Summer Palace (Yihe Yuan)

To Hump!

Continuing my weekend of R21 movies, given that almost every screen in Singapore is showing Spider-Man 3 at the moment, and gives a clear indication on how the other blockbusters in the next 2 months will be treated as well. The Passion was a disappointment, and Summer Palace, somehow didn't live up to its hype, probably drawing curious audiences by the banning of its director Lou Ye from making films in the Mainland for the next 5 years, because he had failed to obtain official permission before screening Summer Palace overseas.

In any case, the same old marketing gimmick was to hype that this as the most erotic movie from China, and naturally drew audiences in like bees to honey. I've long classified broadly that movies of the romance genre can usually be grouped into the romantic comedies which Hollywood does well enough, and the romantic tragedies which try to bring out those tears. I've forgotten one more group, so add this to the broad classification now - those that want to titillate. Summer Palace attempts to explore relationships from its leads against the historical backdrop of change in China, but falls flat and seemed to prefer to focus on humping.

And even that it degenerates itself into soft porn territory, but at least soft porns are being honest about it. The story is neither a tragedy, or comedy, just plain boring drama infused with plenty of sex, which becomes meaningless, and mechanical after a while with repeated actions that drills down to lack of skills in bed. Both the action and the characters lack the emotional core that grabs the attention of the audience and engage some cerebral on why they are doing what they're doing.

Yu Hong (Lei Hao) is a village girl staying near the border of China and North Korea, and qualified for Beijing University in the late 80s. Leaving behind her shopkeeper father and a postal service boyfriend who deflowered her in the middle of a road late one night, she goes to the big city, but inside is quite unhappy about it. You know, she's one of those girls with huge emotional baggage problems that nobody, including herself, understands why.

Friendship comes in the form of fellow hostel mate Li Ti (Ling Hu), who introduces her to Zhou Wei (Guo Xiaodong) at one of those jam and hop sessions, and thereafter they become sex partners trying to heat up the screen. It becomes love found, love lost, making love, love lost, love found, you get the idea. We have confused characters who do not know what to do with each other, and to make things worse, they're promiscuous too, making everything quite frivolous in their quest to satisfy their lust for sex. Even the direction and story became schizophrenic, and with the lack of skill, breezes through events like the Tiananmen Incident, and the fall of Communism with the collapse of the Berlin Wall, Gorbachev's resignation, Yeltsin's ascension to power, and the likes, with just archived images, and subtitles indicating the event and the year. It's cheap, lazy filmmaking. Before you know it, it's down to the last hour where the characters have grown up, and apart in different countries.

There's a general feeling of lost, and if that's the filmmakers' intent, they have succeeded. Perhaps the best part is the reunion, where I thought is the only time when it's realistic with the feeling of helplessness and being tongue tied when meeting up with a loved one after donkey years - things are never the same again, and could never be the same anymore, and do you wish to hold onto the past, or move on to your own future?

Despite the pretentious plot and characters, the movie does feature an excellent eclectic soundtrack, and there thankfully helped keep everyone awake. Otherwise it's as hokey as the inscription on the tombstone - unless it's a mega tombstone, I don't see how those words could have been inscribed on it without running out of space.

The Passion (Ammahit Phitsawat)

Show and Tell

"This Year's Most Controversial Sex Thriller" proclaims the blurb on the promotional poster. Whoever wrote that must either be out of their minds, or must have watched a different version which contained so many raunchy sequences they were left out for private consumption. But it worked though, as I theatre I went to had screenings which totally sold out.

To suckers easily believing the marketing department of course. And putting Bongkoj Khongmalai in a seductive pose on the poster worked wonders too. To put it in the correct context, this movie is not a sex thriller, and it actually brings back memories of those 80s Hong Kong B-grade flicks which go straight to video. The presentation is messy with its convoluted plot, and have characters in which all are extremely unlikable. While it tries to be a little smart in offering its twist ending, it's too little too late, and try as you might to understand the intended storyline, its slack delivery has already done too much damage to salvage anything.

Set in a multiplex cinema complex over the course of one night, Bongkoj Khongmalai (one of the Chai-Lai Angels, in case you find her familiar) stars as a lady seemingly obsessed with watching every movie in that new multiplex, buying one ticket for every screening, only to find the right moment with gathered courage to stab herself in an act of suicide. However, the lecherous security manager of the complex will have none of that, as he turns it into his obsession to rape her.

And that's almost the gist of the movie. Just to show how corrupt the security manager is, he deals drugs to employees on the side, and makes extra income (by the millions) in selling "porn" based on covert CCTV cameras which he has strategically placed in female washrooms and changing rooms. Basically the plot and premise doesn't have too much logic involved, and it definitely cannot be classified as a thriller as it just doesn't have the pizzazz to be one.

Added to the mix are a host of throwaway characters like a head goon from security who's infatuated with a spunky cleaner lady, who in turn is smitten with the cinema usher, who in turn owes loads of money to the security manager because of his drug addiction. After we're introduced to the characters, we're led to episode after episode of simple scheming to get rich, women trying to escape capture by fighting off security folks in really bad fight action sequences which throws in everything and almost involved the kitchen sing, and plot loopholes so big you can fly an aeroplane through.

Sex sells, but this movie definitely shortchanged everyone with bad story, acting, everything. Even the R21 rating for violence is laughable, as those scenes came off as amateurish and more comedic than horrific, fake blood, bad CGI and all.

Oh, for those who want to attempt at undressing Bongkol Khongmalai, you can play this flash based game from the official movie website. The only catch is you must be able to read Thai, and get a number of questions right. Have fun!

[DVD] Il Mare (Siworae) (2000)

Any Letter From Hollywood?

One of the earlier Korean hits in Singapore was Il Mare, starring Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Jung-jae, and last year it became the excuse of a remake by Hollywood to reunite Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock on the big screen. If anything good comes out these remakes, it is the acknowledgement that Asian stories are finding some legs to travel. There was no hesitation to obtain my copy of this movie when I saw the DVD, given that almost all the versions of the movie here was the VCD one

Just so you know where I'm coming from, I haven't seen the original, and had seen the Hollywood remake first. But if you were to ask me to decide right now which version is superior, I would say without hesitation, the original Korean one triumphs over the remake, simply because, as a romance, it sure knew how to present it the way it's supposed to be. The way the movies were made, is akin to the lake house featured in both movies - the Hollywood one is very grand, with plenty of bells and whistles, but the Korean one is simpler though by no means less effective, in its minimalist look and feel, puts the focus of the story squarely on our lovebirds separated by time.

The first thing that strikes you is how quiet this movie can be. There is less dialogue, and it allows the images do the talking. As the cliche goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Containing plenty of beautiful, idyllic soft focus shots which contribute to the overall romanticized feel, Il Mare is slowly and intricately paced, and less complicated with its relationships, and its supporting cast is few and not given anything substantial to steal thunder and limelight.

This, compared to the very Hollywood style of development every minor subplot into a major one, and having to explain everything to the audience - this I thought was sledge-hammered through in the remake very early on into the film, which after watching how it was dealt in the original, you'll agree at which version is more superior. There were many instances of "homage" shots, like the red coat, the paw prints, and the shots of the mailbox, as well as adapting plot elements like the train incident, and liberties were taken to bring to life some of its supporting casts, which were only mentioned in passing in Il Mare. If not for the inflation of run time because of the lack of skill in making a beautiful picture, then I don't know what is.

Il Mare allows the audience room to piece together clues and events, without stifling, and this enables a greater appreciation, as well as time to be absorbed totally into the lives of our protagonists, 2 lonely hearts finding each other through a temporal time warp via a mailbox at Il Mare, the name of the Lake House. One's an architect, and the other's a voice artistes, and both connect heart to heart during the winter season, leaving the question of, if we can click, why not meet up and get together?

Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Jung-jae play off each other really well, even though they share limited screen-time together. Coupled with the way each had their individual scenes shot, framed, and presented, I'd say again, you can't help but to feel for these 2, and root for them to transcend hell and high waters to come together. Watch this movie to find out if they do!!

Certainly one of the better romantic tales out there, done totally right. Forget about The Lake House, make it Il Mare instead!

***

The Code 3 EDKO Video Ltd is a letterboxed version that should have included some worthy extras to make up for its poor visual transfer, which at best is video quality with a purple hue running throughout on the left side of the frame. There's only the Korean audio track in Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS, which might seem to be an overkill for a nuanced film like this. Subtitles are available in English and Chinese, and watching this with the English subtitles turned on, all I can say is it probably didn't undergo quality control, with many typographical and grammatical errors, coupled with truncation at times when too much is squeezed onto the screen. For those who have particular scenes in the favourites list, the scene selection is spread over 12 chapters.

The special features bundled have little or no subtitles at all.

There are 3 theatrical trailers included, but don't expect top notch quality. You should note that they contain spoilers from key scenes, so it's best not to watch them until after the movie. The first two Korean trailers are companions, each running 1min 30s, the first one shown from the POV of a very weepy Jun Ji-hyun's Kim Eun-ju, while the other from the POV and narration of Lee Jung-jae's Han Sung-hyun. The other full version of the trailer seemed more like a quick summary of the whole movie in 9 minutes and 25s, and suffers from incoherent editing (yes, even for a trailer), and looked quite piecemeal in presentation, besides being spoiler-laden. Making it worse is that all 3 trailers have bad audio.

I'm not sure why a 30 second TV spot in Cantonese was included, and it's most likely because this is a Made in HK DVD. The other seemingly useless extra included is the cast and crew filmography, containing only a one pager for both leads, and the director

For those who loved the theme song, there is a Music Video of the Korean song "Must Say Good Bye" which consists of clips from the movie, running at 4 mins 57s. A word of caution again, this video contains spoilers, so don't view it until after you've seen the movie. And if you haven't had enough of the song, the photo gallery has an English version of the song running 3 mins 45s, accompanying the slideshow, though it comes with no controls.

[DVD] Grand Prix (1966)

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!

In recent times, our shore was abuzz with concrete rumours of a Formula 1 street circuit being held in Singapore, and a night one at that. I was a Formula 1 spectator fan (from the television set of course) for some time, until Schumi came along, won almost everything with the Prancing Horse, and actually made it predictable, and boring for the most parts of each race circuit. Pole position, race day, 50 odd laps and podium finish.

While advancement in technology has made driving a car at 300kmph seem like an hour long arcade game, and safety standards have ensured that dangerous stunts and outcomes are reduced to a rare minimum, the sport somehow lacked that danger and edgy randomness in having things go wrong, and to see how drivers use their skill to react to them. Finding that balance between safety and spectacle, without unnecessary endangering the lives of the drivers, is a tough one. For many, watching the cars go through their paces round and round a circuit, may seem to be boring spectator sport, and just how a movie like this can engage, remains a challenge.

Clocking in close to 3 hours, it tells the story of 4 grand prix drivers, naturally of different nationalities - American Pete Aron (James Garner), French Jean-Pierre Sarti (Yves Montand), Brit Scott Stoddard (Brian Bedford) and Italian Nino Barlini (Antonio Sabato), with their allegiance sworn to the different manufacturers they drive for, which includes Ferrari. They come together on race day to outperform one another, and more often, the movie focuses on their love lives, with Sarti in a budding relationship with writer Louise (Eva Marie Saint), Scott having to deal with an accident caused by Pete, and facing the prospect of losing his model wife Pat (Jessica Walter) to that same man, and Nino just being the playboy he is with his latest squeeze Lisa (played by French singer Francoise Hardy). Rounding up the international cast is Toshiro Mifune, who plays the Japanese businessman whom Pete Aron drives for. When their love lives take a break from the screen, the story tries to explore why they do what they do, and what makes them tick during races, knowing well that it is a dangerous job.

But the length of the movie also is contributed by the extent in which the races are featured in the movie, from the various grand prix circuits. The thrill in watching this is not for the race scenes per se, but for a trip down memory lane on how F1 was done in the past. There are no paddle gears for shift changes, only those that comes with the stick, and plenty of mechanical parts compared to the computer on board for that "fly by wire" drive in today's cars. Engineering has come a long way, and this movie makes you appreciate that advancement. The tracks featured too are a sight to behold, with a mixture of existing and retired circuits seen.

And the strong technical aspect of the film is what makes it entertaining, with features like split screens (up to 6 at times), montages, and plenty of nifty camera angles that make you wonder how they did it back in the old days. The camera shifts perspective often enough, and my favourite would be the one that follows the road, like the Daytona game, sans dashboard.

Grand Prix might look dated in its treatment of the narrative, but it probably formed the basis and benchmark on how to film a racing spectator sport, for other race movies like Days of Thunder, Driven and even Pixar's Cars.

This Code 1 Two-Disc Special Edition DVD from Warner Brothers somehow had to split the close to 3 hour movie into 2 parts, each in one disc. The presentation comes with the standard scene selections to zoom into particular points of the movie, especially when you want to cut straight to the action. The visual transfer, considering it's a movie more than 40 years old, is great, and watching it on as wide a screen possible, gives you the grandeur spectacle it was meant to be. You're given 2 audio selections, in either English 5.1, or in French - you'll find your speakers maxed out to bring to you the roars of the F1 3 litre engine of those days. Subtitles are available in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.

Disc 1 only contains a 4 minute theatrical trailer, and Disc 2 contains all the other special features. They are:

Pushing the Limit: The Making of Grand Prix - 29 minutes
This is the Making Of of this monumental film, which come to think of it, I agree wholeheartedly that an F1 movie of this scale will probably never be made for an extremely long time, not because of the lack of skill, but rather the cost of it all will be exorbitant. TV rights alone cost obscene millions, and that's continued revenue for as long as audiences demand it. For a movie, it's like a one time golden goose to be slaughtered, and with the multitude of sponsors who probably want some money to be paid for their names to be on the marquee, well...

Anyway, the making of brings you some interesting insights into the entire production process, on how director John Frankenheimer's relentless pursuit (pardon the pun) for accuracy and realism. It's actually the actual 1966 grand prix being filmed, and had real actors in real cars shot before each actual race. The actors too had it tough, in having to go back to driving school to learn how to handle the F3 cars (made to look like F1s). You'll see how the cameras were rigged, in race cars, from helicopters etc, all to give the audience a feel of what it's like being inside one.

Containing recorded interviews with the late director about his thoughts of the film, as well as interviews both today and yesterday with cast and crew, the gems in this documentary was in an episode captured on how James Garner went ballistic with some shopkeepers who insisted on more money during the shoot, and you'll also learn first hand how the brand name synonymous with F1, Ferrari, came to be in the picture, and allowed access to their hallowed grounds, including the factory floor.

Certainly a special feature not to be missed.

Flat Out: Formula One in The Sixties - 17mins 25s
This is a walk down memory lane, retracing how the sport developed from the 1.5 litres to the 3 litres car. Containing a host of old photographs from those days, and interviews with historians, journalists and ex-drivers, they recount how dangerous the sport was back then. To the drivers, it was akin to sitting in a coffin surrounded by fuel bags, and how the sport is actually a test of endurance and the vehicle's sustainability. The development of safety measures after tragic accidents seem like a sad necessity, and brings to mind the consequences of random accidents and the short life span of drivers.

The Style and Sound of Speed - 11mins 40s
This feature is a tribute to visual consultant Saul Bass, who designed the trip-tech effects and the very graphic element of the opening credits, and sound recorder Gordon Daniel who recorded every minute of everything, down to the minute details of how the gear shifts sounded like, and the beautiful noise of the motor roaring at high speeds. In some ways it focussed more on Saul Bass's contribution to cover everything visually during racing, and how the split screens, montages were done, with the technical effort also put into featuring each grand prix circuit differently in the movie.

Brands Hatch: Behind the Checkered Flag - 10mins 35s
And speaking of circuits, this feature celebrates the British premier circuit at Brands Hatch. Containing interviews with drivers and former F1 champions, it's an appreciation of the circuit, broken down piece by piece, into the Paddock Hill Bend, Druids, Surtees, Hawthorn Bend, Westfield Bend and Clearways. It's much well liked by the drivers, and aesthetically, it sits in a bowl, is scenic, and the race can be seen for the most parts by spectators.

Grand Prix: Challenge of the Champions - 12min 45s
This is a vintage feature on the making of process, and it shows the coming of the stars of the movie, as well as the real stars of the F1 being involved in the production. Again you'll get a glimpse of how the movie was filmed with the Cinerama cameras from MGM, and the technical challenges in having to achieve a mix of actual race footage, which means no retakes given the one hour of filming time allowed prior to the commencement of the actual race, and then repeat for each grand prix location featured in the movie. If anything, this featurette containes too many dizzying quick cuts.

Lastly, Speed Channel is a 32 second advert advising to drive within speed limits.

Spider-Man 3

I'm Back

Spider-Man 3 ushers in this year's many sequels in what would be a crowded blockbuster summer, but the question on everyone's lips is, with so many villains he's up against, will our friendly neighbourhood arachnid prevail the movie sequel curse - that with many villains and being the third superhero movie in the franchise, it will most certainly be a dud and a victim of its own success? Sam Raimi will have none of that, and found a special x-factor from within his own Spidey movie franchise to ensure sustainability. And it worked great.

Superior sequels are a tough act to follow, and only a handful managed to survive the fatigue. It's not about putting in better effects, or introducing new and more powerful villains, but rather about the characters whom we have followed through from the previous movies. Here, we continue our journey with Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) and Harry Osborn (James Franco), their love hate relationship with one another, and the will they or won't they situations. Having the creative team return (sans Danny Elfman for the score) and the principal cast intact ensured no continuity issues, which have casted a shadow on and doomed many other superhero productions like DC's Superman-Chris Reeves franchise, or the Batman one started by Tim Burton.

