Most Expensive Movies

#1:
I cancelled a movie because of overtime work. (as blogged earlier). that is 20sgd. I felt bad to my companion, I had to apologize several times for not being able to make it. (and I have to shoulder the losses coz I booked it!)

Finally, I went to watch it myself, another 10sgd. I dont want to drag people again this time. I just need to watch it before if offloads from the moviehouse.

This is none other than Ironman2.


It wasnt so bad as other people commented. In fact I only glanced through my watch very few times. I heart Tony Starks and Pepper. Tony exemplifies an asshole yet with a heart (ironic with the palladium thing in his chest).. I like it that he never fails to save Pepper last-minute.


#2:
Another booboo from me. I was so excited that SATC2 will be back on screen and for the final time together. I've been watching out for it. May 27th is the screening date worldwide. However for some strange reasons, I saw SATC in the online booking site of GV for May 24th screening. I was surprised and immediately called my friend up, let's go I said. Who cares if it's a 7pm showing time, all the seats are running out fast, left with the first front 2 rows. Anyway, I will make all palusot to sneak out early.


I was rushing and losing breath, running from Harborfront to Dhoby, from Dhoby cross to Circle Line, get down at Esplanade, then walk to Marina Sq, in a span of 20min. Reached there 7pm, got the tickets and left one in the counter for my friend who was late.

I was in the moviehouse, sent an sms 'ei take your time, nagflaflashback pa ng part1'. I sat for 10minutes and it was still part1. Anoter 15min and still the same. I looked at the ticket.. OMG it's SATC. not SATC2. Why on earth is it a practice for SG to bring back the prequel back to the big screen? Why are there so many idiots willing to pay 10sgd to watch an old movie that has been aired over and over again for free in TV? How stupid can I be and what on earth was I thinking or did I even manage to look carefully? :p I sent an sms 'ei sorry, mali pla, part 1 ito, my bad, i'll pay for the tix. up to you if u wanna watch it again :)'

So we did part1 again and went home. Come May 27th, finally I did things correctly and managed to watch SATC2.

To be fair, the movie is a stupid chick flick! hehe who cares, it's just about watching the glamorous four back on the big screen for the last time. Movie reviews said this movie is so bad that is is promoting ignorance as a lifestyle. hahaha movies like this are for relaxing, not really meant for you to dig any substantial or significant values out of it ok... chill.

Crap 30+30 = 60sgd gone so fast. I should have gone for buffet instead.

Pinoy Movies

Whenever I go home, I always manage to buy a few local movies DVD. Strange, OFWs tend to like watching local movies. Homesick!

A Very Special Love
The first time I heard abt it, I didnt like it. Dont get me wrong, I watch Filipino movies. It's just that the title seems too jologs hehe, too superlative. Love to be described as special, add to it a 'very'. Not descriptive enough of the theme, and what makes it so 'very special'? Not catchy, it's like one of the me-toos, forgettables. Then a friend recommended that to me, and told me 'surprisingly the movie has some depth'. I checked the net and saw that it was the highest-selling box-office hit of 2008, surpassing 'One More Chance'. Okay that it's, it has stirred up my curiousity, I bought a dvd.


My take: John Lloyd's acting has improved a lot, he looks so natural and convincing in his role. I like how his eyes 'act', very expressive. (For me, sya ang nagdala ng movie) It talks about how Miggy, being a son of mistress of a wealthy family, wants to revive his publishing business to prove himself. The arrogant and insensitive guy meets Laida the simple girl who has a crush on him, and slowly transforms him into a real human with emotions and concern for others. No offense but Sarah doesnt look corporate enough, something is wrong with her hair. (the poster I downloaded looks much better). Nevertheless, the jolly personality of Laida fits her well. I like the sundance concept :)

I like the dialogues below:
'What you just saw is a failure... Pangalan ko lng paghihirapan ko pa.'
'Khit bali-baliktarin mo ako ngyon, wala na akong maibibigay... Mapapagod ka lng sa kaaasa, mapapagod ka lng sa kahihintay', says Miggy.
'Khit kelan ndi ko naramdamang nakakapagod kang mahalin... ngyon lng', says Laida.

