Genre: Drama
Director: Yoo Ha
Cast: Lee Min-ho, Kim Rae-won, Jung Jin-young, Seolhyun, Yoo Seung-mok, Han Jae-yeong, Lee Yeon-doo, Jeong Ho-bin
Runtime: 2 hrs 10 mins
Rating: R21 (Sexual Scenes)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 29 January 2015
Synopsis: 1970, the dangerous ambition to take over Gangnam has started! Ragmen Jong-dae (LEE Min-ho) and Yong-gi (KIM Rae-won) are two orphans who became blood brothers. No matter what they do, they cannot escape from poverty and reside in a shantytown. But when their shack is bulldozed as part of regional redevelopment, the two young men become homeless. When a local gang is short on manpower, they’re recruited to sabotage a political rally. But in the midst of chaos, they get separated. “Land for you, money for me! Let’s go all the way! 3 years later, unlike the wishes of his former gang boss, Jong-dae refuses to let go of his gangster way, and teams up with a local madame who has powerful political connections. These two unlikeliest partners begin buying up paddy fields in Gangnam before they become the new hub city of Korea. When a rival gang gets the wind of this plan, Jong-dae meets his foe – it’s none other than Yong-gi.
Movie Review:
Gangnam Blues is set in the 1970s, with political corruption and power struggles over the land in Gangnam as the backdrop of the movie. The story revolves around Jong-dae (Lee Min-ho) and Yong-gi (Kim Rae-won), two good friends who grew up together since young in an orphanage. They led their lives in poverty and depended on their jobs as ragmen, but they were forced out of home when it got demolished for redevelopment. At a spontaneous involvement with a local gang to sabotage a political rally, they got separated in the chaos. This became a significant turning point for both Jong-dae and Yong-gi as they began leading separate lives.
After Jong-dae’s loss of his only 'kin', Yong-gi, he pledged his loyalty to the gangster's leader and got accepted like family. Years later, the leader stepped down from power and while maintaining honest business on the surface, Jong-dae continues to be involved in 'dirty business' to pay off debts. His greed for land and money then grew exponentially after he began partnering a rich madame (Kim Ji-soo), who has powerful political connections, on obtaining the land at Gangnam. In the midst of these underhand businesses, he reunited with Yong-gi at an unexpected encounter, only to find out that he had been working for the rival gang. Each of them, motivated by their selfish motives and greed, the vie for power, land and money leads them down a tragic path.
Like many movies built on the corruption in bureaucracies, the story is a little complicated and confusing. The upper hand was never permanently on one party and was constantly shifting because of Jong-dae and Yong-gi's exchanges behind the scenes. Eventually when one of the gangs rose in greater power with the backing of strong political influence, the odds changed again when Jong-dae unraveled Yong-gi's doings. However, the story didn't just end there and took a twist. Albeit the very last arc to the story was a bit rushed, the overall narrative of the movie was interesting and engaging.
In terms of the action sequences, Gangnam Blues had several scenes of gang violence and crossfires. One of the scenes that had the gangs head-on at an abandoned warehouse was particularly exciting. The terrain was rather unusual, having heaps of wood shavings which significantly slowed down movement. Having fast feet no longer guarantees an advantage as wit and creativity was more required in such a terrain. However, some of the action scenes do still appear too organized and 'clean'. The ways of the Korean gangsters also can't match the brutality and viciousness of the Hong Kong mafias or Japanese yakuza.
Gangnam Blues is characteristically Korean, meaning that it gave a heavier focus on the drama and melodramatic scenes. Lee Min-ho was undoubtedly the star of the movie. Although he debut at a tender age of 16, it was not until the Korean remake of Boys Over Flowers that he garnered more attention. First for the appearance, but he has now proven that he has more than just that good physique. His acting has improved over the years, and also successfully shed away the pretty boy image. His recent leading roles in television drama series City Hunter and The Heirs have proven this point too.
Gangnam Blues’ satirical ending definitely made quite an impact. Jong-dae’s chilling words, ‘I’m already a dead man’, coupled with the look of desperation, also made Lee Min-ho’s first major movie debut a memorable one.
