Gf.Bf

"We should have two lovers. One who loves me, one whom I love."

After spending an hour watching behind-the-scenes footage from the movie's official youtube channel, I've got a glimpse of Yang Ya Che, the director behind this moving piece of work. He's a demanding man, who was hard on his cast and crew, expecting the best from them. He had a vision. He wrote the script like a thesis of sorts. He wanted to make a film showing Taiwan in the 80s, when the three young characters, as well as the territory, was on the precipice of awakening.

The movie spanned three decades and in that time, the backdrop of Taiwan and her people changed visibly. The characters moved on with the times and watching the the three actors push their limits, it was as if you saw nine characters in a single movie!

I particularly liked that it wasn't written with a beginning-middle-end structure that's so prevalent, making films so predictable and you're just staying around for how it happens. Gf.Bf felt more like an experiment, three personalities thrown together and they delivered fireworks! At any one time there was so much tension between them, so much uncertainty, so much struggle it literally took my breath away. They were so intertwined with friendship and love that they couldn't tear themselves apart, like they were destined to be in an endless push and pull with each other.

They fought for freedom from each other and from themselves. Like life, nothing is certain. Sometimes you get what you want, sometimes you don't. You make sacrifices expecting something in return but that's not for sure. Like Yang said, it's a little selfish. You give everything to the one you love, but when you're disappointed and let down and hurt, you should have someone to catch you, someone who loves you, to make that fall a little less painful.

So much was said, but wasn't shown, just hinted at. And that's really masterful use of cinema. I started thinking a lot. And got a bit sad. I thought about my notions of love. I thought about how detached we are from one another, that it takes something to fight for that brings people together and how it's lacking in society now.

I'd watch it again. There's just so much more to uncover.

The Dark Knight Rises

It's all about the storytelling. It's about the narrative. For me it's never about the action, about the explosions. it's about the human aspect, the emotions, the morals, the thoughts, the conflict that happens inside. 

And The Dark Knight Rises delivered. Full of conflicted characters, their imperfections took turns in the spotlight. Portrayed by a stellar cast, you had the police inspector's story - his burden of deceiving the public about the truth about Two-Face; the junior police who came from an orphanage; Batman who was thoroughly "destroyed" and went into hiding; Catwoman and her struggle to start anew; Bane, a mercenary from a dark place with a soft spot for a kid and the kid who turned out to be much more than meets the eye. It was thrilling see their fates and destinies woven together. Their steely determination made their struggle to come up on top of each other gripping to witness.

Christopher Nolan knew what was important. This movie didn't rely on marketing like The Avengers, which turned out to be nothing more than a really cliched, Power Rangers-esque flick; or the strength of it's actors (Hello Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield). It was a solid story that pulled its weight and plenty of punches, and not just literally! 

Inception was all about a dream within a dream and TDKR is kind of like that - a story within a story. The most gripping was the "fable" of the kid escaping the prison. We are taken through it via multiple story-tellers and that leap of faith was just so vivid, so insistent that I couldn't get it out of my head. It tied up the movie really well - look forward, jump without a safety net, then only you can leave the darkness, escape, start afresh. 

Which, at the end of the movie, was exactly what happened for all the good guys. 

Act of Valor

I don't enjoy war movies. But left with nothing much left and Hollywood putting a stop to their ridiculously formulaic rom-coms, I decided to put my money on a this blockbuster and go with the flow.

Enter Act of Valor. The production did not disappoint. It was war weaponry galore, showing off the latest technology and equipment that the US defense force had to offer. The scenes were extremely realistic and the pacing of the action, brilliant. The rescue bit was particularly intense and so were the raids that followed. Each mission was cinematic poetry in motion - my heart must have stopped a couple of times. The portrayal was excruciatingly real - these soldiers weren't superhumans, they weren't invincible. I felt their determination and their pain to the point that I had to make the effort to detach myself emotionally from the movie!

The narrative however, wasn't particularly brilliant, with backstories of the characters inserted rather haphazardly throughout the movie. According to critics, that was the downfall for this film.

I beg to differ. The cast of non-famous actors as well as soldiers from the US military brought the war on terrorism to life and it was heartbreaking to watch. It didn't glamorise violence nor made it cool. The soldiers gave their lives so others could live.

The movie challenged me to think of my purpose in life. I could never be so selfless and brave but am I doing enough to make a difference to the people around me? Are we all too caught up in superficial ideals? Shouldn't we have something to fight for?

And sometimes the best relationships are forged from the most trying situations. So are the toughest people. The image of the soldier throwing himself over the grenade will forever be etched in my mind.

The Iron Lady

"Watch your thoughts for they become words, Watch your words for they become action, Watch your action for they become habits, Watch your habits for their become your character and Watch your character for they become your destiny."

The Iron Lady is mind-blowing as it is heart-breaking, painting MT as the awe-inspiring figure that she is - intimidating and brilliant.

I loved the acting. I loved the romance. I loved that it was British. I loved the complicated story-telling, bouncing back and forth moments in time yet being able to produce a coherent narrative.

I loved the art direction. Yes, the thought that went into the design was amazing. Every attention to detail was paid, every prop from her jewellery to her pen, deliberate and well-thought. A huge part of her persona was driven by her mostly blue attire that matched her ferocious blue eyes.

What can I say about Meryl Streep's acting that an Oscar win would have missed? Not much. Performing, as always, with great intensity, every move she made was measured and economical. From pouring tea to autographing books, she didn't waste a frame as she provided a layered performance. Every moment was dripping with clues about the character's being... It was enthralling.

And last of all, the first and currently, only female British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, around whom the movie is based, is an awe-inspiring politician. Getting her hands dirty for all the right reasons, her steely determination was legendary and it was eye-opening to see the part she played in bringing the "Great" back to Great Britain. Resolutely sticking to the tough decisions she makes, her steadfast belief in what she thought was right turned out to be the single most inspiring aspect about her for me.

Movies based on great people and rooted in history really leave a deep impression on me. Milk, The King's Speech and now, The Iron Lady, are fine examples.

I'm definitely looking forward to more.

A Game of Shadows

I like everything about this movie. The two lead actors were powerful. They dug deep, brought on the comedy proudly and the characters to life. Chemistry between them was abundant and it showed. You believe that they'd be willing to die for each other.

Action sequences... fantastic. Often interrupted by surrealism. What you see is not exactly what happens. Sometimes you're in the character's mind. But you'd expect nothing less from Guy Richie. Fast and furious, sometimes violent, yet never gory. Just enough to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Set against Europe in the 1900s. Slightly heavier accents than most people are used to, with witty dialogue to match. A gem, I say. With a smattering of French and German, kind of like salt and pepper for the already solid movie.

Mystery was ample, befitting of a detective movie, which is possibly a lost form. Nowadays the arcs are so predictable. This? I was guessing till the very end. Clever. Very clever indeed. Enough reason to pay the price for the weekend ticket.

I'm motivated to hunt down every movie that Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law ever made. And watch them cos they are brilliant. In my list of top 3 actors, it'd probably be the both of them and Ewan Mcgregor. Looking forward to more movies from the 3 of them this year.

A great first movie for 2012.