Q: “What do you want to know about me?”
A: ” What do I want to know about you? A lot. But do I want to know all? I doubt. Sometimes all I want to know is as simple as what you will be doing today, or how you are going to spend your day today, or sometimes I wonder if I could make you smile today or the opposite. Sometimes that is all I want to know.”
Last night I tweeted a lot about underrated romantic comedies.
It began when I browsed randomly on DVDs or Blu-rays to buy, as I just got $5 Amazon gift voucher from an online survey. If that sentence alone does not describe how middle-class I am, I don’t know what else does.
Clicking endless “today’s deals”, “unbelievably good bargains” and “price so low you will faint as you buy” sections later, I came across one film called The Truth About Cats and Dogs.
Way before we saw an eerie family film about talking cats and dogs, the title belongs to a little, sweet charmer starring equally sweet Uma Thurman, Janeane Garofalo and Ben Chaplin. Janeane plays a character who pretends to be Uma to attact Ben’s attention, although in the end it is Janeane’s true genuine personality that wins Ben over.
Now if you talk about movies that change the world or movies that change the savings of studio executives, films like Cats & Dogs above and others do not usually get mentioned.
These are films that grow over time. Some, or even most of them, do not get good critical reception and commercial success upon initial release.
But as years go by, these are the kind of films we stumble upon while we are confused on what to watch on a relaxing Saturday night at home. Or the kind of film that our friends recommend to cure lonely hearts. Or simply the kind of film that you have no idea what it is about, you just pick it randomly in a store, but you’re glad to discover it.
Thus, you remember it for life.
The films that touch our heart are not necessarily the great ones. They are those that can make us believe in love again, convincingly, and unknowingly.
That’s why they are underrated.
I’m not going to write any longer than this. Oh come on, you know that this is long enough already! But I’m going to share with you images from some #underratedromanticcomedy films that you should watch, especially:
Read the rest of this entry »
I fall for you like a rustling leaf whispered by the wind, and laid haplessly on the mat outside my porch.
I fall for you like the last drop of condensed milk in a cup of hot tea, the kind I want to serve to you for breakfast someday.
I fall for you like echoes heard in caves repeatedly to the last wave of sound, the ones we will hear in our future travels.
I fall for you for your spontaneous giggles at almost every passing ordinary words coming out of my mouth, unplanned and unprepared.
I fall for you for your obvious awkwardness when you struggle to say your order whenever we dine out.
I fall for you for your honest behavior to sleep during a film I find excited to watch.
I fall for you for no reason except for whatever you are.
I fall for you at every “hey” before long questions.
I fall for you at every “so?” before firm answers.
I fall for you at every “let’s!” before permanent decisions.
I might have fallen for you already, unknowingly, as our hands shook the first time.
I am falling for you at the moment of writing this.
I fall for you every time I am lost for words when you start rambling about things in chaotic orders.
But I will not fall for you in the future.
Because by then I will stay and be with you.
I was just sitting down in this coffee shop when I saw a rare sight: across the shop, in a smaller cafe, a man approached a woman. He leaned down, and he kissed her forehead. As he moved a little closer to her, we saw a wedding ring in his finger. The similar ring apparently was seen in the woman’s finger, too.
He chatted with her, sipped her drink a little, and she got up. They walked together, he held her hand, smiled. He didn’t look at her, and neither did she. But his smile showed he responded to whatever she said, perhaps summarizing all the things she went through in a day’s work.
I couldn’t help staring at them. One thing is missing in the couple’s interaction: gadget. Either running out of battery or simply put in their bags, we did not see them.
In comparison, here I am, all alone waiting for my next work meeting, and heavily distracted by the sight I just saw. Immediately I took out my iPad and write about that heavenly view.
On the other hand, on a table next to mine, two students in their uniform look bored with each other other, and they have been sitting in silence, playing with their own gadgets.
The students are still here. Yet what lingers on my mind the most is the sight of that married couple, who effortlessly show affection amidst crazy hectic day, especially this town on a Friday afternoon.
Don’t you just miss genuine human connection?
I am writing this entry as I am still reeling from the atmosphere of my little sister’s somewhat big wedding.
For the past two days, we had nothing but this wedding in our mind.
For some, such as my family and those who help organizing it, the wedding had been on their minds for the past few weeks and months.
