Bye-bye People...

... for a week or two so don't pull out the champagne bottles yet. I'll be going back to my hometown to sort out some stuff. To those who remember me, pray for me as I pray for you.

The Prayer of Saint Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is deapir, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

To be understood, as to understand;

To be loved, as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive,

In pardoning that we are pardoned,

And in dying we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

When The Moon Goes Blue

Where do you go when you're lonely?

Where do you go when you're blue?

Where do you go when you're lonely?

I'll follow you

When the moon goes blue

-Many apologies to the Corrs. I only changed ONE word from "When The Stars Go Blue" to suit the pic. Sorry, but, I'm too sleepy to be original tonight. :)

Sophie Scholl, Take Two

How can like that?!

Another trip to Cineleisure Damansara crowned me the undisputed King of the Theatre. There was simply no one else to be found. Sophie Scholl is one of the best movies this year and nobody in the freaking country appreciates it? Truly Malaysia Boleh! Go make teh tarik in space and film it for all I care. I’m sure that clip will sell out Bukit Jalil one week over. C’mon people, good movies don’t necessarily have to be razzle-dazzle all the way.

I say again that Sophie Scholl is a smashing movie. Unfortunately, it is obviously shown in the wrong country because the only subtitles Malaysians know are the ones that translate 300 into “Tiga ratus pahlawan berani mati.” That only holds in Hollywood movies people! German movies come with accurate English translations prepared by foreigners! People really need to broaden their horizons! (Sorry Janet, I stole that line but I’m using it for a good cause.) Poor Sophie needs recognition.

These seats could be yours people. Help Sophie!

The Lion's Eyes

Taken by the enemy’s hand
Trapped inside a foreign land
I sat and wept
Prayed that the Lord would not forget

Just a young man in the sun
My name was changed
As if for fun
I chose water over wine
God helps His servants
I look into the lion’s eyes

How do I know what I should say?
About this vision
Of gold and clay
My life, it hangs on one decree
I pray to the Father
Open my eyes so I can see

Friends saw an idol made of gold
But their souls could not be sold
They would not bow
And in the fire they were crowned

I saw the writing on the wall
A proud reign ended
Oh what a fall
I was clothed in purple
With chains of gold
Amazing what the Lord bestows

As I am thrown down, fit to die
I see the lions
I fear the sight
Is this the prize I’ve waited for?
I will not waver
My Lord will see me through it all

Safe from death and the lion’s teeth
I now have dreams of rams and beasts
God saves my life
I look into my lion’s eyes

Sophie Scholl (Richard's Top Ten: Stuff you don't say during a movie)

Summer blockbusters are here again. And as usual, the hoi polloi fight tooth and nail to obtain seats for Shrek the Third, Pirates of the Caribbean and our friendly neighbourhood superhero. While I succumbed to the pressures of the world and caught the eye candy movies, the contemplative and soulful part of me pined for something more. And in Sophie Scholl, I found it.

The movie is based on the true story of Germany’s most prominent anti-Nazi heroine, Sophie Magdalena Scholl (No prizes for guessing there…) and revolves around the last six days of her life. A student activist, Sophie is a member of a society named the White Rose that operates in Munich to start an underground resistance movement against the monolithic Third Reich regime.

Initially a member of the Bund Deutscher Mädel (League of German Girls), Sophie’s initial enthusiasm was replaced by resistance after she witnessed or discovered the regime’s atrocities against humanity that included the mass murder of disabled children, the extermination of European Jews and the ill treatment of Bolshevik PoWs on the Eastern Front.

Participating actively in the underground movement, Sophie is caught with her brother Hans, while they attempt to distribute pamphlets on campus. The movie then zooms in on her character and convictions throughout her arrest, interrogation, confinement, trial and execution. A woman of substance, commitment, conscience and faith, Sophie stand tall throughout the midst of trial and temptation. The movie accurately captures her Protestant beliefs as well and her conviction and faith put many church goers to shame.

While some of my friends who study in Germany keep raving on and on about the pretty women, this movie gets a plus point from me for not starring a Heidi Klum look-alike but Julia Jentsch, a woman who actually looks like the real Sophie Scholl minus the curly hair. Julia plays her part with aplomb, mesmerizing the audience (albeit a small one) with a passionate, moving and timeless performance. It even made this jack@$$ of an author cry. Her grace and presence on screen is so very evident to the point where you actually feel like Sophie Scholl has come to life again.

Frankly, I am of the view that everyone should watch this movie at least once. Book your tickets now at Cineleisure Damansara. GO! As for me, I caught the movie today and while I learned many things from Sophie, I learned a bit from someone else as well. Move tip 101: Always go with someone who can appreciate the show. Take it from me; you don’t want to find out the hard way.

P.S. I had no choice. I felt tired of catching movies alone.


Richard's Top Ten

10. This is World War Two! Where are the explosions?
-.- Proof that some women don't always appreciate the finer things of life (Or life itself)

9. Richard, we're already at forty minutes and all we've seen are two people talking in a room. Can people talk that long?
Can people complain that long?

8. They should get a beautiful and sexy actress. The movie would be more dramatic that way.
Maybe you should act. I will throw things at you. Men may be from Mars and women from Venus but your planet is still unchartered.

7. I don't believe I drove so fast so we could catch this movie.
I don't believe I wish I was actually deaf!

6. Wow! Were the Nazis Buddhists? Their logo is so like that sign in Buddhism!
Zzz... Buddhism has a left-facing swastika while the Nazis used a right-facing one.

5. Eh... that guy is cute! So gaya...
Huttaphaq!? >.<

4. How did this movie win so many awards? Do people actually understand it?
Not you, apparently.

3. I thought this movie would be fun like Shrek or interesting like Spiderman.
Sorry to burst your bubble but the only similarity is that all three movies begin with S.

2. I'd appreciate it more if I could actually understand what she was saying.
Cough, cough... subtitles!

1. Why does it feel like I'm the only one talking here?
Because we're the only two people in the theatre and you're the only one talking.