MOVIE REVIEW: THE OTHER WOMAN (2014)

“THE OTHER WOMAN” PRESS REVIEW

You can brand this as a woman’s story or a chick flick, but this one begs to take you one step further.

In life, despite whatever complacencies you may have, the unexpected always happens.

Just when you think you are going to have an unmarried life of conjugal bliss, this one explores the grim subject of unfaithful spouses with devious roving eyes. Female included, of course.

Question is, when you discover your faithful boyfriend/husband Mark King (Nikolaj Coster Waldau) is cheating on you big time, what would you do?

The story ambles along like this:

One horrible day, upon discovering her boyfriend is not single but is legally married, a tough cookie Carly (Cameron Diaz) is forced to get her love life back on track. She does not want to be a third party.

Then she accidentally stumbles upon the pretty, but mad-as-a-hatter wife called Kate (Leslie Mann) and the most unlikely thing happens.

Both of them have so much in common and become bosom buddies.

That is to say, her sworn enemy is now her greatest friend.

When another affair is uncovered, this time with a boobsy airhead called Amber (Kate Upton), all three women swear to exact their revenge on their cheating paramor. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, eh?

But of course, there are a whole lot more female sexual hopefuls on the line-up.

No, this is certainly not a very original plot, this comedy bowls us due to the camaraderie among the female leads.

Most refreshingly is, this is a film about women teaming up, rather than tearing at one another.

Inhale, it is a breath of fresh air. 

Infidelity is a hurtful element, and despite whatever funny escapades, this one has a stern reminder.

There are ridiculous moments such as Kate’s humongous dog takes a humongous dump on Carly’s expensive hardwood floor.

And another where Carly slips a laxative in Mark’s drink so that he has a farty bathroom accident in a plush restaurant.

Then Kate puts feminine hormones in his morning smoothie, causing him to grow breasts.

 This is a movie you either love or loathe.

As for this Reviewer, he finds the narrative refreshing after a heavy diet of CGI movies and sneering demons flicks that have been inundating the cinemas since the beginning of this year.

You make  your choice.

RATING: 3 out of 5

THE OTHER WOMAN (FOX)Local Release: 1^st May 2014

Director: Nick Cassavetes
Written by: Melissa Stack
Producers: Donal J. Lee Jr. & Julie Yorn
Cast: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton, Nicki Minaj & Don Johnson

Genre: Comedy

Distributed by : 20th Century Fox & Fox Malaysia

MUSIC VIDEO PRESENTATION : SUATU MALAM KUBUR BERASAP 2

“SUATU MALAM KUBUR PERASAP 2″ 

(One Foggy Night at the Graveyard)

It is fright night when the SPOOKS come a-calling on JUNE 12th, 2014

Director ERNIE CHEN urges:

“WE NEED YOUR BLESSINGS TO ACHIEVE our target of RM 8 MILLION RINGGIT this time round.”

 CAMARADERIE with ERNIE CHEN and CAST

Music Composer  ALAN THOO  is beaming. But of course, it’s his Birthday today.

 FUN TIME BANTER FOR EVERYONE ,including THE PRESS

 THIS  HORROR COMEDY tickles you pink with ALL KINDS OF SPOOKS.

SCREAM!

 “Pose-for-the-Camera” for THE DIRECTOR AND  CAST

 All smiles for THE TALENTED SINGERS in this MTV PRESENTATION

I’d like to thank LAILI ZANARIAH from GSC MOVIES for inviting me to this perky MTV presentation on 17th April, 2014 at KL Sogo.

The fun affair was to promote a Malaysian movie called SUATU MALAM KUBUR BERASAP 2 (“One Foggy Night at the Graveyeard”) directed by ERNIE CHEN.

The original version was released in December 2011 and it raked in an impressive RM 4 million, whereupon ERNIE CHEN decided  on the  bright idea of a sequel. New song, new story and  new cast.

It is set to hit the local screens on 12th June. 

So watch out!

The filming of the movie took 16 days and it was completely done at Sabak Bernam, Selangor at a production budget of RM 1.5 Million.

The MV was also shot on the same location. ALAN THOO is the songwriter.

Yes, there is a SUATU MALAM KUBUR BERASAP 3 in the pipeline, the third time around.

Pre-production will start in May.

More blessings, folks.

Stay tuned.

MOVIE REVIEW: “THAT DEMON WITHIN” 魔警

 “THAT DEMON WITHIN” 魔警

PRESS REVIEW

 “That Demon Within” packs in a punchful of shocks:

It is an artful blend of crime thrills and psycho horrors and (surprise) …Daniel Wu plays the ultimate tortuous hunk battling between bouts of schizophrenia and reality.

Daniel delves further into this Neo Noir actioner with a stoned glaze that’s bound to send shivers down your spine.

“Who’s the victim and who’s the hero and the motive for the killings” will be left entirely to your imagination.

The plot twists are aplenty. You have to seek out the red herrings. You have to concentrate to stay within the plot.

However, this film has the dressing of a psychodrama, much less an action thriller.

