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The Lookout

I’ve been trying to look back at films I’ve missed this year, and I believe the Lookout is a fantastic way to start. What a film – it combines a thriller with a real human element about it, and the execution of the script is perfect. There are one or two flaws in it, but there are hardly noticeable in this fantastically written, directed and acted movie.

The movie begins with a scene where Chris Pratt (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is driving along with his girlfriend and a couple of friends of his, and they get into an accident after some reckless driving. He sustains an injury – a brain injury, we’re not told exactly what it is, but its something that makes him incapable of keeping track of things. We are fast forwarded to 4 years after the accident, and life has changed dramatically for him – he attends a centre dedicated to those who have suffered the same injury, he sees a therapist, he works as a janitor in a bank, and he now lives with a blind man, Lewis (played by Jeff Daniels to perfection). His family now treats him differently – though with the same love – just that he fails to realise this. He’s unhappy, and one day he meets Gary Spargo (played by Matthew Goode), and befriends him. He stumbles upon a plot by Gary and his friends to rob a bank, and he joins in on it, only to pull out of it later.

It sounds like an extremely simple storyline, but what works for me in this movie is the complexity of the characters. We have an hour or so dedicated to building up what Chris used to have, what he does now and how it differs. We empathise with him, and although he tries so hard to make it better for himself, ultimately, what he did in the past will always haunt him forever.

The role of Chris is acted out perfectly by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He plays the character at the right note – he shows anger when he needs to, and his facial expression while reflecting on his past – is acted wonderfully. He paints a portrait of a man here who’s still carrying his past with him, and allowing it to bring him down. What the movie does so well is not to say that he should put that behind him, but rather, accept that it’s a part of him. I think, at this moment, his performance is almost equivalent to that of Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson. Superb.

The rest of the cast does fantastically here – Jeff Daniels as Lewis is not just another wise man – he’s obnoxious, and he may not at times be the perfect role model, but he’s nevertheless a father figure to Chris. Anyone else might have played his role like a lecturing fool, but Daniels creates just more than that type of character here. Matthew Goode also executes his role as the villain to perfection. He has this certain chill and untrustworthy look about him.

If I have to point out any flaws, it’ll probably be how one or two things in the movie happen a bit too conveniently for me, but that shouldn’t really dampen the fact that Scott Frank (who wrote and directed this movie) has created something wonderful here.

The Lookout is not about just a bank heist, but more about the characters that surround it. The script requires a perfect execution from the actors and actresses to pull it off, and boy, don’t the actors and actresses here do a fantastic job.

Rating: 4.2/5

Written by Kevin Lau

Ratatouille

Labeling an animation as Pixar has the same effect as Scarlett Johansson in lingerie on a DVD cover – it makes it an instant must see. But far from being just another feel good comedy rolled off the production line, Ratatouille takes a fresh idea, garnished with humour, and executes it beautifully.

Remy, a rat who is particular about his food, works as a sweet conceit, and coupled with Linguine, a cack-handed garbage boy, form a culinary dream team. The main course of such a story must of course be the laughter, and this was not lacking; indeed it was cleverly constructed, well paced and managed to stay out of les toilettes. Villain and food critic Anton Ego (Peter O’Toole) brought out elements darkness and drama to strike a fine balance. The characters may have been a little extreme; Ego, a little too melodramatic, Skinner (Ian Holm), a little too schizoid, Linguine, a little too clumsy. But there was one character which could not be overdone, a homicidal maniac of a sous-chef Collette, whose violent tendencies worked wonders in the already perilous kitchen environment.

Given its Pixar watermark, Ratatouille has very little to say about love, at least in the romantic sense. It does, however, speak volumes about passion, pursuing dreams, and savouring every mouthful of life’s experiences, so to speak. And whilst the other themes of family ties and corporate greed fall rather flat, the resonant love of food and its concomitant joie de vivre keep the characters, and myself, going along quite nicely.

Visually, I was thunderstruck by the progress animation has made. Ratatouille shows that colour and detail are now at the director’s whim, to commanded exquisitely onto a digital canvas. I have never imagined that an animation could hold such a filmic quality, with admittedly cartoonish characters brought to life by all one might expect of modern live action cinema . The elegant use of depth of field and racked focus gave a Lost in Translation look to a rat in Paris, and the light and shadows painted a piece de resistance.

Ratatouille is thoroughly enjoyable, and, for an animation, earns from me two rather unusual allocades; it is both wonderously cinematic and delightfully non-retarded. Grab your date and go!

Rating: 4.0/5

Written by Christopher See

The Simpsons

The first time I watched 'The Simpsons' was probably about 10 years ago when I first moved to Aberdeen. I must confess it was my brother that actually found the show at first, and he encouraged me to watch it. I got extremely addicted to it, and till this day I am still a huge fan of them. There have been other shows that have sprouted out from it - most notably 'Family Guy', and 'Southpark', but nothing beats the original. Every year since we found the show we have been speculating about a movie, and its finally arrived, and I must say, even though I was skeptical about it (due to the fact that the last few seasons have not been as exciting), this is a fantastic film, full of laughs, and light hearted comedy.

There is a genuine storyline to the movie, and it really begins when Homer dumps a huge amount of waste to the lake when several laws have been passed by the town not to. He does otherwise, and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) picks this up and rates Springfield as the most polluted city in the US. They trap them in a dome to 'prevent any poisons escaping the city' and Homer is blamed for this.

