Dominatio Per Malum

Hello Schoolgirl (2008) 8/10

Based on a comic book, Hello Schoolgirl is a surprisingly well crafted tale that engages because of excellent lead performances. Notwithstanding its comic book roots, director Ryoo Jang-Ha creates a believable spring autumn romance that is layered and compelling. Special mention goes to Yoo Ji-Tae, played a middle aged bachelor falling in love with Lee Yeon-Hee, played the schoolgirl. What would have been semi-creepy a premise turns out to be a hardwarming and compelling love story, made possible only because of the outstanding performances of both leads. Now that is the “A” plot. Unfortunately, the “B” plot follows the only occasionally interesting romantic overtures between another spring autumn romance. This time a younger male played by Kang In pursues an older woman played by Chae Jeong-An which fails because it lacks the palpable chemistry which the “A” plot has. Thus the main value of the weaker “B” plot is similar as a foil to the main story. Luckily the main plotline holds up very well and single handedly makes Hello Schoolgirl a compelling experience.

Entre Les Murs [The Class] (2008) 8/10

I had expected a typical film about an inspiring teacher who changes his pupils. You know, the sort of predictable plotline that films like the Choir follow. But this was quite a different experience. Filmed in a faux documentary style, the Class offers no final redemption, no inspirational teacher defying the odds. What amazes me is the realism of the film and how it offers a peek into the racially diverse world of French schools. The characters that inhabit the film are as achingly real as they are flawed. One of the best films ever made which was nominated for the 2009 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and won the Golden Palm in the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

“The Class confirms and extends Cantet’s status as one of the masters of European social cinema. It’s a hugely important film that shows how the real frontlines of class and race in this continent don’t involve riot shields or rock-hurling marchers, but are played out every day in our city schools as a series of sometimes attritional encounters.”- Sukhdev Sandhu

Because I realise that I have yet to weigh in on the 10 best films of 2008, here are my picks in a very strong year which saw a resurgence of comic book superheroes, excellent animated films and one of the strongest top 10 crops in a very long time. Films which just missed the cut include: Waltz With Bashir, Revolutionary Road, Doubt, Slumdog Millionaire, Speedy Scandal, JCVD, Redbelt, WALL-E, Transsiberian and Penelope.

NUMBER 10
The Chaser

A serial killer movie with a twist, The Chaser doesn’t ask who did it, but why did he do it? A box office hit in Korea, The Chaser is one of the most exhilarating films in 2008 and well worth your time.

NUMBER 9
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea

For all of Hollywood’s excesses, Ponyo proves that the future of animation does not lie only in 3D extravaganzas. Hayao Miyazaki’s lush and whimsical tale is a triumph and narrowly beats Pixar’s WALL-E for a slot in my Top 10.

NUMBER 8
Tropic Thunder

Easily the funniest film of the year, Tropic Thunder uses is farce at its most brilliant. Featuring a memorable and unrecognizable performance by Tom Cruise and yet another stellar turn by Robert Downey Jr. who already has IRON MAN in his cap, Tropic Thunder is a must watch.

NUMBER 7
The Wrestler

It is Mickey Rourke’s redemption, and Darren Aronofsky’s statement that he can make a good film without theatrics.

NUMBER 6
In Search Of A Midnight Kiss

This year’s indie pick, In Search of a Midnight Kiss has echos of Before Sunset but carves a charming niche as a romantic film that is actually believable and engaging.

NUMBER 5
Dear Zachary

It will make you cry.

NUMBER 4
Let The Right One In

I love this film alot and it is unfortunately cursed by a Hollywood remake that is almost certainly going to suck. Bah why can’t they let good enough be?

(more…)

Due to Life, i won’t have the time nor energy to watch movies, much less review them. So, this blog won’t be updated very much. From time to time, if i am very free and it strikes my fancy, i might write something down. Otherwise, this blog is for all intents and purposes semi-dead.

Still, here are some of the films which i recently watched. I may not even bother to write anything about it so just look at the numerical rating.

Australia (2008) 6/10

Way too long and overindulgent. But entertaining nonetheless.

The Girlfriend Experience (2009) 6/10

Stephen Soderberg follows up his epic, 2 part film Che with a small, arthouse flick that uses Sasha Grey as stunt casting. But Ms Grey is surprisingly good in the lead role and the film’s disjointed time-line whilst mildly annoying at first actually enhances the film. While the film looks great, and Sasha Grey provides the requisite eye candy, the film feels distant and the main character remains a cipher, whose motivations and personality never rise to the surface.

Speedy Scandal (2008) 8/10

Despite a totally hackneyed and predictable plot, the film was one of the top grossing Korean films of 2008. And understandably so because it is a great crowd-pleaser and is highly entertaining. Cha Tae-hyun may be repeating the same performance he did in My Sassy Girl but he is so pitch perfect as the comical battered male that you just don’t care that he is recycling his persona. It may not be art, but it sure is entertaining.

Push (2009) 5/10

It has a nice soundtrack. That’s the most positive thing i can say about this film.

Coraline (2009) 8/10

Easily one of the best films of the year and definitely in the running for best animated film (currently only Pixar’s Up seems to be its only challenger) Coraline is a dark, intelligently crafted tale that will win the hearts of adults. Its not really kid friendly and i can best describe it as Pan’s Labyrinth turned into an animated film. Visually, top marks. Its a smart and beautifully rendered film that deserves to be seen.

Yes Man(2008) 3/10

Just Say No to this.

Stage Beauty (2004) 7/10

Claire Danes is good but it is Billy Crudup who gives a phenomenal performance.

JCVD (2008) 8/10

Jean Claude Van Damme in his best film ever. Surprisingly, JCVD is an affectionate, entertaining movie that actually gives Van Damme the opportunity to show off his acting chops. Just as the Wrestler gave Mickey Rourke a new start, JCVD equally gives Van Damme the best film he has ever made. Unfortunately, noone seems to have noticed, but JCVD is well worth taking a look, if only for an amazing extended soliloquy given by Van Damme which is as honest as it is heartbreaking.

Franklyn (2008) 4/10

Bold concept, interesting visuals. But I can’t fucking understand the damn film!

Romeo + Juliet (1996) 3/10

Never ever ever ever let your cast speak in iambic pentameters. The characters speak in Shakespearean dialogue, which unless you are studying R&J as part of Lit class means that the average viewer can’t catch the dialogue. Not even a winsome pairing of Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio could save this overwrought mess.

Suspect X (2008) 5/10

Retarded plot.

Still Walking (2008) 6/10

Very Arthouse and incredibly slow but if you have the patience, Hirokazu Kore-eda weaves an intriguing tale that explores family dynamics. I was a tad disappointed with this because his earlier film Nobody Knows was one of my all time favourite films.

Last Chance Harvey (2008) 6/10

Annie Hall (1977) 6/10

Overrated.

Two Lovers (2008) 5/10

It’s a good thing that Joaquin Phoenix wants to quit acting, because he is not a particularly good actor.

