Conspirators (同谋 / Tong Mou)

To Malaysia
This could have been labelled A+ Detective, but I suppose the filmmakers here didn't want to sound too pompous in what would be a logical title in their Chen Tam detective series of films, with Conspirators being the third film, and possibly primed for more. But even if director Oxide Pang stops here with what would be his best creation, this would already be one hell of a memorable trilogy that ended on a high note, with Aaron Kwok to thank for fleshing out the protagonist with gravitas and emotion, engaging audiences on such a roller coaster ride through investigations that have finally touched on a more personal account.

Gone are the supernatural elements, violence and gore, but in their place is a solid back story of Chin Tam's origins, and written in a smart way to avoid being labelled a prequel, or rebooted into a parallel universe. It's still moving in real time from where we last left off with B+ Detective, with the skeletal remains of Chen Tam's parents being the catalyst and premise in which this movie takes off from. After all, Chen Tam's profession of choice came from their disappearance, and what now than to demonstrate his detective skills than to hunt down the mastermind being his parent's disappearance and murder. But he can't do it alone as the case brings him across borders to unfamiliar territory, so he enlists, in quite random fashion, the help of a Chinese private eye in Malaysia, Zheng Fung Hei (Nick Cheung).

The partnership isn't easy from the get go, since both parties have their respective, duplicated skill sets, coupled with Fung Hei's fees that remain quite the stickler, but as the plot wore on, their partnership is set to grow on you, albeit spending quite a duration of the film apart, following their respective leads, rather than together. But when they do, both actors show why they have in recent years been winning acting awards, as their chemistry is ace. Their investigations bring them both deep into the rabbit hole of a major drug cartel operating in Malaysia, who want them to stay quiet and preferably dead, which opens up the narrative to a number of impressive action sequences that combined practical stunts and CG really well, such as that fantastic explosion and leap by Chen Tam through a glass window, and a more than usual number of car crashes that didn't seem to bother the Malaysian police. But I digress.

The look and feel of the film is kept consistent with that of the earlier films with its gritty look, and while some scenes involving Chen Tam may seem a little bit at odds at time, take my word that they will be fully explained and you will tip your hat at the director's, and possibly editor's, directions. Red herrings, conjectures and hypotheses get played out, and the fun is to follow the private investigators as they systematically close them out. It makes for an engaging viewing, and especially so when time got invested in the narrative to allow us to understand the leading characters a little further. While Chen Tam is already a veteran character at this point, now haunted with his causing of a good friend's death, we get a little bit more of Fung Hei as we learn his twin brother was set up by the same cartel and got sent to jail, so this also provides for that little bit of a personal agenda as the two detectives expend effort, and work on trusting each other's professionalism a lot more.

Shot in Thailand, Malaysia and China, it is the human emotions on display here that makes Conspirators well worth the watch. At times you may find certain elements being a tad convenient, but it's all good by the time the final, poignant scene rolls in. With excellent cinematography despite being handheld and shifting to highlight the urgency and mean streets that the characters inhabit, and that unforgettable Mi Panda Thai song that comes on as the credits roll – this bookends the trilogy – that this installment ends the three films on a high, and dare I say the best entry in the franchise too, while leaving the door wide open for continuation, and possibly a spin off. A definite recommend!

I Give It A Year

Happy Together
The trailer alas put in all the best comical bits from the film, so if you haven't seen the trailer yet, don't. Otherwise all that's left in this romantic comedy, is the romance portion only, which begins with the marriage between the leading characters, and I suppose we can agree that sometimes that will suck all romanticism from the film. Which it clearly did.

It's quite an unconventional tale of romance given the leading characters Josh (Rafe Spall) and Nat (Rose Byrne) having taken their vows of matrimony early on, before slowly finding out that their seven month whirlwind romance was clearly insufficient to weather the storm in their relationship any further. Just as how films featuring plane crashes won't make for comfortable viewing for inflight entertainment, so does this film for anyone intending to get hitched anytime soon. It's a film that shows how a marriage can just deteriorate from the lack of communication and honesty, when the initial spark of romance and lust wear out, and what's left is the sinking feeling that you're going to be with someone forever. And forever as it turns out, is an incredibly long time.

Written and directed by Dan Mazer, I Give It a Year began brightly with all the typical trappings of an English film, with plenty of wit on display, and the title coming from expectations that the marriage between the newlyweds wouldn't last more than a year. And we're taken on a trip both down memory lane to examine just how the flashing warning lights and alarm bells have been sounded, before taking stock on what the couple needed to do to salvage their marriage, if they truly want to, though more importantly whether they are with the right person - the one they couldn't live without. And things aren't easy when

It's easy to lay blame in relationships that don't work out, when there are opportunities that are always readily available for that quick flirt, or fling. So you the audience are given that opportunity to exercise and pass judgement, which would make for interesting post-show conversations with anyone you're watching this with, perhaps just to see where the moral lines get drawn. For Josh, there's his ex girlfriend Chloe (Anna Farris, who looked really aged here) with whom he never really had a clean break before meeting his wife, and together they still have that emotional attachment that's yet to be severed. When they each face issues both professionally and personally, they know who to turn to automatically. And having to confess feelings to Chloe and not his wife, is something that's not quite right.

And in the other corner, Nat listens to her colleagues' goading to remove her wedding ring when delivering their sales pitch to an American scion Guy (Simon Baker), an easy qualification for any eligible bachelor's list, and true to form, Guy sees Nat as someone with whom he can connect to both professionally and personally as well. The deception here was something one can easily frown upon, but as the narrative goes, again there's no black and white in issues like these, only shades of grey which you can use to decide one's personal limits and values. Rafe Spall and Rose Byrne play their roles with aplomb, especially in scenes together that highlight more of their differences than similarities, making it obviously clear that they're both heading toward more disasters as the story wore on.

Some of the best scenes in the film happen to be the highlight of the negativity within ourselves, dealing with deceit and hypocrisy, playing foolish games and denying ourselves of our true feelings, often with casualties. Scenes in which all four characters of Josh, Nat, Chloe and Guy coming together are filled with awkwardness and hidden intentions and meaning, that makes it engaging in a What If scenario. Otherwise, if you're tired with the games these adults play, there's always the support caricatures to look forward to, such as those played by Minnie Driver, Jason Flemying, and especially Stephen Merchant, whose role is to prop up the film's comedic department with tons of bawdy jokes, some of which fall flat to keep in line with his character.

I Give It a Year is the anti-thesis of marriage, so you have been warned that this romantic comedy does seem a little bit twisted with its unconventional take on a tale about forcing a romance with the wrong person, while failing to recognize one's happiness truly lies somewhere else. How it all plays out toward the end may be a little bit unrealistic and a tad too inconvenient, but by that time you'd realize Mazer was grasping for anything that can bring this story to a close.

Oblivion in IMAX

What Do You See?
I came out of the screening with a grin. Oblivion was good. So good, I was mesmerized from start to end, and was rooted to my seat throughout. I didn't want it to end, and dreaded as the minutes ticked by to the inevitable finale. It had everything I hoped for in a science fiction film, and more. There was of course the genre elements, a steeped emotional and romantic core, plus a mystery that played out without having to spell everything verbatim in chronological fashion, keeping you wondering just what had happened to give it its premise.

Written by Joseph Kosinski, Karl Gajdusek and Michael Arndt, and directed by the Kasinski, who was also responsible for bringing a new spin to the TRON: Legacy, Kasinski traded the dark settings of that film for the light and bright, minimalist and futuristic look at Earth some 60 years after 2017, where unknown alien forces had taken out Earth's moon, and plunging the planet into chaos with its unpredictable forces of mother nature ravaging it, followed by an invasion that took out most of the human population. The war was won, but at the expense of the planet since the nuclear fallout made it uninhabitable. So the survivors made that interplanetary migration to Saturn's moon Titan, leaving behind a skeletal crew of two - Jack (Tom Cruise) and Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) - some drones, and a forward base controller (Melissa Leo) to harness energy from the oceans. And of course to mop up what's left of the alien race still down on earth.

