A GOOD YEAR, BUT NOT SO GOOD A MOVIE

A GOOD YEAR
starring Russell Crowe and Marion Contillard


Do you love the French cultures and accent and French babes? You love love stories?? If yes then maybe this is a movie for you.

Personally, I was fooled by the stars in this movie. I mean, RUSSELL CROWE AND MARION CONTILLARD! I kinda like both of them. Russell's movies are usually very good and Marion is just one gorgeous chick that I happen to like. So a combination of them is like Sushi and wasabi, but maybe not as delicious.

Anywayzzzzzzz, I can't say I like the movie at all. It was a total drag for me. Romantic but boring in some ways and I just don't get the whole point of the movie. There is a meaningful message in the movie but I just feel that it is not accentuated enough. I was left untouched at the end of it.

I believe that the movie is trying to convey that sometimes, winning is not everything. Money is also not everything. Sometimes, love and the simplicity of life is what truly matters. Yes, I get that but the delivery is not substantial enough. I find the whole movie a soulless in some ways.

Basically the story tells of Russell Crowe who is a guy who is all about WINNING. He is good in his job and he use cunning tactics to make money. He is in the share market industry so erm...it's like he will make the prices go up by buying the shares and then suddenly sell everything. So the shares price will drop because other people will all panic and start selling all their shares at a lower rate. Then Russell will buy back the shares at a lower price. Something like what George Soros did, which caused the 1997 Economic Crisis. I'm not good at explaining how the share market works but my dad is darn good at it. So, contact him haha...

Okayz, anywayz my point is that this Russell in the movie is making big money for his company. Suddenly his uncle, who took care of him since he was young passed away. His uncle left him the vineyard and a beautiful mansion in France, in which Russell grew up in. Russell then has to fly to France to settle the legal procedures in order to officially own the house. He plans to sell the whole house and vineyard, and therefore selling away all his childhood memories he has of that place. Besides, causing his uncle's long-time and loyal worker his job at the vineyard.

The movie consists of flashbacks of his childhood with his uncle, flashbacks of some of the advices his uncle gave him. For example, Russell Crowe's character is all about winning and making money. His uncle would say, there is more to be learned when you lose than when you win. But of course, don't repeat the same lost.

I must say, I like the advice. Reminds me of my dad's principle. When we get our marks for our test, my dad doesn't look at the marks, but whether or not we've learned from the mistakes we make. He hates careless mistakes, but other justifiable mistakes, he loves. He always say, he loves the red colours on our test papers because it shows learning opportunities. That's why, everytime I get my test papers, I'm not worried about confronting the marks I get, but rather, did I make GOOD mistakes. But then again who am I lying. Of course I also want high marks. WHO DOESNT? haha

So of course as the story develops, Russell, after spending one week in the mansion finally realizes what is truly important. Plus, he met a girl he love and that's where Marion Contillard comes in, no surprises there.

I guess Russell in the end realizes that making money is not as important as having a HOT girlfriend hehehe...

Watch this movie only if you are in for some romance. Even that, I don't think you'll be head over heels over the movie. Well, just my opinion. My bro thought "A GOOD YEAR was "A GOOD" Movie...well, I always thought he was 'gay' haha...



TC-My Rating:






With LotSa Lurve,
TammyC

"AN UNJUST LAW IS NO LAW AT ALL"

THE GREAT DEBATERS
starring Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker




This is a movie based on a true story, more focused on the issues on the injustice faced by the Blacks back in the 1930s.

It is a story about how a professor, Melvin Tolson, of Wiley College, Texas, inspired his students to form a debate team, which later became the first Black debate team to challenge 'White' colleges and later, even went on to defeat the national champions, the Harvard University's Debate Team.

The Wiley College Debate team is made up of a few great members, but most the renown member is James Farmer Jr. This man later became one of the Big 4 leaders of the American Civil Rights movement and also founded the Congress of Racial Equity with a few of his students. Later he also initiated the "Freedom Rides" in which different races (the Blacks and Whites) traveled together in a bus and challenged segregated bus terminals. "Freedom Riders" were constantly attacked on the bus and there was one attacked which killed several of the Freedom Riders. And the Freedom Riders of course inspired the teacher, Erin Gruwell, and used it to teach her students. Hence, the start of the Freedom Writers - a movie i watched not so long ago.

