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