"School of Life"

Ok let me be honest here.

When I finished my B.Ed TESL I wasn't sure if I really wanted to teach. 

I didn't even bother to submit the application form to teach in government high school.

My first thought after knowing I passed my B.Ed TESL was to just stay at home for a while,

resting & relaxing.

But I guess God is so great, HE makes everything easy for me.

I heard that INTEC needed English Lecturers so along with other 10 friends whom I did my undergraduate studies with, we submitted our resumes and were called for an interview.

I basically started working in less than 3 months after my result went out.

So goodbye late nights and hello early mornings.

During my first teaching stint, I was still quite clueless. Even though I used to teach at tuition centres, it's not the same.

INTEC was what I considered my first real job.

And it's gonna be my only job.

You see, teaching is not easy. Whoever says teaching is easy, puh-lease, try taking over my classes for one day only.

Let's see if you survive.

It's hard work. You're not just teaching, you're also dealing with more than a 100 different kids with raging hormones and different personalities.

I have to study before going into class. I have to make sure my lesson plan adapts with every student despite of their level of proficiency.

And don't let me start with marking exam papers, especially essays.

(*_*)

Nonetheless, I have come to loving this job. 

I may not be the best teacher and my class may not be the most interesting class but I have one definite goal -that my students learn a life lesson.

This is all a part of their experience. I was once a student myself so I can relate to their feelings.

Those facial expressions? Those body language? Those sleepy bloodshot red eyes? 

Been there, done that.

If they failed, so be it. They should realize at the end of the day it's all about the effort they put in.

Students these days are too spoilt. Well, some of them.

 But teachers must remind them life is not all rainbows and unicorns and cotton candy.

Nothing is easy in life. Life is always fair but humans choose to be unfair to themselves.

Anyway, there are still times I question myself whether this job is really for me.

What do I do?

I watch great movies. Yup. How fascinating eh?

My all time favourite is 'Dead Poets Society'. That 'Carpe Diem' phrase has stuck in my mind for the longest time. It's just superb. And I still cry buckets everytime they do 'Oh Captain, My Captain'.

Superb.

'School of Life' isn't bad as well. I've always thought Ryan Reynolds can only act goofy but he did terrific job as teacher in this movie.

Try to watch them over the weekend when you're tired over reading students' essays.

Works for me, everytime.

To quote Angelina Schwindt,

"What we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about."

i wanna grow old with you

*pics: IMDb*

If there's ever an animated movie that makes me cry each time I watch it, it has got to be 'Up'.
The first 15mins is agonizing, just because I'd laugh and cry so bad.
Ellie & Carl shows that love can be unconditional.
If you haven't watched it, please do so, even only for the first 15mins.
You'll realize growing old would not be so bad after all,
as long as you have someone by your side to share all the tales of your wrinkles.
InsyaAllah.

Burlesque

*pics googled*

You should really watch Burlesque, people.
Seriously.
It's super entertaining.
I just love the setting, costumes, songs, choreographs..well almost everything about it!

Christina Aguilera is so adorable in it. And so tiny!
I always feel she has one of the most powerful voice as singers.
And to watch her dance almost perfectly in every choreographed scene, it's just too cute you actually want to learn how to burlesque!

On top of that, Cam Gigandet.
Oh dear, where should I start?
He's charming. His eyes pierce straight through my heart. His smile melts every muscle in my body.
Sigggggghhhhhh....

And Stanley Tucci is hilarious! Cher looks too plastic for me.
But she's a legend, people.
Can't argue with that.

Overall, the movie reminds me a lot of Coyote Ugly.
But Burlesque wins with its costumes and sexy choreography.
I've been watching it for at least five times I can sing-a-long to every song already.
I've always loved musicals, they're always colourful and fun to watch.
I definitely wanna watch it again!
And again.

And the 2011 Movies List Continues....

I had a weird dream last night.

I hit the sack right after writing my last post.
In my dream, I was sitting in cinema watching movies marathon.
Can't figure out what movies, though.
Come to think about it, I can't help but to feel creepy because usually I can barely remember my dreams the minute I wake up.
And suddenly I wanna watch Inception again.

However, I'm still in the mood to talk about 2011 movies!
How could I forget to put Burlesque and The Smurf in the list?!
And The Hangover Part II?
The Hangover is one of the most hilarious movies I've ever watched! It's pure entertainment!
And to add to comic-based movies, X-Men: First Class is coming out this year, too!
I am a huge fan of X-Men! Been watching its cartoons since I was a kid!
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo also sounds promising, might be watching it. On a second thought, should get the book and read it first. Books are always the better version.
And I could be watching Rango just because Johnny Depp is in it. Well, his voice, actually.

In addition to that, hot mommy Nana has reminded me of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 which is the final part of the saga.
Which somehow reminded me of Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 with unknown reason.
Don't think both movies have similarities anyhow.
I'm not really a fan of both productions but I always end up watching it either because my friends drag me along or there's no other movie to watch. Or I get free seats.

Gosh, so many great movies coming our way!
Too bad I don't know how to download movies from the Internet so guess I've to start saving up!
hahahaha!
Or just be more picky on my movies selection.
I know I've said this phrase over and over again but I just can't waaaaaaait!!!
=D


*grrrrreat news! Aimi has a copy of Black Swan. OMG need to copy from her pronto!*

The Movies of 2011!!

It's gonna be one awesome year!

Great movies are lining up to feast your eyes, ears mind, heart and almost every part of your body!
Okay, some may not be so great, which I won't anticipate that much but with Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides on the list, I truly wouldn't mind.

Black Swan. I so wanna watch this I could cry if it's not shown in Malaysian theaters. Everything is so late in Malaysia.

Another must watch movie is The Way Back, I've been waiting for this movie! Been reading only good stuff about it since last year. Can't wait!

We also have Vidal Sassoon The Movie this year which I don't expect to be shown in cinemas here. I'm excited for this movie. I've always loved biographical movies and Coco Before Chanel is still one of my favourites, not to mention Audrey Tatou is sexier than her French accent!

If you like cool, fighting movies, there's The Eagle which my first thought was another movie like A Knight's Tale, minus the sense of humour. Looks a lot like Troy, too. What I like most about period movies is the amazing costumes that they create to make the movies work. So that would only be the reason for me to watch The Eagle. And oh, yes, Channing Tatum is another reason but I honestly don't think he's cut for this movie. He just looked too cute and clean to be fighting in those armours and brush helmet. And Jamie Bell? He's my Billy Elliot and I want to keep it that way. Not sure if I'm gonna watch it though.
There's a similar movie, Thor, the god of thunder and the movie is based from the comic which I never read. Reminds me of The Lord of the Rings + Harry Potter + Tron + Clash of the Titans + Kingdom of Heaven.

Moving on to Hanna, now, watching the trailer reminds me an awful lot of Kick Ass. A young beautiful girl trained to face the "real world" with black belt tae kwon do and how to use multiple cool guns and machines. Anyway, I somehow kind of excited to watch Hanna just because of the gorgeous actors they have in the movies. Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Eric Bana again. And again. That kid, Saoirse, has the most piercing eyes I've ever seen on anyone. Exquisite!

Next, Fast Five baby! It's the fifth installment of The Fast and Furious, and it's gonna be AWESOME! Can't wait to see what cars they're playing with this time.
And there's also Paul Walker so enough said.
*i'm giggling now*

Another eye candy? Let's watch Limitless. Bradley Cooper is HOT!
If you still can't get enough of pretty boys on screen, there Alex Pettyfer in I Am Number Four. There's also the sweet Diana Argon in it.
The Green Lantern. Never a fan of the comic but two words: Ryan Reynolds. And yeah, Blake Lively's in it, too.

We also have Kill the Irishman starring Val Kilmer and Christopher Walken. Seems like The Godfather but hey, NO amount of movies can top The Godfather. I am a big fan of the movies, thanks to my daddy and two brothers, I can even remember their infamous lines such as "keep your enemies closer" and of course "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse".
Anyway Kill the Irishman may bring back the mob movies. There's no mob movies in 2010 (Takers is so not a mob movie) so hopefully my brother downloads it because there's no way it's gonna be shown here.

Fancy a comedy? Your Highness looks hilarious!
Love the era, costumes, accent, Natalie Portman, Zooey Deschanel and James Franco!

Of course I wouldn't pass sappy movies. I'm a sucker for romantic scenes no matter how slow or cliche the storyline is!
Waiting For Forever (Rachel Bilson & Tom Sturridge) seems like a nice movie to reminisce our childhood crushes.
The Other Woman with Natalie Portman (she's everywhere in 2011!) is a possible tearjerker.
And I definitely wanna watch Somewhere, another Sofia Coppola movie which is a beautiful father-daughter drama.

Let's get to the movies that make me cringe just by watching their trailers.
First, Real Steel. Where should I even start? The robots? The boxing ring? The scene in which the robot and Hugh Jackman practice fighting? Seriously?! Leave it to the Transformers, people.
Even a hot-and-sweating Hugh Jackman can't make me watch this movie. Sorry mate.
The we have a psychopath thriller The Resident (Hilary Swank) which is about a woman moves into a new apartment and guess what? She has a stalker. So, nope, a big no no for me.
I can stand Texas Chainsaw Massacre but a stalker movie, even though the cute Lee Pace is co-acting, won't win my vote.
The Red Riding Hood? Nope. I love Amanda Seyfried a lot but the movie doesn't feel right.
Cowboys and Aliens? Bad combination. Totally.

Okay, so there goes my anticipated movies of 2011.
And not-so-anticipated ones.
But hey, these are based solely on my opinions and personal taste on movies.
It's a year full of action-packed movies so hold on tight to your seat and popcorn!
Have I told you 2011 is gonna be awesome??

*all pics googled*
*click on the movie titles for trailers*
*can someone tell me if we ever would watch Never Let Me Go in Malaysia? I can't find the DVD anywhere!*

Best 2010 Memories!

Okay, so 2010 is ending and 2011 is really happening anytime soon.

How do I feel?
Hurm, there are ups and downs in my life along 2010.
But I have to admit it's one of the most exciting, fantastic years of my life!
Where should I start?

I remember starting off this blog in late 2009.
*smile*
It was just for fun, not the kind of blogs where I write the happenings of my life all the time.
I just wanted to share my views of the world, what I like and loathe.
And up until this minute I'm still glad I started blogging.

There were two best things happened in 2010.
First, I visited London and Paris.
I know I only wrote first part of the trip and kept procrastinating the other parts but I promise, one sweet day I'll post pictures of the two amazing cities in the world!
London is a shopping heaven and people are so warm and friendly and I so wanna live there!
I wanna go to the numerous museums every week, stroll along Oxford Street every other day and picnic at Hyde Park, just sitting there reading good novels all day throughout summer!
Oh God, what I would give for that to come true!
And Eiffel Tower, Paris? It's Eiffel Tower darlings! It's one of the 'must-go-places' before you die!
I would want to visit Paris again.
Thanks to Air Asia, it doesn't seem too impossible now!
Anyway, the next best thing happened in my year 2010 must absolutely be meeting Adam Lambert!
Oh yes honey and it was the best five minutes of my life!
I got lucky during his Glamnation Tour on the 14th Oct 2010 at Bukit Jalil where I met him backstage before his phenomenal concert started.
I am a huge fan of him and meeting him was not even in my wish list just because I thought it's never gonna happen!
It was a-mah-zing!
Plus, I didn't only meet him, I also won an autographed Glambox!
Schweeet!

*that's me in my purple heels next to Adam!*
*i looked bloated. whatever*
*For Your Entertainment CD, music videos VCD, remixes & a glam mouse pad!*

2010 will also be most memorable because I turn 25 this year.
God, my age is a quarter century. Okay let's not go into details about my age.
hahahaha
Another reason 2010 is a good year is because of the great movies all year long.
Avatar, Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Parnassus (okay, not so great but Heath Ledger over-the-Everest-top-amazed me!), Nine, Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans, Shutter Island, Prince of Persia, Inception, Takers (Paul Walker!!), Toy Story 3, Rapunzel...
I haven't watched Narnia and The Tourist, by the way.
Will probably do early next year ;)

What else huh? Hurmmm...
Oh I bought my first smartphone, a Blackberry Curve which has been fantastic so far! A reason I have a Twitter account now.
And oh, I bought my first Marc Jacobs!!! *pengsan*
I went to Penang twice and Cameron Highlands thrice this year for holidays. My parents just love CH too much.
I have developed some sort of romance feeling with Chuck Bass. Darn those salmon suit he's wearing! He looked so good in it!
My darling friend Nashima got married. I cried. Her wedding was my wedding of the year ;)
I dreamed of Ian Somerhalder every night. Well, almost every night. But none in those dreams he bites my neck or sucks my blood. I prefer him doing so. muahaha
I bought almost ten pairs of shoes.
And one thing I am so glad happened this year would be passing all my M.Ed subjects. The final semester was the toughest!
*humongous smile*

So what have I not achieved this year?
Love.
Not wanting to be mushy here but it's nice to have someone you're excited to have dinner with or watch movies together. Or just knowing you're loved.
Well, good things are worth waiting for.
=)

This year there's less drama, just more great times with my family and friends.
My nephew is getting smarter these days. He's getting into pre-school next year. Oh please don't grow too fast sweetheart!
I also spend too much 'bonding' times with my friends -karaoke, steamboat, road trip, lepak melepak, gossiping, shopping!

I have a great, fantastic, amazing and wonderful 2010!
I am not yet a millionaire but I am forever grateful.
I thank Allah for everything, for leading the way for me. For all the wonderfull-ness around me. For the blessings HE gives my family and friends. For the strentghs I have in me to go through every fear, worry and sadness. For the rezeki HE showers my family. For my tears and laughters in becoming a better person.
All praises to Allah.

So come quick 2011!
I have nothing to be worried of but to live life to the fullest!
Happy new year everyone!
May you have a blast!
Leave the past behind and look forward for great things to happen!
See you next year!
Cheers!
=)

A Tangled Tale

*err, not this rapunzel but she's just so beautiful i have to share this pic*

Let's talk movies, baby!

I watched Rapunzel: A Tangled Tale a few weeks ago and it was hilarious!
Effingly hilarious!
One of the best Disney animated ever, I must say.

I laughed, cried, laughed again and again.
I actually watched it twice, the second time was complimentary because my friend's fiance is the manager of the cinema and we wanted to kill the time.

The basic storyline is still the same as originally written by Brothers Grimm but of course, there's 'a tangled tale' along the way.
What I like most about the movie is the fact that the artists emphasized more on the facial expressions of every character, including Maximus the horse and Pascal the chameleon.
So adorable!
Rapunzel is voiced by Mandy Moore and Flynn Rider by Zachary Levi.
Moore is already known as singer and actress. She made me cry watching 'A Walk to Remember'. Another beautiful simple drama which I've watched countless time.
Levi is better known as Chuck in, well, the series 'Chuck'. He can sing too!

