The Hidden Blade refers to a dreaded samurai sword skill, which you will see only towards the end of the film. Folks, who like me initially thought that this is one of the usual samurai slugfest, may be disappointed that it's not. But like mentioned in the movie, killing is only a last resort, and even samurais themselves are fearful of death in duels.
But hey, don't jump the gun (pun not intended) just yet. This film has a story to tell, and a poignant one at that. Simply put, it tells of a story about a small town samurai whose village is caught in the transition period of Japan's modernization and introduction of western arms (guns and cannons) and fighting tactics. While struggling to understand the rapid changes taking place in the nation, he has to deal with relationships of the heart with his family's maid, whom he adores but afraid to own up to, and the dilemma of being ordered into a duel with one of this long time friends, whom has gone off the right track.
This film explores many themes, one of which is the samurai code of honour, where committing suicide via disembowelment (hara-kiri) is widely accepted as a practice of maintaining that honour. We also see the bastardization of this honour, of corruption, which brings to mind George Orwell's Animal Farm, where some animals are created more equal than others. The protagonist samurai Munezo often put his head on the line while maintaining that code, even when all else around (including his superiors) put pressure on him into making compromises. How many of us will rigidly uphold our values and principles when faced with adversity? Or will we bow to that pressure and be apologetic for it?
We are also shown the caste system in feudal Japan, which proved to be a stumbling block between the relationship of Munezo and his family maid Kie. The village clan frowned upon and gossips about Munezo's rescue of Kie from her abusive marriage. While the motive may seem justifiable, we all know Munezo's real reason - that he loves her and cannot bear to see her being abused, and ultimately losing her life. Both know that with the caste system, they can never be together. Or can they?
The caste system doesn't only apply to relationships of the heart. Even within samurais, this system applies. Munezo is a small samurai in a small village, and is given little respect by samurais belonging to larger clans and cities. Think of it like the army, where foot soldiers have to "Yes Sir" every officer's instructions - even when it means given the order to kill an old friend who has gone fugitive. Munezo again struggles with this, but knows that as long as he's a samurai, orders are to be obeyed.
Change and modernization is central to the story. And in this film, there are numerous hilarious moments as the samurais in training as a modern army come to grips with strange rituals like foot drills, the handling of modern weaponry, and even the way they run. It's something like Tom Cruise's Last Samurai, only that the training's more comical here, and subtly highlights the dangers losing of one's cultural values when the world moves rapidly in change.
And finally, for those really waiting for a slugfest, there are 2 fight scenes in the entire movie. One is when Munezo seeks his old master for new guidance, and is being taught a new skill / trick. The other is when Munezo meets his longtime friend for a final showdown. Do not expect "wuxia" styled swordfights. Think Star Wars: A New Hope, the duel between Darth Vader and Obi-wan Kenobi. The duel happens with measured strokes and strategy, rather than fast paced action everyone's used to these days.
But again, the emphasis here is not on violence. It's a simple tale with powerful themes, and you will applaud when The Hidden Blade is finally used, justly.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Guess Who
The premise of this remake is something you probably have seen before in other mis-matched racial pairing flicks, like the Lethal Weapon series, or Rush Hour series. You'd sort of expect the usual barrage of racial jokes coming hard and fast, but somehow this film falls flat in that aspect.
Not that it isn't funny, just that at times, it sounds too contrived and tries just too hard at getting the audience to buy into the idea.
While the jokes are somehow weak, it does make up some ground in the relationship aspect - it tries to explore inter-racial relationships, racial bigotry, and near the end gives some tips to the guys in how to maintain a 25 year relationship... but that's that. Since it isn't a serious relationship drama like Sideways or Closer (hey, it's supposed to be a comedy, remember?) the film tends to gloss over details and punctuate these moments with humour.
Not that this film doesn't have its moments - the dining table scene and the end credits (yes, do stay and watch, and pay close attention to the dialogue too) were redeeming bits, if I can consider so.
We can't blame pretty boy Ashton Kutcher playing yet another pretty boy role similar to My Boss's Daughter, or Just Married. Guess he's a bit stereotyped given the minor success of his better films like The Butterfly Effect, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Watch this show and it feels like you've just been punk'd!
Not that it isn't funny, just that at times, it sounds too contrived and tries just too hard at getting the audience to buy into the idea.
While the jokes are somehow weak, it does make up some ground in the relationship aspect - it tries to explore inter-racial relationships, racial bigotry, and near the end gives some tips to the guys in how to maintain a 25 year relationship... but that's that. Since it isn't a serious relationship drama like Sideways or Closer (hey, it's supposed to be a comedy, remember?) the film tends to gloss over details and punctuate these moments with humour.
Not that this film doesn't have its moments - the dining table scene and the end credits (yes, do stay and watch, and pay close attention to the dialogue too) were redeeming bits, if I can consider so.
We can't blame pretty boy Ashton Kutcher playing yet another pretty boy role similar to My Boss's Daughter, or Just Married. Guess he's a bit stereotyped given the minor success of his better films like The Butterfly Effect, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Watch this show and it feels like you've just been punk'd!
Sunday, April 10, 2005
S Diary
This Korean movie is told in 2 halves.
The first half opens with a relationship break up between the protagonist Jinny, and her current boyfriend, who says that she is suffocating him in their relationship. She is puzzled, and starts to ponder about her love life, and we are transported back to each one of them (there are 3), with each having a diary of its own.
The first is with a church choir teacher, who succumbed to lustful temptations during tutoring, but eventually left her to become a priest. The second is a traffic cop who left Jinny abruptly when he found a rich woman via a matchmaking agency, and the last is a graffiti-spray-painter-good-for-nothing-with-a-doggy dude, whom she left because he was too flirtatious.
In all these relationships, attempts are made to philosophize exactly what love is, and to what extent do you demonstrate this love to the other. As Jinny matures, her outlook of love and relationships also changes, and her thoughts are punctuated with common and familiar statements of love. While all of the past relationships started on the oh-so-sweet note, as it goes on, you start to think if it's really anchored on love, or lust and physical desire.
In those breakups, we are also shown how each party takes it in their stride. Some are remorseful, though almost all are in it for sexual gratification.
And that's where the 2nd half of the movie kicks in, when Jinny decides to take her revenge on all of them, using various unorthodox methods which draws in the laughs. Also adding to the humour is the character of Jinny's mother, who somehow has a physical knack in communicating with her daugher. You have to see it to believe.
However, the movie ends in a more sombre note - that in each relationship, there exist beautiful memories, and that these memories are shared, and can never be taken away. This is very true and I can somehow identify with the ending.
For those who have loved and lost, this movie is for you.
The first half opens with a relationship break up between the protagonist Jinny, and her current boyfriend, who says that she is suffocating him in their relationship. She is puzzled, and starts to ponder about her love life, and we are transported back to each one of them (there are 3), with each having a diary of its own.
The first is with a church choir teacher, who succumbed to lustful temptations during tutoring, but eventually left her to become a priest. The second is a traffic cop who left Jinny abruptly when he found a rich woman via a matchmaking agency, and the last is a graffiti-spray-painter-good-for-nothing-with-a-doggy dude, whom she left because he was too flirtatious.
In all these relationships, attempts are made to philosophize exactly what love is, and to what extent do you demonstrate this love to the other. As Jinny matures, her outlook of love and relationships also changes, and her thoughts are punctuated with common and familiar statements of love. While all of the past relationships started on the oh-so-sweet note, as it goes on, you start to think if it's really anchored on love, or lust and physical desire.
In those breakups, we are also shown how each party takes it in their stride. Some are remorseful, though almost all are in it for sexual gratification.
And that's where the 2nd half of the movie kicks in, when Jinny decides to take her revenge on all of them, using various unorthodox methods which draws in the laughs. Also adding to the humour is the character of Jinny's mother, who somehow has a physical knack in communicating with her daugher. You have to see it to believe.
However, the movie ends in a more sombre note - that in each relationship, there exist beautiful memories, and that these memories are shared, and can never be taken away. This is very true and I can somehow identify with the ending.
For those who have loved and lost, this movie is for you.
Sahara
The trailer of this film does not do it any justice, as it presented this film like another rehash of Nicholas Cage's National Treasure, given the success of that film at the box office.
While this show is somewhat a treasure hunt adventure, the focus is far from that, as it manages to put in many different subplots and mix them well together, even though each subplot takes up little screen time. You have two treasure hunters (Matthew McConaughey and Steve Zahn), a World Health Organization doctor (Penelope Cruz), Mali warlords, a French industralist (our favourite Matrix Merovingian without the exaggerated French accent), with plots about pollution and toxic waste, a Civil War era iron ship, feuding factions, shady clandestine organizations and treasure hunting.
Based upon a Clive Cussler novel, the feel of the movie is like an Indiana Jones adventure, with interesting and sometimes comedic action sequences, its own catchy Dirk musical theme (that could be a mainstay if this show has its own franchise), a capable sidekick who provides the laughs, and even makes subtle digs at Indiana Jone's penchance for not losing his fedora hat.
I've never watched a Matthew McConaughey flick since his major debut in A Time To Kill (also based on a novel, by John Grisham), and if this movie proves successful, he might be on his way to a new movie franchise. Steve Zahn manages to bring across the comedy with uncanny timing, and Penelope Cruz, well, what more can I say?
If you enjoyed National Treasure, don't let the trailer fool you into thinking that this show is similar. It's more.
While this show is somewhat a treasure hunt adventure, the focus is far from that, as it manages to put in many different subplots and mix them well together, even though each subplot takes up little screen time. You have two treasure hunters (Matthew McConaughey and Steve Zahn), a World Health Organization doctor (Penelope Cruz), Mali warlords, a French industralist (our favourite Matrix Merovingian without the exaggerated French accent), with plots about pollution and toxic waste, a Civil War era iron ship, feuding factions, shady clandestine organizations and treasure hunting.
Based upon a Clive Cussler novel, the feel of the movie is like an Indiana Jones adventure, with interesting and sometimes comedic action sequences, its own catchy Dirk musical theme (that could be a mainstay if this show has its own franchise), a capable sidekick who provides the laughs, and even makes subtle digs at Indiana Jone's penchance for not losing his fedora hat.
I've never watched a Matthew McConaughey flick since his major debut in A Time To Kill (also based on a novel, by John Grisham), and if this movie proves successful, he might be on his way to a new movie franchise. Steve Zahn manages to bring across the comedy with uncanny timing, and Penelope Cruz, well, what more can I say?
If you enjoyed National Treasure, don't let the trailer fool you into thinking that this show is similar. It's more.
The Pacifier
It seems like at some point in time, all Hollywood beefcakes just have to make that foray from action movies to comedies. Stallone did it with Stop Or My Mom Will shoot, and Schwarzeneggar did it with Kindergarten Cop. Now, we have Vin Diesel playing nanny to a bunch of kids in The Pacifier.
The plot is so formulaic that you can guess the villain of the show the minute he appears. Vin Diesel plays a Navy Seal tasked with protecting the kids of a professor who was killed during a botched mission. As with these films, the kids at first resent his presence, and he feels extremely uncomfortable in this new role like fish out of water. But through everyday interaction and facing common adversities, they bond well and in time for the final showdown with the villains.
It's refreshing to see Vin Diesel take on a comedic role, but somehow he doesn't seem to feel at ease, probably because it's his debut in this genre. While you may cringe at some of the set pieces of the show, you might go "awwww" at some of the antics the younger children pull off.
However, the editing of the film could be improved somewhat, as at times, especially in the first 30 minutes, somehow feels choppy and cutting from scene to scene with very little realism of "film time". I suppose that many scenes over a "film time" of 48 hours were filmed, but some parts of it ended up on the editing room floor, or perhaps saved for the DVD.
But for those wanting a relatively entertaining evening, then this show is still enjoyable, but do not expect anything more than an average action-comedy flick.
The plot is so formulaic that you can guess the villain of the show the minute he appears. Vin Diesel plays a Navy Seal tasked with protecting the kids of a professor who was killed during a botched mission. As with these films, the kids at first resent his presence, and he feels extremely uncomfortable in this new role like fish out of water. But through everyday interaction and facing common adversities, they bond well and in time for the final showdown with the villains.
It's refreshing to see Vin Diesel take on a comedic role, but somehow he doesn't seem to feel at ease, probably because it's his debut in this genre. While you may cringe at some of the set pieces of the show, you might go "awwww" at some of the antics the younger children pull off.
However, the editing of the film could be improved somewhat, as at times, especially in the first 30 minutes, somehow feels choppy and cutting from scene to scene with very little realism of "film time". I suppose that many scenes over a "film time" of 48 hours were filmed, but some parts of it ended up on the editing room floor, or perhaps saved for the DVD.
But for those wanting a relatively entertaining evening, then this show is still enjoyable, but do not expect anything more than an average action-comedy flick.
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Install
This film attempts to explore the sleazy cyberworld of internet sex chats, and suggests things that we all know of cyberworld - you might not be who you are represented online. Am I talking to a hot young chick? Probably. But chances are that it could turn out to be a balding fat gay man pretending to be a hot young chick.
The pretty Aya Ueto stars as 17 year old Japanese schoolgirl Asako, who one day decides to play truant and ponder on what she wants to do in life. She chances upon 10 year old elementary schoolboy Aoki, who is extremely horny, and introduces her to the world of cybersex, and lucrative business of impersonating an online woman in a chat room.
As expected, cheap laughs result from numerous awkward situations between the two, and from the interactions in the chat room. There is a moment when the filmmakers attempt to highlight the dangers of net predators, but somehow it was quickly brushed over with humour from the next scene. They have also tried to explore other themes like meaning of life, etc, but like films with weak storylines, this only serves to distract and frustrate audiences.
This film might seem to appeal to fans of American Pie, but given that the raunchy US flick has lots of skin to show, this one pales in comparison, and falls flat in its choppy delivery. The yawning and complaints from the rest of the audience tells me that their sentiments are the same. Probably the only saving grace of this film are the lingering soft focus shots of Aya Ueto.
The pretty Aya Ueto stars as 17 year old Japanese schoolgirl Asako, who one day decides to play truant and ponder on what she wants to do in life. She chances upon 10 year old elementary schoolboy Aoki, who is extremely horny, and introduces her to the world of cybersex, and lucrative business of impersonating an online woman in a chat room.
As expected, cheap laughs result from numerous awkward situations between the two, and from the interactions in the chat room. There is a moment when the filmmakers attempt to highlight the dangers of net predators, but somehow it was quickly brushed over with humour from the next scene. They have also tried to explore other themes like meaning of life, etc, but like films with weak storylines, this only serves to distract and frustrate audiences.
This film might seem to appeal to fans of American Pie, but given that the raunchy US flick has lots of skin to show, this one pales in comparison, and falls flat in its choppy delivery. The yawning and complaints from the rest of the audience tells me that their sentiments are the same. Probably the only saving grace of this film are the lingering soft focus shots of Aya Ueto.
3-Iron
The movie gets its name from golf. Really. It's referring to the 3-iron golf club, which is featured prominently in the show, either as a hobby/sports equipment, or as a weapon.
But the movie isn't about golf. It's difficult to classify its exact genre as the film is extremely unconventional. It's about an unconventional protagonist living an unconventional lifestyle, developing an unconventional relationship, with an unconventional ending.
Watching the show certainly gave me unconventional ideas - the protagonist, who doesn't speak a word throughout the show (and also unnamed), lives his life by giving out flyers at residential homes, pinning them at the house's keyhole. When he returns few hours later, those homes with the flyer still attached, will therefore indicate that no one's at home. So he'll break into the home, and becomes Goldilocks, living in their premises, eating their food, sleeping on their beds, and in return, does their laundry and fixes spoilt household items. He does not steal valuables, but has a weird habit of taking pictures as mementos of having been there.
Until he breaks into a home of an abused wife, gets acquainted and elopes with her, and she follows his lead and lifestyle - two's a company, until halfway through the show when things start to change as the law finally catches up with them.
I will not elaborate much on the last third of the narrative, as things really take such a creative turn that some in the audience just felt was ridiculous at times. Also, the ending is open ended, and some might feel uncomfortable with it, as it leaves some questions unanswered. (For those interested in a short discussion, you can refer to the spoilers at the end of the review).
The acting of the two leads are commendable, because dialogue is kept to a minimum (for the male lead, none at all), therefore it takes tremendous effort to convey feelings and emotions across totaly by body language.
Watch this with an open mind, but if you're one who thrives on action and dialogue, then this might not be for you.
** SPOILER SPACE **
The skill which the protagonist picks up during jailtime is plausible, but take a little stretching of the imagination. While the trick is real - the eye can only see 180 degrees, so by staying outside this range, you can render yourself "invisible", somehow to keep up the charade is quite impossible, in my opinion.
I'd like to romanticize the ending as this - He hadn't really gone back to his lover's home, and that she was going insane from the waiting and the longing and starts to imagine things, as the last line of the movie puts it, it's sometimes difficult to draw the line between fantasy and reality.
** END SPOILER SPACE **
But the movie isn't about golf. It's difficult to classify its exact genre as the film is extremely unconventional. It's about an unconventional protagonist living an unconventional lifestyle, developing an unconventional relationship, with an unconventional ending.
Watching the show certainly gave me unconventional ideas - the protagonist, who doesn't speak a word throughout the show (and also unnamed), lives his life by giving out flyers at residential homes, pinning them at the house's keyhole. When he returns few hours later, those homes with the flyer still attached, will therefore indicate that no one's at home. So he'll break into the home, and becomes Goldilocks, living in their premises, eating their food, sleeping on their beds, and in return, does their laundry and fixes spoilt household items. He does not steal valuables, but has a weird habit of taking pictures as mementos of having been there.
Until he breaks into a home of an abused wife, gets acquainted and elopes with her, and she follows his lead and lifestyle - two's a company, until halfway through the show when things start to change as the law finally catches up with them.
I will not elaborate much on the last third of the narrative, as things really take such a creative turn that some in the audience just felt was ridiculous at times. Also, the ending is open ended, and some might feel uncomfortable with it, as it leaves some questions unanswered. (For those interested in a short discussion, you can refer to the spoilers at the end of the review).
The acting of the two leads are commendable, because dialogue is kept to a minimum (for the male lead, none at all), therefore it takes tremendous effort to convey feelings and emotions across totaly by body language.
Watch this with an open mind, but if you're one who thrives on action and dialogue, then this might not be for you.
** SPOILER SPACE **
The skill which the protagonist picks up during jailtime is plausible, but take a little stretching of the imagination. While the trick is real - the eye can only see 180 degrees, so by staying outside this range, you can render yourself "invisible", somehow to keep up the charade is quite impossible, in my opinion.
I'd like to romanticize the ending as this - He hadn't really gone back to his lover's home, and that she was going insane from the waiting and the longing and starts to imagine things, as the last line of the movie puts it, it's sometimes difficult to draw the line between fantasy and reality.
** END SPOILER SPACE **
Spanglish
I admire filmmakers who manage to explore powerful relationships and character development in a tight two hours, and Spanglish falls into this category perfectly.
As the name goes, "Spanglish" is a combination of two words - Spanish and English, and is one of the major themes covered in this film, which is the clash of cultures, and the fear of dilution of cultural values. Paz Vega plays mexican (illegal) immigrant housekeeper Flor, to an All American family, Mr and Mrs Clasky, played by Adam Sandler and Tea Leoni. They have 2 children Bernice and Georgie, and live with Tea's mother in a rich suburb. All seems well at first, but cracks start to appear as the story develops, as Paz discovers during the course of her work. The father is self deprecating as he is easy going, the mother is neurotic most times and imposes her wishes on the children (especially the chubby daughter, whom she thinks must lose weight), the daughter upset with her mum for that expectation of her, a son who sings his grandmother's jazz oldies, and an alcoholic grandmother.
A large part of the narrative takes place during the summer home, with major character development and relationships take over as the centerstage in this film. It is natural that the interactions between the characters develop from what it was in the beginning, to what it is at the end. Some turn for the better, while others just couldn't be. The importance of family and family values are explored. I will attempt to dissect the major relationships:
John and Deborah Clasky: As husband and wife, it seems that their relationship isn't that good to begin with. With his easy going nature, John tends to give in to Deborah on a lot of things. Deborah expects her husband to not be the "good guy" to the kids, but to be in agreement with her on issues she deems as important and in her opinion, correct for the kids. Their relationship gets put to the test when one of the commits adultery, while the other is unwittingly being tempted into his own.
