Brokeback Mountain

There is always going to be a problem of impossibly high expectations when we go and watch a movie that has been lauded as possibly one of the best movies ever made and is everywhere we see/hear. We don't want to be left out because all our friends will be talking about it, but then there will always be one of two skeptical ones, ready to isolate themselves in order to look nonchalant and cool, because they are one of those who have chosen not to join the "urban crowd".

So, the first thing I told John before we stepped into the non-official premiere of "Brokeback Mountain" in Sydney, is to discard all expectations and just enjoy the film. "Don't analyse it, just watch it", I said, and we did.

It was the 16th January and it was crowded. Expectedly, it was 95% men, all gay presumably, and a handle of women, including a very dear friend, Anne. I had read the book before and in parts, I was happy that I did because though Heath Ledger encapsulated the role of the cowboy reluctant to be honest about his love, he mumbled through most of his lines. He said that since it was difficult for the character to express his love for Jack (played by Jake Gyllenhaal), he wanted the words to be "forced out" from his mouth, and thus the mumbling. It helped define his character, but made understanding him rather difficult. On the other hand, I wanted to be surprised with the outcome and since I had read the book recently, I knew what was going to come next. What has to be commended though is that the screenplay has been slightly amended by adding extra elements that enhanced the story, but not distract from the main theme.

Brokeback Mountain” a simple story of two people who fell in love. They did not identify themselves as homosexuals at the beginning but somehow, the forces of nature took over, and they found a connection with each other. Their love is not tender but strong and masculine, almost brutal in parts, but that is the mystery of love. We can never explain why we fall in love.

It has been viewed by most people as potentially groundbreaking, not because of the awards it has been winning, but more importantly so that it helps people to understand love between men. Sometimes, you just don't plan these things, and they happen.

I believe this movie will strike a chord not only with closeted men but anyone who has been unable to express their love for someone, be it of the same or opposite sex. I identified with this movie because I have been caught in these situations many times in my early 20s, when I struggling to find myself. I knew I was attracted to men, but my values stopped me from expressing myself. I created fantasises of us being together, making out scenes of what it would be like, which could explain why I love writing so much.

The two and a half year stint at the army offered me a glimpse of Brokeback Mountain. In an isolated world where only men existed, we found love and affection. Though we will not be kissing or having sex (at least I wasn't), there was a sense of freedom there that is not present in the real world. Somehow, their minds were set free, and at times, the animalistic nature of men took over. They showed affection that they probably would never show to another man outside the compounds and there was definitely unspoken love and probably desire, which would be enhanced under the influence of alcohol. There was an unspeakable bond there that would have been mistaken for love in the real world.

It takes a lot of courage to be ourselves. I am thankful that I can express my love freely to my loved ones, but I understand that not everyone can, or wants to. Some might see it as condescending to say "I love you" all the time, because then it loses it value, but some might want to, but find it difficult to expel it from their mouths. I know of many stories of "What could have been" and I am certain they will find something in this movie that they will identify with.

Ang Lee, one of my favourite directors since "The Wedding Banquet" has made this beautiful film, set in some of the most luscious backdrops, and offered us a simple, heartbreaking story of love between two cowboys. It could happen to anyone and I believe that at some point in our lives, for those who identify themselves as heterosexuals, could find an attraction towards the same sex that they just can't explain, and it doesn't have to be sexual. It's the connection between two people and the acknowledgment of love.



Watch this movie not for the hype that it has generated but for the beautiful story, wonderful acting, and the possibility to accept love just for what it is ...

Rating: 9.5/10
Other Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes

European Traffic Stop

Another funny video because I'm too busy to blog at the moment. Hopefully, I will find some time tomorrow. Tip: Watch it to the end ...

On The Lighter Side ...

This video is purely for entertainment but I do apologise in advance if anyone feels offended. I present "Jesus Christ: The Musical" ...

Not Enough Presents

As much as I adore looking at royalty and dwelling in fantasy, I am more than a little baffled by a news report that I read not long ago about how Sydney-siders (and probably other Australians too) can give their congratulatory presents to the newly christined Prince Christian of Denmark.

I absolutely congratulate them on the good news and I think it should be celebrated but there are many more underpriviledged children and orphans out there without a single present. Everytime I see extravagance like this being splurged, I cast my memory back to a particular afternoon in 1985 when I was waiting for my school bus and there came along, a mother and her two young girls, one of whom she was carrying.

From their appearance, you could tell they were a struggling family and as I peered into her plastic bag of shopping, I saw scraps of food, loose bananas which were over ripe and an apple or two (when apples were usually sold 4 for $1). As they walked past me on their way to the makeshift houses at the construction site (which probably meant they were living there while her husband worked), the older girl pointed to a ball in the huge drain and said that she wanted one too. Immediately, her mother put the other child down and tried to make her way down the drain so that she could reach the ball. She tried a few times, holding onto the railing while trying to lower herself, so that she could gain some footing, failing each time. Her daughter witnessed her mother's love and after seeing her futile attempt, cried to her Mom to stop, and that she didn't want that ball anymore. The mother ignored her cries initially until she realised that it was her daughter 's love for her that made her realise that there are more important things to life than extravagances like this.

It was heartbreaking to watch because the ball was only at most a dollar but it taught me a very good lesson, which is always to take pity on others that are more unfortunate than I am, no matter how poor I am or become. I watched their backs as she picked up her child and her small bag of shopping and walked back to their homes. They might not remember this particular incident because there must be other times when similar events would have happened but they touched a stranger and here I am sharing this real life incident I once saw ...

Too Much Mariah?

I am a fan of Mariah ... okay, change that to big fan because I own all her albums. I was introduced by Leslie to her and have been hooked since. Even though I cringe at her outfits and the way she presents herself sometimes, I admire her positive outlook and the way she keeps coming back!

I saw this on another website and though any obsessed Mariah fan might get upset, I found it highly hilarious and I think it takes a lot to be able to laugh at one's own idol like that. It is indeed a terrible joke but I know that there will always be people ready to make fun of celebrities like Mariah. What I found so funny was not so much the images, but how they have changed the name of the songs to suit the title of this bogus DVD.



If you compare how they have changed the names, I believe you will find it just as amusing ...

Actual Song Titles

(1) Honey (no change)
(2) Heartbreaker
(3) Shake It Off (without the remix)
(4) Vision of Love
(5) (Boy) I Need You
(6) Bringin' On The Heartbreak
(7) Dreamlover (my favourite change of name here)
(8) Endless Love
(9) OneSweet Day
(10) Don't Forget About Us
(11) Didn't Mean To Turn You On
(12) Never Too Far
(13) Always Be My Baby
(14) Anytime You Need a Friend

and lastly, it's "The Empancipation (not Constipation) of Mimi" ...

Happy Birthday My Sweet

Happy Birthday My Darling.

It has been an amazing journey with you, these 3 and 3/4 years ... definitely the sweetest and happiest days of my life. Thank you for your love, guidance and support you give whenever I need it most.

I may not have known true love before but I learnt it from you. It is not a slippery surface where life is rosy all the time but one of true giving, acknowledging, understanding and compromising, and it is a path that I wish everyone would have a chance once to walk on in their lives. Not that there is anything wrong with being alone, but there are definitely challenges in coupled life and the wonderful surprises it can present at any point in time.

Thank you for allowing me to give you my love and encouraging me to be fully self expressed, so that I know what life can bring. You are my inspiration, and though you will never be my "Brokeback Mountain" because our love is acknowledged everyday, you are the one that I choose to walk my path of life together with. It is an important choice because we know that it's not everyday that you find someone to laugh and cry with. It is a special gift and I thank you for everything you have given and have yet to give.

May the years to come bring you much more happiness and may you achieve all the goals that you set. You will never be alone because I am walking beside you, ready to catch anytime you fall ...

Movie Season

Every year around this time, John and I will find ourselves heading towards the movie theatre to catch all the great movies of the year that are usually released around this time in the US and here in Australia in time for Oscar season.

There are many on my "must-see" list this year, including the lauded "Brokeback Mountain" (where we were lucky enough to be one of a few hundred people who will watch the first screening of this movie on the 16th January - the tickets were sold out within the first 24 hours the email invitation was sent), Munich, Capote, Syriana, Walk The Line, TransAmerica etc.

The first two wonderful movies that we watched in our "movie season" that I would like to recommend to everyone are "Good Night, And Good Luck" and "Joyeux Noël". Printed on the posters of both movies are the courageous anthems of the movie which resonate today, more so than ever.

For "Good Night, and Good Luck", the caption reads "We will not walk in fear of one another". Directed, co-written and co-acted by George Clooney, it is historical snapshot of a time in the 50s, where Americans were brainwashed by Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee preached about the "dangers of communism" and how if one sympathises or questions any doubt against the Communist, then they too must be communists.

It is uncanny where we can be arrested today if we are suspected to have any links with any person suspected of terrorism. To show any sympathy for anyone who would dare to question or think differently would be considered unpatriotic ... and that, is the danger of conformity. Coming from a country that thrives on conformity, I can understand the peace that it brings, but at the same time, there is life lost in not allowing ourselves to be able to take a stand on any issue we believe in. To be forced silent and to accept, regardless of our beliefs, is not a facet of life that we should be content with.

This movie offers a historical but balanced view on that moment in time when a group of journalists (a wonderful cast including Clooney himself), led by newman Edward R. Murrow (played brilliantly by David Strathairn), dared to stand up and challenge them. They set out to expose the lies and the communist "witch hunts" that were conducted and put their careers and possibly lives at risk by doing so. They defied corporation and sponsorship pressures that they drop the controversial topic, and even offered to go ahead on their own budgets so that they could do what they believed in ... honest journalism.

George Clooney has resisted the temptation to create another "Fahrenheit 911", which was sensational but viewed by many as propaganda. Clooney presented it just as it was ... an honest historic snapshot and even refused to portray McCarthy's real life alcoholism in the movie. He used actual interviews and speeches of McCarthy and though we never get a full impression of what McCarthy was really like, we didn't need it to know that what he did was despicable.

As I was watching this movie, I kept missing parts of it because my mind kept drawing parallels with our world today and how I was hoping that the journalists of today, we only need one, would have the guts like Edward Morrow to stand up and tell the truth. I am doing my part here by recommending this movie strongly to everyone to watch it and tell ourselves, we will not walk in fear of one another. It is alright and acceptable, or even good to question, and it is only then that we live our lives fully, not having conformed to anything that we do not believe in.

On a lighter note is "Joyeux Noël" or known as "Merry Christmas" (English translation). It is another historic moment during World War One, where German, French and Scottish soldiers fighting on the front line put aside their differences on Christmas Eve, to come together and celebrate the holiday spirit, and in turn realising that beneath all the differences, there lies the ultimate similarity in humankind ... love.

Having served compulsory National Army Service for two and a half years, I totally empathise with the soldiers ... their loneliness, longing and fear, which is one of the few times it has been captured in war movies. Instead of bloody scenes of killing (which are usually splattered in war movies), we are treated to an unusual mix of music, friendships, love and connection between strangers, and I am not talking about between the soldiers of the same battalion, but of opposing sides. We have to realize that our "enemies" are just like us, in spite of our differences, be it colour, sex, nationality ...

Just like the racial riots that happened on the Sydney beaches during December, they need to realise that ultimately, their "enemy" is also made of the same human substance and have a family and someone to love and who loves them. What Australia has ended up asking after these riots is "Are we a racist country?" For me, the answer is "Everyone has their bad days, and it is more the lack of education than anything else. Just like the negative perception towards homosexuality. If they can see that we want the same things in life as they do, being accepted, being loved, loving someone, having a family etc, then maybe they can understand and empathise with us too.

There is always going to be bad blood within any community, and unfortunately, most of these usually end up representing leaders of fractions of the community. They do not represent the entire views of all Australians and many are disappointed and disgraced by the outbreaks. In conjunction with the earlier review, our leaders do not always represent our views. They are selected by the majority but that is probably where most similarities in viewpoint ends. We are all entitled to our opinions and they must be respected unless it is meant to hurt someone, like a racist insult, then we have to put a stop to it. If it is to say that all leaders represent the views of the entire nation, then we will be only robots, controlled by the "super-powers" at the top, never to realise the full potential and opportunities that life offers.

The other significant part of the movie for us is also how right winged Christians have hijacked the teachings of Christ and used it to their advantage. In the movie, they are taught that they will only be God's child if they kill all Germans, good or bad ones. It is really sad because John, Anne (who watched the movie with us and is Catholic) and I believe that they have tarnished the image of Jesus, who I believe preached of love, not hatred.

The caption on this movie reads "Without An Enemy There Can Be No War", and this is a powerful message to remember. If we do not classify someone as an enemy, then love can grow ...

Rating:

Good Night, and Good Luck : 9.5/10
4 Golden Globe Nominations: Best Picture (Drama), Best Director (George Clooney), Best Actor and Best Screenplay
Review from Rotten Tomato

Joyeux Noël : 8.5/10
Golden Globe Nomination: Best Foreign Picture
Review from Rotten Tomato

Happy New Year

My first post for 2006. Here's wishing everyone a wonderful year ahead and may all our dreams come true ...

I am not a fan of boxing as a sport because it is a brutal act but the following clip that I saw from another site put a smile to my face, and I think it is always good to start off the new year with that or a good laugh. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

The name of the clip: Brokeback Boxers