Genre: Romance/Drama
Director: Wilson Yip, Matt Chow
Cast: Louis Koo, Sammi Cheng, Francis Ng, Julian Cheung, Charmaine Sheh, Amber Kuo Tsai Chieh, Oceane Zhu, Liu Jun Xiao, Kenneth Ma, Kong May Yee Elena, Remotigue Joventino Couto, Mark Ma, Liao Jingsheng
RunTime: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Clover Films and GVP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 19 February 2015
Synopsis: Young pilot Branson (Louis KOO) recently takes over Skylette, his father’s aviation empire, only to realize his old flames Cassie (Charmaine SHEH) is a flight attendant there. Several years ago, he was forced to break up with her and move to New York to take care of his father's business. To this day, the two continue to harbor feelings for each other but decide to keep them bottled up.
In an effort to rebrand the airline, Branson invites rock idol TM to star in an upcoming commercial and appoints Sam (Fransic NG) as her flying consultant. Incongruent in both tastes and experience, this odd couple gets off on the wrong foot. As the shoot progresses, however, they slowly discover each other's merits, developing a strong mutual attraction.
Jayden (Julien CHEUNG) has left Skylette Airline to become a pilot for private jets. He meets the young and vivacious Kika (KUO Tsai Chieh) during a flight and assumes her to be wayward and shallow. But they turn out to have a lot in common and start falling madly in love. At the height of their romance, Jayden realizes almost too late the secret behind her recalcitrance…
Each of the three relationships comes with its own setbacks. As long as one can accept the imperfection of things, finding happiness—however fleetingly—is a blessing in itself.
Movie Review:
‘Triumph in the Skies’ is one of the prettiest Hong Kong movies you’ll see, but sadly that’s about the only good thing there is to say about it. Based upon the hit TVB series which debuted in 2003 and that took a decade to spawn an equally successful sequel, this big-screen spinoff isn’t a continuation from where the drama left off; rather, it is a tale of three romances, two of which happen to revolve around the series’ leading male characters – the strait-laced and serious-minded senior pilot Captain Samuel ‘Sam’ Tong (Francis Ng) and the caddish and carefree Captain ‘Jayden’ Cool (Julian Cheung). Bearing no relation to the series except for character associations does give directors Wilson Yip and Matt Chow much leeway to take the movie in several different directions, so it is particularly disappointing to realise that they have regarded this as no more than a Valentine’s Day cash-grab.
Whereas the friction between Sam and Captain Cool was one of the key plot elements of the series which immediately preceded this movie, there is nothing of that sort here. Indeed, it is perhaps shocking for fans to note that Ng and Cheung do not share any screen time with each other at all, short of the final reel which sees them and new addition Louis Koo chasing each other around in an airport terminal as if they were all best buds. Instead, as the signature Eason Chan tune ‘Cantabile Years’ opens the movie, we learn that Captain Cool has left Skylette to become a pilot for his friend Thomas’ private jet, which is really just a mile-high clubbing pad for his brother and his posse. It is on his maiden flight that he meets the young and vivacious Kika (Amber Kuo), with whom he develops an immediate emotional connection to.
Sam, on the other hand, remains with Skylette, and has risen among the ranks to become their top Chinese pilot. In the montage of scenes played to the theme song, the Sam we knew from the TV series impresses upon his co-pilot, Roy (Kenneth Ma), the importance of arriving early and preparing for the responsibility of over five hundred people whose lives are in their hands; yet, after he meets the brash, impetuous but endearingly vulnerable rock-and-roll star TM (Sammi Cheng) at a shoot for Skylette’s new aviation commercial, Sam falls head over heels and eventually ignores his very own advice, so much so that he is given as taste of his own advice much later into the movie by none other than Roy himself.
