Genre: Comedy
Director: Steven Brill
Cast: Elizabeth Banks, James Marsden, Gillian Jacobs, Oliver Hudson, Kevin Nealon, Ethan Suplee, Sarah Wright, Bill Burr, Liz Carey, Ken Davitian, Willie Garson, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Alphonso McAuley, Tig Notaro
RunTime: 1 hr 34 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Coarse Language)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films & InnoForm Media
Official Website: http://www.focusfeatures.com/walk_of_shame
Opening Day: 8 May 2014
Synopsis: A reporter's dream of becoming a news anchor is compromised after a one-night stand leaves her stranded in downtown L.A. without a phone, car, ID or money - and only 8 hours to make it to the most important job interview of her life.
Movie Review:
There is real screwball potential in Ms Elizabeth Banks, an actress getting her first big break as lead in the Steven Brill written-and-directed comedy ‘Walk of Shame’; and yet none of that elan which she amply displayed in ‘Pitch Perfect’ and ‘The 40-Year Old Virgin’ is given due justice in this painfully unfunny and infuriatingly misogynistic farce.
Starring Banks as an uptight TV news anchor whose uncharacteristic night of partying after being dumped by her fiancé threatens her life-changing career break as network anchor, this perfectly-titled pile-on of humiliation has copious shots of her running in strappy high heels and a skin-hugging canary-yellow dress.
It also subjects her to a slew of hooker references, variously described as ‘b---h’, ‘witch’ and ‘whore’. When she approaches a cab driver for help, she is mistaken for a stripper and forced at gunpoint to agree to perform a lap dance. A little boy orders her to “show me your boobs”. A random stranger on the street calls her on for her “walk of shame”. At every turn, Brill never fails to reiterate the presumption that Banks’ Meghan Miles is a sex worker or one variety or another, and assumes that it will be enough to get his audience laughing.
Even if you can get past its misogynistic nature, there are still the racial stereotypes you have to contend with. Among the ones that Brill unabashedly makes fun of are a trio of African-American crack addicts, a spa owner who is Asian, and a Jewish rabbi at a synagogue, as Meghan’s journey takes her through the more dreary stretches of South and Central Los Angeles. It isn’t pleasant to say the least, but even more so when you consider the kind of distasteful humour on display.
Brill does himself no favours by coming up with obstacles for Meghan that frankly strain credibility. In order to justify putting his character through such misadventures, he imagines not just that Meghan has left her cellphone in the apartment of her gorgeous bartender-author, but also that her car gets towed right in front of her eyes with her purse inside. Oh, and she also doesn’t quite remember said bartender’s apartment number in order to go back, nor is she able to find any helpful denizen in Los Angeles while walking along its streets for close to 12 hours.
There must certainly be something missing when you find that the bartender’s ill-tempered cat is probably one of the funnier scenes of the film, though to be fair, the fault isn’t that of Banks at all. On the contrary, she manages to escape unscathed thanks to a lively display of character comedy that makes the movie even watchable in the first place. Her co-stars aren’t quite so lucky - as the bartender, James Marsden is relegated to a blandly generic hunk; while Gillian Jacobs from TV’s Community and Sarah Wright Olsen from 21 & Over are also equally dull as Meghan’s best friends who are responsible for getting her drunk and subsequently for her rescue.
No rescue however is in sight for this lumpy and laughless joke of a comedy from frequent Adam Sandler collaborator Steven Brill, whose resume of ‘Little Nicky’ and ‘Drillbit Taylor’ reinforces just why he seems to ruin every joke he tells. There is hardly little to be amused at in ‘Walk of Shame’, whose best bits are already amply displayed in the trailer. What you’ll see is a missed opportunity for Banks to finally let her wit and energy shine in this ‘Hangover’ wannabe, which should quickly skunk its way out of theatres before it does itself and its principals any further shame.
