New York, I love you

In the movie, ‘New York, I love you’, they have eleven different directors all over the world with their own different stories. However, all of the stories were based on one same topic. Honestly, this movie had more attention because of Natalie Portman. She was well known actress in Hollywood and it was her first movie that she directed and she did great.

 

Behind of this movie, all of the directors did not have much time to make stories and they made few rules to follow. Which were they supposed to have at least one image of New York in every stories and each story had to involve love stories in any forms. Also, NO DARK CHANGE in the beginning and at the end of stories. Moreover, every single movie supposed to finish within 9 days by directors, actors, and actress of the story. It took 8 weeks and finally they made one of the most romantic movies.

For me, I did not really understand some parts of movies because all of the stories had not enough screen time to describe what the characteristics are and the most of segment were quite short, especially the part when Shia Labeouf as a bell boy, jumped out side from the hotel.  

After watched this, only one story remained in my mind which was when the old couple went out on their 60 years anniversary. They went to beach and an old lady rebuked and complained an old man that he walked too slowly but she looked at him every single step and waited him until he came. They lived together for so long but it showed me how much they still love each other. They were not talking in honeyed accents but they both know what others thinking and really mean it because they love each other as a companion of soul mate.

For me, this movie is recommendable to people who are looking for their new love or having troubles with their partners. I liked it. Thumbs up!   

The Overture

The overture

The ‘Ranad ek’ is the Thailand’s traditional instrument and it looks similar to the xylophone but it is made up with twenty two wooden bars and two mallets.

This movie began when a little boy (Sorn) chasing a butterfly into his brother’s room and there was shiny light on the xylophone which called, ‘Ranad ek’. 

 

 

Since he was young, he had talent to play ‘Ranad ek’ even though nobody taught him how to play it. He grabbed mallets and created his first melody.

when Sorn's brother died

 

Sorn had a brother who was good in ‘Ranad ek’ but he died because of the ‘Ranad ek’ competitors. After his brother died, father tried to stop Sorn to play ‘Ranad ek’ but Sorn kept practice it secretly every night in a cave with his friend, Tew. One night, father found Sorn in the forest and asked him what he was doing with 'Ranad ek'.  Sorn was nervous but actually father was there to tell him that he can play it without going into the forest.

                              This is when Tew made for Sorn after Sorn's father took 'Ranad ek" away

 

                                  This is when father agreed and looked for teacher who can teach Sorn

When he grew up, he became more skillful and started to be overconfident on his skills. The time when Sorn met Khun In, who was Thailand’s legendary ‘Ranad ek’ master, Sorn heard the true strength and beauty of ‘Ranad ek’ and that was the first time he defeated in Bangkok in front of lots people. After that battle, he lost courage.

                       In this scene, I guess Sorn's friend, Tew, tried to encourage him when Sorn came back

 However, Sorn increase his dedication to his music and developed a unique way to play ‘Ranad ek’ that brought another chance of battling with his last challenger, Khun In. This part was impressive because his constant exertions and passion made him won the battle and became the best ‘Ranad ek’ musician in Thailand.

 By watching the ‘overture’, I learnt lesson which was do not humiliate or belittle others even though you are better on anything than others. Also, do not give up even if you are not good enough. We should keep improve and practice ourselves and share it with people around you.

 

My favourite scene was when Sorn and his son played 'Ranad ek' and piano together. I thought Sorn supposed to be angry, but he asked his son to play it and join him to make harmony. By watching this scene, I was thinking that we need to find new ways to enjoy our old instruments or traditional things not only looking for NEW things.

                                        when Sorn and his son played instruments together.                                                           

 

                                                        "If you lose, you won’t lose forever,                                                             If you win, how long can it lasts."

                                              This was the one of the best lines in this movie. 

                                    Honestly, this was my first Thai movie and it was good!

Brave Brave Brave by Pixar

The ‘Brave” is the latest animated film by Pixar.   

In this movie, they tried to talk to audience about how important one’s freedom and family. Basically, this story was setting in the olden days of Scotland. There are huge forests, clear water, sky and a lot of animals in the movie. Also, their costumes and language they used were like Scottish.

 Merida always desired freedom. She prefers to go into forest with bow and arrow freely rather than what she needed to do as a princess. However, her mother, Elinor, she wanted her to control her dignity as a princess and always point out every single thing that Merida did. Merida did not like her mother. The conflict between Elinor and Merida became worse when all the allies came to decide who is going to get marry with Merida.  That was not what she wanted and she was not ready for that. She could not accept what she needed to do as princess and had to follow what mother asked her to do.

However, in my opinion, Merida was born a princess. She cannot deny it. Her mother, Queen Elinor, was grooming Merida fir a role as future queen. After long series of wars King Furgus has united four groups of clan. Merida’s duty is to keep the groups altogether through judicious marriage.

 Eventually, she cut the carpet that mother made her own and they started to hurt each other.

Merida met elf fire and it leads her to one cabin in the forest with expectation of changing fate. She met a mysterious witch and they made a deal which brought terrible outcome. Mother became a bear after she ate pie that Merida took from witch. Basically, story started from here. 

                                                 This is the time when Merida saw elf-fire

After Merida and her mother absorb what has happened, they began to work together and grow closer than ever, even though they could not talk each other. At the end, they found way to solve this terrible happen! 

                                                       They became closer and closer

They were trying to find a way to make mother back to human. They had a fight with father and black bear!!! Who is going to win? Can she manage to her mother back to human?


Characteristic of princess

They described princess in the other way. Mostly, princesses are weak and rely on men but Merida was fighting herself against to wrong fate.  Especially, when she aimed arrow to the black bear to saved her mother. It gives me new type of princess I ever seen. 

                                              This is the picture when she got her first bow

Sound track

It was brilliant. They used back pipe and flute because their background was Scotland. It makes me feel that I am in Scotland.

                                                They also used pipe and flute in the movie

Favourite characters

Merida was first Scottish princess and 11^th Disney official princess! In the movie, she was lovely and has her own personality that was enough to catch audiences’ attention. She looked like a bit selfish and rude in the beginning but she became nicer. 

The others were three boys. They were so cute and could not take my eyes off them. Especially, when they became a bear and helped princess to escape Queen Elinor. They scared people who were working in the castle and lure the father’s crew to the other way. The way they did and sounds they made was very funny!

                                                                Before they eat pie!

                                                  After they ate pie! how cute they are! 

Anyway, I liked this movie even though I do not really watch animations. I recommend this movie to people who are having communication problem with their family members. Once again, nice movie! 

Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa

Actually, it was my first time to watch Malaysian's movie. I could not understand almost half of this movie because they spoke in Bahasa Malaysia without English subtitle. However, this movie caught my attention because of the sets, props, and costumes. Also, the storyline was simple enough to understand and it is suitable for all ages. 

 In some part of this movie, the director put humours to get audiences' attention but it did not really help. The director should make it more serious rather than putting humours. It does not mean that all the humours failed in the movie. I liked the part when prince asked ladies who is the princess and a maid said "I'm a princess" with poker face. I'm sure that most people were laughing at that part. My second funny moment was when a maid described how prince looked like inside a tent. To putting a character such as YingYing was brilliant idea to add humours not to lose audiences' attentions. YingYing and Embok had less scenes than main characters but, for me, I would like to give claps to YingYing and Embok because they attracted me to finish watching it. What they mentioned and played inside of movie was more than enough to get an attention (most teenagers getting bored to watching historical movie :)) because this movie was about Merong Mahawangsa's adventure of finding his destiny and discovering his back ground and Merong made an promise to accompany a Rome prince to Langkasuka, to marry Chinese princess but his soldiers got into a huge danger. 

this was the moment when YingYing described how prince looked like!

Two thumbs up!

I should say one negative thing that I had experienced in this movie was they spoke in Bahasa Malaysian without English subtitle but I give 7 out 10 for this movie! I feel like to try other Malaysian movie again!