Schindler’s List

Schindler’s List

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Thomas Keneally (book), Steven Zaillian (screenplay)
Stars: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Ben Kingsley
Release year: 1993
Language: English, Hebrew, German
Synopsis: Oskar Schindler is a vainglorious and greedy German businessman who becomes unlikely humanitarian amid the barbaric Nazi reign when he feels compelled to turn his factory into a refuge for Jews. Based on the true story of Oskar Schindler who managed to save about 1100 Jews from being gassed at the Auschwitz concentration camp. A testament for the good in all of us.

Jeon Woo Chi

Jeon Woo Chi

Director: Dong-Hoon Choi
Writer: Dong-Hoon Choi
Stars: Dong-won Kang, Yun-seok Kim, Su-jeong Lim and Hyo-jin Kim
Release year: 2009
Language: Korean
Synopsis: Jeon Woo-chi, an undisciplined womanizing Taoist from the Joseon era, ends up in present day Korea causing mayhem with his knack for magic.

Pan’s Labyrinth

El laberinto del fauno

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Writer: Guillermo del Toro
Stars: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil and Sergi López
Release year: 2006
Language: Spanish
Synopsis: In 1944 fascist Spain, a girl, fascinated with fairy-tales, is sent along with her pregnant mother to live with her new stepfather, a ruthless captain of the Spanish army. During the night, she meets a fairy who takes her to an old faun in the center of the labyrinth. He tells her she’s a princess, but must prove her royalty by surviving three gruesome tasks. If she fails, she will never prove herself to be the the true princess and will never see her real father, the king, again.

Shawshank Redemption

the shawshank redemption

Director: Frank Darabont
Writers: Stephen King (short story “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”), Frank Darabont (screenplay)
Stars: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman and Bob Gunton
Release year: 1994
Language: English
Synopsis: Andy Dufresne is a young and successful banker whose life changes drastically when he is convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife and her lover. Set in the 1940’s, the film shows how Andy, with the help of his friend Red, the prison entrepreneur, turns out to be a most unconventional prisoner.

Inglourious Basterds

Inglourious Basterds poster

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writers: Quentin Tarantino
Stars: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger and Eli Roth
Release year: 2009
Language: English, German, French, Italian
Synopsis: In Nazi-occupied France, young Jewish refugee Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses the slaughter of her family by Colonel Hans Landa. Narrowly escaping with her life, she plots her revenge several years later when German war hero Fredrick Zoller takes a rapid interest in her and arranges an illustrious movie premiere at the theater she now runs. With the promise of every major Nazi officer in attendance, the event catches the attention of the “Basterds”, a group of Jewish-American guerilla soldiers led by the ruthless Lt. Aldo Raine. As the relentless executioners advance and the conspiring young girl’s plans are set in motion, their paths will cross for a fateful evening that will shake the very annals of history.

The Pianist

The Pianist, Wladyslaw Szpilman

Director: Roman Polanski
Writers: Ronald Harwood (screenplay), Wladyslaw Szpilman (based on the book by)
Stars: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann and Frank Finlay
Release year: 2002
Language: English, German, Russian
Synopsis: A brilliant pianist, a Polish Jew, witnesses the restrictions Nazis place on Jews in the Polish capital, from restricted access to the building of the Warsaw ghetto. As his family is rounded up to be shipped off to the Nazi labor camps, he escapes deportation and eludes capture by living in the ruins of Warsaw.

Movie: City of God Review

click to enlarge

Director: Fernando Meirelles
Writers: Paulo Lins (novel), Bráulio Mantovani (screenplay)
Stars: Alexandre Rodrigues, Matheus Nachtergaele and Leandro Firmino
Release year: 2002
Language: Portuguese
Synopsis: Brazil, 1960’s, City of God. The Tender Trio robs motels and gas trucks. Younger kids watch and learn well…too well. 1970’s: Li’l Zé has prospered very well and owns the city. He causes violence and fear as he wipes out rival gangs without mercy. His best friend Bené is the only one to keep him on the good side of sanity. Rocket has watched these two gain power for years, and he wants no part of it. Yet he keeps getting swept up in the madness. All he wants to do is take pictures. 1980’s: Things are out of control between the last two remaining gangs…will it ever end? Welcome to the City of God.

His name’s Forrest, Forrest Gump

forrest gump film poster

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writers: Winston Groom (novel), Eric Roth (screenplay)
Stars: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise
Production year: 1994
Language: English
Synopsis: Forrest, Forrest Gump is a simple man with a low IQ but good intentions. He is running through childhood with his best and only friend Jenny. His ‘mama’ teaches him the ways of life and leaves him to choose his destiny. Forrest joins the army for service in Vietnam, finding new friends called Dan and Bubba, he wins medals, creates a famous shrimp fishing fleet, inspires people to jog, starts a ping-pong craze, create the smiley, write bumper stickers and songs, donating to people and meeting the president several times. However this is all irrelevant to Forrest who can only think of his childhood sweetheart Jenny. Who has messed up her life. Although in the end all he wants to prove is that anyone can love anyone.

3 Idiots : All is Well

3 Idiots movie poster

 

Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Writers: Vidhu Vinod Chopra (screenplay),Abhijit Joshi & Rajkumar Hirani (story)
Stars: Aamir Khan, Madhavan, Sharman Joshi and Kareena Kapoor
Production year: 2009
Language: Hindi
Synopsis: Farhan Qureshi and Raju Rastogi want to re-unite with their fellow collegian, Rancho, after faking a stroke abroad an Air India plane, and excusing himself from his wife – trouser less – respectively. Enroute, they encounter another student, Chatur Ramalingam, now a successful businessman, who reminds them of a bet they had undertaken 10 years ago. The trio, while recollecting hilarious antics, including their run-ins with the Dean of Delhi’s Imperial College of Engineering, Viru Sahastrabudhe, race to locate Rancho, at his last known address – little knowing the secret that was kept from them all this time.

You Are the Apple of My Eye

那些年，我们一起追的女 poster

 

Director: Giddens Ko
Writer: Giddens Ko (novel)
Stars: Zhendong Ke, Michelle Chen and Owodog
Production year: 2011
Language: Mandarin
Synopsis: Ko-Teng has several close friends who had a crush on Shen Chia-Yi. Those friends of Ko’s thus moved in unison from Ching Chengs junior high school straight into the senior high school division in pursuit of her. Naughty in nature, Ko was ordered by their homeroom teacher to sit in front of honor student Shen for her to keep close tabs on him. The two hadn’t hit it off at first but Ko gradually fell for Shen, who was always pressuring him to study hard. On the other hand, Shen became impressed by the contrasting values Ko represented. Ko started pursuing Shen but Shen remained hesitant.