Little Children

We're So Not Happy

Welcome to suburbia!

It took director Todd Field 5 years to come up with another movie after In the Bedroom, which I watched back in 2001. It's kinda strange that while at first glance I'd think his movies are a tad boring, in both occasions - for In the Bedroom and now Little Children, I ended up glued to the screen, and find myself sucked deeply into the proceedings. Somehow he managed to draw me into the story, feel for the characters, build up excellent tension all the way to the end, before releasing me from its grasp in the well thought finale.

Things might not always be interesting, but Little Children offers a tight drama and excellent characterization. Based on a novel by Tom Perrotta who also co-wrote the screenplay with Todd Field, Little Children looked very much like Desperate Housewives in its introductory scenes, with the voice over narration, and well, housewives going about their daily routine of caring for their children, mindless idle chatter and gossips, and lusting over the "prom king", their fantasy hunk who's actually a house-husband (Patrick Wilson).

That aside, it didn't take too long for the catalyst of a dare to spring things into motion, with Sarah (Kate Winslet) making bold contact with Brad (Wilson), much to the dislike of her peers. It's interesting to note that neighbourhood politics also rears its ugly head, with ostracizing of fellow neighbours for trespassing against you even for the most minute, or innane reasons. This movie captured such moments succinctly, and no doubt you could probably identify a moment of two, whether you're on the side that dishes out such negativeness, or are actually on the receiving end.

The relationship between Sarah and Brad, which becomes a highly sexually charged one, takes on a life of its own as it threatens their respective holy matrimony. But it's curious that you start to wonder if their dalliances could be justified in a warped sense of the way. Trapped in unhappy marriages with emotional zilch, it didn't seem that each of them will want to carry on making things work, instead opting for quick fixes with someone else, though it degenerates quickly to constant banging.

It's a study into the lives of two families. Sarah and Richard Pierce (Gregg Edelman), who experience a total meltdown in their ties when he exhibits his infidelity and probable deviant relationship with Slutty Kay. And Brad and Kathy Adamson (Jennifer Connelly, totally hot, which states that there absolutely no logical reason why anyone would want to cheat on her), in their reversal of roles, financial issues and the former's lack of ambition, put a strain on their relationship, especially when Kathy isn't satisfying Brad's primal urges. Put two and two together, you see an immoral solution of revenge and an outlet for satisfaction, but two wrongs don't make a right. The respective spouses don't get much airtime (a pity for fans of Connelly), though they serve as ample backdrop that yes, our adulterous couple are cheats in their own ways too.

The movie makes you judge and question the intent and actions of the adulterers, and it doesn't make it easy with no clear answers, much like real life. Weaved into the main plot, is a separate short, though it may seem to be the more powerful one. Convicted pedophile Ronnie (Jackie Earle Haley) is released back to society, much to the resentment of the community he lives in. At first glance, he looks harmless, and you wonder if it could be another case of Boo Radley. But as we go along, again you're subconsciously drawing conclusions, while at the same time, made to understand the plights of a man who can't control his strange urges. You will probably feel sorry, then angry, and flip flopping between empathy and disgust. And in this story arc, it demonstrates that mother's love is almost always unconditional. Don't expect something like The Woodsman, but perhaps something a little more, from Jackie Earle Hayley's excellent acting, and the material he has to work upon.

There are other sub plots put in, which spices the movie up, like the Guardians touch-football that boys will always be boys, the one man crusade against Jackie, and a scene which sums up the feelings of Sarah at a book club reading, which I thought their discussions accurately paralleled the emotions of what Sarah's going through at the moment. One thing to note is that the editing is seamless and smooth, which transitions between scenes almost flawlessly, though you can't help but to notice it. The movie might seem to go on and on, and somehow I almost wished that it wouldn't end (seriously), but it built up to a tension filled conclusion and ended with what I think was a nice resolution to almost all the issues presented, though not all perfectly, or in the way it should be.

But that's life, and life goes on. Little Children makes recommended watching this week.

[Contest] Puberty Sucks

It's a dearth of reviews by my standards this weekend, so I'll take the opportunity to plug something else in the meantime.

Remember my entry about The Motel some time back, and I ended off with a cliffhanger about a contest?

Well, it's here! Titled the "Puberty Sucks" contest, it's currently being organized at YouTube. What you need to do is to submit your worst puberty stories. Everyone who submits a video gets a signed poster. So if you're game, head on down via this link.

Running with Scissors

The Finch Family

Just as romance movies fall under the tried and tested romantic-comedy or romantic-tragedy genres, if a movie is made about a family, you can be sure that it must be dysfunctional. And in Running with Scissors, one such family is insufficient, and you have the protagonist, Augusten Burroughs (Joseph Cross), jump off the frying pan and into the fire, where he encounters even more weirdness in his surrogate family.

Based on personal memoirs of the real Augusten Burroughs (of course, with a certain degree of dramatic license), Running with Scissors appeals through its quirky ensemble cast. Starting with Augusten's own parents - an alcoholic father (Alec Baldwin), and his mother whom he is extremely close with, Deirdre Burroughs, played excellently by Annette Benning, who is suffering from severe delusions that she's a great poet awaiting her potential to be unleashed to the world. As she slowly becomes unstable, Augusten is packed off to live with her own therapist Dr Finch (Brian Cox).

And it is here that the kaleidoscope of bizarre episodes start to take place in Augusten's life, no less contributed by the weird Finch family. Hope, the eldest daughter (Gwyneth Paltrow) is a God-fearing woman filled with blind faith, Mrs Finch (Jill Clayburgh) is unkempt and eats doggie snacks, while the youngest daughter, Natalie (Evan Rachel Wood), is your typical teen rebel without a cause. Performances by the cast for the Finch family were great fun, especially Gwyneth's tongue-in-cheek take as a spinster. But the scene stealer was naturally Evan Rachel Wood, though I think she's about to get typecast if she continues in similar roles, which we have already seen in Thirteen and Pretty Persuasion.

