Abraham Lincoln : The Vampire Hunter (Movie) 2012

I thought the movie was enjoyable. MyCEB thought it was utter crap. You be the judge. A synopsis of the movie can be found here.

We watched the movie over the weekend at Jusco Bukit Indah. Yes, the cinema at Jusco Bukit Indah is now open and it is pretty huge. And on Saturdays, if you use your Citibank card, you can get 1 free ticket for every 1 movie ticket purchased. That works out to RM11 for 2 of us which is about SGD 2.20 per person. And parking. of which there is ample unlike Sutera Mall, cost all of RM1. That works out to be far better than catching the movie at KSL or City Square.

This isn't the only movie I've watched though in the past few weeks. I'd watched almost all the English movies showing on KrisWorld (like Jump Street 21 which was good for giggles) that I actually watched some crappy Chinese movie called "Something Swords and Dragon Gate" on the way back from the UK. However, this movie is one that has stayed in my mind. Not so much for the special effects but for the plot -the intertwining of pure fantasy with a facts/reality. And isn't that what makes the perfect lie?

Cabin in the Woods (2012) Movie

Even when we were friends, my CEB would take a certain perverse delight in terrifying me. He once booked the movie "Legion" when we were supposed to watch "Citizen Kane" and I had nasty nightmares for weeks after that. Even today, I can't forget the scene with the ice-cream man elongating to a spider and the scene with the child monster climbing on the wall.

Well, this time my CEB told me he would buying tickets for the movie "Lockout" and only after lunch with my family when I was confirming the show with him did he sheepishly admit that he had bought tickets for "Cabin in the Woods"

Me "Oy! U know how I hate horror movies"

My CEB "Yah, but no other shows at the timing we want"

Me "Then can don't watch what"

My CEB *big grin and starts to make scary noises till I punch him in the arm. Hard. The noises coming out of him stop abruptly,

Anyway, I'd seen the trailer for Cabin and was prepared for 2 hours of squeezing my eyes shut, or peeping out through squinted eyes (The smaller the better so I can close them faster, right?). I was of course most unhappy because at my age, the goal is not to get wrinkles in a hurry. My CEB seems to be doing everything contrary to that - tickling me when I have a clay mask on, booking horror movie tickets...ugh!

Well, I hadn't read any of the reviews before watching the movie so if you have not watched the movie...you need to stop reading. Now. Spoiler ahead.

The Slog Reviews: ?/10. After we came out of the movie, we both turned to each other and said it was 1 of the crappiest shows ever. However, I couldn't get the movie out of my head for days after and 1 review I wrapped summed up how I felt. The movie was insanely genius. I thought we were in for a Slasher Type or Evil Ghost Type of Movie but no, oh no. This was way way WAY more than this. End of the world anyone? A combination of famous horror movies in the most creative way and no, I don't mean parody. Throw in female front nudity, lots and seriously lots of blood, a ballerina with a hole in the face, the Hellraiser's Lazarus Box...you've got an unforgettable movie going. A must watch. Esp for horror fans.

Viral Factor (2012) Movie

I have watched a lot of movies between now and the last time I blogged about a movie. However, I have not been compelled to blog about any of them, good, mediocre or bad.

I do now. Here is the Slog's Review of Viral Factor: (scream!!!!) VIRAL FACTOR SUCK EGGS!

Okay, great I've got this out of my system. I foolishly noted an acquaintance's post about how great Viral Factor was and insisted my CEB and I watch it on Chinese New Year's Eve. Instead of Journey 2 (which was no great shakes but which I would have happily watched twice on hindsight).The movie is like a 150 year old vegetable that won’t just quit despite being senile, incapacitated and annoying. The characters in the movie are worse – they get shot with bullets, front, back, centre and side and yet can run with the best of them and kick the baddies’ ass.

