No Doubt

Doubt
Directed by John Patrick Shanley
Starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis

The play-turned-movie Doubt has no doubts as to why all four actors were acknowledged for their acting chops at the Oscars. Fallen into the hands of lesser performers, Doubt would have been long and draggy. However, the stellar cast headed by Meryl Streep with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis is superb.

From the very first scne where the no-nonsense and rigid Sister Aloysius Beauvier invokes fear in the kids attending Father Flynn’s sermons, you know it will be one hell of a show. There’s a lot of dialogue and at no time, you have clear evidence of the perpetrator’s crime but the dramatic and extremely heated exchange between Streep and Hoffman in her office proves to us why Streep is one of the best actresses this century and why Hoffman won an Oscar a few years back. Amy Adams as Sister James is both precocious and perhaps the only one with doubt that Sister Aloysius is right in her accusations. Of course, the other scene stealer is Viola Davis with her short but impactful appearance as the mother of the boy victim (akin to Judi Dench’s 8-minute run in Shakespeare in Love).

Doubt is unquestionably one of the best films of 2008. (A)

A Thousand Beautiful Songs

The Annie Lennox Collection

There may not be a thousand songs in this collection but post-Eurythmics, Lennox has produced 4 albums spanning 15 years with songs that resonates so well with any real music lover. Heartfelt and often introspective, she has come a long way. Collected here are the songs and singles that made it big. From the seminal Why, Walking on Broken Glass, Little Bird to No More “I Love You’s” and Wonderful, there’s too much to mention. Listen to Why and tell me who the original Diva is (not Beyonce, definitely).

The videos are nothing short of spectacular except the badly-conjured Pavement Cracks mash-up video. Watch Why, Little Bird and Waiting in Vain and I have said enough.

For a true Lennox fan, this collection does not replace the joy of owning each of her 4 albums that offer so much more than you can ever find in music today. My favourite will be “The Saddest Song I’ve Got” from Bare .

Get the UK limited edition with a disc of rare B-sides and the two new videos as bonus on DVD.

Tokyo! 3

movie

Tokyo!
Directed by Michel Gondry, Leos Carax and Boon-ho Bong

Finally, one movie worth reviewing in a while. Tokyo! contains three stories, bizarre and dreamy at times. However, at the core, they describe the human condition. In Gondry’s Interior Design, an unambitious and seemingly lost woman, slowly turns into a chair and finally finds meaning in life (in tyoical Michel Gondry style) – cutouts of magazines and being a chair to a Japanese man. In Merde (Shit), Leos Carax portrays modern terrorism in Tokyo (and also New York in the end

reference) as an absolutely farce and what the superpowers conjure to be. In the final story,Shaking Tokyo, a reclusive hermit who has not stepped out of his house for 10 years finally make eye contact with an equally elusive pizza delivery girl against the backdrop of earthquakes. He takes a much deliberated attempt to step out in search of her. The three stories tell different tales that touch in different ways. Personally,I find Shaking Tokyo very moving and really urges one to take that first step out of fear and be free. Gondry’s Interior Design illustrates that no matter how insignificant one may be viewed as, what’s more important is the ability to recognize yourself and regain the self-worth.  (B+)

Mamma Mia!: The Movie

Mamma Mia: The Movie
Starring Meryl Streep/Pierce Brosnan/Colin Firth/Stellan Skarsgård/Julie Walters/Dominic Cooper/Amanda Seyfried/Christine Baranski
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd

Mamma Mia: The Movie! is a major piece of camp-fest plastered across the screen for more than 100 min. Befitting the great Abba legacy, popular rendition of Abba songs  along with a  handful of less known tunes can be heard throughout the seemingly long MTV, save for dialogues. The major problem with the movie is the often untimely transitions where characters appear abruptly without much of an intro before the wide-eyed passers-by break into Bollywood style song-and-dance. Which is not all too bad if you are a sing-a-long Abba fan.

As always, the saving grace of the musical movie must be Queen Meryl Streep who effortlessly glides through each scene, whether heartbreaking or joyous, without ever really trying. She comes across as utterly convincing as the lead singer of the yesteryear power girl group the Dynamos. Along with her able assistants, Julie Walters and Christine Baranski, the three kick up a ruckus on screen singing the great Dancing Queen and Super Trouper. Meryl’s solo rendition of The Winner Takes It All is truly anything but heartrending. As for the three men, they offer much comic relief amidst horrible vocals. Still, the power ending where the credit rolls provide much laughs as you see the cast revel in fun with their renditions of Dancing Queen (The Dynamos rule!) and the exclusive Waterloo.

