Incredible Hulk drives out Indy!
Chiang Mai movies beginning Thursday, June 19
by Thomas Ohlson
Best bets: Hulk. Panda. Prince Caspian. Rear Window. Happening (?).
At the end is my list of movie times for Major Cineplex at Airport Plaza and for Vista at Kadsuankaew for the week beginning Thursday, June 19, 2008. There is also information on the Alliance Française and Film Space. This is Issue Number 34 of Volume 3.
The Incredible Hulk was the top film in Thailand over the last weekend, followed by Kung Fu Panda and The Happening, the same as in the US. Indiana Jones has departed. Prince Caspian is going strong in its fourth week here.
Now playing in Chiang Mai * = new this week
* Get Smart: US Action/Comedy – 110 mins – Steve Carell as Secret Agent Maxwell Smart, in a movie based on the very popular 60’s US television series created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry and starring Don Adams, which made fun of spies in the cold war, and secret spy gadgets. Mixed or average reviews: 53/58 out of 100.
* The Last Moment / Rak-Sam-Sao / รัก สาม เศร้า: Thai Romance/Drama – 115 mins – A love triangle develops with much weeping between three university friends, one of whom becomes terminally ill. Apparently a five-hanky movie.
* Puppy Love / Haakao / ฮะ...เก๋า: Thai Comedy/Romance – 95 mins – With Mum Jokmok and other old and new comedy stars, in a story with a bit of female homosexuality, a talking dog, a lady-boy, and ghosts.
The Incredible Hulk: US Action/Sci-Fi – 114 mins – With an excellent performance by Edward Norton, it’s a terrific comic-based action picture with mythic themes – shades of King Kong and Frankenstein. Very exciting indeed, and a top notch production. I’m enjoying this new series of movies from Marvel Studios starring their ever-popular superheroes, which started with the recent excellent Iron Man. Generally favorable reviews: 61/61 out of 100. (No scene after closing credits.)
Kung Fu Panda: US Animation/Action/Comedy/Family – 88 mins – Pure fun! And I laughed a lot. An animated comedy set in the legendary world of ancient China, about a lazy panda who must somehow become a Kung Fu Master in order to save his valley from a villainous snow leopard. Sort of an undated version of the recent Jet Li/Jackie Chan film The Forbidden Kingdom, full of irreverent invention against bright Chinese images, and some dazzling animation. Very assured and accomplished, sharp and funny, with some surprisingly tender moments. Different style in opening sequence, like a modern manga. Painterly backgrounds of mountain views. Jackie Chan voices the monkey, Angelina Jolie voices the tigress, and Dustin Hoffman (shown to right) voices Shifu. Opposed to most films that try to go for just one more cheap laugh, the scene after the credits of Kung Fu Panda is actually very sweet and meaningful. It's almost worth staying for. Generally favorable reviews: 73/72 out of 100.
The Happening: US/India Drama/Sci-Fi – 91 mins – M. Night Shyamalan produces another mysterious film people will either love or hate. Shyamalan is an accomplished director and even if one of his movies does not entirely work, it is sure to be more interesting than your average movie. This film is beautifully crafted, with some excellent scenes of tension and spookiness, and I think an outstanding performance by Mark Wahlberg. If you plan on seeing it, I suggest you don’t read too much about it before you see it – go with an open mind. Rated R in the US for violent and disturbing images, but it seems much of this has been clipped out in Thailand. Generally negative reviews: 35/40 out of 100.
