The Joneses (2009)

The concepts of corporate espionage and stealth marketing campaigns are taken to their most logical end.

Meet The Joneses, the new neighbours whose every lifestyle detail is a marketing ploy.

Oh, such delicious irony.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 26 August 2010.

Heartbreaker (L'arnacœur) (2010

Trust the French to make a film that cynically thumbs at the concept of romance while simultaneously reaffirming it.

A pair of professionals will, for a small fee, break up a pair of lovebirds of your choice.

It's just an excuse to showcase hilarious and slapstick situations that clearly lampoon the entire romcom genre.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 25 August 2010.

Sandcastle (沙城) (2010)

A teenager undergoing a rite of passage comes of age when he discovers, through his almost-senile grandmother, how Singapore's dark past clashed with his family history.

The personal never quite becomes political as melodrama takes over the narrative.

The director's first feature has two problems highlighting his problem with scale - there's far too much short film aesthetics (languid, repetitive artsy shots, endless framing shots) padding up the screentime, and far too many subplots competing for oxygen.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 25 August 2010.

Step Up 3D (2010)

Adam Selvani looks set to be the new mascot of the Step Up franchise following the departure of Channing Tatum.

Director/producer Jon Chu on his part attempts to beef up the script and characters even though this is still a dance movie. We're lucky though it's in 3D and the choreography seems to emphasise the fact.


Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 19 August 2010.

The girl with the dragon tattoo (Män som hatar kvinnor) (2009)

Oh, Scandinavia. The social welfare paradise whose authors like Peter Hoeg keep insisting is rotten inside.

This time round, an investigative journalist teams up with a punk hacker to solve an Agatha Christie mystery which may expose the darkness that engulfs the heart of Sweden.


Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 11 August 2010.

Pope Joan (Die Papstin) (2009)

Yes, Pope Joan never really existed so this is a make-believe biopic.

Even so, it feels so plausible and believable thanks to it being one of the best-researched period dramas, not unlike recent HBO/BBC productions like Rome and The Borgias.

Its seriousness is delicious punctuated by John Goodman as Pope Joan's predecessor.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 11 August 2010.

Last airbender, the (2010)

The original animated series was so well-written and popular, M Night Shyamalan would have to try very hard to turn the live action adaptation into a stinker.

And no surprise, this is what actually happened.


Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 5 August, 2010.

Salt (2010)

Judging from its premise and intro set-up, Salt is meant to be a parody of the old Bond franchise.

What Kurt Wimmer delivers after that is an action video game packaged as a film - lots of puzzle solving punctuated by action setpieces.

You may actually like it if you're a fan of Kurt Wimmer and other modern CGI film directors.


Read my full review on Fridae, first published on 5 August 2010.

Berlin '36 (2009)

In Hitler's Germany, a cross-dressing German boy is recruited into the women's hurdles team as a last-gasp attempt to salvage Aryan honour from the likes of a talented Jewish girl.

Less historical thriller or sports film than a subtle coming of age movie, Berlin '36 should have a place of honour in any LGBTQ film programme.

Read my full review on Fridae, first published on 4 August 2010.