picture their favourite actors in the lead roles , given so much similarities in character . Gere and Danes do put forth some chemistry as the old fogey ( heh ) and his protégé , and while it's not exactly great , Andrew Lau did manage to pull off something enjoyable .
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514,650 | 317,399 | 1,091,229 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Chandni Chowk to China
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You can't deny the mystic appeal that Kung Fu films have on the masses . Not only has Hollywood managed to finally get the essence so succinctly and successfully infused it into the animated film Kung Fu Panda , and taking on one of China's icon as its own , India too has shown that it's no pushover now in combining its Bollywood " masala " formula with the martial arts genre , and does so too by snagging the iconic Gordon Liu as lead villain . It's been some time since Gordon Liu fought on screen , and one cannot forget the memorable 36th Chamber movies , amongst others in his filmography . Like Christopher Lee and Terence Stamp , I'm hoping that this sparks a comeback of sorts for the guy , because he still got what it takes to put young men to shame given his still buffed physique . As head villain Hojo , he's the typical gangster chief who's exploiting a group of villagers in plundering treasures of the land for sale to foreigners , earning good profits as well as dabbling in diamond smuggling , thanks to sidekick Meow Meow , played by Deepika Padukone . To those who oppose him , they're fatally dealt with the spinning bowler hat ! Deepika , like in her debut film Om Shanti Om , plays two roles here . Besides the villainous Meow Meow , the other role as Sakhi is a tele-media model who goes back to China in search of her roots , of paying respects to her family members presumed dead . Deepika carries her roles with aplomb , though between Sakhi and Meow Meow , I thought she would have more fun as the latter since she's given the chance to experiment with some wire-fu , and looks good in dishing out some martial arts moves , not to mention having a funkier wardrobe too . Small town cook to big time hero , that's Akshay Kumar's Sidhu , who's mistaken to be Liu Sheng , a fictional China folk hero and formidable warrior reincarnate . Given hope under false pretense by street-side fortune teller Chopstick ( Ranvir Shorey ) , he bids his guardian Dada ( Mithun Chakraborty ) farewell , before heading East to an incredible reception by the villagers who deem him the solution to their problems . Naturally he's in for some rude shock , disappointment and personal tragedy , before like all Kung Fu heroes , come bouncing back after some intense training . It has shades of Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle especially with the cartoony aspects , as well as elements that were a throwback to the genre in the 70s and 80s , with a montage segment featuring his training under a sifu ( Roger Yuan ) , as well as finding out one's destiny and true self . Akshay's no stranger to action , and his martial arts background also helped in making that credible comeback for , what else , revenge . Given the standard two-half format for a Bollywood film , he spots a bit of a paunch when his Sidhu's a little idiotic , before physically crafting his body into an Iron Man . Chandni Chowk to China has everything - romance , melodrama , kung fu , high tech and fantasy gadgets , even a potato that looks like a god . It's pretty entertaining as a fusion of sorts , though not as funny as I thought it would be ( that training montage is still the funniest of the lot ) . And thank goodness that some attention was paid to diction in the Chinese language ( you know how some films tend to screw it up ) when spouted by non - native speakers . Song and dance segments weren't really memorable , except for the theme song for Sidhu ( so far , every Akshay Kumar film I've seen him in , has a song for his character ) . But for fans of Gordon Liu , this is one film you'd definitely not want to miss . And I'll be keeping an eye out for that sequel too !
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514,987 | 317,399 | 924,129 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Crossing Over
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Like Crash , Fast Food Nation and Babel before it , Crossing Over consists of multiple story lines bound together by a common theme examined , sometimes with just a few characters straddling across the narrative threads to link them up explicitly . Writer-director Wayne Kramer examines the issues behind the illegal immigrant problem in USA who are either trying to lay low in avoiding the law , or trying their best to gain legal residency with each experiencing different challenges that lie ahead in their quest . And it's quite ambitious for Kramer to try and pull off no less than seven parallel threads in the film , which to a certain extent I felt was largely successful , despite some being almost peripheral if not for the presence of a recognized star . Anchored by Harrison Ford as Max Brogan , an Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) agent , the film weaves in and out of the different threads without feeling too forced , or the need for some compulsory and carefully designed moments to link the stories up intricately . Sometimes like the six degrees of separation , the film captures the fact that we don't have full details of that web of links , and it will feel very artificial if everyone knew everyone else , or if one event would impact severely on another . In any case , each of the story lines were engaging enough , some employing deep emotions to argue their case , while others even had to build to a crescendo of all out action , such as a supermarket shootout ( one of the nicely executed ones I've seen ) . There's an illegal Mexican woman ( a very short role by Alice Braga ) who begs Ford's Max to look after her young son in the care of unfriendly relatives , a Jewish musician ( Jim Sturgess ) who's waiting to qualify for residency and willing to do just anything to get there , his Australian girlfriend ( Alice Eve ) and Hollywood actress wannabe who had granted 2 months worth of on-demand sexual favours to an Immigration official ( Ray Liotta ) in exchange for a green card , whose wife ( Ashley Judd ) wants to adopt a child placed in a detention centre , who meets an Iranian girl ( Summer Bishil whose essay failed to condemn the terrorists of and gotten her and her family into hot soup . Then there's a Korean family who is waiting to be naturalized whose eldest son got involved with thugs ( ala Gran Torino rites of passage style ) , and another ICE agent ( Cliff Curtis ) whose family cannot stand their estranged sister whom they feel is a disgrace of their values , tradition and custom by adopting the lifestyle of Americans , yet strangely ironic as they too pursue to be American citizens . Phew , and all this with a little murder mystery thrown into the mix as well . It's about how one aspires to live in a country , yet uncompromising in one's position to adopt and adapt to the new environment . Which brings about some xenophobia , especially if one's too different from the rest , and things are made worst with the citizens unwilling to understand and lend assistance in assimilation to a new country and its idiosyncrasies . But what seemed to be a common theme here , is how power can be either used to do what's probably morally right , versus abusing it for personal gain . Given three of the lead characters here are law enforcement or in responsible positions in government agencies , it's easy to abuse privilege , and it's nothing new too , even in local context , where sexual favours get traded for leniency or the closing of an eye pertaining to illegal workers , or those here without the proper papers . And since the law is fixed ( and sometimes perverse by those who interpret it ) , and justice blind , I suppose there are times we may be compelled to lend a hand to a stranger out of nothing but on humanitarian grounds , in doing what's right and decent for a fellow human being . Crossing Over presents many of such situations and while it may be a mixed bag in its narrative , it certainly pushes the right buttons with its star-studded ensemble cast in making the audience think about , empathize with , and examine if the issues presented could have existed in the local context , with similar challenges in the treatment of those who are illegal immigrants .
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514,703 | 317,399 | 1,185,834 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Star Wars : The Clone Wars
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I guess in all fairness , the reviewer for a Star Wars movie should declare which side of the fence he's on , whether he thinks the Original Trilogy was the best thing since buttered toast and the Prequels were utter trash , or ambivalent to the fact that George Lucas is an expert at massaging the fat udders of cash cows , what with his special editions , tweaks and re-releases that continue to confound even his most loyal of fans . I belong to the latter , and for one am willing to give this movie a shot , even though the general crowd decide to give this a miss and wait for the DVD , since after all , this has its origins in being a pilot episode for an upcoming animated series . In a theatre of less than 10 persons on a Friday evening , the response to this film does not bode well , even though it had inputs from the Lucasfilm Animation Singapore studio , and a whole host of Asian creative talent in its credit roll . I thought as a movie it still entertained , but somehow something was missing , that elusive X-Factor of the Force that makes this a Star Wars movie . Perhaps it is the missing 20th Century Fox fanfare , given the change in distributor . One never misses the full regalia of the Fox logo unveiling itself , before the ubiquitous " A long time ago , in a galaxy far , far away " , and the Title coming up close on screen to John William's majestic opening score , and the unique scrolling text summarizing the prologue . What we got instead was to start things off with Starship Troopers styled ra-ra , and a narrator ( horrors ! ) taking over prologue duties . Those were some of my initial petty gripe , as I slowly came to terms with the notion that while this is a different direction the animated film is ( or films are ) taking , it still had George Lucas executive producing it , and under his watchful eyes , it is still canon . Yes , it finds itself a rightful place within the established mythos , and I guess with a title like Clone Wars , there can be revenue generating episodes and installments that can continue like , forever . Not to mention the numerous ideas for characters and objects to get thrown about , linking to the ka-chings of cash registers from Legos to collectible figurines . Story wise , it sits snugly in between Episodes 2 and 3 , though I'm not sure where the initial Clone War animated episodes will fall into , though likely before this movie . In efforts to save cost in getting the numerous stars back to voice their roles , we only get 3 characters in Mace Windu , C-3PO and Count Dooku voiced by the original actors in Samuel L . Jackson , Anthony Daniels and Christopher Lee . The rest got new voices playing them as best as they can , and frankly if you were to close your eyes , some of them came close , except perhaps for Matt Lanter who doesn't really sound as convincing as Hayden Christensen . The Clone Wars continue deep in the galaxy , and both Count Dooku and Lord Sidious continue the expansion of their plot to take over the universe . This time it involves the Hutt family , and the object of tussle happens to be Hutt's infant son , as both the Jedis and the Sith / Trade Federation engage in a chess battle to scheme and counter-scheme for Jabba's trust ( and deep stupidity and folly I might add ) in order to gain control of supply chain type of advantage in the Wars . While the plot is kept simple to follow , it still managed to weave some genuine tension into the scheme of things , even though we know that certain characters have god-like invulnerability ( due to their presence in Episode 3 ) , but we aren't too sure of the fate of new characters , such as Ahsoka Tano ( voiced by Ashley Eckstein ) , Anakin's new padawan learner . This time round it continues the focus on Anakin's development as Jedi Knight and now a master with a fledgling under his tutelage , so we see how one complements the other , even though both are equally as impetuous and reckless . Obi-wan Kenobi ( James Arnold Taylor ) takes a back seat , although the opening action sequence continue the good rapport between teacher and student , before things go downhill as we all know in Episode 3 . Some might complain about the lack of sophistication in the quality of animation , but I guess this is something that the character designers had decided upon . There's a permeating and general sense of doom and gloom in how the picture always has this dark shade overcast on it , as if to continue to forbade the bad fortune the Jedis are getting themselves into , oblivious to obvious traitors in their midst , and even though with each small victory , continue to play to the sinister ploys of the Sith . Those who hate the Prequels will continue to hate this piece of work just for the fact that it's based on the same timeline , but for me , I thought it managed to pull it off and came through convincingly despite the immense juggernaut of work that came before it , and firmly positions itself amongst them , just like how Ashoka relentlessly aims to prove her worth amongst the established Jedi generals in the Wars . I for one , am looking forward to any next installments on the big or small screens , even though I have a bad feeling about Ahsoka given her lack of presence in Episode 3 . I hope I'm wrong .
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514,420 | 317,399 | 387,514 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Prime
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Perhaps this was touted as a romantic comedy with a psycho-analytical character thrown in , kind of like Analyse This and Analyse That . Put the characters in a crazy premise , and see how their relationship work out . Meryl Streep stars as Lisa , a psychologist to Uma Thurman's Rafi , who , unknowingly to both , is dating her son David . Rafi's just been freshly divorced , and has only Lisa to talk to about her problems , and new life found when she met a new man in her life . She lies about David's age ( increased it from 23 to 27 ) , and wonders if a younger man would be suitable for her . You know it's situational comedy time when Lisa finds out about the truth , and discovers that she's caught between maternally protecting her son from a non-Jewish girl and frowning upon their relationship , and the conflict of interest between herself as a professional , and her client . While the trailers seemed to suggest that most of the film will dwell on this aspect , and provide many laughable moments , this film is actually more serious that it looks in examining two major issues - that of religion , and the age gap between lovers . David is an aspiring artist who's bumming around in life , until he met Rafi and moves in with her . While initially a novelty - Rafi enjoys and exhilarates about the sex and his manhood to Lisa ( uh oh ) , though through cohabitation she starts to discover that David is still immature in his manners , and this gets personified in a hilarious scene where he prefers to spend more time on his Nintendo . Being 37 , she feels her biological clock ticking , and wonders if she would be selfish to impose on David and have him grow up quickly . Given the age gap , it's also about sacrifices that one would make to bridge the difference , especially in expectations from the relationship ( though in the beginning , it's all about the sex ) . Like most romances , boy meets girl , boy woos girl , boy falls out of favour with girl . David has issues with telling his estranged mother about his relationship with Rafi , first because of their 14 year age gap , but more importantly , he knows that religion will play a major part in having her accepted as part of the family . Which makes you wonder about real life romances as well , the role of religion in a relationship , if it has the power to make , or break . Uma Thurman is already 35 , but still looks ravishing on screen , despite a few visible wrinkles . Newcomer ( well , TV veteran ) Bryan Greenberg holds his own as the young adult David Bloomberg , especially against veteran Meryl Streep . Prime is a bittersweet tale , and I find it set in realism . Gone are the overplayed lovey-dovey moments , and I welcome the fact that with every relationship there are issues , and the major ones are the obstacles which determine if the relationship can survive , or not .
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515,206 | 317,399 | 426,459 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Feast
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Feast is your typical monster movie , and in watching this , you'll appreciate the richness of The Host , which itself also belongs to the genre , but smashes all stereotype of how a monster movie should be . But that doesn't mean Feast is not fun - it is , even though it's the usual formula , because it doesn't try to be anything more sophisticated than that . The story and action starts immediately , and I mean immediately , at least after a no-frills super summarized introduction to all the players involved with the use of character titles . What will set the tone here , is that the introduction is highly comical , and gets the job done in a no-frills manner , so much so that most of the characters don't have names , but rather are named after caricatures , like Hero for obviously the Hero , and Honey Pot for a busty blonde chick ( a staple in slasher-horror-thrillers ) . It's reminiscent of movies like Dog Soldiers ( the beasts ) , From Dusk Till Dawn ( the stand off and the fight back ) and Tremors , having a band of men and women finding themselves stranded in a bar in the middle of nowhere , fending off strange creatures who have a thirst for live human meat . And trust us humans to be bickering and infighting for self preservation , survival of the fittest first , with guns ablazing as guarantee . Expect plenty of gore and blood splattering across the screen , and credit must be given , that most of the time the attacks happen when you least expect them to . So if you're trying to guess who survives , the more challenging game will be to guess who ' s next . One gripe I have though , is that the monsters can't be seen in their full glory at any one point in time throughout the movie . The lighting conditions ( it all happened in a single night you see ) don't offer much visibility , and having speed as the creature's attribute also disallows them to be seen much . You will catch glimpses of it though , when they're humping ( yes they have sex ! ) or during the quick finale , but I suppose you're better off with some picture stills out there on the net , if you want to see just how horrible they look . What also peeved me , is for all the advancement in special effects , this movie opted for the low budgeted stop motion creature movement for some of the long shots - which of course looked too cheap . The movie doesn't bother to try and explain how or why the monsters come about , and frankly speaking , who cares ? If you're up for some mindless gory movies with room for you to perform a body count , then Feast might be your banquet of choice . Only playing at GV Vivocity and Plaza . And yes , stay tuned after the initial end credits roll ( less than 10 seconds ) for an additional scene .
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514,766 | 317,399 | 443,649 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : 10 , 000 B . C .
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I guess not everyone has the audacity like Mel Gibson in taking risks related to the language used in their movies , for artistic integrity reasons . Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto both did not have their characters spout English , and had subtitles for the audience to rely on instead . And for a movie based in the era that its title states - 10 , 000 years before the birth of Christ - I do not suppose for one instance that our ancestral forefathers back in those days speak simple English , if at all . Then again , this is entertainment for the masses we're talking about . The main draw of 10 , 000 BC was of course the interaction of man and humongous , dangerous beasts of the time , and how through ingenuity in our natural ability to milk the Earth to make tools , mankind has ruled the Earth until now . But if like me you're expecting huge action pieces involving mammoths and sabre tooth tigers , what you get in their place are gentle elephants who go on a rampage no different from having computers plaster the correct bodykits over stampeding bulls , and a sabre tooth tiger count of ONE , and a pussy cat at that too . In essence , 10 , 000 BC tells of so simple a story , you'll believe that back then even hunky guys have their work cut out when they're going after the girl of their dreams . It's basically boy chases girl across the vast mountains and plains of the known world , because he had chosen to honour integrity than to win her hand over a mistaken recognition of bravery . And naturally to make our hero D'leh ( Steven Strait ) regret this decision , his lady love Evolet ( Camilla Belle ) and his fellow villages get enslaved and marched to Egypt to build pyramids for the gods ( OK , so I'm stretching that last statement ) . Villains are extremely weak , as they just have to look menacing without actually bringing across the feeling of immense threats that could be fatally carried out . Before you say that it's a carbon copy of the plot in Mel's Apocalypto and many others ranging as far back as Stargate , while Apocalypto had a man trying to save his family , this one's more of a pursuit of individual interests . And through his quest , a hero within D'leh will arise in a sort of coming of age tale of a prophetic savior who will lead everybody to salvation and to the promised land . Yes , tales of The One cliché get plastered at every possible instance that you'll roll your eyes when the plot tries to throw some red herrings along the way in meek attempts to spice things up . And as each prophecy get explained , the more ridiculous it becomes , and when an ancient badly rendered drawing is shown carved against a rock in colour , you know that this is supposed to be one cartoony movie after all . Throw in some pathos about a long lost father , sacred weapons , and even a memorable fight scene in a bamboo forest ( I kid you not this time ) , you'll have enough material here to feel a sense of familiarity throughout the story , surviving on the novelty of having set some thousands of years ago . One thing you'll learn though , is that it pays being a gatherer and hunter with excellent javelin skills , and even Leonidas will have to kowtow to .
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514,973 | 317,399 | 349,047 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Dreamship Surprise
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This movie is so insanely gay ! And I mean it in both sense of the word . No wonder this comedy broke the German box office with its madcap , low-brow , at times , crass humour . But it's all in good fun . If you're looking for a plot , be reminded that a spoof-fest only has an outline of what resembles a story . The story's not award winning material to begin with , and it was never the intention of doing so . In the future , Earth has colonized Mars , and some aliens aren't happy with it , so war is declared on the Earthlings . Somehow , Earth's last hope lies in the hands of Dreamship Surprise and its crew of merry men , led by the gayish Captain Kork , and equally feminine-like officers Mr Spuck and Schrotty . Needless to say , the crew of Dreamship Surprise is a complete spoof of Star Trek's Starship Enterprise crew , right down to the uniform , the multi-racial crew , and the technology available on board . Serious Trekkies might not take this too kindly though , to see their beloved franchise taken to " new " heights . To save Earth from the aliens , the team has to travel back in time to prevent the discovery of alien lifeforms in Area 51 . But it's made more difficult when Kork and crew are more interested in their rehearsals for an upcoming Miss Waikiki competition ( don't ask ) . Which is crazy I tell you . If you think that the Chicken Little ad now showing in theatres is cute , you haven't seen nothing yet ! Spoofing obvious movies like Star Wars - pod-racing , battleships hovering in orbit , the Jedi Council , Coruscant , Queen Amidala , Han Solo , Emperor Palpatine , Darth Vader , Stormtroopers , the list goes on , and Star Trek - the main leads , there are also numerous references to movies like Austin Powers ( the phallic-shaped starship ) , Back to the Future ( time travel ) , Minority Report and even A Knight's Tale . Spoofing and combining key characters from Star Wars and Star Trek have been attempted before in Hollywood comedies , but definitely not in the manner that Dreamship Enterprise had . Stay tuned during the credits , where some blooper scenes are shown , and if you stay until the end of the credits , you'll be rewarded with yet another short hilarious scene . Definitely recommended for an evening after a hard day's work .
