'DANCE, SUBARU!'
Directed by: Lee Chi-Ngai
Cast: Meisa Kuroki, Ara, Yûta Hiraoka, Toshio Kakei, Momoi Kaori, Yuta Hiraoka
I was in a confusing mood while entering the cinema to watch this movie. In a remarkable twist of fate from my own mistake, I had to cancel a dinner date in one of the MidValley restaurant right before the movie. It took me sometime to get my focus back on the screen. The first thing that cross my mind upon seeing the movie poster is what's the last dance flicks that I saw or try very hard to forget? The only title came to mind is 'Take The Lead', actually 'Sayang You Can Dance' did also but that's the kind of movie I try to erase from my mind. Japanese movie poster sometimes really misleading, so my first impression is I'll be watching leng luis with hot bods dancing on screen. Yes, it's true but 'Dance, Subaru!' have more than I've expected.
Directed by: Lee Chi-Ngai
Cast: Meisa Kuroki, Ara, Yûta Hiraoka, Toshio Kakei, Momoi Kaori, Yuta Hiraoka
I was in a confusing mood while entering the cinema to watch this movie. In a remarkable twist of fate from my own mistake, I had to cancel a dinner date in one of the MidValley restaurant right before the movie. It took me sometime to get my focus back on the screen. The first thing that cross my mind upon seeing the movie poster is what's the last dance flicks that I saw or try very hard to forget? The only title came to mind is 'Take The Lead', actually 'Sayang You Can Dance' did also but that's the kind of movie I try to erase from my mind. Japanese movie poster sometimes really misleading, so my first impression is I'll be watching leng luis with hot bods dancing on screen. Yes, it's true but 'Dance, Subaru!' have more than I've expected.
Adapted from the best selling manga by Masahito Soda, Subaru and her twin brother Kazuma share a dream to become a professional ballet dancer. Unfortunately, Kazuma succumbs to hereditary illness and Subaru continues pursuing her dream. She accidentally meet cabaret owner Isuzu (Momoi Kaori), a retired ballerina, who recognises her talent and trains her. However, Subaru always got discouraged by her father who wanted her to have conventional education. With much of convincing from her classmate Mana (Sano Miku) and influence from a Korean-American dancer Liz Park (Ara), Subaru enters an international dance competition for a scholarship to any top ballet company in the world. 
You can see the cute and adorable factor from the child actors which can dance more better than the adult Subaru and every time the black cat make its appearance. One more thing, the child actor gives a powerful expression compared to the blank stare that Meisa Kuroki sometimes gives. The story is beautifully constructed and easy to digest but the Hong Kong director Lee Chi Ngai takes a lot of time to built up some scene. When he reaches the climax, it's not special anymore. For example the scene where Subaru tries to feel the space around her using her senses (there's a term in the movie but I couldn't remember): from the point Subaru paint her glasses with a marker, then went into a sudden dance trance in a hip hop club, Liz pull her out to give her advice, she tried again, the slow mo with lighting effect started and finally we understand what the climax of the scene is all about. I got lost after she got into the dance trance as the rest of the scene got draggy.
The plot of buddy dancer turn to enemy was the most interesting of all but they’re afraid to develop more on the romance between Subaru and Kohei (Yuta Hiraoka), possibly because of time constraint. In technical, we usually exposed by Hollywood dance flick with overhead shot, fast track shot, and tight camera shot of the dancer body movement but none of that is being use here. Director Lee use a basic camera shot on most of the final competition dance scene and surprisingly, it works since it gives more classical look. 
The dance routine by Meisa Kuroki is not perfect but after reading an article that she only took four months of intense ballet training at the same time have to master hip-hop, contemporary and bolero, she got my respect for pulling off a believable performance. 'Dance, Subaru!' is filled with drama, tragedy, inspiration, motivation and most importantly passion to fulfill a destiny. Well, it manages to ease the pain of the earlier failed date attempt and somehow motivate me to give it a second try. Hehehe. 
~ESK
'State of Play', a Hollywood adaptation of the six-part BBC series that first broadcast in 2003 starts with the murder of a young male and a pizza deliveryman at back alleys of Washington DC. Cal McCaffrey (Crowe) a crime reporter at the Washington Globe investigates those two deaths later found out his old college pal Stephen Collins (Affleck), now a Congressman who lost an intern name Sonia Baker that died in a mysterious accident, broke down in tears infront of dozen of media in a public hearing. This sparks a media frenzy on Collins secret affair with Sonia which will jeopardize his career. Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) a young and ambitious tries to persuade Cal to give infos on his college pal got patronise by him for being a blogger not a real journalist. All three death was connected to a military contractor company. McCaffrey and Collins lives is in danger if the secret reach the public. Della teams up with McCaffrey to uncover the conspiracy but could they publish the truth even if they've found it?
The cast is simply superb; Crowe's a lone character who'll find the news he wanted whatever the concequences might be. McAdams as the young and rebelious reporter trying to withstand Cal's attitude. Jason Bateman as the quirky and funny cocaine fixer and Helen Mirren as the comanding editor who wanted every breaking news will be printed on her newspaper. As for Ben Affleck, i suggest he find another job because he's getting worst at acting. If the part goes to his best friend Matt Damon, the politician character will be more believable! 
In the new 'Fast And Furious', it’s been eight years since ex-con Dominic Toretto (Diesel) drove across the Mexican border, committing himself to a fugitive existence. Now, holed up in a beach shack in the Dominican Republic, and living on the run with the sole remnant of his past, Letty (Rodriguez), he tries to piece together a new life. When a tragic death of someone he loves brings him back to L.A., Dom reignites his feud with agent Brian O’Conner (Walker). As they are forced to confront a shared enemy, a drug kingpin who is flooding the U.S. with lethal product, Dom and Brian must give in to an uncertain new trust if they hope to outmaneuver him and avenge the tragedy that he caused their small racing family to endure. 
I'm not against director Justin Lin but actually I forgive him during 'The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift' because it's in a totally different environment (Japan) and cast, so it's okay to try new stuff & make small mistakes. Lin actually impresses me in one scene of 'Tokyo Drift' where he put real drifting legend fishing as the two main actor training drift in the background. This is the little details that make the story special but no special details can be seen in 'Fast And Furious'. Writer Chris Morgan should handle this movie better while uphold the legacy that Gary Scott Thompson created.
I know it's hard to do a race movie (there is two malay race movie which try hard but went nowhere), and forgive my comparison to Tom Cruise/Nicole Kidman's 'Days of Thunder' but in that movie, the race scene keep you at edge of your seat, the drama scene really touch your emotion and the romance make you fell in love with both of the character. Even Asian has done good racing movie, I watched 'Initial D' three times in the cinema and love every part of it! Kudos to director of photography, Amir Mokri did a good job capturing the mountainous countryside of the Dominican Republic and the tight scene of precision racing in the tunnel crawls across the floor of the Mexican desert. No worry, I guaranty it will be a box-office hit especially for teenager. I myself drove my car like crazy going back to office after the screening, as if an auto Proton car can race! Hahaha...