Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Director: Mark Waters
Cast: Zoey Deutch, Lucy Fry, Danila Kozlovsky, Gabriel Byrne, Sarah Hyland, Joely Richardson, Cameron Monaghan, Sami Gayle, Claire Foy, Ashley Charles
RunTime: 1 hr 45 mins
Rating: PG (Some Violence)
Released By: GV
Official Website: http://va-movie.com/

Opening Day: 27 February 2014

Synopsis: Based on the first book in author Richelle Mead's successful series of "Vampire Academy" books. Rose Hathaway (Deutch) is a Dhampir: half human/vampire, guardians of the Moroi, peaceful, mortal vampires living discretely within our world. Her legacy is to protect the Moroi from bloodthirsty, immortal Vampires, the Strigoi. This is her story.

Movie Review: 

It’s too easy to diss a movie like ‘Vampire Academy’. For starters, it seems to be yet another one in an infinite line of Young Adult fantasies making its way from page to screen and hoping to emulate the success of the ‘Harry Potter’ or ‘Twilight’ franchises. For another, and no thanks to ‘Twilight’, it comes off as yet another YA-targeted story about them bloodsuckers which continues to dilute vampire lore with tween-friendly soap opera. Maybe it is because we had our expectations set low from the get-go, but Mark Waters’ adaptation of Richelle Mead’s source material turned out to be surprisingly entertaining and engaging - and let’s be sure, this is the opinion of someone that clearly does not fall within its target demographic.

As the poster touts, Waters was the director of the hit teen comedies ‘Mean Girls’ and ‘Freaky Friday’, both of which portrayed with wit and accuracy the complexity of girls’ feelings about boys, other girls and basically growing pains. Mark, who co-scripts with his equally perceptive brother Daniel here, loses none of that aptitude in the similarly girl-centric ‘Vampire Academy’; digging into Mead’s novel, they capture in sharp detail the awkwardness of teenage heterosexual attractions and the bond of lasting friendships as if they had personally experienced these emotions for themselves.

Choosing to honour rather than condense the mythology within Mead’s constructed world, Waters opts to devote a considerable amount of time explaining the difference between the Moroi (a race of benevolent vampires), the Dhampir (the half-breed protectors of the Moroi) and the Strigoi (deadly bad vamps with the traditional aversions to sunlight, churches, and silver), all of whom represent important factions especially if the franchise has legs to sustain subsequent entries. There is a fair amount of expository dialogue about vampires, witchcraft, ancient hierarchies and secret societies which Waters retains to add depth to the neck-biting hocus-pocus going on, so don’t go thinking that this is just dumbed-down adolescent stuff. 

But the story here is that of Lissa (Lucy Fry) and Rose Hathaway (Zoey Deustch), the former a Moroi princess and heir to the throne of Dragomir and the latter a Dhampir training to be her guardian. Despite attempting to lead normal lives, both are brought back to St. Vladimir’s Academy in rural Montana to receive their respective training. While Lissa and her fellow Morois study magic, Rose learns the art of ass-kicking from her hot tutor Dimitri (Danila Kozlovsky) whom she has a crush on, all the while under the watchful eye of the Headmistress (‘Bond’ girl Olga Kurylenko).

There are boys - besides Kozlovsky, there’s Dominic Sherwood as a pretty bad boy, Ashley Charles as the resident jerk and Cameron Monaghan as the sidekick. There is also bitching, no thanks to Mia (Sami Gayle), who goes around whispering rumours about how Rose must let Lissa feed on her neck. And not to forget, there’s also plenty of cooler-than-thou teen speak, with our two female protagonists leading the wave of cool with Facebook and hashtags that no one else in the Hogwarts-style boarding school has come across. In the midst of all, danger lurks as Lissa becomes a target for real violent pranks from an unknown adversary at the school - which may or may not have to do with the terminally ill vampire Viktor Dashkov (Gabriel Bryne), a member of the Royal Moroi, whose motivations play out like a mystery that the viewer is kept in suspense of.

Speaking of Bryne, the veteran actor’s screen presence is probably the most acting you’ll find in the movie, next to that of fellow thespians Kurylenko and Joely Richardson. Indeed, the teenage cast are largely forgettable in their respective roles, the best of the lot being YA-alum Deutch’s agreeably sassy turn as Rose. Waters is fully aware of this, which probably explains why he feels necessary to have the characters go at each other in a somewhat non-stop barrage of exposition.

That’s not in itself a bad thing; on the contrary, the scripting by the sibling pair here is surprisingly sharp and stimulating, a huge reason why this adaptation is way better than the conventional YA-themed film. Put aside your preconceptions of what ‘Vampire Academy’ might be based on your bias or experience with bloodsucker-type YA material, and you’ll find an often amusing, surprisingly engaging and unexpectedly insightful blend of vampire fantasy and teenage coming-of-age story. Yes, if ever you need an excuse not to be uncool about liking a YA film, then ‘Vampire Academy’ is as good as any. 

Movie Rating:

(Don’t let the YA nature of the material turn you away - this is a surprisingly entertaining blend of teenage comedy and vampire fantasy with spunk and sass that packs plenty of bite)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Thriller/Drama
Director: Paul Greengrass
Cast: Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener, Max Martini, Yul Vazquez, Michael Chernus, Chris Mulkey, Corey Johnson, David Warshofsky, John Magaro, Angus MacInnes
RunTime: 2 hrs 14 mins
Rating: PG (Some Violence)
Released By: Sony Pictures Releasing International
Official Website: http://www.captainphillipsmovie.com/teaser/
 
Opening Day: 14 November 2013

Synopsis: Columbia Pictures' action-thriller "Captain Phillips" stars two-time Oscar® winner Tom Hanks in the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years. The film is directed by Oscar® nominee Paul Greengrass, from a screenplay by Billy Ray and based upon the book, "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea," by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty.

