Genre: Biography/Drama
Director: Joe Wright
Cast: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, Ronald Pickup, Ben Mendelsohn
RunTime: 2 hrs 6 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 4 January 2018
Synopsis: During the early days of World War II, with the fall of France imminent, Britain faces its darkest hour as the threat of invasion looms. As the seemingly unstoppable Nazi forces advance, and with the Allied army cornered on the beaches of Dunkirk, the fate of Western Europe hangs on the leadership of the newly-appointed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Academy Award nominee Gary Oldman). While maneuvering his political rivals, he must confront the ultimate choice: negotiate with Hitler and save the British people at a terrible cost or rally the nation and fight on against incredible odds. Directed by Joe Wright, DARKEST HOUR is the dramatic and inspiring story of four weeks in 1940 during which Churchill’s courage to lead changed the course of world history.
Movie Review:
No feature-length film could hope to portray the storied life of Winston Churchill, one of the greatest British politicians in living memory, and thankfully this latest biopic of the former Prime Minister who led the country through the unparalleled tumult of World War II does not dare try. Instead, it focuses squarely on the first six weeks of his tenure, where he must decide whether Britain should fight the Nazi threat alone or pursue some kind of negotiated peace on Adolf Hitler’s terms. It was indeed a pivotal moment in history – after all, France had already fallen to the German army, and more than 300,000 British troops were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk. Churchill found the very idea of surrendering to Hitler repugnant, but the pacifist members of his own Conservative Party as well as his War Cabinet thought otherwise, creating the sort of political gridlock that could very well make or break victory.
That history would prove Churchill right is a foregone conclusion, but an artful screenplay by ‘The Theory of Everything’s’ Anthony McCarten depicts vividly how Churchill overcame not only his conspiring rivals Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup) and viscount Halifax (Stephen Dillane) but also his own self-doubt to whip up the national will against Hitler’s tyranny. The latter is credit too to Churchill’s wife graceful yet resolute wife Clemmie (Kristin Scott Thomas) as well as his quietly empathetic secretary Elizabeth Layton (Lily James), both of whom provide immeasurable emotional support to the embattled leader. Their interactions with Churchill are absorbing in the way they display his inner character, revealing a statesman far more complex than his oft-depicted extreme temper and excessive habits for alcohol and tobacco would suggest.
These intimate scenes are perfectly counterbalanced with the larger unfolding political drama and national threat, which director Joe Wright stages with gripping urgency. You can literally feel the seething political tension from the charged discussions within Churchill’s War Cabinet debating the practicality and wisdom of peace talks with Hitler, as well as the military stakes of Churchill’s risky plan to rescue the troops at Dunkirk by way of sending in another 4000 men from a nearby garrison and commissioning the use of civilian boats to cross the English Channel. Even without the theatre of the rescue itself, there is plenty of visual flair in the movie itself – together with his cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, Wright uses a combination of overhead shots, elaborate tracking sequences, dramatic chiaroscuro lighting and more to give his historical drama scenes of impressive cinematic beauty and excitement.
But ‘Darkest Hour’ wouldn’t be what it is without the towering portrayal of Gary Oldman as Churchill, who with the help of Oscar-nominated makeup artist Kazuhiro Tsuji disappears into the signature portrait of the man with the famous jowls, retreating hairline and John Bull countenance. The achievement however cannot just be Tsuji’s prosthetics, but rather how Oldman captures the many nuances of Churchill’s demeanour and personality. Oh yes, the trademark irascibility is all there, but tempered by wit, compassion and authenticity, so that one understands his considerations, dilemmas and motivations. In Oldman’s Churchill, we sense not just his determination amidst sheer adversity but also his inner anxiety and trepidation still lingering from his catastrophic term as Lord of the Admiralty in World War I – and the fact that Churchill’s classic speeches sound as stirring as if we’re hearing them for the first time is testament to Oldman’s consummate performance.
