"To be true to yourself" - A Response

From Persepolis, Marjane’s grandmother told her “to be true to herself” and to be true to their culture. The quote “to be true to herself” is a strong quote since in most of the films that are watched, many of the characters start off with either being true to themselves or not at all and learns to in the end. The character that I see to be the one who is true to him or herself is Kabir Khan, the character from Chak De! India.He’s the one that I felt was strong in being true to himself the whole entire film.

Kabir Khan

Kabir Khan was a famous hockey player for India. But at his last shot he failed his team with a wrong move. But due to the paparazzi, they accused Kabir as being a traitor and the one helping the opposing team to win. Did he? Well, no, he did not. He loved his country.

Even though Kabir was threaten of his life and banned from playing in the India’s hockey team, he still held on for many years, until an opportunity came to him; he became India’s women’s hockey team’s coach. Everyone looked down upon him for what he supposedly was said to had done to his country. But he just brushes their words off his shoulder even though it does hurt.

With the women’s hockey team, everyone thought that they were going to be a failure, just because they were women. But Kabir didn’t see it like that at all; he saw that there was a possibility of winning, and getting India back on top. That’s why he wouldn’t let them off so easily.

Kabir and his team

Overall, Kabir was true to himself by drilling it into his head that, he didn’t do anything wrong, he was blamed. Not only that but he still kept hockey within himself. And it goes with the women’s hockey team, where he still has hopes for the team to win for the country. All of this showed how he was being true to himself and to his country, not giving up so easily even though everyone was looking down on him. 

The Triplets of Belleville- Review

From Beginning to End (A Summary): 

This film began with Champion having a small tricycle as a gift from his grandmother, Madame Souza. Champion always wanted a bike. From since then on, Madame Souza helped push Champion in biking long distance.

Of course one day, Champion was kidnapped by one of the French Mafia. Champion was used and toyed with as little testing rats, running on a bike competing with other captives, for a gamble set off by the mafia.

With the help from the Triplets of Belleville, Madame Souza along with Bruno, Madame's dog, they were able to locate the gambling area and rescue Champion.

Featured Songs/ Musics:

Benoit Charest

The songs that are featured in The Triplets of Belleville are snappy and quaint. The melodies are composed by  Benoit Charest. From this film, the Triplets of Belleville uses everyday items in the household, such as the refrigerator, newspapers and vacuum. Not only that, but the theme song that is sung is the "Belleville Rendez-Vous", which have a classic touch and is catchy.


Here is a video of the song "Belleville Rendez-Vous" :

My Thoughts:

I got to say that what I wanted to hear from this film was fulfilling! I really love the music that was featured in the film; it's the kinds that I don't usually will hear nor listen to. This film is a must watch.

The Triplets of Belleville- PostReview

Background Info:


The Triplets of Belleville is a animated French film. It was released in 2003. This film was directed by Sylvain Chomet.

This film barely have dialogues. But this film of course told to us as audience through the songs and the actions that occurs.

The film has it own praise; for having a unique retro touch to it. This film has won 2 Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.

The Story (In Short): 

So, the story of this film is about an elderly lady, Madame Souza, who is on the go, to rescue her grandson, Champion, who was kidnapped by a mafia for the purpose of gambling. On her journey, she meets the Triplets of Belleville, who helped her in rescuing Champion.

Looking Forward To ...

I'm looking forward to the music that will be featured in this film. Not only that but the retro touch on the animation too.

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon - Review

From Beginning to End (A Summary):


This film was a 2000 martial art film. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was directed by Ang Lee. The film is based off on Chinese stories, known as the Crane Iron Pentalogy.
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon became a international success; winning them over 40 awards. The awards that they won was the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, in Taiwan, nominated for also for Best Foreign Film and Best Picture.

The film is about two warriors, Master Li Mu Bai and Yu Shu Lien, who are in search for the stolen sword and the one who stole the sword; who in which is a nobleman's daughter, Jen Yu. Jen Yu with the sword goes off in being a "fake" noble sword man. On Jen Yu's adventure of going through the 'world', her past lover, Luo Xiao Hu comes in search for her, wanting to bring her back to the desert. But of course when, Li Mu Bai caught up with Jen Yu, they fought. But Jen Yu was saved by her master, and taken to a cave, where she was poisoned. Li Mu Bai caught up with them, and found Jen Yu slowly being poisoned. Li Mu Bai was attack by Jen Yu's master and was poisoned very deadly. Jen Yu knew the cure, but came too late to save him. In the end, Yu Shu Lien points Jen Yu to Luo Xiao Hu's hideout. From there, she jumped off the cliff, wishing for him a great life in the desert.

Wu Xia Novel:

Buddhist 

The Wu Xia martial arts came from the Chinese novel genre, for which features martial art heroes, who knows how to fight, such as swordsmen. These Wu Xia novels are set in ancient China, each story having their own kind focus on a certain martial art; for which these focus are on Buddhism, Taoism, Yishu and many other kinds.

The definition of "martial arts" in Chinese means to stop fighting. For where these novels are written in ways where justice is brought out and evil is cleared out.

Taoist 

My Thoughts: 

I thought that overall this film was fascinating. The martial arts are wonderful. It makes me want to know how to fly too.

Sword lady 

A Cultural Bridge - The King & Me

There are many characters in the many movies that have been watched within the class. These characters can overall be found being determine and a dynamic kind of person throughout the film. Of course the one character that I thought stood out for me is King George the VI, from The King’s Speech. King George VI is trouble speaking, determine with his current situation, and willing to give things a try.

King George VI have always had the trouble of speaking up, whether it is a speech to an individual or group, and even to go against someone. He just stutters. This stuttering of course came to be when he was still little; he was afraid actually, to start out with. But with a little push of support from his wife and his friend the therapist, he was able to speak up and be so ever strong.

There were times when King George VI did not think that such treatment would ever help him recover from his stuttering. But due to wanting to do what’s right for the country and for himself, he then of course did whatever exercise the therapist told him to do. King George VI did bail out, but he still stuck with the therapist. He didn’t know at all of how the results would be but he still was determined to get his voice back in place.

Overall, King George was willing to give things a try. Even though the therapist was telling him to do weird and maybe even unnecessary exercises, such as talking like singing, he still gave it a try. He doesn’t want to, but to prove the therapist wrong, he went up with the challenge. Going up with these exercise, King George learns that there is and can be a possible positive outcome of his voice, but yet he was also nervous.

To tie King George VI in the cultural brigde, I compare myself to him as almost similar, but in different circumstances. With how King George VI’s speaking ability in the beginning, it’s reminds me of myself, since I also have a weak public speaking skills. But of course after having done some practices I’ve improved bits by bits; not so much but enough to also see results. Within the film, I see that he’s determined to speak, speak better. And with that, I also found myself to want to speak better, since I know that I can speak, and that I have a voice too in me. Not only that but, the way that King George VI was willing to try also reminded myself of myself. I was told to try anything no matter what, cause sometimes it is just good to try and overcome any fear that, that “thing”, whether it is food, bungee jumping, snowboarding, swimming, or learning to drive a car, there will be a result, a good one too, to learn of yourself. 

The Fish Fall In Love - A Review

From Beginning to End (A Summary):

The Fish Fall in Love is an Iranian film. This film here was directed by Ali Raffi'i. The film of course took place in Iran and is know as Mahiha Ham Ashegh Mishavand. The Fish Fall in Love was released in January 2007. 


This film began with the main character, Aziz, who went back to his home place in Iran. His plan of returning back to his hometown was to sell remaining family possessions. But when Aziz reaches the home of his birthplace, he finds out that his family house was already occupied and used as a restaurant by his past ex-girlfriend, Atieh, and three other ladies; one of them her daughter, Touka. All four ladies cooks and serve Aziz's plates, hoping to change his mind into not selling off the house and land. Aziz in fact does not sell the house. He left it the way it is already taken. But of course meeting up with Atieh again after so many years, their love for one another has not left the air. But then, Aziz "disappears" again, leaving the love between them unfinished but with an ending. 


Food I-Ran:

chelow kabab

There' are many food [ dishes ] that are found in this film. For sure enough, the foods are what Iranians do eat. 


Here is the national dish that Iranians will either be cooking and eating. 


Chelow Kabab: Consist of lamb meat marinated in lemon juice/yogurt, onions, saffron. Served with grilled onions and tomatoes on top of chelow - with butter poured on top, along with a raw egg yolk.

chelow [a type of rice]

My Thought:


I got to say that this film sure got me hungry; hungry for some curry! It is well filmed; this film just brings the warmth of a local restaurant in any town or city. 

My Life in Pink (Ma Vie En Rose)- Review

From Beginning to End (A Summary):

Ma Vie En Rose, or My Life in Pink, is a Belgium-France film. It was filmed in Belgium, but the language spoken in the film is French. This film was released in 1997 and was directed by Alain Berliner. The film was nominated for Golden Globe Best Foreign Film.

My Life in Pink, is a film about a little boy name Ludovic. Ludovic personally feels and "knows" that he is in the wrong body, and accidentally was bore into a boys body. Ludovic dresses up as a girl, but his family and neighbors thinks that it is a joke.

Soon enough Ludovic falls in love with his dad's boss' son, Jerome, and told his mother that when he's a girl they'll get marry.

After the incident of being in the Boss' deceased daughter's room, Jerome and his parents looked at Ludovic differently.

Not only that, Ludovic's parents even took him to a psychiatrist to help "cure" him. But of course it had no effect.

Ludovic was treated badly from his parents, and so he forces himself to become a boy.

Jerome and Ludovic

But right before the school play, Ludovic saw his chance of being girl and getting Jerome to himself. He locked the girl, who was playing the main role with Jerome, in the bathroom and stole her outfit. Then on stage as Jerome was to suppose to kiss the girl, he found that it was Ludovic, and he backed away not knowing that he pulled the viel off of Ludovic's face. Thus everyone in the audience [all the parents] were in shocked and almost disgusted.

Every since that happened, the neighbors treated Ludovic and his family differently, as if something was really wrong.

Therefore in the end, the family moved out of the town to a different town. By then of course, Ludovic does his best to not be a girl. But at a neighbor's costume birthday party, Ludovic's outfit was switched by force, and without realizing what happened Ludovic's mother slapped him and threatening him.

In the end, Ludovic's family learns to accept the situation since he is a family member.

Transexual:

From this film, we can totally see that being gay, lesbian, or transexual, is what others do not want in their family. In the film, it is seen and considered as dishonoring the family, and a shameful thing.

The way that the parents of Ludovic reacted were in fact overboard. They were not willingly to accept the fact that Ludovic sees himself as a girl, therefore resulted in yelling, slapping, threatening, and being treated differently.  Even now within the whole wide world, that's how it still be, due to cultures and family name.

A good example of this happening in the world now is Bell Nuntrita, who is also a transexual. She appeared in Thailand Got Talent, for a competition and showed her skill in singing as a girl and guy. Nunita gave a little inside of her life where her father did not accept that she's a trans and beats her up. But she proved her dad wrong, by singing so beautifully appealing to the audience.

My Thought: 

I thought that this film was good and should be watched. It brings in a lot of what and how others maybe living their life as, being gay, lesbian or transexual.

Waking Ned Devine - Review

Background Info:

Waking Ned Devine is a comedy film that was directed by Kirk Jones. This film was filmed in Ireland on the location of Isles of Man. This film was released on November 20, 1998. The actor, David Kelly got nominated for the  Screen Actor's Guild award.

From Beginning to End (A Summary):


This film is about two good elderly friends, Jackie O'Shea and Michael O'Sullivan, who found out that someone in their town won the lottery ticket and in searched of the winner. They found out that it was one of their friend, Ned Devine. Of course when they went to see him, they found him dead, smiling, and holding onto his lottery ticket.

Jackie later was convinced by one of his dream that Ned Devine wants to share his money to everyone in the town. Therefore on  the day that the mister who came to inspect the "winner" Jackie and Michael fooled the man. They imposed as Ned Devine and signed the contracts. The inspector was not just done yet, he planned to visit and bring in the money with two weeks. Therefore when he left, Jackie and Michael brought everyone in the town together to discuss and to have them lie along with them to obtain the money. Of course everyone was happy to be a part f it since it they'll be getting a share of the money. Everyone was willing to, but one person, Lizzie Qyinn.

On the day that they gave Ned Devine his funeral, the inspector came and gave them the check. Happily they all were, but Lizzie  Quinn did not give up and went to a phone booth that was away from their town to dial to the lottery place and call in for the impersonation of the town. But as she dials, the inspector drove up and coming his way was a truck! The inspector dodged the truck and slammed the phone booth that had Lizzie Quinn in there right down the cliff.

In the end everyone basically were happy and drank bottoms up to Ned Devine.

Irish Features (Culture):

From viewing this film I found it to be that in the Irish culture (if my assumption is correct) that Irish people love to drink for almost all occassion - happy occassions, along with that music too; musics that are fast beating rthyms to the heart and ears. From this film we also get the sense of gatherings of families too.


My Thoughts on the Film:

Overall I thought that this film was funny. It pulled out all the things that one person or a group of people can do to obtain one thing in life. I recommend this film to anyone over the age of 13.