Almost Buddhist - 戲‧論

★★☆☆☆ A hologram’s nothing real but it seems so! It’s just, as you know, a projection of something real. But could it be that something real is just another projection of something more real? Then you’d inevitably ask, what is real exactly? Some scientists believe that we’re in fact living in a hologram. Meaning the whole universe that we’ve learned is nothing but a fake! So how could we possibly get to know what is real while we’re actually not real? Instead of trying to figure out what is real, I guess it’s better and probably easier for us to keep in mind what is not, because that’s what we experience every day truly, unless you’re just ignoring it! The film told in short flashbacks from time to time feels like a surreal hologram indeed. It’s not that I don’t appreciate it. It’s just that at this time of my life, I’d prefer something either more adventurous and out of mind, or simply more realistic and inspirational than this. ‘A Hologram For The King’ is neither a good com...

★★☆☆☆ The first half of the film is well paced and has a bit of realistic touch given that the story and characters are all fictional, but the second half seems much like a mess in a rush. The action sequences are neither choreographed nor stylish at all. Great actors like Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson are somehow put to waste. The film tricks you to believe that this version of ‘Tarzan’ could probably be legendary at first, but soon you’d just regret checking it out after all! The film’s nothing deep! It’s expected to have struggles of men versus nature but there’s none. Consider it simply an action film but it’s a pretty lousy one. Well, this could be irrelevant to the film but in case you forget, mother nature is a bitch without doubt! It’ll give you more setbacks while you think there should be no more. But it’ll offer you help in time while you feel like you can no longer carry on! The thing is, you gotta be able to stick around long enough to see it!

★☆☆☆☆ ‘Independence Day’ looked a bit fun and refreshing since there was nothing like it before. In spite of 10 years later, ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ looks nothing better than any of its kind before it. There’re paper-thin characters going on and off swiftly in a preposterous story of carefree scenarios that make it actually stand as one of the most forgettable sci-fi bullshit of all time, hands down. What seems to make it more worthless is the nonsensical announcement they make in the end that they’re gonna kick some alien ass on an interstellar level! I wonder why people tend to believe that they’re gonna have to kick each other’s ass so as to survive, while y’know, there’s been strong evidence that a tooth for a tooth is universally not the way! Whatever they’ll come up with again however many years from now, I’m done with it, just like I’m done with superhero films!

★★★☆☆ 〈海底奇兵 2 〉的主題是家庭，活動是尋親，過程如果不比較，依然是有創意、有歡笑、有感動、有啟發，但不知是不是因為第一集太經典的關係，你會覺得這部續集的劇情總有點力不從心，感覺整個過程太安全，太順理成章，缺乏第一集那種好像坐過山車的刺激。當然，有這種感覺是因為有對比，如果把〈海底奇兵 2 〉獨立來看，它依然是彼思動畫創意爆棚的示範作之一，例如那隻八爪魚和最後那場大營救，絕對值回票價！但，假如沒有第一集的情意結，你會入場看第二集嗎？比較是難免的，落差是必然的！ 戲中的主角多莉患有短暫失憶症，基本上她見識過的東西很快就會忘記，所以她不能好像你我般有甚麼 plan ，她的做事作風注定只能是隨機應變，也就是無 plan 勝有 plan 。或者你會質疑，那些無 plan 勝有 plan 的情節只會在電影中才會發生吧，但在現實生活中，閣下難道沒有經常遇到人算不如天算的情況？所謂「絲絲點點計算，偏偏相差太遠」，如果你覺得 plan 好，事情就會如期發生，那你又忽視了「緣起無常」的自然法則！或者事情真的會好像你如期般發生，但並非因為你 plan 好，而是其他眾多因緣配合得剛剛好而造成的一個假像，但往往我們都錯誤地把這個假像誤以為運氣好或者 plan 得好！煩惱很大部分來自於我們相信人定勝天。當然，你可以嘗試盡力去改變一些事情，也會有成功的時候，那是在「果」還未成熟的情況下，問題是，我們通常缺乏智慧去判斷「果」是否已經成熟！ 我們有妄想分別，所以來到這個世界，想在這個世界清除我們的妄想分別，有可能嗎？我們不可能免除煩惱，但可以選擇如何去面對它！萬事萬物本無自性，完全視乎你如何將它定性。失憶是壞事，但也可以是一種恩賜。家庭可以是動力，但也可以是負累。凡事都有兩面，切勿先入為主，或者只有這樣，我們才能夠繼續「享受」這個充滿妄想分別的世界！

★★★★☆ Nowadays, competent comedies like this are rare. They’re either too exaggerated and ridiculous to deliver laughs, or too corny and old fashioned to be enjoyable. ‘Central Intelligence’ however, manages to strike a good balance between silly setups that comedies usually have and sensible storytelling that comedies usually lack, to be the most decent comedy I’ve ever seen in years! In fact, Dwayne Johnson has been in a lot of comedies as I remember, but has never been able to impress until he meets up with Kevin Hart this time around. They’re so great of an exhilarating match in the film that we’re generally willing to forgive the story that can’t be really happening as a matter of fact. The casting and very capable scriptwriters are the key success of it. Kevin Hart really steals the show. He’s I don’t know how many times better than Chris Rock when it comes to comedies. And when he’s going with Dwayne Johnson, it’s such a real blast! The body language he presents, the wa...

★★★★☆ ‘Eye In The Sky’ is one of those rare dialogue-driven films of anti-terrorism that manage to hold your breath throughout without tedious shoot-outs or explosions. To my memories, the last film of such kind that impresses me so is ‘ Zero Dark Thirty ’ where the focus is to capture terrorist leader Bin Laden. Here the focus is seemingly some crazy suicide bombers but in fact a little innocent girl that triggers struggles among officials to make a decision that is militarily right but ethically wrong. Yeah, we do have a choice! It’s just that it’s so hard sometimes to make the so-called right decision that we feel like we’ve got no choice at all! The situation may seem a bit complicated at first as the commander is in England, the drone pilot is in America, and the terrorist is in Kenya. The story is however, not confusing or out of focus as it goes, plus some plot twists to engross. The film feels like a true story though it’s all made up, all thanks to the intense and gri...

★★★☆☆ 個人看的是導演版，片長三小時，感覺劇情節奏有點拖。雖然敘事手法已經不是平鋪直敘，但開頭至中段還是頗沉悶的！〈寒流黑金〉顧名思義，是講政治、黑社會、官商勾結，貪污賄賂。雖然題材嚴肅，但整體格調十分輕鬆，大可當作商業娛樂片種來看，而事實上，故事也並非基於真人真事，而是漫畫改編，自然也少了韓國犯罪片以往那份悲情與無奈。看到最後才恍然發覺，沉悶的前段原來是為了引爆熱血、有點出乎意料的結局，加上頗為激昂的配樂，實在教人看得亢奮過癮！ 雖然電影找來韓國三大明星 李炳憲、曹承佑、白潤植 chok 住上，但實際上較有空間發揮演技的只有白潤植，但個人對這位老人家的印象實在一般。好在李炳憲在當今一眾「白白淨、無性病」的韓星當中，又顯得真的挺有型。而曹承佑的魅力，個人是 buy 的，雖然他都只是行行企企、抽煙兩味。所以如果你要看甚麼演技，還是算了吧，故事結構和敘事手法是電影的賣點，其他方面請不要太認真，認真你就輸了！ 〈寒〉的結局並不寒，頗為溫暖，但現實裡，事情哪會那麼順利？牽連甚廣的利益關係網，以及精密的犯罪系統，哪是兩三個人策劃一下就能搗破的？現實是，他們要你收聲，你就要收聲；他們要你說他們要你說的話，你就要照說；他們要你認罪，你就要認罪；他們要你死的話，你隨時都可以被自殺……這個世界到底有沒有公義，及為公義發聲的戰士？；有沒有所謂的真相？真相是不是真的那麼重要？你知道了又如何？會不會接受？亦或覺得真相背後還有真相？其實，所謂的公義、真相，都視乎你站在甚麼立場、選擇去相信甚麼而已！還是那句：你對這個世界認真，你就是它的受害者！