Movie Rating:
(A film that brings us back to the interesting backdrop of 1970s Gangnam, and a melancholic tale between two sworn brothers that is sure to leave an impression)
Review by Tho Shu Ling
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Director: Paul Schrader
Cast: Lindsay Lohan, James Deen, Nolan Gerard Funk, Amanda Brooks, Gus Van Sant
RunTime: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: R21 (Sexual Scenes and Nudity)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/TheCanyonsITA
Opening Day: 22 May 2014
Synopsis: Notorious writer Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho) and acclaimed director Paul Schrader (writer of Taxi Driver and director of American Gigolo) join forces for this explicitly erotic thriller about youth, glamour, sex and surveillance. Manipulative and scheming young movie producer Christian (adult film star James Deen) makes films to keep his trust fund intact, while his actress girlfriend and bored plaything, Tara (Lindsay Lohan), hides a passionate affair with an actor from her past. When Christian becomes aware of Tara's infidelity, the young Angelenos are thrust into a violent, sexually-charged tour through the dark side of human nature.
Movie Review:
Lindsay Lohan is probably the only reason how this pretentious melodrama got made in the first place. Once a promising Disney star whose ‘The Parent Trap’ remains one of the best teenage performances we have seen, Lohan has since become a punch line for a generation, a real example of just how fame and celebrity at too young an age can screw up such a talented person’s life. It makes somewhat sense therefore that Lohan’s attempt at a big-screen comeback would be in a tale about young, vapid and sexually insatiable Z-listers in Hollywood, the parallels with that of her own life perhaps not entirely coincidental.
To be fair to Lohan, the movie is indeed better with her presence than if without. Despite looking bored and distracted at times, Lohan reveals a vulnerability to her character Tara - though one suspects that the tired, worn-out look on her face isn’t just about playing Tara. Lohan tries even to go as far as to follow the undressed code of the film - topless for women, full frontal for men - but that bit of skin she does show makes you feel even sadder for an actress who has since become the stuff of instant tabloid fodder than about any real showmanship.
Lohan however isn’t the reason why you should stay away from this Paul Schrader film. The once brilliant screenwriter of such classic dramas as ‘Raging Bull’ and ‘Taxi Driver’, Schrader assumes the helm of a script by Bret Easton Ellis, the novelist of ‘American Psycho’ and ‘Less than Zero’ who finds stories in spoiled, morally bankrupt people with too much money on their hands. Though both have penchants for subjects such as pornography and prostutition built around existential loners on the margins, their first collaboration together is no more than glossed-up soap opera nonsense that hardly rings anything more than a false note.
It isn’t just about the fact that the characters are unlikeable; Ellis just doesn’t dig deep enough into his characters, so much so that their actions and motivations lack plausibility. Indeed, it’s not entirely clear just what drives the decadent trust-funder Christian (adult star James Deen), who’s attached to Tara, likes to find participants to join himself and Tara in multi-party sex, and then goes effin’ jealous when he suspects that Tara may be seeing someone behind his back. Neither is it clear just why this someone, a struggling actor named Ryan (Nolan Funk), proclaims that he is so in love and obsessed with Tara and yet is also having sex with Christian’s voluptuous yoga teacher Cynthia (Tenille Houston).
Without any compelling characters, the misanthropic behaviour makes even less sense, so whether is it lying, cheating, spying, indulging in mind games, or even psychotic behaviour, the results are merely prurient and dour. In between, Schrader intersperses his characters’ morally repugnant ways with shots of Sunset Boulevard that tries to say something about the insipid nature of the people which inhabit the strip, but there’s only so much depth that one can try to find in a bad pulpy novel. There is apparently some metaphor about the death of cinema that the shots of shuttered movie theatres which bookend the movie is meant to say; yet again, the significance of it is likely to be lost in a movie which can’t quite figure out just what it wants to say as well.
And like we said right at the start, ‘The Canyons’ exists only because of Lohan. For the uninitiated, it was also funded as a micro-budget under a Kickstarter campaign, though those who gave money for it to be born will hardly find any justification for its existence. It exists best as a reminder of just how far Lohan has fallen, and there is a real sadness watching the actress looking every mile she has driven herself etched on the lines of her face. The movie? Well, let’s just say it belongs in the canyons.
Movie Rating:
(Vapid and pointless like the lives of the characters it tries to portray, this attempt at a psychological melodrama is only good if you haven’t gotten enough of Lindsay Lohan in the tabloids)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Drama/Sports
Director: Tay Ping Hui
Cast: Ian Fang, Chua Sen Jin, Michael Lee, Lim Shengyu, Ng Hanbin, Jack Choo, Na Guangzi, Wang Shuo, Zhuyan Manzi, Bernard Tan
Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins
Rating: PG
Released By:Golden Village Pictures & Clover Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 19 June 2014
Synopsis: To boost the standard of Singapore basketball, Long, a magnate and known figure in the basketball scene decided to fund the import of young talents from China, hoping to reinvigorate the sport in Singapore and create the next Yao Ming. Away from home the first time, the young squad of Chen Hang, Shaohua, Dadi, Xiaodi and Gao Ming have to overcome many challenges while integrating into Singapore, both on and off court. Junhui, born and bred in Singapore, does not see eye to eye with his foreign teammate Chen Hang. Apart from the vast difference in height and basketball skills, there is also a stark difference in their sense of identity and belonging.
