Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 3D

It All Ends Now

10 years and 8 films, that was what it took to tell the saga of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter, the boy who survived as an infant against the evilest of wizardry villains, bringing a generation up through its novels and films and had sealed itself as a genuine cultural phenomenon, finally bringing itself to a close through a resounding finale on the silver screen. It had made a success of a writer, and had made stars of its young cast in creating a franchise which many had tried to emulate along the way, but failed miserably.

Was the decision to split the final film into two parts justified? Simply put, yes, as it allowed some room to breathe in its pulsating pace toward the inevitable showdown between its David and Goliath, and in doing so provided plenty of emotional resonance with the audience who had been followers from the start, developing together with story and characters, and allowing many to cling onto just one more film before the much talked about epilogue. At least it wasn't long drawn out and hard to let go, like how The Return of the King had suffered for its reluctance and multiple false endings.

David Yates had come onboard since The Order of the Phoenix, and in that provided some consistency as the storyline made a turning point to address its main threat head on, becoming darker and bleaker and continuing for much into this film as well, with the sense of dread and hopelessness hanging on every frame. It's "Part 2" and it doesn't dilly dally with unnecessary (or some say customary) recaps, so nobody needs to remind you to watch the earlier installment first. Even then you would probably lose count of and not be interested in the number of Horcruxes left to destroy as part of the quest of Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson),since you'll be rooting for the trio to come out of each challenge unscathed despite increasing complexities and finding themselves cornered more often than not.

It's atmospheric down to a pat, with death at every corner leaving those who have not read the book wondering just who might bite the dust next, since Rowling has no qualms with ridding major characters if there's a need to emphasize the dangerous times that the story had made a turn for. A key battle takes place at Hogwarts between the forces of good and evil, with Harry Potter as a beacon shining that sliver of hope, that Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) constantly tries to snuff out through mass psychic messages. I've always been impressed by the special effects employed in almost all the Harry Potter films in not being flashy for the sake of, but serving their purpose well to make magic believable, yet having enough pomp and flash to treat audiences to an SFX extravaganza that doesn't disappoint in its The Two Towers inspired full scaled assault involving rogues, wizards, witches and magical giant beings.

Many have encouraged me to read the books for they are far richer than that of the films, since there will be subplots dropped in the interest of running time. I may get down to the books one day, but suffice to say the films are sufficiently self-contained, extremely well made especially in its build up in the last few films given the ominous look and feel, and worth the bang for your buck. It isn't everyday that a strong film franchise gets developed through to its intended finale, and does so while packing an emotional punch, especially when the entire scheme of things get unravelled and revealed, throwing up how manipulative some can be for the greater good, and how powerful love can be, either of the tragic unrequited sort, or the various declarations made in the face of annihilation.

Sure there were some scenes crafted to bring back the dearly departed characters and cast members, for fans of the movie saga to allow for some fitting send off to those whom we've come to dearly follow in their adventures and come to grow fond of. Recommended to say the least, and for those who have yet to watch any of the films, perhaps you may want to do so on DVD and top it all off with a cinematic outing.

[Hong Kong Film Festival] Gallants (打擂台 / Da Lui Toi)

LtoR: Interpreter, Producer Lam Ka Tung, Actor Law Wing Cheong

Gallants finally makes its way to Singapore not for a commercial run, but 2 special screenings during this year's edition of the Hong Kong Film Festival, where Hong Kong films are allowed to be screened in Cantonese, no thanks to some silly arcane rule.

As luck will have it, being the (invite only) opening film of the festival, Producer Lam Ka Tung and actor Law Wing Cheong were the special guests invited, and during today's session partook in a question and answer session with audiences in this full house screening.

Here's most of the proceedings (my phone hung so the first question answered by Ka Tung was not captured) in Cantonese and Mandarin. As luck will have it, the video's crap in a darkened hall, but the audio should serve you well:


Part 1 of 3

Part 2 of 3

Part 3 of 3

You can read my review of the film here and my DVD review can be found here. Having attended its World Premiere at the Hong Kong International Film Festival last year, I've managed to capture the Stage Appearance and Q&A Session which was held right after the first screening.

8th Singapore Short Cuts

Presented by The National Museum Cinémathèque and The Substation Museum Moving Images, a selection of the best short films entries will be screened over two weekends from 6 August to 14 August 2011.

Screenings include a selection from award-winning Singaporean film director Tan Pin Pin and Anthony Chen and current students and alumni from NYU Tish School of the Arts Asia and Nanyang Technological University, among others. This year’s edition also includes four animated shorts - Libertas, A Cloudy Conumdrum, Burger Burger and Red, and here's the complete lineup:

Date: Saturday, 6 August, 2011
Time: 2pm
Films to be screened:
· The Impossibility of Knowing, directed by Tan Pin Pin
· Snow City, directed by Tan Pin Pin
· Wake, directed by Atsuko Hirayanagi
· Solitary Moon, directed by Eva Tang
· Comfort, directed by Ariq Omar

Date: Sunday, 7 August, 2011
Time: 2pm
Films to be screened:
· One Day I Forgot and Used my Hands a.k.a HANDS, directed by Charles Lim
· Birthday Cake, directed by Ang Soo Koon
· Libertas, directed by Kan Lume and Megan Wonowidjoyo
· I Want to Remember, directed by Sherman Ong
· A Cloudy Conundrum, directed by Samantha Lee Suyi, Yvonne Ng and Calvin Chua
· Burger Burger, directed by Huang Shicong and Gavin Tan Jun Jie
· Thin Air, directed by Kirsten Tan

Date: Saturday, 13 August, 2011
Time: 2pm
Films to be screened:
· Red, directed by Nur Aisyah Binte Suhaimi
· Someday My Prince Will Come, directed by Ezzam Rahman
· Lighthouse, directed by Anthony Chen

Date: Sunday, 14 August, 2011
Time: 2pm
Films to be screened:
· The Wedding Avenger, directed by Michelle Cheong
· Rumah Sendiri, directed by Daniel Hui
· Sayang, directed by Daniel Hui
· The Hole, directed by Tan Shi Jie


Information for all Screenings
Admission: Tickets can be collected at the Stamford Visitor Services Counter a week before each screening. Each person is limited to four tickets and they are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
[Note and Observations from Previous Editions: Do turn up at the event venue even if tickets are all collected / given out beforehand, which is almost always the case, as there will be kiasu dweebs who collect tickets but don't turn up, or collect more than they actually need. So if you're one of them, STOP your stupid practice, OK?]
Venue: Gallery Theatre, Basement, National Museum of Singapore, 93 Stamford Road, Singapore 178897
MRT Station: City Hall, Dhoby Ghaut or Bras Basah
Website: www.nationalmuseum.sg

Beautiful Lies (De Vrais Mensonges)

Does This Weigh 18g?

