The Founding of a Republic

The Founding of a Republic (Jian guo da ye)

The People’s Republic of China turns the big six oh this October 1st and to celebrate they’ve made a little movie titled, The Founding of a Republic. Opening last month (September 17th – at exactly 2pm) in China, the extravaganza was all set to go by the title of The Great Cause of China’s Foundation – which clearly wouldn’t have suited the subtle tone filmmakers were going for. Just look at that poster.

According to wiki, the film “features [a] large cast of 176 of China’s and Hong Kong’s most renowned actors”. Actors like these people:

Jackie Chan

Zhang Ziyi

Donnie Yen

Tony Leung

Chow Yun-Fat

Stephen Chow

Andy Lau

Jet Li

Leon Lai

It of course also features an appearance by Eva Huang (above right) as the most photogenic cadre you’ll ever see.

Gigantic

Gigantic Still

Mattress salesman Brian Weathersby (Paul Dano) is in the process of adopting a Chinese baby. This specific mission has been a goal of his for “pretty much all his life. Zooey Deschanel also stars as Harriet (Happy) Lolly, the object of Brian’s affections. She’s winning as always, but it’s Dano’s understated charm that really takes you by surprise.

The Closer

Having been nominated for a slew of awards since it came on the air (and scoring lead actress Kyra Sedgwick a Golden Globe in early 2007), The Closer has been popular with critics and fans alike. [More]

Bones

The delightfully naive Dr Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) continues to delight with her quirkiness. There’s no doubting Brennan is a character straight out of Tinseltown’s imagination. The talented forensic anthropologist, whose ability to decipher bone fragments borders on the supernatural, also moonlights as a crime novelist on the side. Of course. [More]

When it first premiered on the small screen, Grey’s Anatomy quickly set viewers’ hearts aflutter with its leading man Dr Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). His ensuing romance with feisty intern Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) produced a kind of white-hot chemistry that hooked audiences. [More]

Life on Mars

Following a car accident, modern-day cop Sam Tyler (John Simm) wakes to find himself in 1973. Has Sam actually been transported into the past, or is it all in his mind? The first season of Life on Mars explored Sam’s sanity, but no real conclusion emerged. One thing is clear: whether it’s insanity or the laws of time keeping him in the ’70s, Sam wants to get back to the 21st century. [More]

Do Communists Have Better Sex?

A Study of Reds in Bed

What this aptly titled documentary alleges is that East Germans are far more progressive in the sexual arena than their Western counterparts. Once the mind stops baffling at why such a project would have been conceived and commissioned in the first place, the premise begins to intrigue. [More]

The Circuit

Aaron Pederson plays thirty-something lawyer Drew Ellis. In a bid to “find himself” Drew has left his comfortable existence in Perth to rough it in the Kimberley as a lawyer for the Aboriginal Legal Service. Cue self-reflection, self-discovery, and other existentialist malaise besides. [More]

The L Word

Often panned by critics for representing a false sense of reality, The L Word isn’t as throwaway as it may seem. The stereotypical characters (and the attractive actresses that inhabit them) do detract from the show’s overall depth but, when it comes down to it, these protests are more politically motivated than anything else. [More]

Weeds

When Showtime premiered Weeds way back in 2005, it quickly took the television world by storm. With its razor-sharp script and well-drawn characters, the dark comedy not only pushed the boundaries of TV, it aggressively toppled them. The show’s unapologetic approach to crafting a good story was what made it most attractive. With the passing of seasons the cable hit doesn’t show signs of backing down, continuing to surprise and engage. [More]