I don't want to give too much away so I'll leave it at that for the story. The jokes are great - they are not too offensive, nor are they too stupid. I have always felt that although I enjoy southpark as much for its open, honest humour, there might be others out there who might be easily offended by it. The Simpsons though, in this movie does a fine balancing act - it ensures that everyone can have a good time in this movie.

Matt Groening here has created something truly fantastic. The movie is full of light hearted humour, and it is fun all around for everyone. If you are a fan of 'The Simpsons', this is a must watch. In fact, for anyone that's just probably watched even only 2 episodes, this is a worthwhile experience.

Rating: 4.2/5

Notes:

1) I think this movie might probably be the most effective at spreading the message of protecting the environment - even though it may not seem that way.

2) This movie is steadily climbing up the IMDB charts - last I checked, it was #122. Its given a rating of 9.0 if you consider the votes given in so far. Its a good movie, but its slightly overhyped in that sense - people might get carried away.

Written by Kevin Lau

Transformers

The three act structure of film dates back to the days of Aristotle, and consists of normal situation, a conflict and a resolution. The pledge, the turn and the prestige, if you will. Transformers underlines the fact that no matter how good the first two acts, it is the resolution of film that stays with us.

Transformers is an amazing showcase in how to build tension and set up for a climax. We know there are giant robots coming. There is no way of hiding it. And yet, for the first hour of the film, I was mezmerised by the mystery. The juxtaposition of a mysterious military strike, and high school boy with girl, car and parental problems is wonderfully real, and transforms each of us, just a little, into an awkward unwitting hero.

I had to dip into a pool of freshly baked fusion superlatives in order to describe the visuals; from hence I have selected fantabulous. The transformers themselves are beyond imagination, with fluid organic motion, and each a spectacular design. The audience actually applauded the first time Optimus Prime transformed, so beautiful was the vision. The CGI work was made more spectacular by the performance of Shia LeBoeuf, whose emotion and shy curiosity belied interaction with a blank green screen belies

Unfortunately, act three gets the full Micheal Bay treatment. Bay breaks the rules he sets for himself, particularly in one scene where our young hero runs up 20 flights of steps whilst being chased by a giant killer robot who can transform into a plane. Even the children of the audience were saying “Megatron would have killed his bitch ass TWICE by now”. In another scene, Optimus Prime laments the death of a fellow autobot, whilst the rest of the audience struggles to remember who this character is, having appeared for a handful of brief occasions.

Worse still, the ending. Our hero is faced with a very difficult choice, when possessing a mysterious “cube” of phenomenal power. His dilemma was between a) using it to destroy his friend and all around good guy Optimus Prime, destroying the cube in the process, or b) using it to destroy the robot who had been trying to kill him for 20 minutes, and all around bad boy Megatron, destroying the cube in the process. Unfortunately the plot was less that meets the eye.

So do go and watch transformers, and enjoy the tension and suspense in an action movie whose plot could hold not possibly hold any surprises from the outset. Then go home, rouse your inner child with candy, and rewrite the ending for yourself.

Rating: 3.5/5

Written by Christopher See

Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix

Alas, the fifth installment of the Harry Potter series is here! The hype leading up to this movie was like any other Harry Potter movie, but please, like the other movies (bar the first one), be prepared to be disappointed. To its credit, this movie is definitely much better than the previous 3, but it still lacks any coherency or fluidness and there are still gaps in the movie which make you wonder what on earth is going on at times.

Harry Potter is now in his 5th year in Hogwarts, and after the previous year's incidents, many have had a change of attitude towards him. Those around him do not believe that Voldemort is back, and it is only made worse by the fact that the Ministry and the press have been insisting that he has been lying. He gets accused of this throughout the first hour of the movie or so, and he himself feels as if he is all alone in his crusade - when he really isn't. To make matters worse, Dumbledore has not spoken to him in months, and the new principal, Dolores Umbridge (played masterfully by Imelda Staunton), who terrorises the school and she runs the school like a megalomaniac - watching every student's single move. Harry senses that Voldemort is up to something, who wants to steal an item from the ministry (for what reason apparently? we are not told this till the very end). It all leads to an exciting fight scene at the end in which we get the opportunity to see some impressive CGI effects.

I must be honest, it was a long while since I read the book, so I'd forgotten what most of the story was about. I was hoping that the movie might do that for me, but it lacked so much in information. I understand that this was the longest book in the series, but there were just one or two holes in the script that could have been filled up with ease. But yet, they choose to neglect it and in the end, for the first half hour or so I was left confused, and bored. I had no sympathy whatsoever for Harry - I could not understand his anger. Why was he so frustrated? His friends were clearly by his side, but is he too ignorant or too proud to realise that?

The film dwells too much on extremely unnecessary details - the clearest example being Harry's kiss with Cho. There is no chemistry here, and the scene itself lasts 5 minutes or so. It makes you wonder if that time might have been better spent explaining other parts of the movie. There is another scene, in which George and Fred Weasley fill the examination room with fireworks, and you it makes you wonder really what the purpose of this scene was. It does not contribute much to the story line nor to the ultimate goal of the movie.

I have to admit though, that the ending was very well done. It's just a pity really that it does not match the beginning in terms of quality.

The acting performances in this are uninspiring. Daniel Radcliffe looks extremely out of depth here and Micheal Gambon (as Dumbledore) has completely misplayed his character here. From what I understand, Dumbledore was one of a kind and understanding nature, never really showing his power. Unfortunately Gambon does the opposite - he looks like someone extremely authoritative and unapproachable. There are some good performances though, most notably Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge, and Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood. How tragic it is to see that there are not entirely important to the story itself, but rather just as supporting characters.

The general problem about this movie really is that it is confused within itself. It lacks the understanding of the general rule of media publishing which is to understand your audience. I feel that the producers might have tried to hard to keep it as a children's movie while trying to appeal to adults. Sadly when you try to do a bit of both, it does usually end up quite disastrously. It needs to decide on appealing to one kind of audience - rather than trying to get a mix.

The movie needs to grow up, as Harry grows. Harry Potter is now 15 by my count, and when he reaches 16, there is no way the movie can still try to appeal to younger kids of the ages of 10 - 12. As the series gets darker and darker, the current PG rating should go - I would not be surprise to see the next 'Harry Potter' to be a 12 rating.

Rating: 3.1/5

Written by Kevin Lau

Empire of the Sun

Spielberg rarely makes bad movies, in fact he is so focused on the details of each of his movies that he prevents any of them being disastrous. He has always understood the basic concepts of media publishing - knowing your audience, the use of certain artistic techniques to get your point across, always ensuring that the audience can follow the story, etc. In Empire of the Sun, he has used every trick in the book that he knows about film making - he makes the perfect shots, he amazes us with his attention to detail of each scene. Unfortunately, where this movie falls is in its message. What point is Spielberg trying to make here? He pulls us in so many different directions, but at the end of the movie we get the feeling that there is no definitive message about the movie itself. The story is interesting, but it fails because it does not have a fixed theme - nothing the audience can take home with them.

Empire of the Sun is about a small boy, Jamie, (played brilliantly by Christian Bale), whose parents own a large cotton industry in China. We are not made aware of the details of what his parents do - it is not important. The British in Shanghai own land which was agreed agreed between both parties that the British would stay there without and interference. They enjoy many riches - parties of all sorts, and they are unaware of the activities of the normal Chinese people that are around them. The Japanese invade Shanghai eventually, and the foreigners are taken captive, and placed in camps. We follow Jamie's story throughout the movie when he is separated from his parents, and he fights his way to be placed at a 'better' camp.

Throughout his struggle, he meets Basie (played by John Malkovich) who is certainly very savvy and streetsmart. He learns things from Basie, and is thought on how to survive during the war. We fast forward 4 years, and we see that he has adapted to his surroundings brilliantly whereas some still are struggling. He becomes so comfortable through it that he is unsure as to whether he might want the war to end, as it means he would have to adjust to something new.

The story sounds very straightforward - its all about a boy that adapts to one situation, but he has doubts about whether a bad thing ending might be a good thing after all. However, the movie does not make it as straightforward, it plays around this idea, but never fully realising it. We are constantly reminded during the movie about Jamie's fascination with aeroplanes, and how he would love to be a pilot one day - but is this important, do we need to know this? It is no doubt an interesting side plot, but for it to dominate certain scenes seem unnecessary to say the least.

Jamie's an innocent soul, and he's always willing to help people regardless what. But this is only shown towards the end of the movie, whereas in the beginning he is shown as someone who's spoilt and selfish. I wasn't too sure what point the movie was trying to make here - that war changes people? (but how, it shows almost no transition) or that a child's innocence is something precious (it can't be, as his previous behaviour contradicts his current).

The shots are perfectly taken, the acting is superb. Christian Bale here does wonderfully here especially considering that he was only a small kid in this movie. John Malkovich for me puts in one of the performances of his career, and he plays the role brilliantly. Its such a pity that such performances have to go to waste though, as really the film ultimately lacks direction.

Empire of the Sun is a great watch for film makers. It shows the wonders again of Steven Spielberg and what he can do with a camera. Unfortunately, its only really a great spectacle - it does not really have much of a story. It lacks direction at some parts, and there is no real message - we end the movie feeling a sense of emptiness.

Rating: 3.4/5

Written by Kevin Lau

Grave of the Fireflies

I must admit that this film almost moved me to tears. It is so powerful - we are so indulged in this world, this environment. We fully empathise with these 2 siblings throughout. We are happy at first when they do not have a care in the world of whats going on. We are angry because those around them do not care about their survival. We are sad because they struggle to survive.

Grave of the fireflies is about a brother and sister who are fighting for survival throughout the war. Their mother dies rather early in the film, and they are left to fend for themselves. They, at first, find an aunt in another city, and live with her - but she, while taking them in, complains and scolds them day to day about the fact that they are like leeches - they do not do much to help (although they are rather young and limited in their abilities), and only take advantage of the situation they're in. They eventually move out, and try to survive on their own. At first everything seems fine, but as time wears on, they find it harder and harder to do so.

What strikes me about this movie is the love the brother has for his sister. We are made aware of that fact from the beginning of the movie, how he is always willing to find food for her no matter the cost, how he's willing to entertain her even though there is a war going on. The storyline is so simple - but its the way its told that makes it so effective.

The film is very patient - it pauses at every possible moment for us to empathise with them. Every joyful moment is made longer, so we can understand the bond between both these siblings. Because of this, every suffering, sad, angry moment is understood even more so as we start to connect with them. We see ourselves in them, and we start to believe we are in their situations.

I went through several emotions in this film. At first I was happy for them. When they had to deal with their aunt, I was angry - even though I could understand her reasons, but there were so many other reasons that were ringing in my head that refuted her. Why was she so mean to them? They are only trying to survive like everyone else, and they have no where else to go. I was delighted to see them leave - though wary. I was sad to see them reflect on a life they had before with their parents - it was depressing to say the least to see how much had changed. I was angry at the doctors, farmers, and everyone else for not caring about this little girl's health. I was almost in tears at the end of the movie - I will not give it away, watch it, and it will be even more effective to you.

Attention to detail is something that Isao Takahata does very well here. Every detail is important - from the fact that the aunt does not give the same amount of rice to each person, to the rashes that Setsuko (the sister) develop from an early stage.

Grave of the fireflies is truly a very strong and effective emotional experience. It does not overdramatise on things, but rather takes it very realistic-ly and seriously. It is truly a wonderful film.

Rating - 4.5/5

Written by Kevin Lau

Spider-man 3

The movie that we have all been waiting for about a couple of years now has finally arrived. Spider-man 3, has finally been released, and after he success of the first two films, we can only expect an amazing sequel. Well, prepare to be disappointed, and prepare to fall extremely hard from those lofty expectations. The movie itself has arrived, but has not brought along the simplicity, the brilliance, and the integration of CGI and a brilliant storyline with it. It somehow got lost along the way.

Maybe I am being overly critical due to the fact that I have expected so much - but after the first two, aren't we entitled to do so? They had raised the bar on what superhero films should be like, hence we are within our right to expect something superb and enthralling - something that will blow us away. Unfortunately, Spider-man 3 fails to do any of the following, and I certainly was left extremely disappointed.

The movie begins with Peter Parker having most things finally going his way. The world loves Spider-man, (mainly New York), he is about to ask his girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson (played by Kirsten Dunst), to marry him, and he is excelling in class. However, things begin to start going wrong for him, starting with the fact that his Uncle's Killer, Flint Marko (played by Thomas Haden Church), has escaped from prison, and has transformed into a 'Sandman'. Revenge begins to cloud his mind, and things only get worse when MJ decides to break up with him as she is going through her rough patch, and then comes along 'Venom', an alien like substance which begins to bond with his suit, and apparently 'amplifies aggression'. With Venom, he begins to show a dark side who flirts with girls (extravagantly), has no tolerance to anything, and is overly aggressive. In the midst of all this, we have Harry Osborn (played by James Franco), who is still seeking revenge for his father's death, and it all leads up to one big final fighting scene which in all respects is dull, and uninteresting. If you're starting to feel that the plot itself seems rather messy and distorted, well it is. It lacks any cohesion throughout the movie, and that is its biggest downfall.

There is a terrible sense of plot development in this movie. We begin to ask questions like, what is the purpose of the sandman? Why is he there? He seems so redundant. What or who is Venom? The movie seems to fail to actually explain the origins of Venom, and also the complexity that it shows in the comic books. Also, whats with the sudden aggression of Eddie Brock (played by Topher Grace), Peter's rival in the Daily Bugle, when he seemed so uplifting and kind-hearted for most of the movie? Understandably, he is angry at Peter, but it seems out of character for him to be so aggressive so suddenly.

The CGI is great, but as I've said, the final fighting sequence is dull and uninteresting. The movie has in many ways detached from what made Spider-man 1 and 2 such great films. They have most definitely lost the concept of having less, as really, less means more in this case. What made Spider-man 1 and 2 so great was that it focused mainly on the main character itself, and that it tries very hard to make us understand the internal conflict within Peter himself. Spider-man 3 tries, but with the messy storyline, it gets lost in its on plot at times.

It is truly disappointing that a series of comic book movies that had the potential to be one of the greatest trilogies ever, failed to deliver in its 'supposedly' grand finale. Well, with news that Spider-man 4 will be released sometime in the future, it probably has the chance to redeem itself.

Rating: 3.0/5

Written by Kevin Lau

Half Nelson

The story of an American high school basketball coach and a 13 year old from his team. When I read the synopsis, it reeked of cliché. It sounds like it could be bankrolled by Disney, all about overcoming adversity and warm happy endings.

Half Nelson is the bold middle finger to that tradition. Ryan Gosling is not an inspirational teacher and coach. He appears as a roguish and charismatic speaker, but this image is fast eroded by his by his extracurricular activities. - a touch of after class crack cocaine in the girls bathroom, a sprinkling of drink and flirting at a local club. He becomes a friend of sorts with 13 year old Dre, who discovers his drug habit, and both share a downwards journey into the world of drug abuse.

Half Nelson is a beautiful showcase of all things low tech . The screen becomes a gritty and dirty filter into a life which we wish fervently we could all avoid - yet almost perversely, we are drawn towards it. Wordlessly, the impotence and soullessness of smoking crack is conveyed. It is harrowing to see, painted even more vivid by the jilted camera angles, and soft focus on glassy eyes. More real and more deterrent than any anti-narcotics campaign could hope to be.

There are even some hints of hope in his relationship with Dre, who is herself becoming involved in the world of street drugs. They share moments of companionship, riding along in a car, even dancing together at the school dance. As with their whole relationship, even the dance becomes inappropriate, and one of them has to leave. There is no redemption here, only the sandy, crunching taste of a bitter reality.

If you get the chance, get into a Half Nelson. It is a taste of American life so distant from Hollywood glitz, that has become increasingly rare, and precious.

Rating: 4.0/5

Written by Christopher See

Kiwi!

I just believe everyone must watch this. Its absolutely brilliant. Its such a short clip, and its so simple, but the message itself is so powerful. It shows the true meaning of 'less means more'. The music itself is inspired.

There's nothing else I can say, just watch it.

Click here for any questions.

