The Great Lion Kun Seng Keng

I finally bought a copy of this movie! Yippee!!!

Everyone knows I am a sucker for locally produced movies and this was no exception. I was in Sydney when I saw the trailer being shared on my Facebook news feed and from then on, I was crossing my fingers that I would still be able to purchase it when I get back to KL or someone would be kind enough to buy a copy and post it over. But fate had it that I would buy one myself, muahahahaha!

The Great Lion Kun Seng Keng (大舞狮关圣宫) is well, about the famous dragon and lion dance association, Kun Seng Keng from Muar, Johor. Formed in 1988, they are not only national champions but also 56-time world champions. A quick Google search and details about their association and movie reviews are aplenty, so I am going to only share the parts I really enjoyed in the movie.

Firstly, the people involved. I thought it was commendable effort by Director Matt Lai (赖健雄), despite a so-so script. Although at first I found casting Taiwanese Alan Ko (柯有伦) as one of the lead actors, I thought he pulled it off quite well, Malaysian accent and all (perhaps studying in Singapore has helped with that).

I also thought that teaming younger actors with veteran ones was really smart, as both the younger and older generations would be able to relate to members of the cast. For example, the younger generation (as in high school, college, young working adults) would be able to recognise Alan, Thomas Kok (郭晓东, one half of local Mando-pop duo, TJ 东于哲), Henley Hii (许亮宇, champion of Season 2, Project Superstar Malaysia), Jo (周周, newcomer in the entertainment industry, originally a songwriter) and Jenny's cousin, William Yap (叶子诚, child artiste and lead actor of another locally produced movie, Gemeilia).

The older generation, meaning our parents' (and maybe grandparents') generation would find the faces of Hong Kong-based actor, Chan Koon Tai (陈观泰) and Angela Chan (陈美娥, one of the star actresses in the now non-existent HVD) familiar. The names Michael Chin (陈逸豪) and Katrina Ho (何簣町) are new to me but after a quick search, they seem to have a local following, too.

Secondly, the acting and cinematography. I would like to specially mention how I was impressed by William's acting. I thought he delivered his role very well, with the non-exagerated outpouring of emotions. My favourite scene would be the scene he and his partner kowtowed thrice at his brother's funeral with the lion dance gear on. I definitely felt the anger, frustration, disappointment and 'I will succeed and make you proud of me' feelings - surprisingly, I had tears welled up in my eyes and had to quietly wipe them away in case my father noticed.

Another scene I really liked was the challenge in the rain. Although the music selection for this scene was a little erm, unsuitable, the way this scene was shot was breathtaking with the combination of colour usage, the rain and slow-mo action. When I watched videos of the making of the scene, I did not expect it to be UPM (again). UPM must earn heaps from local entertainment companies for the usage of their field and that one-tree-hill of theirs. That tree and the white fence are dead giveaways now when watching a music video, commercial or movie - oh, hey, that's UPM! Haha...

Since CNY is around the corner, I probably would watch it again with family. The younger nephews and nieces should watch it, as it does not just announce to the world how we have a world-class lion dance association but the spirit and pride involved in upholding our culture and tradition.

The Viral Factor

While the rest of Australia was celebrating Australia Day outdoors, we were indoors catching a movie that opened today in selected cinemas around the country. The nearest cinema was Hoyts Chatswood Mandarin Centre and we bought tickets to the first show of the day at 1:50pm. After a quick lunch at Mamak and a long string of trailers of other upcoming movies, we settled into our seats in Cinema 5 and waited for the show to begin.

The main actors in the show, who are also from the same on-screen family (excluding the mother) are from left, veteran HK actor Liu Kai-Chi, Malaysian child actress Crystal Lee, HK heartthrob Nicholas Tse and Taiwanese King of Pop Jay Chou.

Source: http://www.ln.xinhuanet.com/xwzx/2012-01/26/xin_57301092611258593073323.jpg

To be honest, I wanted to watch the movie because a large portion of the movie was filmed in Malaysia (which had Rachel and I busy spotting the locations) and also because of who was acting in it. Despite the mixed reviews online and positive reviews from friends, I was still unsure of what to expect from the movie. And so, I expected nothing.

The are plenty of detailed reviews out there so I will spare you all that and just share with you my own thoughts on what I enjoyed, as well as what I found odd. Hm, let me start with what I found odd.

Odd may or may not be a negative, depending on which side of the window you are peering out of. To me, I am still unsure if they are considered the 'bad' of the movie. Instead, it felt weird, especially when in my mind, it is a HK production with ethnic Chinese actors and actresses of different nationalities. Naturally, thinking that it is from HK (and Taiwan if you count the big Taiwanese names included), I was expecting a Cantonese mixed Mandarin script. When I heard the large amount of English and Malay (and a smattering of Arabic at the beginning), I could not help but giggle. I giggled not because the languages were badly spoken but plainly because I grew up watching HK action blockbusters in Cantonese. So not used to it being non-Canto.

Another oddness was how the places in the movie were not HK places like the usual Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok or Causeway Bay. Instead, the landmarks in the movie were Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, the Kuala Lumpur Train Station, the International Medical University, Putrajaya, and Port Klang, to name a few. Oh, and also how instead of Benzes, Chevies and other automobile big names we normally see in action flicks, this movie saw the action stars in a Proton Perdana and a Perodua Myvi. Did I forget AirAsia? Haha, it did feel a little like a promo ad that was advertising Malaysia.

Despite how I felt they were odd, I also felt that Malaysia proved a great place for the movie. I did not realise how amazing KL could look in a movie, which brings me to what I liked, which in effect made a huge impression on me.

Being an action movie, it definitely was not short on action. The movie reflected the director's love for guns and explosions. Even the scenes in Malaysia (my lovely country where I thought would not allow for such 'explosive violence' - oh so wrong) were action-packed. They had explosives go off along Jalan Sultan Ismail, bullet exchanges in a KTM train (with passengers!), a cafe blown to bits in Putrajaya and a Toyota Alphard dive crash into a monsoon drain at a roundabout which could have been the Merdeka roundabout, or the one at Jalan Pudu or Jalan Hang Tuah. I really could not tell but it was in the middle of a part of bustling KL notoriously famous for insanely high traffic volume. Oh, did I mention the car chase that went through Pavilion?

This may sound mean but while they were shooting this in KL, Nicholas was going through his high profile divorce with Cecilia Cheung, which I think really helped with building the character he played. I could feel for the character he played - all the agony of being abandoned by his mother, having to run to another land with a gambler father whom he picks after and not being able to be there for his daughter. And then add to that the sudden appearance of the younger brother who is on the other side of the fence. To me,this was what I really liked about the story. It's not just filled with non-stop action. It also had humanity weaved into it. There were some scenes which tugged at my heartstrings, as the importance of family was heavily stressed upon. How befitting for CNY.

One such scene was where Nicholas could not punch Jay in the face after Jay blurted out, "我是你弟!"

Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnt34nlj5t9sT5kOGJ6NENT-c6kCZ08cEpe68sdXd940_CJBakZW-j8TBAzvzpAqxs6_XWQKnB3YJUdUgrKjANmtQf0HfP-rh4kbk06fobZa6h-TTrUxDrfapWkSj1bjfFDJ9/s1600/the+viral+factor.jpg

Another impressive thing about Nicholas was how he executed all the stunts personally, including this 8-storey jump:

Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMWj6PC9Zn1_Xs61p-12io4GU4UWp_GwAgbdN5WKu17dRwMNqa2Ub23hZlqhuyZswV-pAGJoRiwtSRrgRaakcn7958pToGreZfgJNKgRe4RTfzkLyDqsl5GEiZIf1dxtmXUv3/s1600/the_viral_factor.jpg

It was a one-take shot, which he admitted to not do again should it have been an NG shot.

I have to admit that Jay's performance in this movie is his best yet. His acting has improved by leaps and bounds. He is less stiff and gives more life to his character. I suppose, it does take more experienced actors to mentor you and a sensitive director to take you out of your shell.

Another powerful scene was where veteran actor Uncle Chi sacrificed himself to let Nicholas escape. Tears welled up in my eyes as I watched Jay frantically trying to break the door open to the carriage his father was being killed in. The crying of little Crystal made the impact even stronger.

Crystal put up a stellar performance in this movie, producing acting that was beyond her years. Who is she, I hear you ask? Well, let us walk down memory lane and recall the CNY movie by Astro called Great Day or 天天好天. Remember this scene?:

Source: http://koolcampus.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/great-day-extra-21.jpg

Yes, this nine-year-old Malaysian child star was that little girl who ran away from home to go on a search for her grandpa.

Coming back to the current movie, the last scene of her hugging Nicholas as he told her that he will be back after serving yet another prison sentence and that she has to listen to her grandma showed what raw emotions the little girl is capable of evoking. Big things are going to happen to this young lass. Another Malaysian to be proud of.

