Topic: Tom's Random Reviews

[Tom]

My Wife is a Gangster (2001/South Korea) IMDb | Wikipedia Anolis Entertainment, e-m-s new media (Germany) Director: Jo Jin-kyoo Writing: Kang Hyo-jin (Screenwriter) Length: 103 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85 Audio: German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Korean: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: German

Stars:
Sin Eun-kyeong as Cha Eun-jin
Park Sang-myeon as Kang Su-il
Ahn Jae-mo as Bada
Kim In-kwon as Banse
Jang Se-jin

Plot:
Cha (Shin Eun-kyung) is an important figure in the Seoul underworld; even in such a male dominated arena, no one dare take on the wild woman who wields a trademark pair of blades to ensure she gets the job done.

That is, until her terminally ill sister demands Cha be married and have a child before the sickness claims her. As Cha's associates find a meek civil servant (Park Sang-meon) to be her husband, seemingly the only man naive enough for the job, a rival gangster moves in on Cha's territory so that even if she gets up the aisle in one piece without her spouse finding out her real vocation, there's going to be no honeymoon period for these two!

Extras:

• Featurettes
• Music Videos
• Outtakes
• Photo Gallery
• Scene Access
• Trailers

My Thoughts:

Not a laugh-out-load movie but entertaining nonetheless. The fight scenes were done well. The lead did a great job as the hard-ass gangster wife.

Rating:

[Tom]

Bin-Jip (2004/South Korea) IMDb | Wikipedia AL!VE, Pandora Film (Germany) Director: Kim Ki-duk Writing: Kim Ki-duk (Writer) Length: 88 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85 Audio: German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Korean: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: German

Stars:
Seung-yeon Lee as Sun-hwa
Hee Jae as Tae-suk
Hyuk-ho Kwon as Min-gyu
Jin-mo Ju as Inspector Cho
Jeong-ho Choi as Jailor

Plot:
Mysterious drifter Tae-suk enters other people's lives as easily as he breaks into their unoccupied homes. Instead of stealing their riches, he repays his hosts' unknowing hospitality by fixing broken items, cleaning up even doing their laundry. But when he sneaks into a sprawling mansion, he discovers a beautiful, lonely wife named Sun-hwa, trapped in a loveless marriage. Without saying a word, the pair begin an erotic game of cat-and-mouse, until her abusive husband returns home, unleashing a shocking burst of violence. Tae-suk defends Sun-hwa with the aid of her husband's golf club. The lovers run away together finding domestic bliss inhabiting strangers' homes. Later, when Tae-suk is framed for a murder, even prison walls can't keep them apart for good.

Awards:
Nominated:

European Film Awards (2004)

European Film Academy Non-European Film - Prix Screen International

Extras:

• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• Interviews
• Scene Access
• Trailers

My Thoughts:

This movies lives without almost no dialogue. As a matter of fact the two main characters never talk throughout the whole movie.

(click to show/hide)

She talks at the end though

Even though there is no dialogue, the romance builds up quite nicely. There was not a dull minute at all.

Rating:

[Najemikon]

I found this just too pretentious. I get the metaphor, but blimey it's heavy handed...

[goodguy]

I found this just too pretentious.

  Maybe I should give it a try then. 

[Najemikon]

Actually, joking apart, you wouldn't be far off the mark. I think you may find something to appreciate here, Matthias. Go on! Go Asian! 

[goodguy]

Go on! Go Asian! 

I (halfheartedly) tried last year with Uncle Boonmee, but was disappointed again.

[Najemikon]

To be fair, Uncle Boonmee -which I haven't seen- is getting very mixed reviews, and I get the impression the consensus is one of surprise that it won at Cannes. 3-Iron hasn't set the world on fire either, but I have at least seen it. You might be disappointed again, but it's a tough call.

[Tom]

Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997/India) IMDb | Wikipedia Eros International (United Kingdom) Director: Rajiv Rai Writing: Naeem Shah (Screenwriter), Rajiv Rai (Screenwriter), Shabbir Boxwalla (Screenwriter), Rajiv Rai (Story By) Length: 172 min. Video: Widescreen 2.35 Audio: Hindi: Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles: English

Stars:
Bobby Deol as Saahil
Manisha Koirala as Sheetal
Kajol as Eesha
Prem Chopra
Raza Murad

Plot:
Saahil (Bobby Deol) is "framed" for the murder of his stepfather, the Governor. Witnesses testify that Saahil made an attempt on the Governor's life at his birthday party. Saahil's motive for killing the Governor is that he was forcing Saahil to marry Sheetal (Manisha Moirala), the daughter of wealthy businessman, while Saahil wanted to marry Eesha (Kajol), a childhood friend. Even Saahil's mom, who stoped him from attacking the Governor at the party, testifies against him in court. Saahil escapes from prison to find the real killer and clears himself. How will he go about finding the killer? Who is the real killer? Is it Eesha? Is it Sheetal? Or is it Saahil's mom? Everyone is a suspect!

Awards:
Won:

Filmfare Awards (1998)		Best Background Score Award (Viju Shah)
Filmfare Awards (1998)		Best Editing Award (Rajiv Rai)
Filmfare Awards (1998)		Best Villain Award (Kajol)

Nominated:

Filmfare Awards (1998)		Best Director Award (Rajiv Rai)
Filmfare Awards (1998)		Best Female Playback Award ("Mere Khwaabon Mein Tu": Alka Yagnik)
Filmfare Awards (1998)		Best Movie Award
Filmfare Awards (1998)		Best Music Director Award (Viju Shah)
Filmfare Awards (1998)		Best Supporting Actor Award (Om Puri)

Extras:

• Bonus Trailers
• Music Videos
• Scene Access

My Thoughts:

Not really a good movie, but it has its merits. It started out okay, dragged in the middle and I was reminded of a Bud Spencer type of movie. The ending was better again with a nice performance by Kajol (she is after all the reason that this one made it into my collection). I am not sure if it is a bad thing that I knew from the beginning who will turn out to be the real killer.

(click to show/hide)

I knew after all which awards this movie won before I bought it.

The songs looked like they could be enjoyable, but sadly there weren't any subtitles for these.

Rating:

[Tom]

The Blind Side (2009/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Warner Home Video (Germany) Director: John Lee Hancock Writing: Michael Lewis (Original Material By), John Lee Hancock (Writer) Length: 128 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Audio Descriptive: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles: Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish

Stars:
Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Touhy
Tim McGraw as Sean Tuohy
Quinton Aaron as Michael Oher
Jae Head as SJ Tuohy
Lily Collins as Collins Tuohy

Plot:
The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.

Awards:
Won:

Academy Award (2009)		Best Actress (Sandra Bullock)
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards (2010)		Best Actress (Sandra Bullock)
Golden Globe (2010)		Actress in a Leading Role - Drama (Sandra Bullock)

Nominated:

Academy Award (2009)		Best Picture (Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Johnson)
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards (2010)		Best Young Actor/Actress (Jae Head)
Golden Globe (2009)		Actress in a Leading Role - Drama (Sandra Bullock)
MTV Movie Awards (2010)		Best Breakout Star (Quinton Aaron)
MTV Movie Awards (2010)		Best Female Performance (Sandra Bullock)

Extras:

• Deleted Scenes
• Digital Copy
• Featurettes
• Interviews
• Scene Access

My Thoughts:

When I first saw the traier to this movie, I was not keen on watching it. It looked like nothing special. But after Sandra Bullock has won an Oscar for her role and the Blu-ray was on sale, I thought I'd give it a chance. I am a Sandy fan after all.
I enjoyed the movie but I still think it is nothing special. There were no surprises at all. The movie went exactly like I thought it would. And Sandra Bullock as a bottle bonde just doesn't look right. One of the reasons I wasn't keen on this movie in the first place.

Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

I definitely agree about the blonde thing... but over-all think I liked the movie a bit more then you.

[goodguy]

But after Sandra Bullock has won an Oscar for her role...

I should keep my mouth shut since An Education is still the only movie I've seen from last year's Best Actress category, but I found this bit of a review at the House Next Door particularly telling:

It's a ghastly but revealing movie, not least for one scene with Adriane Lenox, a stage actress who won a Tony as the mother in John Patrick Shanley's Doubt. Cast as Michael's errant, drug-addicted mother, Lenox takes her role, which amounts to only a few lines of dialogue, and fills it out with such delicate, shamed emotion that it's hard not to resent the director for insistently cutting back to Our Star, the ever-bland Bullock, who listens in such an oblivious, absent way to Lenox's heartfelt attempts to communicate...

[Tom]

Saving My Hubby (2002/South Korea) IMDb | Wikipedia Movie One (Taiwan) Director: Nam-seob Hyeon Writing: Length: 92 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78 Audio: Korean: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Korean: Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles: Chinese, English

Stars:
Doona Bae as Jeong Geum-sun
Tae-woo Kim as Han Ju-tae
Hyeon Ju as Baek-sa
Ji-hye Han
Mun-hee Na

Plot:
Former volleyball star Guem-sun is now a married housewife with a young daughter. Her husband, Ju-tae, is starting the first day of his new job, when Guem-sun receives word that her in-laws are going to visit the following morning. While she struggles to get their house ready, Ju-tae is taken out for a drink with his new colleagues. Later that evening, Guem-sun gets a phone call from a nightclub owner who is holding her husband hostage, claiming that he has run up a huge bill and doesn't have the money to pay for it. Strapping her baby to her back, Guem-sun sets out to rescue her husband.

Extras:

• Photo Gallery
• Scene Access

My Thoughts:

A fun movie. It stars Doona Bae who I know as the Korean exchange student in "Linda Linda Linda". I almost wouldn't have recognized her, as her character here is quite different.

