The Proposal

5/5

Enjoyable, funny, and filled with just enough romance, “The Proposal” is a romantic-comedy at its best!

Addicted to romantic-comedies as I am, it is a given fact that I will watch this in its opening day. I was actually aiming to see the sneak previews last week for I really can’t wait but I didn’t get the chance. After months of eager anticipation, this movie didn’t disappoint me at all. As a matter of fact, it’s now one of my all-time favorite romantic-comedies.

Facing an unexpected deportation after her visa renewal was denied, antagonistic, bitchy, and unsympathetic publishing house editor-in-chief Margaret Tate (Bullock) forces her hunky, naïve assistant, Andrew Paxton (Reynolds) to marry her. With a promise of promotion to being an editor, Andrew agrees with Margaret’s charades setting his own conditions. When government intervened, the two were forced to head to Alaska for a weekend with his family. Totally selling the lie, Andrew and Margaret were faced to an impromptu wedding at his hometown. Little that they know, as they spent more and more time together, they’ve gotten closer on a personal basis and have fallen in love. But at the eve of the wedding, Margaret couldn’t bring herself to stick to their plan and deceivingly say ‘I Do’ in front of Andrew’s family she’s come to love…

Being predictable is an inevitable element of a romantic-comedy. But what differentiates this movie among others was that there was a substantially rich story, cleverly written script, and excellent acting from the actors all rolled into one. The great combination of these three cinematic elements created a movie that made use of the cliché romantic-comedy formula but making you forget its predictability. Once you watch the movie, you will not notice time for you’ll be simply drawn to the story as it unfolds. It was hilarious at a certain extent and you’ll notice how fresh the comedy the story is offering. It veered away from the cliché comedy we’ve already watched in hundreds of romance-comedies over the years. There was ample amount of romance to stimulate our hopeless romantic side. Also, I wanna point out that the build up of romance between Andrew and Margaret didn’t appear as a rush. That’s one of the reasons why this movie sets it apart from other movies of its kind because the romance was properly executed. You as an audience wouldn’t question how the characters fell in love that fast as a matter of fact, while the romance was building up, you will feel how the fictitious love story is possible in real life. Just like with her 2008 hit, “27 Dresses”, Director Anne Fletcher was able to execute a love story that’s not so larger than life impossible. She was able to show it with so much realism in it.

There was an undeniable chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. A romantic-comedy will never be successful without this fundamental element and make no mistake Bullock and Reynolds’ chemistry will make you believe that this love story is happening in real life…right in front of you. Their acting was just enough for what every scene demands. Sandra Bullock with her charisma and wit is gorgeous and just right in this movie. Ryan Reynolds…a new matinee idol is born! He’s perfect for the character of Andrew and his innate calm, innocent humor was just the best, flawlessly combined to his boy-next-door appeal. And boy can I just say he’s jaw-droppin’ HOT HOT HOT!

With its wonderful balance of romance and comedy perfectly woven to a fantastic story, very well written and never exaggerating script, fine acting, and properly executed love story in camera, “THE PROPOSAL” is the romantic-comedy event of 2009! It is a love story that tells us love can never be boxed in how long or short time you’ve known a person for you to love him/her. It can happen overnight, over a weekend, who knows? But when love happens, it just does. You just gotta deal with it in every possible way. This movie is worth the wait and certainly worth the 160 bucks.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

3/5 stars

Entertaining, passable, and witty, this romantic comedy is a run-of-the-mill movie still worth your time and money.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is a story of a commitment phobic guy who wants to salvage his brother from committing the biggest mistake of his life—getting married. Connor Mead (Matthew McCounaughey) is a well-known photographer who thinks “love is comfort food for the weak”. He cares nothing but get a woman in bed and leave her afterwards. Reminded by her personal assistant that he is due for his brother’s wedding rehearsal, Connor makes a trip back home to convince his brother that tying the knot is a mistake. On the brink of totally ruining his brother’s wedding, Connor was visited by three ghosts that showed him the past, present, and future of his relationships. Starting off with his beloved uncle, idol, and mentor, Uncle Wayne—who appeared to him because he doesn’t want his nephew’s life to end up just like his. This trip back home for his brother’s wedding also reunited him with his childhood sweetheart and love of his life, Jenny (Jennifer Garner). And together with the three ghosts, Jenny will make Connor realize how awful his perspective of love has turned out to be.

