SYNOPSIS: A suspenseful and gripping psychological thriller, Lynne Ramsay's We Need to Talk About Kevin explores the factious relationship between a mother and her son. Tilda Swinton, in a bracing, tour-de-force performance, plays the mother, Eva, as she contends for 15 years with the increasing malevolence of her first-born child, Kevin (Ezra Miller). Academy Award Nominee John C. Reilly is the eternally optimistic husband and father, blind to the devastating dynamics around them.
MOVIE REVIEW:
A word of caution – if you’re looking for some light-hearted entertainment, then stay far away from ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’, because you’re not going to like the intense viewing experience it offers. But anyone looking for a topically relevant drama should look no further than Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsey’s masterful adaptation of Lionel Shriver’s prize-winning novel, which also boosts one of the best performances of Tilda Swinton’s career.
We’ll be upfront and let you know that Shriver’s novel and hence Ramsay’s movie is a disturbing watch. The titular character is a 16-year-old boy who brings a bow and arrow to school one day, locks up the school hall, and massacres his fellow schoolmates trapped in the place. Not only that, he does something even more dreadful to his family just before proceeding on his rampage, but we won't spoil the surprise here for those who are yet familiar with the source material.
Co-adapted by Ramsey and Rory Stewart Kinnear, the film explores not the event itself but the person responsible for it. Indeed, right from the very beginning of his birth, it seemed clear that Kevin was no ordinary child. Not only would he cry uncontrollably for prolonged periods of time, he was extremely unruly and defiant, much to the chagrin of his mother Eva (Swinton).
The dynamic between mother and son is at the forefront of the story, taut and tense like nothing you've seen before. We witness at first how Eva regards her newborn with ambivalence, almost taking him as an unnecessary addition to her life. Whether as a consequence of that or not, Kevin grows up to favour his dad, Franklin (John C. Reilly) over his mother and let's just say you haven't quite seen emotional manipulation till you see how Kevin treats Eva.
So cunning is Kevin that he knows how to purposely cover up his mother's responsibility in breaking his arm just so he can use it against her later on. On the other hand, Franklin is unable to understand Eva's frustration with Kevin and tries without avail to mend ties between the pair. The family gets even more complicated with the arrival of Celia (Ashley Gerasimovich), whom Eva regards as the perfect child Kevin never was.
Such plot machineries typically belong to the horror genre, where Kevin would be the equivalent of a 'demon child' in whom malevolence resides. But Ramsey balances the horror elements with the drama adroitly, with the film firmly rooted in the realities of family dysfunction and every moment never less than a fascinating watch.
That is also thanks to an outstanding cast, led by none other than Swinton's tour de force performance. She portrays her character's anxiety, confusion, helplessness, desperation and plain shock all too keenly, and the accolades and awards she has won for the role are clearly well deserved. Swinton is complemented by perfectly disturbing performances in Jasper Newell and Ezra Miller - playing Kevin as a child and teenager respectively - both of them thoroughly unnerving every step of the way.
Ramsey further challenges his viewers with a fractured narrative that is disorientating to say the least, told through the eyes of Eva as she attempts to rebuild her life following Kevin's arrest in the wake of the horrific incident. The myraid chronological bits are not told in sequence; rather they are pieced together the same fragmented way we would recall the past as it becomes triggered by some person or event in the present. Though it isn't straightforward, the juxtaposition makes the film even more intriguing, and on hindsight a brilliant storytelling technique.
Like we said at the start, this is not your typical easy nor comfortable film to watch. Yet it is extremely prescient in today's context in light of the numerous school shootings, a gripping study of the birth of an unlikely monster. If there is a lesson to the madness, it is this - only in confronting the hard truths of what our children might be becoming can parents act to weed out festering evil. 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' is indeed a film that every serious minded film viewer needs to watch..
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The best extra you'll find on this Region 3 disc is the 27-min featurette "Behind the Scenes of Kevin", where both cast and crew talk about the film as well as their respective characters. In particular, director Lynne Ramsay also sheds light on the process of adapting the book for the big screen and the directorial decisions he took on the set.
"Extra Footage from "La Tomatina" Tomato Festival" offers some 4 mins more of the opening scene, which sees Eva soaking up the atmosphere of the real-life festival. "In Conversation with Tilda Swinton" is a 17-min interview session that Swinton had at the 2011 Telluride Film Festival, which was moderated by writer/theater critic Hilton Als. The last of the features contains a short 4-min clip "Interview with author Lionel Shriver" who discusses both the novel as well as the changes made to the adaptation.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 offers a surprisingly solid tech package - dialogue is clear and sharp, and directional effects are well calibrated with the visuals on screen. Picture offers a balanced colour palette, and has no visible flaws throughout.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comics
Director: James Mangold
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Will Yun Lee, Brian Tee, Hiroyuki Sanada, Hal Yamanouchi, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima
RunTime: 2 hrs 21 mins
Rating: PG13 (Violence And Brief Coarse Langauge)
Released By: 20th Century Fox
Official Website: http://www.thewolverinemovie.com/intl/
Opening Day: 25 July 2013
Synopsis: Based on the celebrated comic book arc, this epic action-adventure takes Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), the most iconic character of the X-Men universe, to modern day Japan. Out of his depth in an unknown world he will face a host of unexpected and deadly opponents in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality.
