Since it's by the director of Precious, I had some expectations. In Precious, I like his sensitivity in depicting the social/ racial issues... and also how he transformed Mariah Carey as a social worker.
But not this. While he still touches on some social/ racial issues in Paperboy, i dun exactly catch what he wants to express? The irony of media in influencing criminal justice system? Power struggle between black and white (and interesting enough, see the rise of black's power status here). The theme of fatalism? or just a paperboy's infatuation with a mature woman?
or how brutal and psychotic those people who live in the swamp over there could be..
and for the actor/ actresses.. I was surprised/ upset and how he could reduce Nicole Kidman to like some porn star... an unnecessarily prolonged scene of her touching herself and reaching orgasm... even peeing.... and also how he exploited Andrew McConaughey (din he show enough butt in Magic Mike?) and even Zac Efron in his white brief. But somehow all seem unnecessarily overdone.
Overall, not my cup of tea and taste. And i'm not sure if those big shots are happy to be wasted like this. Bold performance? So far i see none of them is nominated for any award. Not even Nicole Kidman. Sad.
Rating: 1.5/5
First from the title thought it's a movie about aging. But not really... It's how a man with anger and bipolar issues returns home from rehabilitation to manage his life and family again. Remind me of Ben Stiller's Greenberg, if not Adam Sandler's Anger Management kind of comedy.
But the level of this movie is definitely above both.. and more structured. In addition to his parents and his issue with his ex-wife, he also meets a new girl with a depression and dark record.
The result is the formula we all know good enough. Two oddballs to make it right. However, i really enjoyed the process. There are dark and also hilarious moments, and not too overly dramatic. Thumbs up also to the superb acting from all, esp Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro and the mother.. (dunno her name). Pleasant surprise and love it.
Rating: 4.5/
I thought it would be another funny and hilairious movie like Bridesmaid...
but it's really not bridesmaids. Neither it's funny.....
Weak script. Obnoxious friends/ characters, if not just annoying at times.
But the most shocking is how the movie manage to get some A-listers like Kristen Dunst (Spiderman) and James Marsden (X-men) to act in this dud.
totally wasted of them.. and my time, too.
Worse, the ending like not ends at all. .waiting for part 2?
I doubt there will be, any.
Rating: 1/5
I know I;ve many backdatede entries.. Watched already but din post anything.
I'll work harder in 2013.
Well, this would be least one of the new year resolution.
****
As for the past year 2012, these are my most 10 favorites.. least they touch my heart. Truly enjoyed it.
1) Frankenweenie.. I know the doggie would come alive and not as morbid as Pet Sematary... still i was touched by the bonding between the dog and the boy.... and yes the movie has some meaning too. Sometimes i found Tim Burton movies too dark for me. But i truly enjoiyed this one.
2) Extremely Close and Incredibly Loud - About a boy's mourning for the loss of his father who is killed in the 911. The process is painful disturbing yet realistic. Also take a glimpse of different faces of ordinary folks in New York. Love the lines and narratives about life and living.
3) Perks of Being a Wallflower. Nostalgic. Meeting friends. Developing relationship. Growing up. The language is truly beautiful that makes it stand out from other teenage flicks.
4) The Life of Pi. Initially i thought it was another adventure movie. How wrong i was. Though some dislikes' movie's religious undertone. Still, i was fascinated by the movie, its image and its perspective about life and living.
5) Love 爱 I confess i was a bit biased towards this. But for my love of Taipei.. the love of its actors/ actresses here...and the few love stories that intertwined the movie. Like Love Actually. Loved it for watching it in Taipei ximending.. and i shed a tear over a scene.
6) Amour - Another movie about love by Michael Maneke. About how an elderly husband takes care of his wife who suffers from a stroke and is mentally degenerating. It's kind of depressing, yet realistic and touching.
7) When A Wolf Falls in Love with a Sheep 南方小羊牧场 a pleasant surprise this year. Though it's kind of 小品, it's pleasant, refreshing like a glass of lime water. Esp like those illustrations on the exam papers, those interesting side characters, and bit fantasy kind of narratives, which added flavours to this movie.
8) A different Life 桃姐 - Deanie Yip won Best actress repeatedly for her role, and i truly love her chemistry with Andy Lau. Ann Hui's realistic portrayal of the old folks' conditions in HK. It's touching and heartwarming, and make you think of the parents/ elderlies your care for.
9) Ted. - a boy and his talking teddy bear... and the teddy bear even grow up together with him and becomes as dirty and as mundane as him... Some say it's the guys who refuse to grow up and take up responsibility. Whatever. It's enjoyable, and it also explains why sometimes male bonding really have no space for ladies.
10) Argo - Based on a true story, how six Americans were rescued in Iran. It's dramatic yet exciting. The movie still can see its relevance today. It could be Ben Affleck's ambitious project to knock at the door of Oscar and to showcase his talent. Stil, i was impressed.
Maybe we're really entering an aging society/ world. Seems like there are more movies about aging population in cinema recently. Earlier in HKG, we have 桃姐. Now from Austria, we've Amour, which also won an award recently in Golden Palm award.
Story itself is very simple. A sophisticated retired aged couple living peacefully together, until one day the wife suddenly suffers from stroke, starts losing memory and normal functioning. Husband taking care of her at home and this slowly leads to a painful and heartrending journey to both. The process is shown in details. It's kind of depressing, and yet realistic... While one feels helpless to see someone you loved aging, but it's even worse to see the person, suffering, degenerating, losing memory and dignity..
May not be the kind of movie you want to watch for leisure or pleasure, or for a second time. But it would make you reflect, and value about life, love and the person you love.
Rating: 4/5
I've no idea how this movie is dubbed in Mandarin and shown in Singapore.
While it's called vulgaria, and about how filmmakers struggle to make a movie.. and at the end a Cat-3 adult movie no less, there is hardly any nudity scene in the movie, unlike the other HK movie 色情男女Viva Erotica, where Shuqi bares for her part as a Cat-3 actress.
And for those restricted, adult-contented stuffs, it's all in the Cantonese dialogues.. Lots of vulgar words, puns, and sexual reference...
Crude but really very very funny, and bitchy..
and I'm really amazed by the part when the actress do oral sex with her "pop candy". lol
Rating: 4/5
So this is the movie which broke the box office of "amelie" in france.
Also nominated for best foreign movies in this year golden globe.
and it's based on a true story.. about a upper class French millionaire vs a jobless black with a criminal record. And yet he offers the black a job in his house as his private nurse.
And we expectedly see their conflicts and the clash of 2 cultures/ social classes, and also see how they also learn to care for each other and develop a bonding.
Yes, it's heartwarming and interesting, and thanks to Omar Sy.. lots of funny parts come from him.. and how we laugh at the upper class and their snobbishness and pretentiousness with him, which ironically, also based on social stereotypes.
Not a bad movie. though i still love Amelie. :)
Rating: 4/5
Interestingly and surprisingly, strictly speaking this is not a comedy.. nor Devil Wears Prada bitch.
Instead it's very serious movie depicting a senior couple, as the wife tries to re-kindle their relationship with her husband after 30 years of marriage, which seemed dead, stagnant, drained... no sex, no spark.
and as the movie along like marital therapy 101, as if really sponsored by a Hope Spring counselling centre.
And unlike other movies where therapist are often poked fun at portray like neurotics or lunatics, here the therapist is very professional, very serious, and also realistic... as seen from his approach, and his questions...
and if not coz the leading roles are Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones, it would become like an ordinary a real life couple going for therapy.
And the only part i thought quite amusing is when Meryl goes to buy a book called "Tips that straight women can learn from gays".
But still, the movie is neither exaggerated nor too overly dramatic.. yes, senior adults too need relationship, spice up their sex life too.
I doubt those young audience would like this movie. Strictly for those adults least >30 yo.
Rating: 3.5/5
Blame it on the trailer. Initially i thought it's just another cheapskate comedy about how a group of British elderlies travel to India and poke fun at the people there...... But how wrong i was, as that's just the setting and the movie is far more serious than that. While there are some interesting cultural differences, unlike SATC 2, they serve a purpose and not meant to degrade or to be made fun of. More importantly, the movie is about aging and how aged people too could seek their new meaning in life.... and the trip to India provided them a platform to change, to reflect and to make new sense of meaning in their life.
There are also many good quotes of wisdom in the movie... and one of them
"Everything will be all right in the end. So if it is not all right, then it is not yet the end."
Theme. Cast. Acting. Dialogues.... I smell Oscar.
Rating: 4.5/5
Watched 2 summer blockbusters recently, and both are part 4. Maybe no expectation, both turn out to be pleasant surprises!
Spiderman 4 is actually the prequel, as we see how Spiderman came about. Yes, certain parts seemed familiar (after all, it's based on the comics, isn't it?), there were attempt to inject with some new elements, including some cross-genes kind of experiment and engineering. And even the character of spiderman.. Maybe teen? who turns out to be more playful and daring, including trying to teach school bully a lesson, sneaked in his girlfriend's room, playing game on smartphone while waiting for his target.
But of course the focus is still the leaner and taller Spiderman. I believe his image fits well with its new group of twilight-era of audience, with its new high tech package.. And the movie is fast-paced and action scenes are nicely executed, intense and enticing. 3-D effect is great. I should have watched it on IMAX then.
As for Ice Age 4, I hardly remembered how Ice Age 3 was about and i thought it's just so so only. Yet part 4 seems injected with new plot and energy. It's fast-paced, wacky and hilarious, with some dark humour like the "holy crab" and the granny. Love it.
Rating: Spiderman: 4.5/5
Ice Age: 4.5/5
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Comments
Ice Age never did fail me before..
but then it's surprising how it started like right from the start the humour..
and plus the Simpsons short cartoon before it was also v…