Almost Buddhist - 戲‧論

Christmas’s coming. The year’s ending. It’s time to reveal my ‘The Best & The Worst of 2015’. ‘Almost Buddhist’ has been running for more than 3 years now. I thought of giving it up few times but I’ve somehow managed to keep it alive. Actually it’s been like a very close friend of mine that sometimes I found so enjoyable talking to. You may or may not like what I’ve been saying here since it’s all very personal indeed. But I guess one ought to adopt a comfortable way of his own to communicate with himself from time to time so as not to get lost between his needs and wants. And turns out this is quite an effective way for me! Still there’s a possibility that I might call it quits someday, when I feel like I’ve said enough here, or there’s no one interested in what I’m saying anymore, or I no longer have the intention to find anything sensible in any films. Things y’know, will stop and go away or turn into something else when the conditions are ripe. So will ‘A.B.’! But until th...

★★★★☆ Before getting to the film, I accidentally picked up a ‘Cartel’ documentary telling a cruel disturbing truth about how ‘law and order’ is actually kept working at the borders between the America and Mexico. If you have no idea what ‘cartel’ is about, go google it. And to better feel and understand ‘Sicario’, it’s best that you go check out the documentary first, though it’s much of a downer! ‘Sicario’ is breathtakingly depressing throughout thanks to its eerie score, superb camerawork, decent acting, and of course an engrossing script that manages to make you feel rather sick and pissed off about how they do to maintain order in a lawless land up there in fact. And it kind of frustrates you that it’s been proved to be an effective way with which the local and the authority are supposed to go, not to go against! In case you get it wrong, this is NOT an action film. Gunfire exchanges are few! Physical combats and show-off explosions are none! It should be taken as a politi...

★★★★☆ ‘The Walk’ is of a single event but it spends two-thirds of the time explaining why it’s being done and how it’s supposed to be done. Don’t get it wrong. I’m not complaining it. In fact, the film sets it up so well that it doesn’t feel much like a more-than-two-hour tedious drama but the narrative does seem dragged out and over-explained a bit. The final scene of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Philippe Petit performing stunning acrobatics on a thin wire across the top of the Twin Towers is nevertheless, breathtaking and jaw-dropping. You could get a heart attack for real if you have acrophobia! Most of Director Robert Zemeckis’s works are able to impress and amaze me in a sense. ‘ Contact ’ is the best! ‘The Walk’ belongs to the second best category like ‘Forrest Gump’, ‘Cast Away’ and ‘ Flight ’. The film’s based on a true story that took place in New York, 1974. Knowing it gives you more thrills because you just can’t help but wonder how come a guy like you and me wants to do ...

★★★☆☆ 又一部會看到你「 o 晒嘴」的戲！別誤會，這裡說的「 o 晒嘴」是帶有讚譽的意思。不過，撇開那個令人「 o 晒嘴」的結局，這套戲又確實真是悶到有點抽筋，節奏又慢得有點過分。但，可能導演就是要以這樣的節奏與劇情來麻痺你的思路，讓你不由自主地被牽著鼻子走，慢慢跌入導演編劇設好的驚喜陷阱！以為事情是這樣，但背後卻是另一回事！或者你開頭已經有點懷疑，但無論你的情場經驗是多是寡，結局都絕對會令你「噴飯」，又如果你是對愛情充滿憧憬與理想的純情小鴨，那你應該會「噴血」囉！ 這是一部幾有趣，幾好笑，也幾諷刺的愛情喜劇吧，因為它的格調一點都不嚴肅，反而有一種輕鬆兒戲的感覺！或許這樣一種輕鬆兒戲的態度，就是現代年輕人進行的戀愛方式吧！雖然以一個第三者抽離的角度去看，會覺得電影裡發生的事好「搞野」，但如果你作為一個當局者如此去「搞野」，恐怕最終也只會是悲劇收場吧！〈愛的成人式〉雖然懷舊、以八十年代為背景，但突出的卻是頗為現代、或者說頗為現實的愛情觀。也是一部諷刺甚有玩味的電影：以為看到事實的全部，孰不知只是事實的一部分。不得不承認，在日常生活中，我們經常以這種偏狹的眼光去高估或低估別人、和自己！

★★★★☆ The film opens with an exhilarating piece of music hinting that it’s probably a heart-warming, delightful, optimistic romance story. And yes, it is. I like the tone of it; the phone-back-in-time thing; the ambiguous ending; how it views love and relationship; and the script that manages to stay light and joyful, also a little bit intriguing about what happened and is happening to the pair, though there’s inevitably few moments of sentimentality. This is actually a very good flick for a couple to check out on coming Christmas! I guess everybody’s looking or waiting for their so called perfect better half, but the thing is, like it’s said in the film, ‘there’s no perfect. There will always be struggle. You just need to choose who you gonna struggle with.’ Love’s not filling the void of loneliness or weightlessness or anything you so hate feeling. Love’s about the choices you make, and the responsibilities you have to bear with it. If you can’t take it, or say, aren’t ready...

★★★☆☆ 有人從這部悲劇中看到希望，我看不到。我看到的，是錯誤價值觀引導下所產生的種種顛倒行為！一個人如果價值觀有問題，或者說他所信的東西有偏差，他的行為也必定有偏差，他自己以及他的身邊人也必定遭罪！偏差的價值觀會引你做壞事，但卻覺得自己在做好事，而無既定價值觀的人則必定迷失。丁子聰 ( 白只 ) 最後的法庭招供，給我的不是一種心寒的感覺，而是可憐！他的眼淚告訴我，他當時其實根本不知自己在做甚麼，或者說應該怎麼做。因為孤獨，我們尋找慰籍，但因為迷失，我們又逃避責任。孤獨迷失已經是現代人的通病，或者如果你是丁子聰，可能你都會照他那麼做！ 對這部電影沒有特別的好惡。新演員白只的演出算最有印象！其他演員都是普普通通，春夏沒甚麼感染力，金燕玲有點過火，郭富城更只是閒角！不過影片的攝影、剪接、配樂算是近期港產片之中比較可觀的。〈踏血尋梅〉給我的感覺更多的不是「悲」，而是「無奈」，無奈怎麼死可以是一種美麗的解脫？怎麼可以不討厭女人，但卻討厭人？怎麼可以殺人也是愛對方的一種方式？影片帶出此等讓人百般無奈的問題，但最後留下的卻還是只有孤獨與迷失！

Who: Toe Where: Japan What: Instrumental/Math Rock When: 2005 If being tired of any vocals, or simply hankering for some intricate exhilarating guitar sounds and insane drumming, here’s Japanese Toe’s debut for you to feel relaxed and even blissful. I’ve been listening to it over and again, and still find it sunshiny, full of delight and hope, thanks to the magic of instrumental math rock that provides a lot of space for one to personally interpret, feel and ponder! And if you go check out their live performances on Youtube or something, you’ll definitely wish them to come rock you in your face soon, but until then… Try it

★★★☆☆ 影片的精采在於用不同的視野，去陳述同一件事情，效果出色，令人意外。當然，所謂的「意外」，是相對於我們這些經常以自私角度去思考的人而言。至於過程是否浪漫有趣，則見仁見智。影片多少喚起我讀書時一些美好回憶，當中最經典的莫過於：你喜歡一個人的時候，你反而會做一些讓她反感的事！情節是有趣的，但浪漫就顯得有點造作了。這個世界還有沒有像徐太宇 ( 王大陸 ) 那樣，真正懂得如何去「愛」或「相信愛」的人？不敢說沒有，但更多人是相信徐太宇只屬於電影，不屬於現實！現實會磨滅我們內心曾經真實存在過的純真！長大其實是一個陷阱，成熟是無奈的悲哀！ 想不到我到了這個階段，還會多少被〈我的少女時代〉這樣的東西打動。或許你我的內心雖然不再「天真瘋狂」，但對愛與被愛的渴求依然存在，對找到完美伴侶依然憧憬。徐太宇是完美的，也是超現實的，如此比〈 那些年 〉更超現實的電影讓我們又重新做了一回「孩子」，狠狠地摑了現實一巴掌，但打完後，我們就趕忙道歉兼安撫，只把內心的「孩子」當成回憶！