Lelio Popo

Senior Citizen DJs

The Malaysia-Singapore connection in filmmaking continues well into this year, as far as co-productions go with cast and crew crossing both sides of the Causeway to contribute in each other's ventures, and curiously almost, if not all, are comedies. Homecoming and Perfect Rivals will hit the screens here in subsequent months to come, and Lelio (a colloquial for Radio) Popo fires the first salvo to open the new year with a comedy starring real life popular Malaysian DJs KK and Luke about obnoxious DJs who have to pretend to be elderly DJs to stuff their ricebowls.

Jiang Man Da (KK) and Lu Ye Chang (Luke) are two shock jocks ruling the Malaysian airwaves, and popularity meant being a pain in the royal behind, with bullying attitudes that got brought down to earth when they rubbed their producer the wrong way, and get ousted from the station as well as having their reputations destroyed amongst the close knit radio networks. With an expensive lifestyle to upkeep, they decide to pretend to be old ladies (shades of Mrs Doubtfire anyone?) Dola and Ah Mong in order to snag two job openings from Home FM which are targeting the senior citizen listeners, which of course open up doors to the usual senior citizen and hidden identity jokes as they try to curb their natural arrogant flair and distaste for basically everyone else in the world, to be amongst the age group they despise.

The Singapore connection here comes in the form of Clover Films, as well as the casting of four actors in leading and supporting roles. Mindee Ong's star is gaining traction so far, having left the 881/12 Lotus films for this as well as Han Yew Kwang's Perfect Rivals, in addition to sitcom on local television. Here she plays the lead female Wenxin, the producer at Home FM who concocted the Lelio Popo concept, and who hired Dola and Ah Mong on the spot, tasting success before a major scandal hit. But it's a role that doesn't require much acting chops and is quite easily forgettable as she frankly, doesn't do much except look good.

Also in forgettable roles are Alaric Tay as Jason, the self-proclaimed popular DJ in Home FM who has his status threatened by the increasing popularity of the two "old folks". He's the token villain hatching up schemes to discredit the new entrants, and Henry Thia makes it two films that he starred in managing an old folks home (the other being PCK the Movie, a subplot being his fond memory and longing to reach out to this childhood sweetheart with whom he had lost contact with, sharing nostalgia in the form of a P. Ramlee song. Rounding the local cast is Benjamin Heng as the effeminate fashionista Franky, responsible for helping our resident DJs create a look to fool the world. Again this role becomes needlessly steeped in melodrama if only to milk your tear ducts.

Lelio Popo unfortunately couldn't sustain its entertaining comedic first half, and had to switch gears down into deep melodramatic territory, with a finale that will make your goosebumps stand on ends, especially with the usual filial piety angle which didn't come off strongly in development, but had to be given focus because of its setting. The relationship of Lu Ye Chang and his mom was too far flung from beginning to end, as you'd feel nothing emotionally since it jumped started from bad to good in an instant, with subplots all going the quick and expected route to resolution.

What saved this film are the witty banter between the two leads, in Cantonese. It's the Malaysian variety of the language, and I was quite surprised that as far as films go here, Cantonese (and other Chinese languages) are frowned upon, but here it allowed rapid fire exchanges to be done without a snip. The trailer may have fooled an undecided viewer that it's all dubbed in really bad and emotionless Mandarin, but the final product was anything but. Hopefully this marks a first step toward relaxing of the rules, because as soon as the Mandarin dialogue (or accented ones from Malaysia) come on, the film immediately lost all its charm.

It's talk that DJs do, and it's talk in their natural language of choice that made all the difference in this film. Be prepared however for plenty of over-acting, that perhaps this film is better heard than seen. Still a decently entertaining effort, with a cruel comedic twist revelation at the end.

Lover's Discourse (戀人絮語 / Leun Yan Sui Yu)

No Peeking!

It's been some time since I was last moved by an omnibus of short, intertwining romantic stories, given the slew of works that had gone before which opted for quite the happily ever after ending. Written and directed by Derek Tsang and Jimmy Wan, Lover's Discourse didn't pull its punches, and delivered layered tales within the standalone segments covering almost all aspects of modern love in a non-linear timeline, but never flinching from what makes love hurt, with beautifully depressing (yes) outcomes in most ways. It's strongly scripted to craft the joints between stories and time, developing characters who didn't get what they want, or choose to repress their true feelings.

At the center of the whirlwind come the first story, serving as a hook to keep you engaged, and everything else drawn to and referencing it like an invisible hand. Starring Eason Chan and Karena Lam opposite each other for the first time, this is indeed a treat for the fans as we start off in quite platonic terms, with reminiscence of Richard Linklater's style adopted for Before Sunrise, where we follow the couple through a late night out in Hong Kong, with conversations that flow naturally and captured significant portions on the streets in a single, moving take. But as it develops we realize the massive undertones of attraction brewing underneath, and sets you thinking whether both are brave enough to break that platonic barrier to risk it for a What If situation, yet constantly fearing the lapsing into mundaneness and hence the preference for the status quo.

I suppose it raises some questions here each time anyone decides to want to take something a step further, that there's a certain amount of risk and gamble involved, whether vested emotional interest will ultimately outweigh the benefits for staying within comfort zones. Eason and Karena also bring about some incredible chemistry in their roles, and allows us to feel exactly the kind of dilemma their characters feel, especially in their resignation to their fates and reluctance to take that leap of faith, of course without guarantees that it's better. Their scenes in the restaurant and the walk home are simply just gorgeous to sit through.

And speaking of beautiful things, Kay Tse takes over with the next segment as a staff in a laundromat who is nursing a huge infatuation for a frequent customer played by Taiwanese Eddie Pang, who's in a role that's quite minor and throwaway other than to show a pretty boy face for a teenage girl to fall head over heels for. With big glasses and a very shy demeanour, Kay Tse's character epitomizes those who are obsessed over someone with whom we have no courage to speak to, possessing large energy doses to daydream, which forms the bulk of this segment with her imagination running wild. Similar to Michel Gondry's Science of Sleep, we bear witness to her kitsch imaginary sequences with mannequins to assist in acting out her fantasies, which range in scenarios based in martial arts or weepy romantic dramas. Being essentially a one woman show, Kay Tse carries this segment well on her lithe shoulders, but otherwise this happens to be my least favourite due to the uncharacteristic drag in pace in dreamy scenes that were a tad overindulgent.

The following two segments turn out to be the most layered, and the most intertwined of the lot as well, bringing everything back full circle and with an outburst that shows how a disturbing judgement call can be made when under pressure for some form of tit for tat revenge. We jump 12 years back into the past with William Chan starring as a boy who is secretly in love with his friend's mom, played by Singaporean Kit Chan. Frequently invited to partake in home cooked meals in his friend's home which become take outs by the time it ended, he sets out to achieve a plan to grow close to the Mrs, by exposing the infidelities of her husband, played by Eric Tsang. That forms the basis of this segment, but the emotional core was brought out by Kit Chan most excellently in a brilliant scene where she was confronted with proof in reality, that leaves her no more room for denial and hiding behind feigned ignorance.

