Memoirs Of A Geisha is narrated from the viewpoint of a nine year-old Japanese girl named Chiyo (Ziyi Zhang). Born into a poor fishing family, Chiyo and her sister are sold into slavery by their father. Chiyo is soon separated from her sister and finds herself in a geisha house where her new master, Mother (Kaori Momoi), will determine her destiny. Although only nine years of age, Chiyo sparks the ire of the much older Hatsumomo (Li Gong), the most celebrated geisha of the house, who accurately perceives Chiyo as a fitting rival.

Li Gong is excellent in her role as the vindictive, yet human, adversary, and her character manages to have Chiyo removed from geisha school and condemned to the life of a common slave. However, Chiyo’s life takes a turn for the better following a chance encounter with The Chairman (Ken Watanabe). Flanked by two geisha, The Chairman extends his kindness to Chiyo, prompting her to develop a lifelong crush and to dream of one day becoming a geisha herself. Chiyo’s wish comes true when a geisha from another house, Mameha (Michelle Yeoh), offers to personally train her, setting up an inevitable conflict between the two and Hatsumomo and her understudy. Meanwhile, the horrors of war and her lifelong pursuit of The Chairman’s love burden Chiyo with additional hardships.

Although some traditionalists and geisha experts might take issue with the portrayal of geishas in general, the film certainly offers an interesting glimpse into a world and culture most Americans will find intriguing. Despite its two hour and twenty-five minute running time, Memoirs Of A Geisha is a captivating film that seems much shorter in duration. Like most films adapted from a novel, those who enjoyed the book will either love it or hate it depending on how well they perceive the switch to the big screen. But even those who hate it must admit that the costume and set design are exquisite and leave little room for improvement. At times, the cast speaks with heavy accents which can be confusing at moments, but overall, the scenes flow well from one to the next. With the exception of some American actors near the conclusion (Ted Levine of Monk fame plays a US Army Colonel), the majority of the cast is composed of Chinese and Japanese actors/actresses who are relatively unknown to American audiences – although Ken Watanabe might be recognizable given recent roles in The Last Samurai (2003) and Batman Begins (2005). The utilization of this cast helps focus audience attention on the merits of the film itself and not on a cast of stars, and this helps, rather than hinders, the film. As such, Memoirs Of A Geisha is a film most fans of the genre will thoroughly enjoy.

Memoirs Of A Geisha (DVD) Review is a post from: Lecinema Duquebec

Meet The Fockers follows the continuing hardship of Gaylord “Greg” Focker (Ben Stiller), a male nurse whose future father-in-law, Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro), is a never-ending source of torment. A retired CIA operative, Jack is paranoid and controlling, and Greg’s previous attempts to win over Jack’s affections have always come up short. Now, Greg’s life problems are multiplied by the imminent first meeting between his in-laws-to-be and his “birth parents”.

Traveling by RV, Greg, his fiancée Pam (Teri Polo) and the rest of Byrnes family arrive in Florida where Bernie (Dustin Hoffman) and Roz Fockers’ (Barbra Streisand) free-love, hippie lifestyle stands in stark contrast to Jack’s serious façade. Throughout the visit, Greg works overtime to avoid having Jack learn of his mother’s thriving sex therapy business, his own youthful indiscretion with the family maid, and his inability to supervise Jack Jr. for even a single afternoon. When Jack gets the idea that Greg fathered a child back in high school, he administers truth serum to Greg, sparking a series of events that is sure to make even the most ardent critic of ridiculous and juvenile movies (and this is one of them) burst forth in laughter…

Meet The Fockers is a rarity in that it’s a sequel to a fairly successful film that manages to live up to the reputation of the original. Although Meet The Parents is probably the better film, Meet The Fockers is a truly hilarious comedy in its own right. Directed by Jay Roach (director of the Austin Powers franchise), Meet The Fockers is a highly entertaining comedy, deploying all the tricks of the trade – slap-stick, bathroom humor, zinging one-liners, classic “fish-out-of-water” sequences, and situation humor. By no means is it a cinema classic worthy of artistic awards and praise from sophisticated critics. But it delivers on its promise. It promises to make you laugh, and it performs that task with relative ease…

Meet The Fockers (DVD) Review is a post from: Lecinema Duquebec

Bosworth admits that she was unsure if any actor could pull of a convincing Superman/Clark Kent combination – she remembers the original film with great excitement. However, she is full of praise for Brandon Routh, the unknown actor who plays the title role. She realized how good Routh was going to be as early as an early screen test, before she had got the role, when she discovered she “had become totally lost in just reading with him, in a white, bare, sparse room with the tri-pod video camera and a couple of people sitting around and watching and that’s when I realized he was going to be tremendous in this film”.