Okay so I am a sucker for romantic love scenes and I dropped a few tears during the moment both Rapunzel and Flynn were in the boat, flooded by lanterns up above.
The feeling was magical.
If I ever get lucky, I just want to feel it for real.
To love and be loved in return.
*sigh*

*Flynn & Rapunzel*

Wednesday Addams

I miss Wednesday.
I love it that she's not afraid to be herself.
Why? Never thought she could be a role model?
Well, think again.
You might find bits of her in your own self, darlings.

European Union Film Festival 2010 by GSC

I assume most of you know how it feels to be disappointed.

You're excited about something and in a split second, you feel like crying your heart out.
Or just stand there listening to yourself breathing slowly.
Okay I might have over-reacted but a few years ago I really wanted to watch a French movie, "De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté" or "The Beat That My Heart Skipped".
Do google the synopsis of the movie if you're interested.
Below is the movie poster.

And you know international screenings won't stay for too long in Malaysian theaters, around two weeks or so.
I saw this at e@Curve (used to be Cineleisure) website and I really wanted to watch it. The title itself was fascinating enough to me, but it's actually a thriller. So I booked tickets and rushed to the cinema, only to find out there's no more screening and that the website might have not published the correct information.
The worst part was, "The last show was actually last night", I quoted the ticket seller.
I was only a day late!
I haven't watched it up until today. Couldn't find it anywhere and Amazon is just so expensive!

Anyhow, there's always rainbow after rainy days.
GSC is currently having its international screening for this year and I have a particular movie I really wanna watch.
"Same Same But Different"
Again, please google for its amazing storyline.
*trailer*
It's a German movie but also shot in Phnom Penh. Looks lovely.
Can't wait. Hopefully I won't miss it this time.
Feeling disappointed twice is just too depressing.

Bumblebee Camaro Crash at Transformer 3 Filming in DC

A cousin of mine whom I fondly refer to as Abg Topet had this on his Facebook page a couple of days ago.
He wrote "Damn!! Bumblebee had a crash during Transformer 3 filming.. Why didn't he transform??"
I find his statement super cute!
Seriously, why didn't Bumblebee transform?!
He's my favourite!
Darn that Camaro is a waste now.
Poor Bumbleebee.
On a happier note, can't wait for Transformers 3.
Optimus Prime is looking good!

Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone...

I've just finished watching 'Letters to Juliet'.
It's a romance chick flick.
I didn't cry *surprise surprise* because it's not sappy.
It's a lovely story about love, beautiful.

I'd always wanna do this!
Lying on the grass at night, looking up to the stars.
Isn't it romantic?

Amanda Seyfried is absolutely gorgeous!
Flawless!
I first saw her in 'Mean Girls' and boy has she transformed!

Gael Garcia Bernal played the fiance.
His accent is just so magnifico!
So sexy.
And the other guy had British accent.
*drooling*
Who doesn't love guys with sexy accent??

The movie was shot in Verona, Italy.
Breathtaking.
The castles, the Juliet's balcony, the vineyards.
It's the city of love.
Everything is so serene and beautiful.

The story is basically about taking the second chance in finding true love.
Or if you had the chance would you grab it at the time or you'll wait for another indefinite chance?
It's a lovely story that guys would never understand why girls watch it.
It's almost fairytale-like, you know, everything looks perfect and easy.
If only real life is as good as it's portrayed in movies.
Nevertheless, I love watching chick flicks once in a while.
I swear I've been smiling throughout the movie.
And it gives me a good vibe.

I can't wait for 'Eat Pray Love'.
I'm quite sure I'm gonna cry buckets!
Bring it on baby!

"Promise me you'll survive. That you won't give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless."

-Jack Dawson, Titanic

*no matter how many gazillion times i watch the movie, this part always tears me up*

-qils-

Movie: Inception

Disgustingly brilliant.
That's all I can conclude when the credits started rolling at the end of the movie.

Christopher Nolan is just so freakingly genius.
I was not a big fan of 'Dark Knight' before but 'Inception' totally blew my mind.
And nope, I am not being biased over Leo DiCaprio.
He's good, I don't doubt that.
But the movie itself has all the elements of a good movie -action, humour, sadness, romance, twist and well, yeah, good looking actors and actresses.
I won't go into the synopsis of the movie because I believe most people have watched it and also the fact that you can just google everything.

I've some of my friends saying the movie is rubbish, that they couldn't understand a thing about it.
On the other hand, the only thing I can say about the movie is that if you blink for too long, you're going to miss everything.
If you decided to go to the washroom, don't bother returning to the theater.
The movie is heavy, that I have to admit.
But it is not non-understandable.

I think I have prepared myself to stay focused throughout the movie because it's all about layers of dreams and at a point, you may be confused on which dream they are in.

Honestly, I am mostly indulged with the idea that we can actually control our sub-conscious mind, for example, when we are dreaming.
Urgh, I can hardly remember my dreams. Seriously. I would just get a gist of what I dream of which usually involves only place and people.
I can't even remember what I do or say in my dreams so the fact that research has proven you can really control your sub-conscious mind, isn't it fascinating?
Wouldn't you want to be able to take control of every second you have in your life?
Basically, that's what they do in the movie, controlling people's dreams.
Or manipulating their dreams.
Into something they believe is the truth.
That is inception.

