3 great movies – camera, bombs, and dance

These are 3 movies I enjoyed very much recently. All 3 of them have very different personalities.

1. Maria Larrssons Everlasting Moments. This is a true story about a woman photographer, Maria Larrssons in Sweden. Photography is but only a small part of the movie. That little contessa camera that changed Maria’s life. It is the time of war and poverty and how family tried to cope with the predicament. There are no bad guys and good guys. Only ordinary people trying to live out their lives. And how we all can be touched by the miracle of photography.

“It’s a miracle.” Maria said. Mr. Pedersen, the photographer showed Maria how the image of the moth are captured on the palm of her hand.

2. The Hurt Locker (US). This is a very realistic look at the US bomb squad operating in Iraq. Realistic? I’m not sure because most of us have never been there. The only images we have are from news reel and movies. The writer is Mark Boal, the journalist who embeded himself into the real bomb squad unit in Iraq and came back to tell this story. Although it is not a documentary, it is as real as it can get. It is so powerful and intense that I just cannot see anything pretentious about the movie. I think the best way to look at war is always to go so close to it that you can no longer hear the wrangling political debate. There is only the sound of soldiers trying to survive and to complete their tasks. I like it because there is no political message here.

3. Cherry Blossom (Kirschbluten Hanami) German. A very sad movie about how one deals with death. A cross cultural experience from a germany small town to japan. The director is very careful about getting the visual of the places through to the audience. Watch carefully and enjoy the scenery. and also experience how art, such as dance in this case help us to channel our thoughts and emotion. Art is universal. It is always waiting for someone to open their mind to embrace it.

eternal sunshine of the spotless mind

An old movie with new memory.

Joel: Why do I fall in love with every woman I see who shows me the least bit of attention?

Clementine: this is it, joel. it’s gonna be gone soon.
Joel: I know.
Clementine: what do we do?
Joel: Enjoy it.

Joel: Okay.

Clementine: Okay.

a man nailed to two pieces of wood

Walter O’Brien (played by James Wood): “without the proper words, this is just a man nailed to two pieces of wood.”

- from the movie Northfork 2003.

Sita Sings the Blues

After reading the very boring and never-ending epic of Valmiki’s Ramayana last year, then I found the animated production of Ramayana-Legend of Prince Rama, a joint production between India and Japan in 1992, which was narrated by the famous James Earl Jones with the very deep voice. This certainly makes the understanding of the epic much easier. Now comes another 180 degree twist to the story of rama told by nina paley in Sita Sings the Blue. The 92 production Ramayana was a rather straight forward adventure movie based on the epic. Sita Sings the Blues is not exactly a straight forward movie. It is a musical accompanied with songs from an early 20th century jazz singer Annette Hanshaw. Rama and Sita’s love story is also intersects with the story of Nina’s own failed relationship with her husband. The design, artworks and the choreography of the dance sequence are simply amazing. There are also some funny moments where shadow puppets with indian english accent discussing and trying to make sense of the ramayana story.

For people who don’t know about the Ramayana story, this is one of the two famous ancient indian epic poems about a love story between Rama and Sita. The valmiki’s ramayana was written in the 4th century BC in Sanskrit but it was not believed to be the earliest version. Many of such stories are past on by oral tradition. The story is connected to Malaysia because of our wayang kulit. Most of the stories performed in Wayang kulit are derivative of the story from either the Ramayana or the Mahabrata stories. Because most the transmission between the dalangs are oral, the stories have largely deviated from the original and there exists many different new version of the short stories derived from the main plot. The ramayana story had its influence in China, indochina and southeast asia. Many countries have their own localised version of ramayana. And I think many ancient tradition can and will endure cultural changes and modernisation. Nothing stays the same. It will always evolve. And why stick to the old ways of doing things. We should celebrate old tradition by giving them a new look. Let’s just keep the old stuff in the museum.

This movie is shared online under the creative common license and can be downloaded free from the website.

Bruce Springsteen – The Wrestler

I forgot about this song for awhile until I ran into Bruce springsteen’s new album again. I first know about Bruce from his song in the film Philadelphia, I think in 1995. He has always been able to write songs that can embody the whole experience of the movie into one tiny song. This song was not nominated for the academy awards because it was played only during the final credit rather than in the movie itself. I was genuinely surprised to hear his song at the end when I first watched the movie. And what a perfect ending it was. An ending that can let you sit back and enjoy the lingering after taste of the whole movie.

