Genre: Drama/Fantasy
Director: Michel Gondry
Cast: Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Gad Elmaleh, Omar Sy, Aïssa Maïga, Charlotte Le Bon
RunTime: 1 hr 35 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Some Nudity)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: http://www.lecumedesjours-lefilm.com/
Opening Day: 23 January 2014
Synopsis: The surreal and poetic tale of Colin, an idealistic and inventive young man, and Chloé, a young woman who seems like the physical embodiment of the eponymous Duke Ellington tune. Their idyllic marriage is turned on its head when Chloé falls sick with a water lily growing in her lung. To pay for her medical bills in this fantasy version of Paris, Colin must go out to work in a series of increasingly absurd jobs, while around them, their apartment disintegrates and their friends, including the talented Nicolas, and Chick – a huge fan of the philosopher Jean-Sol Partre – go to pieces.
Movie Review:
Below is a true account of this reviewer’s:
Me: Free tonight? Want to watch Mood Indigo? It’s a French film starring the actress from Amelie
Girl: I can’t appreciate French movies because they are too atas (read: French movies are too artsy for common Singaporeans like you and me)
Me: But it’s a funny show. It’s about a girl who is sick with a water lily growing in her lung.
Girl: How is that funny?!?!?
Me: Okay, it’s more like… quirky. Anyway, never mind, let’s catch another show next time then.
Maybe there’s a loose screw somewhere in this writer’s head, but he genuinely thought the setup of this French film co written and directed by Michel Gondry was innovatively tickling. After all, Gondry is the mind behind eccentrically original films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), The Science of Sleep (2006) and Be Kind Rewind (2008). Nope, pairing Jay Chou up with Seth Rogen in 2011’s The Green Hornet doesn’t count as being creative.
Gondry’s latest work tells the story of how a young man and a young woman fall in love, and eventually get married. Alas, their marriage takes a turn when the girl becomes sick with a water lily growing in her lung (let’s be honest here, you were chuckling a little when you heard this bit). The guy then takes on a series of out of this world jobs to pay for her medical bills, and things just get increasingly stranger – in Gondry’s world, at least.
Adapted from Boris Vian’s 1947 novel Froth on the Daydream, this seemed like the perfect story for Gondry to take on, considering how he has enchanted audiences with his innovative visual style. True enough, the filmmaker has a ball with the story, evident from the first moments of this 95 minute film. You see how the male protagonist enjoys artfully created cuisines, before the dishes are rolled off a conveyer belt and smashed on the floor, making way for the nest exotic meal. Cocktails are concocted by a “pianocktail” (a piano that makes cocktail, duh), and housework is done by a miniature mouse man. How’s that for quirkiness?
This apparently became a double edged sword for Gondry, because the international version we are getting is a trimmed down version, with more than 30 minutes snipped from what was screened back in France.
The kookiness goes on, as the visual feast presents you with countless imageries, including an underwater wedding ceremony, a trip across Parisin a cloud vehicle and a hall of rotating typewriters. It is easy to lose yourself in this slew of technically able scenes without realising the love story the filmmakers are trying to tell. You’d be so fascinated with what you’re seeing, you may forget this is a classic romance between a boy and a girl.
Roman Duris and Audrey Tautou are perfect in their roles, and one can only lament why real life can’t be as whimsically fun as this. The two renowned French stars are accompanied by Gad Elmaleh, Omar Sy and Aissa Maiga, a cast who delivers competently engaging performances.
When the film credits begin rolling, this columnist walked out of the theatre (alone, of course), hoping the world around him will be Gondry-fied into something…funnier.
Movie Rating:
(Indulge yourself in Michel Gondry’s whimsical world if you’re in the mood for something quirky)
Review by John Li
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POLICE STORY 2013 Singapore Press ConferencePosted on 28 Dec 2013 |
Genre: Comedy
Director: Wong Jing
Cast: Chapman To, Chrissie Chau
Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins
Rating: R21 (Sexual Content)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website:
Opening Day: 16 January 2014
Synopsis: Chinese Feng Shui master, Carson (Chapman To) was a real ladies`man, he had never been in a stable relationship .Carson was a "Natural Born Player",taking names and breaking hearts. Fate had it that he would meet his match, the hot veterinarian, Chi-Ling (Chrissie Chau). It was love at first sight, but neither could stand the other`s fickle nature lest the affair might have ended as soon as it began. So Chi-Ling invite Carson to move in with her and make him promise to have no sexual contact with any girls for 100 days.
Movie Review:
One does not walk into a Wong Jing movie expecting high art. Come on, this is the guy who churns out movies at such amazing speed, you wonder whether he has a clone somewhere. After some delay, this 2013 movie has made it to our humble shores, albeit being slapped with a R21 rating and a “sexual content” consumer rating. And rightfully so, as you’d find out later in this review.
Wait, the movie poster and trailer hasn’t given you a clue why this isn’t exactly family friendly fare? Well, read on to find out why you shouldn’t catch this with the same kiddie cousin whom you watched Frozen with.
A sequel of sorts to 2012’s Mr and Mrs Gambler (how this 99 minute comedy qualifies as a sequel is beyond us), the story is actually quite straightforward. A Feng Shui master (we have no idea why this occupation was chosen) who is known for being a Casanova meets a sexy vet (really? is this an attempt by the screenwriters to be, err, creative?). The two fall in love but decide to carry out a 100 day experiment where he is not allowed to have any sexual contact. All this in the name of a test of true love.
Yup, expect nothing less (or more, in this case) from the infamous Wong Jing – the same guy who has entertained audiences for decades with movies like How to Pick Girls Up (1988), Raped by an Angel 4: The Raper’s Union (1999), Sex and the Beauties (2004) and Treasure Inn (2011). Before you judge the dude, you may want to know that he has worked with some of the biggest names in Hong Kongshowbiz. The list includes stars like Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok, Nick Cheung, and celebrities like, ahem, Loletta Lee and Chingmy Yau.
Here, the ever reliable Chapman To is Wong’s leading man. He is hilarious as usual, and you can always count on the increasingly prolific actor to bring on the laughs. The female lead is Chrissie Chau (what a name!) who plays, yes you’re hearing it here again – a sexy vet. Dare we say it, the two actually have chemistry playing the titular Mr and Mrs Player. The cast also includes the talented director Pang Ho Cheung and the “you look so much like a lecher I could slap you” Matt Chow. Elsewhere, there are other unfamiliar actresses who probably signed on because being in a Wong Jing movie is a big deal. We probably need not elaborate on the, ahem, assets needed.
You’re asking about the storyline? Again, may we remind you we are talking about Wong Jing here. Expect crude jokes and toilet humour which, to be honest, are laugh inducing. In one scene, the three guys put on a male genitalia, an abalone, and a chrysanthemum over their heads. Gross? Yes. Funny? You bet.
You also know how the movie will end. By the time the filmmakers try to have some plot twist, you don’t really care because you’re in a Wong Jing movie. Essentially, you aren’t here to marvel how intelligent the script is.
Movie Rating:
(Remind yourself this is a Wong Jing movie and all will be fine)
Review by John Li
Genre: Thriller/Drama
Director: Eric Heisserer
Cast: Paul Walker, Genesis Rodriguez, Nick Gomez, Judd Lormand, Michelle Torres, Kerry Cahill, Shane Jacobsen
Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/Hours2013
Opening Day: 9 January 2014
Synopsis: Before sunrise on August 29, 2005, Nolan Hayes (PAUL WALKER) arrives at a New Orleans hospital with his pregnant wife, Abigail (GENESIS RODRIGUEZ), who has gone into early labor. What should be one of the happiest days of Nolan’s life quickly spirals out of control when the birth goes tragically wrong and Hurricane Katrina ravages the hospital, forcing an evacuation. Told to stay with his child, who is on a ventilator, and await transfer by ambulance, Nolan and his newborn are soon cut off from the world by power outages and rising flood waters. When no one returns to help, Nolan faces one life-and-death decision after another, fighting to keep his daughter alive, as minute-by-agonizing minute passes, becoming unimaginable “Hours.”
Movie Review:
Try as you may, but you probably won’t be able to see ‘Hours’ as a movie in and of itself. What was meant as a tight little indie drama about a man struggling to keep his newborn baby daughter alive during Hurricane Katrina has undeniably gained unexpected significance due to the sudden and accidental death of its lead star Paul Walker in a car accident. And yet as one of his final performances outside of the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise, it is an affecting farewell for the actor that gives the matinee idol the chance to show off some heavyweight acting chops.
Writer-director Eric Heisserer, who adapted the movie from his own short story, fashions a lean and tense story built around a single actor and a single location. Indeed, Walker is front and centre most of the film, which sees him confined to a New Orleans hospital where his wife Abigail (Genesis Rodriguez) has died in childbirth. There is little time for Walker’s everyday man Nolan Hayes to grieve - born several weeks too early, his daughter needs the help of a respirator for the next 48 hours, but one by one, the circumstances start to work against his favour.
As the storm hits and the levees break, the hospital’s staff and patients are quickly made to evacuate, leaving Nolan stranded without medical help. Then the generators die, and Nolan has to hook up the battery in the respirator to a hand-crank generator which holds only about three minutes of charge each time. In the meantime, Heisserer cranks up the tension by keeping Nolan busy finding food, fending off looters, fighting sleep and trying to reach for outside help. Amidst it all, Nolan finds strength in reminiscing his times spent with Abigail, of which their baby daughter is her sole surviving legacy.
Shouldered with the responsibility of carrying the film single-handedly on the strength of his performance, Walker rises to the occasion with a nuanced and empathetic turn that .is probably one of his best. Unlike his ‘Fast and Furious’ co-star Vin Diesel who has had no qualms embracing an action star icon, Walker has tried in independent movies such as the little-seen ‘Vehicle 19’ to broaden his range. The fact that ‘Hours’ marks probably his most successful attempt yet at gaining serious actor cred is a pity, but like we said at the start, it’s as good a farewell as any.
On his part, Heisserer does a fair job sustaining the suspense of the movie. With a track record that includes ‘Final Destination’ and the ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ remake, it isn’t surprising that Heisserer often relies on horror tropes to hold his audience’s interest. Like most horror movies, survival is the running theme here, and Heisserer conveys Nolan’s struggle to keep his daughter - as well as himself later on - alive with palpable urgency. The pacing is a little uneven at times, but by and large, Heisserer pulls off his high-concept premise convincingly.
It is also worthy to note that Walker is listed here as one of the executive producers, his commitment to the project probably key in getting it made in the first place. Though there has no shortage of Katrina-based stories and documentaries, ‘Hours’ is a neat little addition that knows exactly what it intends to do and accomplishes it nicely. Yes, at its heart, this is a story of one man against the odds, and Walker in his everyman likeability makes for a particularly good fit for the character. It won’t win him any awards for sure, but ahead of his final ‘Fast and Furious’ film one year later, it is still a dignified sendoff for the genuinely affable actor.
Movie Rating:
(Not the easiest film to watch given its star Paul Walker's recent demise, 'Hours' is nonetheless a tightly choreographed drama that sees Walker at one of his finest hours as a dramatic actor)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Action/Romance
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Cast: Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jared Harris, Kiefer Sutherland
RunTime: 1 hr 45 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: http://pompeiimovie.tumblr.com/
Opening Day: 20 February 2014
Synopsis: Set in 79 A.D., POMPEII tells the epic story of Milo, a slave turned invincible gladiator who finds himself in a race against time to save his true love Cassia, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts in a torrent of blazing lava, Milo must fight his way out of the arena in order to save his beloved as the once magnificent Pompeii crumbles around him.
Movie Review:
Paul W.S. Anderson has never been a director of story or character; instead, as he had demonstrated with five chapters of the ‘Resident Evil’ franchise, it’s all about giving his audience the most bang for their buck with pure action spectacle. And just as he did with zombies previously, Anderson spares nothing in recreating the destruction of the ancient Italian city laid to waste by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 72, so rest assured that it does deliver genuine spectacle as it promises.
The only catch? The volcano only erupts an hour into the movie, which also means that Anderson has to grapple with his twin Achilles’ heels of story and character for that same duration. We won’t kid you - the wait till fire and ash rains down from the legendary mountain is quite literally a slog. The fault isn’t entirely Anderson’s; though the leaden direction is to blame for the cliché-ridden melodrama, it is the screenwriters Michael Robert Johnson (Sherlock Holmes), Janet Scott Batchler and Lee Batchler (Batman Forever) who are responsible for the utterly pedestrian script and some truly cringe-worthy dialogue.
What they have done essentially is to take a gladiator drama and throw in a ‘rich girl/ poor boy’ romance in the vein of ‘Titanic’ as a pretext for the inevitable eruption, with the former relatively more fleshed out than the latter. To set the stage, we see a young Celtic boy watching his parents being murdered by the ruthless Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland) and his top soldier Proculus (Sasha Roiz), both Roman guards whom you know the same older boy will come face to face with later on. Fast forward to seventeen years later and the boy named Milo has developed into a strapping gladiator known as ‘The Celt’, picked out amidst a grubby Londinium arena for the big league in Pompeii.