Very very predictable, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past will remind us of the classic Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” ghosts-visiting-in-one night formula. The movie’s narrative is rich in substance that weren’t all maximized by Hollywood’s usual just to kill the runtime clichés. Very bad because the story has depth and some real sentiments that could’ve appealed more to the audience but the use of too much stereotypes has diminished the intensity of some great emotions in the film. However, bearing in mind that this movie belongs to the romantic comedy genre, being formulaic and predictable shouldn’t really be much of a concern because it is but normal that at the end, we already know that the boy and the girl will end up with each other. Not a shocking ending after all. Aside from the usual kilig and some sense or lesson you will deduce from the story, the characters’ journey to get to their resolutions in these kinds of movies is the main point of watching romantic comedies. With the ample humor and just enough twists and turns in every character’s conflict, it balanced out the tedious clichés used in the narrative. Just by that, this movie is really enjoyable.

McCounaughey was perfect as Connor Mead. I don’t think anybody in Hollywood is as right for the character as him. Garner on the other hand was a bit of mediocre in this film but in overall assessment, she’s ok in this film. But I have to say, there was nothing as in 0 chemistry between McCounaughey and Garner. In my opinion, Jennifer was never the leading lady type. The supporting cast really shined in this movie. They are another reason why this film is still worth watching.

Though not the kind of movie you would expect from the pairing of two big stars like McCounaughey and Garner, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is a very entertaining movie. It’ll make you laugh at certain points and will also touch you without you noticing it. Conflicts and resolutions in the movie are unsurprising but the screenplay was very very good and that alone redeemed this movie. I say this movie is still worth it, because it’ll entertain you, make you feel kilig, and most importantly the movie will remind you to never run away from love because at the end of everything, nothing beats the feeling of waking up in the morning in the arms of LOVE.

25 Random Things About Gorgeous Dave

1. Sometimes, I wish I'm a straight guy. Surely, my life will totally be different. Not that I'm not happy being gay. It's just that maybe choosing a normal path will bring peace to me. Maybe the care and love of a girl is more pleasurable and satisfying than a man's love I'm forever longing for. Maybe I'll make one of the best husbands in town. Maybe I'll make a loving and caring dad. Maybe having a wife and children is what will make me truly happy.

2. The most romantic sexual fantasy I've ever imagined up until now is with my first year college General Psychology professor. His initials? M V.

3. I have gerascophobia more commonly known as fear of growing old.

4. I adore Kris Aquino! I wanna talk like her, be like her, think like her. I wish I'm Kris Aquino in my next life.

5. It's my dream to have my own talk show someday. I love to talk, talk, and talk. I feel like there are so many things I want to share. I really want to host and interview people.

6. I love being inside a bookstore, particularly, Bestsellers, Fullybooked, and Powerbooks. National kasi is so ingay and so gulo, i feel like there's always a fiesta. Whenever I'm inside a bookstore, I feel so calm and peaceful. I love being with books.

7. I'm in cloud nine everytime I buy a new book. I just love love love books! Of course, I also horde books. Hello? Even Kris Aquino still has plenty of books wrapped in their original plastics. What's important is I find time to read them one by one. To date, I still have 40 unopened books, still wrapped in their original plastics.

8. After reading all my K! The Kris Aquino Magazines, I put them back in their original plastics and store them in a place no one can make pakialam and make them sira.

9. Call me selfish but I don't like lending my books, CDs, DVDs, and magazines. Having them all in my room gives me peace of mind. It forms part of my self-security knowing that I have a copy of this issue or this book at home. It gives me joy to know that no matter what happens, I already secured a copy.

10. I have an obsession with jeans. I don't know what it is about them but they make me really happy. To date, I think I already have a hundred or close to a hundred.

11. All my clothes are color-coded according to the color wheel. And they hang inside individual garment plastics.

12. I so love Chuck Taylors for life!

13. I hate it when people accidentally or intentionally steps on my shoes. I feel like, "How dare you? This shoe is more expensive than you are!"

14. I can eat KFC Fried Chicken and their gravy for a month and still crave for it.

15. I go crazy when something goes wrong in my computer.

16. I feel like crying everytime my internet connection is down. It makes me crazy.

17. I'm such an OC! I double check everything. I want everything to be in order. I want all my files organized. I always double check (often times more than double check pa) if I've locked the doors, have I passed the requirement? Have I clicked the submit button? Have I place it on the right place? This sometimes bugs me na.

18. I am a frustrated singer. I really wish God blessed me with a magnificent voice.

19. I super love YAEL YUZON's voice!

20. I hate having to borrow things. As much as possible, I want to have my own because I don't want to have an utang-na-loob.

21. I dream of having a healthy, long, serious relationship someday. One like Boy Abunda and Bong Quintana have.

22. I'm an expert when it comes to loving from a distance as well as unrequited love.

23. I want to have an affair with a married guy. Forbidden is HOT!

24. In my dreams, I wish to have the wildest sex of my life with Robin Padilla!

25. After all the pain and heartbreaks I've gone through, I still believe that love will come to me. I still believe that special someone who will give me the unconditional love I'm dying to have will one day cross my path and finally appease my distressed heart.

He's Just Not That Into You

4/5 stars

Filled with enough drama and obvious humor with sufficient mix of fine acting, every chick flick fan in town shouldn’t miss this movie at all! I’m a self-confessed one so first day, first screening, I went and watch it at Gateway Cineplex 6.

Based on the self-help book by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, He’s Just Not That Into You is a story of love and relationships in general. It tells us that men after all, were not that complicated. If he didn’t call you back after the first date or didn’t bother at all to call you after the first encounter, no need to obsess about figuring out why he didn’t call. It’s as simple as what the title implies.

What is very very remarkable about the movie is the way it was adapted. The book is a self-help one and how they created a wonderful plot and how the lives of each character are intertwined is awesome.

Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) is a girl who longs for love but lives under the impression of our society’s stereotypes that if a guy does this, that means he likes you. Obsessing about why her latest date Conor (Kevin Connolly) never called again after the first date, she started stalking him and laying down all the possible reasons why he never called. In a sudden work of fate she met Alex (Justin Long) who happens to be a friend of Connor’s, Alex then enlightened Gigi of the reasons why his friend never called and gave her pieces of advice why most of the time, men never calls after the first date. On the other hand, Gigi’s officemates have their own relationship problems with the men in their lives. Beth (Jennifer Aniston) is committed into a long term relationship with Neil (Ben Affleck) but doesn’t want to marry her. Neil is friends with Ben (Bradley Cooper) who was forced into marriage by his wife Janine (Jennifer Connelly), who’s also an officemate of Beth and Gigi. Ben felt that his marriage was a torture. He then met and slept with aspiring singer and yoga instructor, Anna (Scarlet Johansson), who’s friends with Mary (Drew Barrymore), a girl who doesn’t mind looking for Mr. Right in Myspace. Together, they unraveled the ecstasy and misery of being “in a relationship”.

He’s Just Not That Into You is one of the best chick flicks I’ve ever seen for it doesn’t only entertain but it also tackles many relationship issues that almost everyone can learn from. This movie is not only enjoyable but somehow, it answers basic issues and questions about love, relationships, dealing with the opposite sex as well as the same sex that we tend to obsess about. This movie also reminds us of how simple some things in life can be if we just go with the flow and stop obsessing about it. If it happens, it happens. As easy as that. Ultimately, the movie proves to us how complex relationships gets but no matter how crazy and problematic they are, all of us still longs to be “in a relationship”.

There are two lessons I’ve deduced from the movie that I personally can relate to: first, if you’re single and you’ve tried almost every possible way you can think of on how to find love and the man for you, maybe it’s time to shift focus. Maybe it’s time to move on from looking for love and believe that there are other things bigger and brighter for you and love will come eventually. Sometimes we are so overshadowed by the idea of looking for love that we are missing a lot on the joys and surprises it gives us when love is the one who’ll come knocking at our doors.

Finally, love comes to those who never tire to hope, who never lose faith that someday, somehow, that special someone who will treat you as the sole exception to all his rules will sweep you off your feet and prove to you that you are capable of loving and being loved.

He’s Just Not That Into You is not only a movie worthy of your time and money but more so, it is a reminder to us all that no amount of disappointments, failures, heartaches, and pain can ever stop us from risking it all for LOVE’s sake.

Marley & Me

5/5

Marley & Me is the first movie I’ve seen in the grandeur of a movie house this 2009. I went to watch it at Gateway Cineplex a week after its premiere. I am not an animal lover especially, dogs. I grew up fearing dogs; considering them as a threat that could end my life anytime. I know that Marley & Me is a story about a dog but when I saw the trailer in late December 2008, I told myself that I’m gonna watch this movie because underneath the central story of a dog, the movie hits a couple of valuable lessons that are all close to home and are inspiring in their own ways.

Based on an autobiographical book essay collection of columnist John Grogan, Marley & Me followed the life of John (Owen Wilson) from the time he and his wife Jenny (Jennifer Aniston) got married, the glory days of his career as a columnist, to the time they had children and moved to another state. The highs and lows of the story started when the couple isn’t ready yet to have a baby and so they adopted a dog and named him after the singer Bob Marley. Beyond the lovable features of Marley, he turned out to be the world’s worst dog. Unruly and stubborn, Marley humps to people and chews almost everything in his way. Even a trainer has given up on him. But despite this downside, the movie balances Marley’s bad behavior with candid and tender dog and human bonding moments. As the family grew, Marley learned to adjust with it too. Being a constant companion in private family moments, his presence though at times annoying became a must for John Grogan’s family. Their moments with Marley also became the most cherished moments of their lives. Years passed and with the help of the boisterous behavior of Marley, John and Jenny’s family learned some of the valuable lessons in life coupled with precious family memories they will all carry in their hearts forever.

I refuse to be technical about Marley & Me for it is good as it is. Instead, I’ll share some of the lessons I learned from the movie:

1. Sometimes, the worst characteristic of a person is what makes us love them. At times, we think we hate it, we hate them, but as we dig deeper, we’ll realize that these qualities are actually the magnet that draws us to them and makes us love them whatever their flaws are.

2. Relationships, specifically marriage entails with it responsibilities that doesn’t only require love and understanding but most importantly, commitment and dedication in the most profound sense of the words.

3. Letting go is as important as the air we breathe. Nothing is permanent in this world and as we live our lives, attachments, whether it is physical, emotional, or psychological, at one point in our life, has to say goodbye and we have to be ready for it. This doesn’t mean not allowing yourself to experience these emotions but knowing when to stop and say goodbye is the key.

4. Lost is a tool for us to be better. We’ve all experienced loss. Loss of a once magical love, loss of a loved one, loss of victory. Loss. It’s never easy and we may not understand the analogy there is but these failures that caused damage in us are nothing but instruments for us to struggle and be the best that we can be.

5. Family. We may not approve of them all the time. We may not always be in harmony with each other. But at the end of the day, we are still thankful that we all belong to one. For no matter how crazy we are, in the midst of whether stability or turmoil in our lives, they are the ones who have and will forever make us feel special and extraordinary.

Marley & Me will surely make it to everyone’s list of favorite movies for it is a movie that hits close to home. Everyone can relate to it one way or the other. It’ll not only make you laugh and cry at the same time but with its heartfelt story, it’ll surely touch everyone. THIS MOVIE IS A MUST WATCH!

Boy-next-door...

It's been months now since I first saw this adorable bachelor who lives inside the compound beside our house. Since then, I became very fascinated with him. At first, he appeared to be very mysterious but I know that underneath his irresistible smile, is the guy every girls and gays (for my benefit) will surely die for.

There’s something about him that captivated me. Until now, I’m not really sure what it is about him that entices me. It could be his perfect smile, his undeniable charisma, or his obvious over the top kindness. But above all, as of this writing, I believe I’m enthralled to him because I know deep inside that he is the man I want to end up with. Ever since I was a kid, I have this illusion of the guy I would want to be my life partner. How I want him to be, his appearance, the way he carries himself, his job, his quirks, his voice, etc. It’s just amazing how this guy in my imagination came to be true in the person of my bachelor neighbor.

Soon after I first saw him, my fascination became infatuation and eventually became a mild obsession. We (me, my mom, and my sister) gave him the code name boy-next-door. I say I’ve already crossed my boundary of a mild obsession since there are instances that I find myself thinking about him from the time I wake up till the time I close my eyes and sleep. Even worst, lately, he’s also the subject of my dreams. It has already been part of my daily routine to check from time to time if he’s already home. It is a must for me to know where he will park his car every night. Every morning, between 6-7 am. if I’m awake, I’ll go out and take a peek outside our gate to see if his car is still parked where he left it the night before. And if luck is on my side, he might be on his way to his car at the same time I will go out and check outside our gate. I fancy about him day and night. Often, I find myself wondering what he maybe doing at that particular minute. Or what his friends are like? I feel like I should know all about him.

Weeks have passed and I am more and more drawn to him as the information about him came flooding in our doorsteps. His name, his plate number, where he works, who washes his clothes, how his girlfriend looks like, who’s with him in their house, where his parents are, what flavor of Gatorade he drinks, where his province is, how many siblings he has, where he plays basketball, and so on and so forth.

There are just so many things about him to adore and love about. His perfect smile will make everyone weak to the bones. His praise-worthy teeth glitter as he flashes his grin (or in Bella Swan’s term to refer to the Jacob grin that makes her soft, “my grin”). His perfectly messed hair is a head-turner. His lovable chinito eyes are inexplicable. His positive aura that come hand-in-hand with his smiling face will surely brush worries away. His respect for the elderly is adorable. His love for kids is very endearing. His politeness and good heartedness is engaging. His fondness to sit in the floor while watching TV is awfully charming. His cooking for his girlfriend is downright applauding.

In the words of our other neighbors, he’s someone who wears his heart in his sleeve, someone who doesn’t have any harsh bone in his body. He’s not the makalaglag panty’t brief kind of guy nor is he perfect but his good heart and adequate sex appeal makes him the best candidate for The Sexiest Man Alive.

Sometimes, I hate myself for wanting to know more about him, for making extra efforts to steal quick glances on him. For no matter how expert I am with this matters brought about by my vast experiences in infatuations and unrequited love affairs, I still fall and fall over and over again with the mishaps of an unrequited love or whatever you call this obsession of mine. I’ve tried very hard to remind myself that his life is independent of mine. And that he doesn’t care about me. Sometimes I hate him for being who he is. But no matter how incredible the pain is afterwards, nothing compares to the seconds I would see him, see his smile. It’s as if I’m falling into an ocean of him but he’s not there to save me when I drown.

Sometimes I think maybe I’ve become addicted to the bitter-sweet emotions these experiences bring. Maybe I’ve come to love the pain it gives, pain from the fact that no matter what I do, what I say, he’s not mine and he will never be mine. Or maybe I’ve come to love the numbness it brings afterwards from the fact that I don’t have someone like him in my life who loves me the way I should be loved. Maybe.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and I’ve never felt so down and unloved than these past few weeks. By saying unloved, I’m talking about love in the romantic sense of the word. Am I asking for too much? Am I asking for an impossible thing? Is someone to have and to hold not part of my existence? Is looking/loving from a distance my destiny? Is this the price I have to pay for choosing this kind of life? Is this what I get in return for being blessed in other aspects of my life? A little LOVE is all I’m asking for…

Ang Tanging Ina N'yong Lahat

3/5 stars

It's undeniably the 2008 Metro Manila Film Festival's top grosser. It'll be so outdated of you to not watch it among the entries this year. To be perfectly honest, in my own personal opinion, only two films among the entries are worth watching for, this one and Viva Film's Baler.

Together with my mom and sister, I went and watch at Gateway Cineplex a day before New Year's Eve. We opted for the 7pm screening. There was a long line outside Cinema 5 as the theater was still being prepared. While waiting to get in, I thought about how I'm going to review this movie. I felt that it would be unfair if I'm going to be very critical about the movie. After all, its kind of comedy is catered to the lower classes of the society; therefore, one shouldn't expect a humor where thinking is still an utmost importance.

The first Tanging Ina movie in 2003 break a lot of records. This is probably the reason why Director Wenn Deramas and scriptwriter Mel del Rosario stick with the old formula they used in 2003 that made Tanging Ina an all-time box office hit.

This sequel picks up a few years after the first one. Some of her children who can't be in the movie were told to have made lives of their own. Ina and best friend Rowena after being in and out of different jobs took a work at the Malacañang Palace as maids. Events happened and Ina accidentally overhears the assassination plot by the vice-president to kill the president. When the president dies, Ina confided the truth and was challenged by the vice-president to a snap election. Eventually, Ina wins and she's now faced to be the mother not only to her children but also to the entire nation.

The script was a classic Mel del Rosario. Ok but then again a couple of corny, just-to-get-it-over with jokes/lines were all over the film. But since this movie was not an award winning one and was just intended to sell and entertain, flaws in the script were all forgivable.

Direction was again a classic Wenn Deramas. He's not much of a visual storyteller. There were a lot of hurried sequences, thus, the film's narrative was half-baked. Resolution if there really was sucked big time. Balancing the heavy comedy of the film with predictable family drama was a brilliant idea but it wasn't carried out very well. As a matter of fact, a lot of these drama scenes were tedious. The problem I guess was because it undermines the movie's tone that the director already set.

The movie's real gem is its casts. Ai Ai was great in her role as Ina. She showed versatility that she's not only the queen of comedy but also, as powerful as she is in that field, she's also an equally talented drama actress. She can be a caricature to make her audience burst with laughter but she can also pull off a crying scene, showing that how funny she maybe, she also has a heart, able to give unconditional love, accept failure and mistakes.

No questions asked. No second thoughts. EUGENE DOMINGO is the best on what she does. She's not just talented; she really has a gift of humor.

This movie wasn't at all a candidate for 5 or even 4 stars but this is one of the perfect movies to end your year with. It's the kind of movie that will entertain you to the core of your bones. It will make you forget even just for an hour and 50 minutes or so. It will make you just laugh out the year that you just had. I say this movie is still worth every centavo you're going to spend if you just want to sit back and laugh laugh laugh. And also, this movie doesn't pretend. From the title alone, you'll know how this movie was intended for. No unforgettable lines, no remarkable scenes, just wonderful performances from the actors enough for you to enjoy.

Twilight

3/5 stars

I love reading books and it usually excites me every time a book I really love will be adapted into a motion picture. But over the years, I have learned to lower my standards for me not to get disappointed when I watch the movie. Most of the time, adaptations of a novel into a major motion picture weren’t so good and very few are successful ones that has the moviegoers asking for more.

There was an enormous hype for Twilight. Why not? The novel from which it’s based is undeniably a bestseller, its soundtrack debut at the top spot when it was released so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s now number one in the box office. I’ve already anticipated that fans will flock theaters as soon as the movie hit cinemas that’s why I already reserved a ticket for its 1st day, 1st screening at Gateway Cineplex 10. It was the first screening but all the tickets were sold out! Very very promising…

Supposedly, I’ll be giving credit to Director Catherine Hardwicke for I know how hard it is to squeeze in a 498-pages novel into a 2 hours film but to be honest, she didn’t do a great job. As well as the screenwriter who sucked big time in her job. In adapting novels like Twilight in a major motion picture, one of the crucial parts if not the most, is the point when you have to choose what are the particularly important scenes from the book that should be in the film. Aside from the nonsense add-ons they included in the story, the biggest problem of this Twilight adaptation resides on the wrong selection of scenes. Hardwicke wasn’t considerate at all those who didn’t read the novel. There are just so many missing details that were pivotal in making the movie more coherent. In film school, they (we), call it Inciting Incidents and this movie failed in pinpointing those turning points in the book. There were so many beautiful and more important scenes in the book that should’ve been in the movie instead of adding ridiculous scenes that were totally not in the book. In my opinion, the unnecessary alterations they made with parts of the story just made it confusing and jumbled!

Twilight was filmed in low budget that’s probably the reason for this “jumping rope” game with the adaptation but seriously, failing to include Bella and Edward’s conversation in the book why in the very first place, TWILIGHT is its title, is simply unforgivable in the part of the Director and Screenwriter! OMG! And what’s with the movie’s ending? What the heck?! Victoria?

The Port Angeles and the Prom scenes were two of the best moments in the book but were totally depicted in a very horrible way! I was grumping with displeasure in my seat while watching it! I was really like, DUH!!! If only Hardwicke was able to craft it the way it was told in the book, Twilight would have been the best movie of this year. The way they were depicted in the film, they were not half as much the kilig feeling they should exude. Though the Director and Screenwriter’s work wasn’t favorable at all, Cinematographer Elliot Davis did a pretty well job. He should be given enough credit for a very beautiful lighting and over all look of the motion picture. It was simply fabulous!

Also, I need to commend the actors for portraying their characters very well especially Kristen and Robert. Stewart was great in her acting especially the scene when James (the bad vampire) bit her. Pattinson was perfect for the character of Edward Cullen in all aspects! He’s a GOD! Oh so HOT! Just like Edward, sometimes he doesn’t need to speak for you to get weak. Just by looking at his facial expressions or far worst his eyes…shucks! I literally wanted to melt in the freezing theater of Gateway while watching Twilight. His voice…his accent…is heaven! Robert Pattinson can definitely send you to your wildest orgasmic mode!

Tyler Lautner as Jacob Black is a big NO-NO! What on earth could have they been thinking casting him as Jacob??? I wonder how the adaptation for New Moon will be under this mistake.

With very disappointing reviews about Twilight, in my honest opinion, it’s still worth the 180 bucks you’re gonna spend. There may be major flaws with how Twilight was adapted into a major motion picture but still, it has this charismatic effect that wouldn’t make you feel as if you’ve wasted your money as well as your time. If you’ve read the book, just try not to compare its story with the movie. If you haven’t read the book, I couldn’t care less, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the movie. Expectations for Twilight were just too high so I suggest keeping in mind, DON’T EXPECT TOO MUCH. Though Catherine Hardwicke ruined the story, Twilight still has the magic to captivate you, make you hope for someone like Edward, and most importantly, the movie can still convince you that in this lifetime, LOVE CAN STILL CONQUER ALL amidst any situation, whoever that person may be.

And after all, don’t let the opportunity to see Robert Pattinson as EDWARD CULLEN in the big screen. HE’s worth every peso you’re going to spend on Twilight!

I've got just 2 days to live...

That was the doctor's diagnosis. He said there's some kind of over production in my hormone levels and that he can't believe I'm still alive. I was steady as stone for a while, devastated and couldn't possibly imagine how on earth can I squeeze in 48 hours all the things that I still wanna do. This was the scenario in my dream last night. It was so real that I'm even surprised that I'm still alive when I woke up.

Like I always do everyday, I hit the the shower right after I got out of bed and today while taking a bath I got into thinking, what if my dream was real and it'll really happen? Will the ending of my life be as emotional as it was in my dream? Is that how I want my life to end?

And so I asked myself while dressing up, if God will tell me when exactly he's gonna ask for my life, what are the things that I'm gonna do?

If I just have 48 hours to live here on earth, what are the things I'm gonna do? Who are the people I'm going to talk to in the last few hours of my life? Who'll be the first one I'm gonna say goodbye to and who'll be the last? Will I spend the time left for me in mourning or will I spend it doing the things I've always wanted to do but felt too afraid to try? Am I going to countdown till my last breath still restaurant hopping and eating all the foods I will no longer taste after I die or will I fuck around and have sex for all I want since I'll be dying in a few hours why give a damn about it right? Do I want to die with people around me seeing how I run after my last breath or would I prefer to just be mum about the fact that I'm going to die and spend my last few minutes inside my bedroom alone?

These questions can go on and on and on but there's one universal truth amidst all this and it's the fact that we're all going to die but the question is when...

I am now reading Paulo Coelho's, "The Zahir" and one of my favorite quote in the book is the one where he talked about death. Here it is, "...we're always at war. We're at war with death, and we know that death will win in the end. In armed conflicts, this is simply more obvious, but the same thing happens in daily life. We can't allow ourselves the luxury of being unhappy all the time." These past few days, I have been thinking a lot about things and I won't deny that most of them depresses me. But after having dreamt of this scenario last night, I asked myself if this is how I would want to spend my life, worrying about this and that when I have a lot to be thankful for with my now. I realized that worrying a lot deprives us of living our everyday to the fullest. Worrying makes us limit our happiness which in turn makes us waste a lot of our life's precious and limited time on earth.

I think I have waste a lot already in my lifetime and as my life's clock continues to tick and tock to the "big day", I wanna spend my life more without regrets. I wanna be able to face God someday with a smile on my face knowing that I was able to do what I wanna do in the lifetime he gave me. I wanna be able to tell him that I was content and happy with how I lived my life. And I know that the only way to achieve this and start living your best life is through a mantra Kris Aquino shared a few days ago in her fantxt, Past is out, Present is in, Future is clear. To be able to live our lives to the fullest we should really put our PAST behind us, we must live, be the best that we can be and make the most out of our PRESENT and leave our FUTURE to the all mighty for it is still waiting to be done. Its outcome, however, depends on how we live today.

21 Things I’m looking forward to do now that I’m 21

It has been a year and almost two months since my last blog post. Those 13 months (July07-August08) of my life can be best described as a total roller coaster experience. Those subscribed to my fantxt knows this. I have been up and down. I have fallen in and out of love. I have triumphed and failed. A lot has changed in my life since July of last year and I believe as time pass by, I have also evolved and matured in so many ways.

I celebrated my 21^st Birthday last Friday. Now that I’m 21, I can say that there are a lot that I want to accomplish in this lifetime. There are so many things I wanna do, I wanna change, and above all, I wanna prioritize. So as I turn another year older, I want to share with everyone THE 21 THINGS I AM HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH NOW THAT I’M 21.

1 I’m going to maintain my current physique. I would say that 2007 was my fattest year to date. I don’t know if I was just stressed out that time and I resorted in eating to cope up or I just simply want to eat. When I started writing my thesis early this year, I started losing weight also. By the time I finished my thesis, I went from 147 lbs. to my current weight now which is 130 lbs. Though it is not easy, I will continue on my diet to maintain this. It’s not easy to lose weight especially if you love to eat but if you look in the mirror and see the change, it’s all worth it!

2 I’ll indulge myself to reading. I’ve been very busy with my studies during the past 13 months that I have deprived myself of leisure reading. Last July when we moved to a new house, I’ve realized how many books I have horded already so now that I still don’t have work and I have the time to read, I’ll read them one by one. Some of the titles that I’m going to read in the coming months are: Paulo Coelho’s The Witch of Portobello, The Devil and Miss Prym, Like The Flowing River, The Zahir; The Death of an Ordinary Man (Glen Duncan); Orosa-Nakpil Malate (Louie Mar Gangcuangco); James Patterson’s Mary Mary, Honeymoon, The 5^th Horseman; Candace Bushnell’s Sex and the City; and Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ “Love in the Time of Cholera”.

3 I will now read the entire Harry Potter series before watching all the movies.

I will also read the latest craze among book readers, Stephanie Mayer’s Twilight saga. My best friend Reese said it’s a true guilty pleasure and so I’m really excited to finally meet Edward Cullen.

4 I will pay tribute to Dr. Jose Rizal by reading his two novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. I have Leon Ma. Guerrero’s english translated version; I have always dreamed of reading the two novels that played a big role for the independence we have today.

5 I will watch the entire first season of Gossip Girl over a weekend DVD marathon. They say it’s sexy and totally irresistible. I can’t wait!

6 I’ll catch up with my DVD addictions, Grey’sAnatmoy (season 4), Desperate Housewives (season 4), Brothers and Sisters (season 2), Ugly Betty (I’ll watch the first season na, promise!), Prison Break (I have the complete first season already), and One Tree Hill (I have the complete first three seasons).

7 I’ll try to change my sleeping habits. My insomnia has gone from bad to worst. I now sleep at 5am or worst, 9am. I do believe that I already need medical help regarding this so now that I’m already graduating, I will seek professional help at the Medical City’s Sleeping Disorder Institute.

8 I will try my very best to drink 2 liters or more of water everyday. I love salty foods, if I can, I’ll munch on potato chips every minute but I can’t. Lately I have been having problems with my kidneys which will be taken care of next week also at Medical City.

9 I’ll try to be more giving. I am a believer of the saying to whom much is given, much is expected in return. I look around me and there are just so many people in need of help especially financially and materially. I’ll try helping to the best that I can. If I can, I’ll join a charity. Oprah’s Big Give really inspired me.

10 I”ll continue collecting jeans! I love love love maong jeans. Whenever I’m down, stressed out or I just want to feel better, I buy jeans. I don’t know how many I have at this point in time; I just know that it’s close to a hundred.

11 I’m going to write and write and write more. I’ve recently watched an Oprah episode wherein her doctor friend and show’s house doctor, Dr. Oz was guest and he said that making writing a daily habit can make your life 5 years longer since it releases stress and tension. More so, it produces healthy cells in our brain.

12 I’m going to learn how to cook. My mom loves to cook and she has been forever nagging me and my sister that it’s very important that we know how to cook. Indeed, I have realized that living in this globalized world is still not a reason for you to just leave a sumptuous meal to fast food chains or restaurants. They say that cooking is a very fulfilling hobby and so I want to try it. I know that it takes time to learn how to cook but for a person like me who helps his mom in the kitchen every Christmas eve, I’m sure it won’t be hard. This likeness to learn how to cook was awakened when my friend Jammy told me that after graduation she’s going to Singapore to study culinary. I was really inspired. And also, I realized, isn’t it a plus point for you to your future partner if you know how to cook?

13 I will try to regularly watch the live telecast of The View airing weekdays at 11pm on Sky Cable’s Velvet. I super love Barbara Walters. (I am watching it right now while doing this)

14 I’m going to catch up with my favorite talk shows on TV that I’ve been missing these past few months since I was very busy doing my thesis, moving to a new house, and finishing my internship. From Boy and Kris to The Oprah Winfrey Show to Ellen, I’ll be a talk show freak now!

15 I will watch Regine Velasquez and Lani Misalucha’s back-to-back concert at the Araneta Coliseum on February 2009 entitled, The Main Event: The Duel of the Divas.

16 I will never tire to learn and discover things. I believe that it is the pursuit of knowledge that makes every human being truly noble and the absence of this passion to learn is the signal of death.

17 I will look for a nice and decent job that pays good enough to provide for my needs and wants. Of course it has to be something I love doing.

18 I will tell the people I love how much I love them as often as I can. I want the people I value the most to feel how much I appreciate and value them. Love should be expressed as often as we can for it might be too late for you if you let a chance slip away.

19 GOODBYE ONLINE GUYS! I won’t entertain any guy who’ll message me in the World Wide Web anymore wanting to know me better and the usual getting-to-know-each-other chow chow. I’ve been there; I’ve done that and look at me now. I’m still alone. What have I got? Heartaches and yes, lessons but let it stop there. I’m done with this. Let’s just face it, internet is not the best place to find a man to have and to hold. Though it’s one of the ways, it’s just not for me. I mean this. And for the record, I DON’T HAVE AN ACCOUNT IN ANY OF THE GAY SITES IN THE WEB.

20 I will be open to falling in love, to men (not from the internet), to new lessons I’m going to learn from future relationships I’m going to enter. I will not be afraid to be hurt for it is through pain that we learn. I will welcome love in every possible way. Only now, I will TRY to be more rational about love. I will TRY my best to not always put my heart above my head.

21 I’ll be more positive towards life. I will be grateful for every day of my life. I will embrace every experience and cherish every encounter. I will apply lessons I’ve learned in the past. I will not be afraid to take risks. I will live life to the fullest. I will live my life without regrets. Life is short and I want to make the most out of it.