Movie Review:
There hasn’t been a true blue sports movie from Singapore for a while, and picking up the gauntlet is actor Tay Ping Hui, who makes his directorial debut with the basketball-themed drama ‘Meeting the Giant’. As far as such genre movies go, it isn’t half bad, not least for the fact that Tay had picked a relative cast of unknowns made up of real-life basketball players to play the key roles in his film; but if authenticity isn’t the issue, didacticism is, in particular in what it has to say about the import of ‘foreign talents’ into Singapore’s sporting scene.
With a story credited to veteran Channel 8 actor Zhu Houren (credited here as Jack Choo) and written by YES 93.3 FM deejay Danny Yeo, the preachy film attempts to echo the Government’s call to look past the xenophobia and appreciate just what these individuals can contribute to our society - which, according to Yeo, is the ability to uplift the quality of our game. After all, that is what captain Wu Junhui (Chua Seng Jin) learns following his encounter with the titular character Chen Hang (Delvin Goh), who is mockingly called Yao Ming thanks to his height.
Turns out that Junhui’s father is more savvy than the young boy himself - he manages a new team of players from China funded by a wealthy businessman (played by Choo), and as Junhui tags along to observe the rest of the exclusive team play, he begins to realise that there isn’t quite any need for the animosity and mistrust that he had for Chen Hang in the first place. Not only do each one of them including Chen face adjustment issues from being away from their families, these “foreign talents” are also made to endure the cynicism of their Singaporean counterparts, who are none too welcoming to whom they perceive as squeezing out opportunities for locals.
And just like that, Tay wades squarely into the hot-button issue of locals versus foreigners, a deeply evocative one that manifests itself both on and off the court as he expands the story beyond Chen to include that of his fellow teammates - He Xiaodi (Ian Fang), He Dadi (Lim Shengyu), Wang Shaohua (Michael Lee) and Gao Ming (Ng Hanbin). From a storytelling perspective however, adding more characters ends up diluting the initial focus, moving past Junhui’s budding friendship with Chen Hang to a token romance between Shaohua and the coach’s daughter Zhang Fang (Zhuyan) as well as to the sibling rivalry of Xiaodi and Dadi who wind up on opposing sides.
To be fair to Tay, he does a fairly competent job keeping the narrative flowing, but the fluid pacing can’t quite mask the shortcomings of Yeo’s script, which flits from character to character without developing any of them fully. For that reason too, we don’t blame the newbie actors, who approach the material with as much confidence as they can muster - at the very least, they look utterly convincing playing their respective parts on the court, which is already saying a lot. Neither do we fault the dubbing, which hey actually makes more sense than hearing the Singaporeans try to imitate a China Chinese accent as befitting the nature of their characters.
Where Tay does stumble is in adopting a heavy hand for the emotional scenes, and a good case in point is how he milks Chen’s sendoff when he leaves Singapore for home. He also ends up pushing the film’s central message in straightforward moralistic fashion, and while the intentions are admirable, his execution could do with a lot more finesse. He does however prove much more fleet-footed as a director when it comes to the on-court action, which provides some energetically choreographed sequences that are nicely spliced together to give a genuine sense of excitement.
Were it merely an inspirational sports drama, ‘Meeting the Giant’ would probably benefit from sharper story and character development; as it is, the multiple characters end up taking too much time away from each other, so much so that no particular one resonates as much as it should. Tay deserves praise for taking on as provocative an issue as foreign import, but his handling of the delicate subject matter could certainly do with a lot more nuance. It’s still a promising debut though, and as far as local sports movies go, this is certainly one of the better ones we’ve seen.
