A Nutshell Review: Casino Royale
So the question on everyone's mind is, does Daniel Craig measure up in taking over the Bond mantle?
In short, the answer is a resounding yes, and more. Daniel Craig brings to the table a sense of that everyday man, rather than the polished slickness of a seasoned spy with that double-oh license to kill. And understandably so, as Casino Royale is the first Ian Fleming book written about Bond, James Bond.
Read more at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/11/casino-royale.html
A Nutshell Review: Just Friends
I was half expecting this to be one of those lightly fluffed flicks which you go and laugh at, then forget almost everything about it thereafter. In some ways it is, but little did I realise that it actually had me thinking about one of the predicaments I was in previously, and it brought back some memories, both good and bad.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/11/just-friends.html
A Nutshell Review: Time (Shi Gan)
The most widely read review of mine is The Intimate (Aien), starring Sung Hyun-Ah. So I think fans of her from the show will not want to miss this movie by Kim Ki-Duk, also starring the same actress. While The Intimate was more, erm, intimate (I labelled it as Serendipity with loads of sex), fans of hers shouldn't be put off by this Kim Ki-Duk movie. I must admit I haven't hunted down the other movies that he's done - this marks his 13th feature film, and my other exposure to his works were 3-Iron and The Bow. While I enjoyed the two I mentioned, this one takes the cake.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/11/time-shi-gan.html
A Nutshell Review: Glastonbury
Glastonbury is seriously for fans only. One of Britain's best known music festival, if you don't dig the type of music played, or if you don't enjoy unleashing the party animal inside of you, then steer clear of this movie. Otherwise, you're in for one hell of a ride, presented in a very different way. The screening I was in obviously didn't have many fans. I think I'm the only one head bobbing and leg tapping throughout the movie, and I couldn't do more because of the restrictive overrated Picturehouse seats.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/11/glastonbury.html
A Nutshell Review: Colic
Colic is the latest Thai horror movie to hit our shores, and given the gimmicky promotion in local theatres, where a cradle with that nasty picture of the baby inside, you'd start to wonder if this movie will actually give you the creeps, without resorting to the usual cheap gimmicks which plagued the slew of horror movies of late.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/11/colic-dek-hen-pee.html
A Nutshell Review: Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny
It might be an understatement to say that Jack Black is truly a jack of all trades. Of late his profile has been raised in the various high profile movies he's starring in, ranging from his own comedies like Nacho Libre, which I thought suffered from its own over-hype unfortunately, to blockbusters like King Kong for him to flex some dramatic muscles. I still remember the smaller supporting roles he played in movies like High Fidelity, and now he's probably in the bigger league, having the ability to open a movie with just his name on the marquee.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/11/tenacious-d-pick-of-destiny.html
A Nutshell Review: Battle of Wits
The warring states of Ancient China serve as a backdrop for this pan-asian war epic, starring the charismatic Andy Lau. Going by the literal translation of the Chinese title, it's "Ink War", alluding to the fact that much of the battles in this movie relies a lot more on superior strategy in order to overcome a mammoth battle against a Goliath, with a 4,000 population up against the might of a 100,000 strong well-trained army.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/11/battle-of-wits-muk-gong.html
A Nutshell Review: Happy Feet
There was a documentary last year which made waves both critically and at the box office. It was a celebration of nature, of life, danger, and death as seen through the eyes of Emperor Penguins in the Antarctica. If you had seen that documentary, then the first 10 minutes of Happy Feet will be familiar territory, as it probably summarized a whole lot of the mating game, into the introductory act.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/11/happy-feet.html
A Nutshell Review: 9:56
This is a movie from Toilet Pictures. If the name of the production company is any indication how stinky a movie is, then this would be it. I think I'm not really a fan of horror movies, not that I'm chicken, but rather this year alone, I haven't been genuinely spooked by what's on offer so far, be it from the West, or from Asia. 9:56 is no different, great premise, but poor execution, relying on cliched techniques (I think these are the only tools of the trade available?) to try and elicit some heart thumping moments.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/11/956-apt.html
A Nutshell Review: Saw III
Jigsaw's back! But this time the modus operandi is slightly different. In what was a game of pain, life and death, this time round it seems that there's an overconfidence that the unfortunate prey will not get out alive. Hence the death traps being literal.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/11/saw-iii.html
A Nutshell Review: Flags of Our Fathers
I nodded in agreement when it was mentioned a single photo taken during combat has the power to make or break a war. At a time when the war chest is drained and the battle seemed to be drawn out longer than expected, you need public support to cough out funds and make donations to the manufacturing of arms. In the dying days of WWII, that photo you see above, gave reason to galvanize the American public into making donations for that final push. Now think Abu Graib. Nuff said, on its adverse impact to the war machinery.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/11/flags-of-our-fathers.html
A Nutshell Review: Sketches of Frank Gehry
Frank Gehry is the world renowned architect who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. This documentary, directed by his friend Sydney Pollack, takes a quick look into the man himself, as well as to showcase some of the designs of the past 20 years or so, including the Guggenheim, which is given plenty of airtime.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/11/sketches-of-frank-gehry.html
A Nutshell Review: The Last Kiss
When you're in your twenties, you feel invincible. Fresh out of school, and with a world of opportunities ahead of you, the general feeling is that nothing can go wrong. At least that's how I felt. And so far, nothing drastic has knocked me off my feet, or grounded my perceived progress to a halt.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/12/last-kiss.html
A Nutshell Review: Open Season
OK, this year alone probably saw a record number of talking animal animations, with countless of punchlines filled with pop culture references, and big name stars attached to the projects, that it's about time we give the genre a good break, rather than churning them out continuously with more misses than hits.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/12/open-season.html
A Nutshell Review: Open Season
OK, this year alone probably saw a record number of talking animal animations, with countless of punchlines filled with pop culture references, and big name stars attached to the projects, that it's about time we give the genre a good break, rather than churning them out continuously with more misses than hits.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/12/open-season.html
A Nutshell Review: Deck the Halls
You know the Christmas season is coming when the theatres start to line up its Christmas themed movies. You have comedies like Deck the Halls, one for the romantics in The Holiday, and of course, going back to basics with the retelling of the birth of Jesus Christ in The Nativity Story.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/12/deck-halls.html
A Nutshell Review: Trust the Man
When I saw the trailer for this film earlier this year, I placed it under my radar to watch if it makes its way here. I would like to have loved this film, but try as I may, I just couldn't. Not that it's a bad film, but it had too much cramped into it, with subplots flying off in various directions, and the flow just feels too bloated.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/12/trust-man.html
A Nutshell Review: After This Our Exile
This film needs no introduction. The latest work from director-writer Patrick Tam, After This Our Exile took home honours from the recent 2006 Golden Horse Awards for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best PIcture, and after watching it today, it's no surprise why it did.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/12/after-this-our-exile-fu-zi.html
A Nutshell Review: The Nativity Story
The Nativity Story is probably the most staged skit/play/musical in the month of December in most churches, and everyone who has been to Sunday School will definitely be all too familiar with the humble birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. With Christmas becoming too much of a commercial farce (in my opinion anyway), and with plenty of movies set during the Christmas holiday being a little lightweight, I thought this production is timely in remembering the origins of the festival.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/12/nativity-story.html
A Nutshell Review: Flyboys
This is yet another war movie coming out of Hollywood, but this time it leaves the dramatics and contemplative issues aside, and focus on the action pieces. With its prologue flashing across the screen that we're expecting to learn about the heroes of the war, you know the mood is set for some wham-bam pyrotechnics and stunts.
Movies set in WWI are different in the sense that it's the first massive war on a near global scale, which uses various weapons for the first time, and these weapons, though standard of today, were considered weapons of mass destruction for that time with its ability to inflict mass casualties. Weapons like machine guns, tanks, planes, and even chemical warfare unleashed into the trenches are hallmarks of WWI. Flyboys, as the title puts it, turns the spotlight on a group of mostly American volunteers into the French Lafayette Escadrille, a flight squadron. With the plane a relatively new piece of technology in those days, you can trust us humans to find methods to turn technology into killing machines.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/12/flyboys.html
A Nutshell Review: Midnight Sun
I'm a sucker for romances of such nature, and I thought romances usually fall broadly under two categories - one bearing films like Midnight Sun, and the other being romantic comedies. It's a sweet love story between a busker with a great voice, and an unskilled surfer dude. It's a tale about a love with an end date put on it, and it makes you wonder if it's only with an end in sight, that you try and make the most our of everything, rather than to waste time and take things for granted.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/12/midnight-sun-taiyo-no-uta.html
A Nutshell Review: Cinderella
No, this is nothing about that fairy tale with the pumpkin coach, fairy godmother and the glass slippers, but if I were to elaborate, I would have to spoil it for you, which I won't. But don't let curiosity get the better of you, as this movie is not fantastic. It's one of those movies that start off promisingly, before betraying its audience with cheap scare tactics and an incoherent storyline. And that's real horror.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/12/cinderella.html
A Nutshell Review: Eragon
I'm not sure why many have cited this to be yet another epic fantasy movie in the mould of Lord of the Rings, or even Harry Potter. Perhaps it's the release date, given that all make it to the silver screen toward the end of the year. However, given that the story is based on a novel written by a sixteen year old at the time, the shades of familiarity stem from something on a grander scale. And to me, it's Star Wars: A New Hope.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/12/eragon.html
A Nutshell Review: The Holiday
Trust me to look deep into a typical chick flick dealing with love and romance, and actually buying into it. The Holiday, starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black, carries itself through via the solid performance of its cast, predominantly eye-candy, save one charismatic Jack in a non-comedic, dramatic role.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/12/holiday.html
A Nutshell Review: Charlotte's Web
I had initial hesitation in deciding whether to watch this movie - not because it features a talking pig ala Babe, but probably because, if rumour has you believe, that viewers will swear off pork. They look so cute that you would not imagine them being on your dinner table, ever after. I've read the book when I was a kid, but heck, I can't remember much of the details beyond the friendship between spider and pig.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/12/charlottes-web.html