3xHCCH Reviews

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

Rehash of First Film's Story, but Excellent Nonetheless

[8/10 · 15 December 2022]

The setting was shifted from the lush rainforest to the open seas, introducing different cultures and different creatures. However, the story of this sequel was pretty much a rehash of the story of the 2009 film -- about the abuse and destruction of colonization. It was the story of Pocahontas all over again, for which the first one was already roundly criticized before. As they were in the first film, these unsettling scenes were painful and maddening to watch.

Furthermore, they added a prolonged, sadistic and harrowing scene of men ganging down on and killing a giant sea creature. The whole scene was dismal and disgusting in its graphic display of methodical cruelty to animals, reminding viewers of all the unnecessary and wasteful hunting of elephants and rhinoceroses that happens to this day. Seeing the nasty head poacher get his deserved (albeit grisly) comeuppance was a satisfying thrill.

There is now a rich aspect of family relationships and adolescent psychology involved in the story giving this more dramatic weight. About the struggles experienced by the middle child, the adopted child, the different child, a child who does not know who his father was, a child whose father people despised, a child pressured with too much expectations. It was a familial conflict that would figure in the climactic confrontation.

James Cameron's estimated budget of the whole film passed USD350M, and all the spectacular special effects all that money went to can clearly be seen onscreen. This film is practically an animated film already, with all the motion-capture Na'vi characters there instead of the actual actors. Aside from Edie Falco as the General, the only real human characters we see were those nameless soldiers who get killed in the battles.

The biggest innovation in this film was the technology for motion capture for underwater scenes, something that has never been done before. Cameron really went all the way in creating a CGI marine biosphere for these Na'vi creatures to interact with water creatures big and small, sacred and mystical. Seeing the callous ways humans invade and destroy such natural beauty and balance sent out a potent pro-environment message.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

A Darker DreamWorks

[8/10 · 8 December 2022]

Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) becomes a popular folk hero in his country. After his latest conquest of a giant monster, he was killed by a freak accident with a church bell. When he woke up, Puss realized that he already spent eight of his nine lives, and that he only had one more life to live. At first he did not think it was a big deal, but a traumatic encounter with a sinister-looking Wolf (Wagner Moura) made Puss decide to retire from adventures.

While living the life of a spoiled lazy lap cat, Puss learned about a Wishing Star from the family of Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and the Three Bears (Ray Winstone, Olivia Colman and Samson Kayo) who were looking for it. Puss decided to search for the Star himself in order to wish for his nine lives back. Along with Puss on his quest were his old flame Kitty Softpaws (Selma Hayek) and a nameless little orphan therapy dog (Harvey Guillen).

This sequel to the first "Puss in Boots" solo spin-off movie came out 11 years after the original. There is a very evident difference that can be noted in the style of its animation. On top of the 3D computer-generated images of the characters, there is now an additional 2D artistic style as if they were hand-painted (first seen in "The Bad Guys"), especially noted most prominently in the character of the Wolf, and even in Puss during their showdown fight scenes.

The voice work of the actors really captured the personalities of the characters. Antonio Banderas's voice had the bravado, arrogance and charisma of Puss, whom we've known and loved since he made his first appearance in "Shrek 2" (2004). Selma Hayek lends her sexy sassiness to the voice of the skillful thief Kitty Softpaws, who held a grudge against Puss. Florence Pugh's characteristic raspiness was easily recognizable in Goldilocks's voice.

Like before, the characters Puss encounters were all fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters. The choice for main antagonist was Jack Horner, the boy who sat in the corner eating his pies, but he was not little here anymore. He was not as famous as others, so some kids may need a review of his rhyme to refamiliarize. There were a trove of Disney character references you'll have fun identifying, from Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland and Jiminy Cricket.

Very notable in this latest Dreamworks release is the darkness of the plot, which was also reflected in the artwork styles and situations depicted. Only in trickles, but this must be the first time blood was seen in a Dreamworks animated film. The language and humor used was also more mature, even with some assumed expletives bleeped out. As the topic of death played a major part in the story, scenes with the Wolf can be very scary for little kids. 8/10.

PS: The new DreamWorks Animation opening logo precedes this film. It was quite nostalgic to see the DreamWorks boy seeing famous DreamWorks characters old an new -- like Toothless, Po, Boss Baby, a Troll, the Bad Guys and of course, Shrek with Fiona and Donkey -- as his crescent moon flew him around in space before settling in its place.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Women of Will and Worth

[9/10 · 9 November 2022]

Immediately prominent in this sequel are the strong stories given to its cast of talented black actresses. Angela Bassett as Ramonda, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Danai Gurira as Okoye, and Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia all give powerful performances as their roles were expanded from the original movie. Two new actresses joined their ranks -- Michaela Coel as Aneka, and Dominique Thorne as Riri, both stepping up in their hero game.

The new anti-hero Namor is played by charismatic Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta. The film gave him the full backstory dating back to the 16th century, telling the origin of his incredible abilities, and even how he got his name. Even if Namor was the main antagonist of the film, Huerta played him as a passionate protector of his undersea city of Talokan and the Vibranium that sustained it. His comics name Submariner has yet to come up.

Director Ryan Coogler's production design, costume design and hair and makeup teams outdid themselves in this sequel as they did not only designed Wakanda, but also Talokan. In the comics, Namor's underwater kingdom was called Atlantis, inspired by Greek mythology. However in this new film, Atlantis was given a decidedly Mesoamerican civilzation, from its architecture, costumes, language and culture.

Even though lead actor and original Black Panther Chadwick Boseman had already passed away two years, Marvel made this sequel a beautiful tribute to his memory. From the specially altered opening credits all the way up to the emotionally-rich mid-credits scene, and all the scenes in between with lines that looked back on the life and extolled the nobility of T'Challa, Boseman was still very much part of this new film.

Always (IV) (2022)

Lead Stars Elevate This Adapation

[7/10 · 28 September 2022]

The love story that developed between the two orphans Lino and Anna may seem simple and straightforward at the start. Anna's relentless positive attitude in life despite her blindness was eventually able to draw a pessimistic miserable Lino from out of the dark shadow cast on his life. However, being an adaptation from a Korean film, there would of course be a major complicating twist to elevate the story up another level of emotional punch.

I had not seen the original film, but on its own, this Filipino version, despite some errors in continuity, medical inaccuracies and a rather overlong ending melodrama, succeeds because of star power and dramatic chops of the two lead stars Kim Chiu and Xian Lim. Their irresistible chemistry sweeps absorbs the audience into their bittersweet love story. Chiu is effortlessly delightful. Lim is impressive in the way he took on grueling physicality of his role.

Hunt (2022)

Non-Stop Double Crossing to the End

[8/10 · 3 September 2022]

This action-packed film of non-stop double crossing was amazingly the work of a first-time feature film director, none other than lead actor Lee Jung-jae himself. Lee is a veteran leading man since the mid-90s, in acclaimed films like "The Affair" (1998), "Il Mare" (2000), "The Housemaid" (2010), "The Thieves" (2012), and "Along with the Gods" (2017, 2018). The hit Netflix series "Squid Game" (2021) made him a household name worldwide.

Lee was able to maneuver the complexity of this script (which he also co-wrote) like a pro. The story also went back and forth in time for both of the two lead characters to further elucidate (or maybe confuse) their relationship with other supporting characters (like Park's protectiveness for a certain college student) or their motivations for present actions (like Kim's experience as a soldier during the Gwangju massacre).

Lee also proved to be very adept in directing his major action scenes. Beginning from that fracas chasing the gunmen down in an American auditorium, the frenetic car chase and shootout in the streets of Tokyo after failing to secure a North Korean asset, and the climactic explosive showdown of assassins in a Bangkok palace. The way Lee executed the various scenes of violent interrogations and outright torture was realistically disturbing.

Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung have been very good friends since they were both cast in "City of the Rising Sun" in 1998. Therefore, even if they portrayed bitter rival KCIA operatives who hated each others guts, the two charismatic actors have a powerful screen chemistry together. It would seem that Director Lee allowed Jung to play the showier role of Kim. Lee made sure that even if both lead roles were flawed, you will empathize with both. You will keep hanging on undecided who the real good guy or bad guy was until the gripping finale.

Emergency Declaration (2021)

Milking the Stress

[7/10 · 28 August 2022]

This film boasts of a powerhouse cast led by superstars Song Kang-ho (from "Parasite" and "Memories of Murder") taking charge on land, and Lee Byung-hun (from "Joint Security Area" and "Master") taking charge in the air. The story was reminiscent of classic American disaster film "Airport" (1970), where a man with a death wish boarded a plane and authorities scramble to figure out how and where to land the airplane safely.

We need to credit Korean filmmakers for being able to squeeze all they can from a stressful situation to sustain suspense throughout its running time. Jin-seok was already able to carry out his plans within the first 30 minutes, and there were 2 hours more of exciting stuff to go. The complications (medical, mechanical, personal, political, etc) kept on coming from all sides one after the other, such that the final resolution was still uncertain until the final five minutes.

This airplane really went through everything and anything during that flight. Aside from an unknown disease spreading and causing death and panic on board, the plane lost power and plummeted down into the sea, and was also shot at by security jets for unauthorized entry of foreign air space. On land, there was one particularly involving scene where the audience was placed virtual-reality-style inside a police car chasing a motorcycle in high speed.

A Korean film is not complete without a big heartfelt scene of tear-jerking melodrama, especially in this scenario where there are sick passengers trapped on a plane, while all their relatives were all waiting on the ground for a safe landing which was not forthcoming. I felt that there could have been a more memorable ending for one moment there, but then writer-director Han Jae-rim decided to take a safer route.

Nope (2022)

Tribute to Filmmaking

[8/10 · 19 August 2022]

OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Em (Keke Parker) Haywood had inherited the sprawling ranch of their father, Otis Haywood Sr. (Keith David), who was killed in a freak accident involving a coin that fell down from the sky. As they encountered financial woes at the ranch, OJ grudgingly sold their trained horses to nearby Jupiter's Claim, a small cowboy-themed amusement park owned by Korean-American ex-child actor Ricky "Jupe" Park (Steven Yeun).

One night, while OJ was out patrolling the ranch, he encountered a strange object moving in the sky. Its presence would cause horses to react wildly and the power in various electrical and other devices around to fluctuate and turn off. To document the phenomenon, the siblings go to the local Frye's Electronic store the next day to invest in camera equipment, which the friendly salesman Angel Torres (Brandon Perea) helped set up.

