Whoa There, Clooney...

Saw Anton Corbijn's The American today.  Even though George Clooney was pretty to look at, it was way too slow-paced and all in all pointless for me.  Some of the cuts seemed oddly timed.  Lots of moments were expected and obvious, as well as corny to the degree where I wanted to bash my head against the railing in front of me for large periods of time.  This was later topped by the urge to vomit in a paper bag because of the cliches that were mounting one on top of the other.  I could almost grasp the idea that a precious and intimate relationship between Clooney and the woman was supposed to blossom...'almost' being the key word.  It was unbelievable, whatever connection the two were supposed to have.  Clooney's character, as poker-faced and miserable as he was supposed to be, just was over-stoic.  Yet, we know from Up in the Air that he is capable of conveying understated emotions in a beautiful manner.  It wasn't seen here, though.  Waste of money.  Kept checking my watch.  Wanted to leave the movie.  Burst out in disbelieving laughter as the ending credits rolled.  Oh, but the scenery and architecture are gorgeous.

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you" - Rashi

Saw A Serious Man yesterday, a Coen brothers film.  Wasn't really into it, although there were several (maybe too many) moments where my jaw literally dropped.  Maybe it was almost too Jewish for me to grasp the underlying meanings, despite having attended an almost completely Jewish school.  The trailer was well-made, though, is what I remember, and that's why I wanted to see this movie pretty badly.  I guess it got part of its point across, though, of feeling the anxiety and unbearable frustration and pressure of someone trying to get by life but seems to be thrown into detours every step of the way.
Heading back to Chicago in a week's time.  There's this part of that is somewhat eager to go back, buy furni, setup and move in properly to my new place. I remember to try and reprimand that part of me.  Once again, the solution that seemed to work last fall (when I actually made efforts to do it) is to keep myself busy busy busy.  Get a part-time job, work on more sets, meet people, keep my place clean, do only the necessary for all other things that don't give me joy.  

Not Sure How I Feel About...

musicians.  Especially the ones that can sing.  Once you hear them, they do this really excellent job of charming you and "sweeping you off your feet".  You really could not care for them otherwise up until that point (or even after that point), but as long as you are at the point in time when it's happening...it's sort of mesmerizing.  Not that you want to be mesmerized or anything.  It just happens.  Sucker for crooners. 
However, successfully crooning and having a girl be sucked into it is one thing.  It's a completely different matter about believing you are living the dream.  So just enjoy the melody as a very temporary drug for the soul.

Transsiberian (2008)

Directed by Brad Anderson, Transsiberian (2008) was overall.. unsatisfying?  This does not, by any means, mean that I regret watching it or disliked it.  The splashes of bright red contrasted nicely with the bright but pretty consistent and flat cold tone of the white snow all around.  
Also really interesting to see the change in the protagonists when push came to shove from their happy-go-lucky demeanors to being able to do anything in order to survive.  I suppose one could say that part of the message (if there is any, since that always seemed foolish to assume that anything, be it poems, literature, paintings, film, etc. holds any intentional meaning) is that people never truly know each other, and there is never really a 'truth'.  So much motivates us to do the tiniest things, and as such, it's impossible to determinedly state that anything is of pure intent or truth.
The two protagonists, Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer, gave off this amateur vibe as the story progressed.  At the beginning, they as actors seemed pretty natural being a dorky couple and whatnot.  There was a scene when Roy, Woody's character, was trying to get the train to start.  He was throwing around orders doing some violence of his own, and the overall effect I felt was of something unfitting.  At first thought, one might be tempted to think that they just suck at acting.  But instead, I think it was cleverly directed and interpreted by the actors.  Of course there is hesitation and of course they are amateurs.  They are amateurs because as far as we know, their characters have never been put in these types of chaotic and violent situations, and it is completely suited and logical that Roy seems like he's trying to hard and is fake when attempting to take control of the situation and their lives.
Pretty good though.  Alot happened while most of the shots were inside the train, and it never felt boring.  Only annoying when Emily Mortimer wouldn't shut the hell up and continued to bawl and whine and squirm.  


I want to see Waltz with Bashir.


There are around two weeks left before having to head back to school.  Not.. exactly ecstatic to go back.  Yes going back will probably make life more interesting, but interesting is not always the best.  I've learned to appreciate the normalcy that comes around every so often.  

August Ruminations

Ahhh I am a movie failure this summer. Barely seen anything.
Most recently, hit up Scott Pilgrim vs. The World:

I know nothing about the comic book, so pretty much went in without any large ideas. Was fun and entertaining, and feels different from generally other types of movies.  Actually, I had tried to imagine what it would be like in comparison to Kickass because both were..sort of cartoony superhero-ish themes.  Alas, the comparison cannot really be made.  Scott Pilgrim's humor was fast-paced and cuts were quick as well.  For some reason, didn't really feel for the somewhat repetitive gamer's action sequences, just because at that point, I felt like a Nintendo-ing dork.


Saw Inception as well, and I've said this to everyone who's asked:  It was good. I was looking so so forward to it and had high expectations..and I don't know why, because there wasn't really a letdown or anything, but I don't have an 'OMG THAT WAS AMAZING' feeling.  All I'm able to say is that I'm seeing Nolan's pattern of creativity: layers stuck inside layers waiting to be understood via intricate dissection (think Memento and The Prestige).  I loved those films, and I guess my anticlimactic reaction has to do with having wanted to see something I never would've expected.  Oh also...Ellen Page..no.


Totally unrelated, I passed my driving test!


Been also thinking about...how some, if not most, things/people are not meant to last.  But it's okay because they had a significant purpose of affecting us.  Molding our ideas and perspectives on beliefs, life, and love.  Rather than muttering to yourself in dark bitterness about how things ended [up], it feels so much better to reflect on what you were able to get out of such interactions as experience.  Not everything has to be happy-related, but isn't it enlightening and heartening to know that you are one experience closer to decoding who you are as a person, sister, daughter, friend, lover?  It makes life more bearable and understandable when following this line of thought.  Because unfortunate events are bound to happen...and when everything seems unfortunate.. that..sucks.  Life can't be a complete bitch, right?  So you look for what you're missing, what you could be doing better to cooperate with how things roll.
I formally realized this like half an hour ago, and it helps to morph the pain I feel/have felt about persons and incidents into one of appreciation.  I don't have to hold unrelenting grudges or dwell on why things never turn out 'normal'.  Instead, I can think in sheer amazement about how much I matured via experience and interaction.  I will try to not hover around in the past, but I will give things another shot if I deem it necessary and/or possessing of some potential and possibilities.  There're no reasons to let things slide by now.  Stick your foot in the door before it closes.  The worst that can happen... you lose a foot.  But at least you tried to catch the opening.

Time Flew

Is it still flying? Not sure...

KASA Show 2010: POP! was a success, after much hair-pulling and not-so-internal screaming. Just picking up the pieces now.

Some movies that I got around to seeing in the past month:

The Secret in Their Eyes, acclaimed as a Best Foreign Film. I'm not sure I'm willing to agree...maybe it's because I watched it pretty close to midnight, and was too tired to follow it. Definitely did not feel like an active viewer. A shame; had been really looking forward to watching it, only to be super disappointed. A fellow student in one of my film classes claimed to really liking it, though. This is the person who crucifies Avatar as if it were his job. Take it as you will.

Kick-Ass, on the other hand, was absolutely amazingly fanfreakingtastic! The trailers don't do it any sort of justice, because all the trailers do is to weird you out. I mean, who wants to watch a movie about people who apparently can't discern reality from comic fiction? But watch it. There's gore, but it seems so intentionally exaggerated that one could not actually be frightened by what's placed on the screen. The characters are amazing. I grew to really want things to work out for them. So strange in that the movie is able to combine the genres of drama, action, comedy, and some odd form of horror into one thing. I don't have many favorite movies (perhaps because I don't/haven't watch[ed] enough), but I feel inclined to putting this as a favorite. I would also contemplate watching it again. And I don't do that. Why sit through something you've seen for another 2 hours? But this is just... so enjoyable.

Wristcutters: A Love Story was a random viewing. It's definitely quirky and off-beat...but I'll be the first to admit that I didn't follow it enough to really feel pulled into it.

Now for some eye candy of food~

Damn. I eat like it's my sole purpose in life.

This is what happens when KASA Show is over...and the need to diet is gone...except we apparently have another gig...?!

Shiat.

On another note...I'm wrapped up in: Mary J. Blige's What Love Is:

Beautiful, horrible, magical, terrible.
Reason to laugh and smile.
Reason to cry yourself to sleep at night.
Start a fight. Make up, break up, wrong or right.
Heaven for all this work can
equally be hell on earth.
(And no one really knows anything about it)
But everybody needs it.
We can't life without it.
And that's the way it goes.)
Darkest day, brightest night.
Just some other things you might hear if you ask what love feels like.

And it feels like joy, and it feels like pain.
And it feels like sunshine, feels like rain.
An excuse for dying, reason to live.
And if you don't know, that's what love is.
Love is.

Gentle kiss, sweet caress.
Kiss the base of your neck.
Argue until my head hurts, I can't remember what you said.
Out, screaming loud, don't know what were screaming bout.
So confused and yes its true, but if it wasn't there what would we do?

Floods in Wonderland

The city's been experiencing a massive amount of rain these past few days.
Ate at Cafe Fiorello's before hitting up Alice in Wonderland in IMAX 3-D.

The movie was actually pretty enjoyable and entertaining to watch. Minus the awfully awkward and unnecessary dance segments they did towards the end; that just killed any moment that was trying to be created. Also, this is probably because of the trained way to view and analyze learned from my Children's TV class this past quarter, but the movie had lots of room for [mis]interpretations of gender roles, and the sexual tension between Alice and the Mad Hatter. All in all, the movie's psychotic enough to be intriguing, but I don't know if the 3-D part is worth it. In general, I'm not big on the 3-D...causes some motion sickness...

Oh Columbia

Ended up going to Columbia twice today. Both times, had food around that neighborhood:

I watched 'Un Prophete' the other day.

It was pretty interesting and enjoyable. But after about 1 hour into the film, I started to wonder if this were not just a story about high school cliques and bullies, but in prison. Also realized how distracting subtitles can be when one is trying/should be watching the visuals, not trying to keep up reading the translations. But hey, what can you do? I'm pretty sure if this were dubbed/somehow made in English, it would detract from the film.

::Pause::

어떤 때 는 그냥 포기하고 죽고싶은 기분이 들은다.
뭘해도 안되는 느낌.. 
영원히 뭐가 부족한다는 느낌..
웃는 척하면서, 사람들을 위해서, 그것도 아니란다.
모두가 문제이란다.
고치고싶어도, 어떻게해야할지.. 
어디 부터..
고칠수가있는지..
이럴 때 는,
"그만 둘까"
생각이난다.

집으로 가고싶은데..
어느 안전한 곳이 그리운데, 이미 집에 와있다.
이제 어디로 갈수있는건가..
희망이 안보인다.

Spring in NYC

Back for break since last Friday. That day, we went to a small authentic Japanese place for food.

Really really fresh. Beyond any other place (including places like Morimoto).
Got my wisdom tooth pulled yesterday, so I'm sort of in the recovering phase...buut can't wait to see some films at Lincoln Plaza (which seems to be showing some more interesting things as opposed to AMC).