Movie Rating:
(A promising directorial debut for actor Tay Ping Hui, who boldly takes on the local-versus-foreigners issue in a basketball-themed drama that packs some exciting on-court action)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Director: Soi Cheang
Cast: Aaron Kwok, Feng Shao Feng, Bruce Law, Zanilia Zhao, Xiao Shen Yang, Lin Chi Ling, Gigi Leung, Liu Tao, Kingdom Yuen
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 16 February 2018
Synopsis: On the conflict-packed journey to the West, Wukong (Aaron Kwok), Bajie (Xiao Shenyang), Sha (Him Law), and Xuanzang (Feng Shaofeng) accidentally enter the Womanland of Western Liang, a mysterious country where no men have ever existed. The Queen (Zhao Liying) falls for Xuanzang at first sight, without knowing what love is, thinking she could be ill with the incurable lovesickness. The Preceptor (Gigi Leung) warns her that men are all poisonous creatures and orders to kill Xuanzang and his disciples. The Queen helped the four to flee, however, Xuanzang, Bajie and Sha drank the water from the Motherhood River without knowing that will cause them to be pregnant. Wukong tries to save the three, meanwhile Xuanzang gradually loses his stand and starts falling in love with the Queen. The trespass of the four men agitated the God of River Oblivion (Lin Chi-Ling), who breaks the peace of the Womanland; the whole nation is flooded in a fury and puts it at risk of total destruction. Will Xuanzang choose to love an individual or all the other sentient beings? How will Wukong fight to subdue the River God and rescue his master and brothers out of their trouble of love? How will the Queen and the Preceptor save their people from this crisis?
Movie Review:
Though Stephen Chow’s ‘Journey to the West’ series has been the more buzzed-about one in the last few years, director Soi Cheang has been studiously building up his own ‘Monkey King’ franchise. The first chapter, which boasted a spirited turn by Donnie Yen as the titular Wukong who defied Chow Yun Fat’s Jade Emperor, was nonetheless a huge disappointment because of its stilted storytelling and laughable CGI; but the sequel, which saw Aaron Kwok take over the golden staff (pun intended) with a more low-key but also more nuanced performance, was a marked improvement that benefited generously from Gong Li’s devilish turn as the White Bone Demon. Not surprisingly, Kwok has agreed to reprise his role in this third chapter, although this time round he’s been reduced to no more than a supporting act.
Whereas most, if not all, ‘Monkey King’ films have played on the dynamic between Wukong and his master Xuanzang, Cheang and his writer Wen Ning have placed the focus this time on Xuanzang (Feng Shaofeng) alone. Stumbling upon a kingdom populated only by women after an encounter with an unfriendly River God (revealed later on to be a vengeful god played by Lin Chi-ling), Xuanzang falls in love with its Queen (Zhao Liying), thereby presenting him with an apparent conundrum whether to forsake his religious calling to love all mankind. But perhaps more crucially, Xuanzang and his companions – Wukong, the pig demon Bajie (Xiao Shenyang), and the blue-skinned sand demon Wujing (Him Lo) – have to first escape execution directed by the kingdom’s Empress Dowager-like Madam Perceptor (Gigi Leung), who is adamant that men are the worst poison to their kind.
Alas their attempt to escape is thwarted by an invisible, magical net around Womanland, though it’s not difficult to guess that the key to penetrating the spell is none other than true love itself. It’s also not difficult to guess that Xuanzang and the Queen will eventually discover that secret by their love for each other – a love that will quite literally see them ‘through the sun and rain’, as the couple are banished from the kingdom and forced to endure both elements in a wooden boat out at sea. Besides testing the mettle of their relationship, the voyage will also clarify Xuanzang’s choice between the love of one (wo)man or the love of all sentient beings; although his decision should be obvious to most viewers, since it will take a lot of gumption for this movie to attempt a completely revisionist take on Wu Cheng’en’s classic, and you can probably guess that it isn’t nearly that bold.
To his credit, Cheang does undertake some brave moves for a Mainland-centric film. For one, its notion of a female-only land seen against China’s male chauvinistic society is progressive to say the least, especially given its people’s extremely dim and fatalistic view of the male gender. For another, it handles the subject of abortion with a certain cavalier, and some would say careless attitude – after his companions accidentally drink from a fertility spring known as the Motherhood River, Wukong approaches a cross-dressing hermit in the Miscarriage Cave to obtain its tears to terminate the unwanted pregnancies. And for yet another, it depicts an unrequited lesbian romance between a mortal and an androgynous spirit that at its most audacious has a scene with Gigi Leung and Lin Chi-ling locking lips.
But perhaps its most shocking move is to attempt a genre switch in this third chapter, that turns what used to be an action fantasy into a fantasy romance. Oh yes, if it isn’t obvious by now, there are hardly any epic battle scenes to speak of; in fact, there are just two – one in the middle with two big scorpions, and the other right at the end with the bitter River God threatening to drown the entire Womanland. Whereas its predecessors took pride in crediting Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung as action directors, there is no one explicitly mentioned in that role here, which is just as well given how underwhelming these two sequences play out. Diminishing the amount of action in the film also further reduces Wukong’s significance – after all, he is Xuanzang’s bodyguard – and gives Kwok even less to do, and the same can be said of Bajie and Wujing too.