"What's the most resilient parasite? An Idea. A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules. Which is why I have to steal it."
-Dom Cobb

"The seed that we planted in this man's mind may change everything."
-Dom Cobb

Anyway, the movie is just not about the cunning storyline but also the actors and actresses.
Leo DiCaprio, well, he's good but I felt like his role is almost the same as in 'Shutter Island'.
*i love 'Shutter Island'!*
Ellen Page is gorgeous!
She has definitely grown up and her acting skill is not so bad at all.
And Joseph Gordon Levitt, hurm, where shall I start?
I watched him when he was just a boy in '3rd Rock From The Sun' and now he's a hunk!
A hot hunk!
I honestly did not know he's in the movie in the first place.
He's getting so good in acting.
Seriously, I think it's his and Ellen's characters that really complete the movie.

*awesome-ness*

I also couldn't help but to notice how much Joseph resembles the late Heath Ledger.
They definitely look so much alike!

*look at those eyes!*

This is totally the movie of the year.
I don't mind watching it again.
And again.


p/s
I found this super adorable pic of Heath and his daughter, Matilda.
*sooooo cute!*

Can't wait for 'The RepoMan'!
It's looking good! =)

-qils-

My 2010 Anticipated Movies

Wow.
2010 is almost halfway now.
I know I have said this a lot but time really flies fast.
It is definitely a year of full activities for me.
I am scheduled to finish my M.Ed by end of this year, InsyaAllah.
And The e-Beautique is getting better, we're joining more bazaars this year.
I'm turning a-quarter-century-th old by October.
I am collecting more and more heels in 2010.
And I have never gone to karaoke sessions more than ever.
*thanks to you-know-who-you-are*
It's definitely a year of 'more'!

On top of that,
my list for the anticipated movies of 2010 has totally grown.
Some of the movies are already watched earlier this year.
Avatar, Sherlock Holmes, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, Nine, Alice in Wonderland, The Lovely Bones, Clash of the Titans, Shutter Island.
*apa lagi ek?*
'The Lovely Bones' was a bit disappointing for me, sadly.
I expected more but you know,
when movies are made out of books and you have actually read the books,
you'll definitely hope the movie versions to be as good as the books.
But that rarely happens.
Except for 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'Shopaholic'.
And 'P.S. I Love You' was a terrible movie which is a waste because it's such a good novel.

Nevertheless,
I still have few anticipated movies for another half of 2010.

'Prince of Persia'
For old times' sake, you know.
It was among the first DOS games I played, together with Pacman and Wolfenstein.
God I miss those games.

'Inception'
*trailer*
Another Leo DiCaprio movie.
I am no more biased, he's a terribly good actor.
He's like the new Johnny Depp, you know.
But I like it that he dons serious characters because he doesn't bore me at all.
I have watched him grow, basically, from 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape?' to 'Titanic' to 'Blood Diamond' and he's getting so much better he amazes me each time.
Can't wait for this one.

'The Road'
*trailer*
It's from a novel by Cormac McCarthy.
I haven't had any chance to read it but I promise myself I will before the movie comes out.
I know it's a good novel because Oprah suggested it in 'The Oprah Book Club'.
And based on the trailer, it seems like it is a good one.
I highly hope so.

'Takers'
*trailer*
Okay, here's a confession.
I love movies that support the themes of casino, stealing, deception, manipulation.
'Ocean's Eleven' is still my favourite movie. And so is 'Swordfish'. And 'Hackers'.
Basically, 'Takers' adopts the same theme- stealing, deception, manipulation.
And cunning intelligence.
The actors are also yummy-licious so it's a plus point.
Paul Walker, T.I., Jay Hernandez.

'Beastly'
*trailer*
This is purely for fun, no brains needed.
I like Vanessa Hudgens although I don't watch 'High School Musical'.
I just think she's really pretty.
It's similar to the classic 'The Beauty and the Beast' which is my most favourite Disney cartoon.
And there are also Mary-Kate Olsen and Neil Patrick Harris so it sounds good to me.

There are few other movies out this year as well and although they are big titles,
I just don't go oh la la, you know what I mean.
Robin Hood, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Shrek.
No one can ever take the place of Kevin Costner as my Robin Hood.
And unless Freddy Krueger is hunting for Johnny Depp, I'm not gonna watch it.
And Shrek, I thought the movie is supposed to be far far away already.
What happened to the good old rule for cartoons?
One is good enough already.

So, there you have it.
And there'll be more.
=)

-qils-

From Paris With Love

*watched on 8March2010, Midvalley*

I had a dinner and movie treat with Wee for his birthday.
His quarter-th century birthday.
haha
OMG we're getting old.
Shheeessshh...

Anyway we watched 'From Paris With Love', I've always wanted to watch it after I saw the trailer.
Two yummy guys, John Travolta & Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
Two hot Johns.
*drooling*
Travolta played the bad guy. A real bad ass guy.
But he's not the villain, just really rough.
And Rhys Meyers played as this secret agent that is so naive and straight forward.