But amongst all, Annette Benning has put up a credible performance as the delusional mother, and is almost au naturel with her subtle mood swings and the constant guessing if she's actually intelligibly aware of what she's saying and doing. Joseph Cross too plays off her energy rather well, as the main protagonist, he has the responsibility to make the audience sympathize with his predicament, and he succeeded.

Which is his total loss at how to deal with his family problems, of being the child stuck between two warring parents. Having a love hate relationship with the ones who brought you to this world, and nurtured you, is difficult. And to feel abandoned by your loved one when they pack you off to stay with another family just takes the cake. In the madness that he lived in, perhaps his soulmate is Natalie, who also seems to be the only sane person around the house, barring her uncouth mouth. In her, he can see himself as she experiences similar issues, and a time will come when they will both make important decisions that will change their lives.

Filled with an eclectic and excellent soundtrack selection, Running with Scissors has great dialogue filled with enough innuendoes and situations to tickle your funny bone, and its finale is surprisingly heartwarming. Recommended stuff.

Once in a Summer (Geuhae Yeoreum)

When I See You Smile

I was looking back
to see if you were looking back at me
to see me looking back at you
- Safe From Harm, Massive Attack

My cinematic memory of South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun was in macho action movies like JSA and A Bittersweet Life, so Once in a Summer appeals because I am curious to know how he would do in an out and out soppy romance, released in time this month for Valentine's Day. And the verdict is yes, it will hit the right spots with the romantics out there, but even as I rolled my eyes at the formula employed for a romance, I was won over by its hard hitting ending, and moments as described in one of my favourite songs (as above).

Lee plays a rich man's son Suk-young, in times of great turmoil when university students, unhappy with the state of affairs in the country, are planning to go on a protest. He joins his friends on their travels to a remote village, in order to escape from his strict father, and needless to say, that summer he'll begin his romance with one of the village girls Jung-in (Su-Ae), the village librarian.

And thus begin the wonderful shots of beautiful landscapes which drapes the relationship between our lovebirds, and the usual events that lovers go through. It's not easy and smooth sailing though, as Jung-in comes with emotional baggage and proves to be hard to get. But you won't get too bored though with his frequent pursuit, as the narrative also takes a glimpse into the lives of the villagers, as they experience new technology like moving pictures, and electricity.

Once in a Summer takes on a dual timeline running concurrently, and the flashbacks and forwards are quite nicely edited without any jarring moments. The soundtrack proved to be memorable as well, though these are techniques so familiar and now deemed necessary in making a romance movie. If the formula isn't broken, why fix it - and even right up until the ending, though I'd like to offer a different take. So what follows is a spoiler, which I thought is what made this movie a classic, and allows it to transcend its "same-old" label.

SPOILER
Love is a powerful emotion, but denial of your loved one is an big unforgivable sin. In denial, you would have destroyed every shred of credibility that you have. And I felt extremely down watching that scene, when it takes the other party to realize just what you've done, all down to the cause of self-preservation, but he/she knows and understands. It takes a lot to acknowledge the fact, and even more so to play along. Love is not what words are said, or things that are done, but more so as what is sincerely inside. If you really truly love someone, self-preservation would be the last thing on your mind, though some may argue that what was done was necessary to hope that all ends well.

So when one party has decided to move on after the huge disappointment, it's heart wrenching for both parties, but perfectly justified.
SPOILER ENDS

All in all, a highly recommended romance movie with all the necessary ingredients for that date, and filled with an ending that would probably linger on after the movie has well ended (making it good for that after-movie discussion as well).

Open Water 2: Adrift

Don't Finger Me!

The original Open Water had a couple stranded in the high seas when they went deep sea diving, and somehow missed the boat, literally, thereby being stranded in the middle of nowhere. The formula is now repeated in Open Water 2: Adrift (just called Adrift here probably to disassociate itself from being a "sequel of sorts" movie), with the number of couples increased threefold.

But I can't judge which is better, having not watched the original. Adrift though seemed decent enough, with human nature for self-preservation portrayed so starkly on screen, it's scary. And having to bump up the number of those in trouble, allows for different views and types of people (read: caricatures at times) to be showcased. Each cast member have certain strengths, and some just have total negativity built into them, for contrast purposes.

The setup is simple and we waste no time in being introduced to our characters, almost all of whom are high school friends, and gathered together to celebrate one of their 30th birthday. They go on a weekend cruise on a luxurious yacht, and it's party, party, party, enjoying the finer things in life. Until they decide to go swimming in the sea, did they realize that hey, did someone lower the ladder on board? Otherwise, how are they going to get back to the deck? It's down to the adage of looking before you leap, and that danger lurks when you're enjoying yourself so much, that common sense, precautions and safety get thrown in the wind.

And when the severity of the problem surfaces, what do you do? Are you the leader, the thinker, the whiner or the quitter? When everything is fine and dandy, everyone knows how to enjoy to the max. But when there's an issue at hand, do you begin to point your finger at everyone else, or help to think of a solution? And when all seems lost, do you give up, or try, try again? The characters partake in exhibiting some of these traits at different points, and with time running out, and dehydration, paranoia and hysteria slowing creeping in, you'd wonder how long they'll last.

It's human nature to instinctively try and survive, and watching the characters on screen do just that in spite of impossible odds, just makes your heart pound faster as you think - what would you do if you're caught in the same situation? Would you bitch slap the complainer? Would you follow instructions to a T? Would you give ideas and shut up when it doesn't work? And when all seems lost, what would you do?

Supposedly based on true events, this story might have its plot holes at certain times when you think, hey they should have done this or that, but I'd suggest to hold onto your train of thoughts, until a key revelation is made, to which you may nod in agreement why it happened the way it did, and that shake in disbelief when you think that when it comes to life and death, material things should be sacrificed first, and facing the music is just part of the inevitable consequence.

Half Nelson

You Mean I'm A Role Model?

