NEW YEAR'S DAY

Romantic comedies are such a guilty pleasure, especially during cold, wet and rainy days like this one. It seems as though I've been seeking light-hearted films lately, especially when I'm delving into deeply intellectual novels like 1Q84. I seem to be digressing from my point. 

One of my colleagues at work said that it's difficult to find something completely original in the Hollywood scene. I'll have to agree. Love Actually was one of the original fore-runners of this particular style of film. Incorporate a lot of characters with inter-mingled plots, lots of big acting names and relationships plus add a holiday- the end result is simple. You get films like Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve in the mix. 

Honestly, I was quite critical of Valentine's Day when I first watched it in the theatres. I thought they were trying to provide an American twist to the British Love Actually. The latest addition to such holiday films, entitled New Year's Eve seems promising. Another American film with plenty of big names littered in its storyline. 

The film comes out in Australian theatres on the 8th of December. I guess that I'll give my assessment then. I might be tempted to watch a certain film about a girl who has to choose between a vampire and a werewolf while waiting. 

1Q84

So a couple of posts ago, I mentioned how I was reading The Devil Wears Prada. I've decided to put it on hold (yet again) as I had been utterly intrigued by the newest addition to Haruki Murakami's repertoire.

Murakami is one of my favourite authors to date. He has written best sellers like 『ノルウェーの森』(Norwegian Wood) and Dance, Dance, Dance. my favourite Murakami novel is the former.

1Q84 looks like a promising read. I've only just started it. Three chapters in, I know that I'm hooked. I'll give my assessment of it when I finish. So far, it's been a very interesting journey. Like One Day, it reads a bit like a screenplay. Either that, or I just happen to have an overactive imagination.

You can purchase 1Q84 at any good bookstore. Sydney's Kinokuniya offers a special price. The RRP is $39.95, but there you can get it for just $29.95. I think it's a pretty good price- I mean, you happen to get BOOK ONE, BOOK TWO and BOOK THREE of 1Q84 in one nice little hard-bound package.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

image taken from Lauren Weisberger's official site

I'm afraid that my insomniac tendencies have arisen once again. I've started reading yet another book in my arsenal. I've accumulated a large pile of books that I have to read. I guess that trips to my favourite bookshop cafe in Paddington during the semester didn't really do much good with regard to making the pile of books any smaller. On the contrary...

I got my copy of The Devil Wears Prada from a charity stall a few months ago. I haven't touched it until today. I decided to give my mind and my eyes a bit of a breather from reading One Day. Unlike the latter, I have indeed seen the film version of the Prada story. Honestly, I was more distracted by the clothing worn by the talented Miss Anne Hathaway in the middle scenes of the film. I have yet to give a proper review about this book, but I did enjoy the film when I watched it.

Delving away from the subject of the book, Lauren Weisberger's official site is quite elegant and quite easy to navigate. I rather liked the use of the shoes to point visitors to the right direction. Tres chic. 

I really should sleep. 

THE VOW (2012)

They tell us that each moment that happens in our lives happens for a reason. People also enjoy reminding each other to live each moment as though it is our last. Imagine what it would be like to forget about everything that's happened in your life... Imagine having that second chance to make things right.

For lovers of romantic comedies or tear-jerking love stories, this one looks like a promising film to watch. Apparently it is inspired by real-life events. In early 2012, we can expect The Vow to hit cinemas.

The theme of amnesia and the chance to rebuild relationships is something that is not completely new, according to Hollywood standards. They've done something similar in 50 First Dates (starring Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler) as well as an older film entitled While You Were Sleeping that starred Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. I wonder how this film will differ, and how brilliant the acting will be. We can probably expect something good to come out of Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum's collaboration. Until then, we can probably enjoy the trailer.

What I'll be waiting to see (aside from the plot) are the costumes worn by the beautiful Rachel McAdams. From what I can tell, her character is pretty stylish, as always. Considering that the film will be about making vows and so forth, we can probably expect a wedding dress or two...

