A Malaysian Life

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie. Oy, oy, oy!!

It’s been a while since my university days in Perth, Australia, so listening to the slang in Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman’s latest movie, ‘Australia’, brought back some nostalgic memories. A word of advice before you go off to watch ‘Australia’; it is really long, about 2 and a half hours. If you are the type who, like me, is unable to tolerate noisy and fidgety movie audience, it’s better if you watch it in GSC’s Gold Class.

Now, I must warn you that those with strong racial feelings and heavily connected to Australia (such as an Australian, an Aboriginal or a Torres Strait Islander) are not recommended to watch this film. Like most historical movies, there are some scenes and dialogues that certain people might find sensitive or offensive. Example: For Malaysians, when we did the Tunku musical (a theater show of our first prime minister), the scene with the racial fights between the Chinese and Malays as well as the raping of our women brought back many unhappy memories to those who had lived through that tumultuous time. In ‘Australia’, be prepared for racism, indications of rape, some nature of magic and war scenes. If you can handle all these then by all means, watch it. You will definitely enjoy it. And no, it’s not one of those serious historical drama. I thought it was, too, when I first saw the trailer. How wrong I was.

The movie starts off with a brief history of the ’stolen generation’ and you’ll hear the voice of a half-Aboriginal half-white child, Nullah (played by Brandon  Walters), narrating the story. Although it begins on a serious note, 10 minutes later, you’ll start laughing at Nicole Kidman’s character, an English aristocrat by the name of Lady Sarah Ashley, as she meet up with the rough cattle driver, Drover (Hugh Jackman). From the start, you can see the chemistry between Lady Ashley and Drover, not unlike the couple you often read in romance novels. You’ll get caught up with their relationship throughout the movie as their emotions move from despising each other to mutual respect to finally, love.

You simply must keep an eye on Nullah, the boy who often refers to himself as ‘creamy’, one who is not black or white but somewhere in between. Although the attention is focused on Lady Ashley and Drover (perhaps because of the actors representing the characters), I believe that the true star of the movie is this young boy. His story is one that will make you feel sympathy, fear and love for him, and at the end of the movie, you’ll understand why Lady Ashley tries so hard to keep him as her own child. By the way, being raised by his Aboriginal grandfather, King George, Nullah has learned the traits and customs of his ancestors, and you’ll see him perform certain rituals and songs of the Aborigines. He has a lovely singing voice. He also has an interesting use of words, with sentences that will make you laugh such as, “We gotta get those fat cheeky bulls into that big bloody metal ship!” I don’t remember whether the Aboriginals I met in Australia talked like that.

As with every film, there’s always a villain, and the problem with ‘Australia’ is I keep getting the villain (Neil Fletcher, played by David Wenham) mixed up with the helpful army soldier, Captain Dutton (Ben Mendelsohn). The face expression that they make is quite similar, especially with the squinty eyes and the downward frown. But don’t worry, you’ll find many reasons to truly depise the cunning Neil Fletcher as he goes out of his way to make Lady Ashley’s life miserable in the land down under, since he was deprived of taking over the ranch her late husband left when he was murdered.

I love ‘Australia’ immensely, not just because of the tremendously convincing acting, but how well everything (the plot, the historical events) merged together. Though long, every scene effortlessly flows into the next, and time becomes irrelevant as you get caught up in the story, the history, the romance, and the action. It is truly one movie to watch before you end the year of 2008.

As usual (I love doing this), check out the goofs from ‘Australia’ after you come back from the film. Though the film is directed by Baz Luhrmann, even the best of the best make mistakes.

As I sit here, fingers at the ready on my keyboard, I suddenly realized that I have no idea how to start reviewing Keanu Reeves’s latest film, ‘The Day The Earth Stood Still’. I’ve been staring at the computer screen for almost 10 minutes and it only came to my attention now that this is one of those rare times when I simply can’t find the words to begin an entry. Does this mean the movie has no effect on me whatsoever?

A remake of the 1951 film of the same name, the movie is about an alien that came to save Earth from the humans, who are seen as a destructive factor to the blue planet. Apparently, Earth is one of very few planets in the entire solar system that can support life, and Klaatu (the alien played by Keanu Reeves) has been assigned to activate the move to save all life beings on the planet…..except the human race.

When I first saw Keanu Reeves in the trailer of ‘The Day The Earth Stood Still’ (hence forth will be referred to as TDTESS), I had the impression that I was watching him play Constantine all over again. It’s kinda hard to differentiate his characters when his facial expression is almost always the same in every movie, and especially when the feel of TDTESS is similar to Constantine (guardian of hell vs bringer of end of the world). But to give him credit, he did bring the alien character, Klaatu, to life, but only for the first part of the movie. After that, he simply wasn’t memorable enough. I did, however, like the part when he verbally put the President’s secretary in her place.

That reminds me, it seems that in the movie world, whenever an alien comes to Earth, they always seem to land in America. Why is that?

Throughout the movie, you’ll start to wonder whether TDTESS is trying to show America in a bad light. Just because Klaatu and his giant sphere and robotic anti-violence friend landed in Central Park, the US government refused to let any foreign scientist or other nations from having any contact with the alien, and the President’s secretary wasn’t open to the idea of letting him speak to the the gathering of world leaders, indicating in her own way that the US speaks for the entire world. Then comes the violence from the US soldiers. It was bad enough that some jumpy soldier decided to open fire on Klaatu when all he wanted was to communicate with Dr. Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly), but to use firepower of tanks and fighter jets on the big-ass robot? Not very smart. No wonder Klaatu’s people think humans are scum, ‘coz in just a short phase, we’ve shown just how selfish and violent we are, not just to each other, but to other beings. Some welcome wagon we are.

As for Will Smith’s son, I didn’t realize that Jaden Smith was acting as Dr. Helen Benson’s step-son at the time, but I remembered thinking how annoying the character was.

Truth be told, the movie started off well. The script was good with bits and pieces of comedy here and there as well as sharp words that strike at the human core, such as Klaatu saying, “If the Earth dies, you die. If the human race dies, the Earth survives.” There was adequate action scenes what with the fighter jets flying through New York’s skyscrapers and the steel(?) locusts wrecking havoc in their path. However, the ending was just…..anti-climatic. You get the feeling that the movie never really ended and you sit there in the cinema, still expecting more even though the end credits are already rolling. But you have to admit, the movie makes you think, especially the constantly repeated sentence of humans only changing when they reach the precipice, the turning-point.

Do we really? Will we finally change our ways when we see that the Earth can no longer tolerate our inconsiderateness, our selfishness? Will we be like Klaatu’s people who only changed when they saw their sun dying? Will we then finally stop taking and start giving? Maybe we will, maybe we won’t.

So, I personally think that TDTESS is good for passing the time and maybe for making your brain work a little, but as a blockbuster, it may not match up to most people’s expectations. But if you are going to watch it, keep an eye out for these goofs at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970416/goofs that IMDB found throughout the movie. I hope you’ll at least have a good time in the cinema.

My hand flew to my mouth in shock when the bomb exploded, my mind still fresh with the face of a sweet elderly Chinese woman holding bright yellow flowers as she posed for her husband’s camera at the famous tourist market. Tears slowly trailed down my cheeks as I stared in silent anguish at the destruction the bomb caused, her smiling face still floating around in my mind mixed with repeated thoughts of “She’s never going to smile again. She’s dead.”

That is what I will remember. If anyone at any time asks me how Leonardo diCaprio’s movie, Body of Lies, was, that is the first scene that will pop into my head.

At a length of slightly over 2 hours, Body of Lies is great for those who want something more intellectual and different from the fluff that are shown most of the time in the cinema. It has violence, foul language and acts of betrayal and conspiracy mixed in with the rage of war. By the time you reach the end of the movie, you won’t know who to trust anymore and you will see the world and everyone around you in a whole  new paranoid light. It is definitely not for the faint-hearted, especially during some of the torture scenes. I actually had my eyes closed when Leonardo’s character got his fingers bashed.

Although it seems like every other spy-war movie, you’ll definitely see a major difference just from one character in particular. Hani, played by Mark Strong, is a very powerful man who will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. But he does not soil his hands with torture and blood, no, he uses better, somewhat kinder methods to get information. Partnering with Leo’s character, Roger Ferris, Hani only had one very simple rule; never lie to him. You can say that he is a benevolent man armed not with guns and grenades but with a strong belief in trust and a hard grip on integrity.

However, like every single spy-war movie I’ve seen, there must always be a girl. Take Spy Game starring Brad Pitt and Robert Redford for example. I thought the plot was good but getting into trouble in the middle of a U.S. and China trade agreement because of a girl? Does that really happen in real life? The same thing goes for Body of Lies; the heroine was supposedly kidnapped and the hero goes off and drops everything to save her. I didn’t see him go to that much extra lengths to save the guy he framed in order to arrest the real master mind.

