Redbelt

Year: 2008
Genre: Sports drama
Director: David Mamet


Plot: A jiu-jitsu instructor is forced to take part in a prize bout, against his own principles, when circumstances leave him in a financial quandary.


The gist: This film is written and directed by veteran writer David Mamet, known for penning The Edge and The Untouchables, among others. Redbelt focuses on jiu-jitsu, a martial art that Mamet himself is a master of.

The story follows Mike Terry, a jiu-jitsu instructor who trains and educates his students on the art and some wisdom, mostly for free. Then suddenly Mike finds himself in dire straits after two encounters: one with a lawyer who accidentally smashes his dojo window, and another with a struggling movie star who seeks to hire his services. Eventually his finances take a dive and he's forced to do something he once refused to do: compete in a prize fight. 

The film is actually more philosophical and dramatic than action oriented overall. Mamet focuses his story on the idea that there isn't a situation one can't get themselves out of, which is what Mike tries to impart on his students, and what he has to do when faced with his own troubles.


The good: It has a strong cast, with Chiwetel Ejiofor putting in solid work as Mike Terry. Home Improvement star Tim Allen actually plays it serious here as movie star Chet Frank, and does it well too. Other performances from the supporting cast such as Alice Braga, Emily Mortimer and Max Martini are also worth mentioning.

The bad: The film's execution is as simple as it gets. No lengthy fights, no complicated monologues. Even the final fight involving Ejiofor and the film's villain isn't flashy at all, and is over pretty quick.


Verdict: Redbelt isn't a film for entertainment, but more for drama and philosophy. At best, you can learn something from it. (7/10)

Big Hero 6

Year: 2014
Genre: Animation
Directors: Don Hall & Chris Williams


Plot: Hiro Hamada, a young genius who loses his brother to a fire, bonds with his late sibling's last invention, a health care robot named Baymax. He then teams up with the robot and his brother's friends to catch the man who caused the fire that killed his brother.


The gist: The film is based on a Marvel comic of the same name, but slightly changed. To its credit, the film is entertaining enough as a whole, but doesn't have as much heart as the kind of stuff Pixar is known for.

The story follows Hiro as he bonds with his late brother's robot Baymax. One of Hiro's inventions, microbots that can take any form imaginable, was stolen by someone who killed his brother. So Hiro upgrades Baymax to a super fighting robot and teams up with his brother's friends to nab the man.


The good: The animation is superb and the action sequences are well executed, particularly the final fight. Baymax also deserves credit as one of the most lovable Disney characters you'll ever see. In fact, he's the main reason this film succeeds.

The bad: Other than the bond between Hiro and Baymax, the film doesn't have an underlying theme that would make it memorable.


Verdict: Big Hero 6 is great fun, especially for kids. But adults might forget this movie pretty quick. (7/10)

Outcast

Year: 2014
Genre: Action adventure
Director: Nick Powell


Plot: A former knight from the Crusades comes to the aid of a princess and her younger brother, the heir to the throne, who are on the run from their cruel older brother, who seeks to become king.


The gist: With an IMDb rating of 4.6, you'd expect this to be one of Nicolas Cage's worst films, and he has made many bad ones over the years. To be fair, Outcast is not a great film at all, but certainly not the worst I've seen from Cage (that honor for me, goes to Stolen).

The story, a mix of Kingdom Of Heaven and Tears Of The Sun, and a few other medieval adventure films you may have seen before somewhere, centres on Jacob (Hayden Christensen), a knight of the Crusades who has grown weary of the war and become a drug addict, until he runs into Prince Zhao and Princess Lian, who are on the run from their older brother Shing. Their late father has named Zhao as the heir to the throne, so Shing wants him dead in order to rule. Jacob, despite being in no real shape to be a protector, reluctantly takes on the task, hoping to redeem himself for his sins. Later, he seeks help from his former mentor Gallain (Cage) to join his quest, but he has renounced fighting for others.


The good: At the very least, this movie does not offend much. I know that's really not a good reason to see this, but some films are just so awful you won't make it past the first fifteen minutes before giving up. Outcast managed to sustain my interest till the end, which is more than I can say for some other movies I've seen. Cage and Christensen try their best to make the film work despite being given laughable dialogue to read, and their shaky British accents are quite hilarious to listen to, especially the former's. Is this good? Yes, in a funny way, it is.