Perhaps the curiosity towards Half Nelson, is how Ryan Gosling got nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor, from seemingly out of nowhere. Probably better remembered for his short lived television series Young Hercules, and recently in the straight to DVD movie Stay, he puts up a rather stoned performance (ok, so his character is a junkie) that seemed to want to tug your heartstrings in his weary, isolated outlook of life, yet leaving you feeling rather nonchalant given his substance abuse.

To his students, Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) is the teacher full of unorthodox ideas, challenging authority and doing things his way. His subject expertise is history, and instead of going the rote way in regurgitating curriculum, he opts for the understanding of rationale behind events, making his classes interactive and interesting. Being a teacher, whether you like it or not, you're a role model, and therefore, a moral compass to your impressionable charges. I have a friend whose other friends are teachers, and he sometimes account their behaviour outside of class, which we are of the opinion that if any parent were to know of their shenanigans, they would immediate withdraw their children from classes.

Dan is such an example - a substance abuser, developing a crutch toward vices to sooth his pain of the real world, where he increasingly feels disconnected from. Chancing upon his activity one day in a toilet, is his student Drey (Shareeka Epps), who decides to keep mum about it. And thus, the two of them start to form this unconventional, radical bond between themselves, a friendship which raises eyebrows from certain quarters as well. With this bond, Dan experiences certain moral responsibility developed, and takes it upon himself to not let Drey succumb to any negative influences. On the other hand, Drey looks up to Dan like a surrogate big brother, given that she's atypical of a latch key child.

The movie adopted rather different approaches, and diverts from the cliche tried and tested storylines like how dangerous substance abuse is, and basically sheds off a lot of fat by keeping its focus on the two leads. The story coasts along rather slowly, and at times, rather aimlessly. I thought the connection with the theme of discrimination and the dwelling on dialectics and the winds of change, rather weak, though some have lauded it, and I don't see what's the big deal about it.

What was awesome though, was one scene where you could feel the pain the characters go through, as one felt helpless and rather shameful to have been exposed in the manner prescribed, and the other, surprised yet unable to do anything else about it, unable to change, and the feeling of guilt akin to delivering poison for a friend's consumption, with another subtle level of letting a mentor down.

Peppered with intentionally bad jokes and a reasonable soundtrack, Half Nelson is reasonably engaging, but definitely not great. Don't hold your breaths for Gosling winning the Oscar as well, Forest Whitaker is probably on the final home stretch for The Last King of Scotland.

The Unseeable (Pen Choo Kab Pee เป็นชู้กับผี)

Boo

It's no secret that I'm a fan of writer-director Wisit Sasanatieng's movies - Tears of the Black Tiger, and Citizen Dog. What's excellent and probably the hallmarks of the director currently are the stunning visuals, wonderful colors, and storylines which are highly imaginative. With Tears, it was an amalgam of cultures for a distinctive and eclectic mix of what's Thai, and the Wild Wild West. In Citizen Dog, the fusion of fantastical elements, song, and comedy endears it and at the same time, warms your heart.

But when this project was announced, I admit I was a bit apprehensive. I have not fancied many Asian horror movies of late, because of the usual formulaic stories and the employment of cheap shock tactics which bore. At times, scenes become unintentionally comedic, coupled with bad makeup and cheesy special effects, which mar whatever potential the movies could have achieved. The horror genre is no doubt a money spinner, and many times, quality is compromised when everyone jumps on the same bandwagon, knowing audiences will still lap them up despite the inferior product.

The Unseeable, however, managed to evade the negative connotations as put forth. I guess my trust in Sasanatieng's vision remained unwavering. The story, when finally pieced together, remained coherent, even though at some points, it felt that the pacing could be picked up a little. Never rushed, it took a very measured method to introduce characters, their backgrounds, and the explanation of, well, what goes bump in the night.

The story tells of a pregnant village girl, Nualjan, who left her hometown in search of her lost husband. En route to Bangkok, she gets put up at a boarding house, with few inhabitants, and owned by a mysterious rich widow Ranjuan who lives in a separate house in the same compound. Making few friends, and slowly becoming the disdain of the housekeeper, Nualjan encounters inexplainable incidents and strange folks, helped in no way by stories about the spookiness of the premises. The usual motley crew of horror movie characters also make their token appearance - an old scrawny lady, a young child, and plenty of shadowy figures.

The narrative structure did seem to stick to the usual formula though, with the final twist ending (twist endings themselves are becoming so common, it's difficult for filmmakers to imagine something more breakthrough). At times, you will also feel that despite the red herrings, your gut feel about how things will turn out, will probably correct. While the revelation explained and tied up loose ends, it did however demonstrate that it doesn't seem to want to end.

Gone are the usual bright pastel color palette that we associate Sasanatieng's movies with, and in place for The Unseeable, are strained colors with a general greenish tinge, in line with the mood and atmosphere created for horror. I felt the filmmakers achieved their objective of creating a horror movie which doesn't capitalize on CGI and special effects, that if not done right, relegates it automatically together with those of dubious quality. Relying on tight angles and excellent sound editing, I admit that yes, watching The Unseeable did give me the chills, especially during its revelatory scenes.

I believed the movie's title in Thai was a little spoiler in itself, so please don't try to translate it until after you've seen the movie. My faith in Wisit Sasanatieng continues, and I for one am eagerly anticipating his take on the martial arts genre with Armful, currently in production.

Altered

The Truth is Out There

I'd have to admit that the draw of this movie is director Eduardo Sanchez, who helmed the wildly popular and successful Blair Witch Project. Besides, this is an alien movie of sorts, and sounded something like Stephen King's Dreamcatchers, one of those movies that the critics hated, but I enjoyed.

But nope, unfortunately I felt that for the most parts, Altered is a waste of time, so I shall keep this review short. Premises are always promising, and Altered's no different. It tells the story of a group of men who experienced strange encounters when they were younger, and as usual, others will take you as a nutcase imagining stuff. Stories about alien abduction always have to deal with probes into the orifices, so I shall not go into details, but you get the drift it's damn uncomfortable, and something you'd like to forget.

