A R O U N D T O W N 發光的城市 15 TAIPEI TIMES • FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2010

FILM REVIEW OTHER RELEASES Compiled BY IAn Bartholomew

Taipei Film Festival 2010 Starting today and running until July 15, the Taipei Film Festival (台北電影節) combines competition and exhibition elements. The festival, now in its 12th year, focuses on the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Shanghai, and also has other components to highlight new films from around Asia. The Taipei Awards section provides an opportunity to check out some of the better local feature films released this year. Three films each by directors Suzana Amaral and Hector Babenco, in the Directors in Focus component, will also be screened. Ticketing information and English-language information about the festival are available at eng.taipeiff.org.tw/Default.aspx.

Knight and Day This new Tom Cruise vehicle might be For the glory of Rome! retitled “Mission Implausible,” as agent Roy Miller breezes through a host of ‘Centurion’ takes a stab at history and leaves a bloody mess action set pieces while exchanging not very witty badinage with co-star Cameron Diaz. Special effects aim to be big but By Ian Bartholomew are found wanting, and the film also fails Staff Reporter to pull off its sly nudge and wink that Cruise will win the day and get the girl. Talented cast, including Peter Sarsgaard and Jordi Molia, is eil Marshall has honed a 9th Legion) that is marching to destroy characters are too hastily drawn for us wasted as the script tries too hard to get laughs and doesn’t bother reputation as a champion of Pict resistance. He is welcomed as to feel much interest in their demise. with character development. British horror with classics a source of local knowledge by the The backdrop of wild Highland such as Dog Soldiers (2002) general Virilus (), a scenery, while undoubtedly beautiful, and (2005), fighting general eager to come to grips Centurion fails to generate the atmosphere of Baaria but his attempt to bring his with his adversary. brooding foreboding that Marshall is This epic story of an Italian family DIRECTED BY: spanning three generations by director bloody aesthetic to a larger The column is led into an ambush Neil Marshall trying for. canvass has produced a and cut down almost to a man. A few Centurion is further tarnished Giuseppe Tornatore, the creator of Cinema historical splatter movie of dubious survivors remain, and the film follows STARRING: by a romantic interlude that brings Paradiso, is beautiful to look at and full of Nappeal and limited interest. seven of them, led by Dias, who try (Quintus Dias), in yet another bit of eye candy in sincere passion. The huge canvas that he The story takes as its starting point to escape through the wilderness. Dominic West (Virilus), the form of Arian (Imogen Poots), a takes on in Baaria, the slang name of the an attempt by the Roman empire to Hard on their heels is Etain, played (Etain), David woman living alone in the depths of place in Sicily where he grew up and where complete its conquest of Britain. This by Quantum of Solace Bond girl Olga Morrissey (Bothos), JJ Feild (Thax), the forest having been ostracized by much of the film is set, gets a bit cluttered, and the formal mastery of has been held up in the barbarous Kurylenko, who is out for vengeance Imogen Poots (Arian) the Picts for witchcraft. It’s all a bit individual scenes fails to generate the narrative energy to carry the story wilds of Scotland by Pictish warriors for atrocities committed by the too convenient. The romance between through the 150 minutes of the film. who engage in a guerrilla campaign of Roman army in her village. She sports RUNNING TIME: Dias and Arian manages to blossom in great cunning and savagery. The story what might be described as a folk- 97 MINUTES a matter of seconds and just paves the is loosely based upon the destruction punk look, and is accompanied by way to wrap up the story with a sweet Crows Zero 2 and disappearance of the Legio IX other leggy woman warriors, who are TAIWAN RELEASE: little bow. Sequel to a popular Japanese manga- Hispana, one of Rome’s most ruthlessly doubtless there to cater to Marshall’s TODAY Centurion has the same gore mixed based series about school punks fighting efficient fighting units that suddenly core audience of young men, but seem with laddish humor as Dog Soldiers, it out to be the coolest, meanest toughs disappeared from the historical record a highly improbable addition to a which was a minor classic of new on the street. This second installment in mysterious circumstances in the Highland fighting force. of his mind. There is gory butchery British horror, and Marshall is now revolves around a feud between rival early part of the second century. A strong cast that includes Michael aplenty as Etain and her posse take covering similar ground with bigger gangs from two different schools, and Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender) Fassbender and Dominic West has out the Romans one at a time, and names and bigger sets, but the humor there is plenty of bloody fight scenes and is an officer stationed at a bleak and plenty of potential to take the film the film degenerates rapidly into has gone sour and the director’s visceral violence. Amid the feuding flow numerous subplots catering to frozen frontier post who is captured by into a more nuanced look at violent a not very exciting escape movie. competence with spilled guts and those who know the manga series, which ran for eight years, but they the Picts but manages to escape after men under pressure, but Marshall has Copious attention is paid to creating decapitated heads is not enough in might prove confusing for newcomers. meeting up with a Roman column (the commercial interests at the forefront some decent fight sequences, but the itself to make this film work. Mondovino A long and sometimes rambling documentary on the wine industry providing revelations that not everything there is rosy, at least for those who prize individuality and character over the bottom line and the streamlining of taste. Director Jonathan Nossiter talks with major business leaders such as the Mondavi family (the world’s biggest winemakers and the bug bear of many wine connoisseurs), opinion makers like wine critic Robert Parker, and wine growers and vintners both large and small on both sides of the globalization debate. A must-see for foodies.

Solomon Kane Low-budget fantasy film based on stories by pulp writer Robert Howard about a brutal mercenary who tries to renounce violence after a meeting with the devil. There is nevertheless lots of violence in Solomon Kane, which has been described as the film that Van Helsing (2004) might have been. Starring James Purefoy as a grizzled fighter and a very respectable ensemble including Pete Postlethwaite and Max von Sydow. Good B-movie entertainment Photos courtesy of CatchPlay unhampered by pretension.

RESTAURANTS BY Catherine Shu BY David Chen Allen & Dickson No. 19 Cafe (19號水岸咖啡館)

Address: 24, Ln 40, Taishun St, Taipei City (台北市泰順街40巷24號) Telephone: (02) 3365-2215 Address: 19, Ln 131, Jingshan Rd, Taipei City (台北市菁山路131巷19號) Telephone: (02) 2861-9088 Open: Mondays to Thursdays 11:30am to 10pm, Average meal: NT$300 to NT$400 Average meal: Meal: NT$300 to NT$500 per person Open: 11am to 8pm Mondays to Fridays Fridays 11:30am to 11pm, weekends 9:30am to 11pm Details: Chinese and English menu, On the Net: tw.myblog.yahoo.com/no19cafe and 10:30am to midnight On the Net: www.wretch.cc/album/allendickson credit cards not accepted Details: Chinese menu, credit cards not accepted Saturdays and Sundays

