Category: Movie Reviews

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Foreign Horror Movie Reviews

Darah – Made In Indonesia

Blood, a lot of blood!

Last Monday was significant in a few ways.  I have decided to be a vegetarian if the circumstances allow.  Something like a social meat eater.  Let’s see how long it will last.  F1 has one more race to go but the driver and constructor’s champion titles have already been concluded.  Cynthia was out-of-town and with my new found freedom, I picked a horror movie to watch.

Strictly speaking, this Indonesian production “Darah” (means blood in Malay) is not a horror film.  More like a thriller with lots and lots of blood.  I can imagine my buddy Mark would faint halfway through the show.  While some friends of mine have rightfully pointed out that there are better horror films than this (and many others would not want to watch this genre), my motivation of watching “Darah” was as follows:

  1. I love watching a horror film in a theater.  I am often entertained by the atmosphere of pockets of audience screaming-out-loud.
  2. I always enjoy watching an Indonesian production that makes it to the International market.  I have studied the language before and it is fun trying to understand the dialogs natively.

First half an hour of “Darah” is devoted to the character development of six friends – guys and girls and I was thinking: where is the blood?  Second half an hour sees the introduction of the scary family of Dara the mother, Adam and Maya – her scary son and her hot daughter in red, and a rather fat butcher who reminds me of a pedophile or a pervert.  OK, I began to see blood.  The last half an hour is filled with accentuated chopping and dismemberment, blood, more blood, and extremely more blood in a chaotic mindless way.  Oh my.  There was only one color I saw: red.

While one may argue that “Darah” lacks the storyline quality, I do find a story built with a hint of folklore better than just another ghost story in a refreshing way.  At the beginning of the movie, there is an argument of a sister blaming her brother over the death of their parents.  Something to do with an unfortunate decision that the brother has made.  That ties in nicely to the ending of the show, in my opinion, when the sister has realized what a terrible mistake she has made.  Also, there was an opening scene of pieces of steak cooked over charcoal fire somewhere in the city of Bandung.  That metaphor has morphed into something pretty gruesome as the story unfolds.  And what I really appreciate is how artistic this film is created.  I am intrigued by the quality of work too.

My only complain is the censorship.  Even with a M18 rating, there are quite a few scenes being cut and without those, some parts of the movie seem a bit flat.  What a pity.  Having said that, there are still a lot of blood and gore scenes that may make your stomach churns.  Those scenes didn’t seem to affect me though.  I had minestrone soup and vegetarian pasta in tomato sauce for dinner.

Horror movies, I want more!

Categories
Movie Reviews Romance

What Not To Love About (500) Days Of Summer?

I like!

8 hours before the show started, on a slow and lovely Friday, our movie-partner-in-crime sent me a text message saying that he could not make it, for he remembered there was a birthday party to attend.  Panic!  On the 11th floor!  Who was going to take over that one single movie ticket?  Cynthia and I do not have that many mutual single friends and I am not sure if my single friends are comfortable hanging out with the two of us.

To cut a long story short, I really wanted to bring one of my friends out, for she is still trying to heal her broken heart.  Friend support is important in this particular circumstance, I always preach that.  And I prayed and prayed – before and during the show – that she would not break down and cry.  I mean, it is a romance film and I had no idea which direction it would go.  Fortunately, she seemed OK.  I guess hope sells.  Obama won the election with hope; the Nobel price committee may have awarded Obama based on hope; Dan Brown’s new novel ends with hope; I have been telling my friend not to give up on hope.  Thank God “(500) Days of Summer” agrees with me.

“(500) Days of Summer” is a story about a boy meets a girl.  The narration goes back and fro on a particular day through the 500 days Tom Hanson (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) have been together.  A story told from the man’s perspective, but with a twist – at least to me – that there is a role reversal between Tom and Summer.  Hence, I reckon this movie is one that both sexes can relate.  If the narration was to follow the timeline, it would have been quite a depressing show to watch.  Because it is not, there is a good mix and happiness and sadness all told in a lighthearted manner.  It is one very entertaining show that makes the audience giggled all the time.  Cynthia thinks that the main actor has a pair of caring eyes that melts hearts.  I think that dude has a very nice smile (those eyes can surely smile!).  And I find the main actress’s acting a joy to watch, especially those moments that are without words.

This film does not seem to watch like a typical Hollywood production.  I think I may even get a BluRay recording for this show.  Now if there is a sequel …

Categories
Drama Foreign Movie Reviews

Tokyo Sonata – On Starting Over

Every Family Has Its Secrets ...

