Rosamund Pike – WilfridWong.com

Johnny English Reborn – This Man Still Has It!

Eight years have passed since we last watched the English comedian Rowan Atkinson played as a secret agent in the 2003 film “Johnny English”. I am a big fan of his comedy work as “Mr. Bean”. Comedy does not need to be vulgar or obscene like some do. I remember how much I enjoyed watching his 2003 film when we finally got to hear him spoke. In this sequel – “Johnny English Reborn” – Atkinson continues to play a secret agent role. There is no Natalie Imbruglia and the sushi bar. Instead, we have the 27 years old ex-Bond girl Rosamund Pike as Johnny English’s new love interest. Well, sort of. And Gillian Anderson with a new English accent as the MI7 Head. There is a world to save. And England again sends her very best – Johnny English.

“Johnny English Reborn” is funny, in its unique way. There are some quality comedy works within. Plot-wise, it is predictable. Joke material-wise, it is also predictable. Those who enjoy the good old Johnny English will be at home with this “reborn” edition. Consider Atkinson’s age at 56, I am amazed by some of the physical agility he exhibits in this movie. Perhaps due to my racial background, I am not particularly fond of Asians being portrayed as the bad guys. Having said that, “Johnny English Reborn” is entertaining, not mentally demanding. Yes, this man still has it.

An Education – A Beautifully Made British Production, Witty And Humorous

The main reason of I picking the film “An Education” was to relive the memory of the university that I studied in. Of course, having an aggregated score as high as “Avatar” is a pleasant bonus. A screenplay written by Nick Hornby is also a pleasant surprise. It is a story based on the true memoir of a British journalist Lynn Barber who has studied English Language and Literature at St Anne’s College, University of Oxford.

Set in the 1960s, 16 years old Jenny – played by the talented Carey Mulligan – has set her goal to study in Oxford, supported by her school and her family. Along comes David, a charming and much older man, who is more than willing to show Jenny a different kind of education – one that is as real as life itself. As Jenny confronts the contrast of the vividness of real life and the boredom of school and university – which I am certain all of us do at some points in our lives – and asks what the point of studying is and what the point of the education system is, Jenny is ready to throw her goal of Oxford away and to walk into the life of David.

Nick Hornby is known for his wit and humor. I have always enjoy reading the dialogues of his novels. Under his script, the character Jenny has come alive as someone who is intelligent, innocent, and yet have the bravery of facing the reality. “An Education” is filled with music – a common trademark of Nick Nornby’s works. The cinematography of the 1960s UK and Paris is beautiful. I enjoy every bit of the film.