SYNOPSIS: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Jon Hamm star alongside Jennifer Westfeldt and Adam Scott in is a daring and hilarious ensemble comedy about a close-knit circle of friends whose lives change once they have kids. The last two singles in the group (Westfeldt and Scott) observe the effect that kids have had on their friends' relationships and wonder if there's a better way to make it work. When they decide to have a child together - and date other people, their unconventional 'experiment' leads everyone in the group to question the nature of friendship, family and, above all, true love. Also starring Chris O'Dowd, Megan Fox and Edward Burns, Friends With Kids delivers the laughs and the heart from beginning to end!
MOVIE REVIEW:
“Friends With Kids” is like a cross between a raunchy Judd Apatow’s comedy and a rom-com except it has an unconventional message to say coming out from actress, writer and first-time director Jennifer Westfeldt.
The ensemble production tackles the unthinkable prospect of having a kid between two friends. No obligation, no romance just two individuals raising a child before one is too old to bear one and of course the freedom of continuing their romantic liaisons separately. Upon seeing their good friends getting hitched and having children, two single BFFs Julie (Jennifer Westfeldt) and Jason (Adam Scott) make a pact to have a kid together. Surrounded by their married friends who are facing marriage and parental woes, Julie and Jason begins to realise their initial decision to have an offspring might have some impact on their relationship after all.
Westfeldt’s take on the subject of marriage and parenthood is smart, funny and occasionally painful to watch. Take for example, Julie and Jason’s best friends, Ben (Jon Hamm) and Missy (Kristen Wiig) whose marriage starts to turn sour after the birth of their son and we are talking about a couple who once had passionate sex on a train. The other set of married couple, Alex (Chris O’Dowd) and Leslie (Maya Rudolph) despite their frequent quarrels, nagging and provoking still stick to each other in the end. The exploration of contemporary married couples is painful to watch and I mean in a good way though it is far watchable than the relationship between Julie and Jason which starts to turn predictable by the third act.
Featuring none of the familiar A-listers, the cast members featured however are a bunch of familiar faces including Westfeldt’s real-life beau, Hamm, O’Dowd, Rudolph and Wigg from “Bridesmaids” and Scott from “Parks and Recreation”. All of them deliver shrewd performances especially Wigg in a seldom-seen dramatic role. The sexy “Transformers” babe, Megan Fox follows up with her appearance in the Apatow’s “This Is 40” as Maryjane, a broadway dancer who dated Jason and independent filmmaker Edward Burns turns up as a sturdy divorcee who dates Julie.
The indie production allows for gorgeous cinematography of New York instead of fancy greenscreen shots and for that you got to thank director of photography William Rexer. The laughs might not be that many if you are expecting a low-brow comedy, this is a talky romantic drama for adults and “Friends With Kids” is pretty refreshing.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Making Friends With Kids is an eight minutes making of special featuring interviews with the cast and some behind-the-scenes shots.
This is probably the first Ad-libs and Bloopers that showcase little child actors fumbling their lines.
Scene 42: Anatomy of a Gag compares the actual shooting with the written script.
MJ Rocks at Video Games shows us why Megan Fox is a much better player at Gears of Wars than her co-star Adam Scott.
Lastly, an eight minutes of Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary from Westfeldt and Hamm.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Shot on location in Manhattan, “Friends With Kids” features detailed and sharp images. The audio quality is decent enough for the dialogue based movie and offers nothing else except selective ambient effects.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Hugh Jackman, Academy Awardr winner Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway star in this critically-acclaimed adaptation of the epic musical phenomenon. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Mis‚rables tells the story of ex-prisoner Jean Valjean (Jackman), hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe), after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine's (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever. This enthralling story is a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit and "an unforgettable experience" (Richard Roeper, RichardRoeper.com).
MOVIE REVIEW:
Singing. And I seriously mean lots of singing in fact you hardly find a trace of talking dialogue in this Tom Hooper’s adaptation of the box-office breaking stage sensation, “Les Miserables” which is originally based on the work of France’s author Victor Hugo.
