BOOK REVIEW #41: THE BEAUTY OF LIVING TWICE Posted on 23 Jul 2021 In 2001, Sharon Stone suffered a massive stroke that nearly cost her life and her career. Two decades later amid a severe pandemic, Stone launched her first memoir, The Beauty of Living Twice detailing her experience, her return to normal and intimate conversations about her life and childhood. Most people’s impression of Stone is obviously her sultry, no holds barred performance in t ... more

Genre: Comedy/Drama
Director: Cheng Fenfen
Cast: Hu Xianxu, Deng Enxi, Zheng Wei, Dai Lele, Hsi-Sheng Chen
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Clover Films
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 22 July 2021

Synopsis: Yang Tingfeng and Yang Tingyu are brother and sister. The Yang family lives an unpeaceful life, and became even more turbulent after a new family member: Li Sheng, the son of their stepfather Uncle Li joined in. Faced with the uninvited guest of Li Sheng, Tingyu felt quite unpleasant, but Tingfeng quickly became inseparable brothers with LI Sheng. Tingyu is anxious that this "fake brother" took away her "true brother". At the same time, the relationship between their mother and Uncle Li also encountered problems, and the reorganized family was in danger of falling apart.

Movie Review:

This movie has a plot that has all the potential to be a tearjerker, especially considering that it is a Chinese production. However, there is something about the movie directed by Cheng Fenfen that feels out of place. It might be this reviewer’s age, or his lack of appreciation for the film’s supposed comedic tone. It is a completely different feeling after watching Sister, another recent film by Yin Ruoxin about the relationship between siblings.

The movie opens with a Tingfeng and Tingyu (Hu Xianxu, Deng Enxi), a brother and sister pair playing in a huge house. Yup, you heard that right – playing. The teenagers are having fun in an imaginary space setting, and they are having the time of their lives. This is the perfect opportunity for the filmmakers to incorporate some nifty CGIinto the sequence, an effect which is pretty well done.

The bright, cheery and colourful scene is halted when a young man knocks on the door. We find out that the dude named Li Sheng (Zheng Wei) is the son of their stepfather. This guy is everything they are not. He doesn’t seem to enjoy fun, and he doesn’t talk a lot. Instead of having a simple breakfast of toast, he whips up a mean pot of mouth watering congee.

Tingfeng and Tingyu (which means ‘listening to the wind’ and ‘listening to the rain’ respectively, by the way) plot to irritate Li Sheng so that he will leave the house before their parents return, but the two guys end up bonding instead. That makes Tingyu really upset and next thing we know, the parents come home. Adding more drama are the appearances of their mother’s ex husband, and Li Sheng’s real mother. Having six people under one roof can cause quite a ruckus.

We aren’t sure whether it is a trend in Chinafor actors to put on extremely cute personas for their roles, but this movie has an overdose of that. Hu and Deng spend most of the movie pranking each other, making faces at each other, and speaking at unbelievably shrill voices. While there are occasional funny moments, it can also be quite painful to ageing ears.

The movie’s family plot does make room for some heartwarming scenes. One scene has the family spending a day at the beach, and it made us miss a time when fun was about splashing water at each other and playing table tennis. Then there is this scene where Tingfeng’s mother has a heart to heart talk with him, which is a nice reminder about spending time with our parents.

The main storyline about the dynamics between Tingfeng, Tingyu and Li Sheng gets its rightful resolution by the end of the 105 minute movie, but not before we are treated to more CGIscenes where the siblings are in a wild wild west, some sappy moments where Li Sheng recites poetic praises of his two half siblings, and a some slow mo shots of the brothers enjoying a day in the theme park. Yup, there will be a happy ending, but it won’t be a poignant one which will leave you thinking about the meaning of family.  

