In Korean with English and Chinese subtitles
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Yoon Seon-Dong
Cast: Hwang Jung-eum, Yoon Si-yoon, Park Ji-yeon, Park Eun-bin, Ji Chang-wook, Yoon Seung-a, Sohn Ho-joon, Choi A-jin, Nam Bo-ra, Yeoh Min-ju, Kwon Hyun-sang
RunTime: 1 hr 24 mins
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films & InnoForm Media
Rating: M18 (Gore and Violence)
Official Website: http://www.gosa2.co.kr/

Opening Day: 21 April 2011

Synopsis: The story takes place during summer vacation where 30 high school students are taking special classes. Locked in the building, one by one, the students face horrible deaths and the only clue is a strange puzzle that has to be solved. They are forced to use whatever means necessary to survive the long night…

Movie Review:

The first “Death Bell” was a sleeper hit in the summer of 2008, so it is no surprise that the producers would attempt a sequel to cash in on the popularity of the first movie. But even the most die-hard fans of the low-budget original would probably be disappointed by this classic case of ‘sequelitis’, as “Death Bell 2” essentially rehashes the same premise with a different group of actors and substitutes gore for any kind of genuine horror.

Just as its predecessor, this is about a bunch of elite high-school students who discover themselves the targets of a mysterious slasher while back in school during the holidays cramming for their college entrance exams. Of course, given the demise of most of the characters from the first movie, there is no relation- cast or character-wise- between the two films.

Not that it matters really- director Yoo Sun Dong wastes little time in setting up the events leading up to that fateful night over which the subsequent killings unfold, including a prelude which tells of the death of the school’s champion swimmer Tae-yeon (Yoon Seung Ah) whose vengeful spirit is but one of the red herrings the movie uses later on to distract you from the identity of the killer.

Indeed, when Tae-yeon turns out to be one of the most fleshed-out characters in the movie, you can guess how little time, effort or interest Yoo has in letting his audience get to know the other hapless teens. This only means that one probably feels little for any of the characters as they meet their demise, but again the purported highlight of the movie- as was the original- is its numerous gory killings.

Yet aside from one that takes place along the school corridor with the killer riding a motorbike with metal spokes on its wheels, the death traps lack the ingenuity that gore-hounds would have already seen in “Saw”. Yoo also exhibits none of the dexterity in pacing and editing that his predecessor’s director Chang had, and these scenes of carnage hardly excite or thrill. And no, dumping copious amounts of blood onscreen isn’t going to satisfy audiences already de-sensitised from the “Saws” and “Hostels” of Hollywood.

What ultimately saves the movie is its intriguing whodunit which throws suspicion on the culpability of some of Tae-yeon’s fellow students in her death. The trio of screenwriters (Lee Gong-Joo, Lee Jeong-Hwa and Park Hye-Min) spend considerably more time and thought on this in the second half of the movie, and their attempt to find motive and motivation behind these killings turns out more compelling than one would expect. Ditto for the surprisingly heartfelt ending, which reaffirms that the dead don’t always return just for vengeance.

Still, if the final reveal lacks surprise, it is no thanks to Yoo’s directorial ineptness, clearly evident right from the start by his inability to build any sort of suspense in the story or engineer some clever inventive kills to hold his audience’s attention. Never mind that “Death Bell 2” recycles its material from the original, what’s most inexcusable is how it manages to do so even worse than its predecessor did.

Movie Rating:



(Plenty of gore but little else by way of thrills or suspense, this sequel is no more than an inferior copy of its predecessor)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Romance/ Drama
Director: Andrew Lau
Cast: Shu Qi, Liu Ye, Tian Liang, Fairy Feng, Sarina, Zhang Songwen, Gao Tian, Anthony Wong
RunTime: 2 hrs 4 mins
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films and Clover Films
Rating: PG
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 14 July 2011

Synopsis:  When they first meet, no one can see this coming.

She is a young, aggressive Beijing-based real estate agent from Hong Kong carrying an affair with a married man who also happens to be her boss. He is an honest but way too rigid policeman in his midlife crisis, who remains single to take care of his kid brother.

Several years have gone by before she realizes he is the one for her. She comes back to Beijing to look for him, only to find out he is dying of vascular dementia. She decides to live with him and take care of the rest of his life. When she discovers she is pregnant, she keeps a diary for him, so that the baby will know who his father is after he is born.

