Movie Blog: Rurouni Kenshin [Samurai X] Live-action

I feel like my posts are all becoming movie reviews, and I am sorry for that but I’m excited at the same time. Haha :))

When I was a kid, I used to watch this anime called Rurouni Kenshin aka Samurai X every afternoon weekdays after school on this one local station where I spent in front of the television, watching a red-haired samurai expertly wield his “sakabato” (reverse-blade sword) to protect lives. Rurouni Kenshin played a big part in my childhood. This anime holds a special place in my heart because it made me embrace my inner “anime-nerd.” Now, number of years later, Warner Bros decided that anime was cool and decided to turn to Rurouni Kenshin into a live action film.

Samurai X is one of my favorite anime and at first I scoffed at the notion of adapting it into a live action movie. I was keeping my expectations as low as possible as no thanks to the disaster anime-turned-movie Dragonball Z and Street fighter. Because usually most attempts to turn anime or games to live action movies often goes down so you can understand my skepticism. But as the reviews began pouring in, this doesn't seem to be the case. Actually, it's quite the opposite and I haven’t read a poor review of the movie since its release in Asia on August 25th. The reviews hail it as a "near perfect adaptation".

The movie was a swell two hour treat and for all the Kenshin fans out there, it’s no disappointment…I was literally blown over by the execution of it. Even the trailer had given solid proof that both direction and fight scenes were going to be a rocker and it pulled an awesome easily over all. The movie was awesome!

Warning! Some minor spoilers of the movie are in this review.

The film began during the war between the eras of violent and peaceful Japan. Kenshin Himura (Takeru Satoh) is a wanderer swordsman who carries a dark secret from his past. He was formerly known as the assassin Hitokiri Battosai, a deadly samurai who fought in the war and contributed to its victory through the trail of dead people he left behind. But now Himura wanders the countryside of Japan offering protection and aid to those in need as a way to redeem himself of the murders he committed, carrying a reverse-bladed sword unable to kill. But old enemies and ghosts of the past kept haunting him. Ten years after, he ended up being in Tokyo, where Takeda Kanryuu (Teryuki Kagawa) was running a lucrative underground opium business. Kanryuu hired famed doctor Takani Megumi (Yu Aoi) to create a potent variant of opium and had been making a cash cow out of her ever since - until she escaped from his lair. So Kenshin decides to join forces with Sanosuke Sagara (Munetaka Aoki), to bring down Kanryu's gang and their drug empire. Kanryuu's gang had been responsible for civilian and police killings in the city, and they identified themselves as the "Battousai" to cover their tracks. Kaoru Kamiya (Emi Takei) and Kenshin had a chance encounter when she "mistook" him as the Battousai, and later in the day when he saved her from Kanryuu's gang member Jin'e.

The film takes merges together with some changes, throwing some of Kenshin's back story in the mix. Considering the length of the original story it's certainly a wise decision to not try to fit in too much in one single film, so the result is a film that works both as a standalone but also one that could perfectly serve as the first chapter of a saga.

Since, I wasn't able to watch the movie in the big screen and just downloaded it from torrent; I had a few problems with the subtitles though. Of course, there’s the fact that it’s hard to focus on the awesome fight scenes when you have to read subtitles. Aside from that, it seems apparent that whoever wrote the subtitles didn't watch the original anime with the original subs. Kenshin’s “reverse-blade” or “reverse-edged” sword was referred to as a “back-blade”, which was infuriating. In the movie though, everything was translated to English, so Kaoru kept talking about ‘fencing’ and not kendo, which kind of made it sound lame. Aside from that though, everything else is authentic.

What made the RK movie so epic was the right choice of almost everything - from casting, to soundtrack, to the careful selection of plot. One thing that surprised me about Kenshin in this movie is that they were able to insert a flashback scene, on the origins of one of his scars. The execution of that scene is fantastic it is the only straight adaptation coming from the manga and anime that they retain for the movie. Though they added some minor elements in that scene to add up the drama and it worked as it gave Kenshin the feeling of guilt after he killed someone.

The casting was also done relatively well, although not perfect. And those go you familiar with the manga will have no problems identifying your favorite character. Takeru Satoh does an excellent job as Kenshin, portraying the two sides of the so-called swordsman both as the gentle wanderer and the cold blooded killer, and he's surprisingly strong in the fight scenes. After all, Kenshin is not Kenshin without his nonsensical "oro". I even had the urge to hug him, while watching the movie, because he was able to show the character’s tenderness and airhead-like facade that adds to Kenshin’s charm.

Unfortunately the casting for the leading lady, Kaoru Kamiya, was rather disappointing. Takei Emi tries really hard, I will give her that, but her interpretation of Kaoru falls flat. Granted, my memory is still really fuzzy, but I remember Kaoru as a much tougher and livelier character. She was definitely way more spunky! But this Kaoru is just sorta……there. Takei Emi does alright in the first half of the movie acting-wise, but she does not leave her mark as the leading lady. I didn’t like, though, that she wasn’t given space to shine in the movie. That was unfortunate. The Kaoru of the anime was feisty as hell and wouldn’t back out of a fight, no matter what Kenshin said. It was different in the movie, but it did help the plot along in a way.

On the other hand, I felt like Megumi Takani, the doctor-extraordinaire and former opium maker played by Yu Aoi, really steals the limelight from Kaoru…probably because Yu Aoi has such a stronger stage presence than Takei Emi does. Honestly I didn’t even remember Megumi’s character (that’s how bad my memory is……) so I went back to the anime for a quick reference. I think this Megumi is too young in comparison to the original Megumi, who looks older & more mature.

If you have watched the anime series, Sanosuke Sagara (Munetaka Aoki) was a fair, tall and handsome but troublesome guy, who became Kenshin’s best friend. He was boisterous and brawny like the one I expected the character to be. Moreover, he was so damn funny that entertained the audience well. Also, I think the fault in his appearance lies with his movie hair. Not only did he have the iconic costume down pat, he also has that brazen cockiness that we have come to love regarding Sanosuke. Also, he has his Zanbato.

On Yahiko Myoujin’s counterpart, it was also the appearance that got me. Yahiko’s character was a brave but naughty brat, who Kaoru takes into her wing. Tanaka Taketo looked like a well-behaved kid, until he opens his mouth and bickers with Kaoru. His ability to show sibling-like squabbles was of course the ultimate redeeming factor.

Here's one observation though - Hajime Saito played by Eguchi Yosuke was remarkably good-looking. Too handsome. I am used to the Saito who was often described as insect-like, and that's what made his character as appealing as a villain and a good guy at the same time. But hey - no big deal! Good-looking Saito was still convincing and crusty, and that's what mattered. Saito doesn’t get much airtime in the movie except for three scenes, but he did make himself very memorable.

Moving past the main cast were the villains, who were Udo Jin-e (Kikkawa Kouji) and Takeda Kanryu (Kagawa Teruyuki) for the movie. Jin-e Udo is this psychotic former hitokiri who’s become a cold-blooded killer in the more peaceful era. In the movie, he takes on several roles, just to make him the main antagonist. I really love the man who played Jin-e. He plays the role so well. When he’s in the limelight, you can just see the psychopathic killing machine in his eyes, the lust for blood. It was awesome–his performance really made my skin crawl. And oh my gawd that fight scene between him and Kenshin–wow….just, wow. But while Jin-e was an exciting villain, Kanryuu Takeda totally took my attention. We can saw how he really obsessed with power and money. His face really annoying and make people want to hate him and kill him so much.

The fighting scenes are downright exciting to watch without being too unrealistic. The director has really done a good job here as he has given fans of the anime something similar to the action they are used to while keeping in mind that this is a real life action film and therefore there are certain things that just can't be done in real life. Takeru Satoh plays Himura Kenshin right down from his physical appearances and sword play abilities to his mannerism that can switch from downright, clueless and sweet to just cold and emotionless. I am impressed by whatever training Satoh endured just so he could move and fight like how I imagine a samurai would move.

Technical wise, the music scoring of the movie is really great that added depth on a lot of scenes. The music varies from haunting violin pieces to orchestral pieces to hard rock, and each song perfectly captures the mood of the scene that it is set to. There were a couple of moments where I was watching and thinking “Wow. This soundtrack is fantastic!” The music is so good in places that you end up focusing on the sound and not what’s going on screen. Hihi But most of all I love the main OST of this Movie "Beginning" by One Ok Rock. Even though, those English lyrics are the ones I understand. Omooo, can someone translate the Japanese lyrics for me. Hehe :)) Anyway, I just like the beat and rhythm of the song. :)

All in all, I really enjoyed this film. I'm always a little wary of this kind of adaptations, because more often than not they can go wrong. I'm really looking forward to the future of this live-action adaptation, which certainly proves that translating from paper to screen can result in a wonderful experience.

If you're a Rurouni Kenshin fan, then I recommend watching this movie because it is exciting to see one of your childhood anime brought to life and have justice done to it. Hunting down the subtitled movie online will be a challenge but it will be worth it! Having said all of these, I just have to declare that Rurouni Kenshin would have the Fans of the anime will not be disappointed. It was well worth all the hype, and it definitely exceeded my expectations.

Here I give you some sneak peek inside the movie:

Catch the official Rurouni Kenshin movie TRAILER here with English subtitle. Enjoy!

*DISCLAIMER: All images used in this post are not mine. Credits go to their respective owners.

Confused…YES! Assuming…NO!

It’s 1:03 am and I’m still up. I’m wide awake like an owl. Can’t sleep! Insomnia kicks in. There's something unnatural about this habit, yet I seem to always result to this. No plans for tomorrow. Rest is on its way. Couch potato time again.

So much for waiting for time to cease all foggy madness, I am now facing hard-core facts. I am just a puzzle of irregular sorts right now. So for now, just come up to write this one, sharing my thoughts. I just had a girl-ish mature conversation with ‘atey’ one of my close friends. To have this kind of discussion sometimes make us say that we’re growing up to the age that make us adults to understand this kind of things way much better. It takes a lot to know what life is. Sometimes we think of things the other way around. Simple actions that we may likely see something special on them yet it is just nothing. We can really assume on things that aren't real...we took it in a special way yet for others it's just quite as simple and ordinary. Warning...warning...warn…oh...warn yourself about those things that makes you assume on something...that in reality it was just NOTHING. Girls...do assume. I believe that! We are very assuming and most of the time fooled. We thought this and that, but actually there's nothing to think about because it's unreal. That’s why it’s connected into this word: CONFUSION. You face a bit of confusion on things. Some people saw it, and think about it, which made you THINK about it, too. With regard to impressing ladies, THE BEST WAY TO IMPRESS HER IS NOT TRYING TO IMPRESS. Remember, doing too much and going too far is not necessarily a good thing. Let time do its thing. Being sweeet is good, but being too sweet might not be a great idea. Therefore, small simple gestures can be much more effective than something big. I know there is a temptation to show and reward the lady that you like for who she is, but try to resist it - it will only do good to you.

I believe that everyone has expectations. Women expect too much of men, just as men expect too much of women. Unfortunately some come at a higher price than others. I'm a female and I know my worth but I don't let looks and stupid things define what I want in a man. ATTITUDE, CONSISTENCY, EFFORT, PERSISTENCE and PERSONALITY are important too! You have to step up your game and have conversation. You have to be able to interact. Communication is the key to everything and even the outside the world it still plays a major role. My conclusion: we can really assume or not?? I don't know yet if it's real or not but it’s a way wiser to think that it's not. It's wiser to guard our heart. To choose not to think about it anymore and realize that yes, there are other things to think other than that. Though I'm still confused and bothered about the truth...yet it's safe to say that: ASSUME NOT! ;)

Luxurious sleep should be attained as well, to promote a healthier lifestyle and a paced heart. So, I shall retire. :) Off to the mattresses I go! ;p Good mornight everyone! **Sorry for this post kinda like “sabog” and for some grammatical errors…too sleepy to recheck it. Hehe

Thoughts & Reminders For Everyday Life

I LOVE THIS!!! Too good not to share to everyone. MUST READ EVERYDAY, AGAIN and AGAIN!!! :)

IMPORTANT: The thing about positive reinforcement and motivation is that often times it wears off. We’re all prone to rejection, setbacks, negative funks, heartbreak and misfortune beyond our control. Those things can seem like (or actually be) sicknesses, and sometimes the right combination of words serves as medicine. Hopefully this isn’t an excruciatingly painful tablespoon of “fruit” flavored cough syrup, and more like not-so-bad instant relief and a cure for the common rut — but make it last. I hope this lands on your bulletin board, in your bookmarks, or somewhere for you to refer to on dull days and difficult times.

1. You woke up this morning! A lot of people didn’t. And a lot of people who did, won’t survive the day. This isn’t to depress you or make you think about death and get sad and stuff, it’s just a reminder that we’ve hit the jackpot having the opportunity of life. There’s always something or someone to be grateful for right this second, we just have to stop letting monotony diminish the value of and our appreciation for friends, family, good health, food, water, technology, and all that other amazing stuff. Gratitude y’all.

2. There are some flat out mean-spirited individuals who have made spewing hate and negativity their sole purpose. When you identify one of these discouraging people trying to drag you down, slow your drive, crush your confidence or compact your dreams, don’t engage. Don’t react as if their words hold any merit, and don’t seek revenge. That will only veer you off track and turn you into a pessimist yourself.Do what you do and slap a hater in the face with success.

3. Don’t compare or concern yourself with everybody else. We all know that person who is so successful, every time you speak to them it makes you want to go home and work on your résumé, but any time spent envying others or wondering why you can’t be in their position should be used productively, pursuing whatever makes you happy. There’s always someone doing a lot better than you and there’s always someone doing much worse.

4. If there’s something you want, but it’s high risk, high reward — take that chance before you’re no longer able to. Rejection feels bad, failure feels awful, but regret feels the worst. Disappointment that we passed on something and the train left the station without us. A dream, a girl, a guy, words left unspoken – you can erase the possibility of having these regrets down the road, by taking a chance and at least knowing if it was or wasn’t meant to be.

5. All of the best things will eventually end. I personally hate endings, I won’t even listen to the last track on albums all the way through, skipping back to the beginning before it can finish playing all the way through. The thing is, your current group of friends, the weekend routines you’ve adopted in recent months, the group of co-workers you adore – eventually people move, you leave, casts and locations change, and suddenly it’s a whole new show. Thoroughly enjoy whatever it is you’re enjoying until you right now becomes, “Remember back when…”

6. Don’t judge. You ain’t Judy, you ain’t Joe Brown, and you definitely aren’t God, so refrain from condemning and labeling others. I know, it’s easy to make assumptions and have preconceived notions, but that’s why prejudice, narrow-minded folks, who confuse their opinions with facts and know exactly how everyone else should be living life are so common. We live in a world where passing judgment is commonplace and tolerant, accepting people are an endangered species. Remember, you simply don’t know a person’s background based on past experiences with individuals of the same gender, race, sexual orientation, belief system, etc.

7. If you there’s anything you’re doing that makes you unhappy, and it’s being done for the satisfaction of somebody else, stop it immediately.No ifs, ands or buts — your time and happiness should never be sacrificed to fulfill the standards or satisfaction of others.

8. You can’t remain at a job or in a career field that you despise. When your days off are spent dreading having to return to work or class, you’ve got to get out. It’s easy to think, I have bills to pay and this or that reason to stay miserable, and if that’s entirely true then you have to do what you can to live, but there are still ways of forming a hasty exit plan. Save up the funds to take an extended leave, apply at the place you actually want to work, take some type of progressive step toward a means of living that you find happiness in. That first step is always the hardest to take.

9. Use your words! If you don’t know the answer, ask. Too often we try to read people’s minds instead of asking, and hoping for others to read our minds instead of us having to speaking about what’s on ‘em. Communication over psychic abilities all day, every day.

10. Live below your means and you’ll be a lot better off. Even if you’ve mastered the paycheck-to-paycheck life (which is actually like being really good at being really bad at something), budgeting and not buying what you really can’t afford will result in less stress and close calls.

11. Some problems you’ll have the power to change, other things will be beyond your control. Identify which type of issue you’re dealing with. If you’ve got some say in the matter, let your figurative voice be heard. When it’s literally out of your hands, have faith and believe it’ll improve. If a situation ever gets so bad that you feel as if you don’t have the energy or power to muster up wishing for a miracle anymore, just remember that there’s always a chance it’ll get better, no matter what it is. Keep fighting the good fight.

Source: Thought Catalog

Movie Blog: Life of Pi: Story of Faith and Hope

"I suppose in the end the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye."

“Even if God seemed to have abandoned me, He was watching. Even if He seemed indifferent to my suffering, He was watching. And when I was beyond all hope of saving, He gave me rest, and gave me a sign to continue my journey.”

When I saw the trailer for the movie, Life of Pi, I honestly didn’t know what to make of it. It had a very intriguing basis with an excellent director, namely Ang Lee. Obviously I haven’t read the book so I didn’t really know what to make of it. However, if trailers are any indication of a film’s brilliance, then Life of Pi promises to be a captivating film that’s visually breathtaking. Thankfully, the trailer got it right.

I hope everyone has had a chance to see Ang Lee’s adaptation of Yann Martel’s Life of Pi. If you haven’t seen the film I recommend you do. I read somewhere that this was described as the film that was unfilmable, because the main characters are a boy and a tiger trapped in a small boat. But the filmmakers have worked their magic and it comes to life on the big screen. Lee has created a visually magnificent fable that transfers the book’s imagination to the screen.

Life of Pi opens in Montreal where an older Pi Patel (Irrfan Khan) meets with a young writer (Rafe Spall) interested in hearing his life story. In flashbacks, we are taken back in time to young Pi's youth in India. Pi's insatiable desire for knowledge and understanding leads him to take a deep interest in Catholicism and Islam. When a teenage Pi (Suraj Sharma) is forced to leave India along with his family at his father's request, the youth struggles to come to terms with an event that he has no doubt will change his life forever. Financial pressures force them to move, and at the age of 16 he boards a freight ship to Canada, along with his father, mother and elder brother. During the night, a torrential storm upends the ship, leaving Pi stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a zebra, hyena, orangutan and a tiger named Richard Parker and drama ensues!

Yes, now you know why it is so intriguing. How a young man will survive on a small boat with a large tiger is a story that you don’t see every day. Taking the reins of this unique story is the talented Director, Ang Lee. Thanks to his steady hand, the film takes on a visually stunning perspective that’s truly a delight to experience. He is able to combine the calm beauty of nature with the vicious force of the elements. He is able to maintain the intensity of the story, but also mix some essential light-hearted moments.

Life of Pi is without a doubt a visual feast, a film that revels in the art of storytelling. The film is just outstanding especially with its technical accomplishments. The visual effects just take the scenes over the top and create a fanciful world for its audience. The combination of Ang Lee’s ability to create an enthralling story, an excellent narrative that keeps you on your toes, and special effects that weaves masterfully with reality makes the Life of Pi movie a tour de force, and definitely one of the best movies of the year. In most cases, movies that focus on being a spectacular visual feast usually lack in other aspects like acting and story. However, in Life of Pi, the plot and the acting are the real spectacles and it is amazing to see all these elements play out on the silver screen. The pacing of the film starts out a little slow. Nothing really happens in the first 15-30 minutes but things take a huge leap the moment Pi starts talking about his adventure with a Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker.

But of course, visuals aren’t everything about a movie or otherwise Avatar would have actually been a good movie instead of a derivative bore. What about the story? The story in terms of plot is as simple as it can get. Boy and tiger get stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean, boy tries to survive. A simple plot which is what it should have been. The thrust of the movie is the journey of self exploration that the boy goes through as he reflects on the meaning of truth and the existence of God. The journey with him as we try to unravel the answer to the deepest questions about life. These questions about the role of religion in our lives are the main draw of the movie. And personally speaking, being someone less religiously inclined, I was very impressed with the answer the movie came to.

Life of Pi is full of questions that the movie does not seek to answer. Pi gave two stories about what happened to him after the ship sank. One was fantastical and practically unbelievable with tigers and flying fish and floating islands that devour animals (carnivorous island). The other is more sensible and reasonable. The question is which story is TRUE? I honestly was quite taken aback by some of the late-game twists in the story, and I was left with a nagging, persistent feeling of "wait, what?" after seeing the film. What did it all mean? However, the answer is it doesn’t matter. Regardless of which is true, the ship still sank and Pi still lost everything especially his family. Some claim that the movie tries to convert people into believing in God or to turn people away from God. I believe the story is about it’s up to you to choose what you want to believe. Faith cannot by definition be proved or disproved as neither of Pi’s stories could be proved or disproved. But regardless of which is true, they’re all in effect telling the same story, they’re all sides of the same coin, and they’re all different paths that are diverged yet eventually intertwine into the ultimate conclusion. What you choose to believe is up to you, there’s nothing wrong with picking the story you’re most happy with and we should all respect each other’s decision on which story to believe in. If more people acted like this, the world would be a much happier place.

For me, the most powerful moment of the Life of Pi is when Pi finally make landfall and the tiger disappears into the forest without so much as a backwards glance. It’s such a simple, graceful expression of man’s desire to project humanity onto an indifferent universe. Moments like that only serve to make the clumsy, forced ambiguity of the ending all the more frustrating. Richard Parker…..Oh! Is a beautiful, magnificent, magestic tiger and is the most fierce and beautiful creature you’ve ever laid your eyes on. He’ll make you love him and hate him at the same time. But, still you’ll find yourself defending him when he’s in need. You will feel the urge to hold him in your arms and love your pet even more. I’ll ruin the spoiler for you; he does not die in this movie. So be happy!

Another of its strong points, the story delves into areas of faith, hope, belief, determination, courage and struggle. The strong script and pacing keeps the film together, doing away with the possibility of boredom especially since we see no one else than Pi, the tiger and the sea for most parts of the movie.

There are a lot of breathtaking moments with wide shots you've never seen before in cinema. The water reflecting the sky, the absolutely beautiful lighting, the lush and rich islands and the very well made animals. I swear at some points I didn't know if Richard Parker (the tiger) was real or not and I didn't have to know because it didn't matter. It all looked so great on screen.

In Life of Pi, you are given the opportunity to "Believe the Unbelievable". The story teaches us how to survive even at the worst situation. God's will is always unpredictable. Just when we lose hope, He makes us assured He is watching and is there to help us, thru human or animal or something else. God never gives us challenges which we cannot face. And in this story, God never left Pi alone even when he thought he was abandoned. God gave him all the strength and courage to move on and survive the trial, in the form of the tiger, his only companion throughout the journey. It wasn't just beautiful but there were a lot of moments where I felt tense. I really do not know how Ang Lee and his crew managed to overcome all the technological hurdles in making those tense scenes and how the actors did such a great job at complementing them.

Overall, Life of Pi was a great movie. It had amazing graphics and visual flare. It had a decent and touching story. For the most part, the acting was great. The film’s casting was perfect. The dialogue was convincing enough. The story is very appealing. Viewers get to feel a wonderful mix of emotions -- happy, sad, scared, inspiring, even an overwhelming feeling of...I don't know exactly Haha :) It's a great movie to watch! Beautiful cinematography, elicits different emotions, and it spiritually touches you :)

The Kind Of Girl I Am

Reblogged this article from Thought Catalog by Chelsea Fagan

I hear a lot of sentences that begin or end with some variation of "I'm not that kind of girl." There seems to always be two camps of women, one who does this horrible thing that we're all collectively supposed to be embarrassed of, and one who has far too much dignity and self-respect to engage in it. It's hard not to feel an  expectation of classifying yourself in a way as to put other women down, or to recognize that there are certain behaviors within us that we are supposed to be constantly suppressing. But you see, I am often afraid, when I hear these sweeping generalizations about the humiliating kind of girl all of these people are absolutely not, that I may be her myself. I am more afraid, it should be said, that I don't want to change.

Because I am the kind of girl who will call you too much -- who will fall neatly under the labels of "crazy" or "needy" because her emotions tend to spill out all at once, and in full color. I find myself unable to sit on my hands when it comes to  waiting for the phone to ring, to allowing someone I am over the moon about to take their time and call me when they're ready. When I am infatuated with you, all sense of basic social propriety flies out the window and my entire life is dependent on the sweet, tinny ringing of a cellphone. I will hound your message box and immediately regret every text I send, wishing that I were the kind of person who could exhibit the coy, sexy restraint. I wish playing "hard to get" were a game that didn't elude me completely, that I could engage in a little cat-and-mouse, that I could obfuscate my true feeling just long enough to make you wonder if I actually need you. With me, there is never a doubt of "need." I always have my hands outstretched. 

I am the kind of girl who will love you more loudly than you love her and not know how to make it seem like she doesn't. I am the kind of girl who will consistently paint outside the lines and still hope that you'll be proud of her when she knows you the finished product. I have a heart which, beyond being worn on my sleeve, tends to beat loudly enough to deafen anyone trying to listen to me speak. Any half-hearted murmurs of "I'm fine" or "It's okay" will be drowned out by the thud of what are clearly my real feelings on the subject. There will always be an urgency and difficulty in my love, because I am constantly trying to catch up with myself.

I am the kind of girl who will fight sometimes for no reason, who will create arguments out of thin air because she is frustrated and sometimes takes it out on the people who deserve it least but will stand for it most. I will know that what I am doing is wrong in the moment -- that a label of "psycho" being flung at me will be as stinging as it is accurate -- but be unable to stop myself. I will see in this a kind of pinch to remind yourself that you are alive, that you are fresh, that you are worth fighting for -- even if it's selfish and juvenile. I love things at top volume, at their most difficult, at their most needlessly complex.

I am the kind of girl who talks too loudly and curses too often and makes a habit of inserting her foot as far into her mouth as her leg can bend. I know that there is a delicate sort of grace that I should be striving for, an Audrey Hepburn-esque ability to be at once charmingly funny and undoubtedly feminine, but I will constantly strive for the former in complete negligence of the latter. Though I can see myself almost in an out-of-body experience, realize that I am being "too much" and "too intense" at yet another social gathering because I know no other way to be, there will always be a small voice in my head which encourages me to tell the dirty joke, to make the overly-frank comment, and to sacrifice the seen-and-not-heard beauty that we are raised to admire in a woman.

I often hear other women talk proudly of the fact that they are not like me. They are not "crazy", they are not "needy", they are not "loud", they are not "bitchy". And though I do not begrudge them their choice to be a different human being than I am, I wish that their premium and their beauty didn't have to come at the expense of other women. I wish that we were free enough to be individuals, that there didn't have to be two categories to fit into, and that the actions of one of us didn't have to be so immediately reflective of us all. Maybe there is something wrong with being all of these things -- notably all of these things at once -- but I have never known how to be anyone else. And I would rather be too much of me than just barely enough of a proper lady.

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I appreciate the points made in this article and I agree with some. I just love this post. This makes every girl feels normal. I really like this because although I am not this kind of girl --- I am my OWN kind of girl -- a couple of these paragraphs really speak to me. It's actually great that you're being honest about yourself. And I think many - including me, aren't like that. We say sometimes we're not THAT kind, but we actually are. We try to control out feelings and behavior, but we lose sometimes. We just aren't brave enough to admit that we're just like that. 

I admire people who are 100% themselves and uninhibited about being authentic to their feelings, of loving fully and being heard. I strongly believe that if you are with someone who cannot understand or accept all of YOU, they DON'T deserve you. No one should be ashamed of how they feel of how they love. 

Movie blog: Les Miserables

After the long wait “Les Miserables” finally opens this 2013. I have to say that from the moment I saw the trailer last year I have been looking forward to seeing this movie. I went to see Les Misérables together with my mom and although I don't normally bother to write reviews I thought this might be an important on to talk about.  I've been waiting...ohhh a year or so for this film, as I'm sure many others have, and I wanted to share my thoughts on it. I heard mixed reviews of it - some loved it, some hated it.

Even those who are not devotes of musical theater will find themselves emotionally manipulated by this latest version of — the novel, turned Broadway sensation, turned movie blockbuster of — Les Misérables on an epic scale. This film version is a particular tearjerker because of the much-discussed live-action-singing and some excellent casting.

The people who put "Les Misérables" on screen dreamed a great dream, they really did. They dreamed of filming one of the most popular of modern theatrical musicals – over millions of tickets sold all over the world. Director Tom Hooper has doubled down on the piece's greatest strength, finding ways to magnify the musical's ability to create those effects of overwhelming feelings in an audience. Themes of love, law, justice, grace, redemption and revolution run concurrently through this film from beginning to end.

From its first scene, the story set a fantastic image of a group of French convicts, circa 1815, trying to pull a floundering ship in the midst of a mighty storm, this production is visual to the max, with an epic physical scale.

It employed to sign the best, most convincing actors for these unsophisticated roles and to assist them in making the characters real by investing in them heart and soul. For protagonist Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), initially unrecognizable as a full-bearded emaciated convict - No. 24601 to be precise - who is part of the crowd wrestling with the struggling vessel. After serving 19 years hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread, is released on parole. Unable to find work as a marked man, he is offered refuge by a Bishop. During the night, he steals the Bishop’s silver, however, when caught by the authorities, the Bishop claims the silver was a gift. This unexpected gift of grace and mercy triggers a change in Jean Valjean, who breaks parole and promises to live a better life.

Hugh Jackman (Jean Valjean): Freedom is mine

Also front and center in the scene is Javert (Russel Crowe), the film’s antagonist, the cold-hearted inspector-representative of the law. Crowe's Javert doesn't say it, he sings it right there in front of us. That allows them to bring the rich emotion of their entire performances.

Russel Crowe (Javert): I am the Law

The scene now shifts to 1823 and a town in France where, helped by a kindly Bishop and his own decision to break parole, Valjean has taken on a new identity and become a mayor and a wealthy factory owner.

For another, one of Valjean's female employees, Fantine (Anne Hathaway), is unjustly fired as by his foreman. And, is wrongfully sacked and ends up selling her hair and her teeth and body. She plays a single mother who turns to prostitution to support her child takes a stab at everyone’s heart with her opening song. The portrait view, medium shot focuses solely on her as she sings, the blackness of the background only adding to the heavy atmosphere. It’s the perfect combination of music and visuals to evoke the best tear jerking response from the audience.

Anne Hathaway (Fantine): I dreamed a dream

Forced to flee town, Valjean vows to raise Fantine's daughter, Cosette (Isabelle Allen), as his own. First however, he has to pry her out of the hands of scoundrels Monsieur (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Madame Thenardier (Helena Bonham Carter), in the "Master of the House”.

Isabelle Allen (Cosette)

Sacha Baron Cohen (Monsieur Thenardier) & Helena Bonham Carter (Madame Thenardier): Master of the House

All these plot strands come together nine years later in Paris of 1832, where Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), now a beautiful young woman catches the eye of passionate would-be revolutionary Marius (Eddie Redmayne), who is determined to fight at the barricades. He in turn is admired from afar by the lovelorn Eponine (Samantha Barks, equally good in "On My Own"), brings feminist heroism to a role that is usually played only as a pathetic lovelorn girl.

Amanda Seyfried (Cosette) & Eddie Redmayne (Marius): Heart full of Love

Samantha Barks (Eponine): Lovelorn girl

Daniel Huttlestone’s (Gavroche) small yet exciting role makes up for this. He plays a child revolutionary rebel and is one of the most fun actors to watch. He is naturally likeable and his stage death is one of the most heartbreaking.

Daniel Huttlestone (Gavroche)

Anne Hathaway, who plays Fantine, does such a knockout rendition of the showstopper "I Dreamed a Dream" that objecting is out of the question. It is one of the most impactful in movie: in one long, dramatic close up, she sings her heart out while breaking ours. It is delivered in its whole, acapella, as a tight shot of Hathaway’s face. We see in every quiver of her mouth, tears and flash of her eyes, the despair, humiliation, and in the end, fury she feels that life has killed the dream she dream. It’s fitting that powerful emotional connection to the role of mother who would do anything for her child. Yet, Hathaway gives complexity to a character that has previously only been portrayed as a martyr.

The film is different. It may leave you in tears this is an emotionally involving tale of people looking for hope in despair. The film has everything from romance, action, beautiful singing and a tad bit of humor. Whilst the melody is ever-present, here it is the story, the characters and their experiences that drive the movie forward. The story is clear and the performances are amazing.

The rest of the film focuses on tensions that increase between the government and its people, and a romance that forms between Cosette and Marius. With so much being packed into this movie, it is surprising how consistently strong the cast is. In particular Jackman shows surprising dramatic depth, very different from the actor I often associate with action movies.  His performance basically carries most of the film. Russell Crowe is passable, but perhaps another actor might have been a better choice, as he doesn’t have much vocal range beyond a guttural growl.

There are two things I don’t really like in the film, first, are those repetitive close-ups of singing actors proving nothing, really. We know the actors are singing. We know their faces reflect emotion. Second, I found the editing to be excruciating, jumping from one scene to the next with no pauses between songs. This is where stage to film fails.  There is never an actual physical changing of sets, no giving the audience an opportunity to applaud the performance and take a breather. Those technical mistakes are what keep "Les Misérables" from perfection, despite the actors' strength, the songs' catchiness, and the overall ambition of the project. It's certainly worth watching, but that last half-hour—it will get on your nerves.

On the whole however, it wasn't bad, is visually stunning, the costumes, sets, and make up are phenomenal and is worth every penny that went into it. The movie has everything to offer from love to religion, forgiveness and the resilience of the human spirit. Although it is flawed, “Les Misérables” is destined for myriad Oscar nominations. And though it probably won’t be remembered as the best film of the year, it will be remembered as one of the biggest.

Here's the trailer for those who haven't watch it.