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: Blood and Chocolate

From the producers of Underworld, this movie looks like a cheap cousin to the popular wolves versus vampires movie starring Kate Beckinsale. Based on a book by Annette Curtis Klause, and directed by Katja von Garnier, it's difficult not to draw comparisons because of the subject material and similar themes, this time though doing without the vampires, and sets the spotlight firmly on a group of hunted werewolves called the Loups-Garoux. Sexy sounding, but essentially a useless name for useless beings.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/03/blood-and-chocolate.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: The History Boys

The History Boys is a highly successful and multi-award winning play from London's West End, and it's probably a no brainer in adapting it for the silver screen to reach out to even more people out there. But instead of being just another adaptation, what probably is rare is that the original cast of the production gets recruited for this effort, together with Alan Bennett as scribe for the screenplay, ensuring legitimacy and authenticity.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/03/history-boys.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Man of the Year

Imagine the likes of popular talk show hosts becoming the most powerful man on Earth. What do you think of the Lettermans and the Renos taking over the Oval Office? Will their humour and mass appeal pull in the votes, and give them enough to win? Or will they be in the mix solely for entertainment value, unable to put on the table serious issues that the fate of the country depends on?

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/03/man-of-year.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Mr Bean's Holiday

Rowan Atkinson's Mr Bean first burst into mainstream TV prominence in this part of the world sometime in the early 90s, where half hour episodes containing skits of that famous character cut through all boundaries with its humour - by not having Mr Bean speak (or speak minimally, and when it doesn't matter), and set in simple, identifiable premises, he's able to reach out to all, regardless of language.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/mr-beans-holiday.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: TMNT

The 80s was a funky time to grow up in, when kids have a wide, and I mean really wide selection of cartoons to watch, and not to mention the toys tied in to make billions. I can rattle off the toons like Mask, Silverhawks, BraveStarr, and the earlier GI Joes and He-Man, etc. It was a period of time where I celebrated in my shorts, but I vividly remember that growing up phase when somehow, the toons didn't start to appeal anymore. Probably I was maturing (ahem), and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was caught in this transition stage I was in.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/tmnt.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Sunshine

I have been a fan of Danny Boyle's movies, though I've watched only but a handful of his movies - Trainspotting, A Life Less Ordinary, The Beach, 28 Days Later and Millions. Teaming up with Alex Garland, who wrote the novel The Beach, and the story for 28 Days Later, they team up again for this futuristic science fiction thriller, where a group of astronauts and scientist, aboard Earth's last hope for salvation - the Icarus II, in an attempt to deliver a "payload" of nukes to the Sun's core, to reignite our solar star and bring warmth back to a freezing Earth.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/sunshine.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Shooter

Never mess with someone who can drop you with his gun from miles away. Snipers somehow has this aura of mystique and sexiness associated with the motto of "one shot, one kill", as exhibited in movies like Enemy at the Gates, or memorable war characters such as in Saving Private Ryan. In Shooter, this gets demystified for a while, hitting home that not only should one be gifted with the pulling of the trigger from incredible distance, a sniper is also a master mathematician, having to compute the trajectory of the round with factors of humidity, wind direction, angle etc just to hit the target.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/shooter.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Nada So So

Nada So So, loosely translated as Tears For You, broke box office records in Japan last year. It's a romance story, so its box office clout is no surprise, especially when starring teenage idols Satoshi Tsumabuki (The Waterboys) and Masami Nagasawa (Crying Out Love from the Center of the World, Robocon). Given the screening I attended today was a full house, and almost everyone female, I guess I'm one of the rare few in the theatre who's there to watch Masami in her new movie, as I confess I'm totally smitten by that sunshine smile of hers.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/nada-s-s-tears-for-you.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Meet the Robinsons

Disney's recent animated features have been misses, with the likes of Chicken Little and The Wild performing below expectations despite the updated computer generated toons and marketing gimmicks, bringing to mind the age old adage that the story comes first. As far as animated movies go, Pixar's the one to beat, having crisp drawings perform to the tune of a superb story. Meet the Robinsons is not a Pixar movie (given that the two companies have now merged), and I'm pleased to say that Robinsons has indeed remembered to go back to basics, in whipping out a strong, engaging tale for its computer generated animation.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/meet-robinsons.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: The Hitcher

Sometimes you wonder what's the point. The Hitcher is a remake of sorts of a 1986 movie of the same name, where you have a deranged hitchhiker trolling around a highway, taking on innocent, good samaritans who offer him a lift, and sending them to the light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps for newbie director Dave Meyers, whose filmography contains only music video productions, it seemed like a safe enough choice to make his first narrative film, a remake, and one riding on the coattails of the recent popular horror-thriller genre.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/hitcher.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: The Number 23

Joel Schumacher re-teams with Jim Carrey in the latter's latest attempt to tangent away from the comedic genre, trying to seal himself as being capable of pulling off a dramatic role time and again. I thought he had decent outings with The Majestic and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (my favourite 2004 movie), though I must admit his brooding, obsessive character in The Number 23 totally wiped out traces of that trademarked smirk off his face. You don't see him smile in this movie.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/number-23.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Freedom Writers

It's easy to dismiss at first glance that Freedom Writers as yet another run off the mill troubled teenage class with an inspirational teacher story where the latter whips the class into shape for graduation with some unorthodox teaching methods. In fact it is, except that it's based on accounts of real persons, and that it's full of heart.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/freedom-writers.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: The Reaping

Watching two Hilary Swank movies back to back, I thought it presented a good opportunity to see how the same actress tackles different roles, one a dramatic piece about life's lessons, and the other this, The Reaping, taking on some supernatural forces, although she almost started this movie in a lecture hall premise.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/reaping.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Conversations with Other Women

Conversations with Other Women is a talkie movie, along the same vein as Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, as it takes place in one single night of a wedding of a Man's (Aaron Eckhart) sister. He chances upon Woman (Helena Bonham Carter), one of his sister's bridesmaid, and proceeds to flirt with her, in the hopes of getting lucky for a one night stand.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/conversations-with-other-women.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Breach

Breach is directed by Billy Ray, who also wrote Flightplan and directed his only other movie, Shattered Glass, also based on real events. Based on the true story of the greatest security breach in US History, it traces the events leading to the arrest of decorated and respected FBI agent Robert Hanssen, who is one heck of a mole within the organization, committing treason of the highest order by betraying the country and selling secrets to the Soviet Union.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/breach.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: The Namesake

Books allow you to travel without leaving, and on the same note, movies too opens up a visual world that one can immerse into, going to places the filmmakers bring you, and experiencing and feeling the emotions that they try to evoke from you. There are few movies which leave me speechless at the end of it. Not because it's bad, but rather, on the contrary, The Namesake is a superb movie. I was in awe with so much that director Mira Nair managed to pack into its 2 hours, and the intricate layers that make up the movie.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/namesake.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: I Don't Want to Sleep Alone

I don't want to sleep alone - if you have incredible patience, then you probably won't have to. Otherwise, within 10 minutes, you'll fall into deep sleep, as did somebody in the same screening I went to. I have put off writing the review to see if my opinion would change, and I dare say it has mellowed down. I would have loved to condemn this Tsai Ming-Liang movie, but just like any other movie, its bound to have its lovers and detractors. I for one, disliked the film, but acknowledge its technical merits.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/i-dont-want-to-sleep-alone-hei-yan-quan.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: 200 Pounds Beauty

I am not trying to sound like a pretentious fool, but seriously, I am curious how do fat people take towards the onslaught of movies taking the mickey out of the weight issue? From movies like Shallow Hal, to Eddie Murphy's Nutty Professor, The Klumps and the recent Norbit, and now, this Korean romantic-comedy 200 Pounds Beauty. You'll left to ponder, how many fat jokes are there left to tell?

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/200-pounds-beauty-minyeo-neun-goerowo.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Love and Honor

Love and Honor is the concluding chapter to director Yoji Yamada's loose samurai trilogy. Personally, I have enjoyed the other two, Twilight Samurai and The Hidden Blade, because they are extremely well made, and have important stories to tell, rather than focusing its energies onto huge action sets with plenty of sword wielding, and Love and Honor is no different.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/love-and-honor-bushi-no-ichibun.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Wild Hogs

Major stars getting together for a road trip? Sounds like fun to me, and if the trailer was anything to go by, it was potential for serious laughs as middle aged men band together for some serious male bonding session while hitting the road. Wild Hogs are what Doug, Woody, Bobby and Dudley call themselves - biker dude wannabes who spend their free time mucking around a biker pub, sharing their life's woes.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/wild-hogs.html

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