Movie Rating:
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NEW THEME SONG AND MV FOR The White Haired Witch Of Lunar KingdomPosted on 24 Jul 2014 |
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Director: Frank Coraci
Cast: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Joel McHale, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Kevin Nealon, Jessica Lowe, Terry Crews, Shaquille O’Neal, Dan Patrick, Bella Thorne, Emma Fuhrmann, Alyvia Alyn Lynd, Kyle Red Silverstein, Braxton Beckham
RunTime: 1 hr 57 mins
Rating: PG (Some Sexual References)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website: http://www.blendedmovie.com/
Opening Day: 5 June 2014
Synopsis: After a disastrous blind date, single parents Lauren (Barrymore) and Jim (Sandler) agree on only one thing: they never want to see each other again. But when they each sign up separately for a fabulous family vacation with their kids, they are all stuck sharing a suite at a luxurious African safari resort for a week.
Movie Review:
If the previous Adam Sandler comedies ‘Jack and Jill’, ‘That’s My Boy’, and ‘Grown Ups 2’ revealed the actor as no more than a child trapped in a man’s suit, then ‘Blended’ shows that the child has grown up pretty fast. Perhaps the best praise we can give to the love-him-or-hate-him comedian about his latest is that it is one of the most affecting rom-coms he’s ever made. Oh sure, the crude laughs are still there, but beneath that silly exterior lies a much more poignant core, one that reaffirms the possibility of second chances at love, marriage and a happy family.
Like many of his previous works, Sandler takes his usual crew to an exotic locale that doubles up as a vacation spot. Whereas ’50 First Dates’ and ‘Just Go With It’ found their inspiration in Hawaii, ‘Blended’ sees Sandler bring his co-star Drew Barrymore and director Frank Coraci to a palatial hotel in South Africa, which provides the backdrop for which Sandler’s widowed dad of three girls and Barrymore’s divorced mother of two boys fall in love. Sandler and Barrymore aren’t alone though - their holiday just happens to be during the resort’s annual ‘familymoon’ event, which is aimed precisely at creating romantic opportunities for grown-ups while keeping their kids occupied.
Instead of dashing to Africa however, first-time feature screenwriters Ivan Menchell and Clare Sera take a longer than usual time with the setup, but you’ll find the wait well worth it in getting to know each one of the members intimately. On Sandler’s end, there’s teenage Hilary (Bella Thorne) who desperately wishes that she could be more feminine instead of being eternally mistaken for a boy, Espn (Emma Fuhrmann), who believes she can still communicate with her dead mother, and Lou (Alyvia Alyn Lind), who is content being cute and naïve about the world; and on Barrymore’s end, there’s Jake (Braxton Beckham), a 13-year old on the cusp of puberty as well as Tyler (Kyle Red Silverstein), who not only sucks at baseball but suffers from a mild case of attention-deficit disorder.
At the centre of it all are sporting goods manager Jim (Sandler) and professional closet organiser Lauren (Barrymore), whose first encounter with each other is a disastrous blind date at Hooters. Who brings a girl to Hooters for a date, says Lauren out loud, but neither does she leave much of an impression when she spit-coughs a quart of French onion soup all over the table. They meet again randomly at a drugstore, and after a credit card mix-up, find themselves at the same far-flung resort in a different continent halfway around the world. Though it’s no secret that Jim and Lauren will eventually end up together, the journey to that happily-ever-after doesn’t feel at all contrived, thanks to some surprisingly sensitive direction that emphasises the emotional core of the characters.
You’ll find much to empathise with in Jim, who tries to be both father and mother to three girls while dealing with the loss of a beloved wife. No wonder then he finds it difficult to fall in love with Lauren, even when the attraction between them is so palpable. Ditto for Lauren, who is still reeling inside from the loss of a cheating husband and absent father and who struggles to make up excuses each time for him in order to avoid disappointing her two boys. Their attraction comes not just from between each other, but also in how they relate to each other’s kids, and through Hilary’s physical transformation or Espn’s acceptance of her mother’s passing or Tyler’s baseball coaching, the film lets its audience discover just how Jim and Lauren could be the father and mother figure missing in their respective families.
A lot of that has to do with the charm of watching Sandler and Barrymore together. The pair were inherently likeable 16 years ago in ‘The Wedding Singer’, just as appealing three years back in ’50 First Dates’ and once again are immensely engaging here. The fact that it is difficult to imagine another actress in the same role with Sandler speaks volumes of the chemistry between them, not least for the fact that Barrymore brings out a more mature side of Sandler that we hardly see. The rest of the casting is equally inspired - Kevin Nealon and Jessica Lowe make the best of their supporting roles as randy vacationers, while Terry Crews steals the show as the leader of an African Greek chorus who sings his way through every single line.
