Photolog 2020: Day 271 of 366

Finally went to watch Break the Silence with Ying this evening! Great documentary, as expected, with interesting interviews from each of the boys reflecting on who they really are versus their stage personas, along with plenty of behind-the-scenes footage of their Speak Yourself Tour last year. Only problem is, I left the theatre feeling bittersweet because the movie was such a beautiful and joyous walk down memory lane of the concerts I went to last year at MetLife Stadium, that it only served as a bitter reminder of their Map of the Soul Tour being cancelled this year. We did, however, make up for our melancholy by pre-ordering the Deluxe Edition of the upcoming BTS album, BE (!!!), to be released in November. The perfect birthday gift to myself, if I do say so.

Photolog 2019: Day 223 of 365

Managed to squeeze in another screening of Bring the Soul today! Even though I don't like going to the movies on weekends or in the afternoon, this was the only time that didn't interfere with my work schedule. And I somehow convinced my mom to go with me. (She's 65. Everything she hears about BTS is through me or the news. She's not an ARMY, but she does enjoy their "fancy clothing" and does recognize some of their songs because I play them every time she's in the car with me. Her favourites so far are "FAKE LOVE," "Epiphany," and "Lie.") For the record, she said she really enjoyed the movie and has a new-found appreciation for BTS' hard work and talent (and stylists, of course; she really loves their clothes). Oh, and her bias is now Jimin (like mother, like daughter?), who she said is "the most calm" and "the most elegant" but senses that he "has a wild side." Scary how accurate she is.

Photolog 2019: Day 219 of 365

TODAY'S THE DAY! The release day of Bring the Soul! I went to watch it with my friends Maegan and Jason, who aren't hard BTS stans (they listen to some their songs on Spotify occasionally, but don't dive deeper into the BTS world than that), but were kind enough to accompany me to the movie. This one was filmed last year during their Love Yourself World Tour, starting with the opening dates in Seoul to the North American and European legs, so it featured both cities that I went to last year (Hamilton and Newark). This film features more group conversations than individual interviews like in Burn the Stage, which is nice because it feels more organic and focuses more on the group's synergy. Of course, there were tons of performances and behind the scenes moments as well; it's actually like all the BTS World Tour: Love Yourself DVDs (in Seoul, New York, and Europe) combined but filmed and edited more artistically.

I felt that overall, this film had a happier, more upbeat vibe than Burn the Stage, and there were tons of laugh-out-loud moments. If anything, this film makes me appreciate BTS even more, with how much time, effort, and passion they put into their work, and how many limitations they have now as global superstars. (Jin mentions in one scene taken in Germany that he feels guilty for going out to public places when they're abroad because he has to be accompanied by a manager and security detail, and he hates that he has to bother so many people just to leave his hotel room.) I totally want to watch this again, but I've looked at movie times in the next week, and they're all in the afternoon when I'm at work. I'll just have to wait until it's released for streaming. On the bright side, they will be releasing a Bring the Soul docuseries on their new platform Weverse later this month (which I assume will be like the Burn the Stage docuseries that was released on YouTube Red last year), so we get more behind the scenes episodes during the Love Yourself World Tour soon!

Photolog 2018: Day 233 of 365

Took advantage of Cineplex's half-price movie Tuesdays to finally watch Crazy Rich Asians tonight. I read the first book three years ago and could always picture this world of grandeur and excess to be made into a movie, so I actually wasn't surprised when it was finally announced that it would happen. What I wasn't expecting was how good it would be and how much I enjoyed it. For the most part, it was loyal to the book with some minor exceptions for the sake of movie flow and sequel opportunities, but even without comparing it to the novel, it was just a good rom-com, period. It's charming and exuberant, and surprisingly relatable despite its overindulgent settings. I genuinely loved the entire cast and how they portrayed their characters, too; I especially enjoyed Awkwafina's Peik Lin, who pretty much stole the show. My favourite scene, though, was at the mahjong parlour, where Rachel confronts Eleanor. It was such a quietly epic, ultra classy "fuck you" executed in the most Asian way possible. Though it makes me proud to see an all-Asian cast in a big budget, Hollywood film (in which Asians are often underrepresented), Crazy Rich Asians isn't just a great "Asian movie." It's a great movie that just happens to be about Asians.

