Underworld: Evolution

After Kate Beckinsale's Seline character got around kicking massive rear in slinky black lycra, we had Charlize Theron doing the same in Aeon Flux, and coming soon, Milla Jovovich in Ultraviolet. Sexy costumes, menacing weapons and killer moves seem to be the order of the day. It's no doubt that Underworld would have a sequel, since it was obviously hinted at after the end credits of the original, though it would be three years before it materialized.

And Kate Beckinsale still looked as hot as the pasty-white faced, black and blue eyed vampire known as a Death Dealer. Actually, that's one of the extrememly few good things about this movie. We get to see her more, see her in action more (*ahem* love scene some more to keep the fan boys happy) with her twin rapid firing handguns, and flitting around action sequences without tearing her outfit.

The other good thing about this movie, is if you're a fan of blood and gore, you'll be kept happy with the many decapitations in various creative ways, piercings, shootings (at point blank), and endless gunfire.

Unfortunately, these good points were thin after a while, and seriously, you'll be clock watching for it to end. The movie starts off by going back to the early beginnings of the feud and tries to explain blood ties and brotherly love, in the times when the Death Dealers were wearing hand-me-down armour from the elves in Lord of the Rings. For those who are unfamiliar with the first movie, fret not, this movie does spend some time to try and explain the convulated plot to you in a series of quick flashbacks. Sometimes so much that I think the entire first movie had been told here in fast forward.

And what a convulated plot it is! Somehow you know that our heroes can't die - one's a superhuman hybrid never seen before, while the other is Seline the invincible who defied all odds to survive past the first film. But invulnerability makes a character weak, as it takes away the fun. Injuries heal in record time (ok, so they're vampires who recuperate in the darkness), and you'll really wonder if the Highlander way is the only way for a character to perish. The central plot about brotherhood, and the quest to unleash the very first Lycan was pretty boring stuff.

Somehow the production seemed a little lazy too. In the first movie, we had sets which are more in tuned to the present world, with the city and all. But this movie seemed to like darkness and worn out locations, and even the finale set looked suspiciously similar to the original's. And I learnt too that vampires can transfer abilities and skills by letting another suck its blood, much like Chinese Martial Arts films where the kungfu master imparts his skills to his disciples using internal strength - you'll become stronger overnight.

I had great hopes that the sequel would present itself as superior to the original, especially if it could develop a strong backstory. However I was proven wrong, and this sequel, like many others, pale when compared to the original. I don't think there'll be another sequel given the characters becoming who they are at the end (almost a copy of X-Men 2's camera moving across a body of water shot with voice over), but then again, you'll never know.

A Nutshell Prediction: 78th Annual Academy Award Winners

OK, it's that time again when I'll have to stick my neck out and come out with my predictions for the biggie categories of the 78th Annual Academy Awards. Here goes...

Best Supporting Actor
It's a tie between George Clooney and Jake Gyllenhaal. Paul Giamatti was excellent in his role as the ringside boxing manager of Cinderella Man, but Morgan Freeman won the same for a similar role last year. Matt Dillon, while I admired his performance, had too much ensemble noise to stand out through and through. William Hurt had many critics eating out of his hand for his role in A History of Violence, but sorry, that role is not in the book.

Gay Cowboy and Covert CIA Agent? Considering one had a lot more screentime than the other for character develpment and to justify its win, Jake Gyllenhaal will score one for Brokeback Mountain. Sorry George, you're hardworking, but another year yeah?

Best Supporting Actress
This one's pretty easy. Amy Adams, sorry, you don't stand a chance with the other greats mentioned here. Michelle Williams had her role greatly overshawdowed by the kissing cowboys. Frances McDormand had too little to do in her role in North Country. Great role, one which showcased her acting chops for being comatosed, but still played second fiddle to Charlize Theron. Speaking of comatose, Catherine Keener had it given being Harper Lee, but her role didn't require her to do much except drive Capote around.

So, Rachel Weisz, as the wife of the Constant Gardener who was overlooked for a nomination, you'll snag the award as the tough-as-nails-and-oh-so-pregnant activist.

Best Actor
Sorry David, I heard about your great performance in Good Night and Good Luck, but distributors in Singapore feel your movie has no box office potential. So, unless I download illegally, I cannot watch you until your DVD is out. But you know, you'll not win. Terrence Howard, same case with the distributors, but I watched you in Crash, which I thought was a great film you were in. Thank you for the participation. Joaquin Phoenix is Johnny Cash! But too bad, Jamie Foxx was Ray first, and won the award last year.

It's a tie between Heath Ledger and Philip Seymour Hoffman, but having one gay cowboy win the role for Supporting Actor will pave the way for a Capote win. Oscar likes real-to-reel characters you know? While Heath's performance is cool with its little nuances, your nuances cannot beat Philip Seymour Hoffman's uncanny Truman Capote performance. A brilliant actor portraying a great American writer, cannot be wrong.

Best Actress
It's hard to decide amongst the babes. Charlize Theron, I like your performance in North Country, but somehow you're already a winner, and need something stronger to win again. Judi Dench got veteran clout, but Mrs Henderson Presents, you whine too much until the end of the movie. Cool lines, but just not enough. Another English actress Keira Knightley seems like got chance, you know? But you're an English girl playing another English girl, not much of a challenge aye?

So it's Reese Witherspoon against Felicity Huffman. The all American girl in Resse Witherspoon's June Carter was quite ordinary in my opinion, nothing so much as to make it a breakthrough role. Felicity Huffman on the other hand, wins hands down. Not easy to play you know, especially when you're a woman pretending to be a man who wants to be a woman.

Best Director
Bennett Miller is a relative newbie, and since Capote's owned by the lead actor, that's about it. George Clooney, you're nominated here also! But when up against other giants, your time will come soon, just hang in there yeah? Steven Spielberg is already a winner, but given his wins for movies with historical settings, I will not be surprised if he steals this one away.

Paul Haggis probably had it tough in managing the ensemble cast, but I suppose Ang Lee will walk away with the Oscar statue, for his vision in telling an unconventional tale.

Best Picture
Capote's a biography of sorts, again the lead actor had the spotlight on him, and nothing else. Good Night and Good Luck, when compared to the buzz of the other films, seem to be lagging behind. Munich was bold in telling a story which surprisingly didn't take sides. But you cannot get more controversial than Brokeback Mountain for its subject matter. However, the subject matter in Crash seemed to be easier to identify with by many more mainstream folks.

So, which movie will walk away with the trophy? My heart wishes it be Crash, but perhaps Brokeback Mountain, for its more intimate feel, will triumph.