That is ultimately a pity, because these unlikely travel buddies have established quite some chemistry. Indeed, two of the most amusing scenes in the movie are thanks to their witty banter – the very opening scene that sees them making their way down a gentle river (before being rudely interrupted by the aforementioned River God) sees some funny back-and-forth about who had taken away Wukong’s pants while he was bathing; and their very first attempted escape from lock-up in Womanland, as well as their subsequent interrogation, is a riotous hoot what with Wukong’s impudence, Bajie’s flirtatiousness and Wujing’s masculinity on full display. Tempering cheekiness with conscience, Kwok has also revealed himself to be quite a fine Wukong, and sidelining his character here inadvertently makes the film much duller.
While it is understandable why Cheang has decided to make this third chapter tonally different from the earlier two, ‘The Monkey King 3’ is a lot less entertaining as a result. Its philosophical musings about true love are not quite so insightful, but more crucially, it hardly gives its more charismatic performers enough screen time. It may have seemed a timely choice given the momentum and publicity that the female empowerment movement has gathered of late to adapt the quartet’s misadventures in Womanland for this movie, but in the grander scheme of their ‘Journey to the West’, this is at best an interesting sidenote and at worst an unnecessary detour. The ending hints at a fourth instalment set to tell the more well-known Fiery Mountain episode – and on hindsight, the franchise should probably have simply gone straight there than bothered to stop over here.
Movie Rating:
(Less an action fantasy than a fantasy romance, this third chapter of Soi Cheang's 'Monkey King' franchise sidelines its titular character as well as the mismatched travelling quartet in favour of Xuanzang's love conumdrum - and ends up being much less because of it)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Director: Lasse Hallstrom
Cast: Helen Mirren, Manish Dayal, Om Puri, Charoltte Le Bon, Amit Shah, Farzana Dua Elahe, Dillon Mitra, Aria Pandya, Clément Sibony
RunTime: 2 hrs 2 min
Rating: PG
Released By: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Official Website: http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/films/the-hundred-foot-journey
Opening Day: 28 August 2014
Synopsis: In "The Hundred-Foot Journey," Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) is a culinary ingenue with the gastronomic equivalent of perfect pitch. Displaced from their native India, the Kadam family, led by Papa (Om Puri), settles in the quaint village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in the south of France. Filled with charm, it is both picturesque and elegant - the ideal place to settle down and open an Indian restaurant, the Maison Mumbai. That is, until the chilly chef proprietress of Le Saule Pleureur, a Michelin starred, classical French restaurant run by Madame Mallory (Academy Award-winner Helen Mirren), gets wind of it. Her icy protests against the new Indian restaurant a hundred feet from her own, escalate to all out war between the two establishments - until Hassan's passion for French haute cuisine and for Mme. Mallory's enchanting sous chef, Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), combine with his mysteriously delicious talent to weave magic between their two cultures and imbue Saint-Antonin with the flavors of life that even Mme. Mallory cannot ignore. At first Mme. Mallory's culinary rival, she eventually recognizes Hassan's gift as a chef and takes him under her wing. "The Hundred-Foot Journey" abounds with flavors that burst across the tongue. A stimulating triumph over exile, blossoming with passion and heart, with marjoram and madras, it is a portrayal of two worlds colliding and one boy's drive to find the comfort of home, in every pot, wherever he may be.
Movie Review:
Movies about food can’t go wrong – from the classic Babette’s Feast (1987) and the luscious Like Water for Chocolate (1992), to the loveable Ratatouille (2007) and the recent Chef (2014), there’s something about seeing food on screen which makes it impossible for you to dislike the film. Here, throw in extra ingredients of the award winning Helen Mirren (the 69 actress has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards and two Cannes Film Festival accolades), a likeable Indian family and a gastronomic mix of classy French food and flavourful Indian cuisine, you’ll get a feel good movie peppered with laughs, love and all rounded feel good vibes.
The American comedy drama movie based on the novel of the same name by Richard C Morais, tells the story of the Kadam family who seeks asylum in Europeafter their family restaurant ends up being destroyed by a mob upset over an election dispute. There, the father of the family clashes with Madame Mallory, proprietress of a celebrated French restaurant after he opens his eatery nearby. Things change when an undeniable chemistry causes the somewhat uptight Madame to take in the Indian patriarch’s gifted son to be a chef under her wing.
