Almost Buddhist - 戲‧論

★★☆☆☆ The story is nothing gripping or moving but well presented in a rather slow, natural pace. The truth is not revealing till the last couple of minutes, but I find it predictable as I feel like right in the beginning that Anna and Marnie are not in the same space at the same time though they seem to be always playing around together in the picture. These two little girls are intimately connected. How and why is for you to find out. All I can say is, memories are nothing kind or cruel! I appreciate the countryside as a backdrop in the film rather than the story, or the characters or the music whatsoever. I envy Anna having the chance to break away from the hustle and bustle, but sometimes I’d think to myself that no matter where else I go, no matter what other life I may lead, I’ll still be tricked by memories into believing that Samsara is kind of sweet and solid. That in this circle of life, there’s something so worth fighting for and holding on to. But you know memories

Who: Death Cab For Cutie Where: America What: Alternative/Indie Rock When: 2015 With long time member Chris Walla’s ‘bittersweet’ exit, only 3 are left now. Still they sound fresh and rejuvenated though they’re no spring chicken. This is their 8 th studio album already, the best, I guess, since ‘Transatlanticism’ and ‘Plans’. 4 hit singles aside, ‘Kintsugi’ has got more exhilarating stuff like ‘Everything’s A Ceiling’, ‘Good Help’, ‘Ingenue’, as the proof that ‘DCFC’ have not yet lost the touch on artistic tunes and poetic lyrics. They’ve made a comeback for certain, after stepping down ‘Narrow Stairs’ and throwing around ‘Codes And Keys’, telling you now not to be ashamed of your scars and wounds but to accept them as part of a brand new you. That’s what kintsugi really means, isn’t it? Try it

★★★★★ Here’s a classic, in a time-travel genre, maybe not of all time, but definitely of the year. Feeling like ‘ Looper ’ is tricky enough, you’ll be real mad trying to wrap your head around the plot of ‘Predestination’, that’s of paradoxes making one rather confused who’s who, what’s what, and which must logically come first. It seems so mesmerizing and flawless however, if you flow with it instead of fighting it and trying to be smart. Plus a really impressive performance by Sarah Snook, for which I think she deserves an Academy Award or stuff, ‘Predestination’ is pretty much a perfect film to stun and inspire if you’ve ever been fed up with life itself. The biggest problem you may have with the film is the head-scratching timeline and characters involved. I’m not to break it down here. I’ll have to spoil the plot if I do. To better enjoy it, you gotta break away from logical thinking of time and space that’s, as a matter of fact, nothing but a delusion. But we’re trapped i

★★★☆☆ What ‘Birdman’ impresses me is, first of all, its seemingly effortless effort in making the whole film look like one single long take, but of course you know it can’t be possible without seamless editing skill and a slight touch of special effect. Sure there’re long takes but they’re not so long as they seem. And they require some real good performances nonetheless, especially like Michael Keaton’s. So the Academy Award for Best Director? Definitely. But Best Picture? Well… it may not be everybody’s taste. It all depends who you are and what you expect from the film. Honestly it’s not so mine! ‘Birdman’ is like a bittersweet surrealistic fable. It’s bitter because Michael Keaton’s Riggan has to give in to his inner voice and public opinions to some extent. He struggles between who he is and who he used to be; who he’s supposed to be and who he’s considered to be. It’s kind of sweet because the ending suggests he finally manages to live for nobody but himself. It’s a fabl

★★★☆☆ I don’t think I’d be interested in writing about films here if I didn’t happen to read Roger Ebert’s film reviews that are indeed sagacious, informative, insightful and I don’t know, kind of touching, especially those written when he was ill. Aside the fact that he’s the one and only Pulitzer winning film critic that was something he usually bragged about in fact, he was a cancer fighter, an optimist, a guide on how to look at films, an inspiration for those taking films as part of their lives. As a documentary about Roger Ebert, the most influential film critic of all, ‘Life Itself’ is not that gripping and poignant after all, but it does offer us a glimpse of how he got started to be a film critic; how he got along with himself, family and friends, and later on his cancer. He wasn’t born a film critic but was destined to be one, a great one undoubtedly. I don’t love films like he does. That’s why I can’t be great as he is. The truth is, if you want to be great at somet

Who: Imagine Dragons Where: America What: Alternative/Indie Rock When: 2015 ‘Smoke + Mirrors’ is not an album you’d love at first listen but it’s gonna grow on you if giving it a few more tries. This Imagine Dragons’ sophomore may not be of all your favorites but there’s certainly a song or two that’d haunt and stay in your mind, like ‘It Comes Back To You’ and ‘Dream’ for me, particularly the latter crying ‘we all are living in a dream. Life ain’t what it seems. Everything’s a mess. All the sorrows I’ve seen. They lead me to believe that everything’s a mess’, so poignant but so true! Try it

Who: Imagine Dragons Where: America What: Alternative/Indie Rock When: 2012 They’ve got an alternative cover but a pop heart, or the other way round if you like. Whatever, that’s how I feel about them. They seem to have struck a pretty good balance between doing what they like and doing what most of us would probably like. ‘Night Visions’, their impressive debut, is of smash hits, some heavy and depressing, some encouraging and fun. First listen to it may sound like no big deal, but then you’ll get hooked up and start to sing along. Strange! They’ve nothing ordinary in short. Try it

★★★☆☆ The film itself is not so exhilarating as expected, but on account of Benedict Cumberbatch’s decent performance, and ingenious storytelling and use of flashbacks, ‘The Imitation Game’ is still worth your time and attention. And of course in a film like that about a genius inventing something extraordinary so as to change the course of history, it’s often to come across witty words like ‘sometimes it’s the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine’. The story’s based on great British mathematician Alan Turing’s real life that, like most geniuses’, ended up so pathetic indeed. Turing didn’t have a happy life because he was a genius, and also a homosexual that was something illegal back then in Britain. Now it’s nothing to be ashamed of, nor anything to be proud of. To me it’s just a personal preference or interest that should be respected and understood by the majority. Homosexuality aside, a genius is bound to be a loner as he thinks