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GuitarJedi83
Will become Best Director at 2010 Oscars for Star Wars 9:the end of the end of the end of the Skywalkers,
Will write Song of the year at 2020 Grammies,namely Hotel Californication...
and will Win the World Cup at the year 2022...with Singapore.. hehe
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
The Painted Veil (2006)
One of the better films in 2006
First off, I love both Edward Norton and Naomi Watts. They deserved to be labeled as the best non-Oscar winning actress and actor ever! Director John Curran deserves some spotlight too as he attempts to capture the rich imageries that W. Somerset Maugham create in his original novel.
Beautifully shot , and beautifully scored as well ( as of writing, it just won the Best Original Score at the Golden Globes). I enjoyed the cinematography throughout the show. Look out for an outstanding performance by Anthony Wong! The plot is nothing extraordinary; it is a typical love story which all movie goers can accept. Do take note of the change in character in the both lead as the film progress. The music and visuals amazingly bleed into one another, and it complements the shifts in the emotions of both Kitty and Walter.
Strangely, this film has not been heavily 'pushed' in the build up to Oscars; I remember all the hype that Cold Mountain had when it first came out. I hope viewers will give this film a chance, despite its lack of publicity.
The Buddy Holly Story (1978)
A good introduction to Buddy Holly
It would be unwise to judge that that either narrative or documentary to be more authentic than the other. Both formats have an underlying form of fiction and are never a true reflection of reality as producers seek to reconstruct and narrate stories in their perspectives. As both formats usually leaves some issues undiscussed due to 'complexities of subplots' and screen time, it denies viewers the opportunity to open up debates and to further investigate and construct the real truth. Adding to the viewer's inability to evaluate sources (eg comparisons with written history) and the logics behind arguments, history may be open to distortion through narrative and documentary.
To most people, documentary may be seen more truthful as it usually involves actual participants' testimonies and real-life footages. However, these visuals are selected and edited, to be arranged in a way that allows producers to present their version of realism to the viewers. In The Real Buddy Holly Story, Paul McCartney seeks to establish the Buddy Holly as remembered by family and friends and how Buddy had influence the rest of the music world. The testimonies may have been distorted as memories may not be accurate and emotions have evolved to make a legend out of Buddy. The documentary did make corrections to the film version and cover other events, such as there were 3 members of Crickets and that Buddy's music was actually heard outside of USA at that time (he had to embark on a world tour!). However, it did not go into deep discussion about what happened to Buddy's wife after his death. Criticism and/or negative discussions may have been left out of the documentary as the producers seek to present a Buddy that the world should have remembered. Eventually, we don't manage to construct the whole truth as we only restrict ourselves to the past 'realties' that the documentary tells us.
Personally, I prefer a narrative film because it provides rich visual imageries, which helps us to reconnect with the collective memory of that era. It gives the audiences a more constructive structure of the story, and this leads to better memory retention for the audiences when they retell the story. There is also an element of flexibility which allows film-makers to express their thoughts and views on certain issues. In The Buddy Holly Story, racial issues were highlighted and viewers can certainly relate to these issues with respect to current situations.
Movie-goers consistently seek to revisit certain emotions when watching a film, and using these emotions, audiences can choose to make personal connections with the applied meanings that a film-maker wants to deliver. In most stories, people are more likely to selectively remember the struggles, the inspirations and the way the story ends. Through The Buddy Holly Story, we do remember the struggles Buddy and the Crickets had, how Maria had been a source of encouragement, and that Buddy Holly was a great performer until the day he dies.
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)
Stereotype-B!
Film has proved to be an effective medium to influence and shape the thoughts of movie-goers. Issues involving stereotypes have become areas where directors and scriptwriters explore; and in the process, engaging audiences to either develop, reinforce or challenge generalizations that were imbedded in our culture and society.
Utilizing the genre of teenage comedy, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle manages to accurately showcase stereotypes that are already existent for a long time in our society. Asian-Americans have long being stereotyped as hardworking, intelligent and submissive 'geeks' who wanted a piece of the American dream. The two lead characters actually live up to the stereotype by displaying intelligence and excellence in the things they do. However, their achievements were met by opposition by punks, colleagues and even law-enforcers. Despite their positive attributes, Asian minorities are still not being accepted by some sections of the American society and some see them as threats or regard them as second-class citizen. The film managed to accurately capture these various stereotypes put forth by the Americans against Asians, and actually reinforces the stereotyped attitudes that already capture our minds a long while ago.