The third and final pair to complete this triptych is pilot-turned-businessman Branson Cheung (Louis Koo), who takes over the helm of Skylette Airlines from his father and is probably the first CEO of a commercial airline to actually be one of its pilots as well. It is Branson who approaches Sam to serve as aviation consultant on the advertisement the company is shooting where the latter meets TM, but Branson’s story is that he had reluctantly broken up with Cassie (Charmaine Sheh) several years ago when his father asks that he move to New York to look after the family business. Cassie so happens to be a stewardess with Skylette now, and while Sam and Captain Cool get to chase after new flames, Branson is busy trying to rekindle an old one, i.e. to convince Cassie to set aside her doubts of him leaving some other day yet again at his father’s beckon and give their love a second chance.
If there seems to be very little about their duties as captains of the skies, that’s because Chow the screenwriter has opted for a bare-bones plot – if there was one to begin with – that doesn’t go much further than their respective romances. Indeed, their occupation seems quite the afterthought here, treated as no more than an excuse to fly them to picturesque locations in London, in particular the city of Brighton. Any drama whatsoever happens only with respect to their romantic partners, and not because of anything that happens in the skies, which come to think of it, really makes the title of the film quite the misnomer. That won’t be so much of a downer if their love stories were more compelling; alas, even in that respect, we are left wanting.
Ng and Cheng have great chemistry - together, but their opposites attract routine doesn’t go much further beyond learning some dance moves and hooking up while on their individual sojourns in London. Cheung and Kuo get slightly more introspection into why they are drawn to each other, but are eventually undone by a tragic turn of events that add little but cliché to their fatalistic coupling. And perhaps the most pointless of them all is Koo and Sheh, who take turns breaking up with each other and getting back together – that is, before (finally!) realising both of them are convinced how much they want each other despite the time-gap and deciding to meet under the same ferris wheel where they had last agreed to split.
Chow’s co-director Wilson Yip seems keenly aware of how little depth there is to the characters or their predicaments, so he makes sure that every single shot in the film is postcard-pretty. He succeeds tremendously, we’ll give him that, and together with an incessant soft-rock soundtrack, creates a dreamy atmosphere that is truly beguiling, at least at the start. Yet there is only so much the beautiful visuals do to distract from the film’s fundamental shallowness, and not even Koo and Sheh making out topless in the pool or chasing each other with shaving cream is enough eye candy to compensate for the frivolity of their romantic in-and-outs.
If you’re looking for no more than a romantic flight of fancy, then this movie version of ‘Triumph in the Skies’ will do just the trick. But everyone looking for anything more will probably come off bored and disappointed, in particular fans of the drama who are used to more substantial plotlines than that which their characters get here. Yes, this big-screen sojourn doesn’t quite take off at all; instead, it seems trapped in its own mush for the entire duration, while straining at every turn to look gorgeous doing just that.
Movie Rating:
(Gorgeous to look at but disappointingly shallow, this big-screen version of the TVB series is no more than a postcard pretty triptych of love stories set against picturesque locations and soft-rock tunes)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: In this thrilling action-adventure based on the best-selling novel, a teenager named Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) wakes up trapped in a massive, ever-changing maze with a group of other boys who have no memory of the outside world. Facing dangerous obstacles at every turn, Thomas must piece together clues he discovers within the maze in order to figure out his true purpose—and find a way out before it's too late.
MOVIE REVIEW:
The Maze Runner marks yet another dystopian teen action flick after The Hunger Games and Divergent to cross the finishing line with impressive box-office results.
However, the largely similar plot whereby good-looking teens rebelling against the higher authority has sadly been overused for the past years and to make matters worse, The Maze Runner offers no worthy exposition and a cliffhanger that throws you with more questions than answers.
In the opening credits, the viewers are introduced to a youth (Dylan O’Brien) who is woken up in a place, enclosed by stonewalls called the Glade. Shortly, we learnt that the youth is named Thomas and for whatever unexplained reasons, the Glade is surrounded by a vast Maze and no one has successfully attempt to escape. Deadly gigantic electro-robotic creatures dubbed the Grievers roam the Maze by the way if you are curious why the attempts failed.
