I love films that mix American and Asian actors together. This is, more importantly, a throwback to the noirish days of old. Shanghai compels the viewer to pay attention in order to piece together a jumble of unclear relationships and alliances. Instead of a movie about politics and war, it’s more about human relations and the different side to people. How people are used and mislead at times like this, and matters of the heart play an important role in the decisions the characters make. Gong Li is great in “Shanghai”, she radiates beauty and charm, and yet at the same time her extraordinary elegance seems to be begging for pity and mercy.

A few months before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, these four characters in the Japanese occupied city of Shanghai come together to concoct a dangerous tale of government secrets and forbidden love. Sounds like your typical period piece with gunfights, grand sets and predictable plot developments of double crossings? Yes, it is. Chow Yun Fat is equally as good. Ken Watanabe – a good performance though he really needs to work more on making his accent understandable as I still have a little trouble with him, but nevertheless makes a good icy character. John Cusack is a great choice for the main role, and he delivers his part impeccably. Being a secret agent, he is deeply sensitive and sensible man, who wants to reveal some mysteries and he is right in the whirlwind of a war craze.

Considering the cinematography, special effects and staging challenges that brings us back in time to the days preceding Pearl Harbor and in Shanghai of all places, and considering also the cast, if you have cinematic knowledge, it is almost incredible that this film was made at all and more so for a mere $50M budget. I was disappointed in a way since the movie didn’t go the direction I wanted it to go, which isn’t anything against this film but my own wants. Mainly because almost all the screen-time is on John Cusack despite it having well known Asian actors. The plotting’s twists toward in the last half hour is where the film kind of skids since its connection to Pearl Harbor, and some character motivation, is a bit too much to ask.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gif5xbcFd_Q

Shanghai is unfortunately the kind of movie that I rarely watch, the low key spy thriller. But, I am glad I gave this one a spin. Shanghai is a modern film noire, and for me a refreshing addition to the genre. Highly recommended for anyone who doesn’t need high octane explosions all the time to like a movie. Admittedly, this film didn’t quite make the masterpiece mark but it did enough to make a colorful historical backdrop for a fairly routine story line. What really made this movie successful was actor performance and there are plenty of top class actors in it to make it really worthwhile. All in all, this is a film that will appeal to audiences on both side of the globe and one well worth your time.

To tell the details of ‘Babel’ is a real spoiler, but I will try my best to avoid that. Outside of it’s Biblical connection, is also a severe example of “what comes around, goes around”. Brad Pitt and Kate Blanchett play a troubled American couple having very little fun on a vacation in the Middle East. Susan (Blanchett) is shot by a young boy practicing with a gun. Three crises are simultaneously set off, as the Americans’ nanny must find a way to attend her son’s wedding in Mexico while Susan’s medical crisis unfolds. At the heart of each tragedy is an inability to communicate. The cultures are North American, Mexican, Islamic, Japanese and Japanese/deaf.

Now the sidestory with the Japanese father/daughter, very loosly tied in, to me added filler, but dramatically done. It is catching, and most should find this film moving. Cheiko to me was like the last piece from a different puzzle you slam into place because it’s a bit misshapen. People may think Cheiko’s story was the most interesting or whatever, which is fine, on it’s own I won’t dispute that to some it might be a great story. But try and fit it into place with the flow of the main storyline and she’s attached very loosely. The cinematography is dazzling. I liked how long shots and close-ups were used. I loved the soundtrack as it comprised of different tracks from different cultures. What I think captivated me most was that Babel wasn’t watered down. From the Middle East, to Japan, and then to Mexico the stories seemed almost to real.

The movie is weighty with sadness, fear and anxiety, but that’s a part of our life here on earth. I appreciated the way each of the four stories gradually connected with each other, surprising us with the outcomes and also the timelines. It’s not linear, so not everything in every story is being told in chronological order. In fact, the story seems to move in more of a circular pattern, with the end seeming to take us back to the beginning. In some ways that created confusion, although it also probably served to keep the viewer guessing. The main take-away is that this is a relatively long movie that keeps you in your seat without the desire for a break. There’s suspense, desperation, thrills, high emotion and different situations for every age group and culture to relate to in Babel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chNzbahOn_w

That’s the wonder of the film. It involves the viewer with the struggles in the lives of everyone. The film gives you a close-up on the human condition and you are left considering people and places with a familiarity gleaned from the experience of watching. This film does show a global class system where Americans are treated with more respect than those from third world countries. The goat-herders are brutalized by their own police, and the Mexicans are viewed with suspicion and contempt by the U.S. border patrol. The film wants us to sympathize with the underdogs. Which means, if you want a film to relax in front of on a lazy Sunday afternoon, then Babel probably isn’t it.

You don’t see too many films that have as much guts as this one. Never Forever touches so many important issues such as interracial marriage, faith and religion. Sophie Lee is a white girl from a plain American family who marries Andrew, a successful Korean American lawyer from a high class family. The couple have a perfect life except for one thing. Andrew’s sperms aren’t strong enough for Sophie to have a baby. This one factor leads Andrew to attempt suicide. Next we see Ji Ha. Ji Ha is an illegal immigrant who is saving money so that he can bring his girlfriend to America, but because he’s living illegally, there are many things he can’t do like selling his sperms to a clinic for a small amount of money. After being rejected by the clinic, he comes home depressed to find a strange white woman sitting in front of his doorstep with a dangerous proposal. Every time he has sex with her she’ll give him 300dollars and if she gets pregnant he gets thirty thousand dollars in cash.

The most notable element of the movie is, needless to say, the outstanding performances by Vera Farmiga. Sophie’s pregnancy at first overjoys Andrew and his family and the couple’s future looks bright. But both Sophie and Jihah are unable to dismiss the intimacy of the relationship they have developed, Andrew discovers Sophie’s adventure, and the marriage falls apart while Jihah informs his girlfriend in Korea that he will never be able to bring her to America. There are certain elements of Korean and Korean American culture that are played to near-caricature: the cold, oppressive mother-in-law and the zealous pastor, for instance. So, I must wonder if the story came from Kim’s own deliberation about her relationships and choices she has had to make as a Korean and a Korean American.

The conflict and circumstances involved unfortunately feels forced and contrived – luckily the actors generally lift up the material. The sex scenes were very tasteful and well-done. As the relationship develops, so clearly does the depth and honesty of their physical relations, to the point where Farmiga’s character is able to climax by simply daydreaming about her lover. The sheer loonyness of it all somehow seems to contribute to its real strength. Perhaps it is art defying rationality. Plus, her husband doesn’t notice when $30,000 goes missing from their bank accounts. Does all this seem to demand more willing suspension of disbelief than even most Hollywood fare?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdQoVrcAlzQ

That aside, it’s really a fairy tale about connection in spite of distance. The movie gives a rare and unique look at what happens in a relationship between an Asian man and a white woman. The camera seamlessly moves back and forth following the characters’ faces so that it feels like we’re worrying along with them. It helps tremendously that Farmiga gives such a good performance — you have to really understand her character if the movie is going to make any sense, and we do, thanks to Farmiga’s commitment to the role. Above all, I was very impressed about the film. There are a lot of layers in the story, each characters’ emotion and of course the light and shadow in the mis-en-scene. It’s a wonderful art movie.

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas is not going to surprise anyone. It follows the same successful formula and chemistry between John Cho and Kal Penn as the first two. But even though it may not have lived up to the previous ones, Harold and Kumar prove once again that as far as epic stoner comedies go, they can’t be beat. It is a bit hard to put this plot into words but when Kumar comes over and accidentally burns down the tree, they then have to find a new one, steal it from a drug-lord gangster thug, try to not rape his daughter, crash a musical production of The Nutcracker, and limit the number of people they shoot. Oh, and of course it is in 3-D.

The star power helps too- while they may be getting a bit old (Cho is 40 years old! Damn!), Cho really does prove himself as the talented actor he is here. The 3D experience was better in this movie than most I’ve seen in years. It was consistent throughout, no eyestrain, very clean, and had some nice out-of-screen effects that paired well with the comedy. The only real negative I can say about the humor is, even though I expected crude humor, the baby jokes almost completely destroy the film with her inhaling marijuana smoke and cocaine. The result isn’t laughter, but a cringing factor that can easily destroy a comedy film. However, the movie reminded me why I love the characters, and made me feel like the holidays were happening right now. Take it as just a movie, have a good time, talk about it with friends and you’ll enjoy it.

Now with such a commercial and carefree title, this is an obvious one you don’t watch with half a brain. It packs in the most politically incorrect jokes its little heart desires while saying “F.U.” to every prudish, overly-sensitive audience member. Gone are the comical-yet-convincing minor characters like the racist Homeland Security Agent (Rob Corddry), the infatuated Male Nurse (Ryan Reynolds), and the helpless Interpreter (Ed Helms). Questionably weaker ones replace these: Kumar’s new-BFF, Adrian (Amir Blumenfeld), overstays his welcome, as does Harold’s father-in-law (an unexpectedly pedestrian Danny Trejo), and wimpish friend (Thomas Lennon). Sadly, even returning characters, such as bickering Jewish-stoners Rosenberg and Goldstein don’t bring the laughs like they once did. Needless to say, some gags work, others don’t, as goes most comedy fares these days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg8ZIqjcWHo

One thing that surprised me though is the lack of race and marijuana jokes that the first two films devoted their humor to. Most of the humor in this movie comes from either the 3D effects or having way over-the-top stuff occur. There is an unfortunate claymation episode and a ridiculous musical ensemble which is only there to showcase Neil Patrick Harris. However, the humor, the shocking set-ups and pay-offs the character relentlessly dodge, and the overall extreme and foulness of the whole mess frequently work. Despite every effort to attack religion, there’s some worthwhile lessons crammed into A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas. Harold and Kumar are forced confront loyalty, responsibility, aging, and manning up. It’s also worth noting that this is the only mainstream, non-white comedy series that doesn’t rely on race. All in all, a fun way to spend 90 minutes…nothing more.

There’s something inherently unnatural about cameras and their ability to preserve an instant in time. Everyone’s heard of the old wives tale about how aboriginals refuse to have their pictures taken, as they believe it will fracture their souls. Even more popular, is the notion that they can capture ghostly images on film. There’s no denying that there’s something deliciously spooky about the idea that these devices can see something the naked eye can’t—which is probably why they’re featured in so many different horror movies (Paranormal Activity, Insidious, The Ring—just to name a few). All things considered, it was only a matter of time before someone made a movie about it.

“Shutter,” a remake of a 2004 Thai horror film of the same name, tells the story of a newlywed couple (Joshua Jackson, Rachael Taylor) who find themselves involved in an accidental hit-and-run during their honeymoon. The body of their ‘victim’ mysteriously disappears, but soon after, they begin to find disturbing, ghostly images popping up in their photos. What follows is your typical horror film remake.

As far as remakes go, “Shutter” never really comes close to the level of “The Ring”—but neither is it quite as bad as “One Missed Call” (also known as ‘87 minutes of my life I’ll never get back’). But no matter what I say here, whether or not you like “Shutter”—let’s be honest here—hinges on how much you hate Hollywood remakes of Asian films, and how big a fan you are of the original Thai film. If you’re a diehard fan of the original or generally hate remakes, it’s probably better to just get your horror fix elsewhere. In the spirit of full disclosure, when I picked up the film at my local rental store, I was completely unaware it was a remake and based on the DVD cover art, had extremely low expectations. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vJhcbPvliU