On the other hand, the introduction of Kung Fu movies such as Enter the Dragon illustrates the point that film can be used to dismiss certain notions of stereotype. Previously, Chinese male characters were reduced to an emasculated role as perceived by the western media. New action era produces yang gang icons such as Bruce Lee whom, through the media, creates an identity in which Asian males can indulge in glorified violence to honor traditions and justice. This is certainly a far cry from the image that portrays Asian Chinese males as meek and lacks ability to play bigger roles in the western societies. Similarly in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, the lead characters managed to prove that they can move out of the perceived stereotype that were held against them, and actually reject considerations such as submissiveness by rebelliously standing up against the western antagonists. At the same time, both Harold and Kumar also proved that they are not socially inept in a foreign land and that Asians are able to find an identity that fits into American culture (ironically through the usage of drugs and sex).
In conclusion, film allows stereotype issues to be put into various perspectives and actually challenge audiences to discover for themselves how realistic or inaccurate some of these perceived opinions are. As multiple stereotypes are being presented throughout the two films, movie-goers are exposed to the different views and attitudes that certain fractions of the society held against those who are different from them. Filmmakers managed to use film as a medium to describe the various stereotype issues to the audience. Then, it will be up to the audience to think through and decide which school of thoughts and what sort of stereotype they would like to subscribe to.
X-Men (2000)
An analysis of X men against Superman and the American Dream
American Dream can be defined as a social idea whereby one can attain a prosperous and material life, through hard work and good ethics. It works upon the basis that there are equal opportunities for all to pursue one's own dream without any restriction. The American Dream becomes an aspiration for many immigrants, whose hopes were torn apart by wars, injustice or inequality in their homeland.
Superman lives like a model immigrant and encompasses most of the traits denoted by the American Dream: white American with a humble background working hard to integrate into the society. His ability to fly is a metaphor of the American Dream such that one can get what he wants and always reaching for greater heights. Superman shows us that it is possible to have all the freedom in the world to pursue one's dream; but only within the boundaries of justice and righteousness. His character is consistent outwardly, as Clarke Kent the journalist; as well as inwardly, through his secret identity of a superhero. He knows and lives out his mission. All of us can contribute to our society through the utilization of our talents and skills in a positive and wholesome manner.
With X-men, we see the social phenomenon of teenagers who grow up in families who believe in the American Dream, as well as those (eg.Magneto) who embark on a journey to settle in the land of the free, only to find that the Dream is as misguided and distorted as it can be. The power that these superheroes possess is a stark reflection of their inner insecurities, fears and hopes. We see a potentially talented bunch of heroes who are unclear of their mission, and constantly fearing the unknown, as opposed to what Superman is. Furthermore, as there are no equal and just methods in handling the issue of mutant discrimination, the mutants' existence comes under a threat that is driven by the fear of the mainstream humans These circumstances do not allow "those who are different" to pursue the American Dream freely.
In my opinion, X-men challenges the American Dream such that not every American will equate a consumer-driven material life as the ultimate goal; there are more important social issues, such as discrimination and social inequality to be address. To limit and standardize how one should live in the American Dream simply neglect those who have a different purpose and calling in lives. As there are no strict definition of truth, justice and the American way, the characters in X-men have learn to redefine and live the American Dream by their own terms. In another way, they learn from Superman how to make judgment about what is right and wrong and eventually do what is 'right' in their own justification.
In conclusion, not everyone needs to adhere to the American brand of 'freedom'. X-men managed to raise the question: If America is as just and free as it seems, then why does one need to work hard to fit into the society; why can't they gain acceptance based on who they are?
Huo Yuan Jia (2006)
One of the best martial arts movie you will ever see in this life!
I rarely recommended a good Chinese New Year movie to anyone, but this is one show that most of us will be discussing in the following months, prior to release in the west. This show was highly publicized as Jet Li's last martial arts epic, however i sincerely doubt that it would be the case. Whatever the outcome, Fearless has already scored a special spot in my heart, alongside Once Upon a Time in China and Fong Sai-Yuk which made Jet Li famous during the early 90s.
Jet Li mentioned that he made this movie because a lot of youth in china were losing their lives to suicide. Therefore he hopes that this movie could serve as a wake up call to these youths and hopefully, put meaning back to their lives. Another intend of the movie is to hopefully unite Chinese in this current era of terrorism and threats from foreign sources and to find strength and courage from the rich history of our forefathers.
The story follows the rise and fall of Huo Yuan Jia (Jet Li),an arrogant wushu master who conquered and become Tianjin's number one fighter , and how his life took a turn for the worse at his peak. He later returned to fight against foreigners , this time in hope to find unity among the Chinese, and to restore the lost pride in the art of wushu. Through this movie, one learns about the importance of keeping one's priority intact, true friendship,loyalty to country and respect of others in the society. Jet Li did put in effort to show the emotional side of his character in the movie.
Regarding the action scenes in the movie, martial arts choreographer Master Yuen Wo Ping did not miss a beat throughout the movie, though film buffs would like to spot fight scenes and styles that were obviously reused from the likes of Matrix and Kill Bill series. Maybe,it is done to the taste of the western audience.
Ronny Yu managed to immortalised Jet Li as a modern Chinese folk hero. Honestly, there is no much of a choice other than to cast someone like Jet Li in that role. Nobody in the Chinese scene could reproduce the aura and charisma that Jet portrait in the movie. Full marks for characterization! From what i had read, there were plenty of deleted scenes (including scenes of Michelle Yeoh) that could eventually end up in the DVD version of the movie. I would really look forward to see the full version of Fearless. A true martial arts movie. And kudos to Jet Li and the production team for teaching a meaningful lesson about life.
Elizabethtown (2005)
One of the BEST of the year!!! Thank You Mr. Cameron Crowe
I waited so long for this film to reach my shores because i am in love with Kirsten Dunst and Cameron Crowe is slowly becoming a great director of our generation. I went to watch it with 4 other friends and most of the crowd that night enjoyed the show... and some were clapping when the credits rolled. WOW!!!
{ A note for anyone who have not seen the movie: watch it with an open mind and an open heart!!! Do not bring in the critics' comments into the cinema cause i think most comments were bias( partly due to the pairing of Orlando bloom and dunst). }
First of all, like many of the fans here at IMDb, i really want to defend this film against many of the critic's comments. One comment i read in the papers was that there wasn't much depth with regards to the characterization of Drew and Claire. Well, i think that Cameron Crowe is trying to tell a story of NOW rather than filling in the gaps of the past. Most of us would have experienced failure and loss in our lives ( who doesn't?) and Crowe managed to captured that emotion and feel through its music and cinematography. This film is against convention story telling and expectedly , didn't manage to impress these so called film critics. Then again , how many times in our real lives did our story get played out like a Hollywood movie? Another criticism was that the plot was pretty much similar to Garden State... well no one could really tell if Cameron Crowe was aware of Garden State when he was shooting this film, but any other film geek would have managed to distinctly separate the approach and the intention of these 2 films. Generally,i feel that Elizabethtown is a much more adult-oriented film and deals directly with the pain and disappointment of a young working adult. (contrastingly, Garden State is more of a hit with teenagers)
I enjoyed the telephone talking scene that leads to the viewing of sunrise. It makes me want to fall in love again! That was pure cinema magic because none of the conversation makes sense to the audience.But that is precisely the way people fall in love!! 2 lovebirds would talked about everything under the sun,deep into the night and their conversation would not have made sense if anyone of you were listening at any one point of time. This eventually leads both of them meeting to see the sunrise... boy it was simply romantic... i was smiling throughout this whole scene and it really made my day.
The last thing i want to highlight is that the brilliant selection of songs on the soundtrack... i bet Cameron Crowe enjoyed that process of song selection, being a rock journalist in his previous life. You can really see the effort in selecting the right song for the right moment. I could not get enough of the soundtrack and really wish if Cameron had released all the songs on a 2-disc compilation.