With the exception of Hugh Jackman, none of the big names featured here are known for their melodic voices. Yet it’s a daring attempt on Hooper’s part to even have them sing live on sets. Anne Hathway for one deserved a mention for her tearing performance of “I Dreamed A Dream” though Russell Crowe almost tone-deaf singing takes a while to get used to. Jackman’s vocals sound he is close to breaking at times still this is definitely one of the highlights of his acting career after X-Men. But newcomers Eddie Redmayne and Samantha Barks on the other hand are simply breathtaking.
Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean who has since adopted a false identity as the mayor of a small village. Nevertheless Valjean has always been haunted by his past and one day policeman Javert (Crowe) finally caught up with him. At the same time, a poor factory worker, Fantine (Hathaway) was wrongly let go off her job and in order to care for her young daughter, Cosette, she becomes a prostitute. It’s not long that Fantine died of a disease and Valjean took over the care of Cosette and escaped to Paris. Decades later, the grown-up Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) falls in love with a revolutionary student, Marius (Eddie Redmayne) with France’s rebellion of 1832 serving as the backdrop.
Singing plays such an important component here that it outshines the complexity and layered plotting. The story itself happened across decades but there’s little to showcase the passing of time and the handling of the character of Fantine hardly justify her sufferings. These are just some of the missteps in this otherwise lavish production that screams of authentic sets, outstanding visual effects and stunning cinematography at every turn. Some of the sequences are indeed moving and impressively choreographed take for example the shocking shooting of a young kid, Marius’ solo "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" tinged of sadness and the rousing ending theme “Do you hear the people sing?”. Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen who appeared in Tim Burton’s dark musical “Sweeney Todd” chips in some need be humour in this otherwise poignant musical.
Although the vocals are not perfect and it should never be compared to the stage version, “Les Miserables” the movie is a sweeping, spectacular effort by Hooper and his cast. Those who aren’t used to the musical treatment of “Les Miserables” are hereby advised to stay far away.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Les Miserables soar high in the audio and visual department with its crisp images and phenomenal sounding quality. While the first half of the movie is basked in a dark colour palate yet the details remained finely displayed and no distracting artefacts are spotted.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
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IRON MAN 3 shatters all opening weekend box office records in SingaporePosted on 29 Apr 2013 |
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CELEBRATE STAR WARS DAY WITH HASBRO AND YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTERS THIS 4TH MAY!Posted on 01 May 2013 |
Genre: Drama/Romance
Director: Arvin Chen
Cast: Richie Jen, Mavis Fan, Stone, Kimi Hsia, Stephen Wong Ka-lok, Hae-Woo Lee
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins
Rating: R21 (Homosexual Theme)
Released By: Festive Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 23 May 2013
Synopsis: Every wedding photo book exudes sweet romance between the newly-weds. Feng and Weichung’s was no exception. People have always deemed them a match made in heaven. They were each other’s childhood sweethearts, and their puppy love eventually blossomed into a relationship which led them to walk down the aisle at just the right time. Shortly afterwards, they had their son Awan, and it seemed like the young family of three would live happily ever after.
“I am definitely the happiest woman in the world” Feng thinks to herself every morning when she wakes up. Until one day, she notices Weichung’s increasingly unusual behavior, and fears that he might leave her some day and takes away everything. Meanwhile, her sister-in-law, Mandy, also has her own relationship problems with her fiancé, San-San. When Mandy goes shopping with him in a super market one day, she suddenly has a feeling that their relationship might end up in a rut of habitual dependence. Consumed by her insecurity and anxiety, she then decides to bail on him right after their engagement ceremony. What does love and happiness mean? How good it would be if we could keep loving someone forever, until the end of time?
After his first feature, Au Revoir Taipei, Arvin Chen teamed up with executive producer Lieh Li to make this warm and affectionate film. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? defies the clichés of romantic comedies and tackles the dilemmas and conundrums in the relationships and lives of modern men and women.
Movie Review:
First things first, despite its marketing, ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow’ isn’t a rom-com. Sure, there are occasional laughs now and then thanks to certain scenes that aim to inject a whimsical tone, but these unfortunately stand out in a movie that otherwise plays as a thoughtful family drama. And if you somehow missed the synopsis, be warned - the drama arises from the gay reawakening of a middle-aged man who has been married for nine years and has a six-year-old son.
We’re not sure any Asian film has so boldly explored such a subject, which will undoubtedly cause some unease among more conservative members of the audience. But if you are willing to put aside your preconceptions, you’ll find that writer/ director Arvin Chen’s follow-up to his charming ‘Au Revoir Taipei’ is in fact a thoughtfully drawn study on repressed sexuality that could well be the very challenge facing some marriages today.
In what is probably one of his most nuanced performances to date, Ritchie Jen plays the gentle and mild-mannered optician Weichung struggling with his sexual identity. A chance meeting at his sister’s engagement party with an openly gay friend from his past, the flamboyant photographer Stephen (Lawrence Ko), forces him to further question if he should embrace his homosexuality. That test comes in the form of a handsome male flight attendant Thomas (Wong Ka-Lok), whom he finds himself drawn to the moment the latter steps into his shop.
Meanwhile, Weichung’s wife Feng (Mavis Fan) wants to have another child, but gets suspicious when he continuously brushes aside her advances in bed. There is also some subplot about a workplace crisis that is meant to make her character realise the possibility of starting over in love, but it comes off more convenient than compelling. What rings true though is her nagging sense of fear and insecurity as her once secure life is threatened by potential upheavals both at work and at home. In particular, her outburst when she confronts Weichung about his sexuality is particularly heartfelt - and even as we feel for Weichung who has had to hide his true nature in a society largely disapproving of it, we also empathise with Feng who has to bear the consequences of his deception.
Despite the potential heavy-handedness of the topic, Chen never quite lets it get overly dramatic or in fact melodramatic. Instead, he sustains a light breezy tone that fits in with the wave of new-age rom-coms that Taiwanese cinema has produced in recent years. Much as one would be tempted to bill this a coming-out film, it isn’t; rather, Chen reflects on the inherent tensions within modern-day Asian societies, as evolving cultural attitudes towards homosexuality seem to be at odds with its traditional emphasis on marriage and children. This is portrayed both in Feng’s set of overbearing parents who consistently pester her to have another child, and also in an otherwise unnecessary side plot that sees Weichung’s sister Mandy (Kimi Hsia) re-examining her impending marriage to fiancé San-san (Stone).
Both Weichung and Mandy’s troubles are drawn along the lines of romantic fulfilment, the latter’s cold feet just before her wedding because of her uncertainty if a life of routine with the dependable but unromantic San-san is indeed what she wants. Neither as meaningful nor as consequential as Weichung’s marriage woes, it serves largely two purposes - one, to provide a more mainstream and therefore more palatable romance in line with a conventional rom-com; and two to give more screen time to Stephen and his quartet of gay friends, who assist him in winning her hand back.
And thanks to a delightful performance by Lawrence Ko, you’re not likely to object to the arguably weakly plotted romantic travails of San-san and Mandy, made more agreeable too by the endearing performances of Stone and Kimi Hsia, both of whom are making their feature film debuts here. But the movie belongs to Jen and Fan, both pop singers never thought to be serious actors till now. Jen is beautifully subdued in his portrayal of Weichung and in his scenes with Hong Kong actor Wong Ka-lok share an engaging chemistry that effortlessly convinces you of their mutual attraction. Nicely complementing Jen is Fan’s exercise in restraint, nicely calibrated to convey her character’s growing sense of anxiety.
Yes, the uniformly impressive performances are one reason why Chen’s movie proves to be unexpectedly affecting. It is also best regarded as a movie of two halves - the first conforming more to the formula of a standard fluffy rom-com, and the second a touching family drama that works as an honest and refreshing look at sexual repression in a society whose norms and values are transitioning from a conservative past. Like we warned you at the start, this won’t be comfortable viewing for some people, so make sure you get your expectations right before you step into this flawed but nonetheless inspired romantic dramedy.
Movie Rating:
(Far from your typical rom-com, this thoughtful and poignant exploration of romantic discontent and sexual fulfilment boasts career-best performances from Ritchie Jen and Mavis Fan)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Action
Director: Baltasar Kormákur
Cast: Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Paula Patton, Bill Paxton, James Marsden, Fred Ward, Edward James Olmos
RunTime: 1 hr 49 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: Sony Pictures Releasing International
Official Website: http://www.2guns.net/
Opening Day: 19 September 2013
Synopsis: Academy Award® winner Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg lead an all-star cast in 2 Guns, an explosive action film that tracks two operatives from competing bureaus who are forced on the run together. But there is a big problem with their unique alliance: Neither knows that the other is an undercover federal agent. For the past 12 months, DEA agent Bobby Trench (Washington) and U.S. naval intelligence officer Marcus Stigman (Wahlberg) have been reluctantly attached at the hip. Working undercover as members of a narcotics syndicate, each man distrusts his partner as much as the criminals they have both been tasked to take down. When their attempt to infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel and recover millions goes haywire, Trench and Stigman are suddenly disavowed by their superiors. Now that everyone wants them in jail or in the ground, the only person they can count on is the other. Unfortunately for their pursuers, when good guys spend years pretending to be bad, they pick up a few tricks along the way.
Movie Review:
Some movies run pretty much on star wattage alone, and ‘2 Guns’ is one such perfect example. Built on the undeniable chemistry between Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, this throwback to the anarchic playfulness of the 1980s and 1990s buddy cop thrillers (think ‘Lethal Weapon’) is in fact derivable and ultimately forgettable, if not for the sheer fun one gets from watching two pros trade quips at each other.
Adapted from the BOOM! Studios series of comics written by Steven Grant and drawn by Mateus Santolouco, this rather faithful big-screen version has Washington playing DEA agent Bobby Trench and Wahlberg as naval intelligence officer Stig Stigman, neither one aware of the other’s undercover identity. To complete their respective missions, they have been tasked to rob the Tres Cruces Savings & Loan, a fiduciary establishment where the ruthless Mexican drug cartel leader Manny "Papi" Greco (Edward James Olmos) they are trying to apprehend stores some of his money.
But what was intended as a simple grab-and-run job becomes way more complicated when the $3 million they expect to be stashed in the vault turns out to be $40 million more, which brings on their heels everyone from the Mob to the military to the CIA. Indeed, besides Papi, a whole host of supporting characters are on their tail, including Stigman's superior officer Lt. Cmdr. Quince (James Marsden) and psychopathic CIA agent Earl (Bill Paxton) - otherwise introduced in the movie as ‘God’s S.O.B’.
Quite unusual for a film of this nature is its twisty plot - culled from five of Grant’s graphic novels - which screenwriter Blake Masters uses to pile on the intrigue with double, triple and quadruple crosses. The labyrinth of plot isn’t as clever as it would have you think, but Masters confidently navigates the turns without ever confusing his audience or giving away too much to expose the gaps. It does however get increasingly preposterous - especially with Trench and Stigman’s all-too convenient escape after breaking into a naval base - and quite nearly goes off the rails as both American military types and government agents descend on a Mexican ranch for a final shoot-em-up.
That scene though is probably the only worthwhile action setpiece that Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur stages. Clearly working within the confines of a limited budget, Kormákur strains to give his film a measure of summer-movie action - what with making a big deal out of a chase scene where our two protagonists are in the Mexican desert on a Ford pickup and Ford Bronco respectively - but cannot quite shake off the feeling that they have been done and executed much better. Even by the standards of his earlier Hollywood debut ‘Contraband’ (which also starred Wahlberg), much of the action here falls short, conspicuously lacking in energy or suspense.
But like we said at the start, this is a movie that rises and falls on the shoulders of its two leads. Relishing the opportunity to invigorate the genre, both Washington and Wahlberg pack plenty of style and attitude in their anti-buddy roles. The most enjoyable parts are not derived of bullets, but rather of banter, as both actors riff and tangle with each other over as weighty matters as how to rob a bank and as trivial matters as what to order for breakfast. It is the company that makes a lot of difference, and the two A-list actors simply knock it out of the park.
Though Wahlberg’s comedic gifts are not new (he did after all star in one of the most successful R-rated comedy hits last summer, ‘Ted’), his talent for off-the-cuff gab truly shines here. Not only is he often called upon to lace the action with witty touches, Wahlberg gets to be an unusually self-effacing presence here keeping up a front as a compulsive flirt who cannot resist winking at the ladies. Next to Wahlberg, Washington is relatively subdued, but the often serious-minded actor provides a perfect foil for the former’s talkative self.
Sadly, the rest of the movie hardly matches up to the quality of the pairing between Washington and Wahlberg, whose combined charisma provides all the ammunition that this action flick needs. Yes, more than the gunplay or the surplus of violence meant for the fanboys, it is these two stalwarts that lift the movie from its mediocrity, the combination of two of the most reliable, relatable Hollywood action heroes worth the price of admission alone.
Movie Rating:
(An utterly generic and derivative buddy cop movie that gets two critical shots of life in the form of Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Action/Sci-Fi
Director: Jose Padilha
Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley, Michael K. Williams, Jay Baruchel, Jennifer Ehle, Marianne Jean-Baptiste
RunTime: 2 hrs 1 min
Rating: PG13 (Violence & Brief Coarse Language)
Released By: Sony Pictures Releasing International
Official Website: http://www.omnicorp.com/
Opening Day: 30 January 2014
Synopsis: In "RoboCop," the year is 2028 and multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of robot technology. Their drones are winning American wars around the globe and now they want to bring this technology to the home front. Alex Murphy (Kinnaman) is a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit. After he is critically injured in the line of duty, OmniCorp utilizes their remarkable science of robotics to save Alex's life. He returns to the streets of his beloved city with amazing new abilities, but with issues a regular man has never had to face before.
Movie Review:
And this writer thought he needn’t be reminded of that disturbing scene in director Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 movie. Before the guy made the iconic Total Recall (1990) and Starship Troopers (1997), he gave the world Robocop. The movie has often been mentioned in media as one of the most violently traumatising action flicks ever. How the protagonist Alex Murphy was brutally murdered remains one of the most talked about scenes in cinema history. Don’t even get us started on how a villain slowly dissolves to death after being drenched in toxic waste.
Call this reviewer a coward, but these scenes freaked the hell out of him. After all, he was only a six year old kid then. But hey, it didn’t stop him from pestering his parents to get an uber cool action figure from the nearest toy shop.
With this remake directed by Brazilian filmmaker Jose Padilha (Elite Squad), this columnist is pretty sure he can sit through the 121 production without flinching, especially when it’s a PG13 movie with the consumer advice “Violence & Brief Coarse Language”. In this day and age of movie making, it’s all about maximixing profits with impressive box office returns, man.
There’s not much you need to know about the plot, really. In 2028 Detroit, Alex Murphy is a loving husband, father and good cop. After being critically injured in a car explosion, a multinational conglomerate OmniCorp sees a chance to create part man, part robot police superhero. Cue themes regarding media, corruption, authorisationism, capitalism and human nature. But why get yourself all confused with this academia issues? You want an enjoyable action movie? You’ve got one right here.
Padilha knows better than to get Robocop all moped up with emotions. After a short introduction, Alex Murphy gets hurt and is all ready to suit up in his uber cool outfit. From there, expect adrenaline filled action sequences. You want car chases? Check. What about gun fights? Yup, they’re in place. A finale showdown between Robocop and massive machines? Don’t even get us started on that. This movie is pure popcorn fun, that’s for sure.
Fans of the original will find themselves going through a checklist of comparisons, but while this geeky behaviour is somewhat respectable, we are advising that you don’t do so because you’d be missing out on what the remake is set out to do – an entertaining two hours in the cinema.
The supporting actors are on form here. Besides the reliable Abbie Cornish (Seven Psychopaths), Jay Baruchel (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice) and James Earle Haley (Little Children), we had fun watching Gary Oldman (Sirius Black!), Michael Keaton (Batman!), and Samuel L Jackson (Mace Windu!) portraying a righteous researcher, a shady businessman and a TV host respectively.
Unfortunately, our leading man Joel Kinnaman (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) pales in comparison next to his co stars. The 34 year old actor isn’t all that bad, but just doesn’t hold his own ground. This isn’t a major flaw though, because all we want is for him to go shoot some baddies in his Robocop persona.