The bad: The shaky camerawork during the fight sequences stand out. When will they ever learn? As mentioned, the dialogue is badly written, and we have to ignore the fact that the Chinese cast speak English even among themselves. The ending was very poor too, with an anti-climactic fight scene.


Verdict: You can try this if you've got time to kill and nothing else to do. Or if you're the kind of person curious enough to see how good or bad a Nicolas Cage film is. (6/10)

The Wall

Year: 2012
Genre: Fantasy drama
Director: Julian Polsler


Plot: A woman visiting the countryside suddenly finds herself trapped behind an invisible wall that covers the area surrounding her lodge. She attempts to carry on with her life disconnected from the outside world with only a dog, a cat and a cow for company.


The gist: Based on the novel by Marlen Haushofer, The Wall is similar to Robinson Crusoe in telling a story on solitude, in this case a woman trapped behind an invisible wall that inexplicably appears, and appears to be impenetrable.

The woman narrates her time spent surviving within the confines of the wall while tending to her animals who keep her company. It is only by keeping herself active that she saves herself from going insane.


The good: Cinematography of the countryside is well done. Lead star Martina Gedeck does a splendid job as the woman, who reacts to her surroundings the same way we would. Her drive to carry on and live despite her impossible situation is inspirational, if not always engaging.

The bad: This isn't exactly a story about unraveling a mystery, so the explanation behind the wall's existence is not given. The film also lacks a proper ending, with a sudden incident towards the end being both a little late and somewhat inconsistent.


Verdict: It's a picture with a slow pace that doesn't quite give a proper payoff. The potential is there but not utilised. Just a decent film overall. (6/10) 

A Hijacking

Year: 2012
Genre: Drama thriller
Director: Tobias Lindholm


Plot: A Danish ship is hijacked by Somali pirates, who proceed to negotiate for ransom money with the ship's owner back in Copenhagen.


The gist: On the surface this looks similar to Tom Hanks' Captain Phillips but it clearly isn't. Unlike that film, this is a slow burn drama with tense moments.

A Hijacking focuses on two men: Mikkel, the cook on board the Danish vessel Rosen, who is desperate to get home to his family, and Peter, the CEO of the company that owns the Rosen, who takes it upon himself to negotiate for his crew's release despite objections from a professional in pirate negotiations.

While Captain Phillips is a swiftly paced thriller, A Hijacking is the opposite. We watch the situation play out for a duration of four months as Mikkel tries his best to survive in between tense and friendly moments with the pirates, and Peter attempts to negotiate with the pirates amidst pressure from the crew's families and the company board.


The good: Pilou Asbaek gives a great performance as Mikkel, the everyman cook who simply wants his ordeal to be over and go home. Soren Malling is solid as well in the role of Peter, who seems like a cold professional at the beginning but starts to crack as negotiations start to break down.

The bad: The pace can be languid at times. The moment the pirates boarded the ship was not shown, which I found to be rather odd.


Verdict: A Hijacking is a fine thriller with several tense moments, showing that negotiations are most difficult when it involves human lives. (7/10)

The Sacrament

Year: 2013
Genre: Horror thriller
Director: Ti West


Plot: A documentary crew travel to a remote community called Eden Parish for a story, only to discover that the so-called paradise isn't as it seems.


The gist: Eli Roth produces this found footage picture shot in documentary style by Ti West, following a crew from VICE who travel to a remote community with a man looking for his sister who happens to be living there. It's only accessible by helicopter and guarded by armed men.

Once there, the crew meet the man's sister who warmly welcomes them, and subsequently introduces them to Father, the leader of the community. Interviews with Father and several members of the community seem convincingly positive, though the feel that something sinister is lurking exists. Then a sudden call for help throws things out of order and the crew find themselves in danger.

This story is heavily influenced by the Jonestown massacre in 1978, and while I am not well informed on the subject, I can say that this film for the most part, works well as a thriller, even though it takes a while for it to get going. Once the shit hits the fan, the tension and suspense is quite palpable.