And I was told there will be a part2 coming up this Feb to be titled 'You Changed My Life'. This title is much much better and interesting. I'll have to get a copy. :)

However, I think I'm still more used to Lloydie-Bea tandem. One More Chance mega-known dialogues:
'She had me at my worst, you had me at my best, but you just broke my heart'
'Pwede bang ako na lng, ako na lng ulit'. hehehe


For The First Time
My take: I would consider it more 'modern' than the traditional Filipino movie, not the typical conservative youth. Setting in Santorini, Greece is a good idea. KC flaunts her cleavage well with the deep-V neckline blouses hehe. Good chemistry between KC and Richard. KC's version of 'For The First Time' is very warming, singing probably runs in their genes. After watching it, I've been having LSS the whole night and days after.

Red Cliff & Lin Chi Ling

Few weeks ago, I got to watch Red Cliff 2. With a budget of US$80 million, Red Cliff is the most expensive Asian-financed film to date. It has a strong cast with Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro and some big China actors. Lin Chi Ling (Xiao Qiao) also debuted in this movie. Overall, I find the movie to be quite good, well-executed fight scenes and well-written storyline. Not as boring or dragging as I would expect from an epic movie. There were some negative reviews in the net because they twisted some parts of the history of China (well I'm not really a history die-hard fanatic so I didnt notice)

My eyes couldnt seem to detach from Xiao Qiao whenever she appears. She looks simple and yet there's a layer of elegance and appeal, just beyond words.

Some more interesting facts about her fr wiki: She's dubbed as Taiwan's #1 Beauty and voted to have the sexiest legs. Top supermodel, stands almost 5'9". A double degree holder from University of Toronto - truly beauty and brains. Rumored to have dated Jerry Yan of F4. She was born in 1974...

1974?! my goodness that makes her 34! And she looks so pleasantly adorable and sexy. Defines 'aging gracefully' at its best.

And the latest news is that she'll be Jay's leading lady in an upcoming movie. Another must-see movie. (imitating SG's accent: die die must watch this film :p) What a lovely pair on screen. Interesting.

Truly the prettiest face on earth (for Chinese). Idol!

Movie Review: Unfaithful

Given that I was in a down mood on my flight back to SG, I still did try to enjoy SQ's (Sing Air) perks. I asked for white wine to complement my meal. Of all the movies being shown onboard, I laid eyes on an old movie, the sensational movie by Richard Gere and Diane Lane's Unfaithful. :p



I remembered probably way back college times, this movie was a major hit. So much people kept talking about it, mostly about how 'erotic' the movie is, but somehow I failed to watch it.

Yeah it did live up to the all the attention. Diane's acting was superb, no wonder she had so many nominations and she's really super sexy. She and the French guy were so hot! I was initially wondering why would a Richard Gere's wife engage in extra-marital affairs (hey it's Gere!), then my doubts disappeared when this French guy's face and macho body surfaced the screen hehe. I really felt pity for Gere and I didnt expect him to end up in such horrible act, poor thing.

Movie Marathon

Marathon session with the DVDs (pirated) I brought from Manila :p

Kung Fu Panda

- After everyone has watched and all the positive comments that I heard, I finally took the time to sit down and conquer. And yes, this movie does live up to all the good words. Entertaining and insightful, appeals to the emotions and touches the heart. I like the way Po will gulp down food, the siopao. There's no secret, agree.

Enchanted

- Another movie that lives up to the hype. Not as plain as I would expect from a disney-comes-to-life theme. The most powerful thing in the world is a true love's kiss. Her curtain outfits are adorable.

When Love Begins

- Anne plays well, very convincing in her role. Her personality is a commonplace, you'll find a handful in the real world - No commitments, no obligations, no limitations. The movie has scenes shot in Bora. Makes me wanna have a Bora vacation, I miss the beach!

