Bridesmaids

I wouldn't pay to watch a rom-com Hollywood slapstick. My partner said we've got free tickets and so we went. It was just embarrassing to watch, I felt excruciating pain for all the ladies in the film. Apparently it's like 'The Hangover' but the female version. Perhaps it's just for note-taking purposes, but i definitely wouldn't want to have the headache of a lifetime before getting married. the female lead did a good job fucking things up for herself, it wasn't necessary for anybody else to dip their sticky fingers in her mess. put 5 women together on a team to throw an awesome party, you end up with a million and one problems, with issues to boot. so lesson learnt. just hire male strippers or elope.

Hanna

I was slightly disappointed with the ending. But Sairose Ronan and Cate Blanchett delivered. It's a film I'd probably not watch again, because there wasn't a really strong message. It was two people trying to kill each other for a mistake that occurred a long time ago. It would have been much more satisfying to have Hanna go on her own way and just live. Genetically modified human beings are always being made out to have less feelings, Sairose embodied that enough to make it believable.

The Rainmaker

Matt Damon. One of his earlier works, he didn't do much running (trivia: just realized it the other day to the common agreement of some friends that Damon does run a fair bit in his later works)
Anyway, The Rainmaker was the struggle between the corporate demons and the do-gooder. The ending was to be expected, and I know I'm probably repeating myself here, but I'm always rooting for Matt Damon. In my books, he could do no wrong. In each role he takes on, I'm cheering him with as much inner fangirl energy as I can muster.
I was a little afraid that he may have to pay for beat the crap out of that wife-beater. But Claire Danes is a damsel in serious distress, I suppose anybody would do the same.

One man against a legion of devils in suits. I'd watch it again for the feel-good factor.

Black Swan

Amidst all the hoo-ha, I caught Black Swan based on my best friend's recommendation. I never did work very well with psycho thrillers, I was creeped out half the time and was struggling to keep myself together throughout the film. I did manage to finish it and I thought the end was fitting. A certain sick obsession was clearly magnified in the story and it served its purpose to portray Portman in a difficult light. The accompanying music was just right, fitting in gaps of silence. The inner maniac snagged a little spot in my heart, a struggle to be perfect. I thought it was magic when she died. A bittersweet surrender when the curtains fall.

No Strings Attached

Natalie Portman is a goddess in Hollywood. She's beautiful and talented.
She blew me away in V for Vendetta and Closer.
I do question if she was really the one for Thor.
And I finally hit a brick wall when I caught her in No String Attached with Ashton Kutcher. It's not working for me, not in the least. Her role as an emotionally unavailable character was painful to watch. This is knowing that she can deliver so much more. I didn't fall for the scenes that pictured her vulnerable and needy.
Maybe she's trying to venture into other genres, buying the crowd favourite of rom-coms. She remains a personal favourite and I wouldn't be so easily swayed by one film.
I do hope her next choices would be mind blowing.

127 Hours

James Franco was more than believable here. There's much to be said about make-up and acting like you're really in pain. He made me believe he was really cutting his arm. I know it's based on a true story and I admire the man who had to go through that intense period of time. Perhaps that's how it feels like to have your world crumble.
My gripe with the film is that it was just too frickin' long. The wait for him to just do the deed was way too long. I almost couldn't wait for the movie to end. I watched it knowing how it was going to end, because clearly interviews with the author had been conducted and we see that he survived the ordeal so obviously in the film, he's going to live as well. I just wanted to get on with it.

I liked how there were scenes for a little peek into hallucinating, illusions etc.
I took one lesson from the film, just leave a note when you go somewhere. It could save a lot more than an arm.

Tron Legacy

i found the show to be just boring. Sure, there were action scenes, an amazing soundtrack, a hot chick, a hero to save the day and a bad guy to boot. That sounds like a recipe for nothing short of amazing. But it fell short of my personal expectations.
I started off optimistic with raving reviews from my friends, but the double body entity, Jekyll and Hyde scenario was rather bland. How did the father live in the alternate reality, surviving his alter ego who wants to kill him? Where do we get hints about the arcade? and what about the father's friend? when the girl goes into the real world, how is she going live? seriously, what the fuck?

thinking about the movie is pissing me off. i'm just gonna say, i don't like it. and i'm never watching it again.

Another Year (2010)

I caught this film more than a month ago. I want to write about it before I forget any more fragments.

