Genre: Drama
Director: Alice Rohrwacher
Cast: Adriano Tardiolo, Luca Chikovani, Alba Rohrwacher
RunTime: 2 hrs 5 mins
Rating: PG (Some Violence)
Opening Day: 2 December 2018 (Singapore premiere at the 29th Singapore International Film Festival)
Synopsis: On a rural plantation in Italy, the gentle Lazzaro lives with his family in permanent debt to a wealthy marchesa. Just as the marchesa exploits her sharecroppers, so the other sharecroppers in turn take advantage of simple-minded Lazzaro. His gullible nature draws the attention of the marchesa’s son Tancredi—who is orchestrating his own kidnapping, for reasons beyond Lazzaro’s understanding.
Movie Review:
In this increasingly cynical world we live in, is there still a place for fairy tales? We are guessing Hollywoodhas no place for such fables anymore (how many of you really indulged yourselves in the silliness and magic of Mary Poppins Returns without any bit of cynicism?), but mainstream audiences can still turn to world cinema for that dose of idealistic enchantment.
Enter Alice Rohrwacher’s latest film which won the award for Best Screenplay at the 71st Cannes Film Festival. It tells the story of a Lazzaro, the titular character who is ever naïve and optimistic. The farmer crosses paths with a young man from an upper class who is planning to stage his own kidnap. The two form an unexpected friendship (nope, this not a repressed gay drama), and the story unfolds into a charming tale about growing up and always keeping your imagination alive.
We are given a glimpse into an unfamiliar way of life, where farmhands work based on a sharecropping arrangement. This form of agriculture has the landowner getting his tenants to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on their portion of land. Yup, no pay is involved and this doesn’t go down too well with us urbanites, does it? The 125 minute film also sheds light on the contrast between a slowly disappearing rural Italy and its modern counterpart which is being consumed by corruption. Both landscapes are marked by beautiful cinematography.
Rohrwacher, who first caught international attention with the Grand Prix winner The Wonders (2014), has delivered a pleasing film that is easy to watch. You will follow the protagonist has he goes about his simple yet fulfilling life. His earnest character is something you once had, or wished you had experienced. There is simply nothing skeptical about his worldview, and you know this is impossible to achieve in our society.
Adriano Tardiolo is perfect in his portrayal as Lazzaro. His wide eyes and ever sincere look of wonderment anchors the film. He is someone you want to root for, and someone you wish will never lose his innocence. His friend is played Luca Chikovani in his younger days, and Tommaso Ragno in his older days (without giving away too much, there is an element of magic in the story written by Rohrwacher), while Nicoletta Braschi takes on the showy role of a notorious landlord.
The ending sequence is a memorable depiction of how someone’s innocence can be terrifying jarred by the harshness of human nature. Because where we are now is a point of no return, we can only watch this film and be filled with bittersweet melancholy.
Movie Rating:
(A pleasing and likeable fable that reminds us that innocence and optimism is very much missing from our lives)
Review by John Li
Genre: Adventure/ Animation/ Comedy
Director: Benjamin Renner, Patrick Imbert
Cast: Bill Bailey, Adrian Edmondson, Matthew Goode, Celia Imrie, Giles New
RunTime: 1 hr 23 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 6 December 2018
Synopsis: The countryside isn’t always as calm and peaceful as it’s made out to be, and the animals on this farm are particularly agitated: a fox who mothers a family of chicks, a rabbit who plays the stork, and a duck who wants to be Santa Claus. If you think life in the country is a walk in the park, think again!
Movie Review:
Three lively stories involving a bunch of farmyard animals make up this French-Belgian co-production adapted by director Benjamin Renner from his bestselling comic book, which a fine ensemble of British actors has dubbed into English from the original French language. Like Renner’s Oscar-nominated debut ‘Ernest and Celestine’ a few years back, his sophomore film that sees him working with animator Patrick Imbert is hand-drawn, and the old-school technique proves a good fit for the loose and playful tone of the narrative.
The titular story sees a bungling fox (Giles New) being instigated by a wily wolf (Matthew Goode) into stealing one of the farm hen’s eggs, which then hatch into a brood of chicks who mistake the fox for their mother. Though at first alarmed by his unexpected parental responsibilities, the fox comes to develop affections for the chicks, which complicate his dynamic with the wolf that only wishes for them to grow up faster to be fit for consumption. Meanwhile, back on the farm, their angry mother is frustrated by the farm dog’s inaction, deciding to take matters into their own hands by teaching the rest of the hens and chicks self-defence.
There are plenty of chuckles to be had with the fox’s bewilderment, the chicks’ confusion that they were born to eat other chicks, and the wolf’s eventual denouement in the hands of the farm hens. But as the film’s centrepiece, you’ll probably find it just a little underwhelming. Yet that is less because Renner’s segment needs more oomph than because the first and last story are put together with equal aplomb by Imbert; oh yes, there is also much delight to be found in the other two stories, both of which feature a meddlesome duck (Bill Bailey), a controlling pig (Justin Edwards) and a dozy rabbit (Adrian Edmondson).
The first entitled ‘A Baby to Deliver’ sees a feckless stork sweet-talking the trio into delivering a human baby to its expectant parents in Avignon. Their road trip consists of many amusing misadventures, no thanks to the clumsiness and immaturity of the duck and rabbit, and recalls the best of the Looney Tunes cartoons. Ditto the last story ‘The Perfect Christmas’, which has the same trio teaming up yet again to try to replace Santa Claus, after the duck and rabbit mistakenly think that they have killed him and therefore ruined Christmas for the rest of the world. While the big slapstick gags are often hilarious, there are also lots of sweet moments in between, which make for a fun and heartwarming time.
Compared to the computer-generated 3D animations from Hollywood, ‘The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales’ exudes a deceptively simple and minimalist feel that may take a little getting used to at the start. Nonetheless, these drawings are not without their own ingenuous charm, and are perfectly suited to the film’s loose yet dynamic escapades. Besides providing big laughs, the fables are also both warm and witty, with due credit to the British voice cast that do a fantastic job keeping to the tone of the French original. If you’re looking for something both quaint and entertaining for the whole family, then we urge you to give this hand-drawn animated film a go.
Movie Rating:
(Warm, witty and with its own quaint charms, this hand-drawn French-Belgian animated tale finds big laughs in its wacky farmyard fables)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Romance
Director: Gavin Lin
Cast: Jasper Liu, Chen Yi Han, Bryan Chang, Annie Chen
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment
Official Website:
Opening Day: 13 December 2018
Synopsis: Zhang Zhekai, also known as K, is a hardworking employee at a records company. All that comes to a standstill when he is diagnosed with terminal leukemia. But he’s more concerned about Song Yuanyuan, a lyricist also known as Cream. They met in high school at age 16, seeking solace in each other and growing closer, Cream eventually moving into K’s home. With his illness, K dares not confess his love for Cream. Before his time runs out, he wants to make sure she has settled down and is happy.
Movie Review:
More Than Blue is a Taiwanese remake of a South Korean romantic drama movie with the same name. The story is about a terminally ill man (Zhang Zhekai, also known as K) who tries to find a longlife companion for his highschool sweetheart (Song Yuanyuan, also known as Cream). Because he knows he has a time limit, he could not bear to watch her suffer while he slowly dies away.
K and Cream have an odd affinity because they both lost their families at about the same time. K’s dark personality is a stark contrast to Cream’s bright personality, but they managed to hit it off. Their lives got intertwined even more deeply when Cream decided to move in with K during high school for companionship. Their relationship remains platonic even after a decade, as K knows he could not stay by Cream’s side forever. Although he clearly loves her in a way more than friends, Cream’s personality also didn’t pressure him to give an answer. When K was diagnosed with last stage of terminal leukemia, he begins to gear up the search for someone in place of him to be Cream’s family.
With a melodramatic and heart wrenching story like this, it’s no wonder the 2009 Korean original was well received. The remake of this film was highly anticipated, and got screened at this year’s 23rd Busan International Film Festival where the tickets got sold out in just 5 minutes! The Taiwanese film also received warm response in its domestic market, where it broke the NTD$100 million mark in 9 days, breaking the record of hit Taiwanese Film Our Times (2015, also known as Wo De Shao Nü Shi Dai). It became the highest grossing Taiwanese film in 2018.
The success of the movie did not lie just on the story alone; the cast did justice to it as well. Ivy Chen, who played the role of Cream, charmed with her warm personality and put on a convincing act which will move you. Jasper Liu, who played the role of K, maneuvered well through K’s ups and downs in emotions despite a supposedly stoic character. Kudos to Bryan Chang as well, who played the supporting male role, who was crucial in holding together the story. Director Gavin Lin’s style of storytelling also complimented the entire production of the movie. The movie’s pace was just right, and the narrative’s plot twists did not come off as overly cliched. In fact, it hits you at all the right spots you’d expect a melodramatic movie would do.
While the ending is of the movie is somewhat predictable (and unpopular), you would have finished a pack of tissues by the end of it. The bond that’s portrayed transcends romance; it’s more like a family-like lifelong companionship. That’s probably why it tugs the heartstrings more, because the loss feels more like an ominous void that can never be replaced. the end of it. The bond that’s portrayed transcends romance; it’s more like a family-like lifelong companionship. That’s probably why it tugs the heartstrings more, because the loss feels more like an ominous void that can never be replaced.
Movie Rating:
(Get ready your Kleenex, lots of it)
Review by Tho Shu Ling
Genre: Horror/Musical
Director: John McPhail
Cast: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Sarah Swire, Christopher Leveaux
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Rating: M18 (Violence and Gore)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 13 December 2018
Synopsis: A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven - at Christmas - forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones. But they soon discover that no one is safe in this new world, and with civilization falling apart around them, the only people they can truly rely on are each other.
Movie Review:
Who would have thought that zombies can have a musical for themselves? Look no further, because you have Anna and the Apocalypse!
Adapted from “Zombie Musical”, a short film by the late Ryan McHenry, Anna and the Apocalypse is set in a sleepy town called Little Haven during Christmas, a season so jolly and merry. This creates excitement for the viewers, because who would expect a zombie apocalypse to happen during a festive period like Christmas, right?
The result? It felt a little ‘lost’ and slightly ‘strange’.
While the ‘marriage’ of the 2 different genres is definitely a brilliant idea, it seems like there was a challenge to balance the ‘scare’ factor of zombie horror and the extravagance and glamour of a typical Broadway musical. Somehow, the direction was not defined and the film could not decide how it wanted to go about with the ‘marriage’.
The film took a good 30 minutes to kickstart the horror proper, comparable to an old and outdated computer needing time to fully load up its ancient system. And by the time it started, it was slightly overpowered by the musical element of the film, which already kicked in from the start of the film. So, while there is horror and some scary moments in general, the long build up just made it less scary for the viewers.
Having said that, Anna and the Apocalypse does impress somehow. Fuel-charged by a young and energetic cast, reminiscences of High School Musical and other similar musicals can be seen through the numbers that the cast belt randomly at certain points.
And, boy, were the songs amazing! With such pleasant voices and youthful energy, life was given to every note sung and it helped that the melodies are catchy and addictive enough to make you want to bop your head or tap your feet.
The film also focuses on various topics like love, family, relationships and others, giving it a little more depth and colour to the comprehensible and straightforward plot. So [despite the rather high rating] Anna and the Apocalypse makes for a good family film with a twist, especially so since most of the scenes take place in the school and around its surroundings
The [sometimes] erratic musical numbers placement and high school-centric humour makes the film delightfully funny and lovable, although some viewers might find it hard to grasp the slightly strong Scottish accents among the cast and the logic in some parts of the film.
Overall, Anna and the Apocalypse is endearing and pleasant enough for one to watch through the entire film. It is definitely an entertaining twisted comedy of its own kind and despite its inability to merge the 2 different genres well enough, it is still a rather enjoyable film and kudos to the director, producers and cast on the good effort.
Movie Rating:
(An innovative and promising collaboration of genres with much room for improvement, yet still entertaining. Definitely a yay for musical fans but nay for horror fans. Still worth a catch!)
Review by Ron Tan
Genre: Thriller
Director: Richard Eubank
Cast: Kristen Stewart, T.J. Miller, Vincent Cassel, John Gallagher Jr., Jessica Henwick, Mamoudou Athie, Gunner Wright
RunTime: 1 hr 35 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language and Violence)
Released By: Walt Disney
Official Website:
Opening Day: 30 January 2020
Synopsis: A crew of underwater researchers must scramble to safety after an earthquake devastates their subterranean laboratory.
Movie Review:
It’s both atmospheric and claustrophobic. It’s equally dark and bleak. You can throw all sort of kind words at Underwater and yet it doesn’t matter. It’s simply a poor Aliens’ knock-off which explained why it was shelved for three years.
Underwater has no time for a decent backstory or a proper introduction to its various cast members except to see Kristin Stewart brushing her teeth dressed in a bra top in the opening scene doing a monologue before all hell breaks loose. It turns out that Norah (Stewart) is part of a team of researchers stationed in a deep sea oil drilling rig and a massive earthquake has caused serious damages to the lab resulting in the surviving crew having to scramble to another part of the rig in order to reach the surface.
However, something terrifying has emerged maybe due to the earthquake or the prolonged drilling. Since, we have no time to discuss the scientific happenings, we have to faithfully follow the motley crew of survivors including Captain Lucien (Vincent Cassel), comic relief and troubled star in real-life T.J. Miller, Emily (Iron Fist’s Jessica Henwick), Liam (John Gallagher Jr) and the obligatory black guy, Rodrigo (Mamoudou Athie) in their journey to safety.
Underwater is one of those creature features that is built weakly around one single premise and a mysterious dangerous monster. None of the human characters has a reason to stay on the screen for long nor are they written to serve any purpose before they make their grand exit. There’s no Ash, Dwayne or Bishop, there’s only Ripley in the form of Kristin Stewart. Suffice to say, the bulk of the movie lies in her aka the biggest name in this production. Despite all the internet trolls being all so negative about her since her Twilight days, Stewart delivers a believable performance as the main gutsy and angsty heroine figure although she has no reason to be stripped to her underwear.
Director William Eubank and cinematographer Bojan Bazelli employed plenty of shaky, frenetic camera moves and abandoned the usage of lighting throughout to create a murky, clouded environment. Adding to the unnecessary loud surround sound effects and abundance of jump scares is a few brief glimpses of the sea creature before the big reveal in the end. It’s a tactic used to great success in the original Alien but in this case, it can get tiresome starring at dimly light underwater scenes for the majority of the screentime instead of the monster. The script credited to Brian Duffield and Adam Cozad seriously lacks any form of originality from the hatchling creature to the escape pods to the explosive finale. We guess it doesn’t take much to be a screenwriter these days except watching lots and lots of good movies.
For the lack of a monster movie in the month of January, Underwater might satisfy the casual movie-goer who loves a brisk, uncomplicated sea creature thriller. We must also admit the production details and effects are top notch if these justify for a weekday ticket price. For others who desire a far better underwater claustrophobic sci-fi title probably have to stick to Alien, The Abyss or even Event Horizon.
Movie Rating:
(Kristin Stewart proves she can be a bad-ass too. Unfortunately, Underwater is a forgettable Alien rip-off than a guilty pleasure)
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Horror/Comedy
Director: Han Yew Kwang
Cast: Nathan Hartono, Ferlyn G, Jesseca Liu, Jeremy Chan, Fann Wong, Gurmit Singh, Andie Chen, Kate Pang, Jack Neo, Suhaimi Yusof, Constance Song, Dennis Chew, Shaun Chen, Yvonne Lim, Zheng Ge Ping, Lee Teng, Chen Tianwen, Benjamin Heng, Ryan Lian, Gadrick Chin
RunTime: 1 hr 47 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence and Sexual References)
Released By: Clover Films and Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 14 February 2019
Synopsis: The movie tells the story of Pong (Nathan),who turns into a zombie when saving his town from a disaster. He led a mechanical and aimless life until a female ghost named Zhen Zhen (Ferlyn) came into his life. Zhen Zhen, whose pet phrase is “If you have no dreams, you are no different from a walking zombie.” believes one should live life to its fullest. Hilarious drama unfolds when Zhen Zhen possesses Pong to fulfil her pageant dreams and forces him to join a “Mr Perfect” competition.
Movie Review:
This movie stars Nathan Hartono, his razor jawline, porcelain skin and ultra-lean physique. Oh, and there’s a couple of local Channel 8 actors in there somewhere. This about sums up the impact the actors display on we-shall-call-it-a-movie When Ghost Meets Zombie.
Truth be told, Wawa Picture’s relative success on the tube does not translate well to the big screen, at all. The cobbled effort loses steam frequently, and attempts at reviving the story engine lacks any commitment or vision. Leveraging on familiarity and a hackneyed style, the company delivers a patchwork of acts that really is a rinse-and-repeat. No wonder it ends at a laundromat.
Hartono is Pong, an ancient Thai hero, who along with five other strong men, saved his fellow villagers from drowning during a flood. Bronze statues were made in their honour, but a Singaporean girl Zhen Zhen (Ferlyn G) discovers that they are actually zombies controlled by a taoist priest (Gurmit Singh). A random act of kindness kills Zhen Zhen, so she possesses Pong, smuggles into Singapore, then joins a male beauty pageant so that she can fulfil her lifelong dream and reincarnate.
What. The. Hell. If you’re already snorting, I’m with you. Reading the intended synopsis, what was to be a quirky supernatural romantic comedy has become an epic failure of a lame-fest. There’s definitely whiffs of a korean or taiwanese quirky drama with Hong Kong cinema’s habit of throwing personality cameos in a festive film, but When Ghost Meets Zombie has zero charm for the former, and zero star power for the latter. As Chen Tianwen aptly puts it in one scene, the plot and credibility, is “unbelievable”. Oh yeah, there’s even ads.
Or more precisely, product placements done so boldly, it might as well be. And we all know how we feel about intrusive sell in our entertainment. Boo. If you thought Jack Neo was bad...
Support local talent, they say. But if we constantly sell out just to get a notch in our belt, and rehash mediocre stories with no vested interest, there’s really no talent to speak of. And if our local actors continue to act like they are performing in a primary school play, then we’ll never be moved.
Lead actress Ferlyn J exemplifies this weighted method, to dire consequences. As a rough-around-the-edges feisty girl, her heart of gold and inspirational message of the importance of purpose, becomes an empty spiel that quickly becomes annoying. Which makes those scenes where she shares her anthemic message, all the more awkward and cringey. The script here, is terribly out-of-touch. Let’s not even bring up Gurmit Singh, who pretty much repeats one line throughout the film.
The only saving grace, is Hartono’s unaffected performance - hilarious given that he is a stone-faced zombie. While everyone’s acting is stuck in the 80s, Hartono’s naturalistic acting is the only thing to look forward to in the scenes. The lad has comedic timing, and a magnetic presence that effortlessly holds attention. Even when doing a cheesy performance for a karaoke skit, he does it with a self-awareness that gives him the quality that modern stars are made of.
Wawa pictures can add another wa to their name, because this film is definitely a wawawa.
Movie Rating:
(Very simply, horrifying. It’s a simplistic, childish production, and even if tongue-in-cheek is meant, the film is completely silenced by a hackneyed script and terrible performances)
Review by Morgan Awyong
Genre: Drama
Director: Bi Gan
Cast: Tang Wei, Huang Jue, Sylvia Chang
RunTime: 2 hrs 20 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Opening Day: 5 December 2018 (Singapore premiere at the 29th Singapore International Film Festival)
Synopsis: More than a decade after narrowly escaping death in his provincial hometown, Luo Hong-wu returns to search for a former lover whom he cannot forget. As he wanders the town’s ruins, he tries to reconstruct a hazy past enmeshed with dreams and fantasies – while being haunted by his long-murdered childhood sidekick Wildcat and the ghost of a woman that may or may not be his lost love.
Movie Review:
We haven’t seen Mainland Chinese director Bi Gan’s directorial debut Kaili Blues. But from what we read on the Internet, it seems like an arthouse favourite with a 40 minute long take. In his second feature film, Bi takes it one notch up by featuring a long take that is almost an hour long, and gasp – in dazzling 3D.
The film has nothing to do with Eugene O’Neill’s play of the same name. Instead, it is about a man from Kaili in Southwest Chinawho is searching for a woman he was once in love with. He transcends from one space to another, trying to find an answer amidst dreams, realities and memories.
Stretching for more than two hours, this film offers an experience more than anything else. Viewers hoping to be moved by a romantic story will be disappointed. There isn’t much logic in its plot, as you’ll realise about 15 minutes into the movie. The pacing reminds you of Wong Kar Wai’s arthouse works, where quoteworthy voiceovers make you feel like you are treading between dreamscapes.
The protagonist is played by a rugged but good looking Huang Jue (A Tale of Three Cities) and it is easy to be charmed by his portrayal of a dreamer. His female co star is Tang Wei (The Golden Era) who is as mesmerising as ever. The star studded cast also includes familiar faces like Sylvia Chang (Shuttle Life), Lee Hong Chi (Cities of Last Things) and popular Taiwanese TV star Ming Dao (The Prince Who Turns into a Frog). Because there isn’t much story development per se throughout the film, the actors also do not need to showcase their prowess. That’s not a bad thing though, because this film is essentially a mood piece to be enjoyed like a piece of artwork.
The highlight of the film is undoubtedly the long climatic take which brings viewers from one location to another (watch out for the impressive sequence where the two leads travel in the sky, enjoying a bird’s eye view of the houses on the ground). While some may diss this as a gimmicky approach to lure viewers (viewers in Chinareportedly have mistaken this film as a romcom, bringing in impressive box office numbers), it is still a technical feat that is worth commending. The film took home three well deserved prizes at the 55th Golden Horse Awards: Best Cinematography, Best Original Film Score and Best Sound Effects.
As mentioned earlier, this film is an experience which no words can describe. If you have the time to spare, let yourself go and immerse in this film before getting back to the hustles and bustles of life.
Movie Rating:
(An experiential film that requires you to be fully immersed a dreamlike atmosphere to fully appreciate it)
Review by John Li at the 29th Singapore International Film Festival
Genre: Comedy
Director: Sean Anders
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, Isabela Moner, Octavia Spencer, Tig Notaro, Margo Martindale, Julie Hagerty, Michael O’Keefe
Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Mature Content)
Released By: UIP
Official Website: http://www.instantfamily.org
Opening Day: 10 January 2019
Synopsis: When Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) decide to start a family, they stumble into the world of adoption. When they meet a trio of siblings, including a rebellious 15-year-old girl (Isabela Moner), they find themselves unexpectedly speeding from zero to three kids overnight. Now, Pete and Ellie must hilariously try to learn the ropes of instant parenthood in the hopes of becoming a family.
Movie Review:
There is nothing funny about the prospects for kids in the foster system, and to its credit, ‘Instant Family’ doesn’t shy from laying these out. But not many people would buy a ticket to a movie which tells you about the 20% who immediately become homeless, or the less than 3% who will earn a college degree by the age of 26, or the 70% of girls who will become pregnant by the age of 21. So as much as it deals with a weighty and often sobering subject, this dramedy directed and co-written by Sean Anders that is inspired by his and his wife’s own adoption story does so with a mix of slapstick and schmaltz.