Still, those looking for the laugh-out-loud moments of Sandler’s earlier films will likely be disappointed. The humour is amusing but never uproarious, and some cutaways like that of two rhinos copulating smack of trying too hard. In its place though are more heartwarming moments than you would expect from a Sandler comedy, which in and of itself is a nice nod to how the stars - as well as their audience - have aged from teenagers to become parents themselves. And yes, ‘Blended’ may certainly not be his funniest movie, but in its blend of humour with heart is winning in its own sweet, even poignant, way.
Movie Rating:
(Three’s the charm - Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore bring humour and heart to this funny yet affecting tale about second chances at love, marriage and a happy family)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Luc Besson
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Analeigh Tipton, Choi Min-sik, Amr Waked
RunTime: 1 hr 29 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Some Drug References and Violence)
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 21 August 2014
Synopsis: From La Femme Nikita and The Professional to The Fifth Element, writer/director Luc Besson has created some of the toughest, most memorable female action heroes in cinematic history. Now, Besson directs Scarlett Johansson in Lucy, an action-thriller that tracks a woman accidentally caught in a dark deal who turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.
Movie Review:
The concept of this film is simple; it’s based on the myth that the average human being uses 10% of their brain capacity. Luc Besson then puts forth the question – what happens when we operate at 100%?
The movie begins at an exhilarating pace; we are immediately brought into a world of chaos and Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) struggling to keep calm in the face of death. We are introduced to Mr. Jang (Choi Min-sik), a Korean drug lord who is instantly unlikable. He taunts Lucy into opening the mysterious briefcase that she’s handcuffed to, and just when it seems like she might escape danger, she’s knocked out. Lucy is then tasked to deliver a new synthetic drug in the market – CPH4, and discovers that the mob has surgically embedded the drug in her abdomen. Yikes! We are swiftly introduced to Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman) who presents his research on the human brain. This is all juxtaposed with fast cuts of larger than life predator-prey animal imagery; an undeniable Besson stamp on the film.
After a series of unfortunate events, Lucy accidentally consumes the bag of CPH4. This particular scene was senseless and brilliant at the same time. The image of Scarlet Johansson going into the most absurd episode of seizures while defying gravity remains burned in your brain even after the film ends. The bulk of the film features Lucy’s transition to an invincible superhuman with the gradual ability to manipulate her human abilities as well as her surroundings. Johansson’s “Black Widow” training comes in handy and she convinces us that she can play any role – from dimwitted blonde to mutant bombshell.
With Lucy’s newfound abilities, she doesn’t immediately attempt to solve all the problems on Earth. She realizes she is on a time crunch. Yes, apparently all the power in the world can’t last for more than a day. Lucy chooses to go on a noble mission to transfer all her knowledge to Professor Norman, and kick some Korean mobster butt while at it. This is just one of numerous examples why this movie’s plot is so infuriating. With the ability to manipulate matter and read minds, Lucy would have been able to transfer her knowledge and destroy the mob without taking so much time, and causing that much damage to her surroundings. In a fight sequence between the Parisian officials, Lucy, and the Korean mobsters, the Koreans found time to bring in a bazooka. In the middle of all this chaos, the movie manages to even squeeze in a random kiss between Lucy and her sidekick Pierre Del Rio (Amr Waked), a Parisian police officer who decides to help her.
Johansson is the most memorable and charming part of the film. She does an outstanding job going from full of life to complete robot in 90 minutes, and carries the ridiculous plot on her shoulders. She delivers a consistent performance throughout the movie and manages to gracefully navigate the emotional complexities of 100% brain function. We are almost able to empathize with what she is going through, even though we have no idea what she’s feeling and how it’s possible. Johansson and Freeman tag-team as narrators of the film, with Johansson exploring the meaning of life and Freeman presenting the science of it all. Professor Norman feels like a last minute addition to the film, to make up for the serious lack of scientific credibility and logic in the film. It’s a shame for Freeman, as his talents are limited to the dull job of narration, which leaves us little to say about his acting prowess in this film. Johansson on the other hand is given the difficult task of probing the audience to think about what human existence means.
