REVIEW: ABOUT TIME

Every time I am asked "What is my favourite romantic comedy film?", my answer has always been the same, Notting Hill (1999). The film stars Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, and is written by Richard Curtis and directed by Roger Michell. Richard Curtis first found success in films after writing Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) also starring Hugh Grant. Curtis is more familiar in the world of British television as the co-creator of the sitcom Mr. Bean starring Rowan Atkinson. His first foray into directing was with Love Actually (2003), a film which I watch every year on Christmas Day and has become somewhat a tradition for me. Anyway, the movie I am gonna review is his 3rd directorial effort, About Time.

About Time is written and directed by Curtis himself. The film stars Domhnall Gleeson (son of veteran British actor Brendan Gleeson), Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Tom Hollander, Margot Robbie, and many more. As usual, About Time is produced by the duo Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title Films who produced Curtis's other films.

Will Richard Curtis live up to expectations for this film? Do read on...

Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson as the leads Mary and Tim

SYNOPSIS:
Tim, a young man coming-of-age, discovers that he has the gift to travel in time. By using his new found abilities, Tim sought out to find a girlfriend and fall in love. He finds his dream girl Mary and they both go on an adventure involving family, friendship, and love. 

Mary (McAdams) and Tim (Gleeson) sharing a scene (and a bed)

SCRIPT:
Quite solid. It establishes the plot right from the very beginning which is good. By doing so, if gives room for the movie to explore as it progresses. It doesn't explain much on the 'why' of time travel and avoids the scientific angle of the ability to time travel. This is also good as such exploration could just be too technical. The dialogue was witty and fun. Just like his other films, Richard Curtis uses the same formula of bouncing back and forth between comedy and drama set in a romantic world. However, I feel the film needs a strong antagonist to balance out the story.

ACTING:
Great performance from Domhnall Gleeson in the lead as Tim. Actor and regular collaborator for Richard Curtis, Bill Nighy, was an absolute delightas Tim's father. Rachel McAdams as the female lead Mary did well.

Gleeson as Tim with Bill Nighy as his father

FILMING:
As with most films of this genre, the shooting style is pretty much the same. Good editing too in giving the film a little light and funky mood. Once again, Richard Curtis utilizes the use of popular music to enhance the story like he did with his other films. It amazes me how he can clear the rights to these songs which would have been expensive.

Gleeson and McAdams watching the playback monitor with director Richard Curtis while filming

PACING:
At a little under two hours, it is just right. Not draggy and light-hearted. Two-thirds of the film were full of comedy. The remaining one-third became more serious as it dealt with issues of life in general.

TONE (MOOD):
A romantic tale of love between two individuals and their families with a touch of a little science-fiction element.

A scene from the film with McAdams and Gleeson

DOWNSIDE:
Its a 'chick-flick'. So, maybe not the cup-of-tea for those looking for 'machoness' and adventure.

UPSIDE:
Great laughs all along the way and an underlying theme of appreciating the little things in life.

The male lead from the film. Domhnall Gleeson as Tim Lake

OVERALL:
If you liked Richard Curtis's previous work, you would have love this film.

RATING:
8.5 out of 10.

REVIEW: PRISONERS

In my opinion, crime-drama films are always challenging to make. There are only very few crime-drama films out there which are good and it is a genre not particularly popular with many. Some notable films include Inception (2010) and Zodiac (2007). One of the actors of Zodiac, Jake Gyllenhaal, also stars in this film I am about to review.

The film is titled Prisoners. It is directed by little-known Canadian director Denis Villeneuve. He has received various awards in film festivals around the world for the past few years. His last notable recognition was being nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2011 Oscars for Incendies. The film Prisoners could be just his break into mainstream Hollywood. The cast of the film includes big Hollywood names Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. It is supported by Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Viola Davis, Paul Dano, and Oscar winner for The Fighter (2010) Melissa Leo. The Director of Photography happens to be on of my favourites, Roger Deakins, who has worked on 11 films for the Coen Brothers. Deakins is also the cinematographer for The Shawshank Redemption.

How will a relatively new director hold-up with the big wigs of Hollywood? Do read on...

The two lead of the film, Loki (Jake Gyllenhall) and Keller Rover (Hugh Jackman)

SYNOPSIS:
As a family of four visits a neighbourhood friend for Thanksgiving, they find their daughter go missing along with their neighbour's youngest daughter. Top detective named Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) is assigned to the case. Having had impressive credentials where all his previous cases are solved, he finds this a difficult one. The father of the missing daughter, Keller Rover (Hugh Jackman), is frustrated by Loki's failures and takes matters into his own hands. As both Keller and Loki set out to track the kidnapper, they discover many twists and turns in their quests.

The Rover family.

SCRIPT:
A thumbs up to unknown writer Aaron Guzikowski (who is he?) for coming up with an original idea for a film. It has a good solid structure and well written dialogue. It is not too complicated and easy to understand. There was well distribution of character developments in the main characters. Good suspense from scene to scene. It is well-thought of and managed become a crime-solving mystery story. The plot drew me to participate into guessing where the lead characters would go in achieving their quests.  At some points of the films, it felt like a 'maze' and invites the audience to solve the clues. A good surprise TWIST in the end.

Keller (Jackman) plotting his next move.

ACTING:
A very solid performance from the cast in particular the leads Jackman and Gyllenhaal. Both were immersed in their characters. You could see the conflict and struggle of their characters. Gyllenhaal's growth as an actor is evident here. Both Jackman and Gyllenhaal brought intense performance as required by their roles. Some of the supporting characters were drowned a little bit, however, this did not affect the movie.

Loki (Gyllenhaal) doing a door-to-door investigation

FILMING:
The storyline was straight forward and the direction was pretty much by the book (meaning no particular style of direction was prominent). Pay particular action to the cinematography which I feel was pretty well done. Deakins established a certain look, with blue/green colour tones, which gave the film a 'haunting' and 'scary' feel to it. And the look worked!

Melissa Leo and Paul Dano is supporting roles

PACING:
Slow and heavy drama but it didn't feel draggy. New story and revelations are unraveled throughout the film which made it interesting.

TONE (MOOD):
Darkness and sadness from having a missing child taken away from a family. Multiple intense arguments and cussing words.

Loki (Gyllenhaal) prevents Keller (Jackman) going on a vigilante mission

DOWNSIDE:
Long duration and slow pace might be a turn-off.

UPSIDE:
A solid and original script. Fine acting from the cast. Great cinematography.

(L-R): Viola Davis, Jake Gyllenhall, and Terrence Howard sharing a scene

OVERALL:
It is a suspense thriller of not the 'action' movie kind but the 'dramatic' kind. The movie deals with underlying themes relating to 'stress' and the audience 'feels' the stress.

RATING:
8.0 out of 10.

REVIEW: VIKINGDOM

The film I am about to review has come under intense scrutiny for several years now. It was hyped as the most ambitious epic movie made by a Malaysian production with a reported cost of Ringgit Malaysia (RM) 20 million. Pretty high budget for a local production.

The film is titled Vikingdom. It is directed by Yusry Abdul Halim who last helmed another expensive big budget Malaysian film Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa. The film stars Dominic Purcell (TV's Prison Break), Natassia Malthe (Bloodrayne III, This Means War, Elektra), Conan Stevens (TV's Game of Thrones), Craig Fairbrass, Jon Foo, and Patrick Murray. The film is written by James Coyne and distributed by KRU Studios and Epic Pictures.

Trailer:

Will Vikingdom live up to its hyped? Do read on...

Dominic Purcell as Eilrich Bloodletter, the forgotten warrior king.

SYNOPSIS:
A forgotten warrior king Eilrich Bloodletter is sent out on a quest to defeat the evil Viking God Thor. Along the way, he recruits a bunch of other warriors to fight together with him. As he sets out on his adventure, he encounters several challenging twists and turns, including betrayal from the people he trusted.

Eilrich Bloodletter (Purcell) and his lieutenant Sven (Craig Fairbrass)

SCRIPT:
Mediocre. It has good intention in structuring the story as an adventure but lacked the sense and feel of it. It is a dialogue driven film and you have to pay close attention to what is said or you might be lost. Once you pay close attention, it is easier to follow the plot. Characterization was okay but some were developed halfway and would have loved to seen more.

The extremely beautiful Natassia Malthe as Brynna.

ACTING:
Not impressive. Some of the acting fell short of a B-grade film. I felt that Dominic Purcell did not do his homework properly. As the lead and someone who has quite impressive credentials, he was stagnant and frozen. Can't say much for the other actors too, they were just as lame.

Conan Stevens as the Viking God Thor.

FILMING:
This is a plus point of the film. For a Malaysian made production, I am a bit proud to call it a Malaysian product. The fight scenes was executed well, nice sets, beautiful designs, and fantastic wardrobe. The cinematography was not too bad but the editing was a little off. The editing could have been a little tighter to make it snappy.

A shot of behind the scenes of Vikingdom at Kellie's Castle, Ipoh, Perak.

PACING:
It started well but eventually became too draggy. Picked up towards the end. The film does feel a little too long. Could have done with some light jokes to break the mood.

TONE (MOOD):
Epic adventure across lands against the backdrop of myths and legends.

A fight scene in the film involving Jon Foo (left) as Yang

DOWNSIDE:
Bad acting. Seriously. It could be the fault of the actors, we don't know.

UPSIDE:
If you can look past bad acting and look at it as a Malaysian produced film, you might just feel a little proud of it. Good action sequences.

I like this shot in the film. Bloodletter (Purcell) and ladies painted in gold.

OVERALL:
Many will compare it to international films and Malaysian productions are not too far off the mark. It is a good attempt at trying to raise the bar and I like the fact that the film tries to do so. If only more time were to be invested into story and acting, it would have been a good movie.

Dominic Purcell as Eilrich Bloodletter in war scene from the film.

RATING:
7 out of 10

REVIEW: THE INTERNSHIP

I am a big fan of the director for the film in this review. At a relatively young age, he has racked up an impressive number of films under his direction. The director's name is Shawn Levy. Some of his impressive string of films include; both Night at the Museum films (2006 & 2008), Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), The Pink Panther (2006), Date Night (2010), and Real Steel (2011). His latest effort is another comedy titled The Internship.

The Internship stars Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in the lead roles. This film reunites Vaughn and Wilson who both starred in Wedding Crashers (2005). The film is co-written by Vaughn himself and Jared Stern. The supporting cast consists of Rose Byrne, Max Minghella, John Goodman, and many more.

Will The Internship tickle my funny bone? Do read on...



Billy McMahon (Vaughn) and Nick Campbell (Wilson) after losing their jobs

SYNOPSIS:
After being laid off from their employment, Billy McMahon (Vaughn) and Nick Campbell (Wilson) who are in their late 30s, tries desperately to find a new job but to no avail. They both decided to try for an internship at Google, a web search engine company in Northern California. Despite the oddity of the internship being a non-paying job, they both try to fit in and overcome challenges especially concerning age gaps.

SCRIPT:
It is an interesting and original idea for starters but the structure of the storyline is very predictable. There were several good moments that were laugh-out-loud funny but not enough to sustain interest in the film. Characterization of lead and supporting cast members were fairly done. There were a lot of ad-libs done by Vaughn and Wilson. However, I liked the notion of exploring age gap at a work place.

McMahon (Vaughn) and Campbell (Wilson) at their internship in Google

ACTING:
Nothing too fancy and no actors overshined. The only consolation is seeing good chemistry between Vaughn and Wilson which has been established before in Wedding Crashers. Nice to see new and upcoming actors introduced in the film. Rose Byrne speaks in her native Australian accent is a plus point.

McMahon (Vaughn) and Campbell (Wilson) at orientation

FILMING:
This is not Shawn Levy's best work. The shots were okay and nothing to shout about. The editing was a bit weak. I felt that Levy tried to save the film from a mediocre script but couldn't make it interesting enough. No visual effects in this film.

Director Shawn Levy on the set of the film

PACING:
Just enough for a comedy. Not too draggy and well-place laughter through-out.

TONE (MOOD):
A slightly slapstick comedy that borderlines between adult and teenage humour.

McMahon (Vaughn) and Campbell (Wilson) with a group of misfits sharing a scene.

DOWNSIDE:
Predictable storyline and the usual formula for certain comedies.

UPSIDE:
Good underline theme of over-coming the odds and some very funny moments.

McMahon (Vaughn) and Campbell (Wilson) walking the halls of Google.

OVERALL:
A light-hearted comedy that lack strength in script but has enough laughs for fun.

RATING:
6 out of 10

REVIEW: JOBS

It is just a matter of time before Hollywood makes a biopic about this icon in information technology. The icon I am referring to is the legendary Steve Jobs. For those unfamiliar with Steve Jobs, he is the founder and CEO of Apple Computers. Sadly, he passed away in October 2011 due to an illness.

 

Jobs is directed by Joshua Michael Stern and written by Matt Whiteley. The film stars Ashton Kutcher in the lead role with a supporting cast consisting of Dermot Mulroney, J.K. Simmons, Ron Eldard, Josh Gad, Lukas Haas, and many more.

 

 

Will this film do justice to the legendary Steve Jobs who revolutionized computing until today? Do read on...

Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs

SYNOPSIS:

A college dropout Steve Jobs stumbles upon a friend's invention concerning computers. He felt this could be his future and starts recruiting friends to help build an empire surrounding computer technology. The empire is known today as Apple Computers Inc.

SCRIPT:

The script is quite okay though more emphasis could be given on establishing character backgrounds.  However, this is forgivable as the focus is on Steve Jobs. It gets a little messy when it jumps from one period to another and seems to missing some continuity. It is good that the script does not indulge in too many technical jargons.

Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs and Josh Gad as Steve Wozniak

ACTING:

From a mediocre script, came a brilliant performance by Ashton Kutcher in the lead role of Steve Jobs. Kutcher has come far in the development as an actor and can be considered a 'serious' performer. I felt his acting was convincing though maybe some in the audience might see him as the comic actor that he was before.

A comparison photo between Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs in the film and the real Steve Jobs

FILMING:

Nothing to shout about but the production design (set, wardrobe, make-up) did good in placing the film in the 1970s and 1980s. The film lacked style in cinematography and I feel this is attributed to the director who is relatively new in the business. The motion picture score should have been more uplifting and spirited.

Kutcher in a scene from the film

PACING:

Very slow in the beginning. Builds well in the middle towards the end.
TONE (MOOD):

A biographical film which juggles between human drama and facts.

A young Steve Jobs (Kutcher) about to make a presentation

 DOWNSIDE:

Pretty slow and draggy. Can be longwinded to some.
UPSIDE:

Ashton Kutcher's performance and a must-see for fans of the Apple product.

Ashton Kutcher playing Steve Jobs during his old age

OVERALL:

An okay biographical film that could have been done better. Lacked just a little 'ooomph' to make it great.

RATING:

6.5 out of 10

NOTE:
I would like to thank Amanz Network and author of Blogserius for inviting me to this exclusive screening.