Genre: Comedy/Romance
Director: Hallie Meyers-Shyer
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Nat Wolff, Jon Rudnitsky, Pico Alexander, Lake Bell, Michael Sheen, Candice Bergen
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins
Rating: PG (Some Sexual References)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: http://homeagain-movie.com/
Opening Day: 12 October 2017
Synopsis: Recently separated from her husband, (Michael Sheen), Alice decides to start over by moving back to her hometown of Los Angeles with her two young daughters. During a night out on her 40th birthday, Alice meets three aspiring filmmakers who happen to be in need of a place to live. Alice agrees to let the guys stay in her guest house temporarily, but the arrangement ends up unfolding in unexpected ways. Alice’s unlikely new family and new romance comes to a crashing halt when her ex-husband shows up, suitcase in hand. HOME AGAIN is a story of love, friendship, and the families we create. And one very big life lesson: Starting over is not for beginners.
Movie Review:
Back in 2011, Reese Witherspoon made her breakthrough by portraying Elle Woods, a ditzy sorority girl who goes to law school to win her ex boyfriend back. Viewers old enough would remember Legally Blonde directed by Robert Luketic, and how Witherspoon made the otherwise formulaic and predictable comedy a refreshing movie to sit through. The actress would go on to play the same character in Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003).
If you want to be taken seriously in Hollywood, you must move on to dramatic roles. And that’s what Witherspoon did. She took on the role of June Carter (famed singer Johnny Cash’s second wife) in James Mangold’s Walk the Line (2005). It was a good year for Witherspoon as she was crowned Best Actress as the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, BAFTA Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards and Critics Choice Awards. Then along came along other dramatic roles in serious films like Rendition (2007), Water for Elephants (2011) and Inherent Vice (2014).
The actress makes a return to her roots in romantic comedies here. And because time is the most unforgiving thing in life, Witherspoon, who once portrayed energetic young girls, now plays a single mother who yearns for true love.
In her directorial debut, Hallie Meyers Shyer (daughter of director Nancy Meyers, who helmed commercial successes like The Holiday, It’s Complicated and The Intern) gives viewers a May December romance story she wrote. A 40 year old single mother (Witherspoon) lets two young brothers (Nat Wolff and Pico Alexander) and their friend (Jon Rudnitsky) live with her in her Los Angeles home – you can expect a romance to blossom in the most awkward sense. Throw in a nasty client of a interior design business, the return of the ex husband and a somewhat unnecessary side plot about filmmaking, and you get a rom com pleasant enough to kill 97 minutes of your time.
Witherspoon holds up as a woman searching for happiness while struggling to juggle with her existing family problems. The young actors do what they can to play their roles: Alexander (A Most Violent Year) is the token pretty boy, Wolff (Light Turner in the American remake of Death Note) is goofy, while Rudnitsky (Saturday Night Live) is likeable. Elsewhere, Lake Bell (No Escape) gets bitchy as the difficult client, Candice Bergen (Bride Wars) plays the wise old mother, and Michael Sheen (Nocturnal Animals) provides a nice surprise by turning up as the ex husband.
While the actors are decently charming, there isn’t anything else to shout about for the movie. In its entirety, it feels like a TV movie you’d spend a lazy weekend afternoon watching. You can see how the movie will have its moments of comedy and heartwarming scenes. It seems like an unchallenging project for Witherspoon as she lounges her way through the plot developments. You know that the actress is capable of doing better, and by the time the credits roll, you don’t feel fully satisfied with what you’ve watched.
Movie Rating:
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(An agreeable romantic comedy that could have been so much more)
Review by John Li
Genre: Drama
Director: Sylvie Verheyde
Cast: Hafsia Herzi, Ash Stymest, Karole Rocher, Paul Hamy, Ira Max
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Scenes)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website:
Opening Day: 4 May 2017
Synopsis: A high-priced call girl navigates the shadowy world of London's sex trade underground in this provocative, erotic thriller. Virginie (César Award winner Hafsia Herzi) goes about her work as a prostitute with a cool detachment, trading sex with wealthy businessmen for money, but never getting emotionally involved. That all changes when she meets Rupert (Ash Stymest), an enigmatic stranger with unclear intentions. Risking everything, Virginie plunges into a dangerous affair that tears her between a ruthless madame who forbids romantic attachments and a dark, sexy man who could be her savior or her downfall.
Movie Review:
The crowd from the now defunct Yangtze will probably have a field day checking out this title hoping to get a glimpse of some hot nudity and sexual tension. Coming out from the romantic city of lights, unfortunately, the title is the only thing that is titillating in this otherwise tepid erotic art-house drama.
French indie director Sylvie Verheyde wrote and directs this drama about a high-class call girl Virginie (HafsiaHerzi) who at the beck and call of her tough madam (Karole Rocher) worked in the flesh trade. Lured purely by hard cold cash, she services rich older men with the enthusiasm of a dead fish. Until one day, she met a mysterious tattooed man, Rupert (played by newcomer Ash Stymest) in a nightclub that Virginie starts to question her identity as a call girl.
Sex Doll attempts to be meaningful, provocative and mysterious but failed at every turn and corner. Verheyde never succeed to establish Virginie as a character worth telling or the topic on hand as an interesting academic study. Furthermore, it doesn’t shed any new light on the sex industry which is a huge pity.
Most absurd of all the character of Rupert is sort of a superhero, always miraculously appearing to give Virginie a lift home and even appearing at a right time to get her partner and her out of an orgy that went horribly wrong. Did I mentioned Rupert happened to be in the business of rescuing girls from the sex trade world? And we are pretty sure you know Virginie and Rupert will soon be an item struggling to truly connect with each other.
There’s so little story development and the excruciating slow pacing doesn’t help to capture your attention either. And to address those who came for sleazy shots and humping action, be prepare to be disappointed as there is nothing more than off-camera sex, moaning sound and close-ups of Virginie’s ultra-bored face in the series of sex scenes.
By now, you should know that Sex Doll is not everyone’s cup of tea. In fact, you should be making yourself a pot of hot tea and read a good book than indulging in this yawn fest disgusing itself as an arthouse title for intelluctuals. It’s definitely not for the former nor the Yangtze crowd. We await with bated breath for a decent title that touches upon the infamous Japanese sex dolls. Ahem for film studies and academic sake.
Movie Rating:
(Sex Doll is empty and boring)
Review by Linus Tee
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TRAILER WATCH - JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLEPosted on 22 Sep 2017 |
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TRAILER WATCH - ISLE OF DOGSPosted on 22 Sep 2017 |
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TRAILER WATCH - PETER RABBITPosted on 22 Sep 2017 |
Genre: Drama
Director: Saw Teong Hin
Cast: Frederick Lee, Yeo Yann Yann, Neo Swee Lin, Steve Yap, Sue Tan, Chelsia Ng, John Tan, Gregg Koay
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Some Sexual References)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment & Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 5 October 2017
Synopsis: Sunny (Frederick Lee), a film director, returns to his hometown of Penang to shoot a new film, an autobiographical story about his family, all without his family’s knowledge or approval. It has been years since he was last home, and his family members – especially his older sister Hoon (Yeo Yann Yann), his aunts Grace (Sue Tan) and Vivian (Tan Ai Suan) – and his old schoolmates are excited to see him, thinking that he’s been living a rich and successful life in Kuala Lumpur. But the reality is that Sunny drives a beat-up car, has relationship problems, and is running out of money for his new film. The reason Sunny is making this film is linked to a shocking incident that he had witnessed as a boy. It has haunted him and caused resentment towards his mother (Neo Swee Lin) and his older, mentally disabled brother, Boy (John Tan). In trying to tell his family’s story, Sunny is forced to confront and relive the past, taking him back to his childhood and the family that tried their best not to fall apart in the face of adversity. In the end, the filmmaking, for Sunny, becomes a cathartic exercise, inadvertently opening old wounds, exorcising anger and guilt, and most of all, showing him that true love is about sacrifice.
Movie Review:
If the majority of your childhood isn’t filled with fond memories, it must be difficult telling your friends about it. One can only imagine the conflicting thoughts that went through Malaysian director Saw Teong Hin’s mind when he made a film about his family history and the estranged relationship with his mother.
The semi autobiographical film is based on a stage play which debuted in 2014 during the George Town Festival. The script was originally written for a feature film, but the lack of resources prohibited Saw to do so. After the play’s five day run (every session was sold out), the filmmaker had an easier time getting funds to adapt the story into this feature film.
Besides being a personal project for Saw, this production is also an important film for Malaysia because it is the first project to be filmed entirely in Penang Hokkien. The Chinese title “Hái Kînn Sin-Lōo” is a Hokkien nickname for Victoria Streetin Penang’s George Town.
And that is why it is a pity that local audiences will only get to watch this film in dubbed Mandarin – you can imagine how the original flavour is largely lost through translation.
However, the story is enough a reason for you to support this sincere production. The raw emotions of the Saw’s past are masterfully captured in the script. The 96 minute movie’s protagonist is Sunny (Frederick Lee, who is Singaporean actor Christopher Lee’s brother), a film director who is making a movie about his childhood. Through flashbacks, we see how his mother (Neo Swee Lin, a veteran actress Singaporeans are familiar with) has to deal with a mentally challenged son (Malaysian actor and model John Tan), a crushed husband (Steve Yap) and a fearful daughter (Chelsia Ng) while trying to keep the family together. Things take a turn when the young Sunny (Gregg Koay) witnesses an incident between his mother and his elder brother.
The cast delivers heartfelt performances – it helps that most of them also appeared in the stage play. Lee injects the right amount of feelings without being melodramatic, Tan leaves an impression with his limited screen time (he received the Best New Actor award at the 29th Malaysia Film Festival), while supporting actors are commendable as well.
Malaysiaborn actress Yeo Yann Yann (881, 12 Lotus) takes on the role of the daughter in her adult years, and proves that her Golden Horse Best Actress win for Ilo Ilo (2013) is well deserved. The versatile actress, who has dabbled in drama (Singapore Dreaming) and comedy (Rubbers), is an engaging performer. Neo, who also starred in 1999's The Blue Mansion shot in Penang, is perfect as the self sacrificing mother, and it is impossible not to be moved by her heartrending performance.
It is clear that production team has paid a large amount of detail on the locations, props and costumes, and their hard work shows on screen. Another highlight of the movie is Christopher Doyle’s involvement (thanks to a networking dinner). The award winning director of photography, who is known for his work on Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar Wais’ films (2046, In the Mood for Love), gives a touch of romance and lush to the sights of Penang. The cinematographer, whose recent works include Port of Call (2015) and American Dreams in China (2013), has beautifully translated the Saw’s visions.
The film is probably Saw’s way of seeking closure to a tortured past, and it shows in the authenticity of the script which was recognised with the Best Screenplay prize at the 29th Malaysia Film Festival. It has a universal message, and will leave you reflecting how memories, whether good or bad, ultimately depend on what we choose to remember.
Movie Rating:
(A universal story about resentment, regret and redemption)
Review by John Li
Genre: CG Animation
Director: Holger Tappe
Cast: Emily Watson, Nick Frost, Jessica Brown Findlay, Celia Imrie, Catherine Tate, Jason Issacs
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Shaw
Official Website:
Opening Day: 5 October 2017
Synopsis: The Wishbones are far from being a happy family. Mum, Emma, owns a book store that’s deeply debt-ridden, Dad, Frank, is seriously over-worked and suffering under his tyrannical boss, daughter, Fay is a self-conscious teenager infatuated with her first high school crush, and genius son Max is being bullied at school. And it doesn’t end there - at a costume party an evil witch Baba Yaga turns them all into monsters! Emma becomes a vampire, Frank turns into Frankenstein’s monster, Fay into a mummy and Max into a werewolf. Together this monster family must chase the witch halfway around the globe to reverse the curse. During this haphazard adventure, the Wishbones get into trouble with some real-life monsters, not least the irresistibly, charming Count Dracula himself, who professes his undying love for Emma. Well, the road to family happiness is littered with pitfalls and sharp turns, or rather, sharp teeth...
Movie Review:
A lonely Dracula (Jason Isaacs) is bent on freezing the sun until a mortal woman by the name of Emma Wishbone (Emily Watson) accidentally caught his attention and he tries to win her over by enlisting the help of a witch Baba Yaga (Catherine Tate) to turn Emma into a vampire.
However it’s not just Emma that is turned into a monster by Baba Yaga. By accident, her overworked husband, Frank (Nick Frost) is turned into dim-witted Frankenstein, her self-conscious teenage daughter, Fay (Jessica Brown Findlay) became an Egyptian Mummy and her son, Max (Ethan Rouse) is now a werewolf. To break the curse, the Wishbones must stay together as a happy family or stay forever as monsters.
This German-made, UK-voiced animation also know as Happy Family is helmed by Holger Tappe who brought you Animals United and he also produced the 2013 animated Tarzan. Never heard of Tappe or his productions? Holger and his stuff might not be household names in this part of the world but he tries his best to fill in the gaps between the releases from Pixar, Disney and DreamWorks. Holger’s latest animated feature is based on the novel of Emmy Award winning author David Safier even though the original work is meant for adults.
Perhaps it’s a classic case of lost in translation, there’s actually very little charm to the entire story. The well-meaning message of staying together as a family becomes stale and repetitive after a while and ultimately it’s a bore to sit through another session of shouting match between Emma and her headstrong daughter. That explains why you simply can’t wait for Dracula to reappear again in his crazy cool jet and zipping Emma off to his reimagined high-tech castle in Transylvania.
Despite having three rather wacky bats and their constant mischiefs, every other gag in the movie seems forced and flat that Holger has to resort to fart jokes courtesy of Frank every now and then. Still, the animation by the German-based Ambient Entertainment on the whole looks great. The New York setting is impressive though it’s puzzling why everyone speaks with an UK accent. The various locations including London, the vast desert and Dracula’s castle feature stellar design works by the animators.
Comparing this to Adam Sandler and Genndy Tartakovsky’s Hotel Transylvania franchise, it’s easy to spot which one will appeal to kids (and adults) more. The former is tightly paced, boasts plenty of silly fun while Happy Family somehow struggles very hard to hit the 90 minutes runtime mark. It does have its charm but not enough to justify for a full-priced ticket.
Movie Rating:
(Weak on laughs and there are better movies about dysfunctional families out there, definitely not the kind of movie to watch if you want to have a happy family)
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Based on the bestselling book series, DreamWorks Animation presents the long-awaited global movie event, Captain Underpants. This outrageous family comedy tells the story of two overly imaginative pranksters, George (Kevin Hart) and Harold (Thomas Middleditch), who hypnotize their principal (Ed Helms) into thinking he's an enthusiastic, yet dimwitted, superhero named Captain Underpants.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Strangely, with material consisting of 12 novels and a strong fanbase, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie became the first major DreamWorks movie that was never released in theaters locally. For an animation chock full of lowbrow toilet humour, it’s surprisingly very entertaining (even for adults) and of course doesn’t hide the fact that it is tailored squarely for the younger kids.
George Beard (Kevin Hart) and Harold Hutchins (Thomas Middleditch) are two fourth-graders who often prank their schoolteachers and spending their after-school days doodling comics in their treehouse. The only person dead on separating the two of them is the mean school principal, Krupp (Ed Helms). Until one fateful day; Krupp is accidentally hypnotized by George who turned him into their own comic creation, Captain Underpants! When a mad scientist named Professor Pee-Pee Diarrheastein Poopypants(Nick Kroll) appears to rid the world of laughter, the unlikely Captain Underpants is called upon to save the world.
Thanks to Nicolas Stoller’s (Neighbours, Stork) screenplay which stayed true to the spirit of Dave Pilkey’s novels. The movie is a blast to watch from start to finish. In fact, it’s probably more entertaining than imagining all the fart gags and Krupp’s alter ego, Captain Underpants in his white undies and red cape on paper. Conservatives on the other hand might have problem accepting the fact that why our two young heroes are questioning authority all the time. Besides this obvious problem, the rest of the movie actually has other positive underlying messages such as the importance of friendship, embracing creativity and inventive spirit.
When we mentioned the word creativity, the filmmakers even sneaked in crayon drawings, a flipbook and our favourite of all, an outrageous sequence featuring the use of sock puppets! It’s definitely a cheap but effective way to tell a story. There’s even a catchy theme song contributed by “Weird Al” Yankovic. The boisterous voice performers such as Hart, Middleditch and Helms has no shortage of energy to keep things going at a breakneck pace.
Instead of waiting for the next tired instalment of Shrek or Madagascar, we recommend this epic adventure of an unlikely superhero. Besides having a good time laughing with the family, you will find yourself learning a new meaning of the word, Uranus too. “Tra la laa!”
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Continuing the tradition of DreamWorks home entertainment releases, the blu-ray edition comes with a galore of pardon the pun, brief special features targeted at kids including The Really Cool Adventures of Captain Underpants Motion Comic (2:52), The Captain Underpants Guide to Being a Hero (3:51), The Professor Poopypants (Totally Original and Supercool) Guide to Being a Villain (3:53), Missing Underpants: The Deleted Scenes of Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (11:00), Captain Underpants Lyric Video by "Weird Al" Yankovic (2:15), "A Friend Like You" Lyric Video by Andy Grammer (3:45),Tighty-Whitey Q&A With the Stars Part 1 & 2 (2:04), Kevin Hart and Ed Helms Surprise Fans (2:07), Lunch Lady PSA with Kristen Schaal (1:02), Sock Puppets Real Stars(0:27), Gallery, Trailer, Music Videos and Sneak Peeks.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Despite being an outsourced project for DreamWorks, Captain Underpants soars in hi-definition. Colour is vibrant, detailing more so. The DTS-Master Audio delivers a perfect aggressive listening experience but we are sure kids won’t mind the difference between a Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS 7.1 if you don’t possess the latter.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Animation
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Cast: Hana Sugisaki, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Yuki Amami, Fumiyo Kohinata, Hikari Mitsushima, Jiro Sato, Kenichi Endo, Eriko Watanabe, Shinobu Otake
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 12 October 2017
Synopsis: Mary has moved to Redmanor Village. In a nearby forest she finds a mysterious flower called the "Fly-by-Night" that only blooms once in seven years. It is also called the forbidden "Witch's Flower". Acquiring magical powers that last only for one night, Mary is permitted entry into Endor College, the magical world's finest educational institution, towering above a sea of clouds. However, one lie by Mary causes a serious incident to fall on somebody she cares about. In a world surging with magic, what is the glimmer of hope that Mary, a powerless human girl, finds beyond the darkness? This summer, Mary will find surprises and joy... mistakes and destiny... and a bit of courage. An entirely new witch's movie that will move the hearts of every generation.
Movie Review:
Hayao Miyazaki might be among the top acclaimed animation directors alive today but he certainly needs to brush up on his skill on how to run his studio. After announcing his retirement for the umpteen times and the abrupt closure of Ghibli’s production department, lead producer Hiromasa Yonebayashi (When Marnie Was There, The Secret World of Arrietty) and other talents from Studio Ghibli went on to start their own production company, Studio Ponoc to continue making animation features.
When your talented ex-employees became your competitors, it certainly spells trouble for the future of Studio Ghibli because they so good in their craft that they can replace the latter.
Based on a children’s novel The Little Broomstick (1971) written by English author Mary Stewart, Mary Smith is a restless young girl staying with her great aunt Charlotte in the quiet town of Redmanor. Following a pair of feline nicknamed Tib and Gib,Mary discovered a rare glowing blue flower in the forest. Called fly-by-night, the magical flower is highly sought after by witches who intend to use it to create the world’s most powerful magic. Mary is then unwillingly led to a journey that involved a flying broomstick, wizardry school, strange creatures and also the life of a fellow villager being threatened. Will the girl with fizzy red hair save the day?
With a fearless heroine in the center of the story and countless fantasy elements, one will definitely associate Mary and the Witch’s Flower with Ghibli’s past efforts such as Kiki’s Delivery Service, Spirited Away and even Harry Potter. Of course, neither Studio Ghibli nor J. K. Rowling invented the wizard and witches genre. In fact, some of Ghibli’s works are adapted including Howl’s Moving Castle, The Secret World of Arrietty and Tales from Earthsea. Yonebayashi relied on the same formula to deliver a familiar but yet unforgettable watching experience.
From the opening sequence which showed an unexplained character escaping on a broomstick from flying creatures to the magical school, Endor College, a place rich with bizarre-looking creatures and out-of-this-world architectural to a third act which feature a massive numbers of wild animals, the world of magic is impressively created and looks splendid on the big screen. Even the background art is beautifully drawn. Pacing is never a problem as there’s hardly a dull moment and with very few main characters in the story, it actually serves to tell the story in a more efficient manner.
Our redhead protagonist, Mary is an instantly likeable character. Always trying her best to help despite her clumsiness. Sure, she did something unthinkable, which nearly caused harm to her acquaintance, but we are pretty sure you will be won over by her earnestness and strongwill by the time the credits roll just liked Chihiro Ogino in Spirited Away or Haru in The Cat Returns. Yonebayashi’s collaborator on When Marnie Was There, Takatsugu Muramatsu returns to provide the soundtrack. With the release of Mary and the Witch’s Flower, viewers will sit up and notice the huge potential of Studio Ponoc. It no doubt possessed the ability to produce world-class anime and all they need right now is to break away from the mould of Ghibli and deliver something far more original, distinguishable down the road.
Movie Rating:
(Everything you love about Studio Ghibli is reproduced in Mary and the Witch’s Flower, worrying times for the stalling studio indeed)
Review by Linus Tee
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TRAILER WATCH - MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CUREPosted on 29 Sep 2017 |
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