Badmaa$h Company Gala Movie Event

Summer season is going to be upon us, and it's not just Hollywood churning out the blockbusters, but a season where Bollywood's heating up as well. And this year Tinselgurus in association with Jalan Distributors Asia presents the Badmaa$h Company Gala Movie Event where participants can partake in the local gala on 7 May Friday, between 745pm to 1030pm at GV Tampines, where a ticket will entitle you to

· 1 "Badmaash Company" Movie Ticket
· Free popcorn and soft drink for 1
· Masala Art Buffet Dining voucher worth over S$35
· Goodie Bag (Worth over S$200 which includes Bollybeatz Dance trial classes, shopping vouchers, etc)
· 1 Lucky Draw token where prizes include exclusive gift certificate from Glam Couture Anaarkali & Kuch , photography session worth $650 and Bollybeatz sponsored dance classes worth $150

To purchase a ticket (Early Birds get it at S$35), call Nur Khairiyah of Tinselgurus at 94876455 now!

And in case you're not aware, Yash Raj Films's Badmaa$h Company stars Anushka Sharma, the female lead from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi in only her second film, so it'll be interesting to see how she fares in this one opposite Shahid Kapoor!

Synopsis
Life in the 1990’s was remarkably different for the average Indian. Consumerism had not set in. It was devoid of most of the luxuries of the West. In fact everything “imported” was good, and everything Indian, passé.

BADMAASH COMPANY is an extraordinary story set in the 1990’s in middle class Bombay (as it was known then), of four ordinary youngsters – Karan (Shahid Kapoor), Bulbul (Anushka Sharma), Zing (Meiyang Chang) and Chandu (Vir Das) – who came together to start an import business of things longed for by yuppie Indians!

What made their venture such a stupendous success was the fact that they found a way to beat the system and soon became the undisputed kings in their business, realising their one dream of making quick money by doing all the wrong things… the right way!

Living the life of champagne wishes and caviar dreams, the four friends discover that to make a business successful you don’t need big money.

All you need is a big idea!

With their larger than life schemes, the four go on a wild roller-coaster ride into the world of sheer glitz and glamour where the stakes are high and risks even higher!

All was well and hunky dory till one day the four maverick entrepreneurs are forced to shut shop… until they come up with yet another perfect plan to beat the system... Just one more time...!

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The Curse of Niyang Rapik

Perfect Photo For Hexes

So this film doesn't come with the warning for expectant mothers and those with heart condition to stay away, and there's no need to as well since The Curse of Niyang Rapik plays out more like a supernatural mystery thriller rather than a horror film hell bent on scary the wits out of you, and like my first theatrical Malaysian horror outing with Santau, this one also has that strong connection like the Thai counterparts with the involvement of witch doctors and hexes. Don't go look at the promotional poster of the film as there's a key surprise that's given away!

The film opens with probably its goriest scene, where a man whom we will learn is called Zack (Fizz Fairuz) is undergoing a ritual to rid of some evil spirits that's causing his stomach to be disfigured and bloated with black pus. A battle is waged by the bomoh, who unfortunately loses the fight and his client. Zack's untimely death scares his friends Mi (Kamal Adli), Zan (Shaheizy Sam), Pul (Zed Zaidi) and Mir (Awal Ashaari) who speculate that it's because of an item, the Karambit, that was taken from the Niyang Rapik village during their project stint, that he and probably them as well, are cursed.

Thus begins a trip back to the village to return the item and seek forgiveness, but alas things aren't as cordial as before with most villagers strangely absent, and at every step comes the expectation that things will not be as simple nor go as planned with the return of the stolen item, since the offense goes beyond theft and into something that's about honour and revenge.

I suppose it never was the intention of producer-director Ahmad Idham to create a sense of a whodunnit in hiding the identity of the magic man who's hexing the gang of four teens who have returned to the village. In some ways this reminded me of Art of the Devil 2, where because of an unspeakable crime committed, things are expected to go bump in the night. However, there seems to be a wanton need to toy with our 4 male characters rather than going for the kill, and each scare episode results in punches being pulled than delivered through, resulting in some inexplicable situations set up just for the sake of, some even relying on favourite cliches such as worm infested noodles.

Surprisingly too that sound effects weren't blatantly exploited to ramp up the scares, and more often than not a situation turns into a rather comedic one thanks to the presence of Shaheizy Sam whose loud mouthed, and sometimes cowardly character, provided comic relief. Best Actress at the 22nd Malaysian Film Festival Liyana Jasmay plays Laila the wistful village girl who is more than meets the eye with her dalliances and obvious attraction with the boys which we slowly learn from flashback scenes, but in some ways her sweet looks seem a bit too kind to evoke that threatening sense of danger each time she appears.

As mentioned, The Curse of Niyang Rapik is more a supernatural mystery that slowly unravels itself to the audience like a typical Asian horror film, which plays on the themes of revenge and karma. Things happen for a reason of course that will ultimately be explained, and thanks to some good makeup, provided some opportunities for scares along the way.

The Curse of Niyang Rapik opens on 13 May 2010.

[DVD] Ashes of Time Redux (2008) (Dung Che Sai Duk / 東邪西毒)

Re-edited and Re-scored

My familiarity with the renowned author Louis Cha's novels stem primarily from the 80s Hong Kong TVB series, where regulars such as Felix Wong, Andy Lau and Tony Leung Chiu Wai even taking on the various heroic roles in television adaptation of the author's rich stories, which have been made countless of times by various TV stations, both at home and abroad, to varying degrees of success. Reading the novels though is somewhat daunting given my not-so-good command of the written language, and Cha himself had recently been tinkering with his storylines ala what George Lucas did with his Star Wars saga.

That being said, he's magnanimous enough for his characters to go take on different spins, and stories even under various filmmakers, and to be honest there is absolutely no way anyone can make a single film to encompass the entire storyline of any single book. What can happen is either to super-summarize certain portions of it, like Kung Fu Cult Master based on Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre (the literal translation of the title), directed by Wong Jing and starring Jet Li (which had only 1 part of its planned 2 parter filmed), or to take the established characters and create completely different stories, be it the easy way out with comedic spoofs, or drama-laden ones which was what Wong Kar-wai did with Ashes of Time.

I would give the writer-director top marks for being able to fuse his own storytelling flavour and created something that worked extremely well into a well loved and established saga and characters. It takes a lot of courage to be able to spin something out from readily known, and treasured characters, without so much of a hint of disrespect to the original source, and to fans. It's extremely easy to screw it all up, but Wong avoided all the pitfalls, and included enough elements here to show familiarity, and respect for the original material, yet providing fans a plausible pre-story if you'd like, to the entire Condor Heroes trilogy.

I have not had the good opportunity to have watched the original cut from start to end, only portions of it many years back, so this review isn't one to compare the differences between the Redux version and its predecessor. Copies of the original are also not reproduced in a respectable manner on home video, hence any copy you can find out there, is something that's poor in quality that will certainly mar a viewing experience. The remastered and Redux version had its visuals cleaned up although there are still sections of it being grainy, and Wong Kar-wai had reportedly re-edited the film so that it's now supposedly easier to understand and follow.

To that effect, I will say yes, as it's primarily following a linear narrative rather than a fractured one, moving in accordance with the seasons starting off with Leslie Cheung's Ouyang Feng who decided to descent the White Camel Mountain after an inexplicable incident with regards to his loved one (Maggie Cheung) who had decided to marry his brother. Stricken with guilt from an early incident which we'll get to know about based on the narration by Huang Yaoshi (played by Tony Leung Kar-Fai) for this episode only, Ouyang Feng decides to base himself in the desert, being the middle man amongst mercenaries, and those who come to seek his help to bump off their enemies, who often turn out to be their loved ones. It's the ultimate crimes of passion waiting to be committed.

