Slumdog Millionaire

It’s a sure bet Slumdog Millionaire will get the Best Picture Oscar.  So what’s so great about this movie?  Well, I can say it’s wonderfully shot and rich.  The movie sort of slams you in the face.  It’s so loud and lively.  It’s about a boy from the slums of Mumbai, India who made it big on the show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.”  The movie constantly cuts back and forth from the boy on the shows ‘hot seat’ to the boy getting interrogated by the police.  The questions on the show are somehow related to the boys past and the police suspect he is cheating.  What a crazy premise for a film.

Anyway, the film is just full of gritty lively scenes.  The opening sequence shows just how massive these slums on the outskirts of Mumbai are.  It makes you wonder just how crowded are these poor places?  It was unbelievable to see people live in those conditions.  The lifestyle looked so real and authentic almost to the point that it was distracting.  I guess that’s the point.  Getting a bit of a culture shock, although I’m sure Indian audiences wouldn’t agree.  But, I’ll admit the cinematography was incredible.  And, for me, the highlight of the film is the music.  A.R. Rahman is new to me, but he has sold more than 100 million albums and has composed music for over 130 films in India.  The film’s music is a blend of classical Bollywood Indian styles with modern electronic fast-paced beats.  The music is moving and loud and puts you on edge.   In all, the movie was a joy to watch.  Although it wasn’t a very beautiful setting, you can see a lot of work was put into this film.  Such as, the huge dance number during the credits of the film.  And yes, it’s during the credits, not during the actual film.  I thought, there would be a few Bollywood dance numbers in the film, but not so much.  Just the one.  It was an incredible shot, filled with extras, but I wish you were able to see the dance.  There were a lot of annoying cuts and it took away from the choreography.  Anyway, we’ll see if all of that hard work filming in India gets them the big prize on Sunday.

Harry Potter Penguin Classics

Check out this redesign of the Harry Potter book series by artist M.S. Corley.  They were made to look like the Penguin Classics.  What a cool project.  My favorite is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Milk

Hooray, the Oscars are coming up.  Yeah, whatever.  So what if I’m a nerd for watching the Oscars?  I just happen to be a fan a film and Hugh Jackman is hosting.  So, of course I’m going to be glued to the television set.  Hugh in High Definition–Glorious.

Anyway, I recently saw Milk and I just had to write about it.  I’m not sure how everyone else felt (I’m sure not like this), but I was an emotional wreck during this film.  Already from the start of the film, I got so emotional.  Watching the archival footage of police raiding gay bars set to a beautiful weeping saxophone solo was so moving to me.  The score and the saxophone solo piece was the perfect tone for the opening sequence.  A really sad but fitting opening for the film.

It was great to see gay characters in their element portrayed on screen.  Although, I think it would have been interesting to see the earlier stages of Milk’s life.  The closeted Milk, working in New York, like many other gay men afraid to disclose their sexual orientation out of fear of losing their job.  The film also seemed to avoid Milk’s personal past.  He had more than one ex-lover who suffered from depression and attempted suicide.

The film covers Milk’s effort to defeat Proposition 6 or the Briggs Initiative, proposed by the then state legislator John Briggs, that would have banned all gay and lesbians, and anyone who supported gay rights, from working in California’s public school.  Proposition 6 was also a part of a larger movement to strip rights away from all gay and lesbians.  Watching Anita Bryant and her ‘Save Our Children’ organization repeal local gay rights ordinances was so disheartening and frustrating.  It was sad to see these unfortunate events, after having recently watched the passage of Proposition 8, the same-sex marriage ban, pass in my home state of California.  Watching the film, I couldn’t help but remember how I felt the night before the election.  Just like the film, we were all so nervous and agitated and hoped for the best, while watching the results unveil.  Unfortunately, Proposition 8 didn’t have the same outcome as Proposition 6.  So, watching Proposition 6 get defeated on film, was a bit of a blow for me.

Overall, I’m happy to see these moments in history relive onscreen for today’s generation.  Sean Penn gave an amazing performance.  I thought his speeches were so believable and moving. He just seemed so natural leading the gay movement.  I thought the film’s score was beautiful and serene, but a bit haunting, which fit the political stage and struggles of the film.  All 8 Academy Award nominations are well deserved.  We’ll see if the film takes home any on Sunday night.

Frost/Nixon

I just saw the movie and wow, what an exciting movie.  I know, sounds weird.  What’s so exciting about a series of interviews?  But, to me, this movie was like watching a good boxing match.  Would the flashy, lightweight, underdog Frost pack a punch to the sly, experienced and dominating Nixon? It seemed that Frost was no match to beat the heavyweight champion. It was interesting to see how these interviews came about.  We get to see just how much the both of them were invested in these interviews.  And they had a lot at stake.
The best scene of  the film was the late night phone call a drunken Nixon made to Frost’s hotel room.  Nixon belittles Frost and tells him how people of higher class tried to bring him down.

“That’s our tragedy, you and I Mr. Frost. No matter how high we get, they still look down at us…No matter how many awards or column inches are written about you, or how high the elected office is, it’s still not enough. We still feel like the little man. The loser.”

Nixon goes on to tell Frost that only one man can get the spotlight.  Only one man will win glory, while the other will lose heavily and will surely see the end of their career.  This revs up Frost and he finally realizes he’s “got to work.”  Suddenly there is a shift in gears and the final interview has dramatic change in tone.  Right before the interview Frost asks Nixon about the phone call, but Nixon responds with, “What phone call?” and suddenly  looks so nervous and on edge.  That scene also put me on edge.  I was just waiting to see the condescending Nixon fall apart on screen.  But when Nixon confessed he “let the American people down,” I actually felt sorry for him.  This man tried so hard to maintain his legacy, but  just couldn’t handle the pressure.  It was a very depressing and disappointing moment in his life.  And it showed on screen.  Although, he was a criminal President, Nixon is still human, and humans make mistakes.  Grant it, it’s no excuse for the way he abused his power, but it was an interesting take on the former President.  A great adaptation for the screen and an enjoy to watch.  Hopefully, I’ll get the chance to see the stage version it at the Ahmanson Theatre in L.A.

My New Theme Song

Kudos to Hania for the song and video.  I love it.

Don’t Divorce

In just over two weeks, the California Supreme Court will hear arguments on the validity of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriages.  Prop 8 Legal Defense Fund and Ken Starr (Yup, Mr. Starr Report is still around) are working to defend the constitutionality of Proposition 8 and filed legal briefs on December 19, 2008.  Since that wasn’t enough, they also want to nullify the 18,000 marriages of same-sex couples.  Courage Campaign wanted to put a face to marriage equality and asked for couples or anyone affected by the Ken Starr’s shameful legal proceedings to submit photos with a simple message. Don’t divorce us. Check out the video.

And don’t forget to sign the letter to the state Supreme Court, signed by over 290,000 people, to invalidate Prop. 8 and strike down Ken Starr’s case.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

“We’re in the Money”

There you go.  Congress has passed The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Let’s hope our economy turns around.

What I got for Valentine’s Day

I Spy…

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Sleeping

Yo Yo’s iPhone

Beyoncé and Jay-Z?

Yeah, I had fun perusing through this photo.

Check out David Bergman’s 1,474 megapixel photo of President Obama’s Inauguration Speech.  The photo is made up of 220 images and took more than six and a half hours to put together.  Insane, but pretty darn cool.

“They do a lot of touching, kissing, even…”

Yeah, she said it.