|
|
|
Let’s go to the movies:
by Mark Gernpy
|
|
Now playing in Pattaya
Zero Dark Thirty: (Scheduled) US,
Action/ Drama/ History/ Thriller – A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for
al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and
his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May, 2011.
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Oscar-winning creator of The Hurt Locker. Nominated
for four Golden Globe awards. Rated R in the US for strong violence, including
brutal, disturbing images, and for language. Reviews: Universal acclaim,
saying it’s gripping, suspenseful, and brilliantly crafted, and dramatizes the
hunt for Osama bin Laden with intelligence and an eye for detail. Highly
recommended, and if it does really show up in Pattaya, by all mean see it.
Silver Linings Playbook: (Scheduled) US, Action/ Crime/ Thriller – I
really doubt that this will actually show, but Major Cineplex has it on the
schedule. If it does, see it. Though you’re never heard of it, it’s garnered an
enthusiastic following with hopes of an Oscar. So far it’s in the running for
four Golden Globes.
After a stint in a mental institution, a former teacher moves back in with his
parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging
when he meets a mysterious girl with problems of her own. Starring Bradley
Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert De Niro. Rated R in the US for language
and some sexual content/nudity. Reviews: Universal acclaim, saying it
walks a tricky thematic tightrope, but David O. Russell’s sensitive direction
and some sharp work from a talented cast gives it true balance. “For all its
high-flying zaniness the movie has the sting of life, and its humor feels
dredged up from the same dark, boggy place from which Samuel Beckett extracted
his comedy.”
Wreck-It Ralph 3D: (Scheduled) US, Animation/ Adventure/ Comedy/ Family –
A video game villain wants to be a hero and sets out to fulfill his dream, but
his quest brings havoc to the whole arcade where he lives. Generally favorable
reviews, saying it’s a clever, colorful adventure built on familiar themes and
joyful nostalgia, and equally entertaining for both kids and parents old enough
to catch the references. “A superbly rendered, supremely creative effort that
lovingly pays tribute to 1980s arcade games.”
Jack Reacher: (Scheduled) US, Action/ Crime/ Thriller – A homicide
investigator digs deeper into a case involving a trained military sniper who
shot five random victims. Mixed or average reviews, saying it’s an above-average
crime thriller with a smoothly charismatic performance from Tom Cruise. Too
violent and too much about guns for me at this time.
Life of Pi: US, Adventure/ Drama – I’d be very happy if this won the
Oscar for best picture of the year. I think it’s that good as popular
entertainment, and as an artistic achievement. I saw it in 2D and I would
imagine it would be even more thrilling in 3D. This is simply a superb film from
start to finish in all aspects. Do see it! Among other things it’s a deeply
religious story about an Indian youth named Pi who is raised a Hindu, but who as
a fourteen-year-old is introduced to Christianity and Islam, and starts to
follow all three religions as he “just wants to love god.” The core of the story
has Pi, now a beautiful young man, shipwrecked at sea for 227 days in the
company of a fully-grown Bengal tiger.
Directed by Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain). I was immensely impressed by the way
the strange but fascinating book was brought so faithfully to life, including
such impossible sequences as the floating island of meerkats. Generally
favorable reviews, saying it’s an astonishing technical achievement that’s also
emotionally rewarding. Shown in 3D (English) at Pattaya Beach, 2D (English) at
Major, and 2D (Thai-dubbed) at Big C. Don’t miss this.
Cloud Atlas: Germany/ US/ Hong Kong/ Singapore, Drama/ Mystery/ Sci-Fi –
Certainly you will not be bored by this film, as there are dazzling
performances, directed with tremendous energy and imagination. But schedule
yourself to see it twice, as I found it perhaps the most complicated and
ambitious film of recent years. Starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving,
Jim Broadbent, Susan Sarandon, and Hugh Grant, all playing a variety of roles.
Rated R in the US for violence, language, sexuality/nudity, and some drug use;
18+ here.
Mixed or average reviews, saying its sprawling, ambitious blend of
thought-provoking narrative and eye-catching visuals will prove too unwieldy for
some, but the sheer size and scope are all but impossible to ignore. I agree,
and I think you will want to see this daring and visionary film. It’s in
English, playing at Pattaya Beach and Major. Prepare to either work hard, or
relax and enjoy. But do see it.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey / The Hobbit: Part 1: US/ New
Zealand, Adventure/ Fantasy – Grand entertainment! I think you’ll find this
thoroughly enjoyable if you have liked any of the previous Middle Earth
fantasies. The filmmaking here is extraordinary, as is the storytelling.
Endlessly inventive and spectacular. I saw it in 3D and urge you to do the same.
The film acts as a prelude to J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. It’s
meticulously, even gorgeously, photographed, showing off the rich New Zealand
countryside, and with a number of innovations to produce the last word in
digital 3D filmmaking.
Generally favorable reviews, saying it’s visually resplendent and features
strong performances from Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen, but the film’s
deliberate pace robs the material of some of its majesty. Don’t agree with that
last bit. At all three locations it’s being shown in both 3D (English) and
regular 2D (English, except Thai-dubbed at Big C). Really long: 170 minutes.
Nearly three hours. But I didn’t mind or notice the length. I completely enjoyed
it.
Chinese Zodiac: Hong Kong/ China, Action/ Adventure – Starring and
directed by Jackie Chan, this is a sequel to “Amour of God” and “Amour of God
II: Operation Condor.” By all reports, this is his last film, and he intends to
go out in style. Here Chan reprises his role as adventurer and treasure hunter
Asian Hawk, who is a Chinese hero not unlike Indiana Jones. This time, he has to
bring back the bronze head statues of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals, which were
sacked by the French and British armies from the imperial Summer Palace in
Beijing in 1860 during the Second Opium War. The film is in English and Spanish
but shown here only in a Thai-dubbed version at all three locations.
Countdown: Thai, Thriller – Looks dreadfully violent. Three Thai
teenagers, two boys and one girl, find themselves sharing a hotel room in New
York City during the countdown to midnight on New Year’s Eve. Jack is a rich kid
from Thailand who lies to his parents that he’s in NYC to study, but in reality
he is actually spending their money on a daily basis just to have fun. Pam is a
materialistic girl who would do anything to impress others. Finally there is
Bee, Jack’s girlfriend, who has yet to reveal to anyone why she came to NYC in
the first place. The three friends want to have a New Year’s Eve party to
remember, so Jack calls a drug dealer by the name of Jesus, no less, to drop off
some stuff to their apartment so they can celebrate the end of the year in
style. They don’t know Jesus that well and don’t know his background. Not very
smart, and Jesus, turns out to have a vicious and sadistic streak in him, and it
turns out that they are counting down without knowing for sure that they’ll ever
see another dawn. The film is partially in English. Rated 18+ in Thailand. In 2D
(English subtitles); not playing at Major.
Together / Wan Tee Rak: Thai, Drama – The story centers on a Thai couple who
have been together for almost ten years. Their long love for each other is
tested when some conflicts and memories from their past threaten their peaceful
marriage, and when the wife’s father who suffers from Alzheimer’s is brought
into the home. The Bangkok Post calls it “a surprisingly tender and sure-footed
piece of filmmaking.” In 2D (English subtitles); not playing at Major.
The Impossible: Spain, Action/ Drama/ Thriller – “One of the most
emotionally realistic disaster movies in recent memory — and certainly one of
the most frightening in its epic re-creation of the catastrophic 2004 Indian
Ocean tsunami.” A husband and wife and their three sons begin their winter
vacation in Thailand in 2004, looking forward to a few days in tropical
paradise. But on the morning of December 26th, as the family relaxes around the
pool after their Christmas festivities the night before, a terrifying roar rises
up from the center of the earth. The wife freezes in fear as a huge wall of
black water races across the hotel grounds toward her. Thus starts the most
harrowing disaster movie in many a moon, combining a tremendous feat of physical
filmmaking with an emotional true story of family survival.
Stars Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor; directed by the Spanish Juan Antonio Bayona
(The Orphanage). Generally favorable reviews, saying it is wrenchingly acted,
deftly manipulated, and terrifyingly well made. “Part of the appeal of this
affecting and powerful drama is that it puts the viewer right in the moment at
every stage, using authentic locations and tsunami survivors to hammer home the
reality of this tragedy.” A 2D film (English); not playing at Big C. (As of
Wednesday.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|