In the movie, Jr. was still a 14-year-old. At first, not a good speaker but as usual, rise to the occasion at the end.

His winning speech is very beautiful...

The opponent:
"My father is a police officer...I remember the day his best friend was gunned down in the line of duty. most vividly of all, I remember the expression on my father's face. Nothing that erodes the rule of law can be moral, no matter what name we give it..."

James Farmer Jr. in reply:
"In Texas, they lynch Negros. My teammates and I saw a man strung up on the neck and set on fire...we drove and pressed our face against the floorboards. I looked at my teammates, and saw the look in their eyes. And worst, their shame. What was it that this Negro crime, that he should be hung without trial? Was he a killer? Or just a negro?....Were his children waiting for him?... No matter what he did, the mob is the criminal. But the law did nothing...but just us wondering - why? My opponent says, nothing that erodes the law can be moral. But there is no rule of law in the South, when the Negros are denied housing, turned away from schools, hospitals and not when we are lynched. Saint Augustine said, "an unjust law is not a law at all." Which means I have a right, even a duty, to resist, with violence or civil disobedience. You should pray I choose the latter."

Just like "Crash"...why do Negros, and in fact, anyone at all have to feel ashame of something, which is not even their fault. Why should they be ashamed of the color of their skin? Why should they be ashamed of being afraid of being lynched? Why should they apologize when it's not even their fault? Questions to ponder...

I truly agree..."An unjust law is no law at all". And as responsible citizens, we need to speak out and take responsibility for what we said. I admire most of the local opposition party leaders .I mean, sometimes, I might not agree with their sentiments, but it is their courage to speak up and take responsibility for the things they say that made them heroes. I mean, it's always easy to criticize the government, but doing it publicly and taking the consequences - that's truly admirable. I even more respect those who speak for justice and fight for human rights on a large scale. They put their lives out there. I crap a lot, but fighting for a cause at that scale, I'm not sure I could.

This is yet another inspiring story because there is a good ending to this one and the ending is TRUE!
Very touching indeed.



TC-My Rating:





With LotSa Lurve,
TammyC

CRASH - CLASHING OF COLOURS?

Racism is an issue that I'm sure many of you have a say in. In Malaysia, one of the main issues discussed and politicized is definitely the issue of race. I'd like to think that there are not many racist fights in Malaysia. But maybe that would make me very ignorant because I heard there are, but I chose not to believe most of them. I don't know. Newspapers do not cover news or stories like this, no, but they cover it up. So what should I believe?It is so sad and I do feel that racism is an issue that should concern us all - does the colour of our skin matter?

I'd consider myself a non-racist, yeah, that's just me saying. But what actually defines a non-racist??

As the world advances, it's funny to actually see that people classifying other people's action by the colour of their skin. For example, Chinese are always equated as very calculative and business-minded. Very sorry and what I say here is just an example, Malays are known for their laziness and Indians, for being the community that are poor and therefore, most criminals are of the Indian race. Everytime we hear of a robbery or theft, the first thing some people would ask is...what race? I mean, does it matter? If it's Indian or Malay, then there it goes..."Yealar...Indians and Malays are like that geh lar bla bla bla...." If the thief is Chinese....the conversation either end there or they would come out with excuses like bad times etc etc.

I was thinking, if this theory applies, then it would mean that there's no thief in China? I feel, just like I believe many of you guys out there who think like me, would know that a person who choose to steal or commit any crime for that matter does not does what he/she does because of the colour of their skin, but rather because of who they are, how they are raised and treated as a human being that leads them to their conduct.

To be fair, I have some really really darn hardworking Malay friends who strive their best to achieve success. And for them it's so unfair because no matter how they work, people will have that stereotype that they achieved it because of the help provided by our government. How sad!

I also have some really super cool and nice Indian friends who are the most polite and generous people in the world. And the last thing they'll be are criminals. Also, to make things clear, I really hate to be categorized as calculative and stingy.

We are who we are not because of the colour of our skin.
I'm glad that, if my observations are right, then I believe that Malaysians are getting more homogenized - we are more Malaysians than we are Malays, Chinese or Indians. Well, at least the urban citizens are.

I have a lecturer, whom i feel is a bit racist and i'm not mentioning who. The lecturer taught me way back in Diploma and as much as I agree with some things the lecturer says, I do believe that the lecturer is a racist and I just dislike that fact.

Once the lecturer asked the class..."What do you refer to yourself as (as in nationality) when in other countries?" I guess the lecturer was expecting a Malaysian-Chinese as an answer but the whole class proudly answered MALAYSIAN! If you ask me, this actually shows that we ourselves do not see ourselves by the skin colour but as a nation, which is a positive start.

The modern Malaysians are a mixed-up bunch, and our main medium of interaction is Manglish. We speak the Malaysian-style English, with additions of our own mothertongue. Malaysia should be heading that way, in which all races can be friends, like extremely close brothers and see no difference in skin colour.

I have a good friend, Doy, whom I met during my internship. She has been such a wonderful companion during my production days even though she only visits during weekends to meet her then boyfriend. She was basically the only girl there, my age who can relate to me. Okay, now i have to categorize her because she's a Malay but the times i've hanged out with her, i don't feel it.

We spoke perfectly good Manglish and had some really good moments, well, at least i have haha. Until suddenly we spoke of colleges and Universities. She asked me why didn't I go to local uni? She said that it's much cheaper. Well, of course...because for her, she's privileged. She would most probably get the course of her choice, but I'm not sure if I'm that lucky. Of course we didn't argue, we just chatted normally about it and I realized that the only thing that sets us apart really, is the NEP, which benefits most the Bumiputeras. If only the NEP can really function as it is supposed to, and that is TO HELP ERADICATE POVERTY REGARDLESS OF RACE, then i believe that all Malaysians can move forward together, REGARDLESS OF RACE. In fact, what word is race again? Oh...you mean a contest of speed??

I was with my family in Pizza Hut a few years back and boy was we pissed when we saw on top of the bill a 'C' for Chinese. I mean, what? Are we now also categorized when we get food?? Maybe they expect us 'Chinese' to be a bit more penny-pinching when it comes to tips. Later we just shove the matter by thinking that it was just a marketing survey thingy they are doing. Still, we just feel that it wasn't the right thing to do.

SO AFTER THE MANY PARAGRAPHS OF USUAL CRAP...I WILL RELATE THE ABOVE TO THE FIRST MOVIE! haha

CRASH
starring a long list of brilliant stars....

This movie, I wanted to watch a long time ago. I have really high expectations because I've heard a lot of positive comments about it. I wasn't disappointed.


This movie, I wanted to watch a long time ago. I have really high expectations because I've heard a lot of positive comments about it. I wasn't disappointed.

"Crash" has no conclusion. The conclusion is to equate it to life. There will never be a direct conclusion when it comes to issues of racism and any other problems in life.

This movie is really interesting as it focuses on the lives of different characters and each character links to one another in some way.

The main themes - RACISM, Blacks and Whites and Percians and Puerto Ricans and Koreans.

A few characters in the movie, like Sandra Bullock's and Matt Dillon's are racist. They do not trust Blacks or Latinos.



Sandra Bullock and her husband, played by Brendan Fraser was robbed by 2 Negros. She was angry and believes that it was right that she had been terrified of Blacks all along. She then also was adamant that his husband change the locks in their house again in the morning because the previous lock was fix by a Latino.

Matt Dillon's character molested a Negro lady in front of her husband because he was angry at another Negro lady who denied his father the required operation for his prostate problem. For one thing, Matt Dillon was very rude to that lady and has often angered her with his racist remarks. However later, Matt Dillon did save the very same Negro lady which he molested in a car crash.

The Negro lady molested by Matt Dillon was of course angry with her husband for not standing up for her. But you ask....what was the husband supposed to do? Matt Dillon is a cop with a gun. Plus whatever they do, the cop can frame them anyway. So the best is to apologize even though they were obviously not at fault.

If you ask me, I have no idea which side to take. It's a dilemma. If I were the lady, I'd be mad too if my husband just stood there and watch me being 'handled' by another guy. But then again, if he doesn't apologize, we might not be able to get out of the situation. The lady was right when she said that she was humiliated. I'd be too...


Then there's Michael Pena's character who worked very hard for his family but was always stereotyped because he was a Latino. He was the one who fixed Sandra Bullock's house's lock. I really liked him here, in this movie. I've watched him in another movie "The Lucky Ones", but "Crash" made him one of my favourites. I especially love his relationship between him and his daughter.

But as much as I love him in the movie, I thought the story he told her 5-year-old daughter is ridiculous and in fact dangerous to the little girl's.

His daughter was afraid of bullets due to an earlier incident not shown in the movie. So in order to make her daughter less scared, he told her a story about the invincible cloak, not penetrable by any bullet or bombs. He said that this is a fairy's present and is to be passed on to his daughter when she is five. So he gave her the cloak.

So as I predicted, when Michael Pena was at gun-point, his daughter ran out to protect him since she is 'invincible'. The man fired at the daughter instead. If I had to blame anyone, I'd say it's his fault. I believe there are other better ways of convincing your daughter not to be afraid of bullets than telling her a lie that would endanger her.



Another part of the movie worth remembering was when Terence Howard (the negro whose wife was molested) told Ludacris (the Negro who stole Sandra Bullock's car) that he embarrassed all Negro. "You embarrassed me. You embarrassed yourself."


What one Negro does, indirectly makes other people stereotype other Negros. Racism...but sadly, it happens.

Another part was when Ryan Phillippe shot another Negro. He was convinced (because of stereotype again) that that guy was pulling out a gun, when in fact, he was just pulling out a figure of Mother Mary, if I'm not mistaken. He then shot the Negro.

There are other issues involving stereotype in the movie that I can't really write all of them down. The best is to watch it because it involves so many characters.

Overall, don't expect any endings because that's not what life is all about. Storybook endings are only there to give us hope. Hope is good but sometimes, there's still reality.

Besides, stories never end because in life, problems come and go. The end shows the characters going on with life, most problems unresolved.


TC-My Rating:





With LotSa Lurve,
TammyC

SHENANIGANS, GETTING SMART & LEARNING ABOUT PERFECT SNOGGING

3 comedies...
1 brilliant actress...
1 extremely gorgeous actress...
1 hot guy, who’s sadly, younger than me...
and 1 new found comedian.

Okay, so since I’ve been quite down these few days, I’ve been circulating myself with comedies. In this installment, it’s all about hilarious and funny movies that shall tickle your funny bones. At least I find them extremely amusing haha.

First up – “Juno”. A brilliant movie which starred a brilliant actress, Ellen Page.

Juno is such a fun movie. There are 2 things I love about this movie – the character, Juno herself, and the lines in the movie. The script is so superbly penned and the lines are funny and so clever. I heard from my cousin Doreen that it was written by a stripper, based on her friend’s characteristic. Well I think I already like her friend. Seriously, the lead in the movie, Juno, has this super cool character about her. I just love the way she does things and also how she talks. She’s so clever with words that most of the things she says might be simple, but she conveys it in a friggin’ hillarious manner.

The story of Juno is a really simple and boring one but what is so great about this movie is how it manages to turn a story that is overused and lackluster into one that is good, if not fantastic. Everyone has watch movies or TV shows about how teenage girls get pregnant with their boyfriends’ baby and have to deal with their new life – “Wonderful Life” (Korean), multiple TVB and Taiwanese dramas and some other English flicks which I can’t remember exactly. Juno has the same story but what it did with the story was make the lines more interesting.

Juno had sex with her boyfriend, due to teenage curiosity I guess and got pregnant. So she had to break the news to her parents and her boyfriend plus deal with the gossips and talks of her mates in school. She’s only fifteen, right? She still has to go to school, even with a baby in her belly. So she wanted to go for abortion at first but later felt that she couldn’t do it. It was too cruel. So she instead settled for an alternative. Give the baby up for adoption. She then found Jennifer Garner and her husband – the perfect parents for her future baby. And then we watch in the movie the development of her pregnancy as well as her love with her boyfriend and father of the baby, Paulie Bleeker.

I guess Juno, like my cousin say, makes all single mums look super cool haha. Seriously, her couldn’t-care-less-with-what-kinda-s***-happens-in-my-life-but-I’ll-go-on attitude is really cool. And I also like her dad and her step-mom. They are such great parents, especially her step-mom. (Alison Janney who played Juno's step-mom is so nice here that I didn't realize that she actually played the over-protective mum of Penny in Hairspray) They are angry with their daughter, but they still are supportive. The whole family is very positive in life and that’s what makes them so cool.

My favourite line in the movie:

Her mum, when she found out about her pregnancy said:
“Somebody else is gonna find a precious blessing from Jesus in this garbage dump of a situation.”

Usually things which we don’t want might mean the world to other people.

Overall, the movie is a heart-warming one, with implicit educational and family values, that one would enjoy.

TC-My Rating:




Seriously, this is what I call a WITTY movie! Must watch~



“Get Smart” stars the gorgeous Anne Hathaway and funny man, Steve Carrell. Anne Hathaway is just stunningly pretty and she’s one of my favourite actresses. Well, I liked her from “The Princess Diaries” and have been a fan since then.

Anyway back to “Get Smart”. This movie is super hilarious. I wasn’t really keen with the story though because it is predictable. Well, there were some parts which was pretty dull for me but the funny parts really had me laughing my “ahem” off, man!

My favourite scenes: When Anne Hathaway teaches Steve Carrell how to use his belt, which contains a pill that when swallowed, will cause death within 9 seconds. The pill is meant for agents, so that they can kill themselves to escape being tortured. Then Steve Carrell made a funny statement instead by saying, “Great, so how do I get them to eat it?” I don’t know, it was extremely hillarious for me.

There was another part, a chase-and-run session between Steve Carrell and the villain in the movie. Then Steve Carrell was like crashing into everything and then his boss shouts “SWORDFISH” – because ahead of them was a shop with a swordfish head as deco. Steve Carrell crashed into it and then asked his boss, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Steve Carrell’s boss said, “I don’t know. Were you thinking, Holy S***, Holy S***, a swordfish nearly went through my head. If so, yes.” If you watch this part, then you’ll understand what I mean.

And another reason “Get Smart” is worth watching is because Masi Oka or better known for his role as Hiro Nakamura in Heroes, is in it too and as usual, he was so funny and cute haha. I love him…

TC-My Rating:




For tickling a lot of my funny bones...


Next up “Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging”. The title of this movie itself is funny and it also somehow is very creative that it manages to lure me into watching it.

Well this is a British movie so expect some really cool British accent in it. I love the accent so it is no problem for me at all. Well, let me be honest. It isn’t my choice of a good movie though.

It wasn’t brilliant, wasn’t bad. It was directed by Gurinder Chanda (I think, I’m not sure) who directed Bend It Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice. It’s like a normal teenage flick, about how this young teenage girl faces her everyday life – with parents whom she feels doesn’t get her, with the need to compete with blondes with pretty faces and big boobs, and with the need to get a hot boyfriend.

So, the whole movie is about how she and her friends try to score boys and oh yeah, how to kiss perfectly or the term used most frequent in the movie, how to snog.

The only thing great about this movie is the HOT GUY in it. My new found love – Aaron Johnson who plays Robbie “the Sex God” in the movie is superfine! Plus, his band in the movie, The Stiff Dylans plays really good music. My favourite by the band is “Ever Fallen In Love”. Check it out. The ending of the movie is good though, very happy.

But only watch it if you can stand a lame storyline...Seriously....besides Aaron Johnson, there is nothing much worth watching. Overall, I still find it a drag even though the accent were nice.

TC-My Rating:





With Lotsa Lurve,
TammyC

BECAUSE I SAID SO, YOU MIGHT NOT WANNA WATCH

I have nothing much to say about the movie “Because I Said So” except that, well, it was a complete waste of time.


I mean, it’s not even a nice family comedy to begin with. It is supposed to be about mother-daughter love but I just don’t feel it at all. It’s about a over-controlling mother who wants to find her youngest daughter a husband because she doesn’t want her daughter to end up alone, like her.

So, her mum enrolled in a match-making service, on her daughter’s behalf and set up her daughter with the guy she feels is right for her daughter. Of course the daughter then find someone else whom she felt that was more suitable but then had to in some ways please her mum. The dilemma…on and on…overall, it wasn’t nice at all.

It stars my favourite Lauren Graham and Piper Perabo but other than that, nothing. I am not a fan of Mandy Moore and this movie doesn’t help me like her at all. So if you really really have nothing to do and you want to watch a love story, you can opt for this one.