Wong Kar-wai decided to focus on the early lives of the famous trio of Dong Xie (Huang Yao Shi), Xi Du (Ouyang Feng) and Bei Gai (Hong Qi), leaving out Nan Ti the Emperor since the backstory about his youth has already been documented quite clearly by Louis Cha himself, which coincidentally also had romance strongly intertwined. Here, WKW gives his own spin on the younger selves of the fore mentioned trio, and managed to craft a believable, inter-twining tale of love, and the psychological effect love have had on their friendships, complete with his brand of romance philosophy filled with beautifully memorable lines.

Based heavily on the theme of memory and how it becomes the root cause of man's misery, WKW's tale touches on unrequited love for the most parts, of how people come to fall in love with others, only for others to play them out, or not love them back. I particularly enjoyed WKW's tale on the eventual emergence of probably the most skilled swordsman in the Louis Cha martial arts universe in Dugu Qiubai (Lonely, Seeking Defeat) as someone who fell hard from being tricked by the promise of a potential romance, only to fly off the handle, and unwittingly hones his craft because of the hurt that philosophizes to being alone, and to be sparring with oneself rather than with others mastering both the Yin and the Yang aspects, in his route to martial arts supremacy.

Then there are others such as Tony Leung Chiu Wai's soon to be blind swordsman whose wife Peach Blossom (Carina Lau) has fallen for someone else, thus in one fell swoop touching on how love once was can be lost forever, and the pain in dealing with wondering whether such an affection was something real to begin with, not forgetting the tie-in with Huang Yaoshi's obsession with the Peach Blossom flower when he christened the island he settles in with the same namesake.

There's a different type of love displayed with Jacky Cheung's role as Hong Qi before he became the leader of the Beggar Sect, such as his insatiable appetite for food given a small hint here in his honourable willingness to help a young girl (Charlie Yeung) against a band of bandits, and again to tie in with his loss of his pinky, plus an episode involving touching on Ouyang Feng's nephew which of course has a revelation (for those not in the know) later on in the Louis Cha novels. I suppose all these elements were done to keep the Louis Cha fans happy, when required to sit through the many emotional moments which they're not used to, since they are introduced into the Condor Heroes story as very formidable martial arts exponents from the onset, and in this tale, can also be beset by affairs of the heart.

As a kungfu film, the fight sequences here are few and far between. One of the reasons why I decided to watch this now, is because of Wong Kar-wai's upcoming bio-pic on Ip Man starring Tony Leung as the Wing Chun master. The only time I'll ever get to see the helmer direct a martial arts film with the same lead actor in it, will be Ashes of Time. However, Sammo Hung served as the martial arts choreographer in this film and in Wilson Yip's Ip Man, so I suppose he probably won't serve in WKW's biopic in designing the action sequences.

Don't expect gorgeously designed action where you can see the combatants duke it out with clarity. The editing here ensures that jump cuts are used to accentuate the mayhem of a swordfighting brawl, before bookending those with plenty of poseur moments for the swordsman to strike contemplating looks to decide if they should unsheathe their weapons. Battles are incredibly fast, too fast if you ask me, with the camera slowing down to a standstill when capturing the vast landscapes and highlighting stark differences between heaven and earth so loved by Christopher Doyle here. The Redux soundtrack however didn't stand out, and is hardly noticeable, being seemingly absent when the need arose without stamping its mark on the film.

Probably one of Wong Kar-wai's most under-appreciated works, and something that lovers of the usual martial arts film will find fault against its moody, talky atmosphere instead of using their fists to confront their misery. But it's an emotional film filled with plenty of relationship angst to make you ponder about, reflect and perhaps identify with some aspects of it since it more or less covered an entire spectrum of woeful feelings. Not forgetting too that this film has one generation of talented stars all featured in it, thus making this something of a must-watch for all fans of Hong Kong cinema, under the hands of her famous auteur.

The Region Free special edition DVD comes with a number of extras, starting with a A4 sized photo book containing gorgeous stills from the film. The DVD comes inside a large cardboard box that's designed to look as if a kungfu manual is hidden within, and the most valuable portion of the packaging, is the 3-frame cell from the film reel. Mine happens to capture Brigitte Lin in all 3, so I suppose all her fans will be envious upon reading this!

Presented in anamorphic widescreen format with language tracks in either Mandarin or Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1, subtitles are available in English, Traditional and Simplified Mandarin. Scene selection is split into 10 sections.

The Bonus Features available on the DVD are Two Theatrical Trailers (4:02) presented in a letterbox format, as well as a behind the scenes and interviews feature titled Born From Ashes - The Making of Ashes of Time Redux (14:00) which comes only with Chinese subtitles. Well, in actual fact only very limited time is devoted to that sneak peek in the making-of, with time devoted instead to interviews with cast and crew over different time periods at different locations as well. Bookended by the trailers see in the separate section, the interviews with Wong Kar-wai, Christopher Doyle, Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Charlie Yeung are in English, Sammo Hung in Cantonese and Carina Lau in Mandarin, talking about topics ranging from Sammo Hung's martial arts lineage, the fighting techniques created for the various characters, music, the director himself, and even about the venue they shot the film in as well as the director's decision for the Redux version to have chapters based on the Chinese almanac. It's quite insightful listening to them speak, but alas it's a really short documentary.

House Full

SHHhhh...

Akshay Kumar didn't really have a good 2009 despite having some major projects lined up, with the box office response not living up to expectations. To some, that spells a loser, and the film takes an exaggerated response in having him play the unluckiest man on Earth, Arush, and he's so unlucky that Macau casinos employ him to walk their grounds to ensure winning streaks turn into losing ones. And House Full turns out to be one half of a familiar spin from contemporary Hollywood comedies before becoming its own film after the interval.

The first half spends considerable time developing the character of Arush, whom we see leaving his job to go back to stay with his best buddy Bob (Ritesh Deskmukh) and his wife Heetal (Lara Dutta), two casino employees in London. This segment turns out to be You, Me and Dupree as his unwelcome gatecrash turns the life of the couple upside down with his bad luck rubbing off into their home. Sometimes you can feel that the comedy here is just trying way too hard that it borders on the ridiculous and was flogging the dead unfunny horse, especially with the aftermath of Arush and Bob getting electrocuted.

Then it becomes a mix of a loose Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The Heartbreak Kid, with Bob and Heetal matchmaking him with their boss's daughter Devika (Jiah Khan), and it seemed like the perfect match of the Traditional Indian Boy and Girl, only for a surprise to emerge when frolicking in an Italian resort for their honeymoon, and Arush meeting up with his One True Love with Sandy, played by the lovely Deepika Padukone. Comedy here came from Chunky Pandey who plays the hotel owner Akhri Pasta with a penchant of lying and construing them as jokes, and his over the top demeanour actually was remotely funny, even though you'd learn to take everything he says eventually with a pinch of salt, with one key lie being the cause for a running gag for Arush being hurried away from the scene by Bob and Heetal each time Devika enters it.

The story is about pretences, and how in the name of saving one's face and reputation, lies lead to bigger lies, stemming from wanting to impress family members. For Heetal, she has consistently told that she's married to a rich boy and living it up in a big mansion, doing so to impress her dad (Boman Irani) who has frowned upon her decision to stay in London with Bob. For Sandy, her lie involves something similar to her brother Major Krishna Rao (a stoic faced Arjun Rampal) whom she thinks will frown upon her relationship with the loser Arush, and hence both couples have set the tone for the second half after the interval, playing on the theme and rationale of being perfectly OK to lie if it's done for a noble cause, the definition of noble being quite narrow and for personal benefit.

But here's where the entire film lifts off into the comedic stratosphere, as the people they lie to begin to turn up, and lies leading to bigger ones, with the best parts being the case of mistaken identities which the couples have to continue playing it up, and by the midway mark of their gag, there's a convoluted web of relationships that one group has to play off the other in order to keep the truth from exploding. Somehow it also turned primarily into a guy's film, with the female leads in Dutta and Padukone being largely supporting roles, and the male leads getting into plenty of shenanigans filled with homophobic suspicions. With the arrival of Krishna though there's a tinge of Meet the Parents with Arjun Rampal taking on Robert De Niro's role as the military intelligence interrogator casting that wary eye (hand signals adopted as well) on Arush, whose propensity of being the worst jinx in the house getting conveniently forgotten.

If you're game for a madcap time where comedy stem from identities being swapped and the reliance of wits to get out of sticky situations, then this film is for you although you have to endure a lacklustre first half before the narrative picks up. It's almost like Akshay Kumar's De Dana Dan from last year with that spiderweb of fake relationship ties that will keep you engaged, with finely crafted musical sequences. We know AK can dance, and for all the flak Deepika Padukone got for being stiff, I thought she's slowly gaining her groove as seen by the numerous numbers here. My favourite song here will have to be Loser, but this film, thanks to its second half, had prevented it from tanking like one.

Away We Go

Where's the Tummy?

It's a personal bias that I must warn you of – I am such a fan of road trip movies, if only for the expected madcap encounters we follow our protagonists through from start to end, complete with quirky situations, out of this world characters, and pretty much not knowing what's next to be dished out. Away We Go fits this mold of a travel movie, but filled with tremendous heart that's easy to identify with since it deals with the re-connection with friends and family members whom we seldom see, and to try and hit it off again from where we last left off.

Naturally, things change, and in this Sam Mendes picture, he tackles this genre (hard to believe, eh?) and shows his versatility without compromising on his strengths based on the showcase of character relationships forged, as well as a number of poignant moments being presented that will set you off thinking. Even though you're not a would-be parent, you'll be pondering and identifying with the issues being presented, which will keep you engaged throughout, coupled with a light moment or two which are well placed to earn a chuckle.

Oh yeah it's probably the first film I've watched that opens with oral sex!

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

Iron Man 2

Ass-Kicking Partners

As far as comic book heroes making that contemporary leap to the silver screen goes, at DC's end, The Dark Knight did it over Batman Begins. At Marvel's, Iron Man joins the ranks of its other A-listed heroes Spiderman and X-Men in having its second film trounce the first. Actor-Director Jon Favreau lived up to the hype and expectations of the Iron Man sequel and delivered everything in double doses, being double the villains, the fun, and even the drama.

Yes, some may complain and scratch their heads about the action being too sparse apart, but I thought it was a nice strategy to allow the characters greater opportunities to shine in dramatic moments in a superhero film. After all, there's a wealth of talent on display - Downey Jr, Paltrow, Cheadle, Johannson, Rockwell, Rourke, L. Jackson, Shandling, Bettany even and the list goes on...

Downey Jr continues his smirky role as the playboy and laissez-faire persona of Tony Stark (no Downey Jr, no Tony Stark I'd say!), now facing a life-threatening intoxication situation, and constantly having to deflect the US military's interest in and compelling him to turn over the Iron Man suit. Then of course there's the romantic angle with Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts who gets expanded screen time here, to whom he hands over Stark Industries to by appointing her CEO. I had enjoyed all the scenes between Paltrow and Downey Jr as they shared great chemistry, and didn't mind that the film took the pause from the action to throw the spotlight on this. In fact, Stark is pretty much the Santa Claus in giving away things, having to face his mortality and to put some business continuity plans into motion. A little too bad that the scene in the teaser trailer highlighting the banter in the plane didn't make it to the final cut.

But all work and no play makes him a grumpy soul, so enter Scarlett Johansson as Natalie Rushman, his new sexy private secretary from the legal department who is more than meets the eye. Johansson has now proved that she's got it in her to be in an action film, and her limited action scenes here will surprise and leave you breathless. Mickey Rourke seem to have picked off from his Wrestler role in playing the Russian villain Ivan Vanko, riding on the parallel and theme of Fathers and Sons, whose father was seemingly played out by Howard Stark, and is finding it apt to finally take it out on Stark Industries using similar technology the earlier generation developed, and now backed by sugar daddy industrialist Justin Hammer, played by Sam Rockwell. Rockwell plays the classic business rival bitterly humiliated by Tony, and from observing Ivan's potential, decided to bankroll the Russian's capability for the US military. Hating a man in common make for strange bedfellows indeed.

Cameo wise, there's Stan Lee if you can spot him in a brief moment, probably his easiest and non event-filled one to date given he's just standing around, Samuel L. Jackson continuing his role as Nick Fury of SHIELD, now assessing Tony Stark to determine if he's indeed the man they need for his top secret boy band, Gary Shandling as the senator pursuing the weaponization of the Iron Man suit for the military, and of course, director Jon Favreau himself who continues his role as Stark's chauffeur Happy Hogan, and you can tell his acting itch from his expanded role in getting in on the fun rather than just standing solely behind the camera.

But of course the tongues will wag whether Don Cheadle can pick up from where Terrence Howard left off. Whatever the reason may be for the latter's departure, he will likely be kicking his behind now for leaving the project. That anticipatory look Rhodes had in the first film at the metal suit worn would bring a smile to any fanboy in the know of what would be the next logical step, and frankly speaking I would have enjoyed some continuity here. But having a different actor in a role done by someone else in a preceding film isn't something new, and Cheadle stepped in confidently from the start, helped by the script which puts it in point blank terms that he's there now, and they should move on. Well said, and great job on being War Machine, in a best-friends-temporal-fallout subplot which accounted for the action at the midway mark.

Justin Theroux, who wrote the screenplay for Tropic Thunder, took over the scriptwriting for this film, doing the narrative justice with plenty of fan-moments, and oh-not-so subtle merchandising opportunities that Tony Stark would be proud of. The excellent casting has the brilliance of Theroux's story to thank for in keeping the many subplots in check, making Marvel fans happy through the plenty of easter eggs peppered around, coming up with an intoxication of a different sort for Tony Stark to deal with and a chance for him to go back to the drawing board, getting his hands dirty with the building of something.

Action-wise, yes there is only a handful of them, but each of them brought something to the table in terms of excitement, thrills and spills. The special effects and graphics here were one up against the previous film, and it was a definite visual feast especially when suits got up against suits, warranting a second look at the film just to catch everything that's happening at the same time. Watch this in a theatre with a proper sound system set up, and you'll be richly rewarded. The finale was a full 30 minutes worth of action end to end and features the Iron Man-War Machine tag team up, which served up a lot more than what we've all glimpsed from clips here and there. Singapore, this is yet another opportunity to be proud of with our compatriots also involved in the visual effects department, ala Kick-Ass.

Iron Man 2 is set to convert the non-fan, and is crafted so that newcomers to the hero could jump right into the fun without needing to watch the first one (why haven't you!). For Marvel fans though, you have Jon Favreau to thank for whetting all our appetites in making this film the teaser to the other upcoming Marvel films such as Captain America, Thor, and I will be right there to holler Avengers Assemble! when the time comes. Stay until the end of the credits for a scene which will make you salivate. A-One!

I Need My Suit for Another Sequel

Ip Man 2 (葉問2 : 宗師傳奇 / Yip Man 2: Chung Si Chuen Kei)

Grandmaster Showdown

You would know from my review of the first Ip Man film that I had enjoyed it tremendously, being that breath of fresh air for the martial arts genre in the creation of a hotly contested biopic starring possibly one of the hottest Hong Kong action stars right now in Donnie Yen, who had balanced dramatic flair for hard-hitting action in sequences that is now icons for the film, and whose popularity made it the subject in a number of spoofs in various Hong Kong comedies. The sequel is highly anticipated, though if I were to sum it up, it'll be same same, but different. It didn't surpass the original, yet didn't fare too bad by itself too.

Continuing the narrative straight from where we last left off with Yen's Ip Man and family escaping from the Japanese to the British colony of Hong Kong, he's about to find that his luxurious lifestyle is a thing of the past, and that the attitudes of the Chinese people now is clearly different, where friendly sparring sessions are nothing but a time-honored, forgotten tradition. Eking out a livelihood takes first priority, and he soon discovers that opening a Wing Chun martial arts school is as simple as requesting for permission to play in another's sandbox, only that the rest of the players have their own established rules and don't take it too well with newcomers, especially when they have impetuous students like Wong Leung (Huang Xiaoming, playing a character based on Ip Man's disciple who would be responsible in tutoring Bruce Lee) who resort to the use of fists to settle issues.

Edmond Wong's screenplay, like the first film, focused more on drama and had moments where questions such as integrity and the living of one's life according to ideals get raised, whether it is, for the sake of the greater good, worthwhile to forgo those ideals in order to make a living, and allow those who work for you, to make something out for themselves too. In essence, which of the lesser evils are you willing to compromise on. There's also time taken to devote to the corruption of Caucasian police officers, as well as how the Chinese used to fight their own, before learning to unite in the face of stronger, external opponents out to humiliate and insult long held values because of ignorance and prejudice.

The second half of the film, with what we've seen in the trailers involving yet another East versus West matchup that have been covered in contemporary martial arts films and biopics like Fearless and True Legend, was quite the worry for me, in that it would be another opportunity for meaningless bashing and the championing of nationalistic messages. It's that sense of deja-vu that you fear arising from a similar situation from its predecessor, but thankfully, we get a fight that's quite compelling to watch, with Ip Man now being properly challenged by an opponent who's skilled with plenty of power and dexterity, with that lack of honour in dishing out a fair fight. Darren Shahlavi who portrays Twister the boxer, gets top marks for making you all riled up with his constant air of superiority.

Action choreography continues to be designed by Sammo Hung, and personally three action sequences stand out. I didn't enjoy the fish market brawl, as I didn't take to Ip Man fighting with an unruly horde, except that there's a moment of truth there when he shows by example his philosophy of "running away" (not that he's a coward) which continues from where he left off from an answer to Wong Leung. Two scenes which stood out involves Shahlavi's battle with the Chinese grandmasters, and frankly, despite being a "boxing" match, it was really imaginative of Sammo to deliver something that's quite different from the usual action sequences in Chinese films involving battling a Caucasian in a ring.

But the number one action sequence, albeit a little bit short, would be that which you've been teased by the trailer, with Ip Man versus Sammo's Hung Jan Nam mano a mano atop a flimsy table, in what would be Wing Chung versus Hung Ga Kuen. Naturally, not to offend real life practitioners means the result of the fight would be understood, but to see Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung match up against one another, is an action film fan's dream come true again, from SPL, especially after Ip Man dispenses with the side show phonies. If I had a gripe, these two really went all out with the speed of execution, that you just want to beg the camera to stay put from afar in slow motion to allow us all to gaze.

And because of the enigmatic presence of Sammo, somehow I feel that Ip Man the character got diluted screen time because ample time has to be set aside to prevent Sammo's Master Hung from being just the supporting character, but one that's properly fleshed out. He's there to be the contrast as the older martial arts practitioner who's well respected by his peers, and providing that glimpse of how Ip Man could progress, and whether to want to compromise ideals for those dependent on him for livelihood. Sammo being Sammo also chews up the screen with his charisma, and you can hear gasps of reverence reverberate around the cinema hall when he first appears on screen, his persona just screaming that he's one bad mo-fo not to be messed around with.

So Ip Man's thunder did get stolen a little, and the air of invincibility of Ip Man also got shattered in this film, as Wing Chun gets practiced and delivered by others, and we see him drawing or even beaten, which is something rare and unseen thus far. Of course this makes his character even more believable that he's no Superman, and that it provides an opportunity for us to cheer him on in continuing to combat and stand for his ideals. Yen continues to deliver Ip Man in a relatively low key style, preferring smiles and the occasional smoke to wanting to show off that he's one of the best martial artists out there.

Simon Yam, Calvin Cheng, Fan Siu-Wong and even Lynn Hung who plays Ip Man's Wife from the first film were all sadly underutilized, and the introduction of Kent Cheng was something like a direct replacement of Lam Ka-Tung's character from Ip Man (which means the deleted scene in the earlier film could be considered canon if you wish), being the default translator between the Chinese and the British, and more often than not is seen siding with the Westerners in order to keep his cop job. Huang Xiaoming brings a youthful energy as Wong Leung, and I suppose his inclusion is to capture the Mainland market where he's got a huge following.

One wonders whether the box office receipts will warrant a third film, and it does seem quite complete with clear historical enemies like the Japanese and the British soundly defeated. I'm not sure if the third film will deal with Ip Man's relationship and tutelage of his well known pupil (the the epilogue once again reminds us), since Yen will need to be visibly aged. And with a slew of copycat films / television serials expected to come out in the wake of this release either about the Grandmaster or Wing Chun in general, l guess it's probably wait and see. Same same, but different, is my verdict of Ip Man 2, being just as enjoyable but lacking a certain inexplicable X-factor that could have made the second outing surpass the first.

The Back-up Plan

Your Abs are Distracting Me

J Lo's behind is still making waves as far as this film is concerned, having the actress in self-deprecating mode, and being very sensitive to her growing rear all thanks to the wonderful joys of being pregnant. Playing Zoe, a self-made career woman who's now pursuing motherhood before her biological clock goes berserk and gives up, she opts for the modern science of artificial insemination as her chances of finding The One is zilch, but Fate has that cruel sense of humour to present her the ideal man Stan (Alex O'Loughlin) the minute after she got her procedure done.

You'll probably not care about the romance bit, which is more like a tale of two halves, but rather be quite engaged with the encyclopedic look at the woes and crankiness that comes with a pregnancy, from the woman's point of view anyway. This film covers the entire spectrum, and I'll be hard pressed to think of a contemporary peer that had the whole nine yards covered in the same manner. And of course, that quick reality check that bringing up children in a metropolitan city, is not all that affordable if you haven't had your sums done up correctly, as Stan will slowly come to realize, and fear.

You can read my review of The Back-up Plan at movieXclusive.com by clicking on the logo below.

[DVD] Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008)

Double Dip

Shahrukh Khan's films before My Name is Khan which reunites him with Kajol, have introduced two new actresses to Bollywood. With Om Shanti Om, we got introduced to Deepika Padukone, and we know how well her career has progressed since then. Anushka Sharma's though seems to be a tad slower, though her second film Baadmash Company will be coming out soon, after Padukone's pairing opposite Akshay Kumar in Housefull. Well, better late than never, and hopefully it'll turn out to be something entertaining as well as this film under the Yash Raj banner. It's always easy to be watching a Bollywood film with the family because they are family friendly, and as proven, I was pretty confident my folks will enjoy the film, which they did.

You can read my review of the film here.

The Region Free two-disc edition of the film comes packaged with a lenticular cover that shows Shahrukh Khan as Surinder Sahni with Anushka Sharma as Taani in one view, and the other with her paired up with SRK's Raj persona. Presented in a pristine anamorphic widescreen format, Audio is available only in its original Hindi language track in either Dolby Digital 2.0 or 5.1 options. Subtitles are in English, Dutch, Arabic, Tamil and Telugu, and scene selection breaks the lengthy feature into 34 chapters.

