Whale Rider Movie Review

Rating: 7.5/10

Today I had the pleasure of seeing the highly recommended New Zealand film, Whale Rider. Whale Rider is a low budget film based on a book by Witi Ihimaera. It follows the story of Pai, known as Kahu in the book, as she fulfills a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize. Her Grandfather, Koro Apirana, is looking for a new leader who he will pass on the knowledge, tradition, and culture of his tribe to. Pai, although eager to study and learn the Maori culture, is  refused/rejected by her Koro Apirana because she is a not a boy.

As I said, Whale Rider is a low budget film. It doesn’t have CGI or special effects to help carry the movie. All it has is the story and the actors. If the story is not strong enough to keep our attention, the film will fail. And that’s not the case with Whale Rider. Whale Rider goes for only one and a half hour. It tells the story it needs to tell using the actors it has got.

The main reason why this movie did not fail is the actors. The casting is pitched perfect. Keisha Castle-Hughes did a great job as Pai. Rarely is a kid actor not annoying in a movie, she gave a memorable performance as Pai. She brings emotion to this film. If it was not for her, I doubt the film would be very successful.

Rawiri Paratene, who portrayed Koro, is great as the menacing grandfather seeking for a leader. However, he is sometimes a little too wooden. The way he delivers his lines are sometimes so wooden, it didn’t have as much impact on me as it should have. All the yelling, and wooden dialogues bugged me a while watching a little bit. By being menacing, it doesn’t mean you don’t have emotion. He has no facial expression at all and doesn’t come off like a menacing person. His character really comes off as annoying to me. However, by the end of this film, you can kinda feel what he is going through. And his final scene talking to Kahu was perfect. The emotion was there. But he just failed as a menacing grandfather.

The main problem I had with this movie is the fact that they did not explain the Maori legend as well as they did in the book. If I have not read the movie, I would have absolutely no idea what the significance of the whale is or the fact that Pai has the ability to talk to whales. It also could have shown the message of the movie a little more strongly. When the movie ended, I kept thinking to myself, this could have been much better.

But all in all, Whale Rider is still a solid film with good acting, writing, and directing. It tells the world a little about the Maori culture although I feel it could have added a little more. The director did a really great job with the material he was given. The actors were superb especially Keisha Castle-Hughes as I mentioned before. Other who in my opinion did a really good job at portraying their characters include Cliff Curtis, Grant Roa, and Vicky Haughton. Well done to them. I give this film a 7.5 as everything in this movie is good. But it’s not great. I believe that the writing and acting could be a tad bit better. But all in all, a solid film. Definitely check it out. It’s not getting the attention it deserves.

In Time Trailer Review

Before i start writing this trailer review, I'm going to explain the concept of this movie. In Time is set in the future where currency or money is replaced by time. Everyone is given 25 years to live until they stop aging. Then they get another one year to live. Unless you can extend your time, you die.

Now, Will Salas, played by Justin Timberlake, is given a century to live by an anonymous guy he helped escape. The anonymous guy is tired of living so he commits suicide and decides to give his time to Will. Will is now on the run from the goverment (i think?) And he doesn't quite know what to do with the time he's got.

Amanda Seyfried is also in this movie. We get a glimpse of  the romance between him and Justin Timberlake. And i think that's pretty hot. :) This trailer is very well paced. It definitely gets the concept of the movie across to the audience. I think the concept of the film is very cool. Although I'm not sure Justin Timberlake would make a good lead. I just don't know if  he has the ability to carry the whole film on his shoulders. But who knows I might turn out completely wrong. It's always good to see original movies nowadays. I hope we get to see a little bit more action in the next trailer. But all in all, this movie did its job. It explained what the movie is about, who is in it, and why we all should be excited. I'm pumped.

In Time Trailer:

Short film script/ Short story: Blind Date

Plot: A nerdy high school boy goes on a blind dinner date with a girl, hoping to hook up with a hot young girl he’s always dreams of. While another nerdy high school girl goes to this blind date, hoping to meet a hot, muscular man she’s always dreamed of. However, they are forced to put on a sleep mark so they cannot see each other during the entire course of the date.

