Love and Other Drugs is a feel-good movie. It's a story about our humanity, and how, no matter how bad or evil we think we are, love changes us. Love is a great equalizer. Not matter how rich, smart, beautiful, experienced we are, love will make us do things we sometimes think we're not capable of.

Labels: love, movies, relationships

If I was asked why I loved the movie, Stardust (aside from the obvious - Neil Gaiman, 'nuff said), it will be this monologue by Yvaine...

"You know when I said I knew little about love? That wasn't true. I know a lot about love. I've seen it, centuries and centuries of it, and it was the only thing that made watching your world bearable.

All those wars. Pain, lies, hate... It made me want to turn away and never look down again. But when I see the way that mankind loves... You could search to the furthest reaches of the universe and never find anything more beautiful.

So yes, I know that love is unconditional. But I also know that it can be unpredictable, unexpected, uncontrollable, unbearable and strangely easy to mistake for loathing, and... What I'm trying to say, Tristan is... I think I love you.

Is this love, Tristan? I never imagined I'd know it for myself. My heart... It feels like my chest can barely contain it. Like it's trying to escape because it doesn't belong to me any more. It belongs to you. And if you wanted it, I'd wish for nothing in exchange - no gifts. No goods. No demonstrations of devotion. Nothing but knowing you loved me too. Just your heart, in exchange for mine. "

Sigh.

Oh yeah, there's that song from Take That during the credits as well.

"If you stay with me girl, We can rule the world".

Sigh again.

Labels: movies, Stardust, Take That

"How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;" - Eloisa to Abelard, Alexander Pope

Forgetting is probably one of the most taxing, most difficult things to do, after something wonderful has gone awry. One doesn't want to deal with pain, so one tries to forget. Forget about falling in love with a married man, forget about an abusive relationship with your husband, forget about the love of your life you who had set you off this trail of bad relationships.

This is the basic premise of the movie, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind".. After the end of a tumultuous relationship, two lovers erase each other from their memories through a procedure done by Lacuna Inc. Everything takes place while you are asleep, and in the morning, you are as good as new. No more heartaches, no more pain. Or so you think.

Interesting story, and I'm sure something we can all relate to, in one way or another. Who hasn't tried to block out someone from your mind? Who hasn't gone through so much pain to want to just forget that everything ever happened, even the good ones? The actors in this film are brilliant. I never really liked Jim Carrey, but he is just different in this film. He does well as this soft-spoken, boring man who fell in love with an eccentric woman who changes her hair color every so often, reflecting how much she does things on impulse. A case of opposites attract? Maybe. But the whole point of this movie is not so much about relationships, as it is about coping with pain and loss. And maybe it is a little about love, and how we find it in strange places, strange people, and that no matter how much we try to run away from it, if it's there, it's there.

Good editing. The flashbacks, the contrast of colour -- outstanding.

And lastly, my favorite lines.

"Too many guys think I'm a concept or I complete them or I'm going to make them alive, but I'm just a fucked up girl who is looking for my own peace of mind.".. :)

"Blessed are the forgetful: for they get the better even of their blunders." -- Friedrich Nietzsche

"Drink up young man, it will make the whole seduction part less repugnant"..

Labels: movies

"From the first time
You laid your lips on mine
It feels like the smile on my face
Will last till the end of time
But Im not so sure
That you're the one that I should pursue
My mind tells me no
But my heart only says that it's you" - Falling, Keahiwai

Sigh.

I'm obviously in one of those moods. I've been blogging more often than I had the last few months. Argh. What is wrong? Three months ago, I was nasusuka with these guy's style. I admit, I "noticed" him the first time I saw him, but I dismissed the thought as soon as I knew what I had to know. How could this happen? He's been on my mind the whole weekend. I deleted his number as soon as we said our goodbyes but he caved and text'd me this morning, this lunch, tonight. And all I wanna do is call and hear his voice. Argh again. Punyeta talaga. Sayang lang my loot yesterday if I don't stay strong and convicted.