Reteaming with his ‘Daddy’s Home’ star Mark Wahlberg, Anders channels his own voice through Pete Wagner, who together with Rose Bryne’s Ellie, are a successful house-flipping couple that decide belatedly they’d like to start a family. So to make up for lost time (“It’d be like I got cracking when I was 36,” Pete enthuses), Pete and Ellie hit upon the idea of adoption, and soon find themselves training to be parents in the foster care system. Their course is led by two caseworkers played by Octavia Spencer and Tig Notaro, and besides providing some spot-on deadpan humour during these sessions, the well-paired duo will also turn up every now and then to share some encouraging words of wisdom especially when things get rough.
Certainly, you should expect nothing less of Pete and Ellie’s parenting journey, which takes off with not one, not two, but three Hispanic kids – the rebellious teenager Lizzy (Isabela Moner), the klutzy middle-child Juan (Gustavo Quiroz), and the button-cute little sister Lita (Julianna Gamiz). Things go swimmingly well at first, but the family honeymoon doesn’t last long. Lita gets into a furious meltdown when told she is not allowed to eat chips for dinner, while Juan collapses into tears at the slightest mishap, but nothing quite compares to Lizzy’s recalcitrant ways. Not only does she rebuff Pete and Ellie’s acts of care and concern, she also unabashedly manipulates those around them to get her way, especially Pete’s nosy and intrusive mother Grandma Sandy (Margo Martindale).
As much as the film resorts to the usual pratfalls and laughs, it gets surprisingly real and heartfelt exploring the challenges of adopting out of the foster care system. Being the oldest of the lot, Lizzie is the natural candidate to channel these issues, and it is through her emotional trajectory that we feel the angst, cynicism and frustration of someone who has been in and out of foster homes, as well as the hope, however misplaced, of being reunited one day with his or her biological parents. It isn’t just Lizzie who must come to terms with the realities of her current situation; just as much, Pete and Ellie will have to re-examine their own motivations for choosing to adopt in the first place, in particular whether their decision to do so was ultimately just so they could feel good about themselves.
Quite frankly, we did not expect the level of earnest drama that the movie served, or for that matter the fully felt presence by Moner that keenly captures the experience of a kid forced to live beyond her years. Wahlberg and Bryne have great chemistry as a married couple who get more than what they bargained for, but it is the former Nickelodeon star Moner who steals the show from both her veteran leads. Both the script’s refreshing honesty and the cast’s sincere performances combine to make the inevitable happy ending a lot more poignant than you’re probably expecting, underscoring how happiness in such foster families is always hard-won and often borne out of sheer perseverance.
There’s no doubt that this was meant to be feel-good stuff for the holiday season, but you’ll find in ‘Instant Family’ a deservedly uplifting comedy that is packed with just the right combination of laughs and sniffles. It is surely winning all right, and it gets there without shying away from portraying the ups and downs of foster parenting. It isn’t even afraid to touch on adolescent issues like sexual abuse, without delving into the details or depicting it graphically. So even if it does end on a cornball cheesy note with Starship’s ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’, you’re more than likely to fall for it hook line and sinker, especially for its heart-warming re-affirmation of the fundamental quality of love at the very centre of any and every family.
Movie Rating:
(Packed with the right combination of laughs and sniffles, 'Instant Family' doesn't shy away from the challenges of foster parenting, even as it is intended to be feel-good holiday viewing)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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IT'S ALL ABOUT TELLING A GOOD STORY - INTERVIEW WITH FILMMAKERS & CAST OF DEAR EXPosted on 03 Dec 2018 |
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Director: Sam Quah
Cast: Xiao Yang, Tan Zhuo, Joan Chen, Philip Keung
RunTime: 1 hr 52 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence and Sexual References)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment
Official Website:
Opening Day: 9 January 2020
Synopsis: Sheep Without a Shepherd is a remake of Indian thriller Drishyam (2015). Li Wei Jie (starring Xiao Yang) and his wife A-Yu (starring Tan Zhuo) run a small company in Thailand. They have two lovely daughters and live a happy life. However, his eldest daughter kills the son of Laoorn (starring Joan Chen) in self-defense. To protect his daughter and families, Li Wei Jie has to bury the body and cover the truth. Laoorn is the head of the regional police, and she is dying to find her missing son. The contest between Li Wei Jie and Laoorn is beginning.
