X-Files Premiere

August 11, 2008

Powerplant Mall 

In a city like New York, where moving on is a fact of life, is it really possible to revisit the past? And if we do, will old friends and situations still be as dear to our hearts?

I watched the Premiere of SATC last night at Mall of Asia and really enjoyed every minute of the film.  I only got disappointed with the clothes that SJP were sporting (And of Steve cheating, what the heck were you thinking Steve??)  Even if I heard oohs and aahs from girls sitting beside me, I’d have to say that in my POV, Carrie’s ensembles fell below expectations. 

That royal blue number with superfluous sleeves was something I would have wanted to wear 2 years ago.  Not today.  Since Carrie habitually wears kitschy vintage finds, the feather hairpiece worn on the wedding day is forgivable.  I actually borrowed (or stole) one from my friend Kenny, that looks similar to it and I wore it during a hat party.  BUT it just doesn’t jiggle with the Vivienne Westwood gown.  The Christian Dior gladiator shoes are not typical wedding footwear but that’s Carrie for you.  I find the touch of a blue hairpiece as a good couture-ish addition but maybe not 4-inch feathers pointing to the sky –had a feel of being costume-y.  Oh well, I’ve also been fashion forward to my detrimental at times.  What do I know?  *Shrugs* The movie stylist, Patricia Field, is a professional and a popular one at that.   Every scene is filled with enough labels to keep many fashionista salivating.  And you become really attuned with the art of fashion.  Overall, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte’s wardrobe better were better than Carrie’s in this film.  Even, the color choices of their gowns during the wedding fit the glove. 

Among the fabulous foursome, it is with Charlotte that I identified the most last night.  Carrie would have been totally me when I was in college.  Miranda when I was in law school and initial working years.  Boring as it seems, but I identified the most with Charlotte’s expressions and habits.  I still have bits and pieces of Carrie within me but that girl has definitely left the building. 

With SATC characters now 40 and older, story lines no longer hinge on getting into the VIP list at the latest happening bar or obtaining the “it” bag of the moment.  The movie now revolves wisely about matters of the heart.  After finding true love - as all four women had in the finale of the hit HBO series - what comes next?  The story definitely does not end there.

Miranda and Steve reach an impasse in their marriage as Charlotte worries over her miracle pregnancy and happy marriage.  In Hollywood, Samantha can’t seem to reconcile her love for Smith with her unease at being absent from the city she drew adventure from.  The lady quartet hit their stiletto-shod strides and sashayed together through thick and thin, in clubs, Mexico and abandoned moments at the wedding venue.  Throughout, the four women turn in sensitive, solid performances.  This does not diminish one ingredient that made the show provocative –a lot of sex talks.

(Love Charlotte and Carrie’s outfits with the Benz background)

New York writer Carrie Bradshaw and Vogue freelance contributor, who was the star of the season, follows quite a performance in the movie.  From where we left off in the season finale Carrie was still very much in love with Big.  The movie starts off with nostalgia as the film showed snippets of the past seasons’ highly influential events.  From the early beginnings of 20s girl bonding in shopping, cocktails and men to the growing up transitions of the 30s ladies to now 40s women who face life head on and value the matters of the heart.

Carrie and Big were looking for the perfect Manhattan apartment where natural light can fill the rooms.  With all the skyscrapers in NY, this really becomes a hunted treasure.  Carrie breaks to friends the news of finding a model abode for her and Big that he volunteered to pay for.  Miranda, being very independent minded that she is, informs Carrie that if worse comes to worst, Big can easily throw her out and she becomes a homeless person in her Manolo Blahniks.  Carrie said that Miranda should stop worrying and just feel what Carrie wants her to feel… Jealousy.

