Have a Toast

I was in a 12 hour flight from London to Singapore. A range of movies, music and TV shows are in my disposal. I flickered through it but nothing really catches my eyes. As you may know, I don’t go for blockbusters with well known movie stars. I want to watch what others don’t watch. Something off the beaten path. Something different but as interesting as the famous titles.

I saw the name Helena Bonham Carter in one of the movies. A movie called Toast. I’ve never heard of it. But only with the Helena catch, I put on my earphone and pressed play.

It is set in the 60s, in Wolverhampton, England. Nigel Slater loves trips to the groceries and more than happy to pick up fresh food to cook with. His mother, however, can’t do well in the kitchen and always picks up canned food, or as Nigel put it, ‘never had veggies that weren’t from a tin’. Each time his mother overcooked or ruined a meal, they had toast, hence the title. Things got harder when his mother fallen sick and died of asthma.

Nigel kept trying to cook for his father now his mother gone. It was becoming a thing for him. Eventually, his father met a new woman, Mrs. Potter, a cleaning lady for their house. On the contrary, Mrs. Potter is an expert cook. Nigel was determined to learn how to cook and match Mrs. Potter’s expertise. He took home economics and made cakes for his father.

I find it hard to find the main problem in the story at first. But I started to see the connection. Because his mother can’t cook, he wants to do the opposite of doing great cooking. It is also powered by his curiosity of food as a child. Fresh food or at least non canned food was something very fascinating to him, making him want to use it even more. Along came Mrs. Potter who tried to take his mother’s place. She has something Nigel doesn’t, an ability to make good food. I think at that moment, Nigel felt challenged and wanting to do more, to satisfy his father and making the impression ‘I’m here first and I can do better’ on Mrs. Potter.

I say it’s a great story of doing something you are not familiar with but turned out to be good. Nigel never knew cooking but nothing is impossible. He later became very good at what he does. If you love something, it will fall into place, one way or the other.

It’s a TV movie starring Bonham Carter, with Freddie Highmore and Ken Stott, based on an autobiography of a British chef, Nigel Slater.

Safe and Sound

Have I mentioned I love Nicholas Sparks? And I dedicated a portion of my money to buy everything he wrote? Well, I haven't actually got them all but I did buy the newest one about a month ago, Safe Haven. For him, I don't even read the review. I just go on and purchase it (but the paperback version of course, I won't be able to buy lunch for days if I buy the hardcover version)

I have a really bad habit of putting down what I was reading to move on to the newer book I bought. I guess Safe Haven deserve it. It's really my kind of story.

We are introduced to Katie, a waitress in Southport, North Carolina. She is new to the place and struggling to make ends meet. She finally got around to settle in a cottage, far from where she works. There she met her neighbor Jo, who became her friend since. She also met a man, Alex, former army, widowed with two children. Katie dropped by Alex's store to pick up daily goods and from then they became good friends, later, lovers.

Nobody really knows about Katie's past and how she turned up in Southport. With a little help from Jo and Alex, she reveals her secret. A secret she will have to confront in the end.


Well, the story about a mysterious woman in a small town got me hooked. At the time I started, I was seriously thinking about how nice it would be to have a story like that and Safe Haven indulged my imagination. I love the connection and how both Alex and Katie helped each other out. Alex lost his wife, Katie lost her partner. It's lovely to see how both strengthen each other, filling the missing element. I've always loved the idea of a person helping another person and gains insight in the end. Helping people to help yourself. It might sound one is taking advantage of the other but it isn't always like that. For each person you helped or inspired, it's good for you too.

The best part was at the end of the story, there is a twist which will make you go 'awwwww'

Safe Haven deals with loss and finding hope in others. A lesson in trusting other people again when the previous one failed. A lesson to deal with problems, not letting it go unfinished and pretend it's in another life. That getting a fresh start might be a good thing, but never forget your past.

Safe Haven
Nicholas Sparks

always,
Hana

NB: I'm currently reading When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman. It's doing great :D

Jiplak, Kopi, Tiruan

Ketika melihat trailer film ini lewat sebuah blog film, saya langsung tertarik untuk menonton film ini. Tak hanya karena Juliette Binoche, salah satu aktris Perancis yang saya sukai namun juga plot yang disuguhkan. Dua orang asing, seorang pria dan seorang wanita, di Italia, bepergian dengan mobil ke kota khas mediterania. Saya pikir ini Certified Copy adalah film romantis macam Under the Tuscan Sun. Namun, film ini memberi sudut pandang baru tentang sebuah cinta antara pria dan wanita.

James Miller adalah seorang penulis buku berjudul Copie Conforme atau Certified Copy. Ia percaya bahwa tiruan pun memiliki nilai. Ia juga mempertanyakan apakah apa yang kita anggap orisinil adalah benar-benar orisinil. Sebut saja Monalisa atau lukisan wanita lainnya. Bukankah yang disebut orisinil adalah wanita yang asli, bukan tiruan akan wajahnya? Dalam sebuah pidato dan sesi tanda tangan, muncullah seorang wanita, yang di perankan oleh Juliette Binoche. Wanita tak bernama ini terlihat sangat menyukai James dan bahkan membeli banyak buku. Dia mengundang James untuk datang ke rumahnya untuk meminta tanda tangannya namun James mengajak dia pergi. Wanita ini membawa James ke sebuah kota kecil di luar Tuscany.

Wanita ini membawa James melihat museum-museum lukisan dan berdiskusi tentang filsafat hidup dan seni. Di sebuah kedai kopi cerita ini berubah. Wanita ini berbicara dengan James seakan mereka sudah menikah selama lima belas tahun. Percakapan mereka pun berubah menjadi argumen rumah tangga mereka.

Film ini menyuguhkan banyak hal bagi penonton pikirkan. Perbincangan mereka di perjalanan menuju kota kecil membuat saya langsung berpikir tentang eksistensialisme. Si wanita terkesan terbebani oleh hidup sementara membuat perbandingan dengan saudaranya Marie dengan hidup yang simpel, tanpa perjuangan dan hanya orang idiot yang bekerja keras dalam hidup. Ini menumbuhkan pertanyaan apa yang penting dalam hidup. James juga berbicara tentang nilai sebuah objek tergantung persepsi seseorang. Nilai memang subjektif: sesuatu yang bernilai bagi seseorang mungkin tidak bernilai bagi orang lain.

Topik lain yang juga diangkat adalah hubungan antara suami dan istri. Di kedai kopi, si wanita sempat berbincang dengan seorang pelayan tua sementara James keluar untuk mengangkat telepon. Si wanita merasa pernikahan tidak beda dengan hidup sendiri. Suaminya pergi bekerja dan meninggalkannya. Dia rindu akan sebuah keseimbangan antara pekerjaan dan keluarga. Namun, si pelayan tua menjawab bahwa adalah bodoh untuk mencari kondisi ideal. Saya pikir ini benar. Menjadi ideal hanya sebuah goal untuk memperbaiki diri. Kesempurnaan tidak akan terjadi. Lagipula ideal bagi seseorang mungkin berbeda dengan orang lain. Di sepanjang argumen James dan si wanita terlihat bahwa mereka memiliki opini masing-masing yang tidak sejalan, yang memang semestinya tidak harus sejalan namun dijembatani dengan pengertian.

Sutradara banyak bermain dengan fore and ground. Percakapan James dan si wanita kerap dilatar belakangi oleh aktivitas penduduk lain. Saya pikir ini membuat cerita ini terkesan natural dan apa adanya. Namun, kadang ini menjadi masalah ketika terlalu banyak informasi yang disampaikan dalam sebuah adegan. Penonton harus pintar-pintar untuk memperhatikan bagian dari adegan mana dan apa artinya. Selain itu, banyak adegan yang direkam untuk merepresentasikan sudut pandang para tokoh. Penonton akan diajak melihat jalan-jalan Italia seperti layaknya seseorang yang sedang naik mobil.

Namun, dari semua aspek film ini, yang membuat penonton benar-benar berputar otak adalah hubungan kedua tokoh itu sendiri. Di awal cerita penonton diyakinkan jelas bahwa James dan si wanita tidak saling kenal. Padahal di bagian akhir cerita, mereka berargumen layaknya pasangan suami istri. Tebakan pertama saya adalah mereka memang pasangan suami istri namun tinggal di tempat yang berbeda. Wanita ini diceritakan memiliki seorang anak dan sudah lima tahun tinggal di Italia. James tidak bisa berbahasa Italia namun fasih berbahasa Perancis dan jika dinilai dari aksen bahasa Inggrisnya, dia pasti asal. Kedatangan James ke Tuscany untuk keperluan promosi bukunya yang terkesan kurang laku di Inggris bertepatan dengan ulang tahun pernikahannya yang kelima belas dengan wanita ini. Prilaku mereka yang seperti dua orang asing yang tidak pernah bertemu hanya merupakan cara mereka untuk membangun kembali pernikahan mereka yang diujung tanduk. Mungkin ini adalah certified copy dari kehidupan mereka, tiruan yang lebih baik dan bahagia dibandingkan pernikahan mereka yang tidak memuaskan kedua belah pihak.

Apapun hubungan asli mereka, film ini seperti tidak mau memberikan konklusi yang pasti. Mungkin ini tujuan pada pembuat film. Penonton dibiarkan memikirkan hubungan James dan si wanita yang mereka inginkan. Bukankan seni adalah persepsi subjektif tiap-tiap orang?

Certified Copy
Juliette Binoche
William Shimel
Dir: Abbas Kiarostami

Honour Thyself

I've recently made a trip to Singapore and stayed in Bras Basah area. I visited the Bras Basah Complex, which is quite famous for their used books. So I went over to check Book Point, this wondeful used book shop with the most extensive collection from textbooks to fiction work. I of course looked for my favorite authors, like Cecelia Ahern and Nicholas Sparks but nothing caught my eye. I did went to the Danielle Steel section and spotted this, Honour Thyself. I know it's pretty recently published compared to her previous works on display at the shop. For $7.50 I'd say it's well spent.

Honour Thyself tells the story of Carole Berger, a well known Hollywood actress. It starts when Carole is trying to write a book and went to Paris to search for inspiration, alone. But she received a terrible misfortune, there is a terrorist attack which caused her to be rushed to the hospital. She is severe injured and is declared Jane Doe for two full weeks. Even though she is a famous movie star, the injuries made it difficult for her to be identified. Plus she is alone in Paris. Friends and families began to question her condition. Will she survive and relive her glory days?

It has a classic Steel formula, a very simple story told in a very descriptive matter, equals a heartwarming family story. A light novel perfect for a summer read.

always,

hana.

Castle in the Sky (Laputa)

Castle in the Sky
Dir: Hayao Miyazaki

The movie started with a girl named Sheeta, who is being abducted by Colonel Muska aboard an airship. Suddenly a group of pirate led by an old lady named Dola hijacked the aircraft, looking for Sheeta. In her attempt to escape, Sheeta fell down, along with a small blue stone necklace. Pazu, a young boy miner saw Sheeta falling from the sky and witnessed her float slowly down, with the blue shining light from the stone surrounding her. Pazu decided to take care of Sheeta.

When Sheeta wakes up, she questions a drawing on Pazu's house wall. He told her that there is a legend of a floating castle called Laputa. Pazu believed such place still exist, because his father had taken a picture of the floating island, tucked in a massive swirling storm. He is determined to prove to everyone that Laputa really exists.

But, it isn't only Pazu's wish, it's Colonel Muska and Dola's wishes too. From them we know that Sheeta's blue stone came from Laputa. The blue stone owns a incredible power unimaginable, catastrophic if fallen to the wrong people.

At first, I didn't even know it is Studio Ghibli's but these animations have that significant style, only Studio Ghibli has. Their stories always seems magical but with very humane problems such as Castle in the Sky. It clearly shows human greed of power, that human can do anything to get what they want.

Oh, and it's okay to be confused at the first scenes, trust me I was too, but eventually, when the story unfold, it'll fall into place. I rarely find an animation, thrilling like this. A lot of chasing scenes, battle scenes and adventure. A true cinematic entertainment :D

always,

hana.

Veronika Decides To Die

Don't let the title scare you. Yes, the main character Veronika did decided to die and no, it isn't a scary, depressing novel about the insane people. This is a story about life, told from the other side of the society, the group of people we call nuts.

Veronika is a 24 year old woman from Ljubljana, Slovenia. Tired of the same routine of so-called life, one night she decided life isn't that fun to live anymore. She took sleeping pills, hoping they would off her. But her attempt failed, someone had brought her to the hospital and brought her back to life. She is now in a patient in Villete, a small privately funded psychiatric hospital. The head doctor, psychiatrist Dr. Igor told her, her action had a terrible consequence. The medication she took had damaged her heart so badly, she only have weeks to live. After her attempt to steal pills from the hospital failed, she just had to wait for what happened. What happened, changed her life forever.

I first find out about the book after watching the screen adaptation starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Thewlis and I was hooked. The story itself is very powering and inspiring. I think the author is delivering a message that anything can happened, where ever you are. We would thought a psychiatric hospital would be last place to find hope, but again, life is a mystery.

One thing I hate about the book is the naration about Dr. Igor's medication method. Common people like me just don't get it. So it needs to be read over and over again.

always,
hana.

The Gift

I read the book a few months ago, but I think it's Cecelia Ahern's best work, besides of course P.S. I Love You. It a a Christmas holiday novel about the true spirit of christmas: family and time.

The story starts with a turkey boy, who threw a frozen turkey to a window of a house. Officer Raphie brought him to the station. He told him about the extraordinary story of Lou.

Lou is an architect and a family man, juggling two fast paced life, but he always seems to forget the family and wanted to climb the work ladder. One day he met Gabe, a homeless man in front of his building. After having a smart conversation together, Lou decided to hire him to work in the mailroom, based of Gabe's super memory. He remembers every pair of shoes that walked in front of him. Soon, Gabe was very welcomed and accepted in the office. He works fast, almost too fast, as if he can be at two places at once. On several occasions, Gabe also saved Lou from a drunken night and drove him home. Everyone gained Gabe's trust, even Lou's wife, Ruth. Gabe gave him a pill container, he said as a gift for Lou. The gift, is the gift of time, to make up past mistakes and giving hope. The pill makes Lou be at two places at once.

Okay, the story must be very hard to understand because all of Cecelia Ahern's novel are about the magical and the unthinkable. Despite the very unusual but interesting plot, the message from the book is so good and special, filled with unexpected twist and out of this world sense. I can't say more about the story because I'd spoil the fun. It is truly a one of a kind book.

The super thing about the book is the message underneath it all. A reminder of the true meaning of Christmas, about giving, the importance of family, a strong bond of friendship, and second chances. There is always an opportunity for second chances, to make up whatever it is you miss out on life. Cherish life while you can, is what I always say.

The interesting is the character of Gabe, short for Gabriel. Maybe he's an angel, sent to a man like Lou to give him an opportunity of a life time.

It's soooo good and perfect Christmas read. Although it is very far from Christmas now, but be sure to put in on your socks Santa list!

always,

hana.