A Nutshell Review

Kurbaan

2009-11-20T23:52:00.002+08:00

Who Do You Trust?

There are enough films churned by Hollywood which examines the contemporary war on terror, with offerings going as far back as 2006's Syriana, to the more recent The Hurt Locker by Katherine Bigelow, adopting viewpoints of the players at the fringes on either side, or those placed in direct combat duties. Films on terrorism are nothing new to Bollywood, especially when they tackle issues on skirmishes and conflicts between India and Pakistan, but lately, this exploratory net has been cast a little bit wider, and the net being thrown at stories taking place on US soil, and this year alone we have Kabir Khan's New York, and Renzil D'Silva's Kurbaan.

The chief draw to the film though, personally I would feel, is the casting of real life couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. Billed as a love story as well, their chemistry was instant, smooth, and just worked, playing a pair of lovebirds who spend the first forty minutes of the film romancing each other, starting off though on the wrong footing. Kapoor's Avantika and Khan's Ehsaan are teaching professors at a university, and like a typical Bollywood romance, comes with coolness and suaveness, with Kapoor at her element in being the aloof beauty, and Khan playing the persistant smooth operator, whom many will cheer for in his unorthodox tactics, and honey-coated words and phrases he uses to finally get Avantika's hand in marriage.

However, Kareena's Avantika then begins to fade to the background with the tone of the film shifting to its more serious topics on terrorism, with bombings and sleeper cell meetings taking over the narrative, once the couple relocated to New York and settles at an Indian community, with the Indian Muslim neighbours all acting a little strange. The couple's lifestyle got rudely interrupted when Avantika stumbles upon her neighbours' dark secret and suffice to say gets put under house arrest. On a separate parallel thread, reporter Riyaaze (Vivek Oberoi) gets on a personal crusade against a terror cell involved in the killing of his girlfriend Rehana (Diya Mirza), and inevitably these two storylines are set to converge, which gives rise to the comparison with New York for its portrayal of how new recruits get spotted, groomed and assimilated into the entire ideology of hitting out in American soil.

Which of course included ample scenes which show discrimination and prejudice against those who fit the classroom profile of a terrorist, and that infamous episode with Shah Rukh Khan at an American airport (which incidentally will be a subject in producer Karan Johar's new film My Name is Khan), is something of a teaser of such unhappiness can be channeled negatively into deep resentment. Renzil D'Silva also never failed to exploit opportunities set up in the story with heated classroom banter between US students, and the viewpoints of the Muslims in the film, stinging in delivery although one which will bring on plenty of cheers (like the audience I was with). However in choosing to present a more objective stand, these sledge-hammering, sweeping statements and mouthpieces down your throat also have their fair share of retorts in specially crafted scenes which preached against extremism, and the distortion of a peaceful religion. More so it tells on the hypocrisy of those who preach peace but are wielding guns themselves.

And since this is a fictional story, some dramatic elements have got to be in place, and you'll have to suspend disbelief in the second half of the film. There are a few things here that aren't exactly modus operandi of sleeper cells, given that they welcome a new recruit with open arms (albeit with a tinge of suspicion) and allowing him to walk right into their martyrdom plans without a proper background check. Also, because of the way the story is structured sequentially to allow for certain things to happen one after another, it makes their terror plot a bit too amateurish for this day and age, unfortunately. Not to mention too that the cops are looking out for an international terrorist who doesn't bother to disguise his looks, and allows him to cross borders oh so easily. But as I mentioned, if these were taken into consideration, there would be no film.

With religion still being regarded a sensitive issue and discussion topic here in Singapore, I think it's because of the way it more or less objectively portrays perpetrators and victims, their issues and reasons along with unambiguous rebuttals, that allowed this to be screened here, though an NC-16 rating for its violence and gore, with really ace looking makeup and animation to wow any audience. It dropped the usual song and dance routine, but only if the narrative was tightened could this measure up with its genre peers.

Ninja Assassin

2009-11-18T23:20:00.002+08:00

Duck!

My friends and I had thought about wanting to make a ninja film just for the fun of it, and frankly when the trailer for Ninja Assassin came out, we felt the bar has been raised too high now, given the latest in fight choreography, the special animated effects with the weapons, and of course, Korean hunky mega-star Rain in the role of a stealthy assassin would have rendered whatever we thought of as useless.

But who would have thought this turned out to be more of a comedy of errors. The characters are so cardboard, and granted we aren't expecting Oscar-winning material here, but what came through was more of an insult to the genre of ninja movies. Worst, the rules of engagement were clearly violated, and in the final scene they might as well chose to nuke the whole place down, rather than to send in para-military elements. Guns versus swords? Give me a break, please.

The storyline is already explained in the trailer, where Rain's star ninja pupil Raizo turns against his assassin organization, and becomes a hunted man. But not before deciding to exact revenge for his beloved lady ninja, and thus a showdown is set up. I won't even want to go into detail what the role of Europol agents have in this film, because they're really redundant here, if not to set up the premise for one poorly shot but major action sequence that ended with that ninja being whacked aside by a spinning car trick. Erm, right.

Action wise, choreography was stunning for limited scenes, but marred mostly by the bad cinematography, especially in lighting, and in darkness you can't tell which ninja's attacking which. Though you may argue that it's the way those stealthy assassins operate, but well, if you can't work around this, the whole film might as well be shrouded in total darkness. And what's with the shaky camerawork in a chase scene down the streets, or filming the action too darned close that you don't get to see what's going on because everything's so badly framed?

It had potential to becoming an updated, contemporary ninja film, but unfortunately there's little style, and even lesser substance. What a disappointment.

You can read my review of Ninja Assassin at movieXclusive.com by clicking on the logo below.

RUDRA Music Video World Premiere

2009-11-16T23:49:00.004+08:00

Local filmmaker Jacen Tan, who created hits like Tak Giu, Zo Gang and Zo Hee, returns to the scene this year with a different cinematic offering - that of a music video for Singapore metal band Rudra titled Hymns from the Blazing Chariot, which will make its world premiere on 7th Dec 2009 at The Substation.

Based on the song's lyrics and concept, the explosive music video is a re-imagination of the ancient Sanskrit text 'The Bhagavad Gita', one of the most important philosophical classics of the world. Shot entirely in front of a green screen, the music video boasts each band member wearing pink tghts while performing...

OK I'm kidding. Green screen check, but no tights. Instead the video's storyline will include battle scenes created with visual effects compositing and computer animation. which took over a year for production, complete with Indian performing arts groups Apsara Asia and Maya Dance Theatre helping out with the stunt choreography, costume design, props and weapons which were specially made.

Exclusive behind-the-scenes footage will also be shown, and Rudra themselves will perform a special set after the screening!!!

Doors open at 8pm at the Substation Theatre.

More details of the premiere are available at www.hosaywood.com

TICKETS
To thank Rudra fans for their years of support, entry is free (pay as you want) for the event on 7 Dec 2009.
Limited seats are available, to reserve seats email tickets [at] hosaywood.com

ABOUT THE BHAGAVAD GITA
The Bhagavad Gita is a philosophical dialogue between Prince Arjuna and his charioteer Krishna which takes place just before the start of the Kurukshetra War.

Prince Arjuna is reluctant to go into battle as he has to fight his relatives, beloved friends and revered teachers. In desperation, he turns to Krishna for advice. Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a warrior and elaborates on different Yogic and Vedantic philosophies.

The Bhagavad Gita uses war as an allegory and is often seen as a practical, self-contained guide to life.

Click here for the wiki-entry.

ABOUT RUDRA
Rudra, formed in 1992, is one of the leaders in the Asian Metal scene. Founders of 'Vedic Metal', their unique fusion of Indian traditional music, Vedic philosophy and extreme black/death metal has won them an underground following worldwide. Based in Singapore, their current line-up is Kathir (vocals & bass), Devan (guitars), Vinod (guitars) and Shiva (drums).

'Hymns from the Blazing Chariot' is taken from Rudra's fifth and latest album “Brahmavidya: Transcendental I", released in April 2009 by Vic Records (Netherlands) & Trinity Records (Hong Kong).
www.rudraonline.org
www.myspace.com/vedicmetal

COME WITNESS A HEAVY METAL RE-IMAGINATION OF THE EPIC KURUKSHETRA WAR!

