Coming to Cinemas: JFF 2013

So it's already that time of the year and it is the 10th anniversary of the Japanese Film Festival. This would be the second JFF that I would be attending and I have probably become a little wiser in what to expect from the selection that is being showcased this time. While the summer movies haven't finished packing up to make way for the Fall movies here, the JFF is probably a good breather to wash my brain of all the blockbusting nonsense to get my brain primed for the award season contenders (not that we get to see much of them making towards our shores anyway).

There are a total of nine films that will be showing in JFF 2013, and one of them has already been selected to be Japan's entry for the next Foreign Language Oscar, so it is one that is most certainly worth looking forward to. I won't be listing out all nine films, but I'm going to post the trailers for what I'm planning to see while the festival begins in the Klang Valley on Thursday.

For my Sabahan friends, the festival should be making your way when it reaches Suria GSC on October 3 to 6, though some of the movies shown here might not be reaching there.

Until the Break of Dawn (ツナグ)

Director: Yuichiro Hirakawa
Cast: Tori Matsuzaka, Kirin Kiki, Ryuta Sato, Mirei Kiritani, Ai Hashimoto
Running Time: 2 Hours 9 Minutes
Language:: Japanese
Classification: U
Synopsis: Ayumi's grandmother is a Connector - she holds the power to bring solace to the living by summoning the dead. Before passing this gift to Ayumi, she wants to be sure that he fully understands what it entails. By helping a series of clients to meet with their departed friends and loved ones, Ayumi learns the importance of living without regret, and at the same time comes to terms with the doubts that have haunted his own past. Based on the prize-winning novel "Tsunagu" by Mizuki Tsujimura.

Trailer Impressions: I think I saw this for sale on DVD but never really bothered to buy it. Well, it has a touching premise so I would recommend bringing some tissue for this (in fact, there are quite a few movies you should do that based on their trailers). I like to think this as a spiritual sequel to Departures, but probably without a cast as strong.

Dearest (あなたへ)

Director: Yasuo Furuhata
Cast: Ken Takakura, Yuko Tanaka, Koichi Sato, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Kimiko Yo, Haruka Ayase
Running Time: 1 Hour 51 Minutes
Language:: Japanese
Classification: U
Synopsis: Eiji works as a prison officer in Hokuriku. At the age of 53, Eiji loses his wife whom he loves the most. Later, he receives a letter from his dead wife requesting that her ashes be scattered in the sea next to her hometown. Eiji is taken by surprise because she had never mentioned such a thing when she was alive. In order to find out her real intentions, Eiji heads to his wife's hometown of Nagasaki with his homemade camper van.

Trailer Impressions: Another one primed to be a tearjerker. After last year's Death of a Japanese Salesman, I should be prepared to go into this to end up as a mess afterwards. I guess you can see this as a Japanese version of P.S I Love You but with a much elderly cast, and seeing great performances from veteran actors is just one of the few things to remind me of what good cinema is about.

The Chef of South Polar (南極料理人)

Director: Shuichi Okita
Cast: Masato Sakai, Katsuhisa Namase, Kitaro, Kengo Kora, Kosuke Toyohara
Running Time: 2 Hours 5 Minutes
Language:: Japanese
Classification: U
Synopsis: Based on two autobiographical novels by Jun Nishimura, the film centers on a research expedition living in Dome Fuji Station near the South Pole. The area, which is located far from Showa Station, has an average temperature of -54 degrees celcius and is situated 3800 meters above sea level. A cook named Nishimura leaves his family behind in order to assist the expedition. Out in the middle of nowhere, Nishimura manages to cook extravagant meals consisting of high-class ingredients like foie gras, spiny lobster, and Matsuzaka beef in this true story of wintering party male bonding.

Trailer Impressions: A kitchen comedy set in a unusual setting. If there's one thing that the cast is good at doing in the trailer is making you crave for some Japanese food afterwards, so maybe best to go in with a stuffed stomach to resist the temptation? If you are looking for some light entertainment, that is not an animation from the selection, this is probably the one that I would go for.

The Kirishima Thing (桐島、部活やめるってよ)

Director: Daihachi Yoshida
Cast: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Ai Hashimoto, Suzuka Ohgo, Masahiro Higashide
Running Time: 1 Hour 43 Minutes
Language:: Japanese
Classification: P13
Synopsis: A rumor that Kirishima, the most popular student in school, is going to withdraw from after-school activities sends the other cool kids into an uproar. This has little effect on uncool film club member Maeda, who begins to shoot a zombie movie. The emotion of the school's various student factions gradually intersect, and during the shooting of Maeda's movie, a little incident occurs that sway their hearts.

Trailer Impressions: Admittedly this is the weirdest looking one from this year's selection, but guessing on its theme from the trailer, it looks like it has some pretty meta-stuff about filmmaking, which is something that is right up my alley.

The Great Passage (舟を編む)

Director: Yuya Ishii
Cast: Ryuhei Matsuda, Aoi Miyazaki, Joe Odagiri, Haru Kuroki
Running Time: 2 Hours 13
Language:: Japanese
Classification: U
Synopsis: Mitsuya Majime is, by all accounts, a word person. Physically clumsy and socially awkward, he only truly feels at home within the rules and confines of lexicography, or when relaxing in solitude at his boarding house with his cat, Tora-san. After struggling in the sales division of the Genbu Books publishing company, he manages to land his dream job in the Dictionary Editorial Department, where he can use his talents to compile a new dictionary, called "The Great Passage". Partnering with Mitsuya are an elderly professor who is nearing retirement after devoting his life to studying the Japanese language and a callow young man who is slow to develop an appreciation for the challenging task ahead. Mitsuya's love of language, however, leaves him speechless when he meets Kaguya, his landlady's granddaughter, who moves into his building and beguiles him with her obsession with cooking knives and fine cuisine.

Trailer Impressions: A strong cast coupled with a story that is uniquely Japanese, which might make it a little harder to comprehend. But if this is chosen to be Japan's representative for the Best Foreign Language at the next Oscars, then I think there is going to be high expectations going into this one. I don't think this one is going for the heart tugging emotions like in Departures, so there should be something else to make this a highly recommended watch.

Another movie that I couldn't find the trailer for is Ken & Mary, which is a Japanese and Malaysian co-production that was made and shown here a couple years ago, but only had its world premiere recently. But without a trailer, I can't really gauge how I would like it, but I think it is definitely worth checking out to see how the Japanese shoot in our local sights.

Releases and details according to CinemaOnline.

Coming to Cinemas: August 2013, Week 5

It was a busy weekend for me last week. Got bored watching Elysium, though I didn't think that I would get so bored watching a two hour extended action-packed sequence from District 9. I watched District 9 the night before and there's so much that is lost in what Neill Blomkamp did in District 9 than what he didn't do in Elysium; a not-bad action movie at best, but a disappointment for Neill Blomkamp.

I didn't let my mood get too ditched up down as I went to see Unbeatable in the evening and while it may not be the perfect MMA movie (it reminds me that I should watch Warrior again), but the performance was unexpectedly good to make me like it in the end, especially Crystal Lee. So, yeah, not an entirely bad weekend spent in the cinema.

For this final week of August, too bad August doesn't start with C for controversy. I'm curious to see what the local media would have to say now that Tanda Putera is officially hitting our screens. Too bad New Village isn't around to be a nice follow-up. Other than that, I'd say be ready for lots of blood, gore and violence and that's a controversial too. Bring it!

Kick-Ass 2

Director: Jeff Wadlow
Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jim Carrey, Donald Faison, Robert Emms, Lindy Booth, Daniel Kaluuya, Clark Duke, Augustus Prew, Olga Kurkulina
Running Time: 1 Hour 53 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: 18
Synopsis: When we last saw junior assassin Hit Girl and young vigilante Kick-Ass, they were trying to live as normal teenagers Mindy and Dave. With graduation looming and uncertain what to do, Dave decides to start the world's first superhero team with Mindy. Unfortunately, when Mindy is busted for sneaking out as Hit Girl, she's forced to retire-leaving her to navigate the terrifying world of high-school mean girls on her own. With no one left to turn to, Dave joins forces with Justice Forever, run by a born-again ex-mobster named Colonel Stars and Stripes. Just as they start to make a real difference on the streets, the world's first super villain, The Mother F%&*^r, assembles his own evil league and puts a plan in motion to make Kick-Ass and Hit Girl pay for what they did to his dad. But there's only one problem with his scheme: If you mess with one member of Justice Forever, you mess with them all.

Trailer Impressions: I would say that part of the reason why the first Kick-Ass became a cult hit was because of little Hit Girl chopping off limbs and made infamous for saying the C-word (it's not cock, don't be cute). But now that Chloe Grace Moretz is no more a little 11 year old, and the progression of their characters have gone down the usual arcs, there's just nothing more to see in terms of its 'originality'. I think this one might come out more subdued for anyone who is expecting more bloody, more gorey and more badmouth action. Not that I can't enjoy a well choreographed onscreen mayhem, but this series has reached a dark spot in its development, so I am not as excited to see this as I would be looking forward more to the threequel to wrap up this whole trilogy. Call this a necessary chore for me to see this.

KL Zombi

Director: Ming Jin
Cast: Zizan Razak, Siti Saleha, Iedil Putra, Zain Hamid, Azhan Rani, Izara Aishah
Running Time: 1 Hour 37 Minutes
Language:: Malay
Classification: U
Synopsis: An adaptation of the FIXI novel "Zombijaya" by Adib Zaini. The novel itself is inspired by AMC's television drama series "The Walking Dead". The film tells the tale of slacker Nipis who becomes a reluctant hero when a zombie outbreak robs him of the only life he knows.

