Hung Up Video

Hung Up Video

Tick Tick Tock...enjoy some 80's fabulos-ity!

Visual&MentalAssault: Alice Wu's Saving Face

Saving Face
Directed by Alice Wu

Alice Wu has done what Lee Ang has done for Chinese directors and actors. A poignant tale of cultural clashes versus the fulfilment of traditional Chinese expectations, the film talks about a middle age widow who becomes unexpectedly pregnant much to the chagrin of her professor father who worries about losing face. Meanwhile, her grown-up surgeon daughter is battling coming public of her lesbianism as well as mending the broken fence when she admits to her mother of her socially intolerable inclinations.

Interweaved in between are plenty of East-meets-West humour and impeccably fine acting coming from the stellar cast, most notably Joan Chen's role as the widow whose funny and unnerving ways also show a vulnerable and lonesome side when torn between conforming to her authoritarian father's ways once again and finding the freedom that she's in dire need of. Daughter Wil played by Michelle Krusiec and her lesbian lover played by Lynn Chen also lend great support to the film which is ultimately bittersweet. (A)

AuralAssault: Madonna's Hung Up

Madonna

Hung Up

In the wake of one of the most anticipated album of the year, Confessions On A Dancefloor, Madonna unleashes Hung Up featuring a delectable sample of Abba's Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! on the dancefloor.

Hung Up is like Music, a non-song that stomps with a killer hook, a melodius chorus and the electronic blizz courtesy of Stuart Price. The song ups the camp factor of Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) while Madonna sings and gyrates to a worthy creation of her own.

Now, no more preaching! Just keep on dancing! Everyone loves it when Madonna gives a beat to dance to. (A-)

AuralAssault: David Gray and Sarah McLachlan

David Gray
Life in Slow Motion


It seems that David Gray's life has changed for the worse. At least that's what it seems from his music. Life In Slow Motion is an utter heartache.

From the forlorn opener Alibi to the current single The One I Love, Gray displays a kind of helplessness that builds around love. The album the culminates to a high in the middle with the title track Slow Motion,From Here You Can Almost See The Sea and Ain't No Love, the trilogy of songs that express the unexpressed of a draggy life, of unrequited love and of being unloved. The songs are often heavy-hearted, interspersed with one or two more uplifting tracks in between before closing with yet another pair of poignant tracks, the beautiful Now and Always and the aching Disappearing World. (B+)

Sarah McLachlan

Bloom [Remix Album]

It's difficult to associate Sarah McLachlan with electronic, club or dance music. After all, she's a singer-songwriter with the knack for deeply evocative pop rock songs. But in the span of four years, her record company has released two remix compilations of her songs.

2001's Remixed featured McLachlan's hits from her past albums remixed into hard, stompy and club-orientated dance tracks, courtesy of such famed producers like BT, Hybrid and Rollo.

On Bloom, the remix is a little more diverse and elcletic - remixes span from ambient (Dirty Little Secret by Thievery Corp, Answer by Talvin Singh) to reggae (Train Wreck by Sly & Robbie) to funk (Just Like Me by will.i.am) and dance (World on Fire by Junkie XL , Stupid by Hyper, Fallen by Gabriel & Dresden).

Standout tracks include Sly and Robbie's funky remake of Train Wreck, Talvin Singh's Indian-inspired Answer, Thievery Corporation's chilling Dirty Little Secret (better than the original), Tom Middleton's stylish redo of the 90's Vox and Junior Boy's Own's electrolysed Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. The only sore thumb - the horrible The Way I Am where Sarah seemed like an odd misfit with DMC's rapping and will.i.an's erratic production.

Overall, this is a special treat for fans though there's so many remixes from theAfterglow project that's simply missing and never will see the light of the day. (B)

Current mood: Empty

Fairy Tale

Cinderella Man

Directed by Ron Howard

Cinderella Man reunites Ron Howard with longtime collaborator Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger, a star-studded Oscar-winning ensemble that will undoubtedly create a buzz come award time next year. The story of famed 1930's boxer Jim Braddock follows his trials and tribulations from superstar boxer to downtrodden desperado during the Great Depression years. Ousted from boxing prfoessionally and left with a broken hand, Braddock and his family were forced to their unkind fate. The rest of story as you will know is rather predictable.