That single scene joined many memorable others, and if anyone has doubts of Kit's ability to act, this one will prove the naysayers wrong. There's also a hint of a forbidden sexual tension in the air, but this thought got carried over to the final segment that wrapped everything together when the end credits rolled. Continuing the same character that William Chan played, now tackled by Jacky Heung as the adult he grew into, Mavis Fan enters the scene as a girl who suspects her boyfriend is cheating behind her back, and together both started off in testy fashion no thanks to internet messaging, and soon progress into partners in crime in tailing their other half in a seeking of the truth, culminating in the revenge, sexual tale that the former had brought over.

From dealing with infidelity amongst spouses to dealing with cheating when in exclusive relationships, a reminder got brought out just how easy technology is that double edged sword in allowing for hookups, and leaving a trail for others to pick up on if one is not careful. Pictures, locations, tags and chat messages all become bits and pieces of information gathered for intelligence, with a certain social network tool being mimicked here that contains wall posts, pictures and such that are open to all and sundry without proper privacy protection (so a little prevention and protection go a long way). My last memory of Mavis Fan is a teenybopper singer, so who would have thought she had what it takes to play someone who cyber-stalks and possessing such a suspicious mind that it fuels the last segment. Some may suggest she did what she did because her feelings were in the doldrums and is emotionally vulnerable, but I would like to read it more as a perverse revenge since it hints of going one up against their common adversaries.

Lover's Discourse is strangely depressing in mood, but lives up to its namesake in being a solid intellectual stimulant for any post-screening discussions into that feeling called love, that inevitably comes with barbed wires that one has to navigate through that comes part and parcel. If you're of the opinion that omnibus movies are fluff with eye candy and lightweight stories, then you're in for a big surprise with this effort that is highly recommended with that keen eye to deliver an emotional punch backed by strong casting and stories! I should be checking this out again in Cantonese when the DVD is out!

[SG Films @ Library] Old Places (老地方 / Lao Di Fang)

Guess Where?

Okto's best rated documentary in 2010, Old Places scored a second screening on the television channel thanks to audiences wanting to experience it all over again, and from the curious who had missed it, but heard all the good word of mouth going around. I had watched snippets of it when it was screened initially, but an entrenched viewing habit meant I barfed each time commercials came on to interrupt the poetic nature of the film. Thank goodness I was hoping it'll come out on DVD (yes it will, soon!), and with the library@esplanade launching its SG Films @ Library programme, it meant watching this ala cinema style on a big screen and a collective and appreciative audience.

Ah, nostalgia! Produced by Royston Tan's Chuan Pictures, the trio of Royston, Victric Thng and Eva Tang pool creativity and ingenuity together to present, and in some way preserve in a time capsule of moving images, what is fast disappearing in Singapore's landscape. For those who are in their 30s or older, many of these places may ring a bell as they show something similar to what we experienced while growing up, and that strikes a personal affinity as you complete the film, happy when you spot something recognizable, and a sense of loss sweeping when you know that something exists no longer.

While I'm not that enlightened on Eva's filmography (so pardon me please), Royston and Victric both seem to already have some natural prep work done and made for this film, as seen from the former's films like Hock Hial Leong which was set in an old coffeeshop, Sin Sa Hong which captured a look into Singapore's oldest Hokkien opera troupe (and how Old Places had a segment on the Cantonese one) and the interiors of Capitol Theatre in The Blind Trilogy (the exterior of the cinema contained in Old Places), while Victric had a hand at producing a trailer for the 21st SIFF which was shot in a traditional, old school bread shop.

Running a crisp 77 minutes undoubtedly designed for television broadcast, this documentary assembles a series of segmented short films. Each segment in Old Places presented with an accompanying story narrated by its contributors who had phoned in to provide their personal stories, while a moving camera captures as much as it can on the topic at hand, varying angles and movement to ensure maximum coverage of a location. This could be for a large sprawling premise and tourist attraction like the Haw Par Villa, right down to a humble bus stop that withstood the test of time.

The film worked on two levels, one in allowing locations that are seeing the twilight of their years being preserved visually on film for future generations on how the Singapore of today looked like, since the rate at which Singapore is evolving and demolishing places in the name of progress is faster than you can scream "Conservation". The other level comes from the pieces of oral history provided, which is never stifling, boring nor rote, but instead comes straight from the heart. It's honest and sincere, grammatical mistakes and Singlish making it more endearing in the collective sharing of memories held close, being personal yet broad enough for anyone listening in to feel for what's being said. What more, oral history is perhaps one of the ways we get to learn about places that no longer exist, or incidents seldom heard or largely forgotten, until now.

Personally, there were a few beautiful segments that struck my emotional chord. I too spend countless of hours amusing and entertaining myself in that old school playground seen, the one based on the pit of sand with a myriad of concrete animals passing off as swings, see-saws and the like. Even with films like Old Places racing against time to preserve what's still around, one cannot discount the fact that the places are no longer pristine as they once were, and the playground captured had this circular mark of a void where I'm pretty sure a merry-go-round once stood. Queenstown also served as a memory in my growing up years, having been to the town centre where the bowling alley and cinema had seen a much better crowd.

Being a local film, this documentary is also not short on filmmakers contributing to the documentary in terms of their narration of their nostalgic moments, such as Liao Jiekai's teenage days of exploring an abandoned railway track, which was made into his feature Red Dragonflies (with clips shown in Old Places), and Han Yew Kwang recounting how a laundromat he had chanced upon eventually became the shooting locale of his first feature film Unarmed Combat.

Old Places writes itself into Singapore's film history for being that valuable encapsulation of the sights and sounds of a Singapore that once was. With the announcement of a DVD out soon, I'd wish for an inclusion as an extra feature perhaps, of the actual addresses of the places featured, so that interested parties can head on down to enjoy what they've seen on film, and experience it again in person. A Singapore film is rarely not without food, and a good selection of bakeries made its way here, for sure the foodies around will want to make a beeline to savour those delicacies before they disappear, myself included!


Related Links
Royston Tan's Interview with Ng Yi-Sheng

*****
LtoR: Co-Director Victric Thng and Q&A Moderator Dave Chua
The audiences today had the pleasure of meeting Victric Thng for a short Q&A after the screening, where he shared what went on in the making of the film (such as the division of work and responsibilities according to geography), and the rationale behind the presentation as it was with the visuals accompanied by voiceovers. The good news though for those who had missed the screenings on television, the National Art Gallery Open House in October 2010 and today, is that the DVD should be out (and hopefully soon - this is for keeps!), and there's a sequel in the pipeline as well.

No thanks to Murphy's Law, here are two clips from the Q&A session, a bookend of sorts covering the beginning of the session, and the ending. Enjoy the nuggets of trivia!


Clip 1


Clip 2

Update 17 Jan 2011 > Contributions to Old Places 2 is now on! Click here to join the Facebook group set up to cull and gestate ideas!

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From Jan – March 2011, library@esplanade, in partnership with the Singapore Film Society, will be hosting a showcase of local films – SG Films@library. The screenings will take place every 2nd and 4th Friday evening of the month.

Admission is FREE!

To find out more, check out this Facebook Page.

[SG Films Overseas] When Hainan Meets Teochew (当海南遇上潮州) / Blood Ties (還魂)

As the film When Hainan Meets Teochew (当海南遇上潮州) preps itself for another run at The Arts House later this week, you may be interested to know that the film is going to Tokyo as it's been selected to open the Asian Queer Film Festival. Director Han Yew Kwang mentioned in a press release that he hopes the screening of the film in Japan will help promote a stronger exchange of film culture between the two countries, and also hopes that the Japanese audience will enjoy the film as much as the audience in Singapore.

