Genre: Horror
Director: Justin Dix
Cast: Robert Taylor, Alyssa Sutherland, Nathan Phillips
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Violence and Horror)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 29 October 2020
Synopsis: Somewhere in the North Atlantic, late 1945. A life raft adrift at sea, and in it, the survivors of a torpedoed hospital ship. With no food, water, or shelter, all seems lost - until an abandoned German minesweeper drifts ominously towards them, giving them one last chance at survival.
Movie Review:
You should probably not expect a film with a title such as this to be high art; and true enough, ‘Blood Vessel’ is exactly the sort of old-school B-horror you ought to be looking out for.
The premise is as attractively silly as it should be – a group of castaways on a lifeboat (whose medical ship they were on had been bombed by the Nazis) board a seemingly desolate German minesweeper, and soon find that the ship has been overtaken by a family of ancient vampires (or ‘strigoi’) who have devoured the Nazi crew.
True to its B-horror nature, the film draws you in with a creepy and claustrophobic setting. Much of the first hour is spent exploring the confines of the ship, where the group finds the charred remains of several Germans after being doused in gasoline and set on fire before stumbling upon a little girl named Mya (Ruby Isobel Hall).
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that Mya is a ‘strigoi’, not least when the only former crew member who is still human freaks out when he sees her. Alas, it will take a while before that dawns on our ragtag group of survivors, definitely not before some of them get shot in a closed-quarter shootout involving the aforementioned German sailor.
To say more would be spoiling the surprise for those intrigued enough to want to catch it; indeed, you’re best off letting the movie slowly unveil its secrets. Suffice to say though that it does evolve from a haunted house to a creature feature in the second half of the movie, especially once the rest of the ‘strigoi’ on board the ship are revealed in their full glory.
Director and co-writer Justin Dix makes the best use of what was clearly a limited budget in these later scenes, ratcheting the tension and action in confident and contained ways. His background in special effects and model-making (fun fact: the ‘Wicked of Oz’ production studio behind his movie was founded by him) certainly comes in handy here, and there are some nicely gruesome bits towards the end which will satisfy those looking for their ‘vampire’ movies to come with splatter.
To his credit too, Dix and his fellow screenwriter Jordan Prosser build just enough investment in the roster of characters to keep us invested. Among them, there is the Russian sniper Alexander (Alex Cooke), the medic Jane (Alyssa Sutherland), self-interested Englishman codebreaker Gerard (John Lloyd Fillingham) and Aussie digger Nathan (Nathan Phillips); in particular, you’ll enjoy the solid performances by Cooke and Phillips, especially towards the end when they team up to end the ‘strigoi’ once and for all.
Neither the movie itself or we are pretending that ‘Blood Vessel’ is anything more than B-grade shlock, but within that template, it does many things right – including strong atmosphere, pacing and old-school 1980s feel. Kudos to Dix for an assured effort in his sophomore feature film, and if you approach it with just the right attitude, you’ll find this Halloween-timed release a enjoyably cheesy viewing with popcorn and drinks..
Movie Rating:
(If you get the title, you should know what this B- but solidly made horror feature aims to - and succeeds in - delivering)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Drama
Director: Jack Neo
Cast: Mark Lee, Richie Koh, Danny Lee, Meixin Macy, Henry Thia, Wang Lei, Yap Hui Xin, Regina Lin, Suhaimi Yusof, Silvarajoo Prakasam
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: MM2 Entertainment, J Team, Cathay Cineplexes, Golden Village Pictures & Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 26 November 2020
Synopsis: “THE DIAM DIAM ERA" begins from 1979, spanning over a decade through the end of 1980s. Through the experiences and tribulations of the 2nd Generation of Zhao Di’s and Ah Kun’s family, the audiences will walk through the same great changes in Singapore's environment and lives that the characters went through. The film focuses on Ah Kun’s son Yong Xin and Zhao Di’s son Shun Fa. It explores the attitudes, life views and differences between the young generation, their different reactions and treatment of policies implemented in Nation Building from the founding of Singapore to the present, modern developed country.
Movie Review:
Jack Neo’s continuation of his ‘Long Long Time Ago’ series sees him at probably his most political in years. Whereas the first two movies took a rose-tinted view of kampung life and was content to be unabashed yet undoubtedly effective melodrama, this first of a new two-part series sees Neo take on the then-Government’s controversial policy of installing English as the lingua franca in the education system, leading to the perceived erasure of Chinese-ness which led to much consternation especially among the more mature members of the Chinese community.
