The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews
The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews |
- Japanese feast for film buffs
- Fans choose their 'Fifty Shades' actors
- Tsai Ming-Liang wins at Venice Film Festival
| Posted: The Japanese Film Festival returns for its 10th year. This time around, it will be extended to Sabah and Sarawak as well. TALK about Japanese-Malaysian relations! This year's Japanese Film Festival is opening with Ken & Mary, a movie about a Japanese man who travels to Kuala Lumpur and finds himself paired up with a truck driver who is happy to converse in nonsensical Japanese. Shot in Malaysia in 2011, we will be catching this film before our friends in Japan. This is the world premiere for the movie – it is scheduled to be released in Japan in November. Fans of Malaysian comedian Zizan Raja Lawak, take note: he appears in the movie as a colleague of the daughter of the Japanese man who is hell bent on breaking off her engagement. Organised by The Japan Foundation in Kuala Lumpur, the film festival is now in its 10th year. Usually held in Klang Valley and Penang, this year's film festival has been extended to Kuching, Sarawak and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The festival offers nine movies, from comedy to animation and everything in between. (The film festival in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu will showcase eight movies. Dearest is showing only in Klang Valley and Penang.) The 2013 Japanese Film Festival will be held at Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) in Kuala Lumpur (Mid Valley and Pavilion) and Petaling Jaya, Selangor (One Utama) from Sept 12 to 17; Penang (Gurney Plaza) from Sept 19 to 22; Kuching (CityOne Megamall) from Sept 26 to 29; and Kota Kinabalu (Suria Sabah Mall) from Oct 3 to 6. Movie tickets are priced at RM6 each, with the exception of Detective Conan: Private Eye In The Distant Sea, which can be purchased at the prevailing ticket price. As usual, tickets can be purchased from as early as two days prior to the screening from GSC box office or online. Below is a quick look at the selection of movies that will be screened at the 2013 Japanese Film Festival. Ken & Mary (2011, 87 min) When his plane has to make an emergency landing, Ken Katakura finds himself stranded in a remote part of Malaysia. He has to make his way to Kuala Lumpur to stop his daughter from getting married, so he hooks up with a truck driver who is strangely partial to Japan and speaks nonsensical Japanese. Malaysian actor Zizan Raja Lawak makes an appearance in this movie which also stars Takenaka Naoto, Hu Bing and Kitano Kii. At River's Edge (2011, 104 min) Skilled swordsman Sakunosuke is ordered to kill someone. It should be easy enough, but then he finds out that the target is Sakuma, his childhood friend, and also his brother-in-law. Does work, or friendship and family win? Starring Higashiyama Noriyuki, Rinko Kikuchi, Katsuji Ryo and Kataoka Ainosuke. The Chef Of South Polar (2009, 125 min) This chef has never quite done anything like this before. He has to cook for an eight-man team for one-and-a-half years, the duration of their research expedition in the South Pole. Trivia: there is one man who is addicted to Ramen. More trivia: someone else on the team is training to participate in a triathlon when he returns to Japan. Starring Sakai Masato, Namase Katsuhisa, Kitaro, Kora Kengo and Toyohara Kousuke. The Kirishima Thing (2012, 103 min) The most popular student in school is going to withdraw from after-school activities, but "uncool" film club member Maeda doesn't care and continues to shoot a zombie movie. But then it all escalates into something with unexpected consequences. Starring Kamiki Ryunosuke, Hashimoto Ai and Ohgo Suzuka. Until The Break Of Dawn (2012, 129 min) Ayumi is a "Connector" who links the living with their dearly departed. But soon he has doubts as to whether these people are better off without making the connection, especially after the mysterious deaths of his parents. Starring Matsuzaka Tori, Kiki Kilin and Sato Ryuta. Oblivion Island: Haruka And The Magic Mirror (2009, 100 min) While praying at the shrine for the return of the hand mirror her late mother gave to her, Haruka is distracted by a small fox-like creature who runs off with her house key. She gives chase, is sucked into a warm pool when she dips her hand in it, and lands in the World of the Neglected, home to objects long forgotten. Starring Ayase Haruka, Sawashiro Miyuki and Tanimura Mitsuki. The Great Passage (2013, 133 min) The eccentric Mitsuya Majime is transferred to the Dictionary Editorial Department thanks to his unique perception of the meaning of words. Then along comes a woman who most inconveniently renders him tongue-tied. Starring Matsuda Ryuhei, Miyazaki Aoi and Odagiri Joe. Detective Conan: Private Eye In The Distant Sea (2013, 110 min) (priced at prevailing ticket price) The corpse of a Self-Defense Force member has been found, minus the left arm. A spy has infiltrated the Aegis vessel and Conan is forced to stand up against the dangerous "Spy X". Starring Takayama Minami, Yamazaki Wakana and Koyama Rikiya. Dearest (2012, 111 min) (only showing in Peninsular Malaysia) After the passing of his wife, 53-year-old prison officer Eiji receives a letter from her requesting that her ashes be strewn out at sea. Strangely, she has never mentioned such a thing while she was alive. Looks like a journey to her hometown is long overdue. Starring Takakura Ken, Tanaka Yuko, Sato Koichi and Otaki Hideji. For more information and showtimes, visit www.jfkl.org.my or gsc.com.my. |
| Fans choose their 'Fifty Shades' actors Posted: The coveted lead roles in the Fifty Shades Of Grey film have been cast, but fans are far from happy. So just who should play Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele? LAST week, fans of the erotic novel Fifty Shades Of Grey had a meltdown when it was announced that Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson have been cast as the leads, Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele respectively, in the movie version. Fans felt these two actors just do not embody the essence of the characters created by E.L. James. Of course, everyone who has read the books has his or her own opinion on who should play these characters. With that in mind, we asked four writers from The Star to tell us their dream cast. "HOLY cow!" was my first response (and incidentally, an oft-used phrase by the book's heroine) when I found out about the casting of the movie adaptation. For the uninitiated, Charlie Hunnam is confirmed to play masochistic billionaire entrepreneur Christian Grey, while Dakota Johnson will take on the role of naive literature student Anastasia Steele.  Since Anastasia is socially awkward, who better to play the character than Kristen Stewart who is kind of awkward herself? Last night, I reread some passages from the novel (which I got as a birthday gift from a good friend, and yes, I fast-forwarded to the naughty bits). At their very first meeting, Anastasia described Christian as: "So young – and attractive, very attractive. He's tall, dressed in a fine grey suit, white shirt and black tie with unruly dark copper-coloured hair and intense, bright grey eyes ..." It's no secret that author E. L. James based Christian on Twilight's Edward Cullen (hence the "unruly hair" bit). I'm not familiar with Hunnam's body (heh) of work – though I thought he did a passable job in Pacific Rim – but he does not exactly scream out "Robert Pattinson" in terms of physicality. As Christian needs to be a seducer, the first actor I had in mind was Alexander Skarsgard; he certainly has the requisite height and dangerous criteria nailed down. (The 37-year-old star of True Blood was reportedly deemed too old – and perhaps too Nordic? – for the role.) As for Anastasia (who is described as a "quiet beauty"), I envisioned Alexis Bledel (of Gilmore Girls fame) or Mila Kunis. After all, who better than these two to convey repressed sensuality and innocence with their big doe eyes? But since James made the ultimate call in terms of her cast, who am I to say anything? Still, holy cow! – William K.C. Kee CHRISTIAN Grey – a multibillionaire entrepreneur – is beautiful, brilliant and intimidating. Now who else can channel these qualities other than the swoon-worthy Michael Fassbender? In fact, you've already seen him as the brooding Byronic hero obsessed with a young virginal girl in the form of the mysterious Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre, the 2011 British romantic drama directed by Cary Fukunaga. Fast-forward Mr Rochester to 2013, suit him up in Tom Ford, seat him in his ultra-luxurious, 20-storey global enterprise and he's your Mr Grey. It's easy to cast any of Hollywood's six-pack-sporting dreamboats, but the vastly talented Fassbender – who has honed manly, menacing and mischievous to an art – will nail the erotic and tormented personality of Grey with his intensity, while looking insanely hot. Alexis Bledel played goody-two-shoes teen Rory Gilmore on Gilmore Girls, and in Mad Men she is depressed housewife Beth Dawes, who has an affair. At 32 Bledel – who has demonstrated her chops in playing chaste and complicated – looks a whole lot younger and can credibly slip into the role of the gorgeous Anastasia Steele or Ana – Christian Grey's prime obsession. In the book Ana is an innocent 21-year-old college student and described as "a pale, brown-haired girl with blue eyes too big for her face". It's like describing Bledel who seems drenched in sweetness. With delicate features and wide-eyed innocence Bledel not only has a vulnerability that will leave Mr Grey craving to whip her into submission, her endearing presence will see her perfectly pull off the role of the shy female protagonist. – Sandra Low WHEN I first heard that Charlie Hunnam had been cast as Christian Grey, my first reaction was "Thank goodness it's not Ryan Gosling!" Back when E! was showing (on repeat) their top picks for the role, I cringed each time his face popped onto the screen because he is so not even remotely close to being Christian Grey. My personal pick would be the beautiful Josh Duhamel but unfortunately he was not even in the speculated list. Duhamel has that clean-cut boyish look and I would love to see him in vulnerable mode when Mr Grey gets dumped. He looks good in a suit and I'm sure he wouldn't look too bad without it either. I half-expected Kristen Stewart to get the role of Anastasia Steele, but I guess the world has had enough of her after five instalments of Twilight and endless episodes with Robert Pattinson. With her understated but alluring look, I have to say that I am actually looking forward to seeing Dakota Johnson as Ana Steele. – Tan Karr Wei OKAY, first of all let me state that I have not (completely) read any books in the Fifty Shades trilogy, but nevertheless I'm totally invested in the selection of the male lead for its film adaptations. Why? Just because. Anyway, I feel that Chris Pine would make the perfect Christian Grey because ... (I can't even complete this sentence, I'm having heart palpitations just thinking about it). Chris is so good-looking (just like how Christian is described in the books), and those piercing eyes ... don't get me started on that. And the way he looks in a three-piece suit? Seriously. This man should come with a warning. People are going to scoff at my choice but I think Kristen Stewart would make a good Anastasia Stele. Yeah, I know that Kristen can't act, but who said anything about Fifty Shades being Oscar material? I find Anastasia socially awkward and I can't think of an actress who is more awkward than Kristen (there's Jennifer Lawrence, but please, that girl is way out of this trilogy's league). Kristen could so totally pull off the moments when Anastasia is being weird and confused (like I said, I didn't read the whole book but whatever chapter I flipped through, Anastasia was either weird or confused or both) around Christian. – Sharmila Nair |
| Tsai Ming-Liang wins at Venice Film Festival Posted: The Malaysian-born Taiwanese filmmaker has been awarded the Grand Jury Prize for his film, Jiaoyou. Filmmaker Tsai Ming-Liang, 55, received the new Grand Jury Prize in the 70th Venice International Film Festival yesterday for his film Jiaoyou (Stray Dogs). Reports say that Tsai, who was born in Kuching, Sarawak, but has been based in Taiwan for many years, earned rousing applause from audiences at the festival's closing ceremony. "I thank all the jury members and the public in Venice for slowing down their pace to watch my movie," he was quoted as saying, in reference to his trademark film style, which is usually slow yet beautifully framed. This is not the first time that Tsai has won a prize at the festival. In 1994, he won the Golden Lion, the festival's top prize, for Vive l'Amour.  Lee Kang-Sheng (left) and Lu Yi-Ching in a scene from Stray Dogs. Jiaoyou premiered in Venice on Thursday and tells the story of a disgraced father named Hsiao Kang – played by Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng, who has starred in almost all of Tsai's films in the past two decades – who works as a "human billboard", holding advertisements on a busy road in Taipei, Taiwan. Meanwhile, his two children roam the city, idling the day away. At night, the little family sleeps in an abandoned building. One day they meet a woman, and the story of their lives start to unfold. The film, running at 138 minutes, also stars Lee's real-life niece and nephew Lee Yi-cheng and Lee Yi-chieh, as well as Yang Kuei-mei and Lu Yi-ching, who are also regular faces in Tsai's films. In a press conference in Venice earlier in the week, Tsai said that Jiaoyou would be his final film; Jiaoyou took him three years to make. "I can't make movies for consumers and for a system that is too fast and only thinks about money," he was quoted as saying. "It just stifles my creativity." As many as 55 films were screened at this year's festival in the official selection – 20 of those films were up for the Golden Lion. This year, the panel of judges was chaired by famed Italian director Bernado Bertolucci. The festival ran from Aug 28-Sept 7. List of winners at the 70th Venice International Film Festival: Golden Lion for best film: Holy GRA, a documentary by Gianfranco Rosi (Italy) Silver Lion for best director: Alexandros Avranas for Miss Violence (Greece) Special jury prize: The Police Officer's Wife by Philip Groning (Germany) Coppa Volpi for best actor: Themis Panou in Miss Violence by Alexandros Avranas (Greece) Coppa Volpi for best actress: Elena Cotta in A Street In Palermo by Emma Dante (Italy, Switzerland, France) Prize for best screenplay: Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope for Philomena by Stephen Frears (Britain) Marcello Mastroianni award for best young actor or actress: Tye Sheridan in JOE by David Gordon Green (US) Lion of the Future for best debut film: White Shadow by Noaz Deshe (Italy, Germany, Tanzania) Grand Jury Prize: Jiaoyou by Tsai Ming-Liang (Taiwan, France) |
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