I didn't fancy it. There wasn't a real plot. It was an effort to feel some emotion for the characters, but I was bored and I couldn't really sympathize or fall in love, be scared or feel embarrassed. I felt a little bad for the single girl, who was clearly desperate to feel like she belonged somewhere. And definitely, her actions were less than suitable. But the conclusion to the whole plot was less than desirable.
I'm not a sucker for wonderful happily ever afters, or a tragic ending. But this is no cliffhanger and I'm left in between, wondering what was the whole point of the show in the first place. Whose shoes should I fill temporarily? One half of the blissful couple, or the son who is finally hitched? The brother who lost his wife, or the nephew who is a douche? The sad friend who doesn't have a single soul to turn to? Maybe I'm one of those people who really can't relate to a character in this film, but I thought that was the whole point of putting something on the silver screen; that people may connect and understand they aren't the only ones here.

Mambo Jambo

I'm losing the tickle in my throat for a beer. Or any other form of alcohol.

I caught 'Revolver' this afternoon, I knew I had watched it before. The familiar scenes, clipped script and Statham in a comfortable role.
It was nothing particularly memorable, I should now state here that I will not watch it again. Towards the last 15 minutes, I was too distracted surfing the net. No attention was paid to the drawing of curtains. Oh, well.

I watched 'Limitless' last night, I think it's the first time I've seen DeNiro opposite a leading man who said that he'd have to be his bitch. DeNiro, somebody's bitch? In my 20th century mind, DeNiro reigns. He's the boss, period. Otherwise, the story was pretty interesting. I half-hoped that Bradley Cooper would just die and end the story. Instead, it was a happily ever after. That annoyed me a little. If truly such a drug existed, I think I'd be hooked on it too. I really enjoyed the art direction, it was spiffy and not overdone. It seemed like we hallucinated together, the beauty is knowing exactly how it feels like. Some of us do :p

I also watched 'The Adjustment Bureau'. I definitely liked the storyline. This time around, I wanted Matt Damon to fight for the happy ever after. He's a character I think I will always root for, regardless of the cause. You can't help feeling like he needs all the support and love you can give him. I should get the book, it's interesting enough onscreen, i reckon the book can't be worse?
There was nothing too impressive about the cinematography, it was the acting that made it for me (:

Cookie bits

I think it's a good habit to write down what I think about every movie. There's just too many movies I've watched but never really placed my opinion here and then I end up watching them again, which translates to a double waste of my time if the movie was bad, i.e. Troy.

I have also come to realize that I place an enormous amount of faith in IMDB. I trust it's ratings and it's recommendations. I don't question the reviews or the rankings.
Maybe it's just according to the majority and so I take their word for it.
Perhaps they are wrong and I've been misled about it this whole time.

I should just watch what I want to, regardless of the many opinions other people have about a certain film. I'm quite sure there are people who would disagree with my thoughts as well. I would very much welcome a discussion about a film, because then I'd be able to understand better.

In other news, I feel quite neglected. It's probably just the lack of some personal time and I must say, I am quite fond of being taken care of in every aspect. Just lately I don't feel like anything I've done has been reciprocated. Perhaps I'm just a little sensitive about the matter, and I won't say a word about it. truly, it's also quite hard to please me and i'd be disappointed in myself if i were to demand of anything or to place more pressure than as already at hand. i must understand that in order to be happy, i need to sacrifice something. and that i must learn to walk in the shoes of another. for all i know, it could be very depressing to be you.

to myself, a gentle reminder; that there is no obligation from the other party to do anything whatsoever for you. it's a free world and there aren't any strings attached. so move the fuck along and just be happy. your happiness depends on yourself, not on somebody else and what they have to offer. it's a bonus if there's anything more to what it is presently. likewise, don't be a fool and let people take advantage of you.

London Boulevard

Colin Farrell never struck me as an actor to be reckoned with. He was mostly talked about by acquaintances and friends as a sex symbol. I doubt I have ever watched a single movie of his and taken it seriously. London Boulevard was rather boring although I didn't expect Mitch to die. There was a love story, hugely undeveloped. A complicated friendship that ended in death. Some violence, and I couldn't wait for it to be over.

I wasn't particularly convinced about the plot, and the implied gore was quite overdone. I did enjoy the sets and locations. I've always imagined London and their people to be as portrayed. It wasn't really worth my hour and a half.

The Wrestler - Mickey Rourke

I couldn't help but sympathize with Randy. Mickey Rourke did a brilliant job portraying a wrestler who's fallen from grace. It was legitimate enough for me to believe that he truly was trying to make good with everything that went wrong. He was human and made his fair share (or more) of mistakes. There was respect from his peers and colleagues in the industry, long after his time. Regardless of whether it was fake or sincere, it was the only place he ever found some solace in. There's not much said about his past, but clearly there was a broken home with a daughter that he tries to reconnect with. It seemed like there was hope for a reunion at one point but that failed. And along with it, he gave up and never looked back. I loved the hook at the end. The final scene was one of closure, he returned to what he loved best all his life. he gave everything for it and every single ounce of strength to give a good show, to end it all on the stage that gave birth to the fame and faded glory.

The past life that was lived with recklessness and ambition has been reduced to a painful existence, struggling to keep up with the Joneses.
I think a realization really hits home when there are comparisons with age and youth.
Because time is no longer on your side, and a comeback in a competitive field is one that chooses to slowly flay your life.

I liked how Aronofsky made it so that each time Randy tweaked with his hearing aid, there would be an audio blip to mirror it. It was something that I may have previously overlooked but the significance of that singular act was special and it made this film all about Randy.

New York

I've probably caught 20 movies between the last post and today.
Just felt like I had to write something about Gangs of New York.
I can't say that I'm really familiar with films and its various genres. But it's intriguing that someone thought to make a movie out of this book. True, it's a loose adaptation so it's considered an original screenplay. I'm not usually so fired up to find out about the roots of a movie. I felt that there was a particular nitty-gritty fire about the characters and their convictions. I'm not a huge fan of Cameron Diaz and i'm going to try to put that aside while placing my thoughts here.

I'm particularly stunned by Daniel Day-Lewis, hereafter DDL because double-barreled surnames are simply taking up more time than space for me. I don't think I've watched anything he acted in, and after a look up on wikipedia, I understood why. This man hardly acts. Not because he doesn't have the skills or time or talent, but he simply just chooses to do what he wants to do. And reading his profile is a little painful, I must admit. Being in character on AND off set is both admirable and unimaginable.

I couldn't help but to gasp at his list of nominations and accolades for ONE movie. I will make it a point to watch the other films, hopefully when I get better internet speeds or when DVDs are more affordable.

Frankly, I wasn't too sure how the movie would end. It wasn't the sweet ending that Hollywood is most famous for. I'm glad Scorsese delivered a fitting finish. I was sad when the Butcher died, there's no other way around it though. Out of the thousands of people who must have been employed for the film, I wish I had the opportunity to have been a part of it. It amazes me, sweeps me in awe at times when I watch films that requires scores of people, flooding masses of people on the set.

It's too big for me to imagine. Likewise, the subtle themes and underlying messages of this film has escaped me for a little while. I wish I had a better way to phrase my summary of the film. It touched me, it moved me, and I was, for a moment or two, slightly torn between the Butcher and Vallon.

It was as if I had to choose a side, but the difficulty lay in wanting peace to settle down. Peace that never really belonged to New York in 1863 anyway.

Bartender, one more drink, please.

I believe the universe runs the way it should. But today left me dumbfounded and lost for words that encapsulates 24 hours. I was nervous about sorting out my education, i was bored throughout dinner with my family, i was sad when i heard about the death of an acquaintance, i was angry when during a dispute with my partner, and eventually exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster.

Then I watched 'Blue Valentine'. It applies, but to one aspect today. Just the dispute. It gets you thinking, are you bound by the laws of the universe to repeat the mistakes your parents made?

I don't know of the mistakes my parents may have made. To me, they are perfect.
I can only hope to learn from my own errors.

Earlier today, I dialed a familiar number, to reach a voice I used to make love to. I laid out the foundations for a civil conversation, and he reciprocated, with the heaviness of an obliging participant. the awkwardness was subtle and carefully wrapped underneath the small talk we both hate. All I wanted was to ask if he'd return some books to me. I'm still unsure of what I'd do with my hands when the time comes for us to be seated across each other at a coffee table. Most likely to be tweaking with my Blackberry, so as to avoid a moment that I am required to say something nice or something that isn't related to life as I know it now.

I still believe in the universe, and that it will conspire to help you achieve what you want.

dreamcatcher.

Watching the Truman Show for the first time, gave me a little insight.
Not much, but just enough to understand the frayed edges of deception.
It had entertainment value and there will be an essay question based on the movie for my Media Studies paper on Monday. What wouldn't I give to be able to skip this dratted subject? but really, that movie was absolute brilliance. and i'm left wondering if it's even possible to do so. to place someone's life as the reality of how we've always lived. it's cruel and naive to think one wouldn't want to escape. anything's got to be better than what we've known it to be. or even if it isn't better, it's got to be different! isn't that the whole point of living? to be different and to challenge what we already know? we can't already know everything.


i grieve for the Trumans of this world who close the door on the truth.
and i salute the Trumans who bid the audience 'good morning, good afternoon, good evening and good night' to find something beyond that wall of clouds.

i read some Kerouac after the movie, and I must say, I want to know what is it like to have some San Francisco blues. Because I haven't tasted anything other than the waters of my own backyard where I can't tell the difference in the texture, the clarity or weight. For all I know, it could have been the same all this while, all waters in all bodies of water. But I need to know that for myself. the major and minor keys, if any at all.

You laugh, scoff, dust and walk away from the dreams I care to share.
Perhaps you're the one who would stand in the way of my jet plane.
I'd welcome you aboard. I just hope you can help me build this ambition, strengthen the hope instead of breaking the light or pulling the brakes.

i wanna tap that.

quantum of solace. it sounds suave, debonair, cool, bond-ish, but i don't understand what it means.
+_+ i watched it yesterday with the pirate. boleh-lah. it can pass off as an action-packed flick, with the near hits and misses, the bloody clothes, Daniel Craig's tight ass and how could i forget the Bond girl whose name i can't pronounce? Olga something something. SHE'S SMOKING HOT. imma gonna go google her nude, i mean her super sexy body shots :D

to be honest, it was pretty unrealistic as to how this movie went down. a secret agent seeking revenge for his dead traitorous ex-girlfriend. and how is it possible that 007 could still be jumping around like a cat on hot coals in a burning hotel, shouldn't he be suffocating to death already? and nobody drives an aston martin with the driver's car door missing +_+ and all of a sudden he's in the middle of a desert. wei beb, tak masuk akal la. but i don't care, olga's still hotness personified.

i'm not a fan of Bond, not even going gaga when Pierce Brosnan was the shit. It's just one of those cult based things i didn't bother being a part of. i'd much rather be part of a fan base where the idol is... *points at picture*



how can you not WORSHIP such a body! @_@
siiiiiigh.....
















other than raving over her stunning body, yesterday was fun. it's been awhile, and a lot of issues came up and we're emo people. hahahaha. he's been hanging out too much with me. i sorta forgot how to chill out with friends. it's weird i know. but i gotta work on that :)

warning: tearjerker effect

i'm not a hopeless romantic, neither am i a sucker for loveydovey shit
but i can be a sap and a big baby when it comes to certain things.
it's very ungirlyfied of me but fuck that.
who cares?
so i've heard of P/S: I Love You, the book and the movie.
i know how the story goes, good looking couple, man dies and leaves behind letters for his wife bla bla bla aww damn sweet such things are practically extinct
but yes, i watched the movie for the first time yesterday and couldn't stop crying from the 30th minute of run-time +_+
oh i'm sorry i'm a crybaby but seriously it's fucking sad and fucking emo and damn sweet at the same time
and it's damn POTONG STEAM cause my brother came around and made me pause the movie while he used the printer @_@ nia cipettttt!
but honestly, if you don't at least tear watching this, you memang mou sum kon (no heart! no soul!)
i thought the couple resembled some people i know (;
and that what he did for her, the events planned out for an entire year, letting her move on, giving her freedom to move on and fall in love again, omg damn wai tai (generous) cause no shit, i can't pull that!
it's just another love story for a lot of people, but the thought of merely being just a chapter in one's life isn't exactly something i want for myself or for anyone else.

don't take anyone for granted. sigh wtf i'm giving advice to myself actually.
but i'm damn grateful (:

<3 you.

that night job. that red light.

transvestites should be given their own legal rights to be recognized as members of society.

i just watched "Princesa", in brief it's about a transvestite who's looking for a way out of making a living by whoring, and she travels far from home to search for jobs that would pay well enough so that she would have a sex change op. but she changes her mind in the end because it appears that she's been living a lie all this while by playing housewife to her "husband". it's quite explicit but you get the story at the end of it. i imagine it to be quite painful to be in a position like that, to be ostracized by society and have no end to name-calling. not to be able to find a proper job, something legal, something less demeaning. she even wanted to commit suicide at one point.

my family is one of many out there who don't understand that we need to include gays and transvestites into our everyday lives. after all, we are all human, the only difference is how we go about our daily lives. they find it unacceptable that such people roam around freely. frankly, i don't really care for them, i might even laugh at them sometimes. but when you really think about it, they are just trying to make ends meet. just because you're gay, doesn't mean you can survive on that fact alone.

people who say that it's haram, or that it's against religion etc, should be shot. it's hard enough to live feeling awkward and strange, to have people look at you in odd mannerisms all the time, and now you need to shove that kind of ridiculous notions into their heads?
what, you think they don't have enough shit to think about that you need to mess up their heads even more?

get real. don't pretend to be holier-than-thou. it's disgusting.

random

i don't know if i've changed in recent times
or has time changed the things around me
it could be both
it could be me just talking jack-shit
but different is as different can be

i'm such a home-body now
from a wild child wtf to a pillow-hugging twenty year old watching old movies at home
i don't enjoy clubbing, partying, socializing.
it takes up too much trouble, really.
to dress up and make up, prance around in different outfits, one night after the other
stumble home, high on drinks, with empty pockets.
goodness, it must be a phase surely.
how could it be here forever?

tropic thunder is the worst movie i have ever seen in the last quarter of the year.
and i hope to God i don't watch something like it ever again or i'll demand my two hours back.
good grief, fucking waste of my time.