We Not Naughty (孩子不坏 / Hai Zi Bu Huai)

They're There

You just can't put one of Singapore's most prolific film directors down. Having to lie a little bit low since his romantic affairs outside of his marriage came to light, and acting in films that curiously have him in drag, whether supporting roles like in Homecoming or cameos like in the recent Petaling Street Warriors, he's never quite far from leaving the scene especially now since the dust has relatively settled. And you have to give it to the writer-director in being a little bit shrewd to be able to plot a comeback during his favourite film festive period where his supporters would be out in full force for that all-family cinema outing to draw on their Lunar New Year goodwill, and to dig deep into his filmography to reinvent that one film that made him more than a household name.

It's a big return to the familiar Jack Neo signatures that feature in almost all his films. For what We Not Naughty is worth, I can't shake the fact that it is really a quasi-sequel to his I Not Stupid series. There's his grown up child actors whom he had made stars of returning as teenagers now to star in Jack's comeback film to repay the faith he had in them when they were nobodies, and some major product placements by his film's sponsors from the onset, some very much blatantly inserted and praised in the narrative, as a middle finger to most of his detractors who shudder that his films are no more than scenes put together for the excuse to run commercials. And what is a Jack Neo film without his usual style of social commentary that snapshots the shape of local society today (and complete with made up newspaper headlines)?

You have to admit Jack has plenty of stories to tell and raw energy to consistently make them into films, while some may argue about his production values where the films tend to look more video than, well, film. And it's probably the same here for this movie, with Jack's background in television that this will at best look like a telemovie, rather than a standard film feature that deals with film language. There were no aesthetically pleasing shots, and the editing was left to be desired, coupled with really suspect pacing especially in its extended climax that had to take place in Malaysia because, like most feature films in Singapore these days, funding and resources also come from across the Causeway.

Jack's films of late have almost always centered around the family unit, and it's no different with We Not Naughty. There's the trio siblings of Sean Lee as Wei Jie, Cheryl Yeo as his sister and their younger brother Ah Bao (Ivan Lo) who steals the limelight in the first act of the film, whom I thought will be the centerpiece of this story since he had featured so prominently in the marketing trailers. It was left as only a thought, before Jack reduced this kid actor's role to a supporting piece and casted the limelight back on Sean Lee and Joshua Ang who play best of friends (what else?), the latter as Jian Ren whose separate family unit is of a different social standing, involving a subplot and token character background setting where his brother (Amos Yee) is the blue eyed boy of their rich mom (Yan Li Ming) for his successes in school and English twang. You see, in Jack Neo's film world, children who do not get proper attention and guidance, or if the parenting is suspect, end up street kids who have disciplinary issues, and at worst, join gangs.

In many ways this is probably Jack's darkest film yet, with themes exploring the darker side of human nature, from gangsterism, loan-sharking, internet bulling which is made more harrowing when the teens see absolutely no wrong in their action, and instead cite some unheard of (probably I'm on a different generation) of Internet laws of the land. There will be a corner where criticisms stem from Jack having no real creative juices other than to flip the papers for 6 months, taking what's hot, popular and definite talking points based on their airtime on local news, and spend the next 6 months writing the screenplay and turning them into films. Personally I feel this is a discipline he had stuck to rather successfully, and in doing so managed to captured the social transformations or issues that have plagued our city state over the last decade, and becomes an interesting historical journey.

Sometimes the scenes are subtle, while others loud and blatant such as sneaking in the commentary about the HDB residential makeup, where the boys relate how foreigners have crept into our living space, but of course done with a natural comedic flair. Mentioned in passing were the words "PAP" which I believe marks the first time it's used, rather than the more generic "government". Comedy though seemed a little lacking this time round, with the focus on heavy melodrama such as the systematic breakdown of the working class family unit (that has a hypocritical mom played by Xiang Yun) brought about by the ills of the casino, that comes with plenty of shouting that you see in the daily episodes of local television productions, almost always centered around money issues and bad people to people relations amongst family members.

Education continues as a highlight from the I Not Stupid series. Perhaps one of the more offensive jokes from those movies is the moniker for the ITE tertiary route, where Jack got some flak for condemning students streamed there as "It's The End". It's almost clear as crystal that he's making some amends for that with that final frame of the film as a phrase of encouragement before the credits that came out, and with the narrative putting its central characters as Wei Jie and Jian Ren in a fictitious ITE who turn out fine (albeit not exactly role models through the course of the story), and having pedigree, caring and persistent school teachers (Daniel Chan from Hong Kong, no less) who never give up on finding solutions for their troubled teens, and recognizing their innate talent that is honed and developed.

As Jack had mentioned before and continuing along the same vein, this movie features loads of CG and effects, and they're not as raw as when he first employed technology in his earlier films. The jazzed up opening credits shot by a helicam is something worth looking out for, being the first time it's used in a local film, and other CG filled moments looking a little less artificial, hopefully with time this will blend in naturally with his films.

We Not Naughty is not without its many flaws though. The final act was one dragged out affair taking place in the jungles of Malaysia involving a crazed drug lord (Eric Moo) and having the kids transport a large payload of drugs across the Straits of Johor, only for CK The teacher, his wife (Taiwanese Cherry Hsia) and one of their moms getting involved in thwarting their efforts. And the child birth scene was well, done by other filmmakers already, although one can argue it's something that Jack had to insert in order to provide a redemption piece for his main leads when they realize the kind of sacrifices and pain any mom had to go through. It's very clunky and contrived, especially when involving comedic complications and conveniences in the middle of nowhere.

What this film will serve to do is to see if Jack Neo has already recovered from the public backlash of his indiscretion, and how local audiences in general have come to forget a rather public episode and continue to want to be entertained and accept his brand of storytelling and inevitable moral education through his films. I'm willing to bet that the benchmark of 1M at the box office will likely be a given since he can fall back on his hard core, die hard supporters, and anything above it means a return to form and formula.

The Debt

Here to Collect

Helen Mirren as a covert agent is nothing to scoff at since she had played the role with aplomb in Red, which makes this an all too recent revisit to a similar role, though here it's less of the comedic factor, and packing a more serious tone in its examination of truth, which in all essence is what one tells, and how others interpret, subject to compromised witnesses all involved in a myriad of reasons to rationalize their very untruthful actions. It stabs at our reality system and checks, and makes you wonder, with conspiracy theories, just how anything can be trusted at all if there are those hell bent on deceiving and living a lie.

Directed by John Madden, who spots a pedigree in his filmography such as Shakespeare in Love, Captain Corelli's Mandolin and Proof, to blips like Killshot. But I suppose his experience bode him well here, as he balances powerful drama with intense action that is vividly realistic, without going over the top like most action films, but deglamorizes every throw, punch and kick, and shows how brutal things can be especially when it doesn't flinch from the intention to kill. A remake of the Israel film Ha-Hov, The Debt tells a rather fragmented story about three Mossad operatives who are tasked to bring back a Nazi doctor who had experimented on the Jews during WWII, and does so in two different timelines when the operatives were young and idealistic, and the other when they're already senior citizens.

