Dominatio Per Malum

Apocalypto (2006) 7/10

While the film occasionally veers towards being over-the-top and is way more grisly than it needs to be, the action is well done and Gibson knows how to push the right buttons.

The characterizations are painfully cliched at times, and one particularly laughable scene screams deus ex machina in big, bold font. But the costumes are great, as is the cinematography and Gibson clearly knows how to craft an action sequence. Granted, it feels like a Mayan cross between The Last of the Mohicans and Braveheart, but as far as dumb action thriller goes, Gibson makes an enjoyable but not necessarily historically accurate potrayal of the Mayans.

Gibson really should stop filming in obscure languages unless the script really warrants it. In Apocalyto, the language feels more like a needless gimmick than a necessary development. The film is enjoyable and thrilling, especially the second half which is stronger.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Oscars 2007: The nominees

I said before in my review for Blood Diamond that DiCaprio was better in Blood Diamond than The Departed, and it seems that the Oscars agree. Unlike The Golden Globes, DiCaprio got a Best Actor Nom for Blood Diamond rather than Departed. It any case, it is moot since Forest Whitaker looks certain to take Best Actor with Last King Of Scotland.

This year’s batch of nominees look great. Dreamgirls was the surprise omission in the Best Picture category, but i’m glad that Little Miss Sunshine got the slot instead, since i’m not much of a fan of musicals. Right now i’m rooting for Babel to win big.

The only blasphemy was in the Best Foreign Film department when Volver was not nominated! I’m glad Letters of Iwo Jima wasn’t selected as Best Foreign Film because it greatly bolster’s its chances at Best Picture.

Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987) 7/10

Quietly moving, this subtle gem of a film is director Louis Malle’s semi-autobiographical tale of life in Nazi controlled France in 1944. To avoid persecution, Jews are forced to hide from the Nazi soldiers. At the start of the semester of a private school, several new students join in, but it soon becomes clear that there is something is different with these students. One of them is Jean Bonnet (played by Raphael Fejtö), a Jewish child who is hiding from the German soldiers. He soon befriends Julien Quentin (Gaspard Manesse), a young French boy born to a wealthy family who is unaware of the significance of antisemitism. A beguiling tale of childhood innocence and friendship, as the guilt of an inadvertent look, Au Revoir Les Enfants ( Goodbye, Children) is a deeply personal film based on Malle’s childhood memories.

While the film is slow-moving at times, the strong and natural performances by the cast as well as the quietly devastating story makes this one of Malle’s best films.

“Mr. Malle treats his young actors without condescension and they, in turn, respond with performances of natural gravity and humor.”- New York Times

“Louis Malle made a lot of films about coming of age and losing childish innocence over his storied career. But none is so powerful as Au Revoir, Les Enfants, Malle’s autobiographical tale of the time he spent in a Franch boarding school during the German occupation of his homeland.”- Christopher Null

“A delicately rendered and exceptionally moving reminiscence of a boyhood friendship cut short by war. “- TVGuide

Banlieue 13(2004) 8/10

Watching Banlieue 13 is like getting a shot of adrenaline. This is the film Crank wants to be, with some dizzyingly amazing sequences that are nothing short of jaw dropping. The plot is, admittedly derivative and predictable, but the action is kinetic, sublime and really this is what action films should be like.

The parkour moves of the film’s two leads alone makes the film worth watching. It isn’t often that a film comes along and blows away your expectation of what an action film should be like, but Banlieue 13 shows that the French know how to make action films too. It’s been a long time since i’ve seen such electrifying action sequences that leave even the likes of Jackie Chan in the dust.

DJs axed after woman dies in Wii water-drinking contest | Crave : The gadget blog

An excess of water in the body can lead to the dilution of vital fluids. That in turn can lead to swelling of the brain, seizures, comas and in some cases death.

If an NSF dies from water intoxication because of water parades, i wonder if the SAF can be sued for negligence?

So far my top 10 list of 2006 films look something like this:

1. V For Vendetta
2. United 93
3. Volver
4. Hard Candy
5. The Queen
6. Babel
7. Little Children
8. Pan’s Labyrinth
9. Road To Guantanamo
10. Little Miss Sunshine

Bearing in mind of course there are still alot of acclaimed films i’ve yet to catch like Letters from Iwo Jima, The Fountain, Dreamgirls, Days of Glory, Red Road etc…

Death Note 2: The Last Name (2006) 7/10

If you haven’t watched the first film or you are not familiar with the manga, you will probably be lost. Otherwise, the second installment adds more twists like the first film, and the result is a fun albeit predictable sequel. The CGI still sucks ( To see what a master can do with a limited budget, go check out Pan’s Labyrinth), but luckily the CGI entities have a smaller role this time round. The female characters seem ludicrously dumb- i don’t know if this is because of the manga but both of the 2 female characters act like they are retarded and fall for the simplest ruse, while the male leads Light and L are like super geniuses trying to outwit each other. Neither roles are believable, but that is effect of basing a film on manga.

Despite the flaws, the film is still fun to watch and makes for decent popcorn entertainment.

Blood Diamond (2006) 6/10

Would you wear diamonds if you knew it was tainted by the blood of innocents? That is the central theme of Blood Diamond, a somewhat preachy tale that documents the illegal diamond trade during the war torn years in Sierra Leone.

While the director has good intentions, the script and much of the plot itself isn’t much interesting. Oftentimes, this feels like an inferior mashup of Hotel Rwanda and The Constant Gardener, and the plot isn’t particularly suspenseful or thrilling. Indeed, the film drags during the middle part, and did not really keep me engaged.

However, it does feature a very strong lead performance by Leonardo DiCaprio, and he has been nominated for a Best Actor Golden Globe for this film. I actually feel that DiCaprio’s performance here is stronger than his role in the Departed, and he has clearly improved his acting with each film. Jennifer Connelly is always a delight to watch, and although she has a small role, she lights up the screen.

Ultimately, Blood Diamond isn’t a particularly exciting , although the film does end strongly. It is however lifted by strong performances by its cast, especially DiCaprio.

Bewitching Attraction (2006) 6/10

Moon So Ri puts in an excellent lead performance in this dark and sometimes quirky comedy. However, the film doesn’t seem to actually have a plot, and the lack of focus makes much of the film plod because it seems to lead nowhere.

Men Suddenly In Black 2(2006) 5/10

Occasionally funny, this sequel to the unexpected hit has more misses than hits. Chock full with parodies, there is quite alot of potential in this sequel but it is squandered by sloppy execution. With parodies of Election 2 to Sha Po Lang and even Death Note, the film serves up hijinks and satire galore. Unfortunately, if you have not watched Election 2, which this films parodies extensively, alot of the scenes may make no sense to you. More importantly, the film seems to parody the scenes for the sake of parody and not to further the script or add to the fun factor, and as such loses much of the finesse of the original. Whereas the first film was refreshing in its originality and did not require to be familiar with particular films to get the joke, the sequel lacks much of the edge of the original.

Rocky Balboa (2006) 8/10

The very idea of Stallone, at age 60 reprising his the role of Rocky is laughable. The last Rocky film was 1990’s Rocky V, which was a terrible film that decisively sunk the franchise. Even in 1990, Rocky’s character was over the hill, so when Sylvester Stallone announced his newest project, Rocky Balboa (Rocky 6, for those keeping count), it looked liked a has-been actor flogging a long dead franchise. Doing triple duty, Stallone is director, scriptwriter and male lead for the film which on paper should have been a pathetic attempt to resurrect a dead character. Stallone himself, mirroring his character Rocky, is also more or less a has-been actor who hasn’t made a decent film in years. Stallone may have been a star in the 70s and 80s, but his recent film outputs have been bombs and he is no longer an A-lister.

But let’s not forget that the original Rocky (1976) did win the Best Picture Oscar, and remains one of the best ‘support the underdog’ flick. And Rocky Balboa goes back to basics, favoring a homage to the original which makes the film the best Stallone film in years. Like the 1976 original, Balboa focuses more on character than boxing, and those looking for a boxing-centric film will be disappointed because there isn’t much boxing onscreen.

Stallone actually acts well, for the first time in many years. This is easily one of his best dramatic roles, and he does very well. Possibly because at 60 Stallone really is Rocky Balboa, having played this character for so long. His mannerisms and even that grizzled face is perfect for Balboa.

Naturally, the film suffers from a derivative plot and predictability, since alot of it hinges on nostalgia. As director, Stallone is also guilty of pushing too much sentimentality, and of marginalizing the supporting characters. The supporting cast is decent but unremarkable, and the supposed subplots between Rocky and Marie as well as Rocky and his son are poorly developed. The entire plot itself stretches believability, but surprising by the end, it works.

Still, once the strains of ‘Gonna Fly’ plays and the training montage begin, there is no way you won’t cheer for Rocky the perennial underdog. The final climatic battle still has that kind of raw energy that thrills and I’ve gotta say that even at 60, Stallone still has the physique that impresses. You can almost believe that Rocky can pound the hell outta you.

At the end of the day, nostalgia is Rocky Balboa’s strongest selling point, and even though Stallone piles on the sentimentality a tad too thick, Rocky Balboa is one of the best Stallone film in year. The fact that Rocky Balboa doesn’t suck is already a minor miracle; that it is actually good makes it a modern underdog tale where the film, like its title character, shows that it is still good for one final hurrah. As a fitting swansong to the Rocky franchise, Rocky Balboa is the best Rocky film since the 1976 Best Picture Winner.

“He’s gone beyond the call though by capturing more than just the underdog feeling of his rah-rah anthem. By reminding us of how we fell in love with the character in the first place, Stallone has made the best film in the series since the original.”- efilmcritic

“If the original “Rocky” was equal parts boxing movie and love story, “Rocky Balboa” comes close to being an elegy. A genuine sadness and sense of loss percolate through the opening hour, and Stallone takes an unhurried, quiet approach that may leave longtime fans of the series a bit restless.”- Kansas City Star

“It contains some of the best acting Stallone has ever done.”- Berardinelli

Swallowtail Butterfly (1996) 9/10

A stunning, brilliant tour de force by Japanese director Shunji Iwai, Swallowtail Butterfly is one of those films that leave you in awe after watching it. My vote for the Best Japanese film of the 90s. Its quite hard to pin down exactly what it is that makes it work, but the film is simply an enchanting and occasionally dark journey. Shunji Iwai gave hints of his brilliance in his magnificent debut film Love Story (1995), and showed his eye for visuals in The Truth About Lili Chou-Chou (2002) but Swallowtail Butterfly is Iwai’s magnum opus, a film that is beautiful to behold and mesmerizing in its execution.

The film depicts an alternate, semi-futuristic world of Japan, where the Yen is the most powerful currency and immigrants flock to Japan. This is a tale about the lives these immigrants, and how their lives connect and intersect. At the heart of it all is Ayumi Ito as Ageha who puts in an amazing performance. This was the role that made Ayumi Ito a star, and its easy to see why because there is a powerful intensity in her performance. In truth, the entire cast shines and you’ll probably be enchanted by every character. It says alot when even a small role by Mickey Curtis as a doctor manages to dazzle. Shunji Iwai brings out the best of his cast and the result is a masterpiece.

Cinematography-wise, top marks considering its a 1996 film. Expertly shot in verite style for many of the scenes, Iwai manages to convincingly create a futuristic world without need for big budgets or CGI. He simply creates the mood and atmosphere that makes it believable that the film takes place in an alternate universe. Also a film that uses Sinatra’s “My Way” as a theme song definitely deserves brownie points.

Even the choice of languages- the film has a blend of Chinese, Japanese and English dialogue works wonderfully and highlights the melting pot that Yentown has become. Although it was jarring at first to see the cast struggle with its not-very-fluent pronunciations of English and Chinese, the mixture of dialogue soon grows on you.

At the end of the day, the reason why Swallowtail is so good is simply because it has characters that connects with the audience and come alive. Despite the huge cast, parallel storylines and long running time, Iwai never loses control and the final result is a breathtaking piece of filmmaking that surprises, enchants and mesmerizes. One of the top 20 films i have ever seen.

” A shining example of ambitious filmmaking, Shunji Iwai’s dark and genre-defying epic is a masterpiece in every sense of the word.”- LoveHKfilm

“The thing that is certain is that this movie has a powerful story that is full of a lot of emotion. It is something that is bound to leave an affect on you either good or bad but you can never deny that this film has substance. If you already seen a movie by Shunji Iwai and enjoyed it I strongly suggest taking a look at this film.”- KFCC