2009 Movies: The year of mutants, G.I. Joes, Trekkies and Autobots (again!)

First published in BubbleeBiz.com.my, Issue 2



2009 appears to be an exciting year for cinema-goers. There are plenty to please fans; comic books adaptations, superheroes offerings, novel adaptations, horror movies, and big giant robots to keep you entertained all year round. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty stoked up for what Hollywood has to offer. Ahem, so let me offer you a preview of my top-pick of the year.



While the fans can cry foul for the postponement, I am sure all is forgiven when the boy wizard returns to battle He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. David Yates reprises his directing role in this one where we see dear Potter fall in love with Ginny Weasley and uncovers the Dark Lord’s dark past. Oh, the film will also be released in IMAX 3D which means that you get to see Harry with all his pubescent glory unfold on the big screen. Everyone now: Potter-mania!

Another novel adaptation sure to attract attention is Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons. Ewan McGregor joins Tom Hanks’ Robert Langdon in a chase around Vatican City in search of antimatter and to uncover an attack by secret society Illuminati. Let’s hope there are more action and less talk this time unlike the dreadfully monotonous Da Vinci Code.



Neil Gailman’s book also gets the movie treatment with the 3D stop motion animation Coraline. Child star Dakota Fanning lends her voice as the titular character who discovers a secret door that leads her to an alternate universe. The animation looks lush in this one as it promises a visual fest at the cinemas.

For those who are hankering for some explosive action movies will be pleased to know that Terminator Salvation is here. No, Governor Arnie is not back this time but Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) will play the adult John Connor. Set in post-apocalyptic 2018, John Connor leads the human resistance against Skynet and its army of shiny Terminators. Hope this one will be good or it will be ‘Hasta La Vista baby’ for the series!

Director J.J. Abrams (X-men, Cloverfield) takes us to the final frontier with the highly-anticipated Star Trek which will see the original USS Enterprise crew led by Captain Kirk return to the big screen. This is set to be interesting (yes, even for non-Trekkies) as it boasts an interesting cast of Chris Pine as James Kirk, Zachary Quinto (who plays the infamous Sylar in Heroes) as Mr.Spock, John Cho (of Harold & Kumar fame) as Sulu, and Simon Pegg as Scotty (hehe).



Star Wars fans will just have to contend with Fanboys, (heaven forbid there be Episode 7!) a comedy about a group of friends who decided to steal an early print of Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace film from the Skywalker Ranch. Well, apparently the film is George Lucas-approved so fans will be really pleased.

Another film that has been drawing attention since last year is the comic adaptation of the same name, Watchmen. The superhero feature film is based on one of the most critically-acclaimed (some herald it as the best comic book EVER!) in the history of comics book universe. Set in alternate 1985, the film follows a group of vigilante superheroes at the height of the tension between the United States and Soviet Union. The film is directed by Zack Snyder (300) and from the looks of the trailer; it’s going to be uber-cool!

Another film to please comic book fans is X-men Origins: Wolverine. Australian stud Hugh Jackman reprises his role as the cigar-smoking, super-healing, adamantium-laced mutant. The film traces the origins of Wolverine through the Weapon X program, his relationship with his arch-nemesis Sabretooth and how he got his adamantium. Other characters include Deadpool, Gambit, William Stryker, and The Blob is set to appear in the film. Awesome, bub!

Autobots will be rolling out in the cinemas again in the much-anticipated sequel Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Boys will have much to drool at the sight of Mikaela (Megan Fox) who is now girlfriend to the lucky Sam (Shia LaBeouf), and the many new robots hitting the screen including fan-favourite Soundwave (whee!) It’s definitely more than meets the eye as Megatron returns and the battle is taken to next level.

Kids growing up in the 1980s have more to rejoice as we will also see the first live-action adaptation of G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra. Cast includes Dennis Quaid as General Hawk, Channing Tatum as Duke Hauser and Sienna Miller as The Baroness. And who is the Cobra Commander? None other than 3rd Rock from the Sun’s Joseph Gordon-Lewitt! Let’s hope this one doesn’t suck.

If you’re looking for some family fun, look no further than Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs where after surviving the Ice Age, the bubbly bunch will now face off the treacherous Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Pixar Animations, who could do no wrong, is offering UP this year which appears to be the next masterpiece after last year’s Wall-E. It tells of a 78 year old man who travels the world by airlifting his house with balloons in order to fulfill his late wife’s dream of seeing the mountains. He is joined by an eight year old who becomes his friend through the journey to see new place and meet new friends. As in the fashion of Pixar, UP is set to charm the audience. Check out the trailer on Youtube already!

Horror fans will have be pleased as Benecio Del Toro becomes The Wolf Man, Naomi Watts gets spooked in Hitchcock’s The Birds, and Jason Voor returns to legendary Crystal Lake in Friday the 13th. Sure, they are all remakes but if it is guaranteed to spook, why not? Oh, and Miley Cyrus returns as Hannah Montana (spooky!). And at the end of the year, romantic vampire Edward Cullen is set to charm theatre-goers again in the second installment of the Twilight series, New Moon. Yeah, I think I just heard some girls cooing in the background.

Speed Racer review (Gua.com.my)

First published in gua.com.my
20 May 2008


by Max Koh

Title:
Speed Racer

Ratings:
7/10

Cast:
Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox, Rain and Paulie Litt

Genre:
Action, Family

Review:
The 1960s anime character (yep, it’s that old!) finally hits the big screen with the Wachowski brothers who lead the pack in this year’s summer movies.

While ‘Iron Man’ continues to wow audience with the stunning iron suit, superb storyline, cool action and Robert Downey Jr, ‘Speed Racer’ seems to fall with a whimper. Then you have ‘Prince Caspian’ of the ‘Narnia’ series, which one can only expect so much from if the first film is of any indication. And will the big green monster ‘Hulk’ fare better this year or get beaten by the ‘Dark Knight’ which is getting an unintended marketing boost with the death of darling Heath Ledger? And of course, Indy’s back!





Oops, before I get too far ahead of myself, let’s get back to ‘Speed Racer’.

“Go, Speed Racer, Go!” If you are expecting some ‘Fast and Furious’ gritty action, look elsewhere. ‘Speed Racer’ is a kiddie show just like the cartoon it is based on. Thanks to the Wachowski brothers (of ‘Matrix’) fame, the graphics are outlandish and the laws of physics are thrown out the window. It is as though Neo woke up in another program designed by the Computer and ‘reality’ operates on a different set of rules. The colours are really bright and the environment is constructed by computer programmers.

Which come to think of it, the film does bear some resemblance to ‘Matrix’. In ‘Speed Racer’, Speed Racer (Hirsch) is the ONE. No one drives as fast and furious as he does. Even after his brother Rex dies in a crash, Speed grows up loyal to the family racing business led by his father, Pops Racer (Goodman), designer of the Mach 5.





When Speed Racer turns down a lucrative offer from Royalton Industries, he also uncovers a terrible secret – that the biggest races are fixed by ruthless tycoons who manipulate drivers to boost sales! With the help of the mysterious Racer X (Fox) and Taejo Togokhan (Korean singer Rain), they form a trinity to challenge the head honchos who rule the racing arena.

And just like Neo, Speed Racer will unwittingly set up a new World Order, only this time it’s the world of motor racing. Cool machines? Check. Babes. Check. Family fun? Check. Pet monkey? Check. That’s right … Speed’s kid brother Sprittle (Litt) and his pet monkey Chim Chim provides some laughs in the film while Goodman seems to enjoy playing Pops Racer.

There is no mistake that Speed Racer is targeted at the kids, but I’m sure it will appeal to audience of all ages.

Eye candy comes in the form of Rain (yes, scream all you K-pop fans), Mathew Fox of ‘Lost’ fame and (surprise, surprise) lead Emile Hirsch who looks like a much younger version of Ewan McGregor. And I must say that he carried the role very well. Guys can squawk at the sight of Christina Ricci who plays Speed’s longtime girlfriend.





With its gamer action, visual wizardry, cartoonish characters and misconstrued reality, ‘Speed Racer’ is built for a fun time at the cinemas. And thankfully it does its job well. For two hours, just sit back and let ‘Speed Racer’ take you for a ride through some mindless fun. I bet you’ll be humming the tune as you leave the cinema.

And probably this is what sets ‘Speed Racer’ apart from Wachowski’s ‘Matrix’ films. They know their target audience and there are no pretensions about it. Kids will love it while adults will enjoy the ride down memory lane. Sing with me again, “Go, Speed Racer, Go!”

Atonement review (gua.com.my)

First published in gua.com.my

8 Jan 2008

Title:

Atonement

Rating: 

8/10

Cast:

Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Romola Garai, Vanessa Redgrave, Brenda Bletyhn and Saoirse Ronan

Genre:

Drama, Romance  

Review:

Based on Ian McEwan’s best-selling novel in 2001, Atonement is one of those rare films that do justice to the book.

Accolades must be given to director Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice) and screenwriter Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons) for doing such a brilliant job of transferring the themes from paper to reel. 

The film truly deserves its seven nominations at the upcoming Golden Globe awards. 

Atonement explores how a young girl motivated by jealousy and lust, irrevocably change the lives of those closest to her. 

The film opens on a hot summer day in 1935 as 13-year-old Briony Tallis (Ronan) finishes her manuscript for a play entitled ‘The Trials of Arabella’ in her lush English countryside mansion. 

Little does she know that she is about to plunge the lives of her sister Cecilia (Knightley) and Robbie Turner (McAvoy) - the housekeeper’s son who is secretly in love with Cecilia - into an indefinite chasm of separation.

Broiny first catches sight of Cecilia stripping in front of Turner at the front lawn, through the tainted glass of an upstairs window. When Cecilia dips herself into the fountain, a distorted view begins to form in Briony’s mind. It is childhood naivety or unbridled jealousy?

Through a series of events, first seen through the Briony’s perspective and then replayed for the audience through Turner’s eyes, we discover how misinterpretation and unchecked emotions can alter the present reality of our understanding. 

Through this skewed vision, Briony soon levels a serious accusation against Turner on a crime that he did not commit, and irrevocably separating the lovers. 

Five years later we find Turner fighting the Germans in France. After serving time, Turner was ‘enlisted’ in the army and is now making his way to Dunkirk to be transported back home to be with his loved one, Cecilia. 

Cecilia is now a nurse and not on speaking terms with Briony. She has not forgiven her sister for her foolish action. 

The grown-up Briony now realises the full extent of her folly. She is tormented by her misdeed and expresses her guilt and regret by typing on her typewriter when she is not nursing the sick during the day. 

Will Briony be able to atone for her wrongdoings? Will she be able to reconcile the lovers by telling the truth about her incriminating testimony? 

In over two hours, the film captured all the riches found in McEwan’s dense and very internalised novel. The intricacies of human emotions and dark impulses are masterly conveyed. 

The re-creation of the war scene at Dunkirk was simply astounding. Through a long-shot (five minutes and thirty seconds) Wright was able to portray the full-scale of the terrible landscape as described in McEwan’s novel. 

When words failed, the visuals did the talking. 

But the film would not have worked if not for the wonderful screenwriting and beautiful cinematography. Not to mention the excellent editing and an exceptional soundtrack that makes Atonement a possible forerunner during the awards season. 

Keira Knightley’s acting is commendable. However, Ronan deserves special mention for her exceptional portrayal of 13-year-old Briony. She is a star in the making. 

