Laa-dee-daa, laa-dee-daa!

I think I'm gonna scrimp and start eating salad for lunch. It's cheaper and healthier.

Annie Hall is excessively hilarious! Just a little over 90 minutes, the message conveyed is succinct and effective. It's laced with jokes that are subtle yet overtly done (if you get what I mean). In addition, it's backed by an amazing cast. Diane Keaton is stellar being ditzy and Woody Allen is convincingly neurotic. Indeed it's a triumphant comedy. I seriously recommend everyone to watch it, at least once.  

"It's out there that I get hurt"

It's the silly season again. By that I'm not referring to the wads of rejection/pool letters from a certain, very much revered institution which might have arrived in carts at the wonderful Puan Kas' office this time around. Nor that I'm commenting on the much talked returner's week. I'm talking about the awards season. To me, Hollywood is in a precarious position. The ongoing development in the world somehow requires me to shun this very potent type of opium, at least until it subsides. Many of the studios are founded or linked to Israel and it would be politically incorrect and humanly insensitive to show undivided support to them. Indeed it's a grave embarrassment to note that I'm more keen to keep tab on who's in the Oscar race than the racing number of deaths in Gaza. Shame on my self...

Another post abound with digressions so let's get back on the track. As I said, it's the time when the bigwigs at Hollywood decide to release films that are conspicuously groomed for the prizes. Heavy dramas and epics which are scrawled all over with the print "Oscar material" in glaring red paint swamp the cinemas and attract the crowd in droves. Some of them are downright pretentious with A-listers spearheading them with storyline that is difficult to swallow and set at an agonizingly slow pace while others camouflaged under the banner of indie flick that most of them are so indie that they are almost a work of art. The tactic is a well worn one. It's a pattern that most studios follow if they want to guarantee their films to win awards. It's not a bad thing but it's kinda obvious that the movies which are released in December/January are tailor made for the awards while summer blockbusters are just meant to be - well - blockbusters.

Anyways, I went to see The Wrestler last night with Jal. I was planning to see Slumdog Millionaire this week but after finding out that The Wrestler would be released on Friday, I was so excited that I deferred the previous intention. The story goes like this, a has-been wrestler who's on his way out tries to reconnect with people around him and make amendments along the way. His life is in total shambles; his meagre salary doing minor stints at minor ring is just sufficient to sustain his drug requirements and he has to do overtime at the store he works at to cope. He lives in a trailer park which can easily typecast him as a low end white thrash. He's given a chance to reclaim the former glory but an obstacle protrudes out of nowhere and threatens to take away this dream. I must not spoil the story so that you can make an effort to see the movie.

I honestly think that the movie is brilliant. I might come across as a biased prick to say that because I'm a huge fan of wrestling (I can hear from somewhere someone's brain whizzing hysterically in an attempt to digest this information). But you don't have to be a wrestling fan to appreciate this movie. I know that Jal is not even remotely interested in wrestling but she still considers it as a very effective picture. To quote her, the emotions are balanced in a way that none is over expressed at the expense of another. It's a tear jerker but it does it in a very subtle manner. It's not the desperate plea of the main character who wants to rebuilds his life that tears at the heart but its the insufferable loneliness that echoes throughout the movie that does. And who could have thought that a blood lusting wrestler who's hellbent to destroy his opponent with barbed wire and glass panes can be courteous, thoughtful, and sensitive?

The mechanics of wrestling are also on display in this movie. We all know that the outcome is fixed before the match takes place, the moves discussed among the wrestlers, and a tiny shard of razor blade is used to cause bleeding. What surprises me is the independent circuits do that too because if memory serves me well, all those are the tricks used by WWE and the likes. Oh yeah, if you're faint hearted, there is an extended scene of a really brutal match in the movie which leaves both wrestlers in a crimson bath. The stage is Combat Zone Wrestling, a real life company that pits wrestlers in bizarre dangerous matches where stapler gun, barbed wire (2 by 4 in the States), weed cutter and other sick instruments normally present in some tacky slash/horror movies are staples in the ring.