Credit should be given to Besson for trying to explore so many big ideas in one film. Besson’s artistic direction was incredibly intelligent. His ideas are so excessive that it borders on superb entertainment. Never thought about what it would be like to “vomit” energy and light at 70% brain capacity? Lucy delivers that. He leaves the best for last, laying out the most stupendous psychedelic imagery and taking us through time travel in the most extravagant yet unpretentious manner.
The movie ends with the philosophical question on existentialism, and Lucy makes her exit with the line – I AM EVERYWHERE. We are left to wonder if Lucy transcends time and space to become omnipotent, whether she has become God, or something beyond God. Besson struggles to find a middle ground between philosophy, science and entertainment and as a result, Lucy falls a little flat on depth.
With a totally outlandish storyline, the audience is left to grapple with the irrationalities of the film. Instead of distracting yourself with trying to account for the lack of logic in the film, try to enjoy the movie for what it really is – Luc Besson’s entertaining commentary on existentialism and human life.
Movie Rating:
(A completely French approach to sci-fi/philosophical entertainment that manages to be completely ludicrous yet intelligent)
Review by Aishwarya Kumar
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Abbie Rose and the Magic Suitcase AnimatedPosted on 06 Apr 2014 |
Genre: Sc-Fi/Action/Fantasy
Director: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Cast: Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Tuppence Middleton, Kick Gurry, David Ajala, Bae Doona, James D'Arcy, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tim Pigott-Smith
RunTime: 2 hrs 7 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: http://www.jupiterascending.com/index.html
Opening Day: 5 February 2015
Synopsis: Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning toilets and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine (Channing Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along - her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.
Movie Review:
I’ll be upfront and warn those contemplating watching Jupiter Ascending that you need to go in with low expectations to enjoy the film. Unless your idea of what makes a film good is huge explosions, pretty characters prancing around in elaborate costumes and beautiful visuals. After all, who cares about plot, lines and pacing right?
Jupiter Ascending is really very much a visual feast but nothing more than that. The action sequences are generally well paced and I applaud the fact that CGI for the actions were kept minimal. The costumes are stunning (as are the actors).
Which is a great pity because, on paper, Jupiter Ascending really had potential.
For a start, like all sci-fi films, Jupiter Ascending is ambitious in its storytelling. An entirely different reality of an alternative universe with its own ecosystem, species and history is created. There are soldiers spliced with animal DNAs such as Caine (Channing Tatum) who has some wolf in him and Stinger (Sean Bean) who has some bee in him (guess where they got their names from?). There was potential to explore and mine all that richness for more stories but this is undermined by the weak delivery of the first film in what the studios were probably hoping would be a new franchise.
While the plot of Jupiter Ascending was hackneyed, it had pretty interesting characters whose backstories would have been fun for the audience to explore. I could have seen the many fanfiction pieces that fans would have spun off from the story of Caine, Jupiter and the Abrasax family. Let’s be honest, the basic plotline of The Matrix, the film franchise that the Wachowskis are renowned for, was pretty cliché too – the story of a Chosen One who comes out of nowhere and whose destiny is to save the world. It was the treatment of this plot premise (as well as really cool action sequences and visuals) that made The Matrix such a groundbreaking series. Jupiter Ascending’s basic plot premise was this too but the treatment was a complete letdown.
The cast is also one that is renowned for not just their good looks but also their ability to act. Somehow though, the directors succeeded in not tapping on that ability. I can’t help but wonder what kind of directions Andy and Lana Wachowskis gave Eddie Radmayne for me to give such an exaggerated and overly affected performance as Balem. It reminds me somewhat chillingly of how Natalie Portman almost killed her career with her expressionless and emotionless turn as Amidala in the Stars Wars prequel trilogy. At least Radmayne has The Theory of Everything that is out in the same season and that can probably help cushion the fallout from Jupiter Ascending.
To the Wachowskis’ credit, Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum have some chemistry. While their performances are not going to garner them any Oscars, they put in decent performances to, I think, ward off any Razzie nominations. It also helps that they are pretty easy on the eye. Apart from these three actors, it is hard to discern the performances put in by the rest of the cast as their characters do not appear to add to the story. It makes it difficult for one to give a fair critique of their performances hence I’ll refrain from that here.