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ちょんまげプリン/A BOY AND HIS SAMURAI

One thing that people should know about me is the fact that I enjoy watching Japanese films. Although this particular film had been shown in Japanese cinemas in 2010, I had not had the opportunity to watch it until today.

The film that I am talking about is entitled 『ちょんまげプリン』also known as A Boy and His Samurai. The plot is about a time-travelling samurai who ends up discovering that he has a talent for creating sweets.

Aside from the amusement of watching a time-displaced samurai attempt to fit into a more modern social mould, the story is rather touching. The bond between the boy, his Mum and the samurai are explored just as much as his talent for manipulating sweets.

Nishikido Ryo's talents as an actor were showcased in several drama series in the past few years. Seeing him act as a gruff samurai who ends up showing people that he has a really soft, gooey heart beneath the toughness was an interesting experience in itself.

This is a film that I enjoyed watching. I found parts of the story to be a bit slow, but it slowly became better as it progressed.

『ちょんまげプリン』is one of the films that will be showcased at the Japanese Film Festival this year. The screenings are limited, so check the official Japanese Film Festival site for more information.

MARY POPPINS

To celebrate my Mum's birthday, I took her to watch Mary Poppins at Sydney's Capitol Theatre.

For once, I did not have any expectations with regard to the theatre. When my Mum and I watched The Phantom of the Opera (with Anthony Warlow) for my birthday a couple of years ago, we were both sorely disappointed. I think we expected a little bit too much from the production. We watched The Lion King three times when it ran in Sydney and absolutely adored each moment. Another favourite was Wicked, because of its freshness and vibrancy. Both Wicked and The Lion King had dynamic set and costume designs, as well as an exquisite musical score.

The musical mirrored some elements of the original film with Julie Andrews. What I enjoyed about it was the fact that the theatre production had its own individuality that sets it apart from the screenplay. New musical scores were written to suit the additional scenes that were not in the film. Likewise, I found that the characters' personalities and characteristics were explored a bit more. There was greater substance in them, as well as more points for improvement, which were used quite effectively as a plot development device.

As an aspiring costume designer, I adored the colours and textures that were present on stage. We had a fairly good vantage point, especially from our seats in the Stalls section of the theatre. It was quite fascinating to see how the costume designer for this production adapted historical elements like bustles, trains and peoples' silhouettes to suit the characters. I also enjoyed seeing the set design, which adapted paper folding and doodling to create a sense of playfulness. The set was simple but quite effective, especially in the progression from one scene to the next.

The dancing was impeccable.

My Mum and I had a wonderful night at the theatre. Mary Poppins will be running at the Capitol Theatre for a few more weeks. Tickets may be booked at Ticketmaster.

ONE DAY (reprise)

I promised in an earlier blog entry that I was going to do a proper review of One Day. Thanks again to Hachette Australia and MX magazine for giving me such a lovely present!

I suppose that it is both a blessing and a curse that I am a speed-reader. I really wanted to enjoy and savour the experience and prolong my reading time. This was not the opportunity for "slow" reading, albeit I did it at a leisurely pace.


One Day was a lovely read. From the first chapter, Nicholls managed to engage the reader through characters and a plot that ordinary people can relate to. The division of chapters into years probably made the journey with the characters a lot easier to follow. In a sense, the reader matured with the characters.

The story panned out like a film. Each moment that I read seemed real- as though I was a voyeur that witnessed the lives of two people who seemed tied together by fate. The story was light, although it dealt with deeper undertones of personal insecurity and the internal demons the protagonists had to face.

I found the story to be quite smart and fresh. I wish that I could have savoured the story a bit more, like a glass of merlot. Then again, I believe that I can pick this book up more than once, and re-immerse myself in the story again and again.

I haven't seen the film yet. I might be a bit critical of it because the book was utterly delightful. This is definitely a book that I'll recommend to people.