A fairy tale twist ends their fate. With dexterity and furious drive, Braddock returned to form to beat his deadliest opponent and regained the glory he had lost for so long. Russell Crowe, having put on weight for this role, was characteristically uncompromising and convincing as the boxer, Braadock. However, it's the recently single-again Renee Zellweger who lighted the screen as the unwavering and silent suffering wife who stood by him. Often delicate and conflicted, Zellweger displayed a range of emotions that demonstrated her increasingly skillful versatility.

Ron Howard's direction is starkingly real albeit gory. Boxing scenes are well-crafted and captured on screen to be able to make the audience gasp in aniexty with every blow delivered by Crowe and his opponents.

This is good old Hollywood story retelling. It's the right dose of everything that makes Cinderella Man too much of a winner and a tad bit boring. (B-)

Abosolutely stunning piece of poetry:

Somewhere I Have Never Traveled, Gladly Beyond
E.E. Cummings

Somewhere I have never traveled, gladly beyond
Any experience, your eyes have their silence:
In your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
Or which I cannot touch because they are too near

Your slightest look will easily unclose me
Though i have closed myself as fingers,
You open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skillfully, mysteriously)her first rose

Or if your wish be to close me, I and
My life will shut very beautifully, suddenly,
As when the heart of this flower imagines
The snow carefully everywhere descending;
Nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
The power of your intense fragility: whose texture
Compels me with the color of its countries,
Rendering death and forever with each breathing

(I do not know what it is about you that closes
And opens; only something in me understands
The voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
Nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands

Best-Of: My Favorite Movies of 2005...So Far

1. Closer by Mike Nichols









2. Crash by Paul Haggis









3. Mysterious Skin by Gregg Araki









4. Sommersturm (Summer Storm) by Marco Kreuzpaintner









Ticket stubs: Yes, I collect them!








Current mood:

AuralAssault: Mysterious Skin - Music From The Film

Robin Guthrie and Harold Budd
Mysterious Skin - Music From The Film (Soundtrack)

Harold Budd and Robin Guthrie created magic with the score to the film Mysterious Skin. Listened on its own, this soundtrack is the perfect complement to the chilling film. Each track stunning on its own works seamlessly into one another to form a gorgeous collage of emotionally-charged instrumentals that seemingly re-creates every scene of the tragic tale in your mind. At times, the songs leave you feeling chilly and distant like the way it felt in the film.

One of the best scores of the year! (A+)

49 Percent

Math and imagery
Equates cacophony
Multiplies muteness: a sum better disturbed
For silence subtracts
And shadows divide light
less than half is slight
The heat has simmered for a while

49 Percent, Röyksopp

AuralAssault: Björk's Music From The Drawing Restraint 9

Björk
Music From The Drawing Restraint 9

This is a soundtrack composed by Björk with minimal vocals for celebrated contemporary visual artist Matthew Barney’s next film Drawing restraint 9, in which she also appears.

The soundtrack music uses a combination of many instruments such as the harp, harpsichord and celeste, trumpet, trombone and oboe, electronic basslines, and children’s choir. The collection of songs also seems to bring the best of both worlds from Vespertine and Medulla in terms of the whimsical beels of the former (Ambergris March and Cetacea) and the human beatbox of the latter (the Japanese-infused Pearl, Shimenawa and the 10-minute Holographic Entrypoint). On the poignant opener Gratitude, Will Oldham sings with much raw emotion that tinkers.

The songs put together do exude a weird quality but is unquestionably a very accomplished masterpiece, though not music to everyone's ears. Those who get it will be greatly rewarded, no less. (A)

Visual&MentalAssault: Charlie and The Chocolate Factory

Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
Tim Burton (Based on the book by Roald Dahl)

The much-hyped and well-received Charlie and The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl comes to live in this 2005 update. Staying mostly true to form, Tim Burton infuses much of his trademark direction with sophisticated robotic machinery and semi-mechanic setting in the chocolate factory which showcased what was portrayed in the book itself.

Much credit should be given to Johnny Depp and Freddie Highmore (who incidentally acted with Depp in Finding Neverland) for their roles as the eccentric Willy Wonka and the precarious and wide-eyed Charlie Bucket respectively. Once again, the pair's chemistry was unmistakable. Depp should expect an Oscar nod for his comedic and amusing performance as Willy Wonka (think Edward Scissorhands also helmed by Burton). Also deserving of praise is Deep Roy's potrayal of Oompa Loompa, the quirky little man-like creatures who looked exactly the same.

Perhaps the only flaw in the movie are the awkard song and dance sequence which sometimes fail to be funny. Otherwise, this is a faithful adaptation with a zest of new life. (B+)

Disenchanted Witch

Bewitched
Nora Ephron

Be warned, this retooled version of the old TV series is directed by Nora Ephron of Sleepless in Seattle fame, so don't expect a whole lot of depth. Anyway, the TV series itself was meant to be lighthearted as well, but it seemed that the movie remake drew muck flak, presumably compared to the TV version.

But this remake is slightly different from the original in that in the movie, they were doing a modern day version of Bewitched and they actually cast a real witch. Well, despite to a fluffy storyline without much thought, there were some funny lines though I do agree that Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell has forced chemistry. However, Kidman is actually quite good in her role as Samatha/Isabel Bigelow, an indication that the actress has reached the stage where she could handle any genre with much ease. Her presence and charisma definitely lights up the screen. The other two actors who seemed to have not received mention at all are Oscar winning screen veterans Shirley Maclaine and Michael Caine as Isabel's co-star mother-cum-witch and father respectively. Both actors showed much poise and charm as they worked their screen magic quietly in the background.

This is something good to laugh out to and if you have ever watched the original, don't be too disappointed. (B-)

Marble's ok

Hmmm, after a string of unfortunate events, an eye ulceration and tick infestation, my poor dog has recovered much from his ordeals, all thanks to my non-vigilant ways. And in turn, my pocket was burned though it really didn't matter as long as he's ok :)

Visual&MentalAssault: Mysterious Skin

Mysterious Skin

Screenplay and Direction by Gregg Araki
Book by Scott Heim

Watched Mysterious Skin two days ago. Somehow I didn't have the compulsion to write anything about it, like I usually would when I have watched a (good or bad) film. It was because I was reeling from the disturbing effects the film had on me even after two days.

"The summer I was eight years old, five hours disappeared from my life"? so runs the catchy opening to the adapted film. The boy grows up believeing that he was abducted by strange aliens the five hours he was lost. The other grows up to be a gay hustler until he has a tragic and violent encounter. The material wasn't groundbreaking; it talks about paedophilic gay child abuse and the effects it had on the two boys involved in it long after it was over. However, it was the realism portrayed by the leads Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Third Rock From The Sun) and Brady Corbet that really shook me inside. It also revealed the stereotypical American gay society in the 80's and early 90's. The two little known actors and the supporting cast of Jeff Licon and Michelle Trachtenberg who play Levitt's best friends also lent great depth to the movie.

I really loved the scene where the snow fell and God was heard. Watch it for yourself, but it's not for the faint-hearted. (A)

AuralAssault: Röyksopp and Télépopmusik

Royksopp
This Understanding (2-CD Limited Edition)

Royksopp returns with their sophormore album The Understanding. If you are looking for the theatrics their debut, look elsewhere.

The group has retained their knack for strong beats and catchy rhythms but have also expanded to included more vocals and greater danceability to their songs. On the opener, Triumphant, the group picks up from where they left off on Melody except with greater gusto and tempo than before. The excellent first single with its fierce electronic beats makes it headed straight for that great dancefloor. 49 Percent revels in great early 90's funk with a slight Prince-soundalike arrangement. Sombre Detune adds a hard bassline to a solid electronic-backed track. Other great tracks like What Else Is There and the emotive closer Dead To The World brings you back to where the guys first came from.

The five bonus tracks on Disc 2 are more like icing on the cake. Not strong enough to appear on the main album but still serves up some great hooks for fans. (A-)

Recommended tracks: Only This Moment, 49 Percent, Sombre Detune, What Else Is There


Telepopmusik
Angel Milk

The group best known for 2001's dreamy hit Breathe returns with a spectacular followup to their debut Genetic World. Angel's Milk is everything Genetic World is and more. Continuing to mesmerize with dreamy melodies and breathy vocals, the group also infuses their songs with string elements and even creates some old world Broadway-like charm on the gorgeous Love's Almighty. Not surprisingly, it's also hemled by vocalist Angela McCluskey who continues to weave magic into Telepop's songs.

The album also sees collaboration with Deborah Anderson and Mau. On the first single, Into Everything, Anderson provides the fluffy dream-like vocals to the Breathe-sequel with aplomb but it's really vocalist Mau who steals the show with a deep lush voice on tracks like Anyway, Last Train To Wherever and Hollywood on My Toothpaste, especially the rap on the latter two tracks are dripping with great sensuousness.

A bonfide sequel worthy of its prdecessor. (B+)

Recommended Tracks: Into Everything, Anything, Last Train To Wherever, Love's Almighty.


