I've fallen in love with suits! The show! If you're wondering why, it's because the dialogue is so good! The soundtrack is awesome too.
Spoilers ahead. If you haven't watched season 4 episode 11.
But I have to call a time out for a while (at most a day). I'm quite overwhelmed by Louis' sudden transformation back to his old season 1 self. All this while I've been thinking that he isn't so bad after all but now that he snapped back to his old self I realise that he has two sides, and the nice side is only for people who are subconsciously or consciously withholding power from him. He probably doesn't know it himself but now that the puzzles have snapped into place it seems that all along the best description of him is vain, vindictive and single-minded.
Well, Harvey and Jessica may not be very likeable themselves. But they don't have two sides. So even if they are assholes you can see that they are assholes. They know that their friends can be assholes but in the end they understand why their friends did what they did, and their friendship remains. Louis is an asshole in disguise. His friends must be 100% loyal to him and cannot be assholes to him, and if they cross a line they can never go back. That's a perspective which can only come from a vain person. Although I concede that he has been treated quite meanly at times so it has only exacerbated this quality in him. Who knows, he may change for the better.
And what's more, Harvey has really grown positively as a character! He's starting to care for people and he's willing to make some sacrifices for them. He's still badass but not so cold-hearted anymore.
Rachel is a little irritating because she's so emotional but I get that girls are emotional including myself so I won't say anymore on this.
Donna is the heroine of the show. She's everyone's conscience. Enough said. Why's she still single?? I really ship Harvey/Donna. If they weren't in a law firm, which is impossible, they would be a perfect married couple. I think season 100 should end with them retiring and getting married. Ha.
Louis' snap transformation is bothering me and tonight I'll be thinking about him.
Even though most people are on season 5.
Suits is the first U.S. show that I've liked. The rest I've seen are too. Ew.
Friday, February 26, 2016
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
So there's this list of micro-aggressions that relatives apparently say to one another during CNY. It probably started out as a joke (I didn't see the birth of the list though) but I think it quickly degenerated. While a few are downright rude, most are really just harmless remarks that don't deserve to be on the list. If they are to be classified as "micro-aggressions", then it would show that some people nowadays are too sensitive to be able to carry on casual conversations. If you're secure enough you'd be able to stand your ground firmly without feeling offended. In life, curve balls come your way all the time. Just deflect them. If the smallest of remarks count as a micro-aggression, I'd say it's time to live a secluded and peaceful life as a hermit.
Prestige anxiety is still well and alive in Singapore. People are still awfully concerned about their "face". We need to remove ourselves from this toxic mindset, and live our lives as we truly want them to be. And be able to tell anyone about it to their faces, whether they are mocking us or not. Or sometimes, deep down, they are in their own ways, simply trying to understand us. Let them try.
Prestige anxiety is still well and alive in Singapore. People are still awfully concerned about their "face". We need to remove ourselves from this toxic mindset, and live our lives as we truly want them to be. And be able to tell anyone about it to their faces, whether they are mocking us or not. Or sometimes, deep down, they are in their own ways, simply trying to understand us. Let them try.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
I might be a little behind the times, but I'm going to rave about how much I love the Kylo Ren character in The Force Awakens! The key draw for me is how conflicted his character is. Everybody loves noob villains. Because they represent a very real human conflict between good and evil, and how the wrong choices lead us to do terrible things. And they also show how sometimes what's good and what's evil isn't so obvious.
My favourite Kylo Ren scenes:
1. When he first took off the mask
He sure took his time removing the mask, because it was a rather dramatic moment, so that gave me time to imagine what I would see beneath the mask. I was expecting somebody a little more rugged and experienced-looking, with some harsh wrinkles and perhaps an ugly scar down his eye, because that's what I imagined his face to be from how imposing and powerful he seemed, with his mask on. And also how unbalanced he was, wrecking equipment just to vent his rage. An unbalanced person probably would have some corresponding scars on his face, from creating so much damage , right? Or if not a scar, perhaps some manic eyes, like General Hux's eyes--wonderfully portrayed by Domhnall Gleeson I thought!
Instead when he took off his mask, I saw this pale-faced, wide-eyed guy who looked like he just became Kylo Ren a day ago. A whoa moment for me. Some part of me almost expected him to become a normal young guy again and rescue Rey.
So this disjunction between his character and looks really helps to portray his inner conflict between light and dark.
2. When his dad confronted him (duh!)
I was spoilered for this scene (-.-), so I was 100% certain Han Solo was going to die a horrible death. But when he spoke to his father (probably for the first time--and last-- in eons) about his inner pain and conflict just as the setting sun was putting its last rays through the windows, I could totally see so much pain and confusion in his eyes. My heart broke for this terrible villain, just for that split second though, because the next split second he did the unthinkable. Great acting there.
This scene also shows how very much alone he really is: standing on that narrow road in the abyss, being alone in his inner struggle.
3. When he fought with Rey
Actually I like this scene also because it shows that Rey is his equal when it comes to talent in the Force, and perhaps even much more with some training. I love this wave of girl power riding through cinema. And the industry knows girls love it.
This scene also shows a more human side of Kylo. There was a moment when he could easily have finished her off-- his lightsaber was pressing down on her lightsaber, and she was on the edge of a cliff. But! He stopped and offered to teach her. Though she refused after that, with a lot of sass in my opinion. Perhaps I'm getting carried away. But this scene shows how even villains would want a companion and could be human in the most unlikely of times. If she took up his offer he could finally feel less alone in his dark pursuit. Or perhaps he thought it was a waste of life, since Rey was a force-sensitive being? Brings me to the next point!
Which is, how are they related? Kylo acts as if he knows who she is, and this is quite a conceivable theory since he treats her quite nicely, in comparison to his treatment of other people. The 2 competing theories on the net are a) they are siblings; b) they are cousins. I personally think they are cousins (i.e. she is Luke's daughter). It does not make sense for Han and Leia to not know that they have a daughter. Or for Leia to go to all that trouble to hide a 2nd pregnancy from Han, in order to protect the identity of her child? Besides, my personal preference is for poor lonely Luke to have a child of his own. So he can train another Jedi anew, after he presumably failed in his earlier attempt to train Kylo Ren. But why he abandoned his daughter on some desert planet is still a mystery.
My favourite Kylo Ren scenes:
1. When he first took off the mask
He sure took his time removing the mask, because it was a rather dramatic moment, so that gave me time to imagine what I would see beneath the mask. I was expecting somebody a little more rugged and experienced-looking, with some harsh wrinkles and perhaps an ugly scar down his eye, because that's what I imagined his face to be from how imposing and powerful he seemed, with his mask on. And also how unbalanced he was, wrecking equipment just to vent his rage. An unbalanced person probably would have some corresponding scars on his face, from creating so much damage , right? Or if not a scar, perhaps some manic eyes, like General Hux's eyes--wonderfully portrayed by Domhnall Gleeson I thought!
Instead when he took off his mask, I saw this pale-faced, wide-eyed guy who looked like he just became Kylo Ren a day ago. A whoa moment for me. Some part of me almost expected him to become a normal young guy again and rescue Rey.
So this disjunction between his character and looks really helps to portray his inner conflict between light and dark.
2. When his dad confronted him (duh!)
I was spoilered for this scene (-.-), so I was 100% certain Han Solo was going to die a horrible death. But when he spoke to his father (probably for the first time--and last-- in eons) about his inner pain and conflict just as the setting sun was putting its last rays through the windows, I could totally see so much pain and confusion in his eyes. My heart broke for this terrible villain, just for that split second though, because the next split second he did the unthinkable. Great acting there.
This scene also shows how very much alone he really is: standing on that narrow road in the abyss, being alone in his inner struggle.
3. When he fought with Rey
Actually I like this scene also because it shows that Rey is his equal when it comes to talent in the Force, and perhaps even much more with some training. I love this wave of girl power riding through cinema. And the industry knows girls love it.
This scene also shows a more human side of Kylo. There was a moment when he could easily have finished her off-- his lightsaber was pressing down on her lightsaber, and she was on the edge of a cliff. But! He stopped and offered to teach her. Though she refused after that, with a lot of sass in my opinion. Perhaps I'm getting carried away. But this scene shows how even villains would want a companion and could be human in the most unlikely of times. If she took up his offer he could finally feel less alone in his dark pursuit. Or perhaps he thought it was a waste of life, since Rey was a force-sensitive being? Brings me to the next point!
Which is, how are they related? Kylo acts as if he knows who she is, and this is quite a conceivable theory since he treats her quite nicely, in comparison to his treatment of other people. The 2 competing theories on the net are a) they are siblings; b) they are cousins. I personally think they are cousins (i.e. she is Luke's daughter). It does not make sense for Han and Leia to not know that they have a daughter. Or for Leia to go to all that trouble to hide a 2nd pregnancy from Han, in order to protect the identity of her child? Besides, my personal preference is for poor lonely Luke to have a child of his own. So he can train another Jedi anew, after he presumably failed in his earlier attempt to train Kylo Ren. But why he abandoned his daughter on some desert planet is still a mystery.
Friday, January 1, 2016
Finally watched Our Times!
There are so many things that don't make sense in the movie. The portrayals of the school management and LZX's classmates were so 2-dimensional that it made the whole movie less believable. I get that this is a fairytale but a good modern fairytale should still have more well-developed characters and plot. (example: 500 days of summer) And TMM is such a b**** because in the rain she held the umbrella over her beau but not LZX, and pointedly stared (smilingly) at LZX: called to mind Mean Girls type of behaviour LOL. But this doesn't make sense because HTY's love interest should certainly not have such a shallow character. And I think the relationship between OYFF and HTY should certainly have been explored more since they go way back and such a major event happened in the course of their friendship. So in summary, I think the movie should have been filmed not from LZX's limited point of view but from a neutral point of view so that everyone's feelings and thoughts could have been captured. Or perhaps it could have been filmed from OYFF's and HTY's point of view. That would also cover many more of the hidden layers in the movie. And that in turn would make the romance between HTY and LZX more impactful.
But that aside, it was a good fairytale. I loved:
1. the tape recording at the end
^ this is why HTY's point of view should have been covered so much more! it does not deserve cursory treatment only at the end of the movie.
2. the Taiwanese accent
3. the song
Verdict: 2.5/5 stars.
Not that it matters, because I'm not writing a movie review for the papers. Just to vent my feelings.
There are so many things that don't make sense in the movie. The portrayals of the school management and LZX's classmates were so 2-dimensional that it made the whole movie less believable. I get that this is a fairytale but a good modern fairytale should still have more well-developed characters and plot. (example: 500 days of summer) And TMM is such a b**** because in the rain she held the umbrella over her beau but not LZX, and pointedly stared (smilingly) at LZX: called to mind Mean Girls type of behaviour LOL. But this doesn't make sense because HTY's love interest should certainly not have such a shallow character. And I think the relationship between OYFF and HTY should certainly have been explored more since they go way back and such a major event happened in the course of their friendship. So in summary, I think the movie should have been filmed not from LZX's limited point of view but from a neutral point of view so that everyone's feelings and thoughts could have been captured. Or perhaps it could have been filmed from OYFF's and HTY's point of view. That would also cover many more of the hidden layers in the movie. And that in turn would make the romance between HTY and LZX more impactful.
But that aside, it was a good fairytale. I loved:
1. the tape recording at the end
^ this is why HTY's point of view should have been covered so much more! it does not deserve cursory treatment only at the end of the movie.
2. the Taiwanese accent
3. the song
Verdict: 2.5/5 stars.
Not that it matters, because I'm not writing a movie review for the papers. Just to vent my feelings.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Friday, November 20, 2015
Omg I teared up just watching the trailer, I'll probably full-out cry for the actual movie :') Well at least I'm prepared. I didn't tear up last time when the song was in Chinese... so is it the singer or the language that's making this magic? Or am I just in a more fragile state of mind after revision? Lool...whatevs. I really have to watch this!! After exams though. But I really hate the swimming pool scene where she tries to drown herself for what seems like nothing at all ...
/sobs\
/sobs\
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