The opening scenes were shot in Jordan but there were only Chinese actors/actresses which made the whole thing seem rather unrealistic. The good cop lead actor played by Jay Chou was part of a team tasked to protect a scientist who was able to make a deadly virus. His girlfriend called Ice (what a name) gets killed in the shootout and Jay’s character gets a bullet in the head. He is told he will die in 2 weeks/months. His character’s mother then chooses to disclose that he has a father and brother. I hate the mum’s character – she is incredibly full of self-pity and sheds endless tears at every scene when talking about the past or when embracing the present. The tears are all for herself of course…ugh. Ugh ugh. Okay, so Jay takes an AirAsia plane (one would have thought he would fly by a better airline given his limited lifespan) to KL where his character’s dad and elder brother are. On board, he meets a doctor played by an actress who has been beat about the head with an ugly stick. She tells the pilot to fly at a lower altitude (is that even possible?) so that Jay’s headaches will ease. They part at the airport and incredibly, she just happens to be the one scientist that the baddies target to kidnap and work on the virus because the scientist got killed running away. Oh yes, a huge part of the movie is shot in Malaysia of all places (one is treated to repeated scenes of the twin towers ugh). Jay sees her being kidnapped and saves her from his bad ass elder brother.

In the evening, he susses out his good for nothing gambler of a father and what do you know, the first time he finds his father, the father is being pummeled for failure to pay his debts. What a family reunion. At this point of the movie, I find myself feeling genuinely sorry for Jay. He has been given short and bad lines which he delivers in a stilted stuffed monotonous voice. And sorry for his character too. With a mother like that and a father…and a bullet in the head. He gets the second prize pity ticket. He founds out he his a niece who is the only likable character in the movie. Nicholas Tse isn’t too bad either – he gets the first prize pity ticket because of the troubles in his personal life. Good acting despite the lousy script and lines.

I’m not going to waste anymore time reviewing the movie except that it is predicable. Jay with the bullet in his head sacrifices his life for the brother when they take down the baddie. The little girl gets saved and is reunited with the grandmother (the most annoying character who of course cries tears of self pity and stupidly asks for Jay – I mean, come on, how could she not have known). Nicholas’s character does time of course and the baddies are all killed by the superbionic brothers.

This has to be one of the worst movies ever.

Immortals (2011) Movie

Despite the thrilling and promising trailer for this movie, and the exciting still picture below, I would say that this movie was a huge disappointment compared to the movie "300" (the same director for both movies).

The actors and actresses in "Immortals" were largely unknowns which should have given us a clue how the movie would turn out. And the lead actress was seriously...well, unattractive. If she was eye-candy, then that would have been at least 1 saving grace. The pace of the movie was contrived, the plot thin, and the graphics nothing like those in "300". I watched "300" at least 3 times.

But I would NOT watch this movie again...in fact, if I could go back in time, I would not have wasted the time and money (Even though it was in ringgit) to watch it the first time. To read a good summary of the plot, click here .

Real Steel (2011) Movie

This movie was exhilarating. I loved the fight scenes between the robots. I loved the underdog theme. I thought all the actors, especially the little boy and his dance routine, were just awesome. I'm hoping there will be a Part 2, and I am still wondering what the robot ATOM's secret is.

The Slog Reviews: 10/10. Is this a must watch on the big screen? Yeah! I had a seat 6 rows from the front and even from that awful angle, the thought "Oh wow, how far we've come in terms of digital technology" crossed my mind. I can't think of a single awful thing about the movie at all!

And in the final fight scene with Zeus, the ultimate fighting bot, it occurred to me that to win

(a) you really just have to get your as* in there and try, even if the odds are stacked against you; and more importantly

(b) being able to sustain major blows may be more crucial than getting a good one in ie one must be able to roll with the punches and take the hits without folding until the window of opportunity opens.

I really dig this show.

