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#FILMTALK with #POPCORNX (Session 5 / Season 2)



I'll be introducing 4 films in this 4h session of FILMTALK (Season 2) showcasing a quartet of preloved films I have on DVD, since made available for sale at Miku Market! The 4 films showcased today are:


The Interpreter (2005)
Swordfish (2001)
Girlfight (2000)
Bullet To The Head (2012)


WHERE: Miku Market @ 02-09, Queensway Shopping Centre, Singapore 149053.
WHEN: Open 12noon-6pm only on Saturdays & Sundays.







WHAT-IS: "The Interpreter" is a 2005 political thriller film directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, Catherine Keener, and Jesper Christensen. It was the first film shot inside the United Nations Headquarters, as well as the final feature film directed by Pollack before his death in 2008. (Wiki). The film's synopsis reads; "A United Nations translator overhears an assassination plot." (IMDb.com).

MY IMPRESSIONS: A underrated film that folks don't seem to be talking about much... but then again, this Hollywood-infused "political thriller" offers up the cliched trope that was a decent one-n-done watch. And this was the Nicole Kidman I remembered before the intense facial morph :p





WHAT-IS: "Swordfish" is a 2001 American action thriller film directed by Dominic Sena (whose "Gone in 60 Seconds" in 2000 I enjoyed and remembered for), written by Skip Woods, produced by Joel Silver, and starring John Travolta, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Vinnie Jones, and Sam Shepard (Wiki)

SYNOPSIS: A covert counter-terrorist unit called Black Cell led by Gabriel Shear wants the money to help finance their war against international terrorism, but it's all locked away. Gabriel brings in convicted hacker Stanley Jobson to help him (IMDb.com).





MY IMPRESSIONS: ...are essentially two parts = The Soundtrack (which I adore), and Halle Berry's bare breasts (which was seen in a non-licensed VCD release, but not in the DVD, alas). The casting alone is pretty sweet, likened to a "Ocean's Eleven"-stacked ensemble (released in the same year too), with characters we've not seen since together in another film, and that alone is worth the price of admission, IMHO. Memories of this align with Gene Hackman X Will Smith's 198 "Enemy of the State", with its frantic cuts and imagery, methinks.









WHAT-IS: "Girlfight" is a 2000 American sports film written and directed by Karyn Kusama in her feature directorial debut. Stars Michelle Rodriguez in her film debut (Wiki) ... "it follows a troubled Brooklyn high school student, who decides to channel her aggression by training to become a boxer, despite the disapproval of her father and prospective trainers, as well as the competitors in the male-dominated sport."



MY IMPRESSIONS: I was a fan of Michelle Rodriguez with this film, in which she carried decently thru... then her as "Letty" in the Fast and Furious franchise somewhat left a slightly different skewered impression after a while, and somewhat pigeon-holed as "that tough chica with a relentless attitude" in roles since.

That said, this is an interesting "indie film" worth a watch, and a archive of the actress' earlier work that folks tend to forget about, IMHO.







WHAT-IS: "Bullet to the Head" is a 2012 American action film directed by Walter Hill. The screenplay by Alessandro Camon was based on the French graphic novel "Du Plomb Dans La Tête ("Lead in the Head")" written by Matz and illustrated by Colin Wilson.

The film stars Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang, Sarah Shahi, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christian Slater, and Jason Momoa (Wiki).

The movie follows a hitman (Stallone) and a cop (Kang) who are forced to work together to bring down a corrupt businessman (Akinnuoye-Agbaje) after they are targeted by the businessman's assassin (Momoa).



MY IMPRESSIONS: An interesting casting line-up that unfortunately did not wholly live up to expectations, but nevertheless a decent entertaining actioneer. Lotsa punching, gun fire and explosions And I do enjoy me some guilt-free "hitman out for revenge"-flick!

Honestly what took me out were the body tattoos Stallone had for this role, that had me thinking Stallone was "acting in a fictional role" for this outing, mores that his other films, uncomfortably so. Where was the "John Spartan" I loved in "Demolition Man"? LOL


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