A nerdy high school girl walks into a restaurant where blind dates are held every night. It is advertised as a place where young people find true love. She, being the nerdy type of the group, is often teased about not having a boyfriend. So She goes in there expecting to find her soulmate. For her, ideally it would definitely have to be a hot young man with six packs and muscles she has always dreamed of meeting.

AMANDA

See ya guys

AMANDA’s FRIENDS
have fun. Hope you find your true love (giggles)

AMANDA

Oh shut up, and I will!

A nerdy high school boy walks into a restaurant where blind dates are held every night. Most boys his age all have girlfriends. Some have had their first kiss. Some have lost their virginity. But not Chris. Chris has never had a girlfriend and he’s often teased about it. So he goes in there, hoping to finally meet a nice hot girl, and finally experience what it feels like to be in love.

CHRIS’S FRIENDS

I can’t believe you are doing this man

CHRIS

Me neither! But what other choice do I have?

See ya’ll later

GUY AT THE RESTUARANT

Here’s your eye patch sir

We hope you find your long lost love

CHRIS

Thanks

GIRL AT THE RESTAURANT

Here’s your eye patch miss

Have fun, and good luck

AMANDA

Thank you

So they wear their eye patches. They are now completely blind.  They are both accompanied to their seats by the bartenders. They sit down. And let the date begin.

CHRIS

Hi, my name is Chris

How are you today?

AMANDA

Good thanks, I’m Amanda. It’s a pleasure to meet you

CHRIS
what brings you to this lovely blind date restaurant today, mystery lady?

AMANDA
Well, same reason everybody is here. I wanna meet a guy who loves me for who I am

It really is a blind date here isn’t it? (laugh)

CHRIS

Yeah, yeah. It’s amazing. I love the idea of it. Not knowing who the date is. To not judge people by appearance but rather what’s on the inside.

AMANDA

Totally, I don’t know who you are. But I’m starting to like you already. Hahaha

CHRIS

Well the same goes for you miss.

How old are you by the way?

AMANDA

I’m 17, still in high school

CHRIS

Really? So am I. What are your plans for university?

Personally, I would like to major in something like English lit.

I love reading.

AMANDA

Well so do I. I love books. Books are my life.

I cannot imagine my life without them.

They are my best friends. Always have and always will.

CHRIS

It looks like we have something in common then

I know this is a bit sudden but do you want to grab a cup of coffee or something afterwards?

AMANDA

No no that’s a great idea. I bet we can just sit there and talk about books eh? Haha

It’s funny how we’re apparently at a restaurant yet they don’t serve any food

CHRIS

Yes they do. It’s a food of love. Hahaha

AMANDA

Hahaha

BARTENDER

Ok guys. Time’s up.

Eye patches off. It’s time to meet your true love.

So Chris and Amanda took their eye patches off. It seems like time has stopped. The world’s spinning. Chris is surprised to find out the girl he’s been talking to the whole time is nothing but a fat geeky high school student who wear glasses and have pimples.

CHRIS
(Internal monologue)

What the hell? The person I’ve talking to is just a nerdy high school student? I should’ve listened to my friends. This has been nothing but a complete waste of time.

AMANDA

(Internal monologue)

What the fuck? This is no hot guy with six packs I was looking for.

He’s a geek. And he’s got pimples! Ahhhh

CHRIS
(Internal monologue)

Dayyum I was starting to like her. Her voice is so pretty man. And she likes reading. Like me!

AMANDA
(Internal monologue)

He seems like a nice guy. Too bad he’s just another nerdy kid.

CHRIS

(Internal monologue)

But didn’t I say not to judge people by their appearance?

AMANDA

(Internal monologue)

Didn’t I say I want a guy who loves me for who I am?

CHRIS

(Internal monologue)

So what if she is a nerd with glasses and pimples?

AMANDA

(Internal monologue)

What’s wrong with geeks anyway? After all, I’m just a geek.

I don’t care if he’s fat and ugly. Or if he has glasses and pimples?

