Now playing in Pattaya
In Time: US, Crime/ Sci-Fi/ Thriller – I quite enjoyed
this film! It has one of the most intriguing premises of recent movies: In a
future where time is literally money, and aging stops at 25, the only way to
stay alive is to earn, steal, or inherit more time. You need to stretch your
beliefs a bit to swallow all this, but once you do you’re in for a fun and
stylish ride with a bit of social commentary. It’s a quietly angry picture – an
extended metaphor for the way corporations suck the life from the poor and the
not-quite-middle-class.
A young man (the ubiquitous and ever more excellent Justin
Timberlake) lives life a minute at a time, until a windfall of time gives him
access to the world of the wealthy, where he teams up with a beautiful young
heiress to destroy the whole corrupt system. Also stars Cillian Murphy, Alex
Pettyfer, Amanda Seyfried, and Olivia Wilde. An interesting style to it, and the
art direction and cinematography are top notch. Mixed or average reviews. In
English with Thai subtitles everywhere, and Big C also has a Thai-dubbed
version.
Killer Elite: US/ Australia, Action/ Crime/ Thriller –
The story pits two of the worlds’ most elite operatives – an ex-special ops
agent (Jason Statham) and his longtime mentor (Robert De Niro) – against the
cunning leader of a secret military society (Clive Owen). Covering the globe
from Australia to Paris, London and the Middle East, they are plunged into a
highly dangerous game of cat and mouse – where the predators become the prey.
Rated R in the US for strong violence, language, and some sexuality/ nudity; SF
cinemas have a Thai rating of 18+, but Major has it as 15+. Mixed or average
reviews. In English everywhere except Big C, where it’s Thai-dubbed.
1911: China/ Hong Kong, Action/ Adventure/ Drama/
History/ War – A historical drama based on the founding of the Republic of China
when nationalist forces led by Sun Yat-sen overthrew the Qing Dynasty. Directed
by and starring Jackie Chan. A lavishly illustrated history lesson with more
than a touch of Chinese government propaganda which avoids completely some
currently uncomfortable topics. Even the irrepressible Jackie Chan (this is his
100th film) seems subdued. Rated R in the US for war violence, 15+ in Thailand.
Shown only in a Thai-dubbed version. Generally unfavorable reviews.
Tower Heist: (Scheduled) US, Action/ Comedy/ Crime
– Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, and Casey Affleck lead an all-star cast in a comedy
caper about ordinary working guys who seek revenge on the Wall Street swindler
who stiffed them in a Ponzi scheme. Mixed or average reviews.
Dream House: US, Drama/ Mystery/ Thriller – A family
unknowingly moves into a home where several grisly murders were committed, only
to find themselves the killer’s next target. Stars Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz,
and Naomi Watts. Generally unfavorable reviews, describing it as slow and
stuffy, and way too obvious to be scary. Pattaya Beach only.
Top Secret / Wai Roon Pan Lan: Thai, Drama – Based on a
true story of a teenage boy – “Top” Aitthipat Kulapongvanich – who was wasting
his time with online games until a twist of fate changed him from an ordinary
teenager to a young billionaire at 27 by creating his Tao Kae Noi seaweed-snack
company when he was just out of his teens. “Top” is his nickname, so the title
really reads “Top’s Secret (to success).”
The movie’s teen billionaire is portrayed by Patchara
“Peach” Chirathivat, the young actor who made his scene-stealing debut in the
rock ‘n’ roll movie SuckSeed earlier this year. The director is Songyos
Sugmakanan, one of the six directors of the legendary Thai film Fan Chan
(My Girl), a film whose charm and influence on the Thai movie industry is
incalculable. It’s one of my very favorite Thai movies. Songyos also directed
another favorite, Dek Hor (The Dorm), a brilliant and spooky
coming-of-age story.
30+ Single on Sale: Thai, Comedy/ Romance – A woman in
her 30’s faces misfortunes in love and struggles to find her soul mate, but
thinks her chances are nearly over now that she’s thirty – especially now that a
fortune teller tells her that if she doesn’t find a man soon, she’ll have to
wait 20 years before another one comes along. Has been a big hit in Thailand.
With popular Thai stars Arak (Pe) Amornsupsiri and Cherman Boonyasak.
30 Kam Lung Jaew: Thai, Comedy/ Romance – Not to be
confused with the above! Ja, a beautiful woman, has everything a woman is
supposed to dream of having: a successful career, a partying lifestyle, and a
handsome sweetheart. On her 30th birthday, Ja finds her perfect life changed
when her boyfriend wants to halt the relationship. Now, at thirtysomething, she
accepts a happy single life until a new guy gets in her life – and he’s seven
years younger than she is. This one is Thai-only everywhere.
Johnny English Reborn: US/ France/ UK, Comedy – Rowan
Atkinson returns to the role of the most unlikely intelligence officer in Her
Majesty’s Secret Service, where he must stop a group of international assassins
before they eliminate a world leader and cause global chaos. He is in truth a
very funny man, and you’ll likely be surprised to find out how much you’re
laughing uncontrollably. Mixed or average reviews – some people simply aren’t
moved by his brand of humor. Pattaya Beach only (as of last Wednesday).
The Smurfs 3D: US, Animation/ Adventure/ Comedy/ Family/
Fantasy – The little blue people too cute for words, famed from a 421-episode
Saturday morning television series in the US from 1981-90, have a New York City
adventure in a hybrid live-action/ animated format. Neil Patrick Harris is the
main human character, Jonathan Winters and Anton Yelchin among the stellar
voices for the cuddly creatures. Generally unfavorable reviews, but though a bit
mean-spirited, I thought it was nevertheless a fun riff on New York City. Kids
and fans of the characters will probably love it. Only at Pattaya Beach, and
it’s shown in 3D (as of Wednesday).
The Three Musketeers 3D: Germany/ France/ UK/ US, Action/
Adventure/ Romance – The hot-headed young D’Artagnan along with three former
legendary but now down-on-their-luck Musketeers must unite and defeat a
beautiful double agent and her villainous employer from seizing the French
throne and engulfing Europe in war. An action-filled re-imagining of the
Alexandre Dumas classic that I found thoroughly enjoyable in all respects – the
photography, the location shooting, the costumes, the acting, the action, the
script. All really quite superior. Christoph Waltz plays the villainous Cardinal
Richelieu, Orlando Bloom plays a duplicitous Buckingham always full of
surprises, and the delightful Logan Lerman plays D’Artagnan. Generally
unfavorable reviews, but I liked it. At Pattaya Beach only, in 3D, as of last
Wednesday.
Contagion: US, Drama/ Sci-Fi/ Thriller – Strange: I found
this a poor film with some very good things in it. It should have been a very
scary movie, playing upon and clarifying some basic terrors currently active in
our society. But despite the intensity of the individual scenes it didn’t add up
to much of an impact for me, because it was too diffuse. Too many individual
stories, each only briefly told. No single compelling point of view. But:
Generally favorable reviews.
Soon after her return from a business trip to Hong Kong, a
woman (Gwyneth Paltrow) dies from what looks like flu or something similar. Her
young son dies a few days later. Her husband (Matt Damon in a small but crucial
role, played wonderfully) seems immune. Thus begins the spread of a deadly
infection. For doctors and administrators at the US Center for Disease Control,
several days pass before anyone realizes the extent or gravity of this new
infection. They must first identify the type of virus in question and then find
a means of combating it, a process that will likely take several months. As the
contagion spreads to millions of people worldwide, societal order begins to
break down as people panic. A large and impressive cast, including Jude Law –
disturbing in a strangely written part of a blogger with too many cross-currents
to be believable; Laurence Fishburne – playing an ineffectual character far
removed from his usual persona; and Marion Cotillard, Elliott Gould, Kate
Winslet, many others. At Major Cineplex only, as of last Wednesday, in digital
(but not 3D).
