SYNOPSIS: On a mission to save his world, SpongeBob SquarePants is headed to ours for the first time ever! When pirate Burger Beard (Antonio Banderas) steals the secret recipe for the beloved Krabby Patties, SpongeBob and friends come ashore to bring back the missing formula. To succeed, they must team up with former rival, Plankton, but soon realize that to defeat a super-villain, they must unleash their inner superheroes.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Only the lost of a secret burger recipe in Bikini Bottom can turned the place into a terrible wasteland. Of course it won’t happen in the real world. Even without McDonalds, we still have Carl’s Jr.
Very much in tune with the television series, The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water retains all the wackiness and frenetic pacing to entertain loyal fans and the entire family.
The crazy pirate aka pirate Burger Beard seen in the opening credits of the cartoon series is given a story to work with and he is played by Antonio Banderas. By making use of a magical book, Burger Beard is able to steal the secret formula of the Krabby Patties. Chaos ensued and Spongebob and Plankton must join hands to bring back the recipe using an outrageous self-built time machine before the apocalypse destroyed Bikini Bottom.
The movie has its fair share of zany gags and characters, imagining meeting a magical dolphin whose job is to oversee the cosmos and a bunch of goofy seagulls that loved to sing. That being said, the story is simply too random and freewheeling to keep an adult invested after an hour or so. Fortunately, the filmmakers saved the best for last – a climatic chase that turned the flat 2D cartoon characters into CGI interacting with live-action backgrounds and fighting against Banderas.
Personally, I think it’s the live-action sequence that saved the entire movie. It’s an absolute blast watching our favourite Spongebob, Patrick and Mr Krabs turning into supeheroes and as weird as it sounds a far more worthy viewing experience than Avengers 2.
Do we seriously need a live action/hybrid Spongebob movie? The answer is a yes and a no. The world will definitely be happier after watching the newly created CGI Spongebob in action. On the other hand, you won’t stand to lose much even if you missed this wild outing.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The filmmakers and voice actors talked about the story, characters, 2D and 3D animation techniques in Spongebob Squarepants: Out Of His World.
A 9 minutes feature that has the voice actors (Tom Kenny, Bill Faggerbakke, Clancy Brown and more) discussing about their childhood dreams and voice acting in When I Grow Up, I Want to Make Funny Sounds.
Watch how Antonio Banderas transform into a crazy pirate in Becoming Burger Beard
A behind-the-scene segment on how they create the finale chase in Making the Burger Mobile Chase Sequence
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Images and colours are top notch. The picture gets better and better especially with the live-action sequences. Audio quality is another winner with lots of well-defined ambient effects and rich weighty surrounds.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Despite being bullied by her stepmother and stepsisters, a spirited Ella refuses to despair or retaliate choosing instead to honor her mother's last words: "Have courage and be kind". Then one day, she meets a remarkable, like-minded man in the woods and she resolves to take charge of her fate in hopes of seeing him again. Add a royal ball, a Fairy Godmother and an enchanted glass slipper and suddenly- magic becomes reality!
MOVIE REVIEW:
Kenneth Branagh has progressively tackled material from Shakespeare to Superhero to Super spy and now fairy tale. Not a bad career move for the Brit actor and director who is known for his wacky turn as Professor Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter.
Helming from a script by Chris Weitz (About A Boy), Branagh never detract much from the original 1950 Disney animation unlike a certain Maleficent. Cinderella still maintains familiar characters liked the evil stepmother, the two hare-brained stepsisters, fairy godmother and the handsome prince and of course, a magical spell that only lasts until midnight.
Even for a straight guy liked me who doesn’t crave for a pair of Swarovski glass heels and a noble, die-hard romantic prince, you can’t help being pulled into Disney’s well-staged, old-fashioned retelling of the classic fairytale. Maybe it’s partly because of the amazing wardrobe designed by Oscar winner Sandy Powell. Or maybe it’s because of Lily James’ earnest portrayal of the young woman who suffered under the hands of her stepmother played by the equally incredible Cate Blanchett.
