200 Pounds Beauty (Minyeo-Neun Goerowo)

Do You Think I'm Sexy?

I am not trying to sound like a pretentious fool, but seriously, I am curious how do fat people take towards the onslaught of movies taking the mickey out of the weight issue? From movies like Shallow Hal, to Eddie Murphy's Nutty Professor, The Klumps and the recent Norbit, and now, this Korean romantic-comedy 200 Pounds Beauty. You'll left to ponder, how many fat jokes are there left to tell?

200 Pounds Beauty surprisingly was entertaining. No, I wasn't referring to the quality of the fatty jokes, but rather in its premise it sets for the heroine Hanna (Kim A-jung), the titular character in question, a plus sized woman with an extremely marketable voice, who's actually employed in a ploy to be the cover singer for a talentless lass Ammy, who looks good, shakes that booty well, but just cannot sing. At night, Hanna moonlights as a chat line employee - you know, those sexy ads with pretty lasses tempting you to call them through some exorbitant pay-per-call telephone line for phone sex.

In love with Ammy's record producer Sang-joong (Joo Jin-mo), but self-conscious about her size and without the dare to admit her feelings, Hanna decides to transform herself after a turmoil of emotional upheavals, albeit with some help from plastic surgery, a full body one no less, and calls the new her Jenny. You might think that the movie is ripe for some criticism into Korea's #1 obsession amongst their womanfolk, you might want to think again. While there are moments where the characters seemingly lambast both male and female attitudes towards plastic surgery, such as low self esteem and lack of innate confidence, this is very soon forgotten when the movie stepped up a gear towards its fairy tale finale of sorts, which in an incredibly overstretched sequence, tried to elicit soppy tears from the soft hearted ones in the audience.

There are some nice, perhaps contrived even, touches built into the narrative, especially on the psychological effects on the changes that extreme plastic surgery - imagine waking up one day to find yourself a completely different person. However in general, it plays out like a fluffy romance comedy with jokes on secret identities, beauties who turn heads (heh, pun intended) and get their way in society, well balanced with dramatic moments of honouring the ties with family and friends.

Kim A-jung naturally is the star of the show, putting on the fat suit ala what Sammi Cheng did in Love on a Diet. She's naturally beautiful, with those innocent bambi-looking eyes, so it's hard for any hot blooded male out there not to fall for her charms. Also, the music added another dimension to the movie. Filled with pop tunes from the 80s and Korean tunes created for the movie (I read that the song Maria actually hit the K-pop charts), the staged musical concerts are a force to be reckoned with, especially since Kim A-jung really delved deep into the performances, and was credibly lending her own vocals to the songs. I thought at times these scenes played out similar to those in Nana, and similarly to the recent Dreamgirls, prepare for some lung bursting, loudspeaker busting singing.

Based on the Japanese manga by Suzuki Yumiko, 200 Pounds Beauty is an example of a perfect date movie, since the girls can ogle at the charmingly handsome Joo Jin-mo. With enough ups and downs and a feel good ending to boot, perhaps the messages in the movie, if there are any to be seriously taken to begin with, become diluted with the relatively long runtime of 120 minutes. The strongest message that comes out of it could probably be that reminder that you can't make everyone love you, no matter how hard you try.

[SIFF] F. (World Premiere)

F.'s World Premiere at the Goethe Institut opened the Free Programme, and the SIFF itself. As Philip Cheah puts it, there's a significance to this 60 minute documentary opening the festival, as the film's subject Toh Hai Leong has for many years, saw himself as the local flipside to Rainer Werner Fassbinder, whose movies will be screened for free at this year's SIFF at the Goethe Institut. And no doubt, gathered around for this event, were many recognizable folks involved in the local film industry, from Eric Khoo to Ben Slater.

I first came to know of Toh Hai Leong through his mockumentary Zombie Dogs, which I saw almost two years ago during the Screen Singapore Festival, and I thought, this is a very peculiar director. In person, I've seen him a couple of times at various screenings, but never mustered the courage to speak with him. I thought he was a little eccentric, but one who never minces his words, and you'll know he's in the house for that unmistakable baritone voice booming from across a screening hall, sharing insights be it to film, or current affairs.

Over time I've learnt that he was once a film critic, and was the secretary of the Singapore Film Society (SFS). And this documentary essentially provided a broad outline to Toh's life, and focused on the recent stage where he fought with Type 2 diabetes. Director Chew Tze Chuan had introduced the documentary as not the final cut he had in mind, but close, and there is nothing too sophisticated about the technical aspects used for this documentary, in what's basically a homage, and tribute to a man who's a walking encyclopedia, and whose career had seen him become a librarian, film buff, film critic, director, flea market operator, and even a food center cleaner!

Through interviews with Ben Slater, Yuni Hadi, Kenneth Tan, Wee Li Lin, Wong Lung Hsiang and more, we come to learn different facets of Toh, and how he had in his unique ways, influenced and left deep impressions, from simple and little gestures, to passionate action and dedication he has for his craft, and especially during his days as the secretary of SFS, and all the while staying humble to his achievements. In what I thought was lacking, were more in-depth exploration into what made Toh tick, though there was a very casual fleeting moment where he discusses his love life.

But what Chew managed to capture vividly was one man's harrowing descent into losing the will to fight the disease he's inflicted with, and I unabashedly say I was indeed shocked to see how Toh was reduced to skin and bones (almost like a POW), and how he had to bear with the symptoms of the disease, including uncontrollable bladder movements.

I'm glad to say that Toh is on the road to recovery, and has put on weight (and hair too!) when he appeared before the audience to share a few words. The flow of the documentary is easy to follow, with the usual talking heads introducing Toh at various stages of his life. And for those who have not seen his directorial effort Zombie Dogs, you'll get to see snippets of the movie in F. too. And I thought Toh, despite his illness, had not lost an iota of his acerbic wit, bringing memories of his verbal barrage ability when he rattles on subjects that touch close to his heart.

Played to a packed theaterette (there were people standing along the sides, and sitting on the floor), do watch this documentary if you're curious to know about an enigma in the local film scene. You'll probably come away with a better understanding, and take away for a fact that life is fragile, and to make the best out of it.

[DVD] The Mission (Cheung Fo) (1999)

Don't Mess With The Best

Many have lauded The Mission as a classic, and I don't deny that. However, as the unofficially loose precursor to Johnnie To's recent movie Exiled, The Mission did seem quite dated, but you can be dead sure that many of Exiled's plot points, characterization and stylistic influences, get established as far back to this 1999 movie.

A triad leader, Brother Lung (Eddy Ko), survives an assassination attack, and to protect oneself, you'll get together an A-Team of your merry men as bodyguards, entrusting your life to the skill of their gunmanship. His brother Frank (Simon Yam) gathers this team, consisting of your day to day average working professionals - Curtis (Anthony Wong), Roy (Francis Ng, somehow credited as Francis Wong), Shin (Jackie Lui), Mike (Roy Cheung), and James (played by the ever reliable Lam Suet, sans pencil thin moustache). While they are barbers, gangsters, valets and technical experts, they are as deadly with a loaded gun, and coordinate extremely well as a team, only that they don't know it yet.

Naturally there are existing cliques amongst the five, and their rawness in working together resulted in a partial failure of their very fist mission - the assassins escape, we journey together in their mission to protect, and see first hand how they command respect of each other, and how they befriend one another. In other words, the practice of the triads code of brotherhood and camaraderie, in trusting each other too with their lives, as they seek an end to their mission, to return to their normal lives.

The Mission is a visual treat to action fans, though as I mentioned, the action itself might look dated. What's key here, and extremely well done, is the buildup. The anticipation of the prey, the feeling of the unknown, the entire setup for the kill. Shootouts occur in a narrow alleyway, and in an abandoned warehouse amongst others, but my favourite would be the one in the mall. It might be strange that as a protection detail, they chose to leave in the open, and when the crowd is absent. Perhaps it's easier to spot suspicious persons? One thing's for sure, to enjoy the suspense, forget about the why and the what if questions (Where are the security guards? Where are the police), but just soak in the moment. I can't get enough of those ultra cool poseur shots, and the ones at the shopping mall were probably the best in the movie.

The somewhat trippy, somehow happy theme track made it seem a little awkward accompanying the plenty suspenseful build up, but strangely it all worked, even when it's used for light hearted moments. Written by long time collaborator Yau Nai-hoi (who this year had made his directorial debut with Eye in the Sky), the tale is not a gun battle a minute story, but a look at the code of brotherhood amongst the men - do they follow orders to a T because their boss orders it, or do they have it inside them to do what their heart tells them? If you've watched Exiled, this conflict amongst the team already had its roots here, and watching The Mission in hindsight, you could never had guessed that this theme could alone could spin off into its own separate storyline in Exiled.

My advice would be to watch The Mission and Exiled as a double bill - fans out there would probably not get enough! I'm sure I will pop both the DVDs into my player soon for back to back viewings! If you, like me, have watched Exiled first, then this movie surely is not to be missed.

The Code 3 DVD by Mei Ah Entertainment isn't really fantastic, but I suppose for the price I paid, you don't come to expect a chock load of extras. You get a choice of either the Cantonese language track or the Mandarin track, in either Dolby Digital or Dolby Surround 5.1. However at times, the audio does seem erratic and at certain points in dialogue, the audio level will fluctuate inconsistently. Subtitles come in traditional or simplified Chinese, and English. I watched the DVD with the English subtitles on, and though it's fairly good, there were minor spelling typos spotted every now and then. A letterbox version, the visual transfer isn't pristine as well, as it can get quite noisy and sometimes turn out to be rather blocky.

As mentioned, it's a bare bones version, consisting of a Data Bank with a very scantily written synopsis which can also be found on the back cover of the DVD sleeve, and the Cast and Crew credits, which can be obtained from the actual end credits from the movie. The Data Bank comes in both English and Mandarin texts.

Besides the stylish theatrical trailer (1min 25sec) with no dialogue, but just the pulsating soundtrack from the movie, a chapter selection is included (9 chapters in total), and a "Best Buy" section featuring the trailer for Ringo Lam's movie "Victim" starring Lau Ching Wan and Tony Leung Ka Fai.

I Don't Want To Sleep Alone (Hei Yan Quan)

It's Hazy

I don't want to sleep alone - if you have incredible patience, then you probably won't have to. Otherwise, within 10 minutes, you'll fall into deep sleep, as did somebody in the same screening I went to. I have put off writing the review to see if my opinion would change, and I dare say it has mellowed down. I would have loved to condemn this Tsai Ming-Liang movie, but just like any other movie, its bound to have its lovers and detractors. I for one, disliked the film, but acknowledge its technical merits.

Simply put, the movie tells 2 stories, one involving a man (played by Tsai's muse Lee Kang-Sheng) being attacked by gangsters, and taken in and cared for by a construction worker (Norman Atun), while the other story involves a comatose man (also starring Lee) being nursed by Chyi (Chen Shiang-Chyi), a coffeeshop waitress working for Pearlly Chua's sexually repressed coffeeshop owner. In classic Tsai style, these stories are told in long, static shots, little or no dialogue, and through songs. The usual themes of alienation, repression, loneliness etc (fill in the blanks, you know the themes already) is commonplace in the movie, so much so that they become turn offs.

At times you wonder if it's a comedy of absurdity, and if the movie is a waste of film and resources. You also scratch your head wondering if those who have praised the movie sky high are out of their minds, or if they're following the bandwagon and praising the emperor's new clothes. However, I did enjoy the first few minutes of the movie when Lee's wandering man walked around the seedier streets of KL. In fact, there isn't really much clues that it's KL, it can be Geylang for all you care. And possibly every dark corner and roadside become commonplace as the narrative moves along.

If anything, Tsai is an inspiration, for his minimalist art form that makes as if almost anyone could pick up a camera, gather some actors (or friends with zero facial expression - you can mask them, or film from across the road so there are no close up shots to betray their lack of ability) around, and make something out of nothing. Just as how crazy men are called eccentric rather than mad if they have power and money, you'll just have to convince that you're an auteur with an amazing eye for details, instead of being called a crap filmmaker if you try and emulate his style.

To some it's pretentious, to others it's a contemporary classic in the works. The only way to best judge if you would like the movie, is to watch it yourself. Just be warned that you'll either be enamoured by it, or come out swearing every vulgarity you've ever known. I sure heard many colourful words when the mattress started to float. If compared to his previous work The Wayward Cloud, I'd find that a masterpiece. But then again, I've always liked my movies with song, dance, things that move, not just a reluctant handjob.

Will I watch future Tsai's works? Sure, if only as a test of true patience, for film school lessons and references, and to share in the perverse joy of listening out for newbies to Tsai movies as they exercise their freedom of colourful speech. They are a vocal bunch after all. Recommended only for hard core Tsai fans, and no one else.

The Namesake

Does She Know How To Cook?

Books allow you to travel without leaving, and on the same note, movies too opens up a visual world that one can immerse into, going to places the filmmakers bring you, and experiencing and feeling the emotions that they try to evoke from you. There are few movies which leave me speechless at the end of it. Not because it's bad, but rather, on the contrary, The Namesake is a superb movie. I was in awe with so much that director Mira Nair managed to pack into its 2 hours, and the intricate layers that make up the movie.

The movie begins with Ashoke and (Irfan Khan) and Ashima (Tabu) Ganguli, newlyweds and Indian immigrants to the USofA. The first third of the movie follows their struggles in their new adopted country, as they begin a new life amongst themselves in a foreign land, and starting a family there in order to provide boundless opportunities for their offspring in the land of the free. Things become more interesting and the family dynamics a joy to watch, once their kids come into play in the latter half of the movie, centered only their firstborn son Gogol Ganguli (Kal Penn).