“Shutter” has an interesting premise, but the filmmakers telegraph all the plot twists pretty early on, so don’t expect any real surprises. You can predict the ‘final twist’ about halfway through the film, and it’s pretty disappointing to boot. The remake also shifts locale from Bangkok to Tokyo. Now some purists might get up in arms about this, but as an expat currently living in Japan, I’d argue it was a stroke of genius as it’s a fairly accurate representation of high-flying expat life in Tokyo. Joshua Jackson’s terrible Japanese actally adds an odd sense of authenticity to his role as expat-douchebag (unfortunately, Rachael Taylor’s American accent is horrendous and occasionally distracting). Megumi Okina (Ju-on) is also fantastically creepy as the vengeful ghost. All in all, the best scenes come from the original—the last two scenes are actually pretty nifty. Sure, the plot’s a bit hole-y (wouldn’t the people developing all these photos notice the creepy ghost in the background?), but you really could do much, much worse.

If the fundamental principle behind the horror genre is to explore all the things that go bump in the night, then it goes unsaid that the number one rule of any horror movie is simply this: Don’t Be Boring. Unlike other genres, filmmakers can get away with quite a lot when it comes to horror films. The main lead could be Captain Cardboard, the script could be written by a second grader and the zipper could be showing on the back of the villain’s costume—whatever. So long as people end up dying in creative ways (brownie points if they end up spewing buckets of cherry red blood), you’ll at least gain some street cred with cult classic, B horror film aficionados. And if you’re lucky enough to end up going to bed with all the lights in your house still on, cowering under your blankets like a five-year-old who’s still afraid of the dark, well then that, my friends, is an A+ horror movie.

“One Missed Call” is not an A+ horror movie. It’s pretty much the furthest thing from scary that a horror movie could be and still classify within the genre (barely). The film is a remake of the popular 2003 Japanese film “Chakushin Ari” by J-Horror veteran Takeshi Miike. With a pedigree like that, it’s hard to imagine that some Asian horror fans won’t at least be intrigued by the U.S. remake. Resist the urge. Not only does “One Missed Call” break the cardinal rule of “Don’t Be Boring,” it breaks it on every possible level. The characters are flat, one-note horror movie tropes. The deaths are unimaginative and lame. The plot is riddled with holes large enough to drive an 18-wheeler truck through. And worst of all, the premise is just plain stupid. Miike fans might want to stick my head on pike, but I stand by that statement.

Like the original, “One Missed Call” follows a group of friends who receive mysterious voicemails from the future that play back recordings of their own grisly deaths. I suppose there’s some larger metaphor at work here about the evils of technological overdependence. And sure, that’s a relevant and interesting theme for a film. But after a while, you get tired of watching a movie where people are forcibly glued to their handsets for the sake of the film’s premise. Part of the reason is that the actors are only capable of portraying two emotions: shocked or somewhat upset. The biggest offender is lead actress Shannyn Sossamon, whose vacuous stare and toneless line delivery ensure that “One Missed Call” is just about dead on arrival.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKouK8W417A

There are some decent scenes in the movie—mostly in the hospital toward the end of the film and the obligatory scenes explaining who’s behind the killings. But for every decent scene, there are probably ten more that inspire fits of hair-pulling rage. The hard candy found in each victim’s mouth is a delightfully creepy idea that just utterly fails because of poor execution. Fans of “Chakushin Ari” will also be annoyed that the remake throws out the admittedly creepy ending of the original in favor of a more sterile, typically Hollywood ending. If a friend suggests this film, best call it a night and read some Stephen King. If a boyfriend/girlfriend suggests this film (and really likes it), it just might be time to reconsider your relationship. Seriously. I want the last 87 minutes of my life back.

There is no other sports documentary that so well integrates the journey of one man (Colin Pine) through the exploits of another (Yao Ming). The Year of the Yao is an entertaining film about Chinese basketball star Yao Ming’s rookie season in the NBA. Both people who know basketball and those who don’t will enjoy this film. It’s not only about basketball, in fact, not very much so but more about the life and the transition from China to the US for Yao Ming. It’s a great story and the way the story was told makes it much more exciting than your average documentary. You’re really able to get into the movie and get a glimpse of what Yao’ life was like for him in his first year in the NBA. The Year of Yao addresses such complex issues as globalization, US-China relations, and provides a behind-the-scenes peek into the daily rigors of an NBA player.

There are many shots of him on the court, sports talking heads analyzing him, and famous people providing comments (Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, even President Clinton!). Throughout, I wondered why this was in theaters, rather than on some ESPN channel. I think it’s because of the length of the work? Either way, Yao lives down to worst expectations as he struggles to find a comfort zone with new teammates. Indeed, his early efforts to play “American-style” (i.e., trash-talking, in your-face aggressive) are so wobbly that Charles Barkley promises to kiss the ass of a TNT commentator if Yao ever has a 19-point game. Many have stated that Americans see race while the rest of the world sees nation. This documentary supports that idea. Yao and the Chinese nationals interviewed here, always said “Chinese” this and that. On the other hand, all of the Americans, including Asian-Americans, said “Asian” this and that. These aspects are what make this film great and it is a shame if you pass this up because you think it is nothing but basketball.

Yao wants to advertise the sport, not race. After reading Jeffery Mingo’s review, my first impression is that the world is getting better but still exists racism. If it is really “an entirely African-American team”, does that mean white people are really so weak and can’t make the team? I feel it’s not about race. It’s about peace of love without boundaries of race, country and culture. “When you want to know your neighbors, first reach your neighbors.” The ribbing between Yao Ming and his teammate Cuttino Mobley is amusing, and the fact that Yao speaks in proverbs at times is funny, if only for it being unintentionally stereotypical. The game footage is entertaining, especially if you’re a Rockets fan, and I defy anyone to come away from this movie without tremendous respect and adoration for Yao Ming. From casual fan to NBA fanatic, I think every viewer will find something enjoyable in this movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47DuFRUUy08

The documentary is fair, objective, and deserves credit for synthesizing the dynamic world of basketball with relevant cultural topics without becoming overly generalized or banal. In the end, this is a well edited, superbly narrated depiction of two strangers navigating the rookie waters of the world’s most popular basketball league. That said, you don’t need to know a thing about basketball or Yao Ming in order to enjoy this film. It’s essentially the story of a man adapting to some serious culture shock. The only negative thing I can really point out is Ming decided to retire from basketball this year after a string of injuries. This film can now be viewed as a brilliant homage.

T, an experienced hit-man (Francis Ng) is forced to work with a group of young bumbling gangsters. T is more or less a honorable man who is contracted to kill via names written in little red packets – commonly associated with gifts given during Chinese New Year. The draw of this movie no doubt is Francis Ng. T’s perfection in a world that is very far from perfect, professionalism in a criminal underworld that suffers from bureaucratic bungling and a lack of thieves’ honour, will lead him to tragedy. However, while the dialogue does have its moments, such as a particularly informative conversation on the finer points of making a cup of tea, most of it is faux-cool and decidedly average.

Featuring a Chinese and American cast, a Brazilian director, and shot on location in Singapore, this film offers something for just about everyone. The drawback in these ingredients, is I know this film is meant to be “pieces of a puzzle” and as much as I admire the ambitious attempt it seems to needlessly clutter the production. It’s definitely an original piece of work, is entertaining, and features some scenes of true cinematic beauty. I do applaud the ‘Memento’ like concept of story telling, and the anonymity of the setting, but I just wish it was a bit cleaner around the edges.

It takes a very special breed of hitman to perform these executions – some of which involve his friends and colleagues. One wishes they focused more on Francis Ng’s character other than Joseph Quek, who attempts to provide the film with a dose of humor but misses the mark more often than not. Another annoyance is the films use of computer generated blood, which, quite simply, looks terrible. Another pity too is that we got to watch the movie in the dubbed Mandarin track instead of Cantonese. I await the day when these types of movies are allowed to be shown in its native tongue, and get classified as a “foreign” movie, as do the French, German, Russian, Japanese, Korean, etc which do not get dubbed at all here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek0zKPgKmVI

Irony at its best, Harvey Keitel delivers some advice to Ko in the movie about not mixing two incompatible gangster cultures together, but the director fails to recognize the flaws dealt to his film by mixing two incompatible film genres together. Good hit-man movies are stylish, smart, and cool, but for all its glossy trickery and pop-culture references, One Last Dance is not. If you need something to watch, this film should hold your attention, and in between the cringe-worthy special effects you should enjoy the acting as most of the actors put their best foot forward.