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515,405 | 317,399 | 756,648 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The Fox and the Child
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From the filmmakers who brought us The March of the Penguins , I guess that came with plenty of expectations for The Fox and the Child . From the harsh winters of the South Pole to the lush wilderness in France , the narrative now becomes part documentary and part fairy tale , which tells of the friendship between the two titular characters , Renard the fox and its friendship with the child who christened it , played by Bertille Noel-Beuneau . The story's frankly quite simple , and at times this movie would have looked like the many Japanese movies which children-miscellaneous animals striking a friendship after the development of trust , and how they go about hanging around each other , dealing with respective adversaries and the likes . Here , the child meets the elegant fox near her home up in the mountains , which provide for plenty of beautiful picture-postcard perfect shots that a cinematographer will have to go into overdrive to capture . But while we indulge in wistful scenery , the characters don't get to establish that level of trust from the onset , and we have to wait a few seasons to past , and 45 minutes into the film , before they find a leveler in food . The child persistently attempts at striking a bond with the objective of taming the creature for her own amusement , but the fox , well , as other notions of course . While I thought the narrative was pretty weak , unlike March of the Penguins which has that human narrative interpretation of what's happening on screen , what excelled here were the documentary elements of the movie , tracing the life and times of the fox as both a predator , and a prey . Between the two , more tension and drama was given to the latter , especially when dealing with traditional foes like wolves , and granted , those sequences were fairly intense especially when the child got embroiled in it . Otherwise , it was plain sailing and quite a bore as the two of them go about their playing with each other , in shots that you know have undergone some movie magic editing . There were surprisingly dark moments in the movie that weren't really quite suitable for children , as those in the same hall attested to it by bawling their eyes out suddenly , so parents , you might want to take note and not let your toddler disturb the rest of the movie goers . As a film , I would've preferred this to be a complete documentary ala The March of the Penguins , but I guess the way it was resented , probably had the objective of warning us not to meddle with nature , and that some things are just not meant to be , and should stay as such . Decent movie that leaned on the strength of the chemistry between Bertille Noel - Bruneau , and the multiple foxes that played Renard .
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514,604 | 317,399 | 196,229 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Zoolander
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I am five years late . Just as I was so prepared to watch a Ben Stiller caper , with the posters all up at local theaters , the movie disappeared from the radar , and was banned in Singapore . Why ? Because the plot was about a fashion model being brainwashed ala The Manchurian Candidate to assassinate the Malaysian Prime Minister . Why ? Because Malaysia was being used as a sweatshop that hires child labor to manufacture cheap garments created by the western fashion houses , and they are not happy that the PM has outlawed working children . Hence the insane sounding plot right in the beginning . However , someone forgot to tell Ben that the Malaysian footage didn't look like Malaysia , but more like Tiananmen Square . Where got wave banners like that ? Got space meh ? But since we're friendly neighbors of Malaysia , when they banned it , we banned it too , to show solidarity . Anyway , for refusing to watch illegal downloaded copies , I was finally rewarded when GV decided to screen it here ( no more ban ? why now ? ) for a limited period , even though I suspect since it's a Village Roadshow production , why let it collect dust in the archives ? Ben Stiller co-created and plays Derek Zoolander , male model of the year 3 times in a row , with that killer Blue Steel look - an anal retentive look which actually seduces and is popular with the crowd . As most would already know , this comedy parodies almost everything about the fashion industry , like how himbotic male models can be , and amplified that dumbness more than 100 % . Zoolander loses his crown to up and coming male model Hansel ( played by Owen Wilson with long flowing locks , surfer dude style ) , and decides to retire . But since the chief villain and fashion guru Mugatu ( Will Ferrell ) requires a dim-witted model to be his assassin ( they have buff muscular bodies , and listen to instructions ) , his assistant Katinka ( Milla Jovovich , yummy ) brings Zoolander to a secret day spa to be brainwashed , and ready to be a killing machine during the opening of the Derelicte line of clothes . Real life Mrs Stiller Christine Taylor plays Matilda , a nosy journalist who tails Zoolander to try and get to Mugatu , and gets entangled in the assassination plot . But don't worry , the storyline isn't as complex as I've described . It's filled with plenty of insane subplots and scenes , like Zoolander's retirement decision to join his dad and brother ( Jon Voight , and an uncredited Vince Vaughn , who doesn't speak a word ) , an orgy of sorts with dwarfs , and even a walk-off competition between Zoolander and Hansel , with closure that comes straight out of Stephen Chow's campy movies . The real scream actually comes from the dozens of cameo appearances of the who's-who in the fashion and entertainment industry . Just as a flavor , there's Karl Lagerfield , Donald Trump , Tom Ford , Natalie Portman ( who declares her love for Zoolander ) , Winona Ryder ( who tries to seduce Zoolander ) , Gwen Stefani , Heidi Klum , Fabio , Fred Durst , Paris Hilton ( ! ) , Victoria Beckham , and even Billy Zane . You can refer to IMDb to get the entire list of credited and uncredited appearances . But what's the icing on the cake is David Duchovny's role as an X-File-ish character straight from his Fox Mulder days . Simply brought back the memories , in a funny way , including the many 80s and 90s pop music injected into the movie . So for those who have held out to finally experience Zoolander's new Magnum look , this is your chance . The movie might be dated , but it sure doesn't feel that way . Great fun .
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514,392 | 317,399 | 963,178 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The International
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The trailer had set up The International as some big-bang espionage thriller , made all the more sexier since it's released in the middle of this financial meltdown we're all experiencing , asking where have all the money gone , with banks collapsing left , right and centre , or on the brink of doing so if tons of public funds are not injected into the rabbit hole of the system that hasn't really bottomed out yet . But then again , watching or theorizing if the premise is remotely possible , since it involves a corrupt bank gone rogue in some misguided vision to make more profits , or to gain control of debt in third world economies , might not sit well with an audience already in doom and gloom , given some moral ambiguity all around , and the half-baked ending too . I have enjoyed a number of Clive Owen films , especially those that he's the smarty-pants , able to whip up roadblocks for his adversary . It's a departure for him here , and for fans I guess as well , with his Louis Salinger , an ex-Scotland Yard and current US Department of Justice agent , being quite the loser and always one step behind the bad guys . He can operate an Uzi , but needs more practice at a target range . Investigations wise , he's as frustrated as anyone caught up in office politics and the drawing of jurisdictions , and has a shady past he's not proud of . Which somehow adds to the credibility of the character . A super-agent would have spotted the assassin based on simple memory recollection , but here , he's flawed , which makes him all the more believable . Naomi Watts too as his tag-team partner Eleanor Whitman seems more at home behind the office desk , though sad enough her character's the proverbial Flower Vase , decorative and nice to look at , but offering nothing much in terms of character and story development , other than to cover the rear of Salinger in the office boardroom . Basically the film offered some thinking points , and makes you wonder if any large corporations , if without proper governance , could be susceptible to a moral rot from within , controlled by the few at the apex of the organization , making dubious decisions to proliferate arms and motivate political takeovers ? with coups and assassinations being but tools of the trade , and all these need money , which banks have loads of in their vaults . And bringing down banks isn't easy because of the multiple stakeholders being involved , from the humble depositors , to states and nations . In terms of production values , this Tom Tykwer film doesn't scrimp , jet-setting the cast throughout Europe ? Italy , Luxembourg , Germany and Turkey ? in living up to its namesake . The musical score is also notable for its perfectly crafted tune to keep you at the edge of your seat , only for the narrative to fizzle out unfortunately . The International had an intriguing premise , but failed to live up to it . The ending too was a letdown , despite the realization that things must happen outside the established system , almost suggesting vigilantism , but alas something more pragmatic was presented , and running out of steam , the film just abruptly aborts itself . Too bad for local audiences as well , because we've traded one intense shootout sequence at the famed Guggenheim Museum for the censored version to cater for a PG audience . Clive Owen movies got no respect these days by distributors here .
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515,368 | 317,399 | 481,141 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : No Reservations
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No Reservations is a remake of Bella Martha ( Mostly Martha ) , a German movie made way back in 2001 . The premise is entirely the same , and I thought the local distributors were sly enough to hold back the release of this movie to coincide during the time of the local premiere of Ratatouille . I suspect it's to rub off the Pixar animated movie's successful telling of a story set within a kitchen , to orientate moviegoers to the various roles and functions within the restaurant kitchen , so that we're all ready for this when we're in the mood for some love . And the food is absolutely to die for in this movie too . As with Bella Martha and Ratatouille , you'll just drool at the gastronomical delights that are whipped up for the movie , so the warning I give will be , don't watch this on an empty stomach , and you'll probably emerge from the theatre hall wanting to dine in a restaurant than your nearest hawker centre or food court . For those who have watched Bella Martha ( as I had in doing my homework ) , then this movie isn't any different for the most parts . In summary , it's a story about a workaholic chef Kate ( Catherine Zeta-Jones ) , who has to juggle to changes to her life when her boss makes her go for therapy to control that anger inside her . The first is to take care of her niece Zoe ( Abigail Breslin from Little Miss Sunshine ) when her sister meets with an accident , and the other is to manage that threat from work , in the form of another chef Nick ( Aaron Eckhart ) , who has the potential to run his own kitchen , but for some reason chose to work under Kate in the same restaurant . As a romantic comedy , this movie works , well , because it adapted almost every romantic scene from the German movie . Key scenes are recreated , and for those who have watched the original , you'll recognize them in a jiffy . But No Reservations still stands on its own , thanks to its wonderful cast . Zeta-Jones is as beautifully luminous as always , and I thought she hadn't aged a bit since the first I saw her back in Mask of Zorro . She brings about a tough as nails , no nonsense attitude to her role as Kate , yet is also the vulnerable soul looking for love . If compared to the original character , no doubt Zeta-Jones is eye-candy . Aaron Eckhart brought about a certain boyish charm to his character as compared to Sergio Castellitto in the original , but Sergio had a much mature air around him . But fans of Abigail Breslin will no doubt be glad that she did exhibit some of those boogie moves ( for just a bit ) , and I'm glad that it's not yet another role that shoos in Dakota Fanning . Watch out Fanning , here comes Breslin ! But if you're to compare Bella Martha and No Reservations , each has their superior points over the other . The Hollywood version is more polished and straight-forward , opting to rely on its good looking casts to deliver the goods , and thankfully they do , even though it had to dumb down certain plot lines , making it pacier , but it couldn't shake away its " Hollywood RomCom " look and feel . It also shrewdly adapted the soundtrack from Bella Martha as well , because the music just works perfectly with the food . The original on the other hand , had more scenes which are done subtly , and doesn't feel a need to explain every little detail in verbatim . So it has more quieter moments and the romantic connotations don't come so obviously , but brews quietly in the background . What I found slightly appalling , is that No Reservations decided to dump a sub plot altogether , one that was important in the original , probably for fear of introducing yet another character . It's mostly the same , until the last third . Those who haven't watched the original shouldn't feel too bothered about that of course , but I felt it was something a little wasted . Nonetheless No Reservations is the romance movie on offering this week , and by itself , it provides some decent entertaining fare . But do yourself that favour , go watch the original too !
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514,984 | 317,399 | 1,305,819 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : A Moment in June
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My first film of the 22nd Singapore International Film Festival which started on Tuesday , A Moment in June is deep in themes of longing , missing and that of forbidden love . While once I was a sucker for a film dwelling in deep melancholy , I found this needlessly setting itself up quite mysteriously in the first half , testing the patience of the audience with little hints being dropped now and then , before confirming the suspicion that it's really well connected between the stories and characters . So take note , don't just walk out the door like some others did , because the film really plods toward unleashing its payload . It opens in 1999 , where two men are seen talking on a train departing for Chiang Mai . It's revealed that these 2 lovers are now estranged , with Phon ( Napatkorn Mitr-em ) departing and leaving stage director Pakorn ( Shahkrit Yamnarm ) quite the emotional wreck . This is story thread one . In the next thread which starts off quite abruptly , we see an elderly lady Arunya ( Deuntem Salitul ) looking up her ex-lover Krung ( Suchao Pongwilai ) at an amusement park , though we see their 30-years-in-waiting reunion very much restraint in nature , unlike friends who are delighted to have met up after so long . And the third storyline deals with two couples , one pair married , the other going to . Except that the married man , and the bride-to-be , share secret rendezvous outside a cinema , and very much click , knowing eventually that their love is doomed to fail . The third part is interesting though , because it brought out some very seamless editing between the stage and the real world , dropping the first big hint that this could perhaps be a story that had happened some years back , being set in the 70s . Much credit goes to the art director , and the director of photography , in transporting us back to that nostalgic era lensed so beautifully , that you start to miss and long for more when the film transitions back to Today . However , one can sense that director O . Nathapon may either be a fan of Wong Kar-wai , or wanted to pay homage to In The Mood For Love , treading very close to recreating that moment of forbidden love based on discreet meet ups being developed in the dark back alleys of town , with a Thai oldie song played in the background serving as the unifying element across all story lines . You've got to work through the non-linear narrative as it flips back and forth through events and characters , and personally I had some disregard for the current generation and their relationship problems , preferring instead the issues faced by the elderly couple , and the story which was set on stage , and in the past . It could be because the couple had a lot more going for them , and left you just wanting to find out more , on what could have happened to have led to that 30 year hiatus in contacting each other . And any blast from the past created meticulously , would get my vote as well . One cannot deny that A Moment in June is very beautifully shot given its lush aesthetics , and I would have enjoyed it more if the pacing had been ramped up just a tad bit , and that the narrative didn't try to play coy ( just like its characters ) too much in the beginning . If the themes mentioned are right up your alley , you'll definitely find this film enjoyable , though I suspect that something inside me is screaming in not wanting any more , and to move on to brighter themes already .
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514,708 | 317,399 | 48,757 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Floating Clouds
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If you're looking for a movie that deals with clingy relationships , then Floating Clouds is without a doubt a movie that fits the bill to a T . Directed by Naruse Mikio and based upon the novel by Fumiko Hayashi , the female character in the movie will bring back memories of those who have had to deal with such stifling clinging , and well , for those who do act as such , a stark and accurate portrayal that would be akin to holding up a mirror and looking at oneself . Hideko Takamine put up a commendable , if not personally what I deem as a remarkably irritating performance as Yukiko Koda , a woman perhaps with little self-esteem and respect , who decided to sacrifice an entire forest for one singular tree . Being sent to Indochina during WWII , she chances upon Kengo Tomioka ( Masayuki Mori ) , and while he seemed to be prim and proper , and not giving her a second glance , soon they fall in love with each other , one despite having a wife back home , and the other , knowingly being the other woman . But when the war ends and they get repatriated back to Japan , she looks him up , only to discover that he will not leave his wife , nor to rekindle their passion started in a foreign land . To make things worse , she discovers he's quite the cad , and to compound the problem , her insecurities and her paranoia makes you wonder why she can't afford to sever ties . It's one thing being made to suffer from unrequited love , but it's another if you are made to suffer deliberately , and bear witness to the insincerity of the other party . Running slightly over 2 hours , it does take its time to showcase the sorry state that Yukiko undergoes . You can't really find fault with Naruse Mikio's direction of the movie - the handling of the narrative structure in the first act was deft , with the transition of time seamless , and the actors do their job to allow you to connect with their characters . However , like I mentioned , perhaps Yukiko Koda did such a fine job , that for me I found her to be a tad too irritating , even for my liking .
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514,564 | 317,399 | 1,065,330 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The One Man Olympics
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I have an affinity for sports bio-pics because they usually celebrate qualities such as hard work , perseverance , and sometimes sheer luck for an athlete to overcome the incredible odds facing them , and to come up on top . Naturally winning is all that matters , because nobody remembers the losers ( unfortunately ) , and it's always inspiring to witness how others overcome their challenges which sometimes surpass that of which an individual could handle . If an equivalent of a sports bio-pic is to be done in the Singapore context in relation to the Olympics , it could perhaps be our pioneering medalist , weightlifter Tang Howe Liang , to relate how he went quite on his own without the current support structure in place for our athletes of today , to win glory for our nation . Similarly , Liu Changchun ( Li Zhaolin ) goes down in China's history books as the first athlete to represent China and a medal winning one at that in the 1930s 10th Olympic Games held in Los Angeles , USA . And naturally the road to glory is not paved in gold , especially when you look at the tumultuous period he belonged to in China's history , where they were on the brink of the Sino-Japanese war , and the country in turmoil with priorities other than to consider expending budget in sending an athlete overseas to compete . It's an incredible pressure and one can only imagine the immense anxiety he has with the burden to shoulder the hopes of millions of people , in epitiomizing all of them with the indomitable spirit to compete at the highest level , and to shake off the " Sick Man of Asia " tag given the Japanese invasion . Representing the hopes of a nation , especially for a pioneer , can be nerve wrecking , but for the support from this father and understanding wife , he begins on the arduous journey to get himself represented , which this movie spent a lot of time focusing on the difficulties from war to crippling bureaucracy . Those moments were told in flashbacks , and we chart his trip to the USA from the start on sea , where he's travelling with only his coach Professor Song ( Shi Liang ) as they try to squeeze in some minimal training . And with inexperience comes the bickering with his coach , with one wanting to train continuously , against the coach's recommendation to cater for some adequate rest time . And as we know , sometimes lessons are learnt the hard way , which requires some eating of the humble pie to root one back to reality after a series of overconfidence . The movie boasted very high production values , with no efforts spared in having nifty special effects recreating countless of moments , from sets to backgrounds used to capture and recreate the era and the Games back then . The narrative also took a leaf out of Forrest Gump in having juxtapose the current actors into those black and white archival footage , and did so very competently and convincingly . Director Hou Yong also filmed the sprints under very exciting terms , with slow motion ( otherwise everything would be over in mere seconds ) and tight angles to frame all the action , which probably required multiple takes given the multiple angles shown , and to imagine the attention to details and accuracy to have the actors all come in at the right moments as cast in historical stone . If there is a gripe , I thought they should have filmed the winning race , rather than to not to so , with the narrative ra-ra about determination and the likes set the expectation that he's on a winning streak . Li Zhaolin was very believable as an Olympic medal winner given his very chiselled features and well toned body befitting an athlete . Notable cameos include David Wu and Hu Jun as a general / headmaster . And yes , Singapore also had a contribution here with Sun Yanzi being part of the singing ensemble for the team song , along with the likes of Jackie Chan and Wang Lee Hom . I had the chance to watch this as inflight entertainment but sleep overrode that opportunity . And I am thankful to have watched this , as it drops automatically into my recommended list of films to watch in relation to the Olympic theme this festival seems to be taking .
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514,814 | 317,399 | 831,386 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The Drummer
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Anything with drums , and I am there . The beats of drums in any music always appeal to me ( no prizes for guessing I'm a drum and bass fan ) , because I suppose it's fairly easy to express your mood to beats , and this expression can be done through anything that gives you that satisfying clang , and more so when you need to vent frustrations out in a relatively safe manner by hitting out at something inanimate , without personal injury of course . And I like it too as it doesn't come across in a threatening manner to those who want to pick up the instrument . I mean , there are no complicated chords , complex notes , intimidating keys or confusing hand eye leg coordination that calls for dexterity . What it has essentially is a pulled canvas , a set of drumsticks , and calls for strength , intensity and endurance as you express the beats of any rhythm within you . The Drummer is the latest movie to premiere from Hong Kong , written and directed by Kenneth Bi , starring Jaycee Chan , Tony " The Lover " Leung and Li Sinjie . Jaycee has been particularly busy this latter half of the year , with 3 releases ( including this one ) , from action in Invisible Target , to art-house drama in Where The Sun Rises , and now a movie about Zen Drummers . Somehow I find that he possesses this charming quality that comes across as easy going , a little naive , but yet having no lack of serious acting chops when the time calls for it . With the few films of his that I've seen ( save for the forgettable debut efforts like the Twins Effect ) , I'm quite impressed and would definitely be in the queue for more in future to see how he would mature into the different roles that come along his way . In The Drummer , Jaycee plays Sid in the titular role , and somewhat a departure from his earlier characters , at least initially . A pompous prick who drums for his rock band , he gets into the pants of a mistress of a triad boss ( Kenneth Tsang ) , and without saying gets himself into deep trouble . In trying to shield his son , Dad ( Tony Leung , in yet another typical hot headed gangland leader role we're familiar with from the Election movies ) sends him packing to a rural part of Taiwan to weather the expected storm of triad displeasure , and in this exile , Sid comes across the training grounds of the Zen Drummers . It's a basic story about the coming of age of an impatient youth , as he tries hard to gain acceptance to drum for the Drummers , who are of course , in no need for any impetuous hothead . And you know the drill from here , where there's a clash of cultures and philosophies pertaining to drumming , and in teaching him the ways of their own , we get plenty of " wax on wax off " moments , as virtues like patience , discipline , hard work , perseverance , you - name - it - the - movie's - got - it get imparted and appreciated by the newbie , transforming before your eyes from selfish individual , to a valuable team player . For the most parts , the movie develops at a rather predictable manner with near clichéd sub plots , but the appeal of the characters made it quite enjoyable to sit through , despite its run time of almost 2 hours split between dramatic moments , and those embodying Zen like teachings and quiet , contemplative pieces . I thought that the movie , like the virtue it's imparting , requires patience in order to savor the goods of a delightful performance , as typical stories of such nature you'd come to expect - the big fight , the finale dance , that rewarding end performance . However , to my slight disappointment , The Drummer didn't deliver w hen it really should . Instead the editing interrupted and intruded on proceedings , and what could have been worth a ticket to witness , felt like spare change . The romance bit also fell short , and somehow was junked from developing further as the narrative decide to switch gears and focus on father and son instead . Hence , Lin Sinjie's role as Hong Dou became a little sidetracked midway . Which was a pity , given that the potential for some good old fashioned romance didn't make the grade . But what I found really jarring , was the decision to reintroduce triad moments in the last act . Again typical in wanting to provide closure , but done not too subtly that it sticks out like a sore thumb . All in all , it's still a gorgeous looking film with good acting from the leads , and not to mention the professional performances by U-Theatre , the real Zen Drummers who come alive when they're behind their set of drums . Make sure you watch this in a theatre with a booming sound system . If you haven't had enough of the mesmerizing , hypnotic beats , then head on down to the official website and ensure you got your speakers turned on . And check out the production blog too while you're at it !
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515,494 | 317,399 | 465,676 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The Banquet
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It's an oriental kung fu Hamlet . Everyone's been saying it's loosely based on Shakespeare's tragedy , and to some , the movie's indeed a tragedy with its slowness in pace and lack of action , but I'd like to see it as because of its heavy reference to Hamlet ( the poisoned quill , and many other plot points and scenes ) , it sort of created a crutch on which to lean the movie upon , hence the familiarity to some , therefore having the source serving as a double edged sword - the movie beholden to it and eventually ending it on a weak note . Having inherited the creative team of Yuen Wo Ping ( action choreography ) , Tan Dun ( Music ) , Tim Yip ( Art Direction ) , and the starlet in Ziyi Zhang ( wonder why the westernized juxtaposition of her name ) does not automatically replicate the success of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon that easily . It's the X-factor and the blending of elements of novelty in CTHD that made it a huge success , and blindly following the predetermined formula is akin to hammering a square peg into a round hole . While the art direction is lush and everything looking adequately regal , somehow Tan Dun's music seemed to be muted throughout the movie , only exhibiting sporadic brilliance to drum up scenes with the soundtrack , or the hauntingly beautiful theme song . The major disappointment however , will be in the fighting scenes . Here , martial arts both function as a contrast to the much muted artsy style of the Hamlet here , Prince Wu Luan ( Daniel Wu ) , highlighting the difference in power between the pen and the sword , as well as functioning as foreplay . I thought with the gratuitous fake blood spewing across the screen , it was kind of a homage to 70s Shaw Bros martial arts classics , and a nod to director Chang Cheh , the king of ketchup blood . The initial big sequenced battle scene might have whet appetites , but sadly subsequent battles do not match up , with its repetitive running up walls or in mid air , as if Yuen had run out of tricks in the wire-work manual , having at one point seemed to copy Tsui Hark's Dao ( 1995 ) . There's one moment of innovation though in a scene of punishment not seen ( at least to me ) before . But not that I'm complaining . If this martial arts in this movie is viewed without comparisons to other more recent fantasy martial arts movies like Hero and House of Flying Daggers , it is still enjoyable and beautifully choreographed , and surpasses The Promise by a huge mile . Just that it lacked a fresh look in battles , and the unimaginative costuming of the Imperial Guards didn't help , looking too close like distant cousins of Lord of the Ring's Nazguls / Ringwraiths / Black Riders . Desire as a theme runs through the movie very strongly , the desire for love , endless power and pure , unadulterated revenge . Very briefly , the story by now will be fairly obvious with Emperor Li ( Ge You ) usurping the throne from his brother , and coverts his wife Empress Wan as his own , who at one point in time was Prince Wu Luan's old flame . The Prince here is a fellow in love with the arts and bent on avenging his father , and who is the subject of unrequited love by the daughter of a minister - Qing Nu ( Zhou Xun ) . It's all about the wearing of masks and the building of facades , of hiding true intentions to achieve personal objectives . The contrast between the two men in the Emperor and the Prince is looked into , their love lives examined - one who uses power to obtain love , while the other's fortune to be loved brought him unimaginable influence . Despite its references to Hamlet , the focus of the movie here seemed to be Ziyi Zhang's Empress Wan , as she plots and schemes , leaving you perplexed as to whether to sympathize and pity her , or applaud her attempts at exacting her own brand of justice . Acting all round is nothing to rave about , and though Ge You's performance seemed the better of the lot , his measured , subtle ways as the Emperor comes off rather weakly as a man capable of scheming to get to where he is . Somehow , I thought that Hamlet allowed the acting to take a foot off the pedal as audiences would already put in place perceptions and direct translations of character for character . All said , The Banquet is still a reasonably competent foray into the martial arts genre for director Feng Xiaogang , and if he were to put another movie from the genre out , I'll sure be there to watch it . Now to anticipate Zhang Yimou's next contribution to the genre .
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515,140 | 317,399 | 959,337 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Revolutionary Road
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It's been some twelve years since James Cameron's Titanic sealed Leonardo DiCaprio's heartthrob status , and everyone's been wondering when DiCaprio and his co-star Kate Winslet would once again grace the screen together with that kind of on screen chemistry and magic that made thousands relive that cross-Atlantic adventure tragedy over and over again , effectively retiring James Cameron ( until this year of course with his 3D film Avatar ) since the film powered past a billion dollars in box office receipts . With tongue in cheek , I thought this Sam Mendes movie offered audiences a peek into how Jack Dawson and Rose's lives would have been , should they live through that night to remember together , and settle down in the USA . The free-spirited Dawson would find his life now quite the bore as compared to his free-wheeling days of a drifter , now rooted to a nine to five job he doesn't believe in , and lives his life like a robot only to pay the bills . As for Rose , she being stuck at home as a housewife also doesn't seem like the life she thought she signed on for , with the realities of matrimony settling in to demolish notions of a once daring romance . Leonardo DiCaprio reunites with Kate Winslet ( and Kathy Bates too ! ) in Revolutionary Road , that on the surface looks at how the familiar has crept into the lives of a married couple , and beneath the veneer and belief of their neighbours , theirs is a union slowly disintegrating , not that they do not try , but probably tried too hard , and where indifference start to rear its ugly head to destroy passion and love . We see how both do things that will ultimately hurt and betray the sliver of trust that's left , and how each manipulates the other in subtle ways in order to get what they think they want . The bulk of the film was centred around their joint decision to uproot their family ( and the children whom we rarely see ) and move to Paris , so that DiCaprio's Frank would be able to live out his dream , of finding out his true calling . This would mean selling all their assets , crossing the steamship the other way round ( which I chuckled at , and wonder if we're really going to see that at all ) , and having his wife support him ( because the Europeans pay secretaries exorbitant salaries ) while he mucks around for inspiration to life . This would also mean bidding Sayonara to his dead end job , until Murphy so decides to throw a spanner in the works with Frank gaining much needed recognition . Kate Winslet's April seemed to be the all-sacrificing wife , until her frequent breakdowns seem to cast doubts on her sanity , having to fight like mad with her husband , only to put on a more cordial front every morning at breakfast . One can only guess that she's doing her best to keep things from breaking down , but there's only a limit to how many holes you can plug with your fingers . In fact , the film develops at a pace with which paint dries , and comes alive only when Frank and April trade verbal blows , with hurting insults flying both directions with the threat of physical violence always close by . It's about the hypocrisy that we are aware of , yet choose to play the social charade and getting a kick out of laughing at the fakeness of it all behind closed doors , behind other people's backs . The games we play with the intention to hurt will sometimes backfire on ourselves too , and it's almost always never a good thing to be doing something to hit back at the other person , one whom you know you love . But rectifying it head on also means that it's time to give it up , but preferably done so in a more civil manner compared to dropping the bombshell and hoping for an expected reaction . Perhaps in the madness of it all , it takes an ex-mental patient character John ( played by Michael Shannon ) to become the voice of reason in an insanely fake world that both Frank and April find themselves in . In being crazy , he's granted the excuse to cut through the nonsense and say things as he sees fit , and has some of the best lines in the movie but also being the most accurate in the reading of the characters ' expressions . If you think both Frank and April have words that hurt , pay attention to the wise sayings of John . Based on a novel by Richard Yates , Sam Mandes managed to bring out the best in the chemistry between his two leading stars . Between them , age has not been kind to Winslet , while the additional lines on DiCaprio's face makes him all the more mature , though retaining his baby-faced looks that even made it to the insults their character trades . Just when everything starts to meander around the themes it set out to explore , and treading in dangerous ground in being too convoluted for its own good , the parting shot was quite verbose in summing everything up quite nicely , in that it pays to switch off at times , or most of the times if you will , in order to keep things as status quo without the opportunity of being misread that you're uncooperative , or unwilling to lend a listening ear . Very poignant , and chillingly real .
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515,436 | 317,399 | 106,457 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The Strange Take of Oyuki
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The Strange Tale of Oyuki is probably the raunchiest movie to date in this edition of the Japanese Film Festival . While the earlier Imamura movies shown do have sexual scenes , this one takes the cake in its eroticism , treading so close to being soft-porn like in the style of Hong Kong Category III movies . But hey , I'm not complaining ! Based on a novel by Kafu Nagai , this movie uses a short story of the same name , and at the same time infused it with real diary entries of Kafu's as well , making it seem like an amalgamation of his life and that pre-war story . Some however , have claimed that it's solely based on the novel , and the director Kaneto Shindo had changed the protagonist to the author himself . Whatever the case is , since I can't read Japanese , and until someone who has read the book in its original language and watched the film can advise , we shan't rack our brains about this aspect of it . The story follows the middle aged author , Kafu Nagai ( Masahiko Tsugawa ) , in his gallivanting ways from the 1920s to post war Japan . It actually took the first 30 minutes or so to establish the fact that his literary works , which consist mainly of yellow literature , is not welcomed by fellow peers . Moreover , he has the propensity to wine and dine women , becoming a Don Juan of sorts , with a notorious reputation after establishing a series of conquests in Europe and North America . The beginning actually painted him as a lonely man as well , unable to hold down a regular relationship , opting instead for fleeting ones with geishas and waitresses . Things start to change when Fate brings him to Oyuki , a prostitute , one rainy night , and romance start to blossom between the two despite his concerns about their age gap - he's close to 60 , while she's mid 20s . As they do the horizontal tango in between the sheets on a regular basis , she starts to really fall for him , while he , always on the apprehensive . It also brought to mind about How to Become Myself's issue on persona , as we see how Kafu engineers himself to be a pornographic photographer as a cover for his researching writer role . But it's not just sex and skin all the way . The movie allowed some suggestion of the geisha tradition and their skills in the art , and I was rather surprised at the hard anti-war stance and criticism that the narrative had taken up , with its documentary reel like scenes of the Imperial Army , and how because of the war the common folk are made to suffer with the constant barrage of air strikes nearing the end of the war . Masahiko Tsugawa provided some comedic relief in his acting , though I'm unsure if his wide - eyed eyeball look which seemed to draw more chuckles than anything else , and rubber faced expressions , were deliberate . As a man who decided early how to lead out his elderly life , I thought he had a somewhat stoic presence as an uncompromising man , and one who needed to get his rocks off . Yuki Sumida as the titular Oyuki , had actually won a number of awards for the role , and while her portrayal of the prostitute is sympathetic , I suppose she'll be best remembered for shedding her clothes instead . Unpretentious and straightforward movie which runs almost like a bio-pic , I do not deny The Strange Tale of Oyuki as being entertaining , for the right reasons of course . Definitely an easy movie to sit through after an almost week long program of heavier material .
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515,225 | 317,399 | 950,500 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The Unseeable
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It's no secret that I'm a fan of writer-director Wisit Sasanatieng's movies - Tears of the Black Tiger , and Citizen Dog . What's excellent and probably the hallmarks of the director currently are the stunning visuals , wonderful colors , and story lines which are highly imaginative . With Tears , it was an amalgam of cultures for a distinctive and eclectic mix of what's Thai , and the Wild Wild West . In Citizen Dog , the fusion of fantastical elements , song , and comedy endears it and at the same time , warms your heart . But when this project was announced , I admit I was a bit apprehensive . I have not fancied many Asian horror movies of late , because of the usual formulaic stories and the employment of cheap shock tactics which bore . At times , scenes become unintentionally comedic , coupled with bad makeup and cheesy special effects , which mar whatever potential the movies could have achieved . The horror genre is no doubt a money spinner , and many times , quality is compromised when everyone jumps on the same bandwagon , knowing audiences will still lap them up despite the inferior product . The Unseeable , however , managed to evade the negative connotations as put forth . I guess my trust in Sasanatieng's vision remained unwavering . The story , when finally pieced together , remained coherent , even though at some points , it felt that the pacing could be picked up a little . Never rushed , it took a very measured method to introduce characters , their backgrounds , and the explanation of , well , what goes bump in the night . The story tells of a pregnant village girl , Nualjan , who left her hometown in search of her lost husband . En route to Bangkok , she gets put up at a boarding house , with few inhabitants , and owned by a mysterious rich widow Ranjuan who lives in a separate house in the same compound . Making few friends , and slowly becoming the disdain of the housekeeper , Nualjan encounters inexplainable incidents and strange folks , helped in no way by stories about the spookiness of the premises . The usual motley crew of horror movie characters - an old scrawny lady , a young child , and plenty of shadowy figures . The narrative structure did seem to stick to the usual formula though , with the final twist ending ( twist endings themselves are becoming so common , it's difficult for filmmakers to imagine something more breakthrough ) . At times , you will also feel that despite the red herrings , your gut feel about how things will turn out , will probably correct . While the revelation explained and tied up loose ends , it did however demonstrate that it doesn't seem to want to end . Gone are the usual bright pastel color palette that we associate Sasanatieng's movies with , and in place for The Unseeable , are strained colors with a general greenish tinge , in line with the mood and atmosphere created for horror . I felt the filmmakers achieved their objective of creating a horror movie which doesn't capitalize on CGI and special effects , that if not done right , relegates it automatically together with those of dubious quality . Relying on tight angles and excellent sound editing , I admit that yes , watching The Unseeable did give me the chills , especially during its revelatory scenes . I believed the movie's title in Thai was a little spoiler in itself , so please don't try to translate it until after you've seen the movie . My faith in Wisit Sasanatieng continues , and I for one am eagerly anticipating his take on the martial arts genre with Armful , currently in production .
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514,444 | 317,399 | 1,095,174 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : New In Town
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In this economic climate of corporate downsizing , one wonders how the corporate boys in monkey suits on the board run their business with the help of a spreadsheet . It's always easy to see which areas of the business bleed red , and decide then on to send hatchet-men to the ground to execute ( pardon the pun ) and prune various portions of that wound to try and stop the hemorrhage , failing which a complete amputation would be required . It's easy making such decisions from the ivory tower devoid of decent human interaction , but never easy from the folks on the ground to do it , because it leaves just a bad aftertaste , especially when the folks are friends , and people you know . For Lucy Hill ( a visibly aged Renee Zellweger ) , she's a high flying executive of a corporation headquartered in sunny Miami , but what I think was because of a sexist board , she gets sent off to the wintry conditions of a small Minnesota town to effect their wishes , and that is to remove 50 % of the employee population there to keep an unprofitable factory there under some cost control . Being an alpha-female type who never say no to challenges and her career , she makes that journey and has this high-and-mighty air about her , which through the course of her stay in town , their warm hospitality , sense of humour and all round , small town camaraderie , will slowly thaw that cold heart of hers . There were plenty of charming moments in the film , courtesy of a whole host of ensemble characters built for the plot , such as Siobhan Fallon's Blanche Gunderson , who becomes Lucy's personal assistant aka secretary , and in all earnestness , tries to establish a friendship with her would-be boss , as well as trying to hook Lucy up with the town hunk Ted Mitchell ( Harry Connick Jr ) who so happens to also be heading the workers ' union . Complications naturally arise from this conflict of interest , which puts Lucy in two minds as she has her orders to follow , yet find herself inevitably drawn to follow her heart as well . And yes , this is also truly a romantic movie , which I thought had effectively balanced affairs of the heart as well as how modern day corporations run the shop , with pink slips being very easy to dish out . Some portions remind me of a Hong Kong movie about a noodle factory ( whose title eludes me at this moment , but starring Sam Hui and Tsui Hark , yes you read me right ) , where a band of merry men have to put aside their differences from their immediate manager and amongst themselves , to try and salvage their jobs and their livelihood . It's a pretty standard affair that you see both the problems and the solutions coming from a mile away when they're mentioned , and the plot is extremely straightforward as well , with no meandering twists and turns . But hey , it's supposed to be a romantic story , and both Zellweger and Connick Jr did well given their limited screen time together to make it all believable . But the scene stealer here has got to be J . K . Simmons , who disappears effectively behind a fat suit and is quite unrecognizable . He represents the kind of supervisors that managers love to hate and have no qualms giving the marching orders to , but also serves as a reminder that such on-the-ground folks who garner the respect of the troops , are always worth their weight in gold , because once they're on your side , they have motivational techniques par none to get things done . I was OK with the romantic plot here , but the Management 101 issues presented , was way more entertaining and valuable .
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514,681 | 317,399 | 114,086 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Beyond The Clouds
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This the the final feature film that Michelangelo Antonioni directed , with the help of Wim Wenders , and adapts from his short story collection " That Bowling Alley on the Tiber " . Beyond the Clouds contain 4 short stories with familiar themes that we've come to be accustomed to from his earlier works , and sums up those themes in vignettes which are weaved together via Wenders ' directed scenes involving John Malkovich's The Director character . However , most of the stories seemed to offer little or no depth that we're used to from an Antonioni movie , while Malkovich's narration of supposed depth rattled on with unclear diction that sounded a tad pretentious and out of place . Nonetheless , all four stories seem to touch on chance encounters , and extremely quick romances that played out more like lust at first sight , perhaps due to the lack of time ( since they're short stories anyway ) to allow for a more layered approach to carefully define and craft the characters as we know from a typical Antonioni movie . And the obsessive approach here is for the characters to disrobe to showcase a lack of deeper connection sacrificed for the immediate satisfaction of the flesh . Maybe this is the point to want to bring across with an observation of the more modern relationship ? The first story , Story of a Love Affair That Never Existed , tells the romance between Silvano ( Kim Rossi Stuart ) and Carmen ( Ines Sastre ) , who meet when one asks the other for directions to a hotel , and later meet at a cafe . It's as if Fate is playing games on them when they meet , but part and meet again much later , but like the games people play , it's almost like a L'Avventura or a La Notte with the lack of communication , and of the expectations from the man . John Malkovich's director character takes central role in the next short , who exhibited some really lecherous looks toward a girl working at a shop , played by Sophie Marceau . She is deeply disturbed and made to feel uncomfortable , but somehow plucked up the courage to approach him , and in what I thought was to scare him off , tells him her background that she murdered her father by stabbing him 12 times . But in a flash these two are off toward bedroom gymnastics . The next short , Don't Look for Me , is the longest of the lot , with Peter Weller playing a cheating husband who has to choose between his mistress ( Chiara Caselli ) or his wife , played by Fanny Ardant . Perhaps the more star studded of the lot , with Jean Reno also stepping in for a coda at the end of it , which sort of expands the little universe in which this short exists . But unfortunately Reno's involvement also got relegated to some stifle of laughter as it goes into the implausible domain with laser quick romantic tanglements . There was a key element adapted from L'Eclisse with a kiss between a couple through a glass panel too , while the introductory tale about the story of souls was quite interesting . If there's a negative theme here this short wants to play upon , it'll be the duplicity of man . In between this short and the next was a small scene which reunited our couple from La Notte , Marcello Mastroianni and Jeanne Moreau , where the former was painting a landscape which was reminiscent of that in Red Desert . Finally , we have the final shot This Body of Dirt , with Vincent Perez as a young man going after a girl ( Irene Jacob ) whom he just met , and falling in love with her , only to realize that it is a love that is too late . It's a relatively talkie piece , just like the first story , with the characters engaging in conversation while walking the streets of the city they're in , which sort of brings to mind Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise . While on the whole the movie may have succeeded as individual pieces , they never quite measure up as a combined effort given the " excuse " to link them up was a film director's exploration of possible stories and a look for inspiration for his next film .
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515,396 | 317,399 | 381,936 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Bimmer
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Bimmer's the Russian term for the BMW , and with such a title , the vehicle has to be a plot device in the movie . The film begins with the stealing of a BMW 7-series by a gang of four petty thieves . Given that it's such a wonderful car , they decide to keep it for themselves instead of selling it off . But before the film reaches cruising speed , a confrontation with another gang goes wrong , and our quartet is on the run from both the cops and from the mob . So they're off on a road trip in their ill gotten BMW , and scene after scene , we're treated to set pieces , like encounters with a gang of truckers , corrupt cops and a doctor in a small town . Some of these scenes are hilarious , watching our quartet outsmarting and wriggling their way out of situations , while others are sometimes plain boring . So it's rather uneven . Despite the title being a car model , there is absolutely no car chases in this film , which is a pity , otherwise we could have seen the 7-series being put to good use . However , what's refreshing is the scenery . I haven't seen much of Moscow or Russia , and this film offered an opportunity to do so . It also attempts to explore the relationships between the friends , to see if there is indeed honour amongst thieves at a time when it really would have counted . The ending is kinda unexpected , but all the more makes you wonder about the this theme . With an excellent soundtrack each time the Bimmer is driven , you'll forgive this show for some of its shortfalls .
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514,737 | 317,399 | 465,624 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : My Super Ex-Girlfriend
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Look ! Up in the Sky ! It's a bird ! No , it's a plane ! No , it's G-Girl ! New York City's newest superhero , with powers and origins adopted from Metropolis ' Man of Steel . She can fly , has super-strength , can hear the frequency of a police radio , able to shoot beams from her eyes , looks like Uma Thurman . . . she's the ultimate hot babe any dude can ask for . Unless of course , given her powers , she's also a tad insecure and can turn out to be any dude's worst nightmare with her clingy , needy nature . If Superman's alter-ego Clark Kent is mild mannered , G-Girl's equivalent in Jenny Johnson is the bespectacled arty type with a touch of neuroticism . It's basically a romance between her and an unlikely , fairly ordinary bloke Matt Saunders ( Luke Wilson ) , who picked her up during a train ride with the encouragement of good friend Vaughn Haige ( Rainn Wilson ) , and with a stroke of luck , managed to snag a date and more . It's a fun movie about relationships , or the desperate lack thereof , and given it's reversal of super-being gender , provides a different perspective altogether . While the comedy's fun at certain points , with its load of sexual innuendos and situations ( somehow it's almost always about sex ) , the movie felt like it went on autopilot , relying pretty much on its strong links to its adapted source material , right down to the parody of her weakness , You have that dastardly evil genius villain Professor Bedlam ( Eddie Izzard ) , and many scenes taking a mickey out of the Superman movies . It plays out similar to the earlier Ivan Reitman movies , like Ghostbusters and Evolution , kinda kinky , kind funny , formulaic and pretty much children friendly ( despite the sexy bits ) . I thought that the cast had a pretty fun time doing the movie , with supporting characters like Anna Farris providing additional eye candy as the love rival . The special effects by Digital Domain were pretty nifty too , and I liked those swirly-bits when G-GIrl takes flight . Don't bother too much about the uber-thin storyline , but just enjoy the ride right up until the quirky , amicable settling of outstanding issues . And if you really wanna try to look hard into it , it's a reminder to us guys that soon enough , women will rule the world , and we probably don't mind sitting back and enjoying that odd beer while they bring home the bacon . Stay tuned after the animated end credits for an easter egg scene involving Vaughn and his apparent secret beneath his cool-cat demeanour .
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515,023 | 317,399 | 443,536 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Hoodwinked
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Anne Hathaway is currently disrobing on our local screens , and I suspect by the time Havoc finished its run , then she'll be heard but not seen , only lending her voice in the animated feature Hoodwinked , by Blue Yonder Films and Kanbar Entertainment . By not being a product churned out from the usual Disney-Pixar-Dreamworks-Fox studios , it's a delightful departure from the expected norms we already have formed by offerings from the mentioned studios . It's a very adult animated movie , in having multiple probably plots told in a whodunnit fashion . Gone are the laugh-a-minute spoofs on pop culture , not that Hookwinked is relying on the few it has on offer , and in comes some old fashioned comedy done right . Songs are also limited , given that it's only an 80 minute movie , that doesn't have much time to incorporate a mini-musical . The plot adopts the fairy tale classic of Little Red Riding Hood , where the crimson hooded girl delivers some cakes to her grandmother's house , but found a wolf in her granny's pyjamas , and with her life at stake , she is rescued by a nearby woodsman . Or so we were led to think . In this modern day retelling , we're given a twist to this aged old story , and it's more than meets the eye . Each of the characters - the Wolf ( Patrick Warburton ) , the Woodsman ( James Belushi ) , the Granny ( Glenn Close ) and even Red herself , seem to be hiding an agenda , and each are more than who they claim to be . In detective noir tradition , Nicky Flippers ( David Ogden Stiers ) investigates and probes into each of their account of what brought them to that fateful location , and the events that transpired . And this is the highlight of the movie . With each retelling , the audience gets involved through identifying the timelines where certain events cross one another , and how certain actions become misinterpreted to comedic effect . It's nothing very cerebral about it , as you would have probably guess who's guilty soon enough before the revelation , but what is admired , is how the scriptwriters come up with these zany plot ideas , and interlinking them together is no small feat . Nonetheless , there are areas during the retelling which are simply quite plain , while some have become gems on their own . Given the many characters , most of which are relegated to few lines of dialogue , some of them just gave way to stereotypes , like most of the piggy cops playing it just for laughs . And there's also a hyperactive squirrel in this picture stealing the show , much like the one in Over the Hedge . Is a squirrel becoming the new animated in - thing ? In a plot involving stolen recipes , Hoodwinked's animation will take a while to get used to . Not that it's bad , but I felt that it wasn't as fluid , or meant to be photo-realistic , given its rather blocky 2D artwork . Then again , it's the story that matters , and this one doesn't pretend to be anything more than an average whodunnit . Fun stuff .
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514,530 | 317,399 | 1,166,100 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Ghajini
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The tattoos on the body , the Polaroid snaps , the notes scattered around the house , and the smoking gun evidence ? Short term memory loss , happening every 15 minutes . If this doesn't seem like Christopher Nolan's masterpiece Memento , then I don't know what does . Written and directed by A . R . Murugadoss , I don't see much of a nod of acknowledgement to Nolan's work , and in almost all literature , it only falls back on the fact that this is a Hindi remake of Murugadoss ' own Tamil movie of the same name Ghajini , produced in 2005 ( Nolan's was in 2000 ) , which joins the ranks of films having their titles named after the chief villain . In any case this isn't the first time that we see very obvious similarities in premise and characters being adopted for Bollywood's own productions , and the shot-in-Singapore Krrish comes to mind as well , as they had the entire setting of John Woo's Paycheck incorporated into that film . But of course in any version some merits could be found , but I believe some form of acknowledgement would be in order , other than , in this case , a quick flash of a very wordy disclaimer about Ghajini being gleaned from various short stories and material ( and another paragraph which I missed given the fine print , and short duration on screen , but I'm pretty sure no mention of Memento ) . Well , there are some reasons why I chose to watch this . First up , the music's by A . R . Rahman , and for all the good publicity he's getting for his work on Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire , I just had to experience yet another piece of his musical magic on a film , besides one that I've watched much earlier this year in Jodhaa Akbar . One just cannot imagine how his musical talent will be put to good use in a film which looks and feels like Memento , and this being the next best thing . " Guzarish " is a track used in the trailer , and it is currently my new ear worm . Another reason is of course , Aamir Khan . Yet another prolific actor with a penchant for perfection , it was interesting to see how his take on the protagonist's short term memory loss , would rival that of Guy Pearce's . I'm embarrassed to say I've only seen him in action in Lagaan , so this would be yet another opportunity to witness his ability which can be measured against a benchmark . But don't expect the same though , because Pearce's version was more of a thinking man who questions and second guesses himself , while Khan's version was in two parts to serve the story , one as a raging hulk monster who tears through his opponents with savage violence fueled by anger and hatred , coupled with the hurt he experienced and recalled ( Hulk producers take note , in case Edward Norton decides against any more sequels , look in the direction of Aamir Khan ) , while the other as mild-mannered Sanjay Singhania , CEO of a telecommunications company in Mumbai . Yes , Bollywood's version naturally comes with built-in song and dance , which for once I would have thought looked quite out of place in the movie , if not for A . R . Rahman's score and music . While half of the movie might be seen as a copy of Memento's premise and character , the other half served more to allow the audience to share the pain with Sanjay . Nolan's version had you experience the frustrating condition of the syndrome through its narrative presentation , but this one junks the reverse chronology , and plays it out flat and builds a rich back story for Sanjay , so much so that you'll root for him as he goes on his rampage of revenge . You'll find yourself entrenched in the romance between Sanjay and his lady love Kalpana ( the stunning Asin , who reprises her role from the 2005 version as well ) , who's a model awaiting her big break , and a girl with a genuinely good heart . The plot never fails to give her numerous moments to showcase her good nature , and it's no surprise why anyone would not fall in love with her instantly . Factor in plenty of lovey-dovey moments of comedy and pursuit ( under the guise of a different identity , like Shah Rukh Khan's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi ) which makes it perfect for a date movie , but with hindsight that you know this love is doomed from the moment it began , which actually makes it quite sad to watch the events unfold since you know what will eventually happen to her . Ghajini doesn't adopt or try to adopt those very cerebral mind-f moments from Memento , but as I mentioned plays it out more like a straight forward action thriller , with a handful of inevitable moments of watching our protagonist get taken advantaged of because of his condition . No other structural styles are used besides flashbacks , where the purpose of two characters in the movie are to read the diary of events so that it could be translated visually onto the screen . However you'll still be kept in the dark for some time as to why the designated thugs of Ghajini ( Pradeep Rawat ) would want to exact their mettle onto Sanjay and Kalpana , and you'll be held in suspense for almost 2 hours before the reasons get shown . I can only imagine the flak that this film might receive because of having to adapt , and not properly acknowledge perhaps that it's not original material , save for the romantic spin on it . But if you would look past those ramifications and treat this like a re-imagining of Memento in more straight-forward terms , that this would still serve as an entertaining thriller done Bollywood style .
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514,837 | 317,399 | 64,265 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) Return of the One-Armed Swordsman
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After watching the original One-Armed Swordsman , directed by Chang Cheh and starring Wang Yu in the title role , I knew I had to watch this direct sequel , as the others had David Chiang replacing Wang Yu as Fang Gang . Continuing where the first movie left off , we see Fang Gang leading a life of a farmer , without a care of JiangHu politics . But as the saying goes , and in martial arts movie , so long as you're a reputable swordsman , trouble will always be looking for you . The emergence of the evil Eight Demon Swordsmen clan brought about chaos , with their issuing of forced challenges and a grand meeting amongst the swordsman clans . The senior members of various clans get annihilated or captured , and its down to the junior members to try and convince Fang Gang to come out of " retirement " to assist them in their quest of rescue , and getting rid of the Eight Demon Swordsmen . It's also pretty cool to see the main villains being crafted with various deadly weapons and different personalities . Like the one with the deadly chain-attached sickle , or the mean looking knife-shield . How about a weapon which seemed to fire pellets of poison , and a sword with extensible blade ? Perhaps the more interesting villain was the lady assassin , with her demure looks , and deadly hidden knives , giving a new meaning to back-stabbing ! However , being villains , our hero and his gang of merry men , while on the way to the villains ' fortress , get to dispatch them one by one in deadly , bloody fashion . Although by today's standards the blood is pretty fake looking , it's still quite a bloody affair with slashing , stabbings - knives through body , and squirting blood . But I must add that it did give a sense of cheesy nostalgia to how blood was created for the screen in those days . Classic martial arts movie scenes like the bamboo forest also get featured in this movie , though the forest did look a bit sparse , since it was filmed in a sound stage . Added to the fight scenes was a demonstration of superb " qing-gong " ( light-skill , fleet-footedness ) by Fang Gang , though the wire work used was extremely elementary , and came across quite laughably . Back in those days , this sequence would have been da bomb though . The story's nothing to shout about - it has almost every thematic element that you'd expect from a martial arts movie , and classic scene settings like forests and inns . But it sure is one heck of a fun ride - bigger , bolder , badder than the original , with a lot more disposable characters for the body count . Code 3 DVD extras contains a pretty weak lineup of only the trailer ( and trailers for other movies ) , colour stills , the poster , selected cast and crew biography and filmography , and a one screen production notes . The DVD for the original seemed better and more thorough .
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514,565 | 317,399 | 1,024,255 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Wild Child
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I guess Emma Roberts ' more memorable role was taking on the iconic Nancy Drew character , but now she exchanges those sleuthing skills and good manners for spoilt brat antics . Swinging from one end of the spectrum of an ideal kid to a spoilt and bratty one , her Poppy Moore character in Wild Child is a rich kid who has issues with discipline because she thinks she could get her way with her devil may care attitude and wads of cash . With her relationship with her father going to the doldrums , she gets shipped off to an English boarding school in an effort to be schooled in the prim and proper , and thus sets up plenty of room for your typical fish out of water story . Naturally as the loner who stands out because of her rather uncouth behaviour and fashion sense , this was somewhat a throw back to The House Bunny , where the protagonist is clearly out of place , and remains to be seen if it is herself who would be assimilated into the norm , or if she could be the trend-setter and begin a serious case of behavioural osmosis . For starters , this is clearly chick flick territory , with all characters being girls ( it's set in an all girls boarding school ) and the only male supporting characters happened to be her dad ( Aidan Quinn ) , the school principal's son Freddie ( Alex Pettyfer ) for romantic purposes , and Nick Frost who cameos as a small town hairstylist . So you can imagine the amount of bitching that would go around in the film , where Poppy offends the head student on her first day on multiple fronts , thereby starting off some serious personal vendetta issues . Or how Poppy is initially unwelcome by everyone in her dormitory because her stubbornness got them all detention , before they decide to assist her in a win-win situation - getting her expelled so that she could return home . Wild Child is surprisingly entertaining with a good story to tell , even though it's the usual about having friends for life versus the superficial ones that one tend to meet from time to time . I guess for parents this could be one of those child-safe movies to bring their kids to , and hopefully to have some of its positive messages rub off on their kids . Written by Lucy Dahl , daughter of the renowned Roald Dahl , that credit alone provided some interest in this movie , despite the story and plot development being nothing unusual and being very predictable . But I guess predictability could still work if the ensemble cast delivered their roles convincingly , which they do , and with any movie that deals with friendship and one targetted at children , this is as plain sailing a movie as it can get - nobody dies , everyone becomes friends , tense situations get diffused amicably , and there's plenty of BFF-love to go around .
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514,846 | 317,399 | 465,580 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Push
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Push is one of those movies that gives you the deja-vu feeling that it's a quick hack job , because from the trailer alone , images of X-men as well as Star Wars come racing through your mind , what with talk about being born with special powers akin to being a mutant wanted by government agents , as well as in execution of those abilities as fluidly like a Jedi Knight would , with mind-tricks , Force Push and a prophecy to fulfil . It takes place in today's world , where some folks get to be born with powers that The Division ( aka the Dark Side ) classifies into broad terms like Pushers , Movers , Watchers , Sniffs , Shadows , Shifters , Wipers and Bleeders . Naturally there are good and bad guys within those classes , and The Division are a select few who have government backing to operate like Nazis and conduct experiments to make them all stronger , for weaponization ( yes , the DNA of the USA is to weaponize everything ) . The good guys though are not organized and are forever on the run from The Division , until a few of them decide to band together and fight for their rights . At least that would be a tad more interesting . Instead , we get a grouping of half-past-six heroes who have idled their potential and not honed it to perfection . Chris Evans ' Nick Gant is a drifter who spends his time trying to hone his powers to win in illegal street gambling . He's a mover , and one day gets found out by Dakota Fanning's Watcher just because she sees him in her hallucinatory state from the impressionistic pictures she constantly draws on a sketch pad . A lotus prophecy ( it's set in Hong Kong you see ) tells this second-generation power couple to band together in their common quest to find Kira Hudson ( Camilla Belle ) , a one time ex-flame of Nick's , and a mysterious briefcase , where by their powers and artifacts combine , they can bring down The Division , kinda like a solo shot in the dark to blow up the Death Star . Only that the promise doesn't actually get delivered because Push decided to dwell a lot on the bickering and planning stage , while leaving the intended finale either forgotten conveniently , or set aside for a straight to DVD sequel . So what makes this interesting ? Apparently I got my kicks out of watching the characters here struggle with their Cantonese . And as an action movie , it sure does have its moments , especially with that street-fighter enhanced fistfight between Nick Gant and what could possibly be The Division's most powerful Mover / Grunt Victor ( Neil Jackson ) . Djimon Hounsou plays the meanest badass in the movie with Push powers , able to command the weakest of minds ( read : supporting characters ) to do his bidding . His Henry Carver came across as a poor man's Samuel L . Jackson , and only SLJ can do what SLJ does best - be a mofo . Camilla Belle got wasted here as a damsel in distress , exhibiting some surprise moves once in a while ( and even that had implanted doubts ) , but generally nothing more than a flower vase . Dakota Fanning isn't new to the action movie genre since she had her firm grounding learning from Tom Cruise on how to run with fear ( thanks to War of the Worlds ) . I admire the now teenager in trying to put into good use her acting chops here , but the filmmakers decided to make her Cassie Holmes suffer a bad hair day throughout . Also , this film had exposed one of her flaws - while she's a good actress and all , she cannot play intoxicated ( teenage drinking to boost powers , hooray ) . Her drunkenness was one of the most unconvincing I've seen put on screen , and she too nearly wanted to break into laughter at her inability . Filmed entirely in Hong Kong , I caught glimpse from the end credits that Johnnie To and Milkyway got credited for the production . I guess if you want to film Hong Kong in a certain style , there's only the current Hot Property to turn to for consultation . Also , DOP Peter Sova had some very obvious use of the fish-eye lens that seem to mimic that of Christopher Doyle's in Fallen Angels . Most of the Chinese characters here are pretty weak , and not to mention unintentionally hilarious as well , with their shout-down powers of Pop Boy 1 ( Chi Kwan Fung ) and 2 ( Jacky Heung ) and a far superior Watcher ( Lu Lu ) trying to gain a one up against The Division through triad-styled turf wars . The plot might seem a little muddled as it tried hard to sound intelligent , and there are some illogical moments with characters popping up and about , coupled with some really tired and uninspiring lines and unclear character motivation . Not that it was an unentertaining film , it actually is . However , it's a movie purely for escapism purposes , this might just be a quick fix to your X-men addiction , if you look too much into it that you see the glaring loopholes that is .
