October 2006 Round-Up

Continuing the Round-Ups from where I left off (because these are a lot easier to write than actual reviews, and I really have a ton of work to do)...

Miami Vice
I came out of this movie feeling more of a man than I'd ever been. It's because everyone in the movie has balls of steel and go around spouting lines that are so macho it makes me want to cry. This is unapologetic, pulpy stuff, sublimely put together and breathtaking in its stylistic flourishes and action choreography (for once I actually know who's firing at whom, and who's taken a hit). Michael Mann makes me swoon, and the opening is pure bliss, cutting straight into a nightclub filled with sweaty bodies gyrating to Numb/Encore.

The Night Listener
I'm ambivalent about this one, because while some of it is captivating enough, like Robin William's performance, and the relationship between him and the mysterious boy, it meanders a lot as well, and as a result the movie suffers as a whole. I liked the matter-of-fact way in which Willaim's sexuality is handled; you don't need to scream GAYGAYGAY all the time, and failed relationships hurt the same no matter what your orientation.

看上去很美 (Little Red Flowers)
The movie's pretty decent till around the halfway mark, and even then it's episodic (which I dislike). But somewhere around there, it becomes something strange which I can't figure out; the child seems to cease to exist as a character, and instead becomes a symbolic figure for... exactly what I don't know. I'm not against your characters being symbols, it's just that when the symbolism becomes more important than their story and development, I think you're doing things back-to-front.

Cidade Baixa (Lower City)
What can I say? There's lots of sex and nudity. And some violence. And not much else. I didn't give a shit about any character, and actually was hoping that they would all kill each other so everything would just end. God, this movie was boring. Alice Braga is a hottie though.





Little Miss Sunshine
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love how all your characters are so flawed, yet so human inside. I love how when they change, it never feels forced. I love how the sweetness is flavored with biting humor and tempered with sadness. I love your flawless script and dialogue, which are absolute gems. I love your entire ensemble cast, who are so generous of spirit and never draw more attention to themselves than they deserve. I love your ending, which is so hilarious and sad and right and perfect that there's no other way it could have ended without it being a lesser film. I love you, Little Miss Sunshine.

The Departed
I don't understand the hype about this. Everyone you ask in Asia will tell you one thing - Infernal Affairs was better and leaner than this overstuffed turkey. It's not bad bad, it's just not that great. Or perhaps it just appeals more to the American sensibility than all the philosophizing of the original. Mark Wahlberg's character, which he got an Oscar nomination for, is completely redundant - the only functions he served were the final scene and providing some comic relief along the way. Jack Nicholson was out of control and completely over the top, it felt like Scorsese didn't know how to keep him in line. DiCaprio did a decent job, but he's a long way from matching up to Tony Leung's performance. The blatant ending metaphor made me gasp in surprise at how low Scorsese has stooped. The man is capable of far greater things; it's a pity that he'll probably get an Oscar for this as opposed to his more worthy work in the past.

Scoop
I don't care what anyone says, this is fun, fun stuff. Of course it's fluff, but it's enjoyable and well-made fluff, and I'd rather see fluff by Woody Allen than crap like Norbit or Epic Movie anyday (both of which are opening soon in Singapore, and I'm overhearing conversations at the movies between people who're actually excited to see them! The death of cinema is nigh). Scarlett Johansson is pretty funny doing her best Woody Allen impression, and it's just plain entertaining watching her and Allen bounce off each other.

American Dreamz
It's got a great premise, and is entertaining in parts, but ultimately lacks the vicious bite that's vital to a real satire. How can one like a movie that makes you feel sorry (kinda) for George W. Bush (or someone very similar, anyway)?






Hustle & Flow
Almost half a year after its Oscar nod for Best Song and nomination for Lead Actor Terrence Howard, it finally arrived on Singapore shores... and played for all of one week. Good thing I rushed to catch it as soon as it opened, for it would've been criminal to miss something this enjoyable. Howard is gritty and charismatic as the pimp-turned-rapper, and the supporting cast is wonderful and completely convincing. Scenes of him engaged in the creative process are genuinely exhilarating to watch, and it's all the more impressive since he performed his own vocals. Of course it tells a formulaic story, but when formula is done so well, you love it all the same.

放逐 (Exiled)
Did I say Miami Vice made me feel like more of a man than every before? I take that back. Exiled did that more. Johnny To is the best at what he does, and here he transposes a well-worn story of triad revenge and bloodshed into the trappings of a Western. It's unbelievably stylish and cool, and dripping with "brotherhood" and machismo. Hell, it even made me like Richie Ren in his role, and I normally reserve nothing but the utmost vilification for him.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
The premise seemed hilarious, and this actually has more of a plot than a Will Ferrell fratboy movie ever did, but somehow it fails to be as funny as it should be. Perhaps what I really enjoyed in his previous outings like Anchorman was the riffing that seemed to be so spontaneous, even if it had nothing to do with the plot whatsoever (I'm a big fan of random humor). Sacha Baron Cohen is great in his role, setting the stage for his Borat later on in the year.

The Prestige
Christopher Nolan movies are known for several things - their intelligence and amazing plot twists mostly (OK, so Batman Begins didn't have one, sue me). The thing I appreciate is that he always, always plays fair with the audience, and respects them, which is so bloody rare nowadays. Emotionally, it could be stronger, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a great time. Yes, I loved this one too.


Severance
Bloody good fun, in all senses of the phrase. A great, quirky mix of gore and very, very black humor (whaddaya expect? It's British) - I can't remember when I last laughed at a guy getting his leg severed by a bear trap (if ever). It makes for a great time at the movies, if you can stomach all the bloodletting. I think my companion felt a little green at the gills at times.



World Trade Center
An Oliver Stone film that's actually - gasp! - non-provocative, firmly middle-brow and has nothing to say (besides "Man, these guys were heroic!")? Bo-ring! Another example of the trailer being far better than the actual movie (remember Pearl Harbor?). What a shitty way to end the month.