Un Poison Violent

Love like Poison is the English title for the directorial debut of Katell Quillevere, a 'natural director' to be reckoned with. Sad yet absolutely engaging and beautifully shot, the film is like a poem about the transformation from a childhood to adolescence. And yet like critic Sarah Marvel points out, the film continues a disturbing trend in French cinema in the exploitation of the young actress body.

The Limits of Control

Despite its Russian dolls structure and a sheer lack of interest in moving the story forwards, this Jim Jarmunsch's film is enigmatic and magnetic, thanks largely by the music scored by some of the best bands of the moment.

No country for old men

I have lost track of how long it had been on my to-watch list; so long I had forgotten why it was there in the first place. Now I know. Probably the best from the Coen Brothers yet, it is so gripping you can't bear to turn away from the screen for ever even when your heart is jumping out from your throat by the sheer horror and suspense. It is a great cinema: the pace is so leisurely, you are reminded of some of Hitchcock's best moments. You know you are being manipulated by two experts of suspense but you are willing to subject yourself to their masterful craft. Javier Bardem is given a total transformation by a weird hairdo, but it is his reincarnation as a single-minded psychopath killer that completed the transformation. This film seals his versatility. Indeed, it is 'an instant classic'.

127 Hours vs Shoot the Moon

Watched 127 Hours last night. Although I had read the reviews and was looking forward to it, nothing, it felt, had prepared me for one of the most gruesome scenes in cinema. To mitigate the sense of terror and shock, I had to quickly put on a family drama before attempting to go to bed to dispel some of its lingering images. That said, the film is extremely well-made and acted, and certainly a much better work than the director's another recent success Millennium Slumdog. Paradoxically, while the film is very uplifting and with a touching finale, I also find myself questioning the need of making such a (near documentary) film about the real life accident. But then while I covered my eyes at one or two of the scenes, I had never attempted to reach the remote control to press the 'stop' mode. Isn't it strange that we can both dread and yet continue the terrifying experience? Shoot the Moon, the film with a romantic cover on its DVD turned out to be the worst follow-up after 127 Hours: it brings another kind of horror and torture, that in the most intimate of human relationships. Despite its critical acclaims when it first came out, I didn't enjoy it at all. This was perhaps in no small part, due to the fact I was looking for an escape after 127 Hours.

The Artist

This is probably the best French film I have watched for a very long time: with a breath-taking performance from Jean Dujardin, the film about one of film industry's difficult periods - from silent to 'talkies', has an incredible soundtrack and never a dull moment. While it reminds me of many highlights in the silent era, it is also incredibly modern in its message and its understated way to express it: behind the romance and drama is also a film about change, the only constant, and how we humans cope with it. Hugo, another film based on the early period of the film industry, is however a mixed bag with many dramatic flaws and too philosophical junior protagonists. But I am glad I rummaged through it.

Elegy

Elegy has all the good signs of a great film: an intelligent script, witty conversations about feelings and commitment, great chemistry between its leads, impressive cinematography. The last quarter though seems to lose its steam and lose its direction. Otherwise it would have been in the same category of Closer.

Sandcastle

Shot within 18 days on shoestring budget, its rough and austere form reminds me of the early works from the Chinese Sixth Generation Directors. And like their best outputs, Sandcastle is audacious in its thematic matters. Although it leaves much to be said, the fact that it dares to touch upon such a taboo in Singapore - its recent history and the public discourse of it, is in itself touching. If more of such films are allowed to surface, we can see hope in its national cinema.