Penny Tai (On the Way Home (回家路上)) Album Review

Malaysian singer, Penny Tai’s new album On the Way Home (回家路上) is by far one of the best albums she has ever produced.

The album takes me by surprise with Tai’s soothing vocals and her breaking out of her comfort zone and experimenting something different than her previous albums.

In On the Way Home (回家路上) she returns to her root and be proud of who she is and what made her today.

It’s pretty amazing, too, to see Tai opts for a total image change (though not always the better). I’ve always like her MVs too. She has that think-out-of-the-box spirit when it comes to making her own MV (music videos) and uses plenty of natural lighting to enhance the mood of her song.

So far, the album has been quite a surprise and each time the experience is different from the previous one.

The lyrics are amazing and almost lyrical, if you’d allowed me. There’s always a story and that’s important.

Pretty loveable, eccentric (in a good way) and a happy-go-lucky, On the Way Home (回家路上) is made just for anyone.

Rating: 4/5

Ko Chen-Tung (Be Yourself) Album Review

Newcomer Ko Chen-Tung of Gidden Ko’s You Are the Apple of My Eyes fame has finally released his debut album, Be Yourself.

Now, as much as I like that lad, his debut album, made merely-passable to calm hardcore fans, didn’t quite make the cut among music critics.

Be Yourself is somewhat an album that’s here but not really there. Its a fun album, yes, but Ko’s voice lacks the power to capture listeners for the first time. If anything, his voice sounds “too sweet” to blend in with the slow-rock melody.

Ko has that clean voice, that a lot of artists today lack off, and that’s where the problem lies. Instead of experimenting with different vocals, the entire album sounds almost the same, that its boring…

No offence, really, but song like Be My Baby lacks the raspy-emotional vocal, that one would hope for.

Much to my disappointment Ko is playing too safe on his side. What happened to that I’ve-got-nothing-to-loose-brat in that movie, You Are the Apple of My Eyes?

Too safe, lacking an impressive vocal and bland, Be Yourself is made solely for fans. There is very little to expect from the album itself and even lesser from Ko himself.

Let’s just hope that things will get better for Ko next time, when he releases his second EP – if there is any.

Rating: 3/5

Quick update

What I do so far: I am an entertainment writer, entertainment journalist, lifestyle writer, fashion writer and travel journalist.

Besides this, I also do movie, music and food reviews both as a freelancer and full-time writer.

I can be contacted via email at loong.waiting@gmail.com

Movie Review: Black Swan (2011)

As published in Malay Mail

Expectations are high for the Oscar-nominated film Black Swan (the film was also nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Cinema­tography and Best Film Editing).

Even though this movie is the talk of Holly­wood-town and has be hailed by many critics as a must-watch movie, Black Swan still falls in the acquired-taste sort of genre. In fact, it won’t be a surprise if many movie-goers end up cursing the filmmaker.

For this reviewer, the movie is both poetic and sad, that any regular fans might find it hard to digest. Black Swan dwells too much on the emotion; and its approach is slightly raw by our local standards.

However, the dark and yet compelling storytelling might as well turn the story into an instant hit among fans.

The story revolves around Nina (Natalie Portman) who is a ballerina at a prestigious New York City ballet compa­ny; and like most ballerinas, she strives to be a perfect and flawless dancer.

Read the rest of the entry HERE

Raymond Lam Come To Me Live in Malaysia 2011

This post is specially dedicated to a friend, who is a huge fan of Raymond Lam, with a little message: “Don’t worry, he’ll be back for a promo in March.”

Here are some shots I took from the concert:

My favourite shot of the night

Movie Review: The King’s Speech (2011)

Watched “The King’s Speech” today, and boy, what a story, really!

No, I don’t mean the bad reviews, but “The King’s Speech” really gets into its centre point. The story is simple, straight to the point; though I must admit, that the whole plot is pretty predictable right from the beginning. It’s a matter of how the director arranges his ensembles and how he fits those pieces together.

The movie is picture-perfect, making it too good to even look at. Yes, there’s a pun there. The picture-perfect quality gives it another plus point, even you hate the whole idea and plot. Simply put it, even if you dislike the story, you can still marvel at the cinematography.

The story starts off shakily, where it appears to be draggy in the beginning before settling in into some final scores. The result is simply marvelous. There are a lot of familiar faces throughout the movie, but three main leads (Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush) stand out the most. Oh, it’s such a relief to be able to see Carter plays a “more normal” role, and she shows us that she hasn’t lost any of her magical touch – be it a subtle or weird roles.

The movie boost an excellent camerawork, playing mostly with “the rule of third.”  The effect is magical and stunning.

“The King’s Speech” isn’t for everyone, though. If you enjoy melodramatic work, this is the perfect treat for you. And unless you don’t mind a slow story, the movie can be enjoyable. Otherwise, my advice is, stay out of the majesty’s way.

Movie Review: Sanctum (2011)

I went for a preview of ‘Sanctum’ this morning at the cinema, and I almost collapsed and died of asphyxiation on my seat – right there and then.

Yes, it’s a movie but the intensity is so real that whenever the actors loses their breathing tank, I feel like fighting for air and will claw at anything just to get that one single breath.

‘Sanctum’ is about a group of cave explorers who were trapped in a cave, when the area was hit by tropical cyclone. The movie explores the possibility of human’s instinct to survive.

‘Sanctum,’ like most Hollywood’s disaster film, it gauges on what we’re mist afraid of. A big endless, unexplored cave; dumped in some water and throw in some panicky actors and you have an instant hit. But really, who would have care whether he or she survives or not, it’s a movie for goodness sake! But let me assure you: just like reality, the intensity is real.

The story is good but I still find parts of it missing. What happened to the rest of the crew on the surface? Where are the rescue mission that comes just in time like you see in all Hollywood movies? Err… Nevermind that.

Rhys Wakefield did an excellent job acting alongside Richard Roxburgh as his son. Both display great father and son chemistry onscreen. I totally loath Richard’s character, when he acted alongside Michelle Yeoh in ‘Silverhawk.’ Here in ‘Sanctum’ he is likable throughout.

It is a relief to see annoying characters get written off the fastest the writers can. And they don’t always get to die in the nicest way.

For those who prefers to stay dry but longed for an adventure, I highly recommend ‘Sanctum’ for an adrenaline-infused fun. Do watch out, though, as ‘Sanctum’ is not for the faint-hearted and claustrophobic individuals.

Till then, happy cave-diving!

Movie Review: What Women Want (2011)

As published in Cinema Online

Fancy watching Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau dresses up as a woman, complete with a pair of high heels? Or what about him experimenting with sanitary pad?

Those are some of the highlights you get to see in Andy’s latest romantic comedy flick, “What Women Want”. A remake of Hollywood’s version with the same title starring Mel Gibson, this Hong Kong version is deemed as more subtle until to a certain point it becomes too ‘dry.’

But of course, the movie has its own funny moments. And those funny scenes are often a direct result from poking fun on issues faced by women everyday.

Almost half of the entire cast is from mainland China, and it’s bad to see all of the cast are dubbed in Cantonese. At times it appears that the lips and movement did not sync with the original words mouthed by the actors.

That aside, despite some of the bad reviews received during the show, this reviewer thinks that this is generally a good attempt to make a romantic comedy without being too forceful. This could be a good start for this year’s romantic flick.

And as usual, the only watchable performances are put up by the two main actors – Andy Lau and Gong Li. The pair shows a comfortable natural chemistry on-screen, it almost feels like watching a real office drama unfolds.

All in all, “What Women Want” is passable for general viewing. The story is simple, straightforward and comical. It is more of an acquired-taste kind of movie. It’s either you love it as the movie progresses or you loath it till the very end. Do watch with an open mind.

Movie Review: All’s Well End’s Well (2011)

As published in Cinema Online
“All’s Well End’s Well” is passably funny, quirky yet it is a bit too familiar to begin with. A lot of its funny scenes or hilarious moments are borrowed from famous movies like “Ip Man” and “Inception”. Not only that, the movie’s attempt to create more funny moments did not quite make the cut. Its reference to movies and personalities seem forceful but comical, nonetheless.

One problem surrounding this movie is that some of its cast seems to be cast for the wrong role and definitely with the wrong title. Such an example would be that this reviewer thinks by casting Donnie Yen as a professional make-up artist is not only weird but does not make sense at all.

At the very least, other big names like Louis Koo, Carina Lau, Chapman To and Cecilia Cheung did a commendable job in bringing the best out of their characters.

“All’s Well Ends Well 2011” apparently comes with a better plot for this premise as compared to the previous year’s movie. The director made it quite clear of his direction of the storyline and that is simple and easy to follow for potential viewers.

Overall, “All’s Well End’s Well 2011” is recommended for pure entertainment only. Do give this a try if one would not mind seeing Donnie Yen putting a fight on the silver screen – with make-up that is.

Movie Review: Mr & Mrs Incredible (2011)

As published in Cinema Online

Just when you least expect it, “Mr & Mrs Incredible” hits you right across the face. The premise, slated for release this coming Chinese New Year is surprisingly funny, entertaining and pleasant throughout.

Given that it is a Vincent Kok film, expect limitless nonsense slapsticks thrown in together with some witty lines and quirky personas by Louis Koo and Sandra Ng. The pair has proven to be a perfect match to be in a comedy together. It’s like re-watching some of Stephen Chow’s earlier ‘mo lei tau’ comedies starring the late Anita Mui.

This reviewer cringes every time a seemingly ‘super effect’ is used in a Hong Kong movie but for “Mr & Mrs Incredible”, the effects come out right at the perfect moment. It is never too little or being overdone for that matter.

The plot starts out right where it is beautifully executed, but disaster strikes almost towards the end. At times it feels like its being hastily done while more and more nonsense gets thrown in.

And as usual the movie is made to suit the festive mood. It relies heavily on bright colours and happy people to set the movie’s mood and theme.

If there is any movie lovers who would want to give this movie a go, do watch it with an open mind – that way this movie will be truly enjoyed just like this reviewer did. Pleasant from the beginning till the end, “Mr & Mrs Incredible” is highly recommended for endless entertaining fun.