Last night I watched "The Notebook" because friends told me nakakaiyak daw and I wanted to cry. But I didn't. Is it just me? I really wasn't touched by all this true love drama. Have I become callous? But here's the clincher. I watched Laws of Attraction and I cried when they were talking about people who get a divorce are those who chose not to fight for their marriage. Breaking up should be the last resort and all that talk. Ouch.

And in another movie, I like this line, ""Too many guys think I'm a concept or I complete them or I'm going to make them alive, but I'm just a fucked up girl who is looking for my own peace of mind." I should say that whenever someone tells me "You make me feel young again".. Ha ha.

Anyways, in other news, for the first time in years, I had to ask for my parents help. And I called them kanina to thank them. They helped without any questions asked. And I said I will make bawi to them na lang soon.. And my dad told me this and it made me cry "Anak, di na kelangan bumawi.. Kahit ano gagawin namin ni mama para sa inyong mga anak namin.." Haay.. Grabe. No matter what I do, no matter who I've become, they will always love me unconditionally. In the end, they are all I have. My family. And that is one truth that is keeping me sane amidst all this bullshit.

Labels: family, movies, relationships

Quickie reviews:

imelda - recommended. it is an informative (at times, funny, even without attempting to) documentary. at the end of the movie, i didn't know if i wanted hate or pity the woman. one thing is for sure, this is/was a powerful persona. she was smart, calculating, and a little too obssessed with beauty to have genuine care for the filipino people. for martial law babies like us who were shielded from the direct impact of the atrocities of those times, you come out of this movie feeling a little rage. specially since you don't see any hint of remorse on imelda's face as she talks about those "grandiose" times. oh, btw, her shoes, to die for. grabeh.

catwoman - almost a waste of time, if u ask me. the scenes were so dizzy. story lame. the only thing redeeming about that film is seeing uber sexy halle berry in leather catsuit. ;)



city of god - highly recommended. an "old" indie film. about this tondo-like place outside of rio de janiero, where criminals start young. does poverty drive people to crime? can people truly get away from a criminal life once they live it? this is sometimes quite disturbing, specially seeing young boys murder people. but an eye opener for me. film was based on a real story. very, very wonderfully done.

girl with the pearl earring - This movie is an adaptation of a book with the same title, which is about a fictional story on how the painting (called, yes, the Girl With A pearl earring) of the famous Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer came about. The painting btw, is the supposed counterpart of Mona Lisa. Anyhoo, the movie showcases the talents of Collin Firth (BridgetJones) and Scarlett Johansson (LOst in Translation, another fave indie movie) and they give a very good portrayal of the master and servant who share the same passion for art, and maybe more. You can really feel the tension between the two as they carry out their extraordinary relationship, the latter being the supposed subject of the said enigmatic painting. I love, love this movie.

Labels: movies

"You know the most surprising thing about divorce is? It doesn't actually kill you, like a bullet to the heart or a head-on car wreck. It should. When someone you've promised to cherish till death do you part says, I never loved you, it should kill you instantly. You shouldn't have to wake up day after day after something like that, trying to understand how in the world you didn't know. The light just never went on, you know. But of course, I must have known but I was just too scared to see the truth. That fear just makes you stupid…" - Under The Tuscan Sun

The movie was nice and endearing, and I like it for being hopeful yet not in an unrealistic or condescending way. I love the scenery with the flowers and the vineyard, and the rustic villa, with the Mediterranean coast as backdrop… It is just so lovely, I have this sudden urge to go on this gay trip to Tuscany.

Sometimes, you know, we find ourselves in some place new, whether we wanted to or not. And it is scary, but what comes next is always up to us. We can choose to be afraid and hide to where we think we’re safe, or we can take that leap of faith and rebuild our lives, even without really knowing what the future holds for us.

“They built train tracks over the Alps, even before there was a train, because they knew there would be a train.” Yeah, it is never bad for us to have faith like that, especially during the lowest moments of our lives. And who knows, it will be better than you would ever have imagined.

Labels: movies

Film: Vibrator (Japan, 2003)
Director: Ryuichi Hiroki

This is one of the 1st two films I've watched in CineManila already. Final recommendation: I loved it. It is poignant, and again, something that tugged my heart because of subjects that I can relateto. I'm not too fond of watching subtitles, but it grows on you, and you learn to balance reading and watching the expression on the faces of the charcters on screen. The movie is shot on the road formost of the film, and at one point I almost got carsick (for real) but, the shots does serve a cinematic purpose (illustrating timeflies so fast even for connections that have just been made)...