50/50

Shawn and I went to see 50/50, which might be the best movie I'll have watched this year (which isn't saying much, 'cause I haven't watched that many new movies this year, but still). It is equal parts laugh-out-loud funny and heart-wrenchingly sad. (Seriously, I think I started tearing up about six different times, which would have been full-out sobbing if I wasn't: a) in public, and b) wearing make-up.) The story itself is fairly simple: a 27-year-old man gets diagnosed with cancer and has to deal with the consequences. But it's the relationships between him and the people around him, the love and hatred and friendship, and finding humour in such a bleak situation, that make this film so worth watching.

Every single actor is perfectly cast, from Anna Kendrick as the therapist to Seth Rogen as the best friend to Anjelica Huston as the mother. But no one is more perfect in his role than Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who keeps it realistic and human, and somehow finds balance on a very emotional tightrope. Seth Rogen's loudmouth obnoxiousness offsets Gordon-Levitt's subtlety to keep 50/50 from being too serious or sentimental. A lot of illness-centred movies tend to be very trite and sticky-sweet (A Walk to Remember, anyone?), but there's just enough cynicism and honesty to make 50/50 a smart and engaging film that balances drama and humour.

Rating: 5/5

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2

I was waiting for the hype to die down a bit before going to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, but I finally did and, in short, I really enjoyed it. I don't know if I liked it more than the first part, but it was well-directed and well-acted, if perhaps a little rushed (this is the shortest of the seven Harry Potter films). Among the delightful cameos of characters that were absent in the first part (Professor McGonagall, Neville Longbottom, etc.), there is significant character development in this last film, especially with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. This is possibly the only movie in the Harry Potter series in which all of the actors were nearly perfect in their roles; emotional, passionate, charismatic, memorable. The tone of the movie is perfectly set, from the stark and sullen beginning to the emotional and triumphant end. The story-telling is just really well-done.

The only thing I have to complain about is the lack of response and emotion after Voldemort is defeated. It's like, "Voldemort is finally gone; where's the celebration?!" I also would've liked it better had the film just ended with the scene in which Harry, Ron, and Hermione are standing on the bridge leading to Hogwarts, with Harry having just threw away the Elder Wand. It feels like a much more appropriate given the overall tone of the film, and it would have felt more like a true ending. I know that the epilogue in the book features the "19 years later" bit, but I felt that they should've kept that for a DVD bonus feature instead, because the story is, after all, about the main trio and their adventures. The epilogue in the film makes it seem like it's introducing a new chapter to a different story, rather than giving closure to the previous seven films.

I have been involved with Harry Potter since I was 11, so it's really bittersweet that it's all ended now, nearly 14 years later. But Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is, overall, a brilliant ending to an epic saga.

Rating: 4.5/5

Thor

Shawn and I went to watch Thor, and I couldn't really find anything I didn't like about it. I liked that they kept the integrity of the story and had a sense of humour about a lot of the cornier scenes. It's always refreshing when the characters can make fun of themselves or their situations; it takes the pressure off from being too serious and makes the film as a whole less contrived. The battle scenes are spectacular, and both realms of Asgard and Jotunheim are visually stunning. I liked that Stan Lee's cameo was short and funny, not a cheap way to advertise a sequel. Tom Hiddleston was magnificently evil as Loki, Anthony Hopkins was powerful and regal as Odin, and Natalie Portman was adorable as Jane. But, really, who really cares when you have Chris Hemsworth and his delicious six-pack gracing the screen?

Rating: 4/5

Something Borrowed

I dragged Shawn to watch Something Borrowed with me tonight, because I read the novel a few years ago and loved it. The film version doesn't do the novel justice at all (do film adaptations ever?), but it wasn't horrible. I felt like Ginnifer Goodwin made a pretty good Rachel; she captures that meek, good-hearted, goody-goody, "Ivory girl" really well. Goodwin is likeable and smart. But Kate Hudson as Darcy was really quite disappointing. In the novel, we really empathize with Rachel and we root for her and Dex from the beginning, because Darcy is such a self-absorbed, shallow, irresponsible, narcissistic bitch that we just want to see her go down. But there are aspects of Darcy's character that still make her human; she's competitive with Rachel, but still very loyal and supportive, and we can see why Rachel and Darcy are best friends. Kate Hudson as Darcy lacks dimension, and in the movie, we really wonder why the hell why Rachel even likes Darcy in the first place.

Similarly, Colin Egglesfield as Dex was really flat and bland, and we really don't see his personality in the film. Like, we can see that he's pretty good-looking, but why has Rachel been in love with him for so long? The only thing that makes up for these performances is John Krasinski's portrayal of Ethan, who is the voice of reason in this film. He's the only one who voices what everyone in the audience is thinking. We can see why he is more of a confidante to Rachel than Darcy is. Ashley Williams' character, Claire, was purely there for comical relief, since she doesn't really play that big a role in the novel. And I thought Steve Howey as Marcus ended up being way more immature and obnoxious than his novel counterpart. There were a lot of trivial scenes (including one where we see Emily Giffin herself sitting on a park bench, reading Something Blue, which is the sequel to Something Borrowed) that could have been edited out to give more of a back story to the film. That having been said, the movie itself was fairly entertaining. There were even a few parts in the film where I totally started tearing up. So, not worth paying full price, but maybe go on half-price Tuesdays. Or, you know, download a bootleg version.

Rating: 2.5/5

Sucker Punch

A bunch of us went to watch Sucker Punch tonight. Okay, let's get this out of the way first. Yes, the acting is bad. Yes, most of the plot doesn't follow and, at times, doesn't even make sense. It's full of convoluted ideas, and there's no depth to any of the characters. Hell, you don't even know what era this film is based in, 'cause it has a lot of '50s references (the cars, the outfits, the lobotomies, etc.), and then there's futuristic robots and force field bubbles. But you don't watch Sucker Punch for either the acting nor the plot. You watch it for the special effects, the action, and the hot girls. And all three were in abundance in this film. It's like the creators wondered, "What could we put in this movie that would appeal to all geeky teenage boys?" Add samurai swords, guns, dragons, aliens, and mini skirts, and you've got the answer.

All cons aside, I absolutely loved the style of this film. I loved the juxtaposition of the "reality" scenes and the "fantasy" scenes. Visually, I thought Sucker Punch was stunning. And the soundtrack was just awesome. I love the covers of The Pixies' "Where Is My Mind?", The Smiths' "Asleep," and Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams" by Emily Browning (who also plays the lead character), and the use of Björk's "Army of Me" (remixed with Skunk Anansie!) in the first fight scene was just perfect. And, hey, the make-up was really well-done. I know this movie got a lot of bad reviews but, at the end of the day, it's pure entertainment. There are a lot of films that have great acting and poignant storylines, but just can't hold my attention. But there wasn't a second of this movie that I thought was boring, and that's gotta count for something.

Rating: 3/5

No Strings Attached

Shawn and I decided to go to the movies tonight because we haven't watched a movie in the theatres in a long time, and also because it's Cheap Movie Tuesday. So I dragged him to watch No Strings Attached, because I have a huge girl-crush on Natalie Portman. I'm just going to put it out there: the movie wasn't phenomenal. It's definitely not a must-see. Natalie Portman probably wanted to change it up after Black Swan in a lighter, funnier role. I will say, however, that it's a rather realistic look on "friends with benefits" relationships, in the sense that these relationships almost always end up having strings attached. Having sex with a random stranger or being generally promiscuous (like Samantha on Sex and the City) is one thing, but to have sex with an actual friend is another. Some emotional attachment, whether small or large, is already there.

Going into the movie, we already know it's a romantic comedy, so this film follows many elements of that genre. Meaning, the general plot is predictable, with moments of warmth and sweetness. If I had to make a comparison, No Strings Attached would probably be the mainstream, fluffy version of (500) Days of Summer. My biggest complaint would be that No Strings Attached still ends up showing women (even very successful, intelligent women) as the emotional, vulnerable ones, whereas the ending of (500) Days of Summer is kind of the opposite. As Shawn puts it, the movie doesn't require a lot of thought; it's not something you really have to pay deep attention to. But I will say that I wasn't bored at all during the film, even if it is a "chick flick," and Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman are pretty damn adorable.

Rating: 3/5

Tangled

Shawn and I went to watch Disney's Tangled in 3D tonight. Everyone already knows the story of Rapunzel, so I won't re-hash it here, but this film is really a return to Disney's roots. I like that they took away some of that "damsel in distress" theme that is in most of Disney's fairy tales, 'cause this Rapunzel is pretty bad ass. It's visually stunning with bright imagery and colours; I also thought the 3D was used well here - it was smooth and polished, not rushed (hello, Alice in Wonderland). The voice talents were great as well, with Mandy Moore as Rapunzel and Donna Murphy as Mother Gothel. This rendition of Rapunzel makes you feel nostalgic but also has a few modern tweaks, and ends up being witty without the use of unnecessary pop culture references (hello, Shrek). It's certainly not the best Disney animated film, and it doesn't compare to Pixar's works, but it does stand on its own as a fun, clever, heartwarming, and just plain cute animated movie. It's not mind-blowing, but at least you'll come out of the theatre with a smile on your face.

Rating: 4/5

Black Swan

Shawn and I went to watch Black Swan tonight. It was intense. Insane. Incredible. Darren Aronofsky's style is very distinct; it was similar to Requiem for a Dream, which is a favourite of mine. He somehow manages to blur the lines between reality and an almost psychotic dream-like state, leaving you anxious and confused and asking, "What the fuck just happened?" You'd think a film about ballet would be kind of ethereal and light-hearted, but Black Swan is anything but. It's horrifying and exhilarating, and yet strangely majestic. Natalie Portman playing Nina is a revelation. The transition from naive, goody-goody, perfectionist into lustful, raging, masochist is so smooth, you can't even pin-point the moment when she really starts to lose her identity and her sanity. It's scary and dark, but you can't stop watching. It's definitely Oscar-worthy, for direction, acting, cinematography. It's a film that you need to watch a second time to really grasp what's going on, but it's worth it.

Rating: 5/5

127 Hours

Shawn and I went to watch 127 Hours. It was visually stunning and incredibly intense, to say the least. James Franco does an amazing job in capturing Aron Ralston's emotion, perseverance, courage, and self-sacrifice. Franco makes it easy to empathize with him; you can almost feel the same pain as him. There is no sugar-coating in this film. It's gory, gut-wrenching, immersive, and unforgettable. All of that being said, however, it caused way too much anxiety for me to thoroughly enjoy. Seriously. I left the theatre feeling exhausted and with high-blood pressure. So, really well done... but not my cup of tea.

Rating: 3.5/5

Burlesque

Shawn and I went to watch Burlesque tonight. Yes, I knew what I was getting into, and I totally dragged Shawn into it, too (who went with me without question or complaint because he's a nice boy like that). Burlesque is one of those concepts that would be amazing live, but not so great in a film. There were parts that felt slow and dragged out, and ultimately, it was extremely predictable. It's definitely a movie to watch for the singing and dancing talent, not the storyline (like Center Stage).

Christina Aguilera is an incredible singer and dancer but a pretty terrible actress. And I couldn't help thinking that Cher was a drag queen with hair issues, which was totally distracting. Most of the supporting actors were great, though, including Stanley Tucci, Kristen Bell, Eric Dane (McSteamy!), and Cam Gigandet. Mostly, though, I was watching it for the make-up and costumes, both of which were really well done. Nevertheless, it's a guilty pleasure at best, and probably only worth watching on Cheap Movie Tuesday, and that's only if you really felt inclined to watch it (which is doubtful).

Rating: 1.5/5

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

It's become a tradition that Hannan takes me out to see a movie every year for my birthday, and since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was coming out the same week as my birthday, we decided to pre-order tickets for the midnight viewing. And then Edward, Anu, Ronsee, and Julie decided to get in on it, too, so the six of us all went to line-up at the theatre nearly two-and-a-half hours in advance - and there was already a massive queue when we got there. But we managed to get some decent seats, which made us forget about the super annoying pre-teens/teens in line with us.

I'm kind of glad that the last movie is split into two parts, because they can get into so much more depth of the story within each film and capture more of the detail (which the last six movies lacked - I found that they got the main points of the books, but the little things that make the world of Harry Potter so believable and realistic in the books were lost in the movies). I mean, it sucks that we have to wait until next July to watch the next part, but I like how Part 1 flowed. There was almost nothing I didn't like about this film. I haven't thought this about any Harry Potter film since Prisoner of Azkaban. They did a great job at capturing that feeling of great depression and incredible isolation of the book. And, personally, I liked that they didn't re-cap everything that's happened in the last six books. I think the director was like, "Fuck that, everyone watching this movie should've watched the last six, anyway." (I mean, it's like watching Lord of the Rings. You wouldn't watch the 3rd film without having watched the first two.) I also liked the style of the animation they used to tell the story of the Deathly Hallows. It's not a big thing in the grand scheme of things, but I think it adds more variety to the style of the film.

Daniel Radcliffe has never done anything for me as Harry Potter (then again, Harry is probably one of the most boring characters of the series), but Emma Watson does a fantastic job this time around and you can really see that she's grown as an actress, especially in the scene where she casts a spell on her parents to make them forget she ever existed. It was totally heart-wrenching. Helena Bonham Carter, again, is perfect in the role of Bellatrix Lestrange (completely and ridiculously ape-shit crazy), and Rupert Grint (and the Weasley twins, during the short period of screen time they have) delivers the one-liners that he's now known for to lift us (slightly) from the constant feeling of loss and sadness of the story. I felt that the Ginny-Harry storyline should've been more developed, though. They have a few quick scenes together and then nothing. Perhaps they'll come back to this in the second part. I do think, however, that the Harry-Hermione sexual hallucination via Ron was kind of unnecessary, though. I mean, I get that Ron's all paranoid and deranged and shit at that point, but did they really need the quasi-nudity? Personally, I think it takes away from the integrity of the story. But, hey, sex sells, right?

Overall, I really loved this film. People who haven't read the books might not appreciate it as much, only because there are quite a lot of references that only true Harry Potter fans will understand. But it captures the bleak, melancholic, apocalyptic feel of the book to a tee, and the fact that Part 1 makes it worth waiting until July for the second part is a huge victory in itself.

Rating: 4.5/5

The Social Network

Shawn and I finally went to watch The Social Network. Honestly, there was nothing I didn't like about this movie. Jesse Eisenberg's performance is a revelation, and quite frankly, Oscar-worthy. Let's be honest, a movie about Facebook could've flopped big time, but David Fincher really makes it work. He takes the story about one of the Internet era's most significant contributions and makes it timeless with themes of friendship, betrayal, truth, power, and envy. The Social Network could've been a ridiculously boring film, featuring the drier sides of computer programming, intellectual property theft, and law suits. But it was captivating, exhilarating, absorbing, elegant, and something of a masterpiece.

Rating: 5/5