Movie Review:

Even before he checked into the second and third instalment of ‘The Bourne Trilogy’, British filmmaker Paul Greengrass had already proven himself the master of cinema verite with his dramatization of the events of September 11 on board the ill-fated ‘United 93’. And in ‘Captain Philips’, based on the remarkable true story of four Somali pirates who hijacked the American freighter Maersk Alabama and held its captain on board a lifeboat for five days, Greengrass repeats that same feat by taking a story for which the outcome is already known and turning it into a gripping, harrowing, and deeply emotional thriller.

In adapting the ship’s captain Rich Philips’ own memoir of his ordeal, Greengrass and his screenwriter Billy Ray respectfully retain their titular character’s perspective of the situation; but beyond that - and also what makes it even more compelling - is how their movie goes beyond his amazing display of everyday heroism to explore the poverty, desperation and cynicism that drove four Somali fishermen to become high sea pirates. Yes, far from being a one-sided tale therefore, it offers an unlikely - but inspired - point of view from that of Philips’ captors, and indeed emerges all the more richer for it.

And so the opening offers not just one but two perspectives - the first sees the middle-aged Philips packing in his Vermont home and driving to the airport with his wife (Catherine Keener), age, the risk of these long trips and the extended time apart their worries of the day; and the second, set on the beach in the pirate city of Eyl, Somalia, has leader Muse (Barkhad Abdi) recruiting his crew for their next mission which would be Philips’ cargo ship, impoverished fishermen under the thumbs of armed warlords forced to enter a second, more treacherous but definitely more lucrative line of work. Greengrass demonstrates his commitment to tell both sides of the story throughout the entire movie, refusing at any one point to demonise Philips’ captors; instead, he depicts them as ordinary men driven by political and economic circumstances to end up at odds with Philips.

There has always been a kineticism to Greengrass’ storytelling, and this is no different. With assured economy, Greengrass brings his audience right into the heart of the crisis, as Philips is quickly confronted with the threat of two rapidly approaching skiffs bearing hostiles. What follows unfolds with immediacy and urgency, with Philips forced to adopt evasive manoeuvres in order to thwart Muse and his crew’s attempts to board his ship but eventually being forced to do what is necessary to preserve as many of his crew’s lives as possible. It’s hardly any secret that Philips will end up on a suffocating lifeboat as their hostage, but you have to hand it to Greengrass for staging the action with such fluency and white-knuckle thrill that you’ll still be caught by surprise by that turn of events.

Collaborating once again with cinematographer Barry Ackroyd, Greengrass hews to a familiar visual style that combines handheld photography, quick edits and a propulsive soundtrack. Unlike lesser filmmakers which botch the use of shaky-cam, Greengrass’ previous experience in shooting documentary features has honed his ability to shoot long unbroken sequences on handhelds, and that trademark style here works wonders in capturing the verisimilitude of the characters’ predicaments. From the open sea to the interior of the cargo ship and finally to the claustrophobic confines of the lifeboat, Greengrass’ shooting technique pulls you deeper and closer to Philips’ life-and-death circumstance.

But this is as much a Greengrass movie as it is one of Tom Hanks. The Academy Award winner of such classics like ‘Forrest Gump’ and ‘Apollo 13’ has seen his career languishing in recent years, but as the seaman thrust into an impossible situation, Hanks registers one of his career-best performances. Putting his Everyman persona to excellent use, Hanks invites you to identify with and believe in his extraordinary struggle of courage and mettle. It’s a masterful performance, one full of nuances that evolves ever so subtly as his character is forced to react with the changing circumstances and hits a peak when finally he is called upon to re-enact the captain’s succumbing to post-traumatic stress. Hanks is on excellent form here, portraying Philips’ fear, bravery, and anxiety in a perfectly calibrated minimalist act.

Much has also been said of Mogadishu émigré Barkhad Abdi’s spellbinding debut, and it is indeed extraordinary. Despite possessing zero acting experience, Abdi proves a perfect foil for Hanks, especially as Greengrass turns his focus in the latter half of the movie on the edgy relationship between Philips and Muse. Ray’s sharply written screenplay slowly but surely allows both characters - and us - to realise that they are mere pawns in a larger geopolitical context not within their control, and while Abdi is never less than forceful in his display of skinny bravado, Hanks complements that with his earnestness and empathy - a scene towards the end where he sits in despair recognising the inevitable fate awaiting his captors after failing to convince them to surrender is simply humbling to watch.

Yes, there’s no doubt Philips is a heroic figure, and Greengrass diminishes none of his amazing courage even as he adds to that portrayal the humanity of Philips’ captors. It is a richly textured story, told as a blow-by-blow procedural of how Philips ended up in that calamity, how he managed to save his entire crew under extreme duress and how eventually after five days he emerged against all odds with his life intact. That Greengrass can direct a taut and captivating thriller is something we already know from the ‘Bourne’ films, but ‘Philips’ easily qualifies as one of his best, because it possesses an emotional intensity that goes to the heart of the human spirit, a pure and elemental struggle against adversity for survival. Together, Greengrass and his excellent leading man Hanks make you  feel up close and personally engaged through and through with Philips through his ordeal, and it is an experience you won’t quite soon forget.

Movie Rating:

(As thrilling as his Bourne movies but far more significant and poignant in its portrayal of everyday heroism, Paul Greengrass delivers one of the most compelling films of the year - and Tom Hanks’ best performance in over a decade)

Review by Gabriel Chong
  

Genre: Drama
Director: Geoffrey Fletcher
Cast: Alexis Bledel, Saoirse Ronan, James Gandolfini, Jean-Baptiste, Danny Trejo
RunTime: 1 hr 28 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Violence)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films and InnoForm Media
Official Website: http://violetanddaisyfilm.com/
 
Opening Day: 29 August 2013 

Synopsis: Violet (Alexis Bledel) and Daisy (Saoirse Ronan) are a pair of gum-cracking teenage assassins who casually snuff out crime figures in New York City, distracted only by the fact that a concert by their favourite pop idol Barbie Sunday has suddenly been cancelled. Determined to raise cash for some Barbie Sunday dresses, the duo takes on a new hit job targeting a mysterious loner (James Gandolfini) who leads them into an unexpected odyssey of self-examination and catapults the junior enforcers into a world beyond Barbie Sunday and bullets for pay. …

Movie Review:

Violet & Daisy is a comedy-drama helmed by first-time director Geoffrey Fletcher, winner of the 2010 Oscar for Writing (Adapted Screenplay) for the movie Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire. Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls, Sin City) stars as a contract killer named Violet, whose beautiful but often blank visage masks her ruthlessness in mowing down her targets. Her partner Daisy, played by Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones, The Host), is less experienced, not just with the job but with life in general, leading Violet to worry about the future possibility of her being tried as an adult at her 18th birthday celebration. Plausibility is left at the door once you understand that the world they live in doesn’t play by the rules of reality: in the opening scene both girls charge into an apartment, dressed as nuns delivering pizza, and empty their gun cartridges on a group of hapless men. They shoot with their eyes closed, reload with calm efficiency, and leave the dead bodies behind without consequence. Silencers were not used, but of course, that’s not an issue.

The girls have no modus operandi beyond breaking, entering and shooting, which has worked well so far in their bid to earn enough for coveted Barbie Sunday dresses. They complete their hits and go home to their apartment; jumping on their queen-sized bed and playing the sort of games nine-year-olds do at playgrounds. But they’re given an assignment to kill a thief that turns this rosy picture on its head. The pair accidentally fall asleep on their target Michael’s (James Gandolfini, best known for The Sopranos) couch, and he winds up feeding them cookies and milk, sparking an unexpected friendship.

It’s in the last third of the show where the leads’ emotional psyches are explored. Fuelled by the sharing of personal revelations, the interplay between Daisy and Michael in his apartment works because of commendable turns from award-winning actors Ronan and Gandolfini. Both are able to subtly invoke shades of emotion that lend the film much-needed intensity, with Gandolfini in particular effortlessly leading with his sensitive take on a man who is simply trying his best. Initially appearing insipid, Daisy unveils herself to be made of sterner stuff, a streetwise young woman who thinks quickly on her feet.

Bledel’s Violet is easily the feistiest of the trio, with an actual backstory and an opportunity to experience life outside the apartment. She has a history of trauma and repressed hurt, but the film appears to deign further exploration of her pain beneath itself, beyond simple scenes of her breaking down delicately by the dumpster and waking from a nightmare. There is no resolution; nobody tries to solve anything with sense or logic. The problems incredulously resolve themselves, because this is the type of reality Violet and Daisy is set in.

The cinematography by Vanja Cernjul is aesthetically pleasing: every frame is a beautiful photograph, with the colours of summer and autumn pieced together to evoke an otherworldly feel that is also somehow nostalgic. The soundtrack is essential in creating this emotion, none more so than at a turning point towards the end where Sarah McLachlan’s instrumental piece Last Dance is used to excellent effect.

Released two years after a screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, this tongue-in-cheek affair is mostly an exercise in patience, despite lasting only slightly over one and a half hours. The girls are a little too childlike to take seriously, in turn trivializing the whole film. Although it had the potential to go beyond the fluff into deeper waters, the overall effect is instead a faint reminder of Zack Snyder’s 2011 action-fantasy Sucker Punch: while nowhere as exploitative, it is similarly vacant.

Movie Rating:

(Despite being buoyed by the acting prowess of Saoirse Ronan and James Gandolfini, Violet & Daisy never manages to hit its mark)

Review by Wong Keng Hui
  

SYNOPSIS: At the break of dawn on Tancheon road, a gruesome dead body in just skin and bones is found. Soon after, there are dead bodies everywhere where water can reach, and anomie-stricken Korea is in a state of complete chaos. With a short incubation period and 100% fatality rate, the parasitic mutant hairworms brainwash their human hosts to find water and kill themselves, and the number of the infected is growing out of control. To contain the situation, the government sets up an emergency response center and quarantines the infectees. Jae-hyuk is a busy salesman at a pharmaceutical company. His wife and children are infected by the mutant hairworm, and he struggles to find a cure for his family. In the midst of disaster, Jae-hyuk’s brother Jae-pil, who has been investigating a strange case of mass deaths, finds a lead on the mutant hairworm chaos, and two brothers dig out the truth.

MOVIE REVIEW:

A huge hit when it was released last summer in Korea, Deranged is an epidemic thriller that effectively showcased the greed of man is much evil than the disgusting creatures it unleashed.

The story by director and writer Park Jeong-woo opens and focused on a family man, Jae-hyeok who works as a sales rep for a pharmaceutical company. Rendered in dire financial straits by investment, Jae-hyeok works hard to provide for his wife and two young kids. His brother, Jae-pil on the other hand works as a lowly-cop and has a hot, capable girlfriend Yeon-joo who works as a research scientist. Then comes the unexpected, numerous emaciated bodies start to appear floating in river beds all around the country. When the government realizes it’s a mutated parasite that is residing in human bodies, panic ensued with victims increasing by the minute and that includes Jae-hyeok’s family.  

Assuming Deranged to be somewhat similar to Bong Joon-ho’s The Host is understandable. For a start, both use the viewpoint of one family to showcase the side effects caused by a major catastrophe. The inability of the government to efficiently control the matter and the immediate social issues faced is greatly highlighted here by the director’s confidence in juggling simultaneous storylines. Cleverly, the approach to let two ordinary citizens take matters to their own hand once again allows the audience to root for their success in getting the remedy for the family as the third act focused strongly on the two brothers’ determination in uncovering a shady pharmaceutical scheme.

While Bong delivers generous amounts of CG monster mayhem, Park Jeong-woo is satisfied in delivering off-camera grisly effects in general and even the horsehair worms which lived in the intestines of their hosts did not receive much of a close-up. Unless you are a true-blue horror fan who wished to see worms bursting out of the victims’ mouths and backside, you get the goose bumps watching the worms wriggling in medical tank alone and for me, that’s genuinely creepy enough. As the parasites controlled the victims’ brains in its last stage, scenes of the victims throwing themselves into rivers, canals, swimming pools and fountains send more shivers down the spine (reason being the parasites can only live on water).          

The generally unknown cast (featuring not a single well-known K-pop singer as far as I know) did an absolutely convincing job though the few scenes that showed the mother and her young children in a quarantined emergency response center detour slightly towards melodramatic territory. Overall, Deranged delivers enough chills and twists to warrant it a box-office success. Expecting it to be more than a no-brainer creature fest will leave you disappointed though.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

NIL

AUDIO/VISUAL:

Visual and audio is plain serviceable. Those prefer higher-end quality sounding, top visual stuff should avoid.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Thriller
Director: Jorge Dorado
Cast: Mark Strong, Taissa Farmiga, Brian Cox, Indira Varma, Noah Taylor, Clare Calbraith
RunTime: 1 hr 39 mins
Rating: PG13 (Brief Coarse Language and Disturbing Scenes)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 8 May 2014

Synopsis: A hypnotic psychological thriller about a man with an extraordinary ability to enter people’s minds and manipulate their memory. When he takes on the case of a brilliant, troubled, teenager, he winds up in a dangerous game of seduction and betrayal that spirals out of control.

Movie Review:

The first time someone spoke to me about Mindscape, I was told this is a psychological thriller similar to Inception.

It is easy to see why. They have similar premises (of entering people’s minds to find out secrets/the truth). In Mindscape, Mark Strong plays John, a memory detective who enters people’s minds to go through their memories and find out the truth and his latest case, is the 16 year old Anna who has gone on a hunger strike and is possibly a sociopath. However, Mindscape is definitely not an Inception rip-off.  

Taissa Farmiga is convincing as a highly intelligent yet emotionally screwed-up and possibly dangerous 16 year old Anna around whom the plot is centred. Anna is a refreshingly assured teenager who reminds you repeatedly that she is also a vulnerable teenager without displaying any stereotypical weakness we see so often in teenage female leads *coughs Bella coughs*.  Mark Strong also turns in an excellent performance as John, who takes it upon himself to protect Anna when she seems to have opened up to him.

What makes this a psychological thriller is Anna’s complexity. Is she a highly functioning sociopath who is manipulating him or is she really an abused victim who’s finally found someone who trusts her? Kudos to the scriptwriter for managing to plan the relationship development between John and Anna in a way that makes it plausible for John to put aside his skepticism and believe Anna despite the various signs that indicate Anna may be more than what she seems to be.

And thankfully, unlike Inception, Mindscape provides closure with an ending that closes the loop, leaving viewers satisfied with an answer about who Anna really is. 

Movie Rating:

(A psychological thriller with an intriguing female lead, Mindscape is definitely worth watching - just don’t complain about how short it is)

Review by Katrina Tee
  

Genre: Thriller/Crime
Director: Cho Ui-Seok, Kim Byeong-seo
Cast: Seol Kyung-gu, Jung Woo-sung, Han Hyo-joo, Jin Gyeong, Lee Jun-ho, Lee Dong-jin, Junho, Simon Yam
RunTime: 2 hrs
Rating: NC-16 (Violence)
Released By: Dream Movie Singapore and Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: http://coldeyes.co.kr/index.htm

Opening Day: 5 September 2013

Synopsis: Remember everything about the untraceable target! Ha Yoon-ju (HAN Hyo-joo) who possesses crystal clear memory, keen observation, and utmost concentration skills, becomes the newest member to a unit within the Korean Police Forces Special Crime Unit (SCU) that specializes in surveillance activities on high profile criminals. She is assigned under Hwang Sang-jun (SEOL Kyung-gu), the veteran leader of the unit, who is rough, reckless, but warmhearted and known for his animal-like senses and intuition. The two gradually develop a close partnership when they attempt to track down James (JUNG Woo-sung), who is the cold-hearted leader of an armed criminal organization. Using his unmatched intelligence and strategy, James manages to evade their radar every time. Now, Hwang Sang-jun and Ha Yoon-ju must do everything they can in order to find him and stop him…

Movie Review:

“Eye in the Sky” was one of the most under-appreciated movies of 2007, a taut and tense Hong Kong thriller from auteur Johnnie To’s Milkyway Image banner which boasted compelling performances from Milkyway regulars Simon Yam and Tony Leung under the auspicious directorial debut of To’s frequent assistant Law Wing Cheong. Its premise of a specialised surveillance team tracking down a highly efficient group of armed criminals was intriguing and inspired, and given the penchant of modern Korean cinema for contemporary thrillers, it’s no wonder that the film is getting the remake treatment by its filmmakers.

Fortunately for fans of the original, “Cold Eyes” isn’t one of those remakes that ends up sullying the reputation of its predecessor; instead, directors Cho Ui-seok and Kim Byung-seo have succeeded in creating an equally gripping movie that is both reverential to its source material and imaginative enough to stand on its own. Indeed, the beauty of their film lies in how it manages to balance elements from the original with its own ideas, trading one metropolis for another without losing the idiosyncrasies of Seoul’s urban landscape or for that matter of Milkyway’s high-brow concept.

Like “Eye”, Cho begins with the team’s latest addition, Yoon-ju (Han Hyo-joo), being assigned to track a middle-aged man whose identity she is oblivious to. In actual fact, the man is none other than her soon-to-be leader Hwang (Seol Kyung-gu), the “mission” an on-the-job interview for the Chief to assess her abilities. While trading Hong Kong’s signature tram cars for Seoul’s underground subway, the details remain the same - Hwang drops a newspaper along the way, bumps into another lady, enters a phone booth, scribbles on a piece of paper torn from the phone book, and finally sits down in a café where he confronts her - every single one just as important for Yoon-ju’s assignment.

