[HKFILMART 2012 Press Conference] Saving General Yang (忠烈杨家将 / Zhong Lie Yang Jia Jiang)

Mention the Yang Generals, and The Legendary Amazons / 楊門女將之軍令如山 of last year comes to mind. Not that it's a good thing, because it will probably be remembered as tooting the triumphant return of Cecilia Cheung to the big screen, in what would be a plot riddled with holes, and production values that became laughable the longer the film takes to finally cross the finishing line.

Guess Who?
So as a counter-balance to that, Saving General Yang may seem like the perfect antidote to cure that bad memory and nightmare the world has on the Yang Generals, being the testosterone filled production ready to declare war on bad Yang General films everywhere. With producer Raymond Wong and his son Calvin's involvement as the scriptwriter - their pairing has created the successful Ip Man films - you know what you're in for when this film calls for authenticity, and doesn't pull its punches when it comes to creating large action spectacles, with Ronny Yu at the helm as director, who praised the story as being accessible to all, and yet for an action film contained its fair share of emotional moments, despite having an all male cast.

Screen Father and Sons
A quick behind the scenes clip was revealed during the press conference, and if things go according to what the production had made it out to be, then yes, Saving General Yang has all the ingredients of a period action epic that's set to thrill audiences, boasting a star studded cast of Adam Cheng, Ekin Cheng, Raymond Lam and Yu Bo who were here at the conference today, together with Wu Chu, Vic Chou, Li Chen and Fu Xin Bo rounding up the titular General and his seven sons, packed into 100 minutes.

Here's how the discussion went during the Press Conference with Director Ronny Yu and Cast Members Adam Cheng, Ekin Cheng, Raymond Lam and Yu Bo, in Cantonese and Mandarin (I may put up some key points in English later, do check back!)


Part 1 of 4


Part 2 of 4


Part 3 of 4
and the unveiling of the one sheet poster:


Part 4 of 4 - Unveiling the Poster

which you can take a closer look here:

and here's more photographs from the event:

[HKFILMART 2012 Press Conference] Painted Skin II The Ressurection (画皮 II)

Four years of gestation and development, and Painted Skin II, subtitled The Ressurection, will make its premiere some 3 months from now on 28 June 2012. Chinese director Wuershan, famed for his film The Butcher, The Chef and the Swordsman, takes over the helm of this Chinese blockbuster from Gordon Chan whose First Painted Skin film had Singapore's Raintree Pictures involvement. Now it's a Chinese affair, continuing the popular production trend in fantasy films such as Ching Siu-Tung's The Sorcerer and the White Snake, and Wilson Yip's remake of A Chinese Ghost Story / A Chinese Fairy Tale, boasting an ensemble of well known cast and laden with CG effects galore.

Headlined by the trio of Zhao Wei, Zhou Xun and Cheng Kun again, only Zhou Xun's fox spirit Xiao Wei links the two films together, with Zhao Wei now playing a Princess, and Cheng Kun a general again, but of an entirely different character than his earlier Wang Sheng. Wuershan found himself fortunate to have the bevy of stars in the original cast returning albeit in different roles, and having China's up and coming stars Feng Shao Feng and Yang Mi play what I feel would be central to this tale, with the former playing a poor ghostbusting priest and the latter a bird spirit, keeping to the spirit (pardon the pun) of how a Liao Zai story usually is, exploring romantic and forbidden, or ominous relationships, between Man and Spirit.

From Shao Feng and Yang Mi's introduction during the press conference, you can tell that there will be the usual light comedy elements put into the story other than their romantic relationship serving as an emotional anchor, but hopefully that doesn't detract from the seriousness in tone and treatment which the trailer had spelt out. Both actors were on hand to talk a little bit more about their characters, and how they eased into their roles, with Yang Mi given a pair of birds to observe their intricate movement to incorporate into her character, and Shao Feng having to starve on set to look the role of the impoverished priest.

Chen Tingjia and Kris Phillips play the Queen and Shaman/Sorceror of the Tian Lang (Sky Wolf, literal) Tribe respectively, and the latter has a chant lsating the entire length of the trailer, which also got its premiere today. And it's mighty impressive, to say the least, of the sneak peek into what's in store for Painted Skin II. From the beautiful, lush costumes to what Wuershan had stressed was on the seldom seen, picturesque landscapes in Western China and Tibet, the movie is primed to be a visual feast for the eyes, with special emphasis on the sensuality between Zhou Xun and Zhao Wei's characters, with plenty of dreamy sequences involving bodies in water - no stunt doubles there it was revealed, and tons of visual effects spectacle shots.

There's no obvious clue nor revelation of the actual story yet, but if it lives up to the promise shown in this trailer through its quality production values, then it's already many steps up from the first Painted Skin movie. Looking forward!

[6th AFA] Results

Here are the results in the order they are presented during the festival tonight, and the extremely short press interviews conducted backstage:

Best Screenwriter
Winner - Asghar Farhadi, A Separation (Iran)


Actress Leila Hatami Accepting on Behalf of Asghar Farhadi
Nominees
Shido Kaneto - Postcard (Japan)
Liu Heng, Yan Geling - The Flowers of War (Mainland China)
Alan Mak, Felix Chong - Overheard 2 (Hong Kong)
Chris Martinex - The Woman in the Septic Tan (The Philippines)

Best Cinematographer
Winner - Jake Pollock and Lai Yiu-fai, Wu Xia (Mainland China / Hong Kong)


Nominees
Chin Ting-Chang - Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (Taiwan)
Vishvajith Karunarathna - Flying Fish (Sri Lanka)
Kim Woo-hyung - The Front line (South Korea)
Rahmat Syaiful - The Mirror Never Lies (Indonesia)

Best Costume Designer
Winner - Yee Chung-man and Lai Hsuan-Wu, The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (Hong Kong / Mainland China)


Nominees
Amano Kyoko, Emura Kouichi - Milocrorze: A Love Story (Japan)
William Chang Suk-ping - The Flowers of War (Mainland China)
Mok Kwan-kit, Wong Ming-ha - White Vengeance (Mainland China / Hong Kong)
Noppadol Techo - The Outrage (Thailand)

Best Production Designer
Winner - Yee Chung-man and Sun Li, Wu Xia (Mainland China / Hong Kong)


Nominees
Suzanne Caplan Merwanji - You Don't Get Life a Second Chance (India)
Ryu Seong-hie - The Front Line (South Korea)
Taneda Yohei - Warriors of the Rainbow: Seeqiq Bale (Taiwan)
Yee Chung-man, Ben Lau - The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (Hong Kong / Mainland China)

Best Composer
Winner - Chan Kwong-wing, Peter Kam and Chatchai Pongprapaphan, Wu Xia (Mainland China / Hong Kong)


Nominees
Chen Qigang - The Flowers of War (Mainland China)
Ricky Ho - Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (Taiwan)
A.R. Rahman - Rockstar (India)
Sakamoto Ryuichi - Hara-kiri: Death of a Samurai (Japan)

Edward Yang New Talent Award - Edwin



Best Visual Effects
Winner - Wook Kim, Josh Cole and Frankie Chung, The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (Hong Kong / Mainland China)


Nominees
Haresh Hingorani, Kaitan Yadav - RA.One (India)
Kamiya Makoto - Gantz (Japan)
Xiao Yang, Chang Song, A Law. Li Ming-hsung, Li Jin-hui - Starry Starry Night (Taiwan / Mainland China / Hong Kong)
Yung Kwok-yin, Andy Kang - Wu Xia (Mainland China / Hong Kong)

Best Editor
Winner - Hayedeh Safiyari, A Separation (Iran)


Nominees
Curran Pang - Overheard 2 (Hong Kong)
Nelly Quettier - 11 Flowers (Mainland China / France)
Anand Subaya - You Don't Get Life a Second Time (India)
Tang Mon-to - White Vengeance (Mainland China / Hong Kong)

People's Choice for Best Actor - Andy Lau, A Simple Life

People's Choice for Best Actress - Eugene Domingo, The Woman in the Septic Tank



2011 Top Grossing Asian Film Award - Let the Bullets Fly



Best Newcomer
Winner - Ni Ni, The Flowers of War (Mainland China)


Nominees
Ko Chen-tung, You are the Apple of My Eye (Taiwan)
Eric Lin Hui-min - Starry Starry Night (Taiwan)
Maeda Ohshiro - I Wish (Japan)
Gita Novalista - The Mirror Never Lies (Indonesia)

Best Supporting Actor
Winner - Lawrence Ko, Jump! Ashin (Taiwan)


Nominees
Umin Boya - Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (Taiwan)
Lee Je-hoon - The Front Line (South Korea)
Mario Maurer - The Outrage (Thailand)

Best Supporting Actress
Winner - Shamaine Buencamino, Nino (The Philippines)


Nominees
Gwei Lun-mei - The Flying Sords of Dragon Gate (Hong Kong / Mainland China)
Cris Horwang - Headshot (Thailand)
Mitsushima Hikari - Hara-kiri: Death of a Samurai (Japan)
Yan Ni - 11 Flowers (Mainland China / France)

Lifetime Achievement Award - Ann Hui



Best Actor
Winner - Donny Damara, Lovely Man (Indonesia)


Nominees
Chen Kun - The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (Hong Kong / Mainland China)
Andy Lau - A Simple Life (Hong Kong)
Park Hae Il - War of the Arrows (South Korea)
Yakusho Koji - Chronicle of My Mother (Japan)

Best Actress
Winner - Deanie Ip, A Simple Life (Hong Kong)


Nominees
Vidya Balan - The Dirty Picture (India)
Michelle Chen - You are the Apple of My Eye (Taiwan)
Eugene Domingo - The Woman in the Septic Tan (The Philippines)
Leila Hatami - A Separation (Iran)

Best Director
Winner - Asghar Farhadi, A Separation (Iran)
Nominees
Teddy Soeriaatmadja - Lovely Man (Indonesia)
Sono Sion - Guilty of Romance (Japan)
Tsui Hark - The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (Hong Kong / Mainland China)
Wei Te-sehgn - Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (Taiwan)
Zhang Yimou - The Flowers of War (Mainland China)

Best Film
Winner - A Separation (Iran)


Asghar Farhadi represented by actress Leila Hatami and editor Hayedeh Safiyari
Nominees
Postcard (Japan)
The Flowers of War (Mainland China)
The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (Hong Kong / Mainland China)
Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (Taiwan)
You Don't Get Life a Second Time (India)

and some final words from Jury President Eric Khoo to bring the Awards Ceremony to a close.

[6th AFA] Red Carpet

A glimpse of who's who on the Red Carpet of the 6th Asian Film Awards:

and 2 select interviews conducted by the Master of Ceremony on the Carpet:


Gwei Lun-mei


Team from Jump! Ashin

[HKIFF 2012 Jockey Club Cine Academy] Master Class - Keanu Reeves

LtoR: Bede Cheng, Program Director at Hong Kong International Film Festival, Keanu Reeves, filmmaker Yonfan

The Jockey Club Cine Academy (JCCA) is a 3 year film education programme presented by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS) and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, that aims to foster film literacy among the youth in Hong Kong. And this year, as part of the extension of actitivies to the Hong Kong International Film Festival, 2 free programmes are organized that bring audiences closer to renowned filmmaker Peter Ho-Sun Chan, and actor Keanu Reeves who was here earlier this afternoon to present and talk about the latest film he helped produced, Side by Side, written and directed by Christopher Keanneally.

Moderated by Bede Cheng, Program Director at HKIFF and filmmaker Yonfan, the event started with an onstage discussion followed by a Q&A Session with members of the public, some of whom had queued as early as 11am (or even before that) to ensure they get the best possible seats in the house when doors opened, or getting ahead in the standby queue. A No Photography (ahem) and Videography rule meant no verbatim presentation here, but I'm sure one day the proceedings will probably be made public.

In any case, Keanu Reeves almost skipped on stage after the screening of Side by Side (I'd swear he's got a fountain of youth stored somewhere, because from where I'm sitting, he doesn't seem to have aged), and you can feel his enthusiasm as he engaged both the moderators and the audience in very surfer-dude laid back fashion, nevermind if some questions were not related directly to the movie, as was required, but he was in perfect spirits to address them all in any case. A number of eyebrows were raised when he was first revealed to be conducting a master class - "Whoa, seriously? Keanu Reeves in a MASTER CLASS?", but I'm sure after today's session these doubts will be unfounded as he's here to share one of his latest passions developed while embarking on this documentary project, where he served as narrator and interviewer for Keanneally in engaging the prominent filmmakers featured in discourse. Sure he could have taken the easy way out with One Worded replies (which he almost always did at the end in jest), but full marks for trying his articulate best to provide detailed responses.

Keanu Reeves spent 1.5 years on this film project, and continued from where the film had left off on a point about film cameras not being made anymore, and not only that, it's also to do with the stop in film stock manufacture, and film development as well. He shared his first digital film experience as an actor in Richard Linklater's A Scanner Darkly, where he remembered the longer takes involved, since filmmaking will have to stop after each can of film runs out, but in digital filmmaking, one can go on longer than that 10 minutes, which he then shook his head in mock disbelief recounting how the director just carried on without that break he was used to.

He went on to discuss in a little bit more detail about the two different camps of thought in the film with James Cameron questioning him over when was filmmaking ever real, and Martin Scorsese's on how everyone is interpreting what they see as real through a lens, and brought on an entirely different philosophical discussion on film itself, whether digital or the traditional photo-chemical process. One of the reasons why he embarked on this project was that he had never produced a film before, nor made a documentary, so this served as a learning process, as well as having "great conversations with these really cool cats", referring to the mind boggling array of filmmakers being interview subjects. It served as a great adventure to discover the history of digital cinema, and felt that Christopher Keanneally did a great job here with a film that can appeal to both film lovers and general audiences.

Inevitably a question was asked by one of the many waiting patiently for their turn, about his new film Man of Tai Chi, which Keanu Reeves mentioned it's his first time directing a film, and in it he would be playing the villain. I suppose he's fairly focused on this project, which in response to another question he got cornered into saying that he's on the side of digital filmmaking for this one for a whole host of reasons, from resources available or lack thereof, which means he will be shooting it on the ARRI Alexa Studio camera.

You can sense that if unmoderated this session could have gone on forever as a few more questions about Youtube, independent filmmaking and distribution got thrown into the mix, by a captivated audience made up of locals and foreigners (I'm sure there's more than just me, and the Russian dude who got a question through), if not for some other programmes lined up for Keanu Reeves in Hong Kong before his needing to be back in Beijing this very same evening to continue work on Man of Tai Chi. The session had to close even before things could get warmed up, and like the Matrix, he got the Exit he wanted, leaving high and dry the many who stayed behind outside the theatre hall to get another closer glimpse of the actor. He came, he saw, and he conquered.

Side by Side will screen at the HKIFF again on 24 Mar (Sat) 1745hrs at UA Cityplaza. But no, Keanu Reeves will not be there.

"OMG these guys are asking all the tough questions!"

[HKIFF 2012 Review] Side by Side

The Interviewer

Film is dead, or is it? With major distributors in USA going digital this year in lieu of film, the death knell has been sounded that perhaps it's not too long before celluloid film projection is a thing of the past, and with it comes digital filmmaking, production, distrbution and projection. But does it have to be that way, and can both mediums co-exist to satisfy the various sections of the creative market? Produced by Justin Szlasa and Keanu Reeves, the latter who was here in Hong Kong for a masterclass, Side by Side is the documentary written and directed by Christopher Kenneally, that deep dives into both sides of the equation.

And who better than to interview those who have dabbled with both mediums? What made this documentary a compelling watch is Keanneally's ability to cover an entire range of topics related to this issue, tracing the history of both mediums, especially the digital one, and giving depth into backgrounds, reasons and rationale taken from those who have dealt with both old and new technologies. Having Keanu Reeves turn into the interviewer works in both levels of attracting the casual viewer into watching this, as well as on the interview front, made it easy for filmmakers to relate and open up to one of their own, as they talk about the medium, how it impacts filmmaking, and from acting in front of the camera, the camera technologies themselves, and the case for distribution and exhibition, weighing in on the pros and cons at every stage.

These filmmakers and crafts people are none other than the who's who of Hollywood luminaries, such as James Cameron, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Robert Rodriguez, Christopher Nolan, Danny Boyle, Richard Linklaer, David Lynch, Joel Schumacher, Steven Soderbergh, Lars von Trier, and both Lana and Andy Wachowski whom Keanu Reeves made the prolific Matrix trilogy. And it's not just directors, but also containing interviews with editors and cinematographers such as one of my personal favourites Wally Pfister, who together with Nolan stand on the side of celluloid, famously resisting Warner Bros' attempt to turn their lucrative Dark Knight projects into the digital or 3D formats. Listen in to the discussions on how there's power play when rushes are to be seen the next day, compared to the digital now-and-present that allows one to correct something immediately.

While one may get distracted by the star studded lineup, we get to see how each are so passionate about the medium they believe in, and the compelling arguments they make for and against their case, listening from the horse's mouth of those who are in the industry, together with the satisfaction gained and challenges they face. For instance, like Fincher, digital filmmaking gave rise to cameras that can be designed to cater to the nature of the shots he had intended, without which films like The Social Network, or The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, cannot achieve certain shots or have the camera angles so desired. Everyone provided their own memorable soundbites when they engage in this discourse, so much so that you'd soon find everything that's being said becoming terribly sexy and seductive in their arguments.

But Conneally does an excellent job in not allowing any one filmmaker to run away with the presentation he so decided, allowing arguments to be made and the viewer to form his own conclusion. The pace moves at breakneck speed, hardly every pausing just like how digital filmmaking has directors almost never calling it quits because the medium has run out, as you the audience will definitely find an area in which you have little knowledge of, but thanks to this film and its incredible breadth adopted for its scope, you're bound to come out of it a little bit enlightened about the entire technical process, the evolution of filmmaking technologies, as well as gain new found appreciation for those who are so passionate in their filmmaking that it's automatically shown in the final cut they put out for projection.

No film related topic was taboo, as the documentary also took a look at archival processes, which contains a little bit of an irony. If there's a flaw to this wonderfully made documentary, it will be that its focus is still inherently Hollywood's own, since there is a distinct lack of interviews and gathering of content outside of Tinseltown. Perhaps an apt follow up to this would warrant a lot more interviews to be done with filmmakers around the world, but I'm guessing most of the responses will already have been covered by the mammoth scope here (and whose filmmakers are at the forefront of technology given geeks like Cameron), and at best appear as supplemental discs should this ever be released on DVD format sometime soon. Definitely highly recommended viewing for everyone, film buffs or otherwise, with great material yet to be seen in upcoming films included as well.

To Hong Kong

I guess by the time you read this entry, the baby in the picture would have left the tarmac at Changi and headed towards the Fragrant Harbour, where it's gonna be Keanu Reeves, Pang Ho-Cheung's Love in a Buff, the 6th Asian Film Awards presided by Eric Khoo, and hopefully lots more.

I'll probably be waiting for my in-flight brunch now, so check back during the week if I manage to squeeze the usual out from the next 8 days! If you're in HK, drop me an email!

Love Strikes! (モテキ / Moteki)

Man on Top

It's every guy's fantasy in Moteki, or Love Strikes, where a nerdy fellow without a fat wallet, fast car or swanky apartment, suddenly finds himself the centre of attraction of the many females within his sphere of influence. Think of it as something of a mojo effect, being inexplicably linked to that sudden seductive power of being irresistably attractive, and looking at the poster of the four girls in question, it's not a bad deal at all. Except that it's a little bit unfairly balanced in the actual storyline, with promises of laughter soon giving way to very serious melodramatic fare about modern day relationships and the games people play with the affairs of the heart.

Yukiyo Fujimoto (Mirai Moriyama, whom I last saw in the awesome Fish Story) finds himself at the wrong side of 30, and a year after the drama series of the same name Moteki, which isn't a pre-requisite in order to follow and enjoy the film. A geek through and through, he still finds himself anxious at probably being the last virgin on Earth, without a proper job and with a non-existent circle of female friends. Things get worse when he joins Natalie, a webzine, as a journalist, and gets his balls constantly busted by colleagues, and even his manager (Lily Franky), being the gag punching bag from the day he stepped into regular employment. But with time spent on Twitter (great advertising and product placement there), he soon hooks up with someone with a manly avatar, who turns out to be the incredibly attractive Miyuki (Masami Nagasawa, but of course), a magazine editor with whom he shares plenty of common interests, and an unforgetable night out culminating in a fairly innocent sleepover, only to find that she's attached to a live-in boyfriend. Cue demolished self-confidence, if there was one to begin with.

While the marketing efforts, and even the opening song montage boasted of four attractive women, Moteki the movie is primarily about Yukiyo's relentless pursuit of Miyuki, his unattainable goddess, whom he knows on one hand it's hopeless to try and woo, but on the other finding it difficult to forget her and let go. After all, it's that smile, that laugh and that demeanour that got him hooked, nevermind if one of her friends, the lonely Rumiko (Kumiko Aso) confesses her profound love for him, and being at risk of getting her heart broken given his constant indecision, and sole focus on short term gains. As for the other two ladies featured, it's kind of disappointing that they didn't make it beyond a few scenes, with Riisa Naka playing a bar girl and single mom who dispenses advice to Yukiyo, and fellow colleague Motoko (Yoko Maki) having absolutely no romantic inkling at all to the chap, except save for suggestions that didn't seem to go anywhere, making it more platonic instead.

For those who have been in a similar boat before - or at least being at the crossroads of relationships involving choice - isn't it always almost true that the person we truly love don't necessarily have to love us back, or on the flip side of the same coin, we may be that object of attraction to others, only to give them the cold shoulder as well. Talk about what goes around coming around, which Yukiyo experiences in his life with both Miyuki and Rumiko, and the propensity of the greed, and even ungratefulness in us, to pursue what's an unattainable goal and ignoring clear warning signs. Worse, we don't realize that we tend to do the same to others at times, being on the other side of the equation, and don't let go of it gently, preferring the selfish dropping of the bombshell rather than to, no matter how hard or painful it will get, ease cold hard reality into it. Sure it'll hurt like hell, but that doesn't mean a disregard or a non attempt to try and sooth the blow.

Despite varying screen times that's grossly unbalanced for most of the cast, director Hitoshi Ohne didn't for once deceive what would be his focus of the story, that of Yukiyo and his quest to pursue Miyuki, with the rest being little but padding to boast his Moteki influence which I felt wasn't really too strong to begin with. It just showed that so long as we open ourselves up in our social lives we may strike jackpot one day, but truly that's more fantasy than reality, and fantasy is how this movie got played out and made. Key milestones and moments in the film got marked with music videos, with characters especially Miyuki branching off into song and dance quite like any typical Bollywood masala film, or the movie will turn into a cheesy Karaoke video complete with sing along lyrics if you read Japanese. It's a great showcase for Japanese music and for the musicians and the bands to be showcased, especially if you're into J-Pop.

But alas those looking for a downright comedy from beginning to end may be a little bit disappointed. It started off with rip-roaring intent, before deciding to shift gears and find itself embattled in romantic melodrama from the mid way point. After all, isn't that how the trajectory of romances usually follow, with the initial spark shooting emotions to a high, before finally finding a plateau and evens out the enthusiasm, with what's core left to sustain a relationship through even the most mundane of times. For that, and for Masami Nagasawa's return to the big screen here and her pairing opposite Mirai Moriyama, makes Love Strikes! a recommended affair.

The Soul of Bread (愛的麵包魂 / Ai De Mian Bao Hun)

Beware the Foreign Talent!

Thanks to You Are The Apple of My Eye, Taiwanese actress Michelle Chen has sprung into idol superstardom in this part of the world, the goddess in the eye of many male fans. Her first film since that phenomenal Giddens Ko semi-autobiography, The Soul of Bread will be her litmus test if she can draw in a sizable crowd of supporters on her own, but this light hearted romantic comedy doesn't anchor a strong storyline, relying on a plot that's fairly derivative though in some ways, relevant and identifiable with audiences here given that it centers around the key theme of competition, globally.

Set in a small Taiwanese town, the film centers around a family run bread bakery shop, where lead baker Gao Bing (Chen Han Tien) proposes to his long time girlfriend Ping (Michelle Chen), the daughter of his mentor, only for her to turn him down for his lack of couth and sincerity in proposing to her. Being given some time to mull over the proposal, things become complicated when Frenchman and renowned bread maker Brad (Anthony Neely) comes knocking at their door when he skips his fame and fortune to the exasperation of his fans in the Western baking world, retracing the steps that his late mom had taken, and becoming instantly smitten with Ping, and volunteers to learn some bakery skills after Ping's father (Liao Chun), who obliges for the gift of an expensive saxophone that he can use to show off amongst his band peers in the community club.

That's about the gist of the story, leading into a tussling romantic triangle between Ping, Gao Bing and Brad, with the choice firmly in the lady's hands. Directors Sean Kao and Lin Chun Yang adapts from their television series of the same name, and took their time to set up the multiple backgrounds for each of the main characters. With Ping, she yearns to go to Paris and is adamant in learning French for this purpose. She's the quintessential small town girl yearning for the bright lights of the big city, and Brad's presence only serves to stoke that flame of flight in her. As for Gao Bing, he's the small town boy with immense responsibilities that he's not about to give up on, and while he loves his lady, he finds it extremely tough to express that love explicitly and romantically, preferring to hide behind his gruff exterior. And Brad's the complete opposite, never fearing to reveal his emotions, and takes the town by storm with his good looks and baking skills, which reinvigorates the sleepy town. He's a little bit more complex, having come across with a mission to seek his maternal roots, before slowly allowing his true self to emerge, which may irk some fans because it's quite the about turn in character.

As always, comedy ensues each time someone goes overboard in expressing themselves, while Ping's father and brother almost stole the show with their extremely down to earth portrayal of simple folk with simple pleasures in life. The filmmakers went for the jugular to expand the storyline beyond the romantic triangle, such as introducing another budding romance potential between Ping's brother and the neighbourhood policewoman, that didn't get flesh out thoroughly, and another wasted opportunity was the hilarious dream sequences that Gao Bing will lapse into each time he tastes something that provides an inspiration, leading to ensemble song and dance moments that were top notch in choreography and slapstick. Even the rivalry in having a cook-off between the two bakers to the tune of Le Grand Chef was not as epic as meant to be, with moments in the film dedicated to delicious close ups of dough creations that boggle the mind and plays tricks on one's tastebuds and stomach,

Michelle Chen does what she does best, being that girl next door with that wholesome heart and image that any guy out there would want to pursue and bring home to meet mom. She plays the confused, hesitant Ping to perfection, with that amount of saccharine sweetness bound to melt more hearts than her turn in Giddens' film. But such is the role that it doesn't challenge her nor showcase expanded abilities, so here's waiting to see what her next project will be, if she would break away from a comfort zone and take on a role that's more challenging. Chen Han Tien doesn't have that movie matinee star looks, but possesses this earnestness in his charisma that simply allowed one to empathize how he's slowly losing grip on his life due to competition, where once he was the town's hero, and that status under threat, while Anthony Neely plays his Brad with the overt confidence that comes with the role of an internationally renowned baker, but prone to emotional outbursts later on especially when riled by Gao Bing, together with a revelation of true intent that tied in with his seeking out the bread that his mom had once fallen in favour with.

But perhaps what's most strikingly close to us here is the film's examination on the impact of globalization. One cannot deny the anxiety felt by many here with regards to the import of foreign talent, and this film surprisingly addresses that issue quite head on, with Brad epitomizing talent from overseas who doesn't think twice about sinking his roots here, albeit temporarily only, in order to take over jobs, introduce fresh ideas, and to woo the land's beautiful women. And he makes it quite clear about that too. And the simple girl's getting swept off her feet by promises (of Paris), and romance, and having to choose between a local who's bogged down by various responsibilities in family, friends and to keep the local shop going, and that of an overseas dude who's loaded (check out that BMW) and is a television personality with his own programme, and fairly carefree in order to spend significant time in wooing. This film should gain some traction and interest especially when offering a little escapism as to who she'll end up with, either to stroke that nationalistic pride, or become a quitter.

Despite plot loopholes abound especially with the liberal massaging of timeline, perhaps the worst thing that had happened to the film in Singapore, is the unfortunate, and badly done, Mandarin dubbing over the Taiwanese Hokkien lines especially spoken by Gao Bing and his mentor/Ping's father. It's one thing when an obvious dub is used over an entire line, and another issue altogether which points to disrespect and an insult to a paying audience when such poor dubs make it as and when it's preferred, often mid sentence, to try and mask out vulgarities, or to reduce the duration of non-Mandarin moments in the movie. It's an irrational, archaic guideline that has no place in art appreciation, nor appreciation in the way real people in the real world speak, so I say the sooner we learn to grow up and stop this nonsense, the better. You don't ask a friend from Taiwan to speak strictly Mandarin at all times when in Singapore, or to stick within a time quota, do you?

21 Jump Street

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Bro

Mention 21 Jump Street, and for anyone knowing anything about the popular 80-90s television series, the name Johnny Depp will automatically spring to mind, being synonymous with the series that propelled him into the consciousness of fans everywhere. With Hollywood constantly digging deep into its past and remaking films or adapting television series into films, and often to mixed results, it's little wonder what confidence there was with Jonah Hill's signalled interest in spearheading this, but frankly, he did such a great job with it that it's one of the more intelligent remakes out there since, well, the re-imagining of Star Trek, and probably one of the best buddy cop comedies since The Other Guys, and maybe even Hot Fuzz itself, the latter being my benchmark as the best in the last decade for its many film references, and being genuinely funny without trying too hard.

It's looking like a trend now with animated film directors diving into making live action features, with Brad Bird sucessfully taking the Mission: Impossible series to new heights, while Andrew Stanton struggled to make the century old John Carter interesting and relevant. Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who were responsible for the film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, brought the same enthusiasm felt from that animated feature into a series based on a premise that served as the inspiration for other films in film industries from Hong Kong's Fight Back to School, to India's Main Hoon Na by Farah Khan, and made it a pure entertaining ride from start to end. There was fine balance between the serious and the slapstick, and they just knew when to pull back rather than letting a running joke run stale. Things were kept simple, sticking to the well established background where youthful looking cops get into a police programme for undercover investigations into teen crimes, with the titular address being a church used as a front that the law enforcers operate from.

And much of the credit goes to Michael Bacall and Jonah Hill's solid story, where they successfully interpreted the spirit of the television series, and updated it for a one-time (or perhaps more if this is successful) feature film. Keeping to the premise without trying too smart to deviate from it, and with tons of self-deprecating humour (the direct jab at Hollywood's lack of creativity is spot on and such a blast), the first few minutes had established what the new 21 Jump Street would stand for - humor and cliches delivered absolutely right that they still packed quite a punch. We're introduced to the new partners of Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum), opposites in character, one time high school fiends and playing off each other's strengths in their new careers, getting assigned to a high school to sniff out a drug ring which they then have to infiltrate the dealer network in order to get to the supplier. Sounds simple, if not for their covers being accidentally mixed up, that they relive the nightmare of high school all over again, with Schmidt being mistaken for the hunkier of the duo, and Jenko being thought off as the jarhead nerd. The standard comedy of errors ensues, from infatuated school teachers to a rip-roaring sequence when the duo had to convince that they are indeed druggies, subjected to the multi-stage after effects of the lethal HFS drug as it is called, complete with condom-like packaging and cute looking logo that says it all.

