Bali!!!!!!

Yellowww from Bali yea babyy!!! This is my first time going here. Now I'm officially an Indonesian (I mean, what kind of an Indonesian am I, to never set foot on Bali after all these years?). My Gosh the beach!!!! I used to hate the beach because of the heat! I can't stand hot weather though I live in a tropical country. Furthermore, my skin does this weird thing whenever I was in a hot weather. it gets blotchy red and scratchy as hell. After all, I've always loved the rain (as you can see, the title of my blog). It's been so long since I last stepped on a velvety sand. Though the sun has mercilessly showered upon us with its blinding light and It burns our skin, somehow I found it didn't feel very bad. It depends on the weather too I guess. If it's cloudy, then hallelujah! And, it's not as hot as I've imagined it would be because of the wind. Thank God for the wind. Thank you Australia, I guess.

And the other thing I hate about the beach, is that I can't really wear summer outfits on that huge amount of light. My skin is rather white. Whitish yellow? Not Caucassian white of course. I'm an Asian after all. But still, I was called names in high school like, snow white and bakpao (chinese steamed bun). I was the white-est girl in my class back then. Haha. Beause of that, I realized that the white skin thing can sometimes be a good thing and a bad thing. I'm not gonna talk about the good side right now. The bad thing is that I can't really go out in the sun and do anything as I please without getting my skin turned brownish. It was quite upsetting when you look in the mirror and found yourself all blackish because of sun burn. And don't even think of applying sunblocks. Believe me, it didn't help. Maybe a little, but you'll get burn anyway. 

So, I went to Bali and when I packed my luggage, I was faced with a dilemma, whether I'll bring the long sleeved shirt or just the light knitting short sleeved stuff that people usually wore with a bikini underneath when they were at the beach. And also a pair of trousers or a hot pants? And the answer is. Ugh. I went for the long sleeved shirt with the lightest material I have, and of course a pair of trousers. Remarkable. *eyes rolled* 

I'm into fashion, you know. Therefore, wearing the proper outfit for every occasion is definitely on my dictionary. I am concerned with these things and it makes me happy too, to mix and match the clothes, accessories etc. with these particular material, it's just not right. Well, whatevs, what's done is done. The great thing is I still can enjoy most of my time there without getting sun burn. 

With the great blows of wind, which i felt very grateful, when I took a stroll across the beach, staring at the beckoning sight of twilight, I felt nice. Like really nice. I've never thought on strolling at the beach could gave me such a wonderful calming feeling, considering the hot weather and summertime. Because I used to felt wonderful only when it's gloomy or raining at the time, with no sweat and the smell of salt. 

It finally dawns on me, that, interacting with nature is a really good thing to do. No matter the situation. It's good sometimes to not be ignorant of our beautiful nature, created by the Glorious God. We must appreciate this tiny beautiful moments we've been given. Staring at the bubbly current, the bluish crystal clear of the sea, the varied colors of sea shells or coral or the softness of the silky seaweed. It was all priceless. It was such a great experience, one that I want to experience it as often as I can. 

And of course, to stroll on a beach hand in hand with someone you hold dear, gazing to the horizon must be the greatest feeling ever ;) 

Have a great holiday guys!!!!!

Angelfall Sneak Peek

As I've mentioned earlier, every page in this book is just magnificent. There were so many witty conversation between Penryn and Raffe. I'll try to not giving away too much, though I want to so badly =p

I've got my Angelfall book with me right now. Shall we begin?



P 27
"If you help me find my sister, you can have these back. I saved them for you"
"Thanks", he croaks, surveying the wings. "They'll look great on my wall."

P 36
"Where did they take my sister?"
The briefest emotion flickers in his eyes, gone so fast that I can't identify it. "How the hell should I know?"
"Because you're one of the stinking bastards."
"Ooh. you cut me to the bone with that one." He sounds bored, and I'm almost embarrassed by my lack of stronger insult. "Didn't you notice I wasn't exactly chummy with the other fellas?"

P 54
"Rah-fie," I repeat slowly. "I like the sound of that."
I clear my throat to break the tension. "Raffe sounds like Raw Feet. Coincidence?" That gets a smile out of him. When he smiles, he really does look like someone you'd want to get to know. Some otherworldly handsome guy a girl could dream about.


And this is my most favorite lines

P 56
"If I was good at marketing I'd spin you an empty story that sounds profound. But the truth is that we're all just stumbling around in the dark. Sometimes we hit something terrible."
.
.
.
My hands stays out with the offering food long enough to make it awkward. "Don't you want it?" I ask.
"That depends on why you're giving it to me."
I shrug. "Sometimes, as we're stumbling along in the dark, we hit something good."

And this one is one of my favorite scene. This moment was just. Oh. *excuse me while I dance around for 5 mins* feel free to skip it if you don't want me to spoil youuuuu

“I’m coming.” I call out but only a croaked whisper comes out of my mouth. I try to swim toward her but my muscles are so cold that all I can do is flail. Flail and shiver in the path of my mother’s boat. 
“Hush. Shhh.” 
A soothing voice whispers in my ear. I feel the sofa cushions being pulled out from against my back. Then warmth envelopes me. Firm muscles embrace me from the space where the cushions used to be. I’m groggily aware of masculine arms wrapping themselves around me, their skin soft as a feather, their muscles steel velvet. Chasing away the ice in my veins and the nightmare “Shhh.”
A husky whisper in my ear. 
I relax into the cocoon of warmth and let the sound of the rain on the roof lull me back to sleep. 

I hope this little sneak peek I gave would encourage you to read it! Trust me, you won't regret it! =)

Book Review: Angelfall by Susan Ee

Sooooo, here we go! As promised, this is the book review of Angelfall!!! The one that contains Raffe in it, as I've mentioned in the last post =p

Angelfall is simply the BEST Dystopian book I've read so far!! It's written by the talented Susan Ee. This is her first book and it's a self-published book, which I have to say she's doing a  FANTASTIC job. I really enjoyed reading this book. It's a page-turner, fast-paced, no-insta-love, kickass-heroine, it's everything good in one book. This book is just EPIC. I'd give it 6 stars out of 5 if I could (ok, this is me exaggerating. get used to it).

I finally got the physical book YAY. Thanks to Kinokuniya bookstore Singapore. See why I have to read ebooks the entire time? Yes, it's because, I have to go abroad to get a freaking book. Do you know just how much money I must spend to get a BOOK?! Of course, I went to Singapore not just to buy books. But it sure as hell my first priority when I stepped my foot on Changi airport. I went to Singapore to watch Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera theatre. I've always wanted to watch the show, and finally I watched it in 2013. I'll probably talk about it later. Anyway, this is crazy. I live in Indonesia by the way, in this particular city called Jakarta. We got a great Kinokuniya bookstore here, pretty huge for me, but unfortunately, sometimes the book you were looking for isn't the most famous book like The Twilight Saga or Harry Potter. So, when I set foot on the Kino bookstore at Ngee Ann City, I was like. WHOA. wow. eeksss. It was the most exciting feeling I've ever felt on entering a bookstore. it was FREAKING HUGE!!! I practically squealed. It's just a room full of books, and the smell of papers and books, just. *sigh* it is HEAVEN for me.

Isn't the cover beautiful?

I first read it in the form of ebook. and then when I got the physical book, I don't know exactly how many times I put it down, and pick it up, I just love to randomly opened a page and start reading that chapter. No matter what page I was in, I never get tired of reading it. It's THAT EPIC, guys. There's not a single page that I hate. I LOVE the entire book. every page was just THAT awesome. 

I don't even know where to start. I guess I'll just give you some hints on what this book is about. So, It's a Dystopian Young Adult novel. It was set in the post-apocalyptic world after the Angels invasion. They have successfuly demolished the planet. Rubbles everywhere. The world is now filled with Angels, street gangs, and other dark creatures. The story focused on Penryn, the brave girl who is always looking out for her little family consist of three. Her mom and her little sister, Paige. So, The Mom is a little crazy. She's just weird. She said she can communicate with demons? and that she made a deal with one? and she carried these rotten eggs everywhere regardless the situation she was in. that's just weird. but interesting idea as well. I can not wait for the truth to unfold about the Mom in book 2 (YES, it's a Trilogy everybody). 

