Un Coeur Invaincu

A mighty Heart (Un Coeur Invaincu - 2007)

I knew it, when the trailer was released, that this is something that's gonna move me deeply. However, bombarded by loads of homeworks, exams, and social activities (new interest!), it slipped through my mind to put this Michael Winterbottom's masterpiece in my have-to-be-seen-films list. Until yesterday, when I chatted with a Pakistani brother on how enthralled I am to climb either at Pakistan or India, he said, "You know right, what's going on between India and Pakistan?" The question straight away reminded me about the "Truly Moving Award" winner (awarded by Heartland Film Festival in 2007 together with another stunningly narrated film, Freedom Writer) with brilliantly tucked-in performance by Angelina Jolie and distinguished cast by Dan Futterman, Will Paton, Archie Panjabi and Irfan Khan (Ashoke Ganguli in The Namesake!), A mighty Heart. It didn't take me long to put this film in my hectic schedule, which was right after Purdue Climbers' weekly film, King Lines.


While watching a film, it is my habit to partition a film into at least two parts, so I can take a rest for while in between (applied only on downloaded films!) But this year, other than The Namesakes, this film also has pulled all of my body and attention from the beginning till the end.

Critics have been argued about A Mighty Heart's lack of novelty; how cliche the themes are, how dull the plots are and how poor the screenplay is. As from my perspective as an audience, who is the target of the filmmaker, I believe I've grabbed the film's MAIN contention. A Mighty Heart is not about retelling story about an American journalist, Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and brutally murdered in Karachi Pakistan (one point off from the critics!). It is a story about Marianne Pearl's sagacious heart in facing this obstacle, and most importantly is the message of love. Then, I move to the next part, which is the film's other contentions which I guess the idea of cross-cultural understanding through journalism, music and dialog. It specifically can be observed at the character of the little child, Asra, Marianne herself and Daniel. After that, only I look at the actors and actresses, whom I believe support the film's contentions very well.

The lesson I've learned from this outstanding film is that I really don't have to look at a film's cast to judge the film (of course after millions of films out there I should be selective a bit, so I won't waste my time), I just need to be clear of whatever the filmmaker wants to tell me, only then I move to other aspects!

Finally!

Barefoot In The Park - Neil Simon
Click here for the play.


This is gonna be my very last assignment and my very first play!
I'm working on memorizing the lines and choosing my own props which usually not done by actors themselves! Owh ya! I'm gonna be 'Paul'!

Reconciliation

It has been almost 2 yrs since I got to this Opportunity Land. It comes to my consciousness that by this time, this moment or this seconds, I should have known where I'm sailing to. It says on the card given by Ady before I left Malaysia that People with goals succeed because they know where they are going, firmly stick to my creatively adorn board (love it!). I'm still here wavering myself on the hastily baseless decision I've made. But, should I regret it?

I don't know any of my six-degree-separations fellow whose life has not influenced by what he has done in the past. We, personally, me, apply all the experiences heavily from the angst and joy in our past to steadily or jerkily pace on the paths we're now on. I thought I have strip-mined huge parts of my wicked childhood and teenage life in Changlun throughout Shah Alam to fuel my collisions of cultures and human beings that fill up my chest to being able to breathe easily on my path.

But now, I'm exhausted. Am I trying too hard for this? Or I haven't tried it as hard as I could? I've been twisting and turning in the space that too small. That directs my limbs to grab ALL kind of joys which could flatter up myself.

If you can't fix it, Jack, you gotta stand it -Ennis Del Mar