The Dark Knight (2008)

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Action & Adventure

Okay, so I’ve been waiting to see this movie for a while now ever since I’ve been subjected to the enormous amounts of hype and marketing for the Dark Knight, the tragical death of Heath Ledger, and his posthumous Oscar nomination rumours. And since a movie rarely can lived up to its hype and expectation and especially with The Dark Knight being a sequel, I have to say that I didn’t have much expectation from this movie, other than to see Ledger’s final performance. And sadly it was right to not have much expectation of this movie. It is a good action movie, but it just not that great.

One thing for sure, The Dark Knight truly lived up to its title. The movie is indeed 'dark', and does have many dark overtones. The cinematography is made so dark and sinister that really did suit the mood for the film. Gotham City must have topped the list of unsafest places in America to live. Not only does it seem to have a high nightly violence rate but also all the crazies seem to settling down there too and thus make Dark Knight to be one of the most complex, violent and disturbing comic-book films I've ever seen. It has some of the most graphic violence for a film of its rating and I believe that putting Batman's face on the poster is probably the only thing that saved it from an MA rating. You definitely shouldn’t bring kids to see this movie.

The highlight of this movie is definitely Ledger’s performance as the sadistic Joker which was absolutely disturbing and scary yet simply amazing. I would not want to meet the Joker in a dark alley, and whatever happen, never.. I repeat, never ask him how he got his smile, especially, when he has a knife in his hand. When Ledger appeared in this movie, I completely didn’t recognize him. His voice is distinctly altered, kinda pedophile-like tone that sends shivers down the spine. His face looks both nightmarish and bizarrely funny because of the make-up. And he seems to get lost in his role. You don't see Heath Ledger playing the Joker while watching this movie. You see the Joker. He plays the role with such a level of madness that you are terrified by his very presence. He gets inside your head with his sick jokes and makes you chuckle at things that will left you wondering why you are laughing in the first place. Apart from Ledger, I have to say that the other actors also play their role well. Christian Bale managed to portray Batman’s inner struggle really well, although unfortunately the cheesy raspy-voice returns with a vengeance. Maggie Gyllenhaal gives Rachel Dawes a more matured personality than Katie Holmes’s performance in the first movie. Aaron Eckart makes the transformation between Harvey Dent and Two Face very smooth and believable. Michael Caine is an excellent Alfred. Morgan Freeman, as usual, gives a charming performance and delivers the best quote in the movie: "So, you're saying that you think your billionaire boss is a vigilante who spends his nights beating criminals to a pulp with his bare fists. And you want to blackmail this man?".

As for the downfalls, Christian Bale's Batman voice got irritating a couple of times especially when he’s having a full conversation. The ending sequence with the bat and the joker was a let down for me. And the movie is way too long. While it never drags, I think they could have trimmed the fat. The film takes on several different subjects, tragically all at once, creating a distorted and unspectacular experience that gives part of what you want but will leave you unmoved. When The Dark Knight feels like it might be ending, the anxiety then mounts again with a new problem that is triggered with lame plot devices. It kinda gave me the same experience as watching ’sinetron’. With 45 minutes left, I was already burned out and trying to sleep in my comfy chair.

Hancock (2008)

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Action & Adventure

I saw Hancock on its first day in Indonesia so I went into it having seen hardly any trailers for it thus didn't really know what to expect. Well, except for Will Smith’s performance, and since I’m a sucker for Will Smith, I could bear any movie as long as he starred in it. So I have to point out first, that my comment may be biased based of this reason alone.

In a nutshell, Hancock is full of laugh out loud comedy and perfect action. The most part of the movie is unpredictable and keeps you guessing. It gives a different vibe on the normal superhero movie. Unlike other typical superhero flick where the main character usually dealt with his inner struggles, Hancock break the mold by having a hero who doesn't follow the rules, who isn't ridiculously polite with a fancy costume. He has a bad attitude and uses his powers to do what what he likes, though not to do bad things. The bad guys are the bad guys! The bank robbers, purse snatchers, thugs, and crooks are the people Hancock is battling against, not some made up villain that can easily match the good guy.