Disc One contains the no extras other than a Forthcoming Attractions section that contains the trailer for New York, which also autoplays when the disc is popped into the player. Then there's the standard staple feature of Bollywood DVDs with a section that contains the Songs featured in the film.

If you were to ask which of the here is my favourite, I'll be hard pressed to give you an answer since I like all of them. Give them a listen and you'll see what I mean, and placed within the context of the film, pure magic. Only 5 songs for the film - Haule Haule, Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte (see if you can spot the female stars for each segment here, from Kajol to Rani Mukherjee), Dance Pe Chance, and the hauntingly beautiful Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai in two versions, each option allows you to sample the songs as they are, although once selected it'll autoplay into the next song. Subtitles are available as well.

Disc Two is the Special Features disc presented in 4:3 aspect ratio without subtitles, and contains a couple of content-rich extras, starting with the Making of the Film (44:47), which contains the standard talking head interviews with the producer Yash Chopra and the actors Shahrukh Khan and Anushka Sharma talking about their characters, and especially the latter on her selection and audition process, which comes complete with the audition footage. Presented in a mix of Hindi and English mostly, you'd also get to see the on-location, behind the scenes shoot.

The Making-Of also contains the behind the scenes look at the making of three musical pieces in the film - Haule Haule, Dance Pe Chance and Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte, where you're likely to appreciate such song-and-dance sequences even more when you discover the sheer amount of work and logistics that go on to make them work the way they do. Interviews are mostly with the different choreographers, music directors and costuming even, as they recount the various challenges to get the look and feel for each sequence right. from the long takes in Haule Haule to the casting of the various actresses in Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte.

The Deleted Scenes (6:14) presented do not contain any subtitles, though it's not that hard to understand what went on and why they were omitted from or shortened for the film. The scenes are Suri and Taani Arrive in Amritsar which will of course break the very silent nature the film opens in, Taani Prepares Breakfast for Suri that expands the first meal they share on the dining table and the first utterance of Sur's "A-1" rating which brings a smile to Taani's face, Bobby Gets Emotional which was something that can be done without, Taani Tells Suri That She Has Lied which I suppose deals with her marital status in the dance class not being an issue anymore (which was of course never discussed in the actual narrative), Taani Talks about her Dad to Raj, and Bobby's Sermon on Being Macho

SRK Unplugged (61:53) is all Shahrukh Khan talking about various topics about and outside the film, some snippets which you will have seen in the Making Of segment. SRK talks about the Actor-Director Relationship which covers his friendship with Aditya Chopra, An Actor Prepares talks about his approach to acting and the inspiration behind his two characters, about Imagination, discussing about newcomer Anushka Sharma as The Face that comes with words of encouragement, about Vinay Pathak as Bobby Macho, Cinematography, Vaibhavi and the Famous One Shot in Haule Haule, the Choreographer Shiamak Davar and low body fats associated with dancers, the Homage in the song Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte, working for Yash Raj films and his gratitude to Yash Chopra,

Unfortunately for the non-Hindi speaker, the feature Shahrukh Khan and Anushka Sharma in Conversation (42:53) is in a mix of English and Hindi, and in a very relaxed mood, both actors banter with each other as they relive the moments in their film, talking about a whole range of issues with SRK serving primarily as the interviewer, covering topics from acting to even singing and dancing impromptu during the session.

Rounding up the special features are the Theatrical Trailer (2:06) and Promos (6:16) utilizing clips fromt the songs Haule Haule, Dance Pe Chance, Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai, Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte, and 4 Dialogue Promos.

Singapore International Film Festival 2010

Personally, I felt that the festival somehow took a major step back from last year's edition. Somehow the buzz disappeared, and there were a number of logistical issues which could have been better to engage the movie going audience out there.

• The festival booklet was late, and could only be obtained a day before the festival started proper (anyone would like to counter-verify this?)
• Updates to the official web site was painfully slow. The template from last year was used so that's some help in figuring out the navigation, but the main page updates were not forthcoming. For instance, it would probably help ticket sales if interested parties knew in advance whether cast/crew were going to be in attendance
• The UniSIM venue was too far flung. A central location would have been preferred
• If tickets were sold out, it would have been great to be told on the website. Then again, was any session sold out? You can't tell unless you attempted to buy the ticket or turned up at the venue
• I'm a stickler for punctuality. Despite having minimal ads (just 1), the films rarely started on time, though because I didn't buy any back to back tickets for films at different venues, I didn't feel the pinch, but sparing a thought for others, then this will wreck havoc to their viewing plans
• Not starting on time also meant that any Q&A planned for after the session, will involve shifting of the masses to locations outside the hall, resulting in a waste of time / lost souls

I shall stop here lest this turns out to be a bitching session. Here's looking forward to a better edition next year.


Reviews
Conversations on Sago Lane
Ek Tho Chance
In the House of Straw
Memories of a Burning Tree
Roulette City
Shake Hands with the Devil

Q&A Sessions
Memories of a Burning Tree / Conversations on Sago Lane
Roulette City
Shake Hands with the Devil

My Life in Ruins

Life's a Dance

I still haven't checked out My Big Fat Greek Wedding in which actress Nia Vardalos is most famous for, but I suppose there's a fan in one of the distributors here to bring in yet another of her film this year after I Hate Valentine's Day. While it's nothing cerebral about the films she starred in (so far that I've watched), one cannot discount the fact that her sunshine demeanour has brought about some positive vibes and feel good factor to her movies, that it's somewhat of a delight to sit through her romantic comedies, thanks to sheer charisma.

Written by Mike Reiss and directed by Donald Petrie, My Life in Ruins isn't as dire sounding as its title, touching upon a snapshot of a tour guides stint and rapport developed with a group of tourists under her charge. It's been some five years since I last enrolled myself into a tour group to discover far out places, and the premise of the film brought back some of these memories, good and bad. And in some ways the filmmakers hit the concept right in the head, given how we normally perceive strangers we met for the first time through a pigeonhole concept, classifying them based on prejudices or little nuances that we pick up, and nickname them after.

The film in that way, mirrors real life experiences from tours (as far as I'm concerned with my personal participation) and how the tourists slow grow from strangers to friends who have forged strong bonds, some even after the parting of ways. It also plays on the stereotypes of typical tourists from various (Western) countries, such as the clueless American and the friendly Australians, though of course not every caricature gets painted in positive light, in a comical way not meant to offend.

Nia Vardalos plays Georgia, an American-Greek expatriate in Greece whose temporary job while waiting for a college teaching appointment, is that of a tour guide in a dingy tour establishment. Being rated consistently as an average performer as compared to her irritating peer, it seems that she's in for yet another tough time with a motley crew of tourists, and paired by with a terribly bearded bus driver Poupi (Alexis Georgoulis). Using her expertise knowledge to good but boring use, she constantly finds it a challenge to connect with her charges, until the joker of the group Irv (Richard Dreyfuss) begins to impart some words of wisdom to help her out. Frankly speaking if I was on a guided tour, I'd appreciate such a tour guide very much, rather than someone who brings you to various shops all the time for kickbacks in the form of commissions earned when you shop at their preferred outlets.

It's a romantic story as Georgia soon finds love in the unlikeliest of persons, and with her new found optimism, begins to address the issues of those in her tour bus as they build on their camaraderie, culminating in the hilarious solving of their bus's air conditioning problem. Expect plenty of light comedy being peppered throughout the film, especially since it plays on the abilities and nature of its characters, such as the kleptomaniac, and the pair of divorced friends. Some jokes aren't politically correct, and look out for Vardalos' real life husband playing a sleazy hotel employee trying to proposition her.

Unfortunately most of the backdrops, save for the more famous Greek monuments, were shot in Spain instead of in Greece. It would have been quite the Greece-101 for those who have not visited the country before, but alas this is not the film. But what it is though, is a reminiscing look back into the days when anyone had gone on a tour with a group of strangers, and emerged with new found friends and experiences. Offhand I cannot think of any film that has this as a premise, and for that, I'd say to give this film a chance. After all, it stars the ever-chirpy Nia Vardalos, and it's about time I visit her fat Greek wedding!

[SIFF10] Shake Hands with the Devil Q&A

It's a little strange that everyone had to get off from their seats and adjourn to the Lido foyer for a standing room only Q&A with director Roger Spottiswoode, but I guess having not started on time meant that it's not ideal to allow another group of festival goers having to stand outside for the next film to begin, or to have the director in attendance shorten his session. So here's the Q&A, but pardon the quality of the audio because the space was large, the speakers not turned up, and having other curious folks mingling around just added to the ambient noise.


Part 1 of 2


Part 2 of 2

[SIFF10] Shake Hands with the Devil

When the SIFF programme came out, Roger Spottiswoode's film Shake Hands with the Devil was automatically the first to have gone into my list of must-watch films from the festival, as I thought and correctly so, that it's easily a companion piece to Terry George's Hotel Rwanda, both being films that will definitely provoke a reaction and bewilderment why people tend to turn a blind eye to problems from the African continent, and why nothing was done to prevent the genocide when the powers that be under the auspices of the UN could have intervened.

But as we learn through Romeo Dallaire's autobiographical book of the same name, things are not always as easy as it seems, and like any organization, the UN is bloated with bureaucracy made worse when politics and self-interests of nations take precedence over any humanitarian crisis, as we would have bore witness to world events and disasters time and time again. Played by Roy Dupuis who had done an excellent job in bringing out the pain and the tremendous frustration of General Dallaire's tour of duty as head of the UN peacekeeping troops in Rwanda when the massacre broke, we follow the events that unfold through the eyes on the other side of the fence, which in Hotel Rwanda you would have questioned why the UN was a toothless tiger, well, here are the answers.

It's incredibly frustrating as any working person will know and experience, how as dutiful employees, you have to follow the chain of command even though it runs against what you know from the ground, and probably against solid common sense. And this is definitely made worse in a uniformed organization, where it's an innate expectation that troops have to listen to orders, lest they be punished and court marshalled. A career solider, Canadian Dallaire had ambitions that he and his UN peacekeeping troops will have their work cut out at maintaining the peace between the fragile government in Rwanda and the rebels up north in the country, a truce most difficult to police given limited resources from supplies and manpower to ensure that duty is done.

As expected, credible intelligence get turned away from the suits occupying the ivory tower in New York, and not before long, civil war is at their doorsteps with the crash of an aeroplane in Rwanda carrying the President as well as important members of the government machinery. And in breakneck speed, the opportunity for lawlessness erupts, and a crisis is at hand. As Spottiswoode revealed in a post screening Q&A, each UN soldier were lightly armed had only 1 magazine of 11 rounds each, hardly enough to do anything, and clearly spelling out their intended involvement in being nothing but sheer observers. Rules of engagement get passed down, and to the Rwandan militia, it is clear that so long as they do not engage the UN troops, they can practically do what they want.

So how does one negotiate with barbarians who only understand rules if at the other end of a gun barrel, and not the rule of law? It's likely you share Dallaire's pain in having his hands tied behind his back, and having his every plea and request turned down, and having country ambassadors taking flight as soon as they can without an inkling of hope that they will return, or lend support in any way. Somehow it's as if the civilized world doesn't want to get its hands dirty with solving the issues in the African continent, so we should expect contemporary issues like piracy off the Somalian coast to continue, so long as there is no direct vested interest by anyone strong and courageous enough to champion a change. I guess that's the way that things have become with our humanity, with those able to help not doing so unless there's something substantial in the what's-in-it-for-me.

Dallaire's opening speech to his team at the beginning also touched on setting the rules, of understanding their role as being there to maintain the peace, but conceding that soldiers probably aren't the best party to be doing so. And we see how they struggle to keep their composure as they come up against, as the title already suggested, the devils themselves, where one has to grit one's teeth and bear with it, knowing any proactive action will require resource beyond current means, and then the necessity of sustaining any operation to clean up the mess. Dallaire has to depend on expert negotiating skills on both sides to try his best to keep some semblance of order even though chaos reigns all around, and being shot on actual locations, you can't help but to bear witness to a recreation of humanity's destruction and atrocities being unravelled in vivid terms, coming complete with disturbing images.

Spottiswoode doesn't mince his words through the film, and as explained by the director himself during the pre-screening introductory speech, he was told two things by Dallaire before the film got made, and that's not to make Dallaire a hero, and to tell the truth as it is. The opening inter-titles have squarely put where the root cause of the problem is, something that had sown the seeds for potential discord many years back. And again, it's innate human nature somehow, to want to have pissing competitions to know who's better than another, and who's in the majority and minority. The introductory slide is incredible informative with just a few lines, setting the tone for the atrocities to come, and talking about missed opportunities to set things right, the exasperation that follows instructions that don't make much sense to begin with.

Under very limited release and distribution, I hope more will get a chance to watch this on the big screen, especially those who have watched Hotel Rwanda and want to know more through a film, then this one will sit right up there to provide a perspective from an angle from an outsider, and an organization that for inexplicable reasons, decide to sit back and watch the unfortunate spectacle unfold.

[SIFF10] Ek Tho Chance

New Dawn

Saeed Akhtar Mirza's Ek Tho Chance unravels itself over 24 hours in the city of Mumbai, and provides a kaleidoscope of story threads that get linked together sometimes through characters and events appearing in another, before converging in quite a forceful manner for the finale. With statements made about society in general or specifically targeted at certain groups, this film seemed like Crash-lite, though with stories that were quite ordinary, compared to the shots of what the real Mumbai looks like.

With an ensemble cast delivering a wide array of stories ranging from a dedicated, non-corrupt cop (Pawan Malhotra) tasked with looking for a thief (Vijay Raaz) who had stolen from an ex-Minister (Saurabh Shukla), the emotional connection between the thief and a beer lady (Ashwini Kalsekar) where they find solace and peace in each other, the relationship problems faced by a rich family, the cliche rich playboy (Ali Fazal) going after an ingenue model (played by Amrita Arora) who's also admired from afar by her nerdy friend (Purab Kohli), and the adventures of two brothers (Zaki Kazi and Zafar Karachiwala) who have left their village in Utta Pradesh looking forward to a modern city life.

Mirza weaves a kaleidoscope of stories and emotions through his narrative, about the search for real friendship in a city of strangers, of that innate human need to connect with others, or the quest for true love, of sticking together in the face of adversity, and the likes. There's no big moment in the film as it touches on a wide spectrum of feelings on a fleeting basis, and contains pointed barbs at things like how irresponsible rich youngsters who think they own the whole world can be, how politicians or ex ones tend to throw their weight around like a spoilt brat, and the notion of a sliver of hope that there are a few good cops left in a corrupt system, although I chuckle at and am quite amazed that cops, if what's depicted in the film is true, that they can bitch-slap just about anyone during routine questioning. There's also a heavy highlight on the clash of conservative values with modern cultural influences from outside.

One of the staples of most Indian films are the song and dance sequences, which when done properly adds an enjoyable dimension especially when it moves the narrative forward. In the case of this film, they come on quite jarringly, and were very out of place as characters inexplicably break into song, though credit goes to one sequence which had the Mumbai residents writing the performer off as a nutcase, which works of course.

Beautifully shot without going overboard and making it look like a touristy video, Ek Tho Chance gives that glimpse of the hopes and dreams of residents in a metropolitan city, and provides that opportunity to gaze at the different parts of Mumbai, from different angles.

[DVD] Zatôichi (2003)

Draw on Three!

I'm always up for a good swordfighting flick, and it'll take a while to plough through the incredible backlog on the adventures of the Japanese blind masseur and master swordsman Zatoichi, so I'd figure it'll make some sense to just jump into the Takeshi Kitano version. There's something romanticized about having a blind swordsman possessing a superb set of sword play that literally catches everyone offguard, ripping things up into shreds in a blink of an eye, and Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi does that with plenty of aplomb.

As the story goes, Zatoichi is wandering yet again, and soon befriends a compulsive gambler Shinkichi (Gadarukanaru Taka) and his aunt Oume (Michiyo Ookusu), as well as taking pity on two Geishas, or so it seems, who are out to avenge the murder of their household some ten years ago. Then there's the gang versus gang feud going on, which led to one side employing a skilled ronin Hattori Genosuke (Tadanobu Asano) desperate for any job so long as he earns enough for his wife's medical treatment.

The narrative seemed a little bit choppy with the incessant need to insert something arty, such as the farmers ploughing the land which comes with a commendable soundtrack which is music to the ears, and transitioning from scene to scene was sometimes jarring, not due to moments being left on the cutting room floor. The swordfights were also few and far between, so don’t hold your breath for something to happen. If it does, then because of his extreme prowess with the kantana hidden within his walking stick, fights rarely extend to a few minutes since enemies are dispatched mostly with a singular slash, which does get a little boring after a while, and turning fights that happen in the later parts of the film quite anti-climatic since it takes a gargantuan effort to inflict some damage on our blind swordsman.

Some would have complained about the copious amounts of CG blood flying around the screen, and it was more stylized than bloody good to be honest. Each slice and dice by his Zatoichi's blade comes complete with unmistakable sound effects to accentuate the swiftness of the sharp blade, and with blood either spraying out from arteries, or oozing in large amounts from muscles being sliced apart or skewered right through. With the CG blood the end result looks a little bit cartoony even.

There’s a twist to the Zatoichi tale that may have purist fans go up in arms about the change made, which I thought suited Kitano’s version pretty well, although it did rub off some of the shine of the legendary character. What didn’t sit down well with me was the Bollywood inspired dance ending that came complete with tap-dancing. It’s really out of place, and worst than how Danny Boyle did for Slumdog Millionaire. It brings you out of the era and the setting, so I’m not exactly sure why the need to do so, as surely there will be better ideas to end the film.

The two-disc Code 3 DVD comes presented in an anamorphic widescreen format, with a dubbed Cantonese audio track besides the original Japanese language track in 5.1 being made available. Subtitles are available in English and Traditional and Simplified Chinese.

Earth

Splash Down

In case you're not already aware, today marks Earth Day as we sit back and reflect upon the evils that we do on a daily basis, through our actions and inactions causing the planet great stress in its ability to sustain life, and the systematic eradication of creatures with whom we share Nature with. Things we don't see we fail to understand, and Earth the documentary film provides that rare glimpse into the far flung reaches of the Earth, from Pole to Pole through the course of a year and its seasons, from the depths of the oceans to the highest mountain peaks. It's almost Planet Earth digested into 100 minutes, with an environmental message that all will be lost should we continue doing what we're doing.

The version shown here is the UK version with the venerable Patrick Stewart providing the narration. Other versions include James Earl Jones doing the same for the US one (I would love to hear his deep resonating baritone voice), and Ken Watanabe in the Japanese version. With nature documentaries, one will appreciate the intricate details and craft in creating a story out of the footage shot, and leaving it up to the narrator to keep it engaging through expression alone.

Then there's the unforgettable, gorgeous cinematography that will leave you spellbound and taking your breath away each time, be it satellite inspired wide angled shots seen from outer space or high up in the atmosphere, or microscopic time lapsed ones that show the many changes over the passage of time. What's definitive about this film is its never shying away from the circle of life, where hunter and prey jostle for survival of the fittest, where the slightest mistake by either party is a matter of life and death. For this, the deliberate slow motion accentuates the sense of danger and adrenaline felt, and like poetry in motion, we bear witness to how a leopard goes all out to capture its prey, or how the great white shark beautifully emerges Jaws like at its prey, complete with a twist and choreographed fall back into the ocean.

It's witnessing a Noah's Ark worth of animals trying to make sense of the inexplicable changes to their habitats, which turns the world as they know it topsy-turvy, as they go about their season routine now with greater difficulty. We see how the melting polar caps wreck havoc on the Polar Bear's hunt, and how long distance the Elephant herd have to trek in search of water, desert land slowing creeping up the composition of land mass on Earth. Or how far the Humpback Whales must swim, no longer fueled by the plankton required for energy along the way. It's a little painful and heart wrenching even to watch how the animals struggle to keep their offspring and species alive, while we contribute directly to their challenges, and continue to plunder and waste.

I'm pretty glad and somewhat surprised as well that the theatre chain showing this, decided to go the distance by screening it in one of the largest halls available, where it can easily do so in one of the very small ones given the unfortunate lacklustre response to a nature documentary. A misbehaving projector aside which got repaired before screening began (and a prompt notification of the offer of a refund, which nobody took up), it makes it all the more worthwhile to witness Nature digitally on the big screen, with an awesome sound system.

If you watch this and don't feel a thing or a need to change, then surely you do not have a heart. Time to reduce even further, and reuse and recycle even more. Do something, not nothing. Don't let this slip your grasp, and visit http://www.loveearth.com for more information.

How To Be

Thumbs Up, Not!

One of the films featured iin last year's edition of the Singapore International Film Festival, How To Be still managed to find itself a theatrical release in Singapore despite its indie leanings, and it's not rocket science to deduce that it's perhaps the presence of teenage heartthrob Robert Twilight Pattinson's being one of the chief reasons. Cashing in on his popularity and the huge fanbase already set up, I still don't think that the Twilighters (do we call them that?) will turn up in droves for this.

Unless they're into watching Pattinson give one of his award winning performances (yes, I kid you not) at being all whiny and moping about how life is unfair. This angsty teenager role is soon going to have him pigeon-holed into a stereotype if he continues to play such characters. His character Art is so much of a whiner that you'll soon find yourself wanting to give him a wake up call. A wannabe musician who gets no love nor attention from his parents and having his girlfriend dump him, he decides that all he needs is for the self-help guru Dr Ellington (Powell James) whose book he is reading, to turn up at his doorstep to provide that one on one consultation, for a fee of course.

Most of the best scenes here involve Dr Ellington spewing his words of wisdom with great aplomb and conviction, and has some of the best, hilarious lines in the film to keep it afloat. But it takes a while for Powell James to appear on screen, during which you'll have to tolerate the very quirky characters that pepper the narrative, especially friends of Art who are aspiring to be a great rock band together with him as the frontman.

Robert Pattinson, sorry Twilight fans, just cannot act to save his life here, and coupled with a storyline that tried too hard to engage, everything about the film seemed more like a turn off with its contrived scenes, that it's just plain painful to sit through this. It's indie, it's low-key, and Pattinson is seriously in need of a good character role soon enough before he gets pigeonholed and typecast.

[DVD] Dynamite Warrior (Khon Fai Bin) (2006)

Knees to Chest

Dan Chupong probably got the role of his career so far when he got cast as the mysterious masked Crow Ghost in Ong Bak 2, and kicked Tony Jaa's rear in the film. It's a pity that he still doesn't get much recognition on his own accord given what's essentially his marquee films such as Born to Fight (which I had watched some time back on the big screen, and enjoyed), and this one titled Dynamite Warrior.

Which is one heck of a ride as well, as far as an action movie is concerned. Chupong plays the titular character, aptly named because of his arsenal containing rockets of all shapes and sizes, which can be used as an offensive weapon such as projectiles with an explosive tip, or defensively to provide a quick boost in a modified escape vehicle for the late 19th century. Alternatively, some are large enough for him to ride on as well. Yes, you read me right, Chupong's Jone Bang Fai is the quintessential explosives man, complete with Muay Thai elbow and knee moves to mop up and cripple opponents lucky enough to survive his shock-and-awe missile barrage.

But of course you know the story can't be all too serious, since it's a fusion of science and mythical elements, with evil wizards and spells being part of the equation on the villainous end, which our hero has to do combat with. In his quest to search for the killer of his parents, Jone Bang Fai conducts raids on buffalo traders, and soon come up against Lord Waeng (Leo Putt), an evil aristocrat with a cleft lip, whose invention the Tractor gets no sales because the Thai farmers are still used to their buffaloes. So Waeng hatches a plan to eliminate the traditional competition, and this sets him on a collision course with Jone.

Part of the fun here is the sword and sorcery type of storyline and characters, especially with Nai Hoi Sing (Samart Thipthamai) who proves to be quite the combatant since he's magical tattoo gives him superpowers and the ability to discharge blows from a distance, making him quite untouchable. He also has the ability to ignite his followers Bak Paen (Wichai Promchan) and Bak Kaan (Ampol Rattanawong) into using fighting monkey and tiger moves, which adds to the fun factor somewhat, as they go up against the Black Wizard (Panna Rittikrai) who has a secret weapon through the use of a virgin's menstrual blood (Yes, you read this right too!), and backed by Lord Waeng and his tough guy henchman with a voracious appetite, played by Somdej Keawlue.

The story contains its usual twists and turns and provides for some nice, though expected, development of the plot, and the only time when it sagged, was when it decided to focus on the romantic aspects between Jone and the Black Wizard's daughter Sao (Kanyapak Suworakood), in a shy guy meets outcast girl routine, which took quite a while because well, we the audience accompanies Jone in waiting for her next menstrual cycle. But everything was worth the wait as it was a precursor to one of the largest fight sequences to take place in a cop station, before the finale all out assault on the baddies lair.

Chupong dishes out plenty of of punishment as Jone Bang Fai, and if you're a fan of Tony Jaa, I don't see why you won't take to Dan Chupong and his brand of martial arts. The supporting cast, especially that of Samart Thipthamai also makes many of the fight scenes in the film worthwhile, and sequence after sequence just builds on what the previous had accomplished, making it a more than satisfying finale battle between good and evil, with plenty of bone crunching action to satisfy action fans anywhere. It's not a perfect film, but it contains many elements that make this a fun movie to sit through being entertaining at its core. Dan Chupong really should have made a bigger impact, and that remains to be seen with bated breath.

Code 1 DVD by Peace Arch Home Entertainment comes presented in an anamorphic widescreen transfer, with audio available in Dubbed English Dolby Digital 2.0 or 5.1, and in its original Thai language track in Dolby Digital 2.0 and 5.1 as well. Subtitles are available in English and Spanish, with a 16 chapter scene selection, and the disc autoplays with trailers for The Host, Severance and The Signal, with an advertisement for HD Net.

Special Features are all subtitled, and presented in full screen format. Strangely though, all of them, save for the Original Theatrical Trailer (2:11, without subs) featuring primarily the best fighting scenes from the movie, end rather abruptly. As always, most of the features contain spoilers, so watch the movie proper first.

The Making of Dynamite Warrior (13:59) doesn't have much behind the scenes look, but focused on getting interviews with the main cast and the director in talking heads style, with clips from the film itself. Discussion range from their individual characters, to the lifestyle of North Eastern Thais. Behind-the-Scenes Stunts (1:54) and On-set Footage (2:31) are all rather short to be of much value, and the Special Effects Makeup (2:06) gives a quick look at how the Black Wizard got made up. A real pity that there isn't much substantial making-of material put together for this DVD release.

Greenberg

Have a Look

Based upon a story by actress Jennifer Jason Leigh who also had a bit part to lay here, and directed by Noah Baumbach who share screenplay credits, Greenberg is a tale that deals with the anxieties of the 40 year olds who are starting to wonder how half their lives had passed them by without anything to show for, and how much courage they have to try and reinvent themselves for the remaining half. Usually at a mid-life crisis, one would find a certain itch to want to break away from the norm and routine, but scratching that itch would depend on how severe it is, and how hungry one actually is in wanting to embark on change and do something different.

Despite its title being the last name of its male protagonist, Greenberg opens with a typical day in the life of Florence Marr (Greta Gerwig), the ever capable personal assistant to the Greenberg family headed by Phillip (Chris Messina), and because this part of the Greenberg family is heading to Vietnam for a vacation, Phillip's brother Roger (Ben Stiller) decides to move in temporarily from New York to Los Angeles for 6 weeks in order to do nothing, and in return for his brother's provision of a roof over his head, Roger's carpentry skill will be called upon to build a doghouse.

But this film is not about showing off his carpentry skills, but more of how he builds up new relationships with the household mutt, and Florence to whom he has taken a strange fixation and fancy to, while on the other hand still holding a candle for his ex-flame Beth (Jennifer Jason Leigh). And having just come out of a mental institution for a psychological issue didn't help either, as we see how temperamental and volatile Roger can get, where relationships he built with such difficulty, can be utterly destroyed at his uncontrollable blow ups.

In a way, this film is quite the depressing one, where folks like me and of course the older generation, may feel some pangs in wondering, like Roger, how we ended up the way we are, and the contemplating of the What Ifs and missed opportunities from relationships and family, to friendship and that of a professional life which could have possibly lifted Roger to fame and fortune, if not for his inexplicable rejection of that single chance that could have changed his life for the better. For the optimistic, this will be a strange film to sit through, as there's very little uplifting moments. Heck, even the door falls sick to some little known disease, and many faceless characters come and go without having any emotional resonance with Roger.

Which makes him yearn companionship in whatever means possible, even if it means sleeping with, or trying to, with his brother's assistant Florence, who somehow likes Roger for the very low key way of leading his life built on the basis of doing nothing, without the pressures of expectations, or imposing one's will on the other. Wait, scratch that last point, as Roger does make their friendship/relationship complex no thanks to not knowing what he wants, and not admitting things he desires. This forms the basic anchor for the film to develop upon, with commentary during a house party filled with youngsters about the impetuousness of youth, and the rather throwaway lives they lead with the drinking and drug abuse, and the lack of responsibility in clearing up the mess they leave behind.

It's a refreshing change to see Ben Stiller in a non comedic role, where he plays serious for once, and showcase some dramatic chops. Paired opposite him is Greta Gerwig who managed to hold her own as Florence, who's top notch at organizing other people's lives, but really zilch in looking after her own interests, succumbing to sex with strangers as a relief of sorts. Despite the nice casting in Greenberg, this indie film is not an easy one to sit through, not appealing to the depressive since its themes are quite the downer, and neither gaining fans from the optimistic since they'll likely be in deep thought once the show ends. But endure and stay for the top notch performances, with a proper, well deserved payout waiting for you right at the end of it.

[SIFF10] Memories of a Burning Tree / Conversations on Sago Lane Q&A

Here's the coverage of the Q&A with Sherman Ong, writer-director of Memories of a Burning Tree, and Wong Chen-Hsi, director of Conversations on Sago Lane. It's relatively short since the screening of the films got delayed (last year's festival was quite the stickler for punctuality, which was a good thing), and it didn't help that the total run time of both films gave only a less than 15 minutes breather before the next film.


Part 1 of 2, beginning with Sherman Ong recounting getting to Tanzania to make the film


Part 2 of 2