You can read my review of the film here.


Still on news about local films making waves overseas, Chai Yee-Wei's Blood Ties (還魂) has been released on DVD format late last year and is available at all major DVD shops. It's also making its theatrical run in Taiwan, so to friends over there you now have the opportunity to view it on the big screen. My review of the film can be found here.

Monsters

Danger Zone!

Skyline and Monsters look like companion pieces of filmmaking, and I suppose that's probably why the same distributors here have snapped both up, and releasing them months apart. For starters, both boast a relatively shoestring budget compared to the amounts that Hollywood blockbusters get poured onto, yet achieving the look that millions of dollars can achieve. With a relatively small cast, both films are brainchilds of directors with visual and special effects background and pedigree, which account for the genre that they have dabbled in as their feature film debut - that of an alien invasion of Earth.

Perhaps Monsters was what Skyline wanted to be, especially since its final act hinted at, and then tried its best to follow through, an emotional core that had proved to be elusive. It had focused on the wow factors, being the special effects extravaganza to draw audiences in with graphics that dripped every frame on screen, but delivered a storyline that wasn't quite bang on target. It was entertaining for sure, but felt empty until its final scene, which was a little too late too soon. There's a certain limit that you can put the effects on screen to keep an audience engaged, before they become background and secondary with the audience clamouring for what's next.

Monsters on the other hand and as the saying goes, under promised, and over delivered, focusing on the emotional front to provide that narrative strength, yet having just enough of that tinge of effects not to overwhelm the narrative. It was also a little bit more ambitious, journeying out of what's essentially a single location setting into a road trip of sorts, where photojournalist Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy) is given the unwanted task to escort Samantha Wynden (Whitney Able), whose dad owns a publication he works for, from Mexico back to the USA, and having to cross this big divide known as the Infected Zone (think of it like the DMZ between the Koreas, only larger and populated with, well, Monsters) after a screw up in his exit plan for her.

Needless to say emotions will run high as they traverse through dangerous territories almost always bordering on some creature bursting out anytime, only for director-cinematographer-writer-production designer Gareth Edwards to rein in and keep up the tension, both visually when you expect something bombastic to happen, and emotionally when both Andrew and Samantha begin to forge something more than just a friendship, hampered by the pending engagement of one, and the baggage of the other. Following their journey meant we get to know both a little bit more, and go beyond the helpless damsel and hero type, because they just aren't except regular people caught up in an extraordinary situation involving the crossing of borders, negotiation skills, and of course, greasing of the palms if necessary coupled with street smarts.

Those who dig loud, mindless action may be disappointed with Monsters because it is not that kind of film. While you get the occasional attack of the 50 foot giant "octopus" with tentacles that crawl around orifices, the film doesn't allow the action sequence take over and drown out its story. Battles are kept minimal with war of the worlds styled confrontation in the beginning and in a tension filled middle, but other than that it's more drama than anything else. You'll be able to identify which are CG-ed into the frame because they stand out quite obviously, especially with the various military hardware whether serviceable or otherwise.

As far as independent filmmaking goes, Monsters just showed how it's done - fearlessly and with ingenuity, telling a gripping emotional story with two great leads, with effects that serve the story not being THE story. Gareth Edwards had delivered what is in essence a compelling film done guerrilla and DIY style, and with the word that he's handed over the reins of a Godzilla remake and a bigger budget, that's an interesting prospect in itself that hopefully Gojira will be getting the big screen treatment and respect it deserves.

If you have time, do some research and read up on how Monsters got made. It's an incredible journey for the filmmaker and his small cast and crew to get accomplished, and knowing that, it'll probably make you appreciate how it all got assembled together, and be amazed by how much got achieved with so little.

Feel the Sting!

In case you're not aware, the trio of Michel Gondry, Seth Rogen and Jay Chou should be coming to town pretty soon to promote The Green Hornet, and omy.sg and Domino's are organizing a promotion here for your chance to get to the local premiere. $500 shopping vouchers to get dressed up for the event sounds pretty generous too.

So the closing's today, and I've already thrown my hat into the ring!

Season of the Witch

It's Not Me, Honest!

Season of the Witch is getting ravaged by reviews as I write this. Is it that bad? I don't think so. Is it fantastic then? Well no. This is one of those sword and sandal fantasy films that tread the middle ground, having an interesting premise set up in a fantasy fellowship quest, only for the execution to be hovering around mediocre standards following a rote formula of introducing the problem, gathering the players, and have them encounter sequence after sequence of battle obstacles on the way to their objective.

Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman play buddies Behman and Felson respectively, knights of the Crusade who make a reputation of being fearsome warriors fighting for a higher cause, only to desert their army and turning their backs from continuing onto Jerusalem after realizing that they are nothing but fighting pawns for the whims of man. Their services get called for by a town inflicted by a plague because of a curse by a girl (Claire Foy) whom they deem a witch, and the agreement forged was for them to escort her to a monastery for a group of monks to decide on the authenticity of the claim, and if so, decide and inflict punishment.

Gathering Priest Debelzag (Stephen Campbell Moore), guide Hegamar (Stephen Graham), one of the remaining fighting fit soldiers of the town with Eckhart (Ulrich Thomsen) and a priest in training Kay (Robert Sheehan) whom the party picked up early in their journey, the group has to band together if they are to get to their destination in one piece, with the accused girl being locked up in a cage but always seem to be drawing undue attention to herself, raising questions about her innocence as we get to see her demonstrate abilities and superhuman strength even, while putting on a saccharine sweet face. Now while all these may point to certain plot loopholes and irrational human behaviour, I'm willing to overlook these flaws since they do get addressed in the final reveal, so all's not totally lost in Bragi F. Schut's story.

Battle sequence design was a little sleepy, and although the introductory big battle scenes involving soldiers of the Crusade were plentiful, it didn't go beyond the usual slash-parry-stab-wash-rinse-repeat cycle coupled with cheesy dialogue exchange between Behman and Felson that try to pass off as comedy. There's an awfully long and painfully executed crossing of a creaky bridge that doesn't seem to want to end, but otherwise passable CG was employed in an attack of wolves, and the money shot in the final battle where all hell breaks loose in the monastery with grotesque looking winged beasts and the expected big boss to fight in an all out melee done arcade style.

Some will probably find the themes here quite objectionable, especially since it sets its sights squarely on how religion gets manipulated by the few, and made suggestive queries what if the Crusade wasn't a calling made by god as claimed by the messengers, but of more negative forces since it involves the killing of innocents. What more, this was played out in quite direct fashion when the final act made that cross-reference in point blank fashion. It's bold in its statement and association, which otherwise the story here lacks any selling points to make an audience sit up and take notice

I'm not sure what Ron Perlman is doing here - the billing on the poster doesn't seem to give him much respect, preferring to marquee Cage alone instead, so while there are inside nods to Hell and the devil and demons here, I'm hoping that we'll get to see another installment of Hellboy instead. Under Dominic Sena's vision, you'd know what to expect when you scan through his resume, being responsible for flicks like Whiteout, Swordfish, and yet another Nicolas Cage starrer in Gone in Sixty Seconds. They're no more than Guilt Trips with potential not lived up to, so don't expect a classic or a masterpiece, but at best entertainment that will struggle to satisfy jaded audiences.

