The Casual Watcher

hiatus

2004-10-22T07:49:00.000+08:00

The Casual Watcher would like to casually announce that due to sickness, a toxic workload and trauma due to the sister's reality-show addiction (For Love or Money with a new twist!), the site has been on hiatus for the past three weeks and will be back to regular blogging by the end of the month.

Raising Helen

2004-10-04T18:32:00.000+08:00

At the start of the movie, Kate Hudson’s Helen Harris admonishes the receptionist at Dominique’s modeling agency for bringing her daughter to work. “You know Dominique doesn’t like children.” Aha! Plot point! How… obvious. Even without knowing much about the film’s premise, you seem to know where the movie is headed.

Helen seems to breeze through life in this “feel-good” movie about a Manhattan party girl who suddenly inherits three children from her oldest sister, who dies with her husband in a car accident. It is a surprise both to Helen and their other sister Jenny (Joan Cusack), who is a model mother, down to the “mumsy haircut”. Helen tries to make do, moving to a different apartment, having to give up her social life, and eventually losing her job. Add to this the intricacies of raising three children: Audrey (Hayden Panettiere) wants to begin sexual exploration; Henry (Spencer Breslin), is morose and does not want to play basketball, once his favorite sport; and Sarah (Abigail Breslin) is added for the cutesy factor, as if Kate Hudson weren’t enough.

Joan Cusack doesn’t disappoint in her supporting role, Helen Mirren was quite a joy to watch, and John Corbett played his usual delectable man-next-door. Kate Hudson is playing a character not unlike almost every character she has played in the past; it’s like Penny Lane from Almost Famous just grew up. A little. There is also an Indian neighbor, Nilma Prasad, played by Sakina Jaffrey, who becomes Helen’s crisis control center. Nilma is the ideal neighbor, dropping everything at a moment’s notice to attend to Helen’s problems. Would that we were all lucky enough to have neighbors like her. The children, all veterans in their own right, are a delight to watch, especially Spencer (previously seen on The Kid), displaying a mixture of vulnerability, silliness and a degree of maturity so wonderful in children.

Aside from the overall lack of appeal or edge, there are a few major gripes about this pedestrian movie masquerading as a chick-flick, suffering from a fluffy plot and unimaginative screenplay. For one, parenting is serious business, and having three children suddenly thrust upon you when you are a work-worshipping, party-loving single woman—that would be cause for a nervous breakdown. But Helen seems to go about it jovially; in fact, even the fact that she loses her job doesn’t really faze her much—which can be credited to either bad writing, bad directing, bad acting, or all of that. On another note, that Helen makes a major decision about the children only after finalizing some arrangements with her job seems to cast a shadow of doubt on her decision: does she do it only because it is convenient?

In fact, this movie’s plot suffers from a total regard for convenience; and as such, the trials and difficulties are downplayed, so that there is no real tension regarding how things will end up. It was quite convenient that the pastor-principal of the children’s Lutheran school is a bachelor who falls for Helen; it was quite convenient that there was a next-door neighbor who would respond to Helen’s emergency calls at the last moment. Instead of being an empowering chick-flick, this movie (like a lot of director Garry Marshall’s movies) has settled on being saccharine, almost cloying. Still, there are quite a number of chuckle-moments, and the requisite scenes that tug at the heartstrings (and lachrymal glands) as well. These are not enough, however, to save this movie from a shadow of blandness and mediocrity.

Saved!

2004-10-03T01:24:00.000+08:00

Saved! is an irreverent satire that pokes fun at fanatical religion, much in the same vein as Dogma, only for born-again fundamentalism rather than Catholicism.

Jena Malone plays Mary, a devout born-again girl who is part of the Christian Jewels, the in-crowd clique headed by the big girl on campus, Hilary Faye, played in tongue-in-cheer manner by Mandy Moore. Mary’s life is turned upside down one summer when her jock boyfriend Dean (Chad Faust—how apt) tells her he thinks he might be gay; and then she gets a “vision” of Jesus Christ telling her to help Dean. She does in the only way she believes will work: she sleeps with him. Unfortunately, they do not use protection (because Mary is convinced God will restore her virginity) and Mary ends up pregnant.

Dean is shipped to Mercy House, a rehab center that specializes in drug and alcohol treatment as well as “de-gay-ification”. When Hilary Faye uses information on Dean to her advantage, Mary decides to go about it alone, keeping everything even from her mother (Mary Louise Parker), who is having a confusing flirtation with the school’s principal Pastor Skip (Martin Donovan). She finds solace, though, in the company of the school’s outcasts, Hilary Faye’s paraplegic brother Roland (Macaulay Culkin) and the rebellious Cassandra (a doe-eyed and kick-ass Eva Amurri), who is defiant as well as the only Jew in school; as well as the attentions of Patrick (Patrick Fugit), Pastor Skip’s son. As Hilary Faye heightens her campaign against the non-Jesus freaks, Mary takes a roller-coaster ride of questioning her faith as well as the intentions of the people around her.

Jena Malone has become adept in playing troubled teens with a certain degree of kick beneath the troubled veneer. Mandy Moore, meanwhile, is positively gleeful playing the staunch Hilary Faye; Macaulay Culkin as the wheelchair-bound Roland is quite charming, although the Kevin McAllister smirk is still there. In something that could be straight out of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Patrick Fugit, he of the wide-eyed performance in Almost Famous, has been transformed into a Christian skateboarding hunk. Mary Louise Parker and Martin Donovan are delightful in their inhibited, cautious displays of affection. Heather Matarazzo, though, was underused in this movie. The same cannot be said for scene-stealer Eva Amurri, who at this young age shows signs that she has inherited quite a degree of talent from her mother Susan Sarandon.

Cassandra and Roland’s repartee as well as Mary and Hilary Faye’s contrasting naïve and fanatical fundamentalism, respectively, provide the laughs, although Malone’s narration could get monotonous at times. Aside from the many comic and satirical turns (the trailer’s scene of Hilary Faye throwing a bible at Mary to get her to stop running away from their intervention is just one of many), we also glean some degree of characterization that makes some characters, like Culkin’s Roland, particularly endearing.

This movie is great fun, even if one happened to be a born-again fundamentalist. After all, it is the extreme fanaticism of certain individuals or sects that is being derided. However intense the ardor or zealous manner, to do un-Christian acts to uphold Christianity is, after all, quite imprudent. At the end of it all, Mary is still a devout Christian who has just strayed; Cassandra the Jew is actually a nice person; and although things were thrown topsy-turvy, everything ended the way it should have. In this delightful romp trying to delineate extremism and zeal, tolerance is shown to be actually the right thing and it was probably the way Jesus taught it too.

Pumpkin | How Correct is Politically-Correct?

2004-09-25T08:42:00.000+08:00

A bottle-blond Christina Ricci is playing consummate W.A.S.P. and cheery sorority girl Carolyn McDuffy who falls in love with a mentally- and physically-challenged boy, Pumpkin Romanoff, played by Hank Harris. The initial premise won’t really catch your fancy. However, Pumpkin, the movie, seems to hook you with a degree of dark satire and an outrageous, not-so-politically-correct treatment that is at times hilarious and at times a hitting statement on so-called politically correct behavior.

The root of all the hoopla is a competition among the Greek-letter sororities for Sorority of the Year. Carolyn’s sorority, Alpha Omega Phi, is sponsoring a team for the Challenged Games, so that each sorority sister is assigned a challenged person to coach. She is teamed up with Pumpkin, whom she initially disdains, but eventually she falls in love with him because he “sees into her soul,” having to choose between the retarded-er-challenged boy and her tennis champ-campus king boyfriend Kent.

Christina Ricci has made a living out of playing quirky characters and this one is no exception. She parodies the got-it-all-together blonde campus queens (maybe a take on Elle Woods) and gives her performance a little oomph. Marisa Coughlan plays the focused sorority president who does everything and anything in her power to win Sorority of the Year—missed her since that promising yet ill-fated Wasteland. Brenda Blethyn, quite a talented actress, is a bit underused as Pumpkin’s protective alcoholic mother, who can’t make heads or tails of her son growing up and actually maturing (“you’re not retarded… you’re special… we’re sure, we had you tested!”).

Honestly, you might not know what to make of this movie—if it’s a black comedy, a parody, or a romantic comedy. There are flashes of brilliant satire, and then there are some seemingly ill-placed bouts with saccharin that don’t really just fit in. It seems like the director wanted to make it all of these, but the totality wasn’t all that seamless. It does have its moments, though, and it stretches the boundaries of so-called taste. Favorite moments included a West Side Story-like face-off and the fuss about Alpha Omega Phi’s Asian member.

