Movie review postings have been a regular part of our LPG-community yahoogroup and the most prolific contributor in this regard is KC, our tireless movie/theatre outing IC. We have decide to compile these past contributions in one location here on our website for easier reference. The reviews are listed by tilte of the movie and the date indicates the date when the posting was put on our LPG-community yahoogroup. Unless otherwise stated the articles featured here are by KC.

Taegukgi (Korean) (****)
The Aviator (***)
The Human Stain (***1/2)
The Phantom of the Opera (****)
The Way Home (Korean) (***)
Together (Mandarin) (****)
20:30:40 (Mandarin) (***)

Visits: Hungry Ghost Anthology (**)

Taegukgi (Korean) (****)

Date: Thu Sep 23, 2004 10:21 am

this moving and touching Korean movie lasting about two and a half hours about two brothers (Jang Dong-Kun and Wong Bin) involuntarily drafted into the Korean War in 1950. A story of love, repect, courage and of family torn apart by the war and of brotherly love. Elder brother, always protective of the younger brother will do what it takes to send the younger brother home. Much of the movie is taken up with graphic scenes of the war - explosions, fire exchanges, hand-to-hand battle and many gory scenes of bloody wounds. Not surprising, this is the No.1 movie of all time in Korea surpassing "Titanic". When the music strikes the right cords, the flood banks break lose.......so get your hanky ready for this movie.

The Aviator (***)
Date: Mon Jan 17, 2005

A disappointing effort by the excellent director Martin.
Scorsese in this epic on the life of billionaire turned movie producer, Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio). Many in the industry are asking will this be the movie he will be finally rewarded with an Oscar which had eluded him having done much more excellent and deserving movies such as "Taxi Driver", "Raging Bull" and "Goodfellas" in the past. Cate Blanchett gives a commendable performance as Katherine Hepburn, with Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner, Gwen Stephani as Jean Harlow, Jude Law (yummy but in such a small role one could hardly have the hots for him) as Errol Flynn and a cast which also included Alan Alda, Alec Baldwin (used to be yummy), Ian Holm and Willem Defoe in a cameo role.

The Human Stain (***1/2)

Date: Wed Apr 7, 2004 10:42 am

Directed by Robert Benton and starring Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman and Gary Sinise, this movie about racism starts off rather slow but gets better when the story unfolds. Hopkins is good (not at his best), Nicole grows from strength to strength with her roles and Ed Harris who plays her psychotic ex-husband is still as sexy as I first laid eyes on him in "Places in the Heart". Censors are the culprit for the jerky pace of the movie.

The Phantom of the Opera (****)

Date: Mon Jan 17, 2005

Having watched the London production onstage, this film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical by Joel Schumacher will never be comparable to the stage production with the excellent Michael Crawford as the Phantom. The sets and costumes are wonderful and with an excellent British and Irish supporting cast including Minnie Driver as La Carlotta, Miranda Richardson as Madame Giry, gay actor Simon Callow and Ciaran Hinds as the new managers of the Paris Opera House, Andre and Firmin, this movie is still enjoyable with Emmy Rossum as Christine Daae, Paul Wilson as Rauol de Chagny and Gerard Butler as the Phantom. All did their own singing except for Minnie Driver. However, a newly composed song "Learn to be Lonely" sung by Minnie Driver, is introduced over the end credits of the film.

Date: Thu Sep 23, 2004 10:21 am

A spoilt child from Seoul is left with his grand mother in the village. Detesting the countryside way of life as it devoids all creatures comforts of the city life and offers no form of entertainment and the state of the grand mother, the child learns to appreciate the love and care the grand mother bestowed on the child.

Together (Mandarin) (****)

Date: Wed Apr 7, 2004 10:42 am

Another touching movie by Chen Kaige about a
father who will do anything in order for his son whom he found as a baby to suceed as a child music prodigy and the scarifices he makes so that his son will have a better life than his. Chen Kaige makes an appearance in this movie as Professor Yu. Winner of San Sebastian Internationl Film Festival's Silver Seashell Award for Best Actor (Liu Peiqi who plays the father) and Director (Chen Kaige) in 2002. Also, in 2003 won the Florida Film Festival's Audience Award for Best International Feature Film.

 

20:30:40 (Mandarin) (***)
Date: Wed Apr 7, 2004 10:42 am

A good effort by Sylvia Chang about the lives of three women in their 20's (played by Lee Sin Je), 30's (played by Rene Liu) and 40's (played by Sylvia herself). However, the movie tend to drag a bit towards the end. Support from Tony Leung Kar Fai and Anthony Wong.

Visits: Hungry Ghost Anthology (**)

Date: Thu Sep 23, 2004 10:21 am

A Malaysian effort which fell flat. Comprising of four short stories, only the segments directed by Low Ngai Yuen, "1431" and Ng Tian Hann's "Nodding Scoop" are worth watching. As for James Lee's "Waiting For Them", the acting was too painful to watch and I nearly walked out of the cinema. Better luck next time!

From: "ryuwo"
Date: Mon Sep 27, 2004 5:31 pm

Well it is a cheap production movie, using the simplest method to shoot a ghost movie. it is not really that bad, hehe. it has 4 parts in it and the third part is basically the best. it is about a
Chinese tradition of calling a spirit, "ah lan kor". it is quite scary to me.