Otoko wa tsurai yo

aka It's Tough Being A Man

Japan 1969

Details imdb

Seen 7 September 2009

Tora-San
The bumbling idiot
The court jester

Yes, he is irritating
Yes, he does put his foot in his mouth
Not once or occasionally
But often times

His character
His actions
Are not with malicious intent

But inadvertently
Plans go awry
Hearts are broken

He does realise
Those dear and
Close at heart

Will always be
Dear and
Close at heart

La vie de Jesus

France 1997

Details imdb

Seen 3 August 2009

Moments
Broken
In
Spurts

A small town
Idle, left alone
Residents
Restless, listless
In hot afternoons

To escape
To find solace
Friends
Companions
Loved ones
Are there for you

Those presumed
Not belonging
Are the enemies
Outsiders
Misunderstood

A small spark
Lit the fire
Blows
And then
Death

In the end
Contemplation
Is that too little
Too late

Iran 2007

Details sonypictures

Seen 31 July 2009

A lifetime
Of a country
Of a nation
At the crossroads
Through the eyes
Of a girl

Maybe her family background
With liberal minded
Strong willed
Parents
Helped shaped her
During her growing up years

Studying abroad
Through formative years
Opened her eyes
To so many things
But her heart is still
In her homeland

A home that has gone through
So many changes
And still in flux

She does return
Starting anew

Will she remain?

Events
Dictate otherwise

Offside

Iran 2006

Details imdb

Seen 31 July 2009

A football game
Seems simple
But when it is played in Iran
Passions are a flamed
Especially when a World Cup
Is close at hand

Irrespective of gender or creed
Young or old
They are all swept away
By the torrent of emotions

But women are not allowed into stadiums
How do you get in

Ingenuity

But you are caught
With others
Who had the same idea
The guards
Do not understand
At first

As the game progresses
There is a camaraderie
Thoughts, ambitions
Of the men, the girls
A common denominator

There maybe differences
There maybe arguments
There are rules to obey
There are orders to follow

But Iran wins
Then there is celebration

Gadoh

Malaysia 2009

Details komas

Seen 19 July 2009

All those thoughts
Out in the open
Once it was not meant
With any malicious intent

Now it will lead to fights
Just a brush of shoulders
Would bring forth
The urge to fight

Prejudices inbuilt, inborn, inherited
Perpetuated
We are human after all
Aren't we
The same desires
The same dreams

Change must come
And it must begin
From within
Ourselves

Himala

Philippines 1982

Details imdb

Seen 6 July 2009

Faith and miracles
Believe and trust
Hand in hand
Leading us to salvation

Elsa, the saviour
Is she really what she says she is
Did she see what she saw
Or is it all just an imagination

But people want to believe
They want that miracle to happen
Especially when there is no hope
A miracle does wonders

With the fame, scavengers throng
Picking up fruits of the labour
But once the miracle stops
Everyone turns the other way

But can miracles stop
Or is it a prelude
To a bigger miracle
A momentous event

Elsa, the girl, the woman
The abandoned child
The trusted friend
Who could not help
When we do need miracles

But as she says
The miracle is within
Ourselves

Kinsey

USA 2004

Details imdb

Seen 5 July 2009

Human sexual behaviour
A taboo subject for some
But a fascinating study
For Dr. Kinsey

Growing up with a strict father
Repressed feelings, high expectations
Might have been a factor
Leading him to study nature

His quest to find a link
To study sexual histories
Began with his own marriage

That first night set the wheels in motion
To help indirectly, to understand better
The sexual act between human beings
What is common and what is not

The report had no precedent
Scandalous, ground breaking

But for every voice against
There was someone
Who said thank you to Kinsey

He started a revolution
Of course with many
Minor and major faults
He had blazed a path
For others to continue
To learn more about ourselves

But he did acknowledge
He cannot measure love

Surviving Beijing

Malaysia 2000

Details soundscaperecords

Seen 4 July 2009

A musical journey
A search, a quest
A test, a challenge
Can they cut it
In the big bad world

They chose Beijing
The mecca for many
A one month sojourn
With much hope and anticipation

On the outskirts of the metropolis
An underground music haven
A community of like minded musicians
This is their destination
Here they will congregate
In the hopes of discovering, learning
Exchanging ideas

The early adjustments
Was just a prelude
To the first setback
Unprepared, a blow to the ego

Depressed, arguments, bad feelings
Outpourings of the heart
Until that sweet promise comes along

Yes, they managed to go through
That final concert
Before the journey home

But the journey revealed
The many shades of each band member
Differences, similarities, dreams
And those committed to the music
Will continue on another journey

Traitor

USA 2008

Details traitor-themovie

Seen 14 June 2009

Traitor, deceiver, collaborator
Words in the negative
And the person himself
What triggered his actions?

Something in the past
Shaped the present man
His decision, his actions
Hurtling into unknown territory

Sacrifices has to be made
The other party would say to soothe his doubts
But at what price, with the innocents victims
Does the end always justify the means

Or is this is just a never ending circle.

Victim

UK 1961

Details imdb

Seen 7 June 2009

A progressive film for its times. The first time that the word 'homosexual' was spoken on screen and the film was also banned in the USA.
This is a story of a prominent lawyer's efforts to uncover who blackmailed his gay lover and others in the gay community. In the 1960s the homosexual act was still a crime punishable by law and many in that group were blackmailed. Those inclined to do acts against nature kept their secrets close to their hearts and tried to live as normal a life as possible. But even getting married does not alter the fact that your feelings and love is stronger for someone of the same gender.
That was the lawyer's predicament until he realised that giving in to the blackmail would never end the persecution faced by the gay community. He decides to spare no effort in finding the culprit even though he himself would be exposed to charges of homosexuality himself and jeopardise his career and marriage.
Listen carefully to the dialogue and you'll be amply rewarded.

Call if you need me

Malaysia 2009

Details imdb

Seen 6 June 2009

The movie begins with the arrival of Or Kia to the big city, joining his cousin Ah Soon who is one of the smaller leaders in the debt collection racket. They seem so ordinary, with the usual longings for love and affection. Ah Soon himself has a steady relationship with a girl that he intends to marry and build a life together. As Or Kia learns the ropes of the trade, we see how the gang works, collecting the money from debtors and protecting their small family. There is no violence per se, but the feeling of danger lurking is always there, enhanced by the omnipresent dark atmosphere.
There came a stage when the bond between the cousins is tested as Ah Soon finds himself not in the good books of those higher in the hierarchy. The dilemma haunts Or Kia until he had a talk with the local leader. Then and only then, did he make the final decision. Was it the right decision?

All ny failed attempts

Malaysia 2008

Details dahuangpictures

Seen 6 June 2009

There are seven short films altogether in this collection. According to the director, Tan Chui Mui, these are the results of her determination to produce one short film monthly. She was not pleased with all of them and one in particular might have turned out differently if she had directed it in another way. She acknowledged that she prefers full control over all aspects of the filming process and in particular the casting. Usually she will start from a script that she has written before translating that idea into film.
The collection does run the gamut of styles and genres but at the heart of it all is the portrayal of relationships, the ebbs and flows and the dynamics between people in different circumstances. The only exception would be a short documentary related to food. According to the director, that was her first attempt at making a documentary, and to me it still looked presentable.
The director might be accused of using the same style in terms of cinematography and art direction, but as she explained, the main constraint of film making is the budget. A bigger budget would enable her to experiment with more new techniques using the latest available in the market. That is quite a formidable hurdle to conquer.
At present, my role would still be to give as much support as possible to these non-mainstream directors as they present a different perspective of life.

Sell Out!

Malaysia 2008

Details  amokfilms

Seen 22 May 2009

The opening scene itself is a hint of what the audience will get from the rest of the movie. If you like films like “Borat” or “Ali G” by Sacha Baron Cohen, or maybe the Monty Python series, this might be your cup of tea. A heaven sent, Malaysian version.

A well written script, based loosely on the powers of money, the pervasive and intrusive present day media, kept the whole film together. An impressive cast, glorious art direction and music score, makes this small film, big in my books.

Kudos to all involved.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

USA 2009

Details  imdb

Seen 3 May 2009

Another installment of the Marvel Comics superhero. This time we go back in time, to see for ourselves what made Logan tick. This is a tale of those born not ordinary, bestowed with extraordinary gifts, alas a gift that cannot be returned. As usual, a tale of good versus evil, the dividing line between humanity and his animal instinct, blood thicker than water or does love conquer all.

Despite the usual action per minute treatment from the director, the film does manage to highlight the other side of Wolverine. Those moments are illuminating, at least we know that he is not just brawn and brute strength.

Delightful.

Bohsia - Jangan Pilih Jalan Hitam

Malaysia 2009

Details  malaysia.movies.yahoo

Seen 24 April 2009

Surprisingly good in all departments – story, acting and direction. Of course, the action sequences could not match anything that Hollywood does, or even touch any that Hongkong produces. But, for a Malaysian effort, with the usual budget constraints, it is a commendable effort. I was taken in by the fast pace, and well thought off editing. It helps a lot that no major dud scenes were there except maybe a few.
The film definitely gains from the two leading actresses who seem to live and breath the lives of 'bohsias', the Malaysian equivalent of the easy to get girls, just out for the fun. But underlying the seemingly disastrous lives, there is a social commentary on family values and relationships as well as our perceptions of these group of young adults. They are not there to be condemned, but they deserve more heartfelt attention to help them rise up and out of their current situation.
A must see local production.

Jangan Tegur

Malaysia 2009

Details  sinemamalaysia

Seen 17 April 2009

The title is a misnomer. Usually, the title would translate into “do not mention or say anything about something”, and in the Malay belief system, that particular “something” is most probably of another world. Whenever anyone mentions the “something”, bad karma will befall that person. In this movie that something is always present but there was no scene of any of the characters mentioning it or I may have missed it.

The main character is haunted by images of a woman, who died mysteriously. So throughout the film the audience is regaled with bumps in the night, shadows lurking or passing behind the actors, the stock and trade of the horror film genre. Nothing new, but if you go and watch the movie with the lowest of expectations, I guess you'll get your fair share of goose bumps, courtesy of the extra loud sound effects.

An added bonus, might be the pretty heroine. She still looked pretty in whatever situation she was in.

Talentime

Malaysia 2009

Details  malaysia movies

Seen 27 March 2009

What can one say about a director who tries to show the fabric of Malaysian society, warts and all in her previous films? She has pushed the envelope further with this story of love and devotion against the background of a school talentime. I was quite pleasantly surprised that the Malaysian Censorship Board did not ban the movie or cut certain scenes. Certain parts of the dialogue does touch a raw nerve for any Malaysian who hold their country and nation close to heart.

We Malaysians will always have that bogey man lurking, the race and religion issue, the two demons that have to be confronted upfront, not swept under the carpet as is the present norm. It will take a gargantuan effort for Malaysians to rise above the fray and make a success of this country despite the setbacks.

As usual, the director has managed to bring forth an effortless portrayal of the characters from the ensemble cast and special mention have to go to the new talents. The soundtrack and lyrics added another dimension to this poignant tale.

Stupendous.

Maut

Malaysia 2008

Details  cinema

Seen 16 January 2009

I try to bend backwards whenever I see a local production. In this case, I’m a bit disappointed. I expected more from the director, Bade, who has had quite a number of years of experience under his belt, behind the cameras.

The good things first, the camera work and art direction is commendable. The actors did their best but the overall direction itself falls short of what can be expected from an experienced director. Maybe the whole concept of death, life and its ramifications are just too deep a subject to be portrayed this way.

The heavy handedness of the hell fire and brimstone message of life after death, reminds me of the concerns some parents had when a school teacher showed to young schoolchildren a video clip of the gory scenes of after death.

The film leaves one with a dissatisfied after taste. It could have been so much better.