Tuesday, September 25, 2007

I'm Finally Stopped

yay! I finally got the break that I've been hoping for. My cousin asked me some days ago, "you seriously want to get sick?". "Yes, I do" is the answer. It feels good that I'm finally sick when people around me had fallen way before me. I just feel so much like a mortal So I went to see the doctor today. Actually I'm not so bad today, compared to yesterday and to think yesterday I actually still had quite a full day. Today was okay, but I didn't get as much rest as I've been envisioning. I just can't seem to get away from some stuff, but at least I have less stress. I really do have lotsa stress. Talked to the doctor about the anomaly in my body and she said wait it out. Sigh. In my younger days, I think I would just wait it out without thinking much about it, but now I do get a bit worried. I hope it will be alright. I gotta stop thinking about it, I suppose to try to be less stressed out. So since I am in a less stressful mode, I am more chatty and now let me write some interesting stuff.

Azur et Asmar

I made the effort to watch Azur et Asmar with La Gioia and NanSee yesterday and what an amazing movie it was. I'm so glad that I didn't give it a miss. I love it, LOVE IT SO MUCH! Azur et Asmar is a french cartoon. These days where Hollywood animation come prancing with all their high-tech 3D, Azur et Asmar presented their story in traditional 2D animation and my oh my how beautiful it was. The drawing were just breath-taking and I was just in awe. It was just so beautiful, the flowers (you know I'm a sucker for flowers), the buildings, the characters, all were just amazing. The story was presented in French and Arabic and I found it a shame that they didn't give subtitle for the Arabic dialogue. I only understood words like Assalamu 'Alaikum, wa 'Alaykum As-Salam, and tabib (I think it means healer). The story was also so good. Remember when fairy tales used to fascinate you a lot when you were young, well this is the way this movie made me feel.

Azur et Asmar told the story of 2 boys from different race, different standing in society who grew up together when they were young. Asmar's mother was Azur's nanny. Fate brought them back together when Azur decided to pursue the story that Asmar's mother told them when they were young, which was to liberate the Djinn fairy. The adult Azur and Asmar didn't really see eye to eye (they did use to fight a lot when they were young). Asmar didn't like the fact that his mother embraced Azur so much, especially after Azur's father kicked them out when he was young. Then Asmar mother (who had become rich) also helped Azur in his quest to find the Djinn fairy, the quest that Asmar was also preparing, so you can imagine how Asmar felt. Many interesting characters were introduced in the built-up to this adventure, of which I really really love Princess Chamsous Sabah. She was just the cutest thing ever! I really love the ending, though it did test my patience a bit, because I thought it wouldn't end they way I wanted and predicted to, and I was just happy that it did La Gioia also loved the ending like me, though NanSee felt slightly differently. Me and la Gioia love Asmar more than Azur. I guess for me, I just love the more pitiful one, and he just seemed so much stronger, or perhaps simply because I love darker guy?

It is such a good movie that I think it should be a nominee for Oscar 2008 for best animated picture and it should win! (it was really better than Ratatouille). Should it win best foreign movie as well? Well, I have to watch the other contender before I can make any comment. In terms of animated picture, well Azur et Asmar is just something different compared to all the animated pictures we have so far and in terms of story, it was just awesome. AWESOME! If you have watched Pan's Labyrinth then Azur et Asmar carried that similar interesting, exciting, and amazing feel in its story. I totally recommend all of you to run to The Cathay Picture House to watch it, because I don't know how long more it will be showing. A real good movie always makes me happy and satisfied after watching it and this was one of those movies. I love it!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Skip this if you haven't read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This is my take on the book and this writing will contain lots of spoiler. So stop now people, if you haven't read the book.

So many people died! I wonder if it was necessary. Why didn't J K Rowling give us something to feel good with. I guess deaths would be necessary to emphasis the fight, but there were just some characters which I felt really sad about. When Hedwig died in the first few chapters, I couldn't help screaming "shit!". Then George had to lose his ear, and Dobby died (this is the part where the flyingNun cried, I wonder if Mimi has read the book, she may need a Harry Potter counselling after this), and then Fred, Lupin, and Tonks died. Lupin and Tonks! who just had a baby! It was so tragic! Snape of course had to die as I predicted that he would be. I expected a better death for him though, like him dying trying to protect Harry Potter but he died without much glory. My biggest disappointment was of course with Snape. My favorite character of all. From all the previous books, the more Harry disliked him, the more I like him and of course I was right, he was good. I expected him to appear more in the book. I waited and waited but Snape just didn't appear. He did get a chapter for his own (but so did Kreacher), but I just found it to be not enough. I was extremely sad that he died and when he died, not many people knew that he was really good. Maybe from the beginning he was really meant to stay behind the limelight. Ah ... I have lots of sympathy for Severus Snape.

Aside for Snape, the book was not bad. Rowling added a new plot of the hallows in this book and it was okay, I suppose. The destroying part of the remaining horcruxes was divided between Ron, Hermione, and Neville. In a way it seemed too typical but I suppose typical as it may be, it would be what I want to see as well. I love that Ron was finally with Hermione. Harry and Ginny? Well, I am never a fan of them. I'm glad that they used Severus to name their second son. See, how much I love Snape?

It was rather sad when I finished reading the book because that book had accompanied me for some weeks. Of course I also feel sad that there will be no more Potter's book. No more book to arouse our imagination and make us feel excited, but I guess there are still the movies to wait on.

:) eKa @ 8:35:00 PM •