Hot Summer Days is a romantic comedy that takes place in Hong Kong Beijing and Shenzhen. It consists of several love stories amidst a sizzling summer. There’s the driver (Jackie Cheung), a single father who is recovering from heat stroke. He accidentally sends an SMS to a pianist-turned-foot masseuse (Rene Liu). The single message sent by mistake sparks a romance between the two and shows how SMS helps in fostering a long distance relationship.

Elsewhere in Hong Kong, a food critic (Vivian Hsu) tries to convince a sushi chef (Daniel Wu) to take their relationship to the next level. But he is too busy with his work to accept her proposal. All I can remember from their story is his moustache that makes him look like a porn star.

While everyone is complaining about the hot weather, an air conditioner repairman (Nicholas Tse) is making lots of money out of it. Then one day a mysterious biker chick (Barbie Hsu) comes and he literally pursues her. Their story is bitter sweet because Barbie’s character is sick. Think of it as a Nicolas Sparks novel. He also has an issue with his beach vendor father (Gordon Liu), who has a habit of telling bad jokes to bikini-clad beach dwellers.

In mainland China, a young villager (Jing Boran) tries to prove his worth to a factory worker (Angelababy). He has to stand outside the factory at noon for 100 days straight. It’s funny to see how he tries his best to keep his promise even when it’s scorching hot. I almost didn’t recognize her as the innocent village girl. Their story stands out among the rest because of its light comedic nature.

Lastly, there’s the story of an arrogant photographer (Duan Yihong) and his loyal apprentice (Fu Xinbo). They travel across the country to hunt down a model (Michelle Wai) who they suspect has cursed the photographer, which resulted into his blindness. Photographer turns cupid and matches model with apprentice.

Although it might seem illogical but all the love stories intertwine with each other. Some of the characters meet during the course of the movie. One movie that pops in my mind right away after watching Hot Summer Days is Love, Actually. The latter shows warmth during a cold season and this movie will give you a heat stroke. It has it flaws but they can easily be overlooked due to the likeable characters.

While I don’t recommend watching Hot Summer Days at this time because you will tend to sweat more in this heat if you see sweaty people on screen. And don’t expect nudity in it because there is none. This is a wholesome romantic comedy for the whole family. There’s something in it for everyone.

Pie and Kim’s relationship started off on the wrong foot. Pie asked to be switched to another room because her previous roommate was a lesbian and she doesn’t want to be associated with their kind. To her dismay, her new roommate, Kim turned out to be a lesbian as well.

Yes or No might be a lesbian movie but it played out like a typical romantic comedy. As you might have guessed, Kim and Pie worked out their differences and became friends. And along the way, the two teens managed to learn things about themselves and their sexuality.

People usually judge a lesbian movie by its sex scenes. Yes or No succeeded in making a lesbian movie that didn’t have to feature sex to be interesting. And this is good because the movie was clearly made for a younger audience. The only bed scene Pie and Kim had is a kissing scene with both of them fully clothed. It was sweet and innocent, which pretty much sums up their love story.

I guess lesbianism in Thailand is the same as the situation in my country, the Philippines. It is tolerated but it is still taboo for some. Yes or No showed that lesbian relationships are just like any normal relationships between two human beings. Not only do they have to win each other’s hearts, they must also try to convince others, especially the parents, to accept their relationship. But isn’t that the case for any relationship? That’s what parents do.

Yes or No is a cute romantic comedy that can be enjoyed by everyone, not just members of the LGBT community. It will make you remember the first time you were in love. And yes, I found Aom Sucharat Manaying to be pretty, as you can see in the gallery below.

Little Westworld is ruled by Nicola the Woodcutter (Ron Perlman) and his gang of killers. They bring order to the town through the Red Suits, led by Killer No. 2 (Kevin McKidd). The henchmen use violence to extort from the businesses and citizens.

Their reign of terror in Little Westworld is challenged by the newcomer The Drifter (Josh Harnett). He has his eyes set on The Woodcutter. He meets Yoshi (Gackt), who also wants something from Nicola. The two join forces to go through the gang of killers and to Nikola himself.

Narrator: Long before the dawn of man, strife was already a major component of life. Wherever a creature shared a piece of land with another, it was just a matter of time until a struggle for resources would ensue. Man was no different, showcasing a perverse fascination with violence. Man and civilization brought forth more innovative ways of taking human life than any other function needed for survival. There are more ways of killing a man than there are ways of making bread or making love. While the latter two are quite limited in scale, man has gone beyond imagination with his capacity to destroy life with one push of a button. Between uncontrolled crime in the streets and escalating war on the borders, it was all just a matter of time. From the ashes, a new world was born. The surviving nations finally realized that man’s unstoppable appetite for destruction must be contained. A ban on all firearms was strictly enforced. And just as the sword gave way to the gun, the gun gave way to the sword; leaving the authorities to carry the hope of their nations on the tip of a spear. Little did they know that the self-destructive nature of man could never be stopped. There’s not enough love in this world, not enough money to prevent this ancient circle from coming around again. When the time is ripe, evil will rise; personified in our case with a wood cutter. Nicola is his name, and this is his town, his land. The God-forsaken place where our tale begins. And as many ways as there are of killing a man, there are equally as many ways of telling this old tale of strife.

Harnett and Gackt played their parts well. The same can also be said with the rest of the cast, including Woody Harrelson as The Bartender and Demi Moore as Alexandra. But I bet that the roles didn’t give them much of a challenge. Ron Perlman looks like he was back in the 80s as Vincent in the TV show Beauty and the Beast but instead of Linda Hamilton as beauty, we get Demi Moore.

Bunraku is a good combination of samurai film and spaghetti western set in a pop-up origami book. It is visually stunning. It’s like a moving picture made to entertain the audience. The backdrop is made of drawings, wood and cardboard that looks like a scene straight out of a popup book.

Overall, I like the feel of the movie but it is definitely not for everyone. If you can appreciate a visually stimulating experimental movie with a shallow plot but kickass action, then go ahead and watch it.

Black Swan is about Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman), a dancer from the New York ballet company. With the company’s go-to lead Beth Macintyre (Winona Ryder) going to retirement, the company’s director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) chose Nina to play the White Swan in the upcoming rendition of the Swan Lake.

Just as Nina’s career is going her way, a new rival arrives in form of Lily (Mila Kunis). Plus, there’s the demand for perfection from director Thomas and her strict mother Erica (Barbara Hershey). This started her transformation that made Nina more suitable to be the Black Swan than the White Swan.

Nina (Natalie Portman): It’s about a girl who gets turned into a swan and she needs love to break the spell, but her prince falls for the wrong girl so she kills herself.

Black Swan is an emotional experience from start to the end. You can’t simply take your eyes off the screen even for just a second. And it’s not just because of Natalie Portman, Winona Ryder or even Mila Kunis. The movie requires the viewer to pay attention to everything that happens on the screen.

What made Black Swan effective is Director Darren Aronofsky’s way to separate black from white and at the same time throw some form of ambiguity to throw the audience off. This allows the audience to think about the true intentions of the characters. The sense of vagueness is heightened by elements of reflection.

Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel): I got a little homework assignment for you. Go home and touch yourself. Live a little.

Natalie Portman deserved her Oscar Award for Best Actress for her performance in Black Swan. She perfectly portrayed Nina as an innocent, sexually repressed girl who just wants to please her mother. And as the movie progressed, she turned into the sexually depraved woman who wants to break away from her grasps. You can pinpoint the time when her character changed. Portman proved that she’s one of Hollywood’s best actresses of her generation.

Lily (Mila Kunis): Hey! You were amazing. Seriously, I know that things got all messed up between us. I mean, holy shit you completely blew me away!

The supporting cast complemented, if not enhanced, Portman’s performance in Black Swan. I never considered Mila Kunis as a serious actress before but this changed after seeing her in this movie. There were some scenes where she managed to steal the spotlight away from Portman.

Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel): You all have had the chance and the privilege to be enchanted, transported, and even sometimes devastated by the performances of this true artist of our company. She’s been a crucial inspiration to my work. A role model to all dancers and even more than that a deeply appreciated presence on our stage. You all know who I’m talking about. Ladies and gentlemen, Beth Macintyre.

Winona Ryder only appeared for a couple of minutes in Black Swan but she delivered some of the most unforgettable moments from the movie. No one else could have played the role of Beth better than her.

Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel): We all know the story. Virginal girl, pure and sweet, trapped in the body of a swan. She desires freedom but only true love can break the spell. Her wish is nearly granted in the form of a prince, but before he can declare his love her lustful twin, the black swan, tricks and seduces him. Devastated the white swan leaps of a cliff killing herself and, in death, finds freedom.

Black Swan definitely deserved all the hype it got when it was released in cinemas around the world. It made a boring subject such as ballet into something interesting. It is an intense movie that would hypnotize the audience from start to finish. It is definitely one of the best movies made in 2010.

Ethan (Christopher Gorham) is a writer looking for an inspiration for his next novel after his last one was rejected by publishers. Troy (Michael Landes) is a successful ad executive who makes every moment romantic for Jesse.

My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend started out like a typical romantic comedy. But I got irritated with Jesse the character. What I hate most in this world is a two-timer. In the movie, she tried hard to keep each suitor a secret from each other as she pondered on who she would give her heart to in the end.

But no matter how annoyed I got with Jesse, I can’t help but fall for Alyssa Milano. She still has that youthful look that I love ever since I saw her in Commando. Plus her acting is spotless in this movie. She’s the reason why I watch this movie and it’s a good thing that she didn’t disappoint me.

While there are some scenes that dragged out, it is still a good movie. It has a twist in the end that I didn’t except. Things were not always as they seem. My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend is an intelligent romantic comedy that I would recommend to everyone.

At the start of Unstoppable, you can already feel the tension between the two characters. Will is seen as the replacement for old workers, such as Frank. The latter was forced to retire by the company. But they have to work together to stop the train.

Connie Hooper (Rosario Dawson) is the yardmaster responsible of the runaway train. She knows that she had to stop the train before it reaches a populated area but her team and the company can’t agree on how to stop it.

Frank (Denzel Washington): Hey, don’t get sentimental on me. Makes me think I’m gonna die.

While the train takes up most of the screen time in Unstoppable, Denzel Washington did the most with his role. Together with Pine, they had the right mixture of intensity and comic relief. They gave the movie a realistic element to an unbelievable situation.

Unstoppable is a non-stop rollercoaster ride from start until the end. It goes in an incredible pace that would leave the audience breathless. Actually it’s like Speed but with a train instead of a bus. And it managed to include the story of two ordinary men who did extraordinary things to prevent a disaster from happening. Watch this movie if you need an adrenaline fix.

Don’t look for an award winning plot from The Expendables. It’s just about a group of elite mercenaries out to fulfill a suicidal mission. It’s that simple and yet I enjoyed it a lot. It is fun to see all the old action heroes in a movie.

Charisma Carpenter is my only eye candy in The Expendable She has been one of my Hollywood crushes since she appeared in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In this movie she plays the girlfriend of Jason Statham’s character who dumps him for someone else.

James Munroe (Eric Roberts): And being wealthy is very good. It allows people to be the real asswipes nature intended them to be.

If you’re a fan of 80’s action flicks like I do, then you should watch The Expendables. The good news is that a sequel is already on the way and it adds Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme into the mix. I hope there’s a part 3 and they could sign up Jackie Chan for it. That would be an epic action movie. Check out The Expendables 2 trailer below:

Sang Man is a complete failure and he doesn’t have a family or friends to share his burden. It is after his close call with death that he starts seeing the four ghosts, who could possess his body at will. At first you’ll dismiss it as just another funny movie with ghosts but it is more than that.

Each ghost has its unique characteristics and through them Sang Man learns to appreciate life more. Cha Tae Hyun is perfect for the role as he hilariously go through each ghosts. It is fun to see how the ghosts help him get the girl, or was it the opposite?

Everything is tied up in the end and Hello Ghost transformed from a funny movie to a tearjerker. It turns out that Sang Man’s family was killed in an accident and because of trauma, he totally forgot about it. And if you haven’t guessed it yet, the ghosts were his family. Crybaby was his mother, chain-smoker his dad, kid was his older brother, and the pervert was his granddad.

Don’t expect Hello Ghost to be funny all throughout. It is a light, touching movie for the whole family. It would make you laugh and cry at the same time. It would also make you appreciate your family more and spend more time with them when you still can.

Miller and Havens met at an airport and it led to a series of misadventures. It is still unclear whether Roy Miller is fighting against bad elements within his agency or he’s the bad egg. This is the question that June Havens and the audience are asking as the movie progressed.

The McGuffin in Knight and Day is a device called Zephyr, which is a perpetual energy battery. Everyone is after it. The movie plays out just as I predicted it to be and in the end, nobody got the Zephyr. It exploded killing the real rogue agent John Fitzgerald (Peter Sarsgaard).

Roy Miller (Tom Cruise): I’ve been trained to dismantle a bomb in the pitch black with nothing but a safety pin and a Junior Mint, I think I can get you in and out of some clothes without… looking. I’m not saying that’s what I did.

How you’ll enjoy Knight and Day will depend on how you feel about Tom Cruise the actor as well as Cameron Diaz. I personally don’t care about Cruise’s religion but when it comes to action movies, he’s one of the best in the industry. In this vehicle, he gets to show his funny side.

June Havens (Cameron Diaz): Roy, I’ve been trained to rebuild a 6 speed transmission with nothing but a pair of pliers and a crescent wrench. I think I can get you into a pair of shorts without looking. I’m not saying that’s what I did.

Cameron Diaz is easy to the eye but I find her trying hard to be cute in some parts of Knight and Day. I guess the script called for her to be like that but it was a bit annoying. But I have to give her credit for doing her own stunts in the movie.

Knight and Day is an entertaining action ride from start to finish. It is a little campy and predictable but still enjoyable. It is a good feel-good movie.

Game of Death is poorly written and the dialogues were atrocious. I don’t know how much they paid Wesley Snipes to star in this movie. Well I guess he needed the dough to take care of his tax problems. Zoe Bell might be the best stunt woman in the business but she should leave the acting to the real actresses.

Instead of nonstop action, Game of Death featured long, tedious dialogue scenes in between. I don’t know why the director made it flow that way but it showed how bad the actors and their lines are. It could be better if there was less of the talk and more of action. I wasn’t even aware that I was watching a flashback until the very end.

My advice to Wesley Snipes is to quit making movies already. He must have LBM because he churns out crap one after another. I recommend Game of Death to my enemies so that it could bore them to death.