What if you're given a chance for revenge? That is, you manage to successfully hunt down, and capture one alive. What will you do? For this group, it's a gleeful payback time, or so they thought. And this is where the movie begins to develop into a snoozefest, with bad, uninspiring dialogue, and even worse acting. Even if it's low budgeted, there aren't many redeeming factors, be it strength of storyline, or any help from the cast in making their characters just a tad interesting. It's the standard cardboard fare from a vanilla plain script, coupled with some cheap scare tactics employed.

What's good though is the makeup. Much effort has been put into making some of the stuff which I shan't mention, because that'll spoil just the few elements of what makes this movie tolerable. Other than that, there are the usual cheap special effects, blood and gory moments which is nothing you've never seen before.

Watch this only as a last resort. Compared to the other monster movie in town - Feast, this one is less fun, and takes itself too seriously. Bogged down by an uninspiring direction, you've been warned.

[FOCUS: First Cuts #6] My Mother is a Belly Dancer (Seelai Ng Yi Cho)

Let Me Dance the Belly Dance

My Mother is a Belly Dancer is the last in the series of the FOCUS: First Cuts project, and to my surprise, it's my favourite of the lot, beating Crazy Stone, one of my movies of the year 2006! It's no secret that I dig dance movies, but this one is not the usual flick filled with teen angst and such. It has a lot more gravitas to it, and contains characters that you actually care for, with universal themes which makes it easier to reach out to audiences.

Belly dancing is getting popular amongst the dance crowd in Singapore. It's sensual, with those shoulder shimmies and belly twists, and contains moves that will probably give those abs a fabulous workout. It's a traditional dance, and no doubt with its sensualness, it takes a little getting used to, especially for local Asian women who are generally shy to expose that midriff and shake that booty. (Clarification: I think younger women have no qualms, but the movie's focus is on the "auntie crowd")

Set in a residential estate, the film looks into the lives of 4 women, and how dance, in particular the belly dance, helped to develop them into stronger women, from the traditional demure roles into independent womanhood. We actually look at mums of different ages and backgrounds, such as a housewife who gains no respect from her husband nor her kid son, a single, young mother, a fruit seller whose husband she suspects is having an affair, and finally, a rubbish collector whose facing problems with feeding her large family of kids given her husband's inability to hold down a well paying job.

Before you scream in disgust that this is typical women-power stuff, I'd like to assure that it actually has a lot of heart, and that's what made this movie so enjoyable. It's about finding strength and the acceptance of reality. It's about assertion and moving on. Each woman face their own unique problems in their lives, and by coming together in the dance class, they form a strong bond with one another, especially when the dance class itself face discrimination from the more traditional, uptight older womenfolk who view it as immoral and slutty. Their problems and challenges in their personal lives run viz-a-viz the issues of keeping their class alive, and by saving their class and keeping their spirits alive, they too subconsciously experience a change in their character.

The lead actresses, though not frequently seen in movies these days, all put up commendable performances, even though some of their characters start off in a one-dimensional manner. They added believability with their earnest portrayals of women facing problems, and who turn out for the better when they discover new strength during their dance sessions, and through the forging of new bonds. Andy Lau returns to lend some star power in the movie, as with most of the other FOCUS: First Cuts project films. Here, he cameos as the owner of a middle eastern bar, where women congregate and share their love for belly dancing.

So just what exactly is happiness? That's what the movie seeks to explore, and presents at the same time, the common viewpoints of family live as seen through different eyes, in different forms, under different circumstances.

To round up the FOCUS: First Cuts movies in order of preference, mine will be
1. My Mother is a Belly Dancer
2. Crazy Stone
3. Rain Dogs
4. I'll Call You
5. The Shoe Fairy
6. Love Story

Miss Potter

I Want See

Possibly the JK Rowling of her time, Beatrix Potter is the author of the beloved children's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit, amongst other best selling classics which you might have read as a child. Not only does she dream up and write the stories, she does the illustrations as well, which are actually quite beautiful in its simplicity. Most of them, after all, are based on animals, and her painted illustrations augment her narrative text really well.

The titular role is played by Renee Zellweger, last seen in Cinderella Man, and the story picks up from the time where Miss Potter is trying to look for a publisher willing to take on the first-mover risk and give her stories a go. It's like a quick summarized biography of sorts, with constant flashbacks to her past, to the beginnings of the source of her inspiration, as well as her current challenges in publishing. Not until she meets up with a relative rookie to the business, Norman Warne (Ewan McGregor), who believes in her work, and is also looking at opportunities to prove that they know what they're doing, and that against popular opinion, they do have a winner in their hands.

Miss Potter is about her life and love, and naturally from their constant interactions at the business front, they inevitably fall in love. This is another collaborative effort between McGregor and Zellweger (the first being Down With Love in 2003), and they play lovebirds here in the early 20th century, where social conduct, prim and properness are in order, and they can't date openly without a chaperon in tow. Emily Watson completes the main cast as Norman's sister Millie, who cliques with Beatrix as she too cannot understand unfair social norms imposed, as well as the necessity of those times for women to get married, or be left on the shelf as an old maid.

Possibly this year's Finding Neverland, the movie does take opportunity to discuss these social norms, and of class and attitudes within classes. That women of high standing cannot marry down to "tradesmen", as that will serve to undermine their social status, or even to invite them to parties. Independent thought is frowned upon naturally, and it seems that almost everything negative about social norms of those days, are personified in Beatrix's mother.

But no worries that there is too much talk about the themes. Miss Potter is a rather fluffy and light movie, with picturesque scenes and sceneries, together with lovey dovey moments between the two lovers. There are also moments which allow for animation, and if you're well versed with Miss Potter's works, then you'll anticipate some illustrations coming to life, which adds a level of cuteness to the movie. And the theme song is just as beautiful, a song to slow dance to, called When You Taught Me How To Dance. This is definitely date movie material, though remember please to bring along some tissues.

