The Haunting of Molly Hartley

I'm Scary, Not

I guess all teenage starlets have to go through their cinematic rites of passage by having some horror flick under their belt. So far I've seen every film on the big screen that Haley Bennett had starred in, from her breakthrough role as the uber-sexy Cora "Buddha's Delight" Corman in Music and Lyrics, to Kendall of College, and now, the titular character in this horror film. Save for her debut, everything else had been of dubious quality, and I'm afraid without another hit soon, she'll more than be forgotten and should concentrate on her singing career instead.

The film begins in some spooky woods in the 70s where a girl, on the cusp of her 18th birthday, begins to hear voices swirling around, and eventually got deliberately killed by her father. We don't know why, because we're suddenly transported to today, and to the bedroom of Molly Hartley, who is starting life afresh with her father (Jake Weber) in a new town.

The focus is then shifted to high school pangs, of having to deal with new rivals, new potential love interest Joseph (Chace Crawford), and new friends such as the rebel Leah (Shannon Marie Woodward) and Bible-thumper Alexis (Shanna Collins). And because of a near fatal accident involving her mother, Molly's got regular shrink schedules with the school resident councillor Dr. Emerson (Nina Siemaszko), where doubts are planted in the audience mind that Molly's not who she really seemed, having strange habits of going to the toilet to hyperventilate, or hearing voices of unknown folks again swirling around her, or experience hallucinations which provide for plenty of cheap scare tactics. Scenes like these were repeated ad-nauseam.

But they are nothing frightening, because the movie has an entire look and feel of High School Musical, save the characters don't break out into song and dance. A little bit of positivity about the film is that there was an air of mystery about it, having this cool scream queen who doesn't know what her destiny is, always possessing this edgy feel to her character that there's more than meets they eye, holding you in some suspense. Coupled with the strange and slow revelation on what happened between Molly and her mom, it leaves you guessing for the most part.

Until it decided to play it fast, and here's where the loopholes all start to appear really dumb in this hurried mode to finish the story off. You laugh as it went from scene to scene and not made much sense, and the worst part of it all was how it leapt into some bubblegum pop type of film, betraying all instances of sane thriller development into something that could have been the Wow factor when revealed, instead of the Duh factor. In doing what it did, it showed the filmmakers had lack of flair and skill, making some very strange decisions to have the story take on this flaccid psycho-babble route, and lacking any compelling characters to feel for. Heck, there's not even a decent body count too.

The Haunting of Molly Hartley had an idea, but alas the translation of this idea into a feature film, with eye candy looking cast and all, failed miserably. Save your money, and fans of Haley Bennett would be better off watching her (non) performance on rented DVD instead.

Eden Lake

Help

When outnumbered, move away. Split. Run.

That's the golden rule when confronted by a gang of hooligans, or in the first place, not to kick start any interaction for that matter. Not that one’s a coward, but the consequences and the hassle thereafter are never worth it. Swallow that pride and move away, because there’s absolutely no shame in doing so. But I guess should one decide to take some action, to never take them on as a group, because crazed peer pressure to belong gives some intense mental strength that clouts morals. Unity is strength, and taking them on individually presents a much better chance at survival.

Eden Lake refers to an idyllic scenic though unused quarry area that Steve (Michael Fassbender) brings his girlfriend Jenny (Kelly Reilly) to, in the hope that during their undisturbed stay away from the hustle and bustle, he can pop the question on bended knee and diamond ring. Things don’t go according to plan because of a group of local ruffians who disturb their serene environment, and blame should go to the couple as well for unnecessarily stirring up the hornet’s nest.

Like The Strangers, the couple is (deliberately by their own choosing) alone and kept isolated from the outside world by their perpetrators. For something that should be a romantic outing, it degenerated quickly into petty tit-for-tat action-reaction, before going down the slippery slope into the chasm of what nightmares are made of. The couple is left to fend for themselves, and this is where it goes into some squeamish territory that’s not for the faint-hearted.

However, it’s not like the usual Hollywood run of the mill horror flick, where the gorier it is the better. It’s a nice departure thanks to writer-director James Watkins in not going over the top and pile on the gratuitous moments of blood and gore, but to build it up slowly for best results and impact. Sure there’s plenty of violence, but the true horror here actually lies in the fact that these heinous crimes are conducted by teens who cannot comprehend the severity of their actions, and worse, the power of peer pressure in compromising any human decency left in them. It takes a sick mind too to be able to order the filming of their act as a form of collateral to keep everyone’s mouths shut.

It also points to the lack of quality parental upbringing, though it generally made a sweeping statement that rubbish parents give rise to rubbish offspring, given it’s in their genes. But alas most of us are for the horror elements and not moral lessons, and like most horror flicks, the characters here do make the wrong moves so much so that you’d like to ask if they too are aware of the obvious common sense pitfalls - Watkins story does lapse into the occasional cliché moment and some none too subtle development dealing with trust.

Unfortunately this film was censored at one point, though I believe it wasn’t anything substantial to the entire plot. It’s a cautionary tale and a perfect reminder to hot headed folks out there that one should never take on odds against your favour, especially when outnumbered, to avoid secluded places, and to know when to cut your losses and make a run for it!

All's Well End's Well 2009 (Ga Yau Hei Si 2009 / 家有喜事 2009)

It surprised me that this Hong Kong comedic franchise still had some legs to carry on with yet another installment, given that it's been some 12 years since the last film, which started off in 1992 starring Stephen Chow at his element, filled with plenty of "mo-lei-tau" jokes, and its fair share of obvious spoofs from well know movies. It's title ties in with none other than its release over the Lunar New Year period of the year, because it's believed that cinema goers automatically head for the comedies showing in the cinemas. Right, Jack Neo?

Each installment of the franchise share links with one another only in the title of the movie timestamped with the year, and its ending with the usual fanfare song and dance to usher in the Lunar New Year as well. And the second movie in 1993 was actually filmed in Singapore’s now defunct and demolished Tang Dynasty City, being one of the rare (if not the only) film to have been done in its entirety at the location. Clifton Ko, who had been assuming directorial duties then, has now turned it over to Vincent Kok, while together with Raymond Wong, they retain producer credits.

Just how zany or irreverent this addition to the franchise can become? Unlike the previous films, the number of direct references for spoof purposes is much more obscure. Gone are the blatant in your face sight gags played just for laughs, and though there are the much touted scenes of emulating Daniel Craig’s bare bodied emergence from the sea in Casino Royale, the actual scene is contrary to what the movie still would have you believe. Other references and cameo appearances/spoofs also take on a much subtler approach, so for an audience who blinked, you can forget about any rip-roaring laughter from start to end.

But of course as a comedy, one can’t fault the script for trying to piece everything together, resulting in one crazy and messy approach. A huge leaf taken from the Will Smith vehicle Hitch forms the central premise, where a love guru dispenses advice to his clients to help them achieve their objectives, while at the same time finding trouble to practice what he is teaching. Louis Koo’s Koo Chai is the Asian Hitch equivalent with some hypnotic powers, being paid by Ronald Cheng’s Kei to help his sister Sandra (Sandra Ng) get married, so that he can break the family curse that befalls each of his fiancées. The principles of seduction get into full swing to charm the successful alpha-female with a zilch love life in routines that you can see coming from miles away.

There are however, some excellent one-off scenes, and my personal favourites are the dining table identity crisis scene, as well as a gambling one involving Raymond Wong (given top billing here although he appears only from the halfway mark), Lee Heung-Kam and Sandra’s real life dad Ha Chun-Chau, the latter two being her on-screen parents. I guess the filmmakers were quite unsure whether new faces could carry the franchise, so they had to rely on the tried and tested veterans, though folks like Sandra seem to be playing yet another usual character seen in many of her movies. Ronald Cheng though is a personal revelation and has quite the rubber face.

Don’t go expecting plenty of hearty laughter, as the set pieces do look more juvenile rather than genuinely funny, and are more misses than hitting the mark. And for local audiences here, because the film is in Cantonese (perhaps only for the Mainland Chinese actresses who spoke in Mandarin), my bet would be that plenty of jokes had gone lost in translation. I hope in my lifetime we’ll finally see Cantonese languages Hong Kong films be treated as foreign films so that the language track can be left intact. You can tell that is sorely missed, because surprisingly the outtakes during the end credits were left undubbed, and everyone was fixated (only the kiasus left to avoid the car park exit crunch) and laughing away, while probably quietly ruing with the same wish that I have.

[Gala Premiere] All's Well End's Well 2009 - The Mall Appearance

It's quite surreal actually to see the actors whom you've grown up watching on the big screen, appear right in front of you. Raymond Wong gained fame for his Happy Ghost series, and is quite the producer these days, the latest hit of his being Ip Man. And Sandra Ng looked like she's found a fountain of youth, as she's still looking svelte and just as we remembered her on screen, with a hearty sense of humour to boot too.

Together with director Vincent Kok, the trio were here to promote their latest film designed for the Lunar New Year period, the fourth movie in the All's Well End's Well series, one of which was a period piece that was actually shot in its entirety in Singapore's very own, and now defunct and demolished, Tang Dynasty Village.

Enjoy the videos below, capturing their meet and greet, a "Lo Hei" session, and some impromptu autograph signing before finally being convinced and whisked away by security. In Mandarin without subtitles.

Doubt

How Can I Help You My Child

I thought this was the serious and unfunny cousin of the comedy series The Office, where you can identify, even from your own experiences, the lousy supervisor you have to work under, ruling everyone with an iron fist and always threatened by fresh ideas that question their relevance, of the pretty but naive whistle blower whose accusations you may find hard to defend against, and of Mr Popular who actually has enemies unknown to him, working hard and scheming to discredit him.

Unflappable performances from Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman makes Doubt a winner, especially when they go head to head at each other, tearing down the opposite defence with rapid fire acidic barbs, while trying to reel themselves from being affected by questions targetted at their very souls. Pacing is like watching two grandmasters duel in a chess game, contemplative in the beginning, before a flurry of events take over. And if you like to work your noodle during the movie, then Doubt is perfect as it leaves you guessing, even as the end credit rolls, to try and piece together your perspective of what had, or could have actually transpired. Bring a friend, and debate away.

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

Punisher: War Zone

No Holds Barred

I will make no apologies in declaring this version and reboot of the Punisher the best amongst the lot so far. Yes it's unflinchingly violent, and for those who have issues with screen violence getting too gratuitous, then Punsiher: War Zone is not the movie for you, and you should steer light years clear of it. Being the first Marvel Studios film released under the Marvel Knights label, which is supposedly meant for mature audiences, this is probably the version that stays close to the mythos in terms of Frank Castle's modus operandus.

No offense to Dolph Lundgren and Thomas Jane, the latter especially who had quite a solid, albeit emotional outing as Frank Castle, but Ray Stevenson's rendition of the titular character made you both look like pussies spread out lazing in the park. There're no fancy stunts set up - Lundgren had this motor-cycle gang going on, and Jane had ample time to set up his bow and arrow - as Stevenson just despatches the crooks without remorse nor mercy, devoid of needless conversation. He's the calculated killer knowing that what he's doing is bringing him closer to the devil, but does it anyway.

For the most parts, especially the beginning, Frank Castle doesn't speak, but lets his inner rage do the talking. From the onset with a decapitation, followed by a massive execution, and I mean execution, around a dining table, you get the idea that this man doesn't take any nonsense and has no patience for dalliances. He pumps bodies with lead, and then again to make sure he gets a flatline. He only gets creative with his arsenal of weapons ranging from double automatic Barrettas to missile launchers, lugging all his weaponry on his specially designed multi-purpose suits with countless of holsters and pockets, which includes body armour, and yes, that famed skull which was threatened to be taken away by director Lexi Alexander.

It was quite surprising to say the least that such an ultra-violent flick is directed by a lady. One would expect some playing of emotions here, but this film has absolutely none of that. It doesn't get bogged down by trying to be cerebral and develop the characters, and the only emotional scene, if it can be deemed that way, would be very limited flashbacks as to how Frank became the vigilante Punisher.

I would like to think that the strength of any comic book movie comes from the characterization of the villain(s). Get weak ones, such as those in Ghost Rider, and you'll be in for a yawn fest. Get it right, then everything else would fall together, given that the hero has some real challenge placed in front of him to overcome. In Punisher: War Zone, Frank Castle goes up against mobster Jigsaw (Dominic West) and Loony Bin Jim (Doug Hutchison), both psychopaths in their own right, teaming up for revenge as well as to recover stolen cash taken by an undercover (and dead, no thanks to the Punisher) cop. Despite some very neat makeup in the facial design of Jigsaw, he never felt the least menacing, and Loony Bin Jim's nothing but a loose cannon.

Perhaps it was also the fault of the Punisher being in god-mode here. Sure he suffers some shots or two, but is always saved by his kevlar. He's virtually indestructible, and dishes his vengeance out with comic-book glee coupled with some really graphic violence. While some side villains were given a little time to showcase what they can do, they get bumped off quite effortlessly, and sometimes turning unintentionally comedic as well. There will bound to be some cheesy one liners that will make you cringe, so it's hard to tell if the intention here is to play it straight or otherwise.

Religion also got thrown into the mix here, with talk about God, redemption and references from Heaven to Hell, but there's nothing too deep about that as well, since the last shot in the film, was quite laughable. Again, there are moments where it might have been played for laughs with a straight face, but given what it dished out, this is indeed one vigilante who has crime lords cowering in fear.

This Punisher is not just a Punisher, but judge, jury and Executioner all rolled into one. If on-screen violence is your cup of tea then this movie might be targeted at you. Unlike The Crow (yet another ultra-violent movie in its time) which had Eric Draven dish out meticulously planned revenge acts, Frank Castle here doesn't waste time as he deems blowing one's brains apart the fastest way to cut through the crap and save taxpayer dollars in keeping felons well fed under one roof.

It hasn't done well at the box office because of its violent nature, and I guess it's not everyone's cup of tea to watch violent scene after violent scene, coupled with a terribly simple storyline to boot. However, this would be a treat for the Punisher fan since it's done just about right with Frank Castle's no nonsense approach.

Milk

Got Milk?

Biopics work for me because I'm innately curious about that aspect of a person's life which makes it compelling enough for others to want to make a film out of it. This film by Gus Van Sant tells the story of California's first openly gay elected official Harrvey Milk over the span of the last 8 and definitely more fruitful years of his life where he discovers his calling ironically after confessing to a lover that he had so far not done anything constructive with his, and then with their subsequent move to San Franscisco.

Milk is one of the films this year up for a number of accolades, more notably for Sean Penn's nuanced performance as Harvey Milk. I thought he had, with the help of make up, totally disappeared into the role, and gave it his all as the soft spoken, and idealistic political rookie who had to take on the big boys, as well as deep rooted bigotry and prejudice. And not only that, he has to contend with keeping his partner Scott Smith (James Franco) emotionally satisfied, since it's no longer a private world of their own, but one which faced the tussle of precious time as he finds it his calling to take up political office. I felt that while Franco has to date played plenty of pretty boy action roles, here he ramps up his dramatic performance opposite veteran Sean Penn, and managed to hold his own too.

Not only that, the ensemble cast here had been top notch, and that's not only just kudos to the make up team in having them resemble their real life counterparts to a T. Josh Brolin as Dan White always had this unpredictable edge to him, and his involvement in the inevitable finale was nothing short of chilling to witness. Emile Hirsch as Cleve Jones plays one of Harvey's key assistants, and his role here was quite endearing, despite being only in a supporting capacity.

Watching this film, you can't help but to appreciate just how long the USA took to change its perception and acceptance of the GLBT community. It takes relentless, continuous effort to effect change from within the political system through a very charismatic personality supported by his own grassroots. As the saying goes, change is the only constant and is inevitable, and one of the strategies undertaken here was to come out of the closet, so that friends and family could demolish the stigma of demonizing those who are queer and come to accept them, since after all, they could be immediate friends and family. This I thought was a smart move since it almost does away with negative perception and destructive assumptions, though it calls for a very stout heart for anyone to reveal who they truly are.

Gus Van Sant had wonderfully mixed the filmed narrative with real archival footages to add that sense of realism to this biopic. He doesn't paint that pitch perfect portrait of Harvey Milk, and provided a sense of balance in that it does take whatever method that works to try and drum up support for their movement. Which I thought had echoed that plenty of successful ideologies thrive, not because what persists is that charismatic representative, but that of the doctrine that people subscribe to.

And collectively and persistently, change can be effected. There's nothing too fancy about the way Harvey Milk's life got presented here, but it delivered where it mattered in having a solid narrative to illustrate the life of a man who's in pursuit to eradicate negative mindsets and the deeply harboured prejudice of man. The homosexual subject matter may be central here to the cause, but put aside, the same struggles and challenges to overcome are universal conditions that everyone will go through at one point or another. A highly recommended movie.

Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour 3D

Here's The Mic Coming At Ya!

Alright, I have to confess that I have no clue as to who Hannah Montana is, except that she is some manufactured “it”girl with some links to Disney, and was spoofed in Superhero Movie. She's a character played by Miley Cyrus, daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, who has to don a long and silky blonde wig to play her alter ego, and perhaps the only time I've seen Miley perform, was lending her non singing voice in Bolt.

So I was precisely the proverbial fish out of water who knew zilch about the influence of Miley's reach, and know nothing too about the songs in both Montana and Cyrus' discography. But of course that didn't persuade me otherwise not to go for this concert movie to find out a lot more in under 90 minutes, and being a 3D movie provided extra reason to do so as well.

Being what would be my first 3D concert movie, the depth of field here worked wonders in tricking your senses that you were there at the performance, and every hand that shot up to wave about, or a pop of a head because of enthusiastic fans jumping up and down, would have you either want to reach out and slap them, or like the kids in the audience, they too were lured to mimic such typical enjoyment as if they were there, swaying, dancing, running around, doing cartwheels even (!) just in front of the screen. These kids provided an additional D with their honest, devil-may-care participation.

One too would expect just performance of a number after performance, and the only truly 3D-ish moments was the drummer who executed tossing his drumstick into the air, and with Miley herself throwing one right toward the camera, which made you cringe. Other than that, there's nothing unusual, and the documentary aspect of preparing for her concert turned out to be rather plain as well, beginning with designing the stage and the moves on a mock location, before wrapping everything after a full dress rehearsal for the actual performing location.

Expect a number of talking heads from parents to co-performers peppering this concert movie, though there's absolutely nothing scandalous being said, more like plenty of pats on the back. Of the “two” performers here, personally I preferred Miley Cyrus' turn rather than Hannah Montana, which I felt was a little bit fake to begin with, and of the songs performed, I had preferred Cyrus' selection over Montana's. Then again, what would I know, since they're essentially the same person, and the age group this is targeted at, would have more discerning opinions.

I'm just there to soak up the atmosphere, really. Give us U23D!

Red Cliff II (赤壁: (下) - 决战天下 / Chi Bi: Xia - Jue Zhan Tian Xia)

Relight My Fire

It's been a six month wait for the second and final half to John Woo's magnum opus Red Cliff, and for those familiar with the classic but have not watched the first installment, the director doesn't waste time in bringing you up to speed with an excellent summary, so much so that the transitional technique used was carried over to the main movie proper. And for those who complained about the pigeon soaring over the sky overseeing a football game at the Cao Cao (Zhang Fengyi) camp, there're perfect explanations for those too.

Yes, just when you think it was frivolous of Woo to have added his signature pigeon shots just for the heck of it, you'll be more than pleased to know that the feathered friends do serve a valid purpose here, as does the football match which introduces a sub plot which again I suspect will give way in the truncated version meant for Western markets. We continue where we last left off, and get to see Vicky Zhao's Sun ShangXiang in an expanded role which is crucial to the overall plotting and strategizing of the finale battle, knocking a bit of the shine off the well known characters of Tony Leung's Zhou Yu and Takeshi Kaneshiro's Zhuge Liang.

But don't fret, as there's still ample and well known episodes where the two men get to show off their cunningness and shrewdness in getting their respective one-ups against their common rival. But alas Zhuge Liang gets to become a clear second fiddle here, since he's all brains but absolutely no brawn, and get left out of fisticuffs, putting his firm grasp of mother nature to the test, that the elements also play a fair bit of tipping advantage. Fans of the character though will smile at recognizable anecdotes presented that have given rise to Chinese proverbs.

By now, one would already know that Zhou Yu is the primary focus of the show (I think Chow Yun-Fat is regretting), given that he's a well rounded man blessed with brains and brawn, and a beautiful wife to boot too. He's honour and duty bound to protect the southern territory of Sun Quan (Zhang Chen), but this becomes something more personal when Xiao Qiao (Lin Chiling) takes it into her own hands to buy the defenders some time by crossing over to Cao Cao and to play the proverbial beauty capable of mesmerizing the prime minister. And her performance in this film was a lot more effective than the last. In fact, the two female characters get meatier roles to play, and for someone like John Woo, I can't remember the last time where he had strong female characters in his films, so this was a treat.

Somehow, Red Cliff 2 ended with a whimper unfortunately, which is a pity. The build up is excellent par none, prepping the audience for the big showdown. Those who had lamented the lack of big battle sequences in the first film, well, you can continue to lament as this one only had ONE which takes up almost the last hour. It's execution, pure and simple, putting into motion what has been planned, and the relentless clockwork that every plan had to follow. While the first film had provided for the famed generals of Liu Bei to each have their individual show pieces to highlight their fighting prowess, this one had none as most of the lead characters got relegated to support status, except for Zhao Yun (Hu Jun) whom John Woo has an affinity for.

Fans of Woo's style will see his signature stamped in a lot of action sequences here, which were muted somewhat in the first installment. With Zhao Yun and Zhou Yu, one can tell Woo was probably brimming with glee to design the action set pieces for these two warriors, reminiscent of many of his signature brotherhood series, trading guns for swords here. The two trade barbs of camaraderie, and fight alongside each other, feeding off each other's moves. They battle in parallel, perfectly framed as if in split screen, and I think it's inevitable to have the hero and villain in a stand-off, with support from everyone else wondering who will make the next move.

And here's where purists will be up in arms again, because of how the film ended, which went askew from what would have happened, involving both Cao Cao and Guan Yu and that flight of retreat. But I guess if Peter Jackson had some liberties taken, then Woo too should be cut some slack in order to dramatize Red Cliff for the screen. So too would fans of the other characters be upset, because you don't see much of your idols in action here, which mostly got relegated to plenty of pretty fireballs and raging flames on just much everything, and arrows being the weapon of choice for mass destruction here. Individual, stylized fight scenes no longer are the highlight as per the previous film.

On the whole it's been a long while since I'd seen an epic of this scale from Chinese cinema, and thank goodness that the rumoured, cringe-worthy lines of dialogue are just that - rumours and nowhere to be found. Come awards time, I'd expect this film to be raking some major accolades. Despite its minute flaws, this is still highly recommended just to complete the saga, and I think I'll get the DVD of both parts should they come in one combined edition, and rewatch them again in one sitting.

Passengers

Lost On The Lost Set

Anne Hathaway stars in no less than three films being released this month alone in Singapore. There's Rachel Getting Married, the upcoming Bride Wars, and Passengers. Amongst the three, and I'm counting my chickens before they hatch, Rachel Getting Married is a must watch to see how Hathaway has nailed it as a credible actress, while Bride Wars from the trailer does suggest she has some comedic flair, and this one, well, is one of those attempts at her trying to diversify.

She did credible, but still couldn't shun away from being a pretty vase in her Claire Summers role. But she uses it to her advantage here, as her struggling grief councillor character uses her charm to disarm, and is getting used to all the unwanted male attention courtesy of patient Eric (Patrick Wilson), who is one amongst the group of an airplane crash survivors that she's tasked to work with. Two separate threads develop here, one on the romantic front with a clash of morals given a conflict of interest with a patient, and the other some creepy mystery with regards to the shrinking size of her group therapy class.

The former thread is easy to follow, since it's all about Eric and Claire playing games with each other, with every approach met with icy cold defense, until of course persistence finally paying off. Don't expect any sparks to fly as both Hathaway and Wilson felt as if they're going through the motions with their characters. The latter thread is where the fun should be, with its brewing conspiracy theory with the airline's involvement to something sinister, given contradictory reports with the survivors' experience, as well as shadowy figures following everyone's movement.

However, Ronnie Christensen's sleight of hand technique can be detected and seen a mile away. In its buildup, suspense wasn't considered, and it plodded on with issues and unfinished business being piled one on top of another, though credit must be given to David Morse in his creepy rendition as an airlines representative, as do Andre Braugher and Dianne Wiest. By the time the movie rolls around its half way mark, those alert can already know what the big revelation will be. Which is nothing groundbreaking already since a number of films already use similar plot devices and revelation that it's no longer surprising, but the norm. I only felt that the revelation could have been less clumsy and made clearer, given the many bewildered responses heard all around the cinema hall.

Passengers is one of those films that you don't expect to see on a plane's inflight entertainment system, together with the likes of Flightplan and the first Final Destination. It does boast a spectacular plane in distress scene, though it dangled that prospect for the longest time before delivering its effects laden payload to the audience.

The Women

What's Your Dieting Secret?

Written and directed by Diane English, which is based on both the stage play by Clare Boothe Luce and the 1930s movie of the same name, The Women is an update of sorts transplanting stories about the love lives of 4 women friends to modern day New York City, but wait a minute, isn't this Sex in the City?

Not quite. For starters, this movie does not have a Mr Big. In fact, male characters get mentioned, but the high level of girl power meant that men are supposed to be mentioned, but never seen. Nada, zilch. In almost every scene you'll be hard pressed to find the male species in the movie, that you'll almost deem this a terribly sexist movie. The characters too seem like a throwback to SATC and while the characters here are less irritating and less bitchy, that however was part of the fun that was missing here.

It's not a bad story, but Diane English had made this feel more like one's watching a stage play rather than a movie. Dialogue becomes lines delivered on cue, with little emotion attached. The plot itself was quite thin, and one could see the actresses trying their best to make their characters seem as three-dimensional and as interesting as they can. Some make the grade, while others like Jada Pinkett Smith, Debra Messing and Eva Mendes weren't given enough screen time to perform adequately.

While it preaches girl power, solidarity, empowerment and the likes, what this film essentially is, is a Meg Ryan and Annette Bening show. It's been a long time since I last saw Meg Ryan grace the screen locally, and surprisingly, it didn't seem that she has aged a bit. I deliberately tried to look out for tell tale signs of wrinkles, but age has been extremely kind to her. Annette Bening got the opposite, as she has visibly aged a bit, then again, she plays the more alpha-type role here that seems to be the unspoken leader of the womanly pack.

The characters here were a little like SATC's like a mentioned. Bening's Sylvia Fowler is a woman's magazine editor whose job is under threat from young upstarts brimming with fresh creativity. Ryan plays the all American lovely socialite wife Mary Haines juggling with family, career and various obligations, so much so that her husband finds enough time to engage in an extra-marital affair. Her story actually anchors the film and forms the pivot in which all other subplots revolve around. Eva Mendes plays the third party as cosmetics girl Crystal Allen, who hooks up with Mary's husband just because of his social standing and platinum credit card. The typical gold-digger, her role is a typical vamp but much of her screen time shenanigans has already been exposed in the trailers.

Then there's homemaker Edie Cohen (Debra Messing) who's the mother hen of the lot with her many daughters, and is expecting once again, a task she'll not stop until she gives birth to a son. And Jada Pinkett Smith's Alex Fisher is a lesbian. Err, that's it, because I though Diane English had by the time ran out of ideas what to do with the latter two characters, that they get much reduced roles.

It's a plain and simple narrative delivered without much fanfare, but bolstered by female actresses whom those in my generation would have seen them on screen for a fair bit. And I thought the budget was provided to engage the services of the likes of Candice Bergen, Carrie Fisher and even Bette Midler for guest roles, that there wasn't enough money left to hire male actors. So for a very focused and female centric film, The Women, like the title states, is all about the female of the species, the stereotypical woes that they face, and as with all things, everything can be improved with a change in haircut.

Unfortunately this movie comes censored, and the unceremonious cut was during a crucial montage sequence where Ryan's Mary Haines picks up the pieces and redesigns her life. I suspect that there was a lot more to it than just the systematic straightening of her hair though. Oh and do stay tuned for the coda at the end of the credits. With some subtle product placement from Dove used during the film, the coda was more explicit, and even had this look and feel of a Dove ad, but of course with the four lead actresses explaining what it takes and feels like to be a real woman. For those interested, I'll even plug the website here for you to visit: http://campaignforrealbeauty.com

Changeling

Height Matters

J. Michael Straczynski of Babylon 5 fame wrote Changeling, which is based on the true story of one woman's fight against corruption, incompetence, accusations and intimidation, all the while in searching for the truth of what happened to her beloved 9 year old son, who vanished without a trace, only for the LAPD to try and convince her that the boy they found, was indeed her son. But that's just the gist of the first hour with plenty more in store, keeping you gripped to the screen as the story develops.

I continue to admire the very human stories under the direction of Clint Eastwood. His films over the last few years have been nothing less than excellent, and Changeling adds to this stellar repertoire of his. There's a certain quiet confidence in the way his films get presented, like a veteran hand masterminding all elements to fall in place perfectly. What more, it's always a treat to have the film's score composed by Eastwood himself, and the main theme is already buzzing in my head already, way after the end credits have rolled.

But of course the star of the show here is Angelina Jolie. While we had not the opportunity to watch her dramatic turn in A Mighty Heart on the big screen where she plays a woman searching for her husband and for the truth, we do get to see her here playing a mother searching for her child and for answers. I particularly liked the line where she said she's not here to pick fights, but she sure would finish one, and that practically sums her her fiercely combative character in a film where she doesn't get to literally kick arse.

I guess local distributors prefer to play it safe and continue to feed us with the alpha-female roles that Jolie plays, from Lara Croft to Wanted, that it's a rare opportunity to see her in a dramatic role, reminding us that she has won awards before for such roles. This is certainly a chance not to miss, because there are numerous moments where she demonstrated her acting chops. I still cannot forget that one brilliant scene, which was almost the equivalent of Ralph Fiennes' in The Constant Gardener, where she didn't have to say her word, but just her expression alone had painted the phrase "prepared for the worst, but hoping for the best". That alone is worth the price of an admission ticket. I suppose being a real life mother, she would have no problems with translating what would possibly be any mother's fear of losing their child suddenly and without explanation.

She provides a very solid performance that hinged on everyone in the audience being able to connect with her plight and exasperation, of sympathizing with her, and rooting for her as she faces obstacle after obstacle as she goes about doing sensible things that the authorities frown upon. You'll seethe with rage when others give that can't-be-bothered attitude to a helpless mom, and feel pity that while more could be done, no finger was lifted. You'll share that tinge of hope that things will turn out for the better, and feel sad at the disappointments faced along the way, each time hoping that the outcome would be better than the last.

And here's where Straczynski's story excels. There are a number of threads running that converge nicely together, and while the movie clocks in over 140 minutes, you'll never feel time plod, as you get engaged into the story, feel for the characters, and at the same time, enjoy the excellent recreation of the 1920s. There's a little bit of everything that managed to cram itself here, from mystery to courtroom drama, showcasing a variety of story settings, dealing with themes such as justice and integrity.

It also contains a very strong critique of authority which is given too much power without proper checks and balances, that such power could be corrupted and abused for personal gain, before it takes those who are resolute in doing the right thing, to push for change. John Malkovich has a supporting role here as Reverend Gustav Briegleb, who has a congregation behind him as he tells it as it is in his weekly radio shows, and provides much needed intervention to assist Jolie's Christine Collins along the way.

Changeling becomes the first movie this new year that I would highly recommended without hesitation. Go watch it when it opens on the 15th!

Rachel Getting Married

Cat Fight

Rachel Getting Married has been getting some pretty positive vibes because of the performance of its leading actress Anne Hathaway. And it's indeed a role that she could use as a showcase to break out of her mold as a teeny-bopper/good looker since she started off with The Princess Diaries.

Her stint in recent movies such as the intern in The Devil Wears Prada, as Jane Austen in Becoming Jane and her Agent 99 in Get Smart, still had her rooted in being pretty much a glamour puss, and Brokeback Mountain offered a very brief supporting role, no doubt it was primarily centered on the two male leads of course. And not forgetting the rather average Havoc, which reminded that it doesn't mean you need to shed your clothes in order to be taken seriously.

Jonathan Demme's Rachel Getting Married offered Hathaway plenty, and I mean plenty of room to highlight the spectrum of emotions that she could play as a druggie on rehab, Kym, who's let off for a few days in order to attend her sister's wedding, the titular Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt). But of course being released from rehab and heading home for the first time, she seems, or perceives herself to be a fish out of water, and becomes rather unsteady in her approach toward one and all in the family.

Jenny Lumet's story is superb. There's some much emotion running through all the characters, that they are easily identifiable, and doesn't fall into stereotypes. A whole host of narrative threads get thrown up, but it doesn't confuse nor confound. It patiently builds up back-stories to each lead character, but doesn't frustrate the viewer because it simply draws you in. After all, it's centered around a wedding, where emotions, stress and anxiety are running high, and words come loose off the cuff, where something said could hurt like daggers through the heart.

There were two extended scenes which I really enjoyed, one being the evening dinner before the big day, where in laws and close friends share a meal together, and give their respective toasts to the bride and groom. Plenty of good stuff here, from music to excellent tribute monologues, and of course Hathaway's performance during this scene that really nails her character, followed by an explosive argument which really was the icing on the cake.

The other scene would involve the actual wedding of course, and Jonathan Demme for this movie, had decided to employ what horror and action films had done so with certain degree of success, the shaky-cam! For a drama? Yes. Does it work? I thought for this story, it worked particularly well. It seemed as if you are partaking in the festivities yourself, being put there in the crowd, and watching events unfold like a close relative, an unseen voyeur, or what I felt it was most like, watching a wedding video which was shot on a handheld, and having to sift through everything in order to edit the best cut for the wedding couple. It's documentary style, having the camera poke its nose into every character and capturing some candid moments, both good and bad.

The usual family squabbles amongst parents and siblings come and go, and also serves as a reminder that no matter how hard or how pointed some arguments can get and hurt, that blood still runs thicker than water. Watch out for Debra Winger as the mom and the startling development with Hathaway's Kym. I thought for one that it was something rarely seen on screen in a story besides that shaving of the underarms (OK I jest!).

Rachel Getting Married is still an enjoyable (almost) two hours that you wouldn't notice fly by because of the excellent ensemble cast, and a story captured rather accurately on themes revolving around family. It's as good as it can be, and leaves you with that feeling of wanting to experience it all over again. Recommended.

[DVD] Drona (2008)

Last Man Standing

Abhishek Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra in a sword and sorcery movie from Bollywood? That's certainly something different for me, and having two leading stars in this movie definitely provided that additional boost to pick up the DVD for closer scrutiny. Alas for a fantasy film, there's nothing groundbreaking in its special effects, action sequences or story, and if some kind of benchmark was to be set, then this would likely be at the level of Krull, and even then, Krull had a more coherent and intriguing premises than Drona.

In Goldie Behl's creation, Drona refers to the long lineage of kings entrusted to protect the Nectar of Immortality, which demigods of the universe had decided to hide on Earth, under the constant eye of their chosen protector. Adit (Abhishek Bachchan) is the latest descendant of Dronas, but is unaware of his innate ability as protector of the world. In what seemed to be some vast similarities to Harry Potter, he lives with mean relatives and becomes a punching bag for their bullying, until he's awakened by his protector of sorts, the woman-warrior Sonia (Priyanka Chopra).

So it becomes a discovery of his lineage, abilities and destiny, but this development plods along so slowly, coupled with Bachchan's constant brooding as Drona, that it makes it really infuriating to follow, and not to mention countless of over-dramatic moments each time he discovers a little something about himself or his abilities, or even his wardrobe, sword and trusty super steed. And in order to push this Drona into action, it had taken the villainous wizard Riz Raizada (Kay Kay Menon) a diabolical scheme to freeze Drona's mom (Jaya Bachchan) into suspended animation, and thereafter some really convenient plot development that allows the audience to follow Drona around in a rescue mission of sorts.

Drona's abilities actually don't come off as well-defined, and you would've wondered at the amazing ability of his to fight off his opponents through various wire-fu moves. Battle sequences on the whole were rather lacklustre, and the big train action sequence came off as rather clunky and clumsy, and strictly meant for the kids. Costumes were rather average, and I thought Priyanka had to endure some really ridiculous outfits that tried too hard to make her look sexy yet fearsome as a warrior.

The rare saving graces in the film were the numerous graphical and animated stills that get juxtaposed with the live action scenes. Those were really gorgeous to gawk at, together with some of the really ambitious special effects used to jazz up scenes, but a pity that the same can't be said of the film proper. And of course, Kay Kay Menon seemed to have a field day with a villain with a penchant for monologues through puppetry, and the creation of countless of clones to do his evil bidding and fight battles on his behalf. For a villain he had some of the best moments in being always one step ahead of the hero, until of course the decisive moment in the finale which was a real disappointment.

No doubt Drona tried hard to be a one of a kind film in a genre seldom seen from Bollywood, but it contains more misses than hits, and lacked that fundamental quality that it's always about the story first, then special effects and action second. But as they say, the only way to go from here for this genre in Bollywood, is up. Watch only if you have some children to entertain.

The Region Free DVD from Eros Entertainment is presented in anamorphic widescreen, with audio available either in 5.1 Dolby Digital, or 2.0 Stereo. Subtitles are available in English only, and comes with a 24 chapter scene selection. The trailer for Heroes autoplays when the DVD gets popped into the player.

There's a menu for Songs with a play all function, though in my opinion none of them stood out, perhaps only the theme song Drona, otherwise the rest - Khushi, Oop Oop Cha, Nanhe Nanhe, and Bandagi are forgettable.

The other Special Features are quite standard fare, but presented in matted letterbox format. Under Bonus Material which comes with a play all function, the Making of Drona (19:51) contains the usual interviews with cast and crew, though Kay Kay was noticeably absent, and has a look at how the action sequences, and music were done for the film. Music Release provides a 3:30 glimpse at the launch of the music CD, and Movie Premiere (10:30) captured the celebratory atmosphere of the movie's red carpet event, where you can play spot-the-celebrity, and everyone offering extremely kind words before and after the screening of the film. For those who are not so good actors, you can see them struggle to come up with pleasantries in order to be polite.

The other special features will be a Forthcoming Attraction which is actually a tv spot trailer for Heroes lasting a minute, and Now Available containing 30s trailers of films such as Hijack, U Melaur Hum, Money Hai Toh Honey Hai, Haal-e-dil, One Two Three, and Dhoom Dapakka.

[DVD] The Days (歲月) (2008)

If you've missed the theatrical run of Boi Kwong's The Days in September last year, you might be glad to know that it's now released on DVD chock full of extras, available at any good DVD outlet islandwide.

You can read my review of The Days here.

The DVD published by Scorpio East is presented in its original Chinese and Hokkien track, and English and Chinese subtitles are available. In all honesty, I think our local movies seriously need to be transferred on an anamorphic widescreen format rather than a matted letterbox format, which is the case here. Almost all the extras here are presented on the former format, but alas the feature film itself is not. But that's just a personal gripe.

The extras included made it more than worthwhile to pick this DVD up, not only to re-watch the film again, but also to appreciate the tremendous effort to really make this modestly budgeted indie feature provide that bang for your buck. The whole spectrum from making of documentaries, promotional material, and also music videos were created for this film, and all collected nicely as part of the special features in the DVD.

The only out of place "bonus" (if you can call it that) would be the trailer for Red Cliff II which autoplays when the DVD is popped into the player. Otherwise you should steer clear of the Scene Selection, which is split into 12 chapters + end credits, because an image used for one of the chapters (no 7) could server as spoilers.

This is one of the rare DVDs of local films that comes with a filmmakers' Commentary. Director Boi Kwong and Producer Randy Ang provide the joint commentary (not only the director, as stated per the menu) in English and Mandarin, which comes with accompanying on-the-fly translation to English of course. The duo are extremely chatty and provide plenty of information behind the characters, the sets, the composition of scenes, costumes, etc. There are a couple of nuggets within the commentary (even a contest for the listeners, so hurry!), and they also answer some of the queries that might be one of the burning questions you might have, such as what a "555 Notebook" is for, though I think they might have left out the Callzone explanation for the uninitiated out there! There's a slight audio interruption at the 1:22:34 mark, but nothing to mar the quality of the commentary content.


As mentioned earlier, most of the Special Features here are presented in anamorphic widescreen format, unless otherwise stated. The Trailers section contains quite a bit, with the Theatrical Trailer (1:30), a Handphone Teaser (0:53) that you might have already seen in cinemas, and an unused Demo Teaser that ran over 3 minutes containing the entire playground scene. Also included in this section are the Promo Clips, some of which were extracted from the making of. You have some behind the scenes clips from the movie as well as interviews with the director and the boys in the First (3:06) clip, the Second (3:23) with the belles, and the Third one with the boys Cockroach, Tau Per, Dog, Little Boss, and the villain everyone loves to hate, Rat. Wrapping up this section is Jeremy's Dictionary presented in letterbox format running almost 2 minutes which explains in jest what some of the slogans used in the movie meant.

Three Music Videos were also shot for this film, and they include the main theme My Freedom by the band Blackforest (4:45), as well as solos by Justin Chan with Crossroad (4:06) and Adele Wong with Knowing (3:15)

For those who would like a glimpse Behind The Scenes into the making of The Days, then you have this 40 minute documentary to thank, which is the standard making-of containing cast and crew interviews in addition to those in the promo clips, and for those wondering what are the "real life" elements used in the film, then director Boi Kwong is at hand to share more on the background of the story, since it's based on his real life.

A Gala Premiere featurette (3:25) doesn't contain anything much other than some video clips of the gala event at Vivocity on 3 September, which is mostly the stroll down the red carpet. And wrapping the extras up are a series of Deleted Scenes which unfortunately doesn't come with a commentary on why these were removed, and no "play-all" option. Also, it's presented in letterbox format without any subtitles, so if you can't understand Mandarin/Hokkien, then get someone to translate it for you!

A total of seven deleted / extended scenes are included here, and they are
1. Kids Hospital Scene (1:23) which actually seemed like an extended take instead
2. Arcade (Extended) (0:26) that doesn't seem extended to me given its run time here (a mix-up with the previous perhaps?)
3. Dr. Martens (1:36) which follows the boys shoe-shopping
4. Baby's Birthday (1:06) at McDonald's, one which I would've thought to be removed because it does seem out of place
5. Dancing Thru' The Night (1:18) which I felt had no harm being included into the final cut because it does show that famous 555 book in action, and allows the character of Jeremy Tan to showcase an expansion to his vocabulary,
6. A raw audio version of the Character Intro (Footage Version) (1:22), which is without the stylish graphics included in the final film (which is way much better),
and 7. Paying Respect (Extended) (2:10)

All in all this is still a nifty DVD package with nice content for the features, so for those who haven't seen the movie, and for the fans, this is your chance to own a copy of one of the highlights of local films last year. Overseas readers can purchase an online copy here.

Buy Original, Or Get Whacked!

Elegy

Caution: Lust

An elegy. A form of poetry that mourns of something that has deteriorated. And in this film there couldn't be more references to this term, forming the basis of the theme and everything that happens to all the characters involved in this pensive, melancholic piece. Based on the novel by Philip Roth and directed by Isabel Coixet, this film stars Ben Kingsley as culture critic and lecturer David Kepesh, and snapshots his life during the twilight years, where physical deterioration doesn't mean a proportionate deterioration in sex drive.

Or at least that's what the character's first impression to the audience was. Through narration, we get to hear David's innermost thoughts, where he candidly reveals both his fear of growing old, and private moments where he honestly shares with us his feelings especially toward the new and beautiful student in his class, Consuela (Penelope Cruz). While aware of the 30 odd years age gap separating them, that doesn't mean that he's going to give up his game of skirting around the sexual harrassment decorum of the school.

In fact, his physical relationship with his student form the crux of the film, about perceived societal pressure and disdain for cradle snatchers, of how one's initial motive of a short fling could turn out to be something more serious and emotional, and relationship insecurities on both sides - with one understandably jealous of some unseen, young strapping hunk there to take his lady love away, and of the other worried that there might be commitment issues with a man so advanced in his age.

But what lifted this movie into a different emotional stratosphere, are the supporting cast and characters that surround David's life, either providing counsel, or problems and issues to deal with altogether. A visibly aged Dennis Hopper plays David's best friend and poet George O'Hearn, who while on one hand goads him to do the right thing (or ending it all off), he too might seem a little hypocritical, and brings about a fleeting notion of infidelity to the table too.

And it seems that dysfunctional characters in the relationship sense permeates through the film at every corner. We have David's F*-buddy Carolyn (Patricia Clarkson) who's an alpha-female type character with all the luck at the professional level, but none whatsoever on the personal front, and David's estranged son Kenneth, played by the excellent and terribly under-rated actor Peter Sarsgaard, who shares some of the most poignant and memorable scenes in the movie opposite Ben Kingsley, trading some very quick witted barbs.

Just as when you thought the film might seem to have reached is plateau, it surprises one with a startling development that would on one hand seem to satisfy the voyeur in the audience (given the rating, and consistent audible yawns during the non-sexual moments), but on the other push through that sense of regret that makes you feel for the characters.

Excellent acting from the ensemble cast, and with relationship themes that many could identify with, would make Elegy earn that recommended status from me.

Ong Bak 2

Free For All

There's no doubt I've been a fan of movies starring Tony Jaa with the likes of Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong being showcases for the Muay Thai brand of martial arts, and I fondly remember those hard hitting action sequences that left me gaping, as well as the numerous replays just to drum it through to you that it's all Jaa and it's all as incredible as can be. And who can forget the latter film with that amazing single take where Jaa had to pound his way from the bottom of a building right to the top? Ong Bak 2 is a film fans like myself have been waiting for, despite it being marred by some really strange controversy, which also included Jaa walking off the set and disapperaring from production. But everything's been sorted I guess, for the film to be completed and finally released.

While it's rocking the box office in Thailand, I wonder whether it's because of the controversies that had piqued everyone's interest, or it's because the long break of 3 years had made everyone salivate at Jaa's long awaited return to the big screen. I wonder because while there are numerous moments in the film that I thoroughly enjoyed, I felt that it fell short too on other areas that had left me shifting in my seat, especially during the first hour.

And the biggest culprit of it all, would be the ending. Tony Jaa wrote this story, and credit to him too in trying to weave together some semblance of a worthy story instead of the more obvious and easier whack-fest end to end. But the ending was somewhat of a cop out, and a disappointment, as it leads potentially and very directly to a third movie to resolve the issues the storyline had left hanging. It could have easily stretched it to say, 20 minutes more to get everything settled, but I guess there were grander plans to the tale that needed another movie to tell. One only wishes that it does get made sooner rather than later, and without the production woes that plagued this one.

So Ong Bak 2 is actually half a movie, and given that it's a totally new story to begin with, I thought it would make better sense in retitling it, rather than to have a misnomer that it's a sequel. After all, the setting is now back in 15th century Thailand with totally new characters, with Jaa playing Tien, a man of royal lineage who's trying to avenge the death of his parents and entire household under the hands of rival warlords, and a masked man who delivered the killing blow to his dad. The first half of the movie had him learn from a band of bandits called the Garuda Wing Cliff, where a number of highly skilled exponents teach him all there is to know about their respective fields. I remembered having read somewhere that there's supposed to be some fusion of dance and martial arts, which didn't transpire in this film as far as I can tell (the dance/action sequence here doesn't make the cut), so it might be left for the next movie instead.

Compared to the other Tony Jaa movies, you can see that the production values here have been ramped up tremendously. Techniques have also matured, and gone are the repetitive playbacks. But that doesn't mean you're going to lose out, because like any self-respecting martial arts film, the camera stays still when it should be and at a sane distance away to capture all the action comfortably, and the editing doesn't cut in and mess up the sequence.

While the filmmaker in Tony Jaa would have matured with this outing (he co-directed this), his maturity as a martial artist on film is now without a doubt. We only get flashes of his Muay Thai when it calls for some close combat involving elbows and knees right smack in the kisser, otherwise we see Jaa as a more complete martial arts practitioner with the employment of a vast array of weapons, from swords to three-section-staffs, and a host of recognizable kung-fu moves, one which also pays homage to the Drunken Fists, and I applaud Jaa's rendition of it too. As for the revered elephant, you know it's never far behind, and there's one thrilling battle atop the large mammal, with Dan(ce) Chupong no less, albeit hidden behind a mask.

Ong Bak 2 picked up very slowly, and spent significant time developing the back story of Jaa's Tien. And unfortunately, I do admit unabashedly that I was waiting for action sequence one after another, and those in the same boat will have to be patient. For action junkies, your appetite will only be satiated in the last act of the film, where it's vintage Jaa as he dishes out punishment, and receives much of the same in return. I detested the ending which wrapped everything up so conveniently (I don't buy the Karma bit), or left subplots such as the romantic angle as something to be dwelled upon later (though I believe romance never really was an issue at all in Jaa's movies), leaving doors wide open for another film.

Perhaps I should reserve my judgement of it until the next movie completes the story? So at this moment, we can still enjoy what Tony Jaa has prepared for action fans worldwide – a showcase that he's not just all about Muay Thai, but a bona fide action hero who's the real deal, crafting a myriad of incredible fight sequences that would still leave your mouth gaping wide open.