Whether or not you would like “Tokyo Sonata” depends on (a) how much you like the picture house type of movie, (b) how curious are you on the modern Japanese culture, and (c) how much you can relate to the story.  Ironically, I could not persuade my Japanese friend whom we met for a dinner to watch this Japanese show.  Uh-oh.  On paper, “Tokyo Sonata” has won 8 awards including Cannes Film Festival.  What about on screen?

Behind closed doors, each family member is keeping a secret from one another.  A younger son who doesn’t seem to fit in with his school and wishes to learn playing the piano instead, an older son who is tired of distributing pamphlets in the wee hours for a living and wishes to find meaning in life by doing something totally different, a father who is retrenched from his post as the director of administration and is finding it hard to come to terms with the reality, and a mother who is struggling with this dysfunctional family and is dreaming of a life of the otherwise.

It is a depressing movie to watch.  I have not lived in Japan yet but I can imagine the long recession must have affected Japan, from what I have read.  I feel for these characters.  Each day is a struggle.  Just how hard it is to live a lie every day – in the name of the tradition – and yet, each character exhibits his share of integrity in his own way.

“Tokyo Sonata” is a slow paced movie attending to the very detail of tradition and human interaction.  I could almost imagine watching the entire movie as a sonata, with a very slow and lengthy middle section.  But the last part of the movie is phenomenal.  The story development of each character takes a dramatic turn and converges to a theme of – what I would perceive as – starting over.

Great acting, it is.  And the ending bits well worth the 2 hours of waiting, to me.

Categories
Comedy Movie Reviews

What Do The Stick People Think Of Funny People?

So the movie review squad watched Funny People

Of the few Judd Apatow films I have watched, I like “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” the most.  Simply because I can relate to it, not!  OK, there are certain aspects I can relate and that film is really funny.  I have “Knocked Up” recorded and it is stuck at my to-watch queue.  I think “Funny People” is pretty funny with a somewhat deeper meaning of our minds heal slower than our bodies as well as a behind-the-scene on how jokes are crafted.  Some jokes I find a bit too crude (how come there has to be so many sexual references?).  Some you would probably relate better if you watch lots of TV and entertainment.

TK fell asleep, Cynthia found the film entertaining, and I – as usual – laughed out loud.  Judd Apatow seems to prefer working with a similar set of actors and actresses eh?  Oh, I find the nerdy comedian actress Aubrey Plaza really hot!  Don’t know why.

Categories
Animation Movie Reviews

9, Is No Corpse Bride For Sure

9

I had high expectation for the animation film “9” that bears the logo of Tim Burton.  Later on, I read that Tim Burton only produces the film while the director and writer is Shane Acker.  “9” is a decent animation.  Just that I love “Corpse Bride” so much better.  The quality of the image animation is top notch, no doubt.  I gasped at the details and the motions of those dolls bouncing and walking.   As far as the story goes, 9 dolls are brought to life, caught in the war between mankind and the machine, and incredible as it may sound, even as the entire human race was brought to extinction by those machines, the dolls seem to have a decent chance against the aggressors.  Unlike “Corpse Bride”, which idea is built upon well known yet abstract concept of the ghosts and the living beings, underworld and the living world, “9” merges science and fantasy that leaves me more questions than answers.  I mean, what is the purpose of these dolls’ existence?  What is the purpose of the entire story?

Tim Burton was impressed by Shane Acker’s student project titled “9” created in 2005.  You could easily find it in YouTube.  I must say, it looks very impressive as a student project.  What a dream comes true for Shane Acker to adapt this short clip into a full movie shown on big screen.  A promising artist for sure and I look forward to watching his next production.

PS. For those who have watched “9”, I swear I have spotted a key hanging on the neck of “6” and thought that key has a connection to the lock box that “9” has found.  Apparently, there isn’t such a connection.  And I wonder what is that key for besides being a piece of decoration.

Categories
Drama Foreign Movie Reviews

Inglourious Basterds – Can A Film End The War?

Inglourious Bastards

The script of “Inglourious Basterds” took Quentin Tarantino more than a decade to complete.  It shows.  Of his films I have watched, I am much intrigued by the quality of the story development of “Inglourious Besterds”.  It watched like reading a masterpiece story.  Divided into 5 chapters, the Nazi hunts the Jews, the American ‘commandos’ infiltrate the Nazi occupied Parisian territory, and the Jews’ uprising against the Nazi – a spaghetti like storyline told in a humorous, dramatic, and at times gruesome manner.  So, will the Jew or the American or even the German end the World War II?  The ending could be more than what you would expect.

Quentin Tarantino’s signature is all over “Inglourious Basterds”.  The music, the treatment to the scene down to the frame by frame level, and the orchestration of a team of talented European actors and actresses whom some of them are in their own rights a director and a producer.  Some metaphors are cleverly repeated cross the chapters.  Such as the interrogation and negotiation.  Some metaphors are linked to well known stories of the past.  I can understand how some may cringed at the scene of the gruesome execution.  However, I think “Inglourious Basterds” is a lot milder compares to some of Quentin Tarantino’s previous works.  In fact, it is so refined that some scenes are just beautiful to watch, however tragic they may be.

I read that Quentin Tarantino took some time to find the ending to this ‘best writing he has ever done’.  I am unsure if it is the perfect ending to the script, or I in fact like the ending.  Perhaps, I just didn’t want the film to end.  Quentin Tarantino is so talented.  He is a legend no less.

Categories
Drama Foreign Movie Reviews Romance

Coco Before Chanel – Those Deep Black Eyes That Say More Than Words

Audrey Tautou's New Film Coco

I knew I shouldn’t trust The Straits Times’s review, especially one written by Ong Sor Fern.  She is still writing reviews for our local paper, after all these years.  Amazing (in a not so good way).  I haven’t read her review prior to watching the movie.  Cynthia did and has decided to give “Coco Before Chanel (Coco Avant Chanel)” a skip.  One of my long time reader whom I have met once to help him choosing a Nikon camera contacted me if we wished to go for a Audrey Tautou movie outing.  I warned him of The Straits Times’s review.  He said he does not trust what some of the reviews say.  Neither does my buddy Mr. TK.

So, three men headed to Plaza Singapura and watched “Coco Before Chanel”.  It was a man’s day out.  We shared dessert, popcorn, and drinks, soaked in a shopping mall that was so full smoking hot girls in sexy outfits.  Some I would marginally classify as lingerie.  But I am not complaining.

Neither do I complain about Audrey Tautou’s new film “Coco Before Chanel”.  I was holding my breath throughout the movie, to watch patiently on how the story unfolds for such a French iconic figure.  I have deep admiration to the key person behind the Chanel empire.  The pioneer and epitome of French fashion for women.  I have lived in Paris and to those who have experienced what living in this city of romance is like, you would agree with me that French fashion is very much living and breathing amongst the French.

“Coco Before Chanel” tells a story of the young Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, her struggle and determination for money and fame, her love affairs, and from the development of her fashion philosophy to what appears as the initial launch of her fashion line-up – the initial years of Gabrielle Chanel so as to speak.  I appreciate the artistic freedom poured into this particular segment of Chanel’s life that is perhaps less documented compares to her later years.

Audrey Tautou is a great actress and Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel is a demanding role for her.  In the film, she needs to stand out as a woman ahead of her time, think differently from how the men and women of her time perceived fashion to be.  With her character’s background as an orphan, there is a certain emphasis on the theme of getting abandoned – as a child, as a sibling, and as a lover – that gives her an unique sense of solitude but yet, not too much on being vulnerable.  To be Chanel, she needs to put on a convincing act as a tailor, to handle clothes and accessories.  There is a wide spectrum of emotion for her to act.  That hunger for success, that determination, that pragmatism towards a love relationship, the constant distaste of female fashion of her time, the mood swing, and the joy and pain of love.  Audrey Tautou handles them well.  Those deep black eyes, that say it all.

I find the love relationship between Chanel and the more matured French playboy and millionaire Étienne Balsan (acted by Benoît Poelvoorde) playful, with witty and lively dialogues.  I find the love relationship between Chanel and the charming England businessman Arthur Capel (acted by Alessandro Nivola) intense, and heart wrenching.  I especially enjoy watching the pieces of fashion created by Chanel as the story develops.  Certainly not some works of fashion we can relate today.  Nevertheless, it is the philosophy behind the fashion that we should be focusing onto.

To me, “Coco Before Chanel” is one of the most memorable works by Audrey Tautou.  It is still an art movie and you have got to have the patience to appreciate the art within.  One couple near us appeared in constant torture by the slowness of the movie resorted to twisting and turning on their seats, talking to each other, and playing with their wireless phones.  I felt sorry for them.  One scene towards the end, Audrey Tautou was looking at her models attentively, and those eyes of seriousness then changed into longing with a tint of emptiness.  And the emptiness expanded answered by the flashbacks in her head.  As soon as she returned to reality looking at what she has achieved, there was a sign of peace and contentment.  Did she dedicate her success to someone she loved (I think so)?  At last, she looked into the audience (us) and smiled.  The image turned timeless.  All the above scenes are communicated without words.  Just expression from her eyes, the music and the change in scenes, in one fluid motion.  To some, that may be boring.  But to me, that is hauntingly beautiful.

Personally, I have this wish that as Audrey Tauto grows older, she will revisit the life of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel again and act out the later stage of Chanel’s life.  That would be something really to look forward to.

PS-1. As a little gossip to those who have watched the film.  In case if you have not read, Audrey Tauto has started dating Benoît Poelvoorde whom she met from the set.

PS-2. I have been to the French coastal city Deauville as mentioned in the film.  Although I was alone at that time, I enjoyed visiting Deauville immensely.  It was beautiful.  Still is, I reckon.

Categories
Fantasy & Sci-fi Movie Reviews

District 9 – Got Me Thinking

You are not welcome here (lol!)

In Singapore, District 9 is a prime location.  In Johannesburg, it is an asylum for the aliens.  For the aliens?!  I swear I had no idea what “District 9” is about.  I thought it has something to do with “District 13”.  I thought it was a reference to non-citizen, like some countries do.  At the end of the movie, I wanted more hoping that there is a sequel.  Maybe “District 10”.  Cynthia on my left and TK on my right both collapsed onto their seats wanting to puke.  Normally, they are amongst the first who get onto their feet wanting to leave the theatre the moment the show ends.  The shaky camera effect certainly has made their stomachs and knees go weak.  I am an avid gamer and I handle visual motion sickness well.  Poor Cynthia and TK.  If you can’t handle “The Tony Blair Witch Project” kind of effect – although I thought “District 9” is pretty mild compares to that – pick a seat somewhere as far away from the big screen as possible.  It helps.
The idea behind “District 9” is original.  And it got me thinking on our humanity.  No one knows exactly why an alien mothership hovers on top of Johannesburg and stops right there.  Politicians, academics, civilians, and media are brought in to cover this strange event.  Not long later, the military has found a way to cut into the ship and is greeted by more than a million malnutrition and leaderless aliens on board.  Human then has decided to bring the aliens out from the ship and reside them directly underneath.  “District 9” is then formed.  The story continues with how the two interact and co-exist.
“District 9” triggers many thoughts in me.  Not sure why, I associated the beginning of the show with how Israel was re-established in the Middle East.  But of course, later on I read that the film is inspired by a “whites only” District 6 in Cape Town in the year of 1966.  That makes perfect sense.  Also, while I shall be disgusted by the insect-like aliens, I was in fact disgusted by the flaws of the humans.  How we act selfishly out of greed and self-interest.  Aliens, on the other hand, are portrayed as noble advanced beings.
I enjoy watching how the characters – aliens and humans – emotionally react to the situations.  I enjoy watching so much realism and details go into the filming of this movie.  Some parts are pure hilarious (like those posters and signage on “no aliens are allowed”).  The ending does seem open to me.  So I hope there is a “District 10” in the near time horizon.

In Singapore, District 9 is a prime location.  In Johannesburg, it is an asylum for the aliens.  For the aliens?!  I swear I had no idea what “District 9” is about.  I thought it has something to do with “District 13”.  I thought it was a reference to non-citizen, like some countries do.  At the end of the movie, I wanted more hoping that there is a sequel.  Maybe “District 10”.  Cynthia on my left and TK on my right both collapsed onto their seats wanting to puke.  Normally, they are amongst the first who get onto their feet wanting to leave the theatre the moment the show ends.  The shaky camera effect certainly has made their stomachs and knees go weak.  I am an avid gamer and I handle visual motion sickness well.  Poor Cynthia and TK.  If you can’t handle “The Tony Blair Witch Project” kind of effect – although I thought “District 9” is pretty mild compares to that – pick a seat somewhere as far away from the big screen as possible.  It helps.

The idea behind “District 9” is original.  And it got me thinking on our humanity.  No one knows exactly why an alien mothership hovers on top of Johannesburg and stops right there.  Politicians, academics, civilians, and media are brought in to cover this strange event.  Not long later, the military has found a way to cut into the ship and is greeted by more than a million malnutrition and leaderless aliens on board.  Human then has decided to bring the aliens out from the ship and reside them directly underneath (wouldn’t all the aliens or “prawns” be killed if the mothership was to fall one day?).  “District 9” is then formed.  The story continues with how the two interact and co-exist.

“District 9” triggers many thoughts in me.  Not sure why, I associated the beginning of the show with how Israel was re-established in the Middle East.  But of course, later on I read that the film is inspired by a “whites only” District 6 in Cape Town in the year of 1966.  That makes perfect sense.  Also, while I shall be disgusted by the insect-like aliens, I was in fact disgusted by the flaws of the humans.  How we act selfishly out of greed and self-interest.  Aliens, on the other hand, are portrayed as noble advanced beings (OK, more like the main alien characters and not all).

I enjoy watching how the characters – aliens and humans – emotionally react to the situations.  I enjoy watching so much realism and details go into the filming of this movie.  Some parts are pure hilarious (like those posters and signage on “no aliens are allowed”).  The ending does seem open to me.  So I hope there is a “District 10” in the near time horizon.

Categories
Comedy Movie Reviews

The Hangover, For Laughing Out Loud!

Super funny movie!

For the past few years, National Day has often involved music of some forms with my band.  This year, the Movie Review Squad met up and watched a comedy instead.  “Hangover” is quite possibly one of the more bizarre comedies I have watched.  Good news is, the strange plot does make sense as this ‘detective’ story unfolds.

“Hangover” begins with one of the groomsmen calling the bride on his cell phone and tells her that they have screwed up, as the groom is missing.  The story then rewinds to the beginning of the bachelor party at Las Vegas.  Something happens to the group and the groomsmen wake up to a badly damaged hotel suite, a tiger in the bathroom, a baby in the wardrobe, and a missing groom.  No one seems to remember what has happened the night before and they attempt to put together the missing puzzles by following clues that uncover more bizarre stories.

I remember all three of us laughed non-stop from beginning to the end of the show.  Crude jokes, no doubt, but they did it with class.  There is a plan for the sequel and I can almost imagine whose wedding will be next.  Maybe once again, the same gang will wake up from a party without any recollection of the previous evening.  We shall see.

On a side note, how Heather Graham has aged!  Nevertheless, I still think she is really charming.  She seems to be having roles like stripper, prostitutes, porn star, and etc.  I wonder why.

Categories
Fantasy & Sci-fi Movie Reviews

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – Loved It Or Hated It?

GI Joe

Ah ha!  I so didn’t choose this movie to watch.  Apparently, the ban is still on.  Because I chose that Thai film that nobody seems to enjoy watching.  OK, I shall leave the decision making process to the rest of the Movie Review Squad.  We all know that the critics have beaten this one bad.  But it’s a genre we love to watch.  We went into the theatre with open minds, with little expectation.

I can understand why some hated “G.I. Joe” the movie.  Most highlighted that the storyline is ‘stupid’, the script is weak, and the effect is too ‘over-the-top’.  Some even compare this to the Transformer franchise (which I am pretty sure it works for some).  To be fair, like our friend TK has pointed out to me, “G.I. Joe” started off as action figures sold by a toy company.  It evolves into comics and cartoons and surprise, surprise, video games in the late eighties, early nineties.  To me, the entire movie felt exactly like watching a video game on a very big screen.  Maybe that’s why “G.I. Joe” is breathtaking to me in its own way.  Yes, audio checked, video checked.  What I found lacking – strange to say and no fault of the filmmakers – is the kinetic interaction like what we gamers derived in computer gaming.  Throughout the show, I felt like grabbing my invisible mouse and keyboard and get involved in the storyline, the hack and slash, or the massive explosions.  What you see on the big screen is only half of what gamers are experiencing, minus the interaction bits.  Back to the movie, when I first saw the underwater fortress and the mad scientist, that is so BioShock.  The military suit?  Crysis has it with the “nano suit” doing quite similar things that the Joes are doing on screen.  And I had flashbacks on Mass Effect. It must be those military command ships and characters in costumes.

I have no idea why Cynthia and TK enjoy “G.I. Joe” (I reckon she likes the actor Channing Tatum).  For me, I couldn’t help but chuckle (in a good way) whenever something unbelievable happen.  It helps when I don’t question some of the logics (seasoned computer gamer I am, just enjoy the ride).  Some asked why do they need to ‘weaponize’ a weapon by charging the nano warhead at a particle accelerator only to be fired off by human hands?  Well, if the story says so, it is so.

I like the car racing scene in Paris.  I like the lady in black hair more then the red head.  Seeing the Korean actor Lee Byung-hun on big screen is cool.  Classic movie it is not.  But I may consider watching the sequels.