Movie Review:
The Wolverine backstory is a natural spinoff from the (mostly) celebrated X-Men film trilogy: not only is he a favourite among fanboys and females, but his origins, temperament and near-invincible mutant powers present endless possibilities for a tortured protagonist. After all, how do you beat an immortal mutant armed with adamantium claws, accelerated healing, and enhanced physical/ sensory capabilities?
This year’s “The Wolverine” explores the answers to that question. Based off a popular 1982 Marvel comic book arc, writers Mark Bomback and Scott Frank created another one-off digression from the ensemble movies. It's an attempt to skip past the unimpressive solo episode back in 2009 that was the Gavin Hood-directed “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”, which despite having intriguing characters like Deadpool and Gambit, managed to fall flat.
The movie picks up from when we last saw Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), grieving over having to kill the love of his life, the powerful telekinetic Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), who had been possessed by the Dark Phoenix in 2006’s “X Men: The Last Stand”. Broken down, he lives alone on the fringes of society, making his bed in the Yukon wilds and spending sleepless nights dreaming about Jean, who appears in multiple sequences in a diaphanous negligee looking and sounding completely out of character. She’s his id, personifying his guilt and suicidal inclinations. Logan identifies most closely with a random grizzly bear that ends up getting killed by a poisoned arrow, an incident that is likely a shadowy foretelling of the remainder of the story.
Logan subsequently crosses paths with Yukio (Rila Fukushima), a katana-wielding Japanese girl with precognition powers who’s tracked him down. She informs him that her employer Yashida (Hal Yamanouchi / Ken Yamamura), a man he once saved in World War II from the atomic bomb at Nagasaki, is dying and would like to say farewell. After some persuasion, he agrees to a short sojourn to Tokyo.
As it turns out, Yashida is a patriarch of a wealthy family with a formidable business empire that engages in significant power play. He extends the offer of taking Logan’s accelerated healing powers, positioning it as a generous move since he believes the Wolverine has a death wish. Understandably, our protagonist turns him down, and when Yashida passes away, he becomes the bodyguard of the old man’s graceful granddaughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto), who’s suddenly being hunted down by yakuza from every direction. An unfortunate encounter with a slinky nemesis and her poisoned tongue, Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova), leaves Logan with suppressed powers – now he feels the aftermath of every gunshot, the wounds no longer close in a matter of seconds and loss of blood drains his energy.
Here’s where you appreciate Wolverine’s feral tenacity at its most inspiring: In spite of the pain, he gets up as many times as he falls down, and he doesn’t give in even when he’s out of depth. Presented with the very real possibility of mortality, with Mariko’s and Yukio’s help he begins to see the value in moving forward to create a worthwhile future. What unfolds subsequently will not surprise many, and the pacing at times can be trying for those just weaning off recent heavy-action flicks.
Japan is, as always, gorgeous on the big screen, pulsing with colour and brimming with a distinct eclectic style. This time though, director James Mangold’s choice of sets feels like a travelogue to the Land of Rising Sun. Pachinko parlours, bullet trains, love hotels, seedy backstreets and an obligatory shot of the iconic Tokyo Tower give the film a glossy sheen but undermine its substance. Hollywood's fascination with ninjas and samurai feels perfunctory when treated without sufficient care. Even the action scenes end up laughable when you consider how ludicrous most of it actually is. While newcomer Fukushima stands out for her tough-girl performance and finesse with a katana, the supporting cast is mostly unmemorable.
In spite of this, Hugh Jackman demonstrates on his sixth screen outing as the Wolverine the power of perfect casting. Intense and effortlessly athletic, he metes out violence with believably ferocity while convincingly portraying the character’s underlying emotional angst and suffering. Yet it is the post-end credits scene that is most ticket price-worthy: it may even make you realise how unsatisfying the movie you’ve just watched is.
