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515,022 | 317,399 | 497,877 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : 4 : 30 | Audiences aware of Royston Tan's works , will almost always recall his controversial shorts like 15 and Cut . Full of colour and packed with fascinating visuals , his short films have so far been anything but a silent movie , and everything like song , dance and music , have found their way as a signature . All these b... |
514,933 | 317,399 | 387,877 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : The Black Dahlia | There are a couple of reasons why I wanted to watch The Black Dahlia . First , the trailer was slick , and the strangely hypnotic song used in the trailer , Dirge - by Death in Vegas , actually had this enthralling sublime message which to me was " watch this " . Next , it's a police noir set in the 40s Hollywood . Mov... |
515,074 | 317,399 | 398,165 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : The Longest Yard | The Longest Yard is one of many remake movies that Hollywood has churned out in recent years . Others did well , like Charlie's Angels , while some fumbled , like Bewitched . This Adam Sandler movie , helm-ed by director Peter Segal ( who also worked on Sandler's Fifty First Dates ) , managed to keep afresh the already... |
514,794 | 317,399 | 352,925 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Tongan Ninja | Watching Tongan Ninja is like watching a movie so deliberately bad , it's good ! Which is not surprising , given that the creative brains of Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie behind Flight of the Conchords , had a hand in crafting the zany scenes , crazy dialogue and mind - boggling tongue in cheek action sequences . I... |
514,911 | 317,399 | 817,538 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Drillbit Taylor | I think it's obvious to note by now that Team Apatow is on a roll in recent years with their brand of comedy , which is probably a much needed injection , personally , to the genre after Mike Myers left us hanging when he delivered his Goldmember . Out and out comedies of late have been touching on the usual material l... |
514,864 | 317,399 | 448,131 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : The Missing Star | Based upon the novel The Dismissal by Ermanno Rea , in essence the story's about the slow friendship that develops between an Italian maintenance technician Vincenzo Buonavolonta ( Sergio Castellitto , who can be seen as the villainous King in Prince Caspian , and was the lead in Bella Martha ) and a Chinese translator... |
515,052 | 317,399 | 482,603 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Space Chimps | I'm going to admit that I've enjoyed Space Chimps . No , I've not gone bananas , but there's something beautiful to this goofy animated comedy that appealed , perhaps in its simplicity and its not attempting to try and be more than it cannot be . Ham III ( voiced by Andy Samberg ) . a circus monkey whose the key to the... |
515,108 | 317,399 | 407,998 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Mistress of Spices | The number one appeal that this film had for me , is to see Aishwarya Rai in action . I've never seen the movies of Miss World ' 94 , and missed out on Bride and Prejudice . Written by the same team , Mistress of Spices is a mythical tale which makes the Indian spices the star of the movie , set in a medicinal store , ... |
514,683 | 317,399 | 482,606 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : The Strangers | So when Underworld co-star Kate Beckinsale got to make a horror / thriller with Vacancy while waiting for the green light on a possible Underworld pre / sequel , Scott Speedman too had to do something equivalent , and so got himself signed up with The Strangers , written and directed by Bryan Bertino , which takes a fi... |
515,427 | 317,399 | 1,073,548 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Yasukuni | I guess topics which are taboo , or films that have their bans lifted , will more than likely have its audience base automatically built from the curiosity arising from its background , wondering on what grounds and rationale that such a film got made or banned in the first place . The Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo had its ... |
514,962 | 317,399 | 413,267 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Shrek the Third | It has just been the start of the summer season , and the sequels are raking in the millions , despite lacklustre reviews no doubt stemming from familiarity and expectations built from successes of the predecessor films . Still , they are raking in the millions , and possibly the largest franchises in recent years conv... |
515,127 | 317,399 | 495,634 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Ghost Variety | Directed veteran Thai director Adirek " Uncle " Watleela , Ghost Variety is a crazy horror comedy , well actually , more comedy than filled with horrific moments . It starts off quite aptly , in a remote village where a horror movie is being screened , and introduces the audience to a few of the usual ghosts and goblin... |
515,382 | 317,399 | 353,014 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Wonderful Days | When science fiction-fantasy animation comes to mind , no doubt you'll look towards the land of the rising sun for definitive versions of the genre , and there are plenty of quality material to choose from , given the wealth of material and works by animators and filmmakers alike . Wonderful Days will mark my first Kor... |
515,500 | 317,399 | 330,962 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : TalkingCock the Movie | After watching a special surprise screening of Singapore Dreaming for a test audience , a local movie which I find as the best for this year thus far , I was curious to find out about directors Woo Yen Yen and Colin Goh's earlier effort , TalkingCock the Movie . Not that I never heard of it , since I'm a regular reader... |
515,190 | 317,399 | 478,324 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : ( SIFF ) We Feed the World | So I begin my selection of this year's SIFF with a documentary . Directed by Erwin Wagenhofer , We Feed the World begins by highlighting a very fundamental wastage . That of overnight bread , tons of it being offloaded , meant for the incinerated , when there are thousands left hungry . The documentary focuses on vario... |
515,079 | 317,399 | 1,284,579 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Khastegi | If living a life as a transsexual is difficult enough as it is , with the grappling of social prejudices and the likes , imagine if one happens to be a transsexual in a closed society , how torturous that would be given low tolerance for anything deemed out of the ordinary . Directed by Bahman Motamedian , this Iranian... |
514,394 | 317,399 | 1,082,886 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : The Wackness | One of the films that have gotten the " festival rating " for a one-off screening , it's easy to see why The Wackness would not have normally passed the censors who are likely to say No for the heavy drug use throughout the film , as is the language , and perhaps one line that might have gravely , though implied and in... |
515,393 | 317,399 | 382,992 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Stealth | The loud music and high octane action from the start of the film make no apologies that this is how a summer popcorn action movie should begin . Rob Cohen , famed for his previous directorial action flicks The Fast and the Furious , and xXx , again weaves his magic in thrusting ( pardon the pun ) relatively unknowns in... |
514,858 | 317,399 | 809,918 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Check It Out Yo ! | Check It Out , Yo ! likely has flown under the radar of cinema listings here , given that the publicity machinery for this Japanese movie wasn't cranked , if at all . Along the veins of movies such as Swing Girls , Linda Linda Linda and even Hula Girls , what if a musical genre of sorts had male protagonists instead , ... |
514,780 | 317,399 | 780,167 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Udon | Don't watch Udon on an empty stomach , or you'll be tempted to gorge on those Japanese noodles right after the screening . Despite its simple presentation , watching bowls after bowls of noodles in your face , and the characters slurping them down with gusto , somehow leaves you with an imagined flavour in your mouth a... |
515,308 | 317,399 | 361,862 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : The Machinist | There is a purpose in watching this movie , and that is to check out Christian Bales's acting chops before his Batman Begins opens in the summer . The narrative is confusing at first . There doesn't seem to be any clear direction on where the plot and its subplots lead to . All we know is Bale looks thin , for some rea... |
514,596 | 317,399 | 170,544 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) Samurai Fiction ( 1998 ) | Style and Substance . That's what Samurai Fiction is about . I was surprised at the many MTV-ish stylistic shots incorporated into the movie , without a blatant disregard for the storyline , incorporating very modern rock into its soundtrack . The Inukai clan had their family sword stolen by a renegade samurai Rannosuk... |
515,142 | 317,399 | 1,013,752 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Fast & Furious | The tagline caught my attention , promising a brand new movie with the original cast of Vin Diesel , Paul Walker , Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster . With the relative box office success of the first film , the sequel 2 Fast 2 Furious saw only Walker returning , with Tyrese trying very hard to step into the big ... |
514,381 | 317,399 | 455,760 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Dead Silence | In 2004 , James Wan and Leigh Whannell burst into contemporary horror-thriller genre with their highly successful movie Saw , and had created quite an enigmatic character in Jigsaw , the serial killer with highly questionable morality issues . Success had meant spawning a slew of sequels , though they hadn't really had... |
514,605 | 317,399 | 383,216 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : The Pink Panther | The Pink Panther actually refers to an enormous pink diamond with a flaw in the shape of a panther , and not to Inspector Jacques Clouseau , but because of the iconic pink panther's appearance in the animated opening credits , along with the all too familiar theme by Henry Mancini , it's all too easy to associate one w... |
514,631 | 317,399 | 286,751 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Pulse ( Kairo ) ( 2001 ) | I've chanced upon this DVD at the Esplanade Library , and thought that it would be essential viewing before the Hollywood remake descends upon us in September . While the remake's trailer seemed scary enough with its freaky ghouls , I was apprehensive how spooked I will get when watching the original from writer direct... |
515,050 | 317,399 | 455,782 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : The Hunting Party | The first words that appear in the movie , told the audience something to the effect that only the most ridiculous or ludicrous of situations depicted , are true . And in fact , while it's supposedly based loosely on a true story off an Esquire article , there are enough of such said moments thrown into the mix so friv... |
515,350 | 317,399 | 318,202 | 7 | A Nutshell Revoew : ( DVD ) To Be and To Have ( 2002 ) | The thing that caught my eye to picking up this documentary DVD from the library was a cute kid with dirty hands soiled by paint , and the plenty of high flying accolades bestowed on the film by reputable critics and publications . Naturally my interest was piqued , but after watching this Nicholas Philibert directed d... |
514,887 | 317,399 | 450,188 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : La Vie En Rose | Of late , musical biographies make popular films especially when they dish out anecdotes on the various ups and downs in the lifestyles of the rich and famous , and especially so when the music they play and the songs they sing happen to be evergreen classics , or at least those which you've probably heard before at on... |
514,627 | 317,399 | 756,222 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Art of the Devil 2 | I've been intrigued by Thai Voodoo for the longest time , not that I would want to be on the receiving end of it , but it makes you wonder the amount of clout and ( real ? ) ability of these medicine men who put hexes and curses on your behalf , for a small fee . And it always seem that what they do to you , from simpl... |
515,558 | 317,399 | 389,722 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : 30 Days of Night | While we're about a month away from the season of good tidings and the new year , what we have lined up for the next 4 weeks or so are 4 cinematic releases that deal with zombies , the supernatural and the undead . We have been teased with Aliens Vs Predators again in a town where the humans stand in their way and beco... |
515,143 | 317,399 | 1,293,094 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : School Days With A Pig | Our nature is such that we care most for the people we are related to , and know on a personal level . Otherwise , it's likely everything else is just a number , a statistic , something that feels so distant that it's genuinely difficult for us to sympathize , or emphatize beyond a cursory statement that explains how w... |
514,541 | 317,399 | 421,054 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Domino | Heads you live . Tails you die . Her name is Domino Harvey . She is a bounty hunter . This unconventional film is based very loosely on the true unconventional life of the daughter of actor Laurence Harvey . Losing her father at an early age , Domino grew up with her mother and lived the good life as a rich girl , beco... |
515,388 | 317,399 | 484,877 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Wedding Daze | It seems that the success of the American Pie trilogy which starred Jason Biggs and spawned a franchise of spin off movies bearing the American Pie branding , had somewhat slapped an unfortunate tag on actor Biggs . Of all the movies to date that I recall him in , they inevitably revolve around teenagers , sex , or rom... |
515,346 | 317,399 | 800,039 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Forgetting Sarah Marshall | Written by and starring a very naked Jason Segel , I thought this film would be incredibly easy to identify with , given that it dealt with a man who didn't see his breakup with his hot girlfriend coming in close on the horizon , until the very last minute . Starring as musician Peter Bretter , his relationship with th... |
514,816 | 317,399 | 426,883 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Alpha Dog | There will come a time where actors and actresses will decide to take on a role that will break the mold of their idoldom , and shed those cute , goody two shoes image for something that could demonstrate and add some depth to their credibility . So taking on more edgy , angst characters might just be their quick solut... |
514,730 | 317,399 | 756,204 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Chai-Lai Angels | Chai-Lai Angels , as the name implies , is Thailand's version of Charlie's Angels , no doubt about that . They work as undercover secret agents , they have various disguises , they fight criminal organizations , they look good while delivering those high kicks , report to a " Bosley " , the list just goes on . Opening ... |
514,695 | 317,399 | 489,270 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Saw III | Jigsaw's back ! But this time the modus operandi is slightly different . In what was a game of pain , life and death , this time round it seems that there's an overconfidence that the unfortunate prey will not get out alive . Hence the death traps being literal . But of course those who have not watched Saw II , will n... |
514,645 | 317,399 | 1,314,659 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : The Wedding Game | This was a movie waiting to be made . Celebrity couples don't get any bigger than this pairing in Singapore , so exploiting the real for the reel was something quite expected , given after all the timing , with Christopher Lee and Fann Wong tying the knot sometime later this year . If audiences want a glimpse of what t... |
515,035 | 317,399 | 972,542 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Aachi and Ssipak | Aachi and Ssipak is a delightfully wicked piece of animation . It's full of fun , and politically incorrect , full of high octane action , and set against a nonsensical background in the future . It's rude , vulgar , and totally unapologetic about it . In the future , humans have learnt how to harness human waste to be... |
514,855 | 317,399 | 1,002,567 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : Hansel & Gretel | I thought I'd foam in the mouth with yet another demonic kid horror movie , given the countless of such genre movies out there which set out to make innocent looking kids harbour plenty of ill intention behind them . But I thought the original Hansel and Gretel fairy tale was quite dark too , especially with the ending... |
515,276 | 317,399 | 1,046,163 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : My Best Friend's Girl | Back in 2005 , Will Smith starred as Hitch , the romance doctor who volunteers his service through close referrals , to help luckless and clueless guys woo the woman of their dreams . His consultancy reaps big rewards , and audiences lapped it all up , with the provision of perhaps some pointers that could be put to go... |
514,462 | 317,399 | 81,779 | 7 | A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) Ode to Gallantry ( 1982 ) | My love affair with classic Shaw Bros martial arts movies continues , and it's a good thing that the Esplanade Library has a decent selection . In continuation of my recent hunt for stories based on Louis Cha's novels , I chanced upon Ode to Gallantry ( Xia Ke Xing ) on the shelves , and despite it being cast with a re... |
515,501 | 317,399 | 468,094 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : The Road to Guantanamo | Guantanamo Bay has surfaced in the news again , with the apparent suicide of 3 inmates . For the uninitiated , Guantanamo is set up by the US to hold enemy combatants for interrogation , those captured in the War on Terror . But the movie questions , just how exactly effective the interrogation is , or whether perhaps ... |
514,616 | 317,399 | 480,249 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : I Am Legend | Out of curiosity I went to look up Will Smith's filmography , and realized that since Michael Bay's Bad Boys in 1995 , he had averaged just one movie a year , most of them being box office successes save for blips like Wild Wild West , and in films spanning a wide genre from biopics to romantic comedy to action and dra... |
515,415 | 317,399 | 138,704 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) Pi ( 1998 ) | Darren Aronofsky shot to prominence with this relatively low budgeted movie which looks like it has a million dollars ploughed into its production . It's inspiring to see how this black and white film dwells on science fiction so effortlessly , given its very simple plot . Long time Aronofsky collaborator Sean Gullette... |
514,776 | 317,399 | 1,149,603 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Trivial Matters | After watching Pang Ho-cheung's Trivial Matters , the stark reminders I have been keeping in view have now gone into red alert , that I've been missing plenty from this Hong Kong director , and I should really take some time off to plough through his filmography to date . Containing a series of 7 shorts that cover a sp... |
514,613 | 317,399 | 480,242 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Dan in Real Life | Comedian Steve Carell burst into mainstream prominence as the world's best know 40 Year Old Virgin , and popularity grew with his The Office US series . But a quick blip on the radar with Evan Almighty made us wonder if he will be able to sustain a series of successes given what I think is a dearth of funny comedians t... |
514,981 | 317,399 | 1,400,352 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Malaysian Gods | During the mini-seminar session , Amir mentioned that Malaysian Gods had been passed without cuts back home , but also not permitted to be publicly screened . It's no surprise to this as he admitted , given the buzz the authorities had unwittingly created because of their banning of his previous film The Last Communist... |
515,212 | 317,399 | 382,625 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : The Da Vinci Code | This movie is becoming as controversial as the book . Since the day it was announced that it's gonna be made , there were protests against it being done , and it has escalated to calls for boycotting , or banning the movie altogether . I'll not waste time and go into its controversies , nor discuss what's real and what... |
515,570 | 317,399 | 483,578 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Love and Honor | Love and Honor is the concluding chapter to director Yoji Yamada's loose samurai trilogy . Personally , I have enjoyed the other two , Twilight Samurai and The Hidden Blade , because they are extremely well made , and have important stories to tell , rather than focusing its energies onto huge action sets with plenty o... |
514,861 | 317,399 | 893,382 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Shine a Light | The Rolling Stones was here for a concert not too long ago , but since tickets were priced way out of my league , there was no way I could have seen them in action live unless I opted for the cheapest of the lot and sat well away from the stage . So I got to thank Martin Scorsese for having design and capture some defi... |
515,332 | 317,399 | 944,834 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Dragon Hunters | My first impression would be this is Beowulf only with all the good bits of fighting Grendel and dragons intact , making it one thrill ride from start to end . Written by Frederic Lanoir and Arthur Qwak , the two of them had created a fantastical landscape that becomes a character in itself within their story , with it... |
514,529 | 317,399 | 864,761 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : The Duchess | The trailers had tried to market this as drawing some parallels to the late Princess of Wales Diana Spencer's life , given the subject matter being a lady of royal lineage being subjected to a loveless marriage which comes complete with affairs and scandals . It had even superimposed her portrait on the trailer to sugg... |
514,364 | 317,399 | 431,197 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : The Kingdom | There are a number of hits , and expected misses to some though , and you can expect to be fairly clear where those misses are . For example , one will certainly frown at the USofA being yet again trumpeting their expertise and imposing their will on cultures vastly different , or worse , frowning upon the need to go i... |
515,114 | 317,399 | 1,038,988 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : RE | REC has been making its rounds in the festival and cinema circuit , while us folks here have to sit around and twiddle our thumbs , wondering if it'll ever make it to our shores . Hollywood reckoned it was worthy of a remake , and they did Quarantine , which was surprisingly made quite fast , and was penned to be relea... |
515,204 | 317,399 | 493,430 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Jackass Number Two | I haven't seen the Jackass television series from MTV , or the original movie when it was released in 2002 . This sequel was originally planned for release here sometime last year in October , but has been shelved until now . Nonetheless I shall unabashedly say that I had a good time watching this , but I guess it will... |
514,884 | 317,399 | 246,772 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Mostly Martha | The kitchen makes for a good setting for movies . There's wonderful food , chefs with personality , and a rat . . . wait , that's Ratatouille , Pixar's latest offering which unfortunately won't be shown here until the end of next month . On the other hand , a trailer for a romantic comedy seemed to have caught my eye .... |
515,471 | 317,399 | 462,590 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Step Up | I think I'm fast becoming a fan of the dance genre . The moves and the music just gets to me , be it Mad Hot Ballroom styled documentaries , or street hip hop , or a fusion of both , like in the recent Take The Lead . Step Up is one such movie , full of youthful energy that makes you want to stand up and do a jig or tw... |
515,134 | 317,399 | 318,649 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Sahara | The trailer of this film does not do it any justice , as it presented this film like another rehash of Nicholas Cage's National Treasure , given the success of that film at the box office . While this show is somewhat a treasure hunt adventure , the focus is far from that , as it manages to put in many different subplo... |
514,442 | 317,399 | 851,532 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Forever Enthralled | I got to watch this trailer inadvertently when it was part of a montage sequence honouring Chen Kaige with the Akira Kurosawa Award during last year's Tokyo International Film Festival , and I was actually thrilled to have caught glimpses of it . I thought the boo-boys were out too early in lamenting Chen's choice of L... |
514,829 | 317,399 | 438,097 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Ice Age 2 : The Meltdown | Similar to the first Ice Age , the promotional material for the sequel was out in the theatres way in advance , and courtesy of the Scrat character too , up to its usual antics of getting to that elusive acorn . Here , Scrat opens the movie , and emulating the style of the first , he provides most of the laughs , also ... |
514,818 | 317,399 | 808,357 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Lust , Caution | Early in the movie , Wong Chia Chi ( Tang Wei ) gets asked to act in a patriotic play , in a time when China was threatened by the Japanese Invasion during the late 30s / early 40s . Little does she know that she's got to carry on acting the rest of her life , together with her group of idealistic young dramatists , as... |
514,847 | 317,399 | 409,459 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Watchmen | It begins with the murder of The Comedian ( Jeffrey Dean Morgan ) , a superhero once engaged by the government for its missions , and one of two which is sanctioned by the government . As part of the Minutemen , and then later the Watchmen group , we learn of The Comedian's backstory through a series of flashbacks with... |
514,781 | 317,399 | 299,213 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Waterboys | I had enjoyed Japanese writer-director Shinobu Yaguchi's Swing Girls back in 2004 , in a story of how a group of schoolgirls mobilized to form a big band jazz group , trained and finally perform in competition . It had a simple story made great by the excellent cast in endearing characters , as well as awesome jazz mus... |
515,247 | 317,399 | 453,556 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : TMNT | The 80s was a funky time to grow up in , when kids have a wide , and I mean really wide selection of cartoons to watch , and not to mention the toys tied in to make billions . I can rattle off the toons like Mask , Silverhawks , BraveStarr , and the earlier GI Joes and He-Man , etc . It was a period of time where I cel... |
514,620 | 317,399 | 414,055 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Elizabeth : The Golden Age | Cate Blanchett reprises her role as 16th Century Virgin Queen Elizabeth I in director Shekhar Kapur's sequel of sorts to Elizabeth ( 1998 ) , which I can't recall if it made it to the local screens . However the DVD of Elizabeth was recently released on DVD here , but you need not have watched that movie because the ev... |
514,653 | 317,399 | 444,890 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Perth | Perth is Harry Lee's retirement plan . As an ex-army commando regular turned security supervisor of a shipyard , he leads a nonchalant life , where he regularly exclaims to others that he's a simple man with little materialistic desires , and harbours a goal to settle in Perth , Australia , where life down under is sai... |
515,094 | 317,399 | 110,771 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : The Paper | I've been to a newsroom only twice in my life . First , it's to collect some lucky draw winnings , and I had a sneak peek into the hustle and bustle of a newsroom from behind a glass panel . The next one was more up close and personal , because a journalist friend brought me right up to his desk ( and an incredibly pil... |
515,162 | 317,399 | 448,663 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : April Snow | The role of the mobile phone , in the making of and destruction of romantic relationships . Hands up , those of you who have used it to flirt , and keep your hands there if you have an archive of secret messages stashed away in one of the electronic folders of your phone's memory . Password protection , afraid of someo... |
514,389 | 317,399 | 52,618 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) Ben-Hur ( 1959 ) | There are tons of material out there on Ben-Hur , so I shall keep mine short . There's only one reason I watched this , and that is to watch it in its entirety . Shown on TV countless times , I don't have the patience to watch it with advertisements , so all this while I survived on bits and pieces of the film . Ben-Hu... |
515,149 | 317,399 | 50,458 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Il Grido | For those who've been attending the Retrospective religiously , one of the best bits during the screening is the introduction to each movie as presented by Lorenzo Codelli , where he shares some little known facts of the movie with the audience . Today we were told that Monica Vitti actually was featured in Il Grido , ... |
514,870 | 317,399 | 891,527 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Lions for Lambs | Lions for Lambs is Tom Cruise's first movie for his United Artists after being given the boot from Paramount Pictures . And instead of putting himself in yet another one man show , he combines forces and shares the spotlight with a stellar cast comprising Robert Redford , who also takes on directing duties , and Meryl ... |
515,473 | 317,399 | 885,507 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Operation Undercover | Wo Hu literally translates to " Crouching Tiger " ( yeah yeah , one half of that famous Chinese proverb / movie of the same title ) , which refers to hidden talents , agendas and the likes . In yet another Hong Kong triad movie produced by the infamous Wong Jing , Operation Undercover ( the less stylish English title... |
514,436 | 317,399 | 885,505 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Ming Ming | Ming Ming is a very stylized movie , but that's not to say it has more style than substance . Unattainable love and infatuation play central themes in Ming Ming's world , one which contains fantasy martial arts elements , set in today's contemporary era . The titular character played by Zhou Xun cuts a willowy figure ,... |
515,008 | 317,399 | 446,510 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : The Year of Living Vicariously | What strikes you when watching the documentary , is the split screen technique used . Amir Muhammad had taken a rare opportunity to follow an Indonesian film crew on their set of the movie Gie , a story set in the tumultuous transition of power between Presidents Sukarno and Suharto . What more , the movie was made in ... |
514,383 | 317,399 | 475,711 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : A Season for Love | It's been some time since I've watched a movie with a relative huge ensemble cast ( think the last was Crash ) , and little did I expect this Korean romance movie to boost the same too , with fine acting , good comedy and lots of love demonstrated in various ways . There are 4 separate stories in this film , and it's d... |
515,375 | 317,399 | 422,720 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) Marie Antoinette ( 2006 ) | Sofia Coppola takes on a historical character in Marie Antoinette , providing her own vision of the doomed Queen of France and the French Monarchy under the reign of Louis XVI , based upon the biography written by Antonia Fraser . Kirsten Dunst , whom we ever so often remember with red hair for her Mary Jane Watson rol... |
514,566 | 317,399 | 1,099,212 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Twilight | Some friends balked at my preference of watching this movie first in place of other releases this week . I have to admit my interest was piqued at how it performed at the box office amongst the recent slew of less than stellar results by novel to film adaptations . Moreover , there was plenty of talk about how difficul... |
514,967 | 317,399 | 420,609 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Infamous | Coming up with many movies on the flavour of the day is nothing new . Robin Hood had one by Patrick Bergin and Uma Thurman going head to head with Kevin Costner's , we have the clash of the space asteroids with Deep Impact and Armageddon , and volcanic eruptions with Volcano and Dante's Peak . One inevitably is more me... |
515,170 | 317,399 | 413,895 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Charlotte's Web | I had initial hesitation in deciding whether to watch this movie - not because it features a talking pig ala Babe , but probably because , if rumour has you believe , that viewers will swear off pork . They look so cute that you would not imagine them being on your dinner table , ever after . I've read the book when I ... |
515,387 | 317,399 | 235,376 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Fail Safe | I've enjoyed some of Stephen Frears past works like High Fidelity , Mrs Henderson Presents and his latest The Queen , so I was intrigued enough to pick up a DVD movie released some 8 years ago made for television , a CBS TV special that was broadcast live during the time . I'd bet it was a novelty and I could have seen... |
515,327 | 317,399 | 122,690 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : ( DVD ) Ronin ( 1998 ) | I have a good friend who's been raving about how good this film is , and it took me actually this long to watch it . At its time , I suppose the plot's intriguing , with betrayals being the only constant in a complex cat and mouse game in the streets of France . Robert De Niro plays Sam , a mercenary who joins a band o... |
514,709 | 317,399 | 478,024 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : S . P . L . | I was full of hope for this movie , mainly because of its stellar cast of Simon Yam , Samo Hung and Donnie Yen , and the hype up confrontation cum battle between the latter two on screen . With their martial arts background , action fans will be in for a treat . Also , with the string of disappointments so far with Mob... |
514,670 | 317,399 | 497,465 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Vicky Cristina Barcelona | Woody Allen seems to have a riot of a time making movies outside of New York , and truth be told , I find them pretty enjoyable , though some would argue I should revisit his earlier films to understand what's great . Then again , his " muse " Scarlett Johansson and a more contemporary cast are an interesting mix to ga... |
515,015 | 317,399 | 398,375 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Rumor Has It | Based on a true rumor , the premise of the movie was set up oh-so perfectly , especially if you're a fan of Mike Nichols ' 1967 Dustin Hoffman-Anne Bancroft movie , The Graduate ( with its immortal line uttered again in this film ) . It's pretty creative to have that story and characters intertwined with the narrative ... |
514,423 | 317,399 | 396,688 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : The King | No , this movie is not a sequel to The Queen , and it's peculiar to have both The King and The Queen making their screenings at our theatres at the same time . If given a choice to make , I would recommend The King instead . This movie reminded me of Woody Allen's Matchpoint . Different stories altogether , but with th... |
514,974 | 317,399 | 351,817 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Twilight Samurai | This film chronicles the life of Seibei Iguchi , as told through the eyes of one his daughters . The film starts off with the unfortunate death of his wife , and he's left alone to bring up 2 young daughters , and a senile mother , much to the neglect of his own welfare . Despite being a lowly-ranked samurai , life is ... |
515,131 | 317,399 | 442,286 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : The Hidden Blade | The Hidden Blade The Hidden Blade refers to a dreaded samurai sword skill , which you will see only towards the end of the film . Folks , who like me initially thought that this is one of the usual samurai slugfest , may be disappointed that it's not . But like mentioned in the movie , killing is only a last resort , a... |
514,867 | 317,399 | 1,198,186 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Ayat-Ayat Cinta | Fahri ( Fedi Nuril ) is an Indonesian religious student who's studying in a prestigious religious university in Egypt . He's the all round nice guy , who's pious as he is moderate in his values , as well as being the resident stud with whom every female he has the fortune to meet , falls head over heels with . To some ... |
515,203 | 317,399 | 308,055 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Bobby | The name Kennedy is probably as close to " royalty " in the US as it can get , and it is of no surprise that the tragic events of the Kennedy brothers inspired movies to be made in their names . John F Kennedy , the 35th President of the USA , was assassinated in Dallas , Texas in 1963 , and conspiracy theorists had a ... |
515,062 | 317,399 | 960,144 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : You Don't Mess With The Zohan | Comedies go up against each other at the local box office , with Adam Sandler squaring off against Steve Carell , and incidentally , both lead characters in their movies are of the spy / special forces kind , with Sandler's Zohan Dvir being the top Israeli counter-terrorist operative , and Carell's Maxwell Smart thinki... |
514,739 | 317,399 | 202,281 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Dying at a Hospital | I'm eagerly awaiting to watch the other Ichikawa Jun movies because the only one I've seen to date is Tony Takitani . The styles used in Takitani and Dying at a Hospital are no less at opposite ends of the spectrum . Takitani had the camera constantly flowing , if I recall correctly , from left to right , as if turning... |
514,712 | 317,399 | 240,890 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Serendipity ( 2001 ) | So a pair of black cashmere gloves on a Christmas shopping trip brought two attractive strangers together , and they proceed to spend the most incredible night together at a cafe and an ice skating ring . However , the girl is a New Age Spirituality freak , and makes it oh so damn difficult for the guy to get anything ... |
515,112 | 317,399 | 964,516 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Fashion | The glamorous world of fashion gets put under the spotlight with Madhur Bhandarakar's Fashion , a story which tells of the rise and fall of a fictional Indian supermodel Meghna Mathur , played by ex Miss World Priyanka Chopra , who holds court with her performance as the phoenix finding her own standing in an industry ... |
515,475 | 317,399 | 479,884 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Crank | Just so you know , I'm a fan of Jason Statham , but before you jump to conclusions that I'm gonna give a positive spin on Crank because I'm a fan boy , do note that if you cannot stand mindless action movies , if you're not a Statham fan , flowery vulgarities are not your cup of tea , and MTV styled quick cuts give you... |
515,466 | 317,399 | 180,443 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Apollo 13 : To the Edge and Back | If you're game to revisit the Apollo 13 mission and want to do away with the dramatics of the Ron Howard version , then perhaps this documentary would be what you're looking for . It doesn't come with a lot of bells and whistles , relying instead on plenty of stock footage and CG graphics to enhance the narrative in ex... |
514,713 | 317,399 | 405,325 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Sky High | Since this is a Disney movie , I guess you'll know what to expect : humour , safe action , some camp , lotsa colour , and a feel good factor . Sky High is all these and , surprisingly , a whole lotta fun too ! Sometimes music makes the movie for me , and when I heard " Everybody Wants To Rule The World " , I knew the f... |
514,600 | 317,399 | 407,265 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : Transamerica | Felicity Huffman is up and running for the Best Actress Oscar this year , and there's no profound reason to understand why . It's a challenging role , one in which she plays a transsexual . No , not a woman who wants to become a man , but the reverse . Meaning she has to have that constant subtle nuance that she's phys... |
515,155 | 317,399 | 113,011 | 8 | A Nutshell Review : To Make A Film is to Be Alive | I was actually looking forward to the documentaries this week to shed some insight into the man whose films are showcased in the Retrospective , but after today's session , I'm inclined to believe I've to wait until the last week's set of documentaries to savour what I had expected . One wonders about the significance ... |
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