Revolutionary Road(2008) 8/10

Revolutionary Road is the movie Kate Winslet should have won best actress for, instead of The Reader. As a tale of suburban disenchantment, Revolutionary Road makes the desperate housewives of wisteria lane look childish by comparison. Revolutionary Road is the stronger movie because the story, based on the celebrated novel of the same name is quietly powerful. And it’s ace is the winning combination of Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in their first onscreen pairing since Titanic. Both of them have matured in terms of acting and they share an incredible chemistry that gives the film a powerful momentum. They seem to feed off each other’s energy and both gives superlative performances. Also of note is Michael Shannon in an Oscar nominated supporting performance that nearly steals the show from the talented leads. Perhaps the only demerit is that the film feels a tad too Oscar-bait. Nevertheless for one of the strongest performance of the year, and possibly one of the best on-screen couples, Revolutionary Road is well worth your time. If anything, the very idea of the film, that we live boring soulless lives because we are too afraid to change resonates deeply. The anomie that Dicaprio’s character feels as he toils in a job he hates but needs is a mirror to people’s lives. It places starkly idealism personified by Winslet’s character and pragmatism personified by DiCaprio. And in one beautifully set up argument between DiCaprio and Winslet, the director masterfully uses lighting to great effect with half of DiCaprio’s face shrouded in darkness while Winslet’s character is fully illuminated throughout the entire scene. It provides a powerful juxtaposition, all the more engaging because of the talent and chemistry between the leads.


“This film is so good it is devastating. A lot of people believe their parents didn’t understand them. What if they didn’t understand themselves?”- Roger Ebert.

Dear Zachary (2008) 8/10

This doesn’t happen often, but by the end of Dear Zachary, you will feel as if you know Andrew Bagby as a friend. As a documentary, Dear Zachary is an intimate, poignant potrayal of one man’s life, and a father’s final letter to his son. It is a beautifully crafted eulogy by a friend all the more endearing because you can sense then sincerity and love behind this film. The film starts as a thoughtful ode to a dearly departed friend, but then changes in tone into something all together different. In truth, the less you know about the Bagbys, the better. This is a film best experienced cold, with no knowledge about the topic.

The film does suffer from one fatal flaw, which is that its does not even pretend to be an objective account and completely demonises certain characters while painting others as paragons of virtue. But it is a story that needed to be told, because it is a tale recounted with passion, anger and love. To make it objective would simply have blunted the power of the film as a visceral, moving experience. Nevertheless, i urge you as viewers to keep an open mind and to always consider the other side’s perspective.

By the end of the film, you would have been enraged, moved and inspired by the film. Despite having somewhat amateurish production values, Dear Zachary impresses because it is a labor of love, made to honor the memory of a dearly departed friend. As a film, Dear Zachary is one of the most powerful film experiences i have had and a definite shoo-in for 10 top best films of 2008. A heartbreaking movie.

“Dear Zachary will break your heart—but don’t even consider missing it.”- Cathleen Rountree

Gran Torino (2008) 9/10

Gran Torino is really, really good, a definite inclusion in my top 10 of 2008. Clint Eastwood shows he’s still got what it takes to craft a compelling tale as he turns in a pitch perfect performance as a cantankerous, racist war veteran. Yes, the plot is formulaic and to a certain extent predictable and even manipulative. But Eastwood is so damn good it doesn’t even matter. I think that this is Eastwood’s finest film, even better than Unforgiven.

And yes, this film will make you wish you owned a Gran Torino. Watch it, you won’t regret this.

Rachel Getting Married (2008) 8/10

Anne Hathaway has definitely improved. From her Princess Diaries days, she has been picking better, edgier movies in recent years (Brokeback Mountain, Devil Wears Prada, Get Smart) although in those films she tended to get overshadowed (its easy when you star against Meryl Streep). But with Rachel Getting Married, Anne Hathaway shows a marked improvement and show alot of room for maturation. As the dysfunctional sister who returns just as another sister is getting married, Hathaway displays impressive depth and more importantly restraint. There are many scenes which could easily have gone over the top but Hathaway rightly reigns it in. The result is an intimate, poignant look at family and how old scars never really heal. While Hathaway is great and deserving of her Best Actress Nomination, the supporting cast provides an excellent foil and they play off each other’s strengths.

The sole weakness is that a script of this nature is inevitably low key and lacks the extra magic to push to the next level. While the cast, including Hathaway is very good, there is still a gap between very good and masterpiece and this is something the film still lacks. While i can think of better examples of films in a similar genre (The Squid and the Whale comes to mind), Rachel Getting Married is nevertheless a finely acted film that will please cinetastes.

Doubt (2008) 8/10

Doubt asks a single question: What is the truth? And provides us with many more questions but no answer. From Philip Seymour Hoffman’s opening speech as a preacher, the film invites us into that murky grey area between truth and untruth, black and white. Set in a small parish, it pits two legendary actors: Hoffman and Meryl Streep, both past Oscar winners and sets them up against each other. It is a scintillating and mesmerizing battle of wits, if only because it is so rare to have such a talented faceoff. The pairing of Frank Langella and Michael Sheen in Frost/Nixon is another such example.

But beyond the excellent leads, who deserve their Oscar nominations are the excellent supporting cast. Amy Adams is decent, but undeserving of a best supporting actress nomination. However, Viola Davis, who has a relatively short screen time, almost steals the show in one of the most powerful and heartbreaking sequences in the film. No mean feat when you are sharing screen time with Meryl Streep.

The film, directed with much skill and craft is almost flawlessly crafted. Pay attention to how the characters use the surroundings to empahsise the relative power structures. When Hoffman’s character enter Streep’s office, he automatically sits on her chair and it is in this subtle manner that the power dynamics of people reveal much more than is spoken.

But there is one flaw that bugs me alot and which i felt detracted from the credibility of the film. Why noone thought of speaking to the boy and asking for his perspective of what happened is to me a critical flaw of the movie’s logic. There is an elephant in the room yet the filmmakers resolutely refuse to address this elephant with the result that the film feels less coherent as a result. While Streep’s character says that it is not necessary to interview the boy because he will likely spin tales, the failure to interview the boy and ask his version of the story utterly defies common sense.

While i disliked this logical gap in the story, the film is nevertheless a brilliantly acted and highly enjoyable tale. Although the film is slow to provide answers, it effectively plants the seeds of doubt in our minds. Whatever the audience’s interpretation of the events, the film succeeds as one which invites us to challenge and question our beliefs. A laudable ideal indeed.

Frost/Nixon (2008) 8/10

What happens when an unstoppable object meets an immovable force? You get cinematic greatness. Frost/Nixon is a film that, distilled to its essence is about 2 men talking. Yet the film is a gripping, intense drama, a sort of intellectual boxing that at the end leaves you feeling exhausted yet exhilarated.

And the centerpiece, the core of the film is Frank Langella who is mesmerizing in a pitch perfect portrayal of Richard Nixon. As a subject matter, Nixon has that mystique, the white knight who has fallen from grace. When Nixon won re-election in 1972, he won by one of the biggest landslides ever, but in 2 years he would have the infamy of being the only president to be forced to resign. Langella gives a compelling rendition of a man of such complexity and nuance and he even manages to make the Nixon somewhat sympathetic. But there is a hubris, a strong sense of pride that is Nixon’s ultimate flaw and Langella gives a masterly portrayal. Director Ron Howard has assembled a talented, top notch cast and he uses close-ups to give the actors, especially Langella the chance to shine. The film itself should be compulsory viewing for acting class because Langella’s performance is exquisite. It is the expression, the downtrodden look of defeat, or is it regret that haunts you long after the film ends. Even though my personal favorite this year to win Best Actor is Mickey Rourke for his devastating performance in The Wrestler, Langella is a very, very close second simply for his masterful tour de force.

And acting as his foil is the excellent Michael Sheen whom i remember well from THE QUEEN. This time, although his role as David Frost gets more screen time it is clear that Langella is the star. But rather than be overshadowed by Langella, the two bounce off each other very well and Sheen’s flamboyant and playboy persona is the perfect foil to Langella’s slick and polished Nixon. The final result feels like an intellectual joust, the equivalent of watching Rocky but with far greater dramatic intensity. This is an intellectual battle between two very keen minds, recreating a pivotal moment of American history and it is a credit to the taut writing and fine direction that such a talky film proves engaging even though most people already know the conclusion. As the film progresses, the audience roots for Michel Sheen’s David Frost to tease out the final note of contrition from a disgraced president. And you almost feel as if you are there, in 1977 watching history unfold. For both Frost and Nixon, they have something to gain and everything to lose. Frost stakes his career and personal wealth on this and for Nixon it is his last shot at redemption. Watching the unstoppable force meet the immovable force proves to be one of the most enjoyable hours of movie watching i have spent.

Frost/Nixon is one of the best films of the year and a personal favourite. A splendid cast headlined by two spellbinding performances makes this a must watch. This is an intelligent and thoughtful film. The great tragedy is that this is the sort of film that audiences avoid. But if you give it a chance, you may be pleasantly surprised.

“The stage play-turned-big screen Oscar contender has all the right moves, zipping along from scene to scene with rare pep until building to a furious climax. And remember, this isn’t a movie about alien invasions or pirate ghosts. It’s a movie about two guys talking. No special effects, no Ben Stiller cameos. “- Mike Ward

“The result is involving, engrossing cinema – more thrilling, in fact, than Howard’s “The Da Vinci Code” – filmmaking of a type rarely seen anymore and sorely missed.”- Kenneth Turan

Waltz With Bashir (2008) 8/10

Very often, our reaction to film is affected by when we watch it. The point in time in which we watch a movie may well determine how we react to it. If i had watched United 93 or Man on Wire in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, my opinions of these films may very well be different (both are good films in any case). I watched Waltz in Bashir, a film about the 1982 Lebanese War and it is impossible not to think about Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip this year. That alone gives the film a greater sense of pathos that it may not otherwise have had. It a film about a past conflict that remains as topical for us today as it was decades ago. And it presents to us a most disturbing message, and if i may borrow a line from Joe Morgenstern: “Wars are fought, the film tells us, then literally forgotten.”

Waltz in Bashir is presented as an animated film. It is not a cartoon and it is not for kids. It can best be describe as a animated semi-documentary, but that is a label that does the film great disservice. 2008 has been a year where genre films have broken free of the confines of their genre and achieved something almost transcendental, like The Dark Knight for superhero movies and WALL-E for animation. Waltz with Bashir is a stunning accomplishment in both animation and documentary and it utilizes the medium to tell a story in a way that could not have been possible in any other manner. Visually the film is a beautiful pastiche of colors but while the imagery impresses, it is the story that lingers long after you have watched it.

The film is a forceful, mesmerizing and utterly devastating pean on war and memory. In its final scene when it cuts from animation to real stock footage, the full force of its arguments hits you in the gut. It is an argument that we cannot stay passive, that we cannot hide behind the shield of ignorance when atrocities are committed. Waltz With Bashir has already won the Best Foreign Language Film award at the Golden Globes and is in the running for Best Foreign Language film at the Oscars. Made by an Israeli filmmaker, Waltz with Bashir forces us to look into the darker side of humanity and perhaps as Nietzsche suggests, As we peer into the abyss, the abyss also looks into us. Waltz with Bashir is one of the best films of 2008. Don’t miss it.

“One of the most profoundly explosive animated documentaries I have ever seen, and is clearly one of the best pictures of the year.”- New York Observer

“Ari Folman’s “Waltz With Bashir” is an absolute stunner, a feature-length animated documentary, from Israel, in which the force of moving drawings amplifies eerily powerful accounts of war, shaky remembrance and rock-solid repression.”- Wall Street Journal

“”Bashir” is a thinking person’s horror movie, about real horror and horrifying echoes”- Washington Post

The Wrestler (2008) 8/10

For those who have fallen, The Wrestler is a film for you. You don’t have to be a wrestling fan to love it, and i am certainly no fan of wrestling. But as someone who loves film, I dare say that i love The Wrestler to bits. Its not the best film of the year (that honor goes to The Dark Knight), but the Wrestler is firmly perched at second place. In many ways, it is a comeback, a sort of redemption for both Mickey Rourke and director Darren Aronofsky.

I am a big fan of Darren Aronofsky’s work, and i am probably very biased in favour of him. Nevertheless, his last film, the wildly ambitious effort The Fountain not only took ages to put to screen but it also flopped. Personally i enjoyed the Fountain, but as a die-hard fan, i admit that The Fountain was abit of a disappointment. So when his latest film the Wrestler won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, it bought alot of buzz to this indie flick. Naturally i was psyched and when i finally managed to watch The Wrestler, it brings a certain electric thrill to watch the work of a master. I have said it before and i’ll say it again: I believe that Darren Aronofsky is one of the brightest young directors alive, and in years to come, he will be in the pantheon of great directors of our age. What strikes you, if you have been following Aronofsky’s career, is how little directorial flourish he brings to the film which seems mostly shot in verite style. This is truly the first film that he lets the script and the actor tell the story. Aronofsky is restrained and steps backs to let the strength of the material stand on its own. Not that it is entirely bereft of style. One thing i noticed was how in the early shots, the camera always followed Rourke from the back, but by the end of the film, the camera almost always shoots Rourke from the front: a subtle reflection of the journey Rourke has taken so far. In many ways it is a maturation of his craft and it hints of greater things to come from this director. Aronofsky has yet to make a “bad” film and even when he doesn’t quite succeed (The Fountain), the end result is still a cut above the rest. With the Wrestler, Darren Aronofsky has made his comeback and showed that his is no one trick pony with Requiem For A Dream (his magnum opus). I eagerly look forward to his next cinematic effort, and i sure hope he gets some Oscar love.

But it is for Mickey Rourke that i reserve my greatest praise. In many ways, the life of his character Randy “The Ram” Robinson mirrors his own life. Once, a long time ago, Rourke was a rising Hollywood star in the 80s. But he screwed it up and has since been languishing in obscurity ever since. Rourke has landed the perfect role, one that feels as if it was written for him. The term “once in a lifetime performance” probably sums up Rourke’s performance, who brings with it a powerful physicality and emotional vulnerability. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but it is his isolation that truly wounds the Ram. Mickey truly deserves his Best Actor win at the Golden Globes and i hope that he wins Best Actor come Oscar season.

The film is supported by excellent supporting roles by Marisa Tomei, who looks fantastic and Evan Rachel Wood, another young rising star who has picked some truly excellent starring roles in recent years (she was really good in King of California). The script may follow a fairly predictable trajectory, but this is no Rocky. The excellent cast and tight script elevates this above your standard melodrama and the film proves to be a moving and engaging film experience. It has been a long time coming, but i’m glad to say that Mickey Rourke and Darren Aronofsky are back, and they are at the top of their game. One final note: the theme song by Bruce Springsteen, which has already won best song at the Golden Globes, is one of my favorite songs and its lyrics are beautifully poignant. So, if you can, give the Wrestler a chance. The Wrestler is a film about a wounded soul, and for those of us who have a chip on our shoulders, it resonates and moves in a way film is meant to.

“Rourke works his way into the soul of “The Ram” as if he has known this character his entire life. He probably has.”- Philadelphia Inquirer

“I cared as deeply about Randy the Ram as any movie character I’ve seen this year. I cared about Mickey Rourke, too. The way this role and this film unfold, that almost amounts to the same thing. ” Roger Ebert

Ip Man (2008) 8/10

In a year which Chinese films have been largely disappointing, Ip Man is one of the best, and almost certainly the most entertaining film to come out. Not that it is without flaws, some of which are gratingly obvious. First, there is emoting. While Donnie Yen is suited to play Ip Man as the classic junzi with few words, whenever the script requires Yen to display any emotion beyond his de facto blank face of sereneness, his attempts are underwhelming. The same can be said for any scene requiring any actor to cry. The film literally grinds to a screeching halt when mediocre actors try to emote. Another flaw is how Ip Man is portrayed as a one-dimensional paragon of virtue, which almost turns him into a caricature. In the film Ip Man is unstoppable and never once is in danger of getting his ass kicked. I don’t remember a single scene where Ip Man is in danger of losing a fight. This robs the film of alot of dramatic tension and the best heroes need a strong villain to bring out the best of them both. This is why the final battle between Ip and the main Jap baddie feels anticlimatic, because Ip single-handedly trashes him with barely a sweat. In fact, throughout the entire film, no one is even remotely as good as Ip Man in terms of combat skills.

If this long list of flaws makes me seem like i am dissing the film, it is only because I enjoyed Ip Man alot and I can see the potential in the film. This is a film that could have touched 9/10 but is let down by many flaws. The characters are cast in simple black and white terms so the audience knows who to cheer or boo at. A pity because the most well developed character in the film is Gordon Lam’s duplicitous turn as a translator that actually hints of character development. The film itself looks great with excellent action sequences and the film moves with a quick snappy pace. As entertainment, i daresay that Ip Man is one of the year’s most entertaining movie and one which i enjoyed immensely, flaws notwithstanding. I list the multitude of flaws only because i believe that this film had potential to be great, but as it stands Director Wilson Yip’s version only counts as very good. Wong Kar Wai is already planning his own Ip Man biopic and i’m interested to see how WKW can craft his own take on this character, which will no doubt be less action oriented but provide far more depth. Despite its flaws, Ip Man is highly entertaining and certainly one of the better Donnie Yen films. Highly Recommended.

Be Kind Rewind (2008) 6/10

Excellent concept, flawed execution. The idea of sweded films is hilarious, but the film doesn’t actually show alot of sweded films and actually spends more time on the idea of a bunch of guys saving a video store. This is one of those films which had tremendous potential but ended up being only above average.

Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) 8/10

Ang Lee’s classic film about food, love, family and women has all the right ingredients and he concocts a delicious and memorable serving of one of the best hours of cinema.

Run Papa Run (2008) 8/10

One of the best HK films of 2008, this is an increasingly small field of contenders, given the slump in quality of HK films. Still there are gems and this film shows off Louis Koo’s range.

Voice (2005) 7/10

Intriguing premise, and one of the better movies in the series of ghost stories set in high school. Not as good as Memento Mori but better than the rest.

Wanted (2008) 8/10

Highly enjoyable guilty pleasure. Angelina Jolie and James McAcvoy camp it up in an over the top hyperrealistic assassin tale. The film is utterly ridiculous yet oh so entertaining.

The Verdict (1982) 7/10

One of the best legal movies ever made. Sideny Lumet as director in one of his best films while Paul Newman puts in a great performance.

Manda Bala [Send a Bullet] (2007) 7/10

What I learnt from this movie: Brazil is very, very , very dangerous.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) 7/10

Highly entertaining. Kristen Bell and Jason Segel are familiar faces from TV and its great to see them in prominent roles in this enjoyable rom-com.

Ad Lib Night (2005) 5/10

Interesting story but too slow and too dreary. (more…)

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) 8/10

You could call this movie 3 babes and a hunk. It has a stellar cast, amongst them Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johansson and Penelope Cruz and is directed by Woody Allen. With so much talent involved, it is almost impossible to screw up this movie. And Woody Allen manages to give one of his best movies in recent years, a sharp neurotic and sometimes surprising romantic comedy. Its a Woody Allen Movie so you know what to expect, more or less. If you have always hated Allen movies, you probably won’t like Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Surprisingly, despite the A-list cast, it is actually Rebecca Hall’s character arc that was most interesting for me. Penelope Cruz has got some critical acclaim for her performance here, but i did not find her role particularly impressive, and so i am puzzled by all the kudos. With beautiful cinematography and this film could probably be a walking video postcard for Spain, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a typically neurotic Allen film bolstered by excellent performances by its A-list cast.