CHRIS

(Internal monologue)

I don’t care if she’s a fat nerdy girl who doesn’t know how to dress

We’re one and the same, us geeks

AMANDA

(Internal monologue)

Why would I want a guy with six packs and muscles anyway?

Why do I have to care about the appearance?

Am I afraid people are going to judge me?

Screw these people. If they don’t like me for the person I am

Fuck them.

CHRIS

So how about that cup of coffee huh?

Short Film Script: The Stare

Plot: A boy comes into a restaurant and finds a cute looking young girl. Are they soulmates? Is it meant to be? Will he have the guts to talk to her?

The boy looks at the girl for the first time and finds her very cute

BOY

I wonder what that girl is thinking.

Is she looking at me?

Ok Ok maintain the eye contact

You don’t want her to think you’re shy now, do you?

The girl looks at the boy for the first time and finds him very cute

GIRL

I wonder what that boy over there is thinking

He’s been looking at me for a while now

Is he interested in me?

 The girl keeps the staring going

BOY

God that girl is staring back

She is one cute looking girl.

I wonder if she likes me.

 The girl is starting to get tired of the staring

GIRL

Oh come on, enough with the staring.

If you’re interested, just come and talk to me

Don’t be shy now boy

Why is he drinking water from an empty cup anyway?

The boy realizes he’s drinking from an empty cup

BOY

Oh shit shit, I’m drinking water from an empty cup.

She’s gonna think I’m so stupid

 The girl gets up and leaves

GIRL

So cute

Ok now, I had a fun time with you sir

But I’ve gotta go

I can’t stare at you forever now, can I?

The boy is frustrated that the girl is leaving

BOY

Oh shit, no, she is leaving

I thought she liked me

The girl is disappointed that the boy didn’t have the courage to come to her

GIRL

Such a disappointment

A good looking guy but what a pussy

The boy gets up, runs to the door, and confronts her

BOY

Ok, what the fuck

Short Film Screenplay: Are you gay?

Plot: Amanda, a hot girl in high school, attempts to ask her secret crush out. Will, a geek in high school, has a crush on Amanda. He doesn't know what to do when she suddenly comes up to him.

Wide shot – shot of school
School bell rings, shot of a clock at 12.00 PM (Lunch time)

POV – Amanda walking to Will’s table in slow motion with music playing in a dream-like sequence

Music cuts off

AMANDA

‘Hey, can I sit with you, Will?’

Close up - Will pauses for a second acting like he had just woken up from a dream

WILL

(suddenly)

 ‘Sure sure, go ahead, Amanda’

Mid shot – Amanda sits down

Wide Shot - side view of the table with Amanda and Will facing each other

Will sits awkwardly while Amanda grabs lunch from her bag.

Medium close up shot  - Amanda flirts implying that Will is different than other guys

AMANDA

‘What are you doing here all alone anyway?’

‘Aren’t you boys supposed to be playing footy or something? ‘

Amanda bites her sandwich

Medium Close up shot – Will avoids eye contact

WILL

I don’t know, I’m not that much of a sportsperson.

Medium close up shot – Amanda implies that Will is a bit of a nerd

                AMANDA

‘I guess not huh? I see you carrying that book around all day’

Camera zooms to Will’s book

Close up - Awkward silence for a second then Amanda attempted to ask Will out on a date

AMANDA

(suddenly)

‘So, I’m going to the movies tonight with a couple of friends. Wanna come?’

Close up – thinks for a second then shakes his head, acting disappointed that he couldn’t come

WILL

I have a lot of school work to catch up tonight. I’m sorry. I wish I could come. I’m really sorry.

Close up - Amanda sits up

AMANDA

No it’s okay. We can hang out some other time.

So I guess I’ll see you later then huh?

Mid shot – Amanda standing and just almost about to walk away from Will

AMANDA

(In a begging manner)

Oh, I almost forgot. My girlfriends are throwing a party next Friday and they are all bringing their boyfriends along. I haven’t got a partner yet. If you’re free, do you want to save me some embarrassment and come as my date? Please?

Medium Close up - Will apologizes sincerely

WILL

I’m really really sorry again Amanda. My parents don’t allow me to go out after school. Sorry.

Mid shot – Amanda asks although already knows the answer

AMANDA

(laughingly)

You haven’t got a girlfriend have you?

 Medium close up – Will responds back quickly, making sure Amanda knows he’s not lying

WILL

No, no I don’t. My parents really don’t allow me to go out after school. I’m not lying. Please believe me. I would come if I would.

Mid shot – Amanda says a bit pissed off tone of voice

AMANDA

Okay then, Will. Didn’t say you were. Maybe I won’t see you later after all.

Wide shot - Amanda walks away then turns back

Over the shoulder shot – Amanda can’t believe she got rejected

AMANDA

One last question Will, Are you gay? I could ask any guy in the school to go out with me. But I chose you. And I got rejected. TWICE

Extreme close up – Will’s eyes blinking

Amanda laughs then turns back and walks away slowly from Will’s table

Fades to black

WILL

(Softly)

Fuck I blew it

The Amazing Spiderman trailer review

Today, the amazing spiderman teaser trailer has just been available online. People who grew up watching the Sam Raimi's spidey films aren't really into this new reboot thing that's going on. But i'm not one of them. I didn't particularly like the first three spiderman films that much. The first two films were good entertainment. But nothing special really. And the third one is just terrible.

The reason i'm so excited for this new reboot is the people involved in this film: including Marc Webb (the director of the 500 days of summer, one of my favorite love films, Andrew Garfield (Loved him in the social network, never let me go, and boy a. A great up and coming actor), Emma Stone (Another great up and coming actor. she's been in some raunchy romantic comedies and teen movies. I think this is the role that will make her shine), and other great supporting actors such as Martin Sheen and Sally Field (two incredible actors)

Now from the look of this trailer, it's got a dark tone to the movie compared to Sam Rami's spiderman. It won't be just another fun action pack movie that people will forget in 2 days. I believe that Marc Webb has the ability to bring us emotion in this film and we'll get to see a lot of character developments. Andrew Garfield looks good as the outcast, nerdy spiderman but will have to see the film to see how good he really is. I believe he's an underrated actor and this is definitely the role that will bring him to the world's attention.

There is a scene in this teaser trailer where we get a first person point of view as Spider man is flying through the skyscrapers which i believe is very cool. I mean who wouldn't want to be Spider man? even just for 30 seconds. We do not get a chance to get a clear look at the spider man suit just yet. But from what i saw in the trailer, it looks good to me. I even like it more than the suit in the original films, although fan boys are bashing on the new suit. Personally, i think the trailer showed a little too much on the story as the movie is coming out in 2012. The POV sequence alone could be the whole teaser trailer. But anyway, I think this reboot will bring us a new side of Spidey we've never seen before. I'm pumped.

The Amazing Spiderman trailer:

The Dark Knight Rises Trailer Review

Finally, the teaser trailer of Christopher Nolan's much anticipated last Batman movie has been available to us moviegoers. I'm a big fan of Christopher Nolan's Batman films. I really dig the realism and the serious tone and theme in his Batman films. 

In this trailer, unfortunately, we don't see very much. We got a sneak peak of Bane portrayed by Tom Hardy and a couple of shots of Batman. 

But hey, it's a teaser trailer. It's here to tease us and it sure as hell teased me. With all the new spider man reboot, the avengers, captain america, making all the headlines, seeing the dark knight rises teaser trailer really reminds us that Batman is still here and coming soon next year. 

I'm really looking forward to this conclusion of Christopher Nolan's Batman series. The teaser really makes me excited and pumped for the movie. I hope it will be an epic conclusion and finish the story of as well as it started. I have a feeling this will be one of the best trilogies we've seen in a longggg time.

the dark knight rises trailer: 

"A Kid"

***Just something i wrote when i was bored and had nothing to do

People go through a lot of changes over the course of their lives. Whether it is for the better or worse, we all go through them. A kid wears his diaper for the first time instead of being naked. A kid walks for the first time after years of crawling. A kid enters elementary school for the first time. A kid enters primary school at a different school. A kid enters high school at another different school. A kid has to change schools because he was bullied in high school. A kid has to change schools again because the bullying doesn’t stop.

