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: Untraceable

So I thought I'd take a break from the Festival and get down to some regular screening of what some would deem as the usual products from the usual assembly line. Untraceable became that movie, because the poster here had Ebert giving it a positive rating, but everyone else I heard had panned it. Directed by Gregory Hoblit, who was at the helm of one of my favourite movies Frequency, I thought I'd give it a shot.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/untraceable.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Street Kings

So I continue my foray into the theatrical releases this week as a break from the Festival proceedings, and choosing Street Kings is a no brainer. It was in Speed that Keanu Reeves donned a kevlar vest and a devil may care attitude to save a speeding bus from annihilation, and after that he's gone on to other blockbusters such as the Matrix trilogy and countless of other romance movies. Here, he revisits that action genre as a cop with questionable morals, and while some may gripe over his acting ability, I thought that he was given a role totally within his range - that of a clueless gunslinger who's caught up in a web of intrigue far greater than he can fathom.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/street-kings.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Run Fatboy Run

I've only recently been converted to a Simon Pegg fan after the riotously funny Hot Fuzz, and can't wait for him to be in the upcoming JJ Abrams reboot of the Star Trek franchise. While squeezing time out to devour Shaun of the Dead, here comes David Schwimmer's Run Fatboy Run, where he piles on the kilos to play an unfit security guard Denny, who does the despicable because of self-doubt and unceremoniously dumps the pregnant love of his life, Libby (Thandie Newton), at the altar.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/run-fatboy-run.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Definitely, Maybe

One guy and the four loves of his life. Writer-director Adam Brooks paints a very romantic tale that I could have seen some personal relation to, and reinforces the notion that perhaps timing is everything. You may have met the most perfect person whom you believe to be able to forge a relationship with, but circumstances sometimes will decide otherwise, and when it happens, it's way beyond one's control.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/definitely-maybe.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Rogue Crocodile

Not another crocodile movie again, you might groan. I did too, as I wonder just how many killer shark and killer crocodile/alligator movies need to be made, before they finally die off. Not too long ago we had Primeval, which was a crocodile movie set in the African continent which had attempted to weave local politics into it. Here, it's set in the Northern Territories of Australia, and with such killer-reptilian movies, the more exaggerated the size and aggression of the animal, the better. So we have a seven metre long crocodile for the characters to contend with.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/rogue-rogue-crocodile.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Cassandra's Dream

Woody Allen's final movie in his loose London Trilogy, with Match Point and Scoop preceding it, but without Scarlett Johansson's participation. Instead we get great chemistry between Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell who play two brothers caught up in a moral tale that unfolds in Greek tragedy and operatic n proportions.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/cassandras-dream.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: The Other Boleyn Girl

The art of being a woman is to let the man believe they are in charge, as advised to Anne Boleyn in the movie by her mother Lady Elizabeth Boleyn (Kristin Scott Thomas).

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/other-boleyn-girl.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Escape from Huang Shi

So the posters have Chow Yun Fat's mug splattered in the center and given top billing. However, this is actually Jonathan Rhys Meyers' vehicle as he plays the central character of George Hogg, an Associated Press reporter who smuggles himself into pre-WWII Nanjing and witnessed the atrocities of the invading Japanese army. Inspired by a true story, this is about the life of Hogg as he takes it upon himself to do whatever he can to save a group of orphans he gets set up and acquainted with.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/escape-from-huang-shi-children-of-huang.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Sex is Zero 2

It's quite surprising to see this movie still playing to record attendance even after at least a week in the cinemas. Like most Korean R21 movies, there's this notion that although the title titillates, there isn't really much to see, and while the franchise might be billed as Korea's answer to America's American Pie, it's pretty much far from it in terms of raunchiness, because at its core it still fell prey to a typical melodramatic romance movie with a dash of comedic elements.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/sex-is-zero-2.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Awake

I've never been under general anesthesia before, not that I want to, but I guess without first hand experience, one can only imagine what it would be like to be somewhat unconscious while your body's at the mercy of surgeons who are responsible in cutting you up and putting you back properly. I guess we've all heard of our fair share of horror stories with miscellaneous surgical tools being left inside our bodies, and one thing's for sure, I'll be pretty much scared shitless if I have to go anesthesia for a major body repair too.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/awake.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: The Forbidden Kingdom

Put 2 of the largest Asian stars together in an action comedy may be a no-brainer, but it sure took long for someone to finally greenlight and get the project off and running. But when word was that Jet Li and Jackie Chan were to square off in a Journey to the West type of story, I guess that sent shivers down the spines of their fans, wondering who would play which character, especially the coveted role of the Monkey King. While I shall not reveal it here, it again is safe to say that like match-ups, there are obviously no clear winner, and The Forbidden Kingdom plays it safe too with a cop out of a fight between the two masters.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/forbidden-kingdom.html

peerless SG

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daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Midnight Eagle

The opening film of last year's Tokyo International Film Festival, the reviews for Midnight Eagle has so far been less than stellar, and I was curious to find out why. I mean, a disaster-like movie with elements that threaten in epic proportions couldn't be all that bad, what with a nuclear bomb atop a snowy mountain, with the risk of a nuclear fallout causing death and environmental damage through all of East Asia, and a race against time to prevent it from happening, relying on the heavy shoulders of a few, seem like a stroll in the park right?

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/midnight-eagle-middonaito-guru.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Sleuth

First up is Sleuth, where Michael Caine returns as one of the two roles, but this time, playing the other character opposite the one he was casted in the original, making way to protege of sorts, Jude Law, to take over. It's quite interesting that this marks the second time that Law is playing a Caine character in a remake, the first being the titular role in the movie Alfie. If this keeps up, I guess by the time he rolls around his senior citizen age, he might as well gun for the role of Alfred Pennyworth in a Batman movie.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/sleuth.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Funny Games U.S.

The next remake however, is an almost shot-for-shot, scene for scene treatment of Michael Haneke's own film back in 1997, now suffixed with U.S. in acknowledging the new funding and new cast that come to be in the movie. However, I question the real rationale why this would be remade for the modern audience, as the original seems like it's able to withstand the annals of time.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/funny-games-us.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Run Papa Run

As far back as I can remember, Sylvia Chang was playing the tomboyish female inspector character opposite Karl Maka and Sam Hui in the Aces Go Places franchise, and it's been quite a transition for her from actress to acclaimed director. I haven't been watching a lot of her films lately, the last being Princess D and saw her in person during the local gala of the film. So in all honesty, I had decided to watch Run Papa Run based on her directing pedigree.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/run-papa-run.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Superhero Movie

For a comedy which has animal humping and humping of dead bodies, being rated PG only means one thing - very certain censorship, and Superhero Movie failed to survive the censor's scissors, having an enormous, and I really mean enormous, chunk of the movie being removed. It was so badly cut, that the narrative doesn't make sense and takes you a while to try and mentally bridge the scenes together. I'm guessing it's a good 5 minutes being cut off, and a quick check at the box office reveals that it is censored due to religious sensitivities.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/superhero-movie.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay

For reasons unexplained, I did not watch Harold and Kumar in their quest to look for White Castle on the big screen, even though movies like these are right up my alley (I need to de-stress from time to time, with what a friend of mine would describe movies like these as "cock shows"). However, I did catch the best bits (heh) of the original movie when I was waiting for things to happen on a film set, though technically I have still yet to watch it from start to end. With the sequel now being screened, I am so there already.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/harold-kumar-escape-from-guantanamo-bay.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Hansel & Gretel

I thought I'd foam in the mouth with yet another demonic kid horror movie, given the countless of such genre movies out there which set out to make innocent looking kids harbour plenty of ill intention behind them. But I thought the original Hansel and Gretel fairy tale was quite dark too, especially with the ending. You know, the kids who come to know of this gingerbread house where everything and anything can be eaten to fill their empty stomachs, only to culminate in their stuffing of the owner into a large stove so that they can take possession of the property to live (and eat) happily ever after.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/hansel-gretel.html

daface SG

A Nutshell Review: Dance of the Dragon

I had initially rolled my eyes knowing that the title for this dance movie had to have the word "Dragon" in it, as I thought it's about high time we move away from mystical creatures and martial arts with movies based in Singapore, coupled with a very surreal setting of what seemed to be Chinatown, since no other races in our multi-cultural society were represented, not even as a token. But that aside, this International movie with cast and crew from the US, Australia and Singapore, made for a very standard film with good production values, though it had plenty of room to inject what was lacking the most - heart.

Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2008/04/dance-of-dragon.html

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