SYNOPSIS: From Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) comes the powerfully uplifting true story of one man's struggle to survive against mountainous odds. Aron Ralston (James Franco) has a passion for all things outdoors. But when a falling boulder traps him in a remote Utah canyon, a thrill-seeker's adventure becomes the challenge of a lifetime. Over the next five days, Ralston embarks on a remarkable personal journey in which he relies on the memories of family and friends - as well as his own courage and ingenuity - to turn adversity into triumph!
MOVIE REVIEW:
Fresh off the resounding success of his Academy-Award winning ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, Danny Boyle ventures into a different kind of wilderness with ‘127 Hours’, the biographical true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston, who while canyoneering alone in Utah gets trapped under a mountain boulder for the title’s said duration before resorting to desperate measures to free himself. Talk about getting trapped between a rock and a hard place!
It’s no secret that Aron eventually uses his pocket tool knife- however blunt the tool in fact is- to sever his forearm, and makes a crude tourniquet out of the insulation for his CamelBak tube and a carabiner. That last sequence has also garnered attention for its intensity which reportedly caused some audience members to faint during its early screenings at the Telluride Film Festival. Nonetheless, we urge you not to be too alarmed- intense though it may be, it isn’t excessively gory like anything the ‘Saw’ or ‘Hostel’ movies have done.
Moreover, to miss out on this terrific film just because of that sequence would be nothing less than an injustice, for Boyle has fashioned here a harrowing tale of survival that takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions Aron must have gone through in real life. Indeed, the film makes keenly felt Aron’s initial optimism, his spirits high despite his predicament as he resourcefully uses every apparatus on him to wrench the boulder away. It also portrays acutely his gradual descent into hopelessness, each day and night passing like eternality with the elements taking its toll on his body and his will.
As with ‘Slumdog’, Boyle films the movie in vivid colours using Anthony Dod Mantle’s cinematography, and the effect becomes a dramatic representation of Aron’s own heightened sense of reality as well. Coupled with A.R. Rahman’s vibrant and evocative score, there’s not a moment in the film where you aren’t mesmerised by the emotions Boyle brings out from Aron’s quandary. It is as visceral an experience as ‘Slumdog’, and perhaps even more compelling given that it did indeed happen.
The film is also built as a one-man show around Aron and James Franco gives the performance of his career in the lead role. Nuanced and poignant, Franco is outstanding portraying his character’s initial invincibility and later desolation. Almost every shot in the film is trained on Franco and the actor slips so effortlessly into the role you’ll be willing to forgive immediately his past duds and inert Oscar-hosting gig.
But ‘127 Hours’ is first and foremost such a gripping experience thanks to Boyle’s exuberant direction, which cements his reputation as one of the most illustrious filmmakers in recent years. There is pure skill in his eye for detail and visuals, and those who have enjoyed the poignancy and intensity of his earlier ‘Slumdog’ will surely enjoy what he has done here. It’s one of the best films of the year, and by the time that much talked-about sequence is over, you’ll find your adrenaline pumping as hard as any great action film you’ll see.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The highlight here is the Feature Commentary with director Danny Boyle, producer Christian Colson and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, which is funny, warm and insightful. Boyle anchors the commentary here, talking about his artistic choices in communicating Aron’s reality while speaking of the challenges filming the movie in tight confined spaces.
There is almost a half hour worth of ‘Deleted Scenes’, but none which are missing from the theatrical cut that would have added more to the experience
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is fantastic, combining A.R. Rahman’s score and some nifty sound design of the ambient noise to a terrific atmospheric experience. Directionals are particularly excellent, making good use of the left and right speakers for surround sound pleasure.
Visuals are stunning, and never look less than crisp especially with the widescreen photography.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
Posted on 9 August 2011
SYNOPSIS: The star of "Taken" and "The A-Team" jumps back into action with brute force! Liam Neeson plays Dr. Martin Harris, who awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife (January Jones) suddenly doesn’t recognize him, and another man (Aidan Quinn) has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired, and on the run. Aided by an unlikely ally (Diane Kruger), Harris plunges into a deadly mystery forcing him to question his sanity, his identity and just how far he’s willing to go to uncover the truth.