And yes, this writer’s got that impulse to go out there to get some action figures again.
Movie Rating:
(A decent remake that delivers what it’s supposed to – fun, sleek and modern action sequences)
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: Beca (Anna Kendrick) is that girl who'd rather listen to what's coming out of her headphones than what's coming out of you. Arriving at her new college, she finds herself not right for any clique but somehow is muscled into one that she never would have picked on her own: alongside mean girls, sweet girls and weird girls whose only thing in common is how good they sound when they sing together, in the new out-loud comedy Pitch Perfect. When Beca takes this acoustic singing group out of their world of traditional arrangements and perfect harmonies into all-new mash-ups, they fight to climb their way to the top of the cutthroat world of college a cappella. This could wind up either the coolest thing they'll ever do or the most insane, and it will probably be a little of both.
MOVIE REVIEW:
“Pitch Perfect” is by no means a terrible movie even with its predictable, musical story about a capella competition. With the exception of Rebel Wilson (“Bridesmaids”) as Fat Amy, Anna Kendrick (“Up In The Air”, “50/50”) leads a relatively bunch of unknown faces in this light-hearted comedy from Jason Moore who makes his feature movie debut.
We need a female lead that has character and Kendrick fits the bill perfectly playing Beca, a smart, aloof college student who prefers to dabble in music mixing than making new friends. Taking on the challenge of his estranged Professor father, Beca joined the college’s all-girls a capella club, Barden Bellas. With the club’s leader, Aubrey (Anna Camp) bent on winning back the annual competition title after embarrassingly losing it the year before, Beca learnt that girl-bonding, singing and college isn’t that bad after all.
When a bunch of unlikely underdogs consisting of characters such as a funny fat girl, a leader who tends to vomit under stress, an Asian girl who is barely audible, you knew they are going to win in whatever contests that come in their way anyway. I know this sound like a major spoiler but “Pitch Perfect” is that kind of movie. This is a campus flick build around rivalries, disputes and tongue-in-cheek covers of pop songs.
The jokes on the whole are mean but not crude even the sexual tone is very much missing. The closest you get is seeing a girl and a boy getting cosy in the shower though you can only see the legs. And well a lesbian African-American and a girl who loves sex is mentioned making things much more parental friendly than expected. By mean, you get to see Fat Amy getting hit by a messy Burrito and a few gross-out projectile vomiting gags that seem too repetitive. There’s also a subplot that has Beca in a romantic involvement with a genuine nice guy from Barden Bellas’ main rival, The Treblemakers that occasionally bogged things down a little. But no worries, the countless musical numbers are nicely arranged to leave you wanting for more especially during the riff-offs.
If you love “Glee” then “Pitch Perfect” is the big-screen version for you. It has easy-on-the-ears soundtrack, plenty of funny one-liners courtesy of Rebel Wilson aka Fat Amy (who is absolutely adorable here) and whole lot of enthusiastic performances from the cast members. It’s not hard to see why it has become a major hit despite its small budget. Aca-awesome as they says.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
“Pitch Perfect” shines with its excellent detailed visual and colours while the Dolby Digital 5.1 supplied here impress with its sonic output and cleverly designed dynamic range.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Romance/Comedy
Director: Régis Roinsard
Cast: Romain Duris, Bérénice Bejo, Déborah Francois, Shaun Benson, Mélanie Bernier, Nicolas Bedos, Miou-Miou, Eddy Mitchell, Frédéric Pierrot
RunTime: 1 hr 51 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Scene)
Released By: Festive Films & Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: http://populaire-lefilm.com/
Opening Day: 16 May 2013
Synopsis: Spring 1958. 21-year-old Rose Pamphyle lives with her grouchy widower father who runs the village store. Engaged to the son of the local mechanic, she seems destined for the quiet, drudgery-filled life of a housewife. But that’s not the life Rose longs for. When she travels to Lisieux in Normandy, where charismatic insurance agency boss Louis Echard is advertising for a secretary, the ensuing interview is a disaster. But Rose reveals a special gift - she can type at extraordinary speed. Unwittingly, the young woman awakens the dormant sports fan in Louis. If she wants the job she’ll have to compete in a speed typing competition. Whatever sacrifices Rose must make to reach the top, Louis declares himself her trainer. He’ll turn her into the fastest girl not only in the country, but in the world! But a love for sport doesn’t always mix well with love itself…
Movie Review:
Following in the footsteps of the Academy Award-winning ‘The Artist’, ‘Populaire’ pays loving tribute to the motion pictures from a bygone era. Whereas it was the silent movies of the 1920s in the case of the former, the latter sets its sights on the crowd-pleasing Hollywood comedies of the 1950s and 60s, a fact clearly evident right from its animated opening credits which look like something straight out of a Billy Wilder movie.
