It’s that time of the year again, when everyone is either incredibly busy visiting, super nua at home doing nothing or just out of the country. For the super nua, entertainment options are limited. Most of your friends are out visiting, so you can’t really jio them to do stuff. It’s the best time to head to the cinema, since that’s an activity that isn’t dependent on a critical mass of people for pleasure.
So here’s 6 films you can catch during the Chinese New Year holiday (which really starts today, ie, Saturday), across quite a wide spectrum of genres. Admittedly, 2 of them might be tougher to get tickets for next weeks since at the time of writing, there were limited seats available. But you never know if they’ll release more halls!
If you’re a Singaporean, this is a no-brainer. It’s a heartwarming tale of a kind widow who struggles to make a living in a young, turbulent Singapore, with many comic elements. It’s a local production, so there’s that added air of familiarity. And without that nonsensical ban on dialects for this film, you can finally hear genuine Hokkien on screen.
This is a Western drama worth watching, despite it’s rather boring sounding title. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and even though it’s a different type of scorn here, you get to see Kate Winslet wreaking terrible revenge on those who have wronged her. Strong, well-written female characters are rare, which is why this film is such a gem.
It’s an investigative drama about a group of journalists that gets more intense as the film progresses. The scope of the atrocities just keeps growing, and the excellent performances by the talented cast seal the deal. If you’re into solving mysteries, then this movie will give that to you in spades.
4)The Monkey King 2 (西游记之孙悟空三打白骨精)
It’s the special effects that you’re really looking out for in this adaptation of “Journey to the West,” which is a a great action adventure film. There’s good action and a strong relationship between Tripitaka and the Monkey King to boot. What’s really impressive is how powerful the characters are in the film – they are depicted with anime sensibilities, using the creative visuals of today’s technology.
I’m not going to lie, it might be difficult getting tickets to this Western next week. But if you can, then catch Quentin Tarantino’s next piece. It’s got all of his standard fare – gore, dramatic reveals, and larger than life characters. But it’s the twisted nature of the characters that really has you hooked.
This might also be hard to catch, but it’s well worth watching if you do. It’s different type of horror film that really pays off all its seemingly frivolous elements with a terrific climax. Lauren Cohan is also easy on the eyes, but Brahms the doll is the really creepy one. You can never quite tell if he moved…
Bonus: Films NOT to watch, ever
So here’s some friendly advice. You might be tempted to watch the following few films since there seem to be a lot of halls open for them.
Don’t.
They’re terrible, and you’ll not only have wasted the price of a weekend movie ticket, but you’ll also have destroyed two hours of your life. That’s two hours you’re never going to get back again.
There are other ways to see Zac Efron topless. It’s called “the Internet.” And if seeing Robert De Niro topless is your thing, well… the Internet can help with that too. Otherwise, there’s absolutely no redeeming factor in this film.
For something supposedly so gritty and realistic, the film has got a protagonist with the constitution of Wile E. Coyote, except he isn’t funny. Go borrow some Looney Tunes videos and substitute Leonardo DiCaprio for Wile E. Coyote, and pretend it’s in the forest. It’ll be much better (and mercifully shorter, this film is more than 2.5 hours long!)
It’s like a bad student film with a Hollywood budget where nobody knows what they’re doing or why they’re doing it. You’ll want to eat chicken rice after the film, but not if you’re sickened by the incestuous relationship depicted. And it’s a pity, too… Patricia Mok was in it.
Happy Lunar New Year, everyone!
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