Goodbye Shirazi Girl

 Iranian Film Festival 2025

Cultural Exchange Program - Iran/ Philippines

Cinema 3 Shangri la Plaza mall

This film is based on Neil Simon's 1977 film, Goodbye Girl. The movie where Richard Dreyfuss won his Oscar best actor award as Elliot Garfield, the offbeat aspiring actor who has to share an apartment with a single mother (Marsha Mason) and her daughter.

In this Iranian version, Shabnam is the single mother who lives with her daughter in a fairly decent apartment and works as a manager in a restaurant. One rainy night, a stranger is frantically trying to enter her apartment. Apparently, Shabnam's ex boyfriend ghosted her but he owes some money to Nasim so to make amends, he allows Nasim, an aspiring actor to stay at Shabnam's apartment. 

Clearly a misunderstanding as Shabnam has no idea who Nasim is, and also why her apparently married boyfriend just abandoned her and left without any warning. Obviously there is a great deal of animosity between Shabnam and Nasim who are polar opposites yet each with their own endearing qualities. Soon their living arrangement turns into romance as they learn to accept each other's foibles while still maintaining a sense of common decency. Embracing their differences and learning to blend into each other's complex lives.

This romantic comedy has its charms as it follows to the dot the film upon which it is based, the classic "The Goodbye Girl" by esteemed playwright and director Neil Simon. A bit more cheesy sometimes veering on the corny side yet with cultural nuances inserted, this version mostly succeeds due to the believable performances of the two lead actors. 

Last Christmas

Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding,

Emma Thompson, Michelle Yeoh

"Sometimes, You've just gotta have Faith"

Cinema 4, The Red Carpet @ Shang

For this Christmas themed movie, I dragged my parents along so we can get some of that much needed Yuletide spirit. It is difficult to feel Christmas-y when the sweat pours like crazy because unfortunately, we don't have winter in these parts of the globe.

This movie is based on Wham's or more specifically the late George Michael's hit 1984 song. Coincidentally, George Michael died on Christmas Day in 2016. Quite a shock which I still cannot fathom. Emma Thompson together with other writers wrote the script expanding on the essence of the song.

Emilia Clarke stars as Kate, a down on her luck, wanna be singer who works as an elf in a year round Christmas shop. Her employer, Santa (Michelle Yeoh), a dainty Asian who likes to spread Yuletide cheers in her shop full of wonderful trinkets. One day, bored Kate meets Tom (Henry Golding) loitering outside the shop and who always likes to look up. They tend to always bump into each other so they begin hanging out. He shows her his sanctuary, a small park within the bustling city. Together they discover the wonders of London, which is all decked up for the season to be jolly. He seems like a dream come true - a charming polite, good looking dude who gets around London on his bicycle and even volunteers at the homeless center.

As we discover more about Kate and her family composed of her mother Petra (Emma Thompson), her father Ivan who used to be a lawyer in their hometown, the now defunct Yugoslavia but drives a cab in London and her sister who hasn't come out yet to their parents. An air of mystery still surrounds Tom. We don't know his surname, his job, his family - nothing. 

Eventually, everything is revealed in a clever twist which really makes sense. It felt like a champagne bottle popping open, you know the shock and the little jerk you experience when you hear the cork bursting out of the bottle. LOL It does give justice to George Michael's lovely song about the heartbreak and anguish during Last Christmas.

The ensemble cast led by Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding are both delightful in their roles. It is always refreshing to watch Clarke being her cheerful self as opposed to her Khaleesi role in Game of Thrones. Henry Golding is still pleasant eye candy and does a good job, picking roles which suit his personality, the charming leading man role. Emma Thompson is a hoot, perfect as the overbearing mother, complete with the Eastern European accent.

The soundtrack features George Michael songs even one which was released after his untimely passing. The city of London in all its Yuletide finery provides an excellent backdrop. So much so that I wanted to fly to London, never mind the expense & the almost 15 hour flight. I understand the intention of the narration but it could use some editing especially where it gets too cheesy and when Petra became too domineering. 

I will still add Last Christmas to the list of my favorite Christmas movies. Mainly due to the believable chemistry between its lead stars and seeing wintry London during the most wonderful time of the year. 

P.S.

Love Actually is the top movie on my list.

P.P.S

I visited London in November 1995, mostly to watch West End plays.

Crazy Rich Asians

Henry Golding, Constance Wu, 

Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan

"The only Thing crazier than Love is Family"

I had no idea nor was I aware this movie was based on a popular novel by Kevin Kwan, a Singaporean author now based in the US. Everyone (by everyone I meant the critics and the mainstream media) was raving about it being a first since it was a Hollywood made film with an all Asian cast. 

Well, naturally the roles would be enacted by Asian actors, right? Long gone are the days when white actors would color their faces with black shoe polish to portray African Americans or white actresses would have their eyes made up to look Asian. 

The premise of poor girl meets rich boy and live happily ever after has been done various times in movies and plays all over the world. Nothing new really. So in Crazy Rich Asians, you have all the cliches - rich future mother-in-law disapproving of poor girlfriend, society (mis)judging the stature of the girlfriend of the most eligible bachelor in town, poor girl feels out of place etc etc etc.

Yet one thing stands out imho - that is the rich bachelor Nick Young remains humble and does not boast about his wealth. He may have not told Rachel (Constance Wu)  about his background but this goes to show, it did not define him. He was living in the US, had no interest in maintaining the family business, he just happen to be in town for the wedding of his best friend. In short, he is a cool dude and it doesn't hurt that he is portrayed by Henry Golding (not an Asian name, at all) who is va va voom handsome, dear Lord! 

I like the feisty spirit of Rachel. She remains true to herself and won't let her lack of stature defeat her. Sure she will be sad and feel betrayed but she is a brilliant scientist and an economics professor - that is more than just 'good enough'. 

The rest of the cast do good. They are tailor fit for their roles especially Michelle Yeoh as Eleanor Young, the mother of va va voom. Her conceited gaze, her regal bearing, calm yet menacing demeanor was spot on. This former Bond girl is aging really well, I'd say.

The author meant this film to be an expose (I may be wrong) on how the rich treat the 'poor' members of society as being less worthy. But for me that whole rich vs poor premise is pretty lame. Of course, the rich will look down on the poor, it happens anywhere and every time in any part of the world. 

It shouldn't be an issue let alone be the whole theme for a movie which took itself too seriously. Yes it is a Hollywood movie with an Asian narrative and cast but it should not restrict itself from being a good film. And gratefully, it was a well made fun, dramatic, romcom which should be proud and stand on its own merits.

Maggie's Plan

Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke,

Julianne Moore

"Chapter Three: A Change of Heart" 

Maggie (Greta Gerwig) desperately wants to have a baby but since she is currently unattached, she develops a plan. She 'commissions' Guy, a former schoolmate to donate his sperm so she can self inseminate herself and raise the child on her own. But life has other plans when she meets John (Ethan Hawke), a married professor/lecturer of anthropology, they have an affair and she gets pregnant. 

Three married years later, John has basically turned into a good for nothing, wanna be novelist while Maggie does all the 'heavy lifting' so to speak. She is pretty convinced she is better off raising her adorable daughter Lily by herself so she hatches another plan. This one involves reuniting her husband John with his ex-wife Georgette (Julianne Moore) who is also from the academe so they can get back together. 

I know it sounds pretty complicated but believe me it isn't hard to follow. This sort of romantic comedy with a twisted love triangle angle unfolds with some laughs, a fair load of sarcasm, flawed yet endearing characters within a nicely conceived dialogue driven narrative.

Greta Gerwig, the "IT" girl of the mumblecore film movement is in her elements here as Maggie. Only a millennial would and could come up with such a plan to sustain her self interests for her own sweet convenience to thrive in life. This is sadly a recurring and for me an alarming trend among some if not most of today's youth. A generation raised in this age of social media, where selfish behavior (selfies) and a wrong sense of entitlement seems to be the common pattern.

She is ably supported by Ethan Hawke, Maya Rudolph, Bill Hader and special mention goes to Julianne Moore whose portrayal of Georgette, the icy Danish ex-wife and an expert of ficto-anthropology was spot on. She was amusing and a delight to watch, complete with her exaggerated Danish accent.

By the way, for the uninitiated, Wikipedia describes the term mumblecore as: a sub genre of independent film characterized by naturalistic acting and dialogue (often improvised), low-budget film production, an emphasis on dialogue over plot, and a focus on the personal relationships of people in their 20s and 30s.

"Maggie's Plan" is an apt representation that mirrors the typical life of the millennials generation. I am still on the fence when it comes to this sort of attitude and behavioral patterns because there are certainly pros and cons but sometimes I do fear that the cons outweigh the positives and in my opinion this unfortunately doesn't bode well for the future of the human race.

Bridget Jones' s Baby

Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth,

Patrick Dempsey, Gemma Jones,

Jim Broadbent

"Old Flame. New Fling. Big Problem."

After almost 2 decades, beloved Bridget Jones is back. She is now 43 years old, less chubby yet still her goofy adorable self. Now working as a TV producer, her career is thriving even though she is still very much single.

Renee Zellweger reprises her role as the charming Bridget complete with the British accent and dry humor without missing a single beat. Bridget is in a dilemma when she finds out she is pregnant and is not sure who her baby daddy is. The two 'culprits' are either Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), her ex-flame with whom she hooks up at a friend's wedding and Jack Qwant (Patrick Dempsey), an American billionaire she meets at a music festival. 

The film goes through great lengths to keep the audience guessing who is the father of Bridget Jones's baby. We are kept entertained with the corny (for want of a better word) and funny (mis)adventures of dear Bridget. She does her best to keep the two men in her lives separate from each other but we all know that eventually they are bound to cross paths and understandably, chaos ensues. 

All the lead characters (Colin Firth, Renee Zellweger and Patrick Dempsey) are older both physically and mentally yet they still retain the charming qualities which endeared them to us their avid fans from way back when the franchise first started. The movie and the novels on which it was based inspired many single chubby (or otherwise) ladies to never lose hope.  

It was refreshing to see these characters again even though the story veered towards the absurd and sometimes ridiculous scenarios which Bridget always finds herself in. The feel-good predictable conclusion is a fitting happily-ever-after ending for this much loved character.  

THAT THING CALLED TADHANA

Angelica Panganiban, JM De Guzman

"Where do broken hearts go?"

I guess it has been established from the contents of this blog that I don't watch Filipino films. There is no profound explanation why, I just don't watch them. Although on a few occasions when I am channel surfing on the telly, I settle for a local film mid stream for the simple reason that there is nothing 'nice' on at that appropriate time. 

But a blogger friend sent a shout out on her FB page where she tagged me along with others and she highly recommended this film. I was in luck as it was still showing at the cinemas.

The title translates to "That Thing called Destiny" and it functions on the simple question 'where do broken hearts go?' which is a hugely popular Whitney Houston song. We first meet our main characters at an international airport where Mace (Angelica Panganiban) is having trouble with her luggage which weighs over the allowed baggage requirements. Anthony (JM De Guzman) a fellow Filipino traveler comes to her aid by providing space in his luggage for her excess clothes. During the flight, they start conversing about their past relationships and the exchange of sob stories continues as well as when they decide (on a whim) to go to Baguio then Sagada.

Being broken-hearted and sharing sob stories is a good premise to bank on. The dialogue is witty, funny and thought provoking. The two leads share a palpable chemistry even though they are complete strangers who are slowly getting to know each other. Their exchange unfolds in scenic and familiar settings like Baguio (the City of Pines) and the rustic yet enchanting Sagada (a popular tourist sight in the Mountain Province). 

It is refreshing to watch a film in the vernacular where you immediately get any innuendos implied from the dialogue. The terms and words used are simple, straight to the point and they convey the bitterness and pain that Mace imbues as she tries her best to wrap her head around the failure of her relationship. 

As far as romantic comedies go, "That Thing called Tadhana" doesn't go the predictable route (this is a good thing!). It does not rely on the cheesy and corny "kilig" factor which irritates me to no end with the pairings of young local celebrities whose only claim to fame is being part of a love team. I like how the ending hints at a sequel as it keeps us guessing on the fate of Mace and Anthony.

A realistic narrative, clever dialogue, gorgeous cinematography, believable acting from the leads - are the ingredients that made this film, a huge success. It makes me hopeful that the local film industry is still capable of producing really good quality movies. And maybe just maybe it would end my aversion towards local films. 

ENOUGH SAID

James Gandolfini, Julia Louis-Dreyfus,

Catherine Keener, Toni Collette

I thought that this was James Gandolfini's last film before he died of a massive heart attack in 2013. But it turns out he was able to complete one more before his untimely demise.

Anyway in "Enough Said" he is Albert, a single father who meets Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a freelance masseuse. They are both single parents to daughters who are about to go off to college. They start dating but soon enough problems crop up (like in any normal relationship) and things don't work out between them.

But that was merely a quick summary of their relationship because the film isn't that simple nor was it too complicated to comprehend. It is an adult romantic comedy that explores the nuances as well as the emotions that each character brings to the relationship. By adult, I mean it is mature given that both Eva and Albert have gone through divorces and heartaches in their past. And not adult in the sense that there is nudity involved. Heh!

I'd say that a large part why this film succeeds is due to the chemistry between its lead characters. And given that they are portrayed by well known TV actors whose acting repertoire include playing mob boss Tony Soprano and Elaine from Seinfeld is a an added bonus.  

There has always been something endearing about Gandolfini even though he portrayed a tough no nonsense mobster in one of the most iconic roles ever created for TV. Perhaps it is his 'smiley' face and gentle facial features despite his giant frame that somehow puts people at ease.

Here as Albert, he is adorable as an ordinary guy just trying to live his life after a messy divorce by being a devoted father to his daughter. He is averagely ordinary and I mean that as a compliment. Albert's embedded confidence and his sense of humour exudes warmth and compassion. Excellent acting from Gandolfini, as expected.

On the other hand, Julia Louis-Dreyfus can sometimes be quite annoying and irritating in general in most of her roles. Hehe.  But this only means she is an effective actress as her annoyance can really get on my nerves.  As Eva, she is a woman with a lot of valid anxieties which is quite normal for any woman about to embark on a new relationship. It makes sense that Eva would be indecisive and insecure and always question herself before she commits to another long term relationship. 

What makes "Enough Said" distinctive is how the director treats the plot devoid of any gimmick. What you see is what you get.  There isn't the sickening mushy factor that is standard in most romantic comedies. The approach is direct and treated in a realistically mature way.  

It is a movie about knowing what you want and pursuing it yet at the same time, it's also about knowing your limitations or what I call your 'non negotiables' well enough that you can wake up in the mornings ... yes, alone but you still have your self respect, intact. 

ABOUT TIME

Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams,

Bill Nighy, Lindsay Duncan

"What if every Moment in Life, 

came with a Second Chance?"

I would be the last person on earth to appreciate a film about time travel. I consider myself a realist so fantasy and sci-fi themed movies don't necessarily fit into my realm. 

But there is something quite delightful about this particular film that made me appreciate this genre. It could be that the lead actor is not your typical oozing with sex appeal type yet he gets the girl (Rachel McAdams) through his charming wits.  It might be that the film had a light airy vibe that even a heavy downpour during their wedding didn't cast a damper.  

It could be that aside from the time travel (which dominates most scenes) there are also cherished life lessons to take to heart through the father (Bill Nighy) and son bonding moments.  It could also be the voice over narration (which I especially love in movies).  Or it could be a mix of all of these factors which make "About Time" quite a pleasant viewing experience.

Set in England with its lush countryside and the bustling city of London, Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) discovers at the age of 21 that he has the ability to travel back in time and alter his life course.  A trait he inherited from his father and somehow manifests in the men in their family.  He doesn't really do anything quite drastic as he cannot change history, only his life events.  But soon enough he discovers that this ability has its limits and can be quite dangerous too if he 'veers' in the wrong direction.   

A typical Richard Curtis fare (Love Actually, Notting Hill), this rom-com is well acted, beautifully told with some endearing characters, add in some heartfelt tender moments that will certainly put a smile on your face.

THE BIG WEDDING

Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Robin Williams,

Susan Sarandon, Amanda Seyfried,
Topher Grace, Katherine Heigl, Ben Barnes

"It's never too late to start acting like a Family"

Long divorced couple Don (Robert de Niro) and Ellie (Diane Keaton) must pretend to still be married for Alejandro (Ben Barnes), their adopted son's wedding. His biological mother is quite conservative and traditional and he never told her about his parents' divorce.   

His lawyer sister Lyla (Katherine Heigl) is going through a rough patch in her own marriage while his younger brother, Jared (Topher Grace) the doctor is well let's say saving himself for marriage. Soon enough, confusion surfaces as it is the case when people act under false pretenses. 

After I watched a film about a 5 year engagement, I thought it would be fun to see a movie about a wedding. I chose this one for its stellar cast but ultimately felt a bit disappointed it did not live up to expectations. I can't really fault the cast as they did a good job as usual when it comes to the acting part. 

So naturally the blame shifts to the storyline. Although it had the potential to be a funny romantic comedy about family bonding moments during a wedding, it wasn't developed enough to create a significant impact. Alright given that it is a light fare movie, it still lacked something to give it a nice boost.

It is safe to say that the cast of veteran actors composed of Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams and Robert de Niro would be the main attraction.  Because even though the title suggests a wedding, the focus wasn't on the couple who will be united in holy matrimony but more on the shenanigans of the older members of the entourage.

THE FIVE YEAR ENGAGEMENT

Emily Blunt, Jason Seiel

Chris Pratt, Alison Brie

"A comedy about the journey between popping
the question and tying the knot"

HBO

This romantic comedy begs the question: "how soon after an engagement should a couple tie the knot?" 

For Violet (Emily Blunt) and Tom (Jason Segel) it took them 5 long years (as the title obviously suggests) before they took the much awaited plunge.  The film presents all the reasons (valid and irrational) and the travails behind the delay. We know that Violet wanted her career to flourish before she became a wife and an eventual mother. We know that Tom is willing and lovingly sacrifices his own career as a chef to support his fiancee's decision. Everything is well discussed between the couple. They are truly supportive of each other's needs. There were situations in which I agreed it was a good idea to wait.  While on the other hand, I believe they should have gotten married within 6 months or at the most a year. 

I make it sound like it is a heavy handed dramatic film which takes itself quite seriously but it was quite the opposite. It is conceived by the same producers of "Bridesmaids" and "Knocked Up" so it had some really hilarious moments delivered with some raunchy dialogue but it wasn't offensive at all. 

Editing seems to be the 'only' flaw of the film as it took 124 minutes to wrap up.  By the one hour and 30 minutes mark, they still weren't 'married'!  I came this close to switching off the TV but I persevered mainly because I had grown quite fond of Violet and Tom as a couple.  Their chemistry was palpable. They were truly meant for each other even though they let their varying issues cloud their judgments.  Their decisions were always mired with problems which in my book weren't really problems, per se.

Editing issues aside, the film was a genuinely sweet and charming tale. It was funny and entertaining with endearing main characters portrayed with ease by Emily Blunt (one of my fave actresses) and Jason Segel. 

My final train of thought is this dialogue:  (Great advice, imho!)

Mother: What are you doing?
Tom: Look, we are not 100 % right for each other. So there is nothing to be said.
Mother: Well I got news for you, moron,
Your father and I, we are not even 90% right for each other.
Not even 60%, okay? But he is the love of my life. And right now the love of your life is going to fly away.  And I bet somewhere in the back of your mind, you are thinking that she will always be there if you want to try again. But you know what? She won't because she is the goddamned best!  And some lucky guy is going to make it work with her, no matter what!

PARIS MANHATTAN

Patrick Bruel, Alice Taglioni

Occasionally, I watch French movies. Mainly for me not to forget the language I grew up speaking. Yet that was over 30 years ago so my facility at speaking (worst of all writing it) is quite rusty.  Naturally I rely on subtitles to get me through because there is a huge difference in conversational French and the French they use as dialogue in films. I was able to confirm this from my American friend who not only lived in Paris but knows the art of cinema quite well.  

Most of the time, I prefer light fare comedy types of French movies. Not only is the dialogue easier for me to grasp (without looking at the English subtitles) but they tend to present things as they are.  By that, I mean the boy doesn't necessarily get the girl by the end of the film.  Conflicts and complications abound.  Although surely there are some French films where lead actor does end up with cutesy lead actress with the added *kilig* factor thrown in for good measure.

Alice (Alice Taglioni) is a Parisian pharmacist who is an avid fan of Woody Allen and his films.  She even talks to his giant poster in her room about anything and nothing in particular.  The strange thing is *he* does reply to her musings and he speaks to her in English.  Not only does she dispense medicines to her regular customers, she also hands them dvds of Woody Allen films to "heal" their malaise.  

Just as Alice finds Pierre, the man of her dreams, he falls in love with her much stylish sister Helene. Soon enough, they get married and Alice is back to 'zero'.  Her parents though worry about her ending up alone in life so they are always on the look out for eligible guys to date Alice.  But it is only when Alice meets Victor (Patrick Bruel) when things perk up a bit.  Victor is the security expert who installs security devices in establishments.  He is her complete opposite as he hasn't seen any of Woody Allen movies.

"Paris-Manhattan" is a French film with the right amount of romance and bits of comedy. The story line is a bit too simple and predictable even though the characters experience their arc in terms of changing for the better. It's a light and engaging fare with its own charm which mostly comes from the good chemistry between Alice and Victor.    Just what I needed on a rainy Tuesday evening. 

CELESTE & JESSE FOREVER

Rashida Jones, Adam Samberg
Elijah Woods, Emma Roberts

"For anyone who has to break up
with their best friend"

Star Movies

It's good we have 2 TVs in this household so I could watch this romcom while the hubby was glued to the FIBA ASIA game between Qatar and RP.  By the way, we won so everyone was happy.

Now back to Celeste & Jesse.  At first glance, you'd think they were a happily married couple as they have so much chemistry and their friendship is quite solid. Then you realize they are actually separated and in the process of finalizing their divorce.

Celeste (Rashida Jones) is the owner of a media consulting firm while Jesse (Adam Samberg) well I couldn't really tell his occupation. I figure he was 'in between jobs' which is a nice way of saying he is unemployed. They were best friends then married for 6 years but have grown apart so she opts out of the marriage.

Miscommunication seems to be the key ingredient missing from their relationship even though they are the best of friends.  They are also on different pages vis a vis their careers as well as what they want in life.  

They soon start seeing other people and that's when the irony starts.  As soon as Jesse is faced with a very 'adult' situation, he quickly changes and exhibits a level of maturity that Celeste didn't know was possible.  Whereas Celeste's dating life seems quite trivial as she meets guys way beyond her 'league', so to speak.

Celeste and Jesse Forever is not really a romantic comedy as there is nothing romantic about a separation.  But there is no loud bickering and all the messy legalities involved in ending a marriage, either.  Both Celeste and Jesse have endearing qualities on their own as well as an (un)couple but they are also flawed in many ways.  

The film is easy to absorb even though the main story is about a break-up.  Rashida Jones and Adam Samberg are the main draws of an otherwise predictable story line.  I like how their characters evolved as they faced different situations.  And despite the "forever" tag in the title, some relationships unfortunately don't last that long even though there is no harm in hoping it would. 

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper,

Robert de Niro, Jacki Weaver

"Watch for the Signs"

Cinema 2, Shang Cineplex

After a stint in a mental institution, Pat (Bradley Cooper) is released into the custody of his mother. He comes home to reintegrate with his family and his friends.  Soon enough, he starts obsessing about reuniting with his ex wife whose infidelity led to his meltdown.

Along comes Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) the sister of Pat's friend who has her own mental issues, they seem to gravitate towards each other because of their common factor.  But Pat insists his quest is still on so Tiffany agrees to help him with a condition attached to her promise.

It was interesting to see Bradley Cooper in a role that doesn't have require him to be totally trashed (ehem: The Hangover series).  He was annoying and quite irritating the entire film but that just proves how credible he was in acting out the role.

Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany was a delightful character despite her own idiosyncrasies. She was authentic, quite sharp witted and able to tame Pat's OCDC tendencies.   Honestly, he was quite a handful.  Her refreshing appearance totally belies her character's dark past.

Pat and Tiffany develop a good friendship. The two have an understanding and admiration for each other. A chemistry  which Pat desperately tries to quash as he doesn't want to lose focus on his quest.   Case in point, he agrees to be tutored in dancing lessons to give in to her condition yet he urges her to be the messenger of his letter to his ex wife.

"Silver Linings Playbook" is a peculiar story with just the right dosage of a quirky romantic comedy.  It is told through sharp dialogue and acted out by a genuinely talented cast.   One look at Robert de Niro's character as Pat, Sr., the obsessed Eagles fan and you will really understand why his son is so inclined.

The heart of the film no doubt belongs to Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, their charismatic chemistry is the main draw. Their romance proves there is indeed a silver lining behind every dark and turbulent cloud.

SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD

Keira Knightley, Steve Carell

"Nice Knowing You"

Cinema 5, Trinoma Mall

So while people were scrambling over themselves to watch the most anticipated movie for this year, I ran the opposite direction. I wanted to be as far away as possible from luminous vampires and menacing werewolves.  Ergo, I found myself tuning in to the unusual love story that develops between Steve Carell and Keira Knightley in a movie with a bizarre title called "Seeking  a Friend for the End of the World".

Strangely enough, this movie with a doomsday theme was poignantly absorbing albeit in a quirky sort of way.   Banking on a premise that the end of the world is due in 3 weeks time once an asteroid named "Matilda" will hit earth, the film sets into motion the story of Dodge (Steve Carell) and his neighbor Penny (Keira Knightley). 

An insurance sales man whose wife leaves him amidst the impending disaster, his final mission is to seek out an ex girlfriend whom he describes as the love of his life.   His young(er) neighbor Penny comes along for the road trip as she intends to flight to England to be reunited with her family.  The road trip turns into a journey where the two former strangers get to know each other and discover what truly matters as they spend their last days on earth, together. 

There are no scenes of panic nor any military operation to stop the asteroid from hitting our planet like the movie "Armaggedon". Instead we are hit with short clips of people partying, rioting and turning into doomsday preppers who stock up on weapons and potato chips.

The several side plots doesn't deviate from the main gist which is the special bond and friendship that develops between Dodge and Penny.  Much of the credit goes to the brilliantly soulful performances of Steve Carell and Keira Knightley.  Their odd couple pairing succeeds because after all opposites do attract.

Sullen, downtrodden Dodge is a lonely figure who doesn't want to be alone while perky Penny goes through life wearing Converse shoes and listening to old vinyl records with a come what may attitude.   Penny and Dodge are both given their own proper back stories and dilemmas that feel fully developed by the time the two characters interact.

Both endearing, charming characters who makes us the audience believe that life can't be that bad (even though it is about to end in a fiery explosion) if you were to spend it with someone you just met a few weeks ago yet now know you inside out.

A right mix of drama and comedy with an awesome soundtrack of songs from PM Dawn, The Hollies, The Walker Brothers - "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" is certainly worth every cent!

SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN

Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt
Kristin Scott Thomas, Amr Waked

"Make the Impossible Possible"

Cinema 5, Trinoma Mall

For some reason, this charming little film was only shown at the Ayala malls cinemas. So I ventured out of my comfort zone and found myself sitting in an almost empty theater. It felt like I was seated in my own living room  - the only thing missing was my pillow.

The movie is based on Paul Torday’s novel with the very strange title.  It stems from a project of a wealthy sheik who wants to bring salmon fishing to his native land, Yemen.  Of course, it is an impossible task yet when the sheik is willing to invest 50 million dollars into the project, you simply cannot refuse the lucrative offer.   Not to mention the fact that the British government needs a moral booster after some of its troops were injured in a grenade attack in Afghanistan. Billed under the "good news from the Middle East" category, the gargantuan operation would certainly boost Anglo Arabic relations.

The persons directly involved in the enormous logistics for this major project include a skeptical fisheries expert named Dr Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor), the investment consultant of the sheik Ms Harriet Chetwold-Talbot (Emily Blunt),  Patricia Maxwell (Kristin Scott Thomas), the press officer of the British Prime Minister's office and Sheik Muhammed (Amr Waked).

Aside from the political connotations and questions like "Can money really buy everything?", the film strives pretty much on the solid acting of the cast.  I liked the chemistry between Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt.  Both equally talented, they essayed their roles with subtle nuances giving their characters so much depth.

Buoyed by a beautiful cinematography with interesting angles of long, wide shots of picturesque terrain as well as creative underwater segments, this movie was visually appealing.

The sheikh who is considered somehow of a visionary with progressive ideas for his country is very enigmatic. He strongly believes in the immeasurable power of faith and making the impossible, possible.  It is the same faith that guides the viewers as you watch and silently yet firmly wish that the project will be a success. 

"Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" is a delightful little movie that shows that it isn't always a bad thing to have dreams which no one believes in. As long as you have conviction, coupled with a positive attitude, you can accomplish and achieve anything with great success.  

DELICACY

Audrey Tautou, Francois Damiens, Bruno Todeschini

"Love can surprise you."

This French rom-com stars Audrey Tautou of "Amelie" fame in yet another saccharine girl meets boy love story. But before girl and boy have their happily ever after ending, there are a few obstacles. Little awkward, quirky turns that aren't too complicated or dramatic to muddle the sure fire conclusion that they belong in each other's arms.

Audrey Tautou plays Nathalie, who is utterly devastated when her beloved husband dies unexpectedly. She becomes a workaholic, plunging herself into her office job and fending off the unwanted advances of her boss. But one day, for reasons only Nathalie knows, she throws herself at a somewhat boorish, clumsy Swedish co-worker named Markus (Francois Damiens), and the rest of the movie consists of their tentative, and interesting courtship.

In as much as the trauma and ongoing adjustment of someone losing a spouse is very much downplayed in this movie, I think they wanted to concentrate on the unusual romance between Nathalie and Markus. Their 'beauty and the beast' office romance has some funny moments. I suppose it is charming to see a cute, perky woman fall for a very plain man. Both of them are amused and bewildered by their love affair. Despite his very ordinary appearance, Markus is quite funny and the fact that Nathalie actually gets and laughs at his jokes should count for something. Well in my books, it does.

Audrey Tautou is excellent as Nathalie, generating a palpable chemistry with Damiens that enables us to see what she sees in him, even if nobody else sees it. This lightweight romantic comedy was perfect for a stormy day viewing tucked in bed with a warm blankie.

L'ARNACOEUR(THE HEARTBREAKER)

Citi-Rustan's French Film Festival
Cinema 1, Shang Cineplex

*** I'm reposting my review of this rom-com. It is included in the line-up of the ongoing French Film Festival at the Shangri-la mall cineplex ***

This French romantic comedy set in exotic locales (Morocco, Monte Carlo) started off on a good note then slowly self destructs. An unusual plot with eccentric characters, it thrives on false pretenses and cheesy romantic moments.

Alex Lippi is a professional 'heartbreaker'. He is in the business of breaking up relationships. He has only 2 main rules: he doesn't bed the women and he only breaks up unhappy relationships. This whole enterprise triumphs with the joint efforts of his sister Melanie and her husband Marc who take care of all the logistics involved in making sure Alex is successful. He achieves this by using his irresistible charms to make the female half of a couple realize that her beloved is not the one for her.

In his next job, he is given only 10 days to prevent the imminent wedding of a wealthy wine connoisseur Juliette to an English philanthropist. Although they are head over heels in love with each other, her father a tycoon thinks otherwise and therefore hires Alex to intervene.

The plot then weaves into a complex and profoundly silly slapstick subplots with a slew of British and American pop culture adding to the rigmarole. Its repeated allusions to the British group Wham! and the Patrick Swayze movie "Dirty Dancing" were so corny. A banal romantic farce set to an awfully saccharine soundtrack, it's quite predictable despite the numerous twists they interjected to muddle the plot.

Amazingly, Romain Duris is quite a big star in France even though his looks are quite average. But it seems he relies heavily on his charming way of delivering dialogue. Vanessa Paradis is more popularly known as a singer/model and the life partner of Johnny Depp. It is a pity that his versatility as an actor doesn't rub off on her.

The saving grace would be the alluring locales and the fashionable wardrobe of the characters. I think only the French can come up with such an absurd story and disguise it as a romantic comedy. Yet I read that Hollywood is interested and a remake is in the works. Let's just hope the American version will be an improvement.

L'ART D'AIMER(THE ART OF LOVE)

Citi-Rustan's French Film Festival
Cinema 1, Shang Cineplex

"The Art of Love" is a romantic comedy about what else but "L-0-V-E". It is presented through a series of vignettes that focus on relationships where love reigns supreme. It is like a novel that is composed of different short stories all compiled together.

Most of the episodes are introduced with titles, some clever and literary while others seem irrelevant. The stories in the movie are about persons deflecting love, or caught in situations where love seems to complicate matters instead of complementing the relationship.

The different stories aren't uniformly equal. One narrative begins and ends with no development. While another is developed like a multiple part of a singular story. Still others have episodes interspersed throughout the film. The unifying factor is the voice-over narration in a strong voice which basically charms us with its funny and witty observations.

The ensemble cast is a group of talented French actors and actresses who all give credible performances. I'm quite familiar with a few of them from other films I've seen. In "The Art of Love" though their roles are quite light and don't really demand much heavy brow acting.

There is something to be said about the way that the French perceive love in its many forms. For instance, there is a character who offers to have her boyfriend sleep with her best friend. That way, the best friend snaps out of her one year sex abstinence. It is something I'd dare say that could only be possible in a European setting as opposed to the conservative nature of Asians. But it's deliciously French, on one level. And it made this rom-com quite a delight to watch!

BEAUTIFUL LIES

Audrey Tautou, Nathalie Baye, Sami Bouajila

"Sometimes a little white lie can change everything"

A French romantic comedy starring Audrey Tautou (Amelie) as Emilie, a perky somewhat eccentric beauty salon owner. Shy, sensitive Jean (Sami Bouajila) works as a handyman at the beauty salon and he is also madly and secretly smitten with his 'boss' Emilie. Jean decides to eloquently declare his feelings in an anonymous letter.

Oblivious to the fact that her mysterious admirer is Jean, Emilie retypes the letter and sends it anonymously to her mother, Maddy (Nathalie Baye), hoping to cheer her up. Maddy has been depressed, unable to accept that her husband, who left four years ago, isn’t coming back.

Then a whole gamut of bizarre and awkward situations of a mistaken romance rolls on by for an hour and 40 minutes. Even though the script had some snappy, funny little one-liners (in French, mind you!), certain parts could have done with some editing to make the story more coherent so the viewers' short attention span could stay focus and not be distracted with overlapping side plots.

It is only the superb performances of the cast (Tautou, Baye, and Bouajila) that redeems this rom-com. They are a great ensemble, who expertly play on the frustrated and strained relationships between their characters through some convincing onscreen chemistry.

The ever refreshing Audrey Tautou particularly stands out as Emilie by delivering a performance that is believable and endearing. And you know you are getting old when an actress from your youth like the elegant Nathalie Baye now portray mother with grown up children roles. But she still shines and gives a convincing portrayal of a woman in denial that needs quite a boost to her crushed self esteem.

A pretty average rom-com with the standard, predictable happy ending filmed entirely in French with English subtitles. Recommended for die hard Amelie, oops aka Audrey Tautou fans!

LARRY CROWNE

Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts
George Takei, Pam Grier, Cedric the Entertainer

Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) loses his job at a big retail store. Despite being a good employee, he is fired simply because he has no college education. After mopping about his unfortunate situation, he decides to pursue a college education.

In the process, he meets a merry assortment of people. The kind of people Larry wouldn't normally associate with, let alone be friends with. He also finds romance with his speech professor played by the effervescent Julia Roberts. Yes I basically revealed the entire plot, well it was rather predictable from the get go, right?

The supporting characters are portrayed by a generally likable cast. This includes George Takei from Star Trek as an economics professor, Pam Grier and stand up comedian Cedric the Entertainer. But sadly, they’re all mono-dimensional, one-note, sitcom silhouettes, given little to do except provide an ethnically mixed comedic background.

Naturally, the success of the film falls on the shoulders of Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. They have good chemistry together playing pretty bland but nonetheless endearing characters. But the main flaw in the story is that Larry Crowne is not particularly interesting — a nice guy, but not going to set the world on fire.

To conclude, even Hanks and Roberts, two of Hollywood’s most likeable superstars who are as likeable as ever here, can't quite sell this predictable rom-com. The story lacked depth with too many side plots that simply didn't add up.

Rather, it simply wants to be a nice little romantic comedy with a positive vibe. In that aspect, it is. Sometimes, that's enough. While other times, you'd expect more from two high caliber stars!