Movie Rating:

(There is a nice message about family somewhere, but the young actors' ultra cute personas are distracting instead of entertaining)

Review by John Li

Genre: Action/Comedy
Director: Tanya Wexler
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Stanley Tucci, Jai Courtney, Bobby Cannavale, David Bradley, Laverne Cox, Constantine Gregory, Ori Pfeffer, Sophie Sanderson, Susan Sarandon
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins
Rating:  M18 (Sexual Scene & Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 23 July 2021

Synopsis: A woman with a rage disorder uses a special electrode device to shock herself anytime she feels the urge to act out her murderous fantasies. Unable to find love in a world that fears her unique condition, she finally falls for a man who accepts her for who she is, only to find him murdered the next day. Enraged, she goes on a revenge-filled mission to find the killer, while also being hunted down by the police as the prime suspect. 

Movie Review:

Since young, Lindy (Kate Beckinsale) has been suffering from intermittent explosive disorder, an uncontrollable powerful rage in which some shady organization hope that can be turned into a weapon. Unfortunately, the various treatments to control her failed badly and now Lindy has to rely on a self-administered shock treatment invented by her therapist, Dr Ivan Munchin (Stanley Tucci) to control her rage.

Prompted by Munchin to form a normal human relationship with others, Lindy finally venture out and found her date in the form of a sweet accountant, Justin (Jai Courtney) but her happiness is short-lived when Justin is found murdered after two dates. Lindy as expected sets out for revenge crossing paths with two detectives, Vicars (Bobby Cannavale) and Nevins (Laverne Cox) and unleashing her boiling rage and super strength to uncover the mystery behind Justin’s death.

To make up for its trashy and simplistic plot, the filmmakers rely heavily on the charm of Kate Beckinsale to make Jolt works although you can’t deny it’s still a trashy effort in the end. Although Beckinsale has hung up her leather pants for a while, she still has the slick moves and cool look of Selene except this time she is wired with an electrode-laden vest. With most of the action scenes shot in the backlot of a studio in Bulgaria (standing in for New York city), Beckinsale is very much game in tackling the various hand to hand combat and chase scenes despite the less than stellar fight choreography.

The marketing team is selling Jolt as an action comedy. Frankly, we don’t really see where is the comedy coming from. Are they referring to the bickering, fumbling cop couple, Vicars and Nevins who can’t seem to solve anything? Or Lindy throwing newborn babies at Nevins so she can escape the hospital? John Woo uses “babies” as a plot device in the finale of Hard Boiled and that alone is far more appropriate and funnier than this entire movie. And the idea of Lindy electrocuting a baddie’s ballsack probably don’t count as comedy as well.

It boils down to just 91 minutes of runtime but as the body count mounts up, there seems to be a serious lack of interesting ideas until the big twist turned up in the last act. Because honestly, blood and gore can only do so much. Without spoiling the fun for you, Jolt is clearly setting up for a sequel thus the appearance of a major star before the closing credits. For all its ambition however, there’s never a real plot or motivation in the first place to justify a sequel. Yes there is clearly an absurd heroine assembled but a much better motive needs to be in place other than a revenge tale that goes nowhere in particular.

Jolt establishes itself as an energetic, mindless action flick right from the start. There are of course somewhat traces of Jason Statham’s Crank, an adrenalin charged cartoonish action movie. Luckily, Jolt is a more subdued effort in this case. However in order to see Lindy on the screen again, much work needs to be done on the screenplay. For now, if you don’t mind an average check-your-brain-at-the-door actioner, give yourself a Jolt.

Movie Rating:

(Kate Beckinsale on the whole never disappoints although Jolt is simply a frenetic, forgettable action movie)

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Comedy/Crime
Director: Aron Gaudet & Gita Pullapilly
Cast: Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser, Vince Vaugh, Bebe Rexha 
Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins
Rating: NC16 (Coarse Language)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 9 September 2021

Synopsis: Inspired by a true story, QUEENPINS is an outrageous comedy about a bored and frustrated suburban homemaker, Connie (Kristen Bell) and her best pal JoJo (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), a vlogger with dreams, who turn a hobby into a multi-million dollar counterfeit coupon caper. After firing off a letter to the conglomerate behind a box of cereal gone stale, and receiving an apology along with dozens of freebies, the duo hatch an illegal coupon club scheme that scams millions from mega-corporations and delivers deals to legions of fellow coupon clippers. On the trail to total coupon dominance, a hapless Loss Prevention Officer (Paul Walter Hauser) from the local supermarket chain joins forces with a determined U.S. Postal Inspector (Vince Vaughn) in hot pursuit of these newly-minted “Queenpins” of pink collar crime. 

Movie Review:

Having a coupon means you get a discount off a particular product or getting a product for free. The coupon phenomenon might not be a thing here in Singapore but it’s indeed pretty huge in the States. It turns out 96% of Americans have used coupons. Imagine the thrill of getting a discounted/free box of cereal or detergent.

Husband and wife filmmaking team, Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly based this movie on a real-life multi-million-dollar coupon scam in Phoenix which explained why this is inspired by a true story. Queenpins stars Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars and the voice behind Anna in Frozen) as a bored ex-Olympian, Connie who hatch an illegal coupon club scheme with her friend and neighbor, JoJo (Kirby Howell-Baptiste). After four failed attempts at IVF, Connie is now trapped in a loveless marriage while JoJo on the other hand is an unsuccessful beauty vlogger.

With nothing but a bleak future ahead of them, Connie came up with the crazy idea of selling discarded coupons originated from a coupon printing factory in Mexico. The idea simply is to sell them to coupon clippers via their website. And in a short span of half a year, the duo manages to accumulate millions of dollars in sales. At the same time, an overzealous lost prevention officer, Ken (Paul Walter Hauser) and a U.S. Postal Inspector Simon (Vince Vaughn) are hot on the heels of these two self-proclaimed “Queenpins”.

Queenpins basically taps into the mindset of the lower- and middle-income group who bears both the brunt of wage, savings deterioration and life dissatisfaction. It’s very much a comedy but also a social commentary on these issues although there’s lesser in terms of the latter. What’s a few millions to a mega corporation liked P&G and Nestle who “ripped” off a few hundred off an average worker a year? It’s definitely an issue which every layman can relate to even though both parties are victims in a way.

Kristen Bell is perfectly cast as Connie. Once an overachiever, Olympic race walker, her target in her mundane life now is nabbing coupons to offset her detergent purchase from her nearby grocery mart. Bell might not be a huge star but she has more than enough charm and enthusiasm to lead a movie. Kirby Howell-Baptiste absolutely nailed the part as Connie’s buddy-in-crime making both a mini gravitational force onscreen.

Interestingly, Vaughn who has been dabbling in various genres in recent years turned in a somewhat endearing yet subtly amusing performance opposite Paul Walter Hauser. While Simon is the super cool inspector, Ken who wanted to tag along is a straight face, routine kind of guy. Boring perhaps is a better word to describe Ken. No matter what, both steal the show with their constant bantering and Simon’s harmless teasing of Ken’s desire to be his deputy. Then there is Bebe Rexha who plays a paranoid cyberthief taking on an adviser role in the “Queenpins” scam. With a long laundry list of “dos” and “don’ts”, the queenpins being all confused ended up buying an entire private plane, at least six Lamborghinis and John Wick’s approved shotguns with the intention of laundering their scam money.

End of it, the movie simply is what it is. The story of a coupon scam is developed collectively through the four main characters. Thanks to Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly’s careful touches, the premise of a ridiculous scam plays like a wry comedy of sorts. Definitely an OK flick for a movie night.

Movie Rating:

(More playful in tone than a slick, twisty heist. A light breezy entertainment flick)

Review by Linus Tee

TRAILER WATCH - RAGING FIRE (怒火) Posted on 20 Jul 2021 While conducting a raid to arrest a drug lord, the police encounter a team of masked thugs. In a stunning act of sabotage, the thugs steal the drugs and murder the police officers on the scene. Arriving late, Inspector Cheung Shung-bong (Donnie Yen) is devastated to see the brutal aftermath of the carnage. After investigating overnight, Bong discovers that the cop killers are led by Ngo (Nichol ... more

TRAILER WATCH - KING RICHARD Posted on 29 Jul 2021 In time for the Olympics comes the trailer for KING RICHARD. Based on the true story that will inspire the world, “King Richard” follows the journey of Richard Williams, an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time, who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever. Driven by a clear vision of their future and using unco ... more

Genre: Action/Comedy
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Edgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, Paul Giamatti
Runtime: 2 hrs 7 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: Walt Disney
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 29 July 2021

Synopsis: Inspired by the famous Disneyland theme park ride, Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” is an adventure-filled, rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton. Lily travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank’s questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila—his ramshackle-but-charming boat. Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities—possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate—and mankind’s—hangs in the balance.

Movie Review:

Long before the modern-day superhero movie, Hollywood blockbusters were the stuff of swashbuckling adventures such as the ‘Indiana Jones’ films, ‘The African Queen’, ‘The Mummy’ and even Disney’s own ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’. It is no secret watching Disney’s live-action adaptation of their famous Disneyland theme park ride that director Jaume Collet-Serra intended for ‘Jungle Cruise’ to hark back to these classics, and we’re glad to say that this trip down familiar waters is as pleasantly entertaining and delightfully thrilling as you’d be hoping for it to be.

Key to its winning blend is the chemistry between Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, whose pairing recalls some of the best of the genre: think Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in ‘The Mummy’, or ‘Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn in ‘The African Queen’, or Harrison Ford and Karen Allen in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’. On their own, Johnson and Blunt are charismatic in their own right; but together, the pair display such effervescent rapport that you’ll be smiling every time they are onscreen. So endearing are they that when the story takes a rather unforeseen turn in the last act, you’ll find yourself surprisingly moved by what that means for their relationship, and it is to the credit of both actors that we care so deeply for their fates of their characters.

Contrary to expectation, we are first introduced to Blunt’s spirited botanist Dr Lily Houghton, who in the opening scenes has smuggled herself into the offices of London’s Royal Geographical Society in search of an ancient arrowhead that holds the key to finding a legendary, all-healing Amazonian blossom called the Tears of the Moon. Determined to find the tree of life, Dr Houghton travels to South America with her brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall), who is horrified of journeying into possibly treacherous territory but reluctant to leave his sister alone.

On the other hand, we make our acquaintance with Johnson’s fast-talking skipper Frank Wolff as he leads a group of tourists on one of his boat rides on the Amazon river, scamming them with fake sights such as a phony giant hippo, a rickety waterfall and a group of supposedly savage natives whom he has paid off to deliberately scare off the foreigners. Just as bad, if not worse, than his cons are his lame dad jokes: spotting a couple of toucans along the way, Frank cracks, “They are paired because only two can play” (get it?). After an amusing case of mistaken identity involving a rival riverboat operator (a funny but underused Paul Giamatti), Lily and MacGregor agree to let Frank take them upriver on board his ragtag steamboat La Quila.

Amidst their bickering, Frank and Lily have to confront fierce rapids, an army of undead conquistadors led by Lope de Aguirre (Edgar Ramirez), and a German aristocrat Prince Joachim (Jesse Plemons) seeking the petals for (what else?) world domination. It’s as hectic as it gets, with a pet jaguar named Proxima (a CGI creation brought convincingly to life by New Zealand’s Weta Workshop) and the aforementioned tribe of ‘cannibals’ thrown in for good measure during its two-hour runtime. Yet even as it gets increasingly rickety, Collet-Serra and his trio of writers – Michael Green, Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, with story credit to Ficarra and Requa – throw in enough exciting twists moment to moment that you don’t end up losing attention.

Those familiar with the Spanish director Collet-Serra will also recognise his knack for crafting B-movie thrills in such movies as ‘Orphan’, ‘The Commuter’ and ‘The Shallows’, which he puts those talents to good use here in a couple of brawny action sequences, including a nail-biting race against a waterfall, a showdown between the phantom army and the natives within the latter’s habitat up in the trees, and the film’s piece de resistance in a giant secret city hidden underneath the Amazon. The CGI does get overly zealous at some points, but Collet-Serra holds it together with sheer bravura and even some cleverly staged scares every now and then.

Yet ‘Jungle Cruise’s’ greatest joys lie with the company of Johnson and Blunt, whose verve and wit elevate the film into the sort of good old-fashioned escapism that other classic action-adventure movies were made of. That you don’t end up begrudging the ending for being a ‘deux ex machina’ is testament to how much both actors have won you over, so much so that you don’t mind them being back for a possible sequel. And as far as theme park attractions go, ‘Jungle Cruise’ is surely one of the best of such adaptations, preserving the trademark groan-worthy charm of its ‘skippers’ while reviving the magic of past swashbuckling delights. It’s a journey filled with laughs, thrills and some spills, so bring your popcorn and slushy drink and enjoy the ride.

Movie Rating:

(With verve and wit, Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt make a winning swashbuckling couple in this old-fashioned escapist action adventure that mostly succeeds in emulating the laughs, thrills and spills of its classic genre predecessors)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Sci-Fi/Drama
Director: Lisa Joy
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, Thandwie Newton, Cliff Curtis, Natalie Martinez, Angela Sarafyan, Brett Cullen, Daniel Wu 
Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins
Rating: NC16 (Sexual Scene)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 18 August 2021

Synopsis: Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman), a private investigator of the mind, navigates the darkly alluring world of the past by helping his clients access lost memories. Living on the fringes of the sunken Miami coast, his life is forever changed when he takes on a new client, Mae (Rebecca Ferguson). A simple matter of lost and found becomes a dangerous obsession. As Bannister fights to find the truth about Mae's disappearance, he uncovers a violent conspiracy, and must ultimately answer the question: how far would you go to hold on to the ones you love?

Movie Review:

“You’re going on a journey, a journey through memory. All you have to do is follow my voice.”

You can be sure we will follow your voice, Mr Hugh Jackman. You are one of the most charismatic celebrities today, and you can be damn sure we’d be happy to be led by your voice into happier times of our lives.

The ever likeable Australian actor plays Nick Bannister, a private investigator who owns a fancy machine that allows clients to relive memories by soaking themselves in a water tank. These memories are projected as a hologram and Nick will be witnessing them as they play out majestically on a separate device.

Why do people need to indulge in these past moments? The world has become a mess, and no thanks to climate change, wars are rampaging and cities are submerged in water. Yup, our irresponsible actions today may lead to such undesirable consequences. But one has to survive, so Nick and his long time partner Watts(Thandiwe Newton) run this reminiscence service for the countless unhappy people out there.

One day, an alluring woman named Mae (Rebecca Ferguson) steps into their office and like an unofficial sequel to The Greatest Showman (where Jackman and Fergusonhad brilliant on screen chemistry), the two fall in love. Alas, she mysteriously disappears and an infatuated Nick becomes obsessed with tracking down Mae. Along the way, dirty secrets will be revealed, and hearts will be broken.

The movie is helmed by Lisa Joy, who the marketing angle is how this is the first feature film from the co creator of Westworld, a critically acclaimed science fiction dystopian TV series. Undoubtedly, viewers will be drawing similarities between the award winning drama series and this movie, and that may not be a good thing. Furthermore, the slowburn film will remind audiences of other films of the same genre, and unfortunately, superior titles like Blade Runner, Minority Report and Inception come to mind.

There are moments during this 116 minute movie when you feel that the filmmakers aren’t sure what to focus on, and a result of that is to have a little of everything, which ends up frustrating viewers. Amidst Nick’s constant digging for the truth, is there a breathtaking twist waiting to happen? The action sequences are beautifully choreographed, but do they sit well with audiences yearning an adrenaline rush? Daniel Wu has a supporting role as a bad guy, but what is the point of him peppering his lines with American accented Mandarin phrases?

The best thing about the story is how tragically bittersweet the relationship between Nick and Mae is, and credit goes to Jackman and Fergusonfor keeping our eyes glued on the big screen whenever they appear. Also, the sets are gorgeously created – this is a world that is magnificent to see on screen, but one that you do not want to live in. The ending is also poignantly heartbreaking, and as you witness Nick and Mae’s eventual fate, you pardon the film’s flaw. Like Nick’s clients, we only want to embrace the best moments of the film.

Movie Rating:

(We can listen to Mr Hugh Jackman's voice the whole day and pardon the flaws of this otherwise gorgeous dystopian thriller)

Review by John Li

Genre: Drama
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Jack Huston, Salma Hayek, Al Pacino 
Runtime: 2 hrs 38 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Scenes)
Released By: UIP
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 30 December 2021

Synopsis: House of Gucci is inspired by the shocking true story of the family empire behind the Italian fashion house of Gucci. Spanning three decades of love, betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately murder, we see what a name means, what it's worth, and how far a family will go for control. 

Movie Review:

‘House of Gucci’ opens with the deceptively casual scene of Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) cycling home alone after lunch one day, pausing on the steps to his apartment building right when he hears someone calling him by his surname. Only when we return to that scene late in the third act are we told it was meant to be of that fateful morning of March 27, 1995; and only then do we see how he was shot multiple times at close range by a pair of hitmen.

Some may recall from the sensational trial back in 1997 that it was his ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) who ordered his assassination, and yet his murder was but the final stab in a series of back-stabbings either seeded or set in motion by the daughter of a modest family which owned a ground transportation service that saw an opportunity in Maurizio and went out of her way for love, power and wealth. As adapted from the non-fiction book of the same name by Sara Gay Forden, screenwriters Becky Johnston and Roberto Bentivegna tell the unravelling of the Gucci family empire from the perspective of the woman who precipitated its downfall.

And why not, really? Even though there is no shortage of colourful characters on display, the most intriguing and compelling of them all is undoubtedly Patrizia. Though from humble beginnings, she was anything but; beginning with how she engineers a meet-cute with Maurizio at a bookstore following their chance meeting at a nightclub party, Patrizia demonstrates she will scheme, plan and plot to get what she wants.

At least at the start, Maurizio appears to be what she is after, given how she chooses to marry him even after his father Rodolfo (Jeremy Irons) has disowned him; yet, that quickly becomes a lot more complicated when an ailing Rodolfo decides to accept Maurizio back into the family after learning that they have just had a child named Alessandria. Fiercely embracing the Gucci name, Patrizia urges Maurizio to turn against the rest of his family who hold equal shares in the company, under the guise of doing what is necessary for the best interests of the brand.

Spanning about two decades, their relationship drives a sprawling narrative which tells not only of how they fell in love but also of how Maurizio fell out of love with Patrizia, scorning her to the extent that she would conspire with a psychic she confides in to have him killed. The disintegration of their marriage is also as a result of their circumstances, and here is where director Ridley Scott has fun detailing the eccentricities of the Gucci clan, most notably that of Maurizio’s uncle and company chairman Aldo (Al Pacino) and his ineffectual son Paolo (Jared Leto).

Their family melodrama is told with Scott’s usual showmanship, and we dare say the haute couture potboiler chronicling the rise, fall and resurrection of the fashion empire, complete with backroom deals, betrayals and Machiavellian business moves is absolutely gripping from start to finish. It is also akin to Greek tragedy, not least because it ends with nary a single member of the eponymous family involved in what is one of the most successful fashion brands today with an estimated net worth of $60 billion. Scott squeezes all these oversized characters and telenovela twists into close to three hours, but does so with such finesse and energy that you won’t ever feel the length of the movie.

That every minute proves so fascinating is also credit to the brilliant cast. Much has been said about Lady Gaga’s sophomore role after her Oscar-winning debut in ‘A Star Is Born’, and the singer proves she isn’t a one-trick pony. Gaga immerses herself completely into Patrizia, wearing her character’s motivations, disappointments and eventually rage on her sleeve. Next to her, Driver’s purposefully passive turn may seem curious at the start, but only reinforces what a cold, calculated person he can ultimately be. On the other hand, both Leto and Pacino choose to turn their supporting parts into Method-acting scenery-chewing, and while it doesn’t sit as coherently with Gaga and Driver’s grounded performances, you’ll lap up the campiness anyways.

With ‘House of Gucci’, Scott establishes himself yet again as one of the foremost – and we might say, under-appreciated – directors in the business. It isn’t hard to guess why he was taken by this story and wanted to adapt it for the big screen, and after close to a decade of trying to do so, delivers a epic masterpiece that we say belongs with the gangster classics like ‘Scarface’ and even ‘The Godfather’. Indeed, it is quite simply one of the best adult dramas this year, combining glamour, greed and melodrama into a riveting true-crime saga. It’s a shame if you miss it, or for that matter, Gaga’s tour-de-force that may just win her a consecutive Academy Award.

Movie Rating:

(Crime has never been this glamorous, juicy or operatic as it is in this gripping saga of the rise, fall and resurrection of the eponymous fashion empire)

Review by Gabriel Chong

SYNOPSIS: A mysterious secret agent who has been denounced by his government must return to France when his son becomes framed by an international terrorist organization.

MOVIE REVIEW:

The Muscles of Brussels otherwise known as Jean-Claude Van Damme or JCVD in short or hilariously nicknamed “The Mist” in this French action comedy is finally back in a decent movie which we can actually see clearly his left, right, front profile rather than a stand-in actor.

Richard Brumere (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is a mysterious secret agent and lady killer who has a son with the wife of a certain Commander Jouard (Patrick Timsit) years ago. With his estranged biological son, Archibald (Samir Decazza) being falsely accused of arms trafficking, Richard must returned from the field to rescue him. Along for the ride is Archibald’s friend, Dalila (Assa Sylla), her brother Momo (Djimo) and foreign affairs staff, Alex (Alban Ivanov). At the same time, they must unravel the true identity of the mole in the ministry and capture the real arms-dealer, Simyon (Nassim Lyes).

Clearly, The Last Mercenary is not one movie to be taken seriously. Right from the start, we see Van Damme doing his famous spilt, execute a few kicks and rescuing a hostage. The silly prologue summarizes his entire career and reminding audiences Van Damme is still an action hero in a few minutes but writer and director David Charhon has more to offer, meaning it’s time to unleash Van Damme’s comedic chops to good use.

One biggest difference between this and JCVD in which he plays a semi-improvised version of himself is in this particular comedy, his Richard Brumere contains less emotional baggage, it’s pure slapstick and silly fun all the way. The character of Brumere allows him to don several disguises, a cleaner, a swimming coach and even dressing up as a woman. The laughs are frequently absurd consider Van Damme just needs to put on a poker face to make the material funnier.

Despite the limited budget, Charhon pulls off several high-octane action scenes. One memorable one featuring Brumere and Archibald in a car chase with two armed assassins hot on their heels and a funny (not high-octane) one in which Alex is riding near naked on an electric scooter. Of course, Van Damme gets plenty of chances to showcase his nimble kicks and punches with one particularly interesting scene in which he gets to spar with two musclewomen clad in gold swimsuits.

This is not exactly the politically correct comedy we are expecting. Certain jokes and gags might not go well for some though there are more than enough humour and action to entertain the masses. The French certainly knows their caviar and how to do balance action with comedy. Good edits and no shaky cams as well. Throw in a veteran liked Jean-Claude Van Damme and we are sure you are going to enjoy your time with The Last Mercenary or “The Mist”.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee