Rush

A rousing, exciting historical drama/biopic that was superbly directed, well acted, gorgeously shot and brilliantly scored with a great script. Kudos to the whole team! Ron Howard has not made such a good movie in a long time! The POV switches between the two male leads seamlessly and the audience is brought through their stories effortlessly, allowing us to empathise, and even sympathise, with them through their triumphs, trials and tribulations. Of course, this will also not be possible if without the two lead actors. Sorry, but Daniel Brühl is really more a co-lead than supporting actor here, but he might just submit himself for the Best Supporting Actor as individually they both lack sufficient meat to wing a Best Actor. Chris Hemsworth finally gets to show off his acting chopes, and credit to Howard for not obsessing over his handsome mug. Contrarily, he might have over compensate with the frequent shots of ratty Brühl. Anyways, Hemsworth gave an applaudable performance as the playboy risk taker with the childlike insecurity beneath that macho bravado. However he was outshone by Brühl who created a detestable hero that we inevitably root for but then end up torn between him and Hemsworth's character.  Writer Peter Morgan deserves much credit too for interweaving the biopics of 2 characters and not skimming on the characterisations or complexities of either. He has always been a great character writer. Olivide Wilde looked great, one of the best I have seen her; Natalie Dormer was too brief; and Alexandra Mara Lara was a breath of fresh air as a departure from the standard Hollywood "beauty" and she can act! Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle has frames multiple gorgeous imageries, usually at the start of the important races. He and Howard has given us a gorgeous sport film unlike any others before this, and coupled with a distinctively Hans Zimmer cello-riched, bass-heavy score that never overwhelmed but heightened the emotional mood, I will not be surprised to see this show getting some recognition come Oscar time.

Hairspray the Musical

This was definitely one of the best musical productions to hit our local shores in a long, long time. I will be honest and say that the 2007 movie was my first introduction to this musical, so the image of John Travolta in drag is still very memorable, as was Queen Latifah. In this british production, the vocals were outstanding throughout except for Link's portrayer. Strong, powerful voices with great scatting, energetic dancing, high octane performances and hilarious line-readings. Edna Turnbull is again the most popular draw with the crowd, and she is really the emotional core of the show, despite Tracy being the main lead. The standout songs were the same as the movie, but one thing which the movie had the upper hand over was the larger sets and larger background cast, giving the big dance scenes even more energy and vibrancy. Other than the technical snafu in the beginning where the house lights did not dim, the other setbacks were the rather poor lighting, simplistic sets and really bad wigs. But these were minor complications in an otherwise outstanding, fun, feel-good night out!

Trophy Wife

Pilot: A funny family-situational comedy by ABC with a very likable lead in Malin Akerman. She is equally warm and effusive without seeming too flaky or desperate, such that you do want to root for her. But hopefully, after this pilot, the rest of the series will be more about this new family dynamics rather than her trying to fit in/get accepted. Akerman's has a knack for physical comedy and that will play very well against the hilarious straight-woman Marcia Gay Hayden. Michaela Watkins seemed extraneous now, other than for the fact that they need to explain the adopted china boy, who I fear will be an amalgam of Modern Family's Manny and Lily, and who will be milked for senseless comedy. Invariably, this comedy will draw comparisons with "Modern Family", but hopefully it will be as good as the latter was in its first season and carry it through the future (which the latter did not).

Episode #2 - #5: Binged watched all 4 episodes together, and this is a delightful comedy with some genuinely funny moments, but mostly it's just cruises on by with the charm of Malin Akerman and Marcia Gay Hayden. Bert is annoying, Warren is too daft to be true, but at least Hilary (re-cast with Bailee Madison) is not as irritating. This show is definitely not appointment TV, but it's surely good to blow some time past.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Pilot: Joss Whedon is back!!! But truth be told, I found this pilot rather underwhelming. Perhaps it was because of all that hype, but I was expecting more. Having said that, it was still loads of awesomeness, with crackling good lines, shout outs to most of the movie-Marvels heroes/moments, and most importantly a solid cast. The trick here is to balance the darkness of this black-ops, secret agents theme, with the lightness and brevity, and dark comic, that Whedon is known for. And I think he did a good job thus far. Pilots are always exposition heavy, and that's their role, but the next few episodes will really determine if this ABC series will take off, or will it end up like "Firefly" and "Dollhouse". Clark Gregg and Chloe Bennet are the clear standouts here; I really liked the tech-and-science team of Elizabeth Henstridge and Iain De Caestecker (they are like the Xander and Willow on steroids, or Topher on adrenaline); Ming-Na Wen is still an enigma, but I am intrigued by her backstory; Brett Dalton, let's hope he is more than just a pretty boy, hopefully more like Charles Gunn/Wesley and less like Paul Ballard.

Quotable quotes:

Maria Hill: "...a God"
Agent Ward: "I don't think Thor is technically a God"
Hill: "You haven't been near his arms." ... OMG! LOL!!! Genius!

Coulson: "Welcome to Level 7...sorry, that corner was really dark and I couldn't help myself." *snark*

Coulson: "When you get shanked by the Asgardian Mussolini, you can tell it your way." LOL!

Simmons: “I’m not Hermione, I can’t create instant paralysis with that.”

Skye: “With great power comes… a ton of weird crap that you are not prepared to deal with.”

Episode #2, "0-8-4": This outing is slightly better than first, and the cast are really starting to gel together. Especially since this episode is designed to reflect their differences and the group dynamics within. A typical Whedon-esque episode where they group works together, overcome their differences and beat the bad guys. But as the episode was not written by Joss, there seem to be less quotable quotes this time round. May and Fitz-Simmons are still the standouts here; Skye is interesting but the penultimate scene was a bit surprisingly. Poor Agent Ward, still rather dull. Pretty, but dull. But, OMG!, Fury is in the house! There's definitely some history going on between May and Coulson. I think this series won't do blockbuster, "Avengers"-style numbers, but it is a great fun for the fans/geeks/nerds.

Quotable Quotes:

Coulson: "The last [0-8-4] was a hammer."

Skye: "You took a bullet"
Coulson: "-ish". hah!

Coulson: "[Tahiti] is a magical place." Not so much a quip, but another clue; was Doctor Strange involved?

Coulson: "Do you need anything else before I go back and check on the device fueled by evil?"

Episode #3 to #5: Honestly, this series is leaving me rather underwhelmed. There are moments of sparks, but the quality as quite appreciably dropped since Joss's pilot. But thankfully #5 finally gave us some insight and headway into Skye's character. Although honestly, character development and complexities are sorely lacking in this series. The only really interesting character is May. Even Coulson is getting one-dimensional, but at least his quips are still razor sharp. Sadly, Ward is still rather block like; Fitz and Simmons are entertaining enough but currently they are better served as backdrop comic relief rather than upfront like Topher in "Dollhouse". These characters just need to be better written. Hopefully with the Big Bad introduced in episode #5, the upcoming episodes will get slowly evolve.

Hostages

Pilot: The 2 best thing about this new CBS drama is the premise and Toni Collette. Think of this at a network neutered version of "Homeland", i.e. without the violence, the grit or the subversion. The bad guys who, so far, aren't really that bad, and the good guys (or girl, in both cases) who's a strong, independent bitch. However, count on them to always have annoying children. The premise itself is the hook, but how can this lead to beyond 15 episodes is as good a guess as anybody's. Even "Under The Dome" is going on to Season 2! Collette is amazing to watch, and her eyes are powerful and emotional. She's one of the few actors who can really convey emotions with a look, although not many looks thus far (but, hey!, she was in "United States of Tara"), and it's kind of cute when her Aussie accent slips out. McDermott bores me, as he did in "American Horror Story". He has always been looking/acting the same ever since "The Practice". He and everybody else was just so poorly executed and written. So far, I am not that intrigued into his motive, but rather, what may be interesting is to see how the story develops, as it looks like Stockholm Syndrome or reverse Stockholm (if such a thing exist) may develop between the people in the house. Will stick around a bit and see whether I end up giving up on this like I did "Under The Dome".

Episode #2, "Invisible Leash": And the narrative continues. I can see this as a short-order series (13 eps) but what will season 2 be like? The star of the show is Toni Collette, and her subtle facial/eye expressions are a wonder to behold. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast cannot hold up to her. It would have been better if they split the POV with a few scenes from the investigators' side. The cold opening was great, however, if this was on cable, it would had been better, and perhaps even more realistic. Although, kudos to the creative team for trying to address that point. The dynamics of the captors are way more interesting than the family's. And other than Collette's "Ellen", everybody else is still rather bland. Tate Donovan's affair storyline is sucking the life out of the show just like Ted's in "Nashville".

Episode #3, "Power of Persuasion": This show is getting slightly contrived and the never ending cycle of mysteries and conspiracies which is supposed to entrap us is already turning into a bore. Toni Collette and the whole concept of whether she will kill the President are the only reasons worth watching for in this show. Otherwise, it really is quite a drag.

Episode #4, "2.45PM": Seriously this serialised drama is just going round and round in such a formulaic manner that one would think this was a procedural. Gosh...if I only I could just forward it along to the end. This would make a good binge series. But at least the children here are actually less annoying than most others.

The Blacklist

Pilot: NBC's newest crime drama (?procedural...still hard to tell with this first episode) has gotten me hooked onto it within the opening minute. An enigmatic and intriguing start, which got weighed down by too much exposition over the course of the pilot. James Spader has got the creepy vibe emanating throughout (echoes of James Purefoy's Joe Carroll from "The Following") and director Joe Carnahan's penchant for close ups is definitely not helping. Although Spader should cut down on the over-acting. Megan Boone on the other hand, well, let's hope she turns out like Anna Torv from "Fringe" but don't take too long to thaw. As for that whole family angle, without spoiling too much, at first I thought they were going to go all first season "Alias" on us, but then, they spin it around in the second Act with a second/third season "Alias" scenario, but in the end, I was just hoping, please just don't let it be final season "Alias". One thing this show needs to concentrate on is try not to have the audience suspend their believe too much (see "The Following"). Will continue to watch on, but I guess the season long arc may just be: "Why her?", and I do hope the creators come up with a better reason than the most obvious one, but please no Rimbaldi-like mythology. Good to see Henry Lennix ("The Dollhouse") again, but is leaving "Homeland" going to pay out for Diego Klatenhoff?

Episode 2, "The Freelancer (NO. 145)": A good follow-up to the pilot, but still a big heavy on the exposition. Introduction of Parminder Nagra is interesting (what is the difference between FBI and CIA?), and I like her already, so hoping she gets more useful than Lennix or Klatenhoff. Speaking of Klatenhoff, is he getting blonder? And Megan Boone seems more bloated. Sadly, she is still the weakest acting link of the cast. Those final minutes, she was rather bland. Spader on the other hand, is way over acting, and chewing the scenery. So now that the husband is awake, let's hope that storyline moves on. Oh, one thing this show is guilty of, is over complicating scenes for the sake of drama.

Episode 3, "Wujing (No. 84)": Ah...Singapore boy Chin Han is doing good. But it sure will be great if one day he can get out of being typecast as the evil Chinese/PRC baddie. His Singaporean accented Mandarin is a welcome relief though. Anyways, Megan Boone is really boring and bland. That whole blank expression she has on her face throughout makes her a damn good "spy". Otherwise, this is turning into a rather standard procedural, but at least the mystery of the hubby is still in place. And that frankly is getting more interesting than why Reddington chose Keene. But we got to have some answers for all that soon (Sweeps?) or it might just get boring.

Episode #4, "The Stewmaker (No. 161)": Who comes up with these names?? I think they sometimes forget that Elizabeth is actually still a rookie, and should be treated as one. Diego Klatenhoff is finally getting some dimensions, but the show is moving along very slowly. I might just lose interest like what happened towards "Persons of Interest". It seems to me that they can't decide whether to make the husband a good guy or bad guy. The big problems with full-order network series is that the good episodes, game changers are usually during Sweeps months, and the rest of the time we are stuck with fillers. I don't mind split seasons like "Lost" in the past, at least that minimises downtime.

Episode #5, "The Courier (No. 85)": At last a worthy cliffhanger to hook me on to next week. Will it be a cop-out? Is the husband going to be a white hat? Or black hat? Won't be surprised if they start the next ep with a time jump, or "XXX hours/days ago".

The World's End

The last chapter in the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy is a delightful, fun, subversive romp through the genre of the "Buddy Road Trip" and Alien Invasion/Independence Day, and even a dash of Western and Apocalypse. However, unlike the prior two entries, "Shaun of the Dead" (a modern zombie/horror-comedy classic) and "Hot Fuzz" (hilarious crime thriller/whodunit), the laughs were not consistent throughout its 100-minutes run, and neither were there many genuinely laugh-out-loud, choke on your snot kind of moments this time round. It could be that expectations were too high for this last hurrah, but nonetheless, this was still a great comedy! Miles ahead of the usual Hollywood tropes and pure money-grabbing schticks (looking at you: "Hangover"!). The cast has a great chemistry, even the usual dead fish-esque Rosamund Pike (still cannot imagine her in "Gone Girl", she and Ben Affleck?!!..what was David Fincher thinking?). Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine and Eddy Marsan were great additions to the dynamic duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Each role had a distinctive character and the actors were so brilliant in drawing the comedy out of them. There were some great one-liners and scenes, but as fore-mentioned, it was less often. Some of the running gags did get quite stale and, sadly repetitive, after a bit (but, the jumping over the fence bit? Never old...not even after three movies!). Edgar Wright's directing seemed to be verging on the Marvel-esque direction that his "Ant Man" will be bringing him towards, and he definitely needs to brush up on his close-up action choreography and quick cuts. Great music throughout too, a mash of 80/90s alt/indie rock, that really strike a chord with the audience who are the same age as the protagonists. When the main antagonist was revealed, it was a total "Oh gosh! Not again?" moment, but writers Pegg and Wright hilariously subverted our expectations, and with Bill Nighy's sardonic voice work, the climax was actually riveting. Until the final two scenes, which could be a different movie all by themselves.

Lolla

They call themselves a small-plates dining experience, but in other words, tapas-like. Thankfully, the pretentiousness ends there, as the food at this small Ang Siang Hill establishment was really good. Fresh, interesting pairings which taste as good as they are presented. Price is slightly more expensive for the size of the portion but quality is undeniable. At least it's more worth it than the many other tapas/restaurants that keep springing up these days. The toasted baguette with an olive oil and tomato purée dip came with a half a roasted garlic (that itself is seldom done locally...) and was a tasty opener. The specials of the day was outstanding in particular the candied foie gras with cranberries and spanish onions and squash which was a generous portion with the sweetness complementing the savoury, generous liver although would have been better if the onions were caramelised longer; the iberico pork collar was served on a bed of crushed almonds with figs and that was perfect with the taste and textures of the ingredients all blending exquisitely; the kabouca pumpkin with beef relish was sadly rather uninspiring with the pumpkin grilled until it was rather too dry with the sweetness all gone and the beef relish rather pedestrian. The doughnuts with lemon curd took a long time to arrive, as compared to the others, but it was worth it. The doughnut balls were crispy on the outside but so airy and fluffy inside, dusted with icing sugar and dipped into a tangy sweet lemon curd (which I can imagine as a fantastic lemon meringue pie filling). Yum! However, two things bad about the place (other than the price) is one, the small space which made the acoustics rather unbearable when it's full or when a loud, sharp pitched diners are in the house; also the cling and clang of the open kitchen gets amplified. In addition, the smell control is lacking and the smells from the kitchen just permeates the whole area. The service was prompt and polite, and, importantly, unobtrusive.

Verdict: Will come back but price is an obstacle to regularity. 

Prisoners

A riveting, engaging 153 minutes crime drama with career best performances by both Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. Director Denis Villeneuve and writer Aaron Guzikowski have given us a very well and tightly written crime drama (not thriller, per se, as this is very much a drama) that weaves red herrings, drops seemingly unimportant plot points and stretch the unwavering tension throughout in a well-paced (slow to some, no doubt, who prefers the usual Hollywood fare) and intelligent manner. Of course, all this is for nought, if there was not the very strong cast that Villeneuve has assembled. Jackman, in a role that is more deserving of an Academy Award nomination than Jean Valjean, has the more showy role and he was brilliant. He is the character that you hate yourself for sympathising with, an anti-hero due to circumstances; his choices conflict with his morality and Jackman aptly displayed the emotions and pain that such decisions has caused him. For a while, you can finally lose the Wolverine in him. However, he still had moments where he was just shouting the lines. Gyllenhaal, on the other hand, got the more introspective role. But that does not mean that he was not outstanding. He got into the character so fully, that you don't see Gyllenhaal (although there are times where it was reminiscence of "Zodiac", although that could be blamed on a similar subject matter confusing the roles). He is the hero that you want to succeed, but the obstacles in his pass just bring out his frustrations and his innate fear of failing. Failing himself, and the failing the victims. Gyllenhaal brought all that out. The supporting cast was top-notch too in particular the ever brilliant Viola Davis, the chameleon-like Melissa Leo and Paul Dano who has gotten himself a niche role in indie productions but was sympathetically wonderful here. Terence Howard and Maria Bello round out the rest of the cast, but their roles were not written as strongly. Kudos goes out to Rogers A. Deakins again for framing such beautiful cinematography, and to Johann Johannsson for an effective score especially the cellos and the strings to notch up the tension. However, most praises must be lavished on director Villeneuve for creating a riveting drama, and Guzikowski for writing a thoroughly engaging and intelligent crime fiction. Except for the last scene, which seemed a bit too neat after all that had happened before that.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Pilot: FOX's newest comedy is a curious thing. The concept of a 30 minutes crime procedural is intriguing, but to make it a comedy? The cast and the writers have to be exceptionally strong! By the end of the pilot, I am reminded of "Scrubs": a 30 minutes comedy set in a hospital but was not "ER" or "Chicago Hope" (and now "Gray's Anatomy"). However, unlike "Scrubs", "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"' has Andy Samberg who lacked Zach Braff's naive self-depreciating humour, and Melissa Fumero who lacked Sarah Chalke's gift for physical comedy and comedic timing. But, instead, we got Andre Braugher in a decidedly uncharacteristic role. Outwardly, he may be similar to his many previous characters especially in "Last Resort" where he was also in uniform, but as the episode progress, his deadpanned line reading belies some hilarious comedic moments. The rest of the cast had their moments but perhaps over time, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" can be as funny and imaginative as "Scrubs" was in its prime.

Episode 2, "The Tagger": I don't get this comedy. Yes, it is funny, but it ain't laugh out loud funny. More like, snigger, snigger...heh. Man-child characters annoy me a lot, and a lot of the comedy here is derived from Samberg behaving as such. Although Braugher is still the secret weapon of this show. His straight-faced deadpan deliveries are spot on. Joe Lo Truglio and Stephanie Beatriz are the other two standouts.

Episode #3, "The Slump": A much better entry with equal time for each cast member to shine. Less of Samberg is a good thing. There is no laugh track here which emphasises the importance of comedy, and this show really does have its lines. Sure, no laugh out loud moments, but there are many snarks, sniggers, and hehe-s.

Masters of Sex

Pilot: And now it's Showtime's turn to dip its toes into the Period Drama. With "Broadwalk Empire" losing steam and "Mad Men" nearing its end, perhaps it is indeed a good time to launch this new project, and based on the pilot, this show has a very good chance of succeeding. Even with a titillating premise, the pilot was surprisingly sterile (reminds me a lot of "Magic Mike" where the sex was rather clinical rather than erotic). A stellar cast led by the brilliant and sensational Michael Sheen and the amazingly revelation that is Lizzy Caplan, and created by Michelle Ashford, brings this engaging 50s era drama to life. Undoubtedly, the directing by John Madden, the sumptuous score by Michael Penn, and the gorgeous, beautiful set/production design, all played an essential part in transporting the audience to this time, place and moment in American history. Michael Sheen is amazing to watch, as he brings about a complexity to the character through subtle body language and tonal shifts; Lizzy Caplan, on the other hand, brings about a tender frailty despite the strong ferocity that she displays outwardly. Teddy Sears' (from "Dollhouse", "Torchwood: Miracle Day" and the ill-fated "666 Park Avenue") and Caitlin Fitzgerald's were briefly introduced, the former's role in the future seems rather uncertain, but the latter, will definitely be playing a big part in the familial context of the show. The weakest link in the cast would be Nicholas D'Agosto's Ethan Haas who seemed to be poised to be the main antagonist, but so far, in the pilot appears nothing but like a petulant child. Hopefully, as the story progresses, a new villain will emerge. We need for Margo Martindale! Her one scene with Sheen was priceless!

