Genre: Crime/Drama
Director: Yang Qing
Cast: Chen Kun, Bai Baihe, Qin Hao, Yu Entai, Wang Yanling, Yin Fang, Li Jiu Xiao, Zhang Yi Chi
Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures & mm2 Entertainment
Official Website:
Opening Day: 14 April 2016
Synopsis: Three high school classmates open a hotpot restaurant in an old bomb shelter in Chongqing. The business turns out a glorious failure. They find a buyer for the restaurant, but must first “enlarge the space.” Digging, they emerge in the vault of the bank next doors. Now they must devise a plan to sneak into the bank and fix the hole. Lucky break: a girl they know from high school is working in the bank. Bad break: the bank is a target of some badass robbers. Working with two of China’s biggest stars, director Yang Qing’s 2nd feature after One Night in Supermarket (2009) continues to showcase his talents with plot twists and comic timing. It’s a spicy hot riot.
Movie Review:
Not many viewers in Singapore would be familiar with an unassuming low-budget movie back in 2009 called ‘One Night in Supermarket’, but that cinematic debut by Mainland Chinese filmmaker Yang Qing was a cult hit that got critics excited about ‘the next Ning Hao’. Those notices certainly hasn’t escaped veteran producer Chen Kuo-fu, who has boarded his similarly themed follow-up also set in the city of Chongqing. As the opening voice-over narration informs, it is a place famous for the titular dish of chilli oil, dried chilli and peppercorn served in hole-in-the-wall restaurants within its labyrinth network of underground passages and bomb shelters.
One such eatery is ‘Cave Hot Pot’, owned and operated by longtime chums Liu Bo (Chen Kun), Xu Dong (Qin Hao) and Four Eyes (Yu Entai). Unfortunately for these young entrepreneurs, business has been terrible, so their only hope is to sell off the place to a local businessman who owns a chain of such restaurants in the city. In order to make the sale more favourable, the trio attempt a DIY expansion using jackhammers without so much as a permit, leading them to stumble upon an adjacent bank vault. Whereas a more conventional narrative might see their friendship tested over how to divide the loot amongst themselves, the protagonists here are flawed but righteous – meaning that instead of stealing the money, their intention is to find a way to seal the hole they breached.
Just so happens that their former middle-school classmate Yu Xiaohui (Bai Baihe) works at the bank, but the disgruntled employee abused by her fellow co-worker Miss Zhang (Xia Tian) and derided by her supervisor (Song Wenxin) decides to take the plan one step further and suggests that they rob her company at the same time. Yet as we’ve learnt from the pre-credits scene, these hapless heroes will run into a gang of vicious animal-masked bank robbers aiming for the same loot. No thanks to their wheelman being discovered by a policeman on patrol duty, these professional criminals are also desperate for another way out of the joint, which inexorably leads them to the hole at the back of the vault.
That confrontation forms the backbone of a surprisingly violent third act – not only does Liu Bo get punched repeatedly in the face until his left eye gets swollen shut, he is also slashed across the face and kicked repeatedly in the gut – which recalls Park Chan-wook’s ‘Old Boy’ trilogy as well as the many Korean gangster thrillers that have tried to follow in its footsteps. Yet what sets Yang’s genre addition apart is his ability to wring genuine sentiment from his core quartet of working-class folks, all of whom are struggling in their own ways against the vicissitudes of their respective lives. Xu Dong has an insecure wife he has to placate every now and then on the phone, while Four Eyes still harbours a lifelong ambition of chasing his dreams in Beijing.
Most poignantly, Liu Bo’s gambling addiction leaves him deep in debt with a local loan shark Brother Seven (Chen Nuo), which in turn places his grandparents whom he lives with in harm’s way. His desperation also threatens to unravel his friendship with both longtime buddies, neither of which wish to be implicated in a serious case of theft. Yu’s entry not only makes it less of a male-dominated affair, but also adds a fresh texture to the web of relationships by letting her and Liu Bo rekindle their high school feelings for each other – and a love letter that she wrote for him back when they were still in school becomes a key narrative device that would decide both their fates.
The mix of elements from comedy to drama to action does make for some abrupt tonal shifts, but like the dish from which it draws its name, ‘Chongqing Hot Pot’ serves up a tasty if somewhat jarring and uneven blend of flavours. If anything, Yang captures the vibe and energy of the titular location strikingly, a much less affluent but no less buzzing city than the oft-seen Beijing or Shanghai. It isn’t often that we get to see such a vivid portrayal of crime and societal disaffection from Mainland Chinese cinema, which in itself is one more reason to savour this concoction of farce, romance and blood.
Movie Rating:
(True to the titular dish, this is one tasty if occasionally jarring blend of farce, romance and blood that packs a fiery kick)
Genre: Comics/Fantasy
Director: Scott Derrickson
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mads Mikkelsen, Rachel McAdams, Michael Stuhlbarg, Scott Adkins, Amy Landecker
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/DoctorStrangeMovie
Opening Day: 27 October 2016
Synopsis: “Doctor Strange” follows the story of neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a horrific car accident, discovers the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions.
