聽說 + 福音戰士 + 茱莉對茱莉亞隔代廚神 + 法國電影節

A chocolate pie giving you a good appetite 

I watched Julie and Julia because of Director of Sleepless in Seattle, Nora Ephron, and a phenomenal actress, Meryl Streep. The movie, a real feast for food lovers, is about two women who become famous because of their enthusiasm for cooking.

Julie and Julia have different personalities and purposes of cooking, but both of them do possess genuine passion for cooking and courage to pursue their dreams against all odds e.g. middle age and discrimination against females. The movie encourages us to ask ourselves a question. What do you really like to do? The regimen is to do it. With a goal, determination and action taken, one will survive the hardships. Personally, I do relate myself to Julie. I have just turned 30 and the opening of her blog reminds me of the opening of Move Thee Reviews. When Julie’s mum asked her who would read her blog, a flicker of a smile crossed my face since I once asked myself this question.

This light-hearted and feel-good drama reminds me of several movies. The first few scenes in France make me think of Ratatouille and Julie’s articles in her blog resemble the ones in Sex and the City. Like the Hours, the movie also points out the difficulties faced by female writers in the old times and the differences between two eras e.g. blogmates VS pen friends.

Although Meryl Streep has a talent unmatched by most of the actresses, Amy Adams also gives a convincing performance though her character may not please everybody. Thanks to the bewitching theme song, Time after Time by Margaret Whiting, the two women are linked. The set is also beautifully crafted, capturing the mood of two different eras and cities.  

The movie would have been more satisfying if the linkage between Julie and Julia had been further developed. For instance, Julia’s influence on Julie as well as Julie’s story can be strengthened. I also find Eric’s confrontation with Julie too sudden.

On the whole, Julie & Julia is a tangy chocolate cream pie which can give you a good appetite.

Rotten Tomatoes: 75% Fresh
IMDB: 7.5 / 10
Kenji: 4 / 5

影評刊載於「香港影評人協會」、「兩岸三地影評人協會聯盟」、「動映地帶」及「IMDB」。

聽說 Hear Me

Hear Me is an amusing, well-acted and heart-warming rom-com with a charismatic cast. In the movie, we can feel the main characters' passion for love, youth and dreams. The relationship between the two sisters is also touching. The scene in which the two sisters argue with
each other with sign language brings great tension, which is also a solid proof of the convincing and impressive acting. The audience may also burst into laughter because of the lively performances of the man and his parents. A major flaw lies in the slightly long-winded ending which makes you think that the girl’s love for the boy needs to be further developed. Still, the ending is quite unpredictable. Anyway, this feel-good commercial movie is worth our support, although Blue Gate Crossing is still the best coming-of-age Taiwan movie in my opinion. 4 / 5

福音戰士新劇場版:破

Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance is a gripping, fast-paced and entertaining animation packed with lots of visually stunning actions and robots. Because of the changes made to the original story and the new characters added, hardcore fans will be thrilled. The four main characters fight owing to different reasons: need for his dad’s admiration, unquestioning obedience to orders, need for recognition and love for fighting. The film is also about cooperation and communication with others, uniqueness of every human being and fear of loneliness.

However, you may sometimes feel puzzled if you do not know anything about this animation, since not everything is explained clearly. Besides, the background of the new girl can be further developed. Where does she come from? Does she have any family members? What is her purpose? Why does she know so much about Eva? Why does she enjoy fighting? Moreover, this movie is not suitable for kids because of some bloody fighting and unnecessary focus on female’s bodies. Finally, I also find the religious symbolism rather
superficial and pretentious.

Despite these, I still recommend it to movie lovers because the adrenaline-pumping moments and the eye-popping images. 4 / 5

第三十八屆法國電影節 Hong Kong French Film Festival


Seraphine - 3 / 5

先知 A Prophet - 3.5 / 5

歡迎 Welcome - 4 / 5

唇語驚魂 Read My Lips - 4.5 / 5