Episode #2, "Race to Space": A brilliant follow-up episode that advances the storyline without too much catching up and exposition. The hurdles and obstacles between the main leads are beginning to be established and this should bring us to the end of the season. Caplan continues to dazzle and sparkle in her role as the complicated, yet resourceful and sympathetic Ginny. Michael Sheen is a wonder of restrained emotions that flitter pass his face ever so subtly. Pacing may be a bit slow, but at least the score and the acting and directing was first class.

Episode #3, "Standard Deviation": This show is a winner. Really good acting from the two leads Sheen and Caplan, and an interesting plot that slowly, and deliciously, moves forward every week. The supporting cast has their moments, but I really hope the payoff for D'Agosto will be worth it. No Teddy Sears this time round. The periodicity of the times really does reflect on our current society, and by doing so, causes us to too reflect on our currency.

Sleepy Hollow

Pilot: Fall 2013 has finally started for television, and one of the first out is this new FOX supernatural, drama series based on the "Headless Horseman" legend. Admittedly, to a non-American audience, the most I know about the legend of Sleepy Hollow comes from the Johnny Depp-Christina Ricci movie back in 1999. Anyways, this pilot has got a few things going for it, but it is relying quite strongly on the supernatural hook which may turn off some audience members who are not that into the occult; however, if, like me, supernatural stories are up your alley, then this show may be quite promising. In particular, the two leads: Tom Mison and Nichole Beharie have a good, comfortable chemistry on screen which makes their exchanges pleasant to watch. It was something similar between Lucy Liu and Johnny Lee Miller that made "Elementary" enjoyable despite it being a procedural. Perhaps it is that combination of British and American accent? The one big issue I have with "Sleepy Hollow" is how are they going to continue this beyond one season. From the looks of it and the hints throughout, the headless horseman may just be the hook, and the eventuality of it will be a typical battle between Good and Evil, although if both Ichabod Crane and Abbie Mills are mere "mortals", what are their roles then? I see this ending up some sort like "Supernatural" meets "The X-Files" and "Elementary". Sadly, with EPs Kurtzman, Orci and Wiseman, I approach with cautious trepidation.

Episode #2, "Blood Moon": I like this opening credits. Looks like we are heading towards a supernatural case-of-the-week kind of format, with a larger overarching mythological arc. The chemistry between Mison and Beharie is still one of the best things of the show. At least the sister gets introduced early in the season, instead of holding her back. However, too much cheap tricks makes the plot too contrived: didactic memory, psycho sister who may not be psycho, secret tunnels, etc. Ken Olin directed this outing, I wonder if he will turn in the future? I miss his wife. John Cho is still sticking around, but what a waste of his talent, although that bit about his neck was a good bit of continuity. Still interesting enough to see where this goes.

Episode #3, "For The Triumph of Evil": So it looks like this will be how the filler episodes might look like. A demon-of-the-week case that needs to be solved by Crane & Mills with little to tie in with the overarching mythology of witches and horsemen. It's a bit like "Supernatural" but that was not stuck with "Sleepy Hollow" as a location. At least the chemistry between the two leads are worth it, and the Sandman does have its creepy moments.

Episode #4 and #5, "The Lesser Key of Solomon" and "John Doe": The main mystery is still progressing slowly, and this is always a big problem on network TV, even though this is only a limited order of 13 episodes. At least there were some scares but the key ingredient here is definitely the Mulder/Scully like chemistry that is going on between Mison and Beharie. I do hope more progressions with less fillers.

Jamie's Italian (Singapore)

I had tried the one in London about a year ago, and left without a very good impression of the food. Therefore, I came in with rather low expectations. Service was alright, but I could barely understood what the wait staff was rambling on about the specials. Also, if the mobile credit card machine does not work, wouldn't it be better to just take the customer's card and proceed to the cashier to make payment rather than look for another machine? Anyways, I ordered the same thing that I had in London: the squid ink pasta with scallop, chilli and scallops. The food came quite fast, however, the sure were not kidding when they say "small". I could have eaten up that bowl in 2 bites! It was a lot smaller than the one in London. Taste wise, it was equally pedestrian. The pathetic scallops were not the freshest and the pasta, although al dente, did not blend in with the sauce/broth that it was sitting in. For the price that it is charged, this, like its London's branch, was not worth the time or calories.

Verdict: No value for money, so will not be coming back.

Fruitvale Station

A beautifully tragic character study, heartbreakingly portrayed by Michael B. Jordan in a star turn, of a son, father, husband, lover, brother, friend, victim and martyr. In over a course of a day, interspersed with occasional flashbacks, writer/director Ryan Coogler, introduced us to the many facets and complexities of Oscar Grant, bringing us into his world, his life, his story. With simple vignettes we get a rather complete picture of what kind of guy Oscar was, or cynically, what kind of guy Coogler wants us to believe Oscar was in order to illicit the maximum emotional impact from the ending (which if one follows current affairs, is not much of a spoiler). And lucky for Coogler, and the audience, Jordan was more than competent in bringing this complicated character alive, delivering an emotionally charged performance that revealed the multiple layers beneath that famous name. It was heartbreaking as we followed him through this one day, this one fateful day, where through we get an idea of who Oscar was, who Oscar is, and who Oscar wants to be. All that potential and all that love that could have been. Kudos also goes out to Octavia Spencer, who gave us another powerful performance after her Oscar-winning turn in "The Help". It is still early in the race, but the movie, the director/writer, Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer all have a chance to get nominated in this year's Academy Awards. Although some may fault the unbiased nature of the storytelling (but, hey, this ain't a documentary), but without a doubt, it was an effective, emotional story with an attention grabbing by Jordan. PS: look out for the almost unrecognisable Chad Michael Murray.

The Bling Ring

Superficially this is a simple show with a simple, straightforward plot, and cookie-cutter like characters. However, on deeper inspection, Sofia Coppola has actually created a rather piercing and satirical black comedic commentary on American Youth and the American (Modern) obsession with celebrity, fame and decadent hedonism. Unfortunately, she had to hit us with a sledgehammer at the final 10 minutes to drive this point into the audience! Such audacity to insult the people (unless, you see it as a further layer of social commentary on its audience...then, that might just be slightly brilliant). That being said, sadly in the end, this was a 90 minutes movie that is essentially 2/3 fillers. Sure, we had some interesting shots from Coppola here and there as she tried to capture the decadent lifestyle of the characters, but where she really excelled in were the quieter moments, the wide angled shots, and the framing of the characters, but she should really lay off the handheld cameras in her future work (Kathryn Bigelow she ain't). Kudos to cinematographers Christopher Biauvelt and Harris Savides for some really good shots. The cast were overall quite good and played their parts as they should, however, Coppola did not instill in them any character and they were all broadly painted, and thus presented. The three keys leads had some sort of vague complexity written into them, but it was not enough. This is not a character study as to why they committed the crimes that they did, and if that layer could have been added into the satirical commentary, this movie may have been a lot better. But then of course, the cast will also need to be much better. Israel Broussard is the main figure here and it is through his point of view that we enter into and emerge out of the story, but he is like a poor man's Jesse Eisenberg, and although we are meant to sympathise with him, it is difficult as he has been presented as nothing more than a willing pawn. A willing pawn to Katie Chang's ringleader. Chang is a fresh face and I think she is a competent actress but her character's duplicitous nature was not brought out as well as it could have. She seemed to have gotten specific instructions to perform each scene (like Claire Julien) and it did not feel organic. Emma Watson, arguably the most famous name of the bunch, followed up "Perks of Being a Wallflower" with another role that screams "I AM NOT HERMIONE!". This is not saying that she is bad, for she did give a commendably black performance as the epitome of Coppola's American Troubled Youth which Coppola has obviously written for her, but rather, she had her moments of overacting when trying to portray the very unlike her character. Surprisingly, I think Taissa Farmiga might actually be quite suited to that role. Lastly, Leslie Mann was a delight whenever she came on, Gavin Rossdale aka Mr Gwen Stefani had an annoyingly roving accent, and the music throughout was a rather, what I thought, racist stereotypical selection.