Sunday Supplement: Laugh.Love.Live.
That pretty much sums up my dose this weekend.
Yesterday, I took the time out to watch the film everyone was raving about, "Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank."
Click to viewBeyond the film's attributes (because I am no film critic), the movie brought me back to my State U days when my room mate (who was a film major) would spend sleepless nights over drafts of her script and countless storyboards, convince students to be willing actors and enlist my voice in one of her class projects.
It was also at this time that I was exposed to phrases such exterior shots, interior shots and color bars, to name a few of the many terminologies filmmakers use. And I became more familiar with it when I saw a copy of the script (condensed in a book) of one of my favorite films, Moral, which was lying somewhere in our room.
And then Eugene Domingo. To her legion of fans, she is THE great comedienne of this generation. THE EUGENE DOMINGO. But my memory of her will be that of a passionate actress who moved her audience as she gave life to her characters in stage plays.
Overall, the film was not wanting in laughs. It also tackled a relevant social issue which seems to be a favorite among indie films and is still a prevalent problem to this day.
Two hours later.
After a dinner consisting of a bowl of steaming hot chasyu ramen and a plate of California maki, I sat through two hours of subtitled Japanese film, "One Million Yen Girl." And I enjoyed it. Both the film and the dinner. And mind you that it was just a coincidence that for three hours, everything that was thrown my way was Japanese.
It had the elements that would make one giddy from watching this romantic film and judging from the swoons and the ooohhhsss and aaahhhsss of the moviegoers, the movie succeeded. And I liked how it became a travelogue of sorts as it showcased bits and parts of Japan. But the ending left the moviegoers hanging. In fact, my colleague and I had to wait till the credits rolled to a stop to see if there would be an epilogue, but there was none. The viewers were left with the images of the protagonists outside the train station and the translated line, "No way he comes." Makes one think whether the couple met and had their happy ending or Suzuko just simply took off and decided to earn her one million yen in another town.
Lazy Sunday.
I can't remember where I first saw the above video. Was it on my Twitter timeline or someone else's blog? I am not so sure. Then all of a sudden, it was on the evening news. Isn't it a great pride that a Filipino gets published by Random House?
I finally bought a copy of Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto. And at a discounted rate because National Bookstore was having its annual sale. Plus I bought it using an almost-forgotten NBS gift certificate given last Christmas.
But the novel is more than that. The 294-page package is filled with lessons on history, magical adventure, travel blog, and quotable lines and dialogues (which I'm sure will find its way in status updates). I loved the vivid descriptions of the setting and the detailed quirks of the characters. It allows the readers to get lost in their own versions of Before Ever After movies in their minds.
I thought it would be another romance fiction. Girl meets boy. They have their shares of ups and downs. Then they finally have their ever after.
To cynics, a Max will never happen in our time-bound universe. So this novel gives another take on how to defy time and logic. It kept me guessing how Max will appear in history's timeline. Or will Max and Shelley find their ever after?
To some, ever after would mean finding THE ONE who perfectly fits one's checklist. And spending scores and scores of years together that would equate a lifetime bliss. But I loved what Rose said about "how much happiness you can find in the pages of the shortest of love stories."
For a newbie, Before Ever After was a good read. Overall, I liked it. I heaved a happy sigh as I reached the epilogue. It isn't a remote possibility that this will make it to big screen. But I'd prefer it filmed the surreal European way over the glossy Hollywood fashion. ✍
*Postscript: Considering that my body goes haywire when confronted with yolks, whites and fowls, it's a feat that I managed to read this material to the very end. And read it again.✍