Movie Rating:
(Punctuating periods of slow development with over-the-top action, this solo outing for Wolverine helps whet the appetite as we await the next X-Men ensemble film, which appears more than likely to top this one)
Review by Wong Keng Hui
Genre: Drama/Action
Director: Jack Neo
Cast: Joshua Tan, Maxi Lim, Noah Yap, Wang Weiliang, Richard Low, Irene Ang, Wang Lei, Aizuddin Nasser, Alvin Richard, Charlie Goh, Daniel Ang, Feng Wenna, Hanrey Low, Janson Lim, Luke Lee, Ridhwan Azman, Justin Dominic Misson, Mr Brown
RunTime: 1 hr 58 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Sexual References)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures & Clover Films
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/AhBoysToMen
Opening Day: 1 February 2013
Synopsis: After his recovery and realization of his mistakes, Ken returns to Tekong Island to continue his Basic Military Training (BMT). Determined to change, Ken prepares to prove himself. However, this change in attitude from Ken, immediately draws the dislike and mockery from some his Section mates led by Lobang. They feel that he is following after Wayang King’s footsteps, just trying to flatter the commanders so that he can stand out. Ken tries to explain but to no avail. Instead, their misunderstandings deepen as the training continues.
At the same time, Ip Man’s girlfriend left him for another guy. Unable to contain his anger, Ip Man seeks help from Lobang & his Section mates to hatch a plan for revenge on his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend. The new boyfriend immediately informs his gang, and quickly locate Lobang and the Section mates at their usual place where they will have dinner before booking in. A fight broke out. Wayang King was the first to escape, while Ken hesitated, but eventually stayed behind to defend his Section mates. When questioned by the Commanders, Ken defended his actions because he learned that he should “Leave no man behind” and can’t just run away.
Seeing his Section mates being beaten up, is he wrong to go through thick and thin with them? After this incident, what else is in store for Ken? What punishment will be met out because of the fight? How will the antagonisms between Ken, Wayang King, Lobang and the rest of the Section mates be resolved? In such an environment of mutual distrust and sabotage, will they be able to shake hands and work together, to face their greatest challenge?
Movie Review:
If the first part of the ‘Ah Boys to Men’ duology could be accused of placing its focus too narrowly on just one character – or more accurately, recruit – then this concluding part restores that balance between the various other characters / recruits by giving each his due. Now that lead protagonist Ken Chow (Joshua Tan) has finally accepted his national responsibility, co-writer and director Jack Neo shifts the focus to the camaraderie of the section to which Ken is but one part of, emphasising the bond as brothers (hence the title of the theme song) that will be forged between him and his section mates during the remainder of their days in Basic Military Training (BMT).
Finding themselves with a larger share of the limelight are Aloysius (Maxi Lim) and Lobang King (Wang Weiliang), who by virtue of their attitudes towards National Service (NS) – at least at the start – are primed for conflict. While Lobang continues to look for ways to ‘keng’, Aloysius tries even harder to impress his sergeants, his over-achieving attitude alienating him from the rest of his platoon mates. Standing in the middle of this discord is Ken, who tries to placate Lobang and his other section mates to little avail.
The breaking point to the pent-up tension between Aloysius and Lobang is I P Man’s unfortunate predicament, which again happens to be a relationship issue. His girlfriend has secretly hooked up with someone else, a loutish type who openly taunts I P Man that he is in every way a better boyfriend than the latter could ever be. Not only does Aloysius refuse to participate in Lobang’s plan of revenge for I P Man, he turns hither and runs helter-skelter when Lobang and the rest of his section mates are counter-attacked, leading himself to be further ostracised when the latter group are issued with Stoppage of Leave (SOL) orders as punishment.
Neo uses the various stages of BMT training as a marker of the passage of time alongside the developing hostility between Aloysius and Lobang, so the latter’s saboteur attempts unfold against route marches, grenade throwing lessons, Battle Inoculation Courses, and outfield trainings. Similarly, their reconciliation will also be shaped through key BMT milestones - the 7-day field camp and 3-day Situational Test (SIT test) - leading up naturally to that pinnacle moment of the Passing Out Parade (POP). Is there a happily-ever ending for Ken, Aloysius, Lobang and the rest of Section 2? You betcha – perhaps more so than in any other Jack Neo movie, that affirming conclusion is exactly what hits the sweet spot.
Anyone who is passing or has passed through BMT will find someone and something to identify with the characters and scenarios in the movie, with Neo's winning formula once again proving to be his ability to tap into the psyche of every Singaporean male who has gone through that baptism of fire into NS. In particular, shifting the narrative to Aloysius and Lobang ultimately provides for more meaningful storytelling - on one end, Aloysius represents the well-educated soldier who learns that camaraderie is just as important as knowledge; on the other, Lobang represents the street smart type who realises that taking the easy way out has its consequences on others - and there are important lessons here for real-life embodiments of both archetypes.
Compared to the first part, there is less comedy than drama - mostly from Lobang King and occasionally from one of the supporting characters - but it is a fitting change of tone as the characters mature. Unfortunately, Neo's directing skills - this is his 20th movie - isn't quite up to par with his storytelling abilities. More so than in part one, the pace of the movie feels uneven, with continuity again one of the major handicaps of Neo. The supposedly affecting scenes with Ken and his father (Richard Low), who is struggling to regain both movement and speech after a devastating stroke, feel especially out of place, even if it is meant to stress the point that it is the reason for Ken's reformation.
