Saturday, February 20, 2010

The Proposal 2009 : A Review and Some Thoughts


My son's been itching to watch The Proposal, and I've been adamant in PG'ing it. My son's 10 years old and is at that age when kids are curious about grown up things and think/feel brave enough to take on "adult" stuff. Well, I'm one of those protective mothers who wants to keep her cub in the den... But heck, one adult said the "adult" scenes weren't obscene or lewd - and indeed they weren't and bless him, my son found the birthday suits scene hilarious. I was at wit's end trying to keep my protectiveness at bay while barely stifling guffaws!

I also had to tell him that love stories like those are just in the movies (yeah, ma, they're fiction, you've been saying that since I was little). I had to say that lest he thought it was ok to short circuit love... I had to say my brief spiel on love, friendship and respect...

God, to be a mom!

Eventually, Andrew and Margaret's characters grew on me, and the development of the story caught on my sentimental side, that I was actually crying (eeek, yes! it's one of my weaknesses!). My son asked "Do you like the movie ma?" And my reply was "Do you think I'd still get married?" (Haller?!!!) And then he hugged me. "Yeah, you can get married ma." Yep, that's my son.

Now when Margaret admitted to their charade in that barn wedding scene, I had to say "Now that's very brave! She did the right thing." ("You do like the movie.")

It was really nice, that movie. "But that's a fairy tale, kid."

***

Speaking of proposals, now I understand why the American husband of my friend looooves telling his proposal story where he gets down on his knee, opens the Tiffany box with the rock and pops the question. And he is astounded that my friend was speechless, she almost spaced out. All this in the backdrop of New York with the view from the Brooklyn Bridge (when I was not there LOL). And he loves telling that story over and over again.

I was reminded of this during the scene in The Proposal when Andrew's ex-girlfriend asks them to tell the proposal story... And the guests at their party were intent on listening to their story... Fast forward to the end where Andrew actually proposes to Margaret, his former tormentor, with purpose and conviction in his former concentration camp - the office, and the onlookers, their officemates were all dissolved into mush...

Gosh I wonder if that happens in real life... Come to think of it, romantic proposals worth recounting happened as it did to my friend. (She's the one who gets embarrassed each time her husband relates it with such gusto, you can't help but get engaged - no pun intended!).

That's The United States of Hollywood for you, and I have to admit, I love it too!

Wallpaper from this site.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Jerry F4ever ;-D


Sigh. It's past my bedtime and I just finished wrapping some presents for friends: a mother (her birthday tomorrow) and daughter (the latter being my godchild, whose Christmas present I ordered and just arrived). I thoroughly enjoyed wrapping the gifts - but it took me one hour to find the perfect motif for the ribbons and charms. So now, it is past my bedtime and tomorrow is the last day of the working week (yahoo!) -

To watch or not to watch? I'm now at episode 10 of The Hospital starring dreamy Jerry as Dr. Su Yihua, and am I having a ball!

This time around, I am enjoying my eye candy sans the anger and violence of Dau Ming Sz (of my all-time favorite Meteor Garden). In The Hospital, Jerry's character is more subdued as the underdog (ahem!!!). His acting is more dynamic than as he was in Magic Kitchen (where his acting was subject to criticisms, i.e., Jerry just smoldered. [lol!] - and I have to agree, his acting in Magic Kitchen was flat). But this time around, the variety of facial expressions of Dr. Su is absolutely - sigh - heartmelting.

Overall impact? Mushy in an Asian sort of way. I was thinking before that The Hospital was another poor imitation of Grey's Anatomy (which I avidly watched until I couldn't stand the musical chairs of romantic and sexual partners). Well, the producers of The Hospital, also known as White Tower, did follow the Western suit of creating TV serieses based on lives of professionals in the medical field, and though not an original concept (what's original these days, anyway?!), The Hospital is highly watchable (I'm biased :D).

Eye candy is number one, second is the Asian flavor of dealing with the issues (the ceremonies behind transactions, blind respect for hierarchy, the awkward fight for idealism which is a "new" concept for "obedient" Asians, to name some), and the assimilation of Western "values" into the Asian context is quite interesting. I would like to say I'm in it for the story. Well, maybe, but definitely I'm in it for the pleasure of watching Jerry move haha - and okay,I admit, to see the unfolding of the subplots, which are well, Asian kinda good.

And I love that, Asian kinda good...

To watch or not to watch. I'll decide while I take a bath (which reminds me, Jerry has a safe and sexy bath scene which almost made me faint! hahah!)

More on this latah!

P.S. Love his team up with Janine Chang! Sweet!

Got the image from tsinoy.com