Tuesday
Sunday
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Film: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton
Premieres: 25 Dec 08 [US]
I was born under unusual circumstances. And so begins The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time. We follow his story, set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918, into the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any mans life can be. Benjamin Button, is a grand tale of a not-so-ordinary man and the people and places he discovers along the way, the loves he finds, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond time.
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Wow. Never expected to ever see such a storyline unfold on a Hollywood screen, what more with big names and the brilliant David Fincher who brought us all time dark classics like Se7en, Fight Club and the more recent Zodiac. This is definitely one not to miss.
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Wednesday
Hunger
Film: Hunger
Director: Steve McQueen
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Stuart Graham, Liam McMahon, Brian Milligan
Premieres: Cannes Film Fest [17 May 08], 31 Oct 08[SG]
Hunger is a provocative interpretation of the true story of IRA volunteer, MP, poet Bobby Sands, who led a hunger strike as a political tactic in a long running battle over prison conditions. He and his fellow prisoners demand to be treated as political prisoners and not as terrorists. Their demands are refused. He stays true to his word. He died 66 days into the strike, as do nine other prisoners after him. Six months after his death the state begins to concede to their demands.
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The first hour of hardly any dialogue but all grim suffering and assault in the prison set a dark tone for the film. The pace had the artsy slowness which was well contrasted with the intense conversation in the middle, and blended with the painful hunger strike ordeal. First time director McQueen also looked at the treatment through a reluctant prison officer and young guard's eyes during the blanket and dirty protests which ultimately led to the strike.
Amazing and certainly deserving of Cannes' Camera d'Or.
7.5/10*
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Young Folks
Artist: Peter Bjorn and John
Music: Young Folks
Video: Music Video
[iTunes 2007 Song of the Year]
I've heard them for over a year now and I can say this is truly the most whistle-able song. The five instrumental tracks i've listened so far from their new album Seaside Rock [TBR 23 Sep] are just brilliant.
Now You Try!
official myspace wiki
Labels: music
Saturday
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Film: Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Director: Woody Allen
Starring: Penelope Cruz, Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem
Premieres: Cannes Film Fest [17 May 08], 25 Sep 08[SG]
Two young American women, Vicky and Cristina come to Barcelona for a summer holiday. Vicky is sensible and engaged to be married; Cristina is emotionally and sexually adventurous. In Barcelona, they’re drawn into a series of unconventional romantic entanglements with Juan Antonio, a charismatic painter, who is still involved with his tempestuous ex-wife Maria Elena.
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Woody Allen recaptures brilliance here since 2005's Match Point by intricately crafting his characters and their relationship, in this seductive, captivating and enjoyable summer romance holiday. Sexy.
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Tuesday
Boy A
Film: Boy A
Director: John Crowley
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Peter Mullan, Siobhann Finneran
Premieres: Toronto Int'l Film Fest [8 Sep 07], 4 Sep 08[SG]
A young man spent most of his life in institutions paying for a terrible crime he committed as a minor. At 24 years old, he is released into an unrecognisable adult world with a new name, a new job; a new life. Only his case worker knows his true identity. Anonymity is both a blessing and a curse as Jack, desperate to re-build his life and seize this second chance, has to contend with not being able to tell the people he gets to know, and love, of his true past and the monstrous secret he must keep hidden.
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This film follows Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece A Clockwork Orange closely, reflecting the social acceptance of ex-cons in the society. It looks merely a remake this time but now with a character whom we could relate better to in ordinary world, unlike Alex's dystopian fantasy.
Premiered at the Toronto Int'l Film Festival exactly ONE YEAR AGO [8 Sep 07], it's currently screening exclusively at GV here, illustrating how up-to-date we are in the film world. Am i ever going to watch my 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days here in Singapore? Film distributors, Singapore Film Commission or whoever in charge, you have to be better than this.
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Monday
The Brothers Bloom
Film: The Brothers Bloom
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Rachel Weisz, Adrian Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi
Premieres: Toronto Int'l Film Fest [9 Sep 08], 19 Dec 08[US]
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.
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Another hollywood production in the limelight at this year's TIFF. Although this probably feels just like another heist film after the likes of the Ocean's series and The Bank Job, the casting of the gorgeous Rachel Weisz alongside Adrian Brody is certainly one to watch. And there's also their fellow c4-member BangBang, played by Japanese Rinko Kikuchi, who earned critical acclaimed for the role of the deaf-mute girl in Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu's 2006 award winning Babel.
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Friday
Dance Dance Dance
Artist: Lykke Li
Music: Dance Dance Dance
Video: Downtown San Francisco for La Blogotheque
My best indie discovery this year remains to be Sweden's Lykke Li. Mainly because i ended up getting a blend of cutesy, electronic euro-pop from her debut record, Youth Novels. Her style and voice, with an attitude of her predecessor Robyn, certainly demands your attention.
official myspace wiki
Labels: music
Milk
Film: Milk
Director: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsh, Josh Brolin, James Franco
Premieres: 5 Dec 08 [US]
Milk, is story of California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk, a San Francisco supervisor who was assassinated along with Mayor George Moscone by former city supervisor Dan White.
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This biopic by the briiliant Gus Van Sant [Elephant, Paranoid Park], has traces resembling Sean Penn's previous film The Assassination of Richard Nixon, except that his character now actually gains support and recognition. What a time in America to release a film looking back at rights, change and revolution.
official wiki imdb
Thursday
New York, I Love You
Film: New York, I Love You
Directors: Fatih Akin, Yvan Attal, Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman & more
Starring: Natalie Portman, Ethan Hawke, Julie Christie, Maggie Q & more
Premieres: Toronto Int'l Film Fest [6 Sep 08], 13 Feb 09 [US]
New York, I Love You is a collective work of twelve short films each running around 5 minutes long all rolled into one, created by several international directors in New York's five boroughs, with a common theme of finding love interwoven into each of the five minute shorts.
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I can't wait for this big apple version of the '"City",I Love You' series which all began with the beautiful Paris, je t'aime back in 2006 (next city - Shanghai). More familiar hollywood faces this time around and my favorite boleyn girls making their directorial debuts. what a delight. Feist's 1234 towards the end of the trailer, perfect.
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