Sex and the City: The Movie: US Comedy/Romance – 148 mins – Fans of the television show and Sarah Jessica Parker should be very happy indeed with this film incarnation, on the melancholy theme that fairy-tale endings don’t necessarily mean happily ever after. I found it a real chick-flick; see it if you like pictures about very rich and witty, well-dressed but vapid upper-class women and their problems with men, marriage, and living together. Mixed or average reviews: 53/57 out of 100. Rated R in the US for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, and language.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: UK/US Adventure/Family/Fantasy – 147 mins – In this second installment of the series based on the children’s books written by the Christian apologist C.S. Lewis, the four children of the Pevensie family who had been appointed kings and queens of Narnia at the end of the first story, return from England one year later to find that 1,300 years have passed in Narnia, and things are not going well. The Golden Age of Narnia has passed, and Narnia is now under the control of an evil king who rules the land without mercy. You will enjoy this sequel if you enjoyed the first film, or if you are interested in Christian allegories (the lion Aslan represents Christ who sacrificed himself to save Narnia at the end of episode one, the White Witch is Satan tempting Edmund, who is Judas, while Peter represents “the Wise Christian”). Or see it if you simply enjoy children’s adventure/fantasy stories. This second episode in the seven book series features bickering between the two rival presumptive kings of Narnia (Peter and Caspian), both of whom fight against streaks of cowardice and uncertainty within their characters. Generally favorable reviews: 63/63 out of 100.
At Alliance Française on Fridays at 8 pm
A month of movies starring Audrey Tautou.
On Friday, June 20, 8 pm: Hors de prix / Priceless (2006) by Pierre Salvadori – 103 mins – France Comedy. English subtitles. Generally favorable reviews 72/70 out of 100.
With Audrey Tautou, Gad Elmaleh, Marie-Christine Adam, Vernon Dobtchef, Jacques Spiesser.
Directed by Pierre Salvadori, this delightful French comedy features Amelie star Audrey Tautou and the charming Gad Elmaleh (The Valet). Jean (Elmaleh) is a hardworking employee at one of southern France's elite resort hotels. He is known for his excellent work ethic, but that changes after a chance encounter with sexy hotel guest Irene (Tautou). Bored with her wealthy and much older boyfriend/benefactor, Irene is looking for some excitement. She finds it with Jean, whom she believes to be another guest at the hotel. When she discovers that he is merely an employee there, she is furious, and wants nothing more to do with him. Jean tries to rekindle their affair, but Irene lets him know that she is only interested in men with money--lots and lots of money. Jean is broke and brokenhearted, until he crosses paths with another hotel guest--this one an older woman of considerable means. He soon finds himself living the high life alongside Irene and her own rich patron. But Jean is far more interested in romance than in riches, and the glitzy fun and games quickly come to a head. The film makes the most of its dazzling location, luxuriating in the wealth and beauty of the French Riviera. The story obviously owes a firm tip of the hat to Breakfast at Tiffany's, and indeed Tautou's effortless grace and style do bring to mind Ms. Hepburn. In the hands of less skilled actors, the plot could have felt a bit flimsy, but Tautou and Elmaleh are so engaging, one can't help but root for them and their romantic hijinks.
On Friday, June 27, 8 pm: Ensemble, c'est tout / Hunting and Gathering (2007) by Claude Berri – 97 mins – France Drama/Romance. English subtitles.
With Audrey Tautou, Guillaume Canet, Laurent Stocker, Francoise Bertin, Hélène Surgère.
The encounter of four people whose paths cross, a fate which results in them coming out of their shells, getting to know and love each other, and living together under the same roof. An office cleaner at night, Grace also does beautiful drawings in her spare time. Philibert, a young aristocrat mad about history, is timid, emotional, and solitary. He lives in a large apartment owned by his family. Franck, virile and tender, is a cook. He deeply loves his grandmother, Paulette, an elderly lady, fragile and amusing. Together they will learn to temper their doubts and sorrows so as to go forward and fulfill their dreams. They’ll discover each other and understand that together they are stronger.
The film marks the latest effort from prolific French filmmaker Claude Berri, who - though pushing 80 - offers up a trio of distinctly authentic 20-something figures and places them within the context of a compelling, surprisingly affecting storyline. This is despite the fact that Philibert ultimately receives short shrift in terms of character development, as he initially comes off as an effete stutterer and eventually (and inexplicably) winds up with a fiancée. Yet this proves not to be as problematic as one might've feared, with Berri's decision to instead place the emphasis on the charming coupling between Franck and Camille ensuring that one can't help but fall hook, line and sinker for the admittedly hackneyed romantic finish (which even includes a variation on the old race-to-the-airport maneuver!) Buoyed by Tautou and Canet's superb work, Ensemble c'est tout is one of those movies that essentially sneaks up on the viewer and makes a far more pronounced impact than one might've initially anticipated.
– Reel Film Reviews
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At Film Space: on Saturdays at 7 pm
Film Space is to the right and in the back of the CMU Art Museum, in the Media Arts and Design building across from the ballet school, on the 2nd floor. Or maybe the roof. A small but nice place to view movies. A contribution is requested in the donation box at the entrance. Well worth supporting.
For the month of June, Film Space is concentrating on films about photographers.
At Film Space on June 21, 7 pm: Rear Window (1954) By Alfred Hitchcock. US Crime/ Drama/ Mystery/ Romance/ Thriller – 112 mins. Reviews: universal acclaim: 88 out of 100.
Rear Window is not only a gripping story of murder and suspense, it is a celebrated allegory on the nature of film itself, a story in which the audience watches the protagonist Jefferies watch the story unfold. The different windows represent the various different stories that are often told on film and also can be seen as representing the coming of television, as Jefferies can watch a multitude of "shows" from the comfort of his own apartment.
This picture was not shot on location in an apartment block. It was all a constructed set, the largest at that time ever build at Paramount Studios. And the entire picture was shot on this one set, which required months of planning and construction. The apartment-courtyard set measured 98 feet wide, 185 feet long, and 40 feet high, and consisted of 31 apartments, eight of which were completely furnished. All the apartments in Thorwald's building had electricity and running water, and could be lived in. In fact, during the month-long shoot Georgine Darcy, who played "Miss Torso", "lived" in her apartment all day, relaxing between takes as if really at home.
The size of the set necessitated excavation of the soundstage floor. Thus Jeff's apartment was actually at street level. The courtyard was set 20 to 30 feet below stage level, and some of the buildings were the equivalent of five or six stories high.
Other than a couple of shots near the end and the discovery of the dead dog, all the shots in the movie originate from Jeff's apartment. In fact, while shooting Alfred Hitchcock worked only in Jeff's "apartment." The actors in other apartments wore flesh-colored earpieces so that he could radio his directions to them. Furthermore, all of the sound in the film is diegetic, meaning that all the music, speech, and other sounds all come from within the world of the film.
According to Alfred Hitchcock, the film was inspired in part by the real-life murder case of Patrick Mahon. In 1924, in Sussex, England, Mahon murdered his pregnant mistress and dismembered her body. Hitchcock claimed that Mahon threw the body parts out of a train window piece by piece and burned the head in his fireplace. Another source, however, states that Mahon quartered the body and stored it in a large trunk, then removed internal organs, putting some in biscuit tins and a hatbox and boiling others on the stove.
In addition to Mahon, Alfred Hitchcock noted in the modern interview that the 1910 case of Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen also served as an inspiration for the film. Crippen, an American living in London, poisoned his wife and cut up her body, then told police that she had moved to Los Angeles.
At Film Space on June 28, 7 pm: The Village Album / Mura no shashinshuu (1954) By Mitsuhiro Mihara. Japan Drama – 111 mins.
The story: In the near future, the village of Hanatani will be flooded by a dam. Kenichi, the owner of an old photo studio, has a son, Takashi (shown in picture to right), who works as an assistant photographer in Tokyo. One day, they are asked to make "The Village Album,” a photographic collection of all the families in the village in order to keep forever a memory of the beautiful village that once existed. They start to visit each family in the village to take photos, although father and son don't get along with each other very well. Following him around every day, Takashi's harsh feelings about his father begin to change.