The good: Performances from the cast are generally good, but special credit goes to Gene Jones who makes Father seem kind and disarming at the same time. The camerawork is also surprisingly good considering that this is found footage stuff.


The bad: The editing exposes a few lapses of logic here and there, and the camera angles seem too perfect in moments when the guy holding it clearly isn't shooting.


Verdict: The Sacrament is a good alternative in found footage horror, as in it doesn't rely on the usual tricks made famous by The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity. Worth a look at. (7/10)

Nota

Year: 2015
Genre: Thriller
Director: Yasu Tanaka


Plot: A couple with marital problems return to the place where they first got engaged, hoping to patch things up. But when the wife discovers an ominous note written by her husband, a tragic set of events is put into motion.


The gist: I have a confession to make. I'm not a fan of Malay films. In fact, I haven't watched any Malay films made in my country for the last decade or so, could be longer. I did grow up watching P Ramlee films (who hasn't?) and saw a couple of 80s flicks (Mr Os is a personal favorite), but other than that, none. 

Forgive me for what I am about to say, but most Malay films in the last several years tend to be one of few things: a silly comedy (or lawak bodoh as they call it), a horror comedy, a horror film with lots of blood and not much else, Gerak Khas movies or blatant ripoffs of famous films from overseas. There have only been a few exceptions to this rule. You might ask how I came to this conclusion since I haven't seen Malay films for so long. Well, from trailers I have seen and some reviews I have read, this is what I feel. Let's just say my confidence hasn't been high.

So when the hype began for Nota, I thought now's the time to sit up and pay attention. After all, if enough people talk about it, there has to be something worth seeing here. So here I am.

Nota is the story of Erin and Kamal, a couple who haven't been on speaking terms for a long time. There's the hint of trying unsuccessfully for a child as the main reason for this. The two decide to go back to the place where they first got engaged, at Bako National Park. Erin thinks this is a chance for them to reconcile, until she finds a note in Kamal's planner, hinting at her husband making a decision that isn't what she's expecting at all. And from there, more and more clues start dropping, and things go south from here.

Director Yasu Tanaka has made a nice little thriller here. While the lack of an expensive budget is quite obvious, the film is beautifully shot. This is pretty much proof that big bucks aren't necessary to make a good film.


The good: Maya Karin and Hans Isaac are good in the lead roles, but it is the late Ramli Hassan that steals the show as the boatman that ferries the couple to their destination. Ramli's boatman is an eccentric character, one who is kind yet mysterious, funny yet sometimes creepy when he looks at someone in a certain way. He has plenty of stories to tell, in fact his lines are more than Maya and Hans' combined. He's just awesome.
The other good thing is the cinematography. It's not just the wide outdoor shots of Bako that I'm referring to, but also something as basic as a butterfly on the table, rice being cooked, hermit crabs walking on the sand etc. This is how a camera should be used in a film. Speaking of Bako, credit goes to the production design team for choosing the locations that ended up on film. Gorgeous to behold.


The bad: Nota lacks a genuine surprise. Perhaps I shouldn't have watched the trailer before seeing this. But even so, the resolution to the story is quite obvious once Erin makes her move in the third act. I was hoping for something to sweep the rug from under me but it didn't happen.
There are also other little things, like Erin's conversations with Mayumi that didn't seem natural to me. I'm referring to how it looked on screen and not how it was set up. And then there was the weird receptionist, which wasn't necessary (don't know why this was here).


Verdict: It's a solid little thriller that uses its strengths well. Despite being predictable in the final third, it's a film worth checking out, even if just for the visuals. (7/10)   

As Above, So Below

Year: 2014
Genre: Horror thriller
Director: John Erick Dowdle


Plot: Six individuals explore the catacombs beneath Paris to obtain a mysterious artifact, only to find themselves trapped in the dark and discovering something very sinister down there.


The gist: Found footage flicks have been done to death at this point, with very little variation. But every now and then, one or two rare ones stand out by doing things a tad differently. This year's Unfriended is one example. As Above, So Below is another.

In this film, six individuals led by a girl named Scarlett explore the famed catacombs beneath the streets of Paris, in search of alchemist Nicolas Flamel's legendary philosopher's stone. Scarlett is hoping to finish her late father's work by successfully finding this stone. So with her claustrophobic friend, a cameraman and three French cave explorers, she goes deep into the catacombs with a map and some clues. But as expected in films like this, trouble ensues when the group gets lost in the tunnels and really strange things start happening.

John Erick Dowdle, who directed and co-wrote the film with his brother Drew, does well in keeping the film moving constantly, never letting it stall. He also seems to have done some research in making the mythical and supernatural elements in the story seem plausible. 


The good: The cast perform up to mark, especially Perdita Weeks as Scarlett, who is easy on the eye and comes off as very likable. Credit also goes to the camera guys for keeping the shaky cam effects minimal, as well as successfully capturing the claustrophobic feel of the film. I also loved how the film breaks convention by not having a horrific, depressing ending like most found footage stories.

The bad: The film does suffer from lapses of logic at times, and the old "do stupid things when trouble hits" element is still there. There was also the presence of the spooky looking girl following them that was never explained.


Verdict: As Above, So Below is a nice little surprise in the found footage genre. It's not going to rewrite the book on the genre obviously, but it's very watchable for a scare or two. (7/10) 

The Guest

Year: 2014
Genre: Action thriller
Director: Adam Wingard


Plot: A soldier claiming to be a friend of a member of a family who was killed in action during their tour, moves into their home and becomes part of the family. However, he's not quite who he claims to be.


The gist: This film actually had potential, though the plot isn't anything we haven't seen before. The story of a stranger who seems too good to be true has been done countless times before.

The story begins with a man named David, who visits the Peterson home one day and claims to be a friend of the recently deceased Caleb Peterson, and offers to help them any way they can. Soon David becomes real helpful as we'd expect: he helps beat up a gang of bullies picking on Caleb's little brother, he connects with Caleb's rebellious sister and even helps around the house too. But he's not really who they think he is, and bad things start to happen.

I enjoyed Adam Wingard's You're Next but hated A Horrible Way To Die, and for me The Guest is somewhere in between. The action and violence is very welcome but a huge amount of suspension of disbelief is required to survive the second half of the film when things start to unravel.


The good: Dan Stevens is spot on as David, being a really charming guy who seems to know how to handle any situation he gets mixed up in. Maika Monroe is great eye candy and more as Caleb's sister Anna. The scene where David beats up the bullies is my favorite part, even more than the wanton violence that comes later.

The bad: Like I said, suspension of disbelief is required in the second half, when David has to fight back when the truth is exposed. There's a special ops team involved, and God help me, I don't know why they went down the way they did. It's almost comedic in an unintentional way. My other issue is how the family, especially the parents, just trust David so easily. And David himself just keeps blowing people away, and I know they explained this part, but it sounded like a lame excuse for more carnage.


Verdict: It's decent entertainment at best. If you don't mind absence of logic, go right ahead and give The Guest a shot. (6/10)

Transcendence

Year: 2014
Genre: Sc-fi drama
Director: Wally Pfister


Plot: A dying scientist's consciousness is uploaded into a program built as the world's first A.I., but complications ensue when he surpasses expectations and becomes a threat.


The gist: I haven't had the chance to watch Lawnmower Man, which I hear this movie shares plenty of similarities with. But I can tell you that this film is a failure when it comes to keeping viewers' attention on it.

The story is as follows: a scientist who has worked on creating an A.I. program is shot with a radioactive bullet by anti-tech extremists, and he's doomed to die. His wife decides that the only way to save him is to upload his consciousness into his A.I. program. And it works, but he isn't quite who he was before. Soon he becomes omnipotent and dangerous, and damn well unstoppable.

Wally Pfister has long known to be Christopher Nolan's go-to guy for cinematography, and while he does great work behind the camera, he isn't very good here. Despite the A-list cast, Pfister can't seem to rise above the dull script in his hands.


The good: The one bright spark among the cast is Paul Bettany, the only actor who doesn't look like he's on auto-pilot on screen. Some of the visual effects look good, but there's not much else good stuff I can say about this film.

The bad: Most of the cast look so bored, especially Johnny Depp. Morgan Freeman has too little to do, Rebecca Hall tries hard but not good enough, and poor Kate Mara and Cillian Murphy are just out of their element here. Pfister also fails to create a genuine feel of suspense and the climax is almost non-existent.


Verdict: Avoid this film. Every person involved here have made better films. Go look for those. (4/10)

All Is Lost

Year: 2013
Genre: Survival thriller
Director: J.C. Chandor


Plot: A resourceful sailor struggles to survive at sea after his boat collides with a shipping container and a storm arrives soon after.


The gist: All Is Lost is a neat little survival thriller that literally pits one man against Mother Nature.

Robert Redford plays a lone man out at sea who wakes up one morning to find his boat leaking badly after it collided with a shipping container floating aimlessly. He mends the boat, but then a huge storm blows in and his survival skills are tested to the limit.

Director J.C. Chandor, who also wrote the script, successfully keeps the film going smoothly despite almost not having any dialogue. Unlike most films of the same kind, Redford's sailor does not spend time talking to himself or contemplating God, loneliness and life. He just fights against the current and strives to survive, and it works. 


The good: Redford's screen presence certainly helps here. Points are also earned by the visual effects crew and cinematographer for a job well done in realistically displaying a disaster at sea.

The bad: You might not understand some of the things Redford's character does in order to survive, especially if you've never sailed before. There are also a few slow moments here and there, but no big deal.


Verdict: A solid survival movie that you can put on your shelf next to Gravity, Buried and Frozen. (7/10)

Stonehearst Asylum

Year: 2014

Genre: Thriller

Director: Brad Anderson

Plot: Set at the turn of the 20th century, a young doctor arrives at a mysterious asylum looking for clinical experience but finds that nothing is what it seems.

The gist: Stonehearst Asylum turned out to be one quiet little thriller that flew under most people's radar.

The film follows one Dr Edward Newgate, who arrives at the mysterious asylum looking to practise psychiatry, only to discover that things there are far from what he expected. He takes a particular interest in Eliza Graves, one of the patients there, but has trouble in gaining her trust, while the other staff begin to look at him the wrong way.

Director Brad Anderson seems to excel at coming up with low key films that have great potential like The Machinist and Vanishing on 7th Street. For this film he succeeds in keeping the pace brisk and the story engaging enough right up to its final twist.


The good: Ben Kingsley excels once again at playing a sinister mental doctor here after Shutter Island. Jim Sturgess and Kate Beckinsale are convincing enough in the lead roles though they lack chemistry. The many twists and turns especially in the final third of the film is its main trump card.

The bad: Michael Caine is severely underused here but he owns every moment of his screen time. Same goes for Brendan Gleeson. There's also a character played by Sophie Kennedy Clark that is eliminated rather clumsily, which is baffling as it makes almost no impact to the plot.


Verdict: Stonehearst Asylum is a nice little surprise that deserves one watch, especially if you like films with a twist. (7/10) 

Killing Season

Year: 2013
Genre: Action thriller
Director: Mark Steven Johnson


Plot: Two former soldiers, one Serbian and one American, wage war against each other in the forest.


The gist: With the pairing of John Travolta and Robert De Niro, what could go wrong? Well, a lot apparently.

The story is as basic as it gets: a Serbian soldier goes to the States to find an American soldier who had shot him during the Serbian war many years ago, but failed to kill him. The two men then play a game of cat and mouse, each of them taking turns becoming the aggressor and the target.

The film has its moments, but it never quite rises above its made-for-TV movie quality.


The good: A couple of torture scenes come off looking solid enough, which involve arrows, a string through a leg and even waterboarding. The scenery was well filmed by DP Peter Menzies Jr.

The bad: De Niro sports an inconsistent Southern accent, while Travolta exaggerates his Serbian accent. The film, while mercifully short, takes too much time to get going as we have to watch the duo talk about their personal lives while listening to Johnny Cash. Their dispute also ends rather meekly, which is the ultimate disappointment.


Verdict: With the kind of calibre involved, one would expect a classic, but no such luck here. There's not enough action or thrills here for it to qualify as an action thriller. Skip this. (5/10)

Beautiful Creatures

Year: 2013
Genre: Romantic fantasy
Director: Richard LaGravenese


Plot: In the deep south, a boy longing to escape his little town falls in love with an outcast girl with strange powers. 


The gist: The comparisons to Twilight are unavoidable. Two good looking youths fall in love, both outcasts in their own way, one of them has a huge secret, and their love will be put to the test etc. Now, I'm one of those people that actually appreciated Twilight more than most, so it's probably because of that, I found Beautiful Creatures to be charming in its own way.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not partial on these kinds of films. Sometimes they can suck too. Mortal Instruments is a fine example of this. But I have to say, Beautiful Creatures manages to entertain more often than not despite its imperfections.

The story follows Ethan Wate, a kid in the south who meets a girl that seems to appear in his dreams often. Her name is Lena Duchannes and she is a caster, which is a nicer way of calling her a witch. They fall in love despite resistance from the townsfolk and her uncle Macon. On her upcoming 16th birthday, her destiny of either being chosen by the light or the darkness will be revealed. The chances of her going to the darkness is higher if she stays with Ethan, so says Macon. So what's gonna happen?


The good: Alden Ehrenreich and Alice Englert work well together on screen. Their portrayal of Ethan and Lena are quite convincing. Ehrenreich in particular deserves some points for giving his character the right level of humour and awkwardness. Viola Davis is also solid in her role as Ethan's guardian. The deep south setting as well as the filmmakers' move to not take things so seriously (unlike Twilight) also works in its favour.

The bad: Emma Thompson is badly miscast as the townsfolk's spokesperson on spreading hate towards Lena and her uncle, and as Lena's mother Sarafine when possessed. I can see she put in a ton of effort, but she's just not right for the role at all. Jeremy Irons' southern accent is also rather shaky and Emmy Rossum doesn't get enough screen time as Lena's bitchy cousin Ridley.


Verdict: It's really not as bad as it looks. Forget the Twilight comparisons and lukewarm box office takings. If you like love stories with some charm and magic, this is worth a shot. (7/10) 

Noah

Year: 2014
Genre: Biblical epic
Director: Darren Aronofsky


Plot: The story of Noah, the man entrusted by God to build the Ark and rescue the creatures of the earth from the flood that will destroy everything.


The gist: This film is actually one of the best films of 2014, but I've only managed to see this recently. The rather low rating on Imdb isn't a fair score for it, and it's probably because a lot of people will have problems with how this story is interpreted for the big screen. But then again, like most biblical stories, how does one make an adaptation of it which will please everyone?

Darren Aronofsky's version of Noah is part action adventure, part drama with an ecological theme thrown in. The story follows Noah as he builds the Ark after having visions of the world drowning, courtesy of God (referred to here as The Creator), with the help of a group of stone golems called The Watchers, who were formerly angels punished by The Creator to remain on earth. He is opposed by Tubal-Cain, a descendant of Cain who represents the worst of mankind. Tubal-Cain takes what he wants, and he wants the Ark.

If one approaches this film with an open mind, there is a lot to gather and behold here. There is action, tragedy and disaster, well assisted by some really stunning visual effects. But what stands out more is the drama, particularly the moral dilemma faced by Noah in the second half of the film, where he faces some really tough choices concerning life, death and sacrifice.


The good: The cast is excellent, especially Russell Crowe who portrays Noah, giving him the grit, determination and conflict required so that the audience sees him as a flawed but essentially good man, chosen to do a monumental task. Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson and Ray Winstone also do well as Noah's wife, Noah's adopted daughter and Tubal-Cain respectively. As mentioned, the visual effects are astounding, especially when the floods start.

The bad: Logan Lerman is good in his role as Noah's son Ham, but doesn't get enough chances to show what he's capable of. The fate of his character at the end is also rather ambiguous, if only they wrote it better.


Verdict: Noah is a great epic movie that everyone should watch, regardless of their religion. It's an ecological message and a message about our own humanity. If you enter this film with an open mind and not look into how relevant it is to your religion, or not, you'll enjoy it. Recommended. (8/10)