The Hidden Face

4 Potatoes

"The Hidden Face" (2011) by André Baiz- La Cara Ocluta is a thriller from Spain.

You know what happened and you know what is going to happen, but you don't know how it is going to end! Just a great thriller with unexpected and expected result.

You wouldn't regret watching it!


Synopsis: When his girlfriend, Bethlehem, vanishes, the handsome director of the Bogota Philharmonic Orchestra despairs -- then gradually moves on. But even as he finds comfort in a new relationship, questions about Bethlehem's disappearance linger. (Netflix)



Available on DVD and Streaming

Woman in the Fifth

2.5 Potatoes

"Woman in the Fifth" (2012) - La Femme du Vème by Pawel Pawlikowski was just released here in Los Angeles. A film with Ethan Hawke and Kristine Scott Thomas didn't appeal to me at first. I didn't see any chemistry between them.
Then I saw the trailer. It did change my mind to see it (On Demand), the suspense story was
interesting but it was a okay film.

I recommend you to see it on demand or on DVD.

My last thought was... "So she was....?" and "Oh Ethan Hawke aged not so well".



Official Site: http://womaninthefifth-movie.com/


USA: In Theaters Now and Available on Demand.

"Headhunters" from Norway

3.5 Potatoes

"Headhunters" (2011) - Hodejegerne by Morten Tyldum, a crime thriller from Norway, is a must-see!


This film was released at AFI last year and now in theaters in LA. 
Stylish, gruesome, suspenseful and very intelligently written. There are a lot of
surprises throughout the film, some humors are not to miss.


I really enjoyed it. Oh by the way, the guy who plays Clas Greve,
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, is Ser Jaime Lannister from the HBO series "Game of Thrones" if you are wondering where you've seen him.

Synopsis: An accomplished headhunter risks everything to obtain a valuable painting owned by a former mercenary. (IMDb)

USA: In Theaters Now

"The Debt"

2 Potatoes

The film "The Debt" (2011) by John Madden had an early release to gain the box office. Was it successful? Well for me not, at least...
The story of Mossad was very interesting but they made Mossad like weeping puppy compare to how the film "Munich" (2005) by Steven Spielberg portrayed it...

Unfortunately it was very under directed.


Dear Madam Helen Mirren,

You are not really a Femme Fatale, please stay as a Queen if you can.

Sincerely yours,
Operation Couch Potato aka Femme Fatale wanna be

Synopsis: The espionage thriller begins in 1997, as shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stefan (Tom Wilkinson) about their former colleague David (Ciarán Hinds). All three have been venerated for decades by their country because of the mission that they undertook back in 1966, when the trio (portrayed, respectively, by Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington) tracked down Nazi war criminal Vogel (Jesper Christensen) in East Berlin. At great risk, and at considerable personal cost, the team's mission was accomplished - or was it? The suspense builds in and across two different time periods, with startling action and surprising revelations.


Official Website & Trailer: http://www.focusfeatures.com/the_debt/


USA: In Theaters Now, BUT recommended on DVD...

"Love Crime"

2.5 Potatoes

The final film of Alain Corneau "Love Crime" - Crime d'Amour (2010) with Kristine Scott Thomas and Ludivine Sagnier is finally released in Los Angeles this weekend.

It is just typical backstubbing movie, women, competition, just like any other day in Los Angeles... The music was horrible, that really distracted me from concentrating on the film. And I thought it didn't show the best quality of Ludivine Sagnier either... very unfortunate.

I liked the one-sheet though...


Synopsis: Ruthless executive Christine brings on Isabelle as her assistant, and she takes delight in toying with the young woman's innocence. But when the protégé's ideas become tempting enough for Christine to pass one as her own, she underestimates Isabelle's ambition and cunning -- and the ground is set for all out war. (IMDb)


Synopsis (FR): Dans le décor aseptisé des bureaux d’une puissante multinationale, deux femmes s’affrontent… La jeune Isabelle travaille sous les ordres de Christine, une femme de pouvoir qu’elle admire sans réserve. Convaincue de son ascendant sur sa protégée, Christine entraîne Isabelle dans un jeu trouble et pervers de séduction et de domination. 
Ce jeu dangereux va trop loin… jusqu’au point de non retour. (AlloCiné)

USA: In Theaters in N.Y. and Los Angeles
Also Available on VOD

"Point Blank"

I am so glad to hear that the new French movie "Point Blank" (2010) - À Bout Portant by Fred Cavayé is going to be released in Los Angeles and New York this month.

It is an action thriller movie starring Gilles Lellouche who is now a rising main role actor who has been in fact in the movie industry for a long time and was known for the best co-star often supporting the main character in the movie. Other cast include Gérard Lanvin and Roshdy Zem.


Synopsis: Samuel Pierret (Gilles Lellouche) is a nurse who saves the wrong guy -- a thief (Roschdy Zem) whose henchmen take Samuel's pregnant wife (Elena Anaya) hostage to force him to spring their boss from the hospital. A race through the subways and streets of Paris ensues, and the body count rises. Can Samuel evade the cops and the criminal underground and deliver his beloved to safety? (IMDb)

Synopsis (FR): Tout va pour le mieux pour Samuel et Nadia : lui est bientôt infirmier et elle, attend son premier enfant. Mais tout bascule lorsque Nadia se fait kidnapper sous l'oeil impuissant de Samuel. A son réveil, son portable retentit : il a trois heures pour sortir de l'hôpital dans lequel il travaille un homme sous surveillance policière. Le destin de Samuel est désormais lié à celui de Sartet, une figure du banditisme activement recherchée par tous les services de police. S'il veut revoir sa femme vivante, Samuel doit faire vite.. (AlloCiné)


Official Site: http://www.pointblankmovie.com/

USA: In Theaters in L.A. and New York,  July 29, 2011

"RAPT" a MUST SEE MOVIE

3.5 Potatoes

I saw this movie "RAPT" (2009) by Lucas Belvaux at COLCOA last year. It is loosely based on an actual event. Yvan Attal's performance is very convincing and the story is very intense as you think this incident really happened!


SYNOPSIS: Lucas Belvaux’s edge-of-your-seat thriller - inspired by the 1978 kidnapping of French industrialist Edouard-Jean Empain - features a career-defining performance by Yvan Attal (Munich, My Wife Is an Actress) as a millionaire playboy who is abducted and held for ransom for 60 days. (COLCOA)


Official Selection COLCOA 2010
LAFCA Special Prize: http://www.colcoa.org/2010/films/rapt.asp


Official Site: http://www.lorberfilms.com/view-all-films/rapt/


USA: IN THEATER July 6 in New York (Film Forum)
USA: IN THEATER July 22

Super 8 Not So Super

1.5 Potatoes

So finally I saw the movie "Super 8" (2011) by J.J. Abrams. Not to mention this film is produced by none other than Mr. Steven Spielberg. The man who created the unforgettable movie "E.T." (1982) and he sort of helped creating this conspiracy theory revealing movie.

The train crash in Ohio was based on the real event which was suspected of transporting something very confidential: Alliance, Ohio Train wreck of 1972

Overall, the movie was kind of the Goonies meets the Alien who ends up as a E.T.. None of the actors were too convincing and none of the kids except the main boy will be a star. And the kid's film at the end was so unnecessary.

↓↓↓SPOILER↓↓↓
The story was so identical to the movie "E.T.": a single parent home kid encounters something mysterious and cruises around town on bike... including the ending with the all of the sudden so adorable alien with the boy saying 'go home'...
↑↑↑SPOILER↑↑↑

Alliance, Ohio Train Crash 1972

The only good part of the film was the amazing train crash as my friend already told me about it beforehand, and the soundtrack. That was about it.

Official Site & Trailer: http://www.super8-movie.com/#

USA: Showing In Theater Now

Namae wo Nakushita Megami - JDrama

5 Potatoes so far

An Watanabe (center)

I am currently watching the Japanese drama called "Namae wo Nakushita Megami" (2011) - 名前を無くした女神 by Fuji Television with An Watanabe (the daughter of well known Japanese actor Ken Watanabe). The catch copy is "Welcome to Mama Friend's Hell." - 「ようこそ、ママ友地獄へ。」

Each episode I watch gives me goose bumps. The story is about the mothers of kindergarten children. They call them Mama Tomo - ママ友 - mama friend. Apparently they hangout all the time, but they compete each other in anyway possible not to mention with their childrens' grades to which elementary school they are going to apply and what type of lifestyle others have and much more. Endless jealousy and unnecessary revenge everyday. Somethings one does to another are almost criminally insane. I keep saying "can they do that???" all the time. One episode, one mother almost kidnapped another child out of jealousy. We weren't sure what she was going to do to this boy, because he was rescued just on time!

OH I wish everyone in the world can watch this! It is unbelievable!

Official Site & Trailer: http://www.fujitv.co.jp/megami/index.html

USA: DVD Available at Japanese DVD Stores Near You
Online Streaming Available if you Google

"Super 8"

It is almost one month away, the new film by J.J. Abrams "Super 8" will be released in the USA.


It looks like another mysterious monster visit. But by watching the trailer, I don't think we will get any motion sickness this time.


I am sure it will be a fun Summer movie and love the poster.


Synopsis: After witnessing a mysterious train crash, a group of friends in the summer of 1979 begin noticing strange happenings going around in their small town, and begin to investigate into the creepy phenomenon. (IMDb)


Official Site & Trailer: http://www.super8-movie.com/



Coming Soon to Theater near you on June 10th, 2011

"Melancholia"

Here is another film showing at the Cannes 2011.

"Melancholia" (2011) by Lars von Trier. His last film "Antichrist" (2009) was quite shocking for some people (not for me) and much talked about. Anyway this year's film "Melancholia" has a bit of Sci-Fi touch, and surprising to me Hollywood actors Kirsten Dunst and Kiefer Sutherland are among the main casts... Hmmm

The trailer looks good. Charlotte Gainsbourg is getting better and better as an actress, and Charlotte Rampling is adding the mysterious mood to the movie and is great as always.

I can't wait to see it!

Synopsis: Two sisters find their relationship challenged as a nearby planet threatens to collide into the Earth. (IMDb)


Official Site & Trailer: http://www.melancholiathemovie.com/

US Release Date: November 4, 2011

Summer Movies

I saw some interesting previews tonight. Here are two movies I am interested in seeing this summer.

"Apollo 18" (2011) by Gonzalo López-Gallego. It is an Hollywood movie directed by a Spanish filmmaker. Story line is about the real space mission in 1970s which was cancelled by NASA... I love the tag line "THERE'S A REASON WE'VE NEVER GONE BACK TO THE MOON". The preview looked good.

Official Site & Trailer: http://apollo18movie.net/

US Release Date: Aug 26, 2011

The second one is "One Day" (2011) by Lone Scherfig. This is also an Hollywood movie, but directed by a Danish filmmaker and filmed in UK... This director is known for the movie "An Education" (2009) which was a good film.

My question is about the main character choice... was Anne Hathaway really the best choice for this movie? She is faking the British accent! Wasn't there a better British actress for her part? I am so sure there was...

Love the poster though!

Official Site & Trailer: http://focusfeatures.com/one_day

US Release Date: Aug 19, 2011

"Source Code"

4 Potatoes

"Source Code" (2011) by Duncan Jones is an Hollywood movie which was released in the US about 2 months ago. The story is about a guy Colter Stevens who finds himself waking up on the Chicago commuter train and a girl in front of him calls him Sean, 8 minutes later the train blows up.

Surprisingly I really enjoyed it. The beginning wasn't too slow at all as some reviews have commented. It seems like he is fairly new director but the movie was pretty well directed and edited. Bravo for him.

Also it was nice to see the city of Chicago where I used  to live :)




Still Playing in some Theaters

DVD Availability Unknown

"Love, Pain and Vice Versa: Violanchelo"

2.5 Potatoes

"Love, Pain and Vice Versa: Violanchelo" (2008) - Amor Dolor Y Viceversa by Alfonso Pineda Ulloa is a film from Mexico. I don't want to use the word "interesting" but it was interesting.

Two people are having dreams about one another and we don't know why, but it reveals slowly what is happening... well edited so you will not get too confused. I thought the music choice was wrong...
Good to see the actor Leonardo Sbaraglia again.

Synopsis: Architect Chelo (Barbara Mori) can't shake her drab love life or the prince who visits her dreams nightly. Dr. Marquez (Leonardo Sbaraglia) is happily engaged but plagued by nightmares of a seductive killer. When Chelo devises a method to make dream a reality, madness descends on both. Circumstances land Chelo and Marquez in a police house on either side of a two-way mirror, with each facing far more than meets the eye. (NETFLIX)


Available on DVD

"Insoupçonnable"

3 potatoes

"Insoupçonnable" (2010) is a film by Gabriel Le Bomin which is showing on TV 5 Monde this month. Currently it doesn't have English title but the title means above suspicion.
It was pretty good. I didn't see 'that' coming. The actor Marc-André Grondin who played Sam was a bit weak I thought. But over all it was pretty good. It is totally above suspicion.

Synopsis: "Henri is convinced that Lise, his new young wife, truly loves him. He is also convinced that Sam, the witness at their marriage, is Lise's brother. It's a perfect set-up. Well, almost..." (TV 5 Monde)


Available this month on TV 5 Monde


DVD Availability Unknown

"The Man from Nowhere"

3.5 Potatoes

To make up the bad movie start this weekend, I quickly went into my DVD-to-Catch-up piles.Tonight's pick was "The Man from Nowhere" (2010) - Ajeossi 아저씨 by Jeong-Beom Lee with Bin Won. I added this movie to my Netflix list because I like Bin Won.

But surprisingly it was a good movie! Typical Korean action thriller and violent as usual, but there was a nice touch of heartfelt feeling to it, if you know what I mean...

Bin Won's true action without body double is HOT.

If you like Korean action movie, it is Highly Recommended.



- Violent and Gritty