As expected, Thomas believes there’s a way to escape the Glade not without facing oppression from the existing guys especially Gally (Will Poulter), the enforcer of the Gale. Will Thomas manage to escape without being killed by the Grievers or in this case Gally, whoever comes first? And what is the mystery behind the setup?
The Maze Runner is liked the 21st century answer to the Nobel-prize winning novel Lord of the Flies but without the substance and character analysis. Director Wes Ball making his directorial feature here works hard to engage the audiences with some amazing visuals and set pieces which frequently involve some of the boys running around the maze and escaping from the Grievers. Well, it’s no doubt a compelling and terrifying experience since most of action took place at night although it fails to hold any attention when the movie reverts back to the boys and their boring conflicts.
The appearance of the only girl in the entire cast, Teresa (Kaya Scodelario) at the more than halfway mark hardly turns up the notch except being a limp plot device to conclude the first chapter of the trilogy.
As a young adult movie, it more than suffices to entertain. It’s generally well executed and featured a likeable cast. The only down point is if you are not a fan of the books by James Dashner then the notion of another post-apocalyptic movie (that doesn’t explained a lot) might just turned you off.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The extras include Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Wes Ball with also an Audio Commentary by Wes Ball and Co-screenwriter T.S. Nowlin which makes for a casual listen and a pretty pointless Still Galleries.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 served up a nice mix of ambient sound effects and surround activity while visually, The Maze Runner looks amazingly sharp on DVD even during the movie’s night scenes and moments of peril in the dark.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Brendan Gleeson delivers “a truly sensational performance” (Total Film) in this darkly comic tale of murder and morality from acclaimed writer-director John Michael McDonagh (The Guard). Father James (Gleeson) is a good priest who feels sinister forces closing in after being threatened by a mysterious parishioner. As he continues to comfort the troubled members of his community, including his own fragile daughter (Kelly Reilly), Father James begins to wonder if he will have the courage to face his own personal Calvary
MOVIE REVIEW:
Depending on individual taste and patience for religiously theme dramas, your mileage may vary greatly.
According to the Gospel, Calvary refers to the site where Jesus was crucified. In this movie, Irish actor Brendan Gleeson plays Father James, a small-town priest who encounter a confessor who divulge plans to kill him on the following Sunday after admitting he was a victim of sexual abuse by a priest when he was a young boy. Father James is innocent which of course is the answer. The question however remains who is out to kill the Father. In other words come Sunday, will Father James end up at the calvary so to speak?
Director and writer John Michael McDonagh crafted a multi-layered drama that speaks anything from humanities to religions to diabolical humor. It’s not easy to sit through Calvary since the movie never proceeds as a clear-cut mystery thriller despite the absorbing opening. McDonagh instead brought out the good natured, sincere character of Father James as he is seen showering his care and help to the various people in this little village.
From the butcher (Chris O’Dowd) whose wife is having an affair with the black mechanic to the lonely millionaire (Dylan Moran) to the Inspector who has a thing for male gigolo to an atheist doctor (Aidan Gillen) to a socially awkward young man, Father James displays his fullest professionalism, though his good intentions are not always reciprocated. The killer might be hiding behind this group of hostile, eccentric characters but that’s not the whole point of McDonagh’s story.
No one is perfect it seems and Father James has a tragic, inglorious past before he entered priesthood. His wife passed away and left behind a daughter whom he seldom gets in touch with. Now his daughter, Fiona (Kelly Reilly) who has been living in London all this while returned to visit Father James after a failed suicide attempt adding on top of the woes the Father is facing.
Apparently, this is a movie that is filled with complex issues and emotions. It also touches on the crumbling faith in everyone’s lives. Calvary never preaches direct in the face and it works tremendously well by showcasing the frail morality of mankind in a subtle manner. Not to mention, Gleeson’s Oscar-worthy performance that got us so immersed in the tale.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
A Matter of Faith takes a look at the various issues faced by Father James.
The Role of a Good Priest features interviews with Brendan Gleeson.
A Father and His Daughter delves into the relationship between Gleeson and Reilly’s characters.
Lastly, a Gallery round up the extras.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The gorgeous Irish setting looks beautiful on DVD, images stunning and detailed. For a talky movie, the Dolby Digital 5.1 is more than sufficient in delivering an immersive listening experience.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: It's the ultimate buddy cop movie except for one thing: they're not cops. Two slackers hatch an outrageous plan to impersonate police officers. Before long, the pair are confiscating chronic, scoring hot babes and recklessly racing through the streets in a squad car they found online. But when they get tangled up with actual mobsters, these fake cops find themselves in hot pursuit of real trouble.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Running 20 minutes too long, Let’s Be Cops is a dumb, juvenile take on the buddy cop genre and also a plain insult to raunchy comedies.
Ryan (Jake Johnson) and Justin (Damon Wayans Jr) are best of friends and roommates struggling to make a living in LA. Now in their thirties, failed football player Ryan is basically a slacker spending his days goofing around with neighborhood kids. Justin on the other hand also has not much luck working as an assistant video game designer. When their cops costume at a school reunion didn’t turned out to be what they thought, the two dudes decide to take their act further when they realized they actually command more attention from everyone when they are in uniform.
You don’t need a doctorate qualification to know that impersonating a cop can land you in deep shit let alone bringing in the whole package including a police car, guns and stuff. But then, Let’s Be Cops is not a movie that questioned about logic. So the script by Nicholas Thomas even introduced a psychotic villain Mossi (James D’Arcy), a crime lord played by Andy Garcia in a cameo and a real cop, Segars (Rob Riggle) putting our two goofy buddies in a real crime setup.
Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr are two talented comedians with undeniable sizzling chemistry though it’s a pity these two aren’t given much solid line to work with. All we have is some random gags, unfunny one-liners and plenty of random chicks to fill the supposedly non-existent punchlines. There’s even a desperate close-up shot of male nudity as if staring at a fat guy’s testicles is actually amusing.
Director Luke Greenfield even resort to do a Bad Boys for the finale with plenty of gunfire and pyrotechnics but that honor already went to Michael Bay. Let’s Be Cops is an unfortunate example of how comedy went complete wrong. If anyone wants a satire on cops and robbers, watch the remake of 21 Jump Street anytime.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Brothers in blue is a standard making of feature that runs at 11 minutes. I can’t figure out why we need two separate audio commentary tracks. But here we are, the first Audio Commentary by director Luke Greenfield and the second Audio Commentary by writer Nicholas Thomas. The DVD also contains a Gallery and Theatrical Trailer.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Overall, Let’s Be Cops looks sharp and nifty on DVD and the Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation is serviceable for the genre.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Lonely bartender Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy) and his hardened employer cousin Marv (James Gandolfini), run a bar that is used as a "drop" - a covert scheme that funnels cash to local gangsters. But when they find themselves caught in a robbery gone bad and on the hook for a debt they can't repay, both men have to make the dangerous choice between loyalty and survival.
MOVIE REVIEW:
The Drop like it’s central character Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy) is a slow-paced crime drama written by Dennis Lehane who is known for his Mystic River and Shutter Island.
Besides Hardy, there’s the late James Gandolfini and a canine. Yes you read that right, a pooch which formed a crucial part of the story and the very reason why Lehane’s original short story is called Animal Rescue.
Bob Saginowski is the ordinary-looking, harmless bartender at Cousin Marv’s, the local neighbourhood pub and together with his cousin Marv (Gandolfini), the duo runs the pub but also operates a drop service for illegal takings. But when Bob picked up an injured dog and after a robbery at the pub, Bob finds himself busy dealing against a threatening small-time crook and protecting his potential love interest, Nadia (Noomi Rapace).
Unlike the typical crime thrillers where characters spout endless vulgarities, involved themselves in bloody gun fights and grisly violence, The Drop is just borderline disturbingly dark unless you include a severed hand in a plastic bag. It’s never loud or sensational in the entire movie duration, trust me the dog never even bark once. It’s a movie that featured mainly moody atmosphere and layered rich performances.