How things change. CNY used to be Once Upon A Time in China or Fong Sai Yuk by Jet Li, or New Police Story by Jackie Chan. Oh well, things have to change, ey?

那些年，我们一起追过的女孩

那些年，我们一起追过的女孩 or You Are The Apple Of My Eye is a novel written by famed Taiwanese author, Giddens Ko, or better known as 九把刀. The novel is about the personal experiences of the award-winning writer, who is equipped with an MA from Tunghai University (THU). This also means that the characters in the story are real persons.

Now that I am pursuing my postgraduate studies, I relate to why people say that an individual is attractive when talking about something he or she is passionate about and which holds significance in his or her life. Before watching the movie, I had friends revealing to me that they did not share the same enthusiasm reflected in the record-winning ticket sales of the movie in the cinemas. Despite their negative feelings towards the movie, I insisted on watching it.

For the first time in my life, I enjoyed a movie in Gold Class comfort, and a movie that tugged at my heartstrings at that. I did not find it as bad as what my friends said.

Several reasons I found the movie appealing, one of them being that it was a movie which did not require much analysing, one that is light-hearted and easy to follow. One that is perfect to unwind with after a hard day's work.

Although there was not much analysing involved, it did provoke self-reflection. I find movies that make you ponder on your own situation more worthwhile than movies that just give you an adrenaline rush for two or three hours and stop at there.

The natural acting skills of the lead characters, Kai Ko (柯震東) and Michelle Chen (陈妍希), were impressive.

Source: http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8vrn2KNMx1r02r20o1_1280.jpg

Kai Ko, especially, put up a sterling performance considering the movie his first ever. Not surprising he won the best Newcomer Award at the recent 48th Golden Horse Awards. Only 20 years of age, hopefully this young lad does not allow fame and money affect his life in a negative manner.

The story is one that is close to the heart of the author/director, which makes the movie down-to-earth and easy to relate to. Also, watching it brought back memories of my own time in high school - the constantly perverted thoughts of my male friends, the overwhelming attention the most popular girl in class receives, friends who stand up for each other, the heartbreak of high school puppy love, the agony of whether or not to start an "official" relationship.

Some of my favourite scenes in the movie include this scene of when he covers up for her and receives the punishment on her behalf. The feeling of protecting the person you care for came straight out of this scene. This was when she changed her perception and ill-feeling towards him.

The scene in which she tied her hair up in a ponytail further strengthened his feelings towards her. When she and her bestie walked past his friends and he at the school oval, he was awestruck, literally.

I liked when they went on their first date. He was still pursuing her, still in the chasing stage, which in my opinion is the sweetest and most enjoyable stage.

It is always disappointing and painful when we put plenty of effort into something and do not get any returns. In this case, they both invested much effort into making 'them' work out and yet it did not. Even though it did not work out between them, they remained friends. At her wedding dinner, the boys asked her husband if they were allowed to kiss the bride. Her husband gave the green light but first with them kissing him in the manner that they would like to kiss her. He was the first person to plunge him on a table with a passionate kiss.

All the memories of their time together played in their minds. As the flashbacks played on screen, I teared up, as I could feel the memories, as well, if you get what I mean.

"被你喜欢过，很难觉得别人有那么喜欢我..."

Early learning matters

Early learning is one of the smartest investments that we can make. Children should not be playing catch-up when they enter kindergarten, and yet so many do. If we want greater success later and a better-skilled workforce, we need to ensure the proper development of our most at-risk children at these earliest ages.

This video is by Save the Children, the world's leading independent organization for children. Their vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. Their mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. Working in rural communities across the world, ensuring children living in poverty have a chance at a fair start, Save the Children is one of the many such organisations doing such work.

Library of the Early Mind

Find out more at http://childrenslitproject.wordpress.com/

Did You Know 2.0?

This is a little dated but I still find it applicable to some extent... so enjoy...

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

A matter of loyalty

Source: http://www.traileraddict.com/content/inferno-distribution/hachiko.jpg

It is not hard to make a connection between the words 'loyalty' and 'dog'. From a young age, we are socialised in a manner whereby almost every other 'story with a moral value' included a 'loyal dog' for a pet. Even in the Chinese language, they have proverbs and adages that includes dogs watching over the house. In English, you'd have watchdogs. A watchcat would just sound plan weird. Cannot really imagine a cat doing that job, anyway.

Previously warned by friends that the movie would make me shed bucketloads of tears, I prepared a hanky. During a time I should be preparing for sleep, I instead opted to watch the whole movie under the warmth of my quilt on my lovely bed. Thank goodness I have enough pillows because for some reason, I need pillows when I cry - two to lean on, one to hug.

Perhaps I heeded a little too close to the warnings, I ended up feeling that okay, it was sad but it was not THAT sad. I was emotional during two scenes and yes, I had streams of tears flowing down my cheeks but otherwise, I was fine.

The story (and if you have watched the movie or Googled it, you would know) revolves around a dog named Hachiko. Hachiko, or 'The Eighth One', comes from a breed of Akita dogs and if you ask me, they have rather 'Asian' features. Hachiko was the pet of a professor, which routinely waited for his master at the train station every day. It was like a ritual, a special welcome home bonding time, which they both specially shared. The remarkable part of this true story is the part where Hachiko continued to wait for his master, not realising that his master who failed to return to the station had died in the university ten years before. So yes, Hachiko's patience, perseverance and I guess, loyalty, spanned ten years.

I was roped into thinking about this issue of loyalty again when a friend of mine became emotional over a love lost. Although it has been two years, he still feels the pain of losing her even with the slightest of provocations. He considers himself a loyal guy. But is that really loyalty when you put into the equation the part where you cannot stand the sight of her better dressed and seemingly leading a better life without you? Or is it simply just you not able to put down the past and move on with your own life?

On a different note, what about partners who relocate? Say your girlfriend accepted the offer to work for a leading airlines and would have to relocate to their country of operations. She would be there for five years and would come back to see you as often as possible. Both of you make the commitment to be with each other. So what are you to do when you find out that yes, she is still 'with' you but over there, she is also 'with' someone else? Did she break her promise? Or what if she is still with you but she is no longer in love with you?

Some would argue that loyalty is manifested in different forms. I agree. So maybe my form of loyalty may differ from yours but that does not mean that either of us are neither right nor wrong. Just different.

For me, it is simple. I stand by the people who have brought me thus far in life. I do not need to love them and agree to their engineering. I only need to be there for them, to provide them the support in the form they require.

Have you Woohoo-ed yet?

my fm has been promoting their CNY comedy for weeks. Being an ardent supporter of locally produced movies, I was looking forward to catching the show before I leave for Sydney. I tried for a few days and yesterday, finally, I was given the opportunity.

The opening credits were attractive. It gave a very CNY feel with the bright red backdrop. The animation was so cute - loved the little lion prancing about the sakura trees. I was anticipating a good show even more.

The director could not have chosen a better character for Ah Beng, the 'jobless security guard'. It is as if Jack Lim aka Lam Tuck Weng of the Sunshine Show on my fm was cut out exactly for that role. His facial expressions, the slang and high-pitched voice... what a combo!

Jason aka Ah Xian played the char kuay teow guy. So befitting, I thought. I mean, he is the host for a culinary program on Astro after all. His name goes hand in hand with food.

Of course, the other characters in the show were great, too, but somehow, these two created deeper impressions in my mind.

To me, the whole show was a job well done. With minimal financial support (Dad heard that the cow in the show got paid more than Jason), the cast and crew managed to pull off quite a feat. I thought it was very Yasmin Ahmad style but of course, credit goes to Director Chiu for making it personal.

I don't think the comedic part of the movie is the part that is making it popular. Instead, I feel that it is the intimate connection that we, the audience, feel. Why? Well, it was shot locally in Kuantan so we get local scenes of the beach, a kampung, a fishing village, of children running around barefooted. Also, the language used throughout the movie was the familiar language of Malaysia - a campur of everything. Mainly in Mandarin, it also had Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka, Malay and English. On top of that, there were the familiar faces and voices of the my fm deejays and Astro presenters.

Personally, I thought the best element of the movie was the heart-warming messages it was trying to get across to the audience - filial piety, humility and appreciation. There were parts of the show that made the audience totally silent with emotion. Darn, even I had tears rolling down my cheeks during the scene where one of the four little girls begged the three KL lads to stay. And, there was also the part where the grandfather's face was a whole picture of disappointment when money was made into a bigger issue than tradition.

The movie reminded me of what our society is becoming, or has become. The competitiveness and harsh expectations of life are hurdles that every member of the society struggles to overcome. Some does it better than others. But different people attach different meanings to how they do 'better' than others. Yes, you may earn more money and are able to spend your family to overseas trips and all but hey, do you do it to show others or do you do it because you really want to reciprocate the sacrifices made by your family?

So many of us aim high not knowing why. We get so caught up in the rat race that all we do is for the sake of doing. True meaning? Tak tau. This movie reminded me of the adage: where there's a will, there's a way. This applies to everything that we do, no matter how hard or how simple. It could be something like buying over a multi-million dollar company or selling char kuay teow. It could be starting a family or it could be talking to refugees once a week. All it takes is to put your heart into what you do, a passionate heart. Slowly, but surely, you will find your way through the thicket and out into the open pastures.

So, have you Woohoo-ed yet? My suggestion is, if you have not, you should. Support the local movie scene, support the charity organisations that proceeds of the ticket sales go to. Support and practice the never-say-die spirit that the movie promotes.

Don't tell me you don't have the time and money. I know you have plenty of both because you have time to sit at Starbucks for hours chatting about God knows what over coffee that costs more than one movie ticket.

Save KL!

I received this from Petra a few weeks ago and I apologise for putting this up only now. It's almost the end of the month! So guys, please take a look at it, click on the links, watch the videos, download the documents and whatever else. If you live in KL, all the more you should take the time and effort because if you don't, I don't know who else will. It's your home and your own future you are deciding on!

If you want to participate and have a say in how your neighbourhood and KL will develop over the next 12 years, check out the video below. Mr. Derek Fernandez (urban planning lawyer & MPPJ councillor) talks about the complex & controversial Draft Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 released by DBKL. They've even prepared a downloadable 'Dummy's Guide' because they really love simplifying things for other people!


If you have a blog, please embed the episode.

If you have email, please forward.

If you have concerns, please raise them now. You have until the end of the month - the dateline for public response to the draft is 31 August 2008!

Visit Pop TV & Vision KL 2020

The Girl Effect

I just had to show you guys something Pet shared with me:

Let's start winter...

... with something that tugs at the heartstrings...

aiyo, so cute lah...

August Rush

Music is all around us... all you have to do is listen...

And I couldn't agree more. August Rush began screening in cinemas on Thursday last week and that was when we (Yu Sheng, Jenny and I) went to watch it. It was Chap Goh Meh night so of course we had to kick back and relax la! At first, we decided to watch it at Greater Union Macquarie but mana tau, they were not screening it on that night. Then we tried Reading Cinemas Rhodes.... and yes!

We thought we were late as it was already 9:30pm when we were queueing up for the tickets. Good thing I brought my student card along as I managed to get a student ticket! Muahahahahaha.... Luckily, one more trailer was still on when we walked into the cinema and... IT WAS TOTALLY EMPTY!

I was not sure whether it was empty because it was the last show for the day or because the show sucks. Anyhow, I liked the trailers shown on TV so I still held hope. As we had the whole cinema to ourselves, we sat in the middle, where the view was best (or at least, best for me).

In the beginning, it was unclear as to who Freddie Highmore was playing. It was confusing as they were moving backwards and forwards with scenes of Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Kerri Russell. But without those scenes, we would be left even more clueless as the movie progressed so I guess, they were important. I'd have to say that it doesn't take a genius to work out who these three people play though.

Watching Freddie act is just delightful. You can't help but smile and he is happy and feel yourself tearing up when you see him all downcast. I could not control my smile as I watched him master the guitar and compose his own orchestral piece! In my mind, I was saying, "Wow, he's playing Mozart!" Oh, and yes, please grab a copy of the soundtrack - Kaki King guitar pieces included!!

Robin Williams, as always, played his part very well. He was scary and so unlike the funnyman that he normally plays. Jonathan Rhys Meyers, in my very honest opinion, sings better than he acts. Yu Sheng even thought that he was a singer turned actor. Kerri Russell also put up a credible performance, especially the part where she finally found out about what her father has been keeping from her.

Although, I agree with Audrey that it is slightly fairytale-like, I'd like to think that life can be a fairytale if you let it be. Like Freddie's character, we need to believe. Believing makes everything else work. If you do not listen to yourself, who will?

I like!

The message this ad spreads is just... inspiring....

Freedom Film Festival

What is the connection between freedom, film and festival?

They all rock!

What do you say?

Say it at www.freedomfilmfest.komas.org

Sept 29-Oct 1, 2006 at Taylor's College, Subang Jaya.