Episode 1028: Productive Flight...

In a manner of speaking. Caught six films, finished Rachel Boast's Sidereal, which I really, really enjoyed, and started on Dmitry Glukhovsky's Metro 2033. Why didn't I think of writing a post-apocalyptic novel set in the London Underground/Singapore's MRT system? Damn it. Saw Did You Hear About The Morgans?, which I actually enjoyed even though it was fairly standard romantic comedy fare. Even managed to find Sarah Jessica Parker's freakishly girlish voice not irritating. Hugh Grant was brilliant as the stereotypical wry Englishman, which is all he ever seems to play, but hey, if the glove fits etc. Then I saw Planet Of The Apes, the original 1968 version that struck me as being not much more than an excuse for Charlton Heston to be shirtless practically throughout the whole film. I mean, the philosophical points it makes are hammered home so indelicately, you'd have to be a really thick viewer not to get them. I also realised halfway through that I'd seen the film before, but figured I'd stick it out since I want to watch the reboot prequel Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes when it comes out. Then I watched Surrogates, which was interesting, but I'm glad I didn't pay to see it in the cinema when it was out. Plus talk about deus ex machina endings! Sort of in reverse since it involves destroying the machines?

Followed this up with Lao Wai, a feel-good Chinese film starring Gauthier Roubichou and Han Dan Tong as an adorable interracial couple in Shanghai. That Frenchman's Chinese is impressive! Definitely better than some Singaporeans my age. Also really impressed to learn that the band he fronts in the film is real. They're called Swing Dynasty, based in Shanghai. Fifth film I saw was Gnomeo & Juliet. Now I'll admit I came to this with very low expectations, but it turned out way funnier than I expected! Loved that the Shakespearean references weren't confined to one play (there's already a sly Hamlet nod in the opening scene) and that the people writing the film didn't shy away from stuff like Tybalt the gnome getting smashed to bits (even if he does reappear glued back together in the closing dance montage). All in all, I loved this film, so Audrey was right about it. Finally, I saw Shutter Island. I like post-Titanic Leonardo DiCaprio, but doesn't he play basically the same character again in Inception?