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Examination by Vives Anunciacion Inquirer Libre, January 27, 2005 Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events Envisioned by Brad Siberling Conjured by Robert Gordon Teleported from the book series by Daniel Handler Dramsatised by Jim Carrey, Emily Browning, Liam Aiken, Kara Hoffman, Shelby Hoffman GP / 107 minutes Nickelodeon Movies/ Dreamworks Pictures/ Paramount Pictures Opens February 23 Dear reader, I regret to inform you that this review is marked by unhappy words. Unhappy here means this is not about a movie about a happy little elf, nor of happy beginnings or happy endings. Lemony Snicket says so himself. You are wickedly warned. This is the story of the Baudelaire children who, one miserable day, receive the most tragic news that their parents have died in a mysterious fire that razed their beautiful home. Instantly orphaned, the family banker sends the unfortunate children –14-year old Violet the inventor, 12-year old Klaus the bookworm and Sunny, the bab...

Review by Vives Anunciacion Inquirer Libre January 4, 2005 Gong Fu/ Kung Fu Hustle Written, Directed and Produced by Stephen Chow Starring Stephen Chow, Wah Yuen, Leung Siu Lung, Yuen Qiu PG 13 / 95 minutes Columbia Pictures/ Beijing Film Studio/ The Star Overseas Opens January 6 A few years ago, Hong Kong submitted The Touch to the 2003 Oscar Awards Foreign Language category. Expectedly, the unexciting adventure film didn’t make it to the nominations list, quite a statement to the sorry shape of Hong Kong (and Asian) cinema then. But things are slowly returning to the golden days. Martial arts filmmaker Stephen Chow presents another smashing action comedy in Kung Fu Hustle, a follow up to the boxoffice hit Shaolin Soccer (Siu Lam Juk Kau). Chow plays Sing, a small time thief who aspires to join the notorious crime syndicate Axe Gang. Sing’s vain attempts to extort money from a small apartment complex inadvertently attract the attention of the Axe Gang. Residents of the...

(I'm posting this old review as a pre-Oscars thing. Eternal Sunshine gets my vote for Best Original Screenplay) Review by Vives Anunciacion Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Directed by Michel Gondry Written by Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry, Pierre Bismuth Starring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst R13 / 108 minutes Focus Features Memories in the corner of my mind Misty watercolor memories Of the way we were - Barbara Streisand, “The Way We Were” (1973) How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd; Labour and rest, that equal periods keep; "Obedient slumbers that can wake and weep;" Desires compos'd, affections ever ev'n, Tears that delight, and sighs that waft to Heav'n. -- Alexander Pope, "Eloisa to Abelard" (1717) There are times when it much more coherent...

Review by Vives Anunciacion Inquirer Libre, December 5, 2004 2046 Written, Directed and Produced by Wong Kar Wai Starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi, Faye Wong PG 13 / 124 minutes Block 2 Pictures and Paradis Films / Shanghai Film Group / Jet Tone Films Opens today Wong Kar Wai may be one of the few filmmakers of world cinema, Lav Diaz included, who can get away with almost anything which eventually become cinematically notorious. 2046 is a feverish recollection of chance encounters and prolonged repression. 2046 brings back playboy sleaze writer Chow Mo Wan (still played by the controlled Tony Leung Chiu Wai) in the cramped hotel rooms of Hong Kong and Singapore during decadent 1960s Asia. 2046 tells the many passionate encounters between Mo Wan and the different occupants of hotel room 2046 (and 2047). He then translates these encounters into his futuristic erotica for a Singapore newspaper. When Chow and Su Li-zhen Chan (Maggie Cheung) cross paths at th...

Review by Vives Anunciacion Inquirer Libre, Nov 29, 2004 Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason Directed by Beeban Kidron Based on the novel by Helen Fielding Written by Andrew Davies, Helen Fielding, Richard Curtis, Adam Brooks Starring Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant PG 13 / 108 minutes Universal Pictures Opens December 1 Oh no, she’s back. The girl with relationship problems. She who made us laugh at her relationship problems and made us think it’s okay to do that. And she still has problems. But you shan’t sing poor unfortunate soul. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason takes place four months after the events of Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001). Renée Zellweger returns in the Edge of Reason, yet again as the overstuffed self-invented career maiden Bridget Jones. Jones is enjoying her fresh status as girlfriend of the classy human rights lawyer Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). She’s also getting a career boost as a rather adventurous broadcast journalist. Everything is bl...

Review by Vives Anunciacion Shi Mian Mai Fu/ House of Flying Daggers Directed by Zhang Yimou Written by Feng Li, Bin Wang, Yimou Zhang Starring Zhang Ziyi, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lao Tak Wah, Song Dandan PG13 / 119 minutes Edko Films/ Zhang Yimou Studio/ Beijing New Picture Film Opens October 13 Sneak previews Oct 4 & 5 There's a beauty from land of north, She stands alone in her sole beauty With one look she can turn over a city With another look she can turn over a country Even with the knowledge about the city and states, because true beauty is so hard to find. - Ancient Chinese Poem In the declining years of the Tang Dynasty, the largest and most secretive alliance of rebel forces known as the House of Flying Daggers plots to overthrow the corrupt empire. Two local police captains of the Feng Tian County (Captain Leo, played by Andy Lau and Captain Jin, played by Takeshi Kaneshiro) are ordered to capture the new leader of the rebel force. Suspec...

Review by Vives Anunciacion Before Sunset Directed by Richard Linklater Written by Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, Kim Krizan Starring Julie Delpy, Etan Hawke PG 13 / 80 minutes Warner Independent Pictures/ Castle Rock Entertainment Opens Oct. 27 “Love is never gone. As we travel on, Love's what we'll remember.” - What I did for love, A Chorus Line I love long walks. And long conversations that go with them. Except that you can’t do them so easily in the Metro, especially after dark. What do you do for romance in this city? It was in 1995 when director Richard Linklater brought Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke) together in the streets of Vienna for an unforgettable romantic night that ended abruptly Before Sunrise. Nine years later, Celine and Jesse meet again in Paris, and they spend a few moments Before Sunset figuring out if any magic remains between them. Director Linklater, Delpy and Hawke developed this movie over time as ...