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...