SYNOPSIS: This post-apocalyptic tale follows Augustine (George Clooney), a lonely scientist in the Arctic, as he races to stop Sully (Felicity Jones) and her fellow astronauts from returning home to Earth, where a mysterious global catastrophe has taken place. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

Those expecting a straight-up space epic or apocalyptic action thriller will be sorely disappointed. This is George Clooney we are talking about, the director (not the actor) who is responsible for thinking man movies liked Good Night, Good Luck and The Ides of March. Clooney whose last on-screen appearance (not counting his Nespresso adverts) was the 2016 Money Monster starred and directs this movie adaptation of the book “Good Morning, Midnight” by Lily Brooks-Dalton.

Looking more like a grizzly bear, Clooney plays Augustine Lofthouse, a terminally-ill scientist who chooses to stay put in his base in the Artic after the rest of the crew members decide to evacuate due to an unexplained event which caused the Earth to be inhabitable. Hoping to warn any space mission not to return to earth, Augustine manages to detect an active space craft, Aether but the current signal is too weak to reach out to the space craft. At the same time, Augustine realised a young girl named Iris is left abandoned in the base.

With no one left to take care of Iris, Augustine decides to bring her along on a perilous journey in search of another satellite base equipped with better signal to contact Aether. Aether which is led by Commander Adewole (David Oyelowo) and partner, Sully (Felicity Jones) is also facing problems of their own. With their crew members losing hope of getting in contact with NASA and their family members, the space craft is in perpetual danger of orbiting to nowhere.

Here’s when things start to get tricky. Either you are going to switch to another flick on the streamer because the pacing is too slow for your liking or continue to stick with Augustine to see if Iris and him is going to make it alive to their final destination. The Midnight Sky is slow, brooding for the most of the running time except for two marginally exciting scenes, one involving the sudden melting of the ice bed and a meteor shower. It’s a cross between last year’s Ad Astra and the Clooney-starring Solaris, both science-fiction titles that lacked the grandiose of typical sci-fi adventures. Essentially, it’s a drama that deals with lost human connections than anything else.

In short, it’s a heartfelt drama that talks about humanity not about the end of the world or the discovery of whatever habitable planets there are out there. Despite the more than generous budget from Netflix which explains the gorgeous visuals and on location shooting in Iceland, the latest directorial outing from Clooney is at heart a small scale, intimate drama. He is very much a creative focusing more on storytelling than coming up with empty spectacle.

Besides Clooney who puts in a rather good performance, the rest of the cast members are filled up by capable performers liked Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Mexican actor Demian Bichir, Tiffany Boone and Kyle Chandler. The Midnight Sky is no Gravity for sure. It’s an enjoyable movie if you watch it with the right kind of mindset, preferably of no knowledge about the twist in the last act as well. It’s also not a flick that has a satisfying payoff which of course pulled down the overall score. Clooney’s seventh full-length directorial effort might not be on top of the list but certainly not among his worst.  

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Romance/Drama
Director: Zhou Nan
Cast: Angelababy, Lee Hongchi, Denny Huang, Wang Jiajia, Liu Weisen, Li Siheng, Sun Jia
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Clover Films and Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 31 December 2021

Synopsis: Li is a 30-year-old IT specialist, who is often overlooked by his co-workers except when he’s needed to resolve computer issues. Li had a crush on Zhao Ximan, a girl from the business department, but he only kept the feeling to himself. The company went on a year-end trip to Finland. At the end of the trip, Ximan found out that her secret boyfriend betrayed her. She went to ski alone and accidentally fell. The next day when she woke up in the hospital, temporary amnesia caused a loss of her memory for one day. As for Li, this is an unexpected chance, he made Ximan believe that they were in love. Before Ximan could recall all the memory, Li had one day to get close to her.

Movie Review:

We seem to have seen this somewhere before. An ordinary guy whom no one notices is head over heels over a beautiful girl. During a trip, she gets temporary amnesia and he takes the opportunity to make her believe that they are a couple. The two of them spend very happy times together, but he knows this will end when she regains her memory the next day. Is there anything he can do at all to make sure the moments last?