Movie Review:
Perhaps it is this writer’s lack of knowledge on Marvel, but compared to the other groups of superheroes created by the American comic book publisher, such as the Avengers, X-Men or even the Fantastic Four, Dr Strange honestly draws a blank. That said, with the current proliferation of formulaic superhero movies, this unfamiliarity might have actually help the latest movie from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, *Dr Strange*.
For the non-Marvel comics’ readers, Dr Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) was a real doctor – a neurosurgeon – before getting into a horrific car accident that destroyed his hands and effectively ended his career. Unable to accept this result, Strange exhausted his resources trying to regain full control of his hands and in the process, alienated the only person who still cared for him, ex-lover Dr Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams). As a last resort, Strange journeyed to Nepal to find a cure at the Kamar-Taj, met the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), started to practice the mystic arts, and in the process, somehow did not regain full functionality of his hands.
Just like how *Deadpool* was a breath of fresh air compared to the Avengers and X-Men series, Dr Strange was a departure from the angst-filled drama of its more established counterparts. Instead, the movie showcased its free-spirited 1960s origins, bringing to mind the trippy LSD-taking, orient-obsessed, self-proclaimed mystic bohemian vibe stereotypical of that era. This was put on full display when Strange first arrived at Kamar-Taj, and was forced on a rollercoaster ride through dimensions, galaxies and worlds. There is only that much of psychedelic-ness one can take before getting turned off by the kitsch, and the movie thankfully pushes that boundary but does not go pass it. On the other hand, what really made the 3D effect pop was, in my opinion, the fight scenes where the characters manipulate buildings and structures, bringing to mind the dreamscapes from *Inception* but with prettier, more symmetrical set design. If this is not your thing, perhaps just skip the 3D option.
As for the protagonist, Stephen Strange also fits nicely between the crass and never-serious Deadpool, and the overly stoic and tortured Captain America. Despite all his failings – selfishness, arrogance and stubbornness – Strange never quite felt like the high-performing genius and jerk he actually was. Kudos to Cumberbatch for that, who perhaps had more enough practice for the role while playing other socially awkward but brilliant people (Stephen Hawking and Sherlock Holmes in TV series *Hawking* and *Sherlock*, and Alan Turing from *the Imitation Game)*. As Strange gets increasingly proficient in the mystic arts, his character does change to someone more compassionate and open-minded, but never losing his snark, as evidenced by how he saved the day. This consistency probably contributed to the character’s likeability, and was the most real/ convincing thing that would happen in a superhero movie.
With the movie’s overwhelming focus on Strange, the other characters were relegated as Strange’s sidekicks and support team. McAdam’s Dr Christine Palmer made use of what little screen time she had to aid and heal Strange, although McAdams could probably do nothing and still be likeable; Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Mordo was the good-natured and straight-laced teaching assistant, whose rigid personality probably made him the most disillusioned by the Ancient One’s doings; and for all the cries of whitewashing, Swinton does an admirable job playing the mystical and otherworldly Ancient One.
For the Marvel fans – this review would probably not change your mind on this movie. So for the non-Marvel fans out there (like me), the movie was an entertaining departure from the other superhero movies throughout the year, and worth the watch – even if it is to tide you *Sherlock* fans over until next year.
Movie Rating:
(Watch it for the symmetrically bent buildings, Benedict Cumberbatch being charming, and a drug-free experience of LSD)
Review by Goh Yan Hui
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WORLD-WIDE DISTRIBUTORS PRE-BOARD BOO JUNFENG'S CANNES-BOUND APPRENTICE. THE MOVIE OPENS IN SINGAPORE ON 30TH JUNE!Posted on 15 Apr 2016 |
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Ariel Vroman
Cast: Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones, Ryan Reynolds, Alice Eve, Gal Gadot, Jordi Mollà, Scott Adkins, Amaury Nolasco, Lara Decaro, Michael Pitt
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: http://www.criminal.movie/
Opening Day: 21 April 2016
Synopsis: The story of the right man in the wrong body. In a last-ditch effort to stop a diabolical plot, a dead CIA operative’s memories, secrets, and skills are implanted into an unpredictable and dangerous death-row inmate in hopes the he will complete the operative’s mission.
Movie Review:
Sadly for Kevin Costner, ‘3 Days to Kill’ didn’t quite propel him into the league of born-again action heroes the way ‘Taken’ did for Liam Neeson back in 2008. His latest, ‘Criminal’, sees the 61-year-old actor of such notable hits of the early 90s as ‘Dances with Wolves’ and ‘The Bodyguard’ try to give his fellow sexagenarian yet another run for the money – though it is of no fault of his that this half-science fiction tale, half-espionage thriller won’t likely become the next ‘Taken’. Oh yes, Costner is surprisingly effective as a psycho who alternates between the amoral brain-damaged thug he is and the whip-smart CIA agent/ loving family man whose memories he has been implanted with, but he is just about the only thing that this standard-issue shoot-em-up has going for it.