Next to Christopher Nolan’s visceral – and equally, if not more, outstanding – ‘Dunkirk’, ‘Darkest Hour’ acts as a literal complement, illustrating the tense and fraught circumstances surrounding Operation Dynamo and that definitive ‘never surrender’ speech. It is therefore entirely befitting that the movie closes with the following quote: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts’, which itself gains newfound resonance in light of Churchill’s own personal struggle in those crucial six weeks in May – June 1940. And yes, even without the threat of imminent war today, it is a reminder of the power of oratory to inspire, uplift and rally a population, as well as the value of bipartisanship for the good of the nation. Those may be trying times all right, but ‘Darkest Hour’ is rousing, not least because it has Oldman’s illuminating performance.
Movie Rating:
(Gary Oldman gives a towering performance as the great Winston Churchill, and the film itself is a literal, but no less gripping complement to this summer's viscerally thrilling 'Dunkirk')
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Director: Robert Stromberg
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Juno Temple, India Eisley, Sharlto Copley, Sam Riley, Miranda Richardson, Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, Brenton Thwaites, Pax Jolie-Pitt, Zahara Jolie-Pitt, Peter Capaldi, Jamie Sives, Toby Regbo
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Rating: PG (Some Frightening Scenes)
Released By: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 29 May 2014
Synopsis: "Maleficent" is the untold story of Disney's most iconic villain from the 1959 classic "Sleeping Beauty." A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land's fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal - an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading king's successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom - and perhaps to Maleficent's true happiness as well.
Movie Review:
The folks at The House of Mouse have been known to make you feel good – even in the lousiest of days. On a good day, you’d be thankful for that (Watching Disney productions like Saving Mr Banks and Frozen have had extremely positive effect on depressed people), while on bad days, you wish things could turn a little wicked (Wasn’t the mermaid in The Little Mermaid supposed to turn into a bubble and burst? Surely Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame could be more hideous?)
When we heard that Disney is going to produce a live action movie based on Maleficent, we were thrilled. We’re talking about one of the evilest villains from the 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty. That sharply angled face, that irritating crow and need we mention those horns. The Mistress of All Evil, as we know her, wasn’t too pleased when she found out that she wasn’t invited to the royal christening of the kingdom’s infant princess. Cue a terrible curse that would cause the princess to prick her finger and sleep forever, magic potions that look too venomous for comfort and lots of evil crackly laughter.
Now, Disney wants to tell you the truth – one that will have you understanding why Maleficent’s pure heart was turned to stone, a betrayal that involves a royal kingdom and a dastardly forest and of course, a beautiful princess that may be the key to peace in the land.
Or so says the marketing copy.
When the publicity trailers were first released online, we were impressed by leading lady Angelina Jolie’s uncanny resemblance to the animated Maleficent. That cold glare, that menacing stare and that depraved cackle: Jolie has effortlessly managed to send quivers down our spine. Then came Lana Del Ray’s cover of “Once Upon A Dream”, the single that will serve as the title song for the movie. The American singer songwriter’s haunting vocals was a perfect match for what seemed to be a sinister ride down our memory lane of this beloved fairy tale.
While the 97 minute movie is a feast for the eyes (cinematography by Dean Semler boasts numerous fantastical scenes filled with fairies and forest creatures), and the action scenes are excitingly choreographed (the battle between man and nature, and the finale showdown between soldiers and a ferocious dragon are easily impressible pieces), you can’t run away from the fact that this is a Disney production.
Jolie is aptly dark and menacing in her outfits designed by Anna B Sheppard, and the Academy Award winning actress snarls and growls like a true villain, but as the story progresses, you get a nudging feeling that everything will turn out fine in the end. Without giving away too much, yes, it is a happy ending that is so family friendly, you’ll wonder where that cynical realism was chucked after leaving the theatre.
First time feature director Robert Stromberg (known for his visual effects work on movies like Life of Pi and The Hunger Games) is clearly a visually driven filmmaker. The movie is a joy to look at, and competent performances by a supporting cast of Sharlto Copley as King Stefan, Sam Riley as a raven shapeshifter and Imelda Staunton, JunoTempleand Lesley Manville as the pixie fairies don’t hurt the movie either. Bonus points also come in the form of the likeable Elle Fanning who takes on the role of Princess Aurora.
We just wished that this potentially sinister tale could have been peppered with more ominous cynicism and menace.