Neo also attempts once again to advance his craft by incorporating VFX into his movie. Compared to a Singapore under attack in the last movie, the centrepiece here is a hypothetical battle staged with miniature weaponry right in the middle of Wisma Atria. Narrated by Aloysius' father (Chen Tianwen) to impress on him the futility of tit for tat attacks, it comes across unnecessary and superflouous. A subsequent mock battle set during the Section's BIC and another that sees their SIT assessor (played by Lee Kin Mun or better known as mr brown) pursued by a herd of wild hogs uses VFX much more judiciously and appropriately, and one hopes that Neo can come up with better excuses for using VFX despite his good intentions at pushing the possibilities of local cinema.
As for his batch of new faces, it is once again Weiliang who steals the show with his impeccable portrayal of Lobang King. The getai singer who is Wang Lei's protege doesn't overplay his Hokkien-spewing recruit act; instead he injects a rough yet down-to-earth charisma into a performance not matched by any of his co-stars. Maxi's acting as the misunderstood do-gooder is one-note, but it is still much better than Joshua Tan's, who appears even more wooden than in the first part. The rest of the supporting cast fare as well as their limited roles allow them to, but the true star of the movie here is undoubtedly Weiliang, and it will be truly interesting to see where his career goes from here.
If you had thought that the first part was a glorified PR machine for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), this second part will only reinforce that view. Especially through Ken's voiceover, we are supposed to better understand the various components of BMT as well as how the entire training apparently helps our young to appreciate our fine country even more. And almost as if to placate parents worried about their children's wellbeing, there is even a scene which shows the Platoon Commander punishing his sergeants for conducting rifle raids and artillery drills on the recruits - which are now apparently no longer supposed to be held. Yes, it seemed as if Neo was even more ready this time round to make a film that the SAF would endorse, timed as it is already as a celebration of the 45th anniversary of Our Army.
But despite the politically correct stance that Neo adopts, "Ah Boys to Men 2" remains a thoroughly engaging and entertaining watch simply because it portrays a reality that is ingrained in the Singapore identity. Everyone who has gone through NS will find something familiar and nostalgic about it, and for everyone else, it offers a vicarious experience of just what it means to go through the formative and transformative years of NS. Look past the propaganda, the sometimes much-to-be-desired filmmaking and the uneven acting - at the heart of this movie still lies a perfectly relatable and therefore affecting story about the bond of brotherhood forged through the thick and thin of BMT.
Movie Rating:
(Not a perfect movie by any measure, but "Ah Boys to Men 2" still manages to tap onto the perfectly relatable and uniquely Singaporean experience of BMT for a moving portrayal of the bond of brotherhood forged through that unforgettable rite of passage)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: Jeff Who Lives at Home is the story of one man's hilarious search for the meaning of life. As slacker Jeff stumbles towards enlightenment, he uncovers answers to his nagging family's problems. Jeff has no idea where he's going but when he finally gets there, he might just find out what it's all about in this "gem of a movie that is funny, tender and ultimately moving."
MOVIE REVIEW:
The main reason I did decide to watch this film was the seemingly impressive cast, namely the two lead actors that are Jason Segel and Ed Helms, both of whom have delivered extraordinary performances in the past. First of all who better to play a slacking yet lovable pothead than Jason Segel and he does it with such grace on this particular occasion that when it comes to the second half of the film you almost forget entirely the fact that his character, Jeff, was essentially down and out from the film's inception. Then you have Ed Helms' character Pat who you are forced to dislike within mere minutes of being introduced. From the outset Pat is impulsive and inconsiderate which immediately provides an exquisite conflict between the two dominating personalities in Jeff, Who Lives at Home.
Essentially there are three different plots running at the same time here, the first being the most prominent which is Jeff and Pat's mission to uncover the secrets of Pat's wife, Linda (played by Judy Greer) and her affair.
The second plot is the alarmingly touching sub-storyline of Jeff and Pat's mother Sharon (played extremely well by Susan Sarandon) and her 'secret admirer'. This took me by absolute surprise because it is just so far from what we would have expected to happen in a scenario like this.
Finally we have Jeff's ongoing personal struggle to try and discover his destiny in life. This is introduced to us as soon as the film starts where Jeff ponders the film Signs (M. Night Shyamalan's multi-million dollar blockbuster starring Mel Gibson) whilst poised in a majestic fashion on the toilet whilst trying to figure out what his future might have in store for him and how he can use signs to help him find it.
All three of these plots are equally engaging and perfectly written. The reason I believe these are perfectly written is because when all of these plots come together at the end of the film it makes your heart warm! It is absolutely astounding the effect that the Duplass brothers manage to induce onto their viewers with this movie! It is certainly not as dark natured as Cyrus (2010 release from the Duplass brothers, stars Jonah Hill and John C. Reilly) but in my opinion it is a lot more developed in terms of script and character development, it is also a hell of a lot more engaging.
Jeff, Who Lives at Home is marketed as a comedy. While it certainly does contain some comedic value I would say that this film is essentially a drama, and a very good one. If you were, like me, expecting a comedy please do not be put off because I guarantee that you won't be let down by this movie as it is in my virtually impossible to dislike.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Visual and audio aspects are serviceable in this no-frills DVD.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: In an austere and remote all girls boarding school, the most elite clique of girls are the illustrious members of the school's diving team. Di, Lily, Poppy, Laurel, Rosie and Fuzzy are the envy of their fellow pupils who watch on as the girls compete for the attention of their glamorous teacher Miss G. Miss G in turn thrives on the attention she receives from her girls and believes it is her role to teach them the ways of the world. As team captain, Di is closest of all the girls to Miss G but her position is challenged when a beautiful Spanish girl, Fiamma arrives at the school and joins the diving team. Di, pulls rank as team captain and lays down the rules in an attempt to assert her position but Miss G is spellbound by Fiamma's beauty and maturity and becomes obsessed with her new favourite girl.
MOVIE REVIEW:
English screenwriter, photographer and director Jordan Scott's feature film debut which she co-wrote with screenwriters Caroline IP and Ben Court, is based on a novel from 1999 by South-African author Sheila Kohler. It premiered in the Special Presentations section at the 34th Toronto International Film Festival in 2009, was shot at Pinewood Studios in London, England and on location in Dublin, Ireland and is a UK-Spain-Ireland co-production which was produced by producers Julie Payne, Kwesi Dickson, Christine Vachon, Andrew Lowe and Rosalie Swedlin. It tells the story about a woman named Miss Gribben who teaches a diving team consisting of six girls at a boarding school in Stanley Island, England. The friendship and team-spirit within the team which is fronted by the captain and favourite of Miss Gribben named Di Radfield is good and the students adores their teacher, but then a new student whom is considered for the diving team arrives and early on makes a mark with her challenging behaviour, skills as a diver, experiences and intelligence.
Distinctly and subtly directed by British filmmaker Jordan Scott, this quietly paced fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints, draws a dense and mindful portrayal of an aristocratic Roman Catholic girl from Spain with a breathing condition named Fiamma Coronna who after having been transferred to a new school upsets the sacred dynamic within a closely knit group of girls named Di, Laurel, Lilly, Rosie, Fuzzy and Poppy and becomes the apple of the eye of their revered and matriarchal teacher.
While notable for it's naturalistic and atmospheric milieu depictions, sterling cinematography by English cinematographer John Mathieson, production design by production designer Ben Scott, costume design by costume designer Allison Byrne and use of colors and light, this dialog-driven and narrative-driven story about worshiping, obsession, rivalry, education and collectivism where a teacher emphasizes desire and poetry as essential life values for her admiring students whom she has created a utopian universe for and who are as confined as she is, depicts three merging and internal studies of character and contains a timely score by composer Javier Navarrete.
The ending of "Cracks" is both moving and intriguing, in large part because of the slick editing. They cut between shots of the girls reading a note and shots of the exiled Miss "G" unpacking and staring at a photo of her team. Then the audio reveals it is Diana's atonement note, at which time the editor cuts to a shot of Diana sitting on the ferry with the book, the bottle, and their map. The film goes out on a shot of Diana's face; as she is leaving the cloistered island to take the path in life that she believes Fiamma would have taken.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Visual and audio aspects are serviceable in this no-frills DVD.
MOVIE RATING:
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DVD RATING :
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: Like Crazy beautifully illustrates how your first real love is as thrilling and blissful as it is fragile. When a British college student (Felicity Jones) falls for her American classmate (Anton Yelchin, Star Trek), they embark on a passionate and life-changing journey only to be separated by circumstances beyond their control. "Crazily inventive & totally irresistible," Like Crazy explores how a couple faces the real challenges of being together and of being apart.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Ask anyone who’s ever been in a long-distance relationship and they will tell you straightaway just how difficult it is. It doesn’t matter how strong an emotional connection two people have; ultimately, that physical separation will take its toll in one way or another on that bond, and besides love, you’ll find that you’ll find a lot of willpower and perseverance just to make it work. Well, the consolation is that most long-distance relationships probably aren’t as challenging as Jacob and Anna’s in this movie.
We are first introduced to the couple at one point in their college years, with Anna an exchange student from London and Jacob a Los Angeles born and bred teenager. Whereas many movies might have felt necessary to paint the lovey-dovey moments leading up to their relationship, co-writer/ director Drake Doremus feels no such compulsion; instead, he trusts in the chemistry between his two key actors – Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones – to convey their fondness for each other.
And true enough, once you watch Yelchin and Jones together, you’ll understand why Doremus felt confident in the brevity. Because we so effortlessly come to believe that Anna and Jacob are truly, madly and deeply in love with each other, Doremus and his co-writer Ben York Jones place their focus on their subsequent transcontinental relationship and the toll that the distance exerts on it. Their separation is further exacerbated by the repercussions arising from a naïve move by Anna to overstay her student visa in order to spend the summer after her exchange with Jacob.
Rightfully, this is a film that thrives on the little details that link two people romantically. Without ever overemphasising on any of them, Doremus paints vividly the blissful moments of their courtship, their initial optimism that their love can sustain their relationship despite the distance, their unbridled joy when they get to spend a few weeks together, their jadedness when just talking on the phone every night becomes more difficult due to work and other commitments, and finally their doubts about hanging on when it seems easier to find someone else who can be physically present for either of them. Though it spans a couple of years, the movie loses neither intimacy nor delicacy in charting the couple’s journey of love and longing.
Key to that are the perfectly matched performances of Yelchin and Jones. Best known for playing the Russian Chekov in the rebooted ‘Star Trek’, Yelchin proves to be more than leading man material here with a sensitive and heartfelt turn as the shyly watchful Jacob. Jones too evinces the same qualities, but she brings a complexity to her character that is utterly beguiling, revealing a whole gamut of emotions from affection to yearning to regret to grief to reconciliation. And in a supporting role, Jennifer Lawrence turns what could have been an easily reviled role into something surprisingly heartbreaking, earning sympathy for falling in love with the right guy at the wrong time.
On his part, Doremus creates an elegant film around the naturally beautiful performances of his lead stars. With the aid of John Guleserian’s largely handheld cinematography, he draws his audience into Anna and Jacob’s lives, and more than we can say for most other Hollywood movies, this is one that feels real and honest. There’s some dextrous editing by Johnathan Alberts as well, piecing together the tight close-ups through jump cuts and rapid fades that communicate the protagonists’ own inner emotions sharply.
It’s no wonder then that the film had gone on in 2011 to win the Sundance Film Festival’s (where it premiered) Grand Jury Prize. Unlike the slick polished and largely manufactured love stories Hollywood likes to pass off as reality, ‘Like Crazy’ never hits a false note, delineating with tenderness and precision the struggles faced by any couple in a long-distance relationship. The bittersweet note on which it ends is also particularly poignant – because, as any one who’s been in such a relationship will tell you, things are often not exactly the same after an extended period apart.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The highlight here is no doubt the Audio Commentary with director Drake Doremus, editor Johnathan Alberts and director of photography John Guleserian. Doremus is warm and chatty, and together with Alberts and Guleserian, share interesting insights into particular shots and sequences, especially in getting the mood and feel of the movie right.
There are also a couple of Deleted and Alternate Scenes that you can watch with or without the commentary.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 uses the back speakers largely for the soft-rock soundtrack, and delivers the dialogue crisply. Visuals are clear and sharp, and retain John Guleserian’s natural-looking cinematography.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: Brooklyn mobster and prolific hit man Jimmy Conlon (Liam Neeson), once known as The Gravedigger, has seen better days. Longtime best friend of mob boss Shawn Maguire (Ed Harris), Jimmy, now 55, is haunted by the sins of his past-as well as a dogged police detective who's been one step behind Jimmy for 30 years. Lately, it seems Jimmy's only solace can be found at the bottom of a whiskey glass. But when Jimmy's estranged son, Mike (Joel Kinnaman), becomes a target, Jimmy must make a choice between the crime family he chose and the real family he abandoned long ago. With Mike on the run, Jimmy's only penance for his past mistakes may be to keep his son from the same fate Jimmy is certain he'll face himself…at the wrong end of a gun. Now, with nowhere safe to turn, Jimmy just has one night to figure out exactly where his loyalties lie and to see if he can finally make things right.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Run All Night marks Liam Neeson’s third collaboration with Jaume Collet-Serra. They don’t exactly come together to make fine arts drama and this entry should be marked as their strongest effort so far.
Liam Neeson aka the toughest aging man in Hollywood plays a former mobster Jimmy who is forced out of his daily alcoholic routine to protect his estranged son, Mike (Joel Kinnaman) after he witness a murder by Danny, the son (Boyd Holbrook) of Jimmy’s boss (Ed Harris). Making matters worse, Jimmy accidentally shot and killed Danny. And now, Jimmy must choose between friendship and family and he has one night to resolve everything before it gets out of hand.
