Genre: Erotic/Suspense
Director: Im Sang-soo
Cast: Kim Kang Woo, Baek Yoon Sik, Youn Yuh Jung, Kim Hyo Jin
RunTime: 1 hr 54 mins
Rating: R21 (Sexual Scenes And Nudity)
Released By: Shaw
Official Website:
Opening Day: 2 August 2012
Synopsis: Wealthiest of the wealthy, who desires the vitality of the youth, the youth who desires the power of the wealthy. Between Lust and Shame… The ferocious and conniving wife of one of the most powerful and privileged families in Korea, one that controls the nation with money - Madam BAEK (YOUN Yuh-jung) Addicted to money and its power, Madam BAEK’s husband who has wasted away his life in contempt - Chairman YOON (BAEK Yoon-sik) A secretary who takes care of all the dirty work for the Chairman YOON’s family and slowly comes to relish the taste of money - Young-jak (KIM Kang-woo) The daughter of the family who develops a strange attraction for Young-jak - Nami (KIM Hyo-jin) Controlling the money, controlled by the money, this is their story of power, lust and obsession!
Movie Review:
It can be hard to define the appeal of The Taste of Money, mostly because your enjoyment of the film hinges on whether you see it as a drama or a documentary. As a drama, the film is muted and almost lifeless, striped of the portentous, ponderous emotions that have come to characterise the genre. Yet the beauty of the material lies in its intent to transcend such rote contrivances and simply bear witness to the raw and gritty reality behind the glittering wealth of South Korea’s richest.
The story revolves around one of the country’s most prosperous families: company president Yoon, his wife Baek, daughter Nami, son Chul, private secretary Joo, Baek’s septuagenarian grandfather and housemaid Eva. On the surface, everything looks perfectly normal yet it’s Baek who grips all the power over the company and controls the plight of the nation with her money. Troubles arise when Yoon decides to leave the country with Eva to start afresh amidst the struggle for a fulfilling relationship with Baek whose family he married into for wealth and influence.
Director Im Sang-soo is at his most comfortable here, manufacturing a tale that is less of an embellished account than it is of a sincere, if a little bold statement of how some of the richest families live. It’s a joy to watch him expose the fabric of a dysfunctional family with morally bankrupt characters who try to outdo each other with their misdeeds at every turn. Whether you appreciate the way he unfolds this fabric becomes another question altogether, however. At the very least, it requires you to believe that he’s only trying to recite reality and accurately portray his subjects.
For these reasons, scenes of characters who behave nonchalantly or convey muted reactions towards events that would otherwise shock people are amazing because they demonstrate Im’s tight grasp on reality. Despite the nuanced performances, these scenes can as easily become the most misunderstood portions of the film. Those aiming for melodrama may find many of the scenes awkwardly constructed and more tense emotions that fail to build up to anything more than a small spark of reward.
If you are still with Im’s tale at this point, you will find little disappointment in his careful attention to details. He decorates his screenplay with opulent interiors, sex parties and ripped torsos, all of which might not be important in a more dramatic piece but play pivotal roles here, contributing to the believability of the film and carrying the weight of the narrative when Im stops for quieter moments where he encourages the audience to contemplate. The only blemish to this is Yoon Yeo-jeong's depiction of Baek. The actress delivers a sometimes terrible performance with conspicuously artificial agony which selfishly breaks the experience the film is trying to sell.
Perhaps the film asks too much from its audience. There’s no way to decipher fact from fiction in Im’s tale since none of us reside in South Korea or are completely familiar with how the elite class in the country behaves. At best, we can only deduce from similar circumstances but The Taste of Money is at least a refreshing and not entirely dishonest take on its subject. If you trust and believe Im, he rewards you handsomely – and that’s good enough for me.