MOVIE REVIEW:
He is supposed to be Lincoln Abraham in the Steven Spielberg’s long-delayed biopic. But with the huge success of a little French produced action thriller “Taken”, the lanky character actor from Ireland, Liam Neeson finally achieved a career-high banking on yet another role as a badass middle-age uncle who can really fight and run.
The extremely busy Neeson plays Dr Martin Harris, an American scientist who is arriving in Berlin for a summit with his beautiful wife, Elizabeth (January Jones from X-Men: First Class). Encountering a freak traffic accident on the way back to the airport to pick up his misplaced luggage, Martin finally woke up after spending four days in a coma. The man who remembered himself as a scientist and the husband of Elizabeth suddenly finds that nobody recognized him at all. Is he suffering from amnesia or is there more than meets the eye?
For the first hour or so, “Unknown” works its suspense really well. Spanish director (House of Wax, Orphan) Jaume Collet-Serra demonstrates his ability to tell a story in the vein of the Bourne Trilogy. The action is fast-pumping and the unusually rich visual is a mixture of lensing effects and on-location shooting in Berlin.
However, there’s only so much you can do to a character whom you probably believe that has lost his identity because of some medical condition or due to some yet-to-be revealed conspiracies. After a couple of explosive escapes and combat fighting, the story leaves Martin on the run with the gorgeous looking Diane Kruger (Troy) who plays an illegal immigrant, Gina who moonlights as the unfortunate taxi driver that was involved in Harris’ crash. Kruger’s Gina is an unwilling party but slowly develops a soft spot for the increasingly desperate Harris. The once handsome Aidan Quinn (Legend of the Falls) who has turned pretty portly turns up as the ‘real’ Dr Martin Harris. Not forgetting Frank Langella (Superman Returns) without breaking much into a sweat appears as a ‘friend’ of Harris. In fact, the creepiest, compelling scene in the whole movie is watching two old veterans (Langella and German actor Bruno Ganz) talking ironic to say the least.
Despite the abundance loopholes and a conveniently staged ‘twist’ towards the end, Neeson remains the best actor of his generation trying his best to pull off a heroic caper. The movie is at least 30 minutes too long for comfort unlike the compact “Taken” and it definitely pales in comparison to the latter and the massively budgeted yet unappreciated summer fun “The A-Team”.
A movie about stolen identity can be mind-blogging and thrilling but “Unknown” is simply a case of trying too hard. End of the day, it’s a decent piece of popcorn cinema to please the casual audience.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Unknown: What is Known? is a brief 4 minutes making of special that unfortunately won’t let you know much about "Unknown".
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The visual is sharp enough to showcase the wintry landscapes and the sinister cold tones. The Dolby Digital 5.1 is dynamic with explosions, gunshots and car chase across the outputs with dialogue remains crystal clear throughout.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
Posted on 7 July 2011
SYNOPSIS: From legendary writer/director James L. Brooks comes a humorous and romantic look at the "How Do You Know" question. When everything she's ever known is suddenly taken from her, Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) begins a fling with Matty (Owen Wilson), a major league baseball player and self-centered ladies' man. Before their relationship takes off, Lisa meets up with George (Paul Rudd) a straight-arrow businessman facing his own serious issues, both with his father (Jack Nicholson) and the law. Just when everything seems to be falling apart, it doesn't.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Romantic comedies as some might agree are perhaps one of the most sustainable genres in cinema. It’s mostly produce on a prudent budget and easily offers popular bankable stars. Economically speaking, it’s probably something that will profit the studios.
“How Do You Know” proves my above theory to be both right and wrong. It’s made on a budget of a staggering US$120 million and the right part is, it stars Owen Wilson and Reese Witherspoon. Big names, big budget and not a single explosion. And the worst thing it only made US$48 million after a worldwide run.
Written and directed by Oscar winning James L. Brooks (As Good As It Gets, The Simpsons), “How Do You Know” is a romantic movie and also one that touches on the father-and-son relationship. Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) is a softball player that never gets her contract renewed for the new line-up. She is being setup for a blind date with a CEO George (Paul Rudd) by her teammate while at the same time, she is dating mega-successful baseball pitcher Matty (Owen Wilson). This part is never materialised how this unlikely pair (in character that is) hook up in the first place though Brooks’ research tells him that athlete likely tends to pair up with fellow athlete. That explains why Tiger Woods’ marriage failed. Anyway, George on the other hand is not having a great time as he is being suspended from work for being involved in stock fraud but then when you have a dad that looks like Jack Nicholson, you wouldn’t be surprised.
For a start, “How Do You Know” functions as a witty comedy that looks at the complexity of the human relationships, ups-and-downs of life and the unthinkable betrayal from a loved one, something different from the usual crop of rom-coms. Unfortunately, Brooks’ languish treatment of his own material kinda dragged the storyline to a halt. The movie’s momentum fails to pick up even after the initial setups and despite the perfectly cast characters, it’s extremely dull. The dialogue is contrived (Reese’s character talks like a fortune cookie) and the less-than-appealing repetitive sets (what happen to all the money?) make this movie a cheap rip-off from a television production.
There are occasional moments of delight; most of them came from Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd. Wilson of course is pitch-perfect as the self-centered, clueless, Matty and it’s always refreshing to see the Texas native onscreen. Rudd, always the Mr-Nice-guy banters extremely well opposite the deliciously villainous Nicholson. Is he the one who got his son in hot soup with the law? And is he genuinely trying to help George? Nicholson deserves much more but his appearance pathetically is nothing but a mere extended cameo. Witherspoon, the queen of rom-coms splutters due to the wishy-washy nature of her character.
The obvious failure of “How Do You Know” lies in James L. Brooks’ over-ambitious script, a simple romantic story that is riddled with too many elements. He has all the right actors in place, pity his six years of research in doing the movie ends up like an overstayed guest that refuses to checkout.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Cinematographer seldom gets their voices heard but then it’s a different thing if you are a frequent collaborator with a certain Steven Spielberg. Writer/Director James L. Brooks and Cinematographer Janusz Kamiński discuss the technical side of filmmaking in this rather boring Audio Commentary.
James L. Brooks joined hands with a chatty Owen Wilson to discuss various segments in Select Scenes Commentary.
A not so interesting Blooper Reel and Deleted Scenes are included.
Extra Innings is a 15 minutes making of special primarily focused on the creative process undertaken by director/writer James L. Brooks to develop the movie.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The movie is almost 100% dialogue. The zippy score by Hans Zimmer and the paltry ambient effects don’t really seem to exist though you won’t likely miss the clarity of the spoken words. The overall video quality is nothing exceptional like the movie.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
Posted on 15 July 2011
SYNOPSIS: It's been 40 years since E.F. Bloodworth (Kris Kristofferson) abandoned his loving wife and sons for a life on the road. Now at the end of the line, Bloodworth reappears, forced to reckon with the stale aftermath of his departure. With his ex-wife Julia (Frances Conroy) mentally destroyed, his three sons; Warren (Val Kilmer), Boyd (Dwight Yoakam) and Brady (W. Earl Brown) soured by years of anger, Bloodworth's only solace is a budding relationship with Fleming, the grandson he never knew. But when Fleming meets Raven (Hilary Duff), the woman of his dreams, will Bloodworth's presence force history to repeat itself?
MOVIE REVIEW:
There are obvious similarities between ‘Bloodworth’ and the Oscar-nominated ‘Crazy Heart’- not least because the keyart of both posters features their grey-haired aging lead playing a guitar and because both Jeff Bridges and Kris Kristofferson have the same world-weary squinty look. Both Southern dramas revolve around an aging musician trying to do it right by their respective dysfunctional families, though if you’ve already seen ‘Crazy Heart’, then this is no more than its poorer cousin.
Kristofferson plays E.B. Bloodworth, who after 40 years on the road, returns home to his family in rural Tennessee in the hopes of getting acquainted with them before he passes away. His three sons, Warren (Val Kilmer), Brady (W. Earl Brown), and Boyd (Dwight Yoakam), are however none too pleased with their father’s impending return- they can’t quite forgive him for abandoning them and their mother (Frances Conroy). And neither is E.B’s grandson Fleming (Reece Thompson), who is afraid of following in his grandfather’s footsteps even while falling in love with a local girl Raven (Hilary Duff).
Earl Brown is also the screenwriter of this movie, adapted from the William Gay novel called ‘Provinces of Night’, and he spends an awful lot of time trying to acquaint his audience with Fleming. Indeed, the first half of the movie sees very little of E.B., and knows even less of his motivations for leaving his family, or the subsequent distress he caused to them. Even when E.B. finally returns to the town, it is only during the film’s final third that the family is finally reacquainted, and by then too much time is squandered trying to set up the characters that the final denouement is simply disappointing.
It doesn’t help too that newcomer Shane Dax Taylor adopts a dawdling pace for the film- while it certainly does evoke the leisurely way of life of the South, there is almost zero narrative momentum in the storytelling so much so that despite the supposedly brief 93 min running time, the movie feels twice as long. Taylor is also unable to surmount the usual Southern archetypal character clichés, and doesn’t quite give enough space for each character to be more than just another stocktype.
Not that ‘Bloodworth’ has nothing going for it- the performances are excellent, in particular Kris Kristofferson, who embodies his character perfectly. So too the colourful supporting character Val Kilmer plays, the once-leading actor of Hollywood delivering one of his best performances in recent years. And amid the veterans, Reece Thompson holds his own, nuanced and sensitive in his portrayal of Fleming.
Another highlight is the music by veteran country music producer T Bone Burnett, who was also behind the tracks of ‘Crazy Heart’. The soundtrack he creates for this movie is equally outstanding, especially when paired with Kristofferson’s vocals. Pity then that the storytelling doesn’t quite match up to the Jeff Bridges film, meandering here and there and losing much of the dramatic impact it ought to pack. There’s little blood in ‘Bloodworth’ and even less worth in the movie.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The Feature Commentary with director Shane Dax Taylor and writer/actor W. Earl Brown suggests that the filmmakers actually had an idea what they were trying to achieve- regrettably very little of what they set out to do gets seen in the final product. Nonetheless, worth a listen to hear about the artistic choices they took to get the Southern drama right and the challenges of making this low-budget film with such an ensemble cast.
Deleted Scenes contain surprisingly more character development that would have made the film a much richer and more textured product. Alternate Opening and Ending Scenes aren’t much better than the ones in the final cut, but the former at least begins with a peek of E.B.’s early days.
The standard making-of featurette From Page to the Screen uses cast interviews and on-set footage to showcase the low-budget nature by which the movie was shot. Anatomy of a Song delves into the creation of the tune “You Don’t Tell Me What To Do,” written and performed by Kris Kristofferson, with help from producer T. Bone Burnett. And finally, Raven’s Song is a musical clip used as promotional material.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
You won’t get much coming back from the back speakers despite the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, but works nicely enough with the soundtrack numbers and the country music songs. Visuals are clean and crisp, and colours are well-balanced and warm.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
Posted on 10 August 2011
SYNOPSIS: When beautiful, young women start disappearing from the streets of L.A., it’s time for good-guy Callan (a.k.a. Cross) and his crew of weapons experts to kick into high gear and take out the trash. Granted incredible power by his ancient Celtic cross, Callan must fight to stop an immortal Viking from destroying mankind.
MOVIE REVIEW:
If ever there was an experience we would never wish on our readers, this movie would be it. Sitting through all 90 mins of it was so painful we reckon even thrashing it thereafter wouldn’t be enough payback. Indeed, the utter lack of merit in director Patrick Durham’s ‘Cross’ is appalling to say the least, especially since it does boast at least a who’s who of DTV pedigree- including Brian Austin Green, C. Thomas Howell, Michael Clarke Duncan and even Rodriguez regular Danny Trejo.