I have to say that if it isn’t for the three main characters (Smith esp, told u I’m biased) this movie probably will be a below average movie. As for Will Smith, it's his charisma, charm, and solid likability that carries the film. He can make you laugh, cheer, cry, and even root for his character (who is a total jerk, btw) no matter what kind of trouble he may cause. Charlize Theron gives a solid performance, and certainly an eye candy for any guy who watch this movie. And although Bateman’s performance is a tad one-dimensional, at least he is still likeable.

The downside of this movie is probably the final part.The mood tends to stray from the comical first part of the movie that previously sets the whole mood of the story. And although the story appears to get more philosophical towards the end, it also left you with a feelling that everything seems to be forced and the explanation of the hero’s weakness has fall in the realm of absurdness. It seems like the writer has a very good idea about what they want to tell, but the execution of the idea couldn’t deliver it. Despite all these, at the end of the day, Hancock is a fun, mostly fast-paced popcorn flick. And if you are Smith’s fan, you shouldn’t miss it.

Wanted (2008)

Rating:	★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Action & Adventure

The theme of Wanted is all about taking charge of your life and making your own choices. It reminds me of a really well known quote in my campus about choices: life is filled with choices, and every choice has its own consequence. But watching Wanted was like watching a series of bad events resulting from a wrong choice. When everything seems to get better and better, it then hit a turning point and go downhill from then on. It’s like a stack of cards that have been stacked up to make a beautiful pyramid but with a single breath came smashing down piece after piece. The action went from one bad thing to another. It keeps you guessing, giving these characters situations which seem impossible to get out off. The action send your eyes and mind into a frenzy. While the sound was continually attacking your ears. There is a handful of story to be told in here but I don’t really see what is the point of telling it anyway. The language used in here is quite unnecessary, I mean I think the obscenities were just squeezed in here to give an edge to the movie. It's like going back to junior high, where every kid thinks that it's cool to swear, when it's not. And there really isn't’t anything to be talked about the acting except for the fact that Morgan Freeman is in here and his charisma almost make this movie passable to watch. The only good thing about this movie is that the cinematography and the action scenes are jaw-dropping. But after the credit rolls, I was left confused about what’s actually happened in that movie?

Jason Castro - Clumsy

Jason Castro on Chris Rice's Clumsy. Okay, so this is an old video, but since 'clumsy' is officially my current life soundtrack (check my post on chris rice - clumsy), i decided to post this video anyway. Plus, I haven't seen Jason Castro since the American Idol final result show.. :)

Chris Rice - Clumsy

You think I’d have it down by now
Been practicin’ for thirty years
I should have walked a thousand miles
So what am I still doin’ here
Reachin’ out for that same old piece of forbidden fruit
I slip and fall and I knock my halo loose
Somebody tell me what’s a boy supposed to do?

I get so clumsy
I get so foolish
I get so stupid
And then I feel so useless
But You’re sayin’ You love me
And You’re still gonna hold me
And that You wanna be near me
‘Cause You’re makin’ me holy
You’re still makin’ me holy, yeah

I’m gonna get it right this time
I’ll be strong and I’ll make You proud
I’ve prayed that prayer a thousand times
But the rooster crows and my tears roll down (again)
Then You remind me You made me from the dust
And I can never, no never, be good enough
And that You’re not gonna let that come between us

I get so clumsy
I get so foolish
I get so stupid
And then I feel so useless
But You’re sayin’ You love me
And You’re still gonna hold me
And that You wanna be near me
‘Cause You’re makin’ me holy
You’re still makin’ me holy, yeah

From where I stand
Your holiness is up so high I can never reach it
My only hope is to fall on Jesus

I get so clumsy
I get so foolish
I get so stupid
And then I feel so useless
But You’re sayin’ You love me
And You’re still gonna hold me
And that You wanna be near me
‘Cause You’re makin’ me holy
You’re still makin’ me holy, yeah

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I feel like this song has became the soundtrack of my life this past few weeks since it is one of those songs that deals with my human weaknesses while striving to be holy. It's also a song that keep reminding me on how I make sooooo many mistakes in life but God still loves me through it all...

Future American Idol - 3 year old HERO

The next American Idol? Footage of the 3 years old Hero singing the infamous "Hey Jude". Got the link from my friend a couple of weeks ago and I decided to share it here then, but just remembered it recently. I really love the way he screams the "better better better better AHHHHHHHHH!-- na, na, na, na na na na" haha.. cute!!

ATM = Awkward Tongue-tied Moment

Have u ever been standing in an ATM, minding ur own business, doing ur normal banking transaction when somebody suddenly opens the ATM door and barge in on u? Well I have, and it’s really irritating. I instantly thought, what is wrong with this person? Can’t he see that there is somebody already inside the ATM? So I hardly can’t imagine why would someone barge in on another someone inside the ATM, at least until last Wednesday where I found myself in that situation.

To set the record straight, I have no intention on barging in on someone on the ATM for the sake of wanting to know what does it feel like to be a barge inner (wait… I don’t think that’s english, but well u know what I mean rite..). I was actually tricked into doing it. Well ok….  u got me. Nobody actually tricked me into doing it. But I was totally tricked. Tricked by the situation in my campus.

It was the last week of the examination week. My campus was really quiet because most people were either having their exams or studying for em. Moi, u asked? Well, I was working hard too! I used most of my free times working hard on….. playing cards!! Bwahahaha!

Anyhow, I had just finished my presentation test and since it was almost 12 o’clock, my friends and I decided to have our lunch in this place called ‘Gelap Nyawang’ which is located in the front of my campus. It’s a really famous place. Whaaaa? U don’t believe me? Well go watch ‘Jomblo’ and see the place for urself! But halfway there, I just realized that I only got about 3000 rupians on my purse (btw, for all of u non-Indonesian people who read this, before u have this fascinating imagination about how loaded I must be, I have to remind u that 3000 rupians are not a lot, it’s probably equal to 30 cents or something like that). So I then decided to take some cash from the ATM first.

As I have mentioned before, it was an examination day and it was really quiet by the time I reached the ATM site. Honestly, it was so quiet that u could almost see those rolled straws rolling around just like in the western movies. And from the spot where I approached the ATM, I didn’t see anyone inside the ATM. So assuming that there was nobody inside the ATM, I then hastily opened the door. And to my surprise, there was this guy inside the ATM (let’s call him the-annoyed-ATM-guy) who stared back at me with this shocked/irritated looks on his face. I was stunned by this overwhelming situation. It was really awkward and it did feel like the longest 3 seconds of my life (ok, that’s an exaggeration since there were much more embarrassing/awkward situations that caused time-freeze longer than this, like the one where I accidentally went in to the men restroom in an airport. What, Maya?  What did you say?  Well it's a long story, so to to make the long story short let say that I blamed the jet lag). Anyway, after experiencing the longest 3 seconds of my life, the reality of the situation then started to kick in. So I did what a normal person would do when they found themselves in this kind of situation. I cringed, closed the ATM door without saying sorry, and immediately attempted to hide in the bushes near the ATM.

Obviously my friends then did whatever they could to help me…… by laughing at me! Well, I don’t blame them. It was a stressful/long presentation test that we’ve been through. So it must be amusing to find somebody who stupidly put herself in an awkward situation and overreacting about it. Still laughing at me, they then asked me to come out from my hiding place by calling my name -unquestionably, they’re trying to expose my identity to the-annoyed-ATM-guy. But I digressed. I kept hiding in the bushes until that annoyed-ATM-guy got out from the ATM. He then walked to the east-side of the ATM, so I decided to make my way to the ATM from the west-side to avoid him. But quarter-way walking, the-annoyed-ATM-guy then decided to go to the west-side of the ATM, turned around, and walked toward me as I was already got out from the bushes and exposed! NOOOOooo!!

So, I had no other option than just kept walking then cringed apologetically at him. And believe me, the longest 3 seconds of my life that I have confidently stated before was nothing compared to this situation. It was soooooooo awkward. By the time I reached the ATM, all of my friends laughed (again) at me. Then one of them told me that the-annoyed-ATM-guy is one of the student senators in my campus. Seems like he is a quite popular and “important” person  in my campus.

So if I put this whole situation into an analogy, for instance, if my campus were a country then I would have barged in on a senator in an ATM…. and there’d be a teeny, tiny possibility that I might get shot by the bodyguards!!! Cool Scary, huh?