The Thing (2011) Movie

I have no idea why I am so tired of late. I haven't been able to make myself switch on the laptop the past few evenings and upload pics to blog about our honeymoon. Unlike my CEB, I consider the 4 hours between after-work and bed-time, time that goes by just too quickly. Throw in time used for dinner and a bath, and the day is over. Just like that. And then the week rolls by. Followed by the month. 

 I have 4 short business trips coming up in November. It won't be like that next year, I think, this travelling every single month for work since I joined this new company. Business trips are so disruptive and bad for the old waist-line. But in the meantime, I am leaving for a short weekend getaway in Bangkok with my CEB tonight. This holiday was supposed to be last week on his birthday but we rescheduled because of a wedding we were told we had to attend (but didn't have to at the last min). So this is one more holiday to blog about, in addition to the back-log from South America. But in the meantime, I thought I'll write about a movie which we had no plans to watch, but ended up watching because of the timing. The Thing. M

y CEB knows me pretty well (which really annoys me) and he asked me if I was sure if I wanted to watch this movie because I generally hate horror movies. And since there is nothing better than giving my old jaded tired self a fright, I said yes

 The Slog Reviews: 8/10. The movie was short (less than 2 hours) but well-paced with good acting all around. Special effects did not disappoint and The Thing scuttling about with 2 faces is something I can't wait to forget in a hurry. But before you get me wrong, the Thing is a hostile alien lifeform that scientists have discovered buried in the ice in Antartica, an alien which has the ability to devour and replicate human cells. So most of the movie was spent guessing which scientist in the group was the alien, and watching how folks turn against folks in times of doubt and fear. If I had to rate this movie on a horror meter, I'll give it a 3/10 - one would definitely be able to sleep in the night after watching this flick.

Tree of Life (2011) movie

I had intended to keep all my next few posts about my South America trip but I'm on a mandatory teleconference call now (not active participant) and brain dead from having woken up at 6am and being at work since 7am. So I thought I would write about this movie instead. I fell asleep early into the movie. 

But let me clarify - this movie was the first movie I caught on the flight back to SG from Sao Paulo. The flight was at 1.45am and we were served supper about 2.30 in the morning on that flight. So I was really tired at that hour. But if you read the reviews on the web from common folks like me, you will find that there were those who fell asleep/walked out ie they hated the movie that much. And those who raved about the movie, calling it a masterpiece (hey this movie clinched some award). 

 Myself? The moment I woke up, I went to replay the movie from the start. And I couldn't decide after watching it again whether I loved or hated it. I definitely felt "something" watching the movie and I know it is going to be one of those movies that will stay with me for a long time. So, what is the movie about? There are plenty of really beautiful artistic shots of the world, dinosaurs even..read, national geographic stuff, and that takes up a lot of movie time. 

There is some sort of a story about a young boy growing up in a suburban family in the 1950s, a family where his gentle mother believes in the way of grace (to forgive, to accept all, to trust God etc) and his authoritarian father believes in the way of nature (dog eat dog world). This boy has a brother die, a brother who taught him lessons of forgiveness, a brother who was "good". And in his convo to God as a child, this boy says "God if you can't be good, why should I be". The Slog Reviews: This movie is not for everyone and the only way to find out if it is for you, is to watch it. And to find a means of doing at minimal cost just in case like the other people out there, you fall asleep or just walk out.

Conan (2011) Movie, Last Night (2011) Movie, Bridesmaid (2011) Movie, and Something Borrowed (2011) Movie

After watching a violent movie over the weekend at Batu Pahat Mall with my CEB, I decided to indulge in 3 chick flicks on board the plane from SG to Barcelona. So, because I am going to scarf my face with Spanish food right after this entry, I am going to just write about each movie I watched very briefly.