Certainly, the premise, as intriguing as it sounds, isn’t new. Nicolas Cage and John Travolta already did a body-swap in John Woo’s ‘Face/Off’ two decades ago. Even Ryan Reynolds, playing the agent Bill Pope whose death precipitates the action here, has had the consciousness of an older Ben Kingsley transferred to him in last year’s similarly themed ‘Self/less’. That there isn’t anything particularly novel about their premise isn’t lost on its writers Douglas Cook & David Weisberg (who scripted Michael Bay’s ‘The Rock’ back in the day), which is probably why they only use it as much as to provide the juice for a fast-paced action movie that its Israeli-born director Ariel Vromen (best known for the critically acclaimed drama ‘The Iceman’) never quite feels confident enough to pause for plot or character.
By the time the first act is up, Bill’s memories would already have been transplanted by the neurosurgeon Dr Franks (an oddly cast Tommy Lee Jones) into the mind of Jericho Stewart (Costner), a prisoner described by his warden as ‘having no impulse control, no empathy’. The CIA station chief Quaker Wells (Gary Oldman) needs Jericho desperately to recall where Bill had kept a computer whiz codenamed ‘The Dutchman’ (Michael Pitt) hidden, in particular since the latter has hacked his way into the control of each and every weapon under the U.S. military’s Central Command. There’s really no need to bother why the only candidate considered for the procedure is a man locked up in solitary confinement in a high-security West Virginia penitentiary, but for those who care, it’s because a childhood injury has left him with a rare damaged frontal lobe.
Seeing how Jericho can’t quite recall what he needs, Quaker dismisses the operation as a failure and orders Jericho to be taken away and killed. But, as you may expect, Jericho soon escapes captivity; not only that, he begins to exhibit signs of Bill’s personality as he traverses the streets of London in search of Bill’s memories his mind is suddenly invaded with. In between beating up those who cross his path therefore, Jericho taps on Bill’s manners to place a breakfast order in perfect French. More significantly, Jericho pays a visit to the latter’s home to see the woman (Gal Gadot) and little girl (Lara Decaro) whose images have unleashed emotions and empathy in him that he is most unfamiliar with – but just so you know, Costner doesn’t hook up with the ‘Wonder Woman’ star half his age.
To keep the pace humming, Jericho finds himself running not just from the authorities – who realise that he is just coming into Bill’s senses – but also the Spanish anarchist Xavier Heimdahl (Jordi Molla) and his henchwoman (Antje Traue), who were the reason we do not get more of the ‘Deadpool’ actor here. Had Vromen been given the budget of a Jerry Bruckheimer movie of the 90s to whom he aspires this to be, we probably would have had the luxury of a lot more big-scale gunfights and explosions; but as it is, these are largely reserved for the concluding act, which sees the various factions – including some Russian agents, mind you – converge to retrieve Jericho as well as the Dutchman whose location he finally manages to uncover.
Frankly speaking, the action isn’t anything to shout about, unfolding with workmanlike efficiency devoid of any genuine thrill or excitement. It doesn’t help too that, aside from Jericho, there isn’t much to any of the other characters, such that Oldman’s CIA station chief is no more than a bellowing high-strung official in charge, Jones’ scientist remains inscrutable and Gadot never quite gets to communicate her grief or confusion. In fact, it is a wonder why any of these actors signed up for their roles in the first place, seeing how they can easily do better elsewhere. If there is one thing that keeps us watching throughout the two hours, it is Costner, who growls and scowls his way playing against type reconciling memories, mortalities and moralities. Costner’s always had a gruff charm to him, and that alone makes ‘Criminal’ enjoyable.
Yet, like we said at the start, it isn’t quite as enjoyably pulpy as ‘Taken’, which had a far less illogical plot and was far more emotionally engaging. As good as Costner is, ‘Criminal’s’ other flaws are quite apparent, and what starts out as a promising psychological premise soon becomes stretched to preposterousness. At least ‘The Rock’ had the sense to inject the proceedings with a diverting sense of humour, whereas everything is taken with utmost and almost tin-headed seriousness here. For what it is worth, this is two hours of Costner and nothing more, which considering the talent on display – including Scott Adkins as a fellow CIA agent who shockingly never gets to fight – is probably criminal in itself.
Movie Rating:
(Kevin Costner's grizzled, gruff yet eminently watchable performance as the morally challenged heart and soul of the movie is the only thing that redeems this derivative, preposterous thriller from being truly criminal)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Documentary
Director: Michael Moore
Cast: Michael Moore
Runtime: 2 hrs 1 min
Rating: PG
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: http://wheretoinvadenext.com
Opening Day: 28 April 2016
Synopsis: Where to Invade Next is an expansive, rib-tickling, and subversive comedy in which Academy Award®-winning director Michael Moore, playing the role of “invader,” visits a host of nations to learn how the U.S. could improve its own prospects. The creator of Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine is back with this hilarious and eye-opening call to arms. Turns out the solutions to America’s most entrenched problems already exist in the world—they’re just waiting to be co-opted.
