Shanghai Dreams

China 2006

Poster and details seattlefilm

Seen 12 October 2007

My nominee for one of the ten best films I've seen in 2007. Simple story line but the script, acting and direction make this a very satisfying outing. The film is set in 1980s China. The main focus is on a family who has been relocated to the countryside as part of the country's strategy to build a third front against their enemies.

We have a domineering father who has dreams of going back to Shanghai. He keeps a close watch on his daughter ever since she became close to a local boy. Some might say an obsessive watch. These two characters alone is worth the admission ticket.

The inner turmoil of the family is delicately set against the backdrop of the changes happening in the world at large. The change in the political climate is also reflected in the small hamlet and the consequences felt by the inhabitants. This has the incidental side effect on the social climate as depicted by the group of youngsters who want to build their own version of China.

Another plus point is the inclusion of songs by Teresa Teng and Boney M to reflect the mood of the decade. But the silences were also deftly put at the right moments to convey the emotional state of the characters.

Me Myself

Thailand 2007

Poster and details movieseer

Seen 12 August 2007

A tear jerker especially towards the end. Memory lost, new encounters, memory regained, love lost? That is the dilemma facing the two main characters. The pace is a bit slow in some parts as the director takes his time building up the scenes to its emotional peaks. Lovely soundtrack helps a lot. In the end, all of us have a choice and have to make that important decision. In this instance, the girl needs to know that the man loves her. Once she was assured, she is certain that together they will be able to manage any obstacles that come along the way.

Loved the teary scenes.

Perng Mang

Thailand 2007

Poster and details sensasian

Seen 12 August 2007

Can a ghost from the past fall in love with a boy from the present? Yes, they can in this film. She is the spirit of the Thai musical instrument, perng mang while he is the destined player. We'll see how she saves him from many close encounters with the bad guys and how he in the end has to let her go to find her peace in the next world.

What is intriguing and a recurring theme is the sacrifices each of them made. She made hers when she was a young adolescent whereas he devoted himself to her the moment he set eyes on her. Sacrifices aplenty, a high price paid and a happy ending?

Maybe in the next life.

Little Children

USA 2006

Poster and details newline

Seen 29 July 2007

A clandestine love affair between a couple who are already married to others. They might have problems in their marriages and their secret relationship seems a good antidote. But it takes more than physical and emotional attraction to each other to maintain a healthy and long lasting relationship. At a certain point, they were deluded into thinking that what they have can be built into something permanent but life is much more complicated. Interspersed with the couple's story, we are also presented with a story on a sexual pervert and a man who is determined to be the protector of the innocents in the town. Unfortunately, no one is totally guiltless. Everyone has erred along the way and we should take everything into consideration when passing judgement on others.

Ratatouille

USA 2007

Poster and details imdb

Seen 29 July 2007

A rat who knows how to cook. A kitchen helper who is thrown into the cut throat world of fine dining in Paris. Friendship, loyalty and love are added spices. The pace is hectic. We get villains and distractors. But of course there is a happy ending but not before the hero has surmounted countless obstacles. Joyful ride.

Belle tojour

Portugal/France 2006

Poster and details rottentomatoes

Seen 28 July 2007

This is a tribute to Belle de jour. The film takes us to the present day when the friend of the family encounters the wife. She is a widow now and does not want to be reminded of the past. The friend tries very hard to meet her again and promises to tell her what happened during that fateful day fifty odd years ago. She finally relents but does the friend keep his promise?

Belle de jour

France 1967

Poster and details imdb

Seen 28 July 2007

Catherine Deneuve as a housewife who has what seems a perfect life but needs that something extra to love her husband. She becomes a part time lady of the night which leads to a tragic episode involving her husband. The psychological drama unfolds layer by layer to reveal a woman's unspoken desires for something out of the ordinary to spice up her love life. The price paid is very high indeed but the woman seems contented at last living the life of a loving wife.

Andalusian Dog

Country France 1929

Poster and details imdb

Seen 28 July 2007

The French title is "Un chien andalou". A short film in black and white by Luis Bunuel. This film was made in the same era as the Charlie Chaplin movies. We get exaggerated expressions from the actors. Salvador Dali lent a hand in the film's making and there are glimpses of the limp watch paintings. The film itself revolves around the love affections of a girl with many admirers. There are hints of sado masochism tendencies in some scenes. Maybe love does bring out surprises.

Scoop

USA 2006

Poster and details imdb

Seen 28 July 2007

A Woody Allen film, so expect a lot of ramblings, lightning speed monologues and quirky wit and humour. Don't forget the pretty heroine and macho male lead. In this outing, the ghost of a recently departed journalist has to use a visiting student to London as the instrument towards the scoop. We get the scoop at the end with a journey that meanders through a homage of the detective genre of the 1930s films.
As always, the cast seems to geld beautifully under the experienced direction of Woody Allen.

The Edge of Heaven

Turkey 2007

Poster and details bangkokfilm

Seen 27 July 2007

An exploration of love between parents and their children, as well as love which comes unexpectedly. There are deaths which trigger deep seated emotions. The director manages to intersperse the events seamlessly. Of course the deaths had a deep impact on those affected. At first, there was anger and later acceptance that there is a reason behind the tragedy. The events bring those involved closer to the edge of heaven.

Bangkok Time

Thailand 2007

Poster and details bangkokfilm

Seen 27 July 2007

Glimpses of the underbelly occupants of Bangkok. A male prostitute, a nurse who works on the graveyard shift and a struggling street peddler. We get snippets of their lives but no happy endings. Images, snatches of dialogue - that's what the audience see and hear. It might be the influence of MTV but there seems to be a lot of films using similar tactics in conveying their message. There are advantages as well as disadvantages in using this technique. It might not appeal to everyone.

Pingpong

Germany 2006

Poster and details bangkokfilm

Seen 27 July 2007

Psychological thriller. What does anyone do with a nephew who comes visiting during the holidays after his father's death? Mix in a physically attractive aunt, an uncle who is most often away on business trips and a cousin who is training for the auditions into the local symphony orchestra. The nephew is the focal point in this story. His emotional state after his father's death is not exactly on an even keel. There is an underlying anger or dissatisfaction over what happened. He finds solace in the aunt who does not treat her own son the same way. One day, the nephew and aunt went into dangerous territory and the incident was seen by the son. That started the emotional roller coaster journey for the four main characters. Some things are just not meant to be.

Spider Lilies

Taiwan 2007

Poster and details hkcinemagic

Seen 26 July 2007

Spider lilies as a tattoo on a girl's arms and she herself is a tattooist sought after by her clientele for her expertise in the art. We also have a webcam girl who has links with the tattooist. Guilt and regrets are the main themes of the story. The flashbacks give the background to the story that unfolds. Along the way, we see love for family and lover going through its ups and downs. The happy moments seem so few compared to the prevalent heartaches. So many misunderstandings occur that jeopardise the relationship between the two main characters. Engrossing subject matter and well done. Not too sentimental.

Berbagi suami

Indonesia 2006

Poster and details kalyanashira

Seen 26 July 2007

Three stories of women who have to share their love with other women for the same. The first dealt with a doctor who is married to a successful businessman and aspiring politician. She knows he has eyes for other women and rumours have always been circulating that the husband has taken a second wife. The truth came out unexpectedly at an official business function. From that moment, she accepts her fate and was not surprised that another woman comes along into her husband's life about ten years later. Her son does not agree with his mother's acceptance of her status in life and things came to a head when the husband had a stroke. We see how the three wives cope.
The second story revolves around a village girl who comes to Jakarta to further her studies. She puts up at a relative's house who already has two wives with a number of children cramped into a two bedroom house. She marries the relative despite her misgivings and plods on being the dutiful wife and help in the expanded household. Lucky for her, she did find a kind of love from an unexpected quarter.
The final story focused on an attractive waitress in a famous duck rice restaurant. She had all the male customers eating out of her hands willingly but her boss was the one who finally managed to wed her. Unfortunately, being Catholics, this arrangement had to be kept a secret until an opportune time came to tell the first wife.
The three stories do not delve too deep into the problems of polygamy as it is a complicated issue. There is no one single solution that applies to every case. But at least in these stories, the women seem to have had the upper hand. There were also no physical abuse depicted. That would take another film.

Dreams

Iraq 2005

Poster and details bangkokfilm

Seen 26 July 2007

A commendable effort from Iraq even though tighter editing might enhance the impact. The film makers were trying to depict the atrocities of the war and its consequences on ordinary citizens. The main characters are shown in a mental asylum during the bombing of Baghdad just a few days before Saddam's fall. We're then taken a few years back to see what ordinary lives they lead before their fall from grace. A man who has been sent to the frontline but condemned to a life sentence in the mental hospital on charges of deserting the army. A girl who was on the verge of marrying her childhood sweetheart but was denied that happiness when the groom was taken away by pro Saddam men on her wedding day. These two went through hell trying to maintain their sanity and had to endure further travails during the free for all days before the Americans took control of the city. It seems the filming itself met some mishaps. A woman involved in the filming was kidnapped and one of the actors passed away after the shoot. But one thing is certain, Iraq is still in the throes of mayhem and whoever is stronger wins the day.

Beaufort

Israel 2007

Poster and details imdb

Seen 26 July 2007

An Israeli film which highlights the last days of an army team at Beaufort, a historical outpost in southern Lebanon. The outpost was secured by the Israelis earlier during their incursion into Lebanon. The location is very strategic as it is on a mountain top. The site has seen many battles since time immemorial. The fact that the Israelis gained a foothold there was a triumph for the nation but eventually they had to leave as peace negotiations were ongoing. But before they leave the army planned to destroy the outpost leaving no trace of human existence there.

The film focuses on the commander of the outpost and his team. The emotional struggles during the last few days are heightened as attacks continued from the Hizbullah. Political decisions had to be obeyed and sometimes the wait is more torturous than the actual fighting. Unnecessary deaths occur and the blame game is openly debated.

A quote from one of the fathers who lost his son at the outpost might summarise the feelings of a grieving parent. He said he failed in bringing up his son properly or else the son would still be alive. He does not blame the military or the politicians but himself. His son did not learn adequately the lessons of fear.

Okinawa shorts

Japan 2007

Details bangkokfilm

Photo yidff

Seen 25 July 2007

Short films using clay animation from a group of Okinawans who want to depict their point of view of universal themes of love and hate. Most of the shorts have an underlying message of love – for humanity and the world we live in. There were quite a few with themes of beings from outer space making a visit to Earth. Maybe the film makers were looking for outside help as mankind has failed miserably in taking care of this place we call home. So far, this is the only place we can call home and at the rate we are destroying the fragile ecosystem, we might have to move on to a new address.

Shorts but long in meaning.

Kala

Indonesia 2007

Poster and details bangkokfilm

Seen 25 July 2007

A thriller of good versus evil with help from mystical forces. The three main characters lead quite different lives. A policeman, a reporter and a singer. But their lives are linked to each other as it is their fate to meet up one day. They encounter evil forces along the way who are trying their best to get a hidden treasure. There is an ominous feeling that those in power are hell bent in getting their way irrespective of the cost it takes. Nevertheless, there is a curse on the hidden treasure and many die along the way. There is also a hint of abnormal sexual orientation of one of the leading characters. But at least the sexual orientation of the character does not prevent him being a leader in the eternal battle against evil.

I just wished things were as simple, but the no- gooders seem to be winning in the real world at the moment.

Chalanggai (Dancing Bells)

Malaysia 2007

Poster and details chalanggai

Seen 25 July 2007

Simple premise. Girl wants to attend dance class and needs the money for this passion. The dancing bells, chalanggai,.makes its presence felt throughout the film. But girl has problems. Not well to do family, father deserting family, mother trying hard to make ends meet selling flowers, brother not that well off either, just helping at the neighbourhood car wash. The brother himself, has ambitions to better himself, saving some money to buy a motorcycle. But their daily lives seem to be on a downward spiral when the brother was involved in an accident and has to find other means to pay off the damages. Father comes onto the scene, bloodied. An occupational hazard. There is a bit of hope a few scenes later when brother realises he has to make a concerted effort to change his family's life. This turnaround came only after his best friend died.

A bare bones story but I guess it is reality.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

UK 2007

Poster and details imdb

Seen 21 July 2007

I was confused a bit at the beginning since I have not followed the Harry Potter series diligently from the start. But as always, the gist of the film is the eternal struggle between good and evil. Throw in deceptions, misguided authority and a recurring theme of Harry Potter's past, we get an adequately enjoyable tale of courage and heroism despite the odds stacked against the hero. The special effects does convey the magical world of wizards to the audience. I did not get the gasping breath experience that I expected.