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514,798 | 317,399 | 1,067,086 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Sweet Rain / Accuracy of Death
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The first thing that comes screaming to your mind when you come to know of this movie , is MEET JOE BLACK , yes in caps , and a nagging feeling that it's a rip off / copycat coming some 10 years after that Hollywood movie . Although this is based on the Japanese novel by Kotaro Isaka , you can't help but to ponder upon the similarities between the two movies . And it seems that Death / Grim Reaper , besides having a liking for black suits ( for obvious reasons ) , also have a liking for putting on pretty-boy faces . From Brad Pitt to Takeshi Kaneshiro here , the full house today was likely to be attributed to the many fan girls who were squealing their way through the movie each time Kaneshiro appeared on screen . I suspect if Death really looked like that , these girls would gladly spend 7 days with the good looking stranger , only to have him decide if they should fulfill their destiny and die , or be passed-over because of unfinished business . And there'll be a queue that will scream " Take Me , Please ! " So the Grim Reaper acts like a judge , taking his limited time in between getting to know the mark , with listening to music in record stores , one of his , and the pastime too of many peer Reapers . Kaneshiro calls himself Mr Chiba , and walks the mortal realm when he's given a mission of assessment , accessed through a door from the nether realms which opens up to the specific location where the mark is . And it really contains no surprise , even right from the start , where you'll know just whose door has Death come knocking upon . Armed with a deathly , though temporal , touch , he has to cover his hands in gloves lest he accidentally puts someone into comatose , which becomes his weapon of choice in self - protection , and the protection of others . And to think that he has roamed our world enough to know the intricacies and antics of us human beings , Sweet Rain still contains enough juvenile jokes when he has to tussle with phrases unfamiliar to him , especially when they have double meanings , or make figurative references , and of course , the fan girls just love it when Kaneshiro provides his puppy dog look when he becomes confused and seeks clarification . As a feature length movie , it's really made up of three distinct acts , and the middle one suffered through a whole emotional and narrative disconnect from the other two , with slow pacing and uninteresting yakuza characters to fill time . The main mark of this movie is Manami Konishi's Kazue Fujiki , a girl who works at the complaints department who is a classic down and out loner with few friends , no objective and goals in life , and keeps getting harassed by this middle aged man over the phone who persists in getting her to answer his queries , and strange requests . I thought the strength of the movie was in the lengths it took to establish Chiba's relationship with Manami , though credit to the story that it wasn't a rehash of Meet Joe Black by the time the ending rolled over . Manami Konishi's portrayal was also a departure from her sprightly turn in Udon , but ventured close to her role in Retribution / Sakebi , but hey , Chiba hit the mark when he said she looked prettier when she smiled , given that she's brooding in the movie most of the time . So I shan't spoil the story by recounting what happened in each act , but suffice to say that this movie is beautifully shot against a backdrop of rainy days which Chiba seemed cursed to work under each time he visits our world , but he's not lonely in his mission with the black pet mongrel who shadows him , and thankfully , doesn't speak out like what Hollywood would do , but communicate telepathically with Chiba , and through subtitles with us mortal folks .
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515,361 | 317,399 | 473,308 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Waitress
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The late writer-director Adrienne Shelly's Waitress is a fine quirky film . But I have to admit one of the prime reasons for my catching this movie , is that it stars Keri Russell . Somehow I didn't find her all that attractive during her Felicity days , but my , how have things changed , and her very short role in M : I : III was somewhat a pity . Here , she plays the lead role as Jenna , a waitress at a pie diner , who's secretly wishing to save enough money to get away from a miserable life . And what a miserable life that is . Stuck in an unhappy marriage , her life is the home to work to home cycle , putting up with customers in the diner , but worse , having to tolerate her husband Earl ( Jeremy Sisto ) and his nonsense . A possessive , insecure man , he controls Jenna , even as ridiculous as the things she has to say to him , and makes life an emotional , and sometimes physical hell for her . Your blood will just boil when you see the kind of treatment he dishes out , especially the miscellaneous blackmailing techniques . But Jenna's thoughts and plans of escape get put on hold as she becomes pregnant . And having secret desires with a newcomer doctor Dr . Pomatter ( Nathan Fillion of Serenity ) just happens to complicate things , not that he's a good looker , but finally here's someone who lends a listening ear , but wait , is also married ! The story dwells upon life in general , and the choices and decisions one makes , and I thought for a moment it nearly gone into Little Children territory . Waitress contains a lot of charm , in having the good looking leads in Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion play off each other . Those into bakery will also be smiling at the numerous pies that Jenna bakes , whose ingredients and inspiration come from her life situations and events . Andy Griffith , whom I have watched as a boy his television series Matlock , lends himself to a role as Old Joe , who owns the pie diner , a fussy man who dictates his every wish at the diner , but one who also dispenses invaluable everyday life advice to Jenna when she needed it most . But as much as I like the many characters in the movie , I still take my hat off to Jeremy Sisto's Earl , as the asshat husband . Those who behave like he does ought to be ashamed , and it's a constant reminder never to degenerate into a complete prick like he is . It makes a wonderful date movie this week , even though it's not a romance movie per se and is heavy on dialogue . But definitely one of the major issues raised and as observed here , is for the guys to take stock of our behaviour when dealing with our loved ones . This , despite Waitress being a chick flick .
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515,235 | 317,399 | 482,930 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Dragon Tiger Gate
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Adapting comic book story lines into feature films is not new in Hong Kong , and adapting styles from how Hollywood does things , isn't new to the industry either . The opening credits of the comic-book flipping sequence seem to announce that this movie is aping the standards set on comic book films in the West , as well as to set expectations straight that whatever is played out is pure fantasy , not Oscar winning material . Dragon Tiger Gate is sheer Hong Kong fantasy martial arts indulgence . Not every movie in this genre makes the grade though . Feng Yun ( Stormriders ) was probably the pioneer with its fusion of fantasy martial arts moves and special effects , but while it proved successful at the box office , purist condemned ( don't they always ) the storyline for bastardizing and summarizing its rich pulp history beyond recognition . It's tough to extract the essence into a 90 minute movie , and others like Zhong Hua Ying Xiong ( A Man Called Hero ) failed miserably , even with its effects which turned out laughable . The effects in Dragon Tiger Gate has shown a lot of improvement where Hong Kong movies are concerned , with digitized landscapes blending perfectly in scenes . The fights were effectively enhanced with plenty of CG , as well as good old reliable wirework . But nothing beats having well choreographed fist fights ( by Donnie Yen ) or just unadulterated martial arts showcase of skills such as the use of the nunchakus . Jazzed up with a Japanese influenced soundtrack , the action bits are the highlight of the movie , as the rest of the dialogue laden scenes were insipid and unfortunately applied too much brakes on the pace of the movie . Donnie Yen and Nicholas Tse play brothers Dragon and Tiger ( in Chinese mythology , this combination is very fierce , OK ? ) and together with their friend Black Dragon ( Shawn Yue ) , they make good commercial role models for hair gel . OK , so I can't help it but to poke some fun at their long hair in the movie , providing ample opportunity for the use of what I call the hair - dryer effect - Strike a killer pose , cue strong wind to blow their hair from their face . Tiger belongs to an aged old martial arts school known as Dragon Tiger Gate , while Dragon , separated from Tiger when young , gets involved with triads work , against his principles . Black Dragon on the other hand , is a braggart who became humbled when he visits Dragon Tiger Gate to learn new skills . Together , they go up against a Japanese secret society headed by a formidable villain called Shibumi . There are plenty of elements typical of a Hong Kong action movie , especially with the relationships with the opposite sex , like the token evil female character Luosha who falls in love with Dragon , in an uninspiring romance bit with a self-sacrificial theme , as well as the token goody-two-shoes female character Ma Xiaoling , the daughter of Dragon's triad benefactor who finds Tiger attractive . The much touted Guiness Book of World Records sandbag , was much ado about nothing . All it had was a brief 10 second appearance , from a wide angled shot which does not do justice to its enormous size , and then quickly forgotten . If given the opportunity , I won't mind watching this again just for the action bits and fast forwarding through the slow dialogue pieces . Also , watching it in its original Cantonese track will always be preferred , and in this one , Louis Koo actually provided the voice-over for the chief villain . Talk about unknowns providing the Mandarin voiceovers . Yuck .
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515,520 | 317,399 | 443,632 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The Sentinel
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At first glance , this film looks like the Keifer Sutherland series 24 for the big screen . With the focus on a plot to assassinate the President of the United States , a race against time , and plenty of Secret Service agents , the agency under the spotlight in The Sentinel . But wait , the protagonist turns out to be Michael Douglas ' character Pete Garrison instead , a veteran Secret Service agent famed for taking the bullet for Reagan in 1981 . The SS agents are specially trained to " take the bullet " , which is what makes them special - who in the right mind will put themselves in the line of a bullet and a target ? But Garrison gets implicated in the assassination plot , and has to run for his life while at the same time doing his bit of investigations into the plot . All this because of his failure in a polygraph test , due to his adulterous banging of the First Lady ( Kim Basinger ) . Tsk . There are shades of Clint Eastwood's In the Line of Fire . Both featured aging actors , and aging veteran has-been heroes with a bit of a historical reference , who took the bullet in their respective tours of duty . While Eastwood's movie has a more enigmatic villain in John Malkovich , The Sentinel suffered from its lack of a central strong villain , preferring to share the assassination responsibility amongst many forgettable ex-KGB villains , and the mole within the Presidential Detail . With Douglas on the run from the law , he becomes similar to Dr . Richard Kimble of The Fugitive , hunting the proverbial one-armed man while at the same time , relying on his smarts to outwit fellow agents , which turned out to be quite interesting to watch - despite slick processes , it still boils down to the performance and gullibility of individual agents . Keifer Sutherland and Eva Longoria , top TV stars of today from 24 and Desperate Housewives , get relegated into support roles as the Secret Service investigators who are looking into Garrison's probable involvement in the assassination plot , and at times seem to have lept off the pages of CSI with their forensics skills . The beautiful couple had chemistry that could have resembled X-Files ' Fox Mulder and Dana Scully , but alas these two had very little to do here . We know the reason why they're in the movie , and that is to get their fans into the theatres . Also , Longoria's role seemed unable to shake off her sexy-mama Gabrielle , and here , has her in fairly low cut blouses ( Sutherland actually tells her to cover up ) and tight pants ( ogle-fest for fellow agents ) . Nonetheless , it's still a pretty interesting look into the lives of probably the most highly charged and tense protection detail in the world , and the typical threats that they face daily , including the following up on every nutcase's threat on the life of the most powerful man in the world . It's a decent suspense and investigative thriller , with enough subplots to keep you entertained . But one thing though , like most ending action sequences , this one has a big enough loophole for you to fly a jumbo jet through .
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514,635 | 317,399 | 484,740 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Love in the Time of Cholera
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Now we all know the horror stories that come with long distance relationships , and sometimes absence doesn't make the heart grow fonder . For Florentina's case , efforts by his mother ( Fernanda Montenegro ) to make him forget and move on were to no avail , as he degenerates into a sobbing wreck . It seems that to overcome love once was , and to move on , has to come from within . How long can one wait ? In my case , it might be around 5 years before you realize you're a dumb fool , and you'll probably find some means to channel your energies and keep yourself distracted . All 51 years , 9 months and 4 days ! Of course this is fiction , so the longer the duration , the spicier his life for a story becomes . In his effort to try and distract himself , he becomes the quintessential Don Juan Casanova , when he discovers the joy to bodily explosions to drown his sorrows . Yes you heard me right , that's why this movie garners an M18 rating here . And his character provides interesting insights to those who can probably identify with the pain of having being let go and rejected by his first love on the fly , without explanation , without seeing it coming . Spurned by love , his infatuation brings him to want to compete and upgrade himself socially as well , to want to be the best , and liken himself to be that catch that got away . However this is not only a story about Florentina , but also about his love Fermina . For reasons somewhat unexplained , her moving on and marriage to a doctor ( played by Benjamin Bratt ) seem to be constant fuel for Florentina as he resorts to having a stalker tendency , curious to find out how the love of his life once is up to now . Little glances around town , without her reciprocation , seem to be sufficient . While he had wished in all earnestness that she has a happy / happier life without him , Fermina's portion of the story dwells on the fact that all is not as smooth as one would expect , bringing about a little sense of that probable regret in making the wrong move , and some nagging " what-ifs " . Director Mike Newell's movie is rich in its sets , and no effort spared in the technical aspects of it , recreating some really wonderful moments of the era of steamboats together with an emotive score . The movie also marks original song contributions by Shakira , but unfortunately the few contributions were reduced to mere scattered portions , not a complete song . The makeup was also stunning in making the youthful actors age ( we're talking about 50 years , so what do you expect ? ) , which lend some accentuation to the actor's performance . I thought Javier Bardem was pitch perfect as the Romeo turned Casanova , a pained man who seeks immediate short term pleasure , consistently , while we know that beneath his playboy facade is a man who's been terribly hurt , and is somewhat still yearning for any moment where he can be together with his true love . However , the plot and his character toward the final act made him seemed too vengeful despite his sincerity , in having a sole objective of wanting to put his banana into the fruit bowl . Giovanna Mezzogiomo started off quite plainly , but as the story developed , so could we watch her character grow from strength to strength given limited screen time . Love in the Time of Cholera is a love story with an epic scale , a tale of two lovers who just could have been should circumstances allow , but had to take more than 50 years to make something out of it , starting very early with being apart even during their budding years . It might not be touching enough to warrant any tears , given the protagonist here is a jilted man rather than a woman who will probably deserve our sympathy , however , it serves to remind all those out there who are still holding candles , while you keep the memories you share , you should not forget to snuff out the flame , and move on for sanity's sake .
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515,218 | 317,399 | 419,749 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Find Me Guilty
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We're all familiar with Vin Diesel being the new action hero , with his buffed muscular body , bald pate , gruff voice and his high octane movies like Fast and the Furious and xXx . He took a different path into comedy with The Pacifier , and now , into drama with Find Me Guilty . How did he fair ? Pretty good , in spite of the focus being on his new look hairdo and belly ( ok , so it's prosthetics and makeup assisted ) . Playing a real life mobster Jack DiNorscio , and the true story of his defense of himself in court without a lawyer , in an extremely long trial spanning 21 months , where it's the US Government versus the Lucchese crime family . The movie started off promisingly with a tense scene classic of any mafia movies , that of a hit job , though it's laced with some unexpected humour . Alas , just as you thought the movie will go uphill from then on , it actually stalled and cruised along , before tapering from the halfway mark until the end . Diesel as DiNorscio deftly balanced dramatics with flair for comedy , labelling himself as a " gagster " rather than a " gangster " , inevitably forming a bond with the jurors of the case , getting into the skin of the prosecutors and having a hard time convincing his fellow chums that his loyalties still lie with the family , that he'll never rat them out or knowingly jeopardize their chances in court . However , amongst his buddies , he fared the worst , having to defend himself in court and go home to his jail cell , where he's still serving time . It's a bit like doing your all for your family , but yet experiencing a non-reciprocal feeling from them . You probably won't care much for the other characters , consisting of many minor role hoodlums and their numerous legal representatives . Perhaps the only other role having prominence is Ron Silver's Judge Finestein , who has to precede over this gruelling cast and at the same time reining in DiNorscio's antics . Although this movie boasts the using of actual court transcripts for its dialogue , there are not enough compelling arguments , objections , challenges and square offs . Rather , the movie zooms by quite quickly to the basic significant courtroom sessions - it's obvious you can't cover 21 months worth of material in 2 hours . So for those eager to watch top-notch courtroom drama , you might go away a little disappointed , but if you buy into Vin Diesel's charm , and of course for Vin Diesel fans , you might go away enjoying every moment of his screen presence .
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515,230 | 317,399 | 291,579 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) He Loves Me . . . He Loves Me Not
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This is a relatively short movie , and to dwell on it too much might just take away the enjoyment of discovering what the story has to say . The tagline's quite apt for this movie - Every love story has two sides . So you might think that you love someone , and how sure are you about that feeling ? And to the other person , does he / she feel the same , and reciprocate ? It might be a bad case of infatuation , lust , or just plain miscommunication and misinterpretation of mixed or wrong signals . Audrey Tautou plays Angelique , an arts student who is in love with a doctor Loic . Problem is , the doc's married and his wife is expecting a baby . The premise already hints of an unconventional love story , that from the point of view of " the other woman " , who in her own reasoning , doesn't see herself as a family wrecker . And of course it's all too easy to blame Loic as the cad who can't keep his trousers zipped . Did I already mention that this is an unconventional love story ? If you think that the above premise is nothing new ( since it's done to death in various drama serials ) , this film pulls the rug from right under your feet , by having go back in time ( like , literally rewinding ! ) , and watching the entire sequence of events again from Loic's point of view . Without spoiling it at all for you , I can say any audience will be in for a bit of a surprise , along the lines of perception , gestures , body language , as well as having a mystery built into the narrative . Things are not quite what they seem , especially when that strong emotion called Love comes into the scheme of things . It's a major departure , at least for me , to see Audrey Tautou take on a role like this . I think she already has this quirky sweetie pie image projected from her Amelie days , and this role was something vastly different . A refreshing change , though she still maintains those whimsical forlorn gaze from her huge eyes , and that I so adore ( hmm . . . think I am starting to have this thing for eyes now . . . . ) It's not a feel good romance in that sense , but one which demonstrates that Love has this ability to captivate you , and probably make you behave in some irrational manner . Although this one takes that notion to the extreme , you can't help but wonder , isn't that what stalkers do all the time ?
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514,873 | 317,399 | 890,870 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Saw IV
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For fans of the Saw trilogy , you'd thought that the end of the third installment had wrapped up the franchise quite neatly , and there's absolutely no way another movie can be made except to go backwards in time with prequels . Well , surprise surprise , director Darren Lynn Bousman brings forth the fourth movie of the franchise , and so long as it continues to churn profits , you can bet your last dollar this isn't the last you see of the Saw movies . To be cautious , here's a little spoiler warning for you if you decide to read further . And one reminder , please refresh your memory of the earlier Saw movies , especially Parts II and III , before you go for 4 . This is the beginning of a new franchise so to speak , with the obvious signs that it has attempted to be all encompassing , being a little timid to boldly create something fresh with a new direction , as it had to still fall back on Jigsaw to provide some stability first . And from the get go , Saw IV never lets up on the blood , starting the movie with plenty of plasma , and scenes directly reminding me of Unrest , with an autopsy being performed on our favourite cinematic serial killer . But things are always not quite they seem , especially when the signature tune gets played . As I mentioned , Saw IV goes for a two-pronged approach . One , to continue exactly where it left off from Part III , and thereby reintroducing us to characters and their demise from the earlier installment , and the constant mystery of just who exactly was the mantle passed on to , given this becoming a plot point left dangling . Two , given the relative successful creation of the enigmatic Jigsaw , now comes the time to fill up on the meat to his background story that we get a glimpse into from the past movies . In parts , this was like an origin story , about who he is , what he does , which circumstances occurred and drove him over the edge , and what actually provided that spark to his devilish creations and philosophy of twisted chance . I had mixed feelings for this movie , as I would for almost all movies caught in the middle of different methodologies and approaches . What I liked , was this origin portion , although it was played out sporadically , and left you clamouring for more . We even get to see Jigsaw's earliest designs , which were quite primitive but no less effective , and his pioneer victim , thus appreciating how complex the later traps have evolved , but yet keeping to his mantra and modus operandi , an immensely important part which distinguishes this villain from others . What I didn't appreciate , and this was in part due to the earlier movies with recurring and surviving characters , was that they all get lumped together here in too big a life-and-death game boiling down on coincidence and plenty of sheer luck . It was a necessary evil though involving so many characters , to keep you constantly guessing until the last minute , and to close up all the gaps that the earlier movies posed , so as to set the stage and move the franchise forward , probably in a different way in Saw V . You will be confused if you haven't seen the earlier films . This film is not standalone , and is very much integral to all the earlier stories . If you go into this fresh , you will not know who's who , and what's what , and will definitely be confused and not appreciate anything beyond the bloody creative traps . For those who have seen the earlier movies ( Part II in 2005 , Part III in 2006 ) you might have forgotten certain details , but fret not , just pay healthy attention to the dialogue , and keep your eyes peeled during the flashbacks , and you should do just fine . Saw has come a long way from being just a cleverly played out movie in one critical locale with just 2 players duking it out , and with the ditching of the iconic grimy toilet for Saw IV , it's an indication that it wants to shed itself of past inhibitions . While the key figure might have met his demise , he had already set in motion his ideas and philosophy that have its fair share of supporters , and the concept will outlast the man himself . What Saw had spawned was a series of torture porn movies ( Turistas , Hostel franchise , Wolf Creek , the list goes on ) , but what makes it truly memorable , is how easily its ideology gets transplanted to other wannabes , and as a sign of it reaching legendary and cult status , its momentous theme song is one of a kind .
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515,505 | 317,399 | 69,518 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) The New One-Armed Swordsman ( 1971 )
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I can't remember the details behind the reason why Wang Yu left the franchise , but Chang Cheh replaced him with David Chiang in the titular role , and of course it's a totally new character , having his own motivations and background , as compared to Yu's Fang Gang . Written by Ni Kuang ( author of HK's popular Wesley science fiction series ) , the new one - armed swordsman is now Lei Li ( Chiang ) , an arrogant young swordsman whose specialty is his " yuan-yang " double swords . A hotheaded , up and coming hero , a diabolical plot was hatched by Lung I Ching , a veteran swordsman in the martial arts world , to keep these young upstarts at bay . With his three-joint-poles , which always seem to defy gravity , he schemes and manages to duel with Lei Li , defeating him and caused Li's arm to be chopped off . Herein lies the difference between this One Armed Swordsman , and the original Fang Gang . Fang Gang had lost his arm because someone else hacked it off in a fit of rage . Here , Lei Li actually gambled with his arm - the loser of the duel would have to remove it , and retire from " society " . While Fang Gang had to learn his martial arts all over again , Lei Li was already skilled with his left hand , because he was originally ambidextrous . Also , Fang Gang's weapon of choice is his father's iconic broken sword , Lei Li doesn't seem to have any preference , and could fight with any . While there is a token romance with the daughter of a village blacksmith , the introduction of a special sword didn't seem to auger well , and it didn't last - it lacked something special , be it emotions or prowess , and seemed too generic . Anyway , I can't help but to chuckle at Ti Lung's character Feng Chun-Chieh , also a young upcoming swordsman who uses two swords . Chun-Chieh and Lei Li formed a sense of brotherhood when the former protected the latter from bullies , only because the latter doesn't wish to use his martial arts skills anymore . They become fast friends , but from the way their scenes were shot - the numerous hugs , back-slapping , arm holding , eyes longing , you might be expecting one of them to say that if only he knew how to quit the other . That aside , you'd come to expect the usual ketchup blood laden violence which have become the hallmarks of Chang Cheh's swordfighting movies . Here , it doesn't get any less bloody , and scenes can be quite graphic with the numerous decapitations of limbs , and one really interesting decapitation of half a human body , across the waist . There are plenty of set action pieces , like that iconic fight on the bridge with many footsoldiers simultaneously . Scenes like these are what Tarantino adopted in his homage Kill Bill double feature , where the hero goes on an unstoppable roaring rampage . Though I must admit the introductory fights don't contribute much to the plot - just there for the sake of showing off what Lei Li can achieve . All in all , it's great fun , just to watch what our parents were watching as they grew up , and comparing these films to the standards of today . While cheesy , the good old classics stand out for their groundbreaking effort in those days , to bring us what has evolved till now . Code 3 DVD contains minimal extras , just one trailer , a photo gallery , the original poster , one general paragraph passing off as production notes , a biography and selected filmography of the cast and crew .
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514,658 | 317,399 | 216,866 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Labu dan Labi
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Labu dan Labi tells the tale of the cook ( Labu ) and the driver ( Labi , played by Ramlee himself ) of a stingy poker Haji Bakhil ( and translated as such too ) . Each harbours affections for Bakhil's daughter Manisah , but the main obstacle is of course Bakhil himself , who'll only approve his daughter marrying a rich man . While the beginning was at risk of sliding into boredom , the movie picks up pace when the two servants start to day-dream ( and often cross into each other's dream ) about the good life , one as a magistrate , the other a doctor . And some dreams were fantasy and zany , like the Cowboy and the Tarzan scenes . At this point , it sort of reminded me of the various set pieces in Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , in the way the narrative progressed . There's a hilarious touch on the supernatural as well , like the engaging of bomohs , and watch out though , there's gonna be a rug pulled under your feet if you're not alert : - ) The introduction is shot in an earnest way , with each character narrating their backgrounds straight at the camera , engaging the audience , as if it was a play . There are moments in the film too , where this technique is being used . Speaking of plays , besides the introduction where actual scenic shots of old Singapore were captured ( like Middle Road , Capitol Theatre , Victoria Memorial Hall ) , film sets were obviously built for Bakhil's house , complete with fake backdrop , and the interiors for the nightclub scene . Transitions were tacky , using the clock at the Victoria Memorial Hall tower to tell the time in which the next scene takes place . Compared to movies of today , you can tell how much this film has aged from the sets built and techniques used . However , these do not take away the enjoyment of the film .
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514,919 | 317,399 | 300,471 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Shanghai Knights
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OK , I'll mention not of the bland storyline , not of the kung-fu action ( Jackie Chan seems to be a tad slower these days don't you think ? ) , not of the infamous ooh-la-la licking scene where a sultry Fann licks Owen . This review will focus on the gags . Yup , you got me . The gags , without which , the film will never be the same : 1 . The ( mis ) pronounciation of Chon Wang as John Wayne ( ok , this is carried over from the first film ) 2 . How Roy creates Sherlock Holmes ! 3 . How the aspiring police inspector-writer happened to be Sir Arthur Conan Doyle , and how he got knighted ! 4 . How Roy unwittingly gave away his creation Sherlock Holmes to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ( haha ! ) 5 . Charlie Chaplin appears in the show ! ( yeah , he's the kid you see in the trailers ! ) Now you know where he got his inspiration from ! 6 . Wonder what happened to Jack the Ripper ? Fann has the answer ! 7 . Automobiles are a weird invention , Roy ? However , nothing much can be said of your investments in zeppelins : P 8 . Moving pictures present a good investment opportunity And yes , stay on after the film ends . The outtakes , as usual , are always hilarious .
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514,539 | 317,399 | 60,153 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Batman ( 1996 )
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BAM POW ZAP Who can forget the letters splashed across the screen each time Batman and Robin sucker-punch villains in the 60s Batman television serial ? Forget Christian Bale's accurate portrayal of the Dark Knight . This is Adam West's camp version of the character in the 1960s , and together with " holy-spewing " Robin , they ham it up with their classic chemistry on screen as the dynamic duo . Taking on a total of four villains , The Joker ( Cesar Romero ) , Penguin ( Burgess Meredith ) , Catwoman ( Lee Meriwether taking the place of Julie Newmar ) and The Riddler ( Frank Gorshin ) , the dynamic duo battles their evil plans , on world domination by capturing the Security Council of the UN . But getting there and having their diabolical plot materialize is a test of patience , as the plot seemed to beat about the bush . With a bigger budget to work with , we actually get to see various inane gadgets ( which are dated nonetheless ) , and vehicles like the well-known Batmobile , Batboat , Batcopter , and Batcycle . Certain aspects of the series are migrated to the movie as well , like the weird camera angles , and the walk - up - the - side - of - the - building - with - a - batrope sequence . Corny dialogue delivered with straight laced faces , perhaps this movie is strictly for bat-fans ( to watch for the sake of completion ) , and fans of the 60s serial . The true gems in the DVD are the documentaries and the audio commentary by Adam West and Burt Ward . It's amazing how they've aged gracefully , with Ward putting on visible pounds in his cheeks . They share various anecdotes on the casting and shooting of the film , which any bat-trivia enthusiast will lap up with glee . Code 1 DVD extras : Audio commentary , trailer , and various documentaries like the Tour of the Batmobile , and Batman Featurette .
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514,431 | 317,399 | 445,609 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : One Last Dance
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The first local production for this year , it's a movie made with an international cast and crew , most notably , Asian film stars in Francis Ng , Ti Lung and Vivian Hsu , with a guest appearance by Harvey Keitel as an Italian mobster . It's no surprise that Raintree Pictures , in a bid to go regional and international , is holding nothing back to attract local and foreign talent to get them involved in locally produced movies . And I guess One Last Dance is such a fine example , helmed by upcoming Brazilian director Max Makowski . I would liked to have loved this movie wholeheartedly , but it's not an easy movie to follow , especially when it keeps to its tagline that it's a story made up of different jigsaw pieces , each telling a story of its own . There are many seemingly disparate scenes glued together thinly , and it'll be easy for the ordinary viewer , especially one with little patience , to get lost within the plot . The dialogue too seemed stifled , and sometimes you wonder just what the characters are driving at . The draw of this movie no doubt is Francis Ng . He's the " mental " guy who's truly deft in playing crazed characters , be they good or evil . Here , he's the calm , collected , and uber ruthless hit-man with a penchant for chess and never walks around with a loaded gun . He accepts deals anonymously via red " angpaos " dropped into a mailbox , containing just names of the prey ( though you wonder how he actually gets paid ) . His opposite number is film legend Ti Lung , with whom he spars verbally , and on the chessboard . Forget about the other stars , as they are mostly bit parts , and the beautiful Vivian Hsu reduced to a pedestrian in a role that could have been played by any mediocre local actress . However , do keep a lookout for Joseph Quek . I'm surprised that he managed to snag a meaty role , and this will mark his second big screen outing after The High Cost of Living . Surely , an actor to keep tabs on , if he stars in subsequent movies . And I love the music , especially the theme song Broken Orange . It's now my earworm , and it constantly gets played over and over again in my head . The movie opens with the song , though I was perturbed that what was sung totally was out of sync with the English subtitles shown on screen , in an attempt to explain the meaning . Another pity too is that we got to watch the movie in the dubbed Mandarin track instead of its original Cantonese glory . I still rue for the day when HK movies are allowed to be shown in its native tongue , and get classified as a " foreign " movie , as do the French , German , Russian , Japanese , Korean , etc which do not get dubbed at all here . To make up for a relatively simple plot ( when all is finally revealed ) , the movie relies heavily on its slick editing techniques to splice the narrative together . However , the CGI blood splatterfest seemed too artificial , as I thought the good ol ' blood pack will suffice and still maintain certain visual beauty to it all . It almost lived up to its hype , but if you're a fan of Francis Ng , then my recommendation is to watch it . And don't be a dumb dork - stay until the end of the credits for THE GEM OF A SCENE . Many people during the gala didn't bother , what a pity !
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514,648 | 317,399 | 449,951 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Ghajini DV
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So the dust is beginning to settle for A . R . Murugadoss ' Ghajini starring Aamir Khan , given that it had broken , and is still continuing to rake in stellar box office receipt records for a Bollywood movie around the world . For me , it piqued my interest enough to revisit his 2005 Tamil version starring Surya Sivakumar in the lead role , with Asin who also starred in both versions as Kalpana , and Pradeep Singh Rawat as the villain , curiously not called Ghajini here , but Laxman . I shall leave comparisons with Christopher Nolan's Memento unmentioned because I've done so with my earlier review of Ghajini ( 2008 ) . Instead I shall focus more on the similarities and differences in the Murugadoss films , since he crafted both the screenplay and dialogue , and directed both movies with predominantly the same leads , save for the protagonist Sanjay Ramasamy ( Surya Sivakumar ) inflicted with short term memory loss . The opening credits stayed similar , and for the first half hour , I thought I would be watching the same 2008 movie all over again . I see the same policeman ( Riyaz Khan ) going through the same investigations and employing tactics seen before , and even the scene transitions relied on the same time lapse technique already seen . The structure of the story remained for at least two-thirds of the film , and especially the romance between Kalpana and Sanjay , except for distinct differences such as the knowledge of who the chief villain is with the possession of the all important polaroid , and spending some time showing how Sanjay had tattooed himself with the clues . While it may be easy to work on a remake , given that you're basically rehashing what you've done before , and more so with experienced actors in the same role again , it is easy to free fall into complacency and to go through the motions with your own remake especially . But kudos to Murugadoss for identifying plot loopholes , and to make changes for the better in the Hindi version , rather than to import such flaws wholesale into the new movie . Obviously the production values were ramped up significantly from this version , but that's not the only thing that had improved . as was the editing . The pace here is pretty much slower , and had plenty of fat which were removed in the latest version . Tweaks were done for the better in the latest , especially so in the editing department to gel scenes together much more effectively . Here , you get abrupt jumps and cuts , so the narrative turned out to be a bit choppy at times , especially so when it's time for the rudimentary song and dance sequence which pops out from almost nowhere . Sorely missed were the daily routine that Sanjay would have to relive everyday , which I thought was an important scene to reinforce his difficulty in trying to hunt down the gangsters . The final act turned out to be an all out whackfest without too much thought put into making this film more plausible , opting instead for a pseudo-terrorist hostage situation . You could tell from the onset at this point that there were a few scenes Murugadoss would have elected to do differently , such as to avoid having Sanjay as a muscled and skilled fighter from the onset , with exaggerated Kollywood styled prowess to boot too . These were toned down for Bollywood , and having Aamir show off his six-packs from extreme training also helped to make it believable . Murugadoss also decided to downplay and eliminate the complicated finale battle here , which made use of wire-fu , and his decision to change the that battle to that seen in the Hindi version , is much appreciated for creating a stronger sequence altogether . Even the very last scene of his reworked version fared miles better since it sent home some very strong emotional chords to the audience , rather than this version here which actually was quite creepy ( my first thoughts were of reincarnation ! ) Music wise , with all due respect to Haarris Jayaraj for his work here , I thought A . R . Rahman's actually worked better . The music here , while still effective , was a little downbeat , and the picturization ( if that's what it's called ) could have been vastly improved , many times being something like watching a tacky 80s made music video . Compare Guzarish and Sutrum Vizhi ( which is my favourite song of the lot in this film ) , and you'll see what I mean . The placeholders for music to come on were pretty much the same , save for this version having what I thought was 2 distinct pieces reworked or removed totally from the remake for pace purposes . Sutrum Vizhi has this really hypnotic , head-banging beat to it . My frank opinion would be to watch the Hindi version not because it's vastly superior , but for its production values as well as a more coherent story reworked for a much better result . This version is still valuable in terms of seeing how far everyone had come , and for fans of Asin , this is the film that provided her that breakthrough in her career . The Region Free DVD by Venai Holdings is presented in matted letterbox format . Visual transfer is average at best , seemingly done off a VHS quality source . Toward the last hour there's this curious green tinge at the top right hand corner , but wasn't irritating enough to mar the enjoyment of the film . At times there were some pops and cackles in the visuals as well , but nothing too serious . Audio quality is in stereo and in the original language track , with English subtitles as an option . No other extra features contained in the DVD . Guess I shall wait for Ghajini 2008 to see if it comes with a special edition of sorts for some making of documentaries . Given the box office success , I don't see why not .
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515,464 | 317,399 | 1,160,368 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : 12 Rounds
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Renny Harlin has been relatively quiet these days , but I won't be shy in stating for a fact that I had enjoyed some of his action movies in the past , with the likes of Die Hard 2 ( despite all the loopholes ) , Cliffhanger with Stallone , Driven ( also starring Sly ) and The Long Kiss Goodnight even . Despite being better known for duds starting with Cutthroat Island , Mindhunters and even The Covenant which turned out to be a comedy , 12 Rounds turned out to be better than expected , also because John Cena looked the classic action hero that Hollywood so sorely misses . No , I'm not a WWE John Cena wrestling fan , because my interest in WWE was left back when it was known as WWF , and like The Rock ( now wanting to be known simply as Dwayne Johnson ) , Cena follows in his footsteps in making that leap to the big screen . While his first outing as The Marine was pretty much straight to DVD fare , this one was designed for the big screen with its big set action pieces befittingly challenging the big man , and having an old hand of action at the helm helped to bring out some enjoyable moments despite clichés abound . As the trailer would already have suggested , Danny Fisher ( Cena ) is a beat cop who gets in the way of a heist by international arms trader Miles Jackson ( Aiden Gillen who was just a mile wide of being a memorable psychopathic villain ) , and in his pursuit causes the latter's main squeeze to die in a traffic accident . Ridden with rage , Miles remembers his pursuer so that he can exact revenge when he breaks out of prison . Only that he harbours some diabolical plot to play with his prey , hence the kidnapping of Danny's girlfriend Molly ( Ashley Scott ) and the devising of 12 rounds of city-wide games with the overcoming of each round leading Danny closer to his girl . So begins a running around New Orleans to perform the usual one-man cop stunts that calls for everything from intellect to brute force . It could easily fit into the Die Hard franchise , or Speed for that matter as one sequence in a bus would have me reminisce . In shows like these , things do get a tad convenient , and though I tried to examine just a little bit more into it , the plot still made some sense and held some water . In some moments it seemed like it's paying its own tribute to the emergency services of New Orleans post-Katrina , with the police , fire and medical departments featured prominently as occupations of choice of its characters . 12 Rounds is rip-roaring fun . As an action film , it has enough thrills and spills if you'd just park aside believability for a minute , and bask in the possibility of one man saving the world only because it got personal stakes involved , coming complete with obnoxious FBI agents who think they know the world . Sprinkled with some light touches of humour , the body count here is surprisingly low , which in some way gave a breathe of fresh air instead of subscribing to the mantra that the more gruesome or gritty , the better . But if there are qualms , it's directed more at the technical areas , like the lapsing into the shaky cam , where I had thought to roll my eyes and exclaim that Renny should have bought a bloody tripod for his DOP . Also , the editing probably needed to rethink his quick cuts in the final action sequence in closed quarters , as well as some cheesy lines where it's not warranted ( I swear if I hear one more " wrong place , wrong time " comment . . . ) However if you go at this with expectations set low , you might just come out with a grin at the end of it . I'll be anticipating more John Cena movies to come , and will probably go dig at his older film as well , but here's hoping that he doesn't go the way that most action stars do - easy come and easy go - that he gets some longevity at the box office , before being unceremoniously pushed aside ( if it does happen , like Seagal's career ) to the straight to video shelves .
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514,906 | 317,399 | 443,453 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Borat
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Borat is unapologetically vulgar . And it is no surprise that various groups , from the Kazakhstans , to the gypsies , gays , charismatic Christians , Jews , feminists , and even Americans themselves would find certain aspects of it distasteful . But I like , vair nice ! I liked the shock and awe tactics used on unsuspecting folks on the streets and various other locales in this mockumentary , never mind if some sequences were scripted , versus the spontaneity of others . There's slapstick , witty lines , double entrées , sight gags , toilet humour , fact is , the filmmakers threw in everything from the humour genre , save for the kitchen sink . If there should be any semblance of a plot , it would be Borat's adventures to the United States and America , at first to learn the culture and good stuff that the Americans can offer , make a documentary for make benefit glorious nation of Kazakhstan . From NY to Los Angeles , it becomes a road trip of sorts , with each city or town along the way made a pitstop for his madcap antics . Borat has a hidden agenda of course , and that is to track down and marry Pam Anderson , whom he fell in love while watching an old episode of Baywatch . That's all I will say , and I'll not even suggest anything in particular which I enjoyed for fear of ruining the pleasure for you . Word of advice : if you haven't seen the trailers , DON'T ! I shan't attempt to go into supposed deeper insights as I refuse to believe that this was made with the intention insulting others or find wicked pleasure at laughing at ourselves , or laughing at our own inner prejudices , blah blah blah . It's a god-damned crazy movie , and you must admit that Sacha Baron Cohen had the guts and gumption to pull off something like this with his Borat character . The only gripe , if I should have , would be the pacing of the movie . It's rather jarring as episodes are presented one after another , and the pace naturally goes whacked , especially with the slower bits . Thankfully , they were not allowed to drag on for too long , before another lighter moment takes over . So if you're allergic to the sensitivities of the less fortunate , or cannot stand making fun of various self interest groups , then give Borat a miss . Otherwise , you're in for a rip-roaring good time , and remember to listen attentively to the dialogue - there are plenty of gems in there !
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515,333 | 317,399 | 488,565 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Could This Be Love
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Directed by Pierre Jolivet , Could This Be Love contains all the trappings that would making Hollywood come knocking on its doors for the rights to a remake . You have your romantic leads , a rich industrialist and a talented artist , start off with being loggerheads , before the pursuit begins over conversation and comedy . There's the myriad of supporting characters like the secretary , driver and family , but the one which stood out in the film , was an inhouse investigator . When it comes to business , Lucas ( Vincent Lindon ) is unparalleled in his acumen , though he defers to his investigator Roland ( Francois Berleand ) to dig up any dirt on the competition or partners , or even his own staff , to have a second informed and unbiased opinion . Being estranged from his wife , he has no luck with women , especially when they're sent by competitors to fish for information . Hence the paranoia and fear with members of the opposite sex that he fancies . Elsa ( Sandrine Bonnaire ) is the artist commissioned for a project at his office lobby , and while he takes an almost instant liking to her , she's one tough nut to crack , so meanwhile , he sends Roland on his usual behind the scenes work . I guess nobody would like to be spied upon , especially not by someone whom you just come to know trivially . It tells you something , that there isn't a bedrock of trust to begin with , the very foundations that a relationship would be built upon . On one hand you fancy somebody , and on the other you'd come to appreciate if you could get the lowdown and having some honest beans spilled ? if bad , then walk away , otherwise the pursuit could continue until such time some degree of dirt get dug out , then all bets are off . For the most parts this movie played out like your standard romantic comedy , and my , the comedic moments were funny given the timing of Vincent Lindon . I especially enjoyed the extended scene of anticipation , dread and regret , when he gets invited back to Elsa's apartment which is rigged by surveillance devices , when he just couldn't respond the come hither opportunities , knowing that his employee would or could be watching . And it were moments such as these ? running afoul of his own mitigation of fear , or having his excuses to take some time off from work for his romantic escapades , that blow up in his face . The chemistry between Sandrine Bonnaire and Vincent Lindon worked perfectly , that you'll have no qualms to have this couple charm you into sitting through what is essentially formula , where boy meets , pursues , loses the girl of his dreams . It doesn't however bore you with too many saccharine sweet moments , but what it does accurately , was perhaps to paint the culture of fear amongst those who dare not take that leap of faith , which probably is required by anyone wanting to get into a romantic life with someone else .
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514,567 | 317,399 | 465,502 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Igor
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With a barrage of ultra cute characters ruling animated worlds these days , one wonders if macabre characters would appeal if not coming from the creatively dark mind of Tim Burton . With wonderful animation flicks like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride being tentpoles for animation touching on darker themes and realms ( as with festival darlings such as Fear ( S ) of the Dark ) , Igor would find itself in good company , and it lives up in certain terms to belong . Voiced by the excellent John Cusack , Igor is a typical hunchback and because of his physical disability and rights ( or lack thereof ) in the land of Malaria , Igors in general have a single career path , and that is slave to the scientists of the land . Yearning to be one of the greatest scientists one day despite societal perception and prejudice , opportunity arises when his master kicks the bucket , and he seizes the opportunity to do what the scientific community cannot do - create life . Of course in order to clinch the yearly accolade of scientist of the year , the creation must have a mean killing / horrific streak , but Igor's creation of Eva ( Molly Shannon ) is actually that of a kind soul with an addiction for the theatre and the arts . Not very suited to scaring and beating up opponents . So in a tussle between the actual being and her intended role comes an unlikely romantic story that somehow managed to touch the hearts , resembling how in relationships one tend to change the other subconsciously ( or consciously for some ) , and vice versa . Adversary comes in the form of scam scientist Dr Schadenfreude ( Eddie Lizard ) and his chameleon wife Jacklyn ( Jennifer Coolidge ) who scheme to steal Eva away from Igor and fulfill her intended evil purpose , and it's up to Igor and his crazy creations and sidekicks Scamper ( Steve Buscemi ) and Brian / Brain ( Sean Hayes ) to save the day . Some of the best lines were reserved for the banter between Scamper and Brain , and I thought these two characters actually lift the movie when it fell prey to the tried and tested story formula , providing some genuinely funny moments when you least expected . The animation here really challenged the notion of having everything aesthetically pleasing . Here , the filmmakers went for god-awful ugly , but yet having the magical effect of making it appealing . As a reminder not to judge a book by its cover , one can often feel repulsed by the lack of proportions in Eve's build , but what she lacks for on the outside , gets immensely compensated by the good on the inside . And it is this cheery disposition in spite of a gruff exterior , that exudes throughout the movie as well . With a surprisingly star-studded supporting voice cast with the likes of Christian Slater , Jay Leno , John Cleese and even Arsenio Hall , Igor may not have scaled new heights in animation techniques nor with its fairy-tale story , but for what it lacked it made it up for with plenty of heart . And I guess for an animated story , that will always be premium and will always matter .
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514,408 | 317,399 | 498,502 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The All-Out Nine - Field of Nightmares
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After yesterday's relatively boring selection , this sports comedy served up a pleasant surprise . The crowd was larger than I expected for the paid portion of the festival starting from today , and hey , it's not bad that The All-Out Nine was on widescreen at the National Museum Gallery Theatre . Adapted from manga , The All-Out Nine - Field of Nightmares , set its tone for madcap humour right from the onset , with a big looming black object flying on screen towards Earth , in the spirit of Star Wars . We're introduced to the lead character Toshi Fukutsu ( Tetsuji Tamayama ) , the " All-Out " school's baseball team captain , as he pleads with his principal , in kung-fu fashion , not to shut down the team for its lack of honours . I'm unsure if the manga carried the same tone in its presentation , but the look and feel of the movie borrowed a huge leaf from Stephen Chow's Shaolin Soccer ( SS ) , with its wacky crew of sub-par players , in a team called " All-Out " ( like SS's town of Pig-Sty ) , and within the crew , there's always the obligatory pudgy guy and resident babe . In fact , most characters here are cardboard characters , one dimensional and most of the time inserted and appearing just for laughs , like the baseball team coach , whose experience is in Sepak Takraw , and who look and sounds more like a motivational speaker rather than a sports coach . His appearance was damn hilarious , and irrelevant as well . The running theme through the story is on Adversity , and how , through an indomitable spirit , challenges , no matter how impossible ( and they are ) can probably be overcome . And these implausible challenges come fast and furious , and at times don't make much sense . Then again , you remember this is a farcical movie anyway , with many moments filled with extreme animation and special effects , making it look very manga like , especially with those gigantic overhanging words of wisdom . But unlike SS which builds the moments to a crescendo of a finale , The All-Out Nine seemed to be doing it in reverse . It had a brilliant start and middle with your senses assaulted with different humour ranging from verbal to the slapstick , but somehow lost its steam halfway . At some points you know what the filmmakers are going to pull out of the humour hat , but if compared to SS , you'll see without a doubt which one is relatively superior . Somehow the story didn't allow for many opponents to be presented , and the final game was dragged out for too long , with tiring ideas .
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514,832 | 317,399 | 402,399 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The New World
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Yet another victim of incorrect marketing , for those unfamiliar with Terrence Malick's style , the trailers would have mislead you to think that The New World is one heck of a suspense filled action packed movie . It is not . What is evident is Mallick's style imprinted throughout , with characters expressing innermost thoughts through voice-over narratives , plenty of nothingness , and beautiful postcard visuals . For the new generation bred on Disney's Pocahontas , The New World is a more adult take on the tale . There is no song and dance , there is no " magicalness " in this new world , and there are no characters perpetually on Prozac . Think along this line : the Louis Cha martial arts classic series The Condor Heroes , and Wong Kar Wai's Ashes of Time . The former being Disney's Pocahontas in ease of understanding , the latter being Mallick's movie . Same characters , similar stories , in a grittier adult environment . The New World begins with the merry men of England's colonials seeking new grounds to set up camp , and slowly develop their new found lands . Wait , make that a bunch of hungry desperadoes on the verge of insanity when their food supplies are threatened . And they come with prejudices as well - the native Americans are categorized as savages , but as we witness ourselves , it isn't difficult to understand who the actual savages are . Discovery and exploration cut both ways . The English , through John Smith , discovers the way of the natives ( ala The Last Samurai , but without much dialogue here , but plenty visuals ) , and the natives , being introduced to the English way of life , through the Pocahontas character . But as with clash of the cultures , the native Americans know of what the colonists have in their plans . First to establish a beach head , then to expand inwards with the possibility of threatening their own existence . What to you do in times like these ? You counter-plan for a pre-emptive strike . Beginning with kindness , and if it doesn't work , then it calls for more drastic violent measures . While the big picture's that of politicking , the more focused aspect will be going behind the thoughts of the main characters - John Smith ( Colin Farrell ) , Pocahontas ( newbie Q'Orianka Kilcher ) and John Rolfe ( Christian Bale ) . While they do not dialogue much throughout the movie , they rely on sheer acting skills to bring their characters to life . Which somehow is a joy to watch . The innocence of Pocahontas shone through brilliantly , as did a very complex and layered John Smith . John Rolfe perhaps was the more straightforward , generous character that is the easiest to understand . Weaved into the complex narrative style is that of longing . Smith longing for the life out of the new found land , Pocahontas to eventually much spend legitimate time with Smith , and Rolfe , perhaps the shortest screen time amongst all three , added into the fray in a triangle relationship ( Seriously , I'm don't qualify as a Bale groupie , but it was a really long wait before he appeared and had something to do . So fans , please take note ) . Besides love and longing , I was actually laughing inside at the sheer corruption of the colonists - strongest man of the moment rules , and another else can challenge the authority of those in power just with the strength of a powerful gun . Quite civilized . You have been warned . Not everyone will appreciate Mallick's works . It'll take a while to get used to during the course of the movie . You'll find many scenes with a familiar feel ( didn't I see something similar a while back ) , especially the wheat fields , so sexy .
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515,269 | 317,399 | 989,868 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Thirteen Princess Trees
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One wonders how this film would turn out should it not be censored to a certain degree , given that films about juvenile delinquency got the general frown from the Chinese censors , to avoid glamourizing non-socially accepted behaviour about disaffected youths and their open sexuality . Based on the novel Blade vs Blade by He Dacao , this film is reported toned down in its adaptation , and the narrative is compellingly telling of this shortcoming . Directed by Lu Yue , who was cinematographer on a number of Zhang Yimou movies , Thirteen Princess Trees is the name of a fictional school where the story of a group of teenagers unfolds . Think of it like Volcano High , or any other made-up schools in films such as that in Crows Zero with delinquent youths dominating the landscape , minus the fantastical fight sequences of course . Premise-wise , it could even be like Singapore's very own The Days , but the film opens with a tense hostage situation , before flashing back in timeline . We have Feng ( Liu Xin ) the tomboy with a penchant for knives , and the story takes on her point of view as the central character caught up in the thick of the action . Amongst those in her clique are A-Li ( Chen Keliang ) , a rich kid under the wing of protection by gang leader Taotao ( Duan Bowen ) , whom Feng is infatuated with , being on the receiving end of mixed signals , putting their relationship on and off in wash-rinse-repeat sequence . Things take a change when new student Bao ( Zhao Mengqiao ) joins their class , and takes an instant liking for the spunky Feng . It's an examination of the love triangle between the parties involved , and you can probably identify with the aloofness of cool kid Taotao , the pining for the unattainable from Feng's confused state when she rejects Taotao's advances , and also from the advances of the very direct Bao , who tries really hard with in his incessant pursuit to obtain her approval of acceptance . As to who wins in this battle of hearts , that's actually not as important as the more interesting angle of having some power play when Taotao gets hooked up with the new form teacher . As mentioned , here's where the censorship comes into play . While we do not see any shenanigans performed on screen by that of the forbidden relationship between teacher and student , Lu Yue managed to get around this through elements of suggestion , and the fine acting by the cast in telling a lot more that's going behind the scenes , than what can actually be shown . The power of suggestion here broke through , and just a single ogle , a glance , or a twitch of an eye , could reinforce plenty . Naturally it would be much more oblique should things be told in a more verbatim fashion , but I guess this would challenge filmmakers to be more creative and innovative in putting their narrative forward . There are certain points in time though that you'd feel some pathos were probably left hanging , or not thoroughly explored because doing so would mean to irk the censor board perhaps . Unlike The Days , there is a relatively stronger presence and existence of authority , but not always in positive light . We see the form teacher and her uneasy ability to assert her instructions on the students without resorting to or condoning violence , and a somewhat corruption of her moral authority with the canoodling with the rogue of the classroom for some r-e-s-p-e-c-t . Feng's father ( Shang Hui ) is a policeman who while on one hand is top notch at his job , but is somewhat of a failure in the bringing up of his daughter , again with the use of fists . Perhaps it's a not so subtle veil on how authoritarian figures are not as well received , especially when hands are raised , and no effort got spared for some condemnation . Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 19th Tokyo International Film Festival , Thirteen Princess Trees still has plenty to offer despite going back to the drawing board and toning down scenes , resulting at times to obvious narrative breakage . The use of actors not well known also helped to provide an edge to characterization , and I guess the soundtrack was also quite peculiar with the repetitive playing of " Nan Er Dang Zhi Qiang " and " Xiao Ao Jiang Hu " over the school's PA speakers , akin to alluding that it's quite the cowboy town within the fictional school grounds .
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515,221 | 317,399 | 439,289 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Running with Scissors
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Just as romance movies fall under the tried and tested romantic-comedy or romantic-tragedy genres , if a movie is made about a family , you can be sure that it must be dysfunctional . And in Running with Scissors , one such family is insufficient , and you have the protagonist , Augusten Burroughs ( Joseph Cross ) , jump off the frying pan and into the fire , where he encounters even more weirdness in his surrogate family . Based on personal memoirs of the real Augusten Burroughs ( of course , with a certain degree of dramatic license ) , Running with Scissors appeals through its quirky ensemble cast . Starting with Augusten's own parents - an alcoholic father ( Alec Baldwin ) , and his mother whom he is extremely close with , Deirdre Burroughs , played excellently by Annette Benning , who is suffering from severe delusions that she's a great poet awaiting her potential to be unleashed to the world . As she slowly becomes unstable , Augusten is packed off to live with her own therapist Dr Finch ( Brian Cox ) . And it is here that the kaleidoscope of bizarre episodes start to take place in Augusten's life , no less contributed by the weird Finch family . Hope , the eldest daughter ( Gwyneth Paltrow ) is a God-fearing woman filled with blind faith , Mrs Finch ( Jill Clayburgh ) is unkempt and eats doggie snacks , while the youngest daughter , Natalie ( Evan Rachel Wood ) , is your typical teen rebel without a cause . Performances by the cast for the Finch family were great fun , especially Gwyneth's tongue-in-cheek take as a spinster . But the scene stealer was naturally Evan Rachel Wood , though I think she's about to get typecast if she continues in similar roles , which we have already seen in Thirteen and Pretty Persuasion . But amongst all , Annette Benning has put up a credible performance as the delusional mother , and is almost au naturel with her subtle mood swings and the constant guessing if she's actually intelligibly aware of what she's saying and doing . Joseph Cross too plays off her energy rather well , as the main protagonist , he has the responsibility to make the audience sympathize with his predicament , and he succeeded . Which is his total loss at how to deal with his family problems , of being the child stuck between two warring parents . Having a love hate relationship with the ones who brought you to this world , and nurtured you , is difficult . And to feel abandoned by your loved one when they pack you off to stay with another family just takes the cake . In the madness that he lived in , perhaps his soulmate is Natalie , who also seems to be the only sane person around the house , barring her uncouth mouth . In her , he can see himself as she experiences similar issues , and a time will come when they will both make important decisions that will change their lives . Filled with an eclectic and excellent soundtrack selection , Running with Scissors has great dialogue filled with enough innuendos and situations to tickle your funny bone , and its finale is surprisingly heartwarming . Recommended stuff .
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515,313 | 317,399 | 88,794 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) Better Off Dead ( 1985 )
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This movie is so typical of the 1980s teenage comedy classics , like Ferris Bueller's Day Off , or Fast Times from Ridgemonth High . It has your typical teenage protagonist , who can be either a complete loser geek , or on the flip side , the coolest dude in school . The plot would typically be about him getting his girl , or trying to win back his girl , against simple odds , in ridiculous madcap situations . A very young John Cusack plays Lane Meyer , a boy who loses his girl Beth to the school's ski jock Roy , who is the only person alive to ski the K-12 . Frustrated by Beth's throwing of their 6 months relationship , Lane tries to commit suicide , only that he becomes unsuccessful in his attempts . Of course , you cannot keep our good man down , and he slowly rediscovers his self belief and confidence , courtesy of a new romance with French exchange student Monique Junot . The cast is relatively huge , starting with the Meyer family - a father who can't get proper respect , a kid brother who is the family genius , and a mother who's cooking is of strange colours and can walk around on its own . You also have the loud mouthed neighbour with her overweight son , a nasty diner employer , a wicked and persistent newspaper delivery boy , two Asian brothers who like to race Lane , and of course , Beth and Roy . The jokes come in hard and fast , and varies from slapstick , to wit . I particularly like the scene where Lane and Beth first met , with the totally insane touching of the nose and ears stemming from reading too much of the opposite sex's body language . You'll probably be able to identify with some of the situations too , the pains of growing up . In all , Better Off Dead is one of Cusack's early movies , which seem to suggest that he's a master at playing non-conventional characters , as seen from his filmography . Definite must watch for his fans . Really barebones version of a Code 1 DVD .
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514,885 | 317,399 | 486,822 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Disturbia
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Disturbia played it smart in its release locally , by having pushed back its release date until almost every cinema goer had seen Michael Bay's Transformers , and become acquainted with the latest Hollywood " It " kid , Shia LaBeou , otherwise also better known as " the Transformers boy " . Being an uncredited remake of Hitchcock's classic Rear Window , Disturbia has our boy hero playing Kale , who's put on house arrest for having knocked the lights out of his teacher . So his home and front yard becomes his playground , but when mom ( Carrie-Anne Moss , would you believe that ? ) cut off his XBox and ITunes subscription , he turns to voyeurism to beat the blues and occupy time . In a scene in Transformers , LaBeou had to look for something at home . Now he turns to looking for entertainment in other people's home . And that included spying on the hot chick new neighbour Ashley ( Sarah Roemer ) , while keeping an eye on a possible serial killer staying next door , Mr Turner ( David Morse ) . It doesn't help that the trailer plays out almost the entire plot of the movie , and therefore you're pretty sure of what you're gonna get from it . The first half played on the teenage drama romance bit , with Kale figuring out how to woo the most attractive girl on the block , with the handicap of not being able to meet her in proper circumstances outside his home . But the movie banked heavily on Shia LaBeouf's boyish charisma , and that probably payed off loads . He's a lucky chap , as Sarah Roemer makes it two in a row ( the other being Megan Fox ) where his character gets up close and personal with hot chicks . The second half of the movie turned the spotlight a bit on the mystery on hand to solve , and while it isn't naturally original , I'd say it still managed to pull off an above average thriller , thanks to David Morse's ability to send some chills with his build , and two-faced acting , being perturbed by his privacy being invaded ( hey , serial killers need time alone to do their stuff ) , and yet wanting to be perceived as a gentle giant . Morse's one of the understated character actors today , and while his role is nothing groundbreaking , it still served its purpose . Don't expect too much from this movie , and you might find it an enjoyable breeze . Just keep a look out for LaBeouf's name to marquee bigger projects in the near future , starting with the new Indiana Jones movie .
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515,535 | 317,399 | 456,470 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The Bow
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An old man living on a boat together with a nubile teenage girl , is bound to set tongues wagging . There's nothing dirty about the relationship . He picked her up when she was 10 , and looked after her onboard ever since . She has never left the boat ; the outside world is unknown to her . Making a living by ferrying anglers to fish on board his boat in the deep blue sea , the old man is jealously guards his lover from potential lechers . It's a difficult thing to do , considering the girl prances around the ship in skimpy flimsy dresses . Sideline income stems from his ability to tell fortunes in a bizarre manner , well , actually it's the girl who tells the fortunes . Riding a swing at the side of the boat , she smiles sweetly at the old man , while he , from afar in another boat , fires 3 arrows onto a picture of Buddha . She interprets from the position of the arrows ( which always narrowly miss her ) , and whispers the fortune into the old man's ear , who in turn , whispers into the ear of the person who wants his fortune told . As such , we do not hear the man or the girl speak at all in the film , expressing themselves through body language , eye contact , smiles and touch . The bow in the title refers to the weapon , which is used primarily to fend off , or purposely drive away , lustful men , and in quieter moments , it is adapted by the old man into a stringed musical instrument , to serenade the night away . The girl too uses the bow ( and arrows ) as a means of self defence . However , things start to change when a young man joins a group of anglers to fish on board the old man's boat . Taken by the girl's beauty , and the girl by never seeing a young teenage lad , they get smitten with each other and a friendship begins , much to the distraught of the old man . He had plans to marry the girl when she turns 17 , and hurriedly brings forward his plan , while driving the young man away . Undetered , the young man seeks to discover the origins of the young girl , and plans to leave with her . The old man naturally goes into a fit and the relationship between him and the girl deteriorates badly into hissy tantrums from both sides . The ending is an interesting one , as with most of Kim Ki-duk's movies . Realising that their lives are so intertwined about each other and more , the old man and the young girl consummate their union in one of the most unreal circumstances filled with ambiguous metaphors which will raise eyebrows from the audience , and the young man mirrors the reaction from any viewer , as if Ki-duk expected and saw it coming . This was the closing film to Singapore's first Korean Film Festival , so for those interested to follow Ki-duk's movies , add this to your list . It's beautiful , though quirky , and the ending scene , quite explainable and left open to your interpretation .
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515,364 | 317,399 | 488,508 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Arctic Tale
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In 2005 , March of the Penguins brought us to the Antarctica , and introduced the life cycle of the emperor penguins to the mass audience . And Happy Feet was quick on its erm feet to seize the initiative and make an animated feature on our non-flying friends . Now , we journey to the opposite pole to visit Polar Bears and Walruses , but somehow , the former proved to be a logical choice for promotional posters . Having the worlds # 1 brand use them in their advertisements , and as I recall one cheeky ad involving a bear shaving excess fur , you would have thought that this would make another documentary worth sitting through . But Arctic Tale is not March of the Penguins . Narrated by Queen Latifah , it relied on similar themes and tactics in its narrative though , featuring the circle of life , and cute offsprings that you just want to cuddle ( before they become big and aggressive enough to tear you apart ) , but apart from those , it's a totally different ball-game altogether . For starters , the focus on Walruses allowed some kind of parallels to be drawn with the Polar Bears , with the common starting point for both species , the threats that they both face in terms of survival , and how intertwined their lives are actually , because one is prey to the hunter . It's amazing how the footage seen in the documentary were captured . As the end credits rolled , you do see stills on how up close and personal the filmmakers get to the action . But what amazed me more is how a story can be weaved from the footage shot , without being too contrived or artificial about it , despite relying on composite characters created . What I liked too is the observation on the animal species themselves . While the Polar Bears are more independent and don't hunt in packs , the actions of the Walruses , while they live as a community , do not demonstrate that they'll behave likewise when faced with a predator . Their all " man " for himself attitude do seem quite selfish , especially when a reliance on strength in numbers will probably help . But that's the way the circle of life rolls . While it played out rather straightforwardly , what I thought was a missed opportunity was the very superficial glean on probably an important message these days - climate change , for the worse . With the rising temperatures , the polar caps are melting and shrinking , posing a direct challenge to the animals ' habitat and a threat to their survival . The white , snow covered land mass they are living on , are slowly disappearing , and living off a grassland covered rock , doesn't seem to cut it , at least , not for the Polar Bears . Arctic Tale presents the effect of this change , but doesn't address the climate concerns . Perhaps that's best left as a topic in itself . As far as Arctic Tale is concerned , it has presented and preserved , the way of life of the Polar Bears and Walruses . While not as compelling a story as March of the Penguins , it does serve its purpose , but nothing more . If compared , this one rates a notch lower .
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514,403 | 317,399 | 483,022 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Kamome Diner ( Kamome Shokudo )
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This is Naoko Ogigami's third feature film , and the first Japanese film to be shot entirely in Finland , land of the midnight sun . As I mentioned in some other postings , cinema allows you to be transported to fantasy worlds , and of course in a more realistic sense , going to countries we have yet to set foot upon . The movie is set around a Japanese diner in Finland , and its owner , Sachie ( Satomi Kobayashi ) . The story revolves around the diner , as well as the friendships that Sachie develops , with customer and crew . The food , " soul foods " as in the menu , can make anyone salivate and feel hunger pangs , especially when the movie was screened into dinner time . Pretty nothing much happens in Kamome Diner , except that there are plenty of people flitting in and out of the eatery . It's like watching a television series with episodes strung together , each putting the focus and theme on guest characters of the show , how they interact with the established leads . We are introduced to Sachie's first customer , a Finnish teenager who enjoys Japanese anime , and from there , one thing leads to another , as Sachie meets up with Midori ( Hairi Katagiri ) , also another Japanese who left Japan to seek her fortunes in a strange land . The customers in the diner is set up in the story such that it's directly proportionate to the friendships established by Sachie . It's like a vicious circle being broken , with the seizing of opportunities and the chance of befriending a customer , comes the breaking down of hesitation that others have about something that is new , something less seen , something different . And as it grows , so too does the number of friendships being formed , nurtured and developed , akin to the care put into the creation of recipes and the cooking of food . By the end of it , everyone had undergone changes in their lives for the better , through subtle interactions , lessons learnt , and all these in a rather mundane manner of living life , in normal day to day activities . The cast is a mix of Japanese and Finnish , and the dialogue too a mix of languages . But given its themes of friendship , belief , keeping the faith and being positive just about everything , it's ultimately a feel good movie , with plenty of subtleties , a dash of humour , and generous servings of well intentions .
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515,232 | 317,399 | 411,270 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : The Beat That My Heart Skipped
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I think Thomas Seyr ( Romain Duris ) could be any of us in the working class . Stuck in two worlds about what he really wants to do , versus what he has to do . In the shady corner of the real estate business relying on underhand tactics , he finds no joy . In the other world which presented itself as an opportunity to start again , he must upgrade in order to be accepted . It never is easy , then again , life never is to begin with . Constantly frustrated at his predicament , you begin to wonder towards which characteristics of his parents would he gravitate to - the father , who's about to remarry , and is living the life that Thomas secret disapproves , and that he fears he's subconsciously becoming his father's son , or his deceased mom , an accomplished pianist . Given the chance to dig deep into his potential of following in his mom's footsteps , he thought he could find joy in emulating his mother's success , but success always is the outcome of hard work , and plenty of frustrations along the way . With the help of a Chinese pianist ( played by Linh Dan Pham ) , he sets himself a goal to be ready for an audition to set a new future for himself , and the classical music numbers greatly contrasts with Thomas ' choice of Euro-techno music which he plays over his beautiful earphones , and I enjoyed prior to watching the movie , thanks to a friend who introduced me to Telepopmusik's Just Breathe , which was used . While juggling between real work , and his potential aspiration , things go awry with his love and sex life , when he falls for one of his friend's wife , and when his dad gets mixed up with and swindled by Russian gangsters . I particularly liked the scene where he sought out the Russian Minskov , where he goes about without a clue to try and straighten things out with the mobster , only to have him call and threaten him loudly over the phone , in the sudden presence of a passer-by . And what he did for revenge , was totally comical too , in context . There are moments in this film which painfully brings out themes of frustration , of being lost at a crossroads , and of deciding for oneself what your calling is . Decide for yourself if you're up for some serious fare about the choices presented in life , and about that leap of faith that you take in trying to achieve some of those goals .
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514,872 | 317,399 | 794,373 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Sugar & Spice
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Girls are made of sugar and spice and all things nice , but of course there are those laced with wasabi that will hit you when you least expect it to . Based on the novel by Eimi Yamada , Sugar & Spice is not your conventional romantic drama , not that it's because it's not the usual boy - meets - girl - they - hook - up - boy - loses - girl - boy - tries - to - win - girl - back kind of movie , but because it takes a long hard look at a certain condition , and that's the rebound . And perhaps many would have disliked the movie because it touches that raw nerve , either you're the perpetrator , or the victim of . There are limited amount of fan favourite saccharine sweet moments , and instead , lessons dished out were plentiful , which does get try as it tends to nag . Obviously , the movie is hinging on the star appeal of the teenage lovers , Shiro ( Yuya Yagira , who won a Best Actor award from Cannes with his portrayal in Nobody Knows ) , and hot model-actress-musician Erika Sawajiri as Noriko , and therefore perhaps paid little attention to the pacing , which turned out to be erratic , and treading on the route to art-house styled contemplation , longing and scenes of regret . Shiro is a student at the crossroads of his life - whether to enroll in cram school to prepare for higher education , or to follow a small step towards his dream of working with cars . He opts for the latter , and finds himself as a pump attendant at a gas station . Noriko becomes the new apprentice at the station , and needless to say , Shiro gets smitten by the newcomer . But the catch here is that this is Shiro's first stab at a relationship , and while he is brought up to be nice , girls hate wimps , don't they ? And Noriko's no angel either , having just been out of a rocky relationship with a relatively richer guy , and now having to be stuck with Shiro . Every step of the way , you wonder if she's on the rebound , and just grabbing at whoever is conveniently available at the time . Indecisiveness abound , but more often than not , cold hard logic prevails and it boils down to practicality , and materialism . The story finds itself spending quality time with an examination of first love , and the pain that it usually brings , especially when one finds oneself drawing the stick with the shorter end . It's heartbreaking , but the story encourages one to learn from mistakes , and to move on , though it presented this thought quite clumsily . The scene stealer here belongs to Mari Natsuki as the free loving , hippy grandma of Shiro , who drives a hot rod of a vehicle and has a toy boy to boot ( for a 70 year old ! ) . She dispenses advice to both parties , and drawing on her past experiences to do so , teaching her grandson to know when to be a gentleman , and when the time's come to be tough . It serves as a reminder to all those out there who still nurses a broken heart , to cherish those ( previous ) memories , but not to ditch the forest for the tree . While the proceedings seem more bleak throughout , the light at the end of the tunnel provided much needed hope to lift the movie from its dark tones . And the soundtrack just puts a smile to my face too .
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514,697 | 317,399 | 281,209 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Song of the Stork
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I wasn't the least surprised to see so few people turn up for this screening . It isn't your regular made-in-Singapore movie , but one which is a first-ever Singapore-Vietnam co-production . It doesn't have recognizable local TV stars in any role , and arguably zero publicity about the movie's background in the regular media in the year that it was made . If I recall correctly , it didn't even have a commercial release here . A movie about war is never easy to make , and one about the Vietnam war not made by the Americans or the French , but a Singaporean media company ? Gee , could it be pulled off ? Cine . SG listed this film as the first international production that has been allowed into Vietnam to shoot a film about the war . Not even Francis Ford Coppola's epic Apocalypse Now was granted permission mind you . So how did it fare ? Much to my surprise and pleasure , the production values are pretty good , though the storyline doesn't have much to rave about . It's pretty straightforward , and played out at times like a pseudo-documentary , with archived footages of the war put into scene fillers . It follows an introduction by a North Vietnamese war correspondent , Tran Van Thuy , and his journeys on the Ho Chi Minh Trail with his fellow comrades . Interspersed with dramatic retelling of the war and happenings in camp , are mini interviews with Tran himself , as well as an American Vietnam War veteran . Yes you read that right . While it's about the Vietnam War , the focus here is on the North Vietnamese soldiers , not the usual glorification of the American / South Vietnam view points . While the South does get featured as well , together with its soldiers , they are largely portrayed as lazy and ineffective , often looking after their own personal interests , as opposed to their adversaries , who are committed to the cause , and willing to sacrifice for the good of their fellow men . Attention to detail is not spared , and I can't help but chuckle on one hand , yet emphatise with soldiers fighting a war given the barest of essentials . Jungle warfare wearing sandals , is no joke . Accompanying the narrative is a hauntingly eerie soundtrack , which fit the movie well , though I won't be one who will listen to it during the dead of the night . The movie can be easily split into two halves , the first which is about Tran and his journeys , and the second takes a more interesting and sympathetic look at the life of an infiltrator in the South , who sets up family and leads a normal life , until the time comes to rise above and aid his fellow men attacking Southwards . Its romantic theme punches through , and probably personified the suffering of families during times of war , when one is often forced to choose between loyalties for country and family . It's an interesting film to watch , especially with the viewpoints scarcely seen in films about the Vietnam war . While the war scenes might be a bit amateurish for today's standards , its themes still ring through and true .
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514,905 | 317,399 | 48,310 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) The Lone Ranger ( 1956 )
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The last time I saw a movie with a Caucasian and a Red Indian partner , was the French movie Brotherhood of the Wolf . Perhaps it's had its origins of such a pairing from The Lone Ranger , or so I'd like to believe . After having spent some time with old martial arts classics , I thought I'd set my sights on the western genre , and what more appropriate than the adventures of the legendary Lone Ranger astride his steed Silver , and his Red Indian sidekick Tonto . For those not in the loop of this character , he's like the daytime vigilante of the Wild Wild West , in his mask concealing his true identity , and loads his guns with silver bullets . The silver bullet also functions as a calling card of sorts , and come to think of it , it's like a friendlier version of Batman , only in a different setting . And with that theme music - William Tell Overture - blaring in the background as they ride into the sunset , it's pure nostalgia . Not hard to imagine that I actually grew up on such stuff . The movie begins by diving right into the story , with our heroes up against some mean and corrupt and greedy cattle ranchers who are after more land , and some bad hats amongst them trying to stir up war with the Native Americans . So it's up to our heroes to expose the truth , and to prevent bloodshed . That pretty much sums up the gist of the plot . Although this is not an origin movie , the beginnings of how the Lone Ranger came about was mentioned in passing - His brother and himself , both Rangers , were ambushed by outlaws and left for dead . But Fate has Tonto rescuing the Ranger , and he decided to use the clothes of his dead brother to make a mask , to stay mysterious , to be feared by the villains he hunted down . The origins of Silver , his mighty loyal steed , is also mentioned , but more to the effect that it was nursed back to health by the Ranger himself . Given that this was made in the 50s , you'd come to expect some very stilted and stiff dialogues , as heroes in those days , are expected to be squeaky clean . You probably can't find a speck of dirt on the Ranger's character , as he embodies everything that is good , with that All American feeling . Called the " trusty scout ' ( Kemo Sabe ) by his Red Indian ally Tonto , the movie also takes a look at the prejudices faced by the Native Americans amongst groups of white men , and the strong partnership between our leads , is testament to the fact that ignorance and the lack of understanding , isn't the way to go . The visual transfer isn't all that great , and it looks like it's VHS based , with little remastering done to remove the cacks and pops . The colours were inconsistent at times , and although it comes in both full screened and wide screened versions on the same disc , it isn't anamorphic . The DVD extras are on a second disc , and has two sections . The first section contains interviews , while the rest goes into " Special Features " . There are two interviews included , and the first is with Michael Ansara , who plays Angry Horse . Interviewed by Michael Druxman ( writer / director of The Doorway 1999 ) , this interview fell short in quality as Ansana wasn't too chatty , and Druxman was chatting most of the time like a fanboy . Nothing much comes out of this interview , although a trivia was shared that the Lone Ranger actually never kills anybody on screen . Running at 17mins and 15 secs , I would recommend going straight for the second interview instead . The second interview has more substantial material discussed , and it's natural given that it's conducted by Leonard Maltin of Entertainment Tonight , with the guest Dawn Moore , daughter of the Lone Ranger himself Clayton Moore . Conducted and recorded on 9 Feb 2001 and clocking in at 39 minutes , it is a heartfelt session with recollection of memories of Clayton Moore , about her childhood and growing up with the legend , many behind the scenes discussion at the production , anecdotes shared that only a child will know , and even talk about Silver the horse . Given her account , you'll be amazed at how hard Clayton Moore actually worked for the character , in character , in publicity that the company wanted him to do . This is a gem that all fans should give a listen to . The Special Features section contains the following , though nothing in particular stands out : a . Text biographies of main cast and director Stuart Heisler b . A photo gallery with colour and black and white movie stills c . Trailers for The Lone Ranger , The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold , and trailers for two non Lone Ranger , but Western , films - Ride in the Whirlwind and The Shooting ( both starring Jack Nicholson ) d . A text writeup on The Lone Ranger Creed , which is also available on the insert .
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515,545 | 317,399 | 482,572 | 7 |
A Nutshell Review : Pride and Glory
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I wonder if a film like this could be made here at all . Not that you can't do it on the cheap , because it's literally sans explosions and action sequences that calls for things to be wrecked or shoot em ups in built up areas , and all you need are charismatic actors to bring the plot to live , but one with the story of having corrupt cops within the force ? And it's not just a make - believe force , but one that says NYPD on its sleeves . Yes , there are disclaimers put out immediately when the end credits roll that it's a work of fiction , and the movie originally planned on being made in 2002 , which for obvious reasons of not wanting to taint ( if for the lack of a better word ) the NYPD at the time of a heightened threat environment . But I suppose our film industry probably is not mature enough , or if permission will be given if at all , for our own force to be used as a more realistic backdrop for a moral ( or there lackof ) story such as Pride and Glory . It's a cop drama about a family of cops who get embroiled in a scandal , and having their morality put to the sword . Beginning with the murder of four officers under the charge of the CO Francis Tierney Jr ( Noah Emmerich ) , dad Francis Sr ( Jon Voight ) gets adamant that his best son Ray ( Edward Norton ) join the task force to weed out the cop killer . But slowly Ray begins to discover a link back to his cop brother in law Jimmy ( Colin Farrell ) , and the rabbit hole goes down a lot further with possible involvement back to his own family , together with opening up a Pandora's Box that implicates almost everyone in the precinct . Unfortunately this is not an investigative drama per se , because like Confession of Pain , it decides to show all its hand 30 minutes into the movie , and you'll know who are those responsible , together with who is indirectly guilty within the force . The only thing left is the extent of their involvement , but there becomes rather rudimentary . Everyone in the story have varying shades of grey , and nobody is squeaky clean , even for Ray as he demonstrates some unorthodox investigative techniques involving promises to his informants . And most of the supporting cop characters do seem a little surreal when you observe how they can get away with the blatant corruption that they engage in . While it slowly builds upon the story despite its revelation midway , the finale becomes something of a letdown because of its convenient way of wrapping everything up , and gets marred by some out of place fisticuffs which seem to draw some laughter rather than its intended gentleman's way of getting things resolved sans weapons . Also , there was a sub plot involving an investigative journalist which gets introduced in the third act , and then junked unceremoniously , rather than allowing this sub plot develop through . Pride and Glory boasts a stellar cast with powerful performances , from Jon Voight's dad who wants Ray to cover up as much as he can so as to protect his eldest son and not let their family legacy get tainted by a scandal which they can spin it to their advantage . I thought Noah Emmerich is slowly becoming quite a strong character actor , despite his rather low key presence and screen time in the movie . Edward Norton is typical in his flawless delivery , this time wearing a physical scar to represent an emotional wound which his character carries , a reminder of how he's now faced with the same unfair odds of having to shoulder some blame and spin facts to everyone's advantage . Colin Farrell though returns to his bad boy roots with some scenes that will enrage you toward his Jimmy character , where money talks and power rocks , and being the in-law , you'll feel his fear of being sidelined should the adage of blood running thicker than water come true . I thought he stole some of the other actors ' thunder each time he comes on screen to light it up with corrupt intensity , given that Norton's Ray does a disappearing act from time to time . It's standard fare , and without any element that will make you sit up and go wow . That doesn't mean that it's a bad film , but lacked that particular x-factor in making it memorable . It wanted to tread in the murky waters of the questioning of morals , but in the end doesn't address it head on and felt a bit of a let down . Even the superb performances by the actors fail to lift this beyond mediocre , and I guess it's still the story that counts first .
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