Dominatio Per Malum

3:10 to Yuma (2007) 8/10

Its the sort of film they rarely make nowadays. Like 2006’s The Proposition, 3:10 to Yuma is an excellent Western, and such films come by rarely. A remake of a 1957 film, and based on a story by Elmore Leonard, the 2007 update stars Christian Bale and Russell Crowe in what is essentially one of the best films of the year. That’s all the reason you need, really. Bale plus Crowe plus its directed by James Mangold (Walk The Line). Basically, its awesomeness. Both leads put in intense performances and the final result can best be described as riveting. Even the supporting cast shines, with Ben Foster’s role as Charlie, the ruthless second-in-command being one of the notable supporting performances.

“The rare remake that is as good if not better than the original film, director James Mangold’s version of 3:10 to Yuma is a thrilling, character-driven movie that ranks as one of the very best films of the year.”- IGN

“The best Western since Unforgiven, 3:10 to Yuma is both cathartic and intelligent. While a wildly eventful action-adventure and outlaw shoot-’em-up, it’s also a vibrant story of heroism, villainy and hard-earned redemption.”- Houston Chronicle

“3:10 to Yuma captures a potent sense of the Old West with its multidimensional raw performances and captivating final shootout sequence. But with its emphasis on emotional truths, it transcends the confines of a cowboy movie.”- USAtoday

“The Performances are electric”-BBC

‘”3:10 to Yuma” offers plenty of guns-blazing, pulse-pounding action, but it’s the excellent lead performances that stay with you.’- Carla Meyer

Interview (2007) 8/10

First up, the pairing of Steve Buscemi with Sienna Miller was a jarring, almost Beauty and the Beast-esque pairing. But strangely, it works and the two enjoy good chemistry throughout the film. What you should be aware before watching this film is that it is essentially a talkfest. Basically its just the 2 of them talking for the whole of the film’s running time. That’s all there is to the film. If you are the sort who cannot stand this sort of arthouse film, then avoid this. Otherwise, those who are willing to give this little indie flick a chance will be richly rewarded. If you enjoyed talky films such as Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise/ Before Sunset films, you will probably enjoy Interview as well. The relevation here is Sienna Miller, who displays impressive depth in her acting. Here is what one reviewer had to say about Miller:

“Miller is so good - dumb, smart, wounded, wounding, a lollipop of sweet poison that you’d buy every day until it killed you - that you feel you not only understand her but all actresses.”

And i readily concur. Steve Buscemi, who also directs and stars in the film, has always been an arthouse favourite. His acting capabilities are not in doubt here. It is instead his directorial abilities which impress and here he is able to make full use of the combative tension between the two characters to good use. This film itself may drag at some parts but overall the sharp and intelligent dialogue was good enough to keep my attention. If anything, the weakness of the film lies in its ending which tries to be mildy twisty and wrap up all the loose ends of the film. It felt artificial and the film certainly did not need such an ending. But while i may quibble on the ending and parts of the film, Interview is an engaging and worthwhile film experience which i would urge you to watch. It does not really have a plot, has no action, comprises of 2 people talking the whole time and is throughly enjoyable! Proof that you do not need a big budget to make a good film.

“Simply put, Interview never feels claustrophobic or staged, but instead unfolds with the chaotic energy of life. It is a smart film in its humor, its subject, and its execution.”- Reel

“Afforded a comparatively rare chance to stretch out in a complex lead role, Buscemi is excellent, limning Pierre’s career battle fatigue even as the character flickers from amusement to sympathy to contempt. Miller shows authority as Katya, who may not be a dumb blonde by a longshot, but still sports the self-absorption and petulance of a showbiz diva.”- Variety

Postscript: “Interview” was one of three features Dutch director Theo van Gogh hoped to remake in English but he was assassinated before he could do that. The original Interview(2003) was made in Dutch and starred Katja Schuurman and Pierre Bokma. Not to be confused with the 1998 film “Interview” starring Hugo Weaving (which incidentally is also quite a good film).

Millennium Mambo (2001) 6/10

Millennium Mambo opens with a brilliant, almost sublime tracking shot of Hsu Chi as she saunters down a fluorescent-lit overpass, smoking a cigarette with an occasional, effervescent backward glance. Exquisitely lensed by Mark Lee, who was also responsible for Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood For Love, Millennium Mambo is beautifully shot, but this technical perfection is let down by the aimlessness of the film. Director Hou Hsiao Hsien is clearly one of the most talented Taiwanese directors alive, but one cannot shake of the feeling that Millennium Mambo is one of the lesser films of his oeuvre. The style taken here is reminiscent of Wong Kar Wai’s moody melancholy, but it lacks the finess of Wong and the slight and aimless plot fails to craft a coherent tale. Having said that, Hsu Chi deserves major praise for anchoring the film and clearly shows her acting capabilities. More than just a pretty face, she displays remarkable depth in her acting and has a magnetic screen presence. However, nothing much happens in the film, and despite the technical brilliance in which the film is shot and the solid performance of Hsu Chi, the plot and film fails to impress. One technique Hou uses is to narrate in voice-overs what will happen next. It is a technique used in films like Barry Lyndon but here this technique does not seem to serve any purpose. If anything, it makes the already glacial pace even more stifling by removing any ounce of anticipation. The film’s disjointed feel is further enhanced by a seemingly trite sequence that brings the protagonists to Japan, something that felt unnecessary.

Overall the film, which won the Technical Grand Prize at the 2001 Canne Film Festival, is more style over substance. There are moments of movie magic, but the whole is less than the sum of the parts.
“this shimmering excursion through Taipei nightlife—scored to a ghostly, faraway electro throb and coated in a neon glaze by cinematographer Mark Lee—is a slow burn of profound sadness salved by some of Hou’s most breath-catchingly beautiful passages to date.”- Dennis Lim

“Like most of Hou’s films, Millennium captures the haunting nature of the ordinary, displaying the director’s melancholy perspective in which life is defined as a series of losses, an accrual of broken ideals and irretrievable loves.”- Levy

“This is one of the most demanding films of the last few years because it asks you to understand the message but doesn’t give you the tools to get into those characters. The great visuals, the pumping techno music and the atmosphere generate a mood that almost make you forget the story. ” - LoveHKfilm

Cell phone radiation chart - CNET reviews

According to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), specific absorption rate, or SAR, is “a way of measuring the quantity of radiofrequency (RF) energy that is absorbed by the body.” For a phone to pass FCC certification, that phone’s maximum SAR level must be less than 1.6W/kg (watts per kilogram). In Europe, the level is capped at 2W/kg while Canada allows a maximum of 1.6W/kg. The SAR level listed in our charts represents the highest SAR level with the phone next to the ear as tested by the FCC. Keep in mind that it is possible for the SAR level to vary between different transmission bands and that different testing bodies can obtain different results. Also, it’s possible for results to vary between different editions of the same phone (such as a handset that’s offered by multiple carriers).

Shrek 3 (2007) 5/10

It’s not funny. Lacking the freshness of the original and the humor of the second film, this third installment plods through an uninteresting plot arc and the film feels like a lightweight. Even the parodies of amongst others A Kinght’s Tale or Mean Girls lack punch. The end result is a film seeped in mediocrity, which moves from plot point to plot point without the energy or self effacing humor of past installments.

Basic (2003) 5/10

Absolutely dumb, but strangely entertaining. The fun is trying to predict how much more absurd the plot can get. Here’s a hint: one good twist is better than multiple pointless and illogical twists. Basic seems to go by the philosophy of throwing everything including the kitchen sink at the audience. Eventually, something will work. The end result is a totally convoluted wreck that is faintly amusing just to see how much further then plot can contort into. The summary of the film can be summed by this diagram:

You Kill Me (2007) 6/10

Tea Leoni and Ben Kingsley make for a very strange couple. They don’t have much chemistry. Still, it was fun watching Ben Kingsley ham it up as an alcoholic hitman. The film certainly has its rough edges and the storyline seems to go nowhere. Overall a decent but not particularly remarkable film.

Knocked Up (2007) 7/10

Proof that Katherine Heigel can actually act. This Judd Apatow comedy is well written with winning performances from Heigl and Seth Rogan. The script is sharp and the film is enjoyable.

Changing Lanes (2002) 6/10

A tale about how small things can escalate into a downward spiral. This is a film about anger management and how to positively over-act. Neither good nor bad, this drama has some redeeming value but the end result is a mixed bag.

Reign Over Me(2007) 7/10

This is an Adam Sandler movie that does not rely on slapstick for laughs. Its also a reasonably good movie. That is a remarkable achievement by itself.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) 5/10

Its a dumb movie. But its good to watch something mindless once in a while.

Black Book (2007) 8/10

Yes, its somewhat exploitative, but Carice Van Houten is sizzling hot! The twists and turns are all too melodramatic, but the commanding lead performance by Van Houten makes this a pulpy and exciting WW2 espionage drama. Sort of like the German version of Lust, Caution.

La Haine (1995) 5/10

Highly rated and critically acclaimed drama which i disliked. Aimless plot, and boring sequences. The acting is fairly good but the film is just boring. The film also does not need to be in black and white. Not every film can pull of the black and white look- those who can do it spectacularly (Schindler’s List); those who can’t look like arthouse poseurs. La Haine falls into the latter category.

Kissing Jessica Stein (2002) 6/10

Decent but unremarkable

globeandmail.com: Bye-bye (or is it byebye?) to 16,000 silly hyphens
“[T]he new edition of The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary has done away with about 16,000 hyphens. The editors of the dictionary have decided, in an awesome display of ruthless language modification, that the conventions of hyphenation were arbitrary and needed simplification. They changed most of the hyphenated words – such as leap-frog and ice-cream – by turning them into one word (leapfrog) or two distinct words (ice cream).

There are many reasons for this, one of them being that the rules of hyphenation were just silly.”

I never did understand hyphens, anyways. Good riddance.

Be With Me (2005) 7/10

The default rule of thumb when reviewing Singaporean films is not to have high expectations. Most come across as amateurish productions with tacky effects, pedestrian directing and universally atrocious acting. Which is why Eric Khoo’s Be With Me comes as such a surprise. This is one of the rare occasions where a Singaporean film gets praise and is truly deserving of accolades. Lets hope i won’t have to wait forever to watch the next good Singaporean film.

The first thing that strikes you is the cinematography. The Singapore captured on film is beguilingly beautiful. It is rare that even a mundane hawker centre shot is captured with such vivid colors. Khoo presents a Singapore that is achingly beautiful, yet its emptiness echoes the loneliness of men, building on the themes of urban isolation prevalent in the film.

The film is centred upon 3 fictitious tales linked through the real life story of Theresa Chan, who is both blind and mute. The 3 tales explore themes of loneliness and loss, of young love denied and of distant crushes dashed. The Achilles Heel of Singapore film-making is the acting department. The average actor ranges from plain bad to just mediocre. Compared to comparable indie films from other countries, like Japan’s Nobody Knows or Palestine’s Paradise Now, the acting standards of Singaporean films have stagnated at Channel 8 soap-opera levels. This may pass muster on the small screen, but on the big screen more is expected. And here, Khoo sidesteps this weakness by using sparse dialogue. By reducing dialogue to a minimal, Khoo not only downplays the weaknesses in acting but also creates a melancholic mood that suits the themes of the film. At times, Khoo’s film feels like a Wong Kar Wai imitation, but luckily Khoo also adds a few distinctive touches of his own, such as an emphasis on the food motiff.

The strength of the film lies in the mood. Khoo creates a dreamy and almost poetic vision, using tools like handphone screens and a nifty view of a typewriter to express what the characters don’t or can’t express. The underlying critique is then how people use technology not as a means of communication but as a barrier that places an emotional gulf between people. What i find jarring however, is the blend of fact with fiction, an experiment that detracts from the film rather than enhancing it. With the three fictitious plotlines, the movie evokes the slow Wong Kar Wai mood that makes this a satisfying film experience, but by inserting an almost documentary excerpt of Theresa, it also undercuts the effectiveness of the movie. The problem is that Khoo is unsure what kind of a movie he want: an arthouse mood piece or a moving documentary. In trying to infuse fact with fiction, he achieves neither. Teresa’s tale acts as the moral touchstone of the movie, her tale of perseverance juxtaposed with the sadness and isolation felt in the other plotlines. However, her plotline documents her everyday life narrated via subtitles which attempts to summarize her life story. It is a sort of tale better suited to be told via a book than through a film, and here the film suffers from trying to port an autobiography into a movie.

Another jarring weakness is how Khoo tries to link the 3 disparate tales though plot devices that can best be described as forced. For example, the Ezann Lee storyline intersects with the infatuated security guard in a sequence that has got to be one of the lamest plot device in a long time. Contrast for example, how parallel storylines are handled in films such as Amores Perros, 21 Grams or Crash and it become painfully evident that local film-making still lags behind the international level on several levels, and the ability to convincingly handle and link multiple plotlines is one of them.

This review probably comes across as overly harsh, but it actually contains one of the highest praise. It is the only local film to get a 7/10. Unlike other local films that is Singapore specific and can only be understood by Singaporeans (Money No Enough, 881), or blatant ripoffs of better foreign films (HomeRun), Be With Me explores universal themes of love, loss and isolation. It is a film that can be appreciated in any part of the world and is comparable with the best international films. Definitely the best Singaporean film i’ve seen.

“Paths cross, lives intertwine (sometimes only briefly), and nothing resolves easily. That’s life, that’s love. Be With Me puts it all out there with tremendous yet understated power.”- Don Willmott

“Singaporean writer-director Eric Khoo’s third feature is a beautiful, contemplative study of love — unrequited, unfulfilled and reborn.”- Ken Fox

House is looks very promising this season, and its opening episodes are very strong, proving that you can fire half your crew and still make an awesome show. Heroes is solid, but has yet to pick up momentum. Dexter is very good. And i want to plug the new series Reaper, which is one of the best new series i’ve seen. I’ve only watched 2 episodes but its really good and absolutely hilarious. Definately worth checking out.

BBC NEWS | Americas | North Carolina pair feud over leg

A US man who stored his amputated leg in a barbecue smoker that was later auctioned off is locked in a custody dispute with the man who bought it.

John Wood’s smoker was sold to Shannon Whisnant last week after he fell behind on payments at the storage facility in North Carolina where it was kept.

He wants his leg back but Mr Whisnant says he has a receipt for the smoker’s contents and wants to share ownership.

Signs of insanity: You ask yourself who has property in the leg. Can a body part be a property and does the buyer obtain good title? Is there an action in conversion? Is there a bailment relationship between the storage facility and Mr Wood? And if so, by seizing the smoker including the leg, has the facility commited conversion against Wood?

Still, this would make a good, albeit macabre, hypo.