Instead of relying on fluffy showmanship on the latest progression of how Spidey swings through Manhattan, and the temptation to shift all its grandeur action pieces to top gear, Spider-Man 3 actually had its characters spend much of their time out of costumes. Which is great, except for those impatient to get things going. It allowed for plenty of space for character development, a continuation of the relationship between Peter and Mary Jane, which on the previous movie's final scene, seemed to have an ominous feeling hung overhead.

And yes, things are not going well for our couple. One's a public figure behind a mask, getting plenty of adulation from the common man on the street, while the other, still a struggling artiste in a cold unforgiving city. For Peter Parker, he's thrilled to have people celebrate his prowess, and allowed for success to get to his nerdy head. A nerd getting all the attention, certainly puts him a bit out of whack. He hardly listens, and the keyword here is listen (take note, important to sustain relationship lesson abound), to his partner, and becomes emotionally unavailable, especially when she most needs him. And with miscommunication or the lack thereof, jealousy comes in the form of hot blonde bombshell Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard), with whom Peter violates a special bond between him and Mary Jane at the heat of the moment (ok, all those who think it's being petty, might want to rethink that again).

As a reminder, this is not the comic's Spider-Man. If it is, then Peter won't have organic webshooters. So don't go all rile about Gwen's introduction at this stage of the franchise. It's her on screen, so celebrate that instead. Although she's a bit role, I thought Bryce Dallas Howard allowed fanboys to salivate at the prospect of having Gwen Stacy feature heavily in possible future movies. If Kirsten Dunst wish to bury her Mary Jane Watson aside, the franchise can definitely move on with Bryce stepping in with her Gwen, even though this time the comic timeline will totally go out of sync. But to be fair to Dunst, her Mary Jane almost always have nothing much to do when Spidey's in costume, unless she decides to challenge for scream queen honours. It's again the same old damsel in distress the character finds herself in for a fair bit, and there's certainly a number of times where you can be held hostage, before some smart alec will deduce the reason why.

And Peter Parker definitely needs to apply some webbing to that mask of his. I think this is one movie where he's in costume sans mask a lot, and it is no surprise that almost every villain will come to know of his identity, in fact, just as most superhero movies will have. Between the second movie and this, Spidey had learned how to make and fire web-balls, and overly used them here - hello special effects department, surely you can come up with something better? While the special effects were decent, and action sequences managed to explode with simultaneous everything else moving in the same frame, it's nothing that you've never seen before from the previous movies, only done faster and more elaborately. Venom fan boys, don't expect to see McFarlane-styled webbing, which I thought was a given, and that long twisting tongue is surprisingly missing too.

In any case, this is Raimi's vision of the character, and I admit I was one of those apprehensive about too many crooks spoiling the broth, as other franchises had. Worried that Venom will be like Batman and Robin's Bane, reduced to a side show goon, be rest assured that given the runtime to fit everyone in, his given appearance was probably the best possible in such a short timeframe. We've heard of Eddie Brock being mentioned in the earlier movies, and here Topher Grace plays him in the flesh. As a disgraced peer photographer, he becomes Venom, learning Peter's secret as part of the process of assimilation with the alien symbiote. If you think about it, it's difficult to sustain a villain throughout a feature length film, one knows too much about the identity of the hero without answering the obvious of whys in his modus operandi. So the Spidey movies had what they had, for Norman, Harry and Octavius, Supes had to cop out with that kiss, and Batman had Ras disappear for the most part.

This is as much a movie about Peter Parker, as it is about Harry Osborn, and James Franco's fans wouldn't mind having this movie called The New Goblin or Goblin Junior. His character is probably the most tragic amongst the trio, the lad whose dad prefers the brainier best friend, his girl running off again to his best friend, and an empty empire he's turning into a Goblin factory, with snazzy toys and equipment, with a faithful butler... wait, it does go dangerously close to becoming a Batman/Bruce Wayne clone, bent on revenge. But with his budding leading man status, there's automatic redemption for his Harry as he epitomizes the theme of friendship with Parker. If Eddie Brock/Venom is in this movie for a reason, then it's to provide the contrast to Harry Osborn/New Goblin, both sharing similarly deep hatred for Peter Parker/Spider-Man, but each choosing a different path of response.

Thomas Haden Church is a Sandman doppelganger, and him in that striped green shirt looked very much like that in the comics. True to form, Raimi gives his Flint Marko something to sympathize with, without the need to ram it down your throats. If the Goblin was too power crazy, and Doc Ock deranged because of the death of his wife, this soft spot continues with the Sandman robbing for money to save his ill-strickened daughter. You don't get to see Church much though, as while the special effects team again takes over for most of his appearances in impressive action sets, you can't help but to pity the guy as he's brought through some torturous moments no thanks to our Spidey gone obsessive himself.

Tobey Maguire brings out a different Peter Parker when under the influence of the alien symbiote, and similar to the third movie of the Superman franchise, here we see Peter battling himself, as he tries to suppress aggressive feelings when the alien takes over, pushing aside his passive nerdy behaviour, for something more vengeful, and hurts everyone he loves in the process. He hangs a little loose, but a nerd's still a nerd, even if his character changes for the worst. Balancing between creaming in his pants at the adulation he's got, and the angst from seeking revenge on his Uncle Ben's killer, and that aggression from wearing that black suit, this is perhaps Maguire's most complex Peter Parker to date, as he handles relationships with the rest of the characters.

And the supporting cast does not lack both new and recurring characters. James Cromwell was wasted as Police Captain Stacy, Dylan Baker returns as Dr. Curt Conners (when is he becoming The Lizard?), and Bill Nunn as Robbie Robertson. J.K, Simmons provides much of the laughs again as The Daily Bugle Editor James Jonah Jameson, while Elizabeth Banks was allowed to shine just a little bit more as the Bugle's Betty Brant. Bruce Campbell probably had the best of the supporting roles, as once again he goes up against Peter Parker in possibly the most hilarious scene in the movie, amongst such dire straits, you won't know if you want to laugh out loud, or feel sorry.

I thought I saw Willem Dafoe sitting in the background at the Jazz Bar, while Stan Lee had speaking lines (uttering a famous phrase) opposite arguably his best creation to date (I've mentioned before if the Marvel movie is expected to bomb, you won't see Lee cameo anywhere). From the opening credits which summed up the previous 2 movies (without the help of Alex Ross' artwork), to the finale no-holds barred slam-bang action sequence (again set at night, that makes it 3 movies in a row), this Spider-Man movie is a winner, despite having some expected plot loopholes during Brock's transformation, and with the deduction of Spidey's identity after the big fight. But it's comic-book world we're talking about, so logical liberties do have to be taken.

Will there be Spider-Man 4? The box office success for this movie is almost a given, and it all hinges on the fact whether the same cast and crew would want to return for another installment, without which it just wouldn't be the same. Fatigue could be an issue, and having a trilogy with an open end allows room for other creative talents to take over from here. But as they say, it's always better to leave on a high, as you'll never know how much more it takes to ensure another successful and worthy follow up. Will the studios listen in the face of millions of dollars of profits? If it's the same cast and crew, then I'm sold for another, given Spidey's rich rogues gallery, but I would prefer the classical villains please, maybe Electro, Rhino, or The Chameleon. And oh yes, if it happens, it's high time for The Lizard to show its tail too!

[SIFF] Bloody Tie (Sasaeng Gyeoldan)

Can Hear Me Or Not?

Bloody Tie was my last movie for this year's Singapore International Film Festival, and although it's an action movie, I thought it ended my festival this year with a whimper rather than with a bang.

Set in the time of the IMF (not the Mission Impossible one) making loans to a South Korean economic collapse, the populace begins to turn to drugs for their bit of escapism. The worst hit city with plenty of drug addicts happen to be Busan, and for drug dealer Sangdo, this presents opportunity to make it to the big league. On the other side of the law, narcotics police detective Lieutenant Do, known for his unorthodox and violent prone techniques, takes Sangdo under his wing as his informal snitch.

But as all things go, it's a black eat black world, with cop and drug dealer striking up an uneasy partnership, each with their own agenda to leach on the other for their own selfish reasons, in their common quest to take down the new and current drug lord. Sounds like good stuff? That's what I thought too, until the pacing switched me off for the most parts. It's full of verbal bravado, and plenty of supporting characters adding absolutely nothing to further the story. Its runtime of almost 2 hours was not justified, and some sections could have been cut short to quicken things up. One of the few saving graces is its black humour, but other than that, it's pretty serious and sombre.

If you're interested, stay tuned until the end of the credits. But given the late night, the projectionist was too trigger happy to shut the projector off halfway through the scene. Pity.

[SIFF] Aachi and Ssipak (Achi-wa Ssipak)

We're Vulgar and Loving It!

Aachi and Ssipak is a delightfully wicked piece of animation. It's full of fun, and politically incorrect, full of high octane action, and set against a nonsensical background in the future. It's rude, vulgar, and totally unapologetic about it.

In the future, humans have learnt how to harness human shit to become rich sources of energy. As a result, the government encourages everyone to shit and collect their waste to power our world. To reward its population, those who shit are given juicybars as rewards when they do their business at designated collection points. However, these juicybars (they look so phallic when being sucked upon) are addictive, and here you have a black market churned from obtaining and selling these bars. With gangs, one of the most notorious ones called The Diaper Gang, come forth to wreck havoc on the populace, and with the authorities not going to sit back and do nothing, they unleash their cyborg policeman Geko to take them down, violently.

And all these happen in the first 5 minutes. Like I said, it moves at breakneck speed, infused with comedy and various pop movie references galore, ranging from Pulp Fiction and the Untouchables to the obvious Robocop, and a sequence taken straight out of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. If you thought that the Koreans had the most ultra realistic and violent movies in their crime genre, this is also brought over to the animation field, with this movie a showcase just how violent a cartoon can be - heads get shot off constantly, and various dismemberments happen so often, you'll start to want nothing less than a swift violent end for its characters, in particularly the members of the Diaper Gang, who serve as disposable fodder.

So where does Aachi and Ssipak fit in you say? They're small time hoodlums who discover a girl called Beautiful (whom I thought was anything but), who has the capability to shit and be rewarded bucketloads. As small time hoodlums, they see this as a get rich opportunity, and it becomes like a round robin hide and seek game amongst all the players involved.

There are plenty of shit jokes and references, coupled with tons of swearing and showing of bad signs (middle finger, thumb in between fingers, the flipping of the forearm, etc), and probably served as direct insolence to both the gangsters as well as to the V for Vendetta like fascist government and their polices.

If you like your animations vulgar, fun, full of action and violence, then Aachi and Ssipak will be right up your alley.

Partition

Show Me Some Lovin'

Purists who were up in arms about Chinese actresses playing Japanese characters like in Memoirs of the Geisha will probably flip again at the portrayals of Indians by non-Indian actors, and could cite again similar examples whether the country of origin lacked capable actors to pull the roles off (Of course not, this is Bollywood we're talking about, certainly no lack of actors). But hey, this is a Canadian production, and those detractors were likely to have some axe to grind with Hollywood-ized versions of such movies, leaving this movie alone. Or maybe the subject matter explored here outweighed such negative, meaningless, counterproductive thoughts and arguments.

Journeying back to the time of the British withdrawal from India, one of the policies introduced during the independence, is this little handiwork done by the British, which had the population at the time segregate themselves into Hindu India, and Muslim Pakistan. This led to migration of scores of people to either side of the partitioning, and with it came religious tensions, and mindless massacres from both sides. This movie through its narrative was no holds barred on this criticism, even though it too boiled down to misunderstandings and intolerance from both groups of people.

Partition is a movie that I recommend, even though it's draped with heavy melodrama. Perhaps it's because it's a Romeo and Juliet type of story, with our protagonists not from feuding families, but from different religions. Gian Singh (Jimi Mistry) is an ex-soldier serving in the British army, and in his retirement from war, he returns to his village to seek a certain peace from within, after making a decision during the war which he has yet come to terms with. One day, he rescues Naseem Khan (Kristin Kreuk) from a massacre by the Sikhs on the Muslims who were en route to Pakistan, and shields her from his fellow men when they bayed for her blood.

As you might have guessed, the two will fall in love amid the background of violence, and their love will transcend religion, culture, and intolerance. Or will it? There are two acts in this movie, which I thought the second was somewhat hastened, given the idyllic pace which the first had dwelled in, sharing its rich cinematography by writer-director Vic Sarin. The story's development too moved into its fastest gear, especially in the finale which was what one would expect, and yes there were sniffles amongst the audience. What I thought was treaded quite superficially (and I suppose it was perhaps on purpose) was the dealing of religion, that it can be flipped flopped so easily. Perhaps herein laid a message that love will transcend that as well, given that after all, God is also about love?

Like how The Namesake made me sit up and take notice of Kal Penn, Partition had the same effect for Jimi Mistry. Best known for his comedic The Guru role in which he plays a "sexpert", he's almost unrecognizable under that thick beard, and gave a very strong performance as a man haunted by his past, and finding a future with a loved one, willing to make extreme sacrifices for his family. Kristin Kreuk, in her second movie outing after her bimbotic role in Eurotrip, brings a more Smallville's Lana Lang-ish appeal to her character here, as she pines for the loves of her life, and lets those tears roll. No, she doesn't look a bit like your typical Pakistani girl, but yes, her beauty helps illuminate the screen. It's strange though to see her try her best to put on a believable accent, and mannerisms right down to head movements, but she looks good in those saris!

I was surprised to see Irfan Khan in a bit role here, having enjoyed his performance also in The Namesake, and Neve Campbell and John Light rounded up the supporting roles, with Neve's Margaret Stilwell a character whom I thought was a tragic one, no doubt if you interpreted as her still holding onto the candle for Gian, without him realizing, probably consciously aware that their status and skin colour are too different to have resulted in anything fruitful.

With a one track beautiful theme song, lush sceneries, and wonderful performances, Partition is a surprise of the week, and over here, it's two screen release doesn't do it much justice. Should you want to watch a love story set against a historical background which still has repercussions until this very day, then make it a point not to miss this.

[SIFF] Things We Do When We Fall In Love

Poster

The second part of James Lee's love trilogy, Things We Do When We Fall in Love is more of the same. If you're frustrated with the presentation of the first, then my advice is not to bother with the second, even though the stories are not linked. For me, I thought the colour made it slightly more bearable, but if you're not a fan of his auteur minimalist style, then you're likely to have impatience get to you.

There are many shots and situations which just are, without much incident, and totally up to you to interpret. Inside the car, in a motel, dancing on a quiet street in the dead of the night, walking around in a padi field, the list goes on. It is likely that there are deeper meanings to be studied from, but the shaky handheld camera gives you a wild spin, often following from behind the characters, or peering from behind inanimate objects. They eat, sleep and talk about the most mundane things. It's not a romantic film per se as the title would have you suggest, but rather a very unromantic one dealing with the ordinary, stemming from insecurity, and the constant craving to be wanted.

I thought there was a little hope for me to enjoy this movie when the introductory scene before the opening title showed flashes of things to come, of some comedy infused in its dialogue, but that was not to be. Instead, it went back to dialogue that was slow, non-purposeful, and excruciatingly repetitive, especially the cries for acceptance and the pleas to be understood, which get on your nerves. The constant arguments between the couple, ever so often, makes you wonder when they'll eventually part for good.

It tells of the relationship between a man and a woman. One's a computer programmer, the other a teacher. They decide to take a trip around nearby, and spend much time driving around, from which we follow like a "lamppost" at the back of their seats, watching silently as they eat, quarrel, and sing. We spend quite some time on the road, before we decide to end up in a motel, for more of the same. I thought Loh Bok Lai was decent in his role as the all suffering man who cannot seem to appease his lady love (or so we think), and Len Siew Mee, showed a different perspective with her female character here, compared to her love-them-and-leave-them Ling Yue in her previous movie. Here, her clingy character just gets to you and frustrates.

And following them won't be bad if not for the NYPD Blues styled camerawork. If you're one who suffer from motion sickness, bring a bag along. The story develops at a peculiar pace, and in the end, a hastily thrown epilogue of sorts is included, which I thought would have been unnecessary, if not just to show that pair of mammaries in a pool.

Despite the complaints, will I watch the concluding movie? For sure, given that I want to complete the trilogy, and that I'm such a sucker for pain.

***

Writer-director James Lee was present this evening to introduce his latest work, as well as to field a Q&A session after the screening. Although the screening was a full house, I counted at least 6 persons leaving the auditorium, and more than half left before the Q&A started, which James mentioned was about affairs and the complexities of relationships. The moderator Philip Cheah added that he thought it was very much about the faithlessness of love. Do note that the following is not verbatim.

Q: There were a lot more landscape shots in this film, compared to your other works?
A: This is the first time I based my movie out of KL, because I'm quite lazy and I like to shoot from within the city. The cast and crew were happy that for the first time, we'll go outstation for the shoot.

Q: What made you create that scene in the desert?
A: I wanted to show the state of mind of the guy in an absurd way, and it was an extremely different landscape from where they began. He's lost, given that he doesn't have GPS (a throwback to the introductory scene), and it cuts back to the field when he calmed down and managed to find his way back.

Q: There were a lot of handheld shots in the movie. Was this deliberate?
A: In my previous works if you noticed, most of the shots were composed and still, usually on a tripod or on a track. I wanted to move away from what I do best, and didn't want to stick to one form. In this movie I gave a lot of creative space to the actors, and also relinquished control to my DP, who also suggested shooting from behind the characters in those handheld shots that you see.

