Latest Bellwether Films: 13 June 2010

Korea's sexy Yeo-jeong Jo in 'The Servant'

A-Team, The - Hollywood conspiracy suspense action

Framed for stealing US Mint engraving plates while in Iraq, an unconventional black ops Special Forces Alpha-Team (Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, MMA champ Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Sharlto Copley) uses their distinctive skills to escape federal prison and hunt down the culprit rogue general (Gerald McRaney) and impostor CIA operative (Patrick Wilson). All the while, they are hotly pursued by an Army intelligence group headed up by an A-Team member’s ex-girlfriend (Jessica Biel). Upshot: The charismatic cast overcomes a sometimes confusing plotline to recapture the fun spirit of the original TV series. Satisfaction rating: ABOVE AVERAGE - 70

Boy - New Zealand domestic drama comedy

NEW ZEALAND, 1984. When his grandmother leaves their rural coastal farm to attend a funeral, an 11-year-old Michael Jackson fan (James Rolleston) and his 6-year-old brother (Te Aho Eketone-Whitu) face the out-of-the-blue return of their father (screenwriter-director Taika Waititi). The boys had envisioned their dad as a larger-than-life superhero: deep sea-diver, war veteran, rugby captain and carpenter with totally boss Jackson dance moves. What they encounter is a recently-released drug-addled convict who’s only interested in the stash of money he buried before going to prison… Then their pet goat enters the scene. Upshot: This picture has surpassed World’s Fastest Indian as New Zealand’s top-grossing local film. Satisfaction rating: EXCELLENT - 85

City Island - Indiewood domestic comedy drama

Assuming custody, a NY prison guard (Andy Garcia) takes home a petty convict (Steven Strait) to his dysfunctional family in a Bronx fishing village on a work-for-boarding furlough. The handsome stranger then touches off a chain of events that compels every member of the family to reveal their deepest darkest secret: that the prison guard secretly studies acting, that the fiery wife (Julianna Margulies) suspects her husband’s weekly poker games of covering an extramarital affair and plots revenge, that the daughter (Dominik Garcia-Lorido) dropped out of college to become a stripper, that the skinny teenage son (Ezra Miller) fancies fat girls, and that the petty convict is actually the prison guard’s biological son. Upshot: A quality cast empowers this smart romp about the pitfalls of keeping secrets. Satisfaction rating: ABOVE AVERAGE - 78

Karate Kid, The - Hollywood sports martial arts drama

When his single mom (Taraji P. Henson) is transferred to Beijing from Detroit, a 12-year-old African American boy (Jaden Smith) draws the ire of an expert martial arts bully (Zhenwei Wang - 王朝国) for befriending a pretty schoolmate (Wenwen Han - 韩雯雯). The cranky middle aged apartment building maintenance man (Jackie Chan - 成龙), himself a secret kung-fu master, rescues the boy from a severe six-on-one beating. Afterward, the maintenance man cuts a deal with the bully’s win-at-all-costs Wushu master (Rongguang Yu) to prohibit further confrontations while the boys train for a formal showdown at an upcoming kung-fu tournament. The maintenance man then unleashes a most underwhelming lesson plan to prepare his now-eager student both for the tournament and for life by demonstrating that kung-fu is more about a determined dignity and an inner calm than about kicks or punches. Upshot: A satisfying reboot of the 1984 classic that spectacularly showcases modern China. Satisfaction rating: ABOVE AVERAGE - 62

Raajneeti (Politics) - Bollywood politics tragedy drama

Although desperate to avoid his dynastic family’s business - politics - a New York PhD candidate (Ranbir Kapoor) finds himself pulled back to India when his uncle, the family patriarch and elder statesman, suffers a stroke that sets off a power struggle for control of their political party. He joins forces with his brother (Arjun Rampal) in an escalating battle of dirty tricks, corruption and violence against their cousin (Manoj Bajpai) and, unbeknownst to all, their low caste illegitimate half-brother (Ajay Devgan). The older brother’s arranged-marriage wife (Katrina Kaif) complicates matters by vying for the younger brother’s heart with his American girlfriend (Sarah Thompson). Upshot: Inspired by The Godfather and loosely based on the ancient epic Mahabharata about two princes angling for a kingdom, the film also echoes the true life story of the Congress Party’s Sonia Gandhi. Satisfaction rating: ABOVE AVERAGE - 72

Servant, The (방자전) - Korean period erotic romantic-comedy

A beautiful young gisaeng - Korean geisha - (Yeo-jeong Jo - 조여정) sets her sights on marrying a wealthy nobleman (Seung-beom Ryu - 류승범) until his handsome manservant (Ju-hyuk Kim - 김주혁) discretely seduces her. Then the nobleman finds out. Upshot: Based on a popular Korean folktale, the film adds a humorous Dangerous Liaisons slant by re-imagining the classic story with an unattractive nobleman. Satisfaction rating: ABOVE AVERAGE - 78

Ženy v pokušení (Women in Temptation) - Czech domestic situation romantic-comedy

A well-known marriage and family psychologist (Lenka Vlasáková) finds herself in circumstances she usually resolves with her patients: Her husband has been caught cheating with a younger woman. Her twenty-something daughter (Veronika Kubarová) wants to be supportive, but is also struggling with the rebukes of her first true love. Her ex-actress mother (Eliska Balzerová) offers an easy solution for both mother and daughter: Replace the bums! Satisfaction rating: ABOVE AVERAGE - 73

World's Favorite Films 2010

World's Favorite Foreign Language Films 2010

Aftershock (Chinese)

L'arnacoeur (French)

The Borrower Arietty (Japanese)

Ip Man 2 (Chinese)

Pokemon: Phanton Ruler Zoroark (Japanese)

Confessions (Japanese)

My Name Is Khan (Bollywood)

Nodame Cantabile 2 (Japanese)

Blood Brothers: Secret Reunion (Korean)

Doraemon: Mermaid Adventure (Japanese)

Raajneeti (Bollywood)

Little Big Soldier (Chinese)

La Rafle (French)

Les Aventures Extraordinaire d'Adele Blanc-Sec (French)

Io, loro e Lara (Italian)

Liar Game (Japanese)

Our Rossiya (Russian)

Moss (Korean)

71 - Into the Gunfire (Korean)

Housefull (Bollywood)