Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) 2012

Today marks the opening of the second annual Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) at the China National Convention Center (previously the media center during the 2008 Olympics) and will run from Monday, April 23 – Saturday, April 28, 2012.

Appropriately timed as China is in the midst of a film industry boom, excitement and big potential brings both local and international celebrities and film industry elite together to China’s capital to attend various film events throughout the week.

“The past two years have seen an explosion of independent screening events opening all over China. Seven Horns (HK) and its Beijing International (Independent) Movie Festival brand have been at the forefront of this movement since 2007. We bring together Chinese and foreign movie experts to debate and discuss, create and continue adventuring on into the future of international movie co-production!”  - BJIFF

Most recently, “China overtook Japan to become the largest foreign market for American films, thanks in part to continued movie theater expansion. The number of screens doubled in five years to 10,700 at the end of last year.” – LA Times (click here for full article)

A massive culture event, drawing plenty of international attention, this year’s film festival will screen 260 local and foreign films (out of the 800 films that were submitted from all over the world) across 20 of the nominated cinemas in Beijing.

More than just screenings, the six day film festival will include a flurry of film-related activities including (but not limited to) lectures and forums, a film music concert, a film carnival showcasing film history and technology at the Olympic Village, the Opening Ceremony, Beijing Film Panorama, Film Magic·Beijing Forum, Beijing Film Market, and Closing Ceremony with a performance by Hayley Westenra with the London Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.

Snapshots from last year’s BJIFF:

Gracing this year’s red carpet include directors James Cameron (whose 3-D re-release of “Titanic” scored the second-largest opening-day numbers in Chinese history and is set to hold a talk about 3D films during the) and John Woo, Hollywood film stars including Keanu Reeves (who has been based in Beijing the past few months directing his first film), Jeremy Renner (star of Hollywood Blockbuster film “The Avengers”), South Korea’s So Ji-Sub and China’s Tang Wei, Zhang Ziyi, Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, Jiang Wen, Feng Xiaogang, and Ann Hui.

A wide range of other films will be screened throughout the six day film festival.

Noteworthy film picks -

A film festival wouldn’t be complete without at least one or two animated films. One of the featured animated films will be “Rango” where Johnny Depp plays a chameleon.

Taiwanese historical drama epic film “Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale”

Bollywood’s ‘Band, Baaja, Baraat’: A romantic comedy in the world of wedding planning

Black-and-White Silent French film, “The Artist” is the closing film for BJIFF 2012

For more information about the festival, it’s screenings and events, visit the official website here and here. 

Wild China Introduces Hollywood Producer Janet Yang on her New Film “Shanghai Calling”

A Snapshot from the New Film “Shanghai Calling” by Hollywood Producer Janet Yang

Last night I had the privilege to meet Hollywood producer Janet Yang at an intimate dinner part of a new speaker series called ”Where the Wild Things Are” hosted by Wild China, a travel company founded by Mei Zhang.

Janet is one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Hollywood” and producer of such films as Joy Luck Club & The People vs. Larry Flint, and her newest movie filmed in Shanghai, Shanghai Calling.

Hollywood Producer Janet Yang is Guest Speaker for Wild China Dinner

Janet is not only very accomplished, she was poised and articulate, explaining to all of  us her motive to do something different from all previous Hollywood movies that always films ancient China like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Raise the Red Lantern.  

Showing a range of film clips portraying China in different periods of history, Janet explained that the majority of the Western world has no idea what modern China is really like due to the lack of Hollywood films that feature China in anything but period dramas.

She wanted to do something different, to give the world a realistic portrayal of China in modern age in all its glory.  From the giant airports, bustling traffic, and the international mix of people who call cosmopolitan cities like Beijing and Shanghai home, she shows how developed and international China is today.

About the Film -

“Shanghai Calling is a romantic comedy about American “expats” living in the dynamic, eye-popping city of Shanghai, China. When ambitious New York attorney Sam (DANIEL HENNEY) is sent to Shanghai, he immediately stumbles into a legal mess that could end his career. With help from a beautiful relocation specialist (ELIZA COUPE), a well-connected old-timer (BILL PAXTON), a clever journalist (GENG LE), and a smart, sexy legal assistant (ZHU ZHU), Sam might save his job, find romance, and learn to appreciate the many wonders of Shanghai.”

