Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Review: Bangkok Traffic (Love) Story (2009)

📆 Thursday, June 30, 2011 • ⌚ 4:11 AM • 😇 rossetteayu

So, in the height of what seems to be a "crush ng bayan" syndrome at the office, I found this.

Imagine the feels. 😁

Acting opposite Sirin Horwang (who plays Mei Li) in the 2009 smash-hit movie Bangkok Traffic (Love) Story; Ken Theeradeth plays Loong, a handsome engineer for the BTS Skytrain who works on night shifts.

Image via True ID Thailand.

BTS (acronym lent by Bangkok Transit System for the movie in celebration of their 10th year anniversary) is just your typical love story about a girl in her 30s who feels so left out eating lunch alone at work, after all of her friends got married (except for her). In a chance encounter that seemed more like a dream, Mei Li finally found the man whom she thinks is right for her—Loong. Not wanting to just let his dream man go, Mei Li did almost everything just to be with him... thus setting motion to the most hilarious yet romantic chase of their lives.

The movie's premise is pretty much simple. Execution? Just the same. Yet what makes BTS stand out among other romantic comedies out there (despite the lack of movie kisses) is its sincerity to deliver Mei Li's character as someone whom every woman can absolutely relate to — someone who, in this day and age, goes through life alone. Someone so in need of love yet so vulnerable in its game, someone who's longing for the comfort of emotional stability.

Another thing I love about BTS is the way it made the impossible, mismatched hearts of Mei Li and Loong cross that bridge towards the possible. We see the both of them fall in love throughout the film, making things work out despite Loong being on night shift and Mei Li on day shift. We see them fall out of love when Mei Li found out that Loong is leaving for abroad. Then, sometime later, we see them fall in love again on that same train, with Loong (who now works in the day) catching up to a lonely and scared Mei Li (who now works at night), who had no one to talk to during that train blackout. That was such a beauty to watch.

In a nutshell, despite being pretty simple Bangkok Traffic (Love) Story is an entertaining watch that teaches us not to rush on love for it is never too late. It is never too late, because sooner than later, all those waiting for "the one" will eventually be worth it.

Review: August Rush (2007)

📆 Tuesday, August 12, 2008 • ⌚ 9:55 AM • 😇 rossetteayu

You know what music is? God’s little reminder that there’s something else besides us in this universe; harmonic connection between all living beings, everywhere, even the stars.

Meet Evan Taylor, a homeless young boy who has an inexplicably amazing gift in music. He had always wanted to meet his parents ever since he arrived at the orphanage, and he wanted to believe that his passion for music will eventually help him in fulfilling this journey.

SYNOPSIS

Being born from Lyla Novacek and Louis Connelly who are both amazingly inclined with music, Evan learned of one special gift that he uniquely possessed—gift in music. He then sets for New York from which he met various people who helped him in honing the special gift that he has. Maxwell “Wizard” Wallace, who was amazed by Evan’s performance, decided to keep the young boy knowing that he was worth numerous bucks of money.

However, Evan wasn’t satisfied with his stay with Wizard. After the cop’s broke in on the place the place they were living, Evan chose to run away. He then found his sanctuary on a church under the supervision of Counselor Richard Jeffries, who, knowing that he was a musical prodigy sent him to a school where he could grow and further develop until he was able to meet his parents through music.

REVIEW

As the movie progresses, we saw how Evan (relatively known as August Rush) dealt with the ups and downs of being musically gifted and learned in his own way how to develop and nourish the special gift that he possessed.

Though the movie moved in a roughly fast paced motion with an ending that made the viewers keep on asking for more, still, it was able to present the gist of the story comprehensively. Furthermore, it showed the viewers how to value even the simplest of things that almost always make them happy.

With the remarkable performance of Freddie Highmore as Evan Taylor, August Rush is all in all one heck of a movie as it will surely draw you into never letting go. Insights steal into the viewers’ mind the same way Evan steals into the viewers’ heart.

The music is all around you; all you have to do is listen.

Letter To A Hero

📆 Thursday, August 2, 2007 • ⌚ 10:43 PM • 😇 rossetteayu

Dear Dr. Rizal,

Greetings of peace!

Last meeting, July 31, 2007 we have been asked to view a film entitled “Bayaning Third World” (Third World Hero) which talks about your life, and the controversial issue of your retraction. Honestly speaking, I myself have been intrigued by this issue that’s why I’m here, writing you this letter.

It has been clear to me that there have been polarized reactions between those who accept the documents as genuine and those who believe that a religious political conspiracy fabricated the story and forged your penmanship.

Historical documents as well as events prove to speak for themselves—which says that you really have had, retracted. Father Balaguer claimed you did so because the retraction document, said he, had been received by him the evening preceding your execution. However, Father Balaguer himself was not able to distinguish if it’s genuine or just an imitation. Josephine Bracken also claimed the same thing indirectly by saying that there had been a marriage between the two of you. However, Josephine could never produce a certificate of it, in spite of being required to do so.

These alone make your retraction issue a lot more controversial. I mean, if you really have had retracted, how come no one could show where the original copy of it is? Come to think of it, according to many, neither the Archbishop nor Father Pi really saw it. Could it be that what they saw was just a copy done by one who could imitate your handwriting while some friars kept the original?

Just the same, if you really have had retracted how come the highly enlarged photo of your execution shows you without a rosary in your hand? And why had the death sentence for you still carried out? Why was your remains just bundled off in a dirty old sack, as they say, and then just dumped into a hole in the ground outside Paco Cemetery? Was this the proper way to bury historic Catholics who died in an exemplary repentant way?

You see Dr. Rizal, this is really just very intriguing. Have you really changed your mind and turned about the masonry, enunciating all of your writings and repenting to the authority of the Catholic Church; thus giving up your noble honor so?

I wish you could really give us some clue about how we could solve this intriguing puzzle. Because to me, it would be really hard to believe that the retraction document was written by your own colonially pierced hands.

Yours Truly,

Sette