Conan ~3/10. My CEB would disagree but I found the movie overly violent, unimpressive and predictable. The whole movie is essentially about a barbarian boy whose father is tortured and slain by a dark lord in search of a missing piece of a mask which would make him invincible. The boy grows up and goes in search of this dark lord to takes his revenge. It happens the dark lord is searching with his witch daughter, for a descendent of the house of some ancient king. The blood of his descendent would activate the power of the mask and give the dark lord the power to raise his witch wife who was burnt to death at the stake. Anyway, Conan manages to save the descendent who of course happens to be a pretty nubile young lady and defeat the dark lord. Yay right? Sorry but this movie is so lame.

Last Night ~7/10. The movie leaves the audience wondering whether the couple will eventually tell each other or find out the truth about the night before when each of them slept with someone else. While on a business trip, the man slept with a colleague whom he was attracted to, and who was of course very attracted to him too. And on the same weekend, the lady bumped into an ex boyfriend and they ended up in his hotel room. The only thing I took away from the show is that affairs by women are usually led by the heart and that affairs by men are led by their eyes and well, d!ck.

Bridesmaid 8/10.~I get why this show was such an unexpected hit. It was hilarious but with so many cringeworthy moments that I had to shut my eyes at certain bits when Annie (best friend and maid of honor of the bride Lillian) wrecked the bridal party, and when Annie got drunk othe plane. Do people like her even exist? Ok, maybe they do so the question is, are people like her even allowed out with a free pass from the asylum. Eek. This movie is strictly for females and those who are like...females.

Something Borrowed ~8/10. I confess I have not finished wastching the last 10 mins of the show but the show really is nothing more than a lady having an affair with her best friend´s fiance. After they both discover they love each other just 60 days before the big day. The stuff that my CEB would shake his head at and call a big waste of time.

I guess my CEB and I are going to be watching very different movies on our way back from Sao Paolo. I can´t wait till he gets to SP but before that I have a gruelling week of presentations and meetings. Bah.

Rise of Planet of the Apes (2011) Movie

Definitely 1 of the better movies around with a fast paced story line and good acting by primates and humans alike.:)

Ape alone weak, Apes together strong.

Well "said", Caesar.

Eat Pray Love (2010) Movie

I finally got to watch the whole movie after buying the DVD eons ago. The book was widely popular in the bookstores then, and the movie came out shortly after but I hadn't made an effort to get either. Until my beloved ex-boss told me that she thought of me when she was reading the book, and recommended that I read it too.

So because my CEB wasn’t home early last night, I took the opportunity to pop the DVD in the player and catch the movie on my own. (My CEB hates this sort of movies). Briefly, JR’s character leaves her first marriage, a husband who loves her, to find herself. She then gets together with an aspiring actor, with whom she was wildly infatuated with, and then desperately and unhappily out of love. She goes to Italy to find herself, to do nothing but enjoy life. And then to India for spirituality and finally to Bali where she finds love again.

And I could relate to each of her relationships. Probably that is why my beloved ex-boss who knows me so well, thought of me when she read the book.

There is a scene where JR’s character said “The only thing more impossible than staying was leaving” as she realized the extent of her discontent and unhappiness with her husband and her marriage. Despite all the wonderful memories that they had, and the home they created together. And despite how much the husband still loved her as was evident when he refused to sign the divorce papers “I’ll wait for you…all I want is you”.

It reminded me of how I felt when I left men who had loved me– a combination of feeling just awful and guilty but still saying goodbye. Not to be true to myself, not to find myself, not just because I didn’t love them anymore, but because staying another day was unbearable and no matter how hard I tried and looked, I couldn’t see a future with them. The idea of waking up, coming home to, sleeping with them every single day and night of the rest of my life had become so abhorrent that I felt physically ill, mentally broken, spiritually desolate.

But like JR’s character, I need time to forgive myself. I doubt they have fully forgiven me either. Or rather, I know they have not forgiven or forgotten me. Esp the one whom I doubted loved me. It breaks my heart now to realize that all I do for my CEB out of love now, is what he had done for me all the time. And which I had thought as calculated acts to win my heart. Only now do I realize how very much effort he made, and how very much he had loved and cherished me. Something I could not ever reciprocate.

