On the go…

Although my many days are spent reading, researching and writing, I’ve been able to watch a fair bit of movies. Last month alone, I caught two animated films: Up and Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea.

Ponyo was an absolute joy, although I have to say watching the movie did come with a fair bit of drama. The DVD of Ponyo was released here (in KL) 2-3 months ago so whilst visiting Noel in Penang, we watched it together.

And. It. Was. Horrible!

Rather, the English translation that came along with the movie was absolutely horrid. So horrid in fact, that I could not even understand what was going on! That bad! I was shocked and angry. So in August, while I was in Singapore, I spent some precious SGD on the Singapore release of Ponyo. All the while, I was praying that it wouldn’t turn out to be retarded Ponyo.

And phew, I was right! And what a gem of a movie it turned out to be!

While it draws similarities to My Neighbour Totoro, Ponyo reminded me of why I absolutely adore Miyazaki’s works. The most poignant and moving part of Ponyo, to me, had to be the very simple message that “In order to be fully human, one must be loved completely”.

Up was a different ball game altogether, very different from Miyazaki but I must say, it was so so sweet. Dug, the doggie in Up, had to be my favourite character of all as it reminded me so much of my Muffin.

The beauty of Up is that it makes you believe in the impossible. Flying house? Check. A million helium balloons? Check. But it was the characters of the movie that made Up so memorable and real.

Carl and Ellie’s relationship was what clinched it for me. Their story was featured very early in the movie and I have to say, it left me teary eyed. I am also compelled to mention that the particular scene of Carl and Ellie reading and holding hands pretty much encapsulates my relationship with Noel.

Oops. Too sappy a revelation. Moving on….

Whirlwind…

Just returned from a whirlwind trip to Singapore with Noel; we basically made the trip there to rush for the annual Singapore National Library book sale. It was MAD. Lots of people – we were camped outside the doors an hour and a half early and it paid off. Result: I returned with 16 kilos of books and the Ah Boy 18. Price for my 16 kilos: SGD$ 29. I know. Bloody steal!

Anyway. Have been watching quite a number of movies this week. I watched Bruno (because you know, it’s probably never coming to Malaysian cinema) and Up (very, very sweet) in Singapore, and Yasmin Ahmad’s Talentime. The latter is playing at TGV cinemas (Malaysia) for a limited period so I made a point to catch it.

Talentime is unlike Sepet and Gubra but it is a gem of a movie. It was entertaining, quite light (unlike Gubra), funny but still had that sentimentality that is Yasmin Ahmad. The end of movie was the saddest for me. Pete Teo’s I Go played and I couldn’t help but feel how much it echoed the emotions of Yasmin’s death.

So long, fare thee well
The dancer and the dancing days have taken leave and fell
So turn down this bed of stone
Quench me with the deadly nightshade from the rose that you belong

The long December rain is falling now
Running down on streets to nowhere
Music is my life you’re my sweetest nightingale
But I can’t hear it here no more
And I go
I go

Hush now, don’t shake or break
Words have fallen silent like soldiers to the grave
No matter what they do or say
Lay me on the sleepy meadow by the tracks upon your face
_____________

Sigh. Sometimes I wonder why I’m still so affected by a death that seemingly has nothing to do with me. Or should it?

Before I ramble…

So while the rest of the world lined up to watch some movie about machines fighting each other (predictably placed with a hot chick dressed in skimpy singlet and short pants – yawn), my Mum and I breezed through the crowd and chose to watch the Japanese film Departures.

Unlike other emo Japanese shows I’ve seen (think Hula Girls and 10 Promises to my Dog), Departures was light-hearted and very funny – for most of the first part of the film, that is. I won’t write a synopsis because it is a film you should watch and judge for yourself. However, I would mention that the unraveling of Departures is the heart to this movie. I loved it. It was raw and beautiful; very intense, a wonderful film one shouldn’t miss.

Way better than watching bloody machines accompanied by music/noise that screams “I’M A MAN!!! I HAVE A BIG DICK!!!! YEAHH!!!

Persepolis

Recently, my Mum returned from her girls’ holiday in China. She came back – unsurprisingly – armed with goodies. One of which is this gem of a film called Persepolis, which tells the story of a child growing up in Iran during and after the Revolution.

It is autobiographical and is based on a graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi. The film is presented as an animated film; 2D at its best. I loved it. It was edgy, tragic, bare; I liked how the ending did not have a resolution. And it had none of that Hollywood crap which I so abhor.

If you’re so inclined…

So besides being incredibly busy thanks to the house move (we’re now happily settled back home again), my twinny’s return to KL and blah blah blah (read: too many things to list), Mum and I actually made it to the cinema sometime last week to watch 10 Promises to my Dog.

On the surface, the movie was really very much about the relationship between Socks (the cute doggie) and her owner, Akari. At a deeper level, however, 10 Promises explores the fragility of relationships, and of course, love – love in one of its most pure forms.

Basically, I bawled my eyes out. Even my mother was shocked.