It's a look into family ties, the clash of cultures and values, especially with their Americanized children's western thinking versus their parents more traditional, conservative views. It's not all bickering if you'd come to expect, but rather, a very meditated story, full of understanding and tolerance, and the realization of change, as epitomized by dad Ashoke. Watching this movie, despite the racial / cultural differences, still made me think a lot about my own state of family affairs, as the story touches on universal themes - family love, parents, the constant desire to be living life in the way you want, and one point that stuck to me throughout, was that about Gogol's struggle with his name, something which I can most definitely identify with.

His disdain for his name Gogol (after Nicola Gogol) almost plays central to the movie. And fleshing out his character perfectly is Kal Penn. Who would've expected one half of Harold and Kumar being able to pull off such a complex role with aplomb? Here, his Gogol/Nikhil on one hand knows what he should be doing about not forgetting his culture and roots, but on the other, with his caucasian girlfriend (played by Jacinta Barrett), he looks more comfortable in the American way of live he's so familiar with. It's the internal conflicts that we see him go up against, and how culture and myopia seem to influence his choices in the wrong ways.

The rest of the cast are brilliant too, and I'm singling out Irfan Khan and Tabu as nothing short of bringing out excellent performances. They bring forth certain tenderness in their relationship, and plenty of love for their son. You can feel their awkwardness in having to deal with a new culture head on, and yet knowing that it's for the better, for their family, for opportunities. They can do a lot with so little - a touch of the hand, a twinkle of the eye, that you can't help but be welcomed into their world.

The Namesake is filled with beautiful music, from both contemporary tracks as well as classical Indian music, as it parallels the struggles of the family straddling between two different cultures. And there are moments in the film that will even cause those with strong hearts, struggle to hold back a tear or two.

This movie brought me to India, a country I have yet to visit, Kolkatta and the fabled monument of love, the Taj Mahal. With authentic locales, excellent acting and a layered storyline, The Namesake is firmly set in shortlist of my favourite movies of this year. Hurry and watch this in the cinemas before its run is up.

Breach

Do You Accept The Mission?

Breach is directed by Billy Ray, who also wrote Flightplan and directed his only other movie, Shattered Glass, also based on real events. Based on the true story of the greatest security breach in US History, it traces the events leading to the arrest of decorated and respected FBI agent Robert Hanssen, who is one heck of a mole within the organization, committing treason of the highest order by betraying the country and selling secrets to the Soviet Union.

FBI newbie Eric O'Neill (Ryan Philippe) gets assigned as an undercover within his own organization, in order to bring down what could possibly be the most difficult inside man to nab, because of his numerous years of field experience, and expertise. Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper) on the surface appears to be stoic, no nonsense, and a God fearing man, but underneath the facade lies something more sinister, and Eric is assigned to obtain proof and evidence in order to charge Hanssen, rather than based on the evidence already gathered which would only garner him a few years imprisonment.

It's spy versus spy, mole infiltration and family misunderstandings revisited again, as Eric has to deal with convincing his boss Hanssen that he is trustworthy, and to maintain that trustworthiness with his wife, who has absolutely no idea how sensitive her husband's involvement in the investigations is, and therefore a sore point conflicting with his mission.

For those into spy thrillers, you'll need some patience as the movie takes its time to set up the kill. However, it's a pleasure just watching it develop every step of the way, despite knowing its outcome, and that there is no big bang exaggerated set action piece. It's an intellectual mindfield for Eric to tread, on one hand feeling extremely beholden and admiring Hanssen, yet on the other, having to snoop everything and report back to his bosses, for that hazy "for the good of everyone" mission objective.

Chris Cooper gave a superb performance as the charismatic Robert Hanssen, while fielding deep dark undertones within his character. I liked the front bit where he mentors his "clerk" Eric, with full ego and cockiness of a veteran, explaining the bit about turf protection, office politics within the Bureau and inter-agency rivalry. Ryan Philippe managed to hold his own against Cooper, and was believable as the man tasked to bring down a veteran - you can feel his adrenaline rush when assigned the mission, yet sympathize with his apprehensions each step of the way. Laura Linney unfortunately played only a bit role as the direct supervisor for Eric's mission, and provided at times some light hearted moments as she exasperates over Eric's many decisions and pointed questions.

There's a degree of added authenticity with the real Eric O'Neill serving as special consultant to the movie. So if spy thrillers are your cup of tea, then Breach will definitely not disappoint. Make time for this!

Conversations with Other Women

Talk To Me

Conversations with Other Women is a talkie movie, along the same vein as Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, as it takes place in one single night of a wedding of a Man's (Aaron Eckhart) sister. He chances upon Woman (Helena Bonham Carter), one of his sister's bridesmaid, and proceeds to flirt with her, in the hopes of getting lucky for a one night stand.

And yes, they do talk a lot, but instead of the free ranging topics as in the Linklater movies, their conversation is focused mainly on relationships, and the games people play, in trying to be coy and hard to get. No doubt the many lines in the movie might be familiar, but they're full of wit and delivered through excellent performances by the two leads, this is definitely the surprise movie of the lot I've sat through this week. If Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy gave us the teenage and early thirties version about two strangers connecting with each other, then Aaron Eckhart and Helena Bonham Carter provides us the late thirties version in this movie, and more.

The obvious thing that hits you when the movie starts, is the split screen. It is used throughout the movie, so it's as if you're watching two movies at the same time, but not quite. Technically, Conversations is very strong, as it takes balls for filmmaker Hans Canosa to pull this off, not to mention the editing which would drive anyone nuts (for the record, he did the editing himself after his editor gave up, and he used only Final Cut Pro to do what you see on screen - the product gets a credit too with the Apple logo!). The split allowed for parallel narratives to play out simultaneously, for flashbacks and for emphasis, and more importantly, brought out the best in the leads.

Why? Simply because they have to act the whole time through, no shots over the shoulder where you can idle when the camera's not on you, or editing used to cover bad takes or flubbed dialogues, or something that perturbs me - lines said by the person who's back is to the camera, when obviously the movement of their chin gives everything away. Gone too are boring talking heads, as here, you get to see the lines delivered and the reaction from the other party, at the same time, without the camera flinching. In order words, the leads gotta be consistent throughout given the camera is on their every expression. Indeed a challenge which Eckhart and Bonham Carter

There's a separate reason why I would want to watch this movie in the first place, and that's to observe Aaron Eckhart's performance, as he's pulled off many superb character actors in movies like Thank You for Smoking and Black Dahlia, and I'm confident that he'll be able to pull off Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight with aplomb. As Man who's succumbing to the weakness of the flesh, his desperation comes with a reason, only to be revealed in due course. Helena Bonham Carter was last heard in Wallace and Gromit - Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and Corpse Bride, and it's indeed high time we see her back on the big screens again. Come to think of it, the last time I saw her in a movie with a substantial role was way back in Fight Club. Here, her Woman is intriguing as to her intent and purpose, and no doubt you will inevitably cast that questioning eye on her.

A word of caution, if you want to be surprised in the movie, don't go to IMDb and look at their plot keywords, as it'll give everything away. What makes this movie work is to go in fresh, listen intently, get blown away by the excellent technicals employed, and in fact, it makes you think all the way through the end, as little details get dropped along, and provides you ample time to piece everything together.

It's not a boring movie, contrary to those who think that talkie movies are. This movie has an excellent witty script, and delivers emotional punches where it should. And the ending is something that will be in your head for a long period of time after the lights come on. Recommended stuff!

The Reaping

Yet Another Demonic Child?

Watching two Hilary Swank movies back to back, I thought it presented a good opportunity to see how the same actress tackles different roles, one a dramatic piece about life's lessons, and the other this, The Reaping, taking on some supernatural forces, although she almost started this movie in a lecture hall premise.

I don't exactly label The Reaping as horror, because it doesn't have a single scene that can truly scare anyone, unless of course your heart's weaker than a chicken's. The structure is akin to Silent Hill, only that The Reaping is not adapted from a video game. But unlike Hill, this movie is pretty compact in its pacing, and doesn't drag scenes for too long to create atmospheric mood like its peer. Instead, if compared to Silent Hill, this is one Noisy Swamp.

Hilary Swank plays a researcher who specializes in debunking biblical sightings and miracles by using science to demystify such phenomena. Listening to her rip the miracles and happenings apart however, was fun, nevermind if it sounded logical or not, since it's Swank, who managed to make the unbelievable, believable in the movie. But that's not to say that she did a fantastic job here, in a role that's largely wasted. If you want to see her act, check out Freedom Writers instead.

But I digress. The Reaping's Dana Scully and Fox Mulder equivalents go into investigating a series of bizarre biblical occurrence, the Ten Biblical Plagues, ranging from the blood waters, attacking locusts right down to the last one - the death of every first born. Some may not like the hokey plot taking advantage of God's wrath on man, but as the movie turned out, it's nothing more than a special effects extravaganza, with the religious fervour added to the background and contributing some semblance for a plot to work.

It's hip these days to have demonic children as part of the ensemble, and The Reaping has this mysterious girl who seemingly is the cause of God's Wrath. Or is it? There's a little mystery to solve, with a couple of twists at the end, in a tale about the devil and avenging angels. And while the end does wrap things up, it leaves room for a possible sequel, should the movie do well at the box office.

The only redeeming grace from the uninspiring, unscary story, is the special effects. Nothing more, nothing less, and nothing to scare your socks off, despite what the trailer and posters suggest.

Freedom Writers

No Homework Today!

It's easy to dismiss at first glance that Freedom Writers as yet another run off the mill troubled teenage class with an inspirational teacher story where the latter whips the class into shape for graduation with some unorthodox teaching methods. In fact it is, except that it's based on accounts of real persons, and that it's full of heart.

Hilary Swank plays the reel life Erin Gruwell, a newbie teacher who goes into class 203 totally wide eyed and full of zest, only to find that her students, the product of the education system's "radical" integration policy, are filled with street smart punks that the other veteran educators wouldn't give a damn about. With most of them involved in street gangs, drive by shootings, violence and such, she's determined to stay on and make a difference to their lives, and in essence, to give them an education.

And it's not just education by going through the motions and mechanics of the curriculum, but real life skills and awareness in issues pertaining to their troubled lives - things like racial tolerance, harmony, and even lessons learnt from the largest gangster group in the history of mankind - the Nazis and the horrors of the Holocaust. In fact, it's the re-telling of these stories, featuring real survivors, and including the readings of select chapters in the Diary of Anne Frank, that distinguishes Freedom Writers from its genre peers, as we experience in tandem with the class, the take aways from the museum and field trips.

In essence, not only are there struggles for respect within the class, there's also Erin's battle with the bureaucratic system, and the fight back against prejudice she faces from her envious, clearly more experienced, colleagues, who to them, teaching is just a job. I suppose after many years in the same role, people do get jaded once in a while. But to experience someone coming in to make real changes, and to do what is right rather than just to do a job, makes one sit up and evaluate one's own career.

I thought Hilary Swank did a commendable job acting her role as the teacher who's willing to involve personal sacrifice to reach out and gain respect from her class, in order to fulfill her objective of getting their attention, and giving them a good education. And the real Erin Gruwell and her Freedom Writers, do deserve some respect in trying to change people's lives for the better.

Freedom Writers clocks in just slightly over 2 hours, but it's a delight to sit through as we follow the class and teacher through 2 years of school. Its message is simple, that we often misunderstand people who are different, either through looks, skin colour, family name and background etc, and that often leads to conflicts of various sorts. The road to peace, is naturally to reach out with sincerity, and truly understand the other party. In order words, make love, not war. The pen here, is truly mightier than the sword.

The Number 23

Talk To Me Numbers

Director Joel Schumacher re-teams with Jim Carrey in the latter's latest attempt to tangent away from the comedic genre, trying to seal himself as being capable of pulling off a dramatic role time and again. I thought he had decent outings with The Majestic and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (my favourite 2004 movie), though I must admit his brooding, obsessive character in The Number 23 totally wiped out traces of that trademarked smirk off his face. You don't see him smile in this movie.

Carrey plays Walter Sparrow, an Animal Control Department employee with a beautiful functional family, who on his birthday, was given an independently published book by his wife (Virginia Madsen) called "The Number 23". He reads too much into it, and suddenly, everything else in his life adds up to this magic number, fueling an obsession of trying to get down to the bottom of the mystery, and to locate the book's writer, who seemed to have understood and written about Sparrow's own life.

Running parallel to the main narrative, like a story within a story, is that from the book itself, where a man known as Fingerling (also played by Carrey, with mean body tattoos), pens down his thoughts like a diary, as a detective undergoing some strange series of investigations pertaining to the number. You can argue that the characters in the book look like their "real life counterparts", because that's probably an angle you adopt when you read a novel - trying to picture the character in real life, and in this case, Sparrow sees very much of himself in Fingerling, and plucks the others in his life, into the other characters.

Naturally there is a reason to all the madness, as the story on the number works its way to the finale. In fact, you'll probably guess the outcome midway in the movie, though you'll wonder about the exact ending, dwelling on morality, a what-if you can cover up your mistakes, or to choose to own up kind of situation. It's quite refreshing an idea, with the story centered on the plausibility of conspiracy theories involving the number 23. In fact, there are interesting associations with the number, however, this becomes tired during the times when it is contrived - you know how when dates and times involving the fictional characters suddenly all add up. It's too much of a coincidence.

But no doubt you'll have fun in trying to discover the easter eggs of the number 23, when it appears in the frame of the movie. There are so many, you'll begin to lose count. The special effects and editing also play an important part in the movie, transitioning between current and events with scenes from the book. The opening credits were reminiscent of Se7en's, and the entire mood of the film was dark and mysterious enough.

It's a reasonable mystery thriller, so long as you don't poke your nose too far deep into the number 23. Remember, it's all fiction, and for all intents and purposes to make the movie work, just take it as it is, superficially at face value. The only pitiable gripe about the screening here is, in the name of profits and a general PG rating, much of the crucial scenes, some involving important snippets of dialogue, were left on the editing room floor - for reasons of nudity, violence and bloody gore. So if you're a stickler for such things, and mind you the censoring was badly done, you might want to opt for the DVD instead.

Be sure your sin will find you out - Numbers 32:23

The Hitcher

Don't Mess With Me

Sometimes you wonder what's the point. The Hitcher is a remake of sorts of a 1986 movie of the same name, where you have a deranged hitchhiker trolling around a highway, taking on innocent, good samaritans who offer him a lift, and sending them to the light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps for newbie director Dave Meyers, whose filmography contains only music video productions, it seemed like a safe enough choice to make his first narrative film, a remake, and one riding on the coattails of the recent popular horror-thriller genre.

Sean Bean takes over from Rutger Hauer (from the original) as the psychotic John Ryder, an anonymous man hell bent on stalking teenage couple Jim Halsey (Zachary Knighton) and Grace Andrews (Sophia Bush), after a near miss incident and their refusal to assist him, probably pushed some wrong buttons. It's a Jeepers Creepers and Wolf Creek combined type of movie, with the relentless pursuit along the highways of New Mexico on vehicles, as well as on foot.

The morale of the story is to never pick up strangers, even if they look harmless, as you'll never know when something inside them will snap, and they go all ballistic. The Hitcher turns out to be rather mixed, flipping between wanting to build genuine tension, to forgoing it all for the more direct in your face methods. Filled with enough stunts, explosions and gun fights to satisfy its target demographics, these do tire out after a while, especially when the story seemed to plod on with its recycled plot elements.

It's pretty gory and bloody, but none that veterans of the Saw franchise or of other movies in the same genre never saw before. In fact you might find it quite tame, if not for some crucial scenes near the end. If anything, this movie celebrates the return of the strong feminine action character type, with Grace totally calling the shots with her street smarts, guts and decisiveness, as compared to her whiny boyfriend.

Sean Bean looks the part, but could have been more menacing. And this movie, could have not been made in the first place. Watch this only if you have time to fill in between movies, or rent it at most.

Meet the Robinsons

Family Portrait

Disney's recent animated features have been misses, with the likes of Chicken Little and The Wild performing below expectations despite the updated computer generated toons and marketing gimmicks, bringing to mind the age old adage that the story comes first. As far as animated movies go, Pixar's the one to beat, having crisp drawings perform to the tune of a superb story. Meet the Robinsons is not a Pixar movie (given that the two companies have now merged), and I'm pleased to say that Robinsons has indeed remembered to go back to basics, in whipping out a strong, engaging tale for its computer generated animation.

The trailers have more or less summarized the story. Lewis is a brilliant kid inventor who meets up with a boy from the future, Wilbur, who enlists Lewis' help in stopping the evil plot of the Bowler Hat Guy, who intents on coming to the present day to wrong certain rights so that the future can be changed, to his advantage of course. It's a time travel movie, and I dare say, space time continuum aside, that it makes cinematic sense, as well as filling it with loads of imaginative fun, especially with the Robinsons, folks from the future whom Lewis meets in the course of his mission.

Though the story developed at a slower than expected pace with a relatively dry introduction, its buildup is measured and it got better as time went on, grabbing your attention hook line and sinker. At times you can guess how the narrative will proceed, and how the expected twists will turn out to be, but it is indeed its delivery of the final act that made it all worthwhile, wrapping up the loose ends with that trademarked fuzzy Disney feeling, that lifts the movie from mediocrity, into an instant contemporary classic.

It is not everyday that a movie comes along, and celebrates failure in a non-comedic premise, coupled with reminders of never giving up, and a theme of family, camaraderie and belonging. It looks on the positive side of things even when the situation is bleak, and I'd bet by the time the end rolls around, there'll be a tinge of bittersweetness in its triumph. The story contains great characters in its ensemble, even though some only feature for a limited time and most already seen through promotional material and trailers. And I thought they dampened expectations too, especially that classic scene with the T-rex about its arms - you're constantly expecting that scene to turn up, and when it does, it becomes anti-climatic.

Based on a book and filled with great songs, Meet the Robinsons evokes the same spirit as movies like Back to the Future and Frequency, both of which are among my favourites, so it isn't difficult to proclaim that this animated movie is a must watch, even if its voice talents are not contributed from those in the A-list.

The screening is preceded by a classic Mickey Mouse short called Boat Builders. A rare opportunity to watch Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy on the big screen, so enter the theatre hall early in order not to miss it!

Nada Sô Sô (Tears For You)

Smile!

Nada So So, loosely translated as Tears For You, broke box office records in Japan last year. It's a romance story, so its box office clout is no surprise, especially when starring teenage idols Satoshi Tsumabuki (The Waterboys) and Masami Nagasawa (Crying Out Love from the Center of the World, Robocon). Given the screening I attended today was a full house, and almost everyone female, I guess I'm one of the rare few in the theatre who's there to watch Masami in her new movie, as I confess I'm totally smitten by that sunshine smile of hers.

Directed by Nobuhiro Doi, who helmed one of my favourite movies of 2005 - Be With You, Nada So So tells the story of the Shingaki siblings - Yota (Satoshi) and Kaoru (Masami). Left to fend for themselves at a very young age as their father had abandoned them, and their mom left for the heavens, these two half-siblings have only each other, with Yota taking on a surrogate father-like role in looking after Kaoru, working intense shifts and different jobs in order to pay for her education. As vowed on their mother's deathbed, he is obligated to provide the best for her, and does so almost to the extreme.

It serves as a reminder not to overwork oneself, and to take time to smell the roses. Kaoru, having been brought up in a small island, makes it to the mainland in Okinawa, and her physical presence in her brother's life brings about an added dimension to her brother's love life with girlfriend Keiko (Kumiko Aso). You see, while they are siblings, they aren't blood relations, and therefore to some, there are some (sexual) tensions between the two although they would like to discount it. People around them do feel, and while it's against natural order to those who are unaware of the true nature of their relations, these two do keep their feelings well under wraps.

In fact, there's nothing too "wow" about the narrative, as any seasoned romantic film lover will be able to stay one or two steps well ahead of the story development. I'd come to think that the formula has been so tried and tested, anyone can transplant similar stories, with just an update in setting, premise, having different characters, and tada, a new movie. Okinawa provides plenty of picturesque scenes for the movie, and they are well utilized.

Both Satoshi Tsumabuki and Masami Nagasawa bring vivid credibility to their characters, layering them with as much complexities as possible, often done through subtle gestures - that twinkle in the eye, that wry smile. Their chemistry as siblings is totally believable, as are their feelings for each other which they try desperately hard to hide. They make it believable for an audience to sympathize with their predicament, and showcased their ability to exhibit their brotherly-sisterly love for each other, as well as their attempts to hide behind veiled confessions and declarations. This might be a biased statement - but I thought Masami shuttled her Kaoru character with ease, between country bumpkin and smart sister, between that smiling happy girl and that sad depressing feeling of not being able to love someone the way she wants to.

As always, there are numerous opportunities about for anyone soft hearted enough to fall prey to emptying their tear ducts from sad scenes, or scenes that want to elicit that response from you, so bring along some kleenex just in case. In the screening I attended, there was no lack of sniffles and sobs heard all around.

Do remember to stay throughout the end credits, as the theme song gets played over a montage sequence of photographs from that photo album, and finishes off with a very beautiful picture of Masami in a kimono central to the final act. Also, you'll be rewarded with a bonus scene right at the end.

For the romantics out there, it's a little different in that it's not your usual boy-girl relationship, but it's love as strong nonetheless.

Shooter

My Bicep's Larger Than My Gun

Never mess with someone who can drop you with his gun from miles away. Snipers somehow has this aura of mystique and sexiness associated with the motto of "one shot, one kill", as exhibited in movies like Enemy at the Gates, or memorable war characters such as in Saving Private Ryan. In Shooter, this gets demystified for a while, hitting home that not only should one be gifted with the pulling of the trigger from incredible distance, a sniper is also a master mathematician, having to compute the trajectory of the round with factors of humidity, wind direction, angle etc just to hit the target.

Mark Wahlberg stars as Bob Lee Swagger, whom director Antoine Fuqua makes him literally walk with a swagger in all the silhouetted slow motion shots. A battle hardened veteran with ghosts from the past (don't they all), he gets tempted back to assist the authorities in order to feed his patriotic adrenaline, only to find himself screwed and framed for a treasonous crime he did not commit. It's cat and mouse as prey becomes hunter, and tries to exact justice and at the same time, to try and prove his innocence. Expect the usual guns, explosions, and plenty of blood and gore.

Shooter plays off like an urban Rambo meeting The Fugitive, only this time Dr Richard Kimble has biceps the size of melons and fights back with deadly accuracy from his rifle. He runs from the authorities, firmly put as the scheming villains involved in shady deals and the existence of a covert group of greed ala X-Files, one of whom is played by Danny Glover, in a rare turn of alignment to the dark side. No self-respecting beefcake wannabe can do without some DIY operation scene to keep alive, or some montage in gathering and making new weapons (pipe bombs, napalm anyone?), and half the time I was wondering about Mark Wahlberg being the quintessential new generation action hero.

Gone are the days when Hollywood action movie were ruled by the Stallone-Schwarzenegger-VanDamme trio, and surprisingly there are no permanent beefcakes who can readily step into and fill the void. Wahlberg has been slowly inching his way in my opinion, though Marky Mark's filmography of The Italian Job, the Planet of the Apes remake, The Perfect Storm and the more recent Four Brothers, do suggest that more should be done to cement this status, hence Shooter. I can't wait for his Brazilian Job to hit the screens, though that one plays more like an Ocean's Eleven rather than the individual one-man-saves-the-world action hero type. The Departed was a vulgar bit role, so that doesn't count.

Antoine Fuqua is no stranger to directing action movies, or movies with the hero caught up against unfair odds. From Training Day to Tears of the Sun, you can see earlier influences creep their way into Shooter, making it a little familiar territory visited. There are many sweeping shots used to try and epic-ize the movie, and set action sequences take priority, reducing character development to the token time available between scenes, and sometimes at the expense of plausibility.

The supporting cast was fun to watch, as Michael Pena (World Trade Center, Crash) almost stole the show with his rookie FBI character being caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and almost against his training, wishes and protocol, forms and becomes an important ally for Wahlberg's Swagger. The woman folk however get relegated to backseat roles, as per the usual Fuqua movies with Eva Mendes, Keira Knightley and Monica Belluci. Don't expect Kate Mara or Rhona Mitra to do much. As for the rest, they are your token cardboard characters, there to chew the scene.

Shooter is an action fan's fodder, and it is nothing more than a guilt trip watching a cowboy of a hero mopping up the town's scum, exactly in the way we like to see justice served - without remorse, exacting, and served extremely cold. A satisfying actioner with the usual thrills and spills.

Sunshine

Ain't No Sunshine When You're Gone

I have been a fan of Danny Boyle's movies, though I've watched only but a handful of his movies - Trainspotting, A Life Less Ordinary, The Beach, 28 Days Later and Millions. Teaming up with Alex Garland, who wrote the novel The Beach, and the story for 28 Days Later, they team up again for this futuristic science fiction thriller, where a group of astronauts and scientist, aboard Earth's last hope for salvation - the Icarus II, in an attempt to deliver a "payload" of nukes to the Sun's core, to reignite our solar star and bring warmth back to a freezing Earth.

From the onset where the Fox Searchlight logo makes way to the horizon where the sun peeks over valley and mountains, Sunshine wastes no time in establishing our crew of 8 - Capa (Cillian Murphy from 28 Days Later) the physicist, the MVP crew member who knows how to activate the bomb, which makes him not only valuable, but provided a minor plot hole quibble about this indispensability, Mace the engineer, played by Chris Evans, in a major departure from his usual jock roles in Cellular and Fantastic Four, Corazon (Michelle Yeoh) the botanist, in charge of the agriculture, hydroponic food and eco-garden to provide oxygen on board, Kaneda (Hiroyuki Sanada, whom I last saw in the dismal The Promise) as the Captain, Cassie (Rose Byrne) the pilot of the Icarus II, Searle (Cliff Curtis) the doctor, Harvey (Troy Garity) the communications officer who finds his value dip when his equipment got fried, and Trey (Benedict Wong) the navigator whose "to err is human" shakes up the entire movie.

It does seem like the jolly crew of the Enterprise really boldly going where no man has gone before, doesn't it? Even the Icarus II has a dish like structure for its payload and a separable capsule for its crew quarters. Nonetheless as you sit through the movie, it does bring shades of movie like 2001: A Space Odyssey for its intelligent HAL-like onboard computer, Star Trek for its crew structure and space walks, Alien for its dark, dank claustrophobic spaceship corridors, and even the all-out action USofA ra-ra movie Armageddon for its nuke mission. However, Sunshine stems its own signature in the crowded field of space mission movies, and quite superficially though, made it a mixture of men and women in a potentially suicidal mission to save mankind from doom, and a multi-cultural/racial crew, as compared to Armageddon's team of redneck jocks.

Danny Boyle managed to combined most of the good stuff from those movies, in a sort of adoption of best practices, and weaved in a moving drama about sacrificing for the greater good or for the objective, the perennial morality versus mortality question, and that of self-preservation. It's easy to make it the usual run off the mill movie combining action horror and mystery, but Boyle fused them all together with his distinct style, making Sunshine engaging at every level, be it the set action sequences to keep you at the edge of your seat, or cringe at the unknown horror kept under wraps for the most part, or be quizzical at the mystery as it unfolds. Although the development of team dynamics do seem choppy, there were instances where you can identify cliques and survivor styled alliances. I thought perhaps an extended DVD version will be able to put this aspect of characterization right.

The movie's pace is measured and kept tight and tense, leaving no room for idle development though. You might expect certain outcome with regards to the set action pieces, but somehow, you don't feel like trying to guess who'll survive and who'll not. In fact, chances are you're likely to cling onto every sliver of hope that the crew will survive every ordeal thrown at them, and boy, do they get quite a number of challenges to deal with, each of them distinct, different, and likely to keep you engaged as it develops, formulaic or otherwise. Some though, might make you cry.

There are plentiful CG effects, most of which are the beautifully stunning Sun images, as well as nifty effects works of the consequences of space travel. There's a nice end credits sequence which almost summarizes the entire movie, giving you an opportunity to relive some of the key scenes again. Accompanied by a great track called "The Avenue of Hope", I was left curious though that the song was also subtitled (in Mandarin) as it played.

Sunshine's strengths lie in its ability to release a leash of familiarity, and then reeling you in with a refreshing take on things expected to happen. It's one of the more accessible science fiction movie to date, which doesn't go all too preachy with the supposed messages it's trying to put across. You can watch and enjoy it at face value, or go bonkers debating over the philosophy behind the decisions undertaken by the crew. Sunshine is excellent - two thumbs up!

TMNT

Cowabunga, dudes!

The 80s was a funky time to grow up in, when kids have a wide, and I mean really wide selection of cartoons to watch, and not to mention the toys tied in to make billions. I can rattle off the toons like Mask, Silverhawks, BraveStarr, and the earlier GI Joes and He-Man, etc. It was a period of time where I celebrated in my shorts, but I vividly remember that growing up phase when somehow, the toons didn't start to appeal anymore. Probably I was maturing (ahem), and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was caught in this transition stage I was in.

Not that I didn't enjoy the episodes on television, but they looked kiddy-ish. If you've read the original comic books by creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, you'll know what I mean. Gone were the dark, gritty tones, replaced by smiling turtles who for reasons of getting the nod for acceptable screen violence, do not use their weapons. You wonder why they're outfitted with deadly katanas, nunchuks and sais, but decide to use things like dustbin lids, manhole covers and the likes to fend off The Foot. That's bullshit.

Then again, the demographics for the cartoon series were different, and mainly to feed the demand for the merchandise, and the toys were created with infinite number of permutations and combinations. Things got sillier when they're dressed with strange disguises, just to make that extra buck on a toy.

Don't get me started on the earlier movies too. While Jim Henson's puppet house created almost life-like ninja turtles, the story stank, and again, to cater to the target audience, the weapons once again became white elephants. Shredder and The Foot Clan were chief villains, together with Bebop and Rocksteady, but it all played out rather childishly, reminiscent of the cartoon series. It drifted far away from the original source material, and the sequel, which featured a Vanilla Ice cameo, made it all the worse.

I'm glad to say that this animated TMNT met expectations, thankfully, giving mature audiences beautiful animation to gawk at, coupled with a decent story. Decent, not fantastic, as it had rehashed certain plot elements from the first movie, and the usual Leonardo-Raphael feud. Set in an era post-Shredder, where our heroes in a half-shell are taking it easy and living their own lives, it added a hokey mythological dimension to introduce some new villains, and given its short runtime, made it seem all like a rush job, given that a montage was slapped to move things along.

Then again, this movie probably was never about the villains, but a celebration of the return of the once beloved characters. It put the spotlight firmly on Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo, together with their master Splinter, ex-newscaster April O'Neil, and vigilante Casey Jones. The villains serve their purpose of being turtle fodder, and an excuse to see our heroes utilize their weapons for once (though again, no blood is spilled, but they used their weapons, so I'm a happy camper). Central to the theme of getting together back again is that of Brotherhood, and our heroes grit and show their teeth just like in the comics, rather than the red tongue in the cartoons.

Michelangelo still remained my favourite turtle of them all, and I think he's the best animated character in the movie, given his many goofy expressions, and his larger than usual eyes. The voice talents are something to marvel at too - Chris Evans (Casey Jones), Sarah Michelle Gellar (April), the late Mako Iwamatsu (Splinter, and also starring in Cages), Patrick Stewart (Max Winters), Laurence Fishburne (Narrator), Zhang Ziyi (Karai), and Kevin Smith as an anonymous diner.

Writer-director Kevin Munroe got his formula and played his cards right for this movie, and his next film is Gatchaman, yet another piece of animation I grew up with. Looking at the preview stills, it might look like a hit, and given his adequately entertaining take on TMNT, with a sequel suggested, I can't wait. I'd say again, the animation is great, and the soundtrack rocked too. Thank goodness it didn't contain any cheesy lines or tune from the cartoon's theme song.


Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Heroes in a half-shell
Turtle power!

They're the world's most fearsome fighting team (We're really hip!)
They're heroes in a half-shell and they're green (Hey get a grip!)
When the evil Shredder attacks
These Turtle boys don't cut him no slack!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Splinter taught them to be ninja teens (He's a radical rat!)
Leonardo leads, Donatello does machines (That's a fact Jack!)
Raphael is cool but crude (Gimme a break!)
Michelangelo is a party dude (Party!)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Heroes in a half-shell
Turtle power!

Mr Bean's Holiday

Bye!

Rowan Atkinson's Mr Bean first burst into mainstream TV prominence in this part of the world sometime in the early 90s, where half hour episodes containing skits of that famous character cut through all boundaries with its humour - by not having Mr Bean speak (or speak minimally, and when it doesn't matter), and set in simple, identifiable premises, he's able to reach out to all, regardless of language.

It's been sometime since new material came out, and the TV episodes have been relegated help past time in waiting areas of clinics or government offices. The last big screen outing Mr Bean had, was quite painful to watch, and nothing good came out of it, especially that irritating movie theme song by Westlife which polluted the airwaves.

So why did I subject myself to the follow up movie, and possible the last Mr Bean outing in Mr Bean's Holiday? For the hope that it can bring back fond memories experienced when the television skits worked, that we can see the nonsensical, anti-social Mr Bean in his rude glory. However, it was not to be.

In summary, Mr Bean has won a local raffle, which sends him to Cannes for a holiday. In true Bean fashion, everything goes terribly wrong, no thanks to his own stupidity, and he spends more effort trying to make up for lost time in getting to the fabled beach holiday. If you really break it down, the movie contains a series of set pieces which are skits stitched together to form a feature length film. The same old bag of tricks are recycled, as you terribly need great patience to sit through yet another Mr Bean hopping tantrum.

There are rare funny moments that you can count with one hand, but nothing genuine. Most attempts at laughter were pretty contrived. Perhaps the few scenes that were fun (not funny) was Willem Dafoe hamming it up as the self-indulgent writer-director-producer Carson Clay at the 59th Festival de Cannes

Popular characters have a shelf life. Mr Bean's probably up, and it's time to put the character to rest. No point flogging an old horse to make a quick buck.

[HKIFF] Undercover (危險人物) (World Premiere)

Payback Time!

Something's wrong when you feel deep inside you that for the first 10 minutes, you might be watching a rehash of Infernal Affairs. Produced by Andrew Lau, Undercover stars Shawn Yue as Feng, in what might look as essential a reprisal of the role he played as the younger Tony Leung in Infernal Affairs, sent undercover to infiltrate gangsters, and looking for the way out and back to normalcy.

In fact, Undercover ventures closely to Herman Yau's post-undercover cop routine in On The Edge, as we look at how Feng assimilates himself with much difficulty, back to the force and society, while most of the time feeling great remorse for betraying the brotherhood he once was a part of, especially towards Brother Wah Ying (Ken Tong).

And he's unable to sever links to his alter ego, having his best friend, the drug dealer Fai (Sam Lee, from Dog Bite Dog), meet frequently for drug consumption. We look into Feng's duality, of different loyalties, until a crime is committed which puts the strain on his friendship with Fai.

Undercover plays out rather blandly, even with its twist ending which you can guess halfway through the movie. It tries to be sophisticated both storywise and with its technical qualities, but end up missing the mark on both counts - somehow it has this tele-movie quality and feel to it. It could have been potentially superior if it went further into exploring how a friend can become your worst enemy, since he knows so much about you, and can use intimate knowledge to destroy. It showed glimpses of it, but decided to branch off into another narrative track altogether, with much coincidences and road blocks marring the storyline.

The Chinese title is translated into "Dangerous Man", but this movie is anything but "dangerous" nor cutting edge. In its message of crime begetting retribution and of karma coming into play, it could have had come up with something more inspiring, so that the cast need not sleepwalk through familiar roles.

[HKIFF] Nanking

We Will Remember

If I am going to recommend a documentary, then Nanking will be it. The Rape of Nanking just prior to World War II is examined in this film, which contains real stock footage of clips smuggled out of China during the time of Japanese occupation. Interviews with surviving Chinese victims, and a number of Japanese Imperial Army soldiers who took part in the campaign, are conducted by the filmmakers, and it is always chilling to learn from them first hand, on their respective perspective of those horrible years of the Japanese invasion of China.

You will definitely squirm at the tearful, vivid recollection of atrocities from rapes, shootings, knifing from bayonets, and even burning, while the archive clips bring to screen scenes and pictures of such barbaric acts. Tales of plundering, looting, the forceful taking away of young men to be shot and young girls or boys, children even, for brutal rape, are told with an unflinching eye. In fact, nothing is re-enacted in this film, opting instead for actors (such as Woody Harrelson, Mariel Hemmingway and Michelle Krusiec) to portray real historical characters and only as narrators of their personal diaries and memoirs of their stay in Nanking during the invasion and subsequent occupation.

While the rest of the world stood by and did nothing, a handful of foreigners who opted to stay in the city, did what they could by organizing themselves and setting up a Safety Zone for the Chinese refugees, using all the power that they could (which was very little, save for the fact that they are foreigners) to protect their charges from the looting, plundering, killing and rape that takes place on a regular basis outside their zone. And it is indeed this Zone which had saved thousands of lives, that this documentary paid a sort of tribute to.

If this is an anti-war picture, then I'd say it would have done a very good job, highlighting the immense amount of evil that man is capable of inflicting on fellow man. Even up until today, the Massacre of Nanjing is still hotly debated, especially on the number of unfortunate casualties and victims, and the enshrinement of war criminals which have irked the Chinese.

[HKIFF] Spider Lilies (刺青)

You Know You Want Me

A spider lily is a flower that is said to line along the pathway to Hell. It contains poison which will cause one to lose our memory. Memories are central to the story, as the characters involved are questioned as to whether their memories are faulty, and if one can choose to repress them in the attempt to forget, be they happier times, or times of woe.

Jade (Rainie Yang) is an Internet web-cam girl, living with her grandma, and making a living out of smut, enticing men to trade money for moments of online peek-a-boo pleasure. She has a love since 9 years of age, and it is the relationship with Takeko (Isabella Leong), a tattooist, that forms the fulcrum of the story. Takeko herself bears a strong spider lily tattoo on her left arm, and it is something that Jade wants for herself, trying to rekindle and capture memories of her lost love, now found again.

There had been a recent fad about tattoos, nevermind the negative connotations once associated with this permanent body art. Perhaps this movie will change opinions about tattoos, as it opens your mind to specifics as to the reason behind each design, and the rationale that each person probably had when making their choices on a particular design. And as a plot device, it was a hand in glove, a tattoo's powerful symbolism of hiding real intentions or emotions behind, or to feed off its perceived energy and possessing the design's qualities.

Spider Lilies has fine editing which serves the movie extremely well in engaging the audience with the characters' past. In fact, the rich back stories created for the characters make the story very compelling to watch. If there is a chink in the armour, then it's the characterization of Takeko's brother Ching (Shen Jian-hung), who is a bit slow in mental intelligence, and spends a lot of screen time pouting for his sister's attention, which totally messes up her social life, out of love and obligation to provide the only family care for him.

The fear and pain of being forgotten in a modern society might resonate with many, and anyone who has spent enough time on the internet, will know that its anonymity can often lead to misunderstandings. That subplot perhaps added a touch of lightness coupled with a tinge of sadness and irony. As most youths today turn to the net as an outlet for expression, most will be able to identify with this portion of the story arc.

I'm quite unsure if this movie will be able to make it to Singapore, given its more obvious subject material that the authorities will probably frown upon. But at its core, it's a tale of change and to have courage to live the life you want to lead, interwoven with a tale of love. If Saving Face can make it to our shores, I hope Spider Lilies will too.

***

Director Zero Chou, Isabella Leong and Shen Jian-hung were present at the end of the screening to field questions from the audience. Given the time limitation, we only had time for a few Q&As, mostly for the director.

There was a sense that true love is heavy and sad, to which Zero Chou explained that there is love that exists which is deep, and it is in the depths of love that sometimes you experience extreme sadness. However, there are also feelings of happiness. In love, both happiness and sadness coexist, and life is about change and bitterness and sadness are part and parcel of change. In this film, the power of love and courage are explored.

In the movie, there was the earthquake which served as a historical backdrop, and the characters from a fairly lost generation, and the question was how the director managed to blend the stories together for Spider Lilies. Zero Chou explained that Taiwan experiences earthquakes on a rather frequent basis, and in this movie, it is not the main subject. Rather, it's a symbol of abrupt change in emotions and memories, and that tattooing is like a way of stitching things back together again. And this recovery also includes the virtual world that the character Jade lives in. Or the brother Ching's lost memories, which is his way of dealing with abrupt change. This film is about how people deal with these changes, through love and courage.