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- recent movies i have watched : -
- 28 mar -- requiem for a dream (2nd viewing) <rating : A+> -- < >
- 25 mar -- quills <rating : B+> -- < >
- 23 mar -- contender, the <rating : B> -- < >
- 22 mar -- requiem for a dream <rating : A+> -- < >
- 20 mar -- hannibal <rating : B-> -- < >
- 17 mar -- silence of the lambs, the <rating : A-> -- < >
- 15 mar -- traffic <rating : A> -- < >
- 13 mar -- pay it forward <rating : B-> -- < >
- 11 mar -- urbania <rating : A> -- < >
- 11 mar -- paragraph 175 <rating : B> -- < >
- 10 mar -- o fantasma <rating : C> -- < >
- 09 mar -- billy elliot <rating : A+> -- < >
- 08 mar -- chocolat <rating : A-> -- < >
- 03 mar -- broken hearts club, the <rating : A-> -- < >
- 02 mar -- remember the titans <rating : B-> -- < >
- 02 mar -- legend of baggar vance, the <rating : A-> -- < >
- 01 mar -- proof of life <rating : C> -- < >
- 22 feb -- meet the parents <rating : B-> -- < >
- 18 feb -- gift, the <rating : B+> -- < >
- 17 feb -- what women want (2nd viewing) <rating : C+> -- < >
- 17 feb -- bounce <rating : D+> -- < >
- 15 feb -- the family man <rating : A-> -- < >
- 14 feb -- what women want <rating : C+> -- < >
- 13 feb -- floating clouds <rating : A-> -- < >
- 03 feb -- dancer in the dark (3rd viewing) <rating : A+> -- < >
- 02 feb -- thelma and louise <rating : A> -- < >
- 01 feb -- shower <rating : B> -- < >
- 30 jan -- 102 dalmatians <rating : C-> -- < >
- 28 jan -- high fidelity <rating : B> -- < >
- 27 jan -- durian, durian <rating : A-> -- < >
- 26 jan -- cast away <rating : A-> -- < >
- 26 jan -- fantasia 2000 (2nd viewing) <rating : A-> -- < >
- 23 jan -- salo : the 120 days of sodom <rating : A> -- < >
- 21 jan -- accidental spy, the <rating : D> -- < >
- 21 jan -- straight story, the <rating : B> -- < >
- 20 jan -- crouching tiger, hidden dragon (2nd viewing) <rating : B+> -- < >
- 20 jan -- battle royale <rating : A-> -- < >
- 17 jan -- unbreakble <rating : B+> -- < >
- 16 jan -- going back to school with my father on my back <rating : B-> -- < >
- 15 jan -- watcher, the <rating : D-> -- < >
- 14 jan -- vertical limit <rating : B+> -- < >
- 13 jan -- lost souls<rating : C+> -- < >
- 24 dec -- scream 3 (2nd viewing) <rating : B-> -- < >
- 24 dec -- dancer in the dark (2nd viewing) <rating : A+> -- < >
- 24 dec -- million dollar hotel, the (2nd viewing) <rating : A> -- < >
- 17 dec -- hilary and jackie (4th viewing) <rating : A+> -- < >
- 16 dec -- bedazzled <rating : B> -- < >
- 15 dec -- plunkett and macleane <rating : B-> -- < >
- 14 dec -- road home, the <rating : A> -- < >
- 12 dec -- everything's fine, we're leaving <rating : B-> -- < >
- 10 dec -- dancer in the dark <rating : A+> -- < >
- 10 dec -- himalaya (caravan) <rating : B+> -- < >
- 09 dec -- girl on the bridge, the <rating : A-> -- < >
- 09 dec -- buffalo '66 <rating : A> -- < >
- 09 dec -- mansfield park <rating : A-> -- < >
- 03 dec -- angela's ashes <rating : B> -- < >
- 02 dec -- welcome to sarajevo <rating : C-> -- < >
- 02 dec -- poison <rating : A-> -- < >
- 30 nov -- blair witch 2 : book of shadows <rating : C+> -- < >
- 25 nov -- omega code, the <rating : D> -- < >
- 25 nov -- way of the gun, the <rating : B+> -- < >
- 19 nov -- bring it on <rating : C+> -- < >
- 18 nov -- men of honor <rating : B-> -- < >
- 18 nov -- and life goes on... <rating : A> -- < >
- 18 nov -- taxi 2 <rating : B> -- < >
- 16 nov -- saving grace <rating : B-> -- < >
- 11 nov -- cut <rating : C> -- < >
- 09 nov -- twin falls idaho <rating : A> -- < >
- 04 nov -- wind will carry us, the <rating : A-> -- < >
- 02 nov -- exorcist : the version you've never seen, the <rating : B-> -- < >
- 01 nov -- up at the villa <rating : B-> -- < >
- 01 nov -- paranoid <rating : C+> -- < >
- 28 oct -- widow of saint-pierre, the <rating : B+> -- < >
- 28 oct -- cell, the <rating : A> -- < >
- 26 oct -- pitch black <rating : B> -- < >
- 25 oct -- gladiator (2nd viewing) <rating : A+> -- < >
- 20 oct -- where the heart is <rating : B-> -- < >
- 20 oct -- where is my friend's home <rating : B> -- < >
- 19 oct -- colour of paradise, the <rating : B> -- < >
- 19 oct -- virgin suicides, the <rating : A-> -- < >
- 15 oct -- postmen in the mountains <rating : A-> -- < >
- 14 oct -- skulls, the <rating : D> -- < >
- 14 oct -- first love <rating : C+> -- < >
- 12 oct -- frequency <rating : A> -- < >
- 12 oct -- cherry falls <rating : C> -- < >
- 05 oct -- keeping the faith <rating : A> -- < >
- 02 oct -- final decision <rating : B+> -- < >
- 01 oct -- chicken run <rating : A-> -- < >
- 30 sept -- in the mood for love <rating : A+> -- < >
- 29 sept -- autumn in new york <rating : C+> -- < >
- 28 sept -- space cowboys <rating : B-> -- < >
- 24 sept -- audtion <rating : D> -- < >
- 24 sept -- blue august <rating : B+> -- < >
- 23 sept -- lilies <rating : A> -- < >
- 17 sept -- like grains of sand <rating : B+> -- < >
- 16 sept -- orgazmo <rating : B+> -- < >
- 16 sept -- theory of flight, the <rating : B> -- < >
- 13 sept -- coyote ugly <rating : B> -- < >
- 12 sept -- rear window <rating : B+> -- < >
- 10 sept -- girl, interrupted <rating : A-> -- < >
- 09 sept -- hollow man <rating : C> -- < >
- 06 sept -- suzhou river <rating : A-> -- < >
- 04 sept -- what lies beneath (3rd viewing) <rating : A-> -- < >
- 03 sept -- iron ladies, the <rating : B+> -- < >
- 01 sept -- gohatto <rating : B> -- < >
- 28 august -- summer holiday <rating : B-> -- < >
- 27 august -- blade runner <rating : B> -- < >
- 26 august -- what lies beneath (second viewing) <rating : A-> -- < >
- 24 august -- what lies beneath <rating : A-> -- < >
- 23 august -- fantasia 2000 <rating : A-> -- <a great extension of the idea conceived by walt disney 60 years ago ; the best sequences would be - rhapsody in blue and pines in rome. a must-see for classical music lovers. >
- 17 august -- scary movie <rating : B-> -- <a spoof comedy that was shot just for laughs and it works for most of the time. ignore the shallow and sketchy plot, just sit back and relax..... >
- 6 august -- x-men <rating : B+> -- < >
- 5 august -- buena vista social club <rating : A-> -- < >
- 4 august -- perfect storm, the <rating : B-> -- < >
- 1 august -- full metal jacket <rating : B+> -- < >
- 29 july -- gone in 60 seconds <rating : B-> -- < >
- 29 july -- rogue trader <rating : C-> -- < >
- 28 july -- me, myself and irene <rating : C> -- < >
- 23 july -- relax...it's just sex <rating : A-> -- < >
- 23 july -- piano, the <rating : B> -- < >
- 20 july -- october sky (2nd viewing) <rating : A> -- < >
- 18 july -- felicia's journey (3rd viewing) <rating : A> -- < >
- 16 july -- kikujiro <rating : B> -- < >
- 15 july -- halloween ii <rating : C+> -- < >
- 14 july -- civil action, a <rating : C+> -- < >
- 13 july -- blue velvet <rating : A-> -- < >
- 09 july -- u-571 <rating : B+> -- < >
- 07 july -- crouching tiger, hidden dragon <rating : C> -- <please refer to reviews section >
- 02 july -- romance (second viewing) <rating : B-> -- < >
- 30 june -- five senses, the <rating : B+> -- < >
- 28 june -- legend of 1900, the <rating : B> -- < >
- 24 june -- mission impossible 2 <rating : B> -- < >
- 23 june -- empire of the sun <rating : B> -- < >
- 22 june -- final destination (2nd viewing) <rating : B+> -- < >
- 22 june -- any given sunday <rating : A-> -- < >
- 17 june -- stir of echoes <rating : B-> -- < >
- 17 june -- romance <rating : B-> -- < >
- 15 june -- final destination <rating : B> -- < >
- 10 june -- man on the moon <rating : B-> -- <i didn't like or even hate jim carrey before i watched this movie 'cause i thought he was sooo pretentious and disgusting. but his role in man on the moon is different from those in the past and his spectacular performance proves that he is a very talented actor. but this movie is nothing special apart from carrey's performance. it spends too much time showing andy kaufman's stage performance and the wrestling matches.>
- 10 june -- three seasons <rating : B> -- <grabbing three awards in sundance film festival last year, three seasons is breathtaking visually. cinematographer lisa rinzler captures the lyrical and radiant images of the modern-day as well as traditional vietnam. however, the problem is in its story-telling. the four plots which are briefly related are too isolated from one to another. viewers at first may expect something significant or some kind of mystery towards the end but it turns out to be that there is nothing really important or can surprise the viewers. but still, visually speaking it is a piece of art and style but not substance.>
- 08 june -- ninth gate, the <rating : B-> -- <not an easy to watch and people would get lost if they do not pay attention to the details. i agree that the ending is disappointing but not disastrous as most people said. overall, not much surprises but still it can hold your attention till the mystery is finally resolved.>
