Almost Buddhist - 戲‧論

★★★☆☆ Those opposed to capitalism or materialism may consider ‘Fight Club’ a masterpiece but I’m not really into it to be honest. Don’t get me wrong here. I’m not money-minded though I’m pretty short of money indeed. Neither am I busy taking care of my stuff while going out getting more stuff. It’s just that it doesn’t strike me much like I thought it would as a movie, even after having seen it twice. It’s not necessarily a bad film however. It does say something that’s rather thought-provoking or disturbing to some. I find it interesting but a bit misleading as well. Arrogant folks could be encouraged to believe that pain’s truly what we need to feel resurrected; that in order to start anew, we have to destroy; that losing is another way of winning, and letting go will earn us more, etc. Truth is, this is a film full of witty lines that may sound stupid to the wise, and wise to the stupid! Here are some of them, and just be careful what you think! It's only after we'v...

★★★★☆ Two little girls are abducted. A suspect is arrested but released soon after on account of no solid evidence against him. Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman), one of the girls’ fathers, decides to abduct the suspect and torture him to tell the girls’ whereabouts. Abduction movies usually open with a warm happy scene of family members getting together or stuff, turning into a pessimistic situation right after someone in the family is gone missing. ‘Prisoners’ nevertheless, begins with a prayer to God before pulling the trigger that causes a deer’s life, followed by a father’s talk to his son about how to get prepared for the worst in life. And the tone of it keeps dark and bleak till the end even though the ending is sort of a comfort after all. An impressive crime thriller is able to keep the truth till the very last moment. ‘Prisoners’ is an excellent demonstration of such kind. The script stays intriguing throughout, and it’s unlikely to be sure who exactly the abductor is til...

★★★☆☆ ‘Nothing But The Truth’ kicks off right the way: the U.S. President comes across an assassination attempt. The U.S. Government wages a war against Venezuela after convincing its people that it must be involved, but it’s not, and a CIA agent named Erica knows it. Of course she’s not telling because that’ll be a threat to national security if she does. Rachel, a journalist for the Capital Sun-Times, is told by a source the whole truth however. Now everybody knows the U.S. Government was lying. Rachel is ordered by the Judge to reveal the identity of her source, but she decides to defend the principle of confidentiality and refuses. She’s then put behind bars and paying the price. This is a film about national security against the principle of confidentiality. If you’re politics-minded, you’ll love it. If you’re not so into politics, and simply prefer serious dramas, it won’t let you down either. The script is solid and smart, but the casting seems weak. I don’t know. It fe...

★★★★★ When I was on my way to work this morning, I don’t know, this film just popped up in my mind all of a sudden. It’s a film back in 1997, but after all these years, it still moves and astounds me just thinking of it. I’m talking about a sci-fi classic that will get people to ruminate about one’s faith in science or divinity, and the position of Earth in the Universe. I remember I first watched ‘Contact’ on a local TV channel. Its running time’s 150 minutes, a relatively long film, but it’s not at all boring. There’s a lot of talking indeed before the final contact happens. The things they say are by no means rubbish. They’re pretty thought-provoking and help set up the mood for the spellbinding ending—the way they manage to finally get Jodie Foster’s Ellis to have contact with another being from another world so much afar, is absolutely mind-blowing to me as a boy back then and even now as a grownup. I never figured it’d end up like that. That what really happens inside ca...