For those interested to find out more about Beatrix Potter, you can check out this link at wikipedia. But be warned, it has just about everything that the movie will touch upon, so visit only if you absolutely want to know how things will turn out, otherwise you can visit it after you've watched the movie.

[FOCUS: First Cuts #5] Rain Dogs (Tai Yang Yu)

Growing Pains

The FOCUS: First Cuts project seemed to have stalled into making the local screenings despite last year's fanfare during the project launch, and it's probably because of the lacklustre box office sales that seemed to add to the reluctance. Rain Dogs (and the other remaining movie My Mother is a Belly Dancer) were given new lease of life at the local halls in a one-off weekend screening, which allowed me to view this movie which have been making waves at major film festivals overseas.

Maybe I did not get the appeal of the movie, as I found it difficult to seek that iota of connection with Rain Dogs. Perhaps I haven't been the kampong boy nor experienced the type of life that the protagonist led. What I do see though, are two separate stories telling the life of Tung, in the first where he's in KL with his brother, and the story dwells on the excellent brotherly love between the two boys, while the second, his exodus from home into the solace of relatives, where he experiences puppy love and somehow finds strength in character, a departure from his relatively whimsical earlier self.

Directed by Ho Yuhang, Rain Dogs tells of Tung's development from boy to man, and maybe, just maybe, his innate search for a father figure in his life. We see that his brother served as the person he admires, and one who takes care of him, while in the later stages, it becomes his uncle, and even more interestingly, the suggestion of Tung being the big brother whom his nephew looks up to. And I thought while Tung develops his bravado, he still retained a certain gawky demeanour, which is actually true of anyone coming of age.

Given the two disparate settings of the movie before and after the opening credits, it allowed for some contrast between the city and the smaller town, with the city being portrayed as dangerous - gangsters, pimps and their broads stalking their next prey, snooker parlour gangsters, and even the blatant corruption amongst white collar workers. The small towns on the other hand, provides opportunity for growth, family bonding, and even a whiff of romance in the air.

There are plenty of picturesque scenes in the movie which allows for some quiet contemplation, and some touching moments too where and when characters connect. If you keep your eyes peeled at the minutest of details, you will probably break out into a smile or two. One of my favourite scenes involved a beer can, which I thought was very subtle, and I actually burst out laughing, much to the puzzlement of the rest. Also, I would like to highlight that the movie is almost devoid of songs save for one, which in my opinion, epitomizes my general feeling towards watching the movie.

Fans of Yasmin Ahmad will also relish seeing their favourite director in front of the camera rather than behind it. Playing the aunt of Tung, she speaks Cantonese quite flawlessly in her role, and yes, she can act too you know? In case you're not aware, Yuhang has also starred in Yasmin's movie - Rabun.

Rain Dogs may not be everyone's cup of tea, but this is just as diverse as the FOCUS: First Cuts project sets itself out to be.

The Last King of Scotland

I Want My Hands on Oscar Gold!

The first Forest Whitaker movie I watched was Blown Away, which starred Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones, one of two "bomb-maker" movies in 1994 (the other being the more successful Speed). And since then, he's been one of my favourite character actors, chalking up a diverse filmography, although some in largely supporting roles in the movies that made its way here (Panic Room, Phone Booth, etc). This year, he is widely touted to win that Oscar for his role as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland.

You cannot deny Whitaker's sheer enigmatic presence on screen, even though his size makes him hard to miss. Despite playing a less than savoury character, Whitaker brings about certain charisma to his role, and makes it believable that the masses adore their new leader rising from a coup. Switching from the man who's contended with everything, and earnestly believing he can delivery the country from the doldrums, to one obsessed with power, and consumed by madness, inconsistencies, and suspicion, Whitaker does it all and showcases his spectrum of abilities convincingly.

However, this biopic of sorts comes from the point of view of Idi Amin's personal physician, Scotsman Dr Nicholas Garrigan (played by James McAvoy), recent graduate, and still finding the meaning to his existence, which led to his arrival in Uganda. McAvoy starred in last year's Chronicles of Narnia as the Faun, and I've seen him as Leto Atreides II in the made for television series Children of Dune. Here, his Garrigan is the confused young adult, suddenly thrust into position of envy, power and privilege as part of the small circle of trust Amin keeps, and is no goody two shoes with his inability to keep his lustful thoughts just thoughts alone.

Based on the novel by Giles Foden, The Last King of Scotland (find out why) has a fairly simple narrative from start to end, bringing Dr Garrigan into Uganda just as Idi Amin seizes power, and from a chance meeting, gains Amin's trust and gets appointed albeit reluctantly at first as his personal and family physician, given promises of running hospitals and drafting out health plans for the country. And slowly, as their relationship evolves, Garrigan finds out the truth about the volatility of the dictator, as he battles consequences of his lusty actions, and tries to find a way out of the madness.

It was interesting to note that it was the posse of western powers who installed Idi Amin as ruler, and also the same powers that be who tries to control a live wire to do their bidding, like a puppet master having total control of his puppet, only to have the puppet fight back. A similar relationship between Amin and Garrigan also exist. And when you get too powerful or influential, expect the masters to try and take some drastic measures, using whatever means to meet the end. Lies and deceit, cunningness and strategy to stay alive, all these are experienced by the two men.

Adding some balance to the level of testosterone, there are two supporting female cast in Kerry Washington as one of Amin's wives, and Gillian Anderson as the object of Garrigan's desire. Though both actress had much less to do in the movie, it was indeed a long time since I've seen Anderson in a movie, I believe the last was the X-Files movie. Basically flower vase roles here, with a standard performance which warrants nothing to shout about.

The real star of the movie is nonetheless Forest Whitaker, though is there any statistic saying a vivid performance of a "villain" will warrant less of a chance for an Oscar win? I recall Denzel Washington winning it for Training Day as the villain, but then again, that character is fictional, unlike this one which is based on a real person, whose activities are frowned upon by the west? One figures, but I'm still putting my bets on Whitaker.