The two previous films by Jordan Peele, "Get Out" (2017) and "Us" (2019) both had deeper messages of race and societal behavior in them. In comparison, "Nope" told a pretty straightforward story of an alien being in the sky terrorizing the people below. Race did not seem to be an issue here. The Haywoods just so happened to be African-American folk, but this story could have happened to anyone in that area under which the alien lurked.

The characters were interesting and the actors playing them made them very likable. OJ and Em have totally contrasting personalities -- Daniel Kaluuya's OJ was glum and tight-lipped, Keke Parker's Em was effusive and gregarious. Kaluuya's unique facial features, especially his piercing eyes, looked perfect for the eerie and mysterious atmosphere of this film. Parker's energy kept the mood always up especially in the slow-burn, talky first act.

Steven Yeun's Jupe Park had a traumatic backstory that was only tangential to the alien story, yet prominently featured, as he used this old experience of his to keep himself relevant and profitable. A scene-stealing role was that of Angel Torres, played by up and coming Filipino-American actor Brandon Perea. He had a strong screen presence, winsome charisma and sense of humor which should earn him more high-profile roles in the future.

The technical aspects of this film was its best draw. The cinematography by the acclaimed Hoyte Van Hoytema ("Interstellar," "Dunkirk," "Tenet") was beautiful and breathtaking capturing the vast cloudy skies. The film editing by Nicolas Monsour ("Us") worked with the music of Michael Abels ("Get Out," "Us")) effectively evoked a sense of danger, dread and excitement during the scenes with the alien.

Jordan Peele strangely began the whole film with an unsettling incident of a chimpanzee gone amuck in a film set, returning to give more details about it only by the second act. This issue of animal actors was also tackled in an incident when one of OJ's horses acted up in a commercial set involving cinematographer Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott) and actress Bonnie Clayton (81-year old "Knot's Landing actress Donna Mills).

Peele paid tribute to the art of film-making itself here. He cited Eadweard Muybridge's 1884-85 photographic study of animal movements called "Animal Locomotion," a progenitor of motion pictures, when Em claimed that the jockey on the galloping horse in "Plate 626" was their ancestor. He put Holst's old, bulky, hand-cranked film camera side by side with Torres' new sleek digital camera. Just too bad we did not see the movies they captured.

Orphan: First Kill (2022)

A Different Twist This Time

[6/10 · 31 July 2022]

In this prequel, a ruthless psychotic killer Leena Klammer was able to escape from the institution where she was confined in Estonia. She took advantage of her delicate child-like appearance to pretend to be Esther, the missing daughter of a wealthy American couple, Allen and Tricia Albright (Julia Stiles and Rossif Sutherland). Even if her subterfuge was not always perfect, Esther easily got close with Allen because of their common love for painting.

At first, you'd think that Esther will do exactly the same thing to the Albrights as she did to the Colemans in the first film. It was the mom who was wary of Esther first as was their eldest son Gunnar (Matthew Filan), but the father remained oblivious. There was a scene where husband and wife were having sex, but was interrupted by a jealous Esther. However, the filmmakers had a big surprise twist midway in the story that made this prequel totally different.

Even if it seems this prequel can be watched without watching the first film, it is advised to see the first film first to "enjoy" the franchise better. The big revelatory twist of the first film was already spoiled early in the prequel since they assume you already watched the first film. In medium shots, director William Brent Bell used younger body doubles to maintain the illusion of Esther as a child, but closeups of Fuhrmann's face can't really deny her present age.

DC League of Super-Pets (2022)

One of the Best DC Films Ever

[8/10 · 28 July 2022]

Krypto had been Kal-el's pet and companion since he was an infant launched into space by his parents during the destruction of their home planet Krypton. As Kal-el eventually became Superman, Krypto had always been his mission partner and only friend. However, time came when Superman was spending more time with Lois Lane and planned to marry her. When Clark brought him to an animal shelter to find a new friend for him, Krypto felt very depressed.

The unadopted pets in the animal shelter include boxer dog Ace, pot-bellied pig PB, blind turtle Merton, red squirrel Chip, and Lex Luthor's hairless guinea pig Lulu. One day, evil Lulu got herself a piece of orange kryptonite which gave her superpowers to fulfill her dreams of world domination. When Superman and the rest of the Justice League were abducted, the other shelter pets with their newly-acquired powers help Krypto to rescue them.

Watching the closing credits reveal who the voice actors were behind the various characters was very enjoyable. It was surprising to see a lot of A-list actors on the list, including Dwayne Johnson (as Krypto), Kevin Hart (as Ace), John Krasinski (as Superman), Natasha Lyonne (as Merton), Diego Luna (as Chip), SNL stars Kate McKinnon (as Lulu) and Vanessa Bayer (as PB), and my personal favorite -- Keanu Reeves (as Batman).

This actually turned out to be one of the best DC films ever released, live or animated. Writer-director Jared Stern was also behind "Lego Batman Movie" (2017) and his sense of humor was fun and familiar. It was very rich in Superman (with echoes of the 1976 Richard Donner film) and Justice League lore sure to entertain serious and casual DC superhero fans. There were even a few sly Marvel references (Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic and others) to boot.

This is also a most delightful film for pet-lovers of all ages. The relationships of various pets and their masters were very well-explored here. Dog owners, especially, would be able to identify with the stories of Krypto and Ace. As would be expected from a movie about pets, there would be a lot of emotional moments throughout with sentimental scenes of man-animal interactions which would surely warm even the hardest of hearts. 8/10.

Incantation (2022)

Unsettling Mother-Daughter Tale

[7/10 · 12 July 2022]

Ronan (Tsai Hsuan-yen) had spent time recovering in a mental institution and was now ready to be reunited with her daughter Dodo (Huang Sin-ting), who had been raised in a foster house run by Ming (Kao Ying-hsuan). However, when Dodo was with Ronan, she began to act bizarrely and "see" invisible entities called "baddies".

Ronan realized that these paranormal phenomena were related to events six years ago. She tagged along with her boyfriend Dom (Sean Lin) and his cousin Yuan (RQ) when the two returned to their village for some mystic family rituals. They began filming the proceedings for their YouTube channel, thus violating religious taboos.

Director Kevin Ko used the "found footage" style (mainly home videos and security cameras) to tell his unsettling story, going back and forth in time. The involvement of a cute child in mortal danger makes things more stressful. Ronan breaking the fourth wall to involve her audience to join her to chant "Hou-ho-xiu-yi, si-sei-wu-ma" added more creeps. The cursed video taken within cursed tomb made for a grand finale.

Nice View (2022)

Extraordinary Brotherly Love

[8/10 · 12 July 2022]

When their mother passed away, 20-year-old Jing Hao swore that he would take care of his young sister. Tongtong (Chen Halin) had congenital heart disease, and for the past six years, her doctor had been advising Jing Hao that she needed to have corrective surgery done before she reached eight years old, or else her condition will be more difficult for her.

However, between his cellphone repair shop and various other odd jobs, Jing Hao simply could not earn the needed money. He needed to think outside the box, gambling on crazy ideas that no one had tried before. He relied on his meticulous technical skill, never say die attitude and good relations with his neighbors to make his bold plan materialize.

Lead actor Jackson Yee is a multimedia superstar in Taiwan. His first big international movie break happened in 2019 when his film "Better Days" was nominated for an Oscar award. This year, he starred in two of the biggest box-office hits in China, "The Battle at Lake Changjin II" (currently #5 in the worldwide list) and "Nice View". Yee's portrayal of Jing Hao is sincere and earnest, inspirational to watch without being melodramatic.

Elvis (2022)

Getting to Know the King Better

[9/10 · 23 June 2022]

This 2 hour 39 minute biographical film began to follow the life of Elvis Presley as a young white boy who grew up in a poor black neighborhood, which exposed him to sultry blues and rousing gospel music. When he was a young man, he took these musical influences and created his own brand of country music with a touch of the blues. His unique look and electric live performance style took his screaming female fans, and later the whole country, by storm.

Family-wise, Elvis had to deal with his mother Gladys (Helen Thomson), his father Vernon (Richard Roxburgh) and his wife Priscilla (Olivia de Jonge). Career-wise, Elvis was being forced to clean up his act as the US was going through a turbulent 1960s. During his Vegas residency at the International Hotel, he was trapped in an exhausting schedule that had him dependent on addictive drugs just to be able to perform the next day.

However, instead of going the typical biopic presentation, director and co-writer Baz Luhrmann decided to tell Elvis's life story from the point of view of his controversial manager, Col. Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). This major cinematic decision was a very big risk because Parker was a very unlikable character. Every time he appeared on screen, the ever-reliable Hanks emanated an annoying, negative vibe that made watching him very uncomfortable.

Thankfully, Austin Butler was there to dominate and own the big screen with his spectacularly realistic and deeply emotional portrayal of Elvis Presley. That first trailer did not do Butler justice. Now that I have seen the whole film, I can say he more than stepped into the King's big shoes. During his take on "If I Can Dream" at the 1968 Singer TV special or "Suspicious Minds" on the Vegas stage, Butler convincingly transformed into Elvis before our eyes.

This is the first film this year that is a clear contender during the awards season next year, including the Oscars. Aside from imminent acting nominations for Butler and Hanks, Baz Luhrmann's scintillating direction will likely be cited as well, along with technical nods for cinematography, film editing, costume design, hair and make-up, and most especially sound. Its wall of meticulously-edited sounds needs to be heard in a Dolby theater.

Morbius (2022)

Moody Jared and Manic Matt

[6/10 · 31 March 2022]

Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) and his friend Lucien a.k.a. Milo (Matt Smith) first met twenty five years ago in a hospital where they were both being treated for a rare blood disease. Their doctor Emil Nikols (Jared Harris) noted Michael's exceptional intellect and sent him off for further studies. Presently, Michael has become a brilliant doctor and scientist who had been able to develop life-saving artificial blood which earned him a Nobel Prize.

Working on the anti-thrombotic elements of the saliva of vampire bats he had collected from Costa Rica, Michael invented a drug which could cure the affliction he (and Milo) suffered from. However, because human trials were illegal for such substances, he conspired with his girlfriend Dr. Martine Bancroft (Adria Arjona) to inject the serum into him on a ship on international waters. The terrifying effects were not what they were expecting.

Morbius was a character from Marvel Comics that I had no idea about. This was a Sony release, like the original Spider-Man and adjacent characters like Venom and Carnage, and so it won't be directly connected with main Marvel Cinematic Universe which is under Disney. There is controversy among fans how Sony was confusing the story arc of the MCU, like seeing Tom Holland's Spider-Man in the closing credits of "Venom."

Being his origin story, we see how Morbius met his best friend and blood brother Milo, and how his bold experiments had brought their friendship into the next level. Jared Leto played Morbius all moody, broody, and mired in his moral predicament, in sharp contrast with Matt Smith (best known as the 11th incarnation of the Doctor in "Doctor Who" and Prince Philip in "The Crown") who played Milo all loud, gleeful and manic.

Aside from the vampiric transformations, CG effects ranged from subtle (like his ear wiggling for echolocation) to bombastic (like his high-speed wave forms tinged with bright colors from his clothing). Director Daniel Espinosa effectively created an atmosphere of dread and horror, but kept things within a PG rating. A character last seen in "Spider-Man: Homecoming" appeared in the closing credits scenes hinting a Multiverse connection. 6/10.

Ambulance (2022)

Crazy Action Flick with Uneven Pacing

[4/10 · 18 March 2022]

Lately, Jake Gyllenhaal had been tackling very high-strung excitable characters, like supervillain Mysterio in "Spider-Man: Far from Home" (2019) and the troubled 911 operator in "The Guilty" (2021). His character Danny Sharp here was really a scary, crazy guy who simply snapped as things did not go his way on this particular day, when his perfectly-laid plans miscarried and was unraveling in the worst possible way.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II turned heads as the charismatic Black Panther head Bobby Seale in "The Trial of the Chicago 7" (2020). His William Sharp is a considerably more vulnerable character -- a man driven to crime by sheer desperation. In her biggest role since her breakthrough in "Baby Driver" (2017), Eiza Gonzalez's fearless EMT Cam is quite attention-getting, especially for her "successful" surgery using her hair clip as a vascular clamp.

This remake of a 2005 Danish film was one big, over-the-top, exaggerated hyperbole, a Bay trademark. To add more chaos, he made sure that the ambulance had fruits or flowers or dresses to hit and scatter around. The camera was in constant dizzying motion, coming in and out from various angles. Running at a hefty 136 minutes, the whole thing felt bloated and can actually be tiresome to watch with all the medical absurdities and manic energy it had.

Death on the Nile (2022)

Murders Most Melodramatic

[7/10 · 9 February 2022]

Jacqueline de Bellefort introduced her handsome but penniless fiance Simon Boyle to her wealthy friend Linnet Ridgeway. However, it would turn out later that Simon dumped Jackie and had married Linnet instead. So when the newly-married couple went on a grand honeymoon in Egypt, the rejected Jackie stalked them the whole way, even booking herself on a cruise of the Nile on the river boat Karnak, on which the Doyles were also booked.

One night, there was a murder onboard the boat, someone had been shot at close range on the forehead. When famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot began to investigate, every other passenger on the cruise with them seemed to have a reason to kill the victim, who it turned out was not exactly the congenial type. A couple more murders were still to be committed before Poirot was able to finally piece together the complex plot.

In the original 1978 film version of "Death on the Nile" directed by John Guillermin, Peter Ustinov played the inimitable Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot, taking over from Albert Finney who played Poirot in "Murder on the Orient Express" (1974). Just like first film, the murder had been committed in a confined location (this time a river boat). It also had an impressive array of actors playing the suspects for the murder of Linnet Ridgeway (Lois Chiles).

The all-star cast included Bette Davis (as the grand dame Marie Van Schuyler), Maggie Smith (her stern nurse Ms. Bower), Angela Lansbury (flighty romance author Salome Otterbourne), Olivia Hussey (her anxious daughter Rosalie), Jack Warden (the defensive Dr. Bessler), George Kennedy (the unscrupulous Atty. Andrew Pendleton), Jane Birkin (Linnet's maid Louise), Mia Farrow (Jackie), and Simon MacCorkindale (Simon).

In this new film remake, Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) was investigating the case of Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot). Simon (Armie Hammer) was her husband, Jackie (Emma Mackey) her friend, and Louise (Rose Leslie) her maid. Some characters had the same names but different relationships. Marie Van Schuyler (Jennifer Saunders) was now Linnet's godmother, with Ms. Bowers (Dawn French) her nurse. Salome Otterbourne (Sophie Okenedo) was now a blues singer, while her niece Rosalie (Letitia Wright) was Linnet's close friend.

There were also characters whose names and relationships with Linnet were changed. The lawyer character is now Linnet's cousin Andrew Katchadourian (Ali Faizal). The doctor character is now Linnet's ex-fiance Linus Windlesham (Russell Brand). Instead of David Niven's Col. Race, the role of Poirot's friend went to Bouc (Tom Bateman), who was also in the previous case on the Orient Express. Bouc brought his artist mother Euphemia (Annette Bening) along, and was in a romantic relationship with Rosalie.

Gal Gadot fit the bill of the glamourous heiress to a T. However, she did not project Linnet's haughtiness that well, unlike how Lois Chiles did it. Emma Mackey (whom I never knew before this film) had a more challenging role as Jackie. However, she looked quite strong and confident, unlike how Mia Farrow gave her Jackie a weak, clingy, needy vibe the character needed. Armie Hammer's screen presence seems diminishing with his every film, even in a big role as Simon. Tom Bateman even upstaged him in more minor role as Bouc.

Aside from a prologue (why Poirot grew his fancy mustache) and an epilogue (how Poirot may be falling in love again), the basic plot of the novel remained the same with significant alterations to promote present-day concerns like multi-racial and LGBTQ representations. The production design was rich with 1930s aristocratic glamor and exotic Egyptian antiquities. With a much darker color palette and serious mood, Branagh's approach tended to be quite melodramatic, especially at the climax, without the campy humor of the original.

The Lost Daughter (2021)

Obsessive Observation

[7/10 · 1 January 2022]

British literature professor Leda Caruso (Olivia Colman) went to Greece on a summer holiday. While she was on the beach, she finds herself obsessively observing an attractive young woman Nina (Dakota Johnson) with her headstrong little daughter Elena (Athena Martin). This made her recall her younger self in her 20s (Jesse Buckley) raising her own two daughters Bianca and Martha (Robyn Elwell and Ellie Blake).

Colman's 48-year old Leda looked like a mild-mannered academic at first glance. However, this film slowly revealed that she carries heavy psychological baggage within her over the years. These painful issues mainly revolved around her tumultuous relationship with her daughters when they were little girls, triggered back to life by seeing the seductive Nina and her Elena. More disturbing details would further unravel as Elena's doll went missing.

It was fascinating to watch Colman and Buckley's consistent portrayals of Leda at two ages in her life. Colman's Leda displayed some testy behavior that did not seem to fit the usual profile of a respectable woman of her age and stature. It was only upon meeting Buckley's young Leda through flashbacks can we understand Colman's Leda's breakdown upon meeting Nina, seeing how they shared the same dilemmas when it came with their daughters and men.

True to her provocative name from Greek myth, Leda was a woman of passion. While Buckley's young Leda had a husband Joe (Jack Farthing), she was also drawn to the intellectual genius and masculine confidence of fellow professor Hardy (Peter Skarsgaard). On her vacation, Colman's middle-aged Leda can still attract her share of male admirers, like elderly villa manager Lyle (Ed Harris) and young working student Will (Paul Mescal).

This female-centric film had an all-female creative team behind it, with Maggie Gyllenhaal on her debut as feature film director and screenplay writer, adapting the novel of Italian writer Elena Ferrante. Gyllenhaal approached the drama with palpable suspense, with gorgeous images were captured by Helene Louvart. Colman, Buckley and Johnson all turn in excellent internally-complex performances of their flawed characters.

Arisaka (2021)

Her Will to Survival

[8/10 · 9 December 2021]

A key witness was being brought to a venue where he was about to expose critical "narco-list" information to the press. Midway on his route, his car was ambushed by a group of crooked cops who shot the target and all his police escorts. Fortunately, policewoman Mariano (Maja Salvador) had survived the bloody encounter. Despite her injuries, she ran into the surrounding mountains to escape from her pursuers led by officer Sonny (Mon Confiado).

Mariano's survival ordeal in the wilderness was alleviated by the appearance of a young indigenous girl named Nawi (Shella Ann Romualdo), who nursed her back to health with the help of her family's traditional cures. Sonny and his minions remained hot at her heels, stopping at nothing until she was exterminated. Meanwhile Mariano braced for an inevitable showdown, getting some assistance from an unexpected source.

For historical relevance, director Mikhail Red juxtaposed Mariano's struggle to survival to the Bataan Death March which transpired on the same area where the fateful ambush took place. The first scene had a cop relating the story about how his grandfather survived the Death March already foreshadowing the events to come. The Arisaka in the title referred to the Japanese military service rifle in use during World War 2.

Star Maja Salvador rallied us to root her on -- no matter how her repeated narrow escapes from death were practically superhuman. Hit by bullets, stabbed by a knife in the abdomen, punched on the face, asphyxiated by strangling -- absolutely nothing fazed her will to survive. Salvador obviously had to go through difficult shoots for this demanding role, which required her to fall onto concrete, rough brush, rocks, and going mano-a-mano with a man.

Just when you thought Mon Confiado could not get any more despicable as a villain, here he is again playing another devil incarnate. The big revelation here was young Shella Ann Romualdo (first seen in short film "Black Rainbow" earlier this year) as the brave Nawi, whose youthful idealism would get seriously challenged. Martin Melecia, who played Nawi's father, imparted indigenous wisdom and frustrations to his daughter and to us, as well.

From the very first scene, you immediately know that this is not by any means a low budget film. The ethereal quality of Mycko David's cinematography was extraordinary, and that was just in the opening credits at that point. Throughout the film, we will be treated to more shots and images taken from breathtaking angles with perfect blocking of characters, working well in dim light or with flames, for best cinematic effect.

Britney vs Spears (2021)

Hearing Britney's Voice

[6/10 · 29 September 2021]

This new documentary "Britney vs. Spears" focused more about Britney's tight legal trap of a conservatorship. It was basically a conversation between the director Erin Lee Carr and Rolling Stones journalist Jenny Eliscu as they looked through and commented on various documents that came out about the case. It featured interviews with Spears' rumored ex-boyfriends paparazzi Adnan Ghalid and former manager Sam Lutfi, as well as her former personal assistant Felicia Culotta (who was very clear who she did not want to talk about).

"Britney vs. Spears" is a considerably more sober affair than the more colorful "Framing". Aside from the "toxic" Jamie Spears, shade was cast against former manager Larry Rudolf, her business manager Louise Taylor and another ex-boyfriend Jason Trawick. Meanwhile, the controversial role of Lutfi was essentially diminished. Carr saved the best for last, as we hear Britney's own impassioned speech appealing for her freedom in court last June 2021. The final cards update the progress of the case up to September 7, 2021.

Endless Rain (2021)

Real Romance

[9/10 · 25 September 2021]

This film can be a confusing with all the going back and forth in time, and three lonely women in the life of a lonely man over the years. However, once the pieces all fall into place and it was finally revealed what the title "Waiting for Rain" meant, it turned out to be very romantic, (even for non-romantics like me).

The story seemed to have been written with actor Kang Ha-neul in mind, as he embodied the central character of Young-ho perfectly. Even the description of Young-ho's face, looking sad even while he's smiling, fit Kang's distinct facial features to a T. We are rooting for him to finally be happy, but alas, we can only watch him make idealistic decisions.

The embroidered handkerchief, the old-fashioned exchange of handwritten letters, the home-made leather gifts, the hand-painted umbrellas -- all of these items helped weave a moving story of nostalgic longing for love, as we hang on teary-eyed awaiting an uncertain resolution even at the very last moment.

Untold: Caitlyn Jenner (2021) Season 1, Episode 3

More Bruce than Caitlin

[7/10 · 27 August 2021]

This transitioning of Bruce Jenner -- the all-American hero, the greatest athlete in the world -- into Caitlin Jenner has got to be one of the most unbelievable pop culture events in recent years. This documentary revisits Jenner's road to the Olympic Decathlong gold medal in 1976 event by event, and this definitely brought back to my admiration of him as an athlete back then.

It is just too bad that the exact process of his transitioning and his present life as Caitlin was not tackled with as much detail as his past life as Bruce. The participation of Bruce's first wife Chrystie and his first son Burt was quite moving. That Bruce's inner ordeals were narrated by Caitlin Jenner herself made it all the more interesting and intimate. 7/10.

Saint Maud (2019)

Mental Disturbance Spiked With Religious Fanaticism

[8/10 · 7 July 2021]

Morfydd Clark's performance of Maud was incredible achievement in acting. Clark actually transformed into this mentally-disturbed woman who was experiencing the horrors of a guilt-tormented soul. She only spoke very little, and if she did, she was speaking with God. Maud's prayers, from her fervent adoration of His glory, her desperate questioning of His purpose for her to her perceived understanding of her divine mission, served as the film's narration.

Aside from being intensely contemplative and psychologically demanding, this role was also a very physically exhausting one for Clark, . Maud was inflicting wounds on herself -- her hands and her feet, all symbolizing of her psychiatric breakdown from a traumatic past experience. Maud's climactic confrontation scene with the bedridden Amanda was truly horrific, and we see it all transpire from Maud's distressingly distorted point of view.

This dark and depressing British indie film may not be for everybody, but it was certainly a triumph for writer-director Rose Glass in her feature film debut. With Glass's inspired choices in cinematography, editing and musical score, even the most mundane scenes were all shrouded by a tense atmosphere dripping with a sticky sense of claustrophobic discomfort. That final scene on the beach was glorious and ghastly at the same time! 8/10.

Trese (2021)

Filipino Folklore in Focus

[9/10 · 11 June 2021]

Alexandra Trese was a young woman who was called on to investigate crimes attributed to supernatural causes. Armed with her trusty kris dagger Sinag, she was called in by the police to track mysterious events which involved such creatures of Filipino mythology like man-eating aswangs, half-horse tikbalang, and baby-like tiyanak. Other beings also seen include the white lady of Balete Drive, the Nuno, the duwende, lightning beings, wind sprites, zombies, werewolves and the main antagonist Datu Talagbusao, the god of war.

Alexandra was the daughter of Anton Trese, the lakan who forged an alliance between the human and supernatural world, and his wife Miranda, a babaylan or folk shaman. Her current team include twin brothers named Crispin and Basilio (after Sisa's sons in Jose Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere"), her two dapper demigod sidekicks; and Hank (who looks exactly like Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao), bartender of the Trese family nightclub called the Diabolical. She also had a personal fire spirit Santelmo, who lived in her Nokia 3210 cellphone.

The opening scene of Episode 1 already showcased the spectacular artwork with a glittering nighttime scene of the city with its skyscrapers lit up by bright incandescent light bulbs and neon billboards. The next scene of an MRT train stalling on its tracks and the passengers alighting to walk to the nearest station was only the first of many places in Metro Manila that Filipinos will recognize and smile about through out the series, like Camp Crame, Quiapo, the New Bilibid Prison, the ABS-CBN building and the Meralco building.

There was also several scenes with social commentary. In Episode 1, there was a statement against corrupt megalomaniac politicians like Mayor Sancho Santamaria. In Episode 4, there was a statement against abusive policemen who use "fighting back" ("nanlaban" of EJK notoriety) as an excuse for their brutish behavior, like Officer Reyes. Other episodes highlight other activities going on around the city, like rich kids drag racing along Ortigas, fans fawning over movie stars or gamers grumbling slow internet speed.

Aside from effectively using Filipino folklore as the foundation of a solid story, "Trese" will surely delight Filipinos over its references to Choc-Nut or the Novanians. The Filipino dialogue was more authentic with the slang and profanity, but the English voice cast did try to give a Filipino flavor to their accents. At only six episodes and more or less 30 minutes per episode, this is a very quick and easy binge. Hopefully, international viewers will appreciate Filipino culture and talent more after this significant exposure on the Netflix platform. 9/10.

Seobok (2021)

Balancing Special Effects with Philosophical Discourse

[7/10 · 15 April 2021]

Seobok (Park Bo-gum) is the first and only successful prototype of a human clone whose genes were entirely modified through genetic manipulation, rendering him an undying being. Named after a legendary servant seeking the elixir of immortality for his emperor, Seobok had bone marrow that produce stem cells with proteins which can cure any human disease. He also had brainwaves so strong that they can move objects around him when provoked.

When his developer was murdered, the specimen Seobok had to be protected at all costs. Min Ki-hun (Gong Yoo) was an ex-intelligence agent who had been called out of retirement to escort and ensure safe transport of Seobok to another facility. When their convoy was ambushed by American soldiers, Min had to use his skills to get Seobok out alive and bring him to safety, while dealing with the crippling effects of his guilt and his brain tumor.

As written by director Lee Yoong-ju, "Seobok" was about the developing relationship between these two men on the run from people who wanted the specimen for their own ends. Ki-hun was the gruff and jaded older brother who had to keep his innocent and curious little brother in line, as they try to gain each others trust. The two lead actors both get into their characters with effective chemistry between them. While Gong went intense, Park shone in his restraint.

Meanwhile, behind all this dramatic pursuit was the philosophical paradox of how death is what kept humanity alive and going as we know it now. As humans are the only species who are aware of their own mortality, fear of death gave life its meaning. With immortality, humans would lose this drive, only fostering greed. Ki-hun and Seo Bok also argue about worthiness to live and the reasons why one wants to go on living.

In true Korean cinema tradition, behind all its expensive-looking sci-fi special effects of the fancy hi-tech laboratory facilities as well as the violent displays of Seo Bok's powerful telekinetic abilities, "Seobok" is a thought-provoking personal and philosophical drama at heart. Hammy supporting actors aside, the film was carried by the magnetic performances of its two charismatic lead stars, making that concluding moment one of sheer poignance. 7/10.

The Yinyang Master (2021)

Showcase of Chinese Cinematic Special Effects

[7/10 · 20 March 2021]

Earlier this year, there was just another film with a very similar title, "The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity," directed by Guo Jingming. This was based on the 1986 Japanese novel series "Onmyoji" by Baku Yumemakura. This new one directed by Li Weiran, entitled simply "The YinYang Master" is a totally different film, and was based on a 3D RPG strategy game also called "Onmyoji" by NetEase Games. Both had protagonists named Qingming and Boya, but that was just about all they had in common.

There were some notable actors in the cast. Regarded in the same level of acting excellence as her contemporary Zhang Ziyi, Zhou Xun achieved a rare grand slam as Best Actress for her role in "The Equation of Love and Death" (2008). Chen Kun has also had an acclaimed film career behind him, with films like "The Knot" (2004). Among the younger cast members, the most popular is the pretty and charismatic Shen Yue, who played Dong Sanchai in the 2018 reboot of "Meteor Garden."

Like the previous Yin Yang Master film, this film was also a rich showcase of the progressive state of special visual effects in China. The main locations, namely the Yin Yang Bureau, the Red Tower and Qingming's garden, were all beautifully designed and executed. Most remarkable here were the Disney-approximate computer-animated three-dimensional creatures which were in close interactive scenes with the human characters, particularly the naughty ferrets and the delightfully cute Red Ghost.

The climactic battle on the bridge across what looked like the natural stone pillars of Zhangjiajie was also a breathtaking spectacle, even if the designs of the grotesque multi-tentacled giant hand monster and the bizarre make-up of Cimu (William Chan) were not too well-done. It was just a bit of a disappointment for me that the special effects of Qingming's encounter with the head demon Xiangliu felt rushed and was not at par with the rest of the film. However, overall, this was a colorful and engaging fantasy entertainment for all ages.

Dash & Lily (2020)

Cute and Clever Christmas Challenges

[8/10 · 11 November 2020]

I just saw Austin Abram in a recent very angsty young-adult romance entitled "Chemical Hearts," and his Dash here was more or less the same type of loner guy. As for Midori Francis, it was always refreshing to see a lead character of Asian descent in an American series. Her Lily was lovable with her delightful oddness and effusive optimism. Even if the series following the usual rom-com formula, the chemistry between Abram and Francis made sure we followed their relationship all the way to finale. The dramatic snag in Episode 7 might have been inevitable, but it made Episode 8 too irresistible to miss.

This cheerful holiday mini-series had all the trappings and tropes of a typical Christmas rom-com, only it was expanded to eight easy-to-digest episodes of just about 25 minutes each. What made this one very interesting was that we knew things Dash and Lily did not know, and we enjoyed following their long winding process of getting to know each other only from what they wrote in the notebook. Their challenges may seem silly, shallow and juvenile, however they were actually pushing each other to break out from their respective comfort zones.