Unlike Unknown and Non-Stop which is not exactly plausible when you think harder, Run All Night is far more direct and engaging. It’s a simple revenge tale involving two fathers trying desperately hard to make up for their sons. One father has already lost his beloved son while the other one is committed to salvage his long-lost relationship with the family. It’s far layered than the Taken trilogy and at least it gives ample screentime for the two veterans, Neeson and Harris to flesh out their characters.
Surely, Spanish helmer Jaume Collet-Serra has no problem mixing drama with action. Probably scared of audiences being tired of watching Neeson easily taking down a few thugs, he introduces a paid assassin in the form of hip-hop artist turned actor Common to turn up the action a few notch. Regular onscreen bad guy Vincent D’Onofrio (Jurassic World) plays a good guy this time round, a detective who has been for years eyeing on Jimmy and his manslaughtering activities.
Run All Night is proof that Liam Neeson and his particular set of skills still have quite a lot of mileage left in the tank. This actioner might contain the same-old Neeson doing his badass routine but the decent drama plus solid acting chops makes this crime outing a recommended flick.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The only extra is 16 Minutes of Deleted Scenes notably more screentime of Common and the uncredited Nick Nolte.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
While mostly set in the night, the video presentation does a fine job handling the color balance and detailing. Dialogue is clear and the action beats are aggressive and pounding with realism.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
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DAVID R. ELLIS (1952 - 2013)Posted on 08 Jan 2013 |
Genre: Drama
Director: Jamie Linden
Cast: Channing Tatum, Kate Mara, Rosario Dawson, Lynn Collins, Ari Graynor, Chris Pratt, Justin Long, Jenna Dewan, Anthony Mackie, Oscar Isaac, Ron Livingston, Scott Porter, Max Minghella, Brian Geraghty, Aaron Yoo
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: http://www.10yearsmovie.tumblr.com/
Opening Day: 17 January 2013
Synopsis: In this ensemble comedy, "10 Years" follows a group of friends on the night of their high school reunion who, a decade later, still haven't quite grown up. Channing Tatum plays Jake, who is deeply in love with his girlfriend (Jenna Dewan) and ready to propose-until he runs into his high school flame (Rosario Dawson) for the first time in ten years. Jake's friend Cully (played by funnyman Chris Pratt) married his cheerleader girlfriend (Ari Graynor), and has been looking forward to the reunion so he can finally apologize to all the classmates he bullied in high school. However, after a few too many drinks, the jock-turned-family man ends up reverting back to his old ways instead. Meanwhile, longtime rivals Marty (Justin Long) and A.J (Max Minghella) spend the night still trying to one-up each other to impress the coolest girl in class (Lynn Collins), who now has a secret. The famous one of the group, Reeves (Oscar Isaac) is now well-known musician, but is still too shy to talk to the high school crush (Kate Mara) who inspired his one hit wonder.
Movie Review:
By now, you pretty much know what to expect from a high school reunion film, and even the best like Lawrence Kasdan’s ‘The Big Chill’ or the mediocre like the Mira Sorvino/ Lisa Kudrow comedy ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion’ basically revolve around the same premise of a bunch of classmates gathering together to reminisce about old times and to measure each person’s place and accomplishments so far in life.
So it is with ’10 Years’, the writing and directing debut of ‘We Are Marshall’ and ‘Dear John’ screenwriter Jamie Linden, which offers nothing new or deep to the genre. Yet despite its familiarity, there is an easy winning charm to the film, as Linden eschews Hollywood-style dramatics for something that feels real and heartfelt, aided in no small measure by an ensemble cast.
Instead of centring the movie around one or two characters, Linden accords equal attention to a bevy of them, with each having his or her own individual story-plot which overlaps with one another from time to time. The first we are acquainted with is that of Jake (Channing Tatum), a popular high-school dude who is bringing his longtime girlfriend Jess (played by Tatum’s wife in real life, Jenna Dewan-Tatum) to the gathering. The sudden appearance of his ex, Mary (Roasario Dawson) poses complications when he discovers he still has unresolved feelings for her.
Jake’s other buddies are no better. Successful pop star Reeves (Oscar Isaac) is still holding a torch for the demure and withdrawn Elise (Kate Mara) after all these years, the biggest hit of his career in fact a song about his unrequited love for her. Meanwhile, bookish nerd Marty (Justin Long) is still hoping to strike up something with a hot former classmate Anna (Lynn Collins) – who to his surprise still lives in town – but faces unexpected competition from his married pal AJ (Max Minghella).
Though matters of the heart seem to be the film’s agenda, there are also some other interesting bits. Former class bully Cully (Chris Pratt) turned family man tries to make amends with the geeks he used to torment – especially an Asian named Peter (Aaron Yoo) – but that endeavour goes south way too quickly once he starts drinking, much to the dismay of his embarrassed wife (Ari Graynor). And there’s also a less significant part involving a football jock named Garrity (Brian Geraghty) whose marriage with Olivia (Aubrey Plaza) seems to be on the rocks until the latter discovers something more about him.