In the first instance, the young Rachel (Jessica Chastain growing her prominence in Hollywood as a leading lady) joins two seasoned operatives in Stephan (Marton Csokas) and David (Sam Worthington) in East Berlin in the 1966, where they painstakingly live out their alter egos while waiting for the instruction to strike. Days pass through training in martial arts Krav Maga and honing their accent to perfection, while staking out their prey and conducting necessary surveillance of their plan and escape route, which in a way plays out like a Heist movie through their meticulous planning right down to the last detail. Their target Doktor Bernhardt aka Dieter Vogel (Jesper Christensen) is now a gynecologist, and the entire narration through to the middle act which picked up when the plan gets put into motion, turns from a heist film, to one involving psychological horror as Vogel just knows how to push the buttons of his hunters, especially when they find that their avenue to escape with him alive is fast closing and tightening, with a key turn in the events that springs up a huge surprise.

The other timeline involves the much older trio of the hugely scarred Rachel (Helen Mirren) who's now estranged from Stephan (Tom Wilkinson), now a parliamentarian, and the aloof David (Ciaran Hinds). Celebrating the successful launch of her daughter's novel about Rachel's heroism in that mission, we slowly see the cracks beginning to form, and how their world starts to come crashing down, hard. Things are not what they seem, and John Madden manages to keep everything under wraps, peeling off the layers expertly through flashbacks and throwing in sucker punches at the narrative, written by Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman and Peter Straughan, enabling one to question and yet understand how the trio had made a key decision they have to live a lifetime by. And this moral dilemma is what lifts this film and built suspense, keeping us riveted at the different versions of truth, what constitutes truth, and how living a lie and gaining everything the world had to offer, was something hard to resist.

Somewhere in the narrative a romance formed between the characters too, a romance that wasn't what it had started off to be, where lust arising from an uncertain future complicated matters, and escaping from one's comfort zone is out of the question. Although fleeting and never quite well formed, the cast's excellent nuanced performance in their characters' attitudes in this aspect provided that bit of emotional resonance outside of being calculated and cold due to their mission at hand. While Sam Worthington was absent for the most parts of the film and easily having the least screen time, I thought he did best with his character here, besides having to totally lose control of himself when confronted with unimaginable evil in front of him, and while resigned to a fate he himself had agreed to, made the story a lot more poignant when everything is revealed toward the end.

The Debt is that rare thriller that grows on you as the narrative progresses, one that provides you the different perspectives of the characters and the huge baggage each had to bear through a joint pact made. It severely questions just how we can live with lies, and the guilt that comes associated with that, before recognizing that only the truth in unadulterated terms, will set one free. Highly recommended!

Contraband

You Offend Me, You Offend My Family

Mark Wahlberg can take on just about any character, and he'll still be Mark Wahlberg, alpha male action hero that Hollywood is sorely missing these days without any huge personalities yet to convincingly take over the Stallone-Schwarzeneggar-Willis axis in the 80s, that some may argue can also expand to Van Damme and Seagal in their heydays. Amongst his contemporary peers are Vin Diesel and possibly Dwayne Johnson until he decided to become family friendly, where their limited range don't allow them to become the character they play, but instead having their personalities take over instead. So in recent years we have Mark Wahlberg the sniper, to Mark Wahlberg the boxer, and more often than not though, Mark Wahlberg the dad.

Which is not a bad thing, since his fatherly spin in films like The Lovely Bones and The Happening are some personal favourites, and he continues in this role as Chris Farraday, a one time smuggler who had given up his swashbuckling days in the battle of wits with Customs officials. But when his family gets threatened no thanks to a no good relative botching up a drug smuggle, he has to tap on his reserves of experience, hire a team and enter a New Orleans-Panama City round trip to bring back some contraband. And if you think it's a walk in the park, director Baltasar Kormákur, who starred in the original Icelandic film Reykjavik-Rotterdam, throws up enough hurdles that makes Contraband the film one heck of an edge of your seat ride, complete with double crossings, and some realistic mind numbing action, in part due to cinematographer Barry Ackroyd's choice in the use of the shaky cam that brings a sort of documentary feel to the Smuggling for Dummies moments.

Smuggling is sexy business when put on film, and there was a scheme mentioned in passing here about a Ferrari being bought on the cheap through manipulation of loopholes in the system that harked back to films like Badmaa$h Company which based the entire movie on a series of con games which the characters used to make money. Contraband instead features only one major heist if you'd like, and how Wahlberg the modern day thinking action hero gets to wriggle his way out of tangled fix of compromised situation after compromised situation, to try and come out tops. It is this struggle that is simple to understand, yet extremely engaging and mesmerizing to follow as we root for the underdog, and Marky Mark is someone you'd surely want at your corner when the going gets rough.

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

[Singapore Premiere] The Poetics of Color: Natvar Bhavsar, a Painter's Journey

Master at Work

It always isn't easy to step out of one's comfort zone in one medium, and then dabble in the craft of another. 5 years in the making, renowned New York based art curator and gallerist Sundaram Tagore (yes, the family name will ring a bell since he's a descendent of the famous poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore) has written and directed a 61 minute documentary film that is touted as the first and only documentary to trace the roots of Asian artists' contributions to contemporary American art. His subject is Indian painter Natvar Bhavsar, tracing his roots from the village of Gothava, India to the bright lights and big city of New York in the 60s, where he had met his wife in an art class, before settling down and being based out of Soho.

But it almost always isn't about Natvar Bhavsar himself as it is about art, so the narrative doesn't play out like a standard biography of a famous artist whom we slowly discover and delve into his personal and professional lives. Tagore didn't intend the film to be this unravelled in this standard way, and told a larger picture that, as a virtuoso in the visual arts, had plenty of more meditative moments as if he had transported the appreciation of art in a gallery, to that similar appreciation put on moving images in a film, where one gazes at, contemplates and forms a subjective opinion that is open to discussion and debate.

Clearly made for those in the art industry, whether the creators or connoisseurs, the film may alienate those who don't appreciate art at a more intellectual level, since the discourse by the field of experts in the film through talking heads styled interviews, with the likes of curators from some of the world's largest museums such as the Guggenheim, may be a monumental task to keep up and to thoroughly understand the inside lingo. However, when Tagore intersperses such moments quite frequently with beautiful cinematography capturing landscapes and especially the art pieces themselves, film viewers go back to familiar ground and inevitably become gazers at the larger picture outside a more focused discussion on art itself.

I felt that some subtitles or intertitles would have been beneficial especially to assist those not up to date with Bhavsar's works, to benefit from being given an additional clue with the title of the art piece to work with, which will in some way assist the viewer to appreciate and evaluate, joining in the fun, through the drawing of conclusions between the art piece, and what it's called. But then again I'm no art expert, so perhaps there are reasons that titles stay hidden, to allow the beauty of the pieces to burst forward instead. Being a first film, Tagore's inexperience can sometimes be spotted through recycled montage slices in the beginning used to set the stage, but once the film dealt with the subject matters close to his heart, his comfort and experience with the source materials naturally took over and this confidence shows as the film progresses.

This is both literally and figuratively an art film, and one that is rich in its imagery and reliance of those powerful images to tell a story. The film is now making its rounds in the festival circuit, and if you're up for some enlightenment and exposure into an aspect of the art industry, or to know more about Natvar Bhavsar the painter himself, then perhaps this hour long documentary could be the point to jump start that interest from.