In similar views as producer Janet Yang, Director Daniel Hsia’s statement about the film also portrays his motive for shooting Shanghai Calling -

SHANGHAI CALLING is a love letter to Shanghai, the city where both of my parents were born, a place I traveled extensively while researching the screenplay, and a second home that I have grown immensely fond of over the past several years.

This film is also an exploration into the timely topic of “Americans as immigrants” in a faraway land. As one of our characters points out, Americans living abroad call themselves “expats” instead of “immigrants,” perhaps because the latter term brings to mind poor, huddled masses rather than the sophisticated jet-setters we are. But as China continues to grow while the U.S. economy struggles, more and more of us are, in fact, seeking jobs overseas, and in the process discovering what means to become a modern-day “immigrant.” It’s a fascinating paradigm shift for many Americans, and one that is ripe for comedy as well.

But more than anything, this is a film about contemporary China. It is a topic that is on everyone’s lips — hardly a day goes by without a mention of China in The New York Times or on CNN — but it is a place that remains an ancient mystery to many westerners. I hope that SHANGHAI CALLING will provide an charming and enlightening glimpse into modern life in this amazing place.

Portraying a realistic Shanghai showing a mixture of the every day contrast we experience living in such cosmopolitan cities from the growing skyline to ancient streets filled with street vendors, I can’t wait to see the full length production in movie theaters in fall 2012.

Check out Shanghai Calling Movie Trailer on YouTube:

It’s only an added bonus that lead protagonist Daniel Henney is this ridiculously good looking.

Although meeting Janet was the highlight of the evening, it was definitely complimented by good company and good food at In & Out Yunnan Restaurant.  Highlights of the meal were the mini mashed potato balls and the deep-fried spicy shrimp.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Wild China’s Dinner with Janet Yang:

In & Out Yunnan Restaurant Contact Details:

In & Out Yunnan Restaurant

云南一坐一忘餐厅

No. 1 Sanlitun North Street, Chaoyang District Beijing

北京朝阳区三里屯北小街1号

Tel: 8454-0086, 6467-5235

About Wild China & “Where the Wild Things Are”

Recognized by National Geographic, Condé Nast Traveller and Travel + Leisure as the pioneering travel company in China, WildChina has always embraced an untamed spirit for adventure and innovation.

Where the Wild Things Are: A WildChina Series will bring intimate bimonthly dinners to the Beijing community to feature members of their esteemed expert network. Offering an unparallelled experience for Beijing residents and visitors alike – join them for an intimate and informative evening spent with renowned entrepreneurs, journalists, photographers and environmentalists.

The Adventures of Tintin: Movie Release in China Today

I am beyond excited about seeing the beloved childhood character Tin Tin come alive  as an animated 3D version on the big screen with Steven Spielberg directing this animated motion picture, producer Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings trilogy) and an all-star line-up cast: Jamie Bell (as Tin Tin), Andy Serkis (Captain Haddock), Daniel Craig (Red Rackham), Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (two detectives).

And the icing on top of the cake is that China gets Tin Tin a whole month before the US (release date is December 21, 2011; ie Christmas Weekend)!

Woo-Hoo!  One of the most anticipated releases this year, we get Tin Tin FIRST!

…well, kind of.  Truth be told, Tin Tin first came out first in Belgium and the UK in October, but at least China isn’t last.

If you are unfamiliar with Tin Tin, let me give you a brief background:

Tin Tin is a young Belgian reporter aided by his faithful fox terrier dog Snowy and together, they are the heroes of the series, The Adventures of Tintin, which are 24 classic comic books created by Belgian artist Georges Rémi (1907–1983), who wrote under the pen name of Hergé. One of the most popular European comics of the 20th century, there are translations published in more than 80 languages.

“Tin Tin is an intrepid young reporter whose relentless pursuit of a good story thrusts him into a world of high adventure.”