However, that's what we're lulled to believe, as we follow the typical day of Jack and Victoria, who wake up, get to work, with Jack essentially being a human Wall.E, repairing broken down drones, and patrolling their assigned territory from the skies. Jack and Victoria enjoy life as per any typical couple with not much for recreation at night, but there's something niggling in Jack's mind, being haunted by memories of a strange, beautiful female (Olga Kurylenko), something that shouldn't happen given their mind wipe, and whose unannounced, surprising presence threatens to upset their entire couple harmony, and their effectiveness as a team. Three's a crowd and making things worse is when jealousy enters the picture.

To say any more would be to ruin the many surprises in store, which lead to the many revelations that when pieced together will make perfect sense, since the writers kept the cards close to their chests, revealing crucial plot points at intervals, which is frustrating yet satisfying, and well worth the wait, although sometimes at the expense of pace, or editing continuity that wasn't as smooth as it would have liked to be. But no matter. Granted that the expositions won't be anything new, with genre cliches abound that the fans amongst us would be able to predict, but it's how these elements come together so perfect that makes Oblivion such a worthwhile watch. Yes there are the sleekly designed vehicles befitting a sci-fi flick here, with the necessary attention to detail and explanation to make everything seem plausible for this apocalyptic vision of the future.

But I love the emotional core that anchored the film a hell lot more, so much so that I dare say not a lot of films, and a science fiction one at that, managed to move. It deals with the longing of a normal life, which Jack had desired as he slips off the radar now and then to build that illusion of an idyllic life in a pocket of paradise he found, with reason of course to come later in the narrative. And the love triangle was well played out, where its beginnings couldn't come any simpler than a brush, a touch and a photograph, all very fleeting, to sucker punch it through to your heart. And just how all these humanity blends so well with the CG-ed technology on display, that made it unbelievably solid.

Tom Cruise is a very different animal here altogether, without his usual toothy grin (save for one involving skinny dipping - who wouldn't?), and being a lot more serious, sombre and contemplative with his character, that worked wonders. No doubt the obvious hero in the film, many elements of heroism got played down to make it a simple fight for the survival of a loved one, without grandeur plans of needing to save the day at the forefront. Olga Kurylenko may be the flower vase here, but what an effective one playing opposite Cruise for the first time, with her sheer presence making it believable the extent a man would go out for her. Andrea Riseborough, being the relative rookie amongst the three, also stood her own, playing what would be a tragic character seeing her blissful future snatched from under her feet. Her subtleness in her final scene in the film, spoke volumes of her ability to say so much with so little.

A couple of scenes that stood out for me, such as the black and white flashback scene involving Jack and Julia (Kurylenko) when they meet before going up the Empire State Building, communications between Victoria and Jack when their perfect teaming started to give way, together with just above every revelation that had Jack flabergasted, and those sweeping cinematography of landscapes of a broken Earth. And what provided this film that extra dimension, is the excellent and hauntingly beautiful score by M83 that lifts this film into another emotional stratosphere altogether, that without which, the movie isn't likely going to be as memorable, or emotional, as it got made out to be.

Watch Oblivion on the IMAX screen no less, for those awesome visuals to envelope right up to the peripherals of your vision, and for that crystal clear pounding of the soundscapes and soundtrack right into your aural senses. This is the modern day treatment of The Wachowski's The Matrix in a certain way without the philosophical babble, but my, I'd give it five stars and a perfect ten! A definite recommendation, and a firm entry into my shortlist as one of the best films this year so far!

Olympus Has Fallen

Your Appearance Fee is What?!
The release timing cannot be more coincidental than it already is, with the movie's marketers quickly jumping onto the bandwagon to link this to a potential what if given the current North Korean crisis, with the hypothetical scenario of their clandestine forces somehow making its way into the USA, and doing the audacious with the taking over of the White House, with no less than the President (Aaron Eckhart), amongst other political stakeholders being hostages.

Can this really happen? I suppose it's only possible in Hollywood, with writers Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt taking plenty of artistic and dramatic license to craft something remotely possible through well orchestrated attacks that must be completed within 13 minutes, coupled with plot elements contributing to the loopholes, which you must suspend disbelief with in order for it to work, consisting of a combination of suicide bombers, swarmed armed assaults, a large cargo plane, and inside jobs turned ugly. Gone were the days of the Russians and the Arabs as enemies on the silver screen, with the North Koreans making the ultimate jump from one of the Bond installments, to the reboot of Red Dawn, and now this.

So in true action-adventure fashion, a hero must rise from his rut, given a second chance which he will take to prove himself once again that he's the nation's only hope. But this is not John McClane's show, although director Antoine Fuqua's film could have been positioned as the next Die Hard installment set within Washington, D.C. and the White House. Similar to Wolfgang Petersen's In the Line of Fire, the film's protagonist is Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), the US President's chief detail Secret Service agent until the incident seen in the trailer had him step down from his position, to serve in a desk position in the Treasury. Like all heroes, he's never far away from the action, misses it in his life, and gets thrown the opportunity to take it back again by the horns.

As much as this film featured its fair share of blood and violence, with the North Koreans led by international fugitive Kang (Rick Yune), a sadistic killer who doesn't flinch from executing his threats, there really isn't much of a danger posed toward Mike. There's the requisite wife Leah (Radha Mitchell) to provided narrative pause in the action sequences for Mike's extremely little bit of a human connection to a loved one, and with enemies never really threatening when getting in the way of our hero. Sure, Fuqua does design and shoot some intense battle sequences, but nothing was left remotely memorable as Butler huffs and puffs his way too easily through the long corridors and secret passages of the centuries old presidential quarters.

Some simple twists and turns got utilized to spice up what would be an average plot with piqued interests because of the effort gone to recreate both interiors and exteriors of the iconic White House, and see it getting damaged on a scale and level yet to be seen before (Independence Day's single, thick laser beam obliteration is no count). In fact, the White House itself is a character with its nooks and crannies, real or otherwise, put into the film to become that edged advantage for our hero, and the President's young son Connor (Finley Jacobsen). Music by Trevor Morris keeps the tempo urgent, but relies probably on the same consistent bars for the main theme to be running almost forever.

Perhaps what made Olympus Has Fallen a little bit more fun, is its star studded cast. Gerard Butler proves once again he's action hero material, although too cool and hardly breaking into a sweat as he takes his orders and executes them with brutal efficiency, that you'd stop caring after a while since he's perpetually indestructible. Aaron Eckhart graduates from District Attorney to bland US President whose job is actually to give that rousing speech at the end, while Morgan Freeman strolls his way through yet another Presidency role, albeit an acting one here, since his Deep Impact days. Dylan McDermott and Angela Bassett were grossly underused as a mercenary bodyguard and Secret Service Director respectively, with the latter being nothing more than Ms Stating-the-Obvious, while Melissa Leo had a bit role as the needlessly gutsy Secretary of Defense. Rick Yune as the villain was as bland as Butler was the hero, and like all action films, the story's usually as good as how evil the antagonist is, which fell a little bit short on both counts.

It does seem that 2013 is the year for White House being under attack in the cinemas, with another film lined up with Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx headlining the Roland Emmerich film. So while waiting for that to arrive, it's still quite the action-adventure fun witnessing Gerard Butler complete his no-nonsense tour of duty with the Secret Service, before Tatum arrives reporting for active duty, and hopefully emerges as the stronger film between the two, since this one didn't set the bar too high.

The Place Beyond The Pines

Cameo
Written and directed by Derek Cianfrance, The Place Beyond the Pines is that ambitious dramatic epic that tried, but failed to reach its lofty peaks. It had moments mostly brought out by superb casting, but bogged down by an average father and sons tale that didn't have much emotional punch, sagging toward the end when it failed to pull out all its stops. Which is a pity, given the talent at the filmmaker's disposal, only to get caught up in its moralistic and karmic focus.

