Underworld: Rise of the lycans

I hereby declare Michael Sheen, as Lucian, to be the next Viggo Mortensen, as Aragorn, in Lord of the Rings - both looked better dirty and unshaven. Unfortunately, I only took notice of him in the final (no?) of the trilogy - not that I cared so much about the actors (I watched the 2nd and 3rd installments of Lord of the Rings because of the beautiful scenery, and I believe there are more people like me then they care to admit).

Anyway, it's hard to take Bill Nighy seriously in this movie if you've watched "Love, Actually". You can't help thinking if he'll break into his Christmas No.1 hit every now and then, especially if you have a brother sitting next to you who feels the need to remind you of it.

Do not disappoint.

Dear Mr. President,

I only caught the final part of your inaugural celebration, at Lincoln Memorial, on tv today. And I was awed.

Thousands of people standing in the cold (was it also raining?) on a Tuesday morning, singing to the-only-official-thanksgiving-song-I-know - ...and this is your land, and this is my land..., to welcome you as their president, their beacon of light. It was a remarkable sight. It was also a reflection of the expectations your people, and many others who were not among the crowd, have of you.

Frankly, I'm not a follower of the US presidential elections and I was never interested in politics. I've not heard or read any of your speeches or tuned-in to any pre-election debates. The one article I've read on you is that you offered to buy ice creams for the photographers/reporters who followed you all the way to Hawaii during your family vacation. And with that simple gesture, I'm swayed to believe that you're a good guy. I may be apathetic on the US political state of affairs, but I'm rooting for you to succeed - because you're that good guy. And like 99% of the movies I've seen and books I've read, the good guy always triumphs.

Today, with your inauguration into office, millions of people in your nation (and other nations) are resting their faith upon your shoulders - not because they have to, but because you promised them hope. You promised change. And now the world looks to you to live up to what you've promised.

Do not disappoint.

Regards,
Sluggishslacker

The Righteous Men

"Well, what makes us different from each other is not the designer shirt we wear on an expensive suit, something on the outside. What makes us different from each other is what's inside: our true selves, our souls. That's what shines out. If the outside becomes irrelevant, if we all look the same, then people can truly start to see the inside."


Rating: 2.5/5
It's over-rated as "the biggest challenger to Dan Brown's crown" - I think Dan Brown can go to sleep each night knowing his crown will be safe.

Yes man

Yes Man was quite a good laugh, but Bruce Almighty remains my favourite Jim Carrey comedy. Funnily enough, as much as I like Jim Carrey (in Liar Liar, The Truman Show, The Majestic), I find Zooey Deschanel's character more likable in this show. She sings in a band that wears seahorses on their heads (?!) to a loyal audience of 6 (?), and teaches on photography while jogging - I can just see the question marks floating above your heads right now if you haven't watch the movie... But it's also the orginality of the character and, of course, her idiosyncracies, that makes her lovable.

After this movie, one thing I'd put in my life's to-do list is to go on an unplanned vacation to a "first-flight-out" destination. That'd be really exciting.

"The world's a playground. You know that when you are a kid, but somewhere along the way, everyone forgets it.

A perfect day

A love story of a down-to-earth guy, from a small town, who acheives fame when the novel he wrote becomes a best seller; and how he gets swept away from his family and the simple life he led.

1. Never promise on what you cannot deliver. But if you must, do whatever it takes to deliver on the promise.

2. Be thankful each day for loved ones around you. Don't ever take them for granted.

3. In the face of an argument, take a deep breath, pause, then take a step back. Anger and frustration causes you to say things you will regret.

4. Never trust a guy who walks up to you, out of the blue, to tell you that you only have a few days more to live. But remind yourself of point (1) and (2) if that happens.

Seven pounds

Stranger: Why me?
Ben: Because you're a good person, even when you think no one is looking.

I caught the trailer for seven pounds - and that set me up with very high expectations which the movie did not live up to. It's still a nice watch overall, although I'd have liked it better if the plot was not revealed too early into the movie.

Take-away lessons - to live my life so that I am worthy of that pound of flesh if the time comes.

Ip Man

There are 3 things I love about this movie:

1. The protagonist - his charismatic, upright and unassuming character reminds me of the lovable Atticus Finch in "To kill a mocking bird".

2. The kungfu - it's by far the most graceful martial art I've seen in movies.

3. The couple - the subtle, unspoken love between them speaks volume.

It's a "must-watch" movie. Enough said.

Norwegian wood

This is the first Japanese book (translated into English) I've read, and what strikes me as surprising is the sexual openness of the Japanese culture - the detachment of love from sex. As much as I cannot relate with the pain or dilemma the protagonist go through, and fully grasp the complication in the love story, I guess there are some tragedies in life that simply triggers the introspective side of oneself. And when that happens, one starts seeking answers to questions that are unanswerable and everything appears more complex then they actually are.

Memorable quotes from the book -
"Only the dead stay seventeen forever."
"Better to be a first-class matchbox than a second-class match."