J_Blackshadow
Joined Jun 2005
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Ratings38
J_Blackshadow's rating
Reviews3
J_Blackshadow's rating
Putting together a period piece war drama on a micro budget is no easy task, but that's exactly what Craig McCourry and his crew pulled off.
A small, intimate story set against the backdrop of the biggest war the world would ever know. The production values are a big win for this film. I was amazed at how they were able to put together the world of these people's lives, circa 1941, with costumes and sets to match, on the kind of budget that often would only result in a running through the woods in modern day type of film. When you consider much of the movie was filmed in just a living room, repurposed to be different parts of a historic hotel, then you really have to admire how an indie crew could create from the bottom up what I would expect to see from a bigger budget History Channel production.
Story wise, it's not often that we see the lens focused on the regular people just trying to live their lives when suddenly thrown into such an overwhelming and precarious vet instanced beyond their control. We've all seen the kinds of war movies with epic battles on the beaches or the plucky gang of misfits storming the stronghold. I give a lot of credit to this movie showing us a bit of what it must have been like to try to keep a sense of normalcy while disaster looms just over the horizon. Nice performances from the whole ensemble cast of up and coming, Hong Kong based actors and actresses. I really hope this movie makes onto screens around the world.
A small, intimate story set against the backdrop of the biggest war the world would ever know. The production values are a big win for this film. I was amazed at how they were able to put together the world of these people's lives, circa 1941, with costumes and sets to match, on the kind of budget that often would only result in a running through the woods in modern day type of film. When you consider much of the movie was filmed in just a living room, repurposed to be different parts of a historic hotel, then you really have to admire how an indie crew could create from the bottom up what I would expect to see from a bigger budget History Channel production.
Story wise, it's not often that we see the lens focused on the regular people just trying to live their lives when suddenly thrown into such an overwhelming and precarious vet instanced beyond their control. We've all seen the kinds of war movies with epic battles on the beaches or the plucky gang of misfits storming the stronghold. I give a lot of credit to this movie showing us a bit of what it must have been like to try to keep a sense of normalcy while disaster looms just over the horizon. Nice performances from the whole ensemble cast of up and coming, Hong Kong based actors and actresses. I really hope this movie makes onto screens around the world.
Yeah it's pretty watered down, easily digestible, non-memorable tripe... just like most remakes. Annoyed I paid money to see this in the theater, as opposed to accidentally stumbling onto it on HBO or something, but I didn't have much else to do so I went in with the right expectations. Some of the players in the film do seem to have talent, but the characters were very blah for the most part. Gets an extra star because Charles S. Dutton is the man, no matter what role he plays.
Overall, doesn't hold a candle to the original, which gives a better look at how life at a performing arts school would be. As opposed to this one which shows how life at a performing arts school directed by the guy who directs Britney Spears videos would be.
Overall, doesn't hold a candle to the original, which gives a better look at how life at a performing arts school would be. As opposed to this one which shows how life at a performing arts school directed by the guy who directs Britney Spears videos would be.