Loft (Rofuto)

Chill Out

If Kairo (Pulse) got my interest piqued towards Kiyoshi Kurosawa's works of horror, a genuine atmospheric piece which truly spooked me, then Loft is that perennial two steps backwards, falling into the curse I find permeating into many Asian horror movies of late, of standard cliches and eliciting guffaws from moments which translate into unwanted comedy.

Loft had the ingredients for a potential spook fest, and it was setup rightly so. You have a writer Reiko, (which seems to be the occupation of choice for spirits to haunt) experiencing weird bodily phenomenon of spewing black, gooey mud, and facing a writer's block, requests her editor to help her relocate to a nice quiet place (read: huge house in the middle of nowhere, with opportunities for things to go bump). Throw in an anthropologist whose latest project involves preserving a recently found mummy - a taciturn man living next door, and you have something interesting set up, together with side show characters for red herring purposes.

Alas, despite the usual craftsmanship of Kurosawa in setting up the mood, Loft seemed to present itself like a one trick pony. It beats about the bush, exposing a lack of control with material and suggests cluelessness, and runs out of ideas in moving the story ahead. You'd come to expect certain plot twists, and characters with their ulterior motives, and is plagued by extremely bad editing, which I do not understand how it passed even the basics of quality control. It limps towards the end, and when it finally showed signs of redemption, it shoots itself in the foot with an extremely cheesy ending, bad dialogue which is amazingly spouted by the cast with gusto, and the sudden decision to make this a cheap hokey romance.

Plagued by inconsistencies and bad effects at one point in time (someone should outlaw superimposed backgrounds in those driving shots - go on location for heaven's sake), the movie looks and develops as if it was an amateur at the helm. I suppose I could come up with something of this quality, and for it to be in the filmography of Kurosawa, it is indeed a nasty shock.

All in all, a very dismal effort from the writer-director, one which seemed to be a very rushed effort on the themes of dreams and delusions, coupled with bad one-dimensional acting (either the I'm-so-scared or I'm-so-anal look). Loft is a bad nightmare indeed. Save your money, rent it at the most.

Happy Birthday (Sun Yat Fai Lok)

Happy Birthday To Mi

It's difficult to sit through this movie, at least for me. Identifying with certain elements brought back some memories that I try to keep at the back of my mind, and going into this movie with slight expectations of the storyline reminded me of what a friends once said, that I'm a sucker for punishment. And yes, this movie dragged a bit, and moves along in cruise control, until the final act where it sledgehammers emotions all the way to an expected cliche ending.

But it is the emotions and thoughts of modern day relationships that makes this movie quite depressing. Based on a short story written by actress Rene Liu herself, and adapted for the big screen by renowned actress/director Sylvia Chang, Happy Birthday, stripped bear of its emotions, is actually a vanilla plain love story which is done ad nauseam. It is the little nuances of the things people do, or do not, that rings the story home.

Rene plays Mi, a girl who wears a smile on her face, but deep inside hides this grave insecurity. Louis Koo, more famous last year for his Johnny To triad outings and possibly treading the same path in the upcoming Derek Yee movie Protege, stars as Rene's lover Nam, a boy who seems to be commitment phobic, the stud to whom the chicks flock to. Put them both together, and with their obvious personality differences, you'll come to expect a very rocky road ahead. But isn't love all about taking that initial leap of faith?

Watching the two get together, then not, and then some, makes it frustrating. But I felt herein lies probably some realism, at least for me in my limited experiences, of two people trying to get together, yet prevented from doing do because of self doubt, or the lack of courage to admit your feelings. Walls get built up, and both decided to be better than best friends, because then, nobody will get heartbroken if things do not work out. What gives? It's back to the games people play.

I find it easy to identify surprisingly with both characters. The fear I can feel, and the folly of deciding to wait I've done, or perhaps still doing? And in my defenses I've set out to tell myself never to experience the type of heart sinking moments Mi felt when she learnt of good tidings from Nam. There will always remain a sense of curiosity, of wanting to maintain contact with your ex, or wanting to find out a bit more, but it's my take (some may disagree) to cut off ties completely (ok, so sometimes I waver), lest we hurt or become hurt.

It's tempting to dispense with the advice of telling someone you love them in case it becomes too late, especially after watching the movie and agreeing that holding back is one of the worst ways of handling relationships, but it's always easier to say than to do. You might be tempted to go forth and say it, however it's real life, and reality doesn't last just 1 hour and 45 minutes. I'm probably two minds about it though, with the counter argument being if you don't, you might spend equal time reminiscing on regret.

Rene Liu and Louis Koo look like the model couple, and it's pretty hard to know that the former, with her pixie looking facial features, is actually already 37 years old. And both leads actually belt out some tunes for the movie, albeit some deliberately off key. The look of the film takes on an incredible soft focus feel from start to end, and that, while romantic and dreamy during certain scenes, will take a bit of time to get used to. Veteran Richard Ng also stars in the movie, as Mi's dad, and the supporting cast of Bowie Tsang, Lawrence Chou, and a host of others helped to lift the movie from its gloom.

Happy Birthday might not be everyone's cup of tea given the style of delivery of its standard-story-with-cliched-ending, but I guess if you open up your heart to it, you might find it a tad more enjoyable, and somehow, if you're that sentimental fool who's been there and done that, you'll feel that tinge of regret inside you.

.45

Pretty Woman?

If you think Milla Juvovich's Ultraviolet was bad, .45 is pretty much in the same territory, although it is less flashy, devoid of effects as it's being set in the more realistic world of female battery. Milla's great to gawk at, but where's the all essential, crucial ingredient called story? It had potential, but decided to waste it all by going all sexy and in overdrive in the last 20 minutes. Pity.