Rating:

[Tom]

The Host (2006/South Korea) IMDb | Wikipedia Optimum Asia (United Kingdom) Director: Bong Joon-ho Writing: Bong Joon-ho (Screenwriter), Hah Joon-won (Screenwriter), Baek Chul-hyun (Screenwriter), Bong Joon-ho (Original Material By) Length: 120 min. Video: Widescreen 1.85 Audio: English: PCM 5.1, English: DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1, English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Korean: PCM 5.1, Korean: DTS-HD High Resolution 7.1, Korean: Dolby Digital 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Song Kang-ho as Park Kang-du
Byun Hee-bong as Park Heui-bong
Park Hae-il as Park Nam-il
Bae Doo-na as Park Nam-ju
Ko A-sung as Park Hyeon-seo

Plot:
On the banks of the Han River, a crowd gathers to watch an unidentified object hanging onto a bridge. In an instant, the object reveals itself as a terrifying creature, turning the riverbank into a gruesome sea of blood.

Amid the chaos, a little girl, Hyun-seo is snatched up by the creature right before her father, Gang-du's eyes. After receiving a mobile phone call from his daughter confirming that she has miraculously survived, the once-ordinary citizen Gang-du and his family decide to wage war against the creature, despite both the Korean authorities' and U.S. army's every efforts to stop them.

Directed by Bong Joon-Ho (Memories of Murder), The Host has broken box office records in its native South Korea. Combining stat of the art visual effects from the team behind Superman Returns, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Sin City with the dark and offbeat humour synonymous with Korean cinema, The Host is one of the most original monster movies to emerge for decades.

Awards:
Nominated:

Saturn (2006)		Best International Film
Saturn (2006)		Best Performance by a Younger Actor (Ko A-Sung)

Extras:

• Commentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Interviews
• Outtakes
• Production Notes
• Scene Access
• Storyboard Comparisons
• Trailers

My Thoughts:

I am not particularly a fan of monster movies but this one I did enjoy. And another film which stars Bae Doona. This time her character reminds me a lot of her character in "Linda Linda Linda".
This movie is a good mix between comedy, satire, drama and action. Even though the monster is obviously CGI it does not really detract from its appearance.

Rating:

[Tom]

Nobody Knows (2004/Japan) IMDb | Wikipedia Sunfilm Entertainment (Germany) Director: Hirokazu Koreeda Writing: Hirokazu Koreeda (Writer) Length: 141 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.66 Audio: German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Japanese: Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles: German

Stars:
Yûya Yagira as Akira
Ayu Kitaura as Kyoko
Hiei Kimura as Shigeru
Momoko Shimizu as Yuki
Hanae Kan as Saki

Plot:
Based on true events that shocked Japan, this story of abandoned siblings is a "harrowing, tender film" (The New York Times) that "unfolds with leisurely beauty" (LA Weekly). Filmed over a year and featuring a performance by 12-year-old Yagira Yuya that won the Best Actor prize at the 2004 Cannes International Film Festival, this "haunting" (Newsday) tale is "heartbreaking brilliant" (The Boston Globe).

A childlike mother of four sneaks her children into their new apartment as if it were a game. One of the game's rules is that only Akira, the oldest, can go outside. Their mother leaves, first for a month, then possibly forever. As the money runs out and the utilities are shut off, Akira struggles to take care of his brother and sisters, determined that they stay alive...and together.

Awards:
Won:

Cannes Festival (2004)

Best Actor (Yagira Yuuya)

Nominated:

Young Artist Awards (2005)

Best Performance in an International Feature Film – Leading Young Performance (Yûya Yagira)

Extras:

• Featurettes
• Photo Gallery
• Production Notes
• Scene Access
• Trailers

My Thoughts:

Despite its slow pace the movie was engaging throughout the runtime. All children did a great job. Although I would have preferred a proper resolution to the story. If only as a text describing something similar to the real-life happenings on which the story was based on.

Rating:

[Tom]

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001/India) IMDb | Wikipedia Alive, Rapid Eye Movies (Germany) Director: Karan Johar Writing: Sheena Parikh (Screenwriter), Karan Johar (Screenwriter) Length: 210 min. Video: Widescreen 2.35 Audio: German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Hindi: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Subtitles: German

Rating:

After the last time I watched this movie, I was suddenly more drawn to the songs in it than previously. In the past I enjoyed them but I never bothered getting any of the songs. Usually if I really like a song from a Bollywood movie, I buy it on iTunes (or in one case I even bought the soundtrack CD). But on Tuesday I bought the soundtrack CD of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and have been listening to it a lot. This is one of the cases where I like the songs more and more, the more often I listen to it. I enjoy all of them on this CD.

Here a few of the songs (out of eleven from the soundtrack):

The first one is in a more traditional setting, during a Diwali celebration:


The second one is in a modern setting, taking place in London:


The last one is a typical love song: