Shah's thoughts

movies i watched last week

last week has a fine share of good movies on Astro.

the first one i'd like to share would be 16 blocks, a movie that pairs mos def and bruce willis. an honest action-thriller film to me. honest in a way that the ever buff bruce willis was playing a part of aging cop that has seen his better days aeons ago and now are living his life day by day with aching knee and penchance for alcohols. best read the review below before we share my thoughts on this surprisingly a gem of a laidback movie.

New York police detective Jack Mosley (Bruce Willis) is on his way home when his lieutenant assigns him a simple task of escorting a petty criminal, Eddie Bunker (Mos Def), from lockup to the courthouse which is only 16 blocks away.

Jack has been a police officer for over 20-years, and now he is over the hill with a bad leg and a drinking problem. All Jack wants is to get a bottle and go home.

What Jack doesn't know is that Eddie made a deal with the District Attorney to testify against a fellow police officer at his station before a grand jury.

A van with two hit men are following Jack as he leaves the station, and their job is to kill Eddie before he can testify. Jack prevents the assassination, and they escape the scene and run into a bar.

Jack calls for backup, and his ex-partner Frank Nugent (David Morse) and his team are the first to arrive at the bar.

Unfortunately for Eddie, one member of the team is the cop Eddie is about to testify against.

Jack must choose between his fellow cops or protecting the life of a criminal.

it was a simple movie, with loads of gun-popping, bloods spilled and people with diverse background and approach to life. and i love to observe the tactical moves that Jack has taken to escape the murderous hunting folks.

and it also amazes me to concur that at a moment of dire straits, odd people and perhaps most unlikely boon shall happen to be of our heaven-sent help. good things happen to good people. that even though he may be a criminal, perhaps it was the situation of his birth and his unfortunate upbringing that led him to make stupid mistakes..

the underlying theme might be of the possiblity of people to change their lives by finding the goodness in themselves. that there exist such a hope of living a much better life than the crap that we're living in right now, should we have the braveness and determination to do so-

mos def was believable and he delivered the movie with great chemistry, pairing with the ever gritty witty bruce willis. scene masa dalam bas tu rasa sebak sikit (heh!) bila eddie braved the mass shoutout in order to save jack yg sorang2..

bila ingat balik, manyak jugak good tactical moves yg ditonjolkan dalam movie ni. antaranya:

1. beri info yg salah kepada accomplice polis jahat utk lead the hunting pack away from their hide-out apartment
2. change the wardrobe - ni biasa la
3. beri jumlah tebusan yg lebih ramai dari yang sebenar untuk confuse-kan polis bila jack lepaskan semua tebusan keluar (polis ingat masih ada ramai kat dalam bas). tapi part ni jadi sakit hati kat penumpang2 yg banyak mulut memecahkan lubang. diam-diam sudahlah!
4. keep voice recorder ready utk tape confession polis jahat - ni pun dah biasa tapi ramai yg lupa nak buat.
5. buat decoy escape plan. in this part, kena second guess the minds of the polis jahat. what do they expect us to do next and thus we keep upping the stakes, bukan selangkah di hadapan, tapi setahun cahaya di hadapan, ok.

the next movie would be 200 pounds beauty.

Kang Han-na (Kim Ah-jung) is an overweight phone sex employee and a secret vocalist for Ammy, a famous Korean pop singer who actually lip syncs as she cannot sing.

Instead of being famous for her own amazing vocal talent, Han-na hides behind Ammy's performance stage and sings during Ammy's concerts, and records all of Ammy's songs.

One day, Ammy ungratefully humiliates her in front of the music company's director Sang-jun (Ju Jin-mo) during his birthday party, knowing full well that Han-na has a crush on him. While crying in the bathroom, Han-na overhears Sang-jun telling Ammy that even though they are just using Han-na for her voice, they must be kind to her so she will not walk out on them.

Heartbroken, Han-na attempts suicide but is interrupted by a phone call from one of her phone sex regulars who happens to be a top cosmetic surgeon. She decides to get a head-to-toe makeover instead. The surgeon at first refuses to operate on Han-na, but Han-na blackmails that she will tell the surgeon's wife about his calls. Then, Han-na makes a moving speech that she does not want to undergo surgery merely to be beautiful, but for the sake of love and as a boost in confidence, and the surgeon is deeply moved. Han-na puts herself in seclusion for a year as she recovers from the changes.

When she comes back from the hospital, Han-na is incredibly beautiful and slender. No one, not even her best friend, Chung-min, recognizes her. With Chung-min's help, she creates a new identity for herself; she is now a Korean-American from California named Jenny.

After auditioning to be Ammy's secret vocalist again, she earns her own recording contract instead from Sang-jun, claiming that she is "all-natural".

In the meantime, Ammy, oblivious just like everyone else of Han-na's new identity, desperately tries to find Han-na so that she can record her own postponed album (since she cannot sing the songs herself) by spending time with Hanna's father who is in a hospital with some mental problems, possibly Alzheimer's. Through spending time with Han-na's father, she eventually realizes that this new Jenny is actually Han-na in disguise.

Meanwhile, romance begins to blossom between "Jenny" and Sang-Jun. During a date one night, as sparks fly, Jenny supposedly stripped for Sang-Jun in the character of a nurse [not shown on camera, of course]

After Jenny has fallen asleep, he realizes that the tattoo Jenny had on her hip was a sign he had seen before. He remembers that when Han-na still existed and he had not met "Jenny" yet, Han-na had drawn the exact same signs on a sheet of music. Then he adds all of the signs up and realizes as well that "Jenny" is actually Kang Han-na but he keeps this information to himself.

"Jenny's" debut single 'Maria' becomes a hit and the recording company holds a party to celebrate its release. On the day of a party however, Ammy brings "Jenny's" father, in an attempt to blow Han-na's cover. Han-na's father tries to return Han-na's Barbie doll to her, which has always been Han-na's favourite childhood gift from him.

Startled by the sudden appearance of her father and not knowing how to react in front of all the people, including Sang-jun, Han-na denies knowing her father and calls him a fan instead when Sang-jun asks her if the old man is her guest. As her father keeps on insisting on giving the doll to Han-na, Sang-jun drags him away from Jenny and accidentally knocks him down onto the floor. Desperate to keep her true identity a secret, Han-na made no move to help her father. It was Chung-min who finally helps him up and leads him away from the party.

After the party, Sang-jun and 'Jenny' were the only ones left in the room. Sang-jun reveals to 'Jenny' that he knows her true identity but is now cold and distant. He seems to be unable to forgive her for lying to him but says that he will still work to promote 'Jenny' and carry on with her concert scheduled the next day.

Han-na breaks down at this point, heartbroken and unable to pretend to be someone else anymore. Han-na tells him that it is incredibly frustrating and painful not being able to be just be herself but have to live a lie, especially in front of him. The surgery that took a whole year to recover from was not nearly as painful as realizing that she still could not be close to Sang-jun.

The day of "Jenny's" first concert, Jenny breaks down from the pressure of losing her friend and father and reveals to the public that Jenny is a "fake," and that she is not "all-natural", as she had claimed, but is "plastic".

However, nobody seems to believe her. She proceeds tearfully to tell the large crowd her story: how she has abandoned everything that is dear to her - her best friend and father - to get to where she is. She also tells the crowd about how along the way to fame and fortune she has also lost her own identity and that she now no longer knows who she is.

Just then, the screens behind her on the stage started to show a clip of the old, obese Han-na, singing angelically. Han-na turns around and sees her old image and tells the crowd that the image is the real her. The crowd, moved by her sincere confession, responds by chanting "It's okay," and Han-na rekindles her relationships with her father and best friend.

She drops the stage name "Jenny" and re-releases a CD with her own name, Hanna, and becomes a highly successful music artist, gaining many anti-fans as well as loyal fans along the way. Sang-jun realizes the very thing about Han-na that had always drawn her to him - Han-na's innocence.

citer ni sangat sedih sikit. lebih2 lagi part si Hanna tu mengaku, rasa sakit bila hati dia menyayangi sang jun tapi diperlakukan sesuka oren lebih pedih dari rasa sakit tubuh dia dipotong dan dihiris untuk menjadi secantik jenny.. masa tu air mata rasa menitik sikit (heh lagi!).

the things we do for love, kan? untuk diri disayangi dan diterima orang lain.. sukarkah menerima dan menilai seseorang berdasarkan sahsiah dan dirinya as it is tanpa mengharapkan mereka berubah jadi lebih cantik, lebih kaya dan lebih kacak?

kekadang tertanya, if u want me to be much prettier in terms of physical sense, that is, of no difference from other leggy slim beauties, will your love for me change should i age and put on weight once we are together?

kata hati, bila dah sayang, kita akan terima seadanya. baik buruk seorang anak, di mata ibu ayah, anaknya jua yang tercomel, teristimewa..

kan?

do you?

"Do You" by Ne-yo

Maybe this decision was a mistake.
You probably don't care what I have to say.
But it's been heavy on my mind for months now.
Guess I'm trying to clear some mental space.

I would love to talk to you in person.
But I understand why that can't be.
I'll leave you alone for good I promise.
If you answer this one question for me.

I just wonder,
Do you ever,
Think of me,
Anymore, do you?

First off let me say congratulations.
Heard that you just had a baby girl.
If she looks anything like her mother,
She's the prettiest thing in the world.

Swear that I'm not tryin' to start no trouble.
Tell your fiance he can relax.
I'll leave you alone for good I promise,
There's a question I just gotta ask.

I just wonder,
Do you ever,
Think of me,
Anymore, do you?

I know what we have is dead and gone.
Too many times I made you cry.
And I don't mean to interrupt your life.
I just wonder do I ever cross your mind?

I just wonder,
Do you ever,
Think of me,
Anymore, do you?

I just wonder
Do you ever
Think of me
Anymore
Do you?

I just wonder
Do you ever
Think of me
Anymore
Do you?

I just wonder
Do you ever
Think of me
Anymore
Do you?

Yeah, yeah, yeah

-> lagu yang buat kadang2 rasa hati berdarah tu datang kembali. but mine is the remixed one with Mary J. Blige...

oh, well.

damaged by danity kane

Do-do you got a first aid kit handy
Do-do you know how to patch up a wound
Tell me, are you patient, understanding?
Cause I might need some time to clear the hole in my heart and I

I've tried every remedy and nothing seems to work for me

[D. Woods:]
Baby, this situation's driving me crazy
And I really wanna be your lady
But the one before you left me so

[Chorus 1:]
Damaged, Damaged
I thought that I should let you know
That my heart is Damaged
So Damaged
And you can blame the one before

[Chorus 2:]
So how you gonna fix it, fix it, fix it
How you gonna fix it, fix it, fix it
Baby I gotta know
What are you gonna do

[Aundrea:]
Do-do you got a first aid kit handy
Do-do you know how to patch up a wound tell me
Are you-Are you patient, understanding?
Cause I might need some time to clear the hold on my heart and I

[Aubrey:]
You try to gain my trust
Talking is not enough
Actions speak louder than words
You gotta show me something
My heart is missing some pieces
I need this puzzle put together again

[Chorus 1]
[Chorus 2]

[D. Woods:]
Can you fix my h-e-a-r-t
Cause it's d-a-m-a-g-e-d
Can you fix my h-e-a-r-t

[Aundrea:]
Tell me are you up for the challenge
Cause my heart is damaged

[Chorus 1]
[Chorus 1]

So how you gonna fix it, fix it, fix it
How you gonna fix it, fix it, fix it
How you gonna fix it, fix it, fix it
How you gonna fix it, fix it, fix it

[Aubrey:]
My heart is damaged, damaged, damaged
My heart is damaged, damaged, damaged
My heart is damaged, damaged, damaged
My heart is damaged, damaged, damaged
My heart is damaged

-> tema rasa sekarang..

walaupun tak ragu yang hati mungkin akan rasa okay sikit lepas ni, tapi for a long while, you wonder whether it was you or another person or maybe it was the collective effort that made things difficult.

i much appreciate a good fren right now. someone yang boleh buat kawan dia rasa happy bila ada masa kawan dia tu rasa macam nak terjun lombong je.

bila umur dah semakin berkurangan, approach to life perlu berubah. as a human, bila method2 yang terdahulu tak berhasil, perlu ada peralihan pemikiran, peralihan keinginan dan peralihan spesifikasi yang dicari.

perlu praktikal dan lebih sedar kemampuan diri.

hmmm..

i couldn't help but feel that i'm damaged. dalam terma hati dan perasaan la. so, i blocked the negative energy out. buat2 kebas dan tak rasa apa2. and Abang, well, i think he feels nothing's different. i was a speck of dust that lingered a while, perhaps.

takde makna.

takpelah.. sometimes we have to be rational and take the facts as it is, tak perlu sugar-coated untuk menyedapkan rasa.

gone is gone. nak kenang pun tak guna jugak kan <- ayat pujuk memujuk :)

i will heal, i'm sure of that. cuma masa tu perlu cukup utk lebih tenang membuka cerita baru. ada plaster tak? hati saya berdarah sikit hari ni..

school break

i love long school break. here are 3 topmost reasons

1. Qayyim will be here to keep me company. i love having him around. this time we don't go out for a muvidet (mom's sake! >:p) but we linger at home, playing silly card games and pc games. he cooks, bys groceries and keeps the home no.7 spotlessly clean :) and yup, he also works as my alarm clock (^^,)v
2. the traffic jams are almost non-existant. the usual 25-minutes trip takes up just 10 minutes. it's amazing!
3. tv and cinema got excellent movies. i love the segment on RTM : Rancangan Istimewa ALam Cuti SEkolaH or something yang menayangkan cerita fantasi snow white, alice in the wonderland dan sebagainya. citer2 europe on the grimms fable stories yang telah dialih bahasa into English. sigh.. bestnya. nostalgic jap.

tetiba saya rindukan zaman belajar di kampus gombak dulu. studying and completing school work sambil melayan momsie yg datang berborak. lagu tema cinta mr basid-momsie, if u're not the one by daniel baddingfield tetiba berkumandang...

sigh.. tetiba jiwa romantis lagi puitis muncul meriak rasa yang kaku beku mati kedinginan.

oh ya, i dig the finale of Grey's Anatomy Season 4. sabtu ni season 4 GA dah start on Star Wold, hooray!

mcDreamy is on :)

bagus tak bagus?

semalam i blew my top. literally.

rasa &%^&*W^$`*@ sama itu pengurusan.

let me brief you.

miss A submitted her minutes by 230am saturday morning to one of the urus setia people. the process is a normal one, nothing different.

by monday afternoon, after miss A got back from her Umum PTK, her esyubi dah mencari-cari. kenapa?

rupa2nya minutes miss A tak sampai ke meja tikeyesyu dan tersangkut di bilik esyubi.

esyubi marah2 sama miss A. and won't take an explanation why miss A wrote her minutes in such format. he even went to the temerity of questioning miss A's explanation that she submitted her minutes on saturday midnight. later on he questioned miss A's way of reasoning, ridiculing the way she interprets the conversation.

so good naturedly whilst refusing for any word from miss A, he dismissed her. once she got to her room no.7, suddenly there was a call, esyubi's PA said he called for miss A. she went. and once there, he directed her to tikeyesyu's room. she went.

once she reached, with much concealed ire, the boiling tikeyesyu asked miss A of her MIA minutes. miss A tried to explain but her tentative response was rebuffed by the much senior officer. she was then booted out of the room, smarting.

imagine steam coming out. miss A went looking for the guy she handed her minutes in the first place. but the guy was not around.

she then proceeded to linger at the esyubi's PA cubicles. there she got the explanation. it seems during the revision and sorting of the minutes, under a certain kaypiesyu's order, miss A's minutes were put aside and not submitted to tikayesyu's room. but, they kept the thing secret.

before retiring to her room, miss A approached esyubi's room once again. after being patient with the nonsense, she got to explain her reasoning, complete with proof and examples of past minutes in similar vein. after listening, then only esyubi admitted that she was right in her reasoning.