Pumpkin pokes fun at the pretentiousness of supposed politically-correct organizations, in how the sorority deals with the “inappropriate” relationship of Carolyn and Pumpkin, one of their own, and one of their charity cases. This is not a movie that I would watch over; and in fact it could have been shortened a little bit. However, it did elicit wry smiles and the occasional laugh—not a total waste.

Neither hilarious nor serious, but borderline scathing. Rightly so that this movie was viewed on cable.

The Stepford Wives | Almost Camp, Almost Satire, Almost Funny

2004-09-23T19:35:00.000+08:00

It seems that there is some sense to the satirical, almost campy, approach that the Frank Oz and Paul Rudnick have taken with the remake of the 1975 cult classic The Stepford Wives. From the Ira Levin novel released in 1972 to the screen adaptation in 1975 and several TV-movies, the term “Stepford wife” has infiltrated popular culture; yet its moment seems to be over. Truly, in the 1970s, men would have had something more objectionable to say about feminism and being a “career bitch” (which is what Nicole Kidman’s character Joanna Eberhart has always wanted to become since she was a young girl), but today, it would indeed seem the best way to tackle a storyline such as this is with farcical rather than sinister elements.

Kidman stars as Joanna, a network president who gets sacked after her feminist-leaning reality shows reap tragic results. After Joanna suffers a nervous breakdown, her husband Walter (played by the always pleasant-faced Matthew Broderick) transplants the family to Stepford, Connecticut, where there is no crime and “no pushing”. Joanna tries to fit in with the always-genial, eternally dressed-up and coiffed women of Stepford, seeking solace among fellow new residents Bobbie Markowitz (expertly played by the talented Miss M, Bette Midler) and gay “wife” Roger Bannister (Broadway regular Roger Bart). The three seeming misfits get together to speculate on the goings-on in town, including Sarah Sunderson (country singer Faith Hill) having an apparent seizure. Glenn Close and Christopher Walken round out the cast as premier Stepford couple Claire and Mike Wellington.

As time goes by, Walter gets deeper into the Stepford men’s club inner circle, while Joanna tries to assimilate and be chirpy. However, when Roger Bannister (apparently staunchly Democratic), becomes a gay Republican who dresses in Brooks Brothers, and Bobbie Markowitz, the dreadful slob who once wrote a book entitled “I Love You, But Please Die” for her mother, becomes a blonde Betty Crocker fanatic, Joanna confirms that something is amiss. The audience, though, has known that for quite some time.

The talented cast gamely churns out good performances (Kidman and Midler’s comedic turns, Close’s steely effervescence, and Walken’s menacing evenness are the most noteworthy) but it seems there is something that prevents the story from actually taking off, preventing the film from totally engrossing the viewer. This shouldn’t be the case because this is a fresh take on a classic; yet it seems the snappy one-liners, pop culture references and great pacing and comic timing still, somehow, fall flat. Even the twist at the end of the tale doesn’t hook you.

It was a good decision to watch this only when there was nothing else to watch. It has its moments, but you can flip back to those from time to time if ever you’re watching on cable. Mind you, though, Nicole Kidman looks absolutely delightful as a Stepford wife. Delish.

The Notebook | Into Each Life, Some Mush Must Come

2004-09-22T21:19:00.000+08:00

Ah, love. Bane of our existence, yet it could be the very thing that keeps us alive. The Notebook is yet another love story, harkening to a world where things are more straightforward, where a boy from the wrong side of the tracks could woo a girl from the “right side” over the course of a summer and she would fall in love with him; where parents could be villainous and prevent their daughters from seeing certain unsuitable people; and, most importantly, where true love could prevail.

The Notebook is a faithful rendition of the poignant Nicholas Sparks bestseller, which dealt with first love, lost love and the debilitation of Alzheimer’s disease in a slim volume. Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton come from different sides of the track. They meet during an idyllic summer filled with the exuberance of youth and the first stirrings of passion. Rich girl, poor (albeit literary-inclined) boy—this situation inevitably leads to parental displeasure. Separation, intercepted letters, and a world war later, Allie is engaged to be married to prize catch Lon Hammond, who, like Noah, is a war veteran but is from old money. Circumstance brings the former lovers to each other’s periphery and Allie has to make a choice between two men, either of whom could be the love of her life. Meanwhile, in the present time, Duke is reading to an older Allie from a notebook: Allie is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, and there are only a few lucid moments when she is herself again.

The Notebook is a good-looking story. The lighting is almost always perfect, and Ryan Gosling (young Noah), Rachel McAdams (young Allie) and James Marsden (Lon) are a beautiful set of people. Even the older Noah and Allie, portrayed by veteran actors James Garner and Gena Rowlands are nicely shot and impeccably dressed—perhaps partly due to the fact that Rowlands is director Nick Cassavetes’ mother. Previous Nicholas Sparks adaptations Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember were also prettily done. Therein lies the beef. Sparks stories, and particularly, Sparks leading men, seem quite prettily perfect. Admittedly they have a character flaw or two but this ends up to be quite endearing. In the case of Noah Calhoun, his character is written so compositely unsullied that any mistakes that he might make are easily acceptable and, in fact, make him more endearing. Unfortunately for real girls, there seem to be very few, if any, real men, who would actually be like Noah Calhoun. And they would most probably be taken. Or gay.

As always, old hands Garner, Rowlands, and Joan Allen, give solid performances; but it is especially noteworthy that Gosling is getting more range as an actor, actually portraying a “normal” person in this film, rather than the troubled, psychotic youths he had previously portrayed in movies such as Murder by Numbers and The United States of Leland.

Admittedly, director Cassavetes pulls out all the emotional stops in this tear-jerker. The plot is simple just like the book, moving back and forth between present-day Duke reading from the notebook interspersed with flashbacks to Noah and Allie falling in love and then losing each other. There is nothing earth-shaking, but rather something comforting, about simple love stories such as The Notebook, because, beneath layers of cynicism and world-weariness, the joy of love—be it the innocence of first love, or the strength of everlasting love—still does make us smile. Never mind if you’ll never meet anyone remotely like Noah Calhoun.

Weepy date movie. Better watched with girlfriends, with a lot of popcorn and sighing.

shiny, happy

2004-09-11T01:10:00.000+08:00

Channel-surfing yielded shiny, happy stuff:

On Studio23, The Swan featured extreme changes on this contestant named Cindy, who went from looking like a witch with a hook nose to looking like… a regular Filipina. Great.

On National Geographic, the topic was asteroids. I am always entranced by those big shiny things in the sky—I think it’s an offshoot of my not being interested in people but in bigger things. I’m continually reminded that I’m a speck of dust in an infinite universe.

On AXN, Brad Pitt in The Devil’s Own. I remember watching this in college in a packed cinema. I think it was one of my first exposures to the hunka burnin’ love that is Jennifer Aniston’s hubby. It’s like, Brad just has to smile, and the world is a better place.

Okay snap out of it.

On HBO, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The battle of Helm’s Deep, and the Ents’ attack on Isengard, in particular. Sigh. Would that we could battle modern-day orcs (corrupt politicians and their henchmen?) and evil could be defeated by burning a Ring…

Connie and Carla : Variations on a Well-Trodden Comedic Scheme

2004-09-06T12:55:00.000+08:00

Connie and Carla is Nia Vardalos’s take on Some Like It Hot, with a girl-power twist. Vardalos’ Connie and Toni Collette’s Carla are childhood friends and aspiring dinner-theater performers who witness a mob hit (hmm, Sister Act, anyone?). Carla screams, “Drive, Thelma, drive!” in a different nod to another well-loved film, and on the run now, they head towards Los Angeles, which Vardalos derides as having no dinner theater and no culture (apparently a widely accepted derision regarding the City of Angels). They end up pretending to be gay men in drag (defer to the great Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria) and wowing audiences at The Handlebar after its main drag act leaves for Vegas.