But don’t say I didn’t warn you guys. “Music and Lyrics” would be a better choice. ;P
My sis enjoyed it though...

p/s: All this hype about the movie & in the end, I was again let down. The poster itself isn't attractive. Sad...


TC-My Rating:







With LotSa Lurve,
TammyC

WRITING FOR FREEDOM

Time for movie talks. It's been so long since I blog about movies because for your information, I've been busy with my FINAL FINAL exams.

Now that the paper is finally over, I can continue with my movie-quests.

I highly highly recommend "The Freedom Writers". This is a very very very very inspiring movie, with a beautiful storyline. It's about how great this teacher is in integrating her students of different races in Wilson Highschool, in Long Beach California.



In that school, students were divided according to the colour of their skin. They are divided not by others, but themselves. They chose to stick to people with the same colour skin.

Gangsterism dominated the streets of Long Beach, California. Students in the school were exposed to violence everyday. They can just go out and if they trespass the racial borders, they might just get shot in the head. They risk death practically everyday just by venturing out on the streets.

Erin Gruwell, a new teacher and the heroine in the movie was only 24 years old when she was given a class full of students deemed ‘unteachable’. At first, she was the optimistic young teacher, ready to educate her students. Of course, the students at first gave her the usual wouldn’t-be-bothered attitude and showed absolutely no respect to her what-so-ever.

Erin Gruwell’s anger was ignited when she saw a piece of caricature of an African-American student being passed around the class. It reminded her of the depiction of the Jews during the Nazi German era. Propagandas using caricatures of Jews with big noses were transmitted around, propaganding the world against the Jews. She then touched on the Holocaust and found out that these students know nothing about it. But when she asked how many students have been pointed at the head with a gun before, all of them raised their hands.

“You think this is funny? Would this be funny if it were a picture of you?... I saw pictures just like this once, in a museum, only it wasn’t a black man. It was a Jewish man. And instead of the big lips, he had a really big nose – like a rat nose. But he wasn’t one particular Jewish man, this was a drawing of all Jews. And these pictures were put in the newspapers…by the biggest gang in history. You think you know all about gangs. You’re amateurs. This gang will put you all to shame…Take over neighbourhoods? That is nothing compared to them. They took over countries. You know want to know how? They just wipe out everybody they didn’t like and everybody they blame for their life being hard. And one of the ways they did it was by doing this. They print pictures like this in newspapers – Jews with big long noses and blacks with big fat lips. They also published scientific evidence that Jews and blacks were the lowest form of human species. Jews and Blacks were just like animals.So it doesn’t matter if they lived or died. In fact life would be a whole lot better…so what you’re saying is if the Latinos weren’t here, the Cambodians, the Whites or the Blacks, your life would be better?” - Erin Gruwell

I think what she means here is that racism happens because we just needed someone to blame for the injustice and hardshipes in our lives. I do believe that is true. For example in Malaysia, rich people do not ‘know’ racism. I think it's because they don’t feel the pressure or the injustice of the New Economic Policy. They don’t need to fight for their rights in education because they can afford education anywhere. The poors are the ones who feel the pinch. Therefore they are the ones who would complain about how the government gives the benefit to the Bumiputeras. I’m not trying to touch on sensitive issues here. But that is in some ways the truth. In America, people hate the Whites. Why? Because the Whites were the ones in power. They can create their own rules, do what they want because they have the authority to.

This theory actually applies to other stuff in life. For example in the movie, there’s this ridiculous male teacher (who I would really fire if I were the head of the school) who simply blame his students for the school’s plummeting reputation and results. You see, Wilson Highschool was a reputable school with great students until the government made it an integrated school. What made the teacher angry is he feels that students who want to be there couldn’t because they have to make way for stupid, useless kids who doesn’t want to or are forced to be in the school. You see, he’s again blaming others for his lack of responsibility as a good teacher. I don’t see Erin complaining.

I think that part of our lives and how it is depends on us. Like my dad always said, “You ride on what you have and for what you don’t have; you double your effort to keep up.” I really really treasure this advice because I find these words of wisdom. We don’t need to feel sorry for what we don’t have. We don’t blame others but rather work hard to compensate it. I guess in some ways, that is also what Erin is preaching.

