Your Name Engraved Herein 《刻在你心底的名字》(2020)

Was okay but I thought some of the compositions kept the audience at arm's length away from the characters at times when I thought close ups may be better. Also, I didn't buy into the adult versions of the main cast. At its best, this film does have something pertinent to present, just that the execution and focus feels a little short to me. Still worth a watch, I guess.  
 

We Can Be Heroes (2020)

Kids pic. Dozed off a bit midway but I did take some guilty pleasure from watching this.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)

Can't say this is my type of movie, but it does seem really well put together with much thought and great performances.

Not My Mother's Baking (2020)

Enjoyed it and laughed quite some. I guess it helped that I was prepped not to have high expectations. This is basically an actor driven indie film with a cute story line that touched on some human cultural and religious questions in a way that might only have taken place in a multi ethnic and religious community. Was at first worried the 112 minutes meant that this film would drag, but like I said, I kept expectations low and didn't really feel that way once I bought into the characters and their story.  

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

 I liked it! Got to watch it in IMAX in the centre seats!

The Call (2020)

As a thriller, I think this pretty much works. But I also felt this was just a roller coaster that gives the villain no logic nor any character balance.

Dear Tenant《親愛的房客》(2020)

Nice!

Slow pace tearjerker with moments of light laughter. Great acting from the main cast and I love the kid who has a look that says he doesn't give a fuck. I didn't quite get the reason for ending the film the way it did, but overall, I really liked this one for the most parts. 

Bombshell (2019)

Nice! Learnt a lot about what it is like to be sexually harassed, and learnt also a bit about what America is like. Great performances.

The Diam Diam Era 《我们的故事之沉默的年代》(2020)

Enjoyed it on a personal level for the most parts. Very patchy narrative, enjoyed some of the performances. There is a stereotype joke at the expense of a certain body type, which I didn't appreciate.  Some scenes are good at stirring certain basic emotions, but the uneven narrative doesn't really build on these strengths. 

The Two Popes (2019)

Nice! Very strong performances from all. And a drama that unfolds like a thriller. Kind of.

Fathers (2016)

Didn't really take to the story or direction. Nat Sakdatorn has an infectious smile and looks good, IMHO.

His House (2020)

Not bad. One of those thinking person horror films. Pretty much like the storytelling and the performances. It's on Netflix, but I thought this would look really nice on a big screen.

The Trail of the Chicago 7 (2020)

Not too bad. Good performances.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)

Politically incorrect feel-good film about a father and a daughter. Sort of enjoyed.

Number 1 《男儿王》(2020)

Not too bad. Story really revolves around Mark Lee's character going through a hero's journey. Drag just happens to be part of that journey - but is not what this movie is really about. IMHO, Mark Lee performed well and is deserving of the Golden Horse nomination (ditto the Best Makeup & Costume Design nod).

Love most of the performances, including Cassandra See, Kiwebaby, etc. Love how the dialogue flowed so naturally from Mandarin to Hokkienn to Teochew to English, etc. Love the "tribute" to Good Morning, Sir! - that 1989 drama series with Chen Liping. Love the last bit with all the Singapore locations. Love the mid-credits sequence.

This one tries to be entertainment for the mainstream audience. In terms of delivery, I think it succeeded for the most part. I just dunno during this period and the social climate, whether enough of the mainstream audience will turn up to buy tix to make this very family friendly film a hit.

Straight Up (2019)

Love it!

Project Power (2020)

Is okay. Didn't really engage me that much tho.

The Old Guard (2020)

Erm... the actors were pretty decent. Some decent action bits too. But I was a bit tired and fell asleep a bit in the middle somewhere. The bad guy was a bland shallow stereotype and some of the characters undergoing some sort of immortal's "long-life" crisis didn't really connect with me much. But it's nice to see a same sex couple normalized without any special attention paid to the fact that they were a same sex couple. 

Ip Man 4: The FInale 《葉問4:完結篇》(2019)

Essentially a martial arts showcase. It ain't bad in that aspect, but the storytelling feels bland and shallow.   

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

Remember, give up on your dreams now while you're still young!

This flick turned out to be a delightful sugary romp with lots of catchy songs!

365 Days (2020)

I watched this only because I read about how sexually explicit it was.

So while teasing the audience with lots of bare skin and sexual positions that leave little to the imagination (minus any genital exposures), the sex is pretty much probably the only real reason to watch this - at least to just see what it is that everyone is writing about.

The setups are as cheezy as most say, and there's really not much of a story here. The frequent use of soft rock throughout all the sex scenes does kind of make the sex scenes kind of... less sexy.

That said, I personally found the leads candy to the eye, and the sex scene on the yacht out at sea did get me aroused. But I also found this film offensive in the way the male character is depicted as God's gift to women and the way that he treats them - especially in the first half.

That scene (spoilers ahead) in which he tells the female lead what she's missing by getting another woman to give him a BJ? I can't help but think... what is she missing exactly??? A chance to massage his ego and pleasurize him?

Exit (2019)

Nice! A few bits' pacing may be a slightly off, but overall, very enjoyable with characters that you root for. Appreciated that the lead is an everyday kind of guy instead of an idealized alpha male. Female character is kind of generic, but I still rooted for her. Love the chemistry between the two. As far as disaster movies go, this was a fun, wild ride.

Loev (2015)

Slice of life drama that I kind of like, and which I suspect may appeal to a niche audience only. Production values lean more towards the low budget side, with direction and sturdy performances driving the narrative. May not be for everyone as it doesn't bother to lay things out neatly. Appears more interested in presenting the relationship between the two main characters, rather than to nail down a definitive path for them or provide the kinds of explanations found in most pics. Reminds me a little of those Before Sunrise kind of films, sort of.

Dangal (2016)

Very much by the numbers. But not too bad.

Gripping fight scenes, IMHO.

Lady Bird (2017)

This flick has spark!

Loved it. Love the performances, the pacing. Lois Smith was such a delight in all the scenes she appeared in. The performances by Ronan and Metcalf were top notch. Love the screenplay, the direction. There's really a lot about this film that I was delighted by.

Mad World《一念無明》(2016)

Nice!

"Not everything can be outsourced."

Very good performances across the board. There was not one bit of fat in this emotionally engaging story.

The Lovebirds (2020)

Plot is pretty shallow but the bickering between the two leads is what keeps this fun to watch.

The Half of It (2020)

It was almost perfect. Love the script. Performances by the two leads was generally strong in this coming-of-age drama.

A Secret Love (2020)

Nice and touching docu.

Circus of Books (2019)

This docu comes across as a few things - gay history, the incredible story of how a couple sent their kids through college with a gay bookstore business that their children did not know about until later in life, parent-child relationships. Personal and lite, this docu was directed by the couple's own daughter.

I Dream of Singapore (2019)

Somewhat uneven, as there are bits that dwell away from the main character and his situation, but this is mostly focused on Feroz, a migrant worker who was injured and is accompanied by the GM of TWC2 as he travels home.

I won't say this is necessarily an engaging documentary - the style is very much just to show without making any overt statements.

There are poignant moments that capture human behaviours and interactions beautifully, but I think each audience member will take away something different depending on her or his own social and economic position in life.

Dear Ex《誰先愛上他的》(2018)

IMHO, love the performances and the general storytelling and sly bits of humor. Love the poker face that the teenager carried throughout most of the film. Love the overly dramatic mother character. Love the direction. Thought the father's performance and casting (although just a supporting role) was a weak link (though I can't really elaborate why exactly - maybe in comparison to the other 3 characters who all seem much better developed and had more screen time). Otherwise, I did find this a pretty engaging and heartfelt film, especially on the depiction of mother and son relationships.

Extraction (2020)

Was ok. I didn't dig the story 100% tho.

Annihilation (2018)

Mesmerizing. I liked it.

Late Night (2019)

Was okay. IMHO, a lite story with some nice performances.

I Lost My Body (2019)

Very art film-esque. I can imagine this would look and sound very wonderful in a cinema.

Klaus (2019)

Very nice!

A Sun《陽光普照》(2019)

Low budget. Slow paced. Art film. Serious film. Moments of lightness and comedy. Heartbreaking? Essentially a story about children and parents, kept afloat by great performances and for the most part, a clear narration.

Watched on a tele, but I'm trying to imagine how great this would look in a theatre, despite the low budget feel.

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

I liked it. Starting may feel a bit... slow? But I liked how everything wrapped up. Probably Taika's saddest film to date. And with great performances from the child actors and Scarlett.

1917 (2019)

Nice!

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)

It was okay. These ain't the same Birds from the comics, but I didn't find fault with them the same way I did with many characters from the Suicide Squad flick who were just cardboard. This is essentially a Harley movie done Looney Tunes style, with one of my fav bits being when Harley passes Canary a hair band to tie up her hair during a fight scene; and the girls talk at the end of the movie when Huntress complements Canary on her fighting skills in tight pants. 

Little Women (2019)

I liked most of the performances, particularly Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh and Meryl Streep. I liked the direction. There were also some great lines. But I didn't really connect with the story. And was distracted and kind of dozed off for most of the front bits. I woke up around a scene at the beach, and pretty much stayed awake for the rest of the film.  

How to Ting (2019)

a.k.a. Happy Old Year.

Liked the idea of what it means to let go of things. I drifted into zzz land halfway but came back somewhere later.  More art film than mainstream. I didn't feel as engaged as I wished I was.

Kim Ji-Young, Born 1982 (2019)

Nice! Liked the performances and the direction. The theme also stood out as poignant for me.

Knives Out (2019)

Nice!

Loved how the story unfolded and the ensemble cast!