Then, movies were much simpler and sweeter, and indeed one should similarly expect the same of ‘Populaire’. A classic rom-com that pits the slightly naïve 21-year-old village girl Rose Pamphyle (Deborah Francois) with her dapper city boss Louis (Romain Duris) to whom she is secretary to, it follows a pretty straightforward trajectory built around the world of competitive speed typing, so if you’re looking for any surprises in the storytelling, then you’re likely to be disappointed.
But what it lacks in novelty, it certainly makes for up in dollops of charm, so much so that we’re willing to guarantee that you’ll find much truth in its hyperbolic marketing tagline that proclaims it “the most enchanting romantic comedy since Amelie”. There is something magical about the fit between actor and character here, a truly entrancing quality about how Francois plays Rose sweet, shy and klutzy and how Duris cuts a suave, dashing and debonair figure in Louis.
Just as, if not more, importantly, is how Rose and Louis make an exceedingly appealing couple, be it in their prickly initial encounters or their subsequent intimate engagements. Francois and Duris share zingy chemistry in their scenes together, the lively manner in which they trade barbs and words of affection bound to keep a smile on your face. Their spirited repartee is also thanks to a witty and engaging script, which pays close and sharp attention to the evolving dynamic between its characters.
Just as well-observed is the sport of competitive speed-typing, which plays a central role in the evolving relationship between Rose and Louis. Rather than give up on the otherwise dreamy and absent-minded Rose, Louis recognises her single uncanny gift of typing very quickly, prompting him to propose an unusual arrangement in which he trains her for competitions in exchange for keeping her job as his secretary. Needless to say, she improves swiftly under his tutelage, progressing from regionals to nationals and finally to internationals, the title of the film a reference to her newfound popularity as well as the name of the typewriter she does a celebrity endorsement for.
We know – you’re thinking how a bunch of mostly middle-aged women in thick-rimmed glasses hammering away at ancient typewriters can be anything exciting. Well, that’s where you are absolutely wrong. There is pure thrill to be had in each one of these competitions, the combined effect of whirling dolly shots and some sharp editing combining to inject much excitement into the repetition of pounding keystrokes and slamming carriages. Never for once failing to amaze with the intensity and concentration required of participants in such competitions, it suitably jazzes up what one would assume a sedate activity, let alone a sport.
The staging of these contests is but one illustration of how impressive the mise-en-scene of the movie, which is even more amazing for the fact that this is also director Regis Roinsard’s feature filmmaking debut. Roinsard, who also co-wrote the script with Daniel Presley and Romain Compingt, combines detailed set and costume design by Sylvie Olive and Charlotte David with a classy score by Rob and Emmanuel d’Orlando and classic French oldies from the likes of Jacqueline Boyer, Jack Ary and Les Chausettes Noires, the effect of all these various elements making for a remarkably rich and authentic period portrait.
Especially as modern-day films revel in greater shades of grey, it is refreshing to see a movie whose pleasures are so elemental and yet deeply enjoyable. “Populaire” harks back to the days of the Doris Day rom-coms – even as it also pays homage to other classic films of the same era, most notably Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” – offering a delightfully buoyant time brimming with wit, humour and passion. Excuse the pun – if you’re looking for a movie to lift your spirits, this one strikes all the right keys.
Movie Rating:
(An irresistibly entertaining tribute to the classic 1950s rom-coms that packs wit, humour, romance and a pair of delightful leads)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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Shaw Theatres IMAX REPLAY!Posted on 30 Aug 2013 |
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