Movie Rating:
(The truth behind Disney’s iconic villain turns out to be a visual treat that could have benefited from a tad more evil)
Review by John Li
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Disney's MALEFICENT launches teaser poster and trailerPosted on 14 Nov 2013 |
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Director: Neil Burger
Cast: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Zoë Kravitz, Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller, Ray Stevenson, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Maggie Q
Runtime: 2 hrs 20 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/Divergent
Opening Day: 21 March 2014
Synopsis: DIVERGENT is a thrilling adventure set in a future world where people are divided into five distinct factions based on their personalities and virtues, Tris Prior is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy to destroy all Divergents, she must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it's too late. Beatrice Tris Prior, portrayed by Shailene Woodley in the big-screen adaptation, is born into Abnegation, which esteems selflessness above all other characteristics, but when tested she discovers she is “divergent” and possesses characteristics from more than one faction. Warned that her divergence is dangerous, Tris keeps her test results secret and chooses to join Dauntless, a daring group that values boldness and courage, where she meets Four (Theo James), a leader of that faction. Other factions include Erudite, Candor and Amity. Tris Prior finds her life threatened when an authoritarian leader seeks to exterminate her kind in her effort to seize control of their divided society.
Movie Review:
Every studio hopes for a hit YA franchise, and in particular for Lionsgate-owned Summit Entertainment, the imperative is even stronger seeing as how they had unearthed that lucrative segment with the ‘Twilight’ series. And so ‘Divergent’ comes with high hopes that not only will it become hit YA property, it could potentially enjoy the same astronomical success as ‘The Hunger Games’, especially since both are of the sci-fi genre set in a post-apocalyptic world with fresh young faces.
Adapted from Veronica Roth’s book, it imagines a dystopia where society is organised into five distinct factions based on personality types, each understanding and playing its role in order to keep the peace. These are Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless and Erudite, the names rather self-explanatory in describing what they represent. Youths are tested at the age of 16, given two likeliest factions from the results of a hallucinatory test, and then at a Choosing Day ceremony made to pick one of the two in which they choose to belong.
As narrated by our lead character Beatrice Prior (The Descendants’ Shailene Woodley), there are those fit into more than two categories which are labelled ‘divergents’ and cast out to live as homeless vagabonds on the pretense that they do not belong. Needless to say, Beatrice is a titular ‘divergent’, and warned by her testor (Maggie Q) that she must keep this information secret lest she be the subject of a witchhunt led by the leader of the snobbish Erudite faction Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet). So at her ceremony, unlike all the others, she exercises her free will to join the Dauntless, who train to be soldiers keeping the peace.
Even with the task of laying franchise groundwork, it is both surprising and disappointing how much time the movie spends inside the subterranean Pit where Tris and the rest of her initiates train under the tough yet tender Instructor Four (Theo James) and the harsh and controlling leader Eric (Jai Courtney). From sparring to knife throwing to shooting, screen writers Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor spend about an hour laying out Tris’ Dauntless boot-camp training and the dynamics between the trainees, in particular with two Candors - one a snide competitor played by Miles Teller and the other a loyal friend played by Zoe Kravitz.
There is of course the budding romance between Tris and Instructor Four, the latter of which turns out to be a ‘divergent’ himself and who ends up teaching her how to overcome the final ‘fear test’ of her training. At no point however does director Neil Burger inject a sense of urgency into the proceedings, which unfold relatively unhurried and without consequence until the final half-hour. It is at best a drag, at worst a bore, and while parallels have been drawn between Tris’ training and Katniss Everdeen’s in ‘The Hunger Games’, you’ll find the former here oddly devoid of danger or purpose.
Only in the last segment is there some measure of thrill as a power struggle between the Erudites and the Abnegations build up into real conflict unfolding on the streets of an already war-ravaged Chicago. Burger assumes that his audience’s patience will eventually pay off in a rushed final act that throws everything it can into the mix - including some heavy urban warfare, exposition, shifts in character - but it is a peculiar case of ‘too much too late’ that ends up making you frustrated more than anything else. There is little poignancy even with two key supporting characters meeting their demises within the short span of ten minutes, and that is also a result of the film’s flawed construct, which diminishes the familial bonds illustrated in the novel between Tris and her parents (Tony Goldwyn and Ashley Judd) and twin brother (Ansel Elgort).
With little chance to flex her acting muscles, Woodley is hardly any match for Jennifer Lawrence, and indeed doesn’t quite grasp her character well enough to put forth a consistent and compelling portrait of Beatrice. At least she does share some screen chemistry with Underworld: Awakening’s Theo James, the bond that builds slowly between them rather winning to say the least. Other thespians like Winslet and Judd give solid supporting turns, though they are yet again hemmed in by a ham-fisted script that hews too closely to the book’s straightforward prose.
On his part, Burger tries his best to build a convincing vision of a futuristic Chicago, but fails to convey the extent of a hyper-militarized and technologically advanced society on the verge of factional conflict. The postwar cityscape hardly leaves much of an impression, though the drug-induced mind trips that Beatrice takes boasts some degree of visual ingenuity that recalls Burger’s far superior work in ‘The Illusionist’ and ‘Limitless’. Worthy of special mention though is the score by Junkie XL (with Hans Zimmer listed as executive music producer), which hits the right notes more than you would expect in certain scenes.
Still, it’s hard to imagine ‘Divergent’ being the kickstarter the way the first ‘Hunger Games’ movie was; though both share similar narrative blueprints, this adaptation feels inert where the latter is lively, failing to engage its audience with its female teenage protagonist’s rite of passage. Unless you’re a fan of the books, you’ll probably be lukewarm about the next instalment ‘Insurgent’ whose production is already underway; indeed, true to its title, there is something off about ‘Divergent’ that never quite reconciles even till the end of the movie.
Movie Rating:
(Shailene Woodley and Theo James make a good couple; unfortunately, true to its title, everything else in the movie seems to go off in the wrong direction)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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FIRESTORM makes World Premiere at ScreenSingapore 2013Posted on 05 Dec 2013 |
Genre: Drama/Sports
Director: Cho Yong-Sun
Cast: Lee Jong-suk, Seo In-guk, Kwon Yoo-ri, Park Cheol-min, Park Jeong-cheol, Shin Min-chul
RunTime: 1 hr 58 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: www.nobreathing.co.kr
Opening Day: 5 December 2013
Synopsis: Won-il used to be a promising swimmer like his championship swimmer father. After his father’s death from a swim competition, where he was doing his specialty called “no breathing”, his mother also passes away. Since then, he can never forgive his father and quits swimming for good. Living like there is no tomorrow with his easy-going attitude, Won-il seems hopeless. When he is being dropped out of school, his father’s longtime friend Jae-Suk drags him to get into a physical education high school to start swimming again. There he meets his long-ago rival, Woo-Sang who was always overshadowed by Won-il. With Won-il’s absence, Woo-Sang took up the first place and grew up to be the national swim star. He is completely opposite to Won-il in that all he cares is winning. Woo-sang is disqualified as national athlete by getting into a trouble and start from ground zero at the same phys-ed school as Won-il. Won-il’s return is unwelcomed by Woo-Sang but Won-il does not care. Then there is Jae-suk’s daughter, Jung-eun who captures both Won-il and Woo-sang’s hearts and reignites the rivalry between the two. The two very different restless youths start on the swimming competition for the love and friendship which is in fact, the rite of passage to growing up.
Movie Review:
‘Eat, eat, eat, only know how to eat!!!’ – This is probably the first impression that Won-il (Seo In-Guk) will give you. A good-for-nothing school dropout was forced to go attend a sports school to uphold his promise to his mother – to at least graduate with a high school diploma. At the same time, a national swimmer, Woo-Sang (Lee Jong-Suk) acted on violence and is currently on probation. To salvage his own name and to secure a place to represent Korea in the upcoming Olympic games, he was also arranged to go to the sports school. At these least-wanted-to-be-seen moments, these two big boys who were at loggerheads since elementary school cross paths again.
The movie wastes no effort in setting up the premise of the narrative. The love-hate relationship between Won-il and Woo-sang was quickly sketched out, putting a focus on the contrast of their characters. Woo-sang the perfectionist trained hard and was strict with himself to attain good results at competitive swimming. On the other hand, Won-il is lazy and laid-back, and even has a hysterical fear for water... however he just has that flair at swimming, and can do the 'no breathing' trick that all swimmers apparently desire.
The storyline was quite well paced, and has a nice progress to it. The main leads' characters were also well developed, giving a good background as well as an appropriate depth as they got set out to pursue their aspirations. In particular, Seo In-guk stood out with his role as the miracle boy. Although he is not the most familiar face around, this Superstar K 2009 winner made a breakthrough in acting after starring in a television series in 2012. His role in this movie albeit not challenging, he managed to charm the audience with his innocence and simple-mindedness. His anchor role brought much laughter (and even tears) to the audience.
The other big boy, Lee Jong Suk was definitely an eye candy to many (heard far too many squeals in the cinema). He's proved to be more than just a pretty face, and nailed his role. The only flaw of the movie is a rather redundant romance arc. The story would have been worked perfectly fine even without Jung-eun (Kwon Yoori). Her presence seems more like a publicity effort to bring up the ticket box office sales, borrowing her popularity from her group Girls' Generation.
Overall, this uplifting and positive story on the young men's pursuit of their dreams was pretty inspiring and makes a good casual watch. The drama and humor also strikes a good balance. It is just a small pity that the main leads most likely didn't have the time to train and attain the swimmers' bod prior to filming. Still, they make pretty good eye candies.
Movie Rating:
(Fancy some Korean water boys? You’re in for an eye feast!)
Review by Tho Shu Ling
Genre: Drama/Fantasy
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins, Logan Lerman
RunTime: 2 hrs 20 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Some mature content and violence)
Released By: UIP
Official Website: http://www.noahmovie.co.uk/
Opening Day: 3 April 2014
Synopsis: Academy Award® winner Russell Crowe stars as Noah, a man chosen by God for a great task before an apocalyptic flood destroys the world.
Movie Review:
“Noah is inspired by the Book of Genesis. Though artistic license has been taken, we believe the film to be true to the values and integrity of the Biblical story.”
The above phrase stared at this reviewer for the longest time before the screening of Darren Aronofsky’s latest work, and one cannot help but wonder whether the controversy surrounding this blockbuster is really necessary. Oh, how can we forget – we are in Singapore, and racial harmony is one thing we hold dear. You see, the American epic biblically inspired fantasy film (that’s what Wikipedia calls it, at least) has already been banned in several Muslim majority nations including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Indonesia and Malaysia. In general, the respective censorship boards explained how Arronofsky’s film could be considered insensitive to Muslims because they believe in Prophet Noah (Nabi Nuh) and according to Islamic teachings, it is prohibited to act out any characters of a prophet.
How did things work out for us then? Our friends at the regulatory board conducted several focus groups to gather wider community perspective on the film, and the general consensus was that this was a dramatisation on the Bible story, and at the end of the day, Noah’s goodness and humanity gave the film a happy ending – hence the NC16 (Some Mature Content and Violence) rating and consumer advice.
And accompanying that is the above “religious disclaimer”, as this writer deems an appropriate term. But this doesn’t really concern him at all. Most importantly, how did the film fare as a Arronofsky work, especially with his impressive filmography which includes the innovative Pi (1998), the haunting Requiem for a Dream (2000), the ethereal The Fountain (2006) and the modern horror Black Swan (2010)?
This is Arronofsky’s first big studio production and it shows. The are epic action set pieces and viewers will be suitably impressed by the world’s animals gathering in huge herds. Let’s not even begin talking about the flood that follows. Watch this in digital 2D, 3D – or even better,
Big names are involved in this film. Russell Crowe gives it his all to play the titular character, Jennifer Connelly reunites with her leading man from A Beautiful Mind (2001) to play his wife Naameh (albeit a rather bland emotional portrayal), Emma Watson tries to shake off her Hermione persona to play Noah’s daughter in law Ila, and Ray Winstone is deliciously scummy as the film’s antagonist Tubai cain. Elsewhere three fine young men Logan Lerman, Douglas Booth and Leo McHugh play Noah’s son, and Anthony Hopkins takes on the role as Noah’s grandfather. Even Frank Langella and Nick Nolte are involved as voice actors for the Watchers, a group of stone giants associated with biblical angels.
All elements are seemingly in place for a popcorn blockbuster providing 140 minutes of non stop entertainment, but where are the thought provoking darkness and grittiness associated with Arronofsky’s films? They are still intact – look out for unbelievably beautiful sequences of life formation on Earth, Clint Mansell’s apocalyptically angry score, Matthew Libatique’s breathtaking cinematography, Andrew Weisblum’s visually arresting repetitive editing, and above all, a unique take on Noah’s determination gone wrong.
This is a major studio production after all, and while you may not walk out of the theatre as shaken as Arronofsky’s previous films, it still has enough oomph to leave you impressed with its sweeping visuals and powerful reimagining.
Movie Rating:
(Darren Arronofsky’s latest work is a major studio production that spells E-P-I-C)
Review by John Li
Genre: Comedy
Director: Lee Thean-Jeen
Cast: Mark Lee, Gurmit Singh, Kumar, Liu Ling Ling, Wang Lei, Henry Thia, Judee Tan, Aloysius Pang, Dennis Chew
RunTime: 1 hr 31 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures, Scorpio East Pictures and Clover Films
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/everybodysbusinessthemovie
Opening Day: 5 December 2013
Synopsis: “EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS” is a light-hearted satire on Singapore and Singaporeans from different walks of life. When Singapore is hit with a widespread bout of food poisoning – with at least fifty victims – everyone is sent into a tizzy. How on earth could something like this happen in Singapore? And who’s responsible?
Movie Review:
How crappy can a movie about crap get? Well, in the case of ‘Everybody’s Business’, you might be pleasantly surprised. Built on the premise of our Government’s hypothetical response should the nation be hit by a widespread bout of food poisoning, this Lee Thean-jeen film may wallow in toilet humour from time to time (think flatulence and excrement), but look beyond the muck and you’ll find a carefully observed satire that riffs on the idiosyncrasies of our political leaders and the public service whom they govern.
As the poster suggests, it begins by the setting up a Ministry specially dedicated to overseeing the cleanliness of our public toilets. Known as the Ministry of Toilets (MOT) and headed by stand-up comedian Kumar as its Minister Kumari Kuppusamy, it counts among its staff Gurmit Singh’s hygiene inspector John Lu and Mark Lee’s Winston Li. John and Winston are meant to represent the bureaucratic machinery of our civil service, from which public policies are sometimes formulated without due consideration of their feasibility.
And so as the MOT goes about cleaning up the state of public toilets, you get the usual rah-rah rally speeches, yet another sing along campaign on the proper postures when using the toilet, stiffer fines and penalties, and not forgetting the obligatory Ministerial visits to show that he or she is not out of touch with the ‘ground’. Something as rational as requiring that coffeeshops hire a ‘toilet monitor’ (i.e. someone to keep tabs on the state of their toilets) is exposed for its impracticality, in particular by Wang Lei and Liu Ling Ling’s husband-and-wife proprietors of a kopitiam.
Both are exaggerated caricatures no doubt of the heartlander, but extremely funny nonetheless; ditto their interplay with Singh’s strait-laced English-speaking public officer John and Lee’s street-smart talker Winston. Lee, who co-scripted the movie with executive producer Jack Neo and journalist-songwriter Ng King Kang, ensures that the actors are firmly within their familiar territories here, so Singh and Lee’s respective roles aren’t that much different from their earlier pairing in the modest box-office hit ‘Taxi! Taxi!’ - and the same can be said of Wang and Liu’s characters.
It’s inevitable that a movie like this will try to appeal to baser audiences with sight gags of (well) poop, but Lee doesn’t stop with the crass. Instead, his perspective on the issues is pretty even-handed - while on one hand it does seem as if our leaders and the people making the solutions at the Ministry level are simply out of touch, the problem is also with the populace whose concerns the former seek to tackle but also whose criticism the former are forced to endure. Lee urges mutual understanding between the Government and the citizen to recognise that there are no cookie-cutter solutions or ‘magic pills’ to most such problems, and in that regard demonstrates more wit than one would expect.
Still, for all his good intentions, Lee isn’t quite there as a filmmaker yet. Playing more like a collection of skits some which hit their mark and some which do not, the movie cannot quite shake off its episodic feel, buoyed and carried only by the strength of its actors’ performances. For better and for worse, it still feels very much like a Jack Neo movie, with both the filmmaker’s inherent strengths and weaknesses in equal measure. It even lacks the polish of Lee’s earlier collaboration with Neo, ‘Homecoming’, trying too hard to pander at times to the lowest common denominator.
That’s hardly reason to dismiss it altogether, as ‘Everybody’s Business’ proves to be an example of admirable intentions but mediocre execution. There are laugh-out-loud moments, there are flashes of wit, and then there are duller moments, cringe-worthy ones even that make this a mixed bag. But as the rare movie that pokes fun at the nature of our bureaucracy (after Neo’s ‘Just Follow Law’), it still is entertaining and perceptive in parts, and not quite the pooper it could easily have turned out to be.
Movie Rating:
(An uneven mix of wit and crass humour, this light-hearted satire is still worth a watch for its keen observations of Government bureaucracy)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: CG Animation
Director: Dean DeBlois
Cast: Jay Baruchel, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, Djimon Hounsou, Kit Harington, Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: 20th Century Fox
Official Website: http://www.howtotrainyourdragon.com
Opening Day: 12 June 2014
Synopsis: The thrilling second chapter of the epic HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON trilogy returns to the fantastical world of the heroic Viking Hiccup and his faithful dragon Toothless. The inseparable duo must protect the peace – and save the future of men and dragons from the power-hungry Drago.
Movie Review:
As unlikely as it may seem, it is a Dreamworks animation that we were most looking forward to this summer. Timed to coincide with the studio’s 20th anniversary, the sequel to 2010’s ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ could not come at a more opportune time for it - entertaining as they were, its more recent original works such as ‘Rise of the Guardians’, ‘Turbo’ and ‘Mr Peabody and Sherman’ have all underperformed at the box office, and it could certainly do with a hit to boost flagging investor confidence. But never mind that, the reason why we so eagerly anticipated this follow-up is simply because of how unexpectedly fascinating its predecessor turned out to be.
Yes, the story of a Viking teenager Hiccup who befriends the titular creature Toothless and manages to convince his village that they are friend not foe was not only a rare unadulterated crowd-pleaser, it also packed some genuine emotional heft with its bittersweet ending. Like how Toothless tends to do in the film, the big-screen adaptation of Cressida Cowell’s young-adult book series came out of nowhere and charmed the socks off both adults and children alike, becoming one of the biggest hits in the studio’s history. And so co-writer and co-director Dean DeBlois has returned to pen and helm this sequel set five years after the events of the first movie - though this time, he is going at it without his partner Chris Sanders.
Proving that two heads need not always be better than one, DeBlois’ solo venture is no less compelling than the first film, and indeed sees the filmmaker demonstrate an imagination and derring-do which truly makes it soar. In a most literal way, that is exactly what the opening sequence delivers, which sees Hiccup’s rowdy schoolmates - Snotlout (Jonah Hill), Fishlegs (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), Tuffnutt (T.J. Miller) and twin sister Ruffnut (Kristen Wiig) - participate in a dragon-racing derby which resembles Quidditch but with dragons for broomsticks and lambs for Snitches. It’s an eye-popping and heart-pumping prologue, followed almost immediately by another which reunites us with Hiccup and Toothless, whose flighty adventures have turned into discoveries of new lands.
It is on one of those explorations that both stumble onto a fortress made from shards of ice created by none other than a dragon - not just any other dragon though, but a Bewilderbeast, regarded as the most venerable of the species who can easily command the authority of his kind. Within that fortress too is a mysterious woman named Valka (Cate Blanchett), who has dedicated the last 20 years of her life freeing captured dragons and looking after them in the sanctuary under the care and protection of one such alpha dragon - and in case you’ve missed the trailers, this woman also happens to be Hiccup’s long-lost and presumed-dead mother.
