Genre: Drama
Director: Lee Jong-eon
Cast: Sul Kyung-gu, Jeon Do-yeon, Kim Bo-min-I, Yoon Chan-young, Kim Soo-jin-IV, Lee Bong-ryeon
Runtime: 2 hrs
Rating: PG
Released By: Clover Films and Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 16 May 2019
Synopsis: Inspired by the 2014 sinking of the MV Sewol ferry, director Lee Jong-eon uses the tragedy as the backdrop to tell the story of a family coping with the loss of their son in his debut film BIRTHDAY.
Movie Review:
Birthday is inspired by the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster (which killed 304 people on board, mostly involving the students from a local secondary school) in South Korea. It follows the story revolving a Korean family who have lost their eldest son in the disaster. They learn to cope with the loss and grief, together with their friends and support group.
Knowing what motivated the story of the movie would already guarantee a sob movie. With the combined prowess of Sol Kyung-Gu and Jeon Do-Yeon, you’ll definitely need some tissues for this melodramatic movie. Jeon Do Yeon plays the role of the mother, who mostly handles the household alone while the husband works overseas. Sol Kyung-Gu plays the role of the father, who is seemingly absent, even when the disaster happened. Amongst K-movie fans, this was a highly anticipated movie just for the casting alone. As expected of any award winning acting professionals, their acting didn’t disappoint.
Effectively, the narrative of the story is about how everyone goes through grief. From the closest family, to friends, to the ones who were there and witnessed the disaster unfolding before their eyes and survived, to fellow families who are also dealing with their own loss; it follows the emotional journey that each of them go through. It can get quite heartbreaking towards the end, in particular when the focus was on the daughter of the family - on how a young person cope with possibly the first loss of a family member.
Sol Kyung-Gu and Jeon Do-Yeon both nailed their roles. Be it Sol Kyung-Gu’s passport scene or Jeong Do-Yeon’s scene in her son’s bedroom, both were equally emoting and emotional (there was lots of sobbing in the cinema), which was pertinent for a melodramatic drama like this. The way they layered their emotions was also testament to their veteran acting.
While most of the story flowed well, it could feel a little laborious and slow, especially during the earlier part of the story where the background of the story was set up. But it was still relatively easy to follow, even when different characters were introduced.
As already suggested by the title of the movie, it concludes with the celebration of the victim’s birthday. While it’s hard, everyone learns to live with the ones they have lost, going through stages denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Everybody grieves differently, and that’s okay. Life is dynamic, so it will not be a linear journey after all. The movie ends off with a positive note, which is a fitting tribute to all who have lost their sons, daughters, friends, siblings, during this tragedy.
Movie Rating:
(They’re moving forward, but maybe they’ll not move on)
More about grief: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=669879150139006
Review by Tho Shu Ling
Genre: CG Animation
Director: Kelly Asbury
Cast: Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monáe, Pitbull, Wanda Sykes, Emma Roberts, Gabriel Iglesias, Wang Leehom
Runtime: 1 hr 27 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 6 June 2019
Synopsis: In the adorably different town of Uglyville, weird is celebrated, strange is special and beauty is embraced as more than simply meets the eye. Here, the free-spirited Moxy and her UglyDolls friends live every day in a whirlwind of bliss, letting their freak flags fly in a celebration of life and its endless possibilities, occasionally looking to the sky, where a new UglyDoll will appear and be embraced by the community. Moxy (Kelly Clarkson) loves her square-peg life in this round-hole town, but her curiosity about all things leads her to wonder if there’s something – anything – on the other side of the mountain which nestles Uglyville. Moxy gathers a group of her closest friends and sets off to find what’s on the other side. They discover another world – Perfection – a town where more conventional dolls are trained in protocols before they graduate and are sent to the “real” world to find the love of a child. In Perfection, Moxy and her crew are subject to the manipulations of Lou (Nick Jonas), the perfect doll in charge of training recruits. Here, the UglyDolls will confront what it means to be different, struggle with their desire to be loved, and ultimately discover that you don’t have to be perfect to be amazing because who you truly are is what matters most.
Movie Review:
If you knew the story behind how David Horvath and his then-girlfriend Kim Sun-min created what would become a line of goofy-looking stuffed animal/ humanoid characters, you’d probably think how charming that may be material for a live-action movie about the genesis of UglyDolls. But clearly, the people behind this animation had something else in mind, which we discern to be ultimately about how to boost the sales of them colourful blobby plushies among kids; so in turn, they have recruited animation vet Kelly Asbury to craft a family-friendly musical about love and acceptance that would make the plushies even more appealing and likeable.
With a ‘story by’ credit to producer Robert Rodriguez, writers Alison Peck and Erica Rivinoja imagine a community where these plushies live together named Uglyville, after being pushed off the assembly line due to production defects. While most live in ignorant bliss, one of them, Moxy (Kelly Clarkson), wakes up each morning yearning to feel a child’s affection. After the latest arrival to the community from a hole in the mountain, Moxy decides to discover for herself just where they come from, bringing along a gaggle of quirky pals along for the adventure, including Lucky (Wang LeeHom), Ugly Dog (Pitbull), Wage (Wanda Sykes) and Babo (Gabriel Iglesias).
Their adventure leads them to the Institute of Perfection, a finishing school for dolls where they are put together a rigorous training programme in order to learn how to navigate such obstacles as dogs, vacuum cleaners and even babies. There, they meet its leader Lou (Nick Jonas), a perfectly coiffured doll adored by the females and admired by the males; though on the surface he seems to embrace Moxy and her band of misfits, Lou has no intention of letting them graduate, and instead makes use of the so-called lessons at the institute to tear them down. At the same time, Lou sends his trio of henchgirls (voiced by Bebe Rexha, Charli XCX, and Lizzo) to find out more about Uglyville where they came from, in order to obliterate the community of rejects.
It isn’t difficult to guess that Moxy will find the determination and tenacity to overcome Lou’s taunts and prove to herself, as well as the rest of the trainees at the institute, that their imperfections make them perfect as they are. This is as life-affirming stuff as it gets, what with the entire Uglyville community coming around to rally for Moxy as she faces Lou in a showdown within a stimulated house meant to test how ready the dolls are to face the real world. Lou’s selfish motivations are revealed, everyone at the institute realises how wrong they were to idolise him in the first place, and the communities of Uglyville and Perfection are integrated into one that is named Imperfection.
Did we mention too that the journey to happily-ever-after involves a whole lot of singing? As forgettable as they are, these peppy songs – most of them performed by Clarkson – help to liven the storytelling and do what they ought to in terms of telling the story. Given how this is aimed squarely at kids, there is no attempt to try to make the proceedings any more complicated than they need to be in order to endear to the younger ones. Ditto the self-positivity message, which is as clear and unequivocal as it gets, so that the kids will get it. We’re almost certain that they will lap it up, together with the vivid visuals and the lively pace at which the narrative moves.
And really, as long as you’re not expecting the sort of depth or nuance that Pixar’s films are often held up to, ‘UglyDolls’ works just fine for the kids. There is sheer visual appeal to the dolls themselves, each with their own physical and emotional idiosyncrasies; their banter is often amusing, with special mention to Sykes as the most cautious of Moxy’s gang and to the trio who gamely lend their ditsiest selves to Lou’s spies; and last but not least, there is the whole storytelling itself, which most, if not all, parents will approve, given the simple but uplifting message that kids will easily take away. It’s harmless fun all right, and even if that comes at the expense of being true to its title, we suspect its target audience will be perfectly alright with this piece of pretty (slick) entertainment.
Movie Rating:
(There's nothing ugly about this perfectly pretty slice of kids' entertainment that packs colourful visuals, peppy singing and an uplifting message into a brisk one-half hours)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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JOHN SINGLETON (1968 - 2019)Posted on 01 May 2019 |
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Rocky Soraya
Cast: Jessica Mila, Bianca Hello, Sophia Latjuba, Nabilah Ratna Ayu Azalia, Jeremy Thomas
Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins
Rating: NC16 (Horror and Violence)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment
Official Website:
Opening Day: 16 May 2019
Synopsis: After her sister's death, ALIA decided to start a new life at an orphanage that belongs to MRS. LAKSMI and MR. FADLI. But Alia feels there is something wrong with the orphanage. Especially after NADIA, one of the orphans with an opened third eye like Alia, hears a mysterious voice. Alia and Nadia opened a mysterious room and accidentally release the vengeful spirit DARMAH. Together with MRS. WINDU, a paranormal teacher, Alia has to face Darmah and save the orphanage. THE 3RD EYE REOPENS is the sequel to THE THIRD EYE continuing the story of two sisters with the gift to see ghosts.
Movie Review:
Director Rocky Soraya is back with chapter two of his Mata Batin film series, and for those that enjoyed his first outing, you’ll find more of the same in this episode.
This means big sets, big houses, and big acting, along with a crazy soundtrack that refuses to die. You can probably already tell I’m not the biggest fan.
In the first movie, Alia (Jessica Mila) opens her third eye to help her sister Abel (Bianca Hello) combat a malevolent spirit in their new house, and the story ends happily enough, even if a few sacrifices were made.
We return to the sisters in MATA BATIN 2 at their peaceful home, until the ghost of Mirah (Jelita Callebaut) returns to haunt the pair again. The elder sister has now clearly become adept at dealing with ghostly sightings and missions, and even produces a book and starts reading off rituals like a seasoned witch doctor. But while all that is very useful, the hunt leads to the unfortunate demise of the younger Abel, with Mirah shrieking herself into oblivion at the crime site, looking mighty guilty. Mrs Windu (Citra Prima) counsels the distraught Alia away from obsessing over the unmotivated murder, and the surviving sibling manages to find some solace in her new role as an orphanage caretaker.
There she meets owners Mrs. Laksmi (Sophia Latjuba) and Mr. Fadli (Jeremy Thomas), but most shockingly, the mansion that she keeps seeing in her visions. She also quickly recognises the odd behaviour of orphan Nadia (Nabilah Ratna Ayu Azalia) as someone with the third eye, and she calms the girl by teaching her more about her powers. They soon join forces and investigate into a possible haunting within the orphanage itself. Just as this inevitably leads to more trouble, the script also begins to spiral out of control from here on out.
In all honesty, nothing is going to surprise you here if you are a regular horror movie watcher. The basic toolbox of tropes from western franchises like INSIDIOUS, CONJURING and multiple other possession titles will make their appearances here - ad nauseum.
There’s a rinse-and-repeat formula here for sure. Someone has a paranormal activity and scream; Alia runs to the scene. There’s an awful lot of the same tension tricks here too - namely the slow pulling back of some object or the timely creeping hands of the spirit. It gets old really fast. Don’t even get me started on that eye-zoom effect as the girls teleport between realms.
And while all this may still be acceptable if the story moves itself towards some sort of a conclusion, Soraya maybe had a compulsion to throw on more ritualistic obstacles to ante up his first film, and unwittingly creates a neverending morality tale that grates. The message of forgiveness isn’t a new one, and when you demonise flat characters and get the heavenly dead to return and preach, it’s all very detached and cheesy.
Probably the two most unforgivable sin is the awful makeup that child actor Darmah (Hadijah Shahab) has to contend with, that looks especially cakey and bad in brighter scenes, and the inclusion of Rayya (Nicole Rossi) and Malika (Yasmine Mahya) as flat characters introduced purely to extend the haunting. Actually make it three, Jeremy Thomas is hopeless in his performance here.
If Soraya had spent less energy on stringing gimmicky scenes awkwardly together and more time on crafting a meaningful script without throwing beds around the set, MATA BATIN 2 would have been a great Indonesian piece. There’s some magical lore that can really unnerve, and the camerawork is quite good when it’s not shaking away for a desperate effect.
Movie Rating:
(More of the same, sadly. It’s time to close that pineal gland girls)
Review by Morgan Awyong
SYNOPSIS: Set in the midst of the 2009 US housing crisis, this darkly comedic story follows Sonny (Danny McBride – Pineapple Express, This Is The End), a disgruntled homeowner, and Cassie Fowler (Rosemarie DeWitt – Black Mirror, Poltergeist), a single mom and struggling realtor whose life goes off the rails when she witnesses a murder. When the unstable Sonny turns up at Cassie’s office, things quickly spiral out of control. Despite Sonny’s assertion that he’s “a really good person,” he knocks Cassie out’ kidnaps her, and drags her along on his impulsive spree of violence.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Not to be confused with Joel Coen’s 1987 brilliant crime comedy, Raising Arizona, Arizona is just a plain, pointless stupid thriller that squander the so-called housing crisis premise and the talent of leading woman, Rosemarie DeWitt.
Set during the real estate crisis of 2009, DeWitt plays divorced realtor Cassie Fowler who lives in a nearly barren neighbourhood in Arizona with her teenage daughter, Morgan. When Cassie witnessed the death of her boss, she is taken hostage by the killer played by comedian Danny McBride. Just when you thought it’s a dark comedy about anger and frustration while poking fun at the failure of the America economy, Arizona quickly turns into a serial killer thriller with McBride’s character killing practically everyone in sight.
Honestly, we don’t really want to spoil this movie for you but it’s indeed that bad. Arizona fails on every account as nearly every scene has McBride blabbering non-stop and committing stupid mistakes and unforgiveable sins. When your leading character deserves no empathy from the audiences and your female lead has nothing else to do except screaming her lungs out, your movie is in deep trouble.
McBride probably thinks he is Michael Myers confusing Arizona with Halloween (2018) if you forget he is the co-writer and producer for the latter. Even with a measly 85 minutes of running time, it’s a drag to sit through although one of McBride’s off-screen buddies, Seth Rogen makes an uncredited cameo together with Luke Wilson in a thankless role. So unless you are an ardent fan of McBride’s irritable motor-mouth humour and disturbing killings, Arizona will be a title tailored for you. For rest of us here, we stick to Raising Arizona.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The DVD delivers a rather good Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack which features clear audio and loud sound effects while the visual quality is commendable.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: David Yarovesky
Cast: Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn, Matt Jones, Meredith Hagner
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Intense Sequences)
Released By: Sony Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 9 May 2019
Synopsis: What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister? With Brightburn, the visionary filmmaker of Guardians of the Galaxy and Slither presents a startling, subversive take on a radical new genre: superhero horror.
Movie Review:
The world has enough superheroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe. Do we need another being that can fly and shoot laser from his eyes? Apparently so, according to the folks who greenlit this movie production.
After an alien baby lands on Earth, a childless couple adopts him, names him Brandon Breyer and watches him grow up like a normal kid. After a sequence of events, you realise that there is a dark side to this boy. He is capable of doing unimaginable things with his mysterious powers, including murdering others in the most gruesome manner. People who offend him die horribly, and all hell breaks loose when his emotions go out of control.
Evil Superman, anyone? The elements are uncannily similar. There is a crashed spaceship containing a baby. He grows up being able to fly and fire off laser beams from his eyes. The twist here is that instead of becoming everyone’s hero, things take a very, very dark turn.
This horror thriller is directed by David Yarovesky and more notably, produced by James Gunn, the man behind Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel. With Gunn’s brother Brian and cousin Mark penning the script, this feels very much like a passion project.
The star of the movie is undoubtedly Jackson A Dunn, who plays the main character. His calm and somewhat disturbing expression will send chills down your spine. He convinces you that Brandon Breyer is in a conflicted position between being a normal boy and a scary villain. Dunn isn’t a stranger to the superhero genre – he played a 12 year old Scott Lang in Avengers: Endgame.
The brutal deaths caused by Brandon Breyer are bloody and disgusting: a woman pulls a glass shard out of her eye, while a man’s jaw drops off his mangled face. You will squirm in your seats, and hope that no one else will piss this kid off.
Elsewhere, adult actors Elizabeth Banks (The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part) and David Denman (13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi) play the infertile couple who thought that they received a gift from the skies when the baby appeared in their backyard. As the film progresses, you realise even the people who brought up Brandon Breyer are not going to be spared from his extreme emotions and violence.
With a very agreeable runtime of 91 minutes, there is a sad tale in this movie. A kid is bullied by the people around him, and he begins using his powers to take revenge. The dark spin to a familiar superhero origin story is fresh, and will keep viewers glued to their seats. Can the boy still be good after causing chaos? Are the dire consequences reversible? The last sequence of the movie suggests that there is potential for a follow up instalment, and we are interested to find out how Brandon Breyer will make a mark in the somewhat congested world of superbeings.
Movie Rating:
(A much-needed dark spin on the familiar superhero genre, complete with some disturbingly gruesome scenes)
Review by John Li
Genre: Drama
Director: Max Minghella
Cast: Elle Fanning, Rebecca Hall, Zlatko Buric, Agnieszka Grochowska
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Rating: PG (Some Scenes of Intimacy)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 9 May 2019
Synopsis: Violet (Elle Fanning) is a shy teenager who dreams of escaping her small town and pursuing her passion to sing. With the help of an unlikely mentor, she enters a local singing competition that will test her integrity, talent and ambition. Driven by a pop-fueled soundtrack, Teen Spirit is a visceral and stylish spin on the Cinderella story.
Movie Review:
Being a teenager can be difficult at times. Especially if you are shy and quiet and if you live in a quiet town with a mundane and challenging life.
But what if you have the opportunity to come out and explore by joining a singing competition that gives you the chance of winning a recording contract and be recognised for your talent?
Teen Spirit is about a shy teenager called Violet (Elle Fanning) whom, upon chancing upon an advertisement on a singing competition, goes against her mother’s wishes and joined the competition with an unlikely help in a form of a retired opera singer. Through her journey, she fights against all odds and discover more about herself and life than just her desire to sing.
Teen Spirit tries to move away from the typical cliché box-office worthy format that you would expect from films of the same genre. So, there is much lesser theatrical-like drama and it is rather toned-down and slightly relaxed, giving it a much more ‘indie’ feel to the film. The director instead chooses to focus fully on the lead’s journey from plain Jane to underdog talent and on other elements of the plot.
The shift in focus is actually a refreshing take and gives the opportunity for the main characters to fully develop without too much ‘noise’. It helped that the setting was based in an idyllic town on the Isle of Wight, just off southern England, adding on to its rather indie appeal.
Playing with visuals like lighting and sounds and the modern approach to the filming direction makes up for the toned-down drama and ‘tranquillity’ of the film. Although the plot is simple, it is still slightly layered with a little complexity and depth to make the film less ‘flat’. The plot is also more realistic and not fairy-tale like, so what you see is a protagonist that is not your typical ‘extremely’ talented individual but someone who can be groomed and moulded, thus this element makes the film more accessible to viewers.
The film, however, suffers from trying to keep the viewers interested throughout the duration of the film. The slow pacing makes it really challenging for one to fully appreciate the beauty of the content and the true essence of the film. Thankfully, it was able to pick up halfway through the film, but it might have been slightly too late for some.
Apart from the protagonist and a few other characters, the cast in general were not given much of a chance to fully develop their characters and become slightly forgettable in a film that dares to explore a different style against many predecessors.
Still, the film still leaves viewers with a feel-good and encouraging ending that is unlikely, yet doable and imaginative. And with a playlist that includes songs that are re-engineered to fit the scenes, accompanied by pleasant voices, it is without doubt that Teen Spirit still lives for the music, an important element of its genre and demographic.
Teen Spirit tries to inspire and despite its nonchalant beginning and slow pacing, the gradual pick up and pleasing storyline, alongside reformed covers of selected modern hits, makes the film a pleasant one.
The film will definitely leave one feeling at ease, knowing that in the end, the protagonist has found a certain inner peace and came out of her little shell with her newly-developed potential. Like the title of the film, “Teen Spirit” is truly a celebration of change and coming-of-age and dealing with life and the true meaning of winning during the developing years.
Movie Rating:
(A surprisingly pleasant film that is sure to gain the likes of indie followers and other viewers, if you have the patience to wait for it to warm up fully)
Review by Ron Tan
SYNOPSIS: The Wandering Earth tells the story of a distant future in which the sun is about to expand into a red giant and devour the Earth, prompting mankind to make an audacious attempt to save planet. The multi-generational heroes build ten-thousand stellar engines in an effort to propel Planet Earth out the solar system, in the hope of finding a new celestial home. During the 2,500 year-long journey, a group of daring heroes emerge to defend human civilization from unexpected dangers and new enemies, and to ensure the survival of humanity in this age of the wandering Earth.
MOVIE REVIEW:
The Wandering Earth easily beat out Stephen Chow’s The New King of Comedy and Jackie Chan’s The Knight of Shadows when it started screening in China during the Lunar New Year period. In fact, it just concluded its theatrical on May 6, nearly three months after it was first screened making it the second highest grossing movie as at now.
In the near future where the sun is dying and our mother earth is freezing, all surviving humans are forced to live underground instead on the surface. Led by the United Earth Government (so don’t worry about propaganda and politics), the only solution is to propel the planet away from harm by giant rocket thrusters. But the solution it seems can only last a mere 17 years before disaster decides to strike again as due to a gravitational pull, earth is going to be soon destroy by Jupiter.
