Genre: Musical/Drama
Director: Joe Wright
Cast: Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Ben Mendelsohnn, Monica Dolan, Bashir Salahuddin
Runtime: 2 hrs 4 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 10 March 2022
Synopsis: Award-winning director Joe Wright envelops moviegoers in a symphony of emotions with music, romance, and beauty in Cyrano, re-imagining the timeless tale of a heartbreaking love triangle. A man ahead of his time, Cyrano de Bergerac (played by Peter Dinklage) dazzles whether with ferocious wordplay at a verbal joust or with brilliant swordplay in a duel. But, convinced that his appearance renders him unworthy of the love of a devoted friend, the luminous Roxanne (Haley Bennett), Cyrano has yet to declare his feelings for her - and Roxanne has fallen in love, at first sight, with Christian (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.).
Movie Review:
It’s reasonable to say that Peter Dinklage single-handedly changed the perception of dwarf actors in his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones. In a highly refreshing and memorable performance, his characterisation exuded a devilish mix of expressive charm and sardonic wit that quickly adhered him to the audience.
This level of magnetism naturally came to Joe Wright’s attention when he was casting for Cyrano. With a story centred around a forlorn and poetic swordsman who suppresses his love for his childhood sweetheart because of a physical trait, Dinklage’s uncanny talent for capturing eloquence and steely resolve became a perfect fit for the director in his musical.
Based on the stage musical by Erica Schmidt (who also happens to be Dinklage’s wife), the film similarly adapts the classic literature piece to change the protagonist’s facial disfigurement as reason for his insecurity in love into a lack of height instead.
Madly in love with his childhood friend, Roxanne (Haley Bennett), Cyrano finds solace in wordplay and swordplay, wresting victory after victory from any opponent in his path. There’s only one other person aware of his adoration - his fellow guard captain, Le Bret (Bashir Salahuddin). Convinced that Roxanne is of the sort that would look past physical appearances, he constantly tries to nudge the lovelorn Cyrano into confession.
Unfortunately, a new recruit by the name of Christian de Neuvillette (Kelvin Harrison Jr) joins the force and displays instant affection for Roxanne at a glance, even as she returns the admiration. Crushed by the timing, Cyrano nobly promises Roxanne to keep the new recruit protected during his service, but actually also lends his poetic gift in writing to Christian as a way to serenade her. As he aptly puts it, “I will make you eloquent, while you make me handsome.”
Given the arrangements, it’s easy to see where this love triangle can go wrong.
Wright’s adaptation is a gorgeous affair - a display of frilly costumes, lush lighting and faceted cinematography. There’s hardly anything to fault there. But as a musical, there are some decisions that feel like experimentional missteps that take one out of a complete immersion.
Presented with music by the Dessner brothers, the film achieves some edge with a contemporary touch and keeps enough sensibilities as a musical period piece. However, there’s a grit here that doesn’t lean nicely into the romantic ache and I find myself unable to feel for segments like I Need More. Others, like Madly, are delivered more successfully amidst flour and sensual acts of baking.
But most of the time, it highlights Dinklage’s lack of singing skills. To be honest, he “talks” through his pieces. When placed right up against Bennett’s effortless songbird delivery, it really shows up his lack, even if he possesses a pleasant timbre and tone. And maybe it’s because of this that the two seem to have a wavering chemistry. It’s a pity because it’s there in moments when Roxanne speaks privately to Cyrano about her relationship with Christian. But while these spoken interactions show a fondness and understanding blooming, the singing makes it teeter once again.
Cyrano’s main journey of chivalrous heartache can only be extracted if we can feel the devotion in his actions and there’s enough here from Wright to deliver the message, but the protagonist’s sacrificial act is marred slightly by an odd musicality and storytelling that feels somewhat abrupt.
Movie Rating:
(Lushly rendered and nicely interpreted, the musical does fall short when it comes to its storytelling when done through song, as it robs some of the chemistry so needed for a romantic saga like this)
Review by Morgan Awyong
Genre: Drama
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Cast: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn, Jon Bernthal
Runtime: 2 hrs 24 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language and Violence)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website:
Opening Day: 27 January 2022
Synopsis: Based on the true story that will inspire the world, Warner Bros. Pictures’ 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. Two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith (“Ali,” “The Pursuit of Happyness,” “Bad Boys for Life”) stars as Richard, under the direction of Reinaldo Marcus Green (“Monsters and Men”). Driven by a clear vision of their future and using unconventional methods, Richard has a plan that will take Venus and Serena Williams from the streets of Compton, California to the global stage as legendary icons. The profoundly moving film shows the power of family, perseverance and unwavering belief as a means to achieve the impossible and impact the world.
Movie Review:
If you know the story of Richard Williams, this feel-good drama about how he had forged his daughters, Venus and Serena, into a pair of tennis superstars would probably not do. Though it does highlight some characteristics of Richard’s parenting, it is hardly the whole story about Richard, and does not even scratch the surface to portray his real-life complexities. Yet those who do not mind a less-than-complete portrait of the eponymous character will find that ‘King Richard’ is never less than engaging, and often even warm and appealing.
‘King Richard’ begins with Richard (Will Smith) accosting various tennis coaches at a country club to try to convince one of them to train his teenage daughters for free. Not surprisingly, he is met with rejection at almost every turn, all the more so because tennis was primarily a white man’s game. Only after deliberately wandering into the middle of a practice match between Pete Sampras and John McEnroe does Richard get the attention of Sampras’ legendary coach Paul Cohen (Tony Goldwyn), who offers to coach only one of them for free (note: Richard chooses the older Venus).
Besides how Paul comes to coach Venus, the first half hour also pays tribute to Richard’s doggedness as a father and mentor. Not only is he determined to keep his children off the streets, Richard takes it upon himself to train them, open doors for them, and even chart the future according to what he thinks is best for them. It is humbling seeing how willing he is to cajole, argue and refuse to take no for an answer, while at the same time enduring the taunts of those of his own race, be it the local thugs who scoff at him trying to teach his daughters on Compton’s cracked concrete tennis courts or his neighbour criticizing his rain-or-shine practices.
To director Reinaldo Marcus Green’s credit, he and writer Zach Baylin do eventually present a more balanced perspective of Richard’s parenting, by setting up a number of tense exchanges between Richard and his wife Oracene (Aunjanue Ellis). While she does not get as much time as Richard on screen, Oracene is in her own way a force to be reckoned with, a stoic, down-to-earth figure who is always ready to defend their children against Richard’s occasional excesses – one such occasion is when Richard thinks of leaving the girls at the neighbourhood store to walk the rest of the three miles home in order to teach them humility, before Oracene chastises him for risking their children’s lives.
Another such occasion leads to Richard deciding that Paul does not have their best interests at heart and engaging the services of Florida-based Rick Macci (Jon Bernthal) for Venus and Serena instead, a game-changing (pardon the pun) step that will see the family move from California to Florida. Though Rick will eventually lead Venus to take on the top tennis player in the world Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (Marcela Zacarias), Richard and Rick’s partnership isn’t completely smooth-sailing, not least because Richard refuses to let both his daughters compete in the juniors despite Rick’s repeated attempts at persuading him otherwise.
Because the outcome of the match is already known, the real excitement here is appreciating the journey that Venus and Serena underwent, and the indomitable role which their father Richard had played in it. As Venus and Serena respectively, Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton are magnificent in their roles, full of childlike wonder and joy yet ambitious, hardworking and driven by the mission their parents have established for them. Ellis too is just as superb, providing Oracene with measure and grace. Yet, each of these female performers are but supporting acts for Will Smith, who clearly hopes that his intentional underplaying of Richard will earn him at least another nomination come awards season.
Those familiar with Smith will know that the actor has been a fan of Richard since more than two decades ago, not only because of his admiration of Richard’s unshakeable belief in his children but also of his indignation at how the news media has vilified Richard over the years. Smith’s passion for the project as well as the character is evident, but beyond the obvious transformation with an exaggerated Louisiana drawl and hunched posture, the actor isn’t afraid to portray Richard as a stubborn, controlling and sometimes unfathomably tenacious person. Even as it does veer into hagiography, Smith plays it honest when he gets the chance to, and it is for the most part a winning performance that could very well win him the coveted Oscar prize.
It bears reminding though that ‘King Richard’ ultimately presents a filtered look at the controversial figure who had raised eyebrows and provoked endless consternation in the tennis world. Of course, without the astounding success of Venus and Serena, Richard Williams wouldn’t probably have a Hollywood biopic of his own; still, as varnished as it may be, this is still a warm, exuberant, old-fashioned drama that mixes race, class, sports and celebrity into an engrossing watch. It is also anchored by a regal Will Smith, who alone is worth the price of admission.
Movie Rating:
(Mixing race, class, sports and celebrity into an engrossing family drama, this portrait of Richard Williams boasts a regal leading performance by Will Smith)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Sci-Fi/Action/Disaster
Director: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, John Bradley, Charlie Plummer, Michael Peña, Donald Sutherland
Runtime: 2 hrs 10 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language & Intense Sequences)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 3 February 2022
Synopsis: A mysterious force knocks the Moon from its orbit around Earth and sends it hurtling on a collision course with life as we know it. With mere weeks before impact and the world on the brink of annihilation, NASA executive and former astronaut Jo Fowler (Halle Berry) is convinced she has the key to saving us all - but only one astronaut from her past, Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson) and conspiracy theorist K.C. Houseman (John Bradley) believe her. These unlikely heroes will mount an impossible last-ditch mission into space, leaving behind everyone they love, only to find out that our Moon is not what we think it is.
Movie Review:
No one does disaster movies like Roland Emmerich, and Moonfall is proof that Emmerich is a master of the craft.
The disaster in question is the moon falling out of its orbit and on a collision course with Earth, exerting a gravitational pull that causes floods, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Those who have seen the trailer will know that the occurrence is not as a result of nature going haywire, but rather of an intelligent AI swarm wrecking havoc within the core of the moon.
