A Quirky Mind

Movie Review

2008-11-30T05:52:00.000-08:00

Cape No. 7 (海角七號) is a Taiwanese romance, comedy and music-drama all rolled into one. Filmed, written and directed by Wei Te-Sheng, it garnered 3 awards at the 2008 Taipei Film Festival as well as being its opening film. The film contains lines spoken in Mandarin Chinese, native Taiwanese and Japanese showcasing the backdrop of Heng Chun, Taiwan with its richness in contrasts: mountains along with beaches; the old towns near the modern resort hotels, the aging population with the young working in Taipei, the diversified demographics with Hoklo, Hakka, Mainlanders and Taiwanese aborigines, the weather variation between the tropical southern Taiwan and the snow-laden Japan.
Prior to this film, the two leading actors Van Fan (范逸臣) and Chie Tanaka (田中千絵) (stayed in Taiwan for 15 months to study Chinese) only had minor acting roles but they have done justice to the film and themselves, turning in a credible performance. Even without a strong promotional campaign (tight budget I might add), this movie has become so popular in Taiwan that it became the 2nd highest grossing film in the island's cinematic history, behind the all-time tearjerker, The Titanic. Naturally, it came as no surprise when the film was nominated for 9 awards in the 2008 Golden Horse Award and competing in the 81st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film as Taiwan’s representative.
On his trusty motorbike and his back on Taipei, Aga (Van Fan) journeys back to his hometown in Heng Chun after failing to make his mark as a rock band singer. On his return, Aga's step father (Ju-Lung Ma), the Town Council Representative, arm-twisted a position for him as a postman, replacing Uncle Mao (Johnny C.J. Lin) after an accident broke his leg. On his first day, Aga comes across an undeliverable piece of mail that was supposed to be returned to the post office (the daughter of the now deceased Japanese teacher has decided to mail the unsent love letters to Taiwan after discovering them, 60 years later). The rebel Aga unlawfully keeps and opens the package to uncover its contents, but the old Japanese-style address Cape No. 7, Hengchun County, Takao Prefecture could no longer be found. Ever so slowly, contents of the 7 love letters will be individually narrated throughout the movie, bridging the gaps of the characters and unraveling the final piece of the puzzle.
In the meanwhile, a local resort hotel is organizing a beach concert featuring Japanese pop singer Kousuke Atari. Putting his official position to good use, Aga’s step father bullied his way into insisting a local band opens the concert. Tomoko (Chie Tanaka), an over-the-hill Mandarin-speaking Japanese fashion model dispatched to Heng Chun, is assigned the difficult task of managing this hastily assembled band, led by Aga along with six other locals of rather unorthodox backgrounds. After a frustrating trial period Aga and Tomoko unexpectedly begin a love relationship which is flawed in the way it is handled, expressed and presented (focus on their romantic link-up is weak). With some assistance from hotel chambermaid Ming Chu (Shino Lin), Tomoko helps Aga find the aged Kojima Tomoko, the rightful recipient of the seven love letters. Aga then returns to the beach resort and performs a highly successful concert with this local band and Kousuke Atari.
In the final ending of the movie, it is revealed that in 1940s when Taiwan was a Japanese colony, a Japanese teacher (Kousuke Atari) dispatched to the southernmost town of Heng Chun fell in love with a local girl with the Japanese name Kojima Tomoko. After the Surrender of Japan, he was forced to return to his home country. On his trip home, he penned seven love letters to express his regret for leaving Tomoko, who originally planned to elope with him to Japan.

Watch because you have love for the film industry and at the same time, take in the wonderful sceneries of Taiwan. I give it 4 stars out of 5, very funny and heart-warming at the same time.

Movie Review

2008-11-11T23:43:00.000-08:00

007: Quantum of Solace is the highly anticipated sequel to the successful Casino Royale, directed by Marc Forster and features a muscled-toned Daniel Craig's second outing as James Bond. The title was chosen from a 1960 short story in Ian Fleming's For Your Eyes Only, though the film does not contain any elements of the original story. Filming took place in Panama, Chile, Italy and Austria. In this latest installment, Bond battles Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a member of an evil organization who poses as an environmentalist while staging a plan to take control of Bolivia. Bond is joined by Camille Montes (Olga Kurylenko), a former Bolivian secret agent, hell-bent on revenge for the death of Vesper Lynd and General Medrano, respectively.

Continuing from where Casino Royale left off, Bond is behind the wheel of an Aston Martin attacked by a chasing car from Lake Como to Siena, Italy with the captured Mr. White in the boot of his car. After skillfully evading his pursuers, Bond and M, interrogate White regarding a mysterious organization called Quantum but he escaped after being double-crossed by M’s trusted bodyguard Mitchell. Bond chased Mitchell on foot across the streets/ roof of Siena, a fierce tussle ensued and kills him. Through tracked banknotes, Bond heads to Haiti to find Mitchell's contact, Edmund Slate and kills him in cold blood. Posing as Slate, Bond learnt that Slate was sent to kill Camille under orders from her bed partner, Dominic Greene, the ruthless chairman of Greene Planet and a member of Quantum. Bond pursues her by motorbike and watches her meet with Greene, learning the businessman is helping General Medrano, murderer of Camille's family in exchange for a seemingly barren piece of desert wasteland.

As the story unfolds, Bond reunites with his old ally René Mathis, who now lives in a hilltop villa awarded to him by MI6. In La Paz, Bolivia, they are greeted by Strawberry Fields, sent by M from the local British Consulate. Although she explains Bond must return to the UK on the next available flight, he disobeys and seduces her in their hotel suite. That night, they attend a fund raiser being held by Greene, where Camille reappears to dampen his night. Bond and Camille drive to the location of Greene's intended land acquisition, surveying the area in a Douglas DC-3 propeller plane but were intercepted by a chopper and a fighter plane sent by Medrano. Crash-landing, both Bond and Camille jump from the crippled plane and then freefall-parachute into a sink hole. There, they discover Greene is not interested in oil but has been blockading supplies of fresh water, hidden in underground rivers.

Bond meets his CIA ally Felix Leiter at a local bar, who informs Bond of where Greene is set to complete his deal with Medrano and flees when other CIA agents arrive to kill him. Bond and Camille go to an eco-hotel powered by hydrogen fuel cells, located in the Bolivian desert, where Greene is finalizing the coup. As the various parties depart, Bond attacks and kills the departing Colonel of Police for betraying Mathis and sets off a chain of explosions when a hydrogen fuel tank is destroyed. Camille finally kills Medrano and Bond captures Greene. After interrogating him, he leaves Greene stranded in the middle of the desert with only a can of oil, payback for what he did to agent Fields. Bond and Camille drive to a train station, where they finally kiss before she departs.

Bond goes to Kazan, Russia where he confronts Vesper Lynd's former boyfriend, Yusef for some form of closure. Yusef is a Quantum henchman who specializes in seducing high-ranking women to get them to give up government assets and is doing the same with Canadian agent Corinne Veneau. Leaving Yusef's apartment, Bond is confronted by M who is surprised that he did not kill Yusef. M reveals that Leiter has been promoted at the CIA, and Greene was found in the desert shot dead with motor oil in his stomach. Bond sets out into the cold night, aware that Mr. White is still on the loose, throws Vesper's necklace in the snow.

Ratings: 4 out 5

Movie Review

2008-10-09T21:16:00.000-07:00

Movie Review - 20th Century Boys

20th Century Boys (20世紀少年, Nijusseiki Shōnen) is based on a science fiction mystery manga created by Naoki Urasawa who draws allusions mostly from rock and roll with its title taken off T. Rex's famous song. In the hands of director, Yukihiko Tsutsumi, the trilogy of "20th Century Boys" live-action films is told in four different time arcs from The '60s and '70s, late '90s, year 2014 to 3FE aka the Third Year of the Friend Era. It is set to be one of the biggest undertakings ever in the Japanese movie industry with not only a huge budget of 6 billion yen featuring a mammoth cast of 300 people including A-listers like Karasawa Toshiaki and Tokiwa Takako. The last chapter of the story is to be serialized under the name 21st Century Boys.

The beginning of the series takes place during the late 1990s, where Kenji Endo is a convenience store owner, making ends meet while taking care of his niece, Kanna who was left in his care by his older sister, Kiriko. He also has to take care of his old mother, who constantly nags him of what he had done to their family liquor store. Without any knowledge of the dark conspiracy that surrounds him until he learns at a class reunion that Donkey, an old friend of his had recently committed suicide. Hence, he begins a whirlwind adventure to figure out Donkey's sudden death, when he learns of a large cult organization under a mysterious man only known as "Friend" who seeks to destroy the world on New Year's Eve of 2000. Realizing that this madman is drawing his plan from a story he and his old friends came up, he decides to round them all up in a bid to jolt his memory. Kenji realizes that his only hope is to find the "Book of Prophecy", where he wrote scenarios in which he and his friends would save the day. Nine heroes were mentioned at the last paragraph but only 7 answered the call, who are the other 2? One would be Kanna and the final person might play a huge role in the final outcome.

Kenji confronted 'Friend' during a cult's concert meeting to kill him but backed down when he learns that 'Friend' is the father of his beloved niece and husband of his sister. It becomes evident later that Friend is also interested in Kanna, who possesses latent powers which in the mange attributes to a special pill that Kenji's sister took during pregnancy. He sends several members to kidnap her but was thwarted by Kenji's timely intervention. The angry mob turned on one of their own and burn down their family convenience store in the process. Residing over the ashes, Kanna's hidden powers shine through and points out to Kenji a hidden container protruding from the ground. In it was the book of prophecy that he had once buried. Kenji's family must now live in secrecy in order to escape Friend's grasp.

It is now the year 2000. We follow Otcho, another old friend of Kenji, now living in Bangkok and he is being hunted down by a local drug lord. When he receives a call from Kenji, Otcho is at first skeptical about his plan to save the world but later agrees to return to Japan. Kenji is now a wanted terrorist and he leads Otcho to an unused subway station where he and his supporters have been staying for some time. They begin to formulate a plan to stop the end of the world. Based on the Book of Prophecy, they learn that an unnamed building must explode to herald the beginning of the end. Before Otcho can find it on time, the Japanese National Diet Building explodes, confirming the prophecy and reaffirms "Friend" commitment towards World domination.

On December 31, 2000, as Tokyo begins to sleep, a giant robot appears out of nowhere and begins rampaging across the city, spreading the lethal virus which has been plaguing the world over the past few years. Kenji and his crew take off and head to the machine, unsure of whether they'll be able to stop it, but knowing full well they are the world's last hope. Our valiant hero reaches the control pod of the machine, activated his timer explosives and comes face to face with his nemesis as the seconds ticks away......

At the end of the first movie, we have a deeper understanding of all the central characters and whet our appetite of what’s to come in the following two features. The central protagonist of the first half of the story, Kenji Endo disappears after the events of the "Bloody New Year's Eve" but is rumored to be alive and I wont' be surprise if he rises once again to face his 'Friend'. In the final scene, we see Kanna, all grown up and ready to continue where his uncle left off in the next movie. Meanwhile in a prison cell, Otcho is digging his way out and vowed to keep on fighting for his friend, Kenji.

However, many answers still remained untold, who is the mysterious "Friend" (ともだち, Tomodachi) and how does he tie into Kenji's youth? Why are there disappearances and deaths tied into Ochanomizu University? Their memories hold the keys to the puzzle, but time and age have clouded their minds. The strange occurrences and the reach of the "Friend" conspiracy grow by the day. Will Kenji and the others be able to put together the puzzle and save the world?

Movie Review

2008-08-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

Bad Habits (Malos Habitos)

in spanish with English Subtitles.

Missing the opening scene is not always a good start to a foreign film but I managed to do just that while sitting down and getting comfy, my first scene was that of a Mexican family gathering round for a hearty family dinner feast and exchanging banter when the head of the family, Ramon, suddenly chokes on his food. A child prays silently to God to save Ramon whilst Elena, Gustavo and other family members rushes to perform the Heimlich Manoeuvre which rescues him.

The act of choking, ironically during a family feast, ingeniously sets up the stage for the main message: the act and rejection of consumption.

The child who was earlier seen praying is introduced as Matilde (Jimena Ayala) who graduated from being a religious child into a fervently religious adult with a doctor’s degree. Upon completion of her studies and blinded by her faith, she becomes a nun. On hearing that her aunt is gravely ill, she takes upon herself to suffer by consuming vinegar straight from the bottle and a copious amount of salt with her daily intake of food, in hope of God’s mercy. When her aunt does miraculously recover, Matilde sees it as a reaffirmed testament of the strength of her faith and the raw presence of God. In turn, her religious faith rapidly consumes her escalating into an overzealous participation of a life-threatening fast, in which her faith and repentance will call upon God to cease the rain that is causing the deadly floods in Mexico.

Next, we have Linda (Elisa Vicedo), a pre-pubescent who is pressurized into losing her baby fat by her stylish and alarmingly thin mother, Elena (Elena de Haro). Elena’s rejection of excess food consumption is juxtaposed by her daughter’s need to consume, resulting in the latter being forced to see a nutritionist and later, an expensive diet clinic. As the movie progresses, we gradually realize that Elena’s strict, and unreasonable behaviour towards Linda’s eating habits is not driven by parental concern, but is a manifestation of her own eating disorder. Whilst Elena consumes herself with unrealistic ideals about weight, her marriage with Gustavo (Marco Treviño) crumbles. Finding no pleasure in having sex with his skeletal wife, he finds himself caught up in a fiery, sexually charged relationship with a voluptuous student in which his suppressed sexual and eating appetite reaches an absolute gratifying level of consumption.

As his first foray into indie film, director and co-scriptwriter Simón Bross creates a watchable and interesting movie on how food can be perceive and connected by our three main story. Clever camera angles that goes from scene to scene, coupled with single wide-angle shots from afar downplays the depth of the messages he tries to bring across. It does feels like watching three stand-alone short stories with minimal overlapping between the main characters. Given the impressive amount of material Bross has to cover in 104 minutes, the movie does feel slightly detached and unpolished for the sake of achieving the movie’s theme. The sounds of water and rain does comes across as another link to the characters from Matilde's desire to stop the flood, Elena's quench for weight-loss through obsessive workouts, Linda's fear of not losing weight to Gustavo's dilemma in finding out the source to the leak in the drainage pipes at the university. There is a nice touch of irony when Elena, Gustavo and Linda were brushing their teeth as a metaphor to hide their sins with reference to contact in food. You have to watch the movie to know what I mean.

Faith in God has totally consumed Matilde into obsessing with her fast, in the belief that it will move God to save his lost sheep. The other two stories, in focusing on the very flawed nature of humans, relates smoother with viewers on how in the search for perfection, humans overlook others, even loved ones and at times, their intentions produce an undesirable counter-effect. The director's vision to create depressing and hopeless atmosphere is without a doubt, spectacularly captured using lingering shots caught in dark, sedated colours, the sparsely placed, repetitive and monotonous background music, the lack of dialogue to the constant presence of pounding rain, a mood of the movie relentlessly reminded throughout.

The end of the movie also left us with some food for thought - Linda and Gustavo's guilt over the apparent death of Elena as well as Matilde's undressing of her nun's head gear and beads when it started to rain again, signalling her loss in faith and awakening to reality while watching over her sister's grave.

Movie Rating: Four out of Five.

Faint of a Woman

2008-05-21T23:41:00.000-07:00

Morning Drama (True Story)

A life in need of intervention flashes right before me in more ways than anyone could perceive when an event unfolds right before my very eyes. It was an innocent Tuesday, first day of this particular work week. Relieve of feeling the Monday blues, a day after a welcomed long weekend break extended by Vesak Day. I awoke to the tune of "4 Minutes" by Madonna as my alarm clock, feeling tired and yearning for more sleep. The routine of a quick bathe, change of clothes and sculpting my hair went without much fuss. Jackie, the family Jack Russell Terrier looks at me and prepares his morning ritual of stopping me at the door. He always barks and tries to get a grip of my jeans when I leave for work.

The time was 7:45am when I left home with the mandarin (Ch 8) version of "Good Morning, Singapore" playing on the TV in the background. Plugged into Class 95FM and off I go, in the direction of Clementi MRT for my 50 minutes ride to Expo station. The rush hour traffic was at its usual squeeze-ness. Head on to my favoured entry points on the second carriage from the head of the train and waited patiently. It duly arrived in a minute’s time. Got on the train with someone backing into my bum and I returned a bump of my own. Sardines are never packed so tightly like this, bumper to bumper, good thing I got my head above most people and a gush of air conditioned breeze engulfed my face. Dover station was a welcome sight as streams of Singapore Polytechnic students started to alight and I tussle through to the crowd for a prized piece of real estate near the train doors, big enough for me to be hang loose. There was this woman (I shall name her Miss X), who was in a white shirt with coloured strips and wearing a tight (So tight, it was virtually sprayed on) above knee length skirt, scuttle across me, beating me to the corner void beside the train door. She was on talking on the mobile phone. Little do she, I and everyone else know of the drama that was to play out before us?

In my ears was the Flying Dutchman talking about a disco place in Singapore where he can go to regularly and have his dancing fix in the disco era. Miss X, next to me, proceeded to whip out the newspaper and read it. Soon, we went underground after Redhill onwards to Tiong Bahru, I changed my phone settings to walkman and Chris Brown’s "With You" was playing. Before I know, it was Outram Park and it was then a spiral turn of events lay bare. Miss X slump her back onto train’s shiny interior and a small ‘bump’ caught my attention. My eyes met the commuter who was seated in the corner seat with a glass separator, we looked at each other for 3 seconds as if to say "What’s wrong with her?" Then it was all a blur, Miss X fell sideways, right in front of me from 12 o’clock position to 3 o’clock. A thud reverberates through my earphones while her body shaken and her hands were trembling. There were some screams, some ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhhs’. A petite lady standing next to her let out a shriek like a falling tree was collapsing on her. I stood shocked for 2 seconds before kneeling down to held her head up with the rest of her body and said "Are you ok?" She said "Did I just fainted?" The knock to her head was more devastating than earlier thought, I didn’t want to laugh, so I kept quiet.

All this commotion has brought the attention of everyone in the train carriage, it was like the National Day parade, a lot of jaw-dropping and silence. A dude behind me was the parade commander shouted for every person to move back and give her some room to breathe. Its was sigh to behold, Singaporeans so obediently taking a few steps back, only if the train was so spacious everyday. It was a defining moment when I uttered these words "Is there a doctor or a nurse here?" Never had so many fellow travellers listened so intently to me and the dude behind me, clasp his hands into a cone and repeated my exact words. It resonated throughout the train like an echo through the mountains of the Alps. Sadly there was no response from the stunned crowd. (I swear everyone had a "What the F**k" look on them)

Another one of the passenger passed me some medicated oil but I don’t really think she needs it. So I passed it on to the petite lady next to me. During these tense moments, someone had the presence of mind to hit the ‘emergency’ button and the train came to an absolute halt. I took her by the armpits and wrestled her up to her feet. Holding onto her arm, brought her out of the train and onto a seat. I wanted to add at this point, two uniformed SMRT staff, a male and female went by me in search of the depressed emergency button but failed to notice Miss X and me, in need of help. I asked her again if she is alright, she nodded and asked me go on and continue my ride. She looked absolutely embarrassed and almost red-faced by my loving attention.

The SMRT staff finally came to her aid and I stroll on back to the scene of the drama and carry on like nothing has happened. Some of the other passengers took a glance at me but alas, no applause…… I felt great, for I had done something good and now, a firm believer of Ah Juan (I am a convert!), who had a similar experience. It really DOES bloody happen!

Movie Review

2008-05-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

“Made of Honor”

Tom Bailey is wealthy, inventor of the “coffee collar”, the man among his guy friends and a swinging bachelor with handsome good looks. He has no problems meeting women and sleeping with a different lady every week, governed by a set of rules which dictates he cannot sleep with the same woman on consecutive weeknights. He met his best friend Hannah (Michelle Monaghan) through a case of mistaken identity while jumping into her bed instead of his intended love tryst. When Hannah goes to Scotland on a business trip for six weeks, Tom realizes he feels empty without her and decides to tell Hannah his feelings and ask her to be with him when she returns.

But events turn against him when Colin McMurray, a Duke and rich Scotsman sweeps Hannah off her feet and asks for her hand in marriage. His worst fear unfolds in front of him, Tom must now witness her unquestioned happiness up close and personal because she's chosen him to be her ‘Maid Of Honor’ and he agrees so he can try to win Hannah back and stop the wedding. Throughout the movie he made feeble attempts such as ruining her bridal shower playing bag pipes and serving pig lungs (Haggis) saying she should get used to it because of their popularity in Scotland. He also has to deal with others less tolerable such as Hannah's cousin Melissa who wanted to be her maid of honor since childhood and had her heart broken by Tom, like many other girls.

The bridesmaids and the bride went on a Scottish tradition called “Selling of Kisses” for change in a local pub and there, our love birds shared a deep, passionate kiss of epic proportion. It set off questions of their friendship and could there be love brewing all this while. Tom leaves the castle when he feels it was a lost cause to win Hannah back. But he was reminded, just in time by a border collie to rush off in the direction of the church. In the end Hannah realizes that Tom is the man of her dreams and leaves Colin at the altar in order to get married to Tom.

Somehow, this movie might be interpreted as the male version of “My Best Friend’s Wedding” but with a reunited ending to set things right. I loved the charming interaction of Tom and Hannah especially when they were at his Father’s wedding and enjoying a day in town, queuing for cake. The movie is thoroughly enjoying without being overbearing. Ratings are 3 out of 5.

Movie Review

2008-05-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

"The Bucket List"

The Bucket List brings together two actors (Nicholson and Freeman) who had made countless number of movies, living legends of their time, on the big screens for the first time. Directed by Rob Reiner, the story follows two terminally ill men embarking on a final road trip with a list of things to do before they die. They gamely shaved their heads for the movie.
Blue-collar mechanic Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) and billionaire hospital magnate Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) meet for the first time in the hospital room. They become reluctant friends at first as they undergo respective chemo treatments for cancer. Carter is a gifted amateur historian, answers questions on ‘Jeopardy’ with absolute ease and family man who had dreams of becoming a history professor. A dilemma in his youth, simply put "broke, black, and with a baby on the way" did not pave the way for his ambitions and he stuck to his job at McCreath body shop ever since. Cole, on the other hand, is a corporate tycoon cum eccentric loner, who enjoys nothing more than tormenting his personal servant, Matthew whom he calls Thomas (Sean Hayes).
When both are diagnosed with terminal cancer, Carter begins scribbling a "bucket list," or things to do before "he kicks the bucket." After hearing he has less than a year to live, Carter wads it up and tosses it on the floor. Cole finds it and pushes Carter over the edge by suggesting things like seeing the world, sky diving, "fun things" with an unlimited budget as he is very wealthy. Despite the protests of his wife, Virginia (Beverly Todd), Carter eagerly agrees to it. The pair then set off in an around-the-world vacation, embarking on race car driving, sky diving, climbing the Giza Pyramids and going on lion safari in Africa. Along the way they discuss faith and family, we learnt that Carter has long been feeling less in love with his wife and Cole is deeply hurt by his estrangement with his only daughter, who disowned him after he "took care" of her abusive husband.

The Bucket List
1. Witness something truly majestic
2. Help a complete stranger for a common good
3. Laugh till I cry
4. Drive a Shelby mustang
5. Kiss the most beautiful girl in the world
6. Get a tattoo
7. Skydiving
8. See the pyramids
9. Get back in touch with (daughter)

Cole sneakily hires a prostitute for Carter, who has never had sex with another woman than his wife but when Carter realizes it, declines. He finds that the love he had for his wife is still strong and asked to return home. In gratitude for helping him, he tries to reunite Cole with his daughter but Cole angrily storms off. Carter blissfully returns home as a new man to his wife, children, and grandchildren. However, the family reunion was short-lived as Carter suffered a relapse and is rushed back to the hospital. The cancer has spread to his brain and he needs surgery. Cole visits him there and they share an important moment together where Carter reveals the origin of Kopi Luwak. They share a good laugh and Carter crosses off "laugh till I cry" and insists Cole finish the list without him. Carter dies on the operating table. When Cole delivers a eulogy at his funeral (I cried), he finally found the strength to face his daughter. Much to his surprise and joy, she not only accepts him back into her life but she also introduces him to the grand-daughter he never knew he had and he crosses "kiss the most beautiful girl in the world" off the list.
Cole goes on to live till a ripe old age of 81 years old. When he finally passes away, he has his ashes placed inside a Chock Full o' Nuts coffee can, alongside Carter, on the top of Mount Everest which Carter mentions that Cole would have liked, as it was against the law. When Matthew completes this, he crosses off the last item on the Bucket List (witness something truly majestic) and places the list with them, closed the small black box and reburies it in the snow.
The story is moving and opens you into the inner-most thoughts of the terminally ill. Watching these two great actors deliver their lines at the highest level of their craft is nothing short amazing, leaving me breathless and in awe. Ratings in this case is useless, just go watch it and really feel it!

Movie Review

2008-04-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

"Definitely, Maybe"

"Will you marry me?", "Definitely, maybe?" From a line exchanged in the movie, this romantic comedy film directed by Adam Brooks, is a love mystery novel retold with a dash of twists and turns, how one man met three women. His precocious little daughter will guess the woman he married. William Hayes (Ryan Reynolds) is going through divorce and gets to see his 10 year-old daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) once or twice a week. On one of these occasions, she had just finished first sex-education class at school. Flushed with questions on sex, she started to quiz him about his love life before marriage. Maya wants to know every details about how her parents met and when he decided to get married. In an attempt to add a sense of sensationlization and leave sexual exploits out of his story, Will changes the names and some facts. The story he tells Maya is depicted in long flashbacks with occasional pauses from time to time and switches back to the present, where Maya comments and asks questions. The story unfold in the year 1992, where a young and aspiring Will Hayes dreams of becoming the President. He made a decision to move away from his college sweetheart, Emily (Elizabeth Banks), embarking on a trip to New York to work on the Clinton campaign. She gives him a wrapped package and asks him to give it to her reporter friend, Summer (Rachel Weisz). In New York, he meets April (Isla Fisher), the photocopy girl for the campaign while he was performing menial jobs as the toilet-paper/coffee boy. They formed an instant attraction immediately. Out of curiosity, Will could not resists opening the package. It was Summer's diary. He reads it and comes across pages describing a love affair between Emily and Summer. Intrigued, he visits Summer to bring the diary, meets her roommate and sometimes-lover, her college professor and famous writer named Hampton Roth (Kevin Kline). April and Will met outside work while buying cigarettes. The connection grew when she tells him its her birthday and Will responded by buying her dinner but settled on accompanying her to a party. On the rooftop, Will eventually practices a proposal to Emily on April and she is taken aback by his words. They go back to her apartment, where April has multiple copies of Jane Eyre in her collection, explaining that her father gave her a copy with an inscription in the front shortly before he died, and the book was shortly lost. Will and April eventually kiss but Will left quickly while berating himself. Emily visits earlier than expected and expectedly, Will proposes in the park. Startled, Emily turns him down by telling him that she slept with Will's roommate left him devastated and heartbroken. Time past and Bill Clinton becomes president of the United States and Will moves up to become speech-writer for a candidate to be Governor of New York. April travels the world, and she and Will become pen-pals. Summer and Will's path crossed once again. Eventually, with the encouragement of Roth, Will and Summer become romantically involved. But it ended abruptly when she writes unfavourably about the politician Will works for. Will becomes disillusioned about his choice of profession when Bill Clinton is implicated in the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He hates his job and starts to heavily drink. On his birthday and in a drunken rant, he confesses romantic feelings towards April but in the process, ends up hurting her in a fight with her where he tells her to "go to life rehab".Will eventually chance upon the copy of Jane Eyre that April's father gave her. He goes to give it to her, but left when he finds out that April and her boyfriend are living together. Summer and Will bumped into each other while he is at a cafe, and she invites him to a party where he meets Emily, now living in New York. They end up starting up another relationship and Emily turns out to be Maya's mother. Will signs the divorce papers served to him. Maya is happy that she figured out the story, but also realizes that her father still loves April, as even though Will changed the names of Emily (Sarah in real life), and Summer (Natasha in real life), he did not change April's name. Encouraged by Maya, who wants her father to be happy, he goes to try to win April's heart. The movie ends with Will confessing he held on to the copy of Jane Eyre because it was the only thing he had of hers. Maya and Will go to April's apartment to reconcile. The movie ends with April jumping into Will's arms to kiss him. Wonderfully scripted and never a dull moment, watch it with a romantic date. Ratings 3.5 out of 5.

Movie Review

2008-03-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

"August Rush"

Picture this, you hear music in the rustling of wind against fields of wheat, misunderstood by everyone around you and dismissed as a freak. “August Rush” is such a sappy tale of an orphan boy named Evan Taylor (Freddie Highmore of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’) who hears music all around him and senses his parents whom he never met or had any contact. Evan firmly believes his parents are out there looking for him and he hopes to be ‘found’ one day. When New York child service department counselor, Richard Jeffries (Terrence Howard) advises him to think about living in a foster home, Evan declines and replied that he has been waiting and counting the days - 11 years and 16 days for his parents. Impressed by his unwavering decision, Richard gave Evan his name card with a promise that he can call him whenever he wants to talk. Through a series of flashbacks, we were introduced to a cellist named Lyla Novacek (Keri Russell) and Louis Connelly (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) lead singer/ guitarist of an Irish band called ‘The Connelly Brothers’. They met on the rooftop one fateful night and fell in love instantly but were separated without knowledge of each other’s whereabouts. Since then, Lyla and Louis both had trouble concentrating on playing music and stop performing all together. Unknown to Louis, Lyla is carrying his child in spite of her father’s (William Sadler) disapproval. When Lyla was involved in a car accident, her domineering father saw the chance to give up the baby for adoption whom he sees as an obstacle in their lives.One night, Evan follows an unusual sound that seem to call out to him and left the orphanage to follow it. He is picked up by a trucker and taken to New York when the latter calls Richard’s number on the card. Evan is told to stay and wait but after the wind blows the card into a sewer vent, he wanders around the city in a whimsical fantasy of sounds before he is attracted to guitar sounds played by a boy named Arthur (Leon G. Thomas III). Soon, he follows Arthur back to an abandoned theatre where he meets a group of kids, all street musicians taken under the wings of "Wizard" (Robin Williams) a former busker turned hustler who lets the children stay, in return for a cut of the money they made. When Evan begins to play music for the first time using Arthur’s guitar, Wizard puts him to ‘work’ on his former spot in central park. In no time, Evan started to wow the crowds with his unique brand of music and bring in the big bucks for Wizard. To hide Evan’s real identity from the authorities, Wizard gives him the stage name of ‘August Rush’, taken off a slogan on a truck driving by about the August rush to the beach.
On his deathbed, Lyla’s father confessed that her son had survived the car accident. Lyla rushes to New York City in a frantic search of her son and meets Richard. Meanwhile, Evan's father Louis has also begun to trace Lyla and ended up back where they had originally met. Still hot on Evan’s trail, Richard becomes suspicious of Wizard and has the police follow him to the condemned theatre where the kids live. Having escaped the police raid, Evan hears a choir singing in a church and meets a little girl named Hope (Jamia Simone Nash) who teaches him how to read and write music. To the surprise of Reverend James (Mykelti Williamson) and Hope, Evan manages to compose a musical piece and play the pipe organ with consummate skill in no time at all. Seeing the musical genius in Evan, Reverend James enrolled the child prodigy in Julliard School where he impresses everyone by writing a magnificent piece called "August's Rhapsody" which is going to be performed in New York City's Central Park with the New York Philharmonic.Out of nowhere, Wizard shows up in Julliard after learning about Evan's performance through the concert posters and forces him to leave by implying that he will tell everyone Evan's real name. Reluctantly, Evan goes along with his so-called ‘Father’. While busking, Evan meets a fellow guitarist unknown to both of them, is actually his Father Louis. Under the alias of August Rush, Evan says that he has a big concert coming up but he cannot go. Louis tells him that he would not miss it for anything in the World. On the day of the concert, Evan is in the subway station with Wizard and Arthur when he tells them of his intentions to leave for good. After escaping Wizard’s attempt to stop him from leaving, Evan arrives just in time and begins to conduct his music at the same time Lyla is leaving the concert. Attracted by the music, Lyla stops and turns around to approach the stage. At the same time, Louis and his band are inside a car near the park, stuck in slow moving traffic. He sees a poster hanging off a lamp post announcing the performance by August Rush in central park, like the boy told him but most importantly, Lyla’s name is on it as well. Ecstatic by the discovery, Louis runs out of the car towards the music. Approaching the stage, he recognizes the conductor as the boy he met in the park. There, he finds Lyla right in front of him listening to the music which brought him to her. Louis stands right next to her and quietly holds her hand. Mesmerized by the music, a surprised Lyla looks to her side and is thrilled to see Louis. Sensing the presence of his parents, Evan turns to the crowd and the trio recognized each other through their bond for music. I think Evan said it best at the end of the movie when he delivered a sweet monologue, "The music is all around us. All you have to do is listen."
The soundtrack contains gems like "Moondance" and "This Time" performed by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, while "Raise it up" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Click on this link http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBKE09F3dfc to watch the performance by IMPACT Repertory Theatre of Harlem featuring Jamia Simone Nash (Hope) at the 80th Annual Academy Awards®. Composer Mark Mancina spent over a year and a half composing the score of August Rush, starting with the final theme of the movie. The heart and soul of the story is about this young boy who believes that he is going to find his parents through his music. My ratings are 3.5 out of 5 stars for those who believe in hope.

Movie Review

2008-02-25T21:04:00.000-08:00

"JUNO"

Presenting an indie smash-hit that has movie-goers giving it a fantastic review and cracking up with laughter, along the way. Juno is named after a Roman Goddess who had to deal with teenage pregnancy while attending high-school crosses boundaries into adoption and brings into perspective, the importance of family support. Jammed packed with great dialogue and quirky teenage angst, I took to the characters with extreme ease and loved every minute of it. Directed by Canadian Jason Reitman who made another indie hit "No Smoking Please" and written by Diablo Cody, a former stripper who incidentally won the 80th Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Ellen Page stars as 16-year-old Juno MacGuff, an independent teenager confronting an unplanned pregnancy after an impromptu sex tryst on a chair with best friend, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). After taking three pregnancy tests at a local convenience store, Juno finally concedes and accepts that she is nine weeks pregnant. She had opted for an abortion but a last-minute change of heart paved the way for adoption. With help from her best friend, Leah (Olivia Thirlby) Juno searched a local thrifty newspaper called the "Pennysaver" for an adoptive couple. The scene where Juno broke the news of her pregnancy to her father, Mac (J. K. Simmons) and step-mum (Alison Janney) was hilarious and surprisingly, took to the news rather well. Juno went on to meet the couple, Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) in their manicured expensive home and finalizes the 'close' adoption arrangements, quite literally on-the-spot.

Juno strikes up an instant friendship with Mark when she notices a Gibson guitar in his room and they started jamming. Soon, she finds herself going over the Mark's place more often, who shares similar tastes in music, film and pop culture. However, Mark slowly discovers that he is not ready to be a father and still longs to be in a rock band but has set aside his dreams for a conservative life with Vanessa. Although Mark works as a commercial composer, he feels like an outcast in his own home, not given room to exercise his dream. Cracks are showing in the beautiful portrait of the lovely couple shown in the classified ads. All this while, Juno wrestles with the new emotions she feels for her baby's father, Paulie who also has feelings for Juno but plays it cool. Juno maintains an outwardly indifferent attitude to Paulie but confronts him when she learns that Paulie had asked another girl to the prom, only to be reminded that it is at her request they remain distant and points out she was the one who suggested his prom date in the first place. Another scene worth mentioning is when Juno's step-mum berates the ultrasound technician to stick to "What she knows" after passing an insensitive remark on Juno's pregnancy at such a young age. It felt great to see how she defended her step-daughter from snide remarks and let those who judge a person without knowing them, a taste of their own medicine. Not long before her baby is due, Juno is once again visiting Mark who confesses that he is leaving Vanessa and moving out. Vanessa arrives home and an argument ensues between her and Mark about whether or not it is "bad timing" for them to proceed with the adoption. As she watches their marriage fall apart, Juno leaves and cries on the side of the road not before coming to a decision. Returning to the Lorings' home, she leaves a handwritten note for Vanessa. After a heartfelt discussion with her father, Juno came to the realization that she loved Paulie all this while and revealed her true feelings to him. Later at a track meet, Paulie notices Juno is not in the stands and rushes to the hospital to be with her. At the hospital, he comforts Juno by holding her tight in bed and they both agree not to see the baby. Vanessa arrives at the hospital alone and joyfully claims the newborn boy as a now-single adoptive mother. Juno's note to Vanessa is finally revealed, in place of a portrait of her and Mark, reads "Vanessa: If you're still in, I'm still in. - Juno." The film ends with Juno and Paulie playing guitar and singing to one another. Watch out for the group of runners, appearing in timely scenes of the movie.

A huge thumbs up for a cleverly crafted movie with plenty of heart and a catchy soundtrack to boot. Five stars out of Five for sure and worth watching a second time.

Movie Review

2008-02-11T20:58:00.000-08:00

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"

Tim Burton is the perfect director to put his 'dark' spin onto a film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's musical of the same name. His 2007 vision of the black comedy, part horror/ musical film stars the usual suspects of Johnny Depp as the demon barber and Helena Bonham Carter (wife of Burton) who was pregnant at time of filming as Mrs. Lovett with a strong cast made up of notable Englishmen. As a musical, the tunes here aren't as melodic as films like 'The Sound of Music' or 'The Phantom of the Opera' but but it still gets the message across, somehow. Singing may not seem natural when it comes to murder most fowl but there are scenes where singing can be somewhat irritating and repetitive. Having said that, Helena's singing syncopation of "Worst Pies in London" while making pies was a treat to watch and listen. All the actors featured can hold a tune quite well and did an incredible job, especially Depp. The film won awards for Best Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical) and Best Actor (Comedy or Musical) at the 65th Golden Globe Awards as well as nominations for Best Actor, Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design at the 80th Academy Awards.

The story tells of Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp), a barber who is falsely accused and sentenced to a life of hard labor in Australia by the lustful Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), who has his lecherous eyes on his beautiful wife, Lucy (Laura Michelle Kelly). Not knowing what happened to his family, Barker returns 15 years later under the alias of Sweeney Todd, set about to find the truth and seek revenge on Turpin. After bidding farewell to his sailor friend, Anthony (Jamie Campbell Bower) Todd returns to his old flat above his former landlady, Mrs Lovett's pie shop on Fleet Street where he learnt the dreaded outcome after his arrest. Turpin had forced himself on his wife and that she poisoned herself to death out of humiliation. The Judge also took captive of Barker's daughter Johanna as his ward, caged like a bird in his manor. The news devasted Todd and he vows revenge on Judge Turpin but not before singing "My Friends" to the razor knives/ blades hidden by Mrs Lovett.

Anthony wanders the streets of London in search of Hyde park when he stumbles upon the now-teenage Johanna and instantly falls for her. His attraction provokes a jealous Turpin to squash any thoughts of romance by instructing his henchman, Beadle Bamford (Timothy Spall) to hand Anthony a good beating. Over at the Street Market, an eager Todd challenges Italian master street barber Adolfo Pirelli (Sasha Baron Cohen of 'Borat' fame) to a speed shaving contest where he trounces his rival easily. Todd then uses the opportunity to invite Bamford to his shop for a complimentary shave and spread the word of his skills to his master. When Pirelli shows up at Todd's shop to reveal his true identity as Barker's former young Irish apprentice and blackmails Todd to half his earnings, an enraged Todd swiftly murders him to ensure the secret remains silent. When Mrs. Lovett learnt about it, she made a pact with Todd to grind up Pirelli's body into meat for her pies. Todd agrees, and then installs machinery in his barbers' chair to dump the bodies of his victims through a trap door to Lovett's basement bakehouse and thus, began his downward spiral of innocent killings. Bussiness flourished and more bodies are needed to fuel the appetites of unsuspecting customers.

Fearing he might lose Johanna, Judge Turpin expresses his desire to marry her but is spurned by the young ward. Bamford encourages Turpin to visit Todd for a shave to enhance his appearance. When Todd is about to kill Turpin and exact his revenge, Anthony bursts into Todd's shop and accidentaly blurted out Johanna's plans to flee with him. An enraged Turpin hides Johanna in an insane asylum until she agrees to marry him. More killings went on before Anthony returns to reveal that he has found Johanna, Todd immediately instructs Anthony to disguise himself as a wigmaker's apprentice and free Johanna out of the asylum. He then writes a letter to Turpin informing him of Anthony's plans to free Johanna so as to lure the evil Judge and sends Toby to deliver it. When Toby returns, he voices his mistrust of Todd to Mrs. Lovett and recognized the money pouch of his old Italian tough-master in her possession. Mrs. Lovett, knowing the game is up, cuddles Toby and lures him into the bakehouse and locking him inside. As Lovett warns Todd of Toby's suspicions, they are surprised by the visit of Beadle Bamford to investigate "strange smells" coming from the bakehouse. While Todd lures Bamford into his barber shop, Toby finds a human toe in one of the pies. He then discovers stacks of human corpses and flees into the sewers avoiding Todd and Mrs. Lovett.

Meanwhile, Anthony and Johanna return to Todd's barber shop, where he tells her to wait for him. Disguised in men's clothing, Johanna quickly scrambles into the chest in the corner of the room as the beggar woman enters, looking for Beadle Bamford. Soon after, Todd returns to the shop and is surprised by the beggar woman, who appears to recognize Todd. Hearing Turpin is about to enter, Sweeney in a state of panic, slits the beggar woman's throat and drops her body down the chute. Turpin enters the room seconds later and accepts Todd's offer of a shave. Looming with his sharp razor over Turpin, Todd reveals his true identity and stabs him before slitting his throat. Todd then discovers Johanna hiding in the trunk and not recognising her, prepares to kill her but was interrupted by Mrs. Lovett's screams. He races to the bakehouse to find Judge Turpin still alive but he soon dies. As Mrs. Lovett opens the oven door to dispose of Turpin, the light from the burning coals shone on the face of the beggar woman. Todd moves closer and recognizes her as his wife, Lucy who was made to believe was 'dead'. Mrs Lovett reveals that Lucy survived her suicide attempt but the poison drove her mad. She tries to persuade Todd that she lied because of her love for him. Todd calms her down and bizarrely, begins to dance with her, saying that he loves her too and that "Life is for the Alive". Suddenly, he thrusts her through the open oven door and watches her burn to death. Todd then returns to Lucy and holds her dead body. Toby emerges from the sewer, picks up Todd's discarded razor and slits Todd's throat in a final act of vengeance.

The movie has it engaging moments as it builds up for the finale and adds a twist at the end but the throat-slashings with blood spurting and some cases, flowing out severed necks may not be everyone's cup of tea. You will either love or hate it, thankfully its more love than hate for me. Three razors out of Five.

Movie Review

2007-12-22T05:02:00.000-08:00

"National Treasure 2 - The Book of Secrets"

The first family of Treasure hunters are back and this time, Mum (Helen Mirren) joins in the fun in this much-awaited squeal. Benjamin Gates (played by Nicolas Cage) opens "The Book Of Secrets" with new information about John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abe Lincoln and how the 18 pages from Booth's diary became missing at a lecture when Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) revealed that he holds one of the missing pages from his forefather which implicates Thomas Gates, Benjamin's great-grandfather in the assassination of Lincoln. Suggesting that Ben's great-grandfather could be Lincoln's murderer came as a shock to Ben and his father Patrick (Jon Voight) when they had always thought of their ancestor as a national hero during the Civil War. This jump starts Ben and his dad to risk their reputation and lives on a quest to clear their family name on the Gates' history. Rounding up the same team made up of tech-guru cum struggling author, Riley Poole (Justin Batha) and his estranged wife Abigail (Diane Kruger - HOT!), the treasure hunters have to solve the mystery behind the missing diary pages.

A wild goose chase from Paris to Buckingham Palace and The White House to obtain vital clues from the twin resolute desks. Even resorting to kidnapping the President of the United States did not deter Ben from finding out the truth while tracking down a page from the fabled Book Of Secrets! Along the way, we see how Ben deals with his rocky relationship with Abigail and Riley's failure with skirt-chasing. The action scenes of car chase through the gritty streets of London is nothing new for Hollywood and I was hoping for a more inventive and intense outcome but was let downed by the run-of-the-mill chaos. After all the twists and turns, the 'clues' point to a mystical "City of Gold" at Mount Rushmore and finding it will clear the family name. However, the finale was tame and predictable, much to my disappointment. There were also provisions made for a third movie, something to do with page 47 in the Book of Secrets.

This second ride is not as refreshing as the first movie but it still managed to dish out an exhilarating adventure for everyone of all ages! More characters may mean more fun but this is a case of "too many chefs, spoiled the broth". There were lesser clues and even lesser action but redeems itself with well-timed humour. Three stars out of Five.

Movie Review

2007-10-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

Movie Review: "Lust, Caution"

Of all the hype surrounding the explicit sex scenes between Asia’s cinema icon Tony Leung Chiu Wai and newcomer Tang Wei in Ang Lee's new film “Lust, Caution”, it was Lee's trademark story-telling that made the strongest statement in this movie. If you are watching plainly for the sexual content on the big screens, you will be very disappointed as Singapore’s version (NC16) is the same as mainland China (148 mins) which has 9 mins left on the cutting floor to accommodate China’s audiences who incidentally, do not have a film ratings standard. Ang Lee made the cuts himself to maintain a certain flow of the movie while removing fundamental seduction, foreplay and torrid sex leading to the final orgasm that we are allowed to see as they gazed upon each other. “Lust, Caution” is an espionage thriller set in WWII-era Shanghai circa 1942, adapted from a short story by Eileen Chang. The plot centres around the assassination attempt on Mr Yee, a powerful political figure and an intelligence chief of a Japanese-backed Chinese government. Wang Jiazhi is a young student who is the bait and gets involved in a dangerous game of emotional intimacy with Mr Yee. Veteran Joan Chen plays the dutiful wife, Mrs Yee where she is seen most of the time interacting in scenes confined to the mahjong's table. **Backtrack to 1938 with China at war, many Chinese students including Wang escaped turmoil back in their homeland to further their education in a safe haven - Hong Kong University but the thought of fighting the war in a limited capacity were not far away from their young impressionable minds. This is where first year student Wang Jiazhi is roped in by a fellow student activist Kuang Yumin (Wang Leehom) to join his stage-play aimed at raising funds and show their resistance and unity against the Japanese. Success of the play soon lead to a real-life mission to kill a much hated traitor residing in HK aka Mr Yee who is collaborating with the Japanese occupiers and responsible for the torture and death of hundreds of patriots. The team of 6 students headed by Kuang hatched a plan to infiltrate the home of Mr Yee via his mahjong-playing wife (Joan Chen) so that they can target Mr Yee for assassination. Wang is thrown into playing the role of her a lifetime as Mrs Mai, wife a small time businessman who is in the import and export business. Unknown to Wang, the group has made plans to thrust her into becoming Yee’s mistress in a bid to win his trust and the scene where Wang loses her virginity to a fellow student showed her absolute resolve and commitment to the mission. Nevertheless, they fell short in Hong Kong although Jiazhi manages to lure Yee to her fellow conspirators but the ever guarded Yee did not bite. The mission is left in limbo when Mrs Yee called to announce their plans to move to Shanghai in short notice. ***Fast-forward to Shanghai in the year 1941, Wang Jiazhi is now a poor student living with her aunt and studying Japanese to dull herself. Kuang reappears into her life with news that Mr Yee is in Shanghai and tries to persuade Wang into reprising her role of Mrs Mai. Introduced to Kuang’s superior, a senior member of a secret Chinese Agency, Wang throw caution to the wind and reaffirms her commitment to get the job done. This time the plan is clear, Wang is to seduce Mr Yee again and set him up for termination. When the mission is accomplished, they will reunite Wang with his father in England. Mr Yee is delighted to see Mrs Mai again but his cautious nature gave way to lust as he finally getting his hands on Wang, literally. The stages of sex entangled the level of trust Yee is willing to go and as their rendezvous continued, the deeper she falls for him. At one stage, Kuang realizes the predicament Wang is in, even beg their handlers to speed things up and complete the mission quickly. The conflict between duty and love comes to a head when the final moment of Yee’s assassination draws near. Will she go with her head or heart? ****Drawing a fine balance between Lust and Caution is the theme of the movie but when love gets into the mix, it becomes a double-edged sword. When you are in love with someone who has to carry out a dangerous mission, how do you balance feelings of Love and Caution? Personally, I was smitten by the beauty and innocence of Tang Wei. When it came to delivering her lines in fluent Cantonese and Shanghai dialect, it was well-executed and believable. Her wonderful rendition of a classic mandarin love song was another highlight in this art-house film. The incredible performance by Tang Wei was top-notch throughout and I could feel every emotion of love and angst in her which is surely worth a Golden Horse Nomination. We now know why Ang Lee cast her in the role of Wang Jiazhi ahead of other big names. Tony Leung never lets us down with his masterful interpretation of Mr Yee who is equally tragic in his yearn for true love and trust. Wang Leehom is a tad disappointing in his role as Kuang Yumin who is stiff and 'deadpan' at times but this will be a great learning experience for him to improve on his limited acting skills. “Lust, Caution” can be heavy at times when we see the lives of people put through hell in times of War. One last thing, the cinematography was beautifully executed especially the scenes of populated streets in Shanghai were spectacular. The many pieces of cheongsams worn by Tang Wei also gets a notable mention as they show off her curves to seduce Yee and ME!

Ratings: 4 out of 5! Watch for Tang Wei’s beauty in the role that will propel her into stardom.

Movie Review

2007-09-03T21:55:00.000-07:00

Movie Review – Ratatouille

Ratatouille (Rat/a/Too/ee) is a vegetable stew that originated from Nice, France. The key ingredients are tomatoes, with garlic, onions, zucchini, eggplant and basil, all marinated lightly in olive oil. It is served as a meal on its own or as a filling for crepes or an omelette.

I must get this off my chest - Ratatouille is the best CGI animation movie involving a rodent. No disrespect to “An American Tail” and “Stuart Little” but I was charmed by Remy, the little chef. The setting is Paris, France where miles of sewer tunnels ran underneath a cosmopolitan city, a city of great culinary history and fine gourmet restaurants. However, the underground sewers gave birth to a huge rat population and this is where we have a rat that harbors a dream of becoming a Chef one day. Academy Award winning director Brad Bird [who brought you “The Incredibles”] of Pixar animation studios takes us on a culinary journey through the eyes and ears of a rat who finds his way into the famous Chef Auguste Gusteau’s French restaurant led by the ghost of the late chef when Remy got separated from the colony while on the run. I loved the scenes where we see Remy’s point-of-view manoeuvring through the maze of pipes, cracks and sewers. The great chef was famous for his motto of “Anyone can cook” but little does he knows a RAT would become a master chef. The opening was great, I was drawn immediately to Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt), a suburban rat who enjoys gourmet food. His sense of taste are refined and impeccable, a connoisseur of food and its ingredients that made it so appealing. A nose for freshness resulted in a refusal to eat garbage but eventually, forced by his father to use Remy's gift as a "poison detector". A hidden desire to become a chef like his hero, Gusteau comes in the form of Linguini (Lou Romano), a newly hired garbage boy cum kitchen cleaner at a Gusteau’s Paris restaurant. He forms an unusual partnership with the Remy, working together in funny circumstances, hiding under Linguini's chef's hat. Soon, Remy started to create dishes of culinary delight by manipulating Linguini, like pulling strings on a puppet. His culinary adventure is lived through Linguini and as word of mouth spreads, Gusteau's Restaurant is the talk of Paris again. Skinner, the Head Chef is jealous of Linguini’s newfound fame tried his best to discredit him but was ousted from the restaurant when the truth surfaced, Linguini is Gusteau’s son. Linguini not only gets ownership of the restaurant and in the process, wins the heart of the only female chef Colette (Janeane Garofalo). Skinner vows revenge and rats to the health department on the rodent infestation at Gusteau’s.
The real test comes when France’s most feared food critic Anton Ego (Peter O'Toole) decided to revisit Gusteau's having earlier given the restaurant a death sentence [review] that caused the death of a broken hearted Chef. When Linguini comes clean on the secret of his success and reveal the origins of his remarkable talent, the entire kitchen and waiting staff walked out on him. Faced with a disaster, Remy took over the reins of the kitchen with the help of his rat colony and dished out his version of the Ratatouille [vegetable stew] to the absolute surprise and utter delight of Ego. The scenes in the kitchen were extensively researched by the team of animators who spend time at “The French Laundry” [The French-based Michelin Guide bestowed “Three Stars” to The French Laundry] helmed by famous Executive Chef, Thomas Keller who served as a consultant for the movie. Everything you see in the movie mimics a professional kitchen/ restaurant setup, down to the recipes, ingredients and terms used are real, to its very last detail. The animators got all the cutting, chopping, knife work, ingredient preparation, cooking sequence, various cooking stations and kitchen equipments as close to reality as possible, making the action in "Ratatouille" truly exceptional.
There are times that even I, forgot that Remy is a rat! The seemingly conflict is between rats and humans, but in fact, members of each species get to learn a little about the other, in terms of racism and tolerance. To quote from Anton Ego: "Not everyone can be a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere." "Ratatouille" is very entertaining from start to finish and heart-warming in the closing moments, suitable for both the young and the old. A totally delightful meal, five out of five!
Extra: The various titles used in a professional kitchen of a French restaurant.

Executive Chef - In charge of everything related to the kitchen, including menu creation, staff management and business aspects. While the position requires extensive cooking experience and often involves actively cooking, it is not necessarily very hands-on. They can also be referred to as the "chef" or even "head chef".
Chef de Cuisine - This is a synonym for the title executive chef. This is the traditional French phrase where the title chef comes from and is more common in European or American kitchens with a classical French brigade system. In some establishments this title is used to designate a chef who is the head chef at one location of an operation that has multiple locations where the corporate chef has the title executive chef.
Sous Chef - The direct assistant of the executive chef and is second in command. He or she may be responsible for scheduling, filling in for the executive chef when he is off-duty. He or she also will fill in or assist the chef de partie (or line cooks) when needed. Smaller operations may not have a sous chef, while larger operations may have multiple.
Expediter or Announcer (Aboyeur) - The expediter takes the orders from the dining room and relays them to the stations in the kitchen. This person also often puts the finishing touches on the dish before it goes to the dining room. In some operations this task may be done by either the executive chef or the sous chef.
Chef de Partie - A chef de partie, also known as a "station chef" or "line cook", is in charge of a particular area of production. In large kitchens, each station chef might have several cooks and/or assistants. In most kitchens however, the station chef is the only worker in that department. Line cooks are often divided into a hierarchy of their own, starting with "First Cook", then "Second Cook", and so on as needed.
Station Chef titles which are part of the brigade system includes -
1. Sauté Chef (Saucier) - Responsible for all sautéed items and their sauce. This is usually the highest position of all the stations.
2. Fish Chef (Poissonier) - Prepares fish dishes and often does all fish butchering as well as appropriate sauce. This station may be combined with the saucier position.
3. Roast Chef (Rotisseur) - Prepares roasted and braised meats and their appropriate sauce.
4. Grill Chef (Grillardin) - Prepares all grilled foods, this position may be combined with the rotisseur.
5. Fry Chef (Friturier) - Prepares all fried items, position may be combined with the rotisseur position.
6. Vegetable Chef (Entremetier) - Prepares hot appetizers and often prepares the soups, vegetables, pastas and starches. In a full brigade system a potager would prepare soups and a legumier would prepare vegetables.
7. Roundsman (Tournant) - Also referred to as a swing cook, fills in as needed on station in kitchen.
8. Cold-Foods Chef (Garde Manger) - May also be referred to as the pantry chef, they are responsible for preparing cold foods, including salads, cold appetizers, pâtés and other charcuterie items.
9. Butcher (Boucher) - Butchers meats, poultry and sometimes fish. May also be responsible for breading meats and fish.
10. Pastry Chef (Pâtissier) - Prepare baked goods, pastries and desserts. The pastry chef often supervises a separate team in their own kitchen or separate shop in larger operations. Some kitchens may have an executive pastry chef.