And if you asked me now, even without my CEB, what would I do with this realization, my answer would still be the same – I could never go back to a ruined relationship. You only cut your fingers picking up the broken pieces.

So, I want to end this post with a quote from the movie. "To have broken heart means you have tried for something.” I hope this comforts you as it had comforted me in some strange way.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) Movie

The Slog Reviews: 3/10. It was that bad. The only good bits were what was in the trailer and nothing more. I didn't expect the ending though - that Capt A would only wake up 70 years later. Pretty sure there will be a sequel, and I've a hunch his love interest would somehow be "immortalized" as well.

The only thing in the movie that triggered some thoughts was the scene where Capt A was tested as a recruit - his superior threw a "grenade" among the squad members and Capt A was the only one who didn't duck/run for cover. Instead, he hugged the grenade to his chest and shouted for his team mates to take cover. That's courage, and as the bible goes, the man who is prepared to lay down/lose his life for his fellow men will be the one who has eternal life.

It also reminded me of some msn link that I'd read about a man who died of cancer recently and left letters to his two young children, asking them to have these 3 values which he believes will carry them far.

1) Integrity - Do what you say you will do. Don't lie - especially to yourself.

2) Moral Courage - Do what is right, even if you are hated/persecuted/octracised.

3) Loyalty - Be devoted, be faithful.

Soul Surfer (2011) Movie

This movie was the first I watched on board the 10hr+ flight to Joburg. Unlike the previous trip to US (click here), I didn't enjoy the trip on SQ despite it being on biz class as well. Firstly, the biz class lounge at T2 was far more crowded and far less luxurious than the one at T3. Secondly, the seats of the aircraft were not the pale plushy ones but the dark blue ones which were not as comfortable. (The food was good though - the beef in the beef noodles was surprisingly tender.) However, I enjoyed Soul Surfer- its title is telling - this inspirational story (based on a true story) is about the courage and will of an individual to, with faith in God and in herself, rise above a crippling accident and embrace life. I think I have never choked up so many times or teared during a movie. I would rate the movie 10/10 easily and encourage anyone who has lost perspective, motivation, purpose and courage in life to take a couple of hours and watch Soul Surfer. Imagine a surfer, an athlete losing her left arm in a shark attack, the stump too short to attach a prosthetic arm. I'm not an athlete, and am guessing that you too do not depend on the condition of your body for a living. Yet neither of us would ever want to lose a limb. Imagine then what losing an arm means to an athlete whose field involves the use of all 4 limbs. And yet Bethany went back to surfing 1 month from the accident and competed competitively within a year. 

Because she had Faith, Perspective and Will. With these 3, as what she says "I don't need easy, I just need possible." Although in moments of utter frustration (of having 1 arm) she asked why God would allow this to happen to her, she never stopped believing in God, that God had plans for her and that something good would come out of the accident. This same faith led her to participate in a mission trip to Thailand after the tsunami and this trip was the turning point for her. She realised she had lost an arm but she had more than these pp had - they had lost loved ones, some, their entire families, and their home and possessions. And that was when she decided to embrace life to the fullest despite her own loss - and it wasn't just a decision - she devoted hours to training and conditioning her body so she would be in the best possible form to compete. 

 Indeed in life, often what we think is our greatest loss or defeat is just an opportunity for God to give us more, give us better. And what differentiates a winner from a loser is nothing more than having the will and determination to hang in there, or rather, get back up when knocked down. Since I am in Africa, I will end with a fitting quote from the movie Invictus where Nelson Mandela says "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul".

Thor (2011) Movie

The Slog Reviews: 7/10. Very good graphics (Frost giants, rainbow bridge) and an acting cast that more than appeals to the eye (think blue-eyed, blond-hair, chiselled face...) but nothing overly impressive which makes me really glad that I didn't buy gold class tickets for this movie!

