The Founding of a Republic (Jian guo da ye)

The People’s Republic of China turns the big six oh this October 1st and to celebrate they’ve made a little movie titled, The Founding of a Republic. Opening last month (September 17th - at exactly 2pm) in China, the extravaganza was all set to go by the title of The Great Cause of China’s Foundation - which clearly wouldn’t have suited the subtle tone filmmakers were going for. Just look at that poster.

According to wiki, the film “features [a] large cast of 176 of China’s and Hong Kong’s most renowned actors”. Actors like these people:

Jackie Chan

Zhang Ziyi

Donnie Yen

Tony Leung

Chow Yun-Fat

Stephen Chow

Andy Lau

Jet Li

Leon Lai

It of course also features an appearance by Eva Huang (above right) as the most photogenic cadre you’ll ever see.

The Kinks, Sunny Afternoon

Gigantic

Mattress salesman Brian Weathersby (Paul Dano) is in the process of adopting a Chinese baby. This specific mission has been a goal of his for “pretty much all his life. Zooey Deschanel also stars as Harriet (Happy) Lolly, the object of Brian’s affections. She’s winning as always, but it’s Dano’s understated charm that really takes you by surprise.

Gigantic is an odd little movie. It’s beautifully shot and deadpan funny at times and also… a little baffling. I don’t know what to make of it but I’d happily watch a film like this all day.

Minh Nguyen

Max Minghella and Blake Lively in Elvis and Anabelle

I liked it. More than I thought I would. Texas looks beautiful here.

Yes Man

Middle-aged Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) has quit on life. Choosing to refuse any and all invitations and alienating the few friends he has left, Carl opts instead for quality time on the couch.

Pushed into attending a motivational seminar by former work colleague Nick (John Michael Higgins), Carl enters into a “yes” covenant requiring him to answer yes - to everything. As the detached Carl begins recklessly saying yes to every proposition presented, he finds his life invaded by strangers and even stranger situations.

Though Yes Man’s theme is unashamedly life-affirming, it’s not cloying. Carrey, on his best behaviour here, is suitably restrained - even subtle - as the carping lead. Carrey’s containment gives the impression he might explode into untold wackiness at any moment, giving Carl a complex edge.

Zooey Deschanel delights as usual, playing a familiar quirky love interest. Though the chemistry between the leads is a little strained, with Carrey looking altogether too old for Deschanel, it’s only mildly distracting.

It might be all cliché, but thanks to likeable actors and a script that doesn’t go for too much, the message gets through anyway.

Twilight

An adaptation of the popular vampire saga by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight’s cast is headed by rising idols Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. As Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, the pair smolder in their star-crossed parts.

Just like the book, the feature skews towards the romance instead of the horror. There’s not a huge amount of action for a film about vampires but that’s what makes Twilight’s story interesting. As a backdrop for notions on forbidden love the teen romance fits - and compliments. The young cast handle their parts well, substituting charisma in place of gore.

The sequel, New Moon, is tentatively scheduled for a late 2009 release with Dakota Fanning announced to join the cast.

Down in the Valley

“Where are you going?”
“Nowhere.”
“Can I come?”

Tobe Sommers (Evan Rachel Wood) and her little brother Lonnie (Rory Culkin) exist in the world without living. Each longs for something better, but behind their expressive eyes, and everyday motions, there’s a resignation. For them, this is… life. Like the opening lines of the movie, the characters are going nowhere, and their every action to rebel against this moves them closer towards tragedy.

When the soft-spoken Harlan (Edward Norton) enters into the lives of Tobe and Lonnie, the viewer recognises him as not their saviour, but the catalyst for destruction. As Harlan’s simple ways charms and disarms both Tobe and Lonnie, writer/director David Jacobson leaves enough hints of the danger for viewers to feel constantly uneasy. Scenes of intense intimacy are twinged with a foreboding menace, as Norton deftly switches from unassuming cowboy to unhinged, lost soul.

Evan Rachel Wood fills every scene with such an intense believability, it’s heartbreaking. Though the younger of the pair, it is Wood’s Tobe who recognises the limitations of her and Harlan’s relationship. Though his sweet presence and devoted affections liberate her, she knows their union can be nothing more than temporary.

The Virgin Queen

British actress Anne-Marie Duff, best known for her role as Fiona Gallagher in the black comedy Shameless, takes up the mantle of the Virgin Queen in this four-part BBC mini-series. 

Denied legitimacy by her father Henry VIII, Elizabeth immortalised the Tudor dynasty on a scale that her father could only dream of. Duff’s Elizabeth - from fragile princess to all powerful queen - is surprisingly engaging. Though proving solid in her previous roles, it is this part which allows the actress to show off a range and skill never before asked of her. And Duff certainly delivers, with a measured performance that renders England’s most iconic monarch human.

The rest of the cast are equally impressive with the underused Sienna Guillory particularly dazzling. As the Queen’s rival, Lettice Knollys, Guillory’s striking charm is a perfect counter to Duff’s burning intensity.

With the recent release of Cate Blanchett’s Elizabeth: The Golden Age, this offering should benefit from the Elizabethan revival. Lavishly produced and meticulously executed, this polished BBC production is a fine addition to the cinematic creation.

Definitely, Maybe

Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds) is a soon-to-be single dad who takes on the task of explaining to his daughter (Abigail Breslin) why her parents don’t love each other anymore. Needless to say, Will’s uttering of the line, “It’s complicated,” doesn’t cut it. Responsible parent that Will is, he decides to tell his little girl the story of how he and mom first met.

Ryan Reynolds makes a rare outing where his performance engages rather than repulses. Prone to over-reaching with his school-boy charm, here Reynolds is sufficiently restrained – even subtle when needed. Abigail Breslin once again validates the frequent and wide-swept praise that has marked her young career.

Aside from the Reynolds-Breslin chemistry, Definitely, Maybe’s standout performance belongs to Australian actress Isla Fisher (Confessions of a Shopaholic). As the fiery April, Fisher manages to steal the movie despite only appearing intermittently.

One of Our Own

A fairly happily married couple resorts to unusual measures after suffering a miscarriage. While Diane (Claire Rankin) and Stellan (Josh Randall) suffer the loss of what would have been their first-born, the two’s anguish quickly steers them into an opportunity never before thought of: surrogacy. Diane and Stellan don’t find themselves in murky waters over your run-of-the-mill substitute mother scenario however. You see, professional surrogate Cathy (Kate Beahan) prefers to do things the old-fashioned way. So begins the descent into a cesspool of moral ambiguities that’s both touching and hilarious. Josh Randall, last seen on the now defunct TV series Ed, is a standout as the conflicted and intrigued Stellan. Australian Kate Beahan (Chopper, Love is a Four-Letter Word) is equally impressive as the weirdly fertile Cathy. One of Our Own is one of those gems that suffer from its own quirky brilliance. Probably impossible to market upon its release, this charming offering is definitely worth your time.