Genre: Action
Director: Kim Min-ho
Cast: Don Lee, Song Ji-hyo, Kim Sung-oh, Kim Min-jae, Park Ji-hwan, Lee Sung-woo, Bae Noo-ri, Park Ji-hoon
RunTime: 1 hr 56 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 6 December 2018

Synopsis: A once legendary gangster Dong-chul (Ma Dong-seok) cleans up his past and tries to settle down to enjoy an ordinary life with his angelic wife Ji-soo (Song Ji-hyo). However, due to his naive and reckless nature, he continuously gets tricked into making bad business decisions. Then one day, he returns home to find the place cluttered with signs of struggle and his wife nowhere to be found. Soon after, he realises that his wife is kidnapped, he receives a call from a stranger offering to pay him to give up his wife.

Movie Review:

After his breakout role as the stoic, wife-doting hubby in the zombie hit Train To Busan, Ma Dong-seok or better known as Don Lee is very much a household name and recognizable face in Korea movies nowadays. Obviously, he doesn’t mind being typecast as a typical tough guy following the success of the latter because here he is playing yet another stoic, wife-doting hubby in the action thriller, Unstoppable. 

After marrying his lovely wife, Ji-soo (Song Ji-hyo), Kang (Don Lee), an ex-legendary gangster now makes a decent living as a fishmonger with his buddy, Choon-sik (Park Ji-hwan). As seen in the prologue, Kang dotes on his wife and by betting on a crab king venture, he hopes to grant her a far lavish life. But before his latest venture yields any results, Ji-soo gets kidnapped by the psychotic head of a human trafficking syndicate, Gi-tae (Kim Sung-oh) in her own home on a rainy night. 

When Kang realises there’s no hope pining for help from the police who claims no substantial evidence and witnesses, it’s time for him to revert to his special set of skills and with the assistance of his two sidekicks, Choon-sik and Bear (Kim Ming-jae), a fumbling private detective to embark on a journey to rescue his beloved Ji-soo. In short, “Bull” is back and anyone in his way should back off.    

Obviously, Unstoppable is not going to score points on originality but newcomer Kim Min-ho who wrote and direct it manages to pull off a remarkable action flick that is filled with both comedy and tension. The tone is occasional cartoony despite some hard-hitting sequences all thanks to the antics of Choon-sik and Bear. One particular standout sequence has them trying desperately to take back Gi-tae’s money from the police station and before that, an intense scene that has Kang strangling one of Gi-tae’s henchman which unleashed a few laughs in the end.   

As usual the heavyweight Don Lee is charismatic onscreen. While he might not possessed the look of a typical K-pop singer, he definitely has the ability to switch effortlessly between a down-and-out Kang and a macho, heroic Kang. No one can plays a fluffy tough character as well as him it seems. The little-known Kim Sung-oh is equally captivating as the evil, maniac antagonist though if this is a hardcore, R-rated action flick, the character of Gi-tae might be a lot fearful and scarier.  

Kim Min-ho knows exactly where the strength of Unstoppable lies and he has no qualms putting Don Lee’s knuckles and punches right in the center of things. Watching him throwing Gi-tae’s henchmen all around the place can be a pretty rewarding thing after a hard day work. As one of the movie’s few lady characters, Song Ji-hyo is a little underused. Despite that, she does have an exhilarating escape sequence that will have you rooting for her.   

Unstoppable is a 116 minutes action movie that never for one second feels like a close to two hours movie or should I say, it’s never tired watching Don Lee crushing his opponents like bowling pins. While it’s touted as sort of a Korean version of Liam Neeson’s Taken, it has enough fun, comedy and another of Lee’s bad-ass effort to make this a standout action flick.

Movie Rating:

(The equally tough and soft Don Lee scores a bullseye yet again, this human teddy bear is fantastic even in a generic action flick)

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Action
Director: Kim Byeong-woo
Cast: Ha Jung-woo, Lee Sun-kyun, Jennifer Ehle, Kevin Durand, Malik Yoba, Spencer Daniels
RunTime: 2 hrs 4 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 27 December 2018

Synopsis: Captain Ahab (HA Jung-woo), who works for private military company Black Lizard, is tasked with carrying out a top secret mission for CIA. His mission is to infiltrate a secret underground bunker 30m below Korean DMZ and take out a target. The mission immediately derails when the target turns out to be none other than Supreme Leader of North Korea himself, who has incredibly high bounty on his head. Ahab and his 12 men go in for the jackpot against CIA’s wishes. Unbeknownst to them, another PMC squad is after the same target and Ahab has to work around CIA’s aerial strikes that put him and his men in immediate and present danger. The bunker is demolished and Ahab is in critical condition. When the Supreme Leader suffers a devastating injury, he has no choice but to team up with an elite North Korean doctor (LEE Sun-kyun) to not only save himself but his target and get out of the bunker in one piece!