I highly recommend this movie despite its chances to be noticed by the academy for the best picture league is as slim as Triple H's chances to wrestle the gold away from Jeff Hardy in the near future. Mickey Rourke should be commended with an Oscar for his amazing portrayal as 'a broken piece of meat'. I don't care with people wanting Sean Penn to take home the statuette. Come to think of it, he's already won one and it's a quiet recent victory too. And he didn't have to spare his body to play an effeminate role in Milk. Kudos to Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood too. Marisa should at least be nominated for Best Supporting Actress. She dares to bare all.

My final verdict: 5 out of 5 (is it possible to give it a half more?)

It's Bond. James Bond.

In 2008, Bond:

1) Can smash into glasses but emerges unscathed.
2) Bumps, jumps, falls at various places and through many surfaces without fracturing a bone.
3) Doesn't get laid with the primary Bond girl.
4) Dumps a friend (literally!)
5) Owns a phone camera that can zoom in a million times.
6) Has the super cool computer used in CSI:Miami installed in his boss' office
7) Walks through fire without getting an iota of burn marks.
8) Doesn't die of suffocation by smoke.
9) Manages to drive out of the mess with a sleek Ford SUV which appears to materialize from thin air considering that the place he has last been to is blown to pieces...
10) Has Alicia Keys singing the theme song.

Loads of action but the storyline is kinda inept. Surprising coz it's written by Paul (?) Peter (?) Haggis who gave us, not the haggis, but the strangely beautiful Crash.

Anyways,had a long chat under the streetlamp with Wawan and Jal. Somehow, the literature stuff that we learned at school crept its way into our conversation. We compared personal favourites and dissed certain works which we thought were too boring to suffer. Remember 'Of Bunga Telur and Bally Shoes'? Or does Sehijau Warna Daun toll any bells? Can you recall the romantic prose of Sonnet 18 or the bleak atmosphere in There Has Been a Death in the Opposite House? Or how madly boring most of the Malay novels were? Funny that we actually talked about all those stuff. Wawan commented that the Ministry had succeeded in ingraining, however slightest, a sense of appreciation for literary works.

The world is waiting with bated breaths. Whoever wins is gonna shift us to a new direction. That's for certain.

Being Beautiful...

The preparation before leaving the country really got in the way hence my failure to finish the book early. Man Booker Prize winners have always been disappointing (a claim undeniably unfair; I’ve only read three such books) so I had high expectation when I picked up The Line of Beauty. To recap, I’ve read The Gathering by Anne Right, a novel so bleak and aimless that when reading it, I’ve always wondered why it won the prize. But I must say that I like the ending. Shattering to say the least. Another, which was a bigger letdown, was Kiran Desai’s The Inheritance of Loss. The story was so-so and the ending was ‘blegh’; in fact, close to being inept. On the other hand, I found the finalists far more deserving of the title. Fine examples are Never Let Me Go and Atonement. However, as proposed by someone wise, the prize is meant for baffling work replete with obscure themes and convoluted prose.

I digressed.

the oh-so-gay cover!

Well, the novel was about a gay Oxford grad named Nick who had the opportunity to stay at his friend’s place. The man of the house was an MP in Thatcher’s government and the family consisted of the wife, the son (Nick’s friend), and the daughter who was plagued with manic depression. Basically, it told the story of Nick and how he maintained the secrecy of his highly contentious sexuality, his relationship with the family, and of course, his exhaustless pursuit of all things beautiful.



If previously I thought that the Booker committee had wrongly picked the winner, I now reserve little doubt that this book is different. Firstly, there’s a direction in the way the story is presented, unlike the two books that I mentioned earlier. The whole point of finishing a novel is to find and follow the vein of the story so as to reach its heart of hearts, not to simply get lost in random mini narratives that when accumulated, amounted to nothing. Then again, most award-winning books are destined to confuse readers with any number of side tales before closing abruptly. On to the second reason. Well, the language used is just beautiful. On this point, I won’t argue that all three books excel admirably in language.



