Two Movies I’d Give a Damn to Watch Again.

Fierce People (Diane Lane, Donald Sutherland, Anton Yelchin) and Les Miserables (Liam Neeson, Claire Danes, Uma Thurman).

Two thumbs up for Fierce People simply because I can’t get it. Like what the title says, I’d give a damn to watch it to catch the drift of the story (again) and see the movie in another perspective, since I usually miss the important points of a certain movie in one seating. Well, the movie has two separate splices of film running – the Ishkanani (a primitive tribe in Amazon) and the contemporary life of Finn (played by Anton Yelchin). Then these two uncommon things are fused by this film, and are analogically-related to each other.

The intriguing conceit of “Fierce People” is that the idle superrich and the Ishkanani, whose rituals are shown on reels of film sent from South America by Finn’s father, are equally vicious. – New York Times Review

I don’t get this film review, either.

I encountered Les Miserables first on book since I’ve read that lengthy book (and I almost gave up out of mere frustration with my reading progress) last year. It’s about the French Revolution, the story of Jean Valjean (from a galley slave, to a mayor, to some father-image of Cosette) and Fantine, the love story of Marius and Cosette, and that goddam Javert who kept trailing him up to the end.

It’s just fascinating to watch the movie, since it made me remember the toil and sweat I endured to finish one of the thickest books I’ve ever read. Though the usual exemptions of scenes and shortcuts are present in the film, it still did a good job with the translation of words into motion pictures.

What I didn’t like with this movie is the ending: it ended with Javert and his cuffed hands backflip to the Seine, and there he died. Though I’m contented with the scene, I’m concerned more of Valjean’s death (though I’ve read it in the book, it’d be better if it’s included in the movie) and the aftermath of the revolution and all that stuff.

PS: I love Claire Danes. She’s just one classic sweetheart who can portray Juliet and Cosette at the same time.

Wonder Boy, PDAs, Kiss Kiss and the Eerie Sounds.

Of course we do have urges to display affection, but please, GET A ROOM.

So here’s the scene. I’m en route to Bulacan for vacation. I rode the bus to Cubao. I sat on the farthest seat since my duffel bag’s really huge like I’m heading for a flight to somewhere remote, and it’s the only choice since it’s the only seat vacant, and these two naughty lovers who sat right in front of me kept kissing. As in french-kissing. And there’s this eight-year old guy who looked like Nino Muhlach (way back when he was Wonder Boy or something) sitting right next to me seeing the action-packed love scene with his bulging eyes.

I almost fanned the kid with my handkerchief, and good thing his pants are buttoned and not zippered. I mean, what the heck. I was eight when I watched Romeo and Juliet and still got that horny feeling about the love scenes. DUH.

So the entire two hours were occupied with the smacking sounds of their romance. Though I really see their efforts to make it light and not harsh so as not to produce the squeaky sounds (okay, so my narrative skills are limited in terms of love-making – which proves that I DON’T READ PORN lol) and they even stopped at intervals if ever bus vendors shout their HAMBORRGER CHEESEBORRGER and all that MANI KASOY stuff. At least they made an effort the hush the sounds or stop the madness.

I almost advised Wonderboy to keep his eyes shut, but it might induce him to throw up since the trip to Manila feels like you’re riding a mini-sized Anchors Away. And the fact that we’re at the mouth of South Luzon Expressway, I just pretended not to notice it. I’m just wondering why his Dad’s sitting in front – I mean, we should practice Parental Guidance here.

It got more intense when we got at Bicutan. This is the time where the girl had to cover themselves with the hanging curtain. That showed disrespect on my part since she used MY part of curtain to wrap themselves and do the kissing stuff. The passengers are quite startled with their aggressiveness while Wonderboy slept on my side (maybe dreaming his own set of kissing LOL).

I’d really like to clarify that I’m not a pervert when I was eight years old. Swear!

Anyway, things got nasty when the bus was caught up in the usual rush-hour traffic somewhere near Ayala. The tunnel, yes the tunnel. Since the tunnel swallowed the bus in pitch-black darkness, all of us passengers can’t see anything with our enlarged pupils. But our ears still function, and all of us heard the pressure of suction. Wait, is that really suction!? Just a mere play of the lips and all that squishy stuff, I guess.

All of us passengers got ourselves out of the bus in Cubao. Except them. Yes, I saw the girl looking at me (maybe to memorize my face since I got my first row seats with Wonderboy while watching their stunts, or maybe something else?) while I carried my duffel bag and watched them go away with the bus.

I hailed another bus to Bulacan and wished for another kissing scene slept.

I wonder what Wonderboy did right after the trip. Perhaps he went straight to the CR. Haha, nasty.

Chopsuey.

Movies watched: Dead Calm (Kidman), Awakenings (DeNiro, Williams), and Chopsuey (Romana, Pascual).

I’d like to say a few words about Chopsuey: it’s the first Filipino movie I really love. I refrain myself from watching Filipino movies (one of my reasons would be its dull storylines and dry concepts -  it will always be about superheroes with magical powers, the overrated love with tragic accidents like amnesia, or the usual stuff), though I’m not really against Filipino movies. So maybe I’m not really nationalistic in terms of movie-watching but I have my own ‘convincing’ set of reasons.

The uniqueness of Chopsuey’s storyline sets it apart from the mainstream. It’s about the Chinese-Filipino culture here in the Philippines, and how they live with the strict and age-old traditions of the Chinese which might not be applicable with the contemporary cultures of today. Piolo Pascual, Dimples Romana, Krista Ranillo and Andrea del Rosario acted as four Chinese sibilings of an agreed (or whatever you call it: forced?) marriage – which is one of the traditions they despise the most. Though this movie is obviously about love, the different hindrances and complications make the story more puzzling and touching as well.

I like the way they act (especially Dimples Romana and her speech about being the queen of the marketplace since it’s the only thing she enjoyed most because her Chinese husband treats her not as a wife but as a mere housemaid), the cinematography, the script and the flow of the story.

Di ko alam kung anong gusto ko. Gusto ko lang, mamalengke! Lilibutin ko lahat ng palengke sa buong pilipinas at bibili ng gulay sa Baguio, ng baboy sa Bulacan, ng itlog ng pugo sa Laguna… At syempre papakainin ko kayong lahat, pero pagdating kay Greg (her husband), hahaluin ko yung sauce nya ng Dora Rat Killer, muriatic acid at pesticide!

I’d better finish this off.