Q: Could you share with us the production details?
A: This is my favourite work to date, and it was shot on 16mm on a shoestring budget of RM30K. I've become quite well known for shooting low budget films and shooting them on schedule. This one took about 11 days. I find that with less money I got, the more challenge I face as a filmmaker. I averaged about 3 to 5 takes per shot, and had a self imposed rule to work more precisely, as compared to my DV days where it can be quite indisciplined as you tend to just roll. I didn't have a script, but had a 19 paged short story from which to work with. The dialogues were done during rehearsals, and much of it was improvisation, with more space given to the actors. The DP here is the same one as (SIFF Closing Film) Opera Jawa.

Q: What was the intention of the last female character, who was introduced extremely late into the film?
A: She's a one-night stand, and it's to show how the guy treated other strangers.

There were some questions related to the earlier movie of the trilogy, Before We Fall in Love Again, and the end which was shot in colour, was used to show awakening, and of course, to make the audience sit up and take notice of how the characters have moved on. This movie and the previous one were designed separately, so although there were no names mentioned, and that the lead actress is the same person, the characters are not, though since it was not explicitly mentioned, some would naturally think that this was what happened to the same woman from the first movie. Even the actors, when they looked at the script, thought so too.

The actors are not professional actors by training. The guy is a painter teaching in a college, and to date is quite well known as an indie actor. The girl is a teacher of dance, and actually has only acted in my films, though I constantly encourage that they venture and work with other directors to broaden their experience.

The title for Things We Do When We Fall in Love was deliberately chosen (from a children's song), and it was a conscious effort to film the unromantic moments. The third part of the trilogy is still in the development phase, and James hopes to show it by end July. This time, it's from the point of view from a woman, as the other two were from the perspectives of men. Given that it's a loose trilogy, it will be similarly focused on situations about relationships. The title will be "Waiting for Love".

Will you be watching the final part of the trilogy? I think I just will, for completion sake :-)

The Wind that Shakes the Barley

Freedom Fighters

The preview for this movie played to a full house at Picturehouse, no doubt with almost half those in attendance being Caucasians, and I'd bet almost everyone is curious to the pedigree of Ken Loach's latest film that snagged that Palme d'Or at last year's Cannes Film Festival.

The Wind That Shakes the Barley is a mouthful, and it plays like a thinking man's Braveheart. While Mel Gibson's Academy Award winner was set in the 13th Century with the Scots battling the English for independence, Wind tackles similar subject matter about oppression, the rallying to arms and the battle for independence, set in early 20th Century in Ireland, sandwiched between the two World Wars. As such, there are many parallels between the movies in terms of the politics behind the scenes, the arguments for and against their rationale of armed resistance and struggle, though Wind doesn't have the large scaled set action pieces for war, and it doesn't need to.

It takes a very intimate look at the historical background of the Irish Republican Army, as seen through the eyes of two brothers Damien (Cillian Murphy) and Teddy (Padraic Delaney). The movie doesn't waste time in establishing a rather biased fact, that the English troops are despised for their arrogance and the crimes that they commit among commonfolk, much like the Robin Hood days. It doesn't take two ticks for Damien to enlist with the IRA for their armed struggle against oppression witnessed by many, and soon enough they discover that their political ideals differ.

Yes, it's as much a talkie movie as it is one with action. Even without background of the politics of the time, you'll still be able to follow through much of the debate given passionate performances, and fiery speeches made from the heart, given the universal subject themes. As always the case, differing ideals become the crux of the issue, and that adage that power corrupts ring through, especially amongst those at the top echelons, the politicians versus the man on the street. What I thought was intriguing, was how freedom was negotiated, as a compromise rather that complete, yet with plans in the backburner on going against such agreements when one becomes more powerful - the classical giving an inch and taking a yard, when the time is correct, with a powerful base to work from.

Cillian Murphy gives yet another commendable performance as Damien, a freedom fighter (or terrorist, depending on how you see it) fighting for the injustice he experiences and observes. Padraic Delaney too holds his own as Teddy the brother, and the two cannot be more different, especially when they stand for the same ideals, disagreeing on execution. One's an idealist, while the other doesn't mind compromise, but both share extreme pain in doing what they deem morally right.

Despite Spider-man's much awaited sequel making its debut worldwide this week, Wind is one movie that I'll recommend if summer blockbuster's aren't your cup of tea. Highly recommended, and if your interest is piqued on the struggles of the early IRA days, you can click on this link to learn more.

[SIFF] Black Gold

Wake Me Up Before You Go Go

When you sip on that aromatic cup of coffee, do you think about where it all comes from? 2 billion cups of coffee are consumed on an average day, and I'm sure many of us have contributed our daily cuppas to that statistic as shared by the documentary Black Gold by Marc and Nick Francis. From the ordinary black coffee at the local coffeeshop, to gourmet, fanciful concoctions at the nearest Starbucks (there's this new banana mix in town now), Black Gold takes you on a journey of the world's coffee trade, from the consumers right down to the farmers who toil their fields to give us those beans.

But who makes the most out of this trade? The multicorporations of course, fingered and identified in this film as money grabbers. We are taken on a tour of the vast coffee fields in Ethiopia, and Tadesse Meskela is our guide, as he shows us the conditions that the farmers have to work with, and the meagre amounts of money they are making to make ends meet, while the rest of the world gulps our coffee, parting with a few dollars while they make less than a cent. The demand and supply mechanics seem to be imbalanced, no doubt with prices made artificially high on the commodities trader market in New York and London, with none trickling down to the tail end for the suppliers.

Tadesse Meskela's objective is to band the farmers around a co-operative so as to be able to negotiate better prices. They're not on a mission to make prices rocket, but just a few dollars more would improve the livelihood of the farmers tremendously, and to enable their children to have decent education. It's also about the attempts to remove the multi-layered middleman chain (up to 6 links), and I've always been a proponent to eradicate the middle sections because unless they value add, there's no point swelling the pockets of those who does what I deem a "postman's job".

There are a few points which provides starking contrasts between the haves and have nots. What I thought was sly, was the showcasing of Starbucks, its first outlet and its star performers raving about how much opportunity they have etc, versus the source of Starbuck's coffee from Ethiopia, where massive famine is experienced by those in that region. I guess in a capitalist world, those who have money will continue to exploit, and will continue doing so as long as the bottomline is not affected.

However, Black Gold lacked that strike in that emotional chord. It's pure "here's the problem" without offering much, loaded with clinical facts and figures printed on screen. While it showed how difficult the folks down the supply chain are having, that's basically it. We're the clueless consumers as depicted in the documentary who couldn't care less, and that basically summed it up, given its lack of that final sucker punch to ring the message home.

Retribution (Sakebi)

Need New Gutter To Crawl Out From

Retribution, punishment that is considered to be morally right and fully deserved. And for those who, like myself, have not gotten warned enough from writer-director Kyoshi Kurosawa's earlier duds like Loft, watching Retribution is retribution enough for not heeding that warning with its red light flashing from a distance. I enjoyed Kairo, but somehow the subsequent works of his which I've watched, failed to captivate just as much.

Simply put, Retribution contains all the classical elements of things that go bump in the night, the Kurosawa way. Don't expect sudden boos - you'll get long takes, the quiet, and something I've always admired, how spirits appear in the background so gradually, it's actually frightening. But too much of a good thing becomes cliche, and spicing it up by making them fly like Keanu Reeves in the Matrix sequels, just reeks. This movie too suffered from too many of the same type ghouls, and having one of them, the sticky Woman in Red (Riona Hazuki, whom I swear looks very much like local TV actress Jacelyn Tay) letting out cries that can challenge any siren, inevitably makes you want to cover your eyes each time she appears.

As the story goes, Koji Yakusho, a Kurosawa movie regular, plays a veteran detective Yoshioka assigned to investigate the homicide of the woman in a scarlet red dress, who was drowned in salty water accumulated in a puddle at a construction site. Curiously enough, the evidence all point to him - his whereabouts unknown, and a button at the scene which could have come from his own jacket. The problem is, he has no recollection what the heck had happened, and neither does he know the girl. Along the way, he seemed to be guided by this invisible force which he calls his hunch, to nab other suspects in other cases of similar modus operandi - that of drowning in shallow salt waters.

It's pretty much a character study piece of Yoshioka, with many flashbacks and numerous attempts tying up its convoluted loose ends. His nasty demeanour of unorthodox tactics (I just love that chase up the rooftop and its resolution of that scene) make him unpopular, and when alone, his relationship with his beautiful girlfriend Harue (Manami Konishi) makes you wonder why the bad boys get all the nice girls. Anyway that aside, it's precisely these relationship issues that put the entire story on a spin, and which I thought for a man like him, saving his whisky bottle during an earthquake speaks loads.

As mentioned earlier, the production is almost minimal, especially with Yoshioka alone in his apartment. The movie's not for everyone, and restless teenagers are better off leaving the theatre rather than to vent their displeasure at the other folks who want to endure this. There are a few surprises in store for those patient enough to wait till they emerge, but therein arose more questions to be answered. You wont get satisfaction watching this movie, all you get is retribution for wasting time watching something quite hokey and clunky.