- 08 june -- 8 1/2 women <rating : C> -- <a peter greenaway film. every piece of greenaway's works is provocative and controversial. i have only watched two of them, the infamous the cook, the theif, his wife and her lover, and the pillow book. in both films, i am delighted by greenaway's unique visual tricks and cinematography. but 8 1/2 women is disappointing in the way that all these are gone. what is worse is that it is very difficult to follow the story and what the film tries to convey. it is hard to tell if it is a good or bad movie. but i can tell you it is very strange. in case you like som really 'strange' movies, it is the one for you.>
- 07 june -- felicia's journey (second viewing) <rating : A> -- <see below please>
- 04 june -- trick <rating : B+> -- <>
- 03 june -- gladiator <rating : A> -- <don't tell me you didn't get any expectation before watching gladiator, but it is rare for a film that is highly expected to be so good and seamless that you can't find any flaw in it. gladiator is one of them. this one billion production is perfect and can hold your breath every second. who doesn't cheer for maximus with the crowd inside the coliseum? from the opening battle scene to the poetic finale, gladiator is a non-stop action piece, but at the same time, a thinking man's epic in the vein of ben-hur and spartacus. what is equally good is the music composed by hans zimmer and lisa gerrard. even if you have not watched the movie, go to buy the ost at once 'cause it is just too good ... so good that i can hardly tell you how good it is.>
- 13 may -- american psycho <rating : A-> -- <i was a little bit disappointed when i walked out of the cinema tonight. why? first, this is my most anticipated movie recently. second, the movie is different from what i expected - scary, bloody or even shocking 'cause this film is advertised in hong kong as gruesome, sick and the version that is going to be shown here is an uncut version which is banned in the usa. here i want to tell everybody who is going to watch this movie : this is not a horror movie but a black comedy/social satire of the greed, superficiality and selfishness of the yuppies in the 80s. the social commentary permeates the whole film. in one scene, a woman asks bateman (christian bale) what he does for his living and he says : 'murders and executions', 'mergers and acquisitions' the woman replies. no one seems to listen to anyone and they are just like living dead. they wear the best clothes and argue for half an hour for which restaurant to go for their lunch. it would not be able to understand the film if you do not pay attention to the conversations. christian bale's performance is brilliant and should be remembered in oscar next year though he is not very likely to be nominated ('cause they are always biased and conservatiive towards movies with sensitive content). i wonder what will happen if leonardo dicaprio takes this role (he supposedly expressed interest in playing bateman). chole sevigny is also spectacular as the sweet secretary of bateman. at the moment when she is going to be killed by bateman, i almost cries out. finally, the production design is very impressive, the look and feel of the 80s is recreated. yeah, it just looks perfect. american psycho - a social satire that is advertised as a horror movie.>
- 07 may -- million dollar hotel, the <rating : A> -- <i heard of wim wenders' name long ago but have never watched his movies until in april - buena vista social club (see below) which i found it amazing and successful as a documentary. i thought, hey this director is cool but not superb as atom egoyan, etc. but he is a great man to me now after i watched the million dollar hotel. i am not going to write what the movie is about here (wait till i write the long review later) but i can tell you that this film does have much impact on my attitude towards life. not very often can you find a movie that can lead you think and try to change the way to live. mesmerizing and i highly recommend you to watch this one. REMEMBER : NEVER BELIEVE HOW OTHER PEOPLE THINK ABOUT A MOVIE BEFORE YOU GO TO WATCH IT. FILM CRITICS ARE SHIT! in case you are interested in what the movie talks about, just shut your ears, go and see it!>
- 04 may -- erin brockovich <rating : B+> -- <it is the kind of movie that most viewers leaving the cinema satisfied. julia roberts again proves that she is not just a charmer but ac actress who can really act and her spectacular performance here deserves a nom in oscar next year. one of the flaws of this movie is that all the lawyers are portrayed as shallow and conversative idiots in order to contrast with erin's intelligence. you may say, hey it's just a movie! well but for me, a law student, it does matter..... >
- 27 apr -- chance to die, a <rating : D> -- <>
- 24 apr -- topsy-turvy <rating : B+> -- <>
- 22 apr -- felicia's journey <rating : A> -- <it would be meaningless if we discuss this film without mentioning about the director. he is atom egoyan who created several important films in the past few years, including 1997's the sweet hereafter which remains one of my favourite films. felicia's journey talks about two characters - a middle-aged man who first appears to be a well-adjusted man but later turns out to have a monstrous side, and a naive irish girl who arrives english searching for her boyfriend. like his earlier films, egoyan does not tell the story in a straight-forward way but try to weave together the past, the present or even fantasies together which never confuses the attentive viewers. the overall production is excellent and it definitely leaves a lasting impression on viewers. finally, mychael danna's music heightens the overall atmosphere in the film. atom egoyan, thanx for this great film and look forward to the next production!>
- 21 apr -- cup, the <rating : B> -- <>
- 19 apr -- story of us, the <rating : C+> -- <>
- 18 apr -- buena vista social club <rating : A-> -- <>
- 18 apr -- last days, the <rating : B+> -- <academy award winner for best documentary of 1999, the last days is more than just another holocaust documentary. it tells not simply the world of the concentration camp but also the world of the survivors and the witnesses. the last days were only the beginning, when they tried to step into the world again from the hell. john moll uncovers quite a number of rare footages, in one of those, we see several skeletal survivors walking in a ghostly parade inside the camp - i have never watched anything that is so sad but shocking in my life.>
- 15 apr -- being john malkovich <rating : A-> -- <have you ever wanted to be someone else? yes i do. john malkovich? very doubtful. being john malkovich is the weirdest and the most original movie i have ever watched this year. sitting through it is just like a wild roller-coaster ride but certainly you will walk away completely satisfied. the entire film is unpretictable and insanely funny, especially when john malkovich enters the tunnel into his own mind and body, that scene is absolutely bizarre but funny and memorable. the protagonists all give fantastic performances, especially cameron diaz who tries her best to made herself look unglamorous as possible in contrast with another female lead, catherine keener. i cannot even spot her out in the first fifteen minutes. overall it is an original masterpiece but it is not difficult to find some loopholes for instance how come the people can get from the tunnel in the office building to the new jersey highway within fifteen minutes? but as this is a completely original fantasy film, it seems it does not matter at all....>
- 13 apr -- scream 3 <rating : B> -- <i am a die hard fan of scream 1 and 2. so how do i think about the third one - the one that concludes the trilogy? well, first i need to tell you something happened when i was watching scream 3 tonight. the guy sat beside me kept talking on the phone and he even made a call to his buddy! i tried to stop him by repeatedly giving 'signals' but i failed. his girlfriend just stood there and did nothing.... here i just want to ask all hk people, please turn off your phone whenever you find yourself sitting in a cinema....... okay now for the movie. scream 3 is definitely not as scary as scream 1 and 2 which are damn right scary but it does have some scary moments. the good thing of this movie is that it tries to add more humour and it is successful in doing so. neve campbell is always great as sidney while the arquettes are always an interesting couple. everything seems to have been settled in scream 3 (but the truth is?) ; don't be surprised to see the third sequel coming next year...>
- 13 apr -- eXistenZ <rating : C+> -- <the idea is not an original one. even the thirteenth floor or the matrix's are not. nirvana is a much much better and original film to watch. but yes david cronenberg did elaborate the idea and he even talks about anti-violence/war. however, the problem is that there are not sufficient exciting stuff happened in the virtual world, the audience want more, just like nirvana. and finally, why the chinese waiter is killed but not of another race? there is an issue of racial discrimination here.>
- 09 apr -- magnolia <rating : A+> -- <>
- 07 apr -- nang nak <rating : B+> -- <a gem from thailand! you have not watched a thai film before, try to watch this one and you will be surprised by the high quality production. the story is actually very simple and one-dimensional but because of that the audience can feel the love and passion developed between mark and nak. i am particularly impressed by the gorgeous cinematography and the magnificent music throughout the film. the weak point is the story may be a little bit too superstitious for people not living in thailand. however if you can watch it with an open mind and understand the difference between the cultures and traditions of different countries, that should not be a problem.>
- 07 apr -- dogma <rating : C+> -- <is it sacrilegious? no i don't think so. but i saw many catholic organizations criticize it as so, why is that? i agree that it may be politically incorrect ; however it asks many good questions and poses many insightes into the meaning of faith and other religious issues. one of them is - why are we here? you may want to know the answer right? if you do, you may find it a very interesting and rewarding film. but beware : you may be offended (actually there is a disclaimer at the beginning of the film) and i wonder why there is so much blood and gore towards the very end which is disastrous.>
- 02 apr -- tell me something <rating : A> -- <the film that totally changes my attitude towards korean production. tell me something is intelligent, highly suspenseful and won't get out of your brain till you have found out all the answers. it surpasses all movies of its genre including the bone collector or resurrection. come and see if you can find out the true murderer and if there is any culprit?>
- 31 mar -- american beauty <rating : B+> -- < >
- 19 mar -- hurricane, the <rating : B> -- < >
- 16 mar -- talented mr ripley, the <rating : A+> -- < >
- 16 mar -- election <rating : B+> -- <the script is fantastic and i know realize why it is nominated in the oscar. reese delivers a strong and hilarious performance, the best in her career so far.>
- 14 mar -- boys don't cry <rating : A-> -- <a powerful but disturbing and sad true story happened 7 years ago in the usa. hilary swank and chloe sevingny both did really great job and they should both win the oscars!>
- 11 mar -- green mile, the <rating : A-> -- <as below>
- 10 mar -- green mile, the <rating : A-> -- <i had mixed feelings after watching this one. overall, i think it is good but at the same time there are flaws. however, there are a couple of scenes which are so emotional touching that you would just forget about the flaws (too much unnecessary cgs. that makes the film looks artificial). >
- 07 mar -- sleepy hollow <rating : B-> -- < >
- 04 mar -- american beauty <rating : B+> -- < >
- 03 mar -- talented mr ripley, the <rating : A+> -- < >
- 02 mar -- talented mr ripley, the <rating : A> -- < >
- 29 feb -- insider, the <rating : B+> -- <not for people with no fundamental knowledge or interest in legal and press-related topics. but if you do, you would definitely love the insider, credits are given to michael mann's direction, eric roth's brilliant script, dante spinotti's moody cinematography and the terrific musc by pieter bourke and lisa gerrard (try to compare with the score of the cider house rules, and you will know why i repeatedly criticized the academy awards).>
- 25 feb -- red violin, the <rating : A> -- <mesmerizing! perfect! the red violin is an ambitious movie about a 300-year-old violin which came across many fascinating characters. it starts out slowly and it soon makes the audience more and more involved into the story. hey it really engaged me and kept my eyes glued to the screen!!! it would be even more entertaining to classical music lovers. the score is powerful and poignant and is outstanding when compared to the other four oscar nominees for best original score (but who knows what the judges are thinking? may be they know nothing about music? then why life is beautiful won last year? and why the cider house rules was nominated?)>
- 25 feb -- three kings <rating : C+> -- < >
- 24 feb -- music of the heart <rating : A-> -- <who would believe such a tender and moving movie is actually directed by wes craven, the director of scream and scream 2? meryl streep gives a magnificent job as usual and his sons are really really adorable. finally i am very impressed by the appearance of so many great artists on screen, e.g., joshua bell and isaac stern!>
- 18 feb -- cider house rules, the <rating : B-> -- <does this film deserve all its seven oscar nominations? negative! i lost my confidence and interest to academy awards completely after watching this film, which has been nominated as the best original score(what a surprise to me! i wonder if any of the judges knows what music is!), best director and even the best picture(jesus christ!)>
- 10 feb -- sweet hereafter, the <rating : A> -- < >
- 4 feb -- toy story 2 <rating : B+> -- < >
- 4 feb -- gods and monsters <rating : A-> -- < >
- 3 feb -- beach, the <rating : B-> -- <cinematography and production design is quite good ; the music is intense and effective (the best song would be moby's procerlain which also appears in playing by heart.) but the problem of the beach is how much of what is told in it is real. would foreigners be banned to stay on some thai islands? are there marijuana farmers who would shoot foreigners? i do not think so. there are lacuna in the storyline and characters are lack of depth and development. the theme of the film is clear, there is no paradise or utopia in the world no matter how people try their hard to build one 'cause desire, selfishness and violence would soon evolve ; these people can only escape from the world for a short period of time just like they are taking heroin. for action movies fan, the beach can surely keep your attention with some funny and thrilling scenes.>
- 2 feb -- mission impossible <rating : B-> -- <not much comment for this one.... some good special effects but the story is rather dull and unbelievable.>
- 2 feb -- shining, the <rating : A-> -- <the shining intends to frighten people, not with blood and gore but rather in a psychological way, and it definitely succeeds. stanley kubrick's craftsmanship is excellent and credits should also be given to jack nicholson's marvellous performance.>
- 1 feb -- sling blade <rating : A-> -- <i was impressed by billy bob thorton (he directs, writes and acts in sling blade)'s performance in a simple plan and i was 'shocked' by his spectacular acting ability in sling blade. he looks like a completely different-looking person in every role he takes. every moment with him on the screen was touching, especially the way he kept his mouth shut tight with his lower lip swallowing the upper when he was thinking. his performance is just PERFECT! other supporting actors gave decent performances as well. thorton's script is great while the music and cinematography is fine.>
- 28 jan -- halloween <rating : B+> -- <as a classic horror movie, it must be scary notwithstanding it is viewed in the 70s or 20 years later. i did not find the exorcist scary. but this one, john carpenter's halloween certainly did! despite its very limited budget (us$300,000) and 20 shooting days, everything in it works really well and is designed to scare people deep inside your heart. john carpenter's creepy piano music definitely helps a lot. actually the film is totally dominated by the music ...... i heard some people had to cover their ears with their hands when they were watching halloween to avoid being scared away..... >
- 24 jan -- messenger, the story of joan of arc, the <rating : B> -- <it is a two and a half hours but a well-paced film (many foreign critics accused this film as dull, slow and boring. i do not think so. i wonder if they think when they are watching it.) by luc besson. the film is thought-provoking and the director raises a lot of questions and poses a number of possible answers. milla jovovich gives a tremendous performance throughout the film. but the battle scenes are a little disappointing, surpassed by that in mel gibson's braveheart>
- recent movies i watched : -