★★★☆☆ Right, it’s been a real while since my last update. No, I’m not gone! Not yet! I guess I’d be left in a miserable void if I give it up now. It’s just that there’re no movies worth checking out or reviewing lately. Most of them just slipped right out of my mind after watching. Some stayed a little while but faded when I finally decided to write something about it. This local cult film somehow lingers! ‘Robbery’ is a cult so rare that you don’t even know it exists. Like any other cult films, it tells a story that doesn’t really make sense, or say, it makes no sense at all if you get serious looking at it, but I guess the point of a cult film is not a sensible story but instead a ridiculous one to make you feel sick and wonder why the hell you wanna check out a film like that. You won’t be able to find the answer though, because you’re nothing but a weirdo like me and everyone else out there, helplessly going around the circle of cult reality! With frequent sudden viole...

★☆☆☆☆ ‘Triple 9’ is a dirty film of dirty figures going around a dirty plot set in a dirty city. Yeah, it’s all made up. Nothing happening in there is true or based on facts. Or maybe, I’m naively oblivious of what’s going on; that the world we dwell in is dirty in a way that we think is bound to be, and somewhat forgivable. Either way you’re not gonna be happy, I guess, checking out this film that’s dragged out a lot, bleak a bit, and an absolute waste of talented casts like Woody Harrelson, Kate Winslet and many others thanks to the mundane screenplay indeed, especially the second half! I don’t mind a film being dirty, but a clueless dirty film like that simply leaves a bad taste in my mouth!

Who: Blue October Where: America What: Alternative/Pop Rock When: 2016 Not sure if it’s supposed to be a happy album but it’s definitely the sunniest one I’ve ever got from Blue October, surprised! A house’s just a cold hard place but a home’s a lot more than that. It might take years to try to build a house into a home but fail just like some who might’ve now given up believing in things so called relationships or redemptions. Thanks to the frontman Justin Furstenfeld’s very GOOD luck to have had GOOD families and GOOD friends around, for the first time ever, I didn’t feel blue at all listening to Blue October. Men would change after all, for better or worse. In fact, we’re always changing! Try it

★★★★★ 〈天堂無門〉是今年奧斯卡最佳外語片，題材嚴肅沉重，背景是二戰納粹集中營大屠殺，聚焦是一個叫 Saul 的男人，不顧一切想為一個男孩舉行猶太葬禮。 Saul 是特遣隊員，特遣隊由納粹軍挑選的猶太人組成，工作是幫納粹軍毀屍滅跡，當然最後也會被滅口，以圖永遠掩蓋真相！ Saul 最終能否為小男孩完成葬禮，並且逃脫納粹軍的魔掌，或者電影的中文譯名已經給了大家暗示。如果你不喜歡太嚴肅的政治題材電影，你或者可以把〈天〉當成恐怖片，其恐怖程度絕對比那些故弄玄虛的鬼片有過之而無不及，簡直看得你心都寒！ 電影中的恐怖感並非透過甚麼噁心的畫面去呈現，而是餘留很多空間讓你自己去想像，這才是高手級的做法。一般電影的畫面比例是 16:9 ，但〈天〉是 4:3 ，刻意侷限你的視野，而且鏡頭永遠聚焦男主角，刻意模糊遠景，那些恐怖殘酷的畫面完全留待你自己去想像，而事實是，當你一路跟著男主角穿梭集中營，他的所見所聞，就是你的所見所聞，獨特的拍攝技巧加上出色的混音效果，讓你彷彿身臨其境於當年的地獄當中，你會越看越覺得心寒難耐！ 再令人覺得恐怖加恐怖的是，男主角一開始那張面對地獄景象卻毫無表情的臉孔！單看他的表情，你完全感受不到他面對別人和自己的死亡的時候，有任何的痛苦和掙扎，他真的好像一個沒有情感的機器人。我不知到底他是不是把自己當成活死人，又或在那種慘絕人寰的絕境下，他的心已經麻木，已經不懂得怎麼去表達自己的情緒。有時候我在想，一個人如果活著但心裡已經沒有任何希望是一種怎樣的狀態。中國人常說，哀莫大於心死。如果一個人的心已死，他應該如何繼續走下去。人不可能不懐任何希望地活著，希望是我們活下去的動力。影片中，為小男孩辦猶太葬禮是 Saul 唯一的生存動力，是他救贖的唯一機會，所以不難理解他為何不惜犧牲自己，都要找到猶太教士為男孩祈禱。當我看到他最後那一笑，不知為何，我很感動，感動得差點流淚。我相信，他當時已經感受到天堂，雖然仍身處地獄！ 我不明白為何納粹德軍可以屠殺猶太人，好像無心踩死螞蟻般毫無知覺。或者，當一個人的「自我」無限膨脹的時候，甚麼慈悲，甚麼因果，甚麼地獄，甚麼天堂，他已經毫不在乎，因為他根本不知道自己到底是甚麼，正在做甚麼，從哪裡來，將會去哪裡。〈天〉讓我深信地獄是真實存在的，無論所指的是眼前的地獄還是來世那個。它讓我更堅定我現在選擇的路，所...

★★★★☆ 〈 功夫熊貓 〉是令人興奮的，因為它搞笑得來有很多東西想表達，有很多道理要你明白。〈 功夫熊貓 2 〉依然搞笑，動作更上一層樓，佛理依在。來到第三集，感覺已經開始麻木，我不是說電影本身的質素差、故事弱等等，相反，我十分欣賞〈功夫熊貓 3 〉，它依然是值得一家大小去觀看的非常有意思的動畫片。 只是，在觀看的時候，已經好像沒有往昔的那份應有的興奮與感動，因此，我開始反省，開始怕怕，是不是我已經開始跟大多數人一樣，逐漸變得麻木。對身邊和世界上正在發生的苦難、殘酷變態、匪夷所思的行徑種種，變得冷漠，毫不動容，甚至把死亡當成笑話來調侃。我很怕我已經變成這類人的一份子；我很怕我已經變成生活的奴隸，所謂的只有今生，沒有來世，十足的行尸走肉；我更怕其實我已經是，但又不自覺或不接受自己已經是！這才是世間最最恐怖的事情！ 〈功夫熊貓〉拍了三集，講了很多大道理，但歸根究底它是要你去反省，最好能夠明白：到底你是誰。知道你是誰，你才知道自己能做甚麼，不能做甚麼，有甚麼可以做，甚麼不可以做，才能發揮你的本色，才不會隨波逐流，而在這個價值觀顛倒、瞬息萬變的世界迷失自我。當然，這些都是文字上說說而已，真正的問題是，你真的知道自己是誰嗎？又或你所謂的知，是你真的知，還是別人要求期望你的知？未曾生我誰是我，生我之後我是誰？此等問題，很多有智慧的人思考了一輩子都沒有一個答案，我更加絕對沒資格在這裡胡說八道。 我只是越來越覺得，不要嘗試去尋找甚麼結果，因為生命根本沒有結果，只有過程。也不要嘗試去思考你是誰，你不會找到答案，因為你根本甚麼都不是。我寫這篇東西，只是想表達我內心偶爾浮現的恐懼與迷惑，如果你看完這篇文，或〈功夫熊貓 3 〉而沒有一絲怕怕和困惑，我想，我應該對你頂禮膜拜了！

★☆☆☆☆ The film can simply be split into two parts: what happens under the ground, and above. What happens under takes up 3/4 of the film basically of no actions but conversations. I’m fine with that as long as they’re relevant, sensible and intense but they’re not at all. It’s dragged out and filled up with bullshit to try to doze you off. What happens above is supposed to be a mind-blowing, jaw-dropping climax but oops… it’s an anticlimax where you’d get to see some ‘magic’ take place, provided that you’re still awake, and not afraid to be pissed off to death! 2008’s ‘Cloverfield’ mocked a documentary and successfully brought about a fad but turned out it’s nothing but a joke. This year’s ‘10 Cloverfield Lane’… well… take my advice, don’t buy the hype, stay away from it, and you’ll be safe and very thankful for sure!