Back to the movie, Erin then rode on this discovery (her students not knowing about the Holocaust) to teach her student by introducing to her students books like “The Diary of Anne Frank”. She feels that the character in the book has a lot in common with her students.

She introduces her students to diary writing, whereby she asked her students to keep an account of their lives and their stories, just like Anne Frank. They can even write poems, songs, whatever, the only condition is that they have to write everyday. She told them she is not going to read the diary/journal, unless they wanted her to. And she wouldn’t grade them, because how can she said, “How can I grade an A or a B for one writing the truth, right?”

Indirectly, she got her students to start reading and writing.

We also see how Erin in some ways challenged the school’s system. The school wouldn’t give new books to the students in her class because they feel that these children are hopeless anyway. There’s Ms. Campbell, (I forgot her post in the school) a lady who wouldn’t let Erin use some of the new books in the library even though they are just sitting there because she said the kids wouldn’t know how to read them and will damage them anyway. Why waste time? It’s like she didn’t even give them a chance. She just wrote them off. She said the school will only give them old, torn books because these students don’t know how to take care of books. This scene in the movie, I find Erin’s words extremely meaningful.

Ms. Campbell: “No, not the books…this is what we give them. It’s Romeo and Juliet, but the condensed version. But even these, look how they treat them. You see how torn up they are? They draw on them…

Erin: “Ms. Campbell, they know they get these because no one thinks they are smart enough for real books.”

And in a later part of the movie, she said:

“Dr. Cohen, why should they waste their time showing up, when they know we’re wasting our time teaching them. We tell them, go to school, get an education and then we say, well, they can’t learn so let’s not waste resources. You don’t treat students with respect and trust…how are you supposed to teach them? Besides, the books are just SITTING THERE. At least try and let those kids, maybe somebody can benefit from them."

Later, Erin Gruwell worked 3 jobs in order to buy new books for her students since the school is not sponsoring even though they have the resources. Later she also managed to convince the School Board Chairman to let her take her kids out on a trip to the Holocaust Museum, again using her own resources. During the trip, the students also got to speak to some real Jewish victims who suffered during the Nazi German era. The students stayed in a beautiful hotel. See, Erin treated her students like they were gentlemen and ladies, she didn’t see them as worthless students who cannot be taught or guided. You earn respect by giving respect.

Erin has another point which I totally agree with. How can you expect them to study if they have so many other things in life to worry about? We only see on the surface that they are students that wouldn’t care about their studies, but we never get to the root of their problems. They all wanna be somebody too, but maybe they don’t know how or they don’t think they can without someone to guide them. That’s when Erin comes in.
The students, inspired by their teacher later changed and started believing that they can achieve almost anything. For example they did fundraising in order to get enough money to invite Miep Gies, a kind-hearted soul who helped hid Anne Frank to their school.

What I really liked about this movie is that it is actually based on a true story. I didn’t know that racial discrimination was such a huge and disturbing issue in the US until I watch this movie. All the stories of the characters are real, based on the real-life students. And there is really this honourable teacher, Erin Gruwell.

The real Erin Gruwell, the heroine

Some of the freedom writers

So why “Freedom Writers”? Towards the end of the movie, Erin wanted her students to compile all their stories into one. And they named themselves “Freedom Writers” after the Freedom Fighters/Riders. The book was later published, so yes, we can actually read that book if we want to, if we buy it. In 2007, a movie was made based on the story. And guys, go check out the Freedom Writers Foundation website – www.freedomwriters.com

The book: The Freedom Writers' Diary

Overall, I think this is by far one of the best inspirational movies I’ve watched this year. Well but then it’s only the 20th of January haha. Hopefully more good movies await me.



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With LotSa Lurve,
TammyC

BACK 3 BACK MOVIES

Recently, to reward myself for the endless hours of burying my face in laptop in order to complete my assignments, I watched 3 movies: - “The Midnight Meat Train”, “Wild Child” and few hours ago, “The Number 23”.

My favourite among the three? - “Wild Child”.

Okay I’ll admit that “Wild Child” is another teen flick, with the same standard storyline that you’d basically predict in most teen flick.