John and Flor: As employer employee, they develop mutual respect for one another when they realize that they share similar values. To communicate with John, she takes up self-study English lessons, and their friendship progressed to mutual liking. They share the same parental anxiety and have frequent honest conversation expressing their thoughts. However, they develop feelings for each other, and find difficulty on where to draw the line between their ever increasing desire to be close. When the line is crossed, do you call it quits because it's the correct thing to do? The last 30 minutes of the film is tinged with sweetness from this blossoming romance which couldn't develop further by virtue of principles. You are left wondering, what if?
Deborah and Cristina, Flor's daughter: When Deborah entices and unwittingly seduces Cristina into the all american lifestyle, so much so as even lying to her mum. Deborah is taken to Cristina because she is what her daughter could probably never be - smart, thin and beautiful. Cristina, on the other hand, enjoys Deboarh's company and attention because, hey, it's the American Dream, no?
Flor and Cristina: The movie is narrated by Cristina, from the time when she was little and her father walks out of the home, the hardships that mother and daughter endured through their journey to the USA, and her understanding of her mother's hardship with work to bring her up singlehandedly. Flor is understandably protective of her daughter's wellbeing, and especially in teacher her correct values and her heritage. She becomes jealous when Deborah, in her eyes, start to become more important to her daughter, and sometimes envious of the material wealth that Deborah showers on Cristina that Flor can never ever provide for. Flor fears that her child will be "hijacked" by Deborah.
Deborah and her daughter Bernice: Her daughter at times resents the attention that her mum is giving Cristina, as she knows that she could never be thin as expected by mum. She has fears of comparisons.
Bernice and Flor: Flor starts off as work being strictly work, and no intervention into the family affairs. But she felt compelled to help when Bernice feels upset when Deborah subconsciously puts her down, most of the time subtle digs at her weight. Flor becomes Bernice's confidante in that sense, and John points out to her the hypocritical ways in which she disallows Deborah to treat her own daughter Cristina in similar ways. That scene between John, Flor and Cristina is comedic at times, but powerful nonetheless.
Other relationships too long for this review to cover, and also they are quite minor, but at the end of the show, most relationships stay intact because blood runs thicker than water.
The main casts excelled in their performance, but I like to single out Adam Sandler. He has demonstrated that he is capable and comfortable doing drama, instead of the madcap comedic characters we associate him with. I hope he does films of different genres to highlight his capability as a serious actor. Also catching my attention in a cameo is Sideways' Thomas Haden Church.
This is a touching drama with an ending that some might deem as heartwrenching, but I highly recommend this film.
As the name goes, "Spanglish" is a combination of two words - Spanish and English, and is one of the major themes covered in this film, which is the clash of cultures, and the fear of dilution of cultural values. Paz Vega plays mexican (illegal) immigrant housekeeper Flor, to an All American family, Mr and Mrs Clasky, played by Adam Sandler and Tea Leoni. They have 2 children Bernice and Georgie, and live with Tea's mother in a rich suburb. All seems well at first, but cracks start to appear as the story develops, as Paz discovers during the course of her work. The father is self deprecating as he is easy going, the mother is neurotic most times and imposes her wishes on the children (especially the chubby daughter, whom she thinks must lose weight), the daughter upset with her mum for that expectation of her, a son who sings his grandmother's jazz oldies, and an alcoholic grandmother.
A large part of the narrative takes place during the summer home, with major character development and relationships take over as the centerstage in this film. It is natural that the interactions between the characters develop from what it was in the beginning, to what it is at the end. Some turn for the better, while others just couldn't be. The importance of family and family values are explored. I will attempt to dissect the major relationships:
John and Deborah Clasky: As husband and wife, it seems that their relationship isn't that good to begin with. With his easy going nature, John tends to give in to Deborah on a lot of things. Deborah expects her husband to not be the "good guy" to the kids, but to be in agreement with her on issues she deems as important and in her opinion, correct for the kids. Their relationship gets put to the test when one of the commits adultery, while the other is unwittingly being tempted into his own.
John and Flor: As employer employee, they develop mutual respect for one another when they realize that they share similar values. To communicate with John, she takes up self-study English lessons, and their friendship progressed to mutual liking. They share the same parental anxiety and have frequent honest conversation expressing their thoughts. However, they develop feelings for each other, and find difficulty on where to draw the line between their ever increasing desire to be close. When the line is crossed, do you call it quits because it's the correct thing to do? The last 30 minutes of the film is tinged with sweetness from this blossoming romance which couldn't develop further by virtue of principles. You are left wondering, what if?
Deborah and Cristina, Flor's daughter: When Deborah entices and unwittingly seduces Cristina into the all american lifestyle, so much so as even lying to her mum. Deborah is taken to Cristina because she is what her daughter could probably never be - smart, thin and beautiful. Cristina, on the other hand, enjoys Deboarh's company and attention because, hey, it's the American Dream, no?
Flor and Cristina: The movie is narrated by Cristina, from the time when she was little and her father walks out of the home, the hardships that mother and daughter endured through their journey to the USA, and her understanding of her mother's hardship with work to bring her up singlehandedly. Flor is understandably protective of her daughter's wellbeing, and especially in teacher her correct values and her heritage. She becomes jealous when Deborah, in her eyes, start to become more important to her daughter, and sometimes envious of the material wealth that Deborah showers on Cristina that Flor can never ever provide for. Flor fears that her child will be "hijacked" by Deborah.
Deborah and her daughter Bernice: Her daughter at times resents the attention that her mum is giving Cristina, as she knows that she could never be thin as expected by mum. She has fears of comparisons.
Bernice and Flor: Flor starts off as work being strictly work, and no intervention into the family affairs. But she felt compelled to help when Bernice feels upset when Deborah subconsciously puts her down, most of the time subtle digs at her weight. Flor becomes Bernice's confidante in that sense, and John points out to her the hypocritical ways in which she disallows Deborah to treat her own daughter Cristina in similar ways. That scene between John, Flor and Cristina is comedic at times, but powerful nonetheless.
Other relationships too long for this review to cover, and also they are quite minor, but at the end of the show, most relationships stay intact because blood runs thicker than water.
The main casts excelled in their performance, but I like to single out Adam Sandler. He has demonstrated that he is capable and comfortable doing drama, instead of the madcap comedic characters we associate him with. I hope he does films of different genres to highlight his capability as a serious actor. Also catching my attention in a cameo is Sideways' Thomas Haden Church.
This is a touching drama with an ending that some might deem as heartwrenching, but I highly recommend this film.
Be Cool
A new opportunity to watch John Travolta and Uma Thurman boogie on the dance floor together, is worth the price of the admission ticket. Who could've forgotten the classic scene from Pulp Fiction where the two made trademark moves to the song "You Never Can Tell" - now both of them sizzle to the performance of the Black Eyed Peas. Perfect on-screen chemistry, and one that can rival their previous dance performance.
Be Cool is the sequel to Get Shorty, while the latter parodies the film industry, this one brings along the same formula for the music industry, and it shows again that perhaps there is more than meets the eye in getting a record produced.
The narrative is simple at first - as Chili Palmer (loved that Heneiken ad by the way) tries to inch his way, totally greenhorn, into the industry, he gets involved with the Russian mob, the hip-hop gun wielding gangsta rappers and their producer, his starlet's ex manager and his partner, and to a little extent, the cops too.
And that's when the plot might get confusing to some. You have to pay close attention, otherwise you'll miss the plot filled with double, sometimes triple crossings as Palmer outwits, outplays and outlasts them all.
But to those who lost the plot midway, no worries, as there are parodies galore that you can enjoy in this film, poking fun at movie sequels, at dim witted gangsters, and the script is pretty witty with its one-liners and quirky cast of many. Or you can enjoy the musical performances like Black Eyed Peas, Aerosmith and of course, Christina Milian.
While John Travolta plays it cool (seems like he always breezes through his films these days with a "devil may care" air), and Uma Thurman looking beautiful as always, it is Vince Vaughn and The Rock who steal the movie from right under all the other casts noses. Vince Vaughn's take on his cowardly character who acts like he's "Black" (with ghetto speak and all) is top notch, and The Rock as a wussy faggot bodyguard always get you in stitches when he's on screen - he even parodies his own "People's Eyebrow"!
Be warned that this film may not be enjoyable for everyone (especially for those who are impatient and can't wait to get to the chase), but be cool, and enjoy the ride.
Be Cool is the sequel to Get Shorty, while the latter parodies the film industry, this one brings along the same formula for the music industry, and it shows again that perhaps there is more than meets the eye in getting a record produced.
The narrative is simple at first - as Chili Palmer (loved that Heneiken ad by the way) tries to inch his way, totally greenhorn, into the industry, he gets involved with the Russian mob, the hip-hop gun wielding gangsta rappers and their producer, his starlet's ex manager and his partner, and to a little extent, the cops too.
And that's when the plot might get confusing to some. You have to pay close attention, otherwise you'll miss the plot filled with double, sometimes triple crossings as Palmer outwits, outplays and outlasts them all.
But to those who lost the plot midway, no worries, as there are parodies galore that you can enjoy in this film, poking fun at movie sequels, at dim witted gangsters, and the script is pretty witty with its one-liners and quirky cast of many. Or you can enjoy the musical performances like Black Eyed Peas, Aerosmith and of course, Christina Milian.
While John Travolta plays it cool (seems like he always breezes through his films these days with a "devil may care" air), and Uma Thurman looking beautiful as always, it is Vince Vaughn and The Rock who steal the movie from right under all the other casts noses. Vince Vaughn's take on his cowardly character who acts like he's "Black" (with ghetto speak and all) is top notch, and The Rock as a wussy faggot bodyguard always get you in stitches when he's on screen - he even parodies his own "People's Eyebrow"!
Be warned that this film may not be enjoyable for everyone (especially for those who are impatient and can't wait to get to the chase), but be cool, and enjoy the ride.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Star Wars Clone Wars Episodes 21-25
(OK, given my expected 2 week hiatus for in camp training, I felt that I have to review something before I head off to some unknown jungle)
For the uninitiated, Star Wars Clone Wars are short episodes (of about 5 minute each) that chronicles the adventures of the clone troopers, and our favourite jedis from Master Yoda to Padawan Anakin Skywalker. The events take place immediately after Attack of the Clones, and showcases the wars between the Repubilc and the Separatists. Familiar villains like Count Dooku and new ones like General Grievious are also introduced in these episodes, along with various character development pieces.
Episodes 21 to 25, just released recently on Cartoon Network and the official Star Wars website (yes, the episodes are available online), lead directly to the crawler of Revenge of the Sith. It doesn't matter if you've missed the first 20 episodes of Clone Wars, as this 5 episodes serve as a standalone story. Also, these episiodes are longer than the previous 20, with each being about 10-15 minutes long, so the combined episodes serve as a movie.
And a highly recommended one too. It is in these episodes that bridge the subtle moments that you observe in Revenge of the Sith's trailers, and provide classic moments, some of which I shall just list them down here:
- The "promotion" of Anakin from Padawan to Jedi Knight, with the initiation ceremony and all, and the losing of the padawan "pigtail", which accounts for his new wavy hairdo
- The introduction of the scar at Anakin's right eye
- C3PO and his new golden body
- Anakin facing his Jedi Trials
- The attack on Coruscant, in a Sith plot to capture Palpatine, leading to his rescue in Revenge of the Sith by Anakin and Obiwan
- Camaraderie moments between Obiwan and Anakin, whereby the former acknowledges the latter as a "brother"
- Yoda and Mace Windu fighting alongside each other, their harnessing the powers of the Force is a joy to behold
- The cunningness of Palpatine
- And who can forget our favourite Driod R2D2 in the new jedi starfighter, and showing his handyman-ship in repairing Anakin's driod hand
May the Force whet your appetites and prepare you for the Sith's Revenge!
For the uninitiated, Star Wars Clone Wars are short episodes (of about 5 minute each) that chronicles the adventures of the clone troopers, and our favourite jedis from Master Yoda to Padawan Anakin Skywalker. The events take place immediately after Attack of the Clones, and showcases the wars between the Repubilc and the Separatists. Familiar villains like Count Dooku and new ones like General Grievious are also introduced in these episodes, along with various character development pieces.
Episodes 21 to 25, just released recently on Cartoon Network and the official Star Wars website (yes, the episodes are available online), lead directly to the crawler of Revenge of the Sith. It doesn't matter if you've missed the first 20 episodes of Clone Wars, as this 5 episodes serve as a standalone story. Also, these episiodes are longer than the previous 20, with each being about 10-15 minutes long, so the combined episodes serve as a movie.
And a highly recommended one too. It is in these episodes that bridge the subtle moments that you observe in Revenge of the Sith's trailers, and provide classic moments, some of which I shall just list them down here:
- The "promotion" of Anakin from Padawan to Jedi Knight, with the initiation ceremony and all, and the losing of the padawan "pigtail", which accounts for his new wavy hairdo
- The introduction of the scar at Anakin's right eye
- C3PO and his new golden body
- Anakin facing his Jedi Trials
- The attack on Coruscant, in a Sith plot to capture Palpatine, leading to his rescue in Revenge of the Sith by Anakin and Obiwan
- Camaraderie moments between Obiwan and Anakin, whereby the former acknowledges the latter as a "brother"
- Yoda and Mace Windu fighting alongside each other, their harnessing the powers of the Force is a joy to behold
- The cunningness of Palpatine
- And who can forget our favourite Driod R2D2 in the new jedi starfighter, and showing his handyman-ship in repairing Anakin's driod hand
May the Force whet your appetites and prepare you for the Sith's Revenge!
Friday, March 25, 2005
House of Fury Gala Premiere
This is the second Asian film premiere in Singapore I am attending, the first being Princess D a few years back, and it is no surprise that I drew comparisons and could see similarities between the two, in the way the premiere was handled.
Collected my tickets courtesy of a movieXclusive contest, met the site administrator for the first time, and after dinner, made my way to the Prince 1 foyer - and the sight was one funny one...
Wonder why Singaporeans queue, for everything! I was greeted by this extremely long queue... there's this table set up by the radio station Yes933, and I thought the queue originated there for those to claim their tickets from the station. But NO! I was so wrong! The queue was actually starting from the theatre doors. Like, Hello?? Why can't everyone just hang around the lobby and mingle, instead of forming this inane queue? No idea.
Anyhow, the foyer wasn't decorated much. You only suspect there's a premiere with the film's posters being the only posters put up all around, and that's it. Guess not much budget left after giving away all the tickets to probably the largest cinema hall in Singapore.
I was wrong to think that everyone would be in the foyer to await the arrival of the VIPs that night - director/actor Stephen Fung and one half of HK pop duo Twins Gillian Chung (only 2 guests, Princess D had 4 - director Sylvia Chang, and the leads Daniel Wu, Edison Chen and Angelica Lee). Security concerns probably prevented that, as you never know what groupies can be capable of doing. Instead, the cinema hall was open and we were all ushered inside. Too bad the collectible ticket had to be surrendered - which was the same situation as in the Princess D premiere, and the Kill Bill special invite marathon which I attended - thought I could keep the stub to get it autographed or something.
There are 4 kinds of people, as observed with my limited experience with Asian premieres. The first are those who scramble to sit near the rows of reserved seats (where the stars will take their place during the show). The second are those who at the first row (where the stars will be when they enter). There's a stage set up which looked like a ping pong table - saw it in place couple of weeks back when I watched Hostage. The third are those who stakeout the side entrance - where the stars will enter from. And lastly, those who don't give a damn. The first two types probably accounted for the kiasu queue before the doors are opened.
The long wait begins, as the stars arrived 15 minutes past the stipulated time. Can't blame them cos they were at another meet-the-fans session at Junction 8. Those bored started to play around with their digital cameras, and flashlights go off every now and then.
A Yes933 deejay (sorry, don't know who) opened the premiere, with an unsuccessful attempt to rouse the crowd into action. Even when the 2 guests appeared, they were greeted by than less then enthusiastic applause and cheers - my take was quite a number of people were tired from the waiting in a darkened environment, could see many people dozing at their seats.
Similarities with the Princess D premiere were abound:
The groupies congregating near the side entrance were brushed aside - the stars did not stop for any autograph signing (I may be wrong) as it seemed that they were rushed by their minders and bouncers to the stage area.
On stage, they played Q&A to giveaway prizes, no doubt groupies at the front are having a field day with this, being asked questions ranging from who stars as who, or who's the action director, etc, and being up close and personal to the stars.
And to wrap up, both of them were asked to make some closing comments. I can't remember what Gillian Chung said (hey she's eye candy), but as I remembered I better start paying serious attention in order to review the movie, I caught Stephen sidestepping his question of commenting on the message that the movie is bringing across - his answer was to ask the audience to watch and decide for themselves. Not a very good sign.
No longer than 10 minutes, they were whisked off the stage to their seats (groupies trying to follow), the light goes off and the movie plays. But somewhere in between, they snuck out and when the lights come on again, the entire entourage was nowhere to be seen.
Ah well, at least I got to watch the movie :)
Collected my tickets courtesy of a movieXclusive contest, met the site administrator for the first time, and after dinner, made my way to the Prince 1 foyer - and the sight was one funny one...
Wonder why Singaporeans queue, for everything! I was greeted by this extremely long queue... there's this table set up by the radio station Yes933, and I thought the queue originated there for those to claim their tickets from the station. But NO! I was so wrong! The queue was actually starting from the theatre doors. Like, Hello?? Why can't everyone just hang around the lobby and mingle, instead of forming this inane queue? No idea.
Anyhow, the foyer wasn't decorated much. You only suspect there's a premiere with the film's posters being the only posters put up all around, and that's it. Guess not much budget left after giving away all the tickets to probably the largest cinema hall in Singapore.
I was wrong to think that everyone would be in the foyer to await the arrival of the VIPs that night - director/actor Stephen Fung and one half of HK pop duo Twins Gillian Chung (only 2 guests, Princess D had 4 - director Sylvia Chang, and the leads Daniel Wu, Edison Chen and Angelica Lee). Security concerns probably prevented that, as you never know what groupies can be capable of doing. Instead, the cinema hall was open and we were all ushered inside. Too bad the collectible ticket had to be surrendered - which was the same situation as in the Princess D premiere, and the Kill Bill special invite marathon which I attended - thought I could keep the stub to get it autographed or something.
There are 4 kinds of people, as observed with my limited experience with Asian premieres. The first are those who scramble to sit near the rows of reserved seats (where the stars will take their place during the show). The second are those who at the first row (where the stars will be when they enter). There's a stage set up which looked like a ping pong table - saw it in place couple of weeks back when I watched Hostage. The third are those who stakeout the side entrance - where the stars will enter from. And lastly, those who don't give a damn. The first two types probably accounted for the kiasu queue before the doors are opened.
The long wait begins, as the stars arrived 15 minutes past the stipulated time. Can't blame them cos they were at another meet-the-fans session at Junction 8. Those bored started to play around with their digital cameras, and flashlights go off every now and then.
A Yes933 deejay (sorry, don't know who) opened the premiere, with an unsuccessful attempt to rouse the crowd into action. Even when the 2 guests appeared, they were greeted by than less then enthusiastic applause and cheers - my take was quite a number of people were tired from the waiting in a darkened environment, could see many people dozing at their seats.
Similarities with the Princess D premiere were abound:
The groupies congregating near the side entrance were brushed aside - the stars did not stop for any autograph signing (I may be wrong) as it seemed that they were rushed by their minders and bouncers to the stage area.
On stage, they played Q&A to giveaway prizes, no doubt groupies at the front are having a field day with this, being asked questions ranging from who stars as who, or who's the action director, etc, and being up close and personal to the stars.
And to wrap up, both of them were asked to make some closing comments. I can't remember what Gillian Chung said (hey she's eye candy), but as I remembered I better start paying serious attention in order to review the movie, I caught Stephen sidestepping his question of commenting on the message that the movie is bringing across - his answer was to ask the audience to watch and decide for themselves. Not a very good sign.
No longer than 10 minutes, they were whisked off the stage to their seats (groupies trying to follow), the light goes off and the movie plays. But somewhere in between, they snuck out and when the lights come on again, the entire entourage was nowhere to be seen.
Ah well, at least I got to watch the movie :)
House of Fury
(This review is brought to you courtesy of MovieXclusive's lucky-draw invitation, without which it won't be out today, and I wouldn't have as much fun at the gala premiere - gala premiere observations will be published separately)
The overall narrative feel of House of Fury, is a mixture of Tim Burton's Big Fish, and Pixar's The Incredibles (with super powers replaced by kungfu prowess), but the delivery is not as well polished.
Simply put, it's a story about a single father (Anthony Wong) family (with Stephen Fung, the director, and Gillian Chung, one half of HK pop duo Twins, as his children), whose secret agent past catches up with him and threatens his family. Like Big Fish, while dramatizing his colourful past in delightful unbeatable-secret-agent-kung-fu-prowess stories, his children outgrows them and their disbelief causes their relationship with their father to be distant at best. Until somewhere along the way when they discover that those stories have some element of truth behind them.
Like The Incredibles, we are shown the potential of his kids, who naturally have learned kung fu, in a similar dining table setting, and when daddy's threatened, we also know that it is up to family to bail him out, and in the process, improving their family ties.
With a title (in mandarin) containing "Jing Wu", one cannot help but expect comparisons, references and the paying of homage to Bruce Lee and his film "Fists of Fury", and yes, this film does too. The name of Anthony Wong's shop contains the letters "Jing Wu", and during his fight with Japanese ninja type adversaries, we see the slow break up of the shop's name ("zhao pai") to not-so-subtly emphasize "Jing Wu", and the very hilarious and creative use of make-shift nanchakus. There is also the obligatory fights with "Ang Mos" (Westerners), and in this show, the Ang Mo is reduced to a teenage sensation whose expertise is with the staff. (We can't expect Chuck Norris now can we?)
The artistes are no real life exponents, and it is left up to Yuen Wo Ping to fashion the martial arts scenes. I applaud the film-makers deliberate crafting of various martial arts for the lead actors - Anthony Wong's style is subtle yet forceful (funny at times), Stephen Fung's direct and in-your-face, while Gillian Chung's is graceful, elegant, yet packs a punch (I like hers best).
However, the wire-work seems to be out of place in a movie like this, and somehow isn't as disciplined, so the audience can tell when it was used, as it's not well-executed to perfection. While we can suspend our belief in martial arts shows set in pugilistic worlds, where exponents can fly from tree to tree, or in unreal worlds like The Matrix where the laws of physics do not apply to those who are "free", having a film set in a real world scenario, and yet having people float around, somehow doesn't cut it. My personal opinion is if the kung fu was more grounded (pardon the pun) then it'll be perfect. And yes, wire-work with wires digitally removed doesn't mean one should opt shoddy work - watch and you'll see what I mean.
The good looking cast does compensate somewhat though, with special appearances by Daniel Wu and Charlene Choi, but it is the veterans like Anthony Wong and Wu Ma who lent some acting weight to this otherwise fluffy teenybopper show. The villains, led by Michael Wong, a cross between Austin Power's Dr Evil and James Bond's Blofeld on a wheelchair, are one-dimensional, and most prefer to let their fighting do the talking.
Like most HK contemporary movies, it is peppered with comedic moments throughout the film, very simple romances, a predictable plot cum ending without much emotional depth or theme. During the interview before the show, Stephen Fung was asked the message this film is bringing across, but sidestepped with an answer asking the audience to watch and decide for themeselves. Not a very good sign, but enjoyable as a popcorn movie.
The overall narrative feel of House of Fury, is a mixture of Tim Burton's Big Fish, and Pixar's The Incredibles (with super powers replaced by kungfu prowess), but the delivery is not as well polished.
Simply put, it's a story about a single father (Anthony Wong) family (with Stephen Fung, the director, and Gillian Chung, one half of HK pop duo Twins, as his children), whose secret agent past catches up with him and threatens his family. Like Big Fish, while dramatizing his colourful past in delightful unbeatable-secret-agent-kung-fu-prowess stories, his children outgrows them and their disbelief causes their relationship with their father to be distant at best. Until somewhere along the way when they discover that those stories have some element of truth behind them.
Like The Incredibles, we are shown the potential of his kids, who naturally have learned kung fu, in a similar dining table setting, and when daddy's threatened, we also know that it is up to family to bail him out, and in the process, improving their family ties.
With a title (in mandarin) containing "Jing Wu", one cannot help but expect comparisons, references and the paying of homage to Bruce Lee and his film "Fists of Fury", and yes, this film does too. The name of Anthony Wong's shop contains the letters "Jing Wu", and during his fight with Japanese ninja type adversaries, we see the slow break up of the shop's name ("zhao pai") to not-so-subtly emphasize "Jing Wu", and the very hilarious and creative use of make-shift nanchakus. There is also the obligatory fights with "Ang Mos" (Westerners), and in this show, the Ang Mo is reduced to a teenage sensation whose expertise is with the staff. (We can't expect Chuck Norris now can we?)
The artistes are no real life exponents, and it is left up to Yuen Wo Ping to fashion the martial arts scenes. I applaud the film-makers deliberate crafting of various martial arts for the lead actors - Anthony Wong's style is subtle yet forceful (funny at times), Stephen Fung's direct and in-your-face, while Gillian Chung's is graceful, elegant, yet packs a punch (I like hers best).
However, the wire-work seems to be out of place in a movie like this, and somehow isn't as disciplined, so the audience can tell when it was used, as it's not well-executed to perfection. While we can suspend our belief in martial arts shows set in pugilistic worlds, where exponents can fly from tree to tree, or in unreal worlds like The Matrix where the laws of physics do not apply to those who are "free", having a film set in a real world scenario, and yet having people float around, somehow doesn't cut it. My personal opinion is if the kung fu was more grounded (pardon the pun) then it'll be perfect. And yes, wire-work with wires digitally removed doesn't mean one should opt shoddy work - watch and you'll see what I mean.
The good looking cast does compensate somewhat though, with special appearances by Daniel Wu and Charlene Choi, but it is the veterans like Anthony Wong and Wu Ma who lent some acting weight to this otherwise fluffy teenybopper show. The villains, led by Michael Wong, a cross between Austin Power's Dr Evil and James Bond's Blofeld on a wheelchair, are one-dimensional, and most prefer to let their fighting do the talking.
Like most HK contemporary movies, it is peppered with comedic moments throughout the film, very simple romances, a predictable plot cum ending without much emotional depth or theme. During the interview before the show, Stephen Fung was asked the message this film is bringing across, but sidestepped with an answer asking the audience to watch and decide for themeselves. Not a very good sign, but enjoyable as a popcorn movie.
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Swing Girls
From the director of Waterboys comes a new drama-comedy Swing Girls, and I'm a happy camper. I mean, what can go wrong with combining Japanese Schoolgirls (drool?) and Jazz? Absolutely nothing!
The premise and narrative is formulaic for this kind of "feel good carpe diem" shows - a bunch of misfits are thrown together by circumstance, to escape the dread of make up Math lessons during the holidays, they enroll (not voluntarily at first) to form a Big Band, face the great uphill task of getting funds for instruments, rehearsing and getting their act together, before ending it all with a cheery big bang.
But as always, it's the delivery that matters. And this show delivers at all fronts. From the many comedic and zany moments, to preaching "never give ups", the story is breezy and the pacing comfortable. The main leads are rock solid good lookers, while the supporting casts consists of quirky characters, like the rocker chicks (huh? in a jazz band?! watch to find out!), gangster-ish mechanic wimps, and a teacher-maestro wannabe, brings much laughter even though at times their characters might seem one dimensional.
What works is definitely the chemistry amongst the cast. It seems, from the out takes, that they had tremendous fun in making this film, and it shows in the end product.
One gripe you may have about this film is that the band, when they finally get their act together, always seem to play the same old piece, when you're craving for more. Well, that's what made the finale work, by building the expectation, then surpassing it - it's 15 minutes of pure musical splendor, and it really made me wanna stand up from my seat and swing along. Too bad I didn't do that, cos I know the entire audience might just join along with me!
So if you're feeling down, and somewhat bored, give this movie a go, and I'd guarantee, you'll be swinging and jazzing along when you emerge from the theatre, craving for more.
The premise and narrative is formulaic for this kind of "feel good carpe diem" shows - a bunch of misfits are thrown together by circumstance, to escape the dread of make up Math lessons during the holidays, they enroll (not voluntarily at first) to form a Big Band, face the great uphill task of getting funds for instruments, rehearsing and getting their act together, before ending it all with a cheery big bang.
But as always, it's the delivery that matters. And this show delivers at all fronts. From the many comedic and zany moments, to preaching "never give ups", the story is breezy and the pacing comfortable. The main leads are rock solid good lookers, while the supporting casts consists of quirky characters, like the rocker chicks (huh? in a jazz band?! watch to find out!), gangster-ish mechanic wimps, and a teacher-maestro wannabe, brings much laughter even though at times their characters might seem one dimensional.
What works is definitely the chemistry amongst the cast. It seems, from the out takes, that they had tremendous fun in making this film, and it shows in the end product.
One gripe you may have about this film is that the band, when they finally get their act together, always seem to play the same old piece, when you're craving for more. Well, that's what made the finale work, by building the expectation, then surpassing it - it's 15 minutes of pure musical splendor, and it really made me wanna stand up from my seat and swing along. Too bad I didn't do that, cos I know the entire audience might just join along with me!
So if you're feeling down, and somewhat bored, give this movie a go, and I'd guarantee, you'll be swinging and jazzing along when you emerge from the theatre, craving for more.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
La Peau Blanche aka White Skin
The title of this film doesn't give you a clue as to what it wants to tell. "White Skin" opens with a conversation between two friends, Thierry and Henri (yeah, those of you who know me will know that I am grinning at this - Arsenal's star player is called Thierry Henry, but no, it doesn't make any inference here), they're talking about being coloured (Henri is black, Theirry is white), and touch on racism.
This film doesn't pretend that it's not preaching about this topic, but at times when they talk about it, you can't seem to help but think the filmmakers are trying, though without success, to deliver some kind of message across. Peppered throughout the show are conversations that touch upon skin colour, race, "The Original Man", etc.
But looking at the theatrical poster, one might be fooled into thinking it's an out and out horror film about new vampires. It isn't.
For those who dove head-on into this film, it'll be kinda confusing at first, as the narrative at times doesn't seem to lead anywhere. The first 5 minutes shows the chums engaging with hookers, and all hell breaks loose when Henri is stabbed with a knife by one of the prostitutes. It is also within this 5 minutes that we learn of Thierry's dislike for brunettes (again, not that it is a major plot point or adds to the narrative). However, he finds himself being drawn towards a brunette called Claire in his University, whom he fist laid eyes on when she was busking at the underground metro.
They become bed buddies, and although Thierry wants more than sex in a relationship, Claire seemed to be satisfied with the state of things - kind of a role reversal here. She's hiding something from him, and it's not until the last third of the film that we realize what it is, and it's not cancer as originally thought. Sticking to my concept of reviewing, I shall not dwell into the plot from this point on, as it'll lead to major spoilers.
This show positions itself more as a thriller and not your outright horror show with ugly monsters, musical crescendos, loud bangs at right moments and blood splattering all over. We are left with wondering what the big secret is, but the slow pace of the film makes it quite a stretch in a theatre seat. Many subplots go undeveloped, or gets lagged as a red herring. Things go full circle when the chums get figuratively haunted by the prostitute who stabbed Henri.
This is recommended for one of those lazy weekends when you really got nothing else better to do. So set your expectations right, and don't expect too many memorable scenes from this movie, though it is compensated by a relatively good looking cast.
This film doesn't pretend that it's not preaching about this topic, but at times when they talk about it, you can't seem to help but think the filmmakers are trying, though without success, to deliver some kind of message across. Peppered throughout the show are conversations that touch upon skin colour, race, "The Original Man", etc.
But looking at the theatrical poster, one might be fooled into thinking it's an out and out horror film about new vampires. It isn't.
For those who dove head-on into this film, it'll be kinda confusing at first, as the narrative at times doesn't seem to lead anywhere. The first 5 minutes shows the chums engaging with hookers, and all hell breaks loose when Henri is stabbed with a knife by one of the prostitutes. It is also within this 5 minutes that we learn of Thierry's dislike for brunettes (again, not that it is a major plot point or adds to the narrative). However, he finds himself being drawn towards a brunette called Claire in his University, whom he fist laid eyes on when she was busking at the underground metro.
They become bed buddies, and although Thierry wants more than sex in a relationship, Claire seemed to be satisfied with the state of things - kind of a role reversal here. She's hiding something from him, and it's not until the last third of the film that we realize what it is, and it's not cancer as originally thought. Sticking to my concept of reviewing, I shall not dwell into the plot from this point on, as it'll lead to major spoilers.
This show positions itself more as a thriller and not your outright horror show with ugly monsters, musical crescendos, loud bangs at right moments and blood splattering all over. We are left with wondering what the big secret is, but the slow pace of the film makes it quite a stretch in a theatre seat. Many subplots go undeveloped, or gets lagged as a red herring. Things go full circle when the chums get figuratively haunted by the prostitute who stabbed Henri.
This is recommended for one of those lazy weekends when you really got nothing else better to do. So set your expectations right, and don't expect too many memorable scenes from this movie, though it is compensated by a relatively good looking cast.
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Hostage
It's been some time since I last saw a movie with creative opening credits. This one is unique, with comic book like panels and graphics, which looks suspiciously like Sin City, capturing different aspects of first responders in a hostage crisis, before dissolving into real life and putting everything into perspective.
And we see Bruce Willis with hair! Lots of it! Well, at least for the opening tense and engaging scene. He seems to have monopolized the role of the world weary cop, this time, a renowned hostage crisis negotiator, until the mission goes awry and he literally has blood on his hands.
We fast forward to today, and we see the Willis we're all too familiar with - bald, and into a career as a small town police chief. Before you can say "bring on the action!", 3 teenage delinquents hold a man and his 2 children hostage in their swanky ultra modern home.
To add to the mix, there's something shady going on behind the man held hostage, and given Willis' reputation as an ex-hotshot negotiator, he's now blackmailed by unidentified masked men holding his own family hostage, who want a DVD from the house with probably important information (don't ask). So Willis has to use his smarts, play both sides, putting his skills into practice and wiggle out of both situations - get the hostages safe, deliver what the masked men wants, and in turn, guarantee safe passage for his own family. Naturally when you play both sides, those on the side of the law always question your motives, as you deviate from the book.
What intrigues me is the negotiation process - between Willis and the hostage taking delinquents, and between Willis and the professional masked men - which takes centerstage in any hostage drama. I've been reading up a bit on crisis negotiation, and some aspects of the movie does seem to apply the principles of what I have read, which is cool.
It's a thrill from start to end, and this film delivers, with 2 finales tying up the 2 major plots. While at times predictable, the superb delivery by the cast does not bore you, though some might think that having "unidentified" masked men seems a little too convenient, as their motives go unexplained.
This is based on a novel, so I might just check out the book. And if Willis' character is called John McClane, this could well be a worthy addition to the Die Hard franchise.
And we see Bruce Willis with hair! Lots of it! Well, at least for the opening tense and engaging scene. He seems to have monopolized the role of the world weary cop, this time, a renowned hostage crisis negotiator, until the mission goes awry and he literally has blood on his hands.
We fast forward to today, and we see the Willis we're all too familiar with - bald, and into a career as a small town police chief. Before you can say "bring on the action!", 3 teenage delinquents hold a man and his 2 children hostage in their swanky ultra modern home.
To add to the mix, there's something shady going on behind the man held hostage, and given Willis' reputation as an ex-hotshot negotiator, he's now blackmailed by unidentified masked men holding his own family hostage, who want a DVD from the house with probably important information (don't ask). So Willis has to use his smarts, play both sides, putting his skills into practice and wiggle out of both situations - get the hostages safe, deliver what the masked men wants, and in turn, guarantee safe passage for his own family. Naturally when you play both sides, those on the side of the law always question your motives, as you deviate from the book.
What intrigues me is the negotiation process - between Willis and the hostage taking delinquents, and between Willis and the professional masked men - which takes centerstage in any hostage drama. I've been reading up a bit on crisis negotiation, and some aspects of the movie does seem to apply the principles of what I have read, which is cool.
It's a thrill from start to end, and this film delivers, with 2 finales tying up the 2 major plots. While at times predictable, the superb delivery by the cast does not bore you, though some might think that having "unidentified" masked men seems a little too convenient, as their motives go unexplained.
This is based on a novel, so I might just check out the book. And if Willis' character is called John McClane, this could well be a worthy addition to the Die Hard franchise.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
In Good Company
It is a challenge to thoroughly explore this drama. It's an excellent film, which deals with many contemporary themes, with great character development brought out by a superb cast with chemistry. Whilst some might view this film through romantic lenses, I'd prefer to view this film differently, from another angle, probably because I'm a salaried man myself, and at times, see myself in one of the characters now (no prizes for guessing who).
This film's premise is steeped in the realities of today's business world of mergers and acquisitions, layoffs associated, of office politics and relationships, and of corporate jungle survival. Dennis Quaid plays a Dan, a senior sales manager in his 50s, juggling life with adolescent teenage daughters (the emphasis being Scarlett Johansson's Alex) and his wife, who's expecting their newborn baby, and with his job, when his company has just been bought over and merged into a conglomerate. Suddenly his career is filled with uncertainty, as everyone in the company is worried over whether they'd still have their jobs once the dust settles, with new management being put in place - and this means Dan is no longer the main man, but the "wingman".
As with businesses these days, the emphasis is always on revenue, sales numbers, and the bottom line. We are shown, through the cast members, the pain of being laid off. It never is easy being a manager, and the dread when you'd have to ask members of your team, the team you picked and groomed, to leave. Some see it coming, some take it in their stride, others just can't. And that's the job of Dan's new manager Carter Duryea (played by fresh faced Topher Grace), who's half Dan's age, tasked with increasing sales revenue, and trimming the bottom line.
The film is also about relationships, and relationships here are multi-fold. Dan and Carter do not hit it off on the right note, basically because Carter just waltzes right into Dan's job, even though he lacks the experience in the industry, but he's young, energetic, and a proven go-getter. Dan feels threatened - it's understandable, especially when you have to put food on the table, put your kids to University, and going to have a new addition to the family. You have mortgage to pay for, and I think many salaried men will identify immediately with the situation at hand. Carter knows he's a threat to Dan, but initially for his own selfish reasons, he keeps Dan by his side (he needed someone with experience to teach him the ropes), defying upper management preference to lay Dan off because of his fat salary, thus he lays off Dan's team members. One of the more poignant moment in the film, the most realistic I think, is when faced with the reality of survival, of You or the Other Man, what choice would you make?
But slowly and steadily, a mentor-mentee relationship forms between the two, until Carter falls for Dan's daughter Alex. Although their romance takes a backseat to the relationship between Dan and Carter, whatever romance is shown onscreen is sweet - their first dates, their long walks, their worry of letting Dan discover their secret. But there is also doubt if it'll work out - Alex wants to concentrate on school, and is worried that Carter is on a rebound after his divorce. Carter, on the other hand, we question his intentions, whether he just wants someone to fill his loneliness, or if he's really in love with Alex.
This film is also about the importance of family, and the lack thereof. We see Dan with his very normal functional family - strong relationships and love amongst everyone. Which Carter envies. We see Carter's broken marriage, his unsupportive and adulterous wife whom he divorces, a mention of his parents who separated, and of his loneliness, which resulted in burning weekends at the office, and inviting himself over to Dan's home for dinner, just to beat being alone. He's a modern day poor little rich kid, and I identify with him on the loneliness bit.
Sometimes. the film pokes fun at corporate values, mission statements, themes of synergy, and showcases the office balls-carrier. A good reminder is brought out in - in today's world, the only constant is change, so break down your arrogance, as you'll never know what the next merger or acquisition will bring. One day you're at the top, the next you might be out.
Peppered throughout are contemporary folk songs, which just seem to evoke the right emotions in you, at the right time it's played. Making contributions are Peter Gabriel's Solsbury Hill and singer of the moment Damien Rice's Cannonball.
Dennis Quaid is one of my favourite character actors, though I must add that this is the first movie I've seen him in since "Frequency". His Dan brings about the everyday man whom I can probably identify with, when I'm 50. Topher Grace shines with his role of Carter, the inexperience of youth being thrusted into the limelight and given heavy responsibilities. He tries to impress his new team with his can-do attitude, his enthusiasm for his job, but scores zero on his personal life (hmm.. kinda like me, now). Heck he even crashes his new Porsche when he leaves the showroom! And Scarlett Johansson is an angel - showing vulnerability as a coming of age teenager who has to decide whether to pursue her love for Carter, or to realize the sacrifices her dad made to put her in varsity, and to pursue her studies.
This show has a little something for everyone, and I'm sure you'll find that the comtemporary themes do ring a familiar bell in your life. My review above might seem a little heavy, but hey, I'm over-analysing, so no worries, go catch this one!
This film's premise is steeped in the realities of today's business world of mergers and acquisitions, layoffs associated, of office politics and relationships, and of corporate jungle survival. Dennis Quaid plays a Dan, a senior sales manager in his 50s, juggling life with adolescent teenage daughters (the emphasis being Scarlett Johansson's Alex) and his wife, who's expecting their newborn baby, and with his job, when his company has just been bought over and merged into a conglomerate. Suddenly his career is filled with uncertainty, as everyone in the company is worried over whether they'd still have their jobs once the dust settles, with new management being put in place - and this means Dan is no longer the main man, but the "wingman".
As with businesses these days, the emphasis is always on revenue, sales numbers, and the bottom line. We are shown, through the cast members, the pain of being laid off. It never is easy being a manager, and the dread when you'd have to ask members of your team, the team you picked and groomed, to leave. Some see it coming, some take it in their stride, others just can't. And that's the job of Dan's new manager Carter Duryea (played by fresh faced Topher Grace), who's half Dan's age, tasked with increasing sales revenue, and trimming the bottom line.
The film is also about relationships, and relationships here are multi-fold. Dan and Carter do not hit it off on the right note, basically because Carter just waltzes right into Dan's job, even though he lacks the experience in the industry, but he's young, energetic, and a proven go-getter. Dan feels threatened - it's understandable, especially when you have to put food on the table, put your kids to University, and going to have a new addition to the family. You have mortgage to pay for, and I think many salaried men will identify immediately with the situation at hand. Carter knows he's a threat to Dan, but initially for his own selfish reasons, he keeps Dan by his side (he needed someone with experience to teach him the ropes), defying upper management preference to lay Dan off because of his fat salary, thus he lays off Dan's team members. One of the more poignant moment in the film, the most realistic I think, is when faced with the reality of survival, of You or the Other Man, what choice would you make?
But slowly and steadily, a mentor-mentee relationship forms between the two, until Carter falls for Dan's daughter Alex. Although their romance takes a backseat to the relationship between Dan and Carter, whatever romance is shown onscreen is sweet - their first dates, their long walks, their worry of letting Dan discover their secret. But there is also doubt if it'll work out - Alex wants to concentrate on school, and is worried that Carter is on a rebound after his divorce. Carter, on the other hand, we question his intentions, whether he just wants someone to fill his loneliness, or if he's really in love with Alex.
This film is also about the importance of family, and the lack thereof. We see Dan with his very normal functional family - strong relationships and love amongst everyone. Which Carter envies. We see Carter's broken marriage, his unsupportive and adulterous wife whom he divorces, a mention of his parents who separated, and of his loneliness, which resulted in burning weekends at the office, and inviting himself over to Dan's home for dinner, just to beat being alone. He's a modern day poor little rich kid, and I identify with him on the loneliness bit.
Sometimes. the film pokes fun at corporate values, mission statements, themes of synergy, and showcases the office balls-carrier. A good reminder is brought out in - in today's world, the only constant is change, so break down your arrogance, as you'll never know what the next merger or acquisition will bring. One day you're at the top, the next you might be out.
Peppered throughout are contemporary folk songs, which just seem to evoke the right emotions in you, at the right time it's played. Making contributions are Peter Gabriel's Solsbury Hill and singer of the moment Damien Rice's Cannonball.
Dennis Quaid is one of my favourite character actors, though I must add that this is the first movie I've seen him in since "Frequency". His Dan brings about the everyday man whom I can probably identify with, when I'm 50. Topher Grace shines with his role of Carter, the inexperience of youth being thrusted into the limelight and given heavy responsibilities. He tries to impress his new team with his can-do attitude, his enthusiasm for his job, but scores zero on his personal life (hmm.. kinda like me, now). Heck he even crashes his new Porsche when he leaves the showroom! And Scarlett Johansson is an angel - showing vulnerability as a coming of age teenager who has to decide whether to pursue her love for Carter, or to realize the sacrifices her dad made to put her in varsity, and to pursue her studies.
This show has a little something for everyone, and I'm sure you'll find that the comtemporary themes do ring a familiar bell in your life. My review above might seem a little heavy, but hey, I'm over-analysing, so no worries, go catch this one!
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith Trailer
OMIGAWD!!!!!
I just returned from a special preview of Robots at Cineleisure 730pm, and I was grinning with glee like a schoolboy the minute I saw the Lucasfilm logo, and something different coming on screen rather than the rehash of Episode 4, which was how the original trailer started.
Though I know that in the US, the trailer prints are attached to Robots (both 20th Century Fox), but to date I have never experienced that happening in the local theatres with other films...
Until today!
**SPOILER STARTS**
Well, am gonna write as many details as I can remember, granted that I only watched it once!
- Begins with the conversation between Palpatine and Anakin, with the former telling him something about mastering the dark side of the Force
- Palpatine appointing Anakin to the Jedi Council(?)
- Anakin standing within the Jedi Council (like in Ep 1 when he was a kid), but Mace Windu, in his bad mo-fo attitude, telling Anakin that he is accepted into the Council, but is not recognized as a Jedi Master, which pissed Anakin off big time
- Mace Windu and 4 other Jedi Masters enter the quarters of Palpatine. Mace actually ignites his mo-fo purple lightsaber first, followed by the others. Palpatine asks "are you threatening me" or something to that effect
- Palpatine draws his lightsaber and initiates battle with the Jedi Masters
- We see the shot where Mace brings down his lightsaber
- Lightsaber fight scene between Anakin and Count Dooku (new footage)
- Padme cries in one scene with Anakin (she looks hot though)
- Anakin / Vader marching with clone troopers into the Jedi Temple - he has this possessed look in him
- Shots of Anakin using his lightsaber to annihilate one jedi (can't see who) - the massacre begins
- Yoda and Obi-Wan discussing who massacred the Jedi in the temple
- Lightsaber battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan (new footage)
- One mega kickass everything on screen starfighter battle
- Palpatine in his Emperor garb
- Obi-Wan screams "YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE!!"
- Part of a lightsaber battle between Palpatine and Yoda, which resulted in Yoda being tossed over a platform and hanging for dear life
- Force Lightning being flung at Yoda
- Random shots of Chewbacca (yay!)
- Classic shot of Darth Vader with his arms folded, standing beside the Emperor
**SPOILER ENDS**
So my advice to eager beavers, go watch Robots, make it Cineleisure (no, neither film nor theatre are paying me any moolah to say this), and watch the trailer.
Enjoy! May the Force, be with you!
I just returned from a special preview of Robots at Cineleisure 730pm, and I was grinning with glee like a schoolboy the minute I saw the Lucasfilm logo, and something different coming on screen rather than the rehash of Episode 4, which was how the original trailer started.
Though I know that in the US, the trailer prints are attached to Robots (both 20th Century Fox), but to date I have never experienced that happening in the local theatres with other films...
Until today!
**SPOILER STARTS**
Well, am gonna write as many details as I can remember, granted that I only watched it once!
- Begins with the conversation between Palpatine and Anakin, with the former telling him something about mastering the dark side of the Force
- Palpatine appointing Anakin to the Jedi Council(?)
- Anakin standing within the Jedi Council (like in Ep 1 when he was a kid), but Mace Windu, in his bad mo-fo attitude, telling Anakin that he is accepted into the Council, but is not recognized as a Jedi Master, which pissed Anakin off big time
- Mace Windu and 4 other Jedi Masters enter the quarters of Palpatine. Mace actually ignites his mo-fo purple lightsaber first, followed by the others. Palpatine asks "are you threatening me" or something to that effect
- Palpatine draws his lightsaber and initiates battle with the Jedi Masters
- We see the shot where Mace brings down his lightsaber
- Lightsaber fight scene between Anakin and Count Dooku (new footage)
- Padme cries in one scene with Anakin (she looks hot though)
- Anakin / Vader marching with clone troopers into the Jedi Temple - he has this possessed look in him
- Shots of Anakin using his lightsaber to annihilate one jedi (can't see who) - the massacre begins
- Yoda and Obi-Wan discussing who massacred the Jedi in the temple
- Lightsaber battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan (new footage)
- One mega kickass everything on screen starfighter battle
- Palpatine in his Emperor garb
- Obi-Wan screams "YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE!!"
- Part of a lightsaber battle between Palpatine and Yoda, which resulted in Yoda being tossed over a platform and hanging for dear life
- Force Lightning being flung at Yoda
- Random shots of Chewbacca (yay!)
- Classic shot of Darth Vader with his arms folded, standing beside the Emperor
**SPOILER ENDS**
So my advice to eager beavers, go watch Robots, make it Cineleisure (no, neither film nor theatre are paying me any moolah to say this), and watch the trailer.
Enjoy! May the Force, be with you!
Monday, March 07, 2005
Robots
This film is ingenious, in the way the story narrates and transplant everyday life and events, into their robotic equivalent. It brings the phrase "Giving birth after 12 hours of labour" to a new dimension, and so we begin, with the birth of robot "Rodney Copperbottom".
While growing up in Rivet Town suburb, he experiences the simple life, living with "hand-me-down" spare parts and upgrade pieces from relatives, before realizing his dream and ambition of becoming an inventor, just like his idol Big Weld, a fuddly duddly corporate big wig, who cares about the robotic society, giving it back to it, and encouraging everyone to live their dream.
But all's not well when Rodney visits the big city - his idol has become a recluse, and the corporation he left has become the exact opposite from what it was founded - profits and the bottom line matters, and something sinister is brewing between the new CEO and his mum, who runs the city's smelting plant. The narrative seems suspiciously familiar that point on, like you've seen it before somewhere, but the robotic premise breathes new life into recycled themes.
The themes in the movie are never fully developed, partly because it's supposed to be enjoyed by children as well, and also because it clocks in at a relatively short 90 minutes. Themes like corporate responsibility, living your dreams, and consumerism - the need to perpetually upgrade even when you don't have a need to. Perhaps with more time, and if wanting to veer into those direction, we'll get more beef, but I must remind myself, this is essentially a children's film - nothing to deep please to get a kid's attention span.
There are beautiful set action pieces with everything happening at the same time, and robotic animation that look so real, you thought they actually built the robots for this film!
While there are big names who lent their voices to this film, Robin Williams stands out (as always) and is a riot in this one. From the minute he begins, he is an absolute scene stealer, right up until the finale scene, though I must add that it does seem a little muted, given that he only has his voice to bring his wit across, rather than experiencing the full repetoire of what Robin is capable of!
The music in this film plays an important part in the narrative as well, and at times, contribute a lot to the slapstick scenarios. From Baby One More Time to Right Thurr, the filmmakers have picked the right hits for the right moments for maximum effect.
Though the ending, like all cartoons, are happily ever afters, I felt a sad tinge of disappointment at the lack of what I felt was the norm of animation film these days - no blooper clips or easter eggs, nor fancy end credits for this film. Kind of an anti-climax after a fun rip-roaring session, lacking an encore.
While growing up in Rivet Town suburb, he experiences the simple life, living with "hand-me-down" spare parts and upgrade pieces from relatives, before realizing his dream and ambition of becoming an inventor, just like his idol Big Weld, a fuddly duddly corporate big wig, who cares about the robotic society, giving it back to it, and encouraging everyone to live their dream.
But all's not well when Rodney visits the big city - his idol has become a recluse, and the corporation he left has become the exact opposite from what it was founded - profits and the bottom line matters, and something sinister is brewing between the new CEO and his mum, who runs the city's smelting plant. The narrative seems suspiciously familiar that point on, like you've seen it before somewhere, but the robotic premise breathes new life into recycled themes.
The themes in the movie are never fully developed, partly because it's supposed to be enjoyed by children as well, and also because it clocks in at a relatively short 90 minutes. Themes like corporate responsibility, living your dreams, and consumerism - the need to perpetually upgrade even when you don't have a need to. Perhaps with more time, and if wanting to veer into those direction, we'll get more beef, but I must remind myself, this is essentially a children's film - nothing to deep please to get a kid's attention span.
There are beautiful set action pieces with everything happening at the same time, and robotic animation that look so real, you thought they actually built the robots for this film!
While there are big names who lent their voices to this film, Robin Williams stands out (as always) and is a riot in this one. From the minute he begins, he is an absolute scene stealer, right up until the finale scene, though I must add that it does seem a little muted, given that he only has his voice to bring his wit across, rather than experiencing the full repetoire of what Robin is capable of!
The music in this film plays an important part in the narrative as well, and at times, contribute a lot to the slapstick scenarios. From Baby One More Time to Right Thurr, the filmmakers have picked the right hits for the right moments for maximum effect.
Though the ending, like all cartoons, are happily ever afters, I felt a sad tinge of disappointment at the lack of what I felt was the norm of animation film these days - no blooper clips or easter eggs, nor fancy end credits for this film. Kind of an anti-climax after a fun rip-roaring session, lacking an encore.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
The Woodsman
(This is one of the tough reviews I've had - the material is tough, and having seated beside a cute chick in the theatre ain't helping bucketloads)
The Woodsman gets its name from a fairy tale - Little Red Riding Hood, you know, the dude who actually cut the wolf and out came red riding hood, alive and well. The woodsman (and his axe) gave red riding hood a chance to live another day.
Does society give second chances to criminals, criminals like Walter, convicted of child molest? Released on supervised parole, Walter tries hard to reintegrate back to society. Police knocks at his door anytime, snarling. Frequent visits to his psychiatrist is a must. Getting a job is based on whatever network he has left, and willing to accept him with the condition that he doesn't screw up. Colleagues belittle him. Relatives shun him, sometimes mock him.
And yet Walter tries, hard. He knows it is an illness in the mind he has to conquer. And he sees this sickness manifest itself in a strange man whom he calls "Candy", who loiters outside the school courtyard outside his home - he understands what "Candy" is up to, setting traps for young boys, with the aim of violating them. He is disgusted, but the reason why he understands what's going on, is because he's such a person himself. "It takes a thief to catch a thief" doesn't ring any truer than this.
But not all is gloom, as he hooks up with Vickie, a colleague ast his workplace. Vickie is his pillar of strength (in a way), and yes, she too comes along with plenty of emotional baggage (seems like all the characters in this movie are really screwed one way or another)
The finale is gripping, as we see Walter being tempted by a young girl, who's undergoing some really painful relationships back home. Will Walter falter, or will he find moral courage to resist? And what will happen to Candy? And will Walter find what he's looking for with Vickie?
The highlight here is Kevin Bacon, perhaps the most underrated character actor ever in Hollywood. His measured performance made it so believable that hey, you just pity the guy Walter he's playing.
This movie is an acquired taste, though I must warn you the movie takes its time to tell its story (even though it clocks in at about 90 mins). And oh, don't get me started on the 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon!
The Woodsman gets its name from a fairy tale - Little Red Riding Hood, you know, the dude who actually cut the wolf and out came red riding hood, alive and well. The woodsman (and his axe) gave red riding hood a chance to live another day.
Does society give second chances to criminals, criminals like Walter, convicted of child molest? Released on supervised parole, Walter tries hard to reintegrate back to society. Police knocks at his door anytime, snarling. Frequent visits to his psychiatrist is a must. Getting a job is based on whatever network he has left, and willing to accept him with the condition that he doesn't screw up. Colleagues belittle him. Relatives shun him, sometimes mock him.
And yet Walter tries, hard. He knows it is an illness in the mind he has to conquer. And he sees this sickness manifest itself in a strange man whom he calls "Candy", who loiters outside the school courtyard outside his home - he understands what "Candy" is up to, setting traps for young boys, with the aim of violating them. He is disgusted, but the reason why he understands what's going on, is because he's such a person himself. "It takes a thief to catch a thief" doesn't ring any truer than this.
But not all is gloom, as he hooks up with Vickie, a colleague ast his workplace. Vickie is his pillar of strength (in a way), and yes, she too comes along with plenty of emotional baggage (seems like all the characters in this movie are really screwed one way or another)
The finale is gripping, as we see Walter being tempted by a young girl, who's undergoing some really painful relationships back home. Will Walter falter, or will he find moral courage to resist? And what will happen to Candy? And will Walter find what he's looking for with Vickie?
The highlight here is Kevin Bacon, perhaps the most underrated character actor ever in Hollywood. His measured performance made it so believable that hey, you just pity the guy Walter he's playing.
This movie is an acquired taste, though I must warn you the movie takes its time to tell its story (even though it clocks in at about 90 mins). And oh, don't get me started on the 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon!
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Hitch
Hitch's a date doctor. Got a problem with initiating contact with the woman of your dreams? Then Hitch's your consultant for hire - he'll teach you the ropes, and by 3 dates, you'll know if it can or cannot work out, if you follow his advice that is. But he draws the lines with jerks. In the first meeting with you, he'll size you up in minutes, to see if you're someone worth working with/for, or to walk away from.
For the guys, this movie shares with you many good date tips, so much so that you'll sometimes be at a lost with the barrage of tips, or at times go "that's common sense!", or even, "hey, I know/can do that!" For the girls, I guess it's good fun to know the extent and fear each guy go through just to ask you out - sometimes things go fine, sometimes they just go awry, and it happens even to a smooth operator like Hitch!
The film opens with Will Smith talking to the camera, kinda like Alfie, but Smith can do no wrong. From action (Bad Boys, Independence Day) to drama (Ali) to Sci-fi (I, Robot), and now romantic comedy, he has anchored himself as a leading man, whose name on the marquee can open any movie. Kevin James is comedy fodder as Albert, the man whom Hitch coaches - those dance moves you saw in the trailer, well, there's more! Eva Mendes star as Hitch's opposite number, a cynical gossip columnist who's after the dirt between Albert and babe Amber Valletta.
There are many memorable scenes in this movie, but my personal favourite is when Hitch and Sara first interact in a pub. I laugh at lame pick up lines/attempts, but this one - the banter's really smart and witty, and best of all, the lush sounds of Everything But The Girl's Five Fathoms is playing in the background. Tracey Thorn rocks, and the scene, perfect. Peppered throughout the movie are contemporary pop songs that you surely can identify.
But as with most romantic comedies, the plot's formulaic - boy meets girl, boy loses girl, and the endings are usually cop-outs and happily-ever-afters. But I'm not finding fault - this film addresses timeless, current and real-life dating issues, and it redeemed itself with a hilarious ending scene to what is an enjoyable flick.
For the guys, this movie shares with you many good date tips, so much so that you'll sometimes be at a lost with the barrage of tips, or at times go "that's common sense!", or even, "hey, I know/can do that!" For the girls, I guess it's good fun to know the extent and fear each guy go through just to ask you out - sometimes things go fine, sometimes they just go awry, and it happens even to a smooth operator like Hitch!
The film opens with Will Smith talking to the camera, kinda like Alfie, but Smith can do no wrong. From action (Bad Boys, Independence Day) to drama (Ali) to Sci-fi (I, Robot), and now romantic comedy, he has anchored himself as a leading man, whose name on the marquee can open any movie. Kevin James is comedy fodder as Albert, the man whom Hitch coaches - those dance moves you saw in the trailer, well, there's more! Eva Mendes star as Hitch's opposite number, a cynical gossip columnist who's after the dirt between Albert and babe Amber Valletta.
There are many memorable scenes in this movie, but my personal favourite is when Hitch and Sara first interact in a pub. I laugh at lame pick up lines/attempts, but this one - the banter's really smart and witty, and best of all, the lush sounds of Everything But The Girl's Five Fathoms is playing in the background. Tracey Thorn rocks, and the scene, perfect. Peppered throughout the movie are contemporary pop songs that you surely can identify.
But as with most romantic comedies, the plot's formulaic - boy meets girl, boy loses girl, and the endings are usually cop-outs and happily-ever-afters. But I'm not finding fault - this film addresses timeless, current and real-life dating issues, and it redeemed itself with a hilarious ending scene to what is an enjoyable flick.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