Trailer Impressions: Ok, just based on this trailer alone, I might have face palmed a long time ago as if I haven't seen enough of these trailers of Malaysians trying to imitate something that is just inherently awkward to be put into a Malaysian context. But if there's one thing that makes me not slap on the label of 'Won't Watch' just yet, is because of the FiXi adaptation. I haven't watched Pecah yet, but I'm hearing that this might be the source of imaginative scripts that might Malay movies bearably enjoyable.

Tanda Putera

Director: Datuk Paduka Shuhaimi Baba
Cast: Rusdi Ramli, Zizan Nin, Faezah Elai, Linda Hashim
Running Time: 1 Hour 57 Minutes
Language:: Malay
Classification: P13
Synopsis: A historical film based on true events in Malaysia. It recounts the close friendship between the second Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak and his second-in-command, Tun Dr Ismail who are forced to put their personal issues aside and concentrate on restoring the country after the tragedy of 13 May 1969. Tun Razak, who is suffering from leukaemia, hides his illness from his family because he did not want them to be burdened, as well as for the sake of the country. He shares a doctor with Tun Dr Ismail, and the two are treated in the latter's study room by Dr Macpherson in secret. Despite knowing that he will die within two years, Tun Razak is thankful for Tun Dr Ismail, his most trusted, who promised to continue his legacy of rebuilding the country after his death as well as look after his family. But when an unexpected incident strikes that also causes his health to take a turn for the worse, Tun Razak is forced into a race against time to carry out his plans...

Trailer Impressions: I find it strange that when Malaysian filmmakers make a historic movie about our own nation, it always gets bombarded with questions about its authenticity and motives, while we just garble up and believe the depiction of history in other countries without the same scrutiny. Overly delayed and now that power is assuredly in the hands of those who wants where it to be, the urban folks are now allowed to watch this movie later than our countryside countrymen.

I really am trying not to go in with pre-conceived notions about what the political parties are talking about this. I just want to see how solid can we make a historic film and acknowledging that what has happened has happened, and being a neutral observer. I want to see good performance that is inspiring, and not useless rhetoric inserted to insinuate one political (or God forbid, racial) ideology against the other. I think there needs to be some maturity in dealing with our past, and I just damn hope that Tanda Putera (and New Village, for that matter) doesn't show that we are happy to be ignorant hating mobs to generate money in the box office.

FilmBah's Pick of the Week

Well, it's not every week that I get excited to see more local productions than from Hollywood, so it is a good week for me overall. It's really hard to pick, though I can safely say that Kick-Ass 2 is at the bottom of the three because I might just wait for an 'uncensored' version of the movie to be made available, even though I've already read conflicting reviews about our friendly board's hand in it. I guess it comes down to the possibility of whether I want to be mildy laughing or ragingly furious by the end of the show; both prospects which are something that I might want to reserve for buying the DVDs and watching them in my own room, so that no one would be bothered by it.

Oh well, maybe Kick-Ass 2 would just be my answer to having a good time in the end afterall.

If you're wondering why I didn't mention The Big Wedding, We're the Millers or Welcome to the Punch is because I've already seen them. So I would say, 'meh', 'meh', 'I liked this one' in that order. Have fun!

Releases according to CinemaOnline and check your nearest screenings at Showtimes.

Coming to Cinemas: August 2013, Week 4

Took another unexpectedly long break from the cinema and been spending my time watching movies at home instead. There wasn't any interesting release last week except for Unbeatable and I was going to give it a pass, but some of the kudos that I've been hearing about it is changing my mind about it for this weekend.

While the release roster for this week isn't getting any better than last week, I guess I still have to talk about something

So let's see what's interesting that is coming out this week.

Elysium

Director: Neill Blomkamp
Cast: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Wagner Moura
Running Time: 1 Hour 49 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: 18
Synopsis: In the year 2154 two classes of people exist: the very wealthy who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Rhodes (Jodie Foster), a hard the government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium. That doesn't stop the people of Earth from trying to get in, by any means they can. When unlucky Max (Matt Damon) is backed into a corner, he agrees to take on a daunting mission that if successful will not only save his life, but could bring equality to these polarized worlds.

Trailer Impressions: Unmistakably the biggest release of note this week. While I did watch Blomkamp's District 9, I can't say that I am overly excited for this. I can get behind the vision of Blomkamp as a director, but not his societal message as most of his fans would likely get the interpretation from. To me, I would probably go into this expecting a higher budget rehash of District 9, with better effects and a better cast.

The Purge

Director: James DeMonaco
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane, Max Burkholder
Running Time: 1 Hour 25 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: 18
Synopsis: The year is 2022. The United States is a nation reborn; unemployment rates are at 1% and crime is at an all-time low. This was accomplished by the U.S. government sanctioning an annual 12-hour period from the evening of 21 March to 7 AM on the morning of 22 March in which all criminal activity becomes legal. The police cannot be called. Hospitals suspend help. This event, known as The Purge, serves as a catharsis for the American people, giving them a chance to vent the negative emotions they keep inside of them with the ultimate goal of keeping unemployment and crime at extremely low levels for the rest of the year. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking. When a stranger screaming for help is let into James Sandin's protected house during the yearly lock down, a sequence of events begin that puts the family's chances of survival in danger. Now, it is up to James, his wife, Mary, and their kids, Zoey and Charlie, to make it through the night without turning into the monsters from whom they hide.

Trailer Impressions: A fascinating premise no doubt to anyone who has seen the trailer. It is the sort of premise that a whole original franchise can be built upon. However, reviews for this when it came out on VOD in the States has turned the whole idea into a stillborn. My piece of advise before going to see this is; expect this to be a thrilling slasher that is not as clever as it sounds.

FilmBah's Pick of the Week

Undoubtedly it is Elysium and I would probably be watching District 9 again so I can make a better comparison. I'm not sure if I will end up seeing The Purge, but I would probably go and see Unbeatable first before any of these.

Releases according to CinemaOnline and check your nearest screenings at Showtimes.

Coming to Cinemas: August 2013, Week 2

The inevitable happened. I went to see The Conjuring last week with some mates and I have to say that it has made me curious about James Wan's previous works. As I recall I might have seen his Dead Silent a few years back, but I think he is one director who deserves to be observed, now that his profile is slowly lifting off from the horror genre. His name would be one that I will be paying attention to from now on.

First of all on this second week of August releases, I would like to wish my Muslim readers (if there is any), a Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. I would most likely be taking the opportunity for the extended weekend holiday it has given to relax a bit more with some home entertainment than going to the cinemas...because there isn't a single damn movie that is worth watching on this Raya occasion. None. Tiada. Kosong.

No, not The Smurfs 2, not Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, and not a second helping of horror with Tales From the Dark Part 2. So, I'm taking a break this week from the cinema and it's important to do that because watching too many movies can make hate watching them.

Coming to Cinemas: August 2013, Week 1

So yes. I've finally cured myself from Pacific Rim withdrawal syndrome but to be honest, I didn't feel like the junkie I was expecting to be when I came out of the cinema after watching it. I wasn't disappointed by it, but the feeling was a little underwhelming would be the way I would put it.

Thankfully, there was The Wolverine to make me a little satisfied and I loved it for reasons no other critics would. It's not to say that it was a really great movie (except maybe for the mid-credit scene?), but at least it had proper form than the other superhero movies we had this year, and that is becoming a very rare gem to be nowadays.

Now we've come to August; the dumping ground of all the summer blockbusters doomed to fail. Though that mostly applies to Hollywood releases, I have to say that while this bunch of releases for this first week of August aren't the ones that make me want to see them in theaters, they are the ones that I have things to say about.

So let's see what's interesting that is coming out this week.

Kara King

Director: Namewee
Cast: Namewee, Frankie Gao, Ng Man-Tat
Running Time: 1 Hour 36 Minutes
Language:: Mandarin
Classification: P13
Synopsis: Wu wins the Regional Karaoke Championship in Hong Kong at the cost of his Taiwanese friend Gao's loss. When Gao's love interest Ah Hu accepts Wu's marriage proposal, the rivalry between these two Karaoke champions turns into a lifelong competition. But during the peak of his singing career, Wu suddenly decides to give up all the fame and fortune and disappear from Hong Kong with his two children. Just when Wu thinks he could take all his secrets with him to his grave, Gao finds him and comes to wreak havoc at Kara Village. With the news about his long-lost wife at stake, Wu is forced to come out of retirement for one last duel between the two Karaoke champions.

Trailer Impressions: I have my issues with Namewee. When he first came out the gate shouting angry phrases about racial inequality and claiming that multiracial Malaysians can be peace-peace, love-love neighbours, maybe there is something more that this crude but truthful messenger has to say. But when Nasi Lemak 2.0 and Hantu Gangster came out (the latter with a promo activity involving a crutch which I find distasteful), I find that his movies are just as empty and rhetoric as the institutions that he has been bashing against (just like his mindless supporters). So I'm quite glad that for his third movie he has laid off his 'muhibah' pipe dream and just focus on trying to make an enjoyable movie, without the shallow insinuations. While I don't think Namewee has fully polished his skills of being a good technical director, he does show some potential that he could make a Malaysian brand of Stephen Chow's 90s gag movies, which this one seems to remind me of (I mean, Ng Man-Tat is in it, so that's at least one checkbox ticked).

Killing Season

Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Cast: Robert De Niro, John Travolta, Milo Ventimiglia, Elizabeth Olin
Running Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: 18
Synopsis: American military veteran Benjamin Ford (Robert De Niro) has fled to a cabin retreat somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains, to forget the painful memories of the Bosnian War he fought in. One day, visitor Emil Kovac (John Travolta), a European tourist, knocks on his door, and the two men begin an unlikely friendship. When it develops that Kovac is in fact a former Serbian soldier bent on revenge, there begins a one-on-one confrontation and battle between the two throughout the harsh mountain environment.