Instead of his stoic father Stoick (Gerard Butler), the emotional arc here is between Hiccup and his mother, as well as to a surprisingly poignant degree, between Hiccup’s father and mother. DeBlois reserves the tender quiet moments of his film for the reunion between mother and child as well as husband and wife - in particular, a dance between Butler and Blanchett around a fire to their wedding song is bound to leave you misty-eyed - and makes sure that his film loses none of the heart and humanity that made the earlier 2010 one deeply affecting.
The villain that Hiccup finds himself up against is a tyrant named Drago (Djimon Hounsou), who thinks that dragons are meant to be enslaved and used against the opponents whom he oppresses. We leave you to make the judgment whether Hiccup is being naïve or determined, but suffice to say that he believes in his heart that he would be able to convince Drago - as he did with the rest of his village - that dragons could very well be man’s best friends if we allow them to. DeBlois plays Hiccup’s naivety beautifully, culminating in some difficult consequences that reflect a temerity for the sort of heavy dramatic choices which would ultimately seal Hiccup’s character transformation and ensure it be a genuinely satisfying one for his audience. Take this as a warning if you’re a parent of a younger tot - it does get pretty emotionally upsetting towards the end, but the payoff is also undeniably rewarding.
The same can be said of each one of the cast and characters, particularly for those who recall the earlier film. Without ever saying a single word, Toothless still manages to be ceaselessly endearing, embodying not only feline affection and playfulness this time round, but a canine sense of loyalty to Hiccup. Each of the other dragons, however brief their appearance, are also designed with attention to personality. It is just as delightful to be reunited with the human characters. Jay Baruchel captures nicely the transition of Hiccup from teen to adulthood, and is just as appealing with America Ferrera as his girlfriend Astrid. Butler brings tough and tender to Stoick and shares some lovely chemistry with Blanchett in their emotive scenes together.
And if there were any doubt that the action were spectacular, well then let us put them to rest. In two words, the film is visually dazzling, and we’re not talking about the cornucopia of creatures and backdrops. DeBlois once again concocts some terrifyingly exhilarating sequences here, which make ample use of 3D for maximum elation. It is a thrill-ride all right, but more than just theme part excitement, this sequel packs an emotional wallop that is both moving and uplifting at the same time. If you loved the first film, then you'll be glad to know that this second entry into what is now planned as a trilogy more than brings this animated franchise to new and exciting heights.
Movie Rating:
(Both emotionally and visually dazzling, this is one sequel that lives up to the dizzying heights of its predecessor)
A District 12 warrior as cool as Katniss Everdeen deserves a soundtrack album like this – a compilation of songs featuring music by some of the biggest names in the industry. This 59 minute album has 15 tunes which you’ll be proud to be associated with. After all, who doesn’t want to be as cool as Katniss, or Jennifer Lawrence, for that matter?
The CD kicks off with British alternative rock band Coldplay’s “Atlas”, a lead single which is sweepingly epic, and of course, showcasing Chris Martin’s sexy vocals. Icelandic indie folk pop band Of Monsters and Men brings on “Silhouettes” next, a gritty tune which will please fans of indie music. Australian songwriter singer Sia takes on the diverse “Elastic Heart”, while American rock band The National croons the simple yet melancholic “Lean”.
The popular Christina Aguilera performs the radio friendly “We Remain”, a single which we are sure will sell well with the younger folks. Elsewhere, American alternative rock band Imagine Dragons brings us the quintessential “Who We Are”, and the talented Ellie Goulding sings “Mirror”, a contemporarily soulful tune which sounds somewhat futuristic, an apt setting for The Hunger Games. There are also clever references to the movie in The Lumineers’ “Gale Song” and Patti Smith’s “Capital Letter”. Fans would smile listening to the lyrics, thanks to the soundtrack producers’ ingenious decision to include these songs in the commercially successful album.
This deluxe edition comes with a poster (featuring the every so cool Katniss, of course) and three extra tracks. Miky Ekko and Ammar Malik perform the folksy “Place for Us”, a song easy on the ears. American electric duo Phantogram’s “Lights” is playful and modern, while Antonyand the Johnsons’ “Angel on Fire” brings the album to a close on a hypnotically surreal note.
ALBUM RATING:
Recommended Track: (1) Atlas - Coldplay
Review by John Li
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