*****

Sundaram Tagore himself was present today to grace the Singapore Premiere at Sinema Old School, as well as to partake in a Q&A session with the audience. Here is the entire Q&A proceedings:

Videos Soon, Check Back Again!

[DVD] Vegucated (2010)

Hello Mr Cow

Being a Singaporean, food is something we can never get away from, with food courts and restaurants around the island serving up gastronomical favourites, some even 24x7. Every food and cultural cuisine can probably be found on our island, and frankly unless it was for religious reasons I hardly have come across anyone who would want to restrict their choice of food. As a meat lover myself, I can never understand why anyone will want to give it up, until now.

Written and directed by Marisa Miller Wolfson, a full time food activist, she embarked on a social experiment to find 3 volunteer film subjects from various backgrounds and demographics, and of course meat lovers as a prerequisite who do not yet know about the ethical and environmental reasons behind being a vegan, to embark on an enlightenment process. In addition they have to go vegan for 6 weeks to see if they can reap some short term health benefits for their labours. Vegucated is that documentary film, and it is snappy in treatment, providing that crucial yet essential basic 101 for anyone curious about being a vegan - it's neither a religion nor a cult - with the basic infrastructure in place in most major, modern cities to support such a lifestyle choice.

The casting and selection of the test subjects of student Tesla Lobo, bartender Brian Flegel and psychiatrist/stand up comedian Ellen Mausner were spot on choices who bring their bright personalities into the film, especially when this documentary is relatively intrusive, and has cameras following them into their kitchens and fridges to take stock of their diet as it is current, and putting their word on the line to endure this 6 weeks of change which is not going to be easy, calling for determined resolve to upturn dietary patterns already established for decades.

As with most documentaries, the story comes out from the editing room, and Marisa and editor Sara Leavitt crafted a film that not only tells the story of each of their subject's journeys, but interspersed them with basic information through the use of comedy and animation, to educate the wider audience. And of course change cannot happen instantly, even if we know about the massive positive advantages of doing, or not doing something, especially when its something as intrinsic as food and putting food onto the table and into one's mouth. Then comes the sucker punch - the stark images and videos of animals being bred for food, be it what they produce or the animals as meat themselves, and the utterly inhumane way they get treated as pure commodities in order to satiate increasing demand of meat and dairy products from those at the top of the food chain, namely us.

There were films in the past that have dealt with the cruelty of animal slaughter and the kind of junk that goes into processed food, such as Richard Linklater's Fast Food Nation, and while that film had put me off fast food for a little while, I'm sad to say I haven't kept to my end of the bargain. The images seen here will shock if one hasn't seen clips of them before from news, current affairs programmes or other films, and you can imagine just how you as an individual are quite helpless to stop what's essentially survival for humankind. Or so we thought was essential. What Vegucated does instead of telling you just the horror stories, is the provision of an alternative to do what all of us as individuals can. And I like alternatives because that means we are still in control and have a conscious choice, whether to continue to poison our bodies and condone what we don't see and hear (but know about nonetheless and choose to ignore), or to take active steps toward a healthier alternative and one small step at a time, reduce demand.

There will always be those who say that documentaries are never objective and are always pushing for an agenda, and yes while this film has its intended purpose, Marisa Miller Wolfson ensures that it doesn't preach, nor berate anyone who doesn't see eye to eye with the objectives or understand what it entails to become a Vegan, or in some cases, semi or mostly Vegan. Vegucated is as educational as it is entertaining, and gets its messages across in the most direct fashion without going over the top or overly indulgent, keeping the narrative to a crisp even though it covers a broad spectrum of topics surrounding Veganism, and a 6 week journey of each of the test subjects.

I guess I'll start to look at what's available in the supermarkets with a keener eye, and make some hard choices. It will be hypocritical of me to proclaim immediately that I'm converting 100%, and frankly it's going to be unrealistic as well, but to be able to take baby steps - I guess those are the important first steps to snap out of inertia - and to try and sustain a lifestyle that's healthier and to meet some goals set in this new year especially on losing some weight. I reckon this will be my challenge equivalent to the scale of getting smokers to quit smoking, so hopefully I won't give it up halfway. Definitely recommended for animal lovers, those curious about Veganism, those wanting to lose weight (especially those who have set this as a New Year Resolution), or are in desire to watch a great inspirational film.

As with most new documentaries, if you're interested to find out more about the documentary and the activities that follow the release of the movie, do check out the following links below. The DVD is also primed for release tomorrow, so you can get your own copy, and decide if you too want to make that positive change for the healthier.

Related Links
- Official Documentary Website
- IMDb.com Page
- Buy the DVD

Will You Fund The Re-Assassination of Abraham Lincoln?

A webseries project in Boston, MA by James C. Ferguson, that is.

As the story of this project goes, we follow a group of citizens who are so frustrated with their choices in the upcoming United States Presidential election that they re-animate the corpse of Abraham Lincoln and run him (as a 3rd party independent candidate, if you're curious). He wins, of course, but it turns out that "honest Abe" (Our fake version of him, anyway) is kind of an a**hole. No sooner does Abraham Lincoln step into The White House than the cloning process begins to break down, turning Lincoln into a zombie and forcing those who "created" him to assassinate him ... again.

The project is divided into three very specific phases for very specific reasons.

Phase 1 allows the filmmakers to shoot the first 2 10 minute episodes as a "pilot" that can be shown to guest name actors, sales agents (domestic and foreign), producers -- anyone and everyone, essentially. Once additional elements get folded in, then they will move on to Phase 2, which will allow them to complete the rest of Series 1 (6 episodes, total), which ends with quite the cliffhanger. Phase 3 covers the production, editing and distribution of the second series (10 episodes), which takes it to the finale.

This is an ambitious series, inspired by the hilarious British sketch comedy series League of Gentlemen and The Kids in the Hall with a little of Steven Moffat's current run on Dr. Who mixed in.

Currently the project is listed on Kickstarter and has 21 backers who have to date pledged US$1,110 of the US$10,000 goal to get this made. As of now there are 17 more days to go before donation closes.

If you're keen and want to know more about this proposed series, then click on this link to do so.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol in IMAX

Bigger and Better

Having watched the film for the first time in the conventional 35mm format, my curious was naturally piqued when I knew, through its marketing campaign, that Ghost Protocol had specific scenes shot using the IMAX camera, and this would prove to be quite the cinematic experience to watch it at our current solo digital IMAX hall. The digital IMAX format itself provided clarity par none, from image to sound, and having to see the stunts performed on a larger than usual screen, was quite the treat in itself.

Indeed why I didn't catch the film on this format first, was because the hall was booked out for a private screening on opening night, and not having The Dark Knight Rises 6 minute prologue attached to the digital IMAX prints (only to the 70mm prints) meant absolutely no hurry since there's a distinct lack of added incentive. But the stamp of quality was there with Brad Bird taking over directorial responsibilities coming off successful animated films like The Incredibles and Ratatouille, that double dipping into Ghost Protocol with this version, was quite a given.

Almost all the action sequences here were shot using the IMAX camera, and flitting between aspect ratios (to cater to the 70mm print size of the IMAX reel) was a big clue as to exactly which were shot that way. The most impressive was of course having Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt scale Dubai's Burj Khalifa, where IMAX's immersive cinematic experience meant having to put you right there next to Hunt as he makes his vertical crawl up the building, and then coming back down again, making it one heck of an edge of your seat feeling.

That alone was hands down worth the price of an IMAX admission ticket.

You can read my review of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol here.

Courageous

Top Cops

My interest was piqued when I discovered this was a Christian film, where I wondered just how explicit its messages are going to be, how they were incorporated into the film, and also curious to know just how its box office may turn out to be since the distributor here is charging full price for it without any discounted terms applicable. Courageous is made by Sherwood Pictures which is the film production ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, and is founded by Alex Kendrick, its associated pastor who also takes on directing and co-writing duties with brother Stephen Kendrick, as well as playing one of the four lead roles in the film.

The main question here is, can non-believers enjoy the film? In all honesty, Courageous boasts high production values, and frankly its cop moments where the characters go on foot and car chases and shoot-em-ups (yes), so it has all the typical ingredients that go into a decent police action thriller. But of course it's not always about the action, and this film is rather steeped in its drama, spending significant time fleshing out the households of each of the four major cop characters, plus a friend they get to know along the way. So if you're up for a feel-good film that has its fair share of conflict and tragedy, and a story about how the characters dug deep and overcame the various adversity along the way, then this would be for you, if you can get past how they each have to turn to God, or count their blessings each time for a fortunate turn of events swing in their favour.

Ken Bevel opens the film as new cop transferee Nathan Hayes, who saves his infant child from a carjacking incident, that sets the stage that the community he is about to live in, has its own problems with teenage crime, gangs and drugs. And also having to deal with a growing daughter who sees no wrong in going out on dates, save for the apprehensions he as a father tend to have in suspecting every young man who comes knocking at his door. We're then introduced to corporals Adam Mitchell (Alex Kendrick) and his partner Shane Fuller (Kevin Downes), as well as Nathan's own rookie partner David (Ben Davies), all of whom are fathers in their own right, and all facing different challenges in their family lives.

For instance, Adam has to grapple with not spending enough time to connect with his daughter Emily (Lauren Etchells) and son Dylan (Rusty Marin) who wants him to run the 5 mile together, save for Adam knowing his own fitness level and refusing to train nor participate. The story also deliberately crafts vastly different families dealing with different issues so that an entire spectrum gets covered, from divorcees to those running away from responsibilities. Then there's Javier Martinez (Robert Amaya) a mutual friend of the cops who is seeking to get out of the poverty circle, and amongst the group has the best of luck in having God answer almost all his prayers.

It helps when almost everyone happen to be God fearing men, but if I may read into the film a little bit more, are men who are clueless in knowing just what to do in bringing up their children the "correct" way. The sheriff of the town pins rising crime statistics squarely on felons not having a proper father figure when growing up, so you'd know just what this film is about - the importance of fatherhood and how fathers become that shining beacon for good behaviour if they know how to instill proper discipline, care, love and respect in the children they are responsible for. Some may not agree with such a sweeping statement made at least twice in the film, but that's one of the key objectives the film has for its intended audience.

And being a religious film of sorts, there are scenes crafted subtly, and not so subtly, involving how people with crucifixes are first to the scene to render assistance to a crime being committed and to helping with the injured, how a BBQ cookout is alcohol-free, references to the scriptures on being a father, and of course more explicit ones with the reading of the Bible, and cell group like prayers being conducted. As the film wore on, especially once past its crucial turning point of a tragedy that woke everyone up into being committed to signing a commitment, or a covenant of sorts to vow on the proper upbringing of children and looking after the household, such scenes became more pronounced, as with the thanking of the Lord for good fortune smiling their way.

These Resolutions became the centerpiece in which the narrative will revolve around, since the pastor duly warned that each would be tested against what they have signed on paper, leaving the rest of the hour mark to deal with just that. with temptation put along the way with tests of integrity. To make it realistic and to avoid the syndrome of everyone being holier than thou, some folks have to take a fall, but it's a fall that's cushioned with redemption toward the end, just like the way the religion preaches about that, and forgiveness. Some moments did come off as slightly creepy though, especially with Nathan's presentation of a purity ring to his daughter which I thought was a little bit overdone and could have been read in a very different light if taken out of context.

So yes, the verdict is that the film preaches as it went along, inevitably of course given it's production background. It began with slight intent here and there, followed by dialogue that tells how religion changes lives such as talk about judgement day, to the men taking it upon themselves to lead more wholesome lives, culminating in a full blown setting in a church where Alex Kendrick speaks through his Adam character to talk about fatherhood, parenting and how one's responsibility will affect the community, that's unmistakably a full blown sermon.

If you're part of the intended audience, then Courageous will be that enjoyable mainstream film that has religious sensitivities, with nary a swear word or vice on display, with the bad guys all getting reached by the long arm of the law. Frankly it's a little bit refreshing watching a film these days that's sans a swear word being uttered. But for those who will roll your eyes at any hint of being preached at, then Courageous would not be your cup of tea though I'd still recommend it if you're up for a film with squeaky clean values, and isn't that shoddy in its production terms.

Players (प्लेयर्स)

Do You Like What You See

There are some Bollywood films that have gained notoriety for being unofficial remakes of recognizable Hollywood films, and a handful comes to mind, even for blockbusters like Ghajini and Krrish that had scenes lifted. But there are some in the industry who will go the legitimate way of seeking rights and having their films become official remakes, such as Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan (remaking After the Fox starring Peter Sellers), and now the Alibhai Burmawalla brothers Abbas and Mastan's Players, a remake of The Italian Job, which in itself was given a fairly recent makeover starring Mark Wahlberg to which this film is more closely aligned, compared to the Michael Caine starred original.

What does Bollywood then bring to the table in a remake of a film? For starters, the song and dance sequences had to be naturally weaved into the narrative, otherwise without which it couldn't have come from India's filmmaking machinery. Running almost three hours long, the film contains of cleverly inserted pieces especially used when the female characters have to seduce their way into fulfilling their objectives. Those involving Bipasha Basu worked since the actress is known for being sultry although one can tell of her losing some weight and curves, while Sonam Kapoor seemed to have bulked up a little (for the better rather than being painfully pencil thin) but for her dances to be a little bit awkward when she was supposed to be sensual.

Like most Bollywood treatment, a fair deal goes into the build up prior to the intermission, and in this case the film had taken its time to introduce all its key characters, starting with the top player in the business, the thieving Charlie Masceranhas (Abhishek Bachchan) who together with Bipasha's Riya form a tag team of sorts who go out to raid from the most unsuspecting of victims, in a prologue taking place in Amsterdam. They soon get onto an opportunity for the heist of some stolen Romanian gold bars which are en route back from Russia to Romania, and under the guidance of jailed mastermind Victor (Vinod Khanna), become part of a star studded team of talented individuals brought together to pull off the robbery. This ensemble includes Bobby Deol as Ronnie the magician and illusionist, who are very technically creative folks, Neil Nitin Mukesh as Spider the computer hacker, Sikander Kher as Bilal Bashir the explosives expert and engineer, and Omi Vaidya (who shot to fame with his debut in 3 Idiots) as the actor and make up artist Sunny.