llen & Dickson, which recently angmingshan offers a few nice sweet tomato sauce that tasted like it opened its second location near summer afternoon getaways in either came from a can or was made You’ll need to work up a good appetite to appreciate Shida night market, looks like it addition to shady forests and with ketchup. the food at No. 19 Cafe. Photo: David Chen, Taipei Times Acould have served as a set in Happy Ybreezy pastures. The No. 19 Cafe (19號 The seafood pasta with pesto (青醬海 Days, Grease or the first Back to the 水岸咖啡館), located a leisurely three-hour 鮮義大利麵,NT$350) would pass the taste (NT$220) and Blue Mountain (NT$220) Future movie. Vintage ads for products walk from Cing Tian Gang (擎天崗), sits test for a hungry hiker, but not a lover blends. The plain iced coffee (NT$170) like Aunt Jemima’s pancake syrup, Coca among a scattered cluster of mid-priced of Italian food. The pesto was thin and is flavorful and packs enough of a punch Cola and a now-politically incorrect label cafes and restaurants catering to weary watery and too salty, while the pasta to consider another hike. for a frozen watermelon-flavored treat hikers and city dwellers out for a drive was cooked too al dente. The dish was If you plan to drive directly there, called Picaninny Freeze line the walls. in the mountains. tossed with several unshelled prawns, Allen & Dickson’s interior is all kitschy Americana, but its entrees are worse than okay. Photo: Catherine Shu, Taipei Times the cafe’s blog (in Chinese only) has At night, a disco ball shines on black- Those who follow the bright yellow clams and calamari, which didn’t help directions with photos (bit.ly/crZEj6). and-white checkered tabletops and a French fries, mashed potato or cheese fried ice cream with cinnamon and hand-painted signs that dot Jingshan with the overall appearance. At least On public transport, the cafe chrome lunch counter. Classic rock hits bites. My companion ordered the mashed caramel (NT$160) is a big scoop of Road (菁山路) to No. 19 are rewarded with the prawns tasted fresh. recommends taking bus 303 from Jiantan add to the kitschy Americana atmosphere potato, but the two lumps on his plate vanilla ice cream served in a crunchy country home comfort and rustic charm. Other main course choices include MRT Station (劍潭捷運站) to the stop (though, according to the menu, the chain were almost unrecognizable. They looked fried pastry shell and smothered in Lounge around in the cafe’s open the barbeque pork steak with rice (碳 marked “International TV Station” (國際 was founded after its owner spent some like fritters and it was only after a bite whipped cream, loads of cinnamon and and spacious dining area, a converted 烤香草豬排, NT$360) or the Spanish red 電台) — you’ll see several larger-than-life time cooking in Spain). Allen & Dickson’s that I realized they were actually two very caramel sauce. The flavors combined one-story house fitted with a long row wine chicken stew with rice (西班牙紅酒 satellite dishes in the area. From there, large menu features diner classics like all- small scoops of slightly undercooked to taste like Cinnamon Crunch cereal. of large French doors that stay open 燴雞, NT$350). For dessert, don’t bother follow the cafe’s hand-painted signs. day breakfasts, milk shakes and burgers smashed potatoes with the skin left on. The chocolate caramel brownie sundae to let the breeze in, as well as the with the “homemade” chocolate and For hikers, one leisurely itinerary — but the food doesn’t quite live up to its My entree, sizzling chicken and (NT$170) was also good, with the gooey occasional butterfly. The space has a green tea cookies (NT$100), which could start with a visit to Cing Tian colorful surroundings. shrimp (NT$260), was also supposed brownie served hot, all the better to homey, lived-in feel, with well-worn were hard and didn’t taste homemade. Gang (擎天崗), a popular spot that I hoped for a heart attack on a to come with a side of mashed potato, let the vanilla ice cream melt around it wooden floors, floral tablecloths and A safer bet might be the waffles topped has a path (mostly downhill) leading plate when I ordered the fettuccine but the pulverized tater pile was in a decadent puddle. Other offerings plush sofas placed in front of a stone with chocolate or honey (NT$130). to the Jyuansih Waterfall (涓絲瀑布), with seafood and chicken in a creamy actually served underneath chicken include the fried banana cheese bite fireplace — just the setting for a pot Although the mediocre food hinders about 2.5km away. Continue on the white wine sauce (NT$280). The strips (just as dry as they had been sundae (NT$160) and a banana split of Earl Grey (NT$170) or an organic No. 19’s appeal as a dinner date path towards the Jyuansih Waterfall sauce, however, was bland and the in the pasta), bacon bits and shrimp. (NT$260) for three to five people. herbal tea (NT$200 to NT$210). destination, the idyllic surroundings still Entrance (涓絲瀑布入口) on Jingshan mixed toppings, including a few Everything was smothered in melted Allen & Dickson’s also offers Or sit in the shade at tables next to make for an attractive escape from the Road, Lane 101. From there you can pieces of crabmeat, shrimp and fish, cheese on a sizzling cast iron plate. The pizza, a brunch menu that consists the outdoor bar and listen to a small swelter of the city. It’s easy to imagine take bus 303 to “International TV were dominated by chunks of slightly dish was greasy to the point of being mostly of omelets, a selection of milk brook that runs by the cafe. returning to spend an afternoon there Station,” and follow the signs to No. 19 dry chicken. On a separate visit, my almost unpalatable and I wished I’d shakes (including peanut butter, Oreo Unfortunately the food was a with a book or even a laptop (but you’ll Cafe. Or just walk the whole distance companion ordered the Alice hamburger ordered the “homemade health seafood and toffee) and cocktails, including letdown — it was more on par with an need a personal 3G connection for — it should take about an hour. Either (NT$240), topped with grilled onions, porridge” (NT$200), one of the few a 30-ounce margarita for NT$350. overpriced student cafe rather than a surfing the Internet as there is no Wi-Fi). way, before you go, it’s best to consult mushroom and cheese. The patty was items on the menu targeted to calorie The entrees might not live up to the mountain retreat. The country garden The coffee is decent. No.19 uses a map to plan your route. small and just as forgettable as my pasta conscious diners. restaurant’s lively interior, but Allen & vegetables (田園鮮蔬義大利麵, NT$290), siphon brewers instead of espresso From Shilin MRT Station (士林捷運站), dish had been, and the bun was a little Our meals were disappointing, Dickson’s sweets menu just might past usually served with pasta (we had rice machines. Its selection includes take bus S15 (小15), which goes directly too sweet. Burgers are served with but we fared better with dessert. The the Fonz’s scrutiny. instead), were doused with an overly Brazilian (NT$200), Sumatra Mandheling to Cing Tian Gang.