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!

L'HEURE D'ETE (SUMMER HOURS)

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

*** I am reposting this review from 2 years ago. This film is featured in the Olivier Assayas 7 films retrospect for this year's French Film Festival ***


We are introduced to the characters through a family gathering. Helene, the matriarch is celebrating her 75th birthday and her 3 adult children together with their families have come for the special occasion. The setting is in an ancient house in the countryside. A place that holds numerous antiques, paintings and is fraught with memories. Helene then presents to her eldest son Frederic a well organized list on how to dispose the valuable belongings once she passes on from this world.

Eventually several months later, she dies and the daunting task falls on the shoulders of Frederic who is the only sibling living in Paris. His brother is an expat in Shanghai and busy with forging his career as well as taking care of his family. While the only daughter lives in New York and is occupied with her incoming wedding.

The film focuses on a relevant topic. The one we all have to face eventually in our lives - the tedious and sometimes painful process of inheritance. So we are presented with scenes of curators and appraisers taking stock of the vast antique collection. But it also shows us the different reactions of the siblings on the disposal of their ancestral house. As they sort through the numerous items, they reminisce about their relevance vis a vis their childhood.

It also has some touching and moving moments. A pivotal scene is when Frederic is suddenly overwhelmed with sadness and pulls his car over to a curb and just cries his heart out. Perhaps he didn't want this siblings and his family to see him as weak. I get the impression that is the only time he truly cried over the death of his mother and the passing of his childhood memories. How sad.

Another reflective sequence is a scene at the Museum D'Orsay where Frederic and his wife Lisa look at the objects they've donated which are now prominently displayed. An ironic contrast as it serves as a significant contribution to history and cultural artifacts yet at the same time there is a semblance that the objects are caged in a cold space and devoid of any human context in their family's life.

This family oriented film make us contemplate on the futility of hanging onto sentimental objects from our past which eventually end up as museum pieces or worse merely gathering dust in storage boxes.

SAFE HOUSE

Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds
Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga, Sam Shepard

"No one is Safe"

Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) is a young CIA agent in charge of a safe house in Cape Town, South Africa. His boring routine consists of checking into the highly secured facility and answering phone calls. Until, he gets word that a former rogue CIA agent named Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) will be brought to the safe house for 'questioning'.

But things go terribly wrong as a bunch of heavily armed men invade the supposedly secure place to get hold of Tobin Frost. It seems that Frost is in possession of a list that contains corrupt agents. Left with no options, Matt helps the fugitive escape until he can be relocated to another secret location.

There is where this action filled spy thriller takes off with a loud blast. Shot in South Africa, the beautiful landscapes from the densely populated ghettos to the very urban metropolis provided an excellent backdrop to the fast paced flow of the plot.

Most of the action stems from the car chases, the explosions from combat scenes as bullets and gun fires are exchanged between the good guys and the villains. Well that is if you can figure out who the *real* bad guys are given that some of the scenes were shot in dark places with a hand held camera that was so shaky, I had to close my eyes, several times.

The inventive plot pulsates from the high level cover up, the betrayal amongst agents to a damaging list that threatens intelligence agencies in every corners of the world. The supporting cast is top notch with believable performances from Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson and Sam Shepard.

Kudos goes to the two main actors who make a good team from every angle. Washington brings the intensity and experience. He shows us once again how impressive he can be by playing lead as well as protagonist roles. And as Tobin Frost he was vicious, ruthless yet quite smart without being overbearing.

While Ryan Reynolds brings youth and inexperience playing a rookie agent with a solid backbone. He, too is equally equipped to play a wide variety of roles without breaking into sweat. He can be a romantic lead. He can also do the action hero. He can make us laugh with his comedic roles. Quite impressive for someone very young!

THE VOW

Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum
Sam Neil, Jessica Lange

"The Vow" centers on Paige (Rachel McAdams) and Leo (Channing Tatum), a married couple whose lives change after Paige loses much of her memory in a car accident. Strangely though, she remembers her life before she met Leo. The part when she lived affluently with her prim and proper parents (Jessica Lange and Sam Neill) surrounded by her circle of sorority friends, her former fiancé (Scott Speedman) and when she was interested in attending law school.

Poor Leo! Suddenly he is ostracized by the one person he vowed all those cheesy yet sweet promises to when they got married in an art gallery. Now if this film wasn't inspired on true events, you would probably roll your eyes in disbelief! How can Paige just forget her very happy times with the love of her life, Leo? So even if I knew it really did happen to a real couple, I was mostly dumbfounded during the entire movie.

I guess it didn't help that there wasn't any chemistry between the two lead stars. Rachel McAdams though was and always is quite refreshingly believable to watch in any role. As Paige, you can feel her inner struggle to try to remember as much as she could but eventually giving in to what she felt was the right thing to do.

My main issue is with the very rigid acting of Channing Tatum. He pretty much looked clueless during the entire film. Firstly, he is miscast in the role as a record producer with connections in the music industry. Then as Leo he doesn't seem very helpful in trying to make Paige remember their life together. He just leaves her a note with the word 'evidence' on a stack of home made videos for her to watch. As if by merely viewing these dvds she would suddenly snap out of her temporary stupor.

So yeah I was wearing my sarcastic hat the entire time I was watching this supposedly romantic film. I would probably have gotten more sappy romantic overtones from reading a Nicholas Sparks book. Too bad I don't have any of his novels on my book shelf.

BEGINNERS

Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Melanie Laurent

"This is what love feels like"

The film opens on a quiet note as Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is rummaging through several items to clear in a big house. It is 2003 and his father Hal (Christopher Plummer) has recently passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer, leaving Oliver with a heavy load of baggage to sort through. Both physical and psychological, that it.

It wasn't that Hal belatedly and proudly came out as a homosexual - at 75 years of age - that threw Oliver so much. It came as more of a shock to realize that someone could keep his true sexuality a secret, most of his life. Hal comes out after his wife of over 40 years dies even though we can ascertain from the film that she knew about his 'secret'. But for Oliver, a taciturn graphic designer, this news is unsettling yet at the same time, he embraces his father's true self. He is in a way glad that his father is slowly regaining his joie de vivre.

As Oliver slowly recovers from his father's death, he has to face his own demons. His somewhat strange and sad upbringing courtesy mostly of his eccentric mother, Georgia (Mary Page Keller) prevents him from truly committing to a budding romance, to his dull job and to life in general. He has the capacity to succeed but he is having difficulty conveying it through the proper channels.

An intricate series of flashbacks depicting the final phase of Hal's life - as witnessed by a confused Oliver - is wonderfully warm and sincerely quirky stuff. Cleverly presented by showing still images from significant periods in both Hal and Oliver's lives, the film is buoyed by a narration from Oliver.

A vital supporting character Arthur, a soulful Jack Russell terrier, would draw all the audience attention away from the human characters. But the award winning performances by Plummer (he deserved the Oscars Best Supporting Award for this role) and McGregor are so superb that everyone is able to share in the glory.

A subtle, sensitive picture about love, loss and loneliness, I'd certainly recommend you watch "Beginners" and be utterly moved by its poignant story.

BRIDESMAIDS

Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jill Clayburgh
Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Chris O'Dowd

Backstabbing. Sabotage. Jealousy. Rivalry. These words jump at you as you watch this chick flick. But since it is presented through top notch humor and perfect comedic timing, "Bridesmaids" is a hoot to watch. Dubbed as the "Hangover" film for women even though they never set foot in Las Vegas, it showcases the shenanigans of 5 women from different spectrum of society who are chosen as bridesmaids by Lillian.

But the primary role of maid of honor falls on Annie (Kristen Wiig), who is unlucky in business, in love, and in life in general. But her bond with Lillian (Maya Rudolph) has sustained her since childhood. Upon Lillian's engagement, Annie is poised to assume her role in the wedding preparations, but she is met with unexpected competition from Lillian's new friend Helen (Rose Byrne), a socialite who seems bent on usurping Annie's Maid of Honor duties.

The rivalry consumes a great portion of this raucous comedy. But main focus remains on Annie, whose jealousy and insecurity is brilliantly essayed by "Saturday Night Live" veteran Kristen Wiig. I've never watched any episodes of SNL but from this film alone, I can say that Kristen Wiig is a top notch comedian, par excellence.

Annie is by all means a sad character but you can't help but root for her to succeed. Yes, she is jealous of her best friend's new friend but who wouldn't feel insecure amidst those circumstances. We all do outgrow our friends whom we met in our childhood. As we add up to the numbers in our age, our interests also change so it is only but natural to seek the company of people who share our common interests.

The other bridesmaids are equally 'flawed' characters but all of them, both individually and as a group bring so much amusement to the film. Each actress is given ample opportunity to create big laughs from their unique characterizations, and Melissa McCarthy as Megan basically steals every scene she's in.

It has been ages since I laughed so hard, I snorted out loud and almost peed in my shorts. This comedy has all the key elements of a good film. Great ensemble cast with multi-dimensional characters. A well written plot with funny situations, witty dialogue and throw in a tinge of romance for those swoon moments. And most of all even though the title refers to a bunch of women, kudos goes to the maid of honor, Annie personified by Kristen Wiig. The wedding and this film would be nothing without her effervescent presence.

THE LINCOLN LAWYER

Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Philippe
William H. Macy, Josh Lucas

Star Movies

TV channel surfing can often lead to finding a film that can grab one's attention. "The Lincoln Lawyer" was a legal thriller I wanted to watch when it was shown at the cinemas but as usual I either didn't have the time or simply was too lazy to go out.

So Matthew McConaughey portrays Mick Haller a sleazy yet charismatic defense attorny who suddenly develops a conscience when he takes up a new case. His wealthy client Louis Roulet (Ryan Philippe) is accused of beating and raping a call girl. Haller begins to question whether his rich bratty client is indeed innocent. In the course of his current case, Haller finds clues that might be related to his former case. Things aren't as simple as they seem. Haller needs to work doubly hard to solve his case despite the danger he may have put himself in as a consequence.

Oh and the title comes from the fact that Michael Haller works out from the back of his old Lincoln car. He even has a chauffeur but you have to watch the film to find out the details about his driver. I ain't giving away spoilers.

I was quite impressed with the solid supporting cast who turned up to give this somewhat predictable thriller much needed depth. Marisa Tomei, Ryan Philippe, Josh Lucas and despite his short role William H. Macy all contributed their vast talent to deliver credible performances.

Of course, the main star is Matthew McConaughey who is believable in a role which doesn't require him to take his shirt off. His portrayal of a slick defense attorney fit him like a glove. Coincidentally, I think Matthew McConaughey should stick to playing lawyers. Some years ago, he was quite effective in John Grisham adaptation "A Time To Kill". Now he essays Mike Haller in the film adaptation of Michael Connelly's best selling novel.

The film offers a nice mix of character introduction/development with an intriguing yet somewhat predictable plot complete with twists which you didn't quite see coming your way. Or perhaps I was just distracted by sleep slowly creeping up on me.

All-Time Great Romantic Movies

Some of the greatest movies in cinematic history are romantic in nature. From such classics as "Gone with the Wind" and "Casablanca" to the more recent romantic movies "Ghost," "Sleepless in Seattle," and "Pretty Woman," you can choose from a plethora of movies to move your heart and bring a tear to your eye. Whether you are passionate film buff or an aspiring director, you may have an interest in learning about the qualities of a quality romantic flick.

So what makes a romantic movie great? For one, they are loves stories that the viewer can relate to, something that they can use as a tool of catharsis. Secondly, they help shield the viewer from the harsh realities of the world, providing with an escape. These tales of the heart follow the emotional and passionate encounters between two main characters on a path of courtship. Love is a complicated affair, and this is reflected in the wide variety of themes that romantic movies cover: unrequited love, love at first site, spiritual love, tragic love, forbidden love, sexual love, and sacrificial love. 

In 2002, the American Film Institute (AFI) released a list of the top 100 romantic movies, dubbed
100 Years … 100 Passions.” The top 10 is as follows:

1. “Casablanca”


2. “Gone with the Wind”


3. “West Side Story”


4. “Roman Holiday”


5. “An Affair to Remember”


6. “The Way We Were”


7. “Doctor Zhivago”


8. “It's a Wonderful Life”


9. “Love Story”


10. “City Lights”

The variety in this list reveals the various subgenres of romantic movies. This includes romantic dramas (“An Affair to Remember,” “Love Story”), which centers primarily on acts of love between the main characters, romantic comedies (“Roman Holiday,” “City Lights”), which are lighthearted in nature with humorous plot lines, romantic musicals (“West Side Story”), in which music is as much of an essential component to the movie as the plot and characters, and romantic thrillers (“Doctor Zhivago,” “Gone With the Wind”), in which elements of suspense and tension are intertwined with the love story.

So for you aspiring love story writers and film directors, do you want to take the next step in furthering your creative career? Online college classes and degree programs are great way to take this career step from the comforts of your own home. Perhaps after gaining the skills to make a great romantic movie, you will create a movie that will make a future AFI list of the top romantic movies.

Sources

American Film Institute (2002)

AMC Filmsite (2012)

 

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz, Hal Holbrook

"Life is the most spectacular show on earth"

There seems to be too much on my plate lately that I hardly have time to watch a full length film, be it at the theaters or in the comfort of my home. Out of town trips, my sister's home visits, household chores and life in general keep me from my fave hobby.

So I have to discern which movies would merit my full attention. "Water for Elephants" has always been on my list to watch films for the sole reason that it features a circus. And who doesn't love a circus, right?

Based on a novel by Sara Gruen, it is set in 1931, an era of the Depression where prohibition was 'strictly' imposed and going to the circus was the only way to be entertained. The story is narrated by an older Jacob (Hal Holbrook) as he reminisces about his 'stint' with the Benzini Brothers Circus.

A flashback to the early 1930s shows us the circumstances how a young(er) Jacob, portrayed by Robert Pattinson gets his life intertwined with freaky characters, animals (lions, horses, elephants) and Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), the star attraction who also happens to be the wife of August (Christoph Waltz), the domineering ringmaster/owner.

The ensuing love triangle between the 3 main characters takes shape around an elephant named Rosie, which August acquires to boost sales for the struggling circus. Rosie becomes the emotional bond that brings Marlena and Jacob together, and the eventual object of August's violent, raging jealousy.

The movie does a good job of capturing the circus atmosphere and immersing the viewer in its uniquely tempting world. A fast-paced adventure tale which doesn't rely on computer generated imagery to awe its audience. Dramatic scenes are prevalent, the costumes look authentic and the story is riveting enough to capture our attention.

Witherspoon is a fine actress, and it is nice to see her in a serious, sensual role which is a far cry from the predictable romantic comedies she likes to star in. Pattinson, best known as Edward Cullen in you.know.those.vampire.movies further proves that he is a one dimensional actor. His performance is flat and wooden for a character that ends up fighting for both his love and his life. He is just as easily outshone by fiery Oscar winner, Christoph Waltz who won for his memorable role as a Nazi officer in "Inglorious Basterds". August can be a charmer, but he rules with an iron fist and treats people and animals with sadistic disdain. You feel your heart skip a bit whenever he is in a volatile scene.

Jacob and Marlena may be the movie's heart, but August provides the high-voltage tension that keeps "Water For Elephants" charging toward its explosive, destructive conclusion!