The plot can in fact be summarised in one paragraph: Thor calls his father Odin the O Father, a stupid old fool for not going to war with the Frost Giants who breach their realm (there are 9 realms) and Odin banishes him in anger to Earth where he meets a mortal called Jane and falls in love with her. It is revealed that it is his adopted brother Loki who has let the Frost Giants into the realm and Loki lies to Thor that Thor is forever banished from the immortal world. When Thor offers his life in exchange for that of his friends, he is considered worthy to wield the mighty hammer again (which Odin had cast on earth with a charm) and he goes about to set things right in the realm where Odin has fallen into a coma and Loki is ursurping power. However, because Loki is bent on destroying the realm of the Frost Giants (he is a Frost Giant himself) and proving himself in Odin's eyes, Thor has no choice but to sever the rainbow bridge which is the only path that allows him to enter another realm (Earth, where Jane is).

Limitless (2011) Movie

The Slog Reviews: 9/10. Worth the RM10 spent watching the movie :) An exploration into an impossibility which hopefully may some day be a reality. A question though that occured to me - if everyone of us on this planet had access to a pill which would allow us to use 100% of each of our brain without any adverse effects, what would the world we live in today look like? Really. I mean, would there be people willing to do manual and menial jobs? What would the social hierarchy look like? Now that's a scary thought. Maybe that's why this movie remains a happy rags-to-riches fiction (stress on the word fiction).

Little Red Riding Hood (2011) Movie

The one and only movie we caught over the weekend in Msia was Little Red Riding Hood, of which a very good plot summary can be found here.

The Slog Reviews: 7.5/10. This movie should be titled Big Red Herring instead of Little Red Riding Hood! That being said, I am not really sure why this movie has been called the worst movie of 2011 because we both enjoyed the movie. What I particularly liked was that it drove home to me (painfully of course), the point that sometimes I always miss what is right in front of my eyes, what is so obvious. Right from the moment the lead's mother disclosed to her that her sister had a different father, and that father was also killed by the werewolf later on, it should have been clear that the person with a motive was the lead's father. However, I was distracted by the triangle romance between the lead and the 2 men. And, by her grandmother of course.

On a side note, The lead actress is really beautiful with blond hair, pale flawless skins, huge blue eyes and luscious red lips.

The Way Back (2011) Movie

I don't know why this movie came to mind while driving to work this morning and listening to songs by Casting Crown. It was the next movie that I caught right after watching The Fighter on the way back from New York and a good summary of the movie can be found here. The Slog Reviews: 7.5/10. This movie is a testimony to the resilence and will of the human spirit to survive against the odds. Although the plot was straightforward - prisoners escaping a camp in Siberia and trekking by foot over snow, desert and land over 4000 miles all the way to India and dying 1 after the another till only 3 were left, the pace of the movie was excellent. I felt like I was following their journey through the snow blizzards and the desert storm (which finished off the young girl and another of the prisoners) - rejoicing when they did (in finding water) and despairing as they did when there was no water, much less food.

 

The Fighter (2011) Movie

I went to bed abt 3am on Sat morning after meeting with a friend I hadn't met with for more than a year. I have been so jet lagged that by 5pm on Fri, all I wanted to do was go home and sleep, which I did until he rang me at 730pm to say that he was already at where we had arranged to meet. Oops. Fortunately it was close by and I took 15 mins to get there. And we sat there eating and drinking till almost 11pm...when one is having a good time, one tends to forget the time I guess. So anyway I slept the whole if sat away without getting up to eat even. I guess it is true that the older one gets, the harder it is for the body to recover. Maybe the lack of exercise since July has also quite done me in and I think it is time for a lifestyle overhaul.

