THE ASSASSIN wins big at the 52nd Golden Horse Awards Posted on 22 Nov 2015 Hou Hsiao Hsien's THE ASSASSIN wins big at the just concluded 52nd Golden Horse Awards including Best Director and Best Feature Film. Expectedly, A-listers liked Aaron Kwok and Shu Qi are not one of the happy winners. The rest of the winners include the following: Best Leading Actor: Feng Xiaogang (Mr Six) Best Leading Actress: Karena Lam (Zinnia Flower) Best Supporting Acto ... more

Additional Screenings added for SAVING MR WU Posted on 07 Oct 2015 Due to overwhelming response , we are pleased to inform that Shaw Organization has added additional screenings for SAVING MR WU.Directed by Ding Sheng, starring Andy Lau, Wang Qian Yuan, Wu Ruofu and Liu Ye, the highly acclaimed crime thriller was released in Singapore on 1st October with a total of 11 print count. Last weekend, Shaw Organization has added 2 screenings at Shaw Bugis and Sha ... more

Genre: Drama/Crime
Director: Brian Helgeland
Cast: Tom Hardy, Emily Browning, Taron Egerton, Colin Morgan, David Thewlis, Christopher Eccleston, Paul Anderson, Aneurin Barnard, Tara Fitzgerald, Chazz Palminteri, Adam Fogerty
Runtime: 2 hrs 12 mins
Rating: M18 (Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: http://www.legendthemovie.com

Opening Day: 12 November 2015

Synopsis: From Academy Award® winner Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Mystic River) and Working Title (The Theory of Everything) comes the true story of the rise and fall of London’s most notorious gangsters, Reggie and Ronnie Kray, both portrayed by Tom Hardy in a powerhouse double performance. Together, the Kray Twins take over the city. But as their reign expands, power struggles, fierce madness, and a woman diminishes their bond; the weak link that could cause their empire to collapse. Legend is a classic crime thriller taking us into the secret history of the 1960s and the extraordinary events that secured the infamy of the Kray twins.

Movie Review:

English actors can do no wrong. The latest artiste to prove that is Tom Hardy. We first took notice of him in Christopher Nolan’s 2010 science fiction thriller Inception (did you know the London born actor made his debut in 2001’s Black Hawk Down, and has also starred in the acclaimed war drama miniseries Band of Brothers?), and the following films he starred all showcased outstanding performances.

Bring on any genre for Hardy and he’ll ace it – be it sports drama Warrior (2011), espionage thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), superhero blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises (2012), mobster flick The Drop (2014) or post apocalyptic drama Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), the 38 year old actor has never disappointed.

It may seem gimmicky at first, but you have to watch how Hardy takes on the roles of the infamous Kray twins. We probably aren’t familiar with the English gangsters where we live in, but these two men were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in the East End of London during the 1950s and 1960s. Ronald “Ronnie” Kray and Reginald “Reggie” Kray were no strangers to armed robberies and collecting protection money, amongst the countless arsons and assaults they were involved in. This 131 minute movie is based on John Pearson’s book The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins.

Hardy brings these two very different roles to life. Reggie is the more controlled older brother who has to manage the psychotic behaviour of his younger brother Ronnie, who is depicted as a gay (a very dauntingly macho one, no less) gangster in the film. Through mannerisms and sure handed direction by Brian Helgeland (writer of the multiple award winning LA Confidential and director of the Health Ledger vehicles A Knight’s Tale and The Order), Hardy has a lot to work with here. He doesn’t waste the opportunity to flex his acting muscles, portraying two men who are poles apart, but with the same capability to deliver terror to anyone who opposes them.

The ensemble cast is on top form as well. Emily Browning (Sucker Punch, Pompeii) is Reggie’s wife, Taron Egerton (Testament of Youth, Kingsman: The Secret Service) is Ronnie’s gay partner, Paul Bettany (Mortdecai, Avengers: Age of Ultron) is a leader from an enemy gang, David Thewlis (The Zero Theorem, The Theory of Everything) is the Krays’ business manager and Chazz Palminteri (Hollywood & Wine, Mighty Fine) is an American crime boss.