The ‘unlikely’ heroes who will risk their lives to save the day are former astronaut Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson), who is still carrying the guilt from a failed mission years earlier; acting NASA director Jocinda Fowler (Halle Berry), a close friend and former fellow astronaut whom Brian blames for what happened on that mission; and conspiracy theorist KC Houseman (John Bradley), a discredited scientist who was the first to notice that there is something wrong with the moon.
Speaking of conspiracies, Emmerich and his frequent screenwriting collaborator Harald Kloser spin an eyebrow-raising one about the infamous two minutes of radio silence that NASA had apparently lost communications with Apollo 11; and as incredulous as that may sound, Emmerich at least has the wits to let Donald Sutherland be the one to carry it with his signature gravitas in his capacity as Holdenfield, the gatekeeper of NASA’s secret archives.
After uncovering what is purportedly the largest cover-up in NASA’s history, Jocinda assembles a do-or-die mission to the moon on board the retired Endeavour space shuttle in order to set off a prototype EMP device to knock out the alien entity. That Brian is chosen for the mission is no coincidence – given how sensitive the entity is to electronic devices, the plan requires Brian to navigate the surface of the moon without the help of guidance systems.
Their mission itself makes a tense and intriguing final act, as our heroes not only find themselves having to navigate through large chunks of rock that have broken off from the moon (due to the interaction of the Earth and the moon’s gravity), but also outrun a swift and smart being within the megastructure of the moon (without giving too much away, let’s just say it has to do with a certain theory that the moon is really a Dyson sphere). More so than in his earlier movies, Emmerich leads ‘Moonfall’ down some serious science-fiction territory, even venturing right into the heart of our genesis.
Even if the science doesn’t exactly hold up to scrutiny, the visuals do. The cataclysm wrought by the impending collision between Earth and its moon is harrowing to say the very least, what with pieces of the moon breaking up and crashing into Earth as meteors. And even though it is hardly the first time he is depicting the end of the world, Emmerich does so here with just as much gusto as before, serving up images of a flood-hit Los Angeles, a meteor-stricken Aspen and a gravity-decimated New York City for good measure. Emmerich is very much in his element here, so fans of 2012 and The Day After Tomorrow will not be disappointed.
That said, as sobering as the scenes of human peril are, the parallel storyline involving Brian’s teenage son Sonny (Charlie Plummer), Jocinda’s young son Jimmy (Zayn Maloney) and a high-school student Michelle (Kelly Yu) who stays with Jocinda and Jimmy cannot quite match the same depths of excitement as the expedition itself. Emmerich splits the action into two theatres once Brian, Jocinda and KC blast off into space, but that set on Earth inevitably is less engaging even as the trio of Sonny, Jimmy and Michelle have their own challenges to deal with while trying to make their way up to an underground bunker for shelter, including escaping from the moon’s gravity every now and then when the moon is directly above them and evading a group of armed and vengeful ruffians.
It should come as no surprise that Moonfall is ultimately spectacle- than character-driven, with the cast having to do much of the heavy lifting to make their characters stand out. Wilson and Berry are nicely cast as two former astronauts who have to settle their historical baggage in order to save the earth, while Bradley balances his performance neatly to deliver both levity and warning depending on what the screenplay calls on him to do. The other supporting actors have even less to work with, so we don’t quite blame Michael Pena (as Sonny’s step-dad) or even Sutherland for making less of an impression than what we would expect of them.
So like we said at the start, Moonfall is ultimately signature Emmerich for better and for worse. It has plenty of disaster spectacle all right, the sort that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen for maximum cinematic experience; and at the same time, it has a bunch of rote characters as well as competent actors trying to make the best out of their roles. To Emmerich’s credit, Moonfall tries to be more than just another end-of-the-world movie by also exploring the beginning-of-the-world, even at the risk of being dismissed as mumbo-jumbo; for us, the joy of seeing a vintage Emmerich movie is enough thrill, familiar or expected as it may be.
Movie Rating:
(As thrilling as Emmerich makes them, Moonfall sees director Roland Emmerich very much in his element as the specialist in disaster spectacle)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: Bullets fly and blood splatters at a small-town police station when a rookie cop unwittingly locks a contract killer in the cell opposite his target.
MOVIE REVIEW:
The prolific Frank Grillo is front and centre, as a fixer for mobster opposite usual leading man Gerald Butler whom in a strange twist of fate plays second fiddle in Copshop.
This entertaining gun toting action thriller opens with Teddy Murretto (Grillo), a sleazy guy with a bad man bun who gets himself locked up in a small-town police station by a rookie cop, Valerie Young (Alexis Louder). Not surprisingly, Muretto has a hidden agenda for doing so. Apparently, he has siphoned lots of money from his clients and now they want him dead.
One of them is professional hitman, Bob Viddick (Butler). As a backup, a fellow psychotic hitman, Anthony Lamb (Toby Huss) is also hired for the job. However, with both of them trapped and locked in separate cells, Murretto and Viddick must find ways and means to get out of jail before Lamb gets into them.
Directed by Joe Carnahan who returned to his Narc andSmokin’ Acesroots, the majority of the movie is confined within the set of a police station which in a way gives Carnahan lots of creativity to stage some striking shoot-outs and bloody body counts. So instead of John McClane being trapped in a building with terrorists, we have an enthusiastic rookie cop Valerie Young being surrounded by a con-artist and hitmen.
The interesting question being how is she going to survive this soon to occur bloodbath? Who is she trusting her life to? The fixer who absconded with his clients’ money or the notorious hitman who never misses the target?
The script by Carnahan and Kurt McLeod manages to keep things breezy and witty even the action bits only came in much later. The playful banter between Muretto and Viddick which constitutes much of the movie is very much Tarantino-inspired although it’s probably a little too unfair to judge things this way. The profanity-laced dialogue indeed contains a decent mix of laughs and nastiness before the much-anticipated finale.
With Copshop, Carnahan has successfully churned out an old school, wham-bang action thriller that will make John Woo proud. There’s no pretentious character development or stylized CG enhanced action setup. Without any excess fat, this movie is meant to solely entertain. With Grillo chewing the scenery together with Butler and an outstanding Alexis Louder giving their very best, Copshop is strangely addictive.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Seasoned screenwriter Lau Ho Leung, who made his directorial debut with the 2015 heist film Two Thumbs Up, raises the stakes in his thrilling sophomore effort Caught in Time. Produced by Soi Cheang, the crime actioner stars Wang Qianyuan (Saving Mr. Wu) as a dogged detective and Daniel Wu (Tomb Raider) as the ruthless criminal he's chasing. Based loosely on true events about China's most wanted criminal of the nineties, the gripping action-packed thriller follows the years-long hunt for the notorious outlaw who committed robberies and killings in multiple provinces throughout the decade. Criminal detective Zhong Cheng (Wang Qianyuan) is ordered to hunt down a group of criminals known as the Eagle Gang. Armed, disciplined and dangerous, the gang commits a series of shocking violent robberies, and brazen gang leader Zhang Sun (Daniel Wu) repeatedly challenges and provokes the police. Zhong vows to take down the Eagle Gang but Zhang stays one step ahead, as he continuously evades capture over the years while ramping up their crime spree.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Caught In Time is loosely based on a ruthless robbery gang dubbed Eagle that committed numerous deadly banks and jewelry stores robberies in China during the early nineties. Their operation is slick and immaculately planned all thanks to their charismatic and quick-witted leader, Zhang Jun (Daniel Wu).
In comes Police Captain Zhong Cheng (Wang Qianyuan from Saving Mr. Wu), a hard-boiled cop from Chongqing who is determined to arrest Zhang after stumbling into one of his crime sprees earlier. But somehow, Zhang and his gang remains an enigma, all the while committing more robberies as the days goes. But when a confrontation between Zhong and Zhang left one of his accomplices’ dead, the gang decides to move their operation into another province.
While Trivisa is a gritty, violent movie that explored the characteristics about three notorious Hong Kong criminals, Caught In Time is more in tune with a typical 90’s Hong Kong action thriller despite the almost similar theme. In other words, it’s short, brief and highly enjoyable if you can forgive the fact that it’s being touted as a true story. So let’s just get on to the negative stuff, shall we?
The script clearly lacks a backstory for both Zhang and Zhong. What leads to Zhang embarking on a crime spree and harboring no sympathy for anyone that gets in his way? He even gifts a grenade to an innocent boy who happens to play on a street. To a certain extent, he does seem pretty nice to his mother (a special appearance by Hong Kong veteran Nina Paw) who runs a bathhouse though. Along the way, he even falls in love with a woman who is about to commit suicide.
Zhong on the other hand seems to be estranged from his family. He is the typical dedicated supercop in the police force. Probably neglecting his family the whole time that his daughter needs to call him at work to ask him on how to solve a math problem. Unmistakably, both are distinctly humans on different sides of the law. The fact that the script fares rather weak on the above mentioned is pretty much regrettable.
Still, like a breathless 90’s HK actioner, the movie delivers promptly in all areas where it comes to shootouts and explosions. The shootouts are brilliantly choreographed, shot visually stunningly on streets that are dressed like 90’s China. The action moves from one street to another, one province to another, hardly for anyone including the audiences to catch their breath. The final confrontation which took place in a bathhouse is brutal and engaging, an impeccable end to the crime drama.
Daniel Wu who in recent years has moved back to the states to dabble in Hollywood productions is brilliant as Zhang. Sporting a mullet, Wu is both imposing and charming as the mysterious criminal. Wang Qianyuan as always shines in whatever roles he is given, whether it’s a crook or a righteous soldier. Director and writer Lau Ho Leung’s sophomore directorial effort after Two Thumbs Up is a recommendable China production that resembles a past Hong Kong flick. Perhaps removing a propaganda message at the end of the movie might be a better move next time.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digial 5.1 is superb in terms of sound and ambient design.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Drama
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper, Benny Safdie
Runtime: 2 hrs 14 mins
Rating: NC16 (Coarse Language and Sexual References)
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 20 January 2022
Synopsis: Licorice Pizza is the story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around and falling in love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Phantom Thread), Licorice Pizza tracks the treacherous navigation of first love. Raised in the San Fernando Valley, Alana Kane (played by Alana Haim) and Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) have never met before picture-taking day at Gary’s high school. Alana is no longer a student but is a young woman seeking to find and define herself beyond her uninspiring job as a photographer’s aide. Gary has already established himself as a working actor — and is quick to tell Alana this in an attempt to impress her. She is amused and intrigued by his preternatural confidence and they strike up a heartfelt, if awkward, rapport. Seeking to strengthen this connection with Alana, Gary wangles an opportunity for her to be his chaperone during a New York television appearance; on impulse, she agrees. The TV appearance does not go exactly as planned and once back in California, each of them questions their future. Over time and as their friendship grows Gary pursues career opportunities outside of acting, and becomes a budding entrepreneur selling waterbeds and opening a pinball arcade; and Alana gives serious consideration to her future (including a foray into acting). On their own or side by side, both Gary and Alana experience a series of epiphanies that are both uproarious and bittersweet: close encounters with a famous actor (portrayed by Sean Penn), a Hollywood producer (Bradley Cooper), and a local politician (Benny Safdie). Both self-aware and at loose ends, Alana and Gary blaze through a time and place that carry for them the thrill of first love, entering adulthood, and the discovery of newfound potential — perhaps, most of all, in each other.
Movie Review:
Paul Thomas Anderson is one of this reviewer’s favourite filmmakers. Since wowing the box office and critics with Boogie Nights in 1997 (wow, the sight of Mark Wahlberg’s Dirk Diggler hanging his manhood in the movie set in the Golden Age of Porn!), the American director has made one impressive film after another. Expect nothing less from his latest offering – it may even be his most personal piece of work yet as we become best friends with the film’s couple as they grow up, fall in love and live life.
Set in 1973, we meet 15 year old Gary Valentine (what a name!), a confident young actor who thinks that he is ready to take over the world. He notices Alana Kane, a photographer’s assistant 10 years older than him. He tries to impress her with his sweet talk, and after a series of incidents, the two become part of each others’ lives. The duo embarks on a waterbed business, crosses paths with Hollywoodactors and producers, before becoming involved in politics through a mayoral campaign. Based on real life characters and events, this 133 minute film never feels sluggish, and more importantly, exploitatively nostalgic.
Written by Anderson, the story is inspired by people he knows personally. Coupled with his talent for writing, the result is an authentic film that sees the world from two teenagers’ perspectives. While viewers in our region may not be very familiar with the setting depicted, there is a sense that this movie is truly a result of Anderson’s love for the era.
Gary Valentine and Alana Kane are played by Cooper Hoffman (son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Alana Haim (pianist, guitarist and vocalist of American pop rock band Haim), and the two first time actors exude magic on screen. Besides delivering impressive individual performances which capture their characters’ personalities, they have an unconventional chemistry whenever they share the screen. The two young actors may not be your typical good lookers, but they have an undeniable energy which is relatable to anyone who has been a teenager.
When someone like Andersonasks whether you want to take on a small role in his film, you say yes. This film features a remarkable ensemble cast: Bradley Cooper steals the limelight as Jon Peters (whose four marriages include a high profile one to Barbra Streisand), Sean Penn is mysteriously mesmerising as Jack Holden (based on 1950s popular actor William Holden), Tom Waits is a hoot as Rex Blau (based on veteran film director and producer Mark Robson), Benny Safdie as Joel Wachs (the American politician was known for promoting the arts and supporting gay causes) and Christine Ebersole as Lucy Doolittle (based on Lucille Ball, whom we adore in the sitcom “I Love Lucy”).
The film also features a soundtrack that you’ll want to put on loop. There are tracks from artists like Nina Simone, Bing Crosby, The Doors and David Bowie. The songs are aptly used throughout the film and they play out like how you’d want your life to have accompanying tunes. The score is composed by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, and the main theme is melancholically beautiful, which feels exactly like our first love.
Anderson’s past few films have ranged from being exquisitely dramatic (Phantom Thread) and frustratingly humorous (Inherent Vice) to grippingly intense (The Master) and humanely commanding (There Will Be Blood). His latest work brings us back to the older days where we were emotionally engaged in the ensemble piece Magnolia (1999), and the oddly affectionate Punch Drunk Love (2002). It’s easily one of our favourites for the year.
Movie Rating:
(Paul Thomas Anderson's most personable film to date is a love letter to the 1970s he knew, and we are in love with it as well)
Review by John Li
Genre: Comedy
Director: Jack Neo
Cast: Apple Chan, Glenn Yong, Yang Guang Ke Le, Belle Chua, Xixi Lim, Samantha Tan, Charlene Huang, ShirliLing, Karyn Wong, Eswari, Veracia Yong, Yong Yu, Farah Farook, Vanessa Tiara, Chloe Goh
Runtime: 2 hrs
Rating: PG13 (Some Sexual References & Coarse Language)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment
Official Website:
Opening Day: 1 February 2022
Synopsis: WHAT IF, in the unforeseen future, when there are not enough boys in Singapore? If Girls haveto serve National Service also, what will happen? The story will focus on the first batch of female recruits, a bunch of Gen Z teens and youngsters with different backgrounds and education. As they trained under the fierce leadership of Sergeant Chow and Lieutenant Roxanne, they find themselves being pushed to the limit of their potential. Together, they overcome hardship and initial resistance to serve NS and discover newfound abilities, using it to solve and mend relationships in their personal life as well.
Movie Review:
With a combined box office of over $20 million, ‘Ah Boys to Men’ is easily the highest-grossing Singaporean franchise of all time. Is it any wonder that Jack Neo has tried various means to keep it alive, including licensing it as a web series set in the workplace? Neo’s latest formulation sees him do a gender switch, imagining what it would be if due to the continued decline in birth rates, Singapore would have to call upon its female residents to serve National Service. The idea itself is intriguing, but sadly wasted under Neo’s shallow scripting and even worse direction, so much so that ‘Ah Girls Go Army’ is probably the worst entry of the series thus far.
Like the first ‘Ah Boys’, this one follows the progress of a group of recruits conscripted into Basic Military Training - or Girls BMT (GBMT) in this case. In place of Tosh Zhang’s Second Sergeant Alex Ong, we have the similarly stern but caring Second Sergeant Chow CK (Glenn Yong) as the platoon sergeant, reporting to 2LT Roxanne Tan (Apple Chan) as the platoon commander. The recruits themselves come in different shapes and sizes, including a mollycoddled Princess See (Ke Ke), a heartbroken Joey Tay (Belle Chua), a single mum Yuan Yuan Yuan (Xixi Lim), a bossy Lau Lan Lan (Charlene Huang), and a straightlaced Goh Bee Bee (Samantha Tan).
Notwithstanding the theme, Neo is hardly the most progressive filmmaker, and the jokes here are proof yet again of his worst tendencies. Between Princess See hamming it up with her Hokkien-accented English, Joey fantasizing about SGT Chow like a scene out of ‘Descendants of the Sun’, a recruit with a name like Monica Chng (Juliet Hor) and jokes about Yuan Yuan’s rotund size, Neo demonstrates a misogynistic streak right from the start that is continuously reinforced over the course of an excruciatingly two hours.
How else are we to make of Monica expressing concern over what will happen to her skin if she applied camo cream on it during camouflage lesson? Or the recruits deciding to impress their instructor with their method of taking cover using a pixelated patterned umbrella? Or worse, the recruits giggling over the army hand signal for ‘hurry up’ as if it were an obscene gesture? Oh yes, unless you think that a Special Obstacles Cockroach Course (SOCC) is a clever reinvention of today’s Standard Obstacle Course, those hoping for a smart or simply realistic take on what a female-centric NS could be can look elsewhere.
For this reason, ‘Ah Girls Go Army’ ultimately has no raison d'être. To see females struggling to adapt to today’s Basic Military Training is a lousy excuse for a movie – not only are females who join our Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) today already proving that they can train as well as, if not better, than men, it is simply commonsense to expect that there would be certain modifications to a so-called GBMT should conscription be imposed on all females too (and no, we’re not talking about an SOCC, which is frankly yet another reminder why this movie is itself a joke).
In the absence of any meaningful study on its titular subject, what is left is no more than high-school drama material. There is jealousy between the gangsterish Recruit Lau Lan Lan (Charlene Huang) and Princess See, after the latter threatens her wellness product business amongst the other section mates (no thanks to Holistic Way’s sponsorship of the movie); there is also Joey’s suicide attempt after getting blamed by her buddies for freaking out over a snake in the woods during a toilet break outfield, while being continuously ignored by her boyfriend (who is implied to be dating 2LT Tan by sheer nonsensical narrative coincidence); and last but not least, there is a fight within the bunk when the girls blame one another for looking out for their individual selves during SOCC. Frankly, if we wanted to see catty, we’d much rather watch ‘Mean Girls’ all over again.
To top it all off, the movie ends on a dreadful note promising a second-parter – much like how ‘Ah Boys to Men’ and ‘Ah Boys to Men 2’ were structured, ‘Ah Girls Go Army’ only covers the first half of their GBMT, with the second half teased in a trailer that doesn’t promise any better from what you would have sat through. We sympathize with the cast, which to their credit, do their best to be convincing in their respective roles in uniform; unfortunately, the cast of mostly first-time actresses are let down by Neo’s lackadaisical filmmaking, whether as screenwriter or director, and are stuck in scenes which are embarrassing and sometimes even vexing to watch.
Perhaps the only consolation here is that ‘Ah Girls Go Army’ makes clear from the start that it is completely a work of fiction, and that it was filmed without the support of the SAF (unlike the earlier four ‘Ah Boys to Men’ movies). Even if you had enjoyed the earlier films as we did, you’d find this spinoff unnecessary in every way, and for that matter, not even as throwaway entertainment during the Chinese New Year season. It is no laughing matter when females are called to serve NS as a result of population decline, as a prologue involving a debate in Parliament emphasizes, but there is no other way to see this film than as an utter joke.