Right from the start, this superhero flick wanna-be gets it all wrong. An inspired comic book introduction informs us of ancient relics that give their possessor great powers, with the Green Cross being the most powerful among them. Said relic happens to be in the hands of vigilante crime fighter Callan (Austin Green), who is impervious to injury thanks to the Cross- though the price for that apparently is the green glow around him he has to put up with. The amateurish special effects not withstanding, there is something decidedly inert about Durham’s storytelling- and it doesn’t help that he likes to introduce characters by simply inserting floating text captions.
The villain here is some criminal overlord Erlik (Clarke Duncan in what is possibly one of the worst performances we have ever seen from him), and his menacing associate Gunnar (Vinnie Jones looking sully as ever) whom he’s hired to help him take over the city. Both are equally hammy, and could very well turn this into a parody on the genre. Except that it is not- and by the time Callan comes into the picture and tries to make us care about the struggle between good and evil, we are seriously flabbergasted at how daft the filmmakers must have been.
To add salt to injury, Durham seems to love exposition so instead of action, we get characters talking a lot to each other. Even when it comes to spicing things up, Callan turns out to be as inert in bed as he is fighting criminals, leaving the lady (Susie Abromeit) to do all the work (of course, Austin Green may not be interested since he already has Megan Fox at home). We apologise for the digression, but we found ourselves having to divert our thoughts to more random and certainly more interesting matters as the movie unspooled.
‘Cross’ is a terrible movie, period. And that’s not because the filmmakers had to make their superhero movie on a shoestring DTV movie budget. Everything from the acting, to the scripting, to the directing, is abysmal- and that has absolutely nothing to do with what the filmmakers had to work with. Avoid this at all costs- you can cure your superhero movie fix by catching ‘Thor’, ‘Captain America’ or even the so-so ‘Green Lantern’ several times over before you get to this
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The film contains an Audio Commentary by director Patrick Durham, which is abhorrent to say the least, especially having to listen to him praise his movie after sitting through it. An Alternate Ending adds nothing to the film. And there are eight minutes worth of Deleted Scenes, which is where the entire film should have belonged.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is nothing to shout about, since there’s so little in the movie that uses any surround material. Visuals are clear, and emphasise the low-budget nature of the film.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
Posted on 30 July 2011
Genre: Drama
Director: Tom McCarthy
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor, Melanie Lynskey, Burt Young, Alex Shaffer
RunTime: 1 hr 46 mins
Released By: 20th Century Fox
Rating: PG (Coarse Language)
Official Website: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/winwin
Opening Day: 21 July 2011
Synopsis: Tom McCarthy, acclaimed writer/ director of THE VISITOR and THE STATION AGENT, once again explores the depths and nuances of human relationships in his new film about the allegiances and bonds between unlikely characters. Disheartened attorney Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti), who moonlights as a high school wrestling coach, stumbles across a star athlete through some questionable business dealings while trying to support his family. Just as it looks like he will get a double payday, the boy's mother shows up fresh from rehab and flat broke, threatening to derail everything. McCarthy's deft touch with balancing drama and comedy, broken hearts and poignant humanity is at play in WIN WIN.
Movie Review:
While watching "Win Win," you get the sense that actor-turned-writer-director Thomas McCarthy truly knows and understands the intricacies of human desires. He takes on simple stories that exist on quotidian planes of suburban existence like in his quirky first film, "The Station Agent" where he takes a motley crew of characters and reveals an indelible longing to belong and be accepted. In his second film "The Visitor," a deeply felt character study, he expanded on these themes with frightfully honest force and posited Richard Jenkins as one of the more underrated actors of our time. In his latest feature, "Win Win," McCarthy continues a streak that has become arguably more assured and commercial.
His warm and thoughtful humanism now extends to a family, led by its spotlight on Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti), a struggling New Jersey lawyer with a plucky wife (Amy Ryan) and two daughters to feed and clothe. He moonlights as a high school football coach to make ends meet. He gets an opportunity to earn more money and live a fairly comfortable middle-class lifestyle when he is faced with a morally questionable case involving the the guardianship of a wealthy old client named Leo Poplar (Burt Young) who suffers from the preliminary stages of dementia. Despite his insistence to stay at home, Mike shuffles Leo off to a good nursing home, backtracking on his promise to Leo while pocketing the stipend allotted to him as the guardian. All seems well until Leo's grandson, Kyle (Alex Shaffer) a high-school student from Ohio runs away from home to join his grandfather in New Jersey. An easy enough fix until it's revealed that Kyle is also a wrestling wunderkind that energises Mike's team.
Giamatti finds that sweet spot -- as he tends to do -- between wretchedness and pity. He has that ability to draw you into the complexity of his character's predicament and follows through with a nuanced sense of purpose. Hanging in a constant state of flux, the interesting aspect of McCarthy's premise is how easily it can swing from a broad comedy and a moral exploration rooted in recession-era anxieties, where the decent thing to do is no longer certain to be the right option anymore.
Affectionate and quite likable but never hitting the emotional heights of his previous features, "Win Win" is McCarthy's sharpest but most manufactured script. It does not contain am easy naturalism and emotional veracity we have seen emerge in "The Visitor" but it does show a more structured, even-handed approach to its characters and theme, especially in its inquiries of domestic tribulations and all the cracks that begin showing. It all boils down to the ethical quandaries of our decisions each day and the people it affects but never loses touch of how essentially, we aspire to be good people trying to make the right choices in life for ourselves and the people we care about.
Movie Rating:
(Led by good performance, "Win Win" is a likeable and potent film with enough heart and soul to draw you in)
Review by Justin Deimen
SYNOPSIS: Tabloid reporter Ludo and kindergarten teacher Anna have been together for two years now and there are signs of wear and tear in their relationship. Their love was really put to the test, however when Ludo's old flame, Marie and Anna's ex-boyfriend, Ralf, re-enters their life. It triggered both their jealousy and caused a breach of trust that devastates Ludo. Now it's Anna's turn to stray and Ludo's turn to make some unusual erotic discoveries. Will the quarrelsome duo come together again?
MOVIE REVIEW:
As anyone who has been in a relationship can attest, getting the girl is only half of the battle. The other, and perhaps even more demanding, half is staying together. Such is the challenge at the heart of this sequel to the hit German romantic comedy ‘Rabbit Without Ears’, reuniting its original lead stars Til Schweiger and Nora Tschirner as the unlikely couple Ludo and Anna.
It is two years after the egotistical tabloid journalist Ludo met and fell in love with the kindergarten teacher Anna upon serving 300 hours of community service at her centre, and they have since moved in together. Cohabiting has however presented its own set of problems, as Ludo’s indolent ways around the house (e.g. not picking up his clothes, not getting the groceries as instructed) has turned Anna into an annoying nag.
Their mutual dissatisfaction with the other is also further complicated by the arrival of their respective former lovers- the well-endowed Marie (Edita Malovcic) on Ludo’s end; and the world explorer Ralf (Ken Duken) on Anna’s end. It doesn’t help too that Ludo discovers that Anna keeps a list of partners she has slept with in a notebook dubbed the ‘sex list’, and that Ralf gets full points in terms of both size and performance.
The usual squabbles ensue, and as you can probably already guess, Schweiger and Anika Decker’s screenplay pulls the couple further apart from each other before bringing them back together again. That the movie will eventually conclude on a happy note shouldn’t come as a surprise- this is after all Schweiger’s highest form of flattery to Hollywood, a glossy imitation of the typical well-calculated rom-com.
And indeed, despite being grounded in issues that real-life couples go through, the movie is content with being a fluffy romance by sidestepping any insightful portrayal of these subjects. Instead, Schweiger tries to make the film relevant by setting up Ludo and Anna’s relationship as a Gen-Y romance, complete with sexual trysts and comparisons of sexual enjoyment. How else can you explain why the geeky sweet Anna would keep a diary of her sexual conquests?
