The story is about an opera diva's journey back to her hometown. Her son who was traveling with her suddenly disappeared and she had to cope with the stress.
Interesting look at the small town life and very nice choral music! Thought the opera diva found her true calling by staying back and contributing back to her hometown!
Internet Movie Database Link
JKQXZ are high scoring tiles in a scrabble set and there is only one set of each letter.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
18 Grams of Love
The story is about what happened when the husbands of two couples became suspicious of their wives and started to write love letters to each other's wives to test them.
Thought the script was excellent! It was funny and yet meaningful at the same time! Liked how the director incorporated martial arts, literature and Chinese orchestra music into the film! I would have bought the DVD on the spot if Sinema had sold it in its shop!
Internet Movie Database Link
Thought the script was excellent! It was funny and yet meaningful at the same time! Liked how the director incorporated martial arts, literature and Chinese orchestra music into the film! I would have bought the DVD on the spot if Sinema had sold it in its shop!
Internet Movie Database Link
The Story of Mr Sorry
The story is about the life of a ear-wax cleaner who became world famous after being shrunk by his boss as he was able to get inside people's ear and do a more thorough job. He was also able to see his customer's subconscious mind and in the process, he found out what happened to his missing sister.
Liked the interesting storyline and the psychological build up towards the end! I thought the images inside the customer's subconscious were very nicely depicted! They may not have been as nicely drawn as the dreams in "Paprika" by Kon Satoshi but the raw emotions were conveyed more clearly! This is my number one animation of the year so far!
Liked the interesting storyline and the psychological build up towards the end! I thought the images inside the customer's subconscious were very nicely depicted! They may not have been as nicely drawn as the dreams in "Paprika" by Kon Satoshi but the raw emotions were conveyed more clearly! This is my number one animation of the year so far!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Birdsong
The story is about the journey of three wise men to find Jesus and to present gifts to him who was still a baby at that time.
Liked the use of natural light and the sense of time progression with the long takes! Thought the underwater scenes of the men pulling the boat along and their conversations were interesting! The angel looked quite pretty too!
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the use of natural light and the sense of time progression with the long takes! Thought the underwater scenes of the men pulling the boat along and their conversations were interesting! The angel looked quite pretty too!
Internet Movie Database Link
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
My Only Sunshine
The story is about a girl growing up into a woman and how it affects the people around her.
Liked the nice cinematography that showcased the sea and the countryside as well as the black humor! The pace was a little bit slow and I felt bored at times though. The painted faces that appeared towards the end reminded me of "Pierrot le Fou" by Godard.
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the nice cinematography that showcased the sea and the countryside as well as the black humor! The pace was a little bit slow and I felt bored at times though. The painted faces that appeared towards the end reminded me of "Pierrot le Fou" by Godard.
Internet Movie Database Link
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Sincerely Yours
The story is about the life of illegal foreign workers in Taiwan seen through the eyes of an Indonesian girl and a Thai guy who are a couple.
The leading actress looked quite pretty! Liked how the director focused on the small little things that the two protagonists did and how he introduced various Taiwanese customs to the audience!
The leading actress looked quite pretty! Liked how the director focused on the small little things that the two protagonists did and how he introduced various Taiwanese customs to the audience!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Love Your Neighbor
The story is about how a married couple learned how to get along with their next door neighbor after they moved to a new place.
Liked how the two couples tried to see things through the other's perspective and learned more about themselves in the process! The ending is nicely executed too!
Link
Liked how the two couples tried to see things through the other's perspective and learned more about themselves in the process! The ending is nicely executed too!
Link
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Gran Torino
The story is about how an old Korean War veteran got to know his Vietnamese neighbors better after the son tried to steal his car, a 1972 Gran Torino.
Liked the nice storyline and how Clint Eastwood's relationship with his neighbors evolved! He was initially prejudiced against them but became their friends after gaining a better understanding of their culture!
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the nice storyline and how Clint Eastwood's relationship with his neighbors evolved! He was initially prejudiced against them but became their friends after gaining a better understanding of their culture!
Internet Movie Database Link
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Scrabble Quiz
Lim Boon Heng Cup 2009
Had a choice to play in either division B or C but decided on C as the potential returns on investment would be higher and I would have the chance to play with new upcoming talents!
When I arrived at Jurong Green CC on Sunday, I realised that almost 50% of the players in division C were regular PSTAR players like Ruby(MOE), Bee Tiang(?), How Fatt(CPF), Hozario(PA) and Karen(CAAS).
Here's my match report, with quizzes marked with [number] and the answers given at the end of the report.
Game 1: vs Stifen
My first game was against an NTU inter-hall player from Indonesia. Heard that his hall won last year's inter-hall games and he was part of the winning team!
I pulled ahead when I bingoed with INSTEAD(76) and stretched my lead when I scored well with QUAD(37) and FIXED(48). Missed a bingo towards the end when I phoneyed with WiLTERS* on a ELRSTW? rack to front hook the S to an existing COG on the board. If I had announced the blank as another letter, I would have formed a valid word. What would this word be?[1]
New words learnt: COOF
My Bingos: INSTEAD(76) Opp Bingos: -
My Phoneys: WiLTERS* Opp Phoneys: -
My High Moves: QUAD(37), FIXED(48), LINY(33), BE(30) Opp High Moves: BURP(35), WE(35), KA(33)
W 455-289, +166. 1W 0L (Accum spread +166).
Game 2: vs Lai How Fatt
My second game was against an experienced player from CPF whom I never had a chance to play with in an actual competition.
I bingoed first with RENTIER(76) and he caught up with INSURES(71) a few moves later but I bingoed again with TWISTER(82), maintaining my lead until the end of the game.
New words learnt:
My Bingos: RENTIER(76), TWISTER(82) Opp Bingos: INSURES(71)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: AKEEING*
My High Moves: COMET(35), AIDING(30) Opp High Moves: FIX(38)
W 403-310, +93. 2W 0L (Accum spread +259).
Game 3: vs Janet Tay
My third game was against a lady who had a hearing disability. This is my first time using hand signals to announce my score.
I phonied twice in this game. First I tried to back hook BRR with an S that was immediately challenged off by her. Then, I tried to back hook PLY with an S. It was challenged off again! Realised later that it was DRY and PRY that took an S back hook.
New words learnt: -
My Bingos: STAGERS(72) Opp Bingos: -
My Phoneys: BRRS*, PLYS* Opp Phoneys: BIR*
My High Moves: QUILT(31) Opp High Moves: -
W 379-263, +116. 3W 0L (Accum spread +375).
Game 4: vs Ruby Sim
My fourth game was against a lady from MOE who was a regular player. Had a warm up game in the morning with her and lost as she bingoed out with PREEVING.
I bingoed first with TRAINED(70) but she was not far behind as she scored consistently. She pulled ahead when she scored with TUX(40) but I leveled up again with QUA(47). Our scores were only one or two points apart towards the end of the game but I managed to edge her out for a close win!
New words learnt: -
My Bingos: TRAINED(70) Opp Bingos: -
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: -
My High Moves: QUA(47) Opp High Moves: SEZ(38), MOP(33), TUX(40), DEAL(32), QUAIL(31)
W 395-383, +12. 4W 0L (Accum spread +387).
Game 5: vs Low Bee Tiang
My fourth game was against a regular scrabble player who also played in the PSTAR games. Had a 6-4 record against him, so I knew it would be a close fight!
Lots of mistakes from both of us in this bingoless game. I phonied with JORAN* when JORAM was valid and later with LUNER* when I tried to open up. He also phonied several times and allowed me to catch up. I scored again when I front hooked his HOW with DUNE across the triple score lane and maintained my lead after that. I had a EILNNSU tile at one time and considered playing LUNNIEST* using an existing T on the board but decided against it. Do you know what the anagram for LUNNIEST* is?[2]
New words learnt:
My Bingos: - Opp Bingos: -
My Phoneys: JORAN*, LUNER* Opp Phoneys: FEX*, VOLTER*
My High Moves: FEZ(30), PYA(30), SHADE(47), QUIN(33) Opp High Moves: VOX(43), VOTER(31), HOW(35)
W 382-337, +45. 5W 0L (Accum spread +432).
Game 6: vs Stifen
Last two games were King-of-the-Hill and I had a rematch with Stifen.
This time round, he bingoed twice with BuLLETS(68) and SINGERS(76) while I only had one bingo with DENIALS(75). I was still leading on my second last move but he played an excellent end game to finish all his tiles and pulled ahead for a close win! I had challenged him twice unsuccessfully but it wouldn't have made any difference to the result of the game if I hadn't done so.
New words learnt: GABY
My Bingos: DENIALS(75) Opp Bingos: BuLLETS(68), SINGErs(76)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: TIPE*
My High Moves: QI(35), ZIN(32), AW(31) Opp High Moves: VIDS(33)
L 384-395, -11. 5W 1L (Accum spread +421).
Game 7: vs Stifen
Another rematch with Stifen.
Led comfortably after I bingoed with PASsING(78) and scored well with DUNK(40) and REX(33). He had a chance to nail my Q towards the end but I managed to escape with QiS, front hooking the S to an existing EGO on the board. Lucky guess for me as I was totally unsure of the word!
New words learnt: SEGO
My Bingos: PASsING(78) Opp Bingos: -
My Phoneys: ZITES* Opp Phoneys: CLEAK*
My High Moves: DUNK(40), REX(33) Opp High Moves: THEY(41), PLACER(32), FIZ(36)
W 386-285, +101. 6W 1L (Accum spread +522).
A little disappointed that I did not get to play with some of the younger new faces in the division as I ended up playing many of the regular players but overall it was still a very good Scrabble experience!
Quiz answers (Highlight to see clearly):
[1] WeLTERS
[2] UNSILENT
When I arrived at Jurong Green CC on Sunday, I realised that almost 50% of the players in division C were regular PSTAR players like Ruby(MOE), Bee Tiang(?), How Fatt(CPF), Hozario(PA) and Karen(CAAS).
Here's my match report, with quizzes marked with [number] and the answers given at the end of the report.
Game 1: vs Stifen
My first game was against an NTU inter-hall player from Indonesia. Heard that his hall won last year's inter-hall games and he was part of the winning team!
I pulled ahead when I bingoed with INSTEAD(76) and stretched my lead when I scored well with QUAD(37) and FIXED(48). Missed a bingo towards the end when I phoneyed with WiLTERS* on a ELRSTW? rack to front hook the S to an existing COG on the board. If I had announced the blank as another letter, I would have formed a valid word. What would this word be?[1]
New words learnt: COOF
My Bingos: INSTEAD(76) Opp Bingos: -
My Phoneys: WiLTERS* Opp Phoneys: -
My High Moves: QUAD(37), FIXED(48), LINY(33), BE(30) Opp High Moves: BURP(35), WE(35), KA(33)
W 455-289, +166. 1W 0L (Accum spread +166).
Game 2: vs Lai How Fatt
My second game was against an experienced player from CPF whom I never had a chance to play with in an actual competition.
I bingoed first with RENTIER(76) and he caught up with INSURES(71) a few moves later but I bingoed again with TWISTER(82), maintaining my lead until the end of the game.
New words learnt:
My Bingos: RENTIER(76), TWISTER(82) Opp Bingos: INSURES(71)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: AKEEING*
My High Moves: COMET(35), AIDING(30) Opp High Moves: FIX(38)
W 403-310, +93. 2W 0L (Accum spread +259).
Game 3: vs Janet Tay
My third game was against a lady who had a hearing disability. This is my first time using hand signals to announce my score.
I phonied twice in this game. First I tried to back hook BRR with an S that was immediately challenged off by her. Then, I tried to back hook PLY with an S. It was challenged off again! Realised later that it was DRY and PRY that took an S back hook.
New words learnt: -
My Bingos: STAGERS(72) Opp Bingos: -
My Phoneys: BRRS*, PLYS* Opp Phoneys: BIR*
My High Moves: QUILT(31) Opp High Moves: -
W 379-263, +116. 3W 0L (Accum spread +375).
Game 4: vs Ruby Sim
My fourth game was against a lady from MOE who was a regular player. Had a warm up game in the morning with her and lost as she bingoed out with PREEVING.
I bingoed first with TRAINED(70) but she was not far behind as she scored consistently. She pulled ahead when she scored with TUX(40) but I leveled up again with QUA(47). Our scores were only one or two points apart towards the end of the game but I managed to edge her out for a close win!
New words learnt: -
My Bingos: TRAINED(70) Opp Bingos: -
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: -
My High Moves: QUA(47) Opp High Moves: SEZ(38), MOP(33), TUX(40), DEAL(32), QUAIL(31)
W 395-383, +12. 4W 0L (Accum spread +387).
Game 5: vs Low Bee Tiang
My fourth game was against a regular scrabble player who also played in the PSTAR games. Had a 6-4 record against him, so I knew it would be a close fight!
Lots of mistakes from both of us in this bingoless game. I phonied with JORAN* when JORAM was valid and later with LUNER* when I tried to open up. He also phonied several times and allowed me to catch up. I scored again when I front hooked his HOW with DUNE across the triple score lane and maintained my lead after that. I had a EILNNSU tile at one time and considered playing LUNNIEST* using an existing T on the board but decided against it. Do you know what the anagram for LUNNIEST* is?[2]
New words learnt:
My Bingos: - Opp Bingos: -
My Phoneys: JORAN*, LUNER* Opp Phoneys: FEX*, VOLTER*
My High Moves: FEZ(30), PYA(30), SHADE(47), QUIN(33) Opp High Moves: VOX(43), VOTER(31), HOW(35)
W 382-337, +45. 5W 0L (Accum spread +432).
Game 6: vs Stifen
Last two games were King-of-the-Hill and I had a rematch with Stifen.
This time round, he bingoed twice with BuLLETS(68) and SINGERS(76) while I only had one bingo with DENIALS(75). I was still leading on my second last move but he played an excellent end game to finish all his tiles and pulled ahead for a close win! I had challenged him twice unsuccessfully but it wouldn't have made any difference to the result of the game if I hadn't done so.
New words learnt: GABY
My Bingos: DENIALS(75) Opp Bingos: BuLLETS(68), SINGErs(76)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: TIPE*
My High Moves: QI(35), ZIN(32), AW(31) Opp High Moves: VIDS(33)
L 384-395, -11. 5W 1L (Accum spread +421).
Game 7: vs Stifen
Another rematch with Stifen.
Led comfortably after I bingoed with PASsING(78) and scored well with DUNK(40) and REX(33). He had a chance to nail my Q towards the end but I managed to escape with QiS, front hooking the S to an existing EGO on the board. Lucky guess for me as I was totally unsure of the word!
New words learnt: SEGO
My Bingos: PASsING(78) Opp Bingos: -
My Phoneys: ZITES* Opp Phoneys: CLEAK*
My High Moves: DUNK(40), REX(33) Opp High Moves: THEY(41), PLACER(32), FIZ(36)
W 386-285, +101. 6W 1L (Accum spread +522).
A little disappointed that I did not get to play with some of the younger new faces in the division as I ended up playing many of the regular players but overall it was still a very good Scrabble experience!
Quiz answers (Highlight to see clearly):
[1] WeLTERS
[2] UNSILENT
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Nipples
The story is about how a beer commercial model ended up marrying her fan who still supported her after her topless photos leaked out in a magazine. Her husband had viewed her as his idol and had a fear of seeing her nipples as it contradicted his idea of a perfect woman.
Interesting look at the problems that a fan-idol couple could face! The film also gave an insight into how the model agency worked. Liked the cute motorcycle ridden by the protagonist as it was made more personable with a voice control speed limit warning system!
Link
Interesting look at the problems that a fan-idol couple could face! The film also gave an insight into how the model agency worked. Liked the cute motorcycle ridden by the protagonist as it was made more personable with a voice control speed limit warning system!
Link
Dragonball Evolution
The story is adapted from a Japanese comic of the same title. Goku, a kungfu expert, is on a quest for a set of dragon balls that will enable a dragon to grant him a wish to stop a powerful alien from destroying the earth. He met several colorful characters along the way.
Thought the actress who played Chi Chi looked quite cute! The alien's female personal assistant looked scary! A little disappointed that they toned down Master Roshi's character by quite a bit!
Internet Movie Database Link
Thought the actress who played Chi Chi looked quite cute! The alien's female personal assistant looked scary! A little disappointed that they toned down Master Roshi's character by quite a bit!
Internet Movie Database Link
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Le Bonheur
The story is about the consequences after a married man had an affair with a girl who worked at the post office. The title means happiness and the film examines what this means.
Liked the nice classical music by Mozart and the simple but well told story! The lines were witty and I liked how the social issues were brought out in a satiric way! Thought it would be even more appropriate if this was shown during International Women's Day instead.
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the nice classical music by Mozart and the simple but well told story! The lines were witty and I liked how the social issues were brought out in a satiric way! Thought it would be even more appropriate if this was shown during International Women's Day instead.
Internet Movie Database Link
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Watchmen
The story is about how a group of retired masked superheroes got in touch with each other again after one of them, the Comedian, died mysteriously. Dr Manhattan, Ozymandias and Silk Spectre II worked for the US military to create a new energy source. They were informed of the Comedian's death by Rorschach who also contacted Moloch and Nite Owl II.
Liked the series of flashbacks that introduced both the Comedian and Dr Manhattan! The special effects and fight sequences were well choreographed too! Felt that the story could have been condensed further though. The ending caught me by surprise and I was a little bit confused as to who exactly was the bad guy.
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the series of flashbacks that introduced both the Comedian and Dr Manhattan! The special effects and fight sequences were well choreographed too! Felt that the story could have been condensed further though. The ending caught me by surprise and I was a little bit confused as to who exactly was the bad guy.
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, March 07, 2009
The Exterminating Angel
The story is about what happened when a group of rich people were mysteriously trapped in a house for a few days after a dinner reception.
Great ensemble piece! Liked the dynamics of the human interaction both inside and outside the house! Nice special effect for the dream sequences! The bear looked quite cute but I pity the group of sheep!
Internet Movie Database Link
Great ensemble piece! Liked the dynamics of the human interaction both inside and outside the house! Nice special effect for the dream sequences! The bear looked quite cute but I pity the group of sheep!
Internet Movie Database Link
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Departures
The story is about how a young married cellist returned to his hometown with his family when he became unemployed and trained to be a funeral professional.
Nice interesting story that is both funny and sad at the same time! Liked the beautiful cello music and the pretty Ryoko Hirosue! Great performance by Masahiro Motoki who looked convincing as both a cellist and a funeral professional!
Internet Movie Database Link
Nice interesting story that is both funny and sad at the same time! Liked the beautiful cello music and the pretty Ryoko Hirosue! Great performance by Masahiro Motoki who looked convincing as both a cellist and a funeral professional!
Internet Movie Database Link
Friday, February 27, 2009
He's Just Not That Into You
The story is about the misconceptions about dating and the subtle differences between men and women in terms of attitude and behavior.
Pretty interesting although I wished I haven't seen the trailer prior to this! Some scenes were not as funny the second time round. Liked the semi-documentary style where they interviewed people on the streets about their opinions on dating and marriage in general.
Internet Movie Database Link
Pretty interesting although I wished I haven't seen the trailer prior to this! Some scenes were not as funny the second time round. Liked the semi-documentary style where they interviewed people on the streets about their opinions on dating and marriage in general.
Internet Movie Database Link
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Shadows
The story is about how three black siblings in United States during the late fifties faced discrimination and how they tried to blend in with the crowd.
Thought the ending scene of "Simon of the Desert" is pretty similar to the opening scene of this film! Liked the scenes that featured the sudden realizations of Leila and Tony at different junctures of the film!
Internet Movie Database Link
Thought the ending scene of "Simon of the Desert" is pretty similar to the opening scene of this film! Liked the scenes that featured the sudden realizations of Leila and Tony at different junctures of the film!
Internet Movie Database Link
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Simon of the Desert
The story is about how a religious man spent his life on top of a column praying and giving advice to people while dealing with the devil's temptation at the same time.
Realized that I watched the film on the director's birth anniversary after I watched the accompanying documentary. Liked the director's funny sense of humor and the various incarnation of the devil! Think she looked the nicest as the little girl in sailor's costume! A pity that there wasn't a proper ending due to a lack of budget.
Internet Movie Database Link
Realized that I watched the film on the director's birth anniversary after I watched the accompanying documentary. Liked the director's funny sense of humor and the various incarnation of the devil! Think she looked the nicest as the little girl in sailor's costume! A pity that there wasn't a proper ending due to a lack of budget.
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, February 21, 2009
The Wrestler
The story is about the life of a well regarded middle aged wrestler, Randy the Ram, who was famous twenty years ago. As his physical condition deteriorates, he tried to find fulfillment in other aspects of his life like doing a regular job, finding a partner and mending ties with his daughter.
Went to see the film as I loved "PI" and "Requiem for a Dream" by the same director! Great performance by Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei! Liked the unlikely friendship between them and the peek behind-the-scenes on how the wrestling community worked! Felt quite sad for Randy who tried hard to gain acceptance but somehow seemed to bang his head against the wall.
Internet Movie Database Link
Went to see the film as I loved "PI" and "Requiem for a Dream" by the same director! Great performance by Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei! Liked the unlikely friendship between them and the peek behind-the-scenes on how the wrestling community worked! Felt quite sad for Randy who tried hard to gain acceptance but somehow seemed to bang his head against the wall.
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, February 07, 2009
What On Earth Have I Done Wrong?
The story is about the process of making a mockumentary about the Taiwanese current affairs and how the director manages his personal life at the same time.
Liked the family drama on the relationship between the director and his partner as well as between him and his mother! The interviews on the topic of happiness were interesting and the ending was well crafted!
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the family drama on the relationship between the director and his partner as well as between him and his mother! The interviews on the topic of happiness were interesting and the ending was well crafted!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Loto Sex
The story is about how a wife helped her husband cure his compulsion to gambling on lotto tickets through very unorthodox ways. She invented a domestic version of the game where the husband can only get intimate with her only when he won a prize!
Liked the interesting idea and the depiction of the couple's relationship! They grew from ignorant newly weds to become a more matured and understanding couple in the end! Realised that there is a whole series of similarly themed films by FullMotion label similar to what Balzac did in "La Comedie humaine". Would love to catch other films in the series if I have the chance!
Link
Liked the interesting idea and the depiction of the couple's relationship! They grew from ignorant newly weds to become a more matured and understanding couple in the end! Realised that there is a whole series of similarly themed films by FullMotion label similar to what Balzac did in "La Comedie humaine". Would love to catch other films in the series if I have the chance!
Link
Thursday, January 29, 2009
The Reader
The story is about how an encounter with a German woman, Hanna, affected a young man's life. He read to her story books and had an affair with her for one summer. They lost contact after that and the young man discovered Hanna's dark secret years later.
Great acting by Kate Winslet who acted as Hanna and I thought young Julia looked very cute in her two ponytails!
Internet Movie Database Link
Great acting by Kate Winslet who acted as Hanna and I thought young Julia looked very cute in her two ponytails!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Rachel Getting Married
The story is about how a woman called Rachel organized her own wedding day with the help of her family members. Her sister, Kym, took a few days off from the rehabilitation center to attend her wedding.
Liked the simple storyline and the dynamics of the family relationships! Loved the exciting dishwasher competition and the explosive face off between mother and daughter towards the end! Have only seen the lead actress, Anne Hathaway, in "Brokeback Mountain" as well as this film and I thought she is a pretty good actress!
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the simple storyline and the dynamics of the family relationships! Loved the exciting dishwasher competition and the explosive face off between mother and daughter towards the end! Have only seen the lead actress, Anne Hathaway, in "Brokeback Mountain" as well as this film and I thought she is a pretty good actress!
Internet Movie Database Link
This Land Is Mine
This is a propaganda film made during World War II by a French director about life in a small town governed by German soldiers. One person started a small resistance movement and it had a great impact on a timid middle-aged school teacher.
Interesting story and I was quite impressed with the middle-aged school teacher's speech in court! The two female leads looked quite pretty too!
Internet Movie Database Link
Interesting story and I was quite impressed with the middle-aged school teacher's speech in court! The two female leads looked quite pretty too!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Milk
This is a biography of Harvey Milk, a businessman-turned-politician who started the gay movement in the 70s.
Liked the old news clips that were informative! Thought it would be interesting if Milk had a one-to-one battle with his nemesis, Anita Bryant, instead of the other guy! Didn't really understand the politics portion of the show especially the character of Dan White.
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the old news clips that were informative! Thought it would be interesting if Milk had a one-to-one battle with his nemesis, Anita Bryant, instead of the other guy! Didn't really understand the politics portion of the show especially the character of Dan White.
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Women of the Night
This is about how women became prostitutes in post-war Japan told through the stories of a widow, her sister and her friend.
Interesting plot! Thought this might be a pre-cursor to "Life of Oharu" filmed four years later with the same lead actress, Tanaka Kinuyo, with a similar theme. Didn't really understand why she did not choose to stay in the women's home as it offered food and shelter with a lot of pros and very little cons.
Internet Movie Database Link
Interesting plot! Thought this might be a pre-cursor to "Life of Oharu" filmed four years later with the same lead actress, Tanaka Kinuyo, with a similar theme. Didn't really understand why she did not choose to stay in the women's home as it offered food and shelter with a lot of pros and very little cons.
Internet Movie Database Link
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea
This is a kids adaptation of the mermaid fairytale about how a small fish with magical powers fell in love with a five year old boy and wanted to become human after he scooped her up from the sea.
Liked the nice storyline, the cute fish/girl and the catchy soundtrack at the end of the film!
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the nice storyline, the cute fish/girl and the catchy soundtrack at the end of the film!
Internet Movie Database Link
Osaka Elegy
The story is about Ayako's fall in society when she accepted her boss's indecent proposal in order to raise money to save her father.
This film is part of the Criterion Eclipse Series 13 boxset also named as Kenji Mizoguchi's "Fallen Women". The other titles are "Sisters of the Gion", "Women of the Night" and "Streets of Shame".
Liked the nice storyline that explained Ayako's actions due to her circumstances! Thought she celebrated a little bit too soon towards the end though.
Internet Movie Database Link
This film is part of the Criterion Eclipse Series 13 boxset also named as Kenji Mizoguchi's "Fallen Women". The other titles are "Sisters of the Gion", "Women of the Night" and "Streets of Shame".
Liked the nice storyline that explained Ayako's actions due to her circumstances! Thought she celebrated a little bit too soon towards the end though.
Internet Movie Database Link
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Hearts and Minds
This is a documentary about how the Americans got involved in the Vietnam War and its impact on both countries.
Liked the interviews with the people from the different sides and the newsreel clips! Gained a better understanding of this historic event after watching the film.
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the interviews with the people from the different sides and the newsreel clips! Gained a better understanding of this historic event after watching the film.
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, December 20, 2008
The Elephant and the Sea
The film is about how a young man and middle aged man lived their lives after a mysterious disease struck their fishing village.
Liked the nice country side scenery and how the theme of emotional paralysis was elaborated through the performances of the two protagonists! Learnt a bit more about the film after the director revealed his influences by Hong Sang Soo during the Q&A. Realized that the prostitute scene with the middle aged man could have been adapted from a similar scene in "The Day a Pig Fell into the Well" while the young man's behavior could have been taken from "Turning Gate". The young man's friend's sister looked quite pretty in the pink dress!
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the nice country side scenery and how the theme of emotional paralysis was elaborated through the performances of the two protagonists! Learnt a bit more about the film after the director revealed his influences by Hong Sang Soo during the Q&A. Realized that the prostitute scene with the middle aged man could have been adapted from a similar scene in "The Day a Pig Fell into the Well" while the young man's behavior could have been taken from "Turning Gate". The young man's friend's sister looked quite pretty in the pink dress!
Internet Movie Database Link
Story of a Prostitute
This is a love story between a prostitute serving the Japanese Army during the Second World War and a corporal.
Thought this film had a similar anti-war theme as the director's two other works: "Fighting Elegy" and "Gate of Flesh". Liked the manga visual style of the film, especially the surreal imagined scenes and the slow motion static shots! Nice story and great performance by the lead actress!
Internet Movie Database Link
Thought this film had a similar anti-war theme as the director's two other works: "Fighting Elegy" and "Gate of Flesh". Liked the manga visual style of the film, especially the surreal imagined scenes and the slow motion static shots! Nice story and great performance by the lead actress!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, December 13, 2008
For Every Minute I Live, I'll Enjoy Sixty Seconds
This is a documentary about how a retrenched middle aged man living in a small county town in Hunan spends his time.
Initially it was interesting to follow the protagonist around but got boring after a while as we realised how monotonous his life was! Reminds me of "Lim Poh Huat", a Singapore short film that describes how a Singaporean security guard working as a part time extra went about his day.
Initially it was interesting to follow the protagonist around but got boring after a while as we realised how monotonous his life was! Reminds me of "Lim Poh Huat", a Singapore short film that describes how a Singaporean security guard working as a part time extra went about his day.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
The Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge
This is a sequel to "The Nibelungen: Siegfried's Death". Following her husband's death, Kriemhild wanted to seek revenge on her husband's murder and plotted to do so after King Attila proposed to her.
King Attila had a very cool image and Kriemhild looked very scary with her vengeful eyes! Quite sad how the thought of revenge could destroy families and wreck havoc on entire nations. Liked how the contrast between the loyalty among the Nibelungens and the cold blooded actions of Kriemhild slowly built towards a grand finale in the end!
Internet Movie Database Link
King Attila had a very cool image and Kriemhild looked very scary with her vengeful eyes! Quite sad how the thought of revenge could destroy families and wreck havoc on entire nations. Liked how the contrast between the loyalty among the Nibelungens and the cold blooded actions of Kriemhild slowly built towards a grand finale in the end!
Internet Movie Database Link
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Cape No. 7
The story is about how the people living in a small town near the seaside formed their own band to perform at a beach party. Cape No. 7 is the address of an undelivered package that fell into the hands of one band member who is a postman.
Interesting to see the lives of the ordinary people in the small town! Liked the quirky old ex-postman and the enthusiastic drummer! The music was nice too! Didn't like the two main leads and the subplot about the story of the undelivered package.
Internet Movie Database Link
Interesting to see the lives of the ordinary people in the small town! Liked the quirky old ex-postman and the enthusiastic drummer! The music was nice too! Didn't like the two main leads and the subplot about the story of the undelivered package.
Internet Movie Database Link
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The Nibelungen: Siegfried's Death
The story is about how the dragon slayer, Siegfried, helped his future brother-in-law win his bride through unfair means and suffered in the end because of this.
Liked the plot where it explained how Siegfried got his super powers, the special effects for the cute lethargic dragon and the great looking outdoor sets! Quite scary to think what could happen when two women quarrel!
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the plot where it explained how Siegfried got his super powers, the special effects for the cute lethargic dragon and the great looking outdoor sets! Quite scary to think what could happen when two women quarrel!
Internet Movie Database Link
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Port of Call
The story is about how a girl from a broken family and with a secret past fell in love with a sailor.
Thought the girl looked a little bit like Reese Witherspoon! Interesting storyline and I liked how the relationship of the couple evolved with time!
Internet Movie Database Link
Thought the girl looked a little bit like Reese Witherspoon! Interesting storyline and I liked how the relationship of the couple evolved with time!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Quantum of Solace
The story is about how a British spy called James Bond tracked down a mysterious organisation and helped a beautiful lady in the process.
Liked the big touch screen monitor at the headquarters as well as the cool Sony Ericsson phone! It was hard to follow the plot as it was a little bit convoluted but enjoyed the action sequences! Disappointed that there was little interaction between James Bond and Camille.
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the big touch screen monitor at the headquarters as well as the cool Sony Ericsson phone! It was hard to follow the plot as it was a little bit convoluted but enjoyed the action sequences! Disappointed that there was little interaction between James Bond and Camille.
Internet Movie Database Link
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
The story is about how a lion, a giraffe, a zebra and a hippopotamus originally from the New York Zoo escaped from Madagascar where they were trapped in the first episode to land in Africa when their plane crashed.
Liked the slick moves performed by the lion, the funny dialogue and the interesting storyline!
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the slick moves performed by the lion, the funny dialogue and the interesting storyline!
Internet Movie Database Link
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Days and Nights in the Forest
The story is about four young men from the city spending their holiday in a chalet in the forest and how they met two beautiful ladies staying nearby.
Liked the funny moments, the nice tribal music in the background and the psychological tension towards the end!
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the funny moments, the nice tribal music in the background and the psychological tension towards the end!
Internet Movie Database Link
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Singapore Shorts Vol 2
This is a collection of 9 Singapore Shorts. Each of them has a family related theme.
Among the shorts in the DVD collection, I had seen "Match Made" at last year's Singapore International Film Festival, "Absence" at a Singapore shorts screening at National Museum, a large part of "Gourmet Baby" on television and "Yesterday’s Play" at Kinokuniya's DVD launch prior to this. I had also heard of "Imelda Goes to Singapore" at Biennale 2006. The other films are: "Labour of Love - The Housewife", "A Family Portrait", "Autopsy" and "Wet Season".
Liked the well crafted documentary in "Match Made", the music in "Imelda Goes to Singapore", the story of "Gourmet Baby" and "A Family Portrait" as well as the interesting use of animation in "Wet Season"! The two nieces in "Gourmet Baby" looked quite cute and the food looked delicious!
It was interesting to see how both "Yesterday’s Play" and "Autopsy" explore the mother and son relationship in their own ways! The former is shot as a single scene with monologues from both son and mother while the latter is shot as a series of flashback scenes coupled with a Q&A session between mother and son in the background.
Didn't really like the strange story in "Absence". I also felt that "Labour of Love - The Housewife" was stretched too long and tried too hard to drum its message to the audience.
Asian Film Archive Link
Among the shorts in the DVD collection, I had seen "Match Made" at last year's Singapore International Film Festival, "Absence" at a Singapore shorts screening at National Museum, a large part of "Gourmet Baby" on television and "Yesterday’s Play" at Kinokuniya's DVD launch prior to this. I had also heard of "Imelda Goes to Singapore" at Biennale 2006. The other films are: "Labour of Love - The Housewife", "A Family Portrait", "Autopsy" and "Wet Season".
Liked the well crafted documentary in "Match Made", the music in "Imelda Goes to Singapore", the story of "Gourmet Baby" and "A Family Portrait" as well as the interesting use of animation in "Wet Season"! The two nieces in "Gourmet Baby" looked quite cute and the food looked delicious!
It was interesting to see how both "Yesterday’s Play" and "Autopsy" explore the mother and son relationship in their own ways! The former is shot as a single scene with monologues from both son and mother while the latter is shot as a series of flashback scenes coupled with a Q&A session between mother and son in the background.
Didn't really like the strange story in "Absence". I also felt that "Labour of Love - The Housewife" was stretched too long and tried too hard to drum its message to the audience.
Asian Film Archive Link
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Yamamura Showcase
This showcase consists of the following short animations:
Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor (2007, 21 min)
A Child's Metaphysics (2007, 5 min)
Fig (2006, 6 min)
The Old Crocodile (2005, 13 min)
Pieces (2003, 3 min)
Mt. Head (2002, 10 min)
Your Choice! (1999, 10 min)
Bavel's Book (1996, 6 min)
Kid's Castle (1995, 5 min)
Kipling Jr. (1995, 15 min)
A House (1993, 5 min)
The Sandwiches (1993, 5 min)
Imagination (1993, 5 min)
Perspektivenbox (1989, 4 min)
Japanese-English Pictionary (1989, 12 min)
Aquatic (1987, 5 min)
Was most impressed with "Mt. Head" by its interesting storyline and powerful narration! Felt quite sad when I watched "The Old Crocodile" and I thought "Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor" looked innovative! The series involving two birds: "A House", "The Sandwiches" and "Imagination" was quite cute too!
Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor (2007, 21 min)
A Child's Metaphysics (2007, 5 min)
Fig (2006, 6 min)
The Old Crocodile (2005, 13 min)
Pieces (2003, 3 min)
Mt. Head (2002, 10 min)
Your Choice! (1999, 10 min)
Bavel's Book (1996, 6 min)
Kid's Castle (1995, 5 min)
Kipling Jr. (1995, 15 min)
A House (1993, 5 min)
The Sandwiches (1993, 5 min)
Imagination (1993, 5 min)
Perspektivenbox (1989, 4 min)
Japanese-English Pictionary (1989, 12 min)
Aquatic (1987, 5 min)
Was most impressed with "Mt. Head" by its interesting storyline and powerful narration! Felt quite sad when I watched "The Old Crocodile" and I thought "Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor" looked innovative! The series involving two birds: "A House", "The Sandwiches" and "Imagination" was quite cute too!
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Freedom Project
The story is about how people fled earth to live on the moon because of an ecological disaster, how survivors from earth made contact many years later and how these two groups reconciled their differences.
Liked the exciting music from Utada Hikaru and the interesting characters! Nice storyline that is well paced!
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the exciting music from Utada Hikaru and the interesting characters! Nice storyline that is well paced!
Internet Movie Database Link
Sing to the Dawn
The story is about how the life of a group of Thai villagers changed with the construction of a casino.
Liked the nice songs and the strong storyline! Didn't really like the 3D animation as I thought the characters looked quite stiff. Might have enjoyed it better if they were done in the traditional 2D style.
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the nice songs and the strong storyline! Didn't really like the 3D animation as I thought the characters looked quite stiff. Might have enjoyed it better if they were done in the traditional 2D style.
Internet Movie Database Link
Monday, October 27, 2008
Piano Forest
The story is about how two guys became good friends through playing the piano. One was rich with his own practice room while the other had to play on an abandoned piano in the forest.
Liked the nice piano pieces and the friendship between the two guys who have quite different personalities!
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the nice piano pieces and the friendship between the two guys who have quite different personalities!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, October 25, 2008
International Shorts Showcase 1
There are altogether seven shorts: "Yellow Sticky Notes", "Procrastination", "Fantasmagorie 2008", "Bloom", "Irresistible Smile", "Death By Scrabble" and "Mesh"
"Yellow Sticky Notes" shows the to-do lists of an animator from when he was still a student until he graduated and started working. "Procrastination" describes what it means to procrastinate. "Fantasmagorie 2008" is about the interaction between old and new digital animation. "Bloom" is based on an Indian folktale. "Irresistible Smile" describes a day's work of a flight attendant. "Death By Scrabble" describes the strange happenings when a couple played scrabble. "Mesh" is a mathematical video on the impact of geometry on science and how digitisation is used in computers.
Liked "Yellow Sticky Notes" as it was a personal account from an animator's perspective and "Mesh" as it was very informative!
"Yellow Sticky Notes" shows the to-do lists of an animator from when he was still a student until he graduated and started working. "Procrastination" describes what it means to procrastinate. "Fantasmagorie 2008" is about the interaction between old and new digital animation. "Bloom" is based on an Indian folktale. "Irresistible Smile" describes a day's work of a flight attendant. "Death By Scrabble" describes the strange happenings when a couple played scrabble. "Mesh" is a mathematical video on the impact of geometry on science and how digitisation is used in computers.
Liked "Yellow Sticky Notes" as it was a personal account from an animator's perspective and "Mesh" as it was very informative!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Tokyo!
The film is made up of three short stories about life in Tokyo. "Interior Design" describes the small Tokyo apartments through a just-married couple, "Merde" describes the xenophobic Japanese through a dirty old foreign-looking man who created havoc in the streets. "Shaking Tokyo" describes how an extreme introvert who avoided eye contact with people and stayed indoors all the time changed after an earthquake struck.
Liked the innovative "Interior Design" and "Shaking Tokyo"! The twist towards the end of "Interior Design" was interesting and the pizza delivery girl in "Shaking Tokyo" looked quite cute! Thought the poster showed her in a hair salon but realised that it was her helmet! Didn't like "Merde" as I thought it was a little bit boring. The news anchor and the Japanese translator were the only saving grace of this segment of the film.
Internet Movie Database Link
Liked the innovative "Interior Design" and "Shaking Tokyo"! The twist towards the end of "Interior Design" was interesting and the pizza delivery girl in "Shaking Tokyo" looked quite cute! Thought the poster showed her in a hair salon but realised that it was her helmet! Didn't like "Merde" as I thought it was a little bit boring. The news anchor and the Japanese translator were the only saving grace of this segment of the film.
Internet Movie Database Link
Thirst
The story is about the thirst for love told through a ballet dancer's relationships with her two lovers and the encounters of her recently widowed friend.
It was a little bit hard to follow the plot as there were many flashbacks and flashforwards. Thought some of the lines spoken were pretty well constructed and made a lot of sense!
Internet Movie Database Link
It was a little bit hard to follow the plot as there were many flashbacks and flashforwards. Thought some of the lines spoken were pretty well constructed and made a lot of sense!
Internet Movie Database Link
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Go West: A Lucky Luke Adventure
This is a Western about how a super hero called Lucky Luke helped a group of pioneers to travel from New York to California within 80 days while battling an evil salesman, the Daltons brothers who were bank robbers travelling with them under lock and chains as well as unfriendly Indians.
Thought the battle of wits between the bad guys and the good guys was interesting but some of the gags got a bit too repetitive at times! Nice exciting finale!
Internet Movie Database Link
Thought the battle of wits between the bad guys and the good guys was interesting but some of the gags got a bit too repetitive at times! Nice exciting finale!
Internet Movie Database Link
Between dogs and wolves
This is a compilation of 8 short animations that are either about dogs or wolves.
"Three Little Pigs" made use of wire coils to create the shape of the animals and the narration was funny! "The White Wolf" was about how a pair of brothers made friends with a wolf in the jungle and it was interesting but certain scenes were a little bit sad. "AP 2000" was exciting as it described how the fleas on a dog fought against the latest anti-flea micro-robots in computer-game style!
Fell asleep during "Last Howl" and "Marvelously Grey", so not really sure what the stories were about. "Ponpon the Dog" was very nicely done as it described the flashbacks of a dog just before it was about to be hit by a truck! "Raining Dogs" was too abstract for me and I wasn't sure what was going on. "Dog Days" had a very innovative script about how a baby girl and a male baby dog accidentally switched families one day and their life stories years later!
"Three Little Pigs" made use of wire coils to create the shape of the animals and the narration was funny! "The White Wolf" was about how a pair of brothers made friends with a wolf in the jungle and it was interesting but certain scenes were a little bit sad. "AP 2000" was exciting as it described how the fleas on a dog fought against the latest anti-flea micro-robots in computer-game style!
Fell asleep during "Last Howl" and "Marvelously Grey", so not really sure what the stories were about. "Ponpon the Dog" was very nicely done as it described the flashbacks of a dog just before it was about to be hit by a truck! "Raining Dogs" was too abstract for me and I wasn't sure what was going on. "Dog Days" had a very innovative script about how a baby girl and a male baby dog accidentally switched families one day and their life stories years later!
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