No Strings Attached

Synopsis: In this rom-com, Emma (Natalie Portman) and Adam (Ashton Kutcher) are life-long friends who almost ruin everything by having sex one morning. In order to protect their friendship, they make a pact to keep their relationship strictly physical with 'no strings attached'. 'No strings' means no jealousy, no expectations, no fighting, no flowers and definitely no baby voices. They can do whatever they want, whenever they want, in whatever public place they want just as long as they do not fall in love. The question becomes - who is going to fall first? And can their friendship survive? [Source: Yahoo! Singapore Movies]

Friends with benefits, a rather unique theme that happens only in reel life. Seriously, how can you have sex with your friend countless times with no feeling at all? Putting this thought aside, the plot of this movie is rather weak. The opening 15 minutes is downright horrible, conversations between actors and actresses doesn't really link. I think it will be better if they do not speak at all. If you managed to last through the 15 minutes, the movie (thankfully) starts to get better. It goes through the whole typical Hollywood plot of guy likes girl, girl rejects, then girl find she likes the guy, guys accepts the girl and they live happily ever after. Catch other movie unless you have spare money to spend.

Rate: 5/10

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What Women Want

Synopsis: A Hong Kong reupdate on the 2000 Hollywood rom-com of the same name, starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt. In this Valentine's season offering, we have Andy Lau as an advertising executive, who develops the ability to listen in to the thoughts of women, as he locks horns with his new boss, played by Gong Li. [Source: Yahoo! Singapore Movies]

Average Plot, not so much of a comedy as advertised. The only saving grace is perhaps the 2 major stars holding the movie together. See Andy Lau battle it out with Gong Li, trying his best to drive the lady out of office. A pity that there is not much sparring between the two sexes, but otherwise, a good movie for couples going on dates.

Rate: 6/10

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I Love Hong Kong

Synopsis: "I Love Hong Kong" is a feel good movie which inculcates that all will be well and prosperity will visit when everyone lives in harmony. Ng Shun returns with his wife Shun-Soh and three children to celebrate Ng Kin's 60th birthday. Unknown to Kin, his son has gotten into trouble and is plotting for him to take the rap. At the same time, Long, a swindler who conned money from the neighbours 30 years ago is now a property tycoon. He promises to pay each of the 30 neighbours HK$100 million as compensation as long as a representative of each household returns to the estate on Lunar New Year's Eve. A mad rush ensues as Shun and his family tries to gather the old neighbours to avoiding missing the bonanza. [Source: Yahoo! Singapore Movies]

A light hearted comedy portraying Hong Kong local lifestyle. Through a series of old times recollection of various casts and comparison with present day, the jokes evolved in the movie are not that bad. If you are seeking a few laughs to pass your day, why not give this movie a try?

Rate: 7/10

Black Swan

Synopsis: Nina (Portman) is a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dancing. She lives with her retired ballerina mother, Erica (Hershey) who zealously supports her daughter's professional ambition. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition in a new dancer, Lily (Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, as well as the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side with a recklessness that threatens to destroy her. [Source: Yahoo! Singapore Movies]

Full points for the ballet techniques and moves. The dancers can really keep turning non-stop on their toes. However, dealing with pressure induced psychological hallucination, it can get really scary what the human mind can lead a person to do, ultimately destroying the person itself. I think fundamentally, the movie is trying to tell us to relax since we are already living in a pressure cooker society. The movie can be really deep at times. A highly recommended movie to watch if you think you are mature enough to stomach the contents.

Rate: 8/10 

Welcome to the Rabbit Year

Wishing all a happy and prosperous year ahead.

This year going to be quiet after the death of my grandma

A Great, Great World

Synopsis: "It's A Great Great World" is set in Singapore's legendary amusement park named Great World, which was also affectionately known in Hokkien as 'Tua Seh Kai'. Spanning from the 1940s to the present day, the film signifies the stories of a multitude of characters that lived, worked, played, sang danced and even fell in love in Great World. [Source: Yahoo! Singapore Movies]

Great movie on the Singapore past legendary amusement park, Great World, where the enormous casts work together to tell us 3 great stories spanning 1940s till 1978, when the amusement parks finally closed down. I personally feel this is one of the better local movie ever made. It gives us a break from the usual Jack Neo's New Year movie joke, and the storyline is really touching at times. One thing that surprise me is the large usage of dialects in the movie, which is not the norm in Singapore movie industry. Highly recommended movie to watch, great directing, great casts, its showtime!

Rate: 8/10

Solomon Kane

Synopsis: Kane (James Purefoy) is a mercenary of Queen Elizabeth I fighting in Africa, but after an encounter with a demon, The Reaper (Ian Whyte), he realises he must seek redemption or have his soul damned to Hell. He returns to England and lives a life of peace, converting to puritanism, but soon the doings of an evil sorcerer upset his plans and he must take up arms again. [Source: Yahoo! Singapore Movies]

A movie about blood, killings, witchcraft and a poor man trying to save his soul which was condemned to Hell. James shine in the movie as he was able to carry the manly outlook of the character demanded in Kane. The pace of the movie was fast, action packed but a bit far fetch for the plot. I just cannot understand why the devil will go through all the trouble just to make Kane commit sins so that the devil can claim his soul? Nevertheless, a good movie to watch which I think is exclusive to only Cathay Cinemas.

Rate: 7/10

Crizal Crystal Clear

Tried on my new spectacle for almost a week with the highly advertised crizal coating on the lenses and I must admit this technology is really good! It practically solved almost all the problems I faced in the past.

Gone are the dust attached to the lens, you can now just blow them away

 Gone are the glares in the night too, I can see more clearly now

 Scratches? Not so sure about this one yet, I have to put it through some more harsh environment and testing. =p

 Gone are the fingerprints, you can just wipe them away with 1 swipe

 Water? At least I don't get huge droplets of them staying on the lens. Just some tiny whiny ones.

Best of all, the coating, surprisingly is not expensive at all!