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arnoldpoon
Reviews
Lau man yi sang (1995)
Leung Chiu-Wai elevated it
In case I forget, congratulations to Leung Chiu-Wai for winning the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. In this film, I love his peevish acts and nonchalant lack of stare.
Set in a time when people of Hong Kong were known for their neon lights, poster-ridden lampposts, and distinctive hairstyles, the film has simple characters with complicated characters. But what captivated me was the plot that might seem too ordinary at the first glance, and yet outstanding in its storytelling. It was well-paced: no arcs have been rushed; each character has their emotional attachment. (I discovered later it was adapted from a manga) There were no excesses. Nice production designs too. This kind of combo might have been commonplace then; it is no easy sight today.
Oppenheimer (2023)
You don't get to see so many great actors playing a nerd.
Despite Oppenheimer's patchy reputation, Nolan has put forward a reasonably fair assessment in this day and age. In the storyline, Louis Strauss acted as a counterweight to the heroic side of the father of the atomic bomb, and went on to reveal in a one-liner the possibility of a malicious side of the calculating physicist. What undergirds the complexity of the assessment harks back to a witty remark made by Albert Einstein, accompanied by a few amazing shots, that will make things 'click' into place. Though I also lament that nothing more comes out of the Prometheus analogy.
I do notice the back-and-forth switching between B&O and coloured clips which sets apart, of course, the chronology and also reinstates the mood change. This kind of nudge is helpful. It keeps me aware of the sorry condition that the aspect ratio 1.43:1 is not available where I am, for me to enjoy the enhanced white-hot scene. Pity.
To be sure, physicists are smart and most are funny in person like Richard Feynmann. However, some brilliantly written dialogues strike me as out-of-character. Even the entourage of Strauss could drop some vitriolic lines. Someone should have toned it down, not overshoot.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Pretty nice
A few harmless bloopers are noticeable, such as the villains having no problem with abducting someone up and down a cliff, and being too merciful all the time. Otherwise, the plot is thoroughly enjoyable, to say nothing about the Mediterranean set designs. Bashing the tomb-raiding old-timer suits the ongoing fashion without sounding preachy. The most exciting bit, albeit predictable, (which I'm not about to disclose) is reminiscent of Stephen Hawking's extraterrestrial invitation tendered after the fact. It is well hidden not to spoil the fun of the popcorn-laden audience. Oh and as for the AI face swapping, I was seriously duped until I saw the eyebrows twitching unnaturally.
Found (2021)
Nice twist at the end
Despite the unmatched results, every one did a great job. Props to the DNA database because it helped another girl reuniting with her birth mother (or at least knowing each other's existence). The nannies deserve the greatest credit for all the sweats and tears poured in taking care thousands of babies, and being able to recount their early months, if not years! There's not nothing more touching in the world than discovering your "lost past". It'd be nicer if this had been made into a series, which could potentially help fund the genealogist's work. She seems so devoted.
André & His Olive Tree (2020)
The documentary was cool; André was much cooler
Skillfully penetrated in André's octaphilosophy, the documentary is dissected into 8 themes. Despite the good concept, execution falls short. The documentary taken as a dish, would be some domestic cupcake under the veneer of branded canapé - worthy of the hype but wanting the delicacy. I believe a cold tone for Singapore scenes - 1.5 degrees North of the equator - is a blunder. Cinematography apart, André seems aloof at work whilst you would observe good amount of smile on him too, which makes him atypical of a documentary protagonist. A point for director on that. There is no need of too much garnish or seasoning for a dish, as well as a character portrayal. Whereas the documentary essentially did not set a clear tone from the get-go, neither does any sparks come off along the way. I guess bad execution does not kill a good story. 7/10
Night Is Young (2020)
Liberate Hong Kong
Another story soon be forgotten yet etched in our minds. The film did not extol this battle for democracy in Hong Kong that had erupted last year (2019). Neither was any emotion overblown, yet the film is so stealthily mawkish. Besides patent sympathy related to the taxi driver and the juvenile protestors, if you take a closer look, there are black-masked student coming out of the school, cameraperson adjusting camera to dodge riot officer's scan, and many real-world protests taken place around every corner of this city - or nation that somebody purports. The film does not fall short for its length. Audience who share any of these memories would also echo with this palpable anguish.