Watch Afghanistan Idol!

Afghan Star
2008 | Afghanistan/UK | 87min | PG

Under Young ChangeMakers, a program by the National Youth Council, the Singapore Film Society is screening Afghan Star, a documentary on democracy and freedom in Afghanistan in the guise of a popular singing talent competition.

After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, pop Idol has come to Afghanistan. Millions are watching the TV series 'Afghan Star' and voting for their favourite singers by mobile phone. For many, this is their first encounter with democracy. This timely film follows the dramatic stories of four contestants as they risk all to become the nation's favourite singer. But will they attain the freedom they hope for in this vulnerable and traditional nation?

Afghan Star is Havana Marking's first feature documentary, shot over four months in Kabul, Afghanistan. The documentary has won the World Cinema Audience Award and Directing Award at the 2009 Sundance FIlm Festival and the Shell International Best Documentary at Grierson Documentary awards. It is also UK's submission for Best Foreign Language Oscar.

Screening Details
Date & Time: 22 Nov, Sun 4 pm
Venue: Gallery Theatre, National Museum of Singapore
Ticket Prices: $10 from Tickets.com

See you there!

Horror Web Series: The Scare Game

The Scare Game is a new horror/comedy web series by an independent film company based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, designed to fill a particular niche of high quality cinematic entertainment that has been so far, devoid on the web. Season One will consist of thirteen7 to 10 minute episodes exploring the topics of horror, voyeurism, and the ultimate unrequited love- fandom.

Uncanny Entertainment hopes that through a blend of strong production values and quality writing, independent web entertainment will become a wide-spread, regular option for the viewing public, and so far has produced one episode of The Scare Game's first season and it's now available online. Have a look!

Link to first episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ0RrIN1dWY
Click here for The Scare Game's Official YouTube Channel
Click here for the Official Website

Paranormal Activity

It Moved!

Note to self: If I want to make a film that would allow a clueless audience to leave bewildered whether it's a true event or not, leave out all forms of credits, and end it as it is. Although Paranormal Activity is a work of fiction, its presentation made many amongst the audience wonder if it's true, even as the end credits did state it's fictitious. I guess not everyone reads.

The Blair Witch Project could probably be credited as one of the earliest horror films which used the Internet extensively to market the film, and to build a buzz surrounding its probable “real life” events which unfold from a first person video camera perspective. It managed to spook its way to box office success despite being low budget, and there are now countless of films out there which have adopted similar techniques, though with varying degrees of success. But of course that doesn't stop films, like this one, from trying.

Micah (Micah Sloat) and Katie (Katie Featherston) are the chief protagonists in a film as shot by Micah on his expensive camera, just to try and catch whatever's bothering his fiance each night in her sleep. As we learn together with him on this voyeuristic journey, this disturbance is nothing new, as whatever it is has been spooking Katie since she was 8 years old, and as a ghost expert explains the distinction between ghosts and demons, this one wants Katie, and won't just go away even if the couple should move homes. Talk about not knowing what he has gotten himself into, hooking up with a girl who comes with some supernatural baggage!

So as the story goes, Paranormal Activities has a repetitive presentation, which will either keep you intrigued in wanting to find out what's the next discovery and progress as the days wear on at the witching hour of 3am each night, or just plain bore you out of your wits. It's like a slow brew, watching little things like shadow movements, morph into shock jock tactics like sudden slamming of doors, to things that literally come crashing down into the living room. Half the movie gets shown in 1 camera angle, and that's watching the couple in their bed sleeping until something happens, which will creep you out in varying degrees.

That said, it's the little things that just plant some frightful thoughts within your mind, but when the time is ripe for some full blown in-your-face horror, this film doesn't shy away from that either. It's one heck of a finale that you probably won't see it coming, akin to those viral marketing videos that have you stare until your guard is down, then sucker punch you and knowing not to drag it out for too long, for maximum results. Franking speaking, you can afford to dose off for the 1st hour.

Merantau / Merantau Warrior

Surprise!

Rejoice action fans over this region! South-east Asia has a new action hero hailing from Indonesia, and his name is Iko Uwais. We've already got Tony Jaa showcasing Thailand's Muay Thai, and now we've got Uwais to introduce a different brand of Silat which we have been exposed to thus far, thanks to the SEA Games but that's more like a Wushu event, which is more exhibition. It's still quite amazing to see what is usually seen on TV as executed in exhibition pace, to take on an entirely different form when in combat mode. Merantau - and Singapore has to add a “Warrior” to the title so that we know it's an action film, duh - is a well executed, entertaining film as far as actioners are concerned.

Uwais stars as Yuda, a coming of age young adult who has to leave his village and go through a rites of passage in a Merantau, which is something equivalent of an Australian aboriginal walkabout. He sets his sights on Jakarta and has plans to set up a Silat school, only for his contact to go missing with nary a trace. Bumming around while figuring out his next course of action, he chanced upon the siblings of Adit (Yusuf Aulia) and Astri (Sisca Jessica), the latter whom is picked up by gangsters to be part of a sex trafficking ring, and thus begin his discovery of his destiny and calling as the unofficial protector against the meek and weak.

Yes the storyline isn't much to behold naturally, though as far as action films go, this one satisfies its own cursory, flimsy tale to hold all the spectacular action sequences together, giving it some reason to have Uwais go on a rampage, showcasing personal prowess, and to add Silat as a martial arts of choice amongst so many that have its fair share of a cinematic outing, from Ip Man's Wing Chun, to Ong Bak's Muay Thai. It's hard hitting silat harimau here, which has its distinctive low centre of gravity positioning, sweeping leg motions to unbalance the opposition, and very direct and hard hitting palming aimed squarely at the opponent's chest to literally knock the wind out of.

What also worked here is the action cinematography. We all remember how Jaa smashed into the scene with its repetitive action sequences cut from different camera angles, done ad nausem. Here, the filmmakers had good sense in working a very wonderfully designed, and common sensical presentation in not relying on quick edits and jump cuts, allowing the action to flow naturally, and presented in its full glory. I particularly enjoyed moments where a revolving 360 degree view gets employed, especially when Yuda has to tackle opponents all round.

And Yuda is no one man superman too, which worked well for the story, having to see his fair share of failures, as well as shortcomings in his rookie fish-out-of-water situation. While there are moments inserted for dramatic breathing space, the action sequences aren't forgotten and got interspersed adequately within the first few acts, until the last one which became a non-stop, adrenaline pumping finale that was reminiscence of old Hong Kong action flicks, or even Bruce Lee ones, where the protagonist go up against incredible odds, and one on one (or two) situations against Caucasian villains, who are portrayed here in quite over-the-top fashion in need of a good hard kick up the arse.