[Source of Extra: Wikipedia.org]

Lonely Hearts Page Three

2007-08-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

The dreaded ‘D’ word……

WHAT can be more frightening than the word ‘Date’ which brings out the best and the worst in us, Singles? Need a clue? It is a double ‘D’, far more sinister than GST price hikes and has complications longer than arthritis. AND No! I am not talking about her cup size either. Give up? The thing with this dreaded word is that, we never mentioned it nor whispered in secret, almost taboo to even think of it. But it comes naturally to your best friend’s wife like when I was having lunch with the couple as a threesome, she casually let it out of the bag, “I know a girlfriend who is just perfect for YOU! Why don’t we [drum roll please, here it comes] DOUBLE-DATE this weekend, how about a nice dinner and movie afterwards?” I was stung silent, looking around for a place to hide my face. I thought to myself, “Do not make a scene, pretend you did not hear anything”. Shaking off my apparent embarrassment, I turned to my best friend and said, “Pass me the bottle of chili, MATEY.” Cue mystified faces. Then it occurred to me that I was having Cesar salad as an appetizer and chili sauce is miles off the mark as an approved condiment.

My eyes escaped mild detraction of bewilderment among fellow lunch goers as I allow a dollop of chili sauce to nestle in my bed of roman lettuce and croutons. [An Alarm bell goes off in the kitchen and the buttons ‘Chili sauce’, ‘Cesar salad’ lights up on the switchboard sending cooks into despair, covering their faces in disbelief] Nonchalant to the internal uproar on the faces of my fellow diners, I hacked away at the remaining lettuce leafs. Sensing my uneasiness at the question, my mate did the next best thing, “Who’s this girlfriend?” Oh great! Rub it in, MATE. “Remember Regine? She was my hostel mate back in the University days. She has been out of love ever since the death of her boyfriend in a fatal road accident.” My best friend had to ask, “How long ago was that?” which she responded, “Two years ago, Honey.”

Oblivious to the ongoing conspiracy to set me up with a friend of hers, I did something uncharacteristic and uttered these words, “I think the Cesar salad does not agree with my digestive system. Excuse me while I visit the restroom.” With these words, I find myself in the confines of a toilet cubicle once again. [Toilet is a Single’s best friend!] Whipped out my trusty mobile phone from my trouser pocket, hammered away on the digits and called for a cab to wait for me outside the restaurant, PRONTO! Went up to the co-conspirators, I apologized for leaving so soon and in a hurried manner, zipped into the awaiting getaway cab.

“To Hell!” I yelled. Tire screeches, leaving behind rubber marks.

Movie Review

2007-08-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

Movie Review – “Hairspray” The Movie

The movie is based on the Tony award-winning Broadway musical, Hairspray (1988) by John Waters who incidentally, cameos as a flasher at the start of the movie. An all-star ensemble cast starring John Travolta as Edna Turnblad, Queen Latifah as Motormouth Maybelle, Michelle Pfeiffer as Velma Von Tussle, Christopher Walken as Wilbur Turnblad, Zac Efron as Link Larkin, Brittany Snow as Amber Van Tussle, Amanda Bynes as Penny Pingleton, James Marsden as Corny Collins, Elijah Kelly as Seaweed and introducing newcomer Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad.
The tunes are catchy, singing is pitchy, dancing is groovy, wardrobes are flashy and hair is all BIG with plenty of hairspray. The year was 1962 and TV is still black and white as with racial segregation. Tracy Turnblad is a young high school girl who idolizes Link Larkin on Baltimore daytime TV trendiest dance party known as “The Corny Collins Show”. When a ‘regular’ spot opens up in the show, Tracy sets her mind on auditioning for the dream role with an added opportunity to meet the man of her dreams. However, her protective mother Edna is afraid that Tracy might be ridiculed for her plus-size and get emotionally hurt in the process. She is consciences of her own weight problem and lacks confidence to face the public, thereby confining herself in the compound of their home. On the other hand, cheery Dad, Wilbur urges their daughter to go for it and think BIG to be big! Armed with her straight-laced sidekick, Penny Pingleton, Tracy went for the audition with high hopes, only to be chided for being fat and ugly by the Von Tussles. However, this is not the last we see of Tracy Turnblad.
A misunderstanding instigated by Amber Von Tussle landed Tracy in detention but discovers a whole new world of Negro dancing. She immediately forges a new wave of friendship with Seaweed and gang. Dancing has no racial barriers and it was the bridge to understanding each other cultures and moves. Soon, she wins them over with her slick dancing ability and racial openness. Spurred on by seaweed and Link, Tracy wowed the masses at the High School Dance and catches the eye of Corny Collins himself. As they say, the rest is history and Tracy made it onto the show but not without much dismay from WYZT station manager, Velma Von Tussle. Tracy’s sudden popularity is a massive threat to Amber from retaining the title of “Miss Teenage Hairspray” for the fourth year running and being the schemer that she is, nothing is beyond Velma to make sure Amber gets all the votes needed to be crowned once again. The racial divide widens when “Negro Day”, headlined by Motormouth Maybelle and her equally-talented black dancers is canned by the station in favour of Velma’s WHITE direction. Tracy’s insistence to integrate both worlds, Black + White result in a protest march and another half-truth caused her to go into hiding as a fugitive of the law. In between all this madness, Seaweed’s chance meeting with Penny started a chain of events and the two teens eventually fell in love, further thickening the racial tensions. The final gauntlet is thrown and the day of voting for “Miss Teenage Hairspray” has finally arrived. Our heroine will gatecrash the party and make her presence felt. Also checkout Edna’s dance steps as well, she can certainly shake that Ass! Go watch the movie adaptation and get a kick out of the musical melodies, funny script, dance choreography, superb acting and a history lesson. Four stars out of Five!

Lonely Hearts Page Two and A Half

2007-08-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

The Search for Love, Part II

Previously on Lonely Hearts “However, my mind were eased when we begin to talk - She works as a nurse, likes taking care of patients and have been in the profession for the past 15 years. There were more flashes of her working in the ward going in my head but it burst when she let out a shrieking laugh. Low and behold, it was out of this universe!”……

My eyes were popping out and my jaws gapping wide, WHAT THE F***K was that? I have heard of many crazy burst out impromptu chuckles but this one takes the cake, hands down. Remember the times when you read about witches in fairy tales or mugging through literature on ‘Macbeth’ in school and all those recurring witch stories on the TV while growing up. She is the HEAD witch I tell you! If she was to ever let this maniac laughter out in the wards, in the middle of the graveyard shift, the patients might think it’s the HARBINGER of death coming to get them and send them to the other side. I am lost for words. I can only describe it as “He-He-HE-HEE-HEEE”. You know what? There was dead silence for a minute. Dead Calm. It was like we were in a silent movie, heads all turned to our table looking at me. As my poor souls return to my body after being scared silly, my trembling hands gestured that I was heading to the gents.

The minute I closed the toilet cubicle doors, there was a sigh of relieve with gusto and I am not talking about letting my shit go here. “What a night!” I thought to myself. Emerging from the cubicle, taking deep breathes and splashing tap water onto my face. Took a glance of my blurry reflection on the mirror and I took a step back into dating central. Luckily, the witch’s two minutes are up and we play musical chairs once more. This is when I went up to the organizers and requested to leave early as I was feeling unwell, wanting to throw up. [Throwing up is a get-away trump card, it always work!] They were sympathetic and understanding. Gave me some door gifts and send me on my way. Till now, I still woke up with nightmares of the Witch Nurse coming to get me with those long arms of hers and going "He-He-HE-HEE-HEEE". HELP!

Lonely Hearts Page Two

2007-08-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

The Search for Love ......

SINGLES in Singapore are open to attacks of their cupid wannabe friends and colleagues. Putting two unprepared souls knee-deep in embarrassment is all in a day’s work for these cupids from Hell. Awkwardness with a capital ‘A’ creeps into the unwitting couple as daily head-on proximity alarm bells rang each time they are in close quarters while eager cupids’ watches in a distance, like wildlife photographers ready to pounce on that picture-perfect moment. Red faces and endless teasing do come for free in these impromptu matchmakings. If the feelings are mutual, then there may still be light at the end of the tunnel but on the other hand, no attraction whatsoever will put the unwilling couple off and form unnecessary tension between them.

Speed dating is not new to singletons around the world but in our shores, it takes a new twist. For example, I took part in a speed dating organized by a well meaning organization at a proper restaurant setting, spread out in rows of tables made for 2, candles (mood lighting), fragrant oils burning in the air and roses to set the tone for ROMANCE. Altogether, there were 20 pairs of male and females, hoping to get plenty of ‘IN YOUR FACE’ time, in addition to phone numbers, ICQ numbers, MSN messenger nicknames, emails [in order of asking] filled out in a card. It is F@#$^-ing tiring I tell you! You cannot possibly remember everyone and at the end of the date, have a hard time differentiating who was Ashley, Amanda or Alice. All the introductions comes fast and furious, some forgetable and one in particular, quite spectacular. Her name is Rose, she is a swinging single in her forties, led a colorful life [think J.Lo in that green Versace dress but after 3 rounds of tequilas] traveling the world working as a marketing executive. The minute she sat down, starts rattling about her past love and experience to which 5 minutes seem a lifetime. All this while, I was smiling and drifting to away to a place far, far from here.

Singles comes many shapes and sizes; there is a good chance to meet those who do not come in your normal skinny, well-toned, baby fat and overweight category in these situations. I must say the reasons why singles are singles is because we do not fall into normalcy. Julie has a girl-next-door look, dress well in a long empire cutting white dress, legs toned and a white complexion that will be envy of any lady in the room. She is perfect except for unusually long arms that remind you of an old dame at the Singapore Zoo. Good thing she has no hairs to match those ‘Fantastic 4’ stretchable arms. I bet that she can give me a good smack on the cheek from across the table and I will not be able to tell what hit me! However, my mind were eased when we begin to talk - She works as a nurse, likes taking care of patients and have been in the profession for the past 15 years. There were more flashes of her working in the ward going in my mind but it burst when she let out a shrieking laugh. Low and behold! It was out of this universe! Stay tuned for the next chapter on the rip-roaring details.

Movie Review

2007-07-28T19:44:00.000-07:00

Movie Review - "The Simpsons"

The Simpsons have finally done it! Breaking into the big screens where 3D effects are a norm by way of a modest 2D showcase takes balls and that is how I liked it, as with all Simpson’s fans out there. It has been 18 years in the making, amassing over 400 episodes in the process [Trivia – an episode took 9 months to make while the movie took 18 months to complete], you would have thought creators Matt Groening and James L. Brooks must have been there and done that. But they come good when it matters, putting up a worthy movie debut which has all the elements of the good, bad and really ugly. I only caught onto the Simpsons bandwagon in their latter years but manage to catch all the earlier stuff from season one onwards till season 7. So suffice to say, I had a few years of Simpsons under my belt.
If you had NOT seen any Simpson’s earlier episode on TV, it would be advisable that you get hold of their DVDs and get acquainted with the eccentric family along with the quirky citizens of Springfield before watching the movie. The characters here are very diverse with associations to social groups we live with as well as spoofs too long to list in this entry. As long it is something worth poking fun of, rest assured that the Simpsons will pick it up and put their own spin on it. A brief bio - Homer J. Simpson is the head honcho cum craze-maniac of the family kept together by Marge Bouvier, a housewife of immense forgiveness and patience. The little ones are Bart Simpson, a mischievous brat and occasional evil genius. Lisa Simpson, the brain of the family who speaks her mind all the time and is the voice of reason. Last but no least, we have Maggie Simpson, the baby girl who has the artistic expression of a mime. There’s also the dog called Santa’s little helper but like we care.
The animation fest begins with a cartoon within THE cartoon of Itchy and Scratchy’s trip to the moon [guess who gets killed in the end?], thereafter, Homer branded all movie goers ‘suckers’ for paying to see a cartoon available on TV but nonetheless, we happily acknowledge that fact with a good laugh for which the Simpsons will certainly provide. Grandpa Simpson aka Abraham/ Abe has a premonition from the Heavens of an impending disaster befalling on Springfield after he was jolted from a dozing slumber during church, conducted by resident pastor, reverend Lovejoy. The gibberish from the elder statesman mimics the speaking of tongues, horrified the church goers who tried in vain to decipher his words. Homer’s response to Marge’s worried words of “Do something!” was classic, flipping through the Holy Bible and letting out “This book has no answers!” is a good start to this laugh-a-minute animation. The next piece of unraveling comes in the form of Bart’s weenie [a first for the Simpsons] as he skates downtown to Krusty’s after a round of ‘Dare’ with Homer. Handcuffed naked to a lamppost, Bart’s hopes of reprieve were dashed in his face when Homer faints ignorance and puts the blame on our little troublemaker, clutching on what’s left of his dignity and modesty. The yearning love of a father does come in the shape of neighbor Ned Flanders who offered Bart a pair of shorts and a shoulder to lean on.
Environmentalist Lisa Simpson’s door to door preaching on saving Springfield from toxic waste dumping had fallen on deaf ear’s but it lead to chance meeting with Colin, a fellow environment advocate from Ireland. Puppy love turns our level-headed girl into a shy, sappy teeny bop, melting at his every word. Homer brings home a pig after Krusty the clown forsakes it after a commercial shoot. Strangely, brain deficient Homer bonded better with the pig than Bart, showering it with love and attention. I am still laughing at Homer’s rendition of Spiderman’s theme song “Spider-pig, spider-pig, does whatever spider-pig does” while holding the pig upside-down to walk on the ceiling. When Lisa finally knocked some sense into the town-folks and got the Mayor to stop dumping waste into the river, Homer’s sugar rush to nab free donuts undo her work and send his pig’s waste silo into the river, turning it into a mutating toxic concoction, alerting the attention of the EPA [Environmental Protection agency] headed by Russ Cargill who went with a radical ‘DOME’ solution to contain the problem and hold Springfield captive.
When the news broke on the perpetrator who was responsible for their state of imprisonment, it sets off a lynch mob against the Simpson family, in particularly, Homer. They escape public slaying but before they can settle down to a fresh start in Alaska, Marge and her charges decides to return to Springfield to save the town from certain annihilation. Homer realizes in time to act upon his epiphany to rescue the people of Springfield through his crazy methods. Of course, it ends on a right note with Homey saving the day, wins Marge back, reconcile with his boy wonder and ride into the sunset. My words have dried up and I leave you with the best ratings to date, a full 5 D’uhs out of 5!

Lonely Hearts Page One

2007-07-27T02:33:00.000-07:00

LONELY HEARTS Chronicles of singles in the heartlands

LOVE is as elusive as Osama Bin Laden. You know how it looks like, you yearn to catch it and you heard about it just like everyone else but just cannot find it anywhere you go. Love is a connection with someone of the opposite sex on an intimate and spiritual level. Symptoms include thinking of each other when apart to a zing in the heart when they meet.
▲In sunny Singapore, being alone can be excruciating to the point of being cursed. An adult will only be freed from jibes and cleansed once marriage is blessed on them. Singletons over 30s are frowned upon, regarded as discarded goods after 40 and condemned after 50.
▲Female virgins are hotly contested commodities in the singles community but it can work against them when 30 looms, depreciating as more years claw by while prospects turns their backs on the much awaited hymen bleeding performance, deciding to catch a newer show in town. Keeping the doors shut has never been a good thing when theater goers are few and far in between. 40 year-old virgins are usually placed in the windows of dating agencies as giveaways.
▲Having dinner alone in this country is like going to battle, hear me out on this. “Table for one” sounded like a string of vulgarities for some reason as this waitress, whose face tightens up and scowled, “This way!” as she ushers me into the restaurant. Maybe they are used to dishing out two menus at once, an unused menu means returning it at the entrance. Same demeanor goes to scooping up the unused cutlery on a table set for two. MY EYES ROLLED. Why don’t they take away the empty chair as well? An empty seat means one less paying customer while supplying the same amount of service may not bode well for restaurants. Should I make up for it by eating for two?
▲Placing my food order can be daunting as I am alone against wait staff that eats singles, like me for breakfast. Bad service often goes un-punished simply because we have no witness to these sightings. The right to ask food related question are also revoked when dinning for one, wait staff ignores me while nodding and looking away. I'll bet set lunches & dinner specials are custom-made for singles who want no troubles when ordering.
▲There is also the public execution when dinning out ALONE. I will certainly make a good dinner conversation topic and it would go something like this. Boy: Look at that guy, eating all alone in a restaurant! Girl: Oh, poor thing. No one wants to eat with him? Not like us, so lovey-dovey. AHEM, I would of course like to retort with all my might but it is part and parcel of single lifestyle.
▲There are however advantages to eating alone, if you believed me. Like tired of deciding where to eat? Singaporeans say “EAT WHAT?” No need to worry about table manners and nonsensical small talk leading to nowhere. The best part - Remember those times when getting the waiter’s attention is like signaling for a passing helicopter while lost in the wilderness. A ‘single’ table sticks out like a sore thumb - Before I can raise my hand, a waiter is on hand to attend my service request. When leaving the restaurant, could have sworn that I heard a collective sign of relieve. They must be celebrating away with blowing trumpets and clanging glasses of wine.
▲I did not turn back but promise myself to be back again. Tomorrow it is!

Movie Review

2007-07-23T01:39:00.000-07:00

Movie Review - "Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix"

Where do I begin? First of all, I was utterly disappointed that the fifth Harry Potter movie is helmed by a rookie movie director, David Yates whose works thus far has been in British Television, mainly for BBC. Only award to date was an Emmy for Best Direction in a Made for Television Movie for 'The Girl in the Café' (2006). To be entrusted with a movie of epic proportions on his MOVIE directorial debut must have been a great leap of faith by the film producers and JK Rowling for that matter. More bad news, Yates has been confirmed to film the sixth film 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' slated to start filming in September 2007. While the director succeed in telling the story but he left out the WOW factor present in every Potter films. Usually I give my movie ratings at the end of the review but this time it's a stinker with 2.5 wands out of 5!

My second displeasure is about the screenplay - The screenwriter this time round is Michael Goldenberg who replaced Steve Kloves, writer of the first four Harry Potter films. Therefore, it does seem a little disjointed for us to see the vision of another screenwriter at this crucial part of the movie franchise. But there is much reprieve as Kloves will return for movie No. 6 - Phew! Let me get another two more things out of the way. Thirdly, 'Order of the Phoenix' refers to a secret society formed by Dumbledore who uses their magical forces to combat Lord Voldemort. Fourth and most disappointing! The much anticipated kissing scene of Harry and Cho was downright SLOPPY and CRINGING! The scene should make it to the this year's MTV nomination for 'Best Kiss' but for all the wrong reasons though. My only surpise is Evanna Lynch, whose potrayal of the quirky Luna Lovegood is absolutely marvellous! Alright now, let us focus on the movie plot - Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley returns for their fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Heavily influenced by the propaganda of 'The Daily Prophet', the mass wizard community has shunned Harry and Albus Dumbledore's claims that Lord Voldemort has return after a 14 year hiatus. Unknown to the rest, the dark lord has regained his body and been restored to full power! A blatant ignorance of the facts by Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge led to appointment of a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Dolores Umbridge who begins to take reins of Hogwarts through the support of the Ministry. In defiance to Umbridge's inadequate, textbook lessons which is devoid of actual magic, Harry founded "Dumbledore's Army" (DA), an underground organization made of 27 schoolmates that Harry teaches magic to defend themselves in case a battle with Voldemort ever happens. At the same time, Harry starts having telepathic dreams about what Voldemort is doing and saves Ron's dad, after seeing him being attacked in the Department of Mysteries by Nagini, Voldemort's pet snake. To prevent Harry from being driven to madness, Dumbledore immediately instructs Harry to take Occlumency lessons with Professor Snape in order to fight the Dark Lord's mind penetrations should Voldemort learns about the connection between Harry and himself. During one of their underground meetings, Neville reveals to Harry that his parents were tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange, a prisoner who had recently escaped from Azkaban. Harry assures Neville that they will make his parents proud and avenge their deaths. Umbridge soon uncovers the secret organization after finding out from Cho who was forced to take Veritaserum, a truth potion. To throw Umbrigde off their track, Harry and Hermione lure her into the Forbidden Forest, where she is taken away by a centaur herd after insulting them with assistance from Hagrid's giant half-brother, Grawp. The vision of Sirius Black being tortured by Lord Voldemort in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries prompts Harry to launch an immediate rescue. Harry and his friends then flies to the Ministry of Magic on Thestral entering the Department of Mysteries in the fabled Hall of Prophecy, where his friends discover a small glowing ball with Harry's name on it. When Harry retrieves it, it recites a prophecy concerning him and Voldemort, a ploy set by Lucius Malfoy to reveal the destiny of Voldemort and Harry. A fierce battle ensued between DA and Voldemort's Death Eaters (DE), their spells cause the shelves of prophecies to collapse resulting Harry and the others to run through the door and falling into the Death Chamber. The DE capture Harry's friends and Lucius Malfoy appears, threatening to kill them if Harry doesn't hand over the prophecy. Sirius and the rest of the Order arrived in the nick of time to foil Lucius's plans and unwittingly, smashed the prophecy into smithereens. Harry tags-team with Sirius to duel Malfoy and his DE but in the end, Bellatrix Lestrange's sudden appearance to cast the Avada Kedavra, a killing curse upon Sirius. He smiles at Harry before falling into the archway and disappearing. Harry pursues Sirius's muderer to the Atrium of the Ministry stunning her with the Cruciatus Curse. Harry then hears a voice telling him to kill her, it was Voldemort who swiftly appears and disarms him. Just before Voldemort was about to kill Harry, Dumbledore comes to his resue and a climatic duel erupts between the two while Bellatrix escapes. The battle ends in a draw while Harry falls to the ground. Lord Voldemort attempts to possess him failed after an agonising internal battle. Voldemort is ultimately forced from Harry's body and mind, prompting him to state that Harry "will lose everything" due to the profound amount of love that resides within him. Fudge arrives just seconds before Voldemort vanishes, shocked at who he had just witnessed. The Ministry is forced to acknowledge its error and vindicate Dumbledore and Harry! Finally, Harry revealed to Dumbledore the contents of the prophecy which Voldemort wanted so badly.....

"Either must die by the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives."

8 Days Letter of the Week

2007-07-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

“Bite Me”
For every occasion albeit a celebration or unlucky in love, there is the perfect food to go along with it and your issue #878 personifies it on a National level. There are foot trails longer than the Great Wall of China when it comes to queuing up for cuisine in this food-crazy Island. Led by our 'Queen of bottomless stomach' Fiona Xie could be the most underestimated food hunter with a nose for tasty morsels. 8 Days have single-handedly put these 42 food establishments on the map of Singapore dining, pairing the moment to the food like a Sommelier would match the wine to the main course.
Food Hunter

Published on 8 Days Issue No.879 dated August 23, 2007

“Zoe-Pursuit”

With the most recognizable face in Singapore, I have been pursuing news about Zoe for years but no one came close to the thrill your magazine provided on issue 874. Watching her every move and gesture has me intrigued from head to toe. Holding out my magnifying glasses to scan details of her gesticulations, the clothes and accessories she had on while scribbling notes onto my scrapbook, next to the pictures you took from afar. Kudos to Zoe for being such a good sport for participating in this ‘Cat & Mouse’ paparazzi game bordering on the lines of stalking and adulation. The Xclusive interview with Brayden ushers in the birth of another new starlet. Welcome to the world of Show-Biz, Brayden!
Celebrity Bandwagon

Published on 8 Days Issue No.875 dated July 26, 2007

“Potter-Guide”
JK Rowling has finally begun preparing him up for a grand stand finish to our wizardry battle with Hermione and Ron in tow. My powers have almost fully recovered and my destiny with Potter will be revealed in the Order of the Phoenix. My return has been speculated and whispered in secrecy but it’s time to come forth and behold my dark powers! Your interview has given me more insight to the weakness of my sworn enemy and this issue will be in my back pocket as a reference guide when we are ready to duel!

Lord Moldy-mort

Published on 8 Days Issue No.874 dated July 19, 2007

"What's the BIG deal?"
"Honey, they have shrunk 8 Days!" perked my wife in her shrieking voice. "What?" I answered shakily from slumber. As my eyes come into focus, three beauties emerge in a tiny package of infotainment in the palm of my hand. Can it be true or is it my imagination that 8 Days had re-invented itself into bite size portions with the same wholesome goodness? Somehow, getting smaller has never been bigger in new perspectives and substance. The story on DOND briefcase girls have opened new looks to beauty and brawn. Coming to terms with earning $250,000 and how well it can feed you does makes sense of life in a nutshell. One thing for sure, it can buy me a few dozens of lifetime subscription to 8 Days. It’s a DEAL!
Deep Sleep
Published on 8 Days Issue No. 869 dated June 14, 2007

Movie Review

2007-07-02T00:25:00.000-07:00

Movie Review - "Transformers"

“Autobots! Transform and roll out!” are words that will warm every heart of adults growing up in the 1980’s when “Transformers – More Than Meets the Eye”, the cult animated TV series was a mainstay in the entertainment diet of children, teenagers and reluctant parents who are constantly begged to buy that robot in the window. Personally, I was one of those who planted themselves in front of the television, hooked on these transforming ‘talking robots’ every week. The cartoon soon out-grown its TV success and eventually, was released into theatres as an animated movie in 1986. Every kid in the neighbourhood would kill to own a transformers toy [Gen:1] first launched by Hasbro (1984) in his grasp. Once word spreads that you are one of those lucky few who has a prized transformers in possession will soon be the envy of every kid on the block, all trying hard to be your friend just to have a chance to lay their hands on an innocent looking automobile that changes into an Autobot or Decepticon. Owning Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee, Jazz and Starscream will propel you to superstar status in the children social circle. Every kid will linger around your home looking ever so longingly at their favourite transformers which effectively is two toys in one package. Besides having the coveted toy, you must learn to say the lines as the character would and mimic various sound effects of transforming, laser beams and so on. Soundwave has the coolest but toughest voice to impersonate and it was just too much fun to pass it up. Fellow transformers toy owners will get together to role-play and simulate battle situations carried out over playgrounds, shopping centres, nurseries, homes and even in the bathroom.

Michael Bay’s version of the long-awaited animated series adaptation into a movie is heavily updated to reflect present times. Bumblebee receives an extreme makeover from a VW Beetle into a Chevrolet Camaro while Megatron transforms into an alien jet instead of a hand cannon. Soundwave is badly missed in the movie adaptation but a diminutive stick-like robot replaces the reconnaissance master of the original series wrecking havoc on Air Force One. After much pressure from fans worldwide, Michael Bay relented and cave in to their cries to have Peter Cullen return as the original voice of Optimus Prime [he does the voiceover for Ironhide as well]. Putting a familiar voice did well to satisfy the cravings of fans but the CGI graphics blew me away.

The movie opens with a lone rogue helicopter entering US military airspace in Qatar but despite repeated warnings landed calmly in its air base only to transform into a robotic killer aka “Bloodhound” destroying everything in its path, jamming all communications and stealing top-secret computer files. The pentagon goes into overdrive with the Secretary of Defence, John Keller (Jon Voight) seeking help from anyone who can make sense of the data transmitted from Qatar during the attack. Mystery hangs in the air and we were introduced to Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf – pronounced as Shy-Yah La-Bove) telling his class about the exploits of his explorer grandpa in between hawking items for sale in eBay and negotiating with his teacher in giving him an ‘A-’. Little does he know that his grandpa’s glasses hold the key to the survival of Earth. Bumblebee has been sent to earth camouflaged as a beat-up Camaro and brokered his way into being Sam’s first car for US$4,000. Being the guardian of Sam, bumblebee played fairy godmother and charmed his schoolmate, the sexy Mikaela (Megan Fox) into letting him drive her home. As the story unravels, Sam is taken on a wild ride with Mikaela in tow as the Autobots reveals their true identity, the discovery made by his grandpa and its mission to retrieve the energy cube called the “All-Spark” which gives life to machines before it falls into the hands of the Decepticons, led by the evil Megatron who will use it to destroy earth. There is much awe and humour to the Autobots when they follow Sam home to pick up his grandpa’s glasses. To add to the madness is Agent Simmons (John Turturro) of a top secret government agency called Section 7 to complicate things further and arrest the entire Witwicky household along with bumblebee who was captured when Optimus Prime and his Autobots tried to rescue Sam. As more twist and turns come into the fold, Megatron is released from his cryogenic state and the final battle is awesome to behold. The battle scene is worth the ticket alone as Shia protects the energy cube with his life alongside Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Jazz, Ironhide, and Ratchet. Those who aren’t familiar with the transformers will have a hard time following who are the Autobots and Decepticons in the street battle scenes involving the military. And of course, the good guys always win in the end but there are provisions made for more sequels to come as we see Starscream [F-22] escape earth and Optimus Prime sending out a signal to remaining Autobots stranded in space to come forth to earth. Great movie magic – 4 energy cubes out of 5!

P.S. - The soundtrack of Transformers is kicking with bands like Linkin Park, Smashing Pumpkins, Disturbed, The Goo Goo Dolls and many more.

Movie Review

2007-06-17T22:45:00.000-07:00

OCEAN’S
13

Cast – The usual suspects +’plus’ Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin –‘minus’ Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta Jones

This third and final caper is about unspoken code amongst gentlemen, brotherhood and revenge as Danny Ocean summons all 13 bandits to break “The Bank”. Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould) goes into partnership with the wily old fox, Willy Bank (Al Pacino) to build a new hotel casino called “The Bank” on the Las Vegas strip but got stiffed up badly despite having shaked on “Sinatra’s Hand”. Not only did Ruben lose his end of the deal, the double-crossing proved too much as he slips into a semi-conscious state induced by heart attack. David Soderbergh left out the leading ladies from Ocean’s 11 & 12 solely to focus on the plot but would they add more glamour to the proceedings, a definite YES! Ellen Barkin plays Abigail Sponder, the eagle eyes and bat ears of Willy Bank running the Hotel Casino floor with ruthless efficiency. While this movie is a worthy end to the Ocean’s trilogy, ‘11’ still gets my vote as the best one yet, with ‘13’ in close second and ‘12’ a very distant third. There is no gimmicky editing, what you’ll see is what you’ll get, unlike its predecessor’s mysterious “How did they do it?” hanging in the air till the final reveal at the end. For a fitting final reunion, they brought back characters like Frenchman Francois ‘Sticky Fingers’ Toulour (Vincent Cassel), technical genius Roman Nagel (Eddie Izzard) and Bellagio's owner Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) to very good effect. The plan was simple - To infiltrate “The Bank” and make it pay “BIG” on opening night. They have to take control of its casino operations be it manipulating dices, rigging jackpot & card shuffling machines, controlling the roulette table and even introducing their own rigged casino game into the fold. The lengths they will go in the name of revenge extends to digging a tunnel under hotel casino to manufacture a man-made earthquake [cue exit strategy]. The movie’s non-linear structure comes in quick flash backs of past to present while montage footage of multi-views incorporating scenes happening at the same time can be a little bit too busy for us to digest. As the plan sets in motion, hiccups happened along the way and Terry Benedict comes in the picture as an unexpected financier who has a vested interest in breaking “The Bank” but wants them to steal the five-diamonds awards as part of the deal. Another interesting sub-plot involves misdirecting the ‘real’ five-diamonds reviewer (David Paymer) into having the worst experience of his life but he is well compensated at the end courtesy of Rusty (Brad Pitt).
Con-artist Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon) grew up under the tutelage of Danny and Rusty as he puts up another fine performance as Lenny Pepperidge (with a huge prosthetic nose), the personal assistant of “Mr Yen” (High Roller) who seduces Sponder into giving him access to the diamonds. The Malloy brothers of Virgil and Turk are the same troublemakers who rally Mexicans in an uprising for better pay and working conditions while posing as factory workers to rig the casino’s dices but they can’t seem to stay out of unrest. The entire gang is fabulous to watch and when they are in their “Character”, it is hard not to be intrigued and strangely, be fascinated with the world of thieves. See it for one last heist, 3.5 diamonds out of 5.

8 Days Letter of the Week Winner

2007-05-22T00:38:00.000-07:00

"Pirated Talk"

Arrr, Shiver me timbers! Ahoy 8 Days! Blimey, I have waited for this issue #865 featuring my former first mate, Rick Heinrichs [movie's production designer] keeping things ship-shaped and the beautiful wench, Keira Knightley while reading it from the crow’s nest [high lookout platform on a pirate ship]. Begod, isn’t she amazing to standout from all the men and live the pirate life. Avast there, all pirates around the world unite! Chow Yun-Fat will do well to bring Davy Jones into the waters of Singapore - a-pirating we go! Go bring me one noggin of rum now, won't you matey! Fair Winds.

Captain Hooky

Published on 8 Days issue 866 dated May, 24