References to other films, especially police and crime ones, were many, and hilarious, and the film doesn't take itself too seriously, preferring a fairly straightforward plot in order not to lose the audience through twists that stories these days just like to pile upon. Comedy also came from both Tatum and Hill playing with and against type simultaneously in their characters, with toilet humour rearing its head every now and then since Jonah Hill probably couldn't resist and succumbed to temptation to sneak in a couple. Vulgarities got used liberally and surprisingly doesn't come off as contrived efforts to elicit laughter, with Ice Cube playing it like a boss as Captain Dickson, the supervising detective at the helm of this revived police unit. Best of all there's still time for Jenko to get to know the new age nerds and get chummy with them - though I suspect there could have been more material here that had to give way, and for Schmidt to enter into a romance with fellow student Molly (Brie Larson). Dave Franco rounds up the recognizable cast given his doppelganger resemblance to older brother James Franco, playing a rich high school kid that I'd swear suggested at brotherly romance each time he gazes at Tatum's resident hunk.

But the best thing in the film, other than the plot, is the chemistry shared between Hill and Tatum. It was clear that since Hill co-wrote the story, there was more focus on his character of Schmidt and his journey to come out of the shell and build some self-esteem, versus Jenko having to learn what it's like being the bullied rather than the bully, and becoming exposed as being a dumb jock at every turn, if not for his sense of loyalty to build upon. But when put together, they play off each other so well that you'll clamour for more of their screen time together, rather than going off on their separate objectives in the same mission. With heavy hints at bromance, this film probably won't be as successful without both playing outside of their stereotype, put in situations that milked this camaraderie to the maximum, challenging cliches which inevitably exist in the genre. I couldn't imagine any other two actors who can pull off what they managed to do with the film's premise and material.

There's a much talked about cameo that happened, and fans of 21 Jump Street will probably acknowledge the attempts at closure for the television series, and the high-five passing of the baton to the new film version. It's a surprise package, surpassing what would be everyone's mediocre expectations of the film, only to come off pleasantly pleased at solid, mass entertainment. Highly recommended!

Trespass

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

A suspense thriller that had all elements of suspense sucked dry from its soul. Just how Joel Schumacher can direct Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman into 90 minutes of bore is beyond me, although Karl Gajdusek's story is extremely flimsy to begin with. There are countless of storylines involving infiltration of the home or a room by unnamed hoodlums, and usually they put you at the edge of your seat, rooting for the victims to somehow break free from captivity despite insurmountable odds stacked up against them. That's part of the fun especially when all avenues of hope seem to be extinguished one at a time.

But the direction here is pretty mundane, and lacks that bit to excite you. And to cap things off, there are so many plot loopholes, illogical development and just about plain horrid scenes that Trespass should have done will if it started to treat itself less seriously, and contemplate being a slapstick comedy. The villains assembled here have got to be the worst ever assembled for an infiltration job, without any clear leadership, and everyone running their own separate agendas which contradict that of their main objective, which happen to change constantly depending on mood. It started off with diamonds, then money, then kidneys, before deciding that it's diamonds, then money again. Make up your mind, people!

No acting accolades are expected here, with Cage and Kidman both able to sleepwalk through their roles - Cage shows glimpses of his motormouth, while Kidman spends half the time yelling at someone. The robbers have their mask to thank for hiding most of their emotions so that they need not act. And seriously the only positive takeaways from this movie, is for real life wannabe robbers to learn from their cinematic peers on just how not to run a robbery in the manner shown in the film, because it doesn't make any logical sense, and even for a movie, it's methods employed pointing toward an epic fail.

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

[DVD] Life Before Death (2012)

It cannot be more true that Death is that final life experience that everyone will eventually have to go through. But how will one face Death whether writhing in pain because of an inflicted illness, or depending on any discussion point that floats your boat, from religion to karma to just accepting and coming to terms with the condition that life decides to dish out, is something I'm sure we'd think about once in a blue moon, perhaps more so as we age. But one thing's for sure, if one can avoid pain during one's life, we'd sure want to be able to avoid pain and suffering before we bid adeau to this world, and leave peacefully and with some dignity intact.

Life Before Death may sound morbid given its title, and dealing with a subject matter that few of us would like to think about, but this documentary, written and directed by Mike Hill, is one fascinating yet a sobering stark reminder that more can be done in terms of palliative care and services. Given the modernization of our public and private health sectors here over the last 50 years, this is one area that should be given a second look at, and not only in Singapore, but for medical practitioners, politicians with their policies and even pharmaceutical companies with their shiny mission statements, in the rest of the world as well. There's nothing morbid about the film's presentation at its cold, hard look through the opinions and knowledge of its interview subjects, ranging from experts in the medical field right to the nurse and patient level, each providing their respective points of view in talking heads style, interspersed with images taken from the film's journey across 11 countries.

It deals with the issue of pain control and the global crisis of untreated pain, that pain is treatable but seldom addressed even with the means available to. Opioids, a key ingredient to combat pain, aren't always as freely available as we think they would, and should be, in helping patients obtain a better quality end of life, given their inherent double-edgedness, whether for medicinal purposes or misused and abused, with opponents more than willing to dwell on the latter instead of focusing on the positives. The documentary presents its argument through a wide spectrum of topics surrounding palliative care and the elevation, or even elimination of pain for sufferers of terminal illness, and cast its net wide for a variety of interview subjects from the housing estates in Singapore to the far reaches of Uganda in Africa, dealing with the same issue that impacts both the developed world at the forefront of medicine, and those that have to rely on very rudimentary tools of the trade, such as the travelling physician in India.

We get to see and even feel the pain that get shared through narrative anecdotes, and wonder why more couldn't be done given the state of modern medical science. If a simple deep prick in the skin can cause us irritation, imagine the level of discomfort some radiating, chronic pain that's internal can cause us, being more than an irritant but something more crippling, and this in turn affects our quality of life, spiraling it downwards, and worse, with hysteria and depression settling in. These are avoidable, but the documentary addresses the issues that prevent or serve as road blocks to the accessibility of Opioids as a treatment, for various reasons, each differing in varying parts of the world. With a contrast between those with access to pain relievers, and those who don't, the answer is crystal clear how one would like to face and deal with pain head on.

Launched by the Lien Foundation here in Singapore in early 2012, the focus of the film helps to spotlight how Opioids and Palliative Medicine can help pain sufferers to alleviate crippling pain, and allow them to function almost as per normal without their sensors going into overdrive not thanks to untreated pain. And from the testaments, one will witness how those who suffer from the most horrid of diseases, may reclaim some form of dignity and quality in their daily lives and routines. The initiative here is to advance eldercare and advocate better care of the dying, and to drive a greater public awareness about end of life issues in Singapore as our population ages. Bear witness to the issues and the solution readily available, and hopefully all of us do have a universal right to pain control. Extremely informative and thought provocative, do not pass up on Life Before Death when you have the chance!

For more details, do visit www.treatthepain.com and www.lifebeforedeath.com, and the film's website here.

The Region Free Special Edition Two Disc Box Set of Life Before Death presents the film proper in anamorphic widescreen format in the first disc, with audio available in either English Dolby Digital 5.1 or 2.0. There are many languages included in its subtitle offering to reach out to as many people as possible - English, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, French, Chinese, Romanian, Vietnamese, Hungarian, Czech and German. Besides the main feature, there's also the 55 minutes version meant for that hour long time slot for television. Extras on Disc One include the Theatrical Trailer (3:25), Teaser 1 (2:10) and Teaser 2 (2:07), in addition to David Suchet: A Humanitarian Cause (2:15), a short clip featuring the narrator of the film to promote the cause to live well and die better, and another short clip called Adam Starr: Movie Soundtrack (2:31) which features the musician who did the score and had him talking about the film as well.

Disc Two contains a total of 35 short films being the companion content to the film, made up of interview pieces categorized into different sections, each dealing with an area covered in the film, such as Pain, Pain Crisis, Medical Education, Palliative Care, Death & Dying, End of Life, and Advocacy. Some made it into the feature, while most included provided a more holistic look at the various issues from the panel of specialists engaged for the film, making this a definite must watch.

[South East Asian Film Festival] The Collector (收烂数) Q&A

The South East Asian Film Festival managed to score a coup with the World Premiere screening of James Lee's The Collector, and had invited the Malaysian writer-director and Singaporean lead actor Sunny Pang for a post-screening discussion, moderated by festival curator and film critic Philip Cheah. For those who have missed that informative session, here's how it went:


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You can read my review of the film here.

[South East Asian Film Festival] The Collector (收烂数 / Sau Lan Sou) (World Premiere)

Round 1, Fight!

James Lee is no stranger to Singapore, having his films featured in various editions of the Singapore International Film Festival, such that this little island has the honour of hosting the World Premiere of one of his latest films, The Collector, featuring his nth collaboration with Singapore's evergreen stuntman/martial artist/actor Sunny Pang, in movies like James' indie art house effort Call If You Need Me, and more commercial fare such as Petaling Street Warriors (co-directed with Sampson Yuen), Claypot Curry Killers, and with their creative camaraderie reaching new heights, a number of future projects to come.

Like James' Help! My Girlfriend is a Vampire, The Collector pays that 80s homage to Hong Kong films, with the former being that dabbling with the mainstream horror-comedy genre filled with none-too-scary ghouls, this film is firmly set within the nostalgic look back into the martial-arts action genre, full of stock cardboard but fun characters peppering the landscapes as nameless goons, all contributing as fodder for our protagonist, Sunny (Sunny Pang) to beat up, before he and his gang meet up with more formidable mini-boss opponents. And you know you're in good company from scenes of old when one on ones seem to take place in abandoned warehouses and other familiar locales such as dimly lit streets with time suspended as the focus flits from one fight arena to another.

But Sunny defers to using violence only at the last resort, usually when the debtors try to default on their loans and send their fellow supporters, hoodlums and friends to outnumber and intimidate Sunny and his usual partner Mohan (Ramana Mohan). Being the friendly neighbourhood debt collector, they have their fair share of networks to tap on when their latest mission sees Sunny taking pity on Ah Yuen (Nigel Kok), the kid who got abandoned by his dad Ah Niu (Jack Lim), who became elusive not only from Sunny but from another gang with whom he owes money to. Forewarned by a fortune teller about his demise should he not perform a good deed, Sunny takes it upon himself to protect the kid from his rivals who are intent on making Ah Yuen a collateral until his dad turns up, much to the frustration of his live in girlfriend (Yeo Yann Yann), a frequent gambling tai-tai who cannot stand children.

It's easy to state that the story is just an excuse for the filmmakers and actors to weave their action scenes together, but I suppose James Lee won't have it so that at the very least his main character does come off as a little bit more three dimensional. His Sunny is like an anti-hero who doesn't fear in garnering support from both sides of the law, being the enforcer type to his boss (played by Patrick Teoh) and an informant of sorts to Inspector Lim (Chew Kin Wah) of the Royal Malaysian Police Force. And despite his rather gruff exterior, he's all soft and fuzzy inside when alone with his lady love, trying his darnest best to persuade her to marry him and start a family together, which will of course serve as his exit strategy from his current career path.

The Collector is almost like a companion to his earlier arthouse work Call If You Need Me, which marked Sunny Pang's first collaboration with James, and yes, playing a debt collector as well, with a similar character look and design. But the earlier film was a lot more darker in nature, and an atmospheric, moody piece compared to this one which had its fair share of gaudy costumes, over the top characters, and humour, which can be dark as well as slapstick. But let's face it, we're interested in this because of the choreographed fights, and The Collector delivers with a slew of action scenes that varied themselves from the exponents and their signature styles and moves.

It was a number of years back where Sunny Pang was slated to star in a film called Knife, but for unknown reasons that film never took off beyond the pre-production stage. A master knife user, audiences will get a glimpse of his skill set here in a scene, before Sunny relies on pretty much Mixed Martial Arts to get the job done when up against formidable exponents. It's almost no holds barred in the fight design, with stunts and fisticuffs designed by Kenny Wong (who also made a cameo appearance as Master Wai), and best of all, featured other practitioners who just bump up the realism factor. There's Ian Yussuf who's the de-facto final boss tough guy who gets to go on an extended romp against Sunny, and despite some editing which cut a little way too late, it was worthy of how exciting final fights can be, with objects on set getting in the way of punches, kicks and throws.

I liked how Sunny isn't always alone, and James Lee spiced things up to provide a larger cast of fighters with the introduction of fellow collector Michael (Michael Chin - note how even the character's names follow the actors who play them, just like how HK does it in the 80s), who serves up his brand of wushu, holding his own especially in many scenes designed to even at times overshadow what Sunny can do, and got an earlier mano-a-mano of his own opposite rival Tai, played by Pooi Fook Chien who was also in another Malaysian kung-fu flick from last year known as Fist of Dragon in which he played one of the villains. This assembly of real life martial artists made the fights look a lot more real with the actors really having a go at each other, with stunt folk making up the rest to provide one heck of a battle after battle, even if at times it's lop-sided knowing how the outcome will turn out to be.

Like another Singapore actor Aaron Aziz who had made his name in Malaysia starring in the blockbuster hit KL Gangster, Sunny Pang looks set to follow in that footsteps in becoming a household name up north with a planned series of commercial, action based films, both in front of and behind the camera. It's a pity about the lack of such genre opportunities in Singapore, but I suppose with another James Lee helmed film coming up in this area together with Sunny who would go behind the scenes as choreographer, fans in this region should have something to look forward to. Watch out Gareth Evans-Iko Uwais, James Lee-Sunny Pang are just warming up!

A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader Az Simin)

We Want to Separate

This newly minted Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film had already been making the rounds at the festival circuit before its American accolade, picking up a slew of awards along the way. Its win undoubtedly piqued keen interest in the film given the praise lavished upon it by critics and film circles, with screenings here being nothing but full houses. And it's little wonder that A Separation, written and directed by Iranian Asghar Farhadi, is gaining traction and becoming the film darling of many, since it props up Man at our worst behaviour, and is very much an honest reflection of our deep down, inherent propensity to cover ass, in our own little perspective prism that we try to impose onto others, especially when we're backed against the proverbial wall.

You should already know a little bit about the much talked about film by now, with a storyline that's fairly straightforward, betraying little of its layered statements about life, the relationships we keep as well as our individual survival instinct striving to be the fittest in the jungle, coupled with the self motivated, selfish interests we pursue, and all these performed regardless of age, gender or culture. It's what makes us human, flaws, warts and all, that A Separation transcends beyond its celluloid shelf life, and lives on, way past its closing credits, putting up a mirror in front of ourselves, that we see similar values and intrinsic human behaviour that transcends country, language and race, to show how basic and common we humans behave no matter where we are.

It starts with an impending divorce, where we face the couple Nader (Peyman Moadi) and Simin (Leila Hatami) squarely, and learn that their matrimonial life is on the rocks. She wants a divorce given that her husband doesn't want to uproot the family and live overseas in order to provide for a better life for their daughter Termeh (Sarina Farhadi). He on the other hand finds this demand quite unreasonable, given his father (Ali-Asghar Shahbazi) suffering from severe Alzheimer's Disease, and he being the filial son having to care for a parent who had brought him up and nurtured him. Things don't improve in this very long take, with voices escalating and each side relentless in their stressing upon their respective points of view, that it results in a stalemate of sorts, lose-lose to all in what couldn't be a mediation done successfully.

Now with his wife moved out to live with his in-laws, Nader struggles with the daily chores, having to take care of a sick elderly as well as tend to the needs of a growing child, that he hires Razieh (Sareh Bayat) through a recommendation by Simin as domestic help, a woman who is deeply religious, and the first signs of cracks appear when she has to call up the religious authorities to find out if she can handle a man she's employed to look after. And the problems extend to her having a hot tempered husband to complicate matters, where Hodjat (Shahab Hosseini) is heavy in debt and his being jailed causes what would be the catalyst to a series of events involving his wife's continued employment in Nader's household, Nader's father wandering off because of her inattention, and Razieh being forced out of Nader's apartment by the latter when Nader discovers some ill treatment to his dad, ultimately resulting in a miscarriage suffered by Razieh that Hodjat soon escalates to the courts.

Much of what A Separation then deals with, is pretty unpleasant stuff. Unpleasant being that all characters start to rear their ugly head of self preservation, and we witness first hand a lesson on morality and ethics that Asghar Farhadi so brilliantly weaved into his screenplay, and direction that doesn't distract us from his casts' wonderful performances. We also witness, if this is to be believed and true, how the justice system works in Iran, where the magistrate more often than not makes some questionable requests for eyewitnesses, in a process that won't fly in many other courts around the world, since it is subjected to, and very open to corruption and compromise in very blatant ways, providing opportunity to the obstruction of justice or to cover up what would be the truth, meddling in it, and serving to confuse if necessary.

But just is how the Truth is defined, is also what makes A Separation such an ace. We don't get to see what the sequence of events is either, and have to rely on accounts by those involved, and other eyewitnesses present. We watch how society is really male dominated, and that certain professions give you an edge in being trustworthy, or how class also plays a part in the decision making process. If you're of reputation, chances are your account will hold more weight, and the converse is true as well. If anything, it is a very pointed argument and case made against how things operate in country, and a call for change since the audience is forced into also making the same decisions based on information, and misinformation that permeates through society, with every party being very conscious about how their account will have impact on the persons they are talking about, and worse of course if there's vested interest in the status quo of certain relationships. The truth becomes how you argue it, and how you define and defend your version, skewed naturally, against other versions thrown in your direction.

A Separation is not an easy film to sit through, because it is taxing as much as it is emotionally draining having to deal with so much negativity that the characters display. Everyone is constantly raising their voices to force their points across with arguments getting very long drawn out affairs, and you're bound to notice characteristics you see in others, as well as oneself, that makes it really uncomfortable for cutting so close to home. But Asghar Farhadi forces you to acknowledge the truth in our selves, and by and large A Separation is a very well made film for its solid production, ending it in the best way possible and that's to be open for discussion and discourse. It requires patience and endurance, and is recommended stuff!

Kahaani

Let's Go Find Your Husband

Vidya Balan does it again, headlining a solidly crafted drama cum thriller that proved to be a surprise package with a narrative punch. It's edgy and gritty, with wonderful characters and flawless performances, engaging and burying the audience deep within an intense, intriguing investigations that evolved into plenty of irony, complete with melodrama, comedy and action. Suffice to say that it's early in the year, but Kahaani becomes the first off the blocks to be shortlisted as one of the best so far this year.

The film begins in 2008, where we bear witness to an unnamed man whose identity is hidden behind a gas mask, experimenting with a lethal chemical gas on lab rats, before we get to the city of Kolkata where the same weapon of mass destruction got used in a terrorist attack on a subway train that unfortunately wasn't stopped in time. This almost stand-alone setup and prologue will keep you guessing its significance to its story, since the film continues two years later, where Balan's Mrs Vidya Bagchi arrives in the same Indian city from London in search of her husband Arnab (Abir Chatterjee), who as a software engineer worked at the National Data Centre and maintained daily contact until his sudden disappearance two weeks before, with the uncharacteristic cessation of contact prompting his wife to travel thousands of miles to look for him.

Worried, the heavily pregnant Vidya heads straight to the local police to file a missing persons report, and from there starts to visit some of the regular joints her husband could have been in, including his hotel room which had absolutely no traces of the man, nor with people she encountered at those places having any recollection of having seen him, based on their hastily taken matrimonial photo. Assisted by policeman Rana (Parambrata Chaterjee), a slight, mild mannered cop, they soon stumble upon an investigative web filled with unanswered mysteries, and a bewildering suggestion that her husband may not be who he had claimed to be all along. The name Milan Damji gets floated about, a government agent in the mould of Jason Bourne, who may hold the key to Arnab's disappearance, again with clues that he may be more than meets the eye, and at this point your imagination will start to run wild as to the myriad of possibilities the story written by Sujoy Ghosh could turn out.

Ghosh also takes on directing responsibilities, and he has crafted one heck of an engaging thriller amongst some of the best I've seen with scheming twists and carefully plotted turns involving government officials, beat cops, and Intelligence Bureau officers led by the non-compromising Khan (Nawazuddin Sidiqui), who epitomizes a no-nonsense approach with a willing streak to sacrifice pawns to nab the king. With Vijay pushing for the truth, a slew of bodies start turning up courtesy of a hired killer set loose to silence everyone she talks to, giving rise to that sense of danger and death at every wrong turn, it's a closely matched up cat and mouse game everyone seems to be playing against one another on both sides of the law, with Khan's questionable tactics giving rise to the propensity of collateral damage authorities are willing to suffer for the sake of the greater good.

But Ghosh also remembered to balance his superb thriller with emotional anchors, and does this brilliantly through his crafting and development of the protagonists Vijay and Rana, whom we journey together in their search for facts and truth. They play off each other's strengths like Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, with Rana's unassuming disposition balancing Vijay's sprightly nature and relentless determination, making this one of the best cop-civilian pairing I have ever seen as well, being all natural and therefore believable. Credit has to go to Vidya Balan for her sensitive portrayal as a woman hell bent on tracking down her loved one and seeking closure to the sudden mysteries in her life, and Parambrata Chaterjee for his portrayal of a man taking it upon himself to help, and unwittingly finding himself being attracted to and infatuated with someone he has sworn to protect as well. It is this forbidden attraction and romance that's underlying and brewing that he brings out well without going over the top, exhibiting loads of sentimentalism that worked wonders for their chemistry with each other.

Production values are top notch. I absolutely love the gorgeous city of Kolkata which I've seldom seen in Indian films, and here we weave in and out the crowded, bustling city area and into much laid back neighbourhoods, with a fantastic capture of very natural misc-en-scene being a lovely ode to the city, featuring its sights, sounds, people such as the working class from tea sellers to master craftsmen, and festivals. Production designers Kaushik Das and Subrata Barik ensured a very natural look and feel, while cinematographer Setu didn't impress me much with his shaky cam technique that had plagued too many Hollywood films he tried to emulate, but thankfully the second half of the film decided to ditch that misguided documentary feel for camera work that's more sustainable and traditional. The music by Clinton Cerejo and Shekhar Ravjiani worked extremely well in the background without bringing in too much attention to itself, nor do we have jarring breakaway musical interludes to blunt the storyline.

Such is how everything worked together to complement everything else in the making of the film, to churn out a result that's worthwhile of repeat viewings for clues that one may have missed the first time round. It's filmmaking and storytelling at its best, and even I was more than glad to have decided to watch this instead of postponing it. Kahaani propels itself into my shortlist as one of the best this year, and it is certainly highly recommended if you're desperately looking for an intelligent story, great performances, a film that went the whole nine yards in its desire to become a classic.

[Gala Premiere] Timeless Love (那个夏天 / Na Ge Xia Tian)

Timeless Love (那个夏天) is the latest local film to hit our shores, and there's no lack of a grand celebrations of sorts yesterday evening at The Lido Cineplex foyer to launch the premiere of the movie, filled with teenage stars who had their respective fans turn out in droves to lend their support. Probably the only sour note was the conspicuous absence of star Joshua Ang, who had lambasted the film and its co-director Dasmond Koh very publicly in the mass media. But that didn't sour the mood for the other co-director Lim Koong Hwee to mark this special occasion with another life milestone of his own, going down on one knee and proposing to his lady love.

Here's the entire proceedings:


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And after the festivities at the bustling foyer, the directors and cast also made their way to the Fans Hall for a quick introduction and greeting:



You can read my review of Timeless Love here.

Timeless Love (那个夏天 / Na Ge Xia Tian)

The Look of Disbelief

Be careful what you wish for. There are times when you'd look at the films coming out of Singapore, and wonder whether there is bandwidth for a wide genre of films, especially those that are more uplifting in nature. With the success of youth films, undoubtedly Giddens Ko's You Are The Apple of My Eye being one of the largest hits in recent years, one may think that Timeless Love may be it, a local film that features youthful characters who are not into gangs or getting into trouble with the law, but assembled to have fun with the sand and the sea.

Alas first time director and television personality Dasmond Koh, and his co-director Lim Koong Hwee, couldn't get Timeless Love to live up to its potential, finding itself firmly stuck in the sand and failing to feed on its inherent exuberance and youthful energy. Rather, it fed off the inexperience of youth since the film was an all round showcase of inexperience at all quarters, only for qualities of brashness, experimentation and boldness to do something different, becoming shining beacons for an otherwise lacklustre film that failed at the beginning with the lack of a solid, water-tight narrative.

The synopsis will read quite well, about a rich young boy called Morgan (Aloysius Pang) who inherited his family fortune with the passing of the grandmother - the younger spiritual version who pops up every now and then, played by Cynthia Ruby Wong - and discovers an old watch (Solvil et Titus product placement in full gear since watch shop City Chain has production credits) together with a lease of a resort island. With his best friend Sky (Xu Bin) in tow, who brought along Eden's ex-girlfriend Pepper (Josephine Chan) without permission, the trio journey to the said island and get acquainted with its youthful resort operators, the brother-sister team of Eden (Joshua Ang) and Xiao Wei (Kimberly Chia), who would hold the key to what their visitors would be seeking.

But first, with teenagers and their raging hormones, there's always room for romance, such as Sky's infatuation with Xiao Wei, and the triangle of affection between Morgan, Pepper and Eden, all finding their way into the storyline to contrast the love story of the present, with that of the past, involving a pair of watches, the island lease, and the inexplicable, painful separation which was never fully explored. Throw in some hasty subplots involving a shady real estate developer, a youthful photographer called Uri (Eugene Lim) and Morgan's servant (Michelle Tay) and son who get involved only to provide for some weak comedic moments, and this film had its hands full trying to resolve everything in a relatively short 80 odd minutes.

Which sadly it doesn't, and threw up a lot more questions that were left unanswered, or deliberately open-ended, which just didn't work given the lack of background and severe shortage of depth. In fact, there isn't much natural continuity, and character objectives became murky at best, and forgotten midpoint. Establishing shots and introductions were scant and thrown out the window, requiring plenty of frantic groping in the dark as to who the characters were as they appeared on screen. The story also had a scattered focus, which was a pity since if it had stuck to one primary focus it may just had pulled it off. But it decided to dwell on puppy romance, tough friendship and rivalry in the present brought on by gaming challenges, then flash-backed to the past that didn't bring out what could have been a essential and strong love story involving the grandparents to anchor emotions, and then deciding later on to include a spanner in the works to have the film turn into one terribly unsuccessful weepy.

One suspects that the film had probably been a lot more coherent if it was allowed a better length, but key omissions to link scenes and its hastily edited narrative became its bane, with the entire film and story feeling like they had been hastily and desperately sewn together with little thought about flow and pacing. There were shades of attempts to emulate the successful formula of sun-shiny films from the Japanese, Korean and even Taiwanese film industries, but alas what it had tried to do in spirit, didn't translate well to resemble the genre it had tried to live up to. The first sunken salvo fired was plot elements being conveniently utilized, and plot conveniences at every turn to make it all unbelievably coincidental, or worse, illogical.

But the other salvo fired that condemned the film to its depths, was the lack of an experienced cast to grab the weak narrative by the scruff of its neck and dragged it through with sheer powerful performances and chemistry within the ensemble to lift the film from its doldrums. For all the negative publicity surrounding this film's release with a very public spat between Joshua Ang and Dasmond Koh, in all honesty Joshua proved to be one of the most natural on screen given his experience and despite the material, standing out against a bunch of relative newcomers. Aloysius Pang is almost a dead ringer to Shawn Lee, Ang's frequent co-star in a number of Jack Neo films, and that worked to the film's advantage in having tapped onto its pseudo-established chemistry between the two male leads.

The camera fell in love with Kimberly Chia given her constant close ups, though wide angled shots didn't have an appropriate narrative to accompany her long walks from one side of the screen to the other, and the shift that passed off as character development was one of the highlights to showcase her acting range, only to have the mood torpedoed by Josephine Chan. The weakest link, Josephine was clearly regurgitating lines without emotion, making her character terribly artificial, and unbelievable that two boys would be fighting over her. She makes everyone else, including the cameos, look like multiple Oscar winners for acting. On the male side, Eugene Lim was a slight notch better than Josephine with his one-sided, forgettable caricature, while Xu Bin's light hearted role will be remembered for that less than muscularly tanned naked upper torso throughout the film. Cynthia Ruby Wang? Probably only had less than 10 minutes of screen time combined, in her own subplot that sadly got abandoned and unfulfilled.

Timeless Love is absolutely not timeless, and in all likelihood couldn't stand the test of time, though you cannot fault the all round optimism in embarking on a project that's experimental, not in the conventional film genre sense though, with misplaced belief in a fresh-faced cast and a first time director at the helm. Youths will develop over time and through growing experience, and so will the cast and crew hopefully learn from their effort here.

A Simple Life (桃姐 / Tao Jie)

Growing Old Together

Mention Andy Lau and Deanne Yip in a single breath, and memories of old Hong Kong classics such as The Truth and The Unwritten Law come to mind. Their most recent collaboration under Ann Hui's direction has brought about plenty of accolades, especially with Deanne's portrayal as the titular ma-jie who had served 4 generations of a family, and is now taking care of Andy Lau's Roger, a movie producer. But tables will be turned in A Simple Life where this one-directional care as seen early in the film, will reflect about the issues and challenges that face an aging population, as well as that from the care-giver.

And their sensitive portrayals make A Simple Life worth watching especially with loved ones, with identifiable themes and scenes bringing out a reflection that anyone in their respective shoes or sides would probably encounter - the elderly anticipating the inevitable, and the young balancing work and life while trying to provide for the best quality of life in the twilight years of a loved one, for someone who has seen to the needs and well-being of oneself. It's played out very simply despite an ensemble support cast made up of recognizable cameos from the film industry, undoubtedly lifting the sombre mood and to provide for slight referential comedy.

Lau and Yip share wonderful chemistry together, bringing to life their characters in extremely simple terms without unnecessary flash or flamboyance, relying on little gestures to tell of the immense respect and love each has for the other. The story also works remarkably despite having to branch off into the respective lives of the characters, one living in an old folks' home while the other constantly on the road for his movie career, and like in life, time is always reserved for loved ones, no matter how long or how short, so long as the time spent together is of quality. This is where this naturalness in its narrative stood out, where it doesn't have to tell all, and afforded varying durations to come in between scenes, at times days, sometimes weeks.

A simple film told in a straight-forward fashion can possess plenty of emotional undercurrents with the right cast, direction and a solid story to boot. A Simple Life definitely showed how there is so much beauty in simplicity.

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