Almost Buddhist - 戲‧論

★★★☆☆ 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!

★★★☆☆ In ‘Groundhog Day’, Bill Murray’s Phil Connors has to live the Groundhog Day over and again for reasons unknown, till… no idea how and why exactly he’s able to get out of it in the end either. Things just happen so naturally or say, unreasonably, that the whole film seems like nothing more than a comedy of romance. It could’ve been deeper and more ingenious indeed but instead it leaves us some laughs and wonders just like that. How many more mistakes do we have to repeat before we manage to learn and correct it? How much more suffering do we have to take before we finally see what’s wrong with this life and want to stop it no matter what? We keep coming back for more and more till we’re bent and crashed and tortured and killed. Yet again we come back for some more not remembering the pain at all. Well, if you haven’t had enough, I have. Just like Phil Connors himself, though I can’t see exactly how and why I’m stuck in here right now, I’m so determined to want to make it...

★☆☆☆☆ 〈 突擊死亡塔 〉為打而打，反而有點過癮，雖然我從來都看不到暴力中有何美學可言。來到這個續篇則不再為打而打了，硬把一個無聊、荒謬、薄弱的故事拖長來說，其實當我看到片長是兩個半小時，我已經心覺不妥，一部虐殺打片有必要這麼長嗎？原來這次導演真的眼紅了，野心大了，戲中大部分時間，他都在賣弄攝影美術、剪接技巧，情節合理與否就不是他關心的了──把一個十元硬幣般大的竊聽器直接放在人家的錢包裡，如此偷聽技倆，只有豬才想得出來！ 想看打的觀眾一定失望，因為裡面打的少，相比首集，打鬥場面也好不到哪裡去，看到最後我已經有點作嘔。問題來了，明知這是一部虐殺戲，暴力充斥，故事薄弱，為何我（們）還是犧牲寶貴的時間去看呢？為何我（們）始終喜歡觀看暴力，施展暴力呢？為何我（們）總是學不乖呢？唯一想到的答案，就是因為我（們）無量劫來累積的習氣。 《華嚴經》：「忘失菩提心，修諸善法，是名魔業。」如果大家参透這句話，就會明白業力、 習氣的可怕。可能你對自己所修的善業有信心，對來生還有一定寄望。但我是不求來生的，我只求今生往生彌陀淨土，一生成佛。要不然，我肯定跟電影裡的那些傢伙一樣，今生不知怎麼個死法，來生更不知會死到哪裡去！

★☆☆☆☆ ‘300’ is fresh though I see no beauty about violence at all. ‘300: Rise Of An Empire’ is however, like a boring 90-minute gameplay trailer, with a very clichéd story, unattractive characters, exaggerated slo-mo actions actually more than enough and necessary, preposterous pep talks to fill up spaces between fights, and last but not least, it doesn’t seem to know how to end properly. I know this is a comic-book-feel-like movie so that all we have to do is sit and enjoy how they fight each other’s balls out, but truth is, seeking vengeance in the name of whatever will get you nothing but yourself perished in infernal flame! Anyone who finds any part of it beautiful or enjoyable is either a headcase or an imbecile (like me)!

★★★★☆ 我不是憤青，不好政治，不屬「左」，也不屬「右」，更不會佔「中」。我沒有興趣成為民主的棋子，也沒有興趣成為民主的鬥士，因為我知道民主只不過是人的虛妄中的虛妄。有問題的人自然製造有問題的制度，但他們卻期望有問題的制度能帶來無問題的和諧社會，有問題的人認為不停修補完善有問題的制度，最終就能解決所有問題，他們不知道：外在的問題，歸根究底都是人自身出了問題。所謂行有不得，反求諸己。人的問題未解決，誰當家作主，最終結果都是悲慘的！民主本身不是問題，有問題的是提出民主的人！ 〈逆權大狀〉不單只是講「民主」，還講「國家」。國家也是一個詭異的東西。經常聽到有人講：我愛國家，但不愛黨。試問，國家在哪裡？拿來給我看看。為何會有國家這個東西？有什麼作用？沒有黨，會不會有所謂的國家？黨建立國家，統治國家，國家跟黨如何區分？要知道，國家和黨也是人妄想分別的產物，所以我不愛黨，也不愛國家，只愛中國傳統文化。國家不是地球的自然產物，地球本無國家，如果不是人有「病」，「國」也根本不會存在！ 不要誤會，我不是在詆毀這部戲，相反，〈逆權大狀〉十分精采，假如你能熬過前面一個多小時的「人物塑造」時間，接著的兩場法庭答辯絕對會看得你熱血沸騰。其中一場更有一個四到五分鐘的長鏡頭，技巧相當高，而主角宋康昊不愧為韓國影帝，演技精湛自然，收放自如。一個建築工人，為何決心攻讀法律做律師，繼而變成民權鬥士，最終成為韓國總統（主角原型是韓國已故總統盧武鉉），他跟餐廳老闆娘之間的情義絕對是原因之一。在戲中，可以看到人性的腐敗，也可以看到人性的光輝。 所謂物極必反，民主至極就變獨裁，獨裁至極民主就再登場，歷史重複又重複，因為人總是活在虛妄當中而樂此不疲！

★★★☆☆ I don’t know since when Liam Neeson felt like he’d be better off becoming an action hero, but he’s ‘Taken’ twice. One ’s fresh. One ’s boring. This time his plane’s taken, and he’s an alcoholic air marshal, part of the U.S. Department of Home Security set up after the 911 attacks. But hey terrorist attacks don’t necessarily come from outside the country. It could and mostly would be triggered by its own people. You know there’re always some bad apples. They’re considered bad because they refuse to buy the Government’s bullshit and live with a lie. And we’re good because we side with it and believe that justice’s after all so worth fighting for. ‘Non-Stop’ is more like an interesting mind game than a pack of mindless actions. You’re given pieces of a puzzle one by one on the way, and you won’t be able to guess the whole picture till it reveals itself at last. It’s actually kind of a cliché, but the flight is indeed quite engrossing. It raises an issue to me: how to really...

★★★★☆ It opens with a real footage recorded by a passenger on a subway platform, showing white cops asking several black guys to behave and cooperate for what I don’t know yet. After some bickering, one of the black is forced face down on the ground by two police officers. And it ends with a gunshot. ‘Fruitvale Station’ tells a true story that shocks, provokes and moves. The footage works like an intrigue. The rest of it reveals moments of the victim, Oscar Grant’s (Michael B. Jordan) day life before he finally walks up to such a tragedy. We get to catch glimpses of how he struggles to make ends meet, and gets caught once; how he copes with his mother, girlfriend and daughter, but inevitably goes off sometimes under pressure of trying to be a better man like every ordinary one of us. The images are poignant in a sense, as you know the ending’s not gonna be happy. The underscore is exceedingly haunting. It attacks me from time to time. Everything happens for a reason. I don...

★★★☆☆ ‘Everything’s awesome’ is repeated many times in the film, but in reality, it’s seldom heard because we, from the bottom of our heart, don’t buy it, do we? We tend to believe that, well, something’s awesome, but certainly not everything is. We always complain about there being no real good persons in the world, but it’s not things going wrong out there, it’s us! From a Buddhist point of view, the world’s merely the reflection of our mind. If our mind’s screwed up, so is the world we’re in. ‘Everything’s awesome’ only happens in the eyes of the Buddha, the awakening one. We, the sentient beings, can only get to see a messed up world and hardly realize that it’s in fact all up to us! ‘The Lego Movie’ reminds me of ‘ Wreck It, Ralph ’, a memorable piece of animation that seems a bit absurd at first but it definitely teaches and moves. Said I’d never ever check out another superhero film but this film’s not about Batman or any alike, though it makes a great deal of fun out o...

★★★★☆ Funny that when I first saw the poster for ‘Godzilla’, I didn’t see a monster destroying a city. I saw a lonely soul being destroyed in a city of fear and desperation instead. But I was wrong either way. To clear some of your wonders, I think I have to drop you a heads-up here: Godzilla is No dinosaur though it looks like one. Yes, it’s an ancient giant creature, far much older than dinosaurs as said, but while dinosaurs eat veggies or flesh, Godzilla doesn’t. He (could be a she, I don’t’ know, let’s presume it’s a he here) sucks up Earth’s radiation to live and reproduce. So he’s not there to tear apart buildings and stomp on people just for fun. He’s up there for a very serious purpose that’s after all not well explained, and so not convincing enough. I’ve got to give a thumbs-up to Director Gareth Edwards, who first gained fame for his low-budget indie sci-fi ‘ Monsters ’ that looks weird but no trash to me actually, for choosing to take a rather realistic approac...

★★☆☆☆ 〈伊朗式離婚〉跟〈 伊朗式分居 〉沒有關係，完全「抽水」。故事發生在法國，沒有前作的伊朗風情，片中那個伊朗人，我想也是多餘的，沒有他，故事照常可以發展。兩個多小時的片長，其實可以再縮短半個小時。劇情煞有介事，過程中，透過人物對話帶出種種懸疑，是其唯一可觀之處，所以也不得不佩服導演「故弄玄虛」的功力。 一個女人結了婚，生孩子，又離婚，又再結婚；一個男人有妻有子，玩婚外情，搞得妻子變成植物人，自己不知如何是好；喜歡結尾那個定格畫面──手握手，不放手，多麼唏噓無奈！在這部戲裡，我又再看到人的種種「不自由」，從而引發的種種「自作賤」。「不自由」因為業力使然。有些事情，明明不該做，卻做了；明明該做，卻沒做。在「做」與「不做」之間，我們好像有選擇，其實背後都是業力在推波助瀾，所以我尊敬的印光大師勸勉念佛人要「不能專，要他專；不能念，要他念；不能一心，要他一心」。只有當願力超越業力時，我們才能得到真正的自由。在那之前，凡夫只能在六道繼續隨業漂泊，像我這般，明明不想看這戲，最後還是看了！