For the bride and the groom, the wedding had also been on their minds for the past year when they decided to tie the knot.
For me, the wedding has been lingering on my conscience, meaning that I had been made aware of the wedding for some time. But not only in the past few minutes ago I realize that a wedding like this is a big deal.
Not exactly a fan of big wedding myself, I made my way into it by benefitting from the obvious, natural status as a member of the hosting family. Once stepped in, I felt lost. Everyone was busy, but me. Eventually I was made busy as well, but only to a miniscule portion of what others had done greatly.
The awareness started kicking in when the wedding ceremony happened. I was made to sit next to dad before he gave his daughter to the hand of marriage.
Awkward, yes, but the uncomfortable position also made me realize that a son has to learn being a good guardian to his family in every small step. As I get to witness my sister signed the note of marriage legally from a very close sight, it is clear that she also signs an approval note that part of my duty being a brother to her has now been taken over by someone else.
Someone whom she is expected to spend the rest of this lifetime with. Someone who will be her first immediate contact in any given circumstances.
The adjustment period did not even start yet when we had to prepare for the wedding reception the next day, a day after the ceremony. The aforementioned status as a family member only prompted organizers to point me as one of ushers to bring the newlyweds to the stage, and to welcome guests who came to greet the couple. As guests walked past me, I struggled to recall names and faces from distant relatives, neighbors, old family friends, to which I mostly failed. My other sister helped me to memorize the names to an already forgotten effect by now.
But what I won’t forget is the joyful faces of aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and cousins who cheered the wedding from their smiles.
Coming from different cities and islands, they reunited in this wedding, albeit briefly.
“Your belated aunt must be proud seeing her children gather again today, unexpectedly,” my other aunt pointed out. I could not agree more.
When we posed for a group photo, my mind flew briefly to big Lebaran gatherings we always did years ago, back when the elders were still around. As one by one departed, the tradition slowly fades out, but apparently, the memory is not.
The price for embracing the nostalgia is the intrusion of privacy we often get. But then the more I thought about it, the more I realize that it may take a while for both our ability to convey our choice, and for them to accept what we have chosen.
Then again, this note is made as I am still reeling from the euphoria of a wedding.
It may not make me wanting to do the same for myself, but it is the exuberant joy of seeing our present family members, both close and extended ones, that make such event sticks to our mind as long as we live.
Tulisan iki mung iso diwoco ambek sing iso boso Jowo, terutama Jowo Timuran. Lebih mantep nek iso Suroboyoan. Sing isone boso Jowo alus, yo sepurane ae, cak, mbambong ae.
Sa’jane iki lho kerjaane Cita, aku mek nyebarno ae. Cita iki koncoku, rek, dikenalno ambek Hendri, jarene “kalian sama-sama Arema”. Awal-awal sek jaim, yo. Eh mari ngono, wis ambrol kabeh koyo bendungan buanjir! Jan kene nek nggedabrus ndhek BBM iso ngomong sembarang kalir. Iku BBM nek ceblok opo dicolong, wasalam ae reputasine kene nek didelok BBM Chat-e. Nggilani yo, Cit?
Nah salah satu kerjaane Cita nek lagek horny iki yo ngirimi humor-humor sing luwih nggilani soko iki. Tapi percoyo koen, sing paling top markotop yo Suroboyo Airlines iki! Pas pertama nrimo, aku wis arep ngomong, “jianciiiik!” sampe ngguyu kemekelen. Mung sadar yo pas meeting, arep dipentung be’e!
Bar tak woco bolak-bolak, cuk, wuasu tenan joke iki, sek iso gawe ngakak sampe saiki!
Wis wocoen ae. Thanks a lot, Cita! *lah, sek keminggris*
Once in a while, you find someone you are crazily attracted to. Someone you are dying to be with every minute of the day.
Someone you have a huge crush on, so huge that you overwhelm yourself with ideas and thoughts far beyond your wildest dreams.
Someone you are mad about.
Someone you crave to have.
When you find that someone, step back.
Don’t move forward, but take a step backward.
Once the euphoria dies down, you begin to see what once was flawless is now flawed.
You begin to see what once was tolerable is now intolerable.
You begin to see what once was lovely is now condemned.
You begin to see what once was compatible is now in doubt.
Everything that looks rosy now looks rotten.
When you find the time to realize that, step forward.
Don’t be hesitant, just take a bold step to the front line.
Truth comes when infatuation dies down.
We shall not cheat ourselves by becoming what the other person is like, because eventually we make him or her do things we do.
We confuse ourselves with the idea of liking someone for being like us, which is far from likeable.
Reality comes when we know the differences, and willingness to try to understand them.
Reality comes upon seeing real attitudes undisguised behind distant words.
Reality comes by the time we accept to embrace changes, and finally give in.
After all, love is reality, not just a dream.
Once in a while, we find that someone who is willing to wait together for love to bloom, instead of prolonged maddening crush.
When you find that someone, stay.
Now, you can step forward together.
When I was a kid, I always thought that I would end up living with the first person I have a crush on forever, until the end of time.
Of course, the concept of “until the end of time” at the time was thought to be that we two would leave the world together, never came across my mind on the possibility that one may die sooner than the other. After all, how do you explain such a system to a dreamy 7 year-old boy who is now writing this blog you are reading?
Oh yes, I would take a cue from my surrounding and then would spend time daydreaming, making countless spin-offs out of those cues and clues. For example, I was once fascinated by this watch than could function as telephone, and it was used by characters in Voltus! Being a fan, I dragged my dad to local markets, even when we went out of town, to get me one. Hey, it never occurred my mind who I should make a call to with the watch!
But my dad obeyed my wish, and he enquired about my request to a few toy stores. All of the storekeepers seemed to shake heads and smile in agreement with my dad, who knew that it was impossible to meet my demand. Looking back, this event only make me respect him more as my dad.
My gratitude to him and my mother also sprung from how I look up to them after knowing that my mom was my dad’s first and only serious girlfriend. For mom, at least her children knew she dated a guy who became her close friend to date, but it wasn’t serious. Thus, these two people who made me who I am today were, in fact, married to the first serious date they had.
How noble, how amazing, how inspiring. At least that’s what I had hoped my life would turn out to be: that I would spend my life together with the one I would date the first time.
How little would I know about my life and how it would turn out to be.
If you asked me how my very first dating experience was, I would say that I do not remember how exactly it went. I remember who, and I remember the overall time we had, which was nevertheless nice to have.
But when I realized that it would not last long, part of me was devastated, knowing that I would not be able to be walking on the same step like my parents did. I was taken aback for a while, knowing that from that point on, I would not be able to replicate what my parents had.
Luckily, I found that inability liberating.
Time passes by, and I continued dating, without a sign of settling down in sight. Not yet. I was lucky enough to still have a chance to meet new people, or new one-s if you say so, those who bring a little change to otherwise mundane routine.
Not being a serial dater myself who parades a long list of dates, but I learn a great deal from them. Some mark great changes, some give me many to chuckle about. Some vanish completely, some leave indelible marks. Some go, some stay.
But someone I am yet to meet is you.
Here’s what I am going to say to you:
“I don’t know who you are yet, but whoever you are, I just want to state again that you are not my first date. Be it serious, or casual, or anything in between, you’re just not my first on the list.
But what is lacking on the listing, I am trying to make it up by putting you first in any way I can.
As much as desire goes, I want to greet you the first thing in the morning.
As often as we can, I want us to have the first meal of the day together.
As many times as possible, I want us to close our eyes at the end of the day with each being the first and the last on our respective mind.
When we hit off to wrong start, let’s aim for steady move in years to come.
When we feel like yapping and yelling, let’s think that we’ll be exhausted before we find each other again.
When we feel like being alone and apart, let’s believe that the distance will only strengthen us.”
And if I’d have found you then, I’ll say that since I was a kid, I always believe that someday, I’ll end up living with the person I have a crush on forever, until the end of time.
That person is you.
The other day my friend Leila commented on a picture I posted on Path, “I love movies about glorified extra marital affair!”
The picture she commented on is a scene from Same Time, Next Year, the 1978 film about a married man and a married woman embark on a love affair for 26 years without divorcing their respective spouses. I have spoken about the film quite a number of times either here or on Twitter, which is obvious enough to say that it ranks as one of my all-time favorites.
Same Time, Next Year
I am sure that those of you who have watched the film will be drawn to the charismatic characters, and cannot help liking the film, despite the questionable premise as I mentioned above. After all, when we talk about film, we talk about a whole different world of make-belief and the film succeeds.
In fact, extra marital affair makes a very interesting subject to be brought to big screen.
I’m sure many films on the said subject immediately registers to your mind as we speak.
Want some proof?
Summer blockbuster season is here, and thank God for no hiccup this year! Alternative programming gives a refreshing element to cinema going activity this season. Simply said, we just cannot wait to go back to the movies!
Check out the select few of what I’ve seen in the past weeks after the cut.
Some people stay longer than expected.
They carve abundant of memories, and hope that each one of them is taken as a token of remembrance. The choice is for us to keep, or not.
Some people pass by quickly.
They bring out temporary joy without intention to make a residence. Often surprisingly we are left with no choice but to remember their fleeting presence.
Some people make repeated visits.
Obviously each and every single visit vary in quality. We welcome them at our own conscience, depending on the quality the visit brings, and how we decide to play along with it.
Some people vanish completely from our life.
Yet, how they make us feel will never go away.
Some people are not meant to stay at all.
Yet, their brief time in our memory often goes a long way.
Some people do not come back.
Neither do we.
But the feeling stays.
Sometimes, some people come in our life for a very short time to make a memory that lasts a lifetime.
So I woke up this morning to the sight of My Week With Marilyn on my TV. This has got to be the third time I watched the film. While it is not a flawless film, it has its own charm that make it worth repeated viewings.
Of course, this entry will not discuss the film at length. After all, you have heard million of times that Michelle Williams was robbed in Oscar night. (Alright, that’s only me.)
But as I watched the film, I suddenly recall another film project that also depicts the making of an old film. It’s the one with Anthony Hopkins playing as Alfred Hitchcock in the film about the making of Psycho. Currently the film, which is still being shot, is tentatively titled Hitchcock. I hope the makers will change the title because, hey, do you want to challenge any film buffs out there to say that Hitchcock is only represented by that one film?
Having both films above in mind, I could not help but wonder if it’ll become common to have an option of “possible reinterpretation to depict behind-the-scene of the film as a separate feature film entity” in the making of future films.
In other simpler words, it may be possible to have more films like My Week With Marilyn or Hitchcock that revolve around the making of a film. After all, behind-the-scene juicy story is worth telling on its own, especially as a film.
And I as keep toying with the idea, I couldn’t help but wonder: what are current and not-so-distant films (maximum 35 years old!) worth being remade as films about making-of-the-films?
Here are my top 4 choices:
… then perhaps it is best to set aside the fact that time is ticking faster to the end, and start counting often-unforeseen blessings that usually include:
1. our ability to immediately forget wrongdoings once we decide to forgive them;
2. our employment, be it on our own or being employed, as long as we keep working;
3. our health, which we only realize its importance when we fall sick, but hey, we make it back from the gloom, don’t we?!;
4. our ability to open up our hearts again for relationship even though it has been bruised many times, because excitement overrules pain;
5. our friends, who slap with harsh words in front of us, laugh with and laugh at together, and say “Let’s” more often than “I think”;
6. our sense of accomplishment in getting impossible deals, solving unresolved work problems in long emails, and looking fresh for presentation despite lack of sleep;
7. our ability to laugh at ourselves;
8. our competitors and nemesis to make us compete;
9. our family of any kind, long gone or still present, who have shaped us to what we are now;
10. our sufficient material possession that allows us to sleep at night, eat decent meal and wear proper clothes to define what we are; and lastly,
11. our ability to read this note and realize that from the title up to this point, this is basically one very long sentence.
If you ask why there are 11 points while it could be less or more, that’s because today is my birthday. But who am I to occupy the date solely? There are at least six people I call them friends who share the same birth date, and millions others out there whom we have not met yet.
This note is for you all to read in your own birthday.
Have a happy one.
Courtesy of sodahead.com
Welcome to these short film reviews, or what I presume as the bearable read for those on the move with smart phones, mobile laptops or tablets, and not desk-bound computers who do not like having too many to read.
Trust me, the feeling is mutual.
I hope the series will be done regularly, with accumulative pieces of reviews rather than making single entry blog for each film like you used to read.
In addition, films watched in cinema and at home need to be separated. We attend each of the film-watching experience differently, and that reflects our perception towards the movie.
Feel millions of times much cooler after every vague word.
Without further ado, presenting the first edition of Less Than 100 Words Film More (after the cut):
Nauval Yazid & His Words. 