there! in the process of that, miss A got her name smeared. she was blamed, ridiculed and made to look like a fool. the entire afternoon, she was pissed off and she felt like hitting something. hard.

and this morning, she found that almost 65% of what she did was preserved as it was. and there, to top it off, the ever smiling esyubi came smiling to room no.7:

"minute u memang bagus. after this, i will give you to do minutes that are no less than 10 minutes. u ada potential. i nak groom u utk jadi penulis minit yg lagi bagus-"

"terima kasih Dato'."

that was the gist. korang rasa bagus ke tak bagus sebenarnya situasi ni? to me, it's not too much of a recognition, rather like a punishment. kalu selama ni kurang dari 10 minit dah kena balik sampai pagi, kalu no less than 10 minutes?

tak bagus. :(

salsa anyone?

a few days away from blogging, ada beberapa isu. kelakar ada, sedih+marah ada, happy pun ada.

semalam Qayyim had returned to home no.7 for the school holidays. happy-nyer! alhamdulillah. at a moment i need someone to cool me off, he came.. sigh- agak2 berani tak nak mintak izin mak untuk bawak dia pegi tengok wayang? prince caspian is still rolling~ berani tak berani? berani kot. tanya je. kalu tak kasi, nak buat camne, kan? becos Qayyim tak nak pegi kalu mak tak kasi.. haddoii..

oh ya, semalam saya tertido dalam proses study utk exam hari ni. walaupun begitu, by midnight, an sms was gracing my inbox: invitation to learn salsa dancing for beginners.

gulp.

that dear someone seems to be tapping into my inner passion. cuma agaknya dia terlupa, saya masih malu2 dan janggal membebaskan diri dari segan utk menari salsa di dalam khalayak.

kadang2 sesuatu itu lebih indah, lebih istimewa bila disimpan dan dikongsi hanya berdua dalam waktu peribadi, kan? the inner self, when set loose, might want to always be free from the binding shackles.

remember Kecantikan? she changed me on that stage. somehow that night freed the inner me and i never be the same ever again.

change must come

teringat tajuk ni dari cerita Grey's Anatomy. ingat grey lagi tak? citer GA season 4 dah nak finale. banyak benda dah berlaku tapi sekadar dapat baca kat fan review je la, siaran belum sampai kat sini lagi...

sigh.. memang perlu ada perubahan cara hidup dari terus dwindling down tanpa hala tuju yang jelas. it's not fair to my future should i remain to deteriorate into nothingness.

a change must come. it is in your heart and in your practice that it shall be manifested. you must change for the better and you are strong enough to change.

to be humbler and never a slave to your beasts within.

change.

huge

at the moment, 3 huge items on top of my mind are:

1. figure

i am HUGE. not by anyone's standards but rather of my own. depressive bila difikirkan, buat saya jadi hilang punca. lagi kawal makan, lagi exercise, takde apa2 perubahan. liposuction bleh? baju2 saya yg sopan dan tidak ketat dah boleh kira dengan jari :(

2. hole in my piggy bank

saya rasa sedih bila simpanan saya takde meningkat bulan-bulan. semuanya selamat dibelanjakan. kekadang saya terfikir, sampai bila saya dapat bertahan begini? kena usahakan agar dapat simpan walaupun sikit!

3. disappointment

saya kecewa dengan banyak benda. kegagalan untuk jadi surirumah yang rajin, kemas dan teratur telah buat home no.7 bersepah dan tidak selesa.

saya kecewa bila saya leka bermain PC games sedangkan saya sepatutnya meluangkan masa membuat ulang kaji untuk exam saya yang sangat penting pada hari isnin ni.

saya kecewa bila ego saya yang tinggi buat saya melengahkan inisiatif memohon maaf dari insan yang penting kepada saya. kekadang saya terfikir, kenapa saya begitu berkecil hati dengan ibu yang telah banyak berkorban dan menyayangi saya? kenapa begitu sukar saya merendahkan ego yang ada dan akur dengan permintaan beliau yang walaupun sukar diterima...

entahlah.. ego saya yang buat saya lupa letak duduk diri. kecewa.

if only i can make things better by swallowing every pain and puffing them away.. mohon ampun sama ibu. mohon ampun sama Tuhan.

for i have sinned.

my weekend...

last week ada sikit lapang dada bila dapat cuti weekend bernilai 2 hari setengah. bukan senang nak cuti lama-lama tau..

friday dapat balik awal, ada chance pegi pasar malam Putra Perdana, Puchong yang telah lama dirindui. rasa-rasanya dah 5 bulan tak menjenguk tempat tu. sigh... dah banyak yang berubah walaupun jalan dia masih berlubang tang tu jugak.

you know what, i've visited home a3.3!!! and the possibility of the view, rasa indah sangat. imagine this, opening the house door to a living room with a wide window facing the old mining lake and a green lush field.. sigh.. wonderful..

cumanya, nak ke pindah balik ke Putra Perdana?

after that, i went back to alamanda to watch Prince of Caspian. and as i jotted earlier, it was such a treat! after the movie, sambung tengok thomas cup semi final match rerun between China vs Malaysia. rasa puas hati tengok fairuz zakry and his partner rallied through to win. tapi sayang bila hafiz kalah, macam tak berdaya langsung. weirdly, i identified with that losing feeling. rasa macam dalam abyss, you simply cannot break yourself from the tedium..

on saturday morning, i had to go to work.. sigh.. memang berat hati la. tapi, alhamdulillah, before zohor dah boleh balik. sampai kat umah je mah dah ada, tido. lepak umah, masak sikit banyak. selebihnya menonton tv. meet joe black and anaconda II were on (",)v

on sunday morning, stayed in bed sepuas hati. by 7pm tu tengok thomas cup final between China and Korean. by midnight, mah already retired to her bed whilst i continued to play the sleuthing games on my pc. by 3am, terdengar bunyi grill dan pintu dibukak. rupanya abang E and the boys, Qin, Mat and Put had arrived for their licence examination in Jalan Semarak. hmmm-

spent the monday morning at home. playing pc games with the boys until petang. by 630 or so baru kitorang kuar pi main boling kat alamanda. peyhh.. saya memang tak terer main boling. 2 frame saya corot. semua ke longkang. yang lagi haru, 2 kali saya strike berturut2 tapi di lane yang salah.. allo! then, by 9 kitorang pi makan buffet sifud kat bangi dengan ayah. kenyang! miah, sapee and bayah pun rejoin kitorang kat situ.. overall, makanan dia boleh tahan la pasal sifud dia pun ada dim sum jugak. cuma sos dia takleh lawan jonies la. then, singgah borak2 kat umah mak yah. dah lama tak berziarah. rasa bersalah pulak.. tapi entahlah, bila hati dah kosong, takleh paksa. terasa dah drifted apart- masing2 preoccupied dengan hidup masing2..

entahlah, people say that, at a point in our life, we changed. ida rasa memang ida banyak berubah. dulu ida manja dan degil. sekarang ni ida lebih degil dari manja. keras hati. takde perasaan.

ye ke?

my Prince of Caspian!

last night, in a surprising turn of events, i got the reprieve from doing the minute (my bosses baca my blog ke?), i managed a trip back to Putra Perdana and later on, a movie at alamanda the hub.

here's the background of the delectable film :)

"The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian" was the second book published of the seven books in the series. It is numbered Book 4 in recent editions because it is the fourth chronologically. It takes place about 1,300 years after the events of "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe", which was the first published book (second in order chronologically--only "The Magician's Nephew" takes place earlier.)

In London, only one year passes between the events of "The Lion" and "Prince Caspian," so the timing of the film had to be brought forward so the actors were not too old. Here is a summary of the story by C.S. Lewis. Following that is a description of the differences in the 2008 motion picture, based on available information.

Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are transposed from a country railway station to an island in Narnia when young Prince Caspian X - who is heir to the throne at Cair Paravel, and is in danger in a battle against the Telmarine seige of Narnia - has blown Queen Susan's magic horn. Lord Miraz (Caspian's uncle), a tyrant who murdered Caspian's father (Caspian IX), has claimed the throne. After Miraz's wife Queen Prunaprismia gave birth to a son, Miraz planned to kill off Caspian X.

However, young Prince Caspian managed to escape into Old Narnia and unite with "the creatures that lived in hiding." With the help of Glenstorm the Centaur, Trufflehunter (a loyal badger), Trumpkin (a skeptical but dedicated dwarf), Reepicheep (a valiant mouse) and scores of other species of friendly Narnian animals, Caspian forms an army to meet Miraz's countless, mighty human warriors.

In an early battle, the Narnians make strategic mistakes, many animals die, and they are forced to retreat. Trumpkin intercepts the Pevensies shortly after their arrival at the ruins of Cair Paravel (once a peninsula - now the island they were summoned to when Caspian sounded Queen Susan's horn).

As they travel toward Aslan's How (the location of the destroyed Stone Table - now an underground fortress, and the loyal Narnians' defense), the war between good and evil escalates. A rebel Narnian dwarf harbors enemies, Aslan appears to Lucy whilst not to the others, and the Pevensies finally unite with Caspian.

in the lands of the How, High King Peter drafts a challenge, which King Edmund presents to the Lords Glozelle and Sopespian. Angered by his counsel's subtle (but intentional) doubt of his bravery, King Miraz insists on accepting the challenge. With both armies surrounding them on the Beruna landscape, Miraz and Peter draw swords and duel fiercely.

In a moment of the fight, Miraz is knocked to the ground. Astoundingly, his own lords stab him in the back and then shout out that Peter has killed him egregiously. All at once an immense battle amasses - the Second Battle of Beruna - as the Telmarines and the Narnians fight for autonomy of the land...

In the culmination of the battle, Aslan renews the land. He calls forth the dryads (tree spirits) to dance again; he awakens the river god, who then destroys a massive man-made wooden bridge over the Fjords of Beruna; and he beckons Bacchus and Silenus, and their merry maidens, who run throughout the landscape as far as the town of Beaversdam celebrating.

In Prince Caspian, humans had come to constitute a large portion of the population in Narnia. But in the Golden Age of Narnia, when the Pevensies fulfilled a prophecy by taking throne, they were the only humans in Narnia.

Aslan tells Caspian how his ancestors came into Narnia. He reveals that they actually originated from the same Earth as the Pevensies. Years ago, pirates in the "South Sea" (of our world) came upon an island, and, after entering a cave, fell (through a chasm) into Telmar. Telmar is the country to the West of Narnia. After many years in Narnian time, the Telmarines, who suffered famine and internal conflict, invaded and seiged Narnia. During this time, the animals of Narnia fled into hiding, as the human Telmarines came to dominate the land. Prince Caspian was the tenth in a line of kings by that name.

There appear to be some considerable differences in the motion picture in order to complement the story on-screen.

The opening scenes portray the birth of Prince Caspian's cousin followed by a narrow escape in a spectacular chase scene. It is while running away, as opposed to within Aslan's How, that Caspian sounds Queen Susan's horn. The Pevensies are summoned not from a country station, but an underground London railway station.

Lewis placed Caspian's character as an adolescent, whereas the actor portraying him, Ben Barnes, is in his mid-twenties.

There is a scene in the book in which a hag suggests calling upon the spirit of the White Witch to assist Prince Caspian in a time of desperation. Although this "ritual" is never performed in the book, it is begun in the movie and visually manifested until interrupted by one of Caspian's allies.

A night raid on Miraz's castle has been added to the plot as a surprise attack. There are a few additional characters such as Lord Scythley and Lord Donnovan, who, while not a part of the original story, will probably have roles similar to those of the General Glozelle and Lord Sopespian.

here's the more accurate version by wiki-wiki:

In Narnia, Caspian, a Telmarine Prince, is wakened by his mentor, Doctor Cornelius. Doctor Cornelius explains to Caspian that his aunt has just given birth to a son. Caspian is the rightful heir to the Narnian throne, but his father died when he was young. His uncle, Miraz, maintained rule over Narnia until Caspian was old enough, only because Miraz had no children of his own. Now that he did have a child, if he killed Caspian, he would be the sole heir to the throne and have a son to be his successor. Caspian realizes that his life is in danger, and escapes through a secret passage in a wardrobe just before some Telmarine soldiers charge into the room and fire arrows right at his bed, where he was moments before. Dr. Cornelius gets Caspian's horse, Destrier, and gives Caspian a small package, saying not to use it except in great need. Caspian gallops away from the castle, but not before some Telmarine soldiers notice and chase after him. Caspian enters the woods to lose his chasers, since the Telmarines are afraid of the woods.

In the woods, after losing his chasers, Caspian encounters two Narnian dwarves and a talking badger. Terrified, he opens Dr. Cornelius's package and blows a small ivory horn he found inside. The noise makes the Telmarine soldiers aware of Caspian's whereabouts. One of the Narnian dwarves, Trumpkin, goes off to stop the soldiers and gets captured, while the other dwarf, Nikabrik, and the badger, Trufflehunter, carry Caspian inside.

Back in England, the four Pevensie children are heading into a subway station to depart for school, one year having passed in their world since they had their first adventure. Just as the subway train pulls into the station, the walls start sucking in, and the whole station tears apart to leave the Pevensies in a dark tunnel. They look and see at the end of the tunnel a beach. They run off to play in the waves, realizing they are back in Narnia. But then they discover Cair Paravel has turned to ruins.

Meanwhile, Caspian wakes up to see Nikabrik and Trufflehunter. Nikabrik is all for killing Caspian, since he's a Telmarine, but Trumpkin reminds him of an old Narnian prophecy, which states that whoever blows the horn of Queen Susan (which happened to be the horn Caspian had) shall lead the Narnians to freedom. Trufflehunter leads Caspian to the dancing lawn, where all the Narnians have assembled. On the way, they meet a swashbuckling mouse, Reepicheep. However, the Narnians at the Dancing Lawn are disgruntled at the Telmarines and don't want one of them to be their leader. Caspian, however, convinces them that if they help him reclaim his throne, he can bring peace between them.

However, in Miraz's castle, Miraz holds a meeting with all his highest lords, thrusting Trumpkin, boud and gagged, onto the floor. "Our beloved Caspian was abducted by NARNIANS!!!" he bellows, spit flying from his mouth. He declares war on the Narnians, and Trumpkin is taken off to be executed.

The Pevensies see Trumpkin tied up and dropped into deep waters by the Telmarines. Susan shoots arrows at the Telmarines while Peter dives in and saves Trumpkin. Together, they set off to find the others. They have some trouble along the way, but eventually find Prince Caspian, and journey to Aslan's How, where they set up a war council.

Caspian thinks they should stay and defend Aslan's How, but Peter has different ideas. He suggests that since Miraz is sending an army here, that the same army won't be guarding the castle. Others argue, but Peter decides they've waited long enough for Aslan.

The Narnians attempt to capture Miraz at the castle, and are doing fine battling the Telmarine guards, until hundreds of archers line the walls of the courtyard and open fire. Seeing that if they keep fighting they will all be killed by the force of archers, Peter calls for a retreat. However, Miraz's Castle is in the middle of a huge gorge, accessible only by a narrow drawbridge and a long stone archway. Asterius sacrifices himself to save the others and stops the gate from coming down, at least temporarily. Barely half the Narnians are able to escape, and the rest are brutally slaughtered.

When they get back, Nikabrik calls Caspian aside to show him his own plan for defeating Miraz. He shows Caspian two of his friends, a hag and a werewolf, who call up the White Witch using black sorcery. The White Witch supposedly has power beyond all imagination, but is even more evil than Miraz. Fortunately, the plan is thwarted when Peter and Edmund show up, and Edmund saves the day by shattering the ice where the Witch is forming before she can completely materialize.

Peter then suggests he and Miraz duel one on one for all the marbles to prevent any further losses of life. Miraz is forced to accept, as it would look cowardly to refuse to fight a boy half his age. Peter and Miraz battle it out, while Lucy goes off to find Aslan. Peter's arm gets injured, but he eventually is able to beat the exhausted Miraz. Peter hands Miraz's sword to Caspian, giving him the honor of killing Miraz. Caspian lets Miraz keep his life, but says he will give Narnia back to the fairy-tale creatures.

Suddenly, Miraz's lords kill Miraz and blame the Narnian archers. Calling treachery, they call the Telmarine army to advance (which outnumbers the Narnians 10 to 1) so that they can obliterate the Narnians and rule Narnia themselves. The Telmarines unfurl nasty trebuchets which fire a continuous stream of boulders at the Narnian army. In an effort to fight back, the Narnians try several tactics, including destroying underground tunnels underneath the army, and sending gryphons over the army whith archers in their claws, and eventually just charge, but they are hopelessly outnumbered.

Lucy, meanwhile, has found Aslan, who awakens the trees that have been in a deep sleep. The whole forest begins to ripple with movement, and this energy travels back toward the battlefield. With the whole forest suddenly against them, the Telmarines don't stand a chance. Terrified, they run back toward Miraz's castle. On the way to Miraz' castle, by the

bridge

of

Beruna

, Lucy and Aslan are waiting. Aslan summons the river god, who picks up the bridge, still jammed with Telmarine soldiers, and destroys it. Then he dissapears back into the river with a giant wave defeats the Telmarines once and for all.

what i think? well, i simply love this movie! and sorely wish Qayyim was here to share this magnificient morsel together. em, cakap pasal qayyim rasa sedih2 plak... hilang mood :(

rindu kot? with minkus gone, i just have to work up the strength to be alone again. tgk muvi sorang2, makan sorang2, shopping sorang2.. even though after 2 months she'l be back here again, dia ada hidup sendiri. and i have my life.

apapun, back to the story, saya sangat suka chemistry antara character2 ni. they are SO delicious to all my senses :)

i still remembered a bit about the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. that i couldn't make up my mind on whether i like Peter of Edmund most. but now, i hereby proclaimed, even though Peter is the High King, Edmund is definitely the King!

sigh-

rasa nak tengok lagi tapi penat.. mesti best kalu dapat tengok kat umah vis Astro ke apa ke. tapi mesti ingat, ini pesanan penaja, jangan beli cd citer ni yang bootleg punya selagi DVD version tak released lagi. banyak scene dia berlaku tengah malam, takut nanti tak nampak apa2..

prince Caspian and Peter are not so much of a bad looker. if i was still a teenager, i would wax lyrical lines to gush about them. however, as i'm just a teenager at heart, i beg to gush inwardly je la, for fear i might sound like a, um- veritable aunt doting upon anak ikan.

huhu.

i do like the chemistry between Caspian the 10th and Susan. the impish smiles, the furtive glances, such a romantic setting. cuma cinta tak kesampaian, Susan and Peter won't return in the next installment :( i couldn't quite understand why but the truth is, i'm going to miss the two.

i wonder, kenapa actors citer narnia ni tak glamer? media coverage and personal publicity cam takde jer? adakah filem yang menarik ni tak laku?

which quite amazed me because the cinematography, the actors, the characters, the script, the locations! memang superb la.

then, the thrills, the suspense and the gasps throughout the movie, especially time the White Witch made a cameo, requesting just one drop from Caspian and then Peter to resurrect her back into the Narnian World. terasa tiada udara sekejap until the dashing wisened Edmund (he was once captivated under the cold, calculating Witch once before) cracked the ice and thus, putting the stop to the spell. talk about a hero!

one of the things that i realised was the subtle political moves and maneuvers that lies within the story. could almost see how the Lords and of course, King Edmund staged a marvelously delicious play of political chess to get Lord Miraz to duel the High King Peter :)

saya sangat suka!

oh, ya. ada satu citer romantis, made of honour lakonan michelle monaghan dan patrick Dempsey yang akan masuk panggung sikit masa lagi. ala-ala my best friend's wedding tapi version lelaki punya la. one thing i realised is that Dr McDreamy sangat immersed into his character. ada scene tu di mana dia cuba sorok rasa kecewa dia dan cuba buat biasa2 je bila si michelle bersama tunangannya bercerita tentang plan kawin diorang. i mean, memang nampak real la. and i think that michelle's character deserved a kick in the shins for not being able to pick up the signals, that McDreamy is actually pining for her.

em, teringat pulak pesan Mr Rupert Everett to Julia Roberts:

do what you came here to do. u came to say goodbye.

sigh... cinta tak seharusnya bersatu kan?

energy thoroughly spent

this week proved a sterling record, for 4 nights were spent at the gym, on the treadmill.

sigh, hasilnya hari ni saya rasa badan macam terapung-apung tak jejak tanah.

penat.

hari ni kena tulis minit. confirm OT lagi. last week almost 3am. this time?

i got to learn finishing up early.

tapi bila fizikal dah lesu, jiwa dah kacau nak escape dan cari freedom, camne?

hari ni jugak statement agak keras telah klua dengan jelas:

i know it's life, but i don't want this kind of life!

in response to encik indra khairil's tut-tutting:

ala, biasalah. kitorang pun dulu camtu gak, it's life.

don't u ever think of NOT swallowing everything, conforming to the edicts, toeing to the line, just because everybody is doing it before and no one has dared to change it for the better?

kenapa tak boleh kita berusaha memudahkan segala urusan, menyeragamkan dan saling membantu dengan semangat empati?

manusia ni kan, bila dia dah rasa sulit, ada 2 jenis respons.

1. akan devise cara supaya orang lain takkan merasai kesulitan yang sama yang boleh dielakkan kalau dia ambil tindakan proaktif.

2. akan buat tak tau supaya orang lain akan merasa kesulitan yang sama dan akan mengelak sendiri di lain masa. ala2 self-learning la.

agak2 korang la, korang ni di kategori yang mana?

i mean, dalam persaingan ghaib yang agak gila di sini antara psu2, i was a bit mad, broilling even bila kelemahan manusia (human error) wujud atas sebab kelemahan masing2 yang subjektif kepada kepentingan diri dan bukan kepentingan sejagat.

entahlah.

sekarang ni, my aim in life is to be the best that i can be, to not lose my individuality in the crowd.

and in the mean time, i shall strive to maintain my fitness regime. no matter what.

wish me luck!

my fave perfume!

perusing and planning for a shopping list now that my personal stuffs mostly run out of supply, i noticed that my fave perfume is rather depleting.

know what, my selection of a personal favourite perfume is rather like falling and staying in love.

you could never break away from your first love.

and i, for all my attempts at trying new scents, couldn't find it in my heart to fall in love with another scent that's not Ralph Lauren Romance.

at present, i've used three large EDP bottles of that wonderful scent. costly but rather satisfying. a signature scent for me, and none could ever be good enough.

how did i fell in love with this heavenly scintillating scent?

an ad. it's emotional, powerful and totally captivating. made me wistful.

i tried to find the pix but couldn't. so, here's the new ad for the perfume. not as earth-shattering as my fave ad, it seems pretentious, don't u think so too? but it will do until i found the pix. ok?

em, thanks to http://www.imagesdeparfums.fr/, i have found the Ad that made me use Ralph Lauren Romance till today :)

saya sangat suka gambar ni. the raw emotion displayed by Mr Cedric Jimenez stays with me until today...

cinta pertama, :">

bday saya 15 jun tau, perfume saya tu pun dah nak abis, apa kata kawan2 yg baik hati hadiahkan saya sebotol perfume ni?

saya suka!

the irony?

The Bottom Line:

Even if you're not looking for a new romance, one will come along for you today.

-> what??!!! oh, the irony just kills you! >:(

In Detail:

Even if you're not looking for a new romance, one will come along for you today.

Of course, this love you feel might not be for a person. No, what tugs at your heart today might be a cute puppy, a fantastic new song, or even a movie.

You have a lot of affection to give out into the world, and not enough people to receive it. So it's not surprising that you would start to get creative about the devotion you develop. The world is full of joy, as far as you are concerned.

-> ooowwwh... i can dig that :)

dah putus-

after keputusan dicapai semalam, i feel much better. ada sikit kebas tapi biarlah, it's for the best for us both.

teringat lagu ne-yo, "go on girl"

I can't get it back, but
I don't want it back, I
Realized that,
She don't know how to act
Never been a dumb dude
No I'm not dense
I Just had a slight lack
Of common sense
I was the good guy
She was the bad girl
I'm thinking one girl
She thinking me, earl, James and jimmy
Yep she had plenty
But love for me, she didn't have any

I was inviting, her into my heart
But she was out riding in some other man's car
She was my night time, thought I was her star
Guess I was wrong, but see I'm strong
Won't take long for me to move on

[Hook:]
Please don't worry bout me I'm fine
(Please don't worry bout me I'm fine)
Only gonna play the fool one time
(Only gonna play the fool one time)
Trust me when I say
That I'll be OK
Go on girl
(Go on girl)
Go on girl
(Go on girl)
Go on girl

[V2:]
I can't get it back, but
I don't want it back, I
Realized that,
She don't know how to act
Tried to settle down and look what I get
Thought it was my time, but I guess not yet
She at the bar getting drinks from many men
I'm in the house, thinking shes with her girlfriends
Just not knowing, truly not knowing
I look back now like, man, I was open

I was inviting, her into my heart
But she was out riding in some other man's car
She was my night time, thought I was her star
Guess I was wrong, but see I'm strong
Won't take long for me to move on

[Hook]

[Bridge]
The mistake I made is clear
(we never should've been together)
That's the reason you're not here
(I know that I can do much better)
Not a single salty tear
Not a feeling in my chest
Baby I'm feeling no stress
I'm too fly to be depressed

Go on Girl
Go on Girl
Go on Girl
Go on Girl

takpelah.. perubahan dalam hidup itu perlu. perhaps it will not be an ultimate break-up but a rather official statement of us being inexclusive.

at the moment, i don't think i have the passion for any romantic relationship. burnt too many tend to do that to you. i feel that for the moment, i shall have a better care of myself.

pick up the paces and just jog away, numb but moving nonethelessly. one foot ahead at a time..

time to be alone

doing the book review on "who moved my cheese?", i identified the hankering need that was restless, my personal cheese is desperate of a change.

i need to change. and i need to  be alone. to rebuild and improve the main aspects of my life. i wish i could have a vacation, a break from anyone and any ties that bind. not a break towards losong- strange, i felt that home no.7 is much more of a home than any place else. that home implies home no.7 alone. my place. my domain. not any other place. not anymore.

and yet, i've somewhat become detached from it upon the terrible foibbles w mom last time. i mean, home no.7 no longer presents itself as a happy place. but a place with emotional scars, hurting remarks and tears too.

last night, as usual when a long farewell is in the offing, minkus and me fell back into the fix we often do whenever we are going to be separated. instead of murmuring happy wishes, we, maybe it was just me feeling strongly about missing her company when she doesn't even care, parted with angry sentiments against each other. we ended up with words and emotions that weren't supposed to be said at all. instead of saying goodbye, i walked away as fast as i could from her bus, tears rolling my cheeks uncontrollably in public.

terasa hiba pasal she's going to leave me waywardly here alone whilst she will be closer to someone who could make her happier: mom and the family.

and me. i couldn't be happy with mom and anyone else anymore. even qayyim is out of reach, what with his schooling and that he couldn't spend his school break with me anymore.

it's like being cut off from your own source of light.

sobbing in the car, i had the passersby worried. thus i drove away, my eyes blurry from the heartbreak.

and thank god that the late night stint at the gym helped to numb my mind from the deep hurt. i jogged and jogged until my lungs felt like bursting.

and i decided that this is the time for me to be alone. away from everyone. perhaps i shouldn't be selfish for demanding their company, not even for a minute, not even for a second.

i need to stop asking for the impossible. to put my pleasure of having them as company will only burden them as they don't feel as strongly as i do.

just spending time eating tauhu bakar with minkus or sharing a muvidet with qayyim, no more.

does minkus know that i will be a wreck when she's not around? that when mak forbade her from going out with me during these past few weeks, it was a very damning sentence upon the lonely, wayward sister?

and now, when she had much better opportunity taking the cimb industrial training, she goes to KB, with no much as a word for me to opine upon.

it dawned to me, she had grown up, nomore a little sister to be persuaded to spend the weekend at losong. she's nomore minkus. not anymore.

so there. this is time for us to have a break. i don't think i want to go back to losong at any near future. too much hurt.

and that i need to find peace within myself. lest i become a zombie detached of any feelings to avoid from screaming bloody murder at anyone.

macam kelakar sangat

kan

? if asked why this bottled rage against mom, i hated myself to say that it was her unrelenting stubbornness in imposing her will, her common sense, her unjustified stigma of us harmlessly goofing around.

sejujurnya, i wish for an opportunity to further my study abroad or getting the offer to work overseas. jauh dari semua orang.

i need to get away. to be alone and cut off from every damning hurt.

i want to stop this sickening need of wanting someone to make me happy when in truth most of the time, they  hurt me when it's clear that only i who need them to be with me.

sakit sebenarnya bila kita sudah terbiasa berteman sedangkan sebenarnya hidup ditakdirkan berkelana berseorangan.

so be it.

"-ami dah lama nk bagi tau. ami tak nak jumpa kak ida lagi dah!"

so be it.

and yes, it's over between me and Abang.

over. when i need and people can't never find the compassion in their heart to give even a bit, i learn to want nothing.

NOTHING.

of reading lips and paper censorship

 

ReaD mY LipS

original title : sur mes levres

here's a review:

 

 

 

Frazzled and undermined by the disregard and outright sabotage of her co-workers, Carla (Emmanuelle Devos) is about to fall apart completely when her boss suggests she go to the government employment agency and hire an assistant.

"A man would be best," she tells the employment official.

"We can't do that," the woman informs her. "The Employment Bureau can't specify gender. Discrimination is against the law."

"I see."

"What age?"

"25 to 30. Make that 25."

"What else?"

"He should be friendly. Not too tall. Nice hands."

Again sensing the drift into dating-service territory, the official suggests, "Well-groomed?"

"Yes, well-groomed."

It's a workplace drama with a lot of idiosyncrasies, even before the plot starts twisting. When Paul (Vincent Cassel) is sent over by the employment bureau, obviously lying about all his qualifications ("Spreadsheets? Um, yeah, piles of spreadsheets."), and then finally confesses that he's just come from prison ... why, he's everything Carla's been looking for. As it turns out, the office ugly duckling with the hearing aid and the oily-looking ex-con with the leather jacket are a perfect match for each other — in ways neither one dreamed.

Carla — who, thanks to her lip-reading ability, knows more of her abusive office colleagues' secrets than they imagine — discovers that it's sometimes good to have a thug on your side. Paul — who still has some valuable contacts in the underworld — has an idea for a big score, but he'll need the talents of someone just like her. As the film becomes less about office intrigue and more about a scam spinning wildly out of control, it begins to present a rather conflicting moral dilemma as to how the audience perceive the influence both characters have on each other.

Their relationship is the film's focus. Carla, mousy and harried and unappreciated at the office, has rage seething beneath her surface. With Paul, the rage is out in the open, but he has goodness within him. They are able to draw on each other's strengths and vices to strengthen their own positions, all while resisting the impulses that would seem to draw them together romantically. Watch Carla wear one of Paul's blood-stained shirts in the privacy of her bedroom and see how deep the emotions run.

In its last third, "Read My Lips" ultimately becomes a masterpiece of suspense, with a plot that turns somersaults, surprising discoveries, loyalties that are always in question, and a high-tension climax. But it also works so well because the characters are exceptionally real — imperfect, ignoble, introverted, each with something to learn from the other — and this story captures a moment when their lives turn inside-out. Devos and Cassel are outstanding, and the direction by Jacques Audiard is exceptionally intimate — keeping our main characters close up and even taking us into the head of Clara as she turns her hearing aid up and down, depending on her attitude toward the world.

and another:

Carla Bhem (Emmanuelle Devos), the heroine of Jacques Audiard's ''Read My Lips,'' is, at least by French movie-star standards, plain and almost hyperbolically nondescript. Her stooped shoulders draped in a drab brown cardigan, she bustles mousily around the offices of a big construction firm, where she works as a receptionist. Her desk, shoved into a corner near the copy machine and the restrooms, is a convenient place for her co-workers to leave their half-empty coffee cups. Carla, who is partially deaf, is a person who exists to be taken advantage of and ignored. Even her best friend is mostly interested in exploiting Carla for free babysitting and the use of her apartment for adulterous liaisons.

Mr. Audiard, who wrote the script with Tonino Benacquista, establishes the grind and slog of Carla's existence in a few swift, dexterous scenes. The sense of frustration we feel on her behalf prepares us to accept the crucial fact about her character that those around her miss altogether. Beneath her meek, humble facade is a quiet, volcanic fury, the flowering of which is among the film's many surprising satisfactions.

Worrying that she might be overworked, Carla's boss allows her to take on a helper -- a ''secretarial assistant'' in the words of an employment-agency bureaucrat -- to handle some of the endless drudgery. She hires Paul Angeli (Vincent Cassel), a mopey ex-convict with no qualifications, who is unlikely to threaten her position, such as it is.

The two are soon embroiled in a pyschological power struggle that threatens, oddly but convincingly, to turn into an office romance. Carla has at last found a Carla of her own, someone to pity and boss around. The various kindnesses she performs for Paul -- she finds him a place to stay and covers for him when he misses an appointment with his parole officer -- are also calculated ways of putting him in her debt.

For his part, Paul assumes that her interest must be sexual, and he is not entirely wrong, even though she fights off his rough, clumsy advances. ''You think you owe me,'' she says afterward, '' and you pay me with what you have. But it's true. You do owe me.'' She is clearly intoxicated by his coarse masculinity. At one point, after Paul has been beaten by thugs from his past, she bundles herself, alone in her room, in his filthy, bloodstained shirt. But she also fantasizes about being the unattainable object of his desire, acting out imaginary conversations in which she sweetly plays hard to get. Her glee at discovering, at long last, a measure of power is accompanied by an increased vulnerability.

Their differences of skill and temperament turn out to be complementary. Paul's knack for robbery helps Carla take revenge on an especially piggish co-worker, and her lip-reading ability, along with her organizational talents, make her a valuable partner in crime. Each is using the other, which turns out to be a better basis for intimacy and solidarity than the harsh politesse of the office.

In its second half, ''Read My Lips,'' mutates almost casually from a workplace comedy into a violent, clammy caper film. Paul, like most movie criminals, has trouble leaving the thug life behind and finds himself indentured to a brutish nightclub owner named Marchand (Olivier Gourmet). There is a big bag of money to be heisted, as well as some nasty characters to contend with, and the psychological nuance gives way to the more conventional machinery of suspense.

Throughout, Mr. Audiard's direction is fluid and quick. He uses sound editing and fast changes of perspective to mirror the effects of Carla's disability. Some noises are all but inaudible, while others are jarringly amplified (especially when she turns up her hearing aids), and the camera movements suggest that Carla has compensated for her hearing loss by developing a keen visual sense. She can read not only lips, but also the information embedded in posture, eye movements and body language.

Like so many European pictures these days, ''Read My Lips'' seems destined to be remade in Hollywood, and it is unlikely to be improved by the addition of vainer actors, a simpler screenplay and flashier direction. Its ingenuity will not be hard to replicate, but its gritty immersion in the petty indignities of working life -- something of a French specialty in recent years -- is unlikely to survive. It is this quality that gets under your skin and turns its two beleaguered losers into genuine outlaw heroes.

after a very weary weekend, added up with spontaneous proposition (let's call it that, shall we?) by one of my new office mates, well, i was on a nervous breakdown trip.

the news of minkus taking up her LI at KB, thus leaving me wayward for 2 full months, starting tonight, well, it made me more frustrated beyond reasoning.

thus, i lingered at my fave haunt, leafing through a tasteless paperback only to return it promptly back. which is a pity because that is the only one time when i found myself unable to warm up to JQ's characters, Dancing in the Moonlight is surely a bore, starkly different from her other delightful stories. oh, well.

anyhow, rushed to Hentian Putra to find minkus a ticket home before fetching her for our last movie together. i was in a sour mood, undecided on which movie to watch, or where to watch.

minkus haven't seen the delectable iron man yet whereas i have. i thought of speedracers though minkus was rather sceptical of the wachowski brothers' film. she felt that with our current mood, we were much suited for a movie that's in the vein of orang tersayang diculiki @ gone baby gone, a thriller somewhat. something to stimulate our ethical awareness and exercise our mind.

thus, we stopped at gsc's one utama. in a way, should there be none that appeases our mood, we could always opt for any frenchies available.

that detailed why we ended with this gem of a dark romantic thriller. perhaps to put a genre would be an injustice. i would call it, a rather personal movie that taps into the soul of any lonely, career-successful single woman.

like me.

in truth, i found myself more in connection with Carla. though i think thankfully that i wasn't so much on the receiving end of unjust, snide comments, and that i have my moments of attractiveness, her soul was a bit of mine. timid in the surface but a lot wildly simmering underneath.

when she raged at the back office upon Keller's backstabbing, i understood. i found me. i thought i was looking at me.

and it was disturbing.

the discovery of her sexual curiosity, whether Paul could find her attractive, desirable, a woman.

being unable to dance in public, too self-conscious for that- thus resorting to dancing wildly on the freezing rooftop during her snooping activities. i found me.

and Paul, well, i could understand why Carla would ever feel attracted to him. bonded. even though minkus failed to warm up to him, i did. i think he was a good man despite his erroneous way. when Carla found his solitary exit airplane ticket, minkus ribbed me, indignantly mouthing "see!"

yet, i understood him. that he and Carla, though they were together night and days in cahoots, he's still not emotionally tangled with Carla as she was already with him from day one. on the other hand, her attachment was extremely evident when she couldn't help staring at his office room after he quit to work at Marchand's bar to pay off his debts. that even though her works had trippled, she couldn't find herself to find a replacement. when she gave the condition that he came back to work in exchange of her lip reading service, together with the compromise of how they are going to pull it off, i understood.

at the club, Paul looks um, well, palatable with his figure hugging shirt (yup, i can't help but drool :p). the intelligent Carla seemed to seep the energy, the vibe needed to evolve into someone who is confident of her womanly allure (yup, double bras for push up effect :"> and silky stockings). only to end up nearly raped at the back alley, if not for observant Paul looking out for her in an act of possessive jealousy.

it made me smiled (albeit inwardly uncomfortably cringing) when i remembered how Carla, when alone, made silly one-person conversation with Paul on spending a night together.

but soon after, things happened and they became both equally dependent on each other (ya, minkus, EQUALLY dependent).

the story was full with surprise that i for one, can't guess what will happen, exactly. i thought of Carla crossing Paul once she knew about the plane ticket but then she sticked with him to the very end even though she had ample opportunity to just pick up the money and leave him hung and dried.

she stayed and helped Paul to escape the wrath of Marchand by a stroke of genius and self-preservation. the cheeky comment on "like a mindless piece of meat" by Carla made me grin, i like how she improvised from her friend's confidential remarks. taking into account of everything and using them when she needs them the most.

the ending? well, let me say this, it was um, um, breath-quickening, to putting it mildly. it surely didn't tell much whether Paul and Carla will end up old happily together, but it signaled that they accept the fact that one cannot survive without the other. and that Paul cared about her more than the money is evident when in the light of wanting to escape Marchand's apartment, he grabbed Carla's hand instead of the bag full of money. in the car, what with the gear shifts, Carla finally gave in to the palpable sexual tension by allowing his hand to rest upon her bare thighs. from that point on, minkus kept squirming for a significantly notorious paper!. in such explosive desire n lust-filled crescendo, the film abruptly, albeit stylishly ended. in truth, it felt like plunging into a pitless ravine by the bungee point.. unfulfilled, yet filled to the brim~

the story is so close to my heart, given the current fix i'm in. which is sad, really. saya nak cari secretarial assistant, boleh tak? male secretarial assistant only, ok? :p

oh ya, talking about a certain significantly notorious paper, it first perplexed me when a scene involved a square silhoutte as Carla disrobed in front of her solitary mirror. macam pelik, adakah Lembaga Penapis Filem sekarang ni exercises such a technology where they just adjusted the movie scenes without cutting them? only when it happened again as Carla tried on Paul's bloodied shirt in front of the mirror sans her underwear, only i understood, a paper was put in front of the GSC projector to salvage our modest innocence :) kelakar plak bila minkus yang lebih cepat menangkap teknik paper censorship tersebut berbanding ida yang clueless. hahahah..

so there, i really had an enjoyable moment watching this movie. it made me understand that the hell i feel now may be over soon, when and with someone i would never expected.

it is only a matter of time. and i need to recap my enticing wilderness back into the bottle.

more frenchies next time! (^^,)t

Wanita dan unsur-unsurnya.

Walau apa pun, Allah yang Maha Mengetahui segala sesuatu...

Penentuan unsur seseorang ditentukan oleh anak yang keberapa dalam keluarga:-

a. TANAH - anak pertama, kelima, kesembilan.
b. AIR - kedua, keenam, kesepuluh
c. API - ketiga, ketujuh, kesebelas
d. ANGIN- keempat, kelapan, keduabelas

WANITA BERUNSUR TANAH
1) Merendah diri,serta hormat dan patuh, setia serta rela berkorban.
2) Tidak cerewet, tidak meninggi diri, tidak sombong dan bukan seorang pemarah.
3) Tenang diri, aman, dan memberi sokongan.
4) Tidak suka membantah atau membangkang.
5) Berwatak manis, lemah lembut, bersih dan sentiasa menjaga kecantikan.

WANITA BERUNSUR AIR
1) Menghidupkan hati pasangan dan pemberi semangat.
2) Mengambil berat.
3) Hatinya bersih dan boleh membahagiakan pasangan.
4) Menenangkan pasangan.
5) Sangat romantis.
6) Mudah menangis.
7) Cintanya sentiasa hangat dan memberahikan.

WANITA BERUNSUR API
1) Cergas, cepat dlm gerak geri dan tangkas menguruskan rumahtangga.
2) Penasihat yang baik.
3) Pandai dan cekap mengurus rumahtangga.
4) Pandai menghias diri agar kelihatan cantik selalu.
5) Berwaspada selalu.

WANITA BERUNSUR ANGIN
1) Lemah lembut dan menenangkan.
2) Pandai bermain kata dan memujuk rayu.
3) Sopan santun dan berbudi pekerti mulia.
4) Bijak mewujudkan suasana selesa.
5) Hati yang cepat berubah ubah

-> hmm, saya berunsur angin. and i agree, ada sikit2 yg betul walaupun bukan keseluruhannya.

the thing is, we define what we are and what we want to be, ok!

along those lines, i think, i need to reasses my current state of self. got to hit the gym again to end up looking less svelte. in a part, i sort of worry about myself. in other part, i simply don't care.

cuma, yang bosan is that my baju yang comfortable dah berkurangan. which is a pity.

so there!

book hunting trips

to be happy

i drove all the way

and walked the extra miles

to reach that book shop

by the corner inside the central market

i am happy

to spend the time i have

hunting and poking around

the shelves of countless books and novels

some good, some bad

to find a gem that can make the trip worth my while

it is with happy thoughts

when at home i lie down

and lose myself into another bittersweet dimension

where love is all that matters to us mortals

and not this dreary working life that i have to endure.

to be happy, i must be

just thinking about the trips i'm going to take

soon

very, very soon.

empty by click five

Tried to take a picture
Of love
Didn't think I'd miss her
That much
I want to fill this new frame
But it's empty

Tried to write a letter
In ink
It's been getting better
I think
I got a piece of paper
But it's empty
It's empty

Maybe we're trying
Trying too hard
Maybe we're torn apart
Maybe the timing
Is beating our hearts
We're empty

And I've even wondered
If we
Should be getting under
These sheets
We could lie in this bed
But it's empty
It's empty

Maybe we're trying
Trying too hard
Maybe we're torn apart
Maybe the timing
Is beating our hearts
We're empty

Oh oh
Oh oh
Oooooh
Oh oh
Oh oh

Maybe we're trying
Trying too hard
Maybe we're torn apart
Maybe the timing
Is beating our hearts
We're empty

We're empty
We're empty

tetiba je rasa sayu...

mungkin kita sudah terpisah walaupun tidak pernah bermula

mungkin kita sudah kosong tanpa pernah terisi

mungkin mimpi2 ini sudah menitip langkah berlalu pergi..

terasa air mata panas membasahi pipi.

the bachelor finale

last night, as i couldn't sleep, i watched a finale of the bachelor reality series.

where jesse finally chosen the openly loving jessica over the impersonal n independent tara. i observed that jesse chose a girl who is more emotionally in contact with him, the girl that his mom and best girlfriend prefers rather than the intelligent omnipotent girl that his father favors..

and it touches my heart to listen to jesse's heartfelt confession when he finally got to reveal his heart at the final rose ceremony. i mean, it must have been hell for this idealistically moralist nice guy when he got to adhere to the rules of giving both girls the chance to woo for his hand. when all he ever wanted is honesty..

hmmm...

these few days i've been thinking. thinking long thoughts. long thoughts during even longer sleepless nights.

and  i found myself jotting this rather forthright note somewhere, in response to echah's blues 2nd.

sometimes, bila kita berterus terang dan cakap kita sayang seseorang, direct to the point dan takde berselirat lagi, tetiba orang tu senyap je dan tak kata apa-apa. kawan pun tak, benci pun tak, suka pun tak.

macam mana tu?

bila kita call, dia tak angkat. bila kita sms, dia buat tak tahu.

bila dia call, seolah-olah takde apa2 yg berlaku sebelum ni, everything the same aje. as if the fact kita lost contact tu takde makne pada dia. dia pick up the pieces and act if everything normal.

bila jumpa bersua muka, kata2 bisu sahaja yg mampu dipancarkan dari matanya.. kata-kata bisu yang saya tak mampu tafsirkan tanpa kepastian kata-kata nyata.

as if i’m in the Bachelor show, the guy still can’t say what he really feels. suka pun tak, tak suka pun tak.

i miss having a direct communication. sekarang ni rasa macam bercakap dengan dinding. kadang2 meluat dengan dinding tu, tapi sesekala rindu gila dan tak kisah bercakap sorang-sorang dengan dinding.

haddoii..

and i wonder, maybe i've kept the feelings inside for quite a time. there are moments i wish that my words would reach out and touch his heart.

warming and consoling like the passionate fires licking the embers upon a very cold freezing night on a secluded wooden cabin up on a snowy mountain top <- vivid imagination, this one-

and i remember echah's quote:

I don’t want you to do thing just to make me happy.
I want you to do it because it makes you happy too.
I want you to be happy when you are with me.

is that too much to ask? honestly, am i asking the wrong person here?

am i?

muviwiX ^o^

last week is officially declared as my muviwiX (^^,)t

the first watched was LOVE, an indonesian remake of cinta.. here's the synopsis:

Love" is a love story about five couples -

Nugroho, who suffers from Alzheimer's, and Lestari, whose affection for him accepts his condition;

Rama, who works in a publishing house, and Ilin, who is in search of her lover in Jakarta;

Tere, a novelist, and Awin, a bookstore guy;

a young married couple, Gilang and Miranda with autistic daughter; and

college students Restu and Dinda, the girl with mortal secrets.

As fate brings them all together, in the hustle and bustle of Jakarta, they meet in the corners of their lives which is filled with surprises, being led by something that has been said to be blind but as a matter of fact it has eyes that us humans do not own which is cal