Almost Buddhist - 戲‧論

Christmas is coming. Meaning the year 2014 is gonna end, and we’re all one year closer to death. Damn! I’m still like an ‘Almost Buddhist’, unprepared, overoptimistic, indifferent and bewildered at times, but I’m very proud of being one anyway. Movies do console me to some extent, but inevitably they all make me feel like I ought to be attached to something or someone so as to move on. And I kind of hate that feeling. Thus I didn’t check out as many films this year as I did last year. As a matter of fact, movies have been a smaller part of my life, yet I haven’t figured out what’s become a bigger part of. Afraid I may not be able to share with you guys next year’s ‘The Best & The Worst’. We’ll see, but keep in mind, nothing’s objective. This is all personal! Thought either David Fincher’s ‘ Gone Girl ’ or Christopher Nolan’s ‘ Interstellar ’ was gonna blow my mind. Turns out they’re all more or less of a disappointment. After all, life’s full of surprises as long as yo...

★★★★☆ I appreciate this film not because I’m a believer of a tooth for a tooth like it tends to convince, but simply because it’s really a cool, stylish, exciting piece of action cinema, and the underscore makes it much, much cooler, hands down. I feel like I’m watching ‘ The Man From Nowhere ’, ‘ Dredd ’ and ‘ Leon The Professional ’ at the same time. I don’t know. I’m always fascinated by a story about a righteous smart super skilled loner, after struggles, deciding to do the right thing by taking a thousand assholes into his own hands, though I know that’s not the right way to serve law and justice after all. The story’s straight. The camerawork is impressive. The pace, the close-ups, the slo-mo action sequences are stunning. Denzel Washington is exceptionally competent at playing Robert McCall, a mysterious superhero cold-blooded to the scum but warm-hearted to the weak and innocent. The film lasts like more than 2 hours, but still you feel like it’s kind of short, as we’r...

★★★☆☆ There’s a big contrast in the opening of the film where Brat Pitt’s Don kills a Nazi with much hate but sets his white horse free with much love. To him, it seems like a horse’s life is much more precious than a human’s. Sure this is not his fault. It’s the Government, the propaganda, the madness, the war itself that makes us act like an animal in some particular time. Basically it’s our distinction to blame. And it’s not something we’re endowed with, but we think it is! A matter of fact that I love every film starring Brat Pitt, but of course not every film he’s in is good, including this one. ‘Fury’ has got some gross and haunting images but the story and the characters are not so convincing and impressive. Why Don, with just a broken tank and a few hands left, still insists to stay and fight against an army of heavily armed Nazis instead of retreating and working out a better plan? Maybe he’s sick of having to live and fight over and over again. I don’t know, but the ...

★★☆☆☆ 相比第一集的悲壯，以及 第二集 的煞有介事，第三集的故事十分乏味，既無驚喜，亦不緊張，還要拖兩個小時，叫人難熬，結局更是一堆車撞來撞去，不知所謂！這次除了竊聽系列的三位常客，還多加了幾位中港大腕，結果那三位常客的戲份被攤薄了，主角反而好像是葉璇跟曾江，起碼他們有戲做，其他人都只是走來走去，念念對白。以為方中信會有點看頭，怎知也是閒角一名，不過他的口頭禪 everything under control 倒是令人印象深刻！ 其實很多人心裡都知道 nothing is under control ，但我們還是想去 control ，為甚麼？因為我們心底明白存在是虛無的，正正就是這種不安全感促使我們不斷想去 control ，自我保護之餘，也想證明自己是實實在在地存在。有些時候事情好像 under control ，但那只不過是因緣和合的假像，神通無邊如佛陀者也不能阻止其族人被滅絕，何況我們此等業障深重的凡夫，連自己都不能控制，遑論去控制其他人和事。緣起甚深，業網複雜，我們無知，所以總是想 control it ，而不是 flow with it 。 〈竊聽風雲 3 〉雖然過目即忘，但最後那場「時光倒流」多少令人唏噓。人總是擔心有一天會耗盡地球資源，以致地球毀滅，但其實在地球毀滅之前，首先毀滅的一定是我們人類。我想起美國棟篤笑大師 George Carlin 說過的令人回味的話： The planet isn’t going anywhere. We are. The planet will shake us off like a bad case of fleas 。我們都只是這個地方的過客， nobody is in control of anything ！

★★★☆☆ 因為朴樹的「 平凡之路 」，所以看〈後會無期〉，看了〈後會無期〉，更喜歡朴樹的「平凡之路」，這首歌確實是神作。我們總在追求某種程度的不平凡，但到頭來卻發覺「平凡才是唯一的答案」。人生就像在兜圈子，沒有起點或終點，只有過程，可我們總以為有個一勞永逸的終點，到了那裡就有永久的幸福，為了擺脫討厭的現實，我們追求夢想，孰不知夢想不過是另一個討厭的現實。當夢想變成現實，我們又設立另一個夢想去追逐，所以幸福對我們來說永遠是未來式！ 〈後會無期〉是一部公路電影。什麼是公路電影？我不清楚，但它一定有「路」有「車」。或許路有多條，但你只能選擇一條；或許車有多輛，但你也只能選擇一輛。每條路會有不同的風景，所謂不同的風景其實你以前都見過，只不過你忘了，所以你再次覺得新鮮，再次探索激盪。電影裡頭出現的遭遇不算新鮮，印象不算深刻，但好在搞文字出名的韓寒編的劇本夠尖酸、夠諷刺、夠幽默，很多見仁見智的金句，讓人笑過之後，心也酸酸的。「喜歡就會放肆，但愛是克制」是其中一句我比較喜歡的。 「告別一定要用力一點，因爲任何多看一眼，都有可能成爲最後一眼，多說一句，都可能是最後一句」。依依不捨最後還是要捨，形影不離最後還是要離。每一篇博文，我都當作是最後一篇來寫，因為緣分是可貴的，相逢是短暫的，我們後會可能真的無期！保重！

★★★★★ 影片用憶述的方式，以多人的角度去還原一個立體的人物──宮部久藏，二戰時期日本一位空軍天才機師。再以他為中心去講述日本在二戰太平洋戰區的作為，從偷襲珍珠港到神風特攻隊。雖是戰爭片，但戰爭場面不多，全是空戰。拍得精采，但不壯烈，看完絕對不會有一種「壯志凌雲，沖上雲霄，打個痛快」的衝動。相反，會深深感受到戰爭的殘酷，以及對人性的扭曲，看得人唏噓哽咽。對美軍來說，可能日本空軍個個都是瘋子，但其實他們只是受到戰爭極度摧殘的可憐孩子，在駕駛飛機沖向軍艦的時候，他們喊的是親人的名字，流的是無奈的眼淚。片名「永遠」二字，並非歌誦戰爭，而是提醒世人，永遠要珍惜自己和他人的生命！ 〈永遠的０〉片長兩個半小時，節奏不緩不急，演員的演出也十分自然到位，每一幕的憶述都令人印象深刻，而且更特意留下伏線，造就後半段精采感人的轉折，可以說是一個令人相當驚喜的地方。影片中段出現的一場感情戲，確實拍得細膩感人，催人淚下，反正我是哭了。這些年來，從沒有一場感情戲能如此觸動我，回想宮部久藏的妻子松乃拉住自認卑鄙的賢一郎，不希望他離開的那淒美一幕，心裡依舊覺得悸動，命運的捉弄，緣分的珍貴，真愛的永恆，令我百感交集！ 宮部久藏在戰爭中的強烈求生意志，影響了他身邊很多戰友，讓他們知道生存的目的以及生命的可貴，畢竟在當時政治氣氛的洗腦下，無辜熱血的年輕人個個都準備隨時為國家作犧牲，即使那種犧牲是多麼的無謂。很少人能像宮部久藏那樣清醒地意識到：生存從來都不是一個人的事，一個人的死或許不能改變一場戰爭的成敗，但卻絕對會對某些人的命運帶來深遠的影響。宮部久藏的「為了家人，一定要保住性命」的態度，在當時被視為懦弱，但判斷一個人是否懦弱，不是看他的行為，而是行為背後的動機，所以一個人可能表面上看似懦夫，其實他才是顧全大局、有智慧的英雄！而從這個角度去看，日本在二戰期間的特攻行為看似英勇，其實正好反映出他們相當變態無能！ 但，一向珍惜生命的宮部久藏最終為何會選擇參與特攻任務，影片並沒有給予確切的答案。或許他已經不能再忍受白白看著戰友犧牲，自己卻苟且偷生，他希望為無辜的孩子做一點事情；或許他想以此去證明特攻任務的荒謬，警惕世人戰爭的滅絕人性；又或許那是他最快能回到妻兒身邊的方法。無論如何，事實是，連冷靜理性的他最終也難敵大環境的摧殘與衝擊。面對越來越變態的共業，個人如何自處，確實是...

★★☆☆☆ 純以一部動畫片來說，〈佛陀 2 ：無盡的旅程〉是糟糕的。故事單薄，畫功粗糙，人物平面，對白生硬，跟三年前的 第一集 相比，確實遜色。假如它不是關於釋迦牟尼佛的，我應該不會花時間去看。不過片中關於佛陀修行成道的描述也過於片面簡單，難怪的，要把成佛 ( 離言絕慮 ) 的過程影像化，絕對是吃力不討好的。如果閣下想了解佛陀的真實事蹟，還是讀相關史書比較好。 片中用了很多篇幅描述佛陀的苦行，他在思考：明知人生是苦，那人活著到底是為了什麼？其實我們來受苦完全是自願的。難道我們都是傻的，明知有苦，我們還歡喜來受？關鍵是，沒人覺得自己是傻的。我們都很聰明地把妄想理想化，堅信總有一天能追到幸福，追不到只是因為自己不夠聰明，從不知幸福原是煙霧。希望在明天。你信嗎？很多聰明的人都信的！ 雖然苦是既成，但還是可以選擇如何去面對的，這也是決定一個人的人生是否有意義的關鍵。好比一個生雞蛋，在各方面條件配合下煮成熟蛋，你雖然不能把熟蛋變回生蛋，但你可以選擇自己吃掉，讓給他人吃，還是乾脆扔了等等。不同的選擇引發不同的造作，不同的造作又感召不同的果報，但總的來說，擺在我們面前的也就只有兩條路：隨業受生或隨念往生。當然，選擇沒有對錯，後果自負而已。

★★★☆☆ It’s okay if you don’t know anything about the wormhole, the black hole, the Singularity, the Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, the gravitational waves, and the extra-dimensional time and space, just consider ‘Interstellar’ a ghost story where a father’s asked to save his family and the entire human race from dying Earth by shooting himself to Saturn, entering a wormhole, then a black hole, landing onto the extra-dimensional and becoming a ‘ghost’ to be able to teach his daughter how to fix the problem and get out of Earth, and miraculously managing to find himself in one piece to get reunited with his aging daughter in the far future when humans already move to live in a space station orbiting Saturn! Some find a journey like that spectacular and moving. Well, I’m not sure about it. While ‘ Gravity ’ complicates a single space task and makes it look extremely difficult and perilous, ‘Interstellar’ tends to simplify and make it look like a piece of cake, such as getting in ...

Who: Damien Rice Where: Ireland What: Folk Rock When: 2014 In ‘Closer’, a viciously romantic film, Damien Rice was made renowned for his melancholy way of singing and songwriting that could be pretty hard to take indeed when you’re left alone at night, hurt, estranged or bereaved. After 8 years of almost no-show, he’s finally come up with this CD of 8 songs only, but they’re all by no means short and light. Guess he really had to take his time to live and experience it to make it a song. And you might not mind taking a few more listens to be able to get the picture he’s picturing, and hopefully get wind of your inner voice as well that might’ve been trying to reach you all along! Try It

★★☆☆☆ 這可能是我最後一次看港產功夫片，我這麼說，並非意味〈一個人的武林〉的武打場面如何不堪，但要說什麼超越突破，也還說不上。或許我所謂的「精采」還停留在徐克〈黃飛鴻〉的花拳繡腿，而這部戲說的則是「功夫是殺人技」！一個邵氏古裝片的武癡單挑故事，用一個現代偵探片的方式去串聯，說是「偵探」，其實根本無須用腦。當然，看這類功夫片，不會期望有峰迴路轉的故事或精湛演技，一切都是為打而鋪排，但感覺這類港式武打已經到了一個樽頸，奈何「宇宙最強」的丹爺如何落力，也難再有任何令人驚歎的瞬間。 功夫到底是用來幫人，還是用來殺人？這純粹是個人的選擇。沒錯，人是絕對有選擇的，但由於對「我」及「我所」的強烈執著，很多時候我們都選擇錯誤，所以我們不得不輪迴、繼續回來受苦受罪，出來行走江湖，始終是要還的。除非你心中已經沒有什麼江湖、什麼天下第一，但要警惕，這可能是另一種「癡」！ 接著還有一部什麼〈黃飛鴻之英雄有夢〉，反正我是怕怕了。美好的回憶最好還是埋葬在過去，不論過去是否美好！

★★★☆☆ Well, seeing ‘Begin Again’ is like listening to an album of bittersweet pop rock/folk songs basically about love. The story doesn’t really matter, does it? But I quite appreciate the ending as a matter of fact, not romantically happy but very encouraging! The problem is, I don’t like Maroon 5’s Adam Levine as a singer or an actor, his voice and the way he sings, very much of a sissy. ‘Begin Again’, Director John Carney’s second musical film since 2007’s ‘ Once ’, appears not as poetic and sad. You may or may not like it but exhilarating and hopeful is how it feels like! Guess most of us are going to come back here to begin again because we’re always hopeful for a better life, but you know there’s no such a thing. What seems better will soon be replaced by something that we think is much better, but it certainly can’t be. It’s like there’s a hole we can never quite fill but we strongly believe we can. Truth is, we’ve come to begin again many many times before to try to fi...

★★☆☆☆ 現在的電影都喜歡拍成什麼三步曲 ( 來搶錢 ) ，但越拍越爛的，〈浪客劍心〉算是佼佼者。看過接近垃圾的 第二集 ，來到第三集，依舊是「口水多過茶」，而那些「口水」吐得又慢又乏味，真難熬！以為熬過之後有超越第一集的精采打鬥，結果只見到一個字──亂。故事則稟承第二集，繼續荒謬，有些場面應該笑的，笑不出，不應該笑的，卻差點笑出來！劍心的師傅 ( 福山雅治 ) 更只是一個「不老傳說」的笑話！如果你被 第一集 打動，請保留那份美好回憶，忘記第二、三集。如果你已經看了第二集，也請忘記第三集，除非你喜歡自虐 ( 像我這般 ) ！ 志志雄真實不是被劍心打敗的，他是被自己打敗的！劍心能夠獲勝，也並非他真的技高一籌，而是他終於知道自己到底缺少什麼！如果仔細反省，一路以來，我們都不曾敗給任何人，唯一打敗過我們的那位強敵就是我們自己。一切外在的敵人，其實都是自己心魔的顯現，所以戰勝自己，就等於戰勝一切。這個看似老土而非常真實的道理很多人聽過，也有不少人明白，但真正能夠做到的人少之又少。希望大家無須等到死神降臨的那一刻，才恍然大悟吧！

★★★☆☆ ‘Lucy’ somehow left me pondering for quite a moment what time is; why there’s time; how it’s like before time; what if one becomes time itself; and even ‘nonsense’ like what is the purpose of life? And then I was slapped back to super mundane, routine, safe reality by the call of nature literally! ‘Lucy’ is not so bad like most people think it is. The actions are pretty intense, especially the car chase sequence that’s certainly well edited and jaw-dropping. And I never thought Scarlett Johansson would put on such a great performance in a film like this. It’s just that it could’ve been more impressive if it’d stretched its philosophy and symbolism further and deeper so that it’d be like an action-packed sci-fi phenomenon, not the other way round. Well, this Luc Besson’s latest work is still worth a checkout though. Is he a one-hit wonder? I can’t judge, but I so wish that he could pull it off again like he once did to ‘ Leon: The Professional ’ in the future. This fi...

★★★☆☆ ‘Gone Girl’ works like a reminder that evil doesn’t necessarily adopt an obnoxious approach upon you. Instead it could be brutally resourceful and romantic. So inevitably it’d make you feel sick to some extent. I’m not sure if I like this film, but I’m sure I’m not going to watch it ever again. Nick (Ben Affleck) finds his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) missing on their fifth wedding anniversary. The police look into it, and later they dig up evidence against Nick, including his wife’s diary suggesting that she was becoming very afraid of her husband who might kill her eventually. Nick appears decent at first but then we learn that he’s a dishonest and unfaithful person dependent on his wife. He does seem to have a motive. Amy looks innocent but her stares are kind of creepy. Indeed she’s ‘complicated’, a code word for bitch as stressed. So what’s gonna happen next is probably not much of a surprise to you if you’re a fan of crime dramas. To me, it’s more like a horror film th...

★★★★☆ ‘The Signal’ has a seemingly warm delightful opening, and an ending maybe not so mind-bending as that in ‘ Dark City ’ but it’d certainly stun in a sense. What’s told in between is not sophisticated but intriguing enough to keep one seated for an hour and a half. There’re violent yet elegant slo-mo sequences that I find mesmerizing and moving in particular. I don’t know. I’m quite fond of this stylish piece of sci-fi while most critics and viewers feel the opposite. Hackers tracking another hacker, then they’re led to an abandoned cottage where they end up abducted by aliens, at least that’s what it looks like. When they come around however, told they’re contaminated by EBE (extraterrestrial biological entity) and being watched and studied like guinea pigs in a restricted barren location, Area 51 as they later believe so. Of course if you’ve seen ‘Dark City’ before, you might’ve figured, as the film runs half the way, that what they think it is can’t be what it really is...

★☆☆☆☆ 對於浪客劍心電影版的第二集，其實我不抱太大期望，因為我知道還有最終的第三集，好戲應該在後頭吧。但拍成如斯水平，實在難以接受，感覺好像換了導演班底，打鬥場面少之又少，滿心期待的高潮對打始終沒有出現，劇情拖拖拉拉，口水多過茶，而從他們的口水當中，我也咀嚼不出有什麼味道，京都大火的場面更是兒戲得有點搞笑，跟 第一集 相比，簡直就是一個天，一個地！ 這次跟好久沒見的朋友一同觀影，事後聽他訴說了關於工作上的迷惘與無奈，感覺他的心中的「佛」已經離他漸遠，而心中的「魔」卻越來越多。「魔」源於我們的煩惱，我們的煩惱源於我們的慾望。其實每個人心中都有兩把聲音，一把是「佛」的聲音，一把是「魔」的聲音。「魔」的聲音會不斷提醒你一個好像合理但其實非常荒謬的歪理：人不為己，天誅地滅！而「佛」的聲音有兩種：偽佛的聲音，真佛的聲音。偽佛的聲音會叫你斷惡修善，追求今生或來世的人天福報。這或許是現今很多學佛人經常聽到的一種心聲，他們其實沒有真正發菩提心。真發心的人他們會聽到真佛的聲音，提醒他們放下一切，信願念佛，求生淨土，超越輪迴。你心中的那把聲音，又是誰的聲音呢？ 劍心的內心同樣有佛魔的掙扎。既然是刀，為何逆刃？既然逆刃，還算不算是刀？手持一把不是刀的刀，目的何在？意義何在？世俗的吶喊，真佛的聲音，到底哪個更值得我們去細心聆聽呢？

★★★★☆ 三年前，我不抱任何期望入戲院看〈 功夫熊貓 2 〉，結果驚喜萬分。事隔六年，才看〈功夫熊貓〉，結果同樣驚喜萬分，不得不佩服夢工場能把一個老土的故事，重新包裝得如此幽默、精緻、生動、感人、及富有禪意。而且我覺得，第一集比第二集還要精采一點點，因為有烏龜大師！ 烏龜大師不是主角，出場甚少，但每次出現都十分矚目，而他的離去更令人不捨。他的口頭禪是「世事無 意外 」，皆因凡事發生，必有原因，絕對不會是一般人所認為的無端端。如何「生」、有因，如何「死」、亦有因，眼見的所謂意外，其實是成熟的果，有果必有因，想避免意外，唯有在「因地」下功夫，所以大家都應該持戒，持戒不僅能帶來意外之福，也能避免意外之禍。當然，持戒得定之後，你會跟烏龜大師一樣，發現一個事實：意外根本不存在！ 《大智度論》：佛法大海，信為能入，智為能度。對於佛當年在菩提樹下證得的真理：一切眾生，皆有如來智慧德相，但因妄想執著而不能證得，我們都抱著懷疑的態度。佛的知見是超越任何二元對立概念的，我們以分別對立的思考模式，想去證明超越分別對立的東西的存在，這種做法注定就是荒謬徒勞的。相信自己是什麼，最終就會變成什麼，站在唯識學的角度去看，「心想事成」絕對可能，因為一切唯心造。 熊貓阿寶最終明白：無敵的龍戰士是自己的心造出來的。這個世界、佛與淨土也是我們的心造出來的。釋迦牟尼佛說，阿彌陀佛的淨土，離我們有十萬億佛國度。很遠吧？其實也只不過是一念之間的距離而已！一念維持時間多久？按照彌勒菩薩的說法，就是一億六百兆分之一秒！

★★☆☆☆ There’s a saying: yesterday’s history. Tomorrow’s a mystery. Today’s a gift. But what if you have to live today over and again and again? Would you still consider it a gift, or a curse or what? I guess it all depends whether or not you’re aware of the reason why you’re undergoing it. ‘Edge Of Tomorrow’ has the same setup like that in ‘ Groundhog Day ’, that is, tomorrow never arrives, except that there’s nothing romantic or funny or thrilling; and this time we’re even told why it is so. As a matte of fact, I’d rather it went without explaining like ‘Groundhog Day’ does, because before the reason’s revealed, it still manages to intrigue a bit, but after that, things become routine and predictable. The actions become rather irrelevant. So the ending’s but a turnoff, at least to me. When we feel sick of life sometimes inevitably, we’re usually given a pep talk like we gotta live this life as though it’s the only one we’ve got. Truth is, we’ve already lived like no tomor...

★★★☆☆ 我從不相信，單憑催眠師幾個指令，就能把一個人頓時從清醒狀態帶入恍惚的夢境狀態，然後把潛意識無限誘發。當然我也不是說催眠純粹只是一種表演，催眠要成功，至少要有兩個條件：渴望催眠人的人，以及渴望被催眠的人。如果你不渴望被催眠，我想就算催眠大師也拿你沒辦法吧。雖說我相信催眠對我無效，但其實我已經長期處於被催眠的狀態，而「無明」就是名副其實的催眠大師！ 類似〈催眠大師〉的局中局劇情，可能我已經看的多了，不覺得有什麼驚喜或希奇，但導演對故事推進的拿捏還是有一定水準的。什麼先說，什麼該先作保留、稍後再說，什麼時候說什麼、解釋什麼，都衡量得不錯，雖然整體劇情沒什麼驚訝，但看到最後也不會有一種硬被耍的感覺。不過所有事情的源頭原來只是一場醉駕意外，政治正確意味濃厚。也難怪，這是一套大陸戲嘛！如果題材再黑暗一些，會更加過癮吧！ 這部電影也證明了導演對一部電影的影響是很大的。如果這齣戲換成一個大陸導演來拍，隨時又是一部爛得可以的 B 級片。該片的導演陳正道是台灣人，拍過〈盛夏光年〉，一部給人感覺還不錯的電影。〈催眠大師〉是他進軍大陸之作，水準得以保持。一位導演可以把一部原本平平無奇的電影變得甚有味道，也可以變得更加不堪入目！

★★★★★ 《法句經》：在於世界中， 從非怨止 怨，唯以忍止怨，此古聖常法。佛陀這幾句話可以說是這齣戲的思想總結，也是主角劍心最終的體會。「體會」不同「知道」。如果有人傷害你，你有報復的念頭，你就只是停留在「知道」的層面；如果對於傷害你的人，你不僅能原諒他，還想幫他脫離怨恨的折磨，你就已經能入佛意、與佛無異了。 沒有看過〈浪客劍心〉漫畫或卡通，所以沒有對比，但作為一齣動作片，它已經接近完美，硬要在雞蛋裡頭挑骨頭的話，我覺得演員的演技還是嫩了些。不過看動作片，最重要的還是動作吧，最多再看故事鋪排而已。此片的動作，我覺得是繼韓國現代動作片〈 殺手代父 〉之後最精采的。當然，古裝片的動作設計要比現代片複雜許多，〈浪〉刀光劍影的高速度，但又可以清楚看到他們的一招一式，華麗瀟灑的動作設計，加適當慢動作的運用，看得人熱血沸騰，拍爛手掌。故事鋪排亦頗有心思，一開始就是一場高潮戲，令人想不到。片長超過兩小時，但感覺時間過得很快，毫無冷場，娛樂性十足。很是期待下個月上映的續篇，必看。 除了動作、故事，影片的攝影也令人印象深刻，明顯是經過精心設計，但看上去卻一點都不覺造作，無論是靜態或動態畫面，都令人欣賞，頗有美感。其中最精采的一場戲當屬劍心在一個月夜行刺的場面，也交代了他臉上傷疤的由來。那場戲把被殺者的情感執著，跟劍心殺人時的內心掙扎表現得淋漓盡致。到底殺人、戰爭能否換來時代的和平與人心的安寧呢？人死了，是不是所有問題就跟著解決了、不存在了呢？要救某些人，是不是就一定要犧牲另外一些人呢？這個世界有沒有不沾人血的「活人劍」存在的空間呢？ 劍心未必認識佛法，但最後他深切體會到：用報復的方式去止息怨恨，只會把人捲入萬劫不復的地獄深淵。其實「唯以忍止怨」這個道理我們不是不懂，只是我們很難去克服自己的心魔，先放下屠刀而已。放不下屠刀的根本原因就是我們依然不相信因果，不相信一切皆因我而起。不少人說深信因果，但從他們的行為表現就能看出他們還不是真信。信但行為表現有偏差，還好。問題是，現在信因果的人已經越來越少，不信因果，就只會製造更多怨氣，怨氣積聚，就會有更多殺戮，殺戮又帶來更多怨氣，如此惡性循環，沒完沒了。 劍心的「逆刃劍」，刀背向外對著他人，刀鋒向內對著自己，是一把「活人劍」，是對自己的警惕，也是對他人的慈悲。劍、到底是一種殺人武器，或是一種救人法寶？...

★★☆☆☆ 一部過目即忘的爆谷片，不算好看，也不算垃圾，起碼敘事手法不馬虎，不過對白就有點彆扭，可能是我不習慣台灣人說話的方式吧。當中不乏黑色幽默，只是我不太懂得笑，有些場面我反倒覺得感慨。蘇有朋還真有那麼點喜劇細胞，林依晨還真有那麼點演技，好久沒見的林心如還真嚇了我一大跳！ 「甜蜜」跟「殺機」是矛盾的，但卻是一體的兩面。「甜蜜」的東西人人想要，但人們卻不喜歡「甜蜜」附帶的「殺機」，何等荒謬。這讓我想起佛陀對「愛」的一個比喻，說求愛就好比用舌頭去舔塗在刀鋒上的蜂蜜，味道雖甜，但同時舌頭也會被刮傷，會痛、會流血。情況就好像戲裡那對苦命鴛鴦，因為情執，害了他人，最終也毀了自己，看似可歌可泣，其實愚蠢至極！情執把我們緊緊綁在輪迴無盡的痛苦當中，但我們依然把這種痛苦當成甜蜜，這就是無明！

★★★☆☆ The English title for this Korean film may mislead you to think that it all happens in just one day, but it doesn’t. It takes a lot more in fact to finish telling the whole story that seems half funny half serious. ‘A Hard Day’ feels like a noir film giving an ambivalent mood that some may not be so fond of. The first half really intrigues, and builds up a lot of suspense that makes you think that the second half is sure gonna be brilliant, but unfortunately it’s not quite. As the puzzle starts to be solved bit by bit, things seem to get less interesting, and make less sense. If too critical, you may not be able to enjoy the whole ride. So it’s better to see it like a comedy but sometimes I just feel a bit bad to do so. This film reminds me of what Forrest Gump says about life: it’s like a box of chocolate. You never know what you’re gonna get. Things never quite happen like you expect them. Life always tends to let you down when you feel high, and lift you up when you f...

It’s just the cloud It’s just the cloud No need to shout Everything will be okay When the sun’s out It’s just the cloud Soon it must disappear But I’ll still be right here Where I used to fear It’s just the cloud But when I look at it I still feel like sinking in To the thick and thin It’s just the cloud Or maybe, it’s just me Right where I’m not supposed to be Thinking it’s just the cloud --TwoOne (August 13, 2014)

今早起床，看到新聞，一代笑星羅賓威廉斯 (Robin Williams) 自殺身亡，原來笑臉的背後卻隱藏著無助的抑鬱，很久沒有留意這位我一直都很欣賞的演員，沒想到當我再次留意他的時候，他就跟我們永別了，多麼可惜，多麼感慨──抑鬱的源頭是人的執著、放不下。執著、放不下是因為我們覺得雖然付出很多，但卻得不到應有的回報，我們不甘心，硬要事情順著自己的意思發展，而不知道「萬般皆是業，半點不由人」，一切都是因緣果報，執迷不悟的結果可以非常嚴重！ 說起他，我又想起他主演的〈 暴雨驕陽 〉，一部起碼我看過四五次、對我影響頗深的校園勵志經典。當年他在戲裡叫學生 seize the day 珍惜日子， make your life extraordinary 讓生命發光。如今，他卻沒辦法戰勝自己，天堂地獄真的只是一念之間。其實，什麼叫 extraordinary ？誰來定義 extraordinary ？是你自己還是別人？人是為了追求自己的夢想而活，還是為了不讓他人失望而忙？很多時候，我們都好像被夾在中間，或來回擺動，不知所措，掙扎過活！這種散亂是輪迴的特質，做人難免要承受這種壓力，因為我們迷而不悟。悟什麼？悟：無論人生是否 extraordinary ，最後其實都是一場夢，一場空。那是不是就要頹廢過活呢？如果你有這樣的反問，那證明你又落入另一種迷惑當中，又在造輪迴的業了。 心存正念，看破放下，這樣才是生活的正確態度。心存正念，所以我們隨緣做利益眾生的事情；看破放下，所以我們不執著我們所做的，做完就算，沒有期望！我想羅賓威廉斯是一個有一定智慧的人，他不是不明白這一點，只是他的一念被「魔」所轉而回不了頭，除了可惜，還是可惜。如果你能小心看護自己的念頭，念念向善，就算人人都覺得你是「 二一 」，你也已經是一個非常、非常 extraordinary 的人！

★★★☆☆ Well, it’s been quite a while since I last saw a film and felt interested to write about it. Inevitably a film must involve emotions so as to move and impress, but emotions are not a good thing after all to the enlightenment. So this could be my last, or not. Anyway, I feel like anyone reading this could learn something from this guy named Locke more or less. ‘Locke’ is Ivan Locke’s (Tom Hardy) less-than-90-minute solo driving to a hospital in London where his baby’s getting born, but it’s not his wife giving birth. Right, as you might’ve guessed, he’s made a mistake. And now he’s driving away from his family of a wife and two kids, and the job he’s been dedicated to. This is a daring, unconventional film involving only one character in a moving car with few other voices over the phone. Can’t say that it’s compelling but it’s indeed interesting enough to keep one seated for finding out what’s going on in Locke’s mind. Tom Hardy, in case you don’t know a thing about him, ...

以前每天都看一位居士的臉書有關佛法的分享，獲益良多，每天都當作是對自己的一種鞭策跟提醒。所以她告別臉書之後，我感覺有點失落，不過我覺得，離聚本是常道，有同修的分享勉勵雖好，但道還是要自己去修，路還是要自己去走的。如果不真幹，就算擁有再多的佛學知識，也是毫無利益！ 看著皈依証，心裡慚愧非常。雖然皈依多年，但其實我還沒有真正皈依。皈依佛，就是要「覺」，但我還睡得很香，不肯醒來；皈依法，就是要「正」，但我還有太多的邪念，正念的時間少得可憐；皈依僧，就是要「淨」，但我依舊齷齪邋遢，基本五戒根本沒有做到。皈依只是形式，我還在佛門外徘徊！ 再看皈依証上的法名「雄慧」，更是愧疚欲泣。我既沒有擔起復興佛教、教化眾生的勇氣，也沒有那種智慧才能。回想這些年來的學佛經歷，我想起了弘一法師參考古詩而給自己取的別名「二一」，說他自己是「一無是處人漸老；一錢不值何消說」。「二一」是對我過往學佛的一種非常正確的概括，也是對我往後學佛的一種非常有用的提醒，以及鞭策：提醒我學佛要常生慚愧心，鞭策我要把「一無是處，一錢不值」轉成「一心念佛，一生成就」。 放不下熟悉依賴的東西，就難免心隨境轉，隨業受生。告別 David Lee 是我應該去做，去學習的。我們都忘了本來是誰，卻以為自己就是誰。但說到底，誰是誰都不重要，因為本來就沒有誰啊！

★★★★☆ 聽老一輩人說，以前毛澤東時期，各家門都是不上鎖的，鮮有人偷東西。雖說那個時代政局不穩，科技落後，但人心還算單純贛直，要不毛澤東也不能輕易煽動人心，搞出個文化大革命來！所以我相信戲裡馮婉瑜 ( 巩俐 ) 的家門常年不鎖也不丟東西。如今科技進步了，人心卻蠱惑了，到底時代是進步了，還是退步了呢？ 〈歸來〉是張藝謀的新作，以文革為背景，隱約可以感受到對那個瘋狂時代的控訴，但重點還是擺在人與人之間的情執，描寫陸焉識 ( 陳道明 ) 與馮婉瑜之間「這麼近卻那麼遠」的無奈和痛苦。相比讓我淚流滿面的〈 我的父親母親 〉，這次張導刻意不煽情，很多情節都是點到即止，但給人的感受依然強烈，配合朗朗的鋼琴聲，幾次讓我強忍淚水。例如兩人在火車站「你認識我，我不認識你」的擦肩而過；還有在鋼琴旁「似曾相識漸轉陌生」的擁抱……巩俐的演技堪稱神級，演而無演，自然流露內心的執著與掙扎，令人印象深刻！ 所謂「情不重不生娑婆，愛不深不墮輪迴」，情執是輪迴的動力，我們之所以生生世世不能擺脫輪迴，就是因為我們始終看不破、放不下。我們看自己多情，正常啊；佛菩薩看我們多情，可憐啊！看破放下不是要你做一個無情的木頭人，什麼都不做。事可以照做，只是心不要去執著，但我們凡夫很難做到事理無礙，不被境界所迷。度他即是自度，這是佛菩薩的境界，我們求不得，最妥當的還是先求自度，再來度他。但在末法時期，我們都不求自度，何況度他？如馮婉瑜，病了不自知，忘記了應該記得的，卻記住了應該忘記的。我們此等「背覺合塵」的人，病了卻自我感覺良好，反倒覺得那些「背塵合覺」的人有病，顛倒啊！ 感人細膩的〈歸來〉讓我再次感受到情執的折磨與可怕。佛陀盼我們回歸自性，了悟宇宙人生的真相，希望我們早日「歸來」，但我們卻喜歡在外尋尋覓覓、自討苦吃，忘記了原來我們早有一個溫暖圓滿的「家」！

★★☆☆☆ In case you don’t know, Noah is a descendant of Adam and Eva, a task-doer instructed by God to build an ark so as to survive the flood that was supposed to wipe out all the sinful men on Earth, and also the proof of God’s imperfection, because if God was so perfect, he wouldn’t have created such an imperfect world where imperfect beings like Adam and Eva would be easily tempted to fall. And he wouldn’t have regretted it and wanted to flush us all away and start it all over again using the flood. I can’t help but wonder what was really going wrong with God and Noah since they all seem pretty fickle. ‘Noah’ is nothing dramatic or biblical but a plain story of love and forgiveness. Acting and special effects are not impressive though. I don’t have a slight idea what’s really going on in ‘Noah’s Ark’, so I’m a bit surprised when Noah says he’s told to start a new world without men after the flood. Meaning he’s supposed to bury himself and his whole family as well. Not a sing...

★☆☆☆☆ Honestly I can’t make head nor tail of ‘Under The Skin’ that some consider hideously beautiful. Well, I don’t understand how something hideous could be beautiful or beautiful be hideous at the same time, but I guess that’s how people feel about art films in general. Anyway it seems bizarrely stupid to me, probably because a) I’m no fan of Scarlett Johansson; b) it delivers no story but a lot of make-no-sense stuff, and quiet still moments; c) nothing thrilling going on really like there’s supposed to; d) the underscore indeed pretty disturbing; f) last but not least, I was never warned that art films are not necessarily beautiful. That they could be rather gloomy-doomy in fact! ‘Under The Skin’ is obviously too abstract and bleak for me. It really gets under my skin and makes me feel a bit uneasy since I’m convinced that this is a big bad world full of big bad wolves. The good are few. The bad are a lot. Suppose we can still tell the good from the bad!