Joyful Noise (2012)

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Other

Like I said on my FB post, superbly Hollywood version of what church & worship is, but "Sister Act" this is not. The songs are Christian and soulful, yet the values portrayed are pretty off. And the way the competitions are portrayed, it's pretty scary. Still, the element of human drama and problems are very real. There are genuine hilarious moments, like the fight scene in the restaurant; there are genuine moving moments, like the rooftop scene, the hotel lobby scene and the alone-in-the-church singing scene. Still, it feels like a mish-mash.

Official Site:
http://joyfulnoisemovie.warnerbros.com/index.html#/home

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1710396/

Wiki Entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyful_Noise_%28film%29

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax 3D (2012)

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Animation

Hmm, enjoyed the movie quite a lot; but i haven't read the book. According to most critics, the film does not do the book justice. But I found the story to be pretty alright. And the animals are so cute! One of the few ecological-minded animations I've seen. The titular character don't appear a lot, but... SOMEONE NEEDS TO SPEAK FOR THE TREES. UNLESS!

Official Site:
http://www.theloraxmovie.com/index.php

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1482459/

Wiki entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lorax_%28film%29

Hugo (3D) (2011)

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Science Fiction & Fantasy

Wow, Gandhi, Borat, Count Dooku and Dr. Watson all in one film. Story was really well-plotted, you'll hardly noticed the 1st 5 non-verbal minutes-introduction went by so quickly.

Can watch it without the 3D effects, though it did enhance the viewing experience. A must watch for all moviephiles, great splicing of classical movies' shots.

One small pet peeve is that the actors (includes children and women) was affecting a British accent despite a French setting. Quelle nonsense! :P

Official Site:
http://www.hugomovie.com/#home

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970179/

Wiki Entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_%28film%29

Love Letters at Sixty / Dear My Love/ 60-sai no rabu reta/ 60歳のラブレター (2009)

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Romantic Comedy

Finally! Took forever to find a description on the Internet. Based on a novel, talks about love for various people at age 60. Pretty heart-warming. Not your usual J-pop comedy. Too arty-farty to be brought in via main-stream distributorship, am glad I was able to catch this in Mio Home TV.

Movie Site (non-official) (Japanese)
http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/telecine/cinema/roku_love/index.html

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1382586/

Asian Media Wiki Entry:
http://asianmediawiki.com/Dear_My_Love

The Cherry Orchard/ Sakura no sono/ 櫻の園 -さくらのその- (2008)

Rating:	★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Foreign

Another offering from Mio Home TV movie channel. No male leads in the show, all Japanese female cast. Talks about high school girls wanting to put up a school play, a rendition of Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard". At times philosophical, at time whimsical, all chick-flick. Might be a slow-paced for those who wants "Waterboys" or "Swing Girls" kinda show.

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1313145/

Asia Media Wiki Entry:
http://asianmediawiki.com/The_Cherry_Orchard_%282008-Japan%29

One for the Money (2012)

Rating:	★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Comedy

Okay, I confess, I watched this only to look at Katherine Heigl in jeans and boots. Plot's pretty straight-forward and predictable, lotsa conversation, chick-flick. I think I might enjoy the book better? Not to say this movie sucks, but it is pretty forgettable.


Official Site:
http://www.oneforthemoneyfilm.com/index2.html

IMDB Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1598828/

Wiki Entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_for_the_Money_%28film%29

Lunch at 老街肉骨茶 (03 Feb '12)

We had a splendid lunch at the new BKT place near our office at Little Road. Thankfully we managed to get a place before the lunch crowd hits. It's a minimal wait of 30 minutes if you don't get there early. The deocr is posh, you can drink gong-fu tea (功夫茶), and the food is absolutely OOOMMMPPPHHH!