A Nutshell Review: 36
The opening in 36 has got to be one of the more arresting (pun not intended) starters in a movie I've watched in some time, especially if you're a fan of Euro-electronica, where a catchy tune paces the multiple action happening on screen.
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A Nutshell Review: The Longest Yard
The Longest Yard is one of many remake movies that Hollywood has churned out in recent years. Others did well, like Charlie's Angels, while some fumbled, like Bewitched. This Adam Sandler movie, helmed by director Peter Segal (who also worked on Sandler's Fifty First Dates), managed to keep afresh the already familiar material.
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A Nutshell Review: A Bittersweet Life
This is a revenge movie, pure and simple. When it comes to this genre, the protagonist usually has some injustice (loosely used here) done unto him, and therefore unleashes hell upon those who incurred his wrath, who of course, failed to finish him off in the first place.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/09/bittersweet-life.html
A Nutshell Review: Be With Me
This is the third feature length film of internationally renowned local director Eric Khoo, and given the hype of this film's response in Cannes, I'm sure many in Singapore are eager to watch it, given that Eric Khoo's last movie, 12 Storeys, was a long 8 years ago.
Following the previous film's narrative structure, Be With Me features 3 stories (In my humble opinion, I'd like to consider it as 4 actually) carefully strung together, each with a strong common theme of loneliness, love, despair and longing. Given that the 3 stories each touch on different kinds and stages of love, I'm certain the audience can identify with it at certain points in the film's time.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/09/be-with-me.html
A Nutshell Review: Night Watch aka Nochnoy dozor
After Bimmer, which I enjoyed, this is the other Russian film that has hit our shores. Simplistically put, this is the first of a fantasy-thriller trilogy, about the eternal fight between good and evil forces.
continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/09/night-watch-aka-nochnoy-dozor.html
A Nutshell Review: The Brothers Grimm
Let me begin by saying that director Terry Gilliam's films are an acquired taste, and usually don't go down well with the average moviegoer, including myself. While films like Twelve Monkeys were easier to grapple with, general audiences may find cult favourites like Brazil and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen less palatable.
continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/09/brothers-grimm.html
A Nutshell Review: Cinderella Man
Yet another boxing movie on the heels of Ali and Million Dollar Baby you might add? Yes, and agreeing with Runyon, this movie, director Ron Hward's second collaboration with Russell Crowe (the first being A Bueatiful Mind), about the Depression-era boxer Jim Braddock packs a wallop like Ali and brings on some sniffles like Baby.
continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/09/cinderella-man.html
A Nutshell Review: A Sound of Thunder
This film was rooted deep in production problems, and at long last it has finally made it to screen. I got to admit I watched it because of the tacky theatrical poster of the dinosaur, less sophisticated than its US version of a fossilized butterfly. While I thought this would be another Jurassic Park, and kept my expectations low, it turned out to be a jolly entertaining movie, though a bit formulaic.
continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/09/sound-of-thunder.html
A Nutshell Review: The Myth
This film was pretty hyped up for many reasons. Jackie Chan, after the relatively successful return to HK movie industry with the release of New Police Story, teams up once again with Stanley Tong (Rumble in the Bronx) for starters. Tong wrote the story of The Myth, casting Jackie Chan in a never seen before role (yes, audiences are tired with his cop roles already) as a Qin dynasty general. What's refreshing too is that the role requires the use of a real weapon (a sword in this case), rather than having JC's character improvising with tools from his environment.
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A Nutshell Review: Four Brothers
A kind old lady is murdered in cold blood one snowy night in a convenience store. It seemed like the usual stick up by racist hoodlums on the hard streets of Detriot, and that the lady was collateral damage.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/09/four-brothers.html
A Nutshell Review: The Dukes of Hazzard
Remakes are getting popular in Hollywood, be they adapted from existing Asian films like Infernal Affairs, or digging into their own nostalgic TV series. This remake doesn't take itself too seriously, as we revisit the Dukes of Hazzard County - Cousins Luke, Bo, Daisy and Uncle Jessie.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/09/dukes-of-hazzard.html
A Nutshell Review: Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
Tim Burton and Johnny Depp? Sign me up for it, anytime! I've pretty much enjoyed their collaborations, from Edward Scissorhands to Sleepy Hollow. Hot off the heals from their box-office success Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, their latest collaboration sees Depp lending his voice to Burton's macabre vision in a stop motion animated movie, along the veins of Nightmare Before Christmas (NBC).
The story's a little bizarre, a little morbid, but hey, it's Burton on familiar grounds. The Von Dorts and the Everglots have agreed to an arrange marriage between their children Victor (Depp) and Victoria (Emily Watson), but Victor, fumbling the marriage rehearsals, runs away to seek solace, and accidentally unleashes the Corpse Bride Emily (Helena Bonham Carter, giving the character an impeccable Brit accent). So begins a crazy love triangle of sorts, involving characters from both the realm of the living and the dead.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/tim-burtons-corpse-bride.html
A Nutshell Review: Dark Water
I've haven't been much of a fan of the recent wave of popular Asian horror films, and haven't really paid much attention to the Hollywood remakes either. That is until Jennifer Connelly compelled me to take a dip into Dark Water.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/dark-water.html
A Nutshell Review: The 40 Year Old Virgin
With a title like that, it takes little imagination to know that this film belongs to the sex comedy genre which has gained popularity ever since American Pie started it all from 1999.
Virgin adopts a similar formula, even from the start, we are introduced to Andy (the Virgin) in his suburban home, and his stiff unused woody (Yes, it's that blatant. Expectations, remember?) Andy's the guy who somehow couldn't grow up, with his extremely cool collection of collectible toys and comic books, custom made video game chair and home decor adorned with pop culture posters. His predicament would probably be appreciated by many guys - with a life like that, interest from the opposite sex is hard to come by, and not to mention a disastrous experience which left him scarred.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/40-year-old-virgin.html
A Nutshell Review: Goal!
G-G-GOAL!!! I'm so pleased that there's finally a decent movie about soccer, a sport which for the longest time, doesn't seem to get movie producers excited to put out on screen. Having FIFA sanction this film means getting some realism injected, and lending to the authenticity of is the English Premier League club Newcastle United, together with a host of real life soccer superstars like Beckham, Zidane and Raul.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/goal.html
A Nutshell Review: The Skeleton Key
Hell-oh Nurse! Kate Hudson was the draw for me actually, and it would be interesting to see if she could pull off carrying The Skeleton Key on her shoulders. I would say if you're Kate's fan, then this movie's for you, since she's in almost every scene as the protagonist, in various states of (un)dress.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/skeleton-key.html
A Nutshell Review: The Wig
Oh ok, it's all about the chicks again. Dark Water had Jennifer Connelly, Skeleton Key yesterday had Kate Hudson. In The Wig, we have two beautiful (actually in my opinion, one only) sisters Ji-hyeon (Yu Seon) and Su-hyeon (Chae Min-seo). Su-hyeon is suffering from leukemia, and isn't given too long to live. Her sister Ji-hyeon takes it upon herself to care for her until the end, which isn't expected to be too long. We see sisterly love abound after a cheesy start to the movie, and Ji-hyeon presents a wig for her sister to cover her bald head, the side effects of chemotherapy.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/wig.html
A Nutshell Review: April Snow
To think that I watched 2 horror movies back to back, and 2 Korean movies back to back too. Uncanny, as I ended my previous review on handphones, as I begin this one on the same device.
The role of the mobile phone, in the making of and destruction of romantic relationships. Hands up, those of you who have used it to flirt, and keep your hands there if you have an archive of secret messages stashed away in one of the electronic folders of your phone's memory. Password protection, afraid of someone dear chancing upon them, aren't you?
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/april-snow.html
A Nutshell Review: Deuce Bigalow European Gigolo
It took 6 long years for our favourite he-bitch to return to the big screen, and this time, he singlehandedly takes on the entire male-whore population of Europe. Well, not quite. You see, the title's a misnomer, he's an American Gigolo, not European. Set in Europe you say? Only Amsterdam, where weed is legal. Doesn't even set foot in Pisa, where the poster suggests the Leaning Tower.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/deuce-bigalow-european-gigolo.html
A Nutshell Review: Flightplan
It's Panic Room in the skies! This is the second inflight entertainment (pardon the jab) movie from Hollywood this year, the other being Wes Craven's recent Red Eye. Jodie Foster again plays a vulnerable yet tough as nails mum, who is on a flight with her six year old daughter from Berlin to New York, taking with them the body of their recently deceased husband/father in a coffin (in the cargo hold of course).
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/flightplan.html
A Nutshell Review: Transporter 2
Jason Statham is back as Frank Martin, a man who lives by his own rules, a man with a military past who now works as a transporter, a man of few words, a man of action. Little has changed since the end of the first movie, he still drives a cool car, though the BMW has been traded for an Audi A8L W12, and ploughing the streets of Miami, girls still find him irresistable (who can forget Shu Qi appearing at his doorstep and throwing herself at him? Here, Amber Valletta does the same. Lucky dude), and the men can't wait to sock his face.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/transporter-2.html
A Nutshell Review: Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
I won't be surprised to see hordes of housewives watching Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, given the Korean drama penetration into Asian households, especially the wildly popular Jewel In The Palace starring the same lead actress Lee Young-ae. Then again, given the theme on revenge, filled with its fair share of blood and gore, this new movie by Park Chan-wook might appeal to just a select few.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/sympathy-for-lady-vengeance.html
A Nutshell Review: Dreamship Surprise (Raumschiff Surprise - Periode 1)
This movie is so insanely gay! And I mean it in both sense of the word. No wonder this comedy broke the German box office with its madcap, low-brow, at times, crass humour. But it's all in good fun.
If you're looking for a plot, be reminded that a spoof-fest only has an outline of what resembles a story. The story's not award winning material to begin with, and it was never the intention of doing so.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/dreamship-surprise-raumschiff-surprise.html
A Nutshell Review: High Tension (Haute Tension)
This film has finally made its way to our shores, uncut. For a slasher flick, it's bloody good, pun intended. If you've read me enough, you know that I'm a sucker for revenge films and zombie flicks. The occasional slasher flick appeals to me too, and this one doesn't disappoint, in the delivery of the material that is.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/high-tension-haute-tension.html
A Nutshell Review: Domino
Heads you live. Tails you die. Her name is Domino Harvey. She is a bounty hunter. This unconventional film is based very loosely on the true unconventional life of the daughter of actor Laurence Harvey. Losing her father at an early age, Domino grew up with her mother and lived the good life as a rich girl, becoming a Ford model at one point. But she has always been the aloof social outcast, and tend to loathe the high life (Beverly Hills brat-packers) she has been brought up in. She doesn't mince her words, and packs a wallop of a punch too.
Continues at http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2005/10/domino.html