[ScreenSingapore Red Carpet Gala Premiere] Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

Renowned and critically acclaimed director Shekhar Kapur was on hand to introduce the documentary Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which was a late inclusion into the lineup given that Ready starring Salman Khan was originally slated for its World Premiere, but having done that last week in Dubai meant a quick change of plans for the Bollywood Themed Night at ScreenSingapore.



*****

Always About the Spectacle

Almost after every Bollywood screening, I am bound to hear some unflattering remarks being passed off amongst the crowd, about how bad something is, bitching about the beautiful stars (from members of the opposite sex) sharing the latest gossip, or just plain slamming a film that it's an unauthorized copy of something, even if I felt there were merits to the film, or that I fell in love with it heads over heels. Then Shekhar Kapur, producer of the documentary Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, who is in town to grace the ScreenSingapore event and here to present the film, shared an insight, that though Bollywood as a genre may be absurd, it still received a lot of love. And I thought this probably accounted for the massive box office takings some films achieved both domestically within India, and worldwide, even though the Masala formula gets milked time and again.

To try and explain a Bollywood film, or one's love for it (at least for me) to non Bollywood fans, is a futile attempt and exercise likely to lead to exasperation. One of the primary reasons why people get put off, or why they semi-mock the films, are the massive song and dance sequences that can be inserted quite randomly (not all the time though), bringing the audience to far fetched fantasy locales overseas touting the best scene scapes in Switzerland or Scotland, or Singapore even, or creating a catchy number just to have the most recent up and coming starlet gyrate to it, and produce yet another infectious, easily replicated dance routine in clubs. Get past this misconception about the coconut trees, and one will see the light at the end of the tunnel, that Bollywood films have sprawling dramatic storylines often to deal with love and passion, and the song and dance sequences the mere spice to flavour up the main course.

For those watching this documentary with the hopes of getting an introduction into the Hindi film market based out of Mumbai (previously Bombay, which gave rise to its Bollywood monicker), then your hopes may be a little bit dashed because this documentary, after its first few minutes where you may think you're in for an intellectual discourse from academics, researchers, critics and the man on the street, is anything but chock full of talking heads providing their respective insights. You don't get that, and neither will you probably be enlightened by the time the movie ends. It is not that film to try and educate, but it is that film to experience.

It was a deliberate decision to have two directors attached to what I would call the best-of montage series of Bollywood musical sequences from films in the last 40 to 50 years, and it's fairly updated given clips from hits like Dabangg, and Dum Maaro Dum even with Deepika Padukone performing the remake of the titular song, which gratefully for this documentary I got to watch snippets of the original performance from an earlier film that looked really kinky too with plenty of drug induced almost-slumber in a beat that's of total opposites to the updated version. Producer Shekhar Kapur roped in both Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Jeff Zimbalist to helm the film, one obviously familiar with Bollywood, while the other obviously quite not, to try and make sense of all the sights, sounds, colour, choreography, that encompass a typical Bollywood film.

So what do you get? A very smart teasing opening of the song Chaiyya Chaiyya from Dil Se, to bits of the energetic number from Dhoom, and it continued like a roller coaster ride of songs, songs, and more songs, together with dances from most of the big name Bollywood stars, in scenes lifted from Bollywood films to provide a musical montage where one's senses of sight and hearing got engaged in a full frontal assault. It's like the perfect Bollywood pill to try and force feed an audience not bred on Bollywood, like a full blown psychedelic brain washing technique to try and drum out the “I can't understand why Bollywood films have song and dance” thought process, to attempt to showcase what anyone not watching a Bollywood film regularly, would be missing. For those who have watched these films on showcase before, it becomes a nostalgic trip down memory lane on some of the moments that would have probably served as hook, line and sinker that got one addicted to its kinetic energy.

In deciding upon this presentation, it is likely to come with extreme responses – those who enjoy watching the film and enjoy it even further, those who hate it because of its lack of insights, and then the new converts who will find it quite a blast to want to find out more. I suppose the effort here through this film is to reach out to would-be converts who are apprehensive in tackling another genre, the fence-sitters who need an additional push before plunging headlong into a vastly new experience that Hindi, or Indian cinema for that matter, provides.

But if touted as a documentary, I would have appreciated it a lot more if there were little unobtrusive subtitles that will introduce the title of the song, the title of the film and probably to educate who the bevy of stars are each time they come on screen. Granted it may look a little MTV style in presentation, but therein lies the educational component, that anyone interested to know what song is currently played, or the movie it is featured in, can do so post-screening at their own time to find out more. Providing a little assistance goes a long way, and doing so is akin to marketing a Bollywood film through its songs and soundtrack first and foremost. I won't claim to know a lot, and these markers in a superb collective film like this one serving as a route map and showreel, will definitely help.

Then there's the documentary narrative structure which was a little bit too loose. At times I can sense that it's trying to group its musical segments into themes such as Hero, or Villain, or Beauties, Politics, and the likes, but the delivery and outcome was something left to be desired, possibly because the editors could have been clueless about the context in which the musical segments were taken out from, or that trying to force fit disparate ones together may have backfired. But thematic grouping may help an audience, especially those not in tuned with its presentation style, to understand the narrative importance that these numbers bring to the table.

To some it may be a genre best left untouched, but to others a religion filled with glamorous, worshipped demigods. Bollywood is something to be experienced, where truly it's to follow your heart and not your head, to go with your desire to want something fantastical and larger than life from your cinema. I'm certainly in that camp.

[ScreenSingapore In Conversation Series] Kelvin Tong: Creating Singapore Cinema

LtoR: Moderator Serene Chen, Director Kelvin Tong

LIVE BLOGGING - Keep refreshing this page from 1400hrs for the latest piece of nugget from the proceedings. You can also follow on Twitter: @stefanshl or #ScreenSingapore

Here's the synopsis:

Kelvin started out in the film business as a film critic at The Straits Times from 1995 to 1999. In 1996 he co-directed the short film Moveable Feast with Sandi Tan and Jasmine Ng. He went on to make his first feature film Eating Air with Jasmine Ng in 1999 which screened In Competition at the Rotterdam International Film Festival. Since then, he has directed six other feature film including the box-office success, The Maid (2005), Rule #1 (2008) and most recently, It’s A Great Great World (2011). His films straddle both the commercial box office and film festivals successfully with The Maid also winning the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation Asian Film Award at the 10th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival. and Rule #1 receiving Best Actor awards at the 12th Pucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.

We look back at Singapore filmmaker Kelvin Tong’s illustrious career with the filmmaker sharing his experiences from being a film critic to making films for both the Singapore and international audience.

1541 Session ends

1539 Team crucial to make a film. Start with your own network.

1538 Big horror buff, made The Maid and two other horror related films in 1942 and Rule #1, stuck to the genre because of the appeal of not needing a lot of dialogue. Horror is the only genre in Singapore at least where audiences don't mind lower art direction and lack of stars

1532 "1942" Trailer will be played - background from Kelvin Tong: experiment after shooting The Maid which had a lengthy post production process. Decided to go to Malaysia and shoot a horror film for fun. See if he can work in a different language. Went to a hill owned by Orang Asli, shot in 11 days.