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (Evangerion Shin Gekijôban: Ha)

2009-11-15T15:56:00.003+08:00

Charging

It's been a long wait, but better late than never I'd say. One of the classic mecha science fiction anime now undergoing a revamp of its own, and despite not having much background knowledge of where the series has headed toward, I still found this installment engaging enough to leave me wanting more especially since it ended on a cliffhanger of sorts, even though it's yet another long wait before the third film hit the screens over here.

Evangelion continues where we last left off in its cinematic version, and the Earth is now under protection by the EVA robots around the world, still piloted by children. There are plans now underway to be more humane though, in piloting the EVAs like unmanned drones from afar, thus keeping the kids out of harm's way. But then there are other plans brewing at sinister levels, which only get hinted at here, clearly sowing the seeds in this installment for something more to come in the future films.

Elements from the earlier film have matured and become staple, and repeated, such as the cheeky way the female characters always get portrayed in teasing the audience / fanboys with various states of dress / near wardrobe malfunction, and hey, besides lead character Shinji Ikari (voiced by Megumi Ogata), every one of his peer pilot seem to be female, and in the opening we're introduced to the pilot for EVA No 5 to start off the film literally with a bang, and EVA No 2's pilot Asuka Langley Shikinami (Yuko Miyamura) in her bright red robot and uniform, in an instant confirming the suspicion that here's one hot chili who isn't afraid to speak her mind. I like this feisty character, who brings a breath of fresh air from the quiet Rei Ayanami (Megumi Hayashibara) and Shinji's pessimism. Other elements would include the countless religious imagery, which is now more in-your-face, and I suppose it should all make sence once the final film rolls around.

The narrative found perfect balance to go a little deeper into the motivation of the various characters, though the kid pilots leave more room as intended for future growth, since Rei is a quiet enigma, Shinji still being the reluctant hero, and Asuka the live-wire who doesn't mince her words, even if criticizing her Japanese counterparts quite pointedly and in some ways, offensively too. A large chunk of the story got devoted to a suggestion of a love triangle that didn't manage to play itself out due to the constant alien threat, but got to a point enough to affect the events that follow, and to make them a sledgehammer for emotions.

Then there's the action sequences, which are still as eye-popping spectacular. The Angels' designs get weirder, and their attack more powerful of course, though the EVAs have a few more tricks up their sleeves, brought about by really pushing the envelope beyond what has so far been permissible. With humans at the helm of technology, we are always in control and can add that aspect of humanity without allowing technology itself from going berserk. This gets explored and discussed somewhat, especially when a dummy module gets its field day when called upon to override some human inaction, and I assure you your jaw will drop and how enemies get pulverized, which is something which I least expected, in an action-packed, yet moving scene which will get you all riled up. Then again this shows how important it is to have a human mind in control, over something else which dictates its actions through set rules, and executed without a soul of thought.

As a follow up film, this one lived up to the potential set by its predecessor, and expanded upon that universe with more Evangelion protocols, new and improved mecha capabilities, and characters you feel for, while still keeping a lid on the intrigue posed by the organizations NERV and Seele. No prior knowledge of the earlier film is required, though you would be better off to know some basics to enjoy the film a lot more. Needless to say the fans would lap this up, especially when the trailer for the 3rd film gets played after the end credits that offered that sneak peek into what's next, and that antagonizing wait for it to actually happen.

For someone like me who started as a non-fan, watching just two films has turned me into a fan, and if anyone has more information how and where I should start off in looking back at the source material, pop me an email!

Tum Mile

2009-11-14T23:38:00.002+08:00

Let's Get Out of this Mess

I had thought I was consciously going from one disaster flick to another, from the latest that Hollywood has to offer, to what Bollywood has on its plate. The trailer would have suggested that it's in line with Hanuedae with copious amounts of flood waters wrecking havoc on the man on the street, but this was actually quite the disastrous picture in itself.

It's a romance story, with little time devoted to its gimmicky backdrop with the 2005 Mumbai flooding. Unlike similar plot devices in various disaster films, this one could have done away with its gimmick, but what would remain is an uninspired piece of romantic drama that neither sizzles nor touches, but contains every conceivable cliché offered by any mediocre television drama. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, they fight and we find out whether they reconcile under a heavy downpour. Making things worst is that the characters have absolutely no chemistry, and you'd be rooting for them to stay apart since staying together had proven to be difficult.

Emraan Hashmi continues to play the artist type as Akshay the painter (he was also a painter in Raaz: the Mystery Continues), who thinks the world of himself and refuses to compromise his art nor to eat the humble pie. He falls for rich girl Sanjana (Soha Ali Khan) and they decide to move in together in a swanky Cape Town apartment. Being without of a regular job, we know who will ultimately be forking out dough for bills, and this damages his big male ego. Multiple fights ensues, they split, and meet again some 6 years later, where the film began, aboard a business class section of the airline. Yep, ego boy finally made good, and is contemplating against his ego how to woo his lady love back, except that this time the heavens so wish to rain on his parade.

The narrative gets told in flashbacks, which I thought the backstory would be over and done with by the time the intermission rolls along. Unfortunately not, as it continued to plod on. The story by Ankur Tewari failed to realize how to cut its losses once the appeal of the lovebirds no longer hold, and the focus could have been on how damaging the disaster is, no thanks to inept, lazy and incompetent staff at a meteorological station who seemed more concerned with who's making money from the in-house gambling table. Then again, perhaps the lack of a fat budget had prevented that aspect from taking place,and what resulted in were a couple of CG wide shots of the city drenched, and a couple of archived newsreels to tell you just how bad the situation is.

For a set action sequence – check this – we have a bus turning slowly to its side in a manner which defies the laws of physics, just because a tree branch had punctured one of its windows, and it seemed like the end of the world for all on board, who had so far been mulling around just waiting for the rain, and the flood waters to stop and recede, which the latter did so under miraculous circumstances actually. And what about the inexplicable rush of a towering body of water into a building floor which is higher than what the level of water on the streets is currently, just to see capture sheer horror from the faces of our lead characters? And to top if off, some melodramatic moments you see coming from a mile with regards to water, and power cables.

For what it's worth, Tum Mile could have been a wonderful comedy, but it decided to focus on the insipid relationship between two uninteresting couples in their tiffs and attempts at reconciliation. The result? A total washout.

2012

2009-11-14T23:18:00.002+08:00

No Paradise

Roland Emmerich has already established himself as the go-to man if anyone in Hollywood wants to make an event film to entertain the masses. We've had an intergalactic portal open up in Stargate, an alien invasion with Independence Day, a bastardization of Japan's iconic monster Godzilla, a what-if tale of a freezing winter when hell turneth over with The Day After Tomorrow, and now, 2012.

Instead of repeating oneself on the negative outcomes of global warming and a consequence of our raping the environment, this one breezes you through some mumbo-jumbo physics, which ultimately translates into the Earth's core heating up and Mother Nature running a severe fever, which results in hurling everything at mankind, from volcanic eruptions, massive tidal waves and of course, some insane shifting of tectonic plates which only mean one thing - an immense and tremendous cinematic destruction of the world as we know it on celluloid.

To some, you'll be told to park your brains at the door. To others, they wonder how dumb a film can be in magnifying some hocus-pocus doomsday scenario. Bottom line in my opinion, this is nothing but a tentpole pop corn film for purely entertainment purposes, so if you can't accept this, then don't buy a ticket and be the party pooper. In essence, this film is more like an amusement ride, where the price of an admission ticket almost guarantees a thrilling roller coaster ride from start to finish, despite a relatively slow opening to establish a whole slew of key characters and their relationships with one another, before allowing Nature to unleash its fury in all its digital glory.

Effects wise, the teaser did just enough to pique one's interest. I have to admit that watching entire land masses swallowed up by the oceans was pretty terrifying, yet these money shots are just that, the hook for someone to bite and make a beeline for the theatres. CG is carefully crafted here to make it look realistic, and detailed enough for anyone going for repeated screenings to pick out additional, minute attributes that were missed the first time round. After all, it's world wide pandemonium we're talking about here, and there's a systematic way in how the world gets destructed on screen. Unfortunately though you would be able to notice that some of the simpler effects don't get properly rendered and may come across as cheap, though thankfully the larger spectacles clearly got more devotion in getting them done right.