Juggling so many different characters and stories is a challenge, but one that Linden proves surprisingly adept at. Knowing exactly the intent and message behind each, he weaves adroitly between the various characters, keeping up a breezy pace throughout the movie. Especially towards the end, he ensures a tight rein on sentimentality, never letting it tip into hokeyness; instead, he wraps each of the plots with a melancholic sweetness, and does it with such earnestness that you’ll find yourself moved in unexpected ways.
It’s also not hard to see how Linden managed to assemble such a star cast for the film; each of the roles, as Linden claims, has been tailored to the actor meant to play it, and in fact a particular setup where the characters take turns to marvel at their teenage selves must certainly have required most, if not all, of the actors to gamely contribute some of their own photos. That the characters are made for the actors could be the reason why they all seem entirely comfortable on screen, their performances free of the pretension some ensemble movies tend to be prone to.
The same of course can be said of the film as a whole, which wisely doesn’t try too hard to be funny or melodramatic. It taps into its audience’s nostalgic memories and bittersweet reminisces of high school, inviting them to find a familiar character or scenario in the myriad characters and scenarios laid out in the movie. Precisely because it feels genuine, it is also heartwarming and poignant, offering a simple lesson that in moving forward with life it is sometimes worthwhile to look back at where we came from and who we were before.
Movie Rating:
(Surprisingly honest and heartfelt, this high school reunion tale with an ensemble cast of familiar faces leaves a poignant lesson about finding closure with the past and moving ahead with life)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Walter Hill
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Sarah Shahi, Sung Kang, Jason Momoa, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christian Slater, Holt McCallany, Jon Seda, Beau Brasseaux, Weronika Rosati
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Violence And Some Nudity)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures & MVP
Official Website: http://bullettothehead.warnerbros.com/index.html
Opening Day: 31 January 2013
Synopsis: Based on a graphic novel, "Bullet to the Head" also tells the story of a New Orleans hitman (Stallone) and a New York City cop who form an alliance to bring down the killers of their respective partners.
Movie Review:
Much has changed – and we aren’t just talking about the number of wrinkles on action star Sylvester Stallone’s face here. Boy, aren’t we surprised to see Christian Slater in this Walter Hill directed action flick. The name rings a bell? You’d probably remember Slater from movies from the 1990s – like True Romance (1993), Broken Arrow (1996) and Hard Rain (1998). A welcome return? Not exactly, because Slater’s appearance in this 91 minute movie is nothing more than a cameo, with a role that, well, can be easily substituted by any other B grade actor out in the streets.
The real star here, is, of course, Stallone. As if seeing him in The Expendables (1 and 2!) isn’t enough, the man we would prefer to fondly remember as Rocky Balboa and John Rambo plays a hitman in this movie adapted from a graphic novel. The New Orleans hitman forms an unlikely alliance with a Washington DC detective after both their partners are gunned down by the same baddie. What follows is a no brainer shootout flick which would please only fans of the genre, and does pretty much nothing else for other audiences.
To be fair, you have to give it to Stallone. At the age of 66, the dude is still slogging it out on screen (kinda reminds us of Asia’s own action superstar Jackie Chan though). It’s like seeing your Dad shooting bullets, getting bruised, running from one target to another – except that your old man may not have a good bod like Stallone’s. The New York born star is joined by American Korean actor Sung Kang, whom you may find familiar from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), Fast & Furious (2009) and Fast Five (2011). Here, he’s not just the Asian dude. The 40 year old actor actually gets a substantial amount of screen time, and the character is, dare we say it, pretty well developed for an action movie of this genre.
Alas, that’s about the good things we have to say about the movie. The rest of it is your standard popcorn trash: loud explosions, noisy car chases and predictable plot developments. The bad guy played by Jason Momoa (you may recognise him from TV’s Game of Thrones) is nothing more than a forgettable villain, a beefcake at that. Other supporting characters are played by Sarah Shahi, Adewale Akinnuoyoe Agbaje, and, yes, the guy whom we used to be impressed with: Slater.
Each of this relatively unknown star doesn’t bring much to the movie, except to scowl and groan between the loud action music score by Steve Mazzaro. The cinematography by Lloyd Ahem II and the editing by Timothy Alverson is like Walter Hill and Kevin King Templeton’s screenplay – bland and mediocre. So what’s in it for Stallone, who will be returning to big screens in the third installment of The Expendables (he will be joined by Jackie Chan – hooray!) soon? If anything, it’s respect from those who have enjoyed his glorious past, and for that, you’d willingly sit through this numbing action movie.
Movie Rating:
(91 minutes of trashy fun is what you'd get if you are supporting this movie out of respect for Stallone)
Review by John Li
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