Almost Buddhist - 戲‧論

★★★☆☆ ‘Spotlight’ sells nothing short of an attractive drama that involves a bunch of good actors, a decent script, a gripping score, and a load of sensible dialogues that help move the narrative, but since it’s based on true events, you probably know what’s gonna happen in there. The so-called ugly truth is not so ugly as you should’ve been told by news that the whole system has been running effectively and discreetly for ages. ‘Spotlight’ is nothing refreshing but still serves as a strike on your religious belief if that takes up the most part of your life. You should however, keep in mind that it’s not the religion itself going wrong in any way. It’s just the people! The film could work like a horror that sickens rather than a drama that shocks, especially when you realize that someone you so religiously trust and look up to can use your weaknesses and as a result make you their slave! Yet they don’t have to face the consequences as they’ve got a secret system to protect th...

★★☆☆☆ If interested to check out Tarantino’s 8 th out of total 10 he’s planning before he finally retires, you’d better be ready to be bombarded with nonstop nonsense despicable characters keep delivering in more than two hours time. ‘The Hateful Eight’ to me is not the best of his. ‘ DjangoUnchained ’ and ‘ Inglorious Bastards ’ remain so far! The story’s non-linearly told. There’re loads of dialogues to doze you off intentionally or not, but also sudden twists and extreme violence to wake you up! So it’s after all not a tedious experience to see eight strangers scheming against one another in a small remote cabin out in the snow, but really not an engrossing one in any sense! Maybe Tarantino should try something new in his next two films left rather than keep copying the genes of his past success. They’ve become sort of boring and predictable! I don’t mind restless bullshit as long as it intrigues and helps build up the mood. Neither do I mind extreme violence but pointless...

★★★★☆ ‘Creed’ is a terrific demonstration of how a motivational film is supposed to be like. It’s a very good job again by Director Ryan Coogler after the impressive ‘ Fruitvale Station ’ also starring Michael B. Jordan, in terms of blood boiling score, sensational acting by Stallone in particular, and exceptional boxing matches, one of which is even amazingly shot in one long take. The film engrosses throughout though to some the training sessions are kind of routine and the cancer stuff might be more or less of a cliché. One of the things that still strikes me is how determined and courageous Creed junior seems to be to quit his decent day job even after a lately promotion so as to live his ambition as a professional boxer. He seems not to hesitate a bit when handing in his resignation and taking right off without bothering to explain a thing to his boss. I wonder how many of us would have such determination and courage just like that when it comes to jumping out of the comf...

★★★☆☆ ‘The Good Dinosaur’ is not good enough to be remembered, but it’s more or less a piece of educational tearjerker for a family to sit down together some time to learn and share and keep in mind what actually matters the most to one’s life! The story’s too simple to feel thrilled, the setup a bit too weird to feel involved, the characters not memorable! Parents may find it boring and awkward at some points but certainly moving especially at the last scene. Kids would enjoy it for sure, and they may probably look at their parents and wonder when it ends, why they have to feel so sad about it. Family and love, I guess, are things that we can’t live without. That’s what guides and leads us when we’re lost lacking sense of belonging. People who are problematic are usually those going without adequate love and care from their family. I don’t doubt the necessity of independence but we all just need a place to rest our troubled head sometimes. And one thing we must concede, that ...

★★★☆☆ Rap music’s never my cup of tea but I appreciate it particularly when I feel like there’s a fire burning inside me, and I just wanna get it right out. No doubt rap’s dangerous and wrathful since it’s not really created to help make love or make peace but to instigate and provoke the oppressed to stand up and fight. ‘Straight Outta Compton’ is an intense drama based on true events telling how a super rap group gets started, lost, split up and regrouped, and why. What they gain and lose doesn’t quite matter in fact. It’s what they learn afterwards for their lives! The film’s full of dynamics, anger, struggles and conflicts not everyone would really care to bear, but I find it fairly exhilarating and educational. What makes rap unique or say, makes some think it’s not art is that it’s extremely straightforward, unpretentious, and daring that it doesn’t mind pissing anyone off at all. Sure it’s dangerous but it’s dangerously efficient in raising our awareness of how sick we ...

★★★★★ ‘The Revenant’ is simply a spectacular in terms of boundary-pushing artistic camerawork by Director Alejandro G. Inarritu whose previous work ‘ Birdman ’ has proved that he’s a visionary guy who likes pushing the envelope to come up with something both extraordinary and revolutionary, plus the primal imagery and haunting score, ingenious actions, and raw great performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. This is a story of survival and vengeance but it shows certain kind of beauty that you have to see it to feel it yourself. It wastes no time to get you in the action as it opens. It stays engrossing through and through, and leaves you a dramatic ending involving a brutal fight between two desperadoes so to speak, both physically and emotionally! The film’s of constant confident and accurate long takes swirling around the characters and over the snowy magnificent landscapes that make you feel like you’re not just watching it but actually in it experiencing the cold an...

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！

★★★☆☆ Technically speaking, this film really is a spectacular since it’s of more than two hours but in just one single long take. Unbelievably amazing hands down, if comparing it with ‘ Birdman ’ that’s seemingly shot in one take but actually seamlessly edited! And of course it takes accurate and appropriate acting to be able to finish the job. The German produced ‘Victoria’ could be one of your favorites in light of technical showoff and characterizations. The plot nevertheless, may seem absurd and boring to some. Boredom at certain point is inevitable, I guess, since the camera follows nothing but the characters right from the start till the end, and that makes me kind of dizzy and wanna turn away sometimes. But how absurd it seems depends on how much we’re convinced to believe Victoria’s changing during the incident. To me it’s a story about a lost depressed soul being accidentally picked up and relieved but at last left alone and abandoned still! The girl’s behavior may se...

★★★☆☆ In case you wonder, ‘Ultra’ is a secret special training program set up by the CIA to make problematic kids a killing machine. Jesse Eisenberg’s Mike is part of it, and a success while many others fail. ‘American Ultra’ is part serious part funny, part cruel part romantic! In fact, I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about it, but basically it’s a love story, a fairly moving one that contains certain gags and exhilarating actions, especially the last supermarket fight scene that truly is the highlight of the show! For most of the time, the film doesn’t draw much of my attention, but there’s a metaphor concerning a tree and a car that kinda hits and holds me thinking about relationships all of a sudden. It takes a lot indeed for the tree and the car to collide. Sometimes the tree doesn’t dare or wish enough to stop the car. Sometimes the car just doesn’t care enough to stop for the tree! The tree may feel like it should get moving too but it’s grounded, and helpless. An...

★☆☆☆☆ ‘ The Maze Runner ’ is an exhilarating piece of action cinema, but ‘The Scorch Trials’, in spite of the bigger scale and longer running time, feels so routine and mundane that you can’t help but wonder how you could possibly survive the final chapter of the trilogy. Right, there’s one more to come before getting to the whole picture that I’m no longer interested anyways after checking out this second installment in which all you get basically are the kids running from they don’t know exactly what to they don’t know exactly where, and blabbering seemingly sensible stuff but actually bullshit while taking a break. I don’t know. Maybe things seem a bit more intense and exciting inside the Maze. When they’re out of it, the thrills are gone, at least to me. The danger out here all seems like a walk in the park coz for them help and rescue is always miraculously instant! One of the key kids, Thomas, is asked in the end why he decides to stop running all of a sudden. His respon...

★★★★☆ ‘The Gift’ is a suspenseful drama packed with intriguing, nervous conversations. It manages to withhold ‘what’s really inside’ until the last few minutes that’s to effectively shock and make you feel uneasy in a way that what you think happens may or may not happen for real. It’s more like an open ending where the mystery’s still left unknown though it seems to have finally been revealed. That’s the triumphant point of the film I guess. That’s what makes us feel like the wait’s worth it, and our patience’s paid off! ‘The Gift’ can be considered a revenge story like ‘Old Boy’ or stuff, but it’s not about killing and taking. It’s about giving and creating something for someone instead that would cast a life long horrible shadow on one’s life. The setup however, can seem a bit dragged out and boring if you prefer a plot of much more physical pain and blood. But if you’re able to breathe with the characters and flow with it, you’ll eventually be thrilled and damned in a good...

★☆☆☆☆ Honestly I have no idea what the point of the film is. Is it to tell the value of a family in a troubled time? The strength of a man’s will to survive? The twist of fate accompanied by a lot of good luck? The barbaric nature of some Southeast Asian country? The goodness of the American? I don’t know. I just don’t feel anything watching this film. Maybe the score is the only thing good about it. ‘No Escape’ introduces paper-thin characters running into a political riot in a country mysterious and unknown coz we’re never told exactly where that is. The plot seems so preposterous and predictable, and sometimes it kinda drives us mad to see critical help come so surprisingly easy and right on time! It tries to stick close to reality but the whole setup seems nothing like it. With pointless slo-mo sequences and violence, this is one of the stupid films of the year that you really should avoid, period!

★★☆☆☆ My mind’s been clogged up and troubled lately. I don’t know at all why I checked out this film. Keanu Reeves’s latest try’s not even decent but it’s not that bad like everybody thinks it is either. If you’re curious about how he’ll be doing in a seemingly erotic film like this, you’ll be rather let down for sure, coz first, it’s by no means obscene like it seems, and second, he doesn’t do anything gross or daring in there. He’s as charismatic and cool as ever, but the girls are not so hot after all. The dialogues are too dry to be able to provoke any thoughts on sex, love and relationship! There’s this one scene however, I find pretty impressive where Keanu’s Evan’s being tied to a chair and tortured by those two crazy bitches, trying to justify his helplessness in the first place that ultimately leads him to such a situation. For that one second, he makes the character seem so genuine and sympathetic that I can’t help but wonder what I’d do if I were him! I’m not sure a...