Movie Review:

Hats off to the South Korean filmmakers who never seems to run out of ideas on the political tensions between the North and the South. Directed and written by Kim Byung-woo and set five years into the future, Take Point is yet another action thriller depicting the uncertainty of the troubled two states. Throw in some political juggernaut from the US and China, and you have one hell of a loud, numbing flick that desperately tries hard to tell a meaningful story. 

Ha Jung-woo last seen in the Along With the Gods series plays Captain Ahab, leader to a group of mercenaries from a private military company (PMC) who is being tasked by one of CIA agents, Mac (Jennifer Ehlefrom Fifty Shades of Grey) to abduct a North Korea General from a secret underground bunker near the DMZ who has plans to defect. As it turned out, it’s not the General who is in the meeting. In fact, it’s the Supreme Leader himself who is present. When a far stronger and heavily equipped PMC hired by China is also fast gaining on them to capture the Leader, Ahab must decide sacrificing his men or continue with the mission before everything went awry. 

Since the entire movie took place in the underground bunker with hardly a scene that cuts to the outside world, the proceed of the story relied heavily on the exchanges between Ahab and Mac and countless scenes of newscasters on the TV screens. The audiences are led to believe that there are actually many conspiracies happening behind that leads to why Ahab is in such a danger predicament. It’s a case of bringing out the Supreme Leader alive or face death. Why the political career of the President of the United States of America is hanging by the thread and why China is secretly pulling the strings behind the operation? Kim’s screenplay tends to be overambitious, manipulating and hardly convincing in the way how things turned out. 

It’s all confusion, meddling that all the crossfire between all parties seem intangible after a while. Even the endless barrage of gunfire sequences hardly pulls you into the action as Kim frequently edit and piece up angles shot from surveillance drones, CCTV and from the first-person perspective. This is not exactly a movie version of a videogame adaptation isn’t it?   

And the most ludicrous of all is having our leading man, Ahab being stuck to the control room aka bathroom for the most part. You see he is suffering from a gunshot and to make things worse, his crippled robotic leg is rendered almost useless. Thus he is being relegated to being the controller- shouting orders and directions to his last surviving men via headsets and controlling surveillance drones. Veteran actor Ha Jung-woo attempts his best to portray a man who believes in leaving no men behind but with his beliefs contradicting reality, he is constantly in a dilemma until he met the doctor of the Supreme Leader, Yoon (Lee Sun-kyun), a selfless man who has no qualms sacrificing himself for the greater good. 

It’s difficult to get excited over a movie liked Take Point. Sure enough, there are non-stop exhilarating but obnoxious action scenes to please gamers and action fans. However, Kim’s pretentiously depiction of the political ongoing makes it a challenge to thoroughly enjoy the flick.

Movie Rating:

(It’s basically a subtle message about uniting the North and the South against the superpowers. Take Note not Take Point!)

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Drama
Director: Choi Kook-hee
Cast: Kim Hye-soo, Yoo Ah-in, Huh Joon-ho, Jo Woo-jin, Vincent Cassel
RunTime: 1 hr 54 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Golden Village Pictures and Clover Films
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 3 January 2019

Synopsis: Si-hyun (KIM Hye-soo), the monetary policy manager at the Bank of Korea, predicts a massive national financial crisis and reports it to the Director. The Director doesn’t schedule an emergency summit until 10 days later but does it without notifying the public of the situation. Si-hyun urges for the crisis to be announced in order to warn people of the looming disaster, but her plea is ignored. The summit is held behind closed doors.

Jung-hak (YOO Ah-in), a financial consultant, notices Korea is suddenly hemorrhaging foreign funds, and he learns the reason is that international finance firms have ordered an all-out investment withdrawal from the country, which has caused the credit rating to plummet. He hands in his resignation and decides to play the odds on what he’s sure is a coming crisis. He secretly starts gathering investors willing to do the same.

Gap-su (HUH Joon-ho), a family man who runs a small tableware factory, has a big break and wins a contract with a department store. The fact that the price settlement terms equal to little more than a promissory note concerns him only briefly, and oblivious to the looming financial upheaval, Gap-su signs the contract.

The Managing Director of IMF (Vincent CASSEL) comes to Korea just one week before the country goes bust, and that is when those who try to prevent the crisis, those who seek to take advantage of it, and those only trying to protect their livelihood are caught in the wake of a national bankruptcy.

Movie Review:

‘Default’ follows in the footsteps of critically acclaimed Hollywood dramas like ‘Margin Call’ and ‘The Big Short’ in dramatising the events leading up to real-life financial crises in history, and to director Choi Kook-hee’s credit, puts a compelling local spin on familiar themes of over-spending, Government inertia and ‘too big to fail’. Whereas its genre cousins placed the spotlight on the 2009/09 Global Financial Crisis, ‘Default’s’ backdrop is the one before that, namely the 1997/98 Asian Financial Crisis. That was arguably even more devastating to the Korean economy than the more recent GFC, with commentators proclaiming it as the worst recession in the post-war era. Just as significantly, that event would also be remembered for the IMF’s subsequent bailout package, which has largely been regarded as humiliating by the Korean people given its conditions on labour market reform and foreign capital.

Three parallel stories establish what happened in the weeks leading up to the peak of the crisis, recounting the experience through characters in different strata of society. At the governmental level, we follow the head of monetary policy in the Bank of Korea Si-hyun (Kim Hye-soo), who is the first to flag the impending crisis to the political leadership. After the bank’s Director sits on her team’s report for 10 days (thus wasting precious time in averting the ‘time-bomb’), Si-hyun is drafted into the taskforce that also comprises the Deputy Minister for Finance (Jo Woo-jin) and is led by the President’s Secretary for Economic Affairs. The antagonism between Si-hyun and the Vice-Minister is clear from the beginning – while the former seeks only to do what is best for the people and nation, the latter’s considerations are purely tactical, not only in opposing the former’s suggestions to go public on the crisis but also advocating subsequently for the IMF’s involvement.

Reflecting the point of view of the man on the street is Gap-su (Huh Joon-ho), a young father of two who runs a small tableware factory that wins a contract with a major department store to supply it with its wares. Rather than cash, the department store owner pays Gap-su with a promissory note issued by a Korean merchant bank, and although the unfamiliar mode of payment makes him slightly apprehensive, Gap-su eventually goes ahead with the deal. Alas the bank collapses under the weight of its loans that fateful week, rendering the note practically worthless and leaving Gap-su at a loss of how to pay his creditors. Gap-su’s desperation quickly turns into despair, and as he observes others around him in similar predicaments commit suicide, he contemplates if he should do likewise.  

Between those who had the power to avert/ contain the crisis and those who were powerless to do so are those who were in the institutions that each contributed to it in their own small ways. The negligent and even careless practices at one such institution is depicted in the arc centred on Jung-hak (Yoo Ah-in), a brilliant financial consultant who foresees the crisis before it happens, quits his job at the institution and gathers a couple of his clients to sell them a plan to exploit the impending sovereign default. Only two of them are crazy enough at a time when it seemed like South Korea’s economy was booming to trust Jung-hak’s judgment, but as powerless as they would have been to stop the inevitable, the trio will find themselves confronted with the ethical nature of their actions, not least because they seem to be profiteering off the misery of others.

Relative to one another, there is more emphasis on Si-hyun’s narrative arc; in particular, the latter half of the film devotes a fair bit of time portraying the negotiation proceedings between the representatives of the Korean Government and the IMF’s Managing Director (Vincent Cassel). Unsurprisingly, the movie taps into the zeitgeist in portraying the IMF as self-centred, arrogant and unreasonable, pitting Cassel’s IMF official against Hye-soo’s Si-hyun during the hush-hush negotiations that Woo-jin’s Vice-Minister seizes upon as a opportunity to restructure the Korean economy in favour of the ‘chaebols’. There is a very obvious nationalistic slant here, but you’ll probably still root for Si-hyun as she stands up for her country and countrymen’s interests in trying – though ultimately failing – to push back against the IMF’s unreasonable bailout demands.

Given that many of his fellow Koreans would still have searing memories of the 1997 crisis, it would have been culturally inappropriate for Choi to follow Adam McKay’s satirical approach in ‘The Big Short’; instead, as it turns out, ‘Default’ is as grounded and down-to-earth as it gets, and told with the utmost solemnity. To Choi’s credit, the proceedings never become overdramatic at any point, and remains engaging and comprehensible even to the casual viewer. Choi also has a good grip on the pacing and tone of the film, keeping both tight and gripping throughout the movie itself. He is aided by strong performances from the ensemble cast, each of whom bring gravitas to their characters in their own right; in particular, Kim deserves special mention for her thoroughly committed act as Si-hyun, portraying her character’s deep-seated convictions with utter clarity.

‘Default’ ends with an epilogue set in present day, cautioning us that the lessons of yesterday still remain as relevant and urgent as ever today. While that clearly indicates the film’s ambitions for a sequel, the confidence that Choi displays here makes the case for one quite strongly. Truth be told, it’s not easy trying to make a film about a financial crisis, not only because of its complexity but also because it would require no insignificant degree of scope in order to do the event justice. Here, Choi manages both successfully and even exceedingly, without blindly following in the creative footsteps of its Hollywood genre predecessors. To say that ‘Default’ is enjoyable to watch probably sounds like a misnomer, but you’ll surely be engrossed in this fascinating account of how a country and its people were brought to their knees and are today still recovering from the bruises of that indelible episode.

Movie Rating:

(Tense, compelling and often fascinating, this multi-narrative account of the 1997 Korean financial crisis will take you right to the heart of how a country and its people were brought to their knees)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Drama
Director: Gilles de Maistre
Cast: Daniah De Villiers, Mélanie Laurent, Langley Kirkwood, Ryan Mac Lennan
RunTime: 1 hr 39 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 27 December 2018

Synopsis: Ten year old Mia has her life turned upside down when her family decides to leave London to manage a lion farm in Africa. When a beautiful white lion, Charlie, is born, Mia finds happiness once again and develops a special bond with the growing cub. When Charlie reaches three, Mia’s life is rocked once again as she uncovers an upsetting secret kept hidden by her father. Distraught by the thought that Charlie could be in harm, Mia decides to run away with him. The two friends set out on an incredible journey across the South African savanna in search of another land where Charlie can live out his life in freedom.

Movie Review:

Man vs The King of the Jungle.  Is it possible for them to be friends?  Or would natural instincts take over the better of them?

In Mia and the White Lion, it is possible! The film follows the journey of a young girl, who was taken away from her home in London and forced to find her place in South Africa, where her family has a conservation area for wildlife. She only starts to really settle down when she befriends Charlie, a white lion cub and becomes so attached to it. Upon finding out the truth about the lions being bred for the purpose of trophy hunters, Mia then decides to save Charlie from his fate.

What could have been an inspiring and magical film is being marred by multiple inconsistency and filming issues.

The flow of the film, especially during the first half, was extremely excruciating, as one not only needs to comprehend the eccentricity of the pacing of the film, but needs to be on the edge, worrying about the welfare of the cast with all the wildlife.

With the lack of proper transition, the relationship between Mia and Charlie seems extremely weird, moving from Mia having a strong disinterest in Charlie to a sudden affection and unbreakable that came out of nowhere.

The constant portrayal of Mia’s defiance towards her parents and her multiple attempts to prove Charlie’s tameness and ability to behave sadly becomes a constant drag that makes Mia look like some deluded child that cannot let go and as much as we want to sympathise with Mia and her struggles and desire to ‘make the world a better place’ (possibly the desire of the director), one cannot help but generally sympathise with the parents for trying so hard to control their kid.

The film’s saving grace might be the second half and the ending of the film, as Mia’s attempt to set Charlie free from the danger that he would face is humorous, yet uplifting and motivating. The setting of the film, alongside random characters, brought a bit of life to the film and made it intriguing and interesting.  The process of the whole filming is also commendable.

Eventually, Mia and the White Lion, although fiction, is a sickening reality that we sadly are unaware of and need to address to stop an ongoing terrible trade.

While the intention to bring awareness to the public on the horrible legal industry of grooming tamed lions as hunting baits for leisure (and putting a stop to it), alongside the amount of effort placed in the filming process is definitely commendable, sadly the erratic and jumpy transitions of the relationship of Mia and Charlie and her family made this film a challenging one to digest and comprehend and this messes up the process and ability of the film to become what it should have been; a great inspiring and moving film, educating people about the reality of the lion trade in South Africa.

Movie Rating:

(A film that had the potential to influence but lack proper execution. Save this for the weekday. For families with children above 10 years old)

Review by Ron Tan

Genre: Drama
Director: Peter Farrelly
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini
Runtime: 2 hrs 10 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 24 January 2019

Synopsis: When Tony Lip (Academy Award nominee Viggo Mortensen), a bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx, is hired to drive Dr. Don Shirley (Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali), a world-class Black pianist, on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South, they must rely on “The Green Book” to guide them to the few establishments that were then safe for African-Americans. Confronted with racism, danger as well as unexpected humanity and humor—they are forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the journey of a lifetime.

Movie Review:

If you want to watch Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali eat fried chicken, this comedy drama is the film to catch.

Based on real life characters, Mortensen plays Tony Vallelonga, an Italian American bouncer to Ali’s Don Shirley, an African-American classical and jazz pianist. Set during the 1960s, the movie follows the two characters as they travel down the Deep South, a a cultural and geographic subregion in the Southern United States known for its plantations and slave societies before the Civil War period. 

In one scene, Mortensen gushes about the wonders of fried chicken and tries to convince Ali to have some. While most of us love indulging ourselves with this unhealthy fast food occasionally, there is a racial stereotype surrounding fried chicken and African American people because of it was popular among slaves during the American Civil War. The scene plays out funnily at first, with Mortensen driving and stuffing his face with fried chicken. He attempts to pass a piece to Ali who is in the back seat, much to his disapproval. When he finally gives in, there is a heartwarming tinge as you see Ali enjoying the friend poultry.

If you think this movie is about racism, prejudice and all that serious stuff - you are right. If you think this movie is a downright depressing film where everyone is sad and repressed – you are in for a surprise. 

You’d have seen this coming if you knew that this movie is directed by Peter Farrelly. Together with his brother Bobby, the Farrelly brothers are known to churn out somewhat offensive romantic comedies like There’s Something About Mary (1998), The Three Stooges (2012) and Dumb and Dumber To (2014). His solo effort, while dealing with potentially controversial themes, is an entertaining and meaningful piece of work. It is also surprisingly respectful to the subject matter, if not offering anything new or provocative.