For older fans who lost it when Princess Elsa unleashed an eternal winter on her kingdom in Frozen, fret not, Cinderella is not going to mysteriously possess magical power to turn a pumpkin into a golden carriage. She still has her wacky fairy godmother (Helena Bonham Carter, the number one actress to call if your script calls for an eccentric character) to turn mice into horses and a goose into a coachman.
Cinderella works mainly because it plays it straight instead of reworking the entire concept to fit with modernization and current society expectations. The production values as expected from Disney are lavish and classy. The stars are stunning and no doubt both the young and old are going to love this gorgeously shot tale. Now you know why Disneyland still has lots of young girls dying to dress up as princesses.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Ella’s Furry Friends is a short segment that showed us how the animals wrangler handle the geese, mice and chickens that are seen in the movie.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Dialogue is clear while directional effects especially in the second half of the movie is enveloping and earth shattering. Images are clean though at times unnaturally looking and these are likely due to the CGI heavy enhancement during postproduction. Still, Cinderella looks beautifully enough on the small screen.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Nicky is a seasoned master of misdirection who becomes involved with novice con artist Jess. As he’s teaching her the tricks of the trade, she gets too close for comfort and he breaks it off. Three years later, Jess - now an accomplished femme fatale—shows up in Buenos Aires during the high-stakes race-car circuit throwing Nicky off his game in the middle of his latest dangerous scheme.
MOVIE REVIEW:
It’s always nice to see Will Smith back on the screen again. For some reason or other, he is just not as active on the screen in recent times after the failure of his dramedy, Seven Pounds.
But hey, the Fresh Prince is back in his usual confident, smooth criminal persona and this time, he is playing a seasoned con man named Nicky. His job it seems is to run a syndicate that specialized in pickpocketing, thieving and swindling. He is mostly cool, detached until he met a beautiful woman, Jess (Margot Robbie) and falls head over heels for her. Sensing he is quickly losing his focus, Nicky unceremoniously dumped her until three years later, he met Jess again in the midst of a major con job.
Because Nicky is setup as a con man right from the start, you never know when the guy is telling the truth even to Jess or his trusted ally, Farhad (Adrian Martinez). The script by directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa keeps things on the edge but mostly, it’s slick and fluffy. Perhaps it’s the casting of the very hot Margot Robbie that gives off such a sexy vibe or Smith’s charisma that had us believing this is more of a rom-com than a heist movie.
Alongside Smith and Robbie, we have Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro (300: Rise of An Empire) who plays a billionaire motorsport team owner who hire Nicky to trick a fellow competitor. The problem is Santoro is not given much screentime for his character and he ends up being in the role of the obligatory villain. Meh.
Nevertheless, those expecting Focus to be in the league of Ocean’s Eleven will sorely be disappointed. It does have its fair share of surprises and a couple of crude jokes courtesy of Martinez’ character but Ficarra and Requa pulled off one twists too many and you just doesn’t buy how they conveniently manage to pull off the con job in the end. It’s not exactly smart writing but Smith and Robbie’s sizzling chemistry certainly helps to distract the focus. Just sit back and enjoy the game.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
8 minutes of Deleted and Extended scenes make up the sole extra feature in the DVD.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Visual presentation is solid with beautiful black levels and a saturated color palette. Dialogue is clear for a talky movie though there are occasional flashy sound and ambient effects.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Ciaran Foy
Cast: Shannyn Sossamon, James Ransone, Dartanian Sloan, Robert Sloan
Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Horror and Violence)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 20 August 2015
Synopsis: The sequel to the 2012 sleeper hit horror movie. In the aftermath of the shocking events in “Sinister,” a protective mother (Shannyn Sossamon of “Wayward Pines”) and her 9-year-old twin sons (real-life twins Robert and Dartanian Sloan) find themselves in a rural house marked for death as the evil spirit of Buhguul continues to spread with frightening intensity.