It is not an easy subject to tackle, and as we feared, Neo may not be the best filmmaker to deal with such a nuanced topic. Indeed, Neo uses his characters as mouthpieces for his own criticisms – including a secondary school Maths teacher who laments how he is handicapped by the change in language of instruction; a Chinese-educated schoolboy who is mocked by his schoolmates and subsequently army mates for being a ‘Chinese helicopter’; and even the ‘merger’ of Nanyang University with the University of Singapore to form what is today’s National University of Singapore.
Not surprisingly, these criticisms are presented as diatribes, and Neo hardly cares to present a balanced view. These are not the only gripes he has with the Government of the day; others which Neo feels ripe for the picking include the ‘restricted zone’ coupon policy, which predated the Electronic Road Pricing system in managing daily traffic into the Central Business District area, and the bureaucratic manner in which Government departments handled parking violations. We’re not sure what pissed Neo off in the 1980s, but he sure has his grievances.
So much so that the last act of the film takes a literally political turn when the disgruntled Ah Kun (Mark Lee) decides to join the opposition in an attempt to change the Government policies of the day; that decision not only leads to a blunt but funny encounter with a fictional English-speaking opposition leader played by Wang Lei, but also coffee shop sessions with his Malay and Indian kampung friends (played by Suhaimi Yusof and Silvarajoo Prakasam respectively) which lead to the formation of the multi-racial (ahem) CMI party. That’s typical Jack Neo for you.
Like many, if not most, of Neo’s films, ‘The Diam Diam Era’ suffers from an all-too episodic structure. The tension between the late Zhao Di’s son Shun Fa (Ritchie Koh) and Ah Kun’s son Yong Xin (Danny Lee) is largely the focus of the first two acts, the latter regarded as a star student in school due to his grades and other non-academic awards whereas the former relegated to a recalcitrant ‘ah beng’ who picks fights and fails in school. Yet there are pointless subplots, including Shun Fa’s illegal door-to-door video rental business which he starts with his Hong Kong-born army mate, and his budding romance with a pretty folk singer (played by former K-pop star Tasha Low); most egregious is an utterly cringe-worthy cryfest after Shun Fa’s youngest sister gets taken advantage of by her do-no-gooder boyfriend that even brings out Aileen Tan for a cameo in order to assuage the eldest Su Ting (Macy Meixin) for doing her best to take care of her siblings.
As with most Neo films, the best parts are the ones with Lee. Although there is little likeable about his brash and obnoxious character Ah Kun, Lee’s over-the-top acting coupled with his unparalleled ability for Hokkien wordplay is absolutely hilarious to watch. Everything – and shall we say, everyone – else pales in comparison, whether Koh’s wimpy turn as Shun Fa that is more ingratiating than endearing or Lee’s flimsy performance not helped by the incongruity between his command of English and that which the role demands. More so than either of the earlier two films, this one feels choppy, with the sum of the uneven parts amounting to much less than the whole.
Neo has never been a filmmaker of subtlety, and whereas that may work fine, even perfectly, for big bawling melodrama, it is hardly what is needed for a finer appreciation of a sensitive moment in Singapore’s history. His boldness at opening cultural wounds that have healed only over time is commendable, but his technique leaves much to be desired. And so, as ironic as it may seem, ‘The Diam Diam Era’ would be much better suited if Neo had taken a more introspective and certainly a less shrill voice to channel his own personal gripes. Yes, sometimes it helps if we ‘diam diam’ a bit.
Movie Rating:
(Shrill, unsubtle and even ingratiating, this first-parter of the continuation of Jack Neo's nostalgic 'Long Long Time Ago' series finds him at his most political, and definitely not at his best)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: War/Action
Director: Michael Matthew Carnahan
Cast: Waleed Elgadi, Hayat Kamille, Ben Affan, Suhail Dabbach, Adam Bessa, Is'haq Elias
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence)
Released By: Lighthouse Film
Official Website:
Opening Day: 19 November 2020
Synopsis: When ISIS took their homes, families and city, one group ofmen fought to take it all back. Based on true events, this is the story of the Ninevah SWAT team, a renegade police unit who waged a guerrilla operation against ISIS in a desperate struggle to save their home city of Mosul.
Movie Review:
Instead of having the typical white Americans saving the world, Mosul tells the story of a group of brave Iraqis trying to take back the place they once called home in this action thriller written and directed by Matthew Michael Carnahan (writer of World War Z, State of Play, The Kingdom).
Although shot in Morocco, Hollywood’s favourite stand-in place for the Middle East, the story is set in Mosul, Iraq. Once a thriving metropolis, Mosul is now in a war-torn state controlled and destroyed by ISIS (named as Daesh in Arabic) invaders. A small Nineveh SWAT team led by Major Jasem (Iraqi actor Suhail Dabbach) is out to drive or specifically kill the Islamic fighters who are bent on destroying everything along their way.
When a young police officer, Kawa (Adam Bessa) managed to survive a shootout with the ISIS which took the life of his uncle, Kawa is offered the chance to join the SWAT team by Jasem. Being the latest recruit, Kawa is curious as to what mission they are taking upon next. But no one in the team seems interested to make any small talk with Kawa perhaps the team is worried that he might be an ISIS infiltrator after all.
Is Kawa a traitor in the end or is Major Jasem planning some major mysterious secret mission behind? Mosul doesn’t really have a clear cut storyline but Matthew Michael Carnahan manages to deliver a hard-hitting movie via a series of carnage-filled action sequences and mostly through the perspective of newbie Kawa. The action is often harrowing, highly realistic and best of all, there’s no shaky-cam in sight.
The SWAT team only takes men who experienced death in their respective families and Kawa happened to meet their criteria. Throughout their journey, Kawa learnt that their team never offers any mercy to the fallen enemies. It’s either silting their throats or letting them suffer a terrible death. Even then, Kawa couldn’t bring himself to take a selfie with the deceased. While Major Jasem might seems liked the no-nonsense commander, he cares for his fellow teammates as much as he cares for the place he was born and raised in. In a much later scene, we see Jasem trying his best to get two orphaned young brothers to safety.
Besides Kawa and Jasem, another memorable character belonged to Waleed (Jordanian actor Is’haq Elias). The sometimes quick-tempered, impulsiveness teammate whose constant secret conversations with Jasem is finally unveiled in the finale. However, Carnahan never glorifies the team’s killings nor state the true intention of his movie. All the while, the story is never about honour, it’s more about survival and slowly building Mosul to its original state.
Produced by the Russo brothers and shot entirely in Arabic, Mosul fares like a typical war movie set in the Middle East except this time, we are seeing it from the other perspective. Comparing to Carnahan’s previous written works, this one is less political-inclined. It’s generally an American movie led by a group of mostly competent Arabic cast with an anti-war theme.
Movie Rating:
(A competent well-made war movie with a somewhat subdued message)
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Comedy
Director: Kim Bong-han
Cast: Kwak Do-won, Kim Sang-ho, Kim Dae-myung, Kim Hie-won
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some VIolence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 22 October 2020
Synopsis: A laid-back countryside detective Byung-soo (Kwak Do-won) takes his family to the Philippines for his 10th wedding anniversary. In fact, his hidden agenda is to track down his old friend Yong-bae (Kim Sang-ho) who scammed him and got away a few years ago. In Manila, Byung-soo finds Yong-bae in prison for murder, and hears about the case surrounding ‘Yamashita’s Gold’. Swayed by a share of the Gold that Yong-bae offers, Byung-soo suddenly becomes embroiled in the case.
Movie Review:
It’s always exciting to know that you are travelling to a country far away. For example, for most of us in Singapore, the thought of travelling to the United States or Europe is usually more appealing that taking a holiday in, well, say, somewhere in Southeast Asia. Similarly, it must be quite a treat for the characters in this Korean movie to travel to the Philippines.
The protagonist is a police officer in South Korea’s countryside. His family has never taken a vacation abroad, so he takes them on a holiday to the Philippineson his 10th wedding anniversary. To be honest, the Philippinesisn’t the first country most of us would prioritise for a holiday. Turns out that the cop has a hidden agenda of tracking down an old friend who scammed him a few years ago. Things become more exciting when he gets involved in a murder in Manilaand has to investigate his own case with the help of a tourist guide. When things evolve further, he discovers his friend is in prison and the three Korean men go on a cat and mouse mission to get themselves out of trouble.
Kwak Do Won (Steel Rain 2: Summit), Kim Sang Ho (The Negotiation) and Kim Dae Myung (The Drug King) are fine actors of their generation, and while they aren’t good lookers that female audiences will swoon over, these uncles have a charm that hold the 106 minute movie together. Considered veterans in the Korean film industry, the three leads have good chemistry with each other, and they effortlessly deliver their roles. Kwak plays a man whose holiday goes bonkers but still has to do hustle with the bad guys to protect his family. Kim (Sang Ho) oozes a shady persona that makes him the perfect candidate to portray a friend whom you aren’t sure about trusting. Kim (Dae Myung) is the one who brings the trio together.
Filmed on location in the Philippines, viewers from the region will be find the sights and sounds familiar: fro the street traffic and crowds, to the heat and sweat. Depending on your tolerance on stereotyping country cultures in media, you may even chuckle at the sequences involving pickpockets and corrupt officials.
Running at slightly less than two hours, the movie offers a little of everything in terms of genre. There are some bits of comedy (which is inevitable when three uncles are put together), some bits of drama (you can expect some hurt feelings when a friend betrays your trust), and some bits of action (a pre requisite when crime is involved). While the tone of the movie seems uneven at times, it is engaging enough to keep you adequately entertained. Even if the story progresses in an increasingly illogical manner, you disregard that aspect and continue on this escapist mode of entertainment.
Movie Rating:
(While the action comedy doesn't deliver anything spectacular, it is agreeable and entertaining enough for you to kill two hours in the cinema)
Review by John Li
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Director: Lee Jong Pil
Cast: Ko Ah Sung, E Som, Park Hye Soo, Cho Hyun-chul, Kim Jong-soo, Kim Won-hae
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Clover Films and Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 12 November 2020
Synopsis: In mid '90s when sexual and academic discriminations were rampant, 3 young female office workers, Ja-young, Yu-nah, Bo-ram, are shunned by their company and are only given insignificant chores due to the fact that they only have high school diplomas. When a company-wide memo goes around announcing that obtaining 600 score in TOEIC could earn them a promotion, the trio and other high school grad female office workers enroll in English classes in hope of thought of finally advancing their careers. One day, Ja-young is sent to a factory in the country on an errand and by chance witnesses its waste water being poured into the river. She's convinced that the company is into shady dealings, and together with her 2 friends, they go on a hunt to find irrefutable evidence but they're on the verge of getting fired by the company trying to cover up the corruption. When the rumor of the trio's renegade action goes around, they are completely shunned by everyone there. But the female workers from the English class combine forces to push this case into a new chapter.
Movie Review:
The title seems to suggest a language-centric comedy, but Samjin Company English Class holds a lot more sass in class than playing up botched English deliveries. There’s a great deal of messaging here, from hierarchical ceilings to gender discrimination, but most of all, that doing the right thing might be tough, but always worth it in the end. It’s the classic David versus Goliath, where three talented ladies who are trapped in roles as mere office assistants, eventually become key drivers against an unethical corporate scheme.
Taking place in the mid-90s when South Korea has just opened up to the global market, the tone of the film is refreshingly different from the many that portray the country in all its current glamorous glory. Here is a country that’s still dated, hungry for recognition, yet under the hands of expert art direction, becomes more of something that’s nostalgically stylish and bursting with potential.
And it seems to be the case for Ja-young (Ko A-sung), who is ambitious and optimistic - certainly a worthy candidate with her incredible proficiency in handling office matters. But instead, she and her friends Yu-nah (E Som) and Bo-ram (Park Hye-soo), are trapped in their roles as fledgling office runts because globalisation has imposed every staff to obtain a 600 score in TOEIC to move up in their career path.
Ja-young takes this in her stride. Yu-nah, the more cynical of the three, thinks it just a scheme to lock them in trivial roles. She chooses to display her ideas through a staff, but never gets the credit for them. Bo-ram is a Math Olympiad, but prefers to keep a low profile by serving as a junior accountant in the firm.
The film would have stayed pretty one-note if this was just about them plotting their way up the rungs, but instead, a discovery of unethical discharge from one of their company’s factories sets the trio off on a hunt to trace down the culprits. The story then begins to weave between the topics of discrimination and power play, and throws up the questions about job ethics, personal morality, and tough career decisions. It’s all been done before, but somehow, when fleshed out in this premise, stays engaging.
Director Lee Jong-pil deserves credit for balancing so many threads in this film. He manages to keep the complex plot without confusing the audience, and as the story goes beyond the three and involves a massive ensemble, Lee achieves cohesion still through his characterisations. It’s impressive because there are at least 15 characters who play a significant part of the story-telling.
But credit also goes to the actresses. Each of them are almost cliches, but there’s an earnesty that comes from them that makes you buy in to their motivations. And because the script in itself has so much fun, accompanied with visual gags that feel spontaneous and random, Samjin Company English Class certainly deserves an A for effort.
Movie Rating:
(A serious coverup plot based on a true story gets a light-hearted treatment in this refreshing comedy)
Review by Morgan Awyong
SYNOPSIS: Sloane (Emma Roberts) and Jackson (Luke Bracey) hate the holidays. They constantly find themselves single, sitting at the kids table, or stuck with awkward dates. But when these two strangers meet during one particularly bad Christmas, they make a pact to be each other’s “holidate” for every festive occasion throughout the next year. With a mutual disdain for the holidays, and assuring themselves that they have no romantic interest in the other, they become each other's perfect plus-one which leads to some hilarious and provocative hijinks. However, as a year of absurd celebrations come to an end, Sloane and Jackson find that sharing everything they hate may just prove to be something they unexpectedly love.
MOVIE REVIEW:
I guess I can vaguely recall a mention of hand-job and a joke about clitoris. Anything else is just cliché and rom- com magic. That kind of magic dust that sprinkled on a couple who bickers a lot but ended up together after a prolonged speech at a mall kind.
Emma Roberts (America Horror Story), niece of Julia stars as Sloane, a singleton who can’t seem to move on after her dashing ex ditched her for a much younger girl. To pacify her mom and siblings during the holidays, Sloan decides to hook up with a guy, Jackson for what she termed as holidate. If you closed your eyes, you will assume Jackson is played by Chris Hemsworth. Open your eyes and you will realised fellow Australian Luke Bracey (Hacksaw Ridge) does resemblances Hemsworth. Fortunately, Bracey has lots of sizzling chemistry with Roberts which makes the rom-com way easier on the eyes.
Holidate aspires to be more than an average rom-com but the novelty quickly fade away after the nth holiday get together and repetitive squabble. This is especially obvious with Roberts’ character making fun of every rom-com cliché out there and in less than a minute, she is shown doing the exact of what she said. Does it makes the movie any smarter or wittier? We really doubt so.
The fact that it is painfully unfunny is hard to swallow consider it comes from a female screenwriter Tiffany Paulsen. And you probably thought it works better from a woman’s perspective when the movie has a heartfelt message about stop being in denial, start believing in yourself and move on. The overall plot in other words is problematic and ironic when the audiences end up rooting for the poor guy in the end.
Doing their best to liven up the movie are the set decorators, carpenters and art department since producer McG (Charlie’s Angels) must have make sure everything has to look great onscreen. It’s actually quite a festive movie with plenty of lush pretty set decorations that goes into it. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, you name it, Holidate has it.
Hollywood romantic comedies have been steadily on the decline for years. Nowadays, there’s hardly one that matches the 90’s classics liked Sleepless in Seattle and of course, Julia Robert’s Pretty Woman. There’s not even a catchy soundtrack to accompany the title to be brutally honest. Holidate by far is yet another half-baked raunchy, glossy looking, extremely uninspired rom-com of the day.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Drama
Director: Chaitanya Tamhane
Cast: Aditya Modak, Dr. Arun Dravid, Sumitra Bhave, Deepika Bhide Bhagwat, Kiran Yadnyopavit, Abhishek Kale, Neela Khedkar, Makarand Mukund, Kristy Banerjee, Prasad Vanarse
Runtime: 2 hrs 8 mins
Rating: M18 (Some Sexual Content)
Released By: Lighthouse Film
Official Website:
Opening Day: 3 December 2020 Exclusively at The Projector
Synopsis: Sharad Nerulkar has devoted himself to becoming an Indian classical vocalist, a lifelong quest in which few succeed. Initiated into this centuries-old tradition by his father, he follows his dream with sincerity and discipline, committing himself entirely to his artistic journey. As he strives to attain the highest level of his craft, Sharad traces his way through the hallowed mysteries and rituals of past musical legends. But as the years pass, Sharad will be forced to negotiate between the complex realities of life in contemporary Mumbai and his chosen path, leading him to find his true voice in music and in life.
Movie Review:
Focus, practise hard and you will be able to excel. That seems to the formula to success. We have seen enough feel good movies that put protagonists through a series of trials and tribulations, but thanks to countless hours of blood, sweat and tears, they emerge victorious. Alas, while such stories give people a dosage of much needed hope, the real world often doesn’t work like that. And this deeply honest film written and directed by Chaitanya Tamhane is a reflection of how artists struggle to find their form.
When we first meet Sharad, he is a fine looking young man who diligently follows the traditions and disciplines of his guru so he can become a successful Indian classical music vocalist like the old masters before him. He listens to audio tapes of the guru who taught his own mentor, as she talks about the philosophy of what is needed to master the art. As she gives stern advice about forgetting the audience and fully immersing oneself in the music, the world around Sharad slows down.
We also see Sharad struggle with his guru’s somewhat dissatisfaction with his performance, the dynamics with his family, as well as his own sexual repression. He isn’t exactly the happiest person in town, but driven by his determination to excel, he pushes on.
The film takes its time to unfold. As the 127 minute film progresses, we see Sharad become an adult (complete with weight gain and an accompanying belly), get a job in a school teaching Indian classical music, grapple with the fact that younger musicians are getting the limelight on TV by entering singing competitions, while he checks out unkind reviews of his performances on social media. The world has obviously sped past this man who continues to believe that Indian classical music should be untainted in its truest form.
This is the first Indian film since Monsoon Wedding (2001) to compete at the Venice International Film Festival. At the festival held in September this year, the film took home the FIP
Using Indian classical music as the centrepiece of the film adds a touch of serenity, and it is nicely contrasted with scenes featuring Facebook posts, YouTube videos and radio friendly tunes blasted on TV. First time actor Aditya Modak plays Sharad, and delivers an almost heartbreaking performance as an individual who discovers that his passion for music is reliant on many factors other than talent. Veteran vocalist Arun Dravid portrays Sharad’s guru, and the singer does a fine job capturing the spirit of the classical art form.
The film’s last scene is one of the best story conclusions we’ve seen. The poignant sequence will leave you reflecting on the dreams you once had, and whether it is possible to slow down amidst the hustles and bustles, just to take stock of your own life.
Movie Rating:
(Executive produced by Alfonso Cuaron, Chaitanya Tamhane’s film is a quiet and poignant character study that speaks volumes)
Review by John Li
Genre: Thriller/Horror
Director: Stanislav Kapralov
Cast: Ivanna Sakhno, Alex Hafner, Tinatin Dalakishvili
Runtime: 1 hr 27 mins
Rating: PG13
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 5 November 2020
Synopsis: Separated from her fiancé after sneaking onto a restricted slope, Mia, a free riding snowboarder, must survive not only against nature, but the masked snowmobile rider in black who’s out for her blood.
Movie Review:
At just 87 minutes, you would expect a thriller like ‘Let It Snow’ to be tight and fast-paced. Alas, this effort from Ukrainian director Stanislav Kapralov fails to be either, leaving you wanting for its entire duration for something more exciting.
The premise is simple – separated from her fiancé Max (Alex Hafner) after sneaking onto a restricted slope, a free-riding snowboarder Mia (Ivanna Sakhno) must survive against nature as well as a masked snowmobile rider in black out for her blood. Indeed, it is a survivalist thriller with a female protagonist at its centre, but what follows is unexpectedly dull.
Neither Kapralov or his co-writer Omri Rose fail to grasp what it takes to build a compelling lead, squandering the first act with unnecessarily extended scenes of Mia and Max spending intimate time with each other; worse still, the later two acts are punctuated with numerous flashback scenes of essentially the same takeaway, i.e. that they were on the verge of getting married and had hoped to have kids together someday.
For another, neither Kapralov or Rose understand how to build meaningful suspense in the narrative. Than build a tense cat-and-mouse chase around the magnificent snow-capped slopes of the Georgian mountains, they have the killer disappear inexplicably for large stretches of the movie, prompting us to wonder if he is in fact interested in getting her or not. That unfortunately leaves too much time with extended sequences of a frostbitten Mia trudging through thick snow, without much to do except look weak and helpless.
As much as Sakhno tries to garner interest and empathy for Mia’s predicament, there is only so much she can muster with a thinly written character and storyline. Without giving anything away for those still willing to brave one and a half hours in the snow, let’s just say the post end-credits twist should in fact have been part of the main story in the first place, in order to move the plotting forward.
And then there is the killer himself, who is given some backstory about loss, grief and vengeance. As intriguing as that may be, it doesn’t build to anything substantial during the course of the movie, and ironically only becomes interesting with the post end-credits twist that we said earlier should have been incorporated into the movie. There is little real menace here, which only makes the proceedings even more of a trudge.
All in all, ‘Let It Snow’ is a culmination of missed opportunities through and through. There is real promise for this to be a tense and exciting hunter-and-hunted thriller, but that potential never ever materialises itself. Unless you think you’ll get some visceral pleasure out of seeing the beautiful on-location scenery for that winter holiday you won’t be able to go this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, you’re better off letting this one slide you by.
Movie Rating:
(Slow, plodding and dull, this Ukrainian thriller squanders a promising female survivalist premise with a story that goes nowhere)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Drama
Director: Ciro Guerra
Cast: Mark Rylance, Johnny Depp, Robert Pattinson, Gana Bayarsaikhan, Greta Scacchi, David Dencik, Sam Reid, Harry Melling
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Nudity and Disturbing Scenes)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 5 November 2020
Synopsis: The MAGISTRATE (Mark Rylance), administrator of an isolated frontier settlement on the border of an unnamed empire, looks forward to an easy retirement until the arrival of COLONEL JOLL (Johnny Depp), whose task it is to report on the activities of the ‘barbarians’ and on the security situation on the border. JOLL and his officer (Robert Pattinson) conduct a series of ruthless interrogations. The treatment of the ‘barbarians’ at the hands of the Colonel and the torture of a young ‘barbarian’ woman combine to lead the Magistrate to a crisis of conscience and a quixotic act of rebellion.
Movie Review:
Waiting for the Barbarians is the kind of artsy movie that runs treacherously long and slow that even if you cut out half of the movie, you will still not miss out anything or worse, gets what the movie is trying to tell you.
Featuring a star-studded cast that includes one of Steven Spielberg’s frequent collaborators, Mark Rylance in the leading role, Johnny Depp, Robert Pattinson and Harry Melling from the Harry Potter franchise. Waiting for the Barbarians tells the story of a benevolent Magistrate (Rylance) who runs an outpost out on the frontiers. When a swanky looking Colonel Joll (Depp) turned up to investigate suspected cases of uprising, the Magistrate finds himself disgusted by the ways Joll conducts his so-called investigations and accusations against the local tribes.
Joll is very much a torturer in the same vein as his lackey, Officer Mandel (Pattinson) who turned up halfway into the movie. Together with Joll, Mandel decides to torture the Magistrate upon learning he has helped freed and return a native to her home. A while later, Joll departs with a force to confront the so-called barbarians while Mandel stays put. Although we never really see Joll in action, we can only assume Joll very much underestimate the power of his “enemies” when he returned to the outpost very much shaken and disheveled.
Waiting for the Barbarians is a prestige project helming from Columbian filmmaker Ciro Guerra and the source material from an acclaimed book by South Africa writer J.M. Coetzee who also wrote the screenplay himself. From these two reasons alone, we believe why so many big names actors flocked to this literary adaptation. Bear in mind, it’s also a laborious movie where everyone speaks in hushed, measured tones against lavish backdrops shot in Italy and Morocco courtesy of cinematographer Chris Menges.
Despite all the accolades, the motion picture is brimming with nothing but empty arthouse touches. It desperately wants to showcase the ugliness of colonial mentalities in the unnamed empire presumably the British probably. Yet the end product just comes across as pretentious and boring. The Magistrate is a character played beautifully by Mark Rylance though some of the actions carried out by the character just seems dubious. Imagine him nursing the wound of a native till he falls asleep at her feet or an unnecessary prolonged sequence which sees him and the native making an arduous journey across the desert to return her to her home.
Majority of the film is focused on the Magistrate and his love for peace. He knows white men are the source of conflicts instead of the natives or barbarians as they are called. Instead of channeling the energy on the tumultuous relationship between Joll and the Magistrate, Guerra and Coetzee spent an awful amount of screentime on scenes that don’t contribute much to the ongoing narrative and story.
Other than Rylance, Depp and Pattinson have nothing worthy to show off here except lending some star or onscreen sociopathic power to lure some unsuspecting audiences. Instead of sending chills down one’s spine with some traumatizing and disturbing messages about colonial oppression, you are left with Colonel Joll’s brief amusing allegory on sunglasses. At the end, Waiting for the Barbarians is a movie with grandeur, superior ideas that never really translate well onto the big screen. In fact, we are still waiting for the barbarians so to speak.
Movie Rating:
(Waiting for the Barbarians is ultimately a purposeless flick except being visually arresting with a star-studded cast)
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Crime/Drama
Director: Hong Eui-jeong
Cast: Yoo Ah-in, You Chea-myung, Moon Seung-ah, Jo Ha-suk, Seung Hyung-bae
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: GV
Official Website:
Opening Day: 5 November 2020
Synopsis: Tae-in, who lost his voice and Chang-bok make their livings cleaning up crime scenes. One day, they are left to take care of a kidnapped girl named Cho-hee, who was raised to be a kind and caring sister, obligated to take care of her brother in a male-orientated family. In fact, she was abducted instead of her brother, because it has always been obvious to stand in for her bother, she manages to keep clam and swiftly read the situation she is placed in. Even when she sees Tae-in cleaning up brutal crime scenes, she keeps her calm, acting the “good girl” inside ger, even taking care of Tae-in’s little sister. Tae-in starts to open himself to Cho-hee, while Chang-bok, who was supposed to come back with Cho-hee’s ransom, becomes uncontactable. Now Tae-in has to go through the situation all alone.
Movie Review:
If you’re expecting this to be your typical Korean crime/ action thriller, you’ll probably be sorely disappointed. There is but one fisticuff with a local female police officer, but other than that, no shootouts or vehicular chases in writer/director Hong Eui-jeong’s filmmaking debut; instead, Hong has crafted a low-key and offbeat crime drama which explores the unlikely bond that develops between a mute kidnapper (hence the title of the film) and his 11-year-old victim.
The kidnapper is Tae-in (Yoo Ah-in), who lives with his younger sister in a ramshackle house in the rural countryside. By morning, he and his partner Chang-bok (Yu Jae-myeong) sell eggs at the local market; but by afternoon, they are ‘cleaners’ for a criminal organisation, helping to dispose of the bodies and wiping down the bloodstains at the scene of the interrogation. As you can imagine, Chang-bok is the one who does the talking on their behalf, and whom Tae-in trusts to look after the both of them.
One day, the duo are tasked to babysit a young girl Cho-hee (Moon Seung-ah), whose parents their boss are demanding a ransom over. Alas, in an ironic turn of events, their employer becomes the next body they find themselves contracted to dispose, after having offended his bosses with his sheer arrogance. Not sure just how to proceed, they decide to keep Cho-hee at Tae-in’s house for the time being, while they figure out if and how to return her to her parents.
Contrary to what you may expect, Cho-hee turns out to be a surprisingly perceptive kid able to decipher how best to make use of her circumstances. Than rebel against Tae-in or try to flee, Cho-hee befriends Tae-in’s younger sister and becomes an older sister to the infantile girl, teaching her qualities like self-control and discipline that Cho-hee had not inculcated. Whether Cho-hee truly accepts Tae-in and his younger sister as her new family is left deliberately ambiguous till the very end, but let’s just say that Moon’s performance in this regard is utterly brilliant.
Like we said, there is barely any action to be found throughout the movie; rather, the focus here is on the characters, their motivations and their relationships with one another. Between Tae-in and Chang-bok, it is no secret that the emphasis is on the former, as he is challenged time and again both ethically and emotionally to do what is right by Cho-hee; but even if Tae-in is the indisputable protagonist of the story, it should be said that Chang-bok is not forgotten, and is in fact written a fate that proves to be elegantly poetic.
There is both nuance and poignancy in the bond which develops between Tae-in and Cho-hee, especially on account of how the latter becomes a guardian to Tae-in’s younger sister. The ensuing family dynamics is tender and affecting, sensitively captured through first-time director Hong’s observant eye. It also makes the developments in the last act more compelling, given how the pair end up testing the limits of how much one cares for the other through a series of bad decisions and their inevitable consequences.
You’ll appreciate why Hong’s screenplay made the shortlists at the Venice Biennale College-Cinema and Sundance Screenwriters Lab; it is a well-plotted, character-driven drama with richly drawn characters. But Hong also has the blessings of a committed performance by Yoo, who reportedly put on 15 kg for the role and shaved his head bald in order to fit his director’s approach for the character; Yoo’s acting is even more impressive given how you’d understand him without him needing to speak a single word throughout. And then there is Moon, who carries the role of Cho-hee with poise and perspicacity.
As long as you don’t go in thinking that it is your usual crime thriller, ‘Voice of Silence’ will probably surprise you with its depth and warmth. Call it an indie film if you’d like, but we believe that Hong’s film will endear itself to an audience looking for something mature and heartfelt. It also bodes well for the new filmmaker, whose voice could be a refreshing breath of fresh air for the Korean movie industry. With Hollywood effectively on hiatus due to the pandemic, there is no better time to discover such little gems in world cinema.
Movie Rating:
(Low-key and offbeat but mature and heartfelt, this crime drama from first-time director Hong Eui-jeong eschew the usual guns and bullets for a character-driven story of surprising depth and warmth)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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