My Best Friend's Girl

I felt the need to unwind and watch something funny. So here goes an attempt for a no-brainer chick flick.

Kate Hudson, Dane Cook and Jason Biggs star in this movie 'My Best Friend's Girl'. Synopsis from net:
Smart, beautiful and headstrong, Alexis is Dustin's dream girl. However, love-struck Dustin comes on so strong that Alexis retreats. Desperate to get her back, Dustin turns to his best friend, Tank, the rebound specialist who is hired by freshly dumped guys to take their ex-es out on the worst date of their lives - an experience so horrible it sends them running gratefully back to their beaus.



Dane no doubt is a complete asshole! Watch it for some laughs. Expect some profane language and scenes. Nice seeing Kate (How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days) and Jason Biggs (American Pie) who are 'legendary' figures with these famous movies in my hs/college times.

P.S. This movie seems to have extremely bad reviews in the net. :p

He's Just Not That Into You

Few weeks ago I passed by Cathay moviehouse and saw this huge ad, with the title 'HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU'. Haha what a title. There are so many big names in it: Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Justin Long, and Ginnifer Goodwin. Hmm quite interesting. I started researching in the net and this is what I found.

Synopsis:
Screenwriters Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein team to adapt writing duo Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo's best-selling book concerning the ever-widening gap between genders and the misunderstandings that often arise between couples. In the film, a woman who can't seem to get a grip on the men in her life pursues an advice columnist who never quite knew what he wanted in a relationship.

About the Book:
He's Just Not That Into You is a self-improvement book written by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo and published in 2004. It was a New York Times bestseller and was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

The book was inspired by an episode of Sex and the City titled "Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little," in which Miranda asks Carrie's boyfriend, Berger, to analyze the post-date behavior of a potential love interest. Because the man declined Miranda's invitation to come up to her apartment after the date, stating that he has an early meeting, Berger concludes that "he's just not that into you," adding that "when a guy's really into you, he's coming upstairs, meeting or no meeting."

Some funny lines:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/excerpts/2004-09-08-hes-just_x.htm

Hmm I'm not the type who'd read such books :p But oh chick flick is fine with me. A starstudded movie can go either ways, either spectacular or crap. For the catchy title, and slightly for Daredevil, okay I'll be watching this one. :p

Sex and the City

Just finished watching the pre-screening of SATC the movie last May28. What's it about - how men can screw up BIG time :p, and how women find strength in each other. You'll see a lot more of the glamorous Carrie with her branded apparel, the naive and funny Charlotte, the working mom Miranda, and surprisingly a very tamed Samantha. Will Carrie be Mrs Big - find out for yourself.

My take - entertaining, fun. some parts maybe dragging, predictable plot (or probably I was expecting something grander for a movie?). Overall still good. Who cares, feels good to see the 'four' back in the big screen. Truly friendship never runs out of style.

P.S. SATC probably is the only English series that I managed to watch religiously. Brings back the good old school days, the Sat HBO nights. :)

Iron Man and What Planet Are You From

Here goes again my review of some movies/koreanovela I watched recently

Iron Man

Iron man is cool. First time I see Robert Downey Jr in a superhero kind of movie. The only thing I remembered about him is that he starred in Only You, a romance-comedy movie frequently aired in HBO, which happens to be my HS bestfriend's favorite. She always urges me to watch it, it's about a girl searching for her destiny, a man named Damon Bradley as shown in the game of ouija board. Unfortunately I never got to watch it in totality. Going back to Iron man, Robert plays a a sort of crossover villain-superhero figure, a playboy but still cares for his personal assistant Pepper, makes him running like crazy to save her when he knew she's in the hands of the enemy.

Pepper is cool too! I never did like Gwyneth Paltrow, she gives me a droopy uninteresting impression. I like her role here in Iron Man, I wanna be Pepper. :) Overall, basta ndi ako nakatulog is considered good movie. :p


What Planet Are You From?

Finally a koreanovela that meets my standards again. :)

It's about a director with his pretty and rich gf of which her family is against the relationship. The gf died in a morbid car accident, the guy proposing to her with a ring while driving, then suddenly got hit by a truck. The guy was devastated. 3 years after he went to a province and met a probinsyana girl who looks exactly like her dead gf. They become close and laging nagkukulitan. The probinsyana was soo funny with her braided hair and losyang clothes, like galing sa bundok, so many mischiefs. One day it turned out that this probinsyana is the long lost younger sister of the dead gf. She was claimed back by the rich family. Obviously the conflict revolves around the fact that they can't be together. Good ending, as finally they got the approval of the family.

It was a good laugh trip. The kulitans are just so natural and kilig! :p Chemistry is good. The female lead is ultra pretty and tisay. I've watched the male lead several times (starred in Love Story in Harvard too), and I'm starting to love him hehe. He's just simply an epitome of an ideal boyfriend in this series, sweet and understanding, and giving in to the probinsya's requests).

Hmm not much dragging moments, though I'd say the first half is more fun. I'd give a 4.5 stars (out of 5).

My 4-5 stars list would include:
Winter Sonata - gorgeous male lead. :p Amnesia theme.
Autumn Love Story - morbid love story with female lead dying of cancer. Sort of brother-sister relationship who cant be together.
Stairway to Heaven - fast pacing. couple in childhood who cross paths again. most morbid ending so far of all I've watched.
Princess Hours - laugh trip. poor girl turned princess. funny with her crude manners yet won the heart of the real prince.
Love Story in Harvard - a lawyer and a doctor, striving for success
My Name is Kim Sam Soom - old maid patisserie who fell for her young boss
Lovers in Paris - rich guy falling for his part-time cleaner in Paris

Tree in Heaven and Reviews of what's NOT hot

Last Dec, an officemate lent me a korean series titled 'Tree in Heaven'. It's not really something I was wanting to watch.

I actually am quite choosy with themes. I don't like wasting time. Whenever someone offers to lend me a series or a book, I would have some pressure hehe. I wont be able to fake it returning the items and tell them it's great when I havent even touched them. So PLEASE dont lend me anything unless:
1) I have expressed obvious interest
2) if you think it's something HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and you are confident that you can change my mind.

Hahaha. Enough of the introduction.

Anyway, I didnt have much expectations on TIH. Except that the leads are familiar faces, they are the young version of Stairways to Heaven leads in the first episode. It was a short 12-episode series which I was able to finish during the CNY holiday. And finishing it in a little 4-day period means it is quite GOOD. Good that it was able to sustain my interest. I would rate it a 75 out of a 100% satisfaction.

It was again a typical tear-jerker theme. A bit of copycat details from Endless Love 1 (they cant fall in love because they are stepbrothers and stepsisters) and also Stairway to Heaven (the morbid donation of body organs - i definitely hate this... so extremes!). Overall, acting is quite good. Boy, I dont know how Korean stars manage to cry with so many tears like that coming from a dripping faucet. The last episode got me crying hard again (it's been some time since I watch something that made me cry) A depressing story.

I will try to recount the COMMON or MUST-HAVE elements of a typical koreanovela:
1) the story should start from childhood
2) there is a bike scene.
3) a drastic tragedy - someone has to die of terminal disease eg cancer
4) the hug from behind. (my sisters fondly call it the Tentacles hug)
5) the leads are good in crying
6) amnesia, someone has forgotten the past
7) a token of love - most of the time it's a necklace and it's given during their childhood days
8) a very nice setting to complement the story, green fields or snowy places
9) a touching OST, the songs that can break your heart
10) usually good-looking cast. But more often, I think they have much more pretty girls, the guys arent good-looking but they usually are the type na 'magaling magdala kahit hindi gwapo' :)

***Pitstop***
I posted few months ago the korean series 'War of Money'. I don't recommend it, a lousy ending.

Anyway maybe my 'taste' is not reliable hihi. There are 2 movies which everyone fuzzes about how good it is yet I dont find them good.

The first is The Notebook. Ewan ko, hindi talaga ako naiyak at all. A lot of people claims that it is the most touching romantic spectacular love story. BUT I find the theme COMMON in Asian movies or soaps.

The second is Kung Fu Hustle. I've watched a lot of Stephen Chow's movies, and for me this is not his BEST work so far. The ending was too simple, like he suddenly learnt kungfu because the nerves of his body complied with the kungfu stream. (Ren Tu Er Mai) This is too much common for chinese kungfu themes (or perhaps mataas ang standards ko because I've watched a lot of those already). Still kungfu is not Stephen's best subject, I wonder why he chose it. For me, his comedy antics and punchlinese delivery are far better in God of Cookery or Shaolin Soccer.

Just my two cents. :)

Music and Lyrics

Finally got to watch Music and Lyrics. (I bought a pirated DVD during my last vacation :p)

Theme is simple. Hugh Grant is a 'laos' singer-composer who needs to complete a piece for a famous teen diva, then he met Drew Barrymore who is a born lyricist. The whole story just revolves around how they finish the song, and of course, 'nadevelop' sila in the process.

The one catchy dialogue. I cant remember the exact lines but the thought is something like this. Music is physical, the attraction, or 'sex'. Lyrics is the personality, the soul. The two has to blend together. Hmm nice comparison. :)

There's something about Hugh. I can always sense a sincere hue in his portrayals. Like his previous films 'Notting Hill' and 'Love Actually'. He did it again hehe. Same with Drew. They both have the charisma. And oh, I like their song. :)

Overall, a good movie though not spectacular, but still worth your time. Ending says they got married. Come to think of it, what a nice couple. One writes the lyrics, the other writes the scores --- perfect teamwork ... the essence of what marriage is. Nood na, feel good movie. :)

Just Dunk It!

The movie I've been waiting to watch this Feb, so desperately. :)

Kung Fu Dunk, stars Jay Zhou and a whole bunch of familiar HK stars. As the title implies, it talks about basketball with a fun pinch of kungfu (Jay Zhou's a student of kungfu school). A sharp shooter, rebound player, and so many cool and funny dunk scenes. Personally, I would say Kung Fu Dunk is a bit similar to Shaolin Soccer.

There are some OA, exaggerated scenes that somehow lose the 'connect' with the overall elements.. Well it's a typical HongKee CNY-featured film. So please stop criticizing hehe.

Gee I just realize slam dunking is overwhelming. :)

I'll Be Seeing Him Again :)

Good vibes for a headstart. :) 101st entry. :)

(Oct 29) I learned that Jay Chow will be having a concert in SG here . I couldnt believe with my own eyes because it's something I've always wanted. My heart leaped with joy. However, the first 2 weeks (Oct 23-Nov4) for booking is opened only for OCBC credit card holders. I couldnt get in even if I have all the cash in the world. I dont have a 'powerful' weapon (~OCBC credit card). The ticket booth folks told me there are no consecutive seats anymore. Then on Nov 2 I read that because all seats are almost taken, one more concert date has been added, making it Jan18-19. I thought this could raise my chance of getting a ticket, but still when I double checked, it's again almost fully-booked on both days, by the OCBC credit card holders. Damn I really dont know who has an OCBC Credit card, I've tried asking around. God knows, how badly I want to get the tickets. Public sales start Nov5, the waiting period spells agony.

On Nov 3, I couldnt stay put so I tried my luck again on the ticket booth folks. They told me the same thing, they couldnt sell without an OCBC bank code. I ask them to check seats if there are any left, they said, as of that moment, yes, but they couldnt guarantee on Monday. What the heck. Who thought of this crap of limiting the selling of tickets to such.

So finally Nov 5 public sales starts, I gave some excuse to be late in the office. I queued in the ticketing booth 30minutes before opening time of 10am. Finally the wait is over, there is one slot left for a consecutive 2-seater, good thing I was early. I have a new friend who is a jay chow fanatic as well, daughther of my mom's kumare. My, I was feeling mayaman, I booked the 3rd most expensive category. This also means katipiran in the coming weeks. Finally, I can breathe now. :)

Additional:
For those who find Jay Chow unfamiliar. He debuted in a Hollywood movie 'Curse of the Golden Flower', starring Chow Yun Fat and Gong Li, directed by Zhang Zi Mou. It was shown in moviehouses sometime late Dec 2006. I just finished watching this movie this week, from a DVD i brought from Manila. My take:

--Jay Chow looks so-so, it could and should have been better! In short, mukha cyang ewan dun hehe.

--Story is pathetic! Too psycho. A king (Chow Yun Fat) wanted to poison his queen (Gong Li) by forcing her to drink medicine everyday. They have 3 sons. The youngest killed the eldest because the eldest has a love affair with the queen (not the same parents of course). The psycho king later killed the youngest by beating him to death for killing his favorite son. The second son (Jay Chow), together with the queen (his biological mom), revolted against the kingdom but lost the battle. The king will spare him under one condition, that he should take care of feeding his mother with the poisoned medicine daily. Thus, this son just draws a sword to kill himself. That's it. Everyone's dead except for the king and queen. Bitin. What a weird story!

--Setting and fight scenes are okay. Costumes are nice especially the chrysanthemum effect, except that it's quite strange to see all the women in 'extremely squeezed' costumes. :)
Open google and search under images using the title of the movie. Or you may try this link below:
http://www.indielondon.co.uk/gallery/curse-of-the-golden-flower-gallery

Lust, Caution & Blood Brothers Review

The 2 most recent movies I watched are both 'Hollywood' Chinese movies. I have a thing for these types of movies, probably I feel that I have to patronize my own hehe. As long as story line is good and cast is popular, I would watch them.


Lust, Caution (Oct 19)
This is a very controversial movie, directed by Brokeback's Ang Lee, stars Tony Leung (an award winning HK actor) and Tang Wei (a new actress in China in the likes of Zangziyi). Set in a Japanese-occupied Shanghai, the movie revolves around the espionage plot of patriot students for the assasination of Mr Yee, a Japanese collaborator played by Tony Leung. Tang Wei acts as the seductive bait. The movie actually got a lot of media attention because of the much talked-about 'erotic love scenes'. This doesnt apply for SG though because the version shown here is the more 'conservative' version, they cut 20+minutes of the whole movie for all the love scenes, tagging it at NC16 instead of NC21 rating (NC16 means suitable for audience of age 16 years and below). Tony is again good as expected. Lee Hom's role is the typical guy I would love to hate, the good-for-nothing, confused and pahamak type. Tang Wei also delivered a fresh performance as a newcomer, she clearly manifested her internal conflicts of hatred and love at the same time for Mr Yee despite that she was 'binababoy'. It's a very deep movie, and the ending is a very DEPRESSING one. Just when everything was set for assasination, Tang Wei's heart softened when Tony gave her a diamond ring as a sign of his true feelings and trust, she was struggling and finally whispered 'run for your life' to save the life of her ultimate love-hate enemy. As an audience, it's really hard to say whether what she did was right, but you'd really emphatize with her all throughout the story. The innate emotional weakness of women, the harshness of war, a well-crafted classic. I do hope people really get to appreciate an art film in the true sense!


Brothers (Nov 4)
This is a 'reunion movie', an all-star cast of the famous HK movie in the 80's, The Five Tigers (Wu Hu Chiang). Stars Andy Lao, Miu Kiu-Wai, Felix Wong Yat-Wah, Ken Tong Chun-Yip, sans Tony Leung (too bad), plus their newcomer Eason Chan Yik-Shun. The typical HK 'cop-chases-triad' movie that makes your heart skips beat, wondering who is the traitor, who will be killed, who is the good guy, who deserves to die. (well as expected, gangster movie equals violence, and normally almost all will die in the end :p).

The story revolves around the two brothers Miu and Eason. They were separated by their triad father because of a prophecy that they would kill each other, Miu tending the business and Eason working abroad. One day the father was assasinated by co-triad, Eason went back. Several actions by Miu led to the suspicion that he is planning to kill his own brother. Cop Andy is hot about chasing these two because of the illegal triad dealings. The other two tigers do not have so much weight in the roles they portrayed. Ken is the main antagonist, his face depicts evil. Felix is the loyal protector cum bodyguard of the two brothers. In the end, it turned out Miu was just preparing Eason to be tough enough to be his successor, he is dying. Watch the movie to get the feeling. This is not a waste of money, as EVERY actor here is of veteran level.

I found this amusing review in the net. Seems like the reviewer is very much distracted by Andy's endorsement of CYMA watch in the movie.:p (By the way, Andy is also the producer of this movie)
http://lovehkfilm.com/reviews_2/brothers.htm

Ratatouille Review

This is an AWESOME movie - visually stimulating, funny, and yet value-loaded in a very amiable manner. My favorite cartoon movie thus far. You don't get to see such movies often, so much substance, heart-warming, full of life's
lessons yet doesnt bore you at all.

The scenes that have a lasting impression on me are:

Deep scenes:
1) Gusteau's review - of course who would forget the catchy lines at the end of the movie.
Indeed so true, we are always capable to bring someone down, we tend to underestimate the potential of others. It takes a movie like Ratatouille to remind us that anyone is a star in his or her own right.

In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we
critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize that only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau's soon, hungry for more.


2) Remy's drift
When Remy was carried by the currents and got separated from his family, he was sullen. Gusteau appeared with his funny 'I'm a figment of your imagination'lines <- i love this figment line hehe. I totally agree with what he advised Remy 'If you're focused on what you've left behind, you will not be able to see what lies ahead. Now go up, and look around!'

It was also the same time when I got ticked off by a friend's comment. There are a few unpleasant things that got me disappointed, and I chose to brush them OFF completely and start anew. My friend sort of told me 'moving on is NOT about not
looking back' because he finds me skeptical. Whenever someone drops a 'disturbing' harsh line to me, I sometimes couldnt help but to be affected haha, anyway something for my new year's resolution then hehe. So at least this line from Ratatouille affirms my point. :)


3) Mouse trap
Remy was brought to a place with dead mice on mouse traps by this father, purpose of which is to let him see the real world and give up his dreams of being a chef.

'The world we live in belongs to the enemy, we must live carefully. We look out for our own kind. When all is said and done, we're all we've got'.
---It sounds positive to me. It shows the concern and unity of a family, a race. At the end of day, when the whole world turns its back on you, your family is all you've got.

Change is nature, Dad. The part that we can influence. And it starts when we decide.
---Everything is a matter of CHOICE. Decide for you own. I am a firm believer of 'kung gusto, may paraan'! :)



Funny scenes:
1) Remy's aroma scene
When Remy asks his brother Emil to take time to eat slowly and meditate, experience the aroma of strawberries combined with cheese, and then flashes the blissful smile. 'Now close your eyes, take a bite of this..' Really funny scene.

2) Cooking rats in the kitchen
The scene where a battallion of rats was preparing the food, there was this sanitizing heat cabin that cleanses them before they start cooking. Funny to see their hairs standing up and stiff.

So what's the effect of watching Ratatouille.. After watching the movie I decided to take my cooking prowess to the next level (haha feeling lng). I finally took the challenge of cooking a dish that I've always wanted to try but never really got
the inspiration to proceed. Crabs! I guess nobody in the right mind would think of buying crabs (i mean for my profile - my age, a supposedly busy overseas worker, etc). Viola, I was able to prepare 3 kinds, chilli crab, crab vermicelli and butter
garlic crab. :p I'll just blog about the last episode of my Food Lab next time. :)

HK Movies Rewind

During my stay in the hotel, an 80's HK movie was being shown in TV. Watching it somehow brings back a lot of good old memories.

The title is 'The Story of Ah Lang', starring Chow Yun Fat and Sylvia Chang. Chow Yun Fat is a racer, a typical poor 'tambay sa kanto' who then had an affair with Sylvia, a rich girl. They bore a child, got separated because of the Yun Fat's infidelity and alcoholism . Sylvia thought her child was dead and with much suffering from her relationship with Yun Fat, she left and was sent to the States by her parents. They met again in the future because of their child. The ending is very much saddening, Yun Fat wanted to start a new life and to earn big money so that he could win back his family. He went back to racing, and he died in the race due to collision. The ending song is one of the saddest one that I've ever heard.

The movie inspired me to recall all those great 80's and 90's HK movies that I've watched. :) Thanks to VHS and Star Mandarin Channel 38. (Btw, bkit nawala na ata yun channel na yun)

CHOW YUN FAT'S
Fun, Luck & Tycoon
-- Chow Yun Fat is a tycoon who wants to lead a simple life and to escape her mother's arranged marriage for him. He applied for a job in the restaurant as waiter and there he met Sylvia and for the first time he realized what love is.

God of Gamblers
-- Part 1, Part 2, Part 3... I cant remember the exact plot. But I'm sure they're all interesting cause I enjoy watching such themes, something that stimulates my pusoydos and mahjong prowess. :)

Once a Thief
-- Chow Yun Fat, Leslie Cheung and the girl are all trained thieves, they steal expensive stuffs like paintings. It's a bit similar to Entrapment. One of the famous scenes of this movie is the part wherein Yun Fat (in his wheelchair) dances with the girl in a cocktail party.

Promdi (I cant remember the title)
- Chow Yun Fat is a promdi from the province who is then sent to Anita Mui, a professional image builder. Anita needs to transform Yun Fat from a promdi to a rich playboy style. The movie is a hilarious one.


STEPHEN CHOW's
God of Cookery
-- Stephen Chow is a well-known cook, some competition stuffs. His leading lady is a killer one!, funny to the max, the chop-chop scene, matching sticking out of tongue and her funny theme song.

Hail the Judge (Pao Ching Tian )
-- Stephen Chow is the famous Pao Ching Tian judge who defends the poor to bring back justice. He helped Zhang Min who was accused of murder and adultery.


ANDY LAU's
Dance with the Dragon
-- Andy Lau was a famous HK tycoon who was pushed down his yacht by his date. When he reached the shoreline, it was some province borderlining HK/China, so he was captivated for illegal entry. Zhang Min's family adopted him and hired him as helper and named him 'Ta Lu Chi'. He then fell in love with Zhang Min without her knowing that he is a rich guy.


ASSORTED:
City Hunter
- my favorite movie of Jacky Chan. Most remembered scenes are the Street Fighter mimics.

Future Cops
- probably my most favorite :). Starring a lot of famous artists, Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung, Ekin Cheng, etc. Andy's partner is also one of my favorite female artists then (i dont know her name). The story was about Future Cops from who travelled via time machine to save a judge. The judge was still a teenager then. Most remembered scenes are again Street Fighter stuffs, and oh Jacky Cheung's broomish hair.

Shaolin Popeye
- starring none other than Jimmy Lin (crush!). It was about Jimmy's little brother who got lost and was adopted by Shaolin monks. Jimmy went to find him and later on learned a few kung fu. By the way, thanks to Jimmy. Probably he was one of the reasons that made me wanted to learn Mandarin that time hehe, which got me to the level that I have now. (I'm not an expert though, but basic - I can handle) :)

Chinese Ghost Story
- starring Leslie Cheung and Joey Wang. Part 1, part 2, part 3... all of them talks about the love affair of Xiao Chien a female ghost played by the beautiful Joey, and Leslie who is a monk? (disciple of some sort).

Happy Ghost 1,2,3,4.. and so on
- Raymond Wong's funny antics of how a friendly ghost from the olden times came into modern age and fools around while helping people.

Once upon a time in China 1,2,3...and so on
- Jet Li's portrayal of a kung fu master, a sort of Robin Hood chinese version.

P.S. If I miss out any other famous HK movies, feel free to share!