The movie started off great, suspense and action in all the right dosage…until you reach the hour and 20-minute mark. That’s when you’ll start glancing at your watch and wonder, “How long more?” This restlessness will continue for another 20 minutes until finally, the climax of the movie starts.

Body of Lies is worth a watch but only for those who can follow the politics of war and understand certain Muslim references. For those who have watched it, have you seen the goofs at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758774/goofs? I love to take note of irregularities in movies and IMDB (Internet Movie DataBase) is one of the best websites to spot mistakes that the movie directors made.

As I sat in the slightly darkened cinema, I stared at the piece of black equipment in my hand. Still pondering, I saw that the shiny lenses had smudges on them and proceeded to wipe them clean with the corner of my shirt. I finally decided to put it on…and immediately felt uncomfortable. No matter how far I pushed it up, adjusted it or held it up with my hand, I could not for the life of me feel at ease. The thing that was the bane of my existence for an hour and a half was a plastic eye-wear known as the 3D glasses.

My good friend wanted to watch that new Disney animation, Bolt, yesterday and decided to try the 3D show instead of the regular cinema session. Before we went into the cinema hall, I asked whether I could wear the 3D glasses since I’m already wearing spectacles. My friend assured me that it was possible and that he saw his friend do it once before. Well, based on my new-found experience, yeah, you definitely can wear the 3D glasses over your regular glasses, sure, no problem at all. BUT…be prepared for what could possibly be one of _the_ most uncomfortable cinema experience ever.

My glasses is one of those thick frame kind so when I wore the 3D glasses, it ended up perched right on the tip of my nose. If I so much as giggle, the shiny rainbow lenses will drop off onto my lap. So throughout the entire movie, I had to hold it up with my hand, which got tiring after a while.

I wonder why they don’t provide better 3D glasses. Don’t they have those that can fit over our regular spectacles? Bigger and rounded ones, sort of like goggles? I mean, surely, the cinema management realizes that some movie-goers wear glasses. Shouldn’t they at least provide better quality 3D glasses for the price we pay?

I know what some of you are thinking, “Why don’t you wear contact lenses? Wouldn’t that be easier for you?” Well, certainly for those who do wear contact lenses, it wouldn’t matter, but have you seen 10-year-olds with spectacles going to the movies? They’re too young to wear contacts and of course, the parents would like them to enjoy a 3D cartoon at least once in their young life. So either the cinema should re-think their current 3D glasses or the company that makes 3D glasses should come up with those that can fit over regular eyewear.

This reminds me of the time when my ex-boyfriend wanted to go on a 3D ride at Genting Highland’s amusement park. The glasses we were given then were far worse than the ones from the cinema. These 3D glasses weren’t glasses at all; they were the cheap paper lenses type that you normally find in children’s book. Needless to say, I didn’t enjoy the ride one single bit ‘coz…I couldn’t see anything as I had to remove my spectacles to wear the blasted thing.

By the way, though Bolt was great as a movie (you really should read the goofs I found from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397892/goofs), seeing it in 3D wasn’t much different from the regular viewing. It had action, yes, but none that would make you squeal or scream or duck your head thinking that a piece of vehicle was coming for your face. But for movies such as Journey To The Center Of The Earth,  ahhhhh, the 3D glasses would make you pee in your pants!! I watched it in its original form and the scenes drove me crazy with its realism and non-stop creatures and objects flying towards me, what more if I had watched the 3D version.

 So, yeah, to summarize, watch Bolt (good acting and plot), don’t go for Bolt 3D (not much difference unless you really want to watch it) and wear contacts if you do watch Bolt 3D (or be prepared for major discomfort).

Ok, I will admit that I, along with the thousands and millions across the world, have gone and watched Twilight, the movie based on the bestselling novel of the same name, Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1), by Stephenie Meyer. Now, the reason why I’m shyly admitting this fact is because Twilight is actually categorized under teen fiction, just like Harry Potter, but also just like Harry Potter, the book was so great that it transcended all ages.

Don’t take this the wrong way but I am never a fan of something that is hugely popular. Let’s take Titanic for instance. Everyone I know have watched it, whether in the cinema or DVD or HBO. Me, I still haven’t sat down and watch the movie in full. Those who know that have exclaimed in disbelief and proceeded to describe to me in full detail why I must watch it.