Director Pierre Salvadori reunites with actress Audrey Tautou from their earlier collaboration Priceless made some 5 years ago, but don't get your hopes up too high that Beautiful Lies would be a solid enough follow up especially if you enjoyed their earlier film on how some would fake a relationship or trade love for money. Salvadori continues with the offbeat romantic comedy premise involving make believe with this film, but alas it came through as a rather predictable affair.

It's hard to sustain a relationship based on a lie, and things get a lot complicated here when lies become the foundations on which romantic relationships, favours and that between parent and child get all built upon, where an innocently anonymous letter from a hair salon handyman Jean (Sami Bouajila) to his boss Emelie (Audrey Tautou) the salon co-owner, gets tossed aside by the latter since she obviously paid no heed to it, only for that attention to be retracted when she realized that her mom Maddy (Nathalie Baye) is due for a romantic lift from her prolonged sustained depression since her husband Marc (Paul Morgan) left her for someone younger and nubile to be his artistic muse.

Thus begins a series of contrived misunderstandings and lies built upon lies with the constant letter writings from Emelie posing as an anonymous admirer, only for her ruse to be unintentionally skewed way off the mark when Maddy thinks it is indeed Jean who has hidden feelings for her, no thanks to an errant Jean had to run which took him to dropping off the letter. Naturally this follows plenty of hidden meanings and Emelie trying to come between the two for fear of an expose, guiding this film to some laughable light hearted moments.

But it turned into a chore with Emelie having to beg a reluctant Jean to continue a charade to entertain her mother for fear of her mental and emotional state, with Emelie none the wiser that Jean was actually the originator of the letter to her declaring his love from afar. Oh the pain involved to help a loved one in her time of need, yet having to compromise one's principles to act out a lie, and worse, to lead a senior citizen on in some hope of a second wind of romance. It may sound like a fun premise, but trust me, it certainly was a chore to the character of Jean, and somehow this translated to the whole narrative giving you that sinking feeling of being unable to bail out from something forced upon, and unpleasant.

Beautiful Lies got condemned in a certain way with a whole host of unlikeable ones. Emelie begins with a good intent, but in efforts to save her own skin from embarrassment and to keep her madcap idea under reins, she turns into some crazy control freak who frequently lies, manipulating Jean and of course causing undue strain with her staff at work. Manipulative and scheming, Audrey Tautou does pull this one off to a certain degree, until it became repetitive no thanks to Emelie's constant exasperation. Jean also went into an about turn with his descend into probably one of the biggest cinematic jerks as well, one without courage to walk out of a morally compromising position, and assisting an ugly (on the inside) woman with her grand scheme. Only perhaps Nathalie Baye's portrayal as the emotionally helpless mom brought about some light to the film, if not for the last few scenes of the film to really show her off as an opportunist with no qualms to turn tables.

Without characters you genuinely feel for and a narrative that was in a hurry to conclude with a convenient ending sticking out like a sore thumb, one too perfect in many ways to sweep all development under the carpet, Beautiful Lies is extremely far from beautiful, and you would probably be better off watching any of Tautou's earlier works. Certainly not one of her best roles to date, stuck in a story based on a joke that had gone too far it isn't interesting.

[DVD] When Hainan Meets Teochew (当海南遇上潮州) (2010)

While it took quite some time for Han Yew Kuang and Lau Chee Nien's 18 Grams of Love to be made available on DVD, the wait isn't too long for their third feature film When Hainan Meets Teochew produced under their 18g Pictures banner, an independent "un"-romantic comedy film that bears all the hallmarks of a typical Han Yew Kwang written and directed film, so you know you're in for quite a treat.

You can read my earlier review of the film here, and if this is testament of the re-watchability of the film, I have done so for another 3 times (for this DVD review) and still I chuckle at all the funny, quirky bits, now being more aware for all the nuggets of information behind the scenes (that you'll get to hear from the audio commentaries) which added more fun with each subsequent viewing.

Audaciously packaged in a striking flamboyant pink theme, the Region 3 (I've popped it into my Region 1 only player and it still plays, just so you know my overseas friends) NTSC DVD presents the film and all the special features in a gorgeous anamorphic widescreen format transfer. Scene selection is available over 12 chapters, with subtitles in English and Mandarin - and yes even the extras are subtitled so you won't miss a thing if you don't speak either language.

As already mentioned, loads of Special Features got jammed into this one-disc edition of the film, where in the local film context it's still relatively rare since most get their DVD released in either a barebones version, or with scant extras such as photo galleries and trailers. Granted though these are requisites in a certain way, so yes we still get the Trailer (1:!9) and the Teasers - all three of them which consists of the scene where three characters are seen decked in bathtowels (0:34), Teochew's popular "Shit" monologue (0:49) and the dialogue between the titular characters about how romantic comedies tend to be perfect in every aspect (0:34).

The extras also include the Music Video (3:19) 当我离去 by 阿洒 which serves as the love theme of the film, as well as a Promo Video (4:54) which was taken after its screening for members of the film community on November 23 last year with comments from audience members as well as the director and his leading cast.

What's more, Han Yew Kwang does a Director's Introduction to the film both in English (0:40) and Mandarin (0:34) and this bilingual feature style continues in the educational (heh) segments on How to Curse in Hainan(ese), with Hainan Boy Lee Chau Min imparting pearls of wisdom in the Hainan language both in English (0:34) and Mandarin (0:45) instructions, which are closely interchangeable since both features come with both English and Mandarin subtitles.

And to wrap things up, Two Full Length Audio Commentaries are included, with the one in Mandarin featuring writer-director Han Yew Kwang, producer Lau Chee Nien, and cast members Lee Chau Min and Tan Hong Chye engaged in rich banter that shared plenty of insights into the making of the film, with nuggets of information on the production process, right down to the shenanigans that happened on set. The English one however would just be between the producer and the director, but by no means is this version less fun nor informative since the two have collaborated with each other for such a long time, that their camaraderie rubs onto their commentary as well, and if anything, offers a sneak peek into their thought and creative process, explaining pretty much everything in extremely frank terms, including what they had intended but didn't manage to pul off, or scenes which they thought could have been improved. These two are definitely not resting on their laurels!

It's obvious much care had gone behind the production of a proper DVD release when you put this side by side with the releases of other local films, so don't let that effort go to waste. I had mentioned before that this quirky comedy provokes thought and is essentially a celebration of the spirit of independent filmmaking in Singapore, so do get entertained by a thoroughly good film and support the growing local filmmaking community by picking up something that's all homegrown and solidly packaged.

The DVD is already out in shops and you can check out the launch event here, but if you want to attend the second launch event, you can do so at Books Actually (9 Yong Siak Street) on 15 July Friday, 7:30pm! You can also order it online through its distributor.

[Japanese Film Festival] Antenna (アンテナ / Antena)

Trying

One of the earliest works by director in focus Kumakiri Kazuyoshi for this season's Japanese Film Festival, Antenna probably benefitted from its R21 rating to draw in a sell out crowd this afternoon, with the director in attendance to introduce the film, which he described as strange - so who would have thought it really was that literal, with its narrative firmly focused on a dysfunctional family still reeling from the effects of a mysterious disappearance of Marie, the sister of Yuichiro (Ryo Kase) the protagonist from whom we follow through in his therapy, some many years ago.

