Review: Gubra

I watched Gubra at Mid Valley 3 weeks after its initial release date. Couldn't find the time before that, ah, what the heck...

Yasmin Ahmad's sequel to last year's Sepet, one of my all time favourite movie. It tells two unrelated stories about relationships between people: The follow up on Orked's life and another centering on a Bilal and a prostitute.

Although I enjoyed the film, I have to say that it isn't as memorable as Sepet, partly because I think it tries to tell too many plot into 2 hours. While the first film focused on the central love story between Orked and Jason, this one has infidelity, redemption, husband wife responsibility, etc.

While it is a worthy followup, the first 30 minutes borders on slapstick comedy which is kind of awkward, well for me at least. You got a sudden shock of the mother calling Orked about her dad going to die, then Arif goes on introducing the family to a nurse as though they come from The Simpsons family. The sitcom and drama just feels weird, as if it's there just for the sake of comedy. Plus, this time, her social statement is rather direct and not so subtly handled.

The chemistry between Orked and Alan is mediocre at best. It doesn't help that Alan Yun is bland...he just doesn't have Jason's instant likeability. Fortunately, the performance of the original supporting cast is fantastic, and the introduction of Adlin Aman Ramli is refreshing.

IMO the story about the Bilal and the prostitute is better handled, with subtle mix of drama and low key humour. It's definitely refreshing to see the lighter side of life of an Imam and a prostitute -- The playful banter and interaction between the Bilal and his wife, the two prostitutes with their own problems, Temah's relationship with her son -- rather than being confined to the stereotypical image. I have to give credit to the Censorship Board for approving this movie uncut.

Nam Ron as the Bilal, with his dead pan expression, is effective. The actress portraying his wife is so energetic and kind hearted it's so hard not to like her. (I think she resembles an older Cheryl Samad :P) It's a wonderful supporting performance. Lastly, the actress playing Temah is equally impressive. Her fight scene with the thief is full of tension.

The themes presented in the movie is darker and more mature than the lovey dovey mood in Sepet. Still, this film is much more emotional, several scenes just got me in tears......Yasmin Ahmad's greatest strength is portraying everyday life in the simplest manner, yet evoking the most of emotion from us. This ability alone cements her status as one of Malaysia's top film makers.

Maybe my expectations were too high, but I feel that Sepet is more superior and accessible to the mainstream. Still, Gubra gets a 4 out of 5 from me.

My first clubbing experience

Last Saturday Tim came from Singapore for a visit, and asked to stay overnight at Sun's. So I went to Wangsa Maju to meet up with them. Being a clubber ever since working in S'pore, he wanted to visit Zouk here, so I also went with him-lah, together with Sun and Frankie. (Surprise! Sun going clubbing!!!)

The day before I had to call up Darrent to ask for some info on Zouk, as this is me first time going clubbing.

We had dinner at BRJ before leaving, and that's when Chelsea scored against MU just 5 minutes into the match. Later I learnt that MU went on to lose 3-0.

Anyway, we took a cab there and arrived at about 8.45pm, but the place wasn't opened 'til 10. Bummer. Rookie mistake. So we just hang out at KLCC for the next hour to kill time.

When we came back we bought the wrong ticket into Zouk (Trance area) when we actually wanted to hang out at the Velvet Underground (RnB area). Rookie mistake again. Added another RM25 to get into VU...but we still got the extra drink coupons from Zouk, haha...next time can exploit this loophole for more free drinks......

I think we were the second group there, and the dance hall wasn't warmed up until almost 12am. Until then we just made ourselves drunk with vodka and whiskey, and of course indulge in the obligatory 'sightseeing'. :P

At first I was quite reluctant to dance, coz only a group of five really hot girls was dancing and, you know, just the two of us going out there is really a big hint that we were 'girl hungry' (for male clubbers, who isn't?)...But later I got high enough, and I just didn't give a damn about girls anymore, i just lost myself in the music (yeah right...) and keep bopping my head and shaking my ass......

Frankie joined us after about 30 minutes, but Sun was still sitting there alone drinking vodka. Guess you can't really change an introvert. After all, the only reason he went there was to experience the mood. Tim nearly duped him into going a night club to lap dance with PR women......

My biggest mistake of the night was not making my move when this really great looking girl in a tight dress keeps looking at me while dancing, or else I would've got a dance partner liao...damn......that girl was so hot......

We danced until around 3am before heading back home. All in all, it was quite an experience for me. I'll definitely wanna try it out again. But this not something I can do every month like Tim. Maybe once every 3 months. I can stand the alcohol, and even the loud music, my only complaint is that I've inhaled more second-hand smoke there than the past 21 years combined......

Stupid, pesky flies!

For the past few days, my house was suddenly swarmed with flies, especially in the kitchen area. But today, inexplicably, the amount has tripled, quadrupled, I dunno......there was like a hundred flies flying in the house!!! Kitchen, rooms, hall, even the front door area where we keep the shoes!

ARGGHH!!!! I'M STILL ITCHING AND HAVING GOOSEBUMPS THINKING ABOUT IT!!!!

I've just spend the last hour killing like what seems to be 30 fucking flies...and me, being the sadistic one, arranged them in a pattern of 6 X 5 on the floor...ugh, it's like laying dead human bodies, only tinier by a million times......

Gross......

And now, I'm blogging about it...ahaha...this is the life of a slacker at home......

Just a thought at wedding

2 weeks ago during the mamak session I had this conversation with my friend from secondary...we were having a discussions about whether weddings should be held by having a big dinner (the typical Chinese wedding) or just having a simple affair. Taking into account the cost of living, the dude preferred to have his wedding as a buffet with some close relatives. I had the same thought.

You know how the typical Chinese wedding ceremony play out right? Big restaurants, noisy music, lots and lots of relatives and cousins from both sides of the parents some of whom you hardly know or recognize, the late guests arrivals, and that annoying woman (the Tai Kam Cheh) who keeps talking and talking and dunno when to shut up as though she was the main attraction of the night instead of the bride and groom....

Yeah, that kind of wedding is not my type......

For me, a small and simple ceremony with some very close friends and relatives is all I ask for...not too high profile...my mom, on the other hand, would like to invite a lot of relatives and friends, but without the Tai Kam Cheh of course.

I read in the papers there's this couple in Singapore who spend like RM700,000 on their wedding. SIAO! That kind of money can buy a bungalow liao! If they are super rich then I got nothing to say-lah, who cares right......but for normal people this is already an astronomical sum.

A few of my former colleagues were also married, some for 2 years already, and they still haven't have a proper ceremony yet because of financial problem. Mind you, both husband and wife are high income software engineers.

IMO, wedding is just a ceremony to celebrate the joy and wonder of marriage, but it doesn't need to be exaggerated. A lot of things can be simple, especially in times like these where everything is going up in price except the very thing that you rely on: Your salary.

It seems weird to talk about marriage and wedding at this point in my life, but hey, it's just a thought.

Da Vinci Code is dope!

Yes! Finally, I've finished reading The Da Vinci Code, after one week......yeah yeah, I'm a slow reader, I don't frequently read, and I can't be like some of my friends who went through the novel in just one night. The book's out for about 3 years now I think, and the movie is coming out soon, so I told myself that I had to read it before watching the movie, seeing as the buzz and hype is neverending...

The book didn't disappoint. The first few chapters are slow, building up the mystery and leading into the climax in the last few chapters, which is simply "unputdownable".

It's really an exhilirating thriller with some twist on Christianity, secret societies, hidden messages in famous paintings and the likes. Now I understand the controversy surrounding it. Devout Christians definitely will not like it (unless they treat it as purely fiction). I think I'm going to have goosebumps the next time I look at The Last Supper.

Damn it, now I'll have to get those other Dan Brown thrillers. Can't resist it.