This is mainly a story about a single, 30sumthing woman, a freelancewriter, who hears voices inside her head. As she reads through a fashion magazine (maybe the Japanese Cosmo), she suddenly realizes women has to listen to a lot of crap about their body image, their aged and wrinkled skins, and the dictates to keep themselves sexy and beautiful. Soon, we find out she throws up her food, to feel good about herself, and she drinks alcohol to cure her insomnia. All in all, she feels lost, until she met a truck driver who has a criminal past, wife and kid but in spite of his roughness, he treated her ever so gently, and love (and lust) blossomed in the movie. And so, again, we are told, love is one of our salvations, but this movie also goes beyond that.

The director used flashbacks, title screens (to mirror the lead character's thoughts) - which i think are really funny, like a movie version of a thought balloon, and voice over (she claims to hear voices on her head, after all), and cutting to the present.. As most of the scenes happen inside the truck, you are forced to be intimate with the two characters as they start to unravel the persons that they are to each other, and we can see every wrinkling of their skin as they smile or frown or orgasm. :p One of the scenes I liked was when the two characters were in the tub together, after Rei (the woman) had a nervous breakdown of sorts, and you can see that even with the arms of Takatoshi (the man) around her, her eyes reflect the loneliness of her soul.

This movie is every bit a love story, about finding connections in strange places (or with strange people, for that matter), but it is also a road trip to self-discovery, if not hope, or ultimately, redemption.

Labels: movies

I wanna write about Bora, but I had such a love-hate relationship with it, it makes me smile/cringe everytime I think about it.. Much like a relationship gone sour but will always have a place in your heart.. so, I will have to postpone that for some other time.. Methinks I'm still having withdrawal symptoms, I can still the hear in my head, the waves as they hit the shore.

I was watching Along Came Polly. It's not an awesome movie, just good to watch.. Not too awww.. but not too ewww either. Stars Ben Stiller and Jen Aniston, both of whom I'm particularly fond of.. Ben of course for Zoolander, and Jen for well, Friends..

Anyhoo, there are two main characters in the movie... Reuben, an expert risk assessment analyst, who is so risk-averse, he doesn't eat peanuts in a bar, because he thinks he'll catch ebola virus doing so.. He never goes out of his comfort zone because he has calculated all the risks possible in life, that he lays it out so perfectly.. Until his wife leaves him for a scuba instructor on their honeymoon.. A few days later, he meets Polly, his classmate from middle school, who was a good student and was even a UN delegate, but is now a globe-trotting salsa-dancing waitress, who lives in the moment. She lives her life so differently.. She's on the no-plan plan...

Plus points for the movie aside from the stars: it's set in NY, there are a good number of funny and endearing moments, the characters are not very exaggerated, and well, i like the dialogues...

Some of my fave ones are:

"I've been living my life, ok? I've been in good relationships,I've been in shitty ones. And I moved a lot, and I've been happy. And I've been sad, and I've been lonely, and that's what I've been doing. Which is more than I can say for some people who plans their life so carefully, and thinks they can catch the Ebola virus by sticking their fingers into a bowl of peanuts.."... - Polly (after Reuben asked her what happened to her when she used to be doing so well with her life.. not verbatim, btw)..

"I destroyed your throw pillows. They don't serve a purpose. They're purely decorative" - Reuben (to his wife after finally ending it with her)

"Move on with your life. It's not about what happened in the past. Or what you think may happen in the future. It's about the ride, for Christ's sake. There's no point of going through all this crap if you're not going to enjoy the ride. And you know what, when you least expect it, something great might come along. Something better than you even planned for." - Reuben's father

"Since we've been together, I felt more uncomfortable, out of place, embarrassed, and just physically sick than I have ever been in my entire life. But I couldn't have gone through all that, I couldn't have thrown up 19 times in 48 days, if i was in love with you. Maybe you're right. Maybe this is just a fling. But if you get on that plane and you go to Cincinnati or wherever it is you're going, we'll never know if it could have been something more.." - Reuben (to Polly, after Polly tried to run away again.. not verbatim)

"I don't want to get married. I just wanna take you out to dinner. Sometime this week.." - Reuben (to Polly after she responded that she did not want to marry him)..