Again, I won't summarize the movie, you can always Google it.
Out of 10, I gave this movie, probably, seven.
Action packed with guns and bombs and explosions. Vulgar words in every Travolta's line.
And Rhys Meyers was just oh so gorgeous.
He's always been, like, you know, a guy you just have to love.
Those eyes. That Irish accent. That smirk on his face. That jaw.
I think he has the sexiest jaw bone structure after Johnny Depp.
My knees would go really weak with guys with deep jaw bone structure.
It accentuates their masculinity, you know.
And that takes you in even before they smile.
So yeah, I was head over heels when I watched this movie.

And the leading lady, well, I hate to admit this because I love pretty women on screen,
but Rhys Meyers was just far more beautiful than the supposed heroin.
She's not familiar, by the way, I think she's a Russian.

However, the movie did show some biasness towards Islam, I supposed.
Well, most western movies are, by the way.
I only enjoyed the actions, the story line was simple and predictable.
I think the only western movie that doesn't portray biasness towards Islam would be 'The Kingdom' with Jamie Foxx, Jen Garner & Chris Cooper.
And similarly, I love 'Body of Lies' because it portrays Islam to be an affectionate religion.
And Leo DiCaprio was brilliant in it!
I so can't wait for 'Shutter Island' to come out!
Lembab la Malaysian cinemas ni.

-qils-

Nine

*watched on 8March2010 at Midvalley*

I truly enjoy musical movies.

It's like watching a long video clip of a song.
And we all love video clips.
Beautiful settings, gorgeous people in it, great dance moves..
And your body slowly moves along with the beat.
That's how I felt when I watched 'Nine'.

Rob Marshall.
For those who don't know him, he's THE director.
Brilliant director.
He directed 'Chicago', too. Another mesmerizing musical movie.
And for the record, he's directing the latest 'Pirates of the Carribean' at the moment.
At least that's what I heard.
Oh he also directed 'Memoir of a Geisha'.
Beautiful.

I won't summarize the movie here.
If you want to know more about it, you can Google it.
=)
I just want to babble about what I love so much about this movie.
Most people don't appreciate musical movies.
They find it boring and exaggerating.
I find these movies amusing, somehow.
My all time favourite would definitely be 'Grease' *old school habis!* and oh how I love guys in leather pants right after watching it.
Well, not anymore now, after I read those pants can sorta kill their 'soldiers'.
hahaha
Anyway, I like 'Hairspray', too.
Like, really really like.
Not because of Zac Efron, I swear, but because of the setting.
The 70s.
Remember the sitcom 'The 70's Show'?
We all love it, don't we?
Lotsa hair gel, bubble skirts, bell bottoms, pastel colours everywhere, tuxedos..
Lovely.

Back to 'Nine', although there's quite a number of actresses,
they all did a wonderful job!
They took in their roles and presented it like no one could imagine.
There's Kate Hudson, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Fergie, Penelope Cruz & Marion Cotillard.
Gorgeous women from all decades!
Sophia Loren is still oh so sophisticated as ever.
And Kate Hudson can actually sing! And dance! And she looks so cute!
I like her song the most, 'Cinema Italiano'.
Nicole Kidman is always pretty as usual.
*keith urban is hot!*
All of them sing a song in the movie exept for Marion who sings two songs and she has this amazing facial expression that you sort of feel it, too.

*behind every successful man, stands a strong woman*

The actor,
Daniel Day Lewis.
OK, where should I start?
He can sing. He's got moves that are so suave. He's got style, you know.
And he's 53 years old.
Is it just me or all men of Hollywood look better as they get older?
Richard Gere *pengsan!*, Harrison Ford, Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Willis, Ethan Hawke, Kevin Costner.
Aiyoh.
Well, I knew Daniel when I watched 'Gangs of New York'.
Mind you, my daddy is an avid fan of cowboys and mafias movies so I usually watch with him or else he'll watch it alone because my mom is not interested at all.
He's a huge fan of 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly', too huge of a fan that his handphone ringtone is the movie's famous melody.
But Daniel didn't awe me in 'Gangs of New York'. Leo DiCaprio did.
*bias. haha*
But I love Daniel in 'There Will be Blood'.
He's utterly amazing!
He won the-best-actor-or-something if I'm not mistaken for the role in the movie.
Yep, that good.
And that movie is around 3 hours, with not so much of dialogues so it's a pain to wait until it finished but his acting topped it all.

Basically, 'Nine' is another Marshall's midas' touch.
=)

My sisters and friends are always wondering how I can stand long drama movies with no action and long dialogues.
I've to say when it comes to movies, I'm pretty choosy.
I mean, I don't want to spend two hours watching baseless movies.
That's why I never watch 'Senario' or those 'Scary Movie'.
No offence, different people have different interests, you know.
Some of the movies I watched, my friends have never heard of it.
So it's either I'm a boring person, or my taste for movies is exceptional.
hahaha
AS IF!

