About Heaven's Postman 천국의 우편배달부

Movie - Heaven's Postman opened on 11 November 2009 in South Korea and ranked number 6 for its first week. I'm looking forward to watch it!
Genre: Romance, melodrama
Release date: 2009-Nov-11 (South Korea)
Cast: Hero JaeJoong, Han Hyo Joo
Plot:

A messenger that has the ability to travel between the present and the afterworld. Shin Jae Joon was involved in an accident that put him in a coma. Now, his spirit has the ability to travel back and forth to the afterworld and the real world. He meets Jo Ha Na as she is trying to send her boyfriend a letter. Ha Na, however, is the only person who can see Jae Joon.

Movie Trailer:

(Clip credit thanks to kcyise @ youtube)

Amelia

Genre: Biopic
Language: English

Director: Mira Nair (Vanity Fair )

Cast: Hilary Swank (P.S. I Love You ), Richard Gere (Nights in Rodanthe ), Ewan McGregor (Angels & Demons)

Runtime: 111minutes

Plot:

After becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, Amelia was thrust into a new role as America's sweetheart - the legendary "goddess of light," known for her bold, larger-than-life charisma. Yet, even with her global fame solidified, her belief in flirting with danger and standing up as her own, outspoken woman never changed. She was an inspiration to people everywhere, from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to the men closest to her heart: her husband, promoter and publishing magnate George P. Putnam, and her long time friend and lover, pilot Gene Vidal. In the summer of 1937, Amelia set off on her most daunting mission yet: a solo flight around the world that she and George both anxiously foresaw as destined, whatever the outcome, to become one of the most talked-about journeys in history.

Watched the movie on 12 Nov night @ Shaw Lido with Sylvia

ah-deng says: 3½ / 5 I first learned about Amelia Earhart is from watching Night at the Museum 2, Amy Adams version. Hence I find a great contrast between the 2 Amelias yet both found the same spirit of the Freedom-hungry Amelia.

46th Daejong Films Awards

46th Daejong Film Awards
11/06/2009 - Olympic Hall

Seoul, South Korea

The 46th Annual Daejong Film Awards Nominees and Winners -

Best Movie: Take Off, Mother, The Divine Weapon, Sky and Sea, Haeundae

Winner: The Divine Weapon (신기전)

Best Director : Kim Yong-hwa (Take Off), Yoon Je Kyoon (Haeundae), Jeon Yoon-soo Portrait of a Beauty, Jeong Gi-hoon (Ae-ja), Bong Joon-ho (Mother)

Winner: Take Off (국가대표)

Best Actor : Kim Myeong-min (Closer to Heaven), kim Yoon-seok (Running Turtle), Seol Kyeong-gu (Haeundae), Jeong Jae-yeong (The Divine Weapon), Ha Jeong-woo (Take Off)

Winner: Kim Myeong-Min

Best Actress : Kim Min-seon (Portrait of a Beauty), Kim Hye-ja (Mother), Soo-ae (Sunny), Jang Nara (Sky and Sea), Choi Kang-hee (Ae-ja)

Winner: Soon-ae

Best Supporting Actor : Kim In-Kwon (Haeundae), Jin Goo (Mother), Jeong Kyeong-ho (Sunny), Jang Geun-seok (The Case of Itaewon Homicide), Kim Nam-gil (Modern Boy)

Winner: Jin Goo

Best Supporting Actress : Kim Bo-yeon (Living Death), Kim Hae-sook (Thrist), Kim Yeong-ae (Ae-ja), Choo Ja-hyeon (Portrait of a Beauty), Nam Neung-mi (Closer to Heaven), Uhm jung-hwa (Haeundae)

Winner: Kim Yeong-ae

Best New Director : Park Geon-yong (Bronze Medalist), Yang Ik-joon (Breathless), Lee Ho-jae(The Scam), Kim Eun-joo (Summer Whispers)), Jang Hoon (Rough Cut)

Winner: Lee Ho-jae (The Scam)

Best New Actor : Kang Ji-hwan (My Girlfriend is an Agent), Cha Seung-woo (Go Go 70s), Kim Nam-gil (Modern Boy), So Ji-sub (Rough Cut), Song Chang-ee (Once Upon a Time in Seoul)

Winner: Kang Ji-hwan (My Girlfriend is an Agent)

Best New Actress : Kim Kkot-bi (Breathless), Park Bo-yeong (Speedy Scandal), Lee Young-eun (Summer Whispers), Hyeon Junie (Sky and Sea), Seon Woo-seon (Running Turtle)