Movie Review:
Many a horror sequel fail to live up to the legacy of its predecessor because it is content to simply do the same thing over again and/or try to compensate for that familiarity by over-doing on cheap jump scares. Thankfully, ‘Sinister 2’ isn’t that kind of sequel. As much as it places yet another family in a creepy old house with a past, there are more than enough new elements that differentiate it from the original, while at the same time remaining thematically faithful to the earlier Scott Derrickson film that was regarded as one of the better horror films of its year.
Derrickson doesn’t return to direct this sequel, but he and C. Robert Cargill again assume writing duties here. Given the fate of Ethan Hawke’s character at the end of ‘Sinister’, the duo has wisely chosen to leave his character to rest; instead, it is James Ransone’s Deputy So & So who makes a comeback, the former deputy who had previously assisted Hawke’s Ellison Oswalt now himself obsessed over such similar cases. Indeed, the erstwhile police officer has been tracking houses which were scenes of grisly murders accompanied by the disappearance of the families’ youngest, and his own investigation has since brought him to a rural farmhouse where a mother is taking refuge with her two sons from her abusive husband.
Unbeknownst to her, the older twin Dylan (Robert Daniel Sloan) has been seeing several ghosts of young children around the house, who conspire every night to get Dylan to sneak to the basement and watch snuff movies recorded on Super 8 film of them killing their entire families. If Dylan doesn’t cooperate, they promise that his nightmares won’t go away – or that the demon by the name of Bughuul would be very, very upset. Their intentions only become clearer much later on, and without spoiling the surprise, let’s just say that it has to do with some sibling rivalry between Dylan and his much more impetuous younger brother Zach (Dartanian Sloan).
Although casting the accursed family as a protective mother and her twin sons might seem a convenient way of appealing to audience sympathy, there is a much more ingenious reason for the conceit. Those who have seen the first movie will recall the twist near the end where each unfortunate family meets their end only after moving from a previous scene of murder to a new residence; as it turns out, Courtney (Shannyn Sossamon) is particularly inclined to moving away whether by force or volition once she is found by her husband Clint (Lea Coco) . That adds a frisson of urgency to the deputy’s quest to find out more about Bughuul before her inevitable move, a personal mission which also puts him directly in evil’s way.
Whereas the earlier movie was told largely from Ellison’s perspective, Derrickson and his substitute Ciaran Foy opt not just to observe the proceedings from Courtney’s point of view but also that of Dylan’s, especially as the latter is repeatedly seduced by the seemingly innocuous exhortations of Bughuul’s ghost kids. At the same time, reinstating the former’s offbeat supporting character into this narrative also provides a perfect opportunity to explore the mythology of Bughuul, in particular a vital clue left behind by Professor Jonas (Vincent D’Onofrio) whom Ellison had previously consulted that points to the demon’s modus operandi from more than four decades ago.
At no point do the writers nor Foy sacrifice proper storytelling for convenient scares, and aside from the unsettling moments that are meant to make you squirm (or jump) in your seat, there is a surprisingly well-developed narrative that keeps you on edge. The former however should not be under-estimated, as Foy shows more gumption than Derrickson by upping the shlock factor of the found footage – one shows an entire family being electrocuted by their son while seated in a pool of water in their kitchen, another shows a separate family buried in the snow to die of hypothermia, but the most shocking of all is that which takes place on the grounds which Courtney had moved into, which sees the family of a church minister and the minister himself being burrowed alive by rats trapped on top of their stomachs under a bowl on which rests a piece of hot coal.
Even without its predecessor’s benefit of surprise, ‘Sinister 2’ packs plenty of suspense as it unravels the origins of Bughuul while demonstrating in detail just how each one of the missing children is exploited to recruit his very next victim. Like we said at the beginning, this sequel proves superior than most others of its ilk by being much more than just a retread of the original while showing an impressive restraint against jump scares. It doesn’t hurt that it also boasts a gripping story which builds to a strong finish that reinforces the malevolence of the children who have fallen prey to Bughuul’s devilish charms. Yes, it is a more than worthy sequel all right, and one that most certainly lives up to its title.
Movie Rating:
(The rare sequel that lives up to the legacy of its predecessor, ‘Sinister 2’ offers gripping suspense while amping up the shlock for a genuinely unnerving experience)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Romance/Drama
Director: Zhang Hao
Cast: Liao Fan, Tang Wei, Sophie Su, Fang Fang, Tao Liu
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
Rating: PG13 (Brief Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website:
Opening Day: 23 July 2015
Synopsis: As FANG YUAN (TANG Wei) prepares for her marriage, she begins to develop doubts as the words of a fortune teller from years past echo in her mind--her fated lover will be a man named SONG KUNMING (LIAO Fan). As fate would have it, Fang receives a call from her fiancé’s high school classmate, telling her that he can’t come to the wedding because he’s on a business trip in Italy. To her great surprise, the classmate’s name is none other than Song Kunming. Believing that destiny is calling, Fang takes a leap of faith and suddenly flies to Italy in search of her fated Song. Produced by legendary director, FENG Xiaogang, and based on the classic 1994 US film, ONLY YOU, is a charming and funny romantic-comedy where two hearts come together--as long as they follow their destiny.
Movie Review:
More often than not, the words “rude”, “rowdy” and “coarse” would have come to your mind when you see a group of Mainland Chinese tourists while you are on holiday. Now how about this, the very gorgeous Tang Wei (Lust Caution, The Golden Era) and the very macho Liao Fan (Let the Bullets Fly, Black Coal Thin Ice) serenading the streets and countryside of Milan and Florence, Italy. Would you still think negative thoughts of Mainland Chinese?
Ah, that’s how reel life works so differently from real life. Here, Tang and Liao star in the remake of Norman Jewison’s 1994 romance comedy Only You, starring Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr. While it is an odd decision to select this not very known title to give it an Asian twist, one cannot doubt the star power of the Zhang Hao directed movie. Tang and Liao are two very big names in the the Chinese market, and it is definitely a commercial business decision for production company Huayi Brothers to select this movie as its first project to be financed through its new US arm. The fluffy comedy is already showing in the States, and it would be no surprise if it reports decent box office takings.
Newcomer director Zhang is backed by the established Feng Xiaogang as the movie’s producer, and he presents one picturesque postcard image after another in the 114 minute movie. Tang plays a bride to be who flies to Italy in search of the true love who goes with the name “Song Kun Ming”, as told to her by her fortune teller. In the foreign land, she is supposed to hunt down her fiancé’s high school classmate played by Liao, who, presto, has the exact name “Song Kun Ming”. Things take a little turn as this man isn’t who he is supposed to be, and viewers are taken on a tour of the painting worthy landscapes in Italy.
You have to admit the story isn’t anything to shout about, and you know the two protagonists will come together before the end credits run (the production company wouldn't have allowed a riskier ending), but you are glued to your seats, thanks to the lovely chemistry between the two leads. Tang and Liao probably know they don’t have much to work on with the thin storyline, but they banter along and keep audiences adequately entertained.
Things don’t hurt with the pretty backdrops either. The tourist board would have been pleased with the cinematographer’s work on this movie, as it brings out the best of Milan and Florence. Couples who want an experience as magical and the stars should start checking out tour packages.
When you step out of the theatre in real life, you can only hope there’s that someone out there who’s your true love. It would be a bonus if he or she is waiting for you in a place with breathtakingly beautiful landscapes. How good looking the two of you are, that’s something we can’t really help with.
Movie Rating:
(There isn’t much of story in this formulaic rom com, but the stars’ charm and the locations’ picturesque backdrops make up for it)
Review by John Li
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BOOK REVIEW #12: SLEEPLESS IN HOLLYWOOD - TALES FROM THE NEW ABNORMAL IN THE MOVIE BUSINESSPosted on 04 Jul 2015 |
SYNOPSIS: From Paul Thomas Anderson and Thomas Pynchon, it's the tail end of the psychedelic '60s and paranoia is running the day from the desert to the sea of sunny Southern California. With a cast of characters that includes surfers, hustlers, dopers and rockers, a murderous loan shark, the FBI, LAPD detectives, a tenor sax player working undercover, a group of Beverly Hills dentists and a mysterious entity called The Golden Fang, everything's gone from "groovy" to "where you at, man?" in what seems like a matter of moments. So when private eye Doc Sportello's ex-old lady Shasta Fay shows up at his door with a story about her current billionaire land-developer boyfriend and his wife and his boyfriend... well it all starts to get a little peculiar after that. Maybe you'll just want to see the movie?