FULL MOVIE BELOW! Click to watch & enjoy!

We have a soft spot for people who are passionate about their work. I was fairly excited to see Eric Powers’ short film that follows a lone samurai who sets his course towards the path of blood, unknown dangers and terror. Path of Blood – Demon at the Crossroads of Destiny is a step above South Park in terms of animation and borrows heavily from stylized films of the past. What impressed me the most was his attention to detail. Today, cutout-style animation is frequently produced using computers, with scanned images or vector graphics taking the place of physically cut materials.

Clocking in at a short 4 minutes, it weaves an action-packed, bloody tale of a lone samurai as he takes on a demon lord and his army. We found little to complain about as the moody music and adult themes gave us a short glimpse into a world that we want to revisit. Soon! In fact, in my first viewpoint, the short film really seemed a bit simplistic, focused more on battles and at some points, a sense of humor to keep the audience’s interest but after watching it a second time, I learned to slow down and appreciate all the individual elements that made up the whole.  An absolute blast from start to finish!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VZ5jpZN8g0

Eric is looking to raise funds for the production of this film in a fleshed out version of the short film of the same name. To help him visit his PayPal donation page - HERE.

Kung Pow- Enter the Fist is a parody movie. Wait…do not run away just yet. Unlike the mass of lackluster parody movies that are produced these days, this movie is actually very funny. Its vehicle is that it uses old footage of kung fu films such as Enter the Dragan and overlays its modern content onto them. Plus add intentionally bad dubbing and you have a movie which never for a second tries to be subtle, ingenious, or intelligent. It’s clear that Steve Oedekerk and crew prided themselves on this movie making little or no sense at all. Oedekerk had himself digitally inserted into dozens of existing scenes from other older movies simply because he could and it looked ridiculous.

Clever editing of a 1977 kung-fu movie ‘Tiger and Crane Fists’ and the insertion of zany new scenes is what this movie is. The jokes can only be appreciated by those with either a sick, twisted sense of humor or an open mind. The biggest cause of the trouble is a Mr “Betty” Pain, a man whose iron claws, triangular studs and boombox tunes make him virtually invincible. To top it all off, he is a master magician, and can make his associates clothes change colors halfway during a scene. Everytime I thought the movie might drag a little bit, up came something new, stupid, and usually side-splitting.

This is the kind of goofy movie that lets you break out the popcorn, sit on the bedroom floor with a bunch of friends, and just laugh your heads off for an hour and a half. The jokes are both clever and wonderfully stupid. They will amuse, enthuse and most of all get you to laugh hysterically and remember the characters for their funny voices, silliness, and originality. There are so many gags worth mentioning in this movie that it’s best just to see it for oneself. Supposedly the voices were originally going to be done by several different people, but his crew laughed so hard at the voices Steve Oedekerk was using to show them what he was looking for that he decided to do it himself. Nice touch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihuDwkL9_Ng

I´m a real fan of martial arts and crude humor, so this film was and always will be a guilty pleasure of mine. If your late-night movie stash consists of more than a few old karate flicks, you should be able to appreciate the thought that went into the parody that is Kung Pow. If a cow that shoots milk torpedoes out of its utters and nunchukas made of gophers don’t deter you, then nothing will stop you from liking this movie. I don’t have any deep or analytical things to say, only that this movie is simply a lot of fun. Steve Oedekerk has completely mastered the fine art of foolishness. This, and many of the movie’s sight and sound gags, are cheap in their construction and execution, but still manage to provide one with a well-spent 80 minutes of almost-continuous laughter.