As it was revealed during the Q&A session that the story was adapted from a science fiction novel, I suppose that would have explained some of the rather abstract elements in the film, such as the titular antenna, or antennae that got featured in the story, ranging from gigantic actual hardware, to figurative ones such as Yuichiro's younger brother Yuya (Daisuke Kizaki), who constantly enters a fit when his imaginary antenna which he describes as feelers, would go into overdrive twitching. But with other elements such as a cross-dressing child, an S&M service provider, and sins from the past all get thrown into the mix, Antenna turned out to be quite ambitious, if only its intended signals to be fine-tuned properly would this turn out to have provided a better payload with regards to theme of struggling with loss in very personal fashion.

The bulk of the tale follows Yuichiro's intent to engage in S&M in order to, based on the context of his research, go into alternative therapy to deal with a loss and a secret buried so deep that he needed help to unlock his subconscious. It's this alternative method that earned the film its rating, what with self mutilation with unflinching cutting of the flesh using cheap box cutters, which to some serves as a way to feel alive, and the constant self-gratification under the guidance, or instruction and order if you will, of Naomi (Akemi Kobayashi), whom Yuichiro engages the services of. It's frankly quite bizzare, especially when there's voyeurism, shock therapy, and in events on other characters such as hangings and illicit sexual relationships, that will probably earn Kumakiri a reputation as a shock jock, if this would be the only film you've watched from his filmography.

The story and continuity got choppy with its liberal use of flashbacks, and in the later part of the film, dream fantasy sequences that also introduced that of collective dreams, that made this one really trippy ride that blurs the line between fantasy and reality, yet leaving things quite unresolved if you're looking for firm answers to the predicament of the characters. Yes the obstacles get overcome to a certain degree, but One will hardly find reason to care for their loss nor celebrate in their victories since pathos did not get firmly established, and this becomes an exercise to get from start to end in the most meandering fashion possible.

Hopefully the other films slated would be a little bit more palatable, and offer a lot more to an audience, than this misfire.

[DVD Launch] When Hainan Meets Teochew (当海南遇上潮州)

When Hainan Meets Teochew is Han Yew Kwang at his element, playing to a number of full houses during its limited commercial run at Sinema Old School and The Arts House late last year and early this year, before hitting the festival circuit in Hong Kong and Tokyo which are but a few of more screenings to come for this quirky little independent, comedic gem. For those who have missed its run, the DVD has finally been released a few weeks back, and today marks the official DVD launch at Popular Bookstore at NEX mall, with the director in attendance to share a few nuggets of information from the film, as well as to highlight some of the special features that are packed into the DVD.

Event host David Lee (Left) and Director Han Yew Kwang (Right) at this afternoon's launch

and the autograph session soon after

For those who have missed the Launch, here's the video clip (in Mandarin only) right up until the point where excerpts from the film got shown. If you want to watch them, why not get the DVD? :-)


Audio inherent at source - It's a busy shopping mall, you know?
You can read my review of the film here, and before I can come up with my take of the DVD, you can read one from my friend Gabriel Chong at movieXclusive.com

And if you've missed this session, fret not. There will be another launch event organized this time to be held Books Actually (9 Yong Siak Street) on 15 July Friday, 7:30pm!

[Japanese Film Festival] The Days After (後の日)

Missing

Japanese broadcaster NHK commissioned this project consisting of four Japanese directors adapting from the horror classic Kaidan, but this screening only consists of Kore-eda Hirokazu's segment The Days After. Kore-eda of course is no stranger to local audiences, where his Air Doll sold out during last year's edition of the festival.

A mid length film, The Days After sections itself into seven parts, each dealing with a day in the life of, with the tale set on what would be the mundane of life in a household, but achingly romanticized and beautifully shot. Being a period piece also helped since it provides for opportunities to dress up the set and cast for a time already long gone, becoming a serious piece of eye candy for audiences to gaze and gawk at, with meticulous attention to detail that would likely distract you from the story proper.

Opening with a scene at a cemetary then quickly estbalishing the notion of a couple's early loss of their young child, there can be various interpretations to the tale and the nature of the mysterious child who turned up at the couple's doorsteps. Personally I felt this was in a way a huge what-if moment, that Fate bestowed upon the couple to live a week with who could possibly be the child that they probably could have had should Fate not rob him away from his parents. Like a reward for good deeds unspoken and unseen, we follow the couple's experience in their new family make up, though baffling to the couple intiially, but when an opportunity presents itself, seize it and make the most out of it.

Which of course leaves plenty of questions unanswered and this allows for a wealth of post-screening discourse, but even if a resolution is hard to come by, the pleasing aesthetics alone would have more than made up for it, with a beautiful soundtrack and slow, flowing camerawork that tenderly paints a whimsical family tale that packs a powerful, emotional punch.

Mr and Mrs Single (隐婚男女 / Yin Hun Nan Nv)

Married, Not!

It is without a doubt that the Chinese market is growing with screens booming across China, that the market just cannot be ignored, requiring stories to be told that's geared toward consumers there, so much so that we're staring at many more co-productions from the other Pan-Chinese countries, or productions on the Mainland boasting cast and crew from established industries such as Hong Kong. There are some narrative restrictions that come with the territory with regards to certain negative portrayals on screen, and in this case it turned out to be smoking, where the act itself cannot be seen, but implicitly told through butt filled ash trays.

Negativity aside, the Romantic Comedy genre seemed one of the easiest to port over, especially when what you need are gorgeous looking people which the Chinese talent are no lack of to grace the screen, put into plenty of formulaic stories that the genre can cough up in a dime a dozen fashion. Compromises will have to be made of course, such as keeping things extremely clean, but what I thought is an inevitable pattern forming and an inherent quality of a romantic film in this part of the world, is the selling of a dream, and an affluent lifestyle at that, especially given the growing economic might of China, which always get worked into the plot.

Things like sprawling skyscrapers, swanky offices, large limousines, and people in high positions up the career ladder become the template in which to craft the romantic comedy. We already had Don't Go Breaking My Heart involving a love triangle between professionals and CEO types, and the same continues in Mr and Mrs Single, where Rene Liu's Mandy, a mean boss of a perfume company, gets caught up with a growing affection for her newly minted executive assistant Mike Cui, played by Eason Chan. It is a familiar cousin of sorts with resemblance to The Devil Wears Prada, with a renowned and demanding boss being such a man-eater, that it is a requisite that her assistants must be single, since they're expected to be at her beck and call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

But Mike Cui is married to Jenny (Bai Bing), which sets the premise of one needing to keep secrets from one's boss, and initially, one's wife as well. It started off with good intentions, as Mike is adamant in wanting to provide both necessities and luxuries for his wife, and decided to take on the job after persistent goading from his best friend (Harlem Yu), since the job pays more than double Mike's current salary. It's a lifestyle that the yuppie couple yearns, and therefore the price to pay where later on, Jenny gets in on the game, and has to suppress her jealousy when it is perceived Mike has to place Mandy on the pedestal, and not herself, investing too much time with his lady boss rather than to spend quality time together as husband and wife.

Therein lies the strength of the film where it serves as a stark reminder of China, and our relentless pursuit of economic goals and materialism, where money is the be all to end all, where things like family time, friendship and priorities all get muddled up tremendously. And curiously though between the couple Mike and Jenny, their little marital hiccups get resolved through shopping sprees, therefore never nipping the crux of any issue in the bud, but glossed over through, you guessed it, consumerism. Which naturally spells trouble, as the fights get bigger and fiercer as the story wore on, especially since when Jenny relies on the usual grapevine and well-meaning "advice" from self help books and friends.

In some ways the scriptwriters Ru Xiaoguo and Ha Zhichao subtly bridges one relationship while widening the gulf in the other, though always keeping things just at the edge of a reveal since Mike is constantly treading on dangerous ground, painting himself a foundation made up of a lie on which his career gets built upon, and in doing so, plunges his family into marital woes. It's all about the priorities in one's life, and that stark mental note that one could possibly be happier with less rather than more, especially if more comes with a price that we only learn is too big, too late. Recommended, even though at times we're dealing with caricatures and rushed subplots, but gets more than made up for with its moral message.

13 Assassins (十三人の刺客 / Juusan-nin No Shikaku)

Assassins Assemble!

Takashi Miike is one of the most prolific directors from Japan in its contemporary cinema, having as diverse a filmography as possible in churning out a slew of works from perverse gems to delicious grindhouse, whether films meant for kids, or broad based entertainers. A rare craftsman indeed to have dabbled and tackled such an amazing variety of film genres and with a steady stream of output, and 13 Assassins, a remake of the 1963 film supposedly based on a true incident in the late Edo period of Japan, really seals his reputation as one who can straddle between commercial blockbusters, and those of the more artistic fare.

13 Assassins is that big budgeted, ramped up samurai action picture in the same spirit as Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, where a group of skilled swordsmen get their destiny all charted out when the people look toward their expertise to uphold justice, and the men stepping up to be counted in the face of societal adversity. It's that typical story of moral courage of a few good men chosen to execute a mission to try and reset the status quo, or die trying while at it.

Miike's film is structured in a wonderfully simple way, and it starts off with perversion in introducing the main villain, Naritsugu Matsudaira (Goro Inagaki) who is the Shogun's brother, but earning a reputation of being a cold heated killer, rapist, and just hell bound bad guy with zero morals or respect for the sanctity of human life. This film would not have worked without this basic, powerful half hour set up where a character so vile gets luxuriously painted to get you to thoroughly hate the person, his action and his guts, while painting him to also be a formidable, skilled opponent that you wonder just how difficult it would be to get to him for a face off, but how delightful it would be to finally get that shot to take him down.

The film then launches into its midsection which played out like a typical heist movie, with the recruitment of the would be perpetrators and an introduction to what they bring to the table, coupled with the meticulous planning in preparing for an almost suicidal mission where a few men would be taking on an army, guessing and second guessing intent and what the enemy would likely react to any planted changes, in an effort to stay an extra step ahead. And there's the tense face off between the leaders from both camps, rivals once when young and now standing on opposites, engaging in barbed dialogue and scare-mongering, psychological tactics to size up a known opponent. It's a poignant scene on how each are duty bound by their orders through their honour and the usual samurai values they live and die by.

With 13 heroic characters crammed into 141 minutes meant an unequal amount of screentime getting devoted to each of them, so a tradeoff becomes inevitable, but the ones who do get introduced in depth thankfully turned out to be as varied and as interesting as can be. There's the leader Shinzaemon Shimada (Koji Yakusho) who got tasked to take up this mission, and in doing so assembled his team which included trusted deputy Saheita Kuranaga (Hiroki Matsukata), a star pupil Kuzuro Hirayama (Tsuyoshi Ihara) whose skill is excellent par none, and various other inner circle, trusted members to undertake this secret mission, including his nephew Shinrokuro Shimada (Takayuki Yamada who also worked in Takeshi Miike twice in the successful Crows Zero series) a compulsive gambler and womanizer who's obviously in this mission on a quest for redemption.

But the character of Koyata Saga (Yusuke Iseya) served as the most interesting of the lot, not being of samurai stock, and chanced upon by Shinzaemon and team en route through a forest, before Koyata's wit and know how in navigation earned his place to be with them. Providing a fair share of comedy and critique on the ways of the samurai, I thought this chap personified a higher being for his stunning turnaround scene at the end which may leave some bewildered, as well as to provide Miike an outlet to deal with some of his more signature stuff, including Koyata's an incredibly large member and high sex drive which did stick out like a sore thumb in the more serious build up where Shinzaemon's troops got down to fortifying and booby-trapping the village.

One needs to look no further than the two Crows Zero films to know that Miike can deliver full scale assaults with balletic qualities, accentuated by an adrenaline pumping soundtrack. If it's action you're craving, 13 Assassins delivers by the loads through a gloriously choreographed 45 minute action set piece utilizing a series of weapons from bows and arrows, spears and explosives, where it becomes like a reverse Bodyguards and Assassins where every angle of the ambushed town got covered in blood and body parts, with plenty of on-screen dismemberment of limbs. It's no holds barred where the element of surprise, and the discovery of being grossly outnumbered, brings forth that sense of inevitable dread amongst those from both sides, as one seeks to cut off the head of the hydra, while the other frantically looking for a way out of being uncharacteristically cornered. Plenty of pathos got built in as well especially in that final few fights, where you will find it hard not to weep for the fallen.

It isn't easy to take down the corrupt who have power and the sworn loyalty amongst the powerful, but this film inspires in that provision of hope that so long as good and able men are willing to make that sacrifice for the common good, there is still that fighting chance to make right the things that have gone wrong under the hands of the criminal. Even Fate would also lend a hand. Definitely highly recommended as this swashbuckles its way to be amongst the best of this year's selection.

Four

Why let GTH have all the fun with its highly popular horror anthology series 4bia and 4bia 2, would probably be one of the reasons behind Sahamongkol Film jumping onto the bandwagon with its own offering Four, presenting well, four horror short stories with acclaimed directors each taking on a segment that offers different flavours to the horror genre, not exactly taking on those of the spiritual realm, but coming off more like an Amazing Stories collection that entertains rather than to send chills up your spine.

And it starts off very brightly with A Noob's Human Holocaust directed by Eakasit Thairaat, the shortest of all the segments which came on before the opening credits, and for a reason quite smartly executed. The story may not come off as much, relying on its technical strengths and make up for its more gory moments. Perhaps it also reflects on the casual, banal conversations of youth these days, where they seemingly are into deep discussions about more serious topics that affect mankind, but coming off sounding quite hollow.

Topics touched on include that of global warming which take precedence if you manage to sift through other topics they crap about, with the feeling that most of the characters are boasting, and making fun of the newbie of their group (hence the title), before it launches into an inevitable, horrific twist in line with films such as One Missed Call when they deal with the ubiquity of the mobile phone, and how it plays into the opening credits, serving in a way to remind everyone of proper phone etiquette, lest anyone falls into the cancerous group of human beings which the mastermind of a virus in the story is set out to eradicate.

If there's a Gift Shop for People You Hate then point me in its direction please. Directed by Konkiat Khomsiri of Slice and Art of the Devil fame, this short is ambitiously dark and pulls itself off perfectly, since it showed its hand midway, but still managed to keep one step ahead of you and surprising you despite expectations drawn up. A recently promoted manager has most of the support in his office save for his fiercest rival who insults him on his promotion day, and a mid day walk about the market resulted in his entering the titular gift shop, meeting a quirky shopkeeper who spends considerable time explaining how seemingly mundane things can be rigged so that the recipient can suffer from embarrassment, or death, depending on the kind of services the buyer engages.

The caveat is of course the revelation that a hit has been already taken out, and with the many gifts sent to him to congratulate him on his promotion, it can be anything, which sets it up for a rather middling mid section before employing some nitft visual effects for a powerhouse finale that went full circle, which was what the clincher was for me, since at times it did feel that this short had well overstayed its welcome.

The Night to Lose Your Mind by Pawat Panangkasiri was the least favourite amongst the shorts, because it had tried a little too hard and it showed. The tale dragged on for quite a bit and was only made bearable with star power. Ananda Everingham stars as a robber who together with two others are some of the most notorious villains though they get threatened by Everingham's mood swings especially when he's the only one wielding a handgun and doesn't hesitate to use it especially against those who stand in his way. It took its time to introduce the characters and show how crazy Everingham's character can be, with most of the story takes place in an abandoned building where the gangsters rendezvous after a big hit, there to split the loot, and as expected things start to go bump in the night.

Saving the best for last, Who R Kong? by Madiew Chukiat Sakweeakul is perhaps the crowd pleaser, containing horror and comedy welded so nicely together, as well as deftly handling an ensemble of caricatures. A old man passes away with something left unsaid to his family members, save for not to cremate or bury him. So a decision was made to keep his corpse in the house, and a geomancer suggests that the old man had something to tell his favourite grandchild on some treasure kept in the compound. Hence the family members in their different factions send their kids to stay within the mansion for hope of some revelation, only for the old man to really spook everyone out, with a very nice heartwarming twist at the end.

Sawkweeakul shows keen ability to amp up scenes that called for hauntings, and delivers the conventional scares coupled with loads of comedy that takes the mickey out of an airhead girl, and the eldest grandchild whose sexual orientation comes into question. In some ways this film deals more with family relationships especially those between cousins, and how the older generation aren't really that blind to what's going on around them, possessing good advice to dispatch to their descendants. The finale here is one of the best I've seen in any film of late, and this short was clearly the highlight of this anthology, which is justification enough for anyone to want to catch this film on the big screen.

Wasao (わさお)

One for the Album

There is always room for another dog movie given that they're after all, Man's best friend, with enough touching plots cooked up to keep the legions of dog lovers happy and in unison that their pet canines would likely possess similar qualities in loyalty, helpfulness and just looking adorable since the camera captures all the best angles. Wasao could have been a dog lover's dream movie, but instead it's more of a story of the local inhabitants of a small sleepy town that comes alive through a series of slice of life incidents.

From the get go you know that this is an engineered piece of work that perhaps tried too hard. There's a cycling event (you'll learn later on that it's part of an annual marathon) that the towns folk lined the streets to cheer the cyclists on, only for Akira (Masaki Izawa) to drop his red ball that his pet dog Shiro plays with, and for the dog to instinctively run after it, getting in the way of the event of course. Then Mom just had to run after the dog also instinctively as well, only to be knocked down by a van. Seriously, if an event of that nature on a straight road is in progress, any vehicle if allowed on the road, won't be travelling at that kind of speed to not see anyone stepping out, or for that matter hitting with such an impact it becomes life and death.

So Akira banishes his puppy to some relatives in Tokyo, only for the pup to escape one day, and trek back to what was his home. Insert shots of cute puppy rummaging through thrash for sustenance, getting drenched in the rain, and simply taking all the miserableness in its stride just to make it back to its owner. By the time it gets back to the town, it's all grown up into one large hairy furball, hence its nickname Wasao, but like a lover jilted once and still holding onto a candle, worships its master from afar, blaming itself for causing Akira's Mom a long term stay at the hospital.

And that happens in the first few minutes of the film. The rest of Wasao flits from character to character, scene to scene sometimes in too carefree a fashion, introducing to us a trio of senior citizens (Sabu Kawahara, Mansaku Fuwa, Koichi Ueda) who decided to check off a bucket list item by participating in a triathlon, a (fake looking) bear on the loose wrecking havoc in the agricultural town and a hunter (Takashi Sasano) engaged to hunt for it, who turns out to be somewhat of a lost subplot that went nowhere except to set up something very expected in the closing arc of the narrative, practice drumming sessions that I would have loved to see more of as it featured some infectious beats, only for a very hastily edited segment of a procession being all that came out of it, and a man (Masahiro Komoto) whose participation in the mentioned triathlon turned out to be a comedic spin no thanks to a lady who pledged her hand in marriage should he come in the best.

On the canine front, there's a restaurant lady who owns her own brood of dogs, bringing in the theme of life and death with one of her dogs nearing the end of her life, while another is pregnant, and to a certain degree, this lady (actress Hiroki Yakushimaru) turns out to be quite the main character for her discovery of Wasao/Shiro, her attempts to befriend it, and ultimately figuring out its identity, coupled with being in the thick of the action when looking for a missing Akira who had ventured off trying to cycle his way to Tokyo.

Wasao suffered from having too many characters in it for its own good that on one hand showcases the very kampung feel where everyone in town knows everyone else in the close-knitted community, but on the other relegated the dogs in the show to the usual shots that capture cuteness, and seriously, no self-respective dog film can ever do without shots of a dog running at top speed along a long beach/road, which Wasao contains with aplomb. There could have been a fine balance in its narrative sharing screen time between man and dog, but in this case, the focus was clearly on the human stories, and the other dogs featured in the film stole the show from Shiro who had to just look expectant and hopeful for that recognition from its once owner.

There were many mentions by the characters that Wasao/Shiro had a funny look, that it was ugly yet charming in its own way. I didn't think the dog looked ugly at all, though it had enough fur on it especially in its mane to resemble a white lion. Kimba this is not, but that shouldn't deter any dog lover from having a go at this film. For the rest of us, steer clear if you cannot stand predictability.

23:59 Teaser

This has got to be one of the longest gestation period of a Singapore film in recent years that has been stuck in development hell, then jumpstarted with a new lease of life.

