Jason Ooi, Author at The Playlist

‘Ben-Hur’ With Jack Huston Is Uneven, But Makes Case For Its Own Existence [Review]

August 22, 2016 5:05 pm

Fighting against the remake machine is perhaps a fruitless endeavor. This is no trend; Hollywood has been retelling stories for as long as people have been attending theaters. And the reasoning is often sound w...

‘Posthumous’ Starring Jack Huston And Brit Marling Trades Depth For Accessibility [Review]

Jason Ooi

August 17, 2016 5:08 pm

Reviews

The lack of space in popular culture for the more visionary voices is saddening. Such acclaimed artists as Vincent Van Gogh and Emily Dickinson were famously ahead of and therefore ignored in their time, only d...

Though Based On A True Story, ‘Amateur Night’ Still Feels Like Just Another Raunchy Comedy [Review]

Jason Ooi

August 5, 2016 5:36 pm

Reviews

The biggest surprise “Amateur Night” has to offer comes after it ends, when it is revealed just how much of the film’s zany events uphold the “based on a true story” label. It is a refreshing revelation, especi...

A Trio Of Outsiders Step Into A Cycle Of Prejudice In ‘Some Freaks’ [Review]

Jason Ooi

July 25, 2016 5:03 pm

Reviews

MONTREAL — We are introduced to Lily Mae Harrington’s overweight and therefore unpopular Jill in Biology class after she and Thomas Mann’s Matt — similarly ridiculed for his eyepatch — are paired up for a disse...

‘Don’t Worry Baby’ Is An Idealistic, Comforting Delicacy [Review]

Jason Ooi

July 21, 2016 5:25 pm

Reviews

1

Writer/director Julian Branciforte tackles an astronomical coincidence with an air of levity in his feature length directorial debut, which pits struggling photographer Robert Lang against his father, the wealt...

‘For The Plasma’ Is A Dreamy Excursion Into The Abstract [Review]

Jason Ooi

July 19, 2016 5:33 pm

Reviews

“For the Plasma” immediately throws its viewer into the deep end. Unique beyond measure, its mumblecore, indie affectation is contradicted by a bold ambition in the form of big, complex ideas which don’t always...

‘Don’t Blink — Robert Frank’ Is A Chaotic Look At A Legendary Photographer [Review]

Jason Ooi

July 13, 2016 3:15 pm

Reviews

From its opening minutes, “Don’t Blink — Robert Frank” establishes itself more as a collage than a simple documentary. It starts with quickly strung-together shots of the legendary Robert Frank, now 91 years ol...

Johnnie To’s ‘Three’ Is An Immensely Entertaining Thriller With A Unique Focus [Review]

Jason Ooi

July 1, 2016 6:10 pm

News, Reviews

What is unbelievable about director Johnnie To is not his prolificacy — each year generally brings with it another one, sometimes two, of his films — nor is it his uncanny understanding of the Hong Kong crime g...

Documentary “Oriented” Charts Identity In The Tumultuous Palestine-Israel Conflict [Review]

Jason Ooi

June 24, 2016 5:15 pm

Reviews

Contrary to what its title may suggest, the journey at the core of “Oriented” is not solely for acceptance of sexual orientation. Rather, the film finds its subjects confusingly unique at times but unique nonet...

Actor CHANDAN ANAND as RAJESH & actress SURVEEN CHAWLA as BIJLI in PARCHED - Photo by Russell Carpenter, ASC - Parched

Leena Yadav’s ‘Parched’ Earnestly Tackles Misogyny-Ingrained Tradition In India [Review]

Jason Ooi

June 17, 2016 5:20 pm

Reviews

The feminist drama breaks new ground in Leena Yadav’s “Parched,” pinpointing its attention to a lesser known region with a sincere urgency. Yadav presents an alien world; jarring in its exposure of the existenc...

Author Jason Ooi