Movie Rating:
(From boys to men and now on to girls, this spinoff is witless, charmless and pointless)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Romance/Drama
Director: Du Zheng Zhe
Cast: Eric Chou, Moon Lee, Edison Song, Jean Ho, Lin He Xuan, SHOU, Darren Chiu, Chen Shu-Fang
Runtime: 2 hrs
Rating: PG13 (Some Mature Content)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures and Clover Films
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/MyBestFriendsBreakfast
Opening Day: 28 January 2022
Synopsis: Xiang Weixin (played by Li Mu), a 17-year-old high school sophomore, regards eating as the most important and most healing thing in life. The first time she met her senior Tao Youquan (played by Zhou Xingzhe) was at the school’s welfare agency. At that time, Xiang Weixin lost 5 yuan and could not buy her favourite pineapple bread. Tao Youquan made up the money for her, which made her feel deeply indebted to him. The next day, she saw a breakup scene by the school’s swimming pool. Tao Youquan tried to break up with his cheating girlfriend but failed. Xiang Weixin used her best friend Fang Qiran (played by He Sijing) as an excuse to help Tao Youquan break up successfully and to return the favour.
Movie Review:
High schooler Xiang Weixin (Moon Lee) is an unmotivated, ordinary girl who resorts to binge eating after the breakup of her parents’ marriage. When the leader of her guitar club promises a daily dose of milk tea as a bait, Weixin agrees to perform for the school graduation day. At her end, Weixin is actually hopeless with guitar.
Shortly after, Weixin manages to successfully mediate an awkward breakoff moment between her senior, Tao Youquan (Eric Chou) and his cheating girlfriend. To return his favour, Youquan offers to give Weixin free guitar lessons. But due to some misunderstandings or perhaps kismet, their romantic relationship fails to materialise and well to avoid a major spoiler, you need to catch My Best Friend’s Breakfast to find out if their love blossom in the end.
The biggest draw of this rom-com is none other than Eric Chou. Yes that Eric Chou or 周兴哲, the talented Taiwanese singer and composer who gave you that earworm of a song, ä½ , 好ä¸å¥½ (How Have You Been?). Making his screen debut right here as Youquan, the senior who both swims and plays the guitar well. In all fairness, the character of Youquan doesn’t really requires an ounce of acting ability from the singer even though he can be pretty awkwardly stiff and bland at times.
What’s more interesting is Moon Lee, the upcoming actress who starred in Terrorizers and Detention. As the movie’s main protagonist, Lee while not possessing the beauty traits of a typical female lead is generally charming and cute (not in an nauseously act cute kind of way). We are sure the self-doubting, insecure Weixin will appeal to the average teenager. With matters on love, ambition and family, Weixin certainly is a far more well-written character compared to the rest. There’s brief subplots about the broken love between Weixin’s parents and the reconciliation of Youquan’s grandma and his mom but then these are just unsatisfactory fillers to make up the running time.
The other strictly supporting characters include Weixin’s best friend, Qiran (Jean Ho) the school beauty who received free breakfast on a daily basis from Youquan, Edison Song who plays the leader of the guitar club and to no one surprise, is secretly in love with Weixin and lastly rapper SHOU who plays Qiran’s boyfriend. Clearly none of these characters play a critical role to the overall plotting. In fact, they are mere obstacles constructed to hinder the real romantic relationship between the leads. Well, Golden Horse award actress Chen Shu-fang has a role as Youquan’s stubborn grandma, her role might be small but her Taiwanese Hokkien is always a delight to hear.
My Best Friend’s Breakfast is ultimately yet another generic rom-com in which Taiwanese cinema has perfected the formula long ago. It has basically everything you can think of. Easy on the eyes leading stars, a romance that develops over time coupled with lots of misunderstanding along the way and a mesmerising theme song to end the movie experience. Remember Our Times and You Are the Apple of My Eye?
Movie Rating:
(Watch this mainly for Eric Chou and Moon Lee, not the 80’s action star by the way)
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Martial-Arts
Director: Wong Jing, Keung Kwok Man
Cast: Raymond Lam, Janice Man, Yun Qianqian, Sabrina Qiu, Donnie Yen, Louis Koo, Xu Jinjiang, Alex Fong, Raymond Wong, Rebecca Zhu, Lok Ying Kwan, Jade Leung, Tin Kai Man, Lam Tze Chung, Derek Kwok, Louis Fan, Yu Kang, Wilfred Lau, Xing Yu
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 1 February 2022
Synopsis: For decades, all forces in the martial world had been fighting for two legendary weapons, the Dragon Saber and the Heavenly Sword. Xie Xun, the “Golden Lion King” of the Ming Sect, had made countless enemies in seizing the Dragon Saber. His god-brother Cuishan (Louis Koo) was coerced by the Six Major Sects to expose Xie Xun's location and ends up dying under Emei Sect Master No-mercy’s Heavenly Sword…
Movie Review:
Anyone who knows Wong Jing will know that the quality of his works varies wildly; that said, the 1993 martial arts epic ‘Kung Fu Cult Master’ starring Jet Li, Sharla Cheung, Gigi Lai and Chingmy Yau is one of his better regarded works, even though his decision to turn the righteous Zhang Wuji into an smug hypocrite probably did its box office performance in. Whether to seek vindication or otherwise, ‘New Kung Fu Cult Master’ sees Wong Jing remake his earlier movie, and at least in the first parter, make amends for his previous narrative choices which fans of the classic Louis Cha novel vehemently disliked.
Like the original, this remake opens with a prologue detailing the enmity between the Six Major Sects (comprising Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, Kunlun, Kongtong and Mount Hua) and Xie Xun (or Golden Lion King of the Ming Sect), which results in the latter’s sworn brother Zhang Cuishan (Louis Koo) fleeing to seclusion with his wife Yin Susu (Rebecca Zhu) and their son Wuji. Years later, the family make an ill-fated return to Wudang to visit Cuishan’s master Zhang Sanfeng (Donnie Yen), as they are confronted with the Six Major Sects demanding that Cuishan reveal Xie Xun’s location and hand over Susu. By the end of that fateful evening, Cuishan would have sacrificed himself to save Susu and Wuji, while both Susu and Wuji would have been heavily wounded by the Xuanming duo through their ‘Xuanming Divine Palm’.
So that audiences won’t feel deceived by the top billing of Yen and Koo, Wong Jing devotes close to half an hour just detailing the aforementioned back-story, with Wuji eventually returning to the Ice Fire island with Susu to learn the legendary Great Yang stance. Wuji returns to the Central Plains to avenge his parents as a young adult (Raymond Lam), where he encounters the feisty Xiao Zhao (Yun Qianqian) from the Ming Sect and stumbles upon a dastardly plot by Princess Zhao Min (Janice Man) to sow discord between the Six Major Sects and the Ming Sect in order to stir up a deadly battle and eliminate them once and for all.
Spanning close to two hours, the plotting is dense yet engaging, delineating the ascent of Wuji to the throne of the 34th Chief of the Ming Sect, the downfall of each of the Six Major Sects at the hands of Princess Zhao and her henchmen, and the climactic fight involving the fabled Dragon Saber and Heavenly Sword. Despite this being a remake, those who remember the 1993 original will be pleasantly surprised at how Wong Jing reinvents his earlier adaptation to retain certain familiar elements (such as how Princess Zhao poisons the elders of the Ming Sect, or how Xiao Zhao steps in to buy time when Emei Sect leader Meijue shows up) while changing up other details to keep things fresh and interesting (like how Wuji confronts not the Xuanming elders but a pair of Zhao Min’s right hand men called Ah Cat and Ah Dog at the end).
Sharing directorial duties with his cinematographer Keung Kwok-man, Wong Jing displays a far greater attention to detail here than in his usual solo works. Instead of rushing through the twists and turns, Wong Jing lets each scene build up nicely, giving the various characters space to work through the scene, and letting one scene flow coherently to the next with proper continuity. In the meantime, Wong Jing also tones down his typical excesses, and while there are occasional indulgences (such as how Xiao Zhao throws herself at Wuji), the tone is otherwise perfectly balanced between drama, romance and comedy.
This is also credit to the stellar ensemble which Wong Jing has assembled for this production. Despite his age relative to others who have played the role, Lam redeems himself suitably as Wuji, bringing a heretofore unseen maturity and thoughtfulness to the character. Man, Sabrina Qiu (as Zhiruo of Emei Sect) and Yun cannot quite match up to their predecessors Cheung, Lai and Yau respectively, but at least are never ingratiating. On the other hand, it is a joy seeing veterans Jade Leung (as Miejue), Alex Fong (as Left Emissary Yang Xiao), Felix Lok (as Eagle King) and Raymond Wong (as Bat King) spar with one another; ditto for extended cameos by such eminent martial arts actors as Shi Yanneng (as Cheng Kun), Louis Fan (as Ah Dog) and Yen, who is a worthy successor to Sammo Hung as a more pensive Sanfeng.
Quite frankly, we had not much hope for ‘New Kung Fu Cult Master I’, partly because the trailers do not do justice to the thought and effort put into the production and partly because (well) it is Wong Jing after all. Yet we were more than surprised at how engrossing and exciting it turned out to be, an evidently significant step-up from the earlier 1993 cult classic. It comes as no surprise that it ends on a cliffhanger (with Wuji promising a fleeing Princess Zhao that he will follow her to Dadu to rescue the members of the six sects she had kidnapped); and thankfully, unlike the sequel to the 1993 original that never happened, we will get to see the concluding next chapter that we are left eagerly awaiting for.
Movie Rating:
(Aided by a stellar ensemble, including a solid Raymond Lam as Zhang Wuji, this engrossing, exciting and utterly enjoyable remake of his 1993 cult classic sees Wong Jing at his filmmaking best)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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