Legally Blonde, film review

Robert Luketic’s

LEGALLY BLONDE

Film Review by

Joanna Marie Tan

Casts:

Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods

Luke Wilson as Emmett

Selma Blair as Vivian

Matthew Davis as Warner

Victor Garber as Professor Callahan

           

Stylish. Sexy. Fashionable.

Legally Blonde (2001) directed by Robert Luketic, is another hit film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. Starred by famous Hollywood stars such as Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair and Matthew Davis, this movie will move you laughing on your seats. Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is a socialite who is perceived by the people as prominent only in the world of fashion and beauties, and totally not in brains. This will challenged her to prove to the people that she has the brains as well, especially when she got dumped by her long time boyfriend Warner (Matthew Davis) just to marry a rich, ugly (as stated in the movie) woman, a lawyer who recently graduated from Harvard University. She later on enrolls herself in the prestigious school to become a lawyer and win the love of her life back.

Reese Witherspoon was so funny in the movie. She really looked so fabulous and stunning especially on her choices of wardrobe. She managed to look stunning and at the same time intelligent. Her co-actors and actresses all teamed up that made the film so vibrant. It seemed like they weren’t even acting at all. Everything looks and seems so natural.

This is definitely a must-see film! I even bought a cd just to have a lifetime copy of it. It won’t leave you unsatisfied. This film is for all ages because for sure, every level of maturity will relate to it. It’s a comedic and somehow dramatic film as well. It’s not just about being smart, or being pretty alone, but it’s about being beautiful inside and out with your minds and ideas outshining everyone. This summer.. Let’s Go Blonde!

Hear Me (taiwanese film), movie review

HEAR ME

Film Review by

Joanna Marie Tan

Casts:

Ivy Chen as Yang Yang

Eddie Peng as Tian Kuo

Michelle Chen as Xiao Peng

            A debut film for the first time director, Fen-fen Cheng, Hear Me (2009) is a story of a meal box delivery boy, Tian Kuo, who falls In love with hearing impaired girl named Yang Yang. Without difficulty, both of them could communicate well through the use of sign language. The story also revolves on Yang Yang’s sister, Xiao Peng, who is deaf and hearing impaired as well. This film will surely make you laugh and cry even at the same time. Even Tian Kuo’s parents role in the movie are additional spices and entertainments on the film. Love will be on the air as you watch this film.

            Even without directly spoken lines, and eyes are really needed, I was amazed on how the actors and actresses gave dazzling performances. Their scenes wherein some of it was just purely sign languages, their eyes, emotions and their actions were so powerful that I really felt their character. The connection between each and every one of them was fantastic. There were a lot of melancholic and hilarious scenes on the film but they blended very well.

            This movie is for all ages. It teaches us that we should not look down with people who has disabilities but rather accept them for who they are. Disabilities are not a hindrance for us to love a person. This movie tells us that we should appreciate the hard work that one is doing especially when they do it for others. Every single cent of your money is worth it if you watch this film! Unquestionably, you will hear the heartbeat of love.

Taken, film review

Pierre Morel’s

TAKEN

Film Review by

Joanna Marie Tan

 Casts:

Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills   

Maggie Grace as Kim Mills

Katie Cassidy as Amanda

Famke Janssen as Lenore

 Bessons EuropaCorp Group together with Pierre Model comes a heart racing, life moving international film that will surely bring you into the real world of abused women. Kim (Maggie Grace) is Bryan Mill’s (Liam Neeson) daughter and his life. Being a spy at Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) cost him his family, later on making him decide to resign in order to move closer to his daughter. Without having any choice, Bryan was forced to allow Kim to go to Paris with her friend Amanda. On their arrival at Paris, they were kidnapped by a group of sex offenders and Kim barely had a time to tell her father what had just happened to her. With only a little amount of information on his hands, Bryan is determined to make his way to save his daughter.

            Liam Neeson’s character moved me. His performance was sensational. The worry and sadness in his eyes on his way to his daughter was priceless, it was as if he was really into that situation. Honestly, all throughout the movie, Liam was really the one being focused to, so I cannot really tell whether his co-actors and actresses did outstanding. They did well, but I feel like they could give so much more.

            Taken, is a must-see film! Trust me with this one, it’s worth watching for! Though, I do not advise kids to watch this film because there are a lot of scenes that are not appropriate for their age. In this film you will see what’s happening in the world of the sex offenders and the ones being offended. We have to accept the fact that sometimes, even the law makers break their own laws. Taken is surely a one great hit!

The Notebook, movie review

Nick Cassavete’s

THE NOTEBOOK

Film Review by

Joanna Marie Tan

Casts:

Rachel McAdams and Gena Rowlands

as Allie Hamilton/Calhoun

Ryan Gosling as Noah Calhoun

Joan Allen as Anne Hamilton

James Marsden as Lon Hammond

The Notebook is one of the most excellent novels Nicholas Sparks have ever written! I was so happy when I saw it on the big screen and as expected, left me with a crying eye. This is about a couple who were put to a test through time. Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) met Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams) when they were young teens. They fell in love but had difficulties with Allie’s parents because they did not like Noah for her for he was from a poor family. Allie was forced to move to a different place and thought that Noah forgot about her, not knowing that Noah wrote her 365 letters a year but Allie’s mother kept it from her. They fought for their love and finally got married after long years of waiting. The hardest part was that Allie had Alzheimer’s. Though she forgot everything about her life, Noah did everything for Allie to remember her. He wrote their love story in a little notebook and read that story every single day.

The performance of each and every character on the film was excellent. All of them did well and they were really fit for their roles. All praise for the acting performance of Gena Rowlands as the old Allie, I think she was the best of the best. The way she showed her emotions as a woman who had Alzheimer’s was heartbreaking. I tried to find out who portrayed the role of the old Noah, but unfortunately I didn’t. Whoever he was, he did great! I felt so pity for him seeing his eyes get too depressed because no matter how hard he tried, still Allie can’t remember him. Also, the happiness in his eyes when for a while, Allie did. I love how the cinematpgrapher of the film balances the colors and lights that were used in the film. There were lots of orange scale colors for the flashbacks and you can really see the contrast of colors between flashbacks and present day scenes. I’m not into vintages but I love the choice of materials used on the film, as well as the locations. The dresses wore by the characters were lovely even though those dressed were classic. The house that Noah rebuilt in the film was much more dramatic because of its location: near the lake. Oopps! And the greatest location? The lake scene where Noah brought Allie, and they were surrounded by swans. (I guess those were swans, laughs!)

All praise for the people behind this film. They never failed to put tears in my eyes every time I watch it. It was a tear jerker but it won’t break your hearts till the end. It will show you that no matter how hard life gets, as long as you see love as the most powerful thing on Earth, you will surpass every trial that comes with it!

A Walk To Remember (2002), Film Review

Adam Shankman’s
A WALK TO REMEMBER

Film Review by
Joanna Marie Tan

Casts:
Mandy Moore as Jamie Sullivan
Shane West as Landon Carter
Peter Coyote as Reverend Sullivan
Daryl Hannah as Cynthia Carter

I am a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks and I’m proud to say that I have read a lot of his books. I was so happy when I knew that his book, A Walk to Remember, will have a movie of its own. This is a story of a young, sweet, and lovely girl named Jamie Sullivan who is the daughter of a reverend in their town. She became secretly friends with a young, rebellious boy, Landon Carter, who, later on, falls in love with her. The story focuses on how one increases his/her faith to God when it’s put to a test. Jamie Sullivan reveals afterwards that she has leukemia, cancer of the bones and Landon will do everything to give her the miracle she hopes for.

I loved how Mandy Moore (Jamie Sullivan) portrayed her role. With her sweet voice and angelic face, she captured the hearts of everybody. She did exceptionally well on this film, depicting the role of a dying lady. Shane West (Landon Carter) did good too, but not as good as Mandy’s. I can see that with more internalization and practice, he also could be an excellent actor someday. The cinematography of the film, just the way it should be, was just the same with the typical type of ordinary color and lights that most of the movies use. It was more on bright natural lights. The settings of the film were not that extraordinary, those were just places that could be seen in town, dresses and other props used were not vintage as the book have storied.

Despite how I described the production design of the film as just an ordinary one, still, they have proven that even though they did not spent too much on these designs, still, they have made lots of viewers, especially me, cry our heart out till the end. The movie was great, especially with the music and sounds used. It’s just that the story of the book was much better than the story on the film. There were a lot of nice parts on the book that I wish they could’ve added in the movie. Still, the movie was great! I have watched it for the nth time and I still find it very heart-warming!

Even the smallest Lie, causes great Pain..

Trust is one of the most important thing that a person could hold so that their relationship would be strong. This is very essential to a relationship, because through trust, one is able to give their partner their freedom (as i have mentioned in my past blog of what freedom means) without getting paranoid whether their partner is cheating or not.

But what about white lies? Yes, i know what that is, and i know, that there are lots of temptations wherein we decide to lie just for the sake that we could avoid someone getting hurt. The things is, have we really thought about how the other person might feel about the situation? That maybe we just lied for ourselves in order not to get caught or to not be put in a situation that is hard for us to solve? That what if we put ourselves on the other person's shoes? How would we feel if we are being lied to? Especially having been lied from the person whom you love the most. Having to lie is a decision wherein you know, whether its for the greater of you two, or just for the better of you.

There are moments in my life that I'd rather choose to not know the truth, because truth hurts, and sometimes, it hurts too much that we can't barely take it all. On those moments where i have been hurt so much, there's this part of me hoping that I shouldn't have known it at all, but a part of me, tells me that this is better.. to know the truth.. coz knowing the truth, even though it hurts, teaches us a lot of lessons. It molds us to be strong, stronger than we thought we could be. Those truth makes us realize and understand, that the world is not perfect.

to all those who are hurt, i hope this song could inspire you to be stronger. it's "everyime you lie" by demi lovato :)  Demi Lovato - Everytime You Lie

And if you're on the position that you're the one who's lying, then if you're sincerely sorry, now's the time for you to make a way to let the other person know that you really are sorry. You have to be able to be there for them, knowing that you're the reason why they're hurting so much.

You would never know how painful it could be, how painful being lied to could be, if you haven't really experienced it. And i guess, we all, have tried to be lied on to. So... a piece of advice, the next time you try to lie.. think about it. Think about the person you're going to lie to. Think about how you would feel if you were them. Then, choose the right choice.

I love the way how He Loves Me

Like what Rihanna said, "you make me feel, like i'm the only girl in the world". :)

Love. Love. Love. It's the best and worst thing in the world. Best when you both are up, and worst, of course, when you both are down. But you know what, worst moments are nothing if you both make each other feel, that even in your lowest moments, you still love each other so much. It's like loving someone even if you are already in that particular situation wherein you'd almost want to throw things at each other. (laughs)

This blog, is especially for that one person.. that person who makes my life complete. That person who, despite my kamalditahan, still loves me very much.

I LOVE YOU.

I love the way how you make feel like i'm the only girl in the world. :)) Seriously, i love the way how you love me. Even in the simplest ways. Maybe you did not noticed, or maybe sometimes i forget to tell you how grateful I am because of you, but I want you to know, that even in the smallest details, I appreciate everything that you do. Maybe there are just moments in my life, that I feel so down and i'm wishing that its your turn to tell me how grateful you are because of me.

It may seem to you that what I always say are just pure problems, but honestly, deep inside my heart, behind all these trials, I still see how you love me in the best way that you can.

I love it when you're the first person I talk to when I wake up, and the last person who'd kiss me to sleep (even just on the phone). I love it when i read your sweet messages every time i open my eyes. I love how you make me feel better when i'm down even if you didn't intend to. I love how you touch my head every time I sleep on your chest. I love you when you tell me you're sorry and there's always that, "I hope you still love me" messages every after fight. And the best of all, I love it when you tell me you love me. Those three-letter words that I hear from you every single day. 

There are lots of trials to come babe. But I hope, that despite all these things, we'd together be positive about us. I hope, that no matter how angry we become, we'd still let our love remain on top of these all. These are just struggles to test our relationship, and it's up to us to make our decisions and choices. I know we'll choose.. to be strong.

Remember, our love will keep us together! I love you.