In my opinion, it is a sweet little piece of magic to round off the year... this film is definitely in my list of 'feel' movies (shows that requires much appreciation from the heart rather than logical thinking from the head) ... much in the category of Chungking Express, AMelie, 2046, garden state (of course!), Lost in Translation and Eternal Sunshine. I am not pinning too much hope for this show to be nominated at the Oscars ( cos there are really much better films out there this year) but Elizabethtown landed a special spot in my Top Ten shows of the year. Go on and enjoy the show!!!
War of the Worlds (2005)
The worst summer movie so far (contains SPOILER)
I went to watch this movie with the anticipation of another brilliant , feel good, cool and plenty of 'WOW' factors movie. The above mentioned did not quite happen at the end of the show. Many of my friends who watched felt cheated of the money they spent at the theaters.
Steven Spielberg, supposed to be a master of great blockbusters, fell short of his own glory on this one. Maybe it is because he had too little time to mess around on WoTW.(he shot it 7 months before the release date) There are simply too many glaring mistakes even non-film buffs can spot. From the working camera at the beginning of the show to the only moving vehicle TC is driving to the surviving rebellious son.... you named it, SS really spoils it all here . THere is even a scene copied directly from SIGNS(2002): Tom Cruise has to spread peanut butter for his children to distract them from harmful thoughts. Even the characterization of Tom is very similar to Mel Gibson's role in Signs. Come on Spielberg, you have achieved much much more than MNS, why do you hav3 to referenced Signs?
Overall, other than a few good effects, and good music , this movie simply sucks. Highly recommended to steer at least 200km away from any theaters showing it.
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
One interesting show
After watching Magnolia (one of 1999 cohort's of great film), I can't help but feel that PTA is one real gem and was looking forward to this follow-up. I am not a big Adam Sandler fan and was pretty much entertained with his performance. There is something i must comment about how PTA can bring out that certain essence with actors that no one else have done before. Tom Cruise was an example in Magnolia. This time round is Adam Sandler.
I can't quite describe the storyline here cos there are so many other online critics who can do a better job in that area. Like most of them, i can't quite make sense of the story. Some called it rubbish, some say surreal ( like eternal sunshine of the spotless mind) ,some say they just love it. I am in between. There are interesting moments in this film. Even when you get bored or confused with the story line, relax.... just enjoy the colours and the picture of the film.
It is a strange love,psycho,sicko,angry and hearwarming show. Can't associate all these words together? well this is a PTA movie! Don't try to solve every instances which is questionable, just try to accept that this is a very off-tempo film which doesn't require much thoughts at times. Then maybe you will feel better....
7/10
Cellular (2004)
Good follow-up to Phone Booth
I guess there were much anticipation to this movie because of the writer's profile in scripting the sleeper thriller Phone Booth.I went into the theaters like one of those who highly anticipated the movie.
The story revolves around a Martin family(who so lamely named their son Ricky) who ran into some kidnappers who wanted something of value from the father. Jessica Martin was locked in a room and managed to call a guy named Ryan through the broken connections of a phone.Then the action followed. There were fun parts as the script plays with the usefullness and limitations of a handphone( or cellphone).
Watch out for the product placement throughout the whole film. You will have fun doing that!
Anyway, my conclusion is that this is a good Hollywood flick. Doesn't quite insult your intelligence but still just another Hollywood flick you won't remember watching 10 years down the road. Just go into the cinema and have fun, but don't bring in too much hope for a different ending.
rating: 6/10
The Village (2004)
Brilliant movie... one for the Oscar
I had high expectations of this film and when it ended, i felt like 'wow' M Night S had done it again. I know many critics had mentioned that his end-of-movie-twist is overdone, but i felt it has evolve into one of his trademark. Maybe our generation had found its Alfred Hitchcock. This is one big contender for the 2005 Oscars, no matter what people say.
First of all i like to highlight a key point in the movie:
Ivy Walker - one who can't see (see no evil) Lucius Hunt - one who can't speak (speak no evil) Noah Percy - one who can't hear (hear no evil)
As the movie is set in the age-of-innocence, the MNS tried to discuss about what have we done to innocence, why we sometimes create our own fear and the question as to whether we should lie to cover up truth of life.
The cinematography is top-notch with fine performances from all actors. The feel of the movie is one of eerieness and suspense. A must-watch One note though: please do not try to find out the ending.Just go and watch it.