Another example is Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Though at one point in time, I was selling the book and recommending it to my customers, I never felt any inclination to read it. I did watch the movie though but only ‘coz Tom Hanks was acting in it. Now I can’t wait for the continuation, Angels and Demons.

Last but definitely not least, is the Harry Potter mania. Mind you, I didn’t start off as a Harry Potter fan. I was in Australia when the first movie came out and I was wondering why people of all ages were buying this red book with such a childish picture on it (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first book of the series). It was only when my Malaysian friend dragged me to the cinema and insisted on paying my movie ticket did I finally understand the magic (pun intended) of Harry Potter.

But I’m getting away from my topic. So why is Twilight so successful? For the life of me, I don’t understand.

Let’s look at the movie since I haven’t read the book. It was a good selection on the actors and actresses alike. Acting was good. The plot was good too. My only dislike of the movie is the fact that the evil vampire, James, died too easily. For a vampire who is considered to be deadly dangerous and a ruthless hunter, he’s sure easy to catch and dispose off.

Another flaw is when Edward (the hero) ran up the hill with Bella (the heroine) when he decided to show her how he looks like in sunlight. No, he didn’t burn or melt or scream in agony, he just…twinkles. In all the vampire books I’ve read, I’ve never came across a glittering vampire. No bling bling required for this bloodsucker. But the glitter wasn’t the flaw I meant. It was the way Edward ran up the hill. It was so fake. I mean, yeah, you can’t expect Robert Pattison, the actor who played Edward, to be able to run like a panther up a tree-covered hill but please, his legs weren’t even moving in a true running form. Note to editor, please make his running more believable in the next movie. Yes, it is confirmed that the second installation to the Twilight saga, New Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2), will be coming out.

Some people may have realized that overseas, especially in America, the marketing for Twilight was on full-blast. Trailers, posters, t-shirts, the works. But in Malaysia, there was only a trickle of what America experienced. The first poster for the movie was seen at One Utama’s TGV, which only came up a few days before its opening on November 27, 2008 while GSC only put up the poster the day itself. It was frustrating to the fans in Malaysia who weren’t even sure if the movie was going to be shown here. Then came the confusion of the viewer rating, which was PL-18 at first, causing woes, moans and outbursts from the younger fans, and was abruptly changed to PG-13 a day before the movie. Tsk, tsk, tsk, such incompetence from the Malaysian censorship board and cinema management.

The thing I don’t fully understand is, out of all the vampire books in the world, why is Twilight garnering the most attention, the movie deal, the millions of world currencies? I admit that after reading about Stephenie Meyer, she does deserve this fame and popularity, but still why aren’t the rest of the vampire novelists getting this kind of attention?

Back in my teen life (which was light years ago), I was fixated by L.J. Smith, who also wrote teen fiction in which the heroes are almost always vampires. Her Night World series was one that my cousin and I couldn’t get enough of, and apparently after researching the net, there are others like me who loved the series as well. And like Stephenie Meyer, who developed many different characters complete with their history, L.J. Smith also has numerous characters, all of who had their own personal story written in their own personal book.

Altogether, there are currently nine books in the Night World series with the last book still unpublished since the 90s. Seeing the attention Stephenie Meyer is getting must have woken up the publisher of L.J. Smith as her Night World series have been compiled into 3 books and were republished this year as Night World No. 1: Secret Vampire; Daughters of Darkness; Spellbinder (Night World), Night World No. 2: Dark Angel; The Chosen; Soulmate (Night World) and Night World No. 3: Huntress, Black Dawn, Witchlight (Night World). I have to admit that I prefer the old book covers as you can really see the true image of the characters from each book. The final book was supposed to be out in fall 2008 but as usual, it has been delayed yet again. This has been the story over and over again since the last book was printed out. It makes one wonder whether L.J. Smith has gotten bored with the characters or whether she’s having a very long writer’s block.

Well, seeing that I have to endure more patience for the final volume of Night World and after listening to the raves and reviews of Twilight from my cousins, I may just head to the nearest bookstore and pick out the first book, just to see what all the fuss is about. And if I ever get converted to a Twilight fan…well, then it must be a great read.

By the way, the main song for the movie is awesome; Decode by Paramore. I like it so much that I even made a poster for the lyrics. Give it a listen. >D