Movies: April 2014 List

The Fault in our Stars

My calendar the past two months has been rather busy (which is good, $ kind of good, you know) and i have been reduced to watching movies just on DVD or Blu-ray and my singular visit to the cineplex only yielded disappointing results.

However, i saw one movie this month that will open in theaters in June and which i truly, truly adore! It's based on a book that i haven't read but already bought and gave away a few copies just because it's supposed to be one of the best books written in the past couple of years.

I am referring of course to John Green's "The Fault in our Stars", which will open in cinemas June 6 - and, which i think, will be one of the sleeper hits of the summer!). I went to the junket and interviewed the leads and the author. My stories will see print very soon and will definitely share with you when it hits online.

Meanwhile, here are the ten movies i saw this month.  

Nymphomaniac: Volume 2 (US/Denmark) 4 and 1/2 Stars

August: Osage County (US) DVD 3 Stars

Old Boy (US) DVD 2 Stars

The Grandmaster (HK) DVD 4 1/2 Stars

The Fault In Our Stars (US) 5 Stars!!!!

On The Road (US) DVD 3 and 1/2 Stars

Shame (US/UK) DVD 4 Stars

Noah (US) 2 Stars

Drug War (HK) DVD 5 Stars

Outrage:Beyond (Japan) DVD 4 Stars

This month, i also discovered the movies of HK's Johnnie To. I loved his current film "Drug War" and i saw a couple more in May which i will share when i post my May summary.

But my favorite of the month is easily "The Fault in our Stars". I will print my review after my main stories have come out but the 5 stars i gave it indicates how much i looooooved it!

XXX

Raymond De Asis Lo

Film Review: Johnnie To's Vengeance

Vengeance

Saw Johnnie To’s 2009 Cannes competition film "Vengeance" last night and I was completely enthralled again by how the master director hooks his audience to the story that he wants to tell until he sets you free with another unexpected finale – actually, the unpredictability of his narrative is almost predictable already. And don’t consider it a criticism; it’s just an observation coming from an awe-struck fan.

This is only the 2^nd film that I have seen from the director and I now consider myself a super fan. I first saw his "Drug War" two weeks ago on DVD and that one was so impressive that I watched it twice in one night! Johnnie has this uncanny ability that only a few masters are able to do: He can set the tone of the movie by the very first minute! It’s amazing!

"Drug War" is the more superior film between the two but "Vengeance" is by no means a lesser film. It’s a suspense-thriller filled with spectacular action set pieces and enigmatic performances.

The main plot is about a father trying to avenge the murder of his son-in-law and his two grandchildren upon the request of his severely paralyzed daughter. He hires a group of assassins to locate the killers and determine the mastermind behind the hit but there’s a minor problem: He has a bullet lodged in his brain from a shootout twenty years earlier that’s causing him to lose his short-term memory.

The action sequences are impressively choreographed specially the nighttime shootout between his hired assassins and the killers he was after. The fight is like a ballet held in a forest with the moonlight and the shadows of the trees and the fleeting flame ignitions from gunfire completing the dramatic vista.

I am not very familiar with the French actor Johnny Holiday but his presence and performance along with another of Anthony Wong’s indelible characterizations provide the movie’s weightiest points.

Rent it. Buy it. Stream it. Watch it.

Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

XXX

Raymond De Asis Lo

Film Review: Drug War



HK actor Louis Koo (Timmy Choi) "Drug War"



I spent more than five hours last night watching and re-watching "Drug War", the riveting crime thriller from celebrated Hong Kong director Johnnie To. It’s soooo good!

Until now, I am still in complete awe of how the tone and energy of the movie was quickly established within the very first minute! There was no unnecessary character exposition, no unnecessary setup scenes. It’s a non-stop thrill-ride that delivers all the goods. From the first sequence to the explosive and unexpected finale, the action and suspense just would not let up. This is not a pretend thriller – this is one of the very best! I compare it to Korea’s "Cold Eyes" (which I saw at the Santa Barbara Fest recently) for its intensity and tight storytelling.

A movie is good when I am forced to hit replay as soon as the end credits start to roll up. A movie is great when after watching it the second time you are still fighting the urge to watch it the third time because otherwise you will be spending your next day at the office with embarrassing dark circles around your eyes. A movie is great when I can’t stop talking about it.

"Drug War" is available on DVD and Blu-ray now. Rent it, stream it, watch it.

XXX

Raymond De Asis Lo