The movie fits well to the conversation I had with the globe-trotting single hottie whom I'll call B (who's incidentally taking a Safari trip to South Africa this July)... hehehe.. Living in the moment.. Taking risks.. Go seek out the exciting, and adventurous, and out of ordinary.. Even if it's just talking to a guy on the bar, who's not really your type, but offers you a beer without really hitting on you.. Even if it's accepting free cocktails from a not-so-attractive bartender but gives you the laughs, or maybe hang out with a stranger from another city, one whom you'll probably never see again, but you know, you don't want to marry the guy, but just wanna enjoy the night.. And then maybe, one of these days, you can finally take that first scuba dive, even if the open waters freak the hell out you.. =)

Labels: life, movies, relationships

* Guess that's why I'm so forgiving of D. But this time, I am more determined to stick to my resolve.

* I was going through my medical files yesterday so I can show them to my best friend, Doc R. As I was reading through them, I started sobbing. I relived all the pain, fear and loneliness during the days before and after my surgery. These episodes are getting fewer, but I hope one day it will just stop.

* The more I think about it, the more I think I'm not taking the U.S. assignment. I watched Jersey Girl last night. It's like choosing a life in the city, and back in Jersey. In New York, Ollie will have a high-paying job, get more respect, live in a posh apartment. In Jersey, he can play in the dirt with his kid. It took him a while but he finally chose the latter. That is a metaphor for my life in Manila. Not that I wanna play in the dirt. But I wanna be here where my loved ones are. No amount of money or prestige can ever compensate for moments spent with those you love and who love you in return.

* Shrek 2 is hilarious. But I like the 1st one better. Still, I wanna own a DVD copy. Puss N Boots is adorable. Made me wanna get a cat. Not. Hehe. Pinnochio wearing a bright pink thong? Classic. :D

* Gonuts is so overrated. The long lines is absolutely not worth it. Krispy Kremes forever.

* Advil is the best invention ever. Next to that, the G-string panty liners..

* Gerry's Grill in Remedios Circle is so cramped. But never make a mistake of tranferring to Fusion, the bar next door. P*na. They only have about 10 choices for appetizers. Plus, ang mahal ng pagkain nila. P240 for sisig?! But admittedly, I liked their music. Plus SML is only P35. But still, I really would rather not spend P90 on potato chips.

* I love my friends. 18 years of friendship is just not something ordinary.

* Ang sarap when you have doctors as best friends. Free consultation. The other night, they were lecturing to me about The Pill. Nakakatawa. Felt like a teenager. Pero mas natawa sila when I asked "Do you need a prescription to buy them?" No, I wasn't kidding.

* Guess Coron will have to be planned for some other time. But I'll be going to Bora in a couple of weeks. Sana di bumagyo. Please, weather gods.

* The storms Dindo and Enteng are not good for my mood. Been really pensive and very senti last week. Tama na! Ibalik na ang araw. Summer pa, di ba?!

* Finally, after three years of planning it, will be taking up badminton na.. Ala lang, bonding time with ol' friends. Ayan, baby, dami ko na distraction. :D

Labels: friends, Gonuts, heartache, Krispy Kreme, movies, relationships, work

And so goes the now famous line from what is one of the best films I've seen in my lifetime. It's up there in the league of the Godfather series, Braveheart,Saving Private Ryan, Glory, and well, Shrek.. hehehe.. Troy is based on the Iliad – on the 10th year of the Trojan War. Personally, I don't know much about Greek mythology. Methinks I did not pay much attention to my lit class in high school. But even with very minimal knowledge, one will still definitely enjoy this classictale of love, betrayal and bravery..

Let me start with the story. Troy stayed true to The Iliad for themost part. On how the Trojan war started when Paris, the younger prince of Troy abducted Helen of Sparta, better known as Helen ofTroy, the face who launched a thousand ships (from Greece). And while Paris did challenge Menelaus, Helen's husband to a duel, Menelaus did not die in Hector's hands. In fact, it was said that he and Helen got back together after Troy was burned down and defeated.The movie did not play up Achilles' supposed immortality, though he did die from an arrow shot by Paris to his heel. Patroclus, in themovie, was Achilles' very young cousin, but in the Iliad, he is Achilles' friend, and supposed lover. And then, there was Achilles' love interest in the movie, Briseias, who is actually a combination of two characters. Ajax also didn't get killed in the war, but rather killed himself. Anyhow, these minor modifications served a better cinematic purpose.The cinematography was brilliant; the visual effects (the thousand ships and the huge Trojan horse are cool) and the score, amazing. This movie is not dialogue-driven, that's for sure, thus, both are really critical in getting the message and emotions across.

Among my favorite scenes, aside from Brad Pitt's nude scenes (haha, kidding), is Achilles' and Hector's one-on-one fight scene, which ended withthe dragging of the latter's dead body in a chariot while his dad looked helplessly, and his wife, crying in agony. Really, really painful. I also liked the scene when Priam, Hector's dad went to see Achilles' to beg for his son's body back so he can be given a proper burial, and just before giving it back, Achilles' cried in regret to his wrongdoing of dishonoring the noble man. Being a cry baby that Iam, I cried in those scenes. :)

The actors were also great. Brad Pitt's very buff body is an eyecandy but the clincher is really his well-choreographed fight scenes as Achilles. Eric bana as Hector was also good. I guess, Orlando Bloom was also convincing as the wimpy seducer, Paris, but I will always love him better as Legolas. Must be the curls. The actress who played Helen was beautiful, but Achilles' concubine, Briseias had a much meatier role as the feisty priestess who fell in love with the bad boy. No one will get acting awards, but then again,Hollywood always has surprises up its sleeve.

"The gods envy us because we're mortals. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed.", one of Achilles' lines, which ofcourse is a universal truth. We only live once so we all try to live it as beautifully as we could, whether it is through seeking for heroism, or just plain, fighting for love (of another person, of ourcountry). And I guess that's why I liked this movie. Because it is something we can all relate to, elements which we can watch and then talk about. In the end, it's not just about Greek mythological heroes, it's about us.

Labels: movies

"The gods envy us because we're mortals. Life is much more beautiful because we're doomed." Achilles, from the movie Troy

There are just days like this when I wake up not knowing what I want to do with my life. I could not sleep last night.. It's been awhile since I've had insomnia. I managed to get some sleep then woke up again a few minutes later because I was having a bad dream. My life with my ex hubby flashed before me. All the abuse, the cheating episodes I had to witness firsthand.. I cried myself back to sleep. My head was throbbing when I woke in the morning to a call from work. Reality. Though I'm not really on top of the corporate ladder yet, I'm at a place where most people my age are still wanting to be at. But lately I've been feeling like I don't want to be here. What am I doing this for? I spend most of my days slaving, working hard.. but at the end of the day, I just feel tired and restless, not knowing where I'm really heading with all this. I look around for options, but I could not see any. But maybe I'm just really scared of getting out of this comfort zone. Maybe the answer is right before me but I don't really like it.

I've been thinking about D more lately. I just realized how far back this affair had started. 15 years. My best friend told me I once wrote her in college, with a p.s. telling her to greet D on his birthday. I didn't even know I knew D's bday.. And then I remembered all those times he would pop in and out of my life, mostly after college. And then now. I see him at most once a month, which is quite a lot, compared to the rest of the years this has been going on. And I don't really know where he stands in the greater scheme of things, but I do know he makes me laugh, and I feel lots better everytime he holds me or kisses me. Yet, I know he's not the kind of man I want to end up with. He is flightier than I am. And it struck me that maybe he is my Mr. Big, after all. And do I want him to come find me in Paris at the end of all this searching? Maybe. But then again, I also know that not all endings are happy ones. And honestly, I really do think we're better off as friends. He does me some good as one. But I think beyond that, he is bound to break my heart. And oddly, I feel that he thinks that way about me, too.. Two scared ducks, I think we are.

So I keep my options open. New guy L, well, he's not really new.. Another old admirer from college. And I had no idea. The last few years have definitely been a revelation to me. Didn't know people had these feelings for me, but then again, I was mostly in long-term relationships up to 4 years ago? Yeah.. So L finds me again through our batchmates, and he has asked me out on a date. And I'm having the jitters. I remember having a brief crush on him. But I really don't know anything about him... But I'm going for it anyways. Life always has surprises up its sleeves - good or bad. There was a young man I dated a couple of times, too. And he was ultra-sweet and old-fashioned.. Such innocence. That experience was refreshing. But he is six years younger than I and he feels like he has a lot to prove to himself, and to me, he says. Give me three years, he says. I just nod, smiling. But deep inside I'm thinking, boy, a lot can happen in three years. He left to work in another country. I'm not sure how this one will go either. I'm not really a big fan of long distance courtships. We'll see. And then there's this sudden urge to go searching for Divine. She was my stalker in grade school. She go see me practice soccer, or watch my performances. She even went to my graduation. Her best friend told me she was smitten but she never once talked to me. I moved to a different high school and we have not seen each other since. But somehow, I just remembered her. I've been doing much of walking down memory lane lately. I guess that is part of trying to understand what I really want to be, or where I really want to go from here on. I'm not sure how she figures in all this. Guess it goes with, trying to understand who I really am.

And how about school? Most of my former classmates are about done with their MBA. I'm still struggling to finish mine. With my workload it's really hard to manage, but I know this is a ticket to freedom. And I want to keep going at it, but I got a 2.5 in my last subject, and that is just way below my capacity. It sounds arrogant, but it's just the truth. And I don't want to compromise. If I have to do something, I wanna be good at it. I'm still playing it by ear. I'm giving my project a couple more months before I rethink my options. This project is a double-edged sword, see. There are so many problems, that if I do well, I know this will be a great boost for my career. But on the other hand, if I fail, this might just end it.

But apart from that, I think other things in my life are ok. Haha. Really. I've maintained close realations with my family. I see my older sis and her kids at least twice a month. We went to see Van Helsing and Troy together. Both very very good movies, btw, if you haven't already seen either. I think Troy is to-date, one of the best I've seen in this lifetime. It's up there in the league of Braveheart, the Godfather series, Glory, Saving Private Ryan, and well, Shrek. hahaha.. I watched it because I felt bad that my 14-yr old nephew knows more about Greek mythology than I do. But of course, that kid has always been a genius. But still, I silently reprimanded myself for not paying attention in our high school lit lectures. I know of the Iliad and the Oddysey. I know of Achilles, and Helen whose face launched a thousand ships.. But all were fragments of this great story of love, bravery, betrayal, and all things human. Great great cinematography and music. I love the fight scenes of Achilles, very well choreographed. And since this is not really a dialogue-driven movie, the music was well done, and it helped to bring emotions to the actions you see in the screen, more so, than any words could have done. I cried when Hector died. It was just wrong for a noble man to die that way. And it was also heartbreaking to see Achilles break down after realizing that his revenge has gone too far. In the movie, Patroclus was his young cousin. And I guess anyone would do that for family. But in the Iliad, Patroclus was Achilles friend and lover. Brad Pitt did justice to his role as one of the greatest Greek heroes. He looks like a greek god, mind you. And well, his naked scenes are really a feast to the eyes (hahaha, just had to add that in...)... Eric Bana, Hulk's alter ego, also played a good Hector, the noble prince of Troy. Paris, the lover and seducer (?), was played by Orlando Bloom.

Anyhoo, back to my relationships. I've reestablished friendships. My best friends and I are keeping in touch more often now. Almost like old times.. Thank god for handphones and text messaging.

Wow, this is so incoherent. But that's how I am today.

Labels: MBA, mid-lifing, movies, relationships

Walking back to you is the hardest thing that I can do... That I can do for you... - Just Like Honey by The Jesus and Mary Chain (Lost in Translation soundtrack)
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Lost in Translation is definitely my most favorite movie to date. Director Sofia Coppola has truly made a name for herself in this film. The daughter of the famous Francis Ford Copolla who directed the Godfather series, of course, (needless to say, my favorite movies of all time) has come a long way since she did her bit role in the last installment of that masterpiece. She aptly captures the emotions of two people lost in translation amidst the neon-lit and psychedelic Japan...

I have had my lost in translation moments, having to live in different countries for months at a time. I could empathize with the characters who find themselves not only lost in a new country with a different culture and totally unintelligible language, and also, not really knowing where they were at that time... (Reminds me of my own Costa Rica Lost in Translation experience, but I'll save that for another entry :))

Bob seems to be undergoing a mid-life crisis, who no longer understands where his 25-yr marriage is heading.. Charlotte on the other hand, is a young, fresh Ivy league graduate, who has only been married for two years, yet she already feels... stuck. "I don't know who I'm supposed to be"... Who has not said that at one point in their lives?

The two lost souls finally found solace in each other's company, their unlikely friendship getting deeper and deeper as days passed by. They discovered they didn't just share the insomnia that has plagued them since they arrived in Tokyo, but the general loneliness of being somewhere they didn't really get. They sought each other for that human connection that they so needed at that time... In subtle ways, you can see that the longing goes beyond platonic. You can see it in the adoring way Bob looks at Charlotte, or that time Charlotte got jealous when she discovered Bob sleeping with another woman... Unspoken emotions intensified that relationship, and we can feel that when Bob was saying goodbye to Charlotte in a busy Tokyo street.. And for the first time, they shared a kiss filled with such yearning and sadness and spoke volumes of their feelings towards each other. They didn't want to leave each other, but they had to...

What they had was an evanescent moment, that was never meant to be more than that.. Such goodbye leaves a heaviness in the heart, and yet, you just take it and walk away...

This movie is poignant yet has its funny moments.. One of the scenes I found hilarious was when a prostitute came uninvited to Bob's room, demanding him to "LIP my stockings.."... He didn't understand what she meant.. Lick her stockings? Or rip her stockings?

Lastly, this movie has excellent music.. I like Bill Murray's rendition of "More Than This" in a karaoke scene.. If CD's are not so absurdly expensive nowadays, the soundtrack would find its way into my collection.. :)

I feel bad that this was the only movie whose last full show in Powerplant Cinema was NOT packed, because it definitely didn't get those awards for nothing.. =) A must-see!

Labels: movies

This has gotta be one of the funniest romantic comedies I've ever seen in years since maybe, My Best Friend's Wedding. I like it because even if the story revolves around an old couple, you won't cringe at the May-December affair like you would Madam Auring and her soon-to-be husband.

The story between the two lead characters, Harry and Erika, transcends age. It makes it all the more endearing though that it is happening to them. The guy, a classic womanizer who has commitment issues, finally gets it, at 63. In the same token, the divorced successful playright, finally falls head over heels in love, even after 20 years of marriage. I was laughing at the part where after having her heart broken by Harry, Erika sobbed for days, while doing just about anything, even while showering. Reminded me of me (so I'm not abnormal, after all? hehehe).. In fact, I was just doing an Erika a few minutes ago... And though I myself don't get it, I still love my ex.. I've been trying to forget that by going out, keeping myself busy, having distractions, drinking... but there are days like this that I just hurt. Like Erika said "You can't outsmart getting hurt".. No matter how much you try to self-protect yourself, when you open yourself up to love, you also open yourself up to some amount of pain.. Specially when you lose the person you love... Like her, I cannot do this loving and leaving thing. Not just cut out for that.

Jack Nicholson is such a charmer. You gotta love this guy. Diane Keaton is one hot post-menopausal woman. Great performance, both of them.. The movie is set in New York, making it all the more attractive. The scenes in The Hamptons and Paris completes that romantic backdrop.

Another plus to the movie is that Maroon 5's Sunday morning is part of the soundtrack.. Yey. =)

"But things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do
Sunday morning rain is falling and I'm calling out to you
Singing someday it'll bring me back to you
Find a way to bring myself home to you" - Sunday Morning (Maroon 5)

Labels: movies