Movie Review:
This reviewer was a little ashamed while watching this movie. Without much prior reading, he went into the preview theatre expecting another critical, cynical and occasionally funny look at a topic that is distant and somewhat irrelevant to our safe society. Some 20 minutes into the film, this writer thought to himself: What if Michael Moore had come to Singapore and asked us about our system of running things?
Moore, who first caught our attention with Bowling for Columbine (2002), is no stranger to making documentaries which deal with serious issues like globalisation, large corporations and weapon ownership. After taking home the Academy Award for Best Documentary feature, he went on to direct Fahrenheit 9/11 (2014), a Palme d Or winning film which explores the darker issues of the George W Bush presidency, as well as shedding light on what mainstream media won’t tell you about the War on Terror.
Following Sicko (2007) and Capitalism: A Love Story (2009), Moore went off the radar for a while. Six years later, he is back with his latest work, and one that covers something so macro, you can’t put a finger on what the left wing political activist wants viewers to take home with.
We know how America is a regarded as a powerful country, and how it is often seen as an influential country calling the shots in many aspects - be its culture, economics and social norms amidst others. In this 121 minute documentary, Moore comes up with this creative concept of “invading” other countries. He “invades” countries like Tunisia, Italy, France and Portugal where alternative governance methods are in palace. Through these visits, he goes on to prove a point that solutions to America’s most entrenched problems are also present in other countries, and by co opting these approaches, America can be saved.
So why which part of the film was a poignant point for this reviewer? After a short introduction about the concept of “invasion”, Moore’s film talks about how extended holidays are not common back home. This lies in the fundamental issue - that not every country adopts a manpower system where employees have the right to large amounts of annual leave from work. Yup, what we have here is regarded a generous amount of off work days - let’s not even get started on long lunch hours. Does this lead to better efficiency and higher productivity for organisations? Will there be better output if employees do not spend so much time away from work?
This is just one of the issues covered. Issues like education and law are also topics explored in countries that Moore “invades”. You hear the CEO of motorcycle designer and manufacturer Ducati talk about how his staff is enjoying the welfare given, the Minister of Education in Finland talk about how things have worked great with little homework, and Iceland’s former president Vigdis Finnbogadottir talk about how the country’s legal system.
As with all documentaries, we advise you not to look for objectivity. This genre is presented from one side (the director has a point to prove, right?), and any logic or argument you seek will be pointless. What we think you should do is just be entertained, and be aware of how things work out in other parts of the world.
Movie Rating:
(First, deal with the fact that political documentaries are one-sided, and you'll be duly entertained and informed with Michael Moore's latest work)
Review by John Li
Genre: Romance/Comedy
Director: Garry Marshall
Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts, Jason Sudeikis, Britt Robertson, Timothy Olyphant, Jon Lovitz, Brandon Spink, Sarah Chalke, Shay Mitchell
Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins
Rating: M18 (Some Homosexual Content)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: http://www.seemothersday.com/home
Opening Day: 5 May 2016
Synopsis: Jennifer Aniston (We’re the Millers, “Friends”), Kate Hudson (Raising Helen, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days), Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich, Pretty Woman), Jason Sudeikis (Horrible Bosses, We’re the Millers) and Britt Robertson (Tomorrowland, The Longest Ride) star in interwoven stories about a group of women with one important thing in common- mothers. Expectant moms, single moms, stepmoms, gay moms, estranged moms, long-lost moms and mothers of all kinds get their due in an emotional tribute to the tie that can’t be broken. In the week before the one day of the year when Mom comes first, the lives of a group of strong, loving and wildly imperfect women, from a divorced mother dealing with her kids’ new stepmom to a young mom trying find her own birth mother, provide an emotional and humorous reminder that every mom is her own kind of hero. As Mother’s Day approaches, each of them is about to prove the power of the maternal bond in sweet, smart, sassy and sexy celebration of mothers everywhere.
Movie Review:
Trust Garry Marshall to make a formula out of gathering a bunch of recognisable faces and casting them as loosely connected characters that happen to be going through big life events just before a major holiday event. Valentine’s Day was the first of these back in 2010, followed the next year by New Year’s Eve, and Marshall has here reunited the writers of these two earlier films for yet another feel-good dramedy centred on the titular holiday celebrating motherhood. It also means that ‘Mother’s Day’ is both fortunately and unfortunately cut from the same cloth as its predecessors, which depending on how much you love these earlier candy-coated trifles, ultimately decides if you will like this similarly inconsequential piece of filmmaking.
To Marshall’s benefit, the narrative here is much more streamlined, focusing instead on four key characters and a couple more minor ones who happen to be related to these four. Sandy (Jennifer Aniston) is a single mother of two whose ex-husband (Timothy Olyphant) is about to marry a twenty-something (Shay Mitchell). Her best friend Jesse (Kate Hudson) is happily married with a kid to Russell (Aasif Mandvi), but because her parents (Margo Martindale and Robert Pine) happen to be racist, she hasn’t introduced her Indian husband to them, nor for that matter told them that she is already a mother. Ditto her lesbian sister Gabi (Sarah Chalke), who tells them that she has a fiancé named Steve when she is really married to a woman named Max.