To read my review of .45 at movieXclusive.com, click on the logo below:

Bobby

Spot the Hobbit

The name Kennedy is probably as close to "royalty" in the US as it can get, and it is of no surprise that the tragic events of the Kennedy brothers inspired movies to be made in their names. John F Kennedy, the 35th President of the USA, was assassinated in Dallas, Texas in 1963, and conspiracy theorists had a field day in suspecting there's more than meets the eye. I still remembered the day I watched Oliver Stone's JFK in the cinemas, and as a teen was captivated by the movie, which really went on and on and on with the stock archive footage of the shooting.

While some have dismissed the movie as propaganda, I thought Roger Donaldson's Thirteen Days was intriguing enough, highlighting perhaps JFK's defining moment in office in tackling of the Bay of Pigs / Cuban Missile Crisis. Also starring Kevin Costner (not in any Kennedy role), this movie had JFK's brother Robert (Bobby) Kennedy featured as well, as he was the Attorney General of the time, and together, with others, have orchestrated a favourable outcome to the crisis.

But alas, when Bobby was in the run-up for the US Presidency, he was unceremoniously gunned down in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in 1968. Bobby the movie is set on that fateful day, so it must be cautioned that this is not a bio-pic, as it takes a broader look at the events of the day, and peeks into the dramatized lives of others around him who suffered collateral damage, in an era marred by steady violence and intolerance in society.

What will probably catch your eye in Bobby, is the huge ensemble cast. And I mean huge. Even at the half hour mark, there are prominent actors still popping up to be counted. Familiar names in the cast include big names, has-beens, recognizable faces from the 80s and 90s, and the starlets of today - Emilio Estevez, Laurence Fishburne, Heather Graham, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Hunt, Ashton Kutcher, Lindsay Lohan, William H Macy, Demi Moore, Freddy Rodriguez, Martin Sheen, Christian Slater, Sharon Stone, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Elijah Wood.

I would guess that Emilio Estevez might have had a difficult time in managing so many talents in this movie, written and directed by himself, and I was surprised at the end result - that it is a good movie, even though you'd know the outcome. Yes there are plenty of stars, and in effect each of them have their little individual story arcs to flesh their characters, although sometimes they do fall into their typecast, like Fishburne's character spouting philosophy ala his Matrix's Morpheus, or Heather Graham as the typical sexy blonde. Some story arcs are interesting, though nothing is too sophisticated, which takes off that certain shine of brilliance. Some arcs too are totally weird and probably there for the laugh factor, but on hindsight, it was a reflection of the sign of the times, of free love, drugs, rock and roll.

I thought it was neat that Estevez decided against casting Bobby, and instead chose to elevate his character through archive footage, and voiceovers using some of his speeches. You get to see the real Bobby, and get to hear his voice, as he delivers passionate thoughts about working together, peace and harmony, things and themes that still ring true even in today's context. I guess such is the universal appeal, and a small clue that you can use to imagine how wildly popular he was amongst the minority groups at the time.

The movie had an awesome soundtrack, and what took me by surprise was the inclusion of Simon and Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence. It was used as the song in the opening credits of The Graduate (one of my favourite films as well), and I thought it was one of the best opening sequences, and to hear it again in the context of Bobby, was just wow. The song at the end credits, written by Bryan Adams and performed by Aretha Franklin and Mary J Blige - Never Gonna Break My Faith, was pleasing as well, though it was nominated for the Golden Globes, but didn't cut it for the Academy. For movie buffs, you will also probably grin at the many movie related trivia and mentions in Bobby.

There are plenty of positive "what-ifs" in the movie, which seem to suggest that things would have been vastly different should the tragedy not happen, but that, sadly, will remain as questions of history. It's nominated for Best Picture at the Golden Globes, so that should suggest something on the pedigree of this movie. I'd recommend it for the star gazing as well, and do watch this soon as it's only playing at two GV cinemas.

The Motel

Occasionally you get bored with the usual run off the mill flicks from Hollywood, and wonder what's out there in the indie scene. Especially in Singapore where we pretty much get our movie fix from the big studios screening their latest hits (or not) on the big screen. I guess I'll be featuring some indie movies at my site from time to time, and we shall start off with The Motel.

Trailer
The Motel Trailer 2

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Synopsis from Palm Pictures
Puberty sucks, and nobody knows it better than 13-year-old Ernest Chin (Jeffrey Chyau). As he watches guests come and go, Ernest finds himself forever stuck at his family's hourly-rate motel, where he divides his time between taking orders from his overbearing mom, cleaning up after whatever miscreants the motel may attract and longing for the girl of his dreams, 15-year-old Christine (Samantha Futerman, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA). When charismatic Sam Kim (Sung Kang, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW) checks into the motel, fatherless Ernest is taken under his wing and hustled toward manhood, for better or worse. From the producers of ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW and THE GOOD GIRL, comes an honest portrait of adolescence as heartfelt and authentic as it is hilarious.


From the trailer above, the movie looked interesting enough to warrant a chance, and has already garnered a couple of awards in the film festival circuit, including The HUMANITAS Prize in the Sundance Feature Film Category. Oh, and yes, if you find one of the actors familiar, he's Sung Kang, who was in The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift, playing Han, the Korean dude who lent Lucas Black's Sean Boswell his Evo to wreck in the multi-storey carpark.

You can visit the official website of The Motel by clicking on this link, which includes 3 parts of a podcast series with the director Michael Kang speaking to the producer and the leads.

The DVD is available for pre-order, and you can get it from Palm Pictures.

For those of you on MySpace, you can visit the movie's MySpace page. There'll also be a YouTube "Worst Puberty Story" contest coming real soon, so stay tuned!

Truth Be Told - Website and Trailer

The independent filmmaking scene in Singapore had an unprecedented number of movies making its cinematic debut last year, and this year there are a couple of projects in their final stages of production, which hopefully we'll be able to view in 2007. One of them is Truth Be Told.

Starring familiar faces from local television, first time feature film makers LIM Jee Nee (Producer/Writer) and TEO Eng Tiong (Producer/Director) seemed to have revisited the heartlands to base their story in, following local films like 12 Storeys (1997) and Singapore Dreaming (2006).

The trailers interestingly do not box the movie into any particular genre (until more clues are afforded), and can pass off as a mystery / horror / thriller all at the same time. I guess having in set in a relatively older housing estate like Tiong Bahru, has its advantages!

Synopsis

A new job as a television producer moves Renee Donovan (MediaCorp artiste Yvonne Lim) back to Singapore. Recently divorced, she is hoping to start a new life with her 6 year-old daughter and put the past behind her.

But on her first day of work, a current affairs assignment takes her back to a neighborhood she ran away from 10 years ago. There, an old neighbour, Old Teo (Liang Tian), recognizes her. At every turn, he threatens to reveal her secrets. As Renee struggles to cover her real identity to complete the assignment, she is forced to confront her past and the shameful secrets which surface as a result.


You can read the filmmakers' production blog, as they share their experiences and provide some insights into the dread faced by first time feature filmmakers locally.

Official Web Site

Truth Be Told Teaser (Embedded Quicktime)
Truth Be Told Teaser (Embedded Windows Media Player)

Truth Be Told Trailer (Embedded Quicktime)
Truth Be Told Trailer (Embedded Windows Media Player)

Jackass Number Two

Let's Bhangra!

I haven't seen the Jackass television series from MTV, or the original movie when it was released in 2002. This sequel was originally planned for release here sometime last year in October, but has been shelved until now. Nonetheless I shall unabashedly say that I had a good time watching this, but I guess it will only appeal to those who have a thing for low browed humour.

Jackass Number Two consists of various episodes of skits, ranging from the vulgar to the dangerous, featuring a whole host of comedians cum stunt persons who are willing to risk life and limb to capture on film some ridiculous, nonsensical stunts, or craft deliberate candid camera-ish funny moments to either humiliate, or just have plain fun amongst the cast and crew. The gags range from the simple sucker punch types, to elaborate rouses like Ashton Kutcher's Punk'd. Even their own cast and crew are not spared moments where the joke's actually on them, without them knowing.

With Johnny Knoxville (Dukes of Hazzard) being one of the chief pranksters, be prepared for plenty of scenes with naked butts, balls, and hair from the pubic region. Be prepared for loads of camera focus on the body parts, and bodily fluids from animals are not spared either. If it's not your kind of thing and you dismiss toilet humour jokes easily, then steer clear of this comedy, as crassness just got its ante upped in this movie. There's no joke that cannot be made here, and there's a running one throughout the movie involving an old man, and another on an old lady. No holds barred, I tell you.

If you want to unwind after a hard day's work, in need of some mindless fun and comedy, and not bother about plot or characters, then Jackass Number Two is an automatic choice. Just do repeat what they do, in the real world.

And if you've watched this already, which is your favourite skit?

Sione's Wedding

Band of Wedding Day Brothers

It's early into 2007, and I've already got one contender for film of the year. Sione's Wedding from New Zealand has this impeccable charm to it, and it's been a delightful surprise watching this at only the one hall it is currently screening at.

I suppose most guys at one point or another have been "brothers" during wedding ceremonies, either to shield the groom from pranks, or to actually put him through one of your own. Sione (Pua Magasiva) is getting married, and the last thing he wants is his friends from his ex-brotherhood "Duckrockers" gang (check out that hand signal!) ruining his big day with their madcap antics, things like shagging the bridesmaid in the bridal car, or drinking until piss drunk.

The focus therefore is on the quartet of Albert the respectable office insurance worker (Oscar Kightley, who also co-wrote the script), Michael the courier guy (Sione's brother) blessed with good looks, a hot bod and routine womanizing ways (Robbie Magasiva, brother of Pua in real life as well, who will also star in an upcoming movie co-produced by Mediacorp Raintree Pictures called The Tattooist), Stanley (Iaheto Ah Hi) who is infatuated with the voice of Latifah, a girl whom he only rarely communicated over phone-chats, but yet to meet up in real life, and Sefa the non-commital type of guy who frequently ditches his girlfriend to attend parties with the Duckrockers (played by Shimpal Lalisi).

Their dilemma comes in the form of the community pastor, who banned them from Sione's wedding, unless they can prove themselves to be responsible in their actions and not spoil the wedded couple's day. And with the counter-proposal by the guys, they want to prove that if they turn up with committed dates, they should curtail their nonsense, and be allowed entry. So a deal has been made, but the problem is, these guys actually are your usual slackers, and have immense difficulty in living up their end of the bargain.

I think that every guy could identify with one or more of the buddies here, never mind if they're Kiwis, as relationship issues are always universal. You have the shy type, the one who can snag one night stands at the snap of his fingers, the one who refuses to spend more time with his loved one and prefers time out with the boys, the one who's always fantasizing that his online counterpart is a hot blonde chick with a killer bod, and so on. You can slap them with caricature labels, but to do so will be unfair, as the actors take pains to ensure their characters are believable and realistic, and delivered on their performances.

But the mood's not always serious - this is actually one heck of a fine comedy! The dialogue lines are extremely witty and at times subtle, and there are many well timed humourous moments that will catch you off guard, balanced nicely with plenty of heart warming scenes. Rare are movies these days which offer a healthy balance of the two, and it makes Sione's Wedding very refreshing to watch, never boring at all. While you can see certain subplots developing in a certain way because of familiarity, rest assure that the delivery in this movie is excellent enough to offer its own take on these deja vu development, especially the one involving Princess (the beautiful Maryjane McKibbin-Schweke) or Tania (Madeline Sami).

Filmed in Auckland, and accompanied with an awesome, if seldom heard, soundtrack, Sione's Wedding is a must watch for those in love, relationships or attended that quirky wedding or two. The characters are lovable, the issues real, and you'll get a glimpse of how a Samoan wedding gets conducted. A much much mature version of The Wedding Crashers two years ago. Two thumbs up, a must watch!