Great Movies: Forest Gump

Some movies are priceless over time, and some movies will always be remembered - regardless of how simple, or upbeat the movie is. Forest Gump falls into those two categories. I've probably watched this movie about 15 times now, and for me, it gets better every time. There has never been a moment where I've not had an urge to look at my DVDs and think 'maybe I'll watch Forest Gump'.

But why is this such a classic to me? Is it the perseverance of this character that strikes me? Maybe. Is it the innocence of Forest? Maybe. Is it the feel good factor of the movie? Maybe. Its probably all of those reasons - there's never a real main theme about this movie, and its generally all about the journey of one man.

The movie opens with a shot of a little feather floating in the air. We all begin to wonder - where will it land? Or will it continue floating? It eventually lands on a man - he strikes you as someone who is oblivious to everything that is going around him, but nevertheless he notices the feather, picks it up from his shoulder, and places it in its scrapbook. A lady comes along, and we then discover that they are both at a bus stop. He then begins to tell her about his life story, and what a life story it is.

The beginning scenes in this movie already summarises Forest as a character, in fact it most probably summarises the whole movie. Sitting there, he gives us a portrayal of his innocence - we slowly grow onto him.



He tells the lady his life story - everything from his birth to his first day of school, how he went to college, joined the army, and participated in nearly every American event in the last half century. Yet throughout it all, he's never too bothered about what's going on - he only cares about those around him; Jenny (played by Robin Wright Penn), Lt. Dan (played by Gary Sinise), Bubba (played by Mykelti Williamson) and his mother (played by Sally Field).

This man has gone through so much that it is unreal. But why are we so fascinated by his story? Why do we care? We care because this man is not very smart, so he can only compensate by following his own heart. Jenny epitomises what we all do - always thinking too much. He is different. He has a certain innocence and ignorance about him that makes us laugh at him at times, but also appreciate him that little bit more.

The acting performances here are superb. Tom Hanks undoubtedly stands out the most here, and he truly deserves the Oscar he won for this. It is already difficult enough by itself to play a dumb man, but it is even harder to play one with heart. I first watched this when I was 7, and at the time, I was fully convinced that Tom Hanks him self was actually a retarded person! That itself for me is a testimony as to how well he has done here.

Robert Zemeckis deserves some credit here for making the transitions between each event flawless. The pace of the movie is done perfectly - it does not seem rushed, and neither does it seem much too slow.

Forest Gump is a story about the journey of one man during time. The feather in the beginning and at the end of the movie is significant as to how we float in and out of events in our lives, and how we never truly grasp it. Like the feather, we wait upon the wind to push us through time. We can never expect what is going to happen next. We can only just live through it and then sit back and look upon it and think on what we have done. Like Forest says, 'Life is like a box of Chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get next.'

Rating: 4.7/5

Written by Kevin Lau

Good Night, and Good Luck.

Is there really any such thing as unbiased reporting? Do reporters really take all facts into consideration - or do they choose to neglect some and to take facts that will support their case? Are they selective on the images they screen on the television? Good Night, and Good Luck has this underlying theme throughout, and it makes for a compelling argument.

In this movie, directed by George Clooney, it aims to explore the television series done by Edward Murrow (played masterfully by David Strathairn), in which he criticises and reports about the true nature of Senator Joseph McCarthy during the 'Communist Witch Hunt' in the 50s. Murrow, as hard as he tries to only report only the news, he finds himself defending himself as Senator McCarthy begins a series of character attacks on Murrow.

There is so much to discuss about in this movie, there is so much which is political that should be discussed. But in my preference, I'd rather not discuss those issues - they can be left for a more informal conversation, and in many ways it would make this review more about my political ideals rather than about the movie itself.

Back to the question at the start - Is there really any such thing as unbiased reporting? I think this movie answers that clearly in saying there isn't - but nevertheless, its still important for reporters to come out with stories regardless how biased it is. Had Edward Murrow not stuck with his ideals, he would have not exposed Senator McCarthy as the bully he is. The only flaw in Murrow is that he fails to see that he himself is not fair to McCarthy, and to me the most compelling question that was asked to him during the movie was this 'When Senator McCarthy convicted Alger Hiss of Purgatory rather than Treason, why didn't you bring that up? We all censor what we want to hear'.

What George Clooney has done so well here is that he has not taken the easy route and shown McCarthy as this huge monster. Instead he tries to balance it out, show that there are flaws on both sides. Murrow as impressive as he is has his own flaws - he only wants to hear what he deems right. McCarthy's flaws are obvious - he has bullied people until they've become timid, and unwilling to express their own opinions.

The story of the Wershbas (Joe and Shirley, played by Robert Downing Jr. and Patricia Clarkson), represents what McCarthyism has done to people. The company has a policy of not employing married couples, but they are married, and they are afraid of revealing it. The same goes for any communist at the time - they will not reveal themselves, they were much too scared to do so.

The screenplay in this movie is fantastic. I loved how Clooney uses adverts as his transitions. It allows us to remind ourselves that we in the thick of the broadcasting world, in where decisions on what is aired must be considered carefully first. Every other shot is in the CBS building itself, and it allows us to feel as if we're part of their world.

The movie has many great messages - the importance of courageous reporting, the importance of expressing our own opinions. But to me, what stood out the most was that we all censor then and now. It just depends what we choose to do so. There is none among us that actually looks at the world in a 'fair' manner.

Rating: 3.9/5

Written by Kevin Lau

TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

I distinctively remember loving this show when I was about 5-6 years old, and till this day, I've been constantly reminded by my mum that I was overly obsessed with this show. When I went to watch this movie, I have to be honest, I had already forgotten the characters, and the main storyline behind it. So I was hoping this movie would help me remind myself what they were, but all it did was to wonder how anyone could make a movie of such a horrible standard after we've recently been treated with many great superhero movies.

I think the main fault of the movie is to rely on the fact that everyone has either:

1) watched the previous movie or
2) followed the series till now

and by playing on those assumptions, the movie fails terribly. I have no idea how these four turtles and a rat came into being, and yes, it should be my duty to find out, but to be honest, it would be great if they had done something like Batman Begins to serve as a reminder as to how they came about.

The story begins with the four turtles now trying to live their own lives, and reminiscing about their pasts - Leonardo, who's still completing his training, Rafael ,who still wants to protect the city from crime, hence taking a night job as the 'night watcher', Michealangelo who works as a part entertainer, and Donatello, who works as a IT phone helpline. They then reunite after several years to defeat a bunch of monsters, who apparently appeared due to a curse that was put upon a warrior-king whose intention was to become immortal. It was one of those stories that you would put in any other children's movie.

The difference about this and just any other children's movie, is that this movie lacks a lot of depth and also any twists, and it is beyond believable. Yes, there are arguments that if you were an 8 year old kid, you might just believe it, but please, there are scenes in this which honestly insult even a little kid's intelligence. How would one not know that the 'night watcher' is indeed Rafael? How predictable is the end scene?

And back to my point earlier - the movie doesn't introduce you to the characters, it leaves a lot to interpretation. It assumes you know everything there is to know about these turtles, and because of that, the movie is very choppy, and it lacks any cohesion whatsoever.

I must admit though, the CG in the film is pretty decent, tho in many of these films nowadays, it has not become such a normal thing, that the only thing we should really look into is the content - and that is what this movie lacks entirely.

It is a half decent movie for kids, it is a sublimely poor movie for adults, and overall, I would not recommend it to anyone in the near future.

Note: The cinema I was in, people were actually laughing at the movie rather than at the jokes they were making

Rating: 2.1/5

Written by Kevin Lau

300

There are many ways you can view this movie - you can view it from the standpoint I've been trying to view movies like this for ages, trying to compare it with modern scripts. You can also view it from an angle where you demand less from the characters, you only expect it to be massacre after massacre, and all about 'inspirational' speeches, and how everyone is more than hyped up to go to war. I'll try my best to implement all the standpoints.

300 is based on the Battle of Thermopylae, where 300 Spartan men, led by their King, Leonidas, go to battle against the invading Persian army. The movie is essentially all about the battle, and the way these men approach the battle. They have no fear, they never surrender and they only ever fight for honour. The movie has extremely graphic scenes, where there are endless killing scenes.

In all honesty, after watching the movie, I was left slightly unimpressed by the script. It was filled with one speech after another, and there was no in-between dialogue. Each character goes on and on about the joy of killing, and fighting for their country, and the characters in effect were very one-dimensional.

But after reading up on the history of it all, and looking back on it, maybe the script wasn't so badly written after all.

We must try to accept that the story the movie is trying to tell here is the battle itself, everything else is irrelevant. Put aside what really is Spartan culture, what led them to do the things they do, and all the movie is trying to tell us is that this battle occurred, and how the men felt on the day. And in all honesty, its almost a fair representation of the actual event. How many of us would actually dare to show any weaknesses during a battle or war? How many of us would actually feel subdued? There will be that adrenaline rush through us, and the movie does exactly that. So maybe the what this film has done is probably right. It has actually set the mood of the whole battle.

The special effects in this movie is brilliant. The use of a saturated colour to make the film makes it more believable than if it were made in a naturalistic colour in which it would probably make things look rather comical. Case and point here would be Troy, in which the battle scenes look absolutely ridiculous, and look extremely silly at one point where everyone is just charging at each other - in 300, there is a certain purposefulness about the battles.

The movie might not be the best movie ever made, but it is certainly an eye opener. Its one of the better all-out-old-age-war-movies made, but for me it lacks that certain depth about it that makes you feel as if you're in these men's shoes during battle. Rather, you it from a more 3rd party view, where you think 'why are these men so crazy?'. But nevertheless, it is a rather decent movie despite what many might say.

Rating: 3.7/5

Written by Kevin Lau

Spirited Away

I will start of by saying that I don't watch Animes. (I've only watched one series, and that was SlamDunk!) I never found any reason for me to invest a huge amount of time into them - they last for over 100 episodes! That said, Spirited Away is truly an amazing movie.

It is in some ways like Alice in Wonderland, and it brings us into a fantasy world of creatures and monsters of many types. I do understand that most animes do this, but to have a movie (which is around 2 hours long), tell a story, and describe this entire world to us, is truly amazing. For 2 hours, I felt that I was sucked into a world that was created by Miyazaki, and like Chihiro at the end, I did not want to leave it.

Spirited Away is about a 10 year old girl, Chihiro, who is moving to a new place. Along the way, her father, stumbles across a temple like building, and they find a tunnel, in which at the end of it they find a village of its own. Her father mentions that the place is probably an 'abandoned theme park' and it was closed down due to the 'bad economy'. Her parents find an open air restaurant filled with food but no customers and no workers. They dig in, but Chihiro refuses to join them, and hence explores the place. As night falls, she meets a mysterious Haku, who offers to help her. She later finds out that her parents have turn into pigs, and she must find a way to break the spell. Along the way, she meets all different types of creatures, and that is what the beauty of the movie is.

For me, I must admit, that I do sound like an 8 year old child being extremely fascinated by the creatures and monsters available in the film. I know there will be arguments that there are other Animes, that provide more complex villains, monsters, creatures, but the simplicity of the creatures in this movie still amazes me. The key thing about this movie is like I said above - in 2 hours, you get sucked into this world, and you never want to leave it.

However, there is a deeper meaning behind the creatures, and the fantasy world that Mayazaki's created.

There is an underlying theme about the innocence of a child, and how we should never lose it. In the movie, Haku is unable to remember his real name, but he tells Chihiro to always remember hers - but why? He gives the reason that its because Yubaba controls her by stealing her name. There is an important analogy in this - many of us, as we grow older, and complicate our lives with decisions that are selfish, and made out of greed (as it is with the workers in the Bathhouse), tend to forget our childhood innocence. Chihiro, in the film makes decision on what she deems morally right. She does not look at it from the aspect of money, nor selfishness, but rather on what would make her help the world become a better place. She helps the 'River Spirit' out of sheer kindness - she does not take into consideration the effort, nor the reward she might get out of it.

That is the whole theme of the movie. There are many others - like love, taking care of the state of our environment, but this to me is the most important. Its about how, many of us in many ways, believe our life is so complex, but we forget that when we look through a child's eyes, it isn't. We just choose to make it that way.

Spirited Away is truly an amazing film. It looks like a children's film from the surface, but there's more to it than many of us will see. It is truly one of the best animated films I've seen.

Rating: 4.5/5

Written by Kevin Lau

Venus

Relationships can be based on almost anything, whether its based on love, friendship, or work. It can be between people of different kinds, different races, different ages. This movie is essentially about the relationship between Maurice Russell (Peter O'Toole) and Jessie (Jodie Whittaker). Maurice is an old man reaching towards the end of his life, who is enchanted by his friend's (Ian (Leslie Phillips)) niece's daughter. Together they share a relationship, which seems more sexual than not. (When I say sexual, don't worry, I only mean to very certain limits. No kissing or more involved)

When the movie starts, we learn that Maurice and his friends are actors, who have lived pass their glory days. Maurice still acts, but only bit roles, such as in one scene, he is seen acting the role of a 'corpse' in which his wife (Valerie, played by Vanessa Redgrave) believes he is being 'type-casted'. He is then acquainted with Ian's niece's daughter, Jessie, where he is blown away by her beauty, and he considers her as a Goddess (Venus in particular). A friendship (in some ways) builds but its not a personal one, as both have completely different characters - Jessie is rude, lazy, and spends half her time eating and sleeping whereas Maurice is in some ways less conservative than his friends, but still nevertheless rather old fashioned.

For me, this movie is about the relationship between Jessie and Maurice. Although at times there might be complaints of it being slightly perverted, I do feel that in some ways, for this movie to be unique, and for it to work, it has to be about Maurice's sexual nature. Its because of this, we can see more of what Maurice is, an old man who wants to relive his younger days before he finally passes.

*MIGHT BE A SPOILER HERE. DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW!*
There is an absolutely beautiful scene at the end of the movie, where Maurice and Jessie are seating by the beach, and he then passes away after seeing the ocean. It was a wonderful way of telling us that he has fulfilled his final wish (to relive his younger days), and he can now leave with peace.
*END OF SPOILER*

The acting performances in this movie are world class. Peter O'Toole thoroughly deserves his Oscar nomination for this movie, and its amazing how at his age, he's still able to produce a performance of this standard. Its truly incredible. Jodie Whittaker, a newcomer in this movie, also puts in a brilliant performance. A notable mention might be Leslie Phillips who I thought in many ways was extremely hilarious in the way he portrayed the over-conservative Ian.

This movie is truly a gem. The only pity would probably be that not as much marketing was done for this movie compared to the other Oscar nominated movies, but nevertheless, I'm happy to spread the word about it. Its an amazing movie, full of wit and charm.

Rating: 4.3/5

Written by Kevin Lau

Across the Harbour, Towards the Sun

I must start of by saying that I might show a sense of bias towards this review, as firstly, I'm not very keen on medicinal stuff - I'm only interested in certain things, and Chinese medicine is not necessarily one of them, but something I've just thought about then and now. Secondly, a friend made this movie, so there will be a hint of bias, but nevertheless, I will be as objective as I can.

Across the Harbour, Towards the Sun is a documentary made by Christopher See Yew Hong (a 5th year medic, Trinity College student), which talks about Chinese medicine and it gives us an insight as to how it is slowly being acknowledged as a common practice and proven way of healing certain illnesses. The movie looks at certain aspects of Chinese medicine, for e.g. Acupuncture, 'Cupping', etc, and shows how it can be used for common illnesses that people suffer from everyday.

The documentary is fascinating and informative in some ways - it gives us a slight insight of the methods used in Chinese medicine. And when I say a slight, I mean only a slight insight. And this perhaps to me, is probably the shortfall of this movie. Yew Hong in some ways fails to gets into any detail about any of the methods used. We never really go any deeper than the surface of the water in this documentary, and I honestly felt that he could have either made the documentary longer, or he could have just focused on one aspect of Chinese medicine with such a short running time.

Another flaw with the movie would have to be the certain discontinuity in certain parts of the film. There is a part in the film, where he tries to show that because China is growing very strongly as an economic power, Chinese medicine is slowly becoming more and more recognised around the world. As a friend, I understand the point he's making, but I do fear to a neutral, they might not see any relation between those two aspects.