Hardy being Irish is incredibly convincing as the man with a past in the dubious Brooklyn setting. There’s nary a flashback but you can sense in Bob’s eyes that he is a terribly lonely soul with a checkered history awaiting to show his true colors when provoked. Gandolfini as usual is perfect, as the mobster whose glory days have long gone. It’s not a terribly flashy big role but for a guy who got the world’s attention playing a mafia boss, this is a fitting farewell to the actor who passed away shortly after filming has completed.
A character driven crime story that have lonely souls as the main characters, The Drop unlike previous adapted works by Lehane scored mainly because of the actors, those with limited amount of patience should wisely opt out.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
It’s a slow listen but if you keen on more making of information about the movie, tune in to the Audio Commentary by Director Michaël R. Roskam and Writer Dennis Lehane.
Keeping It Real and Making of The Drop are brief segments that contains behind the scenes footages and interviews with the crew and cast.
Making Brooklyn Your Own takes a look at the set and production design.
Rocco the Dog gets his own featurette so we can see how cute he is off camera.
Character Profile: James Gandolfini is a short tribute piece on the late actor.
The DVD also has a Gallery and Theatrical Trailer.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
While The Drop is a dark, moody movie, it doesn’t really affect the visual transfer which looks detailed and amazing. Dialogue which formed a major part of the movie is fine and so are the occasional ambient effects.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
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DRAGON BLADE Singapore Press ConferencePosted on 09 Feb 2015 |
Can music be sexy and seductive? Apparently so, as we found out from this soundtrack album from the much anticipated film adaptation of the erotic romance novel by E L James . We would even go to the extent of saying that the music on this CD running at 61 minutes is way, way better than the movie.
Two singles were released before the launch of the album: The Weeknd’s “Earned It” and Ellie Goulding’s “Love Me Like You Do”. The former, as performed by the Canadian singer songwriter, is a soulfully written track which echoes the, err, pains of love. Check out the steamy music video directed by the film’s director Sam Taylor Johnson featuring the female lead Dakota Johnson. The latter single will go down well with many for its intoxicating sultriness. The radio friendly ballad performed by the always reliable Goulding is the album’s highlight.
Other original music include “Salted Wound”, an alluringly performed track performed by Sia, as well as remixes of Beyonce’s “Haunted” and “Crazy in Love”. With some wine and dim lights, these cues are perfect for a romantic night with your partner.
Other noteworthy songs come in the form of Annie Lennox’s hauntingly mesmerising “I Put a Spell on You”, The Rolling Stones’ easy going “Beast of Burden” and Frank Sinatra’s vintage “Witchcraft”. The compilation also includes two scoretracks composed by Danny Elfman (Batman, Edward Scissorhands), a pleasant surprise for such a commercially driven album.
It is no wonder then, that the soundtrack debuted at Number 2 on the Billboard 200 with sales of 258,000 units (210,000 copies were traditional CDs) in its first week of release on 10 February. It was the biggest multi act compilation soundtrack since 2005’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’ starring 50 Cent. If the planned sequels are going to feature similarly well produced albums, we would be definitely be looking forward to what’s to come.
ALBUM RATING:
Recommended Track: (5) Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding
Review by John Li
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Gil Kenan
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jared Harris, Jane Adams, Saxon Sharbino, Kennedi Clements, Kyle Catlett, Susan Heyward, Nicholas Braun
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins
Rating: PG13 (Horror)
Released By: 20th Century Fox
Official Website:
Opening Day: 18 June 2015
Synopsis: Legendary filmmaker Sam Raimi (“Spiderman,” “Evil Dead”, “The Grudge”) and director Gil Kenan (“Monster House”) contemporize the classic tale about a family whose suburban home is haunted by evil forces. When the terrifying apparitions escalate their attacks and hold the youngest daughter captive, the family must come together to rescue her before she disappears forever.
