Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Half Nelson

Finally managed to watch Half Nelson after thinking that I should just let it go since it seemed that I may not have the chance to do so. Before I elaborate about the movie, can I just say that it has been an individualistic start of the week for me. Yesterday I had dinner alone in a public place and today I watched the movie alone. I really like it. It feels good to remember that I can do this, that I can be with myself. Really love the alone movie experience today. Half Nelson was at the Picture House at the Cathay. My first time in that cinema. It looked really cool upon receiving the ticket, because it came in a small black envelope folder (can't really describe it well). The ticket counter girl said that snacks weren't allowed in the cinema (just when I really felt like having snack). So I thought the cinema must be so exclusive, but it wasn't really so. The seats were different. It was a smaller cinema, but nothing special about it. Of course there's the Picture House lounge, which I didn't enter. I wonder if only patrons who are watching in the Picture House get to use the lounge. Either way, the things sold in the lounge seemed to be too high-end for a movie. Okay, enough, let's talk about the movie.

Ryan Gosling received an Oscar best male lead nomination for his role in this movie. I forget why I wanted to watch this movie in the first place. I think because I thought the trailer was interesting, and he actually looked attractive in the trailer, and finding out about his Oscar nomination raised my urges even more. Was he really good in this movie? I'm sorry, I think I will be bias. I just love him so much!!! I want a Ryan Gosling type of guy. From the first scene until the end, I just couldn't take my eyes off him and it's not because he's amazingly handsome. He looked rugged and not clean, though he did clean out for the last few seconds of the movie (Thank God!). The point is, given any girl out there, I don't think he will be seen as the handsome one. However ... I love him!!! I love him!!! I love him!!! Oh the eyes! I think they were green. I love him despite of his role as a junkie. It kinda felt a bit strange for me, how a junkie can ever function properly, especially as a teacher. Ryan's role in this movie was very interesting, especially since the story pretty much centered around him. Story wise, the movie is not bad. I wonder what kind of message it tried to deliver, but then it hit me that sometime it is just a story. A story that some people think it might be interesting to be told. Some people may find the movie boring and slow moving but I found it to be interesting enough to keep me on my seat. At one point I thought the ending would be unhappy. There was a really deep-thought-and-emotion-provoking scene which I thought was beautifully made though there were no words being uttered. The ending wasn't a clear happy one but I found it to be pretty hopeful and it made me smile I wanted to write a lot of things about this movie. Things that I was thinking about on the way home, but I don't have the energy.

Finished reading By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho. The same thing, I have no energy to write and analyse the book further. One thing I can say though, I am now pretty curious with charismatic church and how it feels to speak in tongue. It doesn't mean I want to partake in any activity from the church anytime soon. I still find it pretty freaky and that's enough to keep me out. I must say that Coelho is so contradictory. Well I don't think he means to be that way. He believes what he believes and noone has to justify what he believes or conforms with what the norm or what the society accept if they do not fall in the same line as what a person believes. I may not get what Coelho was really trying to say in this book, simply because all the other things got me thinking and questioning. It's another book from him that I read that involved lots of spirituality and God. He does see God in a different way, unlike the conservative Catholic church.

Okay, I cannot write any longer. My mom warned me not to get sick when I get home and I should really rest. I may not have time to write before I go. Don't feel like addressing anyone actually. The individualistic mode may have turned to a selfish / hostile / anti social bitch mode. Take care peeps! Let me leave you with a line that Ryan Gosling said to his students in Half Nelson. I got the answer correct, by the way

The sun goes up and then it comes down, but everytime that happens what do you get?

You get a new day.

:) eKa @ 10:48:00 PM •