« History: 20-July | Main | Roles Explained »

21 July 2004

Comments

The comments to this entry are closed.

My Photo

Books I Read

October 2011

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
            1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31          
Blog powered by Typepad
Member since 10/2003

Movies I Watched

  • 10-Feb-2010: Tron (20th Anniversary Collector's Edition)

    10-Feb-2010: Tron (20th Anniversary Collector's Edition)
    (*****)

  • 10-Feb-2010: Cirque du Soleil - Varekai

    10-Feb-2010: Cirque du Soleil - Varekai
    (*****)

  • 9-February-2010: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Widescreen Edition)

    9-February-2010: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Widescreen Edition)
    (**)

  • 9-February-2010: Leon - The Professional (Uncut International Version)

    9-February-2010: Leon - The Professional (Uncut International Version)
    (****)

  • 9-February-2010: Stille Liebe/Amour Secret [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Germany ]

    9-February-2010: Stille Liebe/Amour Secret [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Germany ]
    My friends from Germany gives me this DVD, so I get around to watch this. It is a Germany-released movie. based on true story of young Deaf woman who grew up in Switzerland. Shot in beautiful Switzerland, Stille Liebe tells the story of Antonia (Emmanuelle Laborit), a deaf nun who meets Mikas, a deaf pick-pocket while travelling to the homeless shelter where she assists in the kitchen. At the beginning, she felt comfortable in these surroundings at the Convent where the sisters take the vow of silence, but as she's grown older she begins to wonder if she made the right choice. Among some of the other characters is Mother Superior Verena (Renate Becker); a wonderfully loving, yet very disciplined woman who takes Antonia under her wing in the Convent. A new exciting world opens up for Antonia because, like herself, Mikas is also deaf. These two people, so different from each other, are able to converse in their common language – sign language. Antonia's relationship builds with Mikas to a point where she is torn between her faith and the man she has fallen in love with. However, what Antonia is not aware of is that Mikas is only pretending to be a circus artist and has in fact come to Switzerland to make some ready cash as a pickpocket. Unfortunately, their affair comes to an abrupt end when Mikas loses his life in an altercation with the police. Shattered by that experience and what she went through with Mikas, it has had a deep effect on her and she now has the feeling that the world has once and for all opened up for her too. Antonia decides to sever her ties with Verena and the convent and travels to the United States, where she applies to study at Gallaudet University, an internationally renowned college for the deaf where she resolves to start a new life among others like herself and pursues her dream at last. In summary, Antonia yearns for one thing – discover inner happiness. She wants to lead the sort of life that she hasn't been allowed to up until now, or a life she hasn't allowed herself to lead. She does not fit in the place where she is. Therefore, love arouses this interest in her and gives her the courage to make a complete break in her life. Although Antonia’s relationship with Mikas ends in tragedy, it doesn’t stop her from taking her life into her own hands. You can, perhaps, say that true love is really only true if it becomes the cause of something and when things happen as a result ... Co-written by director Christoph Schaub, this film is unique in the way it portrays a deaf character. Of course, the usual communication issues exist for a deaf person, but we see more of need and desire to be among people who are similar. The communication issues can be resolved on the most cases, but the desire to be among your own people, people who are like you, people who don't have the need for things to be explained to them... this is what really drives Antonia in the decisions she makes throughout the film. I am perplexed as Antonia’s decision when Mikas’ life was in dire, but I am going to let go at it. I am a bit taken aback from Antonia’s comments about moral to use the stolen money which she, herself, uses it to create a new life for herself. Guess she feels that it is her one-way ticket out of her old life with good intention. One small thing is that the sign language in the film is mostly IS – International Signs. In Switzerland, the Deaf people use DSGS – Switzerland Sign Language – which is not portrayed in the movie. Same goes for Lithuanian Sign Language. The movie is produced by Germany, so DGS – German Sign Language – is utilized most of time in the movie. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. (****)

  • 1-Jan-2010: Der Große Diktator. DVD-Video

    1-Jan-2010: Der Große Diktator. DVD-Video
    Jo and Daniela said that I should watch this movie and I did. I laughed for countless times and cried from laughing so hard from time to time. I loved the English and Deutsch subtitles to see how Charlie Chaplin was so gifted with mixing the falsetto Deutsch-English and Deutsch-Italian. So funny!!!! I cannot believe that this movie was made in 1940. (*****)

  • 28-December-2009: Avatar [Theatrical Release]

    28-December-2009: Avatar [Theatrical Release]
    Kathrin surprised Mia and me by taking us to Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Germany with 3D. I loved it so much that I cannot wait for open captioned version back in America! (*****)

  • 12-November-2009: Trouble the Water

    12-November-2009: Trouble the Water
    Jules loaned this DVD to me to watch. Wow, it really hit a home run for me to witness what these people went through before, during and after the Hurricane Katrina. It was more personal than what you might get from news on TV and newspapers. Highly recommended for teenagers or older since the colorful languages are used in the DVD. (****)

  • 30-October-2009: Monsters vs. Aliens [Blu-ray]

    30-October-2009: Monsters vs. Aliens [Blu-ray]
    JV and I watched this movie together. I laughed at pretty much of references and play with sounds/words they threw at me. Highly recommended for family to watch this movie together. (****)

  • 8-October-2009: Finding Forrester

    8-October-2009: Finding Forrester
    I enjoyed this movie so much. It is about the gifted young man who befriended with reclusive talented writer. Not only wisdom can be passed on one way, but both ways between these two people. Recommended for family with kids over age of 13 years old. (*****)