The army camps and training grounds have got to be fuel for countless of ghost stories, but none as legendary as the famous Charlie Company (which at one time was a working title) at Pulau Tekong featuring the bunk with the infamous third, twin door adorned with talismans. There isn't any definitive version since the tale had gone through countless of reinterpretations by generations of drill sergeants and recruits alike, and I should know since I was trained within the confines of the same camp, and have to pass by that bunk for four months en route to the cookhouse during my conscript military training days. Just saying.

In any case I first caught whiff of the project during the time when I co-interviewed writers-directors Gilbert Chan and Joshua Chiang for their breakthrough indie debut feature S11 back in 2006, and Gilbert had mentioned he was working on Charlie Company. Since then he had gone on to co-direct films such as Love Matters with Jack Neo, while horror-comedies in Where Got Ghosts and The Ghosts Must Be Crazy, and the telemovie Pulau Hantu highlighted the appeal of army horror stories, and I suppose with the setup of Gorylah Pictures in 2009, the stars have finally aligned for this project to be green lit, and so we're at this point in time where the feature now known as 23:59 is complete, and due for a release in October later this year.

In the meantime, the teaser is out. It isn't much (and frankly I thought the art direction would have nailed it if the bunk beds are of the double decker type, but I'm nitpicking) but enough to whet some appetites:


Synopsis from the Facebook Page

A rumor had been circulating like wild fire amongst the soldiers. A mad woman living on the island had died at the exact hour of 23:59, and it is believed that her spirit had returned to haunt the soldiers at the exact same time.

One of the recruits, Tan, the introverted platoon outcast, is adamant that he will be the next victim of the mad woman's spirit.

He tries to convince his buddy Jeremy that the woman's spirit has been visiting him every night. Jeremy laughs it off and claims that there are no such things as ghosts in this world. They only exist because of Tan's overactive imagination.

However, during the 24 km road march for the platoon in the forest, Tan was found dead by the river, with his limbs contorted in a strange way and an expression of deep fear on his face.

Overwhelmed with guilt, Jeremy decides to investigate Tan's death, convinced that it was not an accident as what the military officers believe.

Little does he know that the truth behind Tan's death will unearth a terrible dark secret of the island and he will have to confront his deepest fears in order to find the truth.

Related Links
- Facebook Page
- 23:59 Page at Gorylah Pictures

[DVD] Rule of Three (2008)

So What Exactly Happened?

Some of us can't help it if we wonder at times how the hotel, motel or inn room we're staying in contain stories and harbour secrets, having a myriad of people come stay in them, sometimes involving incidents that range from the usual, the sweet, to even the macabre, depending on how one's imagination goes. Motels of course are very ripe and fertile ground for horror stories and films to spring up from, but Rule of Three, by the creative husband-wife team of Eric Shapiro on the director's chair and Rhoda Jordan taking on screenplay duties from Shapiro's story, churns up a psychologically dark mystery thriller that hooks you in right from the opening shot.

Primarily set in the same spatial boundaries of a motel room, Rule of Three spans three distinct stories over different timelines that you'll expect to converge by the time the final act rolls by, but here done in a manner that's shocking and horrific, dealing with karmic retributions in a certain way, and how people, seemingly civil on the outside, possesses a degree of evilness that rears its ugly head in the most nonchalant manner and reveal, that makes this truly terrifying since it really brings forth the notion of not judging a book by its cover.

There's Jon (Ben Siegler) who's obsessively looking for his daughter Lo (Rhoda Jordan herself) who has been missing for two weeks, with the father berating everyone and making his way back to the motel room, her last known location, to look for clues. The second tale sheds some insights to a trip by Lo and her boyfriend Jake (Cary Woodworth), making their pit stop in the motel but as we soon find out, they're there to try and engage in a threesome with whichever friend they can mutually agree to shortlist and get to say yes. And the last arc deals with a middle aged man Brian (Lee Schall) making a deal with the devil in Rodney Eastman's drug dealer Russ, the former wanting to buy "roofies" so that he can lay with the woman of his dreams who often goes to him as an Agony Uncle. Talk about taking advantage when someone is down.

Rule of Three shines in many ways that makes this indie film well worth a watch, and a multiple times at that. There's immense strength in its stories that peppers with details and red herrings to keep you constantly engaged and guessing, with deep characterization to flesh out all its characters to avoid stereotypes, well acted that they come off as truly believable, which makes this a little bit unnerving since it can cut close to reality, since real life at times can be stranger than fiction.

Dialogue is extremely sharp, important since the characters don't come off as lifeless, and drives the narrative forward in clockwork fashion, with the cast members delivering wonderful performances - Lee Schall portraying his character with misguided morals and ulterior motives so well hidden, with Rodney Eastman pairing up to exploit that excellent chemistry they share as unlikely bedfellows, Cary Woodworth providing a slight tinge of comedy and vulnerability, and Rhoda Jordan as well, central to the story to allow us to feel for her, as well as wonder just what could have happened that made Ben Siegler's obsession easier to comprehend especially when the film ends and you start to look back.

After all, Shapiro and Jordan surprises with the final act that sews everything up and sledgehammers plenty of emotions through, filling it with enough suspense right up to the final frame of the film, and comes full circle with its themes that have floated around, coming to closure toward the end. Cinematography is kept uncomplicated and clean to accentuate the frustration, fear and horror of what the characters go through, with a hauntingly good soundtrack to boot. It's not everyday that you get an indie film that's so well written and acted, that this one stands out firmly amongst the crowd. Highly recommended, and if Netflix is available from wherever you're reading this, you might want to have a go at the film here.

The Region 1 DVD by Big Screen Entertainment presents the film in a letterbox format. There aren't too many extras, and are the usual Trailer (2:38) for the movie, and Trailers (8:15) for films like Babysitter Wanted, Sodium Babies, Nina & the Mystery of the Secret Room, and Target Practice.

The Director's Commentary is chock full of information shared by Eric Shapiro who provides plenty of insights into the narrative as well as the filmmaking process and behind the scenes process, but you will have to steer clear of it until you've seen the film because he starts it all off, in the very first sentence, dropping a major spoiler and many others along the way. You have been warned, but otherwise you'll have to give this a listen to for all the details that Eric Shapiro generously shares with the viewer/listener.

Lee Chang Dong Retrospective

'Nuff said. For details, check out here, and here.

See you there!

Harry Potter Movie Marathon

Golden Village has become synonymous with movie marathons in Singapore given a slew of franchise films out in recent years, but this is going to be the mother load. Together with Warner Bros, a massive 25 hour movie marathon featuring ALL the Harry Potter film will be screened back to back at GVmax from the 13th of July in one single session with logical meal breaks, goodie bag giveaways and a lucky draw where attendees stand a chance to win a trip for two to visit “Harry Potter: The Exhibition” at Discovery Times Square, New York, USA. This 14,000 square-foot experiential exhibition offers fans a first-hand view of the dramatic displays inspired by the Hogwarts™ film sets and the amazing craftsmanship behind authentic costumes and props from the films.

Expect legions of Potter fans to turn up in costume, and here's a peek at the event timetable:

Tickets are priced at S$98 for non GV members, while GV members get a S$10 discount. Click here for more details. If you think you're up for it, you had better hurry in securing your tickets, because availability of this one-time event currently looks like this:

No, the dark coloured seats are the ones already taken up, and I wonder who that lone ranger hero at the front row is. Could it be...

Jane Eyre

That's Me

There are countless of stage, film and television adaptations of Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre, that you may wonder if the world needs yet another version, if not to update and reintroduce it to another generation who have yet to read the source material, and through a different medium be intrigued enough to want to find out more, especially on subplots not covered. Directed by Cary Fukunaga, you'd come to expect a certain aesthetic quality associated with a period film, and this one doesn't disappoint.

Essentially telling the story of the titular character from childhood until her late teens, we go through her miserable time at her aunt's at Gateshead, and fast track through her strict education at Lowood School, essentially told in quick flashbacks that glossed over plenty of details and being spared a series of wrong doings dished out toward this outspoken little girl, whom by the time she's played by Mia Wasikowska, we're introduced to a very mannered, cultured young woman where the bulk of the narrative takes place during her stint as a governess at Thornfield Hall for the ward of Edward Fairfax Rochester (Michael Fassbender).

But that doesn't mean that the girl had essentially changed, but what I felt had become a little smarter in conforming to what society expects on the outside, while harbouring plenty of dreams and desires of an independent spirit on the inside, waiting for opportunities to present themselves before springing free. The crux of it of course comes from a persistent wooing by the lord of the house as the classic Byronic hero is taken in by what would be a whiff of fresh air compared to the other ladies whom he frequently comes into contact with, where in Jane Eyre is a combative spirit, an intellectual equal able to hold her own in conversation and wit. Therein lies a problem, given societal norms of the time what with social standing, and impropriety coming from an employer-employee relationship, which Mrs Fairfax (Judi Dench) never fails to remind.

Starring Mia Wasikowska who shot to prominence here in Tim Burton's adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, she continues her playing of literary characters with her version of Jane in truly plain Jane fashion and constantly decked in frumpy coloured clothes to highlight her dedication and quiet strength, coupled with her high morals in refusing to do what's not right nor succumbing to the affairs of the heart, despite what I would believe are concerns that are likely glossed over in today's context. And she owns the role of the passionate and outspoken young woman that you'll likely find yourself rooting for her whenever adversary gets in her way. Fassbender continues to charm his way on screen as the roguish looking Rochester whose mood swings to and fro at the drop of a hat, sending conflicting signals and all the while harbouring something quite sinister in the background that unravels itself like a good mystery. It'll do you some good to keep an eye on Fassbender's career from this point on.

The beauty of the English language comes to play here, while we do not speak like that anymore, it brings out a certain romanticism throughout the entire film. With strange and mysterious incidents peppering Jane Eyre's governess stint that will hold your attention span, if you're gearing for an English period romantic drama, then Jane Eyre will be your choice before it gets forced out by the summer blockbusters, even if the narrative has to be watered down from its novel, focusing its attention solely on the key components of the character's life. Recommended, and I really enjoyed the haunting soundtrack.

Miral

Come Back!


Director Julian Schnabel tackles yet another biographical tale after his Diving Bell and the Butterfly, with a focus shifted to the Middle East conflict, but unlike the typical Hollywood production ranging from all out action like The Kingdom to heavier dramatic fare like Syriana, this film, an Indian-Italian-French-Israeli co-production stops short at passing judgement, opting to tread the middle ground in portraying as objective a viewpoint as possible, and does so through the eyes of the titular character Miral (Freida Pinto) being caught up in the scheme of her environment.

Curiously, this film is based on the novel by Rula Jebreal, a Palestinian journalist, whose book is an almost biographical account of her growing up and formative years, where she got brought up in an orphanage in Jerusalem established by Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass), whose notable exploits after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War include rescuing orphaned survivors from the Deir Yassin massacre and turning her home into an orphanage. So in essence we get to observe the story of two women caught up in extraordinary circumstances spanning a vast timeline right up to the establishment of the state of Israel and right through to various peace accords that are still trying to bear fruit, and one

The narrative is split into two halves, with the first centered on the tale of Hind Husseini, her sacrifice and achieving of her objective, before having the narrative shift toward that of Miral, clearly the poster girl since Freida Pinto's shot to fame in Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire might mean a lot more people giving this film a chance. Brought to Husseini's orphanage to be raised, we see the teenager getting awakened to the state of affairs of the land claimed by opposing sides, and getting caught between a rock and a hard place, where Husseini's counsel gets weighed against that of the brush of romance with the militant Hani (Omar Metwally), but of course don't come to expect flitting romantic scenes as the more powerful and thought provoking ones far outweigh affairs of the heart.

While the film offered two stories of two independently strong women, somehow it is the lack of a primary central figure that did it in, where it's most unfortunate to have the story quite scattered in its ambitious timeline in trying to condense an extremely complex political situation, no doubt adopting a micro view through the two different perspectives and principles in its leading characters. It sought to contrast viewpoints of those who deem education is the key out of their current plight, against those who wish to stand up and be counted, violence notwithstanding as a means to achieve an end.

Perhaps I was anticipating more, but with an ending quite abrupt, it leaves more questions than those answered and addressed, and perhaps so because it's still an open environment with no clear solutions in sight. Like how the characters have seen milestones set in their lifetime, I wonder if we in ours can eventually see something significantly charted out. The end title was a chilling reminder that it will take quite a while.

Delhi Belly

Belly Excellent!

Having starred in two back to back Hindi blockbusters in Ghajini and 3 Idiots, I'm guessing Aamir Khan, one of the largest stars of contemporary Hindi Cinema, is looking to spend more time behind the camera to forge a different brand of Hindi film targeted at an international audience, one that's probably sans the usual Masala formula containing song and dance routines, and creating movie magic that is within a comfortable two hour runtime. His Aamir Khan Productions have already produced the more art house fare in Dhoby Ghat, and now, Delhi Belly continues the trend to appeal to audiences around the world, stating its intention with the predominant use of English, and circling around the crime caper with a generous dose of madcap comedy.

And it worked wonders, with a very audacious, tightly knit plot that contains everything including the proverbial kitchen sink, where 3 friends and flat mates go about their usual daily business and routine, until they get inadvertently caught up with a smuggling ring with the smugglers out after their blood following a mix up of their precious cargo, and lumps of watery faeces. Yes you read that right, this is almost a Bollywood answer to Hollywood's Hangover where the protagonists go on a quest of sorts, only that it's genuinely funnier, and loads more charming, even as it does venture into toilet humour for a fair bit, and a lot more dropping of the F-bombs quite unheard of in Hindi cinema.

