My PICK 2013

1. Disconnected - Henry Alex Rubin

The only movie got a 10/10 from all the 116 movies I watched in 2013. It’s about how humanity is weirdly linked and yet distanced at the same time. Love the execution. 

2. Searching for Sugar Man - Malik Bendjeloul 

By far, the best documentary I have even seen. It changed the way I look at documentary. I was teary at least half of the movie, I was on the edge most of the time. Maybe it’s faith, what it meant to be is what is meant to be. 

3. Gravity - Alfonso Cuaón

Super intense, magnificent cinematography/ CG. Finally a movie raises above with the help of 3D, the experience would not be the same without 3D! have more respect for Sandra Bullock now. 

4. Before Midnight - Richard Linklater

This is real, no sugar coating, not anything. Which I agree truly, love is bitter sweet. From the little train ride to the walk in Paris, those 18 years, they didn’t even know each other for more than 48 hours. They are more like fantasy to each other, so what happens if they finally be together and finally the bubble popped.

5. De rouille et d’os - Jacques Audiard

Life is full of ups and downs, even when the down was meaning losing one leg, life still goes on. (When firework was played in the movie, I truly thought Marion Cotillard looks like Katy Perry XPP)

6. Cloud Atlas - Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski 

As a Chinese the concept was nothing new, still the presentation and continuity of all the shorts were super well executed. Of cause the book is more well explained but the movie still made my top 10. 

7. Trance - Danny Boyle

It stuck in my mind for quite some time, if it didn’t reveal that much (all) and let the audiance interpret the story a little, it would be a 10. 

8. The Great Gatsby - Baz Luhrmann

The soundtrack is the highlight, if it’s not because of it, it wouldn’t even made my pick. Just imagine how could the era works with electro music but it did. And there is one specific moment it touched me more than I thought it would be.

9. The Hunger Game: Catching Fire - Francis Lawrence

The first movie made me read the entire series within a week. And Catching fire is my favourite one out of the three. The director did a good job on it, the adaptation lives up to the original. The whole concept of this movie/book is more than what it looks like. Somewhat it does mirror our society in a certain aspect. 

10. Stoker - Chan-wook Park

It was really obvious Park toned down a lot for his hollywood debut. For the subtlety, I love it even more. Everything detail matters, it was beautifully shot. 

Blue is the Warmest Colour - Abdellatif Kechiche

"La Vie d'Adèle"

If you like lesbian sex, you would love this movie!

Despite my limited french I still went in to the cinema and tried to conquer this year's Palme d'Or winner.

I would like this movie more if it were shorter (at least 1 hour please), this 179 mins flick is not for everyone. 1/6 of the movie is basically graphic lesbian sex, by graphic I meant porn. Only if I were watching porn, I could at least skip to the interesting part! I felt like I was forced to watch almost all the possible ways lesbians could do it. (if you are into this kind of stuff, then I promise this is the movie for you). I was not prepared for this. At one point it was too predictable that what they are going to do next. Yes, the title already says it all, the life of Adele, I'm stupid enough not to put into thought that sex is one of the MAJOUR elements of ones life. It's just too much for me, that's all.

In general, it's a good movie. How Adele struggles to her live her life and deal with her sexuality, are pretty intriguing. We could easily find movie depicting gay people dealing with their problem but not a lesbian. I'm not saying there aren't any, it's just harder.
One advice, just prepare yourself before you walk into the cinema for this blue experience.

WIll update this when I watch it again with subtitles. 

The Bling Ring - Sofia Coppola

This is a movie about how fame-obsessed our generation is becoming. Totally understand why Coppola put her hands on this topic. The flick directs us to the crime, the obsession, the truth is, the picture is way bigger.

I wonder how many of our younger generation check the boxes of what the movie depicts, not only they were  raised by consumerism under their roof, they are also in the age of social network. Let's put aside the crime for a second, if, I'm just saying only if they hadn't bragged about their visits or posting pictures (self obsession) on social network with acclaimed items, they wouldn't have been caught that easily. How many teenagers got caught per year because they bragged about their crime on social networking sites. I am not encouraging them to commit any crime but if they do, please be a little smarter! (For me this is actually something really sad, the brains of our younger generation are actually deteriorating.)

The rest of the story is just old wine in a new bottle. Same old reasons why teenagers commit crimes - single-parent family, peer pressure those kind of stuff. That's at least pretty much sum up the two leads in the flick Marc Hall (Israel Broussard) and Rebecca Ahn (Katie Chang). What interesting is when all the characters come together, how each of them represents a certain a type of teenagers. The insecure one, the bossy one, the bitchy one, the innocent one, the fake one. I would say they are troubled kids and the fact is they are basically everywhere. And who should we blame, the child or the parent?  Nicki Moore (Emma Watson) is the perfect example. How ignorant if the parent truly believed Nicki was innocent and nothing suspicious about her child, considering her kids went out late on a school night, having suspicious new dresses and stuff. (the real life Nicki (Alexis Neiers) is actually really intriguing, she got caught right after she filmed the pilot of her own reality show, and was placed right next to Linsey Lohan while she was in jail.)

Alright the crime, I think what made them bolder was Paris Hilton, the movie didn't touch on this matter much as Paris herself agreed on letting them film at her place but it didn't cover the fact that how stupid she was (in the original press release of the actual crime, the convicts dubbed her dumb as a reason why they broke into her apartment and it might actually be true!) They have at least broke into her place for like 7 times. Not until Miranda Kerr reported the crime with a surveillance TV footage, then Paris noticed that she had also been a victim too. If breaking into someone's property is like eating a piece of cake, key under the door mat, don't you think the kids would be encouraged? Or maybe the kids were not as stupid as we thought they were, despite the fact that they posted pictures of themselves at Paris' place on facebook. Is either Paris or the kids or both, you pick. 

This is a reminder to us of what we are doing to our kids. 

On The Road - Walter Salles

Not until the credits rolled up and Neal Cassady's name appeared on the screen then I realized this movie is about the Beat Generation. The bromance shared between Cassady and Kerouac was sort of like playing with fire (I really have to read the original), I need reasons why Cassady left his wife and found Kerouac, I need to know why they were so close, what connected them.

The frame of the movie is such an interesting story, a wonderful piece, perfectly depicting the generation in the 50s. What Jack Kerouac did was actually documenting his generation, one person in particular Dean Moriarty/ Neal Cassady. They were like the rock bands in the 70s and 80s but they were much more sophisticated, they were all writers. (I believe youth do drug in all scales, not only in one particular group of people. Only people in that group were not ashamed of what they were doing and saying it out loud makes the difference.) Everyone behind this story was interesting enough to have their own story/movie. Allen Ginsberg did, Howl. It would actually be more interesting when you start reading all those writers back in that time and start putting missing puzzles together.

What intrigues me is the story not the movie. Somehow the story and the movie are disconnected. The cast is not convincing enough to make me believe as ke$ha sings “let’s make most of our night like we’re gonna die young”. Kristen Stewart is a one-trick-pony, flashing her boobs doesn’t make her a good actress. 

2012 MY Picks - Movies

There were huge blockbusters like The Avengers last year, one of the biggest openings of all time. The well anticipated The Dark Knight Rises, The Hobbit, Skyfall, The Life of Pi, The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part. II (at least for me) and etc. And there were well made low bud, indie flicks like 360, Premium Rush, Prefect Pitch... The ones which made into my top 10 somehow strayed a little away from the mean stream. Of course one or two big production did make into the list.

There are not in any order. 

The Perk of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky

The Dark Knight Rises – Christopher Nolan

Noordzee, Texas (North Sea Taxes) – Bavo Defurne

Dans La Maison (In the House) - François Ozon

The Words – Brian Klugman, Lee Sternthal

Moonrise Kingdom – Wes Anderson

Perfect Sense – David Mackenzie

Shame – Steve McQueen

Les Misérables – Tom Hooper
W.E - Madonna

Here are some amusing movies which are also really good but just didn't make it on the list.

360 - Fernando Meirelles
Anna Karenina - Joe Wright
Les Bien-aimés (beloved)- Christophe Honoré
Skyfall - Sam Mendes
Intouchables - Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano
Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean - Matthew Mishory
Looper - Rian Johnson

Madeon - the next big DJ

Recently named the #18 in Billboard 21 under 21, which is a list of the most successful artists under 21 in the recent year. Of all the 21 artists Madeon is the one who is not a vocal/ recording artist. Becoming more and more promanience in House and Dupstep. Madeon, french only 18, was announced he will be opening Lady Gaga's North American Born This Way Ball in the coming fall.  And it will not be surprsing if he is going to contribute in Lady Gaga's latest album under the working title Artpop.

Madeon came under the limelight when he posted a video of him live mixing 32 of his favorite songs dubbed "Pop Culture" including songs from Justice, Daft Punk, Madonna, Gossip.. etc. on his launchpad on Youtube. Receiving millions of views.



Later his single Icarus was used as a jingle on the BBC  radio 1. And his remixes were featured on Pete Tong's radio show "15 minutes of fame". He later played  at Electro Disney Carnival in NY, BBC Hackney Weekend and some other major festivals in the US.

Madeon not only has broken through in his own genre, his works "Finale" is also featured  in  a commercial ad for Sony PlayStation Vita.  The same song "Finale" will also be featured in game FIFA 13.

Only 18 and his career already seems to be flying. Will he be the next David Guetta or Calvin Harris. Or he wants to stay where he is, being a producer/ DJ like Tiesto? Only time will tall. One thing for sure, No doubt he is going to be BIG!

Christina Aguilera's COME BACK

Christina Aguilera is determined to have a big come back, since she has hit rock bottom in 2010 with the cancelation of her sixth studio album Bionic tour due to disappointing ticket sales, followed by a divorce and a not-so-successful first featured film Burlesque. 

Not only her career was in jeopardy, she was also arrested for intoxication in public not long after she was announced to be the judge/ coach on NBC new singing show The Voice. Even during the show, contestants on her team claimed she didn't help them much and was spotted flirting with her boyfriend on set. She was even caught on live TV that she was being disrespectful by constantly playing with her phone while the contestants were performing. 

Despite all the negativities, the success of the Voice seems to say the otherwise, beating rival FOX's The X Factor US which her long time rival Britney Spears is also on the panel. Earlier this week Xtina announced she would be leaving the Voice for its fourth season (Shakira will take her seat), expressing she wanted time to do her own stuff, and an artist again.

Releasing her first single Your Body from her latest album Lotus which is due in Nov on the premiere week of the Voice. Receiving mostly positive reviews. Seems like she is ready to have her come back. Also she has confirmed that she has been working with different artists on her new album, which promised her awaiting fans that they would be hearing loads of genres in Lotus. She even uses a simple of Midnight City from M83. Whether Lotus will be her come back or not we still have to wait for its official release.

As for now lets enjoy the glorious Your Body:

And here is a teaser for the video: