You Again

This movie unapologetically milks coincidences for drama. Her brother is marrying her enemy. Her nemesis' aunt used to be best friends with her mom. Desperate for laughs, it almost used every trick in the Book of Comedy.

It was however, saved by a fantastic cast. Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver and Betty White made everything more amusing than it actually was! It was great watching them go at each other. Kristin Chenoweth was hilarious in her role as the wedding planner as well. I was rather amused at the use of Toxic during the dance-off!

Also, a slight departure from the usual "rom-com", the protagonist is the sister of the two lovers and the movie focuses on her emotional journey as she sees her brother marry the same girl who whooped her ass in High School.

It didn't fare too badly for a comedy. It was funny while it lasted but that's all, don't expect anything more!

The Social Network

The Social Network is a thrilling tale about technology, friendship and money. Considering the excessive amount of time I spent on Facebook, the story of how it all came about was intriguing. So many ideas and functions came from seemingly random events and bits of inspiration. Reminds me of the time when we were studying Communication Histories and Theories - how good ideas came from modification of other ideas, from discussion and from interaction.

It all started with a friend's idea of comparing girl's faces to animals. Zuckerberg was really smart though, tweaking the project as it went along and his insights to human behavior, especially those of college students, were spot on. The need to have an online extension of their lives in the most interactive manner - tagging photos, dating status, "The Wall" and now it has reached a whole new level of crazy - Facebook chat and See Friendship.

All that was no match for the drama though. Ex-lovers, friends, enemies and frenemies - Mark got more than he could handle. It made for a bloody good story. At one point, Sean Parker, founder of Napster (now this was a shocker to me when it was revealed), came between Zuckerberg and Saverin but his contribution to Facebook was pivotal in growing the company. Maybe sometimes you really can't have the best of both worlds.

It got me thinking a lot about entrepreneurship and for most of us, it also got us thinking about our lives. How we spend our time learning about things that other people deem important, being in a rigid curriculum and chasing money instead of chasing dreams.

Maybe it's the other way round. Chase dreams first and the money will come.

Sandcastle

Sandcastle's the movie that featured Singapore, with all its Singaporean flavour, that Hollywood could never hope to portray. It's the feeling of stepping into the cinema and then being bombarded with more than langauge at once, yet feeling strangely "at home" about it, as well as the scenery and the places.

Also I read an interview about Boo Junfeng saying how the setting plays a huge role and I felt the places really gave the movie a lot of a character. It was something I really appreciated and it sort of reminded me of his previous works like Katong Fugue.

I enjoyed the first two-thirds of it tremendously. Driven by a strong narrative and I was hooked on En's journey of discovery. The actors did a really great job and I was particularly impressed with the scene where En got slapped by his mother.

The last one-third was rather slow-moving and I'm not sure I understood why it was ended the way it did. I've been trying to figure it out but it's been rather frustrating.

The soundtrack was interesting to say the least. I was a tad annoyed by the number of national day songs but grudgingly admit that each song gave identity to each era of nation building.

But truly, everyone, stand up for Singapore.

Salt

Salt was rather entertaining and quite unpredictable. I wasn't really blown away by things blowing up the same way I was blown away by Angelina Jolie's acting although I can't help but feel that she's being typecast. With this film I think she's really got potential to stretch her acting chops. I guess it's up to her whether she wants to or not. She was very present, channeling energy and intensity in every scene. That must not have been easy considering the sometimes annoying lines and the action sequences.

Maybe I'm a bit naive but till the end I still could not figure out which side she was on and all the uncertainty made this film more watchable than its contemporaries.

Does It Matter?

I'll tell you a riddle. You're waiting for a train, a train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you, but you don't know for sure. But it doesn't matter. How can it not matter to you where the train will take you?

Prince of Persia

Prince of Persia was a let-down. It's like 1/10 of Lord of the Rings. Or 1/5 of The Mummy. Or 1/8 of Pirates of the Caribbean. I'm a big fan of the actors, Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton had chemistry and looked fantastic on screen. And then there's Ben Kingsley, who was great as the villain. He had the strongest presence and I found him familiar. A quick wiki revealed that he was also in the movie that freaked me out for life - Shutter Island.

The story was interesting but poorly handled. There weren't any epic action sequences. It was not memorable in any way. This was a case of people in front of the camera were pulling their weight, but the director was evidently not suited to tell a story of this scale.

It was really merely an exercise by Walt Disney to get another franchise but this stinks so bad there's no way I'm going to catch it if they come up with a sequel. I hope they abandon this ship and sink everything they've got into Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Please do not let it flop.

The Last Song

The Last Song couldn't be more formulaic but it really shows what you can do when you do everything, and I mean everything, right.

I have heard bad reviews. I have read about how formulaic Nicholas Sparks is. I really disliked Miley. I felt slightly better about her after being forced to watch her for 2 hours.

But everything came together in this film and made it work. Liam Hemsworth was endearing. The setting was gorgeous and made me feel that I should stay there for an extended period of time. Apparently states campaigned to host the production! The soundtrack was really amazing (and if someone else had sang The Last Song I would've loved it). I could relate to certain aspects, like volleyball, love of marine life, music (especially the piano-playing) and literature. The soundtrack was really summer-y. The dialogue made me laugh out loud at some parts. I could see most of the setup and payoffs from miles away but it was still satisfying, possibly because it was rather well put-together.

There were bits that were fairytale-like. You would totally be thinking: this would not fucking happen in real life. Sparks litters the film with juvenile angst, sickness, sibling's death and imperfections of like, 10 minor characters (Will's father, Will's mother, the person-playing-with-fire, the person-playing-with-fire's girlfriend, Will's ex-girlfriend), just to balance out the sappy stuff.

It wasn't "natural" because I could see the movie's "craftsmanship". It was obvious certain bits served certain functions.

It was slightly contrived but I guess we all want something larger-than-life when we watch a movie.

So yes, surprisingly, it wasn't bad. It was worth my 6 dollars. I liked it and I might, gasp, even watch it again.

Iron Man 2

I really liked the film. If you're expecting a lot of action then you'd probably like to skip this! I thought this was pretty much the Hero's story. It's a great narrative that led from one thing to another. It showed Tony Stark's struggles with himself, with his past, with his love, with his friends and of course, his nemesis.

The one thing that failed the film and was possibly held it back from greatness was the lack of a very spectacular action sequence during the final showdown. Another thing was the lack of any real danger, something that I've read in another review and whole-heartedly agreed with it. He got banged up by the villain and War Machine but there was never a time he was in grave danger. He was always well protected by the suit. Too boringly well-protected.

Scarlett Johanson is the hottest woman to grace screens of cinemas every where.

Go watch it if you like talky films. If you expect it to be a generic, action film, well, you might want to readjust your expectations before stepping into the cinema.

The film was certainly worth my $6!

Monga

It really spoke to me, of misspent youth, of brotherhood, of relationships, of life and death and of circumstance. It was tightly woven together, well-shot but at times fell short in terms of pacing. It was great fun to watch but I did wonder when it would end.

I liked the spirit of the film and how it was peppered with juvenile, devil-may-care attitude coupled with youthful energy and enthusiasm for life. That was what drove the movie when in reality, nothing much was happening in the first-half of the film.

And the ending - beautiful and poetic. I liked how everything was rounded up with all the characters going about their lives in the montage like nothing changed, when everything did.

Shutter Island

It is most possibly the freakiest thriller of all time. After watching this, I vow that my next 10 movies are to be chick-flicks, rom-coms, animated films and action movies. I need more brainlessness.

Shutter Island was terribly engaging and got me guessing throughout the movie. The actors were brilliant and I was hooked on to every line they said for clues as to what would happen in the end. It was super mind-fucked and I must say... I didn't see it coming. The beauty in it though, was not in the twist. It was in the exploration of human condition, of violence, of love, of rules.

Yes, especially of rules. And the insane has no rules. It was crazy. I totally freaked out. The music was creepy, the lighting was intimidating, the shots were... paced in such a way that I had difficulty breathing.

After Blood Diamond, my impression of Leonardo Dicaprio changed dramatically. Also the insanely good Revolutionary Road. His acting with this one topped all that. I was so drawn into this flawed hero. I felt like I was being strangled every time he was thrown into the deep end.

And also, the question posed: to die a good man, or live a monster. I would be too cowardly to die. I'd live a monster.

I'm not being coherent. If you're looking to spend your money on a movie that you'll remember for a very long time, watch this.

How To Train A Dragon

This is Pokemon. And it fits the "hero" mould of stories to a T. Hero is an outcast, hero discovers his "powers", hero is in denial, hero faces pressure to convince others of his power, hero has a "lover", hero saves the day.

I used to be able at doing this when I was still taking Genre and Narratives but you get the idea.

The voice talents were particularly entertaining. Helmed by "people with the most entertaining voices" Gerard Butler of 300, America Ferrera of Ugly Betty and talk-crap host Craig Ferguson and relative-Canadian-unknown Jay Baruchel, the characters were funny, fast-talking, witty and above all, very human. I liked that about the film.

Other than that cos it was quite formulaic, it was only fun while it lasted.

A Single Man

A friend blogged about it, saying, "But I would rather just ask each and every one who stumbles upon this, strangers and friends, to go watch A Single Man. For it is a single most moving movie in a long long time."

Another friend said that Tom Ford was the director and that she was really excited to watch it.

I didn't know much about Tom Ford either.

So I took a chance. I entered the cinema without knowing anything about the film except for the two things I heard above. And it was incredibly good. I read somewhere that it could've pushed a bit more for full marks at the emotional level and I somewhat agree. However, it delivered. Beautiful cinematography, awesome acting... it represents the type of film that I've come to love.

Most importantly, I saw the world through someone else's eyes. My horizons were broadened. I loved how the movie exposed the character's inner voice. I loved the way they dealt with my greatest fear, death. And also of broken hopes and unfulfilled dreams.

It was powerful and moving. I would watch it again.

It's no mean feat for the first-time director. But from interviews that he has done, his heart's in the right place. He made it for the right reasons - he had something to say.

I'm already looking forward to what Tom Ford will come up with next.

Kidnapper

It was a painful film to watch and I wanted so badly to leave halfway. The film's message was positive, the acting wasn't half bad and the Singapore scenery was a welcomed change from all things Hollywood. Even the cinematography and lighting at most parts were poignant. However it was more of a vehicle to showcase cruelty to children. I am sure there are better ways to evoke the necessary emotions. I just felt disturbed and uneasy for most part of the film and that got me pissed. I wanted so badly to like it and show my support for a made-in-Singapore movie.

If Christopher Lee acted in another film I'll surely watch it, but if Kelvin Tong is directing - never again.

Dear John

Love isn't about fluffy days by the beach, finding the one and getting your desired happiness.

Instead, love is about timing and painful circumstance, about giving up and being selfless.

More often than not, love is about doing the right thing.

Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief was entertaining with a strong cast to boot. However there isn't much beyond the modern take on Greek mythology and entertaining special effects. I haven't read any of the books before so I went in without any expectations.

I laughed inside when I saw Kevin McKidd playing Poseidon. He's really cool and all but he will still be Dr Owen Hunt of Grey's Anatomy to me. Pierce Brosnan would've reminded me of 007 but he's become unrecognisably fat.

Essentially it is still one for the kids. It's light-hearted entertainment. Kind of like getting drunk. Go in and expect to have fun, relive your childhood and then not really being able to remember what it was all about the next day.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Heath Ledger's last release. It was thrilling to watch Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrel's interpretation of the character. It was out of necessity rather than creativity but it worked very well. It also made Ledger's loss harder to bear. He is immensely talented.

After watching a freak of a movie, this is probably another freak of a movie. It didn't have clear boundaries and acts which was what made it exciting to watch. I didn't know what to expect. Sometimes I didn't even know what was going on! But it didn't matter. There's no need to know everything all the time. It's the lack of straightforward-ness that compounded the air of mystery and magic.

The theme was all about making responsible decisions. Whatever you do will echo into the future. Like it or not, we are all gambling with the devil. When the time comes, hopefully you'll have a flute ready.

마더 Mother

I watched this movie with Ruiqi today at The Picturehouse. It is

fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking fucking

brainspoil TTM.

Still sends shivers down my spine when I think about it.