Holiday Celebrations

A week has flown by! I am so glad that weekend is here, even it will be wet and cold. It has been so hectic lately, plus I didn’t sleep well during the first part of last week. I dreamed a lot every night and woke up really early, and became very tired during the day. This has never happened to me before, and I was quite puzzled why I couldn’t get a good night sleep. By Wednesday, I found out the problem! It’s my bed!!! I normally set my Sleeping Number bed to 45 or 50. However, because it has been so cold lately, I didn’t notice that the air pressure got reduced. The number on my bed was 25! No wonder I couldn’t sleep well, because the bed became too soft! I readjust the number back to 50, then all my dreams are gone, even the good ones. That’s okay, because it’s more important for me to wake up rested and refreshed. On Tuesday night, I went to the City Hall to attend the Rainbow World Fund Tree of Hope lighting ceremony. I thoroughly enjoy the performance by San Francisco Boys Chorus. Also, I was very happy and impressed that the cups used to serve wine are made from corn, and 100% decomposable! But they look just like any plastic cup! http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf I love holiday seasons! For one thing, I can go to so many parties and celebrations. Oh, and many good movies. Yesterday, people from work had a holiday party at Rouge/Blanc Wine Bar. Not only the food was good, the wine was delicious. I had such a good time that I ended up to have a big hung over this morning. Although I thought that was an over priced party (with a price tag over $4,000 for about 25 people), but since I am not paying for it, who cares? http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf That’s just the beginning. We will have another holiday lunch on Monday at E&O Trading Company. I can’t wait. I am so looking forward to the winter break as well from Christmas to New Year. I will have more time to enjoy my new TV and watch more movies, and catching up things that I have been put off. Speak of films, here are a few reviews I just finished. Frost/Nixon Richard Nixon is an important figure that has been featured in motion pictures and on television numerious times. Is there any interesting story left to be told about him? Absolutely, if one asks the Academy Award winner, veteran director Ron Howard. Based on a British play, Mr. Howard’s enjoyable new film "Fronst/Nixon" (USA 2008, 122 min.) adds a new portrait for this fascinating historic individual. With a stunning performance by Frank Langella, we see a stubborn, arrogant, and grumpy Nixon, but not without charm, wit, and humanity. "Fronst/Nixon" opens with historic footage and efficiently sets the well known background surrounded the Watergate scandal. Three years after he resigned, Nixon (Frank Langella) breaks his silence and grants his first "tell-all" interview to a British television host David Frost (Michael Sheen). In exchange, Nixon gets large amounts of money from the television production. At first, Nixon doesn’t take Frost seriously, and easily takes control over the direction of the interview. However, after days into taping the show, both men realize that this interview is not only a television talk show, but a battle ground of wit, courage, fame, credibility, and survival. In the end, only one of them can win. The film turns this historic event into an amazingly gripping drama that has hardly a dull moment, thanks to a screenplay by Peter Morgan who is also responsible to "The Queen" and "The Last King of Scotland." Frank Langella‘s precisely calibrated performance as Nixon will definitely earn him an Academy Award nomination, and he might just as well win it. "Fronst/Nixon" opens today in Bay Area theaters. The Reader What if one finds out that his loved one has a horrible past? How far should he go to understand the circumstance? How should he resolve the conflict between morality and emotion? Adapted from Bernhard Schlink‘s best-selling novel "The Reader" (Der Vorleser), from the director of "Billy Elliot" and "The Hours", Stephen Daldry tells an unforgettable story about truth and reconciliation in his latest film "The Reader" (USA/Germany, 123 min.). Set in 1958 in Germany, 15-year-old Michael Berg (David Kross) meets 36-year-old tram operator Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet) who calls him "kid." Michael deeply falls in love with Hanna. He enthusiastically reads books for Hanna each time they meet because that’s what Hanna enjoys. One day, Hanna suddenly disappears, leaving Michael heartbroken. Years later, Michael sees Hanna again and discovers her secrets that continue to change his life into his adulthood as a law professor (Ralph Fiennes). Michael Berg’s experience is not necessarily typical for a boy born after the the World War II, but it perfectly reflects the German word "Vergangenheitsbewältigung"—struggle to come to terms with the past. New generations have to cope with the guilt about Germany’s past and what their parents and grandparents have done during the Holocaust. Despite the complex and heavy subject matter, the film is quite entertaining and sometimes even erotic. The innocent David Kross replaces Leonardo DiCaprio and becomes Kate Winslet‘s new passionate lover. The impeccable chemistry between them straightly jumps out of the screen. With an engrossing story, beautiful cinematography, terrific performances, and delicate direction, this film is very likely to become a serious contender in the upcoming Oscar race. If the film wins an Oscar, not only the award will be a recognition to the film’s remarkable achievement, it will also be a tribute to film’s producers Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack, both passed away this year before the film’s completion. "The Reader" opens today in Bay Area theaters. Doubt "What do you do when you’re not sure?" asked Father Flynn in his sermon at the beginning of a gripping drama "Doubt" (USA 2008, 104 min.). That sets the tone for the rest of the film. Based on his award winning play, John Patrick Shanley transforms the psychological battle about truth and doubt into the big screen. Set in 1964 at a Catholic school in the Bronx, Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) tries to embrace the changing world, while the stone faced school principle Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep) fiercely opposes him. After Sister Aloysius notices the special attention from Father Flynn to a black alter boy from Sister James’s class, she believes that Father Flynn is a predator, and she determines to uncover the truth about him. It is quite obvious that the film deliberately puts the audience’s mind into doubt about the truth just as its characters—Did he or didn’t he? That burning question lasts the entire film, and perhaps even beyond. It is absolutely fascinating to witness the mind battle among these characters, especially the buildup of tension between Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn. Sister Aloysius and Sister James display completely opposite personalities—Sister Aloysius is disciplined, determined, cold, and fearful; Sister James is innocent, good hearted, uncertain, and amiable. However, the doubt in Father Flynn unites them together. The effort to eliminate the doubt sometimes even creates more doubt. Despite the engaging story development and the terrific ensemble performance, I feel a little dissatisfied toward the end of the film. It doesn’t quite match up the pace and suspensive effect during the most part of the film. That’s my own doubt about the film. "What do you do when you’re not sure?" Appreantly a lot. "Doubt" opens today in Bay Area theaters. Pray the Devil Back to Hell When a small African country Liberia is mentioned, the images of bloody war, ruthless child soldiers, uncontrollable chaos, and devastated refugees might come to our mind. Indeed, Liberians suffer years of civil wars. The battles destroyed Liberia’s economy and the lives of Liberia people. A new documentary "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" (USA 2008, 72 min.) tells a little known remarkable story about how a group of courageous women altered Liberian’s history by staging endless non-violent protests. Through emotional interviews and archival footage, the film displays the unimaginable devastation of the war upon the Liberian people, especially women and children. Tired of suffering and running, a group of women led by Leymah Gbowee decided to stage protests at local markets. Women from all backgrounds, including different religions, continued their protests day after day wearing their white T-shirts. Miraculously, these women were able to persuade the war lords and Liberian’s president Charles Taylor to come to a peace talk. When the peace talk stalled, these women went one step further by staging a sit-in at the peace talk hotel. Eventually the peace talk resulted in the exile of the president and civil war ended in Liberia. Before watching this film, I certainly did not know how peace in Liberia was reached and how the war was ended. While I appreciate this extraordinary story, I wish the film had explored more about how women from different religions come together to protest and tells me where all the men were when these women were protesting. Knowing how brutal and ruthless Liberia’s civil war is, it is really hard to believe how these brave women have made the history simply by singing, dancing, and "sitting" around with their white T-shirts. Does anyone want to end the war in Iraq? Learn from these women, get a T-shirt and stage a protest. Anything is possible. "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" won the Best Documentary Award at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. It opens on December 12, 2008 in Bay Area theaters.