If there's only one thing I like about the movie, it's that one special effects shot involving a water pan towards the end. Blink and you'll miss it.

Provoked: A True Story

Honey, I'm Home!

There were two reasons why I had decided to catch this film, and they are the beautiful Aishwarya Rai and composer extraordinaire A. R. Rahman. Provoked is based on the true story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, whose autobiographical book "Circle of Light" forms the basis of this movie. However, its textbook delivery style resulted in a film that's quite plain, despite its powerful potential in examining domestic violence against women.

Rai plays the protagonist Kiranjit, a Punjabi woman instructed by culture and social norms to be the dutiful wife to Deepak Ahluwalia (Naveen Andrews), who whisks her off to London. Kiranjit doesn't know what she's in for as it's an arranged marriage, and soon enough the true colours of her spouse start to show - the drinking, the womanizing, and the verbal, physical, emotional abuses. For 10 years she tolerated and suffered, until one night she snapped and gave her husband his just desserts. We're talking about the law here, and so she gets sent to the slammer.

Then on it's split down a few paths. Along one path, iIt's like Prison on Fire, where glimpses of the harsh realities of the world inside with criminals start to harden Kiranjit to fend for herself, along with the making of new friends and "sisters". On another path, the courtroom drama which was pivotal, given that it's a landmark case which debated upon the fine definition of provocation, somehow got delivered quite blandly, no doubt because attention was drawn toward the very British courtroom with its wigs and polite legal language. And finally, the path of melodrama and flashbacks, used ad nauseam here in telling the abuse that Kiranjit had to endure.

I'm gonna be biased here to say that Aishwarya Rai's performance is probably the best thing in the movie. As in Mistress of Spice, those eyes can speak a thousand words with just a flicker, a movement, or a blink. And she can do unglam too, sans thick makeup and making prison garb fashionable. As an abused woman, you can't help but feel sorry for her, and very much root for her to get herself out of her plight, using whatever means possible. Nothing too breakthrough, but she's as effective as can be.

Unfortunately, bad acting plagued most of the supporting cast. Naveen Andrews as the husband Deepak only managed to look snarling, but is never menacing enough, and the rest seemed to have been sleepwalking, in part being let down by the lack of meat in these roles, being in true one dimensional fashion. Only Miranda Richardson's fellow jailbird and cellmate Veronica Scott offered some balance in the acting department opposite Rai.

Veteran director Jag Muhdhra seemed to have a bad outing trying to polish the film into the gem it should be, and certain scenes were badly edited that they seemed to be pasted side by side without much thought to gel them together smoothly. It seemed to have dwelled too much in the beginning, and felt hurried toward the end. It also lacked details of the rationale, and failed to pound deeper into the heart of the subject. Rather, what we got was a brief introduction and explanation of the topic, followed by a very quick, superficial resolution, leaving us wanting more. A. R. Rahman's score seemed to have disappeared into the background at times, though when it's on, you can always ensure a treat for the ears.

Perhaps that's the point, of enticing the audience to pick up the book to read first hand the plight of someone being abused, and the challenges faced in being a mother from within a cell, battling innate customs and expectations to come out from within a shell and into the open, not only to try and save oneself, but to be a beacon of hope for many others in the same boat.

Straight to the point, no frills storytelling, recommended for the curious and for those who want a launching point into a hot subject of abusive relationships.

[SIFF] FUCK

FUCK!

Raise your hands, those who have not uttered "Fuck" before. You perhaps stand amongst the hypocritical few. Probably considered the most vulgar and offensive word in the English language, it is undoubted, as some of the talking heads in this documentary state, that its effect and meaning ever gets lost in translation, especially when coupled with the right tone, and the universal middle finger hand signal.

Playing to a full house (and will be in two screenings during SIFF), Fuck the documentary is quite a mixed bag. It tried to cover everything there is to the word, and does so with more than 800 utterances in its various forms, from nouns to adjectives, detailing examples along the way, to much hilarity when coupled with the renowned illustrator Bill Plympton's cartoons. Those bits are the best parts, with Plympton's cheeky take on the word play in its creative intertitles used to introduce the various segments of focus.

From literature to music to religion, Fuck examines how the word crept into social consciousness, acceptance-objection, reflecting on the changing social norms when some use it freely, while others frown and throw a fit when they hear it. It also tried to uncover the origins of Fuck, and no, it's not an acronym and never was, although this is a widely held misconception.

With plenty of celebrities and recognizable faces providing interview segments, Fuck seemed lacking in a very strong direction when it seemed to want to split all over the place. With comedians, filmmakers, authors, musicians and the likes putting their point across, sometimes the editing make it seem quite contrived especially when two opposing views come to a clash, and no prizes for guessing which side is made to look stupid.

And what's a documentary like Fuck worth, if it doesn't take a prolonged jab at the authorities and morality groups? But in the end, while it wraps up quite neatly almost everything there is to do about the word Fuck and its usage in contemporary daily lives, you come to wonder just what the fuss is all about. Fuck!

P.S. stay tuned until the end of the credits for a very short Plympton toon!

P.P.S. I recall an anecdote that took place some 12 years ago. Upon enlistment in NS, one of the first few questions asked by my BMT platoon sergeant on the very first day was "How many of you Air Levels (term used for those smart alecky A Level graduates like my batch) cannot stand vulgarities?", to which some idiots actually raised their hands.

The reply by my sergeant? An emphatic "FUUUUUCK YOU!" which I swore lasted a good 5 seconds at least.

The reaction? One of stunned silence naturally, and a to-the-point introduction to the army - a whole new ballgame altogether! :-)

My Love

One of those rare non-movie related posts that will creep occassionally into my blog.

On the surface, this is the music that my friends and I have been waking up to every morning in Hong Kong during the Film Festival, because one of us set it as the music to play when the morning call from his mobile phone went off.

If you wanna dig deeper, and I'll be deliberately cryptic about it, this is something that I want to say, and something I hope to be able to do so in film.

Bring back the memories....



My Love
Justin Timberlake

(feat. T.I.)

Ain't another woman that can take your spot my-

If I wrote you a symphony,
Just to say how much you mean to me (what would you do?)
If I told you you were beautiful
Would you date me on the regular (tell me, would you?)
Well, baby I've been around the world
But I ain't seen myself another girl (like you)
This ring here represents my heart
But there's just one thing I need from you (say "I do")

[Chorus]
Yeah, because
I can see us holding hands
Walking on the beach, our toes in the sand
I can see us on the countryside
Sitting on the grass, laying side by side
You could be my baby, let me make you my lady
Girl, you amaze me
Ain't gotta do nothing crazy
See, all I want you to do is be my love
(So don't give away) My love
(So don't give away) My love
(So don't give away) Ain't another woman that can take your spot, my love
(So don't give away) My love
(So don't give away) My love
(So don't give away) Ain't another woman that can take your spot, my love

Ooooh, girl
My love
My love

Now, if I wrote you a love note
And made you smile with every word I wrote (what would you do?)
Would that make you want to change your scene
And wanna be the one on my team (tell me, would you?)
See, what's the point of waiting anymore?
Cause girl I've never been more sure (that baby, it's you)
This ring here represents my heart
And everything that you've been waiting for (just say "I do")

[Chorus]
Yeah, because
I can see us holding hands
Walking on the beach, our toes in the sand
I can see us on the countryside
Sitting on the grass, laying side by side
You could be my baby, let me make you my lady
Girl, you amaze me
Ain't gotta do nothing crazy
See, all I want you to do is be my love
(So don't give away) My love
(So don't give away) My love
(So don't give away) Ain't another woman that can take your spot, my love
(So don't give away) My love
(So don't give away) My love
(So don't give away) Ain't another woman that can take your spot, my love

Ooooh, girl
My love
My love

[T.I. talking]
alrigh, itz time to get em J.T.
i dont know what she's hesitating for man...
[T.I.'s rap]
Shorty, cool as a fan
On the new once again
Still has fan from Peru to Japan
Listen baby, I don't wanna ruin your plan
But if you got a man, try to lose him if you can
Cause the girls real wild throw their hands up high
When they wanna come kick it wit a stand up guy
You don't really wanna let a chance go by
Because you ain't been seen wit a man so fly
Friend so fly i can go fly
Private, cause I handle my B.I.
They call me candle guy, simply 'cause I am on fire
I hate to have to cancel my vacation so you can't deny
I'm patient, but I ain't gon try
You don't come, I ain't gon die
Hold up, what chu mean, you can't go why?
Me and you boyfriend we ain't no tie
You say you wanna kick it with an ace so high
Baby, you decide that I ain't your guy
Ain't gon lie ,I feel your space
But forget your face, I swear I will
St. Baths, Anguilla anywhere I chill
Just bring wit me a pair, I will

[Chorus]
I can see us holding hands
Walking on the beach, our toes in the sand
I can see us on the countryside
Sitting on the grass, laying side by side
You could be my baby, let me make you my lady
Girl, you amaze me
Ain't gotta do nothing crazy
See, all I want you to do is be my love
(Love) My love
(Love) My love
(Love) Ain't another woman that can take your spot, my love
(Love) My love
(Love) My love
(Love) Ain't another woman that can take your spot, my love

Ooooh, girl
My love

[SIFF] Aki Ra's Boys (Asian Premiere)

In warfare, besides being picked off by a sniper with his long range rifle, having to face landmines probably ranks up there in terms of fear factor. Buried beyond the naked eye, and activated either through pressure or trip wire, it maims or kills, and survivors often are without limbs. The area of destruction is relatively large, and a small device can be packed with enough shrapnel to take out many in a single discharge, and to rattle troop morale. Larger ones can be used to take out armoured carriers or tanks too.

