Great Gatsby Trailer - sparkle sparkle!

Baz Luhrmann's films usually appeal to me because I love theatricality, brightness, sparkle, visual spectacle, and intense over the top emotion. When I was younger, my friends and I would read our favourite books out loud, write movie scripts and then attempt to film them, partake in seances in my basement, and dream about fantasy worlds in which we frolicked beautifully like elves. Drama class was my favourite (or at least tied with English).

Nowadays, going to the theatre or a concert is a rare treat. My friends are writing essays for grad school rather than scripts, and the only acting I do is in class to entertain my cute little students (which is super fun, I must admit). So I rely on movies and TV shows to feed my appetite for sparkly creative things.

I never really understood why The Great Gatsby was considered to be such an amazing novel. It's not one of my favourites (sorry!). However, I am excited about this film version and how Baz Luhrmann will bring it to life. Carey Mulligan is one of my favourite actresses. And even if it turns out to be less than wonderful, I'm sure my eyes will have plenty to feast on - the costumes, the sets, the shininess, oh my!

Baked goods in Korea - tasty bread!

An interesting example of tasty baked goods in Korea.

This is sweet potato and garlic bread! The outside is so fresh and warm and crispy, and the inside is sweet and soft, and then there's some garlic thrown in for good measure and a bit of a "surprise!".

Yesterday was a bit of a lazy day so these cute little snacks made a perfect addition to the coziness. 

I also finished watching the documentary Senna. I know nothing about Formula 1 racing but enjoyed this film simply because this man was extraordinary. He lived so fully, passionately, and without ever compromising. He had amazing charisma, a special kind of energy, and couldn't help but express himself honestly through every action and word, even though his sport was tainted by politics and behind-the-scenes drama. He really lived, and he was an inspiration for so many people.

Lastly, today is the day! The day for submitting my application to grad school. And go! :-)

Moonrise Kingdom Preview - woohoo!

I suspect that I enjoy watching movie trailers even more than movies themselves. Movies are long. No matter how good a movie may be, it must contain a certain amount of people walking around, maybe answering the phone, driving a car, buying a snack, making small talk, drinking tea, playing board games, writing a letter (oops, I think I'm starting to list things I want to do right now). It's hard for an entire movie, from start to finish, to be completely memorable and for each second of its running time to be profound and magical.

A movie trailer, however, can be mesmerizing in its entirety. All of life's precious memorable moments, insights, epiphanies, declarations, times of despair as well as triumph - they are all easily accessible in the form of a tiny little trailer. Feeling down? Just watch a trailer for an inspiring movie. Even if the movie itself is horrendous and not to be watched, the preview will undoubtedly make you feel better. Feeling sad? Watch a trailer for a comedy. Preferably a good one, but since those are hard to find even a poor comedy's trailer should contain at least one bite of hilarity. 

There's nothing like a trailer to make life feel especially exciting. If you watch a whole bunch of trailers one after the next, life will seem beyond extraordinary. So many things to experience! So much wisdom to encounter! So many awkward and surprising things to laugh about! So many goblins to defeat!

Whenever I'm bored, you know what I'll be doing. Maybe one day watching so many trailers will inspire me to write my own movie script. But I would prefer to create a trailer - a little taste of neat perfection.

A Very Warm November

So this clearly isn't a November photo - rather it's a blurry little shot of a gorgeous view found on beautiful Jeju Island. I've been neglecting my autumnal photo taking duties which is not so smart because the autumn season here is incredibly lovely - the leaves change colour and the soft rolling mountains become blanketed with bright orange, yellow, and red leaves. When the sun lights everything up it looks like paradise. But now it's mid November so the leaves are drying up and falling down. I'm afraid I've missed my chance!

I've been spending more time indoors lately, feeling cozy and watching movies while the days get darker and darker. Last night I watched Rise of Planet of the Apes and found it to be surprisingly moving and powerful. It's pretty amazing when a big blockbuster movie that features expensive, flashy special effects can also tell a good story and sometimes even deliver a thought-provoking message. I thought the same thing about Avatar actually and was disappointed that so many critics said great things about the movie's stunning special effects while dismissing the story as derivative and nothing special. Just because we've heard something before, doesn't mean it's no longer a valuable, meaningful message. Sometimes we become so hardened and cynical, we can't even be touched by the simplest, most deeply human emotions and instincts. I think this kind of numbness to life is really terrifying and hope that we can regain some of our innocence and earnestness.

Anywho, as usual I'm going off on tangents. It's time for me to head out and meet some co-teachers for a delicious lunch at a salad bar buffet, yum!! I will continue my ramblings soon :-)

Cheerio!

The Young Victoria - Film Review

Another film I recently saw in theatres is The Young Victoria, starring lovely Emily Blunt in the title role, along with Rupert Friend as Albert, and some other terrific British actors. Having recently been to London and having just visited Buckingham Palace and the Victoria & Albert Museum, this film was especially enjoyable to watch. It's a period piece full of extravagant sets, costumes, feasts, and other royal treats. Just the look of the film on the big screen is worth the ticket price if you enjoy that kind of beauty :) Which I must confess I do :)

In terms of character and story, it was a little bit inconsistent. Initially the focus is on politics and Victoria's struggle with even getting to the throne, while other figures stand in her way and attempt to take advantage of her youth and inexperience in order to achieve their own goals. Emily Blunt melts into her role perfectly and is surprisingly convincing and sympathetic as the young queen. In her previous roles she has played mainly icy characters, so this a complete (and very successful) turnaround. I should mention that in this film, the youthful Queen V is portrayed as a warm, energetic, lively young woman rather than as the austere, frowning figure typically associated with her name.

The story gets more interesting and much more engaging when her relationship with Albert starts to deepen. Rupert Friend is also brilliant in his performance and it is easy to understand how Queen V fell in love with this compassionate, soft-spoken, intelligent, earnest young man. Just as she was being used, he too was maneuvered and ordered about so other people could pursue their carefully hatched political plans. The two came together and their marriage created a strong foundation that empowered and liberated them so that they could rule in their own way.

It's interesting that in a film about royalty and politics, the most believable and interesting aspect turns out to be the love story. And in this case, the love story isn't just heart-warming fluff, but likely the very reason why the Queen went on to have such a long reign after a very rocky start. Apart from each other, both felt somewhat useless and fumbled about unable to bring their ideas to fruition. Together, they became strong, confident, and able to effect the world around them.

This was such an interesting time in history. My favourite books are still Victorian novels and anything about this particular time stokes my interest and passion. Long live Victorian costume dramas :)

Awaiting Avatar 3-D

And then seeing it! Over the holiday weekend, I went to watch Avatar on a big giant screen in 3-D. The fancy 3-D glasses were very stylish :) Geek chic all the way :) The film itself, I must confess, took my breath away. The reviews I had seen mentioned that the 3-D technology and visual spectacle were absolutely amazing, but that the story was weak and really nothing new or meaningful. I ended up disagreeing.

First, the effects. Yes, this brand new 3-D technology is groundbreaking. Much as I dislike a lot of tech toys and gadgets these days, when it comes to creating a fully immersive, enriched, magical experience different from normal movie-watching, I do embrace this new stuff. While so much technology these days takes us away from the present moment and has people trying to juggle ten things at once (all on a tiny little screen), this foray was all about getting completely absorbed in an extraordinary experience. You forget that you're sitting in a movie theatre and feel like you're actually in the movie, experiencing everything that the characters do. There was a real sense of wonder and discovery and excitement in the air, and afterwards I felt like watching the movie again on IMAX because it was just that great and completely new of an experience.

Second, the story. Reviewers are discussing and analyzing political, environmental, anthropological, etc. themes all with a good dose of cynicism and intellectual superiority. I was expecting not to care much about the story based on what I had heard, but instead I found it quite compelling and I really embraced the themes and characters. There are very explicit environmental and political messages that have been accused of being too left-wing, which I didn't mind as they pretty much reflected my own views. The Na'vi live in harmony with their planet and are deeply spiritual and completely in touch with nature. Cynics say this is boring, unrealistic, idealized, etc. I honestly believe this is how it is meant to be. The way we live now is no more "realistic". All other creatures, plants, even the weather live in balance, following the cycles of life and maintaining delicately balanced ecosystems. This is life, and it's very real. Human beings brandishing money, guns, technology, and caring more about these things than about the planet that gives them life is definitely not more "realistic" and meaningful to me. So yes, it saddens me a bit that people don't wish to connect with themes about respecting nature and living in community with each other. Apparently only 6 year old girls would wish to live in this kind of magical world.