My other predictions

Best Animated Feature Film: Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Stop motion for all ages (unlike Corpse's Bride more mature theme).
Best Original Screenplay: Crash. Need I say more?
Best Adapted Screenplay: Brokeback Mountain. Need I say some more?
Best Music (Score): Memoirs of a Geisha. John Williams against John Williams, but here he's got external help.
Best Music (Song): It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp - Hustle and Flow. Something for Hustle and Flow.
Best Visual Effects: King Kong. I think King Kong will sweep all the technical awards.
Best Cinematography: Brokeback Mountain. The country looked so sexy.
Best Art Direction: Memoirs of a Geisha. Oriental stuff, well liked.
Best Costume Design: Memoirs of a Geisha. Oriental stuff, exotic you know?
Best Make-Up: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. You can never go wrong with the Wookiees, Palpatine, and a host of other aliens, not forgetting Anakin's seared body.
Best Sound Mixing: King Kong. Another technical award for Kong.
Best Sound Editing: King Kong. Yet another technical award for Kong.
Best Film Editing: Crash. This is the toughest, but I think Crash will probably snag this award for its lack of the biggies later.

Takeshis'

Fans of Takeshi "Beat" Kitano, you will not want to miss the latest offering from the legendary writer-director-actor! Criss-crossing fact from fiction, reality from fantasy, it's one heck of a different tale!

You can read my review of Takeshi's at the movieXclusive site by clicking on the logo below:

[DVD] Sepet (2004)

I've always been unable to answer confidently when someone asks me what my favourite movie is. You're learning it here first, I've found it. It is Sepet. I love this movie to bits. And I find it so unforgivable to have missed it when it was released on the big screen locally. But the question would be, why Sepet?

You'd know by now I'm a sucker for a good old fashioned romance. Sepet is one of those classic romances, with a contemporary touch, and a realistic take on love, life, relationships at all levels. It is honest, sincere storytelling, and having it ring so close to home, with a multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-lingual take, just makes it endearing. It's not a Malay film, or Chinese film, but it's a Malaysian film, one in which a person like me, from across the Causeway, can and will definitely enjoy.

Director Yasmin Ahmad has crafted two charismatic leads, in Jason (Ng Choo Seong), the pirated VCD peddler with a penchant for poetry, and Orked (Sharifah Amani) the student. One's Chinese, the other's Malay, and Yasmin has weaved a loving story between the two, sans all misconstrued prejudices. We're drawn into their love at the start of their budding relationship from their chance encounter when Orked patronizes Jason's stall in a busy market street, and witness them grow in their affection for each other.

The diverse family backgrounds are highlighted from the beginning. We see Jason reciting poetry so lovingly to his Peranakan mother (played by Tan Mei Ling). He seemed closer to her than his father, and we learn that all is not too well between the squabbling parents. In a dinner scene with his family, we learn that his brother (later played by Alan Yun in Gubra) had married a Singaporean, and the relationship with the in-laws are not that cordial too.

Contrasted with Orked's family, the loving parents portrayed by Ida Nerina and Harith Iskander, who share many a scene expressing their love (which had irked Malaysian censors), and with a housemaid Yam (played by Adibah Noor) adding to the comical close knit ties within their family.

But, cliche as I may sound, love knows no bounds. Sans race, sans religion, sans family backgrounds, love will find a way. We follow their courtship, and it isn't that these obvious differences are swept beneath the carpet. No, they were brought out, and we realize the challenges that lie ahead if our couple were to be together, and to challenge these misconceptions.

But in typical boy-meets-girl, boy-loves-girl, boy-loses-girl fashion, we see how their relationship loses ground when Jason confesses to Orked to have impregnated another girl. To be "fair", he did the deed before he became committed to Orked, but felt that sense of responsibility to take care of the other. It's somewhat depressing, knowing that he and Orked are a match made, but events that transpired before meeting your soul mate, came back to haunt. I thought deeply about this, and was wondering if there was any possibility about reconciliation and forgiveness. Sometimes there will be, sometimes there will be not, but sometimes they may come too little too late. And from what Yasmin told us, I understood the ending, why it ended the way it ended, drawn from her personal experience, and the emotions I felt.

But therein lies a higher objective, which I thought was a respectable Wow moment. With the way it ended, I felt that yes, I believe that Yasmin has achieved with most audiences (unless you're on the road to no redemption) throwing away any deep sense of prejudice, to want the two leads to be together, after the fact that is akin to riding on a ferris wheel to the top, enjoying the sights, and then being thrown over. It dawned upon me the power of her story, simply told.

The movie's also peppered with plenty of movie references and subtle jokes, besides the obvious ones which you laugh out loud. There are digs at society, and some events will make you ponder, like how Orked managed to get a scholarship with 5As, when Jason actually scored 7, and got none (hey, VCD peddler also got the smarts, ok!)

The chemistry between the leads is so believable, that you cannot help but fall in love with both. Jason is the atypical sam-seng boy with dyed hair, dances a quirky dance, filial son, with a heart of gold. You might presume that Orked is the demure pint-sized girl next door, but inside, she packs quite an opinionated punch, which works in her favour when battling against prejudices. And the two of them put together, genuinely make a cute couple.

The musical selection is beautiful, and I was initially surprised that Sam Hui songs were used throughout the movie. They were the evergreens in Hong Kong Pop, and contributed effectively to the mood of the movie. The cinematography too emulates picturesque moments when the leads are together, be it sharing a meal or conversation in a fast food restaurant, or sitting at a pier or a bus stop to wait out the rain. Things and situations associated with budding love.

There are tonnes of films out there which are loud, brash, and easily forgotten once the lights come on. I've come to appreciate smaller films which are intricately crafted, a simple story with layered complexity, and something which can endure the test of time. A story that comes straight from the heart. I believe Sepet is one of them. I like.

Code 3 DVD contains behind the scenes footage (though I had hoped it could have more), and the trailer. How I'd wish there would be a director and casts commentary. :-)


P.S. here's a link to a brilliant writeup I found, which includes the titles of the Sam Hui songs used in the movie.

Gubra World Premiere

Eager Crowd Awaiting

The world premiere of Yasmin Ahmad's new movie, Gubra, happened last Monday at GV Grand. The usual suspects, Shaiful and me were on duty, together with Richard and Lokman who were there as they had won tickets to attend.

You can read more about the Gala by clicking on the movieXclusive logo below:



Naturally, there will be what we deem as the Richard Moment. It's almost always uncanny that something most peculiar will happen. Richard was supposed to meet up with us before going to Great World City together, but he had to look for a relatively hard-to-find copy of Sepet, which was sold out at HMV Heeren and Cineshop. He did find it eventually, and after we had made so many calls to find out where he was. But when we proceeded to the theatre foyer, guess what - they had loads of copies on sale, and cheaper than what he paid for too! Another Richard Moment for the annual!

Pre-Gala Discussion with Yasmin Ahmad

So while waiting for Yasmin's darling Richard, we discovered we were relatively early at the gala. Yasmin was already there, and so were Sharifah and Alan, but they were upstairs at the Gold Glass reception area doing an interview.

Sharifah Interviewing Alan?

Strategizing Too!

We mingled around a little, strategizing the angle to cover the gala (on duty, so got added responsibility, you know?), though I had it easier this time since I was the designated photographer. There was plenty of food too!

Richard Playing Waiter

Hey, Save Some For Me!

Anyway if you had read the coverage, you would roughly have an idea of what transpired throughout the event. There were local television stars, veterans and up-and-coming newbies all eagerly anticipating this movie.

Shaiful Listening In

Of course there is always time for pictures for the album before we were ushered into Hall 6 for the premiere proper.

Yasmin Ahmad

Alan Yun

Sharifah Amani (Orked) and I

Kenneth Tan, GV's MD gave the opening speech (some things we've already heard from him in our earlier interview), before Yasmin and Sharifah addressed the audience, the former letting us know of her upcoming projects, while the latter, all giggly, told us we definitely must stay after the end credits roll, that we'll not regret. And she's right!

Yasmin Introducing Gubra

We were sitting in front of the reserved seats (heh, off duty personnel Richard and Lokman knew how to pick seats ah), so Alan was seated behind Shaiful, and Adibah Noor was seated behind me. Always a blast to watch a movie and keeping your ears peeled at what the cast had to say about certain scenes.

At the end of the movie, I suppose everyone could tell we were quite reluctant to leave. We hung around, speaking to folks, reluctant to leave, got some autographs, reluctant to leave, said our farewells, reluctant to leave, said our final farewells at the lobby of Great World City, before we had to leave. It had been a wonderful wonderful evening to cap a surreal 48 hours.

Richard Contemplating...

But hey, we're pretty on about meeting Yasmin again for supper (on us of course), and if her schedule permits! *Still Keeping Fingers Crossed*

Gubra

I'm not going to review this in the usual manner. I hope I'll be able to dwell much more on what this movie meant to me, and how I related to it. It isn't easy, as my thoughts have been rather scattered, because Gubra meant a lot as I ponder during different times. I am most likely to watch it again, after yesterday's world premiere at GV Grand. So before I begin, let me warn you that the rest of this review (if I may still call it so) is full of spoilers. So watch the movie, then come back and read the rest of it. We will agree to disagree, and I truly welcome your views on your emotions towards this excellent movie. But before you leave, remember, you ABSOLUTELY MUST stay behind for ONE SCENE at the END OF THE CREDITS. You will not be disappointed.

First and foremost, the characters. It's an ensemble expanded by including a parallel story, for comparison, about the family of a muezzin, the irony of his being neighbours with prostitutes. Gubra's other story is more familiar territory, a continuation of Orked's life, being seven years after Jason's death in Sepet. Orked is back from England, and is now married to Arif (Adlin Aman Ramlie), and seems to be having a happily married life. In a comical buildup to the hospital scene, we are quickly introduced to Orked's family, like her loving parents, the housemaid, and the driver.

Having her father hospitalized allowed Orked the chance meeting with Alan Lee (Alan Yun, with a super nerdy hairstyle at first), who's the married brother (now divorced from his Singaporean wife) of Jason, her all so sweet Ah-Seng boyfriend from Sepet. The Lee family too is in the hospital, because the Nonya mum pushed the Chinese dad over a staircase, much like their constant fights which we're familiar with.

But the richness is in the relationships between the characters. Is love and forgiveness, intertwined? Probably. We contrast adultery experienced by a modern couple, and that between traditional folks of an older generation. On one hand, we have the blissful, model couple in Orked's parents and the muezzin and his wife, but on the other, it seemed that the Lees, in spite of their constant squabbling, actually do love each other, in a rather subdued manner. Spouses who stick together despite abuse, is it because there's no choice, or does it demonstrate to a certain extent, true love, and constant forgiveness towards the hateful things one says to another? It's interesting to see that there were certain dialogue which mentioned the potential "goodness" of marrying to someone of a different race, but we know, at the end of the day, idealistic as it may sound, it all boils down to the basic conduct of how a person lives out his humanity. On a rather lighthearted note, we also see a budding infatuation between a hospital attendant and Orked's maid, contributing to the initial stage of budding love, and jealousy which the driver experienced.

It's a totally different ballgame in the muezzin storyline. We do see the very close knit family unit of a religious man, which is contrasted with that of the single parent prostitute who has to bring up her young son. She does what she does out of pure basic survival, and is seeking forgiveness from God for the lifestyle she decided upon. The introduction of a gambler used to portray domestic violence was painful to watch, though it is through these episodes and down-trodden characters, we see the compassion extended by the muezzin and hi wife. They live simply, but are happy with their lot. Something that we can emulate with being contented with what we have.

The usual social observations that we noticed in Sepet also found its footing in Gubra. You wonder and are amazed at how the director managed to skillfully weave them in together with the narrative. It doesn't prod disrespectfully, but in subtleness lies its effectiveness. The multi-lingual, racial, religious society of Malaysia is again highlighted through the same narrative style, be it in dialogue or action. Liked that moment of conversation Orked shared with Alan when in his pickup truck en route to some grub. Indeed being in a multi-ethnic country ourselves, we can identify easily with almost everything discussed on screen.

Gubra, like Sepet, started off simple, as simple as butter spread on bread, breakfast lovingly made by a wife for her husband in the early morning. But just like Sepet, if I could paraphrase what Yasmin mentioned, we are taken on a joyride before thrown on the tracks. Gubra had a simple intro to the muezzin storyline, and a comedic intro to Orked's story. But things aren't meant to last as we see. Like Sepet, we are drawn into their world through its light hearted moments, yet we witness events that spiral emotionally downwards from then on.

Being cheated upon and having promises broken is never easy to handle. It makes it worse when matrimonial vows are broken so easily, as we witness with Arif's infidelity, and his constant lies. It's painful to watch Orked undergo this betrayal, although she managed to keep herself composed (I wonder if it's a conscious effort on hairstyling, during the funny periods in the beginning, it was like a lion's mane, and when she left the husband, it's all coiffed up nicely). We know she's capable of having stand up for herself given her strong will, and leaving her husband, given her leaving Jason when he confessed to having impregnated someone else.

But we're led into another theme of forgiveness, if she'll forgive Arif just as she forgave Jason. One might say that it is easier to forgive the latter because there was no sacred vows taken between man and wife. That of forgiveness and compassion also featured in the other storyline. Compassion through inaction can serve as a double edged sword. While you hope that through compassion, you would touch another person to change their ill ways, but if it's a deep rooted rot, we'll never know how we could have helped to avoid tragedy, if we had not exhibited that emotion in the first place.

There are plenty of scenes which highlights Yasmin's wry humour, sometimes to elevate the seriousness and tragedy, without much dialogue, but told through images. Like the scene in the clinic where the erectile dysfunction poster teases you, yet you're anticipating the discovery of the seriousness of an illness not mentioned explicitly, but suggested through another common poster. Or the savage attack near the end, which we do not get to see, but we know from an earlier scene how wrong and dangerous it can get.

There are 2 most powerful scenes in the movie, at least for me, which made me almost tear. The first was the scene where Alan brought Orked to his home, to his brother's room, to handover Jason's letters, which Jason didn't have the courage to deliver, his poetry books, and his broken handphone, which was still ringing when the paramedics arrived at the scene. In the beginning of Alan's and Orked's encounter, there was a mention, and a quizzical look from Orked, as if in disbelief, that she was so sure she had indeed spoken to her loved one. That scene in the bedroom, when she delicately handled the items, was so silently sad. In Sepet, she cried so hard when she reluctantly read Jason's letter en route to the airport, and here we feel her immense feeling of loss, after what she had gone through. It almost made me wanna cry, and lend her my shoulder to cry on too, just like Alan did.

The other scene would be the scene after the end credits rolled. To my surprise, we see Orked snuggled against Jason, and he was wearing a wedding ring. Did this happen in the past? Was she dreaming of what could have been? Or was it a figment of her imagination, the crystallization of her sense of longing to be in safe arms after her disappointing marriage? Yasmin shared with my friends and I about the true meaning/purpose of this scene, but I felt it's a bit tongue-in-cheek leh. Yasmin, serious ah? :-D

I would recommend that you rewatch Sepet again before you watch Gubra, not that Gubra can't stand on its own, but I feel you'll be able to relate to Gubra and her characters and themes even more. If you can't get your hands on the DVD, then make your way to the local theatres as there is gonna be a rescreening. Watch Sepet, watch Gubra, and let's discuss the movies over a cup of tea.

It's simple, yet complicated. Beautiful, yet tragic. I heart this movie!

Gubra - Conversations with Yasmin, Sharifah and Alan

I'll have to admit, I'm finding it extremely difficult to pen down the events that transpired in the last 48 hours. It's almost surreal, watching a film that I instantly fell in love with, and on the same day, meeting the director and cast for an interview which turned out to happen over dinner, then the next day attending the world premiere of the sequel, and watching it with them in attendance. It's a simply amazing feeling, being drawn to the screen world, then meeting them in person, and sharing a conversation. I have so much to say and write about, that I really don't know where and how to begin.

Friends, most of you should know by now, that my favourite Writer-Directors include Cameron Crowe, Quentin Tarantino, and M Night Shymalan. Very diverse personalities producing very diverse works. Cameron I have met and spoken to in a very short 3 minutes which lasted for eternity during the local premiere of Vanilla Sky years back, while Shymalan and Tarantino, I just enjoy their works. I have a new favourite, and who would've known she actually hails a little closer to home, just across the Causeway, a truly fantastic lady, Yasmin Ahmad.

I have never imagined a meeting over dinner. We (Shaiful, Lokman and Richard) were supposed to interview Yasmin, Sharifah (Orked) and Alan (in Gubra) at about 1830hrs on Sunday for movieXclusive, the last of a series of interviews behind the mainstream media. Somehow it worked to our advantage(?) that the earlier interviews stretched, and we had to do ours over dinner (although initially we were hesitant if we were interrupting their meal), which actually as we found out, is the first full meal of the day for the trio.

But allow me to bore you with something else we did during the long wait. Like meeting at the Esplanade Library to borrow DVDs (and then during dinner, launched into discussions into those movies, like Richard's busty selections, and massb's Annie Hall, which was referenced in Gubra as we found out yesterday). And while thinking up questions to ask, Linus was there too to see us hard at work. But perhaps the craziest thing was to look for a Sony Mini-Disc player disc (eh?). Don't worry if you don't understand. We discovered, after walking around countless of shops in Funan, that it seemed to be an obsolete product. The players are sold, but not empty discs.

All this while we were waiting for the call to confirm the time and venue. And finally it came. Thomas informed us that we could conduct the interview over dinner at Westin's Kopi Tiam. Wow, it suddenly dawned upon us that we're meeting Yasmin! And Orked! And I'm sure all this while Shaiful's heart is beating like mad, haha!

The instant warmth Yasmin exuded, was infectious. And I was surprised too that she can speak Cantonese ah! After the usual pleasantries, we were at first dumbstruck at how to go ahead with the interview, as the venue, quite frankly, was more suited for meals rather than long conversations. But we were eager to hear what Yasmin had to say about the questions we had for her (although Sharifah did comment at some point that Yasmin's answers were all the same, to which Yasmin replied 'cos the questions were the same mah. Opps!) And she took a genuine interest in us too. Like Shaiful's upcoming play which she was so on to attend, but can't due to her scheduling commitments, and upon learning that we wanted to do short films, advising that short films are addictive, and for us to take that leap of faith to do features. Heh. She did find some of us familiar, and we learnt that she did visit Shaiful's blog before, as did we visit hers periodically.

We thought Sharifah Amani and Alan Yun looked visibly tired, but of course, after a full day of interviews, who wouldn't be? Fortunately, our interviews progressed from Q&A, to simply just having a very nice candid conversation amongst friends whom you know from a long time back. It really seemed that way. Wait. It was that way. We even had inside jokes and barbs traded, like our prediction on Shaiful's "Dark Side" question. It's simply amazing to discuss a wide range of issues, remarks on and about critics, some topics not pertaining to films, learning about one another, of Sharifah's love for Bollywood films, and of Alan's most memorable scene in Gubra (cannot say, spoilers leh! Heh!). Sharifah was very fiesty, more so than her character Orked in Gubra, if I can say so. Alan though was the relatively shy person amongst the three, but once he warmed up to us, he's like an army buddy, haha. Some of you might find him familiar (as did I), because he's a model, and has appeared in local ads before. Throughout the session, you can observe and feel the strong chemistry through the bantering between director and lead actress. Like no-holds barred siah.

You can probably read more about the session we had at the movieXclusive website by clicking on the logo below. And for the fans of Sepet who are wondering about the ending, and what it meant, we were so pleased to have heard the explanation from Yasmin herself. It's touching, and I think one that I can relate to. (I'll elaborate more when I post my review of Sepet).



Oh, before we called it a night, we had a group photo taken, courtesy of Thomas who became our photographer.


[LtoR] Alan, Shaiful, Me, Sharifah, Yasmin, Richard, Lokman
Yes, eat your heart out guys, I got hugged leh!

There's a little backstory of how I ended up where I'm standing. Suffice to say that it's all because of the "do you know how I know you're gay" joke that Richard had a penchant for, that didn't work against me this time :-P And yes, Richard became Yasmin's darling, you know? :-D

Yasmin, Sharifah, Alan, if you're reading this, Thank You for the friendship, and for the stories that touch so close to the heart.

Yasmin Ahmad Is In Town!

Yasmin Ahmad is in town, and so are Sharifah Amani and Alan Yun to promote their lastest movie, Gubra.

My friends and I had just spent the most amazing evening having dinner and an interview, wait, make that the most awesome chat/discussion amongst a group so big, and topics so diverse, I don't know where to begin. Guess you'd just gotta wait for the official report at moviexclusive.com before I rave on about the session. All thanks to Lighthouse Pictures too!

So do yourself a favour, and go watch Sepet and Gubra! There's a double bill feature coming up, so go see ok? I'll be posting the regular reviews soon.

Stay tuned!

Munich

The Munich 1972 Olympic games will forever go down in infamy for the killing of Israeli sportsmen by a terrorist group known as Black September. If you wish to know more about the motives and happenings on that fateful day, including the ineptness of the Germans to manage the entire situation, resulting in the deaths of almost all the perpetrators and the victims, do check out the documentary One Day In September. But not to say that Steven Spielberg's Munich fares any less. My recommendation is to watch the documentary first if you wish to understand more of what happened before, then to follow up with Spielberg's movie for the tale of what happened after when the Mossad went after the mastermind planners. So that you'll not be as irritating as the bimbo sitting behind me asking her equally clueless boyfriend "what happened? Why like that?"

