Film Review: Bride and Prejudice

So, I decided to get some practices on writing film reviews, something that I'm pretty clueless on how to go about writing. Through practices every now and then (hopefully), I hope I could write better film reviews in the future. Due to my inexperience, this film review may contain spoilers.

For a start, I will review on Gurinder Chadha's Bride and Prejudice (2004).

Chadha's Bride and Prejudice (2004) is a Bollywood adaptation based on Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice (1813). Chadha follows closely Austen's plot but foregrounds the love story between Darcy and Lalita (Darcy and Elizabeth in the novel). The movie is a two-fold transpositions, both temporal (from 19th Century to today) and spatial (from England to India), that focuses mainly on how two different cultures (East and West) reconcile and synthesize to form a new "hybrid" identity. A mix of Bollywood and Hollywood elements, the movie shifts from being a critique on the upper-class in Austen's novel to an exploration of multiculturalism and the diaspora identities. Unlike the characters in Austen's novel that serve as grounds for criticism on the 19th century society, Chadha's characters function as comic relief and satire on issues and mentalities of today's world. Yet, unlike Austen's characters who possess strong psychological complexities, which are illustrated through their dialogues and perspectives, Chadha's characters, in comparison, appear superficial and lack emotional depth. This may be due to the use of the filmic medium, where the film's limited duration does not allow the characters to be developed to full-fledge. Nevertheless, the movie is a light-hearted comedy that looks at and explores relevant social issues from a humorous perspective. And, one doesn't need to have read Pride and Prejudice before watching the movie.

Goodbye B-, Hello A+!

Dear B-,

it has been long. Why do you have to appear again? B+, could you be my final grade for HL303? I wouldn't mind if A-, A or A+ wanna come, but really, B-, could you leave me alone? :(

Auf Wiedersehen!

Post-FYP Thoughts

So, I just uploaded a soft copy of my FYP online. Realised there are a few grammar mistakes :( Wish I'd more time to perhaps read/glance through the final printed out works. Looking at it again after two days is certainly refreshing. Felt bad about my grammar mistakes, like I could never create something perfect, and accomplish something great. Stuck in this rut, I can never get out. Guess I ain't perfect, and can't make the cut.

FYP

A bittersweet feelings toward it: I've finished it but yet I don't want it to end because it means I'll graduate soon. 

In time of adversities, you see who your true friends are. And I'm glad to say I have awesome course mates who're always ready to lend a helping hand. It was a bad rush today, editing and re-phrasing my sentences. Luckily I made it at the eleventh hour, although I didn't get to read through it for one last time, or take a picture of my two hardcopies, or to make sure everything is printed properly and clearly, Well, oh well. I'm thankful for the wonderful people I met.

And surprisingly, I met you again today.What a surprise. Wished I wasn't in a rush to go and print my FYP so I could talk to you more. Nevertheless, I'm glad you said HI, maybe you remember me, maybe you just said that because someone said "hi" to you. Hope to see you again, before you return to Netherlands! 

Sometimes when you talk to me, I wonder if you really meant to talk to me or you did so by mistake.

Baader-Meinhof

It's amazing. Just the day after I posted my previous post, I met this guy two days in a row. The first time, he was so well-dressed-- A blue button shirt, neatly combed hair, and glasses. When I saw him, he is so foreground that everything around him, including me, took a back-seat. We managed to walk past one another but I wasn't too brave to look right into his eyes. He's just so beautiful. And so, I met him again the next day. This time, he was in a plain T-shirt, but still looked wonderful anyway. Again, our eyes met, or so I thought. And he was alone. Looking at his backview, I wished I could take the empty seat opposite him and befriend him. I guess that probably will be the only two times I will see him. Sigh. And he's an exchange student, so, goodbye.

Pan Am -- My latest favourite TV Show!

How I love Wednesdays! Not because there's ladies' night and free entrance to clubs. It's because I get to spend the night watching my favourite TV show: Smash, and Pan Am!

I particularly like Pan Am because of the time period it is set in. Today's episode was the flight's en route to Haiti on their way to Venezuela because one of the passengers onboard had a heart attack and needed immediate attention. Well, in the end they had to abandon his corpse (yes, sadly, he died. he was taking a flight back to his late wife's hometown) in troubled land Haiti. I wished they brought him back to Venezuela and be buried or whatever in his late wife's birthplace. But well, he created an impact and helped a refugee escape with that. Well, that's good. What are our bodies when we are dead? Perhaps it's good that we could be buried or something; but it isn't that bad if we could use our dead lives to save someone else's right? And because the runway became too short for a Boeing 707 due to the damages caused by a hurricane, the passengers actually have to abandon their belongings. Hmm, what are material stuff anyway, right? Pretty touching episode this time round. And well, can I emphasize enough, Dean (acted by Mike Vogel) is so so so so so so so so charming and good-looking, especially in that pilot's uniform. Man, take me to Haiti or whatsoever, I don't care with such good-looking pilot. Heh, just kidding. But, I just can't stop thinking of the fact that he's so good-looking through the whole show! I guess the pilot's uniform plays a significant part in making him so handsome too.

And how sexy his voice sounded when he says the announcement. Sad to realised that Pan Am only has 14 episode, which means it probably going to end soon and Wednesdays will never be the same again...

Man, how pretty that face it. Wish I could meet someone like that in real life. Humans are visual creatures but it doesn't mean the so-called good-looking people are always at an advantage. What I find good-looking may not be the case for another; it's pretty subjective so don't come telling me that it's superficial.

Project Work

Project work can be fun, but it can also boils your blood to 1000 degree celsius. It's either people are too eager, and they just try to do anything without giving you a space to squeeze in between them and say, "Hey! I can do this!". Or! They are just so so so so so so so busy. They apologise again and again, because they couldn't finish their parts on the agreed time. Yeah, seems like others who have finished are so free.They expect you to meet up for a group discussion online at freaking 12AM, when everyone could have done everything earlier and stuff if it's not for them. They didn't turn up for arranged meetings, giving excuses and apologies and excuses and apologies. What's up with the world? I don't understand why you can like and share videos on Facebook and you can't finish the stuff on time. Hello??? Talk is cheap. Do some action. And stop editing and editing and editing, when apparently you have no idea what's going on. Just make me so pissed why people with poor time management and lack of strong sense of responsibility exist.

You Only Regret The Chance You Never Take II

I have previously mentioned this quote in one of the earlier posts. Easy said then done, I realised.