On one rainy day, he is out walking and forgets the road home. By the time he is eventually admitted to the hospital, he is already terminally ill and cannot even remember his own name. Only when she comes to his bedside and starts whispering his name in his ear does he remember distinctly her voice – and her – again..

Movie Review:

We did a double take when we first read that Andrew Lau’s next project after the martial arts vigilante flick “The Legend of Chen Zhen” was a romantic drama between two unlikely individuals with a melodramatic twist. After all, this is the director of hard-boiled crime thrillers like “Infernal Affairs” and “Young and Dangerous”, whose occasional foray out of his comfort zone has only been to the relatively safe rom-com territory (i.e. the Andy Lau-Shu Qi romance “Look For A Star”).

But with a distinct change in genre, Andrew Lau has cemented his reputation as one of the best contemporary directors in Hong Kong- because this drama is not only warm and engaging, it is also exceptionally moving. Indeed, it is probably one of the most heartfelt films you’ll see this year, a resounding affirmation of the strength and the courage true love gives to its beholder, and the more sentimental viewers among us will best be advised to get their Kleenexes ready.

Turning once again to his favourite leading lady, Andrew Lau casts Shu Qi in the role of Li Peiru, a young and ambitious real estate agent from Hong Kong in the city of Beijing trying to strike it rich. She meets the honest and principled local policeman Fang Zhendong (Liu Ye) one night while entertaining her potential clients at a karaoke bar, and despite his best efforts to shake her off, Zhendong ends up taking the intoxicated Peiru home and putting her in bed.

They meet again through a series of handy coincidences, and the straight-laced cop quickly but surely finds himself falling for Peiru- even though she is in a torturous relationship with a married man. Zhendong is the characteristic lonely soul yearning for companionship, his first responsibility towards his younger autistic brother Zhencong (Tian Liang) leaving him with little time and energy to socialise and meet new friends. Their mutual affections aren’t contrived- underneath her veneer of confidence lies an equally lonely heart searching for true love- and Zhendong recognises it even before Peiru does.

For the first hour, Tang Kit Ming’s (who also wrote “Look For A Star”) screenplay lays bare the depth of Zhendong’s love for Peiru- Zhendong cooks for her, cleans up after her drunken stupors, and even agrees to spy on her boyfriend to make sure he isn’t cheating on her with another mistress (he is). But the real test of his love for her comes after her fall from grace- she loses her job, has to downgrade from her swanky apartment to a much smaller place, and asks to borrow money to start her own business. Kit Ming’s script isn’t afraid to let them fall in love in less than typical adorable rom-com fashion, and it is through his characters’ day-to-day real-life struggles that we empathise with them even more.

Of course, much of the empathy the film generates is due to the endearing performances by both Liu Ye and Shu Qi. While it is probably no stretch for her playing the teasing flirtatious Peiru at the start of the film, it is her character’s subsequent downfall that proves truly interesting to watch. These later scenes bring out an unexpected nuance in Shu Qi’s acting, and the most remarkable of these is a single uninterrupted handheld shot in an alleyway where her character reveals her deeply heartfelt plight- she has to earn money to help support her debt-saddled family back in Hong Kong. Liu Ye’s intense down-to-earth performance is an excellent complement against Shu Qi, and the two evince an easygoing chemistry that will win you over effortlessly.

The strength of their combined performances is also a huge reason why the second half of the film anchored by a melodramatic twist turns out affecting and poignant, especially in its portrayal of the reciprocal nature of true love. This latter half also contains perhaps the most touching sequence in the film, one which speaks volumes about Zhendong’s love for Peiru and his efforts to love Peiru to the best of his abilities in spite of his frailties. Lau tries to top this with an even more emotionally wraught climax, but can’t escape the obvious contrivances of its plotting.

Yet that doesn’t distract from an otherwise perfectly crafted film, a tearjerker if you will, that reminds us of the inherent desire within each and every one of us for company and companionship, and the lengths to which true love will give us the strength and willpower to go to. What is a beautiful life? It is a life lived fully in true love, perfectly embodied here in that between Zhendong and Peiru.

Movie Rating:

(Shu Qi and Liu Ye’s wonderful performances, combined with Andrew Lau’s surprisingly sensitive direction, make this an exceptionally moving film about the beauty of a life lived in true love)

Review by Gabriel Chong

In Mandarin with Chinese and English Subtitles
Genre: Fantasy/Martial Arts/Romance
Director: Wilson Yip
Cast: Louis Koo, Liu Yi Fei, Fan Siu Wong, Yu Shao Qun, Hui Ying Hong, Elvis Tsui
RunTime: 1 hr 38 mins
Released By: Encore Films and GV
Rating: PG
Official Website:

Opening Day: 21 April 2011

Synopsis: The story takes place in an ancient mountain village.  There were spirits and tree monsters living on Black Mountain and these demons were always engaged in slaughter and bloodshed.  The villagers all fear to enter the mountain and the Lan Ruo temple within the mountain.

When Yan Chi Xia was still young, he chose Black Mountain to practice and realize his dreams of becoming a good Demon Hunter.  He experienced many dangerous battles with demons in Black Mountain.  His sword became more fearful, and he gets more powerful and confident as he overcomes all the spirits and monsters until the day he met her and their sad story begins.

Many years later, when the river at the base of Black Mountain dried up, the villagers made the decision to search for a water source on the mountain.  Humans, ancient spirits and tree monsters enter into conflict.  From there, another romantic legend emerges …

Movie Review:

The Tsui Hark production “A Chinese Ghost Story” is without a doubt a seminal classic of Hong Kong cinema, successfully blending some of its signature elements like over-the-top action, overwrought emotions and a dizzying mix of various genres- in this instance, romance, comedy and horror. It is a tall task then to attempt a reinterpretation of it, but “Ip Man” director Wilson Yip has boldly attempted to go where no Hong Kong director has dared to tread.

It seems however that this reluctance has been for good reason- despite Yip’s efforts at mimicking the hallmarks of the earlier film, his 2011 remake is a slapdash product with little actual merit. The ineptness of Yip’s version is indeed appalling- especially considering his solid, if not outstanding, work on the two “Ip Man” movies- and in almost every respect proves to be inferior to Ching Siu-Tung’s original. That is, except for its end credits- and only because it rehases the late Leslie Cheung’s classic theme song.

Right from the beginning, one can sense that there is something amiss with the movie. A hastily-told prologue tries to establish- but fails to do so with any resonance- the doomed romance between demon slayer Yan Chi Xia (Louis Koo) and Nip Siu-Sin, or Xiao Qian (Liu Yifei) as she is more popularly known. Apparently, Cia Xia didn’t have the heart to kill Siu-Sin when the time came for him to do so- instead, he erased her memory of their relationship and set her free, thereby also falling out with another demon slayer Thunder (played by Ip Man regular Fan Siu-Wong).

Fans of the original would already suspect the difference between the two, and true enough, the focus of Yip’s movie seems to have shifted to the character of Chi Xia- in the process, setting up Leslie Cheung’s Ning Cai Chen (played here by the terrible Chinese actor Yu Shaoqun) as a romantic rival instead to Chi Xia for Siu-Sin’s affections. Cheung’s classic character turns out to be the scholar a water-impoverished town turns to for assistance, and it is to solve their water woes that Cai Chen ventures into the mountains, meets Siu-Sin and lands up at Lan Tze Temple.

As with the original, the trio’s common enemy is the Tree Demon, to whom Siu-Sin’s spirit is enslaved to and with whom Chi Xia and Cai Chen will eventually battle against in a CG-heavy action-packed finale. The latter has Yip demonstrating the sure hand he had with the action sequences in “Ip Man”, and is easily the best thing the movie has going for it. Complementing the fluid martial arts choreography (among the choreographers veteran Ma Yuk-Shing) is the impressive visual effects- done post-production in Korea- which only goes to show that the China film industry can very well handle CG as competently as its Hollywood counterparts.

Unfortunately, the hour before this climactic battle is one tedious slog, no thanks to a dreadful script by Cheung Tan (also equally guilty for the Chen Kaige dud ‘The Promise’). Not only is the dialogue god-awful and filled with moments of unintentional humour, there is close to little characterisation- be it Chi Xia, Cai Chen, or Sui-Sin. Yip compensates for Cheung’s bad scripting with a somewhat frenetic pace, but that’s not enough to distract his audience from its flaws and repetitive scenes. Most importantly, the romantic triangle also fails to take off, and remains stuck in cutesy scenes (what’s up with the feeding of sweets) that belong in a teenage fantasy. And because one never quite comes to believe in the star-crossed romance between human and demon, the finale also lacks the poignancy of the original.

Equally uninspired is the acting- or rather, the lack of it- on display. Louis Koo attempts to emote as one half in an ill-fated romance, but doesn’t quite succeed. Yifei has the beguiling looks to go with her part, but lacks conviction. But the worst of the lot is Mainland actor Yu Shaoqun, who proves time and time again that he simply cannot act (if you’ve seen last year’s Kung Fu Wing Chun, you’ll agree too). His portrayal of the shy soft-spoken and good-hearted romantic lover is simply ingratiating and an utter insult to Leslie Cheung’s nuanced performance. Ditto for Louis and Yifei, whose acting can’t hold a candle to Wu Ma and Joey Wong’s in the original.

There are however exceptions- Kara Hui is gleefully campy as the Tree Demon, while Elvis Tsui, who also starred in the original, offers some welcome comic relief as the chief of the village Cai Chen visits. Yet these are little consolation for a movie that never justifies its existence, paling in every respect to Ching Siu-Tong’s classic. And the horror of it all? The filmmakers had the audacity to think that their efforts were worthy enough for them to dedicate this film to the late Leslie Cheung!

Movie Rating:

(The CG effects are impressive- but in all other respects, this is a wholly unnecessary remake that is inferior to Tsui Hark’s original)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Drama
Director: James Ivory
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Laura Linney, Hiroyuki Sanada, Omar Metwally, Alexandra Maria Lara
RunTime: 1 hr 57 mins
Released By:  Cathay-Keris Films
Rating: NC-16 (Some Homosexual References)
Official Website: http://www.screenmediafilms.net/coyfd/

Screening Dates: 8 September 2011

Synopsis: Omar Razaghi (Omar Metwally) wanted to gain permission from the family of Jules Gund, a Latin American author who committed suicide, to write Gund’s authorized biography. His academic and financial future depends on his writing of the book, and when the Gund family unexpectedly denies permission, his bossy girlfriend, Deirdre (Alexandra Maria Lara), pushes him to fly to South America to change their minds.

He arrives unannounced at the Gund estate, presided over by Jules’s widow, Caroline (Laura Linney), and his older brother Adam (Anthony Hopkins). Also in residence are Jules’s girlfriend Arden Langdon (Ms. Gainsbourg) and Pete (Hiroyuki Sanada), Adam’s much younger male Asian lover of 25 years.

Omar ends up staying at the Gunds for a period of time during which he has a tepid flirtation with Arden, wins the support of Adam — who tries to enlist him in a smuggling scheme — and pressures the intransigent Caroline to change her mind.. 

Movie Review:

This adaptation of Peter Cameron’s 2002 novel is the first film from director James Ivory (he’s 82 this year by the way) after the passing of his longtime producing partner Ismail Merchant. Over the past two decades, the Merchant-Ivory name was a brand of literary cinema in itself, from which acclaimed works such as “The Remains of the Day” and “Howard’s End” were spawned.

Unfortunately, this reportedly final film from James ivory will not be remembered in the same light as those aforementioned films- because as much as it tries its best to evoke the same literary feel, this solo venture by James Ivory is too genteel, too wandering, and ultimately too bland to make much of an impact. And that is despite the efforts by a fine cast- the likes of thespian Anthony Hopkins, Laura Linney and French actress Charlotte Gainsburg.

In adapting Cameron’s novel, longtime Merchant-Ivory screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala keeps her focus on the academic Omar Razaghi (Omar Metwally), a University of Kansas English graduate student who journeys down to Uruguay to meet the family of the late minor novelist Jules Gund. Omar wants to write a biography of the late author- and his academic and financial future depend on it- but the family has thus far refused their permission.

Ivory gets the events leading up to Omar’s unannounced visit at the Gund estate over and done with quickly, and leaves the rest of the film for his audience to get to know the eccentricities of the Gund family. There, Omar meets Jules’ imperious widow, Caroline (Linney), and his mistress Arden (Gainsburg) and her daughter Portia (Ambar Mallman). Not forgetting of course Jules’ older brother Adam (Hopkins) and his Japanese lover Pete (Hiroyuki Sanada).

Jhabvala’s screenplay allows Omar to have plenty of interactions with each one of the Gund family, but these largely lack much sizzle. The most interesting of these is the tension between Omar and Caroline, the widow bristling with hostility especially when she sees how Arden is taking too quickly to Omar. The romance between Omar and Arden however turns out too nondescript, while Omar’s talks with Adam mostly centre on Jules’ legacy- an unfinished novel and a mysterious suicide. An accident leads to the arrival of Omar’s domineering girlfriend (Alexandra Maria Lara), but even this turn of events doesn’t quite set the drama afire.  

Neither does the ensemble cast for that matter. Hopkins is good as always, but his role is hardly much of a stretch for him. Ditto for Linney, who gives the film’s sharpest performance as the brittle and thorny widow eager to hide some family secrets. Metwally on the other hand is woefully miscast, his genial performance undermining what potential dramatic moments the film has going for it.

Admittedly though there are few- and the fault ultimately lies with director James Ivory’s directorial choices. There is little to suggest that we as the audience should care for any of the characters or their dilemmas, which seems trivial and insignificant. The production values here are stellar as with any Ivory film, in particular the evocative cinematography by Javier Aguirresarobe (“Talk to Her,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”)- but the storytelling is ultimately what makes this a forgettable entry in the list of Ivory films.

Movie Rating:  

(Too genteel, too wandering and ultimately too bland to matter, this literary drama from James Ivory doesn’t even come close to the Merchant-Ivory classics) 

Review by Gabriel Chong

SOUNDTRACK REVIEW:

If there is one soundtrack album which celebrates life, this is it. And we are not surprised that it is helmed by two time Academy Award winner A. R. Rahman. After the successful collaboration with director Danny Boyle on the critcally acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire, the multi award winning Indian film composer is back to challenge our senses. This time, instead of bringing us on a journey through the slums, he takes us along on a journey based on the trials and tribulations that climber Aron Ralston went through before amputating his arm.

Although the 61 minute album contains only six score tracks totalling 27 minutes or so (we would love to hear more, really), these cues evokes different feelings. “The Canyon” brings to mind a serene and calm setting, with a breathtaking sunrise in the background. “Liberation Begins” marks an energetic start for an ominous adventure, while “Touch of the Sun” soothes your senses with its tranguil melody.

“Liberation in a Dream” spices things up a little with a more contemporary tune, before “R.I.P.” takes things on a fuller scale, an unruffled beginning which eventually climaxes with a vigorous high point, marking what life has to celebrate. The dynamic “Liberation” excites your senses with a nicely orchestrated arrangement. These score tracks which feature the guitar has earned Rahman another Best Original Score nomination at the 83rd Academy Awards.

The album also contains an electic collection of songs which are nothing less than inspiring. A standout track is Free Blood’s “Never Hear Surf Music Again”, which vibrantly takes on life’s obstacles and difficulties. Elsewhere, there is Bill Withers’ optimistic “Lovely Day”, the classic tune “Chopin: Nocturne No. 2” and the rather ethreal “Festival” performed by Sigur Ros.

Rounding up the album is the Oscar nominated “If I Rise”, a song written by Rahman (music), Dido and Rollo Armstrong (lyrics) and performed by Dido along with Rahman, featuring the electric stringed instrument harpejji. It concludes the listening experience aptly, and trust us, it is a therapeutic and liberating one.

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (11) R.I.P.

Review by John Li

Posted on 27 February 2011

No, you are not going to hear Lady Gaga performing a duet with Sir Elton John on this soundtrack. You may have heard about the new song “Hello Hello” John wrote for the animated feature, and how the knighted singer had asked Gaga to join him for the song. What you are going to get here is his solo version – but that’s perfectly fine with us because the rest of the album is, well, still music to the ears.

Featuring music by John, Portuguese Canadian singer songwriter Nelly Furtado (she performs a new version of “Crocodile Rock”), Kiki Dee (she performs the beloved duet “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” with John) and selections from the score composed by Chris P. Bacon and James Newtown Howard, this 60 minute album is, like the Kelly Asbury directed film, one fun family affair.

Fans of the English singer/ composer/ pianist will love the inclusion of hits like “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting”, “Your Song”, “Rocket Man”, “Tiny Dancer” and “Bennie and the Jets”. While we are assuming that this group of fans is of a certain demographic, younger listeners will find out for themselves why the celebrated award winning artist is well loved worldwide. Originally a tenor during his earlier performing days, John now sings in baritone – uninitiated fans would be glad to hear that this album’s collection of songs showcases both styles.

Besides “Hello Hello”, the other new song John wrote for the animated film is the somewhat melancholically romantic “Love Builds a Garden”, a tune which is very apt for the film’s garden gnomes.

There are only four score tracks on the album, and those who are familiar with Newton Howard’s (Water for Elephants) works would be hungry for more. Using themes from John’s music, the 17 minutes of score co composed with P. Bacon (Source Code) isn’t groundbreaking material, but it makes for a pleasant listen any time of the day.

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (1) Hello Hello (Album Version)

Reviewed by John Li

Posted on 3 May 2011

Just like the Zack Snyder film, this is one soundtrack which you will either love or hate. It contains reworked versions of classic songs, and the music will blow listeners away with its sheer stylishness. The nine tracks will stick in your mind and refuse to go away. It’s like a drug – one spin of the CD in your player, and the tunes will ring in your head. We will even go as far as to say that this soundtrack is not for the faint hearted.

 What about us? We love it so much, we feel like revisiting the musical journey the moment it ends.

The film’s star Emily Brown kickstarts the 49 minute album with “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)”, and like how her Babydoll character is launched into a fantasy world whenever she begins dancing to a spellbinding tune, we are also initiated into this mesmerizing experience as the five minute track conquers the airwaves. The highlight of the disc is the seven minute “Army of Me (Sucker Punch Remix)” performed by Bjork featuring Skunk Anansie. This cue is like a motion picture event by itself – complete with a climatic orchestral showdown to heighten your senses. For those who are familiar with the Icelandic singer’s style, this doesn’t come as a surprise. For the uninitiated, get ready to be astounded.

Elsewhere, there are other fascinating tracks like “I Want It All/ We Will Rock You Mash-Up” by Queen with Armageddon aka Geddy, and “Tomorrow Never Knows” by Alison Mosshart and Carla Azar. These are songs which you have to blast at full volume to be fully immersed in the experience.  

Browning returns in “Where Is My Mind?” and “Asleep”, while co stars Carla Gugino and Oscar Isaac perform the musical theatre inspired “Love Is The Drug”, which concludes the album on a high note.

Even if you are not a fan of the boisterous music on this soundtrack, you would go gaga over the nicely printed insert showcasing the baby-licious poster art of the five female leads from Synder’s visionary movie. 

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (2) Army of Me - Bjork featuring Skunk Anansie

Review by John Li

Posted on 6 April 2011

We never thought we’d say this, but this Justin Bieber character has really has got something to have us playing this CD album repeatedly on our player. Running at barely half an hour, this musical companion piece to his documentary concert film Never Say Never (available in glorious 3D!) is a short and sweet collection of Bieber-licious tracks that will please the uninitiated (yes, that’s us and probably thousands of readers out there who are over 14 years old).

The album kicks off with the single “Never Say Never”, the theme song to The Jackie Chan/ Jaden Smith vehicle The Karate Kid. The energetically catchy track is a performed in collaboration with Will Smith’s kiddo, and it’s going to be difficult for anyone not to fall in love with it – Long live feel good radio friendly songs!

Elsewhere in the 28 minute disc, you’d find the biggest names in music performing with the boy wonder: American band Rascal Flatts on the soulful “That Should Be Me”, the successful recording artist Usher on the heart thumping “Somebody to Love” and R & B singer Chris Brown on the suave “Up”.

It doesn’t end there - you’d find Miley “Hannah Montana” Cyrus singing the accessible duet “Overboard (Live)” with Bieber and Kayne West rapping away on “Runaway Love (Kanye West Remix) while Bieber croons the lyrics.

While hard core Belieber will tell you that listening to the CD is nothing like experiencing his concert (we heard he appeared exhausted at the Singapore tour a while ago, but we forgive him – which 17 year old wouldn’t feel tired after performing a string of concerts around the world?), we are happy with this CD. As it ends with the Diane Warren penned “Born to be Somebody”, we have this feeling that he will go far in the industry because he is made of the real stuff.

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (1) Never Say Never

Review by John Li

Posted on 3 May 2011

Genre: Crime/Thriller
Director: Law Wing Cheong
Cast: Anthony Wong, Ritchie Jen, Janice Man, Maggie Cheung, Candy Lo, Lam Lei, Jun Kung
RunTime: 1 hr 33 mins
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films & Clover FIlms
Rating: NC-16 (Some Violence and Drug Use)
Official Website: http://www.mediaasia.com/punished

Opening Day: 16 June 2011

Synopsis: When a tycoon’s daughter is found dead after being rescued from abduction, he appoints his ex-bodyguard to avenge her death by not only hunting down and exterminating everyone responsible for the abduction but also videotaping the process of each “execution”. Instead of feeling liberated, the tycoon becomes more perturbed on watching the tapes, lest one day he shall get retribution himself for all the killings.

In the end, the ex-bodyguard manages to track down the mastermind behind the abduction, who turns out to be the female personal assistant of the tycoon’s daughter. The tycoon determines to carry out the final execution himself, only to discover she is the mother of a 2-year-old girl. Will he pull the trigger and make an orphan out of this innocent soul? That is the question.

Movie Review:

Admit it: Life’s one big mess and sometimes, it takes a brutally honest movie to remind us of this cruel truth. Those familiar with Hong Kong independent film production company Milkyway Image’s movies would know that its signature films often paint a dark portrayal of human nature. Films like Election (2005), Exiled (2006) and Vengeance (2009) are stark reminders of how extreme man can get in desperate times. These Johnnie To directed films have made a name for themselves, and any mention of this Hong Kong auteur in a film’s credit list would bring high expectations.

After serving as associate director on To’s other works like Running on Karma (2003) and Breaking News (2004), Law Wing Cheong (Hooked on You, Tactical Unit – The Code) directs his fifth solo feature film. With To on the team as producer and the acclaimed Anthony Wong (Turning Point, Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen) as his leading man, it’s really difficult not to have high expectations for this revenge movie.

 Wong plays a ruthless tycoon who faces disgruntlements from the working class. As fate would have it, his spoilt brat of a daughter is kidnapped and killed by cold blooded abductors. Distressed over the overbearing grief, the merciless businessman sends his bodyguard to avenge his daughter’s death. As the body count goes up, he realises that this may not be the satisfaction he is after.

Like Milkyway’s famed productions, this one will attract fanboys who enjoy edgy themes which explore the grey areas of retribution, integrity and equality. Violence and brutality are also showcased in this movie charged with mental anguish and rage. We are not forgetting the film’s political statements about Hong Kong’s jarring class differences. Expect to plots involving intimidated villages who are forced to have their land confiscated, as well as a teenage girl who is suspected of staging her own kidnapping to pocket a huge amount of ransom.

Oh, despite all these shady business, no police seems to be around to arrest the baddies and put them into jail.

Efficiently shot with no emphasis on visual flair or style, this production approaches its storyline by presenting the sequence of events in non chronological order. The action scenes are also not particularly spectacular, when compared to other high budget Hong Kong blockbusters. This may in turn leave some viewers unimpressed, especially if they stepped into the theatres expecting a signature To revenge movie.

Thankfully, the cast is its main draw. Wong is perfect in his role as the vicious magnate who will stop at nothing to get his dealings done. The award winning actor knows exactly when and how to emote the appropriate expressions without spouting a slew of dialogue. Richie Jen (Law’s leading man in his directorial debut 2 Become 1) plays Wong’s bodyguard. While he pales in comparison beside the versatile actor, he delivers a decent performance as the bodyguard with underworld connections. Other familiar faces in the ensemble cast include TVB actress Maggie Cheung (Crossing Hennessy), singer Candy Lo (The Heavenly Kings) and veteran Charlie Cho (Police Story), who gets our sympathy vote as the tycoon’s right hand man.

The characters in the movie are not particularly likeable – how can you find yourself empathising with a pitiless businessman, a cold bodyguard, a spoilt druggie or the numerous greedy kidnappers? Yet, there is something which keeps you engaged as the 93 minute movie explores the sophisticated human psychology.

Movie Rating:



(Human morality and principles are on display in this efficiently made Milkyway production)

Review by John Li

Genre: Supernatural
Director: Kim Min Suk
Cast: Ko Soo, Kang Dong Won, Moon Choi Deok, Chae Jeong Eun, Yoon Da Kyeon
RunTime: 1 hr 54 mins
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Rating: NC-16 (Some Violence and Coarse Language)
 Official Website:

Opening Date: 8 September 2011

Synopsis: He has the power to control other people’s minds just by looking into their eyes. The greater thing is that people cannot remember what happened during the hypnosis. One day, an unexpected encounter happens during his routine robbery. Gyu-nam is an ordinary worker at a pawn bank, who loves his job and his girl. HE ruins everything Gyu-nam loves and Gyu-nam is the only man HE cannot control. Now, Gyu-nam decides to take revenge and the biggest showdown begins with both men’s lives changing forever.

Movie Review:

Superheroes don’t always need to come in the form of Marvel or DC Comics characters; rather, they can just be everyday individuals with special powers living regular lives. Perhaps one of the best films to expound on this was M.Night Shyamalan’s “Unbreakable”, a story of two individuals coming to terms with who and what they are, as well as their place in the world relative to each other.

Kim Min-suk’s feature debut owes more to Shyamalan’s “Unbreakable” than it does to the superhero Marvel or DC Comics blockbusters. It grounds its two characters- one the hero, and the other the villain- in commonplace circumstances, and thereby injecting a healthy dose of realism into the movie. On one end is Kyu Nam (Ko Soo), a former scrapyard worker turned pawnshop manager; and on the other, Cho (Kang Dong Won), a disturbed young man with a troubled childhood and innate mind control abilities.

The alternative English title for this movie is “Psychic” and it is Cho that this title is referring to. In the film’s opening scene, a young Cho is seen blindfolded while his father berates his mother for letting their child live- until the blindfold slips and his father kills himself by snapping his own neck backwards. His mother tries to kill him upon witnessing his terrifying powers, but fails. Twenty years later, Cho gets by through robbing pawnshops while making everyone else around ‘freeze’ as if time had stopped.

Kyu Nam however turns out to be immune to Cho’s psychic abilities, and when he tries to stop Cho from robbing his boss’ pawnshop, Cho responds by killing his boss in a particularly gruesome manner. Just like that, Min-suk sets up the feud between Kyu Nam and Cho at the centre of the movie. It is their conflict that drives the rest of the narrative, as both of them are pushed to understand their place opposite each other.

Through Kyu Nam, Cho discovers a newfound fallibility to his apparent invincibility; while through Cho, Kyu Nam discovers a greater sense of purpose as the counterbalance to Cho’s heinous ways. The showdowns between the two are inevitable, and Min-suk stages a few thrilling exchanges- in particular, one of them that takes place in a crowded subway station is especially gripping to watch.

Cho’s blatant disregard for human life however may be disturbing to some, especially since some of his victims tend to meet their deadly fates a little too casually for comfort. The only levity the film provides is in the form of Kyu Nam’s buddies- one from Ghana, and the other from Turkey, both of whom can speak perfect Korean. Their banter with the simple Kyu Nam provides some much-needed comic relief in a movie that can turn deadly serious very quickly.

Both Ko Soo and Kang Dong Won turn in compelling performances, even though one may naturally prefer Ko Soo’s more empathetic one. He makes his character’s apprehension felt keenly, especially when Min-suk clearly sets him up as being mismatched against Cho’s superpowers. On the other hand, Dong Won cuts a chilling presence as the villain, giving his character an intensity that you can’t quite help but be enraptured by.

Those expecting some form of answers as to the origin of Cho’s abilities, or Kyu Nam’s, should however be prepared to be disappointed. Min-suk offers none, preferring that his audience accept it as part of the nature of mankind and the inherent differences between individuals. This is only Min-suk’s second movie, the first as a co-writer on Kim Jee-woon’s kimchi western, The Good the Bad the Weird, and it proves his strengths as a helmer. Gripping and never for one second less than interesting, “Haunters” is one unique Korean movie you shouldn’t miss. 

Movie Rating:  

(A different kind of superhero movie- but a riveting watch nonetheless)

Review by Gabriel Chong