Director Lasse Hallstrom is no stranger to food movies, having helmed Chocolat (2000) starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. The Swedish filmmaker is also apt at making feel good movies, considering his filmography which includes The Cider House Rules (1999), Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009) and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen(2011). His latest work is no different as he relies on food to carry the story, creating luxurious cooking scenes that will satisfy any fans of food TV programmes. He also uses food to make a statement on how modern fine dining may be nothing more than a trend. This is complemented by screenwriter Steven Knight’s (Dirty Pretty Things, Eastern Promises) effortless attempt at weaving between the story’s cross cultural clash and novelist Morais’ fascination with food.
Besides food, the 122 minute movie is also gives viewers an opportunity to gawk at the scenic French countryside. The setting is the perfect place for romance – watch as the Madame’s helper and the patriarch’s son chat their way to falling in love in the postcard worthy backdrops, while bantering about food, of course.
Mirren, who received a damehood for services to performing arts in 2003, is a terrific actress. The admirable artiste needs little effort to cement both the good and bad in her character, and is a joy to watch as usual. She is matched by Om Puri (East is East, Gandhi), a veteran actor who has appeared in hundreds of Bollywood productions. The supporting cast of Indian actors Manish Dayal, Amit Shah and Farzana Dua Elahe give decent performances as well.
This movie exudes easy charm and has an unforced natural elegance. While it moves at a predictable pace, it does what it’s supposed to do – making you enjoy a movie filled with pleasant characters, terrific looking food and a heartwarming message that the world is a nice, fuzzy place to live in.
Movie Rating:
(Pleasant characters, sumptuous looking food and a warm, fuzzy message makes this movie an enjoyable watch)
Review by John Li
Genre: Family/Comedy
Director: Miguel Arteta
Cast: Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner, Dylan Minnette, Ed Oxenbould, Kerris Dorsey, Megan Mullally, Jennifer Coolidge, Bella Thorne
RunTime: 1 hr 21 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 4 December 2014
Synopsis: Disney’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” follows the exploits of 11-year-old Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) as he experiences the most terrible and horrible day of his young life—a day that begins with gum stuck in his hair, followed by one calamity after another. But when Alexander tells his upbeat family about the misadventures of his disastrous day, he finds little sympathy and begins to wonder if bad things only happen to him. He soon learns that he’s not alone when his mom (Jennifer Garner), dad (Steve Carell), brother (Dylan Minnette) and sister (Kerris Dorsey) all find themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Anyone who says there is no such thing as a bad day just hasn't had one.
Movie Review:
Ever felt that there was a day was so bad, it seemed like nothing could be worse? The day before Alexander Cooper’s (Ed Oxenbould) 12th birthday would be hard to beat. After being rudely woken up, he finds out that the school’s most popular boy is holding a birthday party on his birthday, sets his crush’s science notes on fire, and gets gum in his hair, just to list a couple of unfortunate events. It probably did not help that his family was having a wonderful time amidst his woes, while Alexander stuck out as a sore thumb, as usual. To feel better, Alexander made a birthday wish that everyone else could understand how bad his day was – and no prizes for guessing what happened the next day.
Despite having a name like that, Alexander’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day does not disappoint in terms of the number and magnitude of unfortunate events, taking the Murphy’s Law to the extreme. Surprisingly enough, the script displayed restraint, with few of the events being made unbelievable and exaggerated, a common pitfall for movies trying to elicit a few laughs.
Introverted children would identify with the precocious Alexander, the middle child who finds himself unable to match the extroversion of his elder siblings Anthony and Emily (Dylan Minnette and Kerris Dorsey respectively), while his parents Ben’s and Kelly’s (Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner) attentions are now dedicated to their work and newborn child. Oxenbould’s performance as the titular character does tug at your heartstrings, if nothing else. However, in comparison, Anthony is a much funnier character, being able to get the audience rooting for him, even when he was an over-confident narcissist. Perhaps it was his stereotypical cheerleader, social butterfly girlfriend.
Jokes aside, the movie is heart-warming when it should be, with the family being a central theme. No matter how career-focused Ben and Kelly appear to be, they are only trying to better provide for their family. The family also makes it a point to support each other during school events and personal milestones, good and bad. A family that endures bad days together, stays together indeed.
The movie also does a nice job of showing how unimportant the problems faced while growing up are, as everything will come to pass. In the end, it was the adults’ problems had to be resolved by some kind of deus ex machina, with them miraculously getting what they wanted for their career. Thankfully, despite the cliché ending, it was mercifully short and the family gets to live happily ever after.
Movie Rating:
(As expected of Disney, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a feel-good movie targeted at the young, and surprisingly entertaining for their accompanying parents)
Review by Goh Yan Hui
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'X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST' LIVE IN SINGAPOREPosted on 15 May 2014 |
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Richard Madden, Stellan Skarsgård, Holliday Grainger, Sophie McShera, Derek Jacobi, Helena Bonham-Carter
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 12 March 2015
Synopsis: The story of “Cinderella” follows the fortunes of young Ella (Lily James) whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother. Eager to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShera) into the family home.
But, when Ella’s father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family. Finally relegated to nothing more than a servant girl covered in ashes, and spitefully renamed Cinderella, Ella could easily begin to lose hope. Yet, despite the cruelty inflicted upon her, Ella is determined to honor her mother’s dying words and to “have courage and be kind.” She will not give in to despair nor despise those who mistreat her. And then there is the dashing stranger she meets in the woods.
Unaware that he is really a prince, not merely an apprentice at the Palace, Ella finally feels she has met a kindred soul. It appears her fortunes may be about to change when the Palace sends out an open invitation for all maidens to attend a ball, raising Ella’s hopes of once again encountering the charming Kit (Richard Madden). Alas, her stepmother forbids her to attend and callously rips apart her dress. But, as in all good fairy tales, help is at hand, and a kindly beggar woman (Helena Bonham-Carter) steps forward and – armed with a pumpkin and a few mice – changes Cinderella’s life forever.
Movie Review:
It has been some time since a fairytale has been told like it is. Compared to films that provide alternate storylines to otherwise classical fairytales (i.e Into the Woods, Maleficient, Hansel and Gretal: Witch Hunters), Cinderella is a film that sticks closely to the original story.
Told like the fairytale that it is, Cinderella begins its “Once upon a time” with young Ella (Eloise Webb), a child brought up in a well-to-do family in a peaceful kingdom. The epitome of “Happy Ever After”, Ella and her family led a picture-perfect life until the death of her mother. Bearing her mother’s parting words, “to have courage and be kind”, Ella (Lily James) grows up to be a beautiful maiden who believes in the goodness of others.
Things took a turn, however, when her father passes away shortly after marrying the window Lady Tremaine (Cate Blanchett). Jealous of Ella, Lady Tremaine immediately reduces her to the role of a servant – forcing Ella to serve her and her two dense and untalented daughters, Anastasia (Holiday Grainger) and Drizella (Sophic McShera). Life would have continued as such should Ella have not met the mysterious but charming apprentice, Kit (Richard Madden), in the woods. Captivated by her beauty and personality, Kit – who turns out to be the Crown Prince– decides to invite all the maidens in the kingdom to a ball in order to see Ella once again. Despite the invitation, Lady Tremaine still prevents Ella from attending the ball, that is, until the appearance of Ella’s ditzy fairy godmother (Helena Bonham Carter). Aided by her fairy godmother’s magic, Ella attends the ball like a princess, but with a catch: When the clock strikes twelve, the spell will end and all will revert back to normal.
Being a fairytale that is familiar to the young and old across the globe, Cinderella may come across as a mundane piece to its audience. With its mild plot and even milder protagonist, Cinderella is really a Disney film designed for children who do not mind watching films on repeat.
As usual, Helena Bonham Carter performed adequately as the whimsical “bibbidi-bobbidi” fairy godmother, creating light moments in the otherwise bland film. Although James does a convincing job as the titular character, it is Blachett’s Lady Tremaine who steals her thunder. In fact, one aspect of the film that is much appreciated is the portrayal of Lady Tremaine as more than just a cruel, jealous stepmother. Instead, Lady Tremaine’s jealousy stems from the realization that she would never compare up to Ella’s mother, making her a character that is deserving of the audience’s sympathy.
Contributing to Blanchett’s character is also three-time Oscar winner costume designer, Sandy Powell. In comparison to Ella’s softer, pastel-coloured dresses, Lady Tremaine and her girls are often shown donning gowns with darker colours and sharper edges. The amount of effort (and money) put into costume design can be seen in Ella’s ball gown and the unbelievably sparkly glass slippers. Though not breathtaking, the special effects in Cinderella should also deserve a special mention. After viewing scenes of Ella’s makeover, one can really see how films have come a long way since Walt Disney’s 1950 animation of Cinderella.