Movie Review:
The 2013 Malayalam film ‘Drishyam’ has been remade five times in the short span of four years, and there is good reason for it. Not only was it smart and intriguing, it also gave us a fascinating protagonist who displayed extraordinary wit in his quest to protect his family from the injustices of the police. Malaysian director Sam Quah’s Chinese-language remake does not change much of the plot from its predecessor, but then again, neither does it need to.
Switching the setting to a rural Thai village of Chanban, the protagonist is now the Chinese man Li Weijie (Xiao Yang) who runs his own telecommunications business. Weijie is married to Ayu (Tan Zhuo), and the couple have a teenage daughter Pingping (Xu Wenshan) and a younger child An-an (Zhang Ziran). Though tight on finances, they are able to afford their mid-sized house only because it is next to a cemetery. Aside work, Weijie has no other interest aside from watching movies.
The first half-hour moves a little slower than the rest of the movie, but the build-up is important. You’d do well to pay attention to each of the supporting characters deftly introduced, including the elderly shopkeeper Song-en (Paul Chun), the corrupt cop Sangkun (Shih Ming-shuai), the mayoral candidate Dutpon (Philip Keung), the police chief Laoorn (Joan Chen), and the spoilt teenage boy Sucha (Bian Tianyang) who is the only son of Dutpon and Laoorn.
Sucha is acquainted with Pingping at a school camp, and ends up recording a compromising video of her after ‘spiking’ her drink. While Weijie is away on business in neighbouring Lua Pathom, Sucha shows up at Pingping’s residence to blackmail her into having sex with him. Distressed, Pingping tells her mother, who surprises Sucha when he turns up as scheduled at her house late at night. Their subsequent scuffle results in Pingping striking Sucha on the head, knocking him unconscious and inadvertently killing him.
We won’t spoil the rest of the movie; suffice to say that Weijie returns home that same evening and concocts an elaborate guise to protect his family, informed no less by his wide knowledge of crime thrillers. Laoorn is naturally distraught at the disappearance of her son, as well as the very real possibility that he might be dead, and personally leads an intense investigation to identify Sucha’s whereabouts. Much of the suspense lies in not knowing how long or how far Weijie can stay one step ahead of the fiercely intelligent Laoorn, but trust us when we say that the eventual payoff is one of the most satisfying in cinematic history.
As much as it is plot-driven, the narrative manages to pack an unexpectedly poignant character arc in Weijie’s relationship with Pingping at the end. Though the conclusion seems calculated to placate the Chinese censors, especially with regard to crime and punishment, you should know that the original movie had a similar closing, intended not just to underscore a philosophical message about karma but also to demonstrate the depth of Weijie’s love, commitment and dedication towards his family. And in that regard therefore, the payoff is satisfying because it is both thrilling and moving.
It is also very well-acted, especially Xiao Yang in easily his best performance to date, playing Weijie with just the right balance of smartness and vulnerability. Equally terrific is Chen as his character’s intellectual complement, diving into the role with an intensity that you won’t be able to take your eyes away from. It is not easy to get us to appreciate her motivations given how Laoorn is set up against Weijie, but Chen achieves just that with a finely calibrated mix of ruthlessness and helplessness. The other actors are outstanding in their own ways; in particular, Shih is scene-stealing as the despicable Sangkun, whom you’d cheer when he meets his comeuppance.
Though it may not arrive with the same buzz as other Chinese titles, ‘Sheep Without A Shepherd’ is one of the best Chinese films of 2019. Of course, Quah had an excellent template in the 2013 original, but he deserves credit for translating its plot and themes powerfully into a different setting. Those discovering the story for the first time will undoubtedly enjoy it immensely, and those who have seen any of the earlier versions will still delight in the excellent performances. Contrary to its title, you’ll gladly follow its multiple sleight-of-hand; oh yes, if there is ever an occasion you’ll love to be fooled, this is it.
Movie Rating:
(One of the cleverest crime thrillers ever concocted, this terrific remake of the brilliant original loses none of its wit, its poignancy or its sheer thrill)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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