Bosworth modelled her Lois Lane performance on Katharine Hepburn. “I watched a lot of Hepburn to prepare for Lois, particularly ‘The Philadelphia Story’ and ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’. Hepburn is a great model for how I see Lois – strong but fragile.”

Bosworth spent her early childhood moving around the US, from Los Angeles to San Francisco, then to Connecticut and to Massachusetts. It was around the time of the move to Massachusetts in 1998 that she heard of an open audition for Robert Redford’s film ‘The Horse Whisperer’. A horse-lover, she went along for the experience, and won the role of the female lead’s best friend. After “The Horse Whisperer” Bosworth took a break from acting, returning two years later to resume her career which has culminated with her role in ‘Superman Returns’.

Filmography

Superman Returns (2006)
Bee Season (2005)
Beyond the Sea (2004)
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004)
Advantage Hart (2003)
Wonderland (2003)
The Rules of Attraction (2002)
Blue Crush (2002)
Remember the Titans (2000)
Young Americans (2000) TV Episode
The Newcomers (2000)
The Horse Whisperer (1998)

Meet Kate Bosworth: Superman Returns is a post from: Lecinema Duquebec

After attending the School Of Visual Arts in New York City (but not graduating), he graduated from the USC cinema school (where, incidentally, he met John Ottman who wrote the score for Superman Returns), Singer’s first commercial success was as the producer/director of The Usual Suspects in 1995.That film saw him work with Kevin Spacey for the first time, and Singer and Spacey are re-united, again in Superman Returns, as Spacey plays arch villain Lex Luther, just out of prison and again set to rule the world.

However, it is as an adapter of comic books, bringing superheroes to life, that Singer has carved a niche for himself in the movie world.

In 2000, as writer and director, he introduced Wolverine, Magneto and the rest of the X-Men to the movie world in a hugely successful adaptation, before reprising the characters in the follow-up, X2. Singer left the X-Men franchise to develop Superman Returns and did not work on the 3rd film The Last Stand.

Now an established player in Hollywood with a number of big projects lined up for the future, who would bet against his favourite being the recently-announced sequel for Superman Returns in 2009?

Filmography

Superman Returns (2006) (producer/director/writer)
X2 (2003) (executive producer/director/writer)
X-Men (2000) (director/writer)
Apt Pupil (1998) (producer/director)
Burn (1998) (executive producer)
The Usual Suspects (1995) (producer/director)
Public Access (1993) (executive producer/director/writer)
Lion’s Den (1988) (director)

Meet Bryan Singer: Superman Returns is a post from: Lecinema Duquebec

However, Routh has taken up the mantle left by Christopher Reeve with gusto, suggesting that the role has a tremendous legacy that the young actor is proud to be a part of. And insiders feel that Routh has made the part his own with a performance of both strength and vulnerability.

Brandon Routh was born in Des Moines, Iowa on 9 October 1979. He grew up in Norwalk, Iowa and then attended the University of Iowa, starring in productions at the Norwalk Theater of Performing Arts as he began his acting career.

Brandon made the jump to professional acting in the series “Odd Man Out” (1999, ABC Television), before going on to guest star in the series “Gilmore Girls” (2000) and “Undressed” (1999).

Trivia

Aged 6, Brandon was so excited about watching “Superman”, dressed in his Superman pajamas, that he gave himself a migraine.

Brandon went to a Halloween party in 2003 as Clark Kent/Superman. He was awarded the film role one year later by Bryan Singer.

The 21st century Superman does not just care about America, even though he was raised in America, his love is American, and he works in an American newspaper. Brandon feels that Superman has to be universal.

Filmography

“Superman Returns” (2006)
“Karla” (2006)
“Oliver Beene” (2004) TV Episode
“Will & Grace” (2004) TV Episode
“Cold Case” (2003) TV Episode
“One Life to Live” (2001-2002)
“Gilmore Girls” (2001) TV Episode
“Undressed” (1999) TV Series
“Odd Man Out” (1999) TV Episode

Meet Brandon Routh: Superman Returns is a post from: Lecinema Duquebec

Lindsay Lohan plays Cady Heron, a previously home-schooled, sixteen year old daughter of two world-traveling anthropologists. When her parents decide to settle down, Cady attends public school for the first time in her life. While there, she befriends social outcasts Janis Ian (Lizzy Caplan) and Damian (Daniel Franzese) who tell her all about the inner-workings of their high school. Cady learns about The Plastics, a group of three girls who compose the social elites of the school. The previous beneficiary of Plastics leader Regina’s wrath, Janis longs for the day when she can exact revenge on her former best friend from eighth grade.