James Leong and Lynn Lee have crafted an intriguing documentary with Aki Ra's Boys, with Cambodian boys Boreak and Vannak being the titular boys mentioned by virtue of the screen time they have. They aren't ordinary, they are victims of landmines, and have lost one of their arms when inevitably playing with live mines left behind during the war. It's not a pretty sight as they demonstrate up close how it hurts, and show you their stumps, and you wonder how they keep themselves uplifted as they remind the audience that at times, it actually hurts.

Hanging around the Landmines Museum at Siem Reap, Cambodia, Boreak brings you on a typical tour, introducing the weapons of destruction in accented English like an expert in the subject, rattling off the destructive capabilities of the mines as a matter of fact. But the documentary's not all gloom, as most of the images captured were how the boys and their fellow peers make the best of their situation, and seem to have quite a bit of fun in their regular games sessions. I was also impressed by Boreak's maturity, and his earnestness in wanting to provide for his family.

James and Lynn also allowed us to observe Aki Ra at work, which is probably one of the scenes which will make you wince. A soldier in the Khmer Rouge regime, Aki Ra now devotes his time and effort into demining Cambodia, putting his skills as a mine layer to good use, in removing the mines to prevent any innocent lives lost, or injured severely. Probably the best in the business, he had defused more than 30,000 of them, and the entire sequence of him going through the process of demining in a rather haphazard manner, will make you cringe, even though you know nothing bad will happen with all the frequent knocking and clanging (otherwise James and Lynn wouldn't be around for the screening!)

Not without flaws, I thought the documentary indulged a little in the scenes at Angkor Wat, and was a little repetitive with Boreak showing off his WWE Championship impersonations, dragging out the third act. But all in all it's an incredible effort in bringing us scenes from the ground, in one of the world's most heavily mined countries, showing us the lives of those impacted by this particular weapon, and the little personal stories on hope and perseverance, in making the best of what we have, to try and do a lot more.

I'm already a big fan of James and Lynn's works, the previous documentary feature being Passabe, I'd rue the chance I had during HKIFF where I could witness the world premiere of their latest documentary Homeless FC (had to fly back to Singapore on the same day), and I am crossing my fingers that Homeless FC will make a screening here soon!

***

James Leong and Lynn Lee were present today for the screening of their documentary Aki Ra's Boys. The following was the Q&A session which transpired after the screening. Do note that it's not verbatim.

Q: What was the duration spent in making this documentary?
A: Lynn mentioned she met the kids about 4 months before shooting, and over a 6 month period, the actual filming took 3 weeks, and a one week for follow up.

Q: How did they meet the boys?
A: Lynn met Boreak when she was in Cambodia to film another documentary, and noticed him performing a dance amongst a group of girls, and his obvious missing limb. When she approached him to be in a film, his first reaction was to run away! Thankfully they managed to get in touch with Aki Ra (and hence the rest as they say was history).

James shared that the Landmines Museum was in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and Boreak's village was actually 100km away, but because of the condition of the roads, it took about 6 to 7 hours to reach. The place where Aki Ra was demining was somewhere near the Thai border.

With a crew of 3 (James, Lynn and their technical manager Rajesh), they were actual more afraid prior to being on site to observe and film Aki Ra sifting for mines, but when they were on location, it was kind of hypnotic watching Aki Ra going about his job, and the fear went away during the filming process. With Aki Ra's experience with defusing more than 30,000 mines, there's no other person better to follow into a minefield, than him.

James and Lynn also shared that they had a translator to bridge the language barrier, and their toughest challenge faced was editing something in a language that you don't understand - how to cut it an dmake it work. They had 26 hours of film, and actually subtitled all of it.

They were also asked about the status of Boreak, and they mentioned they actually went back in Feb this year to show the film to the boys, but Boreak wasn't present as he's in school. And in fact he's taking school more seriously now, and is really tall, calmer, and less mischievous. They also didn't get to meet Boreak's father as he's a soldier and not at home a lot.

Q: Were the boys more "showy" when the cameras were turned on?
A: When the cameras were on, Boreak actually did a lot more of his WWE Champion mimicry.

I thought one question asked was quite impolite, but probably had to be asked so that misconceptions could be cleared - the documentary wasn't staged (James also shared they filmed many interviews, and were able to use them as an underlay), and that they do not share the philosophy of having to pay people they film, so as not to cause the folks/interviewees to be beholden to them and doing what they want them to do. However, a token donation was made to Aki Ra's museum funds.

You can read more about the production process from James Leong and Lynn Lee's blog

[SIFF] The Changi Murals (World Premiere)

I only remember one other time where a local short film had its world premiere here to much fanfare. The organizers clearly were of the opinion that most of the sell out crowd were here to view Boo Junfeng's The Changi Murals, but I thought that most were here for James Leong and Lynn Lee's Aki Ra's Boys instead. In any case, I thought Aki Ra's Boys was the real deal, and The Changi Murals the sideshow, even thought it was played first.

I would have expected that a film on the much talked about murals, with its rich backstory, would have made a compelling, deep, and emotional movie. While it was beautifully filmed, it seemed a bit sterile, in having a rather unrealistic looking set, POWs who seemed to be well fed as opposed to well publicized pictures, and a story that didn't engage. It was rather superficial in its treatment of the murals.

Although it was supposed to be lyrical, there's something lacking in the way the short tried to achieve its objective. Hopefully, a feature version, with a relatively larger budget, might do this topic some justice, and this probably be a short teaser to what it could have wanted to be.

Anyone curious about the murals, might have better luck from a site like this one.

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Boo Junfeng was present today at the National Museum Gallery Theatre for the World Premiere of his short film The Changi Murals. The following was the Q&A session which transpired after the screening. Do note that it's not verbatim.

Q: Were there was any problems with getting the expatriate actors for the roles?
A: It was difficult and close to 2 months were spent looking for the cast.

Q: The environment looked quite clean. Was it like that during the times?
A: Much effort has been taken to recreate what it was like as much as possible. The locations within the camp were not too bad actually, and quite well kept, because it was in a hospital as Stanley (the character in the film) was suffering from dysentery at the time.

Junfeng shared that he didn't want to assume what it would be like for a POW, and decided to go lyrical, and let the images, natural surroundings, and the murals speak for themselves - perhaps it's more of an interpretation of the murals.

Q: Is there an intention to make a feature film from this short?
A: The inspiration came from my knowing of the murals for a long time, and given I live in the same area in Changi, it intrigued me that the place where I live at one time had atrocities committed, and had POWs living around the area. I did think it had feature film potential, but for the obvious the lack of resources to make it.

Q: Why the 6 months of preproduction?
A: I was in NS at the time, and the scale of putting it together was quite huge for a short film, as you can see from the end credits. I had to also find people and tried to engage professionals, as well as to find the time to do it.

Q: Did the actors look anything like the real persons they are portraying, or were certain artistic liberties taken?
A: Naturally if you look at the body shapes of expats in Singapore.... we had to select the skinnier of those who turned up for the auditions.

Junfeng revealed that the faces on the murals were actually based on fellow prisoners, so he decided to feature a lot of these faces in the film, coupled with plenty of tight shots. He also shared that the murals were restored 3 times after the War ended, and twice by Stanley himself, who was an art teacher in school when a colleague sounded out to him about some murals found in Changi. In the 60s when they were discovered, almost nobody knew the murals existed. Only when they were clearing a storeroom did they realized that the site was an ex-chapel, and the murals had been covered by another layer of paint - the murals were completed in 1943, and one mural was destroyed by the Japanese when they converted the site into a store room.

Q: What was the effect that the murals had on the Japanese soldiers, as depicted in the film?
A: From the book, the chain of command of the British and Australian army were pretty much intact, so the Japanese were there literally as guards and nothing else.

The Good Shepherd

Can You Be Trusted?

A shepherd tends to his herd, and keeps a lookout for that wolf in sheep's clothing. Robert De Niro directs The Good Shepherd, written by Eric Roth (who also wrote Munich, Ali and The Insider), a tale about the early days of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), its founding and the black eat black world of spy versus spy, as seen from the fictional Edward Bell Wilson (Matt Damon), tasked with the responsibility of setting up the all important counterintelligence wing.

