Genre: CG Animation
Director: Troy Quane, Nick Bruno
Cast: Will Smith, Tom Holland, Ben Mendelsohn, Karen Gillan, Rashida Jones, DJ Khaled, Masi Oka
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Walt Disney
Official Website: https://family.foxmovies.com/movies/spies-in-disguise
Opening Day: 25 December 2019
Synopsis: Super spy Lance Sterling (Will Smith) and scientist Walter Beckett (Tom Holland) are almost exact opposites. Lance is smooth, suave and debonair. Walter is... not. But what Walter lacks in social skills he makes up for in smarts and invention, creating the awesome gadgets Lance uses on his epic missions. But when events take an unexpected turn, Walter and Lance suddenly have to rely on each other in a whole new way. And if this odd couple can’t learn to work as a team, the whole world is in peril. SPIES IN DISGUISE is an animated comedy set in the high-octane globe-trotting world of international espionage.
Movie Review:
Aside from the quintet of ‘Ice Age’ movies, Blue Sky Studios is probably best known for their colourful, hyperkinetic, yet undemanding animations like ‘Rio’, ‘Rio 2’ and ‘Epic’. Their latest, set in the world of international espionage, is no different. Inspired by an award-winning short called ‘Pigeon: Impossible’, it sees Will Smith’s super-suave secret agent supreme Lance Sterling transformed into a blue pigeon by precocious young science genius Walter Beckett (Tom Holland) in the name of ‘biodynamic concealment’, and the pair forced to team up in order to stop a terrorist named Killian (Ben Mendelsohn) from terminating Lance’s fellow colleagues using an army of weaponised drones.
Right from the start, directors Troy Quane and Nick Bruno make it clear that ‘Spies In Disguise’ is intended squarely as Bondian parody. From the Bond-styled title sequence to the various narrative elements that follow – including the super-cool gadgetry, globe-trotting (from Japan to Washington to Mexico to Venice and the North Sea) and MacGuffin (a list of the identities of all the other secret agents) – you’ll most certainly recognise each and every one of the tropes which are on display; heck, the duo even throw in a homage to Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Kill Bill’s’ Crazy 88 in a pre-credit sequence at a yakuza hangout deep in the snowy mountains of the Iwata Prefecture. And of course, Lance is intended as an exaggerated version of the unflappable spy himself – that is, before he is dealt with the ignominy of being turned into a bird.
That high-concept twist lets the movie toss elements of body-swap comedy and mismatched buddy bonding into the mix. Smith is literally a hoot coming to terms with pigeonhood, whether it is realising that number ones and number twos come out of the same orifice or dealing with the unwanted attention of a genuine flock (including Walter’s emotional support pet pigeon, a plumper companion and a scraggly weirdo which mindlessly eats anything). Together with Holland, they make a hilarious two-person team with plenty of bicker and banter, especially as Lance and Walter are forced to reconcile the former’s deadly field instincts with the latter’s pacifist leanings.
To the credit of writers Lloyd Taylor and Brad Copeland, there is interesting commentary here on the use and consequence of violence. Whereas Lance’s aggressive nature is the result of losing those close to him in the line of duty, Killian is a vengeful product of that violence, and his vendetta with Lance is in fact personal. On the other hand, Walter is a firm believer in pacifism, which in turn guides his design on gadgetry – including a device which embraces its enemy in a disarming hug, another in the form of a party-popper kitten that explodes in a shower of glitter and yet another which resembles super-tough Silly String.
That said, all these ideas do not come at the expense of the cartoonish (pun not intended) action that you’ll probably be expecting; in fact, like any Bond film, there are numerous excuses invented just so we can squeeze in one outlandish action sequence after another. These sequences are fast and frenetic, choreographed specifically with attention-challenged audiences in mind, and while some – like that in Mexico which sees Lance and Walter try to break into a Mexico hotel to interrogate a drug dealer, or the climactic showdown with Walter’s non-violent weaponry on full display – are impressively inventive, the rest simply try to disguise their lack of wit with plenty of sound and fury.
Thankfully, Smith’s smoothness makes the proceedings a whole lot more sophisticated than they really are; indeed, it is telling that the animators have decided to model Lance to look more or less like Smith, just so you never forget the actor behind the character. Smith, as well as first-time directors Quane and Bruno, occasionally overplay Lance’s preening and condescension, but you’ll probably still enjoy his performance for what it is worth. Ditto for Holland, who expresses Walter’s gee-whiz exuberance nicely, and with whom Smith has sufficient chemistry with to provide the laughs and fun as they squabble ceaselessly over the hyperactive visuals.
Though released by Disney, this is, like we’ve said, a trademark Blue Sky Studios’ effort which is designed to be no more than zippy fun, topped up perhaps with a view on pacifism versus violence. But just on the basis of being good-natured entertainment, ‘Spies in Disguise’ succeeds at being reasonably diverting, what with its pigeon-related slapstick, non-stop action and choice voice performers. Children will lap up the incessant gags, whereas adults will enjoy the numerous tropes of the spy film genre which it paddles and spoofs. Like all the other Blue Sky animated films so far, this is far from a classic, but if you’re looking for something to bring the whole family to this holiday season, you can do much worse than this.
Movie Rating:
(Fast, frenetic but fleeting, this colourful, hyperkinetic, yet undemanding animated offering from Blue Sky Studios is good fun while it lasts but little more)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Horror
Director: Ryon Lee
Cast: Michelle Wai, Alex Lam, Qi Yu-wu, Anna Ng, Richard Ng, Emily Kwan
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence and Horror)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment
Official Website:
Opening Day: 21 November 2019
Synopsis: Sam grew up with her parents in a cold relationship. She lived in a sublet with her gambling father and nurse mother, as well as one of her favourite dolls. Sam began to feel that there was a little girl with her in the house and everywhere she went, even at her workplace. Sam felt the "doll" was a reincarnation of her late brother.
Being bullied by both her father and colleague Hua Jie, Sam asked for help from the "doll" to take revenge on these two persons in order for her to survive the unbearable pressure.
Nobody knew why but the bullies died in a strange way. Sam was stunned by these homicide cases and was concerned whether it had something to do with her wish to the "doll". As time went by, she met her cheerful childhood playmate Yok and with his assistance, the truth was slowly brought to the surface.
Movie Review:
In Malaysian director Ryon Lee’s ‘Walk With Me’, Michelle Wai plays a humble factory worker Sam who is haunted by the ghost of a little girl, which she believes to be linked to her childhood doll Dao Dao. Not only that, Sam thinks that the ghost is really that of her unborn brother, which her mother (Anna Ng) had lost due to a freak accident when she was six months pregnant with him. That, and the fact that her father (Richard Ng) is both alcoholic and abusive, is the reason why her mother has mood swings that turn her either depressive or irritable, resulting in a family environment which is altogether unhappy and really quite miserable.
As if these were not enough, Lee, who co-wrote the script with Chang Ying-ying, further piles on the misery upon Sam. The rundown apartment block the family has just moved into happens to be haunted, and the family staying in the flat next door has decided to move out after one of them is possessed and needed the assistance of a Taoist priest to exorcise the spirit. Sam is also constantly taunted at work by a jealous co-worker Fa (Emily Kwan), and suspects that she had been raped by her boss (Qi Yuwu) after she loses consciousness and wakes up partially undressed in the factory one evening.
The only bright spot which Lee affords Sam is the sudden reappearance of her curiously cheery secondary school friend York (Alex Lam), who moves into the flat next to hers and promises to help her ward off evil spirits if she runs into them. It’s a lot happening within the short span of one-and-a-half hours, and true enough, it feels as if Lee were throwing every single horror movie cliché he could remember into the same picture in order to distract us from how underdeveloped the narrative really is. As much as the story is really about Sam, there is hardly any proper build-up to how all these events lead her to use her doll for murderous means.
Oh yes, lest we forget Dao Dao amidst all these other distractions, that doll and whosever spirit is within it is in fact the key to much of what is going on supernaturally. As Sam’s frustration with everything around her boils over, she asks Dao Dao for help in getting rid of her father, then her co-worker, and lastly her boss. Like you may expect, the ghost does so in brutal fashion, leading Sam to question if she had gone overboard in the first place. There is an interesting twist at the end with regard to the relationship between Sam and Dao Dao, although that might have worked better if Lee had bothered to tell a more compelling story in the first place.
To his credit though, Lee does conjure a creepy atmosphere in the dilapidated building where Sam first encounters the supernatural. That Sam and her family belong in the lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder imbibes the film with a sense of hopelessness, which in turn reinforces why Sam’s mother would cling to the past and how Sam would be more psychologically vulnerable to the forces of evil. There are some modestly crafted scare sequences throughout the movie too, though Lee has a habit of relying on jump scares to get a reaction out of his audience.
Frankly, few Hong Kong-based horrors have been truly outstanding, and in that respect, ‘Walk with Me’ certainly fares better than many others we have seen. Alas, that is probably not enough for horror fans, whose standards would no doubt have been raised in recent years by such stellar genre fare as ‘The Conjuring’ and ‘Insidious’; in fact, it is clear Lee is trying to channel both J-horror films and possession movies into his own mishmash. It’s a decent entry on most counts, and if that is enough for you, then you’ll probably won’t mind that there is more style than substance in this pastiche..
Movie Rating:
(Good atmosphere and some choice jump scares cannot quite disguise the fact that this pastiche of J-horror and possession movies is more style than substance)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Romance
Director: Tim Trachte
Cast: Jannik Schümann, Luna Wedler, Luise Befort
Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Scene)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 5 December 2019
Synopsis: What if you meet the love of your life, knowing you would only have little time to spend together? 18 year old Jessica is young, loves life and has prospects for a promising future when one day she falls head over heels in love with Danny. He is handsome, charming and self-confident, but behind this perfect façade lies a dark secret. Jessica will come to realise that the future together she dreams of will not come to be. She is, however, certain of one thing: She believes in their love and in Danny. She will fight for him and for that love. For in the end it is not how long you have loved that counts, but how deeply you have loved.
Movie Review:
One scene was all it takes for this reviewer to know that he isn’t a fan of romance genre. The female protagonist goes to a kickboxing match to see the male protagonist in action. For some strange reason, she shows up in the male changing room after the match to see him stepping out topless.
Yup, this was the perfect chance for the filmmakers to feature shots of the guy’s perfect bod – but was there a need for it? Absolutely not.
Let us give some context to this sequence. The girl had barely known the guy, and her reason of waiting for the dude so they can leave the venue together seems ridiculous. Ask yourself: would you wait at the changing room (it didn’t even seem like the entrance, mind you) if you are not even officially dating?
Okay, before this reviewer gets shot for being too critical about the romance genre, let him state that the two leads do deliver decent performances. Jannik Schümann plays a dashing young man who also models for a living (another reason for him to appear in a billboard ad wearing only underwear), and is a natural charmer when it comes to connecting with ladies. Luna Wedler is a simple girl who falls in love with him and believe that they have a future together, until a plot development reveals that he may not have long to live.
At this point in time, you may either go “aww, that is a tragedy”, or correctly predict how the movie is going to progress and end. For this writer, it is the latter. The messages about how two people will be there for each other despite the odds, how they can overcome all challenges, and how letting go may be the best option for both parties to be truly happy are supposedly timeless themes which move viewers to tears, but the world probably has enough of such stories to make this German production stand out.
The story is based on the real life experiences of Jessica Koch, who penned the series of events in her debut autobiographical novel “So Near The Horizon”. Flipping through the pages of this book, and imagining how the protagonists are fighting this battle together may be a better way to experience this story. When adapted for the screen, the supposed poignancy doesn’t come through. In fact, the less patient audiences may find it tiresome to sit through the entire 118 minute runtime.
This is no fault of director Tim Trachte, because there have been too many predictable productions of such genre in the market. And without any clever spins or controversial themes, this will probably be forgotten a few months down the road. In fact, the only thing you may remember about the film after its end credits are the good looking main cast.
Movie Rating:
(If you aren't a die-hard fan of the romance genre, this movie is nothing more than a chick flick featuring a good-looking main cast)
Review by John Li
Genre: Adventure
Director: Tom Harper
Cast: Felicity Jones, Eddie Redmayne, Himesh Patel, Phoebe Fox, Tim McInnerny
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Rating: PG (Some Intense Sequences)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: https://www.theaeronauts.movie/
Opening Day: 12 December 2019
Synopsis: In 1862, daredevil balloon pilot Amelia Wren (Academy Award Nominee Felicity Jones) teams up with pioneering meteorologist James Glaisher (Academy Award Winner Eddie Redmayne) to advance human knowledge of the weather and fly higher than anyone in history. While breaking records and furthering scientific discovery, their voyage to the very edge of existence helps the unlikely pair find their place in the world they have left far below them. But they face physical and emotional challenges in the thin air, as the ascent becomes a fight for survival.
Movie Review:
To be honest, the trailer was a little underwhelming. The Aeronauts seemed to pitch the adventure of a lifetime in the air, and with Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones offering captainship, the premise seems promising.
But are a sea of clouds and fluttering butterflies enough to strike wonder in this age? With a travel-savvy crowd and one fed on a diet of epic fantasies, the journey feels it needs a little more gas in its balloon.
Fortunately, Tom Harper has crafted this Amazon film to surprisingly positive effect. I certainly wasn’t expecting my clenched fists at some of the sequences. And that is where The Aeronauts shines best at - in its action portions.
Inspired by the true efforts of meteorologist James Glaisher (Redmayne), the film is a tribute to his efforts in pioneering investigations into the science of weather, through multiple balloon trips into the sky. In the film, Amelia Rennes (Jones) is his flying partner, though in real life, Glaisher never flew with a woman. Rennes was actually heavily based off of Sophie Blanchard - a female aeronaut who was just as flamboyant as the screen persona.
By creating this partnership, I was slightly apprehensive of the inevitable romantic angle - one that I admit is sometimes forcibly inserted to fulfil the Hollywood formula, but thankfully Harper only hints at a budding relationship and keeps it there.
Instead, he focuses his attention at creating a three-fold-story: That of a widow trying to overcome her grief and a gender-stiff society, a visionary scientist attempting to win the respect of his peers, and of course, the balloon trip and the discoveries along the way.
And what a trip it is!
There’s the wondrous - a glory around their balloon shadow, ghostly city sounds floating in the clouds, and our budding pilots happily explain them (just a little shy of exposition). And then there’s the nailbiting - a raging storm that threatons to disaasemble the balloon, and the inescapable threat of frostbite and death at the higher altitudes.
All this is of course, side to the achievements both are trying to accomplish. For Glaiser, it’s the findings that can garner investment into his work, for a better andd safer world (don’t forget, this is 1862). This is so important, that carrier pigeons are sent out every time significant data is collected, in the grim case of death. For Rennes, it’s a personal journey out of the trauma of losing her husband, after their last attempt to be the first man and woman to reach the highest altitude in the air.
These moving stories aside, The Aeronauts features gripping sequences that keeps the pace from going melodramatic, and this works splendidly for myself. Whether whirling through thunderclouds or climbing the side of a balloon with frost-burnt fingers, Harper’s action is dizzying and tense, and keeps The Aeronauts… afloat.
Movie Rating:
(What seems like a personal drama flick in the air is enlivened by some truly arresting sequences. It sits nicely between story and action and worth a watch)
Review by Morgan Awyong
SYNOPSIS: Based on the absurd but true 1973 bank heist and hostage crisis in Stockholm that was documented in the New Yorker as the origins of the 'Stockholm Syndrome'.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Coined by Swedish criminologist Nils Bejerot, The Stockholm Syndrome refers to a condition which causes hostages to develop an alliance and bond with their captors during captivity. And in this silly crime caper written and directed by Robert Budreau (Born to be Blue), it’s a movie that is loosely based on the events of the botched bank robbery which trigger the now infamous term.
Unfortunately, Budreau’s movie never does any justice to the actual event in fact it’s only worth your time because of Ethan Hawke’s perfect wackiness.
Hawke stars as Lars, a seemingly armed cool cat who walks into a bank not to rob the bank but instead demand the authorities to release a prisoner, Gunnar (Mark Strong). In the meantime, he takes bank employees, Bianca (Noomi Rapace) and Klara (Bea Santos) as hostages while the police and Prime Minister tries to manipulate their ways out of Lars’ demands. As time passes, the married Bianca finds herself falling in love with Lars, the charming mysterious stranger.
Stockholm fares liked an indie comedy at times mostly due to Hawke putting on his best charisma to turn a supposedly bad character into someone to root for and waxing lyrical about anything under the sun. Bianca truly is mesmerised and so are we. For a movie about bank robbery, there’s not much of a tension despite the use of gas by the police and a stunt improvised by Lars that nearly went wrong. Even the police look like a group of fumbling amateurs.
Perhaps Robert Budreau has no ambition to pull off a true story from the start. The entire episode feels like a non-event after everything is over. The Stockholm Syndrome is a true story that needs to be told to the younger generation. However, Stockholm simply fails to project any significant messages or making an absurd story comes alive. The hard work goes to Hawke, Rapace, Strong and Christopher Heyerdahl as the Chief of Police. Other than that, it’s too unmemorable to keep us as hostages.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
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GODFREY GAO (高以翔) (1984 - 2019)Posted on 30 Nov 2019 |
Genre: Adventure/Comedy
Director: Jake Kasdan
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Awkwafina, Ser'Darius Blain, Madison Iseman, Danny Glover, Danny DeVito
Runtime: 2 hrs 3 mins
Rating: PG (Some Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: Sony Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 5 December 2019
Synopsis: In Jumanji: The Next Level, the gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own, they discover that nothing is as they expect. The players will have to brave parts unknown and unexplored, from the arid deserts to the snowy mountains, in order to escape the world’s most dangerous game.
Movie Review:
Who would have thought that a game that was originally a board game could have so much possibilities?
Jumanji: The Next Level brings the same team of friends back into the dangerous and unpredictable board-game-turn-video-game adventure, when Spencer, the supposed ringleader, decided to re-enter the game in search of acceptance and belonging due to life issues. Martha, Fridge and Bethany have to re-enter the game to save Spencer from permanent disappearance. A glitch unexpectedly turns the game upside down, as the team are unable to retain their original avatars in the previous round of the game and have to deal with new characters and players along the way in order to come out of the game.
So, most of us would approach this newer addition to the Jumanji series with a bit more caution, as a sequel to a popular series can go either way.
And my biggest fears were met in the beginning, as a lukewarm and shifty start was what welcomed us. With a less than compelling beginning and slightly jaded script, it really felt like the production team was forced into making a sequel for the sake of doing so. It made me wonder if I would be dragged into an extreme long and sluggish journey.
Thankfully, my fears were pushed aside towards the start of the middle of the film, when the ‘real’ adventure begins. From the moment the characters were ‘in their zone’ in the game, things just went uphill and it felt like there was no turning back at all.
For one, this sequel brings in the same humour as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. It seems like the magical formula that had led to the success of the previous film had somehow rubbed onto this film and continued a legacy that can actually get the audience into multiple fits of laughter.
The fact that the storyline revolved around a different set of scenery and evolved into something more suspenseful and mysteriously intriguing was a great change. In fact, it is crazy brilliant how the team were able to create a storyline fitting of a sequel that is fresh and relatable, despite the fact that it was not a continuation of the previous storyline. And the pleasant cinematography helped elevate the thrills and excitement of the action involved.
And even though parts of the film does sound like a slight cliché ala Hollywood style, the injection of the right amount of action and humour makes the viewers forget that the basis of the story is quite silly and ridiculous.
But truly, the greatest asset of this film has to be the cast. The versatility, comedic capabilities and strong charisma of the cast made the film extremely thrilling and enjoyable. Despite a slight set of shortcomings in between scenes, most of the actors did pretty well, with Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black and Kevin Hart coming up tops with their amazing transition through different varying personalities and pushing themselves to the limits with their comedic skills.
In the end, one leaves the cinema with so much joy that they forget their worries and want to get immerse into the game! There is so much that the film could be hated for, but there was not any reason to compel to such a decision. And with a likeable cast, amusing storyline and a great scenery, what is there not to love about “Jumanji”?
Bring us to the next level, any time!
Movie Rating:
An adventurous and thrilling film with enough suspense and humour for all to enjoy, A sequel worth going to the cinema for! (Do watch Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle first prior to this)
Review by Ron Tan
Genre: Musical
Director: Tom Hooper
Cast: James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, Francesca Hayward, Robbie Fairchild, Laurie Davidson, Les Twins, Mette Towley, Steven McRae, Bluey Robinson
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 26 December 2019
Synopsis: Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper (The King's Speech, Les Misérables, The Danish Girl) transforms Andrew Lloyd Webber's record-shattering stage musical into a breakthrough cinematic event. Featuring Lloyd Webber's iconic music, an all-star cast and world-class dancers under the guidance of Tony-winning choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton, In the Heights), the film reimagines the musical for a new generation with spectacular production design, state-of-the-art technology, and dance styles ranging from classical ballet to contemporary, hip-hop to jazz, street dance to tap.
Movie Review:
Les Miserables. Phantom of the Opera. And now, Cats.
What do they have in common? They are original musical productions that has been adapted into films. The success of these three musicals on Broadway have given film producers a reason to market them onto the big screens. Cats is the latest to enter the bandwagon.
And, seriously, what could possibly wrong with Cats? With such strong musical numbers, interesting storyline and stunning choreography, Cats should be able to stun audiences like its musical counterpart had, the latter being one of the world’s longest running musical, with numerous runs in over 30 countries in roughly 15 languages.
Well, sad to say, Cats did not exactly live up to its hyped expectation. And, boy did it go so wrong.
Let’s start from the very thing that made the headlines for the wrong reason. The CGI.
The world was shocked to see a trailer full of human faces on cats’ bodies (rather deformed, I must add), leaving a strange and disturbing outer appearance. One would not be able to decide between using the word ‘revolting’ or ‘creepy’ to describe the grotesque walking crossbreeds.
The film also suffers from a lack of proper direction, as it seems unsure if it wanted to be a full adaptation or a film adaptation of the original musical. While Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera have managed to fully ultilise elements of cinematography and space that is usually limited through theatrical productions, Cats did not push far enough, leaving one feeling that he or she might have watched a recording of the Cats musical with added CGI effects.
This is peculiar, as director Tom Hooper had directed a few award-winning films, including The King’s Speech, The Danish Girl and Les Miserables.
Nonetheless, it did try to use elements of film-making and CGI effects to create scenes that were not entirely possible through the limitations of a physical theatre. Seeing Mr Mistoffelees’ magic, together with Macavity’s mysterious demeanour and other random dancing elements, creates a rather stunning effect that would wow the viewers.
The only possible redeeming factor of this film adaptation of the musical is the music. Cats iconic music score is evident throughout the film and fans of the musicals and those who are new to it cannot escape from the infectious iconic tunes. And we are not just talking about “Memory”.
Each and every cast member seem rightfully selected for their roles and they did well, emulating their cat role to the best of their ability and embracing the character like it was their own, although for most parts, it did feel a little like some of the cast members were selected purely for their ability to sing and dance only.
The biggest highlight, of course, would be Jennifer Hudson’s portrayal of Grizabella, the Glamour Cat that we all know who gave us “Memory” (everyone knows Cats for this song). Her rendition of this well-known classic reminds one of her soulful rendition of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” in Dreamgirls, evoking the same strange sense of immerse emotions from the latter film.
Sadly, even Jennifer’s soulful voice, along with James Corden’s and Rebel Wilson’s class humour, Judi Dench’s and Ian McKellen’s acting experience and Jason Derulo’s and Taylor Swift’s youthful performances, could not save this classic from falling from grace.
Overall, Cats feels like that one funny customer who cannot decide between having hot chocolate and black coffee for the morning and decides to have them both together, creating a nasty concoction that is bitter but sweet at the same time. And eventually maybe you will get used to it, but maybe not eventually. It is a little sad that Cats went down this line.
Eventually, this Jellicle Ball does not seem too fun, after all and the past balls will only be memories for us to hold on to.
Movie Rating:
(A real pain for generations to come. Even hardcore fans may not fancy this offering. You might want to watch this film after having half a bottle of wine. Or save your money for the actual musical performance. Or maybe get future producers to use animated cats instead)
Review by Ron Tan
Genre: Drama
Director: Gavin Hood
Cast: Keira Knightley, Matt Smith, Matthew Goode, Ralph Fiennes
Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 26 December 2019
Synopsis: From the Oscar winning director of EYE IN THE SKY comes the untold true story of one woman’s fight for truth. 2003. As politicians in Britain and the US angle to invade Iraq, GCHQ translator Katharine Gun (Keira Knightley) leaks a classified e-mail that urges spying on members of the UN Security Council to force through the resolution to go to war. Charged with breaking the Official Secrets Act, and facing imprisonment, Katharine and her lawyers set out to defend her actions. With her life, liberty and marriage threatened, she must stand up for what she believes in…
Movie Review:
By now, it should be clear that former United States President George W. Bush’s war on Iraq on the premise that its dictator Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction was no more than a farce. But back in 2003, both Bush and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair had led a full-fledged PR offensive to make the world believe that Saddam was an imminent threat, in order to gain legitimacy for declaring war. In fact, the US went as far as to ask for incriminating personal details in the lives of UN representatives from small countries to blackmail them into voting for a UN resolution on Iraq, and had sought the same from its UK counterparts.
Co-written and directed by Gavin Hood, ‘Official Secrets’ is based on the true case of Katharine Gun, a translator working for the British security services at the GCHQ surveillance unit in Cheltenham, who received a memo asking for her to surface such details. Horrified at the unethical nature of the act she was asked to be complicit in, Katharine printed out the email, passed it onto a friend on the anti-war movement, and the correspondence eventually found its way to a reporter for the London Observer, forming the basis of a sensational front-page scoop which roiled the nation and caused Blair his re-election the following year.
The title is reference to the Official Secrets Act, under which Katharine was prosecuted. How that trial proceeded is public knowledge, but knowing the outcome of Katharine’s ordeal in no way diminishes the power of this earnest but powerful retelling. While not a character study per se, Hood maintains an intimate focus on the psychological ordeal which Katharine endured – not just in her agonising over if to keep quiet, but also in the days after the news broke when she had to decide whether to confess that she was the one who leaked the memo, as well as the aftermath of her eventual decision to step forward and own up.
It isn’t just her own professional life that was upended, but also her personal life, especially her marriage with her Kurdish-Turk husband Yasar (Adam Bakri). On one hand, the authorities threaten Yasar with deportation; and on the other, Yasar cannot quite understand why she would threaten both their freedoms, not least because of the acts of genocide which Saddam had committed against his own people back home. Amidst these repercussions, Knightley channels her innate steeliness and presence to give a riveting portrait of a courageous ordinary citizen whose actions were driven by her strong conviction of right versus wrong.
The movie doesn’t belong to her and her character alone though; indeed, Hood also brings into focus the workings behind the Observer, especially how the dogged reporter Martin Bright (Matt Smith) pursued the story despite the pro-war position which the newspaper had taken. Watching the arguments Bright and his newsroom colleagues had with one another (including an unrecognisable Matthew Goode and a screamingly over-the-top Rhys Ifans) is fascinating in itself, not least because it demonstrates the motivations of journalists, which are sometimes pure and sometime not quite so much.
The last act also introduces the human rights lawyer Ben Emmerson (Ralph Fiennes), whose law firm Katharine had approached to defend her as suggested by her police-appointed solicitor. Fiennes is always a delight to watch, and his scenes here with Knightley are a highlight, especially as he strategises putting the very Iraq War on trial to get the British Government to come clean about its own position on the legality of the War and whether it was working in collusion with the Bush administration to mislead public opinion. Unlike say the hysterics at the newsroom, their scenes have a casual but immense power about them, thanks too to the chemistry of both actors.
Like his previous ‘Eye in the Sky’, Hood knows his way around a political thriller with ethical dimensions, and ‘Official Secrets’ commands your attention even though it moves at the pace of a slow-burner at the start. Still, we’d recommend you not to Google about Katharine before you watch the movie if you don’t already know her, and let the movie tell her story. As far as we can tell, it’s been told with the utmost respect for authenticity, and it is to Hood’s credit that he doesn’t oversell Katharine’s courage. It is many things at once – a spy drama, a newspaper saga, and most significantly, a modern-day whistleblowing story – but a shrewd and timely reminder whichever way of moral heroism.
Movie Rating:
(Understated yet riveting at the same time, this slow-burn drama of a British whistleblower has Keira Knightley in one of her strongest performances)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Crime/Drama
Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Paul Walter Hauser, Kathy Bates, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Jon Hamm, Mike Phiewski
Runtime: 2 hrs 11 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website:
Opening Day: 9 January 2020
Synopsis: American security guard, Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser), heroically saves thousands of lives from an exploding bomb at the 1996 Olympics, but is unjustly vilified by journalists and the press who falsely report that he was a terrorist.
Movie Review:
Just like the additional “L” at the end of his surname, Richard Jewell is similarly excessive in so many ways. The man-boy exhibits a strong desire in policing, has an unwavering (if naive) unimpeachable image of law enforcement, and fiercely protects the innocent. The zealousness in which he shows this, sadly becomes the reason for a bitter twist of fate.
Richard Jewell is based on the true story of a brave, if simple, man, who in his desire to save the lives of others at a bomb site, is made scapegoat by the media and very law enforcers he worships. This hero-to-zero case study highlights how different agendas can warp the truth, and have a disastrous impact on lives.
In 1996, at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, Richard (Paul Walter Hauser), who was performing security guard duties, discovered a suspicious backpack under a bench in Centennial Park. With a full concert in swing and the festivities, Richard pushed past the complacency of his colleagues, and got the package verified by a bomb squad as a legit pipe bomb. Even though it still went off and claimed casualties, Richard’s alertness saved many others.
Celebrating his heroic act, the media went to town, and offers came fast and furious. That is, until a previous employer alerted the investigating officers from the FBI, agents Shaw (Jon Hamm) and Walker (Mike Phiewski) about some of Richard’s past transgressions, including harassing students and pretending to be a traffic officer to pull over vehicles on the highway.
Suddenly, he becomes a prime suspect, spun to be the fame-hungry terrorist who pretends to be the hero. And did the media lap it up. What they say about the rise and fall couldn’t have been truer for Richard, and in a last attempt to save the situation, he calls upon an old lawyer friend to help him.
Sam Rockwell plays Watson Bryant, a roguish attorney with a heart of gold - the only one who didn’t treat Richard with condescension. The feisty guy is no-nonsense but effective, and Rockwell demonstrates all his charm as this incredible character.
Clint Eastwood is an old hand at directing such riveting human drama, and Richard Jewell is no different as a project full of heart. That said, there are characters within the story that take things to extremes, and just might rub people off the wrong way.
Hamm and Phiewski are flat out unlikable, and odd in their steadfast persecution. There’s not much reason behind this past the fact that Eastwood wants to really drive the message of relooking at authority into his audience. This is made worse by Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde), the hungry journalist who stops at nothing to get her breakthrough story - including sleeping with agent Shaw for the tip-off. If this old-school cliche doesn’t get you up in arms, the feminists will certainly cry for blood.
Fortunately, Hauser and Rockwell gives us stunning performances as the maligned and his defender. Hauser’s commitment to the title character is extremely watchable, and especially satisfying when he arrives at personal awakenings. Rockwell’s performance is rich and compelling, and any scene with him in it is always a standout. Kathy Bates supports this duo with her role as Jewell’s mother, helping to soften the proceedings with some needed vulnerability.
Richard Jewell’s story is an incredible tale to follow, and led by mostly stellar performances, keeps Eastwood in good stead as an adept storyteller of those disfranchised by society.
Movie Rating:
(Compelling performances by Hauser as the lead and Rockwell as his attorney bonds this film and gives it great depth. The striking storyline is a bonus)
Review by Morgan Awyong
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