When The Plastics – Regina George (Rachel McAdams), Gretchen Wieners (Lacey Chabert), and Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried) – take a liking to Cady and give her an exclusive invitation to eat lunch with them, Janis sees her opportunity for revenge. She concocts a plan to send Cady into the world of The Plastics as an “undercover agent,” and together, Cady, Janis, and Damian work to dig up dirt on the girls. However, the line between pretend and reality starts to blur for Cady, souring her relationship with Janis. And Cady’s affection for Regina’s former boyfriend Aaron (Jonathan Bennett) threatens to create a permanent chasm between the two girls… Throw in a showdown between two groups of math-letes, and you’ve got yourself quite a movie!

As the lead character, Cady, Lindsay Lohan portrays a very likeable person, an intelligent, sweet girl who experiences her first foray into the world of public school. The audience’s ability to identify with and like Cady makes it easier to enjoy a film where she alienates two groups of high school clicks and virtually everyone else around her. Meanwhile, Rachel McAdams (rising Hollywood star and lead from The Notebook) is brilliant in her performance as the socially aggressive, backstabbing Regina George.

Mean Girls is a classic Darwinian high school comedy, similar to the hit TV show Freaks And Geeks, except with a little less edge. If you enjoyed the high school comedy films of the 1980′s, like Can’t Buy Me Love, then you’ll thoroughly enjoy Mean Girls. With a well-written screenplay and supporting appearances by Saturday Night Live regulars Tina Fey and Tim Meadows, Mean Girls is a hilarious comedy and a definite must-see film…

Mean Girls (DVD) Review is a post from: Lecinema Duquebec

The sitcom is set in South Korea during American involvement in the Korea War (with M*A*S*H standing for “Mobile Army Surgical Hospital”). Buffered from the front lines by a mountain range and a minefield, the men and women of MASH were tasked with patching up wounded American soldiers. Unique to its genre, the cast of MASH was unusually large. Surgeons Dr. Benjamin Pierce (Alan Alda) and Dr. “Trapper” John McIntyre (Wayne Rogers) play the roles of excellent doctors who enjoy women and booze, while Dr. Frank Burns (Larry Linville) and Nurse Practitioner Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan (Loretta Swit) play foil to the two men’s shenanigans (due to a contract dispute, Rogers’ character was later replaced by Dr. B.J. Hunnicutt – played by Mike Farrell). The character of Frank Burns was also later replaced by Dr. Charles Emerson Winchester (David Ogden Stiers)…

Corporal Max Klinger (Jamie Farr) provides comic relief with his early attempts to procure a discharge by dressing in women’s clothing, and Father Francis Mulcahy (William Christopher) adds flavor to a diverse cast of characters. Also rounding out the cast are Lt. Col. Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson), Corporal Walter “Radar” O’Reilly (Gary Burghoff), and Col. Sherman Potter (Harry Morgan)…

The MASH DVD offers a number of hilarious episodes including the series premiere in which Hawkeye Pierce and Trapper John McIntyre learn that their houseboy, Ho-John, got accepted to Hawkeye’s alma mater. In order to raise money for Ho-John’s trip to the United States, the two auction off a weekend pass to Tokyo with Nurse Dish and celebrate the college acceptance with a lavish party… Other notable episodes from Season 1 include “The Moose” in which a GI arrives at camp with a Korean female slave he purchased, and “Cease-Fire” in which the MASH camp prematurely celebrates a purported cease-fire which never takes place…