Milo’s meet-cute with his romantic interest Cassia (Emily Browning) happens en route to Pompeii, when the latter’s carriage becomes stuck in the mud and causes one of her horses to suffer a severe fall. In an act of kindness, Milo kills the horse with his bare hands to put him out of its misery, and immediately earns Cassia’s fondness. Back in Pompeii, Cassia’s father Severus (Jared Harris) and mother (Carrie Anne-Moss) play host to Corvus and his Roman entourage, whose favour they depend on to fund their plan to revitalise the city by building aqueducts. Turns out however that Corvus is only doing so to force Cassia’s hand in marriage, whom he unsuccessfully courted while the latter was still back in Rome.
In the meantime, Milo forges an acquaintance with Atticus (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), one of the fiercest fighters who is according to the law just one fight away from earning his freedom. Needless to say, Atticus soon finds that his masters have no intention of honouring the law, and instead of being opponents, Milo and Atticus team up to rebel against their captors. All this culminates in a nicely shot showdown in the town’s coliseum, where Milo and Atticus take on an entire Roman battalion in order to simulate Corvus’ invasion of the Celtic homeland.
From that time on, Anderson’s best instincts as a filmmaker take over, injecting the moribund proceedings with a much-needed shot of life that immediately jolts his viewer out of his seat. The sight of Vesuvius starting to boil over is a truly humbling one, even more so when it starts to rain fire, rock and lava down on the hapless citizens of Pompeii, not excluding our protagonists. Anderson skilfully cuts between wide shots offering birds-eye views of the scale of the devastation and close-ups of the disaster from the point of view of its victims, and it is to his credit - as well as that of his cinematographer Glen MacPherson and VFX supervisor Dennis Berardi - that we are simply and surely transfixed.
Lest you think it’s all about the volcano, well the calamity turns out to be much more multi-faceted. Besides watching out for fire and rock from above, those looking for a way out of Pompeii are also either swallowed into the ground as the earth underneath them collapses or are swept away by an enormous tsunami precipitated by the tectonic forces causing the same eruption. As if that weren’t enough, our star-crossed lovers also have to contend with Corvus’ relentless pursuit, while Atticus proves a more than worthy ally against Proculus. Anderson channels his best inner Roland Emmerich to ensure that his disaster movie never has a boring moment once nature’s tragedy strikes, and let’s just say the last 45 mins is tense and exciting stuff.
Even so, Anderson threatens to be undone by a perennially weak link in his movie, and that is the quality of the acting. ‘Game of Thrones’ star Kit Harrington is no less wooden than he was in the HBO miniseries, and there is almost zero chemistry between him and ‘Sucker Punch’ actress Emily Browning. Though ‘24’ star Kiefer Sutherland looks out of place in a sword and scandal epic like this, he proves more entertaining than our leads in a borderline campy manner. The best of the lot is without a doubt Adewale, who brings unexpected dignity and gravitas to his role in a movie that generally demands much less from its performers.
But really, one should not expect differently from ‘Pompeii’, which as we said at the beginning is no more than an opportunity for Anderson to leverage on historical events to deliver an action-filled disaster movie packed with visual spectacle. The CG work to recreate that fateful day is really quite impressive to say the least, and knowing Anderson’s movies, not a surprise that it isn’t matched by an equally competent script or for that matter acting. As long as you can get past that first hour, the prolonged cataclysmic climax will grip, astound and awe you - and since this is meant to be a disaster movie first and an action-romance second, the priorities are just right.
Movie Rating:
(Not the disaster you may have heard the movie to be, this uneven mix of a disaster movie and a 'Gladiator' action-romance is great on the former and terrible on the latter)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: Fai (Nick Cheung), once a world champion in boxing, escapes to Macau from the loan sharks and unexpectedly encounters Qi (Eddie Peng), a young chap who is determined to win a boxing match. Fai becomes Qi’s mentor and rediscovers his passion to fight not only in the ring but for his life and ones he cares…
MOVIE REVIEW:
Taking a detour from his usual cop and robber thrillers, director Dante Lam teams up with his screenwriter partner Jack Ng to craft an uplifting sports drama that revolves around MMA. Despite a shaky start that introduces the audience to our three leading stars, Nick Cheung, Eddie Peng and Mei Ting, the narrative seems to gain a life of its own when the scribing unwittingly lure us into the trauma faced by the protagonists shortly after.
Scumbag Fai (Cheung) is a washed up ex-MMA champion. Homeless and heavily in debt, Fai decides to hide in Macau and works as a janitor at a boxing club. Renting a room with a single mother, Gwen (Mei) and her feisty young daughter, Dani (Crystal Lee), he soon learnt the tragic death of her son causes Gwen to develop mental illness. At the boxing club, he gets to know Siqi (Peng), the son of a bankrupt tycoon who decides to participate in a coming MMA competition for the prize money of $2.7 million. When the paths of these three poor and lost souls converge together, a tale about redemption and inspiration is thus born.
No doubt the premise borders along predictability and near melodramatic at times. But Lam manages to balance out the action and storytelling with plenty of ease. There are of course the obligatory training montages when Fai decides to accept Siqi’s invite to be his coach, moments to showcase Eddie Peng’s well-toned, chiseled body no less. There’s even playful moments between mentor and disciple that reeks of pure fun.
However, it’s Cheung’s little scenes with Gwen and Dani that offers much more mileage especially when Dani begins to look up to Fai as her surrogate father. A sudden attack by Fai’s debtors marks a critical turn of events for the family of three though fortunately the movie still delivers its message in the end. On the other hand, Siqi’s dramatic scenes with his dad (Jack Kao in a rare departure from his usual gangster roles) suffer in comparison due to the lack of exposition.
Taking a far more realistic approach in staging the MMA matches, the fights are brutally choreographed though not exceptionally violent. The punches and kicks brought out the no-holds-barred techniques and the appearance of Andy On as a cocky opponent in the climax is a surprise delight. Indeed Unbeatable is Dante Lam at his best. And we can say his regular cast member; the 47-year-old (looking stunningly lean and muscled) Nick Cheung is the real shining star right here.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Just a Trailer
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The original Mandarin and Cantonese soundtrack is intact on this DVD though the Dolby Digital 2.0 sounds a little muffled and suffers from unevenness.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Cast: Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Scoot McNairy, Nate Parker, Anson Mount, Michelle Dockery, Corey Stoll, Linus Roache, Omar Metwally, Jason Butler Harner
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language and Violence)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: http://www.nonstopthefilm.com/
Opening Day: 27 February 2014
Synopsis: Liam Neeson teams again with UNKNOWN director Jaume Collet-Serra for NON STOP. Neeson is an air marshal who gets texts messages for a stranger who claims to be on board with him and threatens to murder the passengers. He must identify and stop the killer before time runs out…
Movie Review:
Continuing one of the most unlikely career renaissances in Hollywood, Liam Neeson is back in full-scale action hero mode reteaming with his ‘Unknown’ director Jaume Collet-Serra for a similar whodunit set on board an airplane. No matter that the Irish actor is now at a ripe old age of 61, he is perfectly cast as the grizzled United States air marshal Bill Marks, a recovering alcoholic grappling with some demons from his past that only become clearer much later into the film.
First-time screenwriters John W. Richardson, Chris Roach and Ryan Engle send Neeson’s Federal agent on a transatlantic flight from New York to London, where a seemingly uneventful night on the job quickly becomes something else when he receives a series of text messages warning that a passenger will be killed every 20 mins unless he arranges for $150 million to be transferred to a bank account within that time. Needless to say, the first deadline does expire and then another and then another, but the clues all point back to Bill himself, casting suspicion on the very individual we so easily assume to be the one who saves the day.
For Bill (and the rest of us who continue to believe that he is just being set up), there are plenty of possible suspects on board. Could it be Bill’s chatty seat mate Jen (Julianne Moore) who seems to display an inordinate amount of concern for him? Could it be either one of the air hostesses air hostesses Nancy (Michelle Dockery) and/or Gwen (Lupita Nyong'o)? Could it be the co-pilot (Jason Butler Harner) who’s never really trusted Bill? Could it be a hot-headed New York cop (Corey Stoll)? Or how about the thirty-something bespectacled dude (Scoot McNairy) who had tried to make small talk with Bill prior to the flight?