Granted this is no perfect film with a number of continuity errors spotted, the set action pieces were a sight to behold despite some moments being wire-obvious, mixing things up with components other than Silat all the way, with a few which stood out as campy fun. Keep your eye out for that towel scene, and one of my personal favourites was one that involved a bamboo pole which the trailer included. Uwais also proves that he's quite comfortable with the sickle and metallic staff / batons which got used quite frequently here by hero and villains alike.

Action junkies will do yourselves no favour if you miss Iko Uwais maiden cinematic outing on the big screen. It may not be perfect, but it mattered for what it set out to do – establish a new action hero from our region, and to promote the form of martial arts in Silat.

Humpday

Are You Ready For This?

Awarded the Sundance Special Jury Prize, the premise is pretty much hilariously insane, though I'm not sure if there will really be straight guys out there who will decide to go do it with their male best friends, perhaps only in a state of drunken stupor with false bravado in not wanting to lose face? Which is exactly how this film portrayed its lead protagonists in their attempt to justify their once-in-a-lifetime project pact using a film festival as an end to justify their means.

Ben (Mark Duplass) and Anna (Alycia Demore) are a happily married couple who are quite fixed in the formula of how life should be like, and are perhaps living it up quite blissfully until Ben's best friend Andrew (Joshua Leonard) comes gatecrashing into their peaceful lives in the wee hours of one fine early morning, and hence becomes the perfect fodder for some shenanigans to follow, being the disruptive force that he is. You know how it is when a stranger to the wife comes knocking on the door, and the couple's dynamics shift instantly because on false good graces she has to become the gracious host in putting up with someone's innate ability to steal away the husband's time. Think You, Me and Dupree.

In a drunken, doped state at a spaced out party one day which Anna of course decided to pass on, Ben and Andrew declare that they will be submitting their own "art" film to a film festival, the hump festival, but since it's no kick to submit just another porn film, they decide that their straight orientation going all out for each other, would be the draw to win top prize. You know how it is when best friends dare each other, and eventually it's taken for real because nobody wants to lose face, or be perceived as chicken. They deem that their brotherly love would transcend the icky-ness that comes with the thought, and in order to strike while the iron is hot and to prove their respective sincerity, they will film themselves having sex in a few day's time.

Which of course Ben's marital status proves to be the ultimate stumbling block, because he has account for his actions to Anna. Writer-director Lynn Shelton seemed to have followed a popular formula that has a narrative film look like a documentary with its shaky cam and what felt like ad-libbed, unscripted dialogue that the last film I remembered which did something like that, was Rachel Getting Married. The gem here is how Shelton got the small cast to interact with each other which was vividly real rather than something which was rehearsed to death, and crafted characters which are fleshed out wonderfully by the small cast, in which the director herself starred in too as a bisexual.

Whatever the premise is, we can easily identify with how far we would let a dare go and how often we do so in order not to lose face. The trick is of course knowing when to back down and to do so without being perceived as chicken. These human condition issues and situations get totally played out in perfect manner with Humpday.

Amelia

Taking Off

If you're an aviation nut, you'd probably be in line to want to watch a biopic on one of aviation's earliest female pilot, who made a name for herself as the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic. This is a snapshot on Amelia Earhart's illustrious life and career, coupled with a very strong centric look at her romantic life with George Putnam (played by Richard Gere) and Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor). Hilary Swank takes on the titular role, with Mira Nair given directorial duties, but unfortunately, this film didn't have any highs and lows, but flew by like a 747 in the skies with nary a turbulence in its flight.

As far as biopics go, this one doesn't reveal anything much about Amelia's motivations in her career, simply brushed aside by her preference at any chance to take to the skies. Hilary Swank doesn't really embody that passionate love for flying, but instead the film focused instead on her very open married relationship with George, while romancing Gene on the side. If not for some exhilarating aerial shots and recreation of renowned airplanes back in the old days, and the machines that Amelia flew, you'd probably find yourself yawning at the big deal about her romantic life.

You can read my review of Amelia at movieXclusive.com by clicking on the logo below.

Astro Boy

I'm Alive!

Truth be told I'm not too acquainted with Astro Boy, other than reading up here and there, and seeing how popular he is in Kyoto that his stature appears almost everywhere near the main JR Station. Which of course the film has suited me fine, approaching it without baggage to watch an origin story right down to how Astro Boy loses his shirt for that naked upper body iconic look.


Star scientist Tenma (Nicholas Cage) of Metro City spends an enormous time on his job, neglecting his extremely bright son Toby (Freddie Highmore). A lab accident spells the death of the boy, and in grief, Taman creates a cloned robot of his son, and hey presto, Astro Boy is conceived, as Tenma puts into this robot a whole slew of self-defense weapons from his butt machine guns (no kidding!) to the iconic boots rocket boosters, because of a guilt-reflex that he had let down his son, and have left him exposed without being there to protect him properly.

There are enough of the usual themes here in this 94 minute movie which makes it pretty accessible, such as life, death, destiny and the yearning for friendship and acceptance, of who you are, and for others to see beyond oneself with prejudiced notions, which for Astro Boy's case, the misconception of a robot without heart nor emotion. Powered by some blue-energized meteor, it's like a tale of renewable energy sources that spells the future of mankind's effort in maintaining a paradise that is Metro City, though the by-product waste in red-energy is fairly unstable, and makes for a good source of power for the evil President Stone (Donald Sutherland) and his warmongering robot ironically called The Peacekeeper, in a kooky plan for re-election. and war.

Narratively, this film was safely stuck in "safe" mode throughout, and there were some shades of other super-powered films that can be seen here, such as the final scene mimicking Pixar's The Incredibles, or inspired by Bryan Singer's Superman Returns in that Atlas lift of a troubled, enormous piece of land mass, and what every self-respecting origin super-hero movie will have, a montage or set action sequence of the initial discovery of powers, which allowed for Astro Boy to show off in some ways, his uncanny abilities, some of which though you'll have to wait until the final battle for it to be discovered, and exploited.

Needless to say, in between the set action sequences, the film sagged a little in the middle act as it tried its very best to humanize this robotic boy, and the introduction of a myriad of human children and robotic characters, in it to interact with our titular hero, with the latter inserted nothing more than for some cheap laughter, like requisite jesters. But when the action scenes are very well made, engaging and entertaining, that all is forgiven when you see Astro Boy in full flight and fight, with the finale battle something of an adrenaline rush.

The animators at Imagi Studios did a great job in delivering this film to expectations, graphic wise, and amongst all the robots, I preferred The Peacemaker best amongst all the mechanical creations, given his ability for fusion which allows for one really awesome looking make of a robot to grace on screen looking good as well as possessing enough opposing power to Astro Boy. An A-list voice cast also helped, with actors such as Nathan Lane, Eugene Levy, Bill Nighy, Samuel L. Jackson, Charlize Theron and Kristen Bell all chipping in.

I would have preferred to see this in 3D, but tough luck as we won't have that version playing here in the cinemas. What a sight that would be, just to watch Astro Boy in full 3D glory, but even when without that gimmick, this film turned out to beat my expectations, and this boy really soars.

Capitalism: A Love Story

Talk to the Hand

You'd either enjoy Michael Moore's documentaries like a one man force exposing the inadequacies and falling of man and the system in his extremely subjective viewpoints presented in a hard-hitting manner, or dismiss him as another hack and bad filmmaker, just as how someone during the documentary quipped in telling him to stop making films. By now Moore's reputation is notorious, and it's a bit of a riot watching how he's now in probably every watchlist and blacklist in corporate America.

Capitalism: A Love Story takes a square look at the current economic system that America has firmly rooted in place, fueled by the basic greed of Man, and the expose on corruption, nepotism and perhaps even plain stupidity. Undoubtedly the last few films in Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko and now this, has proven that Moore still has plenty of bones to pick with ex-US President George W Bush, never letting go of any opportunity to ridicule him, not that it's hard to do so anyway, and not to mention the very pointed finger that puts the blame on Reaganomics as well, and the manipulated actor of a president.

In some ways, this seems to come full circle with his first feature length documentary Roger & Me, revisiting his childhood, his hometown of Flint, and General Motors. Never mincing his words, the film looks at everything from how the man on the street has to struggle with bringing home the bacon and being evicted from their homes and jobs, as compared to the golden years of the American Dream where the lofty ambitions back then, has now evolved into the nightmare that is now. From the unequal distribution of wealth to the more recent, topical bailout plans as passed by Congress, Moore's film does a little bit more than to set up stories and interviews, and goes to great lengths linking all the old boys clique and shady conspiracy theories that Corporate America, or more specifically the bankers, possess this insatiable greed that has to be quashed by common sense, and power from the ordinary folks.

In fact, it's more like a rallying call to stand up against injustice committed amongst communities by corporations who hide behind lawyers, and serve as a warning, by the finale, that there is still belief in Democracy being the opposing force toward Capitalism with its one man one vote system, despite a small percentage of the population hoarding all of society's wealth. It even went to speak of a movement and possible revolution that could be brought about by the working class against the elites, because there will be a tipping point that enough is enough.

It's quite pro-Obama too (no prizes guessing which party Moore endorses), with scenes capturing the euphoria in his campaign trail promising Change, which in recent days the newspapers have tried to question with Obama's falling approval ratings. While Moore's antics may seem dated, repetitive, childish and attention seeking even, you can't deny the fact that the film would appeal to the sandwiched class, no matter which country, who feel the squeeze because of poor policy making, or corruption amongst the lawmakers. It's chilling to note that with inaction, we'd allow the powers to be to practically walk away unscathed from things that they are held accountable.

And that's what we should be guarding against, rather than to swallow bad treatment lock, stock and barrel. It's nothing shameful asking for what's right, and what's due process. You may not agree with everything put forth by the documentary (such has that voiceover onto scenes from Jesus Christ Superstar), but it will set you thinking how the US's checks and balance would still be found wanting in the face of craftily engineered coincidences that seek to benefit the usual suspects. The greed of Man knows no bounds indeed.

Guess Who's Back?

Yes, Saint Jack is back, just in time to coincide with the 30th Anniversary of the film's commercial release, and as Ben Slater puts it,

almost exactly 30 years since Warners innocently sent a copy to the Singapore Censorship Board for a look-see.

Heh, guess we all know by now what came out of that.

In any case the film's already unbanned, and there has been a couple of past screenings, such as this one some 3 years ago. The Australian DVD is also available at HMV and I think you may just find some stray copies still on the shelves, but nothing beats having to watch it on the big screen on what's possibly one of the best prints out there to be hunted down for exhibition, and shown where else but at the National Museum Gallery Theatre.

Mark the dates of 26th to 28th November on your calendar, because not only cast and crew will make an appearance during the screening, there will also be a bus tour called the Jack of Hearts Mystery Tour where you get to retrace the steps in the scouting team's effort in location finding, offering a unique look into Singapore's past, hosted by Ben Slater (Author of Kinda Hot: The Making of Saint Jack, an excellent, must-read book on the making of Saint Jack) and Tony Yeow (Unit Manager on Saint Jack) who will serve as guides.

So what are you waiting for? See you there!

My Girlfriend Is An Agent (Chilgeup Gongmuwon / 7급 공무원)

On Guard!

If one should read the premise and have watched the trailer, the film most steeped in its reference comes to mind and that's Hollywood's Mr and Mrs Smith starring the It couple Brangelina. This is sort of a Korean reply to that film, and starring two hot, good looking stars in Kim Ha-Neul and Kang Ji-Hwan, who knows if there could be as much sparks flying in real life as in the reel as well.

But tabloid fodder aside, My Girlfriend is an Agent seemed more aligned to True Lies rather than the Smiths, by virtue of the extreme lengths taken in concealing one's true occupation from one's loved one, and that they don't quite get at each other's throats, at least not with intentionally deadly force anyway. Kim Ha-Neul stars as Su-Ji, whose cover is a travel agent with a hard-to-please Japanese clientele, while in fact she's one of the top clandestine agents Korea has. The introduction's set action sequence establishes that, and throws in the dilemma her occupation being a roadblock to a successful love life with the geek Jae-Jun (Kang Ji-Hwan), who decided that enough is enough, and boards a plane, essentially breaking her heart with an absence and communications silence.

Fast forward to three years later, and Su-Ji accidentally bumps into Jae-Jun while in the midst of a mission, and sparks fly, of a different sort. What she and us the audience don't know, is that Jae-Jun is an agent as well, albeit belonging to a different agency, but have the same enemies in their gun-sights. And it is this interplay of a long long romance now returned, and an opportunity for revenge needless to say, while concealing both their respective identities from each other, that lead to natural comedic situations, as well as setting action sequences up for double the whammy given two skilled agents in the field now.

It's easy to dismiss this as just another hack on the Hollywood film, but it's easy to identify with the underlying issues that My Girlfriend is an Agent poses. We aren't agents, but it plays on the fact that we have different facades that we put on in different aspects of our life, and sometimes these concerns come clashing with one another, leaving us in a dilemma on what to do, and which decision to take when faced with a fork in the road. Honesty is probably the best policy when it comes to relationships, but sometimes you wonder if a white lie could in fact spare the other some pain, physically or emotionally, and for cases like these super-spies, likely to be more for the physical protection of their loved ones. Not everyone can operate like a James Bond, who's probably the worst secret agent out there with practically a useless cover with such a persona well known.

Kim Ha-Neul and Kang Ji-Hwan share some comfortable chemistry whether they're up against each other, or rekindling their feelings. Their television star status should ensure that fans everywhere would hit the cinemas to support their stars in their big screen outing (you should see the response during their whirlwind tour of our city state). While Ha-Neul probably had it easier ramping up the sexiness of her role, Ji-Hwan is no pushover with his endearing, bumbling agent that personally I thought was the more interesting of the two.

The English title may sound tacky, but don't let that stop you from enjoying this lightweight, romantic comedy with action sequences that are a throwback similar to what Hong Kong films in the 80s have done.

Lesbian Vampire Killers

Who Do Ya Call?

I'd have to admit that this comedy is really great for a Monday night after a start to the work week, and seriously, you're not going to care much about the flimsy excuse of a plot that would've raised some interest due to its focus on the sexuality and sensuality of vampires.

Written by Paul Hupfield and Stewart Williams, the story tells of two losers in life Jimmy (Matthew Horne) and Fletch (James Corden), the former being stuck in a cyclic romance interspersed by moments of being dumped by the other half, while the latter is just having no luck with women because of his size. Around this waist that is. Best of friends, they decide to take a random trip to the great outdoors for a hike, decided by a throw of a dart, in order to try and start life afresh and to get on an adventure, but little do they know what a time they'll be having, no thanks to a prophecy to be fulfilled on Jimmy's end as heir to an important anti-vampire lineage.

So how did lesbianism and vampirism both come together? Well it takes a comedy to gel well-known elements from the reel vampire world in films and essentially geek-dom. Setting up a faux pas historical account of Carmilla (Silvia Colloca) the Vampire Queen, and how an ancient curse had doomed plenty of 18 year old girls pretty much settles it, with the obligatory scenes of transforming some of the loser duo's new found acquaintances. And as much as it is sometimes terrifying, the humour more than makes up for every scream that it elicits from you

Both Horne and Corden seem to share the same kind of chemistry as that between Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, in that they exploit their Laurel and Hardy physical appearance in time for some great physical comedy, although it is in the script and dialogue that plenty of wittiness and fun just pushed itself through the narrative, and you're seriously one miserable person should you not laugh at absolutely anything during the film. Some jokes are still rather juvenile of course, going through similar formula also seen in other movies, and Corden easily romps home with favourite comedic artist seen this year, thanks to having delivered some of the best lines and moments in the film.

Plenty of throwaway characters here as well especially that of the female of the species, but it was the swearing Vicar (Paul McGann) who was just hilarious in the role of a man racing against time with a personal agenda, and that's to prevent his own daughter from falling prey to the curse and becoming a lesbian vampire herself. Plenty of obligatory hot bods as well thanks to the subject matter, and the film boasts some nifty special effects so that it doesn't come across as too cheap, since it already took on a comic book panel style with its really huge inter-titles peppered throughout the film.

Sure it's cheesy, but it's extremely entertaining and a lot of fun. Should there be a sequel, I'm all up for it already!

Pandorum

Y'all Ready For This?

I've not been too impressed with that many science-fiction thriller/horror films set in outer space since, well, probably Alien and Aliens, but Pandorum turned out to be something of a different ball game altogether. It's been too long since I last enjoyed a film of this genre, and who would have thought this was something originally planned for a direct to video release. It looks gorgeously dark, and pretty much entertaining from start to finish, keeping you guessing until the mid-way mark, while letting the gloomy, pessimistic atmosphere envelope you.

I suppose of late the premise of our Earth dying, and deep space vessels built to bring selected people on that colonizing trip to far flung planets, have been the It thing in many contemporary science fiction films, since it plays on the fact that we're continuously ravaging the planet and payback time is just around the corner. To avoid extinction, by then in the future we'd come up with such a Noah's Ark to transport ourselves somewhere else to get that fighting chance of survival, and the film pretty much starts off with Ben Foster's Corporal Bower waking up in a pod, and emerging into a darkened space hull where it seems like he's the only survivor.

If you'd want to nitpick, there are adequate avenues to do so, and in fact sometimes right from the start. Take for instance the waking up from deep, hibernating sleep, where it'll take a while for one to re-orientate oneself and remember stuff. So why didn't anyone think of at least waking up to a notebook readily available with basic facts and figures? Like I mentioned, these trivialities should be checked at the door, because the payload's very much worth over these little inconsequential asking of Whys, some of which do get addressed as the film moved along.

Corporal Bower soon gets joined by Lieutenant Payton (Dennis Quaid) and together they try to make sense of their predicament, with the higher ranking officer guiding his only man to do the grunt work of hitting the ground, while he well, pretty much does environmental monitoring over at the console chamber. And of course this allows Ben Foster, who has been extremely impressive in his supporting role in 3:10 To Yuma, to take the opportunity to shine again as the ground-soldier-flight-engineer to implement his plan of reviving the ship's nuclear reactor before the main systems shut down for good.

And this of course allows for adequate set action sequences to take place as uneasy alliances get forged with respective, primal human survivors that Bower comes across, and pit them against some really pasty white and dexterous creatures that feed on both humans and cannibalizing their own fallen comrades, courtesy of Stan Winston Studios. While they may seem to move in confined spaces with stealth, cunning and speed reminiscence of those in the Alien franchise, somehow the cinematography and angles chosen seem to make it all a tad difficult at times to make out who's doing what, and who's attacking who, though when it does get its act together, it's edge-of-your-seat material, especially when it successfully exploits its “boo” moments to scare.

There are some impressive sets and effects that do make you sit up and take notice, and for a relatively modest budgeted film, the filmmakers have pulled off quite the miracle in creating this environment full of questions asked. The story by Travis Milloy plays out like one huge mystery for the audience to solve, though of course its twist is nothing not already seen before, but still rather effectively put on screen by director Christian Alvart.

Pandorum has been playing for some time already and screening is now relegated to a few halls and limited screening times. Do yourself a favour and catch this before it disappears from here for good!

Jennifer's Body

Tease

Megan Fox has the noisy Transformers movies to thank for in propelling her to fan geekdom, where her Mikaela character had probably captured more attention amongst the fan boys who are just as ecstatic about catching some mindless, high-octane Michael Bay action, as they are trying to figure out what the bombshell has got to do with robots. Which is pretty little of course rather than to ramp up its sexy quotient, and to think that Fox herself would be more suited for a role such as this one, in which she plays a demonic cheerleader out to seduce and devour boys.

But only if Diablo Cody's story wasn't that all over the shop. Successful with Juno in telling a story about a smart-mouthed teenager who finds herself pregnant, with Ellen Page and Michael Cera possessing some cute couple chemistry, Jennifer's Body turned out to be attempting to replicate that smarty dialogue, but felt so flat in the way her horridly inserted teen-vocabulary sounded each time they get uttered by It Girl of the town of Devil's Kettle, Fox's titular character Jennifer.

While one would think it's second nature for Fox to be that figurative man-eater, in actual fact she fell quite flat besides smacking her lips most of the time, and trying to sound all sultry but coming off as quite artificial. What could have sent many a heart racing with its premise of luring bad boys with her nubile body, turned out to be nothing more than a very tame outing just to cater to teenage demographics. Instead, I was more in awe with effort of the make up artists in how they manage to camouflage Fox's rather prominent tattoos all over her body. Yes, I was that bored.

The show however got stolen by Mamma Mia!'s Amanda Seyfried as nerdy Needy (yes, what a name), Jennifer's childhood friend who's so thick with her that they share this almost psychic bond with each other, sensing their presence, danger and the likes. With those geeky specs and frayed, frizzy hair, Seyfried downright steals the show from under the nose of the vampish Fox, and her character possesses quite the spunk in getting at what she wants, like a crouching tiger who's just waiting for an opportunity to shine, which translated into the movie as getting pissed off enough to dish out some punishment of their own.

Cody's story clumsily explains the links between Jennifer's supernatural abilities with that of a county-wide disaster which claimed the lives of enough citizens to permeate a lot of doom and gloom in the air. A reason got offered of course for what this is all about, but everything else was really poor in having pile cliché and genre formula all over, with plenty of irrationality in the last act. If one would have thought this was the adventures of Jennifer, be warned that Needy is just as much interesting, or more so than Jennifer, thanks to Seyfriend's performance of how BFFs go from chummy, to bitchy.

Fans of Megan Fox who are hoping to see a little more skin of their idol will likely leave the theatre unfortunately disappointed. The NC16 label has been put up, and the film surprising signals some toning down of requirements by the new local censors, where female to female lip locking would be under intense scrutiny, now it's just slapped with a rating just one above PG. A relaxation of rules perhaps?

Saw VI

Designer Death

It's pretty amazing how a small film with essentially a two-man cast set predominantly in a stank toilet, could eventually spawn a franchise lasting 6 movies long now, and a contemporary cult anti-hero with Jigsaw and Tobin Bell the actor joining the hall of horror infamy. And what more too with the villain quite clearly not doing any killing himself, but does so indirectly through some mad scientist manner in creating ingenious contraptions that get audiences lapping up for more.

One may add that Saw VI does feel like flogging a dead horse, since we know what happened to Jigsaw already in the past few films, but this installment pretty much showed that there's still one last fight left in ol' Jigsaw, which I hope will be its last outing because it pretty much wrapped up everything nicely. Unless of course you choose to interpret its finale as an open one.

What I thoroughly enjoyed about Saw VI, is how it steered clear of being a parody of itself, or a flick out to exploit with a weak story. Here, the screenplay by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton infused some contemporariness in having a social aspect inserted. Instead of bumping off corrupt cops, drug addicts or folks who seem to live life for granted, they've added the unscrupulous characters from the healthcare insurance workers, whose flawed reasoning of probability turned away folks who are in need of help, and are in dire straits of treatment being denied unto them.

Hiding behind "policy", they disengage without empathy and for selfish, personal gains, just like the protagonist in Sam Raimi's Drag Me to Hell. So it was somewhat a guilt trip in watching how these folks get their just deserts, and not to mention those lawyers who are lacking in morales of course, lending their expertise to ensure maximum profits. Amongst the victims here, while most show their true colours when faced with death, the lawyer is probably the one who will get your utter most attention, and chuckle too, for the behaviour exhibited.

Granted there are less bizarre killings and contraptions here compared to its predecessors, but that doesn't mean that as a standalone film, your goosebumps won't stand. Starting with a bang, the simplest device involving a carousel, ended up the most gripping of the lot, where hard decisions have to be made in a race against time and pain, amidst plenty of accusations and revelations flying. Probably one of the less flashy Jigsaw designed death method, but one clearly the most horrendous of the lot.

Saw VI follows the usual formula in explaining Jigsaw's rationale and methods, and the valuation of life which tie in pretty well with most of the earlier films, with the given twists at the end that helped to elevate this worthy as a "Saw" film, complete with double crossings that just beg for you to re-watch the earlier films. As I mentioned, it's a fitting finale to a long-running series, and I'd wish they stop now before the idea gets too stale, and subsequent effort really coming off as too trying and contrived. In other words, retire gracefully now while at the top of its game as the mother of all torture porn franchises.

Click here for reviews of Saw I, Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV, Saw V

Spread

God's Gift to Women

The one scene that will strike you and linger around after you walked out of the cinemas, it's the final scene. It's no spoiler, but it walked right out of National Geographic, where you see up close, how a toad devours a mouse. Swallow in fact, allowing it to semi-digest, while occasionally tugging at the tail. It's downright gross as a parting short, but the camera stayed firmly on it for minutes during the entire end credits.

Anyway, back to the film. If you're blessed with good looks and a fine bod, I suppose sometimes you wonder if you're God's gift to women. For Ashton Kutcher's Nikki, his is a life of a classic dreamer, thinking that with his kind of aesthetics, he could be living the life straight out of a Van Halen music video, with flashy cars, plenty of cash and fast women to spend the rest of his days with. Unfortunately with no life skills to offer except the ability to pleasure women, he exploits his talent in order to live up to that impossible dream.

It's pretty much an instructional video on the tactics used by contemporary gigolos, or at least those who are looking to live off rich sugar mommies. Like a hunter preying on his mark, Nikki's not looking out for hot young things to feed his lifestyle, that will come later after he's snagged the anchor, who is that successful, single middle aged lady to hook up with, leading him to Anne Heche's Samantha (who looks really hot in the film, mind you).

Inventor of the rollover sleeping smile, they form a symbiotic relationship, one needing a toy boy for those lonely nights, while the other needing her extravagant Peter Bogdanovich's ex-mansion, sturdy Mercedes which needless to say, comes in extremely useful for parties and hosting of other nubile women to sucker when the cat's away. The premise of living the life at another's expense, using a bodily trade off, reminded me of the French film Priceless (Hors De Prix) starring Audrey Tautou, who plays the gold-digger in that film.

There's plenty of gratuitous nudity and sex to go around until the second half of the film which switched gears and turned out hunter into the prey, when he meets up with waitress Heather (Margarita Levieva) who's actually more of a player than he is, and it's like a match made in heaven in a karmic round-robin, with what's going around coming around. It is this aspect of the film that somewhat sagged that incredible, dream like freeloading taking place in the first half, and somehow turned this into sappy romance territory with its message on the consequence of non-permanence in relationships that will come back and haunt you.

Ashton Kutcher looked incredibly comfortable as the serial womanizer and slacker in life, clueless about what to do when he meets with the real woman of his desire. He gives Nikki that smugness and comfort in knowing that he's living the moment, with that natural despair coming in when he understands that he's now down the slippery slope of no return. I think he gets it down to a pat in real and reel life romancing older women. Anne Heche pretty much owned the supporting role in the first act, before disappearing for Margarita Levieva to take over the female lead in the second act, as the two women to have made the most impact in Nikki's life.

I could come up with something naughty to say about its title as the parting shot, but I'll leave it at that. Spread isn't top class material with its profound sleaze, but at least it had that memorable ending shot enough to make you reel a little, and talk about it. Strictly for those interested in what the R21 fuss is all about, and surprisingly, a lot more females in the audience than there are men.

Amalfi (Amarufi: Megami no Hôshû / アマルフィ女神の報酬)

I guess even coming back from the Tokyo International Film Festival my appetite for Japanese films still isn't satiated. Amalfi is Fuji TV's 50th anniversary film, and it's no holds barred in terms of the production values, jet-setting throughout Rome, with a bevy of star, even getting Sarah Brightman herself to perform the number “Time to Say Goodbye” on screen.

Yuji Oda stars as what looked to be on the surface as an uncomfortable career diplomat, though I'd like to think of his character here as a behind-the-scenes clandestine operative sent around the world to provide various Japanese embassies that oversight into major events their diplomats are organizing or attending. It's been some time since I last saw a Yuji Oda film, the last I believe being very long ago with the Bayside Shakedown 2 film, and he's visibly aged here, with no hint of a betrayal to the more quirky Aoshima character then, versus a no-nonsense, serious role here.

Caught up in between a kidnapping of a Japanese girl and his actual mission in shadowing the ministerial visit, his Kuroda-san becomes drawn toward the plight of a single mom Saeko (Yuki Amami) who had lost her daughter Madoka (Ayane Omori) while out touring Rome. Sworn to render assistance to all Japanese citizens overseas regardless of rank and title, he takes it upon himself, albeit quite reluctantly given his more pressing, diplomatic matters, to assist in what seemed like a simple extortion case, but one which will unravel itself to reveal a somewhat convoluted plot of a larger conspiracy involving retribution, vengeance and the seeking of justice.

I was very much drawn towards Yuji Oda's character as a man torn between duty and good sense to help a fellow citizen in a strange land. Very much like his Bayside Shakedown films which examine the perennial tussle between beat cops and its internal bureaucracy, Amalfi also provided a sneak peek into the lifestyle of diplomats overseas who live under the graces of its citizen's taxes back home, and it presented itself as a commentary and a demonstration on the extravagance led by the diplomatic corps, where anything budgeted should be maxed out, and in some instances, allowed to go beyond allocation too.

The plot though did require some suspension of disbelief, given what you would expect necessary for all the disparate incidents to come converging toward each other as the narrative progressed. There are moments which do seem a little far-fetched, especially when it has to do with security processes within restricted environments, and how anyone could go away scot free after causing what could become an international disaster.

Being a film to celebrate an anniversary, no effort got spared in the production front. There's even Sarah Brightman lending her vocals in a scene designed to do just that. On the whole it's a relatively entertaining investigative thriller running around Rome much like what Angels and Demons did.

Love Happens

Love

Love happens when you least expect it, and in this film, it's something put on the back burner as well, since it's a story dealing with facing one's problematic past, and moving on with life in the present. Love​​​​​​​​​​​, if it happens, is nothing more than a by-product stemming from acknowledging one's mistakes, and the gaining of new found self-respect from a hypocritical life that one has been leading in denial.

Aaron Eckhart needs no introduction now, having starred in the largest blockbuster of last year in The Dark Knight as Harvey Dent. I'm been watching a lot of his films before that with keen interest, and there were gems like Conversations with Other Women with Helena Bonham Carter, and Thank You For Smoking, two indie gems which remind you what an ace of a character actor he is. He's no stranger to a romantic comedy, but in this role here as Burke, he crafted a very believable, and troubled even, self-help guru in the mold of Anthony Robbins, complete with a session on walking across the fire pit.

I bear a very cynical view of self-help masters, given that in my opinion, they fleece a lot of cash from telling folks what they already know, or want to know, and sometimes to a certain degree, what they ought to know which is nothing more than common sense. It's a lucrative business going by the lifestyle these guys lead, and their flock are none too smart into supporting such lifestyles, but hey, that's just me. Perhaps one day I'll come up with a book to help others, with the ulterior intention of perhaps becoming a national bestseller just because I'm stating the obvious that makes people happy, and want to come and see me speak in person telling them more of the same positive messages.

With Burke, we see how something personal with his need to get himself out of an emotional rut after his wife's death, hence his book A-Okay, turned into a bestseller, and to his in-laws, here's a man who's milking his situation for benefits of profits and recognition. But for himself, and the audience, we know he's not walking the walk, or doing what he's preaching, which of course leads to the dilemma that we're observing a hypocrite in action. On one hand he's teaching others how to move on from their pain, but in private we see that he still can't quite let go. Here's someone who does his best to help others, but has no one to turn to when he's crying for help, and couldn't be seen doing so lest his entire business built on his new persona, come crumbling down.