If you're already familiar with The Italian Job movies, the team gets double-crossed from within after successfully pulling off the job of their lives through meticulous preparation and planning, leaving in actual fact most of the story about how this lack of honour amongst thieves had the survivors of the betrayal band together to exact revenge through, you guessed it, another heist of their own against the betrayer. In this Hindi remake however, the double crossing goes on for quite a fair bit, and as such allowed room to stretch the narrative, which no thanks to a very verbose, dialogue laden nature having everyone explain their one-upmanship to their opponents, became a little bit of an unwelcome drag, sacrificing an action packed finale, for one that's marred with plenty of stand offs, posturing and bogged by the ol' villain/hero monologues stating the very obvious, which the directing duo tried to painstakingly show that they didn't really cheat by showing that they had clues planted in the scenes all along.

With all masala entertainers, the film has its fair share of carefully crafted set action pieces to wow and to thrill, especially its central piece of having a turbo charged train in hot pursuit of their mark, and the iconic Italian Job mini cars that zip through insanely crowded road traffic. In some instance the chases involving the minis got overshadowed somehow and didn't play a big part in the film, though credit to the filmmakers for tossing things up and adding a new flavour of their own even to surprise those who have watched the originals. Romance also features heavily in this Hindi version, with a love triangle set up between Charlie, Riya and Victor's daughter Naina (Sonam Kapoor), though it had the latter bogged down with jealousy for the most parts, and had its focus distinctly split down by the interval, with Charlie and Riya's arc in the first half, followed by the growing affections Charlie has for Naina when it calls for some sacrifice to be done.

Players is an adequately stylish remake of The Italian Job, with high production values that didn't scrimp on making this one giant, jet setting epic, hopping between countries and cities, from Russia to New Zealand, from St Petersburg to Moscow, Auckland to Wellington. Action thrillers coming from Bollywood have improved leaps and bounds with recent offerings such as Don 2 pulling out all the stops in terms of locales and stunts, going beyond the shores of India and doing their utmost to appeal to an international audience by meeting the standards set by the best in the business. It may not be that flawless action flick, but it certainly contained all the right ingredients necessary to be so.

Petaling Street Warriors (大英雄•小男人 / Da Ying Xiong Xiao Nan Ren)

I Told You to Keep It Down

Malaysian films are going places these days, from prominent art house features in A-list festivals to box office blockbusters in the home market, there's no denying that the state of the industry, and its products, have been steadily improving in recent years. And with the release of Petaling Street Warriors, Malaysian Chinese films have something that impresses, even though it has shades of the good ol' Hong Kong films of the same action-comedy genre. Directed by Sampson Yuen and James Lee, the latter who has successfully straddled both art cinema and commercial demand, this is a film that's plenty of fun, chock full of stars to provide it that boost in entertainment value.

The premise adopts from legend where Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty fled to this part of the world, in exile from his uncle who had usurped the throne, and ties in with the voyages of Admiral Zheng He, who had for many voyages here may be on a secret imperial quest to seek out the descendants of Jianwen. Who knows that one such bloodline happens to be that of Shi Duyao (Mark Lee), who is of royal blood that he isn't really aware of, but having secret bodyguards surrounding him in the form of wife Lichun (Yeo Yann Yann) whom he hasn't consummated his marriage of 2 years, and other formidable warriors in the form of fellow street hawkers Liu Kun (Namewee) and Wilson (Sunny Pang).

It's just the turn of the century, and in the olden days, hawkers in general have to pay protection fees to gangsters to ensure they get left alone. The opening is quite the hoot, with Duyao relying on his little street smarts to try and outwit a trio known as the Three Knives Gang with cameos led by prominent Malaysian director Ho Yuhang (as he did in Namewee's Nasi Lemak 2.0), and other dialect based gangsters like the Hokkien Gang (leader played by John Cheng) and the Cantonese Gang (leader played by Brandon Yuen). From then on the story took on proportions of its own, dabbling with casinos (boss played by Henry Thia), brothels (mamasan played by Berg Lee), two no good friends in Rajoo (Ramasundran Rengan) and Yong Kok (Alvin Wong), Japanese ninjas led by Xiaoju (Chris Tong) in an effort to seduce Duyao, corrupt English policemen such as Captain McBribe (Nick Dorian) and many more. Heck, they even threw in Dr Sun Yat Sen (Rayson Tan) for good measure!

And uniting all the plot threads and ensemble characters inhabiting this small town is none other than the evergreen, simplistic plot of having buried treasure and a treasure map that Duyao seems to possess, with everyone scheming and plotting to get their hands on, culminating in a multi-way full on battle sequence involving ninjas, a corrupt eunuch of the Imperial Emperor, and the ineptness of the British led police force in Malaya. At times the scenes led nowhere except to elicit some laughter, and for that purpose, most of the gags succeeded, relying on mo-lei-tau (nonsensical) moments, a very ADR-ed parrot, and the very overused catchphrase of "chi-tut".

Petaling Street Warriors may not seem much from the trailer, but this Malaysian film is steep in political and social allusions if you dig beyond its entertaining surface, and doing so without being overtly offensive in the points its trying to make, falling back on good ol' humour to diffuse any potential unhappiness. And casting is what this film had aced in its assembly of some of the best and brightest talents on both sides of the Causeway, with Mark Lee continuing to score as one of Singapore's best comedians with his pitch perfect comic timing and delivery, making him one of our best exports to the film market up north, with his mentor Jack Neo in one of countless of cameos by prominent filmmakers and actors, doing what he does best while he lies low after his fiasco - cross dressing, twice in the same movie.

Yeo Yann Yann had prosthetics to help make her more chesty and deserving a gag on its own early on, and plays a more serious character in the film compared to the others, having primary responsibility of caring for Duyao, as well as to secretly ensure he gets his nourishment (and chastity protection) for his self defense mechanism to kick in when required. Namewee in his first cinematic outing (Nasi Lemak 2.0 was made after this) played a martial arts exponent with a short tongue, being that tongue in cheek jibe for this professional rapper who had to stay silent for most parts of the first half. I had expected a lot more from Sunny Pang though, being a real life exponent to finally find a film outlet to showcase his martial arts talent (his Knife got stuck in development hell for the longest time) but alas didn't have much to do nor to show which is a pity. Perhaps there will be more luck in his other project with James Lee that I hope to see being released in the near future.

But that didn't mean that the action sequences were lacking. You can see influences from Hong Kong due to its choreography by Ma Yuk-Sing and the stunt crew from both Hong Kong and Malaysia, and the film's ambition isn't something to scoff at. There were times when the camera was pulled a little too close to the action to capture it effectively though, but on the whole, everything turned out quite decent rather than to look cheap with the employ of either too much wire work, or badly done CG. One may find qualms about the storyline bearing some shadowy semblance to Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle with a good-for-nothing turned martial arts master and being in a setting where characters are more than meets the eye, but that aside, Petaling Street Warriors still managed to pull off something unique and Malaysian through its many visual references (oily man, anyone?) of its own, as well as implied criticisms, and self-deprecating moments.

Which brings me back to wonder whimsically when will Singapore be able to come up with something so effectively fun in our local productions this year. The gauntlet has been thrown. Recommended!


