London Trip

I’m proud and happy to announce that I’ll be in London from 20^th May until 4^th June! First time back since I finished uni almost 3 years ago. Also means that for the first time in 3 years I’ll be able to watch the latest releases at the cinema without the following (in no particular order):

• Subtitles (in two languages!) that cover half the screen
• Censored scenes/dialogue
• Dirty film prints
• Out of focus pictures
• Ringing phones (and people answering them in the cinema!)
• Kids/babies crying/talking/running about, even though it’s an 18+ film and they shouldn’t be there in the first place
• People talking without even attempting to doing it discreetly
• Someone in the row behind constantly kicking your seat

I’m sure all of you have experienced at least one of the above every time you go to the cinema. Unless you’re one of the perpetrators, that is.

As you may well have guessed, I’ll be watching quite a few films during my trip (as far as my budget permits, anyway). So expect reviews for the following films in the coming weeks:

• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith
• Simply the film to watch of Summer 2005, certainly for me anyway. I’ve even bought my ticket already to watch it at the Odeon Leicester Square, the biggest and bestest cinema in London (if not the priciest!). Early reviews have been impressive, and it’s said that Star Wars fans won’t be disappointed. Really looking forward to this one!
• Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy
• I’ve got to confess, I’m a new convert to the Guide, only picking up the first book a month ago. The book on which the film is based on has produced a cult following over the years, rivalling that only of the Lord Of The Rings’. Should be great fun.
• Sin City
• The latest from one of my favourite fun directors, Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, Once Upon A Time In Mexico, Spy Kids films). Based on a series of graphic novels (a.k.a. comics), and is film noir at its blackest. Great ensemble cast including Bruce Willis, Benicio Del Toro, Jessica Alba and Clive Owen.

Review: Kingdom Of Heaven

Director : Ridley Scott
Main Cast : Orlando Bloom, Jeremy Irons, Eva Green

I was a wee bit – no, make that much – apprehensive when I first found out that this film was in production some time ago. To those who know, The Crusades were a sensitive and controversial part of history for both Muslims and Christians, and I couldn’t imagine how a film can be done without aggravating at least one faction in one way or the other. More so considering the current political climate in that part of the world. I also genuinely doubted its release here in Malaysia knowing the “open-mindedness” of the local censors, so imagine my surprise when it did actually open at the local TGV/GSC.

Since Gladiator came out a few years ago, a few films were released to take advantage of the revival of the sword-and-sandal epic. However, they failed miserably to even coming close to reaching the mighty heights of Gladiator, most notably last year’s butt-cramping snorefest that was Alexander. So who best to give a shot of adrenaline to the genre’s heart than the director of Gladiator himself, Ridley Scott. Indeed, there are hints and traces of Gladiator throughout, from the bleak overcast skies, to the fast-edit technique used in the bloody and really graphic fight sequences. Some screen time too was given to the development of the characters and plot, providing a nice balance to the spectacular action scenes. However the film’s last act is all action, with Bloom defending the high-walled Jerusalem from the massive Muslim army with hardly any soldiers at all. Helm’s Deep from Lord Of The Rings, anyone? It even includes a scene where he knights peasants and children who take up arms to defend the city.


Lord Of The Rings has been both a boon and a bane for Bloom. Since bursting into the scene as the main pulling-power of teenage girls to the otherwise guy-friendly Lord Of The Rings trilogy, he has been somewhat pigeonholed, landing roles in similar sword-wielding period-set films such as the unsatisfactory Troy, delightful Pirates Of The Caribbean, and Kingdom Of Heaven. However, the significance of Kingdom Of Heaven is that it’s the first time that Bloom has to carry the burden of a big-budget blockbuster solely on his (slender) shoulders. This he does surprisingly well, doing miles better than the Irish-speaking Alexander of Collin Farrell. He shows that he has certainly grown up from his previous boyish (and somewhat sissy) roles, sporting the same beard and grave “there’s-something-up-my-a$$” expression as Russell Crowe did in Gladiator. I expect great things from him in future years. Only thing against him is he has yet to prove himself in a more dramatic role set in contemporary settings, away from all the swords and action. Maybe a small-budget indie film, or even a romantic comedy. Sadly though it won’t be happening anytime soon, as he’s currently behind cameras with Johnny Depp for the two sequels of Pirates Of The Caribbean. Oh well.

So what about the controversy surrounding the film, then? Well, given the current unrest surrounding George Bush’s foreign policy, the film is unsurprisingly very PC and is filled with preaches on how people from different religions can indeed live in harmony. In fact, religion and faith is the underlying theme in the film, with numerous references to Christianity and Islam, both visually on the screen and on the haunting soundtrack. However the film is neither pro or anti-Islam, nor pro or anti-Christian. Neither party was portrayed as being the villain. I think that this is mainly due to the choice of period that the film relates to, a period of peace in between crusades, where Muslims, Christians and Jews live peacefully side-by-side in Jerusalem (thus Kingdom Of Peace), ruled by the leper king played by Ed Norton. Yes, the Ed Norton was the man behind the mask the whole time. Anyway, Arab critics have come out supporting the film, as can be read in a BBC report by clicking here.

Kingdom Of Heaven does indeed have great parallels to modern events, both in modern-day Jerusalem (part of Israel) and other places of the world. This point is strengthened at the very end of the film, with the following caption:

A thousand years later, we're still doing the same thing, still fighting one another over the same religious divides, and Jerusalem is still in conflict.

Maybe one day peace would triumph, bringing an end to the fighting and killing. We can only hope and pray.