1530 Most start from shorts to feature, Kelvin Tong more comfortable with longer form given background in theatre.

1528 Question on transition from short to feature

1525 "1942" an experimental, deconstructed horror film

1521 I'm not sure why there was a question posed if Kelvin Tong had seen a Tamil film recently

1517 Benjamin Heng was discovered in Zouk

1513 Eating Air funding to writing - 1 year. Shot in 27 days, post was 3 months. Entire process about 1.5 years

1510 Crazy story behind financing Eating Air. Knocking doors on a lot of SMEs at Peninsular Plaza.

1508 Question on raising funds for 1st short and feature. Moveable Feast cost $1700. Real cost was for film stock and printing, got help from television crew for two day shoot

1507 Two places you can't go in Singapore film - race and religion. Will a more mature audience eventually lead to loosening up of controls

1506 Depriving Singapore Cinema of its spoken identity - the controlled use of dialects in film

1504 Yes we're very sensitive toward sex, but not violence. If you're following my blog, then yes I agree wholeheartedly with that too

1504 Classification - we're a lot laxer compared to neighbours.

1503 Tip on engaging the more seasoned filmmakers - come on board a project, and help another filmmaker. Not an issue about hoping for a favour back, but interacting on a film set builds trust and networking. Agreed

1501 A censorship question finally came up

1500 "Nature finds its own way" - if you're hungry enough, you'll get your film made

1457 Commercial release or festivals - you don't set out to make films thinking about it. Films made with subject matter filmmakers in love with, then decide which route to take to find an audience.

1456 Cost of making films round the world has risen. As a producer, for the younger and the more inexperienced filmmakers, might be better to provide more resources and assistance. Nice philosophy.

1455 Question on budgets, whether first time filmmakers should be realistic / reality check

1449 Writes in English, and translators take it to Mandarin. Lately being able to do it on his own. Side benefit in writing to language that is not youes - forces one to focus more on structure, scene design and characters, versus having access to tools of dialogue

1448 Qn on language and writing process. Also should we write for the local market or for a more international market?

1445 Kidnapper trailer played

1443 Kidnapper: experiment whether an SG film can be made in neutral manner.

1441 Priority 1: Idea to Film, Priority 2: Ensure investors get something back. Do try to make films that have at least a good shot of breaking even

1440 Recounting his time as a film critic. Still on a journey and exploring different genres in movies.

1439 Question: Finding own voice important in the film, or box office success?

1437 Kelvin: So long as in some way the film is made by a Singaporean - especially now with co-productions, etc. Starting point should be the film is for the Singapore market

1436 Million dollar question posed by Moderator - formula for Singapore Cinema, what makes SG cinema quinessentially SG cinema?

1434 Personal thought: could our non-homogeneity make it challenging for our films to appeal to all sectors of society?

1433 Eating Air was stubbornly art house.

1430 Panel opened to the floor for brief Q&A

1429 Greed was in Singapore Cinema for a short while, recounting the number of those who had jumped on and off the bandwagon with copycat movies

1426 Thought that the closest he could get to film was to write about it. Epiphany cmae from Money No Enough that a Singapore film that looked and sounded like a Singapore film went to break the box office.

1425 Moveable Feast began his journey on film. In 1995 Kelvin was still in law school, not until 1999 that he made his first film Eating Air.

1424 First time he came into contact with film, made it with 2 friends Sandi Tan and Jasmine Ng whom he went on to make Eating Air.

1411 Moveable Feast now screened. Made in 1995. Nostalgia. I first watched this short back in 2005's Screen Singapore festival (yes there was a one-off festival with the same name then)

1409 Session begins. Serene Chen introduces Kelvin Tong and his filmography. Attendees may have a chance to watch his short Moveable Feast

1407 Moderator Serene Chen is in the house

1404 In Conversation with Kelvin Tong, starting soon #ScreenSingapore Just had a quick word with Kelvin himself

[ScreenSingapore In Conversation Series] Shekhar Kapur: Directing in the East & West

LtoR: Moderator Patrick Frater, Director/Producer Shekhar Kapur

LIVE BLOGGING - Keep refreshing this page from 0900hrs for the latest piece of nugget from the proceedings. You can also follow on Twitter: @stefanshl or #ScreenSingapore

Here's the synopsis:

Academy award winning director Shekhar Kapur is one of the globe’s most critically acclaimed film directors. He is one of the few talents that successfully straddle the commercial and cultural demands that come with working in India and in Hollywood. His repertoire ranges from British period piece Elizabeth, through sci-fi film Mr India, to the provocative Bandit Queen and more recently to a segment of New York I Love You.

This In Conversation session will discuss Kapur’s film-making journey. His travels have taken him from oil industry executive, to film-director, Oscar-winner, founder of an animation studio and on to talent show judge.

The session will discuss Kapur’s views on the nature and structure of story-telling, the narrative differences that exist between East and West, how this places the Asian film industries and ask which is better placed in the current multi-media world.

Bringing the tale up to date, it will discuss Paani, Kapur’s passion project and the mythology behind it. He describes the film as “a story with music, set in the near future when water wars have broken out.”

1011 Session ends

1009 Brought up the example of Ang Lee where through his films you may not know he's someone from the East.

1008 Fundamentally regardless of East and West we all have similar subconscious needs and morality. New York I Love You, his 12 minute segment was an Anthony Minghella script. Deliberately made his short into something everyone can interpret in their own way.

1005 Elizabeth anecdote - how do you introduce Elizaeth, Ans: She's dancing. Horror around the table lol. Used Bollywood norms and forms and took it to Elizabeth

1003 Idea behind the documentary - want to tell the social history of Indian cinema through the theatrical expperience of song and dance,

1001 Teasers: captures people's attention more than a script

0959 When you make a film, it's incumbent on you to show it. Discusses grabbing of attention through various channels

0957 Creative view - people from all over the world coming together for a production

0955 What constitutes co-productions? It's a desire for people to work and promote their films internationaly. Ultimately it's a financing question not a creative question, eg. tax breaks in different parts of the world

0954 Question on co-productions - what do you think are the best ways to work in co-productions.

0952 Shared an anecdote about Bandit Queen with someone approaching him to include a song into Bandit Queen

0949 There was a time where there were 12 to 14 songs per film, now it's about 6. Fundamental need to make a film is because of the music

0947 Indian folk art got adapted to theatre in a more discipline form which got adapted to film. Therefore Indian film became a form of story telling that includes comic interlude and song and dance. It got addicted and there's no reason to dislodge it

0943 Pitching Paani - Paani is the story about a world where water has become privatized... alright I'm already intrigued! A search on the net says Paani stars Hrithik Roshan

0942 "The Pitch Zone" - you can tell whether you have or have not captured ; always learning from your pitch. A pitch is a great way to understand your story.

0941 Patrick asking if he does pitch. Shekhar: when you pitch you're pitching yourself and putting yourself on the line when you pitch.

