The Best & The Worst Of 2014

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 you know where to look, when to let go and move on!

The Best:

Title: The Eternal Zero

Year: 2014

Country: Japan

Director: Takashi Yamazaki

Starring: Junichi Okada, Haruma Miura, Mao Inoue

Pros: great storytelling, decent acting, not a slight of glorification of war. Instead it forces us to have to ruminate on the very absurdity of war itself, and the painful struggles and helplessness in men’s lives during the troubled times. It also reminds me of how true love and relationship is supposed to be like, and of how necessary it is to stay aware and awake, even if that may make you look like an idiot, while others all tend to be hypnotized to do what they’re not supposed to. ‘Zero’ is eternal, engrossing, moving and impressive!

Cons: the pace of the film may seem a bit slow to some, but it grows on you for sure.

The Worst:

Title: Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno

Year: 2014

Country: Japan

Director: Keishi Ohtomo

Starring: Takeru Satoh, Emi Takei, Munetaka Aoki

Pros: Can’t think of any. Period.

Cons: a lot, stupid setup, lousy acting, pointless talks, forgettable fights, let alone the story. I checked it out because ‘Rurouni Kenshin’ is indeed a classic piece of action to me since Jet Li’s ‘Once Upon A Time In China’ series, and I expected to feel excited again, but I made a fool of myself as a result. Well what I’ve learned is, every experience is unique and different. Do not expect the present moment to be like anything you experienced before, then you won’t be so let down even if it turns out so bad!

Advice: go check out ‘The Eternal Zero’ even if you’re not a fan of wars or Japanese films. It’s only a bit about war, but a lot about life and love, and what we should particularly value in life. And if you think ‘Rurouni Kenshin’ is so great like I do, it’s wise not to ruin the good memory by checking out its sequels, this and this! One is enough!

Again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to anyone ever dropped by ‘Almost Buddhist’. Last but not least, do what you’re entitled to do. DO NOT feel attached to it. DO NOT think about it, because the moment you think, it’s confusion; the moment you speak, it’s contradiction. So good luck to you guys out there. May you all be able to wake up and realize it soon! See you next year, hopefully!