A Nutshell Review by daface

last SG · 2005-05-29T10:42:43+00:00

A Nutshell Review: I Hate Valentine’s DayI haven’t seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding from start to end, but from what I gathered from scenes, Nia Vardalos is qui...

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Pretty Persuasion

I kinda liked this film for almost all the wrong reasons. It's politically incorrect and doesn't make any apologies for doing so, but yet demonstrates a notion that we can be bigots, and yet not be consciously aware of it. After all, it's what has already been internalized, but it becomes exposed quite naturally through our actions and dialogue.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/08/pretty-persuasion.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: The High Cost of Living

Just to share some quick thoughts on this new local movie. As you would've known by now, I've taken a keen interest in Singapore films, past and present. I got to admit this one was flying under my radar, and I didn't notice it until The Picturehouse publicized it in one of its recent email newsletters. The poster caught my eye, because it had a handgun on it. Sure you can laugh, but seriously, when was the last time you heard of a local action movie (and those co-produced by Mediacorp Raintree don't count)?

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/08/high-cost-of-living.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Lucky Number SLevin

It's a snappy, snazzy movie with a very slick plot, and I'll not discuss any more of the movie, the premise, nor the themes, otherwise it'll be a dead giveaway. Suffice to say that I'm quite impressed by the way the movie unfolded, and how the editing kept certain key scenes under wraps. However, it is difficult to stop eagle-eyed viewers whose brains are working in overdrive, to figure out the entire plot before the midway mark.

Read more at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/08/lucky-number-slevin.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Passabe

Already we've seen a bumber crop of local movies hit the screens this year, and it's rare to have a documentary or two as part of the offerings. To start off Cine.SG's 2nd slate of local movies, Passabe, the James Leong and Lynn Lee documentary about Timor Leste in its run up to independence, gets its extended run at The National Museum's Gallery Theatre.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/08/cinesg-passabe.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Sophie Scholl - The Final Days

If recent memory serves me correct, the number of German movies making their way here seem to be set only during WWII. With Napola and Downfall, we see plenty of youths either aspiring to be part of the elite, or are fervent members of the Nazi Youth.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/08/sophie-scholl-final-days.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Chai Lai Angels

Chai-Lai Angels, as the name implies, is Thailand's version of Charlie's Angels, no doubt about that. They work as undercover secret agents, they have various disguises, they fight criminal organizations, they look good while delivering those high kicks, report to a "Bosley", the list just goes on.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/08/sawadee-film-fest-chai-lai-angels-chai.html

Singapore Dreaming premieres 7 Sep 06
"Just Plain Brilliant" - A Nutshell Review

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Lemming

This movie, which opened the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, has a plot point related to this Lemming reference, but I shan't go into the details for obvious reasons. Directed by Dominik Moll, Lemming tells the story of the young Getty couple Alain (Laurent Lucas) and Benedicte (Charlotte Gainsbourg) who seem to be living the model life - a relatively successful husband, a beautiful wife, a large house in trendy suburbia. What more could they ask for?

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/08/lemming.html

Singapore Dreaming premieres 7 Sep 06
"Just Plain Brilliant" - A Nutshell Review

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: The Break-Up

The real life relationship between Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston probably casted a cynical shadow over this movie, given its ominously sounding title about the end of relationships. Not that it's played out in an unbelievable manner, but this is a classic case of real life causing an unwanted effect on reel life.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/08/break-up.html

Singapore Dreaming premieres 7 Sep 06
"Just Plain Brilliant" - A Nutshell Review

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Snakes on a Plane

For the record, I hate snakes, and have this phobia of snakes. I can even freeze in my tracks at a bloody picture. And it goes without saying that the Snake House is never a place I'll visit in any zoo. What's my fear about? I don't know, just that I attach this sense of evilness and danger to these slimy (yes I know they're not) slithery creatures that should be condemned to the depths of hell.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/08/snakes-on-plane.html

Singapore Dreaming premieres 7 Sep 06
"Just Plain Brilliant" - A Nutshell Review

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Lovewrecked

With a title like that, there's nothing too cerebral about Lovewrecked. No, it's not a doomed spoof of the Love Boat, but the teenage romance here is quite as cheesy and predictable. Bynes stars as Jenny Riley, and we're quickly introduced to her character's idol worshipping of screen pop singing sensation Jason Masters (Chris Carmack), going totally bonkers during his concert, much to the detriment of best buddy Ryan (Jonathan Bennett).

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/08/lovewrecked.html

Singapore Dreaming premieres 7 Sep 06
"Just Plain Brilliant" - A Nutshell Review

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Akeelah and the Bee

Akeelah and the Bee is no different, but like all feel good movies, chances are you'll like this one and would be touched by it too, because it leaves you all warm and fuzzy inside, never mind a repeat of the commonly used themes. It's formula, but with its predictability, brings you just the right amount of ra-ra moments where you root for what's right, and depends a lot on the charisma of the leads to take it to the finishing line.

Read more at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/08/akeelah-and-bee.html

Singapore Dreaming premieres 7 Sep 06
"Just Plain Brilliant" - A Nutshell Review

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Barnyard

Talking animals. Only in animation do you get away with having animals exhibit identifiable human traits, and speak like we do. Of late, with the success of many Disney and Pixar movies, this year alone we'll see a bumper crop of talking animals in animated flicks from successful ones like Over the Hedge, to complete flops like The Wild, and have in the wings, an Open Season Flushed Away with Happy Feet.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/08/barnyard.html

Singapore Dreaming premieres 7 Sep 06
"Just Plain Brilliant" - A Nutshell Review

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Monster House

In almost any neighbourhood, there is always that one house, or that unit of apartment, which has spiritual connotations attached to it. It could be because of tragedy, or rumours, or just for the simple reason that it's unoccupied, or has some elderly, probably unkindly, strange looking old folk living in it, that gives the creeps to anyone under the age of 10.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/08/monster-house.html

Singapore Dreaming premieres 7 Sep 06
"Just Plain Brilliant" - A Nutshell Review

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Art of the Devil 2

I've been intrigued by Thai Voodoo for the longest time, not that I would want to be on the receiving end of it, but it makes you wonder the amount of clout and (real?) ability of these medicine men who put hexes and curses on your behalf, for a small fee. And it always seem that what they do to you, from simple artifacts like a voodoo doll, can inflict so much pain onto your real self with just a simple needle poked on a right position on the straw doll.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/09/art-of-devil-2-long-khong.html

Watch Singapore Dreaming for S$6
Click http://www.moviexclusive.com/showtime/sgd/singaporedreaming.htm for more details!

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Tony Takitani

Tony Takitani is a short film, clocking in at 75 minutes, but it's amazing how so much can be cramped into so short a time for a feature film. Telling the story of the titular character, played by Issei Ogata, we actually go backward an additional generation to learn of Tony's father Schozaburo Takitani, played by the same actor.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/09/tony-takitani.html

Watch Singapore Dreaming for S$6
Click http://www.moviexclusive.com/showtime/sgd/singaporedreaming.htm for more details!

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Frostbiten

To think I was once avoiding horror movies because I thought I was chicken. Hell, I now believe the real reason's cause there are so many bad horror movies out there, that it's just not worth the time and money to watch them on the big screen. This Swedish movie unfortunately, is one of them.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/09/frostbiten.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Ghost Game

The premise seemed interesting enough - a group of game contestants undertaking the ultimate dare, to rough it out in an unused prison renowned for its haunting given that it was the location of a massacre. The news film reel style at the beginning, without showing much gore, already set the atmosphere and mood, providing much anticipated scares for our 11 contestants. Again I'm sad to say that this horror flick didn't work for me.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/09/ghost-game-laa-thaa-phii.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: The Intimate (Aien)

Telling a story of two strangers who meet by chance in an elevator, The Intimate follows their journey through the day and night (which doesn't seem to end by the way), as they discover about each other, and about themselves in the process. Kinda like Before Sunrise in its treatment, the lovers, nameless except known as Boy (Jo Dong-Hyuk) and Girl (Sung Hyun-Ah), play the usual courtship mind games, playing coy, being aggressive, taking turns to bust each others chops as they fall into each other's arms.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/09/intimate-aein.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: On The Edge

At first glance, this movie might look like an Infernal Affairs clone, with Nick Cheung declaring he wants to be a "good cop", and with the element of an undercover cop in the triads. Actually, this could have sort of served as a tangent off IA1, with keen observations to how undercover cops find it tough to assimilate back to normalcy, as the movie shared, more than 50% do not make it pass their 3rd year.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/09/on-edge.html

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