Sunday, March 31, 2013 Midnight's Children Posted by juphelia at 16:52

I do not normally watch Indian shows, even those in English, but those I have watched are pretty good, like Slumdog Millionaire, and Life of Pi. So when I saw that Midnight's Children is showing, and knowing this is a story by the controversial Salman Rushdie, I decided to watch the movie. My verdict? It is one of the best movies I have ever seen!

The main character is named Saleem Sinai. He was born on the stroke of midnight on the day of India's independence on 15 August 1947, ie the day the British left India completely. Due to this, as he was growing up, he discovered he had special powers, which was to bring together all the children born on the same day as him, between midnight and one in the morning, in the same room. These children are then dubbed "Midnight Children".

All these "midnight children" have special powers of their own, but Saleem's power is the strongest because he is the only one able to bring all of them together. Since he was born on the stroke of midnight, his powers would be the best. Those born nearer to midnight would have stronger powers than those born further away from midnight.

Unknown to Saleem, he was actually switched at birth, with a musician's son Shiva, also born at the stroke of midnight. The musician's wife was raped by a British guy, hence Saleem was fairer with sharper features than the other Indian kids. The nurse who switched the two babies wanted to fulfil her lover's legacy of the rich being poor and the poor being rich. Saleem's parents are rich Indian Muslims, and the musician poor, so the poor boy was raised as a rich boy and the rich boy was raised poor.

This changes the course of the two boys' lives. Saleem grew up with all the riches, and the apple of his father's eye, but after an accident where it was discovered his blood type did not match either of his parents, his father resented him and he was sent away to Pakistan to live with his aunt and uncle, who was the general of the Pakistan's army. This happened during the split of India and Pakistan, where the Muslims in India went to Pakistan to fight for their own rights.

Years later, Saleem's parents also went over to Pakistan and he was fetched home to stay with them. His father never gave him the affection he used to receive, and when the nursemaid (who was the one who switched the babies) revealed the truth, she was thrown out of the family. His parents decided to accept him anyway, and they never looked for their own child too.

After that, East and West Pakistan got involved in a civil war, with East Pakistan emerging the winner with the help of the Indian army, becoming Bangladesh. Saleem was drafted into the Pakistani army after his family died in a bombing, but he was found lost and wandering in East Pakistan, now known as Bangladesh.

During the victory parade, he saw that Shiva, the poor boy who resented his poor life and hated the rich, was now second in command of the Indian army. He also met up with Pavati, the girl who told him about the midnight children in the first place. Her power is doing magic. She hid him in her invisibility basket and brought him back to India.

That was when he realised that the fates do intertwine. He was born to a poor family, switched at birth and brought up in a rich family, but yet now he was reduced to living in the slums. Whereas the boy who was born on the same day and same time as him, was originally born of a rich family, brought up as a poor family, yet now a big hero and having all the power he could dispose of.

Later on during Indira Gandhi's administration, she ordered that all the midnight children be disposed of, or made sterile so they would not breed, as she was led to believe that these midnight children who have since grown up would be the downfall of India. She and her son Sanjay also started clearing up the slum areas by bulldozing all the slum areas of India.

The movie ended with Saleem looking forward towards the future of a new India, and a newly born country who would rise up against all the politics and discrimination of the distinction of society.

I am not that familiar with Salman Rushdie's books, as I have only read one, but after watching Midnight's Children, I really want to read this book, as well as the other books that Salman Rushdie wrote. If the movie is this good, just imagine how much better the book will be! This is a movie that I will highly recommend watching!

Monday, January 14, 2013 Golden Globes 2013 Posted by juphelia at 11:07

Now that the Golden Globes is over, I am not that happy with the results. How did Argo win Best Picture (Drama), because there are definitely much better shows! I was very happy that Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Les Miserables won for Best Actor (Musical / Comedy), Best Supporting Actress (Musical / Comedy) and Best Picture (Musical / Comedy), as I have been rooting for them all the way!

Ben Affleck's Best Director win came as a surprise though, in light of the stiff competition he was facing, but still, he did not do that bad a job with Argo. Unfortunately, he was not nominated for the Oscars. Neither was Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty), Tom Hooper (Les Miserables) and the one who did Cloud Atlas.

Perhaps this time round the competition is between Ang Lee and Steven Spielberg? Does that mean Life of Pi would win Best Picture? Or Lincoln? The French show Armour is not a bad contender too. However, I would think Lincoln (although I have not seen it) is a better Best Picture as compared to Life of Pi, but of course, I would still prefer Les Miserables to win!

Friday, January 4, 2013 Les Miserables ... Posted by juphelia at 09:43

I just came back from watching Les Miserables for the second time. And my verdict? It is an excellent show, by far the best movie of the year! I may be biased because I love the musical, but I find this movie version just as good, or even better, than the musical, except for a couple of actors who cannot really sing.

When I knew some years back that a movie of Les Miserables was in the works, and it would be starring Hugh Jackman, one of my favourite actors and my own version of sexiest man alive, I knew it would definitely be a musical. I have always loved to hear Hugh Jackman singing, and after Anne Hathaway proved she could sing too, I knew instantly this movie would be a hit.

And I am not wrong! It is a fantastic show from beginning to end! The songs, the emotions, the acting, all were perfect from beginning to end! Hugh Jackman as the prisoner 24601 aka Jean Valjean who atoned for his sins by being good, who met Fantine, took pity on her and promised to look after her daughter as his own, and later his own conflict when his adopted daughter Cosette fell in love with the student revolutionary Marius, and how he ensured Marius' life would be saved by bringing him to safety in the sewers, and his going away before Marius and Cosette's wedding so Cosette would never find out his true self.

But later on he prepared to die and joined Fantine upon his death. Marius took Cosette to see him before he died and beseeched him to come live with them as Marius was so grateful for him saving his life and giving him Cosette, but he refused and still chose to die.

Anne Hathaway as Fantine gave one of the most haunting and emotional performances of her career, with the unforgettable song "I Dreamed A Dream" sung to perfection. I am really rooting for these two to win Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively! Although I am not sure what other competition is out there, but so far as I can see, Les Miserables is a hot favourite to set to win Best Picture, and I really hope it does, as the rest of the movies I have watched this year is not of the same calibre as this.

Let's keep my fingers crossed and see if these two will really win!

Sunday, December 30, 2012 Amour ... Posted by juphelia at 21:44

Today I watched two movies, "Won't Back Down" and "Amour". Amour is a French show, literally translated to "Love". It is a story of an elderly couple who have been married fifty years. They only have each other to fall back on since their only daughter is living overseas with her family, and only drops by to visit them once in a while.

When the wife suffered a stroke which left her paralysed, the husband took care of her, carrying her into her wheelchair, bringing her to the bathroom, bathing her, washing her, doing all the household chores. When she could no longer function normally and started wetting the bed, he engaged a nurse to take care of his wife, but the nurse was not gentle and he fired her for bullying a defenseless patient.

The whole show is on how he took care of his wife, even when his own health was failing and he could hardly walk properly anymore. The wife became totally bed-ridden and delusional, and she even lost sense of her own speech and was rambling on all the time. The husband did everything he could to comfort her whenever she went into any of her fits, by massaging her, telling her stories and giving her back her memories.

One day, he could take it no longer. After comforting her and calming her down, he took a pillow to smother her and she died. He then dressed her up and mourned her. Shortly after that, he died in his sleep too.

This is a really touching show beacuse it shows true love and commitment between a married couple. How often do people forget that a marriage last forever, and it is really for better for worse, in sickness and in death, in good health and bad, for richer and poorer, till death do them part? Chances are most people will run away at the first sign of trouble.

This movie reminds me of someone I know, who married his wife despite knowing she is sick, and after so many years and in and out of hospitals, he is still there by her side, taking care of her, loving her, comforting her, being with her. And it is still on-going as his wife still needs treatment, and he is still by her side, taking care of her. They have no children of their own because of her condition, but he accepts it and accepts her wholeheartedly. Whenever I hear of this, it really brings tears to my eyes, to see a man so committed and good, beacuse this is indeed love.

Thursday, November 1, 2012 Skyfall! Posted by juphelia at 22:09

I went to watch the new James Bond today. I have been quite a James Bond fan ever since my mum introduced me to the first show I watched - Goldfinger, when it was having a rerun. That was when I was very young and I did not understood what I was watching. It was only when I became a teenager and went to watch Goldeneye on my own that I finally understood the hype about James Bond.

 

Then my brothers bought all the sets of James Bond shows, and we started watching in chronological order. Since then, I have never missed a single James Bond show. Even though I disagreed that Daniel Craig was cast as James Bond as I thought there should be a better looking actor playing him, the shows are still pretty good however.

 

So this "Skyfall" is no exception. It is one of the best James Bond shows ever, because not only does it ties in everything back to the beginning, it also plays homage to the fact that the show or series is already fifty years old. It does not have as much action as the previous James Bond, but the storyline is great and the actors are great. Most importanatly, it shows James Bond being vulnerable, being emotional, and that he cares deeply about things, and not just a plain womaniser and action hero.

 

It also shows his boss, M, being vulnerable and emotional, and how the choices M made affect terrorism and the world around them. Although I did not condone what M did, but I understood from her point of view why she had to do what she did. In most cases, the decisions she made may not be right, but it was the only thing to be done at that moment in time. So the show showed her conflict between doing what is right and what needed to be done, to the extent that she betrayed people around her.

 

And that was what tied in to this whole show. Betrayal, decisions, choices. It was all well made, and well done. And it was a refreshing move to tie in everything back to the beginning, a new start, a new series.

 

Hence this is one of the best James Bond shows ever. Daniel Craig, despite his looks, did a great job as the double O agent. I look forward to seeing him in more James Bond shows to come, before he gets too old!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012 The Words Posted by juphelia at 10:59

I went to watch "The Words" last week, and it is one of the best shows I have seen in recent years. This show reminds me of "Atonement", as the theme is similar. Both shows focus on a writer, who use words to tell the truth, and atone for what they have done.

"The Words" is actually a story within a story. The opening scene is on a writer talking about his new book. In his new book, he told of a young struggling writer who wanted to get something published. Unfortunately, a few years and two manuscripts later, his works were still rejected for publication, even though the publishers all said he wrote well and the story was good, but just not marketable.

One day, he came across a briefcase with a manuscript written by someone. He was so haunted by the story of a young soldier in the second world war dedicating the story to his wife and recently-deceased baby daughter, that he wanted the words to flow out of himself. So he went to retype the manuscript on his own typewriter. When his wife came across that story on his typewriter, she was so moved that she urged him to get the manuscript published. Unwilling to disappoint his wife and knowing this would be his big break, he did not reveal that he was not the original writer.

His book became a sensation and overnight best-seller. Due to the popularity of this new book, his previous manuscripts were also published. That book allowed him to win the New Letters Of The Year award. The next day after receiving an award, he came across an old man who was revealed to be the original writer of the story.

The writer was so crest-fallen and guilty that he confessed of his plagiarism to his wife. He then went on to confess to his publisher, who told him things like that do happen and he just had to ride on his new-found success, as if not because of this book, he would never be a published writer. Hence, he had to live with his guilt, especially after finding out the other manuscripts he wrote were not of the same standard as the first that was published.

So the new writer went to find the old man and wanted to give him his proceeds of the royalties. The old man refused and said it was enough to see his words in print, and that he did not tell him the truth to gain anything, but just to let him know the background of the story. Shortly after, the old man passed away, and the new writer did not have the chance to atone for what he did.

Back to the opening scene. It is now revealed that the writer talking about the book is none other that the young writer himself, but now middle-aged and with several best-sellers to his name. He decided to write this book to tell the truth and to atone for what he did. Of course, people thought it was all fiction. It was implied that he and his wife never did recover from the deception and their marriage fell apart, and even though he became rich and successful, he never got over the guilt of publishing someone else's work in the first place.

Just like "Atonement". The writer in the show never got over her guilt of what she did to her sister and the man she loved. Unfortunately, she never did manage to make amends, as both died during the second world war and never had the chance to get back together. She became a famous writer, and in the end she published her final book entitled "Atonement", hoping to alleviate her guilt towards what she did.

Both shows are good in their own ways. "The Words" may sound complicated, but it is actually a very simple movie and quick to understand. And that is why it makes the show so good because it is such a simple, albeit fantastic storyline. Nothing complicated, no extra characters. Just a simple plot and great acting. And that is why it is one of the best shows I have watched in recent years.

Thursday, November 4, 2010 Eat, Pray, Love Posted by juphelia at 15:24

The first time I heard of this book, I thought the story reflects me. After all, the three words can easily describe me - eat, pray and love. So when I first saw that this would be turned into a movie and starring none other than Julia Roberts, I told myself it would be a movie worth watching!

And I am not wrong. The movie captures the essence of the book. Not many book-to-movie films actually capture the essence of the book, but this one did so successfully. Hence reviewing the book is just like reviewing the movie.

The author Elizabeth Gilbert wrote about the down period in her life - after a divorce, loss of her money and not enough jobs were forthcoming. So she decided to take a year off to "discover" herself so to speak.

She spent a few months in Italy, eating, enjoying life, learning Italian and drooling over cute Italian guys, while making some friends in the process. She spent another few months in India, trying to "find" herself, mediating. She met the guy Richard from Texas who taught her about life and mediation, and about life's problems. She then spend the remaining months in Bali, learning from her guru and meeting a dream South American hunk in the process.

Even though my experiences are not that similar to hers (for one, I have never been married), but I can understand her struggles. Many a times, people (men or women) have reached a crossroads. They go by life just within the motions, not really caring whether they are truly happy or not.

Only the really brave ones are able to break out of the monotony and wants a change for himself and herself. That will be when he / she starts discovering him / herself. Like Elizabeth, some may go travelling for some journey of self-discovery. If I can afford to take a year off, I do not mind doing what she did too!

In any case, this book is a pretty good read. I have not really come across any of Elizabeth Gilbert's books, but this seems to be her best book by far. The movie is not that far off too. Now I am looking forward to reading the sequel to this book which she recently published this year!

Friday, October 29, 2010 Movie : You Again Posted by juphelia at 14:59

The movie “You Again” kind of reminds me of my own school days. How many of us emerge out of school without any hurdles? Some of us were the geeks – the ones that were constantly being taunted, and some of us were the tormentors – the popular ones where everyone looked up to.

The main character in the movie reminds me of myself. I, too, wore thick glasses with straggly hair. I, too, was plain with no fashion sense. Not only that, I was short and dark with a deep voice. Actually, I am still short, dark, with a deep voice, plain and with no fashion sense.

In any case, the main character of the movie became confident, started wearing contacts and became one of the top Public Relations executives in her firm. Just like her, I also became confident (although I took a much longer time), started wearing contacts and having a better dress sense.

Then she was called back home to attend her brother’s wedding, only to find out that her sister-in-law-to-be is the very school belle who tormented her back in high school, and yet the latter seemed to have no recollection of the whole incident. She started being her insecure self again, trying to show her up and warning her brother of the true colours of his bride-to-be.

I can so relate to that! The series of nicknames I had back in school, the way I looked in school, the way my mum controlled me where the rest of my classmates basically could do whatever they pleased, made me a not-so-popular girl. Hence, after secondary school, I decided to revamp myself. I started wearing contacts to rid myself of my glasses. I started putting on makeup. I started growing my hair again. I started having a better dress sense (or at least tried to have a better dress sense).

Now after all these years, the childhood “trauma” seems to have been overcome a little. Whenever I come across a familiar name in Facebook and tried to add the person, I always wondered if the person would add me. And added me she did. But still, I was worried she would remember me as the quiet, mousey, whiny girl who could not go out after school and could only go home and be a “good little girl”, when I so much wanted to be the life of the party. And up to now, I still refuse to look at my younger photos.

Still, everyone grows up. It seems as if whatever grudges I thought people bore me, no one remembered that. We just managed to get re-connected with no hint of anger, bitterness and pettiness. Hence, if the rest have forgotten about the past, why should I bother? How many of us have not done naughty things in the past? Why should we then bother to dig it up when we are living a pretty satisfactory life right now?

The only thing one can do is to keep looking forward towards the future. Whatever is past, is past. What matters is the present and the future. And that was what happened at the end of the movie. The two ladies decided to bury their hatchet and become the best of friends, the best of sisters. It is a happy ending after all.

Saturday, September 4, 2010 Dirty Dancing! Posted by juphelia at 12:58

I am now hooked on Dirty Dancing, after I got so captivated by it in the movie "Heartbreaker". I know it is rather an old movie, with the late Patrick Swayze in it. But when I saw how the guy moves, he is so oozing of sex appeal that I want so much to dance with him!

Now I need to go find the movie and learn the steps! Hopefully I can attempt something just as outrageous!

Pope Joan The Movie Posted by juphelia at 11:56

We went to watch the movie "Pope Joan" yesterday. It is an interesting yet thought-provoking show, with the main question being, is this fact or fiction? Did Pope Joan really exist? Was there ever a female pope?

I was so intrigued by this that I actually went to do some research. Some sources claimed she did exist, and some claimed it was just a myth. But her existence was rather ambiguous. There were clues that led people to speculate she did exist.

Just to summarise, Joan was a gifted girl who disguised herself as a man and became a Brother. She was later elected Pope. During her reign, she was rather popular and tried to improve the living standards of the people.

However, she had a lover or two and became pregnant. Having lived as a man for so long, she did not even know she was pregnant, neither did she know when she would be due. One day, during a papal procession, she felt ill and had to stop halfway and rest on the streets, where she gave birth.

It was sacrilegious, so it was speculated that both the mother and child were dragged away to be stoned. Some other sources said she was stoned but the child was saved, and later became Bishop too. Yet some said the matter was hushed up, and she was stripped of her title and put away in a convent where she raised her child.

In the movie, she suffered a miscarriage and died. Her lover died too. He was her guardian who took her in when no one else would, so she could study in a cathedral school. She became the top student but her tutor and classmates hated her and often thought up ways to punish or tease her. They fell in love as he felt her to be equal in him intellectually and spiritually.

Anyway, her existence is still disputed, because there did not seem to be any records of her having ever existed in any papal records. But then, if she did not exist, why did the following happen around the time when she was supposed to have died?

First, the Vatican now (since then) has a pierced chair. Apparently, this is to ascertain that the incumbent Pope is really a man. The incumbent will sit on the chair, and someone will go under and look up to see if he really is a man. Why did they have this practice to ascertain if all along popes had been male?

Second, the path where she was supposedly have given birth, had since been avoided by all the papal procession. It seemed that Popes all bypassed that area and go through another area, as that area is now "unclean".

Which makes me wonder, why can women not become priests? Why can women not be able to preach or become the head of the church? Why must it only be man? In this time and age when women are supposedly more equal or more capable than men, why does such an ancient rule still exist? Is it still relevant even?

Who is to say in the olden days, there was not a single female priest? Perhaps there were women who disguised themselves and became priests, and no one knew. Perhaps they took their secret to their graves.

Can there ever be a female priest? From the looks of it, not during my time. Maybe in another hundred years? If we can ask God for anything, will He then grant the wish that one day, there will be a female priest? I believe, being females, she will be able to do her work better than any male around!

Saturday, August 14, 2010 Ocean Heaven - The Movie Posted by juphelia at 00:37

I just watched a very touching Mandarin show called "Ocean Heaven", starring Mr Wong Fei Hung himself - Jet Li - in his first non-action role. In my opinion, this show is also a breakthrough for him as it shows that he can act and not just fight.

The show is about an autistic kid (by right he was no longer a kid but a twenty-one year old adult) and the struggles the father had to face in taking care and raising the child.

Being autistic, the child lived in his own world, could not express himself, could not understand what was going on and depended heavily on his father.

The father found himself to have advanced liver cancer and could only have four more months to live. In the short time, he managed to find an institution that could take care of his son and tried his best to teach him basic survival skills like cooking his own meals, taking the bus to and from home (the institution), telling the bus driver which stop to alight, and mopping the floor so he could work as a cleaner.

Many people became touched by the father's love - their neighbour who runs a provision shop, the head of the special institution, the former principal of the special school where the boy used to study, even the boss of the aquarium where the father worked and took his son to work everyday.

When the father passed on, these people put their names as the guardians of the boy. The father's teaching was not in vain. After his passing, the boy managed to cook for himself, change his clothes, take the bus to and fro, pay when he buy things and work as a cleaner in the same aquarium.

It is a very heartfelt show indeed. Many people cried, including me. Often we have heard stories of the mother's love for her children, but this tale of a father's love for his autistic son is so intense that it probably put many people to shame.

It makes me wonder, if I ever have children in the future, will I be able to give my all to my children? It is already a struggle taking care of a normal, intelligent child, let alone a disabled (in whatever way) child.

It is stories like these that remind me of our parents' love for us, and how we shall never take them for granted!

Friday, July 23, 2010 Letters To Juliet - The Movie Posted by juphelia at 01:44

When I first came across this show, I thought I must watch it because it has a Shakespearean theme. For those not in the know, Shakespeare is my favorite writer of all time! Whenever I need some inspiration, I always look through his works and I will perk up.

"Romeo and Juliet" is my utmost favorite and I always wish I can go to Verona. Imagine how romantic it will be if someone proposes to me while I am at Juliet's balcony in Verona under the moonlight! That would be the perfect proposal!

In any case, Letters To Juliet is set in Italy (where else?). It is based on a true event in Verona where many broken hearted, confused and lost women from all over the world go to Juliet's house and write heartfelt letters, pouring out their souls and asking for advise.

The writing letters part is true but whether the letters actually get answered in reality, I am not sure. In the show, at the end of everyday, someone will collect the letters and there will be a team who call themselves "Secretaries of Juliet" who sits down for a few hours daily answering and replying the letters and actually sending them out.

How wonderful it is! Maybe the reason so many people believe in writing letters to Juliet is because the letters actually get answered? If I am to pour out my soul and stick a letter on the wall of Juliet's house in Verona, I would think it is just that. But if the letter gets answered, I will be totally ecstatic and over the moon!

That is the power of writing letters. Nowadays with the advanced technology, no one bothers writing letters anymore. They rather send an email, text message or instant chat.

Call me old-fashioned, but I always thought writing letters beat everything else. It adds the personal touch, which the impersonal email, texts or instant chats simply do not cut it.

Gone are those days where we write letters to our friends living overseas and waited expectantly for their replies and we were so excited whenever we received a reply. I used to be the one checking the mailbox everyday, wondering if any of my pen pals wrote me a letter.

Now with emails, instant chats and social network portals, keeping in touch with each other is just a click away. It conveniences everyone, but as a result, we have become impersonal. We rely too much on technology that we have forgotten how to actually socialise - calling someone to talk, writing letters with a personal touch to share your happenings.

How I wish my guy is the type to write letters! I do not mean emailing a love letter or poem, or putting up on his blog as a dedication. I mean a real letter written by ink on sheets of paper sealed with a kiss in an envelope. That would mean so much more to me!

So instead of emailing, why not pick up a pen and some paper and actually write a letter to someone we know?

Monday, May 31, 2010 Sex And The City II - The Movie Posted by juphelia at 22:27

This show never lets me down, as always. Somehow this show draws an appeal, not because of the artistes. In fact, none of the actors and actresses in the show are my favourites. That is not to say they cannot act. Each one acted well and brought out the character.

But it is not the actors and actresses that draw me to the show, as I have mentioned. Yet this is one of my favourite series and the movies are one of my favourite movies (including this latest one).

The greatest appeal of the show is the glamorous setting. It is set in New York City itself, the city of glamour, designer fashion and stylish people. And the fashions. I always wondered where did the four ladies get their clothes? How could they afford it?

One is a writer married to a man who can give her a penthouse as a wedding gift, with a fabulous walk-in wardrobe full of shoes. One is a top notch lawyer. One owns a public relations company. One is a goody-two-shoes whose only dream in life is to have a happy family.

As unlikely as all four are and as different their personalities are, all four are best friends and never let each other down. They are always there for each other no matter what happens. They are all beautiful yet highly successful women in their own right yet at the same time share a common bonding which their men do not get.

And the clothes. Where did they get their threads? I will give anything to be able to carry off their poise, style and sophistication! Imagine me wearing those threads and I am positive I will definitely look much better because wearing those give me a kind of confidence that will let me ooze sex appeal! The right threads definitely speak wonders!

I hope there will be a third movie coming. Meanwhile I will try to source for some of those fine threads worn by the ladies. Hopefully I can get something at a bargain!

Thursday, May 13, 2010 Mother And Child - The Movie Posted by juphelia at 21:48

This was supposed to be up on Mother's Day itself but I have been tied up with revision, and I am still behind! In any case last Sunday, we watched two great movies about motherhood - "Mother And Child" and "The Backup Plan".

"Mother And Child" is about three women whose lives intertwined through adoption. A fourteen-year-old girl was found pregnant, and had to give up the baby for adoption. The incident affected her and she became bitter and distrustful. Years later, she met a man and started to trust again. They married and his own daughter encouraged her to look for her long-lost daughter.

Meanwhile her daughter Elizabeth, who had known all her life that her mother abandoned her and felt belonged to no one, became an ambitious loner who slept her way to the top. But when she became pregnant, she decided to keep her baby and look for her real mother.

In comes Lucy, who had been trying in vain to have a baby for four years and decided to adopt as she wanted badly to be a mother. Her husband would like a boy so they decided to adopt a boy. They met up with a twenty-year-old unwed mother who is willing to give up her son for adoption upon giving birth.

But Lucy's husband scorned her for not being able to have a child and they divorced. She decided to go ahead and adopt the unborn baby. Unfortunately, the girl refused to give up her baby after giving birth.

Lucy was despondent. Just when she was losing hope, news came of another baby for adoption. Elizabeth had died in childbirth due to complications in pregnancy and her baby girl was then offered to Lucy for adoption, who accepted immediately.

One year later, Elizabeth's mother, who all along had been looking for her, finally got some news due to a little administration confusion at the orphanage where she enquired. She realised her own daughter had died but had given her a granddaughter who happened to live just a few houses away from her!

She then went to visit Lucy and the little girl Ella. Seeing her, it was as if her own daughter had come back. Finally she is in peace with herself.

I cried after watching the show. No matter what they are, mothers are really the greatest. A mother will never forget her own child, no matter how little time she had with the child. A mother will always put her child first, even to the extent of giving up her life just so the child can live.

I believe as a woman, each of us do hope to become a mother one day. Some choose to adopt to experience motherhood. Some, like Jennifer Lopez's character in "The Backup Plan", choose to artificially inseminate so she can be a mother after giving up meeting the right man.

That is why married women have said they feel happiest and most complete when they are pregnant, and not when they are married. So let us give our mothers a big salute!

Saturday, April 17, 2010 Boy A - The Movie Posted by juphelia at 15:29

I just finished a very thought-provoking show called "Boy A". As I need to rush assignments for the weekend, he brought over a disc he borrowed and we watched it in between breaks.

The show is about how a child criminal who was thought to be involved in the murder of a girl when he was only eleven, was released from prison upon his adulthood. His social worker then gave him a new name and a new identity, even finding a job for him and helping him fit back into society.

I wonder if any of you remember this case around fifteen years back, on two ten-year-old boys who kidnapped and killed a toddler? This happened in England. The two boys were put on trial and convicted of murder, hence thrown into jail. But they were released around ten years later upon reaching adulthood.

I wonder what happened to them? I know they were given anonymity and then moved elsewhere. But were they given a second chance? Were people still out for their blood?

When you commit a crime, specifically killing someone, as an adult, you will either be hanged or sentenced to life imprisonment, at least in the local context. But the law gives allowances for underage criminals.

About ten years back we had a case where this guy plotted with a teenager to kill his wife to get her insurance money. The teenager then stabbed his wife to death. The guy thought he could get away but being the mastermind, he was hanged. No compassion was shown to him when the verdict was out.

The teenager, being underage, escaped the death penalty. But because he is of sensible age and knew fully well what he was doing, he was sentenced to jail "to be kept at the President's pleasure", which means he may still have a chance to be released. He is probably still in jail.

If he is ever released, I wonder how society will view him? Should he be given another chance? Society does not take kindly to murderers and rapists. People are relatively more tolerant if you were jailed for a minor crime than a capital offence, especially if you murdered or raped just for kicks.

If the boy was ever released, what then? Would he be able to start life over? In any case, he is no longer a boy. He should be in his early twenties by now. Would he be given a new identity and released under anonymity?

Back to the show, the repented child criminal wanted to start life over. He got along well with his co-workers. He saved a little girl in a car crash. He became a little hero amongst his friends. He found a girlfriend.

Then his identity was blown. As a result, whatever good he had done and however well-liked he was, turned around overnight. He was fired from his job, his friends distanced themselves away and his girlfriend went away.

He felt the stigma of his past would always be there so he decided to go away once and for all. Before that he left messages to everyone telling them goodbye.

If only people are not so judgmental, would it turn out this way? I guess people will always be judgmental, but does it mean no one deserves another chance? Who is totally faultless? I am pretty sure many of us lie and manipulate to get our way, even to the extent of backstabbing.

So who are we to label others as such? It is already hard to survive in society as it is, and even harder for someone with a criminal record. People like us should not make it any harder.

The Men Who Stare At Goats - The Movie Posted by juphelia at 10:49

Imagine you can kill a goat just by staring at it. You can walk through a wall by staring at it. But would that be good? Like what George Clooney's character said in "The Men Who Stare At Goats" after a goat dropped dead in front of him when he stared at it for a while, "What had that goat ever done to me?"

What if you are blessed with psychic powers? Would that be a blessing or a curse? Would you use it in the right way or the left way?

Some people will use their powers to do good (think "X-Men"), some will use it for evil purposes like conquering the world. It is a gift that not many are blessed with, if there are any at all.

At times I wish I have psychic powers myself. It is always very tempting to see what my future is like - whether I would have a good or a bad future. No one can change the past but there is always a chance to fight for a better future.

But then again, do I really want to know? Honestly, I rather not know than to feel depressed if the future is not as beautiful as I would like it to be.

Is it not better to be a normal person than someone who can see the future and live a life of agony? I rather take life as it is -the happiness, sadness, sweetness, bitterness. Because that is what life is all about - no shortcuts and making the most of it!

The Lovely Bones - The Movie Posted by juphelia at 09:42

I managed to watch a few movies the past three weeks but do not have the time to update. These are all overdue but I thought I better do it before I forget everything.

Of all the shows, the one with the most impact is "The Lovely Bones". It tells the story of how a teenage girl was murdered and her spirit rose up into the in-between where she watches on as her murderer got his just deserts and her family broke apart and started to heal.

Which makes me wonder, how do people deal with death? I ever reflected that when a person dies, what he was in life is best seen during his wake. I attended a wake last year on the demise of a friend's father. He was only in his sixties.

But he must have impacted a lot of people when he was alive, because there were many people who went for his wake when they heard about his demise.

Similarly, when I see the number of visitors my grandma has everyday and the number of people who called up asking about her, I know she has impacted a lot of people when she was young, that these same people still show respect to her and teach their children and grandchildren to show the sane respect to her.

I know in the event she passes on (touch wood!), her wake will be full of people in attendance. These people will be those she had impacted, with their children and grandchildren in tow.

When my grandpa passed away, the three day wake at my place was full of people. My parents provided dinner for those visitors and everyday, both my living and dining rooms were full of people. I did not realise it then but now I know my grandpa himself had made an impact on many people in his younger days.

I am ashamed to say I have never made an impact on anyone the way my grandparents did. Maybe when I pass on, no one will notice and I will just die an old, lonely death. But if I ever pass on, I hope to be able to die peacefully when I am still healthy and not become bedridden and be a burden to others.

It is one thing taking care of my grandma and perhaps my parents next time, but I will not want nor expect my younger generation (if any) to do the same thing to me.

Thursday, March 18, 2010 Up In The Air - The Movie Posted by juphelia at 22:10

This is not a comedy nor a romance. It is also not exactly drama too. It is about how a high-flying single man who aims to earn ten million flying miles. In the process he cut himself away from his family, becomes self-centred and just wants to be a loner.

Because of the people he meets on his journeys, he starts to discover more of himself and what he wants. Due to this he realises there are other people besides himself in the world. He starts to help others for a change.

The last part of the show is quite inspiring. The whole movie is like a one man's journey of self-discovery. Pretty refreshing!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 Alice In Wonderland - The Movie Posted by juphelia at 23:59

I had been looking forward to watching the show "Alice In Wonderland" ever since I came across the posters last year. Plus it is by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, so it would be a show not to be missed.

So we went to catch it last week. And I was not disappointed. Granted the storyline deviates from the book, but which film adaptation actually follows the book? The screen writers always have to either summarize or dramatise some scenes and change the ending.

The show is on a young adult Alice who went back to Wonderland. She had forgotten her childhood dream and fantasy but her friends in Wonderland had not forgotten her.

Of course there are the characters of the White Rabbit, Dormouse, March Hare, Blue Caterpillar smoking, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Queen of Hearts (the Red Queen) with "Off with their heads", the Knave of Hearts and the frog footmen who stole the Queen's tarts.

And there is the croquet playing with a flamingo and a hedgehog. As well as the tea that makes you smaller and the cake that makes you bigger. And the Jabberwocky.

And of course, there is the Mad Hatter with the Mad Tea Party. The Hatter really stole the show! Only Johnny Depp can play this kind of roles! Somehow he just plays them to perfection! One can never imagine anyone else playing the kind of roles he played!

In short, even though the story deviates a bit, this is a very good adaptation of a classic tale loved by children and adults everywhere. Really worth watching!

Saturday, February 13, 2010 Valentine's Day - The Movie Posted by juphelia at 21:06

Following the likes of Love Actually, Valentine's Day is another show featuring different vignettes centred on the theme of love. While Love Actually is on the lives and loves of some Londonites around the Chrismas season, Valentine's Day is on the lives and loves of some Los Angelites on that one day.

In a month, I cried while watching two shows. One was Hachiko, and the other one was Valentine's Day. The loves in the show is just so sweet, heartwarming and romantic - loving someone means accepting the whole of the person, good and bad, as well as someone you can spend the rest of your life with is actually someone who is your best friend whom you like a lot and actually grow to love.

It is another feel-good show that gives the audience a warm feeling all over. Not a typical romantic comedy yet it epitomizes love in its true essence.

Which is why I cried. But between Love Actually and Valentine's Day, somehow I still prefer Love Actually!