Spielberg's movie is as every bit, Spielberg. It grips you from the beginning and never lets go until the end. For those who did not heed my advice above, don't worry, there's a re-enactment of the terrible event from the point where they entered into the Olympic Village, and various scenes thereafter en route to the airport are edited in between the movie. As mentioned, the movie places focus on the Mossad's attempt to wipe out the terrorist masterminds, and we follow the journey of their appointed leader, Avner, played admirably by Eric Bana, who now probably has cornered roles for the tough yet sensitive guy, like Hector in Troy, or Bruce Banner in Hulk.

And it's this spy-versus-spy game, that this movie excels in. We take the usual peek into government organizations sponsoring clandestine operations, and assembles Avner with a team that looked straight out of Mission: Impossible's IMF. We follow them through the missions so carefully planned ala Ocean's Eleven, aimed at sending signals to the Israeli oppositions that force will be met with force, and violence with violence. Indeed violence begets violence, and what goes around comes around, but at what cost? Information brokers are all set to profit from violence, and in the world of secret agents, so long as the price is right, you get your information, regardless of what you want to do with it.

But the movie also takes a more personal look into the life of Avner, who started off with gusto and with a deep sense of patriotism in their missions, before we slowly see the toil being taken on a family man who can't be with his family, or his home and country, and the degeneration of Avner into paranoia. When you're playing hunter for so long, and you find yourself one day being the prey, that's the effect it'll have on you, of over suspicion on the pretext of playing it safe.

John Williams is at his element here in providing a soundtrack that is intense and fits the movie perfectly. During mission scenes, you'll feel just as tense as the characters planning and executing (pardon the pun) their hits. Avner's team comprises of folks who are not exactly field experts, but their camaraderie on screen is at its finest. I was paying attention to Daniel Craig's highly volatile character Steve, and I'd still think he doesn't have what it takes to become Blond, I mean, Bond. And besides Craig, the only other peculiarly minor letdown I have was the final bed scene between Avner and wife. I thought the editing was done in a very distasteful manner, though I understand what it was trying to get at with the intersplicing of the Munich massacre. Somehow it could have been done better.

It's a controversial film, but only for the controversy surrounding the subject matter, and of Spielberg's roots. It doesn't glorify either side, or try to make a statement which side is right. Two wrongs never made a right, and the movie's narrative plays it that way.

On a normal year, this film would be a strong contender for Best Picture, given all the predictable ingredients required for a win. However, Brokeback Mountain would probably snag the trophy for its more intimate feel as compared to standard fare of a crowd pleasing film. But the message in Munich is nonetheless clear, as hinted so subtly at a small scene of tuning a radio.

Wolf Creek

Based on true events supposedly, Wolf Creek is an Australian production that adds its two cents worth to the slasher genre. However, audiences today won't buy too much into "based on a true story/event/life/etc" gimmick, especially if your end credits contain a line that reveals all events in the movie are purely fictional. Right.

Nonetheless this movie takes its cue from disappearing folks in Australia, having more than 30,000 people doing a Houdini, 90% being discovered within the first month of disappearance, and the remainder being out there, somewhere, unaccounted for, gone perhaps.

Oh, there are lots of creeks at the outback, like the Emu's, but our story takes place in the more sinister sounding Wolf Creek (Wolfe Creek actually). But it takes about an hour before the real action began, which is a long yawn. During the first hour, you don't get to see much except tolerate the weak characters on screen, characters you don't care about anyway because you know they are fresh meat, and having that meat pounded is all you care about (otherwise, why bother with a movie like this?)

An Aussie bloke and two of his British chick friends are on a road trip across Australia. Like I mentioned, the first hour is pretty boring as they make their way to various pit stops and attractions, like Wolf Creek Crater, a pretty amazing sight to behold, touted to be a site where a meteorite came crashing down. Just as they are about to leave, their vehicle fail to start and are contemplating spending the night under the stars. To their good fortune, a friendly Samaritan comes along and offers free help.

But there's nothing like free lunch, or is it? It brings back what your mama always tell you about talking and trusting strangers.

It's like Haute Tension (High Tension) shown last year, and Jeepers Creepers combined, with its bogeyman hunter character, but it's no Blair Witch Project in the atmospheric department. The degree of gore is comparable, but not that many scenes because it's pretty low budgeted. In some scenes, you thought that even sicker stuff would be presented, given the array of equipment made available, but alas they were not to be. Which makes one wonder, if we could go even more extreme than writer-director Greg McLean.

Which of course isn't a very good sign if you have ideas that can probably top the writer and director's vision. Either you're a sick sick person, or the movie is mediocre when compared to slasher greats. And it won't do you any favours if you're planning a road trip in Australia anytime soon, and your vehicle happens to break down.

The Fog

Hollywood has not gotten over its John Carpenter remakes, and The Fog is the latest in a series. From the trailers, we were teased that "there is something in the fog", but we do not know what. And no, despite being nice to look at and all, the Fog is not at all suffocating.

Antonio Island is celebrating its founding fathers, and we're introduced to the descendants of the Malones, the Waynes, the Castels and the Williams. Tom Welling (Clark Kent in the Smallville television series) stars as Nick Castle, the hero of the story who runs a washout boat business. Maggie Grace stars as Elizabeth Williams, Nick's girlfriend who has returned to the island and somehow feels responsible for the events that transpired when the fog descents. Selma Blair stars as Stevie Wayne, a single parent running the only radio channel up atop the only lighthouse on the island.

Pretty standard fare, one-dimensional characters. What will probably keep you engaged in the movie, is the quest to discover the truth and back story to the entire fog shenanigans. A mysterious menacing looking fog arrives, contrary to physics and wind directions, and strange killings and happenings occur on the island. Age old objects like a hairbrush and timepiece turn up at the beach, and itchy-handed folks pick it up despite us folks knowing bad things will happen.

But it bores you after a while, with its usual sins of the fathers theme having little depth (ok, so it's a horror flick after all). It's simple, but with potential, which degenerates into almost a Pirates of the Caribbean copycat in the special effects department. And the special effects and makeup could perhaps be the only saving grace in this movie. There are loopholes in the storyline, especially the ending. You understand what the filmmakers are trying to suggest, but it just doesn't make much sense anyway.

Is it frightening? No. It's a tame pussycat in its scares, relying on cheap, loud, clanging and knocking of metal three times to signal the demise of the characters who hear them, knowing that Evil is around and knocking at your door. Any more, you'll probably go deaf with the theatre's surround sound system.

If there's a movie like The Fog which can be made, perhaps someone would be bold enough to make The Mist, or The Haze in local context. Don't waste your time, you'll need strong fog-lamps to attempt to look at the good in this picture. Being a Tom Welling groupie fan, will probably help.

49 Days

It's crazy to be doing a movie marathon of 4 movies in a row, and having 3 of which are from the horror genre. However, having completed those 3 first (the last being Spielberg's Munich), they again prove that the horror genre is diverse, and all 3 are different - the mystery-thriller, the ghouls-spirits, and the slasher flick. Onwards, shall we?

This Hong Kong horror movie has 2 titles, one the Chinese one which means the rhino's horn, while the other in English refers to the seven by seven equals forty-nine days of the initial afterlife, in which the body's spirit will roam the earth before proceeding to the netherland. And this movie actually talks about both in a rather interesting manner.

It's my second Stephen Fung - Gillian Chung pairing in a movie, the first being their take on martial arts in last year's House of Fury. This time, they take on the supernatural, with Fung playing a Chinese physician who had to leave his village, wife and daughter to try and make a comeback in his medical hall business. It took him four years to build a brand, but jealous opposition got him framed and imprisoned. Gillian Chung plays his lawyer who investigates and tries to prove his innocence, yet getting entangled romantically to the leading man. Thankfully the romance bit is tossed aside midway to focus more on the mystery of the story.

It's no M Night Shyamalan, but the influence from the writer-director is nonetheless heavy. The movie relies and references the mystical powers of the rhino's horn - the many uses that it has for Chinese medicine like acupuncture, and its ability when lit to see spirits. To those unfamiliar with Chinese afterlife, this movie too explains to certain depth what those forty-nine days are. To brand this film as an outright horror movie is incorrect, while it has certain standard aspects like the building of atmosphere, this movie plays more like a thriller-mystery, and its theme of Fate and Retribution.

Which somehow, plays a bit like one of my favourite movies, Frequency (Jim Caviezel-Dennis Quaid). While the production looks like a straight-to-television movie, the story is suprisingly above average. The spatial jumps that happen every now and then could be there for narrative sophistication, which could catch you offguard, but please hold your horses about potential plot loopholes when you notice them. I was finding fault with them, and they irritated me (thought it was slip-shoddy work), but as the movie progresses, you'd come to appreciate when the loopholes are addressed. Not all though, but most, and that's good enough by me.

The acting however, was below par. It's clearly a Stephen Fung vehicle considering the amount of screentime he has, but he didn't manage to flesh out his character thoroughly. Gillian Chung's role was also one-dimensional, considering that hers was a lead role too. There are plenty of smaller characters in the movie, but their roles were either to lend comic effect, or are the villains.

Being a PG rated film, it's a pity this movie has its gory scenes censored. But if you're looking for a mystery-thriller with a touch of the supernatural thrown in, then this movie would be my recommendation this period.

Rumor Has It

Based on a true rumor, the premise of the movie was set up oh-so perfectly, especially if you're a fan of Mike Nichols' 1967 Dustin Hoffman-Anne Bancroft movie, The Graduate (with its immortal line uttered again in this film). It's pretty creative to have that story and characters intertwined with the narrative of this movie.

In this Jennifer Aniston vehicle (is it always that the wives of more famous husbands get meatier roles when they break up?), she plays an obituary writer (another fashionable job since Jude Law became one in Closer) Sarah Huttinger, who's the fiancee of Jeff Daly (Mark Ruffalo). However, she's commitment phobic and is getting cold feet each time Jeff brings up marriage, and it doesn't help that they're attending her sister's (Mena Suvari), therefore meeting her dad (Richard Jenkins) and other relatives she can't get along with.

But rumor after rumor, and having realize that her deceased mother had gone for a fling before her own marriage, Sarah begins an investigative hunt into those (un)faithful days, and with probing for more information from her grandma Katharine (Shirley MacLaine), she discovers Beau Burroughs (Kevin Costner), the man whom Dustin Hoffman's Ben was modelled after. So it goes that the writer of The Graduate, Charles Webb, is a close friend of Beau, and the story is based loosely on his dalliances with Katharine. Which also means, as Sarah discovers, that the book and movie, is based on her family!

But it gets better (or is it worse?) as Sarah herself falls for Beau and has a one-night stand, bringing to mind all the dirty, sick thoughts of possible incest. The audience gets teased every now and then when you attempt to piece together the possible relationships between the characters, and it gets worse as we go along, until the final revelation at the end. It's amazing too how you become glued to the story, despite its simplicity in its themes.

Which is surprisingly not romantic relationship per se, which got shoved to the sidelines, but that of commitment. It tries to examine what makes people stick to each other, and what it takes to accept, forgive, and find courage to move on. If you're bringing your date to his movie, have the correct mindset - it's not just another simple date movie, but one which sets both of you thinking. It's got some kick in it too, all thanks to references to The Graduate movie.

Lifting this movie is again the veterans of Shirley MacLaine and Richard Jenkins. MacLaine has played the grandma role to two sisters earlier this year in In Her Shoes. However, this is not a simple rehash of the role, as this one's a little more slapstick, a little more Mrs Robinson, a little more caustic in language and character, but a lot lot lesser screentime. Richard Jenkins too plays the familiar father figure who stands by his daughters, ala his dad role in North Country shown earlier. No doubt that their roles are small, but their characters, all powerful.

Kevin Costner seems to be moving to making smaller movies. I won't say that he's excellent in this movie, because it felt like it was a stroll in the park. Having him falling for and romancing a younger woman in Aniston, was similar to his role last year in The Upside of Anger. All eyes though will be on Jennifer Aniston, as her character has certain takes on relationships that cut a little close to her real life split and how she moved on.

It's a movie which you think the trailers had revealed all, but trust me, it delivered a lot more than what the trailers suggested. It's fun, witty, and refreshing to a certain extent. Do give this movie a watch if spoilt for choices from the Oscar contenders amongst the crowded theatre schedules.

Final Destination 3

I wonder why I missed the first two movies of the franchise, given that I'm a fan of gore (the bloodier the merrier). But you need not have watched the first two movies in order to enjoy Final Destination 3, as it's pretty much a stand-alone movie utilizing the same premise.

Which is when someone actually somehow foresees the future, where something tragically fatal will happen to him/her. They pull out from the situation, and following along (whether they like it or not) are a few others. The tragedy happens, and they all escape death. Death is naturally upset, and continues to kill off the characters who were supposed to die.

But of course, if you can cheat death again, you're off the hook. You know you're in for a good, satisfactory ride when the opening credits are stuffed with relative unknowns, meaning they are the fodder who will die in ways imagined by the writer. Co-writer and director James Wong, who was involved in the original movie, returns to extend his vision of the franchise.

There are numerous references to the earlier movies, like the number 180 which pops up, and also to serve as research material for the characters in FD3 (hard to imagine that the first movie was SIX years ago!). Nifty special effects are also the hallmark of the FD movies, which bring to life the filmmaker's sadistic vision of deaths in various ways from being fried alive to huge objects becoming giant human-swatters.

The movie also sticks to the usual slasher/horror conventions, of knowing that bimbos will die in the most idiotic way ever. Don't go looking for logic in the elaborate setup before character deaths - it's like every implausible element that will impact or contribute towards someone's death, will be looked into. The coincidence might make you shake your head at the sheer audacity of it all, but then, if Death's looking for you, all angles must be covered, and you must die. Like right now. In a fashionably bloody manner to boot, as if to punish you for having cheated initially.

Being rated NC-16 here however, meant that certain scenes had to be cut. Strangely, suggestive scenes like a character licking the boobs of a nude woman keychain, and the bimbos stripping down to their birthday suits, get the snip. But the glorious bloodbath (save one) get shown uncut. As the show progresses, you get to see more. So I guess if the movie is rated for violence and gore, most nudity will get cut off, and probably vice versa? One wonders.

Does this movie scream sequel again? Maybe, if the filmmakers can come up with some more creative ways to die, in bloody good fashion, then perhaps the franchise would probably continue. If you're really hard up and stayed until the end, you'll just be rewarded with a maniacal laughter.

[DVD] Hot Pursuit (1987)

After a hiatus of weeks, I'm back with scouring the library for more John Cusack movies. Hot Pursuit is one of his earliest movies, even earlier than the previously reviewed Say Anything. Here, he plays a teenager whose Chemistry exam stands in the way of spending a Caribbean holiday with his girlfriend and her family.

However, his professor turns a blind eye to his flunking of the exam and the need for remedial lessons, and Cusack has to pursue his girl and her family as they had already set off without him. It's a decent comedy as he gets into situations like missing planes, spending the night with ganja-smoking Caribbeans, getting entangled with a pirate of sorts, and so on. And it all boils down to his ability to be able to save his girl and her family when they become victims of some thugs who take over their yacht.

Fans of Ben Stiller would also want to watch this for one of Stiller's early performances on screen, and a villain at that. He doesn't have much lines, and neither are they funny though.

Like most teen romance comedies of the 80s, it's pretty predictable stuff, and plays like a teenage boy's fantasy of how a holiday could probably turn out, and becoming the hero who saves the day. Suitable for those boring weekends which you want to waste away.

Barebones Code 1 DVD containing no extras.

[DVD] One-Armed Swordsman (1967)

There are tonnes of wuxia stories and films out there, it's quite difficult to be established as one of the classics. One-Armed Swordsman happens to be one of the best remembered and loved stories that defined wuxia, and it is no doubt that actor Wang Yu and director Chang Cheh were made household names.

Common themes in wuxia like brotherhood, romance, piety, revenge are all rolled into One-Armed Swordsman. A son of a servant who died valiantly protecting his master, Qi Rufeng of the Golden Sword Clan, Fang Gang (Want Yu) was brought up by Qi Rufeng as one of his disciples, but his daughter Qi Pei-er accidentally chops off Fang Gang's right arm in a fit of petty anger.

Running away and injured, Fang Gang was saved by a village girl Hsiao Man, who nurses him back to health, and passes to him half a sacred kung fu manual, which has only the left-handed moves left (yes, it's that convenient). Swearing to leave the martial arts world and minding his own business, little does he realize that a rival clan has developed weapons and moves to counter the Golden Sword Clan, and are out for blood.

Realizing that he cannot let down the master who has brought him up, Fang Gang goes to their rescue, against the wishes of Hsiao Man. Caught between two benefactors, Fang Gang has to make the decision, one in which only a true swordsman will definitely make.

The martial arts, compared to today's standards might seem cheesy, but it's the good old days sans wire work. The teahouse fight remains one of the better sequences, and they all get as bloody as they can get, hence Chang Cheh was also known as the "ketchup" director. You'll marvel at how smart editing actually allows for some "slick" martial arts moves to be performed.

Characters are kept simple - the good are good, and the bad are really evil, and look the part too. It's a one dimensional world, but that keeps the storyline simple as you await the action to begin.

So for that introductory look into the world of Wuxia, One-Armed Swordsman might just be the vehicle for you - characters, themes, weapons, the hallmark elements of a good wuxia film are all there.

This Code 3 DVD contains a behind the scenes gallery, the trailers, production notes and biographies, and a segment on 5 animated works done by various educational institutions in Asia. The winning segment comes from Singapore, and it indeed is a beauty to watch.

[DVD] The Green Hornet (1966)

No, there wasn't any movie made of the Green Hornet, rather, this DVD is a combination of 3 of the television episodes put together. There wasn't any attempt to splice the movie into one long narrative, nor come up with original material like its sibling Batman series (also executive produced by William Dozier).

Created by George Trendle, the story of the Green Hornet is similar to many other masked vigilantes created before, like Batman (very similar, with their characters wealthy background and the use of a sidekick), the Shadow, and The Lone Ranger. And who can forget that hypnotic and iconic theme song with its blaring trumpets and similarity to the flight of the bumblebee?

Van Williams stars as the Green Hornet, aka Britt Reid, a wealthy man who runs the Sentinel newspaper as well as a television station. Like all rich folks with plenty of money and a deep sense of justice, he investigates crime as his alter ego, the Green Hornet, with his green mask, black hat, and the Hornet's sting, aside from his gun. Naturally, he has a sidekick known as Kato, kung-fu master extraordinaire, played by none other than the best in the business Bruce Lee.

Of course the action sequences all belong to Lee, with his exhibition of martial arts. The Hornet himself fights with the usual fist-only punches like a boxer, but with Kato, the action is spiced up. And that is basically the appeal of The Green Hornet.

In this DVD, the three stories are forgettable - the first deals with a club whose members develop their own agenda to rid crime, the second has aliens who want to take over and detonate a H-bomb, while the last deals with Chinese Triads. While the stories might seem ordinary, you'd still glued to the screen just to watch Lee in action.

And if it's action you want, then it's action you'll get. Instead of sitting through the stories to glimpse the action, this Code 3 DVD has a "fight" menu for you to zoom in on the action sequences only. It's a pity though that there's no preview or description to describe what you're about to see.

Also included in this DVD is a set of photo gallery, as well as a documentary of the Green Hornet's transport - the Black Beauty, as built by Dean Jefferies using a Chrysler Imperial.

Hidden (Cache)

If I'm asked to recommend a film with style but no substance, then this movie will be it for the year thus far. So much have been raved about the direction, that the storyline is left hanging deliberately. Perhaps there's not much of a story to begin with?

We start off with a motionless camera capturing from afar, a series of apartments. Precious minutes go by as the credits start to roll, until someone hit the rewind button, which is when you realise you're watching a tape. Or rather, the married couple Georges (Daniel Auteuil) and Anne (a bloated Juliette Binoche) are. Some twisted mind has sent them a video of their apartment from across the street, though it is friggin' impossible to do so without them, or anyone, noticing a high-end good quality voyeuristic cameraman doing so.

So you get more and more of such tapes being sent over together with childish pictures of incapacitated heads spewing blood, some with different settings, or clues, which Georges decides to investigate by going on-site. What happens, I will not reveal, but it is boring just to watch them go about trying to find out who the perpetrator is. The plot gets more and more absurd, so much so that you'll be screaming for it to end halfway through the movie. The premise gets terrifically set up, but the delivery has so much more to improve.

It is disappointing. From the trailers, you feel that you're up for some good old thriller with satisfying twists. But what you get is a painfully slow movie, which tries to conjure and allude France's history with the Algerians. The saving grace is probably both Auteuil and Binoche's performance, as a husband who finds it impossible to reveal his past, and therefore causing extreme tension with his wife, who finds it almost impossible to trust.

There's a full scene in which a boy hacks up a chicken's head, and the camera lingers until the chicken dies. This is what this movie is, a headless chicken running around in futile, boring audiences until its end. The plot is like Georges' character when he was almost knocked down by a cyclist - exhibiting great bravado with his initial challenge, but when challenged back in return, cowers and wraps up with the tail in between its legs. Pah!

Zoolander

I am five years late. Just as I was so prepared to watch a Ben Stiller caper, with the posters all up at local theatres, the movie disappeared from the radar, and was banned in Singapore. Why? Because the plot was about a fashion model being brainwashed ala The Manchurian Candidate to assassinate the Malaysian Prime Minister.

Why? Because Malaysia was being used as a sweatshop that hires child labour to manufacture cheap garments created by the western fashion houses, and they are not happy that the PM has outlawed working children. Hence the insane sounding plot right in the beginning. However, someone forgot to tell Ben that the Malaysian footage didn't look like Malaysia, but more like Tiananmen Square. Where got wave banners like that? Got space meh? But since we're friendly neighbours of Malaysia, when they banned it, we banned it too, to show solidarity.

Anyway, for refusing to watch illegal downloaded copies, I was finally rewarded when GV decided to screen it here (no more ban? why now?) for a limited period, even though I suspect since it's a Village Roadshow production, why let it collect dust in the archives?

Ben Stiller co-created and plays Derek Zoolander, male model of the year 3 times in a row, with that killer Blue Steel look - an anal retentive look which actually seduces and is popular with the crowd. As most would already know, this comedy parodies almost everything about the fashion industry, like how himbotic male models can be, and amplified that dumbness more than 100%. Zoolander loses his crown to up and coming male model Hansel (played by Owen Wilson with long flowing locks, surfer dude style), and decides to retire.

But since the chief villain and fashion guru Mugatu (Will Ferrell) requires a dim-witted model to be his assassin (they have buff muscular bodies, and listen to instructions), his assistant Katinka (Milla Jovovich, yummy) brings Zoolander to a secret day spa to be brainwashed, and ready to be a killing machine during the opening of the Derelicte line of clothes.

Real life Mrs Stiller Christine Taylor plays Matilda, a nosy journalist who tails Zoolander to try and get to Mugatu, and gets entangled in the assassination plot. But don't worry, the storyline isn't as complex as I've described. It's filled with plenty of insane subplots and scenes, like Zoolander's retirement decision to join his dad and brother (Jon Voight, and an uncredited Vince Vaughn, who doesn't speak a word), an orgy of sorts with dwarfs, and even a walk-off competition between Zoolander and Hansel, with closure that comes straight out of Stephen Chow's campy movies.

The real scream actually comes from the dozens of cameo appearances of the who's-who in the fashion and entertainment industry. Just as a flavour, there's Karl Lagerfield, Donald Trump, Tom Ford, Natalie Portman (who declares her love for Zoolander), Winona Ryder (who tries to seduce Zoolander), Gwen Stefani, Heidi Klum, Fabio, Fred Durst, Paris Hilton (!), Victoria Beckham, and even Billy Zane. You can refer to IMDb to get the entire list of credited and uncredited appearances. But what's the icing on the cake is David Duchovny's role as an X-File-ish character straight from his Fox Mulder days. Simply brought back the memories, in a funny way, including the many 80s and 90s pop music injected into the movie.

So for those who have held out to finally experience Zoolander's new Magnum look, this is your chance. The movie might be dated, but it sure doesn't feel that way. Great fun.

The Pink Panther

The Pink Panther actually refers to an enormous pink diamond with a flaw in the shape of a panther, and not to Inspector Jacques Clouseau, but because of the iconic pink panther's appearance in the animated opening credits, along with the all too familiar theme by Henry Mancini, it's all too easy to associate one with the other.

Of course, many Pink Panther / Jacques Clouseau movies did deal with the pink diamond, but there are other tales weaved into the Clouseau mythos that did not. Peter Sellers owned the Clouseau role, and it is naturally a pair of big boots to fill. But I'm glad to say that Steve Martin has taken this role on bravely, and brought a new, more in-your-face slapstick dimension to Clouseau. Purists might call it blasphemy, but for the new generation, it might serve as a springboard introduction to the Sellers' version.

This movie is set early in Clouseau's career as an Inspector, prior to the first Sellers movie. It's an updated retelling however, with things like the Internet and Viagra worked into the plot. And the plot is extremely simple - the French football coach gets assassinated during a football game, and his Pink Panther diamond goes missing. Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kevin Kline) deliberately assigns police idiot Clouseau to the case, while secretly working behind the scenes to try and track the case himself, for the medal of honour.

So we follow Clouseau and his assistant Ponton (a clean shaven Jean Reno) as they go about their investigations, bringing them to casinos, recording studios, football changing rooms, and even to New York. There are plenty of situational comedy, slapstick, and loads of subtle sexual innuendo wordplay, playing up on Clouseau's mispronunciation and double takes. But certain scenes do stretch it a bit and somehow could be omitted, like the part where he engages an American speech coach.

What made this movie enjoyable, is the casting. Steve Martin brought a sense of familiarity, and he partners Jean Reno really well. The chemistry between the two men made this movie watchable, as we see Reno breezing through this with a deliberate straight face. Match Point fans might be glad to see Emily Mortimer here as Clouseau's bespectacled secretary, and it seemed that she was there as an unexpected love interest, as well as to further certain gross humour from the start.

Beyonce Knowles stars as a singer (what else?) and she can add this role to her resume for being featured in another detective/spy franchise (the other being Mike Myers' Austin Powers). Sadly, she doesn't do much here except pout, dress sexy, perform sexy, and sing, compared to her much meatier role as Foxy Cleopatra.

But the real gem in this movie, is that of Clive Owen's appearance. Watch out for that casino scene, where he appears in a tuxedo, and in a role that gives everyone a glimpse of what he can do as 007. That suaveness, that campy drink made fun of, and easily discovered as being in her Majesty's secret service. Sadly, it's a role that's not to be, but here, he hams it up as 006 (you must listen closely to Clouseau's follow up comment on that!). It's a real blast!

Take note too of the mini Smart car. I discovered its wide existence in Europe about two years back, and have often marvelled at the thought if I could squeeze comfortably into its tiny interior. It'll also make an appearance in Summer's anticipated The Da Vinci Code, so I wonder if one day this vehicle will make it to our shores here.

Alas, this film is (drumroll please) censored at a point. And that's very disappointing. I thought the whole dance sequence with Clouseau and Ponton could have contributed to more laughs. I was laughing, then stopped when the music jerked, obvious that a censor's scissors had made its effect felt. It was a bad cut, and perhaps one which was unnecessary even to keep it within PG levels.

The storyline is predictable and it's nothing to shout about. But to chase away long workday blues, then give The Pink Panther a watch, You just might be tempted to get your hands on the original series, just to see Clouseau work his magic in his other adventures.