Veron The Reviewer

“The Call” (2020) 是一套很緊張的 驚悚電影，講述兩個生在不同時空的女人可以通過一個電話對話，反派角色很夠瘋狂，劇情上的變化還算做的不錯。特顯事件已經發生重大改變的視覺效果也頗特別，而 雖然故事不是很新鮮，這套電影還是算做得很好，值得一看。 The Call (2020) is a tense thriller about two women communicating over a phone but with a time-bending spin, featuring a very deranged villain and some familiar but well-executed plot twists. The visuals denoting a change in the timeline is also quite inventive, and while the film isn't very original, it was quite well done and I really recommend this film.  “Athena”  (2022) 是一套動作/ 驚悚電影，講述發生在法國一個住宅區的內亂事件，電影有幾段都是用長鏡頭拍攝的，讓觀眾可以完全地投入電影建構的環境。可是電影的故事和人物都缺乏足夠的深度，在於這一種滿政治色彩的題材，這一點就更加明顯了。 雖然如此，電影在技術上的設計和鋪排都非常出色，單靠這一點，如果你想看一套刺激和猶如身歷其境的動作電影，我仍然會推薦“Athena”。 Athena (2022) is an action thriller focused on civil unrest in and around a housing estate in France, featuring several long takes without any cuts, giving a heightened sense of immersion into the world of the film. However, the story and characters were quite thin and, while politically charged, di...

“Good Luck To You, Leo Grande” 是一套喜劇電影，由Sophie Hyde 執導。整套電影的劇情幾乎都在一間酒店房間裡發生，講述Nancy（Emma Thompson）聘請了一個年輕的性工作者Leo Grande（Daryl McCormack）以協助自己尋找性滿足。 電影的兩個主要演員都演得非常好。Emma Thompson的演技當然毋庸置疑，但Daryl McCormack 都演得出色和自然。兩個角色一邊說出各自跟家人複雜的關係、兩人對Leo身為性工作者的看法和Nancy對於探索自己的性慾的忐忑，一邊慢慢令Nancy漸漸放鬆，擁抱自己的身體。這套電影亦以非常人性化的眼光看兩位主角，而不是用批判的角度描寫他們的抉擇和人格。電影焦聚焦着一個較年老的女人的性慾，帶出年老的人仍然可以有新的性體驗和從中得到滿足感。滿足感畢竟就是這套電影的其中一個核心，道出這兩個截然不同的人在生活上其實都缺乏一點滿足的感覺，並都把真正的自己藏起來，不過經過他們共同的經歷，兩人都對自己和對生活增添了滿足。 “Good Luck To You, Leo Grande” 是一套非常風趣和真誠的喜劇電影，用一個輕鬆和正面的態度探討性慾和家庭關係，Emma Thompson 和 Daryl McCormack的演出令這電影更加昇華。 我非常推薦這套電影，絕對不容錯過！ "Good Luck To You, Leo Grande" is a comedy-drama film directed by Sophie Hyde. Set almost entirely in a hotel room, the film focuses on the frustrations and anxieties of Nancy (Emma Thompson) as she hires young sex worker Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack) to find a sense of sexual satisfaction. The film is anchored by the strong performances from its two leads, with Daryl McCormack's performance m...

“Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.” 是一套喜劇電影，由 “The Edge of Seventeen” 導演 Kelly Fremon Craig 執導，改編自Judy Blume 1970年出版的同名小說。電影的故事發生在1970年，講述女孩Margaret（Abby Ryder Fortson）成長的經歷，要面對青春期的來臨。面對著種種困難，縱使她還未清楚自己的宗教定位，Margaret開始跟上帝「對話」。 電影非常輕鬆，而電影用了很寫實的手法表達和探討的對青春期各種變化感到的焦慮。眾演員的演出都非常出色，尤其是幾位較年輕、飾演Margaret和她的朋友的演員，他們都演得很自然和真實，成功捕捉到年輕人對成長的不安和盼望。Abby Ryder Fortson 的演出令觀眾能夠感受到Margaret對內在和外在種種改變的忐忑。 “Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.” 是一套輕鬆和扣人心弦的喜劇電影，既有一個簡單而且永遠能夠令人窩心的故事，又有Abby Ryder Fortson的一個非常精湛的演出。我絕對推薦這套電影，適合全家人一起觀看。千萬不要錯過！ "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." is a comedy-drama film directed by Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge of Seventeen), based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Judy Blume. The story, set in 1970 as per the novel, is simple enough, concerning the coming-of-age of Margaret as she comes to terms with the looming changes of puberty. To cope, she begins to "talk" to God about her anxieties as she navigates all the difficulties she faces, al...