A kid then enters his college life once again at another different school. A kid meets a girl. A kid is in love. A kid experiences his first kiss. A kid loses his virginity. A kid is heartbroken. A kid receives his Bachelor Degrees. A kid then goes on to do his Master’s. A kid comes out of his Master’s Program looking for a job. A kid can’t get a job. A kid spends years living in a car. A kid finally finds a job. A kid works hard. A kid earns a lot of money. A kid meets another girl. A kid gets married. A kid gets divorced. A kid gets married again. A kid holds his baby for the first time.

A kid continues to work hard. A kid wants his baby to have a good education. A kid works harder. A kid works even harder until he has enough money to send his baby to college. A kid has to transfer his son to another school. A kid transfers his son to another school again because the bullying doesn’t stop. A kid retires. A kid stays at home. A kid gets old. A kid can’t walk anymore. A kid is in the wheelchairs. A kid can’t put on his own clothes. A kid gets taken care of by another kid. A kid sees his grandson for the first time. And the whole process repeats.

Whether it is for the better or worse, we all go through changes; changes that may define him as a person or changes that may destroy him as a person. And this is my time for change. Fortunately, I think this is one of the better changes. The one I will try my absolute best to get the most out of. It may be a bad change, I don’t know. But I will try like I have always tried when changes occur. I might fail miserably. But I will try.  

X-Men Movie Review

Rating:  7.5

X-Men is an introduction to the iconic characters from the comic book that has been around for more than 30 years. It tells the story of two mutants, Rogue and Wolverine, who are recruited by Professor X  to fight the terrorist group led by an old friend, Magneto.

X-Men is the first film of the X-men franchise. It shows the audience who the X-Men are, what they are, why they do what they do, and who the archenemy of the X-men is.  And that’s all it really is, an introductory movie with fun and entertaining action sequences that provides background information on the characters.  

As for performances in this film, everyone was cast perfectly in their respective roles. This is the role that brought the Aussie actor, Hugh Jackman, to the world’s attention. He shined in this film as Wolverine. He brings Wolverine to life not with just his iconic looks as Wolverine but with superb acting.  Others also gave good supporting performances that helped Hugh Jackman carry the movie to perfection.  These actors include Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Famke Janssen, (Jean Grey), James Marsden (Cyclops), Halle Berry ( Storm), last but not least Anna Paquin who portrayed the young mutant Marie aka Rogue who ran away from home and hit the road with Logan aka Wolverine.

A special mention to the writers of this X-Men who transferred the comic book to a fun action pack 90 minute movie. X-Men deals with important elements that good storytelling includes rejection, loneliness, hope, fear, distrust, love, selfishness, power, and doing what you believe is right.

In conclusion, X-Men succeeded what the movie set out to be; a good intro movie. This movie explains why Magneto is the person he is, or why Professor X is against what Magneto does. Now seeing this after watching X-Men – First Class, it’s so fascinating to see the relationship between these two characters after what happened in X-Men First Class, how they disagree with each other’s opinions but still have great respect for each other.

I can’t deny that X-Men a fun time but it’s the type of movie that you would forget in a couple of days.  It’s a good action flick and I had fun watching it. However, I felt like X-Men could do some work with the soundtrack which not only was it not memorable, it also reduced the intensity of the action scenes. If you’re looking for incredible acting and superb dialogues I wouldn’t recommend X-Men to you.  But if you just want a good thrill ride to entertain yourself, definitely check out X-Men.

My Personal Favorite Movie Reviewers On Youtube

This here is my list of my personal favorite movie reviewers on Youtube.
Please note that this list is not in order!

Will (2011) trailer review

Finally the decent football film we've all been waiting for!!Hmmm I'm interested. I'm a huge Liverpool fan and this has the potential to be a truly great film. This film follows the story of Will, an orphan and massive Liverpool fan, who travels across Europe to the 2005 Champions League Final in Istanbul.

Will is not just a football film. It has depth to the story. Apart from the Liverpool aspect of the film, it's a story about a young orphan following his dreams. The cinematography in the trailer is beautiful. Some beautiful shots were shown. Pace and editing was superb. I believe Will has the potential to be an inspiring film and might finally be the decent football film us football fans have all been waiting for. I'm pumped! 

Will Trailer:

Leonardo Dicaprio unofficially confirmed for "Djando Unchained" by Jamie Foxx

Leonardo Dicaprio is unofficially confirmed for Django Unchained by Jamie Fox at Horrible Bosses Premier. I think this is really great news, this might turn out to be one of Leo's best performances. I'm very excited to see him in an villian role. And this is directed by

 Quentin FUCKING Tarantino. Christoph Waltz, Samuel Jackson are also set to star. And also Jamie Foxx...which i don't know if i should be very happy about...

Credit: filmfan5647 from IMDB

Top Ten Favorite Leonardo Dicaprio Films

Leonardo Dicaprio is my favorite actor of all time. He has delivered oscar-worthy numerous times. I hope his first Oscar comes soon.

Here are my top ten favorite Leonardo Dicaprio films:

Part 1

Part 2

Short Story: Discovering Prejudice

A blinding lightning bolt abruptly struck the right engine with explosive power while intense rain and hail battered the plane. The plane was shaking violently and going off course, constantly changing the direction from right to left, up and down. Baggages were heavily thrown on the ground, and some on the passengers. People were yelling, screaming, and crying their hearts out. The plane was nosing downwards. Pilots were calling into the radio “Mayday! Mayday!” Then, out of nowhere, BOOM…

That’s how it all began, an event that would forever change my life, one that I will never forget and regret. It was an ordinary day. The streets were crowded. The airport was busy. People were fighting and yelling at each other. I felt invincible and untouchable. Nothing could hurt me. But on an ordinary day, with people going over the same routine, something extraordinary happened.

I was on my way home to see my wife and my 4 month old baby after a long business meeting in Asia. Making money was one of the many sacrifices a husband has to make. Doesn’t matter if he can’t stand the job or barely gets to see his family, it’s a necessity. I was in Asia, selling cars to a bunch of midget people with slanted and tiny eyes and listening to them go ‘Ching Chong, Ling Long, Ting Tong’ at each other. Why didn’t they speak English? Why did they have tiny eyes? And why did they eat rice? I really didn’t know.

So there I was, lying on the ground, unconscious. I opened my eyes to get a glimpse of what in the world had just happened, only to see hundreds of bodies around me with their arms torn out, their legs ripped off. I didn’t know if I was lucky to be one of the few survivors of this deadly plane crash, or just so goddamn unlucky for having to wait for my painful and brutal death from starvation. So I just laid there, on the muddy and slippery dirt, analyzing what just happened, and finally coming to terms with it. ‘Screw you, God’, I would often say. He probably hated me so badly he had to make me die on an island with random Asians I didn’t know.

Two long days passed on this tiny little island. I was an outcast among the other Asian survivors. I did not speak their language and I did not understand a word they said. I hated them. They were always looking at me, probably jealous of my big white body and gigantic eyes. One of the activities I did on the island was constantly swearing at those little Asians. Some of them talked back looking all confused, others shouted back with an angry tone of voice, as if they knew what I  said.

It was all fun and games until oneday, an angry little Asian came up grumpy at me and tried to push me. With his lack of height and strength, he only managed to push my tummy. “Is that all you got?” I asked him while standing there. I was in complete hysterics, pointing and laughing at the grouchy little midget.

Until he kicked my legs with all his power, leaving me bending on my knees in front of him, then he punched me right in the face. “*#$*@#*#%(&^%$#,” he shouted at the top of his lungs and spat on me. I was on fire. My head was about to explode. I could not believe the little Asian had the guts to punch me, even though he knew based on my hatred alone, I could possibly kill him with my bare hands.

I stood up, ran at him, and tackled him with my arms wrapped around his body. I started punching him in the nose a couple of times, making his tiny little nose bleed severely. But just before I could swing my third punch, the other ten Asian survivors sprinted at me and broke the fight off. I did not give in easy.

 I started punching everyone who tried to grab me. It took about five Asians to grab me, a strong superior white male. All I know is the break up was chaotic, even more chaotic than the original fight. There was blood everywhere, children and wives were crying, and the grumpy Asian still tried to swing punches at me while I was being held by his little friends.

The next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground with my hands tied to a tree, little did I know that the other Asian was also tied to the same tree on the opposite side. “What name?” the guy who punched me asked with a strong Asian accent and a laughable grammatical error. Little did I know the other Asians had also tied him to the tree. But I was not in a mood for laughter. “Chris,” I answered. “Hello Chris, my name is Henry.”

We were throwing loads of questions at each other like old buddies. We talked about each other’s backgrounds and where we’re from. I learned his tradition and customs and he learned mine. We then went on to talk about sacrifices of being a father band husband, how we absolutely hated our jobs, and how we could not wait a second longer to see our wives and children.

I was surprised at how similar Henry and I are. We had a lot more in common that we thought. Except for one thing, skin color. Questions were crowding into my head. Questions that made me ponder the origin of my hatred against Asians, questions such as: Why do I hate Asians so much? What did they ever do to me? And it dawned on me. Prejudice.

Henry is just a man who happened to be born on the other side of the world, who was raised by different parents, and who was taught customs according to tradition and culture of where he is from. He too has needs, wants, fears, feelings, emotions, just like I do. And he doesn’t deserve to be treated any differently from anyone else in the world. After all, we are all human beings.

It seemed like hours and hours had gone by until a guy came up to the tree and untied us. Then, out of nowhere, palm trees were heavily swaying from this ridiculous amount of wind. I thought a storm was coming until I heard a voice from God. It was the voice of a helicopter coming to our rescue. And just like that, my experience on the deserted island was over. I shook Henry’s hands. I looked him right in his eyes as he looked in mine, I could feel a huge amount of mutual respect we have for each other that grew over the course of a couple­­­­­­­­ of hours.

When I got on the helicopter, I thought maybe God planned this all along. He wanted me to change the way I see the world, to see the world through his eyes, and to treat everyone equally as he does. I was no longer angry at God. For the first time in my life, I felt free.

This is a life changing event that defined and shaped me as a person. It taught me a valuable lesson in life. Do not judge people based on their appearance alone. You cannot ever know what a person is like until you actually talk to them. Do not prejudge people based on stereotypes. No matter if you’re rich or poor, black, white, or Asian, old or young, male or female, gay or straight; everyone deserves to be treated with the same amount of respect. Do not judge the book by its cover.

Henry and I remain close friends to this day.

My Favorite Films

Please note that this list is not in order as I just cannot seem to pick my favorite film

- The Godfather: it's the perfect film, perfect casting, direction, acting, score, screenplay

Titanic: It may seem corny and cheesy to some people, but i find Titanic to be a masterfully crafted film. Great Direction by James Cameron, he really knows what he wants in a film. 

12 Angry men: none of that CGI or transformers shit, 12 Angry Men is all about dialogues, screenplay, and superb acting. And this is the original 1957 version, not that terrible remake one.

Dog Day Afternoon: Another great film by Sidney Lumet, also one of Al Pacino's best performances. 

Mysterious Skin: I don't know why i love this film so much. It's an indie film, but it just moved and touched me very deeply.

Schindler's List: What can i say...This is Steven Spielberg's at the top of his game. This is a masterpiece

Dead Poets Society: directed by one of my favorite directors, Peter Weir. This film sends out a simple yet so strong message in which I apply to my everyday life: Carpe Diem, Seize the day

Greating acting by Robin Williams, this is one of his better performances

Memento: One word....Christopher Nolan. What a genius...

I'm sure i have a lot more films i love. But i just can't think of any right now. I'll share some more with you later :D

Forrest Gump Movie Review

Rating: 9.5/10

Teenagers often wonder which roads will bring them to success in life. Should I do what I am told to do? Or should I do what I want to do? Forrest Gump has the answer. Forrest Gump won Oscars awards for Best Picture, Best Actor(Tom Hanks), Best director(Robert Zemeckis), Film Editing, Visual Effects and Adapted Screenplay, winning over its competition, Pulp Fiction, in every category. What makes this masterpiece so successful?

