What Ocean’s Sequels Should Have Been – The Bank Job

The title should tell you what I think of the movie ‘The Bank Job’. A well-crafted, slick piece of work, I dare say that, at least in terms of plot, story and character development, the film can hold its own against the other, better financed products in the same genre. Similarities can be drawn to the ‘Ocean’s’ films, though on the face of it the two are as different as night and day. While Steven Soderbergh relied on his stars, the music and the colours of the films to move the story forward, ‘The Bank Job’ relies upon the real-life story of an unsolved bank robbery.

And what an intriguing story it is. As I was watching it, I am slightly surprised that no film has been made about it previously. Later on, doing my little bit on research on the subject matter, there were attempts over the past 20 years to bring the story to the silver screen. Names like Sean Connery was even touted around, which I find funny, because one of the actors, Richard Lintern, reminded me of the first James Bond man.

Pedigree Chums – Run, Fatboy, Run

Consider, first of all, the pedigree of the comedy, ‘Run, Fatboy, Run’. On screen, we have the remarkable comedic talent of Simon Pegg. He of ‘Hot Fuzz’ and soon to be seen in the new Star Trek film, Pegg’s blends his comic timing with his brand of physical comedy really well. Others may come up with funnier lines, but his body language has the ability to say all that is needed to be said.

And then we have Hank Azaria, who has done a relatively wide range of roles in his career. On screen, I will always forever think of the Godzilla movie that he was in. I say on screen, because off the screen, I also always think of Moe from the Simpsons when I hear his voice. It’s not too surprising, given that he has given voice to the character, and has been doing so for a very, very long time. The two leads, then, have a track record that is as impeccable as any when it comes to comedy.

Down Under Coming Up! – Australia

It’s quite a rare movie, ‘Australia’. As you can very well guess, the subject of the film is about a significant event in Australian history, when the Japanese bombed Darwin during the second World War. Though I don’t know much about Australian history, it seems like an interesting enough subject to be explored on film. Despite the seemingly-endless stream of Australian actors and directors, Australian films (that looks at Australian issues) in themselves are become a rare breed. The good ones are even rarer; though I haven’t seen that much films from Down Under myself, the last truly interesting one I saw over the last few years is ‘Clubland’.

Silver Screen University

There’s something about the heat in Kelantan that makes you want to take off our shirt. To put down your camera, to shower under the coconut drink, and to enjoy the endless supply of ice kacang bought from the road side stall. Many a time, that temptation was too strong to resist. Inadvisable, then, to find yourself loitering in the area, under the hot sun. One suggests that staying under the shade would have worked, but the shade provides little protection…if you can find it, that is.

Under any circumstances, I wouldn’t have been here. But this is no ordinary trip, and this is no ordinary place. I am sitting next to a small shed specifically constructed for the film ‘Wayang’. The production is ongoing, with the director currently conferring with his cinematographer under the director’s tent. All around me, people buzz about the set, their minds set on the goal of setting up the next scene.

Chasing Shadows – Someone Behind You

‘Someone Behind You’, a Korean horror recently released in Malaysian cinemas, is an animal that can’t really be truly defined well. Yes, it looks horrific, it sounds horrific, and it seems horrific. Therefore, it can be safely assumed to be a horror film. Nevertheless, after having seen the film, I would argue that it is also fair to say that the film is also as much a psychological film as much as it is a horror film.

The truth of the matter, however, lies deep in the plot. It follows the high school student Ka-in (Yoon Jin-suh), whose aunt fell down during her wedding from several floors up at the wedding hall, with the finger pointing towards her fiance for the blame. Horrific (there’s that word again) though it was, she survived that particular ordeal, only to succumb to another, more fatal one: being hacked to death by another aunt while she was in hospital.