The novel isn’t pretentious. One might argue that it’s overtly scattered with unimaginable riches and power (underscored by its ceaseless dictations on fine arts, sprawling mansions, powerful acquaintances, and lavish parties). But don’t they make the novel really British? Them people are absurdly prim if not pompous. And yeah, the title clearly suggests that it mainly concerns beautiful stuff. Money permits one to obtain beauty even though most of the time it is underappreciated which results in a continuous hunt for it. In short, it has successfully portrayed the life of British aristocrats and doesn’t make it cloying. However, this quality has the danger of pushing the novel to being highly tedium especially in the middle of the story.



But the high point is the ending. Profound and affecting, I was moved to the point that I nearly cried! Finally, a satisfying ending to a well written story. I’ve been disappointed for too many times already.



I have to hazard you though; be prepared to skip a few passages, or even pages if you think the carnality of the novel gets on your nerves... And do read it with an open mind. I know that this novel isn’t really for everyone. But I still highly recommend this book to anyone, homophobic or not.

Bibliophilic Me...

It's rather unfortunate of me to believe that Popular bookstore in Seremban is a better one than its rival, MPH. Certain that I wouldn't find the books that I have always wanted at MPH, I ventured to Popular instead. I know I won't regret purchasing Brainwash : The Secret History Of Mind Control (I heart macabre stuff. And it's a non-fiction!). If there's any, it would be the fact that I could not buy the four books which are high in the list of my must-haves. All of them were found at MPH and the discovery was too late for I had already procured the aforementioned book. A mission I would love to see accomplished: to come back with money to buy them.

Hajar @ Jojo Binx wanted to know which books made it to my top 5 of all time favourites, the books that I will reread for any number of times without ever getting bored. Here they are... (in no particular order)



1. Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro

This novel revolves around the lives of three friends who are - in the typical American label - special in every way. They are raised solely on the purpose of providing organs for normal people. Yes, this a story of clones. Fear not, it is not ridden with scientific mambo jumbo nor it is too preachy in its conviction. Although one might find the flow tad too draggy, the ending, I believe is guaranteed to leave a profound and lingering impact on the readers. I still felt the hangover of the powerful (and devastating) effect of the novel long after I've finished reading it.

2. We Need To Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver

Before reading this novel, make sure you have a dictionary handy. Verbose but eloquently told, it tells the story of a mother recuperating from the tragedy called Thursday. Her son killed eleven people on the eve of his sixteenth birthday. To make sense of her son's motivation to do such deed, she started a tedious correspondence with her estranged husband, dissecting the life and lies in the family prior to Thursday. Engaging, the novel triumphs in its mission to convey the message that evil is born, not built. What unnerves me is that I share so many common traits as the mother. Somehow, I think that this is a parental guidance book disguising as a clever fiction. It'll make those who want to start a family to think twice before making the leap...

3. Ordinary People - Judith Guest

I have raved about it in my previous post. I have little doubt that this novel will become a classic in the nearest future. An inexplicably aloof mother, a battling father and a recovering son make up a seemingly perfect family. A disaster in the recent past looms over the family, threatening to bring them under. It is wittily written and endearing right to the end. I still sympathise Conrad, the little brother who was once shadowed by his brother as he struggles to rebuild his life after the unexpected demise of the older brother and his botched suicide attempt. The novel offers more than an insight into a family shaken by a tragedy. It is a great tale of - as the title suggests - ordinary people.

4. Atonement - Ian McEwan

I earnestly think that the novel is a shade better than the movie. A simple lie, in many ways unexpected and unforeseen especially by the teller, led to the destruction of three lives. Heart wrenching and almost epic in its telling, this novel deserves the spot in the Time Top 100 novels of the century. The twist at the end increases its value.

5. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling

I know Hajar doesn't like the series but she's fully aware that the release of the highly anticipated novel fell on the same day as her birthday. To me, this is more than apt ending to the super popular series. It ties up all the loose ends, answers all questions convincingly, and above all, makes the whole idea of good trumping evil believable. It transcends the scope of a children book what with its darker tone and clever storyline. Heh, it also proves that Snape is a good guy through and through. The epilogue might appear cheesy but for fans like me, it is the best way to end the tale.

I have 5 other notable mentions: I Am Muslim - Dina Zaman, Kill The Messenger - Tami Hoag, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire - JK Rowling, Out - Natsuo Kirino, and Freedomland - Richard Price.

5 Reasons why NOT watching War of Dragons is such a fine idea...

There was no reason for me to see the movie in the first place but Pam insisted that we had to keep ourselves occupied before going on with our initial plan. The selection was a wee bit random; everyone had seen Hancock and the disastrous Wanted while The Dark Knight was surprisingly cast aside. I personally would love to see The Dark Knight again (ensnared by the charisma of the Joker. Everyone who had seen the flick agreed that Heath Ledger should be given the Oscar). War of the Dragons was the only movie no one had watched so a consensus was achieved. Almost unthinkingly, all of us squandered RM7 for the tix.

It’s a bit unfair to demote the movie to a second rate status without highlighting a few interesting facts about the movie. It is based on a Korean legend (we Asians have an affinity towards dragons. Even Malaysia has its own dragon related tales). Naturally, the film was produced by a Korean company (or was it the director?). Although it’s not news for a director from the Far East to produce a movie in Hollywood, this one upped the ante a bit for being lavishly enhanced by CGI effects. Correct me if I’m wrong but this is also a breakthrough of the Korean product made in Hollywood. There were talks to make a movie about Naga Tasik Chini before. Aware of the state of Malaysian filmmaking scene, I’m obliged to suggest to those who are brave enough to get the project off the ground to inspect the movie closely. Another plus point is the movie is short so if you have time to kill and you have seen all the summer blockbusters (invariably substance discounted offerings) or you’re trawling aimlessly at a mall when an impulse strikes you to pay the local cinema a visit, this one won’t disappoint.

On to the main concern of this post. Here’s a list of 5 reasons why you should avoid seeing the movie at the cinema like a plague:

1. If you’re looking for something meatier in the storyline, this film is bound to upset you. I, for the life of me, couldn’t withdraw any values from the film even long after the credit had rolled. Ten minutes into the movie, anyone less than rocket scientists can figure out the whole story as everything is conveniently explained by a side character. This makes the movie even shorter than its original duration!

2. Jason Behr was an absolute eye-candy back in the days of Roswell. However, his acting left too much to be desired. His utter lack of emotion even when the evil dragon was about to strike made me want to jump into the screen and rearrange his impassive feature. His fellow cast did not help make the watch better too. Oh yeah, where has the beauty gone from Jason (he was voted as one of the most beautiful people by People then. Tautology, I know)?

3. The special effects were laughable. They were nowhere near to 2008’s standard. In case they haven’t noticed, the technology has improved by leaps and bounds over the years. I inferred that the generic effects were all they could afford in filming the movie. The fact that the actors were standing in front of a green screen was further accentuated by the obvious overlapping lines. It was almost comical! Even the ending, intended to elicit tears (somebody cried though. I won’t reveal who), was reduced to a laughable affair no thanks to its campy CGI work. It also bore resemblance to the great The Lord of The Rings when art direction was concerned.

4. I couldn’t find the movie on Wikipedia for critical responses. This baffles me though. Is the movie released Stateside?

5. The movie is just bad, bad, bad. It’s not as bad as Steven Segal’s movies though.

Alone in the Dark is not a Joke!

It has always struck me as odd for people to go to a cinema alone. The absence of partner(s) reduces the joy of watching a movie significantly. I need partner(s) to lambaste the crappy script or wooden acting or heap praises whenever appropriate. Partners make all the difference I think.