Mitsuhiro Mihara is apparently a completely unknown Japanese director outside of a small circle of his friends, who seems nevertheless to have made six films released in Japan. No one seems to have written one word about any of them. (Well, at least in English.)
Scheduled for Chiang Mai on June 26
Wanted: US Action/Thriller – 117 mins – A young man (James McAvoy) discovers his father is an assassin, and when his father is murdered, the son is recruited into his father's organization and trained by a man named Sloan (Morgan Freemen) to follow in his dad's footsteps. Also starring Angelina Jolie. Rated R in the US for strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive language, and some sexuality. This is the first American film by acclaimed Russian director Timur Bekmambetov, creator of three Nightwatch fantasy/action series that are highly popular in Europe. Hopefully he will bring his interesting visual aesthetic to the project. As a visualist, he's apparently provocative and original.
The scores given, on a basis of 100, are from two web sources. The first, in bold, is from Metacritic.com, and the other is from RottenTomatoes.com. Both read a great number of critics and convert what is said into scores, which are then averaged. For movies released in the US only.
Major Cineplex
4th Floor Airport Plaza
Telephone: 053 283-939
Beginning Thursday, June 19, 2008, through next Wednesday.
Times given here are fairly accurate for today (Thursday) and other weekdays (tomorrow, and next Monday-Wednesday). Times on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays, when the mall opens an hour earlier, are generally one hour earlier, with an additional show at the end of the day. Hopefully! Check the website, call, or just go look.
Get Smart
110 mins (English/Thai)
US Action/Comedy – Steve Carell as Secret Agent Maxwell Smart, in a movie based on the very popular 60’s US television series created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry and starring Don Adams, which made fun of spies in the cold war, and secret spy gadgets. Mixed or average reviews: 52/54 out of 100.
11:40| 14:00| 16:20| 18:40| 21:00|
Kung Fu Panda
88 or 92 mins (English/Thai)
US Animation/Action/Comedy/Family – Pure fun! An animated comedy set in the legendary world of ancient China, about a lazy panda who must somehow become a Kung Fu Master in order to save his valley from a villainous snow leopard. Full of irreverent invention against bright Chinese images, it’s full of dazzling animation. Assured and accomplished, sharp and funny, with some quite tender moments. Jackie Chan voices the monkey. Stay for the scene after the credits – it's worth it. Generally favorable reviews: 73/72 out of 100.
11:30| 13:30| 15:30| 17:30| 19:30| 21:30|
Puppy Love / Haakao / ฮะ...เก๋า
95 mins (Thai/English Subtitles)
Thai Comedy/Romance – With Mum Jokmok and other old and new comedy stars, in a story with a bit of female homosexuality, a talking dog, a lady-boy, and ghosts.
11:45| 13:50| 15:55| 18:00| 20:05| 22:10|
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
147 mins (English Version)
UK/US Adventure/Family/Fantasy – Things are not going well in Narnia as the four Pevensie children return after one year to find their Kingdom in need of their help once again. Go if you enjoyed their first outing, or if you like children’s fantasy stories with a sprinkling of Christian symbolism. Generally favorable reviews: 63/63 out of 100.
16:10|
The Happening
R, 91 mins (English Version)
US/India Drama/Sci-Fi – M. Night Shyamalan produces another mysterious film people will either love or hate. Shyamalan is an accomplished director and even if a movie of his does not entirely work, it is sure to be more interesting than your average movie. This film is beautifully crafted, with some excellent scenes of tension and spookiness. Don’t read too much about it before you see it – go with an open mind. Rated R in the US for violent and disturbing images, but it seems much of this has been clipped out in Thailand. Generally negative reviews: 35/40 out of 100.
12:10| 14:10| 19:00| 21:10|
The Incredible Hulk
114 mins (English Version)
US Action/Sci-Fi – An excellent performance by Edward Norton in a terrific comic-based action picture with mythic themes – very exciting indeed, and a top notch production. Generally favorable reviews: 61/61 out of 100. (No scene after closing credits.)
12:30| 14:50| 17:10| 19:40| 22:00|
The Last Moment / Rak-Sam-Sao / รัก สาม เศร้า
115 mins (Thai/English Subtitles)
Thai Romance/Drama – A love triangle develops with much weeping between three university friends, one of whom becomes terminally ill. Apparently a five-hanky movie.
11:55| 13:00| 14:20| 15:25| 16:45| 17:50| 19:10| 20:15| 21:35|
Vista – Kadsuankaew
Telephone: 053 894-415
Beginning Thursday, June 19, 2008, through next Wednesday; fairly reliable.
Get Smart
110 mins (English/Thai)
US Action/Comedy – Steve Carell as Secret Agent Maxwell Smart, in a movie based on the very popular 60’s US television series created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry and starring Don Adams, which made fun of spies in the cold war, and secret spy gadgets. Mixed or average reviews: 52/54 out of 100.
12:00| 14:15| 16:30| 18:45| 21:00|
Kung Fu Panda
88 mins (English/Thai)
US Animation/Action/Comedy/Family – Pure fun! An animated comedy set in the legendary world of ancient China, about a lazy panda who must somehow become a Kung Fu Master in order to save his valley from a villainous snow leopard. Full of irreverent invention against bright Chinese images, it’s full of dazzling animation. Assured and accomplished, sharp and funny, with some quite tender moments. Jackie Chan voices the monkey. The scene after the credits is almost worth the wait. Generally favorable reviews: 73/72 out of 100.
11:30| 13:30| 15:30| 17:30| 19:30| 21:30|
Puppy Love / Haakao / ฮะ...เก๋า
95 mins (Thai/English Subtitles)
Thai Comedy/Romance –With Mum Jokmok and other old and new comedy stars, in a story with a bit of female homosexuality, a talking dog, a lady-boy, and ghosts.
11:30| 13:30| 15:30| 17:30| 19:30| 21:30|
Sex and the City: The Movie
148 mins (English Version)
US Comedy/Romance – Fans of the television show and Sarah Jessica Parker should be very happy indeed with this film incarnation, on the melancholy theme that fairy-tale endings don’t necessarily mean happily ever after. Mixed or average reviews: 53/57 out of 100. Rated R in the US for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, and language.
17:30|
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
147 mins (English Version)
UK/US Adventure/Family/Fantasy – Things are not going well in Narnia as the four Pevensie children return after one year to find their Kingdom in need of their help once again. Go if you enjoyed the first outing, or if you like children’s fantasy stories with a sprinkling of Christian symbolism. Generally favorable reviews: 63/63 out of 100.
12:30| 15:00| 20:15|
The Happening
R, 91 mins (English Version)
US/India Drama/Sci-Fi – M. Night Shyamalan produces another mysterious film people will either love or hate. Shyamalan is an accomplished director and even if a movie of his does not entirely work, it is sure to be more interesting than your average movie. This film is beautifully crafted, with some excellent scenes of tension and spookiness. Don’t read too much about it before you see it – go with an open mind. Rated R in the US for violent and disturbing images, but it seems much of this has been clipped out in Thailand. Generally negative reviews: 35/40 out of 100.
11:50| 13:50| 15:45| 17:45| 19:40| 21:30|
The Incredible Hulk
114 mins (English Version)
US Action/Sci-Fi – An excellent performance by Edward Norton in a terrific comic-based action picture with mythic themes – very exciting indeed, and a top notch production. Generally favorable reviews: 61/61 out of 100. (No scene after closing credits.)
12:15| 14:30| 16:45| 19:00| 21:15|
The Last Moment / Rak-Sam-Sao / รัก สาม เศร้า
115 mins (Thai/English Subtitles)
Thai Romance/Drama – A love triangle develops with much weeping between three university friends, one of whom becomes terminally ill. Apparently a five-hanky movie.
12:00| 14:15| 16:30| 18:45| 21:00|
Vista – 12 Huaykaew
Permanently closed.
