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THE MUPPETS - Attitude, comedy, excitement, romance all in onePosted on 14 Oct 2011 |
SYNOPSIS: On December 24, 1994, when four heavily armed terrorists from the Algerian Armed Islamic Group hijacked an Air France plane, Flight 8969, bound for Paris at Algiers' airport, the 227 passengers on board seemed destined for tragedy. After hours of tireless negotiations the plane was granted permission to leave only to head to Marseille for refueling. Mindfully avoiding politics and emphasizing only the events themselves, THE ASSAULT weaves together the violent and claustrophobic onboard drama, with backstories of the tough SWAT officer and father Thierry (Vincent Elbaz), the determined jihadist from the slums of Algiers (Aymen Saidi), and an overly ambitious French Interior Ministry worker. Action-savvy director Julien Leclercq (CHRYSALIS) boldly returns with this taut, real-life thriller that culminates in an explosive gun-wielding standoff, which, at the time, aired live in front of an audience of 21 million television viewers. Leclercq seamlessly intertwines this harrowing real-life footage, heightening the stakes while driving home this heroic but foreboding event in French history.
MOVIE REVIEW:
There are movies which are based on actual events and there are those who are pure inspired by. “The Assault” (L’ Assaut) belongs to the former and it is based on the 1994 hijack of an Air France plane which happened on the runway in Algeria.
Four members of the Armed Islamic Group held over 200 passengers’ hostages demanding the release of two Islamic political leaders and to take off the plane to Paris. After a day of fruitless negotiation with the Algerian government, the plane finally took off to Paris. But at the advice of the pilot, the plane has to stop at an airport in Marseilles for a refuel. There, a French special forces, the GIGN makes a daring rescue mission killing the captors and free the hostages.
Director Julien Leclercq adopts a straight-forward way of telling the event on screen without much fanfare and dramatization unlike Steven Spielberg’s “Munich”. There’s only a short narrative of Thierry, a father to a young daughter, husband to a worried wife and did I mentioned a gung-ho GIGN officer heading the mission to take down the hijackers. Other than the opening scene of Thierry returning home after a heart-wrenching mission that day, we knew little of Thierry subsequently. Same goes for the gusty foreign affairs officer, Carole (Melanie Bernier) who went through a whole lot of trouble just to send her message across to the higher authorities.
While it is sometimes a good thing to simply stick to the facts and get all the draggy details out of the way liked Paul Greengrass’ “United 93”, “The Assault” on the other hand unintentional paints a rather negative picture of Islamic as a religion. Intercut with frequent scenes of the terrorists shouting verses from the Koran and praying ferociously, the movie itself never gives much of a narrative or backstory regarding them thus we can only assumed they are just a bunch of religious fanatics out to create chaos.
The only saving grace here is the tension and breathless shots of close-ups for the rescue mission which is nicely choreographed. I for one fortunately survived the stylistic shaky camerawork. The final sequence here is interspersed with real footages culled from television as it was ironically shown ‘live’ on TV during that time.
I’m not particularly sure Leclercq’s intention in adapting this event to the big screen. It brought nothing new to the table, practically contain zilch messages and the sole benefit I can think of is to remind the world that terrorists do exist and not weapons of mass destruction.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The DVD comes with a Trailer and a Photo Gallery.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The French Dolby Digital 5.1 is heavy and powerful when it comes to gunfire, dialogue is clear though your eyes need to get used to the bluish, washed-out colour scheme.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Sam Davis (Michael Angarano) convinces his former best friend to spend a weekend with him to rekindle their friendship at an elegant beachside estate owned by a famous documentary filmmaker (Lee Pace). However, it soon becomes clear that Sam is secretly infatuated with his ex, Zoe (Uma Thurman), who is now the filmmaker's fiancée, and that his true intention is to thwart their impending nuptials. As Sam's plan begins to unravel, he is forced to realize how complicated love and friendship can be.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Max Winkler’s (son of Henry Winkler) debut film boasts the same quirky sensibility as Wes Anderson, though of course the young filmmaker has a long way to go before he reaches the same comedic maturity. The story of a young failing children’s book writer Sam (Michael Angarano) who crashes his older ex Zoe’s (Uma Thurman) wedding weekend in a foolish attempt to win her back, ‘Ceremony’ never quite finds its own groove, coming off as a wannabe that isn’t quite anything at all.
Indeed, Winkler’s attempt at aping Anderson is clear right from the beginning, as he casts Sam’s sensitive and articulate aspiring author from the same mould as ‘Rushmore’s’ Max Fischer. In the opening scene, Sam is seen reading his latest book to an audience of one- his best friend Marshall (Reece Thompson)- whom he tricks into spending a weekend in Long Island together to reconnect with each other. Sam’s real motive however is to rekindle the May-December romance with Zoe, again reminiscent of ‘Rushmore’s’ Fischer’s own with the older Rosemary Cross.
Taking a leaf from Noah Baumbach’s ‘Margot At the Wedding’ and Johnathan Demme’s ‘Rachel Getting Married’, most of the movie unfolds at the Long Island estate where Zoe is about to wed the anthropological documentary filmmaker Whit (Lee Pace), whose latest work was based on his year in Africa playing the stereotypical White saviour to the indigenous people. And like Whit, the rest of the film also deals with stereotypical characters- whether Zoe’s insecurities and contradictions, or her younger brother Teddy’s (Jake Johnson) alcoholism- so much so that they feel like replicas from another superior (and most probably) Anderson film.
Therein lies the problem with Winkler’s film- bittersweet comedies (or dramedies, as they are sometimes known) thrive on having characters we care about, characters we can identify with, and therefore share in their joys and sorrows. ‘Ceremony’ never manages to convince us why we should empathise with its characters- Sam just comes off as childish, naïve and towards the end, obnoxious; while Zoe wavers inconsistently between nonchalance and jealousy for Sam- nor their supposed love for each other, leaving you only with reason why Sam and Zoe are not suited for each other instead of the other way round.
Winkler’s saving grace lies in his actors. Thurman hasn’t had much luck in recent years with her career, her last good role in Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Kill Bill’- but the actress, who turns 40 this year, still has plenty of charm and appeal as Zoe. Angarano does his best to make his character endearing, but is ultimately undone by Winkler’s scripting. Pace and Johnson both deserve more screen time, with the latter giving a surprisingly understated performance that is unfortunately crimped by a lack of character development.
They say imitation is the best form of flattery, and ‘Ceremony’ proves that saying right- though it highlights the genius behind Wes Anderson’s work through sheer contrast. Too derivative for its own good, Winkler’s debut shows that he has a long way to go to develop his own unique vision as a filmmaker, especially if he intends to continue making dramedies. Certainly he isn’t without promise- after all, executive producer Jason Reitman of ‘Juno’ and ‘Up in the Air’ must have seen something in him.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
There are 3 inconsequential ‘Deleted Scenes’ and another 2 mins worth of equally unsubstantial ‘Outtakes’. The ‘Extended Scene’ gives more time to Jake Johnson’s Teddy during his toasting speech, and for that alone, is worth a watch.
Otherwise, you may also opt for the ‘Making Of’, a 20-min featurette that starts off with director Max Wrinkler talking about the concept of the film and alternates between cast and director to explain a little more about the respective characters.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is almost nonexistent on the back speakers. Visuals are clear and sharp.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: In the late Qing Dynasty, Liu is a papermaker leading a simple life with his wife Ayu and their two sons. Into their remote village comes Detective Xu who is investigating the deaths of two bandits during a robbery. Xu quickly realizes that the incident in question was no ordinary botched robbery and his dogged inquiry threatens to dredge up the dark secrets of Liu's buried past, threatening not only Liu and his family but the entire village.
MOVIE REVIEW:
The term Wu Xia generally means the pugilist world and in contemporary pop culture, it’s a movie genre made popular by Shaw Brothers in the sixties and seventies. The general impression of a particular wu xia pian or martial-arts flick involved people armed with all sorts of weaponry and flying on wires across cheesy studio backlots.
Times have definitely changed and the least you expect is director Peter Chan who is famed for dramas to come up with his own version of wu xia pian.
Indeed, the first part of “Wu Xia” plays liked an episode of CSI: Ancient China. The story begins with two highly skilled bandits being killed by an ordinary unarmed papermaker, Liu Jinxi and a detective Xu is called in to investigate the crime. As Xu digs deeper into the mystery, he discovers that Liu is in fact more than what he presents himself to be.
Chan makes good use of slow-mo camera effects and graphical images to describe the killings; this is where the similarities to CSI come in. The murders are constantly replayed to dissect how everything took place and the action while brutal is not gratuitous. Obviously, Chan isn’t out to shock audience instead it’s a realistic portrayal of the violence involved. There isn’t a single hint of how the element of wu xia comes into the picture until the past events are unravelled and many more characters are introduced in the second act.
Donnie Yen is a reputable action star but not really one who has the acting chops. Surprisingly, Yen clocks in an amazing performance as Liu Jinxi. He is equally convincing as the slow-witted Liu and later on as his character proceeds, the struggle and pain faced by him is tremendously heartfelt. Under the direction of Peter Chan, Yen finally shows a different side of him as an actor washing away his dozing-performance as the iconic Guan Yu in the lacklustre “The Lost Bladesman”.
Takeshi Kaneshiro is equally impressive as Detective Xu. Adopting an amusing Sichuan accent, his character who met with a near-death incident caused him to view the world and solve his crime based on facts rather than feelings. The Armani model shines yet again for the third time under his frequent collaborator, Peter Chan. The breakout star of “Lust Caution” Tang Wei is severely underused owing to the nature of her character. Despite the top billing our top male stars, its ex-Shaw veteran Jimmy Wang Yu whom after decades of retirement returned in a small though whelming role as Liu’s father, without much effort, just one swift look and his thundering voice will send shivers down your spine. Another Shaw veteran, Kara Hui appears mainly for a sparring scene opposite Donnie Yen towards the end and she effortlessly milks her few minutes of screentime with ease.
While “Wu Xia” lacks a memorable martial-arts sequence say, the bamboo swordplay in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger Hidden Tiger” and the bamboo forest battle in Zhang Yimou’s “The House of Flying Daggers”, Yen also the movie’s action choreographer and Chan chose to let the story do the talking and play to the movie needs without throwing in a lavish action scene.
If you for one prefer a true-blue wu xia pian, I suggest you check out Su Chao Pin/John Woo’s “Reign of Assassins”. Peter Chan’s “Wu Xia” on the other hand is an amazing piece of work that pays tribute to the genre yet manages to sincerely squeeze out a refreshing spin to captivate the audience. Easily one of the top ten movies of 2011.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The Making Of covers interviews with Donnie Yen, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tang Wei, Jimmy Wang and Director Peter Chan. It also showcased interesting behind-the-scenes shots of how they choreographed the action.
The DVD also contains a Trailer, TV Spots and a Music Video of the theme song by Faye Wong’s ex-beau, Dou Wei.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Mandarin Dolby Digital 5.1 delivers a heart-pounding experience during the sparring sequences. Ambient sound effects and dialogue are crystal-clear as well. The visual although not the best in terms of pristine sharpness and vibrant colour is natural.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Experience the power of "Upendi" - which means "love" as Kiara, Simba's strong-willed daughter seeks adventure away from her father's watchful gaze. Timon and Pumbaa can do only so much to protect her, especially when she encounters an intriguing rival, Kovu, a cub who is being groomed to lead Scar's pride. As Kiara and Kovu search for their proper places in the great "Circle of Life", they discover that it may be their destiny to reunite their prides and bring peace to the Pride Lands.
MOVIE REVIEW:
The third highest grossing animation movie of all time which worked out to a combined worldwide box-office of US$899 million, “The Lion King” received a diamond edition DVD treatment in conjunction with the release of a 3D edition in theatres later this month.
Before the on-slew of computer generated animations, Walt Disney remains the undisputed king when it comes to hand-drawn animation features. “The Lion King” was released after the success of “The Little Mermaid”, “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin” and what’s surprising to many, it doesn’t contain a single human character including princesses to explain the phenomenal success.
For those who are too young to remember the storyline and for those who are too old to bother watching a cartoon back in 1994, “The Lion King” tells the story of a rebellious young lion, Simba who was led to believe that he has caused the death of his father by his evil uncle, Scar. After years of wandering with two free-spirited animals, Timon and Pumbaa, Simba finally returns to his homeland to reclaim back his father’s throne.
Controversies surround the initial release of the movie, one very obvious case being it bears too many similarities to the Japanese animation series, Kimba the White Lion (it was shown on national TV in the early eighties). I shall leave the judgment to you since you can simply do a Google regarding the issue yet “The Lion King” remains a classic title in the Disney vault. Like many Disney titles, the movie contains many heart-warming messages in which any parents can make a reference to. The incredible rousing song-and-dance sequences written by Tim Rice and Elton John with additional scoring by Hans Zimmer are simply a triumph. The theme song “Can You Feel The Love Tonight?” gets repeated airplay still.
The animation at that time was considered groundbreaking with usage of computer animation notably for the movie’s money shot, the wildebeest stampede sequence. But it’s the voice casting that probably stands out the most. The comedic sidekicks, Timon and Pumbaa voiced respectively by Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella are still memorable to many audiences over the years. Jeremy Irons is menacing as the scheming Scar. Whoopi Goldberg voices one of the hyenas, Shenzi and Rowan Atkinson aka Mr Bean shines as the talky hornbill, Zazu. Not forgetting Darth Vader, James Earl Jones as the imposing Mufasa, Simba’s father.
After a span of 17 years, we still love the lush opening sequence, embrace the young Simba’s track “I can’t wait to be king”, lap up the romantic Simba and Nala frolicking in the forest scene and the amazing surreal sequence of the late Mufasa dispensing advice to his guilt-ridden son. Experience the golden age of Walt Disney with the re-release of “The Lion King” diamond edition DVD if you too miss the Broadway musical version at Marina Bay Sands earlier in the year, it’s also economically viable as well if I must add.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Producer Don Hahn explains the process of bringing The Lion King to the big screen with assistance from past footages and interviews with the various crew members involved in the production in The Lion King: A Memoir - Don Hahn.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The English Dolby Digital 5.1 is a thundering listening experience note the stampede sequence. Dialogue is clear, Hans Zimmer’s score is lush and the music pieces by Tim Rice and Elton John is a joy to listen. Hand-drawn animation continues to amaze even with this title being 17 years old. Picture quality remains fascinating and spectacular.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
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DIVA Press Conference in GuangzhouPosted on 17 Oct 2011 |
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Ready for more Paranormal Activity?Posted on 18 Oct 2011 |
Genre: Drama
Director: Gavin O'Connor
Cast: Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy, Jennifer Morrison, Frank Grillo, Nick Nolte, Denzel Whitaker, Bryan Callen, Kevin Dunn, Maximiliano Hernandez, Sam Sheridan, Fernando Funan Chien, Jake McLaughlin
RunTime: 2 hrs 19 mins
Released By: GV and Innoform Media
Rating: PG13 (Violence and Some Coarse Language)
Official Website: http://www.warriorfilm.com/
Opening Day: 3 November 2011
Synopsis: Rising stars Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton command the screen as two estranged brothers facing the fight of a lifetime in Lionsgate’s WARRIOR, a moving, inspirational action drama from acclaimed director Gavin O’Connor (Miracle). Haunted by a tragic past, Marine Tommy Conlon (Hardy) returns home for the first time in fourteen years to enlist the help of his father (Nick Nolte) to train for Sparta, the biggest winner-takes-all event in mixed martial arts history. A former wrestling prodigy, Tommy blazes a path toward the championship while his brother, Brendan (Edgerton), an ex-fighter-turned teacher, returns to the ring in a desperate bid to save his family from financial ruin. But when Brendan’s unlikely, underdog rise sets him on a collision course with the unstoppable Tommy, the two brothers must finally confront each other and the forces that pulled them apart, facing off in the most soaring, soul stirring, and unforgettable climax that must be seen to be believed. A rousing ode to redemption, reconciliation and the power of the human spirit, WARRIOR is also a moving testament to the enduring bonds of family.
Movie Review:
Take the family dysfunction in last year’s Academy-Award winning ‘The Fighter’, combine it with the underdog heroics of ‘Rocky’, and you get Gavin O’ Connor’s ‘Warrior’- a deeply engaging and edge-of-your-seat exhilarating sports movie set in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA). For the uninitiated, MMA is a full-contact hybrid of several styles of unarmed combat, which has been gaining popularity in the United States and around the world through tournaments such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
In fact, the UFC is referenced a couple of times throughout the movie- it is where the older of a pair of estranged brothers Brendan Conlon (Joel Edgerton) fought before settling down with wife Tess (Jennifer Morrison). Now a father of two young daughters, Brendan teaches physics at a neighbourhood high school, but an imminent foreclosure at the bank leaves him no choice but to moonlight at strip-club parking lots for a few hundred dollars a win. Word gets out, and Brendan gets suspended from teaching duties, presumably because no one wants a teacher who picks fights.
Brendan’s younger brother is the Iraqi Marine Tommy (Tom Hardy), who returns to his home town of Pittsburgh and stuns a group of experienced MMA fighters by knocking one of them stone cold in the ring after a practice bout. The match is You-tubed, soon becoming an Internet sensation, and Tommy is presented with a lucrative opportunity- the chance to compete in Sparta, the ‘Super Bowl’ of MMA held in Atlantic City and with a prize money of five million. To get ready however, Tommy makes the difficult decision of reconnecting with his father and ex-wrestling coach, Paddy (Nick Nolte).
Meanwhile, Brendan approaches his former mentor Frank Campana (Frank Grillo) to train for the same event- the threat of financial ruin just makes the prize money even more irresistible. You’ll know where this is leading- Tommy and Brendan will eventually go mano-a-mano at the final, bringing to a head their deep-seated resentment towards each other and their father. Both brothers had apparently left the alcoholic and abusive Paddy when they were young, but Tommy further blames Brendan for leaving him to care for their mother suffering from terminal illness alone so he can go get married to Tess.
They say blood is thicker than water, and so it goes when that blood is poisoned, it’s only going to be harder to cleanse it. Leaving the bouts for the second half of the movie, O’Connor- who co-wrote the script with Anthony Tambakis and Cliff Dorfman- uses the first hour to set up the complex relationships between his characters, revealing their backstories and their current circumstances which lead them onwards to a collision course. And with plenty of sensitivity, he makes the family drama resonate so strongly that even the hardest of hearts will be moved.
How can we not root for the working-class family man Brendan who only wants to provide for his family? How can we blame him for deliberately keeping his father away from his family, vigilant that he not repeat the sins of his father? And how can we not sympathise with Tommy, whose only family he acknowledges was killed by friendly fire in the heat of battle and who has made it his mission to win the prize money for his buddy’s bereaved family? Right at the heart of their bitterness is Paddy, trying to make amends to both sons during his old age, but finds his efforts stone-walled by their disdain. Each of these characters is essentially flawed, and like we all are, trying to make the best out of the broken lives they have, which is what makes them so compelling.
The investment O’Connor makes in his characters pays off immensely as we head into the ring proper. Together with d.p. Masanobu Takayanagi and no less than four editors (John Gilroy, Sean Albertson, Matt Chesse and Aaron Marshall), O’Connor delivers the JJ “Loco” Perry fight scenes raw, brutal and ferocious, putting us right in the thick of the action and ensuring that not one ounce of the excitement is lost. He also mirrors the disparate personalities of Tommy and Brendan in their individual fighting styles- Tommy, brash and filled with seething rage, finishes his opponents within seconds of the match; while Brendan, more calculated and patient, endures his opponents’ beating while waiting for a chance to pin them down.
The climactic fight between Tommy and Brendan is quite something else in itself- viscerally thrilling as any of the earlier matches, its true knockout punch however lies in its emotional weight, as the two brothers exorcise their own inner demons they have dragged into the ring with them. It is deeply moving and heartbreakingly poignant, made even more terrific by the standout performances of both Hardy and Edgerton.
The amount of physical work Hardy has put into the role is written all over his body, but more than just physicality, Hardy gives an intensely gripping portrait of a man filled with anger, hurt and bitterness. On the other hand, Edgerton is equally affecting as the family man goaded by circumstance to put his life on the line inside the ring. In a supporting role, Nick Nolte gives a tour de force performance as their father, racked by remorse over his past and struggling- yet failing- to get his sons to forgive him and accept him as family once again. A scene that sees him once again inebriated in a hotel room after being berated by Hardy the night before is probably one of the most emotionally powerful sequences you’ll see this year.
Thanks to the stellar performances all round, ‘Warrior’ rises above the typical sports movie to emerge as one of the best of its league. It is also the first movie built around the relatively new MMA sport, and O’Connor does an outstanding job capturing its grit, ferocity and intensity. But O’Connor also understands that some of the toughest battles are not fought inside the ring, but outside, coping with life and learning to forgive. Because it makes the fights outside the ring just as fierce as that inside the ring, ‘Warrior’ isn’t just thrilling in its action, but tremendously affecting in its real-life drama. Quite simply, this is one of the best you’ll see this year.
Movie Rating:
(Raw and gripping, Gavin O’Connor’s mixed martial arts film is exhilarating action and poignant family drama combined into one potent knockout)
Review by Gabriel Chong
The producers of this album probably know that it will almost be impossible to surpass the success of the 1984 soundtrack. After all, the original nine track album reached Number One on the Billboard 200 Pop Album chart within three months of its release. Besides that, there were three Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hits, including two #1 hits. One of them was Kenny Loggins’ signature tune “Footloose”.
Here, Blake Shelton covers the movie’s titular song, and although it may be not be a classic like the original, we enjoyed it, probably as much as the American country music artist enjoyed recording it.
The 46 minute album contains 12 tracks, eight of which are new songs. Besides the title song, the other three remakes from the original version are “Holding Out for a Hero” (Ella Mae Bowen takes over Bonnie Tyler for a more emotionally charged rendition), “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” (Jana Kramer gives Deniece Williams a run for his money with this version with a Southern grit), and “Almost Paradise” (Victoria Justice and Hunter Hayes perform a duet which may appeal to younger listeners better than Mike Reno and Ann Wilson’s version).
While fans may miss other songs on the near 30 year old soundtrack, they may just be as pleased with the inclusion of the new songs here. Especially enjoyable is “Fake I.D.”, a contagiously upbeat track performed by American country music duo Big & Rich, featuring Grammy Award winning Gretchen Wilson. It is one track which you will find yourself dancing to at a party.
Elsewhere, folk artiste Zac Brown performs the affecting “Where The River Goes”, while folk rock artiste Lissie tones things down a little with the soothing “Little Lovin’”. Renowned rapper Cee Lo Green also contributes the twang worthy “Walkin’ Blues” which features guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepard’s performance. The album closes on a very contemporary note with American rapper David Banner’s “Dance the Night Away”. The techno beats may not go down well with fans of the original 1984 movie, but it will definitely introduce more people to the Footloose sensation.
ALBUM RATING:
Recommended Track: (7) Fake I.D. – Big & Rich featuring Gretchen Wilson
Review by John Li
It’s all very romantic, isn’t it? A boy and a girl dropping in on each other on the same day, year after year, for 20 years. While we aren’t too sure whether something like that happens in real life, we know for sure that the music to accompany this dreamy fairy tale is one romantic treat.
The 67 minute soundtrack album to this Lone Scherfig directed film contains 17 songs spanning the decades. Things go all nostalgic with English rock band Black Grape’s “Reverend Black Grape”, Scottish alternative band Primal Scream’s “Rocks”, English DJ Fatboy Slim’s (aka Norman Cook) “Praise You” and English new wave band Tears for Fears’ “Sowing the Seeds of Love”. These artistes, whose songs conquered the airwaves during the 1980s and 1990s, are apt inclusions on this album.
English singer songwriter Elvis Costello pens a brand new track “Sparkling Day” for the movie. His older hit “Tear Off Your Own Head (It’s A Doll Revolution)” is also included on the disc. Both tunes capture the romanticism and idealism of the story.
Elsewhere, Scottish pop rock guitar band Del Amitri performs the upbeat and cheerful “Roll To Me”, while radio friendly songs like “Angels” (by boy band Take That member Robbie Williams) and “Life Is A Roller Coaster” (by another boy band Boyzone member Ronan Keating) pleases the younger listeners.
Points also go the soundtrack for including composer Rachel Portman’s score. Here, you get about 10 minutes of lovely music over four tracks. Although they are not thematically strong, cues like “One Day Main Theme”, “Wedding Chorus” and “July 15th” are agreeable enough to ensure a soothing listening experience. The highlight is the closing track “We Had Today” which paints a poetically beautiful of a boy and a girl who love each other so much that they make an effort to drop in on each other on the same day, year after year, for 20 years.
ALBUM RATING:
Recommended Track: (17) We Had Today – Rachel Portman
Review by John Li
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