Jamester Reviews

Die Farbe des Ozeans (2011)

A human tale of Human Cargo: Europe Bound

[9/10 · 11 September 2011]

I saw this eye-opening and superbly-told tale of the high cost of desire to move from Africa to Europe at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film director, Perrin, and lead actor who played Zola were present.

One word describes this for me: BEAUTIFUL! The story held tight with 3 views of the situation coming into a nexus of need and desperation, from the vacationing German in Spain to the Senegalese/Congo trying desperately to find refuge in Europe, to the office assigned to work on cases involving illegal immigration.

The characters lives are made richer by the further complications of the people in their lives who tug and pull at them, who mirror and reflect the protagonists' needs and pains, and who interweave plots, story, and visual stimulation with water, the sun, and the beach as images that make this a visually and emotionally interesting story, based in part on events that are happening now.

I enjoyed this movie very much and recommend it. Well done!

The King's Speech (2010)

King George VI Stutters with Laughs, Giggles and Touching Moments at the Toronto International Film Festival

[9/10 · 10 September 2010]

Wow! I just saw this at the Roy Thompson Hall (TIFF) World premiere of The King's Speech with director Tom Hooper (great job), Colin Firth (great), Geoffrey Rush (outstanding), and the writer (excellent job!) present. Front row seating was actually really good.

Let me frame this for you: this is a biopic of shy and stuttering King George VI in the years leading up to WWII. I didn't know he stuttered. And had a speech therapist. Interestingly, the screenplay writer wasn't allowed to put this on until the former Queen passed. "Not in my lifetime," she said. And so he waited 30 years to pass until he could. He was a former stutterer who said to himself, if King George VI could get over his stuttering, then so could I. And hence goes the story of overcoming this major issue (which has emotional and not merely physical roots) while connecting with his speech helper.

The movie zones in on not only the stutter and magnifies the power and lack of power that the spoken word communicates (all subtext), but makes the story very human, and interesting as the film focuses on the King and Lionel Logue, his 'speech defects' therapist, for lack of a better and more accurate term.

The movie flowed well with good story and excellent acting throughout that captured my attention and rewarded it with some funny and very honest moments sprinkled throughout.

Geoffrey Rush was outstanding in playing a common man using his mind and full creative abilities to solve a man's stutter enough to deliver powerful speeches to resist during WWII.

The funniest moment, I shall not reveal, but it has to do with how speech anti-stutter techniques were used. So creative. And honest. AND so funny.

After one key speech, the audience in Roy Thompson Hall spontaneously started clapping. WOW! This was a nice movie. It could have pushed the emotional bar just a bit higher, but nonetheless stuck to its guns and gave an honest and good time. A strong 9/10.

Inside Job (2010)

MUST SEE for Various Reasons

[9/10 · 9 September 2010]

I saw Inside Job at the Toronto International Film Festival opening night at Ryerson Theatre to a packed house of 1,000 or so people with director, producer, and Financial Times journalist present, and fielding questions after this eye-opening and thought-provoking movie narrated by Matt Damon who was paid at 'substantially below his commercial rate'. This is a very important movie to watch. I think it's important that we all see how and why this could have happened if we want to prevent it from happening again.

Before I get to the good parts, I want to call out what I thought was missing from this documentary: a strong objective on what me, the viewer should do. What's the call to action? Should I be enraged and (were I American) call my house of representative to vent my frustration about the lack of and need for change? Perhaps. But I didn't feel that. That strong emotional reaction was missing. If that's important to you, maybe it won't be a satisfying movie, but regardless, I still say this is on a VERY important topic, and it's done VERY well, that people should see this.

What was good about it? 1) It explains the events and potential complex Financial concepts in a concise, easy-to-understand manner. The director has a PHD from MIT, and it shows. The writing is intelligent, the story tells with an economy of language and is well structured.