During the course of a leisurely two hours, Sandy will meet Bradley (Jason Sudeikis) aka Mister Mom at the supermarket struggling to buy tampons for his teenage daughter. Unlike Sandy, the former Marine lost his wife (Jennifer Garner in a brief cameo) in combat and is coping with grief while trying to be strong for his two girls. Sandy will also audition with successful home shopping network mogul and best-selling author Miranda (Julia Roberts), who as a teenager gave her only daughter up for adoption. It is no secret that her daughter is none other than Kristin (Britt Robertson), a young mother whose abandonment issues has made her a commitment-phobe that is reluctant to enter into marriage with Zack (Jack Whitehall), the British bartender and father of her infant.
That these cookie-cutter characters stay engaging is credit to each and every one of the cast, whose energy and chemistry make their roles more interesting than they really are. Aniston and Hudson are pros at such light-hearted dramedies, so too is Sudeikis of ‘We’re the Millers’ and ‘Horrible Bosses’. Robertson can’t quite match her co-stars’ shine, but her partner Whitehall is an unexpected delight as a comic who gets one of the film’s funniest scenes taking the stage at a comedy club while holding his baby daughter in his arms. Roberts is no more than a glorified supporting act (a Marshall regular since her breakout hit ‘Pretty Woman’), but displays her movie-star quality in the few scenes she shares with Aniston, Robertson and Hector Elizondo (another Marshall regular playing her confidante).
Like in ‘Valentine’s Day’ and ‘New Year’s Eve’, there will be at least one meet-cute, a wedding, a medical emergency and reconciliations all around. Marshall is a seasoned director of such mush, and arguably he handles the proceedings with enough nuance so that they do not end up being overly melodramatic. One wishes though that Marshall had given the same finesse with the humour in the film, especially at the end when we are supposed to laugh at Sudeikis falling off a balcony or a runaway RV (which Jesse and Gabi’s parents drive all the way from Texas to Atlanta in order to surprise them) with faulty brakes. Not that the rest of the film itself is that amusing – Marshall, who majored in television comedy, often settles for sitcom fodder that only occasionally inspire a chuckle or two.
And yet by the same measure, Marshall is a veteran at such inoffensive confection, which pretty sums up ‘Mother’s Day’ and his earlier two holiday-based rom-coms. Motherhood is of course the theme here, but lessons of letting go, forgiveness and unconditional love are perennial Marshall favourites, packaged with a certain banality that nonetheless makes it easy to wash down. So even if the Atlanta that he paints onscreen is clearly artificial, you probably won’t mind spending the time in his Hallmark-card version of suburbia, least of all with a group of good-looking people who seem genuinely nice, friendly and pleasant.
Movie Rating:
(As artificial and lightweight as 'Valentine's Day' and 'New Year's Eve', this latest holiday-themed ensemble comedy from Garry Marshall is nonetheless pleasing and inoffensive)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Pun Homchuen, Onusa Donsawai
Cast: Apinya Sakuljaroensuk, Nuttasit Kotimanuswanich, Parisa Pinyakamolchart, Napasasi Surawan
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Coarse Language and Violence)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website:
Opening Day: 5 May 2016
Synopsis: PLE is a high school student who loves spending quality time with her cute friend, CARE. Together, they create a Facebook page for Care to share her personal photos and videos to garner 'Likes' from the public, with the hopes of eventually becoming a popular Internet idol. GRACE, who used to be a famous Internet idol, and JACK, who is Care's number one crazy fan, follow Care's personal life closely on Facebook. Together, the two use Care's publicly available personal information to plot a kidnap plan. Grace then later shows Care that the world is not a bed of roses, and wants to show her how the internet can wreck her world havoc, and attempts to ruin Care's life forever.
Movie Review:
Not nearly enough attention has been given to how social media has altered the psyche of our younger generation, not simply individually but also how they relate to each other socially. How far would our teenagers go to achieve their fifteen minutes of fame? Do they know that fame is fleeting? What will they do when they eventually fall out of favour? What will they do to their peers who take their place? As exploitative as it is, the Thai psychological thriller ‘Grace’ throws up these thought-provoking questions even as it indulges genre fans with their fair share of lurid thrills.
The title of the film is in fact the name of its key character played by Apinya Sakuljaroensuk. A former Internet idol who has since – for the lack of a better word – fallen out of grace with the online community, Grace is bitter and resentful of others who have become more popular than her. One such person is Care (Napasasi Surawan), whose claim to fame are the stories, pictures and videos that her best friend Ple (Latthgarmon Pinrojnkeerathi) shares on Facebook on her behalf. Out of sheer jealousy, Grace kidnaps Care with the help of her number one fan, Jack (Nutthasit Kotimanuswanich), though the latter proves to have more of a conscience than she ever will.
Admittedly, the setup is quite basic. Grace’s motivation is her intense envy, which drives her to want to teach her fellow Internet idols a lesson about falling out of favour. Initially at least, Jack goes along with Grace’s plan because he is simply too enamoured by her, having spent hours after hours in front of his computer staring at her pictures. Care will eventually learn the cautionary lesson of not putting too much of your personal details online, lest someone with bad intentions comes along and decides to use them against you. Ple is a slightly more intriguing character; while on the surface she genuinely aspires for Care to find popularity, there is the nagging sense that she is in fact living vicariously through Care, constructing a life that she in fact wants for herself but knows she might never be able to attain.
Expanding his short film of the same name into a full length feature, writer/ director Pun Homchuen places the kidnapping front and centre, while relying prodigiously on flashbacks to reveal the relationships between the characters as well as their respective dysfunctions. In particular, he delves into the symbiotic relationship between Grace and Jack, demonstrating how Jack believes he needs Grace in his life as much as Grace really does need Jack in her life to feel a sense of validation. Grace’s perversity is laid bare throughout the course of the film, a product of her vanity as well as the fickleness of the Internet community, though we wouldn’t go so far as to say that we end up sympathising with her plight.
Oh yes, it may not be on the surface a work of torture porn, but believe you me, some of the scenes here do get pretty gory. That in itself may tickle the fetishes of some audience members, but there is something quite disturbing about watching teenagers exact such cruelty on and to each other all for the sake of fame. The latter is Pun’s way of justifying Grace’s actions, but it does make for an uncomfortable watch especially when Grace shows no qualms slashing Care’s face right across her right cheek. Fans of ‘Funny Games’ and ‘The Strangers’ will no doubt dig the violence, but those who are squeamish about such graphic displays best be prepared to look away.
Thanks to its topical premise, ‘Grace’ is never just a standard-issue revenge thriller. Even though it does amplify its bitch-fighting to slightly absurd proportions, there are echoes of its portrayal of teenagers chasing fame and power in the squabbles we see between so-called online personalities here. This is Pun’s first full-length feature film and that inexperience shows in the messy and slightly confusing jumble of events as the story moves back and forth between present and past; nevertheless, there is enough raw, edgy thrill to satisfy genre fans and a rich enough cautionary lesson for those looking for allegory.
Movie Rating:
(A suitably tense and thrilling watch, thanks to a topical premise and some luridly gory scenes)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Paul Greengrass
Cast: Matt Damon, Alicia Vikander, Julia Stiles, Tommy Lee Jones, Vincent Cassel, Riz Ahmed
Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins
Rating: PG13 (Violence)
Released By: UIP
Official Website: http://www.jasonbournemovie.com/
Opening Day: 28 July 2016
Synopsis: Matt Damon returns to his most iconic role in Jason Bourne. Paul Greengrass, the director of The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, once again joins Damon for the next chapter of Universal Pictures’ Bourne franchise, which finds the CIA’s most lethal former operative drawn out of the shadows. For Jason Bourne, Damon is joined by Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel and Tommy Lee Jones, while Julia Stiles reprises her role in the series. Frank Marshall again produces alongside Jeffrey Weiner for Captivate Entertainment, and Greengrass, Damon, Gregory Goodman and Ben Smith also produce. Based on characters created by Robert Ludlum, the film is written by Greengrass and Christopher Rouse.
Movie Review:
No ‘Supremacy’. No ‘Ultimatum’. And of course, no ‘Legacy’. Just the name of the character we are familiar with – oh, and the return of Matt Damon in the titular role. Not just Damon in fact, but Paul Greengrass, the director of ‘The Bourne Supremacy’ and ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ whose vérité style, with its dizzying handheld camerawork and splintered editing, became synonymous with the franchise as well as – for better and for worse – a much-imitated style of action blockbusters in recent years. Both are back after a nine-year break, and you’ll be glad to know that neither has lost their respective sensibilities in crafting a tense, propulsive motion picture pulsating with a palpable sense of urgency. Oh yes, and the fact that Greengrass has not lost his political edge gives ‘Jason Bourne’ an added sense of relevance too.
Rather than rely on someone else, Greengrass has taken it upon himself to assume scripting duties here, collaborating with longtime series editor (but first-time writer) Christopher Rouse to bring Bourne back into the CIA’s crosshairs. Keeping with his raison d'être of the initial trilogy, Bourne’s motivation here remains personal, emerging from the depths of bare-knuckled underground fights on the outskirts of the Greek border to uncover his father’s involvement in the Treadstone programme as well as the truth behind his presumed death at the hands of Islamic terrorists in Beirut years ago. It is his fellow Company renegade Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) who brings the information to his attention, after harvesting some Black Ops files from the CIA’s dungeon while working for a WikiLeaks-type figure determined to expose the U.S. Government’s deepest and darkest secrets.
Bourne’s determination to uncover more of his past comes up against the CIA’s current director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones), who has a couple of skeletons in his closet that he prefers to keep hidden. The fact that Bourne also has information on his latest covert programme known as Deep Dream involving a Facebook-like social media company run by billionaire founder Aaron Kalloor (Riz Ahmed) makes Bourne an even more crucial target to be eliminated. Dewey is assisted by a brilliant and ambitious tech analyst Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander), as well as a relic of the Blackbriar programme – referred to here as the “Asset” (Vincent Cassel) – with his own score to settle with Bourne. Not just Dewey of course, each of the other supporting players will at some point emerge with their own secrets and hidden agendas, the irony here being how Bourne is probably the least inscrutable character.
By this point, it is safe to say that the Bourne franchise has left the shadow of the Robert Ludlum novels on which the character is based in the dust, but in turn, Greengrass has shaped Bourne as the post-9/11 hero that we need. Through Bourne, Greengrass raises questions about the dangers of Big Brother and just how much we should compromise on individual privacy for the greater good of national security, positing a very real scenario that the corporations owning the social media platforms with so much of citizens’ metadata (and actual data) could in fact be in cahoots with the Government that their users inherently distrust. That the finale set in Las Vegas should have its basis in an Exocon conference where the topic of privacy versus security is being discussed further attests to how serious Greengrass is about the issue.
That doesn’t mean that he has forgotten what his core fan demographic has turned up for; in fact, if anything, Greengrass ups the ante in each one of his confidently staged action set-pieces – first, a fiery riot in Athens’ Snytagma Square where Bourne comes out of hiding to meet Nicky that starts off as a foot pursuit amidst clashes between police and rampaging protesters and turns into a thrilling motorcycle chase along the city’s narrow back streets; followed by a public rendezvous between Bourne and a former Treadstone employee in London that sees Dewey run his own little operation by the side; and finally, a mammoth showdown that goes from a ‘Manchurian Candidate-like’ assassination at a big public event to a slam-blang chase along the Las Vegas Strip with massive vehicular carnage. If anything, Greengrass aims for a breakneck pace that could do with greater moments of quiet contemplation and conversation, especially that which does not involve Bourne running, shooting or fighting.
Yet even as it does keep us viscerally engaged and intellectually stimulated, ‘Jason Bourne’ does not lose its emotional core thanks to Damon’s grounded performance. He may have even less to say compared to any of the previous movies, but Damon remains compulsively watchable as the haunted protagonist at the centre of a very frenetic movie. Strictly speaking, this latest entry hardly breaks any new ground, but Greengrass and Damon are back at what they did best close to a decade ago, complete with a topical subtext to ensure its currency. If you’ve never liked Greengrass’ mix of blurry zooms, pans and quick cuts, you’re not going to start anytime now; but anyone looking for that unique sense of excitement in ‘Supremacy’ and ‘Ultimatum’ will welcome this rehash with open arms.
Movie Rating:
(No less – but also no more – than an enjoyable retread of what made the Paul Greengrass’ Bourne movies so thrilling, engaging and heart-stopping)
Genre: Comedy
Director: Michael Woo & Joyce Lee
Cast: Aloysius Pang, Joshua Tan, Joyce Chu, Jeffrey Xu, Gurmit Singh, Henry Thia, Quan Yi Fong, Jordan Ng & The Sam Willows
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Rating: PG (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Encore Films and Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: http://www.encorefilms.com/yaf
Opening Day: 26 May 2016
Synopsis: YOUNG & FABULOUS is a coming-of-age story of a group of teenage friends—Royston, Violet, and Hao Ren—who overcome all challenges and obstacles to fulfil their dreams. On their journey of self-discovery, they also learn the meaning of friendship, the different perspectives in parent-child and teacher-student relationships, and ultimately the need to have the courage to stand up for what they believe in. Bonded through a fondness for cosplay, the three friends help each other out academically and empower each other to become better individuals. Their natural talents in different aspects also make them a great team—the creative Royston designs and tailors the costumes; social media queen Violet teaches them how to pose with confidence, while Hao Ren puts his street smarts to good use in their negotiations with the vendors. Conflict arises when their cosplay hobby, kept a secret amongst themselves till then, is discovered by their parents. The parents strongly object to their involvement in cosplay, as they believe that it is juvenile and strange hobby that wastes time and effort, and will cause them to neglect their studies. They warn the three to discontinue their involvement in cosplay or risk getting into deeper trouble with them. Royston, Violet, and Hao Ren are in a dilemma. In this competitive era with an education system that focuses on academic excellence, how will the younger generation find courage and confidence and hold on to their dreams and hopes in a society that values practicality over creativity?
Movie Review:
If you are too young or impatient to endure two hours of boring motivational talk, then Young & Fabulous might just do the trick.
Directed by TV veterans Michael Woo and Joyce Lee, Young & Fabulous expectedly fares like a Mediacorp telemovie from the production values right down to the cast. Above all, the story is a paint-by-numbers affair which uses the theme of cosplay to convey an inspiring message that, in order to succeed, one must hold on to one's dream.
But not all is lost as the leading cast boasts Aloysius Pang, one of TV’s hottest young talents, Joshua Tan of Ah Boys to Men fame and Malaysia’s Internet sensation, Joyce Chu or more famously known as 四叶草 and a bunch of TV veterans, Quan Yifong, Gurmit Singh and Henry Thia in the mix.
Pang, Tan and Chu plays fellow classmates Royston, Hao Ren and Violet respectively who get into cosplay. Royston is a talented costume designer, while Hao Ren is aiming for the $10,000 top prize in a cosplay summit. On the other hand, Violet, a rich lonely offspring, just wants attention and company. But their dream to compete is cut short when Violet’s rich, snobbish parents (played by Constance Song and Bernard Tan) want her to end her friendship with her lower class friends. Concurrently, Royston’s mum (Quan Yifong) wants her son to concentrate on his studies to become a doctor instead of dreaming to be a fashion designer. Will the trio’s dream take off in the end?
No doubt, Young & Fabulous is an inspirational drama that delves into the current conventional mindset of parents whose only wish is to make sure their kids got into university and make a decent living out of it. Dreams are for the young not their parents. Unlike Jack Neo’s typical heavy-handed and often preachy attempt to tell a story, Woo and Lee manages to steer clear of it but that doesn’t mean they didn’t employ a few convenient tears-inducing tactics to keep the narrative flowing.
While Neo frequently injects political and social messages in his movies (which might be a good thing for audiences looking for something extra), the script by Mediacorp’s scriptwriter Rebecca Leow prefers to lay every card on the table. Despite Leow’s best intention to tell an inspiring story of dreams and friendship, the script in the end is of mediocre standard and likely appeals more to younger audiences and fans of the local cosplay community.
As the geeky Royston, Aloysius Pang’s acting has improved leaps and bounds since his movie debut Timeless Love years back. Mediacorp of course is solid training ground. Joshua Tan’s Hao Ren is a lobang king, heartlander, filial boy all rolled into one and this probably marks the first time we seen him conversed almost entirely in Mandarin onscreen - not bad for an ang-mo-pai (westernized person). The only cast member in the entire movie that actually looks like a secondary student is none other than Joyce Chu who gave a serviceable performance as a character who is obsessed with social media.
Henry Thia and Mediacorp’s Jeffrey Xu stood out for providing the comedic bits. Thia who plays the role of Hao Ren’s father is simply hilarious especially in the scene where all the parents of the students garner for a discussion with Teacher Boo (Gurmit Singh) while Xu’s excellent portrayal of a sissy cosplayer is practically faultless. Newcomer Jordan Ng on the other hand is as cute as a button playing Royston’s cheeky younger brother. After a long absence from acting, Quan Yifong plays a kiasu mother who gave new meaning to a plate of egg and sausage.
Young & Fabulous will not win any awards for originality and creativity. However, fans of the three hot talents will see a new side of their idols. It does take a while to warm up to the whole idea but the $1.5 million local movie also features some nifty anime, manga effects and a display of lush cosplay costumes to sweeten the deal.
Movie Rating:
(One more reason for fans of Aloysius Pang, Joshua Tan and Joyce Chu to support their idols)
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Romance/Comedy
Director: Jo Geun-sik
Cast: Cha Tae-hyun, Victoria, Mina Fujii
Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Clover Films Pte Ltd and Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 12 May 2016
Synopsis: A sequel to the 2001 movie "My Sassy Girl" - Gyun-woo can't forget the sassy girl. One day he meets the love of his life again and marries her. However, he goes through a honeymoon which no man would ever dream of.
Movie Review:
My New Sassy Girl (2015) is one which prides itself as the sequel to the immensely successful movie My Sassy Girl (2001). It stars the same male lead, Cha Tae-hyun as Gyun-woo. Playing the role of the new sassy girl is Victoria, member of Korean girl group f(x). Borrowing the fame and success of ‘My Sassy Girl’, My New Sassy Girl had a promising start but certainly did not live up to the standards of its predecessor.
Gyun-woo reunites with his childhood sweetheart in an unexpected encounter and they quickly got married as she came back to fulfil the promise she made to him when they were young. Determined to win the girl of his heart, Gyun-woo changes his outlook on life and goes through transformation to woo her. Even after successfully going through the trials to get married, they still needed to work out many differences. Could love eventually win?
The narrative of the movie is one that is rather predictable and lacks depth. The development of the story was hasty, and it did not help that the onscreen chemistry between Tae-hyun and Victoria is nearly zero. Albeit Gyun-woo still aced as the comedic, happy-to-go guy. But because of the shallow plot, even the element of ‘romantic-comedy’ was also absent.
The supporting roles also didn’t help to beef up the plot. Although each of the side characters had distinct personalities, they did not have a crucial part to play with regards to the storyline. They were there pretty much for ‘decorative’ purposes, especially true in the case of Mina Fujii, who played the role of a Japanese co-worker.
Perhaps the only interesting part of the movie was seeing how the Chinese and Korean cultures are cleverly mixed. From the exchange of calligraphy and idioms between the sassy girl and her mother-in-law to extending the filming location to scenic places in China, the cultural flavors mixed into the movie did up the entertainment value by a bit.
If you had pinned some hopes of getting a good laugh out of this rom-com, you might be in for disappointments. My New Sassy Girl probably did not outdo its predecessor with the cheesy lines and unexciting plot. Even the element of ‘sassy’ was largely missing in this one.
Movie Rating:
(Sassy no more)
Review by Tho Shu Ling
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