Occasionally Watching Films

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

House of Cards (2013~present) Season I,II,III 

Better Call Saul (2015)

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Still Alice (2014)

Gone Girl (2014)

Love David Fincher movie.

The Affair (2014)

Boyhood (2014)

Oh my it's actually a long time ago since I watched this movie. For some reason I wasn't really amazed about the 12 years thing, but Linklater's name on the director column did make the film intriguing.

Anyway I guess everyone knows the movie is about a little boy's 12 years journey, from 6-18 years old, which probably is the most complicated period of a person(yeah teenage is the problematic one somehow). The movie lasted 150min, best for the time when you want to do nothing but focus on a movie. (I did). And as everyone knows, again, because it somehow embedded 12 years of footage, every period, stage on this boy probably be limited to 15~30min or less. It's fragmented, pieces of memories, kind of like all our lives. What did you remember about your 10th? What about 15? or 18? Seriously I don't really remember a lot of thing but major events, and seems like the movie picked up this part too which is a brilliant to present the movie.

I think the amazing part of this movie was you get to witness a boy's growing up journey. And somehow the delicate part of his heart changed with time. You meet people, you learn lessons, you love, you hate, you go on, you live, like every other person in this world does. 

I especially like Patricia Arquette performance, no wonder why she got golden globe support actress. As a mom in the movie, she wanted to give the best for the kids. She wanted to give the child back from a broken family and always married the wrong guy. And the end she suddenly broke down, because her boy was leaving for college and she was all alone by herself. Somehow it's a mom's life, isn't it? (sad truth) Probabaly it wasn't that bad even if a home wasn't need to be completed for a child to grow up healthy. 

Linklater's film is always get in touched with people subtly, not with a lot drama. Even Before sunrise somehow,well,dramatic, but it talked about the details in life, which seems to be nothing important.

Her (2013)

In the future we will be all in love with our computer.

I had this feeling for a long time. My phone is my best friend in the world, since it seem to be always playing the right song whatever I feel at the moment. 

The social loneliness is getting more serious in the future, which actually we all known. The fear of building an actual relationship grow stronger and stronger as we grow. 

Joaquin Phoenix was working as a letter writer who's actually lonely after divorce, spending time playing video games and mostly alone. He went through blind date but went well. Until he met the new operating system Samantha(voice over by Scarlett Johansson) he felt refresh and seems to find the right person to go with. She's intelligent, sensitive, always around, funny, willing to listen and learn. He felt so safe about her, and no one's gonna steal her.  

The topic of computer intelligence is boring, seriously everyone filmed on the topic. I'm Legend, A.I. etc. How boring! The approach of Spike Jonze is a bit different, such soft touch on a perspective of a grown man. You can feel the pain of the loneliness. The more you watched him happy, the more pathetic it actually is. 

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

Ben Stiller obviously enjoys the position in front and behind the camera. All director loves acting, just like all actors love directing. It's hard to manage both though. And this movie proves the theory somehow.

It's a story like everyone in the city. We worked and lived, worked and lived. We lost the interest and passion in life. Ben Stiller was a manager of the negative assets sector in "Life Magazine". At the same time, the company shacked down because they're trying to move the book online. So some department would be cut down, and not to ask, the "film department" was pretty useless if photographers decided to move everything to digital too. He was Sean Penn, who's a renowned photographer, favorite guy to help him develop his film. And the company was deciding to have the last cover. Sean Penn will send the perfect photo for cover. And he was kind of playing find-the-clue game with Ben Stiller, who thought he lost the film and traced down where Sean Penn is and ask him. Ben Stiller's a escapist, daydreaming every moment he'd be going on adventure or having the best journey in life. And he never dreamt about the journey he's going after Sean Penn would be so much like his daydreams.

I wrote very summarized storyline on above. Hope it wasn't a spoiler and I kept myself focus on Ben Stiller & Sean Penn. Like every other movie in Hollywood, they always made some romantic line, but it's never the point to me. I'm kind of like skipping it myself, unintentionally. I enjoyed the movie if it can skip more on the trying-to-be-hilarious part. Ben Stiller is not so annoying like Adam Sandler, and better in doing comedies too. So trying too hard to make people laugh is really not so "Ben Stiller". But the comedy part is fine here. 

The adventure part is like okay and fine, I know it suppose to give the character a real chance for travelling around and had a golden opportunity to "live life", but still, purposely make the scene look good, not my cup of tea. 

(More spoiler now)

And at the end when Sean said he's trying to be funny to put the last film into Ben Stiller's wallet which he gave Ben as a gift. It was kind of a twist and surprise me in a way not so typical.  What surprise me more was the film content. It's Ben Stiller holding film under sunlight and shot with the status written with "Life". Yea you might say "now that's hollywood movie". Yes so but I still buy it! It's a lovely ending. A person who's doing the film developing, staying in the dark probably more than under sunlight, trying hard to get the best result. These kind of small people makes great covers/photos. Without these professionals, photographers are just people who take lucky photos. Yet with the trend of everything's moving online, company cutting out budget, fading out business(film developing), it's a sad story these handcraft talent can use the skills nowhere. But film always got its power and they are so lively. With different skill in film developing can achieve different result on real photos. (sorry I start jibber jabber about film again lol)

The story behind the film seems more attracting to me than those daydream adventurous scene(sorry that really didn't amaze me AT ALL).

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014)

Just watched today. I don't know I cried a bit when all the battle scenes came to my eyes. Probably I related myself too much on recent political issues. Sometimes i felt so important to be part of the movement, I read, discussed, tried to understand and think more, at the end I still don't know how our home is gonna be.

I never comment on Hunger Games, because it's great, and put our dearest Jennifer Lawrence under all the media spotlights. She surely is one of my favourite actress. Honest, True, Pretty, Humorous, like she got all the things most Hollywood actresses don't have. She always got the girl next door(but she can act) charm. Girl from Kentucky.

I watched the first 2 Hunger Games at home, with dim light, focusing hard on screen. She really, really did well, as she did amazing in this one too. Probably for storyline, most people said this didn't surprise anyone except JL. I don't doubt that, it's for the final part. This part is just for storyline, understanding JL's emotions and finally her heart goes to Peeta, as Gale said so "you kissed me just because I'm in pain".

Magic in the Moonlight (2014)

There's time you just want to lie down your bed and watch nothing. Not nothing but some "nothing" movie, no burden, no thinking, brainless movie. I didn't say this one is that kind(hollywood got tones of more cheesy stupid one, no worries). But Magic in the Moonlight is definitely one you can watch easily.

I love Woody Allen, he always know people, and the bit of "woody drama". Colin Firth played as Chinese magician who's actually an arrogant Englishman while Emma Stone is a cute psychic. I won't tell the rest of the story, it's a little cliche but cute one i gotta say, those story girls will like. I still never can get rid of the Colin Firth of Bridget Jone's Diary, ha that kind of Englishman.