As Hwang is testing Yoon-ju, a band of criminals led by James (Jung Woo-sung) execute a high-precision heist at a bank in downtown Seoul, eventually making off with millions after evading the police in no small measure due to a diversion created by one of their members. He’s the equivalent of the original’s Lam Suet, a crucial mark the team will eventually focus on to get their first break into a seemingly flawless plan. James is however here a criminal-for-hire rather than his own mastermind, a new addition from the original being a mysterious broker (Kim Byeong-ok) whom the former gets his orders from.

Staying true to the nature of such operations, Cho keeps their target elusive in the first hour of the film; instead, he takes the opportunity of that waiting game to emphasise the character beats that will pay off later in several surprisingly affecting scenes, in particular, that between Chief Hwang and Yoon-ju. Kyung-gu plays the strict but warm-hearted Hwang visibly tougher than Simon Yam was in the original, but otherwise the dynamic between mentor and rookie is pretty much similar - and in the days spent waiting for their mark, Hwang will come to recognise and admire Yoon-ju’s intelligence and tenacity, while the latter will take to the former like a daughter to a father.  That bond was the heart and soul of “Eye”, and Cho’s retelling loses none of the original’s poignancy, especially given Seol and Han’s heartfelt chemistry in their scenes together. 

Yet even in the midst of these character-driven moments, Cho keeps a tight grip on the film’s pace set in motion from the very first riveting frame. Like a procedural, every fascinating detail of the team’s stakeout from their covers to their routine is carefully depicted - even their disposition on the field, as exemplified by Yoon-ju’s break from protocol by intervening to assist a woman being bullied by a group of thugs. And as a perfect counterbalance, we are also acquainted with James, whose potent combination of methodical and meticulous injects frissons of menace into the proceedings.

From tense to intense pretty much describes the second half of the movie, which kicks into high gear when the team follows their target to discover the rest of his crew - sans James, who manages to keep his cover a little longer by always keeping a safe distance, though never letting his watchful eye slip, from his associates. Once again, Cho stays true to the spirit of the original - choreographing edge-of-your-seat moments as Hwang and Yoon-ju trail James through a myriad of small alleys - while expanding the scope of the action thanks to a much larger budget, including a car chase that unfolds amidst Seoul’s busy streets and culminates in a standoff in the middle of a flyover.

Perhaps most significantly, Cho retains the karmic twist at the end of “Eye” despite dropping such a reference in the English title this remake adopts - and for those who have not seen that earlier movie, let’s just say it has something to do with Buddhist teachings. Cho’s respect for his inspiration is clear at every turn - even in the alias ‘Piglet’ Yoon-ju assumes in the field - which is probably the reason why he has managed to snag Simon Yam to appear in a brief cameo right at the end and thereby setting up a truly exciting potential sequel.

Beyond the slickness of the material, ‘Cold Eyes’ also rises above the usual Korean thrillers with its well-drawn characters and solid cast. The two of course are complementary, such that the film isn’t just viscerally but also emotionally thrilling. Seol anchors the role of the gentle veteran Hwang with dignity and gravitas, while Han brings much life and vigour to his fiercely intelligent apprentice. On the other hand, Jung is magnetic as the cold-hearted clever criminal, and even without sharing very many scenes together, his battle of wits with Seol unfolds with the exhilaration of two long-time foes pitted against each other.

Whether as a remake or as a film on its own, this is without a doubt a first-rate exceptional thriller that makes the most of its distinctive premise to deliver an edge-of-your-seat adrenaline-pumping ride. No wonder then that the movie has gone on to become one of the biggest hits this year in its home territory - and with original lead star Yam clearly on board, we can say that its very-likely-to-happen sequel has become one of those we really cannot wait to see. 

Movie Rating:

(From start to finish a taut and tense adrenaline ride like its Hong Kong original, this remake of ‘Eye in the Sky’ is one of the best Korean thrillers we have seen)

Review by Gabriel Chong
  

Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Takashi Miike
Cast: Takao Osawa, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Matsushima Nanako, Gorô Kishitani, Masatô Ibu, Kento Nagayama, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kimiko Yo
RunTime: 1 hr 56 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: Scorpio East Pictures
Official Website: http://wwws.warnerbros.co.jp/waranotate/index.html

Opening Day: 12 September 2013

Synopsis: Tokyo, the present day, June. The body of a seven-year-old girl, Ninagawa Chika, is found in the district of Kitazawa, west Tokyo, and the murder is blamed by her grandfather Ninagawa Takaoki (Yamazaki Tsutomu), multi-billionaire head of Ninagawa Industrial, on Kiyomaru Kunihide (Fujiwara Tatsuya) who was released from prison the previous October. Takaoki takes out a print ad offering a ¥1 billion (US$10 million) reward to anyone who can kill Kunihide. His two conditions are that (a) whoever kills him must also be tried and punished under the law and (b) Kunihide's murder must be authorised by the government. When a drug smuggler, Tanaka, who is sheltering Kunihide in Fukuoka, southern Japan, tries to kill him, Kunihide just manages to escape and turn himself into the Fukuoka police. Lieutenant Mekari Kazuki (Osawa Takao), a hotshot with the Security Police's Unit 4, is sent from Tokyo to bring Kunihide safely back to the district attorney's office for prosecution within 48 hours. The highly skilled Shiraiwa Atsuko (Matushima Nanako) goes with him, along with veteran Okumura Takeshi (Kishitani Goro) and the younger Kanbashi Masataka (Nagayama Kento). After surviving an attack by a policeman in Fukuoka, Kunihide is hospitalised, where the four meet him. Also coming along for the ride is Captain Sekiya Kenji (Ibu Masato), head of Fukuoka police. After Kunihide survives yet another attack, the sextet sets out for the two-hour flight to Tokyo in a massive convoy to the airport. But on a special website created by Ninagawa, Kunihide's exact location is shown for anyone to have a go at killing him. After more attacks, and the cancellation of the plane, the group decides to make the 1,200-kilometre journey by bullet train instead. But it soon becomes clear there's a mole working for Ninagawa among them.

