The Adjustment Bureau

Rating: ★★★ 1/2

I'm going to have to be honest, first of all. I saw the movie poster when I was waiting for a friend to turn up to a rendez-vous with Jay Chou & The Green Hornet and the image of Matt Damon tugging along a very confused-looking Emily Blunt intrigued me. It's confession time: I'm a hopeless romantic. This looked romantic. Hence, I was officially on board TAB's bandwagon. Then I saw the trailer, and was even more excited - it promised "a cross between Inception and Bourne", neither of which I'd seen, but knew enough about to know that they'd both been highly successful and very well received.

Plus, it was Matt Damon. And Emily Blunt. And I was seeing it with my fave movie-goers, V & S, so what more can I say? I entered the cinema wholly biased and très excited.

The central plotline is probably what could've made the movie a winner: I can already see the endless debates and 'what if's' - the idea that every being on the planet is part of some bigger, celestial Plan that we have no say in, can raise an infinite number of questions. However, I felt the focus was more on the love-at-first-sight romance between David Norris (played by Matt Damon) and Elise (Emily Blunt,) and I think that's where the potential for this movie to be much Bigger fell apart. There were also a few tidbits here and there that didn't quite fit into the intelligent plotline: like the bowler hats (you'll have to see it to understand!,) the fact that these severe bureau-men (which I didn't quite get - are they implying women are too emotional to be part of an all-seeing group of human controllers?) develop attachments to their subjects, and The Ending.

Oh, the ending. Despite all my misgivings above, I actually found the entire film thoroughly enjoyable and very thrilling. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt did a stellar job igniting the chemistry of their on-screen characters and convincing the audience (or me at least) of the depth of their love, and I think this is what really saved the film in the end. I won't ruin the ending for those of you who've yet to see it, but I can say one thing: it was clearly very obvious that whoever scripted this movie was trying desperately to balance an Inception-like audience effect with the sort of satisfaction that romantic movies try to achieve. So I felt it didn't really tie in to the whole set-up of the film.

But hey, I came out of the cinema feeling like I'd had a pretty damn good time and even recommended it to a few friends at Uni yesterday, so it can't have been all that bad :) I think it does everything the trailer promises, except a solid finish. Other than that, really - it's Matt Damon, which the girls will love, and Emily Blunt, which the girls will love even more. A very satisfying girl's night at the movies is guaranteed!

Until next time,

Ngoc :)

The King's Speech gets an A+

Image Source: Google Images

Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★

Ok, for the record, I actually started this review before all the Oscars hoo-ha. I guess my opinion doesn't really matter now, but, as they say, the show must go on ;)

To be honest, I went into this movie not expecting much. A friend and I were deciding on movies to watch the next day at 11pm, and we sort of fell into The King's Speech after she decided her fear of gory scenes outweighed her love for James Franco. I agreed to see it on the sole basis that Colin Firth was in it, and didn't really expect to spend the movie doing much other than making frequent checks of my watch.

Well, the world just loves to prove me wrong! It was surprisingly (or maybe not surprisingly, considering Colin Firth was the lead actor) witty and very touching, and Colin Firth did an outstanding job in his portrayal. Whether or not it was intended, I actually came out with a renewed respect for the patience and dedication speech pathologists have to their profession. Lionel Logue (played by Geoffrey Rush) had some great lines, including when he accuses the King's physicians of being idiots for suggesting that smoking is healthy, to which King George VI replies, "They've all been knighted." Without a second's hesitation, Logue quips, "Well that makes it official then."

The film really highlighted the complications of the King's speech impairment, that it was beyond just the physical boundaries, and that it took an outstanding character to be able to see to the very heart of the problem. Being an excellent health professional goes beyond just having a few words printed in an official manner after your name and Geoffrey Rush displays this profoundly well in his portrayal of Lionel Logue.

Perhaps the strength of the film comes through the very heartfelt scripting of the relationship between the King and Logue. It could also have been due to the casting of Jennifer Ehle, who played alongside Colin Firth as Elizabeth Bennet in the BBC Adaption of Pride and Prejudice as Myrtle Logue, in addition to Mr. Collins of Rosings Park to bring a little charm back into the movie.

No, I think it was just the emotion. Undeniable, very touching, and worth every dollar of my ticket. A definite recommend for those tired of sitting through aimless chick flicks and intense action/dramas.

I have a book review for Pretty Little Liars coming up, hopefully I'll get that posted before it wins some sort of prestigious award and I look like a trendset-sheep again!

Until next time,

Ngoc :)

Suspension of (Too Much) Disbelief



Image source: Google Images

 You know what it's like: you watch a really good TV series or movie or read a really good, vividly descriptive book. Then a much-loved character dies, or your favourite couple breaks up, or something Really Angsty happens. And you feel like a little bit of you has diedinside, or you end up spending sleepless (well ok, maybe that's a little bit OTT) nights wondering if things will work out in the end (if it's a Taiwanese or Korean drama, you've pretty much got yoruself a 100% money back guarantee for a happy ending.)

I don't even know if it can be considered as suspension of disbelief, considering some of the plot techniques employed to get two characters together are pretty disbelieving. I mean, seriously, how many times can a guy plausibly just 'happen to be there' when the girl's getting harrassed, or falls off her scooter or is stumbling down the street, blind drunk? It's more that you feel such a connection to the characters and the story that a part of you wishes it were...well, a little more real. Perhaps it's because you recognise yourself or someone you know in one of the chracters? Maybe it's because witnessing a dream love story just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?

Whatever it is, I recently watched two series that I was a little reluctant to let go of after the ending credits scrolled up for the last time. Granted, one of them was Avatar: The Last Airbender, en epic TV series that spans three volumes and 61 episodes, which gave me plenty of time ot get more than jsut acquainted with the characters. After the last episode, I spent the next few days watching the special features, the audio commentary versions and searching deviantart for pictures of my favourite couple - anything to keep the magic alive, just a little longer.

The other, was the 30-episode Asian drama Happy & Love Forever/Happiness is Definitely Strong, which had me going through the list on mysoju.com in alphabetical order after I stumbled across an episode on the Viet channel. I spent two days watching the final 13-or-so episodes after reaching a particularly angsty bit in the series and not being able to bear the suspense. Afterwards, even though my eyes were severely strained and very sore, I spent an extra couple of days downloading the opening and closing credits and painstakingly searching for all five of the songs used in the series.

So, to you, what is it that makes one movie stand out from another, that makes a book unforgettable, that makes you cry even though you know you're watching a fictional composition about people who don't exist? Have you ever watched or read anything that you didn't want to let go of after you finished it?

Until next time,

Ngoc :)

P.S. Happy Valentines Day, everyone! :)

All Tangled Up

★ ★ ★ ★
Length: 1hr 40mins
Rated: PG
Sypnosis: A smart, modern revamp of the classic Rapunzel fairytale - complete with the world's most kick ass chameleon sidekick and the next best weapon to a stiletto: The Saucepan.

My excuse is, I have an 8-year old sister. And ok, I'm a sucker for happy endings. But I think for the first time ever, Disney did a pretty good job of fooling me into thinking they were ditching their standard happily-ever-after ending for their last ever (sob!) fairytale (but we'll get to that later.)

I loved the animation, it was absolutely stunning (especially's Rapunzel's huge green eyes!) The new tweaks to this classic fairytale were great, what with the not-so-princely Wanted thief Flynn Rider unexpectedly stumbling across Rapunzel's hiding place and being subsequently assaulted with a saucepan, a complete transformation of the evil witch/mother model, and a central theme running more on the lines of chasing after one's dreams rather than the usual damsel-meets-prince-charming stereotype.

It was a real winner with my sister, so grab your nearest kid and swing by the movie theatre - Tangled is sure to guarantee many laughs, a few tears, and one hell of a good time!

P.S. Re: What I said earlier, I read in The West magazine that apparently Disney will not be producing any more of it's well-loved fairytales, as it believes they're no longer what audiences are looking for. However, after Tangled's success, perhaps they'll have a change of heart?

Much love,

Ngoc

The Atrium at Burswood

Image Sources: Google Images (Unfortunately we only managed to take two photos, neither of which are particularly charming ;D)

On Sunday night, I booked in a dinner session at The Atrium to celebrate my parents' birthdays (yes, they have the same birthday, only a year apart. What are the chances of that? :D) There was, unfortunately, a slight mishap with the booking, whereby the guy who answered my phone call mistook my moving the booking from 6pm on Monday to 6.45pm on Sunday for a re-location to 6.45pm Monday. Slighty embarrassing, and definitely annoying for the people behind us, but so obviously not my fault that they gave us a table after my dad pulled off his 'I'm not very impressed' act. Despite that, we were immediately head over heels in love with the place! The setting was stunning - the restaurant is closed off from the rest of the building however there is no low roof so the only covering is the amazingly high ceilings of the Burswood dome which gives the buffet restaurant a very warm yet at the same time open atmosphere.

I will say one thing - the first thing you'll notice is how much food there is. And the stunning desserts will definitely catch your eye! After sitting down with our first plate of food, we'd already concluded there was no way anyone could try all the dishes in one outing, even if you only got a spoonful of each. The dessert bar was like a whole meal in itself, and would definitely give Miss Maud a run for its money!

To be completely honest, I would suck as a food critic. I think most things taste nice, even as someone else is complaining that it's underseasoned, or too tough etc etc. I'm not a fussy eater. But I can tell when I've tasted something exceptional, something you wouldn't find in just any restaurant and certainly very rarely in the humble household kitchen. And I am not exaggerating when I say every dish I tasted that night was fantastic. Delicious, scrumptious and all those other delectable syllables. So much so that we've already saved a date for our next outing.

This time, though, I'll be triple checking the booking, since double checking didn't work last time!

Service: 7.5/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Food: 9/10

And 10/10 for variety of food, too! :D It is quite a pricey feed, but it's one of those rare occasions when you come out feeling that every cent you swiped off your savings card was worth it. I'd definitely recommend this place without a second's hesitation!

Take care,

Ngoc

A day on Rottnest

I am officially ashamed to say that I have never set foot outside of this lovely little corner of the world in which I was born and raised. Unless you count the occasional visit to Mandurah and Fremantle, which I really don't. I have never gone anywhere overseas except for Vietnam and the Singapore and Malaysian airports xD It's pretty sad, actually. Buuuuuttt these Christmas holidays my parents booked us a trip to Rotto for the day and back. Initally we were going to stay for a couple of days but people were telling us you can explore the entire island in just one day. 

For the sporty types, it makes for a great day. Rent a bike, grab a helmet, slap on the sunscreen and GO GO GO! I haven't ridden a bike in ages, but it felt really good, even though it was 40C back on the mainland and the seats were really, really hard. 

The highlights of the day? Everyone letting me lead the way, and then my promptly getting us all lost; finding a dead snake on the road (which I suppose wasn't really a highlight) and screaming bloody murder; crashing outside the convenience store with ice-screams after biking through the scorching heat up a hill, riding the opposite way to every other sane being on the island and then belatedly realising it was because we were riding up several kms of treeless hills; getting back to the jetty and buying lemon sorbet which was like trying to eat a whole bucket of sour worms all at once; and finally deciding to ease myself into the freezing waters which became a complete waste of time when I tripped on some seaweed and came crashing down. Oh, and of course, trying to change into my swimmers in the toilet whilst juggling my undergarments, belt and dry clothes. All in all, a great day. And as a bonus, I discovered that Powerade is really, really good when you're dying under the hot sun and severely dehydrated. Isotonic, indeed. :)

Next up, we're thinking of going to Albany/Margaret River/Moore River/Denmark for a couple of days or possibly The Maze in Joondalup for one day in the coming New Year's holidays. Looking forward to it! Anyone have any suggestions for somewhere nice to go this Easter? :)

Take care,

Ngoc

Megamind's Megabucks



Image source: Google Images

★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Length: 1hr 35min

Rated: PG

Sypnosis: When Megamind kills off the city's favourite hero, Metro Man - much to the surprise of everyone, including himself, he suddenly finds that having everything he wants isn't so much fun when no one's trying to fight him for it. Naturally, he devises an ingenious plan using the deceased Metro Man's DNA to create and train a new hero to fight against him. Unfortunately, when his DIY-hero strays from the plan, and the situation is further complicated by an unexpected romance and a fallout with his best-fish, Minion, Megamind finds himself having to decide whose side he was really cut out to fight for.

Ok, so I promised a review of Megamind in my last post. I actually wanted to share my first experience with Boxing Day Sales today/what I got for Christmas yesterday, but I really can't be bothered uploading the photos now so that can wait for later :)


I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, even though we missed the opening few scenes trying to sneak in some popcorn and ice-creams, and even though I was really confused as I thought we were seeing Megamind II (there isn't one. That was just me being a retard because I saw adverts for Megamind a millenium ago featuring Metro Man saving the city, and then I saw the recent ads featuring Megamind wanting to become a good guy so I got a bit confuzzled :P)


I loved the storyline, and I loved the characters. I loved EVERYTHING! There were laughs all the way through to the very end and even though I suppose the essence of the plotline has been done before, I really don't think you feel that way coming out of the movie. It wasn't just another kids holiday movie to me, there was something very endearing about the characters and the exploration of what was going behind the facade that people had built up for them which made it thoroughly plausible and extremely enjoyable to watch. And I loved the fact that an unlikely hero saves the day in the end. All in all, it was an excellent film and I definitely recommend everyone to see it these holidays, if you can find a little kid to rent for the day. If not, I really do think everyone in the theatre will be too engrossed in the screen to care that you'll be the oldest person there aside from the pensioners taking their grandkids.


Hope you all had a lovely Christmas!


Take care,


Ngoc