MOVIE: Thor

I was on a date with a gf last night and we decided to watch Thor at The Spring MBO. we got a 'super comfy' auto reclined seats and with the air cond at low temp, its almost a miracle we didnt grope at each other. it was cold!, even with a sweater on. (how can we blame the kids at the back in doing what they're doing?) i'd say, super supportive environment.

Well, i usually talked of outdated movies in this blog. but, i couldnt help myself commenting on the movie i watched last night. the long anticipated Marvel comics adaptation, Thor. it was a major dissapointment. and he's scheduled to make another appearance in Captain America? Oh! Marvellous. No?

Seriously now, casting Anthony Hopkins for Odin?. its like casting saiful apek for Sultan Mahmud in Puteri Gunung Ledang. as for Natalie Portman, she's fabulous. it's just, with her all over the news for doing it great in Black Swan. somehow, it reminded me of Agnes Monica popularity in Indonesia (she's almost on every advertisment, ranging from ubat tolak angin to high-tech gadget, billboards, TV, even on the side of buses----at least this hold true the last time we were in Jakarta) edei.. teda orang lain lagi kah?

i was expecting something heart stopping moment like i felt watching Transformers or Iron man. none. Oh! wait, there's one scene with the expelled Thor in tight jeans, topless, that was breathtaking. But on entirely different pulse. hmph..

so, yeah, to be in the rank of gods (etched to memory and worshipped at heart), Thor certainly still have a lot to learn.

MOVIE: Bunohan

when i checked my viewers stats, i found out that "hantu kak limah balik rumah" garnered top viewed post. that actually amused me a lot. so now, i have to write review on malay film to gain more attention?

so, here, i'm experimenting by reviewing movie i havent see, not sure already hit the cinema or not, but honestly wanted to watch the film. you can check the movie trailer here. a lady friend commented after watching the trailer that Faizal Hussein looked great in the movie and the human slaughtering looked gruesome, therefore looked real. i dont really care of Faizal's good look or the gruesomeness of the assasination. what captured my heart the most is the authenticity of the story. wait, i should write, originality of the story. its fiction based on real thing. there's a real kampung Bunohan in Kelantan, bordering Thailand. where, things like in the film have high possibility of happening.

by the way, Bunohan's director, Dain Iskandar Said also made the film "Dukun" in 2007, based on the legendary notoriarity of Mona Fandey.

now, i feel like a duck for posting a review of nothing. sorry guys, i know, i'm being bad.

Hantu Kak Limah Balik Rumah

finally, Sarawak State Assembly dissolved today. this next few weeks will be interesting in Sarawak. being an outsider, i have the privilege of being nonpolar in their political affinity, and being a localised stranger, people are more open in voicing out their opinion. ya, the kadai kopi talk..what not to say?

that first para is not intended to be written in this post. just, i think its important to notice. i actually want to jot on a hillarious malay film (which, i reluctantly watched--glad i did). Hantu Kak Limah Balik Rumah.

so, what if the leading actor is Awie?. ya, that Awie. and only in this film did i realize, he really can act! like really selamba bodo...the credit should go to the script man: Hassan Mutalib (you, wrote a wonderful, hillarious, very relevant, openly honest script sir, thank you!)

if you want a malay movie; politically inclined, quietly challenging the system, openly menyindir everything and everyone that should be disindir. try this movie. pause to listen to 'sorry seems to be the hardest word', keroncong version. i almost terkencing, for laughing out loud. man! thats better than Elton John's version.

i really, really should watch this film earlier. this is one good comedy film.

The Joke is on The Joker

No reading done since Heartsblood. i tried going back to Moby Dick with little success. i ended up watching movies from a friend's DVD collections. so, from sunday to last night, i've watched (in order): Push, Terminator Salvation, The Terminal, X-Men Origins;Wolverine, Merlin and The Book of Beasts, Legion, In The Name of The King, Night at The Museum, G.I. Joe; the rise of cobra, Fast and Furious4, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, Sundel Bolong 2, Hantu Kak Limah Balik Rumah.

The only movie i'll recommend to watch from the lots is, The Terminal

Tom Hanks played Viktor Navorski, a visitor to New York from eastern Europe, whose homeland erupts in a fiery coup while he is in the air en route to America. upon arrival, he's denied entrance to the States because, technically, his passport is no longer valid and he cannot be deployed home for security reason. so, he stayed at the airport's terminal international transit lounge until the war at home is over. His genuine helplessness in dealing with the system he's not accustomed to and his limited ability to converse in English well, is hugely funny and entertaining. This movie has it all; the funny part, painful side, romance, friendship, family and how good, will eventually triumph in the end.

