Happy New Year 01/01/2010
 from WikiMedia Add Comment Vincere 29/12/2009
 Poster for Vincere, a fim by Marco Bellocchio A passionate tale of love and betrayal, made more riveting by Giovanna Mezzogiorno's portrayal of Ida Dalser, Mussolini's first wife who was abandoned by him and ultimately locked up for life in a mental institution. Filippo Timi, who plays the role of Benito Mussolini and his son by Ida, also provides an outstanding performance in his role of Il Duce, which he later caricatures -- in his role as the grown-up son of Ida -- mimicking Mussolini rallying the troops and citizens. As the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) puts it, the combination of "drama, archive footage, and music creating a highly cinematic oratorio of enormous emotional force" (synopsis) sets the heroic tone of the movie. And, at the movie's end, makes the audience wanting for more. Team America 29/12/2009
 Poster from Wikipedia This is the film to show your class when discussing American foreign policy. Trey Parker, the creator of South Park, shows us the Ugly American in action -- stop-motion animation style. See how Americans, thinking themselves as superheroes (perhaps because they grew up reading The Justice League), destroy the Parisian landmarks in a minute or less. Of course, they also pat themselves on the back for a job well done stopping terrorists from blowing up the city. This 2004 comedy film skewers not just American politics (both Left and Right), but also Hollywood, action movies, and politically-vocal Hollywood actors. It also features one of the longest gratuitous and graphic sex scenes ever in movies using marionettes as actors. Of course watching this film from so-called Third World lens, I couldn't help but nod in agreement at the ineptness of Team America's swashbuckling braggadocio. On second thought, though, I realized that by parodizing through their film the incompetence of American foreign policy, Trey Parker and company were also underlining their country's value for freedom, and how that virtue qualifies them to indeed act as "the world's police." Holiday feast 27/12/2009
Yes, I know what Christmas is supposed to be. But if you're Filipino, you know no other way to celebrate Christ's birth except by serving a feast for family and friends. Look at it this way, then. The holiday fare is really a thanksgiving feast that family and friends can share. It's our way of saying thank you for all the blessings received all year round, and for the grace allowed us in overcoming the obstacles (seemingly insurmountable at that time) that this year brought. And think of the intent and the preparation that went into this celebration -- the joyous prospect of gathering family members and friends from far and wide under one roof to partake of this feast with goodwill. And because we're Filipinos, we cannot help but think of celebrations as events where we can share food with each other. But then again, Homer wrote something about how feasting usually precedes moments of solemnity (and sometimes grimness). In the Odyssey, for example, he narrates how the shipwrecked warriors slaughtered and feasted on the cattle they espied upon reaching shore. Only when they were sated did these same warriors begin to mourn their drowned comrades. So we, too, scratching our full bellies and sipping tea or coffee to aid our digestion, begin to ponder our fate and faith this season of Christ's birth and of the passing of the year into a new decade of this second millennium. Underground 20/12/2009
 Emir Kusturica's 1995 film, Undergound (or, Once Upon a Time There Was a Country), plots how the madness of violence and war can change not just the landscapes of our lives but also the maps into our humanity. Read the synopsis of the film from Wikipedia (where I also got the poster photo). And here's a YouTube video of the film's opening scene: Here we see the film's two main characters, Blacky and Marko, two rogues of friends who start off from playing Robin Hood to becoming gunrunners before their passion for a stage actress tests their loyalties to each other and to their country. Their story parallels Yugoslavia's history from the German invasion to the Yugoslav wars (thus the alternate movie title). This is a must-see movie not just for its storyline or theme but also for some memorable scenes, to name just a few: the bombing of Belgrade, right after that opening scene; Ivan's search in the underground for his pet chimp Soni; and the paradisaical ending with the ironic breaking away of an island. Holiday break 20/12/2009
 Hark the herald angels sing Here comes the holiday break for Christmas and the New Year. It's a two-week break for those in academe, as school resumes in January 4, 2010 yet. I plan to spend the holidays catching up on my recreational reading and watching movies while in the company of family and friends back in Leyte. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year everyone! Metaphor 19/12/2009
 Priestman Atkinson's Punch parody All shook up, that's how James Geary describes how the metaphor allows us to understand life and how it provides new insights into life. Here's his lecture on Ted.com: |
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