WEEKEND PIC: Jan 18 - 20 2008

Your Guide To The Weekend Viewing:

(NB: For the next two months, I will be in Indiana, USA, and posting from there. Pse stay in touch, thank you).

1. CLOVERFIELD (disaster drama with Mike Vogel, Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas and Michael Stahl-David) Rating: * * * 1/2 (out of 4): After months of curiosity over its teaser of a trailer, the monster that attacks New York is finally revealed. No, we are not disappointed over the hooha. It's a groundbreaking movie for disaster/monster fans.

2. AMERICAN GANGSTER (crime drama with Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin and Ted Levine) Rated: * * * 1/2 (3.5 stars): Two Oscar-winning stars, a gripping crime drama about a cop versus a black mobster, and insights into the drugs scene of the 70s. What more can we ask for? That the movie is not censored? (Reviewed below)

3. THE GAME PLAN (comedy with Dwayne Johnson, Roselyn Sanchez, Kyra Sedgwick and Madison Pettis) Rated: * * * (3 stars): See how a hotshot quarterback the likes of The Rock faces off against a cute Pettis who claims to be his daughter. A well-planned Disney family flick with all the ingredients of feel good fun and games. (Reviewed below)

4. ATONEMENT (romance drama with Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Romola Garai and Saoirse Ronan) Rated: * * * (3 stars): Adapted from the novel by Ian McEwan, this searing love story is timeless and universal, a romantic tragedy that will tug at your heartstrings. It won Best Movie at the Golden Globes. (Reviewed below)

5. IN THE NAME OF THE KING (sword-and-sorcery fantasy with Jason Stratham, Claire Forlani, Ray Liotta, Ron Perlman, and John Rhys Davies) Rated: * * (2 stars): Adapted from the vidgame, this is a rojak effort with huge helpings borrowed from "Lord Of The Rings" and even "Matrix". Only for sword-fighting fans. (Reviewed below)

6. THE HOUSE aka BANPEESINK (Thai horror with Inthira Chaloenpura) Rated: * 1/2 (1.5 stars): A docu-drama styled psychological thriller about three murders and a haunted house. Few scares but lots of boring repetitive scenes. You've been warned. (Reviewed below)

7. GABRIEL (action thriller with Andy Whitfield, Samantha Noble, Erika Heynatz and Dwaine Stevenson) Rated: * (1 star): This graceless flick about the battle for souls between Archangels and Fallen Angels is sheer disaster. Watch it if you like to experience boring Hell at the cineplex.