Review: The Jacket

Director : John Maybury
Main Cast : Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Kris Kristofferson

Here in Malaysia, we get virtually all the latest big-budget blockbusters the same time they’re released in the States. From the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, to Star Wars, to the gazillion comic superhero flicks, we’re always up to date. However, good independent films very rarely get a chance. One film in recent memory was Saw, a deliciously wicked kind of film, which owed a lot to Se7en.

And here we have The Jacket. A film that promises much, especially after a decent debut at the Sundance Festival for independent films. Sad to say though, the film falls short of expectations.

It’s about army vet Jack Starks who’s found guilty for a murder he didn’t commit, then sent to a mental institution. There he’s the subject of an experiment whereby he’s strapped into the eponymous straightjacket, injected with a cocktail of drugs and then sealed shut in a morgue drawer - the kind you see in TV shows like C.S.I. - for hours at a time. Certainly not for the claustrophobic, then.

But then, things start becoming bizarre. You see, when the drugs take effect, Starks suddenly finds himself in the future, bumping into a girl who was barely 10 years old when he got convicted but now a young adult, and also finding out that he was already dead. And it’s this premise, on which the whole plot hinges upon, is what I personally think failed the film. I mean, it’s a really crazy concept that sounds like it was concocted from one of the mental patients in the film. Was Starks physically transported to the future, or did he appear as some sort of ghost? Or was it all in his mind, hallucinations as a result of the treatment? I think that the writers could’ve focused more on the terrible conditions, as well as the mental and physical effects of the torture he goes through, especially from the claustrophobia of being left all alone in a small and dark morgue drawer.

Adrien Brody is in fine form as the bone-thin Jack Starks. You could say though that the role is merely an amalgamation of his previous roles in The Pianist and The Village. The luscious Keira Knightley, the cheerful everyday English lass as shown so perfectly in Bend It Like Beckham and Love Actually, forays into the "Dark Side'' of acting in her first grown-up role as the dark and brooding Jackie Price. This she does quite well, speaking in a deep voice contradicting her young age and petite figure, in a performance reminiscent of Helena Bonham-Carter's in Fight Club. Knightley has clearly grown up in more ways than one, as shown in a bath scene surprisingly overlooked by the Malaysian censors. Needs to improve on her accent though. We’ll next see Keira as a machine-gun-wielding bounty hunter in Domino. Now that will be interesting.

The Jacket is a nice change to the usual cinema fare, but disappointingly falls short of expectations.

Review: Guess Who

Director : Kevin Rodney Sullivan
Main Cast : Ashton Kushter, Bernie Mac, Zoe Saldana

Guess Who is supposed to be remake of a 1960s film, though watching it, you would’ve thought that it’s actually a remake of the more recent Meet The Parents and My Big Fat Greek Wedding, amongst others. It’s the all-too-familiar tale of meeting the other half’s family for the very first time, usually went said family come from a very different background with different customs.



It stars Ashton “Kelso-Dude-Where’s-My-Car-Demi-Moore’s-Toyboy” Kutcher as a hotshot stock trader (yeah rite!), spending the weekend with his black fiancé’s parents for the very first time. Cue the white-man-meets-black-family jokes then. And boy, do they come thick and fast! The best scene to me is the dinner with Grandpa. Simply hilarious! Strangely though, only my date and I were laughing in the cinema.

Guess Who is an enjoyable enough film, certainly better than what I expected anyway. However I think that Meet The Parents is still way better. After all, Bernie Mac is no match for Bobby De Niro in full comedy mode. Same goes for Kutcher in comparison with Ben Stiller. However, saying that, a smartly dressed Kutcher, with a good haircut for once, does show that he can be taken seriously. Well, sort of, anyway, as half the time the Kelso does shine through, so to speak.

Review: Coach Carter

Director : Thomas Carter
Main Cast : Samuel L. Jackson, Rob Brown, Ashanti

Not much to say, as Coach Carter is your normal run-of-the-mill sports film: shit team, unorthodox new coach comes in, team not happy with coach’s methods, team and coach solve their problems, team not shit anymore. Everyone’s happy. End of story.

What may set this apart from other similar films though, is Samuel L. Jackson, Jedi Knight Mace Windu himself. Man, when he speaks, everyone else shuts up. Can’t imagine anyone else who can be as effective in that same role. Saying that though, it is more or less the same role that he had in the Collin Farrell-starring SWAT.

At about two hours long, it’s 20 minutes too long. It gets 3 stars out of 5 for Jackson’s performance. Can’t wait to see him wielding a light saber again when the new Star Wars comes out!

Intro

Welcome to my Blog. Well, not actually a Blog per se, but more a place where I can put up my thoughts and feelings about the latest film releases, both at the cinema and DVDs. I may also occasionally put up something with nothing to do with any particular film, just a discussion maybe of something to do with the movie industry, or a rant on the state of the current Malaysian movie scene. Actually this is the long-delayed resumption of my series of reviews of 30-odd films from 1998 to 2000 on a previous site I had. Click
here for those reviews. Before you read on, a few notes of warning.

1. These are just my personal views on things, and you may (most probably) disagree. If you do disagree, I strongly encourage you to leave your comments/views, so maybe we can have some intelligent discussion on the matter.
2. To promote item (1) above, I feel that the only viable way for it to be done is if the reviews and resulting discussions are based on the whole film, including any twists and turns in the plot (which is the norm with most films nowadays). Therefore people, there are PLOT SPOILERS galore in the reviews. If you’re kind that doesn’t want to know the ending beforehand, then I strongly advise you to only read my reviews AFTER you see the film.
3. Please feel free to leave your comments, as the main objective why I’ve set up this Blog is to promote an active discussion on films. However, please don’t make any personal attacks towards me or any other “discussees”, or any remarks that may offend.

So that’s it guys! Again, please feel free to leave your comments. On my part, I’ll do my best to find the time to reply to your comments, and put up new reviews often. Enjoy!