Bruce Springsteen – The Wrestler Lyrics

Two, three, four

Have you ever seen a one trick pony in the field so happy and free?
If you’ve ever seen a one trick pony then you’ve seen me
Have you ever seen a one-legged dog making his way down the street?
If you’ve ever seen a one-legged dog then you’ve seen me

Then you’ve seen me, I come and stand at every door
Then you’ve seen me, I always leave with less than I had before
Then you’ve seen me, bet I can make you smile when the blood, it hits the floor
Tell me, friend, can you ask for anything more?
Tell me can you ask for anything more?

Have you ever seen a scarecrow filled with nothing but dust and wheat?
If you’ve ever seen that scarecrow then you’ve seen me
Have you ever seen a one-armed man punching at nothing but the breeze?
If you’ve ever seen a one-armed man then you’ve seen me

Then you’ve seen me, I come and stand at every door
Then you’ve seen me, I always leave with less than I had before
Then you’ve seen me, bet I can make you smile when the blood, it hits the floor
Tell me, friend, can you ask for anything more?
Tell me can you ask for anything more?

These things that have comforted me, I drive away
This place that is my home I cannot stay
My only faith’s in the broken bones and bruises I display

Have you ever seen a one-legged man trying to dance his way free?
If you’ve ever seen a one-legged man then you’ve seen me

Chi’s Sweet Home

This has to be the cutest cartoon cat ever. This was originally a short manga illustrated by Satomi Kōrogi in some japanese magazine. It was made into the shortest anime I’ve ever seen. A 3-minute story for an episode. But honestly, for such intense cuteness, a dose of 3 minutes each time is enough. The first season was in 2008 with 104 episodes. The story is about a kitten who was separated from his mother and was adopted by a family. The story, to my surprise, has stayed very true to the real experience of having a kitten in a family. It can perhaps even be a good educational film for people who want to adopt a cat. This was not the only cat-related stuff I found recently. There was the academy award winning movie “harry and tonto”. And also the recent japanese movie “Gou-Gou Datte Neko Dearu” about a manga artist with her cat. Both Tonto and Gou-gou movies are about starting a new life. In a way, Chi is also starting his new life in a new home. Chi has a way to make you smile for at least that short 3 minutes. I’m glad to see that cat has not lost its charm in popular media.

Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis, a french experience

Another new experience that is surprisingly amazing. The Alliance Française de Kuala Lumpur held a movie screening at their premises at Lorong Gurney near Jln Tun Razak Friday night. The Alliance Francaise is occupying a converted bungalow within a neighbourhood consists of mostly abandoned, yet pretty old and impressive looking bungalows. It wasn’t difficult to find. The entrance I found was apparently the back of the house. And I was initially wondering if we were the only people there. I realised later that the main gate is actually located at another parallel lorong at the front of the house. It costs RM18 per pax plus food. I can only say that I’m not much of a fan of ms.Rosie’s BBQ at her cafe@15(included as part of the package for the movie screening). The audience pretty much filled the hall. I noticed only a few locals.

The movie is a comedy about a post office manager’s experience of being transfered from Salon-de-Provence(somewhere south of France) to the almost the northern most part of France in a small town called Bergues. Most of the jokes involved the stereotyping of the unique way of speaking french by the locals in Bergues. Apart from the strange ritual of Maroilles cheese with bread and dipping in coffee, having a wide variety of alkoholic drinks with strange names, and different way of speaking, the Bergues locals are just like any other small town people in France (I can only imagine, of course). So the materials for jokes weren’t very strong (for second viewing) but the movie still manage to be a pretty entertaining movie. Nevertheless, I think most importantly, the movie really can let outsiders see something different about france as a country. There are certain things that you just can’t learn about a place as a tourist. Of course, this is a popular version of French culture and definitely cannot take it at face value. But it can certainly be a good conversation topic. Let me first show the location of this town.

Paris is somewhere in the middle of France. Bergues is located almost at the most northern tip of France near the border with Belgium. At the beginning of the movie, I can’t even imagine the shape and location of France on the map.

Here is the town center. This is from google earth. We can see the bell tower in the center. Interestingly enough, the Belfry in the town centre where Antoine(the guy on the right in the poster) played the bell music is a unesco heritage site. Belfry is a type of bell tower with a musical instrument called carillon. It is played by pressing a pedal keyboard that is mechanically connected to bells in the tower. From the wiki:”The keys mechanically activate levers and wires that connect to the metal clappers that strike the bells, allowing the performer (known as a “carillonneur”) to vary the intensity of the note according to the force applied to the key.” So when it is played, the whole town can hear the music.

The poster on top is showing a pretty hilarious scene. Philippe, the manager (on the left),  wanted to prevent his friend and staff Antoine from drinking during work that he accompanied Antoine on his mailing route. Anyway, both of them ended up drunk by the end of the route. That poster is showing two totally drunk postmen. It is a movie that will definitely make you laugh. I’m glad that the subtitles were very good that without knowing french, we can still more less understand what the jokes is about. A not-so-good BBQ, with a good movie. Not too bad at all.

synecdoche new york

[sin-neck-dock-ee], that’s how it is pronounced. It has been a long time since I have to look up a word in a movie title in the dictionary. This is perhaps another movie that will join my favourite movie list. Too many things I like about it. Not sure where to begin. Here’s a quote from the movie.

Everything is more complicated than you think. You only see a tenth of what is true. There are a million little strings attached to every choice you make; you can destroy your life every time you choose. But maybe you won’t know for twenty years. And you’ll never ever trace it to its source. And you only get one chance to play it out. Just try and figure out your own divorce. And they say there is no fate, but there is: it’s what you create. Even though the world goes on for eons and eons, you are here for a fraction of a fraction of a second. Most of your time is spent being dead or not yet born. But while alive, you wait in vain, wasting years, for a phone call or a letter or a look from someone or something to make it all right. And it never comes or it seems to but doesn’t really. And so you spend your time in vague regret or vaguer hope for something good to come along. Something to make you feel connected, to make you feel whole, to make you feel loved.

And the truth is I’m so angry and the truth is I’m so fucking sad, and the truth is I’ve been so fucking hurt for so fucking long and for just as long have been pretending I’m ok, just to get along, just for, I don’t know why, maybe because no one wants to hear about my misery, because they have their own, and their own is too overwhelming to allow them to listen to or care about mine. Well, fuck everybody.
Amen.

My favourite movies list

I added a list on the sidebar to sort of help me to remember my favourite movies of all time. It was not in any particular order. I’ll add on as I remember them. These are movies that I’ve watched at least 3 times and some 5 to 6 times. Every one of them have some special elements in them that touched me in some way. Good soundtrack is always a good addition to a movie. There is nothing like a good soundtrack to accompany the story. It works equally well in a documentary. One good example is the PBS production of Ansel Adams documentary in the ‘American Experience’ series. The original soundtrack was composed by Brian Keane. Both soundtracks from Legends of the fall and Scent of a woman are also great. The only soundtrack I didn’t manage to find is for Northfork by Stuart Matthewman.

There are always some subtleties or sublime elements that we individually can connect with a movie. Only by watching a movie the second and third time that one can fully appreciate those little moments. In a way, i like the fact that I know when I like and dislike a movie. There are many things in life that are harder to choose than movies.

An old legend

Friday night I was finally in the mood to sit down and watch an old movie. I can’t remember clearly when was the last time I watched it. The first time is probably on some pirated vcds many years back. The later times probably on TV. Only recently that my friend asked about this movie that I got my hand on a new copy. Legends of the fall was based on a novella written by James Harrison in 1979. Novella means short novel, although I don’t think there exists any definite number words to define it as such. This movie is probably the only movie based on a novel that did not compel me to read the original novel. Because it is so good as a movie. There is just nothing more I can ask from it. If there is ever a good example of a great translation from a written novel into a visual narrative in the form of a movie, this would be it. I have forgotten how much I love the music, the landscape, the scenary, the story, and each and everyone of the characters. I always find it hard to imagine how anyone can manage to put together such a great combination of all the great things into a movie. uh, how I wish I can watch this on the big screen. Just cannot believe that this is an 15-year-old movie.

There is something about the Colonel, Samuel and Alfred that reminds me of the Frasiers. May be it is the way they dress and talk. I just love that classical victorian way of speaking and the beautiful language they use to describe their experience and feelings. For example how the colonel wrote to his wife and vice versa. I just wish I can write like that. Everything is just so beautiful in the movie. Now that I found this movie again, I will definitely put this as equal number one in my list of the most beautiful movie ever with Northfork.