Cry Freedom

I'm officially on study leave, woohoo!

After 2 weeks of crazy shifts interspersed with revision tutorials and attempts at reading my textbooks while half-asleep, I now have 14 days of complete rest before the MRCS (A&E) Part 2 commences.

And come to think of it, I might have unwittingly sabotaged myself at work recently: bringing either my study texts or even the occasional jazz CD for some easy listening during shifts automatically casts some Blasted Curse. Today, for example, in an effort to convince myself otherwise, I got through 3 Michael Buble songs before all hell broke loose, and I ended up with a tally of 40 cases in 8 hours. Glad that's over...

I'm currently reuperating from Potent Kid Virus Part Trois ( did I spell that correctly? re-minisce? ): a rather mild flu virus that gives me nocturnal nasal congestion and an early-morning sore throat. What's more, when I thought I couldn't possibly wash my hands any more frequently for fear of tearing my skin off, a toddler decided to cough in my RIGHT EYE today while I was trying to see her throat. She was spiking a 39.7 degree Celsius fever. *gulp*

Anyhow, I haven't posted in more than a week, so this is gonna be long. Sorry.


Review of The Village

*spoilers spoilers spoilers*


Verdict: I really enjoyed it.

I know, lots of people have become either disillusioned with or even more enamoured of M. Night Shyamalan's offerings over the past few years. Obviously, I belong to the latter camp. :)

After his major whammy of a thriller-with-a-twist, The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan has become one of the few Hollywood directors who has the honour of being able to carry a movie on his own, regardless of who he casts or what the film is about. Top stars fight to work with him, and if the opening weekend gross of The Village isn't proof enough ( more than US$50 million big ones ), this guy is a force to be reckoned with.

So does his latest effort warrant such box office success? In my humble opinion, I'll just say: It's definitely an excellent movie, and the theatre receipts are merely proof that audiences know how to appreciate a good thing when they see it.

But what exactly makes The Village the exquisite piece that it is? Shyamalan is the maestro of intimate scenes. Of tweaking an innocuous sequence and making it come alive with layers of emotion. Of helping us relive the rare Scary Movie Moment time and time again without having to resort to special effects or cheap tricks. And most importantly, of imaginative plotlines and that all-important ingredient that draws us all into the cinema: The Big Twist At The End.

This film has all of the above. I don't think it surpasses The Sixth Sense, but it certainly comes a close second. Elegantly sketched characters, beautifully nuanced performances from some of the greatest actors around, tender moments weaving seamlessly with terrifying events, the unexpected yet ultimately satisfying finale. A veritable tour de force.

I especially admire Shyamalan's skill at building up momentum. The mystery unfolds slowly but surely. Two young women playfully spinning on a front porch as they sweep it clean, then practically freaking out when they spot red berries growing nearby, almost falling in their haste to bury it in the garden. As you will discover later, the colour red holds a dreadful significance.

Similarly, whisperings of Those We Do Not Speak Of permeate throughout ( kinda like the repetitive "Tea? More tea?" lines in The Avengers, or You-Know-Who mutterings about Voldemort in Harry Potter ), adding that little chill that creeps up your arm or down your spine. Nocturnal dares among teenage boys, the ring of fire bordering the enclave (complete with nightwatchmen) and a nail-biting foray into the woods round up the eerie mood.

In the midst of this, however, lies a love story between a quiet boy ( Joaquim Phoenix in yet another chameleon turn that will hopefully earn him a second Oscar nomination ) and a blind yet headstrong girl ( Bryce Dallas Howard -- a lovely debut performance emanating class and natural likeability ). Their scenes together are breath-taking to watch, the subsequent heartbreak almost unbearable. A movie like this is so hard to come by.

The Twist came from out of nowhere, and despite my valiant efforts to think up every single permutation I could possibly fathom, I failed miserably at even coming close to the eventual conclusion. Same thing happened when I read Jeffrey Deaver's Twisted. How do they do it?!

Shyamalan's got 2 projects in the pipeline: another original writing-directing effort, and the movie adaptation of The Life Of Pi. Think I'd better read the novel after my exams! :)


CD Reviews Of...

Renee Olstead's self-titled debut album:

Got this after hearing her on Class 95's Dinner Jazz segment, and it's absolutely gorgeous. No wait, SHE'S absolutely gorgeous. :) Red hair, green eyes, beautiful smile. And only 15 years old, wow.

But don't be deceived by her cherubic features, or those typically teenage-y liner notes. This gal has a voice that is reminiscent of the great, late Ella Fitzgerald, sprinkled with some Norah Jones smokiness and Natalie Cole sass.

Choice tracks:

Summertime -- Fantasia Barrino's cover on American Idol 3 doesn't even come close.

Taking A Chance On Love -- sweet and utterly perfect.

A Love That Will Last -- David Foster's haunting composition tailor-made for her flawless vocals.

Midnight At The Oasis -- a mature, sexy rendition.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do -- a duet with Peter Cincotti that almost sent me through the roof. I kid you not. IT'S THAT GOOD. :D

Anyhow, visit her official website for more info. And pictures for the guys, ahem. :P

Keane's Hope And Fears

This might strike some of you as rather odd, since I usually go for jazz or pop, and this UK band doesn't really fall into either category.

I credit their Everybody's Changing music video with the conversion. The song's been growing on me for a while now, thanks to repeated airplay on MTVAsia. Sampling the CD sealed the deal.

Theirs is a nice blend of piano, infectious tempos, and catchy melodies which sound almost anthemic. I don't understand the lyrics at all, but the overall tone reeled me in immediately. A little like Abba and U2 on the faster tracks. Some Beatles on a slow one.

Choice tunes:

Everybody's Changing -- naturally :)

Somewhere Only We Know -- pounding intro. Great for waking up in the morning.

Bend And Break -- very enjoyable rock piece.

Sunshine -- the one that reminds me of The Beatles. Beautifully done.

I love to blast this in my car, though my parents make me switch to Renee Olstead when they're sitting next to me. :P

TV Updates

Strong Medicine

I tuned in because I was interested in the female perspective of the medical drama genre, but ended up totally disappointed. The main reason: Whoopi Goldberg playing Dr. Lydia Emerson, who's supposedly some world-famous expert in women's health and has people hyperventilating wherever she goes. This is obviously an ego trip, 'cos Goldberg is executive producer. But c'mon, she's about as convincing as Mariah Carey in Glitter. Completely unbelievable.

The other characters also suffer from inadequate charisma. Janine Turner from Northern Exposure is very pretty, but that blood-red lipstick gets on my nerves.

Gilmore Girls

My favourite chick drama is back! This year, Rory starts at Yale and meets a potential beau, while her mother Lorelai sets up a new inn and finds new love. I never tire of this show. :)

And guess what? The other day, my mom said my conversations with her strongly resemble the machine-gun rattlings of Rory and Lorelai. Hmm, I'm inclined to agree. :D

Singapore Idol

Be prepared for analyses from yours truly starting tomorrow when the first episode airs. Trailers have been hilarious, especially the one where Dick Lee tells one tone-deaf hopeful "That rose in your pocket must be artificial, because you would've killed it." Har har har!

But there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Some contestants are actually quite impressive, and if this turns out NOT to be a big joke, I may try to wrangle tickets for the finals come November. Watch this space!

Nip/Tuck

How can I possibly forget this gem? The plot may border on the implausible at times, but there's no denying that the characters are lovable mainly because they are so severely flawed. Unlike Strong Medicine's perfect, saintly docs, Sean McNamara survived an extra-marital affair, Christian Troy a dark childhood and multiple one-night stands, and both share the secret of a body-dumping incident, not to mention removing breast implants containing cocaine as a "personal favour" for a psychotic drug dealer.

If this isn't compelling television, I don't know what is. :P

It's getting late. Time to chill out by watching Primal Fear, aka the film that launched Edward Norton's stellar career.

And before I sign off ( with a promise to post more regularly now that I'm on leave ), Ralph Fiennes has just been named as the actor who will play Voldemort in the upcoming Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire. An inspired choice indeed!

Goodnight, and have a great week ahead.