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.