I used to be a huge fan of 'Star Wars', you know.
Thanks to my elder brother.
I was just so amazed by the star troopers, lightsabres, capes, Darth Vader *luke, i am your father. haha!*, Yoda, Ewoks, Chewbacca and THE FORCE.
hahahaha
OMG I'm a geek.
haha
Now Aish wants a lightsabre. So cute.

I have lotsa all time fav movies, actually.
Aside from 'Clueless', I would pick 'Blood Diamond'. I think I've watched it, like, tens of times!
The story is so moving and, not being bias here I swear, Leo DiCaprio was just so damn good in it! I watched him when he was a kid in 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape?' and can't believe he's so grown up now.
And Johhny Depp...
OK, this will be a looooong post if I don't stop.
I'll continue in later posts.
Trust me, I have a lot to write about when it comes to movies.
AND JOHNNY DEPP.

-qils-

The Wolfman

*watched on 18Feb2010*

Have you ever watched a movie that made you jumped off your seat?
Aside from Japanese horror movies?
I am never and will never be a fan of horror movies.
I can stand 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre', 'Saw', 'Kill Bill' and 'House of Wax' but you can never drag me into the cinema to watch horror movies. Be it Japanese, Korean, Western or even Malaysian horror movies.
The last horror movie I remembered watching without having to cover my eyes at all was 'The Blair Witch Project' because there's no 'hantu' at all! But it was creep as hell! I couldn't sleep that night. So simply imagine what will happen if I watched 'Niyang Rapik'.
I swear whoever tries to drag me to watch horror movies at cinema, I'll knock them off with my heels.
Seriously.
I don't think twice about this.



Anyway, yes, 'Wolfman' made me jump off my seat.
I am still not sure whether it's a horror or thriller movie.
It should be thriller because there's no element of ghost at all.
But the spooky-ness is just horrifying.
Five minutes it started, I shouted and grabbed my sis' hand.
It's more like terperanjat.
And the sound effect was really good, too.
I loved the era and the costume.
Man I totally dig periodical movies. The costumes just blow me away. And if you have watched many movies of this type you'll soon realize that the women all have porcelain skin.
Emily Blunt is a beauty! Oh my she's gorgoeus! And I love her accent! I love everything about her!

The effects were great, the wolfmen actually looked quite real even when they're fighting.
It's basically about Benicio Del Toro went home after his brother died to investigate his death. Then one night, while investigating, he got bitten by the warewolf.
So as legend has written, once bitten by a warewolf, you'll turn into warewolf once you see the full moon.
And he did crime, like killing people horrendously but I'm not quite sure whether he ate those people or he did it just for fun.
Turned out, the wolfman who killed his brother was actually his father, who got bitten by a warewolf when he was in India doing his research.
So Benicio was so angry, he killed his father, Anthony Hopkins.
Emily wanted to help cure Benicio but there's no hope. There's no way to make him normal again and that he should just be killed to save others.
But Emily didn't want him to die as warewolf so she risked herself by asking Benicio to recognize who she was. And then he sort of remembered but by then the policemen were coming and he became fierce again.
So Emily took his life with her own hands.
She shot him with silver bullet which the only way to kill warewolf.

*God i can't believe i can't remember any roles!*

I have been exposed with all these legends -warewolf, dracula, vampire, frankenstein -since I was young because my second brother loves reading these stuff.
Trust me when I say I watched 'Nosferatu' when I was around 12 years old. And I actually watched 'Interview With The Vampire' not because of Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas or Christian Slater, but because of the vampires-storyline. Only years after that I thought all these guys were hotties.

Basically, it was a great movie which I enjoyed very much despite the shouting and jumping.
Anthony looked sooo like my daddy! haha
And Benicio still makes my heart go oh la la even after 20 years! Ok, maybe not 20 years but, well, you know what I mean.



I watched this before I watched Valentine's Day on the same day and I loved both movies!
Thumbs up! Including my mak jari kaki too!
*smile*

-qils-

Movie: Valentine's Day

*watched on 18Feb2010*

Alright, I don't celebrate Valentine's Day.
Not because I'm single at the moment but even when I was in my past relationship, I didn't really bother to celebrate.
But I love flowers, chocolates, cards, dinner at nice restaurants, well you know...
And prices hike like crazy on this day.
And I don't find the story of Valentine where he committed suicide because of love, well, romantic.
I'm just amazed of what people would do for love.

Anyway, though I don't celebrate V-Day, doesn't mean I can't celebrate the love for the movie.
I honestly thought it's gonna be a sappy movie.
I actually prepared myself a few packets of tissues in my outer pocket of my handbag for easier reach.
It's not really a fantastic movie, but it's nice enough that I want to watch it for the second time.
Maybe by the third time I would be able to memorize the whole script already.
Scriptwise, it's very simple and real. Not corny or cocky.

The actors and actresses, well, too many of them, you know.
All great actors. Brilliant actors, I would say.
Jennifer Garner is hot. Anne Hathaway is gorgeous.
Patrick Demspey@McDreamy is as sexy as usual. Eric Dane@McSteamy shows off his six-packs as usual, too.
I love the big smiles from both Roberts. Guess it's in their good genes.
Ashton Kutcher & Bradley Cooper are cute as always.
And Queen Latifah is hilarious! OMG I loved her in the movie!

Few things I don't like.
Jessica Alba's blonde hair. Oh please, blonde is so not for her. She looks like she's wearing wig! You're a natural beauty darling, stick to your roots!
I'm also shocked that Taylor Lautner didn't take his shirts off for once in the movie.
He actually had a line, "I don't feel comfortable taking my shirt off in public." =P
And McDreamy had only, like, 10 lines altogether.

Well, basically, I knew Ash would end up with Jen Garner in the end.
I knew Emma Roberts won't do it with her BF.
I knew Jess Biel would fall for Jamie Foxx.
I knew both TaylorS were going to be together until the end (in the movie of course).
And the same goes to Topher Grace & Anne, together at the end.

*sorry can't remember their roles*

My biggest surprise was definitely between McSteamy& Bradley!
I swear I laughed like nobody cares when Bradley runs his hand through McSteamy's hair!
It was weird and I had this icky feeling in my stocmach and I just had to laugh.
But it was definitely hilarious! My favourite part of the movie!
And I really didn't think that little cutie Edison actually fell for Jen Garner. How cute!
Oh, I didn't expect Julia Roberts to be Edison's mommy at all, either.

In the end, I would say it was a great movie.
I enjoyed it very much.
Not too cliche, accompanied with elements of surprise.
You know, watching gorgeous human beings on screen is NOT a bad terrible thing at all.
*wink*

-qils-

Movie: Dr. Parnassus.

Now this is one movie that needs real good actors to make it work

Seriously.
Because, quoting my Baby Sis Amy "if not because of the actors and popcorns, I would sleep half way through it."
I have to agree with her.

The storyline is ever so simple, to be honest.
Dr. P (as Shima calls it) makes a deal with the Devil in order to become younger again to marry a lady.
The price? If he ever bears a child, he/she will be the devil's when he/she reaches 16 years old.
To save his gorgeous daughter, he makes a deal with Mr. D again.
You see, he has this imaginarium, where people who walk into it will be in the world of their ultimate imagination.
For example, a rich lady's ultimate imagination is full of shoes and pearls and handbags and a gigolo. Really. It's in the movie.
Anyway, people who choose the wrong direction or those who go beyond their imagination will end up dead.
The deal between Mr. P & Mr. D to save Mr. P's daughter is to make sure 5 people who walk in come out safe and sound. If the first 5 die, Mr. D wins and gets the daughter.
Confused already?
You'll get even more confused when you watch it for the first time.

Like I (and my sis) said, the actors made it a one of a kind movie.
First of all, the history behind the making.
Heath Ledger (RIP) didn't manage to finish shooting the film before his days ended.
So the ever so gushing Johnny Depp offered to take over. So did Jude Law and Colin Farrell.
The greatest thing? The money these three-some gets will go into Mathilde's fund, she is the daughter of Heath.
Adorable, isn't it?
And even though these three are different in every way, they managed to suit Heath's acting style.
The way he talked, laughed, shouted.
Lovely. And talented.
Heath was a real talent. I'm sure he could be the next Johnny Depp if he's still alive.
Well, good things always come to an end.
Indeed.

In short, if you want to watch Heath's final brilliant acting and movie, watch it.
If fantasy is too much for your entertainment that you don't want to think too much, please please please don't waste your penny.
Watch 'Avatar' instead. Or 'Chipmunks'.

*There's this scene when Heath introduced Dr. P for the first time. I swear he sounds like The Joker. Creepy.*

-qils-

Movie: Sherlock Holmes.

This movie really surprised me.

Because it's really good.

I like everything about it.
The era. The costumes. The horses. The buildings. The accent. The actors. The witty lines.
And it's funny. And not to forget Guy Ritchie directed it. So yeah, he surprised me.
I laughed from the beginning until the end of the movie, and my jaw often dropped everytime Holmes explained the logic behind everything. And I would go, like, wow I've never thought of that.
Any movie that makes me think is a great movie to me personally.

Robert Downey, Jr. is one fine actor. His facial expression works all the time, especially when he tries to 'look' innocent and not dumb.
And his intonation is flawless, I would say.

I'm not really a fan of Sherlock Holmes series, nor Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
And I certainly haven't heard about Dr. Watson until I watched this movie.
If I were to choose my favourite in this movie, I'll go with Dr. Watson.
Jude Law is incredibly funny when he tries to be serious.
In a good way funny. I totally love it.
Despite the fact that he looks old in the movie.
Old. But hot.

Anyway, my favourite line/scene would be when Holmes invites Watson and his lady to his brother's country estate which Watson doesn't allow Holmes to join them and Holmes says
"Why wouldn't I be invited to my own brother's country estate, now you're not making any sense Waston!"
Hahaha that was totally funny! Even Watson can't add anything to that because it's so true!
And Watson is always the one with 'sense' than Holmes.
Holmes can even hang himself for experiment, how nuts is that?!

This movie is definitely worth my RM10.
*smile*

*I watched Avatar & Sherlock Holmes on the same day. Sort of movie marathon. Definitely good choices of movies. Love 'em. Just love 'em.*

-qils-