Departures

There is little that I should write about Departures. This is the best film I have seen since watching The Hurt Locker. Departures is poignant. It is beautiful to watch. It is thoughtful. And it is a well-rounded film. It has, as the subject matter suggests, melancholy but is also nicely balanced with humor and some heartwarming sentiment. Departures beautifies and sheds light on a profession not often talked about.

As you will see in the film, the "encoffinment" ceremonies performed by Daigo, the protagonists, have a magical quality that can calm the families of the dead. But this incredible effect extended beyond the screen; as I watched the film, I became profoundly affected as well. I think at the end of the film, the audience (at least speaking for myself) became more knowledgeable and respectful of this profession that, like in the film, was looked down upon. The viewer's prejudice transformed from one of disgust to thankfulness.

Departures is a film that should be watched sooner or later for its cinematic beauty and achievements but also for its insight into a clouded profession that, ironically, the departed does not have to think much about.

Oldboy

Hi everyone. I'm back from a hiatus. I graduated, and I am now back home. Hopefully by the end of the summer, I will be employed; but in the meantime I will be restarting my Netflix subscription.

I have been meaning to watch Oldboy since January when I went back to school. At brunch, my friend Sandra recommended this movie. She raved about the psychological aspect of the film and how incredibly the storyline comes together at the end.

And after watching the film, Oldboy sure is twisted. The film is about a person's revenge by imprisoning and torturing the protagonist then unleashing him to search for the reason why he was imprisoned for 15 years. I was not particularly interested in the middle of the film as Oh Dae-su, the protagonist, tries to find the reason behind his kidnapping. I think my screening of the film was hindered by the fact that the film was dubbed in English on Netflix. Because of this, I was not as focused on watching the film as I should have been.

On the other hand, the beginning and end are definitely worth watching. The penultimate scene where Oh Dae-su begs for forgiveness is fantastic--it is sick and twisted but it does a powerful job showing the boundary humans might go to achieve something. The end left me uneasy feeling that I am now burdened with a secret that Oh Dae-su tried to forget. In addition, I loved the soundtrack of the film and the dark, strange humor that is sprinkled throughout the movie. Look out for one of the early fight scenes--it is unusually amusing.

Stop Motion

Rem Koolhaas

Dutch architect, Rem Koolhaas came to speak on campus today. He designed Milstein Hall, a new building for the College of Architecture, Art and Planning. His works include the Seattle Central Library, CCTV Headquarter in Beijing, and the interior of Prada store in SoHo.

The image on the screen shows his plan to fill the Charles River next to Harvard and build a canal to create more land for the Harvard campus. The plan was shot down.

Dirrrty New York Part II

Sunday brunch at Max Brenner.

Alice Cup!

Hug mug!

The Young Victoria

The Young Victoria won the Best Costume and Make Up awards at the Academy Awards 2010 so you can expect some very beautiful visuals during the movie. The costumes and palaces are equally stunning throughout the film. Emily Blunt plays the young Victoria who would become the Queen of England, and Rupert Friend is Prince Albert in the film.

The film depicts Princess Victoria before she became Queen, her struggle to rebel against her mother, and her love story with Prince Albert of Belgium. There are some great scenes that rise out of her rebellion against the control of her mother and her mother's lover who both try to manipulate Victoria into giving up her right to the reign.

I loved the camera work of the movie; it conveyed the authority and status of Queen Victoria. This camera work is used in two scenes that I really like: when Queen Victoria first meets with her Privy Chamber and when is she crowned Queen at Westminster Abbey. So watch out for these two scenes.

Pieces of NYC

Spring Break 2010

The Park

Comme des Garcons

Hearst Tower

Central Park

Tulips

Cafe Sabarsky at the Neue Gallerie

Basta Pasta