But if there’s one thing that we know, it’s that it cannot be the most obvious one of them all, a Muslim doctor Fahim Nasir (Omar Metwally) whom Bill regularly relies on to check the pulses and confirm the deaths of his victims. Tapping on our post-9/11 paranoia of airplanes, Serra and his screenwriters concoct a revolving door of possible stereotypical culprits that the smart viewer hopes that the film is smarter than to eventually pin blame on (rest assured, the film does eventually offer this small reassurance). That said, you should probably be prepared to be less than blown away with the revelation at the end, which strains to find motive for the crime but comes out falling short.
Is it any surprise that credibility isn’t exactly the movie’s strong suite? Indeed, if you’re going to be scrutinising the proceedings for implausibilities, you might as well not even board this flight. A slightly more than moderate suspension of disbelief is necessary to fully enjoy the disposable B-grade thrills here, which among other things, assumes that there is still live broadcast TV coverage while the plane is travelling over international air space. On his part, Serra rewards those willing to check their disbelief at the boarding gate with brisk pacing designed to keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
And you know what? He does succeed, to a large extent, and may we add, to a far greater extent that we had expected. Encouraging its viewer to play detective alongside Bill with what limited clues presented onscreen, Serra further tightens the noose by making full use of the enclosed environment to induce a sense of claustrophobic danger. Nowhere is this more apparent than a full-on mano-a-mano brawl that takes place within the tight confines of the bathroom, where Neeson once again showing off his prowess at close-quarters grappling that was a trademark of his ‘Taken’ movies.
Unfortunately, those expecting the same level of excitement from these fight scenes will probably be disappointed. No thanks to the setting, there is very little room for Neeson to engage in many of these, and whether by artistic choice or spatial limitations, the photography remains too much in close-up mode. And yet Neeson remains undoubtedly the tough-guy hero of the movie first by his imposing physicality, but also more importantly by his thespian muscles that lend his tortured character plenty of gravitas despite some brutally stiff dialogue at the more supposedly poignant moments.
It is also Neeson who keeps the movie from flying off the rails even though it does get increasingly ludicrous in the third act on its way to an explosive finale. No surprises that there is a bomb on board, it does detonate mid-flight, and it does end with an emergency landing made under the most dire of circumstances that pretty much obliterates the plane from ever flying again - truth be told, it’s been a while since we’ve seen a similar high-altitude set thriller on the big screen that its clichés no longer feel so. It’s no ‘Taken’ that’s for sure, but it packs a fair share of solid gripping thrills in between an Agatha Christie mystery that makes it perfectly watchable for those in need of an action fix.
Movie Rating:
(Check your disbelief like oversized baggage at the door, and you'll find that this high-altitude thriller packs solid B-movie thrills, an Agatha Christie mystery and a likeable tough guy hero for a perfectly entertaining if forgettable time)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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POLICE STORY 2013 TOPS THE BOX OFFICE CHART OVER THE FESTIVE WEEKEND!Posted on 30 Dec 2013 |
Genre: Romance/Thriller
Director: David Marconi
Cast: Frank Grillo, Jaimie Alexander, Roschdy Zem, Marie-Josée Croze, Charlie Bewley
RunTime: 1 hr 41 mins
Rating: M18 (Coarse Language and Some Violence)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website:
Opening Day: 2 January 2014
Synopsis: The story centers on a rich and beautiful couple on their honeymoon in Morocco. After escaping a deadly multi-car pileup at a desert intersection, the group of survivors - including a wanted smuggler, an undercover cop, a kidnapper, a baby and an unconscious Australian - embark on a journey of deceit and revelation that culminates in a Tangier's souk.
Movie Review:
We do not want to sound pompous and self righteous, but film distributors often make decisions we cannot fathom. This is probably not the only case, but it is a perfect example (in our opinion, at least) of how an old title like this actually makes it to local cinemas. Oh, this English language French thriller is actually produced by Luc Besson – and this was probably a sign for the distributor to release it theatrically, considering acclaimed titles like Leon: The Professional (1994) and The Fifth Element (1997) directed by the French filmmaker.
From the consumer’s point of view, what the distributor seems to have failed to notice is, how amidst the blockbuster titles during this period (Jackie Chan in Police Story 2013 and Ben Stiller in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, anyone?), this 101 minute movie will simply fizzle at the box office (it’s only showing on one screen in Singapore, by the way). It sure doesn’t help that the movie has received an overwhelmingly negative response internationally.
Yup we get it, we are whining. What about the movie itself (yes, this reviewer actually sat through the media preview attended by a miserable few) – is it worth your buck if the other movies are sold out? Let’s just say if you hate the hustling and jostling in town, you’d be better off watching a
Written by American screenwriter David Marconi, who is known for his works on 1998’s Enemy of the State and 2007’s Live Free or Die Hard, he also directs this French production starring an ensemble cast of actors who are relatively unknown in this part of the world. The story’s protagonists are a recently married couple who are on their honeymoon in Morocco. The wife is plotting to kill her rich husband with help from her lover. Unfortunately the plan goes haywire and they are involved in a car accident in a remote desert road. They escape from the intersection (hence the rather uncreative title, geddit?) and cross paths with a wanted smuggler, a French woman and her sick baby, and a mysterious man. What happens next is a dreary cinematic experience which will have you wondering what’s happening outside the cinema that’s probably more worthy of your time.
It may sound unfair for us to say this, but a been there done that story like this sure doesn’t benefit from an unknown cast. Does anyone recognise names like Roschdy Zem, Frank Grillo, Jaimie Alexander and marie Josee Croze? We know not everyone’s an A lister, but with such unspectacular performances, the movie really should remain on small screens. The cast isn’t too bad looking either, but without sounding arrogant, let’s just say there’s a reason why not everyone’s an award winning actor.
Does Luc Besson’s involvement help add any saving grace to this movie? Unfortunately, those who are looking for old school Luc Besson violence and fun won’t find it here. The action sequences are anything but memorable, and the production seems to be a soulless effort to shoot a movie in the dry lands of the desert.
We apologise if we sound harsh with this review, but with what seems to be suited for a straight to
Movie Rating:
(Definitely not worth your time and buck, this movie may be better suited for home viewing)
Review by John Li
Genre: Romance/Comedy
Director: Hong Ji-young
Cast: Kim Kang-woo, Kim Hyo-jin, Lee Yeon-hee, Taecyeon, Ma Dong-seok, Guzal Tursunova
RunTime: 1 hr 58 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Sexual References and Coarse Language)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 2 January 2014
Synopsis: Some may dream of, some may be afraid of, some may look forward to, and some may want to avoid THE NIGHT BEFORE MARRIAGE! 4 different couples disclose 4 different stories all about marriage.
Movie Review:
At first glance, you may think that Marriage Blue could be very much end up an Asian version of Four Christmases (2008). It is also about four different couples/families, having all sorts of conflict and clashes, and eventually resolving all of them, leading to a happy ending. However, Marriage Blue is original and worked its own magic, not living under the shadow of any other movie.
There were four different couples presented in the movie, mainly a wedding planner and a young punk, a flower shop owner and a foreign talent, a professional baseball player and a doctor, and a manicurist and a young chef. Each couple had their own set of problems, of which most couples could possibly relate to. The difficulties and challenges in their relationships as they work towards marriage were all brought out cleverly and in a light-hearted manner. Problems such as holding on to the relationship just because they have grown reliant on each other, having difficulty conveying and communicating because of what appears to be difference in values, keeping secrets from the yester years, problems with the in-laws, etc.
This movie has intertwined these factors into the whole narrative effortlessly. Considering the number of characters that need to be managed in the movie, it’s impressive that there was a nice dimension to each one. They had distinct personalities and ample character development. It was a great balance of screen time, not having one or another stealing each other’s limelight. The transition between the different stories behind each couple was also smooth and connected.
The cast was an interesting ensemble of actors and actresses. One of the most familiar faces in the lot is probably Taecyeon, a member of Korean boy band 2PM, who played the role of the talented young chef. If you went in to the cinema thinking of getting fan services, you’d probably end up fairly disappointed. Ma Dong-Seok, the flower shop owner, is possibly the eldest, but does not lose out in terms of charm. A scene where he made his last bet to salvage his relationship was especially impressionable, with him speaking with much love in a foreign language. It was also a pleasant surprise to see Ju Ji-Hoon, who used to make girls swoon when he starred in Goong the hit Korean TV series in 2006.
Overall, Marriage Blue is a sincere rom-com / drama that brings out the realities of most romantic relationships. Although it was light-hearted for the most, it did not make light of the problems and challenges in relationships. In fact, it has painted a well-balanced and wholesome picture.
Movie Rating:
(Marriage Blue is of both laughter and tears)
Review by Tho Shu Ling
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