Related Links
- Official Facebook Page
- Movie Blog

I Spit On Your Grave

Revenge Served Cold

Unrated runtime: 108min
MDA Advisory: 104min R21 Passed with Cuts

There's missing footage, though I'm not sure if anyone in the right frame of mind would want to watch those four minutes, although I can vouch that the version without it, plays out like just another torture porn flick that makes its way to our shores in unedited form. One's propensity toward on screen violence, gore and mutilation will determine if one comes out of this screening feeling that there's no big deal about the uproar over the graphic nature of the film, or that even without those four minutes things are already unsettling, given that the subject nature is about a tit for tat vengeance involving sodomy and genitalia mutilation to give back what one has to suffer under the brutal hands of a gang who decided to think with their other heads.

The narrative flows like any other revenge film, from Kill Bill to The Crow, where the protragonist, in this case a young attractive female writer (Sarah Butler) has to suffer a nightmare of repeated sexual attacks by a bunch of redneck ruffians, with the filmmakers deciding to put as much on screen as possible before relying on skilled editing and fades to black to cushion the blows. That makes the first half of the movie, before she returns like a crazed avenging angel bent on sending her attackers to the depths of hell through the most horrifying of methods that involve excruciating pain.

Does this film celebrate the resiliency and strength of girl power, or is it just another excuse for filmmakers to exorcise their inner demons by doing vividthings that you can't do in real life for the screen, stopping short of snuffing it? You decide.

You can read my review of I Spit On Your Grave at movieXclusive.com by clicking on the logo below.

[Press Release] National Museum of Singapore - The Golden Age of Mexican Cinema‏

This January, the National Museum of Singapore presents The Golden Age of Mexican Cinema, a programme of the National Museum Cinémathèque and co-presented with the Mexican Embassy of Singapore. Exploring the rich legacy of the most cherished period of Mexican Cinema from the 1930s to 1960s, this programme features masterpieces by Mexican auteurs synonymous with the Golden Age and encapsulates the heartbeat of a nation on the brink of modernity.

Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2012 – Sun, 29 Jan 2012
Time: Various Timings
Admission: S$9 (include handling fees)
Ticketing Outlets: National Museum of Singapore’s Visitor Services Centre or through SISTIC
Venue: Gallery Theatre, Basement, National Museum of Singapore

The period of 1930s to 1960s is canonised as the historical peak of Mexican cinema, the Golden Age that encapsulated the heartbeat of a nation on the brink of modernity. Reflecting localised realities and fantasies, films during this golden epoch are emblems of the idealistic search for a uniquely Mexican filmic aesthetic that established a unified national identity.

Exploring the rich legacy of this lively period of Mexican Cinema, this programme features masterpieces by Mexican auteurs synonymous with the Golden Age such as Fernando de Fuentes and Emilio Fernandez, which include the revolutionary epic Vámonos con Pancho Villa! (1936) and the exquisite melodrama Enamorada (1946) which stars the beautiful Maria Félix.

More details can be found here.

Machine Gun Preacher

Talk to the Gun

Machine Gun Preacher became my first theatrical outing for 2012, a biopic about the life and times of a down and out former gang biker finding a second life through religion, becoming a preacher and following what he would deem to be his just cause in getting involved in the plight of Sudanese children made orphans and slaves by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Directed by Marc Forster, who also did powerful dramas like The Kite Runner and the last Bond film Quantum of Solace, Machine Gun Preacher found itself in good hands at straddling conflicting ideologies and values in which a man of God takes, finding himself having to fight fire with fire in order to protect lives and the changes he tries to bring about through opportunities provided.

As with all big screen biographies, there is that dramatic license being taken, with the trailer touting this like an all out action film, and like a character said in the film, made Sam Childers (Gerard Butler) seem like a one man Rambo in Africa. The narrative is hardly that blatantly violent, opting to have its first hour concentrating on how rotten a man like Sam actually is, just out of prison, and can't wait for his wife Lynn (Michelle Monaghan) to get back to stripping for a livelihood to fuel his booze and drug addiction. Things spiral out of control, and wanting to change his life, he follows his family members who had found religion, and through that experience, found a new calling in life.

Which came quite accidentally in fulfilling a vision he had of what God had wanted him to do, to set up a church in his hometown where the downtrodden like what he himself was, will never be turned away and to be able to find community, and in a trip to Uganda to put his contracting and building expertise to good charitable use, finds himself embroiled in the fight between the LRA and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), seeing first hand the indiscriminate killings, and inhumane conditions that the Sudanese children have to live in. Deeply perturbed, Sam spends the rest of his life (in the film at least) straddling between two worlds, that of his wife, children and congregation back home in the USA, and that of the African children and SPLA soldiers who are fighting for the children's basic survival.

It's how Forster manages this balance in story that makes Machiine Gun Preacher a compelling watch without indulging in too much action, nor too much emptiness in his talk, reminding me of films such as Hotel Rwanda where one man's efforts has tremendous impact on the community he finds himself in. Sam is precisely the man who walks his talk, preferring positive action and even pre-emptive ones as he launches raids into enemy territory just to save children, whether a couple, or large groups, from their impending doom no matter if there's a price on his head for doing what he believes is right, and can. In a way this helps to propagate a myth that he's virtually indestructable since he has God on his side to combat the evilness of man, and that builds a fearsome reputation that he's a man not to be trifled with.

In order to not alienate the masses, Forster has taken deliberate steps not to get overly preachy with sermons, keeping them to a bare minimum and being absolutely nothing that spreads the word of the gospel, but instead tapping on Sam's experience thus far in providing the fuel to fire up his speeches for his congregation. If anything, the narrative is sprawling, touching upon the insanity of the situation in Sudan, and Sam's spiral into having his cause and calling turn into obsession, and consuming him from within. It reminds us that at times certain situations and environments are far too complex for one man to handle, but that doesn't mean we don't try, only to have to acknowledge the limits set before everything begins to fall apart.

Gerard Butler is clearly the star of the film in having to play someone who's been on the wrong side of the law, and then fighting on the side of God in choosing action over words in leading his faith, preferring to ensure that children, no matter where they are, are given a fair chance at life without exploitation. He's capable of the more dramatic moments when Sam is tethering on breaking down and giving up, after all, it's always so easy to just pack up and walk away from something that inevitably sucks up one's resources and attention to the detriment of one's personal life. And if the situation calls for it, which I believe some quarters will find that this violates some religious ethics in taking up arms and killing in the name of, Butler's in his element as well without going over the top into a guns blazing action hero.

The film is ultimately a thought-provoking one, leaving you room to contemplate if we are frivolously living our lives with disregard to the plight of our fellow man on any other part of the world, or the question may just simply be how do we help, and to what extent and how much can our help be useful. In our relatively selfish ways we don't see how we can continuously deplete personal resources like what Sam did, just to benefit someone else whom we don't even know enough of. Perhaps after watching this we may feel some guilty pangs for a period of time, and I wonder, myself included, how many of us would make small, positive steps, to make our world a better place to live in, through whatever means and efforts we can expend. Sam Childers may be an extreme example of charity, but surely we can find something well within our own abilities.

Machine Gun Preacher opens this Thursday, lookout for it!

2012 Singapore Movies

Feature Films

We Not Naughty (孩子不坏) - Jack Neo, Jan 2012

Click here to read my review.

Trailer:

Dance Dance Dragon - Kat Goh, Jan 2012

Click here to read my review.

Trailer:

Trailer (with Hokkien language):

TV Spot:

TV Spot (English):

Timeless Love / 那个夏天 - Lim Koong Hwee & Dasmond Koh, Mar 2012
Click here to read my review.

Trailers:


Before We Forget - Jeremy Boo and Lee Xian Jie, Mar 2012 SEAsian Film Festival
Click here to read my review.

Trailer:
Before We Forget: Trailer for dementia documentary from hachisu on Vimeo.
Ghost on Air / 靈聼 - Cheng Ding An, May 2012

Click here to read my review.

Trailer:

Trailer:

The Painted Ladies - Brenda Er (Producer), May 2012

Click here to read my review.

Greedy Ghost / 贪心鬼见鬼 - Boris Boo, Aug 2012

Click here to read my review.

Trailer:

Imperfect / 我们都不完美 - Steve Cheng Wai Man, Aug 2012
Click here to read my review.


Trailer:

My Ghost Partner - Huang Yiliang, Aug 2012

Click here to read my review.

Trailer:

Liberta - Kan Lume, Cinema Digital Seoul, Special Mention, Aug 2012

Click here to read my review.

Trailer:

Hsien of the Dead - Gary Ow, Sep 2012

Click here to read my review.

Trailer:

My Dog Dou Dou 《我的狗蚪蚪》 - Ng Say Yong, Sep 2012

Click here to read my review.

Trailer:

Sex.Violence.FamilyValues - Ken Kwek, Oct 2012, BANNED BY MDA

Trailer:

Press Conference:

Ah Boys to Men / 新兵正传 Part 1 - Jack Neo, Nov 2012

Click here to read my review.

Trailers:


Making Of:

Part 1 of 3

Part 2 of 3

Part 3 of 3
The Wedding Diary II《结婚那件事之后》 - Adrian Teh, Dec 2012 ScreenSingapore Closing Film / World Premiere

Click here to read my review.

Trailer:

‎Old Romances / 老情人 - Royston Tan, Eva Tang, Victric Thng, Dec 2012

Click here to read my review.
Click here to read the Q&A session.

Teaser:

Trailer:

Trailer 2:

The Great North Korean Picture Show - Lynn Lee & James Leong, Dubai International Film Festival, Dec 2012

Click here to read my review.

BooksActually: The Documentary - Lizzy Lee, Dec 2012 (Released on Vimeo)
Click here to read my review.

Trailer:

Curry Curry Christmas - Randy Ang, Dec 2012 (Released on Toggle.sg)

Click here to read my review.

Trailer:

Taxi! Taxi! / 德士当家 - Kelvin Sng, Dec 2012

Click here to read my review.

Trailer:

Top 5 Duds of 2011

And they are, in alphabetical order:
- 23:59
- Aku Tak Bodoh
- Beastly
- Legendary Amazons (楊門女將之軍令如山 / Yang Men Nu Jiang Zhi Jun Ling Ru Shan)
- The Ultimate Winner (赢家 / Ying Jia)

5 of the worst this year, that shameful waste of celluloid that had the audacity to be screened to paying audiences anywhere around the world, and to think that 3/5 belonged to our sunny little island. Are we facing a dearth of ideas, or are we reaching a saturation point where local films no longer are of respectable quality, and that anything goes so long as they can try to make a quick buck at the box office?

23:59 by Gilbert Chan was riddled with horror film cliches and complete disregard to army protocols despite it being touted as an army horror story, with weak scares generated and would have found a proper place should it be rebranded as an accidental comedy. How it made more than a million dollars is plain baffling. Lee Nanxing's The Ultimate Winner was so overtly preaching religion, with its television qualities just being overwhelming, that it became a turnoff even without its illogical plot making things worst. Pure laziness was seen in Aku Tak Bodoh which adapted lock, stock and barrel from Jack Neo's I Not Stupid Too, down to the dated jokes. Neo's protege Boris Boo could have worked harder on this, but is developing a knack for making cinematic flops. Whether he completes a hat-trick with another bottom 10 entry in 2012 remains to be seen, but my money's on it.

Big names do not guarantee success as well. Legendary Amazons that had the likes of veterans Cheng Pei Pei, Kathy Chow and heralded the return of Cecelia Cheung was funny, then you realize it was supposed to be all serious, and with Jackie Chan's producing cred, you'd half expect him to come up with some money to complete all the raw CG effects, and to have proper location shoots than to film fight scenes under multiple spotlights in a soundstage. Then there's Beastly being the ultimate stinker as it proudly tells the story of an arrogant prick in what would be a modern update to a fairy tale.

All these films should be avoided with a ten foot pole, but if you're up for some comedy and post-screening bitching session, then by all means pick up any of these films to do just that. If you'd like to see the expanded list of 10 Duds of 2011, then head on down to movieXclusive.com by clicking on the logo below.

Top 10 of 2011

The customary Top 10 list of my favourite films of the year, and it's no easy task to pluck the crème de la crème from a pool of 319 theatrical and festival releases watched this year. So here are 10% of the best, split between the honorary 10 where music and nostalgia seem to be the theme of 2011, and the meritorious 20 that had a crack at the top. In alphabetical order, the Top 10 are:

13 Assassins (十三人の刺客 / Juusan-nin No Shikaku)

Takeshi Miike has dabbled with a vast genre of films, some bordering on the weird, but his 13 Assassins is as accessible as can be, telling the story of 13 heroic samurai who have to band together with a common objective to rid an evil Samurai lord from his existence of Earth. And Miike pits you against that evilness itself through painting a picture of something so vile, you'll celebrate when the right heads roll. Carefully crafting the swordsmanship and the abilities of each of the Assassin, and designing to play out like a heist film, this is one film you'll not want to miss.

50/50

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, one of the best actors of his generation, and Seth Rogen play best of pals who have to cope with the possibility of death through cancer, an invisible enemy who strikes fear, doom and gloom on those it inflicts. Balancing comedy with solid drama about life, death, love and friendship, it also stars Bryce Dallas Howard as such a bitch of a character (and in another turn as the scheming villainess in The Help) that it reminds you of those who will withdraw when one runs into difficulties. Very true to life indeed, as friends will reveal themselves to be those who deserve to be called that, or otherwise. The eclectic soundtrack also helped.

The Artist

Silence is golden, and The Artist is primed for awards season with that trip down memory lane. Michel Hazanavicius makes an ode to silent cinema, and to do that isn't an easy feat requiring the delicate skills not to alienate modern audiences weaned on sound and colour. The film singlehandedly tells us what makes films great, and how fame is as fleeting as can be, while painting a pseudo-historical look at the development of the film industry during the time centered around the Great Depression.

Beck

Evolution! followed by mean guitar riffs, banging of the drums and powerful bass. It didn't hurt when Yukihiko Tsutsumi had to rely on a gimmick to creatively overcome the primary lead's lack of English proficiency, since it was something that worked wonderfully. No music no life, and Beck tells the story of a rock band wannabe that's to do battle with engineered pop, you know, those that rely on mass choreography, pretty faces, and voices that require digitized tweaking. It's the quintessential zero to hero story done right, one that I'm almost always a sucker for.

Drive

I haven't thought much of Ryan Gosling's performance until two films, released almost back to back here, shook me and demanded my attention. I have to admit now that besides Gordon-Levitt, Ryan Gosling is one of the stars to watch, as he conquers with his brooding race car driver character here forced into doing a lot of nasties to protect the ones he loves. Ultra cool with that uber Euro-chic feel, Nicolas Winding Refn's film begins so deliciously quiet, before building itself with a romantic core with Carey Mulligan as a love interest, then finally exploding into life. Crime does not pay, but when you mess with the wrong guy, don't be surprised when he comes to collect his share of dividends with interest.

The Ides of March

And Ryan Gosling compensates his lack of talk in Drive with The Ides of March, as he plays a relatively green political campaigner up against the seasoned likes of his mentor and adversaries. Surrounded by a brilliant cast of Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, George Clooney, Jeffrey Wright, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood, Gosling shows that he's a one man tour de force in this political thriller where the stakes are high in a fight for political survival, with trips, crosses and double crosses part of the arsenal required, including a scheming mind where information is currency and knowledge is power.

Ignore All Detour Signs

Of all the local films released this year, it is this documentary about the band I Am David Sparkle, that had the most heart and sincerity in story telling, with the filmmakers getting under the skin of the band in their quest to make their invitation to SXSW become a reality. Many obstacles get in their way from logistics to legislation even, but its title serves a reminder to everyone of us of the need of perseverance when it comes to fulfilling one's dreams. And this is how they did it, despite stacked odds sometimes beyond their control. And the music, is pure nectar to the ears.

Margin Call

If you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall of one of the biggest financial institutions at the cusp of the collapse of the financial industry in recent years, then Margin Call, the brilliant debut feature film of J.C. Chandor, will be your ticket to do just that. The powerful cast alone with the likes of Jeremy Irons, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci, Paul Bettany and Zachary Quinto with his unmistakable thick eyebrows, is worth the price of an admission ticket, as you'll be kept riveted over events that will unravel in less than 24 hours, where the new financial mantra of "Be First, Be Smarter, or Cheat" sounds so much sexier and doable, than just "Greed is Good". We now have a new defining film taking over Wall Street as the movie about Wall Street., and Margin Call is it. No real heroes or villains here, only capitalists out to ensure the safety of their rump.

SuckSeed: Huay Khan Thep (SuckSeed ห่วยขั้นเทพ)

You'll see a number of films above that has music play a big part in them, but what about a band that doesn't have what it takes to be a band? Why that's not stopping this bunch of rag tag students from forming their own in what I deem as Thai production house GTH's movie of the year. New director Chayanop Boonprakob paints a wacky quirky picture that features Thai bands, themes of friendship and romance, and piled up loads of comedy, that it's difficult not to enjoy a story about a band that sucks. And watch out for actor Pachara Chirathivat who is poised to become a major movie star, showing off his perfect comedic timing here that makes his character so silly in self-belief, it's actually endearing.

You are the Apple of My Eye (那些年，我们一起追的女孩 / Na Xie Nian, Wo Men Yi Qi Zhui De Nu Hai)

Novelist Giddens Ko made a film that resonates so much, I am tongue-tied when asked to provide superlatives for it. It touches a raw nerve with just about every male population in Chinese speaking Asian territories, that it made all of us brethren in a certain way when reminiscing the good old days in school spent with our respective cliques, with romantic interludes more unsuccessful than otherwise, when it comes to chasing the skirt of the most popular girl in class/school. It has its share of sappy romantic moments and its laugh out loud comedic scenes that bordered on the bawdy that teenage males with raging hormones do not know what else to do with, and is that story that comes straight from the heart, encapsulating everything that is that walk down memory lane back to the good old school days. Utterly unforgettable.


and the Meritorious 20 that came so close:

Attack The Block
Beginners
Delhi Belly
The Dirty Picture (द डर्टी पिक्चर)
The Help
I Saw The Devil (악마를 보았다 / Akmareul Boattda)
Let The Bullets Fly (让子弹飞 / Rang Zi Dan Fei)
Life Without Principle (奪命金 / Dyut Meng Gam)
My Week with Marilyn
Never Let Me Go
Red Dog
Singham
Source Code
Super 8
Tatsumi
Triangle
Warrior
White Vengeance (鸿门宴传奇‏ / Hong Men Yan Chuan Qi)
Win Win
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Help Me

There are remakes, and then some. Hollywood has been raiding cinema from around the world for creative inspiration. When all else fails, buy the rights and remake the movies for the US market, where chances are its mass audiences haven't chanced upon the originals since we all understand how popular the reading of subtitles is. not. Some remakes offer something a lot more than the original when set in the US context, such as Martin Scorsese's The Departed (adapting from Hong Kong's Infernal Affairs), or horror films with almost shot for shot remade with Matt Reeves' Let Me In (from Sweden's Let The Right One In), and now the psychological thriller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo directed by Niels Arden Oplev being remade by David Fincher.

I am a fan of David Fincher's works, but alas I can't say with the same level of enthusiasm that his remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo deserved any acknowledgement that it's much better than the original. Far from it, that's just hyperbole. Oplev's film had all the right elements that made it a great edge-of-your-seat ride, with Noomi Rapace bursting onto the scene owning the role of the social misfit Lisbeth Salander, with a sprawling narrative kept tight with interesting twists to the entire plot. Some remakes manage to turn what's great into something better, or at least met the benchmark set by the original, but David Fincher's derivative remake only managed to barely do so.

To those who have said that it's great, I think they do have to recognize the contribution that the late novelist Stieg Larsson had in coming up with his Millennium trilogy of novels and creating the characters of Mikael Blomkvist (now played by Daniel Craig) and Lisbeth Salander (in a role taken over by Rooney Mara), crime-busting partners who spend the first third of the story in separate arcs to establish them, before coming together as crime busting duos, with a predominant female being both the brains - photographic memory, great computer hacking skills - and the brawn between them. The romance is perfunctory to satisfy primal needs, although Fincher's version did try to provide a level of emotional attachment especially with the final scene.

Apart from the Bond-ish looking opening credits set against the music by Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song, and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score being one of the limited highlights of the film, this remake will bore the wits out of those who have seen the original. In other words, skip it and you won't be missing anything. I've watched my fair share of original movies and their remakes by Hollywood, but this remake somehow had its soul sucked out from it, resulting in a lifeless entity going from scene to scene that one will already know of, in how the story would develop, and what red herrings get strewn around. Minor tweaks got made but they're really no big deal, and the Nordic-accented English adopted by the characters will irritate as it tries so really hard to be authentic since the setting in Sweden didn't change to some US locale.

But to those who have not seen Oplev's film, then David Fincher's version will set to wow. You will marvel at Rooney Mara's rendition of Lisbeth who is very much unlike any heroine seen before on the big screen, but not to take away her efforts put into her role, should you compare her take and that of Rapace's, you will see that the former is just trying too hard, unlike Rapace's who came off with a natural spunk. Even Daniel Craig looked the meeker version of Michael Nyqvist's take as Mikael, with the updated Hollywood version looking like a very clean and polished product as compared to the grittier version of the original.

I sure would be interested to know how David Fincher's first cut of the film, reported to be three hours and seven minutes long, would have changed the mood and feel. Those scenes could have been the saving grace in making it distinctly different from the original, and value adding in terms of characters and plot. If the final scene here proved to be the bulk in spirit of the extra scenes shot, then it would be worth a watch. Otherwise if given the option to watch The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for the first time, then stick to the Swedish original since the remake can't really beat the real thing.