Trailer Impressions: As much as it is amusing to hear John Travolta put on a Serbian accent, it rings just as much alarm bells that this could be a bad trip to the woods. While it would nice to see these two big stars duel it out like Face/Off, it would really depend on the chemistry between the two characters, which this trailer unfortunately doesn't seem to even cause a simmer. The other aspect would be the cat-and-mouse game that would be the main element, but already there some are distortions as to when it begins because there are shots being shown of them fighting in what is presumably the cabin where their friendship begins and in the wilderness, so there is some potential plotholes there that could be jarring. Lastly, is the name of Mark Steven Johnson which doesn't ring a bell for me, but a quick check at IMDb shows that he was the director of Ghost Rider and Daredevil. Nope, not looking good at all. It would be hard for even Robert De Niro to save this one.

Mr. Go

Director: Kim Yong-Hwa
Cast: Jiao Xu, Sung Dong-Il, Kim Kang-woo
Running Time: 2 Hours 13 Minutes
Language:: Mandarin / Korea
Classification: U
Synopsis: 15-year-old Weiwei is left all alone with her gorilla Ling Ling after her grandfather passes away in China. Her grandfather ran a circus troupe. Thanks to her grandfather's love for baseball, the gorilla Ling Ling was trained to play baseball and has developed remarkable hitting skills. A baseball agent from South Korea named Sung Choong-Soo hears of the remarkable gorilla Ling Ling. He signs Ling Ling to play in the professional South Korean baseball league. Dreaming of success, Weiwei and Ling Ling go to South Korea. Ling Ling quickly becomes a superstar in the baseball league. Meanwhile, a rival baseball team scouts a gorilla named Rating.

Trailer Impressions: I don't exactly know why the anticipation for this is quite hyped up after watching this trailer. Maybe as a Malaysian, we are just not a baseball crazy country like Korea, Taiwan or the United States. Make a movie about gorillas playing football and now we are talking. Still, the only reason why I am attracted to this is probably to see a grown up Jiao Xu, who was remarkable in CJ7. If there is enough meat to her character, she might pull a worthwhile performance.

R.I.P.D

Director: Robert Schwentke
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon, Mary-Louise Parker
Running Time: 1 Hour 36 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: P13
Synopsis: "R.I.P.D." is an action-comedy crime film directed by Robert Schwentke, based on the comic book "Rest In Peace Department" by Peter M. Lenkov. Ryan Reynolds plays Nick Walker, a recently slain cop who wakes up as an undead. He soon discovers that a whole other world exist, where a team of undead police officers work for a police department known as the Rest In Peace Department. With nothing to lose, Nick joins them in order to try to find the man who murdered him.

Trailer Impressions: Poor Ryan Reynolds. I really pity the guy. It's like he has some jinx with him that any movie/franchise property that he is attached with would turn out to be underperforming flop and it's not because it is his fault. He is a not terrible actor or the roles that he picks are annoying, but it's like the forces of the universe is dead set against him to have those movies released at the right time or be competent enough to churn a profit. Even with the Dude Jeff Bridges, this one looks like a disaster and the associations made about it with the now proven failed formula of Men In Black, just makes it worse. Let's just hope this one goes out quietly. Not only has Universal lost its faith for this, so as the exhibitors here.

The Conjuring

Director: James Wan
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ron Livingston, Lili Taylor
Running Time: 1 Hour 52 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: 18
Synopsis: Director James Wan's ("Saw", "Insidious") new horror film "The Conjuring" that is allegedly based on true events stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as a pair of paranormal investigators who are hired by a couple who has recently moved into a farm house with their children that seems haunted. The pair is based on the Perron family, who claim to have experienced a terrifying haunting during the 1970s.

Trailer Impressions: You know me, I'm not a horror fan by any stretch of the imagination, but this is the kind of movie that my horror-loving buddies would drag me to see it with them. Apparently, their idea of male bonding is to sit in a dark room with strangers while screaming like little girls. Maybe that's why I'm not much of a clubber too. Anyway, if there is a compelling reason to watch this for me is that this would be my first James Wan movie. You know, the 'Malaysian-born' director who made Insidious and Saw, who is making every Malaysian so proud that one of 'us' is doing so well in the States. That's something I don't quite get. Claiming credit for what someone has done, based on the virtue that he was simply born in Malaysia, is as ridiculous as claiming credit that we have implanted Obama to be the President of the United States to serve as the wag dog of Najib. Opps, was I not suppose to reveal that?

The Place Beyond the Pines

Director: Derek Cianfrance
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Rose Byrne, Eva Mendes, Dane DeHaan
Running Time: 2 Hours 20 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: 18
Synopsis: A mysterious and mythical motorcycle racer, Luke, drives out of a traveling carnival globe of death and whizzes through the backstreets of Schenectady, New York, desperately trying to connect with a former lover, Romina, who recently and secretly gave birth to the stunt rider's son. In an attempt to provide for his new family, Luke quits the carnival life and commits a series of bank robberies aided by his superior riding ability. The stakes rise as Luke is put on a collision course with an ambitious police officer, Avery Cross, looking to quickly move up the ranks in a police department riddled with corruption. The sweeping drama unfolds over fifteen years as the sins of the past haunt the present days lives of two high school boys wrestling with the legacy they've inherited. The only refuge is found in the place beyond the pines.

Trailer Impressions: Ah, the rose among the thorns. This one got lots of award buzz when it first premiered last year but had an awkward release date earlier this year in the States, which would make it less likely to be eligible for the Oscars. I heard that the US distributor is planning a re-release sometime in September to make it entitled for the race, but it's going to have some tough competitors this year. Since this is going to be in the International Screens, there would be plenty of time to watch this in the cinema.

FilmBah's Pick of the Week

I could quite easily say that it is The Place Beyond the Pines but having it in the International Screens means that I can take my time to see it. This is the kind of movies which I need to be mentally and emotionally prepared to see, not the ones after a tiring day at the office.

Releases according to CinemaOnline and check your nearest screenings at Showtimes.

Coming to Cinemas: July 2013, Week 4

It's been two weeks since Pacific Rim was released and still I haven't made myself go and see it. I think I'm just putting it too high on a pedestal but I want to savour every brainnumbing second of robot bashing monster that I have to be mentally prepared for that dumb down. But there's going to be a public holiday this Friday in Selangor, so I think that would be rectified shortly.

In the meantime, here are the movies that the last week of July 2013 has installed for me.

Imaginaerum

Director: Stobe Harju
Cast: Tuomas Holopainen, Anette Olzon, Marco Hietala, Emppu Vuorinen, Jukka Nevalainen, Marianne Farley, Quinn Lord
Running Time: 1 Hour 25 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: P13
Synopsis: Featuring music from Finnish metal band Nightwish's seventh studio album, "Imaginaerum" tells the story of an elderly composer, Tom, who suffers from severe dementia. All he has left is the imagination of a ten year old boy. As he drifts away into coma, it seems impossible to get back what he has lost. The film is a journey between two different dimensions. Tom travels through his imaginary world seeking answers and finding memories, while his daughter, Gem, tries to recover the bond she had once shared with her father in the real world.

Trailer Impressions: A movie from 2012 that had completely slipped my radar. It doesn't even seem to have a Rotten Tomatoes rating, which means that it hasn't receive much attention either. While I certainly don't need RT to tell me if the movie is good or not but after watching the trailer, I am quite impressed. I don't know what to make off its source material that would affect its plot but from what I've seen, it doesn't feel like it's taking a rather plain route into 'adapting' the album. While it's certainly no Inception by any stretch of the imagination, I do get the same sort of vibe from Sucker Punch or Upside Down, but it does seem to have greater potential to be an extended but creative music video. I would want to check this one if I get the chance.

The Wolverine

Director: James Mangold
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima, Will Yun Lee, Brian Tee, Svetlana Khodchenkova
Running Time: 1 Hour 57 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: P13
Synopsis: Based on the celebrated comic book arc, this epic action-adventure takes Wolverine, the most iconic character of the X-Men universe, to modern day Japan. Out of his depth in an unknown world he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before.

Trailer Impressions: Ironically, after much despair for the superhero movies that came out in this year's summer releases, this one which had been the furthest from my watchlist, might just be the most promising of them all. Looking at the trailer and barring no disappointing surprises like Man of Steel, this one seems to have a straight forward story to tell and would therefore be the most consistent in delivering what it says it will deliver. Is it going to be good? Not nearly as far as early reviews have shown, but it's better than the last outing for The Wolverine, and Superman has already taken the title for not living up to its expectations at all for this year. So what could go wrong, right? While this one looks like it shares a similar narrative DNA with Iron Man 3, I think Marvel wasn't doing this intentionally to set off some kind of trend. Besides I'd prefer this because ninjas are way more cooler than dozens of mechanical suits any day for me. That's how I roll.

FilmBah's Pick of the Week

Until my eyes have been hammered by Pacific Rim, I might go and see The Wolverine with friends once I walked out of the cinema. Still if time is permitting, I would take a bet with Imagenarium, I'd hate to be disappointed but it is a rare thing to see in our cinemas for sure.

Releases according to CinemaOnline and check your nearest screenings at Showtimes.

Coming to Cinemas: July 2013, Week 3

Sorry for no updates last week, but if you have to know I was going to say Pacific Rim, Pacific Rim, Pacific Rim,Pacific Rim was the only movie that was released last week. Still haven't got the opportunity to see it yet but...soon

Meanwhile let's just look at the releases that caught my eye for this third week of July 2013.

Man of Tai Chi

Director: Keanu Reeves
Cast: Tiger Chen, Keanu Reeves, Karen Mok, Iko Uwais, Simon Yam
Running Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: 18
Synopsis: "Man Of Tai Chi" marks the directorial debut of actor Keanu Reeves. Tiger Chen stars as a young martial artist who is recruited to take part in a no-rules underground fighting tournament. The tournament's leader, played by Reeves, is set on corrupting the young fighter.

Trailer Impressions: The directional debut of Keanu Reeves and it's interesting that he went to get some Hong Kong talents to be involved in it as well. The premise looks like a mesh up of Ip Man and Mortal Kombat, which doesn't sound too horrible, but there would be a lot hinging on Tiger Chen, who is actually a stunt double from The Matrix, to make this entertaining. Somehow I would be more comfortable if it was just starring Keanu Reeves and Tiger Chen, but knowing that Reeves is calling the shots for this one could spell a box office disaster. There is Iko Uwais, but I suspect he won't have a prominent screen time.

Red 2

Director: Dean Parisot
Cast: Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lee Byung-hun
Running Time: 1 Hour 56 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: 18
Synopsis: Retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device. To succeed, they'll need to survive an army of relentless assassins, ruthless terrorists and power-crazed government officials, all eager to get their hands on the next-generation weapon. The mission takes Frank and his motley crew to Paris, London and Moscow. Outgunned and outmanned, they have only their cunning wits, their old-school skills, and each other to rely on as they try to save the world and stay alive in the process.

Trailer Impressions: I had watched Red and have it on DVD because I quite enjoyed it, so naturally I would be interested in seeing a sequel. With the added star power of Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones (and Lee Byung-hun for the ladies), this is shaping up to be an attraction. I had always thought that this franchise had a better concept than The Expendables, so it makes me a little concerned when some early reviews have warned that the sequel has traded more laughs for the outrageous action (though the spinning car trope remains), which is why I liked this franchise better.

Turbo

Director: David Soren
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Michael Pena, Luis Guzman, Bill Hader, Richard Jenkins, Ken Jeong, Michelle Rodriguez
Running Time: 1 Hour 36 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: U
Synopsis: From the makers of "Madagascar" and "Kung Fu Panda" comes "Turbo", a high-velocity 3D comedy about an underdog snail who kicks into overdrive when he miraculously attains the power of super-speed. But after making fast friends with a crew of streetwise, tricked-out es-car-goes, Turbo learns that no one succeeds on their own. So he puts his heart and shell on the line to help his pals achieve their dreams, before Turbo-charging his own impossible dream: winning the Indy 500.

Trailer Impression: There really isn't much going for this but it has just made me realised that I have not seen a single animation for this year. No way I'm going to pay to see Despicable Me 2 (plus I don't want to be brainwashed into a McD queue jumping maniac) and Pixar's offering this year with Monsters University isn't compelling enough to make me rush for it when it was released. So this is probably the most attractive of the bunch, thematically. Well, maybe partly because it shares the same narrative thread as my all-time Pixar favourite Ratatouille (I could almost spell it without Google), but with the slapstick brand of comedy that makes it less mature, but funnier. Ryan Reynolds doesn't sound too bad here.

FilmBah's Pick of the Week

I probably have the most reasons to watch Red 2 than any of the other releases this week, but I probably wouldn't watch any of them until I have fed my eyes to Pacific Rim though.

Releases according to CinemaOnline and check your nearest screenings at Showtimes.

Coming to Cinemas: July 2013, Week 1

So I'm going to be trying a new format for this regular column (you may have also noticed how I'm titling these kind of posts). Instead of just showing every movie that is going to be released in Malaysian cinemas every week , I'm just going to be talking about the ones that looks interesting and/or if I have something to say about it, and preface it by saying what I thought about any movies I saw the week before...which is something that I need to start doing again...

So without further digressing on what I'm planning to do with this blog, let's just watch some trailers for the movies that are coming to Malaysia in the first week of July.

Blind Detective (盲探)

Director: Johnnie To
Cast: Andy Lau, Sammi Cheng
Running Time: 2 Hours 9 Minutes
Language:: Cantonese
Classification: 18
Synopsis: Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng stars in "Blind Detective", a film about a former detective forced to leave the service after turning blind, who tries to make a living solving cold cases for the police. It is the first time that Lau and Cheng had paired up together since "Yesterday Once More" back in 2004 and the duo's collaboration with Johnnie To since his 2000 hit romantic comedy "Needing You".

Trailer Impressions:So this is suppose to be a reunion flick between Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng, who admittedly I haven't seen for quite a while on film. The tone seems a little peculiar because it seems to swing wildly between a Johnnie To thriller and a silly romantic comedy. I was more excited for Johnnie To's Drug War (which I'm going to be watching soon on DVD) than this one, so I think that should fill up my Johnnie To quota for the year, besides Sammi Cheng's 'return' isn't something that I had been looking forward to.

Despicable Me 2

Director: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Cast: Steve Carell, Miranda Cosgrove, Elsie Fisher, Dana Gaier, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Moises Arias, Steve Coogan, Ken Jeong, Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Running Time: 1 Hour 34 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: U
Synopsis: Gru is no longer a villain, since saving his three adopted daughters Margo, Edith, and Agnes from Vector in "Despicable Me". But his calm and unexciting new life takes an unexpected turn when he is recruited by Lucy Wilde and Silas Ramsbottom and is taken to the headquarters of the Anti-Villain League, a society dedicated to fighting crime on a global scale. There he discovers that there is a new villain called Eduardo on the loose and because Gru was once a villain himself and knows how they think, Silas (who is the League's head), wants Gru to help them fight Eduardo. With the help of Gru's assistant, Dr. Nefario, his minions, and Margo, Edith, and Agnes, Gru must save the world.
Trailer Impression: In 2010, Illumination Entertainment thought they were being clever by putting a spin on the anti-hero by having a supervillain turn out to be the superhero in the end, and it gets a sequel in 2013. Do you know what other movie that put a spin on the anti-hero by having a supervillian who became a superhero by the end, BUT didn't get a sequel in 2013? Megamind. No dish against Steve Carell, but Will Farrell against Brad Pitt was a much funnier matchup and the DreamWorks' iteration was way more wittier, in my opinion, that could use a sequel more than this. Oh, it's only because of the banana minions that's why this got made, but Megamind only needed one minion, and it had one scene that was enough to make you think about your hanky. I don't think I really want to go to the cinemas for this, because we are actually just waiting for the Minions spin-off movie.

The Lone Ranger

Director: Gore Verbinksi
Cast: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner, Tom Wilkinson, Barry Pepper, Mason Cook, Ruth Wilson, Helena Bonham Carter, James Badge Dale
Running Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: P13
Synopsis: From producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski, the filmmaking team behind the blockbuster "Pirates Of The Caribbean" franchise, comes Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films' "The Lone Ranger", a thrilling adventure infused with action and humor, in which the famed masked hero is brought to life through new eyes. Native American warrior Tonto (Johnny Depp) recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid (Armie Hammer), a man of the law, into a legend of justice-taking the audience on a runaway train of epic surprises and humorous friction as the two unlikely heroes must learn to work together and fight against greed and corruption.

Trailer Impressions: If there was an overly ambitious movie that nearly didn't get made for 2013, this one belongs in the list. When I first heard about this project, Disney sounded like it was putting huge bets to take Pirates of the Caribbean out onto the sandy Western landscape by reviving an old franchise to boot, and thought that it was going to be a huge risk for them. Well, I'll admit the production value does looks good and could payoff, but there are pretty low expectations for anything else other than the major set pieces. I've stopped being someone who goes for those kind of movies for a while and don't think they will take my money, and they are going to need every cent being paid to see this. So, you decide.

FilmBah's Pick of the Week

Not really a great start to July for me. But if I have to go by the entertainment value of any of these, I would say go for The Lone Ranger, though my share for summer dumb fun is being reserved for next week.

Releases according to CinemaOnline and check your nearest screenings at Showtimes.

Coming to Cinemas (20/6/2013)

On this third week of June, three is a crowd, so there are only two releases that you should be concerned with.

Let's just look at the trailers for the releases this week.

Monsters University

Director: Dan Scanlon
Cast: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Joel Murray, Sean Hayes, Dave Foley, Peter Sohn, Charlie Day, Frank Oz, Helen Mirren, Alfred Molina, Nathan Fillion, Aubrey Plaza
Running Time: 2 Hours 22 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: U
Synopsis: A prequel to Pixar's critically and commercially successful animated comedy, "Monsters University" focuses on Sulley and Mike's studies at the University of Fear, where they start off as rivals but soon become best friends. All the regular cast will reprise their roles, with the addition of a new voice cast which includes Dave Foley, Julia Sweeney, Joel Murray, and Peter Sohn.

Trailer Impressions: Monster Inc. is one of my least remembered Pixar movies because it was released when I was still somewhere in secondary school still anticipating The Lord of The Ring or something, so if I'm going to see this, I am pretty going in with a blank slate. This is the first standalone movie that Pixar, outside Toy Story and Cars that were pretty much built to be in a series, is trying to breath some new life into it (to be followed up by Finding Nemo). Why a college movie? Because the kids who watched Monster Inc. 12 years ago, are probably at the same stage where this movie is headed. As a college-set comedy, it does seem to fit in the bill quite nicely, but since those days are over for me now, I don't think I really want to relive those moments in a monstrous interpretation of it. But if there's one thing that is drawing me to go see this one is the traditional Pixar short that would be shown in front of this. It would be nice to see if Pixar can top Disney's Paperman.

Tokak

Director: Sabree Fadzil
Cast: Abon, Joey Daud, Faiz Raja Lawak, Airis Yasmin, Kazar
Running Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Language:: Malay
Classification: P13
Synopsis: A horror film about an incident at a secluded resort that takes place over the course of one night. The Tokak is a vengeful spirit from Sungai Raya who has possessed a man named Iskandar, owner of the resort. In order for Iskandar to return to a human, he has to murder and drink the blood of six women who have sinned with lust in one night.

World War Z

Director: Marc Forster
Cast: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, Lucy Aharish
Running Time: 1 Hour 53 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: P13
Synopsis: Based on the book of the same title by Max Brooks, "World War Z" is a post-apocalyptic horror film that tells the story of a UN representative. Brad Pitt plays Gerry Lane, a U.N. employee who scours the world, interviewing survivors of the Zombie apocalypse, referred to as World War Z. The United Nations left out much of his work from the official report, choosing to focus on facts and figures from the war rather than the individual stories. These interviews chart a decade-long war against zombies from the view point of many different people of various nationalities, as well as the changing religious, geo-political, and environmental landscape of the survivors.

Trailer Impressions: Not a reader of the book, but from the direction I have heard about this movie going for, I don't think it really matters all that much. While this may be a little different than your daily dosage of zombie movies (the book has been hailed as one of its penultimate classics of the genre), the last time I went for a refreshing mix (I'm looking at you, Warm Bodies) for the genre, left a bad taste of brains in my mouth. I am really skeptical that this doesn't come out with some glaring scars from its troubled production that could hurt this overall, and the character played by Brad Pitt just seems like a waste of talent.

FilmBah's Pick of the Week

Not an entirely enticing week in the cinemas, but if I had to pick one out of these, it would probably be Monsters University, if only just for the Pixar short before the actual movie itself.

Releases according to CinemaOnline and check your nearest screenings at Showtimes.

Coming to Cinemas (13/6/2013)

It's a week of super releases for this second week of June. That's all I'm going to say. But if for some reason you are not planning to go and see Man of Steel, then there are still a couple pretty action-packed releases that are coming out this week.

So here are the trailers for the releases this week.

Man of Steel

Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane
Running Time: 2 Hours 22 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: P13
Synopsis: Clark Kent/Kal-El is a young twenty-something journalist who feels alienated by powers beyond his imagination. Transported years ago to Earth from Krypton, a highly advanced, distant planet, Clark struggles with the ultimate question 'Why am I here?' Shaped by the values of his adoptive parents Martha and Jonathan Kent, Clark discovers having extraordinary abilities means making difficult decisions. When the world is in dire need of stability, an even greater threat emerges. Clark must become a Man of Steel, to protect the people he loves and shine as the world's beacon of hope - Superman.

Trailer Impressions: If I was half-expecting to be disappointed by Iron Man 3 as the first superhero franchise release this year, this is the one that is going to restore my faith. Fortunately, all the trailers for this so far has been impressive, as there are no indications of what may be lacking. Having Christopher Nolan producing, Zack Synder's visual style for directing, David Goyer's writing and most of all Hans Zimmer's epic composing is an almost perfect match made in heaven, and I am really hoping that this would come out as a big win for the DC universe franchise. Early reviews have been indicating a generally positive one, so the expectations are just flying higher.

Pecah

Director: Asrull Hisyam
Cast: Tony Eusoff, Izreen Azminda, Sofi Jikan, Fizz Fairuz
Running Time: 1 Hour 25 Minutes
Language:: Malay
Classification: P13
Synopsis: CIMB Bank Shah Alam is broken into, with Herman, Alan, Radi and Don getting away with the money. However, Alan is shot by the bank manager and taken to the hospital. In Seri Memori Home, Bakar, one of the elderly inhabitants, collapses suddenly, unconscious. Lidya, a nurse, and Dr. Vivian rushes to help and takes him to the hospital. At the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah hospital, all of their fates become entangled, especially Herman and Lidya, who are a couple. With Inspector Paul closing in on them and their getaway vehicle stuck, Herman, Don and Radi need to find a way to escape.

Trailer Impressions: After my last outing to watch KIL, I have been paying slightly more attention to the Malay releases that are coming out, and for some reason, the ones with some potential are starting to follow suit. I don't know anything about this, except that it's based on a novel. Now the only Malay novel adaptations I've known so far have been leaning towards the mushy romances, but to have one that is action based is intriguing because the plot could be a little more thoughtout than your usual Malay actioner.

Switch (天機：富春山居圖)

Director: Jay Sun
Cast: Andy Lau, Zhang Jingchu, Lin Chi Ling, Tong Dawei
Running Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes
Language:: Cantonese
Classification: P13
Synopsis: "Switch", formerly known as "Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains", is an action adventure starring Andy Lau, Zhang Jingchu and Lin Chi-ling. The story revolves around the famous Chinese landscape painting "Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains" by Huang Gongwang, which was split into two 300 years ago and exhibited separately in China and Taiwan. The film envisages that the painting is finally going to be put back together again, where a gang of thieves are scrambling to steal it. Special agent Xiao Jinhan (Andy Lau) and insurance company employee Lin Yuyan (Zhang Jingchu) are on a mission to protect the world-famous drawing "Fu Chun Shan Ju Tu", which is the target of a Japanese gangster (Tong Dawei).

Trailer Impressions: The first thing that came to my mind after seeing this is that this is Andy Lau's Mission: Impossible. While Andy isn't as youthful looking as Tom Cruise, but the similarities here are too glaring not to notice. Again with the treasure hunting angle, so that doesn't inspire much confidence that this is going to be any good plot-wise. But if you can overlook that for the big set pieces, then it would be good to see how this compares up with its Hollywood counterpart.

FilmBah's Pick of the Week

Despite the choices there are this week, I've already set my mind on which one I will see long ago. While I can't say if I'm going to watch Man of Steel in 3D, but I think it's a worthwhile experience to go for IMAX, given the visual style of Snyder, who is most likely to pull off a few eye popping spectacles.

Releases according to CinemaOnline and check your nearest screenings at Showtimes.

Coming to Cinemas (6/6/2013)

And it's already June, with half the year gone with it. I have to say there have been few movies so far in the cinemas that have really impressed me. Some of the big summer releases turned out to be less exciting, but there's two that I'm still holding out in the next couple months.

As for this first week of releases for the month of June, things are going very slow. Like a M. Night Shyamalan movie.

So to speed things up, let's just get on to the releases that are coming this week.

After Earth

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: Jaden Smith, Will Smith, Isabelle Fuhrman, Sophie Okonedo, Zoe Kravitz
Running Time: 1 Hour 35 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: P13
Synopsis: A crash landing leaves teenager Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) and his legendary father Cypher (Will Smith) stranded on Earth, 1,000 years after cataclysmic events forced humanity's escape. With Cypher critically injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help, facing uncharted terrain, evolved animal species that now rule the planet, and an unstoppable alien creature that escaped during the crash. Father and son must learn to work together and trust one another if they want any chance of returning home.

Trailer Impressions: I wasn't really intrigued by this as much as I was by Oblivion, and even that didn't make me want to jump off my seat and race to the cinema. The stigma that comes with this is the M. Night Shyamalan name, which had been noticeably absent from the posters, as if the marketers are not taking their chances with that angle. Even so, the chemistry between senior and junior Smith felt a little awkward. Critics review for this has also been discouraging, so I advised anyone who is going to see this to have their expectations in check.

Lari

Director: Ahmad Idham
Cast: Aaron Aziz, Dira Abu Zahar, Erin Malek, Hazama Azmi
Running Time: 1 Hour 22 Minutes
Language:: Malay
Classification: P13
Synopsis: "Lari" tells the story of Khalif, who is in love with Maya, but has to leave her when their relationship faces opposition from his family as he decides to be a soldier. While Khalif is gone, Maya is wedded to KJ. After seven years apart, Khalif returns to his hometown when he receives news of his father's death. Upon his return, Khalif is surprised to find out that his younger sister has gone missing. Maya, who is coincidentally facing a domestic crisis with her husband, takes the opportunity to run away by helping Khalif find his sister, thus begins Khalif's dangerous and action-packed journey to find his sister, who has been taken by female slave traders.

Trailer Impressions: First it was Langgar, now I don't know if I have become sympathetic towards Malay action movies, or they have really stepped up their game recently. There's parkour, the choreography looks a little more visceral and they made sure there is at least one explosion (finally!); It's like the Malaysian studio system has finally found the formula of churning out endless reels of borderline decent entertainment, and Aaron Aziz has become our very own Jason Statham.

Pee Mak

Director: Banjong Pisanthanakun
Cast: Mario Maurer, Davika Hoorne, Nattapong Chadpong, Wiwat Kongrasri, Kantapat Seeda, Pongsatorn Jongwilak
Running Time: 1 Hour 51 Minutes
Language:: Thai
Classification: P13
Synopsis: In the Rattanakosin Kingdom, Mak leaves his pregnant wife Nak to join the war and meets four soldiers who become his best friends. During this time, his wife Nak struggles to give birth to their baby. When the war ends, Mak invites his friends to visit Phra Khanong and meet his beautiful wife Nak. Meanwhile, rumors fly around town that Nak is a ghost. His four friends and villagers trying to tell Mak that his wife is already dead.

FilmBah's Pick of the Week

Surprising as it may sound, based on this week's releases, I would have to say that my pick would be Lari, because it actually has a higher chance of giving me what I should be getting, than watching a director, who has long lost control of his self-indulgence, make a mess out of a sci-fi version of Pursuit of Happyness.

Releases according to CinemaOnline and check your nearest screenings at Showtimes.

Coming to Cinemas (30/5/2013)

On this final week of May, we have a really good week of releases in terms of the variety; from the dumb fun to the more intriguing entertainment, or if you are feeling old enough, a nostalgia trip could be worthwhile to make a trip to the cinema this week

It's definitely worth checking out the trailers of the releases below.

Bro, Nampak Motor Gua?

Director: Mohd Razif Rashid
Cast: Along Raja Lawak, Along Eyzendy, Mon Ryanti, Mamat Khalid, Shah Rempit, Fadzil Zahari
Running Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
Language:: Malay
Classification: P13
Synopsis: Epol's motorcycle is missing, so he is now on his own adventure to get his motorcycle back! His motorcycle was stolen by two thieves, and in the process, Epol meets Azura, whose handbag was stolen by the same thieves! Unfortunately for Azura, in her hand contain a thumb drive that important for Tan Sri Bakhir, a wealthy businessman. Tan Sri Bakhir quickly offers Epol a sum of money; RM 50,000 if he finds the thieves and gives the thumb drive to the bank. Epol accepts the offer and his quest of finding his motorcycle and the thumb drive! Will he be able to pull this off?

Jurassic Park 3D

Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Ariana Richards, Joseph Mazzello
Running Time: 2 Hours 7 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: P13
Synopsis: The 3D re-release of Steven Spielberg's 1993 American epic science fiction adventure thriller film that was based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton is in conjunction with its 20th anniversary in 2013. The film centres on the fictional Isla Nublar near Costa Rica in the Central American Pacific Coast, where a billionaire philanthropist and a small team of genetic scientists have created an amusement park of cloned dinosaurs. Things go awry when the park's security system is deactivated during a theft of dinosaur embryos, which leads to all electric fences around the park being powered off and releasing a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Trailer Impressions: I can't remember if I had seen Jurassic Park in the cinemas when it first came out, but if there's an old release that makes sense to have a 3D re-release, it would definitely be this one. If you are just not into any of the genre movies that are coming out this week in our local cinemas, the sheer amazement or nostalgia of this timeless classic should be good enough to make you want to scream in your seats for a couple of hours, just to remind of a time when movies in the 90s weren't all just about corny Schwarzenegger flicks.

KIL

Director: Nik Amir Mustapha
Cast: Redza Minhat, Cristina Suzanne Stockstill
Running Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Language:: Malay
Classification: P13
Synopsis: Akil (KIL) is a depressed young man who has suicidal tendencies. But, he could never bring himself to commit suicide. His attempts to die always fail miserably until he finds the perfect solution: A quirky assassination agency that helps kill suicidal people. KIL agrees with the terms of the company. The assassination will be anonymous. He wouldn't know the details about who the assassin is, even when or where he will die. This was ideal for KIL, until he falls for a girl he meets, Zara. Suddenly, he starts to have second thoughts on taking his life.

Trailer Impressions: It's very rare for me to be attracted by a trailer for a Malay movie, but the indie vibe that KIL is just one of those rare rays of light that still shine on the talents of our local industry. Although my expectations for this shouldn't be terribly high (as some early reviews have already suggested), but when a local screenwriter/director actually has the brains to think up something outside the box of hantus, gangsters, and different interpretations of 'rape' to avoid the censors, with some great potential, it deserves to have a look into.

Now You See Me

Director: Louis Leterrier
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Melanie Laurent, Michael Caine
Running Time: 1 Hour 55 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: P13
Synopsis: The Four Horsemen, a magic super-group led by the charismatic Atlas, perform a pair of high-tech magic shows; first astonishing audiences by robbing a bank on another continent, and then exposing a white-collar criminal and funnelling his millions into the audience members' bank accounts. FBI Special Agent Dylan is determined to make the magicians pay for their crimes and to stop them before they pull off what promises to be an even more audacious heist. But he is forced to partner with Alma (Melanie Laurent), an Interpol detective about whom he is instantly suspicious. Out of desperation he turns to Thaddeus, a famed magic debunker, who claims the bank heist was accomplished using disguises and video trickery. One thing Dylan and Alma agree on is that the Horsemen must have an outside point person, and that finding him (or her) is the key to ending the magicians' crime spree. Could it be Thaddeus? Or Alma? Or could it really be... magic?

Trailer Impressions: It is a very good looking trailer, which doesn't get hurt one bit by its dazzling cast. I think the trailer might have given out too much about the twist and the plot though, which could set itself up to high expectations that might come crashing down when the trick is revealed. This one had been on the watchlist since I first saw the trailer, but I suggest caution if the believabilty of the heist just doesn't make you feel like the dumbest person in the cinema.

The Hangover Part III

Director: Todd Phillips
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor, John Goodman, Melissa McCarthy, Jamie Chung
Running Time: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: 18
Synopsis: "The Hangover Part III" is the third and final film in director Todd Phillips' record-shattering comedy franchise. This time, there's no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off.

Trailer Impressions: I've never had the pleasure of following the Wolf Pack since their first adventure. I just don't quite catch the appeal of seeing a group of drunkards getting what they rightly deserved after a heavy night of drinking. What else was I expecting to happen? So, despite, what some reviews have called it a worthy parting gift, I would probably need to be really drunk to watch this hangover.

FilmBah's Pick of the Week

Narrowing it down, it would come down to KIL or Now You See Me, but I have decided that I would go to the former (even bought my tickets for the first time prior to screening). I might not have the gleeful expectations going into this as much as I would seeing Jesse Eisenberg reprising as Mark Zuckerberg, but let it not be said that I am a distinct hater of Malaysian films. Make more of something like this, and you would have my curiosity to check you out first.

Releases according to CinemaOnline and check your nearest screenings at Showtimes.

Coming to Cinemas (23/5/2013)

As advertised on my Facebook Page, I was missing for the past two weeks while I was on a short vacation, but now I'm back to compile the latest lineup of movies that would be coming to Malaysian screens in this third week of May.

This week, summer movies continue to roll in from the road, whether you are on a car or motorcycles. Have a little adventure for the young and the old. Seeing Aaron Kwok again after and having a rare release of a Tamil movie on a Thursday.

So as I get back into the regular movie schedule, here are the trailers of the movies coming to cinemas for your consideration.

Bikers Kental

Director: Helmi Yusof
Cast: Zizan Razak, Awie, Bront Palarae, Harun Salim Bachik
Running Time: 1 Hour 35 Minutes
Language:: Malay
Classification: U
Synopsis: A motorcycle adventure that follows Bidin Al Zaifa, an ambitious youngster who wants to own a powerful motorcycle and become a successful biker. He takes a long ride to Thailand with his Aprilia RSV4 together with his buddy Eddie and gang members. When Bidin reaches Thailand, he finds himself falling in love with a Thai girl named Saiya and decides to put his motorcycling dream aside for her.

Christmas Rose (聖誕玫瑰)

Director: Charlie Young
Cast: Aaron Kwok, Xia Yu, Kwai Lun-Mei
Running Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Language:: Cantonese
Classification: P13
Synopsis: Tim is a defense attorney with a heart of gold who quits his well-paid job to become a prosecutor at the Justice Department. One day Tim meets one of the most challenging cases he has ever handled when a handicapped piano teacher Jing, urges him to desperately help her with a sexual harassment case against her doctor, the renowned surgeon Zhou.

Trailer Impressions: This legal thriller starring Aaron Kwok, Kwai Lun-Mei and Xia Yu is the directional debut of Charlie Young, who I can't remember last seeing her in Cold War. She also wrote the screenplay which is also her first time, so I really don't know what to expect from this at all. The trailer looks sufficient, but doesn't seem to have an edge for me, even though Kwai Lun-Mie (who starred in the Taiwanese award-winner BF*GF and Xia Yue (who I last saw in Double Trouble) are strong performers. As a directional debut, it's always hard to say, especially from someone like Charlie who I don't have any inkling on her potential behind the camera, it could be mediocre or has a surprise installed for audience. I put this in my curious list.

Epic

Director: Chris Wedge
Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson, Colin Farrell, Beyonce Knowles, Christoph Waltz, Aziz Ansari, Pitbull, Jason Sudeikis, Steven Tyler
Running Time: 1 Hour 42 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: U
Synopsis: Best known for its production on "Rio" and "Ice Age", director Chris Wedge's animated fantasy-adventure comedy is based on the 1996 picture book, "The Leaf Men And The Brave Good Bugs" by William Joyce. The movie is about a teenage girl who finds herself in a secret world, where she must help a team of fun and whimsical characters to save their world, which also saves the real world.

Trailer Impressions: If there's only one thing that is epic about Epic is just the voice cast behind it. Based on a children's picture book, you could pretty much tell who this movie is targeted at and are you going to see it. Reviews for it have said that Epic is pretty much as advertised, so I would say this is a seasonally suitable release as much as, say, Rise of the Guardians was upon its release last year. There is nothing extra to draw me in, so I might want to weight my options further before going for this one, without any progeny of my own.

Fast and Furious 6

Director: Justin Lin
Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez, Sung Kang, Chris Bridges, Luke Evans, Gina Carano
Running Time: 2 Hours 10 Minutes
Language:: English
Classification: 18
Synopsis: After the events of "Fast Five", professional criminal Dominic Toretto and his crew of international thieves and drivers are wealthy, but their criminal records prevent them from returning to their home countries. Following his attempts to apprehend them, Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent Luke Hobbs is forced to offer the crew a deal; he will give them all full pardons for their crimes if they will help him take down a lethally skilled mercenary organization led by a former British special forces officer turned criminal mastermind Owen Shaw and his ruthless second-in-command, Dominic's thought-dead lover, Letty Ortiz.

Trailer Impressions: I may not be a big fan of the Fast & Furious franchise, but I did enjoy the new heist direction they took with Fast 5. This new entry does seem to still run along those lines, but the re-introduction of 'family above all' arc seems to turn me off a little. I never particularly got attached to any of the characters, and I just want to see some really strong set pieces from this, which this trailer has surely spoiled them (even the Gina Carano catfight) I wouldn't make this a must-see for me, so it might be something I would pick up later on for an easy watch when it has rolled out from the cinemas.

Olli

Director: P. Rameesh
Cast: Sasitharan Rajoo, Puspa Narayan
Running Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Language:: Tamil
Classification: P13
Synopsis: The story is about Vishnu, a geologist and his wife, Sumathi, a teacher. They have been married for the past seven years but have not been gifted with a child. Things change once Vishnu falls while carrying out his work in a cave. He then sees a bright ray of light. Since that day he experiences strange incidents around him and his wife. An old man who appears to know what is happening, passes Sumathi a book, telling her to read it and to be careful. It looks like Vishnu and Sumathi are targeted by beings from outer space...

Trailer Impressions: At first I was going to dismiss this sci-fi from Bollywood, but I eventually learned that this was actually a local production, so it's gets points from that angle. Looking at this from that angle, it does actually look quite impressive as very few local productions would dare to go for the sci-fi path (like the one I would like to dub as Malaysia's Transformers) because of its high budget and concepts that can be alienating. There is a lot of references to Hinduism in this one, so I'm not sure if I can get the full mileage out of this. Put this in the curious list.

Quartet

Director: Dustin Hoffman
Cast: Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Pauline Collins, Billy Connolly
Running Time: 2 Hours
Language:: English
Classification: P13
Synopsis: Beecham House is abuzz. The rumour circling the halls is that the home for retired musicians is soon to play host to a new resident. Word is, it's a star. For Reginald Paget (Tom Courtenay), Wilfred Bond (Billy Connolly) and Cecily Robson (Pauline Collins) this sort of talk is par for the course at the gossipy home. But they're in for a special shock when the new arrival turns out to be none other than their former singing partner, Jean Horton (Maggie Smith). Her subsequent career as a star soloist, and the ego that accompanied it, split up their long friendship and ended her marriage to Reggie, who takes the news of her arrival particularly hard. Can the passage of time heal old wounds? And will the famous quartet be able to patch up their differences in time for Beecham House's gala concert?

Trailer Impressions: This could have been easily my pick for the week if I hadn't already seen it on the plane whilst I was traveling. It has small charms for the directional debut of Dustin Hoffman, so I am looking forward to see more of his works if he is going to be sitting on the directors' chair more often. I would recommend this if you something slow from this week's releases.

FilmBah's Pick of the Week

Despite the hard and fast releases that are out this week, I have to say that I'm not too excited about any of them. Quartet, as I've mentioned would have been my pick for this week if I hadn't seen it, but there's nothing else to make me want to go the movies that badly. But if you hadn't seen it, I say go looking for the Quartet. As for me, I might just go looking for what I missed in the past couple of weeks. Maybe The Great Gatsby or Hummingbird. Any views of either?

Releases according to CinemaOnline and check your nearest screenings at Showtimes.

Coming to Cinemas (French Arts & Film Festival 2013)

The French Arts and Film Festival (FAFF) is back and it should be a good time to be a Francophile. Aside from the artistic activities that would be running, the only attraction that has my interest during the festival that runs from 26 April to 12 May (in the Klang Valley) and 16 May to 26 May (in Penang) are the 15 French films that will be brought in to selected GSC Cinemas (the usual, Pavilion, Midvalley, One Utama and Gurney Plaza). The theme for this year seems to be Juliette Binoche, whom you may have seen in The English Patient and Chocolat. So don't be surprised that you will be seeing her many a times from the trailers below.

I have taken the liberty to compile the trailers that I could find from the fine selection, so that you can see for yourself which movies you should indulge during FAFF 2013.

A Screaming Man (Un homme qui crie)

Director: Mahamat Saleh Haroun
Cast: Youssouf Djaoro, Dioucounda Koma, Emile Abossolo M'Bo
Running Time: 1 Hour 32 Minutes
Language:: French
Classification: U
Synopsis: Present-day Chad. Adam, fifty-five, a former swimming champion, is pool attendant at a smart N'Djamena hotel. When the hotel gets taken over by new Chinese owners, he is forced to give up his job to his son Abdel. Terribly resentful, he feels socially humiliated. The country is in the throes of a civil war. Rebel forces are attacking the government. The authorities demand that the population contribute to the "war effort", giving money or volunteers old enough to fight off the assailants. The District Chief constantly harasses Adam for his contribution. But Adam is penniless; he only has his son....

Trailer Impressions: Inspired by and shot on location of the ongoing Chad Civil War, this film by Mahamat Saleh Haroun was a winner of the Jury Prize at the 2010 Cannes, and was one of the nominees for the Palm d'Ore. The trailer might not have worked very well for me because I don't know much the context of its setting but this ones gets into the to-watch list simply based on the recommendation of its accolade. You might want to do your homework on Chad before viewing this though. Starting here.

Beloved (Les bien-aimés)

Director: Christophe Honore
Cast: Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Ludivine Sagnier
Running Time: 2 Hours 19 Minutes
Language:: French
Classification: 18
Synopsis: From Paris in the sixties to 21st Century London, Madeleine and her daughter Vera waltz in and out of the lives of the men they love. But not every era allows us to love blithely and light-heartedly.

Trailer Impressions: A time spanning tale of mother and daughter played by real life mother and daughter duo Chiara Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve. This 'musical' doesn't look like it really has anything more appealing, other than being French. Given its subject matter from the trailer, I don't think this is going to be spared by the Censorship Board, so it's not going to be worthwhile to see this.

Eleanor's Secret (Kérity, la maison des contes)

Director: Dominique Monfery
Cast: Arthur Dubois, Stephen Fleming, Julie Gayet, Denis Podalydès
Running Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
Language:: French
Classification: U
Synopsis: The seven-year-old hero, Nathaniel, is not a confident reader. When his eccentric old aunt Eleanor dies, she leaves her house to his parents and her huge book collection to the young boy. Nathaniel discovers that the books shelter all the heroes found in children's literature. Among them are Alice in Wonderland, Puss in Boots, Pinocchio and Little Red Riding Hood and they are counting on him for protection: if they leave the library, they will disappear along with their stories forever. When his parents start selling off the books, Nathaniel is shrunk by the evil witch Carabosse and must brave everything to save his miniature friends.

Trailer Impressions: A French animation that won some small acclaim by an animator whose most prolific works I can find are Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules and Tarzan. While the story looks interesting with its mixture of fairy tale characters, this one looks mostly aimed for children, so I'm not too keen on this.

Jet Lag (Décalage horaire)

Director: Danièle Thompson
Cast: Juliette Binoche, Jean Reno, Sergi López
Running Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Language:: French
Classification: P13
Synopsis: At Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, a French beautician (Juliette Binoche) on her way to a new job in Mexico accidentally meets a French chef (Jean Reno) who has been delayed on his way to Germany from his residence in the United States. Labor strikes, bad weather, and pure luck cause the two of them to share a room overnight at the airport Hilton hotel. Their initial mutual indifference and downright hostility evolves into romance and a re-examination of their lives.

Trailer Impressions: More than a decade old, there doesn't seem to be any strong appeal for this rom-com, other than it stars Juliette Binoche and Jean Reno. Originally written to be an American production, this seems to fit the classical rom-com, which now that I think of it, we really haven't had much of those this year so far. Other than expecting to see some brilliant performance from the two leads, you know who you will have to bring if you are planning to see this (who is probably already planning to see this anyway).

Juliette Binoche: Sketches For A Portrait (Juliette Binoche dans les yeux)

Director: Helene Martinez
Cast: Juliette Binoche
Running Time: 52 Minutes
Language:: French
Classification: U
Synopsis: The audience will have a new view of the Oscar-winning actress through the documentary which provides a window into her artistic life beyond the red carpet. This portrait explores Binoche's complex personality.

Persecution (Persécution)

Director: Patrice Chéreau
Cast: Romain Duris, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jean-Hugues Anglade
Running Time: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
Language:: French
Classification: P13
Synopsis: Daniel, 35, is haunted by a stranger who regularly breaks into his house and spies on him. One day, the stranger, a seemingly harmless middle-aged man, confronts Daniel and tells him that he is the man of his life. Daniel is shocked by the admission and tells the stranger to stay away. Daniel has a girlfriend, Sonia, whom he persecutes yet also worships as Sonia prioritizes her career before her relationship with Daniel and ignores his needs. The man's persistence takes its toll on Daniel and Sonia, leaving Daniel alone with nagging questions of "Why?"

Trailer Impressions: The trailer may hint an interesting premise but the latest work by Patrice Chéreau (whose works I have never seen) from four years ago seems to suggest there is some heavy psychological shit going on that doesn't seem to hit the right notes. There was nothing attention grabbing about the trailer and this film in general, other than Jean-Hugues Anglade César nomination which he didn't win. Again, plenty of scenes bound to be cut and they look very important. I'd said pass.

Populaire

Director: Régis Roinsard
Cast: Romain Duris, Déborah François, Bérénice Bejo, Shaun Benson
Running Time: 1 Hour 51 Minutes
Language:: French
Classification: U
Synopsis: Spring, 1958. 21-year-old Rose Pamphyle lives with her grouchy widower father who runs the village store. Engaged to the son of the local mechanic, she seems destined for the quiet, drudgery-filled life of a housewife. But that is not the life Rose longs for. When she travels to Lisieux in Normandy, where charismatic insurance agency boss Louis Echard is advertising for a secretary, the ensuing interview is a disaster. But Rose reveals a special gift - she can type at an extraordinary speed. Unwittingly, the young woman awakens the dormant sports fan in Louis. If she wants the job she will have to compete in a speed typing competition. Whatever sacrifices Rose must make to reach the top, Louis declares himself her trainer. He will turn her into the fastest girl not only in the country, but in the world! But a love of sport doesn't always mix well with love itself.

Trailer Impressions: While this didn't stand to be an award-winner, the production value for this does seem to be a well-made crowd pleaser and an impressive feature debut from Régis Roinsard. Coincidentally, the second film to star Romain Duris, this one looks like it would one of the fun ones to watch for this festival, so I would a shame to miss it.

Summer Hours (L'heure d'été)

Director: Olivier Assayas
Cast: Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, Jeremie Renier, Edith Scot
Running Time: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
Language:: French
Classification: P13
Synopsis: The divergent paths of two brothers and a sister collide when their mother, Helena (Edith Scot) heiress to her uncle's exceptional 19th century art collection, dies all of a sudden. Letting all of her children Adrienne (Julliette Binoche), a successful New York designer, Frederic (Charles Berling), an economist and university professor in Paris, and Jeremie (Jeremie Renier), a dynamic businessman in China to meet up and reflect on their memories and background since they have grown to share a unique vision of their future.

Trailer Impressions: This 2008 drama from Olivier Assayas did not make any appearance in the major festivals, but was highly regarded among the critics circles when it was released in the US in 2009. It is also one of the rare few to be made into an instant classic by the Criterion Collection shortly after its release so that establishes it's must-see status. It looks to be a really heavy drama and it's exploration of how death changes a family is something that I think that those with large or fully grown up families can relate.

The Chef (Comme un chef)

Director: Daniel Cohen
Cast: Jean Reno, Michael Youn, Raphaelle Agogue, Julien Boisselier
Running Time: 1 Hour 25 Minutes
Language:: French
Classification: U
Synopsis: A self-trained cook with haute-cuisine ambitions, Jacky (Michael Youn) gets canned from a series of menial cooking jobs for taking exception to his customers' taste. Beatrice (Raphaelle Agogue), Jacky's heavily pregnant girlfriend, tries to halt their financial meltdown by arranging a handyman position for him at an old folks' home, but he cannot resist the siren call of the kitchen. Meanwhile, Alexandre Lagarde (Jean Reno), chef and nominal proprietor of the three-star Cargo Lagarde, faces a crisis of a different sort. Stanislaw (Julien Boisselier), the interfering son of his retired business partner, wants him to cut costs and update the menu. Since he can fire Alexandre if the restaurant loses a star, Stanislaw tries to undermine him in every way possible, such as transferring his favourite sous-chefs and threatening his food suppliers.

Trailer Impressions: Another feel good movie led by Jean Reno. Not an award-winner by any stretch, but I'm a little inclined to French kitchen movies because of Ratatouille so it would be a treat to watch this.

The Horseman On The Roof (Le hussard sur le toit)

Director: Jean-Paul Rappeneau
Cast: Juliette Binoche, Olivier Martinez
Running Time: 2 Hours 15 Minutes
Language:: French
Classification: U
Synopsis: In July 1832, Italian patriots hiding out in Aix, France, are betrayed by one of their own, and Austrian agents are on their trail. One patriot, Giocomo, is dragged away and executed. His wife runs off to warn their friend, Angelo Pardi, a young Italian nobleman in France raising money for the Italian revolution against Austria. As the agents descend on his apartmant, Angelo escapes into the countryside. Angelo laters enters a dwelling where he is discovered by Countess Pauline de Theus, who offers him food and drink. After a second accidental meeting, both will start the search of Pauline's husband in a chaotic country.

Trailer Impressions: An epic period piece from as far back as 1995, The Horseman On The Roof was nominated for 10 categories, including Best Film, at the César but only won for Best Cinematography and Best Sound. This is a major production as it could get and was the last film made by director Jean-Paul Rappeneau before he would make Bon Voyage in 2003. Undoubtedly a large scale production, so it's probably worth your time if you are looking to expand your horizons.

The Minister (L'exercice de l'État)

Director: Pierre Schöller
Cast: Olivier Gourmet, Michel Blanc, Zabou Breitman
Running Time: 1 Hour 52 Minutes
Language:: French
Classification: P13
Synopsis: The Minister of Transport, Bertrand Saint-Jean is awoken in the night by his director of cabinet. A bus has plunged into a ravine. He has to go, he has no choice. Here begins the odyssey of a statesman in an increasingly complex and hostile world. Speed, power struggle, chaos, economic crisis..Everything connects and hits; an emergency after another. Which sacrifices are men ready for? How far will they go, in a state that devours those who serve it?

Trailer Impressions: Another heavyweight French production like The Horseman On The Roof. This political thriller by Pierre Schoeller was a major contender at the 2012 César in 11 categories and came out as the winner of Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound and Best Supporting Actor. It was also entered for the Un Certain Regard in Cannes 2011. Looks like an exhilarating ride to watch with a few cuts.

The Painting (Le tableau)

Director: Jean-Francois Laguionie
Cast: Jessica Monceau, Adrien Larmande, Thierry Jahn
Running Time: 1 Hour 16 Minutes
Language:: French
Classification: U
Synopsis: A castle, gardens, a threatening forest; this is what the painter left unfinished for mysterious reasons. In this painting, three kinds of characters are living: The Toupins that are fully painted, Pafinis that lack some colours and Reufs that are only sketches. Ramo, Lola and Plume decide to to look for the painter, convinced that he would be the only one to bring harmony by finishing the painting, although might get hurt from censors.

Trailer Impressions: Unlike Eleanor's Secret, this César nominated animation by Jean-Francois Laguionie might have been aimed at an older audience. The production value for this certainly looks quite good, and its premise is a little more intriguing that could explore into territories of artistic aspirations and barriers.

The Secret of the Grain (La graine et le mulet)

Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
Cast: Habib Boufares, Hafsia Herzi, Hatika Karaoui, Bouraouïa Marzouk, Farida Benkhetache, Abdelhamid Aktouche
Running Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
Language:: French
Classification: 18
Synopsis: At the port of Sète, Mr. Slimani, a tired 60-year-old, drags himself toward a shipyard job that has become more and more difficult to cope with as the years go by. He is a divorced father who forces himself to stay close to his family despite the schisms and tensions that are easily sparked off and that financial difficulties make even more intense. He is going through a delicate period in his life and, recently, everything seems to make him feel useless: a failure. He wants to escape from it all and set up his own restaurant. However, it appears to be an unreachable dream given his meager, irregular salary that is not anywhere near enough to supply what he needs to realize his ambition. But he can still dream and talk about it with his family in particular. A family that gradually gives its support to this project, which comes to symbolize the means to a better life. Thanks to its ingeniousness and hard work, this dream soon becomes a reality, or almost.

Trailer Impressions: A highly acclaimed and strong winner, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, of the César in 2008. I may not have heard of Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche or his Games of Love and Chance, but this trailer sets up a heartwarming and inspiring family tale. There seems to be strong performances around this one too, especially from Hafsia Herzi, who also won Best Promising Actress for her feature debut.

The Snows of Kilimanjaro (Les neiges du Kilimandjaro)

Director: Robert Guediguian
Cast: Ariane Ascaride, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Gerard Meylan
Running Time: 1 Hour 47 Minutes
Language:: French
Classification: P13
Synopsis: Despite losing his job, Michel lives happily with Marie-Claire. Their children and grandchildren make them happy. They have very close friends. They are proud of their union and political struggles. Their happiness ends the day they are robbed at their place and beaten up by two burglars who steal everything they can get their hands on, from credit cards to wedding band. This is made even worse when they realise that one of the hooligans is Michel's colleague who has been sacked.

Trailer Impressions: Another entry for the Un Certain Regard in 2011, Robert Guediguian adapts this from a Victor Hugo poem and if you have already seen Les Miserables, you know this is going to be a modern take of the class gap between the rich and the poor. While it does have any major awards to speak of, this does look like a drama that is worth your time.

What's In A Name (Le prénom)

Director: Matthieu Delaporte, Alexandre de La Patellière
Cast: Patrick Bruel, Valérie Benguigui, Charles Berling, Guillaume de Tonquedec, Judith El Zein
Running Time: 1 Hour 50 Minutes
Language:: French
Classification: 18
Synopsis: A French farce about a dinner party disrupted by one of the guests when he announces a controversial name for his soon-to-be-born son. This is just the start of a round of bickering and insults that ensues between this group of 40-something friends, with the film almost entirely confined to the hosts' apartment.

Trailer Impressions: Adapted and directed from Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière from their own play of the same name, this 2012 family dramedy in a simple setting (that reminds me of Roman Polanski's Carnage) had managed to even outsell The Avengers, so I have some really high expectations on its writing with an added dash of award-winning performance from Guillaume de Tonquedec and Valérie Benguigui.

FilmBah's Pick of the Week

Standing highest on my watch list are the family-oriented dramas A Screaming Man, Summer Hours, The Secret of the Grain, The Snow of Kilimanjaro, The Painting and What's In A Name. On the nice to see list are The Chef, The Minister, Populaire, Juliette Binoche: Sketches For A Portrait and The Horseman On The Roof. I would most likely skip Beloved, Eleanor's Secret, Jet Lag and Persecution. However, the availability of certain movies based on their location may cause me to not see all the ones I want to.

Releases according to CinemaOnline and check your nearest screenings at Showtimes. You may find the full schedule of the movies that will be shown at the FAFF Official Website.