THOMAS PODVIN’S FREELANCE WORK
Freelance writer - translator - Editor

An airplane crashes on a remote island somewhere in the South Pacific. From then on, it's clear that Lost is surfing on 9/11 sediment – an adrenaline rush that terrorizes without respite. Forty-seven passengers survive the crash and soon embark on a crash course on – what else? – survival. Of course, that doesn't leave any time over for wondering why they crashed, but no matter. The environment is hostile, à la Survivor, and this is actually the show's appeal: reality TV never looked so good. For character development (and to avoid the boring and repetitive sets that eventually sank Gilligan's Island) viewers are offered convenient flashbacks that poke into the survivor's past. If the concept sounds intriguing, well, sad to say, it's ruined in part by cheap gimmicks (music video sequences) which intrude upon and destroy the suspense. The series also suffers from the Matrix syndrome – as the episodes mount up the viewer becomes lost and frustrated by an increasingly convoluted plot. Too many questions are asked and very few answers are given. Our advice, watch this multiple Emmy-Award winner if you must, but don't watch too many episodes in a row.
Touchstone Television

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
December 2005 issue

"When your city is no longer your city, history can turn the right man to the wrong choice." With its opening sentence, Everlasting Regret hooks the viewer and for the next 115 minutes never lets go. And what a history it is, though the quote is misleading. This is a woman's tale set in Shanghai over a 40 year period, a period of marvelous historical change. Hong-Kong singer/actress Sammi Cheng plays Wang Qiyao, in her best role to date, taking her from a young beauty-pageant winner in the glamorous 1940s to her days as a simple housewife and mother in the post-Mao area. Released in the Chinese mainland as To Live, To Love, the film is based on Wang Anyi's Changhen Ge, an influential, award-winning novel written in the 1990s. Both the movie and the book shine with nostalgia. In the film the city's past is wonderfully recreated by Hong-Kong director Stanley Kwan and production designer William Chang (in large part responsible for the beauty in films by Wong Kar-wai). Everlasting Regret is influenced by both Wong's In the Mood for Love and Zhang Yimou's To Live, but in the end it is a work that stands on its own, an exquisite and bitter tale of a woman, that like Shanghai itself, is like no other.
Shanghai Film Studios

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
December 2005 issue

In this sequel to 1998's The Mask of Zorro – a vehicle for Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones – little remains of the original legend of Zorro but the title. Zorro was a California folk hero, a noble, yet modest, man who fought against injustice. Johnston McCulley first introduced the character in a serialized story The Curse of Capistrano in 1919. A number of TV-series and films have related his adventures since, including the notable 1957-59 TV-series Walt Disney's Zorro and the 1975 feature film Zorro, starring Alain Delon.
In this version, Zorro is full of himself: macho, arrogant and selfish. As such, Banderas is more exasperating than ever. What's more, the attempts to modernize the myth, however admirable, fall victim to just about every cliché and obvious emotional triggers imaginable. Of course this spoils the pace of an already very long adventure (2:10). Clearly, this movie is aimed at the youth market, full, as it is with too broad humor, a far too predictable plot with childish subplots, a showy hero, a cardboard baddy and overly-theatrical, unrealistic swordplay. Fun for the kiddies, maybe, but no laughing matter for adults.
Columbia Pictures

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
December 2005 issue

Anthony Zimmer is a rich, smart gangster hunted by the formidable and feared combined forces of the French police, ex-KGB members and the Russian mafia. But he’s a slippery chap whose only weakness seems to be his sexy thirty-something girlfriend Chiara (Sophie Marceau). Like the Kaiser Soze character in Bryan Springer’s The Usual Suspects we never get to meet Zimmer, though we learn about him through Chiara. Marceau (Braveheart, The World is Not Enough) is spot on with her performance, at times reminiscent of Linda Fiorentino’s femme fatale in The Last Seduction, though she’s let down by the plot which is too straightforward. What’s more, director Jérôme Salle seems to like to show as many gratuitously naked bodies as possible (or at least scantily clad ones). Still, the cheap thrills, plus Marceau, will leave the film’s male audience captivated throughout, if only for two hours.
TF1/Studio Canal

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
November 2005 issue

As if the world hasn’t enough real-life terrorism, here we go, once again, with a new terrorist-loaded season of 24. Kiefer Sutherland is back as Jack Bauer and, this time around, he must deal with not one, but several threats to national security. All to be done and dusted within 24 hours of course. Ho hum. The series has become all too predictable – it’s easy to tell when someone is about to be tortured or killed, all for the sake of the nation, if you please. That said, the show does have its moments: clock-ticking, gripping scenes, and paralyzing tension are conveyed with great effect through clever editing and hand-held cameras.
But the main draw here is bad guy Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy), a villain whose cunning puts him one step ahead of Bauer. Strange that such a charismatic terrorist should feature so prominently on the hawkish Fox network. Maybe they’re trying to tell us something.
20th Century Fox Television

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
November 2005 issue

While Ice Age was irreverent, witty and tasteful, this follow up by the same team of animators lacks the same qualities. Where did they go wrong? The film was cooked from the same recipe – simple story, technical wizardry and a gag a minute – but unlike its predecessor, Robots isn’t nearly innovative enough for an adult audience. Children, however, will find enough bits and bolts to chew on as evidenced by the film’s box office success – a respectable USD 36.5 million in its opening weekend (though still short of Ice Age’s record breaking USD 46.3 million). The plot is simple enough – robot Rodney Copperbottom leaves Rivettown to make it big in Robot City, but will the evil Ratchet put a spanner in his works (or a ratchet perhaps)? Expensive production and all-star cast providing the voices (Ewan McGregor, Robin Williams, Halle Berry et al.) add up to cheap divertissement.
Blue Sky/Fox Animation Studios

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
November 2005 issue

Guanzhou Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
November 2005 issue

A woman loses control after realizing she cannot recognize her own husband. Meanwhile, another mutilated body is found by the police who suspect a serial-killer is on the loose. Such is the plot of French director Chris Nahon’s captivating thriller L’empire des Loups (The Empire of Wolves) set against the exotic backdrop of Paris’ Turkish ghetto. Adapted from journalist-turned-author Jean-Christophe Grangé’s fourth novel, the film is brilliantly photographed and deserves praise for its plot twists, action and tension – much of it reminiscent of Hitchcock. Leading man Jean Reno (Leon, Mission Impossible) offers a restrained performance as always, but is let down by co-stars (Bas, Jover and Quivrin) who grate on the nerves and considerably lessen the impact of an otherwise enjoyable romp.
Gaumont/Columbia TriStar Films

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
November 2005 issue

Guanzhou Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
November 2005 issue

The Myth, starring the prolific Jackie Chan, marks a return to form for the action hero whose career has been in decline for nearly a decade. The stunts, plot, jokes and acting are better than usual, and the film has some moments of real poetry. Chan suffers from spreading himself too widely (actor, stuntman, director and producer) which often results in half-baked flicks. However, here the film is more than the sum of its parts. The plot features parallel storylines: one contemporary, the other set during the Qin dynasty. The cast is equally diverse, intentionally so, as Indian actress Mallika Sherawat will increase the potential box office take by adding a third of the world’s population. In any case, Chan’s ambitions are clear: “I want to be an Asian Robert De Niro,” he recently boasted. One can always dream, but at least the man is back on the ladder instead of falling off it.
Media Asia

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
November 2005 issue

Guanzhou Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
November 2005 issue

This second adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel meanders for the first 30 minutes until Johnny Depp takes center stage. His turn as the eccentric owner of the titular chocolate factory is a bravura performance. But then Depp specializes in playing oddballs. Who can forget his first outing with director Tim Burton as the digitally-challenged Edward Scissorhands? Charlie is Depp and Burton’s sixth joint venture and the film has already taken in USD 300 million worldwide.
This is a movie best appreciated on the big screen, so try the IMAX theater which has a format ten times larger than a conventional screen, and a massive sound system to boot (14,000 watts, to be exact).
Later, you might want to compare this with the 1971 version, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder in the title role. The latest version is true to Dahl’s novel, though it is somewhat lighter in tone than the book. However, any thought that Depp or Burton have lightened up permanently must be dispelled by the title of their recently released: Corpse Bride.
Warner Bros
IMAX at Peace Cinema/268 Xizang Middle Rd/63225252

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
November 2005 issue

Guanzhou Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
November 2005 issue

This is not old news; Shanghai Dreams has just been released with English subtitles on DVD, finally giving local audiences the chance to view this Grand Prize winner at the 2005 Cannes film festival. Set in the 1980s, Shanghai Dreams is a return to form for the director whose career has been languishing since his groundbreaking Sixth Generation debut The Days. An exploration of the limits (and betrayals) of authority, the film explores the predicament of a generation whose city-born parents resettled in China’s impoverished interior during the “cultural revolution” to help jump-start the country’s industrial march of progress, but who now yearn to go home as China begins to take its first steps toward economic liberalization.
Wanting a better life for his children, a father repeatedly exhorts his teenage daughter to concentrate on her studies and forces the girl to break off her relationship with her factory-worker sweetheart; events soon take a tragic course. Bleak, yet fascinating.
Zoke Movies

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
October 2005 issue

Within the current state of Hollywood cinema, material to satisfy one’s appetite for well-written drama and well-acted comedy is hard to find. Of course, there’s always TV. And make no mistake, the multi-award winning TV-series Desperate Housewives fills both desires quite nicely, thank-you very much. The story of four bourgeois housewives in an American suburb is a fresh departure from any other TV-series, especially those involving neighbors or family issues. Indeed, the witty, silly, sexy, elegant characters make the 23 episodes attractive to all audiences, young, old, male, female or otherwise.
Skillfully blending drama, romance, thrills and suspense, the series is, at times, a tad surrealistic: the story is told from the viewpoint of the four best friends’ recently dead friend – a suicide no less! Credit should be given to actresses Teri Hatcher, Marcia Cross, Felicity Huffman and Nicollette Sheridan, if not for their fine efforts this US primetime soap wouldn’t rank on the top of the entertainment ladder.
Buena Vista Home Entertainment

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
October 2005 issue

For a decade, Hollywood director Michael Bay has created a series of commercial successes (Bad Boys II and Pearl Harbor), but somehow his films are often associated with supermarket or popcorn cinema. Sure he delivers entertainment, but his films are quickly seen, and just as quickly forgotten. You can look in vain for any substance – Bay serves up baked-bean movies – they fill the entertainment hole but leave you with nothing more than a little gas. The Island is not much different, though at least it has a plot. A fairly good plot.
The performances from leads Ewan McGregor or Scarlett Johansson are acceptable, but the conspiracy-theory story of this futuristic thriller should keep you guessing until the end. If it doesn’t, well you can imagine you’re watching a 120-minute long commercial; this film features a host of brand name product placements. By the way, Bay’s next project is a live adaptation of the robot TV-series Transformers.
Dream Works SKC & Warner Bros

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
October 2005 issue

Within the current context of the South-Korean film industry, wavering between commercial flicks and copycat productions of Hong Kong and Hollywood films, Kim Ki-duk stands out as an exception. Although very different in subject matter, all his films bear a similar depiction of Korean society’s blending absurdity with sex and violence. A skilled technician and director, Kim has improved with each movie reaching the peak of his art with the gut-wrenching and mesmerizing Samaritan Girl (2004).
Innovative and minimalist (there’s barely any dialogue), The Bow portrays the bond between an old man and a young girl. The bow is also a musical instrument, a means of warding off men as well as a fortune-telling tool. Probably the best Korean director of his generation, Kim proves once more he can explore human nature with simple, poetic, graceful yet cruel stories.
Kim Ki-Duk Film/Happinet Pictures

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
October 2005 issue

Fifth-generation director Peng Xiaolian (Zhang Yimou’s classmate at the Beijing Film Academy), spent many years filming the city – as is evidenced in Shanghai Story, Shanghai Women and Once upon a time in Shanghai. Completed in 2003, the film was released for the 2005 mid-Autumn Festival, a favorable time for family reunion, a topic addressed in Peng’s tenth film. The story is thus: The children of a former bourgeois family gather in their former French concession home to take care of their old mother. Many generations cohabit and collide; each of them carrying their own burden – teen granddaughter’s condoms, daughter’s divorce aftermath, son’s lousy marriage...
Peng elegantly displays the city, while portraying a touching family tale. The movie is an audio-visual treat with excellent production, innovative cinematography and smart sound design. Shanghai Story won numerous domestic and international accolades last year – and took home four Golden Rooster Awards, the Chinese equivalent to the Academy Awards.
Massway/Tomson Films

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
October 2005 issue

Shot on location at the South Pole, and starring the Emperor Penguin. And what a location it is. Adelie Land in Antarctica is the harshest place on earth, where temperatures can drop to -100°C and winds reach 150 mph. During the nine-month winter, the penguin virtually starves during its quest through this white desert to find the perfect spot to mate. French filmmakers have long been attracted by wildlife-feature films (Microcosmos and the Traveling Birds), and have a knack for blending scientific observations with a dramatic narrative. The result is a new movie genre: the animal docu-drama. This entry is one of the best, though the Chinese theatrical version is less than charming due to the many cuts. Indeed, all that remains is annoying; the Chinese narration is clumsy, and the print is blurred and grainy. Look for the English version, narrated by Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman.
Bonne Pioche/Buena Vista

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
October 2005 issue