But aside from its shortfalls, this documentary has its good moments. It allows us to see Chinese medicine from a Westerner's point of view, rather than a Chinese one. It is very easy to make a documentary about Chinese medicine from a Chinese point of view - it is easy to say that they appreciate it, etc, but what is much harder, is to start the documentary from a point where we, like the narrator, doubt the usage of Chinese medicine, then eventually build our confidence in using these techniques. I, as a Chinese, definitely believe in the usage of Chinese medicine, but subconciously during this movie, I followed the feelings of the narrator. In some sense, the documentary made us feel rather enlightened.

Overall, the documentary is a decent attempt - more improvements can be made. I must however appreciate how hard it is to make a documentary of even this standard. As I sat there and watched it, I felt inclined to criticise some aspects of it, however, it is easier for me to empathise with my friend, and I realised that it is not easy to do what he has done with this movie. With that said, without criticisms, the human race will lack any improvement or progression at all.

Rating: 2.9/5

Written by Kevin Lau

Note: Copies of this documentary can be requested from Christopher See Yew Hong (Hermes e-mail: cyhs2)

Apocalypto

I liked this movie tremendously. I think I'll probably get a lot of flak from most people (especially girls), who will say I am sadistic, but I will tell you this - this movie is not about finding enjoyment in the brutalness of the whole movie, but rather the detail, and thought, and research put in it. Mel Gibson is starting to prove to many that he is the master of detail, and it really shows in this movie (though there have been criticisms that this movie is not necessarily culturally accurate), but its the little aspects of the village, the normal things that people do everyday that he gets so right in this movie. Admire the scene when the captives are walking through the Aztec city - you'll never probably ever get to see that again in any other movie. The detail is superb, its a wonder how he manages film a movie of this scale.

The story is extremely simple - its about a man, whose entire village is destroyed by a group of warriors, and the villagers are held captive and sold as slaves, or used as human sacrifices in the Aztec city. During the invasion, this man (Jaguar Paw, played by Rudy Youngblood) hides his family in a deep well, and he then promises his family that he'll return. He escapes from the warriors, and then goes a long chasing scene of where he manages to hold back each warrior in many inventive ways.

I was watching this movie with Thian Rui, who's a medic, and during the human sacrifices, I noticed that after the heart was taken out by the high priest, the body of the sacrifice still moved. (Please forgive my ignorance here) I asked Thian Rui if this was right, as in most movies I have watched, where people's hearts are taken out physically, they die straight away. Thian Rui said that the movie portrayed the whole sacrifice correctly, and it was after that, that I was extremely impressed by how even that small detail, is taken care of.

This movie is nowhere near for kids, its meant for adults, adults who can handle graphic detail. Its given a rating of 18, I have a feeling that that is probably a borderline rating. One more gory scene (like the human sacrifices), and it would have probably been banned.

Just on a last note, I do believe that Mel Gibson is going to be the Stanley Kubrick of our time. Kubrick was the master of detail - Mel Gibson is slowly becoming that, though perhaps not quite in the same genre. I would like to see Mel Gibson try something less gory the next time around, to test out his other skills, but the way I see it, I do feel we should get ready for another gore fest.

This movie is interesting to say the least, but I liked it tremendously. I will have no qualms about watching it again.

Rating: 4.4/5

Written by Kevin Lau

Best Movies of 2006: A Prairie Home Companion

This movie is not easy to appreciate. I'll accept that. It doesn't have a plot, hence it means there is no twist, no suprises, no happy endings. It doesn't have something obvious for people to pay attention to. This movie is about a radio show that is on its last show, and how each character reacts to it, and it emits a feeling of nostalgia.

A Prairie Home Companion was a radio show a decade or two back and it was an extremely popular show. This movie aims to make us remember the show (if any of us have actually heard it on the radio!), and it does more than that for me. I've never heard of the show, but that doesn't deter me from saying that movie was definitely one of the best I've seen this year.

What this movie does so well is to keep it simple. It doesn't try to over-complicate characters, it just allows the characters to talk about their moments, the things they remember about the show. Yolanda Johnson (played by Meryl Streep) and her sister Rhonda (played by Lily Tomlin), talk about the times they sang together, and about how their 'mama' was their inspiration. The conversation between them makes you feel as if you've lived their life before, and it gives you a very warm feeling in your heart.

To me, the biggest highlight of this movie has to be the performance of Garrison Keillor who plays himself. There's not much acting there, but he's entertaining, witty, charming. He is the host of the show, he personifies the whole show.

The 'Dangerous Woman' (played by Virginia Madsen) in this movie talks to everyone who is involved in the show, and to me, it is a brilliant technique used by Robert Altman to try to get to know how the characters feel about the show being closed down. She then makes a last minute appeal to the person responsible in putting the show to bed, the Axeman (played by Tommy Lee Jones):

Dangerous Woman: When I listened to these people it was like they were my family.
Axeman: But something else happened didn't it?
Dangerous Woman: Yes.
Axeman: I'm that something else.

This movie like I said is not the easiest to appreciate, because it lacks a distinctive plot. It is not easy to describe either, hence this review might be very choppy at parts. But to sum it up, the movie is witty, its charming, its smart. Its all about the show, and at the end of the day, you leave with a warm feeling in your heart, and it just makes you smile.

Oh yes, here's a nice quote, for you all:

Garrison Keillor: We come from people who brought us up to believe that life is a struggle, and if you should feel really happy, be patient: this will pass.

Rating: 4.5/5

Written by Kevin Lau