The Original Tin Tin & Snowy

NEW 3D Tin Tin & Snowy

The film which is written by Steven Moffat , Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, the film is based on three of the original comic books: The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn, and Red Rackham’s Treasure.

Clips from The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn:

See Movie Trailer on Youku.com here for a taste of the New Tin Tin:

Playing for one month only (November 15-December 15), you can catch The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn at the following movie theatres: UME, Wanda, Megabox and Jinyi.

See Time Out article here.

10 Days of Spanish Cinema at BC MOMA

9 Spanish Films spread across 10 days from Friday, October 21- Sunday, October 30, 2011 at BC MOMA (Broadway Cinematheque).

Ranging from Pedro Almodóvar’s bittersweet comedy Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown to Miguelanxo Prado’s dreamy fairytale From the Sea, you can see full list of movies and descriptions on Time Out’s website (click here).

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown: Showing Friday, 10.21 at 7PM and Sunday, 10.30 at 4PM

Pedro Almodovar, 1988, 90 min (Audio: Spanish – original version. Subtitles: Chinese)

Born to Suffer: Showing Saturday, 10.22 at 2PM and Wednesday, 10.26 at 8:30PM

Agora: Showing Saturday, 10.22 at 4PM and Thursday, 10.27 at 8:40PM

Alejandro Amenabar, 2009, 129 min (Audio: English – original version. Subtitles: Chinese)

Buried: Showing Sunday, 10.23 at 4PM, Tuesday, 10.25 at 9PM, Friday, 10.28 at 7PM

De Profundis: Showing Sunday, 10.23 at 2PM and Tuesday, 10.25 at 7PM followed by Q&A with director

Miguelanxo Prado, 2006, 71 min (Audio: No dialogue. Subtitles: No dialogue.)

The Zone: Showing Monday, 10.24 at 8:40PM and Saturday, 10.29 at 2PM

Woman without Piano: Showing Monday, 10.24 at 7PM and Friday, Oct. 28 at 9:20PM

Javier Rebollo, 2009, 93 min (Audio: Spanish – original version. Subtitles: Chinese)

Nocturna: Showing Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7PM and Sunday, Oct. 30 at 2PM

Adrian Garcia Victor Maldonado, 2007, 80 min (Audio: Spanish – original version. Subtitles: Chinese)

Bruc: Showing Thursday, Oct. 27 at 7PM and Saturday, Oct. 29 at 4PM

Daniel Benmayor, 2010, 97 min (Audio: Spanish  French– original version. Subtitles: Chinese)

Spanish Film Festival Details:

• Dates: Friday, October 21-Sunday, October 30

• Location:  BC MOMA (Broadway Cinematheque)
• Address: North area of Dongzhimen MOMA, 1 Xiangheyuan Lu, Chaoyang district  朝阳区东直门香河园路1号, 万国城北区（二环路东北角）
• Website: www.bc-cinema.cn
• English Details: Time Out Website here.

BJ Design Week: Do the ‘Design Hop’ on Dashilar Alley

An incredibly interesting and historic street lined with various shops, restaurants and cafes, Dashilar Alley is currently featuring 20 different exhibitions and events from around the world.

“This is all a part of an effort to bring a renewed public awareness to Dashilar that, it is hoped, will help transform the area in a more sensitive, organic way. The aim is to attract Beijing’s creative community to the neighborhood while respecting, and engaging with, the local community population, historic urban fabric and rich layering of existing buildings.”

Many of these exhibitions have taken over vacant storefronts and other spaces are taken over by temporary artist installations and cafes, alongside pop-up shops from leading brands and independent boutiques.

Two of my favorite spaces in Dashilar Alley include: Wuhao Curated Design and Fashion Shop’s temporary take-over of an old brothel turned teahouse (located on Zhujia Hutong Alley) and also the former electrical relay factory showcasing various young talents from China and abroad (FEI Space with exclusive pop-up collaboration of Topshop and Topman collections, AnyShopStyle.com launching with London-based Chinese designer Yang Du and designers Ran and Manchit Au), with live music and entertainment throughout.

FEI Space: Featuring Topshop & Topman

AnyShopStyle.com Launch with Designer Yang Du

candy&caviar on AnyShopStyle.com

Tonight (Saturday, Oct. 1) is Time Out’s Readers’ Party featuring live hip-hop, pop-up photography, art and video installations and 5RMB beers courtesy of Rickshaw Roasters Cafe.

Take a LumDimSum Tour of Dashitar Alley’s Design Hop:

Dashilar Alley Lined with Exhibitions and Events

Introducing Nicholas Hanna’s Water Calligraphy Device:

Inspired by the Chinese custom of writing calligraphy in public spaces, this flat-bead tricycle is a ubiquitous form of transportation in Beijing that releases droplets of water, deposited in patterns to form Chinese characters. INCREDIBLE.

Chinese actress Zhou Xun created this exhibition with Design Week’s curator Aric Chen.  One of my favorite bits of The Factory, it’s a wonderful snapshot of life in Dashilan over the last century, explained through every day objects (colorful art sponsored by Diesel).

.

WUHAO @ The Teahouse:

Wuhao and Tranquil Tuesdays’ pop up teahouse is housed in a derelict brothel on Zhujia Hutong (off Dashilar Xijie), that hasn’t been used  for 100 years. An amazing space and a great place to sip tea while browsing through beautiful clothing, accessories and furniture designs.

For all you foodies who might be wondering where to eat, I hear the homemade tacos are a must-try at the Kupa Studio’s pop-up cafe/bar. The same designers of Susu, Apothecary, etc. are sure to impress with both drinks and snacks!  Unfortunately, I missed out on these tacos as we arrived a bit late and ended up eating at another popular restaurant called Wonderwater Cafe, a conceptual takeover of a local restaurant encouraging diners to consider their “water footprint” when ordering food.  We tried to follow their advice and order more veggies and less “water-consuming” dishes, but the restaurant was entirely sold out of all greens!  I guess diners really were considering their water footprint at this cafe!

LDS Links:

Check out more information on Dashilar Alley’s Design Hop by clicking here - 

• Time Out Beijing’s Fashion Pop-Up
• WUHAO @ The Teahouse
• Dashilar Alley on Weibo
• AnyShopStyle.com
• Beijing Design Week Website
• Kupa Studio’s Pop-Up Cafe/Bar

Happy Hopping at Dashilar Alley!

China’s Brightest Artists: The Creator’s Project 2011

Spanning three days and bringing together some of China’s brightest creative minds, alongside innovative artists and musicians from overseas, The Creator’s Project is back in Beijing from September 15-18 in the world famous 798 Art District partnering with UCCA gallery.

For 3 days straight, you can have your fill of music, film and art.

MUSIC: They will be hosting performances by Mount Kimbie, Supermarket, PK14, Glasser, Optimo and Zhang Shouwang of the famed Chinese indie rock band Carsick Cars.

FILM: They will also be premiering a selection of shorts by Ray Lei, a new film by Peng Lei, Runscape by Map Office, Spike Jonze and Arcade Fire’s Scenes from the Suburbs, and Logorama by H5.

ART:  All weekend, we’ll have a wide variety of interactive installations on display including new work from Aaajiao, Francis Lam (aka DbDbking) and Joao Vasco Paiva, Feng Mengbo’s brand new Bruce Lee VJ Project, Life on Mars Revisitedby David Bowie, Mick Rock and Barney Clay and Room With A View by UVA.

Click here for full rundown of performances, installations, film screenings and workshops and panels.

To RSVP for The Creator’s Project, please click here and sign  yourself up!

Here’s what went down at The Creator’s Project 2010.

The Creator’s Project Event Details:

• Date: September 15-18, 2011
• Time: Throughout each day
• Addresses:
  • For musical performances:
    • 798 Space: 4 Jiuxianqiao Road Chaoyang District, Beijing China
  • For exhibitions, panels and films:
    • UCCA: 798 Art District, No. 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District Beijing, China 100015
• Website: http://www.thecreatorsproject.com/events/the-creators-project-beijing-2011

The Many Faces of Brazil: DocBrazil Film Festival 2011

7 Documentaries
Brazilian Parties with Sambasia
Tasting Brazilian Cuisine

A taste of Brazilian culture, this film festival is the first Brazilian documentary film festival held in China and this year will be featuring seven documentaries that focus on technology, culture, architecture and Brazil’s social challenges.

“This festival wants to show as many faces of Brazil as possible. The country’s main feature is diversity. The films showcase the similarities and disparities between Brazil and China but more importantly, they suggest new bridges of understanding between the people in both countries.”

- Fernanda Ramone, curator and director of the Brazilian DocFest

More than just educational and unique films, there will also be Brazilian festivities including parties all weekend long and performances by Sambasia and more.

“The festival will be one of the main features at the 789 Festival, the biggest cultural event in town, organised by Sohu.com”

DocBrazil Film Festival Schedule:

September 3

12.30 – Brazilian Taste

14.30 – The Sound of Time

14.40 – The Sky is Watching Us

14.50 – Little Ball Satellite

15.00 – Tracing the Invisible

16.00 – What We Don’t Create Doesn’t Exist

17.30 – Q&A with Special Guests

19.00 – Brazilian Party – Sambasia and More

September 4

12.30 – Brazilian Taste

14.30 – From Within Your Landscape

15.30 – Ginga, the Soul of Brazilian Football

16.30 – Q&A with Special Guests

18.00 – Brazilian Party

6 of 7 DocBrazil Feature Films:

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, September 3-Sunday, September 4
• Time: From 12:30PM-onwards
• Location:  The Yard
• Address:  Wudaoying Hutong, n.55 – 五道营胡同,55 号
• Tel: 6407-7608
• Website: http://www.docbrazilfestival.com/

MOMA August Film: Lixin Fan’s Last Train Home

“It is an epic spectacle that tells us much about China, a country discarding traditional ways as it hurtles towards modernity and global economic dominance.”

A compelling documentary, Lixin Fan’s film entitled Last Train Home 归途列车 is this month’s film screening at MOMA Broadway Cinematheque playing every Saturday in the month of August.

The Official Selection of Sundance Film Festival 2010, it is an emotionally engaging and visually stunning debut film from maverick director Lixin Fan.  By the same creators of “Up the Yangtze” by Yung Chang, Last Train Home draws us into the story of a single migrant family caught up in the movement between city and countryside.  Like many other families in search for a better life for their children, they are caught up in the desperate annual migration for work, leaving behind their children for grueling factory jobs. After years of this annual migration, they discover that their teenage daughter has dropped out of school and likely to become a migrant worker like themselves. Desperate to change their daughter’s course and repair their ruptured family, the film follows the story of this one family in particular and sheds light on the social and psychological transformations that China is currently undergoing..

“Every spring, China’s cities are plunged into chaos as 130 million migrant workers journey to their home villages for the New Year’s holiday. This mass exodus is the world’s largest human migration—an epic spectacle that reveals a country tragically caught between its rural past and industrial future. Intimate and candid, the film paints a human portrait of the dramatic changes sweeping China.”

At times, Last Train Home is more nightmare than dream. It depicts one New Year when snowstorms disrupted the rail network and 600,000 workers were stranded at Guangzhou station for a week.  “It was like a battlefield – military soldiers, sirens, babies crying, parents yelling ‘We’ve lost our family’. To witness that for days and days, it was so sad. It was a melting sea of humanity.”  - Lixin Fan

Read his full interview with The Telegraph here.

Mr. Fan’s documentary is informed by a melancholy humanism, and finds unexpected beauty in almost unbearably harsh circumstances. It tells the story of a family caught, and possibly crushed, between the past and the future — a story that, on its own, is moving, even heartbreaking. Multiplied by 130 million, it becomes a terrifying and sobering panorama of the present.” – The New York Times

Click here for full article by The New York Times

Last Train Home 归途列车 Film Screening Details:

Dates & Times:

• Saturday, August 6 at 14:00
• Saturday, August 13 at 16:00
• Saturday, August 20 at 14:00
• Saturday, August 27 at 16:00

• Location: MOMA Broadway Cinematheque

F3, Building T4, The North Area, Moma, 1 Xiangheyuan Road, 东直门香河园路1号当代Moma北区T4座

• Tel: 8438-8258 ext. 8008

• Film Website: http://www.last-train.com/

Red Light Revolution: China’s First Sex Shop Comedy

Written and directed by Australian-born Sam Voutas, Red Light Revolution is the first Chinese movie that did not make me gag from too much cheese and painfully bad acting.  Quite the opposite, this sex shop comedy is a brilliantly written film that “promises to stimulate all your synapses” with playful and cheeky lines throughout and actors you can’t help but love and laugh with.

China’s first sex shop comedy follows an unemployed Beijinger who risks it all to open an adult store, sparking a sexual revolution in his conservative neighbourhood.

Nominated for Best Unproduced Screenplay at the 2008 Australian Inside Film Awards, this film has been screened at Sao Paulo International Film Festival, Cinequest Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and most recently the film won the audience award at London’s Terracotta Far East Film Festival, Red Light Revolution is making its way in the film circuit…and hopefully eventually around to China soon!

On Sunday, I attended a screening of this film at The Hutong with Electric Shadows which was a great opportunity to spend a Sunday evening watching an awesome film and also have the chance to talk to both director and writer Sam Voutas and film producer Melanie Ansley about their experiences and challenges throughout shooting stages and post-production.

From L to R: Writer/Director Sam Voutas, Producer Melanie Ansley, Vicky Mohieddeen from Electric Shadows

For anyone who may be uncertain about this film as a “sex shop comedy”, it is not what may first come to mind. Yes, it is the story about a local Beijinger who decides to open a sex shop, but it’s so much more than that.  In spite of its premise, the film is incredibly endearing, lovable and innocent.  It’s the story of an underdog who prevails through bad luck and challenges through unexpected support and unity of his local community.

The story itself is wonderful, something that everyone can relate to and laugh along with but what was most impressive to me was the quality acting and authenticity of the script with real, Beijing slang evident throughout the film.

LDS gives Red Light Revolution a BIG 2 thumbs up!

**Red Light Revolution will do another screening at The Hutong this Saturday, May 28 at 7:30PM for anyone who is interested in seeing this film!

Check out video (with English Subtitles) on Tudou here.

Red Light Revolution’s Douban page is here.

Official Movie Website is here.

Go Through the Looking Glass

Even as a kid, Alice in Wonderland gave me the heebie-jeebies. I thought the original movie was already very strange and the disappearing cat always scared me. So when I heard Tim Burton was creating a “twisted and psychedelic” sequel of Alice in Wonderland, taking place 10 years later with Alice returning as a 19 year old girl, I could only imagine how creepy and disturbing it could be. (I admit, I got a little scared when I saw Tim Burton’s Coraline just a few months ago).

But rather than scare the wits out of me, the 3D film was another fantasy adventure. Like Avatar’s Pandora world, Tim Burton creates a magical gothic world version of Alice’s original Wonderland beyond your imagination, where some of the strangest looking characters who could easily have been very creepy, were actually quite endearing (Tweedledee & Tweedledum). I left the theater laughing and feeling light-hearted, mimicking lines throughout the movie like the hilarious Red Queen’s  favorite line, “Off with his head!“ (brilliantly played by HELENA BONHAM CARTER), Alice as “Um from Umbridge”, and acting out the way Anne Hathaway portrayed the White Queen as a drunk fairy.

Review of Alice in Wonderland 

Basic Synopsis:

Together, Walt Disney Pictures and director Tim Burton (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse’s Bride, Sweeney Todd) re-create Lewis Carroll’s classic ALICE IN WONDERLAND into a 3D fantasy adventure, a magical and imaginative twist on one of the most beloved classic animated stories of all time. The film begins with a snappy, independent 19-year old Alice who escapes her engagement party and finds herself tumbling down a rabbit hole into a gothic, twisted and nightmarish place called “Underland” where she meets talking animals, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the wise Caterpillar, the grinning Cheshire Cat, the brilliant Mad Hatter (played by Johnny Depp) and embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny to end the villainous Red Queen’s reign of terror by defeating her Jabberwocky monster and restoring the righteous White Queen to her throne.

Best Part:

• The unique experience of entering a 3D world created by Tim Burton is fascinating in and of itself.
• Johnny Depp‘s performance as the Mad Hatter & Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen were both brilliant and definitely the highlights of the movie.  Tweedledum & Tweedledee are also quite eccentric.
• The dialogue throughout the movie is filled with great lines and witty banter.

1. The Mad Hatter: “What a regrettably large head you have. I would very much like to hat it. I use to hat The White Queen, you know. Her head was so small.”
   The Red Queen: “It’s tiny. It’s a pimple of a head.”
2. “You used to be much more…’muchier.’ You’ve lost your muchness.” – Mad Hatter to Alice.
3. One of my favorites is when Alice says, “Sometimes, I imagine as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” Mad Hatter responds, “That is an excellent practice.”

• I got chills when I saw flashbacks of Alice as a child in Underland, having tea with the Mad hatter and especially when she was painting the Red Queen’s white roses red.  Makes me wish Tim Burton just re-created the original Alice in Wonderland rather than a sequel.
• The costume design is extremely well done, especially noting Alice changes dresses every time she grows and shrinks (which is pretty often).

Comments:

• Knowing Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, I honestly had expected something a bit more dark and edgy and not so “Disney”. Maybe they were worried about giving too many children nightmares.
• Plot was a bit generic.  They pretty much gave away the ending as soon as Alice enters Underland.
• Visual Effects are not up to par with Avatar, but the movie was originally shot conventionally and later converted to 3D
• While the Mad Hatter suggests that Alice has lost her “muchness” this time around, I refute that Tim Burton has lost his “muchness.” He received a lot of criticism for the “sugar-coated happy ending”, but I just think that he had to find a middle ground and compromise with Disney.  But next time, I want to see Tim Burton ax Disney and take Alice and her Underland as dark as he can…cause you know he can.

AVATAR: Larger Than Life

Since I saw Avatar in the Solana Theatre for the first time this afternoon, it’s pretty much consumed my thoughts, stimulated my curiosity, and exhilarated my imagination to a whole new level. I walked in without any expectations, not knowing anything about the story line or what to expect. And as soon as the movie was over, I could not stop repeating the phrase “Best movie EVER!” It probably didn’t help that the people I came with had already seen Avatar three times.

I’m probably one of a very small minority of people who have waited this long to see Avatar. And never have I agreed more to the saying, ‘All Good Things Are Worth Waiting For.’

I think the last time I was so excited about a movie was when ’300′ came out 3 years ago. And as much as I loved that movie, I don’t think I was already setting another date to go re-watch it within the week. Today is Friday and I’m booking a date to go again on Sunday to watch it in an IMAX theatre. It’s no wonder Avatar has surpassed Titanic as the highest grossing film in history, taking more than $2 Billion worldwide. Avatar has become a cultural phenomenon.

More than the beautiful imagery and the revolutionary, high-tech special effects (costing over USD$500 million, making it the most expensive film ever made), and epic storyline, the movie is an experience. With 20 years in the making and nothing since Titanic more than a decade ago, James Cameron has outdone himself and exceeded all expectations with Avatar.

Avatar shows you a world beyond imagination, an incredibly beautiful world called Pandora with mystical forests, waterfalls, and floating mountains, a place that illuminates in the evening and is filled with fantastical animals and sacred trees. It’s a place where the natives are blue and 10-feet tall and you learn that balance is the key to all life and everything in this world is alive and connected as a collaboration of energies where every individual has something to contribute. (This part eerily resembles Pocahontas, with the exception that Pandora is an alien world and actually toxic to anything coming from Earth).

Basic Synopsis:

Starring Aussie actor Sam Worthington, Avatar tells the epic tale of a paralyzed ex-marine, Jake Sully, who is recruited to enter Pandora as a Na’vi native, through a genetically engineered body called an avatar, so that he can infiltrate the Na’vi clan and convince them to move from their home which happens to be on a precious mineral mine, which can save the Earth’s energy crisis. Rather than fulfill his mission, he finds his place as a member of the Na’vi clan, falls in love with their princess, and leads the Pandoran natives in an epic battle against Earth’s humans.

Best Part:

• Revolutionary High-Tech Effects invented specifically to satisfy James Cameron’s vision
• Avatar introduces you to a world beyond imagination with majestic forests and landscapes, unique creatures and wildlife, flora & fauna
• Avatar takes you on an epic adventure with a perfect balance of action, theory, romance, and evil.
• I love Sam Worthington and he is perfectly cast for this role
• This cinematic experience is so good, I guarantee you will want to watch it again and again. If not, I insist there is something wrong with you.

Comments:

• Storyline is a hybrid of Pocahontas and The Matrix. A bit predictable, but still incredibly moving to deliver a powerful message to a mass audience.
• Due to Chinese censorship, they cut out the sex scene! I can only presume to assume that when they do it, their hair follicles will also connect.
• You MUST see this movie in theatre, preferably in an IMAX theatre (but book ahead)

• English with Chinese subtitles (which is bad if you can’t read Chinese b/c there are quite a few times when the native Na’vi people are speaking in their native language and there are no English subtitles available)
• If you become addicted/obsessed with AVATAR, just remember: MegaBox at Sanlitun is half-price on Tuesdays! Only RMB 40 per ticket

Food for Thought:

With such a larger-than-life movie, it’s expected to receive a diversity of responses – people who love it, hate it, people over-analyzing, people questioning the underlying symbolism and spirituality.

For anyone who has negative things to say about Avatar, I condemn your judgment and question your sanity.  But then again, there are those who are actually losing their sanity after seeing Avatar and claiming to become depressed that ‘Avatar’ is not real.

From an article on CNN:

James Cameron’s completely immersive spectacle “Avatar” may have been a little too real for some fans who say they have experienced depression and suicidal thoughts after seeing the film because they long to enjoy the beauty of the alien world Pandora.

A post by a user called Elequin expresses an almost obsessive relationship with the film: “That’s all I have been doing as of late, searching the Internet for more info about ‘Avatar.’ I guess that helps. It’s so hard I can’t force myself to think that it’s just a movie, and to get over it, that living like the Na’vi will never happen. I think I need a rebound movie,” Elequin posted.

A user named Mike wrote on the fan Web site “Naviblue” that he contemplated suicide after seeing the movie: “Ever since I went to see ‘Avatar’ I have been depressed. Watching the wonderful world of Pandora and all the Na’vi made me want to be one of them. I can’t stop thinking about all the things that happened in the film and all of the tears and shivers I got from it,” Mike posted. “I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora and where everything is the same as in ‘Avatar.’ “

As much as I would love to be a native Na’vi on Pandora just to connect my hair follicles to claim my very own flying dragon to ride around floating mountains, I do not become depressed at the thought of how my life pales in comparison to a fictional movie.

Maybe these “depressed” people need to take off their 3D glasses and stick to 2D screens. Urgh, it’s the crazy people like this on Planet Earth that make me desire the reality of another planet to live on rather than the concept of Pandora itself.

I suppose someone more insightful can see how my cynicism here reflects my Atheist beliefs, which brings me back to how the film is actually packed with spiritual symbolism and religious connotations – with people comparing Jesus to an “Avatar,” the concept of having one mate for life after you have chosen the right person to mate with, and when Jake prays to the sacred tree and his prayers are answered when all the native animals step in to attack after all the people are defeated.

And yet, the storyline is appealing to mass audiences, myself included, which I think actually enhances people’s fantasies and search for meaning and truth.

The difference in my search is not in comparing the movie to my reality, but in my quest to understand how in this fantasy world, humans on Earth first discovered Pandora, planted themselves a base camp, and how to create Avatars.

I suppose I must wait for my questions to be answered when they get the Avatar Trilogy Series going.  I just hope the producers don’t flop the trilogy series the way they flopped Star Wars and Matrix.

Fingers Crossed.