Forrest Gump has it all: entertainment, comedy, and drama. It is both serious and funny, entertaining but thought provoking, powerful yet charming, and it could make you laugh and cry with equal degree of ease. Forrest Gump touches every human’s emotions and inspires everyone in different ways.

Robert Zemeckis, known as the undisputed master of film technology, puts Winston Groom’s novel to screen. He creates a masterpiece that combines the beauty of special effects and storytelling together. Adapted by Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth, This film follows the journey of a not-so-smart man Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) through 30 years of trails and tribulation, placing Forrest within historical moments of history. How does he do it? He simply does whatever he is told and goes wherever the wind blows him. As Forrest would say “Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you are gonna get” However, The audience can hardly say that Forrest Gump is just an idiot who does whatever he is told to do.  In fact, in his innocence, he does what he feels he has to do, no matter the situations and people around him, guided only by his inner sense of right and wrong.

Throughout the journey of Forrest Gump, he meets different interesting people who are each valued very highly by Forrest. His mom, played by Sally Field, fought for his son in every way possible despite the fact that he is gifted with an IQ of just 75 and Jenny (Robin Wright), the love of Forrest’s life, whom he met at school. There is also Bubba (Mykelti Williamson), Forrest’s Vietnam War friend who dreams of owning a shrimp boat one day, and Lt. Dan (Gary Sinise) Forrest’s lieutenant during his military service.

Robert Zemeckis uses the techniques of characterization and symbolization to express the message of Forrest Gump. The main characters in this film represent different types of people in our society. They are all different in terms of how they live their lives and travel towards their destinies. Forrest is the feather, floating in the air, with no direct route or known destination whatsoever. Jenny is more like the birds; she chooses her path with more awareness. While Lt. Dan is represented by legs, shoes, and roads; he knows what he is destined to do in life.

Robert Zemeckis, the director of the Back To The Future trilogy, once again accomplishes what he knows best: Special effects. The film covers a brief history of America for over a period of 30 years. Bringing this film credibility is the ability to place Forrest in history making events. These events range from Forrest teaching Elvis how to swing his hips to meeting Presidents for various accomplishments. These television clips are terrifically and creatively done in black and white by Zemeckis considering this is a 1996 film when Special effects haven’t developed as much as they are today.

The camera work in this film is very beautifully done balancing a variety of camera techniques. For most of the film, the movie seems slow paced by the way camera work is done. The camera is kept very still but somewhat poetic and moves slowly as the film carries on. It symbolizes the calmness of Forrest’s life that is always changing and moving along until he reaches his destiny. However, when the film calls for action, the camera shots do not disappoint. The shaky camera and close-ups showing the characters’ emotions work well during action sequences. At one point in Forrest’s life where he travels to many different places, Zemickis uses establishing shots to show all the different settings that take place in this film.

The actors’ success in portraying their characters is a major factor in the film’s awards. The on-screen chemistry between Tom Hanks and Robin Wright was phenomenal. Tom Hanks brings Forrest Gump into life and gives one of the best performances in his career. Gary Sinise is convincing as a man who is cheated by his own destiny. Eric Roth deservingly won Oscar for the beautiful screenplay he wrote which belongs in the company of sweet classics such as Rain man and Harvey. Forrest Gump could also be appreciated as a classic version of The curious case of Benjamin Button which has similar theme and message. Certainly, Forrest Gump deserves its place with all the classics in Film History.

The message of Forrest Gump is a life-changing advice for teenagers who are struggling with their lives out in the real world. Forrest Gump offers them a simple but straight-to-the-point advice. It doesn’t matter who we are or what we do; whether we are stupid or smart, rich or poor, black or white. Forrest teaches us to do everything with the best of our abilities. Forrest is an ordinary guy like we all are. He is teased and bullied about his stupidity from those around him. But he, with a heart of gold and a low IQ, never gives up. He goes out there, lives his life, and puts effort in everything he does. If only we all do everything with effort, we will one day reach our destinies like Forrest did.