All In Good Time

Surround Sound Ecstasy
Based on a play written by the late Bill Naughton, who wrote Alfie, All in Good Time may not seem like much with its East Meets East, West Meets West treatment by writer Ayub Khan-Din, where the usual clash of cultures and class rear its ugly head to disrupt the lives of its unfortunate victims. However, while this aspect of the story might seem a little cliche, it is the powerhouse performance put in by the leads that make this quite the surprise package, with a subplot coming out of almost nowhere to provide an unsuspecting sucker punch, in addition to crafting a fabulous father-son tale.

A good first third of the film centers around the wedding day and night of Atul Dutt (Reece Ritchie) and Vina Patel (Amara Karan), who got married at a sports club, to the pride of the Dutts - Eeshwar (Harish Patel) and Lopa (Meera Syal) to finally see their son get married. But Eeshwar, as the father of the household, somehow almost always desires to steal the thunder and the limelight, where in his chauvinistic ways, and state of drunkenness during the celebrations, we discover that he's quite overbearing as a father, and this adds a strain to an already estranged relationship with his son Atul. Things get worse when Atul and Vina's honeymoon plans go up in smoke, and have to put up living with his parents, where Eeshwar seemed to always get in the couple's way, and Atul's nerves, which in turn start to accentuate cracks in Atul and Vina's budding marriage.

This naturally does not bode well for the newlyweds, whose unconsummated marriage slowly becomes the talk of family members, and then that of the town, since nobody in any way would like their relationship to be under the scrutiny of both family and strangers. While there's a healthy dose of comedy coming from the clash of family values and expectations, there's also balance achieved in keeping it dramatic and emotional with a number of powerful scenes that examine relationships in closer detail. Harish Patel excelled in his role as the portly father who has to learn how to reconnect with his son, while Reece Ritchie provided that somewhat love-hate emotion that you'd love for him to buckle down and stand up for himself.

Directed by Nigel Cole, who was at the helm of films such as Made in Dagenham, he seemed to enjoy the contrast between the warm hues of the crammed interiors of the Dutts' home, and the larger, colder world outside that's ever ready to pounce on, or rumour monger against the family, especially with its three nosy neighbours down the streets of Bolton. Fans of Bollywood cinema will also have a field day in identify the multitude of posters and snippets of film on display since Atul works in a theatre as an assistant projectionist. But a typical Bollywood inspired film this is not, despite an all Indian cast, though it's easy for anyone to mistakenly identify this movie as such.

And what's likely to be missed or glossed over, is what would make the film for anyone. If you dismiss this as light entertainment, you're missing what would be a powerful suggestion that added a layer that's more than meets the eye, and so apt for post-film discussion. It deals with suggestions about why Eeshwar and Atul find it almost natural to disconnect, and handles with finesse the thought that the Patels have about Atul's sexuality. Without watching the film to its very end, it's easy to jump into the wrong conclusions, especially when Eeshwar defends himself against Lopa's account of their own marriage and honeymoon vis-a-vis that of their son's.

The ending's deliberately left ambiguous if you'd think about it carefully rather than to take it at face value, and even if the latter, there's already two sides to interpreting what had transpired. This little film, well acted and with a layered story, is what lifts this film beyond the colours and the celebrations, into something that's more powerful emotionally, with that cheeky glint in the eye for those who caught its subtleness. A definite recommendation, and it could be a surprise entry in my books as one of the best this year.

Ah Boys to Men: Part 1 (新兵正传 / Xin Bing Zheng Zhuan)

The New Malcolm
For 25 years, Michael Chiang's theatre play Army Daze was the poster boy that encompasses all things funny and memorable about the Singapore male citizen's rite of passage through National Service, that compulsory draft that see 18 year olds spend some 2 of the best years (from 2.5 years) of their lives in protecting the nation . And that spawned a graphic novel penned and illustrated by Chiang himself, as well as a film directed by Ong Keng Sen in 1996 that remained one of the highest grossing English language Singapore films. Now it seems that Jack Neo is adamant in crafting the quasi-update to Chiang's story, with more of the usual elements, characters, caricatures and jokes to celebrate the Singapore Armed Forces 45th anniversary through his two-parter movie Ah Boys to Men, which the title itself suggested a play on Army Daze's movie tagline From Real Blur to Real Men.

And Jack does it quite right, providing the all round entertainment for the masses that only Jack can for local audiences. I'm pretty sure some would still be distracted by the dalliances of the man, but honestly, put that aside, and judge this movie for what it is - mass entertainment that's funny as how I remembered my own Basic Military Training drill sergeant shout out classical gems of wisdom, though laced with a lot more vulgarities. You can find the usual director's faults, what with the product placements and all, although this time this got toned down to a certain degree and had tried to work its best into the plot, save for a strange accounting firm moment that appeared out of nowhere and was the most jarring of the lot. Roasted meat, coffee and mobile phone services all worked fine

Part 1 is almost documentary like, that charts the first few weeks of BMT where training is supposedly the most siong (tiring), where one gets to switch to a soldiering mindset, and learn the basics. It takes some getting used to of course, and herein lies plenty of opportunity for comedy, which Jack milks to perfection. Naturally, one cannot avoid comparing this effort to Army Daze, which is also centered around the same three months of initiation, with caricatures that you find in almost every army platoon, such as the ubiquitous Singapore Ah Beng, the drama kings (or queens!), the Siao On, the Mommy's Boy, and who can ever leave out the Chao Keng (idle), who would do his utmost not for his buddies or for the good for the platoon or company, but based on selfish reasons try his best to fall out from the training programme, praying for seemingly easier vocations such as the cook, clerk, driver or storeman.

Unlike Chiang's story that sees the journey of recruits primarily through the eyes of a mommy's boy Malcolm Png, who's more of a goody-two-shoes, Ah Boys to Men adopts the zero-to-hero formula, and has its protagonist as the unflattering Chao Keng, aptly named by switching the title around into Ken Chow (Joshua Tan). A spoilt brat who has just broken off from his girlfriend Amy (blogger Qiu Qiu in a bit role) but still trying his best to woo her back (seriously?). His background story is rooted on his mom (Irene Ang) trying to work her ways from doctors to Members of Parliament to get him deferred, or better yet, excused from two years of training, and further encouraged by his uncle (Wang Lei) to learn the ways of the idler. This goes contrary to the wishes of his dad (Richard Low) who encourages him to do his utmost to get into Officer Cadet School and pass out an officer of the armed forces. This bickering within family members is nothing new as a story telling device that Jack has almost always worked into from the earliest of his films, that on one hand criticizes and makes fun of the establishment, yet on the other reining itself like a General Paper argument.

And assembling Army Daze 2 is the set up of Ken Chow's platoon / section under Ninja Company in the Basic Military Training Camp in Pulau Tekong, which is very unlike the Pulau Tekong Camp that I have, and many others had, gone through our respective training, with the essential inclusion of scenes like the swearing of the oath, the bidding of farewell to family members, the kitting up, introduction to fellow mates and commanders, as well as one off events such as the issuance of one's primary weapon. To tell the many stories from the days of old and the beginning of the formation of the Army, where the earliest NS generation probably had it really bad, flashbacks got employed to recreate those urban legends of nightmarish stand by beds resulting in the carrying of furniture to the parade square, and drill sergeants who were truly terrifying and deaf. And camouflaging and CB Leaf, something that is quintessential of field camps, has survived generations, all encapsulated and fondly captured into the narrative of this installment.

Given a relatively fresh faced cast to take on the role of soldiers, I think Ah Boys to Men scored a coup here, in bringing out the best from its acting talent. Standing out would be Joshua Tan in the lead role, whose charisma on screen entices you to sympathize with his struggles of wanting to quit National Service, with the teaser for the next film that presents a totally different facet of the character. Wang Weiliang's Lobang is definitely going to be the crowd favourite, given some of the best lines in the film and being quite natural with his delivery - his character's introduction (the first time when he speaks), will have you laughing in tears. Then there's what I thought was a nod toward Army Daze's Malcolm Png (at least in the looks department) in having Maxi Lim star as Aloysious, the suck up in every platoon who thinks he's the best of the best, and Tosh Zhang (who also wrote and performed the theme song Recruit's Anthem) being the platoon sergeant everyone loves to hate, barking out orders with gusto, and likely to remind any army boy past and present of their own.

Given that this film had the backing of the Ministry of Defence, what better way to film this than to take the opportunity to play with the necessary toys, that have not made an appearance in local cinema? For the first twenty minutes, Jack plays his ace up his sleeve and showed hand with what would be something that hasn't been seen on Singapore's screens about Singapore, and that is its utter destruction in a fictional war scenario. The adversary is unknown of course, not wanting to offend anyone in our geography, and having an impossibly three turbine engined wave of enemy warplanes unleash a bombing fury on our island. The battle in the sky continues into the battle on the ground, where loads of CG (going by the credits, done by students and professional outfits) were used, with graphic scenes on the casualties of war. For a local film, this is probably as best as can be for now, and it wouldn't be just to compare quality here with that of multi-million dollar Hollywood productions that have a lot more resources and experience. However, It could have been grittier though, but bearing in mind this film probably needed its PG rating rather than something higher, having to recoup its investment in what would be one of the costliest films yet in Singapore.

Ah Boys to Men works because many people from all walks of life will remember things from it, whether it has something to do with BMT, the people that you meet, or even topical and social issues involving domestic workers that our current generation seem so reliant upon. It'll also give old soldiers like myself a glimpse into how times have changed, facilities upgraded, and how a lot more welfare is being put into the treatment of soldiers these days, much unlike the earlier generations, although the experience coming out of BMT/NS, will likely be common.

What made this a winner though, isn't the big budget involved to raise production values, or the military hardware on display. It's a small, but tremendously heartwarming and impactful scene that demonstrated how the family rallies around the NS boy who returns home for the weekend, for much needed and inevitable rest. That flashback scene, I'm very sure, is still valid today, and certainly identifiable by everyone who had gone through it. And that's probably the true meaning behind "for country, for family", because it is not just one person's that mobilized, but everyone else in supporting their loved one through this rite.

I can't wait for the second installment already. Watch this!

Pitch Perfect

Girl Power!
By the time the ending of Pitch Perfect rolls by, you can just about guess that one day, this will make it to the stage as a musical. After all, it has all the necessary ingredients for a more up close and personal experience, with a zero to hero story, great songs that can be changed each time it's staged (and keeping it fresh of course), and characters that are feel good, funny, with nary a villain just opponents battling it out for the top prize in a capella singing.

Directed by Jason Moore, who cut his teeth in Broadway and at the helm of his debut feature film, here's something that had the battle of tradition bubbling beneath it, dealing with adaptability to change rather than sticking with the old that can only get you so far at times. And it can be applicable to any field, because while it may be OK to embrace tradition, sometimes sticking to the same old doesn't produce results when others have already moved along with the times, and developed key changes to put them ahead.

For the Baden College Bellas, the all girl a capella group that finally made it to the finals of a competition amongst college peers, they literally choked up, and find a new school year being their year of redemption, if only they can recruit new blood. Leader Aubrey (Anna Camp) and her lieutenant Chloe (Brittany Snow) eventually do so, with a riff raff of college freshies who make it through the auditions, before finally find it an uphill battle to try and convince them to do things the original, strait-jacketed way. It's typical of a zero to hero that the Japanese have perfected in their similarly themed films, where a motley bunch have to unite to achieve a common goal, but having to battle internally first before they can do so with others, personified in their college rival, the all male team calling themselves Treble Makers.

Anna Kendrick has top billing for headlining the freshman group, starring as Beca, an aloof girl whose interest lies in mixing music and aspiring to become a club DJ. Skylar Astin gets thrown into the mix as the newcomer to the Treble Makers, who also tries his best to hit on Beca, if not for her rejection of his advances. Yes, this is as rote a development of a relationship between the two, especially when the Bellas have a sticky no-dating-of-Trebles rule that didn't make too much headway in the film.

While the many caricatures in the Bellas have some of the funniest lines and scenes, perhaps it is Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy who stood out the most, since she exhibited perfect comic timing with her performance, and is very much self-deprecating for the most parts. What's more, coupled with an awesome voice and great stage presence, she steals everyone's thunder in the movie, and is undoubtedly one of, if not, the favourite with everyone who had come to watch this. Her performance is probably the only thing you'll remember, besides the musical arrangements, days after you've watched this movie.

Loosely based on Mickey Rapkin's non fiction book of the same name, which had the writer spend significant time exploring the real world of college a capella singing, Pitch Perfect boasts an almost insightful look at the squabbles and rivalry amongst members, especially when ego and distractions come into play. The story has its usual college student angst, with laugh out loud comedy peppered all around that makes it fun especially when things aren't taken too seriously. But what made this movie about a capella singing work, is exactly a capella singing and the performances themselves. Credit goes to the music producers of Ed Boyer and Deke Sharon from real a capella communities to know just about what works, and what doesn't, and to design a formidable set list for the film, ranging from the bland (deliberate for the Bellas robotic, lacklustre show), to the mind-blowing mash up of genres that begs listening to.

Oh, and those who have not watched The Breakfast Club, too bad that this film will spoil it for you with the ending literally highlighted time and again. Pitch Perfect may not be perfect given a rather straight-forward narrative, but it's the showcase of songs, and individual performances, that makes it a champ. A definite recommendation!

Trouble with the Curve

Take Me Out To The Ball Game
It's been some time since Clint Eastwood was last seen in front of the camera in a film that he didn't have directorial responsibilities for. Known for the minimalist way in making his films, here his credits lie in producing, and focusing his energies on portraying the grumpy old man that his character Gus is, putting in a memorable performance which had Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake and John Goodman being able sparring partners to bring out the brilliance in Trouble with the Curve's characterization, set against the backdrop of the US Major League baseball drafting season.

It's OK if you don't have any clue about the game, because it's not a prerequisite to enjoying the movie. You just need to know the basics of the batter needing to connect with the pitcher's ball, as the film's game focus hinges on the promising young player Bo Gentry (Joe Massingill), who seems to be living up to the promise that got every club excited and talking about, save for Gus who needed to take a second, closer look as a baseball scout making recommendations for his club on who to sign when they're down the pecking order of say, the Boston Red Sox. It's old school versus new school that fantasy sports game players will find familiar, where players' statistics on a computer try to become the de facto method on player selection, trying hard to substitute the actual getting out there to closely scrutinize a player over a period of time over a series of games against a myriad of opposition.

Game aside, Trouble with the Curve, written by Randy Brown, is actually a father-daughter story, about the paths taken by either party on a route to reconciliation and reconnection, and this forms the emotional centre that is so powerful given its relevance as well to today's society. We feel that our aged parents are often too backward in today's society, and given their age, eventually we'd feel a moral sense of obligation and responsibility to live up to when they need our help, especially when a medical condition sets in. This may also mean taking some sabbatical from work, or trying hard to multi-task work-life issues, staying connected through modern technology, and plainly just juggle through life, work and personal expectations all thrown in the same direction. This is something anyone today can identify with, and one of the key aspects in the film that you'll connect and gravitate to.

For Gus, as a scout, having to slowly lose his sight means not being able to keenly observe the players he needs to for a recommendation. It's like a musician losing his hearing, or a chef losing his sense of taste. Being a stubborn man, much against good advice from everyone such as good friend and colleague Pete Klein (John Goodman), he sticks to his own ways, until Pete had to persuade Gus' hotshot lawyer daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) to spend some quality time with Gus just so that she can, in a way, take care of him and render assistance. After all, being brought up in the game, she's no pushover when it comes to any aspect of baseball.

The story arcs expand to include Mickey's own demons of being emotionally unavailable since she's married to her job, and on the verge of being made partner for the hard work and hours put into the firm. It's easy to pin the blame of being brought up without a parent and thinking economic and personal success is the only key to acceptance, and perhaps nail down the treatment of modern day relationships where people can be physically together, but not connecting on an emotional level. Justin Timberlake stars as the obvious game changer to Mickey as Johnny, a one time red hot pitcher until an injury permanently ruled him out of the game. Now trying his luck as a scout / punter wannabe, he too reconnects with Gus, given that the latter had scouted him before, and some of the best scenes in the movie consist of a combination of any of the trio, if not all of them, sharing the screen together.

Randy Brown's story is sharp and full of subtle humour, self-deprecating at times, which suits Eastwood's style really well, since he flits his voice from edgy to whispers, or getting it just right through grunts of disapproval. It's remarkable for his age that Eastwood is still very much involved in filmmaking and acting, producing a fantastic filmography in recent years, and like wine, is vintage with age. I blame Man of Steel that kept me thinking how Amy Adams would be like as Lois Lane here, since her character is truly a go-getter in the corporate world, while Justin Timberlake just showed that he's growing from strength to strength as a serious actor despite actually coming into the limelight as part of a 90s boy band. Those of us old enough to remember Robert Patrick will see him in new light here as a slimy baseball club executive who thinks he's too smart for others, while John Goodman rounds up the ensemble cast that's full of gravitas for this drama to work.

The ending might be a little bit of a fairy tale, but I suppose this is the season for feel good movies to come light that little hope at the end of the tunnel. It deals with the feeling of having some good shine out of what may seem like a hopeless, lose-lose situation the characters find themselves in, so some may fault it for its convenient wrap. Still, I'd highly recommend it for its all round good performances that brought out the realities and challenges in relationships of today.

Bait

Man Vs Shark
I was a little bit surprised when I saw the credits open with China's state censor board, thinking whether I had actually stumbled into the wrong cinema hall, until logos from both the Australian production companies involved, and Singapore's chief censor MDA came on, that I was assured this was indeed Bait, the film which had garnered some traction in the news once upon a time for its landmark deal inking and Singapore's involvement in a 3D movie. If I recall correctly some bits and pieces were screened during last year's inaugural ScreenSingapore, and it was only last 1-2 weeks that the film finally hit our shores in a theatrical release, in both 3D and 2D formats. But I suppose local distribution aren't too confident about its chances, and for the first time dangled equal ticket pricing for both the 3D and 2D versions.

Set in Australia's Gold Coast for the most parts other than a very brief, almost needless scene set in Beijing (it could have just been the second or third unit picking up some landscape shots), this could well be a print meant for Chinese cinemas, since locations got introduced using Chinese titles instead, and the Mandarin language here had gone undubbed, and weren't subtitled for the few lines spoken. And with MDA's involvement, we managed to have China born Mediacorp actor Qi Yuwu, who had a good run with roles in many Mediacorp Raintree regional / joint co-productions, and Adrian Pang's character Jessup, a supermarket manager whose character fits right at home with the kiasi/kiasu attitude.

The premise is almost ludicrous if you'd think about it, where a freak tsunami washes up on shore, and puts water everywhere around town. Our motley crew of protagonist caricatures in and around a supermarket, find themselves trapped with water, water everywhere, and two great white sharks, swimming around and waiting for anyone to drop in the water and become mid day snack. They try to escape, while the sharks lie in waiting, and that just about sums up the entire plot.

Directed by Australian Kimble Rendall, Bait seemed to be void of genuine ideas, instead relying very much on uninteresting twists and schemes that the motley crew of people, ranging from fathers to lifeguards, can come up with. This despite having no less than six writers being involved in the story, and they couldn't conjure something interesting nor original. After all, there are countless of shark attack related movies out there, and one is in need of something solid to take the story forward, with Rendall doing all he can to try and ramp up anticipation and excitement. Some ideas of escape and planning that the characters come up with, are plot loopholes themselves, and become laughable at each passing minute, except when one by one the relatively low body count begin to pile up.

The shark CG is obvious, and had relied on some gory moments to try and shock and awe any jaded audience used to seeing bodies being mangled on screen by animals. Attempts at providing some emotional depth especially between the estranged relationship of leading characters Josh (Xavier Samuel) and Tina (Shami Vinson) was weak, with other characters ranging from a bimbo, to a shoplifter, all turned out to be relatively lightweight. In a tale of survival, this one throws up a couple of disgusting characters whom you'll definitely cheer on the side of the great white when they meet their just desserts. And just so you know, the best death sequence here happens to be that involving Adrian Pang, the one that got featured in the trailer.

It sure would be interesting to know what MDA's criteria was when it decided to actively back this project, besides speculating it thought that 3D was the way to go, and thought this could have been something of a standard action blockbuster. It's firmly B-grade material, with the 3D being focused on many gimmicky designs of having fishes and body parts hurl toward the screen in crimson red colour. Suitable only if one has time to burn on lazy weekend afternoons just to see how nature gets rid of less savoury people. In some ways it's fun and forgettable, so don't expect anything more.

Tai Chi Hero (太極2英雄崛起 / Tai Ji Zhi Ying Xiong Jue Qi)

Heroic Trio
I had such a blast with Tai Chi Zero, that I was really looking forward to the follow up for more of the zany presentation style adopted by Stephen Fung, to tell a Zero to Hero story of a martial arts protagonist. The first film had protagonist Yang Lu Chan (Jayden Yuan) finally being accepted into the Chen clan through a proxy marriage to Yu Niang (Angelababy), daughter of village chief Master Chen (Tony Leung Kar Fai), since he had assisted in the defeat of their common nemesis Fang Zijing (Eddie Peng), and saved Yu Niang's life, earning admiration and general gratefulness from the villagers.

But Tai Chi Hero didn't quite live up to expectations on many fronts, and became somewhat of a pale shadow that the first film had set up. Sure, the elements are there in Yang Lu Chan's ascension to become a martial arts great, having the fortune to understudy both his wife and father-in-law's renowned kung fu, learning both the physical aspects as well as the philosophy behind the techniques. But it seemed that Stephen Fung had probably gone all out with the first installment, that the second one ran out of steam and suffered from a total burn out. I felt if this had been a trilogy then it wouldn't have to rely on an ending that was obviously so rushed that it ended at the drop of a hat, with story arcs miraculously closed with plenty of convenience poured in.

The fights, as choreographed by Sammo Hung, weren't as many nor as varied as the earlier film, given that Lu Chan is now battling using Tai Chi, and most of the mass battle sequences turned out to be a real blur, which is something of a cheat sheet escape from racking one's brains to come up with something innovative to wow an audience. One on one fights also became an impatient montage eager to get things over with, so the build up to the finale where Lu Chan has to battle against a few masters to get to the boss, became totally short-changed. Probably the only battle worth one's time and money here, is the test of skills between Lu Chan and a Bagua Zhang master (Yuen Biao) atop a series of kitchen panels reminiscence of the tabletop fight in Ip Man 2.

Perhaps the focus here was really more on the relationship between father and son, in Master Chen's estranged relationship with his prodigal oldest child Zai Yang (Feng Shaofeng), who made a quick cameo appearance toward the end of Tai Chi Zero as some martial arts expert. As it turns out, Zai Yang was more of a character than Lu Chan was in this installment, playing up on his martial arts prowess and his engineering smarts that allowed for more of the fantastical steampunk elements, gadgets and vehicles to grace the screen once again. Zai Yang and his wife seem to be on a mission to usurp leadership of the village for some dastardly reason, and much of the film's more emotional portions come from this father-son relationship, rather than from Lu Chan-Yu Niang as newlyweds trying to make sense of their marriage of convenience.

Villain wise, Eddie Peng returns to snarl a lot more on screen as Zijing, this time relying on the backing of the British East India Company's backing for him to assume a minor governor's role so that he has access to cannons and troops to lead the annihilation of the Chen village. But isn't this something we've already seen, and repeating it just isn't quite worthwhile, especially the unceremonious manner in dealing with this character. There's no clear cut, strong villain that's in Tai Chi Hero, which in turn makes Lu Chan's ascension quite hollow.

So I guess the sum of both films put together, only unfortunately averages it out, which is a pity, given the very light hearted fashion the narrative got presented, and the many fun elements and comedy being peppered around. It could have been a lot more should the story here be more focused, just as how Lu Chan is consistently reminded to be when dealing with formidable exponents, and balanced its more philosophical, dramatic moments with its action sequences.

Butter

Finishing Touches
Never had I thought that butter, depending on which camp you subscribe to whether it's essential or harmful to the body, could become a premise for a feature length film. But it did, under the creative mind of writer Jason A. Micallef to weave an interesting story revolving around sex, power, wealth, and yes, butter. Butter carving that is, not Butter craving as misprinted in the promotional ads seen in newspapers here. And who knew that one can sustain a legacy just by carving out memorable scenes and famous characters from a slab of butter, which sort of begins the story of the husband and wife team of Bob PIckler (Ty Burell) and Laura Pickler (Jennifer Garner).

For the Picklers, theirs is a legacy within a small town in Iowa that has been closely linked to their small town fame and fortune. Which Bob got persuaded to give up and to allow others a chance at the title of best butter carving the next time round, much to the chagrin of Laura, who chides her henpecked husband at giving up their golden goose ticket that has sustained their lifestyle to date. Undeterred, here is a woman who is as nasty as she is beautiful on the outside, who decided to take things into her own hands, and whatever talent she lacked, she made up for it through sheer hard work to try and take back a title the husband had so willingly given up on.

Much of the film revolves around Garner's character, an uber bitch who is hypocritical and very much disliked, where even daughter Kaitlen (Ashley Greene) can't stand her ridiculous ways, and Bob looking for an outlet to express his frustration, much of it sexually as well, in the tattooed stripper Brooke Swinkowski (Olivia Wilde). And the subplot here is pretty interesting as it is hilarious where money owed from a transaction between Bob and Brooke developed into something a lot more explosive, which in any case Brooke is hell bent on getting back both on personal terms through a relationship with Kaitlen who strangely looks up toward Brooke as an outlet for rebellion and getting on her mother's nerves, and on the professional side by being the spanner in the same butter carving competition Laura competes in.

On the other hand, it's not all just the nastiness on display, but a sense of sweetness as well from the other major story arc involving the orphaned life of Destiny (Yara Shahidi), a young girl who has been bounced around foster homes, until she becomes the adopted daughter of Ethan Emmet (Rob Corddry) and Julie Emmet (Alicia Silverstone, yes it's been a while), a childless couple who is adamant in making things work with their new adopted charge. Destiny discovers having some artistic talent in butter carving, and with Ethan's encouragement, also enrols herself into, yes, the same butter carving contest, which now becomes more than just another small town competition, but develops into the melting pot of those seeking to further their hopes, dreams and even ambition.

What's very much fun here lies with the ensemble cast bringing out the quirky characters in this black comedy, where despite some being caricatures, are surprisingly engaging to begin with. Jennifer Garner leads the charge as she plays against type, taking up a role that's so negative, it's worth the ticket price just to see how far she would go in playing a character so vile, with a sly critique on politics and public figures.Then there's Alicia Silverstone playing a mum, which I suppose it's something quite inevitable in Hollywood terms once an actress hits a certain age and has a limited number of roles being on offer. Rob Corddry may be a familiar face in a number of cameo appearances in comedies, but I thought he had a solid role here as Destiny's adopted dad. And who would have expected Hugh Jackman to play a redneck car dealer salesperson who has a thing for Laura since high school, and was a hoot at playing a male bimbo, who stole every scene that he appeared in.

Directed by Jim Field Smmith, Butter is that silky smooth black comedy that is a pure guilt pleasure of a ride, very much different from his earlier feature directorial debut with She's Out of My League. It's smart, witty and has its cast largely playing against type, and revelling in their assigned roles. Highly recommended.

*****
In other news, I thought GV had an interesting promotion for this film, which I believe may be extended to other titles they may distribute in future. The ticket prices for the film are tiered, with the first 20 tickets priced lowest, and then progressively working its way upwards in sets of 10/20 tickets. May put pressure on those undecided to make a commitment to watch, thereby filling up the hall fairly quickly.

House at the End of the Street

You Know How This Will End
It almost always starts with a piece of real estate tagged to an incredibly hard to believe price, meaning dirt cheap for the kind of view it commands or the neighbourhood it is part of. Then of course there's a catch, since the place will probably be part of a crime scene, or the perfect confluence for the supernatural to come together to celebrate Halloween every night. The buyers themselves are either folks who are writers looking for inspiration, or turn out to be those looking to put behind their emotional baggage for a new life ahead. You will probably run out of fingers to count the number of movies made from the same mold in recent years.

Then you'll soon realize that the cliches in the film are tremendous, from throwaway cops, torchlights that don't work, to creepy neighbours who are more than meets the eye. You may decide to be gung ho about it, or to spare it some precious time for that glimmer of hope that it'll turn out to be fairly entertaining for what it's worth, but you'll find that trust betrayed with each long drawn out dramatic scene that tries to add some depth to the characters, but ended up turning the narrative into a long winded one with throwaway caricatures you don't really care much for. And the lapses into jump cuts that try so hard to provide some cheap scares, just make things a lot worse.

The other word of caution is that Jonathan Mostow was slated to write-direct this some 10 years ago, but now have handed over this project to director Mark Tonderai and writer David Loucka to come and salvage something from it. Perhaps the only saving grace comes from a somewhat "star" lister in Jennifer Lawrence, having made her name in X-Men: First Class, and spearheading The Hunger Games most recently, but even then the filmmakers failed to make it count where it mattered, preferring to rely on her many cleavage baring, tight tank tops to try and make a point, not.

Elizabeth Shue and Jennifer Lawrence star as mother-daughter Sarah and Elissa, who find themselves a nice abode in the middle of the woods of a small town, where the townfolks aren't all that keen that their new neighbours had moved in next to a house that bore witness to two killings, which the prologue introduces us to. Soon, Elissa finds herself drawn to the sole survivor of that massacre in Ryan (Max Thieriot) despite her mother's objections, and we're left wondering if the aloof Ryan is really a real Boo Radley type who is much maligned by everyone else, or is actually hiding something a lot more sinister especially when it had to do with his supposedly missing sister Carrie Anne (Eva Link), accused of murdering their parents in cold blood.

Movie goers will probably be able to stay multiple steps ahead of this insipid storyline, if only they can stay awake for the first hour where the movie decided to go all over the place in showing how Sarah and Elissa try to fit in to their new environment, in school and at the hospital, making friends with the police and teenage peers for a rock concert that doesn't materialize because a modestly budgeted film will not allow for one. Things start to turn a wee bit interesting when Ryan enters the picture, with red herrings and suggestions thrown about at will, but only if given time to properly gestate into a proper back story, or sub plot. Instead, these potential ideas got quickly glossed over, coupled with a ridiculous ending that sees a desperate epilogue thrown in to salvage some points. That didn't work, because instead of being smart, it turned out to be way too silly and ridiculous.

Still, this is something Jennifer Lawrence's fans will flock to in order to see their heroine in kicking butt. Watch out though for Max Thieriot's performance, which given a proper script, could really get under your skin as genuinely creepy.

End of Watch

Bad Boys
Mention David Ayer, and you'll probably remember his run of gritty crime thrillers that he either wrote, or directed, or did both, with films such as Harsh Times, Street Kings and Training Day part of his filmography. To spice things up a little bit stylistically, the found footage makes its debut for this genre, just as you're wondering how much more this technique can be pushed without boring, or irritating through its constant jerkiness. And Ayer has milked the technique gracefully here, with a little bit of a cheat of course.

End of Watch may have ridden on the gimmick of found footage, where a narrative gets assembled from a camera, or multiple cameras, usually charged with extended battery life, and an invisible hand at splicing the footage together. But here's the catch - David Ayer and his editor Dody Dorn never got too hung up with whose camera we're actually peering from at any one point in time. It could be from the cops, it could be from the thugs, it could be from CCTV or video cameras mounted in patrol cars. Or it would just be. Not before long, you too will likely not care about the plausibility of certain angles, or presence of somebody else around to have taken that shot, and while this could get on the nerves of purists, I would recommend to let it be, and let the story take control instead.

The narrative follows two beat cops Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Pena), thick buddies and best friends for life who take on the meanest districts in the city of Los Angeles. As part of a film course project, Brian carries with him a video camera to record his days at work, and ropes in Mike to also carry around pinhole cameras which they wear at their breast pockets. Additional footage come from the multitude of cameras strategically located in and around their patrol car, and then some. But don't get too flustered or bothered as the film wears on in determining who, or from where, a camera angle is taken from, because you'll deem it worthwhile to just focus on the story instead of the gimmick.

And the story just about covers all the sexier aspects of policing, with danger at every turn, unexpected for the most parts in what may seem like a low risk, routine patrol call or response. It's episodic, and almost day in the life of, as we trace both men's personal lives, and public ones when they adorn the uniform, which as one line in the movie puts it in rather straightforward fashion, that they're police officers and everyone wants to kill them. So much for law and order, with a little black humour thrown in for good measure throughout, because I suppose in jobs like these, you need to keep your chin up, with trust being a valuable commodity whether it is earned from within the same department, or even respect gained from those on the other side.

But it's all not fun and games as we patrol the streets together with Brian and Mike, since we see different facets to policing, from criminal gang violence to domesticated ones, right down to an unexplored subplot involving serial gang killings. There's a maxi-arc that runs along the entire film with the Mexican drug cartels, especially with our protagonist duo taking it upon themselves to launch some deeper investigations, or at times stumble upon something much larger than what's at face value. What's more, there's also a stinging criticism at the inefficiencies of US intelligence gathering, with the myriad of agencies and departments usually getting in one another's way, or that red tape prevents pertinent information from going through to the right parties, resulting in the unnecessary loss of lives when it could have been prevented.

Their personal lives also get a little lift from the film, and it's quite brilliant how Ayer managed to weave in a romantic subplot for a film as serious and gritty as this, without losing its edge. Mike has an amazing relationship with his wife Gabby (Natalie Martinez) and their story involves the birth of his kid, while that of Brian's relationship issues deals with his meeting of what he deemed as possibly the One in Janet (Anna Kendrick). Both female roles may not be much to shout out about, but their short appearances bring about a good balance to the testosterone levels in the film, steering away from the dread in the streets toward something to look forward to, and expands the protagonists' characters a lot more in providing a different view and aspect of their lives.

But what I value most about the film, is not about the police procedures, or the set action pieces which were as realistic as can get. It's about the friendship and camaraderie formed with another human being who's put in the same boat as you, with heavy reliance on one's partner to be able to be there, or back you up. It's the basic formula of a buddy cop movie done extremely right, with focus on the bond the two men share, and especially the very candid manner in which they discuss almost everything under the sun when in their patrol car. It humanizes the characters beyond their roles and uniform, and this is what makes End of Watch so engaging from start to finish. Another winner from David Ayer, and a must watch film of the year.

[In Flight] Fairy Tale Killer (追兇 / Zui Hung)

Speak Up
The Pang Brothers have so far produced a series of hits and misses, and that too even in their own individual film pursuits. They have unique ideas especially for the horror/thriller genres, but somehow have not always been successful in crafting a solid, punchy finale to finish off their stories that have always started off quite brightly. Which makes it a disappointment, and anti-climatic. Alas this continues even in Danny Pang's Fairy Tale Killers, a film that even the evergreen and reliable Lau Ching Wan had failed to save.

Lau plays Han, a cop who has questionable morals, and this even extends to his subordinates. After all, as the Chinese saying goes, if the upper beams are crooked, so too are the bottom columns. It's a relatively unique set up in that we know upfront that the protagonist is going to have something bite back at him for his lack of honesty and integrity when in a job that calls for such values, and one who doesn't have any qualms at backstabbing others just to ensure his expected promotion plans doesn't hit a brick wall.

Trouble begins when they arrest Jun (Wang Baoqiang) whom the investigations team think is nuts, since he provided them a name of someone he had killed, but whom they had found alive. They release Jun, only to find that his victim (Lam Suet) got killed eventually. Worried that their superiors have found out that they had intelligence on a pre-meditative killing but had released the culprit so that he can do what he told them, they begin to concoct a cover up and try to re-arrest Jun, which is where trouble continued.

As with all serial killer movies, the killings often follow a ritual, and here they are something that vaguely resembled fairy tales as the title had suggested. Vaguely. And in true blue Pang brothers style, the story here falls back on the horror genre style of revelation, where everything will finally get rationalized with a real world situation stemming from unfair treatment or abuse. Here, it relied very much on Wang Baoqiang's ability to play crazed, and Elanne Kwong's unremarkable turn in playing a mute, almost deranged artist whom Jun has the hots for, where they have eloped from their institution. How they survive from children to adulthood get brushed aside into acceptance of this movie logic, if only to draw a connection between them and Lau Ching Wan's cop.

It's more about a tale of redemption and morality, but one that was meandering and bogged down with unnecessary subplots, and weak villains so to speak. Lau Ching Wan can only do so much with a character which I admit is written with loads of potential, but stuck in situations that are relatively absurd. Many things get explained away very conveniently, if at all, and the domestic issues Han face really plodded the pace, with Han having to deal with his wife (Joey Meng) and autistic son, and often getting chided for spending more time than necessary on his job rather than on the family.

If I had my way, this should have just focused squarely on the one-upmanship between killers and cops, rather than to try and include some moralistic smarts just for the sake of. Drama isn't the Pang's forte, and this film exposes Danny's shortcomings in this area, making Fairy Tale Killers lack its desired happily ever after as a movie.

Skyfall

Back In Her Majesty's Kingdom
It's the 50th anniversary of Ian Fleming's James Bond on the big screen, and the character is celebrating that milestone with his 23rd film outing in what would be the longest running film franchise that had seen the mantle being passed on from actor to actor, and helmed by various directors providing their vision of the debonair spy in Her Majesty's Secret Service. Skyfall continues the good work set out by Casino Royale, with director Sam Mendes achieving a remarkable balance between celebrating that milestone jubilee, while setting the stage for the future films with potential to be fulfilled.

Skyfall is an ominous sounding title, and the events here close a chapter, and reopens another, with two more Bond films in the works and may be shot back to back to compensate the rather long gap of four years between this one, and the rather lacklustre Quantum of Solace. We're still firmly into Bond's reboot of sorts with Martin Campbell taking over the reins with Casino Royale after having done so with GoldenEye, which charted Daniel Craig's induction as the new Bond, and two films on we have seen a more serious Bond at work, as compared to his predecessors. This film will change all that, through the subtleties in giving Bond that unmistakable sense of humour, and the introduction of a Q branch boasting a youthful looking Q in Ben Whishaw, which puts the character in very different light from versions of the past, and promising much more fanciful gadgets (or perhaps maybe not, given the rather old school-ness of this Q) in the coming installments.

And by the time the end credits roll, much of the Bond elements missing from the Craig versions so far, will have been introduced, which is a fitting way to celebrate one's 50th year, in a way going full circle. But that doesn't mean alienating the established fan base who grew from the era of Sean Connery's version, or any of the other earlier incarnations. The scribes in Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan managed to weave in a number of easter eggs from James Bond's film history into the movie, which is an extremely nice touch when they appear, to rapturous applause by audience members who instantly recognized those blast from the past nods.

But the story's not all nostalgia, as it deals with a more immediate, direct and personal threat this time round, as compared to the more bombastic, dasterdly plans that classic Bond villains usually have. It deals with the challenges any security agency would face in today's environment where the enemy is seldom overtly known, but having gone underground, and is rather faceless, yet ready to strike at any time. Javier Bardem got invited by Daniel Craig to play the villanous Silva, a one time collaborator under M (Judi Dench), but now hell bent on seeking revenge against M for what he calls as sins of the past. Which Bond is now only too familar with given the prologue's botched attempt at retrieving a sacred hard drive, and M's insistence on sticking to her guns and judgement call when instructing another fellow agent Eve (Naomie Harris) to take a shot that resulting in his temporal retirement from active service.

And it's rather interesting here to see a less than able Bond at work, as compared to the earlier versions where his feathers were rarely ruffled. Here, he huffs and puffs his way through, and in some ways, found himself in pretty unfamiliar territory despite London being called home. In most, if not all, of the films, he would be jet setting to exotic locations, and rarely had to operate at home, so having Bond back in London and fighting for what he believes in, is another cinematic milestone that took some 23 years to come to fruition. Daniel Craig's Bond has never been quite the polished, finished article, and this film continues in his development as the master spy, albeit one who is rather out of shape and out of touch for the most parts.

The villains here were a little less colourful than their counterparts in earlier films, and I suppose Bardem's Silva is likely to polarize audiences between thinking he's the epitome of evil, or a rather ineffective one that falls into the usual trappings. There's a distinct lack of a colourful henchman as well, although Patrice (Ola Rapace) did share a very elegantly shot fight sequence with Bond, completely in silhouette, in Shanghai. Sam Mendes puts the style back into the Bond franchise, allowing this installment to stand head and shoulders above other more contemporary spy films, that any Bond film would be proud of.

While other touches such as the introduction of Kincade (Albert Finney) for that connection and bit exploration into Bond's past, and Ralph Fiennes' Gareth Mallory to verbal spar with M, perhaps the Bond girls this time round lacked a little bit of presence. In fact I would like to suggest that THE Bond girl here is M herself, for having this story centered around her and the dedicated screen time she gets, as compared to the likes of Harris' Eve as a field operative with a nice final treatment, and Berenice Marlohe's Severine, which is that classical femme fatale that didn't have much to do, really.

Still, there's a lot more to love in this Bond film that would rank it as good as Craig's initial film, with a more intimate plot setting that strikes closer to the heart and souls of the principal characters involved, while keeping the doors very much wide open for more adventures given a new team set in place. Sam Mendes now has the origins assembled proper, which only promises of better things yet to come in the future. Happy 50th anniversary Mr Bond!

[In Flight] People Like Us

Room For Two
I haven't seen Chris Pine in a drama before, so this would introduce him to a genre that I cannot fathom him being in, at least not at a time when he's usually in safer, high octane genres such as the romatic comedy, science fiction, and the action adventure. But I suppose an actor relishes the challenge of not being stereotyped into a role, and beyond the pretty boy looks, People Like Us provides an avenue to demonstrate if he has some acting chops, or not.

Chris Pine plays Sam, a barter trade facilitator who, through a series of aggressive deals, finds himself in hot soup when external factors start to throw a spanner into his well oiled operations, and finds himself wanted by the authorities to answer to some dubious dealings, as well as his customers being none too happy about his non delivery on his professional promises. Worse, he gets news that his father just passed away, and while girlfriend Hannah (Olivia Wilde) tries to get them on the first flight out to his family home, he tries his best to sabotage attempts, if only to continue hiding his pain and further his reluctance for reconciliation with family.

But they do get there, and there's where things start to get a little more interesting. We learn how estranged he is with his parents, especially since mom Lillian (Michelle Pfeiffer) greets him with a tight slap, and dad didn't leave him much. To rub salt into the wounds, his dad's last will and testament instructs him to deliver a bag full of money, to the tune of substantial thousands, that he has to give to his half-sister and nephew, people whose existence he has absolutely no idea about. So therein lies the dilemma, whether to be selfish and go against his conscience to embezzle the money, needing it to save his own skin, and since no one's there to check on him, or to do what's right and pass it on.

Curiosity got the better of Sam, and as he turns stalker into the lives of Frankie (Elizabeth Banks) and her oft bullied son Josh (Michael Hall D'Addario) who is the de facto misfit in school. Contact soon gets made, and with his best of intentions to keep his real identity and relations to Frankie and Josh a secret, this blows up quite unexpectedly, bordering on the cusp of near incest as Frankie's emotions start to get the better of her, since she's probably on the lookout for a father figure for her son, which now comes in the form of Sam. It's a little bit morbid to think of it, but I suppose dramas like these love to stretch some limits, especially when secrets got harboured on one side only.

So can Chris Pine do drama? Sure, if People Like Us is anything to go by. Perhaps he still got a lift in playing the cocky salesman who thinks he's infallible, only to find his fears of family relationships coming back to haunt him, and perhaps also serving as an avenue for redemption and the picking up on responsibility, something his character had never committed to. Elizabeth Banks seem to picking up a lot more bit roles of late, and this one didn't have her do much except to slowly open up in the wrong way, while Michael Hall D'Addario becomes the scene stealer with his rage against the entire world attitude.

Having the likes of Olivia Wilde and Michelle Pfeiffer in small supporting roles didn't detract from the film's main intent to examine the building of ties between Sam, Frankie and Josh, and it surely goes well to say that blood will almost always run thicker than water. It has star power alright, but it didn't lift it beyond the average drama that it is.

[In Flight] The Pirates! Band of Misfits / The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

Pirate Cook of the Year
It's a pity that this one didn't quite make the cut for a local release, where its wit and comedy would have been much appreciated by the more adult crowd. But I guess it's Brit wit and brand of humour may not find substantial box office business, so the plans eventually got shelved, and primed for a straight to DVD release. Still, the work done here by the team from Aardman, responsible for plenty of quality stop motion animated shorts and films, is nothing to scoff at, and one will find plenty to laugh about, and laugh at, in this adventure of the high seas.

We're introduced to the Pirate Captain (voiced by Hugh Grant), a not-too-successful pirate with his riff raff band of merry men, with distinct physical and attitude quirks (such as pirate with scarf, albino pirate, etc), who have camaraderie to be proud about, since they don't have much booty to go around. And this is certainly the moral of the story so slyly written into the film, that it's never about the success or riches one has, or one tries hard to accumulate through means both legal and illegal, nor to gain fame and be admired by thousands, but the relationships, friendships and bonds forged between good people that actually and truly matter in life.

And to tell this tale, we see how the Pirate Captain gets obsessed with winning Pirate of the Year award, an annual congratulatory recognition that goes to the pirate that brings in the largest booty to the organization, with keen competition from more competent pirates such as Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek), almost demi-god like in their introductory scenes as they gatecrash the registration to demonstrate just how steep the competition is for the year. Resigned to having not likely make the cut and competition. the Pirate Captain hits a lucky break when he got mixed up with Charles Darwin (David Tennant), and the latter's quest to get the Pirate Captain's "parrot" into a prominent science fair, since the "parrot" is none other than from an endangered species and would win the largest prize to the victor of the fair.

The conflict of personal interests between Pirate Captain and Charles Darwin forms most part of the laughs as they do battle with each other to wrest control of the presentation from its build up, since one is clearly in it for the money, while the other is after fame and the chance for an audience with his crush, the current Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton). And there is more to the latter who becomes the de facto villain of the film, in addition to passing laws that require all pirates be put to death.

Pirate Captain's irreverent gang of misfit followers provide laughter that come thick and fast in their scenes, coupled with plenty of other sight gags that all add up to the charm of the various characters. And when I mean sight gags, you have to keep your eyes peeled at every corner, foreground and background for something funny that's bound to happen, especially when you least expect it. And like all Aardman products, you have to keep you ears peeled to the dialogues because that too is another major avenue for unbelivable humour. And yes, it ranges from the low to the high brow, so there's just about something for everyone to smile and laugh to.

With stop motion animation being done the non-traditional way using the computer rather than the rather tedious manual process, I suppose the dilemma here is that one's appreciation of the stop-motion technique may diminish a little because sweat-and-tears behind the scenes may not play a factor anymore into its charm. And what more, the computer may also simulate the little inconsistencies and chinks in the armour ubiquitous with the stop motion technique, that can now be recreated at a pixel level. But story remains king, so if the story's great, it really is not much of a deal what techniques got employed behind the scenes to bring a certain genre to life. That's my opinion anyway.

[In Flight] The Chef (Comme Un Chef)

Best Chefs
One of the few films in the mini French Film Festival this year, Le Chef sees Jean Reno drop his gung-ho action demeanour, and put down his pistol, to pick up the culinary knife for the kitchen, where he lords over his 3 Michelin Star restaurant. But even one of the greatest contemporary chefs Alexandre Lagarde (Reno) in the world gets his fair share of a writer's block equivalent when he needs to come up with a new menu for the next season, and worse, has boardroom politics to contend with when the owners of the restaurant threatens to unfairly replace him with molecular food chefs should he lose a star come the next restaurant critique.

Enter Jacky Bonnot (Michael Youn), a chef wannabe, or passionate food amatuer, who has spent the most parts of his life impressing many with his fine choices of food, and skill set to go with, but usually doing so at the wrong places. Pressured by his pregnant girlfriend Beatrice (Raphaelle Agogue) to find a steady job, he has to forsake his talent for something that brings home the bacon, and when fate allows him to meet with Alexandre, with the latter offering him an unpaid internship at his restaurant, Jacky has to balance working for one of his idols, whom he has already mastered all his recipes, and that of putting on a show for his girlfriend thinking that he indeed has a regular 9 to 5 job.

Le Chef has the talents of both Jean Reno and Michael Youn to thank as they play master and apprentice, although the apprentice here comes with a mind of his own, in ever so willing to defend his master's famous recipes, with obsession that doesn't even allow his master to make tweaks to them, for the sake of purity. The tussles of course lead to comedic situations between them, where the talents of both men make these moments come across naturally rather than feeling forced or contrived. Despite its relatively short run time, the story by writer-director Daniel Cohen moves at such breakneck speed, it's pretty amazing at how both characters were nicely fleshed out rather than to lapse into the easier caricatures, nicely left to the supporting act.

And not forgetting, the many fine cuisine that one can view when dishes have to be whipped up. There are many parallels with Pixar's Ratatouille, with Jacky being both the down and out kitchen helper Linguini and the rat with fine taste Remy combined, with that bit of drama, romance, and love for food all rolled into one delightful film with expected outcomes for both principal characters.

[In Flight] The Five-Year Engagement

Seriously, You'll Wait That Long?
I am guessing someone procuring the films for this inflight entertainment system may have an infatuation for Emily Blunt, given two other films, Your sister's Sister, and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, are also made available. One of the rising British actresses of today, Emily Blunt stars as psychology major Violet Barnes, who meets with Tom Solomon, played by Jason Segel, at a superhero fancy dress party, and within a whirlwind year of romance find themselves engaged, and being perpetually so at this state, outlasting many of their elderly relatives who would have loved to see them tie the knot. This is made as a laughing point, but The Five-Year Engagement really took on a more serious note at how time has an effect on a non-committal relationship.

Directed by Nicholas Stoller, who also did Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Five-Year Engagement seemed to depart from the usual Judd Apatow produced films where raunchy comedy would find its place in the narrative. After all, it had Jason Segel writing that and sharing writing credits with Stoller now, but comedy seemed to be fewer and more fat between in scenes, where it took on a more conscious effort to examine relationships rather than to go for the usual flat out comedy, and is especially strong in examining how one side of the partnership often wilts when a win-win compromise cannot be achieved.

This comes in the form of giving up one's promising career for the fulfillment of another's dream, where one may have good intentions and hopeful wishes that all would be well, but in reality it's a monumental task in fighting against stereotypes and prejudices, not to mention other vultures mulling around for a fall, to advantageously pick up whatever's left standing. Here, because of Violet's acceptance to one of her dream research roles at another university, the couple had to uproot themselves from San Francisco to Michigan, leaving behind Tom's promising career as a chef, and thinking that he could start afresh in a new city while his fiancee pursues her research under the slimy Winton Childs (Rhys Ifans) and his motley group of researchers.

The comedy comes from Segel for the most parts, whose Tom gets his life sucked out of his being with each passing year in Michigan, a place where his culinary skills doesn't get appreciated, and whom many thinks he's quite the moron to have left his promising and cushy job in the big city of San Francisco. And to contrast his lop sided, compromised relationship, we have Violet's sister Suzie (Alison Brie) and her marriage to Tom's friend Alex (Chris Pratt) serve as a what-if scenario, which worked pretty well, if not a tad too obvious.

Alas The Five-Year Engagement proved to be too long, like how its title alludes to, in dealing with the crises that the couple face, and in addressing the issues it set out to deal with. This doesn't do the film any favours as it stayed largely beyond its welcome, with many scenes that would make you scream for it to move along already. Repetitive at times, it started to take on a completely different life on its own when it dealt with other associated themes like timing in relationships, and the upbringing of kids as well, so much so that the entire narrative suffered from being too scattered, and the unfunny comedy being desperately juvenile in order to salvage some cheap laughs from audiences.

It would have been livelier had it been trimmed a good half hour, and keeping the focus strongly on the couple, instead of their other relationships that were inevitably played out to expectation and didn't offer anything different from a tired soap opera, leading to a very rushed finale just to close loops to end it. Granted that relationships are relatively life long especially if a transition is made to have it protected by an institution, but surely a movie doesn't need to go through the full works to mimic the somethings meandering paths taken in real life.

Paranormal Activity 4 in D-BOX

New Scream Queen In Town
With film franchises, you'd wonder when one installment will finally come along to say, enough is enough. The challenge with each release of a film is primarily to show what its predecessor haven't, and with each release comes the hope that it has fresh ideas and new contributions to the series, rather than making use of what had already been done, and offer nothing new in comparison. Paranormal Activity now seems to be stuck in that rut with Film 4, and unless it can quickly turn things around with its already greenlit Film 5, its days are seriously numbered.

There's some continuity here given that directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman are brought back to helm this one, which gives them the opportunity to progress with the story after their retrospective prequel in Part 3. This allows them to tackle the curiosity of fans who have wondered about the fate of Hunter, now armed with a back story suggested by the earlier film. With Chad Feehan brought in for probably a fresh perspective in his story, with Christopher Landon now working the screenplay, it is most unfortunate that surprises are little, scares are scarce when compared to any of the earlier installments, and it's pretty much a rehash on techniques already seen, that they become stale the minute they are introduced.

Paranormal Activity 4 is set some 5 years after Paranormal Activity 2, where in 2011 we have the maturing of tools and technology, such as the video chat. From CCTV footage to walking down memory lane with the VHS tapes, the jerkiness of video over internet, as in the trailer, played up possibilities, which somehow remained rather unused in the actual film, which is a pity. There is opportunity to show the pitfalls in a congested medium to allow for either gaps in story or to heighten anticipation when unceremoniously paused, versus the always available, traditional video capture medium, but this one reverted back obviously for a more coherent narrative purpose at the expense of keeping it fairly realistic.

With each new film, we become accustomed to the scare techniques the filmmakers have utilized to date, and sticking to the same strategy for consistency and familiarity takes the surprise element out of the experience. You'd know to expect shadows at corners, as you would expect pets getting in the way for some cheap scares some time. Then there's the crashing of furniture, children running around in the wee hours of the night, and now the seemingly illogical moments where people do walk around the neighbourhood with a camera strapped somewhere, with its night vision turned on. Light switches seemed to have gone obsolete in the year 2011, not.

Kathryn Newton as Alex becomes the new scream queen here, almost single-handedly lugging the lacklustre film from beginning to end, as she plays big sister to her brother Wyatt (Aiden Lovekamp), who befriends the strange kid next door Robbie (Brady Allen) when Robbie is taken in by Alex's mom Holly (Alexondra Lee) when his mom got hospitalized. Soon, enough things go bump in the night, and gets quite creepy especially when Robbie becomes unnecessarily touchy-feely, coupled with attitude unbecoming of a kid his age. What more, there's this inexplicable unseen friend both he and Wyatt play with, and soon, Alex's boyfriend Ben (Matt Shively) comes up with a great idea to start recording things through video cams. And more so to have the X-Box Kinect play a key role at capturing images of the supernatural.

But Chad Feehan's story creates more questions than answers, such as who are the kids Wyatt and Robbie and their roles critical to the plot. And with the prologue very much alluding to the story of Hunter and Katie (Katie Featherston), you'd expect them to pop up soon enough, and the connecting of the necessary dots. However, when that happened, it felt like it was being weighed down by its own albatross, unable to break free from what the earlier films have set up, and is forced to go along with it. Even the climax was more of a let down given its rehashing of a similar structure shared with the other films, that it probably is the moment in time when everyone in the audience will sit up since everything gets thrown onto the screen in its final five minutes.

The first Paranormal Activity surprised us with its simple yet effective found footage story. Now it makes the rest seem quite unnecessary. For true, unjaded fans only. The only kick I got out of this film, was the rookie experience in watching a movie strapped to a moveable chair that simulates motion on screen. So each time the camera moves, the seat will move in the same direction. Or if someone falls into bed, or something crashes to the ground. Or the constant hum of a vehicle. You get the drift. It's a dimension better than 3-D, because it provides that constant, and natural feedback directly

And while only a few rows of the cinema are equipped with D-BOX capability, buying a particular D-BOX seat activates it, which leaves out freeloaders from potentially enjoying the same experience without paying a premium, since it functions like a normal, non-movable chair if nobody purchased its ticket. And one can adjust the intensity of the movement, so go for the maximum kick for that sense of satisfaction, especially if the film has nothing new to offer.

On Vacation

5 Star Trek Captains. James Bond's 23rd Film for his 50th Anniversary. Arsenal at Emirates.

It's gonna be a good break.

Back by end of the month. Meanwhile I'll pepper the next few days with reviews from whatever can be viewed on Krisflyer during the half day flight both ways in that big baby above, and of course, Skyfall.

Sex.Violence.Family Values Press Conference

In response to the ban, a press conference was organized where writer-director Ken Kwek and his cast and crew made their case through a series of Q&As:

Videos from Today Digital YouTube Channel:



Let's see what's the outcome. Censors, you listening not?

Soar into the Sun / R2B: Return to Base (R2B: 리턴투베이스 / R2B: Riteontu Beyiseu)

Flyboy Swagger
Let's get a bias out of the way. I'm a fan of fighter planes worldwide, so if I was not wearing glasses, I would've tried serving National Service under the air force, where at that point in time, the RSAF only flew A4-Skyhwaks, F-5 Tigers, then later on added the F-16 Falcons and the F-15 Eagles more recently. There have been Hollywood films centered around a particular plane or model, such as the Falcons being the focus in the Iron Eagle series, B-17s in Memphis Belle, A-6 Intruder in Flight of the Intruder, and of course, the F-14 Tomcats being the highlight of probably the most recognized fighter plane movie (and ironically, a Navy's Air Force), Top Gun, propelling Tom Cruise to instant stardom.

In Soar into the Sun, the F-15s, one of the workhorses in modern day air forces, finally get their recognition, although the irony here is that this film is not made by Hollywood, but by a key US ally in South Korea, in what would be a film to flex its military and air force muscles, showcasing what they have in their armament, as well as the skills depth of their visual effects department in creating a film that utilizes much of the Top Gun formula. After all, it's probably what is being used as a benchmark since it's so widely recognizable, so one wouldn't stray too far from the mark paying homage both stylistically and narratively as well.

And what of the Top Gun homage? Plenty of silhouettes with characters posing against sunsets or sunrises, the unmistakable Ray Bans, the cocky swagger of pilots and their rivalries, personal tragedies, romance and well, dogfights with communist enemies all rolled into one. There are enough music video moments, and even some political tension thrown in for good measure, which was a definite fanning of national fervour as it sticks the middle finger out at the USofA, as if to scream that enough is enough of US-centric policies and self-interests. And what more to drive that final nail in the coffin, even the North Koreans get in on the act, as the enemies unite to get rid of rogue elements who threaten stability in the peninsular.

While Top Gun 2 never made it off the ground, given the passing of Tony Scott, and more importantly, the lack of a credible rogue nation/enemy (even Top Gun had the pilots battle unidentified enemy bogeys that had generic communist markings on the MiGs), the clear and present danger that South Korea faces in the threats from the North, gives it the bandwidth to craft a scenario that's fully plausible, with the film industry taking certain liberties with the maneuverability of the planes they feature, but hey, it's movie making, so a little fantasy to spice up some aerial dogfights is more than expected for entertainment's sake.

For fans hungry for air combat scenes, this film featured plenty of stunts, effects, and battles that really made Top Gun look very dated, especially in its adoption of more fanciful camera work that seemed to fluidly move around the aircraft when it's in rapid motion in the air. Views are offered in and around the cockpit bubble, sometimes slowed down for somewhat comical staring of daggers between opponents. There's the usual dogfights between planes - having the F-15 do battle against its arch-rival the MiG-29 - is pure delight for any combat aviation fan, and if my eyes didn't play tricks on me, look out for the MiG's fabled cobra maneuver - I'd almost jump out of my seat with disbelief and glee when that happened.

Soar into the Sun has a whole host of arsenal deployed and missions to fulfill, such as air-to-air, surface-to-air, air-to-surface missiles, anti-aircraft guns, and missions from routine patrols, infiltration, and search and rescue all making it one holistic look at the workings of an air force. And what's more, not only do fighter pilots get in on the action, but attention being paid to the ground technical crew who keep the planes in tip top condition in between sorties, as well as ground commandos in extraction missions using their fixed wing aircraft, trained to rescue pilots who are downed behind enemy lines - and yes, this is yet another subplot that managed to find its way into the narrative, based on the John Moore film in 2001 starring Gene Hackman and Owen Wilson in his rare outing as an action hero.

Rain completed this film before heading toward his obligatory national service, and here he plays hotshot (what else?) pilot Jung Tae-Hoon, who's the youngest in the acrobatic Black Eagles team, flying the FA-50/T50 Golden Eagle (flown by Indonesia and South Korea's air force only), which is a trainer and multi-role fighter. But his decision to spice up a routine air show wasn't appreciated, and he also becomes the fastest to get sacked from the acrobatic team, being redeployed to an operationally ready squadron because its commanding officer believes that his talent with an aircraft shouldn't be gone to waste.

What is probably unheard of if this is done by Hollywood, is to admit that the main protagonist isn't the perfect all rounder he is. It's established early on that Tae-Hoon is the specialist in low flying, so he isn't quite cut out, as scenes would prove, that he's dogfight material. so this means Rain having to step aside and share the limelight with Yu Jun-Sang as Major Lee, who is their squadron's ace. And although the F-15K variant here is obviously the aircraft of choice and the superior fighter in the film, it's a nod toward Korean pride to have its lead fly the FA-50/T-50 Golden Eagle for his final, all important mission that delivered the payload.

The money shot is of course what you've caught a glimpse of in the trailer, where two F-15s are hot on the heels of a MiG-29, or at times, vice versa, as they storm through the skyscape of Seoul. The stunt and visual effects team did a great job to create that urban battle scenario, and yes I'm raving about that cobra maneuver again. Aerial combats in the film are sleekly choreographed, and the brownie points come in watching this in a theatre with optimal sound, because you'll be able to hear the roar of the planes' afterburners when they kick in.

So I guess it's enough on the hardware and the technical aspects of Soar into the Sun, so what about the storyline? It's perfunctory to say the least, with balance achieved in providing the myriad of characters their particular idiosyncrasies and one note role in the narrative. There's the token love interest for Tae-Hoon in Sergeant Se-Young (Shin Se-Kyung), the prettiest and most competent technical ground crew around, her boss and comic relief played by Oh Dal-Su, fellow co-pilot Yoo-Jin (Lee Ha-Na), and the rookie (Lee Jong-Suk) whom I do not know how he'd pass the pilot qualifying tests for his frequent fainting spells when subjected to high G-forces.

Soar into the Sun, also known as R2B: Return to Base, is pure entertainment, where the story didn't really do much, with odd screwball comedy thrown around, it does provide one heck of an adrenaline ride. Rain fans will celebrate at an obligatory scene where their idol appears topless, but the real stars of the film, are the military hardware on display. And this scores from every angle you're seeing this film from. So I'd give it a biased definite recommendation!


Soar Into the Sun opens in cinemas from Thursday.

Looper

Hello Future Self
If you'd look at writer-director Rian Johnson's modest filmography, the films he had made cannot be boxed into a single genre, and their treatment has never been conventional. Brick was a murder mystery done film noir style, while The Brothers Bloom is a fairy tale about con men. Now he reunites with his Brick star Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who's fast cementing his status as being one of the best actors amongst his peers, and loops a story involving time travel, with a mish-mash of elements from Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys (which also starred Bruce Willis) and James Cameron's The Terminator, but delivered in a refreshing manner encapsulated by a fairly creative tale that's beautifully character driven.

In Johnson's vision of the future, time travel becomes a reality, but got immediately outlawed for all the damage it can cause, some of which we'd already know from many science fiction films. But that doesn't stop the mob from harnessing the technology to do its dirty work, especially when it needs to get rid of people without a trace. So those on the mob's hit list got shackled and sent back in time to the year 2014, where their looper employee gets to execute people from the future, and dispose of them. The bounty's some slabs of silver that come with their target, so that makes it quite a lucrative career, with Abe (Jeff Daniels) being the man from the future sent back to look after this hit squad operation.

But here's the catch. Should this contractual agreement need to be closed, the future self of the looper gets sent back, and executed. And before you'd think that's a loophole for trouble, it's actually brilliant, because it provides an insurance policy that doesn't exist in any other scenario, and the movie actually takes time to address this suspicion of a paradox. In fact, Johnson takes the time to work any space time continuum paradox to be in the story's favour, which allows one to watch the film at first go without getting all flustered about this inherent aspect of any time travel film, with a very nice touch put in about half hour into the story, where rules get set up, and the parameters drawn in which his universe is set to operate in.

This paradox involves someone from the future coming back, and that you'd recognize him/her for the first time as your future self. But for this moment in time to happen in the present, we're really dealing with two separate timelines which now converge. And the film presents all these timelines in a single narrative, nicely edited to allow its chinese production partners some story telling time that dwells on Bruce Willis' Old Joe in future Shanghai, expanded for Old Joe to have a richer back story since Joe himself has a decent one for the present time, before both Joes converge. For the non-Chinese cut of the film, many of these aspects got unfortunately edited for pacing reasons, so I suppose picking up the DVD/Blu later is quite the no brainer.

When the Joes converge, it's really when the narrative shifts gear, with a lot more action since the story now goes off like when the cue ball opens a billiards game. Joe and Old Joe sit down to evaluate their options and to exchange none-too-pleasant pleasantries, with Joe needing to fulfill his end of the contract, but Old Joe adamant in not letting him so, at least not until he gets his revenge on the Rainmaker, which is a Terminator-ish plot line to get rid of an influential messiah like character who's now a child in the present time. To complicate matters, there are three possibles.

And while these are action based, it's the subtly treated character arcs on both Joes that made Looper more than just your average science fiction flick, ad gives it soul. There's no clear right or wrong here, only shades of grey, where Old Joe has to find it within himself to turn executioner for the greater good, and young Joe has to turn protector, since he's buckled himself with Emily Blunt's Sara, and her young kid Cid (Pierce Gagnon) to prevent his future self from eventually coming for them. And the best conflict presented, is if should Old Joe succeed in his mission, it's likely the future will change and he would forget about his deceased wife (Qing Xu), since the circumstances of their meeting will inevitably be changed. And this memory is something he fights so hard to want to keep alive.

It is these internal conflicts and battling with demons that make Looper the top notch entertainer, where ultimately any sacrifice to change the world, should begin with the steps one will take on one's end. The final third will definitely blow your mind as Johnson had kept a number of aces up his sleeve, to deliver sucker punch after sucker punch where it mattered for the final act. Visual effects wasn't out of this world nor never seen before, but were gelled excellently for the purpose of adding to the narrative, rather than for the sake of. Production values are solid, especially when used to present different timelines, or areas within the futuristic landscapes.

Bruce Willis still showed he's kind of kick-ass, and still had it within him to play action hero who ploughs through anyone who dare stand in his way, including his younger self. But the scene stealer is of course Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who through the help of prosthetics to make him facially resemble Willis in his younger days, really nailed it with the nuances and mannerisms that screams Bruce Willis. Emily Blunt was rather rote here, while Paul Dano had a small supporting role primarily used to explain Looper's parameters. Noah Segan's Kid Blue becomes one of the main villains in the film hell bent on proving himself to Abe, whose values are in contrast to the principles held by Joe. And lastly, Pierce Gagnon as the kid who could fit right in to any horror film that deals with demonic possession.

Looper has both style and substance for a science fiction movie, and is a film that begs another viewing just to take in everything that's been thrown on screen and introduced into the story. And to make this second viewing worthwhile, guess what? Rian Johnson has actually made an In-Theatre Commentary Track that you can download at Soundcloud for free, which you can plug into to listen in on the nuggets of information he's eager to share. It will be totally different from the DVD/Blu commentary track, so don't miss out on what could possibly be the best science fiction film this year!