The star of the show from the get go Is non other than Ryan Gosling, who plays Handsome Luke, a stunt motorcycle rider whose troupe travelling career brought him back to Schenectady, New York, where old flame Romina (a very anorexic looking Eva Mendes) to come visit, and learn that he's now the father of their relatively new born son. Suddenly the weight of the world comes crashing down onto his carefree days, and pangs of guilt and fatherhood responsibilities begin to fester, leading him to stay in town, and turning to crime as the quick way to provide for his family. A combination of his motorcycle skills, plenty of guts and an accomplice prove to be fruitful, until the second act that comes rolling around that turned his fortune another way.

The narrative then shifts to the heroic cop Avery (Bradley Cooper looking really old fashioned), whose exploits have brought him fame, and ill gotten fortune no thanks to corrupt forces in his chosen profession. Here is where the drama gives way to heavier examination of is themes, and looks at moral corruption straight in the eye. We get introduced to Avery, and become witnesses to the crime that took place, and the crime of who actually shot first, coupled with the incentive to cover one's tracks. The narrative here is the richest of the lot as it combines Bradley Cooper's acting chops, with the strength of the material at hand, where his Avery twists circumstances around to maximize personal benefit and opportunity. What started out as good intentions, actually had a different spin and motivation to it altogether.

And the final part of the three act structure fast forwards the story some 15 years into the future, where Avery is now running for political office, but is distracted on the side by his wayward son AJ (Emory Cohen), a good for nothing youth who, in what would be an encounter of karmic proportions, befriends Luke's son Jason (Dane DeHaan). This then turned into a classic father and son story, where the sins of the fathers, and that theme of guilt, befalls the next generation, and how they get to deal with it. It's the usual teenage stories of slacker-hood, friendship, fights, drugs, parties and so on, in direct contrast to the more adult moments the first two acts presented.

The Place Beyond the Pines becomes that intense character study piece that stayed engaging as long as the leading characters remained up on screen, but failed in its final act where the more lightweight, young actors took over the mantle that didn't seem to know which direction it wanted to go, mirroring their characters' aimlessness, and waste of time. Ryan Gosling did the best he could with limited screen time, and Bradley Cooper ably carried the film through to the finale. Eva Mendes was also grossly underutilized, disappearing for the most parts for more than half the film, making this quite the testosterone driven movie.

Some nifty cinematography and camera work – there were plenty of continuous shots in one take to make you sit up and take note of – and a wonderful score by Mike Patton propped the film up when the narrative failed to pick up speed in the final act, and the critical moment that will leave you pondering about is the turn in the film regarding who shot first. If only that was left a mystery, then perhaps it will provide more moral ambiguity, and forcing you to choose sides rather than to show-hand, and allow you to condemn from the get go.

The Last Exorcism Part II

With Great Power
This sequel will go down as one of those that have gone horribly off tangent to its source material and original, which is a pity because the first film had a solid finale which left it as a cliffhanger of sorts, but this direct follow up junked every good thing about the movie in no less than 5 minutes into the film, and had everything go downhill after that. For writer-director Ed Gass-Donnelly, I'm sorry to say that while you have had good intentions and decided to foward the story without the use of the found-footage gimmick, I wonder why you didn't choose to be less derivative from classics such as Carrie and Firestarter.

The first film worked because of a couple of reasons. First and foremost, it was a compelling premise, where a jaded pastor-conman decided to spill the beans in his profession, and herein lies the actual reason that it was found-footage because of an embedded documentary crew that followed him around while he exposed the secrets in his shady trade. Then there's proper character building, where we empathized with Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian), and understood why he decided to make good the wrongs in his life, and this worked into a tale of faith. Then the antagonist, spearheaded by Ashley Bell's wonderful portrayal as Nell, contained all ingredients necessary that blended horror and mystery together, plus her ability to contort herself in all angles imaginable. And who can forget that goosebumps raising finale.

Not a lot of people took to that film of course, but it worked well for me. Then came Gass-Donnelly and his idea of continuing directly where the first film left off, was quite brilliant. Naturally there isn't any reason to pursue this in found footage again, so the major decision was to come up with a straight narrative film, following Nell as she ends up in a girls' home, since she did not bear any memories on what had happened in the final few moments of the first film. And here is where everything turned south as far as the story went. We get introduced to characters who were as flimsy as they were cardboard, and a romance that was totally flat from the get go.

Yes we know that Nell is given every opportunity to assimilate back to normal society, but this was boring as hell when translated for the big screen, because there wasn't much emotions involved, and made it look very artificial, with scenes included because they just should. There were attempts to spook the audience, but even this relied on the tried and tested techniques which didn't offer anything new, especially when threats were issued usually through scratchy voices that may have come from imagination. To add further insult, there wasn't much of a "last" exorcism here, so the title was nothing more than to remotely link this film to the previous one, which had every reason to be "last", because well, that's what had happened. Here, while the exorcism performed was of a different style, it was so small a portion of screen time that it was quite negligible, especially its outcome.

What made it worthwhile was went Gass-Donnelly shifted gears to add a sense of urgency into the narrative in the final act, and things were really looking up especially when we had Nell confront her inner demons, and pick a side to root for. But then the brakes got applied again when you suddenly realize that the director had gone the direction of films such as Carrie and Firestarter, both written by Stephen King, and you wonder whether that's all that Gass-Donnelly can do, to become nothing more than a derivative of those two works. This film could have been labeled as "Nell" and perhaps it may win over some thought that it's about the misadventures of a possessed character, rather than the process to get her exorcised for good. Rewatching the first film will give you better value, and thrills.

In The House (Dans La Maison)

What Do You Want To Know Today?
Maybe it's just me, but there's something sexy with stories about writers and their writings making it onto film, with recent releases such as Ruby Sparks powering its way into my top film of last year. In The House looks set to do the same too, directed by Francois Ozon, well known for his feature film Swimming Pool (which was also centered around a writer played by Charlotte Rampling), and based on a play written by Juan Mayorga called The Boy in the Last Row. Words cannot deny the genius of both the screenplay and the film's direction in crafting a piece that draws and sucks you into its narrative, becoming what's akin to a page turner that captivates all the way to the finale.

Fabrice Luchini plays Mr Germain, a literature teacher in a school whose lofty ambitions of imparting his vast knowledge go up in smoke with the most uninspired students, until he latches upon the raw talent of Claude Garcia (Ernst Umhauer), which isn't hard since his homework submission on what happened over the weekend was two pages compared to his peers' two liners, and contained all ingredients necessary that would have caught any reader's attention with its yet to be verified autobiographical nature, a hook, and a cliffhanger. Soon Germain slowly discovers that he wanted more, and takes it upon himself to bring Claude under his personal tutelage so that Claude's creative output and juices can get to be nurtured by him.

Kristin Scott Thomas plays Germain's wife Jeanne, who partakes in the same, reading Claude's submissions as she struggles to get her professional art gallery in order, lest it be shut down for the lack of a good exhibition. And the interplay between husband and wife over Clude is something the film excelled in, presenting two sides to an argument whether Claude is imagining it, or telling it as it is experienced, about his near obsession with wanting and eventually getting into the house of his friend Rapha Artole (Bastien Ughetto), which soon evolves into becoming an integral part of the household with his presence on the pretext of tutoring his friend, but essentially being an outlet to get close to Rapha's mom Esther (Emmanuelle Seigner), an infatuation that will take on epic proportions.

Interesting enough, this film works if you'd participate in it just as how both Germain and Jeanne allowed their morbid curiosity to get the better of them. We become those characters personified, and one can imagine just how powerful this is in a staged production. But its effect and impact are not diminished on film, as you'll find yourself demanding more, with Ozon often pulling the plug leaving you wanting more, and lapping everything up with Claude submitting another chapter of sorts being played out on screen. We connect the dots, and partake in the lives of the Artole family, learning about their hopes, dreams, secrets, celebrate in their success, and sympathize when they hit a brick wall. And there are many relationship types in the film, from that of lustful ones, to father-son relations, mentor-mentee, best of friends, and even the recurring GLBT ones that Ozon's films tend to feature.