Connie and Carla elicits a few good laughs, basically because Nia Vardalos is quite a witty writer, but her best work to date is still My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Everything she did and will do after that movie, like this film, will find the comparison difficult. Many things about the movie have to be taken at face value because not much of it is logical or makes sense, unlike the comparatively seamless (although haphazard) logic of My Big… However, if you get it behind you that Vardalos and Collette could never be mistaken for drag queens, the movie gets quite interesting—the musical scenes are especially entertaining. It is noteworthy, though, that the movie tackles some relevant issues such as body image (not that Toni Collette could ever be considered fat) and acceptance of alternative lifestyles (hence the subplot about a drag queen’s straight brother accepting his gay brother and his cross-dressing). Vardalos could have used a little more research on her drag queen information, as some of the representations bordered on the stereotypical.

Vardalos can still be cute, but we have seen this act before, in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, in an acting job to which it was obvious she gave more commitment. Toni Collette, meanwhile, seems to be giving Vardalos acting lessons, even if Vardalos seemed dead-set on being the star of the show. The seasoned actress is a joy to watch, going from lovesick girlfriend to woman of substance through the course of the movie. Sad to say, it seems that her and David (still-can-be-disarmingly-cute) Duchovny’s talents were not fully utilized in the movie. Vardalos and Duchovny’s chemistry as Connie and Jeff (in a series of meet-cutes) wasn’t particularly great, yet somehow the movie works because the actors seem to all be so enthusiastic about it. (Vardalos, meanwhile, could get some pointers from another comedic screenwriter and actress about writing a great script but staying in the background: Tina Fey, with Mean Girls.)

Stephen Spinella as Robert/Peaches, Jeff’s cross-dressing brother, gives a balanced comedic performance with a hint of poignancy. Boris McGiver, as Tibor, the Russian gangster out to get Connie and Carla, provides an excellent subplot with his effective transformation into a showtunes/dinner theater fan. Meanwhile, Filipinos in particular have to watch out for Alec Mapa playing Lee/N’Cream, one of the drag queens. Parts involving Mapa (one time he shouts out, “Hoy!”) elicited a great deal of laughter from the Filipino audience.

All in all, Connie and Carla was a run of the mill but rightly funny film, not a movie that you would seek out, but a good choice for an evening out with the friends. The fact that you watched it all together makes it worth the ticket price at Power Plant. Otherwise, this would be worth Glorietta 1, at least.

Anticipation

2004-08-27T07:27:00.000+08:00

Movies to watch out for:
Wimbledon - Paul Bettany is a skidding tennis player and Kirsten Dunst plays a tennis golden girl. Set amidst the traditional and well-loved Wimbledon courts and tournament.

Without a Paddle - Seth “love-pa-rin-kita-Oz” Green and Matthew “Shaggy” Lillard on a sometimes distasteful but funny camping trip-cum-journey of discovery.

I Heart Huckabees - Jude Law and Naomi Watts lead a wonderful ensemble ironing out existential issues, including Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin, Isabelle Huppert, Jason Schwartzman and Mark Wahlberg. Tippi Hedren and Shania Twain have cameos.

Vanity Fair - Reese Witherspoon plays Becky Sharp in the film adaptation of Thackeray’s classic novel, supported by such notables as Jim Broadbent, Bob Hoskins, and Natasha Little (who played Becky in a miniseries adaptation of Vanity Fair a few years back). To watch out for are Rhys Ifans in a serious turn far removed from his usual buffoonery and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, who is just, plain and simple, nice to watch. Teehee.

Oprah | Studio23 | Aug. 24, 2004

2004-08-25T22:00:00.000+08:00

On Oprah last night: Traci Lords

In an episode focusing on the bondage and molestation of women (the second part dealt with cult communities that espouse polygamy and child brides), Oprah interviewed former porn queen Traci Lords. Growing up in a household with three male cousins renting the room next door, it was inevitable that I would hear the name of the most famous porn star of that era in snippets of conversation, that were hushed immediately when underage ears when in the vicinity.

Lords has come out with an autobiography entitled Underneath It All, chronicling her abusive childhood, her foray into nude photography at fourteen which the blessing (pimping) of her mother’s boyfriend, her running away and beginning in the porn business at 15. During her interview she also spoke about hitting rock bottom, being questioned by the FBI, and eventually picking up the shards of her life, seriously taking up acting and landing guest roles in various TV series and movies.

I first encountered Traci Lords as a series regular in Profiler. She played Sharon Lesher, the homicidal accomplice of serial killer Jack, archnemesis of the main character, profiler Sam Waters, played by Ally Walker. I was drawn to that steely look, and the sheer nakedness with which she portrayed the troubled Sharon. Apparently, she had a lot of life experience on which to base that characterization.

I admire that Oprah puts topics such as abuse on the forefront on her show without appearing crass or exploitative. There is always a great degree of taste and compassion when it comes to the exploration of sensitive topics such as these on the show.

Meanwhile, I was also glad that Lords was able to come across as a very intelligent person; and a recovery from the depths of abuse that she went through was optimistically portrayed as being possible, and necessary. Traci Lords is doing something positive by serving as a role model. The best part of her interview was when she explained why she didn’t change her name, stating that she wanted to face up to her past and not make excuses about it. This woman rocks.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2004-08-10T20:46:00.000+08:00

We start Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind tritely, yet brutally, enough: the narrator says that he believes that Valentine’s Day “is a holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap.” For the majority who has at any point in time been loveless on Valentine’s Day, that strikes an all-too-familiar chord, without being grossly sentimental or over-acting. Jim Carrey not over-acting? You have to see it to believe it.

The movie moves on sweetly, if not innocuously, enough—Joel Barish (a restrained Jim Carrey) gets a sudden urge to go to this god-forsaken place called Montauk on a wintry Valentine’s morning. There he meets a strange woman with blue hair, Clementine, who is the perfect wild-child foil to his brooding reserve. It is strange, though, that Joel has never heard of the song “O My Darling Clementine”. Cut to Joel, in the car, crying his heart out. Charlie Kaufman writes a delightfully strange love story in the vein of “Somewhere Down The Road,” but with brain damage.

Apparently Joel and Clementine have met before, they have become lovers and their relationship died a bitter death. Joel finds out, after seeing Clem with another man, that she has had him erased from her memory at Lacuna, Inc., a company that offers the service. Vengeful, he goes to Lacuna and decides to do the same. In what is like a strange trip, Joel’s mind gets erased one memory at a time, in backward chronological order. However, in the middle of the procedure, Joel decides that he does want to keep some memories of Clem, and a weird but suspenseful pursuit follows as the Lacuna technicians try to follow the memory of Clementine even as Joel hides her in his deepest darkest memories. The story loops back around itself, but eventually unravels, much to our delight.

This race to keep Clementine’s memory alive, as well as the goings-on behind the scenes with Tom Wilkinson’s groundbreaking doctor, technicians Mark Ruffalo and Elijah Wood, and Kirsten Dunst as the receptionist who has a strange fondness for Bartlett’s quotations about memory, including the one from which the movie derives its title, from Alexander Pope’s Eloisa to Abelard: “How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!/The world forgetting, by the world forgot./Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!/Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd.” Aside from the basic love story of the leads, the intricate goings-on among the Lacuna staff are also integral to the movie.

Kaufman and director Michel Gondry (the uber-video director) weave their magic in a movie which is strange science fiction; but when all’s said and done, it is at its heart a quirkily human love story. Jim Carrey is effective in his restrained performance, quite a mean feat for the known over-actor. Kate Winslet is constantly proving herself to be a steady actress far more versatile than she could have been stereotyped for after Titanic. The supporting cast, especially Ruffalo and Wood—far removed from Hobbiton—give strong performances, even the doctor’s wife in her short scene.

There are other little details that add to the effectiveness of the story: references to the dining dead, insightful comments from the characters, Joel’s forgetting even Huckleberry Hound, a childhood staple, because of his song “O My Darling Clementine”. Carrey’s comic side finally gets some release in the scenes where he is trying to hide Clementine’s memory in the deepest darkest recesses of his brain, acting out as a four-year-old and as a horny teenager. The memory couple’s awareness that they are being erased provides an added element to the urgency of the pursuit through Joel’s head. Kaufman’s masterful script and Gondry’s visual manipulations combine to make a movie that is earmarked for the MTV generation but can charm even the older crop.

Dunst’s Mary says, “Adults are like this mess of sadness and phobias.” How true. A lot of traumatic experiences, not a few involving heartbreak, leave indelible marks on our lives. How marvelous it must be to be able to start anew, on a clean slate. This leaves us to ponder, though, will knowing what happens in the past prevent people from making the same mistakes in the future? Some people, perhaps, are just destined to repeat their mistakes for sheer obstinacy—and maybe human nature. The whole process of painful memories surfacing once in a while is, after all, cathartic.

Some people say that this movie did not make sense. In fact, most of the time, love doesn’t make sense either. Most of the time falling in love or falling out of love is not the sensible thing to do; but it happens. What is important is it was done. And if memories are purged, as if that love never happened, it can’t seem that we will be the better for that, because that is part of what makes us what we are.

50 First Dates

2004-08-02T14:36:00.000+08:00

I must admit, Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore have that certain onscreen chemistry that makes their flirting and falling in love a joy to watch, be it in The Wedding Singer or here in 50 First Dates.

I am watching 50 First Dates more than a few months after it came out. At the time that it was showing I said that I didn't want to watch it because (a) I had just watched Finding Nemo and one character with short-term memory loss was enough for me at the time; and (b) I had no date to watch this, one of the best date movies there is. There, I said it. One of the best.

I know quite a number of people will disagree. First of all, the plot is quite contrived. Barrymore's Lucy, bonked in the head in an unfortunate car accident, is caught in a loop that makes her relive the day of the accident over and over, much like Groundhog Day. However, unlike Groundhog Day and that X-Files episode where Mulder and Scully get killed, it won't stop when the "right thing" happens, because the whole world is changing around her. In a strange move, her father and brother (a buff yet lisping Sean Astin) decide to keep her at home and pretend that everyday is October 13; putting together birthday cake and a little party.

That is, until Sandler's Henry Roth, noted wooer of female tourists, comes into the picture. He is taken with her pancake houses and, of course, the fact that she is as pretty as Drew Barrymore. The former commitment-phobic Henry now dedicates his life practically, first to flirting with Lucy, and then, later, to helping her deal with her condition. Sometimes a little tough love is needed, indeed.

This is a happy-sad film--it will exercise your lachrymal glands, but elicit a soft smile at the end of the picture. It is sheer unadulterated mush, but with happy bursts of energy, especially from a good supporting cast including Sandler's bud Rob Schneider (with his usual over-the-top antics), Dan Aykroyd as Lucy's head doctor (I think this was supposed to be a cameo), the strangely androgynous Lucia Strus as Henry's ocean park assistant, Amy Hill, Rakishi look-alike Pomaka'i Brown, constant comedic support Blake Clark, and a variety of sea creatures who actually steal some scenes. Sean Astin's turn as Lucy's lisping, steroid-using brother is also quite comical, and it seems he was able to shed the Sam-weight quite well.

50 First Dates is a wonderful morsel of a movie that would have been worth Greenbelt4. It might not be a Great Picture, but it's one definitely worth seeing once, and maybe once over in a few years' time.

In hindsight: Is it a coincidence that Lucy's father is named Marlin? As in the father of Nemo? Strange movies with short-term memory loss.

King Arthur | Gung-Ho Guinevere and No Lancelot Affair

2004-07-26T13:08:00.000+08:00

Believe me, I would never pass up anything vaguely related to Arthurian lore, be it Excalibur, The Mists of Avalon, or The Magic Sword: Quest for Camelot. Heck, I used to watch that Young Knights of the Round Table cartoon when I was a kid. It was with a little bit of trepidation, though, that I convinced myself to watch King Arthur. One, Keira Knightley plays Guinevere. Two, Guinevere is shooting arrows ala-Legolas. Three, she's in the center of the billboard and not King Arthur. However, upon watching the feature, it was a relief to see that the movie was not centered on Guinevere, but rather on Arthur and the six knights under his charge, especially his right hand, Lancelot. The relief, apparently, ends there.

The story is told from Lancelot's point of view, from his conscription as a Sarmatian teenager to the coronation of Arthur by, well, around a couple of villages' worth of people. At least we know that per History According to Jerry Bruckheimer (as the opening credits mention that this could be the most historically correct account of Arthur's rise to power)--at least we know that Arthur will become king of at least as many people as there are on one floor of SM at any given time of day. Huwaat? You spent all your CGI budget on the battle scenes? Shame, shame. Meanwhile, Arthur is a Roman captain who heads the Sarmatian conscripts--called knights, because there are no other knights thereabouts, none whatsoever. It is a battle-hardened bunch of soldiers, ranging from the feisty Gawain to brawny-yet-sweet Dagonet, whose name I have never encountered in Arthurian lore. Ever. Where was Percival? In fact, who is Bors (aside from the fact that he has eleven children)? Meanwhile, Artorius/Arthur and his gang of six make like a Dark Ages version of the Magnificent Seven or Seven Samurai.

To be freed from servitude, the knights need to undergo one last quest, to rescue a Roman family trapped deep in enemy Woad territory, caught between the Woads and the oncoming Saxons, who aim to burn and pillage and kill just for the fun of it, it seems. Never mind that the Woads could actually be the Picts (again, History According to Jerry Bruckheimer), or the seeming incongruity that a (rich) Roman family is deep in enemy territory, or that Excalibur was actually Arthur's Roman father's sword. Merlin is cast as a shaman, and not the wise wizard that we've all grown to admire. There is no Morgana le Fay, no Lady of the Lake, no Uther Pendragon. No Uther Pendragon! What is this person's claim to Britain's throne anyway? Snogging Keira Knightley? Sigh.

Not much acting chops were required for this movie, although I must admit that each of the actors seems to have gotten at least a 'signature' emotion down pat for the movie, like Clive Owen (Arthur) and his brooding righteousness, Ioan Gruffud's Lancelot and his foreboding, Mads Mikkelsen playing Tristan with a degree of animal appeal (now you know why the hawk is there), Ivano Marescotti's Bishop Germanius and his tempered arrogance, while Stellan Skarsgard as the Saxon leader Cerdic effectively conveys varying degrees of intimidation. And then there's Keira Knightley, looking every bit like Keira Knightley and not Guinevere, especially in v. skimpy war outfit. No one in particular shines in this movie, except maybe the little Woad boy who develops an affinity for Dagonet. Furthermore, there are instances that elicit snickers from the audience--made more worthy of derision because it is so darned serious! Antoine Fuqua (director of Training Day) stutters a little with this movie.

Need an Arthurian movie? Go rent/buy Excalibur. It's much better, you know. This is a particular rewriting of Arthurian lit that I feel nothing for. However, for the sheer entertainment value of a pseudo-historical action picture, not to mention the manly-man eye candy afforded by not-your-regular-American-studs Ioan Gruffud, Hugh Dancy (he could pass for American leading man though--and he has, in Ella Enchanted), and Mads Mikkelsen, it wasn't too much of a waste of a good two hours. But I'd take good old-fashioned R-rated blood and gore over this any time.

Well worth the ticket price at Power Plant, if only for Mads Mikkelsen in war paint and Last Samurai armor.

Spider-Man 2

2004-07-14T10:31:00.000+08:00

Who hasn't seen Spider-Man 2? Cashing in more than all the Manila Film Festival and Cinemanila entries combined, Spider-Man 2 was easily the number one film over two weeks in Manila. You can attribute the mad rush to the strength of the Spider-Man franchise; to the storyline which involves one of the greatest villains ever, Doc Ock; or to the penchant for superhero films in trying times, wanting to be saved and all. Whatever the reason, Spider-Man 2 was a box-office hit that, actually, was a rather good movie.

Beginning from the pencil-and-ink-looking art of the opening credits, paying homage to Spidey's comic-book beginnings, the movie effectively fleshes out one of the most conflicted and quite possibly the most human of all comic-book superheroes. Spider-Man is at once vulnerable and strong because of his human connection, his frailty, his love, and his ideals. Spider-Man 2 captures more of that than the first movie, thereby ensuring that this is not just a superpower-fueled movie, but actually a motion picture with heart. Understandably, things get a little too emotional in the first part of the movie, but it hooks you in. You feel for Peter Parker so thoroughly that you do understand when he decides to throw in the towel-er-Spidey suit, as a series of unfortunate events cave in on Peter Parker's world, including a backache allusion to Tobey Maguire's own back pains and Mary Jane's engagement to another man. It was fun watching Spidey have what amounted to an anxiety attack.

Even the transformation of Otto Octavius into the menacing Doc Ock was done masterfully; admittedly Doc Ock could have been more menacing with other character actors, but Alfred Molina fits the bill quite well. Kirsten Dunst and Rosemary Harris provide effective female foil as Mary Jane and Aunt May respectively, while James Franco, echoing his performance as James Dean a few years back, effectively portrayed a tortured, grieving and confused Harry Osborn. Tobey Maguire's performance in quite notable. It wasn't that evident in the first movie, but this time, director Sam Raimi and the screenwriters have allowed the character of Peter Parker a lot more depth and showcases the range of the former wonder Boy (and I don't mean Robin). J.K. Simmons' portrayal of J. Jonah Jameson, however, is my favorite. The man was born to fit into the pompous, arrogant role--with a moment where you wondered if he was actually going to eat his words--and then doesn't. Brilliant.

Although the first half did get a little dragging with all the talk, and the resolution of Mary Jane's engagement was a little too contrived, the movie effectively shuttled between slight pretention (Aunt May's speech) and great action (train scene). And to the indiscriminate eye, though, the CGI effects were not that obvious. Actually, it seemed better than the first movie, where the web-swinging was a little unreal. There was also a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor, usually poked at the Spider-Man franchise itself. A favorite bit has a slightly off-key street performer singing the theme from the old Spider-Man TV show.

Meanwhile, the stage is set for at least two more sequels to Spider-Man, as Harry Osborn discovers his father's Green Goblin lair (fancy he will emerge as the HobGoblin anytime soon), while we are introduced to Peter's one-armed professor, Dr. Connors, who, if memory serves right, will also play a villainous role later on. You just wonder though how it seems that Peter's villains were almost always once his friends. Talk about ways to end a friendship.

That said, Spider-Man 2 was wonderful escapist fare. I may not be raring for a second viewing right away, but it was money well spent (by Maleen, who treated us).

Seen at Eastwood Cinemas (ha! am Eastwood Cinema-virgin no longer) last full show with officemates-cum-good-friends. Nice end to what was a hectic week.

DLSU-AdMU | Studio23 | 07.11.2004

2004-07-13T08:01:00.000+08:00

Oh yeah. We lost.

There is no excuse. DLSU choked, disappointing thousands of fans at the Araneta Coliseum and those like us, watching at home. Imagine leading by 15 points in the third quarter, only to be shackled to 10 points in the fourth, allowing your archrival to claw back into the game and win by three. Wonder-Boy Mac Cardona was nowhere to be found--well, no, you could find him on the bench, nursing his personal fouls. Meanwhile, everyone did quite well, at least until the third quarter. And then, it seems, everyone froze in the fourth.

The DLSU team has proven that they're a little green behind the ears (pun intended). They are somewhere near that championship team that bagged a four-peat at the tail-end of the '90s, talent-wise--although Ren-Ren Ritualo and Miek Cortez may be gone, Jeffrey Yeo, JV Casio, Jerwin Gaco, and Tyrone Tang seem to be stepping up. However, the team still has a long way to go in terms of consistency, savvy and grace under pressure. Here's hoping the alma mater's colors will dominate the UAAP once more... even if I am a jaded old LaSallian.

On ABS-CBN | 07.08.2004 - 07.09.2004

2004-07-09T07:46:00.000+08:00

Various things seen/heard on ABS-CBN:

Sana'y Walang Nang Wakas is on its homestretch, and, cashing in on the text polls previously used by "talent shows" like Star Circle Quest, it is said to be the first telenovela/teleserye that will let the fans decide who will get married in the final episode. I'm sure that they've filmed various endings (similar to, say, the Who Shot JR? arc on Dallas). The build-up is tremendous--and I would actually be more concerned about how many people will text in. As people in the know in jologs circles would comment, the Jericho Rosales/Kristine Hermosa tandem seems to be on its last legs, not helped by the rumored pregnancy of Kristine by a network exec, the Jericho-Cindy Kurleto relationship, and the last Kristine-Aga movie. (Note that Aga does not need a surname. Not in the RP he doesn't.) However, among the couple combinations, I still think that this coupling is still one with the most oomph and the most fans. And that's my fearless forecast. It's still Kristine-Echo on the way to the altar. Teehee. Feeling "insider".

On Magandang Umaga Bayan (a.k.a. M.U.B.) this morning, the children's health segment said that parents should be concerned when children with colds exhibit a fever temperature of 100 to 102 degrees Celsius. They bloody well should, that's the boiling temperature of water! Their children would be dead by then! Hey researcher/reporter dudes... I think you meant Fahrenheit. Just a thought.

simul-posted on deeper shade of soul

The Amazing Race | AXN | 07.07.2004

2004-07-08T08:16:00.000+08:00

The fifth season of The Amazing Race premiered yesterday. There were live satellite feeds and then there was the slightly delayed telecast on AXN, which is at least on the same day and not on the weekend. The one-and-a-half-hour first episode was a race through Uruguay, including various challenges as searching for the earliest ferry-boat times on trees, to a game of roulette, and a zip line between buildings.

The first episode looks promising. Although I haven't really been following the show, and have previously deigned to make any emotional connections with any of the couples, last night's episode was particularly stirring because there was a father-and-daughter team--the father scraped his knee badly at the beginning of the race and was at different times of the race, either bleeding at the knee or nursing stitches. It didn't help that his headstrong daughter didn't look particularly concerned about it. Other teams included female cousins, one of which was a midget; a former Miss Texas USA and her boyfriend; and a past-middle-age couple who met through the internet. Meanwhile, the couple that got eliminated was eliminated because the guy was playing Mr. Nice Guy, especially when a lot of teams were waiting for taxis. Although they were obviously disappointed, his partner seemed sincere in saying that if his being a jerk would have meant the difference between being eliminated, she was better off with a nice guy.

But of course we all know that things are not really all as they seem on TV--even in reality TV. Who knows what was going on before the final editing? However, The Amazing Race is truly one of the better reality TV shows (come on--Amazing Race versus Joe Millionaire?), where catty remarks and human drama are interspersed with interesting locales and landmarks. Who would have known there was a huge sculpture of a hand in Punta della Este in Uruguay? And the best is yet to come: among the last legs of the race are Manila and Palawan. Truly, something to look forward to. Let's hear what they have to say about the Philippines!

CSI | AXN | 07.07.2004

2004-07-08T07:46:00.000+08:00

On CSI last night : No More Bets

Catherine's estranged dad, casino owner Sam Braun, is being tagged for the murders of two men who have cheated his roulette table. Some stirring drama, especially from Scott Wilson portraying Sam Braun. You don't know what to feel for him. Also in this episode is Eddie Kaye Thomas, who played Finch in the American Pie movies. In my opinion, the latest episodes of CSI have been formulaic, either being clueless from the start until a damning piece of evidence is found, or targeting a suspect only to have another suspect come up. However, the cases are still quite compelling, especially last night's case which involved the tenuous relationship between Catherine and her father.

One thing to note, though--AXN seems to be upping the greed factor. A commercial was aired during the opening credits of CSI. It even spilled over to the first few seconds of the body of the episode. Brilliant. There is such a thing as overkill, you know.

Six Feet Under | HBO Asia | 07.06.2004

2004-07-07T12:43:00.000+08:00

On Six Feet Under last night : Tears, Bones and Desire

From the HBO site, partial synopsis:

"When Ruth brings Arthur's laundry to his room one morning, she ends up delivering more than just bed linens. As Arthur is discussing Petrarch's contributions to history, Ruth suddenly leans forward and kisses him square on the lips. Then, mortified, she dashes out of the room. Later, Arthur approaches Ruth and tells her that he values their friendship very much and that in order to preserve it, she must never kiss him again. "I never will," she promises - then impulsively grabs him and does it again. "I'm out of control," she mutters to herself."

Such are the goings-on on Six Feet Under, an HBO original series about a family running a funeral home, must-see TV for myself and the younger sister. The above scenes had us screaming because Ruth is the widowed matriarch of the family, and Arthur is the nerdy college-age apprentice to restorer and funeral-home partner Federico. Among the other plotlines are Federico's wife Vanessa's despondency over the death of her mother (resulting in her neglecting her children to the point of their getting head lice); first son Nate's wife Lisa schedules a massage with Nate's ex Brenda just to see for herself what she was life; lovers David and Keith engage in gay paintball that results in a threesome; and youngest and only daughter Claire, the artist,

Last night's episode was particularly explosive, perhaps gaining steam for the last few episodes of the season. The loves and lives of the Fishers (and Diaz) make for very interesting watching. Add to that the lustre that is seemed to be gained by most HBO original series--it is well-made, has a higher shock-level than most series, and makes risks that regular network shows can't or don't dare make. Watching Six Feet Under is watching scandal unfold before your very eyes but there's nothing remotely melodramatic about it.

Sometimes we don't welcome drama in our lives--best to just watch and live vicariously.

Buffy | Studio23 | 07.05.2004

2004-07-06T07:44:00.000+08:00

On Buffy last night : Chosen

The end is here.

At least, the end of the Buffy era. Studio 23 has aired the last episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, number 144. In last night's episode, Willow channeled the power of the scythe and dispersed Slayer power to all girls who had the potential to become Slayers, while Spike wore the amulet that caused the Hellmouth to close and killed the Turok-han, at the expense of his own (undead-wth-soul) life. It was a fitting end to a ground-breaking series that helped shape lives and has firmly ensconced Buffy as one of the role models of a new millenium.

Everything in the past few weeks had been leading to the emotional payoff of this episode, and it was masterfully crafted by Joss Whedon and his team, from the sweet yet tragic reconciliation of Xander and Anya, to the grudging peace between Buffy and Giles, even the Faith-Wood "romance" of sorts. Most importantly, we watched with bated breath from the cliffhanger of the previous episode where Spike watches Buffy kiss Angel and The First taunt him for this. Whedon and Co. also try to do a CGI battle, not quite on the scale of Lord of the Rings, but quite good for television. The last episode of Buffy was a blast, taken either singularly, or as the fitting end to a marvelous series.

And in the end, when the dust has settled, you are indeed made to look back, because one scene is reminiscent of 'The Harvest', second-ever episode. Buffy, Willow, and Xander are together, just like old time, chatting airily before they go into battle. "The Earth is definitely doomed," Giles, watching, bemuses. Of course it is not.

Andrew, our favorite geek, sums it up. It has been an honor.

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen | Not Much Drama, Not Much Comedy Either

2004-07-05T23:36:00.000+08:00

Lindsay Lohan headlines this movie about a creative yet self-centered fifteen-year-old who is uprooted from downtown New York to the suburbs of New Jersey. Mary Cep renames herself Lola and sets out to conquer her new school. She makes a new friend, the rich, polite good girl Ella, who shares her passion for the band Sidarthur, whose frontman Stu Wolff (a disheveled Adam Garcia) is, for Lola, “the best poet since Shakespeare”. She also makes a new enemy, rich bitch about town Carla Santini, whose father is the lawyer of Sidarthur. The main events of the story are the farewell concert of Sidarthur (notice the reference to Siddartha) and a school play, a rock-opera rendition of Pygmalion. Somewhere in between these, Mary/Lola finds that she has lied herself into a corner and when things matter most, people don’t believe it when she tells the truth. There is a parable waiting to be told, and a lot of teen capers in the process.

Coming on the heels of viewing Mean Girls, certain comparisons could not be and were absolutely not avoided. There are too many similarities—girl starts out in new school, immediately gets into the periphery of the queen b. (b. not just meaning bee), and the queen b. is in a pack of three, even. Mean Girls was handled more maturely though, and was definitely better scripted (what can I say, I lurve Tina Fey—rhymes!); one thing, though, is that Lindsay Lohan’s acting remains the same. Of course we cannot fault her if she has been handed characters that aren’t exactly very multi-faceted. Since viewing was done in improper chronological order, the improvement from this movie to Mean Girls was lost. Even the rich-bitch-stereotype was better in Mean Girls (Regina George would kick Carla Santini’s @$$—and was way scarier as an antagonist).

Headline adults Adam Garcia and Glenne Headly, who plays Lola’s divorcee mother, are grossly underused. I was pleasantly surprised that Adam Garcia was in this movie, because I had been missing him from the Hollywood scene—not that he’s the most talented actor, but rather one of the better eye candy ones. Fortunately, he gives us a good turn as troubled rock star Stu Wolff, and has quite a number of the film's few comic moments. Other turns that were quite welcome on the adult front though were the seeming turnaround of Ella’s square parents, as well as the quirky portrayal of Lola’s father.

I never read the book by Dyan Sheldon, but it must have been quite good for it to have been bought up by Disney. However, the movie feels a little too saccharine, even for Disney; and at the same time quite shallow—the only characterizations delved deep enough into are those of Lola and Ella, eliciting the only emotion in the entire movie. Taking it by itself, even without comparison, you know that it is basically a star-making vehicle for Lindsay Lohan, something that Disney is quite fond of doing (remember The Lizzie McGuire Movie, launching Lohan’s teen queen archrival Hillary Duff?).

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen could have been funnier, could have been edgier, could have been a whole lot better. But it wasn’t. What it was was a bit of fluff that was a little entertaining, especially if you like Lindsay Lohan; but for people whose time is actually worth money, it may not be worth your while.

Best watched on a popcorn-and-sleepover night. And if you don't have those, then you have no business watching this movie.

Go! | StarMovies | 07.01.2004

2004-07-03T10:36:00.000+08:00

I remember watching this quirky three-episode tale of a drug deal gone wrong, a hit-and-run, chaos at a strip club, and a strange rave five years ago. With the rest of the Happy Fun-Loving Kids, at a 12MN showing. Not that it was a must-see movie or anything, but at that point in our lives it was like we were searching for some meaning and we would ingest anything and everything in case we find it there.

The interwoven stories begin with Ronna (Sarah Polley) taking over for part-time dealer Simon (Desmond Askew) at the grocery store where they work. Adam (Scott Wolf) and Zack (Jay Mohr) are looking to buy from Simon, but Simon has gone to Las Vegas (story of which is in the next vignette). Ronna decides to do a sideline and contacts Simon's dealer Todd (Timothy Olyphant). It's a con, though, because Adam and Zack have been coerced by Burke (William Fichtner), who then share a strange dinner with him and his wife (Jane Krakowski of Ally McBeal), which turns out to be--an Amway seminar. Polley and Fichtner shine; Katie Holmes, as Sarah's best friend Claire, is quite forgettable, though. Olyphant's turn as the drug dealer with a soft spot is also notable; however, it seems he has not been given a chance to shine in later films.

Go is a dark movie that delves in a lot of drugs and sex. However, it does so with wit, humor and creativity. The movie does not lack for pace and is quite well-made, if only as an homage to Pulp Fiction. Many scenes have been deleted, though, from the StarMovies version (as usual). Go has many twists and turns, and sometimes the plot is too outrageous for words, but then that's how this movie sums up the wheeling-and-dealing scene. The tying-up of loose ends in the last part is a bit forced, though. A movie targeted specifically at Generation X, Go cannot be termed a cautionary tale. On the second viewing, I realized this is not the type of movie you can watch over and over. However, Generation X-ers should watch it once in a long while, so that they can be reminded of those good old days.

Law & Order: SVU | StarWorld | 06.30.2004

2004-07-01T07:59:00.000+08:00

On Law and Order early yesterday morning : Families

When a 16-year-old girl is found dead in an alley, the NYPD Special Victims Unit try to crack the strange case. First suspect is their choirmaster, to whose apartment Shannon has a key; however, it is determined that the apartment was only a meeting place for Shannon and her boyfriend Aidan, and the choirmaster is also the lover of Shannon's best friend. There is a twist, however: Shannon was pregnant, and with the child of a male relative. Further investigation reveals that Shannon and Aidan share the same father, Jason, who has been supporting two families--Shannon's family under an assumed name. When Jason shows up dead and Shannon's mother and brother take off, it becomes a full-blown murder investigation that doesn't forego any sordid details.

It was nice seeing Jane Seymour again (as Debra, Jason's legal wife); also a much more mature Helen Slater, the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as Shannon's mother Susan. Seeing her was a who-is-that moment, that turned into an aha! moment. Brilliant performances from both women, as from Patrick Flueger, who plays the tragic figure of Aidan, who loses both girlfriend and father in one fell swoop and then found out he had impregnated his half-sister. It is also a treat to see cutie Spencer Treat Clark as Shannon's brother Brian, originally a suspect because of the incestuous nature of Shannon's pregnancy.

As always, crime stories such as these try to up the level of sordidness, and one topic that is always sordid is incest. In this case, it wasn't really intentional--reminiscent of an anecdote told among the children of the famous and prolific (in terms of fathering children) filmmaker Artemio Marquez, where one of his daughters falls in love with a man only to find out that they are half-siblings (so that's why they had the same surname!). Law & Order: SVU is almost always well-written, and well-paced--this episode is no exception. It is one of the above average episodes, made more watchable by a stellar guest cast. In the end, it is the promise of a relationship between half-brothers Aidan and Brian that lifts us up from the pathos. There is hope.

Buffy | Studio23 | 06.28.2004

2004-06-30T08:03:00.000+08:00

On Buffy last Monday: End of Days

The penultimate episode of Buffy is upon us. With the impending conflict with The First, Buffy comes upon a huge gift when she finds the scythe that can kill the last pure demon to walk the earth. She also meets up with the Last Guardian, and sets up a fight with Caleb, where Angel lends a helping hand but doesn't get in the way. She kisses Angel, with Spike watching in the shadows and The First, eager to regain his lost champion, whispering in his ear.

Buffy regains de-facto leadership of the bunch when Faith leads the Potentials into a trap and gets injured, but she's not sure if she wants to accept it. However, it seems she has to accept it. Such is the burden of the Slayer, at the moment the one human who stands between the world and the powers of ultimate darkness. The bar is high for Buffy episodes, but this one passes with flying colors. Although not one of the best episodes, it effectively mixes good action with tender drama and that dollop of comic relief that's necessary to keep sane when the world's about to end.

Notes: Buffy's imploring Xander to take Dawn away was so human, so very like the big, protective sister. But kudos to Dawnie for fighting back. The kid's got balls. * The banter between Anya and Andrew was very entertaining. There was chemistry. * Last Guardian looked quite familiar. Also the symbol above her temple/crypt was eerily similar to the object that the Beast uses to block out the sun in the concurrent season of Angel. * Eliza Dushku looked a little bloated this episode, it seems. Still knock-out though. * Angel was positively yummy. In the context of the Buffyverse, this is after he and the gang have taken over Wolfram and Hart, and he has negotiated an alternate reality--a "normal" one--for Connor. Therefore, less brooding, more good looks.

Indictment: The McMartin Trial | Hallmark Channel | 06.28.2004

2004-06-29T12:51:00.000+08:00

This Oliver Stone-produced docudrama documents the events in the famous trial of the McMartin family, owners of a preschool in Manhattan Beach, CA. The main defendant, Ray McMartin Buckey, was accused of sexually abusing the children and there were allegations of child pornography and Satanic rituals. The McMartin trial was one of the most watched trials in history. It was one of the first trials to be televised. It was also one of the most expensive trials in US history, costing a whopping $15M over a span of seven years, compared to the $8M that the OJ Simpson trial cost a few years later. Most importantly, the McMartin trial effectively underscored the frailty and pliability of juvenile witnesses, in this case preschool children. In hindsight, it was speculated that the interview techniques used by the Children's Institute International organization were leading and led the children to experience false memories.

However, the McMartin-Buckeys' lives were ruined. Impoverished because of the closure of their school and considered social pariahs, the McMartin matriarchs are now dead and take their despair at the foul hand dealt them to their grave. People still considered them guilty, despite accusations that were getting more and more bizarre. Finally, the woman who first filed a case against the McMartin family, Judy Johnson, was found to be an alcoholic and a paranoid schizophrenic, a detail that was withheld from the defense, the revelation of which was a deciding factor in the acquittal.

James Woods plays the brash defense attorney Danny Davis, who gets his clients acquitted through sheer perseverance and a few tricks; Mercedes Ruehl is the lead prosecutor Lael Rubin, who is portrayed as misguided and a little manic in this movie. The drama focuses on the trial and the effects on the defendants, especially Ray and his mother Peggy. Portrayed by a listless Henry Thomas and Shirley Knight, respectively, the duo doesn't really elicit much sympathy from the viewers, unlike Sada Thompson (portraying Peggy's mother Virginia McMartin) and Alison Elliott, who plays Ray's sister Peggy Ann. The script is quite bland and not exploratory; it seems to be trying to be incendiary and/or cautionary but ends up falling a bit flat. I honestly watched it just to see what would happen--I almost fell asleep midway. I realize now that I could have just visited this website and read about the whole thing instead. That wouldn't have been much of a waste of time.

Criss Angel: Mindfreak | StarWorld | 06.27.2004

2004-06-27T20:41:00.000+08:00

Flipping through channels nearing daybreak this morning, something caught my eye. It was this creature (okay so it was human) covered entirely in black lycra coming out from the stomach of a man who was held in a metal contraption. Weird is too mild a word to describe the antics of Criss Angel, combination illusionist and daredevil. He is bizarre.

Looking like Bret Michaels heavily influenced by Marilyn Manson, Criss Angel pays homage to Harry Houdini with the water tank stunt as well as the suspended-in-the-air-in-a-straitjacket escape act. As the zeester is into David Blaine and I think we have seen every David Blaine TV special to be shown, I wasn't really paying much attention to the ads on StarWorld; Criss Angel, however, is different. Definitely bizarre. In one of his stunts, he is suspended by fish hooks that pierce his skin. In another stunt, he becomes a flaming man for almost a minute--much longer than the requisite 6 to 8 seconds a stuntman would be on fire for a shot.

There is also the matter of his commentary, about a third of which is bleeped out. Mindfreak, indeed. Criss Angel raises the bar on the bizarre, effectively challenging the likes of David Blaine. If strangeness were the deciding factor, he would definitely win out.

Mean Girls | Tina Fey's Winning Punch

2004-06-27T20:03:00.000+08:00

I have fond memories of high school. Perhaps the scene was different here in the Philippines a decade ago, or perhaps I did lead a sheltered existence, but I cringe involuntarily each time the cruelty of teenagers—especially teenage girls—to each other is explored. I have not read Rachel Wiseman’s Queen Bees and Wanna-Bes, from which Tina Fey has adapted her screenplay for Mean Girls, but I have a feeling it will leave me depressed. Meanwhile, the movie itself is an entirely different matter.

Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) is entering school for the first time. All her life, she has been homeschooled by her parents, biologists who were stationed in Africa. Jolted into the reality that is American high school, Cady likens it to the jungle to which she is more familiar—and frighteningly, it almost proves true. Cady has a hard time fitting in, but is befriended by Goth girl Janis Ian (not the singer, played by Lizzy Caplan—although ‘At Seventeen’ does play in the background in one scene); and big gay guy Damian (no surname needed, played by Daniel Franzese).

In a surprising turn, Cady is also befriended by the most popular clique in their school, headed by the prettiest and most popular girl in school, Regina George (Rachel McAdams), who is also quite the bitch. Regina’s handmaidens are the rich, shallow Gretchen Wieners (a grown up Lacey Chabert) and the ditzy Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried). Janis has a score to settle with Regina, so she urges Cady to play along and find out their secrets. The trouble starts when Cady falls for Regina’s cast-off boyfriend Aaron Samuels (Jonathan Bennett—where has he been all my life?); in true mean-girl mold, Regina now wants him back and Cady is left hanging. Cady vows to fight back, but in the ensuing melee, which includes catfights in the halls and an unfortunate incident with a bus, Cady realizes that she has become a mean girl herself and challenges everything she thinks is right.

I don't know why, but I have always liked Lindsay Lohan. Every since she took on the dual roles of Hallie and Annie in The Parent Trap, I've always felt a certain degree of fondness for the red-headed freckle-faced kid. In Freaky Friday she wasn’t that much of a kid anymore, and in Mean Girls, she is staking her claim as Teen Queen of Hollywood (made-up title that could be awarded, in hindsight, to the likes of Molly Ringwald, or Jennifer Love Hewitt—thereby implying that this could be the kiss of death to an adult career).

She holds her own in this movie, and is definitely on her way to being the next ‘it’ girl. The movie, however, is a wonderful achievement not basically for Lohan, but for the screenwriter, Tina Fey, the first female headwriter of Saturday Night Live. Fey is able to effectively reshape the parenting manual that was Wiseman’s book and bend it into a light but intelligent romp into the agonies and ironies that constitute high school life. Hers is a brand of comedy so different from fellow SNL alumni Rob Schneider or Adam Sandler—a fresh new voice that won’t easily be overlooked.

Fey and Mark S. Waters (who also directed Lohan in Freaky Friday) are able to coach delightful comic performances from their young stars and some of the old ones, delving into what seem like stereotypes without being trite. Rachel McAdams, Rob Schneider’s alter ego in The Hot Chick, may be a little old to be playing high school teen queens (but I am not one to judge, right, Gabrielle Carteris and Bobby Andrews?); but she has a spirited turn as mean, conniving Regina. Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried are equally effective as the henchwomen; and there is a notable performance by Rajiv Surendra, who plays a math geek-cum-rapper. The adult supporting cast gives a solid performance, and what do you expect from mostly Saturday Night Live alums—from the controlled yet hilarious performance of Tim Meadows as the Principal to the wacky Amy Poehler as Mrs. George (who is only five years older than McAdams, who plays her daughter). The best adult role, though, goes to the madam herself—Tina Fey essays Ms. Norbury’s sometime-clueless-but-actually-profound (and quite pretty) math teacher with understated comedy and great timing.

There are gems of one-liners, both comedic and otherwise: for a former math geek such as myself, there is Cady’s declaration that she likes math because it is the same in every country. The Plastics are apparently called such because of their resemblance to Barbie dolls, but as we know hereabouts, there is another more derogatory meaning that is more applicable to the clique. Other subplots, including Gretchen’s trying to initiate a new buzzword and its eventual demise at the hand of queen bee Regina, the hints at sexual tension between the principal and a teacher and a coach and a student, and the joke (shown in the trailer) about Karen kissing her cousin (“he’s just my first cousin anyway”) border on the ribald but are well-handled so as not to be totally vulgar.

More importantly, the movie does not degenerate into the clichés and stereotypes almost expected of teen movies. The denouement of Mean Girls, though, is a bit sappy, culminating in the Spring Fling (perhaps one of the few cliches in the film), where the loose ends are wrapped up a bit too nicely for comfort. The last fifteen minutes or so, despite getting a little preachy, don’t really ruin the whole movie, though, because the movie is downright enjoyable, from the fresh take on school, to the radio-friendly soundtrack, to the witticisms and the accurate teen language (“shut up!”). The same plot in the hands of a less gifted screenwriter would be a recipe for disaster. Fey has us in her thrall—what better way to look at high school’s foibles than from an outsider’s point of view, an outsider who is aware of the inconsequentiality but is still drawn like a moth to flame? This is a dissection of high school life, hidden in a gem of a teen comedy, which is almost on the dot. Although it may not reach the cult-classic status of, say, Heathers, it is right there, in league with Jawbreaker, as a simultaneously dark and funny film that you won’t hesitate to watch one more time.

Notes:
Rachel McAdams will next be seen in The Notebook opposite Sandra Bullock’s erstwhile boy-toy Ryan Gosling. They star as the younger version of star-crossed lovers Gena Rowlands and James Garner in the adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks sentimental favorite. Something to sigh about next time!

Channel Flipping | 06.24.2004

2004-06-25T01:05:00.000+08:00

Buffy (Conversations with Dead People) on StarWorld - Azura Skye was positively riveting as she reprised her guest role of Cassie/The First; The Good Son on StarMovies - dark, and made even more depressing because the creep was a little kid. Was also good to see little Frodo-er-Elijah; Try to Remember on CineMax - Gabrielle Anwar looks really old. Really. Old. And she's supposed to be only 34. Lines and eyebags and everything, and I don't think the role called for her to be old; Zach Braff/Garden State interview on BBC - looking cute. Will look out for Garden State, if only for him and Natalie Portman.

Race to the Altar | StarWorld | 06.24.2004

2004-06-25T01:00:00.000+08:00

From a show focusing on infidelity, I tuned in to StarWorld, default channel #2 (just recently dethroned by ETC), where they've started airing Race to the Altar, the latest reality show to hit the airwaves. Eight couples are vying for their dream altar date by going through various challenges, physical and otherwise, including having to hold on to each other the longest while suspended from cables ten storeys above the ground, and a newlywed-game-like matching game where questions are asked on hypothetical prenup clauses.

I understand the mystique of a reality show such as this; it's fun to watch real people bicker and blame each other, but it's also nice to see couples who seem to totally in love at times. It just so happens, unfortunately, that the setup of the games really bring out some friction in these engaged couples. This is a newer take on the newlywed game, only it's the pre-wedding game; it's a jumble of various reality game shows, and the game portions are not that entertaining. Definitely less entertaining than the goings-on in between the games, within the couples and between the various pairs. It's not good TV, but it's watchable.

Oprah | Studio23 | 06.24.2004

2004-06-25T00:52:00.000+08:00

Flipping through the channels I came across archive footage of Kobe Bryant's press conference regarding the rape charges against him, in which his wife Vanessa is rubbing his hand, playing the supportive wife. Curiosity got the better of me, because I wanted to see the reaction of this young, nubile woman to the allegations that her husband sexually assaulted another woman. Oprah's show was about infidelity.

Joining Oprah were other NBA wives who experienced their husbands' infidelities, namely James Worthy's ex-wife and Kenny Anderson's ex-wife, as well as other women who were victims of their husbands' infidelities, and some husbands who were unfaithful in the past. Worthy's wife learned about her husband's infidelity on the headline news when he was caught for soliciting prostitution; Anderson's wife caught him in another woman's room on a hunch.

In my opinion, there were too many things happening at the same time; there were the two NBA wives, who were later relegated to the background, then there were the couples who were trying to work it out, and then there was a marriage counselor, amid audience participation and pre-taped interviews with adulterous husbands and suffering wives. At one point, things got really out of hand when everyone started talking at once; and although Oprah was able to keep things at bay--testament to her quick thinking and skill--the episode lost some of its coherence at some time.

It was good to see something like this being tackled though. It was done very intelligently, albeit quite emotionally, and siding with the wronged wives. What do you expect from a daytime show mainly geared towards women? It could have been handled better, but then maybe it's the cynic in me talking.

CSI | AXN | 06.23.2004

2004-06-24T13:35:00.000+08:00

On CSI last night: Dead Ringer

The police Olympics (or something like that) are being held in Las Vegas. An LA cop is found dead in the desert in the middle of a relay race, with signs pointing to foreign substances (read: drugs) as the cause of death. Meanwhile, at a hotel, the apparent murder-suicide of a male and female cop from different areas triggers an investigation into infidelities and mistaken identity.

This is one of the better episodes of CSI for this season; lately however, it seems that the CSI episodes have been a bit dry compared to previous episodes. Could it be an over-saturation of sordid crime on my part? Or has the series really degraded? Apparently, 20 million viewers in the US don't share my opinion on this, because it's still the #1 show in the US.

I don't really relish the thought of Grissom's scruffy look nowadays. He looks tired and unprofessional (IMHO). Gary Dourdan (Warrick Brown), meanwhile, seems to be getting less and less screen time along with another favorite of mine, Eric Szmanda (Greg Sanders), which contributes to the lack of spark. The "processing" sequences, where the state-of-the-art crime lab machines are being used, have become tedious of late, seeming to be shot unimaginatively. The color palette, too, is quite gray, contributing to the lack of visual liveliness of the scenes.

Meanwhile, it seems that there are more and more cops being investigated lately. A few episodes back, in Paper or Plastic?, a gritty cop was the main suspect in the crossfire murder of a patron in a grocery holdup. In this episode, cops are suspects in both murder cases. Is this a statement of sorts?

Charmed | StarWorld | 06.23.2004

2004-06-24T12:50:00.000+08:00

On Charmed last night: The Courtship of Wyatt's Father

Darklighters are after Leo. A designated hitman traps Leo and Piper in the ghostly realm, where their powers are non-existent. Meanwhile, Chris is fading away because he must be conceived before the night is over. It is then revealed that Gideon, the elder from the magic school, is behind the threat to Leo's life, while the estranged husband and wife have a go at it, thereby saving Chris!

I think this is one of the better episodes this season. Of course, I'm such a sucker for the Leo-Piper tragic love story. Although I can't seem to find much sympathy in me for Drew Fuller's pouty performances, the fact that his character is who it is, serves as impetus for emotional reach for this story, aside, of course, from the fact that you are rooting for Leo and Piper to get together in some way or another. And then there is the mysterious figure who hired the Darklighters. (I myself have a dark lighter: black Cricket electronic.) The person who is trying to wrench Leo away from his family is none other than Gideon, his trusted mentor and head of the magic school (setting for The Legend of Sleepy Halliwell two episodes ago). What a ride this is going to be for the next few episodes!

The First Post

2004-06-24T07:48:00.000+08:00

I decided to follow Jacs' lead and have a separate site for my musings on big and small screen goings-on to de-clutter the "personal blog". It seems I'll be linking from Deeper Shade to Soul to here quite a lot. I picked the name because I'm no pro at cinema reviews, nor am I quite the certified TV addict as Kristin Veitch; but I do like watching stuff (am visual animal). Besides it reminds me of Giles (the Watcher bit, not the casual bit).