Archive for December 25th, 2006
Been Watched and To be Watched . . . .
Watched . . . .
The Holiday
Cameron Diaz stars as an American tourist who finds solace from her boyfriend trouble when she befriends a similarly afflicted Englishwoman (Kate Winslet) while on vacation in this bubbly romantic comedy written and directed by Nancy Meyers (WHAT WOMEN WANT, SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE).
And yet to be watched . . .
Flags of Our Fathers
It is the most memorable photograph of World War II, among the greatest pictures ever taken. The winner of the Pulitzer Prize for photography and one of the most-reproduced images in the history of photography, the picture has inspired postage stamps, posters, the covers of countless magazines and newspapers, and even the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.
“Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima,” a picture taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945 depicts five Marines and one Navy Corpsman raising the U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi. The image served as a counterpoint for one of the most vicious battles of the war: the fight to take Iwo Jima, a desolate island of black sand barely eight square miles that would prove a tipping point in the Pacific campaign. Lasting more than a month, the fight was a bloody, drawn-out conflict that might have turned the American public against the war entirely, had it not been for the photo, which was taken and published five days into the battle. The photograph made heroes of the men in the picture as the three surviving flag-raisers were returned to the U.S. and made into props in the government’s Seventh War Bond Tour. Uncomfortable with their new celebrity, the flag-raisers considered the real heroes to be the men who died on Iwo Jima; still, the American public held them up as the best America had to offer, the supermen who conquered the Japanese…
…and then, just as quickly as it had arrived, the glory faded. For two of the surviving flag-raisers, life became a series of compromises and disappointments; for the third, happiness came only by shutting off his war experiences and rarely speaking of them ever again. “Flags of Our Fathers” is a human drama of friendship and love, sacrifice and manipulation, set against the violent conflict of the battle of Iwo Jima. Two-time Academy Award®-winning director Clint Eastwood focuses equally on the war and home, crosscutting between the viciousness of the battle and the manufactured propaganda campaign and careful manipulation of the image that followed – issues that remain prevalent today. As “Flags of Our Fathers” shows how the photograph became the very beginning of celebrity worship, the film questions our need to create and celebrate heroes, sometimes at a cost.
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Curse of the Golden Flower
China, Later Tang Dynasty, 10th Century. On the eve of the Chong Yang Festival, golden flowers fill the Imperial Palace. The EMPEROR (Chow Yun Fat) returns unexpectedly with his second son, PRINCE JAI (Jay Chou). His pretext is to celebrate the holiday with his family, but given the chilled relations between the Emperor and the ailing EMPRESS (Gong Li), this seems disingenuous.
For many years, the Empress and CROWN PRINCE WAN (Liu Ye), her stepson, have had an illicit liaison. Feeling trapped, Prince Wan dreams of escaping the palace with his secret love CHAN (Li Man), the Imperial Doctor’s daughter. Meanwhile, Prince Jai, the faithful son, grows worried over the Empress’s health and her obsession with golden chrysanthemums. Could she be headed down an ominous path?
The Emperor harbors equally clandestine plans; the IMPERIAL DOCTOR (Ni Dahong) is the only one privy to his machinations. When the Emperor senses a looming threat, he relocates the doctor’s family from the Palace to a remote area. While they are en route, mysterious assassins attack them. Chan and her mother, JIANG SHI (Chen Jin) are forced back to the palace. Their return sets off a tumultuous sequence of dark surprises.
Amid the glamour and grandeur of the festival, ugly secrets are revealed. As the Imperial Family continues its elaborate charade in a palatial setting, thousands of golden armored warriors charge the palace. Who is behind this brutal rebellion? Where do Prince Jai’s loyalties lie? Between love and desire, is there a final winner? Against a moonlit night, thousands of chrysanthemum blossoms are trampled as blood spills across the Imperial Palace.
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Déjà Vu
Everyone has experienced the unsettling mystery of déjà vu – that flash of memory when you meet someone new you feel you’ve known all your life or recognize a place even though you’ve never been there before. But what if the feelings were actually warnings sent from the past or clues to the future? In the captivating new action-thriller from producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Tony Scott, written by Terry Rossio & Bill Marsilii, it is déjà vu that unexpectedly guides ATF agent Doug Carlin (DENZEL WASHINGTON) through an investigation into a shattering crime. Called in to recover evidence after a bomb sets off a cataclysmic explosion on a New Orleans Ferry, Carlin is about to discover that what most people believe is only in their heads is actually something far more powerful – and will lead him on a mind-bending race to save hundreds of innocent people.
We Found GOLD @ Vivo City
Been to Vivo City with my girlfriends, last weekend, we have always wanted to go there as a group to catch a movie. It’s hard to get all of us together during normal days, as we are either studying or working. Glad that last weekend was a good one, as the majority of us were in Singapore and just nice, we can get together.
So we decided for a movie instead, before a nice Christmas dinner at Din Tai Fung at Raffles City, a good dinner which we have always long for after our last visit last month. We always do make it a point to have a meal at Din Tai Fung or Crystal Jade at least once a month. These 2 eating places are indeed good for small gathering, as the ambience is just right! We decided on the GV Gold Class instead. We wanted more privacy and more exclusive space for ourselves, so GV Gold Class is the best choice. Tickets were at a $25.00, each and we get to order the snacks we loved and have it deliver it to us. Yeah, we got 6 seats, 2 each. It’s so cosy, and it’s value for money, if you want to enjoy your movie in style. It’s good, as all 3 GV Gold Class have limited seats, thus makes it even more exclusive. I did an on-line purchasing, so it adds up to $156.20 just for the 6 of us. It’s Christmas anyway. Well, we sure enjoy ourselves! Sad, though, I didn’t bring my digital cam out!!! Leave home in a hurry! However, managed to grab some images from the website.
A cluster of 3 Gold Class Cinemas – the ultimate in luxury movie viewing with a private lounge and plush electronic recliner seats comparable to First Class airline seats. GV Vivo City sets a new benchmark for multiplexes in Singapore by introducing a sophisticated club ambience, with 5-star food and beverage (including a top wine list) and a private dining room. The Gold Class cinema seats are all equipped with call buttons for faster and more discreet service. A new level of concierge-style service, hitherto unseen in Singapore cinemas, will be enjoyed by patrons from the moment they arrive all the way through their patronage experience.
Gold Class 1 48
Gold Class 2 24
Gold Class 3 38