This is the kind of movie that couples in love should enjoy watching together, reminding each other that love is about spending time with each other. There’s also no harm for single viewers to watch this with their potential partners, hoping that he or she will say yes to official courtship after the movie ends.

For viewers like this writer who do not belong to the abovementioned categories, it is best to embrace the romantic drama as a travelogue of sorts, as the plot does not really go any further than a Cinderella story where the male lead trying to live out his dreams before the magic disappears. Otherwise, you can also enjoy the eye candy in the form of the very pretty Angelababy.

Li Hongchi portrays Fei Li, a wholesome character which is extremely different from his previous roles (we know him from gritty movies like Thanatos, Drunk and Cities of Last Things). He plays a shy IT technician who describes himself as a “tool man” – someone who gets called on and appreciated when he after fixing something, but conveniently forgotten shortly after. Enter Ximan, the new girl in the office (Angelababy) who is not only beautiful and kind - she remembers Fei Li’s name and makes him feel seen, making her the perfect girl in Fei Li’s world.

What happens next is somewhat bizarre (but sweet to the die-hard romantics). The two go on a company trip to Finlandand Ximan gets into an accident. Having wished that he can be Ximan’s boyfriend even if it was just a day, Fei Li works his way into Ximan’s heart during her temporary memory loss. They spend time at picturesque spots (she really wants to see the Northen Lights), have fun with a group of Santa Clauses, and share some romantic moments in the snow.

Of course, the 100 minute runtime also includes how the two characters deal with the consequences after Ximan regains her memory. Emotional viewers may tear up a few times, but there’s nothing a mid credit scene can’t fix. To the cynical audiences, the plot development is predictable. But if you can find joy in seeing the breathtaking sights of Finlandon the big screen (especially during this pandemic when there are travel bans), this is an agreeable movie to catch. Just don’t start questioning how Angelababy can still look that dazzling after all the mishaps along the trip.

Movie Rating:

(A movie for die-hard romantics, people who want to see Finland on the big screen, and fans of the dazzling Angelababy)

Review by John Li

SYNOPSIS: Adapted from the Director Patrick Liu's high school memories,Your Name Engraved Herein is about two high school boys in an all-male boarding school exploring their friendship and genuine love for each other against the backdrop of the 1980s when Taiwan recently lifted its strict martial law, amid a transition from conservative society to become the most LGBTQ-friendly country in Asia. When the boarding school begins admitting females, their relationship faces an ultimate test with the emergence of a school girl. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

If this movie did not take home the Best Original Film Song at last year’s Golden Horse Awards, we reckon there’d be quite an uproar. The song performed by Crowd Lu inspired countless covers, and the heartfelt tune thronged the Internet (the music video has garnered more than 22 million views on YouTube) and radio airwaves. That naturally lent heaps of publicity to the LGBTQ themed film directed by Patrick Kuang, which is based on the gay director’s own experiences. The movie went on to become the highest grossing LGBTQ film in Taiwan's history, as well as the most popular film of 2020. It also made news by becoming the first gay themed movie to exceed NT$100 million at the Taiwanese box office. This is made newsworthy with Taiwan being the first in Asia to legalise same sex marriage.

With all the hype, it is almost impossible to resist the temptation to find out why there is so much attention showered on the movie, as much as some viewers may not be the most receptive to this film genre. Essentially, the drama is a love story between two boys who first crossed each others’ paths in a Taiwanese Catholic high school in 1987, shortly after martial law had just been lifted. It was also a time when Taiwan was easing into freedom of speech and homophobia was still largely felt in the society.

With that somewhat repressive social setting as a backdrop, the story was in a good position to make its protagonists go through a bittersweet romance. In fact, that’s what this film is really all about. The 114 minute movie spends much time showcasing lingering shots on its two good looking leads Edward Chen and Tseng Jing Hua. It does not seem to be too interested exploring the deeper aspects of the era’s societal impact (having a priest to listen and give advice to an emotionally and physically hurt character seems too convenient for the plot). However, this may very well be the director’s intention, because everything else becomes a blur when one is deeply in love.

In terms of characterisation, it is not particularly groundbreaking with one character being soft spoken, while the other is a thrill seeker. The contrasting personalities make for good drama, and the two young actors ace their performances, making sure they give their best in every minute of their on screen appearance. The chemistry between Chen and Tseng would also move many, as viewers remember their first love. When the heartbreaking theme song plays during a key sequence, you may shed a few tears.

Besides an award winning theme song, the film also showcases beautiful cinematography. In the last leg of the movie, we see the middle aged versions of the characters (played by Leon Dai and Jason Wang) in Montreal, and this gives the cinematographer to capture the postcard pretty backdrops on film. There are also other scenes (most notably, the one where the two characters are on a remote island) which lend lots of feel to the story. The film also won Best Cinematography at the Golden Horse Awards, on top of receiving nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Dai), Best New Performer (Chen) and Best Original Film Score.

While we have seen affecting LGBTQ themed films, this one is a worthy watch because of its hype and the simplistic approach to a coming of age tale.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by John Li

Genre: Biography/Drama
Director: Michael Almereyda
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Eve Hewson, Kyle MacLachan, Jim Gaffigan
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Nudity and Disturbing Scenes)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 7 January 2021

Synopsis: An adventurous, visionary inventor deserves an adventurous, visionary biopic. This is a central premise behind TESLA, writer/director Michael Almereyda’s distillation of the life and work of Nikola Tesla, the enigmatic pioneer of electrical science who rose from poverty and obscurity to achieve technological breakthroughs that continue to define and shape our modern world. Ethan Hawke plays Tesla, an immigrant and outsider born in a small rural village in what is now Croatia. Proud, brilliant, and socially awkward, Tesla is a promising employee at Thomas Edison’s Machine Works but fails to interest Edison (Kyle MacLachlan) in his revolutionary alternating current (AC) motor. Tesla’s break with Edison kicks off a life-long rivalry; both men are mavericks, but with opposite personalities and temperaments. Tesla’s search for funding leads him to George Westinghouse (Jim Gaffigan), another powerful captain of industry, who successfully finances and promotes Tesla’s groundbreaking electrical system. But the impatient inventor is already devising unprecedented methods for transmitting light, energy and information, without wires and throughout the globe. Working in an open-roofed Colorado laboratory Tesla transmits lightning from the earth to the sky, and he dares to apply his discoveries to a world-wide wireless system, a high-stakes undertaking backed by J.P. Morgan (Donnie Keshawarz).

Movie Review:

We’ve seen more than our fair share of biopics, but none quite as confusing, frustrating and ultimately vexing as ‘Tesla’.

Like writer-director Michael Almereyda’s previous works, ‘Tesla’ takes a similarly experimental approach to relating the story of visionary inventor Nikola Tesla, who is probably best known for harnessing the power of alternating currents to light up our modern wireless world.

The movie opens with Ethan Hawke roller-skating to Wojciech Kilar’s score to Jane Campion’s ‘Portrait of a Lady’, and right from the get-go, Almereyda lets you know this is no ordinary biopic. Even so, we see no good reason why there is a need for Anne Morgan (Eve Hewson) to break the fourth wall to tell you how that scene never occurred, and then proceeding to pull out a MacBook to walk us through a few Google searches on the film’s historical figures.

It is bizarre and bewildering all right, and as much as we tried to embrace a more unconventional method to recounting Tesla’s defining struggles, we found ourselves puzzled how and why anyone could embrace such pretentiousness. Indeed, we cannot say whatever it had covered left any of an impression – from Tesla’s brief early employment under Thomas Edison (Kyle MacLachlan) and his subsequent rivalry with the inventor, to his partnership with George Westinghouse (Jim Gaffigan) to produce and market his revolutionary induction motor, to his long-running relationship with Morgan (daughter of J.P. Morgan), and to his relocation to Colorado Springs to experiment with wirelessly sending electricity across the world, the proceedings are staged with such artificiality that you’ll be left utterly disenchanted.

Not only does the entire film staged to feel theatrical, it is also captured by cinematographer Sean Price Williams to emphasise the painted backdrops against which most of it is filmed. If there is some different angle that Almereyda is trying to cast on his titular protagonist, it is unfortunately lost in the sheer pretence of his method, so much so that we wonder if Almereyda cares more about his own technique than about his subject.

