movie marathon

well sort of.

but this has got to be a new record for me - three movie previews in three straight days!

It all started on Tuesday, when i skipped Spanish class (sorry Colin!) to watch MASTER & COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD, starring Maximus himself, Russell Crowe.

Now I am no fan of Russell Crowe, don't like the way he seems to carry himself around in real life but this man is a pretty darn good actor.

Although some might say he's doing a reprise of his Gladiator role, he took command of the film from start to finish. It was all him. Although the ship's doctor, played by Paul Bettany, might have stolen some hearts as well, with his compassion and kind soul.

This ship movie is no Pirates Of The Caribbean, you feel as if you're in the same boat as the almost 200 men. You can almost smell the stench of sweaty bodies packed together. It's a little gross but that's how it was then.

I think director Peter Weir did a beautiful job and I definitely enjoyed the fight scenes. Nothing too gory.

CRAZY FIRST LOVE.

Movie number two. This was on Wednesday at the Shaw Preview Theatrette, which I never knew existed until today. Essentially it's in Shaw Centre, on the 13th floor. Seats about 50 people. Leather seats I might add! Mostly used for media previews and perhaps private functions.

Crazy First Love is a Korean romantic comedy, similar to My Sassy Girl. The main actor is the same as My Sassy Girl and the actress previously seen in The Classic.

Since it's a shortie, lemme post my review:

MOST people fondly remember their first love. In Tae Il's case, he's still very much in love with Il Mae. But her father won't let him have her.


The two have been best friends ever since Tae Il's mother breastfed Il Mae after her mother died. Her father bestows her to Tae Il, who first has to achieve certain conditions which include getting into university, and passing the judicial exams.

It's all part of a plan really, to head Tae back into the right path and away from his truant, vagrant ways. But the plan pushes the two of them apart when Il Mae becomes bored with her new, straitlaced beau.

Cha Tae Hyun plays the same role as he did in the hit film, My Sassy Girl -- the lovelorn fool. He's dorky, awkward and hardly the catch of the day, but will do anything for his girl.

But he's good at playing the fool and it's entertaining to watch his antics.

However, Mae (The Classic's Son Ye Jin) is hardly the 'Sassy Girl' that Jeon Ji Hyun was.

While Jeon was spunky and a great foil to Cha's dorky character, Son seems to be apt in the ways of wide-eyed looks and little else.

Crazy First Love is, unfortunately, a very obvious rehashing of the My Sassy Girl formula. But unlike My Sassy Girl, it fails to charm.

And third, ELF

Starring SNL's Will Ferrell, who was previously seen in Old School, Elf is well, a Christmas movie. It's pretty fun to watch, with very clean gags, so all in all a family film.

It turned out to be more entertaining than I expected and not as slapstick as I feared it might be. The charmer in this film was Zooey Deschanel, whom I last saw in Almost Famous (the boy's sister). She has the most amazing singing voice! And her song even appears on the soundtrack (Baby It's Cold Outside).

Ok I admit that the movie borders a little on the sweet side here and there (as in sickly sweet) but it doesnt go as far as the Disney saccharine sweetness that sometimes makes you want to run out and hurl. So I thought it wasn't too bad.

BUt for a Christmassy movie, Love Actually (also pretty sickly sweet at times) would be a better bet.

And that's your neighbourhood movie reviewer signing off for now. but i will be back next week with my official review of ELF and also the review of BROTHER BEAR (DAmn! another Disney cartoon - when will they ever give up???)