Movie Review:

If nobody told you, you probably wouldn’t have guessed that the director of this movie is Takashi Miike, the notorious scriptwriter/filmmaker of many controversial and ‘objectionable’ films. Who would have known that he would be equally good in handling drama as well?

The Shield of Straw is a fast-paced action-thriller that centers the security police’s seemingly absurd mission to escort a pedophile murderer. Five elite police are carefully selected to escort the murderer from Fukuoka to Tokyo (that’s approximately the distance from Singapore to the borders of Thailand!). However, their mission is severely impeded because of the reward put up by a multi-billionaire (whose granddaughter was sexually abused and killed by Kiyomaru brutally): ¥1 billion (US$10 million) to anyone who can put Kiyomaru (Fujiwara Tatsuya) to death. There had already been several attempts to assassinate Kiyomaru, and the fear continues to loom over. The worst enemy is no longer the ordinary civilians, but rather personnel who are combat trained with weaponry.

Is this unscrupulous and immoral person worth the police to risk their lives to protect? Why are you stopping people from giving him his rightful retribution? Many questions boggle your mind as you watch this film. There is simply too little time to make too many tough decisions. In the midst of protecting this scumbag, civilians are hurt, people are terrorized, the police lose their lives! All these for the face of the police force and in the name of a ‘good cause’?

If one were to describe this film in no more than one sentence, it would be ‘more than meets the eye’. Possibly thanks to the strong backing from the novel, the narrative of this film involved many well worked twists and turns. It keeps you engaged and wanting to know what is the next move. The main characters, the murder Kiyomaru Kunihide (Fujiwara Tatsuya) and key police Mekari Kazuki (Osawa Takao) and Shiraiwa Atsuko (Matushima Nanako), were certainly great value-adds to the film as well. In particular, Osawa Takao scores with his role of the police who is plagued with baggage from his past. The decisions he has to make break him down as a person and force him to his limits – truly affecting and stunning performance.

It isn’t hard to know why this film was actually nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Although it is not a winner, the film deserves some rightful attention. Director Takashi Miike has captured well the raw emotions of the human beings with well worked camera angles, intense yet balanced with action and thrill. The overall tone of the movie was also well maintained. What’s impressive is also its ability to challenge and ‘make you think’, without coming across as too deliberate or forceful. To top it off, the film ending was very poignant that may prick you even as the credits roll. Remember, it’s more than meets the eye. 

Movie Rating:

(Every single person is capable of doing both good and bad. Just which side do you choose to stand by today?)

Review by Tho Shu Ling
  

Genre: Drama
Director: Peter Chan  
Cast: Huang Xiaoming, Deng Chao, Tong Dawei, Dun Juan
RunTime: 2 hrs
Rating: PG13
Released By: Clover Films and Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:  

Opening Day: 19 September 2013

Synopsis: During the era of Economic Reform in China, 3 young hot-blooded idealists struggle to make a difference in life while striving to keep their dream alive. Their unconquered spirit transforms them from nobodies to the tutorial giants of a multi-billion dollar empire.

Movie Review:

Never has there quite been a film which has so pointedly addressed China’s complex love affair with the West as Peter Chan’s latest work ‘American Dreams in China’, a presciently timed movie given the country’s rising power on the international stage. Tapping into the contemporary Zeitgeist of the Chinese pursuit of the American dream, it sees Chan revisiting his familiar themes of love and friendship as he charts the ups and downs of three college friends over three decades who build a business empire on an English-language school.

Beginning with the end, Chan introduces us to his protagonists - Cheng Dongqing (Huang Xiaoming), Meng Xiaojun (Deng Chao) and Wang Yang (Tong Dawei) - as they are called to New York to answer allegations by the United States’ Educational Testing System (ETS) that they had been using ETS material within their school curriculum without permission. Because this isn’t a whodunit, there isn’t any doubt that the allegations are indeed true; what remains to be seen however is how they got from chasing the American dream to selling others the pathway to make that dream a reality.

That story takes us back to their university days in the early 1980s during the era of the Economic Reform. Whereas Dongqing is a quiet and bookish country boy, his mates couldn’t be more different - Xiaojun, the de facto leader of the trio, is ambitious and self-confident, while Wang Yang is carefree and hedonistic. Yet all three are united in a common desire of going to America, a land perceived to be one of equal opportunities that rewards the hardworking; nonetheless, they will soon discover that passion alone ain’t enough - even after several rounds of interviews, only Xiaojun gets the student visa each one of them wants, leaving Dongqing and Wang Yang behind as he alone gets to live out their collective dreams. 

Herein is where irony sets in. Still dejected from not being able to go to the United States, Dongqing instead takes up a job as an English teacher - but a not so good one at that at least at the start. With Wang Yang’s financial help though, he taps on his own thirst for making that journey to America to become a stirring motivator for countless others like him, thereby turning a hole-in-the-wall teaching establishment named New Dream into a profit-making enterprise. On the other hand, Xiaojun isn’t having such a good time in America, his seemingly bright and perfect future crashing down when he is sacked from his laboratory job and forced to work as a waiter at a restaurant under a bigoted Caucasian boss. 

All that is packed into the first hour of the film, which uses frequent monologues and voiceovers to provide the narrative continuity necessary for such a sprawling tale. Yet even though the characters are defined well enough, their joys, disappointments and frustrations rarely stick, primarily because Zhou Zhiyong and Zhang Ji’s screenplay (based upon Aubrey Lam’s draft) doesn’t give Chan much breathing space in between the individual ups and downs to dwell on quieter character moments. And so, though we get Chan’s intention of painting a cautionary tale on ambition, idealism and reality, it ultimately rings a little too hollow, coming off more superficial than poignant.

Thankfully, the movie finds a surer dramatic footing in its second half as Xiaojun heads back to China to join his buddies to bring New Dream to greater heights. Illustrating how business interests can sometimes ruin the firmest of friendships, Chan patiently observes Dongqing and Xiaojun’s conflicting goals for the company, exemplified particularly in the latter’s insistence of - and the former’s resistance against - an IPO launch on the New York Stock Exchange. At its most effective, Chan’s story is a coming-of-age tale of three friends whose bond is tested by power, money and ambition - though it does take a longer time than it could have to reward audiences with an emotional payoff.