Just as hopelessly lost is Hawke himself, who wanders through the movie with a perpetually perplexed expression that conveys little more than what we feel sitting through one and a half hours of utter nonsense. There is no plotting here, no characterisation, and therefore no meaning and nothing of worth here for anyone to waste his or her time on such incoherent garbage.

So pick up a history book if you are keen to find out more about Tesla, or watch ‘The Current War’ with Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Shannon instead; just don’t, do not go anywhere near this hogwash. By the time Hawke picks up a microphone to do a off-key karaoke-bar rendition of Tears for Fears’ ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’, we just wanted to say a big F U to this movie.

Movie Rating:

(The most pointless piece of pretentious drivel we've seen in a long while, 'Tesla' deserves not a single iota of your time)

Review by Gabriel Chong

SYNOPSIS: When alien invaders kidnap Earth's superheroes, their kids are whisked away to a government safe house. But whip-smart tween Missy Moreno (Yaya Gosselin) will stop at nothing to rescue her superhero dad, Marcus Moreno (Pedro Pascal). Missy teams up with the rest of the superkids to escape their mysterious government babysitter, Ms. Granada (Priyanka Chopra Jonas). If they're going to save their parents, they'll have to work together by using their individual powers — from elasticity to time control to predicting the future — and form an out-of-this-world team.

MOVIE REVIEW:

If you find the overall aesthetic of We Can Be Heroes kind of familiar, yup indeed it comes from Robert Rodriguez, the brainchild behind the Spy Kids franchise and The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. A name that is synonymous with kiddie flicks and violent cult classics liked Sin City and From Dusk Till Dawn.

We Can Be Heroes is presumably a stand-alone sequel to The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl although you can simply sum it up as a cheap action hero movie. Rodriguez always have the wildest imagination ever and his so-called “Mariachi-style” of filmmaking is once again put into good use, this time round with the help from some of his offspring who provided production assistance at his own Troublemaker Studios.

In We Can Be Heroes, a team of superheroes dubbed the Heroics are captured by octopus-like aliens and their children led by Missy (YaYa Gosselin), daughter of Heroics team leader, Marcus (Pedro Pascal) has to convinced the rest of the offspring to work together to rescue their parents and battle the aliens before they destroy our world.

With names liked Miracle Guy (Boyd Holbrook), Tech-No (Christian Slater) and Blinding Fast (Sung Kang), you can be sure the world is going to be in safe hands. But the answer is no of course because this bunch of grown-up superheroes with lame names don’t really know how to work together to fend off the enemies. So it’s up to the kids who are equipped with cool powers such as elasticity, rewind and fast-forward time, manipulation of liquid, vocal prowess and more to save mankind. Ironically, Missy has no superpower of her own and their leader, Wild Card has yet master the ability to control his numerous power.

Will they or will they not save the world in the end?

We got to give it to Rodriguez who continues to entertain the younger audience with his fast and furious zany gags and juvenile humour. Obviously, this is tailored made for kids who are too young to fully appreciate the complexities of the Marvel and DC superheroes flicks. None of the characters portrayed are in any life-threatening predicaments and you can expect them to escape unharmed every single time in playful manners. Even the supposed antagonist, Ms Granada (Priyanka Chopra) is mostly cheesy and hokey. Rodriguez even finds time to insinuate President Trump.

There is nothing liked an old well-meaning message to impart to the younger generation at the end of the movie. In other words, a trope to conveniently wrap up everything before the sequel surfaces. Rodriguez seems to be pulling in all the favours he can get to gather so many familiar faces for their three-minute appearance especially a very busy Pedro Pascal who popped up in two other big productions this year.

This is overall a cartoonish looking movie to entertain the kids. Netflix simply needs this in their vault to compete with Disney+. The adults can safely leave this on while they continue with their daily chores.  

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Romance/Comedy
Director: Mez Tharatorn
Cast: Nadech Kugimiya, Baifern (Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul), Bank (Thiti Mahayotaruk), Mam (Kathaleeya McIntosh), Taro Phongsathorn
Runtime: 2 hrs 9 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Sexual References)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 21 January 2021

Synopsis: Tower (Nadech Kugimiya) is a suave con-artist who gives himself away accidentally while trying to con Ina (Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul), a goofy banker, out of some money. After Ina catches Tower red handed, she proposes a deal for her not to report Tower to the police. In exchange, Tower must agree to use his skills to con Petch (Thiti Mahayotaruk). Petch is the ex-boyfriend who tricked Ina into borrowing money to pay his tuition, then left her hanging in the wind owing 100,000s in debt. The mission takes on a whole new level when Tower changes the plan from conning 100,000s to millions. This con job will take a team made up of Ms Nongnuch (Kathaleeya McIntosh), Ina's high school teacher who pretends to be a foxy businesswoman, and Mr Jone (Pongsatorn Jongwilas), Tower's brother, a thief who has a long history with the law. But even before the plan gets off to a start, Ina has a change of heart about Tower. Will Ina be fooled twice, or is it her fate to keep meeting gorgeous con artists? The con job must go on, but can Ina keep her heart from falling for another bad guy.

Movie Review:

Besides sinful Mookatas, fiery Tom Yum soups and delicious Phad Thai, it’s safe to say that the Thai have cornered the market on wacky humour on-screen. It’s not just in movies, but you’ll likely have seen one of those twist-ending ads that drops a curveball of an ending after an emotional wringer.

But a victim to its own success, many subsequent efforts after the boom have gone off the cliff with zany scripts that are nothing more than just a string of OTT theatrics. Thankfully, The Con-Heartist, directed by Mez Tharatorn, struts the fine line between story and stagey antics with panache.

What we have here, is a tale of con versus con. The first is Tower (Nadech Kugimiya), a serial con-artist who unfortunately picks the wrong target in Ina (Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul) and gets blackmailed to help her get revenge on her ex, Petch (Thiti Mahayotaruk), himself a sweet-talking trickster who has a habit of parting women with their money.

With Tower essentially looking like Thailand’s Eddie Peng, is it surprising that Ina would eventually fall for the fella? So when the schemes don’t go as expected and distrust starts to breed, the story becomes juicer as emotions become complicated.

The Con-Heartist doesn’t reinvent the wheel, and thankfully so because there’s still much to milk from classic scenarios, of which the cast executes brilliantly. Whether it’s distracting Petch from asking about his hijacked phone, to overcoming awkward scenarios when the unwanted passer-by throws plans off-course, the team led by Tower surmounts their challenges with funny improv.

It is with these side characters that the film shines the most. As reluctant volunteer playing a false CEO of a Chinese beer company, Ms Nongnuch (Kathaleeya McIntosh) is a hapless but lovable former teacher who mad flexes through sharp turns in the con’s script. Jone (Pongsatorn Jongwilas) who shows up as Tower’s born-from-the-same-prison brother is just the right amount of kookiness and spontaneity that keeps the chuckles going.

The unbelievably attractive main cast would have you thinking they were brought in as pure eye candy, but they show a commitment that bears out equal weight in their respective roles, with a performance - though campy - that keeps them as realistic characters, even when they’re hamming it up.

As with such genre films from Thailand, one can expect colourful cameos, a generous serving of audio effects for every eye-brow twitch or zoom-in of splattering saliva to match, and plenty of shuttling about Thailand’s regions. In all honesty, there does seem to be a little bit of product and destination placement here. But with the controlled levity from Tharatorn and the sincere performances from the entire ensemble, The Con-Heartist manages somehow to be an effective entertainment to lift the gloom during these pandemic times.

Movie Rating:

(Breezy slapstick served right, by way of a restrained hand from the director and a heartfelt performance by the stunning cast)

Review by Morgan Awyong

Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Hideo Nakata
Cast: Kazuya Kamenashi, Nao, Koji Seto, Houka Kinoshita, Noriko Eguchi, Megumi, Mao, Eiji Takigawa
Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins
Rating: PG13 (Horror and Some Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 14 January 2021

Synopsis: Yamame Yamano, an unsuccessful comedian started to live in a stigmatized property when his senpai told him that doing so could get him on TV; consequently, he moved into a room where a murder took place. When they view the film taped at the first property where he stayed, they saw a mysterious white object, and noticed that the audio is distorted. As the producers of the program became increasingly demanding, Yamame moves from one property to another in search of interesting and horrifying cases. He encountered various mysterious phenomena and became known as "the entertainer who's willing to live in stigmatized properties." What awaits Yamame in the next haunted property?

Movie Review:

Would you stay in a stigmatized property? Just the thought of it might make some skins crawl.

Stigmatized properties are residential places for rent or purchase, but with one big twist - someone's passed away in them before. Sometimes this is a little more peaceful, where the occupants die during their sleep. Other times it's more grim, in the form of a suicide or murder.

In Japan where the belief of the supernatural is deeply ingrained in the social psyche, such a history on a piece of property only spells bad news - except perhaps to a comedian struggling to find fame in his field.

Yamame (Kazuya Kamenashi) is part of a comedic duo known as The Jonathans, but their years of performances have found little traction with their niche humour. His partner, Nakai (Koji Seto), decides to call it quits after he finds placement at a TV station as writer, but the guilty friend manages to rope Yamame into part of an experimental program where he stays alone in a stigmatized property to record odd happenings.

Unexpectedly, this blows up after a very visible sighting, and the producer of the show eggs on Yamame to visit more such properties after seeing the positive ratings. As Yamame finds his fame growing, so does the amount of misfortunes around him. As his few friends beg him to stop, the former comedian struggles between finally having a career, with the possibility of a very dark cloud about to unleash its full curse on him.

Stigmatized Properties, directed by Hideo Nakata, benefits from the director’s strong background in classics like The Ring and Dark Waters. The sense of dread is palpable here, projected by dingy rooms and a sinister palette. This is contrasted by those of Yamame and his friends at the studios, where bright lights and colourful banter continue to lull Yamame into a state of complacency. And while I appreciated this stark application, I would have enjoyed the film a little more if Nakata-san had included more time in the apartments.

The hauntings here are thoroughly enjoyable, featuring plenty of signature disturbing facial and body horror from the seasoned director. Each apartment’s unwraps itself horrifically, replaying striking scenes of murder, suicide or abuse. Because Nakata drops clues (like a bent ladder or a broken tile), it winds the audience up for the big reveal in an effective formula. Which is why when the film dallies on the studio scenes, trying to play up his success, it takes a bit of the wind out of the sail for me.

And while the first apartment developed in a way that told its story gradually, the others didn’t enjoy the same, only to have Yamame share the story in its entirety without any explanation of how he uncovered it.

Otherwise, Nakata has elevated some of his creepy tactics here. There are little things in Stigmatized Properties that are left unexplained, which keeps its sense of mystery. And there are random events that occur to keep us from getting complacent. So I’d imagine if this was fleshed out more, we just might have another franchise title in the making.

Stay tuned for the credits. You’ll get a glimpse of the real-life inspiration for this film - the actual comedian Tanishi Matsubara who found his niche in occupying these properties and building his brand of spooky encounters in his comedy shows.

Movie Rating:

(There’s strong visual horror here that Nakata is known for, and I would have dearly loved to see more emphasis on these segments)

Review by Morgan Awyong

Genre: Comedy
Director: Ong Kuo Sin
Cast: Lawrence Wong, Mark Lee, Cya Liu, Mimi Choo, Guo Liang, Xiang Yun, Zhu Hou Ren, Das Dharamahsena
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins
Rating: PG (Some Sexual References)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures and Clover Films
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 20 January 2022 

Synopsis:  Co-workers Chaoyang and Zi Hong have been dating for more than a year, with marriage on the cards. When a client requests for a livestream of their reunion dinner to promote his products, the couple realises that neither have met the other’s family. Zi Hong is excited to finally get to meet Chaoyang’s mother, unaware of the latter’s estranged relationship with his mother. Embarrassed by his mother Yan Ling’s occupation as a mama-san, Chaoyang decides to engage the help of a friend, Wei, to “rent-a-family”, resulting in a series of mishaps and hilarity. The carefully constructed sham falls to pieces when the lie is eventually exposed over the reunion dinner on livestream. Will Chaoyang be able to repair the broken relationship with his mother and reconcile his differences with Zi Hong?

Movie Review:

It is that time of the year again. It is a time when family members kill time in the cinemas after Chinese New Year visiting or hosting. And it is a time when corporations leverage this once in a year opportunity to get their products seen by tens of thousands of people. While we are not sure whether product placement is a mainstay in CNY movies elsewhere, it seems to be an especially popular method of advertising during the festive period.

Kicking off the first round of CNY movies this year is Ong Kuo Sin’s follow up to the surprisingly heartfelt Number 1 (2020). The film opens with a title card bearing the brand of a health supplement distributor, and you know the movie isn’t exactly going to be subtle. Then you see the name of a famous integrated resort flashed on screen, and you know the movie is going to feature iconic skyscapes and luxury hotel rooms.

Back to the story: the protagonist is Chao Yang (Lawrence Wong), an established creative director of an advertising agency who seems to have everything – a comfortable life, a successful career and a pretty girlfriend (Cya Liu). Things get a little complicated when Chao Yang’s client (who sells abalone, of course) comes up with an idea to involve his real family in a live stream of a CNY reunion dinner.

And then you realise things are not as perfect as they seem – Chao Yang isn’t exactly proud of his mother (Xiang Yun), who had gone through a number of questionable relationships with various men. It doesn’t help that he remains truamatised by the childhood memories of what happened with one of his mother’s violent ex boyfriends (the filmmakers cleverly casted real life father and son Zhu Hou Ren and Joel Choo in this role). Hence, Chao Yang goes all out to create a façade of a fake family with another one of his mother’s ex boyfriends (Mark Lee). Adding to the confusion is the arrival of his girlfriend’s Shanghainese father (Guo Liang), whom he needs to please.

The premise allows for countless gags that work well for a CNY movie. There are plenty of laughs as characters scramble to put up a show for Chao Yang’s potential father in law. The concept of ‘saving face’ is very relatable to local audiences, and you know things won’t be as dramatically funny if you are put in Chao Yang’s shoes.

The best scenes below to Lee, who worked with the director previously and was nominated at the Golden Horse Awards for Best Actor. The actor has a natural flair for comedy and delivers his lines with ease. Another gem in the movie is Das Dharamahsena, who plays a freelance actor pretending to be Chao Yang’s cousin. The trilingual comedian effortlessly milks laughs from the viewers, with the help of Hong Kong actress Mimi Choo. Zhu and Guo also deliver impressive performances as a volatile gangster and a no nonsense father figure.

The 91 minute movie is a breeze to sit through, and an entertaining way to spend CNY. And you’d definitely remember the commercial products and ‘uniquely Singapore’ locations incorporated into the story.

Movie Rating:

(It's the CNY period, so get in the mood with this entertaining and family-friendly comedy)

Review by John Li

SYNOPSIS: Gunning for revenge, outlaw Nat Love saddles up with his gang to take down enemy Rufus Buck, a ruthless crime boss who just got sprung from prison.

MOVIE REVIEW:

A British musician doing an American western with a notable Black cast? That’s something you definitely need to watch on Netflix this month.

With the help of veteran screenwriter Boaz Yakin, Jeymes Samuel wrote and directed The Harder They Fall, an awfully familiar story of revenge and Wild West fun. The movie begins with a ruthless outlaw, Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) gunning down a pastor and his wife leaving their only son, Nat Love scarred but alive.

Years later, Love (Jonathan Majors) grows up to be an outlaw as well. As the movie progresses, we learnt that Love and his gang members have been tracking down and killing his parents’ murderers except Buck who is now being transported to a prison on a moving train. When Buck escaped with the help from his loyal followers, Trudy Smith (Regina King) and Cherokee Bill (Lakeith Stanfield), Love vows to take down Buck together with his love interest, Stagecoach Mary (Zazie Beetz) and Marshal Bass Reeves (Delroy Lindo).

Not to undermine Samuel’s directorial debut, The Harder They Fall is quite a mixed bag. The most questionable of all is the narrative and story flow which explained why it took over two hours to culminate. The movie is filled with unnecessary plot development such as Stagecoach Mary voluntarily offering to do business with Buck. Hello? Isn’t Buck a smart ruthless outlaw? What about his right hand woman, Trudy who probably see through your trick when you first stepped into Redwood?

And in a short while later, Love is forced to rob a bank owned by white folks in order to rescue Stagecoach Mary out of the hands of Buck. You can’t deny it’s a clever way to mock at white supremacist but it certainly kills the momentum by a lot. We are pretty sure most audiences are waiting to relish at the chance to catch Jonathan Majors facing off Idris Elba but we are afraid that got to wait. Storytelling apparently needs to come first before the final showdown.

To Samuel’s credit, there’s enough shoot-em-up, bloody brawls and stagecoach robberies to justify as a good old Western. Cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr also make sure that all the gorgeous scenes of horse riding are wonderfully captured onscreen. Even the production design on the whole looks fantastic on the small screen. Samuel frequently throws in some Tarantino-style sleekness, Black swagger into it and peppering it with an awesome soundtrack mostly written by Samuel himself. In addition, the fine performances of the ensemble cast is a plus point as well.  

Growing up on westerns that featured seemingly all white actors (Will Smith in the disastrous Wild Wild West don’t count I’m afraid), The Harder They Fall makes for a fresh change of scenery despite the all-too predictable plotting. When you see stars liked Idris Elba and Jonathan Majors strutting in cool cowboy outfits and gunslinging, you know it’s been a long time since the days of Clint Eastwood and John Wayne.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Comedy
Director: Chang Yuan
Cast: Chang Yuan, Li Qin, Shen Teng, Qiao Shan, Ma Li
Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 7 January 2021

Synopsis: WARM HUG is a romance-comedy revolving around a boy with OCD and is not interested in both friendship and love. However, after meeting a unique doctor and a carefree girl, the three of them slowly learn and understand one another in the process....

Movie Review:

Although it’s based on a 2013’s Korean rom-com called Plan Man, Warm Hug which was a huge hit in China is quite different in terms of storyline compared to the original. Directed and starring Chang Yuan, a veteran of the comedy troupe, “Mahua Funage”, a company known for their onscreen zany comedies such as Hello Mr Billionaire and Never Say Die, you are not going to expect anything less from a filmmaker that is associated with so many successful titles.

Bao Bao (which literally sounds like “hug hug” in Chinese) is a piano teacher that suffers from severe OCD. People around shunned him due to his obsessive cleaning methods and intense planning of his time and life. While others regard him as a weirdo, Bao Bao is just a lonely soul in need of a simple hug. Just as he is about to end his life, an aspiring singer and song-writer, Song Wen Nuan (Li Qin) ventures into his life and unwittingly dragged him along to a singing competition.

Expectedly, Wen Nuan is the exact opposite of Bao. Haphazard, spontaneous and spirited, Wen Nuan finds it a hassle to deal with Bao’s compulsive ways and introduces him to a psychologist to help changed his lifestyle. It turned out she has a chequered history as well. Will Bao and Wen Nuan conquered their quirks and past and win the competition? We need you to buy a ticket and find out yourself!

For a start, Warm Hug is not a reliable or an in-depth piece on mental health. Most of the wacky happenings either are there to pull in the laughs or simply a narrative tool to get the story moving. While there are people who indeed suffered from compulsive cleaning, frequent outbursts and movement disorders, you probably won’t find a single satisfying answer right here.

The core of the story lies in the relationship between Bao and Wen Nuan. Both socially crippled personalities who is in desperate need of a more understanding world. Bao inherited his traits from his equally extreme parents while Wen Nuan is jilted and cheated by her long-term malicious boyfriend. Never mocking or degrading, Chang Yuan who also starred as Bao uses comedy and a few catchy musical numbers to tell a story of how a reclusive man embraced the world with his equally once hurt partner.

There are so many ways the movie could go wrong but we are glad it didn’t. Although it’s a premise that is not wholly original I must add, the story is made even better all thanks to the fantastic cast members. Most of the actors under “Mahua Funage” liked Sheng Teng, Ma Li, Allen chips in supporting performances and comedian, Qian Shan plays the movie’s main antagonist. Though the pairing of Chang Yuan and Li Qin looks kind of odd in the beginning, they kind of grows on you gradually.

While the entire premise sounds ridiculous and repetitive (remember the Taiwanese movie, I Weirdo months back), Warm Hug is a sweet, whimsical effort from first time director Chang Yuan.

Movie Rating:

(Visually enriching, catchy songs and funny performances, this is more impossibly sweet than wacky)

Review by Linus Tee