two movies and many thanks
written: 5:55 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2003

In the words of Marcia Gay Harden, Pollock is the most unsentimental love story ever.

Okay, so maybe those aren't her exact words but the crux of it is there.

I think that there's nothing like a great film to make you want to write, to make you think. Great films are the food for great thoughts and inspired poetry. I've been wanting to watch 'Pollock' ever since I saw the snippets showed during the 2001 Oscars (I think) when they introduced the Best Supporting Actress and Best Actor nominees, and recently, I got it from the Esplanade library.

Can't say I was very captivated on the whole, but some individual scenes were brilliant. The one that impressed and had me in awe the most was one of the first few scenes, when Jackson and Lee share their first intimate encounter. I love the shadows and the body language in that scene; it was beautiful. It was, dare I say, love. I'd choose that scene to make myself believe in love again over other, recycled and trite scenes with a man and a woman telling each other, "I love you."

The unsentimental love story moved me, so much that I hated Pollock towards the end of the movie for hooking up with Jennifer Connelly's character. I mean, seriously, Lee gave up her whole bleeding career for that man and that's how he repaid her?! And his mistress's friend annoyed me senseless as well. I think the movie almost kind of sucked when Lee was out of the picture.

Interestingly, I've not heard of Jackson Pollock prior to knowing about this film. Ed Harris did some really beautiful work in there. And needless to say, his performance was top-notch. Did he lose to Russell Crowe for the Best Actor Oscar? Feh. Figures. I love Joaquin, but Russell Crowe is bleeding overrated. How could he have won over Geoffrey Rush in Quills and Ed Harris in this movie? I used to think "Gladiator" is really good, mostly because of Joaq but pleeeease, it's a stupid movie. Seriously. Joaq is the only good thing about that two-hour-and-forty-five-minutes torture.

Anyway, I kept waiting for Pollock to get back with Krasner but he just had to crash his car in a 'suicidal car crash'. Yeah, sure, a suicidal car crash with two other people in the car with him.

Kinda figures too. Geniuses are usually mentally-disturbed. It's what make their art so profound. Van Gogh went insane and cut off his own ear, Carroll was a drug-addict-cum-hustler, Kafka was perpetually alienated, and many other examples that elude me right now, but I'm sure you get my point.

Does this mean that the only way to make my crap stand out is for me to go crazy too?

Moving on now. Went to watch the last instalment of the Matrix 'trilogy' that, in my opinion, ended with the first movie with my mom today.

It was better than I'd expected. But then again, I didn't expect much at all. It was certainly better than that load of shit "Reloaded" but there were many scenes which I thought were a total waste of time. I mean, how long did Trinity take to die, anyway? And I thought that generic Hong Kong action flicks were the only ones in the world with the overly-dramatic death scenes whereby the dying character has the time to spew a whole lot of nonsense to his weeping friend/lover/family member before he conks out. That whole death scene was torturous to sit through, mainly becaus Keanu Reeves can't act. It was a good thing he was blind folded, or else I think the other people watching the movie would've chased me out for disrupting the show with my hee-haw laughter.

The ending was stupid too, mainly because I didn't get it. I didn't get it, too, because I pretty much forgot what "Relaoded" was all about (though that mass orgy scene whereby Morpheous, sp, made that unintelligible speech still stays with me as one of the most redundant, pretentious and self-serving crap I've ever seen). I thought the old man who appeared at the end and talked to the Oracle woman was an older version of Neo when I remembered that he was the same guy who confused audiences world-wide with his stupid, long and utterly pretentious speech in "Reloaded". At least, I think he's the architect.

Whatever though. Still contend that the first was the best and they should've left it at that. Now, I hesitate to name "The Matrix" as one of my favourite movies in fear that people would think I like the trilogy. Screw that, man. The "trilogy" should never have existed.

I must say though that I enjoyed the battle between Zion and the machines. That was one great action sequence, and the best part? Keanu Reeves wasn't in it. Bwahahaha. Now that I think of it, I enjoyed the movie best when Keanu Reeves was somewhere else, either half-dead or half-alive.

Seriously, that guy can't act. When he tried to imitate Jet Li in his "Once Upon A Time in China" movies, I just had to laugh. Like, PLEASE. That half-baked ang moh actually thinks he can imitate one of the best martial artists of all time? Give me a break! He totally lacks the fluidity of Jet Li, and the technicalities of Jackie Chan.

Then again, to compare Kee-Ah-Noo to the two would be a huge insult to them. And I can't believe I just did that.

One more thing before I move away from this subject. Agent Smith rocks. I love him. He's one the best villains ever. So I was disappointed when his snarling lips and icy-cool voice turned to fear and uncertainty in the end. Hugo Weaving epitomises the phrase 'snarling lips'. I didn't even know that Agent Smith and the elf king (temporarily forgot his name) in the Lord of the Rings trilogy were played by the same guy until I went to imdb.com and found that out. The speech that he gave to Neo towards the end made me want to stand up and applaud him. I think that was one of the most sensible speeches delivered in the 'trilogy'; kudos to you and your anti-humans sentiment, Agent Smith! You rock!

Anyway. The 'sign my guestbook' entry worked. Maybe I should do it more often. Thanks to all who heeded my sad cry for more guestbook entries and humoured me. I'll get back to you once I add this entry. Insert smiley face here.

One last thing. Jielun's five-minute acting debut comes out tomorrow! YEAH! Life! gave the movie one and a half stars, unsurprisingly, and I know it's a crap movie but since Jielun is in it, I have to watch it.

Why is it that I have a strange feeling that I'm gonna be surrounded by teenyboppers when I go watch the movie tomorrow after getting my right eye checked and hopefully the right to wear my beloved and much-missed contact lenses again?

I'm turning into a bleeding teenybopper for Jielun and he better make sure it's worth my while.

before sunrise // before sunset

Previously:
- - Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017
I'm moving. - Sunday, Jul. 11, 2010
In all honesty - Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010
What I want for my birthday... - Sunday, Jul. 04, 2010
On Roger's behalf. - Friday, Jul. 02, 2010