Movie Review:
If a movie is worthy of a remake, chances are that the remake won’t be regarded as fondly as the original. It’s a paradox no doubt, but one not quite so difficult to understand once one looks at recent remakes of horror classics such as ‘Halloween’, ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacare’ and ’Friday the 13th’. The likelihood of a remake of ‘Poltergeist’ surpassing the Tobe Hooper 1982 original seems even more remote, especially given how the Steven Spielberg co-scripted movie is still frequently regarded as one of the best horror films ever made. Intentionally therefore, this review is written without the bias of the original, and purely on the merits of Gil Kenan’s remake.
As with any haunted house movie, this one opens with a family with kids moving into their new humble abode. Dad is Eric Bowen (Sam Rockwell), and Mom is Amy (Rosemarie DeWitt), a struggling writer who has since accepted her fate as a homemaker. Their three children are six-year-old daughter Maddy (Kennedi Clements), who like the typical kid her age, likes to talk with imaginary friends; middle child Griffin (Kyle Catlett), nervous and jittery most of the time; and bratty teenager Kendra (Saxon Sharbino), who as stereotypes dictate, prefers to stay online with her friends on the phone and IM rather than spend time with her parents or younger siblings.
In a somewhat departure from convention, the Bowen family isn’t dysfunctional – even with Dad recently laid off from his job, they are (almost) the perfect picture of familial bliss. Credit that to Rockwell, who turns a stock character into an engaging father figure, providing welcome bits of comic relief and sharing a nice, warm chemistry with DeWitt. Their three children are also exceptionally well-cast, in particular Catlett and Clements, the former extremely credible portraying Griffin’s anxiety neuroses and the latter with a sweet innocence that builds a great deal of empathy for her character. Kenan doesn’t give much time for the characters to establish themselves before the horrors begin, so thankfully his actors get the roles right from the get-go.
Indeed, Kenan is quick to bring on the scares, so right after the family moves in, Maddy starts talking to her new group of imaginary friends through the TV set, proclaiming that the “lost people” are here. Meanwhile, Griffin notices objects in the house moving about on their own, and while in bed one evening, hears the distinct tinkle of a musical toy before discovering a box of scary clown dolls in the attic. On another fateful evening that Eric and Amy discover a disturbing fact about the history of their house, the same “lost people” abduct Maddy from behind the closet while terrorising Kendra and Griffin, which catalyses the subsequent chain of events to rescue Maddy before she is forever lost in the Light.
Ah yes, the Light. Unlike the Jason Blum haunted houses, the spirits in this one aren’t out to possess the living; on the contrary, playwright-turned-screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire explains Maddy’s abduction as key to their journey towards the Light, her pure spotless soul apparently making her an ideal guide – though we’re not quite sure that the Light refers to the afterlife we commonly associate as Heaven. If the paranormal academic Brooke Powell (Jane Adams) and the reality show ghostbuster Carrigan Burke (Jared Harris) whom she suggests are to be believed, as lost as they are, the spirits which make up the titular poltergeist are also inherently malevolent, so it isn’t that Maddy will get to return after performing guide duty.
Like ‘City of Ember’, Kenan shows his adeptness at manipulating light and shadow on the big screen to create visually compelling images, and Javier Aguirresarobe’s cinematography nicely complements Kenan’s sensibilities. That same rapport is also evident in many of the the film’s tense sequences, which ably build up suspense and audience anticipation before unleashing a ‘boo’ scare. The latter are fortunately exercised with judiciousness, such that Kenan never sacrifices traditional elements of atmosphere and dread for a cheap thrill shock. Yes, the scares are often legitimate and well-earned, which already make this much more respectable than a lot of other films of the same genre.
And yet, as well-executed as it is, Kenan’s ‘Poltergeist’ never really gets under your skin. That’s partly to keep in line with the PG-rated original, but also we suspect because many other subsequent movies that have come in the three decades since have stripped it for parts and made its core elements even more terrifying – just think ‘The Conjuring’, ‘Insidious’ or ‘Sinister’. It’s solid no doubt, and packed with gripping moments, but we suspect modern-day audiences satiated on a diet of haunted house films will find it a tad underwhelming. And for those who remember being terrified by the original, we leave it to you to make your own comparison with this remake – but like we said at the start, you’re probably going to come away disappointed.
Movie Rating:
(A solid, if unremarkable, haunted house chiller that doesn’t live up to the scare standards set by recent genre examples like ‘Insidious’ or ‘The Conjuring’)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Thriller
Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson
Cast: Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, Jennifer Ehle, Luke Grimes, Marcia Gay Harden, Max Martini, Eloise Mumford, Dylan Neal, Rita Ora, Victor Rasuk, Callum Keith Rennie
RunTime: 2 hrs 6 mins
Rating: R21 (Mature Theme and Sexual Scenes)
Released By: UIP
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/fiftyshadesofgreymovie
Opening Day: 12 February 2015
Synopsis: Fifty Shades of Grey is the hotly anticipated film adaptation of the bestselling book that has become a global phenomenon. Since its release, the “Fifty Shades” trilogy has been translated into 51 languages worldwide and sold more than 100 million copies in e-book and print—making it one of the biggest and fastest-selling book series ever. Stepping into the roles of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, who have become iconic to millions of readers, are Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson. Joining Dornan and Johnson in the cast are Luke Grimes as Elliot, Christian’s brother; Victor Rasuk as José, Anastasia’s close friend; Eloise Mumford as Kate, Anastasia’s best friend and roommate; Marcia Gay Harden as Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey, Christian’s mother; Rita Ora as Mia, Christian’s sister; Max Martini as Taylor, Christian’s bodyguard; Callum Keith Rennie as Ray, Anastasia’s stepfather; Jennifer Ehle as Carla, Anastasia’s mother; and Dylan Neal as Bob, Carla’s husband.
Movie Review:
If you’re reading this online review of the highly anticipated movie based on E L James’ wildly popular bestselling novel, it is highly likely you’ve done quite a bit of research on the worldwide web on what to expect the cinema hall becomes pitch black.
You may have heard how Madonna thinks the book is “not very sexy” (the Material Girl wrote “The Book On Sex” after all), or how the movie about a college graduate who begins a sadomasochistic relationship with a dashing young businessman is getting flak from activists for its theme. You must also have read the countless tongue in cheek reviews that have been trending the Internet since the movie opened worldwide to coincide with Valentine’s Day.
And oh, something closer to home has to be how the 126 minute film is left uncut by our friends from the regulation board. Ah, we have been liberated! This is the point where you ask yourself, for such a cash cow, how far would the filmmakers to push the boundaries? Not much, this reviewer thinks.
Sure, there are blindfolds, whips and chains in this sexual relationship based on domination and submission, but did you really think a Hollywoodproduction like this would step into pornographic territories? Judging from the promising box office takings we have heard so far, you wouldn’t expect the movie studio to give up the chance to produce the money making sequels that would be Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. James’ trilogy in print form is a runaway success that has sold 100 million books worldwide, mind you.
And so, despite the much touted 20 odd minutes of sex scenes in this movie directed by Sam Taylor Johnson, everything is actually neatly packaged into a commercial product that will make big bucks at the box office. The story is “blah” at best – Dakota Johnson’s Anastasia Steele meets a mysteriously handsome business magnate Christian Grey (played by a rather bland Jamie Dornan), and the two begin a love story that is drearily tiresome. The girl surrenders to the dude’s requests (hey, if you have a man with a bod like that, wouldn’t you be tempted as well?), and begins to realise that he has some dark and maybe tragic secrets. He is someone who obviously needs therapy, and if you haven’t read the books already, we shall find out how he seeks redemption with the two sequels that follow.
Johnson does not surprise with her portrayal with a somewhat irksome character, and Dornan, while being equipped with good looks, does not leave an impression. What’s left is a alluring soundtrack with tunes performed by artistes like Sia and Ellie Goulding. These point to the fact that this is a commercial piece of work – oh, did we mention that jealousy inducing products featured in the movie?
Just as we thought we got the Twilight franchise out of the way, along comes this feeble attempt to explore a dominant submissive relationship. That said, there’s still no stopping the movie from bringing home the cash. Like you, this writer was dead curious to check out the hype. One conclusion he derived once the credits started rolling though (apologies to anyone who may take this as a sexist remark) – this movie is Twilight with sex, and a chick flick through and through.
Movie Rating:
(And why would people flock to the cinemas to see this movie? Because sex sells.)
Review by John Li
Genre: Comedy
Director: Raymond Wong, Herman Yau
Cast: Louis Koo, Eric Tsang, Teresa Mo, Hans Zhang, Lam Ka Tung, Chrissie Chau, Karena Ng, Ada Liu, Raymond Wong
Runtime: 1 hr 27 mins
Rating: PG (Some Sexual References)
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films & Scorpio East Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 5 March 2015
Synopsis: An unexpected inspector drops by a lavish party of a notable family in order to investigate the suicide of a pregnant girl. This breaks the joy and peace of the party which is meant to celebrate a couple's engagement. Every one claims that he does not know the girl. However, the inspector does find something suspicious there with the help of a diary book and a photo. Astonishing truth is gradually revealed - six of the noble family members are closely related to the girl’s death.
Movie Review:
Instead of sticking to his usual Lunar New Year formula (a star-studded cast + a silly, inconsequential plot), Raymond Wong and his Pegasus outfit decides to turn a 1945 acclaimed British stage play, “An Inspector Calls” into a movie for the New Year crowd.
For a start, you ought to applaud his effort to attempt something new but I doubt you can find anyone that can appreciate this lumbering piece of work.
The rich, prestigious Kau family (Mr and Mrs Kau being played by Eric Tsang and Teresa Mo) is getting ready for an engagement party when a mysterious Inspector Karl (Louis Koo) barges in and accused the family of causing the death of a pregnant girl. Everyone from Mr Kau to his pampered daughter (Karena Ng) to his son (Gordon Lam) and his future son-in-law (Hans Zhang) is suspected of being involved in the crime. Is Inspector Karl telling the truth or is there a conspiracy behind to ruin the Kau family?
The original play is a message about capitalism and socialism and more importantly a scathing critique of the exploitation by the rich. The story brings viewers through a series of fantasized narratives to unravel the mystery behind the tragic young lady’s fate. To be fair, the concept kept the viewers invested and eager for more revelations. Even the actress’ face is concealed throughout to keep the mystery going (she is revealed at the end though).
Regrettably this bravura attempt to turn a somber drama into a comedy by Raymond Wong’s scriber son, Edmond is lackluster and fills to the brim with weak cringing acting. Both directors, Raymond Wong and Herman Yau apparently treat the entire movie as a fluffy comic book adaptation that there’s no point appreciating the deeper messages meant to invoke your emotions. Let’s just say that the end product is nothing like the dark comedy which the filmmakers promised.
The dialogue is totally rib tickling free and people liked Eric Tsang and Pegasus’ regular Teresa Mo can be seen trying very hard to improvise the dialogue into something funnier. Gordon Lam obviously is miscast because he looks nothing or behave liked a spoilt brat. The same goes for Louis Koo. At the very least you need a competent actor to portray the exaggerated detective but he just come across as forced and unnatural. At this point, only a certain Stephen Chow comes to mind. Of all, only Raymond Wong’s kooky performances and Donnie Yen’s cameo are the best things to watch in this supposedly dark comedy.
Conveniently, the theatric setting allows for bare backdrops, outrageous outfits and campy CG effects. Production values are serviceable on the whole and lensing by the late Joe Chan (Yau's frequent collaborator) is impressive given the obvious limitations. It’s mind-boggling why Raymond Wong decides on this material for a Lunar New Year title hence it doesn’t come as a surprise why An Inspector Calls bombed big time in the Mainland and Hong Kong. Did I mention it also meant to end abruptly and open-ended despite all the hoo-ha?
Movie Rating:
(Neither funny nor clever, you can downright ignore An Inspector Calls)
Review by Linus Tee
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