Anyway, this meeting with my friend reminded me somehow of the first movie I caught on the 18hr non-stop flight back from New York. It was one of the recommended movies in the in-flight entertainment magazine and it turned out to be a rather unforgettable movie which is all the more remarkable because it is based on a true story. The Slog Reviews: 10/10. The movie is more than just one of those rags to riches, beating the odds to rise to the top boxing movie. What makes this movie unique (to me at least) is its exploration of family bonds and how these shape one's life and eventually one's destiny.

Dickie who is the lead's younger brother is a legend in their town for having knocked down Sugar Ray. He teaches Mickie all he knows about boxing and their mother is their manager. However, she and Dickie gets Mickie into a particularly bad fight where he not only loses but is beaten up badly. Mickie seeks comfort in the arms of his new gf who is a college dropout and bartender but who genuinely cares about Mickie. He moves in with her and stops boxing. His mother is furious and confronts her when Mickie introduces her to his family. This girl holds firm to her position and when the mother asks Mickie angrily if he is going to let his mother be spoken to this way , he replies that what his gf said is true- that Dickie is a crackhead who fails to turn up for his training and all he has been getting into are bad fights where he loses and is beaten up. Mickie chooses the shot at a better life he is given by a new manager and accepts the condition imposed by this manager and his gf that he will not let his mother and Dickie play any further role in his boxing career.

When Dickie hears that, he devises a plot to impersonate a police officer and extort money but is chased by the real cops one day when trying to pull off this stunt. Mickie is having dinner with his gf and family when someone bursts into the restaurant to tell them that Dickie is being beaten by the cops. He rushes out and when his Gf tries to stop him he shoves her away, hard enough for her to tumble to the ground. While trying to stop the cops from beating Dickie , he gets his hand brutally broken. Dickie is sent to prison and Mickie goes back to his Gf. He makes a promise to her he is fine with letting his family ruin his life and he makes the same promise to his new trainer.

When Dickie is released he goes back to the gym where Mickie is training. Mickie tells him he can't train anymore with him. Dickie is hurt and disappointed and turns away. Their mother screams at Mickie he would not have won his last boxing fight if not for what Dickie taught him. Mickie admits this is true but says he would not have won the last fight either without his present trainer. When his gf reminds him he had made a deal with her, he replies he wants his family too and she tells him this is not part of the deal, to which he replies what is so wrong with wanting my family! She is for obvious reasons very disappointed with Mickie - at that moment I perfectly empathize with her feelings of hurt, betrayal and disbelief. It's like how could you break your promise to me when the intent behind the promise is to benefit you and for your own good! And like I did before when someone I knew made empty promises he later dishonored, she turns away from him and leave him.

Dickie who is witness to this exchange then picks up the welcome cake his sisters have baked and walks to the crackhouse he used to go. Despite his friends' exhortations to join them, he resists successfully the temptation to go in and goes to look for Mickie's gf. He swears to her that he will stay clean and turn over a new leaf and manages to persuade her to give Mickie and him a chance. At this moment Mickie also turns up at her house and they reunite. Mickie tells Dickie to go get his manager back too which Dickie does. The movie ends with Dickie winning a title fight with his family, new trainer and gf all behind him.

I think I like the movie so much because it depicts how our family may want the best for us in their own way but that way may not necessarily be the one that is successful or even right. But it doesn't change the fact that they are family and such blood bonds are not easily broken. I also like the movie cos it shows how it can take just one person's genuine love and care for another to turn that person's life around, to give that person courage and strength to go against all he has ever known or believed in, to choose a better life for himself.

Love and Other Drugs (2011) Movie

This was the 1st movie I watched on the flight to LA, and the 1st movie that I've watched in a long time that had me sitting there with tears flowing uncontrollably down my cheeks. So despite my earlier post, I am still a romantic and sentimental sop at heart. Really. I easily give this movie 10/10.

Not because of the plot alone - intelligent but wayward handsome guy who goes for anything in a skirt falls in love with a woman with a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system (Parkinson's). But because of fragments of life captured in the film, and of course, the very moving ending bit. Definitely a must-watch for all who liked My Sister's Keeper, and anyone else who has a sentimental bone. Oh, and I should mention there is top front nudity and some rather intense love-making scenes.

Anyway, there is a pretty good review of the film's plot written here so I won't write a recap of the movie. But it is the ending which made me cry - all last 10mins of it. You know, the scene where Jamie (the male lead) is putting his heart out to win back Maggie (the female lead) after he watched the video tape they made together where she said something along the lines that this moment with him was perfect and even if she had 10 thousand more moments like this one, they would all be the same, so this one (moment) was enough for her...because she has that (moment). Anyway, Jake says to Maggie that she needs him, and she says "No I don't" and he says "Everyone needs someone to take care of them" and she says that she will need him more than he will and it isn't fair and she can't ask that of him. And Jake says "You didn't ask me to." Maggie tells him that she has places to go and Jake replies "I will carry you.". Jake also adds that if there was a parallel universe where she was healthy and he perfect, he would still choose the current her, the current them. I think that is when I bawled. Meh - what a sad sop.

So anyway, other than this sappy ending, the movie has its moments of humor, sizzling scenes but its core and essence never shifts from reflecting accurately the realities of life. Jamie says at the very end of the movie "Sometimes the things you want the most don't happen and what you least expect happens...you meet thousands of people, and none of them really touch you. And then you meet that one person and your life is changed." If you are reading this entry my friend, the Slug, I thought of you right after I watched it and I believe that you'll like it as much as I do so go catch it if you haven't already. Till I get back!

I am Number 4 (2011) Movie, Drive Angry (2011) Movie and Adjustment Bureau (2011) Movie

We caught 3 movies last week, the first "I am Number 4" on a Wed, and the other 2 movies over the weekend. It wasn't because of a lack of things to be done but my CEB was on a movie-roll of some sort and there was just no stopping him.

Anyhow, here is my personal review of the movies:

"I am Number 4" <- 6/10. A teenager flick aka a weak version of Twilight. Alien boy with supernatural power falls in love with a lovely lowly earth being. Alien boy is hunted by ugly big Voldemort-like aliens and manages to join forces with another alien (No 6). And really, that's about all to it. A waste of time.

"Drive Angry" <-4/10. I didn't think anything could get worse than the first movie but Drive Angry proved me wrong. We didn't think the movie could be that bad given that Nicholas Cage was starring in the movie but B- action flick it turned out to be with echoes of Cage's famous movie "Ghost Rider". In this case, Cage plays a character who escapes from hell with a weapon called the Godkiller, intent on taking revenge on his daughter's killer, Jonah King, the head of a satanic cult. Jonah King also has the daughter's child which Cage is determined to save at all cost. However, Cage is hunted by the "Accountant", a being tasked to bring him back to hell. There is quite a bit of senseless violence and unrealistic unreal fighting scenes. Watch only if there is nothing else to do

"Adjustment Bureau" <-6.5/10. While my CEB agreed that Drive Angry was a lousy movie, he thought that this movie "wasn't too bad" (to quote him). I on the other hand felt that we would have done better purchasing the DVD for the same because it really wasn't anything remarkable. Men in fedoras altering the world to make sure that the "Chairman" 's grand plan for each individual went smoothly. You can read more about the plot here. Be warned though that the movie has a happy "against-the-odds" fantasy ending. Which reminds me of my friend The Slug, who would try still despite the cards being decked against his favour.

Black Swan (2011) Movie

Since we are on the subject of movie reviews, I thought I'll write about Black Swan too which my CEB and I caught over the CNY period at one of the less popular cinemas in Singapore where we were confident of being able to secure tickets.

The Slog Reviews: 9/10 for Natalie Portman's portrayal of a ballerina so obsessed with perfection that her hold on reality disintegrates completely. A must-watch for those who are not adverse to blood, pain and suffering in the name of perfection/art, and of course, for those who like ballet as well.