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.

Twilight

An adaptation of the popular vampire saga by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight’s cast is headed by rising idols Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. As Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, the pair smolder in their star-crossed parts.

Just like the book, the feature skews towards the romance instead of the horror. There’s not a huge amount of action for a film about vampires but that’s what makes Twilight’s story interesting. As a backdrop for notions on forbidden love the teen romance fits – and compliments. The young cast handle their parts well, substituting charisma in place of gore. [More]

Yes Man

Middle-aged Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) has quit on life. Choosing to refuse any and all invitations and alienating the few friends he has left, Carl opts instead for quality time on the couch.

Pushed into attending a motivational seminar by former work colleague Nick (John Michael Higgins), Carl enters into a “yes” covenant requiring him to answer yes – to everything. As the detached Carl begins recklessly saying yes to every proposition presented, he finds his life invaded by strangers and even stranger situations. [More]

The Virgin Queen

Ann-Marie Duff as Queen Elizabeth I

British actress Anne-Marie Duff, best known for her role as Fiona Gallagher in the black comedy Shameless, takes up the mantle of the Virgin Queen in this four-part BBC mini-series.

Denied legitimacy by her father Henry VIII, Elizabeth immortalised the Tudor dynasty on a scale that her father could only dream of. Duff’s Elizabeth – from fragile princess to all powerful queen – is surprisingly engaging.[More]

The Ten

The Ten

Made on a shoe-string budget and shot in 2006, those scanning the cast list will likely wonder why it’s only seeing the light of day now, two years later – and on a straight-to-DVD release. Winona Ryder, Liev Schreiber, Paul Rudd, Famke Janssen, and even Jessica Alba grace this 90-minute feature. So why the delay? Funding problems? Creative differences? Studio mismanagement? Sadly, it’s a much simpler reason: the film is bad. Really, really bad. Featuring 10 interrelated stories based on the Ten Commandments, unsuspecting viewers will be expecting a dark satire indicting religious fanaticism. Instead, they get a string of nonsensical sketches that rank closer to low-brow than high-art. It’s anybody’s guess as to what attracted the well-known cast (and it’s a long list) to this project.

One of Our Own

One of Our Own

A fairly happily married couple resorts to unusual measures after suffering a miscarriage. While Diane (Claire Rankin) and Stellan (Josh Randall) suffer the loss of what would have been their first-born, the two’s anguish quickly steers them into an opportunity never before thought of: surrogacy. Diane and Stellan don’t find themselves in murky waters over your run-of-the-mill substitute mother scenario however. You see, professional surrogate Cathy (Kate Beahan) prefers to do things the old-fashioned way. So begins the descent into a cesspool of moral ambiguities that’s both touching and hilarious. Josh Randall, last seen on the now defunct TV series Ed, is a standout as the conflicted and intrigued Stellan. Australian Kate Beahan (Chopper, Love is a Four-Letter Word) is equally impressive as the weirdly fertile Cathy. One of Our Own is one of those gems that suffer from its own quirky brilliance. Probably impossible to market upon its release, this charming offering is definitely worth your time.

Definitely, Maybe

(Isla Fisher, Ryan Reynolds in Definitely, Maybe )

Tinseltown pumps out yet another easy-to-digest rom-com. At least this one won’t rot your teeth with its feel-good syrup.

Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds) is a soon-to-be single dad who takes on the task of explaining to his daughter (Abigail Breslin) why her parents don’t love each other anymore. Needless to say, Will’s uttering of the line, “It’s complicated,” doesn’t cut it. Because the kid might be 11 years old, but she’s also played by Abigail Breslin – a child actor whose precocious levels outdo even Dakota Fanning’s. Responsible parent that Will is, he decides to tell his little girl the story of how he and mom first met.

Down in the Valley

“Where are you going?”
“Nowhere.”
“Can I come?”

These are the first words the audience hears. That’s the film – a picture of loneliness and longing. Tobe Sommers (Evan Rachel Wood) and her little brother Lonnie (Rory Culkin) exist in the world without living. Each longs for something better, but behind their expressive eyes, and everyday motions, there’s a resignation. For them, this is… life. Watching the Sommers go about their daily lives is like watching a sort of slow death. We know where they’re heading – or not. Tobe’s feisty nature doesn’t open doors of optimism but rather offers glimpses of the loss about to follow. Like the opening lines of the movie, the characters are going nowhere, and their every action to rebel against this moves them closer towards tragedy.

The Five Obstructions

No matter how haughty your cinematic tastes may be, this 90-minute effort from director Lars von Trier will not fail to infuriate.

In 1967, Danish documentary film-maker Jorgen Leth made The Perfect Human, a 12-minute short detailing the daily activities of a man and woman. Celebrated film-maker Lars von Trier once proclaimed Leth’s effort as perfect, and now takes an opportunity to imprint his own stamp on cinematic history.