New
Flicks
Vanity
Fair
All's
fair in love and war
Genre:
Drama
Director: Mira Nair
Distributor: Focus Features
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Jim Broadbent, Eileen
Atkins, James Purefoy, Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Set in
early 19th-century London. The daughter of a starving English
artist and a French chorus girl, Becky is orphaned at a young
age. Even as a child, she yearns for a more glamorous life
than her birthright promises. As she leaves Miss Pinkerton's
Academy at Chiswick, Becky resolves to conquer English society
by any means possible. She deploys all of her wit, guile,
and sexuality as she makes her way up into high society during
the first quarter of the 19th century. Becky's ascension to
the heights of society commences when she gains employment
as governess to the daughters of eccentric Sir Pitt Crawley.
Becky wins over the children, and the Crawley family's rich
spinster Aunt Matilda as well. The rural Hampshire household
comes to find her indispensable, and Matilda comes to confide
in the bright young woman. But Becky knows that she cannot
be a true part of English society until she moves to the city.
More intent than ever on gaining acceptance into London society
and living well, Becky finds a patron in the powerful Marquess
of Steyne. Steyne's whims enable Becky to realise her dreams,
but the ultimate cost may be too high for her.
Hero
This
land doesn't know a real hero. Yet.
Genre:
Action / Drama
Director: Zhang Yimou
Distributor: Miramax
Cast: Jet Li, Zhang Ziyi, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai,
Donnie Yen, Maggie Cheung
At the
height of China's Warring States period, the country was divided
into seven kingdoms: Qin, Zhao, Han Wei, Yan, Chu and Qi.
For years, the separate kingdoms fought ruthlessly for supremacy.
As a result, the populace endured decades of death and suffering.
The Kingdom of Qin was the most determined of all. The Qin
King was obsessed with conquering all of China and becoming
her first Emperor. He had long been the target of assassins
throughout the other six states. Of all the would-be killers,
none inspired as much fear as the three legendary assassins,
Broken Sword, Snow and Sky. To anyone who defeated the three
assassins, the King of Qin promised great power, mountains
of gold and a private audience with the King himself. But
defeating the killers is a near impossible task. For ten years
no one came close to claiming the prize--that is until Nameless,
a solitary ranger with a mysterious past, steps out of the
shadows looking for a showdown.
Copyright (R)
thedailystar.net 2004
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