Holiday Movie Reviews

"Slumdog Millionaire" : A- (Great movie!)

First let me get this out of the way: This is a smart, touching, enthralling, one heck of a movie. OK, now I can nitpick.

Three central characters of "Slumdog" are each played by three different actors/actresses. In a parallel pattern, the movie seems to go through three different personalities as well. Following the young children through a series of fable-like adventures, the first third of the movie sizzles with an astonishingly vibrant depicton of the Mumbai slums. As the children leap into early teens, the story takes a harsh turn into darker, occasionally extreme territories. The final segment lightens up considerably, eventually slipping into the sappy cliches of a Hollywood love story. The only unfortunate effect of this trilogy of a structure? After such a strong setup, the final conclusion comes off as a slight let-down.

Holiday Movie Reviews

"Frost/Nixon" : B+ (Very good)

I'll be honest, I am a little ignorant about American history. Not "Jaywalking" ignorant, just to the level that I didn't know anything about the Frost interview before hearing about this movie. Now, I'll be honest again and say this is not normally "my kind of movie," and I went to it largely because of the great reviews. Two hours later, I was impressed and entertained. Thankfully, the story was positioned more as a match between two ambitious men than as a history lesson. I enjoyed the drama, I enjoyed the power play, and I enjoyed Frank Langella who was a fascinating Nixon despite a lack of visual resemblance. I did wish there had been a deeper look into Frost's inner journey during the whole process. More importantly, I kept wondering how much dramatization there is in this retelling of a well-known piece of history. After seeing some excerpts of the real Frost interview (on YouTube), I realized the answer is "quite a bit." Oh well... After all, to expect otherwise might be as realistic as expecting a non-airbrushed photo on the cover of "Vogue."

Holiday Movie Reviews

"Valkyrie" : B+ (Very good)

Director Bryan Singer delivers again in his cunning ability to create tense and absorbing drama with a naturalistic approach. Like a storyteller who just sits there sipping his tea and telling his little story, and you suddenly find your hands tightly gripping the edge of your seat, palms all sweaty. Tom Cruise is excellent (by his standards at least), and the supporting cast is very strong. Unfortunately, there seems to be something inherently unsatisfying in watching a noble action unfold while knowing from the beginning that it will fall short at the end. Certainly, a movie about a known "failure" can still be fulfilling; this one doesn't quite get there.

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" : A (I LOVE IT!!)

I'm gonna use a phrase that might make me sound old or old-fashioned: "They don't make movies like this anymore!" This is a true romantic epic, a story where time and emotions are forever entangled. Eternal questions about life and love get revisited through the world of Benjamin Button, a man who is born old and ages backwards. From the moment when the marching of time was introduced as a theme, it cast a magic spell that never let up throughout the movie - A spell that made it easy to forgive any small flaws hidden under the grandieur of the story, a spell that could stay with you for a long time afterwards. Major credits go to the makeup and CG work that enabled Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett to play the same characters from teenage through the 80s, creating a continuity that's virtually impossible to achieve with multiple actors.

More to come...

Short Film "Family Time"

As many of you know, my current focus is on making documentaries. That said, I really want to do narrative films as well. So when I went to a playwrights festival by SIS Productions, and heard a funny little script by my friend Kathy Hsieh, I thought: "This would make a nice short film!" The story is about an Asian American family (mom, daughter, son) and their "family time." A simple story with a great message.

Things moved quickly after I met with Kathy to discuss the project. It's gonna be a no-budget, no-frill kind of production. In other words, quick and fun!

We are currently in the process of auditioning actors. Interestingly, we've had very few candidates coming in for the role of the young son (age 9-11). Where are all the little Asian boys??

Also, we are looking for some suitable furniture for the living room set. A sofa, a coffee table, a piece of wall art, a rug, and one or two end tables/cabinets. Think about a stereotypical first-generation Asian immigrant family. Or things that can fit in with a typical Chinese restaurant. If you have leads on this (in Seattle area, obviously), please let me know!

Filming will occur sometime later this month. I will keep you posted as the project goes on :-)

Happy New Year!

Hello everyone - Welcome to my movie blog! This will be a space for me to post my movie reviews, updates on my movie and video projects, and any other related topics. Check back often, and let me know what you think!

Yours Sincerely,
- Zheng