The second character is her little sister Paige. She's wheelchair bound. Pity little thing. We still didn't know what exactly happen to her legs, all we know was that it was the Mom who accidentally Broke it. And maybe Paige is one of the most tragic character in this book. Oh it's heartbreaking, what happened to her. 

One night, Penryn decided that it was the perfect time for her to flee their place. Not their home of course. They've been running ever since the invasion, and it's just another hiding place she chose to shelter her and her family.

That night, she stumbled upon 5 angels and 1 badly injured Angel. They seemed to be engaged in a 'dirty' fight. Five against one. Penryn didn't even dare to blink. She wanted to witness the whole scene perfectly. The badly injured Angel has a very magnificent pair of snowy wings. He was now crouched on the gravel, two Angels pinned him down, and the other one tried to cut off the poor angel's snowy wings. She still couldn't shut her eyes though the scene she's just witnessed was gory and unpleasant. The snowy winged Angel, now wingless, screamed in agony as the sword sliced through his wings. Blood splattered all over him and onto the asphalt.

Penryn felt the need to help the helpless Angel, so she grabbed the wingless Angel's sword that happens to be in front of her, it's surprisingly light weight, in spite of the shape, and threw it to the Angel's opened hand. Judging by the state he was in, there was no way in hell he could move. But he quickly jumps to his feet and slashed at his opponents, though he had a hard time catching his balance. This wingless Angel must have had a hell of a reputation before this whole mess.

The bad Angel turned sharply at her direction, his face full of hatred, and started to fly above her toward her little sister. Penryn froze and then ran toward her sister as fast as she can. The bad Angel scooped Paige up and started to fly away with her to the open sky, smug on his face. Penryn tried so hard to retrieve back her sister and fail to do so. 

Penryn finally made up her mind to search for her sister and she needs every help she can get, including making a deal with the enemy himself, the wingless Angel. They need each other to survive, the Angel needs to recover from all the blood loss and can't do a thing without his wings on his back anyway. and Penryn didn't know which way to go to reach the Aerie, the place where the Angels settled without the Angel's help. Things get interesting.

This book gripped me right from the very first page. I absolutely love the first scene. The way they met each other for the first time was a work of a genius! The visual was just depicted so beautifully, skillfully and so real, it makes you want to flip another and another pages until you've reached the back cover. I litteraly can't put the book down.

The Angels weren't the pretty things we have always imagined before or the way books like Hush Hush was trying to portray. It's more like the violent creature that won't hesitate to torture and kill you to get what they wanted. And here's the more interesting fact: They didn't even have a purpose on coming to earth. The world building was just so convincing and real! It really pulls me through and left me wanting for more. It's like I don't wanna go back to reality. 

I'm going to talk about Penryn and Raffe characters along with their relationship. They were simply. amazing. The character building was perfect. The whole romance thing was beautifully written. THERE IS NO INSTA-LOVE! It's nothing like you've ever read before. The whole thing was just make sense. It is not forced, it is not lust, it is not cheesy. It is pure love. You know it is. The way Susan wrote the whole thing was just right and so realistic! I completely understand why Penryn and Raffe acted the way they acted. I can relate to them pretty easily. The both of them really tried to not feel a thing toward each other. Raffe was just that charismatic and mature enough in that situation, while Penryn was just being realistic that it's a crazy world she's live in right now. How can she flirts with anyone? Not to mention the anyone here is in fact, the enemy itself.

The typical YA male lead character were all like, "I want to be with you but I can't because I'm not from around here but We can kiss a 'little' if you want" while Raffe at first he was just like, I'm an Archangel and a warrior, I must be the one who will be a good example to my followers and not breaking any Angel rules. But as the time grows, so does their relationship. There was adoration, yes the Archangel adores Penryn, not by her looks, she's not even the typical girl that needs saving all the time (yes, Raffe did save her life several times, but it was really necessary. she's not that helpless and she's not trying to act all tough luke typical YA heroines either! she's just. right) and she's not even that attractive, maybe she is in a normal world, I mean. I just love the details Susan gave the impression of Penryn. all greasy hair, skinny, chapped lips, sun-burned skin. She's tough and let me tell you she's freaking kickass because she literally took fighting classes before the apocalypse. This Daughter of Man really manage to steal Raffe's attention. He was impressed by her. The relationship building was just right to me. It's not that obvious at first. I didn't even think for a second that they would kiss in this book! It's right until the end of the book! Of course there were some hints that may lead to the whole romance thing but the amount of it is not plenty. I usually love YA books because of the balance between the romance and the actions and the world building of course. not too much kissings burns with passion and lust involved, you know. We didn't really get what was going on in Raffe's head until the very end when he finally broke down and reveal himself, because he really did put on a solid mask the entire time. There wasn't even the famous 3 words and 8 letters spoken in this book. And that's a good thing! 

Oh and their witty conversation! GOD I LOVE the two of them! They were made for each other. I'll randomly open some pages and I'll quote it for you in my next post, because otherwise this review might become too long! Hell it's too long already!!! These are some of the best words Closest to what I felt during reading it. Because there were just too many FEELS, i can't quite put it in a subtle way, so, I apologize for my lack of writing skill.

I just hoped that the sequel, World After, will keeps on getting better, though I doubt it since its predecessor was perfect in my opinion. But I believe in you, Susan Ee. I will respect all of the thoughts you put through this book, all of the decisions you've made, even if you decided it will ended in a bad way. I believe it would lift up to my expectation. And I believe I will enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed Angelfall. I'll always be your supporter!

Thank you for this amazing book, you have written a very engaging tale that I want to delve into and I will give my full support to this series. But please just don't take too long on writing and publishing the next two books because I'm seriously dying to know what's going to happen next :D

Vampire Academy Cast !!!

oh. my. gosh.

omygodomygodomyGOD !!!!! Too much information in one night!!! YOU GUYS! I CANT EVEN

Dimitri Belikov. No. nononono NOOOO!!

So. take a deep breath. Vampire Academy is brought to the BIG SCREEN, as we all know. We finally got our cast for the famous Vampire YA series by Richelle Mead!!! To those who haven't read it, I mean seriously guys? what are you doing with your life? heheheh. 

Just grab the book will ya? I'm obsessed with this series (well, at least the first three book. the 4,5,6 didn't really get me) for as long as I can remember. I forgot when exactly I read this series. All I know it was a long long time ago. when I was in senior high? The first book itself was published in 2007. 

At the time, after reading The Twilight Saga (which I regret buying the whole GODDAMNED series, it is now still sitting quietly in my bookshelf, lookin' all dusty and still intact for the lack of touching, NO I AM NOT RE-READING IT! I don't even finish Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. the movie, ohh the movie.......) I was quite skeptical about this whole vampire thing. Not to mention the oh-so-cliche title "Vampire Academy" really? TURNS OUT, this series was really an enjoyable ride. I found myself absorbed to this engaging tale about Moroi (the Vampire), and their guardian (Dhampir). Yes, sometimes the 'guardian' thing sounds like their slave for life, roughly speaking. You'll know once you read it. ANYWAY. I really love the first 3 books. the last 3 books though, I had a hard time reading it, it was like I want to poke someone's eyes. I'm being completely serious.

To give you the big picture, the story focused on a Dhampir named Rose Hathaway. She's not yet a guardian but she will be, she still needs to graduate from this school called the Vampire Academy. They train guardians and much like a normal high school for the Moroi. Rose was quite determined to become a guardian of her best friend Vasilissa Dragomir. Ugh, Lissa can be quite a b*tch sometimes, I can't relate to her character. anyway, on to the story. One day Rose and Lissa decided to leave the campus for Lissa's sake, she had said. and off they went. after a few months (I guess?), The school had sent some guardians to bring them home. Rose of course won't let this go that easy without a fight. she sure defended Lissa, and encountered this God-like drop-dead gorgeous guardian named Dimitri Belikov (whom we will be discussing right after this). Sure enough her fighting skill was a solid zero compared to this guy, at the end, she and Lissa reluctantly go back to the Academy. This and that happens blablablah Dimitri finds himself in a situation where he became the mentor of Rose, considering she's way behind the other novices in fighting classes. She's got her ass handed to her pretty easilly. and so, certain feelings were built around the two of them, first there was adoration and then that feeling turns into something more complex, yes, love. and they were trying so hard to keep it from one another but not quite doing a great job about that.

This book was simply amazing. At that time, I was so happy that I decided to download the ebook. Now I have the physical books for the whole series. Yay. Now that I've read a lot of more books other than this series, I don't feel like this series is as good as I thought, but still, I enjoyed this book the first time I read it, so I was so excited when I found out that this story is going to be a movie!!!!!!

As you all know, I AM a moviegeek. So I know a lot of good and great and magnificent actors and directors, even composers! Name it =p

SO. we're going to the point of this review (I'm sorry it took me so long to get to the point, sometimes I'm just too. talkative. you know)

WE FINALLY GET OUR CAST!!!!! FINGERSCROSSED!!! Been waiting for this for too long can'tstanditLord please have mercy just don't oh please let him be awesome and shiny and dark and all the good adjectives out of the english dictionary. Dimitri Belikov was just. the most. perfect lead male character in the whole YA (Yound Adult) universe!! I mean, he's obviously not perfect, have some flaws, he had this coolness in him, darkness, integrity, loyalty, not to mention his God-like posture and freaking BADASS. Basically he's just one of those character that every girl would kill to be with him.

Okay where were we? Dimitri Belikov. Yes.

We were all left breathless to find out the cast. It was idk it suddenly came down to me like yesterday. I was lying on my comfy little bed, I was on Imdb and I've got this TING in my head that says Vampire Academy. So, I was half hoping that they would cast someone that has nothing to do with the Hollywood industry in their record. and PRAISE THE LORD they did exactly what I was hoped for. O Yeah!

I don't really care about the others. All that matters was just DIMITRI. and of course Rose. But still I was more excited to find out about who will be the male lead character which is my favorite for all time!! (but then of course came along RAFFE, pronounced Rah-Fie, short from Raphael, yes, the Archangel Raphael, from the EPIC Penryn and the End of the World series, ANGELFALL by Susan Ee. MYGOSH itwasSUCHanEPICnovel everyoneSHOULDreadit IMMEDIATELY!! I'll post my review about it LATER for sure!)

Oh for the love of God, enough the babble!! I did this when I was too anxious or sth so I apologize for my absolute absurd behavior x(

I finally found out who will play this kickass character, DUNDUNDUN........ it's

Danila Kozlovsky.

I repeat, DANILA KOZLOVSKY, everybody. YES, HE IS RUSSIAN. zomgassdgfghjkkll;;'

I was hyperventilating with excitement as I browse through google, and I stumbled upon these

And then there were pictures like these....

 *dies*

I was like. omygodhesrussianletmebearhugyou type of thing going on.

But then, came the realization. It kinda struck me like a lightning.

Dimitri. Has. A. Shoulder-length. Hair.

BAM. CRASH. And all the sound effects you can think of to describe how crushed I am. My heart is weak... and.. And.....and.......

I mean, Danila looks perfect in those hair look at those pictures!! I was kind of hoping he would look like that in the movie he-he. But then It would be different from the book and the fans would be pissed about it, I know. But still, you can NOT deny that guys look more attractive in messy short hair.. heheheh.

as a bonus for hearing my useless rant, here's a picture of Danila and Zooey Deutch a.k.a. Dimitri and Rose =3

Aren't they lovely? <3

Michael Fassbender asdfghjkkllll !!!

okay this is crazy. I took a nap and I had this stupid beautiful dream that I found myself really upset after waking up. I just woke up from it and I felt terrifyingly empty. It just felt like I was stabbed on the chest with an invisible sword, Idk but it reminds me of the sectumsempra spell casted by Harry to Draco.. I think it can pretty much describe how I felt just then. ANYWAYS.. here's what just happened. I can't believe it, I mean, sweet Lord Jesus Maria and Joseph!! I don't even know where to start! I was just so anxious as I'm writing this blog, I need to take a moment to myself first. BLAH WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT EXACTLY?! I'm sorry this is just the impact of Michael Fassbender's charms on me. Geez I sounded like a freak. I promise this is the last time I'll ever EVER write something so ridiculous you might throw up. I just have to type this down. so bear with me, ok?

okay first. I need to show you guys who haven't noticed how charming he is.... His bones structure, his eyes when he's gazing at you (even if it's only a photograph you can still feel the strong impact of his eyes bore into your soul) *drool* *faint* *drool*

SO. I had a crazy dream that involved Fassy in it. we were kind of holding hands etc. etc. I guess I don't have to go down into details ok it's pretty embarrassing. All I can say that it was like a freaking fantasy novel. He saved me from this and that and somehow I get the feeling that it somehow connects to the reality of my life. I mean the conflict there, we actually talk about life like it's all the real thing that happened between us. It was just a DREAM for Christ's sake, what's the big deal?

It was just so weird, knowing that this kind of thing won't ever happen in real life. You don't expect your favorite celeb is right on your doorstep, right? that's just impossible. 

The point is, it was just a feeling so surreal that no words can actually describe how I felt the moment I woke up. The feeling was so intense. I came to a conclusion that, I won't ask God to give me such a wonderful dream anymore because the feeling I got right after waking up was terrible. knowing that, that kind of thing won't actually happen in my life. I was quite upset at some point. So, I guess I prefer a bad dream instead. So that when I woke up, I get such a wonderful feeling that pretty much sounds like 'oh Thank God it was only a dream!' maybe the state I was in when I jerk awake was not pleasant, but the comfortable feeling afterwards must be great, you know. just an opinion. blame it on Fassy! 

Ha-ha.

anyways, I should definitely talk about Man of Steel. and about how gorgeous was Henry Cavill. but I'll save it for later. I think I'm gonna watch it again for the second time and after that the review will sure come along.

Here comes another drool-worthy Fassy's pics... ENJOY ; )

Just Fassbender being all handsome and awesome.

Fassbender with his sharky smile : D

Fassbender with Charlize Theron.. Go make beautiful babies !!!

ugh. I could just sit all day in front of my laptop drooling over these photos. #notfair #Ihavenolife #howcouldthishappentome

Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

GAHH I REALLY FORGOT TO POST THIS!! =p it was sitting on my draft since like, months ago??? ANYWAYS here's ma review!!! (I really need to post this)

I know that this movie is such a great deal for some of you. It is for me too =) When they finally started screening the movie, I had to restrain myself from browsing through the internet about all of the negative/positive remarks regarding The Dark Knight Rises until I finally watch the movie myself. You see, I don't want to ruin the movie experience I could have on this movie. This epic conclusion of Christopher Nolan's Batman Saga means that much to me =)  So, I need to warn you guys that this review CONTAINS SPOILER. I repeat, CONTAINS SPOILER. Just so you clear, if you don't want me to spoil the whole movie experience then I suggest you click the X button at the top left corner of the screen or the right at once! ;)

8 years had passed since The Joker and Two Face incidents, since Gordon sets the dogs on him. 8 years without Batman. Gotham seemed to be just fine. Bruce Wayne found himself pondering in the dark of the mansion of his, excluding himself from the crowd of the city. If one looks at the state he was in, they won't believe their eyes because he looked pretty damn crappy. Technically, he was using some sort of a grandpa stick to support his walking and beards were all over his face. Little did he know that the storm is coming, as Selina Kyle a.k.a. Catwoman had warned him of what might happen on the trailer. Bruce looked so devastatingly empty inside. He hasn't moved on. There's this great deal of pain in him that keeps gnawing inside, making him looked impossibly weak and old and withered.

I was really thrilled when I was informed that Bane would be the villain in TDKR. I was relieved that Nolan decided to choose this complex character. and the thrill intensify when I found out that Tom Hardy was up for the role. It was like a dream come true. I wonder what Nolan would do to this uncanny character. Nolan has always been so good in manipulating characters. I can't bloody wait.

Turns out that, Tom Hardy's Bane didn't manage to steal the screen as The Joker did in 2008. BUT. Tom was the perfect cast for Bane. Only 20% of his face was shown and he managed to capture all our attention with just the strong, piercing, unflinching look of his eyes. That's kind of remarkable. and Gosh his voice was creeping me out! I got chills whenever Bane comes around. Needless to say, he totally pull it off.

What I was disappointed about was that I was kind of hoping that Nolan won't use the character Bane as a pawn only. You see, he's not the main villain. I was a bit disappointed when I figured out that he's only helping Miranda Tate (Ras'al-ghul's--don't know how to spell it--daughter) to accomplish her mission. He would be as awesome as The Joker I think if his portion in the movie is a lot bigger. Another reason why Bane is awesome is because he actually gets into physical fight with Batman. No other villain had gotten into a muscle fight with Batman before. So, here's how I put it. Bane is a genius, terrorist, and ferocious man. Such a shame to let that character was put to waste, just being the so-called protector of Miranda Tate. But hey, don't get me wrong. I respect Nolan's decision because the movie itself really rises to its high point. Words can not describe how epic The Dark Knight Rises is.

Catwoman, oh was she lovely. At first I was a bit skeptical on Anne Hathaway. Turns out she really did a great job on depicting the sexy, bitchy, but also cunning and smart Catwoman. That is to say, Nolan's Catwoman. Alfred, I've always loved this character. He's the only one who seems to understand Bruce, and he's his only true friend. I was broken when Bruce told him to leave. Sir Michael Caine was brilliant, needless to say. his entire lines were epic. I even cried at the end. (yeah. I cried. on a Batman movie. Batman movie.). On the other hand, Commissioner Gordon surprisingly took a huge part on this movie which was great. With his apprentice also, played by Joe Gordon Levitt. There's huge surprise on him at the end. prepare to squeal! (I did). oh almost forgot. The lovely Marion Cotillard. Well, she's Marion after all. Need I say more? She can turn into this damsel in distress, and the next second she can be this evil, menacing person you've ever met. That is something isn't it?

There are some speculation on the ending. Many think that Batman is still alive, as you know he did appear in the last scene in Florence, where Alfred smiled to him at the restaurant. andd he was with Selina Kyle! For me personally, I think that was just Alfred's imagination. You see, no one can really survive a nuclear bomb. Even if he managed to get out of the vehicle, then he's still gonna get the impact of the nuclear gas. and that's kind of lethal. (right?) and I don't think Bruce would actually date Selina. They would make a great couple, but I just couldn't imagine them spend the rest of their life together! Ha-ha! That's only my opinion though ;)

In conclusion, Nolan you genius man!! all hail Nolan!! in Nolan we trust! this franchise is like the BEST EVER!! Thank you Christopher Nolan, thank you to the cast and crew involved! Ciao ;)

Movie Review: The Hunger Games (2012)

I don't know where to start! haha. here's the thing. I've waited for this film to come along for toooo long. and yesterday I finally watched it and I was so thrilled. here's the review.

Firstly, you need to know that I've already read the book so my opinion for this movie is both based on what I've read, and what I've watched yesterday. Because other people who haven't read the book yet might have a different opinion about the movie.

I was a bit skeptical at first about this entire movie. I don't want hollywood to ruin the whole book. I really enjoyed the book and It seems impossible to hate the heroine, Katniss Everdeen. her life is just so sad and she managed to stay alive along with her sister, Prim, and her mother. ever since her father died, her mother refused to take care of them so Katniss had to take the initiative to keep her family alive by hunting some animals in the woods for their food, though it was forbidden to cross the line between the woods and her place. but she had to take the risk, otherwise they would starve to death in the destructive land of district 12.

her life continues, she kept on doing her routine to hunt in the woods with her best friend, Gale, until the day of the 74th Hunger Games finally comes. Prim was so desperate and scared whether or not they will picked her name, and Katniss tried to convince her that this is the first day they put her name there so they're not gonna pick her. but the truth said otherwise. Prim's name was called during the gathering and Katniss frantically tried to reach her sister and then shout a volunteering request. everyone was shocked by her sudden outburst because it was the first volunteering request ever in the district 12. Katniss too was shocked but she soon recover. she knew she had to do it for the sake of her beloved little sister. the second tribute was announced and there stand beside her is Peeta Mellark. they exchanged wary, scared, sad looks for a second then they shook hands.

Before the hunger games begins, there were a lot of tests and things that needs to be done. they were each given a lesson to survive in the woods, for example, to defend themselves, to ties a knot, to camouflage, to use sword, etc. there were 24 of them and they'll only have one victor. Katniss's specialty is to use a bow, while Peeta doesn't really has special ability beside his strength. Peeta was so sure that he'll be as good as dead the minute he entered the game and he kept on saying that until it started to pissed Katniss. the two didn't get along very well ever since.

Each district got a mentor to tell them what to do and to discuss things concerning the hunger games. they got the drunk Haymitch. After that, each district got a costume designer too to make an impression for the crowd to love them. they got the best, Cinna. They each did an on air interview too and they must be really careful with the tricky questions. Peeta were good at handling the crowd, unlike Katniss. the interview didn't go well (at least according to Katniss) because Peeta had another plan in mind that he said to the interviewer that Katniss is the love of his life and he has always loved Katniss since he first set eyes on her. the outrageous Katniss lunged for him and sort of choke him and pinning him to the wall as if she wanted to kill him right there at that second. but then Peeta and Haymitch tried to convince her that they were doing that to save her life, to make her desirable and loved by the crowd so that they would give sponsors to somehow help her to survive in the woods in case she needs something. after several arguments, Katniss finally bought it and then started to apologize to Peeta.

the day for the 74th Hunger Games has finally come, and let the Hunger Games begin!

I love the book very much that it kills me if they ruin it on the movie adaptation. turns out that the movie itself was very good. at least they managed to stay loyal to the book and the director really did a pretty good job on creating the emotional atmosphere in the movie because that is all the book is about. It feels like I was a part of it. like I was in the movie myself I can feel their agony, their pain, their desperateness.  which means the movie was a pretty good one, no?
some says that the movie was lacked of feelings. Katniss's feeling especially. well, if you read the book, you'll know about what she's thinking about at the moment, while in the movie, she just so quiet and tries to reflect her feelings with her facial expression. looks like that wasn't enough. maybe the message wasn't delivered clear enough for the audience who haven't read the book yet. there are some moments that I need to explain to my sister about what was going on exactly. but this doesn't mean Jennifer Lawrence failed to portrayed Katniss. I still thinks that she was the perfect person to portrayed Katniss. she got this rebellious, tough, survivor looks on her that suits the role just fine. the rest of the cast did a very great job too for the character. I was a bit skeptical at first about Josh Hutcherson though. but it turns out that he's alright as Peeta. I started to like him. Liam Hemsworth as Gale, Alexander Ludwig as Cato, Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, Donald Sutherland as the President, Elizabeth Banks as Effie... the cast couldn't be more perfect!

now about the flaws.. I was very sad when I found out that they decided to left out the part in the woods when the district 11 (Rue's) gave some breads to Katniss as a 'thank you' sign for burying Rue. I think that part was very important because it was indeed very touching. and it's like some kind of a proof that the bond between district 11 and Katniss was a little bit stronger than usual. and they left out the part where Katniss dehydrates and starves. also the fact that Peeta is sort of like dying at the end of the games? and at the end they need to cut one of his leg off and give him a plastic leg. that just gonna add more dramatic scene because I think the ending was too abrupt. I haven't had the chance to piece together all of the informations and suddenly the credit rolled. and the scene where they fight with Cato was a bit 'dirty'(meaning the camera holding) and a bit rushed I think.

but overall, despite the flaws, I really think that this movie is one of the best movie adaptation out there. Hollywood usually ruins it, as you know. I'm very satisfied and can breathe a sigh of relief for the result. I'm soooooo looking forward for Catching Fire! =D

May the odds be ever in your favor!



President Snow: Welcome! We salute your courage and your sacrifice and we wish you Happy Hunger Games!