In truth, watching this film becomes that guilty pleasure that is voyeur central, filled with comedy, drama, and wonderful acting that bring the characters to life, yet having the narrative mileage to pique and sustain one's interest from beginning to end by appealing to our primal curious nature, and really milking and manipulating it, with us allowing it to, and growing increasingly effective as we clamour for Claude to seek out even more intimate moments. It's a scary reflection of ourselves, yet an engagement by a film par none. A definite recommend!

Saving General Yang (忠烈杨家将 / Zhong Lie Yang Jia Jiang)

Prepped for the Legendary Amazons
Chinese historical stories have no lack of its own heroes who display virtues of courage, and loyalty, and the Yang Family of the Song Dynasty has been celebrated in countless of books, plays, operas and of course, film. There are many variations to the adventures of General Yang (Adam Cheng) and his seven sons in the face of deadly adversary, and this Ronny Yu directed period action film is yet another take that's done right, wiping off the unworthy stink that Legendary Amazons in 2011 had laced upon the family of valour.

This production brings back the creative talents of those behind the scenes of the successful Ip Man movies starring Donnie Yen, such as Producer Raymond Wong, his son Edmond who served as one of three co-writers, and musician Kenji Kawai who provided the score, and you'll be assured for that attention to detail, and high production values put into this retelling. There's good balance between the more dramatic moments in the film and the requisite war action scenes, but it only did adequately enough without pushing boundaries to have made it from good, to instant classic.

Admitedly, there are many characters here in the story, given the General and his 7 young sons, in addition to the women in the film, primarily represented by the General's wife (Xu Fan), and the Helen of Troy equivalent Princess Chai (Ady An), who drives a rivalry between the Yang family and the Pan family further when Pan's son vies with Yang's seventh son (Fu Xinbo) for the Princess' affection, only for the former to perish, and sets in motion the Pan's patriarch (Leung Ka Ying), appointed supreme commander against the invading Khitan forces led by Yelu Yuan (Shao Bing), to betray his fellow Song citizen by feeding him to the wolves with a lack of backup, and rescue troops.

Cornered at the Wolf Mountain, this film then takes on 300 proportions, with soothsayers boldly predicting unfavourable outcomes, while the strengths of the few, in this case just seven and an assortment of a handful of loyal soldiers, venture out to rescue their father/leader from impending doom. While the opening big battle sequence involving all seven brothers was a treat, this soon gave way to a fight choreography that bordered on repetition, with shots on characters on horses wielding their weapons around, and because of their bring grossly outnumbered, finding themselves backpaddling and fleeing most of the time.

But Ronny Yu, knowing the constraints of the story he wanted to tell, which is for the seven brothers to bring their father back home to their mom, while under pursuit by the Khitan Yelu Yuan possessing a personal vendetta against the Yangs, managed to keep the narrative moving at breakneck speed, leaving you breathless for its continuous swarm attacks of many against a pitiful few. It's a challenge featuring an ensemble cast battling it out against a stunt team, but these were action scenes crafted that managed to convey the sense of claustrophobia, frenzy, panic, and at times, fear. There's also that art house sensibility that found its way into the story through some shots that lingered around for a tad too long, giving us that detailed glimpse into the production effort in recreating that era.

At times though you'd feel that you want to get to know more about the individuals in the story, rather than to just get acquainted for a short period through flashbacks that highlight the brothers' diverse characteristics. While that would likely stretch this to television series proportions, I thought it would provide some deeper understanding, at least of the characters played by headliners such as Ekin Cheng, Vic Zhou and Wu Chun. The villain Yelu Yuan is obviously of one track mind and objective, and it's a good thing that we didn't get superhuman with the Yang generals, which was quite the surprise with injuries sustained from the get go, once again keeping things real, with that element of danger lurking around.

It's been a long gestation period ever since the movie was introduced at last year's Hong Kong International Film Festival, while making its world premiere recently at this year's festival edition. It's as close to a Chinese blockbuster as can be with a lightweight narrative propped up by heavy duty battle scenes. Who would have thought though, that the more dramatic moments in the film, turned out to be its key strengths, together with Xu Fan's limited moments as the wife/mom who harboured as much hope as dread as she waits out the return of her husband/boys. Recommended!

Lay the Favourite

Learning The Ropes
Bruce Willis is everywhere it seems, from reprising his iconic role in John McClane for the fifth time, to being called on as the Original Joe in the G.I. Joe franchise. Soon he will be seen in yet another follow up film to Red, inspired by the graphic novel, and that pretty much sums up a busy release schedule in 2013. But here comes Lay the Favourite where he plays a character that's uniquely different from all of the rest so far - he doesn't wield a gun, and gone are the wisecracks. Instead, he's a serious gambler, so serious that he's made a business out of his passion, and doing so legally in the state of Nevada, USA.

But this is not the story about Bruce Willis' Dink, but rather, one that's purportedly based on the memoirs of an exotic dancer who made good while working under the tutelage of Dink, but not before some shenanigans that expectedly occur along the way, pulling in some serious lessons in life about nursing an addiction, whether the thrill of the win, or for the affections of someone. It's about Beth (Rebecca Hall), a freelance exotic dancer who decides that it's times up for her current career, and decided to embark on a new one as a casino cocktail waitress in Las Vegas.

Stroke of luck would have her meet Dink, who runs his own company, getting revenues from making bets against the odds (hence the title) for every conceivable sport and for every conceivable play. If you, like me, think that this is one film that will reveal to you the secrets to sports betting and making a career out of it, well, think again, as these scenes really just gloss over the bare basics, lest it be known as an elementary 101 instructional manual for professional gaming. But it is through this premise that life lessons get imparted, from knowing when to quit, not be greedy, to knowing how to operate within set limits.

And it's about discovering one's talents too. For Beth, her uncanny skill with numbers, and being the only female operative in Dink Inc puts her in good steed amongst Dink's peers in the industy, and for a while she personified Dink's good luck charm, until Dink's wife Tulip (Catherine Zeta-Jones) comes frowning especially when being threatened by a nubile upstart whom she can feel starting to bear some pangs of infatuation for her husband, who had lifted her self esteem. This leads to another automatic rote expectation of how romance will figure into the plot, with Jeremy (Joshua Jackson) being the goody two shoes boyfriend that Beth hooks up with.

Lay the Favourites tend to go all over the place narratively, with director Stephen Frears unable to keep a solid grasp on the story to keep it focused. It developed much like Beth's scatterbrain, hitting multiple plot points at the same time, and didn't fully develop their potential. There were solid moments when the story angled into a lessons learnt in how we sometimes bite the hand that feeds us. Its romance didn't go beyond the perfunctory, while the comedy seemed to be reined in for the most parts instead of letting it rip. Having Vince Vaughn play the chief antagonist guaranteed a riot of a time, until you realize that he's somewhat restrained in delivery of some of the best lines in the film that belonged to his character.

While this may not be Stephen Frears' best work, it still contained little takeaways through its themes, of heeding advice from experienced hands, and not be seduced by things that are too good to be true, because it's a high chance that they are. Bruce Willis may be playing against type here, but he does seem a tad uncomfortable in the role. Rebecca Hall however was at her element here as the trashy girl discovering her talents and herself, making good of her potential, but the rest of the supporting cast, such as Zeta-Jones who was really pedestrian, failed to keep up with her energy. Lay the Favourite is a valiant attempt that ultimately proved that the odds were stacked against its favour from the start.

The Host

There Can Be Only One
This is Stephenie Meyer's other book outside of her Twilight series, and what makes it a tad interesting is the science fictional element which is a spin out of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, combined with romance that only Meyer knows how to get through its convoluted best with love triangles, or rectangles now. It's a fairly troubled film project with directors coming and going, until Andrew Niccol, famed for Gattaca and In Time, came to seal the deal at the helm. Having responsibility to adapt Meyer's story for the screen, this and Saoirse Ronan's participation as the lead, will pique interest, at least at first.

What gave this film a leg up, is its science fiction premise. The resources of Earth are now being used wisely and perfectly, and voila, the planet is thriving once again, reversing the pollution and muck that us humans have been responsible for. Homo-sapiens are still around though, but now our consciousness have been replaced by "Souls", alien lifeforms who thrive by co-opting the bodies of the planetary hosts, and given that they're peace loving, and scientifically more advanced with a penchant for all things chrome, and for standardization to cut waste - all cars are Ferraris and bikes are Ducatis - they are now rulers of the planet, with all that's left is to eradicate the remaining human beings.

Wait a minute, peace loving, and yet annihilation (through pain free means no doubt) going hand in hand? Yes, something's basically wrong here, but the narrative doesn't dwell too much on this. The aliens come with different roles and names that suit their functions, so it's left to Seekers (Diane Kruger) to weed out the remaining pockets of resistance, and in doing so we begin with the capture of Melanie (Ronan), whose almost dying body in a desperate suicide attempt meant the assimilation of the Wanderer/Wanda Soul into her body, only for Melanie to prove to have a stronger mind that first though, and so two minds inhabit the same body, leading to, well, as much cliches as possible.

Ronan probably have her work cut out for her, and she excels in her role of split personality really well. It's like Gollum talking to himself, except that here we're reliant on voice overs and her deadpan expression when Melanie becomes the one who's talking/thinking/directing the body's actions. Adversary is set up with The Seeker wanting Wanderer to dig deep into the recesses of Melanie's memory to fish out the hiding place of her rebel friends and family, while Melanie plays hard ball in trying to block those images out. As it progresses, having two minds sharing the same body meant something going to give, and in this case, it's basically schizophrenia as the two ladies for quite the perfect sisterhood in due course.

But to get there, here's where Meyer brings out the gravy train for her Twilight fan base. It's not enough to have two hot guys falling in love with one girl now, but having two hot guys falling in love with one girl possessing two minds. The conundrum here is of course the sharing of one single body, and like Siamese Twins, you really can't separate one consciousness from the other when things get a little bit frisky. While this may be a little bit of a situation to handle both emotionally and physically, how it played out tend to be unintentionally comedic, and this meant losing impact to the entire relationship between the characters, whom you won't feel much for, and only made worse.

The strengths of the film lay in its premise, but unfortunately that wasn't exploited much to build up the world that it's now is. Its focus on romance was inevitable, but this became the lowest denominator without real depth, and hankered much of the plot with cheesy dialogue and situations that bordered on the absurd, sometimes conveniently writing out the Melanie consciousness without any attempt at explanation, sort of like a light switch that can be turned on or off, with the switch controls being lip locks and plenty of caressing to elicit a response.

If only the same can be said of the film's less interesting bits. Max Irons and Jake Abel as the male lovers now become the rare flower vase whose presence were really rote and as superficial as can be, while Emily Browning's uncredited star appearance only pointed to the promise of a sequel if this could make decent amounts at the box office should Meyer's fan base turn up for the party. Even if Andrew Niccol was at his best, which he was not, couldn't have saved this one.

Ip Man: The Final Fight (叶问:终极一战 / Ye Wen: Zhong Ji Yi Zhan)

Unlikely Grandmasters
It looks like the Ip Man wave isn't quite over in Cinema yet, with Wong Kar-Wai's The Grandmasters finally making its debut earlier this year, and now Herman Yau continuing from where he left off with creating the bookends of the series, which started with The Legend is Born. If you were to put every Ip Man film together, they don't really make much sense now especially on the life and times of the Wing Chun grandmaster, with timelines very much convoluted, and events blurred with fictional elements. With no less than 4 different actors now taking on the role and exhibiting variations to Wing Chun, you've probably begun to take sides as to which interpretation you'd have a preference for.

But Herman Yau's films have got its bragging rights, having Ip Man's own son Ip Chun involved with the production, not only in making cameo appearances, but providing story input to paint a more dramatic picture of the subject. And it couldn't get more authentic than this, even with artistic license obviously taken at some points. And if you were to extrapolate them, then you'd see shades of the rest of the other films that seem to tangent off important plot points. Things such as underground fighting rings, corrupt cops, battling with other grandmasters, setting up shop, and tales of rash disciples all have its air time here as well, and this one offered a lot more than the others because it's now a snapshot of a time that the rest hasn't, and probably will not, cover. This is Ip Man in his later days when Bruce Lee was beginning to make a name for himself in the USA, and chronicles the life and times, filled with its fair share of ups, downs, moments of pride and that tragic sense of loss, that comes with ageing, with a lot more focus on his group of disciples as much as it is about Ip Man's personal life.

The surprise is of course Yau teaming up with his long time collaborator Anthony Wong, who together have made iconic Category III films in The Untold Story and Ebola Syndrome. Here, they reunite to bring a kung fu master to life, and a biographical one at that, and going by the trailers, Wong is no pushover as he executes the Wing Chun moves with grace and ferocity, with little that betrays the use of a stuntperson or wires to help make his a lot more graceful. What works here in the fight department is the awesome choreography that does justice to both the martial arts and the actor, obviously having trained for it, to execute the moves with as much authenticity as possible.

Action sequences may be limited in quantity given Herman Yau's and Erica Lee's story focused on the more dramatic moments, and relationships that Ip Man has with his wife (Anita Yuen), a songstress (Zhou Chu Chu) and his many disciples, but more than made up for it in terms of quality. Cinematography in action films are key in either wanting to play the cheat sheet with quick cuts and edits, with either faraway or tight shots to hide the stuntperson, but this one is done perfectly well to show off the cast members' moves and intensity of their blows, and does its action choreography justice, which for a martial arts film, matters most. Besides some speeding up detected, it doesn't have over the top style, but kept things as simple as Wing Chun's philosophy, and that battle between Ip Man and Master Ng (Eric Tsang) remains one of the best in this movie, and dare I mention also ranks as one of the best amongst the rest of the Ip Man films put together.

If there's a downside to this, it's the issue of having too many characters jam packed into this less than two hour story. There's a whole host of disciples that Ip Man had recruited, and while screen time is dedicated to these characters, their development was fleeting at best. Headlining the disciples were the likes of Gillian Chung chalking up her resume in her recent comeback, but her role was rote at best, with her relatively less well known stars given more screen time instead. Jordan Chan is the other famous headliner for the film, starring as Ip Man's disciple and a policeman, caught up with moral issues as his profession brings about opportunities for corruption at the time, and how he struggled with this moral dilemma. But it's not much of a struggle as it turned out, although the narrative steered clear on passing any judgement or ending on the character, except to remind that he was an important source of income to keep things going. Zhou Chu Chu as the songstress provided a promise of a romance that wasn't much, but this love story has its shades in Wong Kar-Wai's epic in being a love that could have been, told in a very different fashion here.

The opening film of this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival, with that territory comes a certain guarantee that this has to live up to its honor with high production values, which was a plus point as the 50s and 60s Hong Kong got recreated both in terms of external sets and interior art direction and production to transport the audience into an era long gone. Giving it some artistic credibility is how the narrative blended with the history of Hong Kong as a background, making it as much of a historical epic of the colony at the time as it is about the story of Ip Man's advancing years in life. Still, as part of the Ip Man movie canon, The Final Fight has its moments, and even if you're jaded from too many films about the grandmaster in such a short duration of time, this movie still has what it takes to offer audiences a different aspect yet to be seen of Ip Man, with its Wing Chun moves and fights being the icing on the cake. Recommended!

Gambit

No Rooms Available
Written by the Coen brothers Joel and Ethan, Gambit is the remake of the 1966 heist comedy of the same name starring Shirley MacLaine and Michael Caine, which this film had borrowed its base premise from in having what's expected played out in the mind of one of its protagonist, before having its actual execution go completely and hilariously wrong. And once this had started off as a troubled production with cast and crew suffered from a revolving doors syndrome, it finally nailed its key casting of Colin Firth, Cameron Diaz and Alan Rickman, all of whom prove to be what made Gambit an engaging movie to sit through and effortlessly hitting all the sweet spots that a heist comedy should hit.

Colin Firth plays Harry Deane, an art curator working for Lionel Shahbandar (Alan Rickman), a mean and scrooge like businessman who doesn't think twice in hurling insults of all shapes and form at his employee base should they get in his way, in any way. Clearly unliked by many, and by Harry of course, who hatches a plot to skim millions off his employer as revenge. To do so meant to come up with an elaborate plot involving Monet's Haystacks series of paintings, and travelling the world in search of a possible bait to play along and boost the credibility of the story he concocts. This brings together The Major (Tom Courtenay), a master forger, and P.J. Puznowski (Cameron Diaz), a ditzy cowgirl from the USA to bolster his plot for a cool promise of a half a million sterling pound reward for basically sealing the deal.

And true to the original work, we get to see how the perfect heist plays out in perfect terms, as would any heist film in laying out the challenge, and the objective, with a quick run of the process and the plan in order to fulfill what the motley crew got assembled for. But when things start to swing into action, this means Murphy's Law being applied liberally by the Coen Brothers, and makes for a hilarious film with excellent comic timing brought on by all three leads. Classical moments include the entire sequence at the Savoy hotel as Harry got sidetracked into trying to go for a Ming vase, and of course, the inevitable twist within the twist as its crescendo that makes this very much fulfilling and less empty had this been nothing more than a straight-forward narrative.

Colin Firth proved to be more than capable in being the gentleman's gentleman with an axe to grind with his employer, and getting back through the only means he knows how, being surprisingly quick thinking especially toward the end. Stanley Tucci makes a small supporting appearance as his professional adversary, while over the top, does suggest a thought about how we tend to think that foreign experts are the best, often overlooking equally capable, or in some instances, more than capable, locals for the job. Firth's comic timing is impeccable, and is primarily responsible for holding the narrative together. Diaz goes back to what she does best as the ditzy blonde with her own street smarts to get out of sticky situations, who is aware that she holds the key to the success of Harry's absurd plan, while Alan Rickman shows what it takes to be a fiend, and yet a likeable one whose presence and background may draw a sympathetic eye or two.

Like almost all heist films, the payload is toward the end where things get revealed for what they truly are. Gambit has more than its fair share of surprises, reaffirming some plot points brought up but debunked early, and red herrings galore that got closed off. This is probably the Coen Brother's most accessible story to date, playing it in straightforward fashion, and while it's no insult to director Michael Hoffman, perhaps the film may be more interesting if we got to see the Coen Brothers' take on this. Still, for what it's worth, Gambit is recommended for the performance of its cast who delivered as expected without playing against type.

[Southeast Asian Film Festival] Liberta

One of the most fascinating local independent filmmakers today, Kan Lume continues to show why he's also one of the most prolific, with stories that tell of the human condition being made not only in Singapore, but across the Causeway, and now in Australia as well, where he was residing for a period of time recently. A confluence of opportunity and factors came together that made Liberta possible, arising from tragedy that had hit the filmmaker personally, but like a phoenix came this film that seemingly brought him almost full circle to when he made waves with his first feature film The Art of Flirting.

Kan's films are always known for its edge, and this also meant ruffling a few feathers that had seen a couple of restrictions, to put it lightly, being imposed on his films. Solos was banned locally, as was Female Games, both for its homosexual content, with the latter film being recut and slapped with an R21 rating for a limited commercial run in Sinema, but to frame and box those films under that theme is not doing the movies any favour, because they are more than that. Out of his frustration came Dreams From the Third World, pushing the filmmaker into creative spaces outside of geographical boundaries, and as if this was also a contributing factor to having Liberta made from Down Under.

Like his first film, Liberta is shot under the simplest of terms, with the writer-director at the helm of a creative process that blurs the line between documentary and drama, exploring issues that push a person over the edge of suicide contemplation, and its two outcomes of whether to go along with it, or to junk the idea altogether. With the latter comes a deep dive into the factors behind it, serving as a carthathic process for the filmmaker and his cast of one to iron out their internal demons through the character they co-create, who is on a road trip of self-exploration, and confessional in some sense, to the fabled Ayers Rock.

Split into three distinct chapters, the film is plenty of talk from a single source, almost interview style, of Faye (Faye Kingslee), with the interviewer (Kan Lume) muted and unseen the whole time, but whom we know is behind the camera and chief instigator with his questions, probing for answers and seeking clarification during Faye's long monologues on topics that contains everything under the sun, and then more. Anecdotes, stories, philosophy and experiences got retold on camera, which will engage you as you get drawn into the world of a woman facing issues that will resonate with many who have faced, or are facing something similar. And these are not far-fetched, as they draw upon common life experiences of love, loss, and the likes, basic human emotions that everyone would have gone through at one stage of their lives of another.

What made this film work, like all of his others, is Kan's incredible ability to draw natural performances from his cast, whether they be rookies in the field, or experienced practitioners. There's always a strong personality associated with the characters of Kan Lume's cinematic world, and this will set you to either root for, or against them, in their struggles. In this film, it's back to guerilla basics with a cast of one that the director draws an extremely effective performance out of as she rambles on about her life primarily, with monologues that do not seem out of place if in a Tarantino or Linklater film, that may have its own licence to go everywhere, but yet clearly calculated with reason and purpose. Everything got worked in for that final act, with the children, the life affirming experience, and a step out from the dark after being moved by something majestic that life has to offer.

Perhaps much can be said about Kan's interest on women issues having them feature heavily in almost all his works - Marilyn Lee's protagonist in The Art of Flirting, the mom in Solos, that Dreams From the Third World was about the wife character as much as it was about the male filmmaker protagonist, in Female Games about two model-actress wannabes, and now with Faye presenting his strongest female character yet amongst them all. It'll probably be as absorbing if someone was to do an analysis of all the female characters in Kan Lume's films, and I'm sure it may turn up a surprise or two. Kan's wife and co-founder of his independent Chapterfree studio was editor of this film, and this would also likely be key in presenting a very strong female perspective for this movie.

There may not be word on another screening yet, but do keep your eyes peeled to catch this gem should it be screened on another festival platform here, or abroad. It isn't everyday that you'd get to witness a courageous effort in filmmaking working within monumental constraints, yet coming on top with what would be Kan's finest film to date.

You can also view the companion piece known as Libertas, which is a gorgeously done short animation film:

G.I. Joe: Retaliation IMAX 3D

We're All New To This
This was a film slated for release last Summer, before it was unceremoniously pulled out with some controversy surrounding the decision of post-converting it to 3D. Was it for an increase in box office revenue? Was it because Channing Tatum was such a star that limiting his role in this film will spell disaster? Theories are abound and only time will tell whether this move into the 3D format will result in a decent box office return, but as far as giving Tatum's rising star an acknowledgement, well, that didn't happen. Which is a pity because he would have served as one of the few who had remained from the Joe's first cinematic outing, but perhaps had smelt a stinker that he wanted out from, pronto.

This time round, like what the Fast and Furious franchise did in introducing a heavy-weight character with Dwayne Johnson's presence, GI Joe had decided it will now pass the baton given its exodus of stars, and have The Rock carry the film on his broad shoulders. As Roadblock, he plays the reluctant leader, preferring to let Tatum's Duke continue in taking the lead, until he had to step up with two other remaining survivors Jaye (Adrianne Palicki) and Flint (D.J. Cotrona) into wondering just who had sucker punched the entire elite force. They're up against Cobra Commander - a pity that Joseph Gordon Levitt is no longer involved, but face it, with his entire face covered even I could have played the role - Firefly (Ray Stevenson) and Zartan (Arnold Vosloo), the usual Cobra suspects who now have control over the White House and the Presidency (Jonathan Pryce) thanks to nano-technology boosted face masks, and the heroes have to seek out old timer and the original Joe (Bruce Willis) whose retirement plan granted him a house full of weaponry that would make him a grade A terrorist should he go rogue.

Then it dawned upon you that this film could have had its plug pulled, in order to give more air time to Lee Byung-Hun as Storm Shadow, because out of the blue you suddenly have the Storm Shadow-Snake Eyes (Ray Park) arc thrust to the forefront as the second parallel narrative, and naturally an increase in Lee's minutes in the film in order to boost the movie's standing in the Asian territories. Smart move by scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick in linking the two GI Joe movies through the two character's rivalry, and offering that chance of redemption, sort of like giving one side the advantage since he's having a bigger fan base that can be milked.

