The UrbanWire

 

In the world of six billion people, it only takes one to change your life.

Together with Festive films, the Urbanwire is giving away 5 pairs of tickets to preview screening of The Visitor, on Dec 5, at Golden Village Plaza Singapura.

Simply answer the following question and stand a chance to win a pair of tickets to the screening. Email your answer with your full name and NRIC to contest.urbanwire@gmail.com by 5 December, 12 noon.

“The young immigrant couple who moved in with Walter are Tarek, who is Senegalese, and his girlfriend Zainab who is Syrian” True/False?

Screening Details
Date: Dec 5, Friday
Time: 9:10pm 
Runtime – 104min
Venue: Golden Village, Plaza Singapura, Hall 4
Rating: TBA
Language: English, French Arabic and Russian with English subtitles

About the movie

“You can live your whole life and never know who you are until you see the world through the eyes of others.”

A college professor becomes embroiled in the lives of a young immigrant couple living in New York City and stumbles into an unexpected romance as a result. As these strangers struggle to deal with their individual lives in a changed world, their shared humanity is revealed in awkward, humorous and dramatic ways.

This poignant film about rediscovering happiness in the least expected places stars a disillusioned Connecticut economics professor whose life is transformed by a chance encounter in New York City.

62-year-old Walter Vale is sleepwalking through his life. Having lost his passion for teaching and writing, he fills the void by unsuccessfully trying to learn to play classical piano. When his college sends him to Manhattan to attend a conference, Walter is surprised to find a young couple has taken up residence in his apartment. Victims of a real estate scam, Tarek (Haaz Sleiman), a Syrian man and Zainab (Danai Gurira), his Senegalese girlfriend, have nowhere else to go.

In the first of a series of tests of the heart, Walter reluctantly allows the couple to stay with him.

Friendship blossoms and in time, differences in culture, age, and temperament begin to fall away.

After being stopped by police in the subway, Tarek is arrested as an undocumented citizen and held for deportation. As his situation turns desperate, Walter finds himself compelled to help his new friend with a passion he thought he had long ago lost. When Tarek’s beautiful mother Mouna (Hiam Abbass) arrives unexpectedly in search of her son, the professor’s personal commitment develops into an unlikely romance.

And through these newfound connections with three virtual strangers that Walter is awakened to a new world and a new life.

Riddle me this: What do you get when you put a stellar cast with an impressive 18 Oscar nominations (5 of which were wins) among them into a single, hugely anticipated holiday movie?
(Read more)

Imagine an underwater video clip of a humpbacked whale, warm sunlight filtering through the iridescent blue ocean, drawing wavy nets of sun across its expansive back. Now imagine it up-close at arm’s length – its white-mottled tail fin almost threatening to hit you as it cleaves powerful strokes through the cerulean waters.

This is total immersion at its best – a distinctive mainstay in 3D digital movies. “3D has the power to educate in the most entertaining way,” says Francois Mantello, producer of Dolphins and Whales: Tribes of the Ocean 3D, of the new dimension of reality that 3D digital filmmaking affords the cinema.

“When we screened our 3D digital underwater documentary (Dolphins and Whales), the children were trying to catch the fishes,” he recalls, “some liked it so much, they even became advocates of marine conservation.” Such is the massive influential power that 3D digital films possess.

3D digital film works by rapidly projecting two slightly different images on to the movie screen, and through special tinted 3D glasses, members of the audience will see a slightly different image through each eye. The brain then works to merge the two images into one for a more complete, tangible picture.

Change In The Playing Field

Traditionally, films have always been shown in 2D, restricted to capturing only the elements of width and height, but not depth, compelling film makers to deftly use the effects of light and camera angles to bring specific characters and happenings in a scene to the fore of the collective audience’s attention.

With the advent of 3D filmmaking, conventional cinematographic techniques have undergone a paradigm shift. Proponents of the silver screen are now able to add the concept of depth into their pictures, giving the viewer a sense of distance – some characters seem almost close enough to touch, while others appear to be further away. By harnessing this aspect of depth and distance, cinematographers are able to manipulate the audience’s attention to certain characters by making them seem closer or further away in the audience’s field of vision.

A digital 3D-rendered form of James Cameron’s 1997 classic, Titanic, illustrates this concept. In a scene where an elegantly dressed Jack Dawson meets Rose DeWitt at an ornate stairwell before a dinner party, the camera shifts to a closer view of the two – an excellent stage for the digital 3D to showcase its magic.

The 3D rendering establishes a sense of distance, making the couple appear closer and at a more intimate proximity underscoring the romantic and emotional intensity of the moment while other partygoers walking past the couple seem more distant and secondary.

Future prospects and the viability of the 3D digital film cinema were unveiled at the inaugural 3DX International 3D Film Festival held on Nov 18-23 in Singapore.

Some time between now and Armageddon, someone will decide to do away with our sophisticated telecommunication network and replace it with human messengers who will verbally deliver messages, much like a schoolyard game of broken telephone.

Based on Jeanne Duprau’s best-selling novel of the same name, City of Ember paints a bleak picture for the future of humanity. It foretells a catastrophe of a magnitude that will wipe out the entire human race and plunge the earth into eternal darkness.

To ensure the survival of mankind, builders put together a subterranean sanctum that will allow a segment of the human population to escape the calamity unharmed. For 200 years, the inhabitants of Ember go about their daily routine under the light of ceiling lamps, which are powered by a massive electric generator.

Now that the generator is failing, the city is in a state of despair. It’s up to Lina Mayfleet (Atonement’s Saoirse Ronan) and Doon Harrow (Harry Treadaway) to uncover the mystery behind the blackouts and food shortages before Ember falls into eternal darkness.

The movie sees director Gil Kenan of Monster House making a shaky transition from animation to live-action filmmaking. For a movie set in the future, the costumes and setting are jarringly backwards.

Characters wear patchwork clothing that look haphazardly pieced together and live in slum-like conditions.

Perhaps if City of Ember had been animated, the audience might be more forgiving towards the conceptual flaws of the tale. However, as it is, you can’t help but question the logic of living underground for 2 whole centuries with mutant beetles and killer moles, without ever entertaining the possibility of life outside the crumbling metropolis.

Also, the CGI sequence of the characters’ climatic escape from Ember sticks out like a sore thumb in the otherwise well put-together film. It’s as if Kenan shoved the characters into an amusement park flume ride and filmed them from the helm. You almost expect a flash to go off in the background for that cheesy souvenir shot.

While the movie falls short in terms of direction and logic, it makes up for it with its brilliant cast and exquisite set design.

Bill Murray plays the role of the portly Mayor Cole most convincingly, despite it being a sidestep away from his usual comedic parts. His address to the inhabitants of Ember oozes with charisma and captures the epitome of a true leader, albeit a corrupt one.

Nevertheless, the star of the show is inarguably Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan. She shines as the plucky heroine, a role that can easily be interpreted as overly dependent, or worse, borderline annoying.

The set design is also something to look forward to.

Production designer Martin Laing managed to transform an old shipbuilding facility into a world that is both ornate and imaginative. From the creaky floorboards, to the weathered stonewalls, Laing captures 2 centuries of wear and tear perfectly in his intrinsic detailing. You will find yourself longing to step into the screen just so you can explore every nook and cranny.

Despite its creative potential, the film is rather disappointing on the whole. You are most likely to leave the cinema with more questions than you have when you entered. Perhaps only to a 12-year-old for whom living in an underground dwelling for 200 years is credible, City of Ember will be a suitable escape into another dimension.

UrbanWire gives City of Ember 2 out of 5 stars.

Movie details

Release date: Nov 27
Language: English
Rating: PG/Frightening Scenes
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Starring: Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Saoirse Ronan
Directed by: Gil Kenan

(Pictures courtesy of Shaw Movies)

Win tickets to Angels & Airwaves’ first-ever performance in Singapore

In conjunction with Midas Promotions, the UrbanWire is giving away tickets the AVA concert to 2 lucky readers.

Here’s what you need to do to get a chance at those tickets:

Tell us why you want to be at the AVA concert and share with us your love for alternative music, and send in your response to contest.urbanwire@gmail.com with your full name, NRIC and contact details by Dec 1.

The San Diego-based band, also known as AVA, will be making contact with fans here in Singapore for the very first time this coming Dec 7. It is also right here in Singapore, that their South-East Asia tour kicks off.

Featuring frontman and former Blink-182 guitarist/vocalist Tom Delonge, the band consists of guitarist David Kennedy, drummer Atom Willard, and bassist Matt Wachter.

AVA has certainly been going places since their rise to fame in 2006 after their first album We Don’t Need to Whisper was release. The album went on to top the Billboard 200 chart at No.4. The band has performed at packed venues in the United States (U.S), Canada, Europe, as well as Japan.

Having just concluded their recent U.S tour with Weezer (from Los Angeles), AVA will be here in Singapore with a mission to unify and call to arms all supporters of alternative music.
 

AVA Concert and Ticketing Information:

Date: Dec 7
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: University Cultural Centre Hall, NUS
Tickets*: $85, $100 and $125 

*Tickets are on sale at all SISTIC outlets and check out the promotional site for a chance to meet the band.

It’s the FU, the FU! It looks like the Undertaker is down for the count. John Cena is going to be the victor of this match! Oh no, waitaminit, the Deadman is rising, and he looks pissed!

The iconic J.R. screams from the ringside announcer’s table, throwing sparks of tension into the already electric atmosphere.

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 (SVR 09) has come a long way since the days of the original WWF Smackdown!

(Read more)

Once a big hit with teens back in year 2000, Java applications are now back with a vengeance. Fresh off their warm reception in Thailand, Software Mall has hit Singapore in a bid to recapture the market for Java-based mobile phone applications and games. (Read more)

Together with Festive films, the Urbanwire is giving away 5 pairs of tickets to preview screening of Cape No 7, on Nov 19, 7pm at Shaw Lido.

Simply share with us when and who you wrote your first love letter/email to and stand a chance to win a pair of tickets to the screening. Email your responses to contest.urbanwire@gmail.com.

(Read more)

The Singapore Hit Awards 2008 had less star power and attracted a smaller crowd at the National Indoor Stadium: Only 2,500 people were present at the event. Nevertheless, those who were there were treated to the energetic performances of local and overseas artistes.

Gloria Kho Yzelman, guest writer for UrbanWire brings you the highlights of this event.

The usual hot favourites like Fahrenheit, S.H.E and Jay Chou were missing. Even local songbird, Stefanie Sun, snubbed at the nominations stage for Best Local Artiste, was too busy to attend the Oct 25 event. Unlike last year, the Singapore Hit Awards was not broadcast live.

(Read more)

Before you pick up a copy of Perfect Symmetry, you should be warned that the album will showcase a side of Keane you probably never thought possible.

Tom Chaplin and gang have abandoned their penchant for gloomy piano-driven anthems about love, loss and yearning for a good ol’ (literally) bold 1980’s synthesiser-heavy sound.

The new Keane even features, surprise, surprise - the added use of electric guitars.

A journey far from perfect

Released last month, Perfect Symmetry represents the British band’s third studio effort since their 2004 debut.

In their 4 years so far,  Keane has certainly come a long way between battling critics about their sound and coping with lead singer Chaplin’s constant drug rehabilitation problems. Fortunately, Chaplin finally got cleaned up, and Keane headed to Berlin on a night train ride to seek inspiration for their new album.

But perhaps seeking ideas on the German railway wasn’t that inspired an idea because Perfect Symmetry crudely resembles something of a sonic trainwreck.

Like getting “Rick-Rolled”

While there are certainly a few well-crafted tracks, much of the album sounds too formulaic and uninteresting.

The lads clearly aspired to move away from their old sound but failed to muster enough, if any, fresh and exciting material.

The track “You Don’t See Me” is an example of this. The band sounds tired and the song lacks the edge and direction to move listeners. In the end, it winds up sounding like a bland filler track left in just to make the numbers on the album.

The band’s elaborate use of synthesisers circa 1980 throughout the album to expand their sonic palette also at times borders along sounding overtly cheesy (”Black Burning Heart“). The inclusion of hand-claps, and saxophones that sound like they were ripped off from an 8-bit video game soundtrack doesn’t help either.

Even lyrically, the band has opted for cliche verses (”Give me your hand/Cut the skin, let me in/The molecules of us/Bleeding into one again”) that would surely have no problems making its way into a Rick Astley song.

Perhaps taking a listen to Perfect Symmetry is a little like getting Rick Rolled - a fun prank that can get frustrating if it happens one too many times.

The upside

However not all is lost on Keane’s third studio outing. There are a handful of bright sparks where the trio’s pop sensabilities pull through and remind listeners why they are still one of Britain’s biggest acts in recent years.

The track “You Haven’t Told Me Anything“, manages a fine and tasteful balance between the new 80’s synthesiser sound and contemporary pop, while giving it just enough edge to make it relevant to young listeners.

Other notable tracks include “The Lovers Are Losing” and “Perfect Symmetry“. However both tracks seem to be drawn more from the sound of their previous albums than the current direction of things. Take a listen to the former, and you might just mistake it as a B-side to the single “Crystal Ball” from the band’s previous sophomore album.

In a nutshell

Keane certainly didn’t break new ground with the release of Perfect Symmetry. While it might please the casual listener, you would be hard-pressed to find a critical listener or fan who isn’t dismayed at the album’s lack of depth and innovative content.

Then again, Keane doesn’t claim to be an art rock group like Radiohead and by that standard, Perfect Symmetry isn’t too terribly far off from being a decent pop rock album.

For their retro album, this UrbanWire writer gives it a rating of 3 out of 5.

Now let’s just hope that Keane doesn’t look further back in time and start mimicking Sgt. Pepper for their next album.

Track Listing

01. Spiralling

02. The Lovers Are Losing (Sample)

03. Better Than This

04. You Haven’t Told Me Anything (Sample)

05. Perfect Symmetry (Sample)

06. You Don’t See Me (Sample)

07. Again And Again

08. Playing Along

09. Pretend That You’re Alone

10. Black Burning Heart (Sample)

11. Love Is The End

Together with Festive films, the Urbanwire is giving away 5 pairs of tickets to preview screening of Rabbit Without Ears, on Nov 12, 7pm at Golden Village, Plaza Singapura.

(Read more)

“If anyone wants out, this is your last chance.”

You sit trapped in helplessness, drowning in turmoil as you silently watch the dehumanisation of the characters in front of you. Powerless to retaliate from your seat in the audience, yet too captivated to turn away. (Read more)

You’ve seen the Sony HD ads with flying projectiles dramatically slowed down, repeatedly hit the cooler than ice and immaculately dressed quintessential British spy, eliciting hardly a flinch from his scarred face.

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Singaporean films have generally been categorised into either one of two things: presumptuous artsy fare from the likes of Eric Khoo and enfant terrible Royston Tan, or smack-in-your-face commercial blockbusters by the likes of Jack Neo.

Carrot Cake Conversations falls into the former, but doesn’t quite manage to walk across the thin tightrope strung between a great movie and the more usual unfortunate accident of a film in this category, even though it has been picked for the 8th Annual Anchorage Film Festival in December.

The story revolves around 4 strangers – 3 Singaporeans and an American – who find themselves ruminating upon their lives on the “eve of Christmas eve” and finding companionship over carrot cake and conversation.

The movie follows Kate (Danielle O’Malley), a former aspiring actress who called it quits after 7 years in Hollywood with not much more than a 5-minute part to her name. That this precious footage was subsequently cut off from the movie only added insult to injury.

On her way to New Zealand to start a café, she transits in Singapore for a few hours. Wanting to explore the island with the time she has left, she randomly chooses her first destination – the famous Newton Hawker Centre.

There, she meets Daniel (Alaric Tay), a tired businessman who walked in on his wife cheating on his brother. After talking over carrot cake, Kate makes a proposition that sets Daniel thinking.

Matthew (Adrian Pang) is a rich property heir who’s experiencing a personal crisis. He meets Ruth (former Miss Malaysia Andrea Fonseka), a $100-an-hour prostitute who harbours dreams of becoming a blues singer, for companionship.

Somehow, Kate’s and Matthew’s paths connect and they strike up a friendship.

The topics of their conversations, mostly over local fare such as carrot cake and tau huei chui (soya bean milk), range from the mundane to the ambitiously philosophical. After the conversations, they gain different perspectives and get to reflecting upon their own lives.

The first thing that is noticeable about the movie is its painfully liberal use of medium close-up, shallow depth-of-field shots. There is hardly a scene in full focus and almost no experimentation with using different styles of cinematography.

The screenplay tries hard to impress, but comes across as awkward and pretentious. For starters, the conversations between the characters is amusingly contrived – none of it sounds remotely Singaporean.

And if you’re expecting to find suspense, build-up, action and climax, ditch your hopes now. The drama moves along at a leisurely pace before coming to an uninspiring end.

Crossover actor and host Pang and supporting actress de Cruz were the highlights of the movie. Their acting was consistently impeccable, beautifully nuanced and human - a welcome respite from the mechanical, albeit commendable, acting of the rest of the cast.  O’Malley comes across more Australian than American, and Fonseka doesn’t manage to sound Singaporean in the slightest. Tay manages to play his part of Daniel well, but, for some reason, seems inhibited.

Another pleasant aspect of the movie is its music, which is inspiring, serene and beautiful. More importantly, it perfectly fits the tone of the film.

In short, director Michael Wang’s debut feature is an ambitious effort but it sorely failed to impress.

The UrbanWire gives Carrot Cake Conversations 2 out of 5 stars.

Movie details
Release date: Nov 6
Running Time: 98 min
Language: English
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Starring: Adrian Pang, Alaric Tay, Andrea Fonseka, Danielle O’Malley
Directed by: Michael Wang

Do you really know yourself? This November, Blank Space Productions, part of Escape Theatre, makes you reflect on this, as it brings you face to face to the evil that lurks just under the surface of ordinary people, with its staging of Das Experiment: Black Box.

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