Winner: Kim Kkot-bi (Breathless)

Amalfi

Genre: Thriller / Suspense
Language: Japanese /Italian
Director: Hiroshi Nishitani (Suspect X) Cast: Yuji Oda (Bayside Shakedown series), Yuki Amami (Ponyo on Cliff by the Sea), Erika Toda (L: Change the World), Koichi Sato (Nobody to watch over me)
Runtime: 125min

Plot:

A single mother is visiting Italy with her daughter as tourists during Christmas. Suddenly the daughter gets kidnapped and turning the mother into hysteria. Japanese diplomat Kuroda Yasushi is then assigned to the Japanese Embassy in Rome, to help the mother to search for her daughter.

Watched the movie on 31 Oct with Sylvia.

ah-deng says: 4 ½ / 5 A Japanese version of Angels & Demons. Similiar backdrop, suspense and race against time. No doubt about it for the high intensity and transition from drama to thriller to romance.

Love Happens

Genre: Drama/Romance

Language: English

Director: Brandon Camp

Cast: Jennifer Aniston (Marley & Me), Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight)

Plot:

Dr. Burke Ryan is on the precipice of a major multimedia deal, but the therapist who asks his patients to openly confront their pain is secretly unable to take his own advice. Eloise Chandler has sworn off men and decided to focus on her floral business. However, when she meets Burke at the hotel where he's speaking, there is an instant attraction. But will two people who have met the right person at exactly the wrong time be able to give love another chance? As each struggles with the hurt of love and loss, they realize that in order to move forward, they need to let go of the past. And if they can, they'll find that, sometimes, love happens when you least expect it.

Watched the movie on 30 Oct @ The Cathay with Sylvia

ah-deng says: ½ / 5 There was people snoring when I watched the movie, that was how boring the movie was. Both actors just doesn't click and for sure, no chemistry at all (Don't be fool by the movie poster!). Where did the romance portion go and did Love really happen? I bet HBO don't even think of showing.

Julia & Julie

Genre: Biography/Drama
Language: English / French

Director: Nora Ephron (Bewitched)

Cast: Meryl Streep (Doubt), Amy Adams (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian), Stanley Tucci (The Devil wears Prada), Chris Messina (Vicky Cristina Barcelona )

Runtime: 123 minutes

Plot:

In the years 2000 Julie Powell attempts to cook every recipe in Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which was written in the 1960s. She writes a blog about her experience. Woven into her story is the story of Julia Child's time in Paris, in the 1950s, in which she discovers the art of cooking. Both women get much support from their husbands, although at one point Powell's husband is fed up with her excessive devotion to her hobby.

Watched the movie on 25 Oct night @ Shaw Lido with Sylvia.

ah-deng says: 4 / 5 The movie is cleverly based on two true stories, that intertwines the lives of two women who, though separated by time and space, are both at loose ends... until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible. Meryl Streep never fails to surprise me with her fantastic acting skills. Looking forward for her next work.

My Sister's Keeper

Genre: Drama
Language: English
Director: Nick Cassavetes (Alpha Dog)

Cast: Cameron Diaz (What Happens in Vegas), Abigail Breslin (Definitely, Maybe), Sofia Vassilieva, Alec Baldwin (Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa), Jason Patric , Evan Ellingson and Joan Cusack

Runtime: 109 minutes

Plot:

Sara, the domineering mother of Kate, a young girl with cancer. Sara’s other daughter, 11-year-old Anna, was conceived just to serve as a donor for her sick sister. On the outskirts of the family are father Brian, who feels unable to stand up to his wife’s strength, and son Jesse, who craves attention in the face of Kate’s illness. But the complicated situation gets more difficult when Anna hires a lawyer, so that she can control her own body and say "no" to giving a kidney to her sister.

Watched the movie on 22 Oct night with Sylvia

ah-deng says: 3½ / 5 The illness and family elements again touched all the hearts of the audiences. However, Cameron Diaz's mother role is a little over so to speak. On the other hand, I liked one of the quotes Kate said - "I don't care my illness is killing me, but it is killing my family."

April Bride

Genre: Romance Drama

Language: Japanese

Director: Ryuichi Hiroki

Cast: Eita (The Foreign Duck, the Native Duck and God), Nana Eikura (My Sister, My Love)

Runtime: 130 minutes

Plot:

Chie, a young woman hired to speak in a public-relations role at corporate events. One day, while at work, she mistakenly ends up in the wrong auditorium. Through this minor professional mishap, she encounters a young salary-man by the name of Taro and this is how it began... From this chance meeting, Chie & Taros relationship proceeds quickly, and soon Taro is talking of marriage. Chie, however, is hiding something she has just received the most devastating news of her life she has been diagnosed with early onset breast cancer.

Watched the movie on 16 Oct night @ GV Plaza with Sylvia.

ah-deng says - 3½ / 5 Tear jerkers never fail to earn my tears. I feel that my emotion will always goes out of control 100% with such plots, especially the deathbed moments. Be strong and face it!

500 Days of Summer

Genre: Drama
Language: English
Director: Marc Webb
Cast: Zooey Deschanel (Yes Man), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra)
Runtime: 95 minutes

Plot:

After it looks as if she's left his life for good this time, Tom Hansen reflects back on the just over one year that he knew Summer Finn. Despite being physically average in almost every respect, Summer had always attracted the attention of men, Tom included. For Tom, it was love at first sight when she walked into the greeting card company where he worked, she the new administrative assistant. Soon, Tom knew that Summer was the woman with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life. Although Summer did not believe in relationships or boyfriends - in her assertion, real life will always ultimately get in the way - Tom and Summer became more than just friends.

Watched the movie on 11 Oct afternoon @ AMK Hub with Sylvia.

ah-deng says: 4 / 5 The typical "My girlfriend got married and I'm not the groom" story yet it was not the typical way of love story. Male Lead reminds me of Keanu Reeves. But I got a shock that he was that Cobra Commander in G.I. Joe. Whatever it is, he will be one of those I'm looking out for these days.

Haeundae: The Deadly Tsunami 해운대

Genre: Disaster
Language: Korean

Director: JK Yoon

Cast: Sul Kyung-gu, Ha Ji-won, Park Joong-hoon

Runtime: 106 minutes

Plot:

Man-sik and Yeon-hee, are unsure as to whether they can overcome past wounds and continue being a couple. Dr. Kim, who cautions against a possible mega-tsunami at Haeundae, collapses in agony springing from an unexpected turn-up of his daughter and divorced wife. Hyoung-sik, after rescuing a woman from Seoul, rides out a ferocious storm to gladden her heart. A tsunami which destroys Haeundae symbolizes the establishment of a typical axis called provocation of conflicts, and later the inner spaces of the couples without anything left behind after all conflicts have ended.

Watched the movie on 10 Oct midnight @ GV Vivo with Sylvia.

ah-deng says: 3½ / 5 This movie released during the period of Typhoon and Earthquake season at our neighboring countries. As such, news of disasters flooded the TV and papers. Sometimes I wondered is it really going to be the end of the World soon?

Paris 36

Genre: Comedy

Language: French

Director: Christophe Barratier

Cast: Gerard Jugnot, Clovis Cornillac, Nora Arnezeder, Kad Merad

Runtime: 120 minutes

Plot:

A man is charged with murder. He is Pigoil, the aging stage manager at Chansonia, a music hall in a Paris faubourg. His confession is a long flashback to New Year's Eve, 1935, when he discovers his wife is unfaithful and Galapiat, the local mobster, closes the music hall. Over the next few months, Pigoil loses custody of his beloved son, Jo-Jo, and must find work. Pigoil and his pals take over the Chansonia as a co-op; Galapiat is momentarily benign. Their star is the young Douce, a girl from near Lille for whom Galapiat lusts. She in turn falls in love with Milou, a local Red.

Watched the movie on 9 Oct evening @ The Cathay.

ah-deng says: 4 / 5 Warm, Touching, Simple, Old fashioned, Lively singing, Expected. Yet there is a feel good feeling as I stepped out of the theatre. The only flaws are probably the minor details the stars portrayed too modernly which back in 1936, such habits may not be common.

Taking Woodstock

Genre: Comedy/Music
Language: English
Director: Ang Lee (Lust, Caution)
Cast: Demetri Martin, Emile Hirsch (Milk), Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), Liev Schreiber (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)
Runtime: 120 minutes

Plot:

It's 1969, and Elliot Tiber, a down-on-his-luck interior designer in Greenwich Village, New York, has to move back upstate to help his parents run their dilapidated Catskills motel, The El Monaco. The bank's about to foreclose; his father wants to burn the place down, but hasn't paid the insurance; and Elliot is still figuring how to come out to his parents.

When Elliot hears that a neighboring town has pulled the permit on a hippie music festival, he calls the producers, thinking he could drum up some much-needed business for the motel. Three weeks later, half a million people are on their way to his neighbor's farm in White Lake, NY, and Elliot finds himself swept up in a generation-defining experience that would change his life, and American culture, forever.

Watch the movie on 2 Oct night @ The Cathay with Sylvia

ah-deng says: 3½ / 5 The year 1969, a year which I have not even exist but youths were already taking on their our charge. Hippies were definitely a colourful culture that our parents went through during that period. The contrast of the pro-hippies & antis, the grouchy mum & gentle dad. I especially like the 2 way scenes, which proves Ang Lee's professional directing once again.

Inglourious Basterds

Genre: War Drama
Language: English, German, French, Italian
Director: Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill series)
Cast: Brad Pitt (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button), Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz
Runtime: 152 minutes

Plot:

Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa. She narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema.

Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as "The Basterds," Raine's squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own.

Watched the movie on 28 Sep @ Cathay AMK Hub

ah-deng says: 4 / 5 Brilliant dialogues and cast including those cameos. And of course, the scalp part was a shock too! However, based on History records, Hitler committed suicide instead of being killed thus I was a bit disappointed but parts of the plot. Other than that, it is an entertaining movie even towards the end!

Tokyo Sonata

Genre: Drama

Language: Japanese

Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Retribution)

Cast: Inowaki Kai, Teruyuki Kagawa (Tokyo!), Kyôko Koizumi (Gu-Gu the Cat)

Runtime: 119 minutes

Plot:

The story concerns a Japanese businessman, husband, and father of two, who unexpectedly loses his job. Unable to break the news to his devoted wife, he dresses up every morning and pretends to go to work, instead wasting the days away with a former classmate who is also unemployed. Although they aren't aware of his contradictory behavior, his family begins to disobey him nonetheless. His teenage son enlists in the Army in order to fight for the United States, while his adolescent son goes behind his back to take piano lessons. The longer his charade goes on, the less control he has as patriarch, creating an even deeper divide between him and his family.

Watched the movie on 21 Sep @ The Cathay Picturehouse

ah-deng says: 4 / 5 I believe that in Japan society, there is this invisible responsibility cap men are wearing. They felt they should be the ones protecting the family, and couldn't face the reality once they faced failure. When the male lead's former classmate committed suicide with his wife, it just showed that they are being coward, not willing to face reality. Should this happened to an American family, things may worked out differently.

The Ugly Truth

Genre: Comedy/Romance

Language: English

Director: Robert Luketic (21)

Cast:Katherine Heigl (27 Dresses), Gerard Butler (P.S. I Love You)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Plot:

Abby Richter is a romantically challenged morning show producer whose search for Mr. Perfect has left her hopelessly single. She's in for a rude awakening when her bosses team her with Mike Chadway, a hardcore TV personality who promises to spill the ugly truth on what makes men and women tick.

Watched the movie on 21 Sep @ The Grand Cathay.

ah-deng says: 3 / 5 Come on, let's face it, truth isn't pretty most of the time. But we do like to be told with the honest truth. And Gerard, I seriously think you should have a shave.

The Time Traveller's Wife

Genre: Drama, Romance
Language: English

Director:Robert Schwentke (Flightplan)

Cast: Eric Bana (Star Trek), Rachel McAdams (State of Play), Ron Livingston

Runtime: 110 minutes

Plot: Clare has been in love with Henry her entire life. She believes they are destined to be together, even though she never knows when they will be separated: Henry is a time traveler -- cursed with a rare genetic anomaly that causes him to live his life on a shifting timeline, skipping back and forth through his lifespan with no control. Despite the fact that Henry’s travels force them apart with no warning, Clare desperately tries to build a life with her one true love.

Watched the movie on 20 Sep evening @ Cathay Cineleisure

ah-deng says: 3½ / 5 A passionate love affair endures across a sea of time and captures the two lovers in an impossibly romantic trap. Loved the concept of explaining sometimes the person you loved may not always be there at the same space as you are at.

Coco Before Chanel

Genre: Biopic

Language: French

Director: Anne Fontaine (La fille de Monaco - The Girl from Monaco)

Cast: Audrey Tautou (Hunting & Gathering), Benoît Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola (The Eye)

Runtime: 105 minutes

Plot:

Coco Before Chanel is the story of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, who began her life as headstrong orphan, and through an extraordinary journey became the legendary couturier who embodied the modern woman and became a timeless symbol of success, freedom and style. The film portrays the formative years of Chanel's life, the years of Chanel spent discovering and inventing herself.

Watched the movie on 4 Sep @ GV Vivo with Vanessa & Peiling.

ah-deng says: 3 / 5 Wished the movie elaborated the love life of Coco & Arther and how it affected her work after.

The Proposal

Genre: Romance/Comedy

Language: English

Director: Anne Fletcher (27 Dresses)

Cast: Ryan Reynolds (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), Sandra Bullock (Premonition)

Runtime: 108 minutes

Plots:

Publishing powerhouse Margaret Tate is used to getting her way. She bullies her ambitious assistant, Andrew Paxton, earning the ire of all the underlings at Colden Books in New York City. But Margaret, a native Canadian, finds her career in jeopardy when she is denied a visa and learns she will be sent northward. She forces Andrew to become her fiancé, but she’ll have to take a trip home to Alaska with him to prove to U.S. Immigration that their impending union is genuine.

Watched the movie on 23 Aug with Sylvia

ah-deng says: 3 / 5 Is it only me? The office environment seems familiar...

Scandal Makers 과속스캔들

Genre: Comedy

Language: Korean

Director: Kang Hyeong-cheol

Cast: Cha Tae Hyun (Miracle of a Giving Fool - BABO), Park Bo Young Hwang Suk Hyun

Runtime: 108 minutes

Plot:

Mid 30's Nam Hyeon-su is a popular radio d.j. and entertainer (who was even more popular in his younger days as a teen idol). One day his apartment doorbell rings and a young lady named Hwang Jeong-nam appears and tells Hyeon-su that he is her father. Furthermore, she informs him that he is now a grandfather to her young son, Ki-dong. Hyeon-su would like nothing better than just close the door, but when Jeong-nam threatens to go to the media he allows the young lady and her son to stay in his apartment. Complications arise when they are spotted outside together and people assume they are romantically involved!

Watched the movie on 22 Aug night with Sylvia.

ah-deng says: 4 / 5 There is this charm Cha Tae Hyun possessed that everyone finds it hard to resist from laughing at. The little grandson has huge potential too.

Up - 3D

Genre: Animation

Language: English

Director: Pete Docter (Monsters, INC)

Cast: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai

Runtime: 96 minutes

Plot:

A young Carl Fredrickson meets a young adventure spirited girl named Ellie. They both dream of going to a Lost Land in South America. 70 years later, Ellie has died. Carl remembers the promise he made to her. Then, when he inadvertently hits a construction worker, he is forced to go to a retirement home. But before they can take him, he and his house fly away. However he has a stowaway aboard. An 8 year old boy named Russell, whose trying to get an assisting the elderly badge. Together, they embark in an adventure, where they encounter talking dogs, an evil villain and a rare bird named Kevin.

Watched the movie on 15 Aug afternoon @ Cineleisure with Barbara and Sylvia.

ah-deng says: 3.5 / 5 If there even be a chance, I don't mind flying in a house too.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Genre: Action/ Adventure

Language: English

Director: Stephen Sommers (The Mummy Series)

Cast: Channing Tatum (Public Enemies), Marlon Wayans (Dance Flick), Lee Byung-hun (The Good, The Bad, the Weird), Dennis Quaid (Horsemen)

Runtime: 118 minutes

Plot:

From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite G.I. JOE team uses the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to fight the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious Cobra organization to prevent them from plunging the world into chaos.

Watched the movie on 6 Aug with Sylvia.

ah-deng says: 4 / 5 Somehow, these movies are a must in Summer. And this Summer, there are quite a number of them hence many will compare this with Transformer especially. No matter what, I must say that CGI plays an important in movies these days as they brought cartoons in my younger days to life.

The Hangover

Genre: Comedy

Language: English

Director: Todd Philips (Starsky & Hutch)

Cast: Bradley Cooper (He's just Not That Into You), Ed Helms (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian), Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha (National Treasure: Book of Secrets)

Runtime: 100 minutes

Plot:

Two days before his wedding, Doug and his three friends drive to Las Vegas for a blow-out bachelor party they'll never forget. But, in fact, when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning, they can't remember a thing. For some reason, they find a tiger in the bathroom and a six-month-old baby in the closet of their suite at Caesars Palace. The one thing they can't find is Doug. With no clue as to what transpired and little time to spare, the trio must retrace their hazy steps and all their bad decisions in order to figure out where things went wrong and hopefully get Doug back to L.A. in time to walk down the aisle.

Watched the movie on 2 Aug with Sylvia.

ah-deng says: 4 / 5 Hillarious! Friends of different characters got into big trouble, see how they salvage the situations by back tracking. The mystery eventually solved till the very end of the movie.

Public Enemies

Genre: Crime/Gangster and Adaptation

Language: English

Director: Michael Mann (Miami Vice)

Cast: Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street0 , Christian Bale (Terminator Salvation), Marion Cotillard (A Good Year)
Runtime: 140 minutes

Plot:

This is the story of the last few years of the notorious bank robber John Dillinger. He loved what he did and could imagine little else that would make him happier. Living openly in 1930s Chicago, he had the run of the city with little fear of reprisals from the authorities. It's there that he meets Billie Frechette with whom he falls deeply in love. In parallel we meet Melvin Purvis, the FBI agent who would eventually track Dillinger down. The FBI was is in its early days and Director J. Edgar Hoover was keen to promote the clean cut image that so dominated the organization through his lifetime. Purvis realizes that if he is going to get Dillinger, he will have to use street tactics and imports appropriate men with police training. Dillinger is eventually betrayed by an acquaintance who tells the authorities just where to find him on a given night.

Watched on 31 July night with Sylvia.

ah-deng says: 3.5 / 5 It's been a long time I see Johnny Depp's clean shaved face. And Christian Bale is netiher wearing mask nor geared with metal suits too.

A Frozen Flower 쌍화점

Genre: Epic Romance Drama

Language: Korean

Director: Ha Yu

Cast: Jo In-sung (A Dirty Carnival), Ju Jin-mo (200 Pound Beauty), Song Ji-hyo (Sex is Zero 2)

Runtime: 133 minutes

Plot:

Under the pressure of the Yuan Kingdom, the King of Goryeo is pressured to produce a successor to the throne. But the king is in love with his loyal general Hong-lim. After seriously pondering the issue, the king asks his lover Hong-lim to sleep with the Queen, with unexpected consequences.

Watched the movie on 24 July night @ Cineleisure with Sylvia

ah-deng says: 4 / 5 Man & man's love, man & woman's love. Nothing can comes between mutual and true love. Definitely another beautiful movie after The King and the Clown.

Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince

Genre: Action/ Adventure

Language: English

Director: David Yates (Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix)

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson

Runtime: 154 minutes

Official Site: http://www.harrypotter.com/

Plot:

In Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft, Harry finds a book marked mysteriously, "This book is the property of the Half Blood Prince," which helps him excel at Potions class and teaches him a few dark and dangerous ones along the way. Meanwhile, Harry is taking private lessons with Dumbledore in order to find out about Voldemort's past so they can find out what might his only weakness.

Watched the movie on 23 July night @ GV Vivo Gold Class with Sylvia & Vanessa.

ah-deng says: 3.5 / 5 This installment is a bridge between the previous and the upcoming last episode, hence it could be informative yet boring. Perhaps only the novel lovers understood whats exactly is going on.

The Brothers Bloom

Genre: Comedy

Language: English

Director: Rian Johnson

Cast: Adrien Brody (The Darjeeling Limited), Mark Ruffalo (Reservation Road) , Rachel Weisz (Definitely, Maybe)

Runtime: 113 minutes

Official Site: http://www.brothersbloom.com/

Plot:

The Brothers Bloom are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust and intrigue. Now they've decided to take on one last job - showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress the time of her life with a romantic adventure that takes them around the world.

Watched the movie on 11 July night @ GV Europa with Sylvia.

ah-deng says: 3 / 5 Lame storyline but good team of casts. Especially like the movie moves from Montenegro to Greece then to Prague and Mexico. How carefree to travel without any worries!

Duplicity

Genre: Comedy
Language: English
Director: Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton)
Cast: Julia Roberts (Charlie Wilson's War), Clive Owen (The International), Tom Wilkinson (Valkyrie) and Paul Giamatti (Shoot 'Em Up)
Runtime: 110 minutes

Plot:

CIA officer Claire Stenwick (Roberts) and Ray Koval (Owen) are both racing to secure the formula for a product that will bring untold wealth to the company that lands the patent first as the stakes begin to rise, and their passions start to flare. Meanwhile, their mutual employers, industry giant Howerd Tully (Tom Wilkinson) and trailblazing CEO Dick Garsil (Paul Giamatti) start resorting to some seriously underhanded tactics in hope of gaining an advantage over the competition. Loners by definition of their own careers, Claire and Ray engage in a series of schemes and double-crosses while contending with the fact that their mutual attraction could ultimately jeopardize their entire missions.

Watched the movie on 9 July night with Sylvia.

ah-deng says: 2.5 / 5 Really didn't like the movie's arrangement, especially the cut over from period to period. I'm expecting more from a spy game theme movie.

Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Genre: Animation
Language: English
Director: Carlos Saldanha (Ice Age: The Meltdown)
Cast: Denis Leary (Ice Age: The Meltdown), John Leguizamo (The Happening), Ray Romano (Ice Age: The Meltdown), Queen Latifah (What Happens in Vegas), Seann William Scott (Role Models)
Runtime: 94 minutes

Official site: http://www.iceagemovie.com/

Plot: Scrat is still trying to nab the ever-elusive nut (while, maybe, finding true love); Manny and Ellie await the birth of their mini-mammoth, Sid the sloth gets into trouble when he creates his own makeshift family by hijacking some dinosaur eggs; and Diego the saber-toothed tiger wonders if he's growing too "soft" hanging with his pals. On a mission to rescue the hapless Sid, the gang ventures into a mysterious underground world, where they have some close encounters with dinosaurs, battle flora and fauna run amuck - and meet a relentless, one-eyed, dino-hunting weasel named Buck.

Watched the movie on 3 July evening @ Cathay Cineleisure with Sylvia.

I watched the movie in 3D and the effects was great. Well, with this experience, I probably will watch all the upcoming animation in 3D if possible.

In this 3rd installment of Ice Age, brings on Dinosaurs into the story. As Sid stole the dinosaur eggs and had himself landed in the land of Dinosaurs, his buddies went all out to rescue him. I just couldn't stop laughing at the part where he drew faces on the egg shells and talked to the eggs as if they understood him.

Also the joker of Ice Age, Scrat has a love interest and still chasing the stupid nut since Ice Age 1. Plus a new addition to the franchise is Buck, the guide who help the group to the rescue. The helium sniffing part was hilarious and clever. It is definitely a fun movie for both children and adults as there are adventure, love, friendship and family.

ah-deng says: 3½ / 5 Watch it in 3D! The chases are more exciting, the locations more real, it works so well! And it doesn't give you a migraine!

Threads of Destiny

Genre: Romance, Drama
Language: Japanese
Director: Shousuke Murakami (Train Man)
Cast: Nao Minamisawa, Junpei Mizobata (Dive!!), Ryo Kimura (Sugar & spice)
Runtime: 108 min

Official Site: http://www.akai-ito.jp/

Plot:

Mutually attracted Tokyo teens Mei and Atsushi share the rare birthday of Feb. 29. Their romance is about to blossom during a school trip to Nagasaki when Atsushi is called home to care for his alcoholic mom. Consequently, the abandoned Mei takes up with Atsushi's possessive rival, Riku, to disastrous effect.

Watched the movie on 2 July evening @ Cathay Cineleisure with Sylvia.

A pure-love（纯爱）movie. Based on a Japanese mobile novel, I assumed it could be the author's true story since the lead female's name is the same as the author's.

The backdrop is a middle school, where teenagers are exploring their love. However, this young couple believed they are destined to be bond since they shared the same birthday, a date that comes only once in 4 years. They described their destiny as the red string of fate. Originating from Chinese legend, "the red string of fate" myth states that the gods tie an invisible string around the ankles of men and women who are destined to be soul mates and will one day marry each other.

The male lead, Junpei Mizobata, reminds me of a Korean actor - Lee Wan. Both shares the sad dopey look. He mentioned about a person will meet 30,000 person in his whole lifetime, 3000 in school and work, 300 become friends. Have I met my quota?

The pace of the movie seems swift but certain parts was not very clear. Another impression was a classmate who took her life by jumping off the roof, ended up losing her memories instead, seems quite unrealistic.

ah-deng says: 3 / 5 Yet to find another person who share the exact same birthday as me, although I know quite a few who have birthdays near me. Bonding...

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Genre: Action/ Adventure
Language: English

Director: Michael Bay (The Horsemen)

Cast: Shia LaBeouf (Eagle Eye), Megan Fox (Transformers), Josh Duhamel (Transformers)

Run Time: 149 minutes

Official site: http://www.transformersmovie.com/

Plot:

Decepticon forces return to Earth on a mission to take Sam Witwicky prisoner, after the young hero learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers. Joining the mission to protect humankind is Optimus Prime, who forms an alliance with international armies for a second epic battle.

Watched the movie on 25 June night @ GV Max with Sylvia and Vanessa.

Another childhood cartoon comes to life. This sequel definitely rocks me off my seat like the 1st episode with spectacular visual effects. The fight scenes were extravagant and fast-paced.

As usual, our heroes Optimus Prime and Bumblebee returned to save the day. There were also many new Autobots and Decepticons introduced in this sequel. The ones that caught my attention were definitely Jetfire and the Twins - Mudflap & Skids.

Jetfire was a Seeker and former Decepticon who transformed into a SR-71 Blackbird. However, his wounds and age had made him choose to become an Autobot, He creaked, could not transform well, and said to be running out of energon. Also, he walked with a cane, which doubled as a battle axe. A wise old teacher who helped the folks to translate the script.

The Twins on the other hand, were Autobot infiltrators transformed respectively into a red Chevrolet Trax and green Chevrolet Beat. Mudflap was very hyperactive, while Skids believed himself to be the smarter of the two and tried to come across as mature, but nevertheless appears unable to keep quiet.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the movie very much despite many said this sequel was not as good as the first one. And I very recommend it should be watch in cinema with big screen and good sound system to enjoy the best effect.

ah-deng says: 4½ / 5 The 3rd episode is coming out in 2012. Looking forward for more surprises.

The Taking of Pelham 123

Genre: Thriller

Language: English

Director: Tony Scott (Déjà Vu)

Cast: Denzel Washington (American Gangster), John Travolta (Hairspray), John Turturro (You Don't Mess with the Zohan)

Run Time: 105 minutes

Plot:

In The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Denzel Washington stars as New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. John Travolta stars as Ryder, the criminal mastermind who, as leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train’s passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages.

Watched the movie on 20 June night @ GV Vivo with Sylvia.

Armed men hijack a New York City subway train, holding the passengers hostage in return for a ransom, and turning an ordinary day's work for dispatcher into a face-off with the mastermind behind the crime. From aeroplanes to ships (Pirates) to trains and subway, criminals can get more and more creative. So what's next?

Between the 2 lead roles, I preferred John's Ryder. He is very aggressive, demanding yet there was trace of kindness somewhere. He always has the wicked and mean essentials to his character. On the other hand, Denzel's role as Garber did not really impressed me. The only part worth discussing may be his dilemma to admit his bribe taking case. The toggling of the two men's argument brought the film to the climax.

This remake incorporated new technology such as Wireless network, Web Cam & live feed which 30 years back, people may not have even heard of what a Laptop is. And the boo-boo done by the NYPD brought some laughter out from the tied timeline.

However, the main objective of Ryder's scheme was to create mayhem in the stock market by creating havoc. The movie did not really explain enough of his whole motive. Although the hijackers planned a good hijack exercise, their escape plan could have been better.

ah-deng says: 3½ / 5 One day if I receive a call, saying one of our shop is being hijacked, I will... Choy!

I Love You, Man

Genre: Comedy

Language: English

Director: John Hamburg (Along Came Polly)

Cast: Paul Rudd (Role Models), Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg (Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist)

Runtime: 105 minutes

Official site: http://www.iloveyouman.com/

Plot:

Peter Klaven, a real estate agent with a blossoming career and an imminent marriage to Zooey. Basically, he's lucky in all things except male bonding. The narrative arc centers on his quest for platonic man-love--as opposed to, say, finding the girl of his dreams--and follows the boilerplate dictates of a standard rom-com with a subversive wink. In this case, boy meets boy, boys bond over their common love of Rush and Andre the Giant, boys break up and make up.

Watched the movie on 19 June night @ Cathay Cineleisure with Vanessa.

This is definitely, totally a male-chick movie. A man who has no male BFF, very in need to find one to be his best man. So gay and cheesy.

Somehow, I don't believe there is any man out there who needs to be hooked up to another man. Especially in Singapore, men serve military service, and the bonding existed and held them together where even their spouses couldn't understand the relationship unless they underwent the same stage. During the time of growing up, there bound to be a stage whereby true friends found each other.

Therefore, the word friendless is rather harsh. Maybe, a real confiding friend isn't easy to come by. But in like this movie, when Peter finally got to know Sydney, they practically bring each other into their life. Sydney recommended him good food while Peter shared his hobby. It is still their daily activities that bond the friends.

ah-deng says: 3 / 5 Real true friends are hard to come by in regardless of gender. Mine are definitely worth having.