All in all, it’s an entertaining though campy cheesy sort of guilty treat. (B-)

Handstand Bruises

Chairlift – Bruises

Like what iPod did for Fiest’s 1234,  the newly announced iPod Nano 4G comes with a splashy rainbow ad as well as a new theme song  Bruises by Chairlift. It’s certainly the most unlikely iPod advert song except that it’s quirky and electronic. It talks about emotional bruising but in a rather light-hearted way. With lyrics like: “I tried to do handstands for you. Every time I fell on you. Every time I fell for you I’m permanently black and blue, permanently blue for you.” Probably, Steve Jobs would propel them to some kind of stardom. (A)

Did it again! Piece of Her.

Britney returns big at the MTV Music Awards 08 with a piece of herself and 3 big awards including Best Female Video, Best Pop Video and the coveted Video of the Year for her self-deprecating song Piece of Me. She has been nominated 19 times but never won. Just a year ago, she was mocked for a lifeless performance of Gimme More with an extra extra body. So isn’t this some sort of sweet revenge. And it’s indeed something happy. Britney, though teenybopper and all, has in recent years made some credible music. Wait for that big comeback that’s in-store soon!

Here’s a list of my top Britney songs:

1. Piece of Me (2008, Blackout)

2. I’m a Slave 4 U (2001, Britney)

3. Toxic (2004, In the Zone)

4. Break the Ice (2008, Blackout)

5. Stronger (2000, Oops! I Did It Again)

Sconed or muffed?

Sconed or Muffed?

Well, this post has absolutely nothing to do with music or movies. I baked this afternoon and this is what I have created: durian muffins except that after following the blog recipe from a stay home home maker, mine looked a bit more like scones. But first tasting was positive with my mom and sister-in-law.

Happiness…

I was browsing through my friend’s blog – rephrase your day – some revelation that brought a friend to start the blog to motivate and inspire oneself.

On a separate note, I found this quote from a friend who wrote this to me more than 3 years ago:

It takes a complete letting go of past hurts to step inside.

Happiness is a choice.

Happiness is the ultimate realization that everything was, and is, exactly as it should be.

It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.

This little note of encouragement seems even more relevant today than it ever was, just as I finally felt I am beginning to regain or reclaim the happiness that should be mine, a long time in waiting.

Candy Galore!

Madonna
Hard Candy

It’s tough to be a pop star when you are Madonna, possibly the most hardworking woman in the world. The recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee returns for her swan song with Warner Bros., Hard Candy. While Confessions on the Dance Floor was decidedly electronic disco, Hard Candy is what Madonna does best – a dance record without all the preaching and profundity.

Candy Shop, the opener, is outright campy with a hypnotic beat and tongue-in-cheek lyrics like “Come on in to my store, I’ve got candy galore. Don’t pretend you’re not hungry, I’ve seen it before.” Give It To Me may have been co-written by Pharrell Williams but reeks of early Madonna circa 1983 (think Everybody). 4 Minutes, the crowd-pleasing collaboration with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland is surprisingly the least exciting song on the album.

On Heartbeat, Madonna goes basal, singing about dancing and being so free on the dance floor, all to a hard rocking beat. It’s so glorious that you’d immediately imagine yourself working out a sweat to it. Elsewhere, Timbaland and Justin Timberlake work their magic through tracks like Miles Away, a glowing electronic track about long distance love; She’s Not There with its funky trademark interlude/bridge; and the unpredictable Incredible, Madonna’s ode to hubby, Guy Ritchie’s powerful bed thrusts. Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You, the stylish ballad about a cheating lover, is set to grace Madonna’s live tracklist in years to come. The album closes with the most lyrically introspective song about breaking free, Voices.

Hard Candy is what happens when FutureSex/Lovesounds meet Confessions on a Dance Floor. Despite of what everyone else does on Candy, it’s not hard to notice Madonna’s presence at every turn. It’s been a long while since Madonna just wants to have fun and get into the groove. Like a song from her last album, like it or not, our grand lady of pop is here to stay. (B+)

Tick Tock Tick Tock….

Madonna & Justin
4 Minutes (to Save the World)

Madonna’s fascination with time…tick tock, waiting and hesitating (words that frequently appear in her lyrics). New single featuring Justin Timberlake is a slice of urgent urban pop with Timberland’s signature big horns and beatbox and Timberlake’s Michael-Jacksonish falsetto singing “We’ve got only 4 Minutes to save the World.” This isn’t the first time the pop dame has dabbled in hip hop (back to 1990′s Justify My Love remixes) but this has all the ingredients of a smash for the new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. And it’s addictive, all that tick-tocking. Look out for her new album with the scintillating title Hard Candy. (B+)