Although the British crime thriller does not deliver action and entertainment like a Hollywood production, those familiar with English gangster flicks like 1998’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and 2004’s Layer Cake (which Hardy also starred in) will enjoy this movie. The themes of brotherhood and loyalty come through strongly, with a touch of melancholy as Browning’s doomed character narrating the rise and fall of the Kray brothers. And as you’d expect from a British movie, there are moment of dry humour which are a different class from American jokes. Helgeland may not be Guy Ritchie or Matthew Vaughn, but he does deliver a stylised mobster flick that is worth your time.

Movie Rating:

(Great performances from the entire cast, plus a legendary depiction of the infamous Kray twins by Tom Hardy make this British gangster movie a recommended flick to catch)

Review by John Li

Genre: Drama
Director: Barney Cheng　
Cast: Gua Ah Leh, Barney Chen, Michael Adam Hamilton, Love Fang, Tzi Ma, Yvette Mercedes
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Rating: R21 (Homosexual Theme)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures & Lighthouse Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 29 October 2015

Synopsis: Danny and his boyfriend Tate long to have a baby. When Danny's mother, Ma, finds out about his plans she is horrified by the idea to hire a surrogate that would carry her first awaited grandchild. Ma tries to stop Danny, however when she understands that he is determined, she wants to control every aspect of the process. The foursome (Danny, Tate, Ma and The surrogate) must travel thousands of miles to Bangkok for the embryo transfer. The emotionally exhausting journey inevitably evidence Ma unresolved issues about Danny being gay and the non-traditional family that they are starting.

Movie Review:

Not since Lee Ang’s ‘The Wedding Banquet’ slightly more than two decades ago has there been such an honest examination of the struggles of a gay man in Chinese society; as its lead character Danny’s (Barney Cheng) mother says, there are three joys in a person’s life – to get married, to have a child, and to have grandchildren – none of which come easily or naturally to a gay person. Comparisons to Lee Ang’s seminal film isn’t at all coincidental – not only has its writer and director Cheng said that his debut film is meant to be a sequel in spirit, he has also deliberately cast veteran Taiwanese actress Gua Ah-leh from that earlier film here, playing yet again the mother who cannot quite come to terms with her son’s homosexuality.

In a sign of the times, Danny isn’t struggling to come out of the closet; right from the beginning, Cheng makes it clear that he has, and is living happily with his boyfriend Tate (Michael Adam Hamilton) in Los Angeles. Yet his mother, who lives in Taipei, still refuses to acknowledge that in front of friends and relatives, not least because she really, really wants to have a grandchild, so much so that she obsesses over her elder son’s choice of a girlfriend, disapproving of his current partner whom he wants to settle down with because she thinks the girl doesn’t come from an equivalent family background and isn’t smart enough. Danny’s conflict with his mother is not played out in itself but over the course of his decision to start a family with Tate, a journey which involves finding the right egg donor as well as a suitable surrogate to carry their baby.

That journey brings Mrs Lee (Gua Ah-leh) to Los Angeles, where she not only meets Tate for the first time but begins to get uncomfortably intrusive into their choice of donor and surrogate. Yet, in what differentiates Asian and Western culture, Danny’s inclination isn’t immediately to sideline his mother and go at it alone but rather to still reach out to her and attempt to find common ground despite their differences. What ensues is a cross-country voyage that takes them from Mumbai to Bangkok and finally back to Taipei, as Danny, Tate and Mrs Lee race to overcome legal and psychological odds to find a doctor able to perform the in-vitro fertilisation without running afoul of the law as well as a female ready, willing and prepared to carry their child for its first nine months.

Cheng has based his film on his own experience as a gay, and even though his story of reconciliation and acceptance does hit some predictable beats, there is no denying that it is earnest, genuine and for the most part, heartfelt. He doesn’t overplay the conflict between mother and son and concomitantly that between his character and Tate, nor for that matter does he try to draw sympathy for the plight of gays in similar situations; instead, he presents the inherent tensions with a clear and objective eye, such that his audience comes to understand the dilemmas from both points of view, the son who wishes that his mother love him for who he is and the mother whose conservative upbringing and worldview inhibits her from embracing her son as much as she really wants to.

Even more admirably, Cheng doesn’t use his film as a statement of empowerment; rather, if Danny’s journey is anything to go by, his message is that happiness as a goal is only possible if both sides work at it through love and mutual understanding – and while that certainly doesn’t make it one of the more provocative voices in the LGBT culture wars happening across many societies today, it does make for a refreshingly less confrontational and yet distinctly realist perspective. And while Cheng and Hamilton make for a convincing gay couple onscreen, it is Gua who steals the show every single time with her nuanced portrayal of a parent who gradually accepts her son and the modern family he is creating that is truly poignant.

As Cheng’s first film, ‘Baby Steps’ does suffer from some of the inexperience of its filmmaker, in particular in terms of transitions and continuity. Yet, one is more than inclined to overlook these flaws because there is no doubt whatsoever that Cheng’s heart is in the right place and that he has given a lot of it to make this film. It certainly lacks the polish of ‘The Wedding Banquet’, but the characters, their struggles and the larger societal issues at play here strike a deep and resonant chord – and like its title suggests, it is a small but confident step for a first-time filmmaker who is just finding his voice through film. 

Movie Rating:

(It could certainly do with a little more polish and finesse, but Barney Cheng's cross-cultural comedy/ drama about a gay hoping to start a family with his partner and find acceptance from his mother is sincere, earnest, and heartfelt)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Comedy
Director: Xu Zheng
Cast: Xu Zheng, Bao Bei’er, Zhao Wei, Du Juan, Eric Kot Man Fai, Sam Lee
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Rating: NC16 (Sexual Scene)
Released By: Encore Films & Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 1 October 2015

Synopsis: Xu Lai (Xu Zheng), who once dreamt of becoming a painter, has long abandoned his artistic ideals, and turned into a jaded middle-aged bra designer. His everyday life now revolves around pleasing his wife Cai Bo (Zhao Wei) who is obsessed with having children, managing the quirks of his exotic family members, and struggling with his mediocre, ordinary existence. During a holiday to Hong Kong with his wife and her family, Xu plans for a rendezvous with his high school sweetheart who lives in the city. The two used to share the same artistic aspirations. To his dismay, he is hindered by his brother-in-law Lala (Bao Bei’er). Lala is a silly youngster who sells pirated DVDs, but now chases his dream of becoming a director, aiming to make a documentary of his family’s trip in Hong Kong. Besides recording the cityscape and food, Lala’s footage also by accident captures Xu’s secret agenda, and he sets out to stop him. Hilarious antics ensue, as the two try to shake off each other on a tumultuous chase that takes them from Mong Kok to Central and from Nathan Road to Causeway Bay. Policemen, gangsters, foreign sailors and prostitutes all band together in their disapproval for the two, who run for their lives in an action-packed journey throughout Hong Kong. The quest to go on a secret date turns into a thrilling adventure that is fraught with peril. What will happen to Xu Lai and Lala on this unforgettable day in Hong Kong?

Movie Review:

There is much to love about Xu Zheng’s latest instalment in the Lost series, but nothing made us more pleased than hearing old school favourites by artistes like Leslie Cheung, Jacky Cheung and Grasshoppers. There are also movie songs from Ching Siu Tung’s A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) and Tsui Hark’s The Swordsman (1990), making this Mainland Chinese production a very apt love letter to Hong Kong’s pop culture.

Xu, a Chinese actor who shot to fame with Lost on Journey (2010), made his directorial debut with Lost in Thailand(2012). With this third episode of the thematic series, Xu has made another appealing movie which will go down well with the masses. It is already a box office hit over the Mid Autumn Festival weekend back home in China, breaking multiple local box office records by earning RMB676 million from approximately 20.7 million admissions over three days. It also set a new record for a single day revenue on 26 September with RMB244 million, previously held by Raman Hui’s Monster Hunt.

The story speaks to die hard romantics. The protagonist (played affectionately by Xu) was an art student in college, but circumstances have made him take on a career as a bra designer. He never managed to kiss his first love, who has become a successful artist. She invites him to Hong Kongfor her new show. He travels there with great anticipation, but coming along is his wife and her family. There’s also a pesky brother in law who wants to make a documentary with his video camera. In the mix are two Hong Kongcops, an apparent suicide, plus lots and lots of running.

Audiences will be fondly reminded of the fun Hong Kongmovies from the 1990s. The road trip buddy comedy delivers all the laughs in the right places. Watch out for a well executed chase sequence through a brothel, which will leave you in stitches. There are also enough action scenes choreographed by Chin Ka Lok to keep you at the edge of your seats.

Xu has a likeable ensemble cast to work with. Zhao Wei (Dearest, Hollywood Adventures) plays his wife – a woman who has given up her dreams to devote a life to her marriage. Du Juan (American Dreams in China) takes on the role of Xu’s dream lover with elegance and class. Bao Bei’er (So Young, Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal) borderlines on being an irritant by portraying an insistent documentarian. Hong Kongstars Sam Lee and Eric Kot play cops in the 113 minute movie, putting their Cantonese accented Mandarin to good use.

The real star here, of course, is Xu himself. Playing a man who is coming to terms with middle age life crisis (complete with a small tummy and a balding head), the 43 year old actor from Shanghaihits the spot with his sometimes movingly bittersweet performance.

Cinephiles will enjoy the references to Wong Kar Wai films like Days of Being Wild (1990), Chungking Express (1994) and 2046 (2004). John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow (1986) is also mentioned as a homage to Hong Kong’s crime genre movies. Viewers will also have a field day spotting cameo appearances by notable Hong Kong celebrities like Wong Jing, Kingdom Yuen, Lam Suet and Richard Ng.   

The finale is a feel good one, concluding the energetic flick on a heartwarming note. 

Movie Rating:

(The entertaining buddy comedy is full of energy, delivers non stop laughs, and is ultimately a love letter to the beloved Hong Kong pop culture)   

Review by John Li

Genre: Drama/Biography
Director: Edward Zwick
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Liev Schreiber, Peter Sarsgaard, Lily Rabe, Robin Weigert, Michael Stuhlbarg
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
Rating: PG13 (Brief Coarse Language)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 1 October 2015

Synopsis: In a gripping true story set during the height of the Cold War, American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire) finds himself caught between two superpowers when he challenges the Soviet Empire. Also starring Liev Schreiber and Peter Sarsgaard, Pawn Sacrifice chronicles Fischer's terrifying struggles with genius and madness, and the rise and fall of a kid from Brooklyn who captured the imagination of the world.

Movie Review:

There ought to be a category of movies called the ‘tortured genius biological drama’, which would contain A Beautiful Mind, Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything and now, Pawn Sacrifice. For the latter, it all started in 1950, in the middle of the Cold War, Beatlemania, and hippie culture, when Regina Fischer (Robin Weigert) tried to stop her son from playing chess with himself, which, ironically, let to chess expert Carmine Nigro (Conrad Pia) mentoring Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire). What followed after was history, as Fischer became the youngest chess grandmaster and candidate for the World Championship in history, at age 15. All that culminated in Fischer’s bid to become the chess World Champion, which would necessitate him beating then-World Champion, Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber). Also accompanying Fischer’s meteoric rise in the US and international chess scene was his worsening mental illness, and intensifying religious and anti-Semitic sentiments.

What was by far the most memorable part of the film was Aiden Lovekamp’s, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick’s and Tobey Maguire’s portrayal of the young, teenage and adult Bobby Fischer respectively. Starting out as an innocuous child, Fischer quickly grows into the brilliant and arrogant adult, as he excels in chess. It might just be the writer, but Tobey Maguire always seemed rather awkward, making him all the more convincing as the socially inept Fischer. While Maguire was good in the moving and speaking sequences, not the same can be said when he was silent – the close-up shots of Fischer languishing in his mind failed to express his mounting paranoia, when Maguire seemed more dazed and blank than anything else.

On the other hand, the film also came across as being too sympathetic towards Fischer. Right from the start, Fischer was shown as having to cope with his single mother’s neglect due to her devotion to the communist cause, in arguably the most communist-unfriendly country of the era. As if that was not bad enough, he was plagued with mental problems since youth, which exacerbated in adulthood. It was as though all of these reasons made it acceptable for Fischer to become a bratty teenager, and a self-righteous adult. Perhaps yes, it did make it easier to be sympathetic, but to quote a phrase from Tumblr, “tragic backstory explains behavior but does not excuse it”.

Another gripe with the film was that it placed too much emphasis on the context, and the reactions of the then-American public. Sure, it was rather interesting looking at the footage of events during the era, as well as the retro news studio reporting formats, but it quickly gets old (haha) while not adding much to the story. This was especially so during the turn of events during the World Championship matches, when the ‘street interviews’ of the Fischer groupies were just awkward and painful to watch. The film might be created with the American audience in mind, but the borderline jingoism was just distracting from the main subject of the film.

As a whole, Pawn Sacrifice struggles to stand out when compared to the other ‘tortured genius’ films, and would probably benefit by dedicating more time to flesh out Fischer’s character beyond his paranoia and obsession with chess, money and success. The audience was so left scratching their heads over the sneakily taken shots of Fischer – was he really suspected of being a communist sympathizer, or was it all in his head

Movie Rating:

(While Pawn Sacrifice sparks our sympathy for the protagonist, one can only take that much of a chess-mental illness-rant at the world loop before feeling bored)

Review by Goh Yan Hui

Some people will probably scoff this off as high art, but this reviewer feels otherwise. This is an artiste whose personal story is so inspiring, we are just waiting for a biography movie to be made about him. Italian classical tenor Andre Bocelli, who was born with poor eyesight, became blind at a young age of 12 following a soccer accident. That did not stop him from pursuing his love music, going in life to release solo albums, having them sell like hot cakes and winning countless awards along the way.

Yup, this is the 57 year old guy who gave you the radio hits “The Prayer” (sung beautifully with Celine Dion) and “Time to Say Goodbye” (a duet with Sarah Brightman that never fails to pull heartstrings). The concept of his 15^th studio album is one that we are loving – a compilation of renditions from classic film soundtracks and scores. The 64 minute album even contains a bonus track featuring Hong Kongsinger Karen Mok crooning the lovely “Cheek to Cheek” from Top Hat (1935).

The CD kicks off with “Maria” from the Broadway hit West Side Story, followed by the regally composed “La chanson de Lara” from Dr Zhivago (1965). Things get romantic with “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), before Ariana Grande comes on to duet the powerful “E più ti penso” from the crime drama Once Upon A Time in America (1984).

Listeners will be familiar with “The Music of the Night” from the hit musical The Phantom of the Opera and the iconic theme “Brucia la terra” from The Godfather (1972). You can imagine Bocelli serenading in his Casanova mode with “Por Una Cabeza” from Scent of a Woman (1992), and singing about the joys of life with “Sorridi amore vai”from Life is Beautiful (1997). Another very apt track to contain in the album to showcase the grandeur of Bocelli’s vocals is “Nelle tue mani (Now We Are Free)” from Gladiator (2000).

This is one album which you can play over and over again, simply because it contains good music accompanied by one of the most beautiful voices we have today.  

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (17) Cheek to Cheek – duet with Karen Mok (From Top Hat)

Review by John Li

And why wouldn’t they do it? We are talking about popular artistes taking on cover versions of Disney songs. As nostalgia is increasingly becoming a marketable commodity, it is only inevitable that the House of Mouse whips out its treasure trove of music for today’s listeners to enjoy. And to make it even more relevant, invite big names to perform these well loved tunes.

The fourth entry in the series, this 52 minute album also boasts the involvement of acclaimed record producer David Foster, who is known for working with notable artistes like Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, Madonna and Rod Stewart.

Now, let’s get to the singers – kicking off the 15 track compilation is American R & B singer Ne Yo, who performs a bright and bubbly “Friend Like Me” from Aladdin (1992). The song may be more than 20 years old, but you have to admit it’s much, much more original than most of the music out there now.

Elsewhere, English singer and songwriter Jessie J channels her best Ariel voice to perform “Part of Your World” from 1989’s The Little Mermaid. Teen sensation Ariana Grande croons “Zero to Hero” from the understated Hercules (1997), while American rock band Fall Out Boy brings a contemporary surge of energy to The Jungle Book’s (1967) “I Wan’na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)”.

Our favourite is the unmistakable Gwen Stefani’s rendition of “Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie (1979). The co founder and lead vocalist of the ska band No Doubt is perfect for the song – you can feel yourself floating into a fantastical land of everything nice with her breezy vocals.

The CD introduces younger listeners to a time when good music accompanied good movies. They will be enchanted by the grandeur with “Can You Feel the Love Tonight/ Nants' Ingonyama” from The Lion King (1994), the carefree spirit with “Colours of the Wind” from Pocahontas (1995), and the power of imagination with “A Spoonful of Sugar” from Mary Poppins (1964).

For the older listeners, it doesn’t hurt reliving those good ol’ days when every Disney movie meant something special.    