Jupiter Ascending could also have been one of the few female-led action films that could have been a successful film franchise, showing that when female-led action films succeed, it’s not necessarily a quirk. This would have been helpful in Hollywood’s evolution (if you haven’t figured out from my name, yes, I’m female).
It also could have been the film that would have move the Wachowskis’ career out of its current state where the siblings are now more renowned for the visual flash and bang in their films rather than the creative storytelling and treatment that was showcased in The Matrix.
Movie Rating:
(It could have been amazing. It could have become a blockbuster franchise. It could have boosted the Wachowskis’ careers. But that’s all Jupiter Ascending is. A “could-have-been” and one that is not worth your investing time and money in unless you really are just a visual person)
Review by Katrina Tee
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Director: Ziad Doueiri
Cast: Ali Suliman, Uri Gavriel, Reymond Amsalem, Evgenia Dodena, Dvir Benedek, Ruba Salameh
RunTime: 1 hr 43 mins
Rating: M18 (Mature Content)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 10 April 2014
Synopsis: An Arab surgeon living in Tel Aviv discovers a dark secret about his wife in the aftermath of a suicide bombing. Dr. Amin Jaafari is an assimilated Arab surgeon who seems to have it all with a promising career with honors among the Israelis in Tel Aviv. That all changes after a devastating terrorist suicide bombing and his beloved wife, Siham, is found among the dead as the primary suspect. Although initially refusing to accept that as Shin Bet interrogates him, Amin comes to realize the allegations are true. Now, the ostracized Amin resolves to find out on his own why Siham had so strong a conviction that she kept secret from him. However, the answers prove hard to come by and the truths involved have a terrible pain of their own.
Movie Review:
Many films have been made of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but few possess the poignancy and profundity that Zaid Doueiri’s film ‘The Attack’ does. Adapted and directed by Doueiri from the bestseller by Algerian novelist Yasmina Khadra (the pen name of Mohammed Moulessehoul), it makes compelling cinema out of a sensational premise: A a prominent Israeli surgeon of secular Palestinian background has his life turned upside down when he learns that his wife may be responsible for the suicide bombing that killed 17 people in a restaurant, including 11 children celebrating a birthday.
The contradiction is apparent right from the get-go. The bomb goes off just a day after Amin (‘Paradise Now's’ Ali Suliman) receives the equivalent of a medical Oscar from the Israeli Society of Surgeons, the first time in 41 years that an Arab has won the honour, a fact which he acknowledges in his thank-you speech and adds “I'm looking forward to the next 20 years”. Then, minutes after the bombing, Amin is racing against time in the operating theatre to save the lives of those brought to the brink of death by his wife Siham’s (Reymonde Amsellem) detonation – though of course he doesn’t yet know it.
Therein lies the hook of the film: How could Amin not have known about Siham’s beliefs and inclinations as a terrorist after 15 years of marriage? Even after being presented with the nature of her wounds and other circumstantial evidence by the police, Amin refuses to believe that the woman whom he knew “wouldn’t hurt a fly” was in fact a fundamentalist who decides to take her own life and those of many other innocents. With sharp undivided focus, Doueiri charts Amin’s descent from a self-assured man to one who goes from denial to bewilderment to anger to grief to finally understanding.
That journey of discovery will take Amin from Tel Aviv to Nazareth, where his wife was from, and then on to Nablus, where she spent the last night of her life. Though it may unfold like a detective story, this is also a lesson in perspective, as Amin starts to immerse himself in the reality of living in occupied lands – indeed, while Siham is chastised as a murderer of children in Israel, her picture is suddenly on every wall in the West Bank where she is hailed as a martyr. The why only becomes clear right at the end, as Doueiri shows Amin standing amid a pile of rubble marked by a piece of graffiti reading “Ground Zero” which we are told was the site of a massacre in the West Bank town of Jenin that formed the trigger for Siham’s ideological conversion.
To be sure, Doueiri’s film will not please those whose views about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are already entrenched - indeed, that’s the reason why it has been banned in almost all Arab countries following a boycott request by the Arab League. And yet, the beauty in Lebanese filmmaker Doueiri’s approach lies in his ability to be sympathetic to both sides, portraying with sensitivity and nuance the complexities that lie at the heart of a conflict which ultimately defies solution. There is no black and white to the situation, and Doueiri never does paint it as such; instead, he raises profound questions about cultural identity, history and fanaticism in a way that is both thought-provoking and heartfelt at the same time.
Anchored by a low-key but always gripping turn by Suliman, ‘The Attack’ blends intrigue and realpolitik into a deeply engaging study of modern Palestinian identity. But aside from the weighty issues of moral responsibility and political neutrality, it is at its heart also a love story, and an absolutely moving one at that. At no point during Amin’s search for answers does he waver in his love for Siham or his faith in their marriage; indeed, there is good reason why Doueiri closes the movie with the same words with which he begins it - by echoing Amin’s sentiment when he answers why he cries every time he and Siham part, “Every time you leave me, a part of me dies.”
Movie Rating:
(Intelligent and deeply poignant, this gripping film set against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is both a love story and a thought-provoking exploration of cultural identity)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: A crew of seasoned criminals led by the notorious Nam (Hu Jun), armed with high-powered weapons, pulls off another smooth and violent armored car heist in broad daylight in a crowded street. Senior police inspector Lui (Andy Lau), hot on the trails of Nam and his tight crew, is determined to put an end to this madness. Tou (Lam Ka Tung), an ex-convict desperate to leave his criminal past behind, volunteers to be Lui's snitch in exchange for a fresh start with her girlfriend Bing (Yao Chen). But little does he know what a hellish situation he's getting himself into. While Nam is putting together his next big score, the two colliding forces from both sides of the law, each at the top of their games, will soon culminate in an ultimate confrontation on the streets of Hong Kong.
MOVIE REVIEW:
HK superstar Andy Lau appeared in three movies alone in 2013. First was a middling outing in Johnnie To’s Blind Detective followed by the widely penned Switch. Firestorm luckily ended the year with a bang for the hardworking actor as the shoot-em-up, action thriller was also co-produced through his Focus Films production outfit.
While director Alan Yuen isn’t consider a newbie in the movie industry given his vast experiences as a writer, Firestorm is his first major solo directorial and self-penned effort. And the result is astonishing.
We are stoked to see a major part of the city destroyed in the trailer and the actual results are even more impressive. Bigger is indeed better in this case as we witness the busy central district being turned into a war zone by a gang of merciless robbers led by Paco (veteran actor Ray Lui).
The movie opens promisingly with an elusive, smart mainland crook Cao Nan (Hu Jun) planning a series of robberies with his ruthless henchmen. Inspector Lui (Lau) is bent on catching him despite the frequent lack of evidence that Cao is at the scene of the crime. It’s true that Yuen’s scripting is far too ambitious to be squeezed into a less than two hours movie. One glaring mistake is that the character of Cao is mysteriously abandoned in the second half of the movie for Paco which in turn is a predictable flimsy villain with no brains.
Always in the shoes of minor supporting roles, Gordon Lam finally has the opportunity to shine as Bong, Lui’s ex-schoolmate who has since turned into a life of crimes. He is given much screentime here opposite Lau as the duo battles emotional aspects and a hair-raising fight down a building. Mainland actress Yao Chen plays Bong’s long-suffering girlfriend, a formulaic character that achieves far more mileage than expected. Philip Keung once again scores another memorable supporting role as Lui’s stool pigeon with a touching subplot that involves his autistic daughter.
Yet again it’s Chin Ka Lok’s action choreography and rather convincing visual effects courtesy of Free-D workshop that saves the day. The evergreen HK cop and robber action thrillers are given a huge boast despite Yuen’s shaky storytelling of a righteous law enforcer turned rogue. The action-packed spectacles are awesome enough to compensate for it.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Images and colours are clear and detailed. For this title, the sole inclusion of a Mandarin 2.0 soundtrack is clearly a letdown.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: HOMEFRONT stars Jason Statham as former drug enforcement agent, Phil Broker, a family man who moves off the grid with his daughter, to a seemingly quiet bayou backwater to escape his troubled past. However, Broker’s world soon becomes anything but quiet once he discovers that an underbelly of drugs and violence riddles the small town. Soon, a sociopathic methamphetamine kingpin, Gator Bodine (James Franco) puts Broker and his daughter in harm’s way forcing Broker back into action in order to save his family and the town.
MOVIE REVIEW:
No one dares to mess with Jason Statham unless you are James Franco, the talented actor, writer and director.
Unsurprisingly, Statham plays a tough-as-nails, ex-DEA agent Phil Broker who choses to move to the countryside with his daughter, Maddy after his last undercover mission went wrong. Franco on the other hand plays a twisted small time meth-dealer, Gator Bodine. Selling Broker’s whereabouts to Broker’s enemy with the intention of expanding his drug business landed Gator in deep trouble while Broker’s peaceful life with his daughter is once again disrupted.
Subtly is not exactly one of Sylvester Stallone’s strongest traits as he demonstrates in the screenplay for Homefront. Stallone while not appearing in the movie pints all his hopes on his Expendables franchise co-star and ultimately, Statham never disappoints with his usual nose-cracking and balls-kicking antics in this old-fashioned actioner shot in New Orleans.
Between all the punches and fistfights, there’s an interesting cast assembled by director Gary Fleder and probably Stallone himself who also produces. Kate Bosworth (Superman Returns) portrayed Bodine’s meth-addicted sister and she’s amazing despite her brief scenes. Another familiar face, Winona Ryder if you can still recall the leading actress of Edward Scissorhands andReality Bites appears as Bodine’s sleazy girlfriend.
Homefront is generally a good enough action flick for fans of the genre. The reliable Statham is always perfect in his badass mode though its pretty refreshing watching Franco acting all weird again after his Academy Award stint.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Featurettes is a three minutes promo reel consisting of short interviews with Stallone, Franco and Statham. There are 9 minutes of Deleted Scenes and a Photo Gallery.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
In terms of visual, the DVD looks nice and natural while the Dolby Digital 5.1 is loud, aggressive and dynamic, an excellent track for Homefront.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: American Hustle tells the story of brilliant con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), who along with his equally cunning and seductive partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) is forced to work for a wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia that’s as dangerous as it is enchanting. Jeremy Renner is Carmine Polito,the passionate, volatile, New Jersey political operator caught between the con-artists and Feds. Irving’s unpredictable wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) could be the one to pull the thread that brings the entire world crashing down.
MOVIE REVIEW:
American Hustle was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture but walked home empty handed in the end. Brush aside this little taint; this totally enjoyable flick from the director of Silver Linings Playbook and The Fighter will hook you from start to finish.
While Tony Leung spent the last reel of Days of Being Wild delicately combing his hair, Christian Bale spent the beginning of the movie adjusting his bad combover. His character Irving Rosenfeld is a smart con artist. Together with his new love and perfect partner-in-crime, Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), the duo is being forced by FBI agent Richard DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) to reel in the nation’s corrupt politicians and mobsters. With their lives and relationship at stake, will Irving and Sydney get out of the situation alive? If yes what is the cost?
O’Russell and Eric Warren Singer gamely crafted a slick, often humorous crime story that exposed both the vulnerability and greediness of mankind. For such a serious subject matter, it’s incredibly fast-paced and filled with a whole lot of colourful, complex characters. A certain Jennifer Lawrence appear as Irving’s neurotic wife and Jeremy Renner as a New Jersey Mayor equipped with an Elvis hairstyle. In actual fact, everyone in the cast is playing against type and yes with very bad hairdo. Mind you, we are talking about Cooper’s outrageous curly-hair that got more attention than his performance. Amy Adam’s often low-cut blouses just garner her additional points, consider that a surprise.
The screenplay is so unpredictable that it’s hard to guess if Richard DiMaso, the over-achieving agent will even succeed in conning the con artists to help fulfill his ambitious plans. A fake sheik, two million dollars and a terrifying Italian mobster from Miami (a cameo by a rather famous A-lister) are involved in the scheme. But who will go scot-free and who will be reel in by the law?
The tightly wound script is amazing and with the beautiful seventies setting as the backdrop, American Hustle is pure genius. That’s not all, the soundtrack which consists of classics such as Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, Tom Jones’ “Deliah” and “Live and Let Die” adds more magic to an already shining piece of gem.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Visual and audio aspects are serviceable in this no-frills DVD.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
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