Editorial - Barack Obama - Editorial Board - Endorsement - NYTimes.com
This New York Times Editorial argues cogently why Barack Obama should be the 44th President of the United States. You Should Read It.
Defamation suits necessary, Singapore tells rights group - Yahoo! Singapore News
Singapore’s government has defended itself against a charge of using defamation suits to stifle dissent, saying they are necessary for protection against unfounded allegations by political opponents.
Wow. And I wonder how other countries survive without using it?
Painted Skin (2008) 6/10
Although the story itself is quite campy, this film is surprisingly entertaining and works because lead actress Zhou Xun is mesmerizing onscreen. The CGI though is quite amateurish and the film has the old 80s HK horror-fantasy feel to it. The rest of the cast is passable but unremarkable. Donnie Yen can’t emote, but that is to be expected, although he doesn’t really have much opportunity to show off his action moves. I must however say that Vicki Zhao looks damn creepy in her White hair makeup. Overall, entertaining but forgettable effort.
The Tracey Fragments(2008) 5/10
I love Ellen Page and i think she is a fantastic young talent. But even her screen charisma cannot save this film. While the fractured screen style is interesting and the directing is novel, this film feels more like style over substance. There are some films that can use a directing gimmick and craft a masterpiece like Requiem for A Dream, but The Tracey Fragments is not one of them. As a result, the film feels unfocused and way too experimental.
For the Bible Tells Me So (2007) 5/10
Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival, Dan Karslake’s documentary looks at the relationship between homosexuality and Christianity. In other words, how religion becomes an excuse to hate and discriminate. The film is a well made documentary, but as a film, it is fairly run of the mill. If i critique this as a movie, i have to say that this was an average, unremarkable movie and there are other similarly themed movies which i felt was better made, such as Jesus Camp or Deliver us from Evil. As a documentary however, it tells of an important tale of the malaise (the discrimination, the intolerance) that grips religion.
Dororo (2007) 5/10
This is actually quite a retarded movie, although it can be mindlessly entertaining. Unsurprisingly its based on some kind of manga. Basically there is this guy who is created from magical prosthetic parts who must kill monsters in order to regain his original body parts. While visually beautiful, this does not change the fact that the premise is corny and as a result much of the plot is really over the top.
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008) 5/10
Unlike the first film, this second installment is so over the top and ridiculous to the extent that it becomes farcically bad. Apparently, Harold and Kumar have lost their mojo.
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) 5/10
Nice graphics. That’s all that is good about the film. The rest of the movie is an exercise in mediocrity.
The Promotion (2008) 5/10
The film lacks any kind of dramatic tension. You are better off watching episodes of The Office.
Hinokio (2005) 5/10
Hinokio is an interesting movie let down by a terrible subplot involving an addictive video game. If the video game subplot was deleted, then this film could maybe get a 6.
Wings of Desire (1987) 1/10
Numbingly boring. Apparently Berlin is filled with angels in black trench coats who are filled with existential angst. The film is a “mood” film which is another way of saying the film goes nowhere. The plot only begins after 3/4 of the running time has passed. The rest of the time has characters spouting long and boring monologues and the film is almost smothered by an insane amount of self aggrandizing navel-gazing.
Leolo (1993) 1/10
I call this the anti-Amelie. The film felt very alienating to me. It is almost as if the filmmaker wants to create the most dysfunctional family possible. The result is an overindulgent flight of fantasy that is seriously boring.
The Castle (1997) 4/10
This movie is too long. There is content for maybe a 30minute skit but the film-makers drag it into a feature length movie. They fill the rest of the movie by depicting the main characters as idiots and try to draw low-brow humor from that characterisation. Its not funny. The film has some legal humor, but it will possibly only appeal to those with legal knowledge. Plus the film uses a deus ex machina to resolve its central issue, when a queen’s counsel conveniently appears and saves the day. Its like the scriptwriter was so lazy he did not even bother to write a semi-convincing script. Plus, the acting is all round awful because they are trying too hard to potray the “simpleton” persona.
Boy A (2008) 6/10
Boy A poses a simple question: Can society ever forgive a child for murder? Is there such a thing as true evil? Boy A is a film about redemption and rehabilitation. Andrew Garfield gives a strong, mesmerizing performance as Jack, a young adult just released from prison for a crime he committed as a kid. He is given a new identity, a new life to start anew and much of the film follows this awkward man-child as he tries to navigate the perils of a new world. But beneath his burning desire to rejoin society hides his dark, violent streak. To me, the greatest scene in the film is where he saves the life of another young girl, an act that ironically becomes his act of atonement and leads to his downfall.
This film clearly provides a sympathetic view towards the character of Boy A, by painting him as a boy who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. It shifts much of the blame towards his childhood friend who was supposedly the one who had violent issues. It did not really give the victim much characterization beyond a cursory introduction. This was where i felt the film was lacking. It presents a sympathetic side of Boy A while failing to show a dispassionate view of the seriousness of the crime committed. The film also proceeds at a slow, glacial pace and despite Garfield’s strong performance, much of the film will bore the average viewer. I also disliked the terrible deus ex machina by letting Boy A meet his girlfriend in the last scene. The ending is quite a downer and it is really in the last act that the film packs its emotional wallop. While i won’t recommend Boy A to the average viewer, those who enjoy thought-provoking arthouse flicks should give this a try. The film’s strength draws from the fact that it is based loosely upon true events and asks moral questions for which there are no easy answers.
“Thought-provoking, powerful, sad and boasting a central performance that won a BAFTA (British Oscar) for its star Andrew Garfield”- Jim Slotek
P.S. I Love You (2007) 4/10
Maudlin, overly manipulative romantic comedy squanders its somewhat interesting concept to be a middling and not particularly compelling movie. Hilary Swank is an Oscar calibre actress, but she is painfully miscast and doesn’t carry the film at all. Swank is far more comfortable in serious dramas like Million Dollar Baby and in this rom-com, the film is seriously crippled by the lack of chemistry. The film is too long and feels generally blah. Gerard Butler does show some Irish charm, but there is zero chemistry between Swank and Butler. The supporting cast feels like they are sleepwalking through this movie with the possible exception of Kathy Bates who is one of the few bright sparks in an otherwise mediocre effort. The letter device is interesting at first until the director uses letter reading to substitute for character development. Above all, the movie fails because it is so safe, so predictable and so colorless that it feels like every other tired rom-com cliche movie.
WALL-E (2008) 8/10
I loved WALL-E, and consider it one of the best films of the year, just behind The Dark Knight and Iron Man. It is definitely one of Pixar’s finest achievements, and even by Pixar’s high standards, WALL-E can be considered a triumph.
The first 40 or so minutes, which take place with virtually no dialogue, is sublime and simply beautiful. WALL-E the character captures my heart and never lets go. The film is so unconventional that it becomes disappointing when the second half of the film follows the conventional movie plot about how WALL-E defeats a HAL-like rogue machine. Still the film deserves praise for its beautiful blend of romance, action and drama mixed with a message of environmentalism. My second favorite Pixar movie after the Incredibles.
“WALL-E seamlessly melds wondrous science-fiction, big-screen romance, and adolescent heart. One of the year’s best films, WALL-E likely will go on to be considered one of the greatest animated movies ever created.”- Sean O’Connell
STARBUCKS was blasted by environmental experts last night after The Sun discovered it pours millions of litres of precious water down the drain at its coffee shops.
The giant coffee chain has a policy of keeping a tap running non-stop at all its 10,000 outlets worldwide, wasting 23.4 MILLION litres a day.
That would provide enough daily water for the entire two million-strong population of drought-hit Namibia in Africa or fill an Olympic pool every 83 minutes.
WTF, Starbucks! How can you be so dumb?
Tech Tips for the Basic Computer User - Pogue’s Posts - Technology - New York Times Blog
New Stuff i learnt:
* The number of megapixels does not determine a camera’s picture quality; that’s a marketing myth. The sensor size is far more important. (Use Google to find it. For example, search for “sensor size Nikon D90.”)
Iron Man (2008) 8/10
Together with The Dark Knight, Iron man is one of the best films of 2008. In a year that has been very good for superhero movies, Iron Man is a well produced film that shines above its comic book roots because of the excellent performance of Robert Downey Jr., whose slick interpretation of Tony Stark helps to bring what has long been a second tier comic book character into the big league.
The are actors who are “method” actors and transform into the roles such that you cannot recognize the man behind it (Heath Ledger). Then there are the “character” actors who use the same persona in every role. Robert Downey is a “character” actor who plays many different roles but you can always see his imprint on the character. The role of a suave playboy is a character that Downey himself probably identifies with and in his performance you can see alot of his own character in Tony Stark. Downey makes Stark really, believable and funny. The film itself is tightly plotted and lots of fun. While i felt the supporting case: Terence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges etc were ok, Iron Man definitely loses to The Dark Knight in terms of supporting cast.
On the basis of sheer fun, Iron Man gets my vote of approval as an all round crowd-pleaser and the fourth best comic book movie of all time (after The Dark Knight , Batman Begins and Spiderman 2).
The Fall (2008) 6/10
The film looks great and Catinca Untaru, the child actress steals the show. However, the plot is mundane and boring, the characters cliched and the film feels like Pan’s Labyrinth-lite. There is so much gorgeous cinematography that its a shame to be tacked onto a middling film.
Sex and the City (2008) 5/10
If you liked the TV series, and by like i mean faithfully endured 6 seasons worth of bitching, then yes you will enjoy the movie version. If you never watched the series, don’t bother with the movie. If, liked me you watched 2 seasons worth and found it totally overrated, the movie version reminds you exactly why you didn’t like the series in the first place. The film is fill with self-indulgent characters within a piecemeal and forgettable script which screams mediocrity. The film is not a bad film in the sense that Gigli is a bad film, but it is utterly and unabashedly mediocre.
Just a random movie junkie. There is nothing interesting here. Move on. Site Best viewed with Firefox. Nothing works here, no point trying. Some links are broken. Use the calendar to navigate.Comments will be moderated due to spam.
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