POSTER OF A HAPPY FAMILY MARRED BY ONE BAD INCIDENT AFTER ANOTHER.
STAYING HAPPILY MARRIED is a QUESTION of FAITH and FIDELITY.
PLEASE DON’T MAIM ME ….. DON’T!
FAMILY TOGETHERNESS really MATTERS.
We’ll ALWAYS be rooting for YOU, Child.
LEAD ACTOR FARID KAMIL ANSWERS A BARRAGE OF PRESS QUESTIONS.
“NO, MAYA KARIN isn’t here today as she is unwell.”
CONFERENCE PHOTOS Kind Courtesy of NICK LIM, GSC MOVIES.
Film Director SHARAD SHARAN poses with his happy Ensemble Cast.
” LAGENDA BUDAK SETAN 3 : KASYAH ” (2014)
Malaysian Movie Review
Some time ago, in late November 2011, during the media screening of Ombak Rindu, I perchance met SHARAD SHARAN who was then the producer for that particular film.
Curiosity made me ask SHARAD “Do you have plans to direct a good, solid piece of Asian movie extolling family values in the near future?”
“Soon!” came his swift reply.
And in less than 2 .5 years down the road, he is now the film director of the successful “LAGENDA BUDAK SETAN” trilogy.
No, I have not seen part 1 and 2, so my FILM REVIEW of part 3 stands strictly on its own merits.
Here’s my REVIEW :
I did read somewhere about human pains. We have all gone through different kinds of pains at some point in our lives.
The greatest pain should be that of unrequited love.
A person can live for love. Or die from Love.
To be so in love is heavenly bliss. To be rejected is living hell.
This is the basis of “LAGENDA BUDAK SETAN” the Movie.
I can comprehend the physical abuse and mental torture that one gotten from unrequited love, wife battery and assault. The experience can be terrifying.
“LAGENDA BUDAK SETAN 3 : KASYAH” boldly glorifies this action.
You name it, they have it here. The domestic violence is unimaginable and shockingly brutal.
Here’s how Part 3 starts:
Pretty boy Kasyah (Farid Kamil) loses his beloved wife and daughter. He is now reduced to a guilt-stricken wreck, wallowing in self-pity.
Eventually he realizes that if he were to continue carrying his burden of pain, his family and loved ones would all be affected by his negative vibes.
So Kasyah decides to start life afresh with lovely Kate (MAYA KARIN) who has always been there for him, through thick and thin, only if he remains a one-woman’s husband.
Kashah now works as a freelance photographer to support his adopted daugher Athirah.
However his family bliss is short-lived. Kate`s insane ex-husband (Bront Palarae) now returns from the asylum to taunt her.
Meanwhile Kasyah’s old flame(Ayu Raudhah) wants him back, which adds to the family confusion incurring her jealous husband (Iqram Dinzly)’s wrath.
The physical violence he metes upon his wife serves as a severe lesson in committing adultery. It is just too stressful to watch.
“LAGENDA BUDAK SETAN 3: KASYAH” is a both haunting and a heartbreaking film with a powerful vocal soundtrack performed by Yuna.
On the whole, the film is subtly written and superbly directed.
Film director Sharad Sharan has delivered a neat and powerful piece that will astound the audience. Kudos.
Footnotes:
Lead Actor FARID KAMIL and lead actress MAYA KARIN share an affable chemistry together.
But it is the supporting ensemble cast IQRAM DINZLY, BRONT PALARAE and AYU RAUDHAH who steal the thunder from the leads.
Of all pains, the greatest pain is to love, but love in vain.
RATING: 3.5 out of 5
Local Distributor: GSC MOVIES
” THE GIVER ” (2014) MOVIE PREVIEW
Packed with suspense. Fraught with thrills. A story to touch your soul. More …..
These three superlatives will aptly describe this one heck of a sci-fic dystopian tale.
“THE GIVER” lead star isn’t Jeff Bridges who plays the Giver, nor Meryl Streep who portrays the Community’s Chief Elder.
The movie brings forth Brenton Thwaites, the new energetic actor with his many expressions of contorted pain and anguish to plays Jonas. He is the right choice.
Brenton was last seen in THE SIGNAL and his star is now shining bright.
Let’s dig deeper:
THE GIVER centers on Jonas (Brenton Thwaites), a young who-has-not-seen-the-world guy who lives in a boring world of conformity.
Inside his peaceful vicinity, he spends time with The Giver (Jeff Bridges), the sole keeper of all the community’s memories. Jonas, with his perceptive mind quickly uncovers the heinous truths of his community’s secret past.
With this new found power of knowledge, he soon realizes that the stakes are higher than he anticipates – if he chooses life, then someone else will die in place.
Jonas now knows he has to make a turnaround decision to escape from their unrealistic world. This is a challenge that many have attempted but no one has succeeded.