As a romantic movie, given that there were scenes interspersed between Burke's seminar time for that getaway meeting of two lonely hearts, the potential lover's introductory conversation from the concierge counter to the gents was nothing less than extraordinary, and probably one of the best dialogue exchanges I've heard in a long while, spewing massive generalizations of the opposite sex in terms of attitudes adopted in the dating game. One ouch moment led to another, and while I applaud Burke's tirade of how beautiful women see themselves with what truly matters being the inside, I too laughed at Jennifer Aniston's Eloise retort in a scene which just has to be seen.

Like who trains the trainer, or who watches the watchmen, Eloise becomes that shining light at the end of the dark tunnel for Burke, although it is up to him whether to head down that tunnel towards it, or prefer to languish in his comfortable position of inertia. This of course has co-writer and director Brandon Camp setting up moments staple in a romantic film for two hearts to connect, but as I've mentioned, the main story of Burke's troubles get priority, and also some screen time for veteran Martin Sheen. Dan Fogler lends his weight as a supporting cast member with nary an embarrassing situation from his rather subdued performance as Burke's agent who has engineered themselves on the cusp of a mega-deal.

Those looking for a romantic film may come away a tad disappointed, but for Eckhart fans just itching to see the man grace the big screen in another superb character performance, then Love Happens, which pretty much lives up to its title, is the film of choice.

London Dreams

Band Members

I've got to admit though my interest in the film is none other than to follow up on Asin's phenomenal Hindi movie debut with the blockbuster hit movie Ghajini last year, and while it took almost 12 months for the release of her latest Bollywood movie (her first real one since she starred in an earlier version of the same role), she's one of the many stars I'm following as my introduction to the current wave of Hindi films, from Deepika Padukone to Ranbir Kapoor, and of course the established ones, which includes Salman Khan in this same film.

While one may not see Asin being featured too much on the promotions and the trailers, I suppose there's a valid reason for that. In fact, she probably got relegated, in my opinion, from leading lady in Ghajini, to supporting role in London Dreams, so much so that her character Priya becomes just one of the many background dancers in the Indian pop group band of the titular name, which is naturally a pity as the camera doesn't even linger too long to show us some of the moves learnt.

However, the good thing here was that she's the token love interest in a triangle between the two leading male characters, and in pure Asin style, took advantage of whatever limited time she has to flesh out Priya as best as she could, a woman caught in between fulfilling her traditional roles in her father's household, yet caught up by the bright lights that the city has to offer, together with a totally different, perhaps more attractive pop culture to want to become a dancer. And fate would lead her to Ajay Devgn's Arjun busking at Trafalgar Square with a makeshift band made up of two brothers of Pakistani descent.

If I could read this on another level going by how the plot developed, it's akin to a warning of sorts against consorting with foreign elements to harm one's own countryman, which should be an absolute no-no at any costs, because it will only open up such bonds to utter destruction. Surely the greed and jealousy of man may frustrate from time to time, but to lead to betrayal would be asking for a downfall.

London Dreams plays out like a classical Cain and Abel type story, where two brothers, one jealous of the other for his talent and recognition, plots the downfall against the other behind his back in betrayal most foul. Arjun has a dream, and that is to take his music to London, and play at the renowned Wembley stadium, where his grandfather had failed in his time and returned to India a broken man. He spends his early teenage life honing his musical skills, and ever ready to sniff out any opportunity to scale the music ladder until his goal is reached. His is a singular mind obsessed with the single goal, so much so that he's willing to self-flagellate (!) himself when his mind gets swayed by Priya and the chance for romance, or any other distractions that crosses his path that day actually.

Ajay Devgn plays Arjun with enough menace and envy to make him believable as a man who would go to great lengths and at any costs to ensure his road to glory is not jeopardized. Salman Khan's Mannu on the other hand, is blessed with great musical talent without even trying, and while Arjun sees this as an advantage to be gained should he bring Mannu back to London and join his band, little did he realize that Mannu's country boy demeanour would start to win the fans over, as well as Priya. There are plenty of scenes which set up this innocent usurping of another's thunder, and the decisions that come to spark off the entire turn of events just after the intermission.

As a musical film, somehow the songs and dance sequences didn't really stand out, although in general they weren't that bad, but not too memorable as well, other than the pulsating number first performed at Trafalgar Square. Salman Khan proves why he's one of the three King Khans of Bollywood through his rendition of a simple boy with simple pleasures, with plenty of cheekiness combined with great comic timing to bring in some laughs. That airplane scene was a classic light hearted touch in what was a dark tale about bringing down a best friend using the cruelest of methods and exploiting the weakness of another for no good benefit.

The ending too was too clean and too quick, where a pep talk magically puts one into empathy mode with perfect hindsight. I had expected a lot more from London Dreams with its premise and its cast, but what came across was something still palatable and won't get you all riled up like the audience in the film, but with potential as a successful box office dream likely going unfulfilled.

My Sister's Keeper

Sisters

I've been a fan of films that deal with genetics and cloning, because they always come with that staple moral dilemma that allows you to ponder a little about how science has and will progress, and how we harness that knowledge to do good, or exploit it for selfish desires. Gattaca has always ranked amongst my favourite, and though not really science fiction, My Sister's Keeper would be there as well for there's nothing to stop its suggestion that a child could be engineered, based on current technological capabilities.

Abigail Breslin burst onto the movie scene with that memorable role in the indie film Little Miss Sunshine, and undoubtedly stole many hearts with her rather cute performance with that oversized spectacle, and that amazingly insane finale dance. Here, she inevitably shines again as her character Anna Fitzgerald is an engineered baby, who's crafted from the baseline parts from mum Sara and dad Brian (played by Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric), and coddled together in a petri dish in a lab to ensure that she becomes a genetic copy of her sister Kate (Sofia Vassilieva), who's suffering from leukemia. That means that from day one of being born, she's all ripe for harvesting, starting with the umbilical cord blood, and various other procedures to become a walking, talking, genetically live support system for Kate.

So who could blame Anna's pessimistic introductory voice over about her views on pregnancy, be it either a coincidence, engineered and planned for. She's basically an unorthodox donor child, brought onto this world for one purpose only, and calls for both Sara and Brian to be judged on moral grounds that their child got born for selfish reasons, suffering plenty of pain in her childhood with nary any power to say No to, until now. Seeking the help of lawyer Campbell Alexander (played with glee by Alec Baldwin) who touts himself as a quick hack with a high success rate, she sues her parents for the rights to her own body, to be in control for once, and having the power to say no to invasive procedures which included the removal of a kidney. Of course this would mean that her sister would die, being denied a critical organ to replace her own failing one, though this is something you'd see a resolution coming from a mile away.