While director Kenneth Branagh’s faithful treatment of the fairytale should be applauded, it must be noted that the film essentially becomes a rehash of a story we are all familiar with. Despite Blanchett’s wonderful performance and despite the amazing costume design and special effects, Cinderella is still a mundane film that will be underwhelming to those who expect more.
Movie Rating:
(A beautiful rehash of a story we are familiar with, Cinderella is a family-friendly Disney film that kids would enjoy)
Review by Leng Mong
One of the most pleasant surprises in 2010 has to be John Powell’s score for How To Train Your Dragon. Who would have thought that a Dreamworks animation score could bring us soaring to such (pardon the pun here) great heights? Powell’s work earned him his first Academy Award nomination (he lost to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ The Social Network, shucks!), and countless glowing reviews from critics.
The English composer is back to score the sequel to the movie, and the 68 minute album is thrill to listen to. Kicking off the fun is “Dragon Racing”, which brings back familiar themes from the first soundtrack. If you’re a fan of cues like “Forbidden Friendship” and “Test Drive” from the first movie, this four minute track will impress you. “Together We Map The World” takes on a softer approach (probably some bonding between Hiccup and Toothless), before “Hiccup The Chief/ Drago’s Coming” brings up the adrenaline level. The choir is prominently featured in tracks like “Toothless Lost” and “Should I Know You”, adding a touch of grandiose to the music.
Things chug along with following cues like “Losing Mom/ Meet The Good Alpha”, “Stoick Finds Beauty” and “Flying With Mother”, which occasionally weave in familiar themes from the first movie. You get the feeling of flying in the skies with the story’s protagonists, whilst the Celtic inspired orchestration ring through your ears.
This soundtrack’s highlight has to be the six minute “Battle Of The Bewilderbeast”. The thunderous action cue takes you on a enthralling adventure with its rich sound and grippingly riveting arrangement. The action continues with “Hiccup Confronts Drago”, before a bittersweet “Stoick Saves Hiccup” tries its best to move you with its tender melody. The score section of the soundtrack comes to a rousing close with “Toothless Found” and “Two New Alphas”, which also feature some affectionate moments. Sigur Ros frontman Jonsi also returns (he performed the end title track “Sticks and Stones” from the first soundtrack) to belt out “Where No One Goes”, a fitting conclusion to this highly recommended soundtrack album.
ALBUM RATING:
Recommended Track: (12) Battle Of The Bewilderbeast
Review by John Li
When we first heard American singer songwriter Lana Del Rey’s cover of “Once Upon A Dream” earlier this year, we were blown away. If you are familiar with the original 1959 version, you’d know what we mean. The new take on the dreamy love song is overhauled with a darker, moodier tone. Del Rey was picked by Angelina Jolie (who does a brilliant job at portraying Maleficent) to perform the end title track, and her haunting vocals are bewitchingly alluring, we couldn’t wait to hear what composer James Newton Howard would do for the movie’s score.
Newton Howard had done some fantastic work for Disney (2000’s Dinosaur, 2001’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire and 2002’s Treasure Planet), and we were really looking forward to this one. Maybe it’s because we were expecting the film to be a sinister and dark take on one of Disney’s greatest villains, we thought the score would be one evocative experience as well.
Turns out that Disney kept the movie family friendly – same goes for the score. There are about 70 minutes of Newton Howard’s compositions in this album (we rarely get this generous amount of score material in a single CD these days), and like the Academy Award nominee’s (2004’s The Village, 2008’s Defiance) previous works, the music on this soundtrack will impress you with its bold and sweeping themes.
Kicking off the CD is “Maleficent Suite”, a seven minute cue that brings together the score’s main themes. It starts on a foreboding note, transits into fairy tale like lightness, and swells into a spectacular arrangement of emotional grandiose. “Welcome to the Moors” is a sweet elfish piece of melody, “Maleficent Flies” soars with an uplifting mood, while “Battle of the Moors” gives you an idea of the action cues that are to come later in the soundtrack.
The American composer continues to tell the story musically with varied tracks like the affectingly solemn “Go Away”, the tension filled “The Christening” and the sinister “The Spindle’s Power. Elsewhere, the tale is weaved together through cues like the action packed “Path of Destruction”, the gloomy “The Curse Won’t Reverse” and the romantic “Phillip’s Kiss”.
The highlight of the soundtrack is the eight minute “Maleficent Is Captured”, a gloriously arranged piece played during the film’s climatic battle. The concluding score track is “The Queen of Faerieland”, a calm and gentle composition that reminds you Disney’s wholesome branding.
ALBUM RATING:
Recommended Track: (21) Maleficent Is Captured
Review by John Li
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