TRAVEL TO MOVIES: DEAR MOTHER

Director: Laurent Lafitte

Cast: Laurent Lafitte , Karin Viard , Hélène Vincent , Vincent Macaigne , Luca Malinowski , Pauline Clément , Nicole Garcia , Christine Beauvallet , Juliette Bettencourt , Judith El Zein (V)

Plot: When Jean-Louis' heart stops beating but he keeps on living, he is forced to make a strange request from hís mother after a guru instructs him that he needs to see his mother naked to solve the problem. With the help of his wife and a friend, he tries to understand the origin of this mystery.

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10551904/

My Movie Review: The movie is a comedy in which a man posing as a gynecologist tries to force a woman in her 80's to hick her skirt but far from feeling icky you'll laugh the awkardness! Dear Mother it centres around how fortysomething lawyer Jean-Louis one day notices that his heart has stopped beating, and after consulting a vet friend and speaking to his mother a need! As others here have said, only the French could make this movie, but not just because of the storyline, but because of the total farcical nature of it. There were many laugh out loud moments in this film, but there were also many cringey moments, and some scenes (involving the elderly mother) I wondered what the writer/director was thinking. In this day and age, understanding and portraying the concept of consent is so important and overdue, including a character who, when they haven't gained consent, then having to deal with the consequences of their actions. This didn't happen in this movie. Confused? Watch it and you'll see what I, and others, are talking about. That being said, it's really funny, but I'm conflicted by some parts of it!

Critics Reviews: This could have been an interesting movie about so many things with a weird, humorous vehicle for the plot. But instead, [Dear Mother] is just an embarrassing attempt to make light of something that isn’t funny under any circumstance. This comedy is often wacky and ridiculous, but too much of its chaos is too hard not to grimace at. Dear Mother is a consistently entertaining comedy designed to challenge sensibilities... although it's not for the weak. Beyond the pleasurable chaos of it all, the gags about female genitalia grow trite and juvenile - and not in a lovable way. "Out there," uneven and a little sluggish out of the gate, with some of the silly simply not translating or not coming across. But you will laugh, if only occasionally. But far from feeling exploitative, Dear Mother feels like a throwback to a looser era of big-screen comedies that were less prudish and socially conscious. You wouldn't want every film to be like this one, what a wildcard get roll but it's nice they're still being made! It absolutely won't be for everyone, especially not the easily offended, but bizarre act is French!

Source: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dear_mother/reviews

TRAVEL TO PLACES: SINGAPORE-- GRANDEUR PARK RESIDENCES

My Personal Experience: I went to the Grandeur Park Residences- Singapore Tanah Merah last August 6, 2022, together with my sister, husband and baby nephew whose home that time! We went there after going to Marina Bay Sands, my sister gave a proper tour to the place they lived in, its my first time seein' it and like how modern lookin' the pool area like your in a resort:)

Grandeur Park Residences

Grandeur Park Residences is a 99 years leasehold Condo development located in Bedok, District 16. Completed in 2020, it has a total of 6 blocks within the development and comprises a total of 722 units. It is within walking distance to MRT stations such as Tanah Merah MRT and Tanah Merah MRT, which provide residents easy access to other areas of Singapore. For young couples or families with children, Grandeur Park Residences is also close to schools like Bedok View Secondary School, Able Aquatic School and TW2 Education Consultancy. If you're wondering about what you can do around the area, residents can head to nearby supermarket!

Source: https://www.99.co/singapore/condos-apartments/grandeur-park-residences

TRAVEL TO MOVIES: ARMY OF THIEVES

Director: Matthias Schweighöfer

Cast: Matthias Schweighöfer, Nathalie Emmanuel , Ruby O.Fee , Stuart Martin , Trent Garrett , Gus Khan , Jonathan Cohen , Noémie Nakai , Barbara Meier , Christian Steyer , Dan Bradford

Plot: In this prequel to Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead, small-town bank teller Dieter gets drawn into the adventure of a lifetime when a mysterious woman recruits him to join a crew of Interpol's most wanted criminals, attempting to heist a sequence of legendary, impossible-to-crack safes across Europe.

Source: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/army_of_thieves

My Movie Review: The movie is a prequel we don't know we needed but a welcome addition to the world created in Army Of The Dead where precise timing and sychronicity to be all must! Army Of Thieves is a bit quirky and that make things exciting and fun competently shot and put together, the car chases, bank heist and action scenes are all decent they flow as they should:) The bits with the zombies are there but not over powering the heist and vault cracking remains to be the highlight in this feauture as well assemble team based on their expertise to do tasks! Although with this team it's giving Fast & Furious Vibe with Nathalie Emmanuel on command on what to be accomplish; sound effects and tone on the other is giving' 007 James Bond Vibe! The style and clothing in this movie are really commendable chic and effortlessly elegant from the slick coats to winter fur hat are adding layer to the characters both literally and fuguratively! It starts with Gwendoline Starr was a mysterious young woman who planned a series of heists targeting the masterpiece safes of Hans Wagner, Gwen was portrayed by Nathalie Emmanuel in Army of Thieves and was arrested at the end of the film, sacrificing herself to let Sebastian Dieter escape portrayed by Matthias Schweighöfer who became a instant international top star!

Critics Consensus: A prequel that benefits from being only loosely connected to anything we've already seen, this is a fun, light romp that leans on likeable characters rather than CG spectacle. It moves very quickly it's sharp. Army of Thieves doesn't reinvent the heist thriller, but director-star Matthias Schweighöfer proves an appealing presence on both sides of the camera. It's a likeable, generally pacey movie with some energetic action sequences (a chase through Prague borders on exciting) but its strength exposes its greatest weakness. Thanks to Schweighöfer's stylish, "Italian Job"-influenced directing, a sense of its own ridiculous nature and some fabulous performances by the charming and good-looking supporting cast, "Army of Thieves" is the very definition of entertaining... It's a glossy, new-school heist flick that's high on energy but low on sensible narrative... not to say there's nothing to recommend, Schweighöfer and Emmanuel are charming on screen, and the film's comedic notes brighten an otherwise overplayed story. A fun delightful heist movie that adds more to the world of the Army of the Dead & one of its characters. Was the film needed? No but was it delightful? Yes! Army of Thieves is great addition to the franchise! It's very fun film that you can enjoy' over a weekend:)

Source: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/army_of_thieves

TRAVEL TO PLACES: SINGAPORE-- APPLE STORE

My Personal Experience: I went to Outside the Apple Store - Singapore at Marina Bay Sands! last August 6, 2022, together with my sister, husband and baby nephew who I carry on as seen Apple Store is new to me last time I went here it isn't build yet it adds elegance and class to the Singapore Skyscrapers that's becoming even beautiful from everytime visit I made since 2011:)

Apple Store

The Apple Store at Marina Bay Sands is a unique landmark as the world's only Apple outlet surrounded by water. Besides the latest gadgets and sleek accessories, the store also offers a panoramic perspective of Singapore's breathtaking cityscape. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to capture instagrammable shot during your night run at this iconic running route in Singapore:)

Source: https://www.marinabaysands.com/outdoor-activities-around-marina-bay.html

TRAVEL TO MOVIES: HYPNOTIC

Directors: Matt Angel , Suzanne Coote

Cast: Kate Siegel , Jason O'Mara , Dulé Hill , Lucie Guest , Jaime M. Callica , Luc Roderique , Tanja Dixon-Warren , Devyn Dalton , Stephanie Cudmore , Darien Martin , Madeleine Kelders

Plot: A young woman seeking self-improvement enlists the help of a renowned hypnotherapist. But after a handful of intense sessions, she discovers unexpected and deadly consequences:)(

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12383460/

My Movie Review: The movie is captivating in the teaser centred on a woman trying to restore her life after a traumatic experience and is met by a doctor who suggests a hypnotic treatment! Kate Siegel is givin' that scream queen vibe in her red dress whose after a handful of intense sessions did discovers unexpected and deadly consequences she's good in this giving her all:) I just wish the story took more turns as the hypnotist engages her in a lethal game of mind manipulation they could have use this as an opportunity to create more scary scenes instead on focusing to the resolution towards the end felt rush and generic outcome if they just go a bit more it could make huge difference on how the viewer see things it can go artsy or more indie:) Jason O'Mara is a very good actor as well convincing as the manipulating doctor sometimes scary perhaps a bit sultry in talking for possible prospects especially to bit mature single ladies! Jenn Thompson has a friend who introduce Dr. Meade in the party Gina Kelman she's the one who convince Jenn to consult to Dr. Meade who have a tragic end as Dr. Meade calls Gina while she is driving and tells her, “This is how the world ends.” Gina, whose greatest phobia is spiders instantly hypnotized into believing there is a tarantula on her, she crashes car and dies! The ending of Hypnotic finds Jenn and Wade Rollins the detective discovering that Dr. Meade is actually named Julian Sullivan, Julian is the son of Dr. Xavier, a man involved in the CIA’s project during the 1960s as who taught his son Julian about hypnosis and hypnotic suggestion!

Critic Reviews: The narrative plays it too safe and straightforward, making for a serviceable but generic effort. What's actually going on here is so simple, yet so insane, that you wish the filmmakers had explored it for maximum screaming-at-the-screen enjoyment. This is the kind of made-for-cable-level movie where a pedestrian script (by Richard D'Ovidio) with the usual horror cliches is elevated by strong acting, no-nonsense direction and a couple of neat twists. While the resulting cat-and-mouse dynamic is predictable, particularly if you've ever watched a Lifetime movie, "Hypnotic" takes its cartoonishness to admirable heights. Given the widening discourse around mental health, you’d think Netflix would read the room. But instead, they’ve gone ahead and set the whole house on fire. It's certainly not the best choice as a release to watch with Halloween right around the corner. The performances from this wonderful cast go well beyond the shallow script and illogical story. Slickly produced and coolly shot, Hypnotic is all surface. A dire attempt at a psychological thriller so mired in predictability you often wish for a zombie apocalypse to liven things up...Why is the woman always on the wrong end? Couldn't they have reversed the genders, or made the shrink a woman as well? It feels like one of those 70s psychological thrillers... dealing with that weird pop psychology. Hypnotic is anything but!?!

Source: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hypnotic