The Days of a Silly and Ordinary Girl! :D: Movies

[Movie Review] Found (2021) : "You are in the wrong gender, they don't want you, and you know that." | sillyandordinarygirl

By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - November 11, 2021

"Found" (2021) is a Netflix documentary about three Chinese teenage girls (Lily, Sadie, and Chloe) adopted when they were still babies and raised in American families. They discovered one another as blood-related cousins through the website 23andMe (by submitting their DNA samples). With the help of a guide named Liu Hao from the China Roots, they traveled together to China and found traces about their past, their identity and family history.

It is a beautiful documentary but also a heartbreaking one indeed. It gives me several perspectives to think: about the "One Child Policy" as the main issue, about how parents had no other choices but to give up their children, how those decisions might haunt you for life but still there's no way to undo it, and about the children feeling abandoned and not wanted,

Watching "Found" left me feeling sentimental for the day. It makes me rethink about myself, and how lucky I was and I am (still) being born as a girl and the third child in a Chinese family in Indonesia. Well, if my parents had been living in mainland China during the times of "One Child Policy", I would probably have never been born, I would not be here right now, typing this post and smiling awkwardly thinking about how weird it would be.

Here's my logic, with the policy, I would not have stood a chance as the third child. They would probably stop having child after my eldest brother was born. He was a baby boy, he would carry the family name, and they would for sure keep him in the family. My second brother would still stand a chance, maybe, but since he was a baby boy too, I don't think they would send him to orphanage and give him up for adoption abroad, he probably would be adopted by a close relative, but he'd still be around. While for me, as the third child, as a baby girl, I really don't think they would have much choice. The penalty would be too much for them to cover, and no other relatives might want a baby girl. So either they don't have me at all after the second child, or they really should give me up. My mom stopped by to watch some parts when I was watching the documentary, and she said "They were still lucky to get adopted in good families, I heard that some families even left their babies to die and even floated them on the river, with a very small chance of surviving." *shocked

See how lucky I was? I would have almost NO chance living with my family if I was born in mainland China that year. Although I doubt that my family would let me die XD or float me on any river, but still, I would probably be separated from my biological parents and brothers, or maybe, I wouldn't even exist at all XD I'm not saying that being adopted by another family is a bad case, NOT AT ALL, the babies might have much better lives living with their adoptive parents. My point is, it was so unfair for baby girls, they didn't get to choose their genders, but just at the very moment that they were born, they faced discrimination right away.

On the other side, the documentary also lets us see from the perspective of the parents who had to give up their children. They were often left with no choice and how heartbroken they must have been, having to leave their children, not knowing whether they will live or not, not knowing what will become of them. These parents might have guilt, remorse, and regret haunting their lives, and most people who don't understand would just point their fingers to them and criticize them for being "bad parents who threw their children away". They must have felt sad too thinking that their children might hate them for giving them up, that the children would feel abandoned and unwanted and blame them for that. But we never knew how they have been feeling inside all this time. Just because they leave their children, doesn't mean they wanted to do that.

Here are some quotes that I really like from the documentary.

"I always knew about the one-child policy 'cause a lot of my relatives, they just...give up their children, their girls. And my parents, they almost gave up me, because they don't want to pay the penalty. But I'm very lucky 'cause my grandparents, they said, "No, we want to keep her." So I just don't have a very good relationship with my father. I remember one time my father wanted to take my brother to a very fancy restaurant. You can get little cute dim sum here. And, you know, I really loved that one. And he just wanted to take my brother there, and I asked him if I can go with them. And he just pushed me out of the elevator, said "No, you can't go". It was very difficult for me because you know you're not welcome. You are in the wrong gender, they don't want you, and you know that. It's very hard."

- Liu Hao

"She was by this tree in a cardboard box. Whichever parent left it probably was watching, waiting... 'Cause you were found really early in the morning, before 7:00. Before it got too busy, but they put you here so when people started getting busy, that...you'd be found right away. So you wouldn't be cold, and all this -- I think you were wrapped in a coat. In an adult raincoat or something."

- Victoria, Sadie's mom

(This one really opens my eyes and let me see things from the parents' perspective. Maybe adopted children would always think that they are unwanted, unloved, and wonder why their biological parents didn't want to keep them and so on. But you can see, I mean if their parents really didn't love them, why would they even care to wrap the babies in a coat keeping it from cold, and even waited until someone found the babies. If they really didn't love their children, they could just leave the babies in the middle of nowhere, or maybe like what my mom said, let the babies float away, right?)

There goes the thoughts that flooded my mind right after I finished watching "Found". It might sound like a rant XD, or maybe a ridiculous wake up call for an ungrateful girl like me. XP But it also teaches me that there are often two sides of a story. That some things that we think as bad might not be as bad. And just like what's written on the poster "Their search for answers led them to each other.", maybe the answers to most of our questions are right here all along. Who knows? :D

Go watch the documentary in Netflix! I hope you like it as much as I do! :)

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Movies

[Movie Review] Perfect Strangers (2016) : How "We know each other so well" turns into...

By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - April 16, 2018

I was actually not planning to post any movie review in the meantime, (still trying to finish the Singapore series post *finger-crossed) but this movie completely got into my mind and has haunted me since last night. And you know, when there's a great movie that can do me any damage like that, I can barely wait to share it.

PERFECT STRANGERS (2016)

Image result for perfect strangers movie

credit: pinterest

Italian title

credit: opl.it

I first knew about this Italian movie from twitter yesterday morning, I don't remember which account recommended it, but I was attracted right away. The account did mention that he/she watched the Spanish version (yes, they remade it with the Spanish title "Perfectos Desconocidos") but he/she also heard that the Italian version is waaaaaay better), so I googled it and found out that the movie has earned a number of critical acclaim. The movie soon had its spot in my "to-watch-list". I didn't expect to watch it in the near future, as I still had a lot of entries queuing in my list. But, somehow, an unknown force (read: my impulsiveness) pushed me into watching it last night, and since then, I can't stop thinking about it. o.o

"Seven long-time friends (three married couples and a divorcee) are having a dinner. They decide, as a playful game, to put each one's mobile phone on the table and reveal every text message or phone call they would receive that evening, to prove that nobody has anything to hide. Hilarity and drama ensue together as everyone's secrets are unveiled and the seven friends find themselves perfect strangers to each other. " - Wikipedia

It is actually very rare to find how such a simple story, just a casual dinner among friends, could become a very strong premise and was successfully developed into a very good movie. The whole movie revolves around the dinner, the everyday conversations among childhood friends with their wives who have become good friends too, with every ringtone slowly building up the climax while unfolding the secrets layer by layer, and how those dirty little secrets eventually affect them.

I really like the pace of the movie set by the director, like I said, it is slowly building up, from a casual chit-chat to serious confrontation, step by step, one secret to another, and it is arranged so perfectly, that I just naturally went along with the flow. I started off by watching relaxedly, and I ended up getting as tense as the characters in the movie.

Oh, and I am also totally in love with the way they shot the movie, the movement of the camera, it's so natural that it made me feel like I was there too, sitting at the same table as them, since the cameramen did really good job in circling around the dining table and capturing everyone's expression without leaving out anybody.

As for the actors, I don't think I have anything much to say about them, except that they are sooo exceptional. Each character is played really well, and all looked incredibly real, as if they're just being themselves in the movie.

Every character is also portrayed in equal portion, with their own distinctive perspective, that somehow gives the impression that no one was superior or inferior to the other, and that everyone can have secrets. Hidden secrets which give you the illusion that you think you know someone like the back of your hand. Until they open up, or until they are found out, the someone you think you know completely can become "perfect strangers".

My favorite quotes of the movie are by the married couple Eva and Rocco who became the host of the dinner:

Eva:

"We have everything in here [smartphones]. It's the black box of our lives. How many couples would split up if they looked at each other's phones?"

Rocco: (of why he thinks they shouldn't play the game)

"Because we're breakable... all of us, some more than others. You're right. this [phone] has become our black box. It's got everything inside. Perhaps too much. And it's wrong to play around with it."

I like the idea of the movie, the message that it's trying to deliver. Some secrets are meant to be kept hidden, just like a Pandora's box that will only have disastrous effect once opened, while some secrets can also make you realize how that someone is really feeling deep down inside. Some may keep secrets because they are afraid they will be judged, some keep secrets because they want to be needed. Sometimes we think we know, but we actually know nothing. That maybe what it takes is only to sit down and have some talk, opening up to one another, rather than letting the secrets gradually grow into a "time-bomb".

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Movies

[Movie Review] 'Before' Trilogy : Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight | sillyandordinarygirl

By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - January 03, 2018

The "Before" trilogy: Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013) were written by director Richard Linklater, and the two main actors in the movie Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. In which both of the sequels earned widespread acclaim, positive reviews, were nominated to a numerous amount of awards and even won some of them. All three movies gained the minimum rating of 8 in imdb and the average 95% in Rotten Tomatoes.

Soooo, I spent my year-end holidays binge-watching lots of movies, but this trilogy struck my mind the most. I actually have this "Before" trilogy in my "to-watch" list for quite a while now, ever since it's mentioned in the K-drama "It's Okay, That's Love" (episode 11, guys, if you are wondering!), and when I searched the information about it (yes, I'm that curious!, don't worry! I'm not a stalker, guyss!), I was intrigued. It's claimed as "the longest love story in film", because the story continues within the span of 18 years. And, finally during this holiday, I got a chance to watch the trilogy. On top of that, I'm happy that I watch all three of them consecutively, because I'm just that person who can't wait for the next episode to come out, especially 9 years? Come on! Haha I can't even wait for another week, yes, I prefer to wait until some dramas or series ends, then start watching back to back. But seriously, if you watch all of them in a row, the sensation is awesome, it kinda feels like you're being thrown over time, forward to 9 years later to each sequel, just like you're riding that spaceship and go through a wormhole. It's really FUN. So, let's get started, shall we?

ATTENTION: May include SPOILER!

before trlogy: before sunrise, before sunset, before midnight

as credited from onfoodandfilm

BEFORE SUNRISE (1995)

It tells the story of a young American man, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and a young French woman, Céline (Julie Delpy) who meet on an Eurail train and get down together in Vienna, where they spend that night walking around the city and getting to know one another before Jesse's flight back in the morning.

That's all! It's really all, I mean, the main plot is really simple, the two main characters mostly talk while casually strolling around Vienna, sharing their thoughts about life and love as the night goes. It's really interesting how their "simply-talking" hooked me through the entire of the movie, and surprisingly, it's not boring at all (for a "romantic" me), their insights are so realistic and I love the way they interact, in which they both totally open up, and they can just talk about anything, there's not even a room for dead air. Their interaction is also not the kind of "trying to seduce for one night stand", but it's purely two strangers communicating through the night in a foreign city, being their true selves, because they know that it may be their last chance to see each other. And, the one that I love the most, is that the main actors play so so so so WELL, that it doesn't even look like they're acting, it looks like they're just being themselves, with all the witty dialogues seemingly unscripted, the words just flow from them, and it's as if we're not watching a movie, but like we're there with them in Vienna, following their stroll, listening to this couple of youngster talking and eventually finding attraction to one another.

Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke were once asked "How do you guys get into character?" in an interview with the Oscars, she answered, "We can't act, because if we act, it doesn't work, this film has to be..it's not that if we act, it doesn't work. If we sense we're acting, it just becomes fake."

It's really amazing how something so simple is developed into something so beautiful, and so real, I understand that maybe it is because the two actors are also involved in the script-writing(although they are not credited in the first movie), and I really love the idea that the director let the actors take part in it, but honestly, I do think that a good relationship between man and woman should be like that, it's where you can have a long conversation, you can talk about everything, staying awake the whole night, getting to know your partner better through communicating, instead of just the "get-laid" part. Oops, did I just say that?

taken from blu-ray.com

BEFORE SUNSET (2004)

continues the story in Before Sunrise, where Jesse and Céline meet nine years later in Paris, as Jesse has become a successful best-seller author, who writes a book called This Time, based on the one night he spent with her in Vienna. He is stopping by Paris as a part of his book-tour around Europe when Céline comes to visit him in a bookstore where he's having a book reading with a bunch of journalists.

This time, their encounter is supposedly brief, as Jesse has to (again) catch his flight just after sunset, so they only have a couple of hours "before sunset" to do the catching up, and the cool thing is, the whole movie is taken in "REAL TIME", so it feels even more REAL as we follow their rendezvous while walking around Paris, talking about how their lives have been all those years, how Jesse has been married with one son, but still feeling empty, how Céline becomes an environmentalist, and how lonely she feels, that she won't be able to fully love anyone, which leads back to that one summer night they spent together, and the heartbroken, (SPOILER!) as they foolishly decided not to exchange number, that made them lost contact for 9 years, which resulted in a stronger longing for each other.

I need not to say, (but I still want to say it!), that the two actors "again" showcase a very wonderful chemistry in this sequel, and I'm enthralled in their "another" casual conversation. OMG, how can they make something as simple as walking-and-talking become something so enchanting?

BEFORE MIDNIGHT (2013)

is set another nine years after Before Sunset, in which Jesse and Céline spend a summer vacation together with their twin girls in Greece. It is apparent that Jesse and Céline have been together since the event in Before Sunset. The movie begins with a scene where Jesse drops his teenage son, Hank, off to the airport for his flight back to U.S, after spending some summer time with the couple. On the way back to the place they stay, they start discussing their concerns about Hank having to grow up without enough "presence" of a father, and Céline's issue with her career, having to decide on a job that she doesn't like.

A little bit different from the first two movies, is that there's no clock ticking, a time limit in which Jesse has to catch a flight, and it includes some interactions between the couple with some friends, who are staying with them and also who pay for a hotel room for them to have a night alone. And it is in the hotel room, where they had the most fierce arguments, which they argue about their kids, parenting, familyhood, their present life and even their future together.

It is through this third trilogy, that we're hit by the reality that life is not always a bed of roses, that problems come and go in our life, there's no such thing called "love conquers it all", or maybe just like what Jesse said in the end of the movie,"If you want love, then this is it. This is real life. It's not perfect but it's real."

from amazon.com

Before Sunrise, is more about two people in their 20s who met by chance. both looking for that meaning of life, existence and love; Before Sunset is more about two people in their 30s who are yearning for that true love, realizing what they want in their life, and making decisions; while Before Midnight is totally a mature-up version, two people in their 40s with kids facing the kinds of problems that couples deal with in real life, about knowing that life is not always perfect.

There are a lot of dialogues that I love in these three movies, quotes that are soooo beautifully-written, but I guess there's no point in quoting them in this blogpost, (apart from making it even longer), if you don't watch the movies, experiencing firsthand the feeling they share through them,
which will let you understand and "connected" to the quotes even more.

"From Before Sunrise to Before Midnight,
the movies have given us major lessons on love, togetherness, separation, and life. " - scoopwhoop

But if you're curious about the quotes, click the link above ↑

Overall, I'm glad I took this roller-coaster ride, hitchhiking all through Jesse and Céline's 20s, 30s, and even 40s. It's really well-written, I love that it's simple but splendid at the same time, that it is somehow surreal but also realistic. It's been a great movie-marathon with the trilogy. ❤

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Movies

[Movie Review] Baby Driver: "Music Video"-Style Movie

By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - August 31, 2017

photo from www.hunterandbligh.com.au

Okay, so I've just got home from the cinema, and I can't stop thinking about this movie, like literally, I really wanna share with everyone out there, that I guess to keep myself sane from the excitement, I might just write something about it. Well, it's really been a while since I last posted a movie review, and today, I'm back at it, cause this movie totally nailed it! It's definitely worth a RECOMMENDATION!

Yeah, you heard me right, this is movie is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

It is SO SO GOOD....wait for it, NO, DON'T WAIT! JUST GO AND WATCH!

This movie is completely enjoyable from the beginning to the ending, action-packed, comedy-packed, brutality-packed (but not to the point that you end up feeling disgusted, like "Saw", no offense to Saw's fans). It is made with perfection, with every single part of it being thoughtfully and cautiously curated: the story, the songs, the witty dialogues and jokes, the characters, the choreography, the car chase, the thrill, the camera angle, the actors' brilliant performance, the...everything! I simply love everything about the movie.

I really love how the characters' each and every move fits perfectly to the beats of the soundtracks, it feels like we're watching a super cool MINDBLOWING music video; the way each scene smoothly builds up and flawlessly escalates to the climax, and how some of the unexpected twists left me gasping several times.

Baby Driver is like an oasis in the middle of the desert full of superhero movies, XD if you get what I mean. Something to freshen you up from the bombarding superhero line-up. It's s really good watch, I definitely enjoyed every single bit of it, I couldn't even take my eyes off the screen right from the start to the end, that it didn't feel like an almost-two-hour movie for me. The movie's story line might sound cliché when you read the synopsis, but trust me, it is being presented in a very TOP-NOTCH way.

And, hey, one more thing to add, I'm loving the background color of the promotional poster, which is pink, a very rare choice of color for an action crime thriller movie. Hmm, how cute <3

RATE: 5/5

p.s.: This review is based on my personal opinion, different views may apply :)

Here's the trailer, enjoy!

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Daily Life

Captain America : Civil War

By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - April 29, 2016

Whose Side Are You On?

It's been a while since I last post a movie review, guess it's time to have another one coming?

Well, I have just got home after watching Captain America: Civil War and I'm smiling. :)

Means I'm not disappointed at all.

I've been impatient to reach home soon and share my opinion with you guys, cause I gotta say "It's a lot better than Batman vs Superman, guys!!" And I'm glad Batman vs Superman was released first before Captain America. You know, I'm the whole "save-the-best-for-the-last" kinda person. I'm happy that I'm left with better impression about superheroes movies, than just thought of it as "Nah, it's just another superhero movie, they just gonna fight, the superhero wins, and the villain loses, there's no point."

The conflict and the fight are wrapped in a much better way than Batman vs Superman. The movie is fully-packed with special effects and actions (they have a lot of fights, which are way better than The Avengers: Age of Ultron). Oh, and they have humour too, though not much, especially when Ant-man and Spider-man lend their hands in the big fight. Well, literally, they are the only source of laughter in the movie. Oops, spoiler alert?

Both Captain America and Batman have the same duration, but I kinda felt a little bored halfway thru Batman, and according to me, the conflict in Batman vs Superman was too simple, and it was solved too easily, that the fight became pointless. On top of that, I really feel bad to say this, but I'm more attracted to the appearance of Wonder Woman in the movie instead of the two main leads. (Anyway, I'm excited to see her solo movie in 2017. :) ) Yet, in Captain America, besides the two main roles, the other superheroes share the fairly same importance in the movie.

And hey, the movie also seems brighter and more colourful than Batman vs Superman, cause the setting of Batman vs Superman was just too gloomy, it's like dim, dark, night, rain, underground, well yeah Batman is the Dark Knight, shouldn't have expected much of the brightness. Well, don't bother. haha

I'm sorry, DC Comics, but I'm gonna say the award for the best "Superhero-vs-Superhero" movie so far must go to Marvel. (But, don't worry, you still have Suicide Squad in my bucket list, maybe you'll win my heart back? XD )

Truthfully, at first before watching the movie, I couldn't decide which side I'm on. Either it's #TeamCap or #TeamIronMan, (It's more to #TeamCap actually, since Chris Evans is younger and more handsome with all the muscles, but wait! Robert Downey Jr. is seriously attractive too! Errrr, can't I just be on both side?)

But at the end, I'm sure I won't be on either's side, cause
"UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL."

I'm definitely on the Avenger's side. :D

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Daily Life

The Premiere :)

By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - September 06, 2015

Hi :)
This week passed in a blink of eye, caused by serious busy-ness, preparing for next week which will be a lot crazier week. Well, enough of the "work" talk, I would like to share my new experience with all of you :)

I'm a big fan of new things, new experience, new knowledge, anything new. Soo, after days eyeing on "The Man From U.N.C.L.E", eventually, last Monday, after work, my dearest colleague, Ms Jenny and I decided to go to Centre Point XXI to catch the movie. It's Monday so we didn't really have to queue, but when we got there, it's like 15-20 minutes before the movie starts, and the seats available for the regular theater were those right in front of the screen. We looked at each other, and Ms Jenny came out with an idea "Should we try Premiere?" And I said yes right away. We've never tried the famous "Premiere Theatre" and we are more of a "sudden" people, means we tend to decide things right at the moment. And, we're actually not the type to consider Premiere to watch a movie, because the ticket are too pricey for a movie, buuuuuut all of those opinions were about to change. Haha

They have special ticket selling counter and it costs us Rp 100.000,- per ticket and the tickets were printed on good quality paper and put inside a silver envelope, (so high class!) (*don't mind me!)

You can see that the time when we bought the ticket, was 18:52, and we hadn't had any dinner yet by that time. And, we're so starving, but we wouldn't have enough time to eat dinner somewhere else, so we decided to just order from the cafe there. We finished ordering several minutes before 19:15, and of course, we won't have enough time to eat, not to mention the cooking time.Well, hold on, in fact, they have "delivery service" :p, the food and beverages that we ordered can be delivered to our seats during the whole movie.

So, we ordered some pastas, and some drinks, to be taken inside, but warning! The prices for the food and beverages are costly as well. We didn't really mind that because we're about to experience something new, so we had to go all out. Wkwk

When we got in, we're like looking at everything in awe. We tried to touch anything we could touch, trying the buttons on the sides of the very comfortable seats, adjusting the height, and we're precisely like small kids getting into a new toy shop or a candy shop. We couldn't stop "Wow-ing". The theatre is very exclusive, with not much seats available. So it will never be too crowded. And again, the seats are very comfortable, enough space for your feet, and there's enough space for us to put our plates (the plates they used to serve the food are really big!) in between the seats. Super duper comfortable with blankets provided( I could really sleep on it!), and with really great service. They will come to you for the food bill, so it really felt like we're kings, everything will be provided for us, we didn't even have to move a finger. And, it did feel like we're watching at home in a very positive way. :D

And really sorry, that I couldn't take any pictures inside, because it's too dark and the movie had started when we came in, so I can't show you anything. :|

To sum it all, I had a really good time enjoying this new experience. I don't regret watching it, and for any of you, who haven't got any chance to try it, I happily recommend it for you, and a TIPS : If you want to make it worth, make sure to choose a movie which is known to be really really good! I mean it's better to have a small research first, rather than you waste your Rp 100,000,- for a movie which doesn't worth it at all. :)

Well, I might not be watching Premiere again in the near future,(because it costs A LOT!), but I'm really looking forward for another chance to enjoy the comfy moment again. :P

And p.s:

Warning!!

If you have tried the Premiere, you won't find the regular theatre the same anymore.

You'll feel the difference right away, and you'll long for the time you were watching in the Premiere. :P

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[Movie Review] Pitch Perfect 2

By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - August 02, 2015

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Movies

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - July 06, 2015

"To see the world,
things dangerous to come to,
to see behind the walls,
to draw closer,
to find each other and to feel.
That is the purpose of LIFE."

Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller), an employee at Life magazine, spends day after monotonous day developing photos for the publication. To escape the tedium, Walter inhabits a world of exciting daydreams in which he is the undeniable hero. Walter fancies a fellow employee named Cheryl (Kristen Wiig) and would love to date her, but he feels unworthy. However, he gets a chance to have a real adventure when Life's new owners send him on a mission to obtain the perfect photo for the final print issue.

I spent my Sunday afternoon watching this movie, and let myself dream along with Walter. I really like the way his dream was visualized, in an amusing yet realistic way. I mean most of us spend our time daydreaming and sometimes without us realizing it, we're already zoning out, being fully indulged in our imagination, exactly like Walter Mitty.

The story line of the movie itself is pretty simple, but I kinda enjoy the way it delivers its message. It's like telling us that all we need to do to make all the dreams come true is, take a step of courage, and there you go. It will all come along the way. We should stop dreaming and start doing. Cause it might be a way to find the real meaning of your own life. So what if it doesn't work? At least you had tried, at least you had experienced it yourself, or at the very least you had a story to tell. That leap of faith that we take might change our life, change the way we see the world, or help us to be a better person. IF only we want to try.

Walter Mitty took us to places he once dreamed of going but never managed to visit till the later time of his life. The tedious Walter Mitty, who lives his dull life in New York, brings us to Greenland, Iceland, and Himalayas. And on the way there, he did lots of things that he had never imagined he would ever do. And when he got home, he realized that he had become another man, a better man, a man who took chances, and a man who daydreams less, because he has started doing.

This message is what the movie is trying to deliver to us.

The movie shows us great views of the places Walter Mitty passed en route to track down Sean O'Connell, the photographer of the photo who is supposed to be the cover for the final print issue. The helicopter ride and jumping-to-the-boat scene in the great ocean of Greenland, the volcano and the green lush of Iceland, the hike to Himalaya mountains, we are served with magnificent sights of each place throughout the movie. Those scenery indeed attracts me them one day. *crossfingers

Ben Stiller did a really good job acting serious in this movie, his serious dramatic acting here is as enjoyable as his funny comedic characters in other movies. He acted, directed, and produced this movie. And I think he did really good job in doing those three things. He is truly an entertainer. *twothumbsup

The movie is really simple, but the message is so meaningful, that I ended up smiling after watching it, as I realize I have to start doing something in my life too.:)

p.s: I noticed Adam Scott playing as the new boss here, and I couldn't stop laughing whenever he showed up in the screen, because he has left a very deep impression of Ben Wyatt, and I really like his character there which makes me not being able to hate him here (although he is supposed to be an annoying arrogant new boss) XD

p.s.s: If you are a fan of action movies or horror movies, this might not be a good choice. But if you like romantic comedy drama adventure meaningful movie, then this could be a real good choice. :)

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Movies

SPY! B)

By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - June 07, 2015

"A desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent diabolical global disaster." - Imdb

Have you watched SPY?

If no, you should find some time to watch it soon!!!

Superduperly recommended by me!!!

The movie plays for 2 hours, but I didn't feel bored even a bit during the whole movie. Instead, I laughed out loud for the whole time. It was sooooo HILARIOUS!!! :DD

Almost all of the characters are so likeable, Melissa McCarthy plays as Susan Cooper, who is willing to look silly when being undercover (when all the field agents always look stylish and cool while undergoing their missions) and who is in fact a brainy, and has amazing hidden skills in the field.

Even Jason Statham, managed to make us laugh throughout the movie through his clumsy self-bragging character (which was combined really well with his usual manly personality).

Rose Bryne, as Rayna (the owner of the nuke), with her crown-like hair and sexy accent.

And two other characters that I like the most from this movie:

Nancy B, (by Miranda Hart), an awesome sidekick of Susan Cooper who is super hilarious, easily panic with her British accent and shouldn't be left out from the lists of the characters who make us laugh out loud. She's very very funny. Hahaha :D

Aldo (Peter Serafinowicz), an agent who is sent to help Susan accomplish her mission, who has so many cheesy (read:p*rvert) punch lines and gestures, which instead of making us having goosebumps from all the cheesiness, spark a lot of laughter instead. :DD

After all, this movie is TOP!! SUPERB! SO ENJOYABLE! I like all of the characters (with amazing acting and chemistry of the actors of course!), the setting of the movie, the punch lines, the story line, the sarcasm and on top of all, the unpredictable jokes and actions scenes! This movie has it all, the action scenes were shot very well, thrilling but also funny at the same time, serious but also clumsy. The story is brilliant! The jokes are all so witty!!

Really love this one and I would really recommend it to any of you!

Find some time and watch it! You'll enjoy it as much as I do! :D

You'll come out of the theater with a very bright smile on your face!

I feel like I can watch it several times and still laugh out loud! ROTFL

*p.s: This movie is for adults only! ;)

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Movies

The Four : The Final Battle (2014)

By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - April 13, 2015

As what I've mentioned before, I was eagerly waiting to watch the third sequel of The Four trilogy. And since it wasn't played in our cinema here, I can only wait for the DVD or until it was available in the internet. But, I should it was quite worth the wait. Haha

Actually, I have watched the movie around 1-2 months ago, so this is literally a super late post. Forgive me, :)

As per before, my most favorite character in the movie is still Sheng Ya Yu, or Emotionless, played by Crystal Liu Yi Fei. <3 Most of the actors are still the same, with additional Alec Su, playing the role as The Emperor. His comical roles in Huan Zhu Ge Ge and Romance in the Rain are still very fresh in my mind, so when I watched him here playing a very serious role, I couldn't stop smiling because his funny expressions in those previous series were still lingering in my mind. He did quite a great job here, though. :)

As written in the title, this is the Final Battle so everything will end in this last sequel. The fight between the Divine Constabulary with the An minister's family. Compared to the second one, it was slightly better. The fighting scenes were increased with better visual effects too. More surprising events but there are also some which are quite predictable. I should admit that the conflict in the second sequel was a bit more intriguing that this one. And I expect more conflict from An Shi Geng, the main antagonist in the first movie, since he was kind of gathering power in the second sequel for the big fight, but it didn't really happen. So, I didn't really understand why they maintained his role here.

Overall, it has quite an epic ending, although with a very simple resolution to its problem. I will still recommend it anyway. :)

p.s: (I still secretly hope that there will something more from the lovebirds, Ya Yu and Lingqi haha. I really love their gaze to each other, like there's no word needed to express their love to each other. Hihihi. Liu Yi Fei and Deng Chao are two really great actors!!! Two thumbs up!)

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Daily Life

Interstellar .

By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - November 24, 2014

Hellooo!

Have you watched Interstellar?

If yes, what do you think about it? If no, why not?

I watched it several days ago and truth to be told, at first I wasn't really interested in it. The posters are all showing an astronaut standing on a moon or whatever planet it is. So, an 85% percent NO!

It all started when my brother watched it first and he told me this : "You know, only smart people will be able to watch and understand it, although yeah, the movie was nice, but really, only SMART people will understand." So I simply answered him: "So do you understand?" He answered:"I understand, but it needs a lot of thinking." At that moment, I felt CHALLENGED. If he can understand it, why can't I? *devil* He's not some genius or what, I mean, at least our knowledge is still in the same level. I'm sure I'll be able to understand it, or won't I? I will, right? I started to doubt myself. Haha. These thoughts kept lingering in my mind for the next several days. Until a friend of mine, Daniel, who is a very BIG fan of Christopher Nolan's work (note: VERY BIG! He watched almost all of his movies! And it literally means ALL!) told me that he enjoyed the movie very much. It was ingenious, according to him. It wasn't necessary for me to ask him whether he understands it or not because i know clearly that he does. (He's a smart ass! note: SUPER SMART, he's like a walking encyclopedia!) He said that if I know what a wormhole, a black hole, dimension etc mean, then I will find the movie interesting. So again, I was CHALLENGED!!!

It tells the story of a group of scientists/astronauts on their way to look for a new planet in the other galaxy for humans to live as earth is deteriorating. They went through wormhole, black hole, time relativity,and even headed to 5D dimension. There are tragedy, drama, science, imagination all packed into one. I should say that this is another masterpiece of Christopher Nolan. Until now, I'm still wondering his way of thinking. How could he be so genious??? He could develop a very simple story into a super complicated maze. After Inception, and now this.

This three-hour movie is indeed very heavy, it needs a lot of deep thinking, it felt like I had to keep thinking so that I could keep up with the pace of the plot. When I stepped out from the cinema, my head felt so hot, haha, it had worked so hard. We (My brother, my colleague, Daniel and I) kept discussing about the movie, about why it happened that way, or this way. Through the long discussion, I realized that there's still some small parts that I don't understand completely. Ah, how i wish i was a little smarter. Haha.

If you're ready to think hard, then this will be a very good movie for you. If you're looking for a happy, fresh and light movie, this movie is a big no no!

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Daily Life

Nostalgia~

By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - November 13, 2014

Hi, there!

It's has been a nostalgic week for me, and it all started with the recent hype all over the nation's social media -- Ada Apa dengan Cinta (LINE) (2014) mini drama!!!

Have you watched it? If not, then you should go to www.youtube.com and you'll find it right on the very first page! (ooops, this is for Indonesia area only.)

The mini drama threw me back to my childhood-going-to-teenagehood moments. I still remembered when i first watched the original movie produced 12 years ago. I used to get all excited talking about the movie with my friends during those times and in fact, I still now. Haha. I first found out about this mini drama from the actors' instagram account where they posted pictures of the cast reunions in Seoul, South Korea!! And of course, it intrigued me right at that moment!

And have you ever watched the original Ada Apa dengan Cinta (2002)? If yes, then let's recall together. If no, I'm sorry, spoiler alert!!!!!

Well, if yes, then you'll remember how the movie ends with Cinta sending Rangga away to New York. I couldn't say that the movie wasn't good because of the not so happy ending (i'm a total happy ending mania, not so interested with sad ending movies), it was still very good indeed, and i ended up liking it so much. Soooo, this mini drama kinds of giving us the ending that has been long awaited (by me, especially!)

Can't figure out what I mean? Well, you should really watch the video by yourself. I really don't want to be a spoiler for the second time. And, I really hope that you will be smiling ear to ear when it reaches the end of the video. Like me, of course! Dian Sastro and friends look so mature in this movie and made me like it even more. Even Rangga (Nicholas Saputra) looks so neat, an exact reversal of his messy hair back then, yet he's still as serious as before. Although it is obviously made as an advertisement, but I really want to thank LINE for producing the happy ending. :) :)

After watching and putting a big grin on my own face, I felt that it's not complete without watching the original version again. So I ended up watching it, and another old Indonesian movie that I adore in my teenagehood -- Eiffel, I'm in Love!!!!

I read the novel first before it was made into movie, and I loved it even more when they produced the movie! These two movies really took part in making me realize that guys who are Darcy-like are super attractive, and in getting me to understand what romance means, and in making me start to have all the imagination of meeting the love of my life, the one who cares about me, for no matter who I am, simply like Rangga and Adit. :)