This year, I have watched 53 movies in cinemas. 27 of them are good or excellent to my mind. I am looking forward to seeing more good movies and talking about movies with you next year.
優 Excellent – 4.5 / 5 良 Good – 3.5 / 4
常 So-so – 2.5 / 3 差 Bad – 1.5 / 2 劣 Poor – 1
1. 魔幻王國：獅子‧女巫‧魔衣櫥 – 2
2. 鋼之鍊金術師 - 森巴拉的征服者 Fullmetal Alchemist - Conqueror of Shamballa – 2
3. 斷背山 Brokeback Mountain – 4.5
4. 冷血字傳 Capote – 3.5
5. 極地雪犬 Eight Below – 3.5
6. 尋找他媽…的故事 Transamerica – 4
7. 伊莎貝拉 Isabella – 2
8. 千里走單騎 Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles – 2.5
9. 迷失決勝分 Match Point – 4
10. 巴比龍 Papillon – 3
11. 你是我的命運 You Are My Sunshine – 2.5
12. 撞車 Crash – 3.5
13. 你，我，他她他 Me and You and Everyone We Know – 3.5
14. 4條腿拯救隊 Over the Hedge – 3
15. 立見天國 Paradise Now – 3.5
16. 球愛可人兒 She's the Man – 3
17. 鬼域 Re-Cycle – 2.5
18. 生命的飲歌 As It Is in Heaven – 3.5
19. 反斗車王 Cars – 3.5
20. 子狐物語 Helen the Baby Fox – 2.5
21. 偷拍 Hidden (Cache) – 3.5
22. 魔怪屋 Monster House – 3.5
23. 死亡筆記 Death Note – 3
24. 情獄 Hell (L'enfer) –3.5
25. 日本沉沒 Sinking of Japan – 2
26. 真心無戾 Tsotsi – 4
27. 兩生花 The Double Life Of Veronique – 2
28. 往關塔那摩之路 The Road to Guantanamo – 3
29. 蘇菲最後的5天 Sophie Scholl - The Final Days – 4
30. 聯合93 / United 93 – 3.5
31. 布達佩斯之戀 Gloomy Sunday – 4
32. 韓流怪嚇 The Host – 4
33. 花樣奇緣 Memories of Matsuko – 4
34. 燦爛人生 The Best of Youth – 3
35. 越位女球迷 Offside – 3
36. 怎捨得我難過 The Unforgiven – 1
37. 太陽雨 Rain Dogs – 2
38. 鬼書友 The Dorm – 3.5
39. 死亡魔法 The Prestige – 4
40. 地海傳說 Tales from Earthsea – 2
41. 浮花 Volver – 3.5
42. 世貿中心 World Trade Center – 3.5
43. 父子 After This Our Exile – 2.5
44. 大狗民 Citizen Dog – 2.5
45. 奏出我未來 For Horowitz – 2.5
46. 攣鳳和鳴 Metrosexual – 1.5
47. 那山那人那狗 Postmen In The Mountains – 3.5
48. 恐懼鬥室3死神在齒 Saw 3 – 3
49. 戀愛夢遊中 Science of Sleep – 2.5
50. 慾望的謊容 Time – 3.5
51. 陽光小小姐 Little Miss Sunshine – 4
52. 我愛巴黎 Paris, Je T'aime – 3
53. 新鐵金剛智破皇家賭場 Casino Royale – 3.5
2006-12-30
新鐵金剛智破皇家賭場 Casino Royale
1) The actions and explosions are visually stunning, for instance, the sinking house & fighting.
2) the romance between 007 and Vesper Lynd is very touching.
3) The gambling scenes are gripping.
4) Sexy women and brand-new cars are eye catching.
5) It is a surprise that 007 in this movie is poisoned, stripped naked and tortured.
6) 007 in this movie is more three-dimensional and humanized (e.g. humorous, caring, sincere, etc) than the typical ones with cold looks.
7) The story has a few twists and the ending is unpredictable. Therefore, although the movie lasts for 145 minutes, the audience won't be bored.
8) Daniel Craig is a man with charisma, though some people find him old. Other actors also perform well.
9) The movie makes us ponder whether we should completely trust a person whom we love.
Conclusion: The original mixture of different elements successfully makes Casino Royale different from other typical 007 movies with predictable endings. The movie is worth watching and very entertaining, though this type of movies is not my cup of tea. I give it 3 stars out of 5.
2006-12-23
係時侯回顧今年十大電影啦 My 2006 Top Ten Movies
My 2006 Top Ten Movies:
1. Brokeback Mountain 斷背山2. Memories of Matsuko 花樣奇緣
3. Gloomy Sunday 布達佩斯之戀
4. Match Point 迷失決勝分
5. The Host 韓流怪嚇
6. Transamerica 尋找他媽...的故事
7. Little Miss Sunshine 陽光小小姐
8. Tsotsi 真心無戾
9. Sophie Scholl -The Final Days 蘇菲最後的5天
10. The Prestige 死亡魔法
August Story 八月的故事 is a short Hong Kong film (22 minutes) that I love very much too. You can watch it for free on-line!
For films shown in 2006, please visit www.hkfilms.com/Films2006.shtml
My Top 100 Movies
Titanic 鐵達尼號; Artificial Intelligence 人工智能; Christmas in August 8月照相館;
Billy Elliot 跳出我天地; Castaway 劫後餘生; Blue Gate Crossing 藍色大門;
Far from heaven 天上人間; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 無痛失戀;
The English Patient 別問我是誰; Brokeback Mountain 斷背山;
Love Letter 情書; The Talented Mr. Ripley 心計; American Beauty 美麗有罪;
The Trueman Show 真人Show; Memories of Matsuko 花樣奇緣;
Laputa Castle in the Sky 天空之城; Central Station 中央車站;
IL Mare 觸不到的戀人 ; Nana 世界上的另一個我 ; Amelie 天使愛美麗;
City of God 無主之城; Be With You 藉著雨點說愛你; A Clockwork Orange 發條橙;
Chicago 芝加哥; Life is Beautiful 一個快樂的傳說; 28 Days Later 28日後;
Moulin Rouge 情陷紅磨坊; Finding Nemo 海底奇兵;
Dancer in the Dark 天黑黑; Kamikaze girls 下妻物語;
Bad Education 聖教慾; Y Tu Mama Tambien 衰仔失樂園 ; Evil 壞孩子;
Not One Less 一個都不能少 ; Touching the Void 冰峰168小時 ;
The Laramie Project 少年同志殺人事件; Lost in Translation 迷失東京;
The Wedding Banquet 喜宴; Before Sunrise 情留半天; 3 Iron 感官樂園;
Gloomy Sunday 布達佩斯之戀; Dogville 人間狗鎮; All About My Mother 論盡我阿媽;
Kekexili Mountain Patrol 可可西里; Silmido 實尾島; Black Hawk Down 黑鷹15小時 ;
Match Point 迷失決勝分; Dear Frankie 爸爸愛的回信;
Marathon 我的馬拉松; Turn 漂靈 2:15;
Beautiful Boxer 美麗拳王; Farewell to My Concubine 霸王別姬; Spiderman 2 蜘蛛俠 2;
The Pianist 鋼琴戰曲; Sex In A Cold Climate (The Magdalene Sisters) 瑪德蓮少女之墮落真相;
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring 春去春又來; Forest Gump 阿甘正傳;
Boys Don't Cry 沒哭聲的抉擇; Minority Report 未來報告; Bridget Jones's Diary BJ單身日記;
Kiki's Delivery Service 魔女宅急便; Oasis 愛的綠洲; C'est La Vie, Mon Cheri 新不了情;
Bungee Jumping of Their Own 情約笨朱跳; Peter Pan 小飛俠; My Girl 小情人;
Erin Brockovich 伊人當自強; Bend It Like Beckham 我愛碧咸;
Cube 心慌方; Broken Flowers 當年相戀意中人;
Spirited Away 千與千尋; Sliding Doors 緣份兩面睇; Rice Rhapsody 海南雞飯;
Sleepless in Seattle 緣份的天空; Spiderman 蜘蛛俠;
City of Glass 玻璃之城; Closer 誘心人; August Story 八月的故事;
Transamerica 尋找他媽...的故事; Catch Me If You Can 捉智雙雄;
Gattaca 變種異煞; An Affair 婚外初夜; Metropolis 大都會; Rouge 胭脂扣;
The Incredibles 超人特工隊; Whisper of the Heart 夢幻街少女; Samaritan Girl 慾海慈航;
Infernal Affairs 無間道; Together 和你在一起; Nobody Knows 誰知赤子心;
Little Miss Sunshine 陽光小小姐; Tempting Heart 心動; The Terminal 機場客運站;
Million Dollar Baby 擊情; The Host 韓流怪嚇; Battle Royale 大逃殺;
Sophie Scholl -The Final Days 蘇菲最後的5天; Five Times Two 5X2;
Scent of a Woman 女人香; Shaun of the Dead 笑死人凶間;
My Top 40 Original Soundtracks
Far from heaven 天上人間; The English Patient 別問我是誰; Brokeback Mountain 斷背山; Love Letter 情書; IL Mare 觸不到的戀人; Nana 世界上的另一個我; Amelie 天使愛美麗; Be With You 藉著雨點說愛你; Christmas in August 8月照相館; Crying Out Love in the Centre of the World 在世界中心呼喚愛; Somewhere in Time 時光倒流七十年; Dear Frankie 爸爸愛的回信; Blue Gate Crossing 藍色大門; The Classic 假如愛有天意; Isabella 伊莎貝拉; Les Choristes 歌聲伴我心; Titanic 鐵達尼號; Gloomy Sunday 布達佩斯之戀; Moulin Rouge 情陷紅磨坊; Hana and Alice 花與愛麗詩; Scent of a Woman 女人香; City of Glass 玻璃之城; My Sassy Girl 我的野蠻女友; Merry Chirstmas 聖誕快樂; My Brother 天使的印記; Sleepless in Seattle 緣份的天空; Helen the Baby Fox 子狐物語; Linda Linda Linda 琳達琳達琳達; All About Lily Chou Cou 青春電幻物語; Poppoya - The Railroader 鐵道員; April Snow 外出; July Rhapsody 男人四十; Rice Rhapsody 海南雞飯; Lover's Concerto 向左愛‧向右愛; Whisper of the Heart 夢幻街少女; 1 litre of tears 一公升的眼淚; Jyoou no Kyoushitsu (Queen of The Classroom) 女王的教室; Tales from the Earthsea 地海傳說; Stormy Night 狼羊物語; Evita 貝隆夫人; Any comments?
陽光小小姐 Little Miss Sunshine
First, all family members are different individuals who like different things, but they are indeed united because of LOVE. Communication among family members is crucial. Second, people should not be always obsessed with winning. Instead, we should enjoy the process. Once we have tried, we are no longer losers! "Losers are those who do not even try as they are afraid of not winning". I believe human beings are able to learn from mistakes and, as a result, perform better next time. Third, people define beauty in different ways and I really like the girl's performance at the end hahaha... ^^
I kept laughing throughout the whole movie. The movie is VERY entertaining and meaningful! It is a pity that many Hong Kong people have not even heard of it. I give it 4 stars out of 5.
死亡魔法 The Prestige
The movie which is about magic is itself like a MAGIC.
It is stated in the beginning that every magic has three parts and it can be observed that the plot of the movie also consist of these 3 parts. The last part called PRESTIGE does shock me. The ending is unpredictable and I appreciate very much the way the director tell the story, though the first 30 minutes may be a bit confusing as it is like a puzzle interweaving the present with the past. Nevertheless, you will understand what happens as times goes by.
The actors perform well, especially at the end of the movie. Scarlet Johanson performed quite well in this movie, though her performances in Lost in Translation and Match Point are much more impressive. I am satisfied with the two leading characters' performances.
The movie conveys the message that everyone has to pay a price for success. However, once you are obssessed with something, you may be destroyed by your own desire. I give it 3.5 out of 5!
聯合93 United 93
This haunting movie is a memorial to the disaster victims, helping us understand what exactly happened on that day and absorb the lessons of this incident.
You may feel bored in the first hour and it is surely not an entertaining Hollywood movie.
It is totally different from Air Force One.
However, in the second one, you will become one of the passengers sitting on that plane, feeling exactly how they felt at that moment and saying I love you to the people you care for. The ending was so overwhelming that I nearly burst into tears.
This docu-drama is worth seeing, though it may be a bit boring to some of you at first. I give it 3 stars out of 5! ^^
鬼書友 The Dorm
友 誼 情 真 , 不 因 人 鬼 而 殊 途
觸 動 最 窩 心 的 校 園 回 憶
驚 慄 中 散 發 無 盡 驚 喜
The Dorm is a touching story about the friendship between a lonely boy and a ghost who has no friends. The ghost helps the boy adapt to the new environment, while the boy helps release the ghost from pain and the past. At the beginning, the boy is afraid of the ghost. As time goes by, they become best friends. The ending is simply moving and I heard some members of the audience crying. At the end, different parts of the school without students are beautifully shot,
which reminds me of my school and my friends whom I have not contacted for long. People do need friends and ONE best friend would be enough!
If you expect to watch a horror movie, you will surely be disappointed as the film is simply not frightening. On the contrary, the main characters including the ghost look cute and the ghost never hurts people. Feeling lonely, he is just looking for attention, concern and love.
Anyway, the movie is worth watching owing to their touching friendship depicted in detail, though the director's previous movie MY GIRL 小 情 人 is more appealing to me. I give it 3 stars out of 5.
八月的故事 August Story
http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/tv/saladdays/20060809.html
升 中 六 的 暑 假 ， 十 七 歲 的 玉 意 在 舅 父 的 洋 服 工 場 內 認 識 了 當 學 徒 的 平 安 ，與 將 要 和 她 同 班 的 惠 芳 成 了 知 已 ， 三 個 年 青 人 都 因 某 人 「 心 動 」 。 惠 芳 喜 歡 玉 意 ， 玉 意 喜 歡 平 安 ， 平 安 喜 歡 惠 芳 … … 。 有 些 東 西 ， 我一 個 人 記 住 就 夠了 。 這 故 事 纖 巧 細 膩 ， 摘 取 一 個 生 活 片 斷 ， 一 點 委 婉 的 細 節 ， 舖 展 一 個 欲 說 還 休 、 餘 音 裊 裊 的 故 事 。 家 庭 生 活 破 碎 的 玉 意 在 頭 一 次 體 會 到 悸 遇 的 同 時 ， 也 第 一 次 嘗 到 失 戀 的 感 覺 - 但 她 知 道 自 己 絕 對 珍 惜 這 個 八 月 ， 珍 惜 這 個 暑 假 ， 也 珍 惜 對 平 安 的 承 諾 ， 還 有 ， 惠 芳 的 友 誼 。 愛 情 是 人 生 必 經 之 路 ， 而 且 是 蠻 重 要 的 過 程 。 所 以 能 夠 讓 人 感 動 的 可 能 都 是 愛 情 的 一 些 畫 面 ， 好 的 壞 的 都 有 ， 心 悸 、 心 痛 都 是 一 部 分 ，也 許 你 一 生 中 最 遺 憾 的 一 段 經 歷 會 是 你 最 珍 惜 的 回 憶 。 主 角 們 都 在 學 習 著 … … ， 我 們 都 在 學 習 著 … … 。 少 年 人 的 世 界 ， 好 比 一 個 打 翻 了 的 五 味 架 ，滿 是 甜 酸 苦 辣 百 般 的 滋 味 。 青 春，總 是 迷 人 的。
The music, pictures and acting in August Story are so mesmerizing that I have watched it four times. 惠 芳 loves 玉 意, though she claims at the end that she will be her best friend forever.
惠 芳 does not reveal her love to her since she knows that 玉 意 only loves 平 安 and she is not a lesbian. I'm gripped by every part of the movie, though the middle part is a bit like a music video. The three main actors act naturally and this short story moves me a lot. It is a story about puppy love, making me smile and cry with the characters. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.
父子 After This Our Exile
After This Our Exile is a depressing, but meaningful movie. I sincerely feel sympathetic towards the little boy who has to suffer because of the broken family. The message conveyed in the movie is that children do need attention, education, care and love and it is the parents' responsibility to take care of their children.
The setting is symbolic, spiced with moving music. Many scenes in the movie were filmed in Malaysia and they are as visually arresting as those of another movie, Isabella, which was filmed in Macau. Apart from the beautiful scenes, the music is nice, but the one in Isabella is better.
The director tries hard to make a realistic film look artistic and symbolic. However, it turns out a bit awkward and pretentious, though some realistic scenes are touching. It is really difficult to strike a balance between realism and aestheticism.
The acting is fabulous! 郭富城 is able to act naturally and his acting moved me to tears several times. 楊采妮 performs quite well, though both actors underact their roles as a married couple at the very beginning of the movie. 吳景滔 is as adorable as Charlie Trairat 查理‧哲華 in 小情人 and 鬼書友. He has great potential as an actor.
One scene at the end of the film is shocking and there are some sex scenes in the movie, so I think the film is not suitable for children and those who don't want to leave the theatre with a heavy heart. From my point of view, parents and those who love artistic movies and drama should go watch it. I give it 2.5 stars out of 5.
世貿中心 World Trade Center
World Trade Center is a touching, politically muted and visually stunning salute to lives lost on 11th September 2001. What the two rescuers experienced was gripping and I felt as if I had been trapped with them.
I learnt a few lessons from the movie. First, after a day's work, people feel so tired that they tend to neglect the people around them. However, we never know when our beloved ones will suddenly go. People tend to regret what they have done when they lose someone... Try to treasure and love the people around you before it is too late. Second, human beings should take care of each other. In the movie, I see not only evil, but also the best in people. Third, "It is good to feel pain, as it proves that we are still surviving". The movie reminds me how lucky I am to live, to love and even to struggle.
Some tear-jerking scenes and poignant moments were too calculated, but I was still touched because they were made with LOVE and the ending is uplifting! No one left the theater dry eyed. In this connection, United 93 is more authentic.
I agree with some critics who think that the movie focuses too much on the repetitive scenes of two buried men and their families when it could have intertwined the stories of so many more. I prefer a more Crash-esque collection of vignettes that explores a wider range of the 9/11 repercussions and I am looking forward to another 9/11 movie made in another way.
With its Hollywoodized, syrupy and calculating plot plodding along in certain places (especially the lengthy flashbacks), World Trade Centre, instead of a great film, is a worth-seeing and well-intentioned one causing catharsis. I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.
The Opening of My Blog
Hi everyone,
I am a movie maniac. I enjoy watching movies and listening to original soundtracks very much. I also love playing badminton, listening to music, singing, dining out (world cuisine), taking photos, travelling, hiking, etc.
This is the first time I have blogged. I believe it is a useful tool allowing me to share my movie reviews and anecdotes with other bloggers. Should there be any questions about me or movies, please feel free to email me at mov.reviews@gmail.com
Cheers,
Kenneth Chan
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