How Hurt We Heal

Come stitch up your tattered heart
With thousands of tiny razor cuts
Look how bright the welling blood
Keep it wet or it'll cake like mud
Feel how strong each shuddering beat
Slippery and slick with heaving heat
Hear how fleeting your fancy tune
How soon it'll all come to ruin
Taste the tears that fed your flesh
My embrace like a slithering sash
Savour your last breath of swine
And now, let mine be thine.


wingsofdeath

Sweet

The memory of me -
just a fleeting sweetness
fled from your fondness
so swiftly one wonders
it may never have been

Nectar
nestled in the nexus of ixora
hidden in the stalk till awakened
to the perfection of conception

Unseen by the roving eye
untouched by the careless hand
undone by the impatient mind

Such a brief drop
disappearing on the tongue
lost in the lakes of lucid longing
the mind grasps naught but the absence

So beauteous to behold
so impossible to hold
so brief the taste
so desperate the chase
for a tantalising glimpse
of what may never have been.

wingsofdeath

2007

Wishing a wonderful waif
A better and brighter life
A kind and kindred soul
That might have made me whole
May your years be blessed with bliss
And the stuff of merry memories.

wingsofdeath

A Little Bit of Beauty Beneath ***

It wasn't terrible and to call it pedestrian would slight it, but just slightly. The Painted Veil tells a decent story, and how it tells it can be viewed two ways. Some may find it ineffective emotionally since it is supposed to be a romantic and morally uplifting story but few Kleenexs were in evidence, yet others may find its subtle play on the viewers mood appealing. This it achieves through the Golden Globe nominated score which is a delightful accompaniment to the under-appreciated spectacle of the rural Chinese landscape that is lush with flowing rivers, tranquil mountains, picturesque villages and rife with disease, discontent and social malaise.

Both Edward Norton and Naomi Watts extend their credibility in their roles, even though their British accents can't fool even a non-Brit like myself, but their emotionally-measured performances were perfectly in sync with the feel of the film - wrought with an underlying tension that never really threatens too much but you know it's there. The only real problem I had with the film was the editing. The narrative seemed fractured in certain parts and I simply could not understand why a French song woud make it into the soundtrack and grace the burial scene, but perhaps I'm just being an ignoramus.

It's definitely more interesting than a documentary or a visit to the museum, but for those looking for thrills or romance, they can do better. There is beauty behind this veil, but it's probably not the kind they're looking for.

Arrogant.. My Error-goin' to see it **1/2

If one had never watched epic fantasies like Lord of the Rings or read really good fantasy, one might still be reasonably entertained by Eragon. It is certainly more comparable to low-brow special-effects dependent flicks that crashed like Dungeons & Dragons than anything even remotely approaching greatness. The more one thinks about it, the worse the movie becomes. It lacks the simple moral heart of Dragonheart. Its characters are sketchily-developed and possess nil credibility. Its plot is gratingly naive and self-absorbed. The more I think about what this movie (based on a novel which I believe will be as utterly crap) tries to be, the more it gets on my nerves. It is like a chao ah beng trying to acting like a classy gentleman.

Gripe 1: the title character Eragon is a pathetic egoist pretending to be conflicted by the power bestowed by his newly-discovered destiny. I simply can't stand him. And one certainly can't play soldier with your brother using sticks and suddenly become a tough and skilled warrior overnight - I know this for a fact from years of martial arts training. Utter bollocks. So obviously an immature adolescent fantasy about being the saviour of the universe and all-powerful. Oh I can't help it - I'm so strong, I'm irresistable. Urrrk! Gripe 2: it cast John Malkovich as the villainous king, and now just how many other movies have we seen that before?? I am seriously starting to lose a lot of respect for this fella. Gripe 3: this throws in all the elements that the producers thought pulled audiences to LOTR, such as having a siege, dragons and pretty elves and totally missed the point. Its presumptuous self-labelling as the next fantasy epic makes me bulimic (in other words - wanna hurl).

The only reason this horror even passed my ratings was because the special effects were decent (although perhaps this should be taken as a given in view of current technology), and Jeremy Irons was in it. He added just enough gravitas to save the movie from video hell. A pity that babes like Rachel Weisz and Sienna Guillory (who looks perfectly elvish) were totally under-utilised. Go catch this if you need a pulmonary condition.

1 Mean Boy + 3 1/2 Mean Girls = 1 Mean Movie ***1/2

There are so many uncanny similarities between JTMD and other teen flicks. Firstly, the poster bears a striking resemblance to that of 10 Things I Hate About You, which is one of my favourite teen flicks. Next the story premise is almost exactly the same as Mean Girls - new girl loses her identity in new school and becomes mean but reverts to her nice-girl persona at the end. Not that the formula of copying from proven successes doesn't work; it does, but it doesn't score high on originality for me. Faithful followers of teen flicks can fill in the rest.

A few things I did like about JTMD: one - the eye candy in the form of Arielle Kebbel and Sophia Bush although they were little more than cardboard characters; two - John Tucker's resilience and the way he was cast with a certain irresistability such that one is inevitably drawn to him; three - the modest ambition of the film in not trying to be too clever or rely on cheap dumb antics to get laughs and therefore succeeding in being very entertaining. Even it's message of being true to yourself wasn't too pushy, which I liked.

There isn't a lot that's new or breakthrough or truly refreshing about JTMD but there are a lot of genuinely entertaining moments that do not seem contrived at all. While neither Kate nor John are properly fleshed out, they rise enough above being simply caricatures or stereoypes for one to quite like them. It's not particularly memorable, but it's a good alternative to, say, catching 10 Things for like the dozenth time.

<--- Think you've seen this before?

I'm not surprised. --->

Groovy! ****

For a film snob, there may be plenty to diss about this Disney made-for-G-audiences but there is so much charm in it that I think most will be won over by its feel-good intensity. Sure, the plot is simply a vehicle for the songs, but what wonderful songs! This is, after all, a musical and not some arty film with a provoking social message. I could simply go on listening to the beautifully harmonised renditions of Start of Something New and What I've Been Looking For over and over and over (which I actually am as I write this hehe).

High School Musical, otherwise known as Grease 3 in the US, scores on many fronts for me. Foremost is the amazing chemistry between the two leads played by Zac Effron and Vannessa Anne Hudgens, which is amazing because it sizzles yet never crosses the PG line - now that's really something. Much credit must go to the gorgeous Vanessa, who can really smile with her eyes, and when she looks at you and smiles - WOW! Indescribable. Next would be the amazing supporting cast - my favourites are the drama club teacher and the prima-donna stage siblings who have such flair I never thought they didn't deserve the lead roles. Seriously, for all the soulful intensity of the singing between Troy and Gabriella, the Sharpay siblings more than make up for with great vocals of their own and wonderful showmanship.

Now I realise that something like what happened in HSM would never be possible in real-life but that's why it makes such a good movie - that's the only place where it can happen. Everyone getting together behind one another in common spirit and supporting everyone, even those who lose out giving their support - that's hardly something I believe I'll never see happen in a school. I love the mass songs and dance that remind me of Bollywood movies and 70s musicals (well, this is supposed to be a Grease sequel). I love the exciting young talent emerging from this show. I love HSM, and you'll love it too.