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.