★★★☆☆ Loneliness like there’s no one and nothing you can connect to is quite a shitty hard thing to deal with, because basically only you and you alone ought to face it to make peace with it. That could be dangerous though if you mess up. Your fears and confusion could be further enlarged, and as a result, you’d be misled to do stupid things that might end up causing you and others unnecessary harm! ‘Anomalisa’ is essentially a film about that. Of course this seemingly depressive, dreamy, audacious, melancholy piece of stop-motion puppet show could be a lot more than that like midlife crisis, loss of identity, alienation, psychoanalysis on sex and love, needs and wants, and stuff, depending on how you look at it with what you’ve been through by far. ‘Anomalisa’ is not a usual puppet show for fun. All the characters, male or female, seem to have the same face and a man’s voice, except one ‘special’ woman popping up in the middle. It’s not for kids because it’s too creepy and de...

★★☆☆☆ 〈紅衣小女孩〉比起「搞笑」的〈 有客到 〉嚴肅很多，但依然屬於驚嚇片類的低手！可能我見識多了，那些驚嚇位已不再驚嚇，開頭以為在看泰國鬼片，最後變成荷里活〈魔戒〉，感覺很不對味。而那隻東西到底甚麼來歷，影片由始至終沒有詳細交代，或許連拍片人自己都不知甚麼回事吧，一切都是自圓其說。影片尾段暗示女主角曾經做過虧心事，但只是暗示，最後也不了了之。〈紅〉在台灣爆紅，以為會為我這個久違恐怖片的頑固份子帶來點驚喜，誰料驚沒有，喜也欠奉 ( 看來我已經對鬼片完全免疫，慘！ ) 。反而影片所依據的那段在網上流傳的真實短片倒有幾份驚嚇，膽大的可以去看看。 所謂平生不做虧心事，半夜不怕鬼敲門。其實鬼並不可怕，大家都是六道眾生之一，你怕它，它也怕你，它有它的生活，你有你的人生，大家井水不犯河水的。平時你所聲稱見到的異像，多數都是你自己心魔作怪而起的胡思亂想，還有就是一些人死後的中陰身，中陰身沒時間搞你，因為它趕著去投胎。有果必有因，如果真的鬼真的找上門，必定跟你有未了的緣，你必須跟它溝通，嘗試幫忙或化解，逃避是解決不了問題的。聖嚴法師說，遇到問題必須面對它、接收它、處理它、然後放下它。這是面對任何困難應有的態度，也是對付鬼的唯一方法。

★☆☆☆☆ ‘Deadpool’ is basically a lousy comedy under the skin of a bloody violent pseudo-superhero film. It’s lousy because it tries so hard to be fun, but the harder it tries, the less fun it seems. Plus, the guy seems superficially optimistic to wanna make a joke out of everything in any situation even though there’s indeed supposed to be some pain and struggle. And you know what, this is NOT a superhero but superbitchy film, like the language they speak, and the way the guy acts is super brutal and selfish. He simply wants a tooth for a tooth. It’s nothing about justice or morality or anything. If you’re so fond of superhero films, don’t let ‘Deadpool’ spoil you. Can’t disagree that the action has got some style, but so what? Haven’t you seen enough yet? I feel like superhero films have been going downhill ever since Christopher Nolan’s ‘Batman Trilogy’. They’re all kinda messed up delivering only thrills but no thoughts. Maybe that’s what most people want nowadays: make me h...

★★★★☆ 原來最重要的是身邊的人。這是葉問從第一集打到現在，打完一大輪終於感悟的說話。不過，最後能覺悟也好過某些人糊糊塗塗過完一生，到死都不知人生為何，又或老土的講，人生中到底甚麼最重要。財富？地位？名利？如果以上種種能夠換來「死得安樂」，我會毫不猶豫去追求，但事實是否如此？死其實並不可怕，真正可怕的，是在邁向死亡的最後那段路上你不得安樂，可能現在你還年輕健壯，有氣有力，有野心 ( 可能只是貪心 ) ，有夢想 ( 可能只是幻想 ) ，根本無法、也不會去想像那個嚇人的場景，但假如你花些許時間去想想，可能你會比葉問或其他人早點覺悟，好處就是你的人生會過得瀟灑開心點，你的身邊人同樣也會歡樂點，而你死得安樂的可能性也大點！ 〈葉問 3 〉我覺得是整個葉問系列中最可觀的，尤其欣賞其動作設計，真心覺得袁和平設計的比洪金寶過癮，對泰仔，對泰臣，對張晉，都打得有姿勢有實際。看這類戲，你最好不要對故事劇本或演員演技有甚麼期望，但〈葉問 3 〉的故事推進還算合理，比起前兩集，雖然打鬥多了，但不算太濫，喜歡功夫片的應該收貨且收藏！〈葉問 3 〉應該為葉問系列劃上完美句號，千千萬萬不要再來個〈葉問 4 、 5 、 6 …〉，再這樣沒完沒了地打下去，我想，他不癡線，觀眾都癡線。都已經醒悟，還要去證明什麼呢！？

★★☆☆☆ It’s too bad that I can’t seem to feel anything for ‘Carol’, just like ‘Brokeback Mountain’ where I can’t seem to sense any romance at all. Maybe I have to be a homo to be able to feel it. Or maybe the film is too slow paced and plain to enable me to feel it. But undeniably ‘Carol’ bears certain melancholy beauty and quality in terms of acting, costumes/set designs and cinematography. Yet, I feel nothing romantic or moving in there. If you feel for ‘Brokeback Mountain’, you’ll love ‘Carol’ that has a little surprise and a happier twist in the end. But if you’re already bored of the former, you will probably doze off watching the latter! Obviously I have trouble with the film, but I have absolutely no trouble with the homosexual, as I feel like love should be of no difference whether you’re a homosexual or not. Love’s not limited to any time or space, class or sex. It’s simply an unexplainable crazy thing beyond any words or reasoning. You know and love it as you feel it,...

★★★★☆ 如果不是因為影片那個令人驚訝心酸的結局，我真的沒甚麼想說。不是因為這部電影很差，相反，這是一部非常值得大家去細味的電影，當中有關兩性關係、人與人的相處、婚姻、母愛、親情種種畫面，都是入心入肺的。「紀念日」無論是劇本、音樂、演員 ( 除了方力申 ) 、故事等各方面，都是很到位的！我看完沒甚麼好說，是因為關於愛情，好像我過去都說了不少，不想老調重彈了。再者、「愛」永遠都是說不清的，只能用心去感受，然後跟著感覺走，而感覺是主觀非理性的，所以擺在各人前面的，無論是單身還是在戀愛，是結婚還是離過婚，有子女還是不想要負累，永遠是揮之不去的掙扎與悔恨！ 這是一部一不小心就會讓你落淚的電影，但一點都不煽情，一切自然流露，那個度掌握得非常好。可能因為經歷多了，見識多了，現在看這類愛情電影已經很難會流淚，類似看「我的父親母親」從頭哭到尾的情況，應該不會再發生了！裡頭某些場景，角色的內心掙扎，刺激神經的對白和獨白，還是相當催淚的，但我始終沒哭，因為我知道激動的內心說話或者慾望，無論說出來或表現出來是多麼感人，終究是虛妄、是輪迴不斷的動力。人世間有種種的紀念日，因為我們有種種的放不下！ 無止境的恨與無條件的愛，其實是同一樣東西。若無相欠，怎會相見？人與人之間的關係，說穿了，無非就是討債還債、報恩報怨而已！某人會無止境的恨你，因為前世你欠他的；某人會無條件的愛你，因為前世他欠你的。所謂冤冤相報何時了，恩恩相欠也是沒完沒了的，可是人活在這個世間，又很難做到無拖無欠，無所執著。這個世界因為不圓滿所以是圓滿的！有時，除了這樣安慰自己，我已找不到其他讓我繼續的理由！

★★★☆☆ ‘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...