I digressed.

On Saturday, all my reservations against seeing a movie alone took the backseat as I made it to the cinema all on my own. The Dark Knight exceeded all expectations although I am obliged to restrain myself from claiming it as the best Batman movie ever as I haven’t seen all the movies in the franchise. I admit, if I were ever to consider a career as film critic, I would never take the job to review a superheroes movie. I like X2 and X3, all the Spidey movies, and Hellboy. Contrary to critics’ views, I found Spiderman 3 and X3: The Last Stand were both highly entertaining and believable. X2 is touted as one of the best superheroes movie ever so I don’t have to feel guilty to like it so much and the first Hellboy (which was directed by the same guy who gave us the splendiferous Pan’s Labyrinth) also received rave reviews upon its release. My softer side on superheroes movies does not stem from my interest in comic books though. Make no mistake, I’m not a kleptomaniac. Again, another digression.

The main draw to watch The Dark Knight is Heath Ledger’s swansong as The Joker. Heath is (or should it be was now he’s six feet under?) the real showstopper and personally, his portrayal as The Joker is the only reason why the movie is so great. In fact, he eclipsed the Batman and I was left desiring for more screen presence of the Joker. Twisted, he was replete with energy and ingenuity that put him a notch above everyone else in the premise. Never had a villain been played so convincingly (with the exception of Dr. Hannibal (Anthony Hopkins’ Oscar winning act) in Silence of the Lambs, Javier Bardem’s senseless evil as Anton whatshisname in No Country for Old Men, and the insufferably coldhearted Amon Goth (Ralph Fiennes) who shot people using his sniper rifle while having breakfast in Schindler’s List) as Heath. IMHO, he deserves the posthumous Oscar. Peter Finch was awarded the Best Actor Oscar for playing the character that coined the famous quote “I’m mad as hell and I won’t take it anymore” in Network (a film that swept three Oscar acting awards, a remarkable feat achieved by so few movies) a few months after his demise. So why can’t he be awarded the same honour?

One might easily jump into conclusion that the film is just another high octane, fast paced action flick from Hollywood but unlike, say, Wanted, the film was not without substance. The issues tackled are far from being superficial. A scene clearly exhibits that at times of desperation, even the so-called civilized and sane people will not haste to ensure survival even at the expense of others who they deem as lesser mortals. Someone with a very strong will too, if subjected to relentless pressures, can have his principles crumbled as shown by a major character in the movie (which gives birth to another super villain towards the end of the movie). Also, God doesn’t play with dice in the matters of governing the universe…

Overall, the film, if not the best in 2008, will go down the history as one of the most successful superheroes movies ever.

Give Heath the Oscar already!

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Stuff!

“They are ordinary people, after all. For a time they had entered the world of the newspaper statistic; a world where any measure you took to feel better was temporary, at best, but that is over. This is permanent. It must be.”

The novel and the film are anything but ordinary. Quoting the author of the book, the story explores the anatomy of depression. An affluent family was plunged head first into the world where misery is the order of the day. They lost their eldest son in a boating catastrophe and his little brother attempted suicide shortly after the loss. Although the story was set approximately a year after the latter incident, the consequences reverberated through to the future.

One of the more emerging themes in the story that captures my attention is love comes in many shapes. Conrad, the troubled teen whose suicide attempt was botched had a strained relationship with his mother. His mother was a control freak. She never let emotions took hold of her being. In the film, she refrained from crying even when the temptation was overwhelming and she quickly rearranged her feature to the one that suggested indifference. Her concern during her son’s funeral was what her husband wore on that day. A scene was remarkable in portraying the fractured relationship between her and Conrad. When Conrad couldn’t decide whether he’s hungry, she took his French toast and dumped it into the sink! In Conrad’s words, they just couldn’t connect and thought that she still blamed him for what had happened to the family.

In truth, Beth, the mother loved her son unconditionally. She wanted the family to move on hence her cold stature. She still kept the stuff made by Conrad and his brother when they were little. Just like in We Need To Talk About Kevin, the very act of pushing people away is actually a show of deep affection…

I shall not explore other themes coz you have to read or watch it yourself...

The novel was released in 1976 yet the language used was way ahead of its time. Six months on the American bestsellers is a testament that this novel deserves the status of cult if not a classic. It also won an award for the best debut novel. The book was then made into a movie, which won the Oscar Best Picture in 1980.

Unlike other adaptations, its transition to a film was almost flawless. Timothy Hutton really embodied Conrad as a jumpy, recovering younger son. His presence was endearing and you couldn’t help but to feel affected by his despair. As a tribute to his convincing act, Timothy became the youngest winner of Oscar Best Supporting Actor. I suspect that the reason why he wasn’t up for the Best Actor category is because the Academy wanted to award him with an Oscar but at the same time they couldn’t ignore Robert De Niro. Oh yeah, he was twenty when he won an Oscar. I haven’t won any. Not that I’m seeking for one in the future though…

Buy, borrow, beg or steal the novel and the film. Thanks Waa for getting me this stellar work…

The Gathering... Storm??

Mood: Confused still...
Listening to: Bleeding Love – The Wombats
Still reading Crime and Punishment…

Despite missing the first bus to Seremban due to my oversleeping, I did attend the gathering last Sunday.

And my notion prior to coming to the gathering turned out to be true. How people have changed over the years.

I don’t know what to brand the changes with. If I say that it’s for the better, I am lying through my teeth. If I say that it’s for the worse, I might come across as judgmental. In the end, I resort to leaving all to God to judge them…

I endured stilted conversation, complete apprehension, and the inferiority associated with being underdressed. They are now active members of the social scene with credits at numerous parties and gatherings. I am still the stiff conservative that I was then, having done not so much of venturing outside than catching a flick at a cinema.

We watched Wanted and I must say that it was as disappointing as the meeting itself. I was fooled by the promo, thinking that the movie was not just like any other summer blockbusters, slick but with no substance. It turned out that the film fit exactly the typical Hollywood mould, slick and unsubstantial. The build up was nice what with mind-bending bullet projectile, freeze motion technique, which was abundant and a hot chick hell-bent on taking out people, but halfway through the movie, it was apparent who the good guy was and who was not. Heck, even the many carefully done reviews in the newspaper could not conceal the spoiler from the readers. How many times have we read that when a movie character gained the trust of an organization and vice versa, it turned out that there is more than meet the eyes about the organization? I was expecting that the movie would break away from this clichéd storyline but boy, was I wrong. To top it all, the movie decided to snuff the light out of my biggest celebrity crush. The goodbye letterings engraved on the exotic looking bullet at the end of the movie promo in the television is a dead giveaway of who I’m referring to…

I was disoriented when I came out of the cinema. And this was when my greatest fear was confirmed. I shall not divulge one bit more here but suffice to say that I was shocked beyond reasons…

After parting ways with them (in God’s honesty, I was thoroughly relieved, much too my displeasure), I made a few detours. The goal was to buy A Good School, a novel by Richard Yeats. After much hassle queuing up to withdraw money (the security alarm installed in one of the ATMs went off, extracting curious glances from the crowd) and buying Kit Kat from a newsstand so that I could get a plastic bag to carry my paperback safely into the mammoth MPH, I was met with another disappointment. The price was marked up to a price that I decided was way out of my means. I left the bookstore without the book.

I missed the last bus to Jelebu later that evening so I had to ask my dad to fetch me. Another hour was spent at arguably one of the biggest bookstores in Seremban. As expected, it didn’t carry the book that I longed for. I couldn’t find Freakonomics too!

I concluded that the trip was a disappointment through and through. The only consolations were the hearty offering from Carl’s Jr. and the sinfully delicious Dark Mocha Frappucino…Oh, I didn’t mind the company of Brian, Im, and Dio too.