THE GIVER is based on Lois Lowry’s popular young adult novel of the same name, which incidentally, won the coveted 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
As Jonas, Brenton Thwaites brings fresh energy to the role of a young man who is eager but terrified by what he learns.
Katie Holmes plays Jonas’ mother, a higher-up in the Department of Justice. Her role does not demand much except to look peeved or bewildered.
Meryl Streep wears a haggard appearance as the Community’s Chief Elder. It’s not a chirpy role for sure.
To fans of the juggernauts “The Hunger Games” and the “Divergent” series, “The Giver” may not appear to be a justifiable follow-up.
The film director Phillip Noyce certainly carves a stylish piece, narrating a story that grips from the very beginning.
Absorbing entertainment, to say the least.
RATING: 3.5 out of 5
Local Distributor: GSC MOVIES
“BUT ALWAYS” the film tracks a 3-decade old love--hate relationship, a break-and-mend romance that metaphorically, sails the stormy seas with you, tagging along an emotional baggage.
It peaks and ebbs through events from a tumultuous 1972 ( in Beijing) to a modernistic 2001. (in New York).
An Ran (GAO YUAN YUAN) and Zhao Yongyuan (NICHOLAS TSE) are the protagonists in this tortuous romance.
The path of true never do run smooth, they will show you.
This is a rags-to-riches story, about a gawky hawker establishing himself from scratch to be a successful entrepreneur.
Thanks to first-time director SNOW ZOU, the film skips the beat when it comes to explanations in most parts. You are left to do the guessing yourself.
The movie focuses on the fact that, even if you have achieved greater success, endowed with all the material trappings, life would still be inadequate.
You need love to complete the equation. Yes!
“BUT ALWAYS” is a haunting touch-your-soul movie. despite artistic flaws.
The pace is emotionally uplifting with a grim reminder that LIFE CAN BE WONDERFUL, only if we allow it to be.
YES, there’s no such thing as permanence. We should live for the moment.
Living and dying is a rite of passage, a journey in this world, the very moment we are born.
And when it is time to part, everything is sweet sorrow, ripping your well-being apart.
It’s heartbreaking when it is time to bid adieu to someone who have always cared and loved you through the long years.
And who had stood by you through the test of time.
Here, I have more or less cracked the main plot of “BUT ALWAYS”.
The movie is about life, love, death and memories.
I cannot remember where I have picked up this sad poem:
” … where would you go
that i cannot follow?
for how long must i wait
until we meet again?
what would i do
in times that i miss you?
where would i go
in times when i long to see you again?
how must i spend
the nights without you?
how do i bear
each morning that you’re not there?
shall i ever smile again?
will i ever laugh again?
will i ever face the world again
knowing that im not alone?
why must you leave me?
why must i cry these tears
when you’re not here
to wipe them all away?
why must i suffer
the empty days without my beloved?
why must i dream
without you by my side?
the days shall never be the same again
i will never be the same again … “
There is a quiet serenity and beauty in death.
But alas, in “BUT ALWAYS” the film director loses his ball-bearing on a disjointed script and weak lines that somehow, tend to irk rather than endear.
The pairing of NICHOLAS TSE and GAO YUAN YUAN saves the day. They are a pleasure to watch and they justify their roles.
“BUT ALWAYS” seems modeled on a 1996 “Comrades, Almost a Love Story” which depicts two mainland Chinese migrants who attract and repulse each other on separate journeys through Hong Kong and New York.
“BUT ALWAYS” refers to screen characters Anran and Yongyuan who are fated to be together, as much as they are doomed to be apart.
You be the better judge for the rest.
This is a Bitter-Sweet ROMANCE that will stir you.
And you might CRY your HEART out the moment you leave the cinema floor.
RATING: 3.5 out of 5
Local Distributor: GSC MOVIES
“THE SIGNAL” (2014) MOVIE REVIEW
There will be those who relish this unconventional sci-fic thriller called THE SIGNAL.
For the same token, there will be many who don’t, for whatever reasons.
What gives?
Much has been hyped that the production value is only a mere USD 2 million. That is, if you are silly enough to believe.
For a Hollywood shooting budget of USD 2 million, it’s dirt cheap.
Hailed from the same industry, the stipulated amount is way below par, to produce a movie of this scale. USD 20 million should be the likely amount.
Unless the combined team of film director William Eubank, actor Laurence Fishburne, the Director-of-Photography and the post production people are willing to accept huge pay cuts. Or maybe, to work for free!
But, of course, we all know it is just an enormous advertising gimmick.
The story:
Three MIT college students (Nic, Haley, Jonah) go on a happy road trip to California with a song in the heart (holiday trip) and a vengeance (professional). They intend to confront a ” content robber” called NOMAD,who has hacked into their computer systems. They intend to defeat this computer hacker to prevent him from further damage.
The unsuspecting trio arrives at an abandoned abode in the middle of Nevada. There they had a terrifying confrontation with NOMAD.
Soon darkness prevails. So does the gloom, from this point onward.
The protagonist, a young, personable Nic (Brenton Thwaites), eventually awakes from his deep slumber.
He finds himself in a strange quarantine zone-like research facility led by a dour-faced Dr. Damon, played by Laurence Fishburne.
Nic’s girlfriend Haley (Olivia Cooke) and best friend Jonah (Beau Knapp) are nowhere to be found.
Soon he finds himself being locked up and interrogated by Dr. Wallace Damon (Laurence Fishburne).
He is a government scientist dressed in a Hazmat suit, a no-nonsense scientist who is eager to uncover information for his clinical experiments. Dr. Wallace insists on knowing about the going-on during that fateful night, at the dilapidated house.
Nic soon discovers that the 3 of them are part of a deadly scheme.They are going to be human guinea pigs for scientific examinations.
The rest of the story takes us through their helpless ordeal, of them trying to break free from this crazy institution.
It’s clear from the beginning that this film would have a twisted ending. Go guess.
NO SPOILERS from here,so as not to mar your enjoyment of the movie.
THE SIGNAL might metaphorically, shatter your senses and leave you breathless.
The movie is bloody and harrowing and is likely to give you goose pimples. For most parts, the scenes are created to heighten the chilling effect.
We empathize with the three young victims who are waiting for the slaughter.
We can imagine them assuring themselves to wake up, go home, and that everything is just a nightmarish game.
Or is it not?
RATING: 3.5 out of 5.
Local Distributor: GSC MOVIES
” The Four III – 四大名捕 III ” (2014) Movie Review.
You haven’t the faintest idea who GU LONG is? Well, that’s bad.
Avid followers of the Martial Arts or Wu Xia kingdom would surely know.
GU LONG is the glorious kingpin who kicked off the WU XIA craze way back in the 70s, his numerous scripts were bought and made into box-office blockbusters under the SHAW BROTHERS banner.
I was one of his myriad of fans. His stories have never fail to mesmerize me.
” The Four – 四大名捕” feature film trilogy is significantly “Gu-longish” in nature. You can feel his raw touch of zen and mysticism here and there. You have to watch to believe.
This Review focuses on SEQUEL THREE (finale, the deadly showdown), where there are more thrills, spins, dazzling fireworks and stupendous effects. It’s overwhelming!
This two-hour long Wuxia feature follows the exploits of the Four constables once again. The Constables are Emotionless, Iron Hands, Life Snatcher and Cold Blood.
They have pledged their martial arts skills to their leader, Master Zhuge, to solve heinous crimes and apprehend lawless criminals.
The movie is set during the reign of Emperor Huizong, during the period of the Northern Song Dynasty.
The author of this fascinating trilogy is Malaysian’s writer Woon Swee Oan.
“THE FOUR 3″ PRESS REVIEW
四大名捕 3 (2014)
The previous sequel promises a cliffhanger, so here you are, the grand finale has arrived for the melt-down.
“THE FOUR 3″ again, is everything what an intriguing thriller should be, for die-hard fans of WU XIA whodunits.
The mood-and-tone of “THE FOUR 3″ highlights a mixed bag of Asian sleuthing along the fine line of the fictional GU LONG with his imaginary stable of fantasy heroes.
The four constables are established with strange names, such as: Emotionless (Crystal Liu Yifei), Iron Hands (Collin Chou) Life Snatcher (Ronald Cheng) and ColdBlood (Deng Chao).
Each is trained in his own school of super power.
When the four constables of the Divine Constabulary investigate a series of assassinations in the suburbs, they unexpectedly stumble on clues leading to the murder of Emotionless’s family 15 years ago.
While covering the case, these constables stumble upon facts about their own hideous pasts and secrets they want hidden.
Because by delving deep, they would have to choose between past grudges affecting their new lives at the Divine Constabulary.
An endless stream of bloody butchery confronts them as the story unfolds.
And even if they are able to survive this storm, you bet, there will be another looming over the horizon.
The Four will come to fight it out with An Yun Shan, a villainous kung fu master who can easily absorb the power of enemies he defeats.
The film is an implosive wuxia drama and the Final Chapter that explores the merciless kill-or-be-killed world of the wuxia world.
“THE FOUR 3″ is a high energy thriller by director Gordon Chan that delivers from start to finish.
Aside the splendid cinematography and glorious CGI effects, this is one swordplay plot that keeps you guessing right to the end, as to who really, is the mysterious mastermind.
The movie script is meticulously plotted.
Gordon Chan has produced an ancient masterpiece that grips you from start to finish.
POW-WOW!
RATING: 4 out of 5
Local Distributor: GSC MOVIES
AS WITH THE REST OF THE TWO SEQUELS, DO NOT MISS OUT ON THE GRAND FINALE.
