BookFest Madness

So there is a book bazaar in Utrecht right now - the place is literally a huge warehouse with a sea of books inside being sold at alarmingly cheap price. I went a little crazy there - and this is not even my final form.

I got scared at my purchase halfway and had to put back half of the book I took. In the end I left with 7 books or so, while it could be around 20.

But I bought these!

Those are The Sand Box and The King Speech. The Sand Box is the book I thought Jarhead is based from - I saw the book and recognize David Zimmerman, the writer, but couldn't remember where. Then I read the summary and was like, oh yeah, this is Jarhead.  But apparently it is not. Oh well. Most of the book there were old books. I tried to find The Fault in Our Stars but failed. The King's Speech is, of course, the book The King's Speech is based from. The big one at the bottom is Time's most important photographs of all time - so proud of myself for recognizing almost half of the photographs in there. 100 points for general knowledge :D

Can't wait for my assignments to end so I ca devour all of these. Preferably ouside in the sun, when the weather is no longer crappy.

Review: 12 Years a Slave

Solomon Northup is a free black man from Saratoga, New York, who works as carpenter and musician. One night, he was drugged by two gentlemen who originally promises him a job, and woke up the next day with his limbs chained. He was then sold as a slave, and lived his life as one for 12 years. He moved from one master to the other, swallowing his pride as a free man just to survive and sharing pain with other slaves. Until one fateful day, a man he knows came to fetch him up and return him to his family. 

 I did not finish Django Unchained, frankly because it was too much for my faint little heart, but somehow I managed to finish this. 

The title itself is pretty explanatory. Just like Django Unchained, this movie is about slavery. Is it a trending formula now? I don't know. It is set in 1841, during when slavery was still a legal constitution and there was all those things about Southern and Northern states before Abraham Lincoln wiped them out. As embarrassing as it sounds, I never knew that there were free black people during that time in USA. I thought when slavery was a condoned by law, every black people who live in USA was objected to that. But apparently I was wrong, and hey, I learned it now - in not a very nice way, may I add, because this is painful to watch. Just like other historical drama such as Schindler’s List or Black Hawk Down. This is also apparently a true story, based on a memoir written by a man of the same name.

It is a pretty traditionally made drama. I mean, it is a good movie which obviously was made very seriously, but nothing out of the box or mind-blowing about it. The set and costumes are well-done, and the scripts use English that is old enough to make you pause every second and check the dictionary. The cast? Well, they have Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt, Sarah Paulson, so this is kind of a big deal. Quvenzhane Wallis (that adorable little girl in Beasts of the Southern Wild) also has small role as Solomon’s daughter, and there is also that emo guy from Little Miss Sunshine. 

This movie actually came to my attention because of the Oscar and all that hype surrounding Lupita Nyongo, as well as Dan Howell’s tweet, so I decided to check it out. This movie definitely is worth all those Oscars, but still.

Okay, I actually wanted to say 'meh', but I guess I shouldn't do that, should I?

Review: the Act of Killing (2012), From an Indonesian's Perspective

Director : Joshua Oppenheimer
Genre    : Documentary
Rating   : 95% (Rotten Tomatoes)

I have heard about this movie and the hype surrounding it months ago, but did not have the will to download and watch it, thanks to the endearing internet speed of Surabaya. But then Jack Harries recommended it and I knew I just have to watch it.

ermahgerd look at all the awards

 The Act of Killing is a documentary movie about the chaotic genocidal period following the coup d’etat against Indonesia’s first president and founding father, Soekarno, during the 60's. It is directed by Joshua Oppenheimer and nominated for last year Academic Award for Best Documentary.  Yep, the dark history of my motherland is now bared all for the whole world to see – well, the whole world who bother to see this kind of stuff. It follows Anwar Congo, one of the main executioners of PKI, as he describes and reenacts the memories of his past life as a ‘jagal’ (butcher) together with his old friends and affiliates. For your information, PKI is how people used to call the communist party back then, as well as marginalized people and Chinese ethnics. 

That’s it? Well, basically yes. Oppenheimer himself said that this a 'documentary of imagination' - we are going to see nothing that directly depicts all that murders and massacres, aside from Congo’s recalling, retelling and reenactment. 

The first thing that crossed my mind is now I know what German people feel. I know about G-30S/PKI (that’s how we call it – since it is started at September 30, 1965), we did learn about it in grade school, but like Pak Adi (one of the character in the movie) said, the history is told and written from the winner’s point of view. Back then, I only had the history book our teacher gave us. But then I grew up and started to have interest in history. I read a lot about World War 2, African Civil War, and other stuff, as well as movies, but never once it crossed my mind to open the history book of my own country. 

G-30S/PKI, there is no other way to say it, is a violation of human rights. It is cruel, sadistic, illogical, and unfair. It is basically mirror image of what has been happening throughout the world since the dawn of the humankind; one group of people think they are right, better and above the rest, therefore they have the right to judge, punish, kill and well, basically act as a god. I am talking about the people doing the killing here; in the grand scheme of things, greater reason may exists. But these people, regardless of what these massacres actually evolved from, definitely do not think that what they did is wrong. 

Now, years later, after the media are no longer doing their role to bias our opinion, we can look back with clean logic and know that it was wrong. But they can’t. They are standing in the winner box of the history and clearly do not feel like getting out anytime soon. Every sick thing they do is not only right; it is respectable, heroic and even honorable. It is just so disturbing the way they boast about what they did without even a slightest hint of regret.

Also, they are so stupid. Non-Indonesian might not know this since it is not recognizable with English subtitle, but when you are Indonesian and you have to listen to the way they talk and see the way they carry themselves … god. 

Especially the way they treat the Chinese ethnics. For all of you who don’t know, Chinese people have been the black sheep of our society since God knows when. Most Chinese people in our country totally fulfill their stereotype as hardworking, good with counting, and stingy people. They, of course, are rich as hell. Indonesians, of course, envy them. What did we do when we envy people for their money? Definitely not working as hard as or even more than them. We hate them, that’s what we do. And from the moment we hate people, all reason to  segregate, mistreat and banish them from the universe suddenly seems fair. 

Yay. Isn’t it awesome being a part of people like this.

You know what, I am Indonesian and I am fully aware of how outsiders perceive us as a nation. I used to be surprised and a little bit pissed off because well, I did not feel that way. Of course, we are not Netherlands-perfect, but we are doing well; I’m not hungry or being forced to quit school and marry someone 40 years older. But watching this movie, it hits me so hard that maybe my country is actually just as much of a third-world country as everyone think; I just do not see it because I have been living in a frickin buble.  

I thought my homeland, the place where I was born, is better than this piece of shit. 

But you know what, maybe I am wrong. Maybe my country IS better than this. Who knows right? I am feeling this way because I am watching this movie, and this movie is created by a director; a human. He took control on what he put in the movie and who knows if he told 100% truth. We all know the power of media. All that matter is everything comes back to the single individuals. You can’t just bunch people into one bundle of trash and throw it into the garbage. Nice people exist and even though they might never be able to fix a country, at the very least they won’t turn into one of those mindless criminals. 

The movie end with Congo being eaten by the nightmares of his past life and having a mental breakdown so severe he retches on the floor where he used to kill his victims. One thing I like about this movie is that the director is kind enough to put a human face on top of this unspeakable, shameful crime. Congo’s regret definitely healed me a bit from all those traumas.

Trivia: Joshua Oppenheimer is a foreigner but can speak Indonesian. He acts as interviewer throughout the movie. One of the co-director is credited to an anonymous Indonesian. In fact, most of the crew is credited as anonymous.The film is not granted release in Indonesia, for fear that it might provoke something in society. None of the people I know knows about the existence of this movie.

Spooky isn't it.

Review: Disconnect (2012)

Genre: Drama

Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Jason Bateman, Paula Patton, Frank Grillo, Max Thieriot, Colin Ford, Hope Davis, Michael Nyqvist, Jonah Bobo

Director: Henry Alex Rubin

Rating : 68%

First thing first, Cole Mohr stars in this.

Yep. Cole fucking Mohr, the King Cole, that beautiful little shit we all love.  Actually, that was the reason this movie came into my attention. Marc Jacobs also plays in this, as a pimp nonetheless. If you are a male models devotee like me, or fashion devotee in general, then this is strong enough reason. Go watch it. Granted, they only play side parts, but still. Coley will make you proud and Marc will make you snicker. 

Look its our Coleeyy
and he is an actor nowww

But if you are not, okay then. 

Remember all those warning we heard about the Internet age, either from teachers, parents or TransTV reportage? Disconnect sums all of those in a 1.55 hours of engaging and beautifully shot drama that definitely works better than my parents I-have-to-look-like-I-know-what-I’m-talking-about lectures. If one day I had a kid I’d just tell them to watch this, seriously.

I don’t know if this covers all Internet dangers, but let see. There is the brothel-like house that serves as headquarters for a pornographic Web site specializing in underage performers; the pristine suburban home of an upper-class family whose teenage son is being mercilessly bullied online; and the similarly well-appointed environs of a professional couple who are channeling grief over a recent loss by escaping into virtual poker games and chat rooms. All the subplots are connected to the others, in one way or other. It kind of feel like Babel, but instead of talking about culture, this is about internet. 

It casts Max Thieriot as one of the teen cybersex workers who was being exploited by an ambitious female reporter for a report about Internet sex sites. Remember him? He is that dorky guy who played younger Hayden Christensen in Jumper. It looks like he attends Matthew Lewis School of Navigating Puberty and graduated cum laude. The woman who plays the reporter is not that well-known, or at least not for me, but she is amazing. In fact, aside from Alexander Alexander Skarsgard and Jason Bateman, none of the cast is faces you often see in commercial movies, which is good because it contributes well to the portrayal of their character. The woman who plays the troubled housewife looks a little like Halle Berry though, but I’m sure she is not her.  

Aside from being gorgeously shot, I was also very captivated with the scores. It’s simple, yet able to compliments the movie well. It sounds a lot like something from Thomas Newman, but different. Lousy description, I know, but when it comes to music I don’t know much other than sit and listen, really.  I check the composer and it’s Max Richter. I don’t know who he is but I love him already. 

To sum it up, I praise the filmmakers for successfully infusing “Disconnect” with credible suspense, despite its often painfully obvious observations about technology and society. Disconnect is a tragic drama that makes you think more than before  about how the Web has become a mass means of distraction, deception and even destruction, as vulnerable people increasingly share their most intimate secrets, only to be manipulated by the predators who lurk behind every login.

Review: World War Z (2013)

Director : Marc Foster

Production House : Paramount Pictures

Rating : 67% (Rotten Tomatoes)

I usually don’t have too much faith in zombie movies. It seems to me like they rely on nothing more than blood, flesh and scenes of people eating people. But I know good movies when I’m seeing one and this is definitely one of them, despite its zombie flick status. 

This film tells a story of and United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop a pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself. Just like other zombie flicks, this movie relies a lot on cuts of news report as a prologue to get the audience to the point where the director wants them to start. The opening is very fast it makes your adrenaline pumping from the get go. The plot doesn’t cover much though, or is it just me? It seems like they try so hard to create ‘a plot’ but in the end I just get confused. But who watch zombie movies for plots? What important is this movie does its job very well as an eye and ear candy that leave your heart pounding straight on until the end.

Like I said before, they don’t sell general sadism and cannibalism here; that’s not the point at all. Instead, they emphasize more on apocalypse and survival.  It really lives up its ‘War’ title; it does give tremendous heroism vibe that leaves you crying from relief and satisfaction, and a little envy that your life isn’t that cool. Especially the last scenes.

So, if you really want to watch anything with zombies, but the flesh-and-blood scenes of Dawn of the Dead makes you icky yet not that much of a pussy to settle with Warm Bodies, then this movie is for you. 

About the cast, well, they have Brad Pitt. I heard he also produces this. All in all, I think the fact that Brad Pitt in this says enough of the movie’s quality. Some of you may sick of how he keeps being portrayed as the I-can-do-nothing-wrong, squeaky-clean-good-hearted hero, but I’m not you. I think he’s awesome. That woman who plays his wife also deserves some credit,  I think. I can see her gets better-known in the future. 

Personally, I like it. The editing is good; the CGI is decent enough, not Smeagol/Aslan quality, but understandable since the zombies don’t take that big of a role here. Furthermore with waves of them coming at you, you’d hardly notice any details of their portrayals. The cinematography though, I gives nothing less than five stars. I love it, it really supports the movie. But then again I’m so easy to impress. Gives me a lot of aerial views and I’m yours. 

In spite of satisfying my needs as adrenaline junkie without getting out of the house (in the comfort of my bed, nonetheless), it leaves really strong impression in my head. It keeps reminding me of The Day After Tomorrow. I keep thinking about what kind of galactic disaster that will happen one day, that is so magnificently lethal it will leave us human with no choice other than unite. There is no race, religion, third world/first world countries; no Israeli war, Gulf war, Korean war. It wil be the war of humankind. 

I still got severe zombie-flicks cravings until weeks after.