New!

Running on tracks, entertaining along with orchestras, playing in team sports, arguing on stage, flying across the world, backpacking on a well-known trail, climbing at one of the most greatest climbing spots...and now, cooking in a kitchen!
I got a job helping a culinary chef at The Union.

Happy Go Lucky

"Enraha" the word stuck in my mind right now whenever I think about "Happy Go Lucky". My acting mentor, Rich Rands, told me to see this hilarious and enriching movie directed by Mike Leigh because the fact that Mike Leigh uses a lot of improvisation in his script, from what the actors come up with during rehearsals.

Critics elaborately talked about Sally Hawkins' ability to portray Poppy's character, who must smile, be peppy, optimistic, talk high-pitched with infectious giggle at almost all times. It must be done naturally and convincingly, which some claims that's harder than playing Lady Macbeth. However, for me, I strayed away a little bit from my actual purpose of watching the movie. It took me far away from thinking about technical acting abilities among the actors, which I was told to look at. The storytelling aspect of the movie brought me to a higher level of understanding humanity in the effect of Sally's portrayal in "living truthfully under imaginary circumstances".

Mostly, Poppy's life episodes are similar to us, me, at least and that means the characters she encounters or surrounded by. But, the ways she deals with all of these, regardless the emotional states of the situations, has shown me the wonderful side of humanity. For instance, Poppy's relationship with Scott (Eddie Marsan). Bad tempered, Scott is an odd for a driving instructor especially he seems to channel road rage. His system for helping her remember the rear-view mirror and the two side mirrors involve naming them after fallen angels. He screams at her. No one could drive with Scott at their side. Any other person would quit working with Scott after one lesson. Not Poppy. Does she think she can help him? Their relationship descends into an extraordinary scene during which we suddenly see right inside both of them and understand better what Poppy's cheerfulness is all about. We also see Scott's terrifying insecurity and self-loathing.

Apart from very thick British accents, which I was having a hard time to understand with, I believe "Happy Go Lucky" has taught me the value of accepting people around me, despite their traits and characteristics.
"Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart" - Marcus Aurelius 121-80 AD, Roman Emperor, Philosopher.

Pain

There's too much pains obscurely portrayed by Kristin Scott Thomas in this masterpiece from Phillipe Claudel. No fancy shots. No distinctive and eloquent soundtracks. Just purely and emotionally engaged characters pulling off the cruelty state of "pain". This portrait strikes the feeling right away when it comes out in the movie. It's a very beautiful piece by Emile Friant. (click on the image for larger version)

I've Loved You So Long carries small zephyrs of suspense, but they are not the kind to send chills down te spine and set us grippping the handles of our seats. If you happened to see this one, try to fully immersed yourself in the characters' emotions.

Universal language

I was sitting in Green-room (a room for actors chillin when they are not on stage) reading an article about Dustin Lance Black's struggles to make Milk happens in W, when I heard somebody sang "Kendati selautan segunung/Permata di kanan dan kiri/Selagi jantungku berdegup hingga tiba saat terhenti/Dialah dihati" with perfect enunciation! It was Nico singing that verse while listening to his iPOD. It amazed me too that he told me he was trying hard to find the song after listening to Siti's beautiful rendition from Royal Albert Hall concert years ago. Since he found that song, he said he's been listening to Siti's over and over again and can't help falling in love with her voice.

Weeks ago he asked me who's the best singer in Malaysia and with no doubt I said Siti Nurhaliza three times so he could pronouce it correctly. I didn't expect that he's gonna be really into Siti, considering the fact that he doesn't know Malay to understand Siti's songs. He said "The beauty of arts is universal. Arts speak universal language."

I don't understand Italian but after listening to this song, a collaboration between three great legends, Andrea Brocelli, Chris Botti and David Foster to produce the mesmerizing piece, Italia, I couldn't agree less with Nico.

Busy ending

I know Addin's gonna be laughing reading this post, but, seriously, I AM gonna be busy towards the end of this semester (huh! Almost done with Junior year!). After doing wardrobe for "You Can't Take it With You" last semester, it feels like eating garam belacan and mempelam, that from the moment you start dipping, you can't stop it, because the hotness needs to be kept on going. So, I requested to do backstage work again this semester. Since, my You Can't Take It With You's fierce partner, Kat Garrow - she just recently decided to go with Kait, her real name, but I call her Kat anyways, is in "The Shape of Things" cast, we decided to do "Much Ado About Nothing". The play is set to be in Miami and the cast is gonna be Cuban!

"Kat Garrow!!!" I yelled her name when I saw her walking out of Performing and Arts Hall across the street.
"Hanif Kamis!!" She ran across the street and gave me a hug. The yelling at each other's name part is not something unusual when you are around or inside Performing and Arts building, as people who see this would assume that you're one of those crazy actors practicing their scenes or Evelyn in The Shape of Things is doing another thesis.
"We need to bring sexy back to the backstage this semester." I said after we agreed to do Much Ado.
With her left hand being rested on her left hip, another hand pointing to the air and her body leaning back a little bit, she went "Nah-ah....we're not bringing sexy back, because sexy NEVER LEFT!"

Much Ado's gonna run from April 17th to 25th. With some matinees, it means my life will be pretty much in that building. Hmm... wait a sec...isn't my major Actuarial Science?

Prepared to be lucky

Lately, my Zune's playlist is full with original soundtracks. Atonement OST has taught me the beauty behind OST that is curcial to be incorporated in a film. Of course, I have owned several OST's before Atonement - thanks to Miss Eti for introducing Craig Armstrong. Slumdog Millionaire, Brokeback Mountain, Mystic River, Changeling, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Chicago, and Moulin Rouge are among films that I've collected their OST. However, the best part of this is what Tyla Tharp said in her The Creative Habit: Learn it and use it for life, "digging your grooves".

Listening to all these great composers, I started to gain interest knowing their other works. This process also introduced me to another world of creativity in arts. For example, after being mesmerized by melodramatic soundtracks in Cinema Paradiso, I've come to know Ennio Morricone, Italian Academy Award-winning composer for Cinema Paradiso itself and other great films such as the astounding Once Upon a in America. The soundtracks Cinema Paradiso and Deborah's Theme relatively from both films mentioned, have been re-arranged and played by numerous musicians in all over the world and one of them is the great comtemporary jazz trumpeter, Chris Botti. This is the point I think I got my "groove". Botti's music expressively pulled me into the ecstactic jazz music. Other than that, his music makes me wanted to listen to opera songs, which I never thought I would fall in love to. Nessun Dorma popularly sang by the legendary late Luciano Pavarotti, which is also an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot, is one of the songs recomposed and played by Botti.

On top of that, his music has become a part of my daily routines. Again, Twyla emphasizes that it is important to have a solid rituals of preparation in order to pull out creativity in daily life. Botti's music gives me a solid ritual as I wake up turn on his music, grab a cup of coffee, stand next my room's window, look outside at people walking to classes and I feel like I'm lilting in this beautiful rhapsody. This ritual really helps me creating my character in my theater class, such as imitating different styles of walkings with different feelings - being late to class, enjoying a sunny morning, walking while eating, etc. 

After all of this crap that i just wrote, I think your creative endeavors can never be thoroughly mapped out ahead of time. You have to allow for a suddenly altered landscape, the change in plan, the accidental spark - and you have to see it as a stroke of luck rather than disturbance. Habitually creative people are, in E.R. White's phrase, "prepared to be lucky". I'm lucky enough to know Chris Botti.

p/s: I just bought (BOUGHT! - i don't buy DVD except for this one) Chris Botti in Boston which features Sting, Josh Groban, Katherine McPhee, Lucia Micarelli, John Mayer, and Steven Tyler! 

A cherished regret

Do see this great film. I just saw it for the 2nd time. A commentary will be posted.