[DVD] Dil Se.. (1998)

Star Crossed

Many reasons why I would have popped this DVD into the player this New Year. For starters, it's been sitting on my growing pile for a long time, and that iconic train dance sequence to the tune of the famous Chal Chaiyya Chaiyya just had to be seen again. With Shah Rukh Khan's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi being in my list of favourite movies of 2008, I'm still quite adamant to revisit all his past movies, a gargantuan task no less I believe. And this is some 10 years ago, which to my surprise he's not as buff back then unlike now, with a 6 pack that's not so prominent.

SRK stars as Amarkanth Varma, a programme executive for All India Radio. An idealist in his job, he is one who never shies from doing tough interviews especially when dealing with his pet subject of finding out what people's reactions are after 50 years of India's Independence, and risks his life too in weeding out known terrorists to get their end of the story. Little does he know of course that this stint of his would somehow come closer to home as the story progresses.

He meets a stranger one rainy night, and while allowing his glib tongue to run wild, the girl, Meghna (Manisha Koirala) never flinches, and is too aloof and cold. Undeterred, he managed to get a response for hot tea, before she disappears onto a train. Billed by Amar himself as possibly the shortest love story in his life, I would like to think that this is more of a one sided infatuation that will haunt him for the rest of the movie. Here's a man, while dogged in his pursuits in life, didn't learn when to give up when the signs obviously are in his face to back off. And as Fate would have it, he would bump into her during his assignments, which lead to some really persistent, clingy moments where even Meghna tries her very best to shake him off, quipping that time is short, which is a statement that will resonate more once the audience gets a glimpse into what this stranger is in town for.

Who can also forget that moment atop a train, to the tune of Chal Chaiyya Chaiyya? You just gotta respect everyone involved in pulling off that performance atop the Barrack Valley Express, which goes around mountain sides, over valleys and across bridges, all the time with everyone dancing and singing. It's some amazing dance choreography coordinating movement atop the moving train sans safety harness, and even though you suspect the train might be moving at slower than normal speeds, it's still a filmmaking and logistical nightmare just to pull it off as it did.


Directed by Mani Ratnam, who's credited with discovering A.R. Rahman in giving him the break into providing the music for movies (and such as how Chal Chaiyya Chaiyya is now such an enduring hit), the film initially didn't go down well with audiences who had thought that the film was strange. And it's not tough to find out why. It's not the usual masala formula that Bollywood usually employs, and it's not a romance per se since it's mostly rooted in one man's infatuation for a woman he cannot attain.

While slated to be married to another girl (Preity Zinta in her debut, and I guess it's always a boon to be introduced to audiences via SRK, just as how Deepika Padukone was in Om Shanti Om, and Anushka Sharma in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi), he still can't shake off the thoughts of Meghna in his mind, and despite his heated telling her off in a clash of ideals, still decided to listen to his heart and keep her safe from harm as best as he could. And watching the development of his love/infatuation was quite off at times too, as it looked very much like some really primal urges that needed to be satisfied during an extended and unexpected get together in the desert plains. Working for the radio also provided opportunities to express his love through songs (the Ae Ajnabi moment was extremely nuanced and pitch perfect), the movies does get progressively darker in tone, when he gets closer to his lady love.


And I cannot deny that the ending was shocking in the way it presented itself. While on one hand it allowed for some closure to be achieved, I thought it was very extreme, but I guess that's how for some, that love does mean sacrifice of the highest order, that our hero gets the girl and saves the day, in a truly unconventional way.

The Region Free DVD from Eros International unfortunately isn't digitally remastered, and the quality of visual transfer is less than pristine with numerous noticeable pops and cackles. Also, the presentation is matted into a letterboxed format, and not anamorphic widescreen. I do not think there is any another DVD edition available, so it is likely that this is it. Scene selection is available over 24 chapters, though I would recommend not going through the list if you haven't watch the film, because there are spoilers described for each chapter.

You're able to zoom in to the Songs such as Chal Chaiyya Chaiyya, Dil Se, Satrangi Re, Ae Ajnabi (another favourite here) and Jiya Jalay, but will have to rely on your remote to bring you back to the menu page once the presentation is complete, unless you prefer to use where the song ends as the launch pad to continue with the movie.

The Features section is a misnomer, because everything contained within were trailers of the TV Spot nature, short clips of no more than 30s each. Under Forthcoming Attractions, you have Nanhe Jaisalmer, Cheeni Kum, Provoked and Bombay to Goa, the first three which will autoplay when you start the feature film proper. Now Available contains 17 (yes 17!) shorts from London, Ekiavya and I See You to Mr Hot Mr Kool, Saawan and Being Cyrus, amongst others. Song Compilations contains again clips (not songs) of 4 movies, which include the box sets of Amitabh Bachchan the Legend, The Ultimate Collection of Shah Rukh Khan Vol 1 and 2, and Black and White Gems Vol 1 and 2.

Not a bad way to get a quick glimpse of how much one needs to catch up on!

2009 Singapore Movies

Feature Films

Love Matters - Jack Neo and Gilbert Chan, 22 Jan

Click here to read my review.

Trailer:


The Wedding Game 大喜事 - Ekachai Uekrongtham, 25 Jan

Click here to read my review.

Teaser:


Trailers:




Sweet Dreams & Turtle Soup - Mabel Gan-Millians (2003), Feb
Trailer:


The Olive Depression - Joshua Lim, Feb

Click here to read my review.
Trailer


A Big Road - Alec Tok, Apr SIFF
Click here to read my review.

Brother No. 2 - Jason Lai, Apr SIFF

Click here to read my review.

Female Games - Kan Lume, Apr SIFF Withdrawn, Jul

Click here to read my review.

Trailer


Invisible Children - Brian Gothong Tan, Apr SIFF
Click here to read my review.

Excerpt 1:

Excerpt 2:

Excerpt 3:

Excerpt 4:

Excerpt 5:


This Too Shall Pass - Ang Aik Heng, Apr SIFF

Click here to read my review.

White Days - Lei Yuan Bin / Looi Wan Pin, Apr SIFF
Click here to read my review.

HERE - Ho Tzu Nyen, May Cannes, Jun

Click here to read my review.

Where Got Ghost? /《吓到笑》 - Jack Neo, Aug

Click here to read my review.

Teaser:


Trailer:


The Insomniac - Madhav Mathur, Aug
Click here to read my review.

Trailer:


Blood Ties The Movie - Chai Yee Wei, Sep

Click here to read my review.
Click here to read my interview with the director.

Trailer:


The Blue Mansion - Glen Goei, Oct
Trailer:

Click here to read my review.
Click here for a Q&A Session.
Click here for the Q&A session at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Making of #1 - Cast & Story


Making of #2 - Production & Crew


Making of #3 - The Real Mansion

Direct to DVD

Little Note (小字条)
Click here to read my review.
Autumn in March - Huang Yiliang

6th Singapore Short Cuts

Click here for the 1st week - 1st Session's shorts and proceedings.
Click here for the 1st week - 2nd Session's shorts and proceedings.
Click here for the 2nd week - 1st Session's shorts and proceedings.
Click here for the 2nd week - 2nd Session's shorts and proceedings.