The Fighter

Smack Into The Kisser!

The documentary Facing Ali by Pete McCormack had presented a timeline into the career of Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers of all time, and the compelling stories of the fighters who had once traded blows with him. I suppose these larger than life personalities, spending their professional career under intense training for a gladiatorial sport, comes with a whole host of human stories behind their personas, and perhaps that's why there's always a slew of boxing films to come out from time to time.

Not another boxing film again you may add, since you probably have seen the Rocky films and Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby, to biopics like Raging Bull and Cinderella Man, almost always telling of how the protagonist have to overcome challenges both inside and outside the ring. But I suppose human interest stories, those inspirational ones, will never be out of fashion, because they all serve as reminders of how we can achieve our goals and dreams if we put our minds, focus and efforts to doing that, and given the daily drudgery in life, we're never going to see enough of such reminders during trips to the movies to cop out from real life.

And of course a solid cast will help as well. We know Mark Wahlberg possesses that muscular killer body for some time already as he flaunts it in his previous films, in a build up to the role as Micky Ward, the Light Welterweight Champion at one point in his career. Tired of being nothing more than a stepping stone for other boxers to advance toward a title shot, you can't help but to feel sorry for him as his family, namely his mom Alice (Melissa Leo) and half brother Dickie Eklund (Christian Bale), mismanages his career with their limited management skills, preferring to take quick routes so long as the dough can continue to come in.

It doesn't help of course with a really white trash type of family with no less than 7 sisters in tow forming an extended family to feed, always focusing on the tree and missing the forest out there. Wahlberg portrays Mickey with an understated anxiety as he worries about his getting on in the number of years, yet being stuck in the rut without light at the end of the tunnel, made worse by Dickie who seems to be putting his brother's career in jeopardy with his crack cocaine addiction, living on his past glories and that single famous fight against Sugar Ray Leonard. Possessing that steely determination only came later when he meets with the bargirl Charlene (Amy Adams) whom he falls in love with, and started to turn things around starting with standing up to his family.

Bale drops his weight once again to portray Dickie as that flamboyantly irresponsible trainer for Mickey, a good for nothing who disappears each time responsibility comes knocking. Bale truly takes his craft seriously, where The Fighter also refers to the rehabilitation and comeback not only of Mickey Ward in the professional arena over injury and a possible end to his career, but that of Dickie and that tremendous change to his life, being the boxing brain that his brother needs to tap on. The bookends here marks a complete about turn that only Bale can bring across convincingly, showing why he's one of the A-list performers of today, and I can't help but to chuckle each time he mouths off here, because of that now infamous tirade when making Terminator: Salvation.

Amy Adams also balances the testosterone charge in the movie, being the headstrong woman who doesn't accept the flak dished out by the Ward sisters, introducing the much needed clarity by an outsider in changing a non-productive regime for her lover to help me achieve a chance that title shot. If you think Adams can only star as demure characters, you'll change your opinion once you see this as she plays both naughty and nice. Like any family, the introduction of an outsider raises opportunities for tussling over their common loved one, and that perhaps took centerstage as well mid way through the film when Mickey's career is in the doldrums.

But what makes The Fighter stand out amongst its peers and competitors, and something which I have yet to see until now, are how the fights get choreographed and shot. Some ingenuity went into designing the bouts, putting the audience at ringside to the action, yet witnessing the battle unfold through another perspective, ala mimicking watching it through a sports television program in its presentation with commentary and without quick cutting bullshit. Beautifully filmed to make you feel as if you're lounging at home with beer in one hand and a remote on the other, with that ubiquitous montage sequence finding its way as well like most boxing films highlighting the boxer training hard at work, and nifty editing to demonstrate his many steps taken toward that championship fight.

Adding some glamour and real life personalities to raise authenticity of the film will be the presence of Sugar Ray Leonard and Mickey O'Keefe playing himself, the real life training at Mickey Ward's corner. Such stories may have been told countless of times before with different protagonists fighting their own demons and off the ring battles, but The Fighter delivers that solid knockout punch with its strong cast and direction. I'm hoping it goes in as the underdog this awards season and sucker punches the other contenders one way or another. Highly recommended as it works its way to my early shortlist of the best so far this year.

Love and Other Drugs

Foreplay

Do allow me to name drop here because mention the name Edward Zwick, and some of this director's most epic works come to mind, with Courage Under Fire, Glory, Legends of the Fall, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond and Defiance, almost all of which fall into "making war" territory, but for his latest film Love and Other Drugs focused on "making love". Does he have the chops to pull it off? You bet, and he delivered a smart, sassy and emotionally compelling film that contains a story that sprawls, in which I find three broad parts that I enjoyed.

The first part introduces us to Jamie Randall (Jake Gyllenhaal), a good looking schmuck who gets his way around women always, possessing an irrepressible charm that make them all feel weak in their knees. Being kicked out of his job at an electronic store for his amorous ways, he soon finds himself applying his innate ways with women into his selling routine, now working as a sales rep in the medical industry for Pfizer, which when he joined hasn't created the magical blue pill called Viagra yet.

I'd always wonder whether Pfizer was totally OK with the use of their branding, just like how Up in the Air featured Hilton. After all this section of the film relentlessly pummels you with their sales strategy, arguments and counter-arguments where some aren't really flattering, or even ethical to begin with. It's like a statement of how numbers and quotas are being chased no matter the cost, and their sales training made for some comedic fodder. And to make matters worst, it puts up front how the use of freebies can open up doors which are closed, and to Jamie it also means manipulating women to get at what he wants, especially an account with Dr Stan Knight (Hank Azaria) who in one scene opened up and blabbers about how corrupt the entire industry could be in demolishing one's medical ideals.

So I suppose it's fair game for Pfizer since the story, or at least this part of it, is based on the book "Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman" by author Jamie Reidy, himself a former Pfizer sales rep, because at least it gets itself everywhere in the film by virtue of Jamie's job. Besides the lessons learnt and applicability in the corporate world, I totally agree with how being good looking puts one at a certain advantage because people like aesthetically pleasing things and beings, or try as hard to deny that such things exist. Things work, appeals work, and just about everything one touches turn into gold, or you get a leg up in your mission in life. This entire part on the bubbling new career of Jamie's I enjoyed and had a huge chuckle from for its bold portrayal of things that cut close to real life.

Then there's the romantic portion of the film that kicked in once Anne Hathaway's Maggie Murdock comes into the picture, piquing Jamie's interest when she revealed a boob and caught him ogling. The love between the two is anything but simple (and I touch on this in a while) since she wants to keep her emotional walls up to prevent from getting hurt again. They reach an agreeable compromise in establishing a relation that's built on purely physical terms, and try as hard as they can to avoid falling into the usual relationship trap. Through their interactions we learn a lot more about their characters, and in these moments come the expansion to prevent them from lapsing into caricature mode.

Both Gyllenhaal and Hathaway score in their respective roles, so much so that it earned them a Golden Globe nomination each. Gyllenhaal's Jamie develops from schmuck to an all round nice guy, something which love does of course since it forces you to care about somebody else, while Hathaway has to mimic an early stage of Parkinson's for her Maggie role, and brings to light some basic understanding of sufferers for the disease in which there's still no cure. After all, modern medicine seems to be interested in developing products that have mass market demand (like Viagra) appealing to the primal desires of men (and women too) which automatically translates to profits. Needless to say having been on screen together (sans clothes too in Brokeback Mountain) meant some natural chemistry already established and which they shared

But the third part to the film was the home run for me. It defines the concept of unconditional love, other than the innate one that a mom will always possess for her kids. You'll know someone is right for you, and there's no point denying it anyway, when they choose to stick by you when they know the going will get tough, that things will turn out quite the nightmare and disadvantageous, but decide to do so nonetheless. It takes the concept of "in sickness and in health" and weaves a strong emotional narrative around it in this film, where a couple not yet bounded by matrimonial vows, decide to adopt its concept implicitly. One is a sufferer from an incurable, long term disease, afraid to get too close to someone in fear of being pitied upon, or unfairly bogging down and clipping another's wings when the other half has opportunities to take off and fly.

Having to live with and care for someone suffering in similar terms, made this easily identifiable, and sledgehammered the film home for me, although the problem may not be the same, but the issues and concepts behind it totally relatable, having to witness it unfold in front of my eyes. The concept of care and concern isn't and cannot be plain lip service, but has to be sustainable, actionable items done not out of duty or obligation, but out of love that's unconditional. For any single out there in Jamie's shoes, one has the option to take flight since you're single and available with no lack of suitors, or you could stick with the Maggie type but not out of pity since it will never work in the long term. If you could do the latter without any qualms, I think you've found that special someone.

But no, the film isn't that sombre in mood always, and contains plenty of comedy also courtesy of Oliver Platt as Jamie's sales manager, and that of Josh Gad playing Jamie's uncouth brother Josh, a one time internet paper millionaire until the dot com bubble burst, having to live on the couch in Jamie's apartment, the details of his shenanigans best left for you to find out from the film. The strength of Love and Other Drugs come from the development and transformation of characters and their relationships with each other, which dialogues that reminded me of, of all films, Jerry Maguire, set against an historical backdrop of developments in the medical industry that shook up the whole world. As I said, it's smart and all encompassing for a film like how Zwick likes his films to be, and I'm sure has elements that you'll identify with and enjoy.

I'm firmly putting this in my Highly Recommended list, and an early shoo in as one of the best of this year, even though it's early. Now excuse me as I go practice my Hey Lisa routine!

[From After Dark Films] Scream of the Banshee

In case you're not aware, After Dark Films have set up After Dark Originals alongside Lionsgate and Syfy, to produce a series of horror films that will soon see the light of day this year. That line up includes films like 51, Fertile Ground, Re-Kill, Husk, The Task, Seconds Apart and what you see from the poster above, Scream of the Banshee starring Lauren Holly and Lance Henriksen.

Scream of the Banshee is directed by Steven C Miller and is due out on 28 January 2011 in the US. It's anyone's guess how long it'll take for it to make it here though!

The synopsis from IMDb.com reads: "An archeology professor unearths a dangerous artifact, unwittingly releasing a creature that is able to kill with the power of its bone-splitting scream."

And in other news, here's a still from the film 51... it sure is a tentacle alright!

Help Fund The Missing Ingredient!

Award-winning freelance television director and producer Sanif Olek is appealing to the masses out there to help him complete his debut feature film Ramuan Rahasia [The Missing Ingredient], which is currently 65% done from the director's own resources, and requires funds and donations to complete the remaining 35%. Production commenced in 2009 but has stalled due to insufficient funds.

The project needs S$300 000 (approx US$230K) more to complete. This fund is required to film the remaining 10 days of shoot, including post-production costs.

"Ramuan Rahasia" [The Missing Ingredient] is inspired by food films such as Ang Lee’s Eat Drink Man Woman, Lars Halström’s Chocolat, Gabriel Axel’s Babette’s Feast and Alfonso Arau’s Like Water For Chocolate, blending spicy food, classic Nusantara Malay songs and unrequited love into a potent concoction fit for international palate, with the cross-cultural themes being a magnet to the international Malay diaspora and lovers of Malay culture around the world. The universal theme of love lost and reconciled should guarantee it a wide potential audience.

As the first full-length Malay-language feature film made in Singapore in possibly forty years(!) this film is also an example of international collaboration, being filmed on two continents with cast and crew from Singapore and Australia, such as the casting coup of Dato' Rahim Razali, a legend in Southeast Asian Malay cinema.

You can find out more details on how to chip in from this appeal page. Don't wait!

BRIEF SYNOPSIS
Rahim Razali stars as a man unable to move past the death of his wife to regain the love of his only son. Blamed for the accident & left paralyzed, Pak Harun is placed in the care of Murni, an at-home nurse. When Murni fails at cooking his late-wife’s most favored Malay dish, Pak Harun’s torment forces Murni to seek guidance from the memory of her family killed in the Aceh tsumani.

Will they find the missing ingredient that unites them all - people from different places, cultures and phases of life - bringing them together to sing the same tune?

TEASER


Previous Teasers/Showreels
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All Good Things

Stand Off

I can't recall another film that got billed as a romantic mystery, so my curiosity was piqued just to see how All Good Things got to be positioned as such. Written by Marcus Hinchey and Marc Smerling, this film is inspired by the life of Robert Durst, an heir to a New York real estate magnate whose wife Kathleen McCormack disappears under mysterious circumstances, and is still missing as of today. Directed by Andrew Jarecki, without this chilling real life episode and background, it could just have been an ordinary film if not for the wonderful, engaging performance by leads Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst.

Set between the 70s and last decade in New York City, David Marks (Gosling) falls in love with a pretty working class girl Katie (Dunst), whose marriage and union is perfect on the surface, if not for the objection of his real estate tycoon father Sanford Marks (Frank Langella) whose elitist status and snobbish behaviour brings about some tension as he frowns upon his son's lack of ambition and choice of wife from a lower social standing. I felt the story played out somewhat like a massively violent Revolutionary Road as we witness the disintegration of a beautiful relationship, as slowly but surely David reveals a much darker side to his being that in some instances will shock you as he dishes out unadulterated violence on his wife.

I suppose it's a different era then with the stigma of a divorce, on one hand Katie's separation allowed her to pursue her studies in medical school, while on the other perhaps it was the money, which never once stood in the way to corrupt her affections for him, much needed now to fuel her lifestyle of drug addiction. Harbouring hopes to bear a child for the Marks family, this was keenly rejected by David, and pointing to the very first signs of trouble, as it keeps you guessing just how his traumatic witnessing of his mother's demise had shaped his psychological well-being. Hints were dropped of course, and it's nothing short of chilling in Hitchcockian terms.

As with all real mysteries, this film can only suggest what could have happened without being obtuse or definitive about it, with routines played out that only formed speculation. Andrew Jarecki, better known for his superb documentary Capturing the Friedmans, almost played this out in documentary fashion, as we catch glimpses of a much older David narrating to lawyers just how events had unfolded, albeit shedding little light on the atrocities that were committed, whether with his involvement, or not. Gosling shines in the role here as he tackles the mentally disturbed David sliding into a worsening condition, with that non-remorseful demeanour hiding a creepy secret that's primed for a surprise in the last act.

But between the two, Kirsten Dunst outshone Gosling. She launched her career starring opposite the likes of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in Interview with a Vampire, and after arty fare like The Virgin Suicides, would probably be better known for her on-off relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal then, and of course her role as Mary Jane Watson in the Spiderman blockbuster trilogy. She disappeared for a while to check into rehab for depression, and returns with what is arguably her best performance and role to date, playing the wide-eyed girl full of hope and dreams to be married, but finding out in a snap that her beau is definitely not what he seems, plotting an escape that didn't quite go her way, and what more her character's mysterious disappearance which takes her out of the equation in the narrative.

It is the strong portrayals by the leading cast members that make All Good Things compelling to sit through, with the thought that something similar had already happened, an open case without a resolution, and one of the mysteries that continue to remain unresolved.

Police Dog Dream (Kinako: Minarai Keisatsuken No Monogatari / きな子～見習い警察犬の物語～)

My Dog

Just how many dog films do we need? Apparently not enough, given the output from the likes of Hollywood and Japan. I've made it a point to not watch any talking animal films, because I've come to a stage where it just doesn't make sense, although a dog related film played straight will still get my attention. And hence, Kinako, the police dog wannabe who doesn't have enough of what it takes apparently, going by the clip in the trailer where it bungled a demonstration. Yes I'm evil enough to laugh at the CG-ed attempt.

But Kinako is not just about the Labrador in training, having been chosen by Kyoko Mochizuki (Kaho) amongst a group of dogs at Bamba's police dog training school, where she embarks on a new career given her childhood aspiration to be like her dad Ryoichi (Kenichi Endo), who himself is a police dog trainer with probably the best search dog in the force called Elf, coincidentally also of the same breed. Nursing the sickly Kinako back to health, this film is also about Kyoko on her quest to fulfill her childhood ambition to train dogs and help people, and most of the narrative goes into training the trainer, although the techniques of Seijiro Bamba (Yasufumi Terawaki) are unorthodox at best.

In some ways this film shatters the myth about teaching dogs some tricks, since most of the responsibility and success of training come from both the handler/training and the dog, who mostly takes the cue from the human it associates itself with. If there's a large spectrum of tests to go through before passing out as a qualified search and rescue dog, this film doesn't show anything other than an obstacle course to conquer, and a scent test in which the dog has to score 75%. Naturally with a rookie trainer and a dog who likes to play and have fun, possessing some short attention span issues, spell out the formula for a zero to hero theme, complete with notions of never giving up on each other, having to overcome the odds and the naysayers, and through the course develop a strong bond between (wo)man and canine.

As with all dog movies, director Yoshinori Kobayashi never lets up any opportunity for close ups to Kinako's face, especially those involving his puppy days, capturing kitsch moments of dog antics that are sure to excite puppy lovers into wanting to own something themselves. And through Kinako's bumbling first test attempt, the media plays up that hilarious moment and soon enough, a legion of fans is formed as it becomes a mascot and gains mini celebrity status, gaining popularity with the townsfolk, and while not explicitly mentioned in the film, help settle mounting bills that Bamba's training school face.

Running almost two hours in length, some subplots found its way to the film to bloat it up, which in most cases are unnecessary. For instance, the story arc involving Bamba's protege Wataru Tashiro (Yusuke Yamamoto) who begins brightly as the heir apparent to his skills and business, but family commitment meant to drop off and head back to his father's Udon shop. It was left hanging and not resolved satisfactorily, and could have been omitted altogether since it doesn't tell us much of Wataru, nor for that instance, Bamba himself, relegating him to being a caricature and nothing more, along with cast members playing his family.

Scenes get assembled in rote style to elicit maximum emotional responses from the audience, with Kaho turning on her charms as Kyoko, who learns the lesson of not finishing what one has started. Narrative development throws up no surprises and you're able to stay one step ahead all the way, even with what would be the final climatic piece involving a search and rescue, you'll just know how everything will turn out in a positive manner, and how everything would fall into place. To balance this up, the final scene was executed quite clumsily as a counter-balance in order to keep everything open and suspenseful, but fell flat since again, it's typical.

Still, you can't deny the fact that dog lovers will likely make a beeline for this film. It has a unique selling point in making it a zero to hero film about a weak Labrador finally overcoming challenges to become a bona fide police dog (or does it?), but unfortunately this potential doesn't get exploited to the max, and what you'll get instead is yet another usual film focused on the cutesy portions of man's best friend.

Asian Film Archive Presents Apichatpong Weerasethakul Masterclass

Award-winning filmmaker and artist, Apichatpong Weerasethakul will deliver a masterclass in Singapore. Through film clips and photographs, Apichatpong will provide insights into his practice and working methods, including how ideas of cinema, time, memory and politics are explored in his works; his sources of inspiration and how he maintains a spirit of experimentation and fun. Join us as one of the central figures in contemporary cinema shares his personal journey.

Date & Time: 17 Jan 2011 (Mon), 3:00pm - 6:00pm
Price: (inclusive of tea reception) $50 per person
Venue: NYU Tisch School of the Arts Asia, 3 Kay Siang Road, Singapore 248923

To register: visit www.asianfilmarchive.org
Tel: 6777 3243 Fax: 6543 1643

APICHATPONG WEERASETHAKUL is the first filmmaker from Southeast Asia to win the Palme d'Or, the top award at the Cannes Film Festival. He began making short film and video works before shooting the documentary Mysterious Object at Noon. Since 1998, the filmmaker, who deals with memory and socio-political issues, has mounted exhibitions and installations in many countries. His art projects and feature films have won him numerous festival prizes and widespread international recognition. At the Festival of Cannes, Blissfully Yours won the prize Un Certain Regard in 2002 while Tropical Malady in Competition in 2004, received the Jury's Prize.

The Asian Film Archive Presents Apichatpong Weerasethakul Masterclass is co-sponsored by New York University Tisch School of the Arts Asia and Nanyang Technological University Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, and in conjunction with the Singapore release of Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives which opens exclusively at The Picturehouse on 27 January 2011. The film is co-distributed by Cathay-Keris Films Pte Ltd and Lighthouse Pictures.

More Hainan and Teochew!

Hip Hip Hooray!

Just last month alone saw Han Yew Kwang's 18g Pictures go on a successful limited run with its debut indie feature When Hainan Meets Teochew (当海南遇上潮州), tickling the funny bones of audiences at Sinema Old School and The Arts House. Audience numbers steadily grew with each subsequent week of screening, and sold out at The Arts House on a weekday night of its third week run. What's more, the director and his cast also turned up at both locations, sometimes unscheduled, to conduct Q&A sessions, which I had unfortunately missed its entire slate. I'm pretty sure the sessions were a riot, since this is a comedic film we're talking about!

For those who had missed the film during its initial run, fret not as due to popular demand, When Hainan Meets Teochew (当海南遇上潮州) will be back for one more week at The Arts House from 13 Jan 2011! So if you haven't managed to catch what's been trailblazing the local film scene toward the end of 2010, or want to see it again, then here's your chance, hesitate no more! Bring your friends and family, and perhaps their negative notions of local films may change for the better!

Sessions are as follows: 7:30pm nightly (except for Sundays), with additional 3:30pm sessions on Sat and Sun, and an additional 6pm session on Sunday. Tickets are priced at $10 with concessions for students, senior citizens, NSFs and Art House members, and tickets are already on sale now.

You can read my review of the film here, visit the official movie website and Facebook page, and check out the various trailers below:

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Paris Express (Coursier)

Job Perks

I've always kept a keen eye on what Europa Corp, co-founded by Luc Besson, has brewing in its stable of works, engaging some really interesting filmmakers and screenwriters producing slick action thrillers from Taken to 22 Bullets, and even comedy and drama, such as Hallelujah! and The Concert which made it here last year, and ranked amongst my favourites for 2010. Paris Express, written and directed by Herve Renoh, can be viewed like a mash of The Transporter meets Taxi, with action toned down and compensated with more comedy.

We don't have an uber-cool, slick hitman / ex-military / martial arts master type as a protagonist, but a bumbling Sam Skjqurilngskwicz (try pronouncing that!) played by French comedian Michael Youn, stuck in a career as a courier who has great problems in meeting time, and to live up to his company's motto of "Zero Stress". Probably viewed as a company liability because his lateness translates to free deliveries, he bears the brunt of jibes from colleagues, and to make matters worst, faces a severe relationship breakdown with his girlfriend Nadia (Geraldine Nakache), providing him a deadline to turn up at her sister's wedding, or else.

But what a day it will turn out for Sam, as he gets embroiled in a conspiracy involving a parcel he picks up from Loki (Jimmy Jean-Louis), and soon finds himself being chased down by the mob, the cops, and even a femme fatale (Catalina Denis) as tables get turned, alliances get formed and double crossings part of the norm. Without real alpha-male skills to talk about, we see how Sam has to rely on his street smarts to wriggle out of tight situations, often relying in part on friends and family to bail him out. Having a motorcycle license and an available bike close by naturally helps as he zips around from point to point trying to meet targets set on him, and Michael Youn seemed to be at his element in his portrayal of an everyday Joe being caught up in some extraordinary situations.

Just as how the narrative sprawls with its myriad of caricatures each assisting or getting in the way of our man on a mission, the pacing goes through a cyclic motion as Herve Renoh sometimes seemed to have problems dictating how our courier Sam will react to the various set action sequences as he stumbles upon solutions to make him the accidental hero. One of the centrepieces in the film involves Sam turning in the package to the police, leading to a hilarious situation which pokes fun at the authorities and puts them in not so good a light, with dad Maurice (Didier Flamand) lending a helping hand to save his son from the slammer, involving staplers - brought back some memories since I actually had one of those in the film, and while it was heavy, I too had some fun with faking it as a weapon, not publicly of course.

Shot in the streets of Paris, this provides an opportunity for those who have not been to the city to have an up close and personal look, since Sam traverses through the different parts and districts, which shows off the diversity of the various regions without making it look like a manufactured video by some tourist board. This may seem like a little departure from the usual grittier Europa Corp fare, and in some moments I felt had unfortunately suffered from lost in translation, but it still contained enough of the expected action-comedy ingredients in its tank to make it an above average entertainer.


Paris Express opens in Singapore on 13 Jan 2011.

[DVD] Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)

Who Is It?

I would have preferred my animated Batman possessing the voice of Kevin Conroy, since that's the voice I've grown accustomed to with the excellent long running Batman The Animated Series, but I suppose a change was warranted here since Warner Premiere, the label created to produce more adult fare animated films, had set this presumably many years after Batman's solo animated adventures, and with Dick Grayson as the first Robin, to be superseded by Jason Todd.

This film has a story that worked on many levels with familiar references back to the comic book, introducing, or reintroducing the character of The Red Hood, which was who the Joker was before he became the Clown Prince of Crime. Here we begin the adventures with an eerie look at the Death in the Family storyline, albeit just the final critical moments where the Joker (voiced by John Di Maggio, would have loved Mark Hamill though) has a go at the Jason Todd Robin (Vincent Martella) using nothing other than chilling taunts and a crowbar, repeated bashing him in, sans buckets of blood (well, you'd still have to cater to the younger crowd who will pick this DVD up). The Bat is late, the Joker leaves, and not before blowing up the warehouse Robin is in.

I remember the time when the comics for this series came out there was this infamous 1900 number for fans (or non fans for that matter) of Robin to call to determine whether he lives or dies. The rest is history of course, and Jason Todd perished, though in the comic book realm, one never really stays dead for too long. With the Hush series of books, his rumoured return became all too real, although in this story it didn't go to that length, involving none other than Ra's al Ghul (Jason Isaacs) and his key possession to do the dirty work, building a sound rationale why he had to do what he did, which I bought into.

The current storyarc for the film rests in the emergence of the brutally ruthless Red Hood (Jensen Ackles) who rounds up Gotham's drug lords with a promise to provide them protection from the Bat, and soundly delivers on that vow, only to frustrate Batman (Bruce Greenwood) who together with Nightwing (Neil Patrick Harris), the first Robin who has outgrown the role and adopted a new identity, find the fighting skills of the Red Hood vaguely familiar, as he almost always seem to be able to second guess and stay a step ahead of the dynamic duo, and has with him an equally formidable arsenal of tools of the trade to thwart whatever Batman has to dish out. No prizes for guessing where this story would be headed to of course, with the scene that played out from the start, in a tale essentially about revenge.

What was really top notch here, was how the essence of Batman's partnership with his proteges got played out perfectly. There's ample comparisons between Bruce and Dick, and Bruce and Jason, with adequate flashbacks especially for the latter, recreating a concise, succinct history that will please fans, and to enlighten newcomers to the expanded mythos of today. We see how the respective Robins have shaped the Batman's approach to fighting crime, and his rationale for recruiting young boys in this role (nothing sexual here of course), including his biggest regret and mistake in thinking that Jason could be just another Dick Grayson, who turned out well.

Besides the engaging dramatic piece, character study and comparisons, this film possessed some of the best fight sequences assembled so far in a Batman animated flick, and I suppose this boiled down to essentially having proteges having a go at the Batman, and having them battle side by side as well in various forms, either as the Robins over the years, or in their current incarnation. The action's swift and flowing, highlighting the stealth and myriad of gadgets the Bat has at his disposal to dispatch enemies, from cyborgs to The Red Hood, the Joker and a host of villains from the rogues gallery include Ra's as mentioned, a Talia cameo, a short scene involving The Riddler, and The Black Mask (Wade Williams) being the chief villain who wants scores settled with The Red Hood for encroaching onto his turf.

Technically brilliant and has one of the best works of art - check out the closing credits design - this film marks the long journey that the animated Batman mythos had taken thus far. The series has grown from strength to strength, and a Batman animated film had rarely disappointed. This one is no exception, with excellent writing and craft in assembling a story tapping from the rich comic book content, to weave an absolute narrative stunner. That final scene alone will put a poignant lump in your throat, serving as potential and promise of a character that went tragically unfulfilled, and always being that blow of a reminder to Batman that he's not infallible.

The Region 1 DVD by Warner Premiere autoplays with trailers for the video game Batman The Brave and the Bold and website MattyCollector.com (1:34), and one for the latest season of Smallville (0:29). The film proper is presented in an anamorphic widescreen format, with audio available in English Dolby Surround 5.1 and in Portuguese, with Subtitles in English (closed captioned), French, Spanish and Portuguese. Weblinks to DCComics.com and WBTVonDVD.com are also included, and I suppose given the compact runtime, scene selection is not made available.

The bulk of the Special Features here are a quick introduction to the many DC animated films that have been aggressively rolled out of late. Through the clips and trailers here we get to learn more about the DC comics world that are being prepped for the direct to video animation market (in all likelihood a response to Marvel's equally competitive strategy and products). For each of the features with A First Look at Superman/Batman Apocalypse (12:12), Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Trailer (11:10), Batman: Gotham Knight Trailer (10:09) and Superman: Doomsday Trailer (2:19), there are the standard talking head interviews with the filmmakers such as Jeph Loeb and Bruce Timm as they discuss how these projects were conceived, together with various luminaries from both the animated films and the DC comic book industry who have dabbled with the respective characters, and offer the viewer a quick glimpse into actual comic book panels, storyboards, clips both finished and unfinished. Cast members get interviewed as well to talk about the characters they portray, though given the short duration of each, insights are rare to come by.

Other trailers included are more of a marketing tool used to promote other related films, such as one highlighting the sale of the BluRay and DVD remastered deluxe edition of the Lord of the Rings, Animated Trailer (1:19), the Jonah Hex Motion Comic Trailer (1:12) which is similar in treatment as the Watchmen motion comic, and Zack Snyder's Legends of the Guardians trailer (2:19), the filmmaker being Warner's blue-eyed boy to reboot the Superman film franchise for the big screen, due Christmas 2012.

[DVD] The Life Before Her Eyes (2007)

Who's It Gonna Be?

One of the main reasons for picking this up is the star pairing of Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood playing the same character Diana in a tale that explores how lives get changed and affected in a post Columbine styled school shooting. Directed by Vadim Perelman who also helmed The House of Sand and Fog, The Life Before Her Eyes is adapted from the novel by Laura Kasischke, and the first scene sets up the hook beautifully - what if you're caught in a dead end with your best friend, and a gunman?

The narrative unfolds in non-linear fashion, which splits the story into two separate threads, one with the younger teenage Diana (Rachel Evan Wood) and her BFF Maureen (Eva Amurri) discussing the usual problems, issues and dreams a teenager would have, and their aspirations in life, and the other putting its focus on the adult Diana (Uma Thurman) now married to a professor and having to raise her child Emma (Gabrielle Brennan) who's quite a handful to handle, providing some mean reminiscence into her own past that she hopes she's able to steer her kid out from that doomed past.

In character pieces like this, both lead actresses shine in their respective spheres, with Evan Rachel Wood playing yet again an impetuous youth living life her own way, never hesitating to dabble in sex and drugs, and basically the making all the mistakes that one can make as a teen. The chemistry shared with Eva Amurri was excellently convincing so much so that with the pivotal scene in the bathroom, you're put on the edge of your seat as to the choices that both will make. Which you can partake in if you put yourself in similar shoes, with a gun pointed at you and a chance to live, or die, per your wishes.

Uma Thurman tackles her mom role with aplomb, juggling raising a kid with trying to avoid her past which is slowly coming back through flashbacks no thanks to the 15th anniversary of the fateful day in school. It may seem that she's living that perfect life, but the cracks soon show up and little things become opportunities for reminiscence. I suppose as a parent you will try that utmost best to avoid your kid repeating the same mistakes you have made, and will be on the lookout for warning signs. Thurman brings to the table that level of maturity, as well as a sense of paranoia as she tries hard to forget her past.

Vadim Perelman created a film that's basically very dreamlike in quality as it deals with themes such as conscience and self-preservation, and crafted the key bathroom scene with ingenuity that keeps you constantly guessing how it will all play out, and pulling his punches at the right time to keep up that level of suspense right up to the end. Production values are purposefully split down the middle to differentiate the landscapes between the two time periods to reflect the lifestyle and mood of Diana and of course to throw clues in addition to what's being done by the narrative, with a haunting soundtrack throughout courtesy of James Horner.

Some may not like the how the finale played out but I thought it was refreshingly different from the usual narrative twist attempts. Some may deem it not plausible, but I tend to consider it not as being performed during a single moment, but more of being worked on over a period of time. After all, an idea isn't just conceived and worked on overnight - we tend to think about it at some lengths not necessarily always during the same sitting. Even if you have an inkling of how it will play out, it's the delivery of key scenes and the wonderful dramatic performances that make this way above average. Recommended!

The Region 1 DVD by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment autoplays with trailers for the American remake of My Sassy Girl (2:17) and Then She Found Me (2:07). The feature film is presented in an anamorphic widescreen format with audio in English 5.1 Dolby Digital or 2.0 Dolby Stereo. Scene selection is over 16 chapters, with no subtitles available unfortunately.

There is only one Special Feature - the Making Of that is a whopping 54:20 minutes in length that provides that extended look into the entire production process of the film. The rich content begins with a very necessary spoiler warning (so watch this only after the main feature) before showing plenty of behind the scenes clips, going into plot details, and the usual interviews with cast and crew to talk about their roles and key scenes.

2011 Singapore Movies

Feature Films

It's A Great Great World / 大世界 - Kelvin Tong, Jan 2011

Click here to read my review.

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Homecoming / 笑着回家 - Lee Thean-Jeen, Feb 2011

Click here to read my review.

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Forever / 我愛你愛你愛你 - Wee Li Lin, Mar 2011, Jakarta and Cairo International Film Festival World Premiere Dec 2010

Click here to read my review.

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Perfect Rivals / 美好冤家 - Han Yew Kwang, Mar 2011

Click here to read my review.

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The Ultimate Winner - Li Nanxing, Apr 2011

Click here to read my review.

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Aku Tak Bodoh - Boris Boo, Malaysia 2010, Singapore Apr 2011

Click here to read my review.

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Red Dragonflies - Liao Jiekai, Mar (World Premiere - Hong Kong International Film Festival), Singapore Premiere - April 2011 Southeast Asian Film Festival, 5th May 2011 - Singapore Commercial Run

Click here to read my review.

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Tatsumi - Eric Khoo, May 2011 Cannes Un Certain Regard, Sep Singapore Theatrical
Click here to read my review.

Making of Tatsumi Clip:


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Twittamentary - Tan Siok Siok, May Beta Screening @ Objectifs
Click here to read about the Beta Screening experience.

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Watch Twittamentary Now!


Where the Road Meets the Sun - Yong Mun Chee, June 2011 ScreenSingapore

Click here to read my review.

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Twisted / 撞鬼 - Chai Yee Wei, Jul 2011
Click here to read my review.

Teaser:


Trailer:


Fairytales 童话 - Kelvin Sng, Sep SIFF

Click here to read my review.

Trailer:


Echoing Love - Edmund Chen (Project Director) , Sep SIFF
Click here to read my review.

Eclipses - Daniel Hui, Sep SIFF
Click here to read my review.

Trailer:


I Have Loved - Elizabeth Wijaya & Lai Weijie, Sep SIFF

Click here to read my review.

Trailer:

I Have Loved Teaser from Weijie Lai on Vimeo.

Ignore All Detour Signs - Helmi Ali & Razin Ramzi, Sep SIFF
Click here to read my review.
Click here for the Encore Screening's Q&A session.

Trailer:


The Outsiders - Madhav Mathur, Sep SIFF

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Sing The Blues - Kenny Ong, Sep SIFF
Click here to read my review.

23:59 - Gilbert Chan, Oct 2011

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Teasers:




Already Famous / 一泡而红 - Michelle Chong, Nov 2011

Click here to read my review.

Trailer:


The Genius of Beauty - Aarin Mehta, ScreenSingapore pending distribution

Trailer: