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7
A Nutshell Review : Cheer Cheer Cheer !
Cheer Cheer Cheer ! is your typical zero to hero student based movie , as the formula never ceases to churn out stories but under different student groups . My personal favourites to date have been Swing Girls and Water Boys , and although Cheer Cheer Cheer ! has much of the formula applied , it still falls short of be...
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A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) Accepted
The premise of this film is as ludicrous as it sounds , but I guess it takes a lot to try and mold a character into the next Ferris Bueller or Van Wilder . Justin Long stars as Bartleby Gaines , and the name will already tell you that it's not catchy enough with certain vibes as to the quality of this teenage comedy dw...
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412,019
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A Nutshell Review : Broken Flowers
Folks from my generation will always associate Bill Murray with Mr-stay-calm-know-it-all Peter Venkman from Ghostbusters , along with fellow comedians and collaborators Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis . Of late , he has been playing nonchalant characters , and probably would be better remembered for his role in Lost in Tr...
514,757
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1,182,972
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A Nutshell Review : Bachna Ae Hasseno
Ranbir Kapoor in his debut leading man role as Ranbir in Saawariya , didn't have the luck to snag the lady of his dreams , maybe because he was kind of a cad too , where karma had a part to return and haunt him . In his second feature film here , his Raj Sharma is again a cad , and credits himself being a " lady killer...
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A Nutshell Review : White Noise
I skipped this in the cinemas for the sole reason that the trailer spooked me out ( hears chants of " chicken " ) but I grabbed this DVD when I saw it at the library , because partly I'm curious about the phenomenon , and partly because it's a long time since I last saw Michael Keaton on screen , given that not all his...
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A Nutshell Review : Man of the Year
Imagine the likes of popular talk show hosts becoming the most powerful man on Earth . What do you think of the Lettermans and the Renos taking over the Oval Office ? Will their humour and mass appeal pull in the votes , and give them enough to win ? Or will they be in the mix solely for entertainment value , unable to...
515,109
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479,952
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A Nutshell Review : Madagascar : Escape 2 Africa
Ben Stiller , Chris Rock , David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith are back in their animated animal roles which 3 years ago saw their zoo animals being transported to Madagascar in a typical fish out of water tale , where they had to rely on their street smarts and friendship to survive in an environment they do not fu...
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A Nutshell Review : Hock Hiap Leong
The title of Royston Tan's short film refers to a coffeeshop by that name , which has since closed its doors . Like an ode to the shop and its owners / stallholders , memories of the 60s heydays are brought back in a song-and-dance routine which includes the beehives and a-go-go moves . The beginning looked similar to ...
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A Nutshell Review : Appassionata
The Japanese Film Festival this year had a number of biographies in its lineup because of its theme , and it's no surprise that Appassionata falls into this category , telling a summarized life story of Japan's female painter Uemura Shoen , who was the first woman to have earned the Order of Culture , Japan's highest a...
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120,714
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A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) The Interview ( 1998 )
Most audiences around the world would by now know who Austrialian actor Hugo Weaving is , after appearing in big budgeted Hollywood trilogies like The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings . The Interview presents one of his earlier works in an Australian film , and my , does he show off his acting chops in this . Hugo Weav...
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A Nutshell Review : The Orphan
As a fan of Bruce Lee , I've seen his landmark movies countless of times , from The Big Boss right up until Game of Death . However , he's appeared in non martial arts roles before , and I wouldn't have missed the festival's screening of The Orphan for the world , being projected in 35mm glory from the Hong Kong Film A...
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964,539
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A Nutshell Review : Pathology
From the West with the latest Saw installment or the indie Unrest , to the Asian counterpart in Body # 19 , dead bodies / cadavers continue to be milked for cinematic horror , not that you'd expect them to turn into zombies and start craving for human flesh , but for the amount of gore that an autopsy can provide when ...
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105,415
7
A Nutshell Review : Singles ( 1992 )
Love . Sex . Friendship . Companionship . These are the themes obviously explored in Cameron Crowe's early movie Singles , which revolve around the love lives of singles ( naturally ) living in a common apartment . We follow each of the protagonist Steve ( Campbell Scott ) , Janet ( Bridget Fonda ) , Cliff ( Matt Dillo...
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7
A Nutshell Review : A Class To Remember II : The Learning Circle ( Gakko II )
Gakko II , or The Learning Circle , is not a sequel to Gakko in the strictest sense . While Toshiyuki Nishida returns in this Yoji Yamada directed movie , he is not the same respected teacher that was introduced to us and we fell in love with in the original movie . The school's different too . Here , he plays teacher ...
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A Nutshell Review : Unleashed
Unleashed , aka Danny The Dog ( the original title , and the name of Jet Li's lead character ) , is the latest of a Euro-production meant for the Hollywood market , this one being a French-UK collaboration , with a mainly European production crew , of which the most recognizable name is French director Luc Besson , as ...
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A Nutshell Review : Inside Deep Throat
This is not a porn movie . It is a documentary about an adult movie ; not just any adult movie , but the one which you can answer " who's your daddy ? " to . Deep Throat premiered in 1972 , in an era of sexual awakening on film , where highlighting and building a film around that one sexual act is a novelty , bringing ...
515,452
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470,420
7
A Nutshell Review : The Leap Years
The Leap Years , aka Leap of Love , was a long process in the making . Having tracked this movie for a number of years now , it is going to make its debut this year premiering exactly on Feb 29 no less . While there were the usual production woes , I thought that this was one of those projects that remain in developmen...
515,392
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237,471
7
A Nutshell Review : Moveable Feast
Who would have thought this short film , directed by Sandi Tan in 1996 , would begin my venture into Screen Singapore . And it didn't help that it featured gastronomical food when I hadn't had my dinner prior to the screening . Narrated by a teenage boy , he brings us through to the various sights , sounds and characte...
515,337
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1,032,755
7
A Nutshell Review : RocknRolla
Guy Ritchie is probably right at home with his own brand of English crime capers , which is full of machismo over the top action sequences , tough talking , black comedy , and an all round edgy feel to it , not to mention the frequent casting of Jason Statham , who has since moved on from the Smoking Barrels , Snatch a...
515,401
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164,882
7
A Nutshell Review : The Ninjas
I suppose many of us would have loved the romanticism associated with ninjas , with their famed skills of invisibility , swordsmanship , cunning and a whole host of weaponry and gadgets that add to their element of surprise . If you'd think you know a lot of their modus operandi , then perhaps The Ninjas , aka Shinobi ...
515,148
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97,372
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A Nutshell Review : For All Mankind
Yes , it's strangely surprising that the next DVD I would pop in the player would be NASA related as well . The previous was mission specific , looking back at the Apollo 13 mission , but this documentary by Al Reinert consists of many first hand account as well as rarely seen footage caught by various moon-bound astro...
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A Nutshell Review : The Secret Heaven
A little girl dislikes and has no interest in her piano and her piano lessons , and devices different ways to try and skip classes or play her piano at home . But things don't go smoothly with a strict disciplinarian of a mother , and a hen-pecked father . Her only happier times are with her sister as they make pit sto...
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7
A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) One More Chance
While billed as " A Jack Neo Film " , the undisputed commercially successful local director actually shares the scriptwriting and directing duties and credits with other collaborators - Du Nan Xing and Michael Woo ( directing ) , and Boris Boo and Ho Hee Ann ( story ) . If I recall , this movie was made in conjunction ...
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A Nutshell Review : Kungfu Hustle
I missed the Stephen Chow movies of old , before his forays into the US Market with Shaolin Soccer and now Kungfu Hustle , where his movies were inane , slapstick and filled with witty dialogue that entirely made no sense . But don't misread me , I'm not saying that this flick is no good . There are classic Chow moment...
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A Nutshell Review : The Legend of Zorro
Finally , after 7 years since the last Hollywood Zorro movie hit the big screen , director Martin Campbell is back with his original cast of Antonio Banderas in the title role , and Catherine Zeta Jones as his wife Elena de la Vega . Set 10 years after the last movie , The Legend of Zorro wastes no time in plunging the...
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A Nutshell Review : Horton Hears a Who !
I've got to make a mental note that movies that have trailers playing in the cinemas for the longest time , do not a boring movie make , even if the first half of the movie plays like the extended version of the trailer , telling us things we already know , spelling out the premise all over again . Jim Carrey and Steve...
515,102
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A Nutshell Review : Happily , Even After
Happily . Even After is a tale directed by Singapore born director Unsu Lee , a neat little sibling drama , with a surreal fairy tale inject into the narrative . It's pretty amazing I suppose for any Singaporean director to have had his hands at making a movie in the USofA , and one which stars Jason Behr , of Roswell ...
514,793
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A Nutshell Review : Perfect Creature
Written and directed by Glenn Standring , Perfect Creature falls into one of those fantasy , alternate universe timelines where because of genetic engineering and the likes , humans now are living side by side with the more powerful vampires with whom have forged a truce , that is , to never feed on the blood of humans...
515,482
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A Nutshell Review : The Flying Scotsman
The Flying Scotsman is a formula sports biographical movie , based on the book written by a champion cyclist Graeme Obree . As with sports biopics like Cinderella Man and The World's Fastest Indian , Scotsman tells the story of the underdog's triumph against himself and his adversaries through innovation in technique ,...
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A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) Ice Age ( 2002 )
I've missed this animated movie when it was out in Singapore a few years back . Since the sequel is hitting our shores real soon , I thought I'd better get myself up to speed with the original movie , lest I miss out on some references used in the sequel . You see , must do homework mah ? It has been 4 years since this...
515,412
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A Nutshell Review : Dreamer : Inspired by a True Story
The premise of this movie is so similar to 2003's Seabiscuit , you'd think you're watching yet another biography of a real horse in some extraordinary , inspiring film that might just make you want to head down to the nearest race course and observe a real race . But Dreamer ( or Sonador as the horse is named ) takes a...
515,073
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464,636
7
A Nutshell Review : Innocent Steps
Na Young-sae was once touted as the best dance trainer in Korea , and was in contention for another trophy during the national dance competition , until dirty underhand tactics by rivals ruined it all for him . Seeking a comeback , his manager and him hatched a plan to import a foreign talent from China , Jang Chae-rin...
515,465
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A Nutshell Review : Chicken Rice War
Actually , it's not a far fetched idea having 2 stalls coexisting in the same hawker center in close proximity , as there was one ( or maybe still there ) at my interchange , where both sides employ their own minders to try and pull business to their stalls , where any passers-by will inadvertently be asked if Chicken ...
515,192
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375,154
7
A Nutshell Review : Tristan + Isolde
As touted , before Romeo and Juliet of Verona , there was Tristan and Isolde of England-Ireland . Director Kevin Reynolds ' projects have included before , re-tellings of folk legends , like his Robin Hood : Prince of Thieves and the Count of MOnte Cristo . And as with all Hollywood-ized retelling , there's always the ...
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A Nutshell Review : Night Watch
After Bimmer , which I enjoyed , this is the other Russian film that has hit our shores . Simplistically put , this is the first of a fantasy-thriller trilogy , about the eternal fight between good and evil forces . A truce is called centuries ago , where battle lines and jurisdictions are drawn . The breed of man know...
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112,950
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A Nutshell Review : Empire Records Remix ! Special Fan Edition ( 1995 )
This quirky take with memorable characters take place in a span of 24 hours in a record store known as Empire Records ( Tower Records anyone ? ) It highlights a day in the life of the store employees , made up of teeny boppers like proverb spewing Lucas ( Rory Cochrane ) , suicidal rebel Jane ( Debi Mazar ) , slutty Gi...
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A Nutshell Review : Cassandra's Dream
Woody Allen's final movie in his loose London Trilogy , with Match Point and Scoop preceding it , but without Scarlett Johansson's participation . Instead we get great chemistry between Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell who play two brothers caught up in a moral tale that unfolds in Greek tragedy and operatic n proportio...
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A Nutshell Review : 21
While Las Vegas is Sin City personified , having been there in person actually stripped away much of the glitz and glamour that comes courtesy of various movies and television series . Maybe because I'm not a high roller ( or even a simple punter to begin with ) that I don't get to enjoy the sexiness that comes with at...
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A Nutshell Review : In My Father's Den
Once in a while , Cathay @ Orchard screens their exclusive showcase selection of films which are not part of your mainstream Hollywood offering . In My Father's Den is one such film , and it is not often that I dive head on into a film without knowing at least a bit of the background or production details . This film i...
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A Nutshell Review : Quinceanera
In local culture , it's a big deal when you hit 21 years of age . Being legally allowed to watch R21 movies is just but a blip , but what I suppose the usual celebrations will include some hard core partying . It marks a coming of age , of a transition to young adulthood . In Latin American culture , Quinceañera refers...
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A Nutshell Review : My Blueberry Nights
My Blueberry Nights is made up of 3 distinct stories put together by having a character , Norah Jones ' Elizabeth , journey through them all . Somehow , the strength is in its parts and not as a whole , and possibly references to Wong's earlier works were put in to mask the weak storyline . I have to give credit when i...
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A Nutshell Review : P . S .
At first glance the premise of the movie seemed a little like Nicole Kidman's Birth , where someone who's already dead gets reincarnated into a boy who seemed to know all her / their dirty little secrets . Anyway that was my first thought when I heard about the plot outline for P . S . , but that said , this story coul...
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147,800
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A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) 10 Things I Hate About You
10 Things I Hate About You is one of your typical teenage romantic comedy , loosely based on William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew . Taking place over a semester with the introduction of new kid on the block Cameron ( Joseph Gordon-Levitt ) and culminating in the school prom , the movie has a surprising number ...
514,520
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A Nutshell Review : You are My Sunshine
Touted as the biggest love story in Korea in 2005 , it is no surprise why the hype . Based / Inspired by a true story ( there had been a handful of such movies in the recent weeks ) , You are My Sunshine is your typical melodramatic romance , with leads so cute and pretty , you can't help but be captivated as you embar...
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A Nutshell Review : If You Love Me Follow Me
We probably have the wildest of dreams during our youths , where the skies the limit and enthusiasm knows no bounds . Full of boundless energy and a daring to try out the unknown , a society like ours gets us all pragmatic and in living up to expectations of the elders , where success equates to getting a well paid job...
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385,002
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A Nutshell Review : Green Street Hooligans
You've seen them on television , and you've read about them in the news . Europe is particularly aware of folks who travel for football games amongst neighboring countries , only to have them create trouble or duke it out with the locals or one another , if the results don't go their way . While 2005 had a look at prof...
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1,050,739
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A Nutshell Review : Roadside Romeo
I guess the number of dogs in Disney's repertoire isn't enough , and this year they're looking to grow the kernel which houses the likes of the 101 Dalmations , Goofy , Pluto , Lady and the Tramp with Bolt , Beverly Hills Chihuahua and of course , Roadside Romeo and his pooch friends hailing from India . Touted as the ...
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460,792
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A Nutshell Review : Fast Food Nation
At first glance , my impression of Fast Food Nation is that it'll take a more documentary approach in highlighting issues about the fast food industry . It did look like it had room for satire with a provocative style , but should you be expecting something along the lines of Super Size Me , then this is the wrong movi...
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A Nutshell Review : The Orphanage
I thought that the Orphanage had employed just about every clichéd premise out there in horrorland , where the first 5 minutes probably set up an inevitable series of events that you could have seen from 10 miles out . A creepy looking mansion which functions as an orphanage , children ( who are popular characters in m...
515,503
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492,835
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A Nutshell Review : King and the Clown
King and the Clown was South Korea's best selling film of 2005 , having sold more than 12 million tickets over a span of 7 weeks . But after watching it , it's difficult to fathom the craze , nor about the New York Times hype that it " may be the equivalent of ' Brokeback Mountain ' " . Not that it is a bad movie , it ...
514,478
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301,777
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A Nutshell Review : Robot Stories
Robot Stories is an anthology of 4 distinct segments which premiered in the Singapore Fantastic Film Festival this evening , with a common theme of advanced technology or robots taking centerstage . My Robot Baby In the future where career minded couples have no time to conceive and turn to adoption , they will have to...
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116,163
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A Nutshell Review : Ebola Syndrome
Back in the early 90s , I recall widespread concern about incurable diseases such as the Ebola virus , and Hollywood taking the premise and churning out movies such as Outbreak and the such . In Hong Kong cinema , director Herman Yau cemented his cult status for films with excessive graphic depiction of sex and violenc...
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A Nutshell Review : Closing The Ring
Never make promises you can't fulfill , otherwise you'll find that nagging feeling coming back to haunt you , and it can be quite uncomfortable , unless of course it doesn't bother you as far as integrity and trustworthiness are concerned . Then again there's the living a lie , of not being true to yourself , which som...
514,415
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399,146
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A Nutshell Review : A History of Violence
Finally , a movie based on a source material that I've read ! Based on the graphic novel of the same name by writer John Wagner and artist Vince Locke , A History of Violence is David Cronenberg's latest film starring Viggo Mortensen ( don't know why , but I'm always seeing Elessar in his new character . . . ) I'm usua...
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53,111
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A Nutshell Review : Nianchan
Actress Yoshiyuki Kazuko was at today's screening to present the movie to the audience . She mentioned it was a special day for her , and that Nianchan was the second movie she had made in her career of 50 years . Shohei Imamura had actually told her to become rounder and fatter for the role , and she thought that sinc...
515,334
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1,155,705
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A Nutshell Review : 20th Century Boys
I had earlier written about comic books being rich material for filmmakers to raid and adopt them into a cinematic version , and with the success of the Death Note franchise , it's more than apparent that such movies will have its built in audience , and in this case , to skyrocket the movie to box office success . Dep...
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1,049,405
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A Nutshell Review : The Other End of the Line
Much has been said about the outsourcing of call centers to India , but so far I haven't seen one portrayed in a film in this manner , where Ifelt the portrayal of its inner workings was one of the better moments in his romantic-comedy . As far as I can recall , those who make cold calls to me for surveys , credit sign...
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A Nutshell Review : 27 Dresses
Katherine Heigl probably captured the imagination of the many geeky boys out there when she gave Seth Logan's Ben Stone a one night stand in Judd Apatow's Knocked Up . It's a ridiculous premise some might add , but it propelled her to mass consciousness as the beautiful girl who would , and provided her an elevation of...
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A Nutshell Review : Walk the Line
How uncanny . Today is the day that Walk the Line won big at the Golden Globes , winning Best Motion Picture - Musical / Comedy , as well as snagging the Best Actor and Actress - Musical / Comedy for both Joaquin Phoenix and Resse Whiterspoon . Today is also the day that I attended my first GV Surprise Screening , and ...
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A Nutshell Review : My Summer of Love
My Summer of Love , as the title implies , is about a romance during the summer holidays . Perhaps one of the draws of this movie in release now in Singapore , is indirectly from the popularity of The Devil Wears Prada , with Emily Blunt playing the role of an uncooperative , bullying colleague to Anne Hathaway's Andre...
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485,976
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A Nutshell Review : Rob-B-Hood
Jackie Chan is undoubtedly one of the few Asian stars whose name alone can open a movie , probably worldwide now . With his latest offering for the Chinese National Day holiday in Rob - B-Hood , he has again done back to basics , together with one of his collaborators of late Benny Chan ( New Police Story , Who Am I ) ...
514,563
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963,743
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A Nutshell Review : Angus , Thongs and Perfect Snogging
I guess Angus , Thongs and Perfect Snogging is the female equivalent of the teenage male sex comedies , without the sex or gratuitous nudity that is , because this is firmly in chick lit territory and based upon two books written by Louise Rennison - Angus , Thongs and Full - Frontal Snogging and On the Bright Side , I...
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785,035
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A Nutshell Review : Ong Bak 2
There's no doubt I've been a fan of movies starring Tony Jaa with the likes of Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong being showcases for the Muay Thai brand of martial arts , and I fondly remember those hard hitting action sequences that left me gaping , as well as the numerous replays just to drum it through to you that it's all ...
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A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) Tears of the Black Tiger ( 2000 )
I've borrowed this DVD from the library twice before , but never had the chance to watch it , until now . The appeal is actually to see some of Thai director Wisit Sasanatieng's past works , before his up and coming made-in-Singapore flick called Armful . And I've heard some good things about this movie too . The story...
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A Nutshell Review : The Lake House
I haven't watched Il Mare , the Korean original starring Jeon Ji-hyun , in which this Hollywood remake is based upon . I refuse to watch the original on VCD , and had no luck in tracking down a DVD copy . I guess it's just a matter of time before I order it online , some box-set no less . In any case , what probably ex...
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1,093,908
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A Nutshell Review : Confessions of a Shopaholic
Welcome to the Isla Fisher show , where despite her diminutive size she holds court throughout and I thought she's finally getting the recognition she deserves in being able to marquee a film herself . One cannot forget how she burst onto the scene in The Wedding Crashers as the psychotic stalker after Vince Vaughn , a...
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A Nutshell Review : My Name is Fame
My friend Richard has lent me the VCD in the last week of 2006 , has constantly raved about it , but it took me this long to finally pop it into the player . Not that I'm not heeding his recommendation , but a whole slew of events and bad time management prevented me from watching it in 2006 . Nonetheless I just did , ...
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A Nutshell Review : Dasepo Naughty Girls
The myriad of colours , song and dance all bring about a very madcap feel to Dasepo Naughty Girls , based on an internet comic strip . In essence a series of short stories or skits woven together , it tells the story of the students of No Use High , a multi-religious schools where monks , nuns , priests , and atheists ...
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A Nutshell Review : Promised Land
Promised Land is one part of the so-called Borders Trilogy that Amos Gitai has crafted , the other two being Free Zone and Disengagement . In this film , he tackles the issue of women trafficking across borders between Egypt and Israel , in which there seems to be no problems , obstacles or conflict between the peoples...
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A Nutshell Review : Mr . Woodcock
Take a lap ! " Set of 10 ! " With a name like W-o-o-d-c-o-c-k ( roll it off your tongue slowly for maximum effect ) , you'd have expect the jokes to come fast and furious about the appendage . Well there are , however , the best parts of Mr Woodcock are not the sexual innuendos , but come from the various gymnasium s...
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A Nutshell Review : The Game Plan
American football team Boston Rebels ' star quarterback Joe Kingman ( The Rock ) has only two loves in his life - Football and Elvis Presley . Like all successful sports superstars at the top of their game , he's living the good life , with his swanky penthouse apartment fitted with the latest luxuries , a sportster th...
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A Nutshell Review : Roger & Me
Before Farenheit and the award winning Bowling For Columbine , this is the movie that filmmaker ( director , writer , producer ) Michael Moore started off with . Filmed in his hometown of Flint , Michigan , we follow the chronicles of ( what he wants you to believe ) the town's love-hate relationship with General Motor...
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A Nutshell Review : Little Buddha ( 1993 )
I haven't seen much of director Bernardo Bertolucci's films , the only one in which I could recall vividly was The Last Emperor . In Little Buddha , Bertolucci attempted to tell the story of Siddhartha , Buddha himself , but somehow I felt it was a bit too little , as this film also told a separate story about a reinca...
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A Nutshell Review : Hero
Movies based on successful television series are natural progressions to make a quick buck , mainly because of the more instant box office dollars it gets translated to . But what I apprehend the most , is when the approach is to not worry whether non-television series followers would be able to get it , so it decides ...
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A Nutshell Review : A Bittersweet Life
This is a revenge movie , pure and simple . When it comes to this genre , the protagonist usually has some injustice ( loosely used here ) done unto him , and therefore unleashes hell upon those who incurred his wrath , who of course , failed to finish him off in the first place . Sun-woo ( Lee Byung-hun ) is a hotel m...
515,271
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1,055,300
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A Nutshell Review : Painted Skin
Based upon the classic literature of Liao Zai , Painted Skin is an adaptation of one of the stories that dwell on fox spirits . If you're someone expecting either a supernatural spook fest , or an amalgamation of ghosts and kung fu , you might be disappointed to find out that it's actually a romance through and through...
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A Nutshell Review : The Heartbreak Kid
I'm a fan of Ben Stiller and his brand of comedy , and I rate his insanely good looking ( heh ) Derek Zoolander as one of my contemporary favourites , alongside his Dodgeball opposite Vince Vaughn , and his Meet The Parents / Fockers combo . But perhaps the most memorable and highly rated laughfest will be his starring...
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A Nutshell Review : Death Note : The Last Name
A warning to all who attempt to watch this without watching the first movie - you'll be lost , totally . It doesn't come with a summary or a montage , and dives right into where the first film left off . You'll probably have plenty of questions , and there is almost zero character introduction . Even the brisk recap of...
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A Nutshell Review : Hide and Seek
Would Dakota Fanning be the next Natalie Portman , or Christina Ricci ? It's not a longshot , given the credible performance here in Hide and Seek . I still remembered that she managed to stand on her own against the enigmatic Denzel Washington in Man on Fire , and here , she does a commendable job beside veteran Rober...
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A Nutshell Review : No Country for Old Men
The second movie watched today is also released by Paramount Vintage and Miramax , and shares with There Will Be Blood , eight Academy Award nominations , in a fight for most of the major honours . The brothers Coen's new film have been gathering wave after wave of honours , but somehow it didn't really quite work for ...
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A Nutshell Review : The Jacket
Based on the trailer alone , The Jacket looks like a clone of Ashton Kutcher's The Butterfly Effect , with the protagonist able to transport himself through time in the hope of changing his past / present / future , only that the premise and effect is different - the " jacket " refers to a mental patient's straitjacket...
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A Nutshell Review : Disengagement
For an Amos Gitai film , I thought this had the most impactive prologue amongst those that I've watched to date , which succinctly sums up the political themes that his films often explore . While it might have thrusted you right into the thick of ( in ) action , you'll soon realize that he has a tremendous ability to ...
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A Nutshell Review : 49 Days
It's crazy to be doing a movie marathon of 4 movies in a row , and having 3 of which are from the horror genre . However , having completed those 3 first ( the last being Spielberg's Munich ) , they again prove that the horror genre is diverse , and all 3 are different - the mystery-thriller , the ghouls-spirits , and ...
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A Nutshell Review : Kikujiro
The last Kitano Takeshi movie for the day , Kikujiro is very much unlike the previous two movies . If anyone would think that Takeshi is only famous for , and can make only violent movies , then this one would make you do an about turn . Even the narrative style is quite different from the limited few of his movies I'v...
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A Nutshell Review : xXx2
Watching this film is like being with your current beau and yet constantly reminded of your ex . We all know that Xander Cage ( Vin Diesel ) is not the xXx in this show , and he's being replaced by Darius Stone ( Ice Cube ) . Heck , I think the producers make the mistake of killing Xander Cage - mentioned in the movie ...
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A Nutshell Review : Amazing Grace
Summer season means the latest blockbuster in town will take up 90 % of the screens in any multiplex , leaving little room for movies other than the highlight of the week , or be scheduled for screening in a dinghy theatre with bad screens and sound systems . Nonetheless some movies might have that one hall screening ,...
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A Nutshell Review : Fracture
If you were salivating at the prospect of Ryan Gosling and Rosamund Pike getting hot and heavy under the sheets as suggested by the trailer , well , just so you know , all those uber sexy scenes got snipped off . Not that it's the work of the local film censors , as it's passed clean without cuts here , and watching th...
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A Nutshell Review : Flightplan
It's Panic Room in the skies ! This is the second inflight entertainment ( pardon the jab ) movie from Hollywood this year , the other being Wes Craven's recent Red Eye . Jodie Foster again plays a vulnerable yet tough as nails mum , who is on a flight with her six year old daughter from Berlin to New York , taking wit...
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A Nutshell Review : Playing Solo
The debut feature film of Finnish director Lauri Nurkse , Playing Solo tells the story of three individuals who are just that - selfish people who have to learn how to change themselves in order to live with one another . Based on the novel by Katja Kallio , it brings to mind the constant tussle in the modern world of ...
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A Nutshell Review : Zameen
Zameen doesn't restraint itself in its exploration of transnational terrorism , and doesn't mince its words in the inclusion of Pakistan in state sponsored terrorism by radical army elements , in their support of the mujahedeens battling in Pakistan Owned Kashmir . Being a fictional piece of work , the movie works on t...
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A Nutshell Review : The Number 23
Joel Schumacher re-teams with Jim Carrey in the latter's latest attempt to tangent away from the comedic genre , trying to seal himself as being capable of pulling off a dramatic role time and again . I thought he had decent outings with The Majestic and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ( my favourite 2004 movie )...
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A Nutshell Review : Tekkonkinkreet
Tekkonkinkreet opens this year's Animation Nation festival , running from today until 1 Dec 07 , showcasing a selection of animated feature films , shorts and documentaries from around the world . Last year , the festival scored a coup in having Paprika screened just after its Japan premiere I believe , and had the noi...
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A Nutshell Review : Cry _ Wolf
And so the shepherd boy cried " Wolf ! " , but alas , because he had given one too many false alarms , this time round , there wasn't any help rendered at all . It's a familiar fable that Cry _ Wolf has based itself on loosely . A lone girl is found murdered in a woods , and a group of students take it upon themselves ...
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A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) Grand Prix
In recent times , our shore was abuzz with concrete rumours of a Formula 1 street circuit being held in Singapore , and a night one at that . I was a Formula 1 spectator fan ( from the television set of course ) for some time , until Schumi came along , won almost everything with the Prancing Horse , and actually made ...
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A Nutshell Review : Run Papa Run
As far back as I can remember , Sylvia Chang was playing the tomboyish female inspector character opposite Karl Maka and Sam Hui in the Aces Go Places franchise , and it's been quite a transition for her from actress to acclaimed director . I haven't been watching a lot of her films lately , the last being Princess D a...
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A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) The Maid ( 2005 )
It's not that difficult to understand why The Maid was successful during its run at the local theatres , and have garnered international attention . I did not catch the movie when it premiered in the theatres ( that's another story for another day ) , but one of the many reasons / excuses I had was that the horror genr...
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A Nutshell Review : Renaissance
Daniel Craig is making another impact on our screens , though a limited one , besides the latest grittier installment of the Bond Franchise . In this year's Animation Nation Festival opening film , Renaissance , he lends his voice as a lead detective character in perhaps THE animated movie of 2006 . Created using motio...
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A Nutshell Review : Stranger Than Fiction
Director Marc Forster has a really diverse filmography , with Monster's Ball , the touching Finding Neverland , and the science fiction thriller Stay , all under his belt . The trend continues with Stranger Than Fiction , a film which is quite difficult to categorize , as it's really a mixed bag , bringing memories of ...
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A Nutshell Review : Love Exposure
I think I had absolutely no clue as to how high the " chick " factor of this chick flick would be , as it primarily centered upon two women who share different philosophies and attitudes toward love . Think Sex and the city , but instead of a quartet , we have a duo of best friends forever ( sheesh ) who are buddies be...
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A Nutshell Review : The Fast and the Furious : Tokyo Drift
The Fast and the Furious franchise relies on the simpleness of 2 factors to attract an audience from boys to men - sexy cars and fast babelicious chicks , topped up with plenty of testosterone and adrenaline in overdrive . Racing cars of all makes , be they the European , American or Asian models , one thing's for sure...