The story doesn't just focus on this aspect though, and it's a more powerful, meaningful and extremely moving story about family, and the loss or potential loss of loved ones. What's worse is always knowing that you've got limited time here, and that there's nothing within your power to change that inevitable. Will you resign yourself to fate and mope, or seize whatever time you have left to live it to the fullest? Personally I'd opt for the second, and would call for the plug to be pulled rather than to be artificially kept alive on a machine, during which you know you're basically a burden to everyone else, especially to family members. She faces the guilt consciousness of being the problem child who has taken away all the parental attention needed by her siblings because she's sick, and how everything got to be sacrificed for her, from careers to time, and the immense strain that this compromise impacts on the relationships between family members.

Cameron Diaz too deserves special mention for dropping her sassy demeanour and glam looks factor to play a mom and a housewife (even shaving her head bald!), who had given up her high-flying job just to take care of Kate, while slowly becoming the control freak facing great difficulties to let go and come to terms with the inevitable. We know she can do drama, and this film just reinforces that. Jason Patric unfortunately has nothing more than a minor support role here, given that the drama clearly centered on the mother and daughter relationships, and that of the brother as well.

Narratively, this film may seem like a tale of two halves, with the first having this documentary feel to it with its individual character point-of-view moments with voiceovers explaining their personal thoughts, and the structure was rather non-linear as well, moving forward and backward in time depending on who's actually presenting then. There's also a romance story written into it, and some courtroom dramatics as well to give it some punch aside from the more touching moments, with that general doom and gloom permeating throughout the film.

Saving a life is better than to build a seven storey pagoda, but life is finite, and when it's time, we have to come to terms with it, and for our loved ones to know when to let go rather than to prolong the pain and burden for both the individual and family. My Sister's Keeper presents this moral dilemma, and makes a brooding, movie piece out of it for you to ponder over long after the lights come back on.

This Is It

King of Pop

It was one of those mornings like any other mornings, where I would wake up, and turn on the TV set to the news channel, as it plays in the background while I go about getting myself ready for work. It was a news feed to a flurry of police activity from a helicopter vantage point, and I thought there was probably another massive shootout in the USA, until I squinted at the news flash at the bottom of the screen. It mentioned something about Michael Jackson's passing, and I couldn't believe my eyes, I had to put my glasses on.

I pretty much grew up with the music of Michael Jackson, being all but 6 years old when I got the Thriller album on cassette tape, and was hooked. It was played countless of times, and I too performed Beat It with a primary one school friend, in front of the class, big MJ fans that we were. And in 1993 when he was in Singapore which served as a pit stop for his Dangerous World Tour, I was there as well, for the first night out of two when his birthday was celebrated. And all that just around the time when the craziest negative news about the man had surfaced.

But This Is It is not that documentary, but one that's set to allow audiences and fans all around the world witness what MJ was preparing for – that grueling 50 shows in London that would be as much a showcase as well as a swansong. I mean, he's no Peter Pan, and it's still pretty amazing that he still possessed this fabulous energy to create that special magic that only MJ can create on stage. Watching him perform live is definitely an entirely different experience from watching it on video, but I suppose Kenny Ortega had created the next best thing, culled from rehearsal footage of his practices leading to the run up of the landmark performances.

Naturally, don't expect MJ to be at his very best or performing everything 100%, as many a times he had mentioned that he's conserving energy, though most times he just couldn't help it but to perform his numbers through and through. It's also a valuable peek into how he crafts the entire performance to perfection and love, never losing his temper as he offers his two cents worth on what he exactly wants out of the performers, musicians and dancers. You can see the respect he commands from his crew, who knows that they must be up to the mark whenever he comes on set to practice with them, and it's very much amazing that when MJ is on fire, everyone else will be silenced, and in awe. Look no further than Billie Jean where the man just captivates everyone's attention.

And you cannot get better ringside seats than what this film has to offer. Culled from various rehearsals sometimes of the same song, it allows you to see how MJ finetunes and experiments with various ideas, especially for his dance. His stage performances were always a spectacle, and the sheer amount of effort in pyrotechnics and special effects, would make you wonder how awesome the actual London performance would have been, which sadly will never materialize beyond the ideas tossed up in this documentary.

If you'd wish not to know which were the rehearsal segments that made it to the film, then skip the next paragraph, though they do seem like a lineup very typical of a Michael Jackson concert, at least from Dangerous to the History World Tour:

As always, Wanna Be Startin' Something would open as a warm up number thanks to its title promising something bigger and better to come, as will Jam to keep up the energy level. Special effects are relied on for They Don't Care About Us to create sheer soldiering numbers, and Human Nature slows things down a little before we get shown new, prepared footage for one of the concert favourites with Smooth Criminal. MJ goes up close and personal with one of his handpicked crew playing an attractive lady he falls head over heels for with The Way You Make Me Feel which starts off with some slow blues, before going back to his Jackson 5 roots with a medley which included I'll Be There. The offerings somehow sagged with Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) and I Just Can't Stop Loving You, before a slew of favourites get built up for a crescendo. Many new video segments, in 3D too, was shot for Thriller, which features, check this, a giant spider in which MJ will emerge from, and some flying ghouls which will glide down the aisle and into and around the audience. Beat It will see MJ on a “cherry picker” hovering above them, before Black or White's mean electric guitar riffs and air blaster get turned on. In between environmental reminders with Earth Song and Man in the Mirror which also features new video clips, is one of my all time favourite performance from Billie Jean, though of course being a rehearsal, MJ stops short in delivering the entire sequence. Strangely enough there isn't a single moonwalking sequence to be seen in the film at all.

Ths Is It is as much about MJ, as it is about the meticulously handpicked dancers and backup performers who would have been part of a legendary concert. It's not easy supporting the King of Pop given the innate pressure to excel and he acknowledges that effort put in, though I feel it must have been quite heartbreaking for them to learn about the passing of the superstar, and a mentor whom I'm sure they would have learnt a lot from during their time spent together in preparation. At least their efforts will not go to waste with the release of this film, which may seem to be gimmicky since it's going to be on screen for only 2 weeks. And a reminder too not to leave the hall prematurely before the end of the end credit roll.

RIP Michael Jackson, you will be missed by your fans worldwide as the greatest performer who ever graced the stage.