Almost Buddhist - 戲‧論

★★★☆☆ I thought Baby the getaway driver would pull off spectacular stunts or tricks in the end to make it look fancier and more romantic, but nope, instead he chooses to face the music. Well, it’s quite understandable, but for a fancy action film as it seems right from the opening through the middle, such an ending is more or less of a disappointment! Other than that, ‘Baby Driver’ is a lot of joy though it’s labeled a crime action that’s supposed to be pretty serious! You feel enjoyable while something supposedly nerve-wrecking and dangerous like a heist is taking place. And you’re kind of worry-free and easy when Baby’s performing his magic moves that are in fact very risky. Yeah, that’s the way the film makes you feel. It’s weird and surreal but fun and fresh! Music is the soul of the film, since Baby can’t seem to get anything done without it. So you’re going to hear songs after songs right from the very beginning till the end. The film’s a perfect demonstration of music b...

★★★★★ The question is, would you rather keep up with the killing game and be part of this world inevitably becoming sicker and darker, or stay good, true and innocent even if that means being alienated and getting killed eventually? This is sort of a dilemma the opening narrative raises for our consideration. It may not seem to have anything to do with the plot, just like the title may seem completely irrelevant to the story itself, but that’s the theme hidden behind you have to keep in mind while watching such a masterpiece by Coen brothers! This is not a film you’d appreciate immediately right after first checkout. The more you watch it, the more you’d love it and understand what is really going on there, what those pictures without any bit of score try to convey, and why those characters think and act and talk like that. Some may feel like the pace is sometimes pretty slow, especially when it comes to Tommy Lee Jones’s part, but it actually works like a timeout where you ca...

★★★☆☆ This is an action-comedy! Keep that in mind, and you’re probably going to enjoy it! If you take it just an action film like any other serious one out there, you could be rather upset I guess because most of the scenes are actually too exaggerated to be making any sense. If you however, keep reminding yourself that it’s basically just a comedy that cares more about fun than facts, then you might find it quite exhilarating as it somehow manages to give you a sudden laugh or two when you don’t quite expect it at all, in spite of the carefree plot and notorious unkillable characters like the hitman, and his bodyguard! Some of the action scenes, though they may seem like sort of a joke if you take them too seriously, are in fact pretty well choreographed and impressive such as the chase on the streets of Amsterdam, hands down. And there’s one more thing that makes this film not only more interesting but also rather nostalgic. That is, those good old songs to be reminiscent of...

隱約雷鳴，陰霾天空。但盼風雨來，能留你在此。一直以來，〈言葉之庭〉是我最喜歡的動畫作品，沒有之一。世界上有許多優秀的動畫大師，但我還是偏愛新海誠那散文詩一樣的內心獨白。中國人和日本人其實很相近，在情感方面我們有的更多的是內斂和含蓄。想起夏目簌石，說：日本人不會說我愛你，而是說月色真美啊。雖然是看電影，但是那種感情的內斂程度，卻又有文學感。也許這就是我偏愛他的原因吧。 〈言葉之庭〉講的其實是一個關於成長的愛情故事。 15 歲的孝雄是一個心裏年齡比真實年齡更加成熟的高中生，而 27 歲的雪野卻絲毫不比 15 歲的自己更加聰明。 15 歲的孝雄會爲了制鞋師的夢想努力前行，而 27 歲的雪野卻因爲輿論止步不前。正是這樣巧妙的設定才讓原本荒唐的戀情變得合理。雪野本質上是個懦弱的女性，始終邁不進地鐵、向前男友撒謊以及對孝雄示愛的逃避，但在與孝雄庭中相遇的日子裏，漸漸從他的身上找到了繼續前行的力量，也終於不再害怕輿論，勇敢地接受了孝雄的愛意。孝雄是一個成熟又浪漫的人，他的哥哥認爲母親與小自己一輪的男友交往不得體，但他卻誇母親還是那麽年輕，這也算是排除了與雪野相戀的一大心理障礙吧。後來，孝雄爲雪野親自製作了一雙女鞋。就像雪野說的，之前都是光著腳不敢前行，正是孝雄的這雙鞋才讓她更加有勇氣地走下去。 再說說這部動畫電影的迷人之處。 1. 散文式獨白 孝雄：小時候，天空分明觸手可及，於是喜歡上雨，因爲它帶來天空的味道。 雪野：所謂人類，多多少少都有些不正常。 孝雄：晴天裏，總覺得自己被關在孩子氣的世界裏，焦慮無比。 雪野：二十七歲的我，絲毫不比十五歲的我聰明，只有我，一直停留在原地。 孝雄 & 雪野：迄今爲止的人生裏，這一刻，或許是最幸福的。 2. 短歌的巧妙運用 雪野初見孝雄用雷神短歌來表達對孝雄期許： 隱約雷鳴，陰霾天空。 但盼風雨來， 能留你在此。 後來孝雄找到了這首短歌的答歌，來表示對雪野的承諾： 隱約雷鳴，陰霾天空。 即使天無雨， 我亦留此地。 3. 場景的選擇及情感推進 講一個愛情故事不難，但在一個空間及物件都有限的庭子裏講一個愛情故事就需要相當的功力。於是導演用大量的動作，對話，音樂，景別，天氣等手法進行變化。每一處細微的改變都能讓人感覺到情感的推進。 ...

★☆☆☆☆ The Japanese ‘Death Note’ is a thought-provoking crime thriller full of wits and suspense and plot twists. This Hollywood adaptation however, seems nothing like the original. At certain points, I feel like I’m watching a stupid love story instead of a supposedly gripping catch-me-if-you-can mind game! The story aside, the characters are paper-thin and forgettable, especially L, who is supposed to be very special and charming. The cast is of a total disaster so to speak. And those awkward songs and pointless slo-mo are absolutely preposterous! Seriously the film would just make you go like WTF whether you’re a fan of the original ‘Death Note’ or not! ‘Karma’s a bitch’! That’s something you’d say when you feel like good people don’t get what they deserve, and bad people get what they don’t deserve! Well, first off, karma’s not that simple as you think. It means an action that actually involves loads of causes and conditions. And when you talk about actions, you have to talk...