0939 Discusses scriptwriting. Doing Paani now, developed in his mind and consciousness for the last 5 years.

0935 Do you derive meaning from the experience of the art, or derive experience from the meaning - Shekhar Kapur

0932 Denying oneself of options. Shooting ratio of 1st film is 1:3. Bandit Queen was requested to shoot at 1:10, didn't understand until later that options was requested, eg for editing. Usual thought process was of course to use less stock

0930 Sharing his experience with handling his first big budgeted film for Elizabeth

0927 In filmmaking you need chaos which provokes creativity, otherwise there will be conformity

0926: Physical aspect of making a film in India is like going to a bazaar, not sure what you've got, but there's a great sense of adventure. In the West there's a veneer of organization, like going to a supermarket.

0923 Western storytelling: structure is very strong, morality tend to be clearer

0920 Keep knocking on doors, fight to make the film you want to make

0918 Rebellion which is the desire to encompass that which is unknown - Shekhar Kapur

0915 Realized that he's being completely irresponsible in predicting the future, which he did as an oil executive where he was good at predicting trends. As an accountant his balance sheets never added up

0915 Was asked if he was any good as oil executive or accountant before becoming filmmaker

0914 And it begins #ScreenSingapore #InConversation

0904 Moderator today will be Patrick Frater, CEO Film Business Asia

0900 In Conversation with Shekhar Kapur - Directing in the East & West #ScreenSingapore waiting to begin

[ScreenSingapore Photo Journal] Day Four

[ScreenSingapore Red Carpet Gala Premiere] Super 8

And Action!

The first indication that this is a throwback and homage to science fiction of the 70s and 80s, is the Amblin logo that came up at the start. After all, Steven Spielberg had given the world Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and ET, two major alien films that had strong characterization and a compelling storyline filled with plenty of human drama, compared to these days when the attention is all focused on who can come up with the baddest looking aliens that can wreck havoc on Earth. Even Spielberg himself had a go with the modern update to War of the Worlds that failed to capture the charm of his earlier sci-fi films.

So he took on the producing role, partnering with J.J. Abrams who took on writing and directing responsibilities for Super 8, in what I would deem very ET like, except for the fact that the alien encounter is anything but friendly to a certain extent, more like District 9 style where us humans basically like to, as far as the movies go, enslave anything that falls down from the sky, sending in the military might to overpower, and like Paul said it, exploiting all alien technology and capability before sending them for a lobotomy and autopsy. In case you're wondering, no this is not a Cloverfield prequel or sequel, since the net was abuzz with such speculation given its teasing trailer, and Abrams' own credits as producer of Matt Reeves' film.

The story has to be kept under wraps, so what I'll do is to fawn over what worked. There will be quarters who may find it a tad too convenient in the way it ended, but I thought that simplicity is beauty - too often these days we're looking for that surprise ending or smart alecky gimmick, that something so effectively bringing the curtains down on a thrill ride get frowned upon, which is a pity because in essence the film reminds us of the days gone where such tricks need not be resorted to, so long as one had a solid story to tell, which is what Super 8 has in abundance in weaving closed loops in its narrative threads, with mystery, action, drama and romance all rolled into one superb summer blockbuster package.

Then there's the casting of relative unknowns, and children at that, who did such a superb job they put their older, seasoned counterparts in the industry to shame. We don't see too many films these days where the protagonists are a group of children embarking on that huge adventure, or in this instance, indulging in their passion for, filmmaking! There's portly Charles (Riley Griffiths) the director and writer, his best chum Joe (Joel Courtney) the makeup artist who both have the same crush over their leading lady Alice (Elle Fanning) to form one romantic angle, and not forgetting lead actor Martin (Gabriel Basso), cameraman Preston (Zach Mills) and pyrotechnics and effects specialist Cary (Ryan Lee), all sharing incredible chemistry together as a team working toward a common goal in making a short film in their small town, only to stumble upon an aged old military secret that threatens their way of life.

Adequately peppered with comedy balanced with that sense of mystery and tension throughout, J.J. Abrams leaves you consistently wanting more, feeding off nuggets of minute information bits that he reveals a little at a time. I thoroughly appreciated how everything need not be spelt out in verbose, allowing emotions to come through more genuinely as you feel for the characters involved, though leaving the pieces of the puzzle simple enough for anyone to put them all together. Then there's the tease of not showing you the threat, leaving things for the most parts to your imagination, before the inevitable show hand.

Action sequences are what you'd come to expect from a summer film, with the tent pole being the spectacular train crash sequence that began with the little filmmakers wanting a little added production value to their film, which in itself - the train rolling by; anyone who had experienced something similar would attest to that relatively nerve wrecking moment - giving way to a larger scale disaster that made it literally rain metal. Other action moments weren't as big scaled as this one was, though no less crafted with subtlety that demonstrated some degree of confidence not to overindulge in the need for special effects shots, again adding to the mystique that the children and their town had to face.

But credit will have to go to the trio of Joel Courtney, Riley Griffiths and Elle Fanning, who all did such a great job to anchor their roles. Dakota will probably be looking over her shoulders given her sister's performance in this film, while I'm pretty sure offers will start knocking on the doors of Joel and Riley as the next potential child actors that we will see more of in time to come, who together with the rest of the young cast had the weight of this film carried on their shoulders, if the film were to succeed it will have to depend on the believability of their banter, antics and chemistry, which as mentioned, were really excellent.

Oh and don't head out the door once the end credits start to roll, especially if you're curious to know how the group's short film actually turned out to be. Easily one of the best, and potentially the favourite scene of many. At least I know it is for me! Highly recommended, and it waltzes its way into contention to be amongst the best this year had to offer.

[Expo@ScreenSingapore]

On its official website,

Expo@ScreenSingapore is where international buyers, sellers and producers will trade content, ideas expertise and entertainment technology in a vibrant market place situated in the heart of Asia.

Expo@ScreenSingapore is a trade exhibition to provide a marketing platform, networking opportunities for suppliers, service providers, buyers and entertainment media professionals as well as cinema operators to discover business opportunities, partnerships and to be engaged in themed debates.

I probably can't qualify to comment much since I still haven't attended a significant number of film marts in the circuit out there outside of Hong Kong's and Tokyo's, but I suppose the pictures here will tell a thousand words that some buzz is quite missing. That doesn't mean that no deals got struck during the event though. Perhaps it's because it's the first time such an event is organized here, so I guess the only way to go, is up.

That is not to say that there weren't much available, as there were opportunities to speak to people and find out more about the films they were marketing (such as The Genius of Beauty) and get acquainted with some potential films on the horizon, such as James Leong's Camera and to pick up back issues of print editions of Film Business Asia.

Fortissimo Films

Hyde Park Entertainment

Arclight Films

Distribution Workshop

For Tourists

Publishing Street

Technology Street with Various 3D Technologies on Showcase

and of course not to forget to visit the Media Board for the Various Festival Perspectives

[ScreenSingapore Photo Journal] Day Three

[ScreenSingapore Red Carpet Gala Premiere] The Assault (L'assaut) (International Premiere)

While the fanfare may be at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard tonight with the World Premiere of Wong Jing's Treasure Inn, let's not forget the other Action Night film to premiere in this part of the world, the French thriller The Assault, with the screening graced by the attendance of Antoine de Clermont Tonnerre, President - uniFrance Films, director Julien Leclercq and actress Mélanie Bernier here to introduce the film:


*****

GIGN in Action!

USA has her SWAT, Japan has her Security Police, Brazil has her BOPE featured in Elite Squad, and as far as special police teams go, the French has got her GIGN (Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale) making it onto the big screen, and what more than to introduce them via a true, high profile aircraft hijacking of an Air France Airbus 300 plane in the year 1994 involving the supposed attempt of using a fuel laden aircraft as a missile targeted against a major city landmark, a chilling 7 years before a terrorist group managed to carry out this dastardly act on the soil of USA.

Those of us who had grown up playing the first person shooter game Counter-strike will be no strangers to the uniform of the GIGN, since it is one of the four outfits that you can select on your character profile if you choose to be on the side of the counter-terrorists. Director Julien Leclercq paid close attention to detail and began with literally a big bang to showcase the capabilities of the GIGN troopers, before saving up the real deal for the extended final act. But that's not to say that the film is a boring ride. On the contrary, Leclercq crafted a gripping tale that moves, probes and examines very quickly how things get to spiral out of control until the inevitable outcome, expertly handling three separate narrative threads running concurrently before finally converging into the titular battle onboard the narrow confines of an aircraft.

The first naturally comes from the perpetrators, the terrorists, their thought process and ruthless action in causing mass panic and fear to further their political cause. Here it's the GIA out to free two of their comrades in Algeria, or so it seems, and had taken an Air France plane at the airport as leverage. But the second thread, focused on Mélanie Bernier's Foreign Ministry analyst Carole in a very Jack Ryan-esque role whose research, insights and gut feel points to a very different strategy and objective adopted by the hijackers, and has to cut through the usual red tape in the administration to push her points through, at times too direct that it irks the brass. And the last narrative thread paints a rather personal picture of GIGN trooper Thierry (Vincent Elbaz), personifying the issues and concerns of those who put their lives on the line to protect strangers, at the risk of upsetting and disappointing their own family members even, who cannot reconcile why they do what they do.

Technically, the film has fantastically strained its colour palette, making it very close to black and white, which I thought suited it fine since it's actually loosely referencing events from history (with the dramatic license for it too I hope) like a documentary, akin to accessing vague memory banks or like watching a news reel unspool - some of the clips that the characters watch from television were the real deal at the time. Then there is the choice of adopting the shaky cam. Now I'm not a proponent for this camera technique because more often than not it gets exploited by the filmmakers to cover up flaws in their work, and am finding it tiring as an audience to try and follow events on screen when the camera moves about almost all the time. It's not to say it cannot be used, because The Assault did it nicely that fit the narrative well, transmitting that sense of urgency and constant danger, helped by a pulsating soundtrack by Jean-Jacques Hertz and Francois Roy.

What made this film excel amongst its peers are the sensitive stories and characters involved in a life and death situation, with viewpoints presenting both in macro and micro terms, the latter allowing you to feel for the characters since it's set up very carefully to allow for empathy. Leclercq does not pull his punches in vilifying the evil doers, with powerful scenes both to evoke a sense of hatred for the senseless violence they preach, and in one potent scene involving a terrorist having to face up to his parents, allowed that slight sliver of sympathy that they are but pawns manipulated by others. It's a little pity though that the socio-political context of the incident isn't covered in the film in detail which may leave some perplexed, and while it may rob The Assault of its pace, may probably enhance the viewer's understanding of the conflict that existed.

As far as police thrillers go, The Assault scores high on both action and drama, providing that unique combination very rarely seen in action films, that allows you to feel for the characters, and appreciate the unenviable task of the special forces in the respective countries constantly training and prepping to deter any would be aggressors, but when the time calls for it, to swing into action unflinchingly. Tactics and weapons on display in the film also provides ample fuel for fruitful post screening discussions. Definitely one of my favourite films this year!

[ScreenSingapore Photo Journal] Day Two

[ScreenSingapore Red Carpet Gala Premiere] Paradise Kiss (パラダイス・キス / Paradaisu Kisu) (International Premiere)

Butterfly Ring

Not all Japanese manga adaptations for the screen come solely from the action adventure, science fiction and fantasy genres, because there's one entire segment of the population left out if the focus was solely on those. Romance, sugar and spice and all things nice are what drives young women to comics such as Nana and Paradise Kiss, and the latter now has its big screen introduction, making its International Premiere at ScreenSingapore.

From Ai Yazawa, creator of Nana, comes Paradise Kiss, that contains all the necessary ingredients to have made the comics wildly popular, such as pretty lasses, handsome hunks, romance triangles, and fashion from head to toe. It's quite easy to spot a manga series targeted at the female population for all its wistful looking images often adorned with flowery imagery, and one thing I can never fathom is how unrealistically slim everyone looks, even the guys turn out tall, lanky and personally, very feminine looking too. But I digress, and I guess it's just me, I think.

And who would have thought those exact same elements got ported over here so fittingly, with the film putting in the effort to keep to its source's look and feel consistently, where everyone's quite fashionable (even school uniforms are chic), driving sleek cars, living their dreams (well almost) and except for the protagonist, just about nothing absolutely fazes them in their outlook of life. But that's of course the crux of the story and possibly its appeal, in carrying positive, self motivational messages to its audience in print or on screen, that everyone should not accept the status quo if the status quo means being miserable. Being bold to break conventions and challenging one's comfort zone toward the path of happiness, is the given and much touted mantra here, so it's no surprise that many would appreciate the moments of fantasy offered by the Paradise Kiss dream.

Paradise Kiss follows the story of Yukari Hayasaka (Keiko Kitagawa), a teenager who isn't too bright, but managed to really slog her way into one of the most prestigious high schools in the country. Mom is adamant that she continues to get a good education, and her comparison with her younger brother just makes life barely tolerable. Scouted by Arashi Nagase (Kento Kaku) on the streets who insists that she become his group's model in their independent fashion label, and of course their model in the run up to their fashion school graduation. The usual ding-donging occurs, before she finally agrees, and thus introduces her into the Paradise Kiss label made up of student fashion designers such as de facto leader George Koizumi (Osamu Mukai), transsexual Isabella (Shunji Igarashi, who would have thought he was from a boy band), Arashi and his girlfriend Miwako (Aya Osama).

Granted their relationship isn't a smooth one throughout, especially when their outlook in life are on opposite ends of the spectrum, but it allows the story to go back to the classic zero to hero outline for the Yukari Hayasaka character, with Keiko Kitagawa playing the role with aplomb, whether be it her kawaii, youthful nature or the blossomed, sophisticated, renowned fashion model, though a huge chuck of that development we don't get to see, and neither do we witness her metamorphosis in detail, which you'll have to accept at face value when it happens over the course of a few minutes, making it a unreal and truly is the stuff fantasy is made up of.

For a youth film with a school premise and setting, eyelids do not bat when classes are frequently missed, although it leads to the subplot of Yukari having identified the calling in her life, and the theme that education goes beyond the fall walls of a school, and learning and the gaining of knowledge can happen anywhere, which in the case of Yukari, happens to be in an industry that was never in her books, and from well meaning advice dished out by those who care and have gone through the school of harder knocks, such as Isabella in a somewhat contrived scene to compare the hardships she had to go through when coming out of the closet.

And of course the fashion industry is something that would appeal wholeheartedly to its intended demographics, with characters decked out in different thematic outfits and influences, although there are certainly some designs that will require courage to put on and step out of the house and definitely not ready to wear, off the shelf stuff. The Yazademy fashion school would probably be the hotbed for fantastical ideas, but alas we do not see much of the school, nor its students, and even the showcase at the finale, isn't as huge or competitive narratively, with the director opting to focus instead on the Paradise Kiss team, and ignoring the others so much so that you may imagine where the keen competition actually is.

Narratively, like most romances for teens, it's really lightweight with threads on relationships, unrequited affections, young puppy love, and check this out - at least two romantic triangles highlighted that would put romance nuts in a fix as to root who should go out or end up with whom since there's a common factor involved in "hunk" Hiroyuki Tokumori (Yusuke Yamamoto, hunk meh?). But that said, each triangle also do not have sufficient depth beyond casual dates, and before you know it, it's a few years later for its much touted, brand new ending that differs from the comic books. Alas it is this ending that took the cake, being especially self indulgent and unbearably, and unnecessarily, stretching its run time, justifying the budget spent in shooting in New York City.

Still, if teeny bopper love stories are your cup of tea, with whimsical characters at hand to whisk you off your feet in dreamboat romances, girls being saccharine sweet and acting cute, and guys acting all cool and confident nary breaking a sweat under any circumstances, then Paradise Kiss is that film for you.

[ScreenSingapore Red Carpet] Japan Night - Aya Omasa and May'n

Each night's gala during Screen Singapore is themed, and today's Japan Night, where actress Aya Omasa and singer May'n's presence on the red carpet meant plenty of cosplayers turning up to catch a glimpse of the stars, and going by the response it's no surprise which amongst the two lasses have garnered a more fanatical following. Chua En Lai was the Master of Ceremony for the evening taking his time to banter with May'n's supporters who have lined up pretty close to the stage:

But first to walk the carpet was Aya Omasa

who had posed with the colourful group of cosplayers dressed to the nines, adopting the look of their favourite anime characters.


Aya Omasa
But the real deal was of course May'n's presence

which set the crowd going wild as they cheered, applauded and sang along to 2 songs performed by May'n, who had also performed in Singapore over the weekend as part of her Asia Tour 2011.


May'n Performing Diamond Crevasse


May'n Performing Phonic Nation
Some of the lucky ones had tickets to the gala screenings of Paradise Kiss and May'n the Movie - Phonic Nation to catch the stars introducing their respective films. I had initially opted to attend the screening of May'n's concert documentary in 3D, but then decided to opt for Paradise Kiss instead. Turned out to be somewhat a blessing in disguise, as a tweet I read had mentioned that the subtitles for May'n's movie were delayed - I would have been irritated and that would've marred the experience of any non-Japanese speaking audience member.

[ScreenSingapore Press Conference] Paradise Kiss (パラダイス・キス) - Aya Omasa

She came, she saw and she conquered. Statuesque model-actress Aya Omasa held court throughout the relatively short conference of less than 15 minutes, but it was enough to introduce herself and the film to members of the press this afternoon at Capella's Sentosa Ballroom. Aya Omasa has a supporting role in Paradise Kiss (パラダイス・キス) as Miwako Sakurada, one of the many quirky designers in the aspiring titular indie fashion outlet/studio.


Part 1 of 2


Part 2 of 2

Aya Omasa!

[ScreenSingapore In Conversation Series] Jon Landau & Yu Dong: Defining a Business Case for 3D Film in Asia

LIVE BLOGGING - Keep refreshing this page from 0900hrs for the latest piece of nugget from the proceedings. You can also follow on Twitter: @stefanshl or #ScreenSingapore

Here's the synopsis:

After approximately 60 local movies, film makers in Asia have discovered all the pitfalls and added costs of making 3-D. But they seem slower to discover the extra dimensions from a business point of view. Two leading producers – Jon Landau one of the makers of Avatar, and Yu Dong who is currently producing Flying Swords of Dragon Inn – discuss what it will take to get Asia to the 3-D tipping point.

1052 Jon Landau invites Yu Dong to the USA. Session ends.

1050 China leading the way with fastest growth in 3D screens. In USA more than 50% of the screens will be 3D capable by end of the year. 40000 3D capable screens worldwide by year's end - Jon Landau

1045 Not sure why a question has come out whether story is paramount to a film. But of course. 3D is only but a medium. Scary thought though, the one who posed the question wants to make a war movie. Adolf Hitler (as he had let out) in 3D anyone?

1044 Classic Chinese tales and folklore, definitely rich for 3Ｄ film content - Yu Dong

1035 First question in Mandarin for Yu Dong. Importance on need to train necessary production craftsmen now that the infrastructure is in place.

1033 Truthful in advertising a 3D film, especially those that are converted in post. Will we get there?

1032 Content Standard on 3D. Hear hear

1030 Question on shoddy 3D productions. Jon: Choosing to do aa movie in 3D has to come from the filmmakers. Too many times the studios are imposing it on the filmmakers. Not to force it on them. Good.

1026 Question from Kenneth Tan, MDA. Jon shared James Cameron's first experience in 3D was for Universal Studios. Advice shared to bring in crew several months in advance and do a one day shoot, i.e. play with the technology

1025 Big screen TVs sales driven by 3D technology according to Jon Landau. Agree?

1024 Session opens up to the floor. FilmBizAsia brings up reports about less than stellar box office for recent 3D films

1022 Moderator knows his 3D soft porn. Brings up South Korean 3D erotica Natali

1020 Challenge thrown - 3D glassses to be made as an added value rather than a deterrent. Will a solution be found soon before glasses-less technology gets matured

1020 Best advice on 3D filmmaking - Go ahead and do it, nothing like first hand experience. Don't do it too much, less is more. Pick the moments where it's about 3D, use it judiciously in other scenes. Someday we will get to glasses-less 3D - Jon Landau

1014 Will Asian 3D films find a ready market outside of Asia? What do you think? Will Tsui Hark + Jet Li + 3D = a solid proposition in the North American market?

1011 Flying Swords of Dragon Inn will also spawn MMORPG game which will be in 3D as well. Reminds me of Reign of Assassins which should have a game too. Anyone with any updates on that?

1008 Moderator: 40fps / 60fps 3D film projection, both sides of the brain will be used? Jon Landau confirms next 2 Avatar films will be shot at higher frame rate.

1005 Advertisements in 3D. Interesting. 3D beyond films, how about Education in making content more engaging, assisting in information retention?

1002 Do you think that with 3D going into the homes, that 3D will become expected and a standard?

1000 Anything new, people will jump on as a gimmick. Widescreen was a gimmick and so was colour - Jon Landau

1000 Controlling 3D space important. Don't let audiences eye wander to spaces uncomfortable to watch it in 3D - Jon Landau

0955 Yu Dong: Not all genres required 3D, such as romance, where audiences are there for the stars and story, as compared to action sequences that enhances the immersion experience.

0952 "3D is not an excuse to make a movie" - Jon Landau

0953 Sex and Zen 3D just HAD to be brought up :-)

0951 I don't quite agree that 3D will become the de-facto exhibition format in various medium though

0950 Important point brought up, that 3D films automatically occupies larger halls in the multiplex, with Asian films being pushed to mid ranged halls. But of course Asian film contaent in 3D hasn't caught up yet

0946 Seems like Avatar has indeed become the benchmark in showcasing potential of 3D film production and exhibition

0943 Yu Dong shares on the explosion of cinema screens in China in the last 10 years, with more on the horizon in the next 5 years; single screens venues making way for multiplexes

0940 Do you agree with Jon that 3D cinema is not evolutionary, but definitive?

0932 Not sure why the moderator is adamant on trying to put a fixed, absolute cost mark up on 3D productions. Jon Landau explains costs differential are mostly on camera equipment.

0931 Avatar edited in 2D, didn't see the 3D version until 2 weeks before it came out. Post production wasn't slowed down. Camera convergence on subject of focus important

0929 Yu Dong shares that Wuxia films are made for 3D, especially those from director Tsui Hark

0927 "3D is right for Asia and Asia is right for 3D" - Jon Landau. "3D engages the audience more in the narrative story"

0924 In Conversation series officially begins. Jon Landau and Yu Dong invited on stage

0923 Shekhar Kapur spotted. Session yet to begin

0920 Session to begin shortly, so if you're late, double up :-)

0915 Jon Landau in the house

0900 Checked in and ready to begin. Lots of student attendees too at the first In Conversation Series with Jon Landau and Yu Dong #ScreenSingapore

[ScreenSingapore Photo Journal] Day One

[ScreenSingapore Red Carpet Gala Premiere] The Devil Inside Me (夺命心跳 / Duo Ming Xin Tiao) (Opening Film)

Your Heart Now Comes With GPS!

It's incredibly frustrating when you finally get an inkling of how the filmmakers wanted the story to go and what they had wanted to achieve, but have to suffer through disparate scene after disparate scene trying too hard to force square pegs into round holes, and its indecision whether to aspire to be a psychological thriller, an all out horror film or the unintentional comedy, made the opening film of Screen Singapore quite the letdown, with polite chuckles ringing out every now and then, that I feel for the director Zhangi Qi and actress An Ya who were here to grace the event.

(Center) Director Zhang Qi and Actress An Ya
Kelly Lin stars as a woman who had undergone a heart transplant, but like The Eye, whatever organ that gets introduced into one's own body comes with the requisite trailing, haunting elements such as some bearings of the spirit of the donor, willing or otherwise. She soon finds herself going a little bit insane because of plaguing nightmares, inexplicable sleepwalking (by the kilometres, mind you), and of course, finding her face belonging to her piano teacher donor, a certain Ms Jiang Beiyan (Anya), whom she will find out has issues with a possessive boyfriend (Victor Huang) who is adamant that she's having an affair with a Mr X, and is enlisting help to try and track this person down.

That's because if you buy into the hokey premise that there's some unorthodox process of having someone's blood first transfused in some way to a certain degree prior to any organ transplant operation, a little bit of that person's soul gets transferred as well, and when the organ comes in, there will be this colossal tussle between the old you, and the new one, and the outcome determined by which side will become more dominant, given external influences from anyone who knows to exploit this condition. Yes it involves Tony Leung as a doctor suffering from brain tumour no less, and being responsible for the heart transplant in question, but Tony Leung Ka Fai has always been known to play his fair share of shady characters, so this outing is no different too.

The first few minutes are quite disorientating, with the actress Kelly Lin put through a series of explicable drowning attempts, only for the narrative to make sense a little while later, provided that you've not lost interest, nor find scenes becoming a little absurd as the story wore on. For that I would blame the editor for not carefully editing this film, preferring to jar the viewer with disjointed scenes which don't flow logically, and falling frequently into the temptation of "jump-starting" or brushing past any scene with a wake up call for the character. I know Inception had made dream sequences a hit, but to do so frivolously, just reeks of laziness in crafting a proper narrative tale.

And basic research is of paramount importance if one were to dwell into the medical realm. While I understand dramatic license is required to spice up the plot, having basic medical protocols breached - for instance, a character walking into an operating theatre just prior to an operation without being scrubbed nor authorized, can't just happen, and I shudder to think if it's reflective of the state of medical services in China, which included having a doctor dabble in his own illegal research at his residential basement. Patient confidentiality also gets breached, but that's only because it's somewhat of a necessity to move the story forward. Then there's something about being able to track a surgeon down in an operating theatre, right down to the right ward too, and knowing just when he's about to emerge from an operation. I've been to my fair share of hospitals, and this does not happen.

The one which drew the most laughs, will be how characters walk around with a GPS inside them, such as the protagonist having just about anyone, from hero to villain, to loads of policemen being able to track her down just about anywhere she goes, be it sidewalks or abandoned worksites, dark corridors or the open sea. I know everyone walks around with a cellphone that technologically puts one in a position of being traced, but the film's presentation made it really look like human beings have evolved with sensors and trackers. Too many coincidences happening in the narrative that made striking lottery a weekend affair too.

The Devil Inside Me could have gone with a more polished script that could have kept things simpler and tighter, rather than having to extend the ending by a few minutes to have to explain everything in verbose. Film relies on the visual medium to tell a story, and when you have too much talk from characters explaining just what had transpired in its constant flip flopping of dream and reality, then you know you're in for troubled waters since the real devil is in the details. Nicely cut trailer, but the end product is anything but.

[ScreenSingapore Red Carpet Gala Premiere] Mural (画壁) Trailer Premiere

In Random Order: Director Gordon Chan, Producer Abe Kwong Man-Wai, and stars Yan Ni, Colin Chou, Liu Yan, Zheng Shuang, Xie Nan and Bao Bei-Er
You know that Murphy will pop his ugly head just when you least expected it, and he made a grand entrance with a hiccup at the very first reel unspooled in Screen Singapore's very first projected screening in front of an audience, seconds into the teaser trailer of Mural (画壁) the lights came on and piped music interrupted, a quick blush of embarrassment as a hasty though effective announcement got made, the technicalities got fixed, and for a re-screening to occur, all done without much batting of an eyelid.

But the teaser trailer didn't say much and left one wanting more, featuring an extremely gorgeous animated sequence for the most parts, telling the story of a scholar meeting up with what would be a very nasty swordsman (bearing some resemblance to Collin Chou), where their fight/flight led them to an old temple containing the titular magic mural. This opens up to a live action sequence where many fairies stood by, probably in awe, at a well rendered CG winged demon with multiple eyes, all ready to do battle, before the teaser ended all too quickly. At least you'd know where the reported budget of $13 million had gone.

LtoR: Me, Gordon Chan, Richard Lim Jr of FilmsBlitz
According to Director Gordon Chan - that animated sequence featured in the trailer was done by a 25 year old illustrator. Now how's that for young talent? Hopefully that portion (and more!) makes it to the movie proper in some form, or if there are ideas floating around for an animated series of sorts, since it is Liao Zhai, a collection of almost five hundred tales written by Pu Songling, you know?

Watch out for Mural (画壁) in the later half of this year!

[DVD Launch] The Blue Mansion / Forever Fever Boxset

Part 1 of 5 - The Introduction (Pardon the Shaky-cam)
This afternoon marked the DVD launch of Glen Goei's boxset of The Blue Mansion and Forever Fever DVDs at Books Kinokuniya, although the boxset has been available on sale through the official movie website for some time already. Still, nothing beats having a launch at a traditional bricks and mortar shop, and having the director on hand to share his experiences in making both films and little known facts about the productions, his work style and ethics as well as to field questions from curious onlookers as well as fans.

Presenting the director Glen Goei, hosted by actress Tan Kheng Hua:


Part 2 of 5


Part 3 of 5


Part 4 of 5


Part 5 of 5

And you heard it here first, which Glen himself had shared during today's session:
1. His next film is called Yellow Flowers, written by Ken Kwek (who also wrote The Blue Mansion and now into its script finalization stage, which will probably begin production Dec 2011 / Jan 2012 (can't wait!)
2. There will be a stage production of Forever Fever slated for June 2013 (that's two years from now)!

If you want a sneak peek into what the double bill boxset looks like, you can check out this link. The boxset is still on sale at The Official Movie Website and Books Kinokuniya of course, so pick up your set if you haven't!

You can also read my review of The Blue Mansion here, with coverage of the film's Tokyo premiere at the Tokyo International Film Festival and the Singapore Blog Aloud Session.

Laddaland (ลัดดาแลนด์)

Peekaboo

Thailand's GTH has been building a horror pedigree in Singapore, and Sophon Sakdaphisit, who co-wrote familiar, popular titles such as Shutter and Alone, writes and directs his second film Laddaland. You may not be too impressed with his first feature debut Coming Soon, but Laddaland is a very curious, different kettle of fish altogether, as the premise doesn't seem to stem from the usual conventions, and to my surprise, is actually a tale about family rather than one going outright to scare, but not that it doesn't.

This is a tale of a supposedly happy family that goes all dysfunctional, breaking down as the story wears on. Dad Thee (Saharat Sangkapreecha) decides to uproot his family from Bangkok to get away from his overbearing mother-in-law, getting a new job that you know for sure will run into trouble for its pyramid sales strategy, but for the immediate term goals, is sufficient to provide a downpayment for a swanky new house in a gated community in Chiang Rai. Wife Pran (Piyathida Woramuksik) leaves her job too to become a full time housewife, while

Stripped of all its horror elements, Laddaland is a family drama through and through, which deals with the relationship between parents and children, disciplining or the lack thereof, teenage angst and rebellion, the necessity of a steady stream of income to keep the family going, and the mantra of living within one's means. In essence it's like the classic dramatic film coming from Japanese horror meister Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Tokyo Sonata which was sans horror, save for that in which we go on the self inflicted, destructive path of familial disintegration, which is frightful in itself. Some scenes in Laddaland do bear slight resemblance to those in Kurosawa's film though.

But that aside, audiences are going to lap this up for its horror elements, so the usual jump scares and quick cuts, creaking noises, fleeting shadows across the screen, creepy black cat, cameras capturing more than it should, building of anticipation and the usual tools of the trade all get their fair share of screen time. Blood and gore got amped through very excellent make up, amongst the best I've seen in an Asian horror film, with faces caved in, and wounds sustained that would probably even make the seasoned medical professional blush.

The novelty factor though is that the hauntings rarely, and this is something unique here, rarely happen in Thee's home, save for an impish kid who was probably invited to stay and play by Thee's son. Otherwise most of the hauntings happen in other homes in the gated community, and we get to see the ghouls and spirits, such as the Burmese maid whose disfigured body was found in a refrigerator, and others best kept under wraps lest it spoils any surprise, only when characters decide to be smart about things, and go into them. Meaning the ghouls don't go all out to look for trouble, but the humans themselves who do, out of curiosity or silly dares. And like a run of bad luck too when you happen to buy property in an estate that has a series of inexplicable, or gory deaths, that affects property prices, as well as the community who start to move out in droves, leaving behind only those who can't, or are nonchalant about it.

For a horror film, formula will dictate that root causes to someone's haunting or turning into spirits become the narrative path, together with the hunt for possible suspects responsible for some heinous crime committed, but Laddaland abandons this for a stronger family focus, making this a little schizophrenic at times, building toward a very chilling, moodily atmospheric climax that will keep you at the edge of your seat, and finally feel for the family, and not whether you've gotten your money's worth to get scared in the cinema. Sophon Sakdaphisit had a strong dramatic story going, and that is the real gem indeed.

Ready

Ready for the Big Time

With the box office smash Dabangg, expectations are high for Salman Khan's Ready, with news reports of sold out sessions across India that made me wonder why the fervour wasn't propagated to this part of the world at least in Sunny Singapore, with tickets still largely available in one of the biggest halls screening Hindi films. Ready was scheduled to be part of Screen Singapore which touted its world premiere with lead actress Asin in attendance, but that was not to be since it's actual premiere was a week earlier in Dubai instead. Whether or not Asin will make an appearance for the local event remains to be seen, but from what I experienced with Ready, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.

I was all set and ready for Ready, only for Ready to disappoint badly, with a note to self that Anees Bazmee has yet to convince me of his directorial efforts, and a reinforcing point that Hindi comedies in general would work well for anyone who speaks the language, because the wordplay in its dialogue gets sorely lost in translation. So while most of the audience members in my screening were rip roaring with laughter, I was left bewildered for the most parts since the English subtitles failed to capture the essence of the dialogue's wit. Still that doesn't mean that I can't follow the plot nor enjoy the performances of the stars, but then again, what plot?

The story was all over the place, and was excellent only in sporadic moments. A remake of a Telugu film, Ready began brilliantly after a catchy opening credits song of Character Dheela which had Zarine Khan, Salman's co-star in Veer, sizzling the screen as the item girl. We get acquainted with Salman's Prem (very popular name for at least nine other Salman Khan roles in his filmography) Kapoor, a rascal of sorts who assists friends in their relationship needs, though he's not quite Hitch in dispensing with good advice. Ready throws up a slew of cameo appearances within the first 10 minutes with the likes of Akay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt and Kangana Ranaut amongst others, and just as you're lulled into thinking the film has enough surprises to keep you engaged, it's an unfortunate spiral all the way down from there, failing to build up from the kick ass introduction.

One thing I noticed about Hindi comedies, or at least the one that I managed to catch, are that they can't seem to steer clear of fake identities contributing to a major plot point, from Housefull all the way down to Ready, now with Asin's Sanjana Singh pretending to be Prem's bride to be in taming the rascal with her appeal to his family, but in fact turning out to be using an opportunity to escape from her own marriage to the mob. So a plot got hatched of course for some long winded rescue of the damsel in relationship distress and reconciliation between feuding mob families, as well as for Prem to romance Sanjana for real, and to show off in some set action pieces that once again proves to be Salman's forte in almost every character he tackles.

This is undoubtedly a Salman Khan one man vehicle, where his star power alone guarantees a large box office opening, with fans turning up in droves to catch and lap up everything he throws on screen, be it a swagger, an attitude, an inside joke or two from his previous films (such as the names of two minor characters adopted from his flops), and in essence having no fear to even parody himself. And a shirtless moment will never be absent too, though here it was played off in a jokey day dreaming sequence (which I have to admit it worked).

But what Salman Khan brought to the table with Ready, and I believe will begin a fad and a trend on the dance floor, are his moves in the song Dhinka Chika, which sort of aspired to be the equivalent of Dabangg's belt play, but here having the hands move a little below the belt into the pockets and groin area to well, play with the fabric covering the pelvic area, combined with pelvic thrusts and bum massages. Other than that, Salman was being purely Salman the major star, playing a character he can tackle with his eyes firmly closed, or in this case, firmly hidden behind shades.


Do The Dhinka Chika!
In her second collaboration with Salman Khan after London Dreams, I think Asin may probably want to relook into her choice of movie roles from Bollywood, having to make that breakthrough in Ghajini opposite Aamir Khan, but never quite finding that same stratospheric footing with roles that don't do her acting abilities much justice, other than to show that she doesn't have two left feet from the numerous musical numbers in Ready. Other supporting characters aren't worth a shout out, because they're fairly one dimensional caricatures in treatment, with the cast going through the motions.

I know as a crowd pleasing Masala film this had served its objective, but seriously, a proper storyline won't hurt would it, and to have the locales and backgrounds a little bit more consistent, rather than to rely on green screen that drew attention to itself for poorly rendered landscapes that made Ready look a little cheap. For Salman fans only, otherwise watch at your own peril as Ready doesn't even quite match up to a fraction of Dabangg. Amongst the films of the three Khans, I was slow on the pickup of Salman's, but this one unfortunately pushes my liking two steps backwards.

X-Men: First Class

Are We Ready To Begin?

I will boldly proclaim this being the best X-Men live action feature film to date, that had all the right ingredients that make a summer blockbuster rock, with that rare combination of action, drama and characterization that puts this as amongst the best comic book superhero movies that have been churned out continuously by Hollywood in recent years. With some four movies already under the X-franchise belt, albeit X-Men: The Last Stand being a lightweight actioner and the Wolverine Origins film being a little of a mistake, it was a good thing that the origins film for Magneto got dropped, and then came this instant classic, which had what I thought was shades of what that film could have been, but more.

Bryan Singer's involvement in this film is a good thing, with his producer credit as well as getting involved in the story together with Sheldon Turner, since he was responsible for the first two critical and commercial hit of the X-Men films being able to show that an ensemble comic book film can work. But since a new direction was called for to wash away the bitter aftertaste of the latter two films of the franchise, in comes director Matthew Vaughn who did a class job in playing this film to its strengths, keeping the pace tight, the action eye popping, and the dramatic elements engaging. It seems like Vaughn is on a roll here in his choice of projects, and I'm hoping this one does well enough to warrant yet another outing with the X-Men, so long as the focus remains on wanting to tell a solid, strong story first like this one did, and not opt for something loud and mindless.

There are many elements of this film which made it enjoyable. For starters, having it go back to the good old 60s was an excellent move par none, taking us back to the point of the US-USSR nuclear crisis, where the US had strategically put nukes in Turkey, and the USSR soon to be responding with its own countermove involving Cuba. The historical context makes it a little bit more in line with our reality, though having the audacity to suggest that the evil mutants led by Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Six Degrees Bacon) and his team of Emma Frost (January Jones, playing a character who will probably be a fan favourite after this), Riptide (Alex Gonzalez) and Azazel (Jason Flemying) have starring roles in stirring up the super power rivalry to WWIII proportions.

The plan is simple, and in Sebastian Shaw we see the precursor of the mantle that Magneto / Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) would pick up from, since it's an Us Mutants against Them Humans mindset they adopt, preferring a more vocal outburst of opposition against discrimination, even if it means annihilation of those who are ordinary. Followers of X-Men the comics or the films would find this theme familiar, but in Vaughn's film, ample time is provided to develop the arguments against, and the very sexy arguments for this cause, with lines being deeply divided thus showing why and who decided to join which side of the war.

Then of course there's the strong friendship between Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto which was always hinted at in the earlier films, but this one brings us back to the origins of their friendship which developed so strongly given their unison to battle a common enemy, but their inevitable drift when their ideals and methodology start to differ drastically, one obviously preferring violence and using whatever means necessary to further the cause, and the other opting for a more peaceful approach, preferring to do good to convince us two-timing, fearful humans that those more powerful aren't necessary harbouring intentions to enslave, but just yearning for a peaceful co-existence. Both McAvoy and Fassbender excel in their leading roles as friends who will turn enemies in due course, making it all the more poignant when we see them do battle shoulder to shoulder now, knowing what will happen in the near future.

If it was an Origins film that was still mooted, then this one takes the cake indeed, with scenes showing off younger versions of Xavier and Lehnsherr, together with that of the other X-Men such as Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) who forms a tight relationship with Xavier before identity crisis meant a souring of sorts to what the future story would hold, the intelligent Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones), Havok (Lucas Till) amongst others in the first class fold, tutored and mentored personally by Xavier to harness their powers, before the big bang action sequence that expectedly combined everyone's strength to do battle against those on the opposite side.

Art direction was also down to a pat, where computers are large and imposing with plenty of buttons, gauges, valves and humongous tape drives, and who can forget the pristine looking Blackbird jet plane making its debut as the de-facto transport of choice for the X-Men, and that predominantly yellow suits also given a reason for the characters to don them. The ensemble cast of relative unknowns in leading roles also worked wonders, especially those amongst the new recruits since they are predominantly younger and are quite raw in the art of combat, and making mistakes, rather than being all too invulnerable, is the rule of thumb here. Visual effects are flawlessly employed to showcase their various powers.

X-Men: First Class brings us back to the time that examines the history of the X-Men before events of the first film kicked in, where Wolverine was still yet to be thrown into the Weapon X project, and before the likes of Jean Grey and Cyclops came into the picture. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for plenty of easter eggs and subtle references made in terms of what we already do know of the characters in the earlier films, and the irony in dialogue, making this X-Men history lesson first class indeed. Highly recommended, and a definite favourite of the summer films so far.