MOVIE REVIEW:
You are probably gonna get a throbbing headache after watching Inherent Vice unless unconventional is something you craved. But because it is a Paul Thomas Anderson movie and stars one of Hollywood’s weirdest talents, Joaquin Phoenix, you will likely be coax on a hippie ride with these guys.
Based on a book by postmodernist author Thomas Pynchon, Inherent Vice is a warped, at times funny outing involving a private investigator “Doc” Sportello (Phoenix). It’s intentionally confusing as well so it’s best to equipped oneself with a tiny notebook to scribble down the bits and pieces of details.
For a start, “Doc” is tasked by his former girlfriend, Shasta Fay Hepworth (Katherine Waterson) to help prevent her current billionaire boyfriend from being locked up in an asylum by his wife and lover. However, before you know it, “Doc” has taken on a second case, a bad debt between the Black Guerrilla Family and Aryan Brotherhood. To further escalate the convoluting plot, “Doc” is then hired by an ex-drug addict; Hope (Jena Malone) to look for her missing husband, Coy (Owen Wilson).
One thing leads to another. Numerous subplots appear before you even know it. And the narrative quickly transformed into a challenge to follow not to mention countless of oddballs characters cruising in and out of Doc’s world. What the hell is The Golden Fang? Who is this sex craving pedophile dentist, Dr Rudy Blatnoyd (Martin Short)? Basically it’s not really a whodunit affair; it’s more of a whatisit?
Even repeated viewings might not guarantee an understanding of the entire plotting. But you can’t deny the latest outing from Anderson is both kaleidoscopic and looney. Add to it a parade of stars which also include Josh Brolin as Detective “Bigfoot”, Benicio del Toro as Doc’s lawyer and Reese Witherspoon as a district attorney and you have one of this year’s most sizzling and befuddling movie. Or if you prefer, this is bold filmmaking in progress.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
As fanciful as they sound, Los Paranoias, Shasta Fay and The Golden Fang are just trailers. The only exception is Everything in this Dream which is a deleted scene.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Audio in general is excellent. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the DVD transfer especially when the scenes calls for some low-end muttering from the characters. One of the very few movies that are shot on film these days, Inherent Vice is showcased beautifully by the cinematographer and for a lack of a better word, excellent.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Ringo Lam
Cast: Louis Koo, Shawn Yue, Tong Liya, Joseph Chang, Simon Yam, Jack Kao, Michael Tse, Sam Lee, Yuen Qiu, Philip Ng, Philip Keung, Jazz Lam, Wang Xuebing, Ma Yuke, Tam Ping Man
Runtime: 2 hrs
Rating: NC-16 (Violence and Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw and Clover Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 20 August 2015
Synopsis: When former cop-turned-bar owner T-man Kwok (Louis KOO) befriends a drunken woman at closing hours (TONG Liya), they soon find themselves targeted both by her former lover—a high-powered Hong Kong attorney—and the thugs (CHANG Hsiao-Chuan) he employs. Once Kwok’s underachieving half-brother (Shawn YUE) and a suitcase full of tainted cash enter the picture, the chase turns deadly, with the brothers’ tense family history coming to the surface as Kwok finds himself torn between the triads and his former police colleagues.
Movie Review:
Ringo Lam’s first feature in 12 years sees the Hong Kong auteur deliver the final part in a thematic trilogy that began with the Chow Yun-fat starrer ‘City on Fire’ in 1987 and continued with ‘Full Alert’ in 1997. Written and directed by Lam, ‘Wild City’ is firmly moulded in the filmmaker’s socially conscious instincts and expressed through its lead protagonist T-man (Louis Koo), who observes in the opening reel how money is the root of all evil that contaminates people’s dreams, conscience and even sense of justice. Indeed, despite being a disgraced cop who now runs his own bar, T-man is the only morally righteous individual in the whole story, driven instead by loyalty to his family, including his mother Mona (Yuen Qiu) and his hot-headed cab-driving step-brother Chung (Shawn Yue).
