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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...