Normal People 是一套12集的電視劇，改編自Sally Rooney的同名小說，講述Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones 飾演）和 Connell（Paul Mescal 飾演）兩人之間藕斷絲連的關係及他們在成長過程中共同面對的問題，包括他們是否被朋輩認同和接受以及兩人分別在自尊和想對方表達自己意願的困難。 雖然劇情有點憂憂的，這套劇集的節奏還是比較明快，大概30分鐘就看完一集了，而且情節都集中在Marianne 和 Connell 的關係之中的細節上，令兩人的關係顯得更加真實。 這套劇集有很多親密場面， 但是主要都是用來令觀眾更加投入劇情或者用來描述角色的精神狀況。 Normal People 特別出色的是它的劇本令觀眾很快便了解和同情兩位主角的處境。即使 Marianne 和 Connell都做出一些錯誤或者被人質疑的決定， 但這不就是成長時必須經過的嗎？ 劇集亦都著眼於兩位主角作出抉擇背後的心理因素和動機，尤其探討兩人用不同方法表達他們其實都缺乏自我價值。 這些對主角內心的剖析更加令觀眾能夠投入兩個主角的處境和內心的感受。 Daisy Edgar-Jones 和 Paul Mescal 兩人的演出可以說是無械可擊，兩位演員都令到他們的角色有一種像是很現實地流露真性情的感覺，令Marianne和Connell的關係活靈活現，讓觀眾更加明白兩位角色內心的想法 和慾望。 我認為Normal People 是一套非常動人的劇集，這當然是歸功於兩位主演演員的演出以及劇集能夠深入地探討一段關係的發展和種種的心理鬱結。因此，我絕對推介Normal People，甚至認為是必看劇集！ Normal People, based on the novel of the same name by Sally Rooney, is a 12-part drama series starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal as Marianne and Connell respectively, two young people who develop a deeply emotional and complicated relationship as they navigate various diffi...

Hunger (2023) 是一套Netflix 電影， 故事 發生在泰國，講述一個年輕女子Aoy天天幫父親開的食檔炒麵，但有一天有人邀請她加入名廚Paul的團隊，這正是Aoy夢寐以求的機會。Aoy起初很不習慣烹調Paul的高級菜式，不過經過不斷的努力，她在Paul的團隊終於能夠有立足之地。然而，這一切只是事情的開端，Aoy慢慢在高級烹飪世界爬升的同時，亦漸漸發現真正成功脫穎而出的代價…… 這套電影雖然有點長，故事亦不是很新鮮，但角色的演繹和對烹飪情節的拍攝手法令Hunger 頗特別，值得一看。Hunger亦令我不禁想起一套題材表面上類似的電影：The Menu (2022)。兩套電影同樣是探討高級烹飪的黑暗面，帶出很多人會為了追夢而犧牲快樂或違背良心，但The Menu 明顯是恐怖片或驚悚片，而Hunger卻只是用了一點驚悚片的拍攝手法，但其實是一套劇情片。Hunger的節奏較慢一點，亦相對比較輕鬆和樂觀；The Menu 就較沉重，氣氛和情節都比較黑暗。其實兩套電影我都覺得不錯，但The Menu略有點誇張。 反思這兩套電影的題材令我想到每個人都要有自己的夢想和興趣，而能夠把個人的夢想、興趣和工作結合起來當然是很完美的，但是亦要記住保持對工作和興趣的熱誠，否則工作就只會變成一個不帶來快樂的過程； 記住不能為名利而出賣良心， 否則夢想和工作的結合就會扭曲了，變成一個只是用來得到利益的工具，自己也會變成一個空殼。所以，我覺得無論做什麼工作也好（烹飪、寫作、 設計等等），最重要是保持熱誠和良心。 Hunger (2023) is a Netflix film set in Thailand about a young woman named Aoy who helps with her father's small eatery, frying noodles every day. One day, she is invited to go for a job working in the kitchen of the famous Chef Paul, a job opportunity she has been yearning for to get away from the monotony of it all. Aoy starts her tenu...

《齮齕人生》“Beef”是一套黑色喜劇電視劇。故事講述Danny和Amy，兩個生活圈子截然不同的人，因為在停車場差點發生意外，令兩人陷入互相報復的漩渦，從而帶出兩人對生活的不滿和對過去的遺憾。 故事看似簡單，但是 其實 透過兩個主角的遭遇， 深入地探討兩人的心理。 分別飾演 Danny 和 Amy 的 Steven Yuen 和 Ali Wong 都演得非常好，演出引人入勝，令兩位主角活靈活現。所有主要角色都很塑造得很深入，而雖然他們大多數在性格上都有重大的缺陷，角色的刻畫會令觀眾仍然同情他們的處境。劇集的笑點十足，故事的節奏輕快，沒有放慢的一刻。 《齮齕人生》“Beef” 是一套非常傑出的黑色戲劇電視劇，對角色刻畫得很深，探討憤怒和抑鬱，但同時非常富有 幽默感。我絕對推薦 《齮齕人生》“Beef”，非常值得一看！ “Beef” is a dark comedy television series available on Netflix. The story focuses on Danny and Amy, two very different people who, thanks to a near-accident in a parking lot, fall into a destructive spiral of revenge against each other as they explore their issues with anger and regret. The story seems simple enough, but the real meat of the story is delving deep into the lead characters' psychology through the various events that happen to them. Steven Yuen and Ali Wong gave very engaging performances as Danny and Amy respectively. All the major characters are very well-rounded and thoroughly explored, and even if most of th...

A science-fiction thriller with a more deliberate, philosophical undercurrent, Sunshine is a remarkable movie concerning a bunch of scientists and astronauts attempting to use a massive bomb to "restart" the dying sun. The visuals are gorgeous, the script, courtesy of Alex Garland who later wrote and directed Ex Machina and Annihilation, is quite intellectual and focused more on realism and the questions of morality that the characters face as things go wrong and resources dwindle. There are brave sacrifices and queries of which crew member is more valuable to the mission, all within a framework of plausible science. The score by John Murphy is also great, and a particular track ("Adagio in D Minor") is instantly iconic. Every actor feels very believable in their roles, and while the characters don't have a lot of depth and are largely defined by their contributions to the expedition, the actors' performances help make their characters come to life and feel ...