Current mood:

Crash, A Beautiful Collision

Love crashes in like a beautiful collision between two people - the meeting of different minds and senses. I believe that there's something profoundly special which transcends through what can be seen on the surface and the test of time. Ultimately, it's really what you can't see that sees you through the tumultuous journey in life.

Don't look too much too far out at the future. Live now.

Everything looks perfect from far away, come down now.

Music: Heartstopper by Emiliana Torrini

AuralAssault: Heartstopper by Emiliana Torrini

Like this. The second lady of Iceland (after Bjork and co-writer of Kylie's #1 Slow) takes a deviation from her trip-hoppish debut, Love In The Time Of Science, to return with a delightful and sweet ballad Heartstopper from 2005's Fisherman's Woman. Now she's closer to Stina Nordenstam than Portishead or Goldfrapp and it's a surprising but well-worth turn. (A)

Visual&MentalAssault: Paul Haggis' Crash

I just had a delectable visual and mental treat from Paul Haggis. Crash, which opened in theaters on Thursday, is a well-crafted film. From the opening scene of a car collision, the film unfolds to weave several stories to form an intricate web of inter-related events involving the beautifully drawn characters. The basis of the story might have been racial discrimination and stereotyping but beneath this surface, it's really an emotionally-charged collision of unearthed feelings, contradictive thoughts and the emotional freedom that people sometimes deny themselves by refusing to confront reality. Several of the heart wrenching scenes are so beautifully shot that the viewer is almost transposed into the movie itself.

Although most of the actors have minimal screen time due to the various stories, the acting is consummate. Don Cheadle is shaping to be a great character actor as his display of emotions is so intense that you feel him. Ludacris, the rapper (whose music I couldn't care less), also shows promise in his big screen debut.

For me, I identify most with Sandra Bullock's character, a heavily repressed and unhappy socialite who was robbed at gunpoint with her husband (Brendan Fraser). When her character said, "I am upset but it's not because of the carjack. I wake up feeling like this every morning. I am angry but I don't know why." And she falls off the stairs shortly after, only to arrive at the realization of the people and things that matter most.

I am deeply surprised by how well the little stories intertwine so flawlessly to present a thought-provoking film. Certainly one of my three favorite movies of 2005 following Closer and Sommersturm (Summer Storm). I urge everyone to see Paul Haggis' Crash and experience 2 hours of feeling again. Oh ya, listen to the mesmerising music score that accompanies the film! (A)

AuralAssault: Gorillaz, Coldplay, Billy Corgan & Imogen Heap

Gorillaz/Don't Get Lost In Heaven & Demon Days
Demon Days

If you were old enough to have heard Coka Cola's advertisement song I'll Like To Teach The World To Sing in the early 70's and 80's, Gorillaz's Don't Get Lost In Heaven evokes a similar let's-shake-our-head-and-clap-our-hands feel complete with the London Community choir on backup. The song then fades perfectly into the title track Demon Days, creating a very pleasant two-parter on their latest CD. (A)

Colplay/Fix You
X&Y

How do you wrench your guts out to emote. Coldplay shows you how. "When you love someone, but it goes to waste. Could it be worse?" as Coldplay frontman Chris Martin sings with utter disillusionment. Beautiful, poignant song about disappointment and the guiding light. Think of it as The Scientist Part 2. (A+)

Billy Corgan/ToLoveSomebody & Now (& Then)
TheFutureEmbrace

Heartwrenching, future-looking, wrestling fear and everything in between, the lead man from The Smashing Pumpkins return with a tremendous and noble effort. Listen to Billy Corgan and Robert Smith (of The Cures) on the alt-electro remake of Bee Gees' To Love Somebody - gorgeously dark and heartachingly wrenching. Follow this with a dose of Now (& Then), an equally melancholic song that's bound to stir you from within. (A)


Imogen Heap/Goodnight and Go & Hide and Seek
Speak For Yourself

One-half of Frou Frou, Imogen Heap releases her second LP on her personal independent record label. The second song of Imogen Heap to be featured on The OC after Goodbye and Go, Hide and Seek is an electronic acapella complete with Heap's distinctly alluring vocals and vocoder. Intensely emotional. (B+)

Happiness

Someone gave me this (excerpt):

It takes a complete letting go of past hurts to step inside.

Happiness is a choice.

Happiness is the ultimate realization that everything was, and is, exactly as it should be.

It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.

Thanks dear.