It is also for this reason that despite Chan’s attempt to emulate the success of his ‘Comrades, Almost A Love Story’ - right down to framing the tale against memorable events in China’s history such as the first KFC in 1992 and the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in 1999 - this supposed true story of the Beijing New Oriental School isn’t quite as accomplished. There’s also no denying the political subtext of the film, expressed in no unclear terms by Dongqing in a didactic speech that in a nutshell demands that the West pay more respect to China and its people - in the hands of a lesser filmmaker, we might have excused it as ineptitude; but in Chan’s case, one can only conclude the heavy-handedness comes from a deliberate attempt to pander to Mainland audiences.

Still, to give credit where that’s due, Chan does get career-best performances from his Mainland stars. Made to downplay his good looks, Huang Xiaoming puts aside his swagger and is nicely understated as the shy Dongqing who comes into his own as a firm and resolute personality along the course of the film. Deng Chao projects just the right amount of poise without becoming supercilious, and surprisingly emerges as the most empathetic of the lot especially as his self-confidence takes a beating. Though he gets slightly less attention than Huang and Deng, Tong Dawei is also extremely likeable as the most good-natured of the three.

In them and their characters is probably where Chan also sees himself. After all, it’s not hard to see why Chan shares his film’s mix of ambivalence towards the West - the filmmaker’s own foray in Hollywood following his UCLA film degree was the Dreamworks flop ‘The Love Letter’, which gave him the need for pause before he bounced back with ‘Perhaps Love’ six years later. It’s no secret that Chan now has his eyes firmly on the China market; nonetheless, Chan’s strengths as a filmmaker still triumph over his commercial sensibilities, and even if this latest isn’t as compelling as it could have been, it is at least never less than engaging. 

Movie Rating:

(Tailored for a Mainland Chinese audience, Peter Chan's latest chronicles the country's ambivalent feelings with the West in engaging but never really compelling fashion)

Review by Gabriel Chong
  

Genre: CG Animation/Adventure
Director: Neil Nightingale, Barry Cook
Cast: John Leguizamo, Justin Long, Tiya Sircar, Skyler Stone, Charlie Rowe, Angourie Rice, Michael Leone
RunTime: 1 hr 28 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: 20th Century Fox
Official Website: http://www.walkingwithdinosaurs.com/
 
Opening Day: 19 December 2013

Synopsis: For the first time in movie history, audiences will truly see and feel what it was like when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. WALKING WITH DINOSAURS is the ultimate immersive experience, utilizing state of the art, photo-real 3D to put audiences in the middle of a thrilling and epic prehistoric world, where an underdog dino triumphs to become a hero for the ages. Based on the massively successful TV series and live show, which has grossed more than $250 million in box office worldwide.

Movie Review:

The most obvious departure of this 3D feature spinoff from the acclaimed BBC series with the same name on which it is based is the fact that the titular dinosaurs actually talk. Well to be honest, talk might be a bit of an overstatement seeing as how the characters’ mouths don’t actually move much; rather, what we have is an attempt to humanise these dinosaurs for a young target audience, which in the minds of the filmmakers, means fitting Disney-fied dialogue into the picture.

As scripted by ‘Happy Feet’s’ John Collee, the kid-friendly plot follows the template of a coming-of-age story where a young Pachyrhinosaurus named Patchi (voiced by Justin Long) grows into a leader over the course of a long migration. Patchi is joined on his quest by his loyal companion and buddy, a prehistoric parrot that goes by the name of Alex (voiced by John Leguizamo), who also forms the bridge between the opening modern-day sequence - featuring a cameo by Josh Duhamel - and 70 million years back where most of the action unfolds.

Cast as timid and socially awkward, the film introduces Patchi as the runt of the litter, easily distinguishable from the rest of his siblings by a hole on the right side of his frill following a close shave with a predator as a kid. A change in the weather patterns prompts his herd’s migration by his father Bulldust, which sets into motion a chain of events that will have Patchi eventually claiming the honour of leading the herd. It isn’t just his inner strength that Patchi will discover by the end of the journey; along the way, Patchi also finds a romantic interest in the form of Juniper (Tiya Sircar), a fellow Pachyrhinosaurus he experiences love at first sight with.

As far as children-oriented pictures go, the story in this one is on many accounts too simplistic. There is some attempt to inject dramatic tension by setting up Patchi’s rivalry with his brutish older brother Scowler (Skyler Stone), but it is hardly compelling stuff. Same goes for the storybook romance between Patchi and Juniper, which to no surprise builds to a happily-ever-after ending. Perhaps the most successful element in the story is Patchi’s loquacious friend and ally Alex, whose non-stop chatter consisting of all sorts of puns makes him the undeniably most engaging one of the lot.

Truth be told though, little would be lost if directors Barry Cook and Neil Nightingale had simply done away with the formulaic story. Seeing as how tacked on the dialogue feels to the visuals of the movie, one can’t quite help but feel that the filmmakers should simply have stuck with the original’s documentary approach. Indeed, the visuals on their own are stunning, seamlessly mixing CGI with breathtaking backdrops in Alaska and New Zealand to transport its audience back in time into a world when dinosaurs ruled the Earth; and the experience is even more awe-inspiring captured on film using the cutting-edge cinematographic technology which James Cameron had employed for ‘Avatar’. 

Of course, Nightingale is no stranger to that; as the creative director of BBC Earth and the producer of countless other nature documentaries, he is more than well versed in the language of non-fiction. Unfortunately, he seems to have given freer rein to Cook, whose background in animated features like ‘Mulan’ and ‘Arthur Christmas’ has resulted in what is essentially a live-action Disney cartoon about dinosaurs. So in spite of the occasional educational cards sharing the scientific names of the dinosaurs and their general dietary preference (whether herbivore or carnivore or omnivore), there is no shaking off the feeling that the charm of the original series has been largely lost on its journey to the big screen.

Not that the US$85 million dollar production is without merit - like we said, the combination of computer animation and live-action is never less than impressive and captivating, demonstrating the leaps and bounds by which technology has advanced since Steven Spielberg first enthralled the world using animatronics in ‘Jurassic Park’. On that account alone, it should more than be a fascinating watch for the kiddies; grown-ups though will likely be challenged by the artificial dialogue and therefore find it harder to immerse themselves as fully into the world the movie beckons - no matter how lifelike it looks, . 

Movie Rating:

(Even more visually stunning than the original BBC series, this 3D feature update is ultimately no more than a kiddie flick no thanks to the addition of kid-friendly Disney-fied dialogue)

Review by Gabriel Chong
  

Genre: Drama/Romance
Director: Josh Boone  
Cast: Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connelly, Kristen Bell, Lily Collins, Logan Lerman, Nat Wolff, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Spencer Breslin, Liana Liberato, Rusty Joiner
RunTime: 1 hr 37 mins
Rating: M18 (Drug Use and Sexual Scene)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website:  

Opening Day: 26 September 2013

Synopsis: From first-time writer-director Josh Boone and Judy Cairo, the producer of CRAZY HEART, comes a comically rich yet emotionally raw romantic comedy about a family of writers who have nearly lost the plot of their own love stories. Three years past his divorce, veteran novelist Bill Borgens (Academy Award® nominee Greg Kinnear) can’t stop obsessing over, let alone spying on, his ex-wife Erica (Academy Award® winner Jennifer Connelly), who ignominiously left him for another man. Even as his neighbor-with-benefits, Tricia (Kristen Bell, “House of Lies”), tries to push him back into the dating pool, he remains blind to anyone else’s charms. Meanwhile, his fiercely independent collegiate daughter Samantha (Lily Collins, MIRROR MIRROR) is publishing her first novel while recoiling at the very thought of first love with a diehard romantic (Logan Lerman, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER); and his teen son Rusty (Nat Wolff, PEACE, LOVE AND MISUNDERSTANDING) is trying to find his voice, both as a fantasy writer and as the unexpected boyfriend of a dream girl with unsettlingly real problems. As each of these situations mounts into a tangled trio of romantic holiday crises, it brings the Borgens to surprising revelations about how endings become beginnings. With STUCK IN LOVE, Boone takes on the theme of family dysfunction from his own fresh POV, one both unflinchingly hilarious and distinctly hopeful. Featuring a diverse cast of award winners and up-and-comers -- and driven by a resonant score from members of the indie rock band Bright Eyes and a soundtrack from some of today’s hottest artists--the film reveals how even amidst the travails of marriage, divorce, parenting and coming of age, the family ties that trip us up can turn into a lifeline.

Movie Review:

Stuck in Love features a family of writers with their different attitudes and views of love. The head of the family and published author, Bill Borgens (Greg Kinnear) has been waiting three years for his re-married ex-wife, Erica (Jennifer Connelly) to return. Bill and Erica’s daughter, Sam (Lily Collins) looks for one night stands and avoids getting into a relationship with Lou (Logan Lerman) after being disillusioned by her parents’ marriage. On the other hand, their son Rusty (Nat Wolff), the complete opposite of Sam and a hopeless romantic, starts dating Kate (Liana Liberato) after he rescues her from an abusive relationship.

The movie is the director Josh Boone’s directorial debut as well as autobiography, which lead to worries that the movie would be overly indulgent. Thankfully, Boone steers mostly clear from these problems, and of any one-sided account of the events or characters. However, one cannot help but question is Kristin Bell’s character, Tricia, is needed, as she only seems to exist for comedic effect, and her friends-with-benefits relationship with Bill is largely disconnected from the rest of the story.

Along with the primary topic of love, the director does not shy away from the realistic portrayal vices that are too easily sugarcoated: casual sex, alcoholism, and recreational drug use and addiction. Sam and Rusty use these vices as a coping device after their parents’ divorce. While Sam uses sex as a symbol of her cynicism of love, Rusty is too blinded by his love and sex with Kate to realize that Kate is facing problems of her own. The consequences of drug use and addiction are also shown as severe, driving Kate to nearly lose her life. Rusty’s recreational drug use and spiral into self-destruction is eventually stemmed by his writing, and the audience finds it hard to reproach Rusty. This, however, might be due to the director’s portrayal of the character ? Rusty, after all, represents Boone at that age.

The movie starts and ends during Thanksgiving, and while the first Thanksgiving ends in argument, the second ends with a sense of the Borgens family having gone full circle. The ending is heart-warming, despite it being clichéd and possibly too idealistic and happy. In-between, however, the movie contains abrupt cuts and scenes that seem to have no particular purpose except as a means to the end, such as the scenes leading to the reconciliation between Erica and Sam.

Lily Collins and Nat Wolff’s portrayal of Sam and Rusty Borgens, having to bear the brunt of their parents’ failed marriage while navigating school and social life, is commendable. Last seen in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, where Collins also plays a character who has problems with her mother, her performance is arguably better in Stuck in Love, and is particularly impressive when Sam coldly refuses to acknowledge Erica at her book launch. Nat Wolff plays the awkward but talented Rusty with a good amount of vulnerability, stuck between his parents, under his sister’s shadow and desperate for love. His performance leads to the most memorable scene in the movie, when Rusty breaks down after realizing how broken Kate is, and that he is helpless to help her.

Overall, Stuck in Love is a good first attempt by director Josh Boone, who navigates between recreating between his own experiences and making a movie. The characters are also largely relatable, either as Bill who pines for his wife while trying to move on, or as Sam and Rusty, experiencing love and heartbreak for the first time. Take the movie as what it is romantic drama with comedy and the movie turns out to be satisfying with laughter and tears.

Movie Rating:  

("Stuck in Love" is a feel-good movie that is easy to like, that is primarily aimed at romantics, while its cast would possibly attract many young adults as well)

Review by Goh Yan Hui