Below is a list of episodes included on the MASH (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (The Pilot) Air Date: 09-17-1972
Episode 2 (To Market, to Market) Air Date: 09-24-1972
Episode 3 (Requiem for a Lightweight) Air Date: 10-01-1972
Episode 4 (Chief Surgeon Who?) Air Date: 10-08-1972
Episode 5 (The Moose) Air Date: 10-15-1972
Episode 6 (Yankee Doodle Doctor) Air Date: 10-22-1972
Episode 7 (Bananas, Crackers, and Nuts) Air Date: 11-05-1972
Episode 8 (Cowboy) Air Date: 11-12-1972
Episode 9 (Henry, Please Come Home) Air Date: 11-19-1972
Episode 10 (I Hate a Mystery) Air Date: 11-26-1972
Episode 11 (Germ Warfare) Air Date: 12-10-1972
Episode 12 (Dear Dad) Air Date: 12-17-1972
Episode 13 (Edwina) Air Date: 12-24-1972
Episode 14 (Love Story) Air Date: 01-07-1973
Episode 15 (Tuttle) Air Date: 01-14-1973
Episode 16 (The Ringbanger) Air Date: 01-21-1973
Episode 17 (Sometimes You Hear the Bullet) Air Date: 01-28-1973
Episode 18 (Dear Dad, Again) Air Date: 02-04-1973
Episode 19 (The Long-John Flap) Air Date: 02-17-1973
Episode 20 (The Army-Navy Game) Air Date: 02-25-1973
Episode 21 (Sticky Wicket) Air Date: 03-04-1973
Episode 22 (Major Fred C. Dobbs) Air Date: 03-11-1973
Episode 23 (Cease-Fire) Air Date: 03-18-1973
Episode 24 (Showtime) Air Date: 03-25-1973

Mash (DVD) Review is a post from: Lecinema Duquebec

Married With Children follows the exploits of the Bundy family, a dysfunctional trailer-park trash family living in American suburbia. The family is headed by Al Bundy (Ed O’Neill), a shoe salesman who’s lewd, crude, sarcastic, and completely dissatisfied with his life as a loser. Al’s wife Peg (Katey Sagal) spends her days watching Oprah and spending what little money Al brings home (she’s also Al’s greatest source of annoyance). Al and Peg’s lives are complicated by their children, Kelly (Christina Applegate), a beautiful yet stupid teenager, and Bud (David Faustino), a sex-starved adolescent. With neighbors Steve (David Garrison), Marcy (Amanda Bearse), and Jefferson (Ted McGinley) dropping in on a regular basis, Al’s dreams of a normal family life or a spare moment to relax are continually interrupted by the tortuous reality of his mediocre existence…

The Married With Children DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the series pilot in which Peg and Al, worried because they have no friends of their own, meet the new neighbors, Steve and Marcy Rhoades. Steve and Marcy have the perfect marriage, but the bad influences of the Bundys conspire to turn them against each other… Other notable episodes from Season 1 include “Whose Room is It Anyway?” in which Steve and Marcy decide to add a new room onto their house while Peg and Al pit the couple against each other in order to serve their own selfish interests, and “Peggy Sue Got Work” in which Al’s refusal to buy Peg the VCR she wants prompts her to get a job in a local department store…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Married With Children (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (Pilot) Air Date: 04-05-1987
Episode 2 (Thinnergy) Air Date: 04-12-1987
Episode 3 (But I Didn’t Shoot the Deputy) Air Date: 04-19-1987
Episode 4 (Whose Room is it Anyway?) Air Date: 04-26-1987
Episode 5 (Have You Driven a Ford Lately) Air Date: 05-03-1987
Episode 6 (Sixteen Years and What Do You Get) Air Date: 05-10-1987
Episode 7 (Married… Without Children) Air Date: 05-17-1987
Episode 8 (The Poker Game) Air Date: 05-24-1987
Episode 9 (Peggy Sue Got Work) Air Date: 05-31-1987
Episode 10 (Al Loses His Cherry) Air Date: 06-07-1987
Episode 11 (Nightmare on Al’s Street) Air Date: 06-14-1987
Episode 12 (Where’s the Boss) Air Date: 06-21-1987
Episode 13 (Johnny Be Gone) Air Date: 06-28-1987

Married With Children (DVD) Review is a post from: Lecinema Duquebec

The US version of March Of The Penguins is narrated by Morgan Freeman, a stellar choice for the role as his precise, yet folksy, voice serves to underscore the magnitude and the magic of the annual journey endured by these fascinating animals. The visuals of the film are powerful in their own right, but I doubt the movie would’ve enjoyed the massive commercial success it did without the strength of Freeman’s performance. In the opening scenes, Freeman introduces us to the Emperor penguin and its icy homeland of Antarctica. As winter approaches, penguins from all over the continent make an instinctive annual voyage across rugged and inhospitable terrain in search of the ancient Emperor penguin mating ground.

Along the way, audiences learn every particular detail of the arduous task that awaits the Emperor penguins. With thousands gathered together, each must find a mate. Once the relationship has been consummated, a single egg is the product of their pairing. But the egg is fragile, subject to easy fracture and the hazardous conditions of extremely low temperatures. As such, the male penguin must protect the egg while the female returns to the ocean in search of food for herself and her yet to be born offspring. In the interim, high winds, driving snow, and freezing elements pound away at the swarm of male penguins as they desperately protect their respective eggs. Amazingly, the herd instinctively protects itself from the relentless cold by rotating those on the outside into the middle and vice versa, so that the burden of the cold weather is shared equally by all.

Once winter subsides and the females return, the newly hatched baby penguins face the additional threat of predators. The males must make their own journey to the ocean, and the budding toddler penguins must be initiated into the ways of their world, all so the process can take full-circle and start all over again next year…

One of the highest grossing theatrical documentaries ever released, March Of The Penguins is an utterly fascinating film. In contrast to the usual mind-numbing action-packed blockbusters produced by Hollywood (and demanded by those of us in the viewing public), March Of The Penguins is both educational and entertaining. You’ll find yourself perched on the edge of your seat in anticipation as these rugged creatures engage with the harshest elements of nature. You’ll root for the heroes and boo the villains, but despite the absence of a contrived Hollywood plot, you’ll find yourself truly captivated by this charming film – the story of struggle, the story of triumph, the story of life… March of the Penguins.

March Of The Penguins (DVD) Review is a post from: Lecinema Duquebec

Magnum, PI covers the life of Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck), a former Naval Intelligence officer who resigns his position in order to set up his own private investigation business in Oahu, Hawaii. Through either luck or acquaintance, he lands a job as head of security for bestselling author Robin Masters’ luxurious beachfront estate. This enables Magnum to drive around in Masters’ sporty flame-red Ferrari, make use of various high-tech toys, and live a life of relative ease in the estate’s guest house. But Magnum constantly butts heads with estate manager Jonathan Higgins (John Hillerman), a former British military man in his own right, and one with a strict penchant for order and discipline. Despite their conflicts, Magnum and Higgins maintain a healthy friendship, while Magnum’s friends Rick Wright (Larry Manetti) and T.C. Calvin (Roger E. Mosley) are forever being drawn into Magnum’s dangerous investigations…

The Magnum, PI DVD features a number of exciting episodes including the season premiere “Don’t Eat the Snow in Hawaii” in which Magnum learns of the death of his childhood friend and Navy buddy Dan Cook. Skeptical of the officially cited cause of death, Magnum launches an investigation of his own with the aid of Dan’s sister Alice. Eventually, the trail leads to an old military friend from Vietnam who might possibly be involved in a smuggling operation. Meanwhile, Magnum and Alice put their own lives on the line as they discover that someone is determined to put an end to their investigation… Other notable episodes from Season 1 include “No Need to Know” in which Magnum is hired to protect one of Higgins’ friends from IRA assassins, and “Lest We Forget” in which a veteran of Pearl Harbor turned (Supreme Court Nominee) hires Magnum to investigate when he receives blackmail threats relating to his past…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Magnum, PI (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (Don’t Eat the Snow in Hawaii: Part 1) Air Date: 12-11-1980
Episode 2 (Don’t Eat the Snow in Hawaii: Part 2) Air Date: 12-11-1980
Episode 3 (China Doll) Air Date: 12-18-1980
Episode 4 (Thank Heaven for Little Girls, and Big Ones Too) Air Date: 12-25-1980
Episode 5 (No Need to Know) Air Date: 01-08-1981
Episode 6 (Skin Deep) Air Date: 01-15-1981
Episode 7 (Never Again, Never Again) Air Date: 01-22-1981
Episode 8 (The Ugliest Dog in Hawaii) Air Date: 01-29-1981
Episode 9 (Missing in Action) Air Date: 02-05-1981
Episode 10 (Lest We Forget) Air Date: 02-12-1981
Episode 11 (The Curse of the King Kamehameha Club) Air Date: 02-19-1981
Episode 12 (Thicker Than Blood) Air Date: 02-26-1981
Episode 13 (All Roads Lead to Floyd) Air Date: 03-12-1981
Episode 14 (Adelaide) Air Date: 03-19-1981
Episode 15 (Don’t Say Goodbye) Air Date: 03-26-1981
Episode 16 (The Black Orchid) Air Date: 04-02-1981
Episode 17 (J. “Digger” Doyle) Air Date: 04-09-1981
Episode 18 (Beauty Knows No Pain) Air Date: 04-16-1981

Magnum Pi (DVD) Review is a post from: Lecinema Duquebec