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PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY January 16 - 31, 2019
By Alan Samuel
Love knows no bounds. Watch
the sparks fly as an illicit love affair
stokes flames through the decades in
the enticing head-turning Cold War.
Presented by Amazon Studios and
Mongrel Media this film zeroes in on
fun between the sheets against the
backdrop of Communist dictatorships.
See the tension and passion build at
The Fifth Avenue Cinema and select
Cineplex Cinemas across B.C.
Just nominated for a best
foreign language film Oscar our story
begins and ends in Poland. At an
elegant school for gifted musicians
we see how young people from all
over the country are “groomed “to
reach the highest levels of perfection
and presentation. Here the musical
director, a man of impeccable good
will and upbringing has a “taste” for
young talent. When the 30s something
Wiktor locks eyes on blonde teen Zula
it’s love at first sight. Well sort of. Both
Tomasz Kot and Joanna Kulig bring
lots of passion to the table as their
Cold War (PG) ***
Trapped!
illicit love affair runs hot and cold.
Set in the heady arts colony
of 1940s police state Poland and
then Bohemian Paris these two love-
lorn lovebirds must navigate through
various troubled waters to conceal
their affair. Whether it’s confounding
government authorities who yearn
for music and production numbers
heralding the achievements of the
state or facing off against other
amorous advances Cold War hits all
the right notes.
Scintillating cinematography
breathing life into smoke filled jazzy
bistros, elaborately staged production
numbers highlighting the youth of the
countryside, smooth songs that grow
on you and enticing performances
perfectly maneuvering through a
changing Eastern Europe make Cold
War appealing to watch. Citizens
coming to terms with dictatorships
and democracy pre and post war
leave you wanting more of Cold War.
Call it a perfect love story set among
the ruins.
Serenity (PG) ***
Lost at Sea!
Wild. Weird. Wet. Wonderful.
And Unpredictable. Boy those
words shed light on a peculiar fun
journey called Serenity. Some sleight
of hand direction and writing by
director Steven Knight keeps things
interesting and afloat in this buoyant
yarn from Elevation Pictures now
setting sail at select Cineplex Cinemas
and Landmark screens across British
Columbia.
Pay attention or you may
get lost at sea as one down on
his luck fisherman makes time by
plumbing the depths off of Plymouth
Island somewhere on the east coast.
Handsome Oscar winning actor
Mathew McConaughey ( The Newton
Boy) leaves behind that good old boy
aw shucks persona to play Baker Dill.
Dreams are big for Dill as he
has a fascination for catching the big
one. The one that got away continues
to haunt him as does a hidden past
that from out of the blue returns. Lost
at sea and trapped in an unbelievable
mind game it’s certainly unique how
Director Knight concocts a mind-
blowing set of characters whose
impact on one another is chilling.
There’s nothing at all
serene about Serenity as nerves
become frayed with no one knowing
what will happen next. Build-up and
unpredictability makes for good
whodunnits and here the pacing and
suspense is just right. Strong back-up
support from the likes of Oscar winning
Anne Hathaway ( The Devil Wears
Prada) and Diane Lane ( Secretariat)
elevates this unique drama to a higher
plane. Call it a film noire set at sea
with potential port side indiscretions
Leah’s a possibility. McConaughey
with or without a shirt looks fine and
his troubled messed up character is
well drawn and effective.
TEST NO. 5: ART & CULTURE
1. What prolific artist sai, “Give me a
museum anf I’ll fill it”?
a. Leonardo da Vinci
b. Pablo Picasso
2. During the wedding ceremony, the
church part where the bride walks down the
altar is actually called ‘nave’ not aisle.
a.
True
b.
False
3.
Who won the only beauty contest mentioned in the Bible?
a.
Esther
b.
Salome
c.
Naomi
d.
Rachel
4.
Established in 1454, the world’s largest trade fair for books is
held annually in what European city?
a.
Brussels
b.
Helsinki
c.
Frankfurt
d.
Edinburg
5.
In Hinduism and Jainism, a ‘bindi’ is a mark usually worn on
what part of the body?
Back
a.
b.
Nose
c.
Hand
d.
Forehead
6.
In photography, what Japanese=derived term refers to the
aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the image’s out-of-focus
areas?
In mythology, who knew the answer to the riddle of the Sphinx
7.
but unknowingly married his own mother?
What monthly, magazine was named for the man considered as
8.
the first systematic collector of strange and unexplained phenomena?
What’s the English translation of the Latin aphorism “Scientia est
9.
potentia”?
Name the 1970 work by British author Len Deighton that was
10.
the first novel written on a word processor.
ANSWERS NEXT PAGE
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