 

I really liked that part because a girlfriend should really be upfront with a tad of jealousy and envy instead of keeping the feelings inside letting it surmount to being unhappy for her friend.  Being jealous of a friend’s vacation to Paris or her successful opportunities is inevitable.  But it all boils down to knowing how to handle it and being happy for her without being bitter.  Bitterness eventually leads to backbiting.  So be happy, happy, happy!  If you’re not as successful or hasn’t been presented with certain opportunities, at least your friend is experiencing it.  You have felt it close enough to make it partly yours.

Back to the story, Carrie then confronts Big surreptitiously implying that marriage should be in place.  Marriage, however, never entered the equation with Big.  Big wants Carrie.  Carrie wants wedding.  Wedding bells chimed.

Meanwhile, Miranda settled in Brooklyn with dormant husband, Steve, and 4-year old son Brady.  Lawyer Miranda, struggles to balance work and being a mother, while neglecting for 6 months that she is also a wife to Steve.  Funny moment (but not new since other movies had a sequence like this also) when Miranda and Steve were having sex and Miranda blurted out, “Can you just get it over with!”  Later on, Steve betrays Miranda with a one-nightee, and Miranda briefly separates with Steve but in the end forgives him.

Upper East Side rich kid Charlotte is mom to adopted daughter Lily.  After several years of childbearing activities and adoption, she finds out that she’s pregnant.  All the while, with so much chaos around her, Charlotte is overly worried about her seemingly perfect life and wondered where it was going to go wrong.  Thank heavens that the writer decided to include an almost flawless and high fidelity marriage because it is still possible to have that.

The ever lustfully empowered Samantha has relocated to glitzy LA and spends her time managing the publicity for boyfriend Smith, a hot young model making a name in Hollywood.  There’s also the sexy neighbor Dante who is ready to test Samantha’s monogamous state.  Their love story is also one for the books and I really liked the angle and how it played out.  I remember one scene in the season where Samantha went up to the PH suite with her old ex-boyfriend and told Smith off.  Samantha, “play with your friends and I’ll play with mine.” Eventually had sex with her ex, went down the lift, the lift opens and voila, Smith was waiting patiently for her.  Smith then brings her home.  (Choke)

Jennifer Hudson’s role as an assistant was brilliant as it brings a fresh character to the all-so-familiar drama.  I just wish that her role were developed more instead of it just being sprouts of personality.  Her acting seemed dry compared to her performance in Dreamgirls.

The wedding hype buzzed throughout Manhattan landing on Page 6 and getting sponsored by a highly celebrated designer.  From an intended 75 guests to a whopping 201, Big’s 2 previous failed marriage woes, and getting way ahead over their heads, the Big D finally arrives.  Instead of it being Carrie’s big day as a blushing bride, Carrie was dropped, took the part of a flushing bride and the wedding day became a BIG day.

The real beauty of “SATC” as a movie lies in the return of all those things that were too familiar to us… the tacit sexual moments, provocative language and wardrobe (or the lack of it…), the unabashed love of human frailty and outright feminism.  CW whispers to me and tells me, like a parent lecturing a little child, “don’t emulate them okay?”  Haha.  I heard real concern in his voice –for himself.

I’ve always loved the snappy, verbal sparring between the girls and their men.  Laughed often through the wacky behaviors of each lady and loved a few shed-a-tear moments.  I was especially moved by the drama when Carrie got out of the car and ran to Big.  I felt so much for her and felt so much for Charlotte as a friend.  Charlotte moved me in that scene. 

Similar to any great night out with girlfriends, our 6-year loved series cum movie is drenched with so much love and reality that it lingers long after the last Cosmopolitan runs dry.  It is hands down the sassiest movie of the summer that gives us fabulous, fun frolic, sometimes weak, but big heart moments.  

In romantic movies, situations predictably unfold by: girl meets boy, sparks fly, small conflicts arise, and onto the happily-ever-after.

I really enjoyed watching The Break-up.  I have to say it’s the best romantic comedy of the 1st half of the year.  The script was well written –maybe the best script of the year for romantic comedies.

I especially liked the part where Aniston and Vince were arguing over the dishes and lemons.

Aniston: I busted my a** the whole day cooking dinner and you could have shown appreciation by just saying “Thank you honey, I’ll help you with the dishes.”

Vince: [throws the controller] Fine. I’ll help you with the dishes.

Aniston: You know what… never mind. I’ll do the dishes.

Vince: You just said you want me to help with the dishes.

Aniston: I want you to WANT to do the dishes.

Vince: Why should I have a strong desire to do the dishes?

This was a super funny scene.

It portrayed well the scenario when boy and girl are exhausted after another long day. …where the routine starts to drive them absolutely nuts… when all the little things that used to endear them to each other suddenly start to annoy each other. “…2 tickets please for The Break-up.” It was an amusing voyage into the unraveling and deconstruction of a once solid and loving relationship. The rumored off-screen couple [VV and JA] star in ‘The Break-Up,’ which starts where most romantic comedies end: after boy and girl have met, fallen in love, moved in to start their happily-ever-after… they realize the happily-ever-after is something to work for. I have reached that stage where you wind up driving each other crazy. Thank God we are way over that. Pushed to the breaking-up point after their latest “why can’t you do this one little thing for me?” argument, Aniston begins to realize that what she may be really fighting for isn’t so much the place but the person. This is Aniston’s best role yet and her delivery of the lines has improved to another level in this film.

The film was able to capture the anguish and distress that girls go through because some guys don’t grow up- they only grow old. He even said, “If I had my eyes closed, I could have sworn you were the one talking.” True enough, I have already lipped most of the lines that were said years ago.

The turning point, an hour and 30mins into the movie, was when Vince Vaughn surprised Aniston with a dinner that he carefully prepared. He apologized for all the times he took her for granted and said that he realized that he needed to change… and he needed to work on a lot of things. He said tearfully how much he loves Jen. She was taking in everything that Vince was saying… finally, the recognition of her efforts, presence and love… It took a while for Jen to reply… with tears in her eyes.

“I just don’t feel the same way anymore.”

Ka-boom. [08/01/06: I was talking to Carlo G this morning. That last line reminded him of our conversation last week. He teasingly said, "there's legally blonde, now the break-up... your life is a movie." I quipped, "But I'm always in the conflict part of a movie..."]

Sigh.

Do we really have to be at the brink of losing someone to realize the importance of that person in our lives? Some people are not lucky enough to meet that one person who can make them feel truly alive. Sometimes we never get to bump into that person that matches our life line –who can make you smile amidst all the trouble, who can make you feel your best and inspire you to be your best, that person you won’t ever let go and you would fight for, heaven and hell, who can laugh with you all day and no matter where you go, you manage to always have fun and create lifetime of memories forged only by a special bond… only a few lucky ones do. And it changes them forever

The scuba diving boat leaves behind a couple in the middle of the ocean.  With no one in sight for miles and miles, Suzanne and Daniel turn to each other for strength.  But their strength slowly seeps out from them as sharks start to besiege them and it starts to sink in that they’re treading dangerous waters…

 

I would have given the movie a 4 but since it’s a bad-vibes movie, it was only a 3.  The cinematography [A general term for all the manipulations of the film strip by the camera in the shooting phase and by the laboratory in the developing phase *mcgrawhill.com] was at par with the Blair witch movie but less wobbly.  The cinematography was effective in presenting the dangers of the blue especially from the view of the castaways.  The camera was also bobbing as Daniel was checking the sharks underneath.  The movie was based on a true story, which made it a real bummer because incidents like this can happen in real life.  Incompetence is absolutely intolerable especially in cases as dire as this.  Why didn’t the crew list down the names instead of just tallying how many people are already on board?  During a tour, names are usually listed down and the tour guide gives a roll call before sightseers toddle off and as soon as they have assembled again.  It should be the case even for small expeditions like that, since scuba diving is a delicate activity.  As I sauntered toward the exit after the movie, I heard a few murmuring, “what a lousy movie.  I didn’t like it.  What was that?!”  The cinematic culture of the Filipinos is perceptible right there.  Filipinos are suckers for movies with happy endings.  Not because a movie ended with a bad note it means it has a bad taste.  I have to disagree that it was a bad film.   

The movie captured the reality that something as stupid as that can happen and it can cost lives.  Sh*t does happen.  That is why we shouldn’t take things for granted and we shouldn’t see things only as it appears on the surface.  I also liked the part where the couple were arguing who’s fault it was that they got stranded and they’ve pulled up every “what ifs” on the card.  That’s reality right there.  We like to blame.  We have 10 fingers and we like to point.  In blaming, we refuse to see our own mistakes/shortcomings.  We decide to take the easier route and pass the buck.   In their case, it was definitely NOT their fault.  Even if they came 5 minutes early [or for the girl, it was too near the due time], or take that they came back 5 minutes late or even an hour delayed, the boat MUST WAIT.  That is SOP as long as everyone isn’t on board yet.  It’s ridiculous to think that if you came back late, you’re going to be left in the middle of the ocean and be forgotten already.  The crew should have exercised utmost DILIGENCE.   In the last few minutes of the movie, somebody said that at least the girl would survive so she can recount their misfortune.  Not having any survivor made it more interesting for me because it means that the writer reconstructed the turmoil as how it could have been.  Same goes with Titanic– no survivors, except for the people who were carted to shore by the few lifeboats that the historical ship provided.  But the ones left to freeze in the night chill of the Atlantic Ocean died.  The writer for the movie had to reconstruct the terrifying experience/occurrence that could have happened.   

3 buckets [of popcorn!] 

(Scene from Exorcist) 

Regan: What an excellent day for an exorcism

Regan: I’m the devil!

Karras’ Mother: Why you do this to me, Dimmy?

Pazuzu: Your mother’s in here, Karras.  Would you like to leave a message?  I’ll see that she gets it.

Father Damien Karras: You’re not my mother.

I woke up at 3am, startled because my bed was shaking! I just watched Exorcist yesterday and I thought I only had a super-active imagination when I felt my night comfort shake underneath. Then I heard this rattling sound, like grains in a shaker cup. I lied there half-awake, in the cold dew of the morning, staring up at the white ceiling of my personal space which is known to my family as MY LIL ROOM, trying to discern what’s happening and if I’m about to enter the twilight zone. Surprisingly, I was as calm as the dead leaves in fall. After a couple of minutes, the shaking finally subsided. Still fazed from the incident, I still didn’t know whether it was just a human condition or a fact that I experienced. It was when I got to the office that I realized that it was indeed an earthquake because everyone was talking about it. I figured out later that the rattling came form the box of Nerds [candies] I had on top of my computer desk. Oh man!

 

Dodgeball was plainly hilarious.  I am a big Ben Stiller fan from his movies, Reality Bites, Starsky & Hutch, Keeping the Faith, Along Came Polly, Duplex, and of course, Meet the Parents [laughed the hardest on this one!].  However, I wasn’t expecting much from this film.  But I started laughing as soon as the movie rolled.  *Ben Stiller plays the clueless proprietor of Globo Gym.  A crew of social misfits who patronize Average Joe’s, the local gym, band together to save their beloved fitness center from being taken over by their competitor, Globo Gym, a fitness club chain which is a corporate behemoth. The motley group of rejects includes a gangly geek whose illusions revolve around a cheerleader way out of his league, a self-acclaimed pirate, a young simpleton, an enthusiast of far-out sports, and a smart ass who’s actually pea-brained. Average Joe’s owner Peter LaFleur, played by Vince Vaughn leads his team of, well, losers against the cocky White Goodman [Stiller]* The cool nonchalant attitude of Vince Vaughn in this movie and Ben’s slapstick comedy complemented each other.  What impressed me is how the director was able to make the game as appealing and intense as basketball movies.  If you need quite a laugh, Dodgeball is worth your dime.

 

Four buckets of popcorn! and laughter!