Happy birthday, sis! All the best in your studies and future endeavours - including in finding a bf. =)
Can expect even more confetti next week. LOL. And my bleeding wallet isn't happy.
Anw I have been pretty free this past week - those who know will know why - so I managed to catch "No Country For Old Men", and "The Spiderwick Chronicles" (erm not my choice). Add to that "黄城 "(erm not my choice again) last week and "The Kite Runner" two weeks ago.
Hmm not too shabby, but I'm missing "There Will Be Blood" and "Juno"(!!), which I still really want to watch. I've kind of given up on the rest. And people have been recommending this and that movie but I don't think I have that much time and $$ to catch them all so yeah. More movie dates, anyone?
黄城夜韵
Nostalgia, man. My first time watching 黄城 was in J1, to support aj. Missed J2 (coz of blocks and they say it sucked), and then went in J3. J4... I was probably stuck in the jungles so yeah. And now J5! It's always great seeing the 黄城 people putting in so much blood, sweat and tears for the production, and reaping the rewards - the experience, the friends - at the end of it.
I always ask myself if I'd have joined 黄城 if given another chance. I dislike impossible hypothetical questions, because there's really no point, but indulge me for a moment. I seriously think I'd have, because I've always wanted to be part of something big - like a performance, or a team competition. Like SYF as well, which I, too, regret not being part of.
But maybe because I've only seen the end result, the glorious moments, and not fully grasped the sacrifices they entail. As they say, 台上一分钟，台下十年功. ATEC comes real close, I guess, and the satisfaction of having completed it was immense, especially after all that we went through. It definitely wouldn't have been the same had it been just a walk in the park.
So there, we're all masochistic in some way because we find joy in challenges. We make life difficult for ourselves (or life make it difficult for us), and celebrate when we live to tell the tale.
Ok back to the drama itself. The entire production felt very amateurish, which is to be expected of a predominantly student production. But what disappointed most were the scripts.
The first play is your typical "try-to-be-cheem" melodrama but the actors failed terribly trying to pull it off. Can only say 历练不够 bah. Zebra was dismayed by the quality of the props as well.
The second was slightly better. The script actually held a lot of promise with the interesting premise - all the characters actually had a part in causing the death of the twin of one of the girls, and the sinister stories unravel when they find themselves trapped in a haunted house. They succeeded in creating the ominous atmosphere but alas, the twist that everyone was looking for didn't materialise - just as the ghosts didn't - and they settled on an less-than-satisfying abstract ending after copious moralising.
The third was, by consensus, the best of the lot. As are most comedies, it was relatively easier to digest, but managed to strike a chord with the audience with its straightforward presentation, laudable acting and a pertinent theme.
The Kite Runner and No Country For Old Men
Both book adaptations share breathtaking cinematography and rousing scores but the latter demonstrates, by far, greater competence in scripting, acting and direction.
Which is only to be expected, as "No Country for Old Men" swept four oscars for best picture, directing, adapted screenplay and supporting actor while "The Kite Runner" garnered only average reviews.
"Another triumph for the Coen Brothers, No Country has the perfect mixture of suspense, humor, and desperately compelling performances. The seemingly simple story hides a more complex narrative, and high tension is maintained throughout." - RT consensus
But whereas "Kite" is buoyed by the commercial sensibilities of Khaled Hosseni's debut novel, "No Country" feeds off Ian McEwan's dark morality tale. So I guess "No Country" is not for everyone unless you are satisfied with the seemingly simple story, but "Kite" should be palatable to those who've read and loved the book, though it is nowhere near as poignant or touching.
The Spiderwick Chronicles
"A decent entertainment -- not up there with the 'Harry Potter' and 'Lord of the Rings' sagas, but a notch above 'The Golden Compass' and 'Narnia'." -Time
So there, another fantasy picture cum CGI fest. Nicely done, but boasts nothing we haven't seen before. Rather like "Bridge to Terabithia" in look and feel, but expect more action and humour thrown in for good measure.
March 15, 2008
More Confetti; We are all Masochistic!; Reviews Galore
