Tuesday, July 17, 2007
watched the movie entitled "The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros" yesterday at The Picture House. i've always wanted to watch a movie there. somehow, the ambience there exudes a certain arty-farty "movie-theatrish" air and leaves the impression that the movies shown there are of a certain professional calibre.
my first filipino movie and to tell the truth, i was totally confused with regards to the language until i saw the movie poster. at first, i thought it sounded like thai until i realised the movie characters in the show were christians. then i thought it was spanish when i heard a word that sounded like "bien", but dismissed it as the people look more like asians than europeans.
i won't say it's the best movie i've ever watched. but there are definitely certain scenes and moments in the movie that i especially like. i like the theme, the inner struggle of the protagonist, Maxi, who was torn between being loyal to his family and siding with his first love (the new cop on the neighbourhood beat, when hisbrother accidentally murdered a teenager. it's an age-old theme, i know, good versus evil and how there is no such thing as absoluteness. in this world of ours, there will always be grey areas. the people who are ruffians and thieves may not have the most enviable professions, but it does not negate the possibility that they can be good guys. people utterly devoted to their family, such as the poignant scene when Maxi's dad, a guy who always professes himself as a gungho thug lovingly wipes away the dust on Maxi's deceased mother's photograph. and Maxi's brothers, who protect him from the derision of others towards a gay who cross-dresses. on the other hand, people who started out idealistic and full of ethics, may stray from the right path, enticed by power and money. the new cop, who initially championed uncorrupted practices, was eventually influenced by society and turned to brute violence, and became no different from a street thug. the scene when the police chief killed Maxi's father, in which he said that even though the police chief had a number of stars of commendation, he got them through despicable means. while Maxi's dad had no such stars of commendation, he too has stars. alot more. those in the sky. because despite being forced by circumstances into the profession of a thief, he had not forgotten the things that give us the meaning in life. love. family. hope.
the scene i love the most was when the cop stood on the street below Maxi's room and whistled, the common language that had first sealed their friendship, when he first taught Maxi how to whistle. it was his way of seeking forgiveness. for succumbing to societal pressures and derisive jokes about Maxi's puppy love for him. for rejecting and pushing him away for who he is. a homosexual who cross-dresses. for looking the other way when the chief shot Maxi's dad. and how Maxi replied by whistling, something he had never been able to do but had mastered because he valued the friendship. it reminds me of how fragile friendships can be. how close friendships built up over the years through hard work can be destroyed in a sweep of the moment through selfish gains. through societal pressures. through our desire to gain acceptance and to follow the crowd. to be in the crowd. to not be different. or singled out as different because of the company we hang out with. such a form of communication over a distance emphasised the unbreachable tear already in the friendship. it conveys sadness, helplessness and hurt. it means goodbye. the end.
it is a parody of the superficiality of the world. one of the contestants of the make-believe beauty pageant organised by Maxi's friends, acting in the talent component, tried to wake his dead mother for dinner. how the noodles would go to waste if she doesn't eat. and how the noodles have become colder than her. even the near grasp of cold death can no longer intimidate us into realising the fragility of life. we have become mechanical beings. numb to our inner voices.
all in all, a movie i don't regret watching. of course it helps when the show starred a cute hunk (JR Valentin, the guy who acted the new cop) ;p
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finally learnt how to play pool. have an awesome teacher. and great companions. seriously addicted to it. it's a new way of destressing. and it came at the right time. when jogging, walking and even reading fail to uplift my mood. in a pool game, all it comes down to is the ball i'm targeting. and my opponent. simple. straightforward. problems. worries. stress. all seem inconsequential. because. they don't belong.
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i thought it won't bother me anymore. but it did. alittle. despite the company which was great and i really laughed alot. everything was the same. yet different. somehow. guess i was too tired. the lack of sleep during the chalet must have been the trigger. i hope.
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recently, there is something really seriously wrong with me. i keep finding faults with my friends. i don't used to be this way. i used to be very easy-going when it comes to friends. unless my principles are seriously violated. i get pissed alittle too easily. it was unconscious. unintentional. so why the hell am i getting all worked up?! i'm acting like i'm some perfect flawless person, capable of committing no wrongs/mistakes. like i'm some popular person. in other words, a hypocrite. i need to wake up. fast.
somehow i can feel the distance growing. some underlying something. it's inevitable i guess.
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Blogado por moi às 8:16 AM ||
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