TRANSCENDENCE (2014)

Genre: Science Fiction
Running Length: 1:59
Cast: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Kate Mara, Cole Hauser
Director: Wally Pfister

When I first saw the trailer to TRANSCENDENCE, I was intrigued; sentience intelligence, top-notch cast and produced by Christopher Nolan. It sets up the premise of an intelligent-cinematic-character driven movie but it turned out to be an unsatisfying experience. To be fair, the screenplay explores big thought provoking ideas but it remained a potential as it suffers from poor execution. Instead of focusing on one thing, it tries to cover many grounds in the artificial intelligence folder (Spike Jonze's Her, which asks some of the same questions was more focused and eloquently told). Although Johnny Depp's muted performance here is a pleasant change after a recent series of over-the-top roles, I just felt he wasn't totally invested in his character as an AI genius. And there's no chemistry between Johnny Depp and Rebecca Hall where their characters' romantic tragedy is absolutely critical to making the narrative come alive. It just didn't move me at all. But from a technical standpoint, I must say the decision to tell a story about digital intelligence using film (it was shot on film vs digital) is an interesting choice. It looks great with lush and rich images. The soundtrack is also above average.

Rating: 5.5/10

THE WIND RISES (2014)

 

Genre: Animated
Running Length: 2:06
Cast: (voices)  Hideaki Anno, Miori Takimoto, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Masahiko Nishimura, Steve Alpert, Morio Kazama, Keiko Takeshita, Mirai Shida, Jun Kunimura, Shinobu Otake, Nomura Mansai
Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Hayao Miyazaki's THE WIND RISES is an ambitious historical drama attempting to cover many grounds; moral implications, romance, sacrifice, ambition, autobiography, legacy and the value of imagination.  It tells of a fictionalised account of the life and times of Jiro Horikoshi, the designer and engineer of Japan’s Zero plane. (The Zero fighter plane, which put Japan on the map in World War II, was a long-range aircraft with a high degree of maneuverability) Unfortunately, the movie's bloat prevents it from taking off and soaring into the sky. Granted that this is a down-to-earth serious story ie. no parents being turned into pigs, no moving castles and no fish-girls turned into humans, but it's just too slow moving. The first two thirds of the film drags and haphazardly stumbles between what's real and the many dream sequences as Jiro goes through various breakthroughs in construction and design. Thankfully, there was a lift in the final act where the audience will witness one of the most moving and beautiful love story ever filmed drawn. And speaking of animation,  the hand-drawn style embraced by Miyazaki is as per expected; rich, smooth and pays alot of attention to details ie. it is visually stunning.

Rating: 4/10

 

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (2014)

Genre: Comedy/Adventure
Running Length: 1:39
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Saoirse Ronan, F. Murray Abraham
Director: Wes Anderson

If only Stephen Chow continued the trajectory of making his brand of "nonsensical" movies, he would have created something like THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL as he matures in his profession; a much richer and denser experience but still possesses all his trademarks - a relatively easy to follow storyline set in a surreal world littered with exaggerated characters caught in quirky situations (and blood bleeding from their nose). But I digressed. Wes Anderson's Budapest Hotel is an engaging 90+ minutes of unconventional adventure and idiosyncratic humour all framed up in obsessively carefully composed and symmetrical shots (with beautiful bright striking colours). There are sudden burst of unexpectedness throughout the movie. My favourite was a particularly lengthy chase scene where the action becomes increasingly elaborated. Ralph Fiennes is our main protagonist, the concierge of the The Grand Budapest Hotel and he plays a caricature of himself - the impeccable gentleman (some of the film's most amusing moments occur when he gets angry, slips out of character and goes on a profanity laced rant). I could never imagined Ralph Fiennes being attached to a film like this but he owned it. A big shout out to Tony Revolori (the lobby boy, Fiennes' protege) for his debut as Fiennes supporting actor. I must say he held himself up very well among all the A-list supporting cast and cameos. Not everyone will enjoy this movie but if you're looking for a "matured Stephen Chow" fix, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Rating: 8.5/10

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDEIR (2014)

Genre: Action/Adventure
Running Length: 2:17
Cast: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Mackie, Robert Redford, Sebastian Stan, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER is one solid piece of entertainment. It easily surpasses the original in every department. I never really grew up with Marvel superhero comics but the comic book elements are all here; side-kicks, no important characters actually die because they will come back again, intertwining stories and characters within the Marvel universe etc. However, it doesn't feel childish at all because CA:TWS has a certain realism to the narrative (and it's a strong standalone movie as it doesn't feel obligated to lead to the next Avengers extravaganza). Two thirds of the movie is reminiscent of a Cold War-era espionage thriller; a suspicious government, double agents, spy games, corrupt bureaucrats and Robert Redford. This film also works because it takes the time to develop its characters and their relationships. As a result, I’m now more invested in the Captain’s world. Despite his extraordinary powers, he is a sympathetic character, stuck in the past while struggling to adapt to the present. He is indeed the moral compass of the Avengers. Chris Evans is no Robert Downey Jr but he is definitely more than a choir boy,  giving Cap's character depth and humanity. The final one third of the movie is the expected special effects-laden (yawn) big battle scene but what made it different is Cap's side-kick Falcon's thrilling aerial acrobatics. And The Winter Soldier is one striking killing machine. Another thing noteworthy is that the filmmakers isn't afraid to shake up the status quo as one wonders how the proceedings in this film will affect SHIELD the TV series.
(End credits watchers take note. There are two scenes; one occurs mid-way and another after the end credits have completed)

Rating: 7/10

JOHNNY BRAVO THE MOVIE (2014)

Genre: Action/Comedy
Running Length: 1:34
Cast: Channing Tatum, JC Chasez, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks
Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Oh wow, this came out of nowhere! I've always been skeptical about materials meant for kids being blown up into a big screen live action extravaganza. But guess what? JOHNNY BRAVO THE MOVIE is surprisingly very entertaining. The scriptwriters have successfully written something to cater for both kids and adults; it's smart and satisfying. And it managed to strike a balance between Johnny Bravo's brand of cheesiness and seriousness. In fact, the origins story was so well told it gave an emotional heft to the reason behind our protagonist's habitual uttering of awkward one-liners in front of the ladies eg. "Wanna see me comb my hair, really fast?" I've never been a fan of Channing Tatum but in this movie, he's perfectly cast as our pompadour hairstyle beefcake man. His Elvis Presley-like voice is spot-on. Throughout the course of the movie, I didn't see "Channing Tatum in make-up" but Johnny Bravo himself. But the highlight to me is seeing former 'N Sync member, JC Chasez dominates every scene he's in as our main antagonist. This is probably the best thing he's done since the band disbanded. He's never OTT but he's just deliciously sinister throughout with his smirks and threats yet still maintains a certain charm. You’re not supposed to root for this guy but you just can’t help being captivated by him. Of course, not everything works. Some CGI scenes are so badly rendered it's embarrassing. But nevertheless, who goes into a Johnny Bravo movie to watch special effects but to see him do his one-liners, "Sweet. Bring on the Danish chicks and cream soda." as he chase down the women.

Rating: 7.5/10

Updated 02 Apr 2014: April Fools!

127 HOURS (2010)

Genre: Thriller
Running Length: 1:34
Cast: James Franco
Director: Danny Boyle

Finally dared myself to watch 127 HOURS and it wasn't all that gruesome. Maybe it's because there was an anticipation of THE scene so it didn't come as a shock. Needless to say, that scene is difficult to watch as the camera doesn't shy away from our protagonist as he "gave away" his right arm for a chance at survival. It's a bloody and unpleasant experience. For the uninitiated, 127 Hours is a true story of 27 years old Aaron Ralston (James Franco) adventure into Utah's Blue John Canyon. A terrible mishap happened during one of his venture that resulted him being trapped between a rock and a hard place literally (his right arm was crushed between a boulder and a tunnel wall. The ordeal lasted over 5 days). The highlight of the film was not the "his will to live" story because it didn't generate any level of tension and intensity which I was expecting. Instead, I was more fascinated with the form the film makers employed to tell the story. For example, to introduce our main character as a live for the moment person, the director employed multiple angle shots of the same scene presented across three panels, turned up the colour and brightness of the landscape shots and layered it with a throbbing score. As a result, there was so much manic energy I couldn't peel my eyes away from the screen. I'm impressed that the same crew behind Slumdog Millionaire is responsible for 127 Hours as it bears little resemblance to one another. It's a testimony to the talents of these creative folks. James Franco to my opinion was effective but not outstanding. He didn't make me care for him as he transformed from a cocky and selfish person to a grateful and appreciative individual.

Rating: 6.5/10

AMERICAN HUSTLE (2014)

 

Genre: Thriller/Comedy/Drama
Running Length: 2:09
Cast: Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence, Louis C.K.
Director: David O. Russell  

AMERICAN HUSTLE is such a letdown especially after just watching David O. Russell's last effort, Silver Linings Playbook. And this film was marketed as a comedy - really?! I only chuckled once or twice. Despite its stellar cast and great production creds, the film didn't hold my interest at all and I was bored for most of it. This movie is all about the con; from small jobs to big time operations but Russell never loses focus on the small group of characters and their relationship with one another as the center of his story. Christian Bale is memorable as a sympathetic (or pathetic) con artist. The costumes and hair/make-up is effective circa 70s. The song choices are appropriate. Everything reminds me of the award-winning Boogie Nights. But why then didn't I enjoy this film?? It's actually driving me up the wall not liking this effort when established movie critics are raving about it. Maybe it's the heavy dialogue. Maybe it's the length. Maybe it was trying too hard to be clever. Maybe it's just me.

Rating: 3/10