2) It is logical, comes across as factual, paints various people in often uncompromising light, to reveal a picture of Financial greed, excess, and lack of honesty in the US financial system. It shows why this picture is believable, and makes a convincing argument that this greed, excess, and lack of honesty in the system will NOT change.

3) Is it horrifying? No. Some people might paint a picture of the movie like that, but for me, it was reasonable in its claims. Sure, it was hard on people and things. And it feels like a very complete and real world view to me, pulling together all the tidbits I've read/heard of into one conclusive thesis....which I LOVED.

4) It did make me think, what if I became employed in the industry in the early 2000s...would that have been a good thing or a bad thing? Interestingly, it showed how doing so would and could have been very good for someone to do so (become exceedingly and perhaps unfairly wealthy), with very little accountability if things failed. Yes -- we should ALL have done so if we could. Because so many people got away with it. Greed. Excess. The immoral crap doesn't exist. The system is flawed. So take advantage until the government does something. BUt they do not. Or did not, and may not. The ugliness may not clean itself up. That's part of the message. And if you 5) So -- what to do now? Take money out of the markets. Don't support these US institutions (Investment banks/large US financial institutions). That was the subtle message for me.

AND --> tell everyone about this movie. To watch it. To be warned that all is not well. And perhaps someone will do something, say something, or perhaps act a little more honestly to try to right the wrongs of this world.

This movie was courageous. It gets my support.

Griffin & Phoenix (2006)

Really, Really Good. Worth Watching. Don't call it a tear-jerker.

[8/10 · 25 April 2010]

I've been watching a lot of movies lately, and I gotta say, this one was SOLID and kind of caught me by surprise for the fun and lessons about life it brought me. I had no idea what it was about (which is probably better that way), so partway through, it hit me: This movie is about a slice of life and really brings meaning to what it means to live. If you've ever been down about life, or thought to yourself that it just doesn't matter, then this might just open a window for you to look out of. I would discard terms like 'tearjearker' or 'grab-some-tissues' lest you think this is only for women, or something when you need a good cry. It's not. It's a solid drama that delivers jabs and punches as it journeys on a highway of life, fun, and tenderness.

Dermot Mulroney as Griffin was solid (loved his work in this) and Amanda Peet as Ms. Phoenix was simply charming as a reluctant balance to the driven protagonist. Strong direction, fine music and a solid supporting cast turned a simple story into something watchable, meaningful and rather moving.

I just want to re-watch bits and parts of the movie to recapture some of the moments that sank deep and stirred something within. Oh, yes. Worth the watch!

Red Cliff (2008)

Heart and Mind-Opening Epic Strategy Movie

[10/10 · 25 April 2010]

If we take my favourite strategy games (Civiliation or Risk) and mix it with any of my favourite action/adventure movies, we get one awesome compote that delights mind and heart for one satisfying and riveting movie. It was like having sweet shrimp sashimi + curry crab. Sweet and sour. Or going to the beach AND the mountains. This is great stuff and pushes into my top 10 favourite movies of all time.

This was an all-around excellent movie. What did it for me was the visual and artistic story-telling that held me in its arms and shook me hard saying 'Jamester -- do you see what's going on? There's plotting and diplomacy going on. The world is complex and layered with intrigue, brotherhood, and manipulation with a shake of strategy and evil.' Yeah. This took me somewhere interesting in a compelling way I didn't want to miss a beat.

Director John Woo focused on the motivations and story leading up a critical battle at Red Cliffs near the central eastern Yangtze River a spot historians still don't 100% agree on from the Han Dynasty (208 CE). What started as a look at a struggle for power, turned into the fight of mind, matter, and chess. Indeed, the strategy behind the movements and how the generals plotted their attack against one another was deeply fascinating and made the film work so much more strongly than I think other directors may have done. I think John Woo did an outstanding job in capturing the nuances of the thinking that could have gone on during this period as well as the characters so much that I was hooked to learn more about both the history and characters he portrayed.

Some other good things: there was excellent acting with a Taiwan (Takeshi Kaneshiro) & HK star (Tony Leung) to balance a strong cast. The large scenes were masterful, a beauty to watch, and left me on the edge of my seat.

I've seen a few 'epic' Chinese historical films, but the tight editing, exploration into the unknown, and intellectual greasing was just what I needed to keep me plugged into this movie 100%.

I highly recommend this film. Part II was just as satisfying to watch and took my mind and breath away.

Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan (2007)

Epic Movie, Leaving me wanting to Learn More

[8/10 · 8 September 2007]

One sign of a strong movie for me is that after the movie ends is that the story engaged that I want to understand more about the characters. This did it for me. I'm ready to research and read more about Mongolia's history.

Before I went into the Toronto International Film Festival screening of this movie, all I knew about this was that it had something to do with 'Genghis Khan' -- the leader of Mongolia at its height, So here I am thinking -- it's the life of Genghis Khan, warring, fighting, and so on and so forth.

But this is where the unexpected pulled apart. What I really liked were the human touch elements: you got to know of the khan (leader of a general group/tribe in Mongolia) through the events that surrounded him: assassination, jealousy, wife-stealing, loyalty, and lawlessness. His motivations to unite were sprinkled throughout the events that surrounded his life. His humanity shone through nicely. And instead of a series of fighting scenes, the highs and the lows really made for a very full movie.

Check it out if you have the opportunity to do so as it may not get wide North American release.

The director was present for this and he proclaimed it took 4 years, 600 people (production, I presume), and 1000 extras to come up with this very large yet very accessible epic drama! Wow! Sometimes bleak landscape, yurts, and the Mongolian steppes provide the right backdrop against an awesome sound-track for this very human tale.

Great work! Highly recommended.

Ulzhan (2007)

A Journey through Kazakhastan

[7/10 · 8 September 2007]

I saw this to a full house at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was artfully done, and skillfully told, this story focuses on a French man's journey through the steppes of Kazakhastan. This journey clearly matched the landscape: desolate, lonely, down-trodden. Perhaps sad. Provocative views, emerged both from the scenery and the loneliness that sometimes seared through the tale.

I enjoyed the views of the rivers and steppes, the animals, and the people. It was a view of a land and culture I have never seen. The encounters with Ulzhan, a French teacher at a Kazakhastani school, and even Shakani, were good momentum builders to a seemingly desolate trajectory, injected at the right time to keep the story moving.

In my mind, this movie is not about Ulzhan, but the man's journey. This probably created some unwanted expectations in my mind. I think if the movie were differently titled -- not sure to what -- it might have been better setup in my mind.

Nonetheless, this was a good movie overall. It was leisurely paced to capture the lost feelings of the story, well-acted, and with the right tone and backdrop to capture the bleak and subtle humanity of the overall movie.

Rendition (2007)

Story that Moves

[8/10 · 8 September 2007]

I liked this movie. I saw it to a packed house at the Toronto International Film Festival the day after the gala opener which must have gone over well. The director, Gavin Hood was supposed to be present for today's screening, but alas his twins were born just hours before, so he had to jet on a flight back. '2 birthings in 24 hours' was how he joked about it.

Rendition refers to 'extraordinary rendition' -- a term whereby suspected terrorists in the US can be sent, without the legal consent of their parents nations, to prisons abroad to be questioned and detained.

It's fairly predictable -- innocent Egyptian-American man wrongly accused of being a terrorist 'goes missing' while en route from South Africa to Washingon DC. He is sent abroad, while wife at home (Reese Witherspoon) fights to find him and free him. But what makes this movie special are some nice choices in story-telling: 1) a human-touch story of what is going on in the locale where a suicide bomb-detonated; 2) the humanity of a CIA agent trying to understand and be honest with what is really going on; and 3) the chronology of story-telling which makes it a tight, taut tale that moves and jerks at the right moments. Ah -- relief! And a mix of emotions that swirl around as the story fights for an ending.

All-around strong acting with Meryl Streep as a standout vixen.

The Last Winter (2006)

Bleak and so Very Engaging

[9/10 · 22 September 2006]

Call it the Arctic Documentary, meets Alive!, meets Jurassic 'Horror' Park.

I saw this at the Toronto International Film Festival and enjoyed from beginning to end, rather unexpectedly with really good results.

This movie is about an oil research team in the remote reaches of the Alaskan Arctic, trying to see just how feasible oil drilling is, weighing the environmental unknowns against the corporate needs to secure 'energy independence'. Then as this clash intensifies, the human stakes start to rise out against the bleakness of the landscape.

Real, dramatic, yet occasionally intense, against a bleak landscape, the realness of this story shone through. This was my kind of movie.

True North (II) (2006)

True North's Moral Compass Leads you Tight

[8/10 · 22 September 2006]

For a movie that had a very simple storyline to it (Chinese immigrants go on a ship seeking a better life in northern Europe), I was amazed at a couple things when I saw this very engaging movie at the Toronto International Film Festival with the dynamic and fun director present:

1) First, this story feels so very true. No sugar coating. No over-dramaticism. Nor clunky lines. It's a story with what are real characters just being themselves, in a fairly enduring and harsh environment.

2) Then, while I was wondering why the movie was called True North, when I thought I had it figured out, the story's message struck even deeper. True North is the unwavering north. Not another form of north that shifts as the tides do. And making moral decisions -- if there is such a thing as a moral righteousness, was a topic, perhaps as I think of what's important to me, and what I would sacrifice in the name of money, my livelihood, or my own wants -- was a topic that just worked for me.

3) And because the movie just came out and told a story -- I just felt -- WOW! What an awesome piece of work. And when the director talked about his passion for shooting on a ship when it needed to be on a ship, and how very real the scenes were because of that, I was even more impressed. The shots were vivacious, interesting, and captured the feeling of being on a ship. How a propos!

So -- for an engaging movie, and a director's 5 years of sweat and tears using real life to inspire this story-telling, I think you will be so very engaged with this movie. Check it out!

The Last Kiss (2006)

Is that the Last kiss? Is that it?

[7/10 · 11 September 2006]

I saw this at the Toronto International Film Festival to a packed house!

And what a showing it was!

When I stepped in to watch this, I had no idea where the movie would go, nor if it would be remotely interesting. But it quickly started to make sense. An outdoor wedding by the lake, guys talking guy stuff, and cute girls chatting and flirting from the other table, and soon you know it's going to be about guy/girl relationships. And so the plot evolves.

And while it's not an entirely unique story-line, there are unique things about it. The characters are distinct. The main cast of 4 guys all get enough screen time and have their own 'problems' that can easily interweave that the story could really jump from one character to the next. That's a good thing. A relatively predictable story then becomes slightly less so.

If you're looking for a moderate movie -- nothing too serious, but then nothing too fluffy -- something that you can watch, maybe chuckle a few times, or maybe something that might get you to think more deeply about relationship (and in particular if you're considering getting into a long-term relationship, or if you're not sure a long-term relationship you're in), then this would be just the ticket. You get into the minds of the characters, and there are quite a few that you can get to know, which lets you empathize with them. Some questions that I pondered watching this: is avoidance an option in life? Is truth always the best policy?

Anyways, women will find this to be an enjoyable watch, as there are a few distinct women's points of view that come forth through this which seemed quite honest.

Anyways. Strong acting. A few giddy moments, but fun overall. The result was a story that moved along nicely.

Gajokeui tansaeng (2006)

A mazing Maze

[11 September 2006]

This was a maze of a movie which I caught at the Toronto International Film Festival.

It was a common story told in an uniquely uncommon but very accessible way which made this standout and memorable with strong acting and an interesting message.

How so?

Well -- back to the maze and the unique part of the story -- this movie follows the life of a sister whose brother comes back to live with her, only some additional family links come with the move -- before the story shifts to focus on a different family member. Time passes, then it shifts yet again. And so on. You get the picture. It was such a witty title of family ties that I was trying to figure out up front what it meant. But was this so unusual?

Well, by tracing lives through family links, you see patterns, then you see patterns broken, then you try to understand what the whole family ties are and how it works. And because each link is a little different, it builds a picture on a giant canvas that takes shape.

This movie spans time, dimensions (in a sense), and makes for a somewhat enigmatic, yet highly intricate and satisfying watch. I learned a new perspective on people, it brought depth to the everyday person, and perhaps endowed me with a taste of peculiarity and loneliness. It also engaged me to the ending credits where I watched the ending scene -- something not part of the movie story, yet it showed yet another side of the characters that was highly watchable.

This was a good watch. Unique, and something that left an impression on me.

Hura gâru (2006)

Aloha meets Konnichiwa with Struggle, Understanding, Embrace

[8/10 · 11 September 2006]

I saw 'Hula Girl' at the Toronto International Film Festival with the affable director Lee Sang-Il present.

This movie, based on the true story of how a dying coal mining town attempts the preposterous idea of building a taste of Hawaii in the cold town through dancing girls, a huge palm-tree filled centre and an 'outsider' dance teacher from Tokyo.

Almost immediately, you know that this movie will be about the town's struggle to survive pitting the traditional, town-encrusted family against those supporting a potential new way of life. I had thoughts of the Japanese version of 'Shall We Dance' ringing through my mind, but perhaps the dancing is the furthest you can compare between the movies. The emotional depth of the movie was somewhat unexpected...sadness, some corniness, some laughter. Yet the movie worked where it needed to, and kept moving at the right pace leaving me at the end feeling like I had seen everything that had happened. Except that at the end, I had been so entranced with the characters I was wondering how they, themselves turned out.

The movie pulled me in nicely with a strong story that was well developed and a really good watch.

If you're looking for something a little different, and open to learning a little bit about life in a small Japanese town in the 1960s, I think this gives you a good feel for the people, the attitudes, and a change that took grip in a dramatic and light-hearted way.

Kudos to the director and production team!

The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006)

Another Reframe: State versus individuality Liberties

[8/10 · 10 September 2006]

I saw this movie at the Toronto International Film Festival without expecting much. I'm non- American, wasn't really old enough to live and understand what went on during the whole Beatles/John Lennon era, hadn't studied much American history growing up, and only heard some of his music and heard of his assassination, but couldn't fathom the linkage between the USA and John Lennon.

My cynicism made me think this would be a solicitous film, working off the past fame and hysteria surrounding the Beatles and this musical man. It was quite the opposite. It was intellectual, at times emotional and very engaging. A very clever and tight story around John Lennon and his interaction and perception with the US government clearly showed a David vs. Goliath stand-off. With my sympathies undoubtedly going to Lennon and wife Yoko Ono.

I mean, what could the US government find so offensive about a man delivering a peace message 'Imagine all the people -- living life in peace' to the Americans from the UK? Well -- when the man moves to New York and starts becoming friends with pro-peace Americans, like Abby Hoffman, then you see just why a pro-war government under Richard Nixon would be utterly worried about the rising influence of peace-maker John Lennon.

As a result of this movie, my respect for Yoko has increased, in fact she was present at the screening to a much adoring crowd garnering a standing ovation. Michael Moore's attendance at the screening and his support for the movie also let the movie resonate against the present.

While I hardly consider myself political, this movie raises the stakes in becoming involved and shows what one man could do against what he thought was wrong. And the music of John Lennon has taken on all new meaning.

I'm going to listen to some of his music now.

Tai yang yue (2006)

Chinese Malaysian Story

[7/10 · 10 September 2006]

I saw this at the Toronto International Film Festival with no prior knowledge what this movie was about.

And perhaps because of that, I was puzzling to figure out what this movie was about. Where was it taking place? What was going on?

And though one quickly figures out that the characters are speaking Cantonese (mostly, occasionally Mandarin), and yet, that the country is not China or Hong Kong, pretty quickly, I could figure out I was in Malaysia, somewhere. Neat!

This was a unique setting -- a Chinese story taking place in Malaysia -- where 40% of the population is Chinese, and where the Cantonese people, I would think, have a different culture than the Cantonese in China or Hong Kong. This made me curious -- how would they be different? What differences would this movie zero in on that would continue to pull me into the story? Well -- I'm not sure I could answer that by the end of the movie as the themes in this movie were quite universal from what I could tell: 1) Family separation; 2) family closeness; 3) Isolation; and 4) Isolation within family. These themes surfaced here and there and mixed for a very unique view at the members of an extended family. The backdrop of Malaysia was then only subtly reinforced. In the end, this movie could have taken place anywhere, the people could have been speaking any language, and the issue would have been a unique look at the lack of relationships between family members and the harm that it can do.

Subtle, touching, and finely directed.

Paraguayan Hammock (2006)

War or Peace?

[6/10 · 10 September 2006]

I saw this at the Toronto International Film Festival.

While the expected slow pacing of the story was not something I was looking forward to, this story came alive very quickly for me.

With the Paraguayan-Bolivian war as the background, we zoom in to the life of a mom-dad country outpost in Paraguay centred around a day sitting on a hammock waiting for their son to return.

The impact was strong. The waiting, the hope in their son, and the bleakness of life was intense and very real. I didn't expect such depth in what on the surface would be such a very simple story of hammock banter. But through the banter, through the movements, through the narrative voice, the story kept moving and from there emerged an important comment on war and the impact on one family.

Well done!

Oh La La! (2006)

French, Funky, and Engaging

[7/10 · 10 September 2006]

I saw this at the Toronto International Film Festival with an engaged audience present.

This movie poked fun and seriousness into a quirky man and his efforts at becoming a show director. Not a big time Hollywood director, but a small, French show director.

Was I expecting the opening scenes to have some Japanese in it? Not at all. But it did give the character some depth and interest and made the story even more complex, his intentions that much clearer.

And although the show was focused on some theatrical pieces, something about this screamed 'movie'...this is a movie, this is a cool movie, and it might be fun to watch this movie.

So that's it. This movie I found to be quirky, watchable, with French-ness interwoven against awareness of a somewhat broader geographical backdrop.

The Journals of Knud Rasmussen (2006)

Drama in a Bleak Land

[8/10 · 10 September 2006]

The arctic provides a bleak landscape. It's cold, there's snow, maybe the odd igloo or so and sky.

So how does a movie-maker transform this to paint a picture of how Christianity was introduced to the Inuit 95-odd years ago? Very skillfully, I must say.

And when the story makes you understand how Inuit life and thinking was before with shamans, and family traditions of eating, child rearing, and let's say superstitions, though perhaps that's not the exact word, and the transition that took place in one household and the extended community when Danish explorers from Greenland chanced upon this community, you see a piece of history unfold in front of you in a gripping, intellectually powerful way.

The impact on the family, the emotional rip from the heart, and the ensuing loss really makes for a powerful and honest film.

Well, done with super acting throughout!

Bamako (The Court) (2006)

An Essay on African Social Injustice Lifts off the Page

[7/10 · 10 September 2006]

I'm hardly an expert on African economics, or social life, but this story whose political viewpoint is clearly African does what I think a movie should: it presents both sides of an issue -- in this case Mali's financial struggle and whether the World Bank and IMF should be blamed for the distress of the people.

Through a story that revolves around a court case, we see the stories of struggle of a wide range of people: mother, educator, escapee, unemployed person, and the average guy trying to make ends meet but having a difficult time.

For me, it clarified some of the issues and effects of fairly extreme poverty and lack of government prioritization for social services, health and education. It made the argument that a government may be at fault for selling out the country's future at the expense of developing a stronger base.

The bleakness, however does something bigger, or I hope it does -- I hope it gives strength to continue to fight as the producers, I think, would like.

See this. Africa is an important piece of the world and an important piece of the globalization of the world.

Kubrador (2006)

Non-Stop Test of Endurance of a Bet Collector

[9/10 · 10 September 2006]

I saw Krabador (The Bet Collector) at the Toronto International Film Festvial with the affable and somewhat chatty director, Jeffrey Jetrurian sitting next to me. The excellent lead actress joined us for a warm Q&A session.

Jueteng is a game of selecting 2 numbers (say 15, 38) to play in a sort of manual lottery. Almost like selling door-to-door, a bet collector weaves through the local streets on a daily basis finding potential jueteng players, jotting down your 2 numbers on pieces of paper, collecting your money, then feeding it up the chain so that a 'draw' can take place leading to final payout. Then another day or so later, and this rather underground activity repeats.

Who really wants to see a movie about a lottery?

Well, when the lottery has a very human element, of financial struggle, of family friction, of hope, of the loss of a son, and of luck, the movie canvas suddenly comes alive and has an intricacy and depth of story and feeling that pulls you right in! The highly engaging journey of one woman's rough-and-tumble livelihood minute by minute, day by day was captured through and through and left me feeling frustrated for her and for her challenges.

The shots, the music show the ins and outs of one woman's perseverance and strength to make ends meet by becoming an underground bet collector.

What was interesting (I don't realize this until the director mentioned it) was that music only came at certain points in the movie -- linked to a specific recollection. Very nice effect that I didn't even notice, but that was cool!

Check it out -- this movie is original, engaging, and gave me what felt like a very real glimpse into Filipino life.

Great job!

The Way Home (2002)

Outstanding Love Story

[10/10 · 23 September 2005]

This is a most touching and honest love story. 'Love story', you may wonder?? Are we talking about the same movie? Indeed, the Way Home is a story about a grandson and grandmother with love in the agape tone as it's central theme. Perhaps it's because of the distance between the two: the urban vs the rural; the materialism versus the simple living; or the selfish versus the selfless -- the contrasting styles really make for an interesting comparison in views of the world.

There really was a huge chasm that had to be overcome at the start of this movie, and the action moved superbly in filling out the moments and telling a very visual story of crossing the chasm.

When I read that the director could have spent 2 months filming this movie by shooting in the most efficient manner possible (i.e. common location scenes shot all at once), but chose not to, I was floored. The director *chose* to shoot this movie in chronological sequence spending 6 months on it in order to ensure the emotional sequence would be intact and exact. What a *great* choice -- and it really showed through the movie making it absolutely AMAZING.

This is a very moving movie. I recommend it without reservation.

Joint Security Area (2000)

AWESOME PIECE OF WORK: Rent this today if you can!

[10/10 · 23 September 2005]

It's been a few years, but I saw this in a Singapore theatre a day or two after it opened there. A Korean friend had mentioned it was good, so I went to check it out assuming it would be good. OH MY GOSH! This was an excellent movie and it seems so unfortunate that it didn't get a wide-release in North American (or not that I know of) as I think it would have done really well! This was #1 in Korea beating out Spider Man!! In fact, the North Korean leader even requested a copy for his viewing pleasure -- perhaps to get his own look at what South Korea might be plotting, or maybe simply to be entertained with some great film-making.

The movie combines a very likable Hollywood touch with compelling plot action, in contrast to some very personal moments and an amazing sense of suspense in this movie. I was floored.

The whole location of where the movie takes place -- in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea -- and the acute tension was certainly captured and sure made for great story-telling. I can't remember another movie where I saw and experienced more tension in a story than in this movie! It fit the story perfectly, and really got the movie off to a great start. Then, as the characters were introduced, piece by piece, we explored action, emotion, and thought. The movie examined, re-examined and really brought us close not only to the events, but to the people in the story. I felt a range of emotions in this story culminating in a really great movie!

This is a must-see!

Runaway (2005)

Follow the Life of a Run-Away

[8/10 · 17 September 2005]

I saw this at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival with the director and producer present. I unfortunately didn't have time to stay for the Q&A.

This is a story about a protective elder brother and his younger brother who are runaways in a small non-descript town.

But just what are they running away from? Well -- we fairly quickly have a pretty good idea what that something might be though with a series of spread out flashbacks depicting a somewhat troubling home life. But then I felt I was waiting for the movie to get rolling, when instead it took it's time. Perhaps a bit too much time for my pacing.

Regardless, the film does a good job at creating suspense amongst our troubled characters. In particular, the role of the elder brother's co-worker, played by Prisonbreak's Robin Tunney was excellent. She's right on as the carefree yet sympathetic shoulder to lean on.

Overall, this was a good movie to watch, with a good screenplay and good acting.

Lady Vengeance (2005)

See at 2005 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)

[7/10 · 17 September 2005]

I saw this at the 2005 TIFF to a packed house.

This is the 3rd in a trilogy of revenge stories from CW Park. It was good, though, in my view, not as good as Old Boy. I didn't see the first of the trilogy.

I was, shall I say, somewhat disappointed with this. My expectations were, perhaps unrealistically high. But let me tell you what my biggest beef was and how you might avoid the same: REVENGE: Having seen Old Boy and experiencing such an intellectually devious revenge, I expected the same thing. I have to say, while the circumstances surrounding the revenge was interesting, it wasn't captivating. My advice -- go see this film, but don't think of it as a 'revenge film'. Don't think there's any link to Old Boy, because there isn't. It's definitely a different movie, and is just a story that has a revenge motif lurking beneath, but it's really not 'the key' to this movie. The key to the movie is about a woman who learns and takes action for being so gullible.

WHY SHOULD YOU SEE IT? Having presented the big downer, there still are still really good reasons to see this.

STYLE: I loved the style on this movie. There were great opening shots, very appropriate music and the visuals to the opening credits are really outstanding. The graphics with the credits actually play into the movie later on (at least for colour if not for some images). Very creative, very slick, with a couple great transitions between scenes.

STORY: This is a moving tale at an imprisoned woman looking to right previous wrongs. It's interesting to watch the pieces fall into place and holds together nicely.

Overall, this is a good movie with a few really good moments.

The Willow Tree (2005)

2005 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)

[8/10 · 17 September 2005]

I saw this at the 2005 TIFF to a packed audience.

This was an eye-opening movie in a couple ways.

Not only is this drama about a blind Iranian man who unexpectedly comes upon sight during a routine eye operation in Paris, but it opened my eyes to the value of sight in life.

The main character in this movie has been living life without sight for 38 years, so much so that we see the habits, the challenges, the braille reading, and the support his friends and family give him and which he is subtly dependent upon. Yet when this miraculous chance to see gives him, shall we say, a second chance, what does he do with it? In fact what would anyone do with it? What I liked most about this was that the challenge posed to the lead character and the choices he made were so very real with the challenges and dilemma of his choices and frustration clear. This made me consider the choices *I* have been making in life. If I were given a second chance with anything, what would *I* do with it? This was a thought-provoking movie that took me into a world I have never experienced. And while I have seen movies about blind people, this movie really seemed to capture the view of life from this particular blind man: his challenges; his decisions; and most importantly, his emotional state.

This is a smart and very real movie that was moving, thought-provoking. Visually speaking, the weaving of light with dark scenes allows the story to further come to life giving a final illumination on a story that shares, sympathizes and delivers.

This is a well-done piece of work! Congratulations!