Month: March 2007

It’s 3am now and I should be in bed but I need to pen these thoughts before they are dulled by sleep. I have just watched “The Lives of Others” (or “Das Leben der Anderen” in German) and it’s been really a while since I was so profoundly moved by a movie.

Set in the 1980s before the re-unification of Germany, East Germany was controlled by a Socialist regime that demanded the complete compliance of its citizens. This meant that any dissident was thrown into jail and artists were commonly blacklisted and forced to quit their craft.

Wiesler is a staunch member of the Stasi (the secret police) and quite a respectable one at that. He does not pursue glory or riches, and dedicates his entire life to his job because of his devotion to the Socialist cause.

He is a staid man who probably never smiles at anything. He lives life by a routine and has a home that’s functional but cannot be said to be cosy. He lives alone, seemingly has no friends, has built his life around his career and is practically emotionless.

Soon, he is tasked to spy on a suspected rebel, famed writer Georg Dreyman, by his inept boss and former classmate Grubitz. Initially, he performs this surveillance (complete with phone tapping and bugs) with steel-like discipline and distance. But as he observes the warm dynamics between Dreyman and his lover, actress Christa-Maria Siegland, he starts to thaw.

Like a tightly wound up flower bud that starts to bloom, the many layers of Wiesler peels off slowly, one by one. He feels compassion, and creates a situation in which Dreyman discovers the infidelity of his lover. After hearing sounds of sexual pleasure between Dreyman and Siegland, he finds himself yearning for it and, more importantly, the connection between two people. He cries when he hears a heartfelt and emotional rendition of Beethoven on the piano and goes as far as to steal Dreyman’s copy of Bertolt Brecht’s plays. While he never used to relax, he now reads Brecht’s plays.

In other words, he discovers the soul that has been dormant in him all this while. And in time, he becomes Dreyman’s protector instead of predator.

The transformation of Wiesler is quite subtle and done rather elegantly. He is always in tight control of his emotions and throughout the movie, his face is always set impassively. But it’s almost you could see through his stony expression into the gentle unfolding of his poetic, lyrical side. It’s almost beautiful to see that transformation and as a spectator, you can’t help but be moved by the sacrifices Wiesler makes to become the better person.

The movie moves along at a serene pace, never rushing to the denouement and certainly not dragging its feet in order to give its characters the depth that they possess.

It was truly a movie that deserved its Best Foreign Film win at the recent Oscars.

Dear Cleo Eligible Bachelors,

“!(imgcenter)http://farm1.static.flickr.com/146/425307634_05c5146732_m.jpg!(One of the bachelors posing)”:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/425307634/

It’s that time of the year again where one of you gets crowned as Cleo Magazine’s Most Eligible Bachelor of 2007. The correct response following that statement ought to be some catcalling and wolf whistles but all the event could get out of me was…..yawn?

I’m sorry boys but you just ain’t making things better for all the single girls out there. If this is supposed to be the cream of the crop for the male species, all I can say is thanks but no thanks for I have seen better.

First of all, the majority of you seem to be terrific at mumbling. From my position at the bar (which really means “far from the stage”), all I can hear is: “Hi, my name is mmph mmph mmph and I mmph mmph mmph.” Some things don’t change, I can see that.

And then, when you spoke clearly and I rejoiced at hearing every syllable of your words, you had to spout lines like: “My friends call me Matt. But you can call me Tonight” and “I would make you swirl, if you would be my girl” and “I would like to be the meat between your sandwich”.

Another gem that made me throw back my head in fits of hysterical laughter was this: “I have three word for you girls tonight. Possibilities. (a very long pause) You. Me.” It made me wonder if you were merely suffering from stage fright or panicking silently and thinking if “possibilities” is actually three words in itself.

Many of you had longish hair dyed blonde, evidently inspired by the flowing tresses of the boys from F4. It’s not really that cool, by the way. The couple of dudes who had clean shaven heads were much more sexier than you are.

And when you sang, you were so out of tune that I was forced to shout at you to please get off the stage and let my boyfriend take over the microphone because his voice is infinitely better than yours.

You know something is wrong when we decided to walk out of the party just when the striptease was about to start. I was so perturbed by the standard of malehood out there that I had to leave.

I’m sorry. It’s not me, it’s you. Two years ago, there was actually some salvation. But this time, a grand total of perhaps two of you passed the test. It’s really quite tragic.

Sincerely,
yAnn

“!(imgcenter)http://farm1.static.flickr.com/152/425240555_7976287c47_m.jpg!(The Album Leaf live at Esplanade)”:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/425240555/

What can I say? Their gig at the Esplanade Theatre Studio, as part of the Mosaic Music Festival, was simply fabulous.

I first heard their music on one of the most accessible music bibles of all time, The O.C. It was nothing really like what I had been used to listening – chill out, relaxed, mysterious and almost meditative. Weave in a few phrases of dischordant notes that leaves one with a vague sense of discomfiture and you get music that’s rather intriguing.

Somehow, I became drawn to it and when I realised that they were coming to town, it was an opportunity not to be missed.

They did not disappoint. While a little taciturn and awkward in the most charming of manner, they obviously played their heart out and were contented with the cheers and applause they got from a mostly sedate crowd.

Close your eyes and float along with the music. That’s the beauty of The Album Leaf.

“!(imgcenter)http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/425240916_7db9ef7001_m.jpg!(Our Heineken beer)”:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/425240916/

**POTENTIAL SPOILERS**

!(imgcenter)https://yannisms.com/pix/heroes.jpg!

I just caught episodes 17 and 18 and I was utterly blown away.

What makes “Heroes” an awesome show, to me, is its clever twists and the idea of ordinary people coming to terms with their not-so-ordinary powers. Just when you think you have come to understand one character, the writers throw out an amazing revelation that completely changes your mind.

And rather than having muscled men fighting injustice in the world and romancing pretty women, here you have a whole spectrum of characters to choose from – a Japanese geek who can bend time and space, an all-American cheerleader who can heal spontaneously, a gentle soul who absorbs powers through empathy, a drug addict who can paint the future. Its immense success could be traced to how the audience can readily accept the idea of these everyday characters gaining powers through genetic mutation as the human race evolves to survive. In a way, it’s as believable as how Bruce Wayne and Peter Parker became heroes through circumstances not of their own choosing or doing.

The line between good and evil is blurred, nobody is perfect in the world of “Heroes”. Some stay in the grey, some try to be good and some are evil, but not without nuance. Nobody is just a one-dimensional character, not even the quiet Haitian who manages to spring a few surprises on us despite not speaking much.

Can I just say that I think Masi Oka is so adorable. Of all the heroes, he is the most engaging and charming. Even little Hiro, as shown in a character’s flashback in episode 17, is as cute as a button.

I can’t believe I have to wait another six weeks for the next episode. But in the meantime, there’s always “Battlestar Galactica” and “Lost” to catch up on.