This lack of character consistency is ultimately damaging, as it means the film is without the same measure of charm that its predecessor had. Then, Anna was easily likeable, the complement to Ludo’s womanising cad- now, it seems Anna was not so ingenuous after all. Perhaps that is why the writers have decided to shift some audience sympathy to Ludo’s best friend and partner, Moritz (Matthias Schweighoefer), who is so bad at getting the girls he has to sign up for courses at the Flirt Academy.
But even so, one suspects that this sequel misplaces the goodwill that the first movie built up for its characters by forsaking the very elements which made their courtship such a pleasantly amusing experience. Schweiger tries his best with multiple romantic ballads to keep up the momentum of the film, and to his credit, manages to give it a sleek exterior which may be successful in distracting its audience from some of its flaws. But there’s no disguising the fact that this is a disappointing sequel lacking in the appeal of the first film, squandering the chemistry between Schweiger and Tschirner in unfunny set-ups, slapstick jokes and dull punchlines.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio does just fine in conveying both the dialogue and the soundtrack of the film. The visuals though could do with a lot more work- not only do the colours look washed out, the picture is also grainy and not as sharp as one should expect from a DVD.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
Posted on 27 July 2011
In Cantonese with English and Chinese subtitles
Genre: Romance/ Comedy
Director: Lee Ka-wing and Joe Ma
Cast: Gigi Leung, Chen Po-Lin
RunTime: 1 hr 30 mins
Rating: TBA
Official Website:
Screening Dates: 15 and 20 August 2011
Synopsis: Yat-tong has got a new flat mate named Leslie. Unfortunately Leslie soon gets divorced by her husband and is deeply immersed in sorrow. With Yat-tong's company, she breaks away from the sad history and starts her new life. They get along so well that obviously they are turning to be something more than friends, at least everyone around expects that would happen sooner or later. However, they have a huge barrier. Leslie's ex-husband is Yattong’s elder brother...
Movie Review:
Joe Ma is no newcomer to the rom-com scene, having made his mark in the mid-90s with mainstream hits such as “Feel 100%” and in the early 2000s with the “Love Undercover” trilogy. It is therefore baffling to find out that he is the director behind this Hong Kong/ China co-production “Give Love”, since it is just about one of the worst rom-coms we have seen.
Indeed, not even the return of rom-com darling Gigi Leung to the big screen is any consolation for just about some of the most appalling writing and directing we’ve seen in a while for a major feature film. Here, Gigi plays marketing manager Leslie Chan, newly married to Hilton (Mainland actor Shao Bing) and putting up in a Hong Kong apartment with her brother-in-law Yutong (Chen Po-lin).
Thing is, this isn’t the first time they have met- Yutong fell head over heels with her one year ago in a chance encounter. As fate would have it, Hilton is actually in love with his histrionic secretary and wants to break off his marriage to Leslie. How does Leslie react? Well just about the most righteous (read irritating) way possible- chastising his brother for his irresponsible ways, chastising an air stewardess for getting it on with his married friend (Shaun Tam) and chastising Leslie for drowning her sorrows with her best friend (Emily Kwan).
Does he make a move on her? Nope, for most of the movie, he’s just about too righteous to do that. And while his upright notion of love is certainly commendable, it is unlikely to win any accord among young adults today- especially not when Yutong is played by the dull and duller Chen Po-lin. Chen’s acting has no finesse whatsoever, and it is a pain watching him trying to be the moral virtuous person.
Meanwhile, he is not served by Joe Ma and Lee Ka-wing’s nonexistent direction. Though both of them share directorial credits, it is almost as if there were no director on set, as scenes run on for way too long, and continuity and editing are just absent. To begin with, Tong Yiu-Leung’s awful predictable script is nothing to shout about, but Ma and Lee make the faults so plainly glaring.
The only person trying to engage the audience is Gigi Leung, and the lass still remains as attractive as ever. Yet her best efforts are ultimately for naught, since the rest of the entire production can’t match her breezy, almost effortless charm. The rest of the Mainland actors will likely be unknowns to those outside China, and remains so given their nondescript performances.
Despite how terrible it was, “Give Love” actually managed to find a decent audience in China, which is truly disturbing to say the least. Ditto for Joe Ma’s career, since his later China production “My Sassy Girl 2” also suffered from the same appalling lack of merit. And don’t let the fact that this was bankrolled by the Hong Kong Film Development Fund fool you into thinking that this is quality cinema- it is absolutely not, and we urge you to catch “The Break-Up Club” instead of this drab if you’re looking at catching a rom-com during this year’s HKFF.
Movie Rating:
(Devoid of any and every filmmaking merit, this is an appalling bad rom-com that wastes the considerable talent of Gigi Leung)
Review by Gabriel Chong
|
Clover Films announces the release of the fantasy action movie Happy Magic 开心魔法 in cinemas this Dec!Posted on 08 Jul 2011 |
SYNOPSIS: Justin Bieber's odds were a million to one, until millions of fans found him online. Now his world is yours with Never Say Never, the "riveting and inspiring" story of his journey from average teen to the youngest performer to sell out the most famous stage in New York City.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Do any of the following songs ring a bell?
“One Less Lonely Girl” or “Baby”.
Never mind if you have never heard of Justin Bieber or any of his hit singles because this documentary directed by Jon Chu (Step Up) will take you on the journey detailing the success of this bumblegum pop sensation.
Basically, “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” is yet another marketing tool to cash on the success of the Bieber fever. Despite that, Bieber is a true example of a small-town boy made good. Chu intercuts the project with home-made videos featuring the young boy making a din on drums and guitar to actual behind-the-scenes of his concert tour. For a boy that comes from a single-parent family, Bieber definitely has a few disadvantages though we are ultimately convinced by heartening interviews with his mother and doting grandpa that the boy is destined to be somebody someday. And the videos showcased the hidden musical talents of the boy in case you brushed him off as a mere teenybopper. Not forgetting other heart-felt interviews with his agent, hair stylist, costumer, bodyguard, vocal coach etc.
Bieber’s success can be attributed to the power of social media. A simple harmless YouTube video of him doing a cover of Ne-Yo’s song led him to the attention of his existing manager and a recording contract. He went around performing in schools while simultaneously maintained his presence online. This is the new generation of artistes, ladies and gentlemen.
It’s not easy being a pop star and Chu gave us snippets of all the hard work behind all the glamour and high-pitch screams, shrills from his female fanbase. Vocal training and dancing aside, there’s the juggling of school work in his tour bus with endless concerts to cover. Not to worry, he is still leading a normal life back in his Ontario hometown as the camera follows him and his childhood friends while he is on vacation. He is just a teenager after all if we are to believe.
The real draw however is segments from his concerts, the real test of watching and hearing the young artist in action. Never mind his close to breaking vocal, Usher, Miley Cyrus, Boyz II Men (yes that R&B group who gave us the classic “End of the Road”) and Jaden Smith (son of Will Smith) are just of the notable names that appeared alongside. End of the day, it could be his good looks or his trademark fringe that got the female fanbase wild and crazy over him. But you can never forget the fact that he played to a full house at the iconic New York’s Madison Square Garden, not much artistes managed to do that and Bieber already prove to the world he can.
“Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” is nothing exceptional and Chu’s treatment of the material is predictable and covered all the necessary positive aspects that will impresses a Bieber fan. His flamed throat just three days before his sell-out concert at Madison did have a little dramatic effect. Coverage of his love life and other gossipy headlines on the other hand that will crank up the must-watch factor of this documentary is zilch.
This is a clean, motivating documentary that will appeal to fans. The rest of us just sit back and learnt a lesson of how social media played such an important role in today’s pop-culture.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Concert Dance Off is a 3 minutes showcase of Bieber’s backup dancers.
In every concert of his, Bieber serenades a love song to a lucky concert-goer, Favourite Girl is an extension of one of the segments.
Bieber snipped off his trademark fringe in R.I.P Hair Flip.
See how Bieber’s crew gave free tickets to lucky fans in Giving Back.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
I have to constantly adjust the volume especially during the concert and interview sequences. The concert segments are way too loud while dialogue is pretty inaudible at times. Given the various video sources, the video quality alternates as well.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
| « Prev | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | Next » |
Most Viewed
No content.