Lam places T-man and Chung unwittingly in the path of a lawyer George (Michael Tse), a spoilt-brat young tycoon (Ma Yuke), and a closely-knit band of Taiwanese gangsters led by King (Jack Kao) and his lieutenant Blackie (Joseph Chang) after rendering an act of kindness to a drunk woman named Yan (Tong Liya), who happens to be George’s ex-girlfriend. Turns out that Yan has in her possession a briefcase full of cash and gold from a hotelier who plans to use it as a bribe to obtain a gambling license in Macau, and besides stealing the money from the bad guys, has personally offended the tycoon by resisting his advances in a hotel room and knocking him up badly on the head. Not that we’re being cynical, but you’ll probably be hard-pressed in real life to find such Good Samitarans like T-man and Chung willing to put themselves in harm’s way.
Besides contending with these nefarious individuals, T-man and Chung also have to deal with a local triad led by Sam Lee and T-man’s former police colleagues (played by Simon Yam, Philip Keung and Philip Ng in supporting roles). Their game of cat-and-mouse plays out entirely in Hong Kong, and sans a short refuge on Lamma Island, pretty much unfolds thoroughly along the city’s thoroughfares. Just as his earlier two movies, Lam’s script here is densely plotted but never convoluted, and part of its pleasure is watching T-man slowly unravel and untangle the intricate web of crime and deceit. There is a salient point that Lam is trying to make about money and corruption – which he drives home in a none-too-subtle moment right at the end when a stray bullet hits a Themis statue and shatters its balance scales – but the moralising comes off a little hollow.
Instead, what registers is the mayhem that Lam wroughts onto Hong Kong’s multiple-lane highways, pedestrian underpasses and downtown back alleys. Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, Lam practically defined the urban crime drama genre with his kinetic action sequences, and the years since has not dulled his sensibilities one bit. The fight scenes – whether by knife or firearm or a combination of both – are visceral and captivating, while the vehicular chase sequences are specifically designed and filmed to put you right up close into the centre of destruction. The old-school car mayhem is signature Lam all right, and fans of his earlier classics like ‘Full Contact’ will be glad to know that he has lost none of his flair nor derring-do in keeping it raw and real, with some able assistance from Ross W. Clarkson’s fluid camerawork and David M. Richardson’s tight editing.
There is no doubt that ‘Wild City’ is a solid return to form for Lam after more than a decade’s hiatus, but there is also no dismissing a faint waft of disappointment. Competent though it may be, there isn’t anything particularly innovative like the ‘bullet-eye view’ that he pioneered in ‘Full Contact’. The action isn’t memorable in and of itself, and the finale seems a little too brief and low-key. Lam’s script also lacks the rich symbolism of the earlier two entries in his trilogy, and in turn misses the opportunity to tease out an analogy about these clashing representatives from three disparate parts of the so-called ‘One China’ crossing paths. Rather, Lam goes for safe and familiar territory by pontificating about money and its ills, and while Lam’s usual isn’t a bad thing at all, neither does it add much to his oeuvre.
Notwithstanding, Lam continues to be blessed with committed actors, and here Koo and Yue’s dedication to their roles is evident from start to finish. That is something notable especially for Koo, whose prolific nature also means that he tends to phone it in every now and then. There is a palpable sense of brotherhood between the two lead actors, and it is an invigorating dynamic that more than capably sustains the character work required of the narrative. In a somewhat less developed role, Chang is nevertheless compelling as the unhinged baddie with utter disdain for the rule of law, especially after one of his own is accidentally killed by T-man.
Thanks to these familiar elements, Lam’s ‘Wild City’ isn’t a missed shot; rather, this gangster neo-noir is more than an appropriate capper to his gritty trilogy that he started close to three decades ago. Both thematically and stylistically, Lam doesn’t miss a beat, and fans should be thrilled that his combination of intricate plotting and kinetic action feels just as exhilarating here. Yes indeed, if Ringo Lam’s familiar will do, ‘Wild City’ feels as if Lam never left in the first place.
Movie Rating:
(A solid return to the gritty crime dramas that he was known for, ‘Wild City’ boasts Ringo Lam’s signature blend of kinetic action and intricate plotting)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Drama
Director: Abel Ferrara
Cast: Gérard Depardieu, Jacqueline Bisset, Drena De Niro, Paul Calderon, Paul Hipp, Pamela Afesi
Runtime: 2 hrs
Rating: R21 (Sexual Scenes and Nudity)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website:
Opening Day: 16 July 2015
Synopsis: Mr. Devereaux is a powerful man. A man who handles billions of dollars every day. A man who controls the economic fate of nations. A man driven by a frenzied and unbridled sexual hunger. A man who dreams of saving the world and who cannot save himself. A terrified man. A lost man. Watch him fall.
Movie Review:
You probably have no idea how controversial this French American drama film is. After all, aren’t we all consumed by news that are closer to home, like train breakdowns, a train commuter standing up for a fellow local’s rights against a foreigner, and whatever events that are trending on social media? Elsewhere in the world, there are other seemingly larger scale happenings going on.
How much do you know about The People of the State of New Yorkv. Strauss Khan, a 2011 criminal case relating to the allegations of sexual assault and attempted rape made by a hotel maid against Dominque Strauss Khan, a French economist, lawyer and politician? Did you know that the 66 year old was the managing director of the Internal Monetary Fund (IMF) since September 2007, until his resignation in May 2011 following the allegations of the abovementioned case?
This ill informed reviewer didn’t know either, until he read up on the case after viewing this movie co written and directed by Abel Ferrara (Body Snatchers, Bad Lieutenant). Inspired by the Dominique Khan affair, the protagonist in the film is Devereaux, a powerful politician who is a possible candidate for the Presidency of France. The film chronicles his downfall when he is arrested after being accused of raping a maid at his hotel.
You see, like what we’ve expected of powerful people, they often lead lives that they don’t want the public to know of. In the film, you see Devereaux indulging in a life of debauchery. Expect to see scenes depicting oral sex and threesomes involving prostitutes, and frequent use of coarse language. Breasts and male frontal nudity are in place as well – hence the R21 (Sexual Scenes and Nudity) consumer advice from the regulatory board. You see, things are not so pretty behind the scenes.
Shown at a private beach screening instead of the official programme at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, this two hour film is not an easy watch. Kudos to leading man Gerard Depardieu (Parisje t’aime, Life of Pi) for taking on this role of a controversial personality. The veteran, a recipient of two Cesar Best Actor awards, a Golden Globe Best Actor award, has garnered critical acclaim for the countless films he has starred in, including several big budget Hollywoodproductions. Here, he fearlessly plays a man who is so hungry in his quest to stay on top, so seemingly indestructible, yet so lonely and is in desperate need of recovery.
Depardieu’s leading lady Jacqueline Bisset (Swing, Save the Last Dance 2) plays Devereaux’s wife, who is based on Strauss Khan’s former wife, a popular French journalist Anne Sinclair. The scenes between the two are achingly poignant to watch, and may leave viewers reflecting on how deeply entrenched in complications we all are, struggling every day to stay afloat to be ‘normal’.
As you’d expect, a film like that will come face to face with lots of trouble. Strauss Khan himself has stated that he would sue for slander following the release of the film in Francelast year. Director Ferrara has also claimed that there is an unauthorised R rated version sold for distribution in America. Amidst the controversies, this is a recommended film if you are a fan of human drama, and the darker sides of human nature that polished Hollywoodblockbusters shun away from.
Movie Rating:
(The controversial film may not be an easy watch, but its explorations of the darker sides of human nature, as well as the bravado performances by Gerard Depardieu and Jacqueline Bisset are well worth your time)
Review by John Li
Genre: Drama
Director: Hou Hsiao Hsien
Cast: Shu Qi, Chang Chen, Zhou Yun, Tsumabuki Satoshi, Ethan Ruan, Xu Fan, Ni Da Hong, Yong Mei, Lei Zhen Yu, Hsieh Hsin-Ying, Sheu Fang-Yi, Jacques Picoux
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Shaw
Official Website:
Opening Day: 10 September 2015
Synopsis: 10-year-old general’s daughter Nie Yinniang is abducted by a nun who initiates her into the martial arts, transforming her into an exceptional assassin charged with eliminating cruel and corrupt local governors. One day, having failed in a task, she is sent back by her mistress to the land of her birth, with orders to kill the man to whom she was promised - a cousin who now leads the largest military region in North China. A slave to the orders of her mistress, Nie Yinniang must choose: sacrifice the man she loves or break forever with the sacred way of the righteous assassins.
Movie Review:
One thing’s for sure – the latest work by famed Taiwanese auteur Hou Hsiao Hsien won’t make a killing at the local box office. Sure, the leading figure of Taiwan’s New Wave cinema may have a huge following back home, but this reviewer doesn’t think his signature approach of using long shots and minimal dialogue to tell a story will go down very well with local audiences. This probably has got to do with the differences in history, culture and our familiarity with movies that feed viewers with obvious answers, but it’s a topic to be addressed on a separate occasion.
Hou, known for classics like 1989’s A City of Sadness (the Golden Lion winner at the 1989 Venice Film Festival stars a very young Tony Leung as a deaf and mute man), 2001’s Millennium Mambo (recipient of the Technical Grand Prize at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival) and 2003’s Café Lumiere (a homage to Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story), took home the Best Director Award at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival for his first foray into the wuxia genre.
It is probably inevitable then, to compare this 106 minute film with fellow Taiwanese filmmaker Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). Other than having well known actors to headline the production, these are two very different films.
Hou’s fans would know what to expect – this slow burning film takes its time to unfold the story of Yinniang (Shu Qi), a killing machine brought up by her mentor (Sheu Fang Yi). After a failed attempt to kill one of her targets because he was with his young son, Yinniang is tasked to kill the man she was betrothed to, as a form of training to harden her feelings. Tian Ji An (Chang Chen) is the target, a powerful leader in the state of Wei Bo. Somewhere along the mix, there is a jealous wife (Zhou Yun), a pregnant concubine (Hsieh Hsin Ying), a righteous guard (Ethan Ruan) and a idealistic young traveler (Tsumabuki Satoshi).
On paper, the story sounds like one which features webs of deceit, lots of bickering and tons of melodrama. Again, Hou knows better than to feed his viewers what they can probably get on TV. He paints human relationships with a palette of colours, breathtaking mis en scene that nothing less than perfect and a often distancing camera placement that makes you feel like you are but an observer.
There are many ways to read the film, but what’s more amazing is how you will be paying attention to the details in every scene, thanks to Hou’s regular director of photography Mark Lee Ping Bing’s masterful cinematography shot on 35mm film. The film opens with a black and white prologue, and the transition to bright colours in the next scene is a smart visual method to advance the story.
There is much to admire in the film, with credit going to editor Huang Chih Chia for the steadfast pacing, production and costume designer Hwarng Wern Ying for the elaborate setups, music composer Lim Giong for the unsettling score and sound designer Tu Duu Chin’s spot on depiction of the surroundings.
Shu and Chang have co starred in Hou’s Three Times (2005), and the yearning between their characters in this film is exasperatingly affectionate. The two Taiwanese stars manage to anchor themselves in an otherwise sparse film, thanks to Hou’s direction.
There are lots to talk about and discuss in this gem of a film, and we highly recommend viewers to put away all expectations of clarity and closure while watching this piece of art, and take time to appreciate the wondrous possibilities of what this film has to offer.
Movie Rating:
(The slow burning film is a gem, and while it may alienate some audiences, Hou’s award winning work is one to be appreciated like a finely crafted piece of art)
Review by John LI
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