THEMES: - Love, School, Hot boys, Friends, Rebels…Beyotch, Beyotch and yeah, more Beyotch… that’s about it. But if you don’t like teen flicks, well, just watch to check out how hot Emma Roberts is.

I don’t think that I need to tell you in detail the storyline. Basically, it’s about a rebellious American girl who was sent to boarding school in England by her dad. As usual, she hated the school at first…bla bla…then met some friends and then…impressed the hottest guy in school…and finally realized how much she actually liked the school. Needless to say, it’s very predictable. But then again, who says PREDICTABLE cannot be equivalent to NICE right?

OH MY GOD! Another teen flick? Whatever~

So overall, I like that it’s simple and in some ways very inspirational, especially the last part, when you see how proud her father was with her. I personally was holding back tears when watching that part. Overall, I’d definitely recommend this movie to you, especially when you’ve had a rough day and you just want to watch something not too heavy. Plus, the lead guy, Freddie, is so sweet. He's not like the super handsome kinda guy, but he certainly has a certain charm that makes girls adore him.

Fun, entertaining, and decently hilarious...

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My next pick would be “The Number 23”. Yes, I am aware that many reviews have only bad things to say about this Jim Carrey thriller/mystery movie. I mean, Jim Carrey in a non-comedy? To me, it’s definitely gonna be weird.

Well, I love movies with twist, and this one has got one. It is somewhat similar to “Secret Window” actually. It’s just that it sort of links everything with the number 23. In the movie, the number 23 is like a curse. So if your life is in any way connected to this number, you’re cursed.

Actually, I think it’s all in your mind. In the movie, Jim Carrey is too obsessed with the number and therefore, he just keeps linking stuff to number 23. But if there is a number that is linked/related to my life, it has to be number 11. I was born on the 11th, and my house number is 272 = 2+7+2=11, and in every way, I just love the number eleven. But 11 to me is more a lucky number than a curse.

The problem with "The Number 23", for me, is that it’s too draggy. There were a lot of elongated sex scenes in the movie that are unimportant. I mean, I understand that in some ways, sex (or violence) sell and usually both comes together. However, when you inject too many of these elements into the movie that doesn’t contribute to the storyline, the movie automatically become seen as trash.

Where is your Number 23 jersey? Used to be Beckham's right?

One thing effective about this movie is definitely, I think, the sound effects. Many times I was shocked by the sudden thuds and crashes. Either it’s because I have a weak heart, or because the effects were really good.

The good thing about this movie is that it has a good ending. At least, to me, it is good. But, overall watch it when you really have extra time to waste.

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Lastly, “Midnight Meat Train”. For me, I would advice you to watch this movie only when you are DESPERATELY BORED and THERE IS REALLY NOTHING LEFT IN THIS WHOLE WIDE WORLD THAT YOU CAN INVEST YOUR TIME ON.


Is it that bad? Well…sadly, in my point of view, yes!

It is a psychoanalytic film that fails in terms of a worthwhile storyline. Psychoanalytic movies are all about extreme violence and sex. I could be immune, but I think that the violence in the movie just doesn’t work for me. I mean, yeah, some parts are definitely gory and blood and not to mention, revolting. But for me, I don’t really get satisfaction watching scenes like these. They say psychoanalytic movies fulfill your pleasures because when you watch those actions, it somehow releases your inner desires to commit such acts in this world but can’t due to the moral institutions set by a realistically driven world.

I have no date and so I kill for fun

I would say I’m biased because this is not exactly the kinda movie genre I like, but, I’ve watched psychoanalytic movies that at least have better meaning than this one. I mean, the ending of “Midnight Meat Train” seems so… forced. It’s like, something that is suddenly created just so the movie has an explanation for the ending. Nothing at the beginning of the movie provides indications that lead to the ending. It’s like, anything can be the ending. I don’t know but I just don’t enjoy that the mystery behind the killings is such a lame and uncreative.

But then again, I guess psychoanalytic movies all have simple storyline and meaning because the main point is to excite viewers, not inspire or awe. But truth be told, if you just want to watch this movie based on how exciting and brutal this movie is, I can tell you that you can find many more violent and insane movies out there – eg: The Dentist, Silence of the Lambs. You won’t need this one to excite you at all.

I don't like this movie, no! But you might have a different opinion.




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With LotSa Lurve,
TammyC