But a word of caution: watch out for the final scene. A question still remains: Can an artist ever atone for her wrongdoings through art? 

The film may leave you on a sad note but Atonement is one film you do not want to miss. 

     

Did you know? 

Atonement is director Joe Wright’s second feature film after 2005’s Pride & Prejudice, which is based on Jane Austen’s beloved novel. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards.

This is the second time Wright has worked with Keira Knightley, who was also cast as the main character in Pride & Prejudice. 

The long shot through Dunbirk beach took less than five takes to film.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber on Fleet Street review (gua.com.my)

First published in gua.com.my 

31 Jan 2008

Title:

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber on Fleet Street

Rating:

8/10

Cast:

Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Sacha Baron Cohen, Timothy Spall, Jamie Campbell and Jayne Wisener

Genre:

Musical, Thriller, Crime

Review:

Don’t let the trailers fool you. There’s nothing sweet or chirpy about “Sweeney Todd”. Those expecting a light-hearted comedy with gothic embellishments should watch “Corpse Bride” or “Edward Scissorhands” instead.

“Sweeney Todd” is as macabre as it gets, even by Tim Burton’s standards. This is not your typical Burton film where beneath all the eerie aesthetics is a sweet little girl with a feel-good message.

No, you won’t walk out of the cinema feeling good at all. But yet, despite the gore and violence, you just can’t turn your eyes away. You may squirm at the sight of blood oozing, spurting and spraying out from people’s necks – but you just … can’t … take … your … eyes … off … the screen.

   

The film may be bloody, but the graphics pale in comparison to the disturbing message of the film. The insights that we are offered into the mind of the deranged, vengeful spirit that is Sweeney Todd (Depp) are deeply unsettling – even by today’s desensitised standards. 

When he sings about “people who are filled with shit!” – you know he means it. The ease with which he kills people is troubling. Only vengeance and hatred seems to fill this maniac’s black vision – whose pain and pathos can only be quenched by the shedding of blood of the ‘guilty’.

 



 

Because in his mind, no one is truly innocent. His only friends are his silver razor blades which higher purpose is to ‘drip rubies’ and kill the judge (Rickman) who ruined his once tranquil life.

“Swing your razor wide! Sweeney, hold it to the skies. Freely flows the blood of those who moralise.”

Even his closest acquaintance, Mrs. Lovett (Carter) has her own agenda in buttressing Todd’s needs. Todd’s victims are dumped into her basement where she grinds and bakes their bodies into delicious meat pies. They are then served to unsuspecting customers who patron her shop.

Providing comic relief, albeit briefly – is counterfeit barber Pirelli (Cohen aka Borat aka Ali G) who attempts to blackmail Todd when he recognises him. Needless to say, he is taken care of in a very bloody and unforgettable manner – thus instigating Todd’s killing spree.

Todd’s crimes may be abominable – but Depp successfully puts a human face to Todd’s reign of terror. As troubling as it sounds, it’s almost like empathising with Hilter or a mass murderer.

The ending is tragic – but we do not feel satisfied. Nor angry. The outcome is strangely distressing. In a world where students massacre their friends in school, and the horror stories at Auschwitz are being disputed – we wonder if there are any goodness left in the world.

If you are depressed, don’t watch this. The only place that is deeper than the dumps is hell. One does wonder whether the person who wrote this is a misanthropist in the first place?

Did you know? 

“Sweeney Todd” first appeared in various 19th century English language works as a barber and an early example of a serial killer.

The film is adapted from the Tony award-winning play of the same name by Stephen Sondheim (music) and Hugh Wheeler (play) that opened in Broadway in 1979.

The Dead Girl (gua.com.my)

Originally published in gua.com.my
18 Feb 2008


by Max Koh

Title:
The Dead Girl

Ratings:
7/10

Cast:
Toni Collette, Brittany Murphy, Marcia Gay Hayden, Rose Byrne, James Franco, Josh Brolin, Giovanni Ribisi, Kerry Washington, Mary Beth Ruth, Piper Laurie and Mary Steenbergen

Genre:
Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Review:
There is a perpetual sadness that hangs over “The Dead Girl”, the second feature film by independent director Karen Moncrieff.

The movie opens with the body of a dead girl (Murphy in one of her most mesmerising performances). However, the focus of the film is not on finding out how the girl died. Instead it examines how lives are irrevocably changed by her death.



Presented through five different stories, the movie offers an unflinching look at how the murder affects the lives of the various female characters, whose relation to the dead girl may not be obvious from the beginning.

As the stories draw you in (helped tremendously by the excellent cast), you can’t help but be affected by the bleakness that dominates their lives and their struggle to break free from it.

In the first story, ‘The Stranger’, Arden (Collette) discovers the body of the murdered girl and overnight becomes a local celebrity. However, she is berated and scorned by her abusive but ailing mother (Laurie in grandma-“Carrie”-mode) who calls her ugly and despises the attention she is getting. Arden meets a stranger (Ribisi) and is attracted to him despite his unhealthy obsession with serial killers. Eventually, she decides to elope with him.



‘The Sister’ revolves around a forensic undergraduate who examines the dead girl’s body and is convinced that it is her sister who has been missing for 15 years. Her mom (Steenbergen), however, refuses to give up on her missing daughter, thus preventing her from having closure and moving on. She becomes dependent on anti-depressants and shuns the interest of a young colleague (Franco). Her mom does not see that she is on the verge of losing her remaining living daughter in a bid to find her dead one.



Mary Beth Hurt is ‘The Wife’ whose relationship with her husband, Carl, is on the verge of a breakdown. He often leaves the house for long periods of time and she is left to pick up his mess. One day, she finds incriminating evidence that could link her husband to the dead girl’s murder.

In ‘The Mother’, we meet the dead girl’s mom, Melora (Hayden). It is easily the most moving story in the film. It has been years since her daughter, Krista, ran away from home, where she became a drug addict and prostitute. To understand her daughter’s life, Melora meets Krista’s roommate, Rosetta (Washington), and eventually learns out about her illegitimate three-year-old granddaughter, Ashley. Melora takes her granddaughter in and promises to love her as she did Krista.



Finally, we meet ‘The Dead Girl’ who turns out to be the most buoyant and ‘alive’ character in the film despite the oppressive circumstances. We follow Krista’s final hours as she finds her way across town to surprise her daughter who is turning three years old the next day.

“The Dead Girl” may be bleak but there are underlying optimistic nuances. ‘The Mother’ gets a second chance by caring for her granddaughter. The forensic sister eventually opens up her heart. And therein lies the irony – it takes a dead girl to revive the lives of others.

Did you know?
This film was nominated for Best Picture and Best Supporting Female (Hurt) at the Independent Spirit Awards last year.

Vantage Point review (gua.com.my)

Originally published in gua.com.my
21 February 2008


by Max Koh


Title:
Vantage Point

Ratings:
6/10

Cast:
Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Bruce McGill, Edgar Ramirez, Said Taghmaoui, Sigourney Weaver and William Hurt

Genre:
Action, Thriller

Review:
In “Vantage Point”, the attempted assassination of the US President is told from eight different perspectives.

Thomas Barnes (Quaid) and Kent Taylor (Fox) are two Secret Service agents assigned to protect US President Ashton (Hurt) who is in Spain for a landmark summit on global terrorism.

When he is shot at the summit and bombs go off, chaos ensues. Amongst the crowd is Howard Lewis (Whitaker), an American tourist who thinks he has captured the killer with his video camera.

Also at the scene is news producer Rex Brooks (Weaver) who has recorded the whole incident on camera with her news team.



A high-paced action thriller, “Vantage Point” explores the period before and right after the assassination attempt from the unique perspectives of eight key participants. They include the president, Secret Service agents and terrorists.

Beginning with the news producer’s, each viewpoint is like a piece of the puzzle falling into place, the truth being uncovered for audiences to see.

“If you were to follow only one story, you wouldn’t find out the truth about what really happened,” says director Pete Travis. “As you see each story, you see something else that you never knew before. It’s only when you get to the end that you figure out what really went on.”



Although the idea is not really new, the suspense will keep you at the edge of your seat. The “cliffhanger endings” for each perspective makes the experience only more intense as the events ‘rewind’ to reveal other viewpoints.

Along the way, you also get a cool car chase across the Spanish capital.



Dennis Quaid does an awesome job as the agent with a turbulent past. Forest Whitaker is lovable as the “citizen hero” who tries to save an innocent girl’s life while William Hurt embodies all the qualities of a certain US President.

My only gripe is Matthew Fox, whom I feel, was miscast for the role. He simply could not tackle the intensity of the character. I like him in “Lost” but here he does not deliver.
Like most US-ego-centric action movies, the US supremacy nuances are very much present in this film. Although the script does take a few jabs at the propaganda-driven mainstream media; a sentiment most local political bloggers can relate to.

However, it is not the intention of the film to be smart or preachy about the issues it delves on.



Like the narrative style it adopts, “Vantage Point” presents itself as a really good action thriller film. Not quite “The Constant Gardener”, but not as dumb as “Die Hard 4”.

Overall, “Vantage Point” delivers with the right amount of style and substance to entertain the first date but not enough to make a lasting impression.

Did you know?
Director Pete Travis was a social worker before he made movies. This attracted the attention of Whitaker, winner of 2006 Academy Award® for Best Actor for his portrayal in The King of Scotland, to star in this film.

Besides the Hollywood heavyweights, the film also feature international stars such as Spain’s Eduardo Noriega (star of “Abre los ojos”, the original version of “Vanilla Sky”), Israel’s Ayelet Zurer (“Munich”), France’s Saïd Taghmaoui (“La Haine”), and Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez (“The Bourne Ultimatum”).

 

Secured Commitment (Sunday People)

Originally published in New Strait Times, Sunday People
20 December 2007

Secured Commitment

MAX KOH

BRIAN has borrowed money from a friend who is a tai ee lung (loan shark). He thinks he will be treated differently as he’s a friend.

The poor chap finds out otherwise.





This is the premise behind the short film, Unsecured Loan, by independent film maker Julianne Block, shown recently at the IndiCine Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre in Sentul.


The audience is kept at the edge of their seats with all that action as Brian tries to get the money to settle the debt.

The 11-minute film offers flashbacks, scenes playing in reverse, split screens and curious camera angles.

The intimate gathering applauded the effort by Block who directed, wrote and produced the film.

“Believe it or not,” says Block, “I did not study filmmaking. In high school, I excelled in Maths and Physics.”

The tall, lanky Block with a distinct German accent is an architect and that earned her a living but it was meeting aspiring filmmaker Marc Fehse at a German university which eventually led her to her calling.

Fehse was making an independent horror film called Mutation. He needed someone to do special effects make-up and I was roped in. “It was a trash film, but I had lots of fun doing it,” she says with a laugh.

Block says she soon realised that she needed experience outside of Germany.

Fascinated by Asian culture, she sold everything and moved to Hong Kong two years ago.

“I chose Hong Kong because it was the hub of film-making in Asia and I hoped that it would lead me to the US. But Hong Kong was difficult to break into,” says Block who then moved to Malaysia.

She began working on her brother’s short story called Geschäft ist Geschäft, which became Unsecured Loan.

The film was shot on a very short budget and all the actors and crew members agreed to work pro bono, spurred on by a common interest in filmmaking.

Sean Yap, whom Block met during Joe Hisham’s “Acting for Beginners” classes, was roped in to play the role of Brian. She thought that he fitted the character like a glove as he projected a very fierce demeanour during class.

Yap Yen Sam stumbled into the project through his son who heard about the auditions.

Says Yap: “I guessed they picked me (to play the loan shark) because I was the only fellow who fitted the description.”

Block is now working on her first 90-minute feature film, Free Ashes, a character driven piece. A bigger project which will need more funds, an unfazed Block says: “I will continue making films because it is what I love to do”.

Hello, Comrade Joe (Sunday People)

Originally published in New Strait Times, Sunday People
20 December 2007 

Hello, Comrade Joe

An American finds a second chance at life in the communist state of North Korea. MAX KOH learns a lesson or two at a recent screening of a documentary

IT is 1962. James Joseph Dresnok, a young US soldier, is patrolling the South Korean side of the Demilitarisation Zone (DMZ). He is ready to shoot in case of an attack by communists from the north.

Little did he know that he would soon cross that border and stay in North Korea, for the rest of his life.

Crossing The Line is the untold story of Dresnok, one of four American defectors to North Korea.

Long considered missing by US authorities, Dresnok resurfaced when the film-makers of VeryMuchSo Production uncovered him in 2004. After more than 40 years.

“I will tell you something I’ve never before told anyone,” said Dresnok as he began to relate his story.

Dresnok, or Comrade Joe as he is fondly known, has spent the last 45 years living in Pyongyang.

He has since married twice, fathered two children and has embraced the North Korean way of life.

He did once try to leave for the Soviet Union but the Russian embassy only referred him and his three would-be defectors back to the local authorities.

Their return was well received by the powers-to-be. They were turned into celebrities when they were given starring roles in Kim Jong Il’s nationalistic films. Even if they were typecast as evil, scheming Americans.

Up to this day, strangers walk up to Dresnok on the street in Pyongyang and greet him as Arthur, the evil American in one of those films.

But it’s not hard to miss him. Standing at six-foot-five, Dresnok is an imposing figure.

But he is a likeable guy. He jokes with his fishing buddies in Korean and as he peppers his story with jokes and asides.

Watching Crossing The Line is like sitting on your grandfather’s lap and listening to his stories.

Except, in this case, the story is way more interesting how he met grandma and what the good old days were like.

Dresnok was first “discovered” by the film-makers when they were shooting The Game Of Their Lives, their first feature film about the North Korean team who beat the mighty Italian in the 1966 World Cup.

“We couldn’t believe our ears. There were Americans living in North Korea. And not just Americans, they were US soldiers who were defected during the Korean War.

“However, we thought that it would be impossible to get them, so we made our second film in North Korea, A State Of Mind, in 2004,” said co-producer Nick Bonner during a screening of the film at Actor’s Studio, Bangsar.

“It was during the later stages of filming State, that we were given permission (by the North Korean authorities) to speak to the Americans. At that time, only two were still alive.”

The other American defector is Charles Robert Jenkins. The film-makers only managed to speak briefly with Jenkins, as he left for Japan to meet his estranged Japanese wife. Jenkins surrendered to the US Army there and was court martialled.

He made headlines when, in an interview with TIME magazine, he alleged that Dresnok had beaten him in captivity by order of the North Korean authorities during his years there.

“Balderdash!” Dresnok could not believe his ears when he heard the allegations. His immediate and honest reaction was captured on film.

As the film reveals, we soon found out that there is a long-standing adversity between the two men.

Isn’t ironical that Dresnok found happiness in North Korea, a state often derided by the US?

In contrast to his prior life in Virginia — abused child, runaway orphan, a failed first marriage — Dresnok seems to have it good in Pyongyang.

He now has a place to call home. He’s a celebrity and gets a regular stipend from the government.

He spends his days with his family and fishing by the Pyongyang riverside. And smoking and drinking with his Korean buddies.

Which is why Crossing The Line is more than just a documentary. This is about a man who seized the chance for a better life. So what if it was in North Korea.

Crossing The Line is an official selection at the 2007 Pusan, Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals