A Frozen Flower (쌍화점)

Written and directed by Yoo Ha, starring Ju Jin Mo, Jo In Sung and Song Ji Hyo.

Set in the end of the Goryeo era (1390's), the King of Goryeo's position as a leader was threatened by China's Yuan Empire. The Yuan wished to crown another King, the reason being the King had no heir. The King, not able to sleep with a woman because of his homosexuality, asked his chief general and lover Hong Lim to sleep with the Queen, in the hopes of producing an heir.

Saw it because I had not seen Jo In Sung in the longest time and because Jo In Sung + homosexuality (or affectionately referred to as 'BL' or 'Boys Love' by fangirls) sounded like a great idea. Before watching it, I read some of the comments that people left about the film and noticed that most didn't like it. I had a feeling that this would be one depressing film.

Unfortunately I was right. What a depressing film. And the homosexuality stuff? Could only be found in the beginning, and that was it. After that, there were a series of heterosexual sex scenes which kinda surprised me because it was pretty graphic, and the actors in this film are all quite the A-listers. The story itself was somehow pretty predictable and I was not comfortable with the female lead. Even though she was the same age as Jo In Sung, she just didn't suit the part. I was most surprised with Ju Jin Mo. Before this film, the only time I saw him was in a romantic comedy titled 200 Pound Beauty. Seeing him in this demanding role was a pleasant surprise because he gave such a wonderful performance. He carried the film by himself. The other two main cast seemed like aids to elaborate the film, compared to him. Ju Jin Mo took the lead, he made us feel for him, pity him, sympathize him. It was such a delight to be able to see him portray this character.

Because of the theme and the setting, one would instantly compare this to Lee Jun Ik's The King and the Clown. But I have to say that these two were on different levels. I much prefer The King and the Clown, which was a poignant, poetic and beautiful piece of art. A Frozen Flower was filled with blood, angst and eroticism. However in terms of costumes and art direction, A Frozen Flower was not less pretty.

All in all, this film made me respect the Korean cinema industry and its performers more, and lament at the still left-far-behind Indonesian cinema. It was a treat to see a wonderful performance by the charismatic Ju Jin Mo and that reason alone was enough to make me feel that this film was worth my time and attention. When you have a predictable and depressing plot, you look for the actors' performances, and Ju Jin Mo gave one that would make you remember him. Yes, Jo In Sung was prettier, but Ju Jin Mo stole the show.

7 / 10.

Waltz With Bashir

An animated movie directed and written by Ari Folman, based on his own experiences. Probably right to label it a documentary feature instead of a movie. Nominated for an Oscar, won a Golden Globe.

Ari Folman was nineteen years old and in the Israeli army when the Lebanon War went on in 1982. For years he never thought or talked about it. In 2006, he realized that he didn't remember a thing during the Sabra and Shatila massacre, was he there? What was he doing? Folman began to ask around, looking for his old army friends, trying to remember what exactly happened with him at that time.

Waltz With Bashir was filled with reality, albeit it being animated. In fact, they were right to do it in animation which successfully captured the haunting war images, the dreams and hallucinations of Forman's, the upbeat rhythm of the soldiers' youth. Most of all, the film showed how wars are just plain useless. You can see how these young Israeli soldiers, who barely understood what exactly they were doing, were just scared and lost. Folman wanted to know what happened during the massacre, what he was doing at that time. How did the massacre happen? Who's to blame? Could anyone have stopped it from happening? Did anyone order those Christian Phalangist militia to kill all those Palestinian civilians? Historical facts might not be the point of the film but with these questions you are invited to think, to reflect. This shouldn't have happened, a war in the name of a certain god or belief, or just plain politics, shouldn't ever have happened. Yet it did, and it is still happening until now. As someone who is almost a non-believer, I was reminded of something that Richard Dawkins wrote in his book, The God Delusion, "Imagine a world with no religion. Imagine no Israeli/Palestinian wars." Yes, people, imagine.

8.5 / 10.

"I hope one day when they grow up, they watch this film together and they see the war that takes place in the film, it will look to them like an ancient video game that has nothing to do with their lives whatsoever."
--Ari Folman, during his acceptance speech when he won a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, referring to the kids of the film crew that were born during the four year process of making the film.

Milk

Directed by Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting, Elephant). Starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, James Franco and Diego Luna. Written by Dustin Lance Black. Nominated for eight Oscars, including for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Screenplay.

Told the true story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the US.

It was mind boggling that Prop 8 got through. Heck, it's mind boggling why homosexuals still have to fight for their rights until now. It never stops to amaze me how difficult it is for people to understand that we are all humans. How difficult it is for them to not judge other people by how they love each other. Beats me. Harvey Milk, portrayed so delicately by Sean Penn, was not trying to be a hero. He was just a man with a lot of hope. He wasn't fighting for himself, he was not fighting for a community, he was fighting for men's rights as human beings. The film told his story from the beginning of his efforts to run for office from 1970. He failed three times and finally got elected as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. You are able to see how selfless this guy was. How affectionate, how humane. I think everyone agrees that Sean Penn is one of the most gifted actors, ever. It was so easy to go over the top with this role, so easy to be artificial. Yet Penn, as always, was able to play it just right. The team of Gus Van Sant and Sean Penn delivers a biopic that doesn't feel orchestrated, it has that indie soul, despite the A-list stars and the non-indie scale of the film. Josh Brolin is a fine actor, proven once again. With the limited screen time that he was given, he was able to make us somehow see Dan White. Emile Hirsch was scene stealing, I'm more assured that Hirsch and Penn make a great team. It felt "WTF?!" yet fun to see the very hot male model Boyd Holbrook got a role, a role with a name in the credits. Uh-huh. And James Franco. My lord, what a fine actor. I would love to be his agent because I seriously cannot understand his movie choices. James Franco is one of the finest young actors that Hollywood got, and look at his movies. Look at what he has done in the last few years. This man is wasting his own talents, I have no idea why. Thank god he did Milk. I just wish he starts appreciating his own talents and start improving his choices, hopefully in the near future. Come Oscar night, Milk might not snatch the Best Picture award (the statue is already reserved for Slumdog Millionaire, I presume) but this film shall be remembered because Harvey Milk should be remembered. What he stood for should be remembered. I hope the film will help people to come out and live an honest life. See this film, feel Harvey Milk's compassion and hope, and be inspired. If the ending scene doesn't touch your heart, I don't know what does.

9 / 10.

"You've got to give them hope."

EDIT: Apparently this film didn't get to be screened in Indonesia because it didn't get pass the censoring process. Shame on them, really. There is nothing graphic in this movie, yet they refused to pass it. Because it involves homosexuals instead of heterosexuals? It just shows how insecure and how undeveloped a country Indonesia is.
People, go see this film. Look for it. There's a reason why Sean Penn and Dustin Lance Black got those Oscars.

Pintu Terlarang (The Forbidden Door)

Directed by Joko Anwar (Kala, Janji Joni). Starring Fachri Albar (Kala), Marsha Timothy, Tio Pakusodewo and Ario Bayu (Kala).

Gambir has everthing he could possibly wish for, a successful career as a sculptor with artworks selling fast, a supportive mother, great friends and the most perfect wife. But then he started to get messages from a kid asking Gambir to save him from his abusive parents. Things around his life started to twist, apparently they are not always like what they seem.

Kala is definitely one of the best Indonesian films, IMO. The film is supposed to be a part of a trilogy, but the filmmaker, instead of doing the sequels, chose to do this. As a fan of Kala, I feel obliged to check out Joko Anwar's latest work. And it turned out to be rather disappointing. Okay, it's 'different', it stands out, it looks like it has a great soundtrack, it looks oh so pro. But the film itself is one of those films that centers around psychological stuff, which works for some people, but not for me. The performances were so-so, Fachri Albar did WAY better in Kala, although visually the film looked really great. However, there's one thing about Joko Anwar that kinda bothers me, I know this guy is a great filmmaker, a visionary or whatever, but his works feel so Americanized. Especially this one. You can't help but wonder, what's the deal with the whole American thing? The whole 60's American advertising, classic American cinema banners, the English words put here and there in the characters' lines.. I just don't get it. Yeah I think the parallel world thingie is cool, but after a while I just started to wonder why. Such a contrast to Garin Nugroho, who just succeeded in embracing Indonesia, captured in his works. All in all, I'm not a big fan of the film, I think he should start working on Kala's sequels, but nevertheless it's still a respectable effort.

6.5 / 10.

Red Cliff II

Directed by John Woo (M:I 2, Hostage). Starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Wei Zhao and Shido Nakamura.

This sequel to Red Cliff picked up where the first one left off, continuing the story of the three kingdoms. In this installment, both Sun Quan and Liu Bei continued to try defeating Cao Cao's army forces. Things twisted when Liu Bei, pessimistic about the war's outcome considering the limited number of people and ammunition that they had got, decided to draw back from the alliance. Liu Bei's chief advisor, Zhuge Liang, stayed with Sun Quan to help him with his war strategies. At Cao Cao's army, Sun Quan's sister, Sun Shangxiang disguised herself as a member of Cao Cao's army, to gain information which she sent back to his brother's side.

Definitely bigger than its prequel, Red Cliff II offered huge battle sequences, great performances by some of Asia's finest actors, choreographed war strategies that were just too cool. Whether you're looking for a historical piece or just a Hollywood-ish epic blockbuster, Red Cliff II is sure going to entertain you. Tony Leung, certainly one of the finest actors working today, could just do no wrong. I don't know what critics say about Takeshi Kaneshiro, but you can't blame the guy for being effortlessly good looking and great in what he does. This guy is able to so ably hop around between Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong and Japanese film industries, you can't help but, at least, respect him. Shido Nakamura, one of my favourite Japanese actors, was given a very little part in the film, but nevertheless was able to steal scenes. I wonder if he really did speak his own Chinese lines.. it didn't sound much like him. This colossal piece of work is definitely one of those epic movies that you'll be able to enjoy and be entertained with, on a big screen in a well-equipped theatre. I personally don't care with how historically inaccurate it was. It's the movies.

8 / 10.

Slumdog Millionaire

Directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Sunshine), co-directed by Loveleen Tandan. Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy, based on the novel by Vikas Swarup. Starring Dev Patel, Freida Pinto and Anil Kapoor. Nominated for ten Oscars including Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. Already won four Golden Globes including Best Picture. Dev Patel is nominated for a BAFTA in the Leading Actor category.

18 year-old Jamal, who grew up in the slums of Mumbay, was winning on the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire show on live TV. He was then questioned by some officials who were suspicious of his success of answering all the questions. With flashbacks, the viewers are taken to Jamal's life, starting when he was still a kid, up to the moment he arrived on that show. It showed his struggles in staying alive, hand in hand with his brother Salim, and his quest to find his true love, Latika.

Slumdog Millionaire is a dynamic, upbeat, feel-good movie that I can never stop craving for. The brilliant Danny Boyle has done it again. This film is just so upbeat you can't help but be drawn into it, heart pumping and smile widening. It touches you, it entertains you, it radiates soul. It has that kind of pace and so much soul like CIty of God. You'll laugh, you'll get teary, you'll definitely smile. It's heartwarming that in the midst of all the dust, the dirt, the guns and the blood throughout the film, it all eventually led to, or is driven by, love. Pure, innocent, naive, heartfelt love that will just make you cheer with joy. To conclude, no, the film is not overrated. Yes, it deserves all the attention that it has been getting. This kind of gem doesn't come by so often.. A true triumph. (And the ending credits scene was SO much fun!)

9.5 / 10.

Under the Tree

Directed by Garin Nugroho (Opera Jawa). Starring Marcella Zalianty, Dwi Sasono, Ayu Laksmi, Ikranagara and Nadia Saphira.

Consists of three stories, all centered around motherhood. The first story was about a woman who went to Bali to find out what her real mother was like and whether she had ever actually loved her. The second was about a woman having a troubled pregnancy, and is in doubt with her abortion decision. The third was about a young local celebrity who has lost her mother, her father was arrested, leaving her alone and aimless, seeking for a guidance, a figure. All these stories were set in Bali.

I loved that the stories took place in Bali. Like millions of people across the globe who fell in love with the island, I did too. I spent up to six months living there and was in love with it, and am still in love with it. First of all, I agree that not every film should have a beginning and an end. Some films just don't have one or any of them, including Under the Tree. It took a look at the lives of these three women, who didn't know one another, their struggles during certain periods in their lives. One of them had an apparent plot, but the other two were just floating. It felt less artistic than Opera Jawa, had less singing and dancing, and shot in a way that made the film feel indie-ish. Some performances were great, especially Ayu Laksmi as a mother unwilling to give up her unborn child and also Dwi Sasono (who starred in Mengejar Mas-Mas, a wonderful film shamefully degraded by its own filmmakers by the way they marketed it), who played a young man with a possible oedipus complex, seeing his mother's figure in Marcella Zalianty. I think the theme about motherhood was touching and some subplots were comical and lovable, all round up in a nice package. However, I find it less charming than Opera Jawa, less soulful. Some performances and dialogues felt forced and unnatural, thus stripping some charm off of the film. Sometimes it also felt half-baked, like it was torn between trying to be realistic and artistic at the same time. I personally prefer Opera Jawa, although this one deserves checking out too. Nevertheless, all that being said, I can proudly say that it is an honor and a treat for us moviegoers to have Garin Nugroho as a part of Indonesian cinema.

7 / 10.