Almost Buddhist - 戲‧論

★★★★★ Shame that I don’t know much about Abraham Lincoln. All I’ve learned about him is, he was born into a very poor family and self taught himself into a lawyer. He failed many times before he was elected the President of United States, twice. He was so determined to end slavery and the civil war, and he finally did with his political wisdom. He’s considered the greatest President ever in American history. I can’t disagree! Steven Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’, a serious dialogue-driven historical drama, concentrates on Lincoln’s last few months of life, telling how he manages to achieve passage of an Amendment that would end slavery once and for all, and bring peace to the States; how he’s able to get his foes and friends together to back up his moves and attain his goals. He was indeed a very smart politician, but he wasn’t doing it for his own benefits. He was doing it as an example for the entire world that freedom, equality, and peace are never easy, but it’s certainly worth f...

★★☆☆☆ ‘Sinister’ seems scary and disturbing indeed as the truth’s finally revealed telling who’s behind all the killings. It does kinda shock you and deliver a sense of nausea that may not be so welcomed by a viewer like me. I can’t help wondering how they’d be that ruthless and cold-blooded. All I can think of is, they’re either obsessed or dosed. Yet the real motive is unknown. It seems to be part about the paranormal, part about a sick serial killer. I don’t know what it’s really about actually. The performances are flat. Things are dramatized in a way that doesn’t quite make sense. Would a man always go alone out there in the dark fighting with the sinister with just a knife or a baseball bat? I don’t think so. And there’re a lot of I-don’t-think-so things for you to find out in the film. Of course if you ask for nothing but a skin-deep horror film with so-called a twist ending, or simply just wanna get sick, this is the film for you. Well, it’s not that it’s trash. It’s just...

★★★☆☆ If you consider ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ a pep talk or a sort of conventional romance, you’re wrong. It’s a bit off the wall actually. First off, the characters, like the potential couple, Pat and Tiffany played by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, and their friends and families are all troubled, problematic and awkward. Go check it out, and you’ll know what I mean. Second, the songs chosen are not at all sweet like they’re supposed to be for a love story, but they kind of get you excited. Third, the plot is somewhat tricky. It may bore you at first with trash talks, but if you stay patient and focused, you’ll be rewarded with quite a romantic, heartwarming ending. ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ does show you that every cloud indeed has a silver lining that may not be so obvious sometimes but you’ll see it anyhow. It’s weird but fun! The dance competition in the end is quite of an inspiration. Pat and Tiffany only wish to score 5 out of 10 to win a bet, and to prove tha...

★★★★★ This film’s based on a true catastrophe triggered by the Indian Ocean Earthquake back in 2004. It’s about how the couple, Maria (Naomi Watts) and Henry (Ewan McGregor), and 3 of their kids are split up when the horrifying tsunami hits the villa they stay in Thailand, and miraculously get reunited in the end. Sounds impossible? Yes, but what seems more impossible is that, though Maria’s seriously injured and anguished after battering the swirling current and being stopped by her son, she still decides to ignore her own safety and go help out a strange little boy. Right, you may not believe it, but it was truly happening! ‘The Impossible’ is more than good in terms of excellent sound effects and great performances, especially by Naomi Watts who’s been nominated for this year’s Academy Award for Best Actress. Ewan and Tom Holland, the father and the eldest son in the film, also deliver impressive performances as supportive characters. The tsunami special effects are such a...