That aside, the mammoth run time allowed for a lot of subplots and themes to be discussed, which turned out to be the surprising gem within 2012. Granted there are unnecessary tangents that could have been removed to allow for a tighter story, such as the entire cruise ship arc which turned out to be nothing more than a pissing competition at Poseidon's (the remake) way, and didn't contribute much other than to allow alternative, uninteresting perspectives besides the cursory warning of never to allow regrets to remain status quo. Or the usual lapses into bravado speeches to rouse the human spirit in survival, which turn out to be rather cliche and boring as well.

The world as we know in the film is into its bleakest hour, and how do you inform anyone about the magnitude of disaster to come? Public announcements would lead to no law nor order, and the breakdown of civil society, and it's up to a group of G8 governments to set a secret agenda in a race against time to ensure that they can ensure the continuity of the human race, by playing Noah themselves.

Emerich has this time round become a little bit more all inclusive in having some non-US centric participation, though this did also seem like a statement to be more politically correct than anything else. Infusing some real world sensibilities, even the location and prowess needed to embark on their massive projects, were left to the Chinese for their impeccable diligence and hard work (not to mention being the world's factory too), and probably a nod to their engineering.

What would raise eyebrows in its morality tale, is how proponents in the way this hushed up secret project would become, and the silencing of detractors or those who cannot keep a secret. Natural selection based on superior gene pool got thrown out the window as well, as predetermined survivors were chosen on the basis of wealth, which of course reflects the way how capitalist societies operate in with money talking loudest. Which makes you wonder how other science fiction films which have similar premises, would have tackled this issue, from Wall E to Pandorum even.

Anyway those are things that were touched upon, but not dwelled in further detail because as I mentioned, it's a film for mass appeal entertainment, finding time to poke fun at world figures and politicians such as Queen Elizabeth II, and the Californian governor. Having a large ensemble cast is part of the fun as well, and they play nothing more than cardboard characters each given a specific thing to contribute in the film. If I lists some of them down as average Joe Jackson Curtis played by John Cusack, his estranged wife played by Amanda Peet, Kinky Boots' Chiwetel Ejiofor as a prominent scientist, Danny Glover as the US President, Thandie Newton as the First Daughter, Woody Harrelson as an over the top doomsday soothsayer, and more from Morgan Lili, Oliver Platt, Jimi Mistry and Lisa Lu, to Singaporean Chin Han, who plays a young TIbetian worker.

If you're looking for entertainment, then look no further than 2012, the tentpole film for this week. Just remember to check your expectations, and buckle up for that adrenaline rush. Make sure you're opting to see this in a digital hall, with a good sound system enough to reverberate the audio shockwaves across the entire screening hall.

Gokusen: The Movie (ごくせん The Movie)

2009-11-12T23:44:00.004+08:00

Ganbatte!

Gokusen is based on a Japanese manga which became a highly popular television drama series, and going by the response of the audience, it's likely that many fans have turned up in droves just to catch the latest installment of their favourite inspirational teacher Yankumi, played in quite a schizophrenic manner by Yukie Naakama, befitting of the character who's balancing her school life with the legacy of who she actually is.

Which is being the heir to the Oedo yakuza family as granddaughter of the boss, primed to take over the family triad business if not for her desire to live her dream, which is to teach. In the television series starring just about the same cast who made it to this film extension, plenty of comedy stem from her attempts at keeping her true identity a secret, despite lapses sometimes in using Gangster lingo, which we do get glimpses of here, but being lost in translation.

Simply put, this story is based upon a typical tale of an inspirational teacher who never stops believing in her students, no matter how hopeless they seem in their academics. We don't get to see a lot of classroom lessons here (almost zilch), but what we do get, is how Yankumi, through her sincere actions and care for her students, win her delinquent charges over, and impart some important life lessons, which will probably propel them further in life, if not setting them out on a clear, strong foundation. Two simple values become what's core, and that's never to lie, and to live life with pride and dignity.

But that doesn't means she's a softie O Captain My Captain. When push comes to shove, her innate abilities to solve things in gangster style, exaggerated of course for comedic effect, means she's never one to shy away from fights, especially completing those started by her students. Metaphorically, it's a fight for her students to wake up their ideas, to keep them from being bullied and to be safe from harm. For her young age, she behaves somewhat like a mother hen, ever protective of her charges, extending the notion of being a teacher for life to all her students, the entire three generations worth which get their respective air time in this feature film.

And that naturally meant that the narrative is split quite evenly, one that addresses her current pupil's problems with a biker gang, one to solve her ex-student's alleged involvement with drug trafficking which formed the bulk all the way to the finale, and one of her earliest students being posted to the Akadou High School as a trainee teacher, where she is currently teaching, thinking that she had inspired him to follow in her footsteps. The film felt that it's providing some closure to some of the earlier drama series, especially in the epilogue where it takes some pains to bring back prominent cast members for a quick canonical updating session.

Those not acquainted with either the television or manga series may feel a little left out when obvious references to those material get made, although it doesn't dictate that prior background knowledge is pre-requisite to enjoy this. To do so, you've to accept that there is room for plenty of quirky, over the top comedy, ranging from deliberate over-acting (especially with Yukie Nakama's act cute antics) to cheesy sound effects that made it look all too cartoony.

Definitely one for the fans, with non-fans able to join in the fun, and probably get their interest piqued in what they've missing out on thus far.

The Informant!

2009-11-11T23:08:00.001+08:00

Why Can't I Qualify For A Telephone-Shoe?!

Liar Liar, Pants on Fire! I was once told that only the truth can set one free, then again there's this thing about truth which is an entire can of worms as well. Anyway, with lies come bigger lies to cover previous ones, and before you know it, unless you're one heck of a skilled liar, it just snowballs until it gets out of control, and you wonder just how you might just break this circle should you come clean. Sort of.

Which brings us to Steven Soderbergh's The Informant!, where we follow the (mis)adventures of a company whistle blower, who acted in his own self, delusional interest in believing that confessing to the Feds his activity and what he intimately knows about his company's shenanigans in price-fixing, would absolve him of his guilt, and hey, fast track him to the CEO position as well, since he's wearing the white hat and with the good guys. But little does everyone know that Matt Damon's Mark Whitacre has some serious personal issues, which we gleefully laugh along with, until we realize that it is something that has potential to torpedo his credibility.

Matt Damon probably got everyone sit up and take notice with his action-hero persona in Jason Bourne in the Bourne trilogy of films, where his talk-less-kick-arse-more character had everyone heralding the era of shaky-camerawork in action films. Here, it seems that Soderbergh had plucked Damon from his Ocean 's films, identifying that he can play low-key with aplomb, and does so as the lead protagonist in the film, without whom I believe this movie will fall flat.

Damon hides behind that thick moustache and paunch to bring out possibly one of his best roles in recent years highlighting some serious versatility so far unseen, punctuated by a quirky narrative complete with a very deliberate 80s feel in art direction. The film worked on a couple of levels, and while the trailer would like you to believe that Mark Whitacre was some kind of Johnny English or Maxwell Smart styled undercover spy buffoon, the character here is anything but and smarter than the trailer made it out to be. There's also no laugh out loud humour that it had suggested, but plenty of wry ones, thanks to some hilarious voiceovers reflecting Whitacre's thought process at that moment, that had topics ranging from anything under the sun, again tying in very closely to Whitacre's condition. One moment he's supposed to listen attentively to a plan, the next he's thinking aloud about cheap ties.

Alas the story did feel weighted as it dragged on for a wee bit too long, accentuating something which the audience would already know about by then, but just wanted to push it all a little further to the point of no return. Thanks to some excellent makeup, you'll get to see Damon like you've never seen him before, and that's basically what The Informant! is all about. A Matt Damon vehicle where he gets the chance to show that he's not just all action and no talk. Some insights into shady corporate deals with kickbacks, corruption and lack of corporate governance will appeal, and probably so would the stifling processes that the FBI, with Scott Bakula heading the cast, have to deal with a none too bright collaborator from within.

Not Soderbergh's best work, but one which adds gravitas to Matt Damon's filmography.

Vengeance

2009-11-09T23:01:00.003+08:00

Photo-Fitting the Prey

If Daddy's little girl got hurt, you know darn well that Daddy will spare no effort in hunting the perpetrators down, especially when the police is inept, and turning to the other side of the law for revenge seem all the more attractive. Cost isn't a factor too, since everything has a price, especially with a dad willing to sell everything just to see his brand of justice get exacted.

Welcome to Johnnie To's world of hitmen and a tale of vengeance, set in the cities of Macau and Hong Kong, with his regular Milkyway cast and crew set to deliver an all too familiar premise, now joined by French actor Johnny Hallyday as Costello, a chef who's naturally more than meets the eye, being able to assemble a stripped handgun blindfolded and in record time compared to seasoned veterans. His daughter and her family got gunned down in cold blood, and working against time and with only an injured ear as a clue, he capitalizes on a chance encounter with the hitmen trio of Kwai (Anthony Wong), Chu (Lam Ka Tung) and Fatty Lok (Lam Suet), who for plenty of Euros, a watch, a restaurant and an apartment in Paris, take up this assignment for quite the good deal as it is.

Only of course for Wai Ka-Fai's story to put them in a dilemma of sorts, when they have to consider whether to honour an agreement with someone they know little about, or to do so with their long time contract employer (played to evil delight by Simon Yam), fully aware that crossing the latter will bring about some drastic results, akin to biting the hand that feeds you.

And of course with such consequences come plenty of room for some balletic shootouts, only that the initial big one, with Eddie Cheung, Felix Wong and Ng Ting Yip turned out to be a dark affair under a moon shadowed by cloud cover, with black leather jackets not helping much in knowing who's shooting who in the dark. Otherwise, there were some quirky scenes such as the innovating rolling of rubbish bales to act as sandbags in an open plain, and the finale which will see you rooting for just desserts to be served.

Johnnie To has included plenty of his signature style in this film, from stand offs to no holds barred shootouts with a myriad of semi and automatic handguns and rifles, it's like an education session with a firearms nut. Which of course entertains since the cast, already so familiar with his style, and familiar with what's expected of them, pulled this off oozing plenty of machismo along the way. I cannot for the life of me think of any other non-resident actors who can waltz into a Johnnie To film and look and feel like his gangsters, though Johnny Hallyday comes close with a dogged mission, and a look that has seen better, glorious days.

There are some shades of To's earlier films such as The Mission and Exiled, which isn't too difficult to draw some parallels from since they start essentially a similar core cast, and with some scenes which I thought were uncannily lifted from Exiled with the enemy assault and flight from the fire escape, and there's almost always a scene in the rain with umbrellas, a throwback to other Milkyway productions like Sparrow and Eye in the Sky. There's a twist in the story involving a character in the film which I will not dwell or make refeences to (since you're likely to go Oh, that looked like a plot element from some other film), but suffice to say that that little wee bit that came unexpected, provided more gravitas to the title Vengeance, since it now takes on a whole new dimension altogether, with more action promised of course, but examining the notion of the act of Vengeance, on how different it will be altogether when one no longer remembers the purpose it's supposed to serve.

It's strictly for Johnnie To's fans who know what to expect from the master and now poster boy of Hong Kong cinema, and probably a good introduction too for those new to his films. Those sitting on the fence will wonder what the fuss is about with this film being part of the official selection at this year's Cannes Film Festival, but over here, this film is making a fuss, especially for me, and I'll give you a reason.

For once, we can watch a Hong Kong film with Cantonese dialogue left intact. While local film Blood Ties had Cantonese used as well, this film builds upon that goodwill extended by the powers that be. True, Vengeance has a chunk of dialogue in English, with the other chunk predominantly in Cantonese, and I'll take that. If this is an example of the rules being relaxed slowly, then I'm all for it because nothing, absolutely nothing, beats having to hear the cast emoting in their natural voices, rather than to have someone else step in to voiceover their roles. And of course, if we all don't turn into gangsters or start speaking Cantonese en masse, I think the film would've made the point that not everyone will be negatively influenced by such baseless concerns to begin with.

I smell change coming already, and let's hope it really does with Vengeance being that small step taken in the right direction!

Watch Afghanistan Idol!

2009-11-08T19:02:00.004+08:00

Afghan Star
2008 | Afghanistan/UK | 87min | PG

Under Young ChangeMakers, a program by the National Youth Council, the Singapore Film Society is screening Afghan Star, a documentary on democracy and freedom in Afghanistan in the guise of a popular singing talent competition.

After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, pop Idol has come to Afghanistan. Millions are watching the TV series 'Afghan Star' and voting for their favourite singers by mobile phone. For many, this is their first encounter with democracy. This timely film follows the dramatic stories of four contestants as they risk all to become the nation's favourite singer. But will they attain the freedom they hope for in this vulnerable and traditional nation?

Afghan Star is Havana Marking's first feature documentary, shot over four months in Kabul, Afghanistan. The documentary has won the World Cinema Audience Award and Directing Award at the 2009 Sundance FIlm Festival and the Shell International Best Documentary at Grierson Documentary awards. It is also UK's submission for Best Foreign Language Oscar.

Screening Details
Date & Time: 22 Nov, Sun 4 pm
Venue: Gallery Theatre, National Museum of Singapore
Ticket Prices: $10 from Tickets.com

See you there!

Horror Web Series: The Scare Game

2009-11-08T18:39:00.002+08:00

The Scare Game is a new horror/comedy web series by an independent film company based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, designed to fill a particular niche of high quality cinematic entertainment that has been so far, devoid on the web. Season One will consist of thirteen7 to 10 minute episodes exploring the topics of horror, voyeurism, and the ultimate unrequited love- fandom.

Uncanny Entertainment hopes that through a blend of strong production values and quality writing, independent web entertainment will become a wide-spread, regular option for the viewing public, and so far has produced one episode of The Scare Game's first season and it's now available online. Have a look!

Link to first episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ0RrIN1dWY
Click here for The Scare Game's Official YouTube Channel
Click here for the Official Website

Paranormal Activity

2009-11-07T23:50:00.004+08:00

It Moved!

Note to self: If I want to make a film that would allow a clueless audience to leave bewildered whether it's a true event or not, leave out all forms of credits, and end it as it is. Although Paranormal Activity is a work of fiction, its presentation made many amongst the audience wonder if it's true, even as the end credits did state it's fictitious. I guess not everyone reads.

The Blair Witch Project could probably be credited as one of the earliest horror films which used the Internet extensively to market the film, and to build a buzz surrounding its probable “real life” events which unfold from a first person video camera perspective. It managed to spook its way to box office success despite being low budget, and there are now countless of films out there which have adopted similar techniques, though with varying degrees of success. But of course that doesn't stop films, like this one, from trying.

Micah (Micah Sloat) and Katie (Katie Featherston) are the chief protagonists in a film as shot by Micah on his expensive camera, just to try and catch whatever's bothering his fiance each night in her sleep. As we learn together with him on this voyeuristic journey, this disturbance is nothing new, as whatever it is has been spooking Katie since she was 8 years old, and as a ghost expert explains the distinction between ghosts and demons, this one wants Katie, and won't just go away even if the couple should move homes. Talk about not knowing what he has gotten himself into, hooking up with a girl who comes with some supernatural baggage!

So as the story goes, Paranormal Activities has a repetitive presentation, which will either keep you intrigued in wanting to find out what's the next discovery and progress as the days wear on at the witching hour of 3am each night, or just plain bore you out of your wits. It's like a slow brew, watching little things like shadow movements, morph into shock jock tactics like sudden slamming of doors, to things that literally come crashing down into the living room. Half the movie gets shown in 1 camera angle, and that's watching the couple in their bed sleeping until something happens, which will creep you out in varying degrees.

That said, it's the little things that just plant some frightful thoughts within your mind, but when the time is ripe for some full blown in-your-face horror, this film doesn't shy away from that either. It's one heck of a finale that you probably won't see it coming, akin to those viral marketing videos that have you stare until your guard is down, then sucker punch you and knowing not to drag it out for too long, for maximum results. Franking speaking, you can afford to dose off for the 1st hour.

Merantau / Merantau Warrior

2009-11-07T23:26:00.004+08:00

Surprise!

Rejoice action fans over this region! South-east Asia has a new action hero hailing from Indonesia, and his name is Iko Uwais. We've already got Tony Jaa showcasing Thailand's Muay Thai, and now we've got Uwais to introduce a different brand of Silat which we have been exposed to thus far, thanks to the SEA Games but that's more like a Wushu event, which is more exhibition. It's still quite amazing to see what is usually seen on TV as executed in exhibition pace, to take on an entirely different form when in combat mode. Merantau - and Singapore has to add a “Warrior” to the title so that we know it's an action film, duh - is a well executed, entertaining film as far as actioners are concerned.

Uwais stars as Yuda, a coming of age young adult who has to leave his village and go through a rites of passage in a Merantau, which is something equivalent of an Australian aboriginal walkabout. He sets his sights on Jakarta and has plans to set up a Silat school, only for his contact to go missing with nary a trace. Bumming around while figuring out his next course of action, he chanced upon the siblings of Adit (Yusuf Aulia) and Astri (Sisca Jessica), the latter whom is picked up by gangsters to be part of a sex trafficking ring, and thus begin his discovery of his destiny and calling as the unofficial protector against the meek and weak.

Yes the storyline isn't much to behold naturally, though as far as action films go, this one satisfies its own cursory, flimsy tale to hold all the spectacular action sequences together, giving it some reason to have Uwais go on a rampage, showcasing personal prowess, and to add Silat as a martial arts of choice amongst so many that have its fair share of a cinematic outing, from Ip Man's Wing Chun, to Ong Bak's Muay Thai. It's hard hitting silat harimau here, which has its distinctive low centre of gravity positioning, sweeping leg motions to unbalance the opposition, and very direct and hard hitting palming aimed squarely at the opponent's chest to literally knock the wind out of.

What also worked here is the action cinematography. We all remember how Jaa smashed into the scene with its repetitive action sequences cut from different camera angles, done ad nausem. Here, the filmmakers had good sense in working a very wonderfully designed, and common sensical presentation in not relying on quick edits and jump cuts, allowing the action to flow naturally, and presented in its full glory. I particularly enjoyed moments where a revolving 360 degree view gets employed, especially when Yuda has to tackle opponents all round.

And Yuda is no one man superman too, which worked well for the story, having to see his fair share of failures, as well as shortcomings in his rookie fish-out-of-water situation. While there are moments inserted for dramatic breathing space, the action sequences aren't forgotten and got interspersed adequately within the first few acts, until the last one which became a non-stop, adrenaline pumping finale that was reminiscence of old Hong Kong action flicks, or even Bruce Lee ones, where the protagonist go up against incredible odds, and one on one (or two) situations against Caucasian villains, who are portrayed here in quite over-the-top fashion in need of a good hard kick up the arse.

Granted this is no perfect film with a number of continuity errors spotted, the set action pieces were a sight to behold despite some moments being wire-obvious, mixing things up with components other than Silat all the way, with a few which stood out as campy fun. Keep your eye out for that towel scene, and one of my personal favourites was one that involved a bamboo pole which the trailer included. Uwais also proves that he's quite comfortable with the sickle and metallic staff / batons which got used quite frequently here by hero and villains alike.

Action junkies will do yourselves no favour if you miss Iko Uwais maiden cinematic outing on the big screen. It may not be perfect, but it mattered for what it set out to do – establish a new action hero from our region, and to promote the form of martial arts in Silat.

Humpday

2009-11-07T23:17:00.003+08:00

Are You Ready For This?

Awarded the Sundance Special Jury Prize, the premise is pretty much hilariously insane, though I'm not sure if there will really be straight guys out there who will decide to go do it with their male best friends, perhaps only in a state of drunken stupor with false bravado in not wanting to lose face? Which is exactly how this film portrayed its lead protagonists in their attempt to justify their once-in-a-lifetime project pact using a film festival as an end to justify their means.

Ben (Mark Duplass) and Anna (Alycia Demore) are a happily married couple who are quite fixed in the formula of how life should be like, and are perhaps living it up quite blissfully until Ben's best friend Andrew (Joshua Leonard) comes gatecrashing into their peaceful lives in the wee hours of one fine early morning, and hence becomes the perfect fodder for some shenanigans to follow, being the disruptive force that he is. You know how it is when a stranger to the wife comes knocking on the door, and the couple's dynamics shift instantly because on false good graces she has to become the gracious host in putting up with someone's innate ability to steal away the husband's time. Think You, Me and Dupree.

In a drunken, doped state at a spaced out party one day which Anna of course decided to pass on, Ben and Andrew declare that they will be submitting their own "art" film to a film festival, the hump festival, but since it's no kick to submit just another porn film, they decide that their straight orientation going all out for each other, would be the draw to win top prize. You know how it is when best friends dare each other, and eventually it's taken for real because nobody wants to lose face, or be perceived as chicken. They deem that their brotherly love would transcend the icky-ness that comes with the thought, and in order to strike while the iron is hot and to prove their respective sincerity, they will film themselves having sex in a few day's time.

Which of course Ben's marital status proves to be the ultimate stumbling block, because he has account for his actions to Anna. Writer-director Lynn Shelton seemed to have followed a popular formula that has a narrative film look like a documentary with its shaky cam and what felt like ad-libbed, unscripted dialogue that the last film I remembered which did something like that, was Rachel Getting Married. The gem here is how Shelton got the small cast to interact with each other which was vividly real rather than something which was rehearsed to death, and crafted characters which are fleshed out wonderfully by the small cast, in which the director herself starred in too as a bisexual.

Whatever the premise is, we can easily identify with how far we would let a dare go and how often we do so in order not to lose face. The trick is of course knowing when to back down and to do so without being perceived as chicken. These human condition issues and situations get totally played out in perfect manner with Humpday.

Amelia

2009-11-06T23:21:00.001+08:00

Taking Off

If you're an aviation nut, you'd probably be in line to want to watch a biopic on one of aviation's earliest female pilot, who made a name for herself as the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic. This is a snapshot on Amelia Earhart's illustrious life and career, coupled with a very strong centric look at her romantic life with George Putnam (played by Richard Gere) and Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor). Hilary Swank takes on the titular role, with Mira Nair given directorial duties, but unfortunately, this film didn't have any highs and lows, but flew by like a 747 in the skies with nary a turbulence in its flight.

As far as biopics go, this one doesn't reveal anything much about Amelia's motivations in her career, simply brushed aside by her preference at any chance to take to the skies. Hilary Swank doesn't really embody that passionate love for flying, but instead the film focused instead on her very open married relationship with George, while romancing Gene on the side. If not for some exhilarating aerial shots and recreation of renowned airplanes back in the old days, and the machines that Amelia flew, you'd probably find yourself yawning at the big deal about her romantic life.

You can read my review of Amelia at movieXclusive.com by clicking on the logo below.

Astro Boy

2009-11-05T23:54:00.004+08:00

I'm Alive!

Truth be told I'm not too acquainted with Astro Boy, other than reading up here and there, and seeing how popular he is in Kyoto that his stature appears almost everywhere near the main JR Station. Which of course the film has suited me fine, approaching it without baggage to watch an origin story right down to how Astro Boy loses his shirt for that naked upper body iconic look.

Star scientist Tenma (Nicholas Cage) of Metro City spends an enormous time on his job, neglecting his extremely bright son Toby (Freddie Highmore). A lab accident spells the death of the boy, and in grief, Taman creates a cloned robot of his son, and hey presto, Astro Boy is conceived, as Tenma puts into this robot a whole slew of self-defense weapons from his butt machine guns (no kidding!) to the iconic boots rocket boosters, because of a guilt-reflex that he had let down his son, and have left him exposed without being there to protect him properly.

There are enough of the usual themes here in this 94 minute movie which makes it pretty accessible, such as life, death, destiny and the yearning for friendship and acceptance, of who you are, and for others to see beyond oneself with prejudiced notions, which for Astro Boy's case, the misconception of a robot without heart nor emotion. Powered by some blue-energized meteor, it's like a tale of renewable energy sources that spells the future of mankind's effort in maintaining a paradise that is Metro City, though the by-product waste in red-energy is fairly unstable, and makes for a good source of power for the evil President Stone (Donald Sutherland) and his warmongering robot ironically called The Peacekeeper, in a kooky plan for re-election. and war.

Narratively, this film was safely stuck in "safe" mode throughout, and there were some shades of other super-powered films that can be seen here, such as the final scene mimicking Pixar's The Incredibles, or inspired by Bryan Singer's Superman Returns in that Atlas lift of a troubled, enormous piece of land mass, and what every self-respecting origin super-hero movie will have, a montage or set action sequence of the initial discovery of powers, which allowed for Astro Boy to show off in some ways, his uncanny abilities, some of which though you'll have to wait until the final battle for it to be discovered, and exploited.

Needless to say, in between the set action sequences, the film sagged a little in the middle act as it tried its very best to humanize this robotic boy, and the introduction of a myriad of human children and robotic characters, in it to interact with our titular hero, with the latter inserted nothing more than for some cheap laughter, like requisite jesters. But when the action scenes are very well made, engaging and entertaining, that all is forgiven when you see Astro Boy in full flight and fight, with the finale battle something of an adrenaline rush.

The animators at Imagi Studios did a great job in delivering this film to expectations, graphic wise, and amongst all the robots, I preferred The Peacemaker best amongst all the mechanical creations, given his ability for fusion which allows for one really awesome looking make of a robot to grace on screen looking good as well as possessing enough opposing power to Astro Boy. An A-list voice cast also helped, with actors such as Nathan Lane, Eugene Levy, Bill Nighy, Samuel L. Jackson, Charlize Theron and Kristen Bell all chipping in.

I would have preferred to see this in 3D, but tough luck as we won't have that version playing here in the cinemas. What a sight that would be, just to watch Astro Boy in full 3D glory, but even when without that gimmick, this film turned out to beat my expectations, and this boy really soars.

Capitalism: A Love Story

2009-11-05T23:45:00.003+08:00

Talk to the Hand

You'd either enjoy Michael Moore's documentaries like a one man force exposing the inadequacies and falling of man and the system in his extremely subjective viewpoints presented in a hard-hitting manner, or dismiss him as another hack and bad filmmaker, just as how someone during the documentary quipped in telling him to stop making films. By now Moore's reputation is notorious, and it's a bit of a riot watching how he's now in probably every watchlist and blacklist in corporate America.

Capitalism: A Love Story takes a square look at the current economic system that America has firmly rooted in place, fueled by the basic greed of Man, and the expose on corruption, nepotism and perhaps even plain stupidity. Undoubtedly the last few films in Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko and now this, has proven that Moore still has plenty of bones to pick with ex-US President George W Bush, never letting go of any opportunity to ridicule him, not that it's hard to do so anyway, and not to mention the very pointed finger that puts the blame on Reaganomics as well, and the manipulated actor of a president.

In some ways, this seems to come full circle with his first feature length documentary Roger & Me, revisiting his childhood, his hometown of Flint, and General Motors. Never mincing his words, the film looks at everything from how the man on the street has to struggle with bringing home the bacon and being evicted from their homes and jobs, as compared to the golden years of the American Dream where the lofty ambitions back then, has now evolved into the nightmare that is now. From the unequal distribution of wealth to the more recent, topical bailout plans as passed by Congress, Moore's film does a little bit more than to set up stories and interviews, and goes to great lengths linking all the old boys clique and shady conspiracy theories that Corporate America, or more specifically the bankers, possess this insatiable greed that has to be quashed by common sense, and power from the ordinary folks.

In fact, it's more like a rallying call to stand up against injustice committed amongst communities by corporations who hide behind lawyers, and serve as a warning, by the finale, that there is still belief in Democracy being the opposing force toward Capitalism with its one man one vote system, despite a small percentage of the population hoarding all of society's wealth. It even went to speak of a movement and possible revolution that could be brought about by the working class against the elites, because there will be a tipping point that enough is enough.

It's quite pro-Obama too (no prizes guessing which party Moore endorses), with scenes capturing the euphoria in his campaign trail promising Change, which in recent days the newspapers have tried to question with Obama's falling approval ratings. While Moore's antics may seem dated, repetitive, childish and attention seeking even, you can't deny the fact that the film would appeal to the sandwiched class, no matter which country, who feel the squeeze because of poor policy making, or corruption amongst the lawmakers. It's chilling to note that with inaction, we'd allow the powers to be to practically walk away unscathed from things that they are held accountable.

And that's what we should be guarding against, rather than to swallow bad treatment lock, stock and barrel. It's nothing shameful asking for what's right, and what's due process. You may not agree with everything put forth by the documentary (such has that voiceover onto scenes from Jesus Christ Superstar), but it will set you thinking how the US's checks and balance would still be found wanting in the face of craftily engineered coincidences that seek to benefit the usual suspects. The greed of Man knows no bounds indeed.

Guess Who's Back?

2009-11-04T23:51:00.002+08:00

Yes, Saint Jack is back, just in time to coincide with the 30th Anniversary of the film's commercial release, and as Ben Slater puts it,

almost exactly 30 years since Warners innocently sent a copy to the Singapore Censorship Board for a look-see.

Heh, guess we all know by now what came out of that.

In any case the film's already unbanned, and there has been a couple of past screenings, such as this one some 3 years ago. The Australian DVD is also available at HMV and I think you may just find some stray copies still on the shelves, but nothing beats having to watch it on the big screen on what's possibly one of the best prints out there to be hunted down for exhibition, and shown where else but at the National Museum Gallery Theatre.

Mark the dates of 26th to 28th November on your calendar, because not only cast and crew will make an appearance during the screening, there will also be a bus tour called the Jack of Hearts Mystery Tour where you get to retrace the steps in the scouting team's effort in location finding, offering a unique look into Singapore's past, hosted by Ben Slater (Author of Kinda Hot: The Making of Saint Jack, an excellent, must-read book on the making of Saint Jack) and Tony Yeow (Unit Manager on Saint Jack) who will serve as guides.

So what are you waiting for? See you there!

My Girlfriend Is An Agent (Chilgeup Gongmuwon / 7급 공무원)

2009-11-03T22:17:00.001+08:00

On Guard!

If one should read the premise and have watched the trailer, the film most steeped in its reference comes to mind and that's Hollywood's Mr and Mrs Smith starring the It couple Brangelina. This is sort of a Korean reply to that film, and starring two hot, good looking stars in Kim Ha-Neul and Kang Ji-Hwan, who knows if there could be as much sparks flying in real life as in the reel as well.

But tabloid fodder aside, My Girlfriend is an Agent seemed more aligned to True Lies rather than the Smiths, by virtue of the extreme lengths taken in concealing one's true occupation from one's loved one, and that they don't quite get at each other's throats, at least not with intentionally deadly force anyway. Kim Ha-Neul stars as Su-Ji, whose cover is a travel agent with a hard-to-please Japanese clientele, while in fact she's one of the top clandestine agents Korea has. The introduction's set action sequence establishes that, and throws in the dilemma her occupation being a roadblock to a successful love life with the geek Jae-Jun (Kang Ji-Hwan), who decided that enough is enough, and boards a plane, essentially breaking her heart with an absence and communications silence.

Fast forward to three years later, and Su-Ji accidentally bumps into Jae-Jun while in the midst of a mission, and sparks fly, of a different sort. What she and us the audience don't know, is that Jae-Jun is an agent as well, albeit belonging to a different agency, but have the same enemies in their gun-sights. And it is this interplay of a long long romance now returned, and an opportunity for revenge needless to say, while concealing both their respective identities from each other, that lead to natural comedic situations, as well as setting action sequences up for double the whammy given two skilled agents in the field now.

It's easy to dismiss this as just another hack on the Hollywood film, but it's easy to identify with the underlying issues that My Girlfriend is an Agent poses. We aren't agents, but it plays on the fact that we have different facades that we put on in different aspects of our life, and sometimes these concerns come clashing with one another, leaving us in a dilemma on what to do, and which decision to take when faced with a fork in the road. Honesty is probably the best policy when it comes to relationships, but sometimes you wonder if a white lie could in fact spare the other some pain, physically or emotionally, and for cases like these super-spies, likely to be more for the physical protection of their loved ones. Not everyone can operate like a James Bond, who's probably the worst secret agent out there with practically a useless cover with such a persona well known.

Kim Ha-Neul and Kang Ji-Hwan share some comfortable chemistry whether they're up against each other, or rekindling their feelings. Their television star status should ensure that fans everywhere would hit the cinemas to support their stars in their big screen outing (you should see the response during their whirlwind tour of our city state). While Ha-Neul probably had it easier ramping up the sexiness of her role, Ji-Hwan is no pushover with his endearing, bumbling agent that personally I thought was the more interesting of the two.

The English title may sound tacky, but don't let that stop you from enjoying this lightweight, romantic comedy with action sequences that are a throwback similar to what Hong Kong films in the 80s have done.

Lesbian Vampire Killers

2009-11-02T23:53:00.003+08:00

Who Do Ya Call?

I'd have to admit that this comedy is really great for a Monday night after a start to the work week, and seriously, you're not going to care much about the flimsy excuse of a plot that would've raised some interest due to its focus on the sexuality and sensuality of vampires.

Written by Paul Hupfield and Stewart Williams, the story tells of two losers in life Jimmy (Matthew Horne) and Fletch (James Corden), the former being stuck in a cyclic romance interspersed by moments of being dumped by the other half, while the latter is just having no luck with women because of his size. Around this waist that is. Best of friends, they decide to take a random trip to the great outdoors for a hike, decided by a throw of a dart, in order to try and start life afresh and to get on an adventure, but little do they know what a time they'll be having, no thanks to a prophecy to be fulfilled on Jimmy's end as heir to an important anti-vampire lineage.

So how did lesbianism and vampirism both come together? Well it takes a comedy to gel well-known elements from the reel vampire world in films and essentially geek-dom. Setting up a faux pas historical account of Carmilla (Silvia Colloca) the Vampire Queen, and how an ancient curse had doomed plenty of 18 year old girls pretty much settles it, with the obligatory scenes of transforming some of the loser duo's new found acquaintances. And as much as it is sometimes terrifying, the humour more than makes up for every scream that it elicits from you

Both Horne and Corden seem to share the same kind of chemistry as that between Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, in that they exploit their Laurel and Hardy physical appearance in time for some great physical comedy, although it is in the script and dialogue that plenty of wittiness and fun just pushed itself through the narrative, and you're seriously one miserable person should you not laugh at absolutely anything during the film. Some jokes are still rather juvenile of course, going through similar formula also seen in other movies, and Corden easily romps home with favourite comedic artist seen this year, thanks to having delivered some of the best lines and moments in the film.

Plenty of throwaway characters here as well especially that of the female of the species, but it was the swearing Vicar (Paul McGann) who was just hilarious in the role of a man racing against time with a personal agenda, and that's to prevent his own daughter from falling prey to the curse and becoming a lesbian vampire herself. Plenty of obligatory hot bods as well thanks to the subject matter, and the film boasts some nifty special effects so that it doesn't come across as too cheap, since it already took on a comic book panel style with its really huge inter-titles peppered throughout the film.

Sure it's cheesy, but it's extremely entertaining and a lot of fun. Should there be a sequel, I'm all up for it already!

Pandorum

2009-11-02T23:44:00.003+08:00

Y'all Ready For This?

I've not been too impressed with that many science-fiction thriller/horror films set in outer space since, well, probably Alien and Aliens, but Pandorum turned out to be something of a different ball game altogether. It's been too long since I last enjoyed a film of this genre, and who would have thought this was something originally planned for a direct to video release. It looks gorgeously dark, and pretty much entertaining from start to finish, keeping you guessing until the mid-way mark, while letting the gloomy, pessimistic atmosphere envelope you.

I suppose of late the premise of our Earth dying, and deep space vessels built to bring selected people on that colonizing trip to far flung planets, have been the It thing in many contemporary science fiction films, since it plays on the fact that we're continuously ravaging the planet and payback time is just around the corner. To avoid extinction, by then in the future we'd come up with such a Noah's Ark to transport ourselves somewhere else to get that fighting chance of survival, and the film pretty much starts off with Ben Foster's Corporal Bower waking up in a pod, and emerging into a darkened space hull where it seems like he's the only survivor.

If you'd want to nitpick, there are adequate avenues to do so, and in fact sometimes right from the start. Take for instance the waking up from deep, hibernating sleep, where it'll take a while for one to re-orientate oneself and remember stuff. So why didn't anyone think of at least waking up to a notebook readily available with basic facts and figures? Like I mentioned, these trivialities should be checked at the door, because the payload's very much worth over these little inconsequential asking of Whys, some of which do get addressed as the film moved along.

Corporal Bower soon gets joined by Lieutenant Payton (Dennis Quaid) and together they try to make sense of their predicament, with the higher ranking officer guiding his only man to do the grunt work of hitting the ground, while he well, pretty much does environmental monitoring over at the console chamber. And of course this allows Ben Foster, who has been extremely impressive in his supporting role in 3:10 To Yuma, to take the opportunity to shine again as the ground-soldier-flight-engineer to implement his plan of reviving the ship's nuclear reactor before the main systems shut down for good.

And this of course allows for adequate set action sequences to take place as uneasy alliances get forged with respective, primal human survivors that Bower comes across, and pit them against some really pasty white and dexterous creatures that feed on both humans and cannibalizing their own fallen comrades, courtesy of Stan Winston Studios. While they may seem to move in confined spaces with stealth, cunning and speed reminiscence of those in the Alien franchise, somehow the cinematography and angles chosen seem to make it all a tad difficult at times to make out who's doing what, and who's attacking who, though when it does get its act together, it's edge-of-your-seat material, especially when it successfully exploits its “boo” moments to scare.

There are some impressive sets and effects that do make you sit up and take notice, and for a relatively modest budgeted film, the filmmakers have pulled off quite the miracle in creating this environment full of questions asked. The story by Travis Milloy plays out like one huge mystery for the audience to solve, though of course its twist is nothing not already seen before, but still rather effectively put on screen by director Christian Alvart.

Pandorum has been playing for some time already and screening is now relegated to a few halls and limited screening times. Do yourself a favour and catch this before it disappears from here for good!

Jennifer's Body

2009-11-01T16:49:00.001+08:00

Tease

Megan Fox has the noisy Transformers movies to thank for in propelling her to fan geekdom, where her Mikaela character had probably captured more attention amongst the fan boys who are just as ecstatic about catching some mindless, high-octane Michael Bay action, as they are trying to figure out what the bombshell has got to do with robots. Which is pretty little of course rather than to ramp up its sexy quotient, and to think that Fox herself would be more suited for a role such as this one, in which she plays a demonic cheerleader out to seduce and devour boys.

But only if Diablo Cody's story wasn't that all over the shop. Successful with Juno in telling a story about a smart-mouthed teenager who finds herself pregnant, with Ellen Page and Michael Cera possessing some cute couple chemistry, Jennifer's Body turned out to be attempting to replicate that smarty dialogue, but felt so flat in the way her horridly inserted teen-vocabulary sounded each time they get uttered by It Girl of the town of Devil's Kettle, Fox's titular character Jennifer.

While one would think it's second nature for Fox to be that figurative man-eater, in actual fact she fell quite flat besides smacking her lips most of the time, and trying to sound all sultry but coming off as quite artificial. What could have sent many a heart racing with its premise of luring bad boys with her nubile body, turned out to be nothing more than a very tame outing just to cater to teenage demographics. Instead, I was more in awe with effort of the make up artists in how they manage to camouflage Fox's rather prominent tattoos all over her body. Yes, I was that bored.

The show however got stolen by Mamma Mia!'s Amanda Seyfried as nerdy Needy (yes, what a name), Jennifer's childhood friend who's so thick with her that they share this almost psychic bond with each other, sensing their presence, danger and the likes. With those geeky specs and frayed, frizzy hair, Seyfried downright steals the show from under the nose of the vampish Fox, and her character possesses quite the spunk in getting at what she wants, like a crouching tiger who's just waiting for an opportunity to shine, which translated into the movie as getting pissed off enough to dish out some punishment of their own.

Cody's story clumsily explains the links between Jennifer's supernatural abilities with that of a county-wide disaster which claimed the lives of enough citizens to permeate a lot of doom and gloom in the air. A reason got offered of course for what this is all about, but everything else was really poor in having pile cliché and genre formula all over, with plenty of irrationality in the last act. If one would have thought this was the adventures of Jennifer, be warned that Needy is just as much interesting, or more so than Jennifer, thanks to Seyfriend's performance of how BFFs go from chummy, to bitchy.

Fans of Megan Fox who are hoping to see a little more skin of their idol will likely leave the theatre unfortunately disappointed. The NC16 label has been put up, and the film surprising signals some toning down of requirements by the new local censors, where female to female lip locking would be under intense scrutiny, now it's just slapped with a rating just one above PG. A relaxation of rules perhaps?