So while it's practical and pragmatic, in comes the usual formula of set action pieces that look great, but didn't offer much, since it's nothing more than the usual fire fight, sword fight, and plenty of shoot-em-up accuracy issues that plague cartoons from time immemorial. Granted that part of the fun is to witness the GI Joes and Cobra sides go at each other with weapons uninvented and near impossible even in today's context, it turned out to be nothing more than a live action film of the cartoon it is based on, with an eye out for revenue through its merchandising and toys. You can just about predict everything from start to end since there's little story, and the dramatic moments were so painful to watch that you'd wish things start blowing up on screen just to keep the narrative going.

And while it had an ensemble cast to boast of, comparable to the first film, everyone seemed to be sleepwalking their way to their paycheck. Bruce Willis plays Bruce Willis, smirking his presence as the General retired from active duty to make menial contribution to the plot, if not to boost the star power for the film. Adrianne Palicki and D.J. Cotrona were forgettable as well, while The Rock thankfully had that final fisticuffs scene that wowed a little as Roadblock and Firefly go up against each other in close quartered combat with fists and firearms, which was a lift from its immediate preceding sequence involving his piloting a pumped up tank-busting buggy.

It may have been a tad interesting if Cobra's threat in the trailer was right from the onset, rather than a passing thought for the finale - it was a maniacal and implausible doomsday scenario - and like most American action blockbusters, perhaps offensive as well in giving the middle finger to other countries through its use of technology to annihilate rival cities. Paris got chomped down by the nanomites in the first film, and now London got obliterated without emotion. Take your pick in which other global city will be next in going down the CG way when the GI Joes return for another outing, if the box office return permits it.

Temporary Hiatus

Left on a jet plane, by the time you read this. SQ 777-200, something like that above.

Back this Good Friday morning! Likely to be snoozing over both legs of the red eye flights...

10th Italian Film Festival

Date: 18th-24th April 2013
Venue: Cathay Cineplexes, 2 Handy Road, Singapore
Admission: $ 12 ($11 for Italian Cultural Institute and Singapore Film Society Members)

Presented by: The Italian Cultural Institute Singapore, in partnership with Cathay Cineplexes Pte Ltd, supported by the Singapore Film Society.

This year, the Italian Film Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary and will present a selection of 7 films from the best Italian movies featured in 2011 and 2012. The Festival opens with the latest film Me and You by international acclaimed director Bernardo Bertolucci. With his storytelling wisdom, Maestro Bertolucci, in his first Italian movie in thirty years, presents the gripping story of two estranged and quirky siblings. He has chosen two unknown and talented actors (Jacopo Olmo Antinori and Tea Folco). The screening of Me and You will be preceded by a video message to the Singaporean audience by Bernardo Bertolucci himself.

The Festival will continue with a mix of comedies and dramas. Each movie gives a different perspective of Italy and all together they build an interesting mosaic representing the country’s contemporary life. This year’s selection features movies that have obtained international rewards such as the David di Donatello (Basilicata Coast to Coast by Rocco Papaleo) and the Jury Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival (Reality by Matteo Garrone).

The movies will give the audience an opportunity to get a glimpse of today’s Italy, its evolving society and creativity. The Italian Film Festival will provide the Singaporean audience with an opportunity to see Italy through the movie-camera and get acquainted with its best and most recent film production.

Lineup
18th April 730pm - Me and You (Io E Te) (2011), Director: Bernardo Bertolucci

19th April 715pm - Kryptonite! (La Kryptonite Nella Borsa) (2011), Director: Ivano Contronco

20th April 715pm - Reality (2011), Director: Matteo Garrone

21st April 715pm - The Commander and the Stork (Il Comandante E La Cicogna) (2012), Director: Silvio Soldini

22nd April 730pm - The Salt of Life (Gianni E Le Donne) (2011), Director: Gianni Di Gregorio

23rd April 715pm - Basilicata Coast to Coast (2010), Director: Rocco Papalco

24th April 715pm - Balancing Act (Gli Equilibristi) (2012), Director: Ivano De Matteo

Django Unchained

Partners
Quentin Tarantino, by now, will be synonymous with taking genres and giving them his unique spin that blends pop and cinematic culture with vulgarity laced dialogue and plenty of blood spurting action. It's almost as if he started out wanting to pay homage to his favourite genres, only to find himself adding a new and separate dimension to those films with his trademark signature style. And with each film he now commands bigger and better known stars to draw crowds to the Tarantino-verse that seemed to bear no limits, as the writer-director-part-time-actor had now gone on to pick up his second screenplay Oscar in recognition of his writing.

But Django Unchained would probably be his most straight-forward narrative yet, without genre-bending nor adapting vastly different styles in his film, playing it very straight and to the point. In his earlier films, his most engaging scenes tend to be the ones that is dialogue or monologue laden, where characters banter incessantly, and most times irreverently to what is the situation at hand, and this not only draws plenty of attention, but are extremely engaging to sit through. countless of gems have been introduced in this fashion, which sadly this one didn't have many of. That's not to say that it's notches down, but is an element that's sorely missed.

While many will go on about how violent the gun-play in Django Unchained is with its bucketloads of exaggerated blood spills and splashes, and over the top gun wounds when lead rips apart flesh and bone, what made this close to three hour film work, lies in the characterization, especially with many playing against type. And it doesn't hurt to have Christoph Waltz in your corner as well, and making an entrance that's as chilling as that in his debut Tarantino work Inglourious Basterds. Here, Waltz plays Dr. King Schultz, a dentist turned bounty hunter, and a damn effective one at that, with his surprises and relentless ability to smell out opportunities. He plays mentor of sorts to Jamie Foxx's Django, a slave whom Schultz set free, and partners with, much to the chagrin of the Southern community at large, to go after a slew of wanted men, raking in the cash as well as getting closer to Django's sole objective at this point, to rescue his wife Broomhilda von Schaft (Kerry Washington) from the clutches of the egomaniac Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).

The plot's easy to follow given Django's prime objective, that's paved with bounty hunter adventures through set action pieces, and comedic moments, such as Tarantino's making fun of the early version of the Ku Klux Klan, and the plenty of cameos such as Jonah Hill, and Franco Nero of the original Django fame, amongst others. These action sequences are effectively done to a perfect blend of blood, gore, and comedy rolled together. There's no question that these are elements that gone honed over the years from Reservoir Dogs right down to this film, with the filmmaker being unapologetic with his defined style, and being very comfortable with it. Those stand offs in the film are probably the best that Tarantino had tackled, and are well worth the price of an admission ticket. The writing continues to be impeccable as Tarantino develops his scenes and how his characters interact with one another, making each episode incredibly engaging and filled with high tension, especially from the last act when everything comes together in a volatile melting pot.

While Jamie Foxx makes an excellent Django with the silent D in his fish out of water ways who discovers he's a crack shot, it's quite clear that Leonardo DiCaprio stole the latter half of the film with his rare villanous turn as the Southern plantation owner who couldn't care less of his slaves, enjoying the high life with that sadistic streak of always wanting to win. Samuel L. Jackson was also a delight, being probably the only actor to date to have worked in the most number of Tarantino films, to stamp his presence as Candie's trusted man servant who at times seem to call the most shots. It's L. Jackson like we've probably never seen him before, and in a role that's on par with some of the best he had played throughout his career thus far, with unbelievable dialogue being spit out from his mouth, and sharing some excellent moments opposite DiCaprio.

Some may have lambasted Tarantino about how racist this film is, but after sitting through it, you can't help but feel they're a little jealous in not having been there first. A solid story, a great cast, and plenty of stuff to engage a variety of audience demographics make Django Unchained probably the most accessible Quentin Tarantino film to date, and I'd highly recommend it for what it achieved, a tribute to chop-slock entertainment that continues in the same vein as his grindhouse features.

[Southeast Asian Film Festival] The Great North Korean Picture Show Q&A

Soon!

[Southeast Asian Film Festival] The Great North Korean Picture Show

Anguish

As with all good things, this was something well worth the wait. It was in 2008 where documentary filmmakers James Leong and Lynn Lee presented Homeless FC during that year's Singapore International Film Festival, and since then a number of film projects have surfaced, including their first narrative feature length film Camera, amongst other documentaries, but nothing had been put up on the big screen until now. The Great North Korean Picture Show made its debut late last year at the Dubai International Film Festival, and others abroad, before finally coming home to screen in front of a full house. There could be more screenings given the overwhelming response and subject matter that piques one's curiosity, so stay tuned for an encore either under this festival, or one of many to come this year.

Shot in four separate trips to the reclusive state and given unprecedented access behind the iron curtain, The Great North Korean Picture Show, as a title, plays on the phrase in two ways, that the subject matter was primarily about the state of filmmaking in North Korea given that it was widely known that the late Kim Jong Il was a fanatical film buff, while on the other hand suggests that everything our documentary filmmakers had captured, had been fabricated from the onset, that despite being on the ground, there's nothing that's already vetted and approved by the powers that be. You're left to your own devices to figure things out, whether some scenes and interaction with the North Koreans may be too rote, or articifical for your liking, but really it's anyone's guess.

The central plot, if I may call it that in a documentary, follows 2 actors and 1 apparently famous North Korean director, where we get to see glimpses of some of their personal, and professional moments. While you may come to expect the usual pro-country, nationalistic views that everyone seems to be wearing on their sleeves, especially since the actors hail from the elite acting academy and may be just putting on a facade their acting skills have already honed over the years, it's a tad unique to hear their views about films and filmmaking, where they deem it as a high honour to be able to make propaganda films, seeing it as a social responsibility rather than doing it for fame and other capitalist gains. Things are really cleanly divided into two hear, that if you're not with us, you're against us type of argument, and I suppose there's no other way to achieve these thoughts other than conditioning since young.

What was more interesting, was when James Leong and Lynn Lee were allowed access to a film set where the director Pyo Hang was working on a film project in production, and being the personality that he is, makes it compelling viewing that perhaps in some aspects still, the human spirit and its playfulness are hard to suppress. There's a scene that spoke volumes, where Pyo Hang was trying his best to get a shot of soldiers who had to weep and display exaggerated actions of anguish at defeat, but what he got was a bunch of giggling extras who found it difficult to get into the mood for the sombre scene. And these are not actors mind you, but real soldiers from the North Korean army being seen to monkey around for a bit on set, outside of the tight discipline that we'd see in many precision marches or display of military might..

It is subtle scenes like this, that made The Great North Korean Picture Show such a compelling film to watch, to be on the constant lookout for clues to a seemingly more normal life than one under oppression. And while it's rare that the filmmakers' camera was allowed to pan wider and linger around longer in many scenes - there were many tight shots that made it to the film - you'll always appreciate once it does, to gaze at everything in background just to catch up on a little bit more on what things actually look like inside the reclusive country. Sans any voiceovers, James and Lynn utilize subtitles to narrate happenings and issues they had faced, for instance, in needing to reshoot some scenes inside the film museum because of innate rules pertaining to shots of the Kims, and their framed sayings. There's really no better way than to watch this film with the filmmakers' attendance.

One may think that in exchange for permission to shoot where they had shot in North Korea, or Pyongyang specifically, may mean that the filmmakers had traded their filmmaking integrity for it. The good thing is that the filmmakers didn't have to resort to that, and neither was the intention. From the onset, there were clear rules, as expected, to adhere to, and I suppose it was plain human condition that respect cuts both ways, and with each agreement to keep within the rules, greater access was granted. And what was more of a surprise, as Lynn Lee explained during a post-screening Question and Answer Session, was that no footage got confiscated, but returned with an advisory on what cannot be used. There was absolutely no interference in the final cut of the film, and in some ways, I felt that it demonstrated the censors in country were surprisingly more trusting than even those back home. And that coming from a country where communications and media are even more highly regulated and controlled.

Arguably Singapore's most successful documentary filmmakers today, James Leong and Lynn Lee once again have a gem in their hands, and with the film travelling the festival circuit, do keep a look out for it, to peer into footage never seen before, and access to a unique filmmaking process.

Promised Land

I am the Messenger
Director Gus Van Sant reunites with actor Matt Damon once again after their award winning film Good Will Hunting, but this time with actor John Krasinski filling in for Ben Affleck as part of the writing-acting equation in a film that combines a big bad natural gas mining corporation, sales pitches by its sales people and elements of environmental protection all rolled into one. The result is an engaging and reflective look at people who have to lie outright in order to do their jobs, or to rely on half truths repeated enough times to be convincingly real, and that prick of conscience should that day arise.

Damon plays the lead role of Steve Butler, whose stellar track record of closing more land deals at rock bottom prices puts him in pole position for that cushy headquarters promotion, in a company that deals with natural gas mining, moving like a juggernaut and buying up plenty of agricultural farm land that are sitting on valuable shoal. And the game plan used by Steve is deceptively simple – to position himself as one of the town's own, having grown up on a farm, and transforming himself from corporate bigwig wannabe, to the trusted neighbour down the street. All he has to do is to close another deal to move into the corporate boardroom, which would be a piece of cake, except for a school science teacher to derail his seemingly smooth plan, and getting the townsfolk to decide based on a majority vote.

Written by Damon-Krasinski, the story is a fairly interesting one that takes on both a macro look at the problem at hand, where clean energy sources may not be as clean as it's made out to be, especially in the exploiting process, while on the micro level, has plenty of carefully crafted characters to carry the narrative through. For those of us who do not understand the environmental impact of wasteful clean energy production, this film has enough time dedicated so that you'll gather the gist of it, then use new information against what Steve has to present, in the name of very real corporate offers that's one time only, with pressure tactics employed once the feel good option of thinking about one's children and their education get exhausted.

On a micro level, we learn more about, and almost sympathize with Steve, who truly believes in the good that his company is doing in offering a bail out for farmers whose livelihood comes under threat of inevitable change brought about by big money, and genuine concern about those who rescind such offers only to be seen blown away by the winds of change when it comes. If one is skeptical about Damon's dramatic ability then this film may make you change your mind given his nuanced performance. Help of course comes in the form of veteran Frances McDormand, who plays his colleague and partner in crime to fast track their offer, and stands for that check in progress whenever Steve uncharacteristically falters in his usual smooth talking ways. Rounding up the main leads come writer Krasinski himself, as a small time environmentalist out to tell people about the truth to reject big money, because it is unsafe, using personal anecdotes to push his point through. It's small time activist versus big time corporation with legal and marketing teams, so it's anyone's guess how this would pan out.

And the outcome is nothing short of brilliance from the story, especially in its build up in presenting the case from both sides, with space for some romance thrown in for good measure as both camps slug it out for mind-share and heart-share using compelling arguments and guerrilla strategies, up until the final act where the true theme reveals itself – about lies and their impact. There are those in the world who can lie straight into your face without batting an eyelid, or write a report with malicious intent just because they can and are in a questionable state of mind thinking that their lies won't be seen through with a thorough enough research. It hits the mark squarely on the head as well on sales folks and their pitches, that once the deal is done you're never about to see them ever again, since they've already moved on, and the fine print in contracts would be what's governing your life henceforth.

There are those who base their arguments on compelling merits of their own, and there are those who base it on lies created to belittle others in an effort to paint a negative picture, hoping that the people you want to convince buys into your tirade against something. This film does all it can in having these points hammered by the narrative, until a scene that had struck me, involving the honesty of simple folk, who wants nothing but to carry on their simple, honest existence without the introduction of big money and its corrupting influence come put everything into a bind.

Gus Van Sant has made a film with Matt Damon, with Damon giving up what would be his directorial effort, that's a cold hard look at the power corporations wield over the little guy, about the truth in controlling stakes and outcomes, and sets you thinking about this gulf of equality that never was to begin with. A thought provoking, highly recommended film that deserves a repeat viewing!