Impressive star-studded cast, though some of them only appeared for less than 5 minutes.
I wonder why they still put Gwyneth Paltrow’s name in the poster for her only 2-3 minutes appearance (singing, not acting).
I believe you will be able to enjoy this movie better if you have a previous knowledge of Truman Capote’s background and history, which I don’t.
Catfish’ moody rating: (3.5/5.0)
-My #146 movie in 2010-
Not great, but entertaining.
At least, you get what you expect to get.
Catfish’ moody rating: (3.0/5.0)
-My #145 movie in 2010-
Cliche story, yet it still moved me.
Catfish’ moody rating: (3.5/5.0)
-My #144 movie in 2010-
I hate to say this, but Tom Cruise is good in this movie!
Catfish’ moody rating: (4.0/5.0)
-My #143 movie in 2010-
Anthology drama of nine films by ten filmmakers on the first decade of Hong Kong’s return to China. The cityscape might have changed, but the emotions are the same.
More bad ones than good ones.
The ones I like include “Qing Fang”, “The Last Bid” (the charm of Carl Ng) and “Open Rice”.
Catfish’ moody rating: (2.5/5.0)
-My #142 movie in 2010-
A very educative, yet entertaining animated documentary from Iran.
How I wish Indonesia will have something similar to this in the future.
Catfish’ moody rating: (4.0/5.0)
-My #141 movie in 2010-
I watch this movie solely because of Maggie Cheung.
And this movie, at least for me, seems like her one-man show.
Though, of course, Nick Nolte has done a notably good job as well.
Maggie Cheung is one of my favorite and most respected Hongkong actress.
But, as shown in this movie, she might not share the same level of talent in singing.
Catfish’ moody rating: (3.5/5.0)
-My #140 movie in 2010-
This movie will satisfy you, if you are looking for:
(a) an action-packed movie, and/or
(b) Angelina-Jolie-packed movie.
Another good but not great movie. I think you will enjoy it best if you know nothing about the story at all. Just enter the theatre, sit down and enjoy the ride. Oh, and Jolie looks damn hot with her black long hair.
According to IMDB, the movie was originally scripted with a male lead and Tom Cruise was approached to play the title character. Ultimately, he backed out and the script was rewritten with a female lead and Angelina Jolie took the role.
After the movie, I told Oscar about this and he jokingly asked what would be the appropriate title of the movie if Tom Cruise is still the lead. And the first answer that came to my mind was “Sugar”. No offense intended. :p
Catfish’ moody rating: (3.5/5.0)
-My #139 movie in 2010-
Watching this movie is damn stressful. Yet, you can’t help but to watch it until the end, because you are dying to know what will happen next.
I am so going to curse Agnes for recommending this to me. Not that it’s a bad movie, it’s just not an enjoyable one.
Catfish’ moody rating: (3.5/5.0)
-My #138 movie in 2010-
Saccharine borderline? Who cares. I am consciously looking for some glucose supply.
I am glad that Hongkong is able to produce such heartwarming and feel-good movie.
It’s also very refreshing to see Sandra Ng’s non-comedic performance.
Yes, the story is cliche (leukemia is undoubtedly the most popular disease in Asian dramas, amnesia is second) and the young actors are not that good, though cute. But again, who cares.
(Yes, I am being biased. Who cares! :p)
Catfish’ moody rating: (4.0/5.0)
-My #137 movie in 2010-
This movie provides an insight into the fashion world, which I would never bothered to care otherwise.
I can never be (and never want to be) like Anna Wintour.
We are simply live in two different planets.
Nevertheless, it’s still a refreshing and enjoyable movie to watch.
It’s interesting to know that her daughter is more interested to go to law school instead. Way to go girl! :p
Catfish’ moody rating: (3.5/5.0)
-My #136 movie in 2010-
Here come real stars to fill the upper skies,
And here on earth come emulating flies,
That though they never equal stars in size,
And they were never really stars at heart
Achieve at times a very star-like start.
Only, of course, they can’t sustain the part.Robert Frost
Rachel Getting Married. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. Fireflies in the Garden.
Dysfunctional family drama with star-studded cast.
The type of movie that I am always attracted to watch, for unknown reason.
Catfish’ moody rating: (3.5/5.0)
-My #135 movie in 2010-
Gosh, this is absolutely one of the best movie I’ve ever seen so far!!!
A lot of people might disagree with me (or even hate me for this), but I like “City of God” far more than “Goodfellas”. Sorry Scorsese, it’s just my personal preference. Like what Roger Ebert said in his review, “Scorsese’s film began with a narrator who said that for as long as he could remember he wanted to be a gangster. The narrator of this film seems to have had no other choice.” Maybe this is one of the reason why I like this movie better. Because I feel no guilt for sympathizing with them. They don’t choose to be like that. They have no other choice.
One of the most memorable scene for me must be the one where Steak n’ Fries were asked to shoot one of the two Runt kids’ caught by Lil’Z. Man, the scared look and the tears of the Runt kid are so damn real!! And he is a non-professional actor with no prior acting experience. Amazing! According to IMDB, to prepare for this scene, the acting coach worked with the kid and discovered that his biggest fear was having a toothache. So, when the the time came to shoot the scene, she told him to just remember his toothache and when he was shot in the foot, to pretend his toothache pain had moved to his foot. Interesting.
I love foreign movies. I think they are exotic, and more often than not, will offer you a refreshing perspective and insights to something new. But watching foreign movies without understanding the original language, will always have the disadvantage of not able to fully appreciate the essence of the movie.
I didn’t understand the chicken scene (though it’s still a very captivating scene) until I read further in IMDB that Knockout Ned’s real name, Mane Galinha actually means “Chicken Manuel” in Portuguese. Because his real name is Manuel and he stole chickens. But in the US, as we know, “chicken” is the slang for “coward”. To avoid that connotation, the name Knockout Ned was created because “knockout” refers to how handsome he was as compared to the “ugly” Lil’Z. Now I wish I understand Portuguese.
This is my first Brazilian movie and definitely will not be my last. A Brazilian friend of mine has recommended me another movie from his country, “Tropa de Elite” or “Elite Squad”. Hopefully, it is as good as this one.
Catfish’ moody rating: (5.0/5.0)
-My #134 movie in 2010-
Weird. Quirky. Odd. Bizarre. Strange. Surreal. Eccentric. Absurd. You name it.
It somehow reminds me of “Yi Yi: A Story of a One and a Two”, minus the absurdity of course. Both of them tell a story of a family. The father. The mother. The son. The daughter. The grandparents. The uncle. Each with their own problems.
However, if “Yi Yi” provides you an insight into an ordinary and typical Taiwanese family, Haruno family of “The Taste of Tea” is nothing close to normal.
Another similarity is the long running time. “Yi Yi” is almost three hours long (173 minutes), whereas “The Taste of Tea” is only 30 minutes shorter (143 minutes).
While I love “Yi Yi” so much (I watched it twice, the second one with the Director’s commentary), “The Taste of Tea” is too weird for me to appreciate. Not my cup of tea, I guess.
PS: I just finished watching “The Making of”. My highest respect and utmost admiration for the child actress, Maya Banno, who played the little Sachiko.
Catfish’ moody rating: (3.0/5.0)
-My #134 movie in 2010-
It is charming. It is funny. If there is a test for romantic comedy movies, I am sure that this one will pass with flying colors.
This is like the Asian and lighter version of “Lost in Translation”. I love the fact that though they don’t understand each other verbally, they settle the problem through written communication (since Japanese Kanji are actually the same with Chinese characters).
I fell in love with Masahiro Motoki since the make-up store scene (where Zhao Wei bought four lipsticks) onwards. He is incredibly funny and charming. The cinematography is really beautiful and make a full use of gorgeous Shanghai’s night scenery. Love it! :)
Catfish’ moody rating: (4.0/5.0)
-My #133 movie in 2010-