Watch this film for its stellar performance by the two male leads. Mortensen (Captain Fantastic), whom most people associate with Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings movies, puts on a paunch to play the seemingly crass Italian American. There is a delicate warmth to the Danish American’s performance as he puts on a manly front while trying to come up with romantic letters for his wife. Ali (Hidden Figures), who has already won countless Best Supporting Actor accolades for Moonlight (2016), is on top form here. From sitting on a throne and wearing a frock while to breaking down in the rain after a series of demoralising incidents, the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar for acting is likely to win his second trophy from The Academy.

Besides acting nominations for Mortensen and Ali, the film is also competing in the Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing categories.

While the film has gotten some controversies for being historically inaccurate, the story it wants to tell is one that should be celebrated universally. Regardless of skin colour and class, there is a human connection that binds us all. And more importantly, no one should feel alone despite the challenges we face in life.

Movie Rating:

(An accessible film powered by impressive performances from its male leads, this relevant piece of work also delivers an important social message)

Review by John Li

Genre: Animation
Director: Shinichiro Ushijima
Cast: Lynn, Mahiro Takasugi, Emi Wakui, Atsuko Tanaka, Jun Fukushima, Yuma Uchida, Yukiyo Fujii
Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Encore Films
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 3 January 2019

Synopsis:  Haruki Shiga happens to find a diary in a hospital one day. The diary belongs to his classmate, a girl named Sakura Yamauchi, who is revealed to be suffering from a terminal illness in her pancreas, and only has a few months left to live. Sakura explains that Haruki is the only person apart from her family that knows about her condition. Haruki promises to keep Sakura's secret. Despite their completely opposite personalities, Haruki decides to be together with Sakura during her last few months.

Movie Review:

To start off with some clarifications, I want to eat your pancreasis not a gore/horror movie, which you might have imagined from the title. In fact, it’s a touching and youthful story about two high school students with stark differences in personalities, and their journey in each other’s lives. It is adapted from a novel of the same name, and it was also made into a life-action movie in 2017. 

Sakura is extroverted, and always seem to be full of energy, boisterous and positive. In comparison, Haruki looks gloomy, and keeps his social activities to the minimal. However, their lives begin to intertwine when Haruki accidentally picks up Sakura’s work-in-progress personal chronicle at the hospital; it’s also a diary which she documents her fight against an illness. That’s when Haruki found out that Sakura is dying of a terminal disease, despite having a rather cheerful front. However, Haruki remained aloof, and did not show extra sympathy towards her condition. That attitude attracted Sakura to spend even more time with Haruki, as she could be her natural self without the squirms of having her secret exposed, or being treated differently like how her family does. 

Before the novel was being adapted into a manga series (yes, it was first a novel, then manga), the interest to make I want to eat your pancreas into an animated movie was already confirmed. It stemmed from having a strong narrative, which is both heartbreaking and endearing. Without exposing too much of the plot, the dramatic twists in the narrative brings you on an emotional ride with the characters. The storytelling of the movie was done on point and brought to life the character developments each one of them had in the story (Sakura, Haruki and also Kyoko - Sakura’s best friend). 

Although this is the first animated movie from a relatively new Japanese animation studio (Studio VOLN), the overall production value of the movie did not come off as novice. The music combined well with the progression of the story, accentuating the moods in the movie. If you had watched the real-life adaptation of the movie, this is equally tear-jerking, if not more. While there are several notable differences, such as decentralising the attention from protagonist ‘I’, telling the story in present rather than flashback, and not showing them as adults, the animated movie was equally enjoyable. 

The ending of the story was a nice closure to the movie. It was established earlier on how Sakura wanted to live on, and that was manifested by showing how the interactions between Haruki and Kyoko had become. Not only is this a moving story, it’s one which celebrates one’s life and the legacy she/he leaves in people’s hearts.

Movie Rating:

(Consumer Advice: Bring more tissues)

Review by Tho Shu Ling

Genre: Biography/Drama
Director: Wash Westmoreland
Cast: Keira Knightley, Eleanor Tomlinson, Denise Gough, Dominic West
RunTime: 1 hr 52 mins
Rating: R21 (Some Homosexual Content and Sexual Scenes)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 7 February 2019

Synopsis: Unconventional country girl Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley) has married a charismatic egomaniacal man of letters, fourteen years her senior, known by the single name, ‘Willy’ (Dominic West). He introduces Colette to the hedonistic world of artistic Paris where her creative appetite is sparked, and permits her to write her novels, only if she does so in his name. The phenomenal success of her ‘Claudine’ series makes Willy a famous writer, and Colette and Willy the first modern celebrity couple. Although they are the toast of the town, the lack of recognition for her work begins to gnaw on Colette and their marriage starts to internally combust. Set at the dawn of the modern age, COLETTE is the story of a woman who has been denied her voice by an overbearing man, and how she goes to extraordinary lengths to find it.

Movie Review:

Keira Knightley has made quite a name for herself by portraying heroines in many films. She looks right in place in period dramas like The Duchess (as Georgiana Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire), A Dangerous Method (as Sabina Spielrein, a Russian physician and one of the first female psychoanalysts) and Anna Karenina (as Anna Arkadyevna Karenina, the titular character of Russian author’s Leo Tolstoy’s novel). Of course, many of us would know her as the gung ho Elizabeth Swann in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

It is therefore no wonder that the English actress was chosen to take on the role of Collette, a French author and woman of letters nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948.

The biographical film takes place during the dawn of the 20^th century, and we are introduced to Sidonie Gabrielle Colette, a young woman from a village, who weds marries a charismatic Parisian gentleman. From a country girl, she is exposed to the bohemian lifestyle in the city. Collette’s talent for writing takes flight and her opportunistic husband suggests that she writes novels released under his name. Time passes and our protagonist begins seeing the creative injustice. Frustration soon kicks in and she begins forming alliances with the most unlikely friends.

British independent film director Wash Westmoreland, who co-wrote and co-directed Still Alice (2014), has made a predictable but fine piece of work that anchors on the very watchable performances from its cast members.

Knightley is again charismatic and natural in this period role, and enjoys a great chemistry with lead actor Dominic West (The Square) who plays her husband. The volatile but interesting relationship between Collette and her husband is driven by passion one moment, and power play the next. This dynamism is brought to life by Knightley and West’s acting.

Less familiar faces like Eleanor Tomlinson, Aiysha Hart and Denise Gough play other real life characters like Georgie Raoul-Duval, Polaire and Mathilde de Morny. Viewers who are aware of this part of literature history would know how they are a part of Collette’s life.

The 111 minute film features Giles Nuttgens’ (Hell or High Water) gorgeous cinematography that captures the lushness of that period, as well as Thomas Adès’ exquisite score. The composer known for his orchestral, chamber and choral works has put his specialty to good use here. 

The film is also an exploration of how a woman’s inner creative voice is denied during that era. Viewers will get a glimpse of how Collette’s marriage ended in a divorce, and how she kickstarted a stage career and embarked on a series of relationships with other women (hence earning the film a R21 rating). As you’d imagine, this was very frowned upon during those days. This is illustrated in a scene where an onstage kiss between Collette and another woman almost ended in a riot.  

You may categorise this as a film that deals with women's independence in a male society, an issue that is still very relevant today. But the well intended work has done a fine job at delivering its message, and that makes it a film worth recommending.

Movie Rating:

(Keira Knightley again shows us again why she is the perfect actress to play a heroine in a period drama) 

Review by John Li

Genre: Drama
Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Peña, Dianne Wiest, Andy Garcia
Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Scene)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website: http://www.themulefilm.net

Opening Day: 10 January 2019

Synopsis: From Warner Bros. Pictures, Imperative Entertainment and BRON Creative comes Clint Eastwood’s newest feature film, the drama “The Mule.” In addition to directing, the veteran actor will step in front of the lens again, alongside fellow stars Bradley Cooper, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Peña, Dianne Wiest and Andy Garcia.

Eastwood stars as Earl Stone, a man in his 80s who is broke, alone, and facing foreclosure of his business when he is offered a job that simply requires him to drive. Easy enough, but, unbeknownst to Earl, he’s just signed on as a drug courier for the cartel. He does well—so well, in fact, that his cargo increases exponentially, and Earl is assigned a handler. But he isn’t the only one keeping tabs on Earl; the mysterious new drug mule has also hit the radar of hard-charging DEA agent Colin Bates. And even as his money problems become a thing of the past, Earl’s past mistakes start to weigh heavily on him, and it’s uncertain if he’ll have time to right those wrongs before law enforcement, or the cartel’s enforcers, catch up to him.

Movie Review:

It is near impossible not to view ‘The Mule’ as a deeply personal reckoning for Clint Eastwood, or wonder just how the musings of its protagonist Earl Stone are in fact those of Eastwood’s own. After all, the notoriously picky Eastwood did choose the role to be his first after 2012’s ‘Trouble with the Curve’, and the movie to be the first he is directing himself in after 2008’s ‘Gran Torino’. But really, it is not difficult to see why Eastwood was drawn to this movie and/ or the anti-hero he plays in it, a 90-year-old horticulturist who, while at the end of several tethers, became a drug mule for a Mexican cartel – not only does it allow him to once again assume the position of politically incorrect anachronist and jab at how the world has changed, it also is a quiet regretful elegy about family and what’s really important in life.

As adapted by Nick Schenk, who also wrote ‘Torino’, from the New York Times feature about a real-life octogenarian World War II vet turned unlikeliest drug mule, the story tells of how the down-and-out Stone stumbles onto the job driving illegal cargo by accident, works his way one run at a time to become the cartel’s top-hauler, and how law enforcement eventually catches up to him. A brief prologue finds the award-winning horticulturist skipping his own daughter’s (played by Eastwood’s own daughter Alison Eastwood) wedding to collect another trophy for his buds, hence the resentment between father and daughter when we catch up with him in present day. Not surprisingly, things with his ex-wife (Dianne Wiest) are just as testy, and somewhat come to a head at his granddaughter’s (Taissa Farmiga) pre-wedding house party.

It is at the said party that Stone, who drove himself over in an ancient flatbed truck loaded with stuff from his now foreclosed home, meets a Latino guest who says he might know a way for a geriatric white man with a spotless driving record to make some easy cash. Given how the Internet had killed his daylily business, it doesn’t take long for Stone to drive the same truck up to an El Paso garage, where some other gruff heavily-armed Latinos promptly load his trunk with contraband and stash him a burner phone. Stone dutifully follows instructions not to check out the cargo during his first two runs, but curiosity eventually gets the better of him on the third, leading to a tense interaction with a highway cop and his K9 that reveals Stone’s ingenuity and quick-wittedness despite his age.

But Stone is no ‘Dirty Harry’, so he – and the movie – quickly brushes away the moral ambiguities of his behaviour, settling instead for a montage of scenes which shows him getting his groove back crooning to Willie Nelson and Dean Martin on the radio while enjoying the drive one run after another. Stone’s success even prompts the head of the cartel back down south (Andy Garcia) to invite him down to his sprawling mansion and throw a pool party that ends with Stone having a threesome. Thankfully, while the movie tries to justify his criminality by showing how he uses the money he earns to pay for his granddaughter’s wedding and refurbishing the local VFW hall damaged in a fire, it doesn’t try to do likewise with his irresponsibility towards his estranged family, culminating hence in a touching reconciliation that emphasises how time once foregone is the one thing that cannot ever be bought.

That is where one senses it gets highly personal for Eastwood, given his six-decade long indefatigable career in Hollywood. Not only does the narrative reiterate his character’s multiple failings as a father and husband, the camera leans in close in these shots to capture the unmistakable sense of remorse on Eastwood’s wrinkled face. As Stone, Eastwood inhabits Stone in a real and lived-in performance that is probably the most vulnerable we’ve seen him in. We suspect it isn’t coincidence that he has casted his daughter Alison for the first time in two decades, and both she and Wiest ensure a poignant and heartfelt conclusion to that particular arc of the story.

Next to that, the rest of the film plays out like a conventional thriller – one subplot sees Clifton Collins Jr. execute a power grab that changes the dynamics between the cartel and Stone; and another has Bradley Cooper, Michael Pena and Laurence Fishburne play DEA agents trying to decipher the identity of the mule codenamed ‘Tata’. Eastwood brings together these storylines neatly, although those looking for an action-packed finale will probably be disappointed at how Stone finally meets his inevitable denouement. And just like his other movies, Eastwood’s style here remains lean, leisurely and unfussy, so even when the film does kick into higher gear in the second half, you shouldn’t expect it to be anywhere as adrenaline-pumping as any of the ‘Narcos’ episodes on Netflix.

Yet it isn’t as if ‘The Mule’ is any less watchable just because it chooses to be a character study rather than a straight-out action thriller. Like we said, there was good reason why Eastwood decided at the age of 88 to act and direct in this movie, and we suspect that those who have grown up with his singular brand of old-school masculinity will recognise how this is in both subject and execution as personal as anything he has done. It is surprisingly tender and affecting, though never maudlin; and sometimes very funny, not least least when Eastwood reverts to his ‘Gran Torino’ self complaining about cellphones, calling out Mexicans as ‘beaners’ or African-Americans as ‘you Negro folks’. We’re not sure if this will be Eastwood’s last outing as an actor, or even as a director, but if this is farewell, then it’s genuinely fitting and fulfilling.

Movie Rating:

(As personal as anything he’s ever done, Clint Eastwood’s ‘The Mule’ packs a surprisingly emotional kick, alongside some very funny moments)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Thriller
Director: Adam Robitel
Cast: Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Deborah Ann Woll, Jay Ellis, Tyler Labine
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence & Coarse Language)
Released By: Sony Pictures
Official Website: https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/escaperoom/

Opening Day: 10 January 2019

Synopsis: Escape Room is a psychological thriller about six strangers who find themselves in circumstances beyond their control and must use their wits to find the clues or die.

Movie Review:

Escape rooms are the latest trend as of late and there is much excitement in playing interactive games like this.  And there is nothing to be afraid of, even if you cannot solve the life puzzle.  I mean, eventually you will get out, right?

Escape Room is a psycho-thriller about 6 random people from different walks of life being invited to play a round in an escape room, without realising that the escape room is more than just a regular escape room.  Each room becomes more challenging and dangerous, with the players having to hold on to their lives to survive. 

Gradually, bit by bit, the players realised that each of them have a common denominator and that they will eventually get killed one by one Final Destination style and only one will survive to win the grand prize.

With so much excitement in its trailer itself, it is no wonder that people would be overly excited by this madness of a live action thriller.  Sadly, it does have its flaws.

While the pacing is generally comfortable, certain parts of the films seem to either drag unnecessarily or speed quickly, leaving you with either moments of endless and mindless chattering among the characters or moments of accelerated confusions.

And while the mixed cast did pretty well with their believable and impressive performance, it eventually was not able to make up for the simplistic plot, which in turn made the film slightly shallow.

That is not to say that the film is lacklustre. There is certainly a sense of excitement and slight jump scares despite its plot being quite typical.  One will also be taken on a journey through a series of exhilarating visuals that is pleasing to the eyes and yet not overly done to turn one off.

The witty puzzles and few plot twists made the film rather thrilling and make the audience feel engaged and give them the desire to crack their brains over the games, especially with its Saw-like references and heart-pumping moments (thankfully, we are spared the extreme gore that Saw has instilled in its films).

Eventually, Escape Room is a simple film that is thrilling and exciting enough to get you to go to the cinema to watch it, but its tried-and-tested plot might end up making the film slightly forgettable.  Still, it is worth sacrificing 100 minutes of your life getting entertained by the idea of being in a situation as freaky as the Escape Room.

Movie Rating:

(Just go without too much expectations and focus on the game itself. Then your journey would be fun... if you dare)

Review by Ron Tan

Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Rocky Soraya & Anggy Umbara
Cast: Luna Maya, Herjunot Ali
Runtime: 2 hrs 6 mins
Rating: M18 (Violence and Gore)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 3 January 2019

Synopsis:  After seven years of marriage, Suzzanna finally gets pregnant. Her husband, Satria, is out of town on a work trip when robbers break into their house. They attack Suzzanna and bury her body in the backyard. Strangely, Suzzanna appears the next day at home, as if the previous day’s events did not happen. Will she exact bloody revenge on her murderers?

Movie Review:

Asian spirits frighten because their appearances always allude to a terrifying cause of death. In the case of the sungei bolong from Javanese folklore, it is a woman with long flowing hair which covers a bloody hole in her back. It is believed that they were those who got pregnant out of wedlock, and died having a miscarriage; or when in their grave, gave birth to a baby who came out their back, thus the hole. I know - yikes.

Buried Alive is based on 1981’s Sundel Bolong, starring Indonesia’s favourite scream queen Suzzanna Martha Frederika van Osh. The classic was a riot of effects, considered cheap by today’s standard, but left an indelible mark on viewers with its imagery. One scene even had the ghost feast on satay, before the vendors flee in fright after seeing meat and gravy drip out of her back.

To say this is a tribute is not an understatement. In one scene, an outdoor screening plays the original Sundel Bolong. In a few others, the spirit mysteriously swallows a jasmine flower after every kill, alluding to the rumours that the actress actually ate them to maintain her youth. It’s tidbits like these that don’t distract from the story, yet offering those in the know some easter eggs, that give Buried Alivean extra edge. That said, one adulation went too far.

Lead actress Luna Maya had to endure over three hours of prosthetics to increase her likeness to the late actress - an odd decision given that directors Rocky Soraya and Anggy Umbara, as well as producer Sunil Soraya picked her for her resemblance.

Maya struggles to act past her make-up, and if you thought someone had too much botox, I don’t disagree - the effect is the same. This is one literal stiff upper lip that makes the intense close-ups really uncomfortable to watch, especially with the excessive dubs of minor gasps and moans.

Maya’s soap opera roots also show. Her exaggerated body acting gives conflicting results. With its kitschy styling, the showy acting adds to a wonderful throwback experience. But in other scenes, usually the ones between husband Satria (Herjunot Ali) and herself, it is awkwardly cheesy.

Also somewhat questionable, are the goon characters that punctuate the show. There are two coming from the burglars who eventually bury Suzzanna alive, but her domestic helpers are also portrayed as half-wits. There are killer punchlines tucked within the banter, like the one where the three servants argue over a death shroud, but most of the goof feels disjointed from the narrative.

And while It remains a mystery why the characters sleep with the light on, Buried Alive boasts some of the best production values to be seen from the country in recent times, and an artful styling that comes from experience in campy horror films from the 80s. That scene with Suzzanna flying off with a severed head is gold.

The film adds itself as a strong candidate to Indonesian horror, and I greatly appreciate it leveraging upon local lore and superstition, than hitchhiking on western formulas or tropes. It is just a pity that the tribute prosthetic ultimately was the effect that distracted from the impact. 

Movie Rating:

(Well-produced Indonesian horror that gets bogged down by a rubbery addition, that erases the build in some scenes)

Review by Morgan Awyong