The only help earth can get is from a young man named Liu Qi, her adopted sister Duoduo, Qi’s estranged father, Liu Peiqiang who is an astronaut stationed in a remote space station and a small team of rescue soldiers.
Based on a novel by Chinese writer Liu Cixin and adapted to the screen by no less than six writers, The Wandering Earth is an astounding piece of work directed by the lesser known Frank Gwo. While the plotting might resemble some of Hollywood’s disaster flicks liked Armageddon, The Day After Tomorrow and the aesthetics of Edge of Tomorrow and Geostorm, the first major commercial sci-fi flick from China is not going to disappoint fans of the sci-fi and disaster genre.
For one, the movie moves at a breakneck pace which might result in the audiences having an issue digesting all the details and information coming your way. But Gwo has a way of cushioning the effect that is to fill every sequence with marvelous CG effects that you probably forgot to pay attention to what the characters are saying anyway. Of course, we meant it to be a good thing because the special and visual effects are really that spectacular and top notch that watching it in IMAX might deliver a far better experience.
The only glaring flaw is the relationship between Liu and Senior Liu which can be a bit sketchy and the various onscreen characters pretty much forgettable. Probably action star Wu Jing is enlisted for his star power and ex-funny man Ng Man-Tat puts in a commendable dramatic performance as Liu’s maternal grandpa.
For a Chinese sci-fi movie that excel in all technical aspects, promotes heroism, hope and saving the earth, it’s a pity that The Wandering Earth wasn’t brought in to theaters locally. Solid entertainment and totally engaging for two hours, we highly recommend watching this on Netflix.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Lee Won-tae
Cast: Ma Dong-seok (aka Don Lee), Kim Moo-yeol. Kim Seong-kyu
Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence)
Released By: Clover Films and Cathay Cineplexes
Official Website:
Opening Day: 23 May 2019
Synopsis: Fierce and feared Zeus gang boss Jang Dong-su gets attacked without warning, ending up with several severe wounds. After fighting back, he barely kept his life but his reputation as a gang boss is damaged beyond repair. Determined to track down his attacker for revenge, he team up with Det. Jung Tae-Seok, who believes that Jang’s attacker is none other than a serial killer. Despite what Det. Jung believes, his boss downplays his evidence because there isn’t any evidence to begin with, as the killer does not leave anything behind. At their wit’s end, he’s forced to use Jang’s resources in order to track down the serial killer. The two men pool their talents and resources at their fingertips to slowly find a serial killer simply known as “K”.
Movie Review:
It seems like a convenient choice to cast Korean American actor Ma Dong Seok, also known as Don Lee, as the brute gangster in this action crime movie. The 48 year old, with his towering physique, pulls off the role effortlessly as he glares, swears and beats people up. He is not a good guy, but you will be rooting for him as the movie progresses.
Ma plays the boss of a gang who is stabbed by an elusive man early in the story. He survives the fight but ends up in hospital with multiple stab wounds. Meanwhile, a detective hears of this and believes it is the work of a serial killer that the police has been hunting down. The two men, who are on opposite ends of the law, team up to track down the killer.
The straightforward plot is executed with breeze by director Lee Won Tae, who only has one other film (Man of Will) under his name. The biggest draw of this 112 minute movie are its leading men who are oozing with charisma.
Ma, who has made the world pay attention since his memorable performance in Train to Busan (2016), is a joy to watch on screen as he straddles between being a good guy and a bad dude. Kim Moo Yeol (Illang: The Wolf Brigade) is also perfectly cast as a cocky officer who is brash and charges his way through the story. The actor’s good looks help with the role as well. Rounding up the trio is Kim Sung Kyu (The Outlaws) who is creepy as the bloodthirsty serial killer.
The engaging sequences (containing violence, of course) are great to watch as the action unfolds on screen. You will be at the edge of your seats wondering whether the titular gangster and cop will get their hands on the devil.
There are many generic South Korean thriller movies, and this offering stands out above the crowd. The dynamics between the gangster and the cop is interestingly played out as the two unlikely allies team up to hunt down a common enemy. While the devil’s identity is made known early in the story, you will go along for the ride as both camps round up their men to embark on the manhunt.
There is even a portion of the movie dedicated to courtroom drama, and just as it seems like the devil may get away, the story delivers a decent twist that leaves guys all pumped up to be as suave as the protagonists of the show, and ladies swooning over the movie’s leading men.
How do we know that this movie is a success? There is already a Hollywood remake in the works, with Sylvester Stallone spearheading the production and Ma reprising his role. We can only hope that the English version will deliver as much punches and grit as the original.
Movie Rating:
(Headlined by its charismatic leading men, the South Korean action drama stands out from the crowd because it delivers enough punches and grit)
Review by John Li
Genre: Drama/Mystery
Director: Neil Jordan
Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Chloë Grace Moretz, Maika Monroe
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 16 May 2019
Synopsis: A sweet, naïve young woman trying to make it on her own in New York City, Frances (Chloë Grace Moretz) doesn’t think twice about returning the handbag she finds on the subway to its rightful owner. That owner is Greta (Isabelle Huppert), an eccentric French piano teacher with a love for classical music and an aching loneliness. Having recently lost her mother, Frances quickly grows closer to widowed Greta. The two become fast friends — but Greta’s maternal charms begin to dissolve and grow increasingly disturbing as Frances discovers that nothing in Greta’s life is what it seems in this suspense thriller from Academy Award®-winning director Neil Jordan.
Movie Review:
In the vein of psycho-stalker thrillers like Fatal Attraction, Single White Female, and Misery, Neil Jordan directs Ray Wright’s script of an updated tale of obsession set in the bustling streets of New York.
Frances (Chloë Grace Moretz) is the city newbie, getting adjusted to the lifestyle after the passing of her mum. Spotting an abandoned bag on the subway, she makes her way to the address listed within and meets Greta (Isabelle Huppert), a sweet and charming French piano teacher.
The two seem to share an easy sense of camaraderie, and their introverted personalities ease them quickly into becoming fast friends. Frances’s roommate Erica (Maika Monroe) picks up on this as a surrogacy situation and warns her friend about it going overboard. She had no idea.
After Frances accidentally discovers a cabinet filled with replicas of the handbag she picked up, each tagged with a post-it of a girl’s name and number, she quickly realises Greta isn’t the kind madame she thinks and cuts off the relationship abruptly. And as we have educated by the earlier movies, that can only end badly.
Greta runs a decent story with some inventive sequences and twists that serve to upend expectations. But there’s the slight problem of how the movie really tests your believability, laying blank loopholes that take away from the tension of some scenes.
Stacked against her seeming illustrious history in baiting other young women, it seems crazy (even for Greta) to go to the lengths she did for Frances, leading to several situations which could have ended her obsession prematurely. It’s wildly careless and doesn’t seem in line with the meticulous older hermit.
The terror that comes from stalker thrillers is how the predator creeps into every crevice in your life, and Greta achieves this somewhat, and frequently in a haphazard manner. This becomes even campy at parts, especially in the scenes where she takes images of Erica in public settings without getting caught. It suddenly moves the movie into slasher-villain-teleporting territory.
Another area of contention is Frances’s captive period. It’s not exactly played out very well because the period feels brief if undeterminable. This kills off the audience investment as there’s no real time frame and there are gaps unaccounted for. And when the larger-framed Frances visually seems like she can overpower the older lady anytime she wants, even with the drug-induced circumstances, it is hard to believe she chooses to huddle in a corner or trembles like an adolescent. The missed opportunities are just quite hard to swallow.
While Moretz struggled, Huppert seemed to thoroughly enjoy her role as the psychotic villain. This gives the film some of the more memorable (if unintendedly funny) moments, with her delivering her mental prognosis on our poor Frances, or spouting prose while prancing around with a syringe. Her scenes of discipline are especially chilling and disturbing, as is her method of punishment.
Through all the drama, Greta keeps itself in mediocrity largely because it doesn’t draw us in with any real back story. Frances’s loss of her mother and Greta’s own failure as a parent is outlined just barely, with some wistful looks at old photographs. And Erica and Frances’s estranged father are peripheral satellites that don’t do much beyond expressing what the audience wants to say.
Jordan may have some good tricks up his sleeves with clever turns in the second half of the film, but it’s not enough to make this into a harrowing journey.
Movie Rating:
(Crazy gets a little campy, but Huppert’s performance and some inventive twists keep this watchable)
Review by Morgan Awyong
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