Clocking in at almost 3 hours, it is time well spent, as you observe how this side of the world really works - with its truth, supposed truth, and fabricated lies which look very much like the truth. Through Edward's experiences, you realize, just as he was warned very much early, that things are always not quite they seem, friends can be enemies and enemies friends, and that the only person you can ever trust, is yourself. And sitting through the movie, you'll feel somewhat frustrated as you also partake in trying to make sense of statements, of trying to figure out just who's who and who's right (or not) in this double-triple crossing world where betrayal and distrust are tasks to handle day to day.

And does this constant looking over your shoulder and distrust affect your personal life? Sure. We see how Edward's own is a little screwed up, and while he keeps his serious demeanour on all the time, he's actually quite a casanova. Trapped in a loveless marriage with Margaret (Angelina Jolie) with whom he married out of responsibility, we see how his profound deep sense of patriotism always put his country above self and family, thus bringing in so much tension, and it seemed to show that men in his position, have a hard time with work-life balance.

The ensemble cast makes this picture very riveting to follow, and Matt Damon trades his fisticuffs as Jason Bourne for a more stoic performance as THE man within the circle of trust who's entrusted with the responsibility of learning from the British, and then setting up the counterintelligence team from scratch. Rarely smiling, strict looking, and possessing this no nonsense attitude. Being on the hot seat, he puts in quite a one-dimensional performance for the character of Edward, but you can feel his pain and dilemma of having to be the best character judge out there. Angelina Jolie has yet another flower vase role, with nothing much to do except to exude pain from within each time she gets rejected by Edward emotionally.

The narrative is fractured and there's a constant flashback which weaves itself into the current timeline, making the flow quite jarring at times. By not having a younger actor for Edward in his youth, you'll have to rely very much on the dates that are shown to put yourself in the correct timeline. Up until almost two-thirds of the movie does the past catch up with the present, and it becomes easier then. Despite being billed as a movie about the founding of the CIA, you don't get to see that much, and the Agency more or less just sprang into existence in the movie.

Despite its flaws, those who like the usual spy-vs-spy movies will enjoy The Good Shepherd. However, do bear in mind that this is not a fantasized stylized action movie like Bond or Bourne. There's no big-bang action pieces, but plenty of mind games, behind the scenes, and in actuality, a personal story of one man's struggles with grave worldly uncertainties and its share of shady characters.

The Last Mimzy

Hello?

Directed by the current CEO of New Line Cinema, The Last Mimzy is a children's fantasy movie which goes along the grains of having its children protagonists developing special powers, communicating with one another and with an alien object that no adult (or anyone else for that matter) can, and to help save some futuristic civilization. Sounds like a typical walk in the park for any children's movie you might add.

The Wilder siblings Noah (Chris O'Neil) and Emma (Rhiannon Leigh Wryn) find a mysterious box with strange markings, containing some weird toys, amongst which includes a harmless looking soft toy bunny christened Mimzy. Soon enough Noah starts developing intellectual prowess bordering on genius and like Peter Parker would do without eyeglasses, while Emma, with Mimzy clutched closely to chest, starts to exhibit powers that a psychic would, in addition to being able to play five stones that float and with a light show included.

As parents and adults (Noah's schoolteacher and his wife), they have a natural tendency for disbelief and to second guess the children, as all adults would in a made for children's movie. And the authorities are hunting for them, just as they would, as targets of a resulting city wide blackout.

If anything, the chemistry between the child actors playing the siblings is believable enough, and you would agree with me that Rhiannon Leigh Wryn is adorable as the kid sister whose innocence and love play a crucial role in the movie's plot. There are a few moments with injected humour, which I thought Asian audiences would identify with immediately with Kathryn Hahn's role as a "numbers" obsessed lady, and for technical geeks, watch out for that logo (I've actually had a friend who was expecting it to pop out, and to our surprise, it did!)

Expect the rudimentary plot development, characters as well as special effects that are just functional rather than to wow. It should serve as pretty interesting for a kid, but for an adult, we would have already seen other more superior stories, beginning with Spielberg's ET.

[SIFF] Feet Unbound (Asian Premiere)

Today marked the Asian premiere of Ng Khee Jin's documentary Feet Unbound, which recounts the Red Army's Long March in China during tumultuous times in China after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty. It was a military retreat of over 200,000 troops on foot over 12,500 kilometres which lasted for almost 3 years, and the film looks at the event from the point of view of the female survivors, as well as the narrator Elly, a journalist from Beijing.

In a way, the documentary doesn't run along conventional presentation. You would expect a documentary to be the mouthpiece of the filmmaker, adopting the filmmaker's point of view, and everything else that fell into place, comes from the director himself. However Feet Unbound provided another parallel perspective, and that's from Elly, who's also in turn interviewed to share her thoughts. So while the director had a vision at the helm, a separate voice was added, and thus it may seem at times to contain a separate narrative.

The gems were of course the interviews with the women survivors of the Long March. In their twilight years, they still possess some spunk as they recollect their experiences, and watching them tell their stories in an animated manner, you can't help but wonder how passionate they were really like back at their peak. Some shared and sang a number of the propaganda songs used to boost morale during the difficult times, and you'll feel their pain when they tell of the hardships of the time, as well as the frequent hunger pangs from the lack of food, fighting three different battle fronts as they battle against the Guomingtang troops, the warlords, as well as Mother Nature.

This is a very technically sound documentary, and it captures the picturesque landscapes of rural China beautifully. I like the soundtrack especially, an original composition which was performed by the renowned Tang Quartet. The last time I saw the Quartet in action was during a Coco Lee concert in Singapore back in 2000, and I wonder if there would be anymore local films who will tap on the Quartet for film soundtracks.

Chinese women of noble births had their feet bounded to keep it small. Some say it was for aesthetics, as it made walking quite difficult - balancing and all - and those with big feet are automatically labelled as the peasants as they need to work the fields. Those who took part in the March naturally had their feet unbound, and signalled probably for the first time, the women being able to exercise their freedom of choice - to join the movement based on the promise to better their lot.

Elly,in her journey to retrace the steps taken, pales in comparison obviously as most of the travelling was done in a chauffered SUV versus the journey made on foot. Despite the length of travel, this documentary remained very palatable in its compact runtime, and the many precious anecdotes peppered throughout made it extremely watchable.

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Director Ng Khee Jin was present to grace the occassion of Feet Unbound's Asian Premiere, and to him it was a special one as it's like a homecoming for the film. While technically an Australian production, he added that it's entirely made by a Singapore production crew.

There were questions about the narrative of Elly included in the film, as a reporter on her own trip, with impressions taken from her journal. Somehow the director-writer's voice didn't come through, or not as clear - so the question was, whose voice was it meant to be for the audience to follow. Khee Jin explained that the film was unscripted, and it was a conscious decision to introduce the voice of a younger woman and her impressions of the Long March, besides hearing first hand accounts from the older women survivors, who were there to recount history from their perspective.

Khee Jin shared that the filming was done over a year, with pre-production carried out over 4 to 5 weeks, while actual filming took place over 8 to 9 weeks. The biggest challenge he faced was when the original talent (Elly was actually the replacement) had to back out of the production days when they were starting to shoot. She was a reporter from Xinhua News Agency, and because of some breaking news she had to cover, she couldn't take leave. Khee Jin freaked out, though that reporter introduced Elly, and the result is this film. Other challenges he faced had paled in comparison.

Khee Jin also revealed that the idea behind including Elly's personal life, with the matchmaking and her dalliances with relationships, was actually not to tell a simple, straight, direct story. He wanted to include a perspective from what a typical modern Chinese woman is like, as compared to the women on the Long March - who were truly the first generation of the modern Chinese woman, with the promise of equal rights. He wanted to show how China had moved on, and to essentially contrast the evolution of the Chinese woman. He made Elly keep a journal of her experiences each day, and discovered there was a parallel story from the journal entries, where she was at a point of her career where she's losing interest.

There were some in the audience who were repulsed by Elly's character (probably the perceived promiscuity, and her open attitudes toward flirting and sex), and for Khee Jin, it was an eye-opener to be together with the audience to feel their reactions - the Chinese crowd tend to loathe Elly, while the Western audiences were actually fascinated by her character. These were obvious differing reactions, as are some points at which the audience cracked up.

In the film, there was an archival black and white clip used quite often cited from "WanShuiQianShan" (1959) (which literally translates to "ten thosand waters and thousand mountains"), an early propaganda film which Khin Jin thought to be the best one about the Long March, and he used it in Feet Unbound to show some aspects of the actual event.

Feet Unbound is Khee Jin's first film, and a personal project of sorts. When asked if he had faced any objections from the Chinese authorities, Khee Jin said that it was shot without a permit! The initial point of inspiration was when he first read about the Long March about 20+ years back, and from the two books which was listed in the end credits as having inspired the film, Khee Jin mentioned that they were probably the only 2 books out there which was about women in the Long March.