Saw VI

2009-10-31T23:50:00.002+08:00

Designer Death

It's pretty amazing how a small film with essentially a two-man cast set predominantly in a stank toilet, could eventually spawn a franchise lasting 6 movies long now, and a contemporary cult anti-hero with Jigsaw and Tobin Bell the actor joining the hall of horror infamy. And what more too with the villain quite clearly not doing any killing himself, but does so indirectly through some mad scientist manner in creating ingenious contraptions that get audiences lapping up for more.

One may add that Saw VI does feel like flogging a dead horse, since we know what happened to Jigsaw already in the past few films, but this installment pretty much showed that there's still one last fight left in ol' Jigsaw, which I hope will be its last outing because it pretty much wrapped up everything nicely. Unless of course you choose to interpret its finale as an open one.

What I thoroughly enjoyed about Saw VI, is how it steered clear of being a parody of itself, or a flick out to exploit with a weak story. Here, the screenplay by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton infused some contemporariness in having a social aspect inserted. Instead of bumping off corrupt cops, drug addicts or folks who seem to live life for granted, they've added the unscrupulous characters from the healthcare insurance workers, whose flawed reasoning of probability turned away folks who are in need of help, and are in dire straits of treatment being denied unto them.

Hiding behind "policy", they disengage without empathy and for selfish, personal gains, just like the protagonist in Sam Raimi's Drag Me to Hell. So it was somewhat a guilt trip in watching how these folks get their just deserts, and not to mention those lawyers who are lacking in morales of course, lending their expertise to ensure maximum profits. Amongst the victims here, while most show their true colours when faced with death, the lawyer is probably the one who will get your utter most attention, and chuckle too, for the behaviour exhibited.

Granted there are less bizarre killings and contraptions here compared to its predecessors, but that doesn't mean that as a standalone film, your goosebumps won't stand. Starting with a bang, the simplest device involving a carousel, ended up the most gripping of the lot, where hard decisions have to be made in a race against time and pain, amidst plenty of accusations and revelations flying. Probably one of the less flashy Jigsaw designed death method, but one clearly the most horrendous of the lot.

Saw VI follows the usual formula in explaining Jigsaw's rationale and methods, and the valuation of life which tie in pretty well with most of the earlier films, with the given twists at the end that helped to elevate this worthy as a "Saw" film, complete with double crossings that just beg for you to re-watch the earlier films. As I mentioned, it's a fitting finale to a long-running series, and I'd wish they stop now before the idea gets too stale, and subsequent effort really coming off as too trying and contrived. In other words, retire gracefully now while at the top of its game as the mother of all torture porn franchises.

Click here for reviews of Saw I, Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV, Saw V

Spread

2009-10-31T17:20:00.004+08:00

God's Gift to Women

The one scene that will strike you and linger around after you walked out of the cinemas, it's the final scene. It's no spoiler, but it walked right out of National Geographic, where you see up close, how a toad devours a mouse. Swallow in fact, allowing it to semi-digest, while occasionally tugging at the tail. It's downright gross as a parting short, but the camera stayed firmly on it for minutes during the entire end credits.

Anyway, back to the film. If you're blessed with good looks and a fine bod, I suppose sometimes you wonder if you're God's gift to women. For Ashton Kutcher's Nikki, his is a life of a classic dreamer, thinking that with his kind of aesthetics, he could be living the life straight out of a Van Halen music video, with flashy cars, plenty of cash and fast women to spend the rest of his days with. Unfortunately with no life skills to offer except the ability to pleasure women, he exploits his talent in order to live up to that impossible dream.

It's pretty much an instructional video on the tactics used by contemporary gigolos, or at least those who are looking to live off rich sugar mommies. Like a hunter preying on his mark, Nikki's not looking out for hot young things to feed his lifestyle, that will come later after he's snagged the anchor, who is that successful, single middle aged lady to hook up with, leading him to Anne Heche's Samantha (who looks really hot in the film, mind you).

Inventor of the rollover sleeping smile, they form a symbiotic relationship, one needing a toy boy for those lonely nights, while the other needing her extravagant Peter Bogdanovich's ex-mansion, sturdy Mercedes which needless to say, comes in extremely useful for parties and hosting of other nubile women to sucker when the cat's away. The premise of living the life at another's expense, using a bodily trade off, reminded me of the French film Priceless (Hors De Prix) starring Audrey Tautou, who plays the gold-digger in that film.

There's plenty of gratuitous nudity and sex to go around until the second half of the film which switched gears and turned out hunter into the prey, when he meets up with waitress Heather (Margarita Levieva) who's actually more of a player than he is, and it's like a match made in heaven in a karmic round-robin, with what's going around coming around. It is this aspect of the film that somewhat sagged that incredible, dream like freeloading taking place in the first half, and somehow turned this into sappy romance territory with its message on the consequence of non-permanence in relationships that will come back and haunt you.

Ashton Kutcher looked incredibly comfortable as the serial womanizer and slacker in life, clueless about what to do when he meets with the real woman of his desire. He gives Nikki that smugness and comfort in knowing that he's living the moment, with that natural despair coming in when he understands that he's now down the slippery slope of no return. I think he gets it down to a pat in real and reel life romancing older women. Anne Heche pretty much owned the supporting role in the first act, before disappearing for Margarita Levieva to take over the female lead in the second act, as the two women to have made the most impact in Nikki's life.

I could come up with something naughty to say about its title as the parting shot, but I'll leave it at that. Spread isn't top class material with its profound sleaze, but at least it had that memorable ending shot enough to make you reel a little, and talk about it. Strictly for those interested in what the R21 fuss is all about, and surprisingly, a lot more females in the audience than there are men.

Amalfi (Amarufi: Megami no Hôshû / アマルフィ女神の報酬)

2009-10-31T15:20:00.003+08:00

I guess even coming back from the Tokyo International Film Festival my appetite for Japanese films still isn't satiated. Amalfi is Fuji TV's 50th anniversary film, and it's no holds barred in terms of the production values, jet-setting throughout Rome, with a bevy of star, even getting Sarah Brightman herself to perform the number “Time to Say Goodbye” on screen.

Yuji Oda stars as what looked to be on the surface as an uncomfortable career diplomat, though I'd like to think of his character here as a behind-the-scenes clandestine operative sent around the world to provide various Japanese embassies that oversight into major events their diplomats are organizing or attending. It's been some time since I last saw a Yuji Oda film, the last I believe being very long ago with the Bayside Shakedown 2 film, and he's visibly aged here, with no hint of a betrayal to the more quirky Aoshima character then, versus a no-nonsense, serious role here.

Caught up in between a kidnapping of a Japanese girl and his actual mission in shadowing the ministerial visit, his Kuroda-san becomes drawn toward the plight of a single mom Saeko (Yuki Amami) who had lost her daughter Madoka (Ayane Omori) while out touring Rome. Sworn to render assistance to all Japanese citizens overseas regardless of rank and title, he takes it upon himself, albeit quite reluctantly given his more pressing, diplomatic matters, to assist in what seemed like a simple extortion case, but one which will unravel itself to reveal a somewhat convoluted plot of a larger conspiracy involving retribution, vengeance and the seeking of justice.

I was very much drawn towards Yuji Oda's character as a man torn between duty and good sense to help a fellow citizen in a strange land. Very much like his Bayside Shakedown films which examine the perennial tussle between beat cops and its internal bureaucracy, Amalfi also provided a sneak peek into the lifestyle of diplomats overseas who live under the graces of its citizen's taxes back home, and it presented itself as a commentary and a demonstration on the extravagance led by the diplomatic corps, where anything budgeted should be maxed out, and in some instances, allowed to go beyond allocation too.

The plot though did require some suspension of disbelief, given what you would expect necessary for all the disparate incidents to come converging toward each other as the narrative progressed. There are moments which do seem a little far-fetched, especially when it has to do with security processes within restricted environments, and how anyone could go away scot free after causing what could become an international disaster.

Being a film to celebrate an anniversary, no effort got spared in the production front. There's even Sarah Brightman lending her vocals in a scene designed to do just that. On the whole it's a relatively entertaining investigative thriller running around Rome much like what Angels and Demons did.