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (4) Rainbow Connection - Gwen Stefani (From The Muppets Movie)

Review by John Li

Genre: Crime/Drama
Director: Masayuki Suzuki
Cast: Takuya Kimura, Keiko Kitagawa, Takako Matsu, Yutaka Matsushige, Tetta Sugimoto, Yo Yoshida, Gaku Hamada, Norito Yashima
Runtime: 2 hrs
Rating: PG
Released By: Encore Films and Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 8 October 2015

Synopsis: The film revolves around a traffic accident that occurred in the back alley of the Neustia embassy in Japan. The body of a socialite is found in one of the cars involved in the accident. Prosecutor Kohei Kuryu and his paralegal Chika Asagi are tasked to pursue the truth and seek redress for the victim. During the course of their investigation, Maiko Amamiya, who is Kuryu’s previous paralegal, makes a surprise appearance as a prosecutor for the Osaka Namba District. As it turns out, the key witness of her threaten case also happens to be the female victim of the Neustia embassy car accident. This seemingly innocuous traffic accident takes a more complicated turn, as new information from Amamiya’s threaten case is brought to the table. Kuryu’s countless requests for information and attempts to interview the embassy staff were all rejected, because of diplomatic bureaucracy and the fact that the Neustia embassy is protected by extraterritorial rights. In other words, the embassy’s territory is regarded as a “foreign space in the land of Japan”. The embassy retains its own laws and rights from its home country, and it seems impossible to interfere with the diplomatic ties between Japan and Neustia, even in the name of justice. In such difficult circumstances, how will HERO Kohei Kuryu overcome all odds to put justice in its rightful place?

Movie Review:

In his trademark orange Bathing Ape jacket, public prosecutor Kuryu Kohei (Takuya Kimura) returns to the big screen after a hiatus of eight years.  

This time, the public prosecutor who is famed for refusing to adhere by the book takes on a case involving a fatal traffic accident near the embassy of Neustria. At the same time, it’s revealed the female victim, a party escort happens to be an important witness in another seemingly unrelated case of blackmailing in Osaka. As it turned out, her death might have something to do with a foreign diplomat and the feared yakuza. Will the good and heroic once again triumph over the evildoer?

With this latest release of Hero 2015, it’s apparent why the filmmakers have done little to tamper with the successful formula. The well-liked character of Kuryu Kohei has come a long way since he first appear in the 2001 TV hit series and a subsequent revival in 2014. To loyal fans, this is akin to welcoming back the presence of an old friend. To others who have no prior knowledge of the Fuji TV series, this effort is mere a souped-up version of a TV feature or worst a draggy uneventful flick. 

Of course, you can expect Kuryu Kohei hell bent on finding the truth and seeking justice for the deceased. However, it must note that the story often lacks the necessary tension and suspense to engage the audience despite the obvious attempt to throw in two pathetic scenarios that puts Kohei in danger. But then you already know no harm will comes to Takuya Kimura, the precious pop member of SMAP and talent under Johnny’s Entertainment. Thus the story plays out expectedly without leaving any room for surprises and stunning revelations.  

Further more, there’s lots of dry dialogue involving diplomatic policies instead of witty courtroom drama. By the time the movie hits the 90 minutes mark, all those prior mention of illegal drug trafficking and hidden conspiracy quickly dissolved into afterthoughts. Also, the lack of a solid engaging opponent (unlike the first movie feature) adds to the limp affair. Don’t expect another fun detour to Korea to meet now international star Lee Byun-hun, Hero 2015 prefers to stay put in Japan’s soil and talk about diplomatic immunity and sausages.

Fortunately, all is not entire lost. Kuryu Kohei’s old flame and ex-assistant, Maiko Amamiya (famed Japanese actress Takako Matsu) returns to assist the case, as she is now the prosecutor of the Osaka, Namba district. Sitting out on the 2014 TV series, Takako Matsu returns to address the lingering love affair. I shall leave it to you if the pair of lovebirds manages to work things out in the end.

The rest of the quirky supporting cast members with a mix from the two TV series also appear here. That includes Fumiyo Kohinata (2001, 2014), Norito Yashima (2001, 2014), Gaku Hamada (2014), Yo Yoshida (2014), Takuzo Kadono (2001, 2014) as Kohei’s boss and the ultra-cool Yoji Tanaka, the owner of St George’s Tavern. Ultimately, the eye-pleasing Keiko Kitagawa who became Kohei’s assistant after the departure of Matsu’s character provides an affecting presence that represents the new blood of the Josai branch and perhaps a witness of Kohei and Amamiya’s ongoing unsaid affection towards each other.  

Hero 2015 continues the running-gag of the TV cable-shopping network obsessed staff of the prosecutor branch though this time round, it’s more obligatory than funny. J-pop idol Takuya Kimura significantly looks older, less charming and even less comedic in this outing. End of the day, it’s the continuing chemistry between Matsu and him that stood out in the entire movie. 

Movie Rating:

(Strictly for diehard fans of HERO)

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Drama
Director: Dito Montiel 　
Cast: Robin Williams, Bob Odenkirk, Kathy Baker, Roberto Aguire, Giles Matthey, Eleonore Hendricks, J. Karen Thomas, Landon Marshall
Runtime: 1 hr 28 mins
Rating: R21 (Homosexual Theme)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 8 October 2015

Synopsis: The routine of everyday life quietly peels away to reveal the struggle of a loving husband in conflict with his inner-self in BOULEVARD. As the bond of a longtime marriage confronts reality for the first time, desire finds its way back into the heart. While Nolan Mack (Robin Williams) and his wife Joy (Kathy Baker) wake up under the same roof each morning, separate bedrooms underscore the disparate worlds they are living in. Nolan’s steady disconnection carries on in his job at the bank, where even a promotion cannot seem to lift the emptiness that permeates his life. His emotional journey begins to unfold with a drive down a desolate city street where he encounters a troubled young man named Leo (Roberto Aguire). As lost time slowly awakens Nolan’s secret life, he realizes that truth is an opportunity for change. Directed by Dito Montiel and written by Douglas Soesbe, BOULEVARD beautifully captures the story of individual growth at any age, and the repression that surfaces in idealistic pursuits. With moving performances from a cast including Robin Williams, Kathy Baker, Bob Odenkirk, and newcomer Roberto Aguire, BOULEVARD reminds audiences that societal norms are never normal.

Movie Review:

Robin Williams makes a hazy entry (as hazy as his sexual orientation) with his voice beckoning for all to listen while he converses with his father who is at a home for the aged.

And the scene transits to the opening credits where it has Williams’ character cruising along in his car in the nadir of the night as he briefly halts when he sees a streetwalker on a wheelchair crossing the road to wait for customers. He watches her in the rearview mirror and a subtle smile plays on his lips. This sets the predominant tone of the entire film.

Nolan Mack  (Williams) is trapped in a mundane blur that revolves around a dying father, a promotion at his 26-year-old desk-bound job which holds him back on different levels, and an attentive wife (Kathy Baker)  whom he shares nothing but a roof with. He puts on a façade when around everybody and morphs into his true self when he drives back home at night.

Amidst all these, Nolan (Williams) only gets to be himself while cruising the boulevard in his Merc at night. And on one occasion, he decides to make a U-turn to get to the other side of life where he happens to meet a gay streetwalker. Nolan (Williams) checks into a motel and shares a fleeting conversation with Leo (Roberto Aguire). Nolan (Williams) develops an unexplainable affection for this young thing who is just as confused. Basically, it’s a two-faced man-meets-pretty-boy love story leaning more to an emotional kind of attachment rather than a raunchy sexual relationship.

Definitely a depressing plot that harbours a kind of loneliness that carries forward for  the rest of the 88 minutes until the end where some colour was thrown in (think of Skittles) and each of the characters find their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

The cast was brilliant. Boulevard has to be Williams’ one of the final bows to the world. One has to watch this without dissing it as a gay movie not because of Williams’ farewell movie, but because it is soul-searching drama that narrates a story of a man who loses himself to find the real him. Douglas Soesbe’s screenplay was terrific with a brilliant cast that offered much depth to the plot. Although there is no concreteness to the storyline, Williams’ melancholic character seeped right through the plot and Aguire’s usual manly demeanor was pleasantly compromised for a subtle role. 

One would sorely miss the amusing side of the Academy Award winner from Jumanji and Mrs. Doubtfire but then again, Williams has been described as a national treasure when it comes to offering roles of substance and this has to be one such instance.

Movie Rating:

(Watch this film if you had liked Blue is the Warmest Colour, Circumstance, Eyes Wide Open and Good Will Hunting)

Review by Asha Gizelle M