 Initially the focus is on Hon Kong (Nick Cheung), a ruthless Demon King masked gang leader, but in a grisly failed diamond heist shoot-out, he staggers half-dead into a hospital  to fight for his life. He is given a blood donation by security cop Dave Wong (Daniel Wu) who is clueless that he is a robber.

The focus peremptorily shifts over to the latter, a listless demented “zombie” acted brilliantly by Daniel Wu.

We soon learn that he harbors the secret of an unhappy past, of a loveless upbringing under his cruel father,and of a caring relationship with his granny. But what we fail to learn is whether Dave and Hon blended personalities during the initial blood transfusion.

There are confusing and conflicting issues as the movie progresses and the film director opens the gap for the viewer to imagine.

This one is a shocking and expertly made thriller by DANTE LAM. There are plenty of his trademark shoot-outs and explosions.

I like the movie poster showing a close up of Hon Kong (Nick Cheung) with a sneering smile. (smirk)

But the one who overpowers in this film is Dave Wong (Daniel Wu) and this may be his best acting role to date.

Don’t miss it!

RATING: 4 out of 5

MOVIE REVIEW: THE QUIET ONES

 IN CINEMAS on 24th APRIL, 2014

“THE QUIET ONES” MOVIE REVIEW

Both as a bloody “old-school” shocker as well as an elaborately crafted thriller, this movie delivers the goods. It’s safe to classify this as interesting entertainment.

Kudos to the production team who had brought us the nerve-racking “The Woman In Black” and “Let Me In” a long way back. They were tales of the macabre and of retro horror.

“The Quiet Ones” proves to be a lot more grim.

 Impeccably stylized after the vintage scare movies of the 1970s, this is the latest “keep-you-on-edge” offering from Hammer’s.

The oft din and clang of creaky movements that breaks the silence of a haunted-house and the exorcism tropes positioned at every corner are enough to spew surprises most foul.

As well as a delver into the found-footage verite which is an absorbing exercise to heighten the thrills and spins.

There is nothing original about this genre of spooks as the theme is well-worn and had been done to death.

But it is the director’s treatment, as in any good feature that will keep us glued to the silver screen.

The film claims that the plot was inspired by true events (don’t they say that with every horror story)?

It stars Jared Harris (Mad Men and Sherlock Homes: A Game of Shadows), Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) and Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel).

The film director is John Pogue who follow closely a screenplay by Tom de Ville.

The synopsis:

Tucked away in an estate outside of London, Professor Coupland (Jared Harris) along with a team of eager university students conduct an “experiment” on Jane Harper, a willing young girl who harbors bizarre fears of herself being “taken” by a poltergeist.

Nobody in the team can fathom the dark forces that lurk within her, threatening to erupt any moment.

Oxford, 1970s.

Here student Brian McNeil (Sam Claflin) attends the class of one professor (Jared Harris) argues his disdain of ghosts. 

He decides to uncover more about the planned experiment and was ultimately invited to film the entire experimental process.

He is soon to discover the real persona of Coupland.

His two assistants Krissi (Erin Richards) and Harry (Rory Fleck-Byrne) are having sexual trysts.

The apparent patient, a consenting innocent looking girl called Jane Harper (Olivia Cooke) is a morbid young thing who cannot shrug off the stigma of her past. She has devilish symbols appearing on her skin.

 Jane locks herself in a room to indulge in her “victimized” traumas, with loud rock music blasting away.

Whatever the case and after a disturbing initial encounter with her, Brian is frightened, but intrigued. He is falling in love with the “victim” and wants to protect her. Hence the complications.

The director keeps the going tense and atmospheric for the film’s first hour.

He then eases into an ending that’s a little more like a Hollywood standard.

The audience will be glad to  cut him some slack as he is the “knight in the shining armor”. Alas!

Harrowing? Bloody? Giving you nightmares?

Much will depend on the type of person you are.

RATING: 3 out of 5

MOVIE REVIEW: "ICEMAN" 2014 (HONG KONG) (冰封俠: 重生之門)

“THE ICE-MAN” 2014 (HONG KONG) MOVIE REVIEW

冰封俠: 重生之門

It is an overdue production that should have been wrapped up a year ago. Here are the reasons for the massive delay:

Filming commenced on 19th December 2012 in Hong Kong with an initial budget of HK $100 million.

Technical and location problems plagued the entire cast and crew.

Progress was further hampered when the Hong Kong government rejected the use of Tsing Ma Bridge as a principal location.

Thereupon a massive amount of  HK$ 50 million had to be spent to erect an imitation life-like set of the Tsing Ma Bridge.

Shooting shuttled between Hong Kong and Beijing. 

In the end, HK $200 million was spent in total, an incredible amount for any film.

It is apt to say that little known director Law Wing-Cheong helmed this  martial arts fantasy re-make with an  enormous budget (starting from HK 100 million, but finishing at a whopping HK 200 million.)

Was the money well spent?

The plot is as silly as you can get. He Ying (Donnie Yen) and his sworn brothers Sao (Wang Baoqiang) and Niehu (Kang Yu) are accused of collaborating with the Japanese pirates in year 1621.

They flee for dear lives but end up being frozen in ice when an avalanche engulfs them for 400 years.

When they wake up from their deep “slumber” they find themselves roaming aimlessly along the streets in  modern-day Hong Kong. Suspend your disbelief, please.

While Sao and Niehu try to track down their sworn brother He Ying, little do they know that He Ying has gotten accustomed to the depressive city life.

He also befriends a pretty nightclub hostess called May (Huang Shengyi) whose intention is to fleece him of whatever wealth he may seem to possess.

Meanwhile, corrupted Police Commissioner Cheung (Simon Yam) together with a more corrupted politician Tang (Lam Suet) are working hand-in-glove to recapture the three frozen Ming Dynasty warriors for the purpose of selling them to the North Koreans as human exhibits.

Practically everyone: the good,  bad and ugly are here, all also locating a powerful Indian device called “Golden Wheel of Time”, which has the ability to propel people through time

And we get this cat-and-mouse movie that could have been done a lot better.

What happened?

No thanks to a ridiculously patchy script, notwithstanding abrupt shifts in mood and tone that dampen the overall “feel” of the movie.

Bad-taste “shooting pees” are graphically shown, as with scenes showing Donnie Yen “breaking wind” to smashing the toilet bowl whilst he is taking a dump with poop spewing helter-skelter.

The star power of Yen (also the film’s action director) will definitely attract domestic and international audiences but “Ice Man” is an ancient-modern comedy that begs not to be taken seriously.

The first part is screening now, and the second conclusive part will hit the screen before end of the year.

Director Law Wing-Cheong, who often worked with Johnnie To as an associate director, is clearly out of his league when comes to handle such a colossal project as the sole director. 

As for Donnie Yen being the action director here, it’s surprising that much of his fight choreography lacks the finesse we often seen in his past efforts.

 The only notable action scene is the film finale, where Donnie Yen tackles his opponents at the Tsing Ma Bridge.

Hopefully part 2 will be better.

RATING: 2.5 out of 5

 

MOVIE REVIEW: "TOKAREV" (2014)

His kidnapped daughter has been slain.

Watch a gamut of heart-rendering emotions here:

Sorrow, anguish, pain and hatred all rolled into one.

“TOKAREV” (2014) PRESS REVIEW

When the Russian mob kidnaps the daughter of a reformed criminal lord (Nicholas Cage), he rallies two of  his most trusted cronies and indulges in his own brand of justice.

Then he received some bad news about his kidnapped daughter.

She’s been brutally slain.

Now he switches gear and goes on a rampant murderous streak with a heart full of hatred and rage.

Payback is foremost on his mind.

 Spanish-filmmaker Paco Cabezas directs this film.

Cage’s career has endured peaks and falls in recent years, like most other actors. Seasons come, seasons go.

Known as an action star akin to Liam Neeson, he has achieved accolades as well as brickbats.

So there!

Catch the still photos as well as the movie trailer provided here.

Study Cage’s facial expressions.

An expression tells a million tales. Be your own judge.

This would be enough to induce you to step into the cinema to watch this violent movie.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

MOVIE REVIEW: THE WIND RISES (JAPANESE ANIMATION FEATURE FILM)

“THE WIND RISES”

JAPANESE ANIMATION MOVIE REVIEW

It’s mushy, this animation film, to be devoutly honest.

It makes you want to reach for your hankie to brush away a tear or two.

The flow is lilting, it touches your heart, and is oh-so-sublimal.

 “THE WIND RISES” is a huge departure project for ace Japanese animation guru HAYAO MIYAZAKI.

He is bidding us “sayonara”, chum. And we gonna miss his works.

 HAYAO  MIYAZAKI has dressed his swan song with fantastic surrealism as one would expect from him.

“THE WIND RISES” is in part, a historical extravaganza, set in the first half of the 20^th century and based on the life and love of Japanese aircraft engineer JIRO HORIKOSHI.

 Let us run through the short synopsis:

 Jiro aspires to fly and design beautiful airplanes.

He is inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni.

But Jiro is shortsighted at a young age and therefore does not qualify to be a pilot.

Thereupon he joins a major Japanese engineering company in 1927 and grew to become one of the world’s most innovative airplane designers.

No, “THE WIND RISES”  is not about the harsh realities of war. It bears an indelible imprint of valentine to the creative spirit.

The lead character is Jiro Horikoshi (voiced by JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT), the airplane designer whose creations were employed during World War II ( including, ironically, those which attacked Pearl Harbor).

Yes, we are mindful of war hovering around the edges, but the primary focus is showing how this young man tackles his aviation aspirations, despite the myriad of odds stacked against him.

“Nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself” and “never say die in life “are valuable lessons we should learn from here.

The love of his sweetheart Nahoko (EMILY BLUNT) spurs him on. Love conquers everything.

As well as his imaginary conversations with the famous Italian aircraft designer Giovanni Caproni ( STANLEY TUCCI).

This film ushers in a boisterous surge of positivism among us.

It is one soaring big-hearted delight.

Rally your family and friends to watch “THE WIND RISES” if you can.

You won’t regret the decision.

Rating: 4 out of 5