Aaanyways, this is not about disagreeing with critics or defining what constitutes a great film. This is about experiencing something new, beautiful, possibly thought-provoking, and really fun. Through this new technology, you can discover a beautiful new planet, fly, run through a colourful rainforest, and see through someone else's eyes. Soon many films will be shown in 3-D, and I think this is a great one to start with. Beautiful, colourful, hopeful, and encompassing themes that really do mean something :)

Happy Go Lucky

I recently watched the film Happy-Go-Lucky, starring Sally Hawkins as Poppy - an ever optimistic, cheerful, and energetic primary school teacher who brings a very unique attitude and way of being to life and to her way of relating to other people. Somehow, she always chooses to stay positive and buoys herself and others up even when things seem evidently bleak. This doesn't really sound terribly fascinating or special perhaps, but the way in which her character is gradually revealed is beautiful. 

At the beginning of the film Poppy is a force to take in, as she insists on always being "on" - cracking jokes nonstop, waving at people she does not know as she leisurely rides her bicycle, never letting the big grin drop from her face even when said bicycle gets stolen. Her sunshiny persona and flamboyant outfits do not seem to fit her surrounding environment, but what appears initially jarring, odd, and almost over-the-top is gradually transformed in our eyes as the film forces the audience to change its perception. Poppy is not cheerful the way a salesperson is cheerful, nor is she using her constant bubbly-ness as a buffer to protect her from the harshness of reality - as we get to know her better, we see how kind, intelligent, and compassionate she is. Rather than forcing the people around her to fit some kind of perfect, happy mold, she accepts all the she comes across without judgement, all while remaining true to her own spirit. When one of the students in her class becomes violent with the other kids, she shows such genuine care, compassion, and kind patience with him that we understand her motivations and world-view more clearly - she chooses to live with true optimism, cheer, and grounded energy but she never shuts the world out to maintain some kind of fantasy for herself. Instead, she sees the world more clearly because she refuses to judge or force it to change. She embraces the life around her, even when it seems scary and painful, and often this brings out the soul and humanity of those who have buried them or simply lost hope. 

It's odd to think about how rare a film like this is - a comedy that is a character study featuring little more than people's day to day interactions. More-so, a comedy that is about genuine happiness and optimism motivated by kindness and innocence. Here, laughter is not a coping mechanism to soften the blows of a harsh world, but a celebration of all the beauty and music that exists even in bleak places. It is always our choice whether we resist what happens and live with cynicism and dreariness, or whether we wake up to every day with hope, curiosity, and a genuine desire to live fully in the moment, embracing all that we come across without judgement and appreciating the freedom and joy that are always with us. 

Say Yes to Life :)

This weekend it was rainy enough for me to rent Yes Man, a Jim Carrey comedy that I had not really planned on ever watching, but Zooey Deschanel is in it and I love the premise, so I decided to give it a go. The picture, by the way, doesn't have too much to do with the film, but I have yet to figure out how to properly upload pics from the interweb. 

The plot is quite simple - Jim Carrey plays Carl, a divorced banker who resists taking any sort of initiative in life and does not dare to step out into the world and truly live because he doesn't believe in himself. A friend drags him along to a meeting/cult assembly in order to turn him into a Yes Man - someone who says yes to life no matter what that may bring. Carl hesitantly goes along with this whacky agreement and all sorts of shenanigans get riled up in a comedic sort of way. Zooey plays Allison, an adventurous (and fashionable) free spirit who captures Carl's sad, lonesome heart and warms it with her vibrant spirit. Ahem, yes. Summary over and out. 

While at times the plot and style of the movie are a bit incoherent and messy, overall I enjoyed it, laughed out loud, and yearned to start my own cult of Yes Peoples. It's so true that we stay within our comfort zones and close ourselves off from billions of opportunities we wake up to every single morning. I appreciated the positive message in this movie and also loved Zooey's singing (and acting, there was some of that too), she's phenomenal and hilarious. 

So think about this moment, this very moment right now...and if you're not doing what you love then run outside, jump up and down, and yell out what you really want to devote yourself to while you have the chance :) Oh, and then do it!