Movie Rating:
(A film that is as beautiful as it is misunderstood. Dive into it and it pays though)
Review by Loh Yong Jian
SYNOPSIS: Taekwondo medalist, Master Moon runs a Taekwondo studio in Bangkok. Moon’s happy family is filled with talented individuals with everyone excelling in some form of martial arts: his wife Yoon successfully weaved martial art into her daily kitchen chores; Tae-yang their eldest child is an expert in Taekwondo fused with Street-dance elements; second child Tae-Mi can do some formidable high kicks that packs a punch; and the baby of the family, Tae-poong is famous for combat combining fatal head-butts! Everything is well and smooth till the Moon family became Thailand’s national heroes after helping to capture the Suk-Doo, a syndicate known for stealing the Legendary Thai sword. Little did Moon and Yoon expect the Suk-Doo to kidnap Tae-poong for revenge…
MOVIE REVIEW:
We always thought the Koreans and the Thais have little in common, but trust the cultural ministries of both countries to think of a movie like ‘The Kick’ to bring the two disparate cultures closer together. We’d have to say though that the outcome seems to have turned out in favour of the Koreans- after all, besides the setting, the choice of Prachya Pinkaew as director and some elephant distraction a la ‘Tom Yum Goong’, there is little to suggest that the Thais had any real presence in the movie.
Pinkaew himself came up with the story of a Korean family of taekwondo experts in Thailand who get unwittingly embroiled in the theft of a national treasure- the father Mun (Jo Jae-hyeon) a former Taekwondo athlete who was so close at getting the Olympic gold; the mother Mi-ja (Ye Ji-won) an equally adept Taekwondo practitioner; and their children Tae-yang (Korean pop star Taejoo), Tae-mi (K. Kim), and Typhoon. Since the dialogue is mostly in Korean, the screenplay is written not by Pinkaew but by Lee Jong-suk, who understands that what story that exists serves merely to string together the action on display.
You can tell therefore that screenwriter Jong-suk hasn’t tried much- the villains of Korean origin aren’t particularly smart; and the story that exists between the said Taekwondo family is an oft-told tale where the well-meaning father wants one thing and the idealistic son wants another. Add to the fray Mun’s friend Uncle Mom (Pinkaew regular Petchtai "Mum Jokmok" Wongkamlao) and his niece Wawa (Chocolate’s Yanin "Jeeja" Vismitananda) and you basically have the whole ensemble down pat.
Instead, Pinkaew places his focus on the numerous action sequences, collaborating once again with his regular action director Panna Rittikrai. Between the two, you can bet that there will be some jaw-dropping action, and indeed the stunts on display do not disappoint one bit. Most deserving of mention is that which they have choreographed for Taejoo, who gets at least two outstanding showcases of his own- including one personal favourite where he meshes Taekwondo and dance into a flurry of style and power.
Speaking of Taejoo, it’s also worthy to mention that the actor pretty much steals the entire show, mixing both physical agility with genuine comic likeability- and though it may be premature to say so, he does have a hint of the younger Jackie Chan within, at least much more so than Jackie’s own son Jaycee in this year’s ‘Double Trouble’. The rest of the cast are pretty much sidelined- save maybe for Yanin, whose thinly written character at least gets her time in the limelight with some terrific moves.
Action fans expecting the kind of realistic violence Pinkaew is known for in his previous Tony Jaa films will likely be disappointed though- this is made clearly for a family-friendly audience, so there’s little blood or hard-hitting action. Instead, as we’ve mentioned, the tone Pinkaew has gone for is reminiscent of the Jackie Chan films, so expect a fair bit of the action to be played for laughs. Despite that, there’s little doubt that the Thais have pretty much overtaken the action staple of the Hong Kong film industry, even when it comes to action comedies.
And even if ‘The Kick’ doesn’t pack as powerful a (pardon the pun) kick as you would expect it to, this family-friendly action comedy still is generous entertainment- though in our opinion, there doesn’t seem to be much cultural assimilation between the Thais and the Koreans. We’d like to see a sequel where the Thais visit the Koreans and introduce some tom yum into their kimchi- hopefully then, the balance will be tilted in favour of the former.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Just a trailer and a photo gallery of stills you may have missed in between the fast bouts of action.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 2.0 delivers a pretty solid package during the action scenes. Visuals are clear and sharp.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: In 1951 ceasefire is declared, but two remaining armies fought their final battle on the front line. Towards the end of the Korean War, a South Korean battalion is fiercely battling over a hill on the front line border against the North in order to capture a strategic point that would determine the new border between two nations. The ownership of this small patch of land would swap multiple times each day. Kang is dispatched to the front line in order to investigate the tacit case that’s been happening there. But he gets spiralled into the war that’s more terrifying than death itself when he meets his friend Kim, who has transformed into a war machine…
MOVIE REVIEW:
Some detractors might argue that once you see one Korean War movie in your lifetime, you seen all. Well, this might not be a fair statement but director Jang Hun and writer Park Sang-Yeon still manage to keep things engaging in “The Front Line”.
In this South Korea’s submission to the 84thAcademy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, “The Front Line” depicts the destiny of two best friends during the last leg of the 1950 to 1953 Korean War. The North and South has been fighting for the same strategic point on Aerok Hill for years and while a ceasefire is finally declared, Alligator Company found out to its dismay they have 12 hours before the declaration takes place and they are given the unfortunate order to slug things out with the North for the last time.
Eun-pyo (Shin Ha-Kyun) is a First Lieutenant sent by Seoul to the front line to sniff out a mole in Alligator Company. But the things he saw is much more than he can imagined. His once captive friend, Soo-Hyeok (Go Soo from “Haunters”) is not only alive but has turned into a daredevil First Lieutenant serving under a babyface, morphine addicted Commanding Officer, Shin and together with a platoon of diehard followers, they have survived countless battles at Aerok not counting an unspoken one in Pohang earlier.
Seen through the eyes of Eun-pyo and Soo-Hyeok, the meat of the story is not on the issue of who’s conquering Aerok Hill. Jang’s underlying message to all seems to be the question of what’s the purpose of fighting among brothers. Losing so many innocent lives on a wasteland which amounts to nothing at the end of the day except for some leftover battle-fatigued soldiers, this is a repetitive message in Jang’s movie.
Comparing this to “Taegukgi”, “The Front Line” takes on a far more dramatic, less flashy approach and the 133 minutes movie is leisurely paced though occasionally interspersed with battle sequences. The carnage quotient is much lower though there are tense moments involving a sniper dubbed “Two Seconds” and the resulting conflict between the latter and Eun-pyo deserved a mention. A subsequent melodramatic moment occurred in the later part of the movie that highlights the plight of young orphans will bring tears to the eyes. The supposedly spy turns out to be a mere communication box between the North and South soldiers where they exchange letters, cigarettes, chocolates and rice wine and this perhaps is a nice reminder that despite the ongoing fire and killing, the basic human nature is never on the devil side.
Shin Ha-Kyun and Go Soo both turns in solid performances. Shin as the morally-idealistic soldier while Go Soo happens to be one soldier who never minces his words and has no qualms killing his incapable Commanding Officer in order for his platoon to survive the ordeal. “The Front Line” is one war movie that never let the action takes the centerstage instead it’s an in-depth character study on the absurdity of war or in this case, is there a need at all? While contemporary highly-decorated soldiers spent their entire combat experiences on makeshift table tops and computer screens, why not spend 2 hours watching mates of the Alligator Companys sweating their guts out even though the story is fictional yet so inspiring and educational.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The DVD comes only with a Photo Gallery and Trailer.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The intended orangey and sepia tones portray itself beautifully on the TV screen unfortunately the sound mix is limited to a Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack which mars the viewing experience a little.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Ten years ago, a young air hostess, New, miraculously survived a plane crash. New insists that a vengeful spirit caused that accident, but her belief unsettled those around her and she had to go through a psycho-therapy. Now, the woman is ready to fly again. But on her first flight, New is struck by a disturbing feeling. The plane on which she’s working looks familiar, and New realizes that it’s actually the same aircraft that crashed ten years ago, though it has been repaired and repainted. New is gripped by terror, but there’s nothing she can do because the plane has already taken off, along with the same vengeful spirits that reside in it. Up in the air, the spirits are determined to take her life this time.
MOVIE REVIEW:
The idea of setting a horror movie on board a plane is a nifty concept, you have to admit- after all, at 35,000 feet above ground, your options of escaping are frankly up in the air. In fact, Parkpoom Wongpoon’s ‘The Last Flight’ in the horror anthology ‘4Bia’ demonstrated the potential behind such a concept, and if anything, should serve as a template for director Isara Nadee’s feature-length movie.
Unfortunately, Nadee seems more excited about making a movie in 3D than making a movie per se- which explains why this film, touted as the first stereoscopic 3D horror, largely fails to capitalise on its potential. To be fair, you can tell that Nadee has spent some effort creating scenes especially for the third dimension- although these consists mostly of cheap gimmicks with objects being thrown at the audience- but that rarely disguises the fact that this is a lazily shot movie that has little plot or character.
You might ask why either is necessary- isn’t it enough that a good horror movie is able to elicit scares and make you jump? Yes, the difference between a good and a great horror movie is one that bothers to get you involved with story and character, both of which are critical if the movie is going to stay with you when the lights come on. Neither element in ‘Dark Flight’ stands out, so really you aren’t going to remember much of the movie while it’s over.
How much you enjoy it while it lasts depends on your tolerance for ‘boo-scares’. Nadee goes for those a lot, accompanied with sudden noises or music, all in the name of taking you by surprise. It’s a tactic that works only if used smartly, but sadly this isn’t a movie with the smarts for it- so what you get are cheaply deployed jumps that grow increasingly annoying. More effective however are the ghouls in the movie, a combination of makeup and CGI that work to create an effectively creepy atmosphere.
Nonetheless, the movie undermines itself by throwing logic out the window. At first, it tries to inject some sense of realism by alluding to the fact that ghosts are merely energy without the ability to hurt or harm humans. And then just as you think it will make more sense than your average horror flick, it throws its own rulebook out the window and violates its very own principle. Worse still, there is little pattern to the haunting- save for some feeble backstory relating to the main character New (Masha Wattanapanich)- so it only gets more repetitive and illogical.
If it is any consolation, the cast seem fully aware of the histrionics the movie requires, and where the script allows, they bring some much-needed self-referential humour into the movie. Thank goodness really for humour relief in the form of a dreadlocked backpacker (Namo Tongkumnerd) and an effeminate male attendant (X Thiti)- without which the movie would have simply crashed in its own self-seriousness.
Even so, there is very little that keeps the movie afloat. This is through a through a B-grade movie in every sense of the word, from the scripting to the acting to the production design (clearly inside a studio set) to lastly the direction. Its main and perhaps only selling point is of being the first 3D horror movie in Thailand, but believe us when we say that it isn’t worth the fad at all- more so on home video where it is only released in the traditional 2D format. It still is entertainment however, but one that can only be enjoyed if you are willing to see just how low it manages to fly- yes, this is one dark flight indeed. .
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Take the option of Dolby Digital 5.1 if you are watching this- it’s like the equivalent of flying business class vis-à-vis economy and the well-placed sound effects will ensure just that. Visuals are clear and sharp.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Animation
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell
RunTime: 1 hr 28 mins
Released By: Walt Disney Motion Pictures
Rating: PG
Official Website: http://disney.go.com/frankenweenie/
Opening Day: 15 November 2012
Synopsis: A heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life-with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor's fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new "leash on life" can be monstrous.
Movie Review:
Before Tim Burton cemented his status in Hollywood with ‘Peewee’s Big Adventure’ and ‘Beetlejuice’, the well-known eccentric director made a live-action black-and-white film called ‘Frankenweenie’ in 1984. That short has been expanded to feature-length proportions here – thanks to frequent Burton collaborator/ screenwriter John August – and this classic love story between a boy and his dog loses none of its Burton-esque charm in the process.
August retains the concept of Burton’s earlier short in the first half of the movie, where we are introduced to Victor Frankenstein (voiced by Charlie Tahan), a shy, socially awkward but brilliant geek whose best friend is his faithful bull terrier named Sparky. The only child of Mr and Mrs Frankenstein (Martin Short and Catherine O’Hara respectively), Victor lives with his parents in the perfect American suburb of New Holland, where in his free time he makes Super 8 films with his toys, improvised props and of course Sparky.
His life is turned upside down one day when Sparky dies in an auto accident while chasing his baseball down a street - and just as in the short, Sparky is buried under a large tombstone at the top of the hill in a creepy cemetery. Nonetheless, Victor’s grief turns out to be short-lived – watching his Vincent Price-inspired science teacher Mr. Rzykruski (voiced by Martin Landau) apply an electric current to make a dead frog move its legs, Victor is inspired to do likewise to bring Sparky back to life by using lightning in the midst of a thunderstorm.
Needless to say, Victor’s experiment is successful – and after a scene that directly recalls ‘Frankenstein’, Sparky is back none the worse for the wear, save for a number of visible stitches and screws around his body. Before we get to the part where Victor’s parents find out what he’s done, August comes up with a whole new second act not in Burton’s short. A science fair is coming up, and all the other local kids want to emulate Victor’s breakthrough – whether it is to their pet cat in the case of Victor’s next-door neighbour simply named Weird Girl (O’Hara again) or to one of the other pets in the cemetery long buried in the case of Victor’s loathsome schoolmate Edgar (Atticus Shaffer).
The reanimating game allows Burton’s imagination to go wild, as all manner of monsters from the cinematic world of creature features descend upon the quiet town to terrorise its folk at a night fair. Burton’s love for the genre is palpable, squeezing in multiple references to the classics of yesteryear – besides the evil beasties from ‘Gremlins’, a ‘Godzilla-like’ monster also appears courtesy of Japanese-American kid Toshiaki’s (James Hiroyuki Liao) late pet turtle. Nonetheless, their inclusion does make the climax more bloated than it probably should have been – though fans aren’t likely to mind the nostalgia.
Neither are followers of Burton-esque likely to mind – as always, the characters are winsomely eccentric both in manner and more so in design. Moulded in the signature Burton style of ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ and ‘Corpse Bride’, they have stick-thin limbs atop elongated egg-shaped faces with golf-ball like eyes, and in their uniquely weird and wonderful looks are not only differentiated from each other but given a unique personality.
But Burton’s visual achievement here goes way beyond the character design – for the first time, he has chosen to adopt a monochrome palette for the movie, a stylistic choice that might seem alienating at first for the modern-day audience so accustomed to stories told in rich dynamic colours but really an artistically inspired one that accentuates the very telling of the tale. The shadings and shadows are handled beautifully here, and kudos to Burton and his art directors Tim Browning and Alexander Walker for creating a visually stunning world just in black and white.
If Burton’s eye for the macabre is just as sharp here as with most of his movies, what ultimately makes this stand out from the rest is genuine poignancy. Victor is no less a misfit than the lead protagonist from his other films, but the central bond here between a boy and his dog that goes to the heart of just how much one is willing to do for the other is a love story that is relatable to young and old alike. Sure, there will be some scenes that may scare younger audiences given its inclination as a homage to the creature horror subgenre, but this is also one of Burton’s most moving films, and such an enthralling fantasy deserves to be enjoyed by the whole family.
Movie Rating:
(A classic love story between a boy and his dog told in a unique way that also pays homage to the creature horror classics of old, this black-and-white animation is one of Tim Burton’s most moving films and certainly one of his best)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: George and Linda are a stressed out Manhattan couple. When George loses his job the only option they are left with is to move in with George's awful brother in Atlanta. On-route to Atlanta they stumble upon Elysium, an idyllic community who embrace a different way of life. Is this the fresh start they need or will Elysium cause more problems than it solves?
MOVIE REVIEW:
Everyone needs a little downtime once in a while. The pressurizing worklife, mounting mortgage and car loan, relationship problems etc can be a killer.
Thus in the case of New York couple, George (Paul Rudd) and Linda (Jennifer Aniston) who have problem servicing their house loan after Paul faced a job loss and Linda has her documentary about testicular cancer in penguins rejected by HBO, the couple decides to move into a free-wheeling commune called Elysium for a change of pacing. Facing issues such as ‘free love’, rooms without doors, going vegan and a threatening resident by the name of Seth (Aniston’s real-life beau, Justin Theroux), will the two city dwellers survive the ordeal?
Produced by Judd Apatow (The 40 Year Old Virgin) and directed/co-written by David Wain (Role Models), “Wanderlust” is an uneven piece of goofball humour that is watchable all thanks to a bunch of likeable cast. Bit actor Joe Lo Truglio is a hoot as a nudist fully equipped with a prosthetic dangling manhood. Elysium's amnesia owner Carvin is played by the great Alan Alda (Tower Heist). The almost unrecognizable Justin Theroux hams it up as the resident leader who is not exactly a practitioner of what he teaches. But nothing compares to the chemistry between Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston. Rudd always the underrated comedian is perfect as the sweet loser, check out his dirty talk scene and you know this guy is a genius. Aniston who plays against type in last year’s “Horrible Bosses” is back as everyone’s favourite American sweetheart. She has little to shine here though the “Friends” actress is hard to resist opposite Rudd.
For a comedy, “Wanderlust” lacks the big laughs to make it work in fact the occasional sex jokes and references have become the norm in a comedy these days that you probably won’t find any fresh lines around here. The social commentary and satires which the filmmakers tried to concoct seem to be buried under Theroux’s thick beard and the gags such as a screaming Kathryn Hahn playing one of the residents and writer/producer Ken Marino as George’s uncouth brother sadly becomes repetitive as the movie goes. Yet the sporadic funny skits set up enough charming, engaging exchanges to make you forgive Wain’s lazy scribing. Look out for a unexpected hilarious cameo by regular big-screen baddie Ray Liotta before the ending credits.
“Wanderlust” is not a robust, strong comedic title and fairs more of a hit-and-miss despite the talents involved. Like I mentioned, it works because of a tremendously wacky cast and yes, the incredibly talented Mr Paul Rudd.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
“Wanderlust” boasts a sharp and clean video transfer with brimming colours and detailed images. Dialog is clear and the Dolby Digital 5.1 is more than serviceable for a comedy genre.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Hong Kong, the present day, Chung Chun-tao (Deanie Ip) has worked for the Leung family as an amah for 60 years. She now looks after Roger Leung (Andy Lau) who came back to Hong Kong in his 30s and is the only member of the family still based there. As a film producer, Roger is currently working between Hong Kong and Beijing on a large-scale costume drama. One day, returning from Beijing, Roger finds Tao has had a stroke. Later, in hospital, she tells him she'd like to finally give up work and stay in an elderly home. Roger finds one in Sham Shui Po, supervised by the business-like but kind Miss Choi (Qin Hailu). Small and crowded, it's initially a depressing experience but Tao slowly gets to adjust and to know her fellow inhabitants.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Stripped off the usual fancy costumes, loud sound effects and even special effects, all you need for a movie to work is the plotting and the cast performance. Seasoned HK director Ann Hui probably knows this better than the average filmmaker, which explains why she is still the leading female director on the island.
Based on a true-life story, “A Simple Life” tells the tale of a hardworking, faithful Amah, Tao-Jie or Sister Tao (Deanie Yip) and her relationship with the son of her late employer, Roger (Andy Lau). While Roger’s remaining family members has since migrated overseas, Tao-Jie’s sole responsibility is to cook and wash for Roger ensuring he has the freshest fish and a bowl of hot soup for dinner when he comes back from his overseas stint as a movie producer. But age and death wait for no one, when Tao-Jie suffered a stroke at home one day, she knew her time as Roger’s employee is up and her only wish is to stay in an old folks home instead of being a burden to Roger.
Never been one to shy away from airing her opinions on the social and political state of society, Ann Hui’s “A Simple Life” is a depressing showcase on the plight of old folks stranded in homes. While Tao-Jie is the central character, Hui surrounds her with interesting people when she admits to her home. A variety of folks including a lecherous old man (Paul Chin) who borrows money to satisfy his needs, an old woman who pinned for her son’s visit and a disease-stricken woman become Tao’s mates. No doubt, it’s bleak at times but Hui never stooped to cheap melodramatics to win anyone’s hearts over. Most of the time, Hui and her cinematographer simply let the shots linger and distance cries at night perhaps sum up the overall mood of the home and instantly you get what Hui is trying to convey.
It has been more than a decade since Deanie Yip’s last appearance onscreen however her undeniable acting skills remain and her chemistry with Andy Lau is whelming. “The Hard Truth” in the 90’s sealed the fate of this wonderful pairup and “A Simple Life” served as concrete evidence as we follows Tao-Jie and Roger having a meal and strolling in a park and deep down we know it’s hard to find another pair of actors that possessed the same chemistry as the duo. While the movie is shot in plain documentary-style, Hui populates the movie with many star cameos including Tsui Hark, Sammo Hung, Chapman To, Angelababy and other seasoned actors that you probably haven’t seen in decades for some surprises. Mainland actress Qin Hailu impresses with her role as Miss Choi, the caregiver of the home and Wang Fuli is equally good as Roger’s mother.
Overall, “A Simple Life” is a genuinely affecting social commentary piece and truly deserving of the accolades received.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Presented in Cantonese, the Making Of consists of 4 parts and run an estimated 40 minutes. Covering everything from interview with the main cast members and cameo stars, behind-the-scenes footages to discussion on the ageing society, this feature is comprehensive enough for the award-winning Chinese language drama. It comes with a Trailer as well.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The visual on the whole is passable while the audio comes with both Cantonese and Mandarin options.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD RATING :
Review by Linus Tee
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OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL debuts teaser posterPosted on 05 Jul 2012 |
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Get ready for Tony Leung in THE SILENT WARPosted on 05 Jul 2012 |
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Sunny Luk, Longman Leung
Cast: Aaron Kwok, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Eddie Peng, Aarif Rahman, Charlie Yeung, Chin Kar Lok, Lam Ka Tung, Andy On, Terence Yin, Ma Yili, Michael Wong, Tony Ho, Byron Mann, Grace Huang, Andy Lau
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures & Encore Films
Official Website: http://www.encorefilms.com/coldwar
Opening Day: 15 November 2012
Synopsis: In Asia's safest city, the police have long been untouchable. Approaching midnight in Hong Kong, police headquarters receives an anonymous call: a fully-loaded police van carrying the forces, most advance equipment and five highly trained officers has disappeared off the grid. The hijackers possess direct knowledge of police procedures. They're already steps ahead. The police must meet a list of demands to ensure the hostage's release, including the delivery of a large ransom. Any delay will cost lives.
Movie Review:
An explosion in the heart of Hong Kong city and the mystery disappearance of an EU van with five armed policemen onboard kick start a series of events that not only threaten the innocent citizens of Hong Kong but also the cohesion of the police force.
Heavenly King Aaron Kwok plays Lau, the Deputy Commissioner of administrative services of the HK police force while Tony Leung Ka Fai plays Lee, the Deputy Commissioner of operations. With the Commissioner (Michael Wong) away on a conference in Copenhagen, Lee assumed the position of officer-in-charge and authorized an immediate rescue operation (codenamed Cold War) of the kidnapped officers. However, Lau has doubts over Lee’s authority and a fight over the commanding position ensues. With the clock ticking including the safety of Lee’s son, Joe (Taiwanese idol Eddie Peng) being one of the kidnapped police officers, operation Cold War is still a go despite the differences.
Co-helmed by first time directors Sunny Luk (who serves as one of the writers and second assistant director on movies such as “Full Alert” and “On the Edge”) and art director Longman Leung, “Cold War” is an intense crime thriller that collectively packed a lot of stuff into a compact 100 odd minutes. Taking into account the countless familiar faces that the duo has assembled, this factor probably already worth the admission ticket alone. The summary above only accounts for the first half of the movie, yes you heard that right. You got an electrifying scene between Lau and Lee’s character. Two Heavenly Kings, one by the name of Andy sharing a scene together after their last collaboration in “Lee Rock II” almost two decades ago and a nail-biting scene involving Lau bringing a whole bag of cash to meet the kidnappers and ends with a gunfight on a busy road.
Another gentle reminder, all these happened in the first half of “Cold War” and we have yet reached the end.
Luk and Leung take a fresh spin on the usual crime genre and gave it a new life during the process thus instead of a straight out actioner liked Benny Chan’s “EU Strike Force”, we have a layered cop drama in the league of “Infernal Affairs”. The story is also the duo’s love song to their beloved homeland, a country that is run on a respected common law jurisdiction and enjoyed freedom of speech and accountability which is a stark contrast to the People’s Republic of China. The two filmmakers refuse to rest on their laurels that they have to introduce a young ICAC rookie, Cheung (Aarif Rahman from “Bruce Lee, My Brother”) in the next half of the movie to investigate Lau’s alleged involvement in the missing ransom which in turn question the existence of a mole in the force. This is not to say the scripting of “Cold War” is perfect. In fact, in an enthusiastic move to generate more twists and turns, a couple of missteps including too many false endings and a CG filled finale actually hamper the overall enjoyment a little.
After being lambasted for his cheesy acting in “Murderer” and “City Under Siege”, Kwok equipped with a salt-and-pepper hairstyle is surprisingly believable as the calm, confident Lau while the award-winning Leung shines in a role that screams for more. The other supporting cast includes Gordon Lam Ka Tong playing a role that he can virtually portrays in his sleep and action choreographer Chin Ka Lok doubling as Lau’s subordinate, the ever pretty Charlie Young pops in as Head of Public Relations with Andy Lau in an extended cameo as the Secretary of Security. I can’t say much for Eddie Peng but this young man unquestionably is a shining star to watch out for.
Even without the financial involvement of Mainland investors, “Cold War” is an impressive feat for the two relatively new filmmakers. The lush production values and picturesque aerial shots are examples of that. Although it doesn’t feature wall-to-wall action (think “The Viral Factor”), “Cold War” is a recommended title proving the crime genre which the HK movie industry is famous for is still very much alive.
Movie Rating:
(Taut and smartly-paced, "Cold War" warrants a sequel)
Review by Linus Tee
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