As far as Hindi adult comedy goes, this is probably my first, and what a ride it was. Aamir's nephew Imran Khan, to date only starring in romantic comedies, steps out of his comfort zone to play a jaded journalist to perfection, being the de-facto leader of his group of friends as he gets himself stuck in a rut when his girlfriend's family and his parents bring forth his marriage plans to the following month. Flatmates Arup (Vir Das) has to struggle with getting no respect for his cartoons from his meddling boss, while Nitin (Kunaal Roy Kapur) rounds up the trio as the photographer working with Tashi, but has his own photographic agenda to pursue that spawns its own interesting subplot. And before I forget, Nitin's the catalyst of the film with his contracting of Delhi Belly, which becomes the inevitable running joke throughout the story – watching just how he contracts it, is already worth the ticket price (and a warning we must be wary from which hawker we buy food from).

Before you know it you're thrown into the classic mixup involving mistaken identities, misplaced items, little side gags and plots that get thrown around thick, fast and furious (my favourite involves orange juice), a landlord who got blackmailed, romance, and gangsters who very well behave like, well, regular Joes and inadvertent poseurs. Comedy comes courtesy of the physically disgusting to verbal jibes, and even accents are not spared, never once the film was consciously trying to be politically correct, which would neuter its effectiveness. And it worked for Delhi Belly not coming off as trying too hard to please.

What worked wonders was the trio sharing incredibly chemistry in 3 Idiots fashion that was important to hold all the plot points together, as plot devices open, close and go full circle. Writer Akshat Verma and director Abhinay Deo are due credit to have crafted a complex narrative that was yet simple to follow, with pacing and story kept punchy and tight, and reminiscent of some of the best crime capers already seen from the West. Everything just about gelled perfectly here, with gorgeous art direction and sets to highlight some of the most disgusting living conditions in the city, and flowing cinematography that puts this right into the scheme of things with snappy editing and well crafted, natural dialogues coupled with excellent makeup. Then of course the marvelous soundtrack, with Nakkaddwaley Disco, Udhaarwaley Khisko opening the film in what I felt was one of the best in a long time.


Keep your eyes peeled for Aamir Khan himself as well, who makes the much touted cameo appearance every now and then as the character Disco Fighter, in posters, film stills, marquees and even a television show, culminating in what would be, as he hoped, the start of an Item Boy revolution. Disco Fighter serves up plenty of retro, disco fun coupled with his fair share of vulgar moves, that I think he'd fit right in if cast in the next Austin Powers film, complete with exaggerated gyrating pelvis to boot.

Delhi Belly is the best Hindi film to date for the year, and you will do yourself a disservice if you were to miss this totally. A highly recommended must watch, as it shortlists itself into the list of my top films for the year.

[ScreenSingapore Red Carpet Gala Premiere] Larry Crowne (Asia Pacific Premiere / Closing Film)

You Got Wheels

Viewed on June 11. Review embargoed until today:

It isn't everyday that Tom Hanks goes behind the camera to climb onto the director's chair (this marks his second feature film as director), and it certainly is a blue moon that he dropped by Singapore to promote his film Larry Crowne which made its Asia Pacific Premiere (why this isn't its World Premiere beats me) as the Closing Film of ScreenSingapore. For what was a bad Opening Film the film event made up for it with this A-lister's film at the other bookend, telling a tale that will strike a raw nerve with audiences here given the trials and tribulations of Tom Hanks' titular character who had to be unceremoniously retrenched despite his loyalty and performance on the job. It isn't sufficient to be loyal and hardworking these days, but one has got to be cheaper, faster and better as quipped by one of the fat cat bureaucrats here.

To make things worse, the bank always come knocking at the wrong time to compound the challenges at hand, where you probably heard a horror story or two about the treatment by banking executives on those who truly need their help, only to be stonewalled and reminded that banks exist not to help the little people who are their customers, but ultimately to serve their own self interest since they are absolutely, and fundamentally, profit driven entities. With the lack of education leading to limited prospects at work given the existence of glass ceilings, issues with mortgages and the hurtful puncture of self esteem when being given the pink slip, these are issues that the average Joe in any cinema hall can identify with, and probably bond with the Crowne character.

One can trust Tom Hanks to step into this role convincingly since he's has the everyday Joe demeanour to pull it off, although one cannot deny his star power in real life as seen when he stepped into a crowded room of journalists who let out a collective, audible sigh the minute he walked into the room. Usually playing evergreen, feel good, positive characters, it is no different here as Larry Crowne, a man who had to pull up his socks and dig in, making sense of the new world in front of him while maintaining a sense of dignity and respect. If anything this film will serve as a reminder to those on the same boat that all is not lost as long as one keeps a sense of hope that there will be an eventual light at the end of the tunnel. A sense of humour may help, and making friends is probably a must to keep one occupied with new companionship, hobbies maybe, but definitely perspective.

If there's a positive message coming out of this film, one of them would be never to give up, that all it takes is a positive attitude toward change, and becoming that agent of change to seize new opportunities that would come one's way, given that these are usually not obviously seen since one is normally deeply entrenched into a routine, which we see in Crowne during the first act. Help comes in the form, lucky for him, when he decided to better himself in getting a degree at a community college, and meeting two ladies who would change his life forever, one being fellow student Chandra (Enuka Okuma) who literally turns his life topsy turvy but for the better as the literal positive influence, save for an envious boyfriend, and the other being his public speaking class teacher Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts), who provides that slight romantic angle, and having an entire running subplot of her own regarding her indifferent attitude toward life and her estranged marriage to her porn-surfing writer husband.

Sharing co-writer credit, I have enjoyed the works of Nia Vardalos of late, and one can tell the little touches that usually go into a typical Vardalos written flick that can be found here. I am wondering though if Julia Roberts had decided to pass on the role, that Vardalos herself could have stepped into her character's shoes most effortlessly, since the female point of view that can be seen in many of the female characters played by Vardalos were evidently found in Robert's Mercedes.

While both Hanks and Roberts had worked together before in Charlie Wilson's War and share some chemistry together once again in the same frame, don't expect too much fireworks in their combined screen presence given that they do spend more time apart, which is a pity since there is a minor ensemble involved in the film. Comedy comes courtesy of little quirky moments designed - I would really like George Takei to teach me economics, and be in a class that is a shadow of the British sitcom Mind Your Language with its class composition set up for deliberate mirth, which served as a pleasant distraction given the student antics.

Be the change you want to be, and that milestone can begin with even the simplest of steps such as a wardrobe change. Larry Crowne is basically that filmic self-help reminder as a model for those at the crossroads of their lives, and provides that extra cheer and support on the positives of building both knowledge and confidence. Not everything this summer has to be loud and filled with explosions, as this film demonstrates that a more powerful tale comes from something simpler, but possessing enough to connect with audiences at a much deeper level. There will be some who will dismiss this as being light and superficial even, but don't let them detract you from the second feature as directed by Tom Hanks, at least you'll know you're in for a treat.