Tag Archives: reviews
Who’s been a naughty boy then?
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/07/who039s-been-a-naughty-boy-then.html Sara Veal Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, German auteur Werner Herzog’s gritty, surreal treatise on corruption and addiction, makes little attempt to win over its audience yet is strangely watchable, with a compelling anti-hero, absurd humor and … Continue reading
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To New York, with Love
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/01/24/to-new-york-with-love.html Sara Veal New York has hosted countless cinematic romances, from the tragic West Side Story and unforgettable An Affair to Remember to the modern day fairytale Sex and the City. So, following the enthusiastic response to Paris, Je t’aime, … Continue reading
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Unravelling an embroidered puzzle
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/01/24/the-lace-reader039-unravelling-embroidered-puzzle.html Sara Veal Brunonia Barry’s The Lace Reader, a delicately crafted mystery about generations of women in Salem, Massachusetts, is deceptively light, yet intricately patterned, much like lace itself. A mesmerizing first novel, it casts a powerful spell with its … Continue reading
Parker and Grant endure witless protection
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/01/17/parker-and-grant-endure-witless-protection.html Sara Veal When city folk go to the countryside, there are two typical outcomes – at least in Hollywood. Deprived of cell phones and civilization, either they get eaten by inbred psychos or they learn about what really matters … Continue reading
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Life and death beyond the looking glass
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/01/10/life-and-death-beyond-looking-glass.html Sara Veal Audrey Niffenegger’s literary smash debut The Time Traveler’s Wife is a hard act to follow, but her second novel proves she’s not a one hit wonder. Her Fearful Symmetry, a modern ghost story involving twins and family … Continue reading
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Disney recaptures its Renaissance magic
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/01/10/disney-recaptures-its-renaissance-magic.html Sara Veal The Princess and the Frog, Disney’s first 2D animated film since 2004′s Home on the Range, is an all-American fairytale that successfully balances nostalgic magic and modern attitudes, and is likely to usher in a new generation … Continue reading
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Sherlock Holmes and the mystery of the $80 million movie
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/01/03/sherlock-holmes-and-mystery-80-million-movie.html Sara Veal Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes is a shambles – badly directed, nonsensical and far too long. It’s made tolerable by the reliably charismatic Robert Downey Jr., decent support from Jude Law and Rachel McAdams, gorgeous set design and … Continue reading
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Great rolls of girl power
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/01/03/great-rolls-girl-power.html Sara Veal Drew Barrymore has grown up on screen, from cute moppet (E.T.) and teen femme fatale (Poison Ivy) to Charlie’s Angel and rom-com queen. Now she’s taken on a new role as director, with her debut Whip it!, … Continue reading
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A not-so grave coming of age
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/01/03/a-notso-grave-coming-age.html Sara Veal The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman’s tale about a boy who is raised by ghosts in a graveyard, will delight and spook readers of all ages. Liberally sprinkled with the master storyteller’s inimitable blend of humor and horror, … Continue reading
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A vision of the future worth waiting for
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/12/20/a-vision-future-worth-waiting.html Sara Veal James Cameron’s Avatar has been 15 years in the making, requiring technology to advance far enough to realize the director’s grand US$237 million vision. While the expectations for the film have been strangely eroded by lackluster trailers, … Continue reading
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