While i lmao at Viktor's painfully sticky situations, i asked myself, how easy is it for us to laugh and make fun of other's weakness and helplessness.

Consider the blunder made by BH in publishing this:

i bet, if CNN didn't push it over. they'll never realize how insensitive they were by trying to be funny.

p/s: its considered decent to make fun of our own boisterous politicans, its another to poke fun at other's misfortune. along that line, go watch the terminal. its ok to laugh at Viktor. He's Tom Hanks after all.

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added on 21/03/2011

so, our 'first lady' also threw herself in the band wagon of serious blunders. she's a cool parampuan rambut kambang.

MOVIE: The Lake House (remake of Il Mare)

Original theatrical poster of Il Mare (2000)

I attended a Korean language introductory class in my long extended stay in the univ, years ago. As a prerequisite for the lesson, i watched a lot of K-dramas and movies. (apparently, i never really got a good footing at the language and i'm a cured person of K-fever!). One thing i learnt though, Korean really have a knack of filming good cinematographic movies with beautiful music to accompany.

Il Mare was a good example. a movie so complicated, i tried watching it 3 times, only to get more confused. i braved 3 times for that boring ordeal for the breath-taking views and the actor's facial expressions. Korean boys knew how to melt a girl's heart, i knew. (sigh!)

Original theatrical poster of the Lake House (2006)

So, i half expected the confusion when i watched the Lake House, a Hollywood film remake of the Korean Il Mare, starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. Read the plot here, and see the movie trailer here. i was mildly surprise at my own ability to accept the movie as it was. i thoroughly enjoyed the very romantic movie.

Maybe it was the cinematography and music in the film that nailed me down just right (even batter than Il Mare!). i am not a big fan of big city surrounding (not in real life, nor movie). But, its impossible not to love Chicago in this film, unbelievably beautiful buildings structure. Rachel Portman composed most of the songs featured in this movie, and she's brilliant!. The original soundtrack may available here. however, my favourite song was: i seem can't make you mine by the Clientele.

The time paradox proved to be really trying to my logical mind. But, never mind the logic. The gush of heart wrenching romantic longings the movie produced, was enough to banish logical thoughts. Try to get this for your Valentine's. It brings relief and gratitude to those who have somebody to snuggle with, watching. And it brings hope, to everbody else.

Happy holidays. Be safe. Love.

MOVIE: 3 idiots

i rarely watch Hindi movie. for the sheer detest of its unrealistic plots and over-dramatized drama. but, i do make exceptions. i watched "Maan" including the dancing and merrymaking songs, i watched quite a numbers of Shah Rukh Khan's Movies (thanks to my Hindi movie craze housemate during my univ days). so, i'm not that illiterate of Bollywood's goods.

in 2009, i read a film review in the Star newspaper of a Hindi movie "3 idiots". the guy who wrote the review compared the movie to "Dead Poets Society" and "Good Will Hunting" in terms of film's content--- ie: passion for education/ learning. who can resist to watch a movie as such?

recently, a good friend's wife told me in passing that she's downloading "3 idiots" because she needs her Hindi movies fix, and the latest movies from Bollywood failed to fill her. (she's in the last stage of her trimester and need all the comforts she can get). ecastically i asked for a copy!! lucky me!

her husband handed it to me last monday and i've watched the movie twice. it was good. i simply fall for Sharman Joshi, the guy who played Raju Rastogi.

the movie is basically about friendship. how good friends should bring the best and the worst in us, and in the end, accepted us just the way we are. the passion for education/ learning came as a by product of the main theme. Raju, Farhan and Rancho were roomates in the best engineering college in India. while Raju and Farhan struggled with their studies, Rancho aced all exams (not only because he's a genius but, because he's really interested in learning engineering). the movie went on about their personal struggles and how in the end they overcome. the whole movie was entertaining. and if we dig a little deeper, quite troubling.


eventhough the film did raised a lot of doubts in the quality of existing education system. in my opinion, it did not offer a better alternative in a concrete way for mass